Shoesday Tuesday - Shoes too small? Pinching you in all the wrong places? Never fear - I have the solution for you... Shoe Stretching!

How cute is this fluffy bag...? Shoes - David Lawrence. Bag - Ooby Ryn

Arancini - Bag: Witchery

I love me some leopard print and these shoes are no exeption - they are however, half a size too small...

Do you ever try on shoes and they feel good, then you get them home and they've sudenly shrank!? These shoes were great when I bought them but the first tie I wore them, OUCH! I googled: "How to stretch shoes" there were a few results including: fill a small bag with water, push into toe of shoe and pop shoes into freezer. I tried this trick on my boots and it did work. Would be a good step if you have wide feet!
I then searched "shoe stretcher" on Trademe (New Zealand's answer to Ebay) and I picked up these puppies:

The front piece splits in two to stretch the toe, the plastics blobs are for strategic stretching if you have bunions. The end piece stretches your shoe length ways to accommodate your heel.

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I used these stretchers on my boots too and stretched them a whole size - they're now my go to piece for cooler days. Boohoo.com have heaps of great over the knee boots at the moment, have a look. Coincidentally I find Boohoo shoes run small so I always size up.

Speaking of shoes, I am selling some. I'm trying to keep my collection down so this way as I buy new shoes I have to sell old ones!

I Love all of these shoes but I'm trying to be a bit more minimal in my shoebsession 😊
Do you guys like to cull every now and then or are you collector/hoarders?

Have you guys ever tried shoe-stretchers?

I can really recommend them - especially if you're an online shopper and cannot return ill-fitting shoes.

Happy shoesday everyone.

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Sunday Instagram catch-up - Cats, Baking, baking, baking, Throwback Thursday to a warmer time, Macarons... Street art, views of the sea and a RIDICULOUS dessertgasm

Good day sensation seekers.

How was our week?

A little Instagram Catch-up while we sip our coffee/teas.

1. Norman looking ever suave in his tuxedo.

2. Lemon passion fruit Melting Moments... recipe coming soon!

3. #Throwback Thusday to the Gold Coast July 2016

4. #Throwback Thursday to Melbourne Zoo March 2017.

5. Macarons all packaged and ready to sell for charity!

6. New Water Tower up Mauao (our local hill) by Mr. G.

7. View from Mauao - Look at that sea!

8. Coffee and an Oaty caramel slice at 'the Bach' Cafe

9. Some stories I snapped through the week.

And the Piece de resistance - The baked cookie and vanilla ice cream at Good Neighbour pub in Hamilton - was so freshly amazing it's making me wanna go make one right now.

How was your week?
Do anything fun?

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Travel Thursday - Girls weekend - Rotorua 10k, desertgasm, friendly kitty visitor, excellent coffee and a nice scenic stroll

1. Rotorua, known for its geothermal activity and traditional Maori village settlement, it's a major tourist trap hence the helipad and multiple sea plans waiting for rich sight seers. Rotorua is also known for stinking of rotten eggs from all the sulfur!
2. Check out this sweet bicycle tree: made from bicycles gifted from residents in Rotorua it's designed to highlight the city's growing reputation as the southern hemisphere's mountain biking capital. Plus it just looks cool.
3. The garden outside the restaurant Atticus Finch is next level awesome.
4. the INSANE deserts at Ciccio

Us four girls were in Rotorua for the Half Marathon (Angela did the 21k walk, Michelle and I the 10k run and Gillian the 4k walk) but we only enter events for the deserts. These pictures don't show how RIDICULOUSLY MASSIVE the slices of cake are, like 5 inches tall!

Apple and custard doughnut - it tasted a billion times better than it looks and it looks GOOD!

They do cake orders too - I had to take a picture of these cute sugar paste shoes.

We stayed at a Holiday park and received a visit from this little friend (left) He kept walking away and making me follow along to pat him, he looks just like our pusscat Norman on the left.

After the event Michelle had to go but Angela, Gillian and I went BACK to Ciccio for one of their fabulous Freakshakes. The 3 of us shared this cookies and cream one and it was still too much, imagine having one to yourself!

After our shakes we headed back to Tauranga, the girls stayed another night at my place. We got delicious coffees from the food van along the boardwalk and then headed out around the base track of Mauao - a big hill at the end of town that forms a natural harbour with an adjoining island Matakana - Mauao means "caught by the rising sun" read the legend here.

Look at those views!

We got medals but forgot to take a selfie with all of us! Never mind, we have our memories.

