First of ALL.

 
Yeah. So I did my first thrift store alteration......myself. woo. hoo.  It was literally the 5th or 6th time I'd used a sewing machine in my life. But I have GOT to edit all the pieces I got from the thrift store asap and this is a simple task.......... I'm not allowed to go thrifting again until I fix whatever malfunctions exist in the clothes that I've bought. This dress reminds me of a box of Crayolas that got left in the sun too long and then some little boy came along and decided to do some Van Gogh finger paint. But shoo no wha? I heard violins and harps when I saw it. Imma take a better pic when i can get the bust area together. lol Even though it looked like an 80's secretary's dress it still had potential because the color is so vivid.  It sorta looked like this one before:

 
From Tiger Vintage Etsy Shop

Firstly, it was entirely too long and just swallowed me up I shortened the hem a great deal. Maybe a lil too much, but it was hitting the top of my ankles. not cute. Also, it was a tad bit blousy at the top for the style of the dress.  So I tightened the seams at the side. Now it won't button. Booooooo! But Imma go back and loosen it for buttoning purposes.  lol.  I'm almost there. I love how the sleeves are blousy and the top is SNATCHED and fitted now....a little too snatched. HA!  Unfortunately I didn't take before pics. I forget the important shit sometimes.

oh yeah. Shoes. I was thinking some boots but enh. These would def. would be an option:
Max Studio Umberto

All Black Just Bootie

Loadingd ccdddd

8 more months til springtime in Chicago and

we about to get a new mayor Dawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwg.  Ever since I have lived here, we have had TWO mayors.  F it.  I'm 30 yo and Ive been living here since I was 6.........so you do the mathematics. Daley and Washington.  It should be interesting to see who he picks as the next mayor. Like forreal, he's not going to be the mayor and he has enough clout to pick the next mayor.  Rick Rawse is a joke to me. Cause he's NOT the Bawse, Daley is.  Chicago has had the same mayor for 20-some-odd years and nobody officially called bullshit.  This should be interesting.
But yeah. 8 more months to springtime is how I know that summer is officially over and the countdown to spring is beginning.  I wonder if its the same for other folx in cold climates to get giddy over the most inconsequential piece of warm weather? Eye. Dee. Kay, but I'm looking forward to how we Chicago folx *go ham* over 64 degrees and a warm breeze. Its a sight to see.
Couple-a-weekend pics:
 Happy Fall...............happy fall.




Somebody is putting in WORK+overtime in the background. Just trying to steal all our thunder.




I know homegirl is not trying to serve face in the back of our pic. Humn.

 
Nya Shoes - I gotta ask her where she got these AND what color that is on the piggies.  The polish is stealing the show along with the heel.  I have more than a few sandals with the asymmetrical heel. They are so comfy.  I think that's why I kept buying them. I gotta stop that. Man. we had fun. It was nice to get out and mangle.  It'll be a while before I go to somebody's club again though.


Yeah. Thanks to the young lady who let me have a mini fashion show with her right foot in the club.  These shoes were too dope to pass up. Ms. Nya pointed em out too.  I wanted to ask her what brand but I had already asked her to pose so I could take a pic of her foot. So to avoid looking like a total wierdo I didn't ask her what brand. Those look like they might be leather bottoms though. Too raw.

I love Chicago

That doesn't have anything to do with anything, I'm just sayin.  I wore shoes this weekend.

 

They were so comfy. Urban Outfitters. I'm not buying shoes from them right now though. They're on punishment. Why is their shipping now $10?  AND add tax to that. I guess they're doing really well. But anyway. I came up on these puppies 2 years ago and just got around to wearing them.  They were too comfy as some of my wedges tend to be. Now I've had some wedges that were just as painful as a pair of pointy toed pumps(I hope these aren't really making a comeback). I spent a lot of time shoe browsing this weekend as I'm trying to keep it frugal these days. So the shoes below are not necessarily on my want list per say, but on my inspiration list:

Sigerson Morrison Chili


See by Chloe Bouble Buckle


Raphael Young Delix Bootie



Rachel Comey Mars short boot


 
Rachel Comey Ipswitch



Rachel Comey Dekalb



Rachel Comey Barbaro



Proenza Schouler Criss Cross Bow Wedge



Opening Ceremony Lace up Open toe in Green


Nine West Rosycheeck


Miss KG Claudette



LD Tuttle   The UP




 
LD Tuttle The Fallen



LD Tuttle The Blue




Jil Sander Pebble Leather Wedge Boot


 

Very Volatile Senorita



Hope Trace Boot



Carvela Craft



 
Carvela Gemini



Carvela Action



All Saints Bonny Boot



And LASTLY another lace shoe.



Baldinini Black Lace Pointed Toe Platform - ( from rawshoes.wordpress.com )

And the songs:



 eric roberson & Lalah Hathaway JAM

Oh. This is what my music sounded like in my head.

Spragga Benz - "Livication" from Cari Denhardt on Vimeo.

New folk and old friends......and friends who give shoes as gifts.

man. This weekend was kind of the bomb. Hooked up with some friends from grade school. Talked about everything under the sun and had me some great convo. Hit up a cool Ru-maj sale aka a rummaging sale.  I have TOO much fun at these things but luckily it was a gang of cool folk to distract me from buying too much. I came up on these DOPE eggshell Pier-1 ceramic bowls with matching mugs.  Too cute and I'm too excited.
Buterum, yeah, I got compliments on my flat rhinestone and gem encrusted slip-ons all weekend. They were a birthday gift and lemme just say......the BUSINESS. Shot out?, shout out? to my homie Nya-don for hooking me up.  I got so many compliments on them. Only thing. A couple of the rhinestones fell out. I still wore 'em. You couldn't really tell unless i handed you my foot like "Yo. Here's my foot and shit." I was still HEATED though. But I still wore em. I've had a few of the rhinestones in my pocket for a few days but haven't had the attention span to actually  do somethin about it. I'll probably snatch a new pair up. Or DIY myself a pair.  Either way I love these. yeah:




Bamboo Moto-93

On another note, I have been on a shoe chase. Sometimes I think I have gaudy shoe tastes.  I'll just say tastefully ornamented for now. but yeah. Alot goes when it comes to me and shoes. But anyway, I had been chasing these shoes from Aldo since at least December.  Availability wasn't the problem, it was just I didn't agree with the price.  They are too stylish and I think I could have so much fun in them but it was the "principality" of the matter. I just did not think they should be marked at $90. But anyway, 8 mos. later and they're still not on sale and I'm still in love:




Aldo  Yanoco

I saw some that were really similar for a price that I was in agreement with.  I wish I could purchase both and compare and critique the comfort level, fit, and overall look on my foot. Maybe one day. I don't know what it is with me and lace shoes lately. They're just timeless to me. Okay focus:


Dorothy Perkins

Exercise and Wedges.

My two favorite things to do right now.  Shout out to Fashionelites from youtube for hipping me to these.  who knew. When I got them my baby toes were SUFFERING though.  I tried that stretching them with ice idea but er um.....I don't think that worked.  Then, I lost about 20 pounds and these puppies had the nerve to fit. I'm so happy but dam.  Were my piggies that fat? Anyway, woo-hoo Billy Blanks.  Now I want that Turbo Jam BAD.  Really bad. I was working out to the infomercial last night for a good 20 minutes.  I worked up a sweat. Sure did. It actually seems REALLY similar to my billy blanks workout dvds(that I got on Ebay for the low-low).  A lot of the moves seem to be staples of boxing but I still want it. I have to say exercising has really kept my attitude sunny when things haven't been going the best.  I think I'm addicted to it actually.   Troubles just don't seem like a big deal if I've sweated it out that day.  But yeah, ZYBIA, focus. I love these wedges.  Youtuber Fashionelites hipped me to them.  I watched them online for a while. You know how you might walk past a window display, go on about your business, and then find excuses to go walk past it again?  Well I did that online for about a month. They're just so badass. And the leather is so damn soft.   Yeah, I think I'll be wearing these all the way to November.  I have so much attitude with them on.  I wonder what Zybia means though. I googled it, no dice but the name is fitting.  I feel like a Zybian queen in these. lol




Music inspiration of the day:

Hodge Podge of Things that are giving me LIGHT right now

When I figure out how to put a music widget on here, I'll do that. But until then I'm including my dancehall/R&B addiction in this here shoe blog.  Shoes and music were made for each other. When I'm walking in some of my favorite shoes at the moment, I hear music. Usually Reggae or House.  This is what I'm hearing at the moment:

The Pleasure Riddim Medley



On to the shoes. Yes ma'am! Yes gur'!
This whole post was going to be about ALL BLACK shoes but then I got sidetracked. Shoutout to okayplayer.com for that. Shoutout to the post by Brownsugar and them for reminding me that summer is over. I don't want it to be over so Imma keep it summery and still look at peep toe boots,

Oh. I got some open toed wedges on my mind HARD. I gotta figure out how to freak them in the snow though. I have some heavy duty stockings that might do the trick. These babies seem winter appropriate yet African inspired.  I wish they had them in a brown or a dark clay.


All Black - Bomber in (black)




On the other hand. What is this tomfoolery?


All Black - Bomber in (brown)

I'm sure there is a woman out there who would be able to wear these teddy bear carcasses in some kind of way. But I just don't know where they get off killing teddy bears like this. Its just bogus. Oddly enough, there is one outfit these might go with. A birthday suit? There are absolutely no clothes that have been made yet that would accommodate these wedges.

Boots that I want to Boo up or just some boots that I like looking at:


Pura Lopez N531 Oxford



Pour La Victoire Lea




 Pour La Victoire Ida



Nicole Farhi Nitza






Miz Mooz Carlito




 
KG by Kurt Geiger Kitty




KG by Kurt Geiger Camillo




Fergie  Traffic Shootie ($129 Fergie? Really?They not even good leather Fergie. They cute though)






Due Farina  Treason

Due Farina    Marlo





Chinese Laundry   Kopin Kid





ALL BLACK   Sleek Boot





Aldo Depriest





Aldo Flomega