SD Review: Tsubo Anush mary janes

I shared a review of the Asmik wedge mary jane from Tsubo last month and am ready to tell you all about eh Anush mary jane heel.

Like the Asmik, the Anush is cute and comfortable. I think of it as the work heel that you can wear when running on your feet all day, compared to the more casual look of the wedge.



The toe box is not tight and the adjustable mary jane strap ensures that even my high arches are not uncomfortable.

The heel has a modern curved shape, sort of a mini-banana heel or talon shape.

While this heel has a very professional look it still has the cushy insole that Tsubo is known for.

I tend to baby my shoes but you can't always be in control of where and how long you will be walking around and the Tsubo heels give you the flexibility to not have to worry about that. You can still look stylish and professional while being able to walk all day and on all sorts of surface. I love the fact that the sole is grippy without compromising the look.

The Spring/Summer collections are out with styles from casual sneakers and flats to sandals and heels (and some really cute boots), so check them out.

Tickled Pink

I am not a purse or bag person. I like don't covet the latest "it" bags and I don't have a huge amount of purses. I'm also pretty picky about what I look for in a bag. I like a classic shape in an interesting color.

I don't want it to be too huge and I usually prefer to carry it on my arm rather than over my shoulder. I don't like soft-sided bags; I actually want them to have some structure to them.

I have a few small bags and clutches but they rarely get used and are usually vintage. Most of the purses I own I keep for years and years and tend to be very lazy about changing them out. I carried my Emerald Alto bag for 2 years straight. The color range for my day-to-day purses includes emerald green, dark orange, sky blue, white and a croc brown. In the Fall I was thinking about a black patent but didn't findy anything I really wanted so that's by the wayside for now.

But for some reason I'm really considering pink.

I started out looking at this pink Emily Satchel from Coach.



It has a great shape, just the right amount of detailing, is the right size and gives the options of carrying on your arm or over your shoulder.



But I wanted to see what non-leather options were out there too. I don't really go purse shopping that much so I thought this would be a great opportunity to see what's out there.

I started out at Matt and Nat, purveyors of some of the best, most stylish vegan bags around. After searching by color I found this cutie - the Tundra-Stellar. It's also a good size and very cute. A bit more of an edge than the Emily but you could carry this to work and out afterwards.



If you are a bit more casual, I think the AstroSatchel's Cherry Blossom messenger is the cutest. This line has a ton of fun graphic designs.

I branched out into more vibrant pinks with this larger Verena satchel. I love the buckles on the end. Plus it comes in five equally eye-catching colors.

The Morgan has a bit of the "doctor-bag" shape to it, which I really like. It was tempting to show it in the gorgeous dandelion versus the raspberry, plus there are two other colors!

If I still want a patent bag in the Fall, I'm coming right back for this Mariah design. It's hard to choose between the amazing colors. The maroon and olive ones here are my favorites but there is also a stunning sapphire and a dark grey. Plus it's under $50, if you can believe that.

As I was searching for vegan options, I found these amazing Vegan Queen pieces. These are expensive but they are amazing. I first spotted the Eco It Bag, as bowling bag shaped piece with vintage hardware...

But then I was stunned by the City Bag. This piece is decadent and simply gorgeous. As I said, I'm not an purse girl but this almost makes me reconsider.

Well, we ended on a high (priced) note but most of these are very resonable, plus vegan, plus CUTE! Have you seen any I should add to the list?

Make me into a purse girl too.

; )

Philosophy

“It’s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.”

William Somerset Maugham

I've been in an introspective and philosophical mood. What do you consider "the best" for your life?

Luv

Poochie

Ensemble du Jour - 5-21-10

I'm all squinty and out in the sunlight, which I hate, but I wanted to grab a quick shot of all my polka dots.



The top is from Dillard's I think and has cute ruffles and heart buttons and the skirt is from Target.

For shoes, I'm wearing a pair I didn't have a good picture of so you get video - Nine West red patent double strap mary janes.




Happy Friday!

Serious Nerd-age

I've just spent way too much time playing around on the Starbucks website.

I custom created my Frappuccino (Grande, Decaf, Soy, No Whip, Mocha, by the way.)



Bought a custom card (pretty, huh?)...



And downloaded the two apps to my iPhone.

Yes, these are the lengths I will go to in order to avoid doing the actual work I need to do.

But really I am just way too excited to be able to drink my ice-y blended favorites now that they are custom and have SOY MILK as an option!!!

Yeah for Starbucks!

Oh, I even got a reusable, refillable cup to keep from having to recycle all the cups from the many frappes I plan on drinking. Less Impact, yeah!

Of course I'll be hopped up on sugar all Summer but now I have the choice.

