Brogue my heart

It's no secret that I have a small pretty big exceptionally large shoe addiction. I don't hide it - it's pretty much impossible to hide 80 pairs of shoes for very long - but I have tried in recent times to curb my addiction and concentrate on buying just the ones I really love. The problem with this is it means that when my favourite shoes start to fall apart it becomes a catastrophe on two levels. Firstly (and you have to understand I'm not crazy, just in love) a small part of my heart breaks, and I spend days/weeks/months promising myself they'll definitely go in the bin after one last wear - even though by this stage there's usually copious holes, great big scuffs, or they're tearing my feet apart because the lining is in numerous sharp, pointy pieces. Secondly, I then have the gigantic task of finding a new pair that could adequately measure up to the last ones.
And so it is with the the two pairs of brogues I bought at the start of last year. You see, not only do I have an unntaural love for the brogue, these brogues were not simply shoes - they kind of became a part of me. Wherever I went this past year on my feet would be gold or black brogue beauty. I've worn them to the point that the bottoms are thinner than the finest of cottons. They are no longer wearable by a sensible person. Key word - sensible.
Which is why I've spent the last month searching desperately for the perfect pair of brogue-replacement brogues. The black ones are kind of covered - my new work shoes are somewhat brogue-like. But they're also a shade on the boring side, unlike these pretties, which I think even Wabi could warm to:

Top Shop MIOLA Brogues found here

Yes?
To be honest, I've always wanted a pair like this:

Jeffrey Campbell Brogue-pump, courtesy of Vintage Mint

Perfect heel-height, and such a pretty colour-combination.
But then tonight I found these:



MIKA Ladies Brogues from Mr Shoes

 And I'm seriously thinking about them - even if the shipping costs more than the shoes - because the colour is just so damn wonderful!
Am I crazy, or does everyone has an obsession like my shoe-insanity?

What a dream boot

I should be doing assignments. But why do assignments when I can waste hours discovering beautiful things I can't afford, only to spend Sunday night seconds from meltdown because my assignment isn't finished and it's 3am? Am I making any sense? No? Hmm...
Oh, the things I've discovered this evening! Have you heard of Poetrie? Everybody needs to. I discovered Poetrie through one of my very favourite crafty blogs, Grosgrain, and am thoroughly in love. Don't get me wrong, at first glance some of the prices seemed a bit high, but as I scrolled I discovered some perfectly perfect bargains, like this:

The Wildflower Dress $US24.99

And these:


Sun Baked Shortie Boot $US59.99



Sadly, they only ship to the US and Canada. Here's hoping one day that changes.
Someone who does ship to Australia (probably because she is Australian) is Pipduck. Who's that, you ask. Well it's actually two whos to be exact: florist Pip Graham, and Helen Duckman a lawyer (!) got together to create a line of stylish, waterproof shoes for the Aussie girl with wet feet. Thus, Pipduck was born. And thank the Lord it was! I've been dreaming about Hunter Wellies ever since I caught sight of them in a House and Garden magazine three years ago. Dreaming of them, but never venturing to buy because they are quite the pricey gumboot. And then tonight I found Pipduck, not much cheaper than Hunter I'll admit, but a girl can never have too many dreams, right? Besides, I think these ones from Pipduck quite easily replace my Hunter love:

Noisette Tweed Boot $AU159.00

Oh, how I love them! And they'd be so handy right now with the constant weeks of rain we've been having. But then maybe that's just me making excuses to buy them....     

Catching up

I'm a bad blogger. I have these lapses of weeks that slip by in what seems like days, and then I realise how long it's been. Then I feel like I should leave it until I have something really exciting to share so that at least the wait will have been worth it. But then I think what I find exciting (yarn sales, vintage button expos, food, food, and food) is maybe not what you'd find exciting, so that's probably silly of me. Instead, I'm just going to do a catch-up post and call my absence exactly what is is: laziness and writer's block. Or should that be blogger's block?
To start with, things I'd totally buy if I wasn't flat broke:
Irregular Choice sells the most amazing clothes, shoes and accessories and their site entry page makes me sigh. I'm pretty sure I want every single thing in the store, but just for now these are my favourite:

These little babies are called Abigail's Party, and they secretly make me wish I was Abigail.
While we're on the topic of shoes, Shoes of Prey = fantastic! For three reasons: One, you can design your own shoes. Two....actually only one reason but really, when it comes to shoes isn't one enough?
Oh, and on the topic of designing, let's talk about food design. In summer I love me a good popsicle (or ice-blocks for us Aussie kids), but I hate how sugary store-bought ones are, and I crave fruit non-stop. I've also always been a big fan of playing with my food. You know that old cliche about love being a four-letter word? Well that word is Zoku, because this little beauty lets you create popsicles on the bench top, in fifteen minutes. And not just any old popsicle, popsicles like this:

It's almost too pretty to eat. Almost.
On that note, let's discuss food blogs. One of my very favourite blogs is the darling Sasa, epecially her detailed account of the dreaded Hangrrr. Her witty and inspiring food/life blog always leaves me with something to think about, while also leaving my stomach begging for attention because of things like this:

Oh Sasa, why must you tempt me so!
Sasa also has a blogger friend I love. Alex's Cuts and Burns is the sometimes melancholy, often witty, and always amazing exploits of a chef experimenting with all sorts of awesomeness. What sort of awesomeness, you ask. This sort:

That's an artichoke salad that really is too pretty to eat (but I'd probably give it a go anyway).
And finally, after much poking and prodding from me and dear Wabi, one of our very best friends has created her own blog!

 The Other Renae, or Miss Vodka as Darling readers will have known her previously,  is already one of my favourite reads, and is sure to be filled with a mixture of musings on art, design, food, and coffee. There's also bound to be the odd post on music (pertaining especially to guitars) and everything French - Vodka's two greatest loves. So if you like ay of these things even a bit, or if you like reading my blog (please say you do), then you should go check her out. She's pretty cool.