Friday Favorites

These Nine West black patent pumps are awesome! I bought them initially for mock trial, but they actually look perfect with jeans, too! They can easily be dressed up or down and are appropriate for officewear, too. And... they're actually not too uncomfortable! (Let's face it, all heels are at least a little uncomfortable!) Even better, I found them at Ross for only about $20!

IN LOVE with this Juicy Couture Wishes Pave Ring! You can read more about it in my earlier post!

Apparently, studying at Starbucks with a snack and a Java Chip Frappuccino Light with one pump of white mocha makes studying bearable!

 

Spring has sprung in Happy Valley! The sun has been shining and the weather has been beautiful... these flowers are soaking up the sunshine as much as I am!

 

Hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Friday Favorites!  Please like or comment to let me know if you think I should keep doing them!

XOXO

P.S. Thanks to Instagram for helping my pictures turn out much prettier! 🙂

Favorite Shoes <3

While I wish that I had a more up-class style when it comes to everyday footwear, the fact is that I am still going to school and I have to walk… a lot.  I need something that’s comfy and durable, and matches most everything.

A few years ago, I bought my first pair of Coach sneakers, and I was immediately in love!  They are super comfortable, they’re stylish, and they’re pretty durable.  Oh, and did I mention they’re COACH??  In fact, I liked them SO much that when they finally wore out, I bought another pair just like them!  In the meantime, I had a friend who had found the same style but in denim, and I have been looking for them ever since.  I wasn’t able to find them until last week!  The Coach Factory store had an online sale (they don’t do them all that often, but there’s one going on now!) and I happened to see them!  I was thrilled!!!  Not only did I finally find them, but they were on sale so that even with shipping, I was able to get them for about $30 less than I spent on my black ones!!!  *Happy dance*

 

So… here are my new super cute Coach sneakers!

 

Fresh out of the box!

 

❤

 

Love the denim!

 

Laces

 

Love

 

The classic and the new!

 

Do you have a favorite go-to pair of shoes that you just love?  Please tell me about them in the comments!

Triumvirate of Heels

One of my favorite brands of heels is Nina.  I have found them to be affordable, comfortable, and cute… which is a rare triumvirate!  Here are my two favorite pairs, in addition to one I’ve had my eye on.

Nina Gretel Evening Sandal in Black

These were my first pair of Nina shoes and they have lasted me almost 5 years now!  I can actually stand in them for hours, which is a pretty big deal for me and heels.  That may be a little on the “party shoe” side, but I have found that they can work with a more low key outfit, too.  I chose them initially because i loved the cool crossover pattern and the bit of bling, but I’ve kept them as a staple because they are so comfortable and versatile!

Nina Evelixa in Red

I was in the market for some sexy red heels, and I ran across a pair of these at Ross on sale for only $25!  They had a little mark on the side (I’m assuming that’s why they were at Ross), but it was barely noticeable.  I am in love with these shoes!  The heel isn’t too high, so like the black ones above, I can actually wear them without wanting to cry or consider going barefoot in public.  I wore them to my family’s “Holiday Chic” party this past winter… they were perfect!

I’ve gotten tons of compliments on both pairs.  I think that’s partly because they’re completely adorable, but also because I have actually been able to wear them in public more than once.  I don’t generally do very well in heels, so the fact that I’ve been able to wear these many times and enjoy them speaks volumes.

Because I have loved both so much, I’ve been considering these for my wedding shoes! (Assuming I can’t make the Louboutins from my previous post, The Perfect Heels, work out… le sigh.)

Nina Electra in White Luster Satin

I love them!  I’m pretty sure they’ll be comfortable based on my past experience, they’re classy, classic, and feminine (I love the bow!), and they won’t be tempted to slide off my heel because of the strap around the ankle (one of my favorite parts about the “Gretel”).  The trouble is that I won’t actually be getting married for at least three years (we’re waiting until after law school), and I haven’t even begun to pick a dress or venue.  Chances are that by that time, I’ll have either changed my mind or these will no longer be in stock anywhere, but we’ll see!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share with you a brand that I have thoroughly enjoyed and found practical.  I hope that you will share with me your favorite brands and styles, too!  Please leave a comment with your go-to brand!

Be “Fratty”

Last year, my younger brother joined a fraternity that stressed the importance of appearance.  I don’t disagree.  I think it’s critical to look the part if you’re trying to be a part of something.  In their case, they pushed the idea of being “fratty.”  After a little research, I have determined that being fratty is basically the equivalent of looking as if you belong on a yacht or in a cape cod country club.  Personally, I see no objections to that type of casual class!  Being fratty is not restricted to men, though the word I often hear associated with the female version is, I feel, wildly inappropriate.  So, I’ve chosen to stick with fratty.

I’ve come to appreciate this style over the last year, and as I’ll be moving to Pennsylvania in about two weeks, I thought it was about time to pick up a little east-coast class myself.  I went in search of my first piece, a pair of boat shoes.  Okay, “boat shoes” does not sound classy.  But in this case, they are more “I’m on a yacht” shoes than “I’m on a boat” shoes. LOL.  Here’s a photo of the ones I chose:

Ummm… SUPER cute!  I was initially in the market for Sperry’s, but I wasn’t able to find any at any of the stores I visited that were solid colors I liked.  I found these almost by mistake at our outlet mall at Bass Shoes.  These are a bit on the pricey side normally (I believe they were marked at about $95!), but we managed to find them on sale buy 1 get 2 free!  SUCH a deal, considering my mom found a pair she loved and my brother was in the market for some new ones, too. These are called “Regatta,” though I wasn’t able to find a link to them anywhere online.

Don’t believe me that boat shoes are classy?  I have proof!  If Kate Middleton wears them, they MUST be stylish!!!

Hers happen to be Sebago, but if a style is good enough for a princess, it’s good enough for me!

Kate pulls off the style perfectly, of course.  Another option that I find to be useful is a polo and shorts or a skirt.  Be mindful of the length of shorts or skirts, keep it classy!  If you’re looking to accessorize, pearls are a great choice!  You can also take it in a semi-nautical direction, as my friend Jen did when we went to dinner for girls night the other night…

Jen is on the far right.  Cute striped sweater, shorts of appropriate length, sunglasses hanging as an accessory, and neutral boat shoes that would match just about any outfit.  PERFECT.  Kudos, Jen, on being extraordinarily stylish! ❤

If you want to know more about being “fratty,” please feel free to check out frattinghard.com‘s lessons online.  Please be warned that their opinions and phraseology can be a bit… inappropriate at times.  However, the basics of their style guide are actually pretty good!

I’m not saying everyone should be fratty, but I also think it’s a style that I can get behind and enjoy.  Please feel free to share any of your fratty favorites or any recommendations or suggestions you have! ❤

New Nude Heels

They may not be Louboutins, but they’re still cute (and the price tag is certainly more manageable!)

Aldo Croner in “Camel”

I have been desperately searching for the “perfect” pair of nude heels for over a year now.  Many I’ve seen are too brown, too yellow, or too pink, so when I found these I was SUPER excited!  They’re exactly the shade I had nearly given up on finding, and they’re suede, which I was hoping to find.  There are, in my opinion, two types of suede: 1.  the nice suede that stays smooth ans sleek, and 2. the crappy suede that gets messy looking.  I made a bad decision when I purchased my last pair of black pumps and bought the WRONG suede, and I will never do it again!  I’ve only worn them once, and they already look like they’re 10 years old.  Yuck.  These happen to be the nice suede, so I’m quite happy with them!

WARNING: If you have little experience with wearing particularly high heels and/or have been living in flat flip flops for 2-3 months DO NOT wear these without breaking them in and/or bringing shoes to change into!  (Oops… my bad!)

Anyway, they’re worth the pain I suffered through because I was complimented on them tonight (the first time I’ve worn them) while sitting at a table at a restaurant!  Aside from that, I am… well, I’ll just admit it, I’m pretty short.  I’m about 5’4, and I went to dinner tonight with my girlfriends and was as tall as the taller ones!  That may seem silly, but for a girl who’s been stuck at the shorter end, it was a pretty nice change 🙂

Overall, I love them.  I just need a little time to get used to wearing 4+ inch heels… wish me luck!

The Perfect Heels

Ever since I read Lauren Conrad’s book Style, I have been obsessed with her “perfect” black pumps.  As far as I can tell, they are the best pair of every-occasion heels I have ever seen.  I would have agreed that they’re perfect… except the price.  I refuse to even go try them on because if they fit and were as comfortable as LC claims, I’d be seriously tempted to spend the nearly $800 to make them mine.

Christian Louboutin’s Bibi Black Suede Pumps

You can find more info at Christian Louboutin’s site here.  What, you already have black heels you love? Oh don’t worry.  They come in tons of colors and you don’t have to have suede.

Of course, in my endless search to find these on sale (it’s been unsuccessful so far), I’ve become obsessed with not only these, but Louboutins in general.  That man is a genius!  There are definitely some styles that are totally over the top, but there are tons that I adore.  I made an entire board for “Loubis” on Pinterest, in fact, so that I could enjoy their spendor all the time.  Here are just a few examples…

Louboutin wedding shoes?!? YES PLEASE!  They are so elegant and pretty! If I spend less on the dress, does that mean I can have these?

Not my usual style, but I like them!  The color is awesome and the cris-cross design is captivating.

I can’t imagine spending nearly $800 on any pair of shoes, and certainly not any I couldn’t wear EVERY day.  But these are just so pretty!  I love that they’re lavender!

Also part of the logo for the TV show Harry’s Law, these are amazing.  The fact that the peep toe is RED is so sexy!  Can you say “party time?”

Of course, these are only a few of my favorites.  If you have any Loubis you love, please post a comment and let me know!  I’m always anxious to see more!  If you’ve ever owned a pair, please tell me they’re horrible so I’m no longer tempted! 😉  Hahaha… I probably won’t believe you anyway, so please feel free to rate them honestly!