Recent eBay scores

Oh, how I love myself a good eBay score. I've been scouring eBay a lot lately, and I've made some pretty exciting purchases as well. What I've noticed though, is that not every eBay seller knows how to market his product. And I learned how to take advantage of that. Let's take the example of a pair of really "hyped up" shoes: the red Kurt Geiger Minnies with the polka dot bow. So the best description in the title would be something like "Red Kurt Geiger Minnie with polka dot bow". Simple, right? If everyone would post their items like that, all my automatic searches would work perfectly.

But, like I said, not everyone lists their items as clearly as that. So what I've discovered is that it really pays off to just go through the lists manually. It's time-consuming, yes, but that's how I scored my red Carvela Grass wedges, some red Minnies, a second pair of Ted Baker Keanahs and some Kurt Geiger London glitter Cabalahs. All of which I would have missed out on if I had only looked at the eBay alerts in my mailbox. And on the plus side: I got real bargains on all of these, since not many people "found" them. Those Grass wedges are very much sought after in red, as they have sold out nearly everywhere. They were listed as "Carvela by Kurt Geiger red suede peeptoe wedges UK Size 4". Not surprisingly, I was the only bidder and I scored them with the starting bid. So take my word for it, eBay is full of hidden treasures, just waiting to be uncovered...

A little list of my conquests (keep in mind that I usually pay about £10 for shipping extra):
Carvela Grass: £50 (retail price: £140) - worn maybe once, look as if they were tried on in the store
Kurt Geiger London Cabalah: £37 (retail price: £225) - same as above
Ted Baker Keanah: £35 (retail price: £80) - never worn, stickers still on the soles
Miss KG Minnie: £44 (retail price: £80) - never worn

Remember, all of these listings did not include the actual name of the shoe in the title. I've currently got my eye on another pair of Kurt Geigers, also listed without a name or a good description, so you better not whisk them away from me!

Shoe challenge #54: Birthday stripes

28. Pfew, how time flows by. Still, I absolutely love being the birthday girl, with all the attention and presents and partying that goes with it. Last night, on my birthday itself, the boyfriend and I went out to our favourite restaurant, but unfortunately the poor dear started feeling really unwell so we made it an early night.

My hair was still wet, which is why it's such a total mess. I always let it dry naturally, so every day it's a mystery how it will turn out. Some days are good, some days are, well, less good.

Nothing to do with shoes, this photo, but I liked it so much I just had to include it. I adore the colourful swirly stripes on the dress, and you know I always love it when dresses come with their own little belts. Double score!

I thought my Keanahs would be the perfect birthday shoe, as the exagerated bows remind me of presents, and last night was the perfect occasion to wear them for the very first time. They're not an exact match to the dress, but I dare anyone to tell me they're not perfect for each other.

Dress and belt Dorothy Perkins / shoes Ted Baker

Mayter

Just like Ted Baker's Keanah, these Mayter pumps excell because of their bows. Sure, the shape itself is lovely as well, but it's the folded bow that gives it its added value. Asos also has a red version in satin, but personally I'm quite taken by this silver glitter one. I know it's still a long time until the holidays (aka. the best excuse ever for glitter overload!), but it can't hurt being prepared, right? Sadly, this particular "preparation" would set you back €142, which is not within my own budget right now...

Shoe review: Keanah

Another verrrrrry exciting purchase: the infamous Ted Baker's Keanah. Like so many other shoes on my wishlist (it's actually written down, just so you know I'm pretty serious about said wishlist), I've had my eye (and my eBay alerts) on these for a long time. As is the navy version, but that's a different story. Obviously Shoeperwoman Amber is at least partly to blame for my Keanah obsession.

I can't say I'm angry about that though, as these are truly breathtaking in the flesh. The colours are amazing, albeit not my usual taste (I prefer pinks to coral), and that bow! Don't even get me talking about that exaggerated bow, or I won't be able to shut up.

