Why are you keeping secrets from me?

I would like the reponsible parties to please fess up.

How is it possible that no one has let me know about these over the top ridiculously silly yet cute customized candy pink bunny mary janes by Em and Sprout?



No. I had to find out about it by seeing Miss TWiNKiE CHAN's flickr update.

WHAT IF I HADN'T LOOKED!!!! Then where would I be? Huh? Huh? Answer me THAT!!!



Not only does she do bunnies and kitties but ladybugs and turtles....



Oh, and shirts too. I love the Winking Kitty...




But I think I'm going to have to get the Sailor shirt.

I'm very disappointed in all of you for keeping this cuteness from me.

Feeling the Blues

I'm not sure what it is but I'm feeling a bit mopey lately. Unfulfilled and antsy. It could be as simple as being anxious for the shift in seasons. I generally don't like Summer and am looking forward to Fall from the first day the thermometer starts to creep over 75 degrees.

But I think it's more than that. There's something in the air. I've seen more snarkiness popping up. I've felt more blah. I'm not excited for any movies or clothes or events or even books. All the good, fun stuff seems far away. All the usual temporary fixes aren't working either.

I guess that's a good thing. I shouldn't need to look outside of myself to find the "fix", the inspiration, the peace. I should be looking within. Right? But I'm not even sure what's missing.

I've decided to take some small steps. I'm trying out a new yoga place tonight. I'm reading some of my new books and re-reading books that I love. I'm spending more time offline and less on. I'm even taking drastic measures - we hired a giant inflatable castle for the hubby's birthday this weekend. Maybe some whimsy and silliness will work its magic!

I'm hoping by the time a few crisp days creep in along with the ever-earlier darkness of nightfall, I'll have that sparkle back. The end of the year is flying towards us and there are some great things out there, just out of reach. I can't wait for a new season.

How are you feeling, my friends in the universe? Are you feeling shiny and happy or are you searching for a much needed boost too?

Luv,

Poochie

Hey, Sparkler! What's So Great About You?

I am sooooo ready for another Sparkler, what about you???



Today's Sparkler, Kate, is a WONDERFUL young lady I've had the pleasure of working with. She came to work in my office as and intern and now I'm happy to call her a friend.



But, while I could go on and on about her, let's get her thoughts. I mean, that's why we're here, right?

I don't particularly like talking about myself, and prefer listening to other people, instead. But at the same time, I think it's important to be able to talk about yourself for purposes of self-awareness.

* I’d love to some day work for Smithsonian magazine – that’s the nerd in me coming out!

* I’m an old movie fanatic – give me a little Katharine, Grace or Audrey (maybe with a side of song and dance?!) and I’m happy.

* I’m convinced good food is always worth the wait and often extra money. I don’t mess around with my food.

* Despite my affinity for food I’m only a mediocre cook. I’m hoping my mom’s culinary talent will someday rub off on me.

* Your true best friends are the ones you don’t see for months but when you do finally see you pick up right where you left off - it's like you haven't missed a day. I'm so glad I have several of those in my life.

* I’m a firm believer that things always work out the way they should.



* I’m a voracious reader and am trying to expand my horizons beyond trashy murder mysteries.

* I love laughing until I cry.

* I have no musical talent whatsoever – it’s one big thing I think is lacking in my education. But I have been told I'm apparently not tone deaf. Surprising.

* Someone once told me they liked how I turned out - which made me hope that someday I can be as good a parent as my parents are.

* I think every woman should have a signature scent (or two). I’ve narrowed mine down to two but am not sure I could just choose one of them. I also wish I could wear men's cologne without smelling too manly.

* I come from a family of loud and crazy people (emphasis on crazy) - so if you can't deal with my family then you don't stand a chance!



Well, Kate... I think you've turned out great too and I'm so happy to know you!

If you want to chat her up, you can find Kate on Twitter too - http://twitter.com/katecsullivan

Okay... who's next?!? Come on, Sparkler, Spill it!

Color Study - Neutrals

I just realized how long it's been since I last did a Color Study list. I need to pick up the pace here!

I have to admit, this has been the laziest weekend, so thank goodness I took these pics a while back! This grouping is made up of the "neutrals" - too dark for creme or off white and too light for brown. I think the neutral tones are so elegant. I just need to wear them more.





Row 1 - left to right:

- Jimmy Choo Sissy
- Manolo Blahnik Suley
- Bettye Muller Coast
- Nine West Newlook
- Christian Louboutin Very Prive in Cork



Row 2 - left to right:

- Christian Louboutin Very Prive in Nude Crepe & Black Lace
- Michael Kors Cairo
- Chanel Carousel Chas Ouvertes
- Miu Miu Naplak Patch Spectators
- Jimmy Choo Violin

Row 3 - left to right:

- Nine West Lecia

- Steve Madden Rettro

- Nine West Harmon

- Stuart Weitzman Bocaccio

- Christian Louboutin Clichy

I love the colors of these Miu Mius so much.

These are probably the highest non-platform pair of heels I own.

The best thing about these is the shimmery fabric.

All images enlarge and I'm adding more on Flickr. I was just thinking how summery these colors are but maybe I can pair them up with dark tights for winter to get more use out of them. Could be an interesting combo.

Hmmmm.....

SUCCESS!!!!

After trying for weeks and weeks to get some answers regarding the fur trim used on these boots (refresher: they were listed as ocelot but then the MB rep said they were rabbit), I saw yesterday that the Humane Society was also focusing their attention on the questionable fur used.



Well, finally there have been updates and progress! Per the AP:

Neiman Marcus: mistake led to 'ocelot' descriptor
(AP) – 14 hours ago

DALLAS — Neiman Marcus says an editing mistake led to some women's boots being described on Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman Web sites as trimmed with the fur of an endangered species.

Neiman Marcus spokeswoman Ginger Reeder says the Dallas-based company is looking into the matter. The Humane Society of the U.S. on Wednesday said it was asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate.

The Humane Society says fur from an ocelot, a wild cat with tawny fur and black spots, would be illegal to sell under the Endangered Species Act.

Reeder says Neiman has pulled the boots off the market pending an investigation. She says it appears the trim actually is goat hide dyed with an ocelot print.

The Humane Society's Pierre Grzybowski says they still would like the FTC to investigate.

The FTC did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday.

I am sooo happy to hear there is going to be an investigation into these boots. It proves that there are shady practices going on, especially in the fur industry. Basically, you can never be sure where and what kind of fur is being used, because even high-end products and retailers are not going to disclose that information. In this instance it may be goat skins but most of the time it's cats, dogs and rabbits. And because of how most products in the fashion world (even those labeled as Made in Italy or where ever - a whole other post... just read Deluxe) are made in China, if you are buying something with fur you are supporting horrific abuses.

Every year, millions of individual animals, including more than 2 million cats and hundreds of thousands of dogs, are killed for their fur in China. Some are strays, and countless others are companions who once shared homes with people who loved and cared for them before the animals were rounded up—often with metal tongs around their necks—and tossed, screaming, into a crate.

China is one of the world's largest fur suppliers, and more than 95 percent of the country's finished garments are exported—with many ending up in North America. And as we now know, Chinese companies have been known to deliberately mislabel cat and dog fur as "Asian jackal," "rabbit," or "raccoon" to fool consumers. Every fur-trimmed collar or other fur item from China, regardless of the kind of animal slaughtered to manufacture it, is the product of cruelty on a truly massive scale.

As I've said before. I detest fur. Plus, how can you ever wear something that came from sweet babies like my Tulip and Petal...



If you are buying fur you are taking animals like my baby Petal here and having them killed for something completely unnecessary and, in the case of these boots, ugly as hell.



Make contributions to the Humane Society, PETA, Compassion over Killing or World Society for the Protection of Animals to help stop these abuses.

Inherent Value

I like all three of these shoes but I do have a problem with them. With the economy the way it is, you would think you would see a bit of a correctionn in the prices of some luxury goods. But if anything, I'm seeing prices go up, up, up!

Now maybe design houses and luxury retailers are buffering for the inevitable prices reductions that seem almost ordained but I just can't understand some of these prices!

Example one are these Lanvin oxford pumps. Satin, patent and tweed. They're cute but $1205?



And I love the paillettes on these Pierre Hardy sandals but I don't get the $1415 pricetag.



Then again, I guess it's a personal judgement call. Or maybe it's the $1000+ barrier. Because when I see these Alexander McQueen penny loafer heels, at $830, I think, well... maybe they're kind of worth it.



Of course, I haven't tracked these down in my size so, I'm safe for the moment.

If you had the money, would you pay the retail price for any of these shoes?

In the Spotlight

I haven't had a lot of time to start thinking about fall clothes or shoes, even though that is my favorite season of the year on every level.

But I did take a quick peek at all of the shoes coming in on the Bergdorf's site. These Valentino's immediately caught my eye... I love sequins.



Super fancy but I'd wear them with jeans as well. I wishing for these as much as for cooler weather.

Valentino Spotlight Sequin pump - $795

Ensemble du Jour

Since I've been swamped lately and not feeling great on top of that, I haven't been online that much. So you get an outfit post to tide you over.

This is sort of a simple work outfit but I like the skirt and shoes.



The top is an Old Navy grey tee paired up, tonally, with a Mizrahi for Target skirt from a while back. I really liked when he did the big blooms on the skirts.



Hello flash!



This hair clip facinator was a little experiment from when I was feeling crafty the other day. I'll admit I was inspired by a piece from Pretty Good Things but her pieces are a gazillion times better than mine. I much prefer her hot pink version and must get it soon!




I really love the peachy-ness of these Guiseppe Zanottis. They're just so summery.

Nothing fancy, just another day at work.

But tassles!

Okay, back to work and trying to feel better!

Fashion Conscience

The other day I shared a Vogue report on how designers are calling for a moratorium on leathers from the rainforest. Well there are now even more ways the fashion world is looking to make a positive impact for animals and the environment, while helping us keep stylish.


Reported in Vouge:

Fashion-Conscience.com is a website which supplies shoes to shoppers who - like Stella McCartney and Natalie Portman - believe that vegan needn't mean lacking in style.

