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...

Buttons and bows

I'm back, resettled and busy as heck. My apologies for not posting much in the recent weeks, I've been battling the most terrible cold, and needed to lay low for a little while.

But, my health has returned, I'm in fighting form, and ready to go!

The 1920's obsession rages ever onwards, and, as the weather here in not-so-balmy Vancouver has been pretty chilly as of late, I've been pulling out some of my favourite fall boots, which have flavours of the early 20's, namely: buttons, lacing, and curved heels.

The first pair came from Vegas. They have military-inspired buttons, and look fabulously classic with a pencil skirt and some tights. I have a great cobalt blue skirt that looks divine with them! To be honest, the buttoned-boot look is really more of a look from La Belle Epoque, which was ending around 1920, but there's always a little crossover in fashion, and I still feel that these serve my purpose. Everything's open to a little interpretation, no?

The second pair are from the vaults. They're vintage (read: 5 years old) Steve Maddens that I bought myself as an aid to get over a breakup. And they served me well! I like that the wider grommetts make them a little modern, and the toe-shape on both aren't really true to period, as most shoes from the early 20s were pointier. Either way, they're delish!

To give you an idea of the look we're going for, here's a few examples of the real thing:

As you can see, the toes are a little pointier and the grommetts are much more delicate, not to mention those prices... Damn, if only! 

And, these beauties are actually from 1917, but, again, they serve the purpose. I really like the contrast of colours here. If someone did a reproduction in brights, I think they would be beautifully on trend with all the colour-blocking we're seeing for summer. Think cobalt blue and hot pink. Divine, no?



Oh! I forgot to tell you the best bit of news! My good friend, Pierson, is having his birthday party this weekend, and, magically, chose a Speakeasy theme! What a grand excuse to indulge my flapper cravings! I'll report back with all the glorious details!

Happy Love Day!

It's Valentine's Day, which generally goes one of two ways for girls. Either, they're all sunshine and lollipops and spend the day receiving flowers, candy and love while gushing about how awesome their boyfriend/husband/lover/sugar daddy is, only to run off to a candlelit dinner and an evening of maribou, silk and lace-coated sport. Or, they're elbow-deep in a vat of ice-cream (probably chocolate-chip cookie dough), with a half-empty box of tissues within grabbing distance, while mushy romantic movies play at volumes loud enough to drown out the sobs and sniffles that punctuate thoughts of how completely terrible it is to be single on Valentine's Day (everyone else has a boyfriend, and I'm pretty right?).

Am I wrong?

Now, I'm a single girl, have been for nearly a year now, and I still love Valentine's Day. It's about love, but that doesn't mean it has to be about romantic love. Love your friends, love your family, love your self! (What an often forgotten concept in our society, oh my!) Go out and do something fun for yourself, with some people you love!

I was meant to go to a play with my mum, but, due to unforseen circumstances, it looks like my evening will be free instead, and I'm going to get some well deserved "me time" and build my new shoe rack (photographic evidence will be provided once everything is together).

And, because I'm not going to be receiving any flowers today, I decided to wear some on my feet! These are Madden Girl beauties from Spring 2011 that I bought in New York (of course) in May! They came from Filene's Basement, which was a great place for bargains, but I've just found out has gone bankrupt!! Too many great deals!

Also, I was given a shoe-a-day calendar by a former colleague of mine, and the page from today was pretty adorable! It's a chocolate shoe!

I want two, one to eat and one to look at!