I didn't know whether I would need a size 4 or 5 in these. As not that many pairs are popping up on eBay, when a pair of size 5's showed up in my alerts, I didn't hesitate. They were never worn (they still had the stickers on the soles and the original "filling" inside the shoes) and I got them half price (original price being £80). Luckily they are a great fit, as I find these 5's to be quite snug. Perfect for my fickle 4,5 feet. I'm not sure what I'll wear these with yet, but I can say that I'm very excited to save these puppies as soon as possible! Stay tuned!

Thuja!

I don't know about you, but I'm still not quite tired of the colour blocking trend yet. So it may come as no surprise that I think these Ted Baker jelly flats are pretty cute. Sure, they remind me a lot of what Melissa has been doing for years, but who can say no to an adorable pink/orange combo? Well, I almost can't. Not with that generous bow on top. Although that plaque on the back really annoys me. If you prefer your shoes slightly more subdued, you can opt for the black on cream or the cream on black options. They'll set you back £45, which is less than you'd pay for a pair of ... .

Resistance is futile

Just yesterday I told you that I would show some restraint when it came to buying shoes. Which I did. This week I very impressively talked myself out of buying these Ted Baker Keanahs in the Office sale. They're very pretty with that massive bow, but they wouldn't be my first choice out of the existing colour combinations. For instance, I'm loving the black on blue, and the black ones with lace. And the sparkly ones, of course. To be completely honest though, I did weasel out only at the very last minute. I had already entered my card information, but just had to confirm through electronic banking, which got interrupted because one of my colleagues had a question. So I was very, very close. Having had a little break, I decided to say no to the shoes, hence saving myself £50. (expensive shipping costs) Luckily, the shoes have by now sold out, thereby preventing any further dilemmas. And then came the coat.

This bright yellow Karen Millen coat. The Coat that I've been lusting for, literally drooling over, for almost two months now. I noticed it first on the Asos site, where it was rapidly selling out, despite the hefty price tag (over €300). I searched eBay for it, I checked the Karen Millen website, but I couldn't find a cheaper alternative. And I couldn't afford that kind of money on a coat, not even on The Coat. (I am a house owner now after all, which comes with its responsibilities)
But then this morning, I was checking the sales, just for fun. Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, ... And one of those websites had a banner on it, a banner that read 'shop Karen Millen sale'. I decided it couldn't hurt to take a look, maybe there was a nice dress for grabs. I didn't expect The Coat to be on sale. But it was. 50% off to be exact, which would still make it a splurge for something I don't really need, but at least one within my budget.
I hesitatingly looked at my computer screen for 30 minutes. I asked my co-worker to tell me to buy it. He told me it was a "very Daisy" coat. I hesitated a little more. And then I remembered that I had been stalking yellow coats on eBay for a couple of weeks now, but that nothing really struck my fancy like this one did. And that it is Christmas weekend after all, I'll probably be getting some money here and there. So I bought it. And so the waiting for packages starts anew... If you were to look up the word 'weak' in the dictionary, there's probably a photo of me next to it.

All wrapped up with a bow on top

Some shoes are harder to wear than others, and they end up left unworn in the back of your closet. When you keep buying that same particular style that you never wear, that little collection in the back of your closet has nothing to do but grow. Out of proportion. My overindulged weakness? Peep toes. To be more exact: evening style peep toes. I own a couple of satin versions (almost impossible to wear) in all kinds of colours, I own sparkly pairs, and they have never even seen the daylight. You catch my drift.

The fact that I'm aware of that problem growing in my shoe collection is exactly the reason why I'm not buying these Ted Baker pumps. They are everything I shouldn't be buying: satin, pink (I must own about 8 pairs of pink shoes by now) and peep toe. But oh, how I love the oversized red bow. And how I could show them off at weddings and fancy parties. Just one problem: I hardly ever have such events to attend. So unless all my friends start planning weddings, I (and my shoes) am doomed. If you have just the occasion for these though, you can buy them at Asos for €103.