ONE HUNDRED & FIVE/ head over heels

My shoe collection has been looking pretty pathetic lately; it has essentially become just an assortment of trainers, Dr. Martens and winter boots. That is all well and good in theory, but if I ever have to get dressed up or go out anywhere that isn't work or to the mall I'm screwed. I decided to rectify the situation with a bit of shopping and I'm head over heels (pun fully intended) with my finds.

The first pair are gorgeous purple/green iridescent brogues from Miista. I picked them up at a local consignment shop for less than half of what they retail for and I can just tell that I'm going to get a lot of use out of them. The leather that the maker used is unbelievably soft and the colour looks great in every light. They're such an interesting shoe and statement piece, I'm sure I'll turn a lot of heads while wearing them.

The second pair are a pair of stunning leather booties from Sapena Spain. I've been eyeing these beauties at Winners for forever but I couldn't justify their original price of $139.99. When I saw them on sale for $35.99 my jaw dropped and I raced to the cash register to pay. I was in such a trance that I actually forgot my iPhone in the shoe department at Winners and had to make a trip back to the store to retrieve my phone. I'm so thankful for the person who found it and brought it up to customer service. I'm trying to wear more heels in my everyday life and I think these booties will be the perfect shoe to train me. Their heel is thick and sturdy and there is a ton of support around the ankle so I feel very secure while wearing them. They're also a bit reminiscent of a line of shoes that Marc Jacobs' released in 2012 - minus the outrageous buckle and price tag, which is a huge plus for a designer lover like me who is on a budget.

BROGUES/ Miista (via consignment) BOOTIES/ Sapena Spain (via Winners)

EIGHTY-FIVE/ confessions of a bag lady

I read this interesting article not too long about about shoe people vs handbag people and how they approach fashion. When I finished reading the article I just sat there and stared at the screen; it was like a rude awakening. I was truly a shoe fiend in my younger years but my love for bags has come up swinging recently. After reading that article I thought about the progress of my personal style and I found that since converting to a bag lady that I definitely let my bags be the focal point of my outfits. It's no secret that I adore dark coloured basics and designer purses - if my personal could be summed up in a sentence it would be that. But it wasn't always like this and I'm a bit confused how this came to be.

In high school I had a sneaker collection that would make you sick. I had sneakers in every colour and for every occasion. As I evolved I branched out from sneakers - I dabbled in boots, flats and for a short time, even heels. I even used to work at a shoe store so I that I could have access to the latest and greatest kicks on the market. Back in the day I cared so much about my actual clothes and I would try to wear outfits that would coordinate with my footwear to ensure that I stood out as an individual.

Maybe it was all just a phase but I've definitely seen a shift over the years. Now, I let my bags do all the talking. I'm still trying to figure out how to process this information and some days I even feel like a failure in the world of fashion. When I think about my personal style I wonder why I can't have it all. Is it so hard to mix a statement shoe, killer clothes AND an amazing handbag on top of that? Is that just too much fabulous for the world to handle, you can only restrict yourself to one look or the other? Is it just me? Am I just that lazy? I can never imagine myself giving up my admiration for handbags but I want to start in-cooperating more intricate and beautiful clothing and shoes into my daily routine as well. This adventure in personal style will definitely be a journey and it is one that I fully intend on going on with a fabulous handbag still by my side.

For the simple look pictured below I just wore a soft white blouse, my favourite black skinny jeans from Forever 21, a classic denim jacket, a lightweight scarf, a pair of glittery Converse and the new love in my life - my 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli. Although it is still rather basic, I tried to throw on a pair of statement shoes to match the hardware on my bag so they compliment each other. My style is definitely always evolving and I'll always be a work in progress - but such is life.

JACKET/ Old Navy TOP/ Addition Elle JEANS/ Forever 21+ 

SHOES/ Converse (gifted) SCARF/ H&M via Consignment

HANDBAG/ 3.1 Phillip Lim Pashli (medium size)

Photos by Laura Kidd

THRIFTED THURSDAYS/ three

I'm still in shock over these gorgeous flats. They're the perfect shade of royal blue and I absolutely love the gold hardware on the tassels. The best part though? They were brand new, with the original tags - and I snagged them for $4.99.

Value Village had originally priced them at $12.99, which in my opinion is a bit too steep for a pair of thrifted synthetic flats. Luckily I checked out the sole of the shoe where I saw the original price tag (they were $29.99 new), as well as a clearance sticker that labelled them at $9.99 NEW. So I went up to the cash and demanded them to be lower. Okay, by demanded I mean shyly pointed out that they were less expensive new and crossed my fingers hoping that they'd lower the price - I'm a bit of a coward.

I have worn them a handful of times since I bought them and I get compliments everywhere I go with them. They might just be my new go-to shoes.

Store: Value Village | Brand: No Angel | Paid: $4.99 + tax

* Photos by me, taken with my iPhone because I always always always forget to charge my camera battery. Whoops.

TWENTY-THREE/ dr. marten love

My collection of Dr. Martens is growing, slowly but surely. I consider myself very lucky because I've never paid full price for a pair. Don't get me wrong, I totally think they're worth the $120+ price tag and I wouldn't mind paying it if I had to and if I had the funds, but I've always lucked out with finding them secondhand.

The first pair that I ever owned are my black boots. My friends found them for me one day when they were at Value Village. They were only 14 bucks, they were my size, and they were in next to mint condition. I had to literally beat them with a hammer to stretch them and wear them out, but they fit like a glove. I wear them almost daily and I've worn them in the snow and cold, and I've worn them in the heat and humidity. They are without a doubt my go to boots and it's rare to see me without them. My feet can barely stand wearing anything else because they're just so comfortable. Some days I do switch it up though and wear my shoes by Dr. Martens. I bought my doc shoes off of somebody I know; she was looking to get rid of them and she knew I was desperately looking for a pair and bam, $20 later, they were mine. I love them and I generally wear them with outfits that don't really go with boots but I still need to comfort of docs. My most recent pair came into my work (I work in a consignment shop) on Monday. They're mint condition black velvet floral docs with a thinner sole, and they're so perfect I could cry. They're super comfortable and they aren't as bulky as my pair of Dr. Martens boots. I couldn't believe my eyes after seeing the price tag of only $40, I knew they had to come home with me.

All total I spent about $74 on my three pairs of Dr. Martens. This is an amazing steal seeing as a single pair brand new can cost double that, if not more. I feel like I've become a bit of a loser when it comes to footwear. When I was younger I'd wear any shoe, even if it didn't fit me. Heels, flats, sneakers, ect - I had quite the collection. Now I'm building up my collection of comfy shoes that actually fit! I never thought I'd see the day... I find myself buying a lot of shoes secondhand because they usually have very little wear on them and you can find fantastic brands for a quarter of the price they are new. Every time I go into a thrift store the shoe section is where I check first and I'm always on the hunt for new docs! 

All pictures were taken by me. This post is in no way affiliated with Dr. Martens, all thoughts are my own.

TWELVE/ music fesitval dos and donts

So, what to wear (and what not to wear) at outdoor concerts / music festivals.
I've seen so many blog posts and magazine articles about this sort of thing floating around lately and I just want to put my spin on all of this.
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To be quite honest with you, the majority of what I've seen on this has annoyed the hell out of me. It seems as though the people writing them have never been to a music festival in their life. I'm kind of a veteran at these things, I've been to outdoor concerts ranging from jazz festivals to punk shows and just about everything in between. The best advice that I can give to you is that you HAVE to be comfortable. If you're not comfortable you're going to be miserable during the entire experience, I can promise you this. 
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Footwear is probably the most important. It all depends on the venue, but I can guarantee that if you go to a high energy concert or a couple days long festival your shoes will be dirty, disgusting and probably ruined. I would wear something like a Van or a Dr. Martens in this scenario, or even a rainboot, depending on the weather. I've seen people, I kid you not, wear five inch heels, in a park that was covered in both rock and mud. Since your shoes will probably be destroyed by the end of the weekend I'd go for comfort over fashion.
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For clothing I'd recommend something you can easily dance in. Shorts, midi skirts, jeans, tank tops, t shirts, ect... I've been obsessed with the maxi trend right now but I probably wouldn't wear a maxi skirt or dress to an outdoor concert since the bottom can get ruined or stepped on. Layers are also great for all-day events so if you're too hot in the afternoon you can peel back a couple of layers, but it'll probably get chillier as the night goes on so you can throw a layer or two back on.
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Bags/purses are very very important as well. This is something that is usually overlooked. There is nothing in this world that is more annoying than when you're trying to dance to your favourite band and the girl beside you has this ridiculously huge shoulder bag that keeps smacking you in the shoulder. Just don't bring shoulder bags. Small cross-body bags or satchels are great, they stay out of everybody's way for the most part and they keep your hands free. If you plan on bringing a lot of things (ex. camera equipment, sunscreen, towels, ect) a backpack is the way to go. I know backpacks can be kind of frumpy and well... ugly, but there are tons of great styles and patterns out this summer! Spring and Aldo both have amazing selections in stores now.
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I hope this post was helpful! I've posted a few clothing / bag / shoes ideas for inspiration. Hope you're all having amazing summers and that whichever concerts or festivals you're attending live up to your expectations! I'm currently counting down the days to Osheaga. (A 3 day music festival in Montreal)

1/ New Look 2/ New Look  3/ Old Navy 4/ Old Navy 5/ New Look 6/ New Look 7/ H&M

1/ Aldo 2/ Spring 3/ Aldo 4/ Cambridge Satchel Company 5/ Aldo

1/ Vans 2/ Dr. Martens 3/ TOMS 4/ Hunter Rain Boots 5/ Steve Madden Oxfords