Trend I Love: Wedges

Who doesn't love Prada + gold studs?  These wedges are elegant, edgy, and comfy.

I have pretty much decided I am a flats girl.  Ballet flats.  Loafers.  Flat boots.  I look at these girls walking around in these super cute 4 1/2" inch heels and I can't even imagine how they can stay upright, let alone walk up stairs in them.  I strongly believe quality shoes are more comfortable, but after trying on some 4" Manolos, because everyone told me how "comfortable" they were, I realized what they meant was they are slightly more comfortable than the sensation of walking on razor blades that you get when you wear 4" heels from Forever 21.  Not comfortable in my book.  

But one high heeled trend I can get on board with is the wedge.  Wedges have platforms and wedges have support.  Wedges... I can walk in and sometimes... I would even say are comfortable.  I am still at risk of teetering off the edge and taking a dive on the sidewalk, but I can roll my ankle in running shoes, so operator error might be at play.  Needless to say, in a sea of shoes that are meant for museums, wedges are made for walking.  Here are some great ones.  

$35 at Target?  Are you kidding me?  Go buy these.  So cute!

Charlotte Olympia is my new fav shoe designer.  But all of the shoes are sooo high...  Except these wedges.  Gorg and comfy!

Love these for a spring/summer/winter vaca basic.  And right now they are on sale for under $50.

And the wedge trend isn't just for summer shoes.  Check out these super cute Coach booties.  

My wedges for today.  I can even walk in them!

Do you love wedges?  Or can you demystify the world of high heels for me?

Shoes MAKE the Day

Shoes can make or break a day.  If they are uncomfortable, they can ruin even the greatest of moments.  If they are drab, they can make your fabulous outfit wilt.  And if they are comfy, detailed, amazing, interesting, and wonderful, they can make a grey day sunny, a frozen pizza taste like brick oven, and everything in your path sparkly.

After our fall and spring trunk shows, I usually buy myself a treat.  This year, it was a pair of Cole Haan Electric Yellow Oxfords.  (Are you sensing an electric yellow theme?)  I have been wanting a pair of oxfords, because they are oh-so on trend, and when I saw these with the yellow details, I knew they had to be mine.  It was not a matter or chance, but merely a matter of time.  

So, you may not want to come into the shoppe today, because you will probably want to make out with me, because these shoes are so hot.  Seriously.  Ridiculously stylish.  And electric yellow.  Don't come in.  No really.

I Want That: 6 Par Farmer (And Some Cute Shoes)

Dear Santa:

Remember 6 Par Farmer? My oft absent farming bf? All I really want for Christmas (I figure if I have started my Christmas shopping, you have probably started yours too) is to have 6 Par Farmer here in Olympia. Could you please make it rain so he could finish seeding his wheat and come over? Dolce misses him.

Thank you,

Amy M Evans, Esq.
Proprietress
Bon Lemon

P.S.
I would also really like these FS/NY shoes from Clementine's. (Can't hurt to ask, right?) Rhinestones! Yes, please.

I Want That: Alexander McQueen Wheat Pumps

My boyfriend, 6 Par Farmer, is a wheat farmer in Montana. He used to grow a little bit of ornamental, black bearded wheat just like the wheat hanging from these fabulous shoes by Alexander McQueen. Alexander McQueen is an iconic brand known for pushing the bounds of fashion. Wheat + Alexander McQueen + shoes. What else do you need to know? Clearly, I need these. (Although, it is unlikely I could walk in them...)

I want that: Alexander McQueen Wheat Pumps.

A Fab New Outfit On A Shoestring

A fab new outfit on a... shoestring by BonLemon featuring flip flop shoes

Crochet top
$37 - amazon.com

Tunic top
$27 - target.com

Tie dye tank
$20 - target.com

GAP cuffed jeans
$70 - gap.com

Franco Sarto wedge heel sandal
$60 - piperlime.gap.com

TOMS slip on boat shoes
$58 - nordstrom.com

Flip flop shoes
$46 - infinityshoes.com

Bon Lemon : Hammered Sterling Fish Earrings - 925-E-103
bonlemon.com

Bon Lemon : Banana Bauble Ring - BJ-517-R-18
bonlemon.com

Some of my recent fashion blogs have featured items I lust over. Is it likely I am going to run out and pick up the $3,000 Burberry number I have had my eye on? Um, no. Will I find something equally fabulous and pair it with some Bon Lemon accessories and a cute top I picked up at Target? Absolutely. Tory Burch meets Old Navy. Marshall's meets Nordstrom. You get the idea.

Today's fashion blog is about reality. We would all like to shop on Rodeo, or 5th Avenue, or wherever the hip place to be shopping these days is, but let's get real. This blog highlights some great pieces that are available in anytown America. There is no excuse for not looking fabulous. (Remember, Bon Lemon is only a click away.)

The Outfit

1. Tops. The new Calypso collection at Target is a great jump into summer. Love the colors. And some of their fabrics are quite good. (I am a fabric snob, and love the 100% silk pieces they did. The poplins felt nice too.)

2. Denim. Gap was a great go-to for jeans in 5th grade, but they have kept up with the trends and are a good place to find basic denim for summer. Roll them up and you will be so chic, nobody will notice they aren't designer.

3. Accessories. Aaa. And the accessories. A fun Bon Lemon cocktail ring and a pair of hammered, sterling earrings will take it to the next level. Don't leave home without your sparkle.

4. Shoes. Lastly, the footwear. Although, I have noticed some people wearing cute shoes from Target, there are certain things I do not buy at Target. I do not buy handbags, and I do not buy shoes. This might make me snobby, but I find the quality in these areas to be lacking. And with all of the cute, affordable footwear options available, why not broaden your shoe horizons.

