Happiness manifesto

I really enjoyed this post on the Happiness Project, about a happiness manifesto - really just a list of short aphorisms to guide you toward happiness. I have a tenuous grasp on happiness at best (especially lately - jeesh!) so I jotted down a few ideas for my own Manifesto in my Moleskine:

1. smile, for God's sake!
2. have a laugh.
3. go whole hog.
4. make something.
5. avoid small people. [not a dig at little people - I mean "small" in the figurative sense!]
6. clean up and get organized - you'll feel better.
7. fake it til you make it.
8. appreciate the small things.
9. give love.
10. never buy cheap shoes.
11. rise above.
12. pay yourself first.
13. want what you have.

The thing about these little mantras is that the perspective you bring to them means everything - which makes one's Happiness Mantra deeply, intensely personal. If you read these and think they all sound stupid, well, so be it.

I hope y'all appreciated #10 - never buy cheap shoes. I think we all know what that one means! I recently purged a bunch of shoes; they were all cheapies that I didn't wear, plus one pair of black Faconnable slingbacks I bought at Nordstrom for $150 right out of college (the price seemed ridiculous at the time, but as soon as I slipped them on I was hooked). I wore those puppies to death at my first job, until they stank (I don't really do pantyhose or socks) and were falling apart. Ah, the memories! I can only hope to wear other pairs of beautiful shoes to death.

...and thus, another post devolved into a discussion of shoes.

Hot boots

If glazed leather permanently replaced patent, the world would be a happier place.

[ Luichiny boots, $226 at Endless ]

Squeal.

As if by magic, I brought two pairs of unwanted shoes into Buffalo Exchange, and they transformed into one pair of the coolest BCBG Max Azria pumps EVAR*.

The real question: how old are these babies? If, as I suspect, they are from the 90s, will I sound like an idiot if I call them "vintage"?

Closeup of my new favorite shoesies:


* Does anyone else get a charge when the finicky buyers at Buffalo Exchange actually accept your stuff? It's like being let into an exclusive club.

Queen of the desert

Guess what! I'm going to the Burning Man festival this year. The Burning Man Festival is where affluent white people (and hippies) converge on Nevada's Black Rock Desert to do drugs, get naked, and play around with huge art projects/installations/structures. At the end of a week of desert revelry, a big man made out of wood gets torched.

Sounds fun, right? Little old me will be living in a scorching desert (complete with freezing-cold nights) for a week. Luckily, I have a friends with a massive weather- and sun-resistant Moroccan tent where I will sleep and take shelter when the weather gets dicey.

The festival begins at the end of August, and my biggest task is to figure out my food and clothes situation. I'm an old hand at camp food, so that shouldn't be too hard. Clothes are a different story...I want to be comfortable (and covered-up as possible) while looking somewhat presentable.

Shoes are going to be a particularly important area, since I'll be walking or biking around for many hours each day. I will wear sneakers part of the time (I'll probably change into those as the sun goes down each night), but during the day I will most likely need ultra-comfortable, ultra-durable sandals.

Frye sandals look like they have potential. They look rugged, and the brand has a reputation for high-quality leather and good construction. Here are some contenders:

1. Dani metal beads sandal, $60 (sale)
(EDIT: I ordered these, and I guess I bought the last pair or something because the URL doesn't work anymore.)
2. Mary harness thong sandal, various colors, $142


3. Mary beaded edge thong sandal, black or white, $111 (sale)

If you have recommendations for uber-comfy sandals, please do tell. Or yell at me for having my priorities all wrong.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

This is the time of year when everyone goes nuts at Nordstrom because fall preview merchndise is discounted for a limited time. I can't say Ive made it to the store yet, and probably won't this weekend, but the website has some promising things.

First, a couple tempting sale items:

I'd like these better if they weren't patent, but they're a cute color and the perfect shape. Linea Paolo for the win, as usual.

[ Linea Paolo Zara Patent Leather Mary Jane, $70 ]


Satin shoes are heartbreaks waiting to happen, but the colors on this one are too pretty to pass up. (Also, I love T-straps so much I'm thinking of wearing them exclusively. I think they would be a pretty rad signature item, dontcha think?) This also comes in equally delicious black and brown versions.

[ Linea Paolo Branson Pump, $75 ]

And now some non-sale items I found when I hopped over to the t.b.d. department:

God, this is so perfect. High-waisted, swingy silhouette, WITH pockets, and it comes in black and this delicious shade of indigo? Sign me up!

[ Hinge High Waist Skirt, $78 ]

When I look at this dress, I see infinite possibilities. It has a funky back, too.

[ French Connection Strappy A-line Dress, $178 ]

Ok, I know ombre (the fading effect) is a trend that will become passe, oh, yesterday, but this dress is super eye-catching and the silhouette is right on. I say: wear the dress, and when you tire of the ombre, chop it off to make a shirt or tunic. Or dye the entire dress another color.

[ Kensie Short Sleeve Shirtdress, $108 ]

Ever since I've jumpd on the skinny jean bandwagon, I've started looking for tops with loose silhouettes that don't make the wearer look pregnant. This may fit the bill. Also: holy cow, a print!

[ Free People Salsa Bilando Scoop Neck Tee, $68 ]

In related Nordstrom news, I was tooling around Norstrom Rack last night before seeing The Dark Knight (great film, BTW) and happened upon these Pour La Victoire pumps, heavily discounted at $99:



I know I'm not the only blogger intrigued by these shoes. The weird part is that they were really comfortable - plus it's so fun to zip yourself into your shoes. I would describe them thusly:

• Space-age
• Eye-catching
  
• Slightly unflattering in a funky, "I don't give a crap" kind of way.

I have the luxury of having a closet and lifestyle with room for classic, flattering clothes as well as "just for fun " kinds of things, so I thought about getting them for the "just for fun" category, but the store ws closing and I had to get down to the movie theater anyway. Still, they were an interesting find...should I go back and buy them?

I do not have elephant feet.

The eggplant-colored flats finally arrived from Shopbop. Beautiful? Check. Well-made? Check. But do they flatter my feet? Nah. I can see why some people insist that peep-toes are the devil. I'm willing to say that a peep-toe high heel is fairly flattering, but a peep to flat is pushing it a little.

Le sigh. Back to the "fun-colored flat shoe" drawing board. However, I did gain some valuable knowledge from this exercise: Ash-brand shoes are wonderful, except when they're supremely ugly.

(Seriously? A satin sneaker high heel? That's practically a crime against humanity.)

Well-heeled

Seems that I'm on a bit of a shoe-buying spree. Summer makes me nervous about shoes because not just anything looks good with shorts, skirts and dresses (while you can hide any old thing under pants and it generally looks ok). Thus, I feel obligated to throw money at the problem.

From left to right: Can you believe this is my first plain black pump EVER? Crazy. I found them at Buffalo Exchange (secondhand store) for $17 - not a bad deal for a real leather pump in perfect condition. And while they have a peep toe and ideally I wanted a closed toe, I wore them with tights today and no one screamed bloody murder, so...they'll do.

Center: Snakeskin Cynthia Vincent flats from Revolve Clothing. They pinch my pinkie toes, so I'm not sure whether to return them or break them in like the appropriately masochistic tool of the patriarchy I am.* Otherwise, they are cute and well-made and I can't wait to tell people I killed a snake and made shoes out of it.

And in front, we have a sort of D'Orsay/Mary Jane hybrid from DSW.com. I just got them today (no points for fast shipping, dsw.com!). The color's not my favorite, but it's hard to find a brown shoe that's not totally frumpy (a stiletto heel helps), so I think they'll be all right.

And I still have two (two!) pairs of flats coming in the mail. If I can avoid wearing flip-flops all summer, I'll be golden.

*I've been reading a lot of feminist literature recently, can you tell?

Still having a flat moment

Certain bloggers (I'm looking at you, Decorno) have only fueled the fire of my flats obsession. I swear to God, two weeks I couldn't find ANY flats I liked, but - when it rains it pours, apparently. Sam Edelman, $66.90 (comes in lots of other prints also)

I actually tried on this flat (in a different print) at Nordstrom the other day. It's fairly comfortable and well-made. But: is it monumentally stupid to spend $67 on light-colored satin that will probably get grubby if I look at it wrong? Is there some sort of spray/gel/magical elf spit that can protect satin from the elements?

