"You see how picky I am about my shoes, and they only go on my feet"

I love going out. Let's be real, it's always fun getting dressed up with your besties and hitting the town (or in our case, the dance floor). There's always one part of the going out ensemble that, at least for me, tends to be a tricky balancing act - shoes. There's nothing I hate more then having to park myself on a bar stool because I chose shoes that are closer to torture devices then cute accessories. Lately it seems that shoes keep getting higher and higher! I'm sorry, but I don't believe that anyone can spend an entire evening dancing and strutting in 5.5" heels. Especially for me, being a size 5, these crazy high heels are just too tall for the length of my feet. I put them on, and feel completely pitched forward (and want to throw the shoes out the window in less then 10 minutes). When wearing dresses or going to more casual places, some nice gladiator sandals work well, but when you're "up in the club" you want some lift, as well as a little sexy. So, I'm on a mission. A mission for some hot, height-boosting, sleek black wedges. With wedges, your weight is evenly dispersed over the entirety of your foot, as opposed to heels, which center your weight over two points of the foot - the ball and the heel. I always feel like I can be on my feet longer in wedges then heels. After long and arduous hunting, I feel I've found a few options that may do the trick (and also come in the rare and elusive size 5!) without breaking the bank. I'm hoping with a good insert, I'll be back on my feet, dancing the night away in no time.

These cuties from Target look eerily similar to a pair of Dolce Vita shoes that I've been loving...and for $30? Can't go wrong! Target

A little higher (and a lotta more expensive), these Cole Haan wedges have Nike Air technology built in. If that doesn't make for a comfy shoe, I don't know what will. Zappos

These from White House Black Market seem the dressiest of the bunch, and with the contrasting textures, there's great visual interest. The delicate straps also adds to the sexy factor.

White House/Black Market

Feel free to link to any additional options in the comments. I'm always open to suggestions!

Savage Beauty

The current MET exhibit - "Alexander McQueen - Savage Beauty" is seriously making me depressed that I no longer live in NYC. I would absolutely kill to see this exhibit, as well as hit up the gift shop! Mainly for these beauties:

Yes'm, those are MINI Alexander McQueen Armadillo shoe ornaments. I'm dying...dying...dead. Seriously, someone send me one of these. I'm obsessed!

*ETA: They're available on the MET website! My mother is refusing to hang this on the tree. Little does she know it's going front and center.

Current Obsessions...

• Cat Eye Eyeliner - I've been loving the resurgence of the cat-eye look in makeup. For what seems like years now, we've seen the smokey eye as the bold eye look for evening. I think it's time for a change! For day, this look can be subtle, and emphasizes the eye while making outer lashes look full and thick. At night, it's pure glam, channeling the most glam of them all - Elizabeth Taylor. Leighton Meester rocked this look at the Met Costume Gala, while it popped up on the runways of both Lavin and Phillip Lim. 

• Royal Wedding Hats - I'm dying for this trend to make it's way to this side of the pond! As I have a wedding in October, I'm considering busting out a substantially smaller version of these toppers.

• Taking Back Sunday - One of my favorite bands! They just put back together what was arguably the best line-up ever assembled, and recently dropped a new EP. I've been loving their single, El Paso, for it's hard hitting sound. Taking Back Sunday is back baby!

• Bright Lips - I've been completely taken with the trend of bright, bold lips - especially in hot pink and vibrant red. I haven't completely taken the plunge, but I've been taking a dip in the shallow end with sheer glosses and tinted lip balm. 

   

Gap Attack

Lately I've been seriously loving Gap. They usually have a reputation for being fairly conservative, basic, and well...boring, but I really think Patrick Robinson has done wonders! I find that they're still great for solids and basics, but are also gravitating towards a bit more edge, and punching up their basics with fun details that go beyond a simple crewneck sweater in 20 different colors.

Some of my favorites from their current offerings:

  

 

 


And I must say, their upcoming fall lookbook has also peaked my interest! I'm super excited about warm and sunny summer days, but these looks have me thinking that the crisp fall air won't be so bad.

 

 


all items available at Gap
Fall lookbook images from Fashionologie

Wills and Kate fever...I haz it.

Hi, my name is Stephanie and I'm a Royal Wedding addict. After spending my semester abroad in London, I'm a self-confessed anglophile. British Royal ceremonies are always the best! At heart, I'm also a total hopeless romantic, and there's something about this real-life fairytale that just draws me in...as does the prospect of the dress! Let's be honest, Diana was completely fabulous, but her dress was a cream-puff. Let's hope Miss Kate busts out something a bit more streamlined. My tea and crumpets are prepared, my alarm is set, and my tips are "No More Waity, Katie" gruple (that's a combo of grey and purple, nats). It. Is. ON!

My heart of hearts is hoping maybe, just maybe, I'll be taking my tea on these fantastic plates. I'm not into a lot of the co co ca choo crazy paraphernalia they've been hawking (Wills and Kate cereal? Srsly?), but these plates are fab, cheeky, and fun.

all plates from KK Outlet

City Mouse and Country Mouse

After spending a glorious week in both Long Island and New York, I started thinking about how my style tends to shift depending on my location. I spent 2.5 years living in the big city, and have now been back in the 'burbs for almost a year. I've noticed a distinct shift in what I'm grabbing from my closet day to day since my move. Much of my wardrobe pulls double duty, but there's definitely distinct "city" clothes and "country" clothes.

While in the city, I habitually reach for edgier pieces, usually solid or easily layered. The majority of my stuff is in the standard grey, white, and black palette with pops of color. The black thing isn't a New York cliche, it really does make things easy when you're always on the go, as well as disguises dirt - part of the territory when traveling underground with the moles in a city of 8 million people. Shoes? Must be walkable. I'm sorry, but Carrie Bradshaw is a liar. No one can run around that city in 4" stilettos without a driver, or a lot of cab money. A visual, if you will:

Sparkle Fade dress, $54

Cotton dress, $75

Lace blouse, 20 GBP

Margit Brandt vest, 100 EUR

Dolce Vita wedge sandal, $89

Cross body handbag, $128

Sunglasses black shade, $36

While in "country" mode, my wardrobe is decidedly more colorful. I feel like it's filled with more fun pieces, breezy and casual. Being that transportation is less...pedestrian, I can wear whatever footwear I like. Also, since much of the time is spent in climate controlled areas, I don't feel the need to worry about layering as much for warmth or varied temperatures. Voila, the styling of one Country Mouse:

Sleeveless dress, $90

TopShop vest top, $58

Vanessa Bruno blazer, 185 GBP

Stripe skirt, 105 GBP

Nine West wedge heel sandal, $100

Satchel bag, $158

Disney Couture chain jewelry, 27 GBP

Rhinestone jewelry, $5.99

Butter my London...hey oh!

If you know anything about me, you know that I have a serious nail polish problem. I'm constantly changing the color, and have quite the collection (if I do say so myself). One brand that I love, but doesn't get much attention above the noise of OPI, Essie, and China Glaze, is Butter London. Their polish applies like a dream, and super easy to control. The color selection isn't as extensive as the previously mentioned brands, but I believe the colors are well edited and unique. Also, I have a huge soft-spot for England, and as an Anglophile, I adore the color names. Here's some of my favorites!

All Hail the Queen
Originally called All Hail McQueen, after the late designer and all around genius, this color is a gorgeous neutral with holographic shimmer to kick it up a notch.

Rosie Lee
Cockney slang for cup of tea, this reminds me of sprinkles on a cupcake! Super glittery, super girly!

No More Waity, Katie
I can't get enough of the royal wedding, and this dusty lilac with purple glitter will totally be on my tips come April 29th at 4am! Oh yeah, I'll be up and watching!

La Moss
Named for the great Miss Moss, this is your classic vampy red. Maybe I can channel some of Kate's signature style with this one?

Dosh
Brit slang for money (or so I'm told). This is definitely a stand out color, bold green with a gold shimmer throughout. I can totally see this with a nice summer tan, and a great coral dress!

Butter London will be available in all Ulta stores come April 17th, and is also available online at Butter London and B-Glowing.

*all images from B-Glowing