New Year's Eve: WiiFit and Support Bandages

Well, 2012 is nearly at an end and are you looking forward to 2013?  Well, yes I am, I've made my New Year's Resolutions and boy aren't they tough?  You'll forgive me if I don't share them with you, but they're rather personal and this is the interweb after all.

As you can imagine, top of most people's lists is the desire to get fit and remain so.  We bought a WiiFit this year: ostensibly for my son but mainly as a family present - yes, I know the system's been around since 2008 and it's now 'old hat' compared to the shiny new WiiU but not being one who buckles to trends, I have held off buying a games console for many years now.  Most of you will be aware of the range of games and activities on the WiiFit system, so I won't bore you with them but suffice to say that it's very addictive and my current personal faves are rhythm boxing and step aerobics.  The only issue is that you can't wear trainers to use the system because it may damage the balance board, so I think I've slightly jarred my left foot as a result and am having to strap it up as demonstrated in the picture below:

Some people get aroused by bandages don't they?  I guess that they're the same folks who like their partners to wear latex gloves whilst touching them.  It's a free world I suppose.

Finally, let's talk sports bras - an essential part of any woman's work out gear, especially if the female in question is busty.  I bought this one in the M&S sale, so I didn't pay the full amount on the ticket.  It's very tight but I've no doubt that it'll pay dividends in ensuring that my bust doesn't graze me knees in the medium to long term!

Finally I would like to wish all of my readers a Happy New Year - hopefully I'll have enough material to write more entries in 2013.

Happy Christmas, Festive Tootsies & and an interview with the Duchess

"It's Chrissssttttmmmmasss!" as the venerable Sir Noddy Holder once sang and yes indeed, it is.  2012 is drawing to a close and our thoughts turn to eating turkey, pulling crackers and generally drinking before lunchtime.  What are you all up to?  Mine's a quiet one and is being spent with the Duke, the Earl and the dowager Duke and Duchess - i.e. my parents.

I thought I'd enclose a snap of my latest pedicure - my toenails are adorned with Boots Number 7 'vivid violet' shade and I think you'll agree, it's both festive and fun.  You'll also, no doubt be impressed by seeing the bottom of my pyjama trousers - oooohhhh!   Lovely.

The Duchess on Feet: a festive interview

Q: So, what is it with you and your feet?
A: I guess it's because they're not conventionally attractive - i.e. they're far larger than the majority of women's in the UK where I believe that the average size is about 5 or 6.  The Grimms' Fairy Tale Cinderella has a lot to answer for, especially the original version where both of the Ugly Sisters mutilate their feet to fit into the heroine's tiny glass slipper.  Does this mean that women who sport a larger foot are deemed unattractive?  Yeah, probably.

Q: Have you ever dated anyone with smaller feet than yourself?
A: Yes indeed, I once 'walked out' (how I love that term!) with a gentlemen who had size 7 feet (eek!) - I must admit, along with a short stature, small hands and feet on men are pretty much a turn off for me.  My husband, the Duke has a sturdy size 11 which is perfect.

Q: Have you ever received any negative comments about the size of your feet?
A: I have on a few occasions, yes.  I seem to recall taking part in a trampoline lesson at school where we had to just wear socks and some of the other girls took the mickey somewhat.  I was always gutted that I couldn't purchase fashionable shoes from shops such as Dolcis and instead had to buy Hush Puppies instead. 

Q: You're a huge fan of Birkenstocks - what attracted you to the teutonic comfort sandal?
A: I once owned a Next copy of the footbed style sandal and really liked those but read that Birkies are the real deal.  The first pair I bought from Amazon was a three strap Florida style in a beige colour called 'ice' and they were immediately comfortable.  I wore them to death for about three years but adored them.  The next purchase was a silver pair of single strap Madrid and then the toe post brown Mayari.  I recall reading reviews of the shoes on the web; clearly I am a complete sad case!

Q: Do you have any other comments?
A: I enjoy writing the blog and am always impressed when I receive hits from across the globe.  Sometimes I'm not sure whether it's just people looking at the pictures and ignoring the text, but hey ho!

Friday: new Adidas Samba and stocking woes!

It's starting to feel an awful lot like Christmas - well apparently that's true and if you take into consideration just how darn crowded the shops are then you'll probably agree.  Luckily I've completed the majority of my festive shopping, not that I had to do a great deal, I'm not a huge fan of buying presents for the sake of it, not because I'm mean, heaven forbid!  I'm just fed up with people trying to exchange things I've bought or just being plain ungrateful.

Regular readers will be more than aware of the problems I have with plimsoll style shoes such as Converse and Superga: mainly that the lining tends to wear out on the back of the heel which causes my socks to develop whacking great holes and leads to blisters.  Well, I have been thinking and believe that a trainer may be the answer to my prayers, as the heel lining is much thicker and as a result, more robust, so knowing my love of 'old skool' footwear I went to JD Sports and tried on some Adidas Samba suede trainers.  By happy coincidence the beige pair was on offer - £45 marked down from £57.  My husband, his Grace, The Duke likes wearing these so I thought I'd follow his lead and found them very smart indeed.  The sizing's a bit skimpy though: I tried on both the 9 and 10 and found the former a little too big and the latter far too big - perhaps I'm the Goldilocks of sports casual footwear?  Who knew?

Talking of Adidas Originals and indeed their originator, Adi Dassler, I was aware that he convened the brand and his brother invented Puma training shoes.  They both had very 'interesting' political views though.   Changing the subject swiftly from right wing politics straight back to footwear, I once owned a few pairs of Puma Mostros and loved them.  Unfortunately they were quite small fitting but they looked great.

Stocking woes: hmm - ladders, ripped stocking tops.  I'm not having a great time with them to be honest.  I am not a huge fan of 7 denier nylon - it's far too fragile for my liking.

Tuesday: season's greetings and sparkly tights

'Santa Claus is Coming to Town' drones Bruce Springsteen or 'The Boss' as he's popularly known.  I don't know if you agree, but I don't really like the majority of his music and find him rather over-rated.  Fair enough, I'm entitled to my opinion and you to yours.

Yes, Christmas creeps even closer and no, I haven't finished shopping for it yet.  Tomorrow means that I can nip into town and pick up some M&S vouchers for the teachers and after school club staff - when did life get so complicated?  Without sounding like a complete fogey, this school present malarkey didn't happen in my day - I don't get presents for doing my job, do I?  I wish I did, I adore nice things, but hey ho.

You raised the notion of sparkly tights?  Oh yes, here's the picture you've no doubt been waiting for, either by pressing F5 on your laptop or refreshing your iPad, iPhone, Galaxy Tab or whatever fan-dangled thing you use to access t'internet on (other systems are available on the worldwide market...)