Anyway, besides that concern, this flat is poooooooifect. About 90% of the time I'm either wearing mint green, periwinkle, white or black, so - sha-wing.

Nine West, $40

These are extremely close to the silver flats I wore to death, which is why I like them. Plus they're on sale for $40!

Sam Edelman, $90

I've been ogling these for months but they haven't yet inspired me to actually buy them. I wonder if they're comfortable, if the yellow would work on me, and if the back strap is thick enough to cover the gross red/purple scars on my heels (don't ever wear cheap shoes, kids.) I think I'm gonna wait until they go on sale and then give them a try, if they still appeal.

Flat shoe EXPLOSION!

Last weekend, I came to the depressing realization that my favorite pair of silver BCBGirls flats are worn out, and not only that, but they smell like a locker room. The poor suckers have been worn to death, and now it's time to put them out to pasture. I've been keeping an eye out for decent replacements (even traipsing down to Nordstrom's famous semiannual shoe sail in the rain today), but to no avail. (side note: I'm convinced some flat shoes are made of concentrated hate, because there's no way a flat should ever pinch, rub and draw blood the way some of these shoes do.)

I hope that together, these two pairs will be a decent replacement for the silver flats, may they rest in peace.

Ash ghost knotted flat, $91

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent snakeskin flats, $118 (I used promo code PEOPLESTYLEWATCH for an extra 20% off)

The maroon satin ones are just pretty, and I look forward to wearing them with neutral outfits. The snakeskin ones will do all the work the silver ones did, and possibly more. So, yay! No longer will I be living in stinky, cruddy old Velveteen Rabbits!

Three -- no, four -- takes on this season's crazy, sometimes ugly, footwear

1. NY Observer
2. Jezebel
3. NY Times (I feel compelled to point out that the shoes in this slideshow are termed "creative," but that many of them fall into the "ugly" or "just plain crazy" category)
4. UK Telegraph (great video, if only for the juxtaposition of whimsical designer shoes with practical business attire)

My theory, shamelessly stolen from a Jezebel commentator: designers (Prada, Chloe, et al) are pushing the "shoe as status symbol" thing -- and an ugly, distinctive shoe effectively communicates that its wearer has dropped a lot of dough on designer footwear. Seen as a marker of wealth (not taste), an ugly shoe is just as effective as a pretty one.

The whole phenomenon's a little abstract to those of us who would die before dropping $800 on a pair of shoes. However, if you will allow me a bit of snark, this trend toward hideous, increasingly exorbitantly priced designer shoes will make easy work of separating the style mavens (worthy of emulation) from the fashion victims (worthy of disdain).

Edited to add the Telegraph TV video

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Found! Seychelles at Loehmann's

So, you know those Seychelles pumps-with-a twist I mentioned the other day? I found them at Loehmann's! At $49, how could I not buy them?

I'm often wary of light-colored shoes because they get dirty, often look like bridal wear gone wrong, and don't flatter the feet. These, however, make my feet look teeny-weeny; they're also ridiculously comfortable (though I have not yet danced the night away in them, but I'll keep you posted). Like in the photo above, they've been attacked using some sort of red dye, which gives them an antiqued appearance. It's a little weird but preferable to a gleamingly white shoe, in my opinion.

I'm pleased as punch but, as always, second-guessing myself. The question is, would I be best served by these, or the Nine West sandals below?
Perhaps I could order the Nine West sandals and see which shoe is more comfortable. That would be the reasonable way to go about things, at least.

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The embellished flat, two ways

I can't handle too many fake flowers and buckles and baubles all gettin' up on my feet, but some embellishments are just right.
What have lasers done for YOU today? Given us the subtle cutouts on this shoe, for starters. These cutouts add a lot to the visual interest of the shoe without being too crazy or overwhelming. They may also help the shoe breathe, but who knows.

These are $41.99 at Piperlime, in gray and red.

