Diary of a Shoe Addict

What Jenn Wore {36 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-07-13T19:17:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

The blouse I'm wearing is from Motherhood Maternity. I have a tank top from Old Navy layered underneath it because it was kind of sheer.
My maternity skinny jeans are also from Old Navy.
The brown flats I have on are Coach and they are the Jilly style.

What Jenn Wore {35 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-07-04T08:46:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My chambray dress is from Target and is not maternity.
The patent leather green belt I'm wearing is from J. Crew, although I bought it on eBay.
My plaid fabric sandals are Laundry by Shelli Segal. I bought them at a local shoe store, Warren's, several years ago.

What Jenn Wore {34 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-06-26T17:24:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My cardigan is from Ann Taylor Loft.
The necklace I'm wearing was found at Plato's Closet, as was the Marc by Marc Jacobs T-shirt I have on.
My black shorts are from Old Navy. They are not maternity - just drawstring!
My wedges are Calvin Klein and were found at Dillard's.

What Jenn Wore {33 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-06-20T20:36:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

I'm not sure about the brand on the dress I have on, but I purchased it at TJ Maxx last summer in Cleveland. It's not a maternity dress, but it was so, so comfortable! The wooden beads around the neckline are an instant necklace!
My heels are from Kate Spade. They are leather with a snakeskin pattern.

What Jenn Wore {32 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-06-14T20:45:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My necklace is from Dillard's. It's a long coral and light pink beaded design.
The dress I have on is from Old Navy, and I bought it at Plato's Closet a few weeks ago. It is not maternity!
I found my espadrilles on Rue La La. They are by Charles David. Love them! They are way more comfortable than I thought they would be.

What Jenn Wore {31 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-06-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My silk dress is from J. Crew. It's the one I was obsessed with back in April!
The peep-toe pumps I'm wearing are the Fizz style from Charles David. They are eyelet lace with some really fun pom poms on the toes. :)

What Jenn Wore {30 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-05-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My silk tank top is by Tibi. I bought it brand new on eBay!
The skinny jeans I'm wearing are from Old Navy's maternity section. Very comfy!
My white patent leather peep-toe pumps are the library style by BCBGirls.

What Jenn Wore {29 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-05-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

{A little late.} :)

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My floral sequined t-shirt is from Express.
The white drawstring linen pants I'm wearing are from Target. They are not maternity pants!
My cognac wedges are by Vince Camuto. I found them at Dillard's.

The Downside of UPS

2011-05-18T20:03:00.000-05:00

I do a lot of online shopping. A lot. And, with each experience, I'm learning which companies offer the best customer service and which ones are simply dreadful. Recently, I had two horrible experiences with UPS that I just had to share with everyone.

The first concerns my Mother's Day gift this year, which Dave ordered from a company in California. He placed the order on a Monday, and it was shipped the same day. Once we had the tracking number in hand, it showed that it would arrive on Thursday. For some unknown reason, the package was then flown over our entire state and ended up on the eastern side (we are on the western side). Then it was delayed there because of bad weather (could have been avoided if they hadn't flown right into it!). Thursday came and went, and the delivery date was updated to Friday. We called & emailed UPS to inquire about the package. No one was helpful. They couldn't tell us why the package was routed past us or when it would be on its way to us for delivery. Friday came. No package. I called UPS again and spoke to a customer service manager named Virginia. She said the package should be continuing its route to us shortly and she would do her best to arrange for Saturday delivery. She promised to call me back by 3 PM Friday with an update. {I'm still waiting for her call.} At 5 PM, I called customer service again. They didn't know where this "Virginia" could be working and basically said her idea of Saturday delivery was an empty promise. That's when we gave up. The package obviously never arrived by Mother's Day; instead, it came two full business days after it's original delivery date.

Story #2: Remember the J. Crew dress I mentioned last month? :) Well, I ordered it in two sizes, since I wasn't sure how it would fit my pregnant body. Both dresses were shipped the same day, but each had their own tracking number. They were both scheduled for delivery on the 10th. When I went home for lunch that day, there was only one package on our front porch. The other was apparently still on the truck (I guess the driver forgot to drop it off?). Sure enough, when I checked the tracking later, the status still read "out for delivery." Later that evening, our local UPS office called me.

Them: "We have a package from J. Crew for you. Is there any reason why the driver wasn't able to find your address?"

Me: "Funny you ask. I received another package from J. Crew today and they didn't seem to have any trouble finding it."

Them: "Was it another carrier, like the post office perhaps?"

Me: "No, it was UPS."

{Silence}

Yes, they are that bad. At this point, I don't think I'd even accept a lifetime of free shipping from them. I'd be waiting an eternity for my packages!

What Jenn Wore {28 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-05-15T20:21:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My red wooden bead necklace is from Plato's Closet.
The black & white leopard print dress I'm wearing is from Motherhood Maternity.
My leggings are those popular Danskin ones from middle school that I love dearly.
The pumps I have on are red ombre patent leather and are by Charles David.

What Jenn Wore {27 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-05-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My top is Derek Heart. I found it at TJ Maxx, and it is not maternity. One thing I love about it is that I can wear it strapless or as a halter top.
The jeans I'm wearing are maternity jeans from Citizens of Humanity. I found them at Destination Maternity. They have been worth the price because I wear them a lot!
My heels are black patent leather peep-toe pumps by Jimmy Choo.

Because Everyone Needs 100 Bottles of Ketchup

2011-05-05T17:43:00.000-05:00

Image from here

I love saving money and getting good deals, but these "Extreme Couponing" folks really leave me scratching my head. At first glance, I started to think maybe the popular show on TV should be renamed "Thrifty Hoarding." Mainly because the first guy I saw on the show had stockpiled 1,000 tubes of toothpaste. Seriously, dude? You really need THAT much toothpaste? Keep in mind that this was the stash he had AFTER he had donated some to charity.

This brought to mind a slew of other questions and thoughts about extreme couponing that I can't help but share with my readers:

What do you do if there is a recall on a product? "Sorry, kids! Can't eat those 90 cans of soup after all because there was a recall on tomatoes again."
How much does it cost to get all those newspapers for the coupons?
How do you use that much food before it expires?
Is it really worth it if you have to stash your merchandise in its own room or (worse, in my opinion) spread all over the house?
I hope I never get behind one of these people in line.
Most on TV brought their own reusable shopping bags, which is great! I couldn't bear to think of all these people using plastic bags.

What's your take on it? Extremely cool or extremely unnecessary?

What Jenn Wore {26 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-05-01T11:02:00.000-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My jacket is from Ann Taylor Loft. It is grey and white pinstripe (almost seersucker, but not quite).
The printed dress I'm wearing is from Banana Republic Outlet.
My shoes are white patent leather peep-toe pumps. They are the Library style by BCBGirls.

None of these items are maternity!

Obsessed with the Dress

2011-04-28T20:33:00.001-05:00

Have you met the new Casbah print dress from J. Crew?

Image from here

I am obsessed with this dress right now. Part of it, admittedly, is because the color of it is called Jade. And that name happens to be pretty special to me these days. :)

I have convinced myself that, even though I'm pregnant, I could probably get away with wearing it because of the empire waist and flowy skirt. After all, I'll need something to wear to my baby shower, right? :) Feel free to encourage my obsession and tell me I must have it.

And...for a great review of this dress, check out AudreyBella's blog!

What Jenn Wore {25 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-04-24T13:52:00.001-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My denim jacket is from Gap Kids. I love buying kids' jackets every now and then when I want a shrunken look.
The belt I'm wearing is the Looping Lanes belt from Anthropologie. It's a staple in my closet, and I have it in this cognac color and dark brown too.
The dress I have on is from Forever 21. It's been a great place to find maternity tops and dresses because they have a lot of empire waist styles like this one.
My shoes are canvas and leather peep toe pumps from Kate Spade. They are the Giselle style and were purchased on eBay.

What Jenn Wore {24 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-04-17T08:41:00.001-05:00

To read my pregnancy update from this week, go here!

My dress and cardigan are both from Express.
The leggings I'm wearing are Danskin. I've had them since middle school! They are the most comfortable (and warmest) pair of black leggings I have.
The wedges I have on are Calvin Klein. I bought them at Dillard's.

A Bicycle Built for...Kate!

2011-04-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

Anyone else receive an email today promoting the new Kate Spade bike? If I was in a totally frivolous mood and wanted a spiffy new bike, I would definitely check this out! Anyone know how much it costs? Probably a pretty penny since they are only selling one per store.... Oh well, a girl can dream! :)

Image from here

What Jenn Wore {23 Weeks Pregnant}

2011-04-10T12:05:00.001-05:00

In an effort to revitalize this blog (once again), I thought I would bring back "What Jenn Wore." Keep in mind that Jenn is dressing for two these days so not all of the outfits I feature will be applicable to non-pregnant women. Still, I'm finding it fairly easy (so far) to incorporate non-maternity clothes into much of my wardrobe.

Every Saturday, I post a weekly pregnancy update on my personal blog. Every Sunday, I will try to follow up with a "What Jenn Wore" post on this one.

Here are the facts for this week. My outfit above was for a black tie work event.

My dress is coral colored and is Calvin Klein. It is not maternity, and I found it at an Off Saks Fifth Avenue store.
The shoes I'm wearing are champagne satin platform sandals by Giuseppe Zanotti. I scored them on eBay.
The earrings I have on are from Mason's (even though you can't really see them in this picture). They are a clear lucite material and matched the rhinestone detailing on the front of the dress perfectly.

Couture Closet Prints

2011-04-08T06:51:00.002-05:00

By request (thank you, Anonymous!), here are some updated pictures of the couture art prints that are hanging in my closet. I hope these give you a better idea!

All of the frames and prints used came from Hobby Lobby.

A Pregnant Pause

2011-04-06T18:30:00.000-05:00

Although I've been procrastinating for quite a while now, today was the day that I finally decided I should write an update.

After all, it's been over FOUR MONTHS since my last post.

You see, it's a funny story really. The last post I wrote was on Black Friday, which also happened to be a day that changed my life.

It's the day I found out I was pregnant.

Now, if anything can rock a shoe addict off her stilettos, it's that!

Since then, I've still been shopping, but it's been for a different type of merchandise. (Hello maternity clothes and baby clothes - two untapped genres by yours truly!). We are absolutely thrilled to be expecting a little one, and I'm proud to say that she (yes, SHE!) will be the heiress to this shoe addict's personal stash. That is, if she likes them as much as her mom does. :)

I've thought long and hard about whether I should keep this blog going and, if so, what in the world I'll post about next. It's been a big job keeping our personal blog up and running all these months with baby posts, and I'm honestly not sure if I'll have the time to devote to this one that I once had.

That being said, I'm not ready to throw in the towel yet. I received a comment on this blog earlier today, which reminded me yet again that it was time for an update. It also reminded me that this blog HAS been a nice outlet for sharing all things shopping too. So, why not keep it going for a little longer?

{Note to that blog reader: I will post those pictures you requested by the end of the week!}

So, here's my attempt. I'm still not sure what I'll write about in the weeks to come, but - like mommyhood - I'll figure it out.

Until then, here's what I'm looking like these days. Still proud to say that I'm wearing my heels!

22 weeks

Happy Black Friday!

2010-11-26T06:26:00.000-06:00

Today is Black Friday - the day when hundreds of ~~crazy~~ eager shoppers storm the streets and stores in search of fantastic holiday deals. Some consider it a holiday while others loathe it and make plans to stay far, far away from the madness.

What's your take? Do you rise and shine at 3:00 AM and wait in line for the best deals? Or do you plan to stay at home, eat leftovers, and watch classic holiday movies?

Image from here

I'm not an early riser by nature, even when it comes to shopping. I'd rather sleep in on my day off and then hit the stores mid-morning when the first round of shoppers has gone home. And, to be perfectly honest, I've been a bit disappointed in some of the specials offered in the last few years. 20% off? Please. What makes that so special? Throw in a free sweater and maybe - maybe - I'll be interested.

Whether you plan to partake in the madness this year or not, one thing is certain: Christmas is now less than a month away!

{Eeek!}

All in the Details

2010-11-24T09:20:00.000-06:00

Instead of doing another "What Jenn Wore" for my 30th birthday Lady Gaga-themed party, I thought I would share pictures of some of my costume's details. After all, the whole ensemble was a little hard to take in in one glance.

My dress was actually vintage from the 80's (appropriate, no?), and I found it on eBay. I wanted something sparkly and fun, but not too over-the-top because, well, I still wanted to try to look pretty in my costume, as opposed to crazy.

However, the dress I bought was really just a plain sequined blue dress. I need to spice it up a bit for the party, so I wandered up and down the aisles at Hobby Lobby until I found some inspiration. An idea was born, and I brought my treasures home and pulled out the hot glue gun and needle and thread.

I sewed and glued these lovelies to the back of my dress for a peacock-inspired effect.

I also created my own headpiece, again with items I found at Hobby Lobby (primarily in the floral department):

And then, there were the shoes.

I'll admit, I wanted something really special for this party. And I wanted a designer pair that I could wear again. I found these Louboutins on eBay (the Lady Lynch style) and decided they were perfect - completely covered in pink glitter. I DO plan to wear them again - I think they will be super cute with jeans and can even work for some of my holiday parties.

Before you assume that I broke the bank with these babies, let me reassure you otherwise. I sold many items in my closet that I wasn't wearing anymore and easily paid for them that way. (Thank you, eBay!) Plus, they were a very reasonable deal.

Finally, even though it wasn't part of my costume, I did want to show a better picture of the awards that were given at my party. I ended up with the "Most Creative" award and was secretly pretty excited. They turned out so cute, and I was really proud of Dave's handiwork on them.

To create them, I bought figurine necklace holders (again at Hobby Lobby) and unscrewed the top part that actually held the jewelry. We replaced that with a sparkly gold "orb" that I found in the Christmas section and then painted the body gold to match. I used satin ribbon to make the sashes and pinned them with mini gold safety pins. They really were kind of crazy looking and very cute at the same time. :)

For more party pics, visit my 30th Birthday blog site!

What Jenn Wore {30th Birthday}

2010-11-24T08:48:00.001-06:00

Every year, I try to create a special outfit for my birthday. After all, it's my day, right? :) This year, I decided to take advantage of the lovely 15% coupon that Anthropologie sent me as a birthday treat. The coupon could only be used in stores, but luckily my friend Rachel was headed to Houston for a trip and agreed to pick up a certain dress I had my eye on.

My handbag is a tan leather Christian Dior saddlebag. It's on loan from my mom. :)
The dress I had to have from Anthropologie is the Easy-As-Pie dress by Edme and Esyllte.
Continuing the Anthropologie theme, I'm also wearing the Looping Lanes belt - this time in chocolate brown! (Yes, I am such a fanatic that I now have it in two colors).
My patterned tights are from The Gap.
My ankle boots are the brown leather "Britt" style by Report.
Finally, even though you can't see them, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the pearl stud earrings that I'm wearing. They are from Tiffany & Co. and were a very special birthday gift from my sweet husband!

What Jenn Wore {Oktoberfest}

2010-10-29T07:02:00.002-05:00

I thought it would be nice to point out that I don't always wear dresses. :) Sometimes, there's nothing more appropriate for an event than a good pair of jeans and a cute top. Such was the case earlier this month when Dave and I attended an Oktoberfest party at a friend's house.

What? You were expecting a dirndl?

My necklace was a gift from my mom. My dad bought it for her ages ago and it is a beautiful gold creation. I wore it to Hall of Fame this year too, but I'd been eager to wear it with a more casual outfit.
My blouse is the Facile Camp Shirt by Odille and was purchased at Anthropologie. I love that it is versatile enough to be worn tucked in or out loose with a belt (included).
The jeans I'm wearing are True Religion. I found them at Cheap Thrills, a local store that features gently used and vintage clothing.
Even though you can't see them, my shoes are the Carrie pumps by Guess in brown crocodile print leather. They are a staple in my wardrobe, and I always seem to get compliments on them.

If Fall Were a Shoe...

2010-10-26T19:44:00.000-05:00

... it would be the Wicky style from Stuart Weitzman in the appropriately named color of Autumn Tweed.

I bought these beauties back in January and have been waiting for the perfect fall day to wear them. Today, my friends, was the day.

Fair Weather Friend

2010-10-05T07:37:00.000-05:00

Every year, I dread the winter. However, there's one thing I do love about the cooler weather....coats!

And, this fall, I have a new obsession with a brown leather jacket that I just bought off of eBay. It has become my fair weather friend, and I have found myself making outfits with it every other day.

It's dressy enough for work and casual enough for weekends. It's the perfect length. And, it has just a touch of hardware.

If you're looking for one for yourself, keep these tips in mind:

Try to find one that is versatile enough to serve as a blazer/jacket of sorts and also an outdoor piece. This will give you more bang for your buck.
Length is key for a polished look. Try on several different styles and brands so you can determine which ones hit you at the ideal place.
Whether you opt for real leather or faux, try to find something that is of good quality. Your jacket should not smell funny or feel funny to the touch.
If you do go with real leather, you will likely pay more. However, keep in mind that a good leather jacket is an investment piece and can last for years.

What Jenn Wore {Razorback Game}

2010-09-30T12:49:00.000-05:00

I love pairing designer items with low-cost items to make a chic outfit. So, when I had to come up with something to wear to entertain guests at a football game this past weekend, I challenged myself to come up with something that was comfortable, trendy, and also school-spirited. AND.... to use pieces I already had as opposed to buying something new.

My handbag was the most expensive part of my ensemble. It is a Michael Kors hobo bag (the Austin style) that I found at TJ Maxx. It's a beautiful camel/cognac leather that I've used quite frequently this summer. Very versatile! Here is a similar one for sale online (for more than I paid for it):

My cognac leather boots are by Diba and are the "Hangin Tuff" style. I purchased them earlier this year from Warren's. They have a slight slouch to them and a low heel. Not bad for a lot of walking!
My earrings are from Mason's. If you live in northwest Arkansas, you should definitely check them out for jewelry!
My necklaces were found at Plato's Closet. Another favorite spot for inexpensive jewelry finds!
The cardigan and dress I'm wearing are from Old Navy. They have proven to be very versatile pieces and were very inexpensive. More bang for my buck!
And, finally, the belt I'm wearing is near and dear to me. It is the Looping Lanes belt from Anthropologie that I hunted far and wide for earlier this year. I even featured it in another post this spring. It has proven to be one of my favorite belts EVER.

What Jenn Wore {Garden Party}

2010-09-07T20:11:00.000-05:00

Wondering what to wear to a garden wedding? Try a floral! That's what my sister-in-law and I did recently when we attended the vow renewal of Andrew and Erin in Hot Springs. And, because I helped her pick out her outfit, you're going to find out what both of us wore!

My dress is the Watercolor Garden Bridget dress by J Crew. After lusting over it for most of the spring, I finally broke down and bought it on eBay since it was sold out elsewhere. It didn't hurt that it was marked down quite a bit by then either.
My nude colored leather peep-toe pumps are the Tansy style by L.A.M.B. I LOVE these pumps. They are perfect for events or for work and make my legs look longer. I bought them on eBay.
Jackie's dress is the silk floral rouched sleeveless dress from Express. She tried it on in our local store in July and then - savvy shopper that she is - bought it brand new on eBay for a fraction of the price.
Jackie's peep-toe pumps are by Delicious and are pewter with a ruffle over the toe.
My clutch (not shown) is the Jenny convertible clutch by Abas. It was a light purple color and matched nicely with my dress. I found it for a steal at TJ Maxx. Here it is in pink:

Image from here

What Jenn Wore {Carolyn's Wedding}

2010-08-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, Dave and I attended Carolyn & Matt's wedding on Dickson Street. Here's the low-down on the outfit I assembled for the event.

My satin ruched dress is D&G (Dolce & Gabbana). I bought it on eBay last summer for less than $100. This was the first time I had worn it because, well, I'm honestly not used to wearing dresses this snug.
My pewter leather clutch is BCBGMaxAzria. I bought it at Dillard's.
My black patent leather peep-toe shoes are Jimmy Choo (the Timmy style, I believe). I bought them on eBay last year. They are perfect for work or special events!
My dressy black blazer is from Forever 21. It features a satin band around the waist.
The watch I'm wearing is Badgley Mischka. It was bought (once again) on eBay. It has a gray grosgrain leather-covered band and the face is enclosed in a beautiful crystal case. I found a similar one online that is brown and gold (mine is gray and silver):

Buy it here!

I am wearing earrings as well, but you can't see them well in any of the pictures. Plus, I can't remember where I bought them since I've had them for so long!

Sticky Situations

2010-08-19T17:18:00.001-05:00

I was the lucky recipient of the "Shopaholic's Daily Calendar" at Christmas last year, and I thought that yesterday's piece of advice was actually very helpful. I know I have experienced this on more than one occasion, and it can be quite annoying!

"You've just scored the most amazing tall leather boots - and on sale! The only problem is that pesky sticker on the bottom of the shoe that just won't come off. Stop cursing and scraping and simply blast it off with a hair dryer for thirty seconds. It will peel right off." --toptipsforgirls.com

And, speaking of sticky situations, haven't we all found ourselves in them at one time or another? I am a big fan of etiquette and proper protocol, which is why I picked up this handy book a few months ago:

The Modern Girl's Guide to Sticky Situations

It's funny, yet practical and helpful. After all, Emily Post never wrote about how to deal with embarrassing Facebook pictures or drunk texts from your friends. :)

Rumor Has It....

2010-08-16T07:04:00.001-05:00

That we are getting an Anthropologie and J. Crew in our state!

{Insert cheering, clutching of wallet, and happy dance here}

Never mind that it will be 3 hours away from where I live. I can deal with that. I'll just have to plan my work travel to strategically include Little Rock. :)

I can't wait to try on all of their lovely wares in the comfort of my own state. No more schlepping across state borders on flights with crammed suitcases. Now, I can pack all of my shopping in my very own trunk.

My favorite things to shop for at these stores are dresses. If money was no object, I would pick up one of each of these:

The Seaside Fields Dress

The Fukuoka Folds Dress

The Manor Gates Dress

The Ole Dress

The Leighton Dress in Pine

Little Rock friends, beware. I may be coming to stay with you more often. :)

Because Sometimes I Carry a Small Purse

2010-08-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

I recently learned about a fantastic service through Daily Worth that helps you keep track of all of your reward program account numbers. For me, this is a huge deal because I despise carrying around all of those little reward cards in my purse. I recently became so frustrated with the amount of space they took up that I tossed them all into a dresser drawer instead. The only problem? Now I obviously don't have them with me when I need them.

{Sigh}

What's a girl to do? Especially on days when she needs to carry an itty bitty clutch because - let's face it - it's really the best option for the outfit she's sporting that day?

Enter CardStar.

CardStar can be used on the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry and keeps track of all of those pesky (yet helpful) rewards numbers. It even converts the numbers into a scan-able barcode. (Now, why didn't I think of that?).

Whew! My purse feels much lighter already.

{Hooray!}

By the way, if you haven't checked out Daily Worth before, you totally should. It's a fantastic site that sends daily money tips for women. Plus, it helps me feel like I can actually keep up with my banker husband when he uses his financial jargon. A win-win in my book!

Cheater

2010-08-12T07:31:00.001-05:00

I love Starbucks.

Typically, I visit the one down the road from my workplace maybe two or three times per week. When I travel, it increases to about two times per day.

Mind you, I don't even drink caffeine. I'm a decaf girl, and I love the taste of coffee.

But lately, I've been cheating on Starbucks with this little guy:

The Toddy Cold Brew System makes delicious iced coffee, which is my beverage of choice during these hot summer days. The process is incredibly simple, uses no electricity, and makes enough coffee to last me at least two weeks.

All you need is the Toddy kit, a pound of coarsely ground coffee, and water. Twelve hours later, and you've got a substantial amount of joe that is less bitter and more concentrated than traditionally brewed coffee. It's also less acidic!

I've yet to try the Toddy coffee warm, but I've read that you can do so. The booklet that comes with the kit actually has many delicious recipes in it (including desserts).

So, there you have it. It sure feels good to come clean about my affair.

{Sorry, Starbucks. At least you know I haven't found a replacement for your pumpkin scones.}

{Yet.}

What Jenn Wore {Family Fireworks}

2010-08-10T17:48:00.015-05:00

For the second installment of What Jenn Wore, I decided to jump back one month to this post on my personal blog. You'll notice that Dave, who joined me in this picture, is one-of-a-kind and not available in any store. :)

My straw cowboy hat is from Target. I would wear it every weekend (and maybe occasionally to work) if I could get away with it.
The sunglasses are, yet again, my beloved aviators from Cole Haan and were originally found at Dillard's. (You can still buy them on Amazon.com though!)
The camisole I'm wearing has been around forever. I honestly can't remember where it came from, but if I had to guess, I'd say TJ Maxx.
The brand on my blue dress is Mai Tai. I bought it at a local boutique in Fayetteville called Something Urban.
My belt, which I LOVE, is navy elastic with peacock feathers on the front. I bought it at Urban Outfitters in San Antonio back in May.
And, finally, those boots? My mother-in-law was kind enough to give those to me this past April while I was the hunt for a great pair. The brand is Dan Post, and they were exactly what I hoped to find.

What Jenn Wore {Angella's Wedding}

2010-08-08T14:10:00.005-05:00

In an attempt to revitalize this blog (cause, let's face it, it needs help), I'm going to start a new series of posts: What Jenn Wore. Here, you can get the nitty gritty details on what I wore to all of the happenings that are mentioned on my personal blog.

To kick off the series, I thought I'd start with Duke and Angella's wedding in Springfield last month.

Here goes!

My dress is by Badgley Mischka and was found on eBay last summer.
The aviator sunglasses are Cole Haan and were found at Dillard's. They are pretty much my favorite ones ever!
My belt was made up of a black satin ribbon that I've had forever and a satin flower pin that I found at Plato's Closet.
My black satin shoes are the Pillow style by Jimmy Choo and were found on eBay.
The earrings I'm wearing are Kenneth Cole and are from Dillard's.

Stay tuned for more of these posts!

Can-Can You Caption This?

2010-08-06T16:03:00.002-05:00

If you read my last post about Catalog Living, then you already know that it's one of my new favorite blogs. However, while perusing my Shop it to Me sale alert today, I noticed the following image and wondered if the Catalog Living folks ever place clever captions with images from fashion catalogs and online sites.

Image from here

I'm not sure if they already do this or if there is another blog that does, but this image DEFINITELY warrants a clever caption.

I'm having a hard time deciding what I would use...

Perhaps, "Business on top. Party on the bottom."

or

"Damn you, Mr. Photographer. You caught me as I was about to squash that giant spider on the set."

or

"You just thought I wouldn't get that job as a can-can dancer. This will show you!"

Hmmmm.....others? What's your idea for a clever caption?

If You Need a Good Laugh

2010-07-17T11:24:00.001-05:00

Then you MUST check out this blog.

Who knew catalogs were so entertaining? I'm going to start paying closer attention to mine....

Last Monday

2010-05-25T09:15:00.001-05:00

Embroidered top: Free People
Cardigan: Rampage
Denim pencil skirt: J. Crew
Peep toe heels: Gianni Bini
Leather messenger bag: Fossil "Sasha"
Hair: Julie at Metropolis!

Everything's Bigger in Texas - Even the Malls (Pt. 2)

2010-05-18T19:18:00.000-05:00

For the second part of our trip, we found ourselves in San Antonio. And, believe me, we will remember more than just the Alamo from our visit there. :-)

The first shopping center we stumbled upon was at The Alamo Quarry. According to the locals we visited, The Quarry used to be (surprise, surprise) a rock quarry. But now, it's a very attractive shopping center that also has a Whole Foods in it.

{Sound familiar?}

We didn't have a lot of time to spare here, but we did visit Ann Taylor and check out their sale. I fell in love with a great pair of grey pants, a grey pencil skirt, and a silk blouse in a neutral pinkish hue. I'm hardly ever drawn to neutrals like that, but for some reason, I was really feeling this pinkish blouse with the grey skirt and pants. Did I buy them? No. *sigh*

{Side note: I have a problem when shopping in bigger cities. I almost always pass up items in the first few stores I visit because I'm convinced I'll find something even better later. Many times, I end up with nothing at all. Go figure.}

Later on our trip, we discovered The Shops at La Cantera. Rachel and I were so impressed with this shopping center - not only for its beauty (the stores! the landscaping!) but for the fact that it was only 3 miles from our hotel.

{Nice.}

Our first trip there started at Anthropologie. We seemed to be drawn to it like a beacon for some reason. It's like the store was calling us and drawing us in.

I grabbed many, many times from the sale racks and threw in a few full-priced items for good measure. I ended up buying the Zoya Dress, a shirt that was on sale, and a floral pencil skirt (that's not on their web site). Here's a shot of me in the Zoya Dress by Tabitha in the dressing room:

After that purchase? Major buyer's remorse. The next day, I returned everything but the shirt that was on sale.

*sigh*

I ended up finding quite a few fun things at Urban Outfitters, including a fun pair of paperbag waist shorts that I can't wait to wear. I was pretty torn on whether or not to buy this dress, but finally decided it was probably a little too short for me.

Still, it was pretty cute.

All in all, it was a good shopping trip. I'm even glad that I made the mature decision to return the Zoya dress. Although I do still miss it every now and then.

{Oh well.... maybe I can snag it when it goes on sale.}

Everything's Bigger in Texas - Even the Malls (Pt. 1)

2010-05-16T19:00:00.000-05:00

Last week, my friend & colleague, Rachel, and I took a business trip to Austin and San Antonio and managed to find a few moments in our downtime to do some shopping.

Our first stop in Austin was The Domain - a really cool mixed use development of shops, living quarters, restaurants, business space, a movie theater, and (soon to be) Whole Foods.

{AKA Heaven}

Of course, the first stores that drew our attention were Anthropologie and J. Crew. We soon found out, though, that the Anthro store wasn't open yet. :-( So, we proceeded to J. Crew, Madewell, and a few other places that we don't have in our home state.

We also stumbled across a Martin + Osa store - the first one that either of us had been to. My first impression was that I would like any store that kept pets in mind (note the giant water bowl next to the door):

Despite the fact that I DIDN'T buy anything, both Rachel and I did enjoy this store. She came away with two cute items that were on sale. If you haven't been to one of these stores, I highly recommend you go soon. Nearly everything in their inventory was on sale because they are closing by the end of the summer. :-(

Next, we took a quick break at The Steeping Room - a charming little eating establishment that not only served iced and hot tea, but all kinds of coffee, sweet treats (including gluten & dairy free), and healthy meals.

By the end of the day, I came away with no purchases (despite my best efforts to try on something in nearly every store I visited), and Rachel came away with her stash from Martin + Osa. I know Austin has much, more more to offer in the way of shopping (don't get me started on the outlet malls in San Marcos that are only about 30-40 minutes south of the city), but this was the only major place we had a chance to visit in our limited time there.

Nevertheless, The Domain was very impressive and definitely a place I would visit again!

Next up: San Antonio.

Sunshine Award

2010-04-18T10:32:00.002-05:00

AudreyBella at Life is Short...Buy the Shoes was so sweet to give me the Sunshine Award last week! Thanks, AudreyBella!

Here are the rules:
1) Put the logo on your blog within a post.
2) Pass the award on to 12 bloggers.
3) Link to the nominees in your post.
4) Let them know they received the award by commenting on their blog.
5) Share the love and link back to the person who gave you the award.

10 Things That Make Me Happy
1. My husband, Dave
2. My family
3. My closet
4. Spring & Summer
5. Flowers
6. My "kids" - Macy, Winston, & Oliver
7. Organic foods
8. Shopping
9. New movies (i.e. Eclipse, Sex and the City 2, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows)
10. My wonderful friends!

And the award goes to....
All of my loyal followers who read this blog! If you are reading this now, consider yourself an awardee! And thanks for always coming to visit me here.

Vote for Me!

2010-04-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

I need your votes, fashionistas!

I've entered a picture of the custom shoe rack that Dave and I built for my closet on Bluefly's Closet Confessions contest. If you think my closet (and this project in particular) is pretty "fly," click the picture below to vote for me! :-)

I appreciate it, friends!

Visit AudreyBella's Blog Sale!

2010-04-01T12:12:00.000-05:00

If you love J. Crew like I do, you will love the items for sale on AudreyBella's blog. She will be listing them on eBay this Sunday, so get a jumpstart on the competition by visiting now! :-)

Click here to start shopping!

Current Accessory Obsessions

2010-03-24T19:59:00.001-05:00

Anthropologie Looping Lanes Belt

I discovered this on Anthroholic's blog and fell in love with it. The only problem? It was listed as backordered on the Anthro web site until May 10th. I became obsessed with it and called about five stores to see if it was available anywhere. It wasn't. After not finding a comparable substitute, I decided to go ahead and order it and wait it out until May.

Then, wonder of wonders: it was shipped! I received it on Monday and am proud to say that it is just as dreamy in person as it is on the web. I was originally worried about the sizing for it too, but it fits really well. It's easily worn around the smallest part of my waist or around my hips. Love it!

Bronze Target Necklace

This started out as an impulse purchase but has turned into a mild obsession. I found this beauty at Target for only $9.99 and thought I would give a try. Turns out, it goes well with so many things! The color is a beautiful bronze and although it looks a tad busy, it actually compliments certain prints quite well. I'm very impressed with it! I haven't been able to find it on the Target web site yet, so if you want to find it, you may want to check out your local store.

On the Hunt: Michael Kors Silk Track Pants {Arrived!}

2010-03-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

Great news, friends: the Michael Kors silk track pants have arrived! They were originally backordered until April 22nd, but as luck would have it, they ended up coming in today. I have been really interested to see if these would be as cute as they were in Lucky, and guess what - they are! I personally think they look more like the ones pictured in Lucky as opposed to the Macy's web site. They are super comfortable (hello, they have an elastic waist) and actually fit pretty well too. The only sizes available on the Macy's web site were S, M, L, and XL, so I ordered the Small. When they came in, they were marked as a size 2, so I think they will fit both Extra Smalls and Smalls. They are pretty wrinkled in these pictures because I haven't taken the time to iron them yet, but I think you can get the idea of how they fit. This first one is with the cuffs, which are also elastic, around my calves. (Anyone see a cairn terrier laying behind me?)

And here's a shot of them with the cuffs around my ankles.

I can't wait until the weather gets warmer so I can wear them more. They are going to be perfect for spring and summer.

On the Hunt: Michael Kors Silk Track Pants {Update}

2010-03-10T17:16:00.000-06:00

I found the pants.

{!!!!!}

Jennifer from Nordstrom has not called, but my obsessive-compulsive periodic checking of macys.com has paid off. The pants I have been eyeing are now for sale on their site.

AND, I just received a Macy's gift card in the mail. AND Macy's was offering free shipping this week.

{Is this fate, or what?}

The bad news is that they aren't expected to arrive for 33 days. :-( And the smallest size they had was a small. But when they get here, friends, I'm going to break out the camera and let you know what they look like in real life. I'm interested to see if they will be just as chic as they were in Lucky.

Shopping Buddies

2010-03-09T19:10:00.001-06:00

Shopping buddies are essential to a fashionista. Without them, we have no one to ask for advice:

"Does this make me look fat?"

"Will this look as good on me as it does on the mannequin?"

"What can I wear this with?"

Shopping online can have its disadvantages since you can't exactly try on a piece and model it before purchasing. However, I've recently discovered that there are several talented ladies out there who have channeled their passions for shopping into helpful blogs that showcase new items in the stores. They are like my virtual shopping buddies. They try on clothes I'm thinking about purchasing and tell me all of the pros and cons of the piece, so I can make an informed decision from the comfort of my living room.

I've been so impressed with some of these sites, that I thought I would share them with all of you. I'm also going to create a special link list on the right of my blog in case you need them for future reference.

We would so be shopping buddies in real life.

Life is Short...Buy the Shoes
Gigi's Gone Shopping
J. Crew Aficionada
Target Addict
Shoe Daydreams
Life, Love and the Pursuit of Shoes
A Bigger Closet
Anthroholic

I'll let you know of others as I find them. Let me know if you have any suggestions to add to the list!

On the Hunt: From the Magazines to Me

2010-03-04T12:44:00.001-06:00

You know those beautiful glossy magazine ads you see every month? This shopaholic has a habit of dog-earing the pages and marking the items I really, really like and then going back through and trying to find them for myself. The only problem is... it's not as easy as you would think.

Therefore, this is a tale of the lengths I am going through to find certain items that I have taken an interest in lately. I think it will be interesting to see how difficult it is to find some of the items that are casually featured in magazines and how different some of the items are once they actually arrive.

Item #1:

Tie-Waist Pants from Calvin Klein

I saw this ad in my most recent InStyle and immediately fell in love with the pants. I have been looking for a fun pair that tied at the waist, and I was really attracted to the possibility of wearing these rolled down OR rolled up at the hems.

My search began with - where else? - Calvin Klein's main web site. After a little searching, I found something that looked similar to the ones featured in the ad:

They were on sale, so I went ahead and ordered them. I received them last week and really do love them. However, I will say that the ad is a little misleading. When I rolled up the pants from the bottom, they didn't look nearly as chic as they did in the ad.... probably because they are actually wide-leg. Still, this search was definitely a success. I was able to find the product featured in the magazine below suggested retail and they really were cute. Success!

Item #2:

Khaki Silk Track Pants by MICHAEL Michael Kors

These pants caught my attention in the most recent issue of Lucky. I love the way the whole outfit was styled - very casual & chic. In the fine print, readers were instructed to call a toll free number for availability, so that's what I did. I reached the Michael Kors offices and inquired about the pants. {I kind of felt like an idiot when I was describing them.} I was told that they would be arriving in stores in the next two weeks and would be available from Macy's, Nordstrom, and Michael Kors. Cool, I thought. That sounds easy enough.

Just to make sure I covered all of my bases, I checked all three of those stores' web sites to see if the pants were listed. No luck. So, I called a Nordstrom store and asked to speak to someone in the Michael Kors department.

Jennifer (ironically) was the one who assisted me and took down the information I gave her. She applauded me for being proactive in trying to find the pants before they hit the stores and promised that she would call me if they arrived. I was appreciative of her help, but it remains to be seen if I'll actually ever be able to purchase them!

Item #3:

Sassy white dress from Tommy Hilfiger

I have noticed this dress time and time again over the last several months in several magazines and have found myself oohing and aahing over it every time. I'm not really sure if it's an item I would actually purchase (where would I wear it???), but I was still curious to find out how much it was and where it could be found.

After checking the Tommy web site repeatedly, I have yet to find the dress. I've checked the other stores' web sites that are mentioned in the ad and haven't had luck with them either. Tommy, where can I find this dress?? This is frustrating to fashionistas who live far away from major metropolitan areas and have to rely on the Internet for shopping accessibility. It seems like it should be easier than this to find a heavily featured item.

