Found: Other sandal ideas...

If those lovely leather Aldo sandals don't fit, here are some others from their site (that come in size 11!) that I've been considering...

Corington, $50

 Euphrosine, $50

 Pavelka, $50 (might be $34.98 on sale?)

Rodda, 60$

Rothrock, $35

Tromp, $34.98 on sale

Not all are available in-store in Charlottetown, but can order all online (free shipping on orders over $100) and will likely check with the store to see if they can be returned if they don't fit properly... Decisions, decisions.

Find: Sandals (on their way!)

Don't get me started on finding the right shoes.

Too late: UGH. I take size eleven, and PEI already has a pretty pathetic selection of shoes to begin with, so pickin's are slim. It's especially frustrating because I'm never asking too much, either. This is all I want: a flat, at least sort of comfortable, neutral sandal, with a back to it, preferably strappy but not totally necessary, for walking around NYC & Toronto on my road trip. Is that so much to ask? Well, it seemed like it.

Visited many stores, including Aldo, Winners, Le Chateau, and Payless, and some less promising possibilities, such as Sears, Mark's Work Wearhouse, and Rockport. Found very few styles, tried on even fewer. The only one that I couldn't get out of my head at the end of the day was this:

This is "Dauster" from Aldo. $35 (no PST, which I always forget about, so just under $37 with GST!), thick leather, understated, neutral, wearable. Problem? No size 11 in-store, had to order it... time to play the waiting game! Can't wait to see if it fits, or if I have to go back in for a different pair... We'll see!

K

Find: The Body Shop Sandalwood Perfume Oil

Drool. Swoon. Love! This perfume oil is my perfect scent. You know when you find something that feels like it's made for you - my major (anthropology), my coat (classic beige trench with faux-tortoiseshell buttons from Old Navy) - and this is one of those for me. It's discontinued in Canada, so I save it now for special occasions, but because it is concentrated and you need so little, it has lasted beautifully. Luckily, Peter and I are making a trip down to New York in May, so I will hopefully restock (and buy forty-five of them if possible). If you are lucky enough to catch this scent, you'll be hooked.

Find: PEI Burger Love

Oh man. Oh MAN. I love burgers, I love local food, I love over-the-top food, and I love PEI. This all explains my love for PEI Burger Love, a promotion going on in PEI until the end of April. I have already tried the Holy Cow burger at The Gahan House, but need to expand my roster to include a few more before month's end. The Selkirk's "The Islander" is definitely next on my list. Eee!

Find: Antique L.M. Montgomery Book Covers as inspiration

I've been a fan of Anne and L.M. Montgomery for years now as an Islander, but only in the past couple of years have I really appreciated the beauty and design of many of the books' older covers. My favourite find (in the form of a postcard from the Anne of Green Gables store here in Charlottetown):

My favourite! Some other beautiful covers:

Find: Maybelline Superstay Golden Shimmer Balm

A few years back, I bought a tiny golden tube of shimmer balm at Shoppers Drug Mart for about eight dollars. It is totally elusive on PEI now (believe me, I've looked) but it can be ordered online, hurray! My parents were nice enough to order me several tubes on eBay for my birthday in March, so I'm set up for a few years at least! The find:

Maybelline Superstay Golden Shimmer Balm.

It's true,  I trekked everywhere to find this when my tube ran out, but to no avail. Most cosmeticians had no idea what I was even asking for, let alone whether or not they had any in stock or coming in. Why am I so crazy for this stuff, you ask? It's not the shimmer part, it's the balm. It's supposed to be layered over lipstick, but I use it as a highlighter around my eyes and blended in with my bronzer. You get the perfect sexed-up, dewy look. Trust me, you'll go through a stick of it like I did in no time! 

Find (kind of): Peter Forbes - "Looking All Around"

So, it's a stretch to say I 'found' this, but my boyfriend's song and film, Looking All Around, was just featured as a part of the Island Media Arts Co-Op's film project during the 2011 ECMAs here in Charlottetown. Be sure to check it out (and click 'like')! 

Find: Beauty loot at Shoppers Drug Mart!

