Sunday shoe porn: somebody stop me!

This week, the shoe porn is all mine. Even by Llara standards, I've gone a bit shoe crazy in the last month or so. I've been too busy to blog them as they came into my life so I thought I'd round them up today. Ah, today. I'd describe what I've been up to today as "hunkering down". The forecasted "storm force" winds and driving rain landed in Edinburgh and it's been every bit as rough as predicted. So I cancelled thoughts of leaving the house and battened down the hatches. Quite literally in some areas - I have tissue paper stuffed around a point where a wire comes in through our window to hold back the leakage that happens when the rain pours!

And, so to the shoes. Last week, I showcased my beautiful Nicholas Kirkwood shoes. This week, all 6 pairs (yes, that does mean I've bought at least 7 pairs of shoes in the last month-ish. Some would be a bit disgusted by that. To them I say "bite me") combined cost less than that one pair so we're truly at the other end of the spectrum. And to really kick things off super bargain style, I picked up these shoes along with my grocery shop a few weeks ago at Asda.

I've always suspected that I was somewhat lacking on the snakeskin shoe front. That said, snakeskin shoes can often look really quite skankalicious and it's hard to find a nice pair that don't put me in mind of buckets of fake tan, too-tight shiny dresses and tranny style lip liner. However, the sweet almond shaped toe and mid heel on this pair struck just the right note for me: demure rather than manure, if you will. So in they went to my trolley. Want to know the best bit? They were £2 in the sale. That's a quid per shoe. 20p each per toe coverage. Insane. I can't walk away from a bargain that hefty. Powerless. So now they're mine.

Next up are these H&M stilettos. I've really gotten back into my stilettos again lately (and this time around, I will NOT sell them all on eBay! I will remember that fashion is cyclical and so is my taste and keep them for the future) and, once again had a sneaking suspicion. Which was that I likely needed a nice basic multicoloured glitter pair in my arsenal. So, imagine my joy when I stumbled across this twinkly pair for a tenner in the H&M sale. Woop! And I had a gift card - so, in fash-math terms, that means FREE.
. 

Next up, we have the most expensive purchase. My insane, sort-of-wedge-but-heel-less neon shatter boots from American site Nasty Gal. I saw a blogger wearing them some time ago. I can't remember where sadly. I'm sure I made some of sort of noise along the lines of "gnuarghhhhIHaveToHaveThem" when I first clapped eyes on them. Sadly, said blogger hadn't linked to them and could I find them anywhere? Could I buggery. But sometimes fortune smiles upon us. One of my colleagues was about to buy some shocking pink spiky efforts from Nasty Gal and asked if anyone else wanted to order anything and split the postage. Oh, and their shoes all had 25% off too. Donkey. Stick. Carrot. Other figures of speech that imply the ease with which I was reeled in. So, off I went, browsey, browse when: what should I stumble upon? Only the EPIC neon heel-less shoe boots that I'd seen on the blogger! I couldn't bloody believe it. And so, I was IN on the Nasty Gal spree! And on the off-chance that they're just SO your bag too, you can get them here. They don't call Little Scribbler helpful for nothing...

And so back to British shores. These shoes are from New Look. I'd admired them a few times but hadn't actually got as far as even trying them on. A plain black peep toe upper isn't really me (see the shoes above) but the watercolour-esque platform and heel caught me and I LOVE the shape of the heel - quite slim from the back but really wide from the side. It's got such a grace to its chunkiness which made me swoon every time I saw them. And, earlier this week I was in a New Look and they were down to £11 in the sale so it was rude not to at least try them. And they fit perfectly and looked awesome on. Done deal.

Next up, good old Topshop. Their shoes, by high street standards always feel at the upper end of the cost scale. That said, often they have really original stuff and you can see why they're pricier. I'd been eyeing up these stilettos for a good while but kept telling myself I didn't need them. I also kept not having £65 going spare so, really the conundrum "to buy or not to buy" was squashed right there. BUT (and spy a theme emerging here), they went in the SALE. Yay for sales! I was in my local store a few weeks ago and they'd gone down to £30. And then the ever so nice dude in the shop inexplicably gave me student discount too. I must have a studenty air about me. So I bagged them for £26, which I am most pleased about. The leather's so soft and glitter's so sparkly in such an understated way: it'll look a bit nothing-y, then the light hits and it twinkles like the night sky. Look at it twinkling away down there:

Lastly - yes, you're nearly at the end of this rambling and slightly obsessive collection of what now appear to be short stories. I thought the whole thing was going to be one short story. But no. I chattered on, as is my wont. Still, if you've made it this far, maybe you're enjoying the ramblings. And maybe, just maybe, you'll enjoy these shoes. I first clapped eyes on them in plain black in Urban Outfitters down in London. I tried them on but told myself to behave and that I didn't need spiked lace up creeper/flatform soled ankle boots. And I probably don't. But, I was online a week or so back and Urban Outfitters were doing 50% off their sale. Basically it was "please buy our dregs before the real winter sale starts". So it seemed rude not to take a look. Urban Outfitters' sale can be a magical thing. I got my neon pink Cambridge satchel from them last year for about £40 (they were still selling in Harvey Nichols for over £100 at the time) and one of my favourite pairs of ankle boots came from there for £20, down from £220. Yes you read that correctly - £20, down from £220. Insane. This time, I got a bra, a bumbag (no really. And, yes it will be up here at some point) and a hip flask. And these! £10, down from £55. That's 81.81% recurring, off, fash-mathletes! And they have leopard print on them! What in life is not improved with a splash of leopardy goodness? And, on that note, feel free to go forth and enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Have a fabulous Chrimbo when it arrives!