Have you had similar experiences? Overall, I am finding that it is rather difficult to find items that are featured in magazines because they are either 1) sold out by the time the magazine hits the stands, or 2) unavailable or nearly impossible to find. Hmmmm.... What's a girl to do?

An Announcement, of Sorts

2010-03-02T17:25:00.001-06:00

She's here!

Sellaholic

2010-02-25T17:19:00.000-06:00

So, the eBay thing has really been taking off for me. I've sold several hundred dollars worth of clothing that I wasn't wearing anymore, including the formal gown that I wore once to a black-tie work event earlier this month. Nice, huh?! It feels so good to get rid of the things I don't want anymore and make some money in the process.

Although, now I have developed a certain fixation for finding things to sell around the house. So far, these items have been limited to my closet, but I've recently started investigating things in the kitchen, spare bedrooms, and elsewhere.

{We may have a slight addiction on our hands}.

But - never fear, friends - just because I'm now addicted to selling things on eBay doesn't mean I'm not buying. In fact, having all of this extra money in my PayPal account has only encouraged me to do one thing:

Reward myself.

Behold, the Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Baby Groovee bag in the Raw Sugar color:

I have been longing for my own Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Groovee bag for well over a year now. It first appeared on my Christmas wish list in 2008, but I instructed Dave NOT to buy it because it was just too expensive.

Now, many months later, a depressed retail economy and sizable PayPal balance have combined to form the perfect storm necessary to allow me to buy my very own on eBay.

{!!!!!!!}

I chose the Raw Sugar color because I think it will be classic and versatile. Plus, in my mind, I'm imagining it to smell like Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath & Body Works.

{Don't ask me why}.

Baby will arrive (hopefully) by Saturday. Until then, I'm going to see what else I can round up to sell...

Closet Complete!

2010-02-22T20:54:00.000-06:00

The flooring has been set and the prints are on the walls.

Now....

Who wants to see a video tour?? :-)

Look Who's Selling Now!

2010-02-09T20:23:00.000-06:00

I have officially made by debut as a seller on eBay!

All this time, I've been racking up the feedback points by purely buying, but this week I took the plunge and listed some things for sale.

What did I list first?

Shoes, of course!

These are brand new and are size 6.5. I originally bought them for myself but have since decided that they are too small. They've never been worn and are a beautiful brown leather. The style name is "Britt" and the brand is Report. To view my full listing, click here!

Since you all hold a special place in my heart for reading this blog, I'll be sure to post other pairs of shoes that I decide to sell (believe me, there will be more!). I'll also have some clothing listed too, so just click "See other items" from the above link if you want to view those as well.

Happy Shopping!

Are You Ready to Carrie On?

2010-01-28T12:37:00.002-06:00

I, for one, am very excited about the Sex and the City movie sequel coming out on May 28th this year (4 months away from today, to be exact!). And, since I'm sure many of you other fashionistas are too, here are some fun things that might interest you:

Candace Bushnell is releasing The Carrie Diaries on April 27th. This prequel to her Sex and the City book supposedly tells the story of how Carrie gets so famous in the first place.

The Internet Movie Database has some great shots from the upcoming film! Check it out here. I can't decide what's worse - Miranda's hair in picture #11 or Samantha's outfit in picture #10.

There are already rumors that Sex and the City 3 may be in the works. Supposedly, the leading ladies may be filming 2 & 3 back to back. For the full story, click here.

HBO is selling a huge assortment of Sex and the City themed merchadise on their site. I already have the keychain, and will likely be ordering the "Shopping is My Cardio" mug as soon as I'm done with this post. {What can I say? It's my mantra.}

Finally, if you've been living under a rock for the last month or so (or have been buried under piles of clothes - my personal choice), here is the official trailer for Sex and the City 2.

{And even if you have seen it already, why not watch it again?! :-)}

Sale at Sephora!

2010-01-21T17:08:00.001-06:00

I love a good sale, and - wow - does Sephora have a great one right now! Here are some of my favorites that I insist you check out soon:

Sephora Pure Eyeshadow Palettes - I bought two of these before Christmas and received the third as a gift. They are fantastic, and they are made without harmful ingredients! At $15 each, they're now a great bargain.

Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Perfume Set - This amazing Pacifica fragrance is now available in a set for only $18. Some of my other favorites from Pacifica include Mexican Cocoa, Brazilian Mango, and Lotus Blossom, but this one will always be my favorite (I'm even wearing it today)!

Cargo PlantLove Botanical Lipstick - Although I've never tried it, I've always wanted to. I love the color selection, the eco-friendly packaging, and the fact that they're donating $2 of every sale to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital. These are available for only $10 right now, so stock up!

Happy Shopping! Remember, all of the products I mentioned here will help you live a greener lifestyle and are better for you too. There are enough toxins in the world already - we don't need to add more with our beauty products!

Closets of the Stars

2010-01-16T12:48:00.000-06:00

Since we're on a bit of a closet/organization kick here at DoaSA, I thought I would provide additional inspiration by showing some closets of the stars that I found online.

Sure, they may not be feasible for all of us regular gals, but we can dream, right? :-)

Jessica Alba's closet. She reportedly converted a bedroom for this masterpiece.

Image from here

Eva Longoria Parker's closet. Complete with ladder (niiiiice) and cute tiny dog.

Image from here

Paula Abdul's closet. Any closet with its own island gets bonus points in my book.

Image from here

Mariah Carey's closet - just for her shoes, folks. JUST SHOES.

Image from here

Want more? Check out this feature courtesy of InStyle to see the closets of Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Kim Cattrall, and others.

Tips for YOUR Dream Closet

2010-01-10T21:34:00.001-06:00

If you're like me, you love to improve upon the organizational systems in your life but don't want to pay high prices for it. I've always been a fan of pre-made closet systems from ClosetMaid, The Container Store, and others, but to be perfectly honest - I'll probably never shell out that kind of money to buy all of the coordinating pieces.

So what's a shoe addict and clothing junkie to do?

Get creative!

When Dave and I recently made-over my closet, we looked for inexpensive ways to make the room more functional. Here's some of my favorite tips from our experience:

1. Try to use everything you already have. When we knocked out shelves in my closet, we kept them on hand to put up elsewhere. This proved to be very handy because they already matched the rest of the closet and fit perfectly in the space available. If you decide to redo your closet space - no matter how big or how small - save the pieces you tear out because they may be of use to you in some way or another later.

2. Use other conventional household items in a new way. An example of this would be the flatware tray that I am now using as a jewelry tray. Buying a flatware tray on sale at Target ($9.99) can be much cheaper than buying a real jewelry tray and could even be customized (like the way I did by adding colored felt for lining).

Another example is using decorative drawer pulls instead of traditional hooks. Prices may be comparable either way, but decorative pulls will make your space look more customized than using plain hooks.

Other suggestions:

*Use a hand towel holder for displaying French hook earrings.

*Consider buying a velvet ring holder off of eBay. These are often very inexpensive and look similar to what you'd see in jewelry stores. (Hint: use the search words "ring holder" to find what you need).

*Consider mounting something like this (found at my local Home Depot store) to your wall and hanging your earrings from it. It's a steal at only $2.79 and the two levels allow you to hang shorter dangly earrings from the top loop and longer ones from the bottom.
*Similarly, you could mount this to a wall and hang necklaces from it.

3. Organize shoes and garments by color. Doing so will make your closet look less jumbled and more uniform. The same goes for hangers! If you gradually switch out your plastic hangers for wooden ones all in the same color, your closet will look more boutique-like.

4. Purchase a few specialty items that can't be substituted. In my case, I invested in sweater dividers and will likely be purchasing boot shapers as well. These items often don't cost an exuberant amount and will go a long way toward making your space look more organized.

5. Add some personality. Even if your space isn't very big, add something that makes it you. For me, it's artwork, a chandelier, and a few other "shoe-themed" pieces. Changing out a light fixture can be an instant way to update a space and reasonably priced options abound. Or, add some pretty shelf lining and a fun paint color to spruce up an otherwise ordinary space. Fun touches don't have to cost a fortune!

Happy organizing!

The Closet Project

2010-01-06T19:33:00.003-06:00

Click here to visit my personal blog and read about the closet renovation & redecoration that my husband and I have been doing. Then, check back on this blog later for more tips on how we did this project without spending a lot of money!

Couture Art & NearbyNow

2010-01-05T17:03:00.000-06:00

As you may or may not know (depending on if you read my personal blog), Dave and I have been updating and improving upon my closet over the last week. All of the structural changes are done, aside from replacing the flooring, so I've been tackling my next task: decorating! I want my closet to feel like an actual room or boutique - not just any old closet.

So, I decided that I wanted to add art like these pieces around the top of the walls:

And my personal favorite:

I originally found a few of these types of prints at Hobby Lobby. They were a smaller size, which was perfect for what I wanted to accomplish. However, they didn't have all of the ones I wanted, so I began to search online for the ones I didn't have.

I soon learned that these were hard to find online! I found a few larger canvases on Amazon, but it was nearly impossible to find the small prints that were at Hobby Lobby.

I was absolutely set on finding that third print with the butterfly-inspired dress (despite my husband asking, "WHY?????"), and I ended up finding it at a nearby Bed, Bath, & Beyond (on sale!) using a very useful service called NearbyNow.

With NearbyNow, you choose your local shopping area, enter in the keywords for the item you're looking for, and the service searches the stores in your area to find out if the product is available locally. If it is, it will even ask the store to hold it for you! Within ten minutes, you receive an email or text with the results. In my case, I received an email saying that my favorite print was available within 20 miles. It even sent me the phone number of the store, a contact name, and information about the item being on sale. I was impressed!

I would much rather shop locally than order things online, so I will definitely be using this service again.

Oh yes, and if you're wondering what my closet looks like now, stay tuned....I'll have an entire post dedicated to it soon. I am loving the transformation!

My Favorite Shoe Thief

2009-12-04T08:24:00.000-06:00

This year for my birthday, my dear canine friend Yago wrote a post in my honor. To read Yago's post, click here! It's too cute to miss!

Genius

2009-11-11T17:02:00.000-06:00

Hello friends!

After a much-needed absence (and subsequent concentration on my real job), I am back with a post about something that I recently discovered and LOVE!

{And it's also genius}

There is a new site called Rent the Runway, and I think it is going to solve all of my future fashion dilemmas for special events.

Gone are the days when I would scour sales and websites for a fancy dress, only to wear it to one event (helllooooo, I can't be seen on Facebook in the same dress twice, right?). Rent the Runway solves that problem by allowing you to rent a designer dress for a fraction of the retail price (some are only $50!!!). When you order your selection, they send it in two sizes just to be safe on the fit. When you're done, simply send it back! No more losing valuable space in your closet for dresses that you will only wear once.

{Plus, did I mention that it's super sustainable to do this too?}

When I tried to sign up earlier this week, I was put on a waiting list to join. Today, however, I received an invite to join from one of my friends, and it let me sign up without any problem. So, if you would like to check out this fantastic service and have problems signing up on your own, leave me a comment with your email address, and I'll invite you myself. I'm happy to help out fellow fashionistas.

Shop on,

My Favorite Emmy Dresses

2009-09-24T17:56:00.000-05:00

The only reason I would ever want to be a celebrity is so I could walk on the red carpet, pose for pictures, and choose any pretty dress I wanted to wear.

Therefore, I love awards shows for one reason and one reason only: the fashion.

Behold, my favorite dresses from the 2009 Emmy Awards:

Mary-Louise Parker in Zac Posen

Definitely one of my favorite dresses. I love the color, the shape, and her shoes!

Image from here.

Lindsay Price in J. Mendel

I love the colors and shape of this ethreal gown.

Image from here.

Sandra Oh in Marchesa

I love this stunning gold gown. So classy!

Image from here.

Jenna Fischer in Reem Acra

Some of Jenna's past outfits have been a little disappointing to me, but I love, love, love this classic black gown.

Image from here.

Chloe Sevigny in Isaac Mizrahi

This dress is a little quirky, but I like it! Definitely something different for the red carpet.

Image from here.

Ginnifer Goodwin in Yves St. Laurent

This dress isn't my favorite, but I love the color. Also, she is adorable and inspired my last haircut. I have to give her some credit for that.

Image from here.

Drew Barrymore in Monique Lhuillier

Doesn't every girl want to feel like a princess? I love the full skirt and pink color.

Image from here

Giving My Feet A Rest

2009-09-23T07:49:00.000-05:00

I have a confession to make.

I haven't had much time to shop for clothes, shoes, and handbags lately. And it's starting to catch up with me.

So, I'm giving myself a little bit of a break from my Shoes of the Week so that I can refocus my energy on scouring the sale racks and finding new and exciting things to blog about.

Never fear...the Shoes of the Week won't be gone for long. I'll bring them back when I feel like my creative energy has been replenished.

In the meantime, you should go shopping too! There are a lot of great sales out there with the change of seasons happening, and all of the fresh fall styles are already in the stores.

Until then,

Shoes of the Week - Back to Schoolgirl

2009-09-16T07:35:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love a classic Mary Jane shoe? Ever since most of us were little girls, we've been wearing this adorable style that is synonymous with schoolgirl chic. Now that fall is right around the corner and schools everywhere are back in session, it's time to check out the newest versions of this classic staple.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Merona
The style: Marylynn
The color: Tulip
The site: Target.com
The price: $26.99

The reason: I love suede shoes in the fall, and these don't disappoint. The rich jewel-tone color is divine and the rounded toe is a nice reminder of the traditional Mary Jane shape. Once again, Target pulls through....

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Gabriella Rocha
The style: Ginger
The color(s): Red Patent (shown) - also in 13 other colors!
The site: Zappos.com
The price: $65.00

The reason: One thing I love about Mary Janes is that they come in all shapes and sizes of heels. These, for example, are adorable and feature the cutest little kitten heel. Plus, they come in 14 different colors! If you're feeling a tad daring this fall, try them in the Teal or Purple Patent. They're sure to brighten up the darkest day.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Tahari
The style: Polly
The color(s): Black or Titano (shown)
The site: Piperlime.com
The price: $105.00

The reason: I am in love with these! You all know I'm a sucker for a bow, and these are just too cute to pass up. They offer the schoolgirl chic of a Mary Jane but are so sassy as well. Equally appealing in black or grey, these can be worn with colored tights and wool skirts in the winter. Or, imagine pairing them with a classic dress for all of those upcoming holiday parties.

Your shoegirl,

Shoes of the Week - To the Nines

2009-09-09T07:25:00.001-05:00

Since today is 09.09.09, I thought I would do a fun post featuring shoes to help you get dressed to the nines.... Or, in other words, FANCY! :-)

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Oh...DEER!
The style: Starlite Glitter Pump
The color(s): Black (shown) or Silver
The site: DSW.com
The price: $39.94

The reason: These pumps give a whole new meaning to "twinkle toes!" At first glance, they may not seem that exciting, but if you zoom in you can see that they're actually covered with tiny glittery stars. Admittedly, the silver pair is a little over the top. But the black ones would be perfect for a fun night out on the town.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: DV by Dolce Vita
The style: Fire
The color: Black Sequin
The site: Nordstrom.com
The price: $89.95

The reason: Nothing says "fancy" like a shoe covered in sequins. I love the platform pump and all-over sexiness of these heels, as well as the fact that they have taken a basic black shoe and amped up the wow factor by about a thousand percent. These will have everyone looking at your feet.....so don't trip!

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Casadei
The style: 1073
The color(s): Fuchsia Suede (shown) or Black Suede
The site: Endless.com
The price: $435.02

The reason: Shoes by Casadei are known for being beautiful, artistic, and sometimes even a little edgy. These live up to the brand's expectations with their beautiful fuchsia suede upper and an attention-grabbing ornament on the vamp. Even paired with jeans, they can take a look from 0 to 9 in a flash.

Stay fancy, fashionistas!

Shoes of the Week - Going, Going, Gone

2009-09-02T07:08:00.001-05:00

Summer will be leaving us soon (*sigh*) and so will these fantastic deals. Because of the change in seasons, September is usually a great time to buy new clothes and shoes. If you're looking for some new pairs to buy at a great price, try these on for size. But act quickly! Inventories are typically limited.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nina
The style: Choda
The color: Silver
The site: Piperlime.com
The price: $39.97

The reason: Let's face it: you're inevitably going to have a good excuse to get dressed up and will need a fabulous pair of shoes to wear with your traffic-stopping outfit. And, you'll probably have friends' weddings to attend next summer and possibly even a cruise or black-tie event in your future. If any of these scenarios are a possibility, consider these stunning silver strappy sandals from Nina. They were originally priced at $89.00 and are now on final sale for $39.97.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Rafe
The style: Vanessa
The color: Black
The site: Bluefly.com
The price: $59.99

The reason: These adorable wedges were originally $225.00 retail! They are a steal at $59.99 and would be so perfect for summer next year. I love buying shoes in fall and winter and saving them to wear in warmer weather. It gives me one more thing to look forward to when spring rolls around.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Moschino
The style: Jeweled T-Strap Sandal
The color: Violet
The site: Nordstrom.com
The price: $496.90

The reason: Yes, these are pricey, but think about this: they were originally $995.00! They are now 50% on Nordstrom's site and are soooo cute. Plus, they are versatile enough to be worn now while the weather is still pretty warm and later into the fall, as long as you pair them with a great pair of tights. In reality, you could really wear them three out of the four seasons. Doesn't that justify the expense?

Enjoy the three-day weekend!

Shoes of the Week - Working Girl (Part Quatre)

2009-08-26T07:44:00.001-05:00

Here's my last post this month featuring shoes from my very own closet. I hope you've found some ideas for your own wardrobe and have enjoyed sneaking a peek at mine! I've had fun sharing...

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Steve Madden
The style: Ursulla
The color(s): Bright Multi (shown) or Taupe Multi
The site: 6pm.com
The price: $41.40

The reason: I bought these to wear for my master's degree graduation party last spring. They look best with a fairly simple ensemble, as they are quite bright (hence the name "Bright Multi," I suppose). :-) I receive compliments on these every time I wear them - they are so much fun and are a great summer sandal.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Bandolino
The style: Steffi
The color: Black
The site: ShoeBuy.com
The price: $78.95

The reason: I have these cute oxford ankle boots in brown and love wearing them in the fall and winter. They are adorable with a pencil skirt and opaque tights! They also come in a black and white combo, if you're feeling a little spunky.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Kate Spade
The style: Garden
The color: Roccia
The site: Nordstrom.com

The price: Temporarily unavailable...sorry!

The reason: Like my other Kate Spade shoes that I featured earlier this month, the Garden pump is temporarily unavailable. What can I say? Kate has popular shoes! Still, if you keep your eyes open for these, you won't be disappointed. They're a great neutral shoe to add to your wardrobe and are unique at the same time.

A Peek Into My Closet

2009-08-23T12:35:00.002-05:00

Yesterday I finally had the chance to take a few pictures of my closet. I hope you can get the full effect from these....

When I was growing up, I had a minuscule closet. Seriously. It was about the size of a coat closet, and it was also where our breaker box was located. Dave and my mom joke that "someone's paying for that now" since apparently it was a detrimental thing for me. Ha!

My closet is one of the reasons why I love our house. It's all mine (no sharing with Dave - he has his own nice-sized closet!) and is organized just the way I want it. He and I have talked about renovating it slightly by putting in wood floors (it has carpet now) and a new lighting fixture. For now, though, it is exactly what I need.

When you walk in and turn around to the left, this is what you'd see. The door would be on the far left of this picture. I have my necklaces hanging close to the door, my pants and dress shorts hanging on the top rack, and my skirts and capris hanging on the bottom rack. My handbags are on the shelf in between.

Here's a close-up of the basket where I keep some of my clutches.

Continuing around the room, you'll see several shelves full of (what else) shoes. You might notice that I do keep them in their shoe boxes (I'm a little OCD about that). On the other side of the shelves, I have long-sleeved shirts hanging on the top rack and short-sleeved shirts hanging on the bottom rack.

The back of my closet has these shelves. On the top shelf, I have my most recent fashion magazines. The second shelf has a basket full of belts, and the third shelf has pairs of shoes that did not come with their original boxes. I store these in plastic containers instead. Below the shelves, you'll notice a box of extra wooden hangers and a small step-stool that I use to reach some of the higher shelves.

A close-up of some of my favorite shoe-related items on the top shelf. The picture on the right is of me and my mom after a shopping trip in Chicago. :-)

Continuing around, I have a rack of jackets and blazers along the back wall and then a rack of dresses and coats on the far right wall.

Finally, I have one other built-in shelving unit on the right side of my closet. The top shelf has a few shoe-related cards that others have given me. The second shelf has fragrances, the third shelf has jewelry, and the bottom shelf has more shoes.

Bottom shelf.... :-)

Thanks for visiting!

Shoes of the Week - Working Girl (Part Trois)

2009-08-19T07:56:00.002-05:00

Since August appears to be "Jenn shows the world her closet" month, here's three more pairs of shoes that count toward my personal collection. All of these lovelies have accompanied me to work on one day or another and walk me through my workweek....

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Bandolino

The style: Tiff

The color(s): Medium Red/Ivory Leather (shown) or Black Fabric

The site: 6pm.com

The price: $34.50

The reason: I have these in Black and Ivory and think they are so cute! They really add a fun touch to any basic outfit and are more versatile than you'd think. Razorback fans may be interested in the Red and Ivory pair shown here - they would be great shoes for the upcoming football season!

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Max Studio

The style: Marais

The color: Dark Brown Patent

The site: Overstock.com

The price: $77.64

The reason: I have these in black patent leather and have found that they're a great shoe for work. They feature an almond-shaped toe and are comfortable enough to wear all day. I love that these have leather soles as well - they keep me from slipping!

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Gucci

The style: Roma Platform Pumps

The color: Metallic Leather

The site: Sak's Fifth Avenue

The price: $565

The reason: I paid no where near this much for my pair of pumps, because I bought them on eBay. As you can see by following the link, they are no longer available online if you wish to purchase them from a retailer; instead, you must call for their availability. If you'll remember, mine were worn in a post earlier this month (the one with the black tee and statement necklace). I have no complaints about them - they're very comfortable and so so pretty.

Back to Work

2009-08-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

I went back to work on Tuesday this week and decided to take a picture of my outfit at the end of the day so I could share it all with you later. I didn't go casual for this day because I had several meetings to attend. It's weird - sometimes I'm just as comfortable in pencil skirts or dress pants as I am in jeans or shorts.

The specifics.....

My white t-shirt with a ruffle chiffon front is from Club Monaco in New York City. I bought it there this summer for only $9.
My red wool pencil skirt is from J. Crew, but I bought it brand new on eBay.
My tan pumps are the same ones from last week (Tatiana style from Two Lips).
My white patent leather handbag is Michael Kors. I found it at TJ Maxx.
My coral, red, pink, and white beaded necklace is from Dillard's.
My sunglasses (on the top of my head) are Kate Spade. I also found them at TJ Maxx.
I'm wearing pearl stud earrings, but you can't really see them....

Now, Jonnie, to your questions about making heels more comfortable to wear.

I've used these shoe inserts in the past - both the gel kind and the cushiony kind - and have had pretty good success with them.

I primarily use them when my shoes are just a little too big because they keep my feet from sliding forward in them too much. I've also used this to prevent blisters (especially in the summer).

The key is to apply it BEFORE you put on your shoes and go walking for the day. Otherwise, it's not as helpful. I used to carry it in my purse.

My biggest suggestion, though, is to vary the types of shoes you wear throughout the day. Even if you wear tennis shoes or flip flops all day, your feet are bound to get tired. So, mix it up a little. Start the day wearing flip flops. Even wear them to the office and then change into dress pumps or flats once you arrive. Then, at lunch, change into flats or flip flops again. After work, put on tennis shoes. Changing the way I put weight on my feet keeps mine from getting tired because my feet aren't getting used to one particular pair. It's totally worth it to carry an extra pair of shoes with you. You never know when your feet are going to get tired (or when you need to change into some less fancy shoes for a sudden downpour or something). It pays to be prepared.

That's all for now, friends! I'll tackle Kristen's request next this week and try to take some pics of my closet.

Enjoy your weekends,

Shoes of the Week - Working Girl (Part Deux)

2009-08-12T07:10:00.001-05:00

Since we all know that I own more than three pairs of shoes, I thought I would feature three more pairs that function as work essentials for me. In fact, maybe shoes from my closet will be featured all this month! Hmmmm.....

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nine West
The style: Gaffer
The color(s): Pewter Patent (shown), Bronze Synthetic, Gold Leather, Gold Synthetic, Pewter Synthetic
The site: 6pm.com
The price: $37.95

The reason: I have these shoes in a beautiful bright blue patent leather and love them. They are quite comfortable and have a nice shape to them. My only issue with them is that they seemed to run a tad small for me. I had to buy half a size larger than my normal size (turns out it was okay because they didn't have my normal size in stock!) I highly recommend these for a great basic work shoe.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: BCBGirls
The style: Katchen
The color(s): Navy (shown) or Black
The site: Dillard's
The price: $89.00

The reason: This classic style from BCBGirls is both comfortable and stylish. My pair is navy, and they've held up great over the years. I liken this style to Guess's Carrie shoe; I seem to find it everywhere and in multiple color choices.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Marc by Marc Jacobs
The style: 674973
The color(s): Ruby Patent (shown), Anthracite Lame Kid, Black Patent, Navy Patent, Old Gold Lame Kid
The site: 6pm.com
The price: $159.85

The reason: I actually have these in a grey snakeskin leather print and found them much cheaper on eBay. They have a slight 80's look to them, which is kind of fun. Plus, they're a lower heel and are very comfortable. I had my doubts about these when I first ordered them, but after wearing them time and again, those doubts have come to pass. They look very cute when worn and aren't your typical boring work shoe.

Now, get back to work! :-)

Friday

2009-08-07T11:30:00.001-05:00

Sorry, friends, I will not have a photo post today after all. My grandfather passed away this morning, and my thoughts are definitely not on shoes, handbags, and all things fashion-related. :-( I am a mess, and my eyes will likely be puffy for several days.

I may try to do one more photo post next week after things settle down. There is still much to share about appropriate workplace attire! I had a lot of fun writing all of my posts this week and would love to do a similar series in the fall and winter, since that opens up a whole new range of options.

Jonnie, I will definitely address your question about making heels more comfortable too. :-)

Until then,

Thursday

2009-08-06T17:18:00.001-05:00

It's almost the weekend, ya'll! I can't wait for Friday afternoon to be here.

Today, I decided to wear something casual (but not as casual as yesterday), fun, and comfortable. Admittedly, after wearing jeans or shorts for a couple of days, I get the urge to dress kind of girly and throw on a skirt. I know...I'm weird.

Also, Jonnie, to further elaborate on your question about when it's appropriate to wear jeans at work, be sure to keep this in mind: every office is different. There are some offices where it is absolutely unacceptable to wear jeans to work. Period. And then there's others who allow it only on Fridays with the stipulation that you pay anywhere from $1-$10 toward a charity donation. Basically, when you start a new job somewhere, you want to play it safe and dress up a little more at first, until you have a better feeling for the culture of the office. Then, after you've been there awhile, you can make your own judgment about whether certain types of attire are appropriate for your office setting. That being said, even if your employer does allow jeans on a regular basis, don't take it to the extreme by pairing them with an old t-shirt and tennis shoes. When people take advantage of the office dress code like that, bosses are more prone to cancel casual days. Not cool. :-)

Now, for the specifics....

My purple tee is by Dorothee Bis and was found at Dillard's.
My denim jacket came from Gap Kids (try them out if you want a shrunken jacket!)
My white eyelet skirt is Michael by Michael Kors and came from Dillard's.
My brown leather belt is so old that I can't remember where it came from! I think it came from Kohl's though.
My ankle strap plaid sandals are fabric and are Laundry by Shelli Segal. I found them at Warren's Shoes.
My brown leather hobo bag is Coach. It was a Christmas gift from Dave a few years ago.
My earrings (they're brown wooden "O's") and bracelet are from Maurice's.

By the way, I know it's hard to see some of these items because I'm taking pictures of the outfit as a whole. So, if you want close-ups of any of the items I've worn this week, please just leave me a comment and let me know. I'd be happy to take additional pics!

See you tomorrow,

Wednesday

2009-08-05T17:26:00.000-05:00

Another day in the office brought another chance to dress casual. I decided to go with a basic jeans and t-shirt look and spice it up by wearing a statement necklace and fun heels.

The specifics....

My black tee is by Apt. 9 from Kohl's. It's a great stretchy fabric that doesn't fade like a cotton tee would.
My cropped jeans are from Ann Taylor Loft.
My red patent leather handbag is by Donald J. Pliner. It was a Christmas gift from Dave last year.
My metallic leather platform pumps are by Gucci. I bought them brand new on eBay and scored a deal!
My necklace is from Francesca's Collections. They have some fantastic statement necklaces - check them out!
My bracelets are gifts from family members.

Until tomorrow,

Shoes of the Week - Working Girl

2009-08-05T05:18:00.001-05:00

In an effort to go along with my series of posts this week, I thought I would feature three pairs of my favorite shoes to wear to work. They're neutral, comfortable (especially for heels), and will work with you from day to night.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Two Lips
The style: Tatiana
The color(s): Tan (shown), Brown, or Green
The site: 6pm.com
The price: $36.23

The reason: Choosing a pump in a color that is close to your skin tone can make your legs look a mile long. And while my pair isn't quite as tan as the ones shown here, it's probably a good thing because my legs aren't that tan either. Ha! These attractive D'Orsays haven't let me down yet. They're moderately comfortable for heels and have held up well after years of wear.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Guess
The style: Carrie
The color: Croco Brown (plus almost any other color imaginable)
The site: Endless.com
The price: $90.95

The reason: I've featured this fail-safe style from Guess a time or two before, and I'm not ashamed at all. It is such a classic style and comes in so many colors and prints to choose from. My pair are croco brown patent leather and were a Christmas gift from Dave last year (yes, he had help). They've been a great work shoe - very versatile, stylish, and moderately comfortable.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Kate Spade
The style: Giselle
The color: Black
The site: Zappos.com
The price: $278.95

The reason: Bad news. These shoes are sold out. :-( But, if you visit the Zappos web site, you can sign up to be notified when they become available again. Yes, they're that fabulous. I bought my pair brand new on eBay for much, much less (you would be shocked how much less) and I have come to love them dearly. They have been worn all over Arkansas, as well as Manhattan and the other urban jungles that I travel to for work. They are very comfortable and have the most darling peep toe. I love them so much that I bought a pair in a light canvas color on eBay earlier this year. I haven't been disappointed in any of my Kate Spade shoes yet!

Work it girls!

PS: I should probably clarify what I mean about varying degrees of comfort. I was a ballet dancer for many, many years and my feet can tolerate an intense amount of pain. Therefore, wearing heels has never been an issue for me. That being said, though, I can definitely tell a difference when it comes to the workmanship of shoes. A "moderately comfortable" shoe is one that I could wear to work all day and could do a fair amount of walking in. Then, by the time I got home, I'd have to change into some flip flops. A "very comfortable" shoe is one that I could wear from about 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM and do a considerable amount of walking in. These, I have found, may come with a higher price tag, but they are worth it. Your feet won't be screaming in pain at the end of the day.

Tuesday

2009-08-04T17:44:00.003-05:00

Welcome back! Today, I opted for casual attire because I didn't have any meetings or appointments that required me to be too dressy. It was pretty much your average day at the office.... responding to emails, checking things off my "to do" list, scheduling appointments, etc.

I wore my hair curly today, and I'm laughing at how full it looks in this picture. It usually falls substantially throughout the day and is never this full by the time I get to work.

The specifics....

My blue zebra-print top is by Sweet Pea and came from Dillard's.

My Bermuda shorts are from The Limited. I love their pants, shorts, and capris!

My pumps are tan leather and are the Tatiana style by Two Lips. Look for them to be featured on my "Shoes of the Week" post tomorrow.

My clutch is coral leather and is by Sigrid Olsen. I scored it at Dillard's in a major sale last summer.

I know you can't see them in this picture, but I'm wearing earrings from Forever 21 and a gold bracelet from Dillard's.

By the way, I've learned that this is one of the most flattering poses for photographs. Look through a few fashion magazines and you'll notice the celebrities doing something similar! It's all about the angle... :-)

Until tomorrow,

Monday

2009-08-03T17:22:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Here's the first post of my workweek special. (And, yes, Lee Ann - I'll be posting every day if possible!) :-)

My agenda today included several meetings, which is why I am not dressed too casually. Hopefully, I'll have the chance to wear more casual attire later in the week! But for today, however, I chose to wear a pencil skirt, sleeveless shirt, and cardigan to illustrate the tips I shared in my post from yesterday. I went with a green, black, and white color scheme because, hey, if it works for Starbucks, it can work for me. :-)

*By the way, I discovered that taking pictures of myself is not easy, especially with two dogs running around. I was going for a pouty look this morning because I'm not a morning person!!

Without cardigan....

With cardigan....

The specifics....

My shirt is by Jonden and was found at TJ Maxx. It is sleeveless with a tie at the neck and is a houndstooth pattern.
My cotton blend skirt is from Express and was found on eBay.
My leather and elastic belt is from Steve by Steve Madden and was found at TJ Maxx.
My black patent leather pumps feature an almond toe and are by Max Studio. Their style name is Marais, and I found them on eBay.
My cardigan is a wool-blend and came from Banana Republic.
My pebbled leather handbag is from Kate Spade (the Maddox style with the dot noel pattern) and was a birthday present a few years ago.

Now, see how easy that was? Just take a neutral top and neutral shoes and add a pop of color in between!

Until tomorrow,

Tips for Appropriate Work Attire

2009-08-02T11:16:00.001-05:00

Per Jonnie's request, here are a few of my personal rules for dressing cute in a professional setting. Thanks, Jonnie, for your request!!

1) Know the dress code. Every workplace is different when it comes to this. For example, when I worked at a bank in college, we couldn't wear open-toed shoes or sleeveless shirts (I didn't work there long - ha!). Some places don't allow anything but closed-toe shoes, and many may have other stipulations like "no denim" or "must wear a jacket." Get to know your dress code when you start a job, and this will make things much easier. No one wants to be sent home to change in the middle of the day!

2) Dress in layers. Offices are a funny environment and can often be too hot or too cold, depending on who is controlling the thermostat. To compensate for this, I love to dress in layers. For example, even in the summer, I will wear a sleeveless shirt with a cardigan over it. That way, when I run home for lunch and it's 90 degrees outside, I can be comfortable in my base layer and throw on my cardigan when I return to my chilly office. Cardigans and jackets are some of the best investment pieces for your wardrobe because they can be worn year-round and go with so many different outfits. I recommend buying neutral colors like black, brown, and white (even off-white), and then adding a few fun colors like hot pink or red to the mix as well. You'll be amazed how versatile they are!

3) Be wary of lengths. It probably goes without saying that it's not typically appropriate to wear short skirts in a professional setting. Even though I'm in my 20's, I have virtually no miniskirts in my wardrobe because I can't wear them to work. Pencil skirts, on the other hand, are probably one of my favorite types of skirts to wear to work. They are professional, versatile, and form-enhancing without being scandalous (well, except if they're too tight I suppose). I think they are another great investment piece because, like cardigans, they can be worn year-round. I like to wear mine with tights in the winter months and with strappy sandals in the summer months. I could probably buy a pencil skirt in just about every color.

4) Don't get too comfortable. Time and time again, I feel like I see people who are dressed waaaay to comfortably for work. Of course, some office dress codes allow for this, but my personal rule of thumb is to always maintain a professional appearance - even on days that are deemed more casual. For example, if I am allowed to wear dressy Bermuda shorts to work, I might dress them up by pairing them with kitten heels, a statement necklace, and a denim jacket or cardigan. That way, I don't look like I'm headed to the park for a picnic; instead, I'm dressed to interact with people.

5) Look polished. This one's simple: tuck in your shirt, wear a belt, and iron your clothes. If you're wearing a tunic top, belt it. Oversized flowy shirts can look sloppy if not "controlled" by a belt in a professional setting. If you belt it, be careful about what necklace you pair with it. At times, these two items can compete instead of being complimentary.

***

Since sometimes it's easier to see examples instead of reading them, I'll try to take pictures of each of my work outfits this next week. It will be a good week to document because we're allowed to dress casually in our office in August, as long as we don't have any significant meetings elsewhere. Then, I'll break down why I chose the specific pieces of my outfit each day.

Feel free to leave me a comment with additional questions you may have!

See you Monday,

Shoes of the Week - You're Such a Stud

2009-07-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but suddenly I feel like I'm seeing studs everywhere. And, no, I don't mean the male kind. Studs are making a fun punk-like appearance on everything from cardigans, jeans, handbags, and (of course) shoes. Even yours truly, a self-confessed girly girl, has embraced the trend somewhat (on a cutesy cardigan, nonetheless). Maybe I'll branch out with a pair of shoes in the near future....

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Madden Girl

The style: Bayleee

The color(s): Turquoise (shown), Black, Yellow

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $49.90

The reason: If you're afraid the stud trend will distract from your seriously girly style, try these instead. I love the fact that the studs on these sandals are adorning the flower in a subtle, yet significant way. Buy them now so you can still wear them this summer!

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nine West

The style: Dimsum

The color: Orange (shown), Brown, or Pewter

The site: Macys.com

The price: $89.00

The reason: Want to increase your own "stud muffin-ess?" Then slip on these faux-suede strappy sandals from Nine West. I think they'd be perfect for fall, especially since they come in three seasonably appropriate colors. Plus, the studs on these are still fairly low-key and won't overpower your outfits.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Prada

The style: Studded T-Strap

The color: Black (shown) or Bone

The site: Barney's New York

The price: $720.00

The reason: If you're totally serious about your studs and have some serious funds to spend on them, check out these t-strap Prada pumps from Barney's. They're high fashion, high drama, and feature sky-high stilettos. Don't mess with the gal who wears these. She's probably not afraid to put up a fight.

Go shop!

By Request

2009-07-28T21:02:00.001-05:00

I've had two requests as of late, and I wanted to let you know that they will be addressed soon. :-)

First, Kristen asked a few weeks ago about my closet and would like to see some pictures of it. I am happy to oblige and will be posting pics of it soon - as well as detailed information about how I keep it organized. It's one of my favorite spaces in our house!

The second request is from Jonnie and it concerns dressing appropriately for work while still managing to look cute. This is a great suggestion for a post! I have a few tips in mind to share and will be working on this one as well.

In the meantime, if you are a reader and have additional requests/suggestions for posts, let me know! I would love for this blog to be more interactive, so just leave me a comment, and I'll be happy to address your questions.

Talk soon,

PS: This week's "Shoes of the Week" are ready to debut, but they'll be posted tomorrow afternoon instead of tomorrow morning. Check back then to see them!

Shoes of the Week - White Hot

2009-07-22T07:24:00.004-05:00

One of my favorite summer staples is a white pair of shoes. They make so many of my outfits come together by adding a fresh, cool look. These three pairs are no exception.

