Holly in Heels

You guys. I'm currently doing something I have not done in a loooong, long time. I'm blogging at a coffee shop - sans kiddo! Now, don't get my wrong, I love love love time with my little - she's not only adorable and sweet as can be, but she also loves to try on clothes, put on play makeup, and try on mama's shoes. How perf is that?! But when munchkin is at grandma's house, you better believe I'm bloggin'! Today I've decided to pull out a book that's been on my work desk for quite some time now. When I am in need of fashion inspiration, a dose of creativity and art and style all at once, I flip through the gorgeous, lush pages of this sweet little coffee table book by Jane Gershon Weitzman. LOVE. You may recognize Miss Jane's last name because you're a shoe fanatic like I am, and your ears perk up when you hear Stuart Weitzman . This book, called Art & Sole, is a spectacular selection of more than 150 dreamed-up art shoes from t...

A lot of you follow yours truly on not only this fine and dandy blog, but also my Instagram and Facebook fanpage. And if you do, you know that my style has changed a little bit over the last few months. Yes, it is true, since keeping busy with my freelance writing work, as well as my brand spakin' new  Instagram Pop-Up Shop , I have found myself sporting the finest in flats, boots and booties. At first it was hard to let go of my heels - sifting through my heel closet was one of my favorite parts of my morning routine. But now, I must say that I am absolutely obsessed with the expansion of my shoe-loving mind. What was once a "heels only" girl is now a full-fledged boot obsessed fashionista. I can wear my boots and booties all day long, dash to coffee to do some writing, and not feel overdressed...but still have that style. I have boots with studs, boots with fringe, booties with buckles - you name it! But the go-to boot that I keep coming back to over and over aga...

Ok ok ok, I will be the FIRST to admit what a wimp I am when it comes to winter. My fuzzy wool fedora seriously goes off to the people who live in the Midwest or the East Coast where freezing temperatures are well below what we experience here in sunny California!  So when the 40's and 50's roll around in the forecast, I sadly push my tees and tanks to the back of the wardrobe until May, and start to stock up on cozy pullovers and wool scarves. It's kinda fun for a change, really!  The key to mastering winter style in California is to keep it fresh . It's super easy to get stuck in a rut of solids and stripes - but if you keep your winter style new and fresh, it's bound to perk you up like a good latte in January. Geometric patterns are a strong accent to any top, polka dots keep style spunky and young, and mixing colors and stripes is key to keeping it interesting. And don't you forget the power of a colorful, patterned scarf!    'JANE...

Good morning, shoppers! I hope you all have had a fabu Thanksgiving, and a little time away with family and friends. I don't know about y'all, but I've taken FULL advantage of some excellent Black Friday deals (mostly from the comfort of my cushy couch, hot cocoa in-hand), and even Small Biz Saturday! It's been fun to check some things off of the Christmas list, and see what's out there, too! Well, lemme get to the good stuff here...as some of you know, for a long time now I've had this blog, gushed about shoes, wailed over shoe sales, found you all bargains and on-trend beauty finds, and even had a man's perspective on women's shoes (one of my faves!). I love writing, and I am HAPPY that I'll continue to do so via this fashion blog and a few print magazines - but I DO have a confession: I have always wanted a boutique . Oh yes, it's true. To be my own buyer, sell on-trend threads and accessories, shop the seasons and chat with customers, thi...

One of my favorite memories I have with my man is the time we went country line dancing. Now now, I know I may seem more like a city gal to you, but deep down underneath this mall-strollin', money-spendin' machine is a simple girl. I remember we grabbed a few cold ones, did some two-steppin' amidst the crowded dance floor on the Central Coast of California, and got our boots a little dusty. It was quite magical! Well, in this season where leaves are changing and new chapters are beginning, I've decided that I need to drag that man o' mine back out on the dance floor and do some country line dancing once again (plus, a cold beer sounds pretty delish!). I, of course, cannot even think about doing this without getting some brand new boots - and the trend alert for this season is silver boots ! Silver cowboy boots are taking a front seat right now - they're gorgeously metallic, and perfectly paired with dark denim or even skinny black jeans (also on-trend ...

Labor Day weekend has passed us right up, the "back to school" commercials are circling the airwaves, and the sun is going to bed a little earlier every night - so you know that means summer is drawing to a close. Personally, I'm ok with it - and guest fashion blogger, Lauren Farnoosh , agrees with me, too! Miss Lauren is author of the sassy style blog 'Styled By Noosh' at  styledbynoosh.com , and here gives a few key fashion tips on layering up those fall fashions. Enjoy! . . