30 December 2010

black and white and red all over (my necklace)

So much for "when I'm off between Christmas and New Year, I'll be catching up on my blog reading and I'll be writing loads of posts". Hmm, best laid plans. So whilst it is regrettable that I haven't got all caught up on that front, I have actually been having a lovely week of catching up with friends, catching up with the gym and drinking wine, on top of wine, on top of wine. Note to self - don't turn up drunk for a haircut - it's just not classy. Luckily I knew what I wanted and have an awesome hairdresser. Still, I'm a bit embarrassed.

Anyway, this post is all about back to business! The business of shoes! I am STILL almost constantly in my DMs (seriously, I am investing in another pair of docs this year so I can at least rotate if the weather goes down the shitter is unpleasant again next year). However, before the weather kicked in and kicked my shoe wearing challenge in the jaxi, I wore this little pair of pumps. Chanel-o! They're shoes #43 and are from schuh.


They're quite classic for me - I tend to be attracted to the glittery, patterned and colourful but I do enjoy a nice piece of monochrome (well, it's kind of cream rather than white but, stop splitting hairs will you?!) on occasion. Plus, these have patent on them, a cute bow and they were a bargain, as I recall.

dress: H&M, cardi: New Look, shoes: schuh, necklace: Lady Luck Rules OK
Uh-oh! Greasy fringe syndrome! I'd just finished a shift at Lush so was a bit wiped out by the time I took this. I may have mentioned before, but one of the things I enjoy about Lush is that the 'uniform' is just your wee apron then black and white. So within the black and white restriction, you can wear anything and it's fun being creative inside that criteria. Plus, you can wear coloured accessories (jewellery, scarves, shoes, tights), so it's pretty endless really!


I love this dress! The skirt is just full enough (so often 50s style 'full skirted' dresses from the high street just don't have full enough skirts on them and they tend to cup an ample bum rather than skim it and accentuate the waist, so well done H&M!) and I like to think it's kinda flattering and a wee bit ladylike - get me! Plus, I'm always a sucker for a nice floral.


Lady Luck Rules OK officially did some of the most ace jewellery ever. Some of my favourites pieces came from them and I'm still sad that the company is no more. I like the fact that this necklace feels like the polar opposite of the demure, ladylike dress. By contrast, it's brightly coloured and the mirrored acrylic really catches the light. Yeah, it's awesome. And on that note, please do have an utterly swell New Year! Bye!


24 December 2010

Sofa So Good

Oh-to-tha-em-to-tha-gee! Irregular Choice are doing furniture!! Well, they're doing a couch but that's still furniture, isn't it. And it comes in three different designs which equals furniture plural. (To be clear, they call it a couch but I seriously doubt that my ass plus one would fit on it but that's by the by. Maybe it's intended for sexy tangled up seating with a hottie.)

 The very idea that the beautiful shoes that often grace my feet could also grace my living room in the form of something to sit on is just quite, quite immense. I'd like to request that they add some kind of shoe shaped chair to their collection next. Or maybe they could do toilet seats. Or a jazz-tastic patterned wardrobe.What would you like to see? Not that I have any influence or can make your dreams come true or owt. I'm just curious.
 Here are the other prints she comes in. I think I favour the bizarre blue with cows squirrels and peacocks.
And with that, I'm off to finish my lunch!

images courtesy of irregularchoice.com

17 December 2010

Screw you weather! I am busting out my heels!

Uh-huh! You better frickin' believe it! I may be back in my DM boots again on account of the ice but, lordy, am I fed up wearing them all the time. They're nice and all but my feet live for variation and fouf and frou-frou! So frustrated I was wearing them all the time, that I went crazy, bought a new pair of shoes (heels, glittery) on an anarchic whim (anarchy against my bank balance, like) and I immediately wore them out to work (well I bought them Tuesday night and wore them Wednesday morning). I love that I can wear glittery heels to work. It's a beautiful thing.

 

LOOK! Rubber pom-poms! Rubber pom-poms! Feast your eyes. I love the person who decided that there should be a rubber pom-pom on a shoe. What a marvellous idea.

