Summer

All posts in the Summer category

When it’s ok not to blog about your life

Published August 30, 2014 by iftheshoefits

I’ve hardly updated this blog for the last few months – not because I don’t know what to write about, but because what’s been going on hasn’t been my story to write – and the people that I love don’t need to read about their lives through my eyes on these pages.  But those same people need distractions and so I’m back, by parental demand.

In a nutshell, I’ve still been buying shoes (including the shiny happy sparkly boots that arrived in a big parcel of happiness yesterday), I’ve still been going to the gym (well, not quite so much as I should have been) and I’m still enjoying a glass of wine or two.

Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits and I have bought bicycles (electric bikes with power assisted pedalling – so that we can race each other uphill), and well, we’re growing middle-aged disgracefully.  I bought a sensible-ish folding one, but he went for a mountain bike with suspension, just because he could.  His bike looks as cool as all hell but my one is way quicker from a standing start (as we discovered doing a mini grand prix in our local supermarket car park).  

I’ve been to summer barbecues, wedding receptions, and have been camping in the Cotswolds. I’ve laughed and cried like no other time in my life and endeavour to be a better person, to let the people I love and who love me, know that they are always in my thoughts.

Life is way too short, but enjoy it in every way you can.  Now, I’m off to ride my byocycle, I’m off to ride my bike…

Pretty in Pink (take 2)

Published June 7, 2014 by iftheshoefits

The first pretties didn’t last long and they’ve been returned as faulty 😦

Fear not, my intrepid fabulous shoe finding abilities prevailed and I found myself with a pair of these little lovelies:

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Can’t imagine that I’ll be running for the bus anytime soon in them, but they do look divine.

Pretty in pink

Published May 20, 2014 by iftheshoefits

With the beginnings of a pale-skinned golden glow I’ve decided to embrace this summer’s ice-cream pastels.
I’m loving these little beauties – comfortable, cute and practical – albeit I sound like an excited Shetland pony at anything above sauntering pace – clogs do not allow for ninjaesque stealth skills.

pink clogs

pretty in pink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll be teaming them with this  baby pink cropped blazer – let’s hope the sunshine lasts longer than my patience!

asos clean pink blazer

pretty in pink

… 28 mosquito bites later

Published September 22, 2013 by iftheshoefits

I have seven little bites, Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits has twenty-one rather angry ones and this has turned him into Mr Itchy McScratchy.  I know he has twenty-one because I counted them after a mammoth scratching session. Most of them are clustered on his upper body, although he does have a particularly fruity one on his rump (and no, I don’t have any pictures of that one)!

You’d think that two Scots would know better, that an idyllic lake-side view with an open bedroom window is just asking for trouble.  But, as we weren’t on holiday on the west coast of Scotland, midge control was far from our minds as we went down to a wine induced sleep blissfully unaware of what we were doing to ourselves.

I was rudely awakened at 4am by Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits apologising as he switched on lights and morphed into The Naked Mosquito Hunter.  It was quite the sight I can tell you.  The walls were soon smeared in our own blood as mosquito after mosquito fell to his dextrous hands.  We thought we had got them all and tried to settle down to sleep once again, but I was buzzed once more and leapt shrieking from the bed.  And there we were, Mosquito Massacre part deux.

In the morning, we were comparing bites to blood-smeared walls and believed we must have got them all.  Alas, this was not the case.  Some sneakily smart blighters went commando on us and waited until we were asleep the next night too as we awoke to more bites than we’d gone to bed with.

Luckily, I had packed enough anti-histamines for both of us which managed to reduce the itching if not the bites themselves.

The very last hotel we stayed at had fly screens on the windows so you could sleep with the windows open without being feasted upon – talk about too little too late.

Note to self for next trip, pack some insect repellant.

Turns out these boots were made for walking after all

Published September 22, 2013 by iftheshoefits

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Safely back in Brizzle with a mournful lament at leaving The Alps behind us and an alarming amount of washing it’s back to life as we know it.  Reality hit hard with an 06:40 alarm call for Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits as he headed off to film in some spectacularly unglamorous location.

And, in between loading and unloading the washing machine, I thought I would update you on how well these little beauties did.  They safely jogged across Schipol Airport to meet a rather tight connection; they gazelle-like leapt on and off hop-on-hop-off city bus tours; they were nimbly secure up and down the 700 steps (some of which at a 45 degree angle) of the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves; they were sure footed on the snowy tips of the Grossglockner mountain range; and most of all, they made me smile every time I did something mildly energetic.

I’m not saying that they should replace my hiking boots, but if you’re already used to stomping around the world in impractical footwear you can’t beat these.  They were in my top three holiday in the rainy Alps hero items – the other two included my lightweight cream North Face jacket (I needed both windproof and waterproof) and my large leather Boden bag with built-in iPad pocket and security purse.  If only we’d packed some insect repellant – more of that on a later post…

…28 mosquito bites later

View from hotel, Salzkammergut Region

Published September 17, 2013 by iftheshoefits

Well, Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits and I are half way through our 10 day trip around Austria.
We’ve experienced culture in Vienna; kitschness & lederhosen in Graz; schnapps & stuffed marmosets up Grossglockner; detours & landslides around Innsbruck; coffee, cake and hills alive with the sound of music in Salzburg; and now we’re in the idyllic Salzkammergut region.
We’ve got a few more days exploring to go – ice caves a go go and more alpine villages than you can shake a cow bell at. And that’s without an endless supply of Mozart balls.
It may have been stressful getting here but, boy, are we enjoying ourselves.
Will post again once back in Blighty.

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Pre-holiday stresses

Published September 8, 2013 by iftheshoefits

You’ve got to ask yourself with less than 4 days to go – is going on holiday actually worth it?

It will be, but right around this time you think you’re going mad.  Mad as a bucket of frogs to be precise. It all gets a bit overwhelming –  bills need to be paid, the washing and ironing need to be up-to-date, getting the right amount of food in the fridge is a black art and you want to change your bed linen so that you have a lovely clean bed to come back to.  And that’s just at home – the countdown at work is worse, appraisals and 1:1 meetings need to be held, interviews for new posts need to be conducted, paperwork needs to completed and filed, and handover meetings on key projects must be prioritised.

And I still need to pluck, preen and pedicure my way into holiday mode.  I also need a manicure and if I can fit it in, a visit to the hairdresser to cover up those sneaky grey strands that have so very conveniently reappeared this morning.

So if anyone asks me if I’m looking forward to my break, the answer on Wednesday evening when all of this is done will be a resounding “yes”, but until then I’ll be running around like an idiot making sure everything’s done.  And probably swearing, under my breath admittedly, but swearing nonetheless.

My mantra for the next few days, “Going on holiday is fun, no really, it is”.

Counting Down to Summer

Published September 2, 2013 by iftheshoefits

I have 7 working days left before I go on my summer holiday – this is both fabulous and daunting.

I’m really looking forward to 10 days off travelling around with Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits who also needs a break as he’s been working his derriere off. We’re not very good at staying in one place and relaxing, we get cabin fever so we’re flying off to Europe on a 10 day road trip. I love road trips – he drives and I read interesting things out of guide books to him (in between naps). We roam and take photos all the while looking for interesting coffee shops and enticing patisseries. He loves mountains and I love the sea – our last break was to the seaside, therefore this time we’re heading to the Alps.

And so, I’m in countdown mode – frantically crossing items off my work to-do lists and adding more onto the bottom. It’s comforting (kind of) and it relaxes my control freak mentality. But the best part of all is reworking the holiday essentials packing list, tweaking and amending ad infinitum until it’s perfect. The red wedge hi tops are en route to me so here’s hoping that they fit – if not, I’ve found an alternative pair in town so all is not lost. I showed them to the Mr and he was surprised at how nearly practical they were – I’ll take that as approval then. Although my Mum, on hearing that I needed yet more shoes, lamented the loss of my white kicker boots that I’d had since primary school (yes that would make them more than 30 years old) which would have done me just fine ! Ho hum, you can’t win them all.

