In Search of the Perfect Summer Flat

I very rarely wear heels or wedges. Flats are my go to shoe. I pride myself on owning some pretty cute flats, but this summer I was in search of a perfect pair - colorful, comfortable and affordable. Since I walk around a lot, comfort really was the most important aspect, but they have to look good. So here is a list of flats that can be worn to for work and on my time off. They all work well for days where I will be walking around the city, shopping at a mall or playing on the boardwalk.

Betsey Johnson Brritney Flat - Available here

Madewell Bungalow Stripe Sidewalk Skimmer - Available here

                                                   

Michael Kors Meg Espadrille - Available here 

DV by Dolce Vita Diamon Sandal- Available here

Bloch London Arabian Ballet Flat - Available here

Pierre Dumas Lorna 9 Sandal - Available here

The Cut Out Trend

If last night's CFDA awards is any indication, the cut out trend is not going anywhere for a while. I think the cut out is a nice look - as long as it is on the right person. There are a lot of factors to consider when wearing cut outs - weight, age, event. The summer is the perfect time to try out this trend. Warm nights and rooftop parties practically beg for cut outs. Pick a part of your body you like and let the cutout highlight your summer skin underneath. Keep the trend to one piece and pair it with simple accessories.

Hillary Rhoda in Rebecca Minkoff at the CFDA awards

Kate Bosworth in Altuzarra at the CFDA awards

Zoe Saldana in Prabal Gurung with the designer at the CFDA awards

While many of us cannot afford these gorgeous designer dresses (I would kill for that Rebecca Minkoff one and the body to wear it), there are a lot of nice affordable options out there from clothing to shoes!

The Marina Dress by Dolce Vita

Cut Out Sundress from TopShop

Lucca Couture Open Back Blouse from Urban Outfitters

Diana Oxford by Candela



Mimi One Piece from Ete Swim

Something for the Guys

Since I usually focus on cute stuff for women, I thought I would pick out some nice stuff that I think guys would like (specifically my hunny). There is no shortage of really nice casual pieces for men that are "on trend" but have clean, classic lines, so they will last beyond this summer.

Pique Polo Shirt

Blondie 1977 Graphic Tee

Short Sleeved Prep School Shirt

Longer Length Belted Flat Front Short

Slim Straight Jean

Lightweight Linen Pant

Puma Clyde Script

Adidas Adistar Racer

Frye Sully Boat Shoes

Casio G-Shock Digital Sports Watch

Ray Ban Cats 5000



Craving Color : Yellow

The runways were filled with color for the Spring/Summer 2012 shows, so it is no surprise that color is popping up everywhere. I started to obsess with buying yellow pieces when the Jason Wu for Target line came out. I purchased two gorgeous yellow blouses and have been working them in to my rotation since. There are a lot of ways to add yellow to your wardrobe. I am not a fan of head to toe color on myself, like the Louis Vuitton look shown below, but it does work for a lot of women. I prefer accessories with punch or a top paired with neutrals. Here are a few cute ways to add yellow to your summer wardrobe.

Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2012 :Yellow on the Runway

Village Ava Flap Cross body by Cole Haan

Fixation by Naught Monkey

Camilla Skirt by Jack by BB Dakota

Sausalite V-Neck Dress by Hi There from Karen Walker

Open Shoulder Top by Alice + Olivia

Sea Splinters Necklace at Anthropologie

Chain Bracelet by PapikaPa



1969 Mid-Weight Legging Jeans by Gap

Yellow Brick Road by Deborah Lippmann

Even your dog should get to dress up in this seasons hottest hues

The Don Draper Dog Collar by BowWowCouture



Friday Five

1. National Princess Week: This week marked National Princess Week - a collaboration between Disney, Target and Julie Andrews that aims to get every girl (young and old) to celebrate the "sparkle and wonder of every princess - real or imagined." From April 22 - 28, Target is celebrating Princess week with special edition toys, books and videos. There are many ways to celebrate National Princess Week - I myself will be participating in Leslie of DisneyBound's Princess challenge. learn about it here. You still have a few days left to participate.

2. DV by Dolce Vita Damala Tassel Loafer:  The shoes are amazing. I wore them this week and got about 50 compliments. A woman on the street even stopped me to take a photo of them and ask where to buy them. I love the different elements of this shoe - the nautical rope pattern, the black white and brown color combo and the tassel on the front. These shoes are not as structured as a traditional loafer and remind me more of ballet flats. When the weather gets warmer, they will go great with shorts and sundresses. Buy them here.

3. DEESIGNS by Dee Ocleppo: Dee Ocleppo, also known as Mrs. Tommy Hilfiger, has designed a very interesting and possibly game changing line of handbags. There are four styles of bags, each of which comes with a removable and reversible cover to give the wearer various styling options. You can change from leather to canvas, floral to plain. I like the Monaco tote bag best. It looks large enough to carry my regular bag contents plus some school stuff. The bags and additional covers are sold exclusively through HSN.

4. No Other Medicine : Last night, I attended the opening party for the F.I.T Art Market graduating class's exhibit, No Other Medicine. I am proud to be part of this F.I.T. graduate program, which is the only one that includes an exhibit practicum, and I was proud to support the graduating class. The class found the space, the artists and picked a theme for the exhibit. In addition, they created a website and catalog, along with any other materials a gallery would produce for a show. The exhibit deals with hope, as well as the problems we are faced with in life and how we deal with them. The show runs through May 19.

                                       

5. Smash Journals: Smash journals are made by K&Company and they are amazing! Scrap booking has come a long way. People are not scrapping or journaling on the fly - it has become very rigid and more about perfection than expression. Smash is bringing the expression back to journaling and scrapping. Each journal comes with a pen/glue stick combo that is attached to your journal. There are pages to doodle, draw, write, and glue down your mementos. There are folders to stuff and accessories such as rubber bands, date stamps and top ten lists. I bought the large and travel size and I am so happy with them. Three days and I have already done so much. The pages have colorful graphics that inspire your creativity and give you ideas. See some examples here.