Shoe shoes shoes

As I mentioned in my last post, the boy & I finished the shoe room. It's a tiny room where one wall houses only shoes from top to bottom, start to finish, the other wall only half way (mid length), and in the back there's the closet that used to be in the hallway. I'll be posting about the room some more when I have better photos, but I wanted to show you at least something.

It was definitely hard to organize my shoes - I didn't really know how I wanted them but then I just went with it and here you can see the mid length wall with my favorite row (the Melissa shoes - mainly Vivienne Westwood for Melissa), in the row above are Melissa flats and below fun flats. In the photo above are fun heels and Iron Fist shoes. So basically, I organized the shoe room according to type and style of shoe. I tried to keep the fun shoes together, the black shoes together, ankle boots together, the Melissas, the Iron Fists, you get the idea. There's a row of black shoes with gold detailing that I also find very cute. More photos soon, I promise. For now (until I get home and to my camera) I'll leave you with two shoe saves.

Shoes saved: H&M leopard print converse-esque shoes with purple laces
Where: lunch & work today (Monday)
Wearing: it's gotten uber cold here! I'm layering like crazy: Mango jeans, vintage belt, Zara grandpa sweater, tezenis black undershirt, H&M red tee shirt, red pashmina, thrifted brown suede jacket, Zara city office bag

Shoes saved: New Look tartan print creepers (they really blistered my feet though so I'll never wear them bare foot again!)
Where: gift shopping for a friend's bday gift - Galerie Harfa; Friday before dinner (I can't believe it was so nice out and that's just a three day difference! Man, it's gotten cold!)
Wearing: Topshop cropped trousers, Zara tee, George sweater, Pull & Bear canvas tote (not pictured)

Today is Back to Reality

 Tomorrow is the start of a new semester and I'm hoping some things will change this year - I hope to finish all my pending exams from last semester (ops) and FINALLY start working on my thesis paper. I have the best topic so there's really no excuse! I'm also aiming to keep the flat neat and organized - which should be quite simple when I now have a shoe room!!! Yes, it's true friends, the boy & I finished the shoe room yesterday and I spent the rest of the day and this morning organizing shoes (about twenty pairs couldn't fit though so I'm now wondering what to do about that - I have one spot left so it's a bit Sophie's choice but y'know, it's just shoes). Pictured below is me on Saturday, when the boy & I went to Hornbach to buy the shoe walls (but they weren't ready so we only bought screws that day and the boy picked up the shoe walls the next day). It was funny cause we had this huge cart and only had the little box of tiny screws on it. Typical us.

Shoes saved: H&M pointy toed flats in bright pink - though I may be getting rid of these shoes anyway :/
Where: shopping for screws, Saturday morning
Wearing: Mango favorite jeans, vintage belt, H&M tank top, George sweater, vintage bag

I look weird because the sun was shining into my face full on so yeah. But still, great photo. Moving on - here's my shoe save from Friday's lunch. I don't have a full outfit photo so let's just talk about the shoes. I bought them ages ages ago (like even before I had this blog - so a really long time ago) in a Zara sale - I think this might have been my first ever Zara purchase! They're classic pointed toe courts with a small heel. Quite comfy. But dunno, they seem a bit too "grown up" for me. They have this serious aura even with the fun leopard print. I think I still have to grow into them but I'm glad I saved these anyway:)

Shoes saved: Zara pointy toe courts in leopard print
Where: out to lunch, Friday
Wearing: H&M trousers

I have two more posts for you today but for one it'll be a while as I left my camera at home and hadn't downloaded the photos from there yet, so one of the posts will be up pretty late I recon. So I'll leave you for now with a cute photo of Mr. and Mrs. Frog. You're welcome.

Two for the price of one

Shoes saved: Topshop pointed toe flats
Where: lunch outing
Wearing: H&M leopard print coat, thrifted Piet Mondrian-esque dress, blue tights, Pull&Bear bag

This is today's outfit and shoe save. I took the day off from work to clean up the flat a bit and to catch up with some of my other responsibilities. So when it was time for lunch, I wanted to wear something fun and maybe a bit outside of my comfort zone. I did want to wear heels originally, but with a dress this short, that's a no can do. The dress was a thrift store find and I love the gentle nod towards Piet Mondrian it has going on. The shoes are pointy toe flats, I bought them at the end of summer in the Topshop sale. I've worn them once before but with bare feet and they were quite mean to my pinky toes so this time I added colorful tights as a barrier and also for added warmth.

