Rainboot 911!

Things break. We all know it's true. The trouble is that we live in a throw-it-away-and-buy-a-new-one society, rather than the oh-well-I'll-just-fix-it society of many years ago. Things are too accessible to us, and we're lazy. I'll admit it.

But, like any good relationship, sometimes these things take some work. The relationship between you and your footwear is no different. Sometimes, your shoes need a little TLC.

And so it was with my rainboots. (Check them out here, if you don't know the ones I'm talking about)

The black ones are my favourites, of course, and I actually have two pairs in that colour combination, because, travesty that it was, I didn't repair them soon enough, and something terrible happened.

The bows are gone.

About 6 months ago, I was riding on the bus out to visit my parents, and I looked down to see that a bow was missing. It must have fallen off while I was waiting for the bus or something, because it was no where to be seen. Of course, I couldn't walk around with just one bow, so I pulled off the other:

I kept it, in case I needed it for something one day, and ordered another pair from DNA footwear and decided to keep these in case I found some cute buttons or something to glue on in place of the bows.

And life went on. I still haven't glued buttons onto the old ones... Projects for another rainy day.

But, then the most terrible happened. I noticed that one of the bows on my new ones was loose...

Crap.

But! This time, I vowed to make sure I didn't repeat the same mistake, and, today, I pulled out my handy Shoe Goo.

Shoe Goo is a godsend. It's marketed for use on tennis and running shoes, but it works just as well to restick bows on rainboots, and seal the edge on that peeling platform. It's incredibly inexpensive (I picked mine up years ago at Canadian Tire for around $8.00) and, after about a day of drying, is waterproof and foolproof (I've tested the latter a few times).

Et voila!

Like new!

So, remember, don't give up a pair of shoes just because they're no longer perfect. Sometimes, they need a little love, too!

A place for everything and everything in it's place...

Well, it's taken me a good bunch of weeks, but I've nearly finished my closet overhaul. Close enough that I can show you anyway.

Remember those shoe racks that I wrestled with many months ago? I've finally sorted out my storage systems.

I had to buy another rack (this one is black) in order to get them all put away (placing me well above 100 pair... I feel like I should have had a centennial pair party when I hit that landmark. That's what I get for not paying attention. Alas...) but, they're finally all off the floor and look pretty good!

Check it out:

As you can see, the one on the left is going to need some doctoring soon, it's a little bowed, but, at least for the time being, I'm pretty proud of myself! They take up a full wall in my closet-room (yes, I have a full room dedicated to my wardrobe), but so worth it.

Speaking of my closet! In the same post where I was setting up the first of these racks, I told you that I was in dire need of a new clothing organization system as well, and that was also part of this week's projects!

My fabulous boyfriend, who I have thanked profusely, built me a whole new closet system. I now have a full twelve feet of sturdy hanging space to replace the 3 1/2 flimsy racks that used to house all my hanging clothes.

I haven't finished loading everything in yet, but take a look:

Looks pretty great, no? And, he put a shelf up at the top, so I had a new place to put all my hats! They were previously living on the top shelf in my make-up room (yes, I also have a whole room for hair and make-up), but my little kitty had a really entertaining habit of pulling them all down while I sleep. Now, they're seven feet off the ground, and little kitty paws can't reach them!

This makes getting ready in the morning a dream! What does your closet look like?

What Mikal made (Or: my new slippers)

Something delightful has happened!

If you remember, back in July, I had reposted an entry from my friend, Mikal's, blog, in which she had made some adorable little knitted bootie slippers.

We had gone for tea a little while after that, and she had offered to make me a pair. I was happy to graciously accept her offer, and we didn't really speak of it again for a long while.

As I've been insanely busy with New York trips and a major undertaking of closet organization and clutter purging, I hadn't seen my dear Mikal in a few months, and, as we hadn't spoke about it, and she's getting really close to her due date (she and her husband are expecting their first child at the end of November), I assumed that she'd forgotten about my booties, and continued on with my life.

But, I was wrong! We finally managed to get together for tea once again, she presented me with these beauties!

They're so comfy, and perfect for wearing inside my raccoon slippers when it gets really chilly at night. Plus, I've slept in them a few times, and the ties make sure they stay on my feet. The few times a year I sleep in socks, I end up finding them in the bottom of my duvet or on the floor in the morning. 

Thank you so much Miss Mikal! I love them! 

And, again, if you want to check out her blog, it's here. It's a great spot if you're looking for a project! 

Tea and snuggles

One of my favourite things about cold weather is that it means it's time to bring my slippers out of retirement. There's nothing more pleasant than curling up on the couch with a cup of tea, a good book, and a pair of snuggly slippers. Especially if it's raining. 

About two months ago, I was on a short roadtrip to my grandparents' house for their 60th anniversary party (I can't even start to process the idea of being alive for 60 years, let alone being married that long! Congrats Gramma and Grampa!) and we needed to make a detour through Bellingham so my mum could pick up a few things. 

Of course, this meant swinging through Kohls, and that was where I found these little darlings:

They're raccoons! And, on sale, if you want a pair... 

I think they're charming. To be honest, I'm not really much of a cutesy person. I don't like hearts and stars on my clothes, I don't really have much use for stuffed animals (although, I do have a few that whose company I enjoy very much), and my iPhone case, while pink, does not have cartoon characters on it. 

The only exception to this rule is sleepwear. I have pyjama pants printed with Spongebob, and slippers that look like raccoons are a-ok in my books! Outside the house, I want to look like a sophisticated adult, but pyjamas always remind me of slumber parties and Christmas morning. Disney princesses belong here. 

It's starting to look a lot like... winter?

It's cold.

Delightfully so.

After a great summer, I am so very ready for fall. But, after about 2 weeks of what felt like fall weather, it is extra nippy today. I definitely had to wear cozy gloves to walk to work today.

But, this means something excellent! It's boot season!

While I was in New York, I bought a few pair, including these darlings:

Just some little Chelsea boots. Adorable, no? My mum and I were reading the September issue of InStyle on the plane on the way to New York, and they highlighted Chelsea boots for fall!

I love them. And, they're so comfy, and so easy. They go with pretty much everything, I'm wearing mine today with tights and a floral dress. Trust me, it's chic.

I also picked up a really great pair of black knee-length leather boots, very equestrian. They're a great staple, and will come in handy to cut the wind on all those chilly October days, kicking through piles of leaves.

So, box up your sandals, retire your indestructible ugly flip-flops for another year, and revel in the toasty tootsie goodness of boots! Happy October!