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Friday, October 30, 2009

Fun Friday: Charlotte Olympia Greta Pumps

Halloween Hauteness

You may not be able to wear your entire costume to work today, but you can dress your feet up. Feel like your job's a prison? Could it be that you're always mediating coworker clashes? Well, whether you're feeling like a prisoner or a referee, a pair of black and white striped pumps will say it all. These Greta pumps by Charlotte Olympia (available at LouisaViaRoma.com) are the trick and the treat! The black suede and white patent leather stripes will work with various costume ideas (and your fave LBD or black ankle length slacks... or whatever you choose!) The 5.5 inch chunky heel and 1 inch platform simultaneously add whimsy, chic and sex appeal. Plus, platforms tend to be more conducive to long nights on your feet... and whether you're bar-hopping, partying or participating in a costumed parade this weekend, I know you're planning to be on your feet for quite a while.

Halloween on a Saturday means more celebrating, and this weekend let your drink of choice be a Coconut Scream (recipe and image from GlobalGourmet.com). A combination of Malibu Cocounut Rum, Stolichnaya Vodka, Hiram Walker Triple Sec and a little lime juice, it's strong enough to give you a good buzz but also pleasantly sweet. Please know when to blow the wistle on your consumption, though. Shoes & Booze team members will be too busy enjoying the festivities to come bail you out of jail for any lewd behavior. (At least you'll have on your prison stripes already, though, right?)

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Shoe Score: Shoe Hunting and Via Spiga OTK Giveaway

Over the Knee for Free!

We know that sounds a bit kinky, but it's more shoe-rotic than anything. Besides, there is something very sexy about a free pair of on-trend boots (especially when they're over-the-knee boots). Well, thanks to an easy-to-enter contest from Shoe Hunting and Via Spiga, you may be able to win just that. Simply log in or sign up (I'm sure SNB readers all have memberships already, though)at ShoeHunting.com. Then click the contest link and select your favorite style from the two pictured. Post a comment telling why you chose that shoe and what you'd wear it with (and be creative). Then, pray to the shoe gods. Good Luck (sorta, because I want to win!)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Shoe Tunes: Shoeholic by Tinu


Sometimes You Just Have to Sing About It.


Now and then, I come across something I simply have to share. I recently stumbled across a video that's nothing less than shoetacular. This one's dedicated to the serious shoe addicts out there. I'd LOVE to know your thoughts.




*PS
You can enter to win one of the singer's (@tinuonline on twitter) shoe-shaped purses by sending 3 photos of yourself in your favorite pairs of shoes to downtown2k@gmail.com. It helps if you're out doing something fabulous in them. Click for more info.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Cutesy Tuesday: Kurt Geiger Dolly Pumps


Emerald Pretty


Have you ever wished you could click your heels 3 times and be somewhere else? That's called a typical case of the Tuesday blues. How does a girlie girl like you beat them? With a bit of green... sparkly, emerald-hued, Dorothy-like, bowed pumps to be exact. Granted, they're not appropriate for most offices, but if you're lucky enough to work in a fashion forward environment, a pair like these Dolly pumps from KG by Kurt Geiger will put a smile on your face at every glance. (If you can't wear them AT work you can always wear them after.) The bow and rounded toe are just darling, the green sequins add a touch of fantasy and the 4+ inch heel height says they're for big girls only. (Just don't let them distract you from real life too much.)

Chamagne cocktails on a Tuesday evening? At a normal happy hour? Who does that? A woman with princess tendencies, like you. That's why you'll be sipping on a Midori Sparkle (image and recipe courtesy of the blog at African-AmericanBrides.com)at the bar after work. Simple in composition and supper-yummy in taste, it consists of top shelf champagne (we prefer Perrier-Jouet Champagne) and Midori Liqueur. Its melon-y sweetness will dance on your tongue. Just don't drink past your limit... you DON'T want to be the girl-in-sparkly-shoes-who-danced-on-(then fell off of)-the-bar story.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Shoe News:Jimmy Choo, Project PEP and YOU


Put Some (Project) PEP in Your Step


Fact: After exposure to HIV, a person has 72 hours AT THE MOST to receive Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) treatment for it to even be POSSIBLY effective. Basically, in HIV cases, PEP has been shown to help keep the virus from attaching to and attacking cells... meaning, it gives a person a greater chance of not getting the disease after exposure.

What does that have to do with shoes? Well, Jimmy Choo has partnered with the Elton John AIDS Foundation to launch the Project PEP collection, which supports the Simelela Rape Centre in Cape Town, South Africa. The Centre was set up in 2005 to provide victims of abuse with HIV preventative PEP medicine and to give them access to medical, counseling and legal support. Jimmy Choo will donate 25% of net sales from Project PEP (JimmyChoo_72 on twitter) to to the Elton John AIDS Foundation in hopes that the funds raised will enable the clinic to stay open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This way, more women will receive treatment within that crucial 72 hour period.

