One of the biggest trends this summer are T-Strap Sandals, like those pictured on the left. I’ve been searching for the perfect pair for months now. It seemed like everything I found was either too cheaply made, too cheap looking, or gorgeous and far too expensive. While out shopping in San Francisco, and on a mission to find some sandals, I decided to stop into a Marshalls to see if they had anything good. I’m a big fan of bargain shopping and think that checking clearance racks and discount stores is always a smart option. After all, shoes really can make or break an outfit. Being able to save a few bucks here and there by shopping smartly allows for you to expand your closet a bit more.

I was very surprised and happy to find out that this Marshalls was a Marshalls Megashoe Shop location. The shoe department was huge and featured a lot of really cute styles and lots of brands. Steve Madden, Roxy, Jessica Simpson, Rocket Dog, Ralph Lauren, Kenneth Cole, Guess, New Balance… The list goes on. The prices were amazing too. There was a pair of Jessica Simpson tan round toe pumps that I was seriously tempted by. Especially after seeing that they were only $39.99! There was also a pair of great looking oxford heels and summery wedges. However, I decided to not get distracted by all the awesome deals on high heels until I had checked out everything. After browsing the racks, I found not just one, but two pairs of sandals that were exactly what I was looking for. One is a basic patent braided gladiator t-strap style by Steve Madden, and the other are silver flip flop style Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes embellished with shells. Best of all, both were only $24.99 a pair! I just looked up the Steve Madden sandals online and saw that they retail for $69.95 in stores. They are both perfect paired with jeans, shorts, skirts, or dresses as both are casual enough for day time wear and chic enough for going out at night.

I got the Steve Madden Synapse sandals in Black Patent and the Kenneth Cole Reaction Sand Rings sandals in Silver.

I was looking online and they are having a contest right now. Match up the pairs of shoes (while browsing what the department actually does look like) and you have a chance to win a $250.00 Shopping Spree. If these cute sandals were only $24.99 a pair, I can only imagine what $250.00 would allow me to find there.

After recently purchasing a pair of Michael Kors slip-on sneakers, I have to say that I am currently infatuated with his work. The shoes surprised me by being not only incredibly cute (I can’t even count the number of compliments I’ve received), but also incredibly comfortable. Seeing as I am currently infatuated with his designs, I wanted to share news of the Michael Kors VIP Shopper Private Sale. This sale includes ready to wear clothing items, handbags, shoes, and accessories. Selected items are up to 50% off!

Pictured above are my three favorite items from the Ready To Wear section. They are all going to be great looks for the summer and even into the transition to fall. From left to right, these outfits are the : Michael Kors Safari Jacket & Flared Trousers, Michael Kors Long Cashmere Cardigan & Silk Pleated Skirt, and the Michael Kors Cropped Jacket & Audrey Skirt.

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across the blog of a girl embarking on opening her own boutique and blogging about the process. Since that is something that I want to do in the future, I was immediately intrigued. The boutique, Ooh La Luxe is now open for business and full of cute items. The boutique carries a variety of clothing from the labels Cohen Camden, Egoist, Jae Basilio, Plastic Island, Va Va Voom and Voom. Some of my favorite pieces are the Voom by Joy Han Luxe Babydoll Dress, Egoist Double Top, and the Plastic Island Twist Back Dress, which are pictured above from left to right.

Kim, who is a FIDM graduate, was kind enough to answer some questions for me about her boutique, the process of going from student to business owner, her summer must haves, and fashion in general.

Logical Harmony : Have you always been interested in fashion, or did the interest start at a particular point in your life?
Kim : It’s always been there. When I was really young, used to make costumes out of grocery bags (paper and plastic). And then when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade I started outlining barbie dolls on paper so I could make fashion “sketches”. I did go back and forth between which path in fashion I wanted to take, but it’s always been there.

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I was looking online for a great site to buy shoes from. My mom’s birthday is this summer, and I would love to buy her a really nice pair of shoes. You can find decent shoes anywhere, but I am really looking for something that is high quality, cute, and will last her a long time. I stumbled across Infinity Shoes and was really impressed by their selection! Most online shoe stores carry a very limited number of brands and styles to choose from. Infinity shoes offers many styles by many well known brands. I was really happy to see that they carry seychelles shoes! Seychelles are very hard to find in a lot of areas, and are always very cute. You can browse the site by the shoe brand, the items that are the best sellers, or browse what they have just received in stock. Items are shipped within 3 days of receiving your order too. So you can pick up cute new shoes and have them in your hands in just a few days. At first, I was thinking that some tsubo shoes might be the way to go. I’ve heard really good things about the quality and comfort level of them. But, I think that I might get her a pair of minnetonka boots instead. There’s something just too adorable about their styles. Especially the Thunderbird Suede Moc. It’d be perfect for around the house, or just a casual outing. I’ll definitely be returning to Infinity Shoes when I buy my mom some shoes for her birthday!

As mention in my previous post, What Are Your Lust Items For Spring?, I did a little bit of shopping yesterday. Going from having no extra cash at all to having some is a nice change, but it was still really hard to allow myself to spend freely. Probably a good thing though. I can treat myself to the small item here and there from now on. We also went grocery shopping and, for the first time in months, our fridge and cupboards are full! I know it sounds weird, but it’s the best feeling. We didn’t even have super basic things, like soy sauce or vinegar, because we don’t use them daily and therefor couldn’t justify spending the money. Yes, things have been that tight for me. Not having to live on pasta, eggs, rice, and oatmeal is going to be so nice.

Of course, being the Abercrombie & Fitch addict that I am, I went there first. I picked up the Claudia Sweater in Pink Stripe (I already have it in Navy Stripe), the Ariana Tee in White, and the Jane Cardigan in Navy Stripe. As you can tell from this post, and any previous posts about shopping or where I post outfits, I love sweaters. Especially cardigans. The two that I purchased yesterday are the perfect lightweight sweaters for spring and summer. I’m not big on the logo tee’s, but I love the drawn illustration on the tee that I did purchase.

My next stop was Sephora. I always spend hours browsing and lusting over random items, then end up walking out with next to nothing. This time, I allowed myself to buy a few things. The Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer To Go was the first item that I knew I had to have. I bought the 0.5 ounce months ago and just ran out. Yes, it lasts that long. And it works amazingly. I also picked up Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion after recommendations from Marsadie (check out her review and tutorial) and Katy. I used it today and noticed that it really made a difference in the staying power of my eyeshadow. Since I wear black eyeliner daily, I wanted to try something slightly different and picked up Sephora Liner Electro Glitter Eye Pencil in Black Electro 01 (matte black with silver micro glitter). I love it! The glitter adds just a tiny bit of flash to regular black liner. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t smudge either. I really want to try a wider variety of liner colors since the Sephora brand has a wide variety, but decided to just stick to the basics. I also decided to get an item from my post Sephora Wishlist : Lip Gloss and picked up Philosophy Soul Mates Grapefruit Lip Gelato which I love. It smells amazing! It advertises that it contains a natural lip plumping agent, but I haven’t checked to see if there are any results. All I know is that it makes my lips super smooth for a long time.

I went into several other stores but nothing really caught my eye. Maybe it’s just me, but H&M always puts me in a frustrated mood and ruins my shopping feel for the entire day. I don’t know why I even bother going in there. Everything looks so cheap and tacky on the racks. I end up just getting frustrated, leaving the store, and in a bad mood for the rest of the day. I went into Ross and saw that they had several L.A.M.B. watches, including the one I used in this layout. Such torture!

In a couple of weeks I’m going to make a shopping trip into San Francisco. I’m really excited and I’m sure that I’ll have a great shopping post afterwards.