a dolltastic dream day.

today i made five-year-old's dreams come true...in the dream house. a five-year-old who is now 28, anyway. and in barbie: the dreamhouse experience, to be exact.

think pink. lots of it. plus 20 pounds of glitter, fluffy friends, long blonde hair and many mini shoes.

the trip to the giant pinktacular mansion was a girls' day out with my friend julie and her amazingly "awesome" daughter (as her shirt appropriately stated), plus their equally cool friends to sawgrass mills mall. i may have been flying solo without a little one by my side, but this kid at heart did not mind.

because with a closet that could be the size of my house, how could i not be in love? here's my peek at some of my favorite spots in barbie's world...

mattel barbie is so smart. the gift shop is practically the first thing little kids see when they walk in...either putting moms and dads (plenty of them, too!) in a place to purchase toys right then and there, or getting kids excited and ramped up to pick out their favorite on the way out. this would have been my pick...a mini replica of barbie's "glitterizer" closet.

rock n' roll barbie and little miss neon barbie "playing" the shimmering and sparkling piano.

 i want a jewelry box this size...with the gemstones too.

so there are dolls everywhere, which may have given me new ideas on what to do with my 100+ barbies sitting in my parents' garage (alex...you should be very nervous). while i'm a big fan of the vintage versions, my favorite single barbie of the house was this mermaid. doesn't hurt that she has rad dark hair with pink streaks, either.

 the "endless" closet - a.k.a. glitterizer. a mirror trick that actually works. this is just the beginning... 

now this is a barbie i can get on the same level with. if you didn't know this was a closeup taken of miniature pieces, you might think this was the real thing. the louboutins have the classic red soles and even come with an adorable shoebox and dust bag. barbie had plenty of big girl shoes around the closet too, but it's way more fun to photograph their teensy twins.

 

again, had to get a snapshot of these "dolltastic" dresses and shoes.

following a trip through barbie's closet and "private jet" the day ends with a megastar moment complete with a makeover and fashion show. blue eye shadow seems to be the hot color, as shown here on maddy.

 isa patiently awaiting her turn.

here is the big moment!

one of my favorite parts of the day came when the actual tour was over. there is a fun hands-on area where visitors can color, do barbie's hair and put together a kids' take on "project runway."

and here's a peek at what i wore behind the scenes. we made a point to all wear "barbie pink," but of course i had to put my own edgy skull spin on the look. i picked up this top from a thrift shop and the neon shorts and cut-out ballet flats are from gap.

 
all in all, it was a fabulous, fashion-filled day. if i were in charge, i'd add after-hours experiences for bachelorette parties and other big girls' nights out too...complete with cosmos. 

now that i've gotten this childhood dream out of the way, what's next up? well the american girl place at the falls in miami, of course. (and yes, i still own a felicity doll.)

spring cleaning.

thanks to a new car, we decided to finally clean out the garage this weekend and put an end to what was the surely start of some serious hoarding. in the process, i got a little sidetracked, as usual, when i found the box that held my elementary school goods. behold this gem within my third grade journal:

apparently this was the start of my new shoe obsession. and hopefully learning how to spell too... 

fashion week: MIA for MI

i admit it, i'm a sucker for free stuff. but aren't we all? 

that being said, i've never been attracted to the kitschy logoed key chains, press-on acrylic nails, cheap faux eyelashes and over-the-counter brand shampoo samples that typically come in swag bags and just take up space in my garage until the latest green bag of outdated clothes can be taken to goodwill. if it's crap, i don't want it...free or not. which is why the mia tiki stand and "shoe check" at mercedes-benz fashion week on friday was all the more genius.

 
since i'm offering full disclosure already, i'll also admit that of the nearly 100 pairs that i own (yes, i said "nearly" - trying to scale back recently), i didn't own a pair of mia shoes yet. but after this weekend, i think it's safe to say that has changed and will continue to.

while hanging out by the pool in between fashion shows, our lovely guides from img told me about a way cool pr promotion via mia shoes. because it was difficult for those of us in heels - which was probably about 90 percent of guests - to walk in the sand-lined "oasis" show tent, the mia girls set up shop in a tiki hut outside to assist. complete with cute branded beach bags to hold the heels, they offered a complimentary pair of espadrilles in a range of colors and patterns to anyone who checked in with them and "liked" their facebook page, which of course my friends and i took advantage of.

i loved the promo not only for its marketing value (i'm blogging about it, so it worked for publicity, and the facebook "like" brought me see some stylishly hot wedges of theirs that i normally would have missed), but also because i have a new pair of summery khaki flats perfect for days by the beach...which i proudly wore to a seaside lunch after an ocean swim on saturday...

mia shoes espadrilles with an old abercrombie & fitch floral dress, 

a few bracelets and sunglasses from locals surf shop at juno beach.

a different kind of meditation.

following an ayurveda consultation with my aunt this weekend - only hours after running myself into the ground training for the upcoming loggerhead triathlon - i tried to take a few things away from it to get myself more in "balance" with more grounding, calming activities. this of course included yoga with my favorite instructor, priyanka, at the mandel public library in downtown west palm beach tonight.

it worked in that i felt happy and less stressed when i left...but it could actually be that during my sun salutations and "meditation" i couldn't take my mind off bcbg max azria's foster laser-cut pumps. i know that defeats the point of yoga, but can it really be so bad when lace-inspired wooden heels are on your mind?

i've been eyeing them for months at the cityplace store and learned yesterday that they're now 60 percent off plus another 20 percent off (along with so many other distractions they have in store). i think this is a valid excuse for the mind-wandering...and possibly an excuse to spend some of this week's paycheck.

namaste.

a little spring in your step.

even though i'm a south florida girl, born and raised, i sure do love my boots...all 12 pairs of them. unfortunately for me, in palm beach county we don't have a lot of opportunities to wear them after winter.

but lucky for me, dr. martens found a way to combine boots and springtime with these floral castel boots from free people. now all i need is $130, temperatures less than 90 degrees, and probably a whole new wardrobe because as much as i want these, i have no idea what the heck i'd wear them with!

fashion line of the day #9

"i think you're destined to have a good day
when you're wearing red shoes ;)"
~ my friend chrissy 's facebook status

i liked this little bit of fashion wisdom from my good friend chrissy today, and wanted to pass it along. red is good, but it doesn't hurt when they're pretty cute too!

i must agree with her. there's something that just feels special about red shoes (check out my red shoe post from about a year ago if you don't believe me...). i have red sandals, red round-toe pumps and more, but these are my favorite:

what shoes make you feel special?

got shoes?

as mentioned in yesterday's post, i was happily surprised to have a little fashion worked into the already-amazing conference i attended for my job tuesday. i should've known...it was in the fashion capital, nyc!

one of the most exciting parts was listening to the afternoon key note speaker, zappos.com ceo and therefore shoe (and hats, and sunglasses, and clothes...) god, tony hsieh. he told the story about running what is one of the best companies in the world to work for, and how the secret recipe is to sell customer service rather than shoes because "happy companies make the most money."

wow. what a cool guy, who also happens to be funny and smart. it's no wonder the company does so well. my only other thought?

i figured he'd have better shoes.

fab find: ballerina flats

i’m not a very leggy girl, so unless i’m wearing a high-waisted skirt, super-short dress or seemingly leg-lengthening tights, i tend to steer clear of flats because i never feel very womanly in them. i’m picky when i do wear them, and choose not to spend a lot when buying a new pair because i know they won’t get much use.

on rare occasions i find something so beautifully feminine and cheap that i can’t pass them up…which is why i rushed down to banana republic when a couple girls in my office told me about the one pair of taupe, jeweled ballerina flats left in my size were now only $20. i’d been eyeing these for a while and the drastic discount was a sign (i like to use excuses like these to validate my purchases).

she purchased a hot pair of nude heels for herself – which unfortunately were out in my size – and there were quite a few others styles on sale too. the size choices are slim though, so hurry if you’re thinking about it! check out the new spring pastels, whites, grays and sequins while you're there...lots of good colors for florida weather.

