It's All About the Accessories!

I've really slowed down on buying clothing recently. I have a good mix of clothing and at this point, it's just another pencil skirt, only in a different color, blah blah blah. Instead I've been focusing on accessories, from the mundane (socks and knee-highs) to the exciting (shoes!). Here are a couple of recent purchases.

Manolo Blahnik 90mm BB in navy calf leather, worn with Banana Republic logan navy pants

vintage 1980s Laura Ashley silk scarf, worn with old Banana Republic button-up shirt

Latest -- and Greatest -- Shoes!

It's been a while but maybe I can blog a little more regularly. Here are my latest shoes, which were on sale. Love them!

Balenciaga Lock-Front Sandal, 7 for All Mankind Skinny Jeans, Dior Rouge polish

My New Repetto Tartan T-strap Pumps!

T-strap Pumps by Repetto

The perfect Fall 2013 shoe. Oh yes, you'll be seeing a lot of these beauties.

If You Are Going to Save, Save for This

Gucci 'New Hollywood' Open Toe Platform Pump

$615 at Nordstrom

I could totally wear this shoe: reasonable heel height, peep toe style, perfect leather, silver horsebit embellishment. It's so classic, one could wear it their entire lives. However, at $615, I will never buy this shoe. And I'm OK with that. 

I have a internal compass that limits what I will spend and what I will wear. Chanel, Gucci, Louis Vuitton? I'm not in that league. Where am I going to wear a pair of Christian Louboutins? My next red carpet premiere? 

It's cool. I can still admire and dream about beautiful things like this shoe. It comes in all colors and styles: logo-embossed, 4 inch heel, mule, etc. It's fabulous, and unless I can find it for 90% off like my last "If You Are Going to Save" post, it will remain the stuff of dreams.

Grey and Gold with New White Sandals

sweater by Pink Tartan, knit blazer by Majestic, A-line skirt from LOFT, Belle by Sigerson Morrison sandals

Today I wore this outfit that features light grey, dark grey, white, a touch of yellow at the collar and a touch of gold on my feet. I love my blazer but it is a little formless and saggy.

I have been looking for white leather sandals for two summers now. I wanted a low heel, a non-thong style with lots of coverage that I could wear to work. I think I finally found them, though they are a bit casual with their gladiator style. I will be happy when the ankle-strap shoe trend passes, I think ankle straps make me look shorter and are not always comfortable. Enjoy your day my friends!

Anniversary Kors Shoes

MICHAEL Michael Kors Amelie Mule

It was our 5th wedding anniversary last month, and my husband and I exchange traditional gifts. This year is wood. In a stroke of genius, my husband reasoned that there were wood shoes out there, and got me a gift card to go find them. And find them I did! 

New Tall Boots and Clashing Blues

denim jacket by DKNY Jeans, shirtdress by Calvin Klein, boots by Enzo Angiolini, scarf unknown, Milani Chocolate Sprinkles nail polish

Fall is here, and my closet is full of brown clothing and shoes! Here are a couple of taupe items: a CK shirtdress, and my new tall boots (thanks Mom!). Even my nails are brown (though much darker), beautiful Chocolate Sprinkles with amazing glitter in them. I highly recommend you pick it up,  I am on Day 3 with minimal tip wear. 

The Greatest Shoe Story Ever Told

t-shirt by Splendid, Current/Elliott boyfriend jeans, shoes by Loeffler Randall, Swatch watch, OPI Big Apple Red polish

Guys, guys, guys, you are not going to believe the shoe story I have for you today. Remember this post, where I hopelessly wished I could afford these Loeffler Randall sandals? I said they were worthy of saving up for, but I never did. And good thing: these amazing shoes, in my size, went up for flash sale at MyHabit.com the week before last. The price? Would you believe 90% off, or $35? No saving required. (and they shipped free too). A story with a happy ending.

My Chambray Shirt

Soft-wash denim shirt from Banana Republic, crochet skirt from Wet Seal (old), Naturalizer sandals, Nixon watch

I have been looking for a chambray shirt for a while now. Of course, I have my husband's chambray, but I wanted something a little more fitted. After comparing shirts from Isabella Oliver, J. Crew, and Madewell, I went with this one from Banana Republic. I wanted the denim to be darker and bluer, not a faded wash, because it made the shirt dressier and work-appropriate.

Here I wore it to church with the crochet skirt and these great sandals.

