Sweet Valley High

I recently read that there’s a Sweet Valley High movie in the works. They better not screw it up! Growing up, I adored Sweet Valley High books. I honestly think I read every single one, including the special editions that told the story of the Wakefield family. I was an Elizabeth fan—Jessica was kind of skanky. I remember the whole gang—Bruce (total hottie), Enid (poor girl was saddled with such an unfortunate name), Lila, Todd, Winston, etc.
I was delighted to find a Wikipedia page devoted to Sweet Valley High books. It contains character descriptions and book plots. I spent the better part of a work day reading it and reminiscing.

Purseless Pursuits

So I recently stumbled across The Secret Keeper. It’s another product from the As Seen on TV family (think Ped Egg and Bumpits). I purchased a set of Bumpits and totally heart them, by the way.
The Secret Keeper is a nifty little pouch that slips in your bra and comes in three colors (nude, white, and black). While the prospect of being able to hit the bar, go to a sporting event, or exercise outdoors hands free is exhilarating, how classy can one look digging a credit card out of their bosom? Furthermore, for The Secret Keeper to be indispensable to me it would also need to hold my cell phone. I’m thinking this is not an option unless looking like you have a large, square growth on your breast doesn’t faze you.

The Daily Shoe

Although these shoes are a pastel green, they scream “fall” to me with their tapestry covered heel. I love all the different aspects of this shoe—the mint green hue, the sweet bow, and the rich colors of the tapestry. I also adore the leopard print lining—such a contrast to the rest of the shoe! Because I loved them at first sight (and because they were on sale), I also bought a taupe color.

Fall, Y’all!

After indulging in some shopping this past weekend, I am so excited for fall! Every store I went in was stocked with fall fashions. For many reasons, fall has always been my favorite season—a drop in temperature, college football, turning leaves and amazing fashion. I noticed a lot of plaid and boots galore. I picked up a few key pieces—a button down plaid shirt, a corduroy vest, and a brown leather hobo bag. I also snagged an adorable little denim dress that will take me into fall and then right back into warmer weather. I can pair it with colored tights (another fall fave) and boots in cooler temps and bare legs and platform sandals next spring and summer. So inspired was I by all this fall-ness, I promptly headed to my favorite nail place for an inky purple pedicure. Sure, we’re still sweating it out here in Atlanta but I’ll be prepared come fall!

The Daily Shoe

I scored these precious heels at a total bargain! There’s so much going on with them—the mustard yellow hue, the lace inset, the patent bow, and the trio of colors hugging the peep toe—that I’ll likely pair them with a neutral colored dress.

My Must List

I’m loving rich suedes, jewel tones, and studs (of the male variety, too!) for fall.

The Daily Shoe

The combo of the navy blue and white stripes with the brown leather accents cheers me right up and makes me feel a touch nautical. The peep toe and patent leather heel are the perfect finishing touches.

The Daily Shoe

Can we talk about how much I adore these shoes? I’ve had them for probably a year now but today is only about the third time I’ve blessed my feet with them. I feel like they’re so specially adorable they should only be freed from their shoebox and worn occasionally. They’re made of a deep turquoise silky fabric with lavender piping. A piece of what appears to be patent leather is woven across the top of the foot and results in a dainty bow. These shoes are so fabulous that you could pair them with a simple white top or dress. They will compete with whatever you have on, so I don’t ever wear them with anything super special.

Recessionista Fashionista

Even before this recession, I was always looking for a bargain or a way to save a buck. I love coupons and I’m on every e-mail list imaginable. So in light of the economy, I thought I’d post a few ways to save money. I’ll try and do this every so often.
I think we women should splurge occasionally and pamper ourselves—think a pedicure or massage. I get an amazing $22 pedicure that lasts three to four weeks. If you find someone good, you don’t have to go as often. A lot of my friends drop some serious money on their hair. I’ll admit that my haircuts are pricey but the girl that does my hair “gets” it and that’s why I see her and only her. Also, I don’t go so often that it becomes expensive. Where I do save money is on my highlights. In my opinion, highlights can’t really be screwed up. And if they are, they can be corrected. Whereas, if you get your hair cut and hate it, you just have to wait for it to grow back out. So, I get my highlights done at the Aveda Institute here in Atlanta. I think I pay about $40 (as opposed to $100-$200) and I’ve never had a bad experience. You might be there a little longer than if you went to a salon and saw a pro but the money I save makes it all worth it. There’s also a Paul Mitchell school here and prices there are about the same as at Aveda. Of course both schools also do haircuts and those go for about $15.
I’m a big fan of massages. They’re a real treat, but they can also be real expensive! Recently I discovered two massage schools right here in Atlanta where you can get a one hour massage from $25-$40. That is such a bargain! One of the schools even does facials and body treatments. If any of you want specific contact information for any of these schools, just let me know and I’ll be happy to provide it!

Rollasole

File this under “Why didn’t I come up with that?” Rollasole is a company that installs vending machines in clubs that dispense inexpensive flats! Say you’re out on a Friday or Saturday night at your favorite bar or club. You likely have on three or four inch heels (I know I do) but if parking is anything like it is here in Atlanta, it’s a trek to and from the lot. I usually keep a pair of flip flops in my bag and slip on my heels at the last possible moment. Of course flip flops can be bulky so the great thing about these flats is that they roll up making them even more bag- or clutch-friendly! An added bonus is that these are obviously cuter than flip flops! The vending machines are currently only in the UK but you can purchase a pair via their website.

Gossip Girl fashion coming to a Target near you

So this fall Target is debuting a line of clothes inspired by Gossip Girl and designed by Anna Sui. My inner tween just shrieked in delight! I can see it now—miniskirts and booby-baring tops a la Serena and headbands and anything ruffled inspired by Blair. I can’t wait! XOXO.

Stripper heels=weapons?

Two things here:
1) WTF is a 52 year old woman doing stripping? On second thought, the economy is in the crapper right now. You gotta do what you gotta do.
2) Shoes are not weapons, ladies. They are works of art and should be treated accordingly. Well, maybe stripper heels aren’t works of art. But they’re still not weapons!


http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/National/US_Stiletto_Stabbing.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

Bobbi Blu

Today is a dark day. I’ve discovered that Bobbi Blu shoes no longer exist. They are my absolute favorite shoe label. They are moderately priced (they retail for about $90 a pair) and are totally unique. They are fanciful with a vintage feel and have fun details (colored soles and patterned lining). Originally, they were Kenzie and then at some point they became Bobbi Blu. The first time I saw a pair of Bobbi Blus, I recoiled in horror that someone had blatantly ripped off Kenzie’s style. Then I realized that they were Kenzie, reincarnated. Last time I counted, I had 24 pairs of Kenzie/Bobbi Blu shoes. The shoes in the picture a few posts down (Hello, Kitty) are Kenzie and I always get the most compliments on Kenzie/Bobbi Blu shoes. Well, in checking out their website I noticed the most recent collection they had pictured were Fall 2007. I wasn’t sure if this meant someone was neglectful of the website or if they were actually no longer being manufactured so I found an e-mail address and sent a frantic message inquiring about Bobbi Blu’s fate. I received a response this morning that confirmed my worst fears—Bobbi Blu shoes are no longer being manufactured. The woman didn’t say why. You can’t really find them in stores anymore as the styles most recently made are a year old but I did see several pairs on Overstock.com. Let’s all have a moment of silence for Bobbi Blu.

Bleu Dame

Although this blog was initially created to talk about shoes, specifically my shoes, I love sharing fun finds and upcoming sales. One website I’ve debated on whether or not I want to share is Bleu Dame (http://www.bleudame.com/). Reason being, sometimes I don’t like to share and this website is fab and I want to keep it all to myself. They offer designer knockoff sunglasses (but without the hideous faux logos—like a “G” for the “C” in Coach) at reasonable prices and they’re locally-based which I love. In addition to sunglasses, they also have fun accessories like leggings (think American Apparel), tees, belts, scarves and jewelry. Their web site is fresh and easy to navigate, plus you can see zoomed in views of their offerings. Enjoy!

Handbags can be hazardous to……….macaroons

So I’m a fan of oversized bags. I love them because not only are they aesthetically pleasing but also because they hold all of my junk (a wallet, an FSU cosmetic bag filled with about 30 lipglosses, gum and mints, my camera, the occasional bottle of water and banana, perfume, a brush, a contact lens case and solution, a magazine, perhaps a book, etc.). You get the idea. My current purse of choice is a large cream bag that is more than capable of holding all of my stuff. Well, on Friday I decided that it might be time to downsize. You see, I was at the deli picking up a turkey sandwich. I was at the register preparing to pay. The details are a little fuzzy because I’ve tried forgetting them. All of a sudden my giant, gorgeous bag knocked a plastic box of macaroons off the counter onto the floor. Upon impact, the box’s lid popped open and several macaroons flew out. I felt like a real asshole. I apologized profusely and then wondered to myself if I should offer to pay for them. A kind man who worked there said it was OK and quickly picked up the macaroons. In addition to the cashier and various other employees who witnessed this scene, I’m sure the restaurant patrons saw all of this go down. I quickly decided to make this a to go order and bolted out the door. I’m such a clumsy person by nature so I’ve decided large handbags are not appropriate in certain situations.

Etsy

So my new favorite obsession (besides Rob Pattinson) is Etsy. Etsy, where have you been all my life? I love that people can sell their wares in this magical online marketplace! I especially love trolling the site for unique jewelry (see my earlier post on Out of the Blue) and headbands and other hair accoutrements. I recently discovered Whichgoose (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5649119). I am loving the headbands and little hair combs. Their stuff is so whimsical and fun!

Too Faced

Too Faced (one of my fave beauty brands) is having a huge sale with several items up to 75% off! I love their cheeky packaging and fun colors. I have a couple of their palettes at home that I adore. The sale ends April 6!
http://www.toofaced.com/

Bite me

I’ve totally reverted to a tween thanks to the scrumptiousness that is Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen in “Twilight.” Now when the movie came out back in the fall last year and I saw and heard all the hoopla surrounding it, I didn’t get it. And I thought all those pre-pubescent chicks were ridiculous with their shrieking fits of hysteria. I would have liked to have caught it on the big screen but a) I didn’t have anyone willing to see it with me and b) I wasn’t up to fighting off a pack of rabid 13 year olds at the theatre. So I just kind of forgot about it until it came out on DVD, which was last weekend. I rented it Saturday morning from my local Blockbuster and after meeting some friends for lunch went home to see what all the fuss was about. Consider me converted! I’ve always enjoyed vampire movies so I figured I’d like this one. A few minutes into the movie, I was digging the storyline about Bella (also my dog’s name, so kind of weird for me) being the new kid in town but I was anxiously waiting for the story to develop with the big introduction of Edward Cullen. Finally, he appeared and I was transported back to my middle/high school days of boycraziness and crushes. This guy is absolutely dreamy. Of course as a vampire, he was rocking the superwhite skin and his lips were obviously enhanced with some kind of light lipstick. His hair was styled into a James Dean-ish bouffant. He’s just hot, period. All of that hotness aside, it was genuinely a great movie with an excellent storyline. There was a lot of suspense, action and romance so it pretty much had it all. I enjoyed it so much that the next day I picked up the first two books in the series (which are huge by the way) and a few days later I went to Target and bought the 3 DVD deluxe edition. All of this has me feeling pretty shameful. I am such a tween for getting caught up in the “Twilight” frenzy. Now I can’t wait for the second movie to be released but I’ll have to patiently bide my time until November. I’ve also devoured every piece of information I could find on Robert Pattinson. He’s only 22 (feeling even more shameful) and is British (I’m a sucker for a British accent so that makes him even hotter). Apparently, he’s not a fan of the shower as I’ve read a few quotes from journalists and crew members on how smelly he is. With any other guy, that would be a dealbreaker. But it’s not for R-Patzy-Poo.
By the way, he’s on the cover of GQ this month so of course I read that article (online although it may come as a shock that I haven’t bought the magazine) and stared at the pictures for a good 20 minutes while I should have been working. That’s actually where I ripped the gorgeous photo to the left from. Enjoy!

Hello, Kitty

First of all, my camera phone does not do these shoes justice. But I forgot to snap a picture with my digital camera before I left home this morning. At some point, I want to take a photo of every pair of shoes I own so I don’t have to awkwardly (awkward because if my boss sees me, she’ll wonder WTF I’m doing) snap a picture with my camera phone at work. Or have someone else do it, as is today’s case (mad props to Ericka for getting the best shot possible while crouching on the ground looking crazy).
Anyway, these shoes are divine. They’d kind of a creamy gold color with iridescent turquoise satin bows and accents. They might just be my favorite pair of shoes (or one of them—it’s so hard to pick just one pair). Anyway, a former co-worker once told me they looked like shoes Miss Kitty (of Gunsmoke fame) would wear. Now, I don’t know a lot about Gunsmoke or Miss Kitty’s occupation but I’m hoping she wasn’t like the madam of a whorehouse or something. That might be insulting. But the ladies’ clothes in those old Western movies and TV shows are so fun (even those worn by the whores) so I guess I’m not too insulted.

Out of the Blue

I recently discovered Out of the Blue jewelry via an ad on Facebook (you never know who or what you’ll find on there!). I was immediately drawn to the vintage feel of the pieces. I especially love the Japanese Garden earrings and purchased a pair today. If you check out the owner’s blog (http://outofthebluedesigns.blogspot.com/), she posts specials! I got 25% off today and who doesn’t appreciate that in this economy? Check out her stuff:
http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5181892

Simply genius

So check this out--there is a dress registry web site! You go on and register what dress you're wearing to an event so some other heifer doesn't show up rocking your look.
http://www.dressregistry.com/
I am a little disappointed with the actual look of the site, though.