Closer to heaven...

In keeping with my current ballet obsession I thought I'd show you these little beauties. The Style Net posted about these Louboutin 8" heels, which were created exclusively for an auction to raise funds for the English National Ballet. Created in gold silk and embellished with Swarovski crystals, they also bear the signature red sole.

'The heel which makes dancers closer than any other women to the sky, closer to heaven.' Christian Louboutin.

Having recently tried on my pointe shoes - then promptly taking them off again after feeling how weak my ankles are - I can almost imagine these would be like pointe shoes with training wheels! I doubt that sky high stiletto would add any actual support... I'd be interested to see if anyone could actually wear them but I love the concept.

New Navy

It's a love thing.

On high rotation.

Love Ting- Anna Lunoe & Wax Motif by Anna Lunoe

Alors on danse

When I was little, my mother enrolled me in ballet lessons at the age of 2. I did ballet (somewhat reluctantly, amid on-off phases of really loving it) until I was 17 years old. At the same school, with the same teacher, and pretty much the same girls I'd always been in classes with.

I ended up stopping when I was at uni deciding that I just didn't have time for it anymore, and traded my twice weekly classes for a gym membership. Recently though, I have returned to the school I went to for 15 years to do adult intermediate classes once a week. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first - worried that time had sweetened my memories and I may not actually enjoy it as much as I was hoping to. Nevertheless, I braved my first lesson a few weeks ago and haven't looked back.

Having had 6 years off I now realise just how much strength and fitness is required - and how much I took for granted when I used to at worst get a case of 'jelly legs' by the end of class as a teenager. Now I get aching muscles within the first 15 minutes, in places I didn't even know I had working muscles! But I'm loving every minute of it. The part I get really excited about is going to buy new ballet shoes and leotards and one day maybe i'll even don my tutu and pointe shoes once more...