I didn't particularly care for these Christian Louboutin platforms at first, they seemed to scream drag queen with large wardrobe budget, but they've grown on me. They're purple! They're guaranteed to make your legs look long and svelte! They will give you good breath! And a nice tan!

I resort to multiple exclamation points when I'm overcaffeinated and in love with shoes.

I see women walking around in outfits like this and wonder how in the name of accessorizing do they do it. Does it come in a Perfect Outfit set? Do you have a personal shopper? Do you spend hours putting things together in your closet? Or do you just have a really good eye? Usually these women wander off after the first question so I've never gotten a firm answer. But I wouldn't mind looking this put together once in awhile.


I really like the tailored look of this outfit. Corset-like vest over the white shirt, flared skirt. The belt, the shoes. How do you people do it? SOMEONE TELL ME!

I did find this picture in the Neiman Marcus catalogue though. That may be a factor.

Forever 21 won't hand you perfectly constructed classics wrapped in mounds of tissue paper. But they will happily provide you with attractive summer staples for the price of a plate of pasta with a glass of wine.

White is not the wisest choice for a summer barbeque, but if practicality is your main concern, you probably don't read this blog. I crave this shirt dress. Perfect foil to those gorgeous shoes you can't wear with anything else.


No one outside San Francisco seems to consider a black wrap dress a summer staple, but we wear jackets in July, people. The fog is set to roll over the hills at the precise moment you begin reaching for a halter top. So this is a good bet to go under that hoodie when your walk in the park becomes a tangle with three leashed dogs, an unplanned roll in the grass and one embarrassed scramble to your feet.


Nice shapes and a price that makes you want to wear white while eating a ketchup-slathered hotdog.

Japanese kimono-inspired dresses, how I love you. They're a welcome respite from jeans that require a bikini wax before you can leave the house. This sheer dotted silk kimono dress from Anthropologie is lovely, in that tasteful yet flattering way.


Makes me want to go to a garden party and drink ice tea.

My $20 sunglasses suddenly decided to shed a screw, inconveniently leaving me with glasses that hang drunkenly off my face. I could look for the screw in my purse and fix my glasses or I could buy these new ones from Marc Jacobs:

Guess which option I prefer?

If I found this strapless dress in a vintage shop, I would jump on it faster than a Mongol horde on a tasty side of beef. I still don't expect to find such a lovely dress at J. Crew, even though they've really been pumping up the offerings of late. But there it is. In all it's tasteful glory. On sale for $80, it's tempting me away from my resolve to Stop Buying Dresses, You Will Never Them All, Ever.

There's nothing wrong with wearing this to the grocery store, though. Not really.

There is an Anthropologie right next door to my office. Need I even tell you how dangerous this is? Need I mention the sales? I passed the display window yesterday (as one does when one has to run the gauntlet of fashion to get to their job) and did a double take for this white eyelet dress, an item that will never make the sale rack:


Eyelet has not been even remotely attractive to me since I redecorated my bedroom at the age of 10, but I love the way it softens this mod-inspired minidress. At first glance I began accessorizing: red heels in the evening or over jeans during the day. Sandals and a big bag for the weekend. I love the versatility - even if it's a shade that would attract red wine its first day out. I went back to gaze at it yesterday afternoon. I look forward to looking at it again this morning. I clearly need a life.

I have a birthday coming up. My list of friends, relatives and aquaintances does not currently contain anyone who thinks spending $426 on a pair of shoes for my birthday is a worthwhile use of $426. But a girl can dream. I know what I'm going to be dreaming about tonight:


Christian Louboutin hits me over the head again. My mouth has an unattractive habit of dropping open when gazing at specific CL creations. Like this T-strap heel, on sale at Bluefly. Don't you just want to pet this shoe? Drink in its lovely seafoam shade?

Perfect to throw on with a '20's inspired beaded dress before flirting with the bartender as he tops off your sidecar.

I search and I search. The shirt dress proves elusive. Through close observation and copious note-taking, I will capture it in its native habitat. Which appears to be the internet. Look what I found at Rebecca and Drew this morning:


A lovely little blue shirt dress. With claims of perfect fit because each is made according to bra size. Specifically, your bra size. A revolutionary, yet completely obvious, innovation.

This idea pleases me.

I never thought I'd say something like "Wedges are the ultimate accessory this season." 1) Because I never had any idea what anyone was wearing, or even what season it was. 2) Because I don't think shoes are actually an accessory. They're shoes. Outside of July in Humboldt County, you're pretty much required to wear them when leaving your house.

If you're planning on leaving your house this summer, this is an excellent pair of shoes in which to do so.


I love the color and the clean design. The leather looks nice and soft too. This is possibly the first pair of wedges I've seen that I really want.

