Month: May 2012

Shoe Focus – Manolo Blahnik Fiocam Mary Jane

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

What can I say that isn’t already obvious when you look at this shoe?

It’s Manolo Blahnik, my favorite designer.

It’s a patent mary jane, one of my favorite styles.

It’s got an adorable bow.  I can’t resist a cute bow.

But it’s the combination that makes it irresistible!

Manolo has taken his power shoe – the urban shoe legend, no less  – the Campari, and evolved it.  The heel is not as overtly sexy.  It’s a bit lower and more walkable.

And adding the peek-a-boo window and a sweet bow… now you have sweet and sexy.

Of course I got them!

Manolo Blahnik Fiocam… get them at Saks!

PSA – Find This Dog A Home

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

We found this sweetie yesterday and are now trying to get him a great home.  Sweet young boy pup.  About 1 – 2 years.  Knows “sit” and is super in the crate.  He slept in the crate overnight with no barking or messes.  A sweet love that deserves a good home.  He’s a bit skinny but won’t get too big.  I’d say he’s about 40 pounds right now.

Contact me via FB, Twitter or a comment here if you know someone in NC or surrounding areas who wants to add to their family.

Trenched in with Kate Spade

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

One thing was made clear to me on my trip to San Francisco… I need a new stylish trench.

I have a vintage red trench, which is admittedly fabulous, but my more neutral tan one is horrid.  Its an old-old old, shapeless and marked up coat from the Gap that really has no redeeming qualities at this point other than I don’t care if it gets more messed up. But if I’m going to be traveling for work or some place decent, I need a decent coat.

And Kate Spade’s Topliner Trench fits the bill and suits my style to perfection.

I’ve been smitten with this coat for a few months now but, in trying to be somewhat frugal, I passed it up and its original $698 price tag.



But even though I tried to stop thinking about it, the bold piping and Florence Broadhurst lining still never left my mind.

    And, lo and behold!  When I checked back, it was 50% off.  Plus I had a 15% off discount as well,  
    making this lovely trench within my budgeted price range!

I am soooo excited to wear this sweetie.  I have more trips coming up (look out NYC!) and it’s going to be the perfect accompaniment to my adventures.

A Quick Journey West

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

SURPRISE!!!  
I’ve been traveling again!

Okay, maybe that’s not a surprise given the fact that I’ve been all over the place lately but this time I was back to the west coast and my favorite city… San Fran!

I actually had an opportunity to see outside… heck I even had time to go outside.  I ate at the great vegan restaurant Millennium, which was delish.

I stayed at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins in Nob Hill, which was a great location.  I’ve stayed over by Golden Gate Park before but this was way more central… and totally stunning.

My room overlooked the front entrance and I could hear the cable cars pinging away, which was so fun.  If you have the chance, go to the top floor restaurant, Top of the Mark, for some of the best 360-views in the city.

 Shockingly, I did get the chance to have a bit of a day off, so a colleague and I drove over the bridge to see Muir Woods.

Most of the walking path is a boardwalk or paved, so it’s an easy stroll but we felt that was not enough. We took the shortest “hike”path which was about two miles and very easy.  Of course I had not planned to be hiking on this trip so I got a few side eye looks the gold sequin flats I was hiking in.

 Afterwards we went to eat at San Rafael’s delicious Sol Foods.  Well worth the drive and some of the best Puerto Rican food ever! I’m totally starving right now and wish I had more.

And a trip to San Francisco isn’t complete without a bit of shopping.  We popped into the Union Square DSW and were greeted with a huge display of The Shoe Girl’s Ce Ce L’amour shoes.  I was so excited to see them in real life!  They are just as cute as you’d imagine too.

 I ended up with two pairs of the tall version of my ruffly Betsey Johnson Llola boots.  The tall style is called Rallly and I had to get both the tan and the black pairs.

Then it was back home.  Whew!

By the way, when I wore the Chie Mihara Stratosphere mary janes, I got tons of compliments.  One lady came up to me twice and even had me write down the name and where I got them.  They were super comfortable for trudging through airports and walking throughout San Francisco too.

But, all said, I’m glad to be back!

Talent, Style and Inspiration – a Fascinator Story

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

I’m not sure if I’ve expressed this before, but I love love LOVE hats and fascinators and hair accessories of all kinds.

And I love that the lovely Kate Middleton is bringing them back in a big way.  And my absolute favorite thus has been the vibrant red straw fascinator with the maple leaves that she wore in Canada.  Obviously she is gorgeous, but the combination of the jaunty design and wearing angle, striking color and outfit pairing made it perfect.

I had to have it!

So I did a bit of research and found that the creator was Sylvia Fetcher of milliners Lock & Co.  Right away I gave them a call and was promptly told that this piece was custom made for the Duchess and not for sale.  Darn royals!

But lucky for me, I also have access to a custom milliner – my very talented friend Mary of Pretty Good Things.  So, we discussed a plan – we wanted something equally striking, red with maple leaves, but it had to be inspired by, not a knockoff.  Different shape and materials and her unique vision led Mary to create a little masterpiece just for me.

Isn’t it stunning!?!?  I don’t even have it yet but I’m so excited to wear it!

What’s great about the process is that she shared her vision and progress with me throughout.  I was able to select the overall color (in case I wanted something other than red), how I wanted to wear it, and even placement of the lining and embellishments.
In the end I ended up with a beautiful piece that will be so much fun to wear, as pretty as the inspiration piece but one that has a personality of it’s own.  And that is what’s great about working directly with artists of all types!
By the way, I’m not a huge royal family watcher, but have to admit, I love Kate and Will as a couple.  They both seem so gracious and equally in love with and comfortable with each other.  I just watched this video of them from their Canada outing and they seem sweet.  I guess I’m a fan!

Ensemble du Jour – 5-15-12

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

I love wearing a professional outfit but in a fun colorful way.  JCrew is making that happen by having their pencil skirts available in the best patterns. I’ve bought blue and white seersucker, red and this great garden floral sourced from a vintage wallpaper pattern.

I paired it with a navy 3/4 sleeve blazer and my sweet green gingham Miu Miu slingbacks.

Bright and super happy!!!  This combo is totally me – classic shapes but in a fun quirky way.

Candy Evolved

Posted on by Shoe Daydreams

Last summer I was a big fan of the Furla Candy bags which came out in a whole array of bright and saturated colors and combinations.  This summer they’ve continued to evolve the line with glitter and fun embellishments included wicker, stitching and metal. 

But Furla hasn’t stopped there.  Now their line includes a range of shoes, some with the same “Candy” rubber.

I love the pale pink pumps with the delicate brown bows.  Cotton candy and caramel!!!

The heels retain the embossed stitching and attention to detail that make the bags so coveted as well.

The Candy pumps are $178, but make sure to check out the full collection!