Gold medal style

14 minutes til the Olympic opening ceremonies, and the energy is a-buzzing in my office. Working in a speakers bureau, we represent a lot of current and past Olympians, so we're pretty caught up in all the madness.

Also being a Friday, we're having a hard time concentrating on work, so what better time than now to post a little summin'-summin' for you guys!

I'm reminded of all the fun we had when the Olympics were hosted in Vancouver in 2010, particularly of broadcasting how Vancouverite I could really be by running through the streets in open toes in the rain:

These little friends were my go-to going out shoes that year. I bought them in Vegas the very first time I went, and they were amazing. I could walk on them for 15 hours straight and my feet would feel like a dream. Sadly, they succumbed to overuse after being glued back together 18 times.

And then there was the men's gold hockey game. A greater show of Canadian patriotism was never seen! I was lucky enough to be downtown amidst all the madness, and madness it was.

Choruses of "O Canada" could be heard between whistles, shrieks and cheers, and the roads were impassable for hours.

That night, we took part in a giant street party to mark the closing ceremonies, and I nearly died wearing evil ankle boots:

They look so innocent, but dont' be fooled. Evil.

And now! It's time, so I'll leave you with this:

Patriotic shoes from DSquared. Go Team Canada!

What's on someone else's feet: Part two.

My darling friend, Mikal, is a absolute whiz. She recently made herself a dressform of herself using an old tshirt and some duct tape (clever, no?) and has been sewing up a storm ever since!

Her creations range from lace maternity shorts (she's 5 months along with her first child, and so adorable!), shiny pink zebra pants, and these little gems:

She's crocheted these without a pattern, and I don't know about you, but I definitely want a pair. Especially considering the weather we've been having, sliding along my hardwood floors in these with a cup of tea sounds like bliss!

Check out the full post, and instructions here, and check out the rest of her blog for some rad DIYs to pass the rainy afternoons, and rock in the sunshine!

Thanks for sharing, Mikal!!

This little piggie went to market...

Let's talk about toes.

Part of wearing pretty open-toed shoes is having pretty toes, the basis of which is having a nice pedicure, regularly upkept, if possible.

Trends in pedicures (and manicures) are pretty similiar to those in fashion. This summer, there are lots of brights, metallics and a bit of a throwback to the 80's.

One of my favourite trends is doing an accent nail. This is where you paint all of your nails one colour, and then do one or two toes in a contrasting colour.

These are my toes (before Vegas turned them into the mess you saw yesterday):

Hot pink, with a black accent toe on either foot. I think they make my feet look a little like watermelons.

Another trend I keep seeing on fingers and toes is doing an ombre effect, starting with a dark colour, and then using a lighter shade of the same on each subsequent digit. It looks a little something like this:

(No, that's not my foot.)

And, I had to include this photo, because I think this palette looks beautiful, and I love dark polish for summer:

It's not a foot, but you get the idea.

When blue foam just doesn't cut it...

I am at work. It's a blessing and a curse that summertime is our slow season: a blessing because it means I don't have to put in any overtime, and there's a relaxed atmosphere in the office, and a curse because it means that there's absolutely and painfully nothing to do.

So here I am.

The other thing that's great about summertime in an office (besides air conditioning...) is that the dresscode get a little less... professional. We still look sharp (I'm in a blue sundress right now, with a little shrug), but there's no need for blazers and tights.

Which means that I also retire a good portion of my work shoes for the summer. It's the season of slapping around in sandals. But, of course, the blue-foam-not-so-beauties get left at home. I don't work at the beach, afterall.

That being said, there are lots of beautiful options for easy, throw-them-on-and-run-out-the-door sandals out right now, and they still look very put together (although the post-Vegas state of my pedicure leaves a lot to be desired... oops!)

Today, I have these darlings on:

See? I wasn't kidding about the toenails...

These guys came from Square One in the Mall of Manhattan (of course), and they unfortunately don't have a website, but they do have a great selection of ridiculously inexpensive shoes. It's a great spot if you're looking for something trendy to wear for one season. I think these were $10.00...

Anyways, these are a little less flashy and trendy than some of the others I picked up on that trip, but that's what makes them great for the office.