How can you not love the mouse shoe? You must love the mouse shoe. I have decreed and thus it is so. Just look at that cute little face:


Notice that the mouse shoe has a kitten heel.

Don't let the delicate chiffon fool you. A black dress is always practical. What if you need to attend a funeral for your best friend's pet canary? Or you decide to join a goth band? In honor of the little black dress, I present this gorgeous piece from le train bleu. It's even on sale.

So grab your harmonica and a dead bird. It's time to party.

Please excuse my absence. I was strenuously ignoring this site because it was looking strange and I didn't have any earthly idea what to do about it. My technical skills are on par with my math skills. If my shopping = x and my income = y then y - x = one really negative number. Maybe it would be better to compare my technological knowhow to my longterm financial planning. At any rate, I figured the problem would go away if I ignored it. Strangely, it didn't. So I finally got my act together and plugged in a new template - neatly subverting the need to figure out what was wrong with the old one - and am ready to rededicate myself to the shopping.

I recently shared my new effort to spend money on clothes that I will actually wear on a regular basis. To that end, I am looking for more practical shoes. To equal practical but not boring, the shoes must be both comfortable and red.


I've been eyeing these Earth flats and am beginning to feel that they might, indeed, be the shoes for me. Too bad no one seems to ever have them in my size. Perhaps there are many other size 9s out there with excellent taste and a yen for comfy shoes.

I never knew how lacking my stiff, scratchy Old Navy jeans were until I clad my loins in a pair of Luckys. So soft, so flattering, so (urp) expensive. But once I put them on, I was sold. This is how they get you. Instead of walking in, taking one look at the walls and walls of jeans, and walking right out again, a "Denim Specialist" (I'm not making this up) greeted me at the door. After asking about my denim needs, he pulled three pairs off the rack. One of which felt great. This was a stark contrast to my usual routine of yanking down 78 pairs of jeans - none of which fit - and collapsing into a sobbing heap in the dressing room before trying to wrangle all the damn jeans back onto the shelves because there is nary an employee in sight and I feel guilty about leaving a six foot high pile of pants on the floor.

I always said that I would pay $100 to find pants that fit me. Yesterday I had to put my money where my mouth is. And it was so worth it. Meet my new Lucky jeans:


Expensive jeans deserve a name of their own. I think this pair ("this pair" she says, gleefully assuming she will ever be able to afford another) will be named Betty. Betty requires special handling. My Denim Specialist informed me that he dry cleans his jeans. This seems to me to entirely miss the point of jeans so I won't go that far. But Betty will be gingerly placed in the dryer for precisely 34 minutes - the recommended drying time - so Betty remains soft and comfy. Betty will be worn twice a week, every week, until she disintegrates into the earth.

And I'm hauled off to the padded room for naming my jeans.

I'm a sucker for dresses and fancy shoes. I'm also more likely to spend the evening cleaning my keyboard with a Q-tip than sipping cocktails in Jimmy Choo, so evening wear isn't exactly a solid investment. I'm trying to keep my eye out for more casual duds, pieces in which I can walk to work but not be embarrassed by my flannel shirt, circa 1996. This black and white Juicy Couture set would instill confidence when slinking into Neiman Marcus for fancy moisturizer.


I've been assured by those fashion bloggers who know far more than I that Juicy Couture is more over than horse-drawn carriages and your Aunt Milly's handkerchiefs, but as this is not a velour tracksuit, I feel confident in ignoring that bit of wisdom.

Be proud. I walked into BCBG yesterday, found three things I loved and proceeded to NOT BUY ANY OF THEM. It was a notable day. I found a black silk dress that looked divine. Didn't buy it. Found an orange leather purse that I would have loved with every fiber of my being. Didn't buy it. Found a black and white skirt that was both flattering and almost practical:


Didn't buy it. Please commence to applaud my self control. Thank you.

These ladies need no introduction.


(Chloe tote)


(Miu Miu handbag)

Yum.

How I wish I still lived in blissful ignorance of the existence of Neiman Marcus and its smashtabulous collection of shoes. Did you know that many of those shoes are on sale? Did you know that I respond to the siren call of the sale by salivating and frantically pawing through my purse for credit cards? Until I reach my senses and realize that just because these red patent Christian Louboutin heels are more than $100 cheaper than they used to be doesn't mean I have $378 to spend on red shoes?


Those of you with expendable income: Please buy these shoes. Report back to me on what you did while wearing them and how much they improved your life. Thanks.

Oh dear. This lovely Miu Miu leather bag is on sale. I am so very tempted.

I first heard of Donald Pliner when I asked my roommate where he got all his pimpin' shoes. Turns out Donald Pliner is his uncle. I forgot about it, until my interest in fashion peaked and I started looking around at nice shoes, shoes I would never have considered because who pays more than $30 for a pair of shoes? Now, I feel this is perfectly reasonable. And I'm loving these thong wedges.