You asked for it

Look what popped into my inbox a couple of days ago. Oh, the irony! When I think about how much effort it took for those shoes to get here... But yes, you've read that correctly, they are finally here. I will have to reconsider buying from the States though, as I've been paying my ass off on customs fees and taxes. They almost cost as much as the shoes themselves! I've got the idea that I pay more whenever I buy discounted items, it's as if they add up the discount to the customs fees, and I end up paying just as much as I would have before the sales.

The Bette platforms are definitely a lot nicer than I had expected. For a purchase that was essentially an afterthought, they are stunning in the flesh.

The colours are much more vibrant, the crochet lace is gorgeous and elegant, and they'll look good even with tights come wintertime. And the best part? They are very comfortable, the US7 fits me perfectly as usual with Jeffrey Campbell shoes, and the padded soles make all the difference.

Bonus points for the major toe cleavage! Ssssexy!!

The pair of shoes that all the fuss was about, the Rockettes, are a bit of a letdown actually. They are gorgeous, as I was convinced they would be, but the sizing is completely off. When I tried them on this afternoon, it was tight but bearable. I could walk in them. Tonight, it has proven to be damn near impossible to get my feet in.

Lengthwise I can barely fit in them, but the problem sits within the very narrow toe box. My Daisy D's are narrow in the front as well, but at least I can get my feet in. I don't really understand the problem, as all my other pairs of Jeffrey Campbells are all size 7's and I've had no (real) problems with any of those. With the massive taxes I've paid for them, I guess there's nothing left for me to do but to try and stretch them out a bit. I'll keep you guys posted, that's for sure!

Shopping spree

Since my London shopping was kinda disappointing, I've been going crazy with the online shopping these last few days. I had counted on maybe buying a pair of Loubs, so I had a bit of a budget as well. I thought I'd give you girls a little preview of the shoes that are on their way to me.

First, I've decided to give Nasty Gal another try, since they really seem to be the online website who stocks up on those Rockette platforms I'm so hung up on. They did give me $25 credit though, after the last negative experience, so I decided to throw in a pair of these Bette crochet platforms as well, as they were already on sale and I really dig the ombre-like effect.

Next up I finally gave into the Asos Ablaze boots, in the scribble print. I'd been eyeing them for a long time ever since I saw them on this shoe girl, and they had finally come down enough in price to justify such a crazy purchase. I also scored some collateral damage (you're placing an order anyway, and suddenly these other things end up in your virtual shopping cart as well): Asos Prop courts in multi geo. With both shoes, it was the print that did me in. I'm just hoping I'll find a way to style them, as I seem to have gone nuts over prints lately.

And finally, I saw these new boots on New Look that reminded me so much of the studded boots from River Island aka "the ones that got away" (seriously, they're still selling on eBay for more than the original price), that I just had to have them. And I threw in a pair of Converse-like sneakers in a beautiful white broderie anglaise, since I'm wearing my turkoise pair a lot more than I would have thought.

How in the world am I ever going to bring the shoe challenge to a good end? (I am already way behind on my posting, I still have a couple of challenges to show you)

Not a happy puppy

It's been almost a month since I wrote about my Rockette victory, in which I scored the final pair of those amazing Jeffrey Campbell wedges. You have not seen those shoes appear on my blog though. I have been breaking my brain thinking of how to put my experience in words, and the key word is disappointment, to say the least. After I finally scored these babies, I was crazy with anticipation. I couldn't wait until their arrival. Sadly, my joy was short-lived.

No less than five days after my order confirmation (I was already wondering why the dispatching took so long), I received an email saying that Nasty Gal had "updated my order". I was informed that the Rockette platform was now out of stock, and that I was refunded my money and received $15 store credit. I don't get how it can suddenly be sold out. As soon as I hit the "pay now" button, the shoes disappeared from the website, just as they should have. So I wrote them an angry mail. And received $10 extra, as well as the promise that they would restock this item on the 30th of June.
I'm very curious to see if they will indeed get restocked, and am still contemplating whether or not I dare to take the plunge again. I had my eye on a couple of other styles as well (I love JC's Safety platforms, as well as the red Annabella), but I'm not sure how I feel about Nasty Gal's customer service after this disappointing experience. I guess we'll have to wait first and see whether they'll stick to their promise.
Have you ever had underwhelming experiences while shopping online?

Over the moon

I'm beside myself right now. I thought all was lost, and then fate dealt me a lucky hand. For months I have been deliberating over these Rockette platforms from Jeffrey Campbell. Months! At first, I was afraid they were a bit too extravagant, even for me. Until I decided I had to have them. Yes, I would dare to wear them! I would ignore all the crazy glances cast my way.
And then, you guessed it, they sold out. All of a sudden. One moment there were still some pairs (and some sizes) left, the next day they had disappeared off the website. While I was waiting for payday to come around, someone had gotten to them first.
I started "the hunt". I googled them, but only found the snake print version. (which is nice, but not as nice as the leopard) Nothing even turned up on eBay, except for these, which I find rather ugly. There was nothing left for me to do but to check out the Nasty Gal website every day, hoping and wishing and praying that someone would send them back. And today, they appeared like a magic genie from a bottle. Only one pair, just my size! Granted, they were pretty pricey for an impulsive purchase (it took me about a minute and a half from squeal to checkout), but then again, I don't think these count as impulsive anymore, do you?
I can't wait until these show up! I just hope that whomever sent them back, did it because they couldn't walk in them and not because something's wrong with them. Oh! Excited!