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...