Matt Bernson Black Sandals

Matt Bernson Sandals, OPI On Collins Avenue nail polish

Even though this may seem like a shoes and nail polish blog lately, I assure you it isn't! By the Fall I will be ready to showcase more outfit posts and spiritual musings.

Here is my latest purchase, from MyHabit.com. Can I just praise MyHabit for a second? Every time I order from a flash sale site, I have to pay shipping AND wait like 10 days to get my order. Not MyHabit. I got these shoes 2 days after I ordered them, with FREE shipping. You really can't beat that. 

These strappy leather sandals with a slight wedge heel and tassels on the back are perfectly comfortable for summer work and play!

Another eBay Score: Shoes!

Chloé Pumps

It's on eBay that I find things I didn't know I needed. Case in point: these bone-colored Chloé heels, from Spring/Summer 2007. They were practically new, but have the slightest wear, which brought them down to only $70. The heel height is perfect, and they are unusual enough to be stand out in a crowd.  Thanks eBay!

New Red Sandals

Via Spiga Horizon sandals

I wasn't really looking for red sandals, but stumbled across them on eBay. New, with box, Via Spiga sandals for $10 (+ $10 shipping)? Sold. I have red flats, but no heels, and these tomato-red sandals will go with so many of my pants and skirts. Happy Shoe Hunting, my friends! 

My New Shoes

haircalf giraffe-print heels by Via Spiga

Behold, some new shoes! These are the Mona2 style from Via Spiga. A perfect, comfortable work-height pump that I get compliments on all day long.

Dreaming of Summer with Loeffler Randall

Navajo sandal by Loeffler Randall

The neon trend may have flourished last year, but I am dreaming of neon for this spring and summer! Touches of fluorescent yellow, tomato reds, and hot magenta are what I'm focusing on. When I saw these amazing sandals, also from last year, they spoke to me. Though it's snowing out today in my city, and I love snow, I also can't wait to put these beauties into regular rotation.

If You Are Going To Save, Save For This

Loeffler Randall 

 Rachel Leather Twisted-Strap Sandals

$350 at Saks Fifth Avenue

New Ankle Boots

ankle boots by Donald J. Pilner, dress by Calvin Klein, belt unknown

Yell ANKLE BOOTS in a mall right now and watch all the fashionistas come running! They set my heart pumping and I love almost all I see. These golden tan beauties I found at a high-end thrift store for $65! They are almost new. So, my friends, though it is going to be 88 degrees today, I cannot put off wearing them any longer.

Need Help Cleaning Espadrilles!

lace top from LOFT, cream blazer from Guess, pencil skirt from Banana Republic, Eric Michael espadrilles, Pucci sunglasses, Anthropologie earrings

I love my newish espadrilles, but now the backs of them are all dirty. It may be from driving a stick-shift, they can get rubbed on the car floor. I'm afraid of cleaning the rope/straw surface. If you have any tips, my friends, please let me know in the comments!

Black and Cream with New Heels

blouse by Lela Rose, black bootleg pants by T Tahari, scarf from Express, Franco Sarto Vicar platform heels

For my birthday a few weeks ago, my husband got me an amazing shoe-themed gift bag. In it was the hardcover pop-up book titled Shoe Love, and a shoebox with a Nordstroms gift card inside...for shoes! I finally made it over to the store and chose these comfortable cage platforms. These are the shoes that Calvin Klein Parma never were. They are wonderful and I can't wait to show you more of them. The above is a sneak peek!

My New Espadrilles

Nemo colorblock espadrilles by Eric Michael, tie-front blouse by Nine West, black pencil skirt from Banana Republic, OPI On Collins Ave. nail polish on toes

This was the year to get new black summer sandals. They had to be work-appropriate (no stilettos!), comfortable and about 3". These leather espadrilles were perfect, though they are a little too big. I love the warm grey, it makes them a little more versatile. They are high-quality and I'll be wearing them for summers to come!

My New Oxford Flats

We have camera! Well, sort of. These are taken with my husband's iPhone, we're still working on getting a real working camera after I dropped and broke it. We should be back to our regular outfit posts by the end of this week.

I won these Matisse Gregor oxfords from the excellent blog A Girl's Guide to Shoes. They are a little bit pointy, made of a woven fabric, and are cream or natural-colored. They make my tiny feet look a bit longer, which is a good thing. Have a wonderful day, my friends!