Glitter and Glitz

For weeks now, I've been coveting so many different glittery shoes. Maybe it's the fact that I have yet to figure out what to wear tonight (New Year's Eve), or maybe it's just that I've always loved glittery, glitzy shoes and lately they seem to be everywhere. Whatever the reason, I'm obsessed. And while I'm into the black and silver and pewter styles, my favorites are the gold ones. From nude champagne to deep metallic gold, I'm drooling!

Sparkle an Interest Heel, Modcloth, $39.99

Kinnetic, Steve Madden, $59.95

Trousr-G, Steve Madden, $79.95

Ulltra-G, Steve Madden, $89.95

Open Toe- Glitter Pumps, My Diva's Closet, $45

Stuart Weitzman "Swoon" Glitter Evening Pumps, Bloomingdale's, $335

Ivanka Trump Women's Pinki, Shoes.com, $125

BCBGeneration Gold Glitter Shoes, Shoes.com, $79

Of course, I am not oblivious to the fact that there has been a bit of a gold glitter shoe craze since the SATC2 movie came out and we all saw Carrie's amazing Louboutins: 

It's funny how some trends come and go in a matter of weeks. Others have staying power, like gold glitter heels. Or is it the staying power of Louboutins that is keeping this trend alive? 

A Year of Style... the New Black

As 2010 comes to a close, I've been reflecting on all that has happened this year for me. Obviously, the biggest change was moving from PA back to NH and starting a new career path. But I feel as though I've grown a great deal as a person throughout this past year and this blog has definitely been a huge part of that. So as we say goodbye to 2010 and welcome 2011 with all its possibilities, I'd like revisit some of my favorite posts from the last year. Feel free to click through them and leave a comment either here on this post or on any of the others I've linked back to. Happy New Year, everyone!

Rate My Look- January
Why You Should Wear Dangling Earrings- February
Wardrobe Capsule- March
From Plain to Pin-up in Five Easy Steps- April
Variations on a Halter Neckline- May
Rate My Look: Please Be Kind- June
Nature... the New Black- July
I Die- August
Etsy Item: Reversible Dress- September
How to Look Thin- Even in Winter- October
Meatless Monday: Shop Your Closet- November
My First "Wedding Gown"- December

I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. If you've been a follower for a while, I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog over the last year. I'm looking forward to all the fashions that 2011 has in store!

Happy New Year!

Newbury Street Consignment

I've said it before and I'll say it again- a second hand shop is only as good as the neighborhood it's in. It seems like common sense, and yet every now and then you'll find an incredible one-of-a-kind item at the most out-of-the-way, rinky-dink little shops and realize that there truly is an exception for every rule. But until that unbelievable, rare opportunity presents itself, you can follow this rule: the better the neighborhood, the better the goods. Want high-end, designer stuff cheap? Then head on down to Newbury Street in Boston and shop at any of the half dozen high-end consignment shops there. Just a few doors down from any of the designer store fronts (Betsey Johnson, Aldo, Neiman Marcus, etc.), you can find gently worn pieces that were probably purchased in those designer stores!

Start at The Closet. This shop has just about as many Manolo's as Carrie Bradshaw's closet. Too bad for me, none of them were my size. Chanel, Gucci, Prada- they were all there, waiting to be purchased by their next loving owner. I left with a black cashmere cardigan that I scored for $33! It is in excellent shape and aside from a bit of residual perfume that I need to get out, it's basically brand new. It is going to be an excellent basic item to have in my closet for years to come. (P.S. When buying second hand knits, especially wools, hold the garment up to the light to look for signs of moth damage. Moths don't always leave a hole, sometimes they nibble only halfway through the garment, leaving a much lighter spot that shows up in the light, but doesn't necessarily show a hole.)

After you hit up The Closet, move along to one of the THREE separate storefronts of Second Time Around located along Newbury Street. I purchased something from two out of the three shops and I'm pretty sure my mom bought something at the third one. I scored a fabulous wiggle dress for $12.50 that I can't wait to wear. It is SO Joan Holloway, you won't even be able to stand it! I just may have to dye my hair red and wear my pen on a chain around my neck all day. At the second shop, I struck gold, scoring two fabulous skirts and a super cool flower necklace all for just $51! In total, I spent less than $100 and got two skirts, a dress, a cashmere sweater and a necklace. Not a bad haul, right?