Anyway, if I've done my sums right (and I usually have. Smug, much?), this pair are # 42 in my 'wear all my shoes in a year' challenge and they're from (whispers it) Office. And they were reduced from £88 to £38. Now I don't like to look a gift horse in the mouth (I don't touch them either - I'm allergic) and, doing my sums again, I decided 50 quid off a pair of shoes I'd admired from afar already was too good to pass up.


Upside down, right way round, front, side, it can't be denied that they amazing. Here's why. Other than the pom-pom:
  • Creamy white glitter - sparkly!
  • Black patent platform - shiny!
  • Black patent chunky-from-the-side, slim-from-the-back heel - foxy!
  • Monochrome. It's chicer than me so raises my game a little - classy!
Here what I wore them with. Other than the "Violet, you're going violet, Violet!" tights (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the original. If by some oversight you have not seen this film, log off - I won't mind - and go watch it.)

vintage reproduction dress: Judy's Affordable Vintage fair, Edinburgh, cardi: Asda (!), necklace: H&M, tights: Primark, cocked pinky by: Gosh aren't I posh.
 Note that I have slight mental eye again. Darn the red eye, darn the red eye! And darn the demon inside me! Is anyone else finding that the winter weather is driving their skin demented? Mine doesn't know what the frig it's doing right now - it's oily, it's dry, it's hot, it's cold, it's inside, it's outside. I'm scared it might just all fall off. And with that unpleasant thought, here's my necklace and I'm off to make a healthy dinner to try to counterbalance all the booze and workplace chocolates that happen at this time of year.

13 December 2010

You better believe I'm stretching this into a two-parter!

Many apologies people. I've been a bad and irregular blogger over this last week or so. It's been a busy couple of weeks and I simply haven't found the time to put virtual pen to virtual paper. Anyway, after a weekend of my work Christmas party (drunken but fun but gosh my mouth really runs away with itself sometimes. You may have gathered that by now...), Shed 7 in Dunfermline (rock 'n' roll fun times, 90s style) and a much needed day and night at Stobo Castle Health Spa (free upgrade and a bathroom with green leopard print walls. Yes please!), I am back! Hello!

Now, I've finally taken shoes (boots) # 41 off my feet (DM boots from schuh). However, at a rough count, I think they spent over a fortnight straight on my feet in total (no they don't smell - cheeky!). Therefore, as the title suggests, you better believe I'm eaking them out into a blog-tastic two parter. Plus, because I'm not a smelly and didn't wear the same clothes for the fortnight, I totally have pictures of me wearing them with other stuff. Good times. First up, a little reminder of the boots.


Brown, leather and stompy. I can't believe I'm back to wearing Docs and that, at my ripe not that old age I'm already recycling fashion from my teens! Haha! Something in my head says that if I wore something at 14, either it's surely too tragic to be worn now OR I am not slender enough to be wearing said article anymore. However, as with other fashion related choices (stripes on a pear), I said "sod it" and wore them anyway.

dress and leggings: ASOS, cardi: primark, necklace: Accessorize
This is me with chronic hat hair. As well as wearing these boots all the time, I have had pretty much constant hat hair for the last fortnight. It's been so arctic I've HAD to wear a hat and, well, the hair comes with the territory. Bugger, right? I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that my hair was all blow dried and lovely for the Xmas party on Friday night and, thankfully, this weekend, we've seen almost unthinkable highs of up to 5-6c so my hair has been looking something resembling normal. It's mundane I know but it's the little things, innit? awfully exciting!

dress: Primark, cardi: New Look
This is me embracing Christmas fashion and the, er, sleepy look. My cardigan has reindeer on it! Yay! What's not to love about that? Plus, it's the most frickin' warm cardigan I own right now and that shit ain't to be sniffed at during lows of minus 15 or something. Have I ever told you that I do have a small weather obsession? Seriously, when this snow and whatnot happened, I was partly pissed off cos it was a pain (and in some cases, really downright awful to some very nice people) but partly loving the nation joining me in my weather joy. Rock on. I'm gonna try to wear heels with something colourful tomorrow so I have something purdy to stick on here. May as well embrace the dryness while it's here. Laters skaters...xxx