Yes, they're sparkly and rather fetching, but tell us, oh mighty Duchess, are they comfortable?  Well, I can categorically state that they fell down all day and I had to retire to the ladies toilet to keep re-adjusting them.  I'm pretty sure that they were M&S tights too, which as you'll no doubt be aware of from reading my blog regularly, shouldn't really do that.

Don't you just adore them teamed with bronze Clarks Finnis asymmetric mary janes?  Well, yes, they're great thanks and did I recall you saying that you've got your eye on a black patent version of these shoes on eBay?  Well remembered, I have indeed but priced at £49.99 + £5.99 P&P they're a little expensive.  Of course, I am also loving the Clarks Mauritius biker style boots though, which are pictured below but they're £69.99 + £5.50 P&P, so again, rather steep.  Blah!  I absolutely bloody love footwear, something which you may have noticed from reading this blog.

Sunday: tights and turquoise socks

I am a blogger who checks her statistics regularly: well who wouldn't with such technological feats on offer?  What is increasingly coming clear that pictures of my long shapely legs clad in tights are proving popular in Google searches and why not indeed?  I do have to confess that I have a huge drawer of hosiery, some of which is very new, some older and much of the nylon mix is a bit bobbly and is in desperate need of a good sort out.  So Duchess, please tell us, do you wear stockings at all?  Well thanks for asking - I do own a few pairs of hold ups as they're very sexy indeed and I like the idea of a lacy stocking top but for that very reason would be a little worried about wearing them out of the house in case they fell down.  Although I do feel that a quick glimpse of such a thing would cause many men to have a coronary which would undoubtedly liven up a dull meeting if nothing else!

I am not particularly inhibited though: which is probably a combination of years of appearing in amateur dramatics productions where one is forced to change in a drafty hall and make quick adjustments in the wings whilst being elbowed out of the way by pushier cast mates.  Also my singing pastime ensures that I'm no shrinking violet.  Thinking of am dram and hold ups, I always found it amazing how quickly some women like shedding their clothes and appearing on stage clad in just their underwear.  Actually - if you're a single bloke and you don't mind spending your weekends mending flats and rigging lights, then join an am dram group - I promise you that you'll almost definitely get laid, or even to first base if that's your thing.

You're all very visual people aren't you and undoubtedly you adore a picture, so here's the image du jour - a pair of turquoise socks.  God, I do spoil you all sometimes, don't I? 

Thursday: leather, foot slaves and Amazon wish lists

I have just been looking at an American woman's site and she asks for slaves/foot worshippers and they pay her via Amazon gift vouchers or purchase stuff off of her wishlist http://spoilmyfeet.com/how-to-be-my-foot-slave/  Interesting, especially as she is also in possession of a large pair of feet.  If anybody wants to send me any vouchers the email's stuckinarutinwinter@yahoo.co.uk  I live in hope!  I've no doubt it'd be more lucrative than eBay, especially after they and PayPal have taken their cut.  Hmmm.  The sissy buyer of my socks hasn't yet paid me: I'm not a happy Duchess and, like The Incredible Hulk, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry!

Here's a bit of leather action for your enjoyment; I adore the cuff and also sometimes wear it on my ankle!

Wednesday: slippery when icy and hot pink items

I wish this freezing fog would go away - keeping one's footing on icy pavements isn't easy, hence it was out with the knee length tan Dr Martens diva boots once more.  I was thinking of ways how to stop the leather at the back of the heel rucking and wondered whether stuffing them with old clothes may stretch them out a bit?  Perhaps I'll give it a go.

I joined the 'flash' choir at work today and sung my little heart out for nearly an hour; I thought it may have included some nudity, but luckily it did not as our insurance doesn't cover such eventualities.  I do miss my singing - I'll re-join the ladies choir in January but it was nice to have a warble, despite not being able to quite reach the descant notes as I'm a soprano two which equates to a slightly lower range.  Actually my voice is feeling a little raw because although I drank the requisite amount of water beforehand I didn't undertake any vocal warm ups prior to engaging my vocal cords which is rather silly of me.

Hot pink: yes, I'm starting to love it.  Please find attached pic of my John Lewis leather gloves.  Mmmm - they're adorable, soft as butter and supple as a, well a gymnast covered in olive oil.  The mighty Frank Skinner once played a dodgy quiz show host in a few episodes of the Sky1 comedy Time Gentlemen Please called Cheeky Alan Supple and sported a splendid comb-over hairstyle.

I also own a fabulous pair of hot pink socks from M&S which you'll see I've charmingly teamed with leopardskin print pumps and leggings for a rather odd rockabilly look.  Apparently the 'fash pack' call it Leo - the print that is, it's not a reference to the lustrously haired and amazingly vocally talented singer, Mr Sayer. 

Monday: dentist, threading and musing

I often find myself meandering around the borough - well it's mostly because I don't drive and have to walk everywhere but when the sun's shining and it's a mighty 5 degrees Celsius outside who cares?  School run - check, walk to the next suburb to have a dental check up with inclusive clean, polish, x-ray and filling appointment - done.  I did notice that at least two of the glossy magazines featured the singer/philanthropist/dancer and now skincare guru, Lulu, which was obviously illuminating.  Somebody I was once on a stand-up comedy course with said that her mother had been Lulu's first manager, which was quite revealing to say the least.  Finally, onto eyebrow threading - pull, tug: done.

Here's a window display of shoes I saw whilst walking about - lovely aren't they?  You can tell that you're nearing middle age when such things appeal.  I am loving the combination of comfort, low heels and buckles - yummy! 

Right: that's me done for the day - after logging onto my work email at lunchtime and discovering that I'd not been successful at interview for a lateral transfer - yes, you're reading this right, it's not a promotion, it's merely a lateral move.  The feedback was pretty awful, rather damning and quite frankly fairly fucking useless so my services clearly aren't required.  In hindsight though I truly believe that I've had a lucky escape in the longer term.  It does make me wonder though, whether I've chosen to follow the correct career path but re-training as a crystal therapist or a hot stone healer doesn't really appeal, I'm just not that kind of person. 

Saturday: the joy of stats and of course, the V+ box

I often look at the stats pertaining to this blog and am heartened to see that it's read across the globe.  I am slightly surprised about some aspects though: does Blogger have a translation service because otherwise people not conversant in the Queen's English wouldn't be able to pick up on the subtleties of my humour, but perhaps you're all reading it just for a quick gawp at my pictures anyway?  I am always happy to receive positive feedback though, but negative stuff I just don't really need to hear because I get enough of that at work!  I do enjoy reading the search keywords people type into Google though - both 'foot fetish' and 'Birkenstocks' came up quite a bit.  Fair enough.

Right - shoes - I wore my Doctor Martens red knee length 'Elena' boots to the school fayre yesterday and they received quite a few complements and Father Christmas even wanted to borrow them!  You'd think that he'd be rich enough to buy his own, wouldn't you, but I'm guessing that even Lapland is feeling the heat of the global recession?  For all of those who can't remember what the boots look like on, here's a little reminder:

Cool aren't they?  They're a little wide though because I don't think my feet are broad by definition - although I did use the measuring thing in my copy of The Shoe Tailor catalogue - don't judge me! - and I came out as an E fitting although I'm very comfortable in a Clarks D fitting and in my humble opinion I don't think my feet are particularly ungainly.  Talking of such things, I tend to wear the 'normal' width in Birkenstocks as the narrow tends to be reserved for women (or indeed men!) with smaller, daintier and more delicate feet, which isn't me. 

The wonderful shopping channel, QVC - available via a cable channel near you, mine is provided by the mighty Virgin Media - produces a short series of Birkenstock shows in the spring and early summer which are always worth a watch or can even be recorded on your V+ or other PVR device if you so desire.  The format of the show features Nicki, an employee of Birkenstock for many years, showcases a series of styles, some of which have been uniquely manufactured for QVC and discusses them in great detail with one of the channel's resident presenters.  It's well worth a watch and especially for all of you foot fans out there because they only seem to stock women's styles and the models, as you'd expect, have rather lovely feet.  The conversation between Nicki and the other presenter is often banal in the extreme but you do pick up a great deal of important information about the brand and indeed the styles in question - such as the fact that the 'Gizeh' style's toe post is egg timer shaped instead of straight because it doesn't irritate the feet and the sole of a Birkie has bone shaped ridges for stablility.  I could go on for hours about one of my favourite subjects, but I won't.

Finally, here's a strange snippet from the Duchess's past - whilst on a bus travelling though the Old Street area in London the other day it reminded me of an incident which occurred back in September 2010.  A colleague of mine took me to see a pub/strip club for some inexplicable reason and I recall that I was wearing a Boden summer skirt and a pair of Birkenstock coffee coloured Mayari sandals.  I wouldn't recommend to any readers that it's either a particularly good place to go with a colleague and indeed that's not really the dress code, but hey ho. 

Friday: Lost (Again!) on the Streets of London

Another day, another dose of freezing rain - what fun!  At least I'm home typing in the warm but I must confess that my thighs got really cold on the school run today - I'd enclose a picture of them if I thought it pertinent to the blog, but it isn't so I won't.  Despite wearing gloves and slathering my hands with Neutrogena lotion (the choice of big hairy Norwegian fishermen apparently - yikes!) my poor pinkies are still chapped  and I attach a picture for your delectation and also so that you can admire my Boots Number 7 nail polish in the rather spiffing 'Damson' hue.  Here's hoping that I'm not recognised in the London area by the shots of my feet and hands I upload via this blog on a regular basis! Yes, I do have large hands and no, I cannot get most ladies gloves to fit with the exception of John Lewis' XL size.  I also cannot get bangles over my hands and no, I'm not a bloke and unfortunately despite having really long fingers I cannot play the piano very well.  Apparently women with large hands aren't popular with the majority of men because it makes their member look commensurately smaller if the aforementioned lady is holding it in her hand!

So, Duchess - how did you get on with your erotic writing workshop last night?  Oh, thanks for asking but I never got there.  Despite living in London for the majority of my life I always find that I get lost because I'm often journeying to strange places to experience odd courses.  Last night I couldn't locate Hoxton Square however hard I tried, but if you don't know the east end of London you'd probably be in the same boat.  I'm really strange like that - I always get really confused the first time I go somewhere and then after that I'm fine.  It's a shame and my poor feet got really sore as a result, plus my tights kept falling down:

They are Marks and Spencer 60 (or is that 40?) denier opaques but they tend to sag after a long walk and more worryingly, bunch up underneath the ball of my foot causing soreness.  It didn't help that the Doctor Martens knee-length diva boots I was wearing were rucking up on the right heel, rubbing and causing a blister.  Ok - let's really wallow in a myriad of self-pity now - poor old me - the fact that the #141 bus to I boarded back to London Bridge firstly meant that some big nosed idiot pushed me out of the way when I tried to take my favourite 'driving' seat at the front of the top deck, but to add insult to injury the flipping vehicle terminated early in Monument and I had to walk across the Thames (via the bridge: I'm not Jesus) with the bitter wind biting into my face.  When I finally got home I snapped a picture of my poor afflicted sole: granted it doesn't look particularly bad, but it's uncomfortable still.

God, I've really whinged today haven't I?  With this in mind I shall complete my scribblings, log off and attempt to do some ironing.  It's the school fayre this afternoon and therefore a pity that it's such poor weather.  We've got a horse and buggy there too - are you thinking as I am that they'll be no greenery left in the grounds once the horsies have munched it all?  And as for the manure aspect - well I don't think the attached poo bag element was ever sorted out!

Wednesday: Doctor Martens mary janes and Snow

Today I wore my black Next biker boots (which I plan to talk about at a later date) for the morning school run as there was a smattering of snow on the ground and no, I don't mean the 90s rap artiste who had a massive hit with the song Informer, I'm referring to the cold, flaky stuff which falls from the sky.  Brr!  It's cold, I am wearing three layers plus a chunky scarf as I type.

I wore the black fake Shoefayre uggs around the house and yes, they flipping well smell.  It's my considered opinion that my feet don't like synthetic fabrics and commence their own dirty protest by sweating in an unfortunate manner - like a pig if I'm honest.  Anyway, the afternoon's school run meant a change of footwear, be it shoes and socks, so I wore black sports socks and my Doctor Martens mary janes.  Why are shoes with a bar design called that?  Perhaps I should look it up on Wikipedia but it always reminds me of the heroine from Superman - maybe she had to wear a shoe with a strap to save against footwear loss whilst being hoisted high in the air by her superhero boyfriend?  The mind boggles!

Right, describe the shoes, go on, stop teasing us and get on with it!  Ok, that's me told.  Well here's a picture anyway:

As you can see they've a twin buckled strap which I find a complete pain in the rear to fasten and I'm not even arthritic (yet! - no, seriously I'm not that old)  They have a wonderful composite cleated sole with a 2.5 inch block heel which is perfect for walking/standing.  The traction's great, hence why I'm wearing them at the moment with all of the ice around.  They also rather conveniently share a heel and sole unit with my tan long Doctor Marten diva boots which I pictured on here a few weeks ago and plan to wear to work tomorrow.

Here's hoping that the trains are running - my particular service provider tends to screw up at the first hint of frost and snow.  Great - I've a busy day planned for tomorrow too. 

Monday: museum, noodles plus sole to sole

Myself and his Grace, The Duke, boarded a double decker bus and headed towards Greenwich today.  If you've never been it's an amazing place to visit and I can personally recommend the guided tours which I ventured upon last summer - prior to the Olympics taking the whole area over for months on end.  Now, the top deck of a London omnibus is a sacred place you'd imagine - delightfully clean, full of quiet people minding their own business and generally being a pleasure to be around?  Well, you'd be wrong, but I have a particular penchant for sitting in the front seat and 'driving' the bus, which is probably something I should have grown out of by now, but no, it's still a huge thrill.  The noise of other people's music is truly awful and I am going to download a CD of Mrs Mills' greatest hits onto my phone and play it out loud until the louts desist their detestable rap music.

Noodles: yum, my favourite - however I would provide some advice to the chap in the neighbouring table - don't slurp your food, simply twirl your noodles from a fork onto the spoon and consume accordingly.  Failing that, ask for a tiny bowl, lift it up and tuck in that way via the medium of chopsticks.  Also, do try to engage your female lunch companion in a form of conversation instead of constantly checking your smartphone every two minutes.  Surely this kind of behaviour is incredibly rude?  Saying that, I haven't read the latest edition of Debretts, perhaps this is now the acceptable face of modern manners? 

Shoes, yep, that's what you're reading to hear about - or perhaps you're ignoring the text in favour of the pictures, who knows?  Anyway I wore my while leather Converse today and noted that when I was walking up the hill in Greenwich Park I aquaplaned a little too much for my liking and noted that I need a cleated sole in the winter months.  When I got home I photographed the sole for posterity, which I agree is an incredibly boring thing to do and smacks of obsession in my book - whatever, don't judge me!  Here are the results:

The eagle-eyed amongst you will note that the grip is slowly but surely wearing away and is causing a smooth surface to emerge.  Converse grips aren't great anyway, it's probably because they're primarily a baseball shoe and as such, weren't meant to be worn as a casual shoe about town.  Personally, I don't care, I love them and currently own this pair as well as the following pairs: red lo, sparkly silver lo and pink hi.  I hate spelling the 'lo' and 'hi' like that, but that's the way that they're expressed - lo meaning the shoe type and hi, well the boot style.

This is a picture of the sole of my Superga turquoise blue casual plimsolls I am currently wearing; duly placing upon my feet to undertake the school run.  Yes, the nobbly nature of the surface provides much more pavement purchase in my view.  However, I must reiterate that the sizing is somewhat smaller than Converse - I think it's because they're manufactured in Italy and they never produce particularly large sizes anyway. 

Sunday: pedicure and planning

I thought you'd all appreciate a picture of my freshly pedicured feet.  Well, here they are anyway - looking a little blotchy and the polish is slightly skewy, but there you go, clearly I don't have a steady hand - or indeed 'A Slow Hand', or is that just The Pointer Sisters?  They're painted in a Boots No7 blue - I did have a fan ask me to paint them black, but I'm not a Goth and I think it would depress me at this time of year.  Saying that, he could have been a fan of The Rolling Stones?  Who knows?  No anyway.

I have listed a couple of pairs of cute slipper socks on eBay - well for UK buyers anyway.  They're rather splendid, but they don't fit - my sizeable feet make them 'ping' off, which isn't good.  Actually, talking of footwear, which I've no doubt you'd like me to do, I'm wearing my black Shoefayre fake synthetic uggs at the moment and they are making my poor plates of meat feel a little clammy.  Such is life!

Friday: more than a touch of frost and looking forward to summer

Today was frosty, yadda yadda we know that - get on with it!  Ok, I will and just to let you know that my morning was taken up by visiting the local library, getting lost amongst the myriad of streets containing semi-detached houses, posting off an eBay parcel in the post office and listening to the end of a grisly bloke's conversation in the Co-op "...and I told him to move his car out of the entrance as 'e was blockin' it.  'e was lucky, if I'd 'ad my boy wiv me then 'e woulda decked 'im."  Oh the joys of living in the London area.

Would you like to see a picture of me wearing my summer Birkenstocks which was taken a few weeks ago?  I bet you would, so here it is:

Dark patent red is one of my favourite colours, but I'm not a huge fan of the Birkenstock Madrid style of sandal because they tend to flap too much and as such, I worry that they'll fall of my feet should I run for a bus and replicate the opening titles to the 1970s British Classic Man About The House where Chrissy loses her shoe on a London Routemaster Bus.  Saying that, apart from the re-imagined Boris Routemasters which run on the #38 service there aren't many of the older versions still in use other than the #15 heritage route.

Ok, I fully admit that I'm running out of shoe/tight and sock things to discuss.  I mean I've a few more pairs up my sleeve or indeed languishing on the shoe racks, under my bed, lying around the house and generally being trip hazards but it's running out of steam so I'll probably turn my considerable talents to penning some erotic fiction.  I'm attending a workshop on Thursday evening so I'll keep you posted but it'll be another blog in my series so keep reading! 

Wednesday: a day off scuppered + washing up bowl + tights

Yeah, I'm really scraping the barrel now for inspiration aren't I?  Well, today I decided to take a day's leave and potter round the shops, house and do a bit of tidying etc.  First of all I wandered into the fantastic fashion/home emporium we call BHS to see whether I could find a suitable winter coat, but nothing really fitted the bill: I resembled the rectangle from Mister Maker (I do understand that anybody who hasn't got any children and doesn't watch CBeebies won't really get that reference.)  At least I could overhear a bizarre and somewhat shrill conversation taking place between a few members of staff though, that really made my day.

My son, The Earl, fell over in the playground and had to be sent home - he's now lying supine on the sofa enjoying the rest and attention.

So what's all this about a washing up bowl?  Well, you get what you pay for, that's for sure.  Heed my warning!  I purchased a new bowl from Wilkinson's a couple of weeks ago for the princely sum of £1.69 and I can't say that I'm particularly impressed so far because it's too narrow to fit a plate in properly and cannot hold a candle to its Addis rival (which retails at £4.99).  It's also constructed from very thin plastic.  Disappointing.

...and tights?  The new purple pair were worn yesterday and they proceeded to fall down all day, which as you can imagine, was both uncomfortable and annoying.  I don't believe that it's particularly seemly to hoist them up on the London Underground.  However, to put the incident into context, there was a gross man sitting in front of me wearing a kilt with his legs splayed apart and to add insult to injury, chewing gum with his mouth open.  Lovely. 

Monday: tights again

My regular mooch around the shops was punctuated with a trip to M&S for inspiration on how to spend both my gift vouchers and the other points-driven coupons I'm spammed with via the post.  Anyway, today's trip to the changing room included: a short red cord jeans-style skirt, a pair of slim fit faun cords and a classic white shirt.  Now I tried them all on with a hopeful heart and nothing suited me at all - the skirt was too short, the trousers too tight and made me resemble an overstuffed sausage and the shirt was see through.  Now manufacturers of white shirts, surely this is a common problem and why don't you invest more in the thickness of the cotton?  If I'm paying £29.50 for a garment I don't wish to wear a camisole under it or worry whether my male colleagues are staring at me in an alarming fashion during a tedious PowerPoint presentation stuffed full of pie charts do I?  Wise up.

So, what did I spend my gift vouchers you may ask?  Well ask away because the answer's a three pack of tights.  Yeah, hardly a luxury item is it but necessary all the same.  I find that the 'extra large' in M&S is a perfect fit for me and no, I'm not gargantuan - I'm simply curvy with very long legs - like a spider with a deep love of McVitie's dark chocolate digestive biscuits if you please.  This pack which I've handily photographed for your enjoyment/delectation/information etc shows a mixed range of colours including purple, graphite and black.  I may wear the purple ones tomorrow, they're 40 denier so I trust they'll be warm enough :)

Boring 2012, bedsocks but no broomsticks!

I went to Boring 2012 today in east London - for the uninitiated it's an annual conference organised by the awesome James Ward in response to the cancellation of 'Interesting' back in 2010 so if my calculations are correct it's the third time it's taken place and I'm very pleased to report that I attended last year's event too.  Today's talks took a diverse trajectory - ranging from presentations on the merits of using supermarket self-service checkouts, toast, the history behind yellow lines, shop fronts and the merits of a Yamaha keyboard which had been discontinued in 2003.

It was strange sitting in the venue, York Hall in Bethnal Green, that how darn similar everybody looked.  With my trendy geeky glasses and Doc Martens diva boots you'd think I'd be unique wouldn't you, but no, it's not so.  At least my sense of humour is shared by many and for that, I'm a happy Duchess.  My hand also features in an official photograph as I was the first in the queue, sad but true!

Oh yeah, bedsocks - how could I forget?  Well, last Monday I went to Asda and purchased two pairs of fluffy bedsocks which are really synthetic and cause my feet to sweat quite a lot.  Here's a picture of me wearing them, go on, have a long hard look and then retire somewhere private to really concentrate your [dirty] minds.  They don't fit that well though - they're a little small and the heel doesn't sit where it really should :(

Saturday: long beige socks and rain

My hubby, the Duke, mentioned that he'd been listening to Frank Skinner's radio show on Absolute Radio this morning when the titular 'Mr Radio' mentioned a fetish for women with large feet.  I wasn't around this morning as I was attending my weekly guitar lesson but as ever, I've managed to save it onto my iPod directly from iTunes.  I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned my deep love for this show on this blog but if I haven't I'm going to write about it now.  Basically it's Frank Skinner, a well-known stand up comedian and presenter in the UK banters with his two sidekicks, Emily Dean, the deputy editor of InStyle Magazine and stand-up comedian Alun Cochrane every Saturday morning between 8am and 12pm - or an hour later if you're listening to Absolute 60s/70s/80s/90s/00s.  It's just bloody brilliant, the three of them just bounce hilarity off one another and it really cheers me up when I'm listening to them whilst carrying out a myriad of tedious household tasks.  Frank Skinner is an absolute genius: like many people I wasn't a huge fan of him during the 90s because I'd written him off of as a misogynistic football freak, but he's one of the cleverest, wittiest and just downright amusing celebrities around in my opinion.

I attended a Christmas Fete at a church I'd spent a great deal of my childhood attending this morning/early afternoon.  Like many fayres/fetes it was a bit rubbish but I managed to purchase three comedy DVDs, one of which, series three of Kath and Kim seems to be be region 4, so won't work in my player, here's hoping it plays via the laptop. 

I think I've already mentioned how much I adore the longer sock, so here's a picture of the pair I was wearing today.  Those with a deep love of orthopedic looking hosiery should get excited, but they're warm and comfortable as far as I'm concerned.  Are there people out there in the wider world who get excited by such things?  I bet there are - life's very odd.

Sunday: cleaning out my shoe containers under the bed

Yeah, it's Sunday and it's a bit frosty so thoughts turn to eradicating dust within the household, starting with some of my shoe collection which is being stored under the bed.  The proper way to store shoes, as we are all more than aware, is in their original box with a picture of the style on the front for ease of reference; these are then neatly stacked in a suitable cupboard.  Failing that, like Paloma Faith in the car crash awful but undoubtedly watchable Show Me Your Wardrobe on Sky Living, you need a purpose-built series of cupboards to house your heels in.

I've managed to unearth and dust off these shoes which I'm wearing at the moment.  I purchased them second hand from eBay a few years ago to complement the more subdued colours in my wardrobe and they're a pair of size 9/43 tan leather wedge courts.  Why don't you wear them more often you may ask and you'd of course, be right to raise this important point.  Well, they're not that comfortable to be honest and the height of the heel (2.5 inches) means that my toes slip down and bang against the front of the shoe; I was also walking to the station once and they nearly slipped off due to the reduced traction of my tights.  Huh!  They are a pair that I'll probably store in my locker at work for wearing during important meetings(!)  Surely I'm important enough to qualify for a ride in a Sedan Chair?

As I'm typing this, I'm momentarily pausing to state out towards the garden, a suburban oasis dappled with winter sunshine hitting my somewhat dilapidated shed.  It's my opinion that all men should be allowed a shed - my stepfather always had one whilst I was growing up, as did my grandfather.  I'm very much in favour of them - blokes like to carry out a bit of light engineering and wood carving in their spare time.  Sheds: more please!






 

Saturday: Nike Sanyassi and guitar lessons

Hurrah, another grey day in the UK - what's the weather like where you are in the world?  Better hopefully.  Actually I do look at my stats relating to the readership of this blog and notice that I'm receiving hits from the US and Germany as well as good old Blighty.  Here's hoping that you're all logging on to read my various musings instead of having a gander at the pictures of my delicious feet and shoes? 

Right, shoes: today it's the turn of my pewter Nike Sanyassis.  For those who've never heard of this style of shoe, well you'd be forgiven because they were discontinued a year or two after their launch.  They're a mary jane/ballerina style shoe which is most suited to Pilates but I tend to wear them as a casual shoe, either to commute to work before switching to heels or teamed with skinny jeans on more relaxed days.  I think I first encountered them in the Next Directory but they ran out of stock really quickly so I had to buy them from eBay in the end.  The Nike size 9.5/EU 44.5 fits me nicely but does make me moan about the sheer diversity of shoe sizing between different manufacturers - raaahhhh!  It's getting much harder to find shoes that fit properly because there are increasingly fewer physical retailers these days and as we all know buying clothing and shoes from the internet is a complete lottery and tends to end in countless hours queuing up in post offices trying to return stuff.

