Trend Alert: Cutout Wedges for Spring 2008

How cool are these cutout wedges popping up for various spring shoe collections? I saw them on eluxury tonight and figured there must be more on the web. A quick web search turned up the usual - only high-priced designer versions. Why can't mainstream America keep up with the designers? It seems whenever something new and unusual hits the runway or high-end stores, it takes everyone else months, if not years to catch up? I did find a couple more wedges with cut-outs less than $100, but as I thought they were super fugly, I'll spare you the details. Here are the good ones I found:


Kors by Michael Kors - Danger Patent Wedges - $230
Super cute and pretty simple overall - it would be easy to pull off a look with these shoes...easy on the eyes...and easier on the pocket than the next two.


Sigerson Morrison - Belle - $315
Love the light and airy feel of these shoes...I'd definitely rock these with a flowy white skirt come spring...I mean, I would if I could actually afford them right now.


Stella McCartney - Crocheted Wedge - $1,095
I haven't figured out why these are so expensive, but I'm guessing that they were crocheted by a high-end consultant who charges outrageous hourly rates for their expertise crochet skills and that the material used in the crocheted part is interlaced with 20K gold...that's all I've got. What? You have a better idea? lol

NOTE: images by net-a-porter.com, shopbop.com, and neimanmarcus.com respectively

Victoria's Secret: Pink Collection for Spring 2008

Am I the only one who can't seem to make it into a Victoria's Secret without first ogling over the super-cute Pink Collection items they always place near one of the entrances? I had a $10 off coupon card today and figured I'd go pick up another bottle of Dream Angels Heavenly, which is "my SO's fave perfume." I've actually been out of the stuff for about three years now, but I keep thinking...this is his favorite perfume...he'll get it for Valentine's. But, when Valentine's rolls around sans my yummy bottle of Heavenly perfume, I know it means he's saving it for my birthday. After b-day, I think, surely, Christmas...But after a couple Valentine's, a couple birthdays, and a couple Christmases, I decided to take matters into my own hands today with my coupon card.

Of course, as soon as I walked into the Victoria's Secret store I was greeted with the cutest displays of what looked to be the softest cottons in the brightest array of fun colors. One dress in particular caught my eye - a hot pink dress. It looked something like this but with straps (cute pockets and all)

Tube Dress

On top of the dress, they have a preppy green and white stripey hoodie, which I've decided is something I need to get for this spring. Not necessarily green and white stripey, but just hoodies, really. Can a girl have too many hoodies? Anywho, it looked like this, but in green and white (obviously):

Nautical & nice hoodie

A quick turn to the right and I see these adorable stripey shorts:

Nautical & nice shorts
I don't think I like these with the matching hoodie - that's a lot of stripes...too many for me! However, the shorts are too cute. Probably too small/short to wear in public, but I could probably rock them in the Bahamas on my honeymoon! Woohoo!

Anywho, it was a good thing I didn't really have time to look b/c they had so many other cute things like pajamas which I have too many of already and more dress-like coverups and sleepwear. So addictive!

Here are some other things I'm glad I didn't have time to try on b/c they may have ended up in my shopping bag on top of the other things I shouldn't have purchased...but did.

Babydoll tunie tee and hot pink bikini (halter top and bow-tie scoop bottom)


Boyfriend Sweats

Oh, and the $10 coupon card...pretty sure I forgot to use it...sheesh! lol...At least I remembered to get my Victoria's Secret Dream Angels Heavenly perfume!

Btw - I'm reviewing this post and sorry for the overdose of pink! I just can't help myself...it's so pretty and girly! Victoria's Secret does offer other colors...promise!

NOTE: Photos victoriassecret.com

Spring 2008 Nail Polish Trends

It seems opposites attract for Spring 2008...or at least, they'll be competing for the attention of your nails this season. That's right...everyone knows that navy and hot pink are going to be hot colors for Spring 2008, but did you know that they're going to be just as hot on your nails as in your outfits?

I'm sure you've all seen the buzz over the deep, dark navy Chanel polish in Blue Satin



But have you heard about Geisha Blaze by Nubar?

While almost anyone can wear navy in an outfit, hot pink can be a more difficult color to pull off. With Geisha Blaze (click for details), a hot pink colored nail polish, you can wear a neutral-toned outfit and let your nail polish be the fun pop of color in your look. To boot, Nubar is Formaldehyde, (DBP) Phthalate, & Toulene Free so you can enjoy a healthier nail polish that your nails will thank you for. Too shy to wear hot pink on your fingernails? Hot pink is one of my fave summer colors for toenail polish and would look great with your fresh tan!

Are you a pink-aholic? Get Nubar's latest set, Bouquet (click for details and to see colors), which features eight awesome polishes in various shades of pink:


If you had to pick one nail polish color, which one would you rock?

Which Nail Polish Color Do You Prefer?
	Navy
	Hot Pink
Free polls from Pollhost.com

NOTE: Images by chanel and nubar respectively

Oscars 2008 Red Carpet Highlights

What did you guys think of the Academy Awards 2008? As always, there were some super fab looks and some not-so-hot looks. In the interest of staying positive, here are my faves:


Marion Cotillard - I heard a lot of reviews on this look that were a bit negative, but I actually liked this dress. Maybe it's the cut? Maybe b/c I like mermaids? Hmmm...


Hilary Swank - Normally, I find black dresses a tad dull on the red carpet, but there are always exceptions...like this fabulous number on Hilary. I love all the details in this one - especially the gathering and floral/leaf-y details around the shoulder - so chic!


Cameron Diaz - Just fab! She really loves to rock that long, sweeping bang look, no? Anywho, the dress is so pretty, and kinda reminds me of these beautiful C Loubs and I really like how she kept her make up muted like the pink of her dress. The cut of the dress is my fave part - all those layers and folds!

Which was your favorite look of the night?

NOTE: Images just jared dot com

Best of the Blogs: Week Ending 2/24/08

Flair shares some My Fair Lady inspired fashion finds

ShopDiary has the scoop on Pierre Hardy designing shoes for Gap

Couture in the City features some gorge pastel dresses perfect for the upcoming warm weather

And, last but not least, The Glam Guide has one of the first shots I've seen of Angelina's baby bump

NOTE: Image by Flair

A Pop of Color

Thank you everyone for your super sweet comments lately - you guys are the best! I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to everyone's comments like I used to...it seems the closer I get to my wedding date, the crazier things become. Besides my day job, blogging, and prepping for the wedding, I've been trying to work on some new jewelry designs to help me make some money to pay for the wedding. Money is TIGHT right now, so it's a good thing I've been on a budget for awhile, but my shopping has sucked lately...haha.

Anywho, remember that sweet yellow purse I got from Banana Republic recently? I finally managed to throw a pop of color into my outfit with that purse - it was fun having a touch of bright, fun color with all the other pieces being more neutral and dark.

The other great thing about this purse is the size - it's just perfect to carry my digital camera, LV wallet, biz card holder, pen, and some lip gloss. I think I'm going to be using this purse a lot more in the next few months!

Black Top: Sweet Pea
Jeans: Banana Republic
Patent Pumps: Calvin Klein
Yellow, Satin Purse: Banana Republic
Gemstone Drop Earrings: D Celestine Limited (my jewelry!)

Sponsor Chic: Baby Shower Invite in Style

I don't know about you, but it seems like half of my friends are pregnant all of a sudden. With the ratio of pregnant friends to non-pregnant friends, you're sure to be a close friend to one of them and more than likely, have the honor of planning (or helping plan) a baby shower. Why do your baby shower invites in style with a fabulous hand-drawn invite by Cupcakes & Cocktails? Check out all the cool baby-themed drawings available:

(click to enlarge)

You could get these made into a special invitation for your friend or even yourself - how cute?

Or, perhaps you just had a fabulous baby shower - now you can thank your guests in style by getting your own thank you cards made.

Be sure to check out the Cupcakes and Cocktails for more fun designs and stationery options for your next event or "just because" card sending.

