Shoesday Tuesday- Shoe Karma

You all know how I'm obsessed with lace- up oxfords, right? I've posted about them quite a few times. And there was the pair from Urban's that I ended up getting and absolutely loving. I wore them around NYC right before my vacation and nearly ruined them. I got caught in a downpour and they ended up saturated in grimy, city rainwater. Gross. Also, walking millions of city blocks in them wore away at the delicate fabric and I ended up with dramatic wear on the sides near the soles. Both huge bummers. I managed to clean the grime out by washing them, but they just haven't been the same since. It's a sad story, I know.

Anyway, I toyed around with the idea of ordering a new pair. As of the end of my vacation, they were still available on Urban's website, but something kept me from buying a new pair. I just had a nagging feeling that it wasn't the right thing to do. Since then, my black ballet flats from Target have been making more frequent appearances in my day-to-day attire. Then, while out shopping for work today, I experience what can only be described as oxford euphoria. Remember the oxfords with the delicate cut-out detail that I loved so much a few months ago? I blogged about them here, but in case you don't feel like hopping back to that post, here's a picture to refresh your memory:

I DIE.

No joke, I've never really stopped loving these oxfords. So, back to my shoe karma story:

I was on a mission for work today. I was trying to hunt down a fabulous gown for the show I'm designing. I drove all over creation while on this mission visiting millions of stores. Well, really just central Pennsylvania and only about a dozen stores, but it felt like a lot more. I ended up at the KOP mall (my favorite)- specifically Bloomingdale's. I remembered that there was a spectacular formalwear department there, which is what drew me in, but what I ended up with was not an amazing gown. I ended up with my favorite cut-out oxfords of all time! They were originally $130 when I saw them months ago. When I bought them today, I paid $40.77. That's right. Nearly 70% off the original price. Oh, snap! If that wasn't fate, I don't know what is. Don't you just love happy endings?

Food blogging is cool, but so am I!

I'm not a food blogger, but I secretly wish I was one. There are times when I plan to take a picture of my outfit, but instead I take a picture of....

...my dinner.

I've always been really into food and because I come from a family of decent cooks, I've always just assumed that I'm a good cook, too. Then I started watching Top Chef and I realized... umm, no.

I've also always thought that I'm a pretty good baker. I bake a lot of goodies and bring them to work. They aren't always pretty, but they are always tasty, and I'm happy enough with that. But there are some people who bake tasty AND beautiful goodies and I respect them a great deal. Ms. Humble is one such person. Her baked goods are simply stunning. I'm continually amazed at the incredible edibles she creates each day. It's really amazing. So, I'm going to stick with fabric as my medium.

Do not be disappointed in my pathetic dinner picture, friends, for even though I didn't get a picture of MY outfit today, I did get a picture of Andrea's outfit. I referred to her as my "boss" in the last post where I featured her, but the truth is that I was being a little manipulative. I wanted to spin the post around the whole "dressing for the office" theme. The truth is, before she was my boss, she was my roommate and my friend, and while we're no longer roommates, we're still really good friends. Good enough friends that she lets me take her picture at the end of a long day and put it on my blog.

Although, she looks pretty darn good for it being the end of the day, in my humble opinion. At the end of the day, my hair is deflated, my clothes are wrinkled and my face is all shiny. Color me jealous.

Anyway, isn't her outfit adorable? I had to put it on the blog, not only because it's super cute, but also because these boots have had me drooling ever since she bought them. I mentioned the other day that we took a trip to King of Prussia and shopped our brains out. The boots were one of Andrea's purchases and I've been so jealous ever since. I've been secretly wanting a pair of cowboy boots for a while now, but I didn't want normal ones. These are so fabulous because they're so tiny- like little baby cowboy boots. I love them!

If you're wondering if you could pull off this look, let me tell you that you can. And here's why: although these boots may seem like they stop at an unflattering spot on the leg, they actually have a fabulous detail that makes them very flattering on a bare leg. Take a closer look:

See the "V" in the front? That "V" is magical. It helps to lengthen the line of your leg, making these boots perfect to wear with a dress or a pair of shorts. I talked about something similar a while back when I posted about the ankle boot trend. I wrote about selecting booties that angle down from the back. Well, the "V" in these boots is the exact same principle, but it exaggerates the effect even more. Is that fabulous or what?

So what do you all think- do I need to go buy a pair of these boots for myself? Let me know what you think! And if you're interested in getting a pair for yourself, Andrea's came from Nordstrom. I checked their website to see if I could find them to link over, but I couldn't seem to find the exact ones. I did, however, find these, these, these, these, these and these.  

Rate My Look

Good morning, everyone! I feel like I have a lot to say, so I'll just dive right in. So many of you express difficulty in accessorizing. I admit, it's something that takes practice and it's also something that's incredibly personal. In other words, what I love and what works for me, might be a complete disaster on you and vice versa. Yesterday I wore a simple black and white outfit, but I photographed it with two different accessory options.

First, the basic look with a cute purple satin headband (a Christmas gift from the BFF, btw) and my favorite round-toe black wedges.  

Second, a slightly more "edgy" version of the same outfit with a beaded cluster necklace, black oxford heels, and a faux-patent leather wide belt.

It's pretty clear to see how the belt and bold jewelry takes this simple black and white look to a completely different place. The headband look is sweet and simple, but still stylish. And in case you were wondering, NO they do NOT work together. Take a look at this photo:

Even if the colors in the necklace and headband were more complimentary, this combination would not work. Becasuse the headband is so large and the necklace is also making a bold statement, they are in competition with one another. If this exact same style of necklace were actually a bracelet, then the combination would work better because they would be far enough from each other in terms of placement on the body that they would no longer compete so dramatically. Because they are so close together and so similar in size and impact, they are fighting to be the focal point. Make sense? If you insisted upon wearing a headband AND a this necklace, then the headband should be something that blends more seamlessly into the hairstyle. Or vice versa- if you are choosing to wear a headband that makes a statement, then tone down the necklace. Accessories should work together without competing with one another. Here's another outfit I wore this week where the accessories balance each other out:

The belt, cocktail ring and necklaces may seem like "a lot of look" as the fabulous Tim Gunn would say, but they are each serving a different purpose and complimenting each other. (P.S. I wish I had taken a better picture of these booties to show you. They are actually brown faux-patent leather with a micro suede fold-over cuff and gold button detail on the side. They're super cute.) The brown color story is continued from top to bottom, which keeps the eye moving in vertical direction- from the brown booties, to the brown tights to the brown belt to the brown turtleneck under the dress- it's all vertical. The vertical shape of the gold necklaces only enhances that effect. The cocktail ring just adds another punch of personality and style to the outfit. It's actually a really fun ring, partly because it's so big. I got it over the weekend at Forever 21 for a mere $3.80. (I temporarily lifted my self-imposed shopping ban while at the KOP Mall, particularly where cocktail rings and accessories were concerned. But for less than 5 bucks? How could I walk away? More on that shopping trip at a later date.)

Shoesday Tuesday

Over the weekend, I went with my friend Andrea to the King of Prussia Mall- quite possibly one of the best malls I've ever been to. They have Cartier AND Tiffany's. 'Nuff said. They also have DSW, one of my all-time favorite discount shoe stores. DSW is like the TJ Maxx of shoes to me- designer wares at bargain basement prices. Often, the discount price at DSW is not even the real price- SO many of their shoes are marked down at an ADDITIONAL discount. It's amazing. Being in the store on this particular day was fun, but also a little hard as I am not personally in the market for new shoes right now. As ALL of you know, I have a lot of shoes and the last thing I need is another pair. It's like I have a self-imposed shoe-buying restriction. Well, it's not LIKE that. It IS that. Of course, that doesn't mean I can't look at what's out there! (Just because I'm on a diet, doesn't mean I can't look at the menu! Oh, snap!) While Andrea was legitimately shopping for shoes for herself, I perused the store and tried on what I thought to be the most perfect pair of shoes I'd seen in a while. These "Split Personality Reptile" shoes from Naughty Monkey just screamed out to me "BUY ME! BUY ME! BUY ME!!!"

Anyone who knows me, knows that these beauties are exactly the kind of shoe I'm continually drawn to. The classic round toe pump is my signature shoe style, but the added funky details make them even more perfect for yours truly. I've often said that I have shoes in every color of the rainbow and every print imaginable, but when I need a basic black pump, I'm totally at a loss. Fortunately for me, even when the situation calls for a basic black pump, I often find a way around that particular fashion criterion and wear something like fuchsia satin peep toe heels with rhinestone buckles or something equally ostentatious. But I digress. Back to the details of this shoe- the back is a black patent leather in an embossed snakeskin print. The toe is covered in a funky, satin-y, ruched/pleated fabric that reminds me a little of the wings of a butterfly. It's beautiful. I managed to walk away from these shoes. Then a few minutes later, I walked back. I couldn't help myself. "I'll just try them on," I thought. Usually that's the kiss of death for me. Once I try on a pair, I don't want to take them off and then I find myself justifying the purchase and asking the salesperson for a coupon or discount in ADDITION to whatever discount the store is already offering. I'm shameless, I know. (But I usually get a "yes" on the extra discount question, especially if said salesperson is working on commission. Just a little tip for all of YOU!) Anyway, I put these shoes on and immediately felt CRIPPLED! If you click on the link above to see them for sale on the DSW website, considered yourself WARNED- these shoes are without question some of the MOST uncomfortable I've ever encountered in my life.

After only about 2 minutes in them, I HAD to sit down. After another minute SITTING in them, I had to rip them off my feet because my feet were starting to cramp. Please take this review at face value, friends. After all, I am ALWAYS willing to suffer for fashion, particularly where shoes are concerned. So please understand that if you purchase these shoes, you do so at your own peril. I have always said "Beauty hurts." You have to push through the pain. With these shoes, I don't know if I would be capable of pushing through the pain. I would have to be carried around all day and even then, I don't know if I could do it. You think I'm being dramatic, don't you? Well, then see for yourself. Google these shoes and find the closest store that carries them. Try them on. If you don't  believe me now, you'll believe me then! Needless to say, I did not purchase them.

Fortunately, Andrea found two fabulous pair of pumps, so the trip wasn't a total loss:

Faryl by Faryl Robin Amber Suede Pumps, $39.94 (Down from $110!)

No. 704b. Prima Studded Leather Mary Jane, $69.94 (Down from $240!)

I hope to feature Andrea on the blog one day soon- maybe she'll let me show the outfits she makes to go with these shoes. Andrea's a super stylish lady who deserves the feature here. Her outfits are funky and daring- she pushes the envelope and I respect that. So do any of you own a pair of Naughty Monkey shoes? The designs are so exciting and interesting, but after trying on that crippling pair, I'm not sure I'd ever purchase a pair. I do suffer for fashion, but not to the point where I can't walk for a week because of an accessory. That's just crazy!