I love the pointed toe of the shoes and the ankle strap is a fun detail too. Because I had a lot of colors going on, I decided no make-up (okay, actually, I was just too lazy and hungry. I basically just washed my hair, towel dried it, threw some clothes on and left the flat.)

I think this outfit, though maybe a bit outside my typical wear (the dress is REALLY short!), felt really "me" and I fully embraced all the colors and prints I had going on. Here you can see the bag I wore (one of my favorites!) and a little bit more of the dress (it has a green part, a blue part, a white part and a pink part - the back is all black). Oh and behind me you can see our garden gnome that looks after our balcony. Isn't he cute?

Over on my instagram I promised to post yesterday's dinner outfit. The photo is not the best, it was late and I forgot to take photos before we left for dinner so the boy snapped this one as we were headed home. Garage lighting is not the best for outfit posts.

Shoes saved: Asos Sabrina High Vamp shoes in green tartan
Where: some ikea shopping (storage boxes), dinner at CCM
Wearing: Stradivarius sweater, Dune dress, bag Coccinelle (the color of the bag perfectly matched the color of the roses on the dress and I think the green tartan matched the leaves quite well too)

These shoes have a lovely tartan print though my favorite part of them is their heel. I love how it's almost a wedge and I also love the nod to slipper shoes with that high vamp. This was the first time I wore them and they weren't the most comfortable. Definitely not for long walks but since we went by car, it was fine. And I got to save some fun shoes after all! Here are some photos of the shoes:

A Bit of Effort

So I said I'd try to save some fun shoes right? Looks like easier said than done! I went to the gym on Tuesday straight from work and was lugging my gym wear and my computer around so that meant I had to go with a sporty look (the last photo - comfy converse-esque Office studded shoes and some skinny jeans to go with my Adidas originals gym bag - actually not a gym bag but rather an over-sized bowling bag or something but I like wearing it to the gym) but I tried a little harder with today's outfit:

Shoes saved: Asos Mr. Tweed lace-up flats
Where: today to work
Wearing: Mango jean jacket, J Crew skirt, George sweater, H&M fake fur stole, opaque tights, Zara Office City bag 

I recon that a fake fur stole jazzes up any outfit (except a sporty outfit - definitely would not have gone well with Tuesday's look) and I love tweed and fur together. It's like British glamor or something. So it was at least some effort today, no? I even wore some eye make-up though you probably can't tell. Stupid phone photos and all. But can't promise nicer pictures until the boy FINALLY fixes up the shoe room (it's taking ages!). Enough complaining though, let's talk shoes. These flats are very comfy and I love the tweed bits. They remind me a little of school girl shoes, all proper but with a fun twist in the form of tweed. They're from Asos and were a very easy save.

Some Serious Shoe Saving

Today, over the weekend and on Friday I managed to save quite a bit of shoes. I had originally wanted to save the more summery pairs but due to two factors that didn't really work out (1. the boy & I are renovating the shoe room so currently all my shoes are in huge chaotic piles and it's difficult to find the shoes I'm looking for and 2. the weather sucks). I hope my shoe saving stays this productive but I know that later in the challenge it gets harder and harder as the shoes you love are already saved and the ones that are left are usually difficult to wear. So I'm really trying to save some of the difficult ones from the get go to save myself some trouble later. We'll see how that'll work as the challenge goes on.

Shoes saved: Stradivarius sweatshirt material wedges
Where: Friday night drinks
Wearing: thrifted tweed coat, H&M turtleneck, Zara skirt, Asos Paris skyline tights*, Stradivarius studded bag

These were relatively easy shoes to save (they have a wedge but not a too tall one so are perfect when there's some walking involved) expect for one tiny factor: the outer layer is made from sweatshirt material which means they're not really for when it's too hot, but sweatshirt material isn't too good for rain either! However, Friday night was the perfect weather for these - coldish but dry.

* Sadly the tights ripped on the left leg on the sheer part. I think they're still wearable (depending on the outfit and thus visibility of the rip) but when I place my next Asos order (after my Karl shoes arrive) I'll definitely order another pair. I received many compliments on these tights and they're just so fun, love them!

Shoes saved: Asos sneaker wedges (according to this month's issue of Harper's Bazaar, sneaker wedges are out but like whatever HB, I love sneaker wedges and for on-and-off rain and/or when you're carrying a ton of things in your bag, they are the perfect shoes.)
Where: work (= carrying a ton of things in my bag) * this was from last week but I forgot to post the photo, but I wear these shoes a lot. I like them with skinny jeans and they're a nice way of wearing heels (well, wedges) without a fuss. Plus I like the combination of red and tan.
Wearing: Zara skinny jeans

Shoes saved: Asos Maddison pretty tie brogue
Where: food shopping (necessary activity that luckily calls for footwear. The shop isn't too far from the flat and so I can wear my less comfortable shoes. These shoes totally require more breaking in.)
Wearing: Zara skinny jeans

Shoes saved: Stephan pom-pom jelly flats, bought in Paris
Where: lunch at grandma and grandpa's
Wearing: H&M dress, opaque tights, also wore a lovely Liquor Brand bag in the same color as the shoes (sadly not visible in the photo though).

Love the pom-pom detail but these shoes are really not the most comfortable. Not intended for long walks but we went to my grandparents' house by car so it was ok. Also this was the only summery pair I saved this weekend, expect for these and the flats I wore today (last picture), all the shoes I saved have a more autumn attitude to them. Guess that means summer is over after all!

Shoes saved: New Look heeled leather brogues
Where: Friday night dinner with the boy's parents
Wearing: H&M trench coat (also wore the same H&M turtleneck and Zara skirt that's in the first photo - had this whole all-black outfit thing going on)

These shoes are perfectly fine but a bit on the boring side. They're just a simple pair of leather brogues with a sensibly sized heel - good for when there's a lot of walking involved and when it's rainy. But like I said, when you compare them to the rest of my shoes, they are a bit boring and so I don't really wear them that much. But that's the good thing about the challenge, it makes you pick shoes you wouldn't perhaps normally and so you don't just wear those few favorite pairs all the time but keep things interesting.

Shoes saved: River Island ankle boots with a gold zipper on the side, bought in Dubai
Where: work
Wearing: Zara pencil skirt, opaque tights

I wasn't worried about these shoes in the challenge because ever since I bought them during our Dubai vacation, they have become somewhat of a staple item. They are heeled but not outrageously, they go with short dresses as they do with pencil skirts, they go with pants or jeans (but I prefer them with dresses or skirts).

Shoes saved: Zara red flats
Where: out to lunch
Wearing: Mango jeans, Zara grandpa sweater, Zara trf red bag with cat buckle detail (not pictured, sorry).

These are the last shoes I'm showing you today. They're a simple pair of red flats that I bought ages ago at Zara. There's nothing I can really say about them other than I like the twist detail at the front of the shoe and red is one of my favorite shoe colors. An easy save.

Phew, that was a lot of shoes, right?! I had fun saving these and hopefully I'll manage to save some fun shoes during the week. This is the last week before Uni starts again, so I just have work to go to (but lugging my computer around isn't too fun - especially not when wearing heels). But I'll still try to save some of the harder to save shoes, so stay tuned and stay frosty (re-watching Generation Kill). I have to say, Brad is kind of dreamy...

A Birthday Celebration

Shoes saved: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Lady Dragon IV
Where: Ambiente Pizza Nuovo in Prague, Sunday night
Wearing: Asos Skater dress in honey (same color as shoes, hurray!), favorite Zara fake leather jacket, red pashmina,old Zara trf bag, opaque tights, *long charm necklace worn around my waist (I only managed this crap photo when I came home after the party around midnight, I'm actually surprised I managed to take a photo at all because I was tired for one thing and I could see according to the elevator numbers that someone was coming down and I feel so awkward taking photos in front of strangers.)

I wasn't sure I'd be able to save these before the end of the year (because Prague weather has definitely turned away from open toed shoes). But then again these shoes work so well with tights that I needn't have worried. I'm a huge fan of the Vivienne Westwood for Melissa range and the Lady Dragons are my favorites. I have three other pairs with hearts plus one pair with cherries and I'm definitely going to get some more when I have the money for it.