OMG SEQUINS!!! Seriously, purple + blue is a very happenin' color combination, and despite being bedecked in sequins, I don't think these would be too attention-getting if they were peeking out from the leg of a wide leg trouser. Also, if you ever get stranded in a remote area, you could probably use these to catch the attention of passing aircraft.

These are $39.95 (!!!) at Anthropologie (!!!!). God, so tempting...

Ugly? Maybe. Interesting? Sure.

Historically, I have fallen for footwear styles that are aggressively feminine. However, this season's footwear is all about chunky heels, gladiator sandals, and other styles that are more tough than sweet - often paired with feminine staples like floaty, floral dresses. I didn't get the aesthetic at first, but now it's growing on me. Say what you will about this season's shoes, but at least they're interesting.

Nine West Heech - blatant knockoffs of Balenciaga gladiator sandals which come in an array of colors. I like the idea of pairing these with a floaty dress or skirt, or a pair of skinny jeans. Camille of Childhood Flames has them in black and brown; paired with her long legs, they look aggressive, funky and sexy. See them in action here and here. I used to be categorically opposed to footwear that cut off the length of one's leg, but at least these wedges are a million times more flattering than flat gladiators.

Nine West Zanja - a streamlined cousin of the gladiators, in my estimation. There's something so refreshing about a sandal that's not just a bunch of skinny straps that cut into your feet.

BCBG Max Azria Imin - I hated these at first, but now I think they're genius. First, they combine dark blue and black, allowing you to wear them with black, dark blue, or a range of colors, really. Secondly, that little strip of yellow acknowledges the season without going overboard. Also, they cover up one's heel, which is nice because no ones has pretty heels.

Seychelles Wait For No One - A pump with a delicious twist, basically. I love the army green color and vintage styling.

Ghetto Ross delivers

There's this Ross store near my work (i.e. in the heart of downtown), and it's very sketchy and grubby and I like to make fun of it and refer to it as Ghetto Ross. Except lately, I've actually been shopping there, and they have seriously good stuff.

Like this: a beautiful blue rayon scarf and an incredibly comfy pair of Nine West flats, each for around $10? Uh, yes please.

(Do you love the studs on the flats as much as I do? Also, do you agree that elasticized flats look absolutely retarded when they're not on someone's feet? Seriously, it looks like they're trying to eat themselves.)

Happy feet?

Ok, so I know I pledged not to buy any more shoes this year. However, I did not anticipate a wardrobe emergency.

My single pair of serviceable flats are gold Steve Maddens in fake leather (they're not as hideous as they sound, I promise). And therein lies the problem: fake leather sucks. They're mere months old, but with regular wear, they've begun to smell like a locker room.

A decent way to battle this problem, of course, is to wear them less often, stuffing them with newspaper between wears.

So, I dragged myself down to DSW, in search of a pair of comfortable leather flats - in a relatively neutral color that is not black, brown or white - that I can alternate with the Steve Maddens.

Before I got down to business, I had to sample DSW's delicious goods:

One of my favorite styles of flamboyant heels that I have long ogled on Zappos. They didn't have my size - otherwise I would have modeled them. In person, the heel is VERY thin and tall and sort of a weird shape.

An adorable leather Mary Jane made by Dollhouse. Very comfy and well-engineered. They come in black and brown also, but I sort of dug the blue. When worn with blue jeans in a similar shade, blue shoes give the effect of a longer leg. I liked these a lot and would have bought them, but for once I stuck to my mission of buying flats.

So here are the shoes I actually bought...

Sam Edelman flats in metallic green. The green is somewhere between forest green and teal, and the shoe has removable ankle straps and little silver cutout accents. The vamp is cut very low, so the shoes show a ton of toe cleavage - which has the effect of making my feet look a little bigger. I'm still not 100% sold on them, especially since I tried them with all my pants last night and found that they don't look all that great with most of them.

DSW also had the flats in black and purple. I sorta loved the purple , but talked my self out of buying them because I already have purple shoes (high-heeled Mary Janes). I'm sorta having second thoughts now, though - since I wear so many green/blue tops, purple shoes might be more wearable than green. Thoughts?