You mentioned your guitar lessons in the title of this email?  How are they going?  Well, firstly thank you for taking an interest, it's always welcome.  Well, slowly is the initial answer - chord changes are very tricky at the moment and however hard I try I can't seem to 'get it' so I had a word with the teacher this morning who was very encouraging and helpful.  He suggested sticking to chord pairs such as G Major and D Major and working the changes between those, so I'll be doing that.  Although it's enjoyable I don't think Jeff Beck or Eric Clapton should be worried that I'll steal their thunder though!

Friday: talking about tights and jumpers

Yes, it's winter and what does that put you in mind of?  Tights and jumpers?  Well it does me and no, I don't go out in the street wearing just a jumper and a pair of tights - that would be just plain crazy and as you know, I'm not quite that mad yet.  I think the actress Sienna Miller managed to get away with it a few years ago, but I'm not as boho as her and certainly couldn't boast Jude Law as my ex (I'd tower over him for a start!)  The combination of tights and boots always puts me in mind of the panto season and it's always been an ambition of mine to don a tricorn hat, slap my thigh and serenade Cinderella - perhaps that's a sure sign that I need to get out more?

Tights huh?  I'm leggy and curvy so the phrase: 'one size fits all' doesn't quite cut it for me.  Personally I hate wearing a pair of tights with a baggy crotch, it's absolutely awful.  That is why I adore Marks and Spencer tights as they stock a size called, rather spiffingly, 'extra size' and it's big enough to encompass my pins.  I thought I'd post a picture of my current favourites which I purchased from a sale ages ago, they're brown herringbone and always seem to attract a great number of compliments.  Unfortunately they've developed a hole under the toes, which is a bit of a shame, so I may just wear them again next week and then sell them on eBay.

Jumpers: well I wandered into Asda (a supermarket owned by Wal-Mart for my overseas readers) this morning primarily to swap the pair of pink pajama bottoms with a black cat design imprinted upon them for a smaller size and happened upon a rack of fluffy jumpers.  I immediately tried one on but when I looked in the mirror I resembled The Honey Monster, which wasn't a particularly good look for me.  I think it's because I'm rather top heavy, so worn with my customary skinny jeans I look a little imbalanced.  Sigh. 

Thursday: Clarks Zebra Print boots and life moves on

I wore my Clarks Zebra print boots to work today; they're great by the way, a slightly hairy finish it's true, but none the worse for it.  What I REALLY adore about them is that they're so darn funky - for example, I chaired a meeting today and I think the boots really held their own in the room (I doubt they'd be able to hold someone else's though, they do have their limits...)  I'm loving the heel height too - at 4cm they give me a bit of a lift but are very comfortable; I think this is also because of Clarks' patented 'softwear' padding on the sole, which is rather yummy at the moment.

For those who are interested or even give a shit, I left my current post today and will begin a new one next Tuesday.  Personally, I'm delighted and look forward to the new challenges ahead.

Monday: dull day but bright shoes and socks bring cheer to the heart!

You've got to love a character sock haven't you?  You don't?  What on earth do you buy loved ones for Christmas then?  Those pointless boxes of shower gel and body lotion which end up consigned to the back of the cupboard and re-gifted at a later date?  Ok, now I understand.  Here are my current favourites by the way, they're Angry Bird socks and show the 'bomb' bird from the popular game; worn with leopard print shoes I think you'll agree that they're both practical and sexy.

Yes, I'm back after my mega sulk, but I'm the Duchess and I'm allowed such luxuries.  I may offer my smelly old fake Ugg boots for sale in a few days or so because the Duke complained so much about the stench last week that I was forced to house them in the hallway and shower down my tootsies pronto and lather them up with a bar of Dove soap.  Yum you may think?  Each to their own. 

My wholemeal loaf has sagged in the bread machine (a middle class dilemma if ever there was!) but at least a new series of Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue begins today at 18:30 - I cannot wait, that programme is a total treat.  Only Connect is also on tonight on BBC4.  Life's good (sometimes...)

Saturday: pedicure pains - part one

I am finding that removing stubborn nail polish is taking longer and longer these days - maybe because there was base coat, two colour coats, top coat plus a crackle layer?  Who knows?  Anyway, despite me using Cutex, which is one of the premier nail varnish removers on the market, some of it wouldn't remove from the edges.  I undertook the pedicure in the usual manner, which is thus:

1) Fill large Addis bowl (the rectangular sort, the circular doesn't fit my feet) with warm water and Radox bath salts

2) Soak feet for ten minutes or so whilst periodically rubbing them down with a pumice stone to remove dead skin

3) Cut the toenails straight across with a pair of sharp nail scissors

4) Dry them off with an old, rough towel and prepare for cuticle care, buffing and finally, polish.....

Well, that's part one over anyway; part two will be written and uploaded tomorrow, well it will if my eBay sales go well or indeed sell at all.  If not, I'm throwing all of the toys out of my pram (so to speak) and am quitting to spend time doing other things for the foreseeable future.  

Thursday/Friday: Doc Martens Elena knee high boots

I am writing this kind of retrospectively because I wore my new bright red Doc Martens Elena boots to work yesterday.  'Aren't they a bit casual for work?' you may ask and yes, you'd be right.  I can't stand wearing suits and things, I believe that they stem my creative juices, well the polyester mix probably does anyway.  I was in a high level presentation yesterday (ooh, get you!) and a senior member of staff complemented the boots, so I must be doing something correct.

As for the boots themselves, well I can say that they're very comfortable indeed - I think this is combination of the Doc Martens patented 'air wear' sole and the fact that they're very roomy.  Actually they are fairly wide and my feet aren't really, so I do rattle around a bit in them so perhaps it's time to purchase some thick socks to complement them?

Methinks it's high time for a new pedicure tomorrow which I'll photograph extracts from for your perusal and enjoyment, but being the saucy tease that I am, will only upload the pictures onto this blog if my items sell on eBay.  My two auctions end on Sunday lunchtime, so keep them in mind - my screen name is duchesseleanor, but do remember that I don't sell outside the UK. 

