Slip into Summer

With all the amazing floral prints popping up on shoes everywhere it's hard to decide which ones to pick. They're all so gorgeous!

I am getting this pair of Bettye Muller slingback peeptoe heels named Coast.



The colors will go perfectly with my summer colors, especially the yellow accents in the pattern. Yellow is a color I can do in accents and accessories, not in big blocks, and this is perfect. Plus the chunkier heel has that kind of safari-ish vibe and will be great for running around work.

You can get a huge view by clicking on the picture or checking them out on SimplySoles.com.

Coast by Bettye Muller - $385 at SimplySoles.com

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
My outfit today was all about color and texture. Wait a second, isn't that what it's about most of the time?

Anyway, I love the teal peacock color even more so because it's velvet. I don't want to ensconce myself in velvet but an awesome jacket in a sumptuous color? Yes!



This is actually a piece from the Erin Featherstone Go International collection. The skirt is a stretchy black skirt and I'm wearing a black camisole with lace edging underneath.



Great detailing on this.



Lace is a big part of the inspiration today is lace and what better jewelry than an artisan-made lace necklace from Cursive. You should really check out her stuff. It's so cool.



I did work in a bit of subtle snarky-ness with my lacy yet creepy Anatomica Arm bracelet.



The Focal Point
You're going to think it's the shoes, but really it was the teal colored tights that inspired me today. I had been thinking about wearing my Jimmy Choo Voyage boots for a while since I've been so happy with the Sam Edelman boots.

Normally I would never wear these with a skirt, just pants. But they are too lovely not to be seen. Saturated colored tights pair well with them. I had been thinking a deep purple, which I thought I had, but I couldn't find them. I found the teal tights and had forgotten about them.

Voila!



These are really stunning boots. They might possibly be the first pair of designer shoes I ever bought and kick-ed off my deep and abiding love of Jimmy Choo shoes. I love so many of their heels.



What's not to love about glowing creamy satin topped with black lace?



They have an amazing heel too and I love, love, love the back zips.



Don't these look great with the teal?



They're pretty high too but so well designed that they are not bad to walk in. I was walking and standing a lot today and these were good all day.



And just to inspire you, I think these may have been an eBay find. So, you never know what you are going to find on there.

Spring Cleaning

I mentioned that I went to Target on Friday and went a bit out of control. There were tons of things that I liked and so I took several large bag-loads home. I think I scared the register girl a bit.

But mainly I just don't like to try things on in the store. That and I get stuff home and change my mind about them. That's why I never take the tags off right away. Sometimes I need to look at them for a while before I really commit to keeping them.

At the end of the day I'm taking back a dress, 8 shirts, a bunch of jewelry and two skirts. But what I ended up keeping were these lovely summery items.



I'm not a huge dress wearer so I'm trying to find more dresses that I feel comfortable in. I like these alot, especially the blue and off-white print dress. The 3/4-sleeve cardigans are right up my semi-preppy alley and the two light t-shirty tops will be good basics too. And I love the fun jewelry. I've already worn the pink bubble necklace. The elephant charm necklace has a retro/JCrew sense too it. And the green chain one is actually all made of beads, so that's pretty cool.

If you click on the image it will take you to Polyvore where you can link to each of the items.

You can kind of tell where my colors are going for Summer: white, black, grass green, teal/aqua over khaki, white and black. Accent colors of pink, yellow and orange/coral.

I got a few headbands and footless sheer tights which are both super cute. More pics to follow. Once this crazy weather warms up a bit.

Decades of Decadence

Today was one of those rare days where you feel like you have all the time in the world and not much to do. I did most of my errands on Friday and Saturday, so today I was just reading and watching some TV with the pets.

I'm finishing up Antonia Fraser's auto-biography of Marie Antoinette. It's a great book with tons of information. Fraser is a writer who can give you the facts but keep you engaged through the human elements.



Then tonight we were watching the latest episode in the HBO John Adams miniseries, which is also great. In this episode, Adams is in France looking for aid against the British. Adams takes his job there seriously, of course, but he encounters the decadent French Court.

You could tell that this society had reached the peak of excess with their manners and clothes and vicious wit and I was struck by how like the 1980's it felt.

This may have been top of mind because of I was watching some classic VH1 videos today, but I thought back to Bud Fox's (Charlie Sheen) paper money apartment in Wall Street after Daryl Hannah got her "interior design" hands on it. With the tubs of gelato, pasta maker and sushi maker it was the dream life. And the fashions were just as excessive as the lifestyle.

I'm not taking Cyndi Lauper or Madonna, who were dressing more for performance than for real life, I'm thinking about squeaky-clean "every girl" Debbie Gibson. In her video you can see the over-the-top fashions - from the bicycle pants to tulle skirts, from big hair and jewelry to the polka dot gloves.





Now I'm not saying that I wouldn't love one of those tulle skirts right about now. But what concerns me is how you could see in hindsight, the craziness at the "peak" and the ultimate correction that takes place in the society. in the 1700's it was a bloody revolution against the nobles and wasteful rich. It only took about 20 years for this to come about.

We are in a similar time period, being 20 years after the 80's peak. And there is an ever growing division between the rich and the poor. Celebrities and celebutants are acting as immature and wasteful and decadent. There are foreign wars and a discontent with our leaders. It will be curious how the next few years unfold. Fashion is a great predictor and reflection of the times. I wonder what it will be saying?

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
We had off on Friday and it was awesome. I went to Target and went absolutely crazy. Luckily I'm taking about three-fourths of it back. I just hate trying stuff on in the dressing room.

But even better, we went out for a delicious Indian dinner straight after I got home from the store. I wore my stripe-y ribbed top, grey corduroy Old Navy skirt, lavender thigh-high socks from Sock Daydreams and my new vintage magenta suede pom-pom heels.



I got this necklace from Target. Doesn't it remind you of the JCrew bubble necklaces? But way less expensive. I like the color, its so happy and bright.



The Focal Point
But it was all focused on my dark lavender knit thigh-highs from Sock Dreams paired with the vintage heels.





They both have a lot of texture and the colors are equally strong. I just got these from eBay. They fit okay but I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of them. I'm debating keeping them. They may not be worth real estate they take up. We'll have to see.

Cute as a Button

I knew that the Tibi line had a bunch of adorable clothes and prints but I was less familiar with their line of shoes. I've only seen them on Net-a-Porter and SimplySoles.

I just found these super cute ballet flats named Daisy. Perfect for Spring, they are grey suede and have this great button embellishment on the toe. Click on the image to get a close-up view.



I just got these last night and they are soooo soft and comfortable. And I'm a sucker for this shade of grey. Especially paired with yellow and pink. The mother-of-pearl buttons are shiny and just seem to glow. I'll probably wear them with a drapey t-shirt and jeans this weekend since it finally has warmed up a bit

Tibi Daisy Flats - $315 at SimplySoles.com

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I so needed to wear some bright cheery colors, so I'm wearing a simple black pencil skirt from Target, a bright blue/green/aqua argyle sweater and my favorite Champagne necklace.



Here's a close-up of the top.




I haven't worn this necklace in a while now... at least a week or two. What the heck? I love it!



The Focal Point
I just realized that I barely wear these Louboutin Helmut heel which is a shame because they are just gorgeous with the most amazing electric blue satin.



I think the shape on these is one of the most elegant ever.



They actually make this shoe with crystals in a burst along the side. I've seen it in black and navy and a gorgeous creme. They're called Helmoon and I'd love love love to find a pair in my size.



Yummy!



Unlike most Louboutins, this style runs big. These are a 35.5 and are kind of loose on me. I'm sure it will be next to impossible to track down a 35 in any color.

I have tomorrow off, so today is my Friday. Thank goodness. It's been a tiring week. I can't wait to do a bunch of errands and crafty ideas tomorrow.

Ensemble du Jour

The Outfit
I'm happy with what I'm wearing today, mainly because I like my accent pieces and I'm comfortable too. The clothes are pretty basic - a v-neck knit top from Ann Taylor and a Merona swishy black skirt.



It's pretty chilly today. I'm wearing my vintage white driving gloves that have black stitching. I. Love. Them.



I decided to wear pearl jewelry to pick up on the white elements. I don't wear pearls a lot. This pin looks like a small tree with faux pearls on the branches. It actually was part of a shirt. When I got rid of the shirt I kept the pin. I'm also wearing a simple pearl bracelet.



I'm wearing my vintage satin corded "luncheon" heels. Comfy, pretty and unique.



The Focal Point
What is tying all of this together? What inspired me today? It's my new eBay find - a vintage tweed 3-piece suit. The suit is all of the same material but I thought I would be too warm with the jacket and skirt so I just wore the cape. I don't think I've ever owned a cape before. I like it. It makes you feel very lady-like, especially when you are walking around with gloves on and your arms through the openings as shown in the picture.



I felt very "lady-who-lunches" today with my gloves, shoes and cape. If only I could have been taking a leisurely lunch and then a bit of shopping. Instead it was home-work-home. I did pop out for a bit of lunch, so I guess that is something. I don't think my dogs appreciate the ensemble as much as I would hope.

My New Obsession - Vintage Slips

I once saw a character on a tv show wearing a black slip as a nightgown and it stuck with me as being so elegant and lovely. I've been a bit obsessed. When I went to the vintage store the other day and found the lovely nightgown, I decided to see what eBay had available as well.

The good thing is that these can be worn as a dress (depending on the level of sheerness), as a layering item, as a nightgown or just as a traditional slip.

Here are a few of my favorites as inspiraiton.

I like the shiny black taffeta of this one.



This one has a great bodice.



Even this half slip would be great. I love all the lace. It would be great to wear under a simpler skirt.



Fire engine red! Whoo hoo!



This is a great grey-blue color. I haven't seen many like this. This would be great under my sheer vintage dress/wrap.



This has great lace and it looks almost coral-y. I want.



I'm really liking the blue slips. They are very elegant and unexpected.



I'm so bidding on this fawn colored one. The tiny pleats around the hem are just killing me!



I did get two so far. This 1950's black one is by Emilio Pucci and has a great bust area. I like that the lace at the bottom has a shell feel to it.