Happy travels everyone.

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Shoesday Tuesday - shopping list for someone who is NOT shopping

So I have put myself on a serious shopping diet. I've unsubscribed from all the shopping emails and when I think I want to buy something - I just tell myself I don't need it!

However I am only human and some things have caught my eye.

1. We went to see Baby Driver at the movies Sunday and I walked past these divine blue velvet over the knee boots... Don't know how practical they are but they're SUPER pretty.

2. I saw these shoes first in a catalog and as I'm a fan of the Stella McCartney originals I really liked the dupe, but with the added blush pink and rose gold stars. However in store they seem a lot higher than maybe is practical.

3. I already own black velvet ankle boots but they were cheapies and these are better made... 

4. This divine leather backpack by Deadly Ponies - a New Zealand based leather bag company. They've collaborated with 'My Little Ponies' - I may have to snap one of those up.

It was only launched last Thursday and it's already SOLD OUT.

What are you guys lusting after?

Every blogger and their mums are rocking straw bags - I want one but I cant tell whether that's a real emotion or if it's just their ubiquity that's tantalized me

How about you guys? Anything on your lists?

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend

Sunday Baking - Peanut butter choc chunk cookies - inspired by the ice cream sandwich at Brooklyn bar & restaurant

We had dinner at Brooklyn Bar and eatery - which was AMAZING - but then desert came and we were in HEAVEN - Peanut butter choc chip cookies sandwiched with ice cream and a peanutty caramel sauce. I knew I had to try and make my own...

Ingredients:

115gms butter
70gms white sugar
70gms brown sugar
1 egg
1t Vanilla extract
100gms peanut butter
150gms All purpose flour
1t baking powder
200gms chocolate chopped into chunks

Method:

pre-heat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg until well combined. beat in vanilla and peanut butter. Sift flour and baking powder onto butter mixture and stir until mixed through. Mix in chocolate. Drop spoonfuls onto baking-parchment lined trays (the bigger the spoonful the bigger the cookie) and bake until golden and smelling delicious!

This recipe is so easy you cannot go wrong!

I was out for the night with my sister and father for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony with cello solo. What an amazing performance! YouTube it, you may recognize parts if you've ever seen The Witches of Eastwick ;-)

Will you be attempting these cookies? 

They are insanely good.

Yesterday I made a Lemon & White chocolate blondies, I have to share with you all... AMAZING.

Happy Baking

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Sunday Instagram catch-up: BANANAS/ Charity Bakes-sale cupcakes/ Boots boots boots, stupid winter/ Historic Village Market - new leather jacket - hit 1000kms on the new car/ New Painting.

Hi everyone!

I haven't blogged for a week because I am lazy! I've just fired up the laptop now to return all the lovely comments left behind on my last instagram catch-up! So here's last week...

1. Bananas growing in Tauranga, New Zealand. New Zealanders eat the most bananas by head of capita than anywhere in the world - 14 kilos each person every year!

2. Made 43 cupcakes for a charity bake sale at work - made $172! Which is nothing to sneeze at.

3. Sick of wearing boots to keep the toes warm - when will it be SUMMER!?

4. On Sunday we went to the Historic Village Market to pick up fruit and veges... I ended up thrifting an Italian leather jacket and buying a laundry hamper... was fun though - we also hit 1000 kilometers on our new car!

5. Started a new painting...

and now it's finished.

How was your week everyone?

Did you achieve all your goals or were you a slack bum like me?

Happy Instagramming all

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.

Sunday Instagram Catch-up: Catstagramming,wintry weather, staring cows, Cupcakes, Shoestagrams and a movie

Hi everyone!

This past fortnight has been really cold in Tauranga - the last few mornings it's been zero degrees Celsius and frost on the ground!

1. Norman the tuxedo cat.

2. The sea-view from our Living room.

3. I made cupcakes: Toasted coconut & White Chocolate. Strawberry Choc chip.

4. Trying to take a photo of the sunset - looked great reflected in our front window.

5. Gratuitous shoe shot of my Rose Gold Mules and NYDJ trousers :-)

6. Staring cows in Waitetuna (my sister has a farm in the Waikato)

7. Street art outside the local cafe - Little rat soldier.

8. Pictures of the frost - was a beautiful day, but cold!

9. Went to see Baby Driver at the Movies - was SUCH a great film! Recommended.

Feel free to follow along on Instagram.

Leave me a link so I can check out yours too.

♥ Paula Shoe Fiend.