I'll probably undertake this laborious task whilst listening to the second half of Tony Blackburn's Pick of the Pops.  To all of those outside the UK, Mr Blackburn is a true broadcasting legend and his career spans many decades.  I adore his Saturday lunchtime radio show because he plays extracts from two music charts from different years and as you'd expect, it tends to bring back memories and long-forgotten gems.  It's one of my ambitions to get a text message or email read out by him on the show; the other, if you're interested, is to get a letter published in the acclaimed TV listings magazine Radio Times.  Yeah, I'm very sad. 

Farewell darlings xxx

Wednesday: Clarks Finnis Teal mary jane wedges

Regular readers of this blog will be aware of my adoration for the two inch wedge heel (well, it's about the only two inch thing I do hold in high regard...)  So with this in mind I have purchased two pairs of Clarks Finnis mary jane wedges over the past year or so - one in teal, as pictured, and the other in a bronze hue.  Clarks do stock a ladies size 9 in some of their ranges, not all, but it's encouraging if nothing else as I find their shoes both comfortable and funky.

As you'll see, I'm wearing them with a pair of black jeans to provide a welcome 'pop' of colour during these dark days.  A colleague of mine said to me recently 'do you own any black shoes?' and the answer is, well, not really, most of mine sit firmly on the funky scale and I'm very proud of that.

I suppose I should talk a little about Clarks as a shoe brand, well I'm going to anyway.  From the memory banks they're a British company, based in Street, Somerset which is located in the West Country - a truly beautiful place, well for a holiday anyway, I can't categorically state that envisage a move there permanently because I'm very much a townie and would find it difficult to adjust.  Anyway, I digress.  Clarks shoes are very much part of growing up in the UK and still remain so to this day, my mother spent a great amount of money on shoes for myself and my siblings whilst growing up.  She ensured that our feet were correctly measured (in the slightly scary metal machine!) and shoes were fitted accordingly so that we all grew up with beautiful feet.  I have to say that the opposite is true for my poor husband, The Duke, whose father spent all of his money on booze and allowed his poor sons to wear ill-fitting cheap 'Winklepicker' pointed shoes, thus causing them to have hammer toes and other awful foot problems in later life.  Ditto my friend whose mother tried to hide her pregnancy in the early months via a series of corsets, thus crushing her baby daughter's growing feet in the process.  Sacrilege!

I did go on a school trip to Bristol and Somerset with my primary school in the 1980s and we visited the Clarks factory in Street then.  I can't recall much more about the trip, apart from the fact that some awful girl called Sharon broke my sticks of rock against a metal bunk, one of the teachers smoked on the coach for the entirety of the journey and some 'dodgy' magazines were discovered on the top of a wardrobe.  Nostalgia's a wonderful thing isn't it?

Monday: workout including sports socks and Nikes

Happy Monday morning world and here's hoping that Hurricane Sandy won't cause too much devastation across in the US.  What an awful thing the weather can be at times?  New York's so vulnerable.

Right, shoes, that's what you want to read about, isn't it?  This morning I woke up with the good intentions of working out, so I donned my three-quarter length leggings, baggy t-shirt and placed a pair of sports socks on my feet, and they're pictured above, in their full glory.  Next I selected my Nike women's training shoes, pictured below.  I do like a women's training shoe, femininity is all when one has feet as large as mine and I adore the pink 'swoosh' plus the silver relief is adorable too.

As for the workout itself, well let's just say that, although I walk everywhere, I'm not the fittest person in the Universe so it was a bit of a strain.  I used one of my Davina McCall box sets, well the Power of Three DVD if you're interested.  For those based outside the UK, Davina McCall or 'Davina' as she's mostly known is a presenter, former dancer and one of Eric Clapton's girlfriends from way back.  She has a reputation for being a bit shouty on air and is probably most famous for presenting the UK version of Big Brother, which she's done from the beginning, well until Channel 5 bought the format anyway.  As well as all of the other career defining stuff she's well known for being the face (or should that be mane?) of a popular hair dye range and for producing a series of successful workout DVDs.

Now don't get me wrong, I love being fit, but scheduling it into my day is a complete nightmare as you're not supposed to work out too late in the day because it disrupts sleep patterns.  I can't abide doing lunges though and do worry about my knees.  I think I enjoy Davina's DVDs mostly because they're very light-hearted and to witness all the heavy-duty flirting she indulges in with Mark, one of her personal trainers, who's an ex-marine and generally a buff bald bloke.  It's made all the more amusing because it's going on right in front of his wife, Jackie's eyes, who completes the husband and wife personal training team.  I personally like a bit of flirtation though, especially if it gets me throughly dark days of winter.

Until next time xxx

Sunday: Silver spangly Converse and a possible blister

Today I went to a special austim-friendly screening at my local cinema with my young son.  A big shout out to the work of the National Autistic Society, they do a fanstastic job.

Anyway, I wore my silver spangly Converse which I've owned for a while, they're great, but akin to all Converse, they do wear out hugely at the heel which is a complete pain.  They are again ruining the socks I'm wearing (knee length, pulled down to a slouch if you're interested) and causing another flipping blister!  I fear I'm cursed with all shoes in regard to excessive wear and foot rubbing.  I used to own a leather pair of silver Converse but the metallic coating on the leather started peeling away after three wearings so I had to return them, but Office Shoes were fantastic about exchanging them for a while leather pair, which is always nice.  I do wonder why I can actually buy silver spangly Converse in a size 9 as they're a unisex shoe - do blokes actually wear them?  I have seen a woman wearing them whilst presenting at last year's Boring Conference, but that's by the by and you'll soon discover that I do love a bit of metallic action going on in my life. 

Friday: returned defective desert boots and pink hi Converse

Today I'm sporting a pink pair of 'hi' Converse boots; I only own one pair of the boot version compared to their shoe 'lo' counterpart as, although I like them, they're much harder to get on and if you're in a rush to get out of the door, it's a bit of a nightmare.  They're very comfortable though, here's hoping that they don't get the excessive 'heel' wear my other pairs do, but saying that, they will because, as you know, I walk everywhere and conversely (boom boom!) wear things out.  Apologies for the sheer deluge of commas contained within the previous sentence, here's hoping the Government doesn't introduce a tax on punctuation, but don't suggest it - they just might....

It's sad news about my new pair of red suede desert boots because, after wearing them yesterday to work for just one day, the insole rucked up and was incredibly uncomfortable under the arch of my foot.  Therefore I returned them to the shop who gave me a full refund.  It's a real shame because I do love to support local businesses as opposed to the tax-dodging companies I tend to deal with.  Sigh!  However, it didn't necessitate a trip to the Post Office, so I'm more than delighted.  I think I'll have to do that on Monday morning if I sell some or all of my items on eBay and as you know, post office queues suck the life out of me.

