Making up for lost time

I’ve been MIA for a very long time. 3 months.

You see, I’ve been depressed. In a desperate attempt to transform into an adult and “save money” my shoe collection has had to suffer big time. It suffered alright. For a whole 3 months and when I got my chance to shop for 2 full 12 hour days in Hong Kong I lost all self-control and gained 5 pairs of shoes.

It all started with a practical objective. New running shoes. I managed to get some Nike ID’s (not pretty enough to be photographed, running shoes are just so gross). They were only AU$50 – total bargain! But the small taste i got for buying a new pair of shoes was overwhelming and the addiction came back…

Next purchase, black suede fringed ankle boots. Too cute for words. I had to have them.

Mega heels? Or mega wrong?

Alexander McQueen did them, Lady Gaga rocks them, Victoria Beckham made a statement of them, but are the latest trend of extreme heels translating well into real life wear?

By real life wear I mean non celebrities, non top models. The past weekend gave me some insights. Although 7 inch heels look mega hot in magazines and on celebrities, they don’t look so hot on girls sporting them on a Saturday night in short mini skirts. Not only do they look like they should be in pretty woman, they can barely walk 5 metres in them. I’m sure these girls think they look mega hot but for those who watch them thumping around trying to lift one foot in front of the other it’s mega not hot . If you can’t walk in them, chances are your nit suppose to be wearing them. Instead of looking uber fashionable it just makes them look stupid.

Personally I’d like to not suffer with blistered toes and back pain. Mega high heels – are they your friend or your foe?

Customer Service. Does it Even Exist Anymore?

Over the past couple of weeks I have experienced some shocking customer service and it makes me wonder where are all the good retail sales assistants. Whilst on a quick shop last weekend, I saw a stunning pair of over the knee black suede boots. They weren’t cheap, but they were too pretty to pass up. There were plenty of shop assistants some of which were standing around posing and looking pretty. I asked to try on 2 different pairs of boots to only receive an extremely rude response and a puff at the end. The shop assistant looks at me and says ” i don’t know if i have your size, i doubt it”. I am not really sure why it was so hard for her to go out the back and check. It wasn’t like she was tied up serving another customer. She checked and came back with the wrong pair of boots, dumped them on the floor and walked off to the corner and stood there.

Another experience I have had over the past couple of weeks is trying to get custom made blinds in my apartment. I was told it will be a maximum of 8 weeks. After 8 weeks I had no call, no update, nothing. Instead I called only to get a very nervous shop assistant who could barely give me a straight answer. She promised to call me back the next day with an ETA but heard nothing. I ended up having to call everyday searching for answers. When i finally got an answer, my blinds were ready only to find out on the installation day that 7 out of 8 pieces were measured incorrectly. You would think the next day I would have received a phone call in the morning with a “sorry” and “we will rectify the mistake straight away”. But, no that did not happen. Again I had to call. This only made my blood boil and yes, I made people cry. The situation of me screaming down the phone could have been easily avoided. All that would have been required is a simple phone call letting me know what was going on. That’s it.

I have to say, it makes me appreciate shops who truly value customers. If a shop actually serviced me, I will be more than happy to pay more for the same product to a store that treats me like my money is worth nothing.

I have been completely put off with physically having to walk into a store or deal with people. I’ve been on the other side and I would have never, ever, treated any customer in a rude or disgruntled manner. I’m going to stick to online shopping from now on.

Have you had any bad customer experience that you need to vent on?

Sex and the City 2: The Shoe Re-Cap

Despite the reviews, I enjoyed the Sex and the City 2 movie. I’m not sure what people where expecting but surely nothing epic nor that the “girls” would stay single, desperate and in New York forever. Yes, it wasn’t Oscar winning screen writing, but who can take away that SATC sets fashion trends. And not to mention the copies of every dress, bag and shoe will become available online and in stores soon.

The opening scene just set the tone of how fabulous the fashion was going to be. Carrie walking out in the classic gold glittery Christian Louboutins.

I love this entire outfit. It’s simple, elegant and I personally don’t think it’s a look that goes out of fashion.

The second pair of shoes that are stunning (and the Galliano for Dior newspaper dress) are these black floral, laced detailed peep toe ankle boots.

This outfit was featured in the TV series but the outfit is compelling and i just wish i could wear an outfit just like it every saturday night. But, i doubt i will ever be able to pull this off, yet alone make it 10 metres down the street in these killer heels without ending up face first in the road with a grazed face.

I also really loved the black and gold shoes Samantha wears when she is shopping for her red carpet dress with Carrie. But, i can seem to find a picture or any information anywhere. If you find who they are by please tell me!

And can we not forget Miranda’s dress at the wedding? Can we talk about how that is THE dress? I have to say, this dress…. it stole the show. No shoe, or Samantha’s Birkin bag could top this.

Which is your favourite outfit from the movie?

Shoe Moments with Carrie Bradshaw

Tomorrow is a HUGE day for fashionistas and single ladies looking for their Mr Big. Sex and the City 2 is in movie theaters from tomorrow (in Australia). Women have laughed, cried and shared a moment with “the girls” during the series and the first movie, and for me some of the BEST moments have been around Carrie and her shoes. Who could forget the episoide  ” A Woman’s Right to Shoes” where Carries Manolo Blahnik’s are stolen? I guess when people have children their priorities on spending money change – for me, I hope I never have to down grade the shoe collection. I actually hope as i get a bit older, have a better career and earn more money, my shoe collection just gets more expensive and indulgent!