NOTE: images/drawings courtesy Cupcakes & Cocktails.

Wedding Dress Shopping

Well, I did it, friends! I got my wedding dress this past weekend! Woohoo...that's a big relief for me...but, now I have other details to worry about...like whether to have a beach or church wedding.

Anywho, here's a sneak peek:

This isn't the actual dress I got...just one I tried on. I can't post a picture of the actual dress b/c my SO reads my blogs every once in awhile, and I want it to be a surprise.

Anywho, for any engaged ladies out there...this may sound obvious, but for the wedding-clueless like me, be sure you get your dress at least 6 months before your wedding. I didn't hear that one until recently and well under 6 months away from my wedding in May.

The only thing I was disappointed with in my shopping was that there weren't more non-sleeveless options. I really wanted to get something that wasn't sleeveless, but it seems like hardly anyone makes non-sleeveless options anymore. What's up with that? You hear me wedding people? Make some more non-sleeveless dresses...give us some more options...pretty please? :)

Yellow Satin Purse for Spring 2008

Lookie what I scored at Banana Republic the other day:

With "brights" being so hot for Spring 2008 this year, I was surprised to see this super cute purse on sale several weeks ago. It was already on sale for $37.99, but I don't really need a satin, yellow purse, so I figured I'd wait it out and if it was still in the store it was meant to be. I do that a lot now - the whole meant to be thing. It helps me regulate my shopaholicism. I find it cuts back on my impulse shopping splurges and forcces me to go back for things I really, really like. Anywho, so I went back a week or so again and after a little hunting, I found my purse in a sale bin...this time for only $16.99 AND I had a couple for 10% off...SCORE!

Work Chic: Nice & Neutral

I know trends are meant to come in and out of popularity, but can this belt-around-the-waist thing just become a classic look already? I don't want it to go out of style! Accessorizing with belts is one of my favorite things to do, especially when the belt is as crisp and clean as this patent leather one I got from Nordstroms awhile back. This is what I wore to work yesterday:

Sweater: Nordstrom
Camisole: The Limited
Black Dress Skirt: Banana Republic
Tights: Belks
Knee-High Boots: Ann Taylor Loft
Earrings: D Celestine Limited - Skyline Drops

Star Von Bunny: A Model Tale

Looking for a fun & whimsical book with a fashion-forward twist? Then, Star Von Bunny: A Model Tale is the book for you. Inside the chic, little black-bound book, is the super-entertaining story of a bunny, Star, making her way through the cut-throat fashion industry. She shows you how to turn your cons into pros (see her work that tail) and even has "tips" on how to keep a model figure, while enjoying a good splurge.

According to the Harper Collins web site:
"She's got the determination of the Energizer bunny, the cool edge of Hello Kitty, the ego of Miss Piggy, and the wardrobe of Barbie. She's Star Von Bunny, a white rabbit with a vintage look and a modern attitude."


Don't hate on Star as you flip through pages where she hangs with all kinds of models, celebrities, and high-ups in the fashion world. Afterall, this book has the tale of her rise to the top, and you would expect nothing less from such a fashionable, driven, and hard-working bunny, no?

Looking for a great gift for Valentine's Day? Get this for your fashion-loving sweetie with a fun-loving personality.

Looking for great bridesmaids gifts for your upcoming wedding? Tuck this baby into your gift bag or basket for your favorite girlfriends.

If you're into fashion, you should probably have one for yourself...lay it on your coffee table for a good read now and again or a conversation starter for guests.

Click here to get your copy

Need another reason to get your copy? According to the book, "A portion of the profits from the sale of this book will benefit Dotors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres, an international humanitarian organization providing medical assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation."

