Succumbing to the Sales

It’s been of those weeks where I’m writing my little fingers off, only to pause occasionally not to eat or sleep, but SHOP. Ha. Ha? Getting my tax money last week has not helped matters. But lest you think I’ve been buying all sorts of shit on a whim, rest assured I’ve been doing some very valiant “investment shopping”. If clothes/shoes/bags (yes, guilty – all three!) could talk:

“My name is Acne Rider Low in Polish Brown. I’ve been on Sabrina’s wishlist for awhile now. You might remember the post where she extolled my virtues of being the perfect combination of cowboy and motorcycle boots. How kind of her, no? Well, not to toot my own horn, but I truly believe that I am a very versatile everyday boot. I will last for ages. The polish brown is a bit unexpected, but stunning in person. And really, who can resist a bit of hunky, chunky love?”

**EDIT** They are too big and the next size down is sold out. Waaaaaaah. Back to the shop they go.

“Sabrina has been looking for a bucket bag for aaaaaaaages. She searches weekly on Etsy, I’ve been told. And since I knew of her love of Vivienne Westwood AND leopard print, well, this was no-brainer. It’s the perfect mid-size, too.”

“Bonjour. I am what may be the most perfect trousers ever. A Carven design, Sabrina loves a higher waist (to avoid muffin-top), tapered leg and cropped length (she’s a shorty). I really hope I can fit on her. Fingers crossed.”

**EDIT** They sent the wrong size. Arrrrrgh. And I can’t exchange, only refund. Arrrrgh. Would have to buy another pair. Arrrrrgh. Can NOT be arsed with shipping charges again, especially if they make me pay the return shipping charges I’m now contesting based on receiving the wrong size. Arrrrrrgh. Matches Fashion: FAIL.

“I’m the Carven bow-back shoes that will become Sabrina’s go-to party shoe. I think I’m the first pair of black pumps she has ever owned? Mon dieu!”

“Oui, oui, another Carven piece! But Sabrina can now call off the search for a short, black, flouncy skirt. She’s been harping on about it on Pinterest for Lord knows how long… ?”

So there you have it, folks. Pieces for the ages. A very satisfying sale season thus far. Because you know what starts next Monday? The international Net-a-Porter sale. *shudder*

Wedding fever

With a royal wedding in the UK later this week, talk of nuptials is reaching fever pitch. But while I am curious about what/who Kate Middleton will wear, I’ve actually been thinking more about my own dress from a year and half ago. It was simple and lovely, but most importantly comfortable enough to eat and dance in. Had there been The Outnet, however, I would have bought this dress (from their wedding-themed sale that started this morning, of course) in a heartbeat:

Vivienne Westwood, 40% off to €1124, which is a freaking bargain for a wedding dress. Now sold out. Of course. Lucky bride-to-be!

When one door closes…

Apologies for radio silence. A mixture of work, play and just plain boring prevented any meaningful communication this week. Somewhere in the middle of it, I received an e-mail that the creeper boots I was so looking forward to were discontinued. Gutted. But then a few hours later, into my inbox came the daily eBay notifications of new items according to my search settings (mainly shoes by various designers – surprised?). A pair of Vivienne Westwood pirate boots with heels appeared. Brand spanking new, cheap as chips and with a Buy-it-Now option. Hellllllll, yes. Click! When one door closes, another opens…

Though I always imagined myself getting the flat versions, these have a manageable heel of three inches (read: everyday). But what I was really excited about was the colour and texture. Grey and snake-esque? Yes!  I can now happily strike Vivienne Westwood pirate boots off the list of my lifelong desires. Woohoo!

Wonderwalls

As the SHOPPING BAN™ successfully enters Day Two, I’ve been avoiding all calls to final sales and instead conjuring up images of our new bathroom. Without really yet knowing what our limits are decorating-wise given we essentially have exposed water pipes snaking down the walls (it’s a Swedish thing and not as bad as it sounds), a girl can dream…

I love wearing prints and patterns, so it’s not a stretch that I also have them in my home. And so it’s really no surprise that I want printed wallpaper in the bathroom. At this point, I should probably specify that it is not a full-on bathroom, but a small room with the toilet and washbasin. We have a separate shower room. Therefore, I wouldn’t have to worry about the moisture and paper combination. Score.

