going sock-less

Tags

Dublin, fashion, photography, photos, shoes, sock-less, spring, sun, weather

Over the past few days spring has fully sprung in Dublin, the sun has been shining, the trees have been blooming and everything is waking up from the long winter sleep. With the temperatures rising I have decided to let the weather ‘knock my socks off’ (couldn’t resist this awful pun) and relegate my socks to the back of the drawer and go sock-less again. So over the last three days my feet have been bare in my shoes and I have enjoyed the freedom of unhindered wiggling of toes.

Now I only hope that my socklessness state can continue until much later this year and who knows, maybe by offering up an extra few patches of exposed skin to the sun my vitamin D intake will skyrocket. Additionally I won’t need to spend time sorting my socks – I like them in pairs – and I’ll even save some (even if only small) space in the washing machine.

So maybe I should look around and see what else I could dispel and discover what I may gain by doing so.

standing in a spot of sun

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new shoes and ice cream

Tags

Borosana, Borovo, Croatia, Croation shoes, Dublin, fashion, shoes

After a long day of emailing, typing and general organizing it was time to head out and see the film ‘Me Before You’. My friend had to cancel so I took myself out and made my way across town to the Omniplex in Rathmines.

It was such a beautiful day, the sun was still hot and the air was wind still, the perfect time to christen a pair of new shoes. Last year a good friend brought me back some shoes from her trip to Croatia. They are called Borosana and are produced by a shoe company called Borovo.

These shoe have been around for many years and were particularly popular amongst the working class women of Yugoslavia but the deconstruction of the country came the decline of the popular shoe. But the company didn’t give up and reinvented themselves by creating new designs and a selection of colourful shoes.

They are incredibly comfortable and light to wear, the perfect adornment for summer feet.  Sadly it was already autumn by the time I became the owner of my own pair of Borosana shoes, to wet to risk taking them out for a walk. But since summer has arrived I think it is the perfect time to show them off on the streets of Dublin.

new shoes on their first outing of the year

cinematic tissues

 

sock season

Tags

autumn, fashion, feet, quote, socks, stripy socks

I have finally given in to the drop in temperature and am wearing socks again. For someone who, for most of the year, enjoys wiggling her toes unhindered by fabric this is always a slightly sad decision.

Luckily for me there is a happy side to making up my mind to wear socks again: my stripy sock drawer. Over time I have collected several pairs, all shades of colours and stripyness.

So even if the day is grey and a little chilly, especially in the mornings on my bike, knowing that my feet are clad in colours makes me smile. After all, we all need rainbows in our lives and mine just happen to be on my feet.

today’s choice

You choose your friends by their character and your socks by their colour.

Gary Oldman

time warp

Tags

80s, 80s movies, beauty, Cindy Lauper, converse sneakers, fashion, Girls want to have fun, John Hughes, Madonna, miscellaneous, movies, Prettu in Pink, prom king, random, spiked punch, style, The Breakfast Club

I am typing this with orange fingernails and puffed-up hair, leftovers from my trip back in time. Last night friends and I traveled trough the years and landed in an eighties themed prom-night and a midnight viewing of Pretty in Pink.

A true child of the eighties, just twelve when the film came out, I am a big fan of John Hughes and his films have probably helped form a lot of my worldviews in general and idea about love in specific. My all time favourite is The Breakfast Club, a big crush on Judd nelson was a given, but I think it was the music and fashion that had a long lasting impact. And while I still love the music, the fashion just leaves me amazed at the collection of bad tastes the eighties managed to assemble.

So last night I searched for my inner Cindy Lauper and Madonna (the good one of the eighties) and got all dressed up. A big scarf tied up into my curls, an array of long pears and necklaces dangling around my neck, a stripy fingerless glove (of course just the one) bangles jingling on the other wrist, leggings and a pair of green converse sneakers adorning feet.

The evening was perfect with all guests looking worse then the last, Dallas and Denver inspired puff-sleeve dresses competing for who was the biggest Joan Collins look alike, power shoulder-pads forcing people to enter doors sideways and lots of puffed up hair, freaky colours and polyester perfecting the eighties allusion. And yes there were balloons, a prom king and queen and even some grotesquely coloured spiked punch.

We danced, laughed and suffered along with Andie, cheered Duckie and booed Steff. But sadly it was time to leave the eighties behind and return to the now but since I can’t quite give up those happy days, brilliant tunes and ugly fashion. I have decided to watch Girls Want To Have Fun this afternoon,  a large cup of tea and some chocolate at hand to watch Sarah Jessica Parker chase her dream and dance.

think pink

Tags

beauty, couples, cupid, fashion, film, friends, love, mental-health, miscellaneous, pink, relationships, style, Valentine's Day

The world seems to have fallen into a paint bucket, a pink and red one at that. An explosion of pastel pinks and fuchsia reds has given birth to lovesick window dressings all in honour of cupids  hay-day and his empty quiver.

But for other singletons like myself Valentine’s Day doesn’t always feel quite as cheery and the sudden need to devour whole selection boxes of chocolate may fill the hole in our bellies but not in our hearts. However the benefits of being single means you don’t need to sit in overcrowded  busses protecting roses or stand in line for a love-themed dinner out.

A survey done by Psychology Today two years ago shows that 40% of people, regardless whether they are single or not, have negative feelings towards Valentine’s Day. This could largely have to do with how advertisers and marketing experts have shaped the way we perceive the day. Knowing that everyone is tugging at our pockets to get their share of this 14 billion dollar industry, which is suppose to celebrate the day of Love, may turn sweet to sour.

And then there are our expectancies which are bound to be disappointed. The petrol station flowers instead of the bouquet of red roses, the box of Cadburys not Belgian truffles,  the silver bracelet instead of that longed for diamond ring. Somehow our hopes get shattered turning us from lovers into haters, even if only secret ones.

The best thing to possibly do is to re-frame the situation. Remember that Valentine’s Day is NOT a test on your relationship, nor does it mean that you are doomed to eat chocolate on your own for the rest of your life. And since it is always better to smile instead of frown, put on those pink shades and give Valentine’s Day a positive spin. Think pink, not grey or blue , but a much more happy hue!

PS: look at the shoes Kay Thompson is wearing at around 2.20min, they are on my “want-list”

clean closet

Tags

clothes, clothing, fashion, home improvement, miscellaneous, quotes, random, style

I spent the best part of yesterday reorganising my closet. I have been meaning to do it for a while now but somehow I have never had the time or the right state of mind to dive in and declutter.

As I waded through mounds of clothes, trying on tops and pants, deciding the fate of flower and plain, I realised that I wasn’t just sorting out clothes, I was looking at lots of memories. The dress I wore to my brothers wedding, the skirt I wore on a date, the blouse I took to Egypt, the T-shirt I’ve had since I was 18. Of course these memories of happy and sometimes sad times can make it hard to sort things out, but if you take a step back and see the items for what they really are it makes it easier.

If something didn’t fit right, was too tight or too wide, if something was well past it’s wearable-in-public state, or was something just wasn’t really me, it was put aside to either bin or donate. So one big, black, donate bag filled with jumpers, cardigans, skirts and tops later my wardrobe was looking much better.

But to my surprise I actually do wear most of the things I own. I have certain items that I wear all year round, others at specific times of the year and then there are a few held back for special occasions. And I even found a jumper I have been looking for tucked away in the back, a pair of shoes I knew I had, but that where hidden away in the wrong box, and dress I forgot I had but fits beautifully.

And yes, I admit I still have way to many clothes and I did keep a handful of items I could of thrown out, but they pulled too much at my heart or reminded me of a past me. A skirt and dress I love but are a little too tight, I kept them to inspire me to lose weight and wear them in the summer again. Two tops that I have had forever and love, but have to admit I can only really wear around my home, so I decided to give them one more summer before I turn them into rags. And finally a silk blouse I bought 15 years ago in Istanbul, it doesn’t fit em anymore but I want to re-purpose it, into what I do not know yet.

This morning when I opened my clean closet I smiled, all my hard work visible dangling orderly on hangers. And with Spring not too far off I was reminded of a quote I once read by Carl Friedrich Gauss, the Prince of Mathematician who paved the way for Einstein. He said so beautifully:

Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new brilliant clothes.

red boots

Tags

clothing, fashion, grafton street, miscellaneous, red shoes, shoes, shopping, style, thoughts, Wizard of Oz, yellow brick road

As those of you who follow my blog now by now I love shoes. They don’t have to be expensive or fashiony as long as there is something about them that makes my heart smile.

This lifelong passion started from an early age and like most little girls I yearned for my very own pair of sparkly red Dorothy slippers. I wanted to dance down the yellow brick road holding hands with the scarecrow, sing with the munchkins and click my heals while making a wish.

Sadly I never got those sparkly red shoes and ever since then my eyes light up when I see a pair of shoes in any hue of rouge, and if I even like the design I find it very hard to resist the urge to want to own.

So yesterday evening, after teaching a class, I walked down Grafton Street making a short shopping list in my head. Sadly I underestimated the danger all those sale signs dangling in the shop windows. Half way down the street the lure of the 70%-Off won me over, so I wandered into a shoe shop.

Luckily for me I didn’t really see anything I wanted, flats with studded, spiky tops aren’t really my style, simmering disco ball stilettos are very low in my “need” list  and as I really only but leather shoes the variety of plastic and faux fur didn’t really inspire me. However as I was heading to the door a flash of red caught my eye and I saw them and they called me “mammy”.

I tried them on and was in love. I may not need them and Mr Winter is on his way out but the little red ankle boats were to pretty to leave behind. So as I stood and admired them in the mirror I clicked my heals three times and mumbled under my breath “there’s no place like home”.

shoes glorious shoes

Tags

bette midler, books, christian louboutin, clothing, dr martins, fashion, imelda marcos, miscellaneous, photography, quotes, random, shoes, style, thoughts

I got a surprise today and oh what a good one it was. A gorgeous and generous friend sent me a little parcel in the post, and as I sat down for a cup of tea this morning the mailman knocked on my door and handed me the box.

Scissors in hand I cut the sellotape and found a cute card and a brilliant book. It’s a colourful pop-up about shoes. While I flicked through the pages and pulled little leavers 3D stilettos, sneakers and boots appeared in front of me and I just couldn’t help but smile.

the book just out of the box

open the box and have a peek

dancing shoes

a sneaker

Christian Louboutin ” A good shoe is one that doesn’t dress you but undresses you”

Now I am a big shoe lover and I even have a shoe tattoo on my left ankle. My wardrobe and the space under my bed are filled to the brim with boxes of shoes, not quite Imelda Marcos but I do have at least 100 pairs.  And even though I run around barefoot as much as I can nothing makes me feel better about myself than a sexy pair of shoes.  I just have to agree with Christian Loubotin  “A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk.”

When I meet people I always look at their shoes, I think they say so much about the person wearing them. After all if someone wears Birkenstocks, Dr Martins or Mary-Jane’s tells you something about how they want to be seen and do they prefer beauty to practicality, fashion to uniqueness. Colours, shapes, designs, material and are they polished or not tell little stories about the people in the shoes and since we take so many steps in them every day they become part of us, more so then any other piece we wear. Shoes become markers of a persons individuality, little platforms (even when they are flats) to show off who they are.

So before I go back to read about shoes in all their glory and play with the pop-ups and other movable bits in my lovely new book I want to leave you with a quote I wholeheartedly believe in and the wonderful Bette Midler once coined:

Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world

my tattoo, the only Manolo Blanik I can afford at the moment … the black shoes were hand made by Sarah-Jane Connolly an Irish Shoe designer

positive party planning

Tags

Dublin, health, home, intense emotions, laughter, mental-health, miscellaneous, new neighbours, party, people, psychology, random, stress hormones, thoughts

Yesterday two of my lovely neighbours and I decided to turn talk into action and plan a street party. So we sat, talked, drank tea, ate cake and tried to figure out the least stressful and easiest way to get the ball rolling and the party started.

