Heart and Sole: How to Shoe Shop & Help Beat Breast Cancer

Breast Cancer Awareness initiatives have attracted lots of controversy in recent years, especially the ones that donate partial sales of certain items to research organizations or charities. It's hard to sort through them all to find which ones are trustworthy. Members of the Shoes N Booze team have lost loved ones to Breast Cancer and have also gotten to keep loved ones who survived the disease thanks to research and new medical developments.  That said, we hope the following offers are good ones... plus you get cute shoes.

Nine West's 3 Ways to Support the Cause

Nine West teamed up with Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, the nonprofit division of the CFDA that strives to provide women with reliable health information and quality care to fight and prevent breast cancer. They provide 3 options:

1. Shop: Nine West will donate $25 to FTBC for every $125 you spend from October 15-21.
2. Upload: Nine West will donate $10 (toward their $275,000 goal) whenever you upload a pic of you wearing blue shoes to twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #9WFTBC.
3. DONATE

Unfortunately, Nine West's limited-edition blue suede NW♥FTBC pump is sold out online. Because there's no denying the importance of blue suede shoes. I mean, Elvis sang an entire anthem to them!

Shoes of Prey's Pink Hope

For every order of pink shoes made during the month of October, Shoes of Prey will donate $25 to Breast Cancer Awareness (Bright Pink in the US, Pink Hope in Australia and Breakthrough in the UK). The best part? The fact that YOU get to design your shoes. 

QVC Presents FFANY Shoes on Sale

Shop a specially curated selection of styles donated by some of your (and our) favorite designers (they're 50% off the suggested retail price), and 80% of the purchase price will go toward breast cancer research and education (Click here for the entire collection). Over the last 11 years, FFANY has donated $45 million to various research and care programs (click here for this year's beneficiaries).

Schutz Shoes "Pinktober" Pumps

When you purchase a pair of these hot pink nubuck Caiolea pumps (dubbed "Pinktober") during the month of October, Schutz will make a donation (they don't specify how much) to National Breast Cancer Foundation, Inc.  There aren't a lot of details on this one... shop at your own discretion.

We suggest doing a bit of your own research before choosing where to put your dollars. Your heart may be in the right place, but if you want your money to do more than feed your wardrobe, double check. 

Booze Clues: 5 Easy Tips- How to Host a Fab Fall Brunch

Entertaining and Lifestyle expert, Limor Suss. 

Summer is the season for al fresco brunching, but as we approach Autumn, what's a girl to do with her Saturday and Sunday afternoons (especially if she's not into football)? We say get a little more personal and host a brunch for a few friends at home. Entertaining expert, Limor Suss, has provided us with 5 quick tips to get you started.

Of course, for us, the focal point of brunch (once you've selected your shoes) is liberal libations. Suss suggests keeping it simple by making a punch so that you can spend your time chatting with friends instead of constantly shaking or blending drinks. Since we're entering the fall season, something with a hint of cinnamon, like this Pinnacle Vodka cocktail, is a great idea. 

The Pinnacle Cinnabon Brunchy Punch

1 part Pinnacle® Cinnabon® Vodka

1 part Orange juice 

1⁄2 part Cranberry Juice 

1⁄2 part club soda 

Mix ingredients in a large punch bowl. Garnish with lemon wheels and cherries.

Stumped on which shoes to wear? We suggest wearing a casual wedge, like this Leighann sandal by Nine West. Since it's suede, it's the perfect transitional shoe. Plus, it'll add simple sophistication to jeans or a maxi dress. 

Suss' other tips: 

• Give Your Brunch a Theme: With summer coming to an end and autumn almost upon us, a fall themed brunch is the perfect way to welcome the new season. Incorporate fall flavors (think: apples, pomegranates, pumpkins) and festive decor in rich colors (lots of red, gold and orange!)

• Make a Menu that’s Easy to Serve: The last thing you want to do is ‘made-to-order’ omelets, or a dish that will have you running to and from the kitchen all day. Give yourself a break and serve a few dishes either on a buffet table or family style. Prep as much in advance as possible so you can spend time with your guests and enjoy the brunch.

• Add Cute Touches Where You Can: I love to serve food in themed dishware. It adds another level of whimsy into whatever you’re serving. If it’s a smaller brunch, splurge on a nice set of themed dishware that can be used all season long.

• Use Food That Doubles as Decor: Buy squash and pumpkins and hallow them out. Fill them up with olives, nuts ... whatever you like! They make the place look festive and lovely, without spending too much money on decorations.

*Image of Limor Suss via LimorSuss.com. Cocktail courtesy of Pinnacle Vodka. Shoe Image via Amazon.com, where Shoes N Booze is an affiliate site.