All that Glitters

Gold has lured people to the new world for centuries.  It didn’t always end well, of course, but the allure of a lost city of gold… that’s a strong pull.  Now at the Penn Museum, you can see some of the gold objects found during an excavation in Panama in 1941:  intricate gold chest plaques, beaded necklaces, finely carved pendants, painted ceramic pots, bowls, and plates, all from the grave of a Coclé “Paramount Chief” who was buried more than 1,000 years ago.

Gold still has an allure, of course—just look at these!

Oooh… shiny.  The Mayan by Chelsea & Zoe practically glows in warm gold, and just look at the intricate cuts up the front.  I’m sort of mesmerized.  The heel is almost 4.5 inches tall, and a zipper up the back lets you in.  Also available in silver, which just seems to be missing something after looking at the gold.  Your choice for $79 at Macy’s.

The Gramercy by Cole Haan is an oxford resplendent in gold metallic crackle nubuck.  I think the crackle finish makes it for me—it looks like they’re covered in hammered gold leaf.  Also available in a sort of pewter as well, if the gold is a little too bright for you—find them at Zappos for $198.

Clean.  Classic.  The Valerie by Manolo Blahnik is simplicity itself.  One metallic leather strap over the toes, another around the ankle, and a two-inch wedge—this will complement so many different outfits it’s not even funny.  Find them at Neiman Marcus for $735.

Ooh.  The brushed gold fabric upper on the Asela by VanEli is so subtle… though the rhinestone feature over the peep toe certainly isn’t!  One big emerald-cut stone, surrounded by rows of rounds—gorgeous.  Also available in black and silver, which are both equally beautiful, and three widths as well!  Yours for $50 from DSW.

Isn’t it great that we don’t have to sail across an ocean for gold anymore?  It’s all one click away…

Sales this weekend:
Aerosoles: 25% off sale shoes
Bakers: All boots 40% off
Bus Stop Boutique: Party next Thursday from 6-9 PM-- music, drinks, and a $25 gift card with purchase!
Lord & Taylor: 15% off with code SPRING
Macy's: Extra 10% off with code DEALS
Payless: 30% off all comfort shoes

Restaurant Week

In the frozen depths of every January, the good people at Center City District throw us a bone (a delicious, delicious bone) in the form of Restaurant Week.  Almost 130 restaurants in town are having special menus at special prices this week, so if you’d been dying to try somewhere new, now’s the time!

Feeling French?  Head over to Bistrot la Minette for escargots à la bourguignonne, confit de canard avec sauce foie gras, and mille feuille aux framboises.

How sweet are these?  I’m not generally a fan of TOMS, but this custom pair is sort of adorable.  A blue (or black or gray) shoe forms the base, which is delicately adorned with lace, bows, an Eiffel Tower, and either this self-esteem-boosting phrase or another French phrase of your choice.  A customized pair runs $100 from Etsy seller Speckles of Paint.

Perhaps you’d rather dine at Crow and the Pitcher on salt cod brandade, leg of Pennsylvania lamb with pommes boulangère, and a flourless chocolate cake.

The Catalina by Manolo Blahnik is covered in the glossy black feathers of the crow.  (No pitcher, though.)  The parts of the upper that aren’t covered in feathers (like the four-inch heel) are black satin.  It has a leather lining and sole, and a padded insole for some extra comfort.  Also available in white; your choice for $865 from Saks.

Maybe you’re headed to The Plow and the Stars for warm tomato and brie, tuna loin encrusted with black and white sesame seeds with sweet potato hash, and the dessert sampler (ooh, a sampler!).

Stars indeed!  The Giovanna by Alice + Olivia has a leather upper embossed with shiny lines and perforated with a galaxy’s worth of stars.  The heel is 4.5 inches tall, and a zipper up the back lets you in.  Also available in black; find them at Zappos Couture for $395.

Restaurant Week runs through January 30 (minus Saturday, January 24).  Go!  Eat!  Enjoy!

A Longwood Christmas

I love Longwood Gardens all year long, but every Pennsylvanian knows that it’s extra special at Christmastime.  There are the classics they do every year, of course: the succulent wreaths; the vintage music box (and furry kitties) in the du Pont house; the star-shaped lanterns hung above the roses.

But they choose a different theme each year, and this year’s theme is birds.  From trees adorned with nests and feathered friends, to topiary swans in the Exhibition Hall, to birdhouses, owls, and bald eagles decorating our tree houses, this holiday season flies high… even the Music Room depicts a festive Peacock Masquerade Ball.

Here, then, are some beautiful feathered shoes befitting the winter wonderland at Longwood Gardens:

Simple and sweet, this is the Catalina by Manolo Blahnik.  It’s a white satin sandal with white feathers covering the toe strap and around the back of the heel.  The heel is four inches high, by the way, and the shoe also comes in black—an equally nice option.  Your choice for $865 from Saks Fifth Avenue.

This lovely is the Feather Strap Sandal by RIZO.  The body, four-inch heel, and straps are a sort of champagne-y satin, but it’s that middle strap that makes it special: it’s covered in ethereal floating feathers!  Just imagine them moving as you dance at your holiday parties this month… gorgeous.  Yours for $95 from Topshop.

LOVE.  Love love LOVE.  The Lilo by Kate Spade is too beautiful with its glitter vamp, satin cap toe and four-inch heel, and poof of feathers.  This warm shade is rose gold, but it’s also available in a navy and black combo which is just as beautiful.  Find them at Nordstrom for $350.

So fly on over to Longwood Gardens and see their display before it closes January 11!

Sales this weekend:
Bloomingdales: 15% off regular and sale items
Call it Spring: Extra 30% off sale items
Macy's: Extra 15% off with promo code MERRY or $10 off your purchase of $25 or more with code MERRY25
Payless: Extra 15% off everything with code ZZLIGHTS
Steve Madden: Buy one, get one half off (plus free shipping) with code PARTY

Summer Trend: D'Orsay Flat

You may have noticed I’ve mentioned the “silhouette of the summer” a few times already, and we’re only halfway through June.  But it’s pretty obvious what it’s going to be: the pointed-toe D’Orsay flat.  A D’Orsay is when the sides of the shoe are open, so it’s only closed at the toe and the heel.  Like so:

The Kayla by Halogen is a prime example of what I’m talking about.  (It’s even got another huge trend involved here: stripes.)  Pointed toe, closed heel, open sides… you’re looking at it!  Yours for $80 from Nordstrom.

The Crilama is the same thing, just in metallic silver.  (Or navy, or black, or prints in peach or cream.)  On sale for $14 ($14!) from Call it Spring.

Ooh, lace!  This beauty is bright pink, and the toe is covered in white lace.  Nice touch!  Available at Charlotte Russe for $23.

Even the big designers are in on this trend:

The Soussaba by Manolo Blahnik is made of suede in the most beautiful blue!  Ugh, I could fall into this blue and never leave.  Yours for $794 from Avenue K. 

Now what the song of the summer is going to be, I can’t tell you.  Just hum “Blurred Lines” to yourselves until it’s decided.

Jewels

Hurry over to the Academy of Music before Sunday to check out the opening of their 50^th anniversary season, George Balanchine’s Jewels.  Inspired by the artistry of jewelry designer Claude Arpels, Jewels unfolds in three distinct sections – Emeralds, Rubies, and Diamonds – each with its own music and mood.  Emeralds evokes the elegance of France, to the music of Gabriel Fauré.

The Dree II by Badgley Mischka is a peep toe pump made of deep emerald satin, but the wow factor is the embroidery on the heel.  Small gold beads, rhinestones in four different shapes (round, teardrop, marquis, and—you guessed it—emerald)…this is a shoe that makes an impact. A 4.5-inch heel and .75-inch platform finish the look.  Also available in black, white, and taupe; your choice for $245 at Zappos.

Rubies is influenced by Balanchine’s experiences in America. The jazz-inflected Stravinsky score sends dancers zipping through the stage in Balanchine’s definitively neoclassical style.

The Hangisi by Manolo Blahnik is a gorgeous ruby satin flat (well, almost-flat—it does have a little heel).  On its almond toe is an elaborate frame of jewels—hundreds of tiny round sparkling stones!  Fabulous.  Also available in black, blue, gray, pink, and white, so you’ll have one for every mood!  They’re $955 at Saks.

The grandeur and regality of Imperial Russia are the inspiration for Diamonds, a nod to Balanchine’s own heritage, as is the sumptuous Tchaikovsky score.

The Tiara by David Tutera is a silver metallic leather pointed toe pump, bedazzled with a string of rhinestones across the front.  Pears, rounds…these are shoes befitting a princess.  Yours for $140 from DSW.

George Balanchine’s Jewels has three more performances—tomorrow at 2, and Sunday at 2 and 8.  Go and celebrate the Pennsylvania Ballet’s 50^th anniversary with them in the most sparkly was possible! 

Sales this weekend:

Aerosoles: Up to 25% off select boots

Bakers: $20 off all shoes with code SHOES20 and $30 off all boots with code BOOTS30

Bus Stop Boutique: Movie screening tonight!  Gabriella Hiatt (designer for Nina Payne Footwear) shows her short film Table Game from 5:30-8.  Plus she's showing off her autumn collection!

Lord & Taylor: 25% off with code FRIENDS

Neiman Marcus: Cole Haan event-- take 40% off

Nine West: 30% off your entire purchase

Payless: Buy one, get one half off

Shoes in the News: Shoes Worth Hiding

You must’ve seen it in the news this week: Bryn Mawr’s resident shoe queen Beth Shak is being taken to court by her ex-husband, who claims she hid a million dollars’ worth of shoes from her list of assets when they divorced three years ago.  Read that again: a MILLION DOLLARS’ worth of shoes!  This made not only national news, but international.  Here’s an article from Australia.  Here’s one from Pakistan!

In her honor, I give you a selection of outrageously expensive shoes that would surely have Mr. Shak’s lawyers hunting you down.

The Marlene by Jimmy Choo is just effusively fun—purple suede, a six-inch heel with 1.5-inch platform, straps covered in teal goose feathers, and feathers dotted with tiny rhinestones.  Fun fun fun!!  These beauties can be found on Net-a-Porter for $1995.

The Wave Strappy Wedge Sandal by Alexander McQueen is so smooth: a shapely metallic ombre wedge (5.5 inches!), and undulating straps from your toes to your ankle.  My favorite line in the description?  “For the Alexander McQueen Spring 2012 collection, Sarah Burton drew inspiration from the architecture of Gaudi and diverse oceanic life.”  Must account for the $4630 price tag!  Still can’t resist?  They’re yours from Neiman Marcus.

If Cinderella got her shoes from a jewelry store instead of a fairy godmother!  The Dallifac by Manolo Blahnik have four-inch heels, leather everything, and straps covered in dazzling emerald-cut crystals.  Find them at Nordstrom for $1195.

Beth’s particular favorites?  Louboutins—700 of her pairs!

The Pluminette by Christian Louboutin is part of their 20^th Anniversary Capsule Collection, which features “a capsule collection compiled of favorite pieces from decades past.”  I’m not sure exactly which decade this is supposed to be from, but it’s pompom-tastic!  Crepe satin, ankle strap, 4.5-inch heel with half-inch platform, feather explosions (and red sole, of course)... this is a party shoe for sure.  Find them at Saks for $2450.

I sure hope the former Mrs. Shak wears a pair like these to her court date.  Awesome!

Sales this weekend:

Aerosoles: 15% off any purchase

Bakers: Buy one, get one half off—anything!

Bare Feet Shoes: Buy one, get one half off between now and the 4^th using code JULY4BOGO

Bus Stop Boutique: 20% off summer sandals and shoes until July 3

Lord & Taylor: 20% off with code JULY4 or savings pass

Macy’s: 10% off and free shipping with code FOURTH

Old Navy: $1 flip flop sale tomorrow only!

Payless: Buy one, get one half off

Happy Easter!

Bunnies, chocolate, baby chicks, egg hunts, Peeps... Easter is here!  Remember when you were little and you had an Easter dress and hat and maybe a cute little bag?  Why not recapture that feeling with a new pair of springy shoes? 

Love!  The Dynamite by Anne Michelle has a floral print vamp covered in clear sequins, a ribbon and flower at the peep-toe, a four-inch heel, and one-inch platform.  They just look like Easter, don’t they?  They also come in pretty fierce versions in black or red; find them at Shiekh for $33.

Aww, they really are like a little girl’s dream grown-up shoe!  These patent leather pumps have about a three-inch heel, a pointed toe, and a fluffy bow with pearls!  So cute.  Also available in black and white; find them at Light in the Box for $30.

Like wearing a garden!  Even the ankle strap on the Liseux by Manolo Blahnik is like a vine around your foot.  It even has little yellow and blue flowers on the end!  It has a 3.5-inch heel, a leather outsole, and can be yours for $830 from Neiman Marcus.

The Freja by Nina is almost a watercolor—so pretty!  They have a satin upper, a three-inch heel, and bow feature at the peep-toe.  This is the only print, but it’s available in four solids: navy, gold, silver, and white.  Yours for $79 from Macy’s.

And for when all the eggs have been found and everyone has had their fill of Easter ham and you can curl up on the couch and relax:

Bunny slippers!  These fluffy bunnies have soft fur, little pink noses, chubby cheeks... (Unintelligible squeals of cuteness.)  But seriously, $17 from Crazy for Bargains—hard to beat that!

Sales this weekend:
Sorry ladies; the Shoe Fairy is on vacation this week.  

St. Patrick's Day!

Tomorrow is St. Patrick’s Day!  I am part-Irish, giving me carte verte, if you will, but I believe that on St. Patrick’s Day everyone can be Irish if they want to be!  Wearing green, of course, is a must.  Don’t ignore your feet!

The Bardough by Nine West have a 5.25-inch wedge with 1.75-inch platform, woven in greens and white.  And speaking of weaving, look at all those straps!  Awesome.  Also available in six other combinations; find them on Endless for $99.

The Glitter Flat by Funtasma is all-over lime green awesomeness!  (Or regular green.  Or gold.  Or red.  I swear, these come in any color you could possibly want, and then three more.)  The lime green are about $33 from Amazon.

 The Patent Leather Point Toe Mary Jane by Manolo Blahnik is just that.  It has a 2.75-inch heel, and I love the little button at the strap!  Also available in blue; find them at Saks for $685.

The Electra by Nina is so very classic: apple green satin, a four-inch heel, a half-inch platform hidden under a peep-toe... I even enjoy all the gold on the inside, like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow!  Also available in fuchsia, gold, navy, black, grape, ivory, silver, red, and something called “powder sand.”  Yours from Nordstrom for $99.

And one last pair, for the leprechaun in all of us:

Covered in glitter!  Shamrocks at the toes!  Gold accents!  Not for the faint of heart, maybe, but neither is St. Patrick’s Day!  Yours for $36 from Party Supplies Delivered.

Whatever you’re planning to do tomorrow, may the luck o’ the Irish be with you and have a fabulous time!

Sales this weekend:

Sorry ladies; I’m still in Orlando.  You’re on your own until next weekend!