therapeutic thursday: dekkori add-on accessories for shoes

this week's retail therapy comes in the form of turning one pair of shoes into several. that's right – one pair magically = many! 

here's the idea: you have a rather boring pair of sandals or pumps sitting in your closet. you can add this, this or this (all from dekkori) to them:

and instantly, they're jazzed up:

you know, I have to say, I'm not sure how the add-ons would translate in real life.  they might look kind of cheap (not to mention obvious). they also seem a little pricey (the add-ons above are and $130, $92 and $164 respectively).

but for something easy, quick and fun (insert inappropriate joke here), they're great!

have any of you tried spicing up your shoe collection with shoe accessories? how does it turn out?

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camera necklace from ruche

how much do I love this little camera necklace from ruche? (which, by the way, is a great little online shop. perfect if you're looking for unique, feminine fashion on a budget.) the rhinestone lens is adorable! I only wish the chain were about 10 inches longer...

it's $9.99 here.

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well-informed wednesday: melissa shoes + plastic dreams

I'm always impressed when I see product shots that are different from the zillions of other product shots out there, which all seem to run together after a while.

there's no denying that brazilian footwear brand melissa has some pretty "different" product shots (I mean, barbie? come on!):

but the unexpected twists don't stop there. everything the company produces is completely vegan and made of recyclable materials. they've also collaborated with several renowned designers, including vivienne westwood and jean paul gaultier.

want to know more about melissa? check out their march 2011 issue of plastic dreams magazine, which features pop starlet katy perry in rainbow technicolor wearing the brand's scented plastic shoes.

it's the fourth issue of the magazine to be released in brazil, but the first to be released worldwide. katy (an adoring fan of the shoes) graces the inside pages against array of brightly colored, tie-dyed backgrounds.

oh, and don't worry – barbie shows up plenty, too.

all images via new york magazine.

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change to the blog + wedding guest dress?

my dear readers, you know I love shoes. but I also love clothes, jewelry and fashion in the broader sense.

over the past few months, there have been several bits of fashion that I wanted to feature on hip hip shoe-ray, but since they didn't strictly speak to shoes, I decided not to post them.

well, my cup runneth over (it was bound to happen), and increasingly I find myself thinking, "I can't NOT post this!"

so, you'll be seeing more posts that aren't immediately about shoes – but always with the daily shoe feature. I hope you enjoy!

I'll kick things off with a dress that I'm coveting from, you guessed it, anthropologie (always! gaw!). I discovered it while browsing their website in search of something for my cousin's august wedding. I have to say, it was love at first sight...there is no other dress for me (at the moment).

aren't those white embroidered flowers the sweetest thing you've ever seen? and I like how it's fitted through the bodice, but the skirt is nice and flouncy. I'm usually not crazy about strapless dresses, but this one seems to work. (bonus: several of the customer reviews say the elasticized upper back eliminates the muffin top effect beneath the armpits that so often occurs with strapless dresses. yay!)

my only hang-up: while that navy color is gorgeous, it might be too dark for a daytime summer wedding. then again, I could always lighten it up with a white cardigan and some white sandals.

what do you guys think? is this it or should I continue the search?

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tacky or not tuesday: stiletto-heeled flippers from jessica simpson

image via myfashionlife

just in case you think I mixed up two post titles there, lovely readers, I'm here to tell you I did not. as jessica simpson tweeted last week, "scuba gear coming soon for @jscollection heels for every occasion ;)" along with the above photo.

odd. I mean, one of the primary reasons high-heeled shoes exist is to elongate the legs, right? and flippers, well, those things would make even gisele look stocky and squat. (okay, she'd still look amazing. whatever.)

the least jessica could do is make them black! if the photo she tweeted is any indication, they're going to be sea-aqua blue...ick!

yes, my answer to this week's "tacky or not?" is decidedly "tacky." then again, I don't scuba dive.

what about you, dear readers? do you scuba dive? would these heeled flippers come in handy?

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male monday: the perfect sandal?

my boy (space) friend R says he's found the perfect men's flip-flop. mind you, R is not one for hyperbole. the last time I heard him say that something was "perfect," it referred to a burrito in san francisco...three years ago.

so, my ears perked when he told me about these $75 reef sandals. here's what he had to say:

"my search for the perfect flip-flop is over. these sandals fit like a glove from the first time you wear them, and they only get softer with time. the top of the footbed is made of full-grain, topnotch leather, which kind of molds to your foot (almost like that memory foam stuff, but, like, WAY better). I wear these flip-flops everywhere: to the beach, casual friday at the office, running weekend errands, and yes, even on dates."

I have to say, they look pretty darn comfy.

what's your favorite flip-flop, for man or woman? do you have a pair you'd swear by?

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celebrity sunday: kristin davis in miu miu...and a very bright pink dress

image via the stylist site

the former "sex and the city" star wore this eye-catching ensemble to the genesis awards in L.A. last weekend. the dress, embellished with maroon velvet straps and a large maroon velvet bow on the chest, is from oscar de la renta's 2011 pre-fall collection.

though I find the dress to be a little bit...hmmm, I am loving her strappy black miu miu sandals. they'd be perfect for a wedding I'm attending in august (I'll keep dreaming).

do you like her dress? I find it kind of hard to look at! not that I think it's ugly, but the color is really bright and kind of distracting, no?

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feature shoe friday: prada black suede sandals

ah, these black suede sandals from prada are just gorgeous. they range from $580 to $795, so...yeah. but just think, wouldn't they look beautiful and supremely elegant with a simple black dress?

oh, and want to hear something funny? the saks fifth avenue site product page for each pair of shoes states this disclaimer: "due to high demand, a customer may order no more than 3 units of this item every 30 days."

don't worry, saks – I won't! I'm tempted, but I'll show some restraint.

all images via saks fifth avenue.

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louboutin: no heel high enough

though I've seen louboutins a million times (well, in celebrity gossip magazines, anyway), I rarely hear a peep from the designer himself. this interview with CNN gives a glimpse into louboutin's personality, inspiration and career.

my favorite part is the quote at the end, from louboutin: "for me there ain't no high heel high enough."

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therapeutic thursday: target wilona espadrille wedge sandals

target is a dangerous place for me. I can go there "just to browse" and leave with a cart full of stuff that I didn't need, but wanted, and loved. the problem is, each thing costs no more than $20, but when you buy five things, that's $100! poof gone!

last weekend, I had an itch to "just browse" and I actually managed to leave with one lone thing: this pair of $20 espadrille wedge sandals that are so summery, I couldn't resist. I bought the plaid, but I think the other colors are totally cute, too.

do you have any favorite summer sandals?

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well-informed wednesday: paris fashion week

you know, I love shoes of all kinds, but I’m a girl on a budget. I spend more time looking at what I can actually afford rather than what I wish I could. even so, I always find it interesting to peruse high-end shoe fashion. it’s nice to know what the upcoming season holds – and whether I like it.

paris fashion week, held earlier this month, proved to pique my interest for fall 2011. I was particularly impressed by the wide variety of shoes presented – ultra-feminine heels, seriously sexy boots, low heels and even flats graced the runways. some highlights:

lanvin

barbara bui

christian dior

givenchy

jean paul gaultier

stella mccartney

miu miu

alexander mcqueen

alexander mcqueen

oh how I adore lanvin, miu miu and givenchy's creations. which are your favorites (or not-so-favorites)?

all images via new york magazine.

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free shipping on all shoes at nordstrom.com

check out their summer sandals here – they're so fun, colorful and pretty!

I don't know when the offer ends, so ya better jump on it.

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tacky or not tuesday: flower blossom heel

disclaimer: I fell in love with these shoes the moment I saw them, so my answer to this week's "tacky or not?" is most definitely NOT!

that said, I never said my taste was the best out there, and I'm always curious to see what you all, dear readers, consider tacky (or not). what's your opinion on these?

I could see wearing them with a simple black dress to an outdoor dinner party. I especially love the glow of the column heel – so pretty and unique. they'd be great to celebrate this week's arrival of spring. :-)

the one thing I balk at, however, is the price. at $153.99, they seem a little steep. what do you think?

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big favor! technical help, please!

so, I have a favor to ask you guys...if you follow my blog, can you "re-follow" it (i.e. go through the steps of adding yourself as a follower)? I'm having issues with my blog's followers actually showing up on the blog itself. I see all of you lovely people on my blog's dashboard, but on zee blog...no! weird. (and annoying!)

p.s. does anyone else have this problem?

p.p.s. if you don't already follow, I'd love for you to join. :-)

image via

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male monday: pskaufman's tire-welted shoes and boots

what's cool, earth-friendly and will last for the next two decades? pskaufman's goodyear tire-soled footwear, of course.

launched in 2010 by designer paul kaufman, the pskaufman line reflects an appreciation for classic artisanship and shoes that last much longer than their modernly produced counterparts. the soles are made from old tires rescued from landfills and incinerators, while the uppers are full-grain leather.

not to mention, the shoes exude sort of an "untouchably cool" factor that would appeal to even the most discriminating san francisco hipster.

read more here.

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celebrity sunday: christina aguilera's killer shoes

image via the mirror

image via millionlooks.com

christina aguilera has been in the news for a number of reasons lately (getting divorced, being drunk, being drunk and arrested, etc.), but today I'd like to spotlight her for these weapons shoes she wore to the recent launch of NBC's new singing-competition TV show, "the voice." those things are CRAZY! not to mention lethal.

a little much, dear readers? I either love them or I don't. (I think I do.)

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bloggers day of silence for japan

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happy saint patrick's day!

from nike, no less! any big plans tonight that don't involve green beer? 

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therapeutic thursday: payless' jacey clog sandal

I fell in love with this clog sandal that I spotted during a recent "BOGO" sale at payless shoesource. (you know, their BOGO is actually buy one, get one half off...so shouldn't it be "BOGOHO"? that doesn't sound so great!) they're $24.99 and I like the color variety, although I think the ivory/gold-ish color (the third one down) is kind of weird, do you? 

I couldn't decide between the red and the brown, and since it was BOGOHO, well, you know how that story ends up, right? I'm eagerly awaiting their arrival! 

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women's shoe habits in the U.S. (how do you compare?)

I should start out by saying how happy it made me that someone actually took the time, money and effort to conduct this survey. :-)

shopsmart magazine, published by consumer reports, asked 1,009 women in the united states ages 18 and older a variety of questions about their shoe habits. fascinating, let me tell you!

some highlights (and my answers to the questions):

1. about 60 percent of women say they'll put up with painful shoes as long as they think they look good in them. (guilty as charged!)

2. those surveyed said they own an average of 17 pairs of shoes but wear only three pairs on a regular basis. (I'm not sure how many pairs I own, but my steady rotation is definitely higher than three.)

3. they buy three pairs a year and, on average, spend $49 a pair. about 31 percent said they've spend more than $100 on a single pair. (okay, um, I buy way more than three pairs a year, and probably spend more than $49 a pair. I've spent more than $100 on a single pair, but not by a whole lot.)

4. more than 39 percent consider themselves a "shoe person." (I think it's fair to say that I do.)

5. about 86 percent said they're honest with their spouses/significant others when it comes to shoe purchases. the remaining 14 percent admit hiding at least one purchase. (as for me? no comment. :-)

so, how do you compare? will you tolerate painful shoes? do you consider yourself a "shoe person"? are you honest about what you buy?

read the entire survey here.

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well-informed wednesday: jimmy choo celebrates 15 years

it's jimmy choo's 15th birthday year, and my oh my, has the luxury brand come a long way. not only are its shoes a favorite with A-list celebrities, but the company has expanded to include a fragrance, scarves, sunglasses, handbags and luggage, all while maintaining its luxury-brand status.

in an interview with inquirer lifestyle, tamara mellon (the company's founder) describes her heavy involvement with the brand's development since day one. apparently, she handles everything from creative direction to business development.

one of mellon's key mottos, she says, has always been to "feel the fear and do it anyway."

do you think that's a wise motto for living? have you ever felt fearful of something but went ahead with it anyway? how did it end up?

by the way, mellon owns more than 1,000 pairs of jimmy choos (leopard-print styles being her favorite). as for me? here are some of my favorites from jimmy choo's current assortment (aren't the flats with stars adorable?!):

the western for $495

the phoenix for $395 

the quiet for $665

the lucia for $665

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tacky or not tuesday: prada "creeper brogue"

okay, my darling readers, let's conduct an experiment:

this shoe is from kmart. what do you think of it?

image via the sun

and this shoe, this shoe is from prada. what do you think of it?

image via the sun

okay, okay, I know – silly experiment, but after reading that several fashion editors around the world consider the prada creeper the "it" shoe for spring/summer 2011, I had to wonder if the brand name was the sole (no pun intended) driving force behind that.

I mean, this shoe is UGLY (and androgynous, I might add). is it a brogue? a sneaker? an espadrille? they're horrible! (by the way, the answer to this week's question is "tacky." did I mention that these shoes are $900?!)

on the runway, prada paired them with bold, graphic, almost futuristic dresses, which I don't think worked too well, either (although, yay for models not falling down during their walks!):

image via the sun

and the ads make the shoes look fun and airy, light and carefree:

image via blavish

toned-down versions have already hit a few mainstream retailers, like asos/miko's suede lace-up creepers for $135:

you know, prada's creeper got me thinking about high fashion. how often do we follow high fashion trends simply because we're conditioned to? as in, prada says it's cool, therefore, it must be cool. 

my hope is that everyone approaches high fashion as sort of a springboard to think about what his or her own personal style might be. but blind adherence to anything, including high fashion, is a plain ol' bad idea.

what do you think, lovely readers? do you like the prada creeper? are there things about fashion trends that bug you, too? :-)

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