red sole special.

about three or four years i ago mistakenly/regretfully/shamefully - however you want to put it - missed the opportunity of a lifetime to by picking up a pair of $245, size 7, neon yellow christian louboutins off the metal sale rack at saks fifth avenue at the gardens mall...and then setting.them.down.

i have no idea what i was thinking...that $245 was too much? that would have been the purchase of a lifetime. i went back right away the next day, but it was too late. well i may have gotten a second chance today. ok, not exactly. or even close to exactly, but i was able to find a similar pair...without the red soles. 

it was the first time since that day that i've seen a pair of neon yellow pumps for less than $600 since then (or the first pair that did not look like they should sold by a discount bikini and t-shirt vendor on the jersey shore, anyway). while browsing the buy one, get one 50 percent off promotion at nine west today i spotted the love fury heels in neon yellow patent leather (they also come in neon pink and orange)! 

i've held on to the $100 gift card i received for my birthday for quite a while now, and felt that it was finally time to cash it in. i got these and another pair from the sale section to total just a little more than my gift card. 

only problem...they don't ship until july 16. i just hope the neon look isn't out by then.

fab find: free shipping & sales @ ninewest.com

with summer sales ending soon and back-to-school shopping about to begin, now's the time to look out for those last minute deals.

for one week only, ninewest.com is offering free standard shipping. plus, with up to 50 percent off select styles, you simply must take advantage of this fab find.

the free shipping applies to any purchase, but being the shoe girl that i am, i was immediately drawn to that particular section on the web site. so if you're having a difficult time deciding between round-toed pumps, ballet flats or gladiator sandals, let me suggest two specific styles i recently purchased:


originally $89, the brown kwest platform sandals shown above has been marked down to $59.99, plus nine west is discounting sandals by an additional 30 percent, which makes them only $41.99! i wear mine with everything from jeans and shorts on weekends, to pencil skirts and shift dresses at work. i also have the james gray suede slingbacks shown in the photo, which are only $49. such a seemingly simple shoe, i get compliments on these everytime i wear them, including today with my belted silver top and dark gray pinstripe pants!

so let's say you're not interested in last season's styles. then cash in on your free shipping by ordering nine west's new vintage america collection, which includes shoes, handbags, belts and denim (i also saw a few gingham shirts in the mix!) inspired by american heritage. you can purchase some of the styles already out, like the tobacco leather karma tote for $179 shown below, or preview and pre-order a piece from the upcoming fall collection like my fav, the johnboy boot in taupe suede for $189. and yes, the free shipping still applies to the pre-order, which will ship by sept. 8.


tell me, what intrigues you more? are you using the free shipping to get the best sale prices, or are you looking to get your cowgirl side on with the new collection?

fab find: get your shoe fix

6pm.com is offering a savings of up to 80 percent off of more than 150 styles of nine west shoes this week...meaning shoes are only $14.95! cash in on this fantastic deal until apr. 10, which i learned about from a fellow blogger at http://www.theaveragegirlsguide.blogspot.com/.

this is the pair i have my eye on: http://www.6pm.com/n/p/p/7254093/c/53377.html.




which pair are you cashing in on?

peacock prints & snakeskin shoes

animal prints have gone in and out and then back in style again over the years. first leopard print, then zebra, then even cow...but all i wanted for years was to find peacock patterns (those of you who know me understand why...). sure there were a few here and there - feather earrings at urban outfitters and a "proud peacock" shirt at hollister, but that was all i could find, just a few lame pieces.

finally this year i got my wish and peacock prints are popping up everywhere! two of my recent favorites include this betsey johnson necklace my boyfriend gave me:

and one of two feather-patterned dresses from francesca's collections, which i scoped out and purchased during the first few weeks of its opening at cityplace in west palm beach. i like the atypical color palette used in this particular dress, which makes the proud peacock in it a little more subtle:

my other current craze is snakeskin. it's a difficult pattern to work with because, like many other animal prints, it can come across as trashy if it's not done right. with just a touch of it here or there though, it can be edgy or sophisticated.

my favorite python piece of the moment is this pair of shoes, which i snaked for less than $30 from nine west. i love the innocent, double-strapped mary jane style mixed with the daring print and they look stunning with an lbd or a high-waisted, red pencil skirt:

and just for good measure, even though it's a little off the topic of "peacock prints and snakeskin shoes," i had to get in one of my favs for leopard print...i am obsessed with this classic a-line, wool and silk skirt that i bought at 70 percent off from bcbg at cityplace: