Lifestyle - Shoes for girl's with big feet

I have got some new shoes. They are black and shiny and I got them for when I start my teaching job. A girl has to pretend to be respectable sometimes. I love them as they are brogues and I have wanted some since I was a little girl, probably because my Dad always has a pair. 

They're from Clark's as I had to go back and swap madam's new school shoes as they'd broken. I was so surprised that any shoes from Clark's could break! They were lovely and swapped them for a whole pair no questions asked. I knew they would be easy to deal with which made me more confident about taking them back. 

I always buy madam's shoes from the local Clark's outlet because I'm not fussed about her having the latest style (they're school shoes, after all) and they're always at least a tenner cheaper then in the shops. When you're onto pair number three since September, this is important!

Anyway, back to *my* shoes. I had mentioned that I could do with looking for some work shoes whilst we were on our mission for madam as I thought turning up in trainers would probably be frowned on. I have some black, cheapo things from Tesco, but they're not *that* comfy and if I'm going to be on my feet all day, then I want comfy feet!

My mum and I hunted through all the available women's flat shoes in my size. I'm a 41 and a wide fit, I use the European size because until about 10 years ago that was always a size 7 and then suddenly it was sometimes an 8, which is usually the biggest size shops do. 

This is a pain if you used to be an 8 or, if like me, you wear a slightly bigger size to fit your big, wide feet in more comfortably! Clark's does do a wide fit, and there were a couple of styles in the 8 I liked. But all of them were just slightly too tight somewhere. 

At that point I thought I should check the men's shoes. They're usually a wider fit to begin with, and go to bigger sizes (obviously). I tried on a pair of size 8's and realised they were too big. On inspection, men's size 7 are still European 41! Why?? So annoying...

So, I looked at the size sevens and fell in love with the brogues but put them back because of the price. Even at the outlet and with £35 off the original price they were really quite expensive. I found another pair of plainer, Oxford shoes and was going to settle for those.

In steps my Dad. He looked at me and said, "which ones do you *really* want". 

"Ummm, I rather love the Brogues, but they're too expensive."

"But I'd rather you have the ones you like, they're going to be on your feet a lot."

I showed my dad the price of the Brogues. He made his *ouch* face. He took them over to the pay point. He then insisted my mum get the zebra print boots she'd fallen in love with too!

My dad is the best.

I have been wearing them in. They're proper leather and have rather shocked my feet by being properly enclosed and supported for the first time in ages!

So, here are my lovely shoes, all £54.99 worth. 

That might not be a lot in the grand scheme of shoes, but it's way out of my budget! And they're soooo lovely. And yes, they are on top of my wheelie bin, I needed proper light to take the pictures!

Can you find shoes that fit easily?

Love, Pearl

a film that left a big impression

Isn't it fun getting stuff through the post :) My shoes that mother cajoled me into buying have arrived... They're fab, comfy and actually a really great colour (I was a bit worried about the pewter). I have not had a chance to wear them yet though, as I have been to the gym for an introduction/look-see kind of thing.

 

 

 

I have now signed up though, so my proper induction is next Tuesday (it better not be too hot!) It's a Gymophobics gym and promises me I only have to do a 30 min workout 3 times a week. Also, I have a voucher for a massively discounted sign up/first month payment! I owe it to myself to find time to go. It's right in the centre of town, so there is no trekking to the leisure centre annoyingness. I can fit it into my day a lot easier.

 

I don't dislike going to the gym, per se, but the cardio workouts never seem to make much difference and this is more about resistance/toning. This is what my big, flabby belly needs! I walk everywhere as it is, so I get a cardio workout everyday! Mum has been a member for a little while now and has lost nearly 3 stone and dropped about 3 dress sizes as well. She's feeling much fitter, healthier and happier with herself.

 

Which I would like to feel about myself too!

 

My dad and I have gone into manic planning mode to get ready for our trip to Driffield show on Wednesday. He and I are definite planners, though he is more inclined to actually follow through on his plans than I am! I like to know there is a plan I can fall back on, but am more able to go with the flow than he is!

 

We are driving my mum insane by planning out what sandwiches we'll need, drinks, picnic rugs etc. You'd think she'd be used to us by now... It's funny that it's me the manic planning rubbed off on, as I am the queen of procrastination and almost never follow my plans exactly. I am terrible at organisation because of this. Though being able to organise a small child is definitely an achievement in itself!

 

Last night I watched a film called Hugo. It's based on the novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik. And I loved it. I am a real film fan and love the escapism that films bring me. And this film was actually about that in part. It's a fact based film, in that one of the main characters and his backstory etc. is true to life. The rest of the film is imagined around him.

 

It tells the story of a lonely little orphaned boy named Hugo Cabret (that's a surprise, right!) who lives within the walls of the train station in Paris. He is looking to repair a machine as he believes it contains a message from his dead father and that search brings him into contact with a gentleman named Georges Melies (this is the real dude).

 

He, along with Georges' goddaughter find out who Georges used to be and how he has ended up owning a toy booth at a train station. They help him to find his way back and in the process Hugo finds friends and eventually a family. It was an amazingly moving film. I always find films about loneliness hard to watch without crying. But this was so beautiful. It's a Scorsese film, but not like anything he has ever made before.

 

And all the way through the film is punctuated by these wonderful clips from very early films. And they are so incredible and the imagery is so impressive. Its a love story to them in a way as well. The eventual revelation was again based on real life. Georges Melies really was discovered working in a toy booth at the train station. He really was one of the pioneers of early cinema. You may never have heard of him (I certainly hadn't) but you will know one of his most iconic images...

 

 

 

 

And if you can't see that link, you will have to make do with just this picture which is from hungary.art.pl

 

 

 

 

And if you still don't know who I'm banging on about, check him out on YouTube. His films are wonderful...

Updates and planning

I'm feeling quite impressed with myself this morning (no, the house isn't tidy, yet). I have various updates and things for you all.

 

I have, most importantly, been to see the council Housing Officer and handed in the form (completed! Woot!) and filled in another form with the chap which was all pretty similar to what was in the other form.

 

This, apparently, forms part of my homelessness presentation. It now goes to the person who does that and she will be writing me a letter telling me what to do now. I will need to get evidence as to why I need the council to house me. I manage to tick a couple of big boxes by having been born in the town and having my parents live here. And apparently madam's schooling will be an important decider too, phew.

 

Next up, I got the shoes! Well, friend Lucy Lockett got them for me. But it all works out the same. She's much better at the whole ebay thing than I am, so now I just need to get the yarn I'm lusting after in midnight blue to make the shawl I'm planning.

 

Then the wedding outfit will be pretty much complete. Still need a bag and possibly some flats for the ceilidh in the evening. But I'm much less worried about those bits :)

 

I've done another swatch for the shawl I'm planning too, as the first one went a bit wrong. I've been using scraps of yarn so this swatch is in a random bright green that I think I got free with something. Here's the swatch:

I've also done actual planning for the week and we have a basic weeks menu plan and the shopping to make it! I will not have to spend the week wondering what on earth we're going to have for various meals. For example, today I'm making my lentil and bacon soup for lunch and then we're having chicken and broccoli pie for tea. Sorted.

 

For years I've meant to do actual menu planning, but never quite got around to it. This is all in my quest for us to get more organised and tidy things up. If I can introduce organisation into one part of my life, it'll filter into the next part... So if I'm not wasting time thinking about what we're having for tea (or whenever) I can do another tidying blitz.

 

So, I'm going back home in a minute and we're doing a 15 minute tidy and then we're (I'm) making lunch. And after lunch I have to go down to the rental agency and tell them my boiler is playing up. Then home for another 15 minute tidy before tea :)

 

Planning, it might yet work...