To Sell or Not to Sell?

I have a pair of Gina's Floyd heels (for a picture of them, follow this link: http://www.gina.com/client/theshop/productsview1.aspx?search=1&categoryid=0&searchspecialoffer=1&productname=floyd&colorid=0&heelheight=0) and by goodness I love them. They are glamorous, they are beautiful and I adore looking at them. I take them out of their golden satin dustbag sometimes. I hide them at house parties. Occasionally I'll catch a glimpse of their black and silver coffin out of the corner of my eye and smile quietly to myself, smug in the knowledge that, despite all subconscious pleas to the contrary, I bought them and they are nobodys buy mine. One thing I don't do very much though, is actually wear them. This seems, even to me (their honorable keeper), more than faintly ridiculous. It's just that they actually seem too lovely to be worn outside of my house. So far I have done so only once, when I went to the Mulberry party last London Fashion Week. Every other time I have been tempted, I have been simultaneously concerned: what if it rained and they got wet? What if someone stepped on my toe? What if I killed them? Every time I have simply stroked the Floyds lovingly and returned them to their rightful home.

I'm 24 now and feel it might be time to face reality a bit more squarely in the face: I am not somebody who is wealthy enough to wear such a shoe. If I could get a taxi/limo to parties, then fine. I would wear away with wild abandon but, as it goes, it's tubes, trains and buses a-go-go at the mo-mo. What to do? I'd love to go on holiday but can't as keep spending my hard-earned pennies on frivolous things such as Floyd. Should I E-bay and head for the sun? Should I continue living the dream, desperately hoping that someone will eventually send a fantastically glossy car to get me from A to B?

I need to wear these shoes but my own damn guilt won't let me! They weren't even that expensive - £215 marked down from £430 (I also go a little discount on top of this, I'm not at liberty to explain why). Victoria Beckham can buy shoes like this whenever she wants so WHY CAN'T I?! I think (through this therapeutic tirade) I have managed to answer my own question. I will set up a Pay Pal account tomorrow. Probably...

Also, can I honestly, regret-free sell my black Chloé Paddington (see photo below)? I love it a bit less now, finding the padlock cumbersome at best and, apparently (according to Grazia), they're fetching quite the price at the moment (as they can no longer be purchased from Chloé). Answers on a postcard/comment box - please readers, talk some sense into me!

10 Words of Desire

01. These

02. Thakoon

03. Mirrored

04. Mosaic

05. Boots

06. Are

07. Roisin

08. Murphy

09. Incarnate

10. YUM!

2009's Style Icon: an Homage to Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung has made it to the top of Vogue’s ‘20 Most Stylish of 2009.’ With her special brand of indie tomboy eccentricity, she has featured on my fashion radar for a while now and I have long admired her ability to dress down even the most frou-frou of frocks with flat loafers and messy hair. Championing the Breton top in a way girls from the Hills can only but dream, Alexa has beaten Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and (even) Lady Gaga to the Number 1 spot.

I have cherry-picked my favourite Alexa looks from the finest Google images search. Thanks to everyone I have stolen them from, I hope they provide all of you with a little sales shopping inspiration.

Currently, I am far too full of Quality Street to even contemplate trying on new clothes but, after an imminently sober and starving January, perhaps I can begin to consider a new Alexa-inspired wardrobe.

Super Sales

I still have a few Christmas pressies to buy but my retail brain simply cannot resist wandering towards sales time. I'm especially looking forward to Mulberry's sale which opens on Boxing Day. With my Christmas money (hope you're reading, generous relatives!) I will be buying the brand's Daria Patent Hobo in Rouge Noir. A wonderful example of glossy loveliness, I will happily hand over £455 (instead of the usual £650) to have this hanging off my arm in January. Perhaps I will choose to survive solely on turkey sandwiches and pair it with the marvellous Bayswater Knee Boots, also avaliable in the deliciously entitled Rouge Noir patent leather. They're a snip at £297 (marked down from £495). Elbows at the ready girls.

Daria Patent Hobo: http://www.mulberry.com/?gclid=CMPc07uF654CFR9o4wodF1rtIQ#/storefront/c5482/3805/category/

Bayswater Knee Boots: http://www.mulberry.com/?gclid=CMPc07uF654CFR9o4wodF1rtIQ#/storefront/c5508/3908/category/

Urban Dressing

I was doing a spot of internet browsing over the weekend. Not only did this mean that I avoided becoming a human ice cube, it also meant that I discovered these rather lovely pieces on http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/. As well as carrying established names such as Acne, See by Chloe and Peter Jensen, I was pleased to discover some really cool labels I was unfamiliar with; Vaudeville & Burlesque and Karen Walker to list but two.

I particularly loved the selection of dresses (as you can probably tell from my picks!)

Ho Ho Ho: Attack of the Santa Clones

Another year, another party. This time we celebrated Christmas with a big old bash entitled 'Attack of the Santa Clones' the rules? Everyone had to dress as the main man and, for the most part, everyone did. Here are few (carefully selected, friends) pictures.

Favourite festive joke of the evening?

Q. What's the difference between Tiger Woods and Santa Claus?
A. Santa stops after 3 ho's

Swishing

Swishing or, if you prefer, swapping-clothes-you-no-longer-love, has hit London in a big way. Tampax hosted a wonderful event complete with beautiful iced cupcakes, champagne and a cardboard cut-out of Mother Nature herself. Held in Soho's glamorous Punk, it was fun and productive - who knew an outfit of size 18 sparkly trousers and a love-worn bunny jumper would work together?!

It helped to have stylish fellow bloggers to swish with!

Delish cupcakes

Hanging out with Tampax's Mother Nature character

A glamorous character wearing an amazing head-piece by genius modern milliner Piers Atkinson

Victoria Ufondu doing some savvy shopping

I get a bit over-excited about my finds

One of the dresses I got from the evening - I'm thinking it's quite Sofia Coppola with flats

My fave swishing outfit - everything I'm wearing I got that evening, except for the belt (vintage) and the shoes (Primark-copying-Gucci!)

Louboutin Lust

Why can't I just win the lottery/at scratchcards/at the casino already? Then I could actually own shoes like this rather than just staring at the hallowed pages of Net-a-Porter with pure, unadulterated lust. Carrying a rather gasp-inducing price tag of £1, 595 I think I am resigned to dreaming about Brigette 140 python shoe boots. Some cultures believe that if you dream about the same thing three times in a row, it will come true. I bloody hope they're right - I'm off to eat some cheese and catch some z's...

Cheryl's Stylish Weekend

I confess, I couldn't have cared less who won the X Factor (I believe it was the smiley boy from South Shields who eventually triumphed). I did, however, practically strain my neck trying to see what everyone was wearing on the telly, especially the nation's sweetheart Cheryl Cole. First up was this Manjit Deu mermaid number:

I like this one but I do think a woman's confidence shines through when she is comfortable and Cheryl shuffled rather awkward. I worried when she faced the stairs, I really did. Gorgeous number though, if seated. Hair should have been swept up in an elegant chignon rather than hanging in her face if you ask me.

Next up was this ballgown-like black frock:

Forgive me, not sure of the designer - it looks like Marchesa but I can't be 100% certain. People appear to have been quite harsh about it but I quite like it actually. The transparency at the bottom is a little cheap but in general the gown reminds me of those cupcake dolls (in a good, unscented way). On the whole? Dramatic choices that suited the occasion. Dannii's done-to-death 'gladiator's wife' looks could have been improved with more natural styling (and continued resistance to Botox). She seemed proud to have styled herself while Cheryl had help but, you know what? Sometimes it's worth leaving things to the experts.

10 Words of Desire

01. A

02. Mawi

03. Claw

04. Set

05. Pearl

06. Necklace

07. Is

08. What

09. I'm

10. After

Jada Styles

Stylist to the stars, Jada Styles has just opened a fab new shop in the rather luvvie location of our fair capital's Kings Road in Chelsea. If you're deeply in the midst an 'oh goodness what will I get him for Christmas' panic then this is one shopping location to place firmly on your radar. Look out for achingly cool brands Deceiver, Antik Denim and Silver Dagger.

Ring the bell of this exclusive shopping retreat and prepare to enter a luxe land of cool one-offs and the most covetable menswear brands around.

535 Kings Road, SW1 020 7351 6563

All I Want for Christmas Part 1: Beauty Picks from ASOS.com

Listen up Mr. Claus: I have been a very good girl this year and am therefore expecting a stocking fit to bursting and a truck-load of pressies under my evergreen. Don't fob me off with any of this 'Credit Crunch Christmas' nonsense alright?

We'll work through my gifting demands in groups, let's start with beauty bits. ASOS.com have some amazing buys that won't mean breaking the bank (or in your case, having to make any elves redundant), here are my favourites from their Winter collection:

Asos Nail Paints by Ciaté. Any and all of the amazing colours - from apple green 'Pixie' to deep red 'Gwen,' they are all stocking-worthy.

Forget Frosty the Snowman - it's all about Benefit's Frosty the white shimmering eye pencil. Line your eyes with it and highlight your brow and cupid's bow to look wide-eyed and bushy tailed post party!

Bourjois' limited edition eyeshadows are available exclusively at ASOS.com. Pretty packaging, gorgeous shimmering colours. This rich aubergine shade is a great alternative to the usual black smoky eye.

Okay, perhaps this is more of an 'under the tree' pressie but GHDs are every girl's essential. Some of the proceeds of these pink ones go to Breast Cancer UK and can therefore be bought entirely guilt-free.

Ooh I love Illamasqua! Previously only avaliable at Selfridges, this professional-style make-up can now be purchased online at ASOS too - this rich red shade looks amazing with black liner and tons of glossy lashes (they so some great false lashes for when mascara isn't enough).

Pretty, pretty packaging from a new perfume brand, Crazylibellule. I want it!!

Paul & Jo's foundation is dreamily light and the bottle is heavenly on any dressing table.

Pop's new palette is a must for slipping inside any clutch. Change you eyeshadow colour every hour (why not, it's Christmas!)

With Pure's lip gloss set you can wear a different shade for 6/7 days a week (who wears make-up on Sundays anyway)

We'll work through my gifting demands in groups, let's start with beauty bits. ASOS.com have some amazing buys that won't break the bank, here are my favourites from their Winter collection: