Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I haven't been inspired by my last few outfits. And it's still cold out! I'm worried we're going to go straight from cold to hot and not get any nice Spring weather where we can open our windows and get fresh air in the house.

Anyway, since I was cold today I decided to wear tights and a sweater. I hadn't worn these royal blue tights from JCrew so they made the rotation.



The tights are bold so I wanted to be pretty simple with the jewelry. I just wore my blue glass pendant necklace.



I did want to wear shoes that would go well with the tights and the black pencil skirt and v-neck sweater. I didn't want to be shiny with black patent, rather I wanted to be muted so I went for black suede. I don't have a lot of suede heels and these may be in in black.



The black Louboutin Yo Yo Zeppas have a platform which makes them high but actually comfortable. Since the red, black and blue are all equally strong colors I think they pair well together.



I think they look good together, don't you?



Louboutins all fit me different. These are 35s and are a bit loose in the heel but my cork ones are 35.5s and a bit narrow. The blue Helmuts are 35.5s and are really big on me.

The Focal Point

The color of the tights really stands out to me and that's what inspired the choices - either that or the cold weather can be to blame!

Blue and black, like brown and black, is often considered a "No-No" but I like these together. Maybe it's because the blue is so vibrant. I think navy and black would be more challenging.

If you're going to turn some heads, why not break some necks*

So my Miu Miu tea cup heels are winging their way to me right now! I am so frickin' excited!





Now the only question is what I am going to wear with them since I will want to wear them the very second I get them. I'll probably change my mind fifteen times but I was playing around with some options on Polyvore.

I could go with all black in a mini-skirt which might be a bit sex-ay for work. Or a more subtle black pencil skirt with a jeweled tone top. Another option is a black v-neck sweater and cropped black pants to really draw your eye down to the shoes. A different tack would be to wear an all grey outfit. It would be a strong contrast and bit odd possibly with the gold trim but it could be genius.



Any suggestions?

*Thanks Luxist... great quote.

Ladies, Please Brace Yourselves

I know you've all been waiting for this important announcement, so please prepare yourself.

The Paris Hilton shoe collection is here.

And yes. Yes, it is as bad I had feared. If you are actually interested, you can click here to view all of these overpriced, cheaply made, tacky shoes in their full glory.

These shoes give faux leather a bad name.

Blech!

Fly, Fly Away

If you thought the birdies were pretty on the grey suede and pink pumps, you might also like these delicately shaded sandals with the same bird pattern, although now it is in the lightest teal.




I just adore the color on these. They also come in a great swirly coral pattern too which I think will be a huge color in spring and summer.

Sneaking Up on Me

I'm not sure why, but lately I've had a hankering for a heeled sneaker.

No, not like this....



And, no, I don't want to be like Posh, although these are closer...



I'm kind of more in the mood for something like these wedge-y sneakers from Office.




I don't know what I would wear them with but I still think they are really cute with their snappy colors and small lace-up bows. I like these the best but their are some other cute options out there too.

I liked these simpler canvas options from Nine West ever since Queen Michelle on Kingdom of Style shared them with us.

Keds have quite a few options including these two. Even though I find them pricey for Keds.

The green one, Bliss, is also available in black and the red mary jane is here.

I've been discovering some cute shoes from Sugar too. This pink and purple floral option is just one of the many that their Betsey Cat style comes in.

I like the aqua floral too, but they do have a really cute polka dot version too.

I think I like them because they are a girlier version of the Converse, which I also like. Maybe I'll get a pair of the Sugar ones to wear with a jeans skirt or something.

Lucky Breaks - Tibi Sandals

It continued to rain here all weekend long. It totally sucked! All I did was catch up on filing and reading, including my April Lucky magazine.

If you haven't received this or read it yet, I was so excited to see that my friend's site was a Lucky Break this month. How cool is that?



If you like these awesome sandals, in my favorite grey, you can go to Simply Soles and get a major deal on them. Just use the code "lucky8" at check out!

Who could not use a pair of these for summer?

Or you could get the great Tibi button flats in grey suede or the satin Delman striped flats, both of which I love.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit

I'm pretty neutral today. It's raining again and I just wanted to be comfortable. I'm wearing a black boatneck dress Old Navy, a ethnic-inspired necklace and green slingbacks.



The necklace, I think, was actually from Target, and is made of seed pods. I think it's cool and has a lot of movement to it.



The Focal Point
These Jimmy Choo Thunder shoes are among the favorites in my closet. They fit really well and I like their height and the color. They are goat leather, I believe, and a great dark green



The accent piece on there is a horn toggle. I used that to choose the necklace I wore today.

These poor shoes actually have encountered some hard times. I very stupidly injured the leather on the heel of one of the shoes. Then, one of the previous times I wore them I looked down at the end of the day and noticed that the metal cap on the horn toggle had fallen off!

But how is this for customer service. I called my contact at the Jimmy Choo store in Orlando to ask if there was any way possible to track down a replacement piece. In spite of these shoes being over a year old, they found one for me and shipped it to me! Amazing, huh?!?

I still have yet to fix this little piece and I have to see if my shoe guy can fix the tear on the heel. They're so pretty, it makes me sad to see them in less than perfect condition.

Redemption!

In spite of recent setbacks, I'm going to say that Stella McCartney has redeemed herself a bit with this lovely platform sandal. Not only is it very very pretty and worth showing, but I will give her a little love in celebration of her new website launch (plus, I love her perfume).



Yes, she's incorporating wood into this design as well, but the effect here is much lighter, girlier and summery. I would wear these in an instant.



