shoes and things

It's Monday again! These Mondays just keep happening, don't they? Let's ponder some things.

Yikes, sharp-lookin' ankles.

Like these shoes. I really think these shoes are adorable and they fit me perfectly, but I'm also not sure I'll really ever wear them. So they may or may not be going into my Etsy shop soon! Oh, my poor, neglected Etsy shop. For some reason I just can't make myself get back into the habit of regularly updating. I think it will live on, but just barely.


I have been trying to spend less time on the internet and more time in real life, so here's my blanket apology for not visiting and commenting on blogs as much lately! I will do what I can, but I'm hoping to make a permanent shift of habits and it may affect my blog posting and commenting. You may not even notice it, but I thought I'd mention it just in case you do.

As someone who doesn't really have a job and stays home every day, the internet can be a good thing and a bad thing. Yes, it's an amazing source of information and inspiration, but some days I get information and inspiration OVERLOAD: seeing endless creativity from other people stifles my own creativity. And I end up wasting a lot of time. Last week I began limiting my time online, and the change was almost instant-- I felt a major surge of energy and accomplished so many things that I've been putting off. I know I can't expect every day to be like that, but I feel I should give myself the chance to have those days, and that means less sitting around in front of the computer! I need to take action to make things happen: an obvious fact that can easily be forgotten when I'm distracted. And that's what the internet feels like to me so often: a big distraction.

Diana totally nailed the feeling in this post about taking a blog break. I'm trying to make my daily schedule more well-rounded, and also pushing myself to try new things instead of getting stuck in the same old ruts!

ensemble number two!

I'm back, kind of! Do you ever find that after spending a few days away from the internet, it seems like a chore to return? I do. Some days I wish I wasn't even friends with the internet, because it distracts me so much from other adventures I could be having.

I have plenty of exciting pictures and stories from this past weekend to share, but I thought I'd ease back into blogging with the second outfit for my self-imposed wardrobe challenge. To be honest, this is something I only wore for about 30 minutes. I was t-shirt & jeansing it again, but put this on when my mom got out her camera to take some pictures of me and Robert in front of our house. And then I changed back into my boring clothes so I could work in our yard. But I will wear this again for some fanciful occasion! Minus the stripey socks, haha.



Check out my new [perfectly well-worn Justin] boots! I like them for their simplicity. I had some nice thrifting luck over the past few days. More on that later!

happy shoes

A little while ago, Anne at a cup full of sunshine tagged me with the Happy 101 award. I'm supposed to list 10 things that make me happy. I started out doing that, but felt that things were getting a little repetitious. So I decided to cheat, and I hope no one minds -- I'm going to show 10 pairs of shoes from Etsy that make me happy!

These are in no particular order. I didn't even pay attention to size or price, because I'm in no position to be spending money on shoes at the moment. Feel free to buy any of these and then take lovely pictures in them so I can live vicariously through you! (Click the pictures to go to the listings.)

Saddle shoes!

Ah, the beads on the ends of the laces!

Exciting boots!

Fancy wingtips!

The embroidered Zodiac logo is killing me with cuteness..

So snappy and bright.

Perfectly awesome.

Aren't these beautiful?

Totally ideal boots.

A sweet pair of wedges.

Ahh, wasn't that nice? Ogling shoes is just therapeutic for me, somehow! I found all of these a couple of days ago when I was doing some comparative pricing for a pair of shoes I listed in my shop. I became highly distracted, as you may have guessed. Happy Friday!

a friendly reminder

Just a quick note to self (and for the benefit of others):

Do NOT leave shoes lying around in the middle of the hallway, especially if they are high heels. Especially if you're in a hurry and you're running around barefoot. It will only lead to pain! This is the lesson I learned yesterday when I stumbled on these pretty shoes and then landed (with all my weight) on the heel of one. I have a giant red mark on the bottom of my right foot and it still sort of hurts!

Accessorizing!

But I can forgive the shoes, and I'm even going to take them on a little vacation with me. Ugh, I spent probably 3 hours yesterday trying to figure out what to wear to my sister's wedding! I think I've found the perfect outfit, but of course it involves a dress that needs to be repaired. I better get busy!

Shoes - vintage from Retropolis in Houston
Cuff bracelet - Clare Stoker, courtesy of the BSP a while ago!
Purse - surprisingly, it's from Target a few years back

I'm a little worried about our travel plans for Thursday because it's supposed to snow like crazy [2-4 inches]... but hopefully everything will work out! You know what? I've been having a crummy day, but my faith in today has just been restored: when I went over to the Bright Side Project to grab the link, I found out I won something else. Now it's a GOOD day. (And I cannot stress enough how awesome BSP is!)

OKAY, everyone, I'm going to be on a blog break for a while! We're spending a few days in Houston and I'll be back here once everything has settled down. Have a good week! I hope everyone is enjoying 2010!! Sorry for all of the exclamation marks - I'm really stressed out and you can pretend I'm kind of yelling every sentence if you want.

the ostrich set

Hello! Just wanted to pop in and mention that there are two new items in my Etsy shop! A matching purse and pair of shoes, ostrich style...


Both of these things belonged to Robert's grandma. She called me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like to sell some of her vintage clothes! I agreed: a week later my father-in-law knocked on the door with a box full of shoes and purses, and a few items of clothing.


It seemed right to start by listing this pair of items, which she called "the ostrich set." I think that's so cute! They're not even the same brand, but they do match quite well.


This shade of pink is not my style, but I do find the well-worn shoes very charming for some reason. I think the purse is made from synthetic material, but the shoes are made from real leather that's embossed to look like ostrich skin.

Anyway, since I'm doing this for someone else I'm going to try to be efficient about it and get everything listed quickly... Hopefully I'll have more items to share very soon!

shiny shoes

Hey, everybody! Can you believe it's already November? It's surprising to me, especially upon realizing that I didn't list anything in my Etsy shop at all during October! I just sort of fell out of the habit. However, I'm hoping to begin listing some neat items that have piled up around here - for de-cluttering purposes as well as to make some extra money for buying Christmas presents!


So, ogle these shoes with me. Aren't they dreamy? Some of you long-term readers may remember them from this post back in May: I bought them from a burlesque dancer. I've been hanging onto them because they fit me and they're so perfect, but... every time I plan to wear them in real life, I walk around for a few minutes and end up putting them back in the closet. They're a bit tight on my toes, and the heels are almost 3 inches. I feel silly wearing them!


It is a sad story. But now they're up for sale! To be entirely honest, I didn't know they were really vintage at first. They look brand new, but they're by Johansen -- a quick Etsy search will show you some other gorgeous vintage shoes by the same company!


Here's what I learned from my research:

• The Johansen company has been making shoes since 1876.
  
• They are now owned by a company that makes the standard Oxford shoes for all branches of the US military.
• Johansen also produces the Paradise Kittens brand, a pair of which can be seen here!
  

Once again, the collective sigh of so many people wishing for tinier feet! Or, more realistically, wishing that there were more vintage shoes available in bigger sizes!

I'm going to try to get around to adding some actual clothes to my shop this week as well. Hope everyone's week is off to a good start!

cowboy boots!

Hey everybody! I hope you're having an excellent week so far: mine feels a little surreal. I just wanted to make a quick post about these boots I just listed in my Etsy shop!



Pretty cute! These are size 7 - they're a bit roomier than some size 7 shoes and they almost fit me comfortably... but I can't realistically see myself wearing red boots in public. Not brave enough! I had fun pairing them up with an outfit for the photos, though.

I've got some other neat pictures from this week, but I had a migraine this morning and I totally feel like I'm moving in slow motion today. I'll be back another day when I can think clearly!

little feet

It's been a while since I did any serious thrifting, but earlier this week I definitely had the urge. I wasn't specifically looking for things for my Etsy shop, but I did find two pairs of shoes that I couldn't pass up. And... since they don't fit me, they'll be going in the shop!

These beauties - Paradise Kittens... could they have a cuter name? - are a size 5.5

Riding boots! Size 7

I was really hoping the boots would fit me: they're exactly the sort of thing I've been looking for! They're just a half size too small. I did manage to squeeze them on my feet for a few photos, but it was not enjoyable at all. So, all you ladies with smaller feet than me: keep an eye on the shop this afternoon if you're interested!

jump start on the weekend

Once again, apologies for my disappearing act and not keeping up with everyone's blog - I've been keeping busy! Here's what I've been doing since Thursday evening.

Photo by Robert, the only one tall enough to see anything.

Thursday evening we went to see Patterson Hood play at Grimey's. He did a short set with songs from his new record, Murdering Oscar, and then he signed stuff and talked to people. Robert was happy about shaking his hand and getting his record signed. That was pretty cute! If you're not aware of Patterson Hood, he's one of the singers for the Drive-By Truckers. Don't worry, I don't like country music. They're more Southern Rock, and they have some really amazing songs... but Robert is the #1 fan in our household. :)

I got a haircut after this picture was taken, so next time you see me it will be shorter!

Today we started (and finished) our apartment search. At the end of July we're going to be moving to a much nicer apartment which is larger and less expensive than where we live now. That's right, we'll be saving money and living in a better place! I'm really excited. The picture above was taken from one apartment that had an amazing view, but in the end we decided against that place.

These sandals are so visually pleasing to me.

Nice surprise in the mail today - my new sandals from lisazain on Etsy. Her shop is filled with amazing shoes! These are the ones I mentioned earlier... I asked if she would be willing to do a trade for something in my shop, and she said yes! I was so happy.

And finally, a recipe for Potato Soup is up on the hungry lemur! If you missed the last one, it was for Kebabs! And if you're lucky, we'll show you how to make graham crackers this week... YUM!

help!

Thank you all for the sweet comments on the last post! Everything is still going as planned! Now, maybe you can help me answer the age old question of, "why are all the shoes I love too small for me?"

Both pairs, above and below, are exactly the sort of thing I'd love to be wearing this summer. There's only one problem: they're both a half size too small for me. Isn't that frustrating? Yes, I can make them fit, but it feels incredibly unnatural. So, if you're lucky enough to have magical size 7 feet, you can find them in the shoe section of my Etsy shop! Please, take them away from me so I can get over them!


And now, it's time for me to talk about rabbits again. Look! I was finally able to get a good picture! I don't think I've mentioned it since my last rabbit sighting, but we realized that there are rabbits all over our apartment complex. They come out in the evening and start hopping around between the buildings. It makes me so happy. This guy let me get pretty close before he got incredibly nervous and ran off.

By the way, I apologize for the sporadic posts, the random posts, and the lack of posts lately - but it's clearly an indicator of how scatterbrained I am right now. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself when I'm not busy; it feels like I deserve time to relax and do nothing but read blogs and talk about boring things... I'm sorry I've made you suffer through this! I may indeed be turning into a rabbit.

quick outfits

It's been a while since I did an outfit post, so I thought I'd just show a couple of things that I wore this week. I've become pretty lazy with how I dress, now that it's warming up! Everything in this first outfit is "new" to me.

Shirt I found in the Girls section of Target (XL!) on clearance for $6 - designed by Masha D'Yans

J.Crew jeans which were about $7 after a 75% sale at a consignment shop

Naturalizer sandals - $1 at an estate sale. So GRANDMA!

To quote Nigel Tufnel of Spinal Tap, "This is my exact inner structure, done in a tee shirt. Exactly medically accurate. See?"

I really am in love with these sandals because they make my feet look so dainty, but I think they're about a half size too small. I'm going to give them up when I get a chance to list them in my Etsy shop! I've found a nice replacement pair and a trade has been arranged... You'll hear more on that later! I hope everyone is having/has had/will have a lovely Thursday! (I was trying to cover all the time zones in the world - did it work?)

shiny new shoes

I bought some new shoes today at Target! I think they're a pretty good mix of cute and functional. I needed something comfortable for work days. Plus they're shiny, in a good sort of way!


I'm having the hardest time staying focused today. Finally got around to taking some pictures for my Etsy shop, but I probably won't add any new items until tomorrow. Suddenly wanting to keep certain things I was planning to sell. I'm bein' bad! I think I'm also eating too much cake, but it's so delicious.

weekend adventures

This past weekend turned out to be fairly interesting. It started on Friday, when we met up with one of Robert's old friends for lunch. For the first time since we moved to Nashville, we ate at a restaurant. That's right, we haven't been out to eat since February. You don't have to feel sorry for me because I'm married to a first rate chef-dude, but it was kind of cool! We had lunch at the Mellow Mushroom, which is regionally famous for pizza. It was pretty tasty, though I will admit that Robert was right when he whispered, "I make better pizza crust."

And then Friday night we had another friend over to watch Dollhouse and eat leftover pizza along with a delicious homemade strawberry pie. There's definitely no lack of yummy food around here. We stayed up too late and spent the next day being sleepy. I skipped a garage sale that had vintage clothes. So when I saw an ad online for a sale Sunday, I thought I'd better go. Especially because this sale offered "Vintage Clothes, Taxidermy, Religious Art, Burlesque & Bellydance Costuming" - how could I resist?

I'm so glad I went! It wasn't an estate sale, but rather an indoor sale held by a group of friends... who just happened to be burlesque dancers. I guess they're getting out of that scene, because they were selling everything (including posters for their shows). Racks of pin-up-worthy clothes, boxes of old snowglobes, stacks of magazines from the 50s and 60s, stuffed squirrels and religious items (as promised). I don't really know how all those things are related, but it was a very interesting experience. I wish I could have bought more things! Here are a few of the things I got.

This skirt. (Blouse still available here!)

This adorable sweater (though I'm not sure the peach color suits me).

THESE SHOES!

I am most excited about the shoes, which fit me. They're probably the only thing I will keep. I can't really do high-waisted skirts (do not enjoy my tummy being constricted), but I bought a few for my etsy shop. I also got another surprise which I will reveal later in the week!

etsy crushes

I'm having a busy and lazy weekend (if that's possible), complete with strawberry pie. But I don't really have anything to show for it, so I'm going to share some Etsy favorites today! Here are a few items that I have serious crushes on.

This dress from RedoRedux

These comfy-looking wedges from HuggaTree

Same shoes, different color - from shopambrosia

The shoes are called Outdorables by Daniel Green. Apparently it's a company that made slippers, and an Etsy search for them is pretty interesting! Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

EDIT (4:54 p.m.) - Even though it's been raining every day lately, this afternoon turned out to be really sunny and beautiful! We just walked to the library, and I'm sad that I didn't bring my camera along because on the way home we saw some rabbits! One of them was a little baby. That's why you always carry a camera!

thrifty wardrobe makeover

I made a trip to Music City Thrift yesterday. My ultimate goal was to find some vintage belts for a couple of dresses I want to sell, but I also had some ulterior motives... And though I did buy some belts, I also ended up with some lovely things for myself!

big comfy sweater!

Neither of the tops I bought are vintage, but they're perfectly good items that were about $2 each! I'm slowly changing my whole wardrobe, trying to buy things that are simple and more sophisticated. And lately whenever I put something on in the morning and think, "I hate this," I pull it out of the closet and it goes in a pile to be donated. There's just no need to wear clothes you hate when there are so many things to be worn!

Gap shirt, basically brand new

New [old] umbrella!

I am so in love with these shoes that I found... Not sure if I want to keep them, though. They fit me, but it's a pretty tight squeeze. Lately I've been doing awful things to my feet by not choosing comfortable shoes when I'm going to be walking a lot, and I need to try to stop that. My poor feet! You may be seeing these in the Etsy shop soon - but let me think on it!