fashion line of the day #1

sometimes you need a few kind words to get through the day. some of us have uplifting tear-off calendars, my mom's boss e-mails her teachers inspirational quotes each day, and i think jason from the wild morning show reads off silly thoughts of the day.

me? i need a contstant stream of fashion, which is why i thought i'd combine the two for you by unveiling my "fashion lines." i'll bring you quotes by renowned designers, one-line tips from fashion mags, notes from the red carpet and other general style sayings to add a little glamour to your day.

so here it is, and today's line comes from a sweet gift our fabulous intern bought me:

"i can deal with anything if i have the right shoes."

christian louboutin's lady page velvet-bow pumps in oxblood from bergdorf's
because if i had these shoes, i could rule the world.

fab find: dvf at 70% off

i know i've been slacking and need to push some more style stories out soon (exciting news coming the next few weeks on gameday dresses, a chic new spa in town, florida fishing apparel for both guys & girls, and tips on wearing vintage jewelry...), but until then i wanted to post this week's fab find.

one of my fav designers is diane von furstenberg, but unfortunately i can't afford to add all her pieces i want to my wardrobe. when it comes to purchasing at full price i tend to stick with classic staples, like her wrap dresses, and i have a hard time splurging on the other items that catch my eye. lucky for me, the final summer sale can now be found on dvf.com, so i can get my fix on the fun pieces without the steep prices. and unlike many other final sales, the goods are actually still stylish and relevant, especially because in florida we can wear summery pieces all year round.

i like to use designer sales as a time to buy things i might normally shy away from - maybe pieces a little bolder than my usual taste, or something super trendy that isn't worth spending the full amount on. so treat sales as your time to stand out and have fun. here are my discounted dvf picks, clockwise starting upper left:


donna cover-up in striped travelling knots in pink ~ $90 (originally $300). i'm all about the jumpsuits right now and this one is so feminine. meant to be a swimsuit coverup, but in so.fla we can get away with wearing it for more.

tes cover-up in warhol camo red ~ 67.50 (originally $225). such a cute cut and the print - inspired by andy warhol art - is a fresh take on the typical camo.

mecca shoes in red suede ~$84 (originally $280). as you'll see from my post last week, i think every girl needs a pair of red shoes, and at a price like this, these wedges can't be beat. if you're not into bright red and want something a little more subtle, dvf also has them in brown "luggage" leather, which brings me to the next item...

25" rolling carry-on in retro frog ~ $135 (originally $475). dvf always finds a way to make this typically boring accessory hot. jump on this price while you can, but if you miss it, the loehmann's in legacy place usually has some dvf luggage in stock.

fab find: more shoe sales @ aldo.com

i know we already did a shoe sale post today, but this fab find was too good not to pass on. aldo.com has taken an extra 50 percent off it's already reduced clearance prices until tomorrow (boots not included - i know, i'm upset about it too!).

the prices are ridiculously low, especially on red shoes for some reason. here are a few ruby red looks fit for dorothy that i picked out:


priced lowest to highest, starting upper left:

douentza ~ $3.96 (originally $19.99). this little cherry-colored peep-toe flat is less than $4, need i say more?!

hortense ~ $19.99 (originally $70). some navy mary janes with crimson accents for those not looking to make the all-red commitment.

craine ~ $22.49 (originally $90). sexy yet work-appropriate scarlet suede shoes.

voetmann ~ $24.99 (originally $100). probably the best deal i found. the extra platform upfront on these deep reds add a full five inches.

p.s. now that we have the sale prices out of the way, here's another thought for you...has anyone else noticed the weird style names given to all of aldo's shoes?

will you accept this shoe...oops, i mean rose?

besides blair waldorf, the bachelorette's jillian harris is probably the best dressed girl on tv. from her adbundance of scarves and flattering high-waisted skirts, to the hot pink maxi, black romper and super short, feathered lbd she wore last week, jillian always keeps her dates fashionable. but what do i look forward to each week besides hot and buff kiptyn now that jake's gone? her selection of shoes.

