holy sh...oe!

this needs to be placed front and center in the "how in the HELL am i just now hearing about this?!?!?" file.  if you recall, i posted a few months back about a sandal shop in Sicily where you have your shoes custom designed and made for you.  heaven.  now, struggling with finding the perfect shoe to wear at my wedding i keep thinking "why am i not friends with Manolo or Christian?" so that i could just have what i want made for me. then BOOM this morning i discover this little gem of a website Milk & Honey.  the company was started by 2 sisters in 2009 who encountered same said problem - finding the "just right" shoe.  so they made a you-design-it-we- will-make-it website.  genius.  you can choose fabrics, styles, heel height, add-ons. (think of the above shoe, gorgeous as it is, as a blank canvas...)   it's bloody brilliant. the only problem is going to be finding closet space...

boot up!

i'm borrowing from Barney Stinson here people.  as one of the best characters EVER on tv - one needs to quote when one can.  and since i don't really ever "suit up!" - let's doctor it to "suit me" (haha) better and say BOOT UP! 

we know it's winter.  the first official day.  we know i hate cold.  and i know you most likely do too.  in the constant battle to stay stylish in this bastard weather - one of the key players in any girl's army is the boot.  styles galore to suit (oh, i'm sorry) your every need.   some of my favored obsessions are pictured above.
what shoe story would be complete without some Louboutin?  how about these cute bootie devils, on sale no less, at Saks... or the black classic, wear forever shape courtesy of one of my nirvana spots - the shoe salon at   Bergdorfs.   in line with classic shapes, one of my go-to favorites is the Matilde boot by Loeffler Randall, i love this saddle color, but i have them in grey also and they go with EVERYTHING.  lest we get bored by the classics -- i know i tend to -- another gem mined from Barney's,  Fiorentini and Baker keeps the world a more interesting and happy place for me.  these pirate boots are a major presence in my winter world, as are their over the knee boots.  speaking of which, i posted about these babies from Sam Edelman a while back, but lo and behold they are on sale now at Bloomies, so i would be a very naughty e-stylist indeed if i did not remind you... and you do know Christmas is coming so i cannot risk that.  the right boot can make all the difference so venture forth and find what works and wear it with all your stars out!

ps - to look for simliar shapes in prices all over the map - check out ShopStyle.com

the one that got away...

nope, not a lost lover. don't lament any of those - i am happily engaged. i'm talking shoes here kids. shoes. when i went and did the event at Neiman Marcus Last Call Studio with Refinery29 (my guest post is up - super fun - check it out) i scored some seriously delicious items. of note - most wearable: Vince cashmere. most in-love-able: Badgely Mischka leopard print bag. alas, as sometimes happens in life --- i left something behind. and seeing the amazing pictures by their photographer Mark reminded me with an echoing THUMP how much i "shoulda"... THESE BLOOD RED JOIE SHOES. if a picture paints a thousand words, then every word is shoe.

when is a shoe not a shoe?

the answer my dears - when it is custom made for you.  while in Sicily - well, one minute here... i'm putting the cart before the horse, which never works.  let's start this off by saying that my lovely man PROPOSED while there! so, let's just say it was the best trip ever, shall we????  of course i will be posting madly about dresses, shoes and rings -- but that will all be in good time.  for the moment, dolls, back to CUSTOM MADE SHOES.

after eating lunches bigger than my normal daily intake of food each day, i seemed to need a long nap every afternoon while there.   upon awakening from my siesta on our last day in Taormina (one of the most beautiful towns i have ever experienced) my fiancee told me to hurry up and get dressed and come with him.  on his walk to get me some aqua frizzante, he had discovered a shop where a lovely local lady named Simona made sandals customized to your foot.  i'm pretty sure i have never gotten out of bed so fast in my life.  we ran over and i walked into my version of heaven.   you pick the sole, the color of leather and the design, she fits it to your foot, and within an hour you are walking around feeling like Sicilian Cinderella.  i got one pair, then returned later with my future mother-in-law and ordered another pair.  to say that i am obsessed with them, and am planning on returning to purchase at least 5 more is not in the least an understatement.   i wish i could think of a witty little ending to this story but i am now transported back in time and across the sea, and am mentally browsing through my next selection of style and color...

the power of shoe

what do you do when you've stood and walked for hours, and your 5 inch heels are causing you such distress that you consider just lying on the sidewalk and weeping?  well, first you stop and breathe, remind yourself that this is FNO, that you are on West Broadway, and it is so crowded with people that you would both look like a moron and get trampled to death.  next, you tell yourself what a fool you are for not putting a pair of flip flops in your tote bag before leaving home. finally, you go directly into Musette and buy what is quite possibly the cutest pair of flats ever.  once they are comfortably placed on your feet (causing a near fainting rush of relief) you strike up a lovely convo with the owner, who tells you that stock will be rotated on a very regular basis to keep things fresh.  the store is on West Broadway, between Prince and Spring,
View Larger Mapand the online store will be live on October 1.  before leaving, you briefly eye the platform pump with the same black toe cap and cream body, with an amazing green heel.  you then feel a crippling memory of what you felt like 10 minutes prior and snap back into the moment to relish the joy of the flat ballet slipper...oh what a shoe can do.

shoe-bee do

i'm back dolls!!!  long awaited week's vacation at the beach kept me from obsessing daily over all things stylish... so here i am, slightly more tan and rested, ready to rock it all over again...

as always, i massively over-packed.  it's now at a point where it's just flat out ridiculous, but try as i might, i can't seem to control it.  as i pack, i realize what's happening, but the winning part of my psyche just keeps saying "how do i know now what i will want to wear all week next week?  i need to have options"  then as i pack to come home, i laugh at how little i have actually worn. 

it goes across the board, but i'll use shoes as the example.  when in doubt, always use shoes.  anyhoo - i went to the beach in South Carolina.  days consist of beach and pool.  MAYBE a trip to the grocery store.  nights consist of big family dinners and sitting on the couch in a sun-daze till we all nod off to sleep.  why exactly i thought i would need TEN pairs of shoes to do that, i'm not sure.  but that is what i had.  i wore two pairs.  that's it.  will i learn from this?  sadly, it's highly unlikely.  i will probably pack ten pairs again next year.  maybe i'll shock myself and only pack nine.  however i do have a new justification for my over-packing.  my nieces now fit into my clothing AND my shoes.  my oldest niece paired these adorable Elizabeth and James shoes with her own romper - and i must say, if i had not so over-zealously shoe packed - how would this fabulous look have been pulled together?  clearly i have a responsibility to keep up my ridiculous habits!

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....

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...

what's better than shoes? more shoes!

i fell in love with Matt Bernson shoes a few years ago, when i found the absolute most perfect gladiator sandal EVER  the  love grew deeper as a few more pairs found their way into my heart and closet...  cut to today.  the "oldies" but goodies (the gladiator, and the superfantastic "love" sandals) are still available - and there are some really adorable new additions...  this little studded "barracuda" flat is super cute; i'm totally diggin on the espadrille thing, as you all know - and these are pretty much perfect.  last but certainly not least... it is inevitable that fall must come, and thus one must prepare... and what better way to do that than these clogs?  LOVE LOVE LOVE them. as a little icing on this cupcake (via People Style Watch)- enter the code "mbpsw10" at checkout on the website, and you'll get 20% off.  how's that for a happy tuesday?

sweet relief

there's a slight chance i might be a raving lunatic. i'm pretty well aware of this and have come to terms with it. last night i began having an almost fever pitched melt down that my shoes were so disorganized in my closet. i am very compulsive about all my closets and drawers being organized. part of this is due to the fact that i adore my bf-constructed walk-in closet heaven. part of it is that said bf has nudged me in the direction of his intense organizational skills. and part of it is simply that i am, by nature, such a disorganized dingbat that if i can't see it - i may forget for months that i have it, OR have a meltdown trying to find it in a heaping pile.

anyhoo. the closet and drawers (with the one exception of the jeans drawer - that one needs some love) remain organized to perfection. easy to find, easy to put away, lovely. the weak link? SHOES. there is a semblance of a system. heels up top, flats down below. i'm not sure where the problem comes in (possibly it might be that i buy too many?) but i seem to end up with a recurring clustershag in the shoe area. don't get me wrong - it's not like the mountainous "no" piles at the Barney's or Bergdorf's shoe sales. but it's not too far off... so i faced my fears head on and dove in last night. weeded out several pairs to donate to the neices, and cleaned it all up nicely. flats organized to perfection by make and style, heels done up by style and height. peace and calm reign supreme again in the land of closet. i highly recommend doing this - you will end up wearing each and every pair of shoes more once you can locate them!!

(ps - sorry about the "happy heel land" pic quality - i couldn't get a good angle for the life of me...)

gap-tastic

they sell like hotcakes, the Pierre Hardy for Gap shoe collections.  every time.  and i am sure this one will be no exception - they are a bit adorable....  i always love a good wedge, much less ankle-risk for daily running around.  (especially for a klutz like myself) and this little denim flat is just screaming out to be worn with everything you own....  yep - shoes speak to me.  it would be rude to ignore them.

the collection hits Gap stores and the old interwebs on May 10th, on your marks....get set....SHOP!

notes on a sandal

well, a pair really.  Sam Edelman has, over the past few years, been hittin' it out of the park consistently with SUPER cute summer shoes.  and with a happy making low price tag.  (come to think of it, there is some sort of black hole or bermuda triangle in my closet, because i just switched out shoes for spring - and a really cute pair of S.E. sandals i bought last year seem to have disappeared....hhmmmmmm).  this year is no exception.  i saw the Gigi sandal on a number of ladies out in LA where they are fortunate enough to sandal WAY before we east coast girls have that luxury.  it is pretty much the perfect go-to sandal for everyday walking about - and it comes in a load of colors and textures... adorable leopard print to go with my sparkly red toenails?  yes please!!

dream a little dream of shoes

i'm sitting, waiting for the arrival of my nieces and nephew, and their parents for a quick NY visit.  when asked what they would like to do this time 'round, the one answer i got was "shopping" from the budding fashionista.  (who, most likely in 4 years will be attending FIT.  and yes that makes me extraordinarily happy).   she likes Bloomingdales.  she likes Bendels as well, but Bloomies is a bit more realistic, given the scope of babysitting money and allowance.

so of course as i am thinking of our trip there tomorrow - my mind wanders to the shoe department.  and somehow, perhaps because of the recent bag post, my mind lands on Pour la Victoire.  even mentally, i shop in specific designer benders.  not sure why, i just do.  my eyes and fingers follow my mind,  and we all visit the Pour la Victoire site together.  and what to my wandering eyes should appear?  the cutest of shoes i have seen all this year!  we'll see if willpower is on my side or not when we get there tomorrow...

WANG it!

first let me tell you how i've missed you my stylies. i am UNDER it with a flu that i hope is not swine. it's a doozer - of the "i can barely mentally function" variety. but i'm actually able to sit upright today so i am BACK bitches.

while on my back, i was able to read. and one of the things i read is that Alexander Wang's spring collection is now avails. of course this excited me, because as you know, i love me some Wang. pardon any entendre there, dirty birds!! clickity clack - i cruise the interwebs... and i came to the realization that my reaction to Alexander's things tends to fall into two categories. one: WOW that is amazing and gorge. two: i never knew i needed that until i saw it, and now i cannot live without it. i'm assuming that reaction number two is what makes him a super genius. the perfect example - i was blisteringly unaware that i MUST have an army green bag. now that i know - it's all i can think about.

there are apporoximately 8 bags that fell into category 2, and pretty much every single piece from the T line. and 3 dresses from the main line... and a couple of skirts... oy vey. it is probably a very good thing that i am under the weather and not able to go to Barneys and abuse my credit card at the moment.

nudge nudge, wink wink

i used to work in SoHo. extremely dangerous for a lady like myself. factor in 12 years of lunch break/ coffee break/after work walks - and what you have is strong support for the fiscal maintenance of NYC. you're welcome, city of mine. there were, a long time ago, little boutiques in that hood. now it's more of a mall store type sitcho, with boutiques sprinkled in here and there, holding fast to their tiny spaces. those are the places i love. one of said teenies was Wink. i wanted so much to love it - but it was never quite right, it wasn't set up properly and it drove me nuts.

cut to today.... i am a self-employed uptown girl. it is a bright sunny day, so i decided to take a walk to get the blood moving. turned out to be both good and bad. it's frickin freezing out, which i hate. but i did get some fresh air, and did do some re-conn on boutiques along Columbus Ave., including Wink. after driving by it a while ago in a taxi i thought "everyone deserves a second chance". i am glad i went. walked in - LOVE! it's small, but perfectly laid out. not at all crowded, but a good solid amount of stuff. they happen to carry the Plush leggings i mentioned the other day - yum. (they come in denim too- tres cute). i began a mental shopping list which includes an adorable chiffon ruffled skirt. (as soon as it's warm out!) and this supercalafragalistic JJWinters bag. they also have some new House of Harlow jewelry - first time i've seen it in person rather than interwebs - and it (of course) is VERY cute. add to the list? check. i would have added a couple of pairs of shoes to my list, but i have placed myself on shoe probation. so i did not. on top of all the goods, the 2 girls working were great - friendly and helpful but not pushy. my kind of ladies.

it's a little bit of an accessory haven i must say. every time you turn your eyeballs around - there is a bag, a shoe, a scarf or a piece of jewelry to make you say "OOH!! hello!" and thus on this day, new addition to the mental neighborhood of "happy place". a new addition to my sunny day walking route. a fab addition to my stylist's arsenal... who knew addition could be so fun?

uggie choo

the word on the street is that Jimmy Choo is going to be collaborating with Ugg. i am finding it a little hard to imagine - look at the 2 photos, and in your mind - try and create a marriage of the two. or perhaps the child the 2 would create... i can't come up with anything that doesn't make my forehead go a bit squishy with confusion. now don't get me wrong here - i love Jimmy Choo shoes, they are gorgeous. and lord knows i loves me some Uggs. in the darkest depths of winter, i wish i could wear a maggie simpson snowsuit outfit of Ugg.

when the Hunter/Choo collab happened, all we ended up with was a pair of Hunter wellies with the name Jimmy Choo slapped on it... so perhaps it's simpler than i'm trying to make it. i suppose only time will tell.

hi, my name is deb. i'm a shoe addict.

eeeeevery time i think i have it under control and utter that foolish sentence to myself "i am totally set now - have all i need", something happens. usually i'm busy doing something else, and BAM out jumps a shoe with which i become obsessed. i try and deny it. i try and forget it. i shop for other stuff. nothing works. at various times i have tried purchasing a less expensive version of the shoe theme. (that, i have finally come to see, is a disaster. each and every time i end up with the original). and so, i give in. i am an addict. i am powerless. that's the first step. and taking that step, my feet look fabulous.

the shoe du jour, that jumped out and bit me while i was looking for a kimono jacket, were these little Elizabeth and James sandals. i know i have yammered on in the past about how amazing Elizabeth and James is - so i will not repeat myself here. however - those little Olsesn chicks have again rocked my casbah with this one. i have been a fan of the "ankle strap as jewelry" idea on sandals forever. i think it is beyond sexy. i also once had a male friend of me tell me that the toe strap was the single sexiest invention of mankind. so this shoe pretty much guarantees the sexiest foot in town. add to it my yet-to-be-found kimono style jacket and pair of cropped jeans or khaki pants? deep sigh. i feel pretty.... oh so pretty....

inner turmoil

allow me to begin by saying this does not necessarily mean i will BUY anything (i'm saying that mainly to myself, to stay strong in ye olde resolve)... just that i will LOOK. because things are pretty and i like to look at them...

i heard a little word from a little bird that things (in particular SHOES dolls.) will be marked down an additional 30% on Friday. so do your own math - but mine equals almost free. as i said, all efforts will go into my vision quest and not the purchase.

the 2nd floor of Bergdorf's is really nothing shy of my nirvana. it's always a bit too hectic in the entrances and on the first floor - but then you get on the escalator, cruise up slowly - and then step off onto the magic carpet of shoe dreams. makes a gal's eyes go wide every time. add to this, the glance to the right to catch sight of the sale racks, and beginning friday that little sign atop each rack that says "additional 30% off" - the feeling is indescribable. sigh.

tick tock. is it Friday yet?

holiday party in the nude

even at your office party you can do it! ok - let's clarify shall we? i'm talking about the nude SHOE you dirty little birds.

the nude heel is one of the best tricks in the book. in case you don't have the book - allow me to "flesh it out" for you. (heehee). the gamut of brightly colored, sequined, or otherwise party-rific dresses that are no doubt on your mind at the moment can cause a bit of confusion when it comes to footwear. the best way to go when you're dazzling them up top is to stay basic down below. and basic does NOT have to mean boring. the nude heel is remarkably sexy. it makes your legs look like they go on for miles. obviously the trick is to find a shoe in your general skin tone (and obvs, if you're anywhere but warm, you'll be wearing a nice sheer pair of tights that make your legs look au naturel but better)

i have nude sandals for summer, but recently embraced this idea for winter. going to a birthday dinner for a friend of the family, i broke out the new nudes. i felt long, lean, sexy. and was also complimented on the shoe sitcho by one of the ladies attending, whom i consider to be quite in the loop when it comes to these things.

as with everything in the world of style, you can find a nudie to fit your budget. i love the shape of the Aldo shoe, i'm newly obsessed with Pour la Victoire shoes, and it goes without saying that the Louboutin is the dream shoe... regardless of the dollars spent - you can feel like a million. it's a little trick i highly recommend to balance out the festive frocks you'll be fa-la-la-ing around town in this holiday season!

seeing spots

leopard print comes in and out and in and out of fashion like nothing else. it's having its most recent resurgence at the moment - and i'm close to getting sucked in this time round. it can be found on pretty much every single possible garment a female can wear. from a teeny thong to a full length faux fur coat.

for me personally - i only like my leopard in two locations. short dress jacket, or nestled on my feet. and as it is my greatest obsession - i am focusing on the shoe. ahhhh the shoe. i'm not the biggest fan of the leopard pump, although i freely admit there are may ladies who can fully pull it off. my taste goes to the leopard ankle boot.

of course the creme de la creme is monsieur Christian Louboutin. mais oui! these are the ones we truly lust for, n'est-ce pas? Neiman's, Saks, Barneys... you taunt me with Louboutin imagery! however, if we are feeling less than flush, there are of course other options. having done a bit of scouring of the olde interwebs, i found a couple of less pricey versions. the black bootie with the leopard heel is kind of a less "in your face" version too - if you're feeling a bit shy... Giuseppe Zanotti, and they also happen to be on sale at Piperlime. keep on going you say? ok...a pretty adorable pair of Charles by Charles David at Overstock.com and a cute little number at Nine West go even further down the price scale....

my mind is spinning and i'm seeing spots... but i like it!