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

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

shoes glorious shoes

Tags

Berlin, fashion, high heels, shoe collection, shoes, shopping, style, trippen, vintage, wooden shoes, woody shoes, Yves Saint Laurent, yves saint laurent shoes

I’ve been bad, oh so bad … but it feels good, oh so good … yes I am talking about my new additions to my ever-growing shoe collection. And since I spent a quite day at home yesterday I thought I should share my new foot adornments.

In the Scheunen Viertel (see my blog a walk in the middle) I found a beautiful shop filled with the most divine shoes by a favourite shoe manufacture of mine: Trippen.

walls of back-lit shoes

piles of shoes I tried on

even the tiles on the floor showed shoes

As Trippen is based just outside of Berlin I think a pair of their shoes are the perfect “reminder” of the time spent here wandering around this big city.  So I did end up buying a pair, a little to big as they are all handmade and it was hard to find the perfect fit … but oh they are so comfortable and as you can see in the photo I have been wearing them … lots.

Then I found these wooden shoes by a Dutch company Woody. They are so pretty, comfortable and I think perfect for me.

On my strolls around Kreuzberg ( see my blog cruising around Kreuzberg) I went in to several second hand shops and always came out empty handed. Except for the last one! As luck would have it I found a pair of never worn vintage (not sure if late 80s or early 90s .. or even late 90s) Yves Saint Laurent shoes from Paris. They are a tiny bit to big but with an insole or a gel-patch they should fit perfectly. I have to bring them to the cobblers as one of them is missing the tip of the heel (possibly why they have never been worn) but they are so beautiful and I just can’t believe my luck and at 35€ a complete steal.

aren’t they cute?

and not too high

And that’s not all,  I even bought a pair of bright blue espadrilles, really cheap, cheerful and already a little manky from walking around in them. But I did want to be 100% honest!

I know, they already look well loved

I do truly believe that like the unforgettable  Imelda Marcos, I too will be able to one day say:

They went into my closets looking for skeletons, but thank God, all they found were shoes, beautiful shoes.

sunday flee-market

Tags

Berlin, design, fashion, flee-market, magazines, photography, photos, shopping, travel, vintage

I love old stuff, things that have a story and are a little bit special. Luckily for me Berlin has a vast array of flee-markets and one is even in Friedrichshagen, just up the road from were I am staying.

So this morning, after a leisurely breakfast, I wandered down the Bölschestrasse filled with anticipation. Just behind the train-station a cluttered selection of stalls waited, their goods on display, hoping for a new home.

With itchy fingers and a smile I strolled around, lingering here and there, leafing through old books, picking up bits and bobs, chatting to stallholders. And of course a few rare items wandered into my bag.

all my new things

I bought this colurful bag yesterday at a vintage fair (Berlin Fashion Week) … saw it and fell in love

really clean on the inside and quite roomy

three old magazines, from 1955, 1956 and 1972 … for 2€ a bargin

love the pictures inside … but think I may frame the covers

three Holly Hobby-esque cards for my sister-in-law who loves the style … 1€

a little purse, don’t think it’s real leather but for 1€ perfect for my small evening bags

love the tiny middle compartment

money bags from the bank … sadly empty

a silver ring with garnets

sunday finds

Tags

antiques, antiques market, bottles, cups, dishes, fairs, fashion, markets, old things, photography, plates, scarves, shopping, silk scarves

Even though the Irish skies were still grey and drizzles of rain made my hair all frizzy I had a wonderful afternoon. I took myself down to an antiques market in Dun Laoghaire, a small sea-side town just outside of Dublin.

I love wandering around stalls filled with old treasures and that funny musty smell that seems to waft around antiques. I enjoy lingering, looking, lifting up the occasional piece and falling in love with a  few rare items.

And today was no different. I saw some beautiful things, some odd things and some very ugly things. Sadly I had forgotten to charge my camera (silly me) so no photos of the stalls. However I did manage to find  a few treasures, some for me and two for friends.

My first Sunday find was this lovely little dish, hand painted with poppies from the 1930s in England. I love the quirky shape and the colours, and since it is only about 20cm long and 10cm wide it is the perfect size for those cheeky afternoon cookies. And for only 4€ a perfect little steal!

pretty poppies on a perfect plate

The next goodies that wandered into my tote were three silk scarves. Since my curly hair likes to do whatever it pleases I sometimes like to tie a scarf to keep it in place. But I never seem to find the right sizes or shapes, so I am always on the look out for scarves for my collection. And these were only 3€ a piece, and I though well worth trying out and perfect for Berlin.

silky scarves for my curls

The next item that caught my eye was this odd bowl/plate/sieve. It needs a good clean but I adore the colours and prettily hand-painted flowers. I think it is called a drip-bowl or something like that. Whatever it is called I think it will be perfect for berries, cherries and even radishes. After washing them the water can drip away leaving them perfectly fresh and clean.

pretty posies promising pleasure

aren’t the legs cute?

The next two items are for friends. The first is a cup and saucer made out of delicate bone china and painted in the most unusual colours. It reminded me of peaches and cream, the perfect gift for a perfect friend when she comes to visit in August.

painted in peaches and cream

The next on my list is the weirdest thing I have seen in a long time. It is a large Armagnac bottle shaped like a babies bottle. It even still has it’s label on it. It is so quirky and I think its a wonderful birthday gift for an interesting friend.

I really wonder who came up with this marketing ploy

As you can see I came home with pretty, practical and peculiar things, overall wonderful Sunday finds to make it  a perfect day.

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”.