Just like candy

Up until about a month ago, I was a devout OPI nail polish supporter. I recently blogged about a new found favorite from Essie and the trend is continuing. I took a trip to my nail salon yesterday and decided to venture away from the cobalt blue and decided on corals and purples. I should have inspected the bottles closely before I left but here are the colors I believe I am wearing.

Pretty sure the Big Spender is the purple color that I have on my hands. It is such a refreshing and bright purple. Perfect for summer! Kind of reminds me of the purple Skittles from the Tropical flavor set.

I typically wear the same color on my toes that I get on my hands. Apparently I was feeling wild yesterday because I opted for this coral color instead. The Essie site lists a couple of different polishes that look similar but I think the color I have is called Capri. It's similar in color to OPI's Cajun Shrimp. (an old time fav of mine) Again, so great for summer. Really fun and vibrant.

I hope you're all experimenting with your color palette this season!

Embellish me - Shoe Porn

One of my first blog entries was about Christian Louboutin shoes (here) and how delicious they are. After reading the Twilight Premiere post on one of my fav blogs (Project Rungay), I couldn't help but notice the shoes that Dakota Fanning was wearing.
Seriously? I'm not sure if my life can continue on without these. They are exquisite! So edgy and gorgeous. And that color is to die for! I'm not kidding when I say I have been drooling over this picture all day. I decided to do some homework and see just how much these beauties would set you back. Well, the answer to that my friends is $1,195. I'll let that sink in.................Ok. Moving on. Finding these online only led me to this glorious pair.

I would just like you to replay all the things that I said earlier about the tan shoes and apply those comments to these. SO CUTE! It looks like there are little bubbles all over them. I don't really have much else to say. They're fabulously fantastic. There. I saw them online for $980.

These are both great examples of what I would refer to as "sitting shoes" or "show shoes." Meaning, these would serve little to no practicality and their main purpose would be for showing off. And who would argue?! I would be that girl that shows up to work and wears these to a meeting. Don't care.

Flat out: Anne Klein

Who knew Anne Klein had such cute shoes?! I was not aware. I snagged up some really cute flats from the AK Sport line while hitting up an amazing sale at Macy's. (I will post a picture later since I can't seem to find them online.) I'm shocked at how Audrey Hepburn they are. Loves. Specifically, the AK Sport line makes shoes that are incredibly comfortable and flexible. Dare I say that I think it may be possible to skip the awkward "breaking them in" phase. Just a thought...

While I was trying to find my shoes online to post, as well as show off to co-workers, I came across these other cute flats. Go pick up a pair for yourself. I think you'll be happy that you did!

The mod look on these are so amazing. Crazy what some hardware and a peep toe can do! There is also a sliver wedge heel. You can't beat that.

So incredibly difficult to highlight one color for these shoes! There are 7 different color options on the Anne Klein site right now. But like usual, cobalt blue calls to me. Adore the color. Adore the hardware detailing on the toe. Adore the simple with a twist ballet flat style.

Flowers strike again! These are so sweet and so adorable. Such a simple and quiet way to spice up an outfit. Plus, they are a little fancy. Perfect.

Editorial inspiration

It seems like I'm constantly looking at magazines and catalogs. When I come across great editorial pages, I tear them out for future reference. Here are a couple pages that I came across lately that I drew inspiration from.

So I've already established how much I like flowers and bows and hair accessories. This is pretty much one giant page of things I adore. While I'm usually not a huge fan of pink, that fluffy flowered light pink headband is so sweet and delicate. I wish I was wearing it right now. I'm also a big fan of the flower headband on the bottom left. How cute is that detailing in the center? Adorable.
Statement necklaces made a big comeback towards the end of last year and I was so glad that they did. While I'm always a fan of big necklaces, especially ones that involve pearls, this page features necklaces with an ethereal and elegant feel to them. There really should be an appreciation for a necklace that looks as great with a t-shirt as it does when paired with a cocktail dress. How can you go wrong? The very top necklace and the second to the last are my favorites.
First and foremost, ADORE those flower shoes. I need them right now! Ok. Onto the inspiration. I was inspired to wear this outfit after seeing this picture. And ever since I saw those flower shoes, I've been trying to come up with a way to transform my Mary Jane's. I'll let you know if I'm successful. Nothing particularly shocking about these outfits other than the fact that they're extremely fun and fashionable. Everyone should be a fan of a fun and festive LBD.

P.S. Are any of you getting the sense that I want to dress like I lived in the 50's???

*All these headbands and necklaces can be found at the always fabulous Nordstrom.

Prints: you're overdoing it

The Brief: As I was making my way to my bus stop yesterday, this woman was walking next to me. I couldn't help but stare in amazement at the horrible mismatching of prints that was taking place. I understand that the mismatching of print is cool and in right now. (This is a trend I have chosen to not participate in.) I knew immediately that I needed to capture this outfit in a photo so I could share it with you all.

The Analysis: Let's breakdown her crime. First, her outfit is a dress! If it was a skirt, I think this would have been a tiny bit less offensive. But, it's a dress! So that crazy and distracting purple, black and white print is all over her body. I'm not even sure I'd like the dress on its own without the shoes. It's very busy. Next, the shoes. Sure, those shoes might be cute with some jeans and in some other situations but certainly NOT paired with this dress. They are black and white quasi-polka dot. Why she felt these would pair well together, I don't know. All I can do is inform the readers of this blog and encourage them not to make this same mistake.

A note to my readers: I am not discouraging the mix of prints. Nor do I want you to be scared to try something new and different. But this, this is not a good idea for anyone. If it seems really crazy, it probably is. Try baby steps when exploring new fashion trends or ideas. Ease yourself into it.

Pointed in the right direction

I realized about 4 months ago that my precious black pumps needed to be retired. I'm not going to lie. They're pretty old. (Maybe 4 years old?) It's so hard to get rid of a pair of shoes that are so reliable and broken in. Plus they are a permanent staple in my wardrobe. I've had them fixed more times than I can remember, so I decided to cut my losses and get a new pair. A task easier said than done.

I know I'm picky with my shoes, but I thought black pumps were pretty standard. They're not. I like a point on my pumps that could injure someone. Seriously. The pointier, the better! Oh, did I mention I have a height requirement for my shoes too? Picky, picky. If I'm supposed to run around work all day, I can't wear 3.5in pumps. It's not going to work out.

The DSW store was the first place on my list. I must have tried on 6 different pairs. None were pointy enough and the one pair I did like was too high. I left there and proceeded to venture to Aldo and Nine West. Nothing. Thinking my search was going nowhere fast, I went to the DSW website and continued my search. It was there that I found my new, glorious pumps.


They just arrived today and I couldn't be happier. I'm wearing them right now typing this post. They are very narrow which is perfect for me. DSW says that they're 2.25in but I think they're at least 2.5in. Perfect height. The leather is extremely soft as well. They should break in nicely. Needless to say I am extremely happy with my purchase and can't wait to get them back in my rotation!

Hello pretty

While doing my usual browsing for vintage jewelry, and poking around on Etsy, I came across this little gem that I haven't stopped telling people about. I think it is simply marvelous.


This ring just screams vintage Cartier to me. I love the round diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds. And the gold, I'm not usually a gold person, is so regal looking. It seems a little darker to me and I think that's what really captivates you. And the band has just enough diamonds cascading down to add a little extra shine. So pretty!

According to the seller the ring is circa 1980. Not terribly vintage but old enough to have its own story to tell. The total weight is about 1/2 carat. If you're interested, take a look for yourself.

All that glitters is gold

There are 2 things I never grew out of. One, bows. I love bows. I want bows on everything. The other is glitter. I love anything sparkly and shiny. Both make me feel pretty.

I want to have a moment of silence for these incredibly fabulous shoes.

Ok. I've been on the hunt for glitter flats for a little over a year now. J.Crew makes the cutest flats but I just can't bring myself to spend $200 on flats that are so seasonal. These glorious heels however have found their way into my heart. They're just so pretty. I just picture them with short cocktail dresses for the holidays. Sigh.


DSW has a pair of Steve Madden flats that are pretty cute and definitely less than $200. They come in 2 great colors but I still feel like they are missing a little something. Certainly an acceptable alternative.

As I mentioned above, J.Crew does some great things with glitter and sparkles. Case in point, here is a tank top that they recently released. I am not a huge fan of tops that have a design or effect on the front of the garment and nothing on the back. I could make an exception for this tank though.


If you are concerned that the pieces mentioned above are out of your comfort zone, an easy alternative is a hair clip. As a person who favors hair clips, these are pretty much perfect. They are tiny and pack a glittery punch.

Nailed it!

I have a tendency to get attached to nail polish. When I find a color that I like, I tell everyone and I use it for roughly 3 months straight. I have a new one to share with everyone.

Meet, Mesmerize by Essie. Adorable. Such a fun blue. Nice and bright. I've been wearing it for about 2 weeks now and it has darkened a little bit but the color still looks fun and rich. New fav. I'll be getting this again next week for sure!

Addiction: Nordstrom

Every morning when I check my email, I just know that there is going to be an evil email from Nordstrom tempting me to buy something that I ultimately do not need but want very badly. Today is one of those days.

Allow me to introduce you the dresses I crave for under $150.

I want to be wearing this dress, in Hawaii, immediately. I have nothing else to say. ($119)

This dress has such great color and design. The semi geometric/abstract print is so fun. Not to mention that is a wonderful shade of orange. Not too bright. Just the right amount of punch. ($98)

I just think that this dress has such a relaxed yet fancy, feel to it. I love the cascading effect of the floral print. It would have been overwhelming if it was all over, but this is just enough. Very pretty. ($118)