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!

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.

When blue foam just doesn't cut it...

I am at work. It's a blessing and a curse that summertime is our slow season: a blessing because it means I don't have to put in any overtime, and there's a relaxed atmosphere in the office, and a curse because it means that there's absolutely and painfully nothing to do.

So here I am.

The other thing that's great about summertime in an office (besides air conditioning...) is that the dresscode get a little less... professional. We still look sharp (I'm in a blue sundress right now, with a little shrug), but there's no need for blazers and tights.

Which means that I also retire a good portion of my work shoes for the summer. It's the season of slapping around in sandals. But, of course, the blue-foam-not-so-beauties get left at home. I don't work at the beach, afterall.

That being said, there are lots of beautiful options for easy, throw-them-on-and-run-out-the-door sandals out right now, and they still look very put together (although the post-Vegas state of my pedicure leaves a lot to be desired... oops!)

Today, I have these darlings on:

See? I wasn't kidding about the toenails...

These guys came from Square One in the Mall of Manhattan (of course), and they unfortunately don't have a website, but they do have a great selection of ridiculously inexpensive shoes. It's a great spot if you're looking for something trendy to wear for one season. I think these were $10.00...

Anyways, these are a little less flashy and trendy than some of the others I picked up on that trip, but that's what makes them great for the office.

If you want to wear something like this in a professional atmosphere (we're talking about business casual here, they just won't work with a suit, I'm sorry!), look for something with gunmetal or brushed metal accents, in a neutral colour, and then have fun with your pedicure, so you can have some colour down there without looking like a paint store exploded on your feet. Save that look for the weekend.

These Louboutins would be perfect:

But, then, aren't Louboutins always perfect?

Bright lights, Vegas city!

Hello, my darlings, my dears!

As you know, I've recently been to one my of my favourite cities of all time, Las Vegas. My recent post regarding school and getting out of Dodge sums up pretty well how much I adore Vegas.

And, really, it's hard not to. My partner-in-crime, Dominique, and I managed to disappear from real life for a week to relax in the sun, drink plenty of cocktails, lounge by the pool, dance the night away, every night, and meet some lovely new people.

The best part? In 24 days, I'll be back again. And, I've registered for school, probably to apply for Fall 2013. But, don't worry, I won't leave you all behind!

Ok, back to the important things: Shoes!

Katy, you may ask, when you pack for a trip to Vegas, what shoes would you bring?

Well! Let me tell you!

As you've already packed your indestrucible flip-flops and your Rollasoles, the next thing you're going to need is something cute to wear during the day. My suggestion is a pair of espadrilles. They're comfy, and will look sweet and casual with whatever you wear. I just picked up a pair almost identical to these beauties in nautical stripes:

The low wedge means that you'll be able to walk on it for hours, and the slight platform will save your toes. Plus the natural fibres will let your feet breathe, so you're not going to sweat until they slip right off. But, just in case you do, the ankle ties will keep them in place!

They're also good to wear to the pool with your bikini and a giant sunhat, though I wil admit, I prefer to wear my indestructible flip-flops to the pool, to keep the chlorine off my more damageable shoes.

Now, in case you're planning to walk long distances up and down the strip to explore, you may want something a little flatter. There are plenty of beautiful embellished sandals around this summer, continuing with the trend we've been seeing the last few years.

Try to stick with light or bright colours for day, they'll be cooler, and will look breezy and light while you're strolling the strip. Check out these from DNA Footwear (I've linked the photos, for your shopping convenience!).

Now, we've got day covered, it's time to get to the best stuff! Whether you'll be dancing all night, wandering the casinos, or hitting up a show, it's important to look fabulous! And, what better way to attract the attention of that super cute guy playing at the high roller table than by strutting your stuff!

Remembering that you have limited space in your suitcase, (I had to cram a week's worth of dresses into a duffle bag, it was madness!) you won't be able to bring a lot of evening shoes, so we'll keep it to two pair. Bring a pair of black heels that will go with everything, and one pair of statement shoes that will go easily with a little black dress.

Don't forget, just because they're black doesn't mean they have to be boring. Look for something with some visual interest. The idea is that you can wear them with anything you've packed, but you are in Vegas, after all, it's the city of over the top, so have fun! I love these from Cascadei:

They're perfectly on trend with the embellished heel, have a little sparkle, and will go with just about anything but gold lamé. Actually, on second though, rock that gold lamé number, mixing metallics is totally fun!

Time for statement shoes. You'l probably only wear them once during your trip, but you'll be shining like the star you are when you do! There are no rules here, choose something bright, something sparkly, strappy, pink, blue, green, yellow, the sky's the limit. Try to mix several trends together, the only requirement is that they're show-stopping! Keep the outfit a little tamer so you don't look like a fashion victim, rather than a sleek style assasin, but go crazy! Here are some that I'm lusting after:

 Louboutin (of course!)

Pierre Hardy

Kurt Geiger

Enjoy!