The only shop I where I didn't purchase anything was called Rescue. I loved how hipster-esque the vibe felt in that shop, but unfortunately, there wasn't anything for me on the racks that day. Ah, well. Maybe next time.

Have you ever shopped on Newbury Street in Boston? It's really fun because of the fabulous mix of high-end and second hand, and even some moderate stores mixed in. In the summer be sure to stop at JP Licks for some delicious ice cream and in the winter you can warm up at any of the adorable bistros that dot the street between all the boutiques. After our long day of shopping, my mom and I had a nice, relaxing dinner at the Top of the Hub. Haven't been there? Go immediately. Delicious food and you just can't beat the view.  The scallops were great.

If you live in the Boston area and you would like me to review a second hand store for you, please let me know! Let me know what you are looking for, what you like/dislike about consignment shopping, etc. In the meantime, have a Happy New Year!

Faux Leopard, but not Faux Label

You all know how I love the experience of shopping for a faux-designer handbag, right? Well, on my recent trip to New York, that was a total bust, but you know what worked out great? A "Pop-Up" Betsey Johnson sample sale a few doors down from one of my favorite fabric stores in the garment district. I scored this hot little bag for only $35 and the Betsey Johnson label on it is far from faux:

I love the bow on the front. The fabric is soft and the lining is a grey-scale version of the colored leopard print. I love it! The best part about it? The price: $35! 

Rate My Look- Another Pencil Skirt

You may be starting to realize that I've fallen in love with several pencil skirts recently. For someone who swears by a full circle skirt silhouette, I've really taken to this new-found look. I still love the full skirt look, but I am enjoying the variety that can now be found in my closet. On my recent trip to New York, I stumbled upon an amazing Nanette Lepore pencil skirt in army green sateen. It's pretty stunning and has the most fabulous detail at the waist. The best part? It was only $33 at Daffy's:

The sweater was a Christmas gift- some lovely cashmere from my mom. I guess she reads the blog, too and saw my recent tribute to cashmere. Either that, or my hints of "needing more cashmere in my life" were heard loud and clear. Although I'm normally a fan of bright jewel tones, I really liked this outfit, which I wore to church on Boxing Day. It includes quite a range of earth tones- army green, light forest green, chocolate brown and taupe. The shoes are my gorgeous suede cut-out platforms that I scored shortly before moving from PA back to NH. I blogged about them back then and you can read the original post here. If you recall, I scored them for just under $15! 

Another fabulous accessory is my super cool cocktail ring. I splurged on that ring after getting my first paycheck from my new job. I was shopping with Beth at a fabulous store in Jamaica Plain called Salmagundi. I mostly love them for their amazing hats, many of which they design themselves, but on this particular day, it was an amazing wooden ring that caught my eye: 

How super cool is this ring? I love it! it's got a wooden base with leaves on top, covered in an amber epoxy of some sort. 

So what do YOU think of my departure in terms of both silhouette and color scheme? I think it all works pretty well for me- more evidence that you shouldn't pigeon-hole yourself in terms of style. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!

Shoesday Tuesday: Let's all follow Melanie's lead, please...

For Christmas this year, my friend Melanie bought me a fabulous new handbag:

Do you know how she knew to get it for me? How she knew I would love it? She saw it here on the blog! So, in case anyone else out there would like to follow Mel's lead, here's a pair of shoes I think are rather spectacular: 

Rate My Look- Comfy Christmas Attire

If you remember my style guides to the holidays, you will recall that I recommend a loose-fitting dress for family dinners. In my family, we tend to over indulge around the holidays. Also, most of my friends families are the same way, so if I have a family holiday dinner, followed by a dinner with Beth's family, for example, that's a lot of food to pack in. And I'm not afraid to strap on a feed bag, if you know what I mean. On Christmas Day, I had a delicious (and decadent) breakfast with my parents and brother- homemade crepes and crispy bacon. Yum. (Did I mention I'm from New Hampshire where real maple syrup is not only delicious, it's mandatory?) A few hours later, we cleaned ourselves up to go have an early afternoon "dinner" with the relatives. One of my cousins is a professional chef, so the eats are usually pretty stellar. And because that side of the family is Italian, we manage to incorporate an antipasto course into the beginning of every meal as well as cannoli and lobster tail pastry into every dessert. This year, we feasted on a juicy roast beef with potatoes, squash, and sweet potato casserole (the best I've ever tasted, btw). A few hours later, I was on the road to Beth's house to hang out with her family. Unlike my relatives, dinner at Beth's house is actually around dinner time. I arrived as the salad was being served. I passed on the lasagna course (another Italian family), simply because I genuinely didn't think I could handle it. After a nice long break between courses, we moved on to filet mignon, grilled salmon, asparagus, carrots, and roasted potatoes. Let's just say I was happy to have taken my own fashion advice on this particular holiday:

This dress is nothing new- in fact, it's starting to show signs of wear. I've gotten a lot of miles out of it, so I'm not complaining, but it might be time for a new casual, everyday LBD. The shoes are pretty old, too- they're my favorite back patent lace-up high heel oxfords. They are a great choice for SO many looks. What is new in this outfit is the capelet and the tights. The tights are actually two separate pair- one in a pretty, opaque teal blue and the other is a black lace-y cut-out pattern layered on top. The capelet is one I talked about recently- I purchased it on my recent trip to NYC. It's almost exactly the same as a capelet I admired on Etsy a couple of months ago. I'm glad I held off on that purchase because I ended up saving myself about $40 by purchasing it in Chinatown. Now, before you start lecturing me about supporting artists on Etsy, consider exactly how much of a price difference I had. If it had been a similar price to the Etsy seller, I would have absolutely waited and purchased from them. However, I got the capelet pictured for a mere $12, so I am having trouble feeling too guilty. Additionally, I'd like to point out that the capelet can also double as a drape-y scarf which is helpful when I have to put on a coat: 

Anyway, this may not have been the most inventive outfit I've ever put together, but it was comfortable and warm, two priorities for a cold winter day spent out visiting friends and family. Speaking of warm winter attire, check out my new coat (also purchased on my trip to NYC) that I scored for only $29.99 at Daffy's: 

I've been in love with oversize houndstooth prints lately and this coat is definitely reminiscent of that print. I love the silhouette and the open neckline. Of course, it basically requires me to wear either a turtleneck or a warm scarf. Fortunately, I have several of both. 

Come back soon for more photos of fabulous shopping finds from NYC and elsewhere! 

Renee's Guide to the Holidays- Part 5: New Year's Eve

With the new year literally less than a week away, you had better get busy picking out an outfit. When I started to write this blog post, I realized that I put together some great outfits in an earlier edition of Renee's Guide to the Holidays. You can read that post here. Other than that, the following are my tips for dressing for a New Year's Eve party:

1.) When in doubt, wear lots of sequins and/or rhinestones.
2.) Whatever you do, don't wear these:

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

I Heart NY

What better way to use my 600th post (yes 600!!!) than to recap my brief but fabulous trip to New York City with my friend Melanie. As someone who had never been to New York, I wanted Melanie to experience as much as possible in a very short amount of time.

We hit the road in NH at about 6:00 AM, didn't hit any traffic, only stopped once at Starbucks for breakfast and once at a rest stop for a quick potty break and managed to be in midtown Manhattan by 10:30 AM. The hotel actually let us check in early, so we had a few minutes to drop our bags off and freshen up before hitting the town for the day. We stayed at The New Yorker Hotel which I definitely recommend- it's a decent price for what you get. I've stayed there in the past and you really can't beat the location. The rooms are standard size for NYC, which means they are tiny. This one had a particularly small bathroom, but included a small desk and a seating area. Honestly, I would have gladly given up the seating area in exchange for a bit more counter space in the bathroom. One perk of the hotel choice was our view:

Yes, that's the Empire State Building. 