To raise awareness about Project Pep, Jimmy Choo has initiated the "You, Your Shoes and 72" photo competition. Entry is pretty simple. Just upload a photo HERE based on the aforementioned theme (and cross your fingers). The grand prize winner will receive 7 pairs of shoes and 2 bags from Jimmy Choo. However, more than 100 winners will be chosen to receive other exclusive prizes from the Project PEP collection, and many of the winning images will be displayed at the the Project PEP launch event at Selfridges London on October 29th and at other Project PEP events globally. Click here for additional info.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Wear or Beware? Jean Charles de Castlebajac Court Shoes

Jean Charles de Castlebajac x Free-Lance Character Court Shoes



Unique? Check! Animal print? (A Fall 09 trend) Check! Lots of... character? Double check! A collaboration between Jean Charles de Castlebajac (say it 5x fast) and Free-Lance, these shoes (Available at Colette) have all the makings of a fashion classic, or do they? Teeth? Whiskers? A TAIL? Maybe they're more appropriate for Halloween? One thing's for sure, they're worth talking about. What's your take? Haute Couture or Hot Mess? Would/ COULD you wear them? With What? Is there a celebrity you think could pull them off? If nothing else, this pair brings new meaning to the word "fierce." Here's to style that doesn't take itself seriously (at all).

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Almost There Thursday: Bettye Muller Trophy Pumps and Blavod Cocktails

And the Winner Is...

You! Well, actually, today your feet get the prize. Whether your heels are afraid of heights, or you've been sky-stepping all week, you want to wear a heel that's not too high today. However, you don't want to wear flats. Oh, you also need a little sex appeal for after work? Spring for a ruffled pair like these Trophy pumps from Bettye Muller (available at SimplySoles.com). The slightly pointed toe and slender 3 inch heel are very 80's inspired. Yet the ruffled collar and tie detail are totally Fall '09. Paired with bright tights and a cute dress or skirt and top, they'll be show-stealers for sure.

At your after-work watering hole this evening, ask for a Blavod Black Magic, which combines Blavod Black Vodka (yes, it's black- well almost), espresso liqueur and lemon juice. Since you'll likely be in the mood to move your (extra comfy) feet tonight, the espresso will give you the boost you need after a long day, and the vodka will give you the moves (at least in YOUR mind.) Exercise caution, though, because too much Black Magic may make you look more cursed than enchanted.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Wild Wednesday: Jen & Kim Melrose Pumps and Samurai Cocktails

Heelin' & Tealin'

Some may call you a control freak. Others call you crazy. You may be a little of both, but you basically want things done your way (the fun way). We understand, and therefore dedicate this Jen & Kim Melrose pump to you. The design is pretty simple- a round toe, 4.5 inch heel and half inch platform. Yet, they're bright, fun and a little funky. Here's the kicker- (wait for it) they're customizable! You can go to the website, pick a design and then choose your material and color. They even let you do the heel and platform in a different color if you'd like. This teal lizard pump just happens to be one of our favorites.

Making (er customizing) your own shoes is hard work. Relieve tension this evening with a Samurai (cool color and name! Recipe and image courtesy of CocktailAtlas.com). Tell the bartender to combine Marie Brizard Charleston Follies (or passion fruit liqueur), Ginjo Shirataka (sake), Blue Curacao, a little lime juice and a dash of mint liqueur. The result will be a sweet concoction that seems harmless but will easily sneak up on you. That means a little restraint will go a long way in avoiding the morning Judo Chop of a headache that comes from over indulging.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Cutesy Tuesday: Nina Ricci Pumps Blue Ice Vodka Cocktails


Blue it Right


There's a quote that says "We only live once, but if we do it right, once is enough." (by Gary Ryan Blair.) You may not have heard the exact quote before, but those are the words by which you live. There's never a thread or a hair out of place (although you possess a bit of a whimsical aura). These blue suede Nina Ricci pumps should be part of your shoe wardrobe (grab them at NY's Edon Manor- an S&B favorite!). The 5 inch covered heel and slightly pointed-but-rounded toe are pretty simple and proper. However the vibrant hue and vertical bow make them an of-the-moment classic. No? They're versatile, too, since this year, bright is the new black.

Matchy-matchy has never been your thing, but you're definitely one to coordinate. That said, make the "Blondie in Blue" your drink of choice this evening (no matter what your hair color is). As elegant and complex in flavor as you are, it combines Blue Ice Vodka, Marie Brizard Parfait Amour and Lillet Blonde. It's a semi-sweet and super chic flavor infusion of organge, vanilla and bitters. Two caveats, though- mind your tongue, lips and teeth (the Smurfette look only works in cartoons), and monitor your intake. Pretty drinks, like pretty shoes and pretty men, may look harmless, but... (a word, to the wise, is sufficient.)

Monday, October 12, 2009

Don't Mess with Me Monday: Giorgio Armani Booties and Absinthe Awakenings

Fit to be Tied

It's so hard to get up and out when it seems like the rest of the world has the day off, isn't it. Your office doesn't do Columbus day, though, and you're such an over achiever that you'd work from home anyway. To top it all off, you're in a bit of a strange mood (channeling Ms. Hannighan, perhaps?). Maybe it's the changing weather. A patchy pair of lace up booties, like this one from Giorgio Armani (or something similar), are just what you need today. Yes, there's a dark, autumnal feel to them, but the light seafoam green patches add a bit of optimism. A heel that's almost 5 inches high never hurt your disposition either. Now, if you could only shake that pesky feeling of fatigue.

Your morning coffee never did actually kick in, and the one after lunch only kept you from falling asleep during your weekly conference call. However, you can't bring yourself to miss Monday Night Football with the girls. Tonight your drink of choice should be the Awakening. A definite "big girl" drink, it combines Lucid Absinthe, Starbucks Coffee Liqueur and Starbucks Creme Liqueur. While the new incarnation of Absinthe doesn't contain enough wormwood to be hallucinogenic, it still makes a strong drink. The characteristic licorice flavor will be muted some by the coffee, but the general taste of the drink will be an eye opener if nothing else. As always, mind your intake. You might not hallucinate, but too many tonight could lead to your seeing stars in the morning.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Booze Clues: Toasting Tips

Smile & Say Cheers!

So, you're at happy hour, and it's time to say cheers. Smile, clink glasses and that's it, right? WRONG! While that's all it takes in some circles, it's really the social equivalent of a weak handshake (you DO know that firm is the way to go, right?) After numerous nights out and bearing witness to quite a few fuax pas, we decided to assemble a short list of things you should know.
  1. The main rule for clinking before drinking is to look your fellow imbiber(s) in the eye. If you happen to be in a group, choose one person (perhaps the cute guy with whom you've been trying to find an in) and establish eye contact. Basically if you're touching your glass to another person's you it's only polite to to exchange a friendly glance (and maybe even head nod).
  2. According to various sources (such as this one) the actual tradition of clinking glasses traces back to medieval nobles' tendency to kill each other by poisoning drinks. As a result, the practice started to prove the safety of one's wine. However, other sources (like this one) say that claim is false and that the tradition comes from one of simply showing solidarity after people stopped drinking from one communal cup at celebrations (yet another reason for looking people in the eye).
  3. There's more than one way to skin a cat (and salute with cocktails). Knowing how other cultures say "cheers" may earn you a cool point or two (as long as you don't come off as a know-it-all). Often, these terms mean "peace" or "to your health." Here are a few to get you started: In Spanish, it's "Salud" (margaritas, tequila shots and sangria, anyone?) The French say "Sante" (Champagne, mimosas, cognac, etc.) The German way is to say "Prost" (only for beer). Can't forget the Russians (Where would we be without vodka?), who actually have no widespread national cheer. There's a tid-bit of trivia for you.
You can find a pretty good list of drinking salutations here.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Wild Wednesday- H Williams Elise Booties and Absolut Liscious Cocktails

Bootie-licious

You can't throw a rock this season without hitting a woman in platform peep toed booties. Like women, they're coming in all varieties these days. Yet, you always find a way to do things a little differently. You've found the formula for combining what's now with what's next (and a little wild child flair thrown in), and you make it look effortless. H Williams' Elise booties (newly available at Vivre.com) are the shoe for you today. The iridescent metallic purple and bronze python and the latticed strap make them eye-catching, and yet they're somehow simple enough to be pretty versatile enough for work (in creative environments) and play (er, partying).

When you arrive at said party or happy hour this evening, we suggest wetting your whistle with an Absolut Liscious (or four if you can handle it). Tell the barback it's a combination of Absolut Vodka, black currant liqueur, lemon juice, cranberry juice and a splash of lemon-lime soda. It's a little sweet, a little tart and a lotta strong (if your bartender's any good). As always, we must warn you to mind your limits. It's not hard to go from divaliscious to a "don't" story.


Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Wear or Beware? Aquatic Bondage Booties by Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen's Aquatic Fantasy Booties


Often, fashion has much to do with fantasy and fetishes (especially in the realm of footwear). Well, Alexander McQueen's most recent showing during Paris Fashion Week seems to indicate lots of both, with a heaping dose of conceptualization. These booties seem inspired by a combination of bondage footwear (those shoes that put the foot at almost a 90 degree angle), the sea and... well... eggs (snakes and fish both hatch from them, you know). We're feeling the varied snake prints, though. So, what do you think? If you saw someone walking down the street in them would you give them a big up, or a Glamour black bar? Haute stuff or hot mess?