Summer? (Or: The return of the indestructible blue flip-flops)

I feel like I've been neglecting you, which is inexcusable.

It's been a very busy few weeks, not that that's an excuse!

For one, summer appears to have shown up. It's a little odd... And, with summer, comes summer-mode, a rather terrifying state of mind that I go into when the weather gets nice. Think lots of high-heels, tight skirts and wine. On a merry-go-round. Now, you've about got it. A bit of a whirlwind, no pun intended.
Essentially, my weekend warrior setting has kicked into overdrive, and, it's hard to slow down.

But! That being said, I've been shopping. In fact, I plan to do much, much, much more shopping, as I will be on a plane to New York in just over a week. And, last May, I came back with 15 new pairs. Let's see if we can break that record...

Anyways, back to the present! The sun has been trying to shine the last few weeks, and is slowing gaining ground over the rainclouds! This means one thing: it's time to bring out the indestructible blue flip-flops. If you don't know the ones I'm talking about, let me jog your memory here.

I've also picked up a few new pairs of beauties since we last spoke, one of which I'm wearing today.

It's going to be a beautifully bright summer, people! I love that I can wear these with most anything (I'm in a blue sundress above the patent leggings) and they add the perfect pop of delicious colour that just makes you feel like you're walking on sunshine! Plus, the cork makes them a great day shoe, and the wedges mean you could wear them to the beach and not sink into the sand.

They're much prettier than my ugly blue flip-flops, but sometimes, you can't beat the feel of hideous foam against your toes!

I have a summertime resolution (as we all know I like to make these things at odd times of the year) to keep up my toenail polish, so expect some cool colours in photos to come!

I'd love to see your toes! Please send me photos of what's on your feet, and I'll happily feature them!

The bee's knees.

About 2 weeks ago, my mum and I did a mass hosiery binge order from Beyond The Rack, which is one of those sneaky sites that lets you buy designer leftovers online. And they had a Betsey Johnson event. Danger.

So, seven pairs of legwear and 100$ later, there was nothing to do but wait. Until yesterday!

My mum, on the way to New York (again! So very jealous, right now. I got a text this morning that she had landed), dropped off my pieces, and I came home from work to a mini Christmas!

I'm not going to give away the whole game just yet, but I will tell you, I love the knee socks. I got them in two colours, and they're divine!

The purple and black ones are on me right now, and they look great with open toes. I'm actually wearing them with the same sandals I was wearing on Wednesday, still trying to give my toe some more air (note: I'm on the mend, the toe is healing quite nicely now), and, while I was concerned that the straps would conflict with the details on the socks, they look great!

Knee socks are a fabulous alternative to tights, but make sure that your skirt is long enough to support the bare thighs.

Also, while I was searching (read: shopping) for more knee socks that I can't live without, I may have fallen in love.

They're tattoo tights! I stumbled upon them by accident, but I'll save you all the trouble of fumbling about on Google. You can get them on Etsy, here!

Enjoy!

The best of both worlds?!

I've returned! Camping was splendid, although Dominique and I DID have to share a pair of flip-flops (again, the blue ones, those things are indestructible) because the pair that she brought broke about 3 hours into the trip. Oops... I really should have got a photo...

Anyways, it's been SO hot out lately that I'm quite reluctant to revisit the whole wearing-closed-toes-in-summer idea, at least until we get a breeze or two.

So, for all your shoe-anistas out there who LOVE a little heel in your life, but hate the idea of sweating in your pumps all day, I bring you the solution:

Heeled flip-flops.

Again, these are a Payless purchase, and they're actually about 5 years old (shhhh, we'll call them vintage), but they're pretty freakin' cute. The little sequins give them some sparkle, and the bright pink makes them really cute with a super casual outfit. Nothing quite like a splash of colour on your tootsies to bring life to neutral shorts and tops.


Do me a huge favour though and ignore the dirty feet, the unshaven legs and the flaking toenail polish, please. Remember that I've been camping for 4 days.

The return of the flat!

Gooooooddddd mooorrrrnnnniiinnnggggg!!!

Ok. So, today, I want to tell you about my obsession with crazy sandals. I've shown you my gold ankle wrap flip-flops, but these lil babies were a very excellent purchase made in the FABULOUS city of New York!

We (Mum and I) found them at this store Laila Rowe (if you REALLY like these, and want a pair, they're on sale for 15.00$US) that was a few different places in the ol' NYC, and we kept stumbling upon them in our travels around the city (which was opportune because we couldn't figure out where the first one was that we found, and we really wanted to go back).

I think that they're quite clever because they have ankle straps, but also zippers down the back of the ankle, so you can just unzip and jump out. I always find it frustrating having to contort my body into odd pretzel shapes so that I can see the buckles placed strategically just out of my normal range of sight.

