It's time... (or: The Gret Croc Debate)

Yes, my friends, the time has come for the Great Croc Debate. Except this is going to be more like the great-rant-on-why-I-hate-crocs.

But, feel free to chime in and tell me why I'm right. Or wrong, I suppose.

Reason #1: They're ugly.

Yes, yes, this is a matter of opinion, and I recognize that, but they look like gardening clogs. And, really, who would wear their gardening clogs out and about in the real world?

(yuck)



Reason #2: They were originally developed to be spa shoes. Crocs, like Uggs (more on Uggs here), are footwear that became street wear by accident (though I'm sure that the stakeholders in both companies are pleased about it, I can't say I share their enthusiasm). Originally developed as a spa shoe, I can understand why it was a successful design. It's soft and comfy, has all those holes for ventilation, the toe is quite wide and roomy, so it probably would be good to protect your pedicure without ruining it, and they come in a bunch of wild colours. Sure, I might wear them in a spa. Keywords here: in a spa. Just like slippers don't belong on the street, neither do spa shoes.

Reason #3: They give you the weirdest tan lines. As a shoe that was not meant to be in light stronger than the soft glow of spa ambiance, the idea of tan lines was never a factor in their design. Or, they completely disregarded it on purpose, who knows. But, the fact of the matter is that if you wear Crocs in the sun, your feet will look like this:

 

Why people would do this to themselves voluntarily if beyond me. A flip-flop or sandal tan is one thing (no one is exempt, unfortunately), but if you footwear make your feet look diseased.... That's quite another.

Now, like Uggs, Crocs have expanded their product line and recognized that people need something less horrible to put on their feet. And, I have no problem with these designs, but, please, leave the originals in the spa.

I actually think the pink heels are quite cute, though I do worry what would happen if you wore those yellow bubble flats in the sun too long... Bubble-toes.

Rocky start (or: Why Ralph and I are not currently friends)

Last week, I went to Bellingham with my mum, as per usual.

We stopped at Value Village, as per usual.

I made a bee-line for the shoes, as per usual.

I discovered a pair of beautiful velvet smoking slippers with gold crests, as per not-so-usual.

They had leather soles. I was intrigued.

Turning them over, I discovered that they are Ralph Lauren. And they were 5$.

Needless to say, they're mine now. And, today was the first day that I decided to wear them. So, upon arriving at work (back to the usual now), I swapped my rainboots (yes, the sunshine is gone, alas!) for my fabulous, pratically-new Ralph Lauren smoking slippers. Two minutes in, I started to limp.

I've lamented the trouble with flats before, but I thought these might be different, because they're, well, Ralph Lauren. No dice. The backs are driving me crazy, and I'm worried I'll be coated in blisters by quitting time.

But, not one to give up easily, I'm trying to stretch them out a little. I have no ice on hand, so I've doing this:

Ridiculous, I know, but I have jammed a stack of post-its in either shoe (yes, I only order bright coloured post-its. Who says you can't have pretty notes?) in a desperate attempt to save my heels.

And it looks insane, but it seems to be working... Fingers crossed. Note to self: Always buy 5$ designer shoes from Value Village, but be ready for a world of pain if they're flat.

I'll keep you posted on my progress.

The first days of sunshine.

Something glorious has happened this weekend. The sun came out.

And, I resolved to go out and enjoy it. And, I did!

Today, I managed to go to the park and lay out on a picnic blanket with my feet in sandals and my legs bare. I wasn't even cold.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of something beautiful!

I almost opted for my indestructible pink rubber flipflops (the blue foam ones were finally laid to rest in the bottom of my garbage can just a week ago when I discovered a hole on the ball of the foot. I had literally walked through them, and they will be missed.), but I decided to keep it classy and wear some fancy sandals instead.

And, these guys are just as comfy! Happy Easter!

These boots were made for walking

Well, it's finally here! Spring!

It's been a long, cold, wet winter, and I am definitely glad to see that it's coming to an end. After almost a week of beautiful days, I think it may even be safe to say it. Spring has sprung!

And, with the turn of the season comes flowers! But, not just in our gardens...

I was out for dinner with a few lovely friends of my mine, and we popped over to ALDO and I fell in love with these:

These little darlings are actually wedges, and the floral pattern continues around the heel in wraparound perfection. I've worn them once, and, though still breaking them in, I'm still completely smitten.

