I Love You, Please Come Home With Me

The classic Frye Campus boot revamped with a wedge heel. Heavenly. Campus Caroline $398

Hello Gorgeous!

Juicy Couture has done some magically delicious spectator pumps for fall. The Elle is available in gold and cream (to die for) and gunmetal and black (very wearable).

Net-A-Porter styled them with D&G skinny trousers and sheer black top and an Anya Hindmarch bag. Love it so much it hurts.

Elle spectators are about $320 at Juicy or Net-A-Porter.

Happy Independence Day!

Old Navy Print Halter Dress $24.50

Ray Ban Wayfarer $95

Lux Colorblocked Sailor Swimsuit $98

Mikey Pave Double Star Necklace $38.93

Havaiana Lighthouse Top Flip Flops $20

CC Skye Gold & Enamel Bangles $198

Excellent Skechers Coupon

Take 25% off a pair of Skechers, plus receive Free Shipping, until July 31st by using coupon code 77SWEEP. Click here to shop the Skechers website.

Nibble On This Pair Of Mousy Flats

I have never seen anything like these Marc by Marc Jacobs ballet flats. They have a whimsical mouse detail sketched onto the leather of the shoe. At first glance I though it was stitched into the leather, but it seems to be printed on the shoe. There's a little nose, eyes, whiskers and even a tail curling around the heel of the shoe. They are definitely unusual. Not sure if I would venture to wear them, even though I would loooovvvee to own anything from the Marc by Marc Jacobs line.

You can nibble a pair of these ballet flats at Piperlime for $250. They also come in black and red.

Rope In Classic Summer Style

I love clothes and accessories that have rope elements as part of their construction. I know the whole nautical thing is over and done, and I'm fine with that; I was never that into anchor motifs anyway, but I do love slighty yacht-y, nantucket-ish rope details. It's a look that works every summer, I think, whether nautical is in style or not.

Below are a few knotty pieces that look cool and crisp for summer. Just don't wear it all at once. If you're wearing rope sandals, don't carry a rope handled bag. If you're wearing a rope-tied halter, don't carry a rope-handled bag. That's my rope accessory advice, for what it's worth.

Milly Drawstring Halter Dress $294 at Bergdorf Goodman

Triton by Tufi Duek silk charmeuse 'Amanda' rope halter

$180 at Bluefly

Women's Rope T-Strap Sandals $19.50 at Old Navy

Roped Charm Bracelet $18.00 at Urban Outfitters

Cotton Rope Belt $10 at Amici Accessories

Cynthia Rowley for Target Clear Tote Bag $14.99

Cute Shoes At A Cute Price

These Alchemy Shell Sandals at Urban Outfitters are only 28 bucks. They look like quite like more expensive shell sandles I've seen from brands like Mystique. Snap these up before they're gone...

Nicky Hilton Loves Her...

Matt Bernson gladiator sandals. She has been seen out and about wearing these sandals in LA and NYC. They look great on her, and I love that they are not soooo over the top with the gladiator thing.

Thanks to my email subscription from Who What Wear Daily, I can tell you that her top is Tea & Honey’s Camomile Tea Leaf Print top and her bag is Devi Kroell. I love this look, it's so California.

Again, I love her look here. The print dress looks so cute with the gladiator sandals.

Nicky really knows how to put together SoCal warm weather outfits, pairing shorts with breezy tops and fitting in her favorite sandals.

Nicky's black Matt Bernson gladiator sandals are available at Singer22 for $175. ShopIntuition has them in Rum and Gold.

Steal or Splurge?

These beautiful Giuseppi Zanotti patent leather T-strap sandals with a purple satin flower will set you back $550. If you love the look but don't want to shell out the bucks, try one of these styles:

These Steven by Steve Madden Blosommm satin things with flower detail are very nearly an exact copy of the Giuseppi Zanotti sandals, and I'm OK with that. Giuseppi Zanotti may not be, but that's between him and Steve Madden, For me the all black is actually more wearable. And at $79.95 the price is definitely easier on the pocketbook.

The SamEdelman Perrin is a multi-colored silk thong with purple satin flower adornment. They are quite a bit different from the Zanotti and the Steve Madden, but the purple flower gives the same feel as the expensive sandal. Again, at $79 these will be a cute but less expensive sandal for the summer months.

If you want to splurge on the Giuseppe Zanotti sandals, call 305-868-0133 for stores.

Steal Carrie Bradshaw's Look

Carrie's iconic dress from the Sex and the City movie is a vintage frock altered by Patricia Field and there is a waiting list for the $770 Dior Extreme Gladiator Platforms worn in the movie, but don't fret. You Sex and the City fans can score Carrie's look without searching vintage stores or shelling out the big bucks.

This ASOS Corsage One Shoulder Dress echoes Carrie's custom vintage look very nicely. It's a steal at only $82.19.

While you're waiting for your Dior Extreme Gladiator Platforms to come in, you can sub these Candice Gladiator Platforms from Bakers. Only $69.95.

What To Wear Now

The pefect summer outfit can be had for under $100 thanks to the teen shopping emporium Delia's. I'm a bit out of the Delia's targeted age range, but sometimes they have deals so great that I really can't help myself.

Pair the Gabriella multi-print maxi dress for $49.50 with the Blowfish Maraposa sandal for $42 and you've got yourself an outfit to wear all summer long. And I know it rings up at just under $100, but if you factor in the $10 Delia's coupon I found at Retail Me Not with a 92% success rate you're looking at an even better deal.

I love the Delia's maxi dresses because they're not quite as maxi as some of the other dresses I've tried on (and purchased). They don't brush the floor or necessitate 4 inch wedge heels. The print on the Gabriella is understated and versatile. And the Maraposa sandals are in a pared down gladiator style which is so in right now, but the little metal studs give them a bit of an edge. Love love love this outfit.

Try coupon code DWFGIFT for $10 off at Delia's until 5/31/08. And if that one expires check back at Retail Me Not for updated codes or try Coupon Cabin.

Adorable New Robeez Sandals

Robeez are my favorite shoes for babies and young toddlers. They are comfortable, easy to put on, and they stay on better than socks alone. My older daughter didn't start walking until I put Robeez on her and they gave her the traction to feel secure on her feet. Not to mention all of the adorable designs that make these leather booties so distinctive.

Now Robeez has gone glam with their infant sandals. In addition to the basic pink, white, and brown, they are now available in gold and metallic pink. So cute! These will add a luxe detail to any adorable infant outfit. $27.95 at the Robeez website. Check them out here...

Give 'Em Up Russell Crowe

The gladiator sandal movement has taken the accessories world by storm this spring. Gladiators are everywhere, in leather, vinyl and jelly, high heel and low, in every color imaginable. Here are a few of my favorites:


Urban Outfitters Braided T Strap Sandal $38
You can always find a great buy on a trend item at Urban Outfitters. These are simple and versatile.

MIA "Goddess" on sale for $52.99 at Overstock

These MIA's have a definite Gladiator look about them. They are available at a lot of sites, but Overstock had the best price.

Lauren by Ralph Lauren "Beth" $120 at Piperlime
These are a Rachael Zoe pick at Piperlime. I like the dark color.

Nine West "Heech" $89 at Amazon

I noticed these in an email from Who What Where Daily. They are probably the best deal of the bunch. Heech comes in several different colors and would be perfect with a bright maxi dress.

Bally "Benn" $395 at Net-A-Porter
File these Bally's under my wish list. I love the simplicity and construction, but the price tag is out of my range.

I Kiss And Make Up With Nine West

In a recent post I mentioned that I hadn't shopped at Nine West for a while due to poor customer service. I was contact by Robyn, a lovely woman who happens to be the VP of retail marketing for Nine West, and I am happy to say that we have resolved our differences. Thanks to Robyn's kindness and effort I will definitely be resuming my relationship with my local Nine West store. I give Nine West credit because I have a small (but growing) little blog here with a small pool of readers, but they took the time to reach out to me and look into the issue I was concerned about, even though they didn't have to. Thanks again to Robyn for the emails and effort. I really appreciate it.

Cute Shoes Can Be Comfortable

I was in Marshall's recently looking for a pair of black shoes and ran across a cute pair of Rampage peep-toe slingbacks. I knew I would be able to wear them with almost anything and they were a great price at $29.99 so I snapped them up.

I am so glad I did because they have turned out to be the most comfortable pair of heels that I own. No toe squish, no heel pain. They are not too high, but they look great with jeans or a skirt.

They must be from at least this past fall, because they were at a Marshall's discount store, but if you can find a pair, you can't go wrong. The style name is Caroline (which coincidentally is the name of my first-born). I have seen them in black and brown at Gotham City Online, but sizes seem to be going fast so type quickly!

