Walking in someone else's shoes

There are a few boxes that shoes need to check before I will buy them. A few is probably an understatement too. I'm of the opinion that shoes need to be comfortable, practical, and stylish but plain enough to work with most (if not all) of my outfits. They also need to be appropriate to wear all year round. As you can probably guess, I don't have the largest collection of everyday shoes. This small collection (of about five or six) has a limited colour range of browns, tans and blacks. They all get loved to within an inch of their lives and half of them have had previous owners.

There seems to be a certain stigma surrounding second hand shoes. Be it for orthopaedic or hygienic reasons I just can't jump onto that bandwagon. There is a reason why the person handing them onto you (via family or resale) and not throwing them in the bin as a lot of people tend to do with their old shoes. There is something incredibly moving (pun intended) about putting on shoes with a history. My favourite pair of shoes found in Paddington Antique Centre, is a well battered (even more since my purchase) pair of classic black Doc Martens. Hidden in the middle of an overfilled clothing rack, these pre-loved shoes were in my uncommon shoe size and softened to perfection. Since this find four years ago I have been a lover of second hand shoes; always on the hunt for a pair in my size. 

My most recent find was the week before Christmas (Christmas miracle anyone?) They were found on the same trip that I found my true (amethyst) love. Sitting unassumingly among many outgoing pairs of shoes on the floor of Shag Vintage in Centreway Arcade, my eyes locked on, and in love with these shoes I fell. Not only were they in my size (the ultimate decider) but they were loafers. I have been searching for a suitable pair of loafers since last Summer. I found them. The next pair for my small yet versatile collection. Being on a budget, my heart skipped a beat when I handed over $79 for second hand shoes but it was only momentary when I thought about how long twelve months is in 'shoe hunting land'. 

These shoes will serve me well all year round, blister free (fingers crossed). They check all of my boxes and a few more I wasn't even aware of. Its finds like these that remind me of how satisfying vintage shopping is. The one in a million chance of finding the perfect shoe that comes to me like a novel half finished. 

What are your thoughts on pre-loved shoes? 

Erin xx

Rebel, Rebel Your Face is a Mess

So I've decided that its about darn time a picture of my face appeared on the blog. I was worried that all I would post were pictures of my disembodied feet.

This is one of my favourite MAC lipsticks and the fact that I got to throw David Bowie into the mix was just an added bonus. 

I am a bright lipstick fiend. In fact, the photo above is pretty much my standard face. Compulsory black liner, mascara and lipstick, easy-peasy. 

I don't tend to have a lot of boundaries when it comes to bold lip colours. I have happily slapped on a black lippy and dashed out the door on more than one occasion. The reason I like this colour so much is that it is dark enough to be vampy but still quite a bright colour. This makes it a worthy addition to my lipstick drawer (yes there's a drawer, I'm aware I have a slight problem). 

MAC lipsticks are pretty pricey in the Land of Oz, but as a brand they are consistently good. The deciding factor in my lipstick purchases is always lasting power as with colours like this any wear is far more obvious. MAC lipsticks have proven themselves time and time again to stick around for a good 8 hours, and this shade stains the lips as well.

An all round winner then is MAC's Rebel. 

What's your go to bold lipstick? 

Jess xx

Mango, Chicken and Chorizo Salad

A while ago, a good friend of mine served me a delicious salad featuring mango, walnuts and avocado. I don't normally fancy fruit with savoury dishes but this was an eye opener. Since then (which, admittedly, was ages ago) I have been aching to try this recipe. 

Serves 5

Ingredients 

1 - 2 large handfuls of rocket
1 - 2 mangoes, diced 

1 bunch of spring onions, chopped

2 chicken breasts

extra virgin olive oil

2 chorizo sausages, finely sliced

1 red and 1 green capsicum, sliced

1 handful of snow peas or snap peas 

1 handful of mint and coriander combined 

Dressing

2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

juice of 1 lime

To get it out of the way, and to give it time to cool slightly, grill the chicken nice and slowly. While its cooking you can prepare your other ingredients. Don't forget to keep an eye on it though and turn it over as to prevent it burning. Place the rocket and spring onions in the bowl you want to serve the salad in (or just a large mixing bowl if you're going for individual servings).  When your chicken is ready, take it off the heat and set it aside to cool.

Sauté the chopped chorizo, capsicum and snow peas in a saucepan until all the ingredients are cooked - the vegetables should be beginning to bruise and wilt, and the chorizo slightly golden. While these are cooking you can begin to shred the chicken into bite-size strips and drizzle with olive oil. 

Put the lime juice and sweet chilli sauce in a jar, shut the lid tight, and shake until combined. Feel free to add flavours to taste... I think mine could have done with a bit more sweet chilli. Lightly shred the coriander and mint (not too much though as you don't want to lose too much of their texture)

Toss all the ingredients (leaving out a few sprigs of the herbs) together thoroughly. If serving in a salad bowl, present with the herbs on top, or if serving individually, place a small sprig of each herb on each serving. Season with salt and pepper as you like. 

Just like my truffles from last Sunday, don't underestimate the potential of this salad. It serves about five people as a substantial meal. Its super light and perfect for a hot summer day when you're craving a warm meal thats not going to heat up your house or your body.

Enjoy

Erin xx

PS If you're wondering when I'm going to post an update on my retro DIY pieces from earlier, they are coming. My parents bought me a new sewing machine for Christmas AND my Granny is visiting so she is teaching me some neater and better finishing techniques. 

PPS Just getting in on Jess's 'PS' trend ;)

An Ode to Jeffrey Campbell Litas

Litas are by far Jeffrey Campbell's most recognisable design. Today I thought I would share with you all my most worn pair of Litas - the Lita Cap. 

These shoes are the perfect shoes. I could just end the post there, but because one of my favourite topics to talk about is shoes I shall continue. Weirdly I am not the biggest fan of the original black Lita, the ones with the wooden heel. Perhaps it's because there are thousands of knock offs of them on eBay. 

I am of the opinion that every girl needs a great pair of staple heels. A pair of shoes that can be thrown on with any outfit. A pair of shoes that you can wear for hours and not be in pain. A pair of shoes that just work. These shoes are mine. They're different enough to stand out and yet they go with everything. I am a huge advocate of a statement shoe, but sometimes you require something with a little more subtlety. 

The leather on these is some form of suede-leather hybrid, making them ultra soft and oh so comfy. I have worn these for 12 hour stretches and been absolutely fine. 

I purchased these from Revolve Clothing but I believe that they're also available on Karmaloop. I would really recommend Revolve, especially to Aussie girls. They have free shipping on orders over $100 and they'll refund back 30% off of your first order if you email them the order number (JCs are included in that).

Hope everyone had an awesome Chrissy, mine was spent stuffing my face and swimming. Bliss. 

Jess xx

PS Sorry about the indoor photos the weather has been less than desireable for outdoor photos

PPS Karmaloop are having a 40% off coupon code today, if you have any money left after Christmas I'd love to see what y'all order 

Neck Candy (mini)Haul

I'm not someone who owns a lot of neck candy. I wear two necklaces, of great importance to me, pretty much 24/7 - yes, that includes showering and sleeping. Both of them are sterling silver and short pendant length. Hence, these two pieces control a lot of the other jewellery that I wear on a day to day basis. Recently though, I have acquired (and by acquired I mean purchased on a whim) two very nice pendants on long, 80cm chains. 

 

The first piece I stumbled across in the home store of Australian designer Corky Saint Clair whilst getting off the train at Flinders Street station - its called the Degraves Street Subway and is a magical fairy land with a plethora of hidden treasures. I merely glimpsed at this beauty on my way out of the subway and spent my entire shopping trip (the fruits of which I will show you later) wishing and hoping and thinking and praying that it would still be there on my return to the train station. 

The chain is quite fine and sterling which is a nice, yet contrasting, addition to the two I wear all the time. My favourite part, the amethyst, is large enough to gain the intricate visual beauty from the rock but not too heavy as to give you a neck ache. 

I bought it on sale for $35 last Thursday and have worn it about four times since. Definitely a winner. 

My second find (which was actually my first seeing as I ordered it before I found the amethyst) is from GOGO PHILIP. Again, it has quite a long chain but this time it is gold in colour. It will need to be styled on its own, I think, hiding my two permanent pendants under a button up shirt. 

I love the bright colour and the marbled effect throughout the plastic. Its super light and I think can almost function like a brooch as a addition to an outfit. 

I bought this on sale for about $13. I might not wear it as frequently as the amethyst, simply because of its gold chain, but you'll definitely see it several times in the future. 


Erin xx

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day

Perhaps today's post may not be on the most exciting of topics, but since I have been wearing it everyday I thought it warranted a mention. I have been eyeing up the Casio watches on ASOS for ages now, but this style was always out of stock. Eventually I tracked it down on Urban Outfitters and we have been a perfect match ever since.

Somehow I always manage to forget how much I enjoy wearing a watch. Even though my phone is all too happy to tell me the time, there's something satisfying about looking down at your wrist and just knowing. Plus it means I don't have to go delving in my bag, desperately seeking my phone. 

Possibly this watch's greatest feature is the fact that you can adjust it to the exact size you need. Finally I no longer have to face the problem of having my watch one link too big or too small. And if you, like me, were skeptical over the quality of a $30 watch rest assured this baby is well made and ready to stand the test of time. 

Apologies for the slightly boring topic today I did have some outfit photos, but I wasn't super happy with how they turned out. I may require some practice on that front.

Anyways Merry Christmas to everyone I am off to work on my oh-so-sexy watch tan.

Jess xx

P.S. Off to work for some Christmas shopping madness so I felt the lyrics were appropriate, can you pick them?

Chocolate Truffles

With Christmas being just around the corner, and myself staying with my parents in Melbourne for the Summer, I have found myself doing a whole lot of baking.

First on my list of "Sweet things for Christmas" was scrumptious Chocolate Truffles. Awesomeness was added to this classic with macadamias and dried cranberries. 

Ingredients

20g butter

400g good-quality dark chocolate 

300ml cream (can be substituted for light cream)

2 tbsp kahlua

200g macadamias

65g dried cranberries

cocoa power (enough to roll the truffles in)

To get started, you need to melt the chocolate, butter, and cream using a double boiler method. That is: place a glass, ceramic, or metal bowl over a saucepan with about 5-10cm of simmering water (see pictures below). Stir the mixture occasionally until the texture is smooth and looks like the picture on the right. Add the kahlua and stir to combine. Chill until firm to  touch - I popped mine in the fridge over night. 

When your mixture is ready you can begin to prepare the other ingredients. Combine your macadamias and dried cranberries in a bowl. Take a spoonful of the chilled chocolate mixture and a spoonful of the macadamia and dried cranberries and shape it into balls. On a plate, have a good mound of cocoa powder waiting and roll the balls of chocolate, dried cranberries and macadamias until coated finely. Place truffles on a tray or plate and chill until ready to serve.

I hope you enjoy these delicious chocolate truffles that are, trust me, much more than a morsel.

Erin xx