Wild Wednesday: Frances Valentine Shoes & Made Real Booze

Flock Together, Rock Together

As Women's History Month comes to a close, we're toasting girl gangs, especially the ones behind Frances Valentine shoes and Made Real Vodka. Wild Wednesday is all about injecting a dose of whimsy into your week, so here's to magic that's made when birds of a fancy feather find each other and rock together. 

On Your Feet

Let's say you've always loved those marabou slippers worn by retro silver screen sirens, but you could never seem to figure out a way to incorporate them into an outfit that was appropriate for outside wear. Well, the folks at Frances Valentine apparently felt that same challenge and did something about it... and the called her Violet ($595). Standing on a 4-inch stiletto heel with a dainty ankle strap and a fun marabou pom pom, this snakeskin beauty is equal parts cute and bad-ass. Yet she's surprisingly versatile.It makes sense, though, when you consider the fact that Frances Valentine is the newest offering from the original team behind Kate Spade (OK... not all girls, but three women and a man... it still counts!).

In Your Glass

OK, so have you heard of Made Real Vodka yet? Well, it's a honey/ wheat-distilled vodka brand backed by Absolut and created by women with the goal of not only inspiring women entrepreneurs but also bringing them together over cool drinks. It's 80 proof and proof positive that "Self-made doesn't have to be solo." The brand often hosts events for female entrepreneurs and also donates partial proceeds to organizations that benefit female entrepreneurs. (We fell in love with them via Instagram) You may or may not be able to find it at your favorite bar for happy hour, but if you're in NYC, you can have your own bottled delivered to you in under an hour.  About the cocktail, though:

The Plus One Lavender

Ingredients

2oz Made Real Vodka

1oz Organic/Natural Lemonade

Muddled Fresh Lavender

Splash of Soda

Method

Muddle fresh lavender in a collins glass. Add ice. Pour in Made Real Vodka and lemonade. Add a splash of soda. Garnish with fresh lavender and a lemon wedge or lemon slice. 

Maybe you should schedule a cocktail & convo session with a few of your girls to see what new collaborations come to life. Don't have a tribe? Well... sound off in the comments about what's important to you in a girl crew. You never know what might happen. 

Wild Wednesday: B Brian Atwood Fontanne Pumps

 

 

Someone dropped the ball at the office today, and it fell in your lap (because you’re the pinch hitter of course). Unfortunately, telling the whole truth won’t help the situation, so you might just have to spin the story. Maybe distracting everyone with an amazing pair of snakeskin colorblock pumps like these Fontanne platforms from B Brian Atwood (Available at Saks) will make your explanation seem more believable. If the fabulously fun clash of colors doesn’t confuse them a bit, maybe the hint of leopard print in the platform will. The stunningly cacophonous nature of these shoes say you know how to create art from chaos. The leopard in the platform and on the shank says you always have a little surprise up your sleeve (seriously, no one expected that bit of leopard to peek out there… it might really be like that Men In Black flash thingie) and the 5.5 inch heel alludes to your keen sense of balance.

Celebrate the fact that your almost-true story saved the day by sipping a Tall Tale at happy hour. Slightly sweet and quite refreshing, it’ll definitely take the edge off your cliffhanger of a day.

Recipe:

• 2 oz Camarena Silver Tequila
• 1 oz Lemon Juice
• 1/2 oz Agave Nectar
• 2 Cucumber Wheels
• 2 Blackberries
• 2 oz Ginger Beer

Muddle cucumber and blackberries in a mixing glass. Add tequila, lemon juice, agave nectar and ice. Shake and strain into a tall glass with ice. Top with ginger beer and stir. Garnish with cucumber wheel.

*Now that you’re calm and refreshed, quit drinking while you’re ahead. Be responsible. You got a way with a shaky story today, but shaky ankles will never be in style.

 

(Shoe image vial Lyst.com, cocktail image courtesy Camarena Tequila)

 

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Wild Wednesday: Brian Atwood Mixie

 

In the Mix

 

If there’s a party or social gathering worth attending, you’re in the know about it. Chances are, you’ll be there working the room, and your ensemble will be the talk of the room. Give ‘em something to talk about in an attention-grabbing pair of snakeskin heels like Brian Atwood’s “Mixie”. With its 5 1/2 inch heel and 1 inch platform, you’ll have no choice but to strut, and the stud detailing gives them a devil-may-care edge. However, it’s the multicolored snakeskin and contrasting suede piping that makes them truly unique. They give new meaning to the term “mixed medium”.

 

While your shoes may give your like an extra edge, you’ll want to sip something this evening that’ll quickly take the edge off your mood. Try a Maker’s Mark Apple Manhattan. It’s a simple drink with a complex flavor, and it packs more than a slight punch.

Recipe:

2 parts Maker's Mark®

1 part Berentzen® Apple Liqueur

Shake with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a granny smith apple wheel.

As I said, this drink will pack a punch, so sip slowly. Be the talk of the town for your wild sense of style, not your wild behavior.

 

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Wild Wednesday: Giuseppe Zanotti Asymmetric Eel Pumps

 

It’s Eel-Etric!

There’s something about Wednesday; if you can make it through the day, there’s a good chance you might get through the week. That doesn’t quite apply to you, though. No matter the day, your finesse is unquestionable, and your energy is electric. Give everyone who sees you a jolt today in a brightly colored pair of pumps, like these Asymmetric Eel Pumps from Giuseppe Zanotti (available at Net-a-Porter for $595). The pointy toe (a big trend for Fall 2011), the fuchsia hue and high-but-dainty heel are feminine and ladylike. Meanwhile, the low cut, slightly off center vamp adds a sexy edge, and the eel skin is a slick touch of luxe.

Wearing a pink shoe doesn’t mean you have to sip a frilly drink with a girly garnish from a martini glass. Instead order something that looks a little more pared down like a Hpnotiq Harmonie Splash (Harmonie is the new berry flavored liqueur from Hpnotiq) . Because it’s in a highball glass, it looks a little more straightforward, but it’s still quite sweet.

Recipe:

• 3 oz. Hpnotiq Harmonie
• 1 oz. Premium Vodka
• 1 oz. Grapefruit Juice
• Touch of Grenadine

Pour over ice, stir, and serve in a highball glass.

This drink is quite fruity, so your taste buds may tell you it’s just like juice. However, sip cautiously, or you may find yourself teetering on your stEELettos (get it?).

 

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