Sales and a re-brand!

OMG - Little Scribbler has gone!

I picked the name fairly arbitrarily when I started blogging and, to be honest, haven't really liked it for a long time. To start with, there's nothing little about me (maybe my bank balance right now). And "Scribbler" inaccurately gave the impression of drawing which I 100% do not do well! So welcome to "champagne shoes, lemonade budget". I wondered whether it was twee, then thought, 'fuck it' - I'm a human who loves the shoes but who doesn't have endless budgets. I prattle about fancy designer shoes I'd like and occasionally find the means to procure a pair. And, beyond that, I often bag shoes that LOOK awesome but are actually quite bargainous. And so CSLB is born. Plus, it runs beyond shoes too, doesn't it? There's no denying I'm a bit of an over-shopper. A greedy, modern, consumer. I console myself that it means I'm totally contributing to the economy and helping the world turn. That said, I am a stereotypical stingy Scot and am always on the lookout for a bargain. So, fear not Scribbler fans (I'm sure there's at least one out there), the content of the blog isn't going to change as such but maybe I'll get more regular and be more focussed. Woop.

And, so to the sale shopping...I've read a lot of blogs this season where folk haven't had much luck with the sales. I've been the reverse - I got some pretty decent stuff! Here it is:

Awesome Chloe-esque boots from Office. I blogged my black ones from schuh a couple of posts back. But they didn't get them in red and sometimes needs must. So, when I swung by Office and they had them at £40, down from £85, I had to do it! If I wear them even half as much as the black, they'll have been well worth it. Plus, the Chloe version are still £850 on Net-a-Porter. Jebus!

These shoes from Topshop are a funny one. I saw them online and didn't think much of them. Then I saw them in a magazine and they looked AMAZING on! The toe shape is perfect, I love a chunky heel and the dusky pink suede is such a flattering colour. And the heel is like a disco ball! Best bit - they were down from £58 to £30 in the sale and I had a Topshop gift card. 

These dresses were £12 and £15 in the River Island sale. They did a galactic version of the rose one which I loved but which made my arse look like a giant squishy bruise. Now, I'm happy to break a fashion rule but that's a step too far. In the rose one, it looks looks like a big soft floral cushion instead. Much better. The other dress is so sunsetty that I could not resist it! I LOVE sunsets. I think it will serve me well in the clubs of Ibiza this June...

Zara shoes (as worn in my last post). I'm gonn' be a cowgirl! Isabel Marant style! I nearly bought these shoes about 7 times but always walked away/closed the webpage. However, when I went in to the shop last week and they were down from £60 to £30, I was sold! I'm off for a hoe-down.

Zara shoes and starring on the Shaun Keaveny breakfast show

Today I wore my be-YOO-tiful new Zara shoes...thirty quid down from sixty in the sale and I have been coveting them a LONG ass while. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I was a cowgirl.

Shoes: Zara, Skirt and Jacket: H&M, Jumper: Vintage, POW Necklace: Hannah Zakari. Yes, I looked tired, nay, shattered, and a bit bloated. First day at work after Christmewyear. It's allowed.

And promptly busted the heel between paving stones. The hazards of wearing beautiful suede covered heels outside. At all. Still, better to get them out there and have them end up a bit busted than to hide them away

Today is also the day that yours truly was a star guest (I use that phrase very loosely) on the BBC 6 Music Shaun Keaveny breakfast show! If you were listening this morning and heard Llara from Edinburgh praising the snipping tool (excellent computer programme), being asked to repeat "compu'er" in a wee Scottish accent and getting Kasabian's Cutt Off played, it was ME! FAME. Two minutes thereof.

POW!

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Storing my shoe collection - it's complicated

My shoe collection is pretty big. I haven't counted the pairs but it's safe to say there are a LOT. Ideally, I'd love a giant walk in closet a la sex and the city where the shoes are all out of their boxes and lined up beautifully and somehow staying dust free. That's the dream. Being that we're a little restricted space-wise and that I've spent all my money on shoes already, that's not really an option right now. Or maybe ever. However, this weekend, driven by desires to actually see my bedroom floor again and to not break my neck falling over rogue shoes, I decided to get it all sorted out. Here's how they all (just about) fit in...

Apologies for the truly shite blurry pic. I took it and didn't realise how bad it was until it was on the computer. And I am lazy! Technically, this wardrobe is Mr Scribbler's. However, I have wangled a shoe rack and a couple of jackets in there. This "hangy thing" came from Ikea and is ideal for squishing in flats and, to be honest, shoes that are maybe a bit past their best that you don't mind not being in boxes. You can get a prettier version here. At this point I should tell you that piles of shoes in the bottom of a wardrobe makes me cry on the inside and feel a bit sick. It's just so wrong! Care for thy shoes! Which kind of goes some way to explaining this...

The tremendous shoe cabinet of awesomeness. AKA the home of my favourite and designer shoes. I update the contents fairly regularly cause I'm fickle and change my mind all the time about my faves. If you've been reading a while, you'll have seen the cabinet before, so proud of it am I. If you haven't you can check out it's transformation from orphan rescued (for free! FREE!) from a rainy street, to tremendous shoe cabinet of awesomeness -> here. It's a touching story.

Observe though, that the storage above does not finish with the TSCoA. Oh no. We also have stackable transparent shoe boxes. These things are genius: they're clear(ish) so you can see what's in them, they stack and slot into each other so you can pile 'em high, they're smaller than a lot of shoe boxes so save space AND they fold so if you have spares they stash away neatly! Just google 'transparent stackable shoe boxes' or similar and do some price comparison. I think mine came through eBay in the end but do make sure you look for the ridgy ones that slot together!

Along with the TSCoA, I also do actually have a walk in cupboard that has boxes of shoes stacked up in it. It is called the shoe closet. Like the normal person's version of the SATC scenario. The washing basket lives in here too so it is a bit of a jam but it keeps this little lot out of the way. Some of the shoes aren't in their original boxes but in smaller boxes I have, with their name/description written on the front. Every centimetre counts! And so does ease of shoe finding. There's a shelf on the wall in there too that takes a surprising amount of shoe weight:

My, so tonal!

One of my latest storage solutions is this over the door (hanging into the shoe closet) hanging thang with pockets from Argos. It fits 10 pairs of shoes in (mine are mainly size 7s) but you could probably get pairs of flip flops or smooshed up flats in one pocket if you felt the urge. I got it today for £6.99 (here it is - man I am helpful with my links) and am pleasantly surprised by it as a few of the reviewers said it only fit kids shoes in. It doesn't. Yay! You wouldn't get heels in or anything but it does the job for flats.

 

And finally, in a rare glimpse into the man side of my life, here are Mr Scribbler's shoes:

Yup, he's nearly as shoe daft as me these days (which makes my habit SO much easier to justify) and I finally had to get him some more rack space. The ones on the left we got today in Argos. It's actually two stacked together and they were £4.99 each. Bargain! They're nowt fancy but totally do the job. And, as I type this, he's actually filled them up.

So, now we don't have shoes lying about the bedroom and living room but we do have them on racks in the hall, in the wardrobe in the spare room, in a cabinet in the bedroom, hanging over a door and inside the shoe closet. Neat, non? If you have any space saving shoe storage tips, feel free to share them with me. Otherwise, I hope some of this was useful for you if, like me, your collection is somewhat unruly!

Gucci, Zara, Gucci, Zara...

Check out these Gucci shoes - swoon!

They're so crystal clad and sparkly! And they're currently on sale at Net-A-Porter at £735 down from £1470. Bargain, huh? Eh, no, not so much. I mean, I know they're Gucci and all but that's still pretty crazy money. So, in theory, they're out of reach. Or are they...

Look what I found in Zara!

As usual, my pictures do them no justice - they're far prettier and sparklier looking than I've captured and look waaaaay more expensive than their £59.99 price tag. I'll be honest: I actually bought these a month or so ago for the sheer love of them, having never seen the Gucci numbers. It was just today while I was browsing designer sale shoes (post on that coming soon. Too. Much. Swoon) that I spied the Guccis and did a whiplash inducing double take. My Zara's may not have crystal heels too but the difference between the tens and hundreds of pounds will go a loooooooong way! On more shoes most likely...