About a week ago, I spent about 38,000 Shoppers Optimum points at Shopper's Drug Mart, taking home an exciting haul of new beauty products. Some of my finds included:

Kings & Queens Caspar Myrrh Shimmering Body Milk (on clear-out!). Smells like spicy, sweet chai lattes, and has itty-bitty sparkles for a delicate shimmer. The scent is awesome, but can be overpowering if you load it on, so I mixed it with the Body Shop's Buriti Baby Body Butter (their best body butter, in my opinion) to make the scent more subtle.

Next is the Gosh Giant Sun Powder (on sale at the time for about $18). I am not a bronzer person, as I burn to a crisp if not careful and am otherwise happily fair-skinned, but this one caught my eye. It is sheer, and rather than depositing tons of pigment, what you get is a nuanced set of shades (pinky, bronzy, and light foundation tones). It reminds me of the light on your face from a sunset in the summer... on a date. That's an effect I'll try to mimic any day!


Also picked up Gosh's Nail Lacquer in Wild Lilac (regularly $6) - my favourite lilac/lavender polish yet (albeit I might only have one or two others around here somewhere). Creamy and opaque just like I like 'em.

Looking to make a few more splurges when I receive my RBC gift card for Shoppers. Thinking of picking up Annabelle's Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil in Mokamirage (the perfect taupe).

Ah, cosmetics and toiletries, how I love thee.

Finds: Jade Nail Polish

Ever since the first time I came across Chanel's collection featuring the now-ubiquitous Jade nail polish, I have searched for the perfect fascimile (why pay more than $20 if you can find one that makes you just as happy for, say, a fifth of the price?). This is the goal:

These are my finds:

(some pics mine, some from the Internetz)

Joe Fresh nail polish from the Superstore, $3-4. A lighter colour, but nice and opaque! Lots of compliments. And a fantastic price!

OPI nail polish in Hey, Get In Lime. This was donated for my volunteer nail-painting at a local elementary school's spring fling fundraiser, so I got to keep it. Not sure if it's still for sale... but it's lovely!

This is Avon Nailwear Pro's Jade. My favourite of the bunch, good price, nice wear. Contact your local Avon Lady!

Hard to get a good sense of its colour in this photo, but GOSH Cosmetics' Slinky Jade is a beaut. A little sheerer than the others but a nice deep green, a little more grown up.

The dream team!

Still waiting to try:

Essie's Turquoise and Caicos - much more blue than the others but has the same feel of being fresh, springy, bright

Revlon's Minted seems like a Robin's Egg Blue, more delicate

and even if it is a Bieber colour, My Lifesaver from Nicole by OPI looks like it's right in the middle of all these jades and turquoises.

Any other suggestions? Let me know!

- Kat

My new laptop bag!

Recently, my friend Krista brought her laptop over to do some work for the Jewellery for Japan sale we put together, and I was struck by her choice of laptop bag: a vintage suitcase! Coincidently, I had virtually the same suitcase in different colours, but had never thought of using it to transport my computer. I am incredibly finicky when it comes to bags (all through high school and university, I have slugged my textbooks around in stylish-but-not-very-sensible messenger bags and totes - not a sensible, durable schoolbag in sight), so seeing this was very inspiring. This is what my clunky PC will be dragged around in from here on:

Found during the 70 Mile Coastal Yard Sale a few years ago, with another larger one, for $4 total. Steal!

Grape Earrings

Typically, my favourite style of earring comes in the shape of a bunch of grapes. It may have something to do with my love of all things Grecian, but who knows. When I like a kind of earring, or amass a couple pairs, I start scouting for them... this is my grape earring collection:

My first pair (the gateway pair, if you will)

Fusing punk and Grecian, an unlikely but fantastic coupling

Big ole grapes

Giant chrome danglers

These ones have little leaves at the top!

Because no earring collection is complete without black and gold grape earrings, I guess

These shoulder-grazers came in as donations to the Jewellery for Japan fundraiser sale I co-organized recently - they may be one of my top ten pairs of all time. Just have to find a time to, you know, wear them.

My grape earrings mixing in with my pearl clusters and other vintage clip-ons.

All of these are vintage or second-hand - keep an eye out next time you're perusing earrings at a flea market or thrift store and think of me! :)

- Kat

A switch

Hi all!

I've wanted a real blog for a long time, and I have a hunch that Blogspot might just give me more to work with than my old tumblr, How endEarring. I've titled the blog "Finds" because it can mean a few different things: discoveries, purchases, and even just things I find or find out in the course of a day. Let's hope it keeps up!

- Kat