my obsession with her shoes set in during the second episode, when she stepped out in her fun yet sexy red boots for the line dancing date. the boots are aldo's "flosand" and originally only sold in canada until their popularity grew from show. they are a perfect option for summer boots and sold like crazy after their debut on the bachelorette. though most other sites are listing them as sold out, they can actually still be purchased on the web site with the aldo clearance code received in the aldo promotion e-mails: 5489548. when that style is finally sold out, here is another similar option, the farylrobin hydra boot at endless.com.


maybe it's because i can't wear them much in florida, but i seem to gravitate towards jillian's boots more than her other styles. in addition to the red pair, i'm also a fan of the black fringe boots she wore in whistler and on other dates. though it's only july, you can get a pair of your own at delia's to get a head-start for the fall and winter.

last week it was jillian's yellow patent leather shoes from the scooter date in spain that caught my eye (maybe because i'm still upset about missing my opportunity on the neon yellow louboutins severely on sale at saks couple weeks ago). i read on seenon.com that these were jillian's two-year-old david dixons. you may not have your own kiptyn, but if you want your own yellow pumps, check out the very feminine miss sixty nabilah heels on overstock.com.


so i've decided that it's officially not fair. jillian gets hot guys and a wicked wardrobe. i wonder what shoes she'll break hearts in tonight...

h&m jimmy choo ~ bless you!

so many of us shopaholics learned some thrilling news today - british brand jimmy choo and swedish retailer h&m are teaming up together. much more exciting than the miley cyrus/max azria collaboration announced earlier this month, i am definitely looking forward to some affordable jimmy choos, mainly because both parties involved are always at the top of their fashion game so you know it will be worth it.

we'll have to wait a bit to see the results - nov. 14 - but h&m's exclusive jimmy choo line will include shoes, handbags, accessories and even apparel. The clothing will be designed to compliment the accessories, rather than the natural other way around, which i am especially excited because that seems the be the way i think...half of my wardrobe is based around my ridiculous amount of shoes. the stylish man can also rejoice because the line will include men's shoes, bags and accessories - maybe something to share with your dad for father's day?

my one complaint - there still isn't an h&m in south florida! yes, i know we're getting one in orlando soon, but it's not the same. someone please fix this before nov. 14 so i can get me some choos.

the rise of converse...again

pete wentz and kristen stewart may have caused the recent spread of chuck taylors, but converse sneakers have been alive and 'kicking' since 1908. from basketball, badminton and world war II, to 80s concert stages, twilight sets and even the red carpet, these rubber sneaks have been everywhere.

i bought my purple chucks for $20 on a whim in hot topic about five years ago. it may have merely been an exchange for a gift, but that is still one of the best shoe purchases i've made to this day (considering the heels, sandals and running shoes practically falling out of my closet right now, this is a huge statement).

they added style to my uniform at my college restaurant job. while other students wore rainbows and crocs they helped me pass as a brit during my six weeks in london. and last week they protected my feet from the dirt and rain at the no doubt/paramore concert at the cruzan amphitheatre...which is when i realized...my old shoes helped me fit right in with all the high schoolers! (if my gossip girl and twilight obsession didn't already do that for me...)

my bright plum shoes, which i wore with a long, baggy grey tank and black leggings, stood out among the sea of black converse. check out this other stand-out pair i found on an unsuspecting concert-goer...

if, like me, you are not a fan of those, check out three other options converse offers: the chuck taylor all star slip in conch shell, chuck taylor all star double tongue in blue & yellow bee print or the jack purcell ltt in white & navy seersucker print, all of which are perfect to match a colorful j.crew outfit on a summer day in palm beach. there's a fun make-your-own section on the converse web site you'll want to check out too.

converse also works with target now on some cheaper options of the choice sneaks. my vote is for the converse one star oxford, but definitely steer clear of the mary janes and wedges, which i can guarantee will not be emerging on the feet of our favorite vamps or other celebs.

which converse pattern/style fits your personality? are you a pink & purple checkered low-top girl, or a are you craving the ozzy-inspired, buckled jack purcells?

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?