Sunday Shoe Porn: Nicholas Kirkwood

You know what they say: a Sunday without shoe porn is a Sunday half lived. And all the better when the shoe porn belongs to meeeeeeeeee!

If you've been with me here for any length of time - or even for a very short time - you might have got that I'm a shoe kind of girl. Bags? I can take or leave them. Clothes? Love them but I'm not inclined to spend loads and loads on them. Cars? Couldn't give a crap. But shoes - I love them. I'm happy with cheapo Primark ones or mid range high street ones. But I also have a weakness for designer ones. And a nice lust list of designers whose shoes I should very much like to own a pair of. One such designer is Nicholas Kirkwood. His shoes just look structurally interesting, I love a disjointed platform and I appreciate the effort, intricacy and uniqueness of the upper detail of his shoes too.

Not being the sort of chick with cash to fling about, I have to be choosy and thrifty with my designer shoe purchases. Sale time on the likes of Net-a-Porter, My Wardrobe and Coggles is ripe for me (I'm just about pissing myself in anticipation of this year's sales, all the while trying to remember that I'm supposed to be saving for holidays next year.).  And, year round, The Outnet is a winner. So, when I got their email saying Nicholas Kirkwood had landed online, it didn't take me long to click through for a look.

And look what I found!

Aren't they gorgeous!? My little baby Kirkwoods! I was grabbed initially by how 'Kirkwood' they looked. I think, if you love a designer's aesthetic and may only ever get the chance to invest in one piece from them, you should consider it being something signature. If it's a practical piece too, that helps. But, above all, it needs to be something you love! I've made expensive mistakes snapping up shoes I didn't love *hangs head in shame* and regretted it. But I loooooooove these. And the platform, strappy upper, cute bow and edgy styling are SO on the Kirkwood money!

Look! They're so sparkly! So glittery! So twinkly!

Definitely worth another picture...

Could you be...the most beautiful boots in the world?

Look, I'm just gonna dive right in with this one. Check these boots OUT!

Boots Red or Dead @ Schuh

They're big, black, fierce, tall, spiky, made of super soft suede and covered in glittery stars! Even the zip has a star on it. What's not to love?

 Oh, and they're on a pink table. As with all good boots, these babies need to be worn. And wear them I have. Several times. This time with a black Uniqlo t-dress and a Monsoon (I know, I must be getting old, right?) jumper covered in teeny beads that look like bubbles!

Aah! Bubbles!

You should know though that this thing may as well be a real live cat, because it sheds on everything. Like a bitch. If you love having pale grey fluff on stuff though, it's a total winner.

And one last shot of the boots in action...

Should you so wish, you can get them here: here

Nailing glittery heels.

So, we're getting these shoes in soon at Schuh. I can't decide if I like the red suede with the gold/silvery glittery heel, though there is something tremendously Christmassy about them and I love me a bit of Christmas! It just feel like a really contrasting combo and I'm a wee bit on the fence right now.

Look how sparkly they are though!  I have them in purple and I adore them, even if they do make me walk like a tranny if I have to negotiate a hill. Actually, that's probably not fair: I saw a banging transvestite at the pub the other night and she appeared to be managing just fine, ta v much, in her heels!

So, I've decided that the obvious way to decide whether I enjoy the contrasting colour combo is to wear it on my nails first. Ta-da!

I think it's growing on me...

Longest day of the year, my arse.

It's little after 3pm and I have the lamp on cause it's so dull in my living room. Which is on the top floor of a tenement and usually flooded with light. (Did I ever tell you I love my house? It's awesome). Welcome to Summer Solstice in Scotland! Jeeeeeezuz!

So, to cheer myself up, I thought I'd whack up an outfit post from a night at the pub a coupla weeks ago. I say the pub: we did actually go for dinner rather than just boozes. Cos one is most posh, y'know? As you can probably tell from my too short, too tight get up:

Shoes: Schuh, Leggings and 'dress': Uniqlo, shirt: Primark, necklace: Lady Luck Rules ok, Skank attitude: The 80s.

Fuck yeah! In your face! At times like this, I'm glad of my ample thighs and behind. It just gives everything a bit more shape and interest, I think. The look I was going for here was slight 80's skank (short, tight, high heels), but grunged up and casualled down a bit with messy hair and a checked shirt. And no skank would be complete without a slash of red lippie. Am I right? Speaking of which, I treated myself (at Duty Free) to MACs Morange lipstick. It's bright orange! I've been coveting it for ages but didn't buy it, first because of fear of the colour, then because I became convinced I could find a cheaper alternative. I couldn't. It's a-may-zing. With a 'y'.

And so to the shoes. Embarrassingly, I haven't mentioned the shoe wearing challenge since my post of the 8th of May! For shame! And, in that, I was likening my weekend wear to that of a bag lady. For those who haven't heard me bang on about it (hello those!), the shoe wearing challenge is a bit of a use it or lose it approach to my massimo shoe closet. I have a year (ending in August) to wear all my shoes (not including all my Havaianas and rubber flip flops because a) who wants to see that over and over and b) did you not READ the first paragraph? I'm in S-C-O-T-L-A-N-D  and all the weather cliches are TRUE!). Those that aren't worn get sold, donated or chucked. I introduced you to this pair from Schuh a coupla posts back but they were just on the floor. Now they're on the floor and being worn! I give you, pair of shoes # 60!

Looooooook! The heel is so sparkly! Looooooooook! The suede is so soft and purple! The platform is so glorious, the heel is so deliciously chunky, they're GORGEOUS! And I'll let you into a secret. I can barely walk in them! Seriously - my 80's skank was verging on 80s bad tranny. Oh dear...

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.

tFi Friday!

It's Saturday now (weeekeeend!!) but it was Friday yesterday and that's when this outfit and shoes # 29 happened. Roll with it people.

I had free tickets to see a show called Blaze, a street dance affair featuring a couple of the dancers from last year's UK version of 'So You Think You Can Dance'. My friend Ian and I are forever talking about auditioning for these shows but my dance skills are, sadly, much like Colleen Rooney's husband choosing skills (girrrrrrrl you can do bettah!) and I don't want to offend anyone's eyes or accidentally whip them out with a badly timed kick. Mind you, fear of offending people's senses doesn't stop me wailing along to the radio or rocking out at karaoke. It also doesn't stop me wearing glittery peep toes with lurex socks. More to come on that...

 

 

Oop-there they are! So Blaze! It was pretty good - the dancers were brilliant and I never fail to be impressed by people who can break and street dance - I just can't imagine my body having that capability plus, if I try to dance anything remotely streety, I just look like an awkward arse. The music was a mixed bag from Michael Jackson to Ellie Goulding (I think, I think she's super cute - I'm yet to decide) via Missy Elliott and some old school funk and disco. Good times. I only got the tickets on Thursday so myself and my pal A decided to make a night of it and tank some wine too. Which we did at the Brass Monkey in Edinburgh, home to the world's surliest barman. Hey, I don't care too much if you're not up for banter but if we're polite and whatnot, hearing more than just "9 pounds" wouldn't go amiss. There's your tip back in my pocket PAL! Anyway, point is, I decided I should whap on some sparkle and lippie in honour of the weekend and the dance. If you were 'lucky' enough to be in Edinburgh last night, you may be aware that it monsooned it down and it was cold:

 

 

So I needed my big denim cosy parka: Topshop years ago - I got 10% off for a missing popper as I recall.

Leopard print bag: Accessorize a few years ago (another one of those things that was more than I'd usually spend but that I've used a million times and love!)

Glitter peep toe heels: Office Vintage collection, 99p on eBay! Bargain!

 

 

Dress: Urban Outfitter

Belt: Accessorize

Leopard scarf: Accessorize

Cardi: Topshop

Socks: Can't remember

My hair's a state by this point on account of running about in the pissing rain with the big hood up. Surprisingly my feet didn't get that wet. The shoes fairy must've been smiling on me. Thanks shoe fairies!

 

 

And finally, t shirt: Primark

Necklace: Accessorize. Oddly I really don't have much of their stuff (I love it but I'm too cheap/skint/spend all my money on shoes to buy loads of it) but I seem to have covered myself in it!

 

 

Too cute!

 

 

Sparkalicious!

 

 

And now back to the day job - the shoes. Firstly, wow, what a bargain these babies were! 99p and new! They're one of the things I love about eBay - there genuinely is the odd astounding bargain to be had in amongst all the shit that's on there now. I absolutely adore the fact that they're like old skool 'come dancing' shoes with their stumpy almost Cuban heel, little ankle strap and cute peep toe with pretty bow. I swoon for the fact that they're so sparkly (I woke up with some glitter in my ear this morning. No idea how that happened. I mean I'm pretty bendy for my size - I can get my big toe in my mouth and my little toe up my nose [don't ask] - but my shoes were nowhere near my ear. I think it just attests to the travelling and adhesive qualities of glitter). They're like foot mirror balls. And while I don't think I'd have thought to try it, I really like the silver and nude colour palette. I'm a big peep toe fan and the peep on these is as big as you can go before it's too big, in my humble opinion. Even if they do look a bit like giant fish mouths here:

 

 

I'm going to eat yooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooou!