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?

Crazy Love

The photo above, my friends, is one taken by the ever-awesome The Other Renae, while standing mere metres (two at the most!) from Mr Michael Buble. I was standing right next to her uttering something along the lines of 'Oh my GOD! he's like right there! He's so close I can see the wrinkles in his pants! These are the best seats EVER!' Of course, it was less of an utter and more of an ever-rising scream of delight and excitement.
I'm still excited. See, two weekends ago now, we had front row tickets to Buble's Brisbane concert. Ok, so not just front row, front row....centre. It was, without doubt, the best concert I've ever been to - it even overshadows John Mayer...but only just. And purely because every second of the show was exactly that - a show, an event for the pure entertainment of the audience.
From the moment he stepped on the stage, Michael Buble had every person in the audience either wanting him, or wanting to be him - even the guys shuffling in, clearly dragged there by gaga girlfriends, were pretty quick to start tapping their feet and grooving along.
He took photos with the audience, introduced every member of his band (including the 16-strong brass section), and walked through the audience, performing a number of songs from as stage closer to the back so everone got to see him up-close-ish.
And then the finale. Oh my! During the last song - Song for You - the lights fell and a trumpet solo in the crowd cut back to a dark stage with a single spotlight. Buble stepped forward, hushing the crowd, and then...acapella into the 10,000 strong crowd. WOW! Seriously, WOW!
His band as well was amazing, especially the sax section - although I must admit a soft spot for a good sax solo. Oh, and did I mention the sloped stage which allowed him to walk all smoothly back to the drummer and then turn and slide - rock-star style - down towards the audience? So sexy...
So, enough gushing - pictures (all snapped by The Other Renae)!

So that date I was supposed to go on tonight, I didn't go. I cancelled it. Well...actually I had a panic attack, then threw up, then cancelled it. Then I cried until my eyes were red raw and burning.
I didn't used to be like this. I used it be what I would consider a very confident person. I mean, I wasn't about to win any Ego of the Year awards, but in the same situation a year ago I would have thrown on a cute dress, slapped on some make-up and got there early enough to throw down some dutch courage before I needed to be all cool and calm...
Now I have panic attacks. I don't know where my confidence has gone...I think I lost it somewhere.

Lost on the Midway by The Black Apple

Unfamiliar terror-tory

I have a date tomorrow night. To say it's been a long time since I went on a date (or even a pseudo-date) would be an understatement. Even just in the realm of male attention we're talking nigh on four years. That's a little embarrassing to admit. Ok, a lot embarrassing. Were that the end of it, I probably wouldn't be overcome with such a immense feeling of trepidation and desire to run in the exact opposite direction.
But it's not.
After spending eight months of last year recovering from a knee injury, unable to exercise much and living with my mother's need to constantly feed me, I've put on quite a substantial amount of weight. Coupled with countless hundreds of job rejections - yes, that's how unemployable I apparantly am - I'm feeling very much unlike a person anyone could ever get to like, let alone find attractive.
Nothing fits, nothing looks good, and nothing makes me want to cry more than trying to find an outfit to make me seem attractive in the eyes of the opposite sex. And I hate myself for being so damn reliant on the opinion of a complete stranger to make me feel ok about myself. But I'm so damn scared of that rejection I honestly feel like throwing up every time I think of 7pm tomorrow night.
So I'm begging for some advice. What do you do to pep yourself up when you're not feeling grand? How do you overcome the nerves before a date/interview/big-deal event? What's your sure-fire trick for impressing the pants off someone?

Sweetest sixteen

"Birthday cake" by Hitana via Deviant Art

Today was my cousin's birthday. Chica was sweet sixteen and, despite all evidence to the contrary, has already been kissed. I found her a beautiful amethyst ring and Princess Mononoke DVD, because she loves Anime.
Chica being sixteen is...well, kinda crazy for me. See, I was there when my aunt went into the marathon 18hours of labour. I sat on the floor in the hospital waiting room for so long, and got such bad pins and needles that when I got up I sprained my ankle because my whole foot and leg were dead. And I got first nurse becuase I was injured.
I was there when Chica took her first steps, said her first words, and got her first tooth. I was there for the trips to the emergency room when she ate a poisonous plant, missed the trampoline when jumping off the roof, and skittled herself (not once, but five times) on her scooter. And I was there last year when a boy asked her out and she needed advice - she said no because it was in the middle of exams and she didn't feel that way about him (so proud!).
We've grown up together more as sisters than cousins, and if I ever need reminding of that I only need to look in her wardrobe, where half my shoes and clothes have taken up residence. I've taught her about theatre and music, boys and fashion, history and art. She's taught me about humility, strength and generosity.
Over the last few years she's reached an age where she no longer seems light years away from me in maturity, and we've started to chat about cute boys, shoes and clothes, and other more grown-up things. It's great, but every now and then - like tonight- my heart stops because I realise that the sweet little kid who put MY stocking out so I wouldn't miss Santa, is now completely over Santa herself.
Chica is almost all grown up - which I think also scares me becuase it means I'm getting older too fast. But no matter how old she gets, she'll always be my little cuz. So tonight I'm sending a shoutout to her and wishing her a very happy Sweet Sixteen - or half-thirty-two as she's dubbed it. May the next half be as sweet as your ever-increasing sweet tooth, and full of all the best things you can imagine!

Flood Relief Appeal Auctions

The water has gone down, the sun is shining again, and things are slowly getting cleaner here in Queensland. But the photographs, the video footage, and the memories for those who witnessed it first-hand will ensure that the devestation from the past few weeks lives on for much longer. The floods too, have not completely gone, simply moved state to wreak more havoc in New South Wales.
As people rebuild their lives in the wake of all that has happened they need money - money for furniture, clothing, kids school books, even essentials like food and a new roof...or door...or whole house.

Having seen some of the other auctions mine seem pretty sad and sorry, but even if they only bring in a few bucks, it's a few bucks more that someone can use to buy something so sorely needed. So here's the items:

ITEM A

 Item B

Item A: This is a skirt upcyled from a vintage dress. The skirt is a medium, measuring 47.5cm (lying flat) at the band and 52cm long. The material is an off-white with blue-black faded lines and buggies all over it - sorry, the wording under the buggies is unclear. Being vintage material there is a couple slight tea-coloured stains on the back of this skirt, however they are very light - I didn't notice them myself until I measured the finished product. I think, given a good soak, these would come out - and the material was too sweet not to use! The skirt has been soaked and is now stain-free!

Item B: This sweet little bow-shaped bag came about almost by accident, but turned out so perfectly cute you can't help but love it. Made from 70% Acrylic/30% Milk, the yarn is beaultiful and soft but still very sturdy. the inner lining is a vintage yellow floral fabric, and (I believe) is 100% cotton. The colour-matched zipper has been machine-sewn to the lining and then hand-sewn to the outer to give added firmness.I'd envisioned this as a clutch but discovered it fits knitting needles perfectly as well, making it a stylish knitting caddy, or even a fun pencil case.
Length: approx. 29cm (11.4 inches) x 11cm (4.3 inches)


How the Auction Works:
1. Bidding on each items will start at $10.
2. You can place a bid by leaving a comment on this blog stating you are bidding for either ITEM A or ITEM B, your bid amount and email address ( if you're not keen on having your email available to the world, post your bid amount and then drop me a line via my etsy store with your email address and the name you posted under.)
3. Please make sure your bid is higher than the previous bid amount and is in whole dollar increments.
4. Postage is free for all Australian residents. Bidding is also open to all international addresses but will incur postage fees (sorry).
5. The auction begins NOW and ends midnight on Monday 24th January 2011.
6. At close of auction, I will contact the winners and. At this point the winner of each auction will deopis the winning amount directly into the Premiers Relief Appeal and send me proof of payment (in the form of a recepit number) via return email, along with a postal address. Once I've received that, I will post your goods to you.
7. Ckeck out all the other auctions here. HAPPY BIDDING!

Hell from the Heavens

That right there is what my backyard looked like earlier today (and still pretty much does because the rain just won't stop!). And this is my brother's poor dog, Zari, who can't understand where all the wet stuff is coming from - and why it's about to eat her nice dry bed:

It's wet. Really, really wet. It's been raining here almost continually since Christmas, and isn't supposed to let up for at least another twenty-four hours. This morning, because of the amount of water flowing from our neighbours overflowing pool, I spent a good half hour digging trenches in ankle-ankle deep septic and pouring rain, to relieve the build-up that was causing our grey water to back-up into out kitchen sink.
Today I got covered in poo-water, and have still had a far better day than residents in towns like Dalby, Condamine, Chinchilla, St George, and Gympie. Today my own town joined the ranks of the disaster zone, with Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley being pummelled by a torrrent of water that has left businesses and houses in ruin, at least 6 confirmed dead, and many more people unaccounted for.
The water rose within minutes, causing waves of water to sweep down the main streets of Toowoomba, washing away cars and furniture, and shattering store windows in the process. In the Lockyer Valley, a number of small towns - towns I grew up in and around - are fully submerged, with over thirty people unaccounted for in Grantham alone.
And there's more on the way with another downpour expected tonight.
There has been an outpouring of help for the affected areas, with almost $AU30,000,000 raised already, which is amazing! But that's not nearly enough - in fact it would barely cover the costs to help out the least affected areas of the state. Thousands have lost their homes or businesses, many have nothing left but the clothes on their back. Farmers have lost not only their crops, but their livestock, pets, and machinery. And after fifteen years of drought, it's too far back for many rurals.
So if you can - even if you're on the other side of the world - give a little, please. Many of these people are not only having the worst possible start to the year, but they missed Christmas as well.

Donate to the Queensland Flood Appeal here.