NOTE: Images harpercollins.com

Anthropologie Does Dresses for Spring 2008

I think I've mentioned before that I've put myself on a very strict budget. I've allotted for certain things, like these shoes I'm considering buying as my splurge using my bonus money, but I've also allotted for a monthly spending budget that is half of what I spent before (which was my entire paycheck - silly, I know, but I'm working on that whole responsibility thing). Anywho, being on a budget, and a tight budget at that, means certain things. I have to shop very, very carefully. Now, I've always been a quality over quantity kind of girl, but one thing I've really been focusing on lately is getting an "it" item for a season. If you get one really fab thing that is versatile, you can really stretch it's wearability and use it in many outfits, making your other staples so much more fab. I'm going to do a post later this week (hopefully) of an "It" layering piece I bought from Banana Republic, but today I wanted to talk "dresses." I tried on the prettiest dress yesterday from Anthropologie:


Caravan Dress

I'm looking for an "It" dress for Spring/Summer '08. I want something pretty, girly, flowy, and just plain gorge. This one fit the bill pretty well - the fit of the dress was awesome, but I wasn't too crazy about the colors - it was a bit dark for me. What I did like about the colors was how they mixed black and brown - makes the accessorizing that much easier, no? I didn't get the dress b/c I need to see if I'm going to get those shoes first b/c if I do get the shoes, my February clothing budget will be all used up (yea, the shoes were more than the budget money I set aside so I'll have to dig into my monthly budget to help pay for them) and I'll have to wait a few more weeks to use my March money.

Of course, by the time March rolls around, this dress will probably be long gone as the Anthropologie stores are quite popular where I live and the good stuff doesn't last on the racks too long. To prep for this, I found some other good options online today. This was an easy task b/c Anthropologie has the cutest dresses, don't they?:


Migration Dress


Hanky-Tied Dress


Bluebell Wood Dress


Loverly Dress


Beach Ball Sweater Dress

NOTE: Images/items by Anthropologie

Nautical for Night

My SO told me yesterday that his classmates were getting together to celebrate one of their girlfriends birthdays. Cool...a drink or two - should be fun. Then, one of his other classmates calls to see if we want to do dinner...again...cool...but now I have an excuse to dress up...weee! I haven't been able to dress up in awhile as we haven't really gone anywhere worth the effort. I wore this navy cardigan earlier in the day to run errands - just bought it yesterday and on sale, too! The sun was out, the weather was warm (for this time of year), so I had on a white, flowy skirt and some heels with the cardigan for a more daytime look. I decided to keep the top and pair it with something a little more suited for the chilly night ahead. Some winter white pants did the trick.

You can't really see the buttons from this photo - but they are the cutest little knot buttons - so nautical - this is going to be a great cardigan for this coming spring/summer.

Tank: Banana Republic
Cardigan: Banana Republic
Dress Pants: Express
Black Pumps: Michael Kors

Best of the Blogs: Week Ending 2/10/08

Flair posted her picks from the spring J Crew collection - so chic!

Couture in the City has highlights from the Temperly London runway

ShopDiary shares full videos from the Marc Jacobs show

The Glam Guide found a "fierce" Dior ad - haute!

NOTE: Photo from jcrew.com

Pink MARC by Marc Jacobs Pumps on Sale

Looks at these adorable pink pumps...on sale, too!

MARC by Marc Jacobs - $363 (from $485) (image/item Neimanmarcus.com)

I actually just bought the same shoes at the last call sale, but in red/black. If I had more money now, I'd think about upgrading...but alas...Your shopaholic is out of funds and I'm actually thinking of returning the ones I have altogether. le sigh...

Flirty Floral Dress for Spring

I wasn't paying good attention this year...is "floral" going to be in for Spring 2008? I'm not sure, but I think this dress would be super cute with some chunky heels.

I saw this dress tonight while browsing the web and couldn't help but think of all those pretty little dresses all the celebutantes were rocking last year.

Cherries Print Crepe de Chine Wrap Dress - $345

What do you think? You likey?

NOTE: Image shoptwigs.com

Best of the Blogs: Week Ending 2/4/08

Flair has tips on "What to Wear if You're Top Heavy"

The Glam Guide has photos from the Heart Truth Red Dress Collection

ShopDiary brings you pictures from the Preen runway show

Couture in the City shares highlights from the Herve Leger Fall 2008 fashion week show

NOTE: Photo source not known - if you're the owner and object to its use, please email me at shopaholicd at gmail dot com. Thank you!