Join The Shoe Cam Campaign for The Oscars!

Jimmy Choo 'Ripple' Crystal Sandal

While Jimmy Choo was the unanimous shoe designer selected to grace the feet of red carpet starlets at The Academy Awards (2011's Academy Award Winner Natalie Portman, Sandra Bullock, Hailee Steinfeld, Mandy Moore, Michelle Williams and Penelope Cruz), we can only take the stylists' word for it. Voluminous lace and silk from designer gowns not only covered the Master-Cleansed bodies of actresses, but also the shoes!!!!!

So I decided to put my foot down. I wrote The Academy a love letter to let them know that while their interactive website was ingenious with a Champagne Cam, Fan Cam and Host Cam that allowed us to view the red carpet from different angles, they missed the mark when it came to a Cinderella effect.

Yes, I am kickstarting a Shoe Cam Campaign for the 84th Annual Academy Awards! Feel free to add your electronic signature by leaving your name here as a comment. With your help, we'll start a stiletto stampede to ensure we get a Shoe View next year!

Happiness Is...

~ Drop-dead gorgeous gowns, Oscar gold and bubbly:
Set of Two Gold and Clear Footed Flutes

~ Lights, camera, ATWOODS!

~ Greeting your guests as a 24-karat hostess

~ Blowing the paparrazi a kiss with Vincent Longo Diamond Lip Gloss in Starlet Pink

~ Cinderella's invitation to the after-party

Q&A With Stuart Weitzman

Stuart Weitzman, Founder and Designer of Stuart Weitzman Shoes

The red carpet is about to achieve its brightest hue, as the 83rd Annual Academy Awards shines its spotlight this Sunday. As a stiletto intellectual, my eyes will be zeroing in to see what shoes will be peeking from underneath the exquisite gowns. And while red carpet hosts rarely ask the actresses who shoed them, the Oscars is the one awards show where shoes receive heightened awareness, thanks to one shoe designer.

Stuart Weitzman, Founder and Designer of Stuart Weitzman Shoes, operates 31 stores in the U.S. and distributes his brand in fine stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods. With 30 branded stores outside of the U.S., Weitzman footwear is also sold in more than 70 countries.

This global presence clearly explains why Weitzman is revered as the coveted red carpet shoe designer since 2002, when a pair of his shoes graced the Oscars and created Cinderella envy around the world.

BonBons Ruby Satin Sandal, from the Stuart Weitzman 2011 Red Carpet Collection

For this year's Academy Awards, Weitzman is wowing us again (after a two-year absence) with the launch of an exclusive Red Carpet Collection, featuring over 35 elegant styles for celebrities and their stylists to choose from.

With the hot trends of lace, platforms, peep toes, and sparkle, Stuart Weitzman heels will be poised to take center stage this Sunday! And for those of us who will not be on the red carpet, select styles from the collection will be available for purchase at the Rodeo Drive & New York boutiques.

I was head over heels when I received an invitation to attend the preview and exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the 2011 Red Carpet Collection at the Rodeo Drive boutique. Although I had to decline due to the short notice and location, I was granted the following interview with the talented designer:

TWHS: What was the inspiration in designing your first $1 million Oscar shoe in 2002 for Laura Elena Herring?

Weitzman: I needed a way for people to pay attention to shoes. For years we noticed that it was always about the dress and jewels, and I felt that shoes deserved their red carpet moment.

So, I partnered with Kwiat to create a pair of gorgeous silver sandals adorned with $1 million worth of diamonds and platinum. It was a game changer, as they say, and made quite an impact on red carpet fashion history.

From that moment on, people have paid more attention to shoes on the red carpet.

TWHS: Your shoe designs are synonymous with glamour. How did the collaboration with Yasmin Aga Kahn - daughter of Rita Hayworth - to create the Rita Hayworth shoe (worn by 2006 Oscar-nominee Kathleen "Bird" York to the Academy Awards) come to be?

Weitzman: By 2006, we were known for choosing one lucky lady to wear a one-of-a-kind, jeweled shoe to the Academy Awards. When we were approached by Rita Hayworth's family, we thought this was a great way to honor her legacy - she was a real Hollywood glamour icon.

TWHS: Did you have the choice of which pair of earrings from the Hayworth estate to design from, or was it the decision of Yasmin?

Weitzman: We used those earrings because they were Yasmin's favorite.

TWHS: Every woman has had her "Cinderella shoe"; the one pair that made her feel like a million bucks. What style of shoe should be in every woman's shoe closet?

Weitzman: Well, I think it's really two styles. The perfect black pump, be it pointy or round, mid-heel or high. And the perfect strappy evening sandal that makes a woman feel beautiful but that will also allow her to dance comfortably all night.

TWHS: If you had the opportunity to design for a late, great movie siren, who would it be? What would the shoe design consist of?

Weitzman: Marilyn Monroe. Certainly something very high and sexy.

Naughty Ivory Crystal Stiletto, from the Stuart Weitzman 2011 Red Carpet Collection

TWHS: Another fantasy footwear women covet from you is the quintessential bridal shoe. What story of a bride's dream day has touched you most?

Weitzman: I hear there has not been one divorce for the women who have been married in my shoes. It's amazing!

The wonderful thing about bridal shoes is that women become very attached to them. They are maybe the most significant pair of shoes she will ever wear.

I once received a note from a bride who told me she had called every single store that she knew of to find a pair of our lace shoes for her wedding. She couldn't find even one pair. She said to me, "Mr. Weitzman, I cannot get married unless I am wearing those shoes! Do you want that to be on your conscience?" Well, of course I didn't, so I helped her find them.

TWHS: Wow! I know she's one satisfied customer!

Now that the economy is on the upswing, what is the one detail the Stuart Weitzman woman can kick up her heels and achieve her own "red carpet" look with this coming season?

Weitzman: Anything with a little sparkle.

Lute Black Mini Glitter Peep-Toe, from the Stuart Weitzman 2011 Red Carpet Collection

Make sure to watch the 83rd Annual Academy Awards red carpet festivities this Sunday. I can't wait to see which lucky actresses will become well-heeled Cinderellas in Stuart Weitzman's Oscar shoes!

On The Prowl

Turquoise patent edging and bow adorns this feline shoe in nubuck leather animal print. The 130mm stiletto adds a heightened sense of fabulousness!

ANASTASIA BICE - 130MM NUBUCK PRINT NAPPA BOW PUMPS

Shopping and Goodies

Wide-leg Trouser Trend from Fashion Hippo

A Few Goody Gumdrops loves the neutral palette from Doo.Ri and Nars 2011 Collection!

Fashion Hipposwoons over the wide leg trousers 2011 spring trend seen on the runway.

RedPoppy Fashion is absolutely besotted with Burberry Prorsum's Fall 2011 collection!

The Curvy Fashionista spends a day as the Fashion Cruzearati with Althea Harper as she prepares for her Fall 2011 Fashion Presentation for NYFW!

The Well-Heeled Society shows how everything is blossoming in shoes for spring!

What's Haute is giving away a brand-new HTC HD7 Windows Mobile Phone valued at $499

Strut Out Loud

Pre-order this patent pump, complete with a 4 3/4" heel (with 1" concealed platform), and you'll surely be adding some vibrancy to your strut this summer!
Brian Atwood 'Maniac' Covered Platform Pump

Happiness Is...

~ Ballet flats with highbrow status:
ROGER VIVIER Ballet flats - Item 44286689

~ Allowing yourself to Dream Big

~ A little dash of Coco

~ Wearing your ballet flats to fabulous destinations:
Paris Orientation Tour + Lunch at the Eiffel Tower + Cruise

~The perfect way to drink it all in

National Sleep-In Day

Aqua Paisley Luxe Pajamas

Guess who has been participating in the festivities of National Sleep-In Day, organized by PJ Salvage? Aside from unwinding and unplugging, it brings awareness to the Pajama Program, a non-profit organization that provides PJs and books to children in orphanges, shelters and group homes throughout the country. Kudos to PJ Salvage, who will be donating 500 sets of PJs to the Pajama Program during this weekend!

But in true overachieving fashion, I feel my day would bear more weight if it had begun with breakfast in bed, along with the feel of cotton sateen PJs brushing against my skin atop 1000 thread-count sheets, as the buttons from my Horchow tufted headboard openly flirt with my bed head hair...

Dream on.