Cranking up the pace (aka getting ready for a holiday)

Published September 1, 2013 by iftheshoefits

Lots of folks are coming back from their summer break rip roaring and ready to go.  I’ve certainly noticed a renewed energy from those returning to work anyways.

But spare a thought for those of us who haven’t taken more than a few days off this summer – those of us who have battled on through the heat waves, the monsoon rain and the thunderstorms that have defined this epic summer.

But don’t feel too bad for me since we’re heading off for a 10 day break in less than 2 weeks time (hooray). However, it does mean more stress at work trying to get everything done before I go (and that’s quite the list).

I’ve compiled my holiday packing list too, but in doing so have realised that I need a new pair of trainers as I’m only taking 3 pairs of shoes with me – wearing one pair and packing two more.  I’m taking the lovely yellow wedge sandals, some khaki Birkenstocks that go with everything but I also need something a bit more practical – a pair that are both supportive and good looking for some more strenuous activity.  I was going to take my walking boots, but they’re just too ugly and only look good with some suitably outdoorsy clothes.  So this weekend has been spent trawling the internet for something practical and stylish – and that’s easier said than done.

I’m also getting in those last batch of workouts and have averaged 3-4 a week at the moment which is pretty good for me.  I may not be quite bikini fit yet, but I’m not that far off from where I want to be.  So I’ll continue hitting the gym with gusto knowing that it’s doing me some kind of good – all the while getting rid of the muffin tops.

So off I go to have one last look and fill that online shopping cart, I need to do it soon so that I can break them in before we go.  Well, that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it 🙂

The Perils of Being Pale

Published August 12, 2013 by iftheshoefits

I am pale, painfully so, it’s my heritage.  I can go brown, or so I believe, but it would take about 6 months of gentle and continuous sun exposure.

During my mis-spent youth I spent a fortune on tanning lotions and potions, one of which I was so allergic to I needed anti-histamine cream to get the swelling down.  I did try a sun bed once, but, like my experiences with train toilets, it’s not something that bodes well for me.  I stripped off, put the tiny goggles on, allowed the top to lower automatically and obediently stayed under for the designated time.  Unfortunately, the hinge malfunctioned and I was trapped like a slowly roasting chicken.  Luckily for me, a queue was building up outside and an attendant came in to rescue me.  Not an experience I wish to repeat in this lifetime.  Embarrassment 10, Dignity 0.

So for the last 8 years or so I’ve come to love the pale and interesting look.  This summer has been amazing so far and I’ve accidentally allowed myself to burn a couple of times. Each time, I get some new tan lines and I go up one shade on the pantene colour chart.

Today, however, I’m scarlet.  Ouchily so.

Yesterday,  I was assisting Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits on one of his jobs, we were on the coast, it was windy and a tad overcast.  No need for the suncream at all then.  That was until about 2pm when the sun well and truly put its hat on, we were only out in it for an hour or so, but that was enough.  Burned to a crisp.  Mr ShoeThatAlwaysFits was ok – a bit red around the gills, but otherwise fine.  I on the other hand, well, there’s only one word for me, scarlet.  Ouchilly scarlet.  You can see the strap lines of my vest, my watch line, even that I was wearing 2 different necklaces.  Oh, for a bit of foresight and a bandeau top.  But a bandeau top when you’re moving around unpredictably is an accident waiting to happen.  And there’s only so many embarrassing incidents I can cope with in one lifetime.

So, I’ll be taut and crisp for a few days, peel a bit, and then turn a slightly darker shade of pale.

Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside, Oh I do like to be beside the sea.  But, like Baz Luhrmann says, “Wear Sunscreen”.

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