Anyways! I am absolutely LOVING the crazy flat sandals that have been coming out this season. There are studs and anklestraps and pseudo-sandal-boot-hybrids (like the ones my mum bought on our San Fran trip) all over the place and I think they're fantastic. It's nice to see something other than your typical strappy heel (not that I don't love a good strappy heel, they just get tired after awhile) or mangy flip-flop. Plus, there's a shift with these towards a less delicate look. The studs and beadwork are all very strong looks, sometimes hinting at tribal or military, and this allows them to pull together and step up a casual look.

For example, I've worn these sandals with a pair of short-shorts and my (men's) I <3 NY shirt, and really felt as though the shoes pulled the outfit together and made it an outfit, rather than looking like I just pulled the first two clean items of clothing off my floor and threw them on (which is very possibly what actually happened).

I would almost equate this trend to all the gorgeous flat boots we've been seeing for Fall/Winter the last few years. Flats are coming back, baby, and the boardwalk is the perfect place for them.

To continue...

Ok, so moving on! I think that a total staple in EVERY girl's shoe-drobe is a pair of super accessible flip-flops, cause otherwise you end up with these on your feet:



And, I don't know about you girls, but these things ALWAYS break on me, and always in the most inopportune places (this time in Fred Meyer, where we had parked pretty much across the country >:[ and I had to walk barefoot across the parking lot, pretty much ruining my perfectly pedi-ed foot!). Anyways, keep a pair in the car, toss em in your purse (we're all carrying huge bags this season, don't think they won't fit), something! Then, spontaneous pedicures won't leave you stranded on asphalt with one shitty foam slipper.

Fan suggestions are always welcome! These beauties are my friend, Jeffrey,'s golf shoes. The green pieces are all faux ostrich they have red stripes down the back. Cudos to youdos, Jeffrey, for being a stylish bitch on the golf green! ;)

These guys I bought from Sears about 3 summers ago, at the end of season, and thought to myself, "These will be next summer's shoe," before gazing off into the visions of summers to come and throwing them, in their box, onto the shoe shelf. They didn't see light again for 3 years... But this year is theirs to shine!!! Come out my friends!

Ok, so I didn't REALLY document much in the way of footwear while I was in New York, mostly because I bought almost every delicious pair I came into contact with ;) So, you're going to have to wait until I wear them. Well, here's a preview of what's to come!! These guys are actually much more purple than they show up, and with a black mini and a pair of witchy tights, they are just the statement maker every girl needs!

These guys, on the other hand, came to New York in my suitcase. Here, they're finally getting a rest after a CRAZY day of walking all over the freakin' city! These are my Sam Edelstein fringe boots, and I ADORE them. After working a super trying Christmas season at a lingerie/sportswear/cocktail dress store, they were my Christmas present to myself. 100$ at Winners, can't go wrong ;) Plus you can wear them up or scruuunch them down, and they're fabulous both ways :D!

Almost ready for our fresh-start? Here it comes!!

Long time, no shoes.

Ok, ok I know, it's been nearly 2 months since I posted. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

But, let me explain!!! I went to San Fransisco. And it was amazing. And there were lots of shoes to see (I'll show you!!). But, when I got back, I was having issues posting, and it was a mess.

And then all this time passed.... And I was still taking photos. Sometimes.

Anyways, I'm going to catch you up, and then we can have a clean slate! A fresh start. A gosh-darned NEW BEGINNING! What do you say? Good ;)

SO! San Fran:

**Special Thanks** to my mummy for modelling ;)

Super cute little microsuede wedges we saw in Bellingham before we flew out :)

It might be a little sick how obsessed I am with these crazy sandal-boots. Way too awesome!!

And all the ankle-sandals blow my mind. I got a few pairs you'll have to wait for me to wear :D!

This is one of the shoe displays at Barney's (Where we went and pretending to be heiresses, we know how to live it ;)

A particularly dreamy pair of peep-toed boots at Barney's. I was afraid to look at the tag cause I knew I would start rationalizing. :S!

Then my mummy tried these on. Omg. Chrome snakeskin PERFECTION. And only 800$ ;)


I HAD to jump in on the action, and slipped on some delicious Givenchy before I nearly melted to the floor. ("But, oh, Katy, wouldn't they just be PERFECT for that event we have to go to?" "Oh, yes, Mummy, absolutely DIVINE!")

And then we walked into Armani. And my heart stopped. Sorry, Givenchy, but these shoes are my soul-mates (no pun intended :P)

I had a really hard time taking them off ;) But then... wouldn't you??

Ok, I'm going to continue in another post. See you in a sec :D!

Gladiators!

So, I was in a huge hurry this morning (I was still late for work :S) and so I didn't have much time to find anything more interesting than these gladiators... Sorry they're pretty similar to yesterday. I promise to wear something more interesting tomorrow!!

Also, I'm heading down to Seattle tonight, and flying to San Fransisco tomorrow, so I may have to mass post on Sunday night, unless I can figure out how to do it from my phone...

Gold Sandals

Today's EXCELLENT choice of footwear is brought to you by Wetseal. Loves it.

Please ignore the chips in my toenail polish.... :S