I also bought these little gel insoles. I heartily recommend them. What's nice is that they don't have adhesive on the back, so you can stick them in your shoes each day. I plan to wear them all the time, especially with flats (which often lack arch support).

The Sam Edelman flats are at Zappos (for twice the price of DSW, natch). I wish DSW had them in pewter.

So...should I return the green flats and go for purple? Or return them and keep searching for a different flat entirely? Or keep them, since I gravitated toward the green for a reason?

J. Crew brings it

These satin heels from J. Crew are just so delicious. In a perfect world I'd buy them in every color and wear them with contrasting dresses - a deep purple dress with the yellow ones, tangerine with the teal, white with the green and pink with the midnight blue. How sweet would that be?!

[ Satin heels, $235 at J. Crew ]

Yellow tootsies

This image of Heidi Klum from the Project Runway finale at Fashion Week burned itself into my brain for some reason.

I watch pirated episodes of Project Runway online (shh) since I don't have TV, and it's a real treat to see how Heidi is styled for each show. Sometimes her beautiful figure is totally obscured and her hair looks like crap - and sometimes she looks dazzling. I suspect her stylist has a love/hate relationship with her.

Anyway, not everyone can pull off light, cropped, skinny jeans. However, what really caught my eye are the yellow shoes. They inject a bit of fun into what's otherwise a pretty run-of-the-mill outfit.

Especially if yellow doesn't do you any favors when it's near your face, yellow shoes might be a fun choice. Orange, too.

Oh Deer "praline" pumps, $94 at endless.com

I need a boyfriend with a foot fetish

With over $60 to burn on a Nordstrom gift card, I headed down to Nordstrom Rack for, uh, research. Actually, I'd got this idea in my head that I needed a pair of black pumps or Mary Janes I could wear with tights, and when I get an idea like that in my head, it eats away at my brain until I scratch the itch. I believe that is called "obsessiveness," but I'm not sure.

Anyhoo, the shoe selection at N. Rack was pretty dismal and I was about to leave when - yeah, I think you know where this story is going.

So here they are. You can't really tell from the picture, but the heels are red. Not really a bright red, but an oxblood. The effect is sort of Mod, I would say.

And because I'm not a total masochist, I bought Foot Petals. They run about $8 for three pairs at N. Rack, and are totally worth it unless you are one of those women who gets off on complaining about how her feet hurt.

Oh yeah, and the shoes are Nine West cost $31.

Edit: They are online at Piperlime for $55 and Endless.com for $75.

Superstars of the Day: These People

Today I am making candied grapefruit peels for my grandfather. I tried the recipe on a whim a few years ago, and the sweet, tart, summer-colored little peels became an instant family favorite, with my grandfather in particular putting them away by the dozen and begging me to make more.

The recipe is not labor-intensive, but is time intensive. Boil; boil; boil again; that's pretty much how the recipe goes. In between boilings, I am -- what else? -- looking to the Sartorialist for fashion inspiration.

Quiz time! What do the following women have in common?

If you guessed boots, you would be correct! Looking at ideas for how to rock boots in non-boring ways, I was struck by how many fashionistas pair boots with black pants (and black tights and leggings, of course). I love all these looks, though for different reasons.

The girl in the first picture is special because the bagginess of the dress is balanced by her slouchy boots. The eye is drawn to her bare shoulder and then her legs, which look wonderfully slim since they're bookended by a roomy dress and slouchy boots. A tighter dress might have made her look hoochy, but the baggy dress gives her a perfectly laid-back look.

The woman in the second picture obviously has a great body, and she's maximizing the length of her legs by pairing high-heeled boots with black skinny jeans. She's created an uninterrupted line from her hips to the tips of her toes. Also, that leather jacket is amazing.

Sometimes the boots-over-jeans look is pooh-poohed because it cuts off the length of your legs. Despite this totally valid criticism, I still think it's cute. But wearing black jeans with black boots gets around this problem, and allows you to show off every inch of your boots while protecting the cuffs of your pants from the weather. The girl in the third picture (who must be a model) is a perfect example - her legs look a mile long, though I don't have the slightest idea how she's able to ride her bike in what appears to be an extremely high-end, high-heeled boot.