But to bring some reality to the subject at hand, PJ Salvage is giving five lucky participants a chance to win a PJ Salvage National Sleep-In Day Gift Pack!

To enter, click here!

Easy, Breezy Espadrille

Steve Madden's Rapup is wrapped in blue woven fabric material, with a 4.5" wedge heel and lace-up ankle tie.
Shop for Women's Shoes at macys.com

Beauty in Blossom

Dainty makes a girl feel good, especially when slipping on this metallic 115 mm heel, abloom with blush rosettes.




Giuseppe Zanotti Chiffon Rosette Sandals

Shopping and Goodies

Coppola Oriental Print Shift Dress from The Fashion Buzz

A Few Goody Gumdrops just bought the silver star studded Jimmy Choo Uggs on Sale!

Shopping and Info loves the neutral nude designer shoes for Spring 2011! Just in time for Fashion Week.

The Fashion Buzz checks out the Top 10 floral shift dresses for SS11 bring on the warmer weather!

The Well-Heeled Society is one happy chick, thanks to her book review on Chicklit Club!

The Well-Heeled Sips Barefoot

There are several areas for which I own my snobbiness: zip codes, food - and of course - shoes. But a champagne snob I am not; I'm not above uncorking a bottle that costs far less than a spa visit. So when the gracious folks at Barefoot Wines shipped me a bottle of their Brut Cuvée for review, I was pleasantly surprised with the bubbly whose price tag is under $10.00.

From a portfolio of 16 wines created by Jennifer Wall, Barefoot is the most awarded California wine brand under $15.00, and the Brut Cuvée does not disappoint. Immediately upon popping the cork, I was greeted with the aroma of Chardonnay and fruit-filled notes of green apples, kiwi, peach and jasmine. And unlike other dry Bruts I have tried, the taste was light and refreshing.

So much so that I picked up another bottle for my Valentine's Day Champagne Cupcakes. Not only did I infuse it into the cake batter, but I also added it to the frosting. Fabuleux! I will continue to make my frosting with a l'il bubbly, namely Barefoot Brut Cuvée (the use of high-priced splits of competing sparkling wines or champagnes wouldn't work, as it doesn't fulfill the recipe's required 1 1/2 cups).



Now I realize what I wasn't getting from bakery-bought cupcakes. One local grocery chain's attempt at cupcakes should be ashamed of themselves, as their frosting had the weight of paste and was void of taste.



Whether it's for cooking, sipping or toasting, Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée is a poshly frugal way to kick up your heels and enjoy some bubbly.

Heartfelt Wishes

Tea Forté 'Teas for the Heart' Large Box Set

Four green tea varieties (Green Mango Peach, Oasis, Moroccan Mint and Jasmine Green). Three pyramid infusers of each. Two reasons to give. One heart.

As medical research has proven, green tea contains the antioxidant called flavonoids which may protect the heart and help lower one's risk of heart disease (the #1 disease that takes the life of women).

In honor of women 365 days of the year, this box of tea is the best sentiment from the heart, for the heart.

And for the single and fabulous women of NYC, indulge in a complimentary night of cinema and pampering at a Girls' Night Out screening of the movie Jumping the Broom by clicking here!

Happy Valentine's Day. xoxo

Happiness Is...

~ Shoe Love in 3D

~ Champagne cupcakes

~ A $1500 gift card, chocked with sole

~ Indulging in a heart-shaped chocolate mousse

~ Gifting you with a month-long worth of giveaways!

We Have A Winner!

Meredith Montgomery of Bethesda, MD is the winner of her choice of YOU by crocs™ shoes!!!!

In other words, she's getting foot candy for Valentine's Day!

Golden Girls

A basic peep-toe gets dolled up in glitter, while a 3.5" heel gives a rise to your shine!

Bcbgirls Ariel Pumps

My Book is Getting Love From Chicklit Club!

Talk about a sweet Valentine's Day gift; Chicklit Club posted a glowing review of HTSFFG!

Along with being listed as one of their High Raters (scoring a review of 9/10), comments like, "Felicia Coley has made Zoe one of my favourite characters - ever", make me one elated author!

Read what was said here (and order your signed copy of How To Stylishly Fall From Grace by clicking below)!!!

The Name of The Person The Book Will Be Signed To

Please allow additional shipping time for signing of your copy.