posted by Ms. S&C

Tagged: accessories, handbags, j.crew, peep-toe pumps, S&C wish list, valentines ]]> http://shoesandcocktails.com/2012/02/12/love-means/feed/ 1 Ms S&C jcrewedietote logoenamelbangle eviestripepeeptoe http://shoesandcocktails.com/2011/10/07/savasana/ http://shoesandcocktails.com/2011/10/07/savasana/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 03:39:01 +0000 msshoescocktails http://shoesandcocktails.com/?p=6229 Continue reading →]]> There has been an absence of Ms. S&C lately. I guess you could say she is in Savasana. Regular readers and friends know of her love for yoga. Well, Ms. S&C went and enrolled herself in a yoga teacher training program at Yoga District. It is kind-of intense (Saturday class from 9-6:30; Sunday class from 12noon-6:30; plus homework and yoga classes during the week). But — after two weeks — she can assuredly say that it is more than kind-of awesome. It is really awesome. Wonderful, even. Totally worth it. Even though she wants to bore you with all  the details here, she won’t. (But, if you happen to be interested in this journey, you can hear all about at @yoga4everything.)

Suffice to say, Ms. S&C has some added obligations these days. And time constraints. While she’ll still be tweeting it up at @shoescocktails, she can’t promise that the blog will get a lot of attention during the next few months. But S&C isn’t dead! Savasana, or Corpse pose, is about conscious relaxation to invigorate and refresh the body and mind. It is an induced calmness so you can be reborn with full potential. We’ll be back rejuvenated and full of life!

Even though Ms. S&C is trying to use this teacher training session to instill discipline in her life (bye, bye animal protein), there are some attachments that are hard to let go. She is totally digging Athleta’s yoga clothing (recent purchases below). And her TOMS are showing some wear and tear, which is why the “exclusively ours” collection at Neiman Marcus is quite tempting.

We’ll be back wiggling our fingers and toes before long. Until then, Namaste.

posted by Ms. S&C

Advice, please!

posted by Ms. S&C

Also on the list are these perfect penny loafers. (Can you tell that someone’s Madewell catalog arrived yesterday?) Ms. S&C has been crying for the resurgence of penny loafers for years now. Picture them with tweed, camel-colored wool skirts, plaid, and argyle socks. The wannabe British schoolgirl in me squeals with delight. (But do these oxfords need the competition?)

Ms. S&C wants to know: she’s started sharing her fall fashion favorites — what are yours?

posted by Ms. S&C

In celebration of our blog birthday, here’s a list of our most popular posts over the past three years:

• Cake and punch
  This was the one where we shared the pomegranate champagne punch and Sister Mojito’s most awesome rainbow birthday cake. (We also love this blog post because it got us a mention in Washington Post’s daily “Express.”)
• Song of the summer
  This post was early on, but the recipe for watermelon lemonade is timeless, and especially good during these hot summer months.
• S&C reader mail: cream-colored pumps for Spring
  A reader mail post from 2009, but I’m still rocking a pair of neutral-colored slingbacks from J.Crew.
• Light as a feather
  One of those “aspirational posts.” We still don’t own feather-embellished pumps, but we would.
• S&C spotted: Keds comeback
  This was one of the more “trendier” posts, and a lot of people read it. We should probably take note.

Additionally, some of Ms. S&C’s favorite posts include:

• Miss Mojito and her tips! Her suggestions about healthier cocktails and keeping it simple with staples are e-x-c-e-l-l-e-n-t. (But, I also love the simplicity of this one.)
• Bourbon: wanting it, preferring it as my go-to spirit of choice. It is a phase I can’t shake, and I plan to make this bourbon mojito again soon.
• Music: I love that I’ve found a way to incorporate my favorite tunes in a blog about shoes and cocktails.

Cheers to another great year! Thanks again for reading!

posted by Ms. S&C

Here’s a quick look at how I’m making the most of this particular summer. See if you notice a growing trend …

Two-for-a-Dollar-Mangoes
The first time a pal and I decided to try our hand at a mango margarita, we spent absolutely ages trying to hack apart rock-hard, unripe mangoes. Let’s just say the results were less than stellar. Years later, an older-but-wiser Miss Mojito will put some perfectly ripe mango to much better use thanks to a stupendous mango sale at my local grocery store. I’m thinking of adapting this recipe from Food & Wine.

Strappy Statement Sandals
Summertime calls for fun and frivolous footwear, and these platform sandals fit the bill. I love the peep-toe slingback styling – it’s super flattering and feminine – and the layer of cork and pop of bright color just scream “summer.”

Frequent Pedicures
During the fall and winter, pedicures feel a bit over-indulgent. I might have a slight guilt complex over spending good money to pamper feet that nobody’s going to see. But come summer, polished toes are practically a necessity. I just love a hue that melds orange and coral, like A Good Man-darin is Hard to Find by OPI.

Posted by Miss Mojito.

For the picnic, or the baseball game (the Nationals have a double-header on Saturday, you know), let’s don these adorable Kate Spade sandals. That bow, the grosgrain fabric, the basketweave heel — nothing could say casual American holiday better.

For the night out, how about this classic Burberry espadrille paired with a flowy black sundress? Love the combination of red patent leather, espadrille midsol, and the check pattern.

For the wide-leg white linen pants (or the white linen anything), how about these striking Diane Von Furstenberg wedges? Yes, the height, the bold color, the multi-pattern wedge heel would contrast beautifully with white.

And what to drink this Independence Day? Well, we’ll have to get back to you on that, but these Black and Blue Mojitos and this Campari Cup are strong contenders (particularly given the amount of fresh mint we have growing over at chez S&C).

Happy fireworks, barbecues, picnics, baseball games, Declaration of Independence reading, patriotic song singing, parade going, blue-and-white sprinkled, sparkler waving holiday!

posted by Ms. S&C

Today, I thought I’d pay tribute to several examples of such a heroic shoe in my own footwear arsenal. To be perfectly honest with you, I’ll probably never get rid of these pairs. Heck, I’ll probably keep wearing them until holes in the soles are fully visible. But I can’t bear to ditch these several pairs that have seen me through thick and thin.

I've been searching high and low for a replacement for these beat-up Mary Jane pumps that are a workday staple.

It may not look like much now, but this buttery beige Cole Haan loafer was my go-to travel shoe for years.

Some might consider the damage to these once-uber-chic peep toe kitten pumps to be beyond repair.

Miss Mojito wants to know: Am I the only crazy sentimentalist out there who can’t bid adieu to a good pair of pumps?

*Update* Just one day after posting this little homage to the beat-up shoe, I decided to wear a pair of worn-but-respectable gladiator-style sandals to work – only to witness the straps fall apart just steps from the front door of my office. Thus, today’s footwear of choice is my gym shower flops. Classy. Methinks the shoe gods might be trying to teach a lesson in proper shoe maintenance!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

Take my new BCBGeneration platform sandals, for example. Everything about this shoe – from the oversized proportions to the satisfying “clomp” of shoe meeting pavement - is slightly exaggerated with an aesthetically pleasing result, to Miss Mojito’s eye.

The heel is thick and oversized, with a chunky heft and a towering height of five inches, supported by a two-inch platform. And the styling of the faux-wood base and golden studs appeals to Miss Mojito’s clog-friendly shoe sensibilities.

My particular pair is in a lovely shade of “Desert Toffee Crosta,” aka taupe, but they’re also available in black and a (somewhat startling) dark pink – err, “Red Berry Soft Tumbled.”

Is this a shoe that will stand the test of time and become the next classic go-to shoe in my closet? Well, probably not. But will the shoe give an air of 70′s style to my footwear wardrobe, lending an era-appropriate touch to my wide-legged jeans? Most definitely. This is my definition of a fun shoe.

And, to answer the question on your mind, they’re actually surprisingly comfortable, particularly for shoes of such delightfully exaggerated proportions!

Posted by Miss Mojito.

She’s found that when life starts to get a little crazy — when she starts to feel a little overwhelmed — yes, a stiff drink can help. But, there’s comfort to be found on the mat. And maybe with a new pair of shoes. And lululemon’s Astro Pants. (The phrase retail therapy was coined for a reason, right?)

Ms. S&C found a good deal over at DailyCandy’s Swirl that brought her a new Dream Yoga mat for half the price. (She bought the one in slate blue with an embroidered peace sign.)

Looking for some extra peace of mind, Ms. S&C picked up a new yoga mat
(and new yoga pants and new shoes)

Ms. S&C is pretty much convinced that there are no better shoes to wear to and fro yoga class than a pair of TOMS. She picked up these iconic classics a few weeks ago, and there are plenty of reasons to feel good about buying them. They are spectacularly comfortable. And they are for a good cause.

Now, shall we all meet in downward-facing dog?

posted by Ms. S&C