Cause it's too cold to go outside and do it. (Or: My online habit)

Well, now that all the excitement of the holidays is over, it's time to get back to the real world.

I had my last day of rest on Tuesday and then the rest of this week was about getting back into the pattern of being back at work (my office is closed for 10 days over Christmas and New Years), and trying to right my sleep pattern. So far, it's been a bit of a losing battle...

But, what better way to pass the time when you're playing the insomniac than to go online window shopping and see what things I could happily have in exchange for maxing out my credit cards.

I'm a bit of a vintage freak, so I like to check out Ebay, because you never know what you'll find (I can look through results for "vintage louboutin" for days). And, while I love vintage styles and details, I don't necessarily need to buy actual vintage shoes, as they're often in rough condition and incredibly narrow, which doesn't suit my feet at all. But, the good news is, by searching for vintage shoes 7 (which is generally my size), I will also get new pieces that are vintage inspired.

For example, I think these are beautiful:

And they're brand new! You can see them (and purchase) here.

I also like to play on betseyjohnson.com, pinupgirlclothing.com, and beyondtherack.com (which is actually where I picked up my newest shoe rack, so it's good for more than clothing).

There are always good deals to be had, and things to drool over!

Plus, anything droolworthy that I see, is yet another thing I get to share with you!

What are your favourite online shoe sources?

2013, here we are!

We made it! 2013 is off to a great start!

I got to spend midnight at a party with my man and a bunch of his friends (some of whom are my friends as well!) and sadly, as it was a house party, I was unable to wear the amazing heels I had bought for the occasion. Take a look at these lovelies:

They're by Anne Michelle, and the style is called Assassin. And they went perfectly with my black peplumed, cut to my bellybutton, meshed out New Years dress. Oh, woe.

Ah well, I'm sure they'll get their day in the sun. There are plenty of excuses to wear killer heels. Like a Tuesday.

Happy 2013, everyone! I hope this year is extraordinary for us all!

Goodbye 2012, it's been a slice!

Well, we've made it... Nearly. Just a few hours to go!

I'm all ready to tear the night apart! I'm headed to help a friend set up her party, and then attend another with my man. I'll show you the shoes tomorrow!

Here I am:

I hope that everyone has a great new years and I can't wait to see what 2013 has to hold for us. It's going to be a fantastic year full of opportunities. Sky's the limit, my darlings!

Hope your evening sparkles!

Staying on track.

Once upon a time, I refused to attach the term "New Year's resolution" to anything that I actually wanted to accomplish. Buy fewer shoes? Sure, that can go on that list, because, the second that it does, I know it will never happen. In fact, if I resolve to buy fewer shoes under such circumstances, I'll almost certainly have 12 new pairs by Valentine's Day.

Such is not the case any longer, though I still prefer to make "new year resolutions" on my birthday, rather than "New Year's resolutions" on January 1st, because they're more personal and I feel less like another hopeful who will start out attempting to run 15 miles a day and end up ordering greasy Chinese food from the take-out place up the street and demand that they deliver because one simply cannot leave the house with a waistline in such a state. 

All that being said, setting goals any day of the year is good practice, and you're actually far more likely to succeed if you make a point of writing them down. Which is why I told you all mine, way back in January. 

If you recall, my New Year's resolution was nothing quantitative, but qualitative. More exercise, more fruits and vegetables, spending less money on eating out, and spending more time making healthy meals. In short, healthy. 

And, I'm very, very pleased to say that I'm keeping on it! Nearly two months into the year, and I've been walking to and from work everyday (though I've given up on the idea of wearing running shoes in favour of my trusty rainboots, due to my severe lack of faith in the ever-changing Vancouver weather... and they're way cuter), swimming lengths with a lovely friend from work once a week, and, after having a fantastic bicycle ride with my brother on the weekend, have decided that it should be a weekly affair as well. 

On the food front, things have been delicious, nutritious and inexpensive, so we're doing well there too! And, the inexpensive part means that I was able to pick these up, guilt-free:

Vera Wang perfection! I also have the same shoe in flesh pink:

Delish, no?

And, when paired with my new bright pencil skirts (which look awesome on my newly healthified bod!) either pair look simply divine!

They also look fabulous with stovepipe jeans.

In other news, I think there's a gremlin in my basement... I'm missing three different boots, and one pair of heels. He's probably responsible for all the holes in my tights, too. Curses.

The clock strikes 3am, your feet turn into pumpkins.

