Heel Boy

There's nothing more powerful than a woman in pumps. A pair of high heels can instantly add sex appeal and sophistication. And a little boost of confidence and height never hurt anyone either.

There are so many advantages to a great pair of heels. The obvious being it makes a woman's legs longer and more defined as the angle change between the foot and the lower leg accentuates the appearance of the calves. Wearing high heels can actually be a great workout. For those who don't wear them regularly, calf muscles are being put into a position where they have lost most of their strength and therefore have to work harder to do the same job. For experienced high heel wearers this is less of an issue as muscles will adapt to the different posture.

Walking in heels also burns more calories. By walking unencumbered, motion pattern minimizes energy consumption. The heels represent a restraint that makes it impossible for those to attain their preferred motion pattern which essentially increases metabolism for walking the same distance.

Adding heel makes any outfit that much more stylish and some experts say it can even boost a woman's career by transforming her into a confident, strident force to be reckoned with. Putting her at eye level with male coworkers can subconsciously create better gender equality in the office as well.

The best part - wearing high heels can improve your sex life because the act of wearing them makes you feel sexy and strengthens core abdominal and pelvic muscles at the same time (also another workout tool). High heels thrust out the buttocks and arch the back into a natural mammalian courting pose called lordosis. Rats, sheep, lions as well as dogs all do this pose. It's a natural sexy posture that men immediately see as sexual readiness. So enough said - isn't it about time you treated yourself to another pair of shoes?

“I don’t know who invented high heels, but all women owe him a lot.”

- Marilyn Monroe -

“Nothing has been invented yet that will do a better job than high heels at making a good pair of legs look great, or great ones look fabulous.”

- shoe designer Stuart Weitzman -

“I like to literally put women on a pedestal.”

- British clothing designer Vivienne Westwood -

“How tall am I? Honey, with hair, heels and attitude I’m through this damned roof.”

- drag queen RuPaul -

Pep In Your Step

TREND ALERT: Forget the ballet flats and pick up a pair of Oxfords. I've been on the hunt for a sweet pair of Oxford shoes for some time now. As I'm trying to avoid chain stores, it's been a little difficult to find my dream pair. Not many boutiques carry them so I've resorted to some online shopping.

With a bad economy and new ways to find fashion inspiration these days, it's no wonder women dabble in their boyfriend's closet for trendy pieces such as blazers, oversized denim shirts and distressed baggy jeans. Did you think we wouldn't eventually find some shoe ideas?
What was typically a dress shoe for men, is now stylish and street savvy for women. Oxford shoes have been making a hot statement as tons of celebs and city folk don't mind giving the good old high heel a days rest. Comfortable yet classy, Oxfords are stepping in on the fashion scene. I love to see the traditional shoe paired with a relaxed outfit such as Sienna Miller's flirty skirt or even just a pair of skinny jeans and T-shirt. It's a nice contrast with a shoe that's normally used for suits and dressier occasions.

Although the shoes are mostly worn with a little ankle skin showing, the slouch sock makes for a nice touch sometimes.

Stuart Weitzman you are a genius. Love these shoes!

Don't worry I didn't forget about the boys. Being no stranger to the Oxford shoe, why not jazz up the look with some high top versions? These would look killer with some rolled up jeans.

Happy Weekend

Add a little sparkle to your weekend with some pretty pictures!

Sex & the City 2

This post is for all the ladies who love sex and New York City (so in actuality it's for ALL females out there). I along with thousands of other women have anticipated the release of Sex and the City 2. Despite bad reviews and most of my girlfriends being disappointed with the sequel and it's cheesy scenes, I came out of that theater pleased with a sudden urge to buy a fancy turban.

Maybe I enjoyed the film so much because it wasn't built up. I wasn't expecting anything grand, but I just don't see what women and critics hated about the sequel. What's there not to love about it? Spicy love stories, the adventures of a close-knit group of girlfriends, an over-the-top gay wedding, fashion, shoes and a lavish trip to the desert in Abu Dhabi.

A few odd women don't share my love for Sex and the City and I just don't understand them. Some may find it unrealistic that Carrie has a collection of Manolo Blahnik's on a columnist salary, but hey a girl can always dream. Overall Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda can relate to all women in some way or another. And come on, even if you're not into the plots, at least watch it for the sake of fashion!

Speaking of fashion here are few looks that I loved from the movie...

Although Carrie looked aged, her wrinkles didn't hold her back from looking fabulous in this urban turban. I wasn't loving the dress, but I was definitely in love with the turban idea. Very unique!

I've never been a fan of Miranda's fashion on the show, but I was pleasantly surprised with her wardrobe choices in the sequel. I particularly loved the black dress with the low cut front that she sported to Stanford and Anthony's wedding.

I adore this modern and so-Samantha bathing suit. I would definitely rock this outfit poolside in Miami or Saint-Tropez.

I believe a large part of my love for this film is due to my addiction to traveling. The majority of the film focused on the ladies' trip to Abu Dhabi and there's just something about the Middle East that mesmerizes me. I've always been obsessed with Middle Eastern music and the delicious cuisine. I really enjoyed how the ladies played on the Arab fashion as well with turbans, head pieces, shawls, Samantha's golden Aladdin pants and her white hooded cloak.

There were so many scenes that reminded me of my trip to Morocco last year (which I've already featured in my blog). The Sex and the City crew were not able to film in the Emirates and actually spent eight weeks shooting all over beautiful Morocco instead.

The only difference is my trip wasn't anywhere near as posh as the women experienced. I didn't stay in a ridiculously-priced hotel with my own personal servants or ride beautiful white camels into the desert to sip on Champagne. Instead I opted for a $5-per-night hotel and took grumpy, old and unmaintained camels (who needed to relieve themselves every 15 minutes by the way) into the desert while chugging from my water canister. Regardless, I wouldn't trade my experience for any other even if the camels could hold their bowels. The decor, traditional souks and the gorgeous desert sand brought back some great memories. But enough blabbing, go catch this flick and get Carried away already!

More LA

I've been hearing stories about a magical landmark that sells delicious sandwiches and so I decided to check it out for myself this past Thursday. It's called Bay Cities Italian Deli and there's a serious lineup all times of the day. I ordered the Godmother with extra hot peppers and must admit it was tastier than the average Subway. After lunch I went to Santa Monica to visit my friend Josie who works at a funky boutique called Zvezda. The owner of the boutique, a Bulgarian woman who was once married to the Prince of Bulgaria, sells cool treasures she finds from traveling the world such as clothing, jewelry, paintings, wooden carvings and vintage designer handbags. I received a gift certificate to Zvezda from the sweetest man in the world, and had a hay day trying on lots of pretty pieces including a $3,500 beaded necklace.

I then took the tourist route and walked the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. I heard a solo artist perform, saw a contortionist and lingered in and out of the big name stores. I was pleasantly surprised with the Kitson outlet. Most have probably heard of Kitson in gossip mags as it's the hip spot for LA celebs to shop for clothes. The outlet was filled with sale priced items and a sea of shoes in the back of the store. The sight of all those shoes put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

I had my first taste of Pinkberry frozen yogurt as well. I got the coconut yogurt with mochi, mango, blueberry and blackberry toppings. Word on the street is that people go nuts for this premium frozen yogurt that claims to have reinvented the US frozen yogurt category in West Hollywood. It's often referred to as Crackberry due to the never ending lineup of people trying to get their fix. My frozen yogurt was very delicious and I didn't mind waiting in the line either as they had tons of cool gadgets to look at such as the corkscrews and salt and pepper shakers that I've included photos of.

I found another cute coffee shop and it just so happens to be LA's largest organic coffee roaster. I love coffee and tea, but I've come to the conclusion that my love for coffee shops surpasses both. There's just something about the chill vibe, cool tunes and comfortable furniture that makes me want to sit down and people watch. I came across a gem of a spot just down the road from where I'm staying. It's called Groundwork Coffee Company and it's a place everyone should try when in the area. The locals love it because of the quaint atmosphere where everyone knows your name. I got the Bitches Brew coffee, a fresh pumpkin loaf and then sat outside in the sun where I met Hamilton. He's a masseur by day, but likes to come to the coffee shop to sing and play his guitar in his self-made Thai pants. The coffee, pastries and people are amazing here, and I highly recommend stopping in for a cup of joe.

As spectacular as the coffee was, the highlight of yesterday was still my bike ride along the Venice Beach Boardwalk and pier to catch the sunset. A nice man who lives downstairs and writes screenplays let my friend and I borrow his bicycles. My eyes lit up when he wheeled an old-school vintage green bicycle my way. It was lovely and equipped with wide handlebars and a bell. I've been wanting one of these bikes ever since I saw Wedding Crashers, when Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams take a bike ride to the beach. I couldn't have asked for a sweeter ride. On a Friday night the boardwalk was filled with artisans selling their crafts along the street, musicians playing in and out of pubs, artists carving sculptures in the sand and skateboarders showing off their new tricks at the skateboard park by the waters edge. There were also tons of kush clinics enticing people walking by to purchase their medical marijuana cards.

The modern homes that overlooked the beach were so grand that I almost crashed my bicycle at the sight of one. So, of course I stopped and took a picture for my blog. Despite the chilly weather, I was still able to see some dedicated surfers once I reached the pier.

Later last night I got semi dolled up and went out for a couple of drinks and good conversation with some friends at The Otheroom. The lounge had that relaxed Venice vibe. It was decorated with large portraits on the brick walls, candlelight and an upscale finish. LA is said to change "it" lounges and clubs on a monthly basis, so we found out that this particular lounge had great reviews from locals and celeb magazines.

Krazy Kicks

I was Googling shoes today and came across lots of unique footwear. I've always followed the motto that "shoes can make or break an outfit". However, I'm not sure what kinds of outfits could possibly be paired with these one-of-a-kind shoes in the first place. Nevertheless, they are still super fun to look at. Feast your eyes on these outrageous beauties...

French actress Marion Cotillard turned heads when she wore these interesting Dior shoes for an event in NYC. John Galliano designed them with each heel resembling the shape of a fertility goddess. Cotillard obviously wanted to draw attention to her statement shoes, so she wore an understated suit to complete the outfit.

Marloes ten Bhömer is a Dutch designer and true visionary when it comes to the subject of shoes. Her work experiments with art and technology, thus creating shoes in unconventional materials like vegetable tanned leather, carbon fibre, stainless steel, fiberglass, polyurethane resin, crepla, wood, tarpaulin and others . She allows women the opportunity to express themselves through an atypical style of footwear.

When Alexander McQueen's "armadillo" shoes hit the runway for Spring 2010, it was said that bloggers were voting on which celebrity would be the first to sport them. Is it any surprise that it was Lady Gaga? I think not. She wore these crazy and most likely uncomfortable designer kicks in her "Bad Romance" video.

Some fetish-inspired shoes. The girl on the left better not have any more cocktails or the walk home could be a dangerous one. On second thought, she should probably cab it.

A shoe for the music lover.

Who needs pepper spray when you can just wear these on a night out?

On Indonesian runways.

Stripper meets prom queen.

Wow! Now this is what I call industrial.

No heel, no toe, no problem. I bet these ladies get a killer work out every time they sport these shoes.

Valentino silk lace pumps and bohemian sandals/boots?

Happy shoe shopping this weekend folks!