festive footsies

T'is the season for fabulous footwear non? I am seriously in love with these hot pink Miu Miu numbers as they'd be the perfect accompaniment for the lipstick red frock I'm planning on wearing on Christmas day. And then I spied these Diane Von Furstenburg pretties and just imagined them with a full-skirted little black dress - divine non? This is a colour I absolutely cannot wear - with my olive skin it makes me look dreadful, but on the feet, well, surely I could get away with that.

On the Christmas wish list perhaps? {which, by the way, is empty - there's nothing I want. Well, aside from piles of euros to spend in Paris during the July sales...}

monday, hello?

Wow, now that's what I'd call a weekend. Our lunch for our friend's 30th was amazing. The venue was divine - and the food! We started off with zucchini flowers stuffed with a ricotta and heavenly truffle mixture, which were then encased in a seasoned tempura batter and served on a bed of wilted bitter greens. Divine. Then we had mahi mahi fillets, perfectly cooked, accompanied by rosemary and garlic roasted veg and an incredible 'coleslaw'. Mmmmm. The meal was finished off with a delicious pear and ricotta tart. Oh yes. Then we kicked on at a very fashionable Surry Hills pub, spied a few MasterChef alumni {Adam, bless, Callum, bless, and Matt, um, not so bless. Seriously, dude, sunglasses after dusk?}. We kicked on till close enough to midnight to satisfy and then wandered back to our hotel.

Next morning we found the most divine cafe housed in a gorgeous old weatherboard house - RoboCog - owned by the friendliest bike-loving, robot-loving guys you'll ever meet. We'd stopped in for a quick coffee on the Saturday afternoon and when we rocked in with our friends the waiter greeted us like long-lost friends and remembered out coffee order. Bless. I wanted to take him home...

Now, onto important things: these shoes. They're by Alexandre Birman and I think they'd make me mighty happy should they ever find their way onto my feet. Aren't they just the most glorious shade of smile-inducing tangerine?

gorgeously gucci

I just so happen to like these ruched suede Gucci shoes.

A lot.

aiming high

I thought these Versace numbers I found at net-a-porter.com perfectly illustrated my blog post today. See, they're ridiculously high, almost ludicrously so, and yet, they're so perfectly formed walking in them would actually be achievable {it'd just take a little practice...}

It's a fine line between fabulous and ridiculous. And that line's just as keen as the line between perfect and excellent.

I nearly had a mini-meltdown last week. Lots of work, including work for a new editor. Now, I always aim to impress but when I'm handing in my first piece, I want that article to shine. The thing is, I'm not expecting it to be perfect, so that's where I have to reign myself in - I just want it to be fabulous.

I still do a lot of talking to myself when it comes to trying to change annoying habits. I have to tell myself, "No, stop, you've researched enough, just start writing" and "no more edits - if you tweak this any more it'll start looking like Joan Rivers' face". Because there's always something else you can do, something to add, something to take away. But you have to know when to stop and think, "yep, this works". You've got to find that line when it's fabulous, before it crosses over into ridiculous.

cherry bomb

It's a two-shoe day today. The pretty red shoes by Isabel Marant are there for Beth - because it's her birthday. They're the perfect shade of cherry red, with a bow and a rather sexay curve! Elegant, fun and gorgeous - just like she is. And the crazy Lanvin python and mongolian fur numbers? Well, they're just there because they're freakin' fabulous. I would wear those for hilarity's sake as they'd make me, with my long, curly black hair, look somewhat double-ended!

Enjoy your monday my lovelies - I'm off to check out a few blogs and then send off a few story ideas. Oh yes, it's that time of the month... Eek. Wish me luck!

monday, monday

I'm off to canteen duty this morning - in a pair of shoes that aren't anywhere near as fierce as these Bottega Veneta beauties. After a weekend that just whirled by I'm not surprised that this morning seems to be following suit.

Did you have a good weekend? Delight me with tales of your adventures - pretty please!

miu miu for monday

Look at these shoes. Can you possibly bear to look at them and not feel like coming over all Mad Men. I'm in love.

So, were we happy with the finale of MasterChef last night? I was. Adam proved himself a worthy winner and Callum scrubbed up pretty well as runner-up {actually, every time they cut to that glorious Macaron Callum made in London I swooned...}. Adam, of course, had me at pork belly - and pork belly three ways? Hello, I think I love you. I was crying away when he won, and then when they wheeled in his nana in a wheelchair? Oh, I started blubbing like crazy. Much better than last year's finale when I was just incredulous at the result.

I have my last spurt of busyness today before I get a breather. I'll give myself a day to move all the stuff from the hallway and do a spot of work in the study and then Wednesday it'll be back into the usual freelancers life of pitching story ideas like a maniac.

Speaking of the study, husband and daughter set to work painting the trims gloss white while I had a sneaky nap yesterday {I know!} The trim was cream gloss, but looked more tired and dirty than antique. The white freshness is already zinging it up. Now we just need to make a decision on the wall colour. Paint samples are on the wall, and so far I have a fave, and my husband has a fave, let's see who's sample wins out shall we...

because i'm a lady

So, I have an article that needs to be sent off by tomorrow morning, dinner that needs to be cooked, a study that needs to have approximately 80 000 magazines and 10 000 books moved from it and what am I thinking "Gee, I don't think I've done a shoe of the week this week". So, despite the fact that nobody's sent me pining emails lamenting its absence - here you go.

This ladylike number by Lanvin would offset any frock - particularly a cream chiffon number. Now, when you hear the words "I'm a lady!" what pops in your head first? I'm hoping that like me, it's Marie from the Aristocats - and not those 'ladies' from Little Britain {although I think they'd love these too...}

a gift

Hope your Monday's serving you up something special. There are some times when you realise that life's a gift and you should just sweep it up in loving arms and give it a great big hug.

How are these Valentinos? I do love a bow, it makes everything seem more special. So a pair of black shoes with satin bows are bound to set my heart a-fluttering.

Enjoy your Monday, and I hope that every day you see some special gift in what's being offered to you.

shiver me timbers

Miss Marc by Marc Jacobs pirate watch. Cuteness non?

j-crew - woo-hoo

It used to drive me crazy checking out cute little bits and bobs on US blogger's sites from J-Crew. Cute, affordable clothing seems to be the go. Now it's available on net-a-porter.com, making it just that little bit more available. These satin ballet flats? I like them very much indeed. Converted from pounds they're $112 Australian dollars, but I think I'd get at least 112 wears out of them - making the cost-per-wear factor a mere $1. Bargain! And the scoop neck jersey tee I spied? Oh, casual chic you're calling my name dude.

grey linen lovelies

These are so cute they are now on my wish list!!! {So says my 10-year-old who just typed over my shoulder!}. And I can't say I blame her. The cool elegance of the grey linen and white almost makes you forget how teeteringly high they are.

I'm all recharged after a gorgeous mother's day yesterday. Wait till I show you some photos of the delicious creations my two loved-ones cooked up for me - bless their socks. They also cleaned and tidied the living room and kitchen which means I've got a deliciously clean slate to start off the week.

Did you enjoy your weekend? What's on the to-do list this week?

red hot

I had to feature a pair of Alexander McQueen shoes this week to honour the talent of the man. I adore how the zipper opens to feature a peep toe - and look at the shape of that heel - perfection. The man had a singular eye for unique design and his legacy shall live on in his utterly fabulous creations.

mmmmm miu miu

Luckily, no matter how bizarre the fashion, there are always a pretty pair of shoes to delight my senses. I always fall hard for a bow, particularly when it's combined with a peep-toe, so no wonder these shoes easily won the title of shoe of the week.

Enjoy your Monday my lovelies x

awash

Okay, am now so completely and utterly over this rain. C'mon! I've got a ridiculous amount of washing to do, and now my dryer's decided to cark it on me. Normally I'm a dry in the fresh air and sunshine kinda gal - but there's been none of that and even hanging clothes under cover isn't working as the air's so damp.

Sigh.

Do you think that these Marc Jacobs wellingtons would ease my woes somewhat?

take two

Because it's Christmas I'm giving you the gift of TWO shoes of the week. So generous. The multi-coloured pretties are Louboutin's while the more traditional scarlet numbers are Oscar de la Renta. If visions of cocktail parties are swimming in your head this festive season can you imagine a more delightful way to encase your feet?

I'm pretty sure I've planned my Christmas wardrobe: Christmas Eve I'm going for a dove grey, hot pink and black frock - with my hot pink wedges I bought in Paris {you know, just so you can casually throw into conversation, "Oh these, I picked them up in Paris..."}. Christmas Day I'm tossing up between a black frock with white polka dots - or my electric blue frock - both with scarlet heels and lips.

Two more sleeps...

psssst, santa

This'd look really pretty adorning my wrist...

shades of grey

I am becoming inordinately fond of the colour grey. And, oh my, this La Perla swimsuit positively shrieks chic does it not? Lying poolside in the south of France would require a swimsuit as glam as the location. Hmmmmmm.

shoe boop be doo

Hello lover... Have you seen anything more delicious than the shade of grape in these patent pretties? Mr Louboutin did mighty fine with these wedges of wonder.

In my dreams I'm tripping around in them wearing my dove grey jersey wrap dress - but I'd love to sizzle by pairing them with a red pencil skirt. Le sigh...