If you want to wear something like this in a professional atmosphere (we're talking about business casual here, they just won't work with a suit, I'm sorry!), look for something with gunmetal or brushed metal accents, in a neutral colour, and then have fun with your pedicure, so you can have some colour down there without looking like a paint store exploded on your feet. Save that look for the weekend.

These Louboutins would be perfect:

But, then, aren't Louboutins always perfect?

Bright lights, Vegas city!

Hello, my darlings, my dears!

As you know, I've recently been to one my of my favourite cities of all time, Las Vegas. My recent post regarding school and getting out of Dodge sums up pretty well how much I adore Vegas.

And, really, it's hard not to. My partner-in-crime, Dominique, and I managed to disappear from real life for a week to relax in the sun, drink plenty of cocktails, lounge by the pool, dance the night away, every night, and meet some lovely new people.

The best part? In 24 days, I'll be back again. And, I've registered for school, probably to apply for Fall 2013. But, don't worry, I won't leave you all behind!

Ok, back to the important things: Shoes!

Katy, you may ask, when you pack for a trip to Vegas, what shoes would you bring?

Well! Let me tell you!

As you've already packed your indestrucible flip-flops and your Rollasoles, the next thing you're going to need is something cute to wear during the day. My suggestion is a pair of espadrilles. They're comfy, and will look sweet and casual with whatever you wear. I just picked up a pair almost identical to these beauties in nautical stripes:

The low wedge means that you'll be able to walk on it for hours, and the slight platform will save your toes. Plus the natural fibres will let your feet breathe, so you're not going to sweat until they slip right off. But, just in case you do, the ankle ties will keep them in place!

They're also good to wear to the pool with your bikini and a giant sunhat, though I wil admit, I prefer to wear my indestructible flip-flops to the pool, to keep the chlorine off my more damageable shoes.

Now, in case you're planning to walk long distances up and down the strip to explore, you may want something a little flatter. There are plenty of beautiful embellished sandals around this summer, continuing with the trend we've been seeing the last few years.

Try to stick with light or bright colours for day, they'll be cooler, and will look breezy and light while you're strolling the strip. Check out these from DNA Footwear (I've linked the photos, for your shopping convenience!).

Now, we've got day covered, it's time to get to the best stuff! Whether you'll be dancing all night, wandering the casinos, or hitting up a show, it's important to look fabulous! And, what better way to attract the attention of that super cute guy playing at the high roller table than by strutting your stuff!

Remembering that you have limited space in your suitcase, (I had to cram a week's worth of dresses into a duffle bag, it was madness!) you won't be able to bring a lot of evening shoes, so we'll keep it to two pair. Bring a pair of black heels that will go with everything, and one pair of statement shoes that will go easily with a little black dress.

Don't forget, just because they're black doesn't mean they have to be boring. Look for something with some visual interest. The idea is that you can wear them with anything you've packed, but you are in Vegas, after all, it's the city of over the top, so have fun! I love these from Cascadei:

They're perfectly on trend with the embellished heel, have a little sparkle, and will go with just about anything but gold lamé. Actually, on second though, rock that gold lamé number, mixing metallics is totally fun!

Time for statement shoes. You'l probably only wear them once during your trip, but you'll be shining like the star you are when you do! There are no rules here, choose something bright, something sparkly, strappy, pink, blue, green, yellow, the sky's the limit. Try to mix several trends together, the only requirement is that they're show-stopping! Keep the outfit a little tamer so you don't look like a fashion victim, rather than a sleek style assasin, but go crazy! Here are some that I'm lusting after:

 Louboutin (of course!)

Pierre Hardy

Kurt Geiger

Enjoy!

Indecision...

Is it insane to want to move to Vegas? I'm seriously considering it.

Think: beautiful shoes, beautiful people, beautiful weather. Sounds all perfect, does it not?

Truth be told, I just got back. Two days ago. And, last night, I booked another trip and I'm dying to go back. 

There's something truly intoxicating about the lights, the air, the people, the energy. It's like crack to my soul.

Now that I think about it... That might be dangerous. But, I'm just so happy when I'm there. It's delicious. It's bliss. 

And it doesn't even bother me that I spent most of my time in my indestructible blue flip-flops. 

Not to mention that I haven't been able to sleep since I got back, and I keep having nightmares about my room here. Seems like a sign to me, no?

Who knows...