Though, I must say, spring is not just about flowers. It's also about the beginning of nice weather, and being able to be outside without rain boots and an umbrella. At least, it is in Vancouver.

Which is why I'm wearing these:

I picked these guys up in New York, during this past trip, and they're perfect for a walk in the park, or along the Seawall. And, I've been getting up to a lot of walking recently.

With all the sunshine, I've been trying to get outside for at least a little bit of time everyday. Yesterday, I actually walked 17.5km (not in these boots though!) and it was a great day for walking!

Plus, if I go out for a stroll, I can smell real flowers. Well, maybe not for a month or two, yet.

Shoe or boot? Yes.

When I was in New York, I went to Dolce & Gabbana, because this is one of the things that one does while in New York.

And, while I was there, I saw these:

I love these. They're absolutely beautiful. But, the thing that intrigues me most is that they look similtaneously like boots, and shoes with lace socks. Shoe-boots? Shoots? Bhoes? Who knows?

Because my current budgeting situation did not permit a spontaneous purchase of designer footwear (maybe one day!), I had to leave these lovelies behind, and try to find myself something similar in the land of trickle-down designs. Unfortunately, no luck yet, but I have my eyes peeled.

In the meantime, I did pick up a pair of booties that are sort of similar, and yet very different.

These are by Report, though I picked them up at Goodwill, land of bargains and (apparently) tasty footwear. I like that the patent pieces look like a cut-out pump, but the matte leather between bridges the gap to beautiful booties!

So, to answer the age-old question: Is it a shoe, or a boot? Yes.

Mint-spiration

New York Story Number One:

There was, of course, footwear. I'm currently obsessing over mint green everything, and shoes were part of the mix. I found a beautiful pair of mint pumps at Forever 21, and wasted no time in snapping them up:

A self-admitted shopaholic at times, I've managed to whittle my habit down to only buying really great pieces, instead of my previous philosophy of "If it looks good, buy it in every colour!", though that sometimes rings appropriate. And, so, I chose to leave the peach ones behind, because, though beautiful, they were really just no mint green.

(a little more mint-spiration)

 

Pastels are huge this spring, and I will admit that in addition to my new pumps, I also added a peplum skirt, two peplum tops, a clutch and two pairs of earrings in the same minty hue.

 

I've written a blog post for my mum's store's blog on the subject, which can be seen here.

 

By the end of the trip, I was so mint-infused, I got my nails painted to match!

 

(Accent-nails are another love-affair for me at the moment...)

 

And, yes, I would absolutely drive a mint green vintage car, if given the chance.

 

 



Back in the real world...

Or is it? Maybe the real world is New York. Or at least I would sometimes like to think so.

Sometimes.

This trip was, of course, a whirlwind of fabulousness! After the typical few days of working and shopping for the store (and me, of course!), we had one day left where the clouds gave way and the sunshine shone down while we wandered Bleeker Street and down through Little Italy. Sublime.

There was, of course, new shoe purchases and some drooling over designer beauties, but I'll save some stories for another day.

The only real disappointment was that, while gazing at the windows at Bergdorf's, I saw that Manolo Blahnik would be in the store to present his collection. Two days after we left.

Woe!

 Ah well, another time.

Gone shopping, back soon!

I've gone to the motherland.

Back on Sunday.

(Source: http://www.thisisglamorous.com/2012/08/take-me-away-34-city-guide-4-new-york.html)

 

Emerald and Vanilla

I'm not sure why, but I've been having a hard time writing here lately. Partly, I think, because I've been writing for my mum on her company's blog, SWISH Notes, partly because I've just had a lot on my mind lately and partly because there hasn't really been all that much going on in my world that's blog-able.

Anyways, I hope that explains why I've been doing more sharing of things and less writing of things. Which will not be a trend.

Moving on!

I will be headed to New York, this coming Wednesday night, and there will be much more to tell you when I return, I promise.

In the meantime, I've been trying really hard to avoid spending mass quantities of money on anything, including footwear (though I have acquired some gems in the last few weeks)

These are my new friends:

 

 

The green ones are the result of much lusting after I stumbled upon them by accident. I was searching for mint green trend photos for SWISH notes, when I saw them on this blog. She had included them in this beautiful mix-match of all things emerald (which was the pantone-named colour for 2013:

 

I especially love the seat in the very middle. Beautiful!

Now, when I saw these, they were on the Target website, and I kept telling myself that I would go try them on when I was in the US next. Unfortunately, by the time I made it to the other side of the line, they weren't at Target anymore.

But, all was not lost! I was at my fabulous Bellingham-neighbourhood Goodwill, which happens to get all the cast-offs of things that Target can't sell. And, sitting in the middle of a pile of Target-rejected goodies was (you guessed it!) my emerald shoes! (And, in my size, no less!)

So, I, of course, wasted no time in snapping them up, and felt a little like Cinderella dancing about in my emerald glory. Did I mention they were only ten dollars!? (Which seems to be my magic number these days...)

The vanilla-patent perfection in the other photo comes with a little anecdote as well (of course). I was shopping at Kohls, looking for inspiration, and I stumbled upon them. My mum was shopping on the other side of the shelf, and we both exclaimed at the same time, in near-perfect unison, "Oooh! These are cute!" and held up the same pair of shoes so that the other could see. It was one of those sit-com moments.

These are LC by Lauren Conrad, which is a label I'm becoming more fond of. I also picked up a beautiful floral dress by her, which is making me feel a little more prepared for Spring.

New York will help with the rest of my Spring-y preparation.

 

My thrifty treasure (Or: ten dollars?!)

My recent ventures into thrift stores are no secret, I've been regaling you all with tales of delight and disgust for awhile now, but I hadn't had any great finds in recent trips. Until a couple weeks ago...

I was with my mum in Bellingham, and we were walking the aisles at a fabric store, which is located less than a block from Goodwill. Suddenly, I was overcome with an undeniable need to go to Goodwill, post haste!

Without knowing why, we marched down, and I started my hunt. I didn't have much in the way of expectations, seeing as most of what I was looking at was ick than eureka...

(Yes, that is a pseudo-cowboy boot slingback. Ew.)

 

But, then, something caught my eye....

 

 

 

Those are black and gold Michael by Michael Kors sandals. And, they were ten dollars. I quickly slipped them on (they fit like a dream), and, boots in hand, ran off to find my mum.

 

 

She was at the cash, and I rushed up with a breathless, "I'm blinded by the label, are these cute or ugly?!" It was agreed that they were adorable, and became mine in a matter of minutes.

 

 

This is my thrift store success story. You're welcome.

Happy Love Day!

It's Valentine's Day again, my friends!

And, unlike last year, I have a date tonight. With my man.

I'm pretty excited.

But, back to the task at hand... shoes!

I'm wearing something festive today:

 

At one point in my life, I recognized that wearing pink and red together was a very bad idea. And, this is a principal that I generally stick to when it comes to a ful outfit, but on a cute little wedge, I think it works quite nicely.

Plus, it's so appropriate for the day. Like these:

(A little Vivienne Westwood to get your heart pounding)

 

And, to all you singletons out there, all I have to say to you is: Spend some time today loving yourself. You're worth it.

More tips and tricks!

I've stumbled upon another awesome trick for stretching out your shoes:

I found this little gem on coffee, light & sweet, though it's been originally credited to The Observer, and the original post can be found here. I've also linked the photo to coffee, light & sweet's post (got to give credit where credit is due, after all), but here's what you do:

Put on a pair (or two) of thick socks and squeeze your feet into the offending footwear. Then, blast the tight spots a few times with the hairdryer, while flexing and relaxing your feet. Keep the shoes on until they're good and cool, and then remove your socks and put the shoes back on. They should be must more wearable! 

If it doesn't work the first time, simply repeat until they're properly stretched. 

Easy, no?

If you try it, let me know how it works for you!

Trendhunting (Or: Mummy on a mission)

Recently, my mum went to New York (without me, I know! Actually, I opted out of this trip, in an effort to be financially responsible) with my aunt and grandma.

Now, I know that when my mum goes back to our Mecca, that she's busy. How do I know this? Because, when I go with her, I experience it first-hand. So, imagine my delighted surprise when she told me that she and my aunt had been diligently documenting some things that they thought I (and you) would enjoy!

So, quickly, a retrospective of their trip, in footwear!

(duh)

Their first stop was Betsey Johnson, land of bold prints, colour-blocking, and pushing the envelope. I love that Betsey's designs are always a little loud (sometimes a little too much so), so they're pretty much guaranteed to be perfect statement pieces! 

I'm not entirely sure where these little gems came from, but, with my spike-envy in full effect, I love them. And, I would unapologetically wear them to the office, and to a party.

Then, they brought me lots of patterns and embellishment:

It's no secret that I love an embellished heel, and I'm definitely lusting after the candystripes and the florals, but I think my favourites are the yellow curly-ques! They're so whimsical and bright, I think they belong in my collection! But, then there's those turquoise and feather beauties... 

Then, of course, who could pass on a black and white maryjane? And, the cutout detail on back of the other pair (though a little hard to see) is beautiful (and studded, oh my!)

Plus, the capped toes are so now. I have a great pair of flats with the same gold toe, and, let me tell you, they make yoga pants look chic. Not that I would ever wear them with yoga pants... yuck. Not that I would ever even wear yoga pants outside of the house/gym. Double yuck. 

Finally, my mum showed me these little numbers:

Not my personal style, but I can appreciate them. The hidden platforms are clever, and they look pretty comfy! With a pair of tights and a mini-skirt, they could be pretty cute! 

But, I think my favourite shot of the lot of them was this one:

If only we could wear shoes as clothes, my life would change forever! 

All in all, this little surprise was enough to make me feel like Cinderella! 

And, I've just booked my own airfare to New York for March, so I'll be able to do some research (read: shopping) of my own! 

Sometimes I wear flats, sometimes I wear heels, sometimes I wear nothing at all?

Something strange has happened today. I'm not wearing shoes.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, and so out of character, but there's a reason.

I forgot them. I ran out the door this morning without the heels I had carefully selected for the day.

And, I can't wear my rainboots all day, because they don't breathe, and there's nothing worse than sitting at your desk all day with clammy feet.

So, here is what is on my feet today:

Sometimes, it's good to give your feet a day to breathe, relax and destress. I put mine through some serious hoops sometimes in the name of fashion, and it's actually really good for your posture to wander about barefoot every-so-often.

So, there you have it. Stocking feet on Wednesday morning. At work.

If there's a fire today, I'm screwed.

Thift in Vic (Or: Spring heels & Smurf's Greatest Hits)

One of my favourite things in the world is thift store shopping. Not because I'm a wannabe hipster who will only wear clothes that have been worn by other people until they're useless (or look like they've been worn by other people, but have actually been destroyed and distressed carefully by the manufacturers, so as to warrant an enormous pricetag), but because of the strange things (and occasional treasures) you will run across.

For example, while visiting my favourite lady, Miss Estee, this weekend, I found myself in a Salvation Army Thrift Store in downtown Victoria. The first thing I noticed was the shoe section, which was right in the front (as it should be), and that was where I saw these eyesores:

Not a huge fan of orange and yellow plaid to begin with, I had to stop and giggle when I saw these. Yes, that is a spring in the heel, and, after testing it thoroughly, I will admit that these are probably quite comfortable, as the spring has a good amount of give. That being said, they are a little difficult to get the hang of right away, as they feel a little like walking on Moon Shoes.

Sitting right next to them were these:

A little too Barbie's stripper limo party for my tastes, though Steve Madden (who typically rocks my world, footwear-wise), I can't really question why their previous owner chose to donate them...

And, in case you're concerned that wearing actual bling around your legs in the rain will cause your adornments to rust, I have just the thing for you!

That's right! Chains and bling printed right on to your rainboots! Genius, no?

I joke, but let's move on. Not everything that people donate is worthless, I actually found a few things that I thought fit more into the treasure category than the "oh-my-goodness-why?" category.

These little pumps would be lovely for work, or a dinner out:

With black tights and a pencil skirt? Super cute! Again, these are Steve Madden, though an example of how he does it right, this time!

I've been seeing a lot of geometric patterns, metallics, and, of course, colour-blocking, so these little flats would be a sweet way to run around town in your favourite jeans, while still looking put together.

And, finally, I have a belt that these would go magnificently with, and how perfect for a night of dancing with the girls? Spicy!

Unforunately, none of my treasures fit, which is the chance you take shopping second-hand. One shot, one size. Sometimes you win, sometimes you take photos.

I did, however find something that was a definite one-size-fits-all: a full selection of Smurf vinyls. If only I had a turntable...