The stolen shoes are called Sedaraby by Manolo Blahnik. I have seen many copies of this shoe but nothing can compare to the real deal. I can’t wait to own a pair of Manolo Blahniks but I am yet to find anything that i 100% love and know that I will wear (so i can justify the price to myself). But, if any of you out there have the real deal, i’d love you to show me.

Which were your favourite shoes from Sex and the City?

Another Year, Another Pair of Shoes

I celebrated yet another birthday last week and I just couldn’t help myself but to buy a birthday present from me to me. I couldn’t hold back when I saw the new Fafi for Adidas range. There were quite a few pairs to pick from but I thought the Torsion style were the simply the cutest. They are somewhat out there and unlike my previous Fafi shoes, they sure will stand out.

I absolutely adore the detail of the print, especially on the toe area.

This range also came with an ultra cute canvas bag which I am sure I will make useful. I can’t seem to find any links as to where you can buy a pair of this Fafi range, BUT I can tell you they are available in the Adidas stores in Melbourne. I also received $30 off as they have a special promotion at the moment (which I personally feel it’s because they KNEW it was my birthday).

I’ve decided this will be the beginning of an ongoing birthday tradition; I will continue to celebrate a new year with a new pair of shoes. I love these and I know these won’t be a wear and chuck and well worth using up my birthday purchase on.

Found and Treated

I’ve finally found them. The grey ankle boots have been purchased and I am delighted. I have been working a lot f overtime over the past couple of weeks, hence my lack of posts, but on a sunny Saturday afternoon I went for a stroll down one of my favourite shopping streets in Melbourne, Chapel Street, and found THE pair of grey boots and thought how I really needed to treat myself for working so hard.

I think these will be extremely versatile for both work and play. The will match an all black work outfit or a Saturday night dance floor ensemble. I love the detailing on the boots of the studs and buckles and will surely ‘pop’ any outfit and be the feature.

The best part of the purchase (treat to me) is they where 30% off so instead of paying $269 I paid $190. Bargain! I don’t know much about the brand of the shoe, Nude, but you can view their entire winter collection online here.

I felt so special after my purchase. There is nothing better than treating yourself to something so beautiful. What have you treated yourself too lately?

A small detour from the objective

Remember my search for ankle/calf grey boots? Well, I still haven’t found them…

In my hunt for the perfect grey boots to add to my collection I had a small detour and WHOOPS i purchased a pair of black peep toe ankle bots. They are gorgeous, high and super sexy. They did come in a grey but Asos had sold out of my size and the next best thing to soothe my urge for shoes was to grab them in black.

These are going to be extremely versatile boots as i can wear them casually with denim (like above) or dress them up on a night out. I really like how there is a platform on the ball of the foot as this makes really high heels so much easier to walk in and will definitely give me less of a chance on tripping over and falling face first. I love high heels but I need to learn how to walk in them more delicately. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times i have ended up face first in the concrete from heels from simply walking on flat ground. I feel like the only woman in the world who cannot manage to walk in heels with confidence. Tell me, is it just me? Or do you have a funny high heel story to share?

Cheap Thrills

A couple of months ago I contemplated a pair of leopard print gumboots which were going to put a dent in my pocket. I was unsure if I could spend over $100 on boots which weren’t exactly going to be worn often. But, it has certainly been raining more than usual lately so I was feeling like I needed them.

I took a late night trip with a friend to Kmart, in the hunt for cheap thrills. We like to buy clothes and accessories from Kmart in secret. It is a true secret gem. And on this late night trip i got that cheap thrill I was seeking with these super cute polka dot gumboots. I love them and when I sported them into work, I felt incredibly good about my bargain find as my colleagues gave me compliments on them. They only set me back $15! Who knew, a $15 pair of gumboots would bring me so much joy. I can’t wait for another rainy day to be forecasted to wear them again.

I love them. What cheap thrills have you gotten lately which have made you SO happy?

I’m Alive. And I Am Organised.

WOW! It has been 3 very long weeks since my last post. Naughty me for being M-I-A. I have been caught up in moving into a new place, I could barely focus on anything else – including sleep. The grunt of the move is over and on the Easter long weekend i spent 4 blissful hours organising my shoes into clear boxes. I feel somewhat de-cluttered. It is true what Oprah says, de-cluttering DOES make you feel like you are taking back control of your messy life. Take a look at my neat, organised shoes….

This was after i managed (painfully may i add) to cull 15 pairs of shoes. I now only have 65 pairs of shoes and sandals plus 5 pairs of Havaianas (thongs/flipflops which ever you prefer). The Havaianas don’t really count as shoes as they don’t take up much room and i like to have different colours to mix and match my casual outfits over the summer. However, 65 shoes were tough to squeeze into a small space and off i trotted to Ikea to get myself a Billy Bookcase with a funky door as extra storage for shoes I wear often. What do you think? Cute?

After my 4 hours of re-discovering shoes I love and shoes I needed to let go, I really felt I was missing a pair of grey heeled boots. I think ankle or calf length in a cowboy or studded style will be a fantastic addition to my collection. I searched for hours over the past few days but I just can’t find the right ones. Please help me! Any links, shop suggestions or photos are more than welcome. Help me hunt down the perfect pair of grey boots.