Sparkle in my Eyes - Glitter sneakers

I can't resist an overdose of sparkle and shine.  Sequins, rhinestones and gliter are my weakness.  I've got sequin sneakers, I think I need some glitter ones too.

I started with these casual black glitters from Keds (also in silver) -

Checked out the Toms (also in sliver, black, gold and pink) ...

Not sneakers but I love the Marc Jacobs oxfords...

But Miu Miu is killing it with the glitter this season and I'm totally smitten with their sneakers!

Barney's has the silver glitter version with the studs on the cap toe...

But I'm holding out for the trifecta - gold, giltter and giant crystals. 

This is my birthday wish come true!!!

One for One: TOMS Shoes Announces Its 3rd Annual One Day Without Shoes

I'm still trying to get back on my feet (pun intended) and back to the blog. I'm sorry for the delays and light posting. After the sadness of this past week, we've been keeping a bit quiet but also going through a number of changes as a family. But we still want to do more.

Part of that will be looking at what and how we buy. We are blessed and have more than we need. And while we sometimes know it isn't all that we want, we have never done without any kind of basic need. Such as shoes obviously.

But millions of children and adults do go without proper footwear every single day. And shoes can mean safety and health and protection.

Toms shoes is continuing on their quest to help provide these shoes to children around the world. They are drawing attention to this effort with their Day Without Shoes event on April 8th.

Per their release:

With every pair purchased, TOMS gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need.
One for One.

In an effort to bring attention to the impact a simple pair of shoes can have in a child’s life, TOMS Shoes announces its third annual One Day Without Shoes campaign that asks everyone worldwide to go barefoot on April 8th. Barefoot events around the world from Venice to Little Rock, Dubai to London have already been planned, with more in the works.

On April 8th communities and individuals will be spreading awareness about the importance of shoes in parts of the world where children’s feet are exposed to debilitating diseases. So many of the world’s children in developing countries grow up without shoes, having to walk miles to get food and water, medical help, and attend school (which often require shoes as uniform). A leading cause of disease in these areas is soil-based parasites.

One Day Without Shoes participants can pledge their commitment, join and organize events, and connect with likeminded participants online at http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/. The website will also provide an outlet for individuals to share their videos, photos, and experiences spending One Day Without Shoes. Every person who RSVPs for an event on www.OneDayWithoutShoes.com will have the option to be entered to win a spot on a TOMS Shoe Drop (some limitations apply). Winner will be announced on May 10th. One Day Without Shoes t-shirts will be available for purchase from Threadless at www.threadless.com/loves/tomsoneday starting March 22nd.

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS Shoes’ founder and Chief Shoe Giver, says, “A shoe company asking people to go barefoot? I know it’s odd, but we are so excited for people to once again join us in One Day Without Shoes. We ask people to go the day, part of the day, or even just a few minutes, barefoot, to experience what millions of children endure every day. Awareness and empathy are the catalysts of change.”

The problem is large but the solution is simple. Wearing shoes and basic hygiene can prevent both infection and disease due to unsafe roads and contaminated soil. By imagining a life barefoot, we can all contribute to the awareness of these conditions. Join TOMS Shoes on April 8th and walk barefoot to support One Day Without Shoes.

For more information visit: http://www.onedaywithoutshoes.com/

About TOMS Shoes:
In 2006, American traveler Blake Mycoskie befriended children in a village in Argentina and found they had no shoes to protect their feet. Wanting to help, he created TOMS Shoes, a company that would match every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. One for One. To date, TOMS has given over 400,000 pairs of new shoes to children around the world through its giving partners. For more information, please visit www.TOMS.com/oneday

I'm happy to support this program and can attest to how comfy their shoes are! I hope you will help spread the word and join in on April 8th.

Image via Flicker - PicsMaker

Being Beautifully Green

As the desire to be more "green" becomes a mainstream idea in today's culture, I'm seeing more and more very fashionable options that are still eco-friendly and animal-friendly. My biggest challenge in the past, as I'm sure it is with most, is the availability of these products and, frankly, the lack of style many of them had.

Toms shoes in general are kind of odd to me, but I did think the wrap boots were funky and fun in a Princess Leia-kind of way. But apart from that, not so much.

I have found a few other designers and companies that are doing beautiful pieces that I would buy even if they didn't carry the "green" label. olsen Haus is one of my new favorites and, although pricey, the Natalie Portman line at Te Casan (sadly no more although I did see some pieces on Gilt Group the other day).

I was looking online for other options and came across this site - EcoStiletto. Of course the title caught my attention at once.

So who are they? Well according to the site:

EcoStiletto features green picks in Fashion, Beauty, Parenting and the Good Life and explains, in real-girl terms, how eco-friendly choices can help turn your carbon footprint from a ginormous Ugg into an oh-so-slender Manolo.

We're not about guilt, we're about information. We're not about forcing you to change, we're about giving you alternatives. Because everyone wants to make a difference, but no one wants to give up the little things that we love. Making a difference doesn't have to mean making a huge change in your lifestyle. Sometimes it just means considering the alternatives.

Perfect, right? And what's even better is "Nobody pays to play on EcoStiletto; if there's an ad on our site, you'll recognize it as such."

Integrity and providing a great service. I'm kind of in love with them already.

But then they said this: Enter to Win Free Shoes.

Ummm, okay!

Each month they are giving away shoes worth $500 or more and this month is a pair of these amazing ankle boots from Beyond Skin (another great shoe line that I've always liked for their style and their philosophy).

The site talks about celebrities, fashion, beauty and kids. Pretty much a great clearinghouse for fashion and eco-friendly. What I also love is that they have a list of Things That Suck, which is a list of things to watch out for from animal testing to product ingredients. And they tell you why it is bad, not just give you a big long list.

So if you are looking for a way to add style and, oh yeah, be a little lighter on the earth, this is great resource. I need to go back to it myself and see if I can find a new eye cream...

All Wrapped Up

I've always wondered why things that are meant to be functional can't also be beautiful.

One of my biggest peeves is when you see a product that is designed to disguise or cover up something functional and needed but ugly. For example those tacky fake plastic "rocks" used to cover meters. Usually you see these right in the middle of an empty suburban lawn. Who are we kidding with these? Why can't companies just make the meters better looking? Ugh!

Okay, sorry for the rant....

Anyway, after seeing Lady Coveted's coverage on "medic esthetic-inspired" shoes you could begin to see how this could be done. Take typically utilitarian materials and look at it in a new way. Make it beautiful. The pieces showcased in Gwendolyn Huskens' show were for a show but what if we embraced the simple beauty of the materials themselves. And brought some of that back to when they were used for their original purposes?



Okay, I think I'm letting my advertising/design background carry me away.

What I also thought when I saw these images was... "I would totally wear some of those, especially that bandage-bootie!"

And now I can.

I'm seriously kind of in love with these Toms wrap boots.



I'm not quite sure where I will wear them, but I think I need to have them. They look cozy and comforting and stretchy and weird.



Maybe I just want to look cool (& hot!) like Padme....



... or Luke? I'm a child of the era, so it's hard to say.

More on Gwendolyn

- by Today and Tomorrow

- by DesignBoom