Natural Soul by Naturalizer -Kassandra, Red Pepper

Ciao a tutti!

My fellow Shoe-A-Holics, if you are looking for a little color inspiration, then look no further than Pantone's Fashion Color Report for Fall 2013.   From ways to style their color of the year, to how-to incorporate this seasons hottest hues, taking a leaf out of Patnone's report is sure to colorize your world.

One of the 'it' colors for the fall is Samba (Red).  Used as a foundation with which to pair other jewel-tones, in conjunction with lighter tones to create a dramatic statement, or used singly as a stand alone piece, Samba red is sure to give a spirited, expressive and distinguished look.

Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Day 356: Monday October 21st 2013
Designer: Natural Soul by Naturalizer
Name: Kassandra
Color: Red Pepper
Style: Slip-On Flats
Heel: 1.25 inches (3.18 cm)
Material: Leather Upper with contrast Moccasin stitching detail at toe and woven leather on vamp

Beautiful in any color; click here to see these beauties in Black!

Fitzwell -Blakely, White

Ciao a tutti!

My fellow Shoe-A-Holics, I have a bitter-sweet relationship with white shoes, they are white, but that is not the color they always remain!  For as long as I can remember, I have always had a white pair of shoes.  The first pair of pumps I ever owned were white, and come to think of it, the second pair were as well, and before long they looked like they were zebra striped shoes with all the scuff marks they ended up with with the regular course of wear.  During high school, I wore a white pair of leather moccasins so much that by the end of the school year, I needed to coat them daily with white leather shoe polish in order for them to still look white.  And although I have bought white sandals over the years, I've ended up donating most of them (here) even before I had the chance to wear them...including the sandals I bought for my wedding then decided to go barefoot instead!

There is something about a white pair of shoes that I love; perhaps it is the clean appearance, which always makes it look like a new shoe regardless how many times it has been worn (provided they are clean, that is), or maybe it's because until recently, white has been traditionally reserved for the months between Easter and Labor Day, and when seen, they evoke thoughts of warmer days.  It could be that fact that not everyone wears white shoes: Brides, girls during their first communion, little girls in their Sunday dresses and pre-walking infants top the list of white shoe wearers, and even then, they are only worn once or for a short amount of time .  But one thing is true, white shoes are a deliberate shoe; one doesn't slip them on haphazardly only to realize later that they wore the wrong color shoe.  They are shoe which is selected, with forethought of the occasion they'll be worn and what exactly will be done while wearing them, and while most people think of a pair of shoes to go with an outfit, white shoes are probably the only shoes one needs an outfit to go with.


Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Day 306: Sunday January 27th 2012
Designer: Fitzwell
Name: Blakely
Color: White
Style: Slip-On Flat
Material: Patent Leather Upper with oversized metal buckle at vamp

Crushing on these beauties as much as I am?
You can find them here, at 6pm.com!
My recommendation? Order 1/2 size larger!

 

Beautiful in any color; click here to see these beauties in Navy!

How I Styled It?

Styling pop color jeans has become quite easy. I've come to find that if you want the color to stand out, you pair them with a neutral color, but if you want to tone them down, you pair them with more color!  I still believe in the old adage, that white goes with everything but with the caveat: provided you wear white.  This fabulous navy and white polka dot crepe blouse I found on sale at Old Navy, while the bottoms are DKNY Jeans.  The jacket is from Express (years ago), and the suede bag is from Carpisa Italia.  SN

Natural Soul by Naturalizer -Kassandra, Black

Buongiorno, amici!

With such an auspicious time in our nation’s history, the second inauguration of President Obama, the occasion certainly gives one cause to reflect; looking back we see how far we have come, and looking forward, how far we have yet to go.   As the President looked out among the throngs who braved the cold to witness an event that has occurred only one other time in history, he simultaneously looked back into the past; down the National Mall at the monuments erected to the Americans who left an indelible impression on the nation as they wrote the course of history while they lived: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and the most recent addition, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr..  The last seemed most befitting, especially on the day designated to honor the incredible life of the late Dr. King.

And if you are one of those who have had the privilege to see this monument, you stand before it in awe and you’re inspired; awe, because you see the metaphorical image before you –Dr. King emerging from the stone that was the struggle, Dr. King standing up against tyranny and oppression, and Dr. King standing at the doorway ready to take that next step into unknown territory, ever mindful of what would inevitably occur, yet bound by a cause greater than the man himself; and one can’t help but feel inspired, for it was the standing up by this great man which led others to stand by his cause, it was standing his ground which ended standing in lines of inequality, and for a man who didn’t stand a chance, in a divided nation which stood still and often found it easier to stand aside than to stand up, his life stands as a testament.

What do you stand for?  Are you at a standstill?   Do you stand on the sidelines or stand out in a crowd?  Will you take a stand or quietly stand down?  Is today the day you stand up and be counted, stand and deliver or remain a bystander?  In this day of stand-offs, when it is far to easy to stand for nothing, it would stand to reason that we as a nation have forgotten what it means to stand on one’s own two feet, and have forgotten how to stand by someone or stand up for someone, preferring to stand someone up; standing back out of fear of standing fast or standing firm. Dr. King’s words stand the test of time and we understand impact he has made.  We stand on the cusp of humanity’s greatest moments, and today as you put on your shoes and stand, I ask you, what do you stand for?

Stella Notte

Day 304: Tuesday January 22nd 2013
Designer: Natural Soul by Naturalizer
Name: Kassandra
Color: Black
Style: Slip-On Flats
Heel: 1.25 inches (3.18 cm)
Material: Leather Upper with contrast Moccasin stitching detail at toe and woven leather on vamp

Beautiful in any color; click here to see these beauties in Red Pepper!

Steve Madden -Heaven

Ciao a tutti!

Heaven, I'm in Heaven

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak...*

 

My 300th pair of shoes, and I am at a loss for words!  Thank-you for those of you who have shared my cathartic journey, and likewise explored the depth of your own Shoe Arsenals and personal love of shoes.  When I started blogging nearly 2 years ago, I knew I had a lot of shoes.  This self proclaimed Shoe-A-Holic, has always found a great deal of comfort in shoes; not just physically but psychologically, because new shoes have endless possibilities, and no two shoes take you to the same experience.  Looking back on these 300 pairs, I see the paths I've walked, run, trekked, climbed, the footsteps I have made and subsequently have left behind; but more importantly, as I look forward, I see the myriad of paths which lie before me: routes waiting to be discovered, byways ready to be explored, and trails meant for me to conquer...and I smile, because wherever I go, it will be in a fabulous pair of shoes!

How I Styled It?
I've never considered myself to be much of a fashionista, but over the course of the last few months (and my recent embracement of color), I believe I am certainly on my way!  But a mantra I have adopted when it comes to styling clothes is: don't reinvent the wheel!  Companies pay big money for stylists and style teams to match colors and prints just right, so those of us who are fashionably challenged shouldn't mess with perfection, especially when we can use, if not share the professional stylists and have them work for us, as they do in the stores!  One of the big trends this year is stripes, and the navy/white combination has been one I've been eyeing for some time.  It has a nautical feel, and is an enduring color scheme.  I found this monogrammed sweater already styled with dark bottoms and paired the emerald green flats (2013's "in" color) to add a splash of color (do you remember Academichic's Fashion 101 series? See How to Combine Colors: Neutrals (with a Pop)) to this neutral background.  And the monogram? Stands for Marvelous, of course!

Grazie a tutti!  Baci!

Stella Notte

Day 300: Sunday January 13th 2013
Designer: Steve Madden
Name: Heaven
Color: Green
Style: Ballet Slip-On Flat
Material: Suede Upper with textured rubber outsole

Crushing on these emerald suede beauties as much as I am?  You can find them here at 6pm.com!

*Lyrics from the Irving Berlin song, Cheek to Cheek

Fitzwell -Blakely, Navy

Ciao a tutti!

As you know, my fellow Shoe-A-Holics, I love heels!  I would wear them every day and every night if given the chance, but as I quickly approach a milestone birthday (this seems to be the year for milestones), I think back on some beauty advice I received some years ago from my friend Lisa.  She came to visit me for a weekend, and as/was  is customary for us, we went shopping.  We shopped for everything, shoes, clothes, accessories and surprisingly enough, beauty supplies.  Lisa bought day serums, night lotions, anti-aging, anti-wrinkle, you name it had she had bought it and/or had tried it; I asked her why on Earth would she buy all that stuff, considering she had flawless skin, to which she replied, "Why do you think I have such flawless skin?"

Which got me thinking about my own beauty needs and everything else on my body that needed preventative maintenance before signs of age or wear-and-tear started to develop, which led me to my feet; I walked along beaches, strode over cobblestone walkways, marched on concrete, climbed mountains (well, only one), run through fields, stayed up all night dancing, forged snow drifts, jumped in puddles, and all in shoes which have not been kind to my feet.  So in this year of milestones, as I look back on what has transpired and then look forward to things yet to come, I'm going to (at least try to) be better to my feet...and infuse some flats into my Shoe Arsenal, because I haven't necessarily been good to them in the past, but I want to be able to use them in years to come.

Baci a tutti!

Stella Notte

Day 299:  Tuesday January 8th 2013
Designer: Fitzwell
Name: Blakely
Color: Navy
Style: Slip-On Flat
Material: Leather Upper with oversized metal buckle at vamp

Crushing on these beauties as much as I am?
You can find them here, at 6pm.com!
My recommendation? Order 1/2 size larger!

 

Beautiful in any color; click here to see these beauties in White!

 

How I Styled It?

The style inspiration today comes form Tommy Hilfiger again, but this time, I decided to do my own mixing-n-matching within two separate styles I had seen; the first was a blue shirt with white polka dots worn under a yellow cardigan.  I didn't have the cardigan, but I did have a yellow v-neck sweater.  In another image, the same polka dot shirt was paired with orange jeans.  I combined the two looks, and voila, it worked!  The denim jacket I bought from Chadwick's of Boston (years ago), I added to tone down the yellow of the sweater.  SN