I also like how the mix of materials all work so well together. The blond wood, slight lug sole, and mesh heel - they all are casual and combine to make the diamante-encrusted strap look even more sparkly and delicate.




You can get a close up view to see all the details at the site. Can't you imagine these shining in the sun with every step?




They are pricey ($1200), like the others in this collection, but I love them. Luckily they start at 36 and not in my size! I would be seriously tempted by them.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Finally, the rain has left us for a day and the sun is shining. It's warmer out and much more like Spring. I'm wearing a neutral silvery grey outfit but with bursts of bright pink as a fun accent color.



The top is a bluish silver and sort of shiny knit from Ann Taylore. The skirt is my warmer grey corduroy Old Navy skirt. The bubbly necklace is from Target, one of my new items.



The sandals are the Roy G. Biv slingbacks from Ashley Dearborn. She is one of the earliers independant shoe creators. Her whimsical designs really won me over and she's very nice to speak with. I thought these were especially appropriate today.



The Focal Point
I'm sure the change in weather had something to do with it, but really the colors all came from my eyeshadow.



I have two of Revlon's Diamond Lust eyeshadows and decided to wear the Platinum today. Everything just got pulled from there - not that I always match my clothes and make-up but the fun shiny feel was what I wanted to incorporate.



These are good eyeshadows by the way. I also have the "Grab Me Gold" which isn't too brassy or anything. It has a brown undertone which makes it a good color for me. I like the packaging too. They're worth checking out if you like the colors.

Decisons... Decisions.

I have a wedding to attend this Summer and I'm thinking I may wear my new dress from Target. It's sort of casual but the color and detailing give it a dressier edge, which I think will be a perfect match for the style of wedding this is going to be.

The question is, what shoes do I pair it with? I'm not sure if' we'll need to be walking through grass or not so I'm leaning towards wearing heels but there are a few options to choose from, each of which will give the outfit a different feeling.



The options, starting from the top left, are:

The Jessica Simpson Hardie peep-toes. The circles go well with the embroidery and they have that neat graphic look.

Prada "flower heels" black satin peep-toes. Elegant yet also a heel to stand out. A dressier option.

The next option are the YSL "Tribute" slingbacks. Simple, elegant, but not boring. It would be more about the dress than the shoes, although they hold their own too.

The most sensible in the bunch are my Old Navy sandals. I wouldn't have to worry about walking in potential grass or anything and the shine makes them dressy enough, but they're just flat. Miss out on an opportunity to show off my heels? Maybe I'll bring these as a backup.

The JCrew satin mary janes are great for a wedding but they might be too conservative. I like pairing a really colorful shoe but the pink satin might be too staid with this dress.

Alexander McQueen rose-embellished anklestrap peep-toes. Will this be the perfect time to finally wear them????

And last but not least... I don't have these Kate Spade heels, but boy do I wish I did. I just love them. They're dressy but the ribbon is grosgrain so they're not too fussy. These are the perfect pair, right? Then I would need to buy them!

What do you think? One of these or any other inspired ideas out there?

Store Focus: Simply Soles

I wanted to share with everyone a new online shoe store that I have recently found. SimplySoles.com, based out of Washington D.C. carries a number of great hard-to-find shoe designers as well as purses and accessories.



The founder, Kassie, is a new friend and I'm so excited for her and her company! I'm working with her to share the gorgeous shoes she carries so you'll probably see them on here from time to time. The good thing is I'm sure you won't mind because they are just so stylish.



Like these peep-toes from lillybee. I'm totally digging the cross-strap peep-toe and the oversized stitching. I would wear them with my dressy denim pencil skirt and a tight black top or maybe my vintage red trench.



Kassie's site features bios on each of the designer's she carries and has great customer service with free exchanges and returns. She's also teamed up with Suited for Change. When you order from SimplySoles and donate a pair of shoes in return, you'll get 10% off your next order. How great is that?

So check them out!

Luv,
Poochie

Weekend Warriors

I was never that big into sneakers. I pretty much wore classic Keds Champions all growing up and still do (white or navy only).

But I also totally dig Converse Chuck Tayors low-tops and high tops. They're just as classic but are sportier, less preppy. And while I have white and off-white, I think I like the colors even better. Gap has a great range of the colors this Summer with a great blue - very in line with the Color of the Year, a muted red - a hold over from 2007's COTY, bright yellow and a perfect-for-summer grass green (currently being seen all over the place this year). I like the light black low tops on the bottom left too.



Of course, my red pair from the Fall are awesome too.

I've also seen some done in silver and black sequins which I may just have to get. It will be hard to decide which color. Both are delish.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
Yes, I'm wearing layers and dark brown tights and warm stuff because it's cold and wet and rainy. I'd rather be wearing my Bettye Muller Coast sunny, pretty, floral-y slingbacks.

But no, it's raining again today and it's predicted to rain into next week. Yuck!

But we need the rain, so no complaining I guess. I'm wearing a dark brown cardigan, burgundy camisole and navy pencil skirt, all from Target. Some dark brown tights and my copper bubble necklace from Etsy.



The necklace also has these lovely faceted garnets on either side of the pendant.



The Focal Point
Being warm in my brown tights as well as tonal wearing my dark brown suede Casadei pom-pom mary jane heels.



The pom-poms are made of suede too and are in dark brown and a deep brick red.



Because of my arch I had to do a little shoe surgery on these - I ended up cutting the straps and then re-sewing them together so they didn't press as hard on the top of my foot. Now they are totally comfortable.



Sometimes you have to do a bit of cobbling to get your pieces to adapt to you. Not the other way around.