Must. Have. These. Shoes.

Ok, so actually I want the grey suede ones I saw at the store today. I think the suede material will be much more soft and flexible (meaning won't cut into my toes the way the patent leather material might). I didn't buy them when I saw them today b/c I have a 10% off coupon for Target and I didn't have it with me at the time (it was an unplanned venture to Target with a friend). But you better believe I'll be going back, possibly tomorrow, and making my purchase then.

These adorable peep-toe platforms are available in black and red shiny patent leather, and suede leopard print (also in suede zebra print and grey, in-store), $29.99. Or click here to see the rest of Target's selection of adorable peep-toe shoes.

BodyGlide

(another repost [from 5/17/06]... sorry, guys, I'm flying back to California tomorrow, I promise I'll have some original content later this week!)

Ok, so this isn't exactly what you'd immediately call a "beauty product" but bear with me here for a moment and you'll thank me later...

Several months ago I signed up for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. This will involve me walking up to 39 miles over 2 days (insane, yes). As I've been training many experienced walkers have shared with me the wonders of this fantabulous little products called BodyGlide. It looks like a deodorant stick, but is actually this stuff that you put on your feet when you're running or walking long distances to prevent blisters, or can be used to prevent chaffing in other parts of your body (surfers use it under their wetsuits for this purpose).

Well, if it works when wearing sneakers, why not when wearing heels? I tell you, this stuff is AWESOME. Rub a bit on wherever your shoes may rub you the wrong way and you'll be set all night long, enjoying your beautiful and sexy new stilettos rather than suffering in agony because of them! I've tested it out several times, and I've been so happy with the difference it makes. Seriously, awesome.

You can find this BodyGlide at drugstore.com, REI, Sports Basement, or any other sports/running store out there. It's about $7 for a stick (REI has mini ones for less), and also comes in a formula with SPF 25.

Ankle Boots

Another growing trend I don't quite understand is the ankle boot. Stars have been wearing this look with everything from shrts to dresses to skinny jeans.

I think it's ugly.

I guess I'm just a firm believer in that boots should be worn under (and be mostly hidden by) your pants. The only exception is knee-high boots, or maybe some of the slouchy boots that have been coming out lately that you tuck your jeans into. But, basically, it needs to come up between mid-calf and knee-high. Otherwise I think they just look... wierd.

Ankle boots cut your legs off at the ankle. This is only ok for those with long legs (who have plenty to spare) but for the rest of us it ain't doing us any favors. Celebrities have been pairing these with otherwise gorgeous cocktail dresses on the red carpet, and the boots just ruin the look of the dress. I can't help but think "ew" every time I see them. And worn with skinny pants... well, we've covered the perils of skinny pants already, I don't think there's a need to go over them again.

So... yeah. Let's just stay away from the ankle boot, shall we?

I *heart* Steve Madden

I've found over the years that one shoe designer I continually find myself drooling over is Steve Madden. I adore his women's dress shoes. One day, when I have enough to money to justify buying my shoes someplace other than Payless (and the occasional splurge at DSW), I will buy myself some gorgeous Steve Madden heels. Till then, I'll just have to do with my Payless ripoffs.

Here's some of the shoes I've been dreaming about lately:


I have been REALLY into peep-toe pumps lately-- very retro, totally classic, and just gorgeous. And there's something about leopard print that makes it a classic that never goes out of style (as long as you wear it right). These would look killer with a simple little black dress. Also available in zebra print. ($169.95)








These are just simply gorgeous (available in purple, red, and brown as well). I wasn't kidding about the peeptoes-- they're just about all I've had my eyes on lately! (link, $169.95)








Here's a very cute pair of flats. In this color scheme, they'd dress up any outfit and add a bit of personality and flair. They're also available in black or gold leather, and in black suede. I have a pair of black flats very much like these (with the flower and everything) from Gap and I adore them, though they don't provide a whole lot of support... these look like they have a thicker heel, giving you a bit of shock absorption when you walk. (link, $89.95)





And then there's these... (also available in black and gold) Gaudy? Yes. Necessary? Of course not. So unbelievably fun to wear? YES! Ok, so if I really were to get these I'd go for the more subtle black (though, honestly, I'm tempted by the gold). But you can't deny that these would lend quite a kick to any outfit, and what else are shoes for than for fun? Ok, so walking and comfort, but that's during the day time. Nighttime is a whole different story... ; ) (link, $109.95)

Foot Petals: Your Feet's New Best Friend

I discovered Foot Petals on a trip to Nordstrom's a while back. I was immediately drawn to them-- my biggest problem when wearing heels is that the balls of my feet will start to ache from walking and dancing, and when wearing flats I got the same ache in my heels. I'd been searching for cushioning inserts I could slip into my shoes to help alleviate this problem. I had tried some gel inserts, but they didn't have any adhesive so they slipped around a lot and were annoying.

Foot Petals are slim and have an adhesive strip on the bottom. This means you can't change them from one shoe to another, but it also means they'll stay put. There's a variety of different cushions available: ball of the foot, heels, back of the heels (to prevent the back of your shoe from slipping or rubbing), whole foot, for small straps on strappy sandals. I bought the small strap inserts (which I used as back-of-heel cushions on one pair of shoes and it's made them wearable again) and the whole foot ones. I don't recommend those, the "one size fits all" means it's hard to hit your heel and ball of your foot at once. The separate heel and toe cushions should work better, and be a bit easier to slip into deeper shoes like boots.

There are also lots of gift sets with differtent combinations of each of these inserts all in one package (such as the Fancy Feet or Strut N Style kits). Each of the inserts come in black, grey, pink, and beige, to blend in a bit easier to your shoes (some cushions such as the toe tips come in additional colors, such a zebra stripe). And they're small and sleek enough to be worn even with open sandals.

Go to the Shop section to purchase these little foot savers, or find a store nearby to check them out in person. Your feet will thank you!

Great Deals at Delia's

There's some sweet clearance deals over at Delias.com right now. I've always viewed Delia's aa a bit more of a teenybopper trend store, but they're still worth checking out from time to time b/c they'll have some really cute items and their prices aren't bad. They almost always have very cute and unique shoes, that's one thing that's drawn me to them in the past.

Anyway... so I was browsing their website and looking through the sale items and found several very cute things! For example:


I LOVE skirts just like this one (Yasmin Knit Skirt, $14.99). It's flowly, it's flirty, it's long enough so you don't have to be all paranoid always about what you may accidentally be showing off to the world... basically, skirts like these are a perfect alternative for girls like me, who normally live in jeans or pants. And the color is fairly neutral, so it can be paired with some fun colored tops.



I also really like this top (Nora Tank, $12.99). I'm liking the trend toward longer-length tops, and this one looks nice and light and flowy. You could probably use it as a layering piece, layering a tighter-fitting light tank top underneath it (perhaps one with a shelf bra so you don't have to worry about a strapless one). This would actually probably look very cute with the above skirt.


These shell earrings ($5.99) are fabulous! I love love love them! They're the perfect fun earring to wear when you want some stand-out jewelry but still want to keep your look low-key and casual.


These printed ballet flats ($14.99) are just too fun. To be honest I'm not entirely sure how or when I'd wear them, but they'd definitely add a bit of pizzazz to any outfit!

There's lots more to check out, including some fun printed t-shirts, and LOTS of jeans (most for about $20). Happy browsing! =)

Why I Love Payless

OMG how CUTE are these?!?



I've been contemplating this whole grown-up-mary-janes trend and was recently considering looking for a pair for myself... And then I saw these! The best part? They come in wide widths, too (well, the black ones, anyway)! And they're a relatively low $17.99.

Of course, we'll have to see if they actually have the wide version in the stores. I could never find the wide version of my beloved pointy-toed kitten heels and finally ordered them online (on sale for $14.99, thank you very much, with free shipping since they're going to a Payless store-- though that also means I have to wait TWO WEEKS to get them... *sigh*).

Crocs

No, I have not lost my mind. I realize Crocs are not exactly a fashion accesory, but bear with me for a bit here...

I remember when I first saw Crocs beginning to appear... my father-in-law (not exactly a fashion connoiseur) was among the first people I saw sporting them. I remember looking at them and thinking "How the heck are those comfortable?!?"

The fad grew... The shoe advertised as an ugly, yet still desireable, kept growing in popularity. And last week, after months and months of resisting, I finally got a pair (the lovely orange ones pictures above). I even got a couple of those cute adornments you can stick into the holes ( a bee and ladybug, purchased at Nordstroms, $2 each).

I have to admit-- these shoes are super comfy. They're like flip flops, except they cover more of your foot and are more secure. Now, a good fashionista may still recoil at the thoughts of wearing these out in public, but for those of us who on occasion are outdoorsy girls I tell you these shoes are a must!

• They're comfortable.
• They can get wet, so you can use them when going swimming anywhere you wouldn't want your feet to touch the bottom (like on a lake, etc).
• They float, so if one comes off in the water they'll be easy to find and retrieve.
• They cover your toes, so you won't stub them on a rock.
• With the back strap down, they stay on your feet really well and feel stable.
• With the strap up (worn clog-style) they're super fast and easy to slip on and off.
• They're super light to carry, and are the perfect camp shoe for when camping or even backpacking.
• The tread on the bottom is really good (I wore mine this past weekend while walking on big rocks and even on a super steed area, at least 45 degree slope, they gripped really well and never slipped).

My husband recently spent a lot more money on fancy sandals that he can wear in the water and that cover and protect your toes, and he's been having a lot of trouble breaking them in. I started telling him this week that maybe he should just get a pair of Crocs ($29-$34) instead.

I.Want.These.SHOES

I believe it was last summer sometime that I discovered the first pair of pointy-toed shoes that I ever actually liked. Before then, they'd always seemed to simply make my feet look huge. They looked very cute on other people, but I had resolved that they would not be for me.

Then I found my Payless shoes. They were a pair of kitten-heel, pointy-toed black shoes with a keyhole at the toe. SO CUTE. They were even on sale, I believe, for $10. My darling husband immediately dubbed them my Witch Shoes. But I LOVED them. So much that since last summer I have worn off the heels. They were perfect-- totally comfortable and practical, yet lent an instant kick of fabulous to any outfit.

You can see why I was so devastated at finding out recently that the heels on my beloved shoes were so worn out that I simply could not wear them anymore (when I did I started slipping around all over the place on the cracked heel). =(



You can also probably sense my intense joy when, while browing payless.com this morning, I found these shoes. A bit more simple, but still almost identical to my originals. I am ecstatic. Unfortunately I have already reached the limit of this week's budget (it's come to this now). But the new week begins friday, and you better believe I'll be at my nearest Payless ShoeSource on friday morning, ready to bring home my new favorite shoes.

Summer Essentials

We've already covered your most important summer essential (sunblock), so what about some of the other must-have items for a killer summer?



(Picture courtesy of Sheplers.com)

Maybe it's my southern-girl roots, but to me a good ole broken-in straw cowboy hat (or, as a friend of mine called it once: a "ten times hotter" hat, as it made the girl wearing it automatically seem to be 10 times hotter... he's a southern boy, too, btw) is always in style. It looks cute, it protects you from the sun, and it's a great cover-up for when you just don't want to mess with your hair. The hat in the picture is from Sheplers.com and costs $19.99. Target also has a few styles online here.


(Picture courtesy of Target.com)

Another essential is a good pair of sunglasses. I recently bought myself 2 pairs of those oversize, squared-off sunglasses sort of like the ones Denise Richards has been sporting around (except that mine are from Target and hers are, like designer somebody). Now, I'm usually a girl who hates wearing sunglasses because I was convinced that I looked funny in them. Anbd they somehow always sat on my face slightly crooked. But I have been wearing these 2 pairs non-stop (I keep 1 pair in my purse at all times, and the other in the car for driving). The best thing about the oversized trend-- they actually keep the sun out of your eyes! Fantabulous. And even better is that virtually every pair of sunglasses out there nowadays has 99%-100% protection against UVA/UVB rays, to help keep your eyes healthy and strong. Target has a pretty great variety of sunglasses (in this style and various others) along with some very cute cases to tote them in.


(Picture courtesy of Oldnavy.com)

This is possibly my favorite summer essential: flipflops. I would live in flipflops every day if I could. By fall when I finally have to start actually wearing sdhoes than encase my feet, they tend to feel claustrophobic and constrained.... My staple has tended to be Old Navy flipflops. They're comfortable, they're cheap, they've lasted me for years, and they come in just about every color imaginable. I've also been very loyal to my Locals, which are still alive and kicking (though less enthusiastically as they first did) after almost 3 years of use. I bought mine while in Hawaii visiting a friend that lived there. Apparently you can now buy them online, for about twice the retail price, but then again it's still cheaper than the cost iof flying to Hawaii which is the only other way to get them really. Other than Ebay. You can get anything off Ebay these days.

(Picture courtesy of REI.com)

I recently bought this pair of Teva flipflops, as I've lately been becoming more aware of the fact that sometimes feet need cushioning.. and arch support.... They're pretty comfy, the heels are very squishy which feels wierd at first but kinda cool. I didn't even realize how much support they really do give me untill, after wearing them for an entire weekend, I slipped back into another pair of flip flops and noticed the difference. I'm considering now also trying to find a pair of Reef flipflops in brown. I know lots of people who absolutely love their Reefs.

Clearly, there are a few other summer essentials... The perfect lipgloss, a good swimsuit cover-up, that perfect beach tote. But I may have to leave those for another post... =P