With so many new neighbours moving in to the street we decided that it is the perfect time to celebrate and get to know one another and what better way to do that than with a BBQ.  But while we where making decisions and chatting about flyers and food my mind wandered wondering how strange it is that we love parties so much. After all they only really have the fun part of function.

I imagined how odd it would seem to an alien to land on earth in the middle of a celebration of some kind: groups of people coming together to eat and drink, mostly the kind of beverage that makes you a little dizzy and ditzy, talk quite loudly at, more than with, each other and possibly make fools of themselves while they sway, jerk and twirl to loud music and laugh hard and long and lots.

But the more I thought about it the more sense it started to make. As human beings we tend to be able to express certain intense emotions more easily in groups of people. For instance we probably have all experienced pant-wetting and off-chairs and sofas falling fits of laughter when we are with friends but rarely, if at all, does hysterical hilarity overwhelm us when we are on our own. And as we all know laughter triggers endorphin production in our brains making us instantly feel better. But it does have other very positive side effects too: it boosts your immune system, lowers your stress hormones, relaxes tense muscles and makes your blood vessels healthier, so in essence laughing can prevent heart attacks.

With our plan positively done and a plan B ready and waiting in case the weather decides to pour down on us we left my neighbours kitchen with a few more items on our personal to-do lists. Feeling good about ourselves and looking forward to a celebration in the not so far future we went home excited and ready to party.

SO if you are in the neighbourhood in   few weeks from now, come and join us for some BBQ and lots of healthy laughter.

maddening men

Tags

60s, cold war, Don Draper, fashion, fashion of the sixties, Mad Men, miscellaneous, pastel colours, pencil skirts, quote, random, space travel, thoughts, Tv, TV series

When Mad Men entered the living rooms of the world I didn’t invite them in and the whole craze somehow passed me by. Of course I have enjoyed some side effects,  fashion of the sixties with a modern twist has been gracing the windows of many a high-street clothes shop, vintage has reached a new high and certain cocktails have become en vogue again but other then that I haven’t really been influenced one way or the other.

But this week, looking for something to take my mind off work and not really having much time to play I have been dipping into online episodes of Mad Men, but I have to say I really don’t understand what the fuss is about. While I enjoy the lovely silhouettes of the female form sashaying across the screen in tight pencil skirts and even tighter sweaters, portraying a time where curves were appreciated and stick thin had not yet taken over the world of fashion, I find most of the men really unlikeable, all seem to drink too much, cheat even more and have no moral compass whatsoever. Maddening men making me just a little bit angry.

Of course I understand that the 60s was an era where men ruled and women cooked, a time when the few choices a female had were typewriters or shopping-carts, but do I really need to watch 45 minutes of men in suits making decisions and women bowing to them. Throw in a long list of -isms, like racism, misogynism, anti-feminism, materialism and communism, a few pastel colours and polyester and the skin-crawling inequality of the 60s is a live and twisting in your home.  And yes, I know that cocktail hour was the main event of the day back then but the amount of smoke and drink that people consume in Mad Men can’t be setting a good example for younger viewers. So ‘no’ it’s not cool to be an alcoholic and addicted to nicotine no matter how cool the studs in suits and ladies in lingerie make it look. And if I really want to know about the periods of pantyhose, cold war and space-travel I can just ask my mum or others who actually worked and played back then and enjoyed not knowing about recycling, peace-keeping and carbon foot-print.

So maybe it’s time to switch off these promiscuous pals and leering lads and not continue to indulge in the frayed fantasy portrayed on the small screen. And while some of the women do seem to succeed against all the odds, true love is always just lurking out of reach and sex is readily available,  I think for now I will paraphrase the dapper Don Draper ‘s

“If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation”

 and decide that if I don’t like whats being shown, I’ll change the channel!