They'll Call You Twinkle Toes

I can't believe I'm posting something from Nine West here on the Shopaholic, but I can't help myself. I've boycotted all things Nine West since last year when I had a bad experience at a local store which was exacerbated by the corporate office, but here I am, showing you these adorable Nine West sandals. They are the KellyAnna, and they come in lots of colors, but I like the gold with clear crystals. They are too cute. $55 at Zappos, $49 at Piperlime, or $49.95 at endless. If you buy $80 worth of Nine West sandals at endless they'll take $20 off with no coupon code required. Plus free shipping both ways. Can't beat that with a stick.

Hot Deal Alert!

These adorable gold braided gladiator style sandals are only $16.50 at Old Navy. That's a steal! Perfect for warm weather with dresses and shorts.





Women: Women's Metallic Braided Sandals - Gold

Foot Petals Kick Dr. Scholls @#$%

OK, I have serious issues with foot scrunch. You know, you're wearing your most adorable and flattering high heels and everything seems OK when you're strutting around in your closet, but 30 minutes into a party your foot starts to throb. Or sometimes it will slip out of the back of your shoe when you walk. Or the back strap slides down (Thanks Banana Republic for two pairs of espadrilles that I can't wear because the straps won't stay up). Or the ball of your foot begins to hurt in such a way that your eyes water with each step you take. You name the type of scrunch, it's happened to me.



That's why I am so excited about Foot Petals. I wish I had known about these fabulous products sooner. They are Dr. Scholls meets Sex and the City. Foot petals are little shoe cushions designed to work discreetly with high heels. There are shapes and sizes designed to counteract every type of foot crunch that a stiletto heel can cause.


Foot Petals also has several other products that offer solutions for all those annoying issues that pop up with high heels. Ever taken sand paper to the bottom of your shoes because you were afraid you would slip and fall on slippery new soles? Apply Sole Stopperz to the sole of your shoe and you will never slip around in your new kicks again.


A basic set of Tip Toes or Haute Heels Foot Petals are $6.95. Or you could pick up a gift set like the Sole Solutions pack that comes with everything you need to keep your feet perfectly cushioned through a long day or wild evening out for $29.95.
Seriously, check these out. Available at Nordstrom, Dillards, David's Bridal, Zappos, or at the Foot Petals website.

My Secret Shame

I have two addictions that I am a slave to. The first is coffee. I love coffee, I do. I wish I didn't love it so much, but I can't help myself. I could spend an entire post babbling about coffee, but this post is about the other driving force in my life.

The second monkey on my back is Havaiana flip flops. I cannot live without them. I love flip flops, or any type of thong-style sandals, anyway and wear them most of the year to the exclusion of almost anything else. But with my discovery of Havaianas my love for the flip flop teetered over into obsession.

A couple of years ago I went to Hawaii for a wedding while I was 8 months pregnant with my second daughter. I ordered a couple pairs of Havaianas to take with me; a pair of basic white Top and a pair of black wedges with a crystal embellishment. When I put those cushiony rubber flip flops on my swollen pregnant feet I knew I had found my soul mate. Or I guess, sole mate. It was instant love. The footbed of a Havaiana is thick, soft rubber that is much more comfortable than a flip flop from someone like Old Navy or Target. And the price is right. They start at $15 for the basic Top, other styles range from about $20 to $60. If you love the bling, there are many designers embellishing the flip flops and selling them for up to $150.

The website for Style West, the exclusive USA Havaianas distributor, says that a Japanese style sandal known as The Zori was the inspiration for the creation of the Havaianas sandal in 1962. The name Havaianas (pronounced ah-vai-YAH-nas) is Portuguese for Hawaiians. The addictive nature of these flip flops is largely due to a 46-year old secret rubber formula, which makes them butter-soft, bouncy, flexible and durable. They are designed, marketed and manufactured by Sao Paulo Alpargatas S.A.

Havaianas come in styles for men, women and kids. The styles, colors and designs seem to be ever expanding. Every time I go to the Style West website there are new designs. Women's designs include the original Top, which is the basic flat style that comes in many colors and designs like Summer, Camo and Retro. Also available right now are the High Look 2 3/8" wedge in basic colors and metallics; the Slim, which has a thinner footbed and strap, in various metallics and designs; and the Flash, a style that puts a spin on the famous V-strap design, by weaving the strap across the first toe and crossing it over the top part of your foot. In the past there have been mid-rise wedges on the Style West site, but at the moment it looks like they are not available. If you want true Havaiana comfort, you will only get it in the Top. The other styles are cute and also comfy, but not in the blissful way that the Top is.

<