Finally, a little rainy Friday treat - here's a piccie of of my feet resplendent with their Boots No17 crackle top coat polish.  I do love nail polishes - I keep them all in the fridge as I once read that it's the best place to store them.  I was very tempted to purchase a new make up kit the other day but stopped myself - it's strange, I didn't wear make-up until a few years ago and now I wear it every day unless I'm just schlepping around the house.  Eyeliner's my personal favourite as it makes my eyes stand out under my glasses as I'm very short sighted.  I bet you're all building up a strange mental picture of me now, aren't you?

Until the next time xx

Wednesday: new red suede desert boots and JML 'Shower Feet'

I purchased a pair of red suede 'roamer' desert boots from a local shoe shop this morning.  I have had my eye on them for a while and often like to go in, stroke them then leave the shop, but today I thought I'd cheer myself up and actually buy them.  I must admit that it was a bit odd buying something in an actual shop as I always tend to purchase my shoes online these days, but there is often an issue regarding them not fitting and having to return them, which is a complete pain in the rear.  I also bought some suede protector and a special suede brush from Wilkinsons and they and my beige suede wedge boots have now been duly sprayed on the kitchen floor.  I shall wear them to work tomorrow and will photograph and update the blog accordingly.

Whilst shopping in Wilkinsons and yes, I admit, I adore the place, especially early in the morning before it's too crowded, I spied the JML display.  For those not au fait with the wonderful world of JML, which stands for 'John Moore Limited' by the way, the late mail order magnate who also lends his name to a former Polytechnic in Liverpool, it's a veritable smorgasbord of wonder and it's just as well that I haven't got Sky TV access because they've a channel especially dedicated to the company.  I am sitting here, typing and staring at my JML DriBuddi (basically an upright clothes drier consisting of a pvc zipped casing covering a large hairdryer-style motor - available in all stores...)  Right, get to the point then!  Ok, they were featuring something called JML Shower Feet, which I attach a link to: http://www.jmldirect.com/uk/skin-care/shower-feet/invt/s36sf60100000001/  For those who cannot click on the link, it's a plastic brush/pumice combination which can be suckered to the bottom of your bath or shower to clean your feet, but here's a more fulsome description:

Cleaning your feet doesn’t have to be such a stretch. Shower Feet sticks firmly to the bottom of your shower or bath to make washing your feet easier than ever before.

This cleansing shoe uses over a thousand soft bristles to give your feet an exfoliating massage from top to bottom. The bristles are great at getting in-between your toes and there’s a pumice stone in the heel, so you can smooth away dry and damaged skin. It’s designed for feet of almost all shapes and sizes and attaches to most surfaces. Refreshing and revitalising your feet has never been so easy and felt so good.

I may just have to buy one now, preferably in pink.

Until next time....xx

Tuesday: beige suede Next wedges, blisters and more flipping mist!

Today was a work day so I dressed in my skinny brown cords and placed my Next beige wedges on my feet as they're fairly comfortable at a two inch heel height.  I think I bought them from eBay back in 2006 - heaven knows why I recall that, I'm clearly a bone fide sad case!  Unfortunately they have rubbed the little toe on my right foot so I've photographed it for your information - also I notice that if I upload a picture of a bare foot on my blog then I tend to get more hits - strange but true.  It's quite noticeable how swollen feet get during the day - hence the need to purchase new shoes in the afternoon apparently. 

Methinks I'll carry out a pedicure in a week or two and post some pictures of that.  That will no doubt tickle some of you and I may try out a new colour - I am a huge fan of red toenails.

Until next time x

Monday: mist, cleated soles and new slippers

Today I woke to a world of misty wonder and shod myself accordingly.  I wore my Doctor Martens Mariella knee-length tan boots today which feature a two inch block heel and cleated sole.  I love these boots, but they are rucking up at the back of the heel and have caused a blister, which isn't nice.  Boots such as there are pretty essential at the moment because all of the autumn leaves are making the pavements slippery and I nearly aquaplaned myself into oblivion the other day whilst wearing my Converse. 

I also decided to purchase a pair of fake ugg/faux sheepskin boots to replace the ones I'm selling on eBay at the moment, so I went to a couple of shops but was dismayed to find that they don't stock large slippers in most stores (boo!)  Therefore I went to good old Shoe Zone and I'm not sure whether you've ever ventured inside but it seems to boast the world's largest selection of non-leather shoes, but they do stock size 9 ladies shoes, so I cannot complain too loudly.  First I tried on a knitted style bootee which was on special offer but the size 9 didn't fit and my poor toes hit the end.  Therefore I ended up purchasing a black version of the ones I already own.  I'm wearing them now and they do need a bit of bedding in because they're a tad slippery at the moment.

Bye for now x

Sunday: ballerina socks, eBaying and all that jazz

Today's subject is socks - too small ones to be precise.  I bought a set of ballerina stretchy style cotton mix socks a while ago to wear under my Nike Sanyassi but sadly they weren't really fit for purpose because my size 9 feet stretched them too much and they tended to 'ping' off and ruck around my insoles, which was very uncomfortable.  Anyway, until yesterday they languished in my sock drawer, unworn and rather unloved, but I thought I'd rescue them from their malaise and wear them under my stinky fake Uggs, but I still experienced the fall off factor plus they didn't come up far enough my heel and my blister ended up getting rubbed.  They are so pretty and girly though, I just don't want to part with them!

Therefore I took some snaps, one is attached and I'm planning to list some items on eBay as it's free listings weekend (yay!)  I do enjoy selling on there, it's enormous fun, apart from the final listing and PayPal fees which make any profit margin pretty slender.  Ho hum!

Until next time...xx

Saturday: Doctor Martens Darla Boots and Guitar Lessons

Today I placed my Doctor Martens cherry red 'Darla' boots on my feet and headed off to my guitar lesson.  Although I love the look of these boots, the three inch heels are a bit too much for daily wear and the unyielding nature of the patent leather doesn't provide a particularly comfortable experience.  I am falling in love with Doctor Martens more and more - although I don't tend to wear their more traditional boots and shoes.  This is because, combined with the size of my feet, it would render me unfeminine (in my opinion) and I don't wish to look overtly masculine - also worn with slim or skinny jeans my plates of meat would look ridiculously large - akin to water skis.  

So, how are your guitar lessons getting on, you may ask?  Well, thank you for showing an interest, it's hugely appreciated.  Well, slowly, that's for sure - I just wish I was more naturally gifted in this area.  I mean, I can sing, but only by ear, but playing an instrument is a completely new ballgame, despite my electronic keyboard sitting in the corner of the dining room, slightly unloved.  I should be practicing for thirty minutes per day but I don't tend to adhere to that - my fingers really hurt after a while.  I'm also having to cut my nails down even more and I don't really like that.  Sigh, I suppose I have to suffer for my art!