Here are the current frontrunners, in no particular order:

Vivienne Westwood “Squiggle” by Cole & Son

Orla Kiely “Multi-Stem”

Eley Kishimoto “Flash”

I know. They are all pretty… intense. And originally “fashion” prints. I’m sure as I do more research, I’ll come across even more awesome prints, maybe even more intense than these. But the point is that I love the idea of a crazy print in a small place. This was the inspiration picture that started it all:

I dig this Cole & Son “Malabar” wallpaper, too, but we already have it in the living room! (Sorry, I don’t have a credit for the above image, but I think it either came from Domino magazine or The Selby. If anyone knows, wing a message my way.)

Though the SHOPPING BAN™ obviously means no more shoes (*sob*), I like having a new, focused project to tackle (because building the best shoe collection is for life!). And though it will be hard not to buy anything for awhile, we did it saving for our wedding and survived. Hardy har har. Wish me luck.

P.S. The new issue of Lonny is out. Swoon!

Basic black

Recently I’ve been hankering after basic black pumps. Seems as though I’ve got all the other bases covered, so black pumps seemed the way to go. However, I failed miserably to procure the Vivienne Westwood elevated Mary Janes that I promised myself/my shoe collection (uh, yes, I talk to my shoes). Online one day, gone the next. *Sniffle* Then good ol’ dependable Acne came out with these:

Hello there, Vega Black. Same concealed platform as elevated Mary Jane, but with a chunkier leather-covered heel. Me likey. Now all I need to do is coerce either the hubby or brother into a buying them as a birthday present pour moi. Wish me luck!

Right this second I am…

• … researching the Pacific Northwest for work. Seattle seems nice enough, but I have a feeling Portland is where it’s at. Image above from here.
• … wondering when Lauryn Hill will make another album.
• … debating if I really need to buy these shoes that I promised myself here.
• … lamenting the possible end of summer in Stockholm. Three days of less than 20 degrees Celsius. Ouch. The upside? I can wear my new cape. Yes, you heard right. CAPE.
• … regretting the whole “Chocolate for Lunch” thing. Working from home does weird things to your idea of nourishment.
• … still obsessing over my pending hair appointment. It doesn’t help that one of my obsessions du jour, Courtney Love (seriously!), essentially now has a Tumblr site here that I pour over to see what her hair looks like from all angles. Crazy, yes?
• …  worrying that my cat is a little depressed. Probably over the shitty weather?
• … entertaining one of my oldest friends in the world. We haven’t seen each other in ages and I’m spending more time catching up than on this blog. Oops, sorry. Back to business soon, I promise!

Open letter

To all my high heels,

I have been neglecting you very badly the past two months. The thing is, lying on a beach all day whilst on holiday and then returning to near tropical temperature means that I have only been wearing flip-flops and sandals. It’s simply too hot to be slipping into and schlepping around in anything but flat soles and leather straps. I am so sorry.

But I want you to know that I still love you. In fact, I miss you a lot. You must know that. The way I cast longing glances at you. The near-daily mutterings of how an outfit would look so much better with you. To make it up to you, I’m planning on bringing home one of your sisters soon. She’s been on my mind for awhile and I think it’s nearly time. Here’s a picture of her right now:

She is Elevated Mary Jane in Black by Vivienne Westwood. Please make her feel welcome when she arrives. If she’s anything like her Red sister I wore to my wedding (which you see in my header photograph), she will be part of the gang in no time. So keep your spirits up. We will be together again soon. This is Sweden, after all. Summer will probably be over in a blink of an eye.

Love, Sabrina

Sick and twisted

When I bought the Surface to Air leather shorts yesterday, I justified the purchase by telling myself (and anyone else who would patiently listen) that I would get the shorts only because I couldn’t get the Opening Ceremony boots until they were on sale. And because it looks unlikely that they will ever go on sale, I could have the shorts now.

What kind of sick and twisted logic is this? Mine. Gulp. I can justify anything!

Anyways, resigned to the fact that I won’t be getting the boots until September at the earliest (for my birthday), I panicked that they would be sold out by then and I wouldn’t have lovely, new, rubber-soled boots in the fall. So I obviously needed a back-up. Sick and twisted, Part II? Of course. So I found these:

They fit the bill perfectly: black, ankle boot, rubber sole. And at half-price, down to 60 GBP, a relative bargain. What I really love, however, is the textured leather and buckles. I have a major penchant for multiple buckles. They often give shoes the punky edge I’m after. Hence, my burgeoning Surface to Air shoe collection – buckles abound. So I’m am positively buzzing about these F-Troupe babies. In fact, I may even like them even more than the Opening Ceremony ones. I’m so painfully fickle, right? So let’s not even talk about the classic Vivienne Westwood pirate boots I’ve wanted since I was 21.

Sigh. Absolute perfection. Hmmmm…. new idea for birthday present? Sick and twisted, the final chapter.

Photos from here and here.