After quickly freshening up, we grabbed a quick lunch at the Tick Tock Diner, adjacent to our hotel. Not the best or the worst dining experience you'll have in the city. Yes, it's more expensive than it ought to be, but it's also smack in the middle of mid-town, so you can't expect reasonable prices even if you're grabbing a bite from a hot dog cart on the corner. We each got a salad, and while they were pricey at about $12 each, they were also ENORMOUS and fresh. Not bad for the middle of winter. 

Next, we hopped on the subway and zipped on down to Canal Street. I wanted Melanie to experience the whole faux-handbag shopping experience. Even if we didn't plan to purchase one, it is still an interesting "underground" experience. Unfortunately, we must have looked like narcs, because it was darn near impossible to even come within 50 feet of a knock-off. We even got so bold as to ask some shop keepers for  specific labels only to be told, "Oh, no, no, no- we don't do that. No, no one does that." When we finally managed to convince someone to show us a faux-Burberry, it turned out to be the poorest quality plastic bag I've ever encountered. So, not only is it extremely difficult to find them, they are not very convincing. It seemed like a total bust to me, but Melanie seemed to at least enjoy the unique experience. Neither of us bought a bag, knock-off or otherwise, but we still had fun shopping and looking at everything in Chinatown. 

Melanie: smiling, but unimpressed with the handbag selection- faux or otherwise. 

After that, we did some more shopping in SoHo. I got a new winter coat and an amazing pencil skirt, both from Daffy's, one of my favorite NYC stores. Great prices, great selection. Melanie seemed a bit overwhelmed by it, but after realizing it's sort of like TJ Maxx or Marshalls, she seemed to settle into it. I also got a cheap pair of sunglasses in Chinatown as well as a cool capelet that is pretty much exactly like the one I admired in this post (second item listed) except it's a pretty teal instead of grey. By about 3:00, we were pretty shopped out, so we decided to go back to the hotel and freshen up again before having dinner with Melanie's family. 

We walked up to Times Square and were both pretty amazed by all the LED billboards. I love how crazy it is in Times Square- there is so much to see, it's like sensory overload. 

I didn't do a great job taking this photo- I meant to get more billboards in the background. Sorry, Mel. 

Next, we checked out what was playing on the Great White Way in case we decided to catch a show later on. My vote was for Spiderman, simply because it's such a monstrosity. It's been all over the news for the major injuries its actors have suffered- a concussion, two broken wrists and- the day before we arrived in the city- a major fall that landed a Spidey stuntman in the hospital and shut the show down for several performances. The posters look cool, but I'm shocked it hasn't been shut down completely: 

It was starting to get pretty cold, so we went early to the restaurant where we planned to meet some of Melanie's family- her aunt, uncle and two cousins. We met at Carmine's, a fun, casual, family-style Italian restaurant in the heart of the theatre district. If you've ever checked out the other blogs I read, you'll have seen that I subscribe to a blog called "Chunk: A Story of Loss." This blog is written by Melanie's cousin Emily Leonard. Her two sisters and her parents are the people we met for dinner at Carmine's. After finishing an incredible, (and incredibly HUGE) meal with her family, I've come to a better understanding of her weight-loss struggle. Here's the run-down: we started with a house salad, which is easily big enough for 8 people (there were 6 of us), followed by the biggest dish of fried calamari I've ever encountered. Next was an enormous stuffed artichoke. I was pretty full at that point. Fortunately, by the time we finished our appetizers, we hadn't even placed the order for the entrees, so we had a bit of time to rest between courses. When the chicken scallopini and pasta pomodoro arrived, I was still feeling pretty full, but it would have been rude not to have some, right? When those plates were clean, I thought we were done. That is, until Melanie's Aunt Jen ordered "The Titanic." 

The Titanic: Flourless chocolate brownie, topped with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, real whipped cream, hot fudge, bananas, strawberries, pineapple, nuts and some kind of wafer cookie. 

After we finished dinner, we all took a walk to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. We also saw a proposal on the ice skating rink and some very entertaining skaters. 

Someone once told me the tree at Rockefeller Center is actually about 50 trees nailed together. They were lying. The trunk on this tree is about 3 feet wide. It measures 74 feet tall and I can't even begin to guess how many lights are on it. It's truly a sight to see. 

My hair looked pretty awful by this point in the evening and both Mel and I were pretty exhausted. We walked her family back to Penn Station which is right across the street from our hotel. We saw some sights along the way including the Macy's windows. Despite the fact that it was barely 10:00 PM, we both climbed into our beds and fell asleep almost immediately after our heads hit our pillows. 

NYC: Day 2

The next morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast after checking out of the hotel. We had checked our bags, so we were free of them for some more gallivanting around the city before heading back to NH. I had a small shopping list to attend to in the garment district. After a visit to Mood and a couple other stores, my list was done, but we were not done shopping. We happened upon a Betsey Johnson "pop-up" sample shop where I got a fabulous leopard print handbag and Melanie scored the most adorable dress I've seen in a long time: 

Her dress was $40 and my bag $35- total bargains! After that, we stopped by Bryant Park where there was an art show in full swing. My favorite part of that experience was when a jewelry seller told me that if you wear large accessories, "you must be really insecure." I didn't happen to be wearing anything super large at the time, but both Mel and I cracked up at her remark. If only she knew how insulting she'd been! 

By the time we finished at Bryant Park, both Mel and I were exhausted. We didn't even have it in us to try to see a matinee. Back to the hotel, we called for the car and hit the road. Other than some traffic in Connecticut, the drive went well. I promise to take photos of all my shopping booty so you can see the breakdown of my bargains. Until then, enjoy the rest of this year- I can't believe it's almost 2011! 

Hannukah, the New Christmas. What to wear for the Challahdays

BY: Hayley Raphael. guest blogger.

A few years ago, I got a job as a singing dancing snow bunny at the American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA.

Having just come off of two jobs playing 10 year-olds, I was thrilled beyond belief to wear a beautiful array of gowns and cocktail dresses costumed by the talented Renee Bouchard.

When Renee and I met, it was love at first fitting.

Being the only Jewish gal in the cast, I decided when in Rome do as...well, you know. I decked the halls, donned the lights and embraced everything Christmas complete with boughs of holly and a lovely blonde hair blue eyed Catholic boyfriend (I figured he was a good accessory).

When Christmas came I pulled over the reindeer sweater, sang "Oh Holy Night" at the top of my lungs and embraced all that was Christmas and holiday cheer.

Two years later, this Hebrew is back in the homeland. No not Israel, silly people. The Upper East Side of Manhattan.

So the question is, what do Jews do on Christmas?

Absolutely nothing.

Seriously. We eat Chinese food and go to a movie. Christmas eve comes and there are thousands of us that roll out of our apartments in droves, glasses on, Jew fro out, and popcorn we made at home to sneak into the theatre. (What, like none of you have ever done that before. Please!)

So the question is, what should the stylish Jew on the go wear when she wants to celebrate the challadays in style?

Anything she wants. Seriously, anything.

Since Hannukah is the "Festival of Lights," and the colors if the Israeli flag are blue and white, I suggest something blue with a little bit if bling. On the holidays one can get away with wearing too many sparkles and accessorizing to your heart's content. I mean, when else can you walk in a room wearing a glitter dress, cocktail rings and chandelier earrings and be greeted Billy Crystal style with , "Dahlink, you look marvelous."

Some designers that carry blinged dresses are Betsy Johnson, BCBG, and Alexander McQueen.

And for the rest of America: Target, Gap, H&M and Forever 21 always have some lovely bling-bling.

And if all else fails, just decoupage the daylights out of a sweater. But make sure to have fun!

Happy Challadays to you and yours

Now lets nosh!

xox

Hayley aka creative sprite

PS. If you like this, you might like my lil' blog, creative sprite. Enclosed is the link aka Shamless plug.

http://hayleyraphael.blogspot.com/

www.hayleyraphael.com

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=511031016

Merry Christmas!

My Blogging: Derailed

Due to a busy couple of days before Christmas and an unexpected flat tire, my blogging regime has been completely derailed. I've had a whole system worked out since I started the new job. My hours and the long commute have made blogging more difficult, but I really felt as though I'd gotten a good system down. Enter: the holidays. Somehow between the shopping, the cleaning, the cooking and the wrapping, I've managed to stay super busy without actually accomplishing much of anything. Or at least that's how it feels. For example, on Sunday after church, I went out for some last minute Christmas shopping. You know how you start shopping for Christmas and you set yourself a budget and you stick to it while finding everyone's gifts? That's all well and good, right? Then, as Christmas approaches, you start to second-guess all your purchases. You think, "I can't give her ONLY that present! It's not enough! And suddenly you're at Kohls five days before Christmas battling the crowds without a game plan or even a coupon.

On Wednesday of this week I'm taking a quick overnight trip to New York City. I have a feeling this trip is what I need right now, but have no fear, I'll be sure to blog all about the shopping I do while I'm there. I have plans for extensive shopping! But that's not my point. My point is this: if you don't see a new blog post up here before the New Year, don't be offended or think I've quit or something.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Rate My Look- As Promised

I hope all my lovely readers appreciate how I suffer for them. It was a mere 13 degrees outside when I snapped this photo. I thought my camera's lens was literally going to frost over.

Despite the below-freezing temperature, I don't look very cold, do I? That's because I'm wearing cashmere- the softest, warmest, most amazing wool out there. I blogged the other day about cashmere and its virtues. If you missed that post, you can read it here. This past Wednesday, I visited a couple of local consignment shops and that is when I scored the amazing sweater pictured above. Yes, it was an amazing price ($9.75)  and yes it was literally good as new- not a flaw on it. And the color! The color is so perfect. I love the shawl neckline, too. As I mentioned the other day, cashmere is a perfect layer on cold days and this sweater did not disappoint. On the day I wore it, the high temperature was 21 degrees Fahrenheit. The low was around 11. I was warm and cozy all day long, even while snapping this photo. 

Black (and White) Friday

Maybe it's the fact that what I wear to work is often an all black outfit and I'm surrounded by white bridal gowns, but I'm having a bit of a love affair with these black and white looks:

London Times Black and White Banded-Waist Dress, Overstock, $45.99 

Jessica Simpson Black and White Dress, Overstock, $96.99

Sylvia Striped Dress, Yes Style, $31.50 

Striped Cowl-neck Sweater Dress, My Shape, $58.49

Polka Dot Bow Dress, French Novelty, $229.99 

Black and white has always, for many people, been a distinctly French look, and especially after seeing Carrie's fabulous black and white outfit that she wore when arriving in Paris, it will always be so for me:

Classic Cashmere- the Perfect Winter Layer

I grew up in New England, a region known for bitterly cold, harsh winters. It's not Alaska or Siberia, but it certainly gets chilly in these parts. Pennsylvania had snow and cold weather, but not on the same level. Now that I'm back in my home state, I'm having to adjust to the colder, more snow-y weather. One thing you learn early on in this part of the country is how to layer. A cami under a long sleeve t-shirt under a sweater, under a vest with a winter coat on top of it all and a nice warm scarf and hat isn't uncalled for on a freezing cold day up here.

The key to layering without looking too bulky is to select pieces that are light and thin, but also warm. Two of my favorite textiles for this task are alpaca and cashmere. Both are incredibly soft wools and are often made with a very fine weave so they are not too heavy or bulky. In addition, they are two of the warmest materials you can wear. For someone who doesn't like how itchy wool can be, cashmere and alpaca are definitely the best choices. Cashmere especially is SO soft and smooth, it makes an ideal textile in the winter.

Eileen Fisher Fine-Gauge Cashmere Sweater, Garnet Hill, $228

John W. Nordstrom Cashmere Scarf, Nordstrom, $89.50

ML Kessler Alpaca Wool Men's Sweater, Sierra Trading Post, $59.95

Alpaca Neck Warmer, Etsy, $60.00 

Shawl Collar Cashmere Cardigan, J. Crew, $198

Generally speaking, cashmere and alpaca are very expensive wools, but if you are a smart shopper, you can find them at bargain prices. At this time of year, stores like Marshalls and T.J. Maxx often have specials on cashmere. I recently saw a nice selection of cashmere turtleneck sweaters and cardigans at Marshalls for around $60 each! It doesn't hurt to go through the racks at consignment shops, either. I picked up a beautiful pale blue cashmere shawl-neck pullover for $9.75 at a consignment shop just the other day. You'll have to wait a couple of days for me to use it in an outfit, but now that I've replaced the battery in my camera, I'll be sure to snap a photo. Good luck cashmere hunting! 

Rate My Look- The Sailor Pants are Back

 

I admit, it's not the greatest photo. Hey, I can't visit the ladies at Studio Nouveau EVERY DAY, can I? Sometimes I have to make do with what I have at the moment. Apparently, at the moment this photo was taken, I had stringy hair, a shiny face, poor lighting and a camera whose battery was about to die. But at least my outfit is cute. These pants are my favorite black sailor pants with a super high waist and a super cute button front. The green top is a new favorite- even though it's polyester, it feels soft and sleek. I love the asymmetrical ruffle detail on the front. It tends to "blouse" out throughout the day, but it doesn't seem to get too out of hand. It also looks nice with a pencil skirt. You can't really see in the photo, but I'm wearing my new teal mary-jane-style heels that I love so much. I first showed them to you in this post. I bought them the same day that I got the green top- while out shopping in Boston with Beth. I remember that as being a really satisfying shopping trip- I got some amazing bargains, but I also bought things that I needed, that were on my "list." Maybe I'll have another satisfying shopping trip with Beth again soon. I'll cross my fingers and toes and hope so! 

Have a great Wednesday, everyone! 

Shoesday Tuesday: Spurge v. Steal

Happy Shoesday Tuesday, everyone!

With Christmas just around the corner, I'm sure your bank account is, much like mine, feeling a tad depleted. And so in the spirit of saving money, today's post is all about the spurge vs. steal gimmick. Also known in some circles as the "Look for Less," it's a fabulous trend/price comparison for the savvy shopper. Let's all save a buck while still looking totally fabulous, shall we?

First up, these gorgeous pumps by Fendi- the bow detail at the toe is so sculptural and pretty and as for the color, well, you all know how I feel about a nude shoe. If you don't yet have a fabulous nude shoe, these would make a great choice:

Of course at $685 (available at Nordstrom here), they're a bit on the pricey side, wouldn't you say? Fortunately, there are other great platform pumps out there also in nude and also featuring an interesting sculptural bow detail in front. Like these by Paris Hilton available at Zappos for just $88.95 (here). 

On a completely different note, these work-boot style heels by Dolce & Gabbana are all the rage right now. Unfortunately at $655, they are far from attainable. (At least to me, but you can buy them here at Bloomingdale's if you like.) 

Don't despair, lumberjack ladies, a VERY similar pair of "Ranger Booties" by Ralph Lauren is ALSO available at Bloomies (here) for a fraction of the cost of the D&G's. At $104.30 (sale price, marked down from $149), these are a pretty great substitute: 

Personally, I really love the idea of glittery shoes for a party, especially New Year's. Jimmy Choo knows exactly what I'm talking about with these gorgeous slingbacks available at Nordstrom for about $665 (here).

They sure are pretty, but for a girl on a budget (like me), this festive version from Make Me Chic is a lot more affordable at just $29.68 (here).

I hope this post has inspired you to look for the bargain version of the trend. You really don't have to spend a lot to look great- these shoes are all proof! 

Thanks so much for taking time out of your busy day to stop by my blog- I really appreciate it (and the comments, too, of course)! However, I'd like to ask you to take another moment or two out of your day for me. Please hop on over to Twitter and tell me (in tweet form) about a shoe bargain you know of, or experienced, or hope to find. Please include the hashtag #ShoesdayTuesday or I won't see it. Thanks so much and Happy Shoesday Tuesday, everyone!