Dear new ballet flats,

Why haven't you softened up yet? I've worn you about 5 times now and you're still tearing up my heels. Seriously, the skip-hoppy-tiptoe-wince walk you're making me do is so inelegant. Please, it's time to give a little.

Thank you.

xx Kiki

The only solution to sore feet are Uggs. Shamefully sold to Americans, so quite un-Australian now, but quality-wise, no brand does better. Good thing I live near the factory, cos the price skyrocketed post foreign ownership.

Aren't they aptly ugg-ly? But oh so soothing and warm.

* * *

This is the picture I messaged my sister from a changeroom today, asking her to tell me truthfully if I was too old for the jeans shorts/opaques look. She replied that I definitely am not and she would tell me if I was, and I guess I believe her. That's what sisters are for, right? Well, I do know one girl whose very competitive sister probably wouldn't hesitate to let her go out looking like mutton dressed as lamb, but luckily mine is very trustworthy!

This cautiousness with fashion is a totally new experience for me. I've never hesitated before – not even at 30 – but I hit 32 and bam! Self doubt and fear of looking tragic sets in. I don't like it. Not at all I bought the shorts, but only after I pulled my hair back into a ponytail.

I've got to stop writing about this. I'm freaking myself out.

* * *

Although pet shops are despicable fronts for puppy and kitten mills, and I would never buy a pet from one, I cannot go past a pet shop without stopping to coochi-coo the adorable balls of fluff in their windows.

Most of the time their kittens and puppies are mixed breeds, but this one had mostly pure breeds. I was transfixed by these exquisitely regal-looking Tonkinese.

Like all of the '-ese' cat breeds, these are particularly good looking. A friend of mine has two (Bamboo… and I can't remember the other's name, but I think Bamboo is inspired) and is crazy about them, and I can see why.

However, I think the '-ese' cats tend to be 'talkers', and after my mother's Balinese turned out to be the loudest, clingy-est, in-your-face nutbag a person ever had the misfortune to be saddled with, I'm kind of wary of the 'talkers'.

Mr K has his heart irrevocably set on a Burmese though, so this picture left him unmoved.

The kitteh's weren't my only encounter of the fur-kind today. This is Astro, the elderly black Lab I saw wandering along Punt Rd – one of the busiest roads in inner Melbourne – this afternoon, and decided his adventures needed to be curtailed before he ended up a bag of bones under a truck.

Here he is looking very uncooperative as I try to take his photo. What is it with animals and cameras? Have you ever tried to take a picture of your cat or dog? They always duck and weave, trying to evade the lens. Even the kittehs above, separated by glass, looked put out when I took out my camera. I don't know how Rachael Hale does it. She must use a telephoto lens.

Look, it could be that Astro was just unhappy about being snapped wearing a pink collar, but sheesh, hound – I just saved your life. Undroop those ears for a second, will ya.

The woman holding him with a belt she made her friend take off is Sue, who helped me catch him when he slipped through a fence at the end of an alley. He kept wanting to go back there. We thought he was trying to hide. The council called his owner. Turns out it's where the dog lives. Slightly embarrassing.

Oh well, the owner was grateful anyway, and hopefully he'll fix the gap in his fence so he doesn't end up with a rug for a dog.

* * *

Remember in my What's in my handbag? post I said I carry around nailpolish remover pads because I swatch alot of nailpolish? This is what happens when you discover Sportsgirl has a whole heap of new colours in their range.

I couldn't be bothered removing them all though, so spent the afternoon trying to hide my nails. But the sales assistant who sold me the shorts spotted them and said. "I love your nails!"

Come on, seriously? Maybe if I was a kindergarten teacher…

Absolutely loving the colours and quality of Sportsgirl polishes, though. They go on like a dream and most are opaque in two coats (though I always do 3 for depth, in any brand). Resisted buying them though, because SG have pretty regular sales and discount their polishes frequently too.

I can wait, even though the lavenders are calling my name.

* * *

Have a lovely weekend everyone. It's going to be sunny in Melbourne tomorrow, so make the most of it, Melbournites… it may be the last we have for a while

xx Kiki

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