Kenneth Cole Love/Hate

Last week I got my Kenneth Cole shipment in. I bought everything on sale, and was--mostly--very pleased.
I completely fell in love with all 3 items I pucrhased (oxford booties, black tote/handbag and brown winter boots) and got my heart broken when I realized that THE PERFECT boots were actually a size 10, not a size 9.
I only buy boots in a size nine because in the winter I wear a lot of layers on my feet. I'm usually a size 8/8.5 dsepending on the height of the heel. What irked me the most is that the box clearly states 40 EU. This means they are a size 10 in North america. For some reason unbeknownst to me, Kenneth Cole Productions decided (as told to me by a c.rep) that THEIR size 40 European is a size 9.
What?
No... seriously... I didn't realize you could choose size conversions.
How... I don't even know. There is no reasonable explanation for this. I'm european, I KNOW what a size 40 is. And I know what a size 9 is. They are NOT THE SAME THING.
So, with sadness in my heart I have to unload these boots for a fraction of their price. Yes, I was lucky enough to only pay 1/3 of their original retail price, and they now sell for 250 on the site (from 325), but I wanted them so bad. It's not worth it for me to pay another 60 bucks for shipping them and paying for shipping a new pair.

My boyfriend's camera is a bit wonky right now, and I'm trying to get a DSLR for school next year (yes, I got into college despite being essentially a dropout... actually missing one credit to graduate, but either way...) for my Visual Merch. program. Lots of photography and drawing involved, which is very cool. So my point is, all the good pictures I took were erased, but here are a few of the bag and oxford booties anyway-- I can't wait till all the snow melts and I can wear them out all the time.


In the meantime, I'm thinking about ways to get my hands on the McQ line for Target in March. Possibly while still in Canada.

Nostalgia and Champagne for Breakfast

This morning I woke up to an "initial" breakfast of champagne-- or more accurately sparkling wine, since I'm not willing to shell out the 50 dollars for the real thing. Chased down with canned beans and feta.

I know it's a weird combination, but that's what a person with a decent bank account and no job does. Or I do anyway. The only way way I can make money these days is through Ebay, which is fine. I get to scour all the vintage stores, friperies and garage sales (in the winter? HA) I can fit into my extremely busy days. Yea... that's right... busy... *cough*No these do not look like the bag I'm talking about.

Anyway. The last couple of days I've been thinking about this bag my grandmother use to have.
My grandmother was Russian and technically a doctor. However, due to the times, communism and politics essentially rendered her a nurse. I remember being little and rummaging through her 50's navy blue Doctors bag. I never could read her doctor's script, but she always had lots of papers in there and kept it in the closet.
I haven't seen that bag for 9 years but now I have this weird NEED to get my hands on it.
I figured I could give my mom a call and ask if my grandfather hasn't thrown it out since her passing. It would be absolutely terrible if he did... though there's a chance that won't happen since he's such pack-rats. Then again, I'm sure to him it's just a bag. I know to mom it would be; she hates clutter.
I guess the point is that is more than just a bag to me. It holds really good memories for me. and some mysteries I couldn't fully decode when I was 8. In fact it probably even has prescription slips and files from the 50's to the 70's (she got a new bag in the eighties as far as I know).