i just can't quit you

i try to stop.  sometimes i really put effort into it.  other times i just give in and let it happen.  i'm talking about my mind's natural inclination to think virtually non-stop about shoes.  i just can't get enough.  i love wearing them, shopping for them, trying them on, even just looking at them.  shoes seem to occupy a large portion of my frontal lobe on any given day.  including today.

i have mentioned previously my love and adoration for Pour la Victoire.  what i did not yet mention is that they have an off-shoot/ little sister line Kelsi Dagger.   now then, heels are super fantastic and make you feel great - but let's face it - sometimes ya just don't feel like it.  and how pretty/cute/funky are these sandals for those moments when your feet want to be comfy AND look good?   plus there's a little teeny wedge heel, which my doctor told me is good for my back.  so really i would be doing this for my health....

i, too have a hurricane in me!

let's just get facts sorted.  queen lizzie the 1st was the epitome of girl power, about 500 years before it was "cool".  to this day she is the most bad-ass chick EVER (along with Boudica - but that's a far more remote reference - check her out if you need a dose of female empowerment).  plus she got to live in a castle and have all the stuff that goes along with THAT.  just imagine all the shoes for the love of god.

anyhoo - back to business.  Temple St. Clair is an amazing,, GORGE jewelry line (they sell at Barneys).  the word "Renaissance" is often used to describe it, which is all well and good, but to be honest it just makes me feel all Elizabeth inside.  it's a bit on the costy side, not exactly the type of line you can collect... until now.  lo and behold, those purveyors of lower cost goods Target have swooped in a scooped up another designer.  (they actually grabbed this one a while back, it was announced in April but the line is not due out till August - so i kindly waited so that all of us would not forget.  we're very busy in our minds after all...)  yes indeedie - come end of August (i've heard the 29th) - Target's Temple St. Clair  collection will hit the stores and the big ol' interwebs.   the earrings and ring pictured will each retail at $30 and the necklace at $40.  can't wait to see the rest of the collection.  am i already in love with these earrings?  yes.   i will wear them and pile my hair up on my head while returning my kingdom to its former glory. 

my brain is clogged

ok coming back down to earth after fantasy bag posting... i have been on the mental see-saw about the clogs that seem to be here, there and everywhere. love? not love? love? not love? you get the picture. well the see-saw has landed and the verdict is in on these Jeffrey Campbell clogs. LOVE. actually love, love, love. how's THAT for a decision? super cute in both of these colors - also comes in black and camo. Singer22 carries them, as does Revolve... perfect for the "i don't feel like slipping on a boot" mood when it strikes you...

once, twice, three times obsessed

it was probably about 8 years ago that i developed one of my unhealthy obsessions.  (no, not chemical or romantical.  financial.)  the Balenciaga motorcycle bag.  lord have mercy on my wallet sinning soul, i fell hook, line and sinker for it.  it's the most perfect bag that exists, in my mind.   i've been practicing "safe shopping" for a while now, due to my "self employed" status. beyond boring and annoying - but i know it's the right thing to do.  sometimes, i believe the universe is testing us.  and this is a test.  this year marks the 10th anniversary of the motorcycle bag. to mark the occasion, they will put out a number of limited edition bags, some of which will be exclusive to Neiman Marcus.  (aka the cathedral of testing) including this one.  i want this bag so badly i would lick a sidewalk to have it.  but alas, i shall stay on my straight and narrow because i believe there will be a karmic reward.  or maybe the reward will be that i'll win the lottery - and then, if it's not too late, i can buy the bag!!  sigh.

saturday dose of adorable

oh nicole richie. oh your boho cuteness.


aviators? check. cute hat? check. braids? check. jeans and floaty top? yep... super fantastic Givenchy bag? got it. whole picture? ADORBS.

blaze(r) of glory

the go-to jacket of the season is the military/utility jacket.  and i am lovin' on it big time, without a doubt.  however - what if a girl needs or wants to look just a bit more dressed up?  oh conundrum! for years i avoided the blazer.  it caused an echoing cry of "uncomfortable office job" in my head...  but the siren call has lured me now...  it helps immensely that designers have worked on making this piece of clothing infinitely more wearable for daily life in or out of an office.  it's no longer just part of a suit - it's a fun topper to an outfit.   and what better than white or off white for the hot times we're in?  so cute over a jeans& tank, a shift dress, sundress, black jumpsuit.. i could go on.  this baby can go the distance.   i'm really diggin on this Elizabeth&James number, but there are also some great and affordable blazers at Zara, Express, and Banana Republic. sure it's hot as blazes.  but you can still look hot in a blazer! 

the underdog

i generally like the underdog.  i have a kitten who i'm relatively sure was the runt of the litter and it only makes me love him more.  it's just how i roll.  apparently that has worked its way into my love of fashion as well.

as a Paige Denim freak, i was excited to discover the Layne cargo... most def the underdog of this cargo fest that is going on right now... you barely hear whisper of it.  there is hullabaloo galore about the J Brand Houlihan cargo pant.   every magazine under the sun is showing them and every celeb worth their pinch of salt has been pictured wearing them.  don't get me wrong - they're fab and they're flattering.  and i'm well into the ankle zipper on a pant.    however, i am a loyal Paigeanista and so i am here to trumpet it to the high heavens.  the Layne pants ROCK.  they are slim cut, flattering and softer than BUTTA.  the pockets are placed a wee bit lower to avoid the annoying "why do i need a pocket on an area of my body that i would prefer remain as slim as poss???" issue.  well played Paige, you carry my heart in your cargo pant pocket.

boot camp

i have spent the past week attempting to hide under a cool, mossy rock.  it has been hotter than a brick oven in nyc.  apparently the hottest it has been in 33 years. and as much of a summer-lover as i am, i must admit, it got the best of me.  i was useless. however,  i have crawled out from under said rock now, and have now decided to alternate between enjoying snippets of sun and summer glory, and blasting the AC and looking at fall clothing so as not to faint in a puddley mess of heat stroke.

hardly surprising - guess what the first thing is to spring to mind?   yes, my style dolls - SHOES.  boots, to be precise.  i had a dream a few nights ago that my aunt gave me THE most AMAZING pair of boots that i had ever seen.  sadly, in the "real world" they don't exist.  how boring.  but of course i had to do some searching and see if there was anything close....and searching in my "real world" price range (again - BORING).  note to self - if sudden riches occur - boots most closely resembling dream boots are at Burberry....  a perfectly acceptable, and very desirable second place goes to these Sam Edelman boots...  love the color - love the height, love the heel.  that equals love, love, love.   and i knew a guy one time who said "all you need is love"... so there you have it.

it's big baby!

the summer sales are starting to pick up steam.  (as is the sidewalk.  and my glasses)  since it is 100 degrees out there - possibly higher, and there are heat and air quality warnings, why not shop online dolls?  one of my fave online go-to stops shopbop is having a bit of a blow out - up to 70% off.  there is a TON of really cute jewelry (including this adorbs skully bracelet by me&ro), denim galore, and some great dresses to beat the heat...  i swear, sale season gets me all hot and bothered... or is that just heat exhaustion?

summery NPO

this is actually a New Product Obsession two-fer.  one of the things i love the most about summer is the smells.  the smell of the beach, the smell of the suntan lotions used there, the smell of all things related to long sunny days.  LOVE.  i'm pretty old school when it comes to suntan lotion smells - i like Coppertone.  plain and simple.  the after sun lotions have a bit more leeway, but i do like them to be in the "beachy" camp.

i recently discovered Mario Badescu Summer Shine body lotion and became instantly obsessed.  in all honesty i have liked every Badescu product i've tried.  they all work well and the prices are great. this one is a keeper for life.  it's not super glittery like some of the shimmer creams - it's juuuuust right.  and the scent is perfect.  it's light and beachy.  not too strong - but enough that every now and then you catch a whiff of it and have a little moment of yum.

obsession number two falls into the "i'm feeling a bit dry and a bit lazy" category.  it's a dry-oil spray from Sephora.   it has solved both issues.  my skin feels soft, and all i have to do is spritz.  done and done.  i got the coconut scent - and hello tropical beach vacation in my mind.


never more will i be without a bottle of each of these babies on my vanity.  summer lovin' indeed!