This 60's one has the most awesome ruffles at the top. So flirty and flouncy.



The great thing is that almost all of these go for $15 or less. So even if you just wear them around the house you are getting your moneys worth. I like looking for the vintage ones because of all of the detail work. Search in Clothing>Vintage>Woman's Vintage Clothing>1947-1964>Lingerie>Slips

Then grab a pair of slinky slippers, turn on some Sinatra and be a gorgeous dame.

If You're Gonna Go... Go Big

These Dior platforms may not be totally my style, but I can appreciate the artistry in them. I am digging the style and the heel and the pretty beige suede.

These are not for the faint of heart.



There is a "tamer" version of these heels available in a pump style.

But, you know what, if you're gonna go, go big, baby!

Dior platforms - $1090 at Neiman Marcus.

Sink or Swim

Vogue was all in a tizzy of excitement over these "fashionable galoshes". They are said to be "a new trend for smart-thinking dressers to protect their fashionable flats from the elements."

They also theink they are subtle.



From what I've read the founder had used traditional galoshes, for which he got ridiculed. Then he just wore his good shoes and they got ruined. So he invented "Swims" to cover his shoes.

I don't think these are such new news. Didn't they have something like this in the 50's? They may work for men's shoes but they don't look all that subtle or fashionable for me. And they're, um, almost $150.

Right.

I have a better solution. Buy $8 pair of Target plastic flats, wear when it rains, bring other shoes with you. Done.


You're going to have to carry around a wet pair of the Swims or a wet pair of flats, what's the difference?

Oh, yeah... it's about $142.

Ensemble du Jour

I'm trying to cover all of my bases here on St. Patrick's Day. I don't want to get pinched don't ya know.

The Outfit
I decided to wear green and blue to celebrate both parts of today's celebration - green for the Irish-American and blue, which is the actual national color of Ireland. Plus a bit of gold thrown in for luck.

Green JCrew cable-knit sweater, blue Mizrahi pleated denim skirt and vintage


For shoes I'm wearing my Claudio Merazzi dark green velvet heels with the shiny gold accets.



Hopefully with my red hair and all this green the Good People will carry me away.

The Focal Point

A bit of Irish wit and wisdom to help you along your path:


An Irishman's Philosophy
In life, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you are well or you are sick.
If you are well, there is nothing to worry about,

But if you are sick, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will get well or you will die.
If you get well, there is nothing to worry about,

But if you die, there are only two things to worry about—
Either you will go to heaven or hell.
If you go to heaven, there is nothing to worry about.

And if you go to hell, you’ll be so busy shaking hands with all your friends
You won’t have time to worry!


What Shall I Say About the Irish?
The utterly impractical, never predictable,
Sometimes irascible, quite inexplicable, Irish.
Strange blend of shyness,pride and conceit,
And stubborn refusal to bow in defeat.
He's spoiling and ready to argue and fight,
Yet the smile of a childfills his soul with delight.
His eyes are the quickest to well up with tears,
Yet his strength is the strongest to banish your fears.
His hate is as fierce as his devotion is grand,
And there is no middle groundon which he will stand.
He's wild and he's gentle,he's good and he's bad.
He's proud and he's humble, he's happy and sad.
He's in love with the ocean,the earth and the skies,
He's enamoured with beauty wherever it lies.
He's victor and victim, a star and a clod,
But mostly he's Irish—in love with his God.

A family of Irish birth
will argue and fight,
but let a shout come from without,
and see them all unite.

Saturday and Sunday Sluggin'

I have been sans computer all weekend as it was "down for repairs".

And what did I do with all of this free time? Not a whole heck of a lot.

We took the dogs to a charity fundraiser walk on Saturday morning. I played these brain games with the hubby on the X-Box. We had bagels at Panera. It rained a ton so we slugged out on the couch and watched The Quiet Man (in honor of St. Patrick's Day, dontcha know). Ate some delish Thai.

On Sunday we let the chickens free range in the Spring early morning sunshine, then we cleaned and loafed around some more.

La-zy!

Time to get back at it! New posts on the way.

When Good Designers Go Bad

I do not know what is going on over there at Stella McCartney's offices but I think they are losing their minds.

Last season I was loving on their neon pink satin platform heels and t-strap pumps but now all the love has gone far far away. Maybe someone took an Epcot trip or they saw documentary or something because there is no way these designs have their roots in a real cultural experience.

And I appreciate the vegan materials, but sometimes it is better to just not create. Don't waste the plastic and cheap denim.

These woven nylon pumps ($595) have to be made out of old bags and twist-ties.




And the prices are astronomical. $500, $600.... okay, I guess. $1000 +? Um, No.

No, these are not from the Daisy Duke/Paris Hilton/Jessica Simpson collection. And yes, they are $1195.



And these.... I don't even know what to say. I'm sure they're supposed to look all elegant tribal, but they just look like they weigh 5 pounds and I know that heel cup would end up under my foot and kill me.

Plus, they're $1165. $1165!!!!



If you want beautiful, unique and with true artistry, check out the Shompole collection.

Leave this mess alone.