Go Go Gilt! - Marc Jacobs Perfection

Sometimes you fall in love and you have to follow your heart.

I went for a quick peek at the Marc Jacobs items on Gilt (click for invite link) and found myself instantly smitten by an adorable dress.



Black and white stripes, scalloped edges, multiple tiers and tiny velvet bows.

So ruffly and perfect I had to have it. Luckily I had some credits. The sale just started and there are a bunch more cute dresses there.

Go Shop!!!

Ensemble du Jour - 5-18-10

I've had my Where the Wild Things Are skirt since Fall but haven't really had a chance or place to wear it. It is a bit "out there" for my day-to-day life but finally I just decided to wear it anyways.

Yes, puffy furry skirts and tall lace-up boots may be a bit much for the office, but it was chilly and I said what the heck.

I want this to sit a bit lower on my hip and then pair it with something lighter and some strappy shoes but today it was a tucked-in black JCrew shirt and the Ann D. boots with polka-dot tights.

Oh, and the Wendy B. Woolf necklace... to go with the fur, of course!

Simple Steps

When it comes to shoes for the skimming around in during the Summer or even for wearing around the house, I tend to favor ballet flats. I don't like flip flops and fuzzy slippers tend to pick up dust and kitty fur. Plus simple ballet flats can be worn inside and out so it's easy to run out to walk the dogs and, because they don't have any treads, it's easy to wipe them off before coming in.

I don't get too pricey with these either. I actually like the ones from Old Navy. They're really inexpensive, last a while and I don't have to worry about them getting ruined.

I like these rose gold ones.



And they're cute in violet as well.




Of course, if you're working the denim, you can add these.





They also come in silver, gold and chambray and are only $8 - $10 right now, but they are selling out fast! I may need to actually go to a store and see if they have any left in my size.

Ensemble du Jour - 4-30-10

I'm still loving my dress form! I like playing dress-up with it, sort of like Fashion Plates 3-D.

This outfit I wore a few weeks ago but have not had a chance to post. This is a pretty typical "me" outfit. Classic shapes, here a pencil skirt and v-necked knit top, but with interesting detail.



In shadow, above, and below with flash.



The interesting detail about this is the skirt. I love the gorgeous metallic pink and gold rose patterned fabric.



Because of the gold tones in the fabric and the Spring weather, I paired this with gold Manolo Blahnik heels.

The top is from Banana Republic, the skirt was from JCrew on sale and the necklace as a giveaway from Bloomingdales I think. This skirt would be great with a tucked in white button-down too. Maybe I should get one of those.

Ensemble du Jour - 5-10-2010

I did a bit of a reverse "haul" over the weekend. I took back 4 dresses (2 of the Target/Zac Posen ruffle dresses and two JCrew chiffon dresses) because they were just not thrilling me. While they were cute, they just didn't seem to perfectly fit me or my life, so better to take them back and have someone else give them a good home.

Okay, maybe it was more like a status-quo haul because in JCrew I was instantly smitten by these adorable "Frankie" bubble dresses. At first I thought they were rompers with bows (so cute!) but they are actually dresses. They fit great, are cheaper than the Target dresses and so comfortable! I had to wear one today and I feel so cute.

I'm wearing the lavender one today with a navy cardigan and my Miu Miu kitten mary janes.


May 10, 2010 by Princess Poochie featuring Miu Miu shoes

I love the bow! They come in a navy and a peach as well, and these really cute floral prints. I got the light grey with pink flowers.

And a cute pink cardi to match. I might have to go back for a grey cardigan as well.

These dresses are cute for work and for running around on the weekends. In fact I can't wait to pair these up with all kind of colors and cute heels and sandals.

The Big Reveal

Ages ago I shared my closets with you and bemoaned the fact that I would never have pretty storage or room to have my favorite shoes on display. Ever since then I've been thinking about creating more of a dressing room in the spare bedroom and on the hunt for glassed in bookshelves.

This was a challenge because I didn't want to spend too much but I could never just have my shoes out on an open shelf. Between a very dusty, drafty old house and 4 cats, there is no way it would happen.

But then I found these wonderful, reasonaby-priced, glass-door shelves from Ikea - Bergsbo! These suckers are HUGE and I instantly knew they would make my dream come true.

It took me a few hours each to put them together and they weighed a ton but they were worth it. Now I have two gorgeous displays for all of my favorite pretty shoes. I know I'm showing off but I have to share.

Click on any/all pictures to see BIG!

Cabinet #1 is filled with pinks, blacks, whites, silvers and purples -

Cabinet #2 is red, blues, neutrals, greens and golds -

I have to admit I get a bit giddy and giggly when I walk into the room. Now every morning when I'm getting dressed, it feels like I'm going shopping!