The Little Old Lady who Lived in a Shoe!

So this weekend I spent an hour cleaning out my shoe collection and polishing up all my shoes. I am fussy about keeping all my shoes in order, so hence all my shoes live in their original boxes, which means they are labelled with their style names, colour, and a picture on the front of the box so I can keep track of what is lurking inside.

All my shoeboxes used to live in one single Ikea bookshelf which was bought especially for storage of shoes, however my collection has amassed to such a point that in addition to an entire bookshelf, they also reside in my wardrobe, under the bed, stacked up the side of the wardrobe, and also in the spare room!

I actually do wear all of my shoes quite regularly, and if I know I haven't worn a pair for a couple of weeks, then they get some special attention and an outing haha! All of my shoes are still in excellent condition despite being worn a few times each, and I think that this can be attributed to consistent maintenance and care :) Nothing worse than seeing a great outfit with old worn shoes in my opinion! Shoes are that final touch that can make or break the outfit!

I got sick of cleaning, so the other half of the collection will be photographed later on!

So, while I had half of my shoes out, I took a photo! I can't believe I have so many! This is only HALF! The thing is, every single pair is different! Different heel heights, heel shapes, platform hidden/outer/no platform/platform height, colour, decorations etc. Argh! Now I know why I'm always broke! It's a bit like that episode of Sex and the City where Carrie figures out she could have paid an apartment deposit with the cost of her shoes. I don't think that I would have spent quite that amount, but I definitely could have gone on a few holidays! At the very least, maybe I could start an insurance policy in case anyone ever robbed my closet?! Becuase, yknow, thieves would go for the shoes before the TV or the laptop.....

The Wizard of Oz had it spot on, even all the way back then...

Part of me thinks maybe I should sell some of the shoes that I don't love as much, or maybe the older fashion-wise styles. I can't bear the thought of parting with my babies! No point in selling shoes I still wear right? Maybe I will just restrict myself from buying MORE shoes. Yeah, that sounds like a good start! Now lets just see whether this will hold up in practice....!

So Tell Me:

* How many Pairs of Shoes do you own?
* Do you have a thing for a certain type of shoe? (Clearly from my photo I like black shoes....)
* How do you store your shoes?
* Would you buy second hand shoes? Do people do this?

This Christian Louboutin may very well be my dream shoe. For today at least....

What I Bought!

Like I mentioned in my previous post, this past week I have been up in Sydney. I was lucky enough to be staying in a 5 star hotel across the road from the beach, and between all my relaxing, sightseeing, and shopping, didn't really have much time to access the internet! So below is a few bits and pieces that I picked up along the way.



Dotti Lace blouse with Peter Pan Collar

Jacqui E Shirt. People think that this is an 'old lady' store, but I freekin' love this store!

David Lawrence Dress. Great for work and cocktail parties. Can accessorise this one in so many ways i think!

Forcast green blouse. This'll be great for work tucked into a pencil skirt with a chunky chain necklace.

Another work blouse, this one from Ojay. This'll work back with black, grey, and navy skirts.

I love a bit of leopard. This shirt is from Forever new, tucked into a black skirt, or even with jeans. Reow!

The linen finish on this jacket from Witchery makes it more casual. Will possibly wear this to work over a dress, or with jeans for cocktail nights!

Every girl needs a relaxed slouchy knit for cold winter days. This warm jumper should hit the spot.

This leopard cardi from Portmans is a winner. Love the soft angora that it is made from. Channelling my inner 60's cougar with this one!

I did buy more, but I'll save those ones for another day! What have you bought lately? Anything special? Let me know!

Busy Week!

Apologies for the lack of posting this past week! I've just gotten home from a weeklong Sydney trip! I've been staying all week up there without internet access so haven't had a chance to post anything. I have, however, been on a shopping spree while I was up there (naturally!), so will take photos of my haul and show you all very soon!

After a busy week, I'm now back to reality, starting with a new gym membership and a personal training session tomorrow night! I'm not big on exercise so hopefully the trainer starts off easy on me! Scary!

Future Music Festival: What I Wore

This weekend was a long weekend in Melbourne, so it was a great chance to do all the things that normally take a backseat to everyday working life: lots of socializing, watching movies, baking, and of course, shopping! The weather was unusually lovely this weekend, which was great as most of my plans were indeed outdoor based!

On Saturday, I did some baking with fresh figs from our overflowing tree in the backyard. They were deliciously ripe, so I whipped up a fig tart, as well as some fig jam for future use! For mornings, we have been devouring fig and fresh ricotta on top of raisin toast, drizzled with a bit of honey, and crushed pistachio nuts sprinked on top. Becuase the tree is so full of fruit, and I hate to see such good food go to waste, our household has literally been eating figs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Fig overload right now!
!

This isn't my picture, but a pretty accurate replica of how ours looked (only better!). Source: http://www.sydneymarkets.com.au/recipes/Figs%20with%20ricotta%20&%20honey%20on%20fruit%20toast.pdf

Saturday night was watching The Decendants with George Clooney (sigh!) with the girls, followed by a few cocktails at Tuscan bar, a gorgeous little rooftop bar in the heart of the city. Whilst cocktails can be slightly on the pricier side of the drinks spectrum, these ones at Tuscan bar are so delicious that even one or two are worth it! They do some lovely big jugs to share too, as well as mezze plates for nibbles.

Taken straight from their facebook page, this Limoncello Torta cocktail was absolutely divine!

Sunday was the highlight of the weekend for me, being lucky enough to have tickets to the Future Music Festival. This festival marks the end of the summer festival season for the year, and every year a group of us jump at the chance to see some great DJs and bands play live! This year was no exception, being a thorougly enjoyable day filled with some great acts. For me, the highlight was The Wombats, a little indie rock band from England. I've been a fan of theirs for years, and this was the first time I had seen them live, and they didn't disappoint at all! The crowd energy was simply amazing! Other great acts included Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, and Fatboy Slim, not to mention Holy Ghost! and eighties flashback band New Order. After the festival finished, we were still ready for more, so kicked on into the city for some more dancing!

We were somewhere right up the front, dancing about 5 rows back from the main stage! Source: http://resources3.news.com.au/images/2012/03/11/1226296/479815-future-music-festival-2012.jpg

Festival fashion is often a hotly debated topic, with some girls going for comfort, some for style, some for crazy costumes, and others just to dress like S*****s. I try to go for comfort mainly, as being there all day, as well as being in the moshpits, can be more a practical issue than going for glam. Closed in shoes are essential to avoid people stepping on your feet, shorts and tshirts for hot weather, sunnies for the glare, etc. However, I saw no end to the multitide of sins, including girls in heels (umm whaaa...its a festival!), girls carrying massive bags in moshpits, and girls practically wearing no clothes at all! Below is a snapshot of what I basically wore:

Today was a perfect end to the weekend, going into the city to check out the Moomba festival parade with friends, followed by a lovely brunch by the Yarra river. Throw in some quick window shopping on the way home, and wow, what an end to a lovely weekend. I wish I had have been able to see the fireworks they are having tonight, alas, there just isn't time! I'm off for a quick catchup dinner before it's back to real life again tomorrow morning!

This little fruit salad arrangement was a favourite of mine! Loving the colourful costumes!
Source: Herald Sun Galleries

I think every weekend should be a three day weekend! What did you get up to on your weekends? Do share!

Wednesday Wishlist

Lately, I have been really coveting coloured jewellery. I don't know why, as I have never worn coloured jewellery before in my life!

Suzanna Dai long drop earrings, $195
Kendra scott earrings, $55
Amrita Singh long earrings, $100
Mawi teardrop earrings, $495
Bounkit green onyx earrings, $320
ABS by Allen Schwartz emerald teardrop earrings, $65
Roberto Cavalli butterfly earrings, $570

I think all of these pretty images I see on the internet have been sneakily influencing my taste!
In fact, I don't even really own anything that I would be able to wear with such extravagant jewellery. Becuase the jewellery is so colourful, I think that I would have to stick to either quite neutral colour schemes in terms of clothing, or else wearing only one block colour.

MICHAEL Michael Kors turquoise ring, $85
Amrita Singh stretch ring, $100
Yves Saint Laurent glass ring, $250
Emilio Pucci brass ring, $595
Tribal ring, $8.10
Stone ring, $23
Topshop enamel ring, $25

I have had a penchant for coloured cocktail rings for ages, ironically. I know this goes against everything I have just written above about not wearing it, but I think inheriting one of my grandmothers bright red cocktail rings as a young girl has made it seem not so scary, as I have grown up wearing it. I can't wait to inherit my mothers lovely collection one day, and to pass it down to my own children and grandchildren! I hope they cherish and love them just as much as I do, and not see them as old and unfashionable. Who knows what the trends will be like in 30 years time!

Source: http://blogs.modernjeweler.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/piagetcocktailrings.jpg
The PERFECT cocktail ring ;) So cute!

Do you wear coloured jewellery? How do you style it? Comment below!

Python Heels

I'm currently obessed with snakeskin right now! So much so, that I have a snakeskin dress, snakeskin shirt, and snakeskin clutch. Therefore, it was only right to add to the Collection with a pair of fabulous snakeskin shoes! Did some shopping on the weekend and snapped up these little leather beauties from Tony Bianco. This photo does not do them justice, they are divine!


I think they are meant to be similar to the Louboutin python pumps.

At over $1000 RRP, the cost per wear for this shoe would still be $1000, as I would frame them and be too scared to wear them outside!
Source: http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ2o9J7si47SKt38ROXpY_gUoFCT6R4fcpxQwSEgtl0YxL8ReK9LGXyT3i1

Now I'll be the first to admit, this was a bit of an impulse purchase. It was love at first sight. I saw them, and just had to have them! I thought at first they might be a bit hard to style into an outfit, but I think as long as I keep the rest of the palette quite neutral and the shapes simple, they'll be able to be interwoven into quite a few outfits. I think these shoes will be great for all occasions including work, casual, and evening. Definitely cheap considering cost per wear.

WORK: Sleek tailoring in corporate approriate colours, encorporating blue tones into the outfit to "match" the shoes. Keep colours in block, no prints to clash with the snakeskin.

WEEKEND: Pairing these shoes with grey, white and black neutrals with a pop of colour to encorporate the shoes. Finish with silver minimalist accessories and a tote for a casual day look.

EVENING: Pairing these shoes with bright block coloured dresses in opposite tones, with patent and metal accessories in blacks, golds, and silvers.

The Celebrities all love a bit of snakeskin too! It seems they have all jumped on the trend, wearing a splash of snakeskin in their outfits.

Lady Gaga wows the crowd in a bright yellow Versace snakeskin dress and studded belt.
Source: http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/592x888/g_j/gaga2_gl_15aug11_rex_b_592x888.jpg

Rihanna does casual chic with a snakeprint top, chinos, and sunnies.
Source: http://snakeskinfabrics.com/files/2010/12/rihanna-snake-skin-jacket.jpeg

Queen of Fashion Kate Moss pairs her snakeskin dress with a simple blazer and black acc essories. Source :http://wardrobemag.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/kate-moss-snakeskin.jpg?w=490

If I was brave enough, I would totally copy this outfit below from head to toe. Those pants, goshhh!!! However, for me though, python pants is pushing the envelope a tad too far.
Krystal from This Time Tomorrow pulls it off effortlessly. She looks great!

Do you like the new snakeskin trends? Would you wear it? Comment below!