Here are close-up pictures of the shoes from the Asos website (though I got mine when I was on holiday in London at the Topshop store on Oxford street.)

Rainy Day Reds

Shoes saved: Asos Lamp-Post t-bar ballerina flats in red heart print
Where: to work
Wearing: H&M turtleneck, H&M knitted vest, Stradivarius fake leather jacket, Zara Woman skirt, Asos Paris Skyline tights, Zara Office City bag, Marks and Spenser umbrella

I'm not entirely sure that these were the best shoes for rain but it wasn't raining when I left my flat and it didn't look like it would but I took my umbrella just in case. Lucky I did!

The shoes are normal flats but with a t-bar detail and a lovely heart print.

 

I'm a sucker for kitsch prints so when I saw these shoes on Asos over half a year ago I ordered them asap.I knew they wouldn't be too difficult to save in the shoe challenge but they're more summery shoes than suitable for our fall weather. Now let's take a moment to talk about my lovely tights! I ordered them about a week and a half ago and when they arrived this Wednesday, I knew it wouldn't be long until I'd wear them. I ordered them from the Asos Curve range, because in their normal sized range they only have them in the "one size fits all" size and that size doesn't fit me at all. I guess I'm too tall. So I rather ordered the smallest size in the Curve range and although they are quite big over the hips area, they still fit relatively well. I adore the little Eiffel towers (so cute!) and love that they look like I'm wearing thigh highs instead of tights. I'll be posting yesterday's outfits in a little bit so stay tuned!

Asos, Shoes and Problems

Today has definitely been a strange day. First of all I was waiting on two deliveries (one was the bday present I got the boy - a huge grill that he wanted, the other was an Asos order), and the delivery guy from the grill was supposed to call me yesterday to set a time when he'll be able to bring me the order. But of course he never called and I was supposed to go to work. The Asos delivery was supposed to arrive tomorrow but then I got an email that it was coming today between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (gee, couldn't you be a bit more specific?!). I ended up taking a day off and waiting for the orders. The grill arrived as planned and everything was as it was supposed to be.

The Asos order arrived also as planned BUT!! the main item of my order was missing!!! Now I don't know what happened (the paper document in the order stated that the Karl Lagerfeld heels that I ordered were in the order but they weren't), the package didn't seem to have been opened before (but then again, I was so excited that I didn't really check it out before I tore into the package. I have written Asos a message and I hope they'll get back to me soon. Because for me it was really a lot of money and right now I'm kinda broke so not only to have spent the money but have no shoes is just really really sad. That said I have seen the same shoes in an auction for an ok price so if Asos doesn't resend them I might get them from the aukro seller. Still, they better refund me or something.

UPDATE: Asos replied that they're sending me the shoes and they should be here in about a week! Hurray!

Now on a totally different note, not to be all negative, here's some pretty shoes that I wore today to lunch. (I had a better picture but my phone memory was full so it didn't save the picture so I had to erase some stuff and then take the picture again after lunch and it wasn't as good as the original but oh well. - seems today just isn't my day!)

Shoes saved: Zara two-tone brogues (I took out the laces and I think they look better this way. They're quite a tight fit so the laces were totally not needed.)
Where: lunch at the pizzeria next to our flat
Wearing: Asos dress, H&M polka dotted bag, H&M sweater, H&M tights

Above is a better view of the bag and below isa better view of the shoes :)

But since this post is called Shoes and Problems - I have to talk a bit about my current shoe problems. My biggest is shoe storage. On the right side you can see my shoe closet and I plan on renovating this room over the weekend. The boy & I will be adding fitted shelves across the little room in hopes of creating more space for my shoes. I'm also adding the closet that's currently in the hallway and the shoe boxes will be on top of the closet, the shelves will be on the side filling up the room. On the left you can see the shoes (plus one huge box that I didn't take a photo of) that didn't fit in the current shoe room. So, yeah, I have a lot of shoes. But not all of my shoes are nice shoes - some don't fit entirely right, some are really old and I should throw them out, some are really not shoes made for walking intended (though some are really pieces of art and I won't ever throw them away!) - and that's why I'm really glad I'm doing the shoe challenge again this year as I plan on either saving the shoes or letting them go (except for some exceptions - those are the shoes that are really art not shoes:). I'm also more careful with my buys as I only buy shoes that are truly unique now (or totally wearable - like shoes for a certain weather etc.) Actually, the shoes I saved today I thought that they wouldn't make it through the challenge. I remembered them being really uncomfortable but that wasn't the case today. I think that wearing them with tights definitely helped and maybe taking out the laces was a good idea:) I'm really happy that I saved them as I think they're quite cute. Anyways, that's it for today - till next time, xo, Miss V

Ballerina

Shoes saved: Next ballerina flats with cross-over detail
Where: dinner with the boy*
Wearing: tezenis top, Motel pleated skirt

* I actually wore a different outfit when I went to dinner with the boy but then I only had this terrible photo (I wore yellow Asos tights, a yellow skirt from Zara, a vintage handbag, Zara long sleeved top and a Topshop coat) but since you can't see most of any of that on the photo, I thought I'd snap up a new picture with a plausible outfit of how to wear these shoes.

I bought these shoes during my Dubai vacation (when was that - like a year and a half ago?) and to be honest, they're really not the most comfortable flats that I own. I think I could have done with a size up or at least half a size as they do kind of squash my toes but they were the last pair and I fell in love with the cross-over detailing as they feel almost like real ballerina flats.

On a completely different note, I also saved a pair of hiking boots over the weekend. The boy & I and some friends of ours went mushroom hunting (yeah, this is actually a popular hobby in the Czech Republic, it was my first time btw.) You basically go off into the forest and look for edible mushroom, which you then dry or cook or whatever. I only included these shoes in the challenge as they were a gift from the boy and it made him happy that they were included in my shoe count (the list of shoes I own).

Salamon hiking boots. Wearing Mango jeans and a Gate sweatshirt and Loap jacket. Oh and my glasses (I only wear them for driving or going to the movies but obviously I needed them to be able to see the mushrooms.)

Transition Stage

Shoes saved: Zara green leather flats with bow detail
Where: work
Wearing: H&M knitted sweater, Zara cow head belt, Asos dress, H&M green tights (same color as the shoes!), Asos watch, Zara office city bag

Above you can see me posing on my balcony right before going to work. And in my hallway - that's my closet mirror. These pictures were taken on Friday but I hadn't had time to post them until now. The hallway definitely isn't the best place to take pictures as it is super dark there even with the lights on (we're planning on getting the lights changed) but I still haven't unpacked all the boxes (meaning no room to take photos elsewhere) so for now it had to do.

It has gotten quite cold and rainy here in Prague and truth be told, I was sorta freezing my ass off in this outfit. I thought the thick sweater would have been enough but no (it was enough for the balcony though! I guess balcony weather and real life weather are two different climates). That means it is officially "one more layer" time in the Czech Republic. It's the time for trench coats or double sweaters. Scarves and hats and gloves are soon to be on their way over too. It sucks that summer has ended but on the other hand, it's still better than winter, when the real cold sets in.

I'm glad I got to wear this sweater before it was too late as it doesn't really work with another layer on top. I like that it has pockets (always a plus). I love the detailing on the sleeves and the collar. And according to Harper's Bazaar I was right on trend (the Aran knit sweater was listed as number five in the top ten for Fall). Not that I really care about that sort of thing, but hey, if they agree with me than why not? :) In the photo above I'm posing with my favorite painting - my dad painted it and it means a lot to me that my dear parents let me take it with me when I moved from their house.

That was when I moved to the rented flat we used to live in, but now that I moved again, I gave the painting prime position in the hallway. If any of you have been wondering - I'm still in the process of unpacking boxes (basically only shoes are left unpacked). Which kinda sucks since my shoe closet is already full! We'll be reorganizing the shoe storage place this weekend and hopefully all of my beauties will fit!

On to the rest of my current saves:

Topshop creepers (worn with Mango jeans) - worn to walk the pig.

Iron Fist "Love Me Now" lace-up platforms - movie date shoes.

I bought these when they were on a special promotion (64% off on all platformed heels). In store they were okay to walk in but man! When I wore them during a date with the boy (we went to the movies to go see the movie Elysium) they were bloody awful! They killed my feet! (I guess they really are a bit too high - over 5 inches?) I only have a really crappy phone pic of my outfit but since I doubt I'll wear these platforms anytime soon (hey, they're already saved!) I'm gonna post it below: Zara dress, Zara grandpa sweater, Dior handbag, H&M tights, mad hair.

Zara gold detail flats - worn to work on Thursday. I wore a really "happy" outfit with these flats. Bright yellow tights (Asos), a colorful Topshop dress and my favorite (H&M) trench coat. It was rainy on this day and by the time I got home I was too messed up to take a proper outfit photo. That's why I usually rely on instagram for my shoe saves as it really is the easiest option.

Heart flats - worn to Sunday lunch with the boy's family. Worn with an old collar dress (think it's Bershka but not sure), thrifted vest, H&M tights, H&M belt from a different dress, Mango red bag. I felt like a mix of Wednesday Adams (what with the proper collar dress and all) and girly girl (all that red and the hearts on the flats). I really liked this outfit. Unfortunately I was running late (as usual) and only managed to snap these two pictures on the way to the boy's parents' flat.

But anyways, I'm glad I managed to save the shoes and that I put at least some effort into my outfit. I've been so lazy lately and have decided to put an end to not putting enough thought into my daily outfits. It's simple things that make a difference in the end result. Because if you like your outfit and feel good about how you look, you're bound to feel good in general and have an over-all better time.

Anyways, I've got to go now and get some work done but I hope I'll see you soon, what with the shoe challenge and all (that means more lovely shoes and daily adventures). Till next time, xo, Miss V

More Shoe Saving

This week was all about shoe saving. Oh and cleaning up the new flat - there are STILL boxes everywhere but most of my storage places are full. It's difficult but I know I'll figure something out.

Shoes saved: Bershka snakeskin flats in electric blue
Worn to: movie date with the boy to see "We are the Millers" on Sunday night (8th of Sept.)
Wearing: Zara skirt, Zara basic black tee, Stradivarius leather pocket detail black cardi, Bershka purse, Asos watch

I love these flats - they are super comfy and though I'm not usually a fan of snake skin print, this blue version captured my eye when I bought them like four years ago. The outfit celebrated the last of warmer days as I went sans tights.

Shoes saved: F&F canvas lace up flats in red white polka dot
Worn to: walking the pig - as you can see, he's not really interested in my shoe saving challenge
Wearing: Mango black skinny jeans, Zara grandpa sweater, H&M tee, InStyle cross body bag that I wear my pig walking things in (treats and pooh baggies). Sorry about the weird expression on my face, the pig was pulling me in another direction and the lobby lights were just about to turn off.. so I'm like, take the damn picture stupid phone camera! :)

Shoes saved: Mixer big bow orange flats
Worn to: go to work, Tuesday 10th of September 2013
Wearing: H&M orange mini skirt (I was feeling very orange today), H&M opaque tights, Zara long sleeved tee, Hew Look sweater, Zara office bag in tan (love it!).

This is the first time I've worn these shoes and I'm glad I did. They're comfy enough to wear to my commute to work, plus I hadn't ever worn them before. I was doing some unpacking in the morning and they were on the top in one of my still unpacked boxes. I chose my outfit around them, matching my skirt and keeping everything else basic. I'm too lazy to do either my hair or makeup just to go to work so I left it all natural. I didn't even brush me hair, but for all the minimal effort, I'd say I look pretty good.

Topshop studded bow flats. I think this was the second time I wore these shoes? I must say I was a bit disappointed with these as they caused me a serious blister on one heel. Next time I'll have to wear them with tights to put a layer between my skin and the shoes and hopefully after they're broken into, they'll be comfier to wear.

Last but not least in today's round up are one of my favorite sandals. They're from Pull&Bear and are made from incredibly soft leather. I love them. Too bad I have such a crappy photo - this is in the garage of our building. I wore them on a shopping trip to Ikea (we needed storage boxes), the day after wearing the Topshop evil blister inducing flats and needed something extra comfy to wear, in order to be able to walk. These were perfect. Anyways, that's it for today and hopefully I'll have some nice outfit photos to share as well. Till next time, xox, Miss V

And here's a better photo of them from way back when the pig was still tiny. Aww I miss those days!