happy holidays everyone....

whatever your holiday, have a wonderful one. i'm off until the new year....i'll be thinking of you as i lie poolside, sipping tropical drinks with little umbrellas in them :)

oh, and a very special happy birthday to A....have a wonderful day, and congrats on a truly fabulous year!

dear santa....

....baby, it's cold outside! hence, my recent obsession with all things cozy and warm. in that spirit, i first spied a shearling-lined hoodie in a men's magazine a month or two ago, and i thought it looked like the coziest thing on earth....and have been pining for a women's version ever since. lo and behold, jcrew has answered my christmas wish. this shearling hoodie comes in all sorts of fabulous colors, and is exactly the thing for those morning walks to starbucks with my puppies. best of all, at $69.50 each, you can afford to get one in a couple of different colors. personally, i like the oxford grey...but the heather oatmeal is lovely too :)

i predict they're going to sell out fast, so i'd pick one up today! get flat rate $4.95 shipping with code FLS-EP1, or $20 off a $100 purchase with DC-449.

and if you're looking to add a little something to your order to hit that $100 mark & save $20, i'd recommend these yummy shearling moccasins to match your new hoodie...only $59.50 for a pair that looks and performs an awful lot like those ugg slippers, but for $40 less. what a deal! and the 'dark camel' color is the clear choice, here - that almond color is great, but would only lead to heartbreak, as all light-colored suede footwear does.

well, would you look at that....

so, much as i hate uggs from a fashion standpoint, i have to admit, after trying on a pair of their slippers the other day, that they're just about the most amazingly cozy thing i've ever had on my feet. that said, they're still completely fugly, for the most part. but, miracle of miracles, i've found a pair of boots by them that i don't hate! amazing, i know. of course, i probably just like them because they look nothing like uggs, but still. i think these would be the perfect boot for the winter - the suede upper and buckle details make them feel luxe and polished, but the fact that the suede is nowhere near the bottom of the shoe means they're actually durable and won't be ruined the first time you step near a puddle.

they're 20% off at shopbop.com right now, plus you can get an extra 10% off if you sign up at ebates.com, i believe. that brings them down from $250 to $175...not bad to keep your toesies nice and toasty warm this winter.

speaking of pre-christmas sales....

get 50% off on ella moss tops, lauren merkin clutches, cynthia vincent dresses and paige premium denim this monday only - the entire stock at summerblu is 50% off with code "monday*".

happy hunting!

item of the day: disposable holiday ware

i swear, i would host parties every day of the week....if it weren't for the after-party cleanup. but really, do you want to spend hours prepping a gorgeous fete, only to serve your handmade olive tapenade bruschettas on chinette?

um...no.

enter a new line by tord boontje, a fabulous designer whose wares are now being featured at (where else) target! for a mere $11, you get a set of 10 coordinating large plates, dessert plates, napkins and cups....and best of all, they're disposable, so your house can be back to normal in mere moments, instead of the 3 days it took me to recover from my last party.

scoop some up now, and invite me over for a cocktail :)

oh my...

could someone please buy this so i don't have to? my heavens, it's just gorgeous, isn't it? delicate, but draws just the right amount of attention to itself...and the green jade is such a great color. picture that on your neck accenting a plain old white shirt, or a black v-neck sweater....delicious!

and it doesn't hurt that it's about 70% off....$128 down from $365 at shoptwigs.com. 22K gold vermeil and jade beads....yum! or, if you'd like to get it for me for christmas, i'll be more than happy to send you my shipping address :)

net-a-porter sale...need i say more??

run, don't walk...net-a-porter.com is having its annual designer sale, and there are some serious deals to be had. chloe boots for $400, paddington bags for $1000, christian louboutin wedges for $300....talk about merry christmas!! also, don't miss the chance to score some jimmy choos for less than $300...or a marc jacobs stam bag for under $800.


if there were any way i could shove my huge feet into those louboutins, i'd be a truly happy woman. happy shopping, everyone!


oh, and PS - free shipping on any order with code 'HOLIDAY'

designer of the day: jewelry by understated designs

the designer of the day today is someone i've had a little design crush on for at least six months now: lori yohe of understated designs). she does beautiful work & specializes in finding really lovely quotes to incorporate into her pieces, which isn't a new idea, but i think she does it better than anyone else.

my favorite is the 'lovers' pendant, which is a gorgeous hammered gold (or silver) circle with two different chains, diamonds set into the circle, and a quote by elizabeth browning, which reads "i love you not only for what you are, but for what i am when i am with you." it's very high on my christmas wish list.

if you ever need a really sweet gift for a mom or grandmother, she has some gorgeous pieces that would fit the bill beautifully. i love the 'naomi' pendant, which reads "a mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary." just think of all the brownie points you'd make with a gift like that!

or heck, buy one for yourself. lori also designs custom pieces, so you could do something like a cuff bracelet (not yet available on the website, but pictured above) with a line from your wedding vows, or put a quote you've always loved onto a pendant.

understated designs is offering a 10% off promotion right now as well (or 15% off if you order 4 or more pieces). if you buy directly from lori, her pieces range from about $200-500...depending on the type of metal (most are available in silver or 14K white/yellow/rose gold) and whether there are any gemstones on the piece.

if you want to order for christmas, lori needs custom orders by 12/6...but items in stock wouldn't have to be ordered that early, i'm guessing. you can reach her at info@understateddesigns.com - just mention you saw the 10% discount here, and she'll apply it to your order.

happy shopping!!

getting personal for a moment....

i don't usually put personal posts here, but my sweet puppy passed away over the thanksgiving holiday after a very long life of being the best dog anyone could ever hope for. i'm sending him wishes for piles of dog biscuits and (in his case) lots of toilet paper and post-it notes to chew on....

*sniff*

gift idea of the day: uglydolls

i think these are the most creative and fun gift ever, and if i weren't one of the few people i know with my sense of humor, i would buy them for everyone on my list. but a lot of people i know would just think i'm weird, so they're not getting them.

each of the uglydolls comes with a great name and a story that would make it really easy to pick an uglydoll to match each of your friends. take chuckanucka, for example:

Need someone to worry all over you? A worrier yourself? Chuckanucka is your man. He worries about pretty much everything under the sun: What if the phone rings when I go out? What if the mail man tries to deliver my earmuffs when I'm in the bathroom? Hey, I don't remember leaving the closet door open just a crack like that! What if I can't ever stop thinking about my name over and over again? Chuckanucka has a pretty strange way of looking at life. Sometimes he wonders if this is all just a hologram, and on other days he wonders what's going to happen if they stop making CD players... How will I play my favorite CDs??? I have over nine of them! Poor Chuckanucka. Ok, so maybe you'll have to look after *him*.

come on, that's darling! and for less than $20, it's a creative and unique gift for that person you can't think of anything else to give. if you know someone who would think these are as fabulous as i do, pick them up at calliopeboutique.com.

this might just be....

...the saddest thing i have ever read:

Ladies, listen. When Manolo dies, there will be no more Manolos. There is no heir or protégé. No big luxury goods conglomerate like LVMH waiting in the wings. No. No. No. When Blahnik has gone to that great shoe box in the sky, Manolos are finished.

*sniff* thanks to national geographic and the budget fashionista for totally depressing me.

IHO His Royal Shoeness, i highly recommend a trip to this link for some looks at his most amazing styles.

item of the day: t.anthony town & country tote

this gorgeous tote bag was recently voted the best tote bag money can buy, according to a magazine whose name escapes me just now (running a close second to the ll bean "boat & tote" bag). it won because it's seriously durable, holds absolutely everything, and is more than stylish enough to compete with a lot of the high-end bags there. now true, it's not cheap at nearly $300...but there are stories of t. anthony customers who've had their bags for 60 years. convert that into a cost-per-wear scenario, and it's the best deal in town. it's just the thing for those long days of holiday shopping, when you know you're going to need provisions (water, spare shoes, and a granola bar). and, it'll be the perfect carry-on for any holiday traveling needs.

available in 4 great color combos (i like the black and white or the blue/burgundy best)....pick one up here.

should i do it?

i'm debating taking the plunge. not all the way to skinny jeans....no, i can't quite go there yet (or ever). but these straight legs might not be so bad. maybe?

soooo scary......do i dare?

item of the day: ellen tracy satchel

since i think all of you know my love for bags and shoes, you also probably know that a too-large portion of my montly income goes toward purchasing these beauties. for this reason, i'm always thrilled to come across a deal.

today's feature may not be a deal at first glance, but let's talk about it for a second. lambskin. classic styling. the bag has structure of a frame with just a little slouch, to keep it from being boxy. the twisted handle detail is just interesting and distinctive enough to keep it interesting. the style and the details really do scream "i cost a lot more than $300," even though, amazingly enough, it didn't. i'm pretty darn impressed, actually.

and if you want to be even more impressed, check out the rest of ellen tracy's bags from her fall 2006 line, some of which are even on sale. she seems to have the understated elegance thing down, but isn't afraid to add one or two details to really make the style pop, all while using materials that should be coming along with a much higher price tag. two thumbs up!

as janice would say...

OH.....MY......GOD. seriously, i think i'm blind.

and can you believe that this monstrosity is $365? dollars??? honestly, it's so bad that they couldn't even come up with a color to call it. the official website calls the color "fuschia, sunflower, sky blue, aqua". yes, that's the SINGLE color in which this lovely piece is available. say that five times fast.

blame dooney and bourke. man, they almost had me back after a few recent "hits", but this "miss" is so serious, i may never recover.

shoe of the day: french plum wedges

darling, right? i think they'd be so amazing with a black shirt & jeans, or a black party dress, or pretty much anything grey or white, or....the list goes on and on. and hey, guess what? $24.50 at your friendly neighborhood old navy store. really! and they're actual suede, too...who'd have thought?

seriously, i can't believe you haven't already ordered them.

and PS, for those of you that voted in the black flat debate, the overwhelming winner was also from old navy. ringing in at just $19.50, it beat out shoes that were nearly 10 times the price! pick up a pair while you're getting the french plum wedges, whydontcha?

black flats

okay, it's my turn to seek some 'personal shopping' help from my readers. are you up to the task?

i need a new pair of black flats. i want something casual - something i can throw on with jeans, that i won't be (too) worried about scuffing up, but that still looks stylish. and they also have to be relatively comfortable, without going into the 'athletic shoe lookalike' realm.

here are a few i've found - i'd love to hear what you think, or see other suggestions you might have. but please, please, don't show me unless they're available in an 11....no need for torture!

option one:



option two (courtesy of thedailyobsession):

option three:








option four:

option five:











i realize a lot of these are similar, but hey, my taste is usually pretty predictable :) anyone have preferences, or other ideas??

item of the day: red penguin wellies

if it has to rain, wouldn't these make you want to go jump in some puddles?

with pants covering them, they're a nice, classic wellie...but if you tuck the jeans in, suddenly they have a little bit of personality, without going too far. plus, i love that they're lined in shearling, so that they're actually cozy.

pick them up at jcrew - and you just might find yourself praying for rain :)

oh yeah, AND....

looks like neiman marcus matched saks - private one day sale is here. check out all of those chloe bags on sale...damn!

and of course, it's also the first day of the nordstrom half-yearly. wow, what a day!

run, don't walk!

saks fifth avenue is having a one-day sale. this was supposed to be a private, invite-only event, but either they've opened it up to the general public (more likely) or i managed to snag an invite (less likely). either way, get it while it's hot! there are some pretty fabulous deals to be had, especially if you've been drooling over the marc by marc jacobs turnlock line, as i have. or a certain pair of giuseppe zanoti flat boots. or pretty much the entire fall collection from nanette lepore. or....well, just go look.

also, take free shipping on orders over $150 with code FSNOV6. happy shopping!

shocking news....

according to CNN Breaking News,

-- Britney Spears files for divorce from her husband Kevin Federline, citing irreconcilable differences.

wow. i'm just shocked. really. i mean, how could anyone have predicted this? their love was so pure and true.

okay, okay, i'm done with the sarcasm. no really. i am. promise.

review: behnaz sarafpour for target

i have to admit that i had really high hopes for this collection...it's been talked about so much & the pics looked so fabulous...

not so much.

stopped by my friendly neighborhood target last night to check out the goods, and well, it wasn't good. the few things i tried on didn't fit right (could be because the "go" line is sized for juniors, another peeve i have), and in general, it was just...disappointing. a silk shirt with a tuxedo front was completely stunning...until i looked closer and saw that the edges of the ruffles weren't finished, meaning the shirt would maybe survive one wear before it started to shred. and at $40, i'd expect at least a few wears from it before it crashed & burned.

the lace t-shirts were cute, and there was a cardigan with lace trim that i liked....but there were also t-shirts that looked like they'd had a bad run-in with a bedazzler. (and PS, yes, you can still buy those).

all in all: if you're 15, you might be able to pull off the REALLY short minis, but you're not going to like the lace stuff, as it has a little bit of an old-lady vibe. if you're 30, you have no business wearing any of it. if you're somewhere in between, well, it's your money, but the quality was really poor...even given that it's target. i'm not expecting couture, but this is ridiculous.

item of the day: hot pink heels!

i know, i know....we have a long trek of winter ahead before it's time for spring. but seriously, wouldn't the wait be just a little bit easier with these waiting for you in your closet??

on sale at letrainbleu (scroll down a bit) for a paltry $39. now if only i could squeeze my feet into that size 10!