Worried that you will only be able to enjoy them until Labor Day? Don't be. It's no longer passe to wear white only during certain months. Just use your personal discretion about the climate in your neck of the woods and the situation in which you'd be wearing them.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Etienne Aigner

The style: Anchor
The color: White

The site: DSW.com

The price: $49.95

The reason: For me, these are the perfect summer sandals. They have a bit of a slivered wedge heel and feature an oh-so-appropriate rope detail on the straps. I think they'd be perfect with Bermuda shorts or a printed maxi dress. Don't you love versatility?

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nine West
The style: Moochy
The color(s): White (shown), Med. Blue, Med. Pink Multi Leather, Black, Grey Multi, Blue Multi, and Lt. Natural
The site: Endless.com
The price: $64.34

The reason: Looking for the perfect white strappy sandal for summer? Nine West has it pegged with this style. These would be equally perfect with jeans, skirts, or a dress. Plus, if you fall in love with them, you can buy them in many, many other colors!

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Christian Louboutin
The style: Bow T Dorcet
The color: Ivory (shown), Gold, or Black
The site: Barney's New York

The price: $895.00

The reason: I know, I know...I'm a sucker for a bow (and a red sole)! But look how beautiful these are.... Imagine wearing them to a summer wedding (maybe even your own!) and turning heads. With their peep-toe style and satiny upper, they are definitely the icing on the cake.

Stay hot,

Terra Tots Shoe Sale!

2009-07-20T07:49:00.000-05:00

Don't forget to visit the Terra Tots blog as well!

Shoes of the Week - All About Ombre

2009-07-15T07:46:00.000-05:00

According to About.com, the term "ombre" is a French word that refers to shading or shadows. A close cousin to tie-dye, it has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its appearance on everything from shoes to skirts to handbags and is sometimes referred to as "degrade" in descriptions as well. It has become so trendy that NPR even reported on its popularity last fall. So, what's all the fuss about? Perhaps its the intrigue of having multiple colors carefully integrated into one svelte shoe without all of the fuss of an allover print. Or, perhaps its the fact that with more than two colors involved, you inevitably have the ability to pull together an entire outfit solely based on your shoes.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Michael Antonio

The style: Weller

The color: Blue Ombre

The site: Shoefest.com

The price: $44.99

The reason: Feeling blue? You won't be for long after putting on this chic pair, which also boasts a reasonable price tag. Personally, I feel like these are modeled after the Charles David Beatriz pumps that were featured last year in a beautiful ombre patent leather, however, in a much more attainable price range. But who cares? They're still gorgeous!

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Sam Edelman

The style: Miriam

The color(s): Fuchsia (shown) or Pewter Ombre

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $82.00 (on sale from $109.95!)

The reason: I bought these shoes in the pewter ombre last year from Macy's (for even less than this, I think) and have been so impressed with them. They are very comfortable, thanks to the elastic strap across the toes, which allows your foot to move easily when you walk. I loved the fuchsia color so so much, but I knew the pewter option would be more versatile. I have not been disappointed at all. They quickly give a bit of a rocker vibe to any outfit that has the potential of becoming too complacent.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Donald J. Pliner

The style: Cell

The color: Bronze/Expresso Degrade Metallic (shown), Red/Tomato Degrade Metallic, or Silver/Plum Degrade Metallic

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $165.00 (on sale from $295.00)

The reason: I first noticed these last summer when I was seriously shopping for some red ombre pumps for work. I fell in love with these beauties but eventually ended up buying a pair of Charles David red patent leather ombre pumps instead (not the same ones mentioned above). I love that these come in three beautiful shades. The bronze/expresso color combo would be perfect for jazzing up those upcoming fall outfits that include palettes of brown. The red is stunning, and I have found that my pair from Charles David works well with black, white, and even purple. Pair with a sharp red patent leather handbag, and you're good to go!

xoxo,

This Little Piggy Went Green

2009-07-10T10:45:00.000-05:00

If you're a fashionista who loves her stilettos (like me), then you are - no doubt - very conscious about how your toes look in your fabulous shoes. But what many may not know is that most of those beautiful polishes we adorn our nails with are hazardous to our health.

I first became aware of this while reading Gorgeously Green last summer. In Sophie Uliano's book, I learned that many polishes contain toluene, dibutylphthalate (DBP), and even formaldehyde, all of which have been known to cause cancer and/or birth defects. After learning this and reading about a few alternatives, I immediately switched out my drugstore and department store nail polish for some healthier brands.

My favorites to use (so far) are Honey Bee Gardens and Zoya. Honey Bee Gardens polish is sold at my local co-op store, Ozark Natural Foods. I love their hot pink color called Moulin Rouge. In fact, I'm wearing it on my toes now! Their clear topcoat is also fantastic for my fingernails. Additionally, I love all of my Zoya polishes, which I buy brand new on eBay. They have an amazing assortment of colors to choose from, and - like the Honey Bee Gardens brand - they last for a very long time. I would even say that these last as long as my previously unhealthy brands.

Both of these brands are pretty moderately priced. I think I have paid between $4-$7 per bottle, depending on where I bought them from. To me, it's a small price to pay for being chemical-free.

Next time you go to get a pedicure or give yourself one at home, consider using an eco-friendly brand. Your feet will thank you.

Shoes of the Week - Ruffle Me This

2009-07-08T06:27:00.003-05:00

Here's a riddle for you: what's the easiest way to spice up the most basic outfit without adding too much color, glam, or glitz? Add a ruffled shoe in a solid hue! The following pairs offer a basic equation for solving a case of wardrobe blahs: take one part strappy sandal + one part ruffled t-strap + one part stiletto heel and combine to create a sexy, sophisticated option for either day or night.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Fioni

The style: Kitty Ruffle T-Strap Sandal

The colors: Black (shown) or Gold

The site: Payless ShoeSource

The price: $24.99

The reason: Want to test the waters of the ruffle trend without getting your feet wet? Then try these simple yet on-target ruffled t-strap heels from Payless. They feature a very manageable heel, great neutral colors, and an affordable price. Plus, they'll go from day to evening with ease.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nina

The style: Ulexa

The colors: Gold Royal Satin (shown) or Black Luster Satin

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $89.00

The reason: Want your ruffles with a twist? Then try these stunning beauties, which come in two different colors. They are the perfect shoe for the girl who wants to add a little something special to her basic satin evening shoe without going over the top. Summer weddings, anyone?

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: DKNYC

The style: Amora

The colors: Sunflower (shown), Blush, or Black

The site: Endless.com

The price: $115.00 (on sale from $134.95)

The reason: I originally discovered these through one of my Shop it to Me sales alerts. If you haven't signed up for their service yet, you should! It's free, and you can determine which days you receive alerts - very convenient. What's also convenient is how beautiful these shoes are for the price. Plus, did you notice they come in three colors? I love how the ruffles on these are actually more like tiny petals - very dainty and feminine. They're on sale now - don't miss out!

Shoes of the Week - Red, White, Blue (& Shoes!)

2009-07-01T07:35:00.005-05:00

There are a lot of tacky red, white, and blue shoes out there....But in the end, I succeeded in finding three pairs that pay homage to our country's colors without looking cheesy or over-the-top. Now, what better way to show your patriotism and love for our country than by stimulating the economy with some good, old-fashioned shoe shopping?

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Unisa
The style: Natalie2
The color: Navy/Red/White (shown), but also in Cream
The site: Amway Global (a few sizes left on Zappos and DSW)
The price: $49.78 (originally $59.99)

The reason: These are a fun summery pair of shoes that hint at your love for the Americana style of yesteryear while still keeping your taste in the modern world. I'm imagining these with classic blue jeans or a denim mini with a simple white shirt for the 4th. Afterwards, try pairing them with crisp white pants, a pale yellow shirt, and a shrunken blue blazer for more of a nautical-inspired look.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Chinese Laundry
The style: Nuance
The color: Cherry Multi
The site: Endless.com
The price: $61.24

The reason: These pumps are very tasteful, despite their use of holiday-themed colors. In fact, buying them for that perfect outfit on the 4th of July wouldn't be a complete waste because they'd still be very cute and versatile on the 5th. The thing I love most about them is that they don't scream, "Independence Day!" from afar. Instead, they declare your patriotism in a subdued - yet classy - way.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Emilio Pucci

The style: 794931

The color: Cherry Patent

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $594

The reason: These beauties will cost you some Benjamins, but they are so worth it, right? I love a Pucci print, and these truly do spark fireworks. They are sassy, fun, stylish, and a little bit flashy. Perfect for living in America... :-)

Cheers,

My Sentiments Exactly....

2009-06-30T06:31:00.000-05:00

Shoes of the Week - Couldn't You Just (Tie) Dye?

2009-06-24T07:04:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's just me, but have you noticed that tie dye is making a comeback? I have mixed feelings about this because it's an easy thing to wear in poor taste. When worn on trendy, current pieces, however, it can look quite cute. Those of you who know me well might remember that one of my senior pictures in high school featured an outfit with a tie dye baby tee (quite popular at the time, but not recommended these days). Today, though, it's much easier to wear the trend with the following pairs of shoes. And, when the trend is over, just toss these in storage until it becomes popular again. You know it will...

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: TOMS
The style: Classic Canvas Slip-On
The color: Chili Tie Dye (shown) or Navy/White Tie Dye
The site: Endless.com
The price: $43.95

The reason: What's even better than finding a pair of trendy tie dye shoes? The fact that the purchase of your pair will directly impact a child in need of a pair themselves. That's the underlying philosophy of the TOMS brand, which has been growing in popularity thanks to the comfort of their shoes and the goodness of their mission.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Carlos by Carlos Santana
The style: Pamper
The color: Moroccan Blue (shown) or Chestnut
The site: Endless.com
The price: $66.12

The reason: If you're afraid that the tie dye trend will cause others to mistake you for a hippie, then try these on for size. The color of the tie dye on these reminds me of the Mediterranean (hence their appropriate 'Moroccan Blue' name). They are so pretty - I love the way they evoke the tie dye trend in a subtle, classy way.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Claudia Ciuti
The style: Abby Platform Sandal
The color: Berry
The site: Endless.com
The price: $312.67

The reason: This is not only the 'spoil-me' shoe of the week, but also the 'notice me' shoe of the week as well. As if the less-than-subtle platform and sky-high stiletto weren't enough, these shoes offer an eye-catching ankle strap and a delicious berry color too. Pair with some jeans to tone them down a bit or embrace your inner hippie chic fashionista by wearing them with a boho skirt or sundress.

Peace out,

PS: Anyone else notice that Endless seems to have, well, an endless supply of tie dye options for shoes? All three pairs this week were found on their site.

Smart & Savvy Traveling

2009-06-22T19:42:00.000-05:00

Is it just me or does traveling seem to become more of a headache each year? If you're a jet-setting fashionista and take to the skies, you have to worry about which liquids you can bring on board, which ones you can't, and how much extra you'll have to pay to check your bags (on most airlines). If you're a road trip kind of gal, there's the issue of gas prices and road construction. And, no matter what method of transportation you use, weather always ends up being a factor as well.

What's a girl to do, then, to make sure she ends up enjoying her trip?

The following are some of my favorite travel tips that I try to adhere to when I leave home. They don't solve all of my travel problems but they do help me from becoming a stressed-out bundle of nerves.

1) Check the weather of your destination beforehand. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at how many people I've traveled with who simply didn't check the forecast before packing for a trip. Imagine being stuck somewhere for 3-5 days with minimal layers in a cold climate or only fancy satin or suede shoes in the rain. Miserable! Do yourself a favor and plan ahead. Your wallet will thank you later when you don't have to splurge for items you failed to pack.

2) Plan your outfits around a base color. For me, it's usually easiest to plan my travel outfits for work around a single color - either black or brown. If I bring some of the wardrobe staples like a black pencil skirt and black pants, I can usually just throw in a few coordinating tops to mix and match. Plus, by picking one coordinating color palette, I can then minimize the number of shoes and handbags to bring along as well. It's so much easier to carry one purse that goes with all of your outfits instead of bringing along several that take up precious space in your luggage.

3) Know your terrain. If you're traveling somewhere that will require a lot of walking, plan accordingly by bringing the right shoes. For example, when I traveled to New York last week, I brought three pairs of black shoes. Any one of the three pairs could have gone with my outfits, but I wanted to make sure I had shoes of varying heights so my feet wouldn't get tired from walking. Admit it, feet can get tired even from walking in flats all day. So, for the first part of my day, I wore my patent leather peep toe heels, switched to flats in the afternoon, and then wore another pair of heels in the evening. That way, my feet weren't too tired of any one pair of shoes, and I could adapt my footwear to the requirements of my day.

4) Bring along a little piece of home. Two of my favorite articles to bring along on trips are my own pillowcase and my own washcloth. This may seem silly if you're staying in a hotel since these items are naturally provided for you; however, I have found that they bring a much-needed touch of homeyness to an otherwise stark environment. Plus, if you're somewhat of a germaphobe like me, you don't want to think about who else has used that hotel pillowcase you're sleeping on.... These items take up very little room in your suitcase and really do make a difference!