7 December 2010

Snow Joke. Snow Let-up. Snow sign of it stopping. [Insert your own bad joke]

As is fairly typical of me, I'm a total latecomer on this ol' bandwagon. The snow bandwagon, in case the bad titles didn't give it away. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've been hammered by the snow and its associated complications (4 1/2 snow days and 2 short days at work in the last 7 working days is fairly shabby), I just haven't BLOGGED about it. Oh no, I thought I'd wait until you were properly and fully sick of hearing about the snow before I made mention of it. Maybe let's say I like challenge or something. 

And in actual fact, the continuation of the snow is somewhat scuppering a lil' challenge of mine right now. Something called the "wear all my shoes in a year" (Snappy, right? I am SO in the right job. Marketing, btw) challenge. Because, since this darn snow kicked in, I have worn the same pair of boots every day. You may recall my marvelling at wearing my brogue boots 4 days running a mere 2 weeks back. Well, people, I've kicked that record's arse. Good style. Because I have now worn my DM Triumph Shearling boots from schuh, for, I think, 9 days straight. 9 days! And we're looking at number 10 tomorrow. Here's why...

 
Yes, they may look a bit battered but, let me tell you, they are the softest leather you could possibly have on such a chunky boot. They're actually brand new (thanks for my birthday present Mr S!), it's just that they've been getting paggered by snow, grit and salt, solidly, for over a week. Poor things - they're really bearing up fantastically well all things considered. They have a cosy shearling lining in the leg (would be better if it went right down and around the feet Dr M!) and they keep my feet ever so warm and dry - and look at the pretty ribbon laces! Plus, I'll be honest, while they may not be tres chic, I kind of enjoy their cool dirty rock chick kinda vibe! And these soles are immense for getting about on the snow and ice too! Well you want me to remain upright, don't you?!

Ooh, gripping! Unlike this post which is fast making me sound like an old lady! Haha! Ah, who doesn't love a bit of old lady chic, right? Anyway, to counteract the old lady-ness, here's me in a dress that's too short and tight. Always works a treat!

boots: DM @ schuh, dress: uniqlo, cardi: primark

Boot chronicles to be continued...

1 December 2010

Boom and Bust

Truth be told, I actually wore this outfit a few weeks back and have had the pics sitting in my drafts for a while. Right now, I wouldn't DARE venture out in a 3/4 sleeve or with naked feet. Nuh-uh, no way, no how, I value my extremities too much, thank you very much! However, please do note aforementioned naked feet, clad beautifully in monochrome Irregular Choice from schuh. Shoes # 40, if you will. 40!


And the 3/4 length sleeves. I love the slight "50s housewife with a modern twist" of this outfit. Gingham, nipped waist and ditsy floral = 50s housewife. Perspex name necklace and graphic monochrome shoe = modern twist. Non?

shoes: Irregular Choice @ schuh, dress: H&M, cardi and tee: Primark
And here beginneth a sad tale. I wore this outfit to the day job a few weeks ago. I have this exact dress in leopard print too and, weirdly, the leopard fits perfectly but this one's a bit nippy on the bust. However, it gives such a glorious shape that I tended just to breathe in and get on with it. Until last weekend...

necklace: Tatty Devine
Due to the very snug fit of the dress, an accomplice is usually required when it comes to the entering. i.e. Mr Scribbler needs to zip me up and fasten the button! So last Saturday, whilst getting dressed for the Xmas job (I'm a weekend girl at Lush. It's lush!), I duly had Mr S zip me in. We have to wear black and white at work and I actually quite enjoy coming up with suitable combos that fit within the rules. I like that there's a dress code but that it also allows for a degree of creativity (you can go crazy on accessories.) So anyway, dress zipped, shoes on, coats, scarf et al, out I went and, no sooner had I crossed the road, than I suddenly felt very comfortable. Yup, you guessed it, my boobs could be restrained no more and the zip on the dress gave up and burst! Oh the shame. Thankfully I was so close to home that running back and getting changed was still an option. Now I just need to actually make the time to sit down and see if the zip is salvageable...oh dear.

Anyway, when it came to the above outfit, I merrily wore the dress all day with not so much as a peep from it. Ah, happy days. I love the Irregular Choice shoes involved in the look for a few reasons.

1) I enjoy a bit of monochrome
2) The brogue detailing around the top line is very pretty and gives the shoes a bit more interest
3) Zig-zags!
4) Flat shoes are comfier. Usually. Fact.
5) They have a floopy bow at the ankle.
6) They have a weird lil creature near the heel area - you can see him in the last pic below...


And here's a flashed to be-jiggery pic of the necklace. I'm lucky enough to have had a very kind friend buy me some Tatty Devine for my birthday a few years back. As a kid, it was IMPOSSIBLE to get anything with my name on (although my mum did have an egg cup and a stool made for me - aww!), so the ability to get name things made willy nilly is quite exciting for a name freak like me!


Here's my lust have Tatty Devine piece. I totally felt for that witch when Dorothy nicked off with her shoes...

29 November 2010

Who says you can't wear summer shoes in winter?

Especially when they have a lovely chunky platform the elevates your feet up out of the snow? Well, they did serve this purpose until the snow got really bad - now they probably won't see the light of day again until spring. However, for dinner out at Seadogs in Edinburgh on Saturday night, they did very well, thanks v much. 

So just what is it that allows you to wear peep toe, sling back shoes in winter without fear of catching your death (though judging by pics in the papers of the middle of Newcastle, some people do not have this fear! I used to live there so I know it's not some unsubstantiated rumour. I've never lived anywhere with so many nearly naked people out in all weather!)? The answer my cyber friends is: SOCKS! You know by now that I am loving a frilly sock of late and my black Urban Outfitters pair made shoes # 41 (Red or Dead from schuh), totally wearable in the slightly arctic conditions.


I actually only picked these shoes up recently. And in the schuh sale for 25 quid too. I'd eyed them suspiciously all summer, torn between their slight resemblance to the clog (I don't do clogs - fashion or no fashion) and the fact that they're a sling back, (don't do them generally either. In fact I reckon this is the only sling back-esque shoe I own) and their thick chunky heel, stompy platform and lush tan leather (love these things), but never made the leap. However, when a shoes gets reduced from £75 to £25, the bargain lover in me starts to get excited. And when it's a shoe I was considering anyway, the combination becomes dynamite, explodes and boom, there I am with new shoes in my hands. I mean, really - where's my self control or sense of decorum? Here I am running off in them before anyone can stop me.


Not really. It was so icy out when I wore them, I mainly just slid along trying to look semi graceful and taking comfort from the fact that all the sliding and tensing was probably doing toning wonder for my ass and thighs.

Here I am getting some kinda Chloe on your ass and embracing camel. Ha! Actually I fancied this ASOS dress in black and white and they didn't have any left so I decided to give the nudey colour a whirl and I actually quite like it. Plus, it was fortuitous that it's really rather nice with the shoes and will be cute with my wear-anywhere schuh brogue boots too. Check me considering the items in my wardrobe for a change instead of just buying that things that catch my fancy and go with nothing. That's a lie actually. I did just get it because I liked it. It just so happens that I have things that will go with it. Eek!

shoes: Red or Dead @ schuh, dress: ASOS, cardi: Topshop, belt: H&M, bow: ???
Anyhoo, I am pleased to report that the dress is very comfy, yay! Plus, I've got right into a cheeky wee Peter Pan collar of late. I don't know what it is about them. And, on account of being out for tea, I decided to fire on a wee bow at the front. I tried pinning it a little higher up so there was no nude dress above it but it looked kind of silly, so I settled for it being down a bit. Lovely jubbly.


It's nearly time for me to go. We had (for the first time in the 7 years I've been there) a snow day today - my place of work is completely cut off from the normal world (hence why I'm able to post pre 5pm on a Monday without setting an auto post!) and we were all told not to come in - dramalicious! Hopefully (yes, I did say that), we'll be back tomorrow. However, tonight I have Lush (PT job) staff training in the form of a pub quiz (fun!) so, on account of the fact that I shall be venturing out into the snow soon, I'm off to consider dinner options. Wish me an upright journey there and back! Whee!

27 November 2010

Crafty!

This year I decided to go less high street and more local, small and crafty for Christmas presents. Twitter and blogs have proved to be a goldmine when it comes to discovering individuals running small craft based stores and I've been getting my own craft mojo on too. I figured I'd share my questionable efforts with y'all as well as giving a cheeky wee plug to a couple of the best shops I've come across.

So, it's my blog - let's start with me. I started with some fancy nail painting last night:


 I am no artist - this will become apparent when you see my Christmas cards - but I was feeling inspired while watching Kirsty's homemade home.

I have a gorgeous H&M maxi dress - it's orange and has peacocks on it. It's lovely for wafting about in, in summer (remember summer?). Or it was until some punk cycled too close to me, making me rub against a fence which snagged then ripped the dress irreparably. I spent the rest of the day having to be on constant guard against accidentally flashing lady garden (well, knickers but still...). Anyway, as I love the dress so much, I decided I'd keep it and do something with it. Here's what I did...

 Et voila! An owl cushion for my friend's house warming present!


And onto the Christmas cards:


 
I was one of those kids who quite enjoyed art but was ultimately sort of shit at it. I haven't got much better but I don't really care. And who doesn't love the personal touch?

So that's about as far as I go craft-wise. When it come to jewellery, I have to rely on others. I mean I could knock out something and have made the odd brooch here and there but I'm not massively skilled when it comes to jewellery. Unlike the lovely Stars n Scars, who I discovered through Twitter.

 
I can't show you what I bought from her as it's for a Christmas present and I don't want to ruin my friend's surprise but look how prettily presented the, er, present is! How lovely. Here's a little selection of some of my favourite pieces from the store:

 
 I believe all the designs are hand drawn/doodled by Vicky, the talent behind Stars n Scars. I also believe she's doing free P&P today so pop on over and have a look! 

Next up is Crown and Glory whose stuff I came across on Magpie Girl's blog. I saw her teapot and cup hair slides and couldn't resist popping over to the shop for a look.

 
 
I love how cute and kitschy they are. Crown and Glory sell all kinds of, mainly hair related, goodness, including clips, slides (some of which double as brooches), fascinators and hairbands. It's not your usual run of the mill fair though and items are adorned with flowers and laser cut felt. Here's a wee look then get yo' ass on over there!
 

Time to head off out for dinner!

25 November 2010

Going for the quadruple!

Do you ever have that thing where you buy a new pair of shoes and you wear them ALL the time? I pretty much don't - almost never. I'm such a shoe hoarder/aficionado that I'm always wearing different ones. Not in a 'ooh, look at all my shoes' kinda way, I just change my mind as to what I'm in the mood for day to day and it seems wasteful not to flex the collexion. Plus, if I'm gonna be on my feet a lot, I'll wear flats but if I have a desk bound day, I'll bung on some mental heels I can barely walk in. Don't get me wrong, I'm a bad shoe mother and I do have my favourites but on the whole, it's a pretty mixed bag for me.

However, last week I got the Bronx Herald Brogue boot from schuh. Shoes # 39. And, man, I can't take them off my feet! Four days in a row I've had them on now. It's partly because I've been driving this week, partly cos I've had a day out of the office (whee! Fun trips!) and partly because I love them! Here they are with some slightly jester-esque socks.


I know they don't necessarily look much but four days in and I haven't had a sore foot and there ain't been a blister in sight, even after nipping down to London and spending the whole day on foot, punctuated by trains (7 of them), planes (2) and automobiles (4). They come with a slightly battered 'faux vintage' look (and a wee disclaimer for the anal explaining that they are supposed to look battered), the leather is deliciously soft and the brogue detailing is classically gorgeous in a mannish way.

boots: Bronx @ schuh, socks: Urban Outfitter
Here's what I wore them with day 1:

coat: eBay, scarf: Accessorize, dress 'n' leggings: Uniqlo
Evidently something on the ceiling's caught my eye.

Then here's me showing those beatches on Top Model how you do a jumping shot. Ahem. I looked so freakin' mental good, I was forced to chop the top half of my head out of the picture so as not to alarm evoke jealously in people. Look at the movement in the cardi though. Lovely!

shirt: H&M, cardi: Topshop
Seriously, my face is so scrunched up you couldn't see my eyes in this pic even if I hadn't chopped my head off. Anyway, what you can't see in the pictures is the very cute necklace I'm wearing that I got for my birthday from my kind friend Lynsey. It's a piece of NYC inspired kitchness from Accessorize. You can get it here, if you so wish.


Now I don't have shots of days 2 and 3 (day 3 I wore the boots with this dress, should you care to imagine the ensemble) but here's day 4 (today) of boot-wearing-gate.

dress: H&M, scarf: Primark


Can you tell I was still shattered from London (I was down there for a work meeting then the schuh press day for s/s '11. It looked fantastic and the girls did an amazing job! And that's not just me being biased on account of knowing them - they truly did a fantastic job) today and flung something on, scraping my hair back and foregoing make up? I promise to try harder tomorrow!

And in aid of looking fresher and more daisy like tomorrow, I'm off for a nice hot bath. Ahhhh...


23 November 2010

Stripey pear.

I came across a new (to me) blog the other day. I'd spent a bit of lunch finding a bunch I hadn't looked at, by way of funny comments and whatnot - I barely have time to keep up with all the ones I follow anyway but that's by the by! The period in between Christmas and New Year is allocated as my organisational time. Until then I promise solemnly to blog and read as much as possible, albeit in a haphazard kinda fashion. Anyway, Alex of Odd Socks and Pretty Frocks talked about the breaking of fashion rules. I firmly agree that, if you like what you're wearing and it makes you feel good, then you should hurl the rule book out of the window. On account of the cold weather, I advise that you open the window, throw the book out and close it again quickly - no smashing. You'll thank me for the tip when you're not boarding up a broken window to keep out the bitter wind. Anyway, here's me well and truly stomping all over the 'don't wear stripes on wide bits' AND 'don't wear short/tight skirts if you have stumpy/chunky legs' rules:

Good lord - I look like I'm ready to go back to sleep. In fairness to me, this is my first EVER morning blog pic. The reason the image is blurry is because my camera was balanced on a towel and I think the floofy edges just busted their way in there. Ah well, as ever, this blog ain't about the photography. The images are just to help better illustrate the pictures the words paint. Anyway, as you can see, the stripes are no enemy of my relatively slim top half. However, my saddle bag region looks huge. And that's always the case, stripes or no stripes because I have ample thighs and a massive ass (you don't get much bum on this blog actually - it's a shame). So why should I not wear stripes if I enjoy them?! And I love this cosy little knitted dress. I'm right into my woolly things just now and this is not only stripey but has silver and gold metallic cuffs neck and hem. Which itch as bad, I'm sure, as any STD going (condoms kids - use 'em. I speak not from experience but from the sensibility angle) but I couldn't care cos it's cute! It's from Primark - I thought I'd let you know in case you've been charmed and would like one.

This outfit also included shoes (well boots) # 38. They're 80's-tastic black suede ankle boots from schuh. They're a good few years old and, fact fans, the only pair of boots I've ever actually had to re-heel because they're so well worn. I think they'll need re-soled this year too.


I love an almond toe and these have the perfect shape for me. They're high enough for a bit of glamour but low enough to get away with walking a bit in and I adore the pirate-esque folded ankle. Battered they might be but seasons worth of wear says they're a keeper!

And finally. Here's the brooch you can just make out in the first pic. He's a couple of stones down now but he's doing alright given that I've had him for ages. He doesn't have a name and, much as I'd love to tell you he's some thrifty or vintage find, I'm afraid he's from Topshop. Ah well, if I hang onto him long enough, he could become the vintage of the future.