incidentally, well worth taking a look at the rest of their sale shoe collection as well....there are some lovely deals to be found!

item of the day: juice beauty

okay, i know i don't normally post about beauty products.....the truth is, i don't use many of them. my skin is crazy sensitive and not terribly prone to anything damaging (knock on wood), which means i basically subsist on cetaphil.

but i recently read something about a product called 'antioxidant serum' by juice beauty. and for some reason, it intrigued me enough that i decided i had to try it.

and the craziest thing - i absolutely love it!

now, i'm not normally one to go in for organics, but i'm pretty impressed. according to sephora, this stuff:

....addresses the signs of stress and environmental damage on the skin by helping to protect and rebuild collagen, regenerate skin cells and rehydrate-leaving skin healthy, revitalized, and glowing. Delicate, certified organic oils regenerate and nourish with essential vitamins and minerals; nettle purifies and tones; green tea extract and vitamins A and E liposomes fight free radicals, while essential oils of Bulgarian rose and rosewood inspire love, peace, and serenity.

i don't know about that last bit, but the thing i love about it is that it's probably the first time in my life that i've used a skin product and actually noticed that it was doing something. my skin is definitely glowier than normal, at least, and it just feels happier than usual. now if only it could magically reverse the aging process, i'd be hooked for life.

if you're intrigued, you can buy it here for $45 (another thing i love about it - no $200 miracle cures for me, thank you), or i also saw this cute little travel set that would be a great way to try out more of their products, at a very reasonable $29.

item of the day: a splash of color

on my afternoon work slump browse through nordstrom.com, i stumbled across this little beauty. for the money (under $200), i just love this bag. sapphire blue is quickly becoming a really popular color for accessories, and for good reason: as we enter the season of grey, black and white, if you don't accessorize with color, you're going to look just as blah as the weather will be making you feel.

holiday gift ideas part 1: slippers

as many of you know, i sometimes use this blog as my version of a "wish list" for those who might want to buy me lovely gifts. might i suggest you do the same? it's worked out quite nicely for me (hello, purple shoes!) ;) so, since it's been such a roaring success in my life, i thought maybe the rest of you could use some help with your gift list...either giving or receiving.

so, let's start with slippers: talk about a traditional gift. but there are quite a few options out there this year that are really fabulous, and certainly deserve to be on your list. i know they're on mine!


first up are these darling little numbers from one of my personal favorites, marc jacobs. not cheap, at $235, but honestly, i think they almost don't qualify as slippers, i mean, really...i know i'd wear these everwhere in the winter. i'm afflicted with permanently freezing feet, so the thought of getting to run around town in shearling is highly attractive to me.


next up are these adorable cashmere slippers from banana republic. yes, i said cashmere. and lined in cashmere, too....talk about yum! they come in all sorts of colors, but i really like the grey pinstripe. hmm, or the red.....and the black is great too..... :) and only $68 at your friendly neighborhood banana republic store.



now let me be clear before i even begin this next suggestion. i don't like uggs. for those of you that do, sorry...but they're called "ugg" for a reason. that said....i will admit to some sideways glances and slight covetousness coming over me when i'm completely freezing, and i see someone whose feet are obviously toasty warm inside her large, clunky, unattractive, ugg boots. fortunately for my fashion sense and my cold toes, i've found a solution! these ugg slippers (only cute in the 'coffee' color shown here, thank you) carry all of the yummy warmness, and none of the "ugg" for which i so despise the rest of the line. $85 at the official ugg site, or i'm sure they'll pop up at a retailer near you just in time for the holidays.

so, there's a start for my, er, your holiday wishlist....stay tuned, as i'm sure the list will get longer :)

tag....you're it!

okay, okay, i know - i've been a very negligent blogger this week. but i've actually had to work! i know, the nerve. anyway, as penance, i'm finally finishing this blog entry that i started weeks ago, but never got around to completing.

six random facts:

once tagged by this entry, the assignment is to write a blog entry of some kind with six random facts about yourself. then, pick six of your friends and tag them; no tag backs. this explanation should be included. (and for those of you without blogs, myspace counts)

1. i graduated from high school at 16, college at 19 and law school at 23. wow, that still sounds exhausting!

2. as much as i adore shoes of all shapes and sizes (well, unless they don't come in my size), i'm pretty sure i hate wearing heels. love the way i look in them, though...talk about a catch 22 :)

3. i think peanut butter is an absolute necessity when eating french toast or pancakes. but not on waffles....that's gross.

4. i will pay whatever something costs...but i refuse to pay shipping. seriously, it's like an illness. i'll spend hours on the web, searching for a free shipping code, because i'm that opposed to paying for it. i mean, if i want to buy something from you, you should be more than happy to send it to me for free, right?

5. i am the least decisive person i know (okay, besides my friend kim, but she doesn't read this blog). i can almost always narrow a decision down to 2 options, but can almost never decide between those two. chicken or fish can be a 4-hour debate in my house. someday, i hope to be rich enough that i don't have to choose :)

6. before i went to law school, i was actually going to be a writer. then, i realized exactly how much a writer makes when they're getting started (at that time, under $20,000/year), and figured that was never going to finance my expensive taste :) but now, i have a blog, so i still get to feed the writing bug a little.

okay, who's next? feel free to post a link to your response in the 'comments' section.

item of the day: rafe....for target?!

it's true...target has added a handbag maker to their list of "design on a dime" big-name designers.

for those who aren't familiar, rafe (pronounced RAH-fee, if you were wondering) is a designer that has only been around for a few years, but has managed to make quite a splash. his "regular" bags retail in the $400-600 range, and he's known for using a lot of hardware and a lot of fabulous color, while still keeping the bags useful. and, at least this year, he's been pretty much all about patent leather. unfortunately, i'm rarely (if ever) willing to pay a boatload for a patent leather bag, because most of them are coated with plastic to get the 'patent' finish anyway, so i always have a hard time justifying the cost.

but $49.99?? sign me up!!

as with most of their designer collections, the rafe for target collection is a little 'hit and miss'. the hobo style, for example, is quite large, and really fat on the ends, which annoyed me. and the little clutch, while darling, is highly impractical - it closes with 2 snaps, which are not magnetic, which translates to needing 2 empty hands every time you want to close your clutch. not my fave.

however, i loved the cream satchel and the black doctor bag....very impressive! and they're perfect bad-weather bags, since they're PVC. moreover, i have to say, i'm more impressed with the quality of this line than i have been with any other 'designer' line at target. little details really make this bag a bargain - a great lining, exterior pockets and zippers that are functional (not just decorative), well-stitched, padded handles (so they don't look cheap), metal feet to protect the base of the bag....as martha would say, it's a good thing.

according to target.com, the bags won't ship for 2-6 weeks. but they're available now at stores...though i had to hit 2 to find the black bag. so, i'd recommend rushing out straight away and nabbing one (or two) while you still can!

happy hunting!

yay or nay: kate spade 'mala'

not sure how i feel about these. part of me wants to applaude kate for returning to her funky, creative roots, as i've been missing the days of her crazy patterns and cheery styles. but another part of me is wondering how the combination of upscale/classic details with such a funky, downtown print (and did you notice, the bags are haircalf??) is going to fly with her devotees.

so, what do you think...yay or nay??

new site: piperlime

wow, gap inc is really going crazy with launching new stores...first forth and towne, and now this?

piperlime is shoes only, and they're taking after the zappos model with a "free shipping & free returns" policy (which i adore). prices are actually pretty reasonable, though they do run the gamut. they're not selling private label (ie, banana republic or gap brand) shoes - a quick review of the site scored me a few irregular choice selections, a delman, and even an isaac mizrahi.

why i'm excited: i can use my banana republic card, and since we all know about my shoe fetish, this is about to mean rewards galore for moi. plus, another shoe store is always good news, right? and this store is definitely long on options...i searched for my shoe size (a very hard-to-find size 11), and found more than 300 pairs in the 'boots' section alone. impressive.

in all, it's actually a pretty eclectic, hip collection...not at all what i would have expected from stores that generally stick pretty close to the status quo. should make for some interesting browsing, at least :) oh, and if you do decide to do more than browse, you can take 10% off with code "TREAT" through the end of this year. have fun!

designer of the day: tiffini dooris

i received an email from one of my favorite jewelry designers yesterday, and it reminded me that i hadn't yet shared her with you all. her name is tiffini dooris, and the thing i really love about her is that she does such a great job of straddling the line between elegant and trendy. and, it doesn't hurt that her pieces are actually affordable, generally in the $50-150 range.

some of my favorite pieces right now are the black agate ring and gold circle earrings (which are much smaller than the pic makes them look, at about a 1/2" diameter) - they're just fun, classic pieces that i think would work for anyone. but i'm particularly loving this necklace of rough-cut sapphires...while it's a little outside her normal price range, it's still a steal at $350. also available with emeralds or rubies.

if you fall in love with her as much as i have, you can take 20% off anything on her site through 11/1 with code TDJ1006. happy shopping!