Tom's are all the rage and for every pair you buy, they donate a pair to someone in need. Win-win. Love the Bon Lemon yellow. Rainbows are comfy and stylish and are perfect for a lazy day. If the stylish southern or Cali friends in your life haven't converted you yet, buy some of these. Havaianas aint got nothin' on Rainbows. And we all need a pair of wedges when we want to up to ante a bit. Franco Sarto and Nine West are good bets to be reasonable quality, affordable, and stylish.

Voila! An outift. Perfect for date night, grocery shopping, or book club. And you'll have money left over to spring for dinner. Yippee!

Shoes are Pretty

In my family, when holidays like Easter roll around, the Easter Bunny doesn't bring us a basket filled with chocolate and wind up toys, the Easter Bunny brings us shoes. This year, Easter brought an invitation to spend a girls day in Seattle and pick up a pair of shoes or a spring frock. My mother knows what we like.

So, off we went to Clementine in West Seattle, because my sister and mom have been following them online and have been very impressed with their selection. We were not disappointed. The cute little shop is eclectic and unique and the ladies there are lovely. I found not one, but two, pairs of FABULOLUS shoes!

Both pairs are by United Nude, which I have seen before, but wasn't totally familiar with. United Nude is the brainchild of Rem Koolhaas. He is an architect and visionary whose building designs are over-the-top and fabulous. (His firm did the Seattle Library.) His shoes are equally interesting and structurally adventurous.

The first pair of shoes are named after Charles and Ray Eames and are quite a site to look at. Invisible heel. Buttery leather. They are even comfy. (Thank you Easter Bunny.)



And I just couldn't resist the second pair. They were literally singing my name. I am a big fan of Tory Burch flats, but these take it to the next level. And the color. I just drooled a little bit. LOVE.

If you are in need of some unique kicks and want friendly customer service in a unique setting, head to Clementine's. I am confident you will fall in love with United Nude. But if it is a little edgy for you, there are a host of other interesting finds. (And did I mention how nice they are?)

Vibram Five Finger Shoes: Woman or Beast?

I have been wanting a pair of Vibram Five Finger shoes for quite some time. (Do they have an actual name, or do you just call them that?) Our kettle bells trainer was the first one to get a pair and then my partner in crime at NDC Timber was raving about them. I thought they would be perfect for gripping the steep rocks on Camelback.

And for my birthday, 6 Par Farmer got me a pair. Nice! I have narrow feet and my feet often slip around in shoes. One of my favorite things about these crazy looking shoes is how supportive they are. Although, you don't have much between you and the elements... you don't have much between you and the elements! It is awesome. Your feet never slip around in the shoe and you can really feel where you are stepping. I am always rolling my ankles, and I haven't even come close in these babies.

The power of the shoes doesn't stop there. I don't run. When I say I don't run, I don't mean that I don't run marathons or 10k's. I mean, I really don't run. I hike mountains, power walk, do aerobics, etc. I think I have a mental block, because even at points in my life when I was in great shape, I still wouldn't run more than a 1/4 of a mile. So, imagine my surprise yesterday when Dolce and I went out for our daily walk, and I decided to start running. Not sure what came over me. (I am blaming the shoes. Or maybe the fact that it was snowing. I love snow.) Whether it was snow, or the wild beast unleashed by the primal power of the Vibram Fiver Finger shoes, I ran for a mile. Actually, 1.2 miles. This might seem insignificant to those of you who run, but I honestly don't think I have run a mile since 8th grade. I even ran kind of fast. Yay me.

Looking at Dolce's footprints ahead of me in the snow, and then noticing the "barefoot" prints I was making, I couldn't help but wonder, today, am I woman or beast?

Fall Boots by Gidigio

I have decided my blog should be all about the pretty things in life. That doesn't mean we won't talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly, because we can't talk about lemonade without paying homage to the lemons. But today, I have something pretty to talk about.

Beyond pretty really. These fall boots are delicious. Gidigio shoes are handmade in Italy of luscious Italian leather. It is not a brand I was familiar with, and apparently, Sole Food in the U. Village in Seattle is the only store on the West Coast that sells them. (Quickly becoming one of my favorite shoe stores for their breadth and depth of inventory. Online ordering coming soon!) These boots are the perfect brown/gray/mocha/I'm-not-sure-which-so-I-can-wear-them-with-everything-color. They lace up, but they have a zipper for ease of use. And they are SO comfortable. And this is coming from a gal who refuses to buy cheap shoes, because of the comfort factor. In a land of Cydwoqs, Chie Maharas, Fiorentini + Bakers, and other comfortable, handmade shoes, these take the cake.

I think these may be the creme de la creme of fall boots. How lucky am I that my mom, who we shall call Sweet Peach, decided they were a must for my fall wardrobe. Yes, I am thirty years old. And yes, my mom still buys me "Back to School" clothes, even though I haven't been in school for a number of years. Yes, this does make me a bit spoiled. But us Evans girls like to show our love through gift giving. We think being a thoughtful gift giver is oh so important, and we don't shy away from practicing on each other. Sweet Peach is unequivocally the most generous person I know.

She would, without question, cut off her ear and give it to you if she thought it would help you hear. And I learned a long time ago, I shouldn't feel bad, because my mom is generous and likes to buy my sister and I nice gifts. I am just a lucky girl. I will do another blog entry about how unfair it seems some of us are blessed with such loving families and others with no love at all, but today, I will look at my pretty boots. I will put them on my feet and remember that Sweet Peach loves me. (And she also has exceptional style.)