New York label olsen Haus was founded by former Calvin Klein and Nine West designer Elisabeth Olsen, an outspoken advocate for veganism. Her colourful, non-leather designs have found favour with the US fashion pack and retail from £170.

Neu Aura offers a range of styles crucial to every wardrobe but crucially without using any animal by-products. Wearable colourful mid-heel styles and classic brown and black riding boots are all 100 per cent vegan and are produced in a factory which adheres to eco standards in recycling. Prices start at £87.50.

Melissa's jelly shoe collaboration with Vivienne Westwood has made an impact on the fashion scene lately - not only for their use of recycled plastic and waste-free production, but for its fun and colourful approach. Prices start at £62.00.

All collections are available at http://www.fashion-conscience.com/ along with other vegan clothing, shoes and accessories.

I've liked olsen Haus for a while now and have a pair of the Melissa's, so these do seem to be great options for anyone looking for great design and fun shoes. I'm also glad to have an additional option on top of EcoStiletto.

As I evolve in my clothing and accessory purchases (I need a new black purse for one!), I'm glad to see sustainable, fair trade and vegan options available that are pretty and interesting and more my style. I'm seriously considering those olsen Haus green velvet booties right there.

If you have any great designers that fall into these categories, please share them in the comments.

Featured Shoe: Lela Rose Ribbon Heel

I while back I posted about these darling Lela Rose for Payless Ribbon heels but then I neglected to follow-up with an in action post.




They are just as cute in person and actually comfortable.



The flash washes the color out a bit but these have a great graphic contrast.



I paired this with a Mizrahi for Target black trench dress and it was a great work outfit.



Cute. Love the ribbon pinking.

I think the heels are out of stock but as of this writing the flats are still there. Get them while you can!

Ensemble du Jour

So far I've worn two of my new ModCloth dresses and I have to say, I'm a fan. They are well priced and fit well and are just the type of style I like... a classic shape with fun details.

I did wear the polka-dot dress to work (I should have taken a picture, I know!) since it is longer gut I might wear the others more as weekend and going out type dresses. Mostly because I like flirty-ing them up.

We went out for a later lunch today and so I wore the red plaid dress and the mini-boater I made with this dress in mind.



I got a few quizzical looks, since flip flops are more the style than dresses and mini-hats around here, but I didn't mind. These are too fun to wear to worry about getting stares. I paired it with a black cardigan from Target and Nine West strappy sandals.



Here's a bit closer....



In the garden...



I'm very happy with my little hat experiment too. I think I'm going to have to make more. Anyone else want one???

Leo Redux

A while back I found this video that shows how to make a Leo fall in love with you...

Some people know how to do the whole "good gifts" thing really really right.

Hence my big birthday present... the vintage epulets and bicorn hat I adored a while back...

Swooning!

Near to my Heart

Reported by Vogue:

You may consider which designer your shoes are made by, but not which country produced the leather that composes them. Leather sourcing has been brought in to sharp focus this week by a Greenpeace study - and has motivated some of the world's top footwear brands; including Clarks, Adidas, Nike and Timberland, to demand an immediate moratorium on the destruction of the Amazon rainforest by their leather suppliers in Brazil.

Clearing tropical forests for agriculture, which supplies both the meat industry and the fashion industry, is estimated to produce 17 per cent of the world's carbon emissions - more than is produced by all modes of transport worldwide. A cease to leather sourced from areas of deforestation would dramatically reduce environmental impact - and would protect the area as a natural habitat.

"We can only get an agreement on climate change if it involves Brazil and it involves forestry," the British energy and climate change secretary Ed Milliband told the Guardian on an unrelated trip to Brazil yesterday. "The Amazon forest is such a beautiful place when it is untouched and then you see these scars on the landscape from the deforestation, bigger and bigger scars."

"It's great progress in a very short space of time," said Greenpeace's James Turner. "What this does now is really put pressure on the UK food companies. The shoe companies have realised there is a problem and taken action, now it's up to the supermarkets to follow that lead."

I hope that we will see more companies use their influence for these needed causes and also give us more options that help us to limit our impact on the earth and animal cruelty.

They Say It's Your Birthday

I don't usually make birthday lists because I tend to be bad and buy stuff for myself, but....

Here are some things I have on my virtual wish list...

Poochie Pink Birthday by Princess Poochie on Polyvore.com

* A yellow or rose gold and silver hand-stamped Crown wax seal The Love Story necklace with a 24" chain

* A Diana and/or a Holga camera (pink version optional)

* I have a bunch of pictures that need to get framed

* Antoni & Alison skirts - I love the patterns they have.

* Topshop Kameron brogues in pink and gold. Why did I wait so long???

* Wode Paint perfume. Not even sure how this smells but it's so cool!

* Gentry de Paris Victorian Corset Boots. Of course I totally need these.

* Femme Sud Diary book clutch. I'd take a turquoise 1st place wristlet too.

* Pink carnations... or carnation perfume. Super sweet.

Now I know I sound terribly greedy but, these are the kinds of things I want to get for myself, so maybe it's more like a "treats for me" list than a "hope I someone buys me all this" list.