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!