5) Don't waste extra money on travel-sized toiletries. True, they're cute and convenient, but why spend extra money buying a whole new set of shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion when you can use what you have at home? Many places, including Wal-Mart, sell empty travel-sized plastic bottles that you can fill with your own toiletries instead of buying a whole new set of miniature ones. That way, you get exactly what you want instead of settling for a travel-sized version of another brand.... and can save a little extra money too!

Do you have other travel tips to share? Leave me a comment and let me know, and I'll be sure to share them on another post!

Happy trails,

Shoes of the Week - Made for Manhattan

2009-06-17T06:57:00.000-05:00

In honor of my trip to The Big Apple this week, I thought I would feature the ultimate designer shoe made famous by Sex and the City - the Manolo Blahnik Sedaraby. Fans of the series will remember this highly recognizable shoe from the episode, "A Woman's Right to Shoes." Since then, several imitations have been made of this beautiful D'Orsay with its rhinestone buckle. It's a good thing, I suppose, because now you can look like a major fashionista at any price.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Mossimo

The style: Isabelle

The color: Black

The site: Target.com

The price: $16.09

The reason: Mossimo took the classic Sedaraby, added a square buckle, and subtracted hundreds of dollars from the price tag. These shoes would be the perfect pairing for a cocktail dress or even dressy jeans (with the right top). Thank you, Target, for making fashion so affordable.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Johnathan Kayne

The style: Tiara

The color: Champagne

The site: Shoebuy.com

The price: $63.95

The reason: If I didn't already own a pair of satin champagne dress pumps, I would totally go out and buy these. I love that the rhinestone embelishment is in the shape of a tiara - so fun! These would be a perfect pair to keep around for summer weddings and other festive semi-formal occasions.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Manolo Blahnik

The style: Sedaraby

The color: Silver (shown), Teal, Brown, White, Bronze, Black, Gold

The site: Barney's New York

The price: $715.00

The reason: When Carrie owned these shoes in SATC, she supposedly paid between $400-$500 for them. Yeah - did you see the price now? These babies have been in huge demand since they made their debut on the show, and I haven't seen any sign of that dwindling any time soon. They truly are stunning, and it's obvious to see why they've sparked so many imitations.

Come Sale Away

2009-06-13T16:12:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love a good sample sale? In the past, those of us not living in major metropolitan areas were just out of luck for these gems. Now, though, some web sites bring the sales directly to you so you don't have to be in Manhattan just to shop like a big city fashionista. My two personal favorites these days are HauteLook and Gilt Groupe.

HauteLook sends me an email every day telling me what sales are starting. Then, I can log in and shop the designers who they're featuring that day. The sales normally last between 36-72 hours, so you have to act fast! I'm always amazed that, even when I sign in and shop when a sale is just starting, there are still several items that have sold out in just a few minutes. Yeah, the designers they feature are that good.

Gilt Groupe is an invitation-only service that I have also come to love. As a subscriber, I receive an email at the beginning of the week that tells me what designers will be featured that week. Then, each day, they send me a reminder telling me which sales are starting. Each sale lasts 36 hours, and -wow- do they have some great pieces at great prices. I could kick myself now for not buying an adorable Tibi dress I saw on there last month. *sigh*

For those of you who are lucky enough to live in The Big Apple (or are visiting there), check out these resources for sample sales as well:

New York Magazine

Racked

Hopefully, I'll have a chance to 'sale' away this week when I'm there!

xoxo

Shoes of the Week - Mad for Plaid

2009-06-10T06:41:00.000-05:00

Every girl needs a little bit of plaid. After all, what else brings relief to the hot summer days like a bit of cool, dainty gingham? (Well, besides maybe a mojito or margarita, of course). Plus, city girls and country girls alike can unite in this chic print for their summer wardrobes. Trust me, you'll be "checking" these off your must-have list soon enough....

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Gabriella Rocha

The style: Laney

The color(s): Black Gingham, Yellow Gingham, Red Gingham, Green Gingham, Turquoise Gingham (shown)

The site: 6pm.com

The price: $25.16

The reason: If I still lived on a farm (yes, I said still - believe it or not, I grew up on one), I would break out these babies to make the neighbors stare. There's nothing like traipsing through pastures in a pair of gingham stilettos with bows on the top. Nowadays, though, I would pair them with a sundress or even jeans and wear them to a summer barbecue. That's probably the smarter of the two scenarios... By the way, did you notice how many colors these come in? At only $25 and some change, you could buy one in each shade!

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nine West

The style: Kellers

The color(s): Natural Orange Multi Leather

The site: Zappos.com

The price: $88.95

The reason: I love how these shoes are a little bit country and a little bit rock 'n' roll. Try pairing them with a white sundress, gold jewelry, and maybe a cowboy hat for fun. The simpler your outfit, the better. You'll want these shoes to steal the show.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Burberry

The style: House Check Pump

The color(s): Black

The site: Burberry.com

The price: $450.00

The reason: Nobody does a checked print like Burberry. No one. Their print is iconic and classic and, due to its popularity, is often duplicated through cheap knock-offs. However, these lovelies are the real thing. They are not prone to fads or trends; instead, their beauty will last a lifetime.

Trendsetters & Jetsetters

2009-06-09T11:50:00.001-05:00

Notice anything new on my blog? If you guessed the Shop it to Me Trendsetters badge, you're correct! Yours truly currently has her blog listed in their "New Trendsetters" category (see below), but my site will later be listed under "Bags, Shoes, and More."

To refresh your memory, Shop It To Me is an excellent shopping service that you can subscribe to. You simply choose the brands, sizes, and types of items you like to shop for, and they send you periodic updates that notify you of sales on those items.

They also have a fantastic blog (listed to the right under my "Reading is Fashionable Too" column) and can be followed on Twitter @shopittome.

Also, just a quick update that I'll be jetsetting off to New York City for work next week! Those of you who know me well know that I love The Big Apple. Now if I can just decide what to pack....

PS: Check back tomorrow for my newest "Shoes of the Week!"

Need a Discount Code?

2009-06-05T11:39:00.001-05:00

Are you eyeing an item on your favorite store's site and wishing it were on sale? Check out RetailMeNot.com and see if there's a coupon code available to bring that item below retail (or provide free shipping). Users of the site (like you and me) post coupon codes that they know of for the retailer, so other users can search for their favorite sites and acquire the codes. It's very easy to use and FREE. I used it yesterday for the first time, and the code worked like a charm.

Remember to "pay it forward" and provide your own codes when you have them. Many of us take for granted all of the promotional coupons we receive in the mail. However, next time you get ready to through that coupon in the recycle pile, check to see if there is a code available for online purchases. You'll be helping your fellow fashionistas!

Shoes of the Week - Try On Some Neon

2009-06-03T06:51:00.002-05:00

Hello, hello? This is the 80's....we'd like our neon back. In all seriousness, though, who wouldn't love a little neon to brighten up their summer wardrobe? Just make sure you keep the tee-pulls and leg warmers at home....these flashy pairs are bright enough to stand out on their own.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Not rated

The style: Juicy Pump

The color: Green

The site: Endless.com

The price: $39.95 (on sale for $19.95!)

The reason: These adorable green sandals feature a kitten heel and perforated upper in a smashing bright green color. If you look closely, you'll also notice that the outside upper of the shoe is actually translucent paneling that carries over all the way across the toes. So fun!

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Miss Sixty

The style: Nabilah

The color: Yellow

The site: 6pm.com

The price: $94.50

The reason: These sassy shoes may not look that bright on your computer screen, but trust me - they are. How do I know? I bought them on eBay last fall for a fraction of the price listed here. They feature a platform, delicate design on the peep toe, and a sturdy heel. Hello, sunshine!

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Report

The style: Perrin
The color: Multi

The site: Zappos

The price: $185.00

The reason: How much do I love these shoes? Well, so much that when I saw them, I decided that I needed to do an entire post featuring neon shoes. They are so much fun and would look equally charming with either something white and flirty or dark and edgy. The perfect pair for a child of the 80's.... :-)

One More Year....

2009-05-30T20:53:00.000-05:00

In less than a year, the Sex and the City movie sequel will debut! It is set to premiere on May 28, 2010. Wondering what will be in store for our four favorite friends? I found this site, which seems to have good updates on the movie.

What are you hoping to see in the sequel? I am bummed about the reports that Big may cheat on Carrie. Haven't we seen enough of that already?

Shoes of the Week - Summer Lovin'

2009-05-27T07:48:00.000-05:00

Who doesn't love summer? It's my favorite time of the year for so many reasons. And, since Memorial Day weekend is considered to be the official launch into the summer months, here are three pairs of shoes that bring the essence of summer color to your winter-weary feet.

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Nine West

The style: Jasley 2

The color: Bright Multi

The site: 6pm

The price: $42.55

The reason: Imagine wearing these bright beauties to a summer barbeque, pool party, or wedding shower with a simple white dress. Then imagine how smug you will feel when everyone compliments your shoes and you think about how little you paid for them. :-) Seriously, though, what's not to love? The watercolor print touches on almost all of my favorite summer shades and the slight platform and strappy style will show off those legs you've been toning in the gym all winter.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: Carlos by Carlos Santana

The style: Roulette

The color: Pink Candango

The site: Zappos

The price: $88.95

The reason: The Roulette style from Carlos Santana is probably one of my favorite styles of his. (If you haven't seen the Aqua Roulettes from last summer, I highly suggest you Google them - they are amazing!) This summer, the Roulette style comes in many, many different patterns, but I'm quite partial to the one shown here. Picture these with a little black dress or - even more enticing - some dressy black bermuda shorts and a chic red top. Either way, you'll be ready to go out and enjoy the hot summer nights.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Giuseppe Zanotti

The style: E90023

The color: Osaka Fuxia

The site: Zappos Couture

The price: $654.00

The reason: Be still, my beating heart. I love, love, love these bright heels from Giuseppe Zanotti. The colors, the style, and the stiletto are perfection. Incredibly practical? No. But, wow, wearing them in the summer would be so worth it....

Short Story....Continued

2009-05-25T07:45:00.001-05:00

Before... (May 19th)

After! (May 24th)

PS: I am wearing it in haphazard curls in this picture; I haven't tried it straight yet because it's been rainy and humid here....

Short Story

2009-05-24T16:19:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for the last several weeks. I would let myself imagine the carefree, short-hair days of summers past but would then tell myself, "Look how many awesome things you can do with your long hair." And then the rain came. And what followed were many, many frustratingly bad hair days. During this time, I realized that I truly missed having my hair shorter during the warmer months. The summer is so challenging for me when I have long hair because the heat and humidity always fight with whatever style I'm trying to pull off. And while I do love to create the occasional up-do (hello, side ponytails), I was getting tired of these options as well.

So, last week, I made an appointment with Julie and started looking through magazines for inspiration. My favorite haircut idea came to me as the result of a Tweet from InStyle magazine about humidity-proof cuts, and it's basically what I ended up going with:

I took the plunge this past Thursday and couldn't be happier with the results. I will try to post before and after pictures soon so you can see what it looks like! Basically, it is everything I was looking for: 1) Just long enough to pull into a ponytail; 2) Shorter in the back for extra volume; and 3) Has the flexibility to be worn curly or straight. The best part is that I can go to sleep with it wet and wake up with sexy tousled curls the next morning! The perfect solution for a girl who is sooooo not a morning person..... :-)

Shoes of the Week - Safari Chic

2009-05-20T07:37:00.002-05:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you've probably already figured out that I'm somewhat obsessed with the safari trends this spring and summer. Therefore, this post probably isn't much of a surprise! Let's face it, it was only a matter of time before I channeled my inner safari princess and brought you my favorite catches....

The Wallet-Friendly Shoe of the Week

The brand: Luichiny

The style: Leigh

The color(s): Black Combo (shown), Purple Combo, or Bronze Combo

The site: Endless.com

The price: $47.27

The reason: Can't decide which animal print is your favorite? Then consider these pumps from Luichiny, which pairs several different "skins" in several fun colors and pulls them together in one fabulous pump. They're the perfect solution for the girl who wants a touch of the wild side in her everyday life.

The Budget-Worthy Shoe of the Week

The brand: BCBGirls

The style: Allegro

The color: Multi Hazelnut Leopard

The site: Zappos

The price: $85.41

The reason: These sassy slingbacks are so clever and classic. They aren't over-the-top or flashy. With their snakeskin printed leather upper and versatile coloring, they quietly answer the call of the wild instead of screaming out to the world. Plus, shoes from this brand are typically pretty comfortable! Even better for navigating the jungle of life.

The Spoil-Me Shoe of the Week

The brand: Sam Edelman

The style: Oceana

The color(s): Taupe/Black (shown), Brown/Red

The site: Nordstrom

The price: $158.95

The reason: Okay, I love these shoes. Ever since I saw them in the pages of Lucky a few months ago, I've been obsessed with them. Have I bought them yet though? No. I'm waiting for them to go on sale. :-) They are amazing! I love the discs on the ankle strap and the platform heel. These would transform a simple black dress or a khaki jumpsuit and bring them to a whole new level of sophistication.