This has happened to us all. Don't lie, you know there's that one pair of insane stilettos that you bought because they make you legs look a million miles long and your ass go POW, but if you wear them for longer than 6 minutes you'd think that you were stuck in a furnace wearing these:

See? Now you remember. Or at least your feet do. Think New Years. We're notorious for wearing ridiculous shoes on the one night of the year it's nigh impossible to get a taxi in any city.

But, fret not! There's an answer! Enter Rollasole!

Matt Horan was struck with genius after one too many nights of having to carry his girlfriend home on his back as the result of her sadistic (though gorgeous, I'm sure) choices in footwear. Since that night in 2008, he's been the saviour of shoe-anistas everywhere!

In fact, they're so popular now, some clubs are selling them in vending machines on-site:

Let me explain how they work. They come rolled up inside a drag-string bag, and the idea is that you can cram them into your going-out purse and forget they're there.

Until furnace-feet kick in. Then, you will gleefully recall that they're hiding in the recesses of your bag, between the lipgloss and your cell phone, and you unroll them and swap them for your metal-fire-torture shoes.

And that handy little bag they came in? Big enough to fit your skyscraper stilettos and you can use the drawstring as a wrist strap!

I had seen them at various drug stores around various cities, but was a little unsure of the necessity of such a thing (plus all the ones I had seen were black and boring-looking). Like Jenna Marbles (as seen here at 4:42), I feel that when one walks out of the house in a pair of shoes, she is married to them for the evening. You made your bed, girl, now limp home on it. But, when we were in Vegas in October, my partner in crime, Dominique, came back from a toiletry run with these bad-boys:

First of all, they're gold. Come now, how can anyone say no to that? Dominique's are metallic pink, so they're just as adorable.

So, I gave them a shot. That night, we went out dancing like the crazy glamazons we are, in our very own version of the glass slipper (read: ticking-toe-time-bombs) and when the champagne began to wear off, I could feel the first few flames licking at the soles of my feet.

Of course, I had forgotten that I had them, but when I went to sit down for a moment, Dominique reminded me, and, lickety-split, I flipped off my heels, slipped on my little flats, and was back on the dance floor before the song was finished.

And my foot-fire was extinguished!

The best part was that when my Vegas-boyfriend (a charming Brit named Luke) came by, I was ready to pop my heels back on and keep dancing til dawn!

Fresh start.

Well, it's the beginning of another year, and what do we have to show for it? An expanded shoe wardrobe, of course!

Hopefully, a little more wisdom and some stories, as well.

It's been an eventful year for this shoe-anista! There were trips to New York, Las Vegas, New Orleans, then back to New York less than a week after touching ground again. There were birthday parties, and themed parties, and lots of memorable moments. And, of course, shoes to go with each.

This past week has been spent relaxing at my parents' house, in the sleepy little town of Gibsons, where my mum runs a successful clothing store, SWISH (check it out on facebook here), which facilitates all the trips to New York, as I am her assistant buyer. I'm also taking on another project, working on her facebook page and writing a style blog for SWISH as well.


All this relaxing means that I've spent most of my time in these:





These are my delicious pink slippers, a Christmas gift from years gone by, and the only suitable footwear for lounging around while watching horror films with your dad. While wearing charming pyjamas, and maybe a touch of blush and mascara. You never know when you'll be hosting unexpected houseguests.


I've worked a few days for my mum at SWISH, as it afforded us the perfect time to spend some quality time together, and it let me shop the leftovers of the season, and get a few good deals (hooray for family discount!!), including these little Candie's numbers:



I'm so excited to break these bad boys in! And, to save my poor toes, I bought about a thousand sets of gel toe cushions from the dollar store in town... Amazing, that I got them for 1$ a set, when the drugstore was going to charge me 7$ for the name brand ones...


Now, because it is the beginning of the year, I'm also going to be spending a lot more time in these:



Because, really, no list of New Year's resolutions is complete without a promise to one's self to get healthier and fitter. With so many sheath dresses in stores right now, a girl simply must be in tip-top shape to rock the look. Shoe shopping counts as cardio, right?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

Well, my fellow shoeanistas! 2011 is upon us!



And what a year it has been! Trips and parties, and so many shoes!!!



I know that the new year is going to be good to us, but remember, new beginnings can often be like new shoes.



They're a little precarious and uncomfortable the first few times you wear them.

And sometimes, you will lose your balance, and you may fall.

But, just when you've decided it's too damned hard and you've decided you've cause enough blisters...

All your hard work will have paid off, your shoes will be perfectly broken in, and you'll want to dance all night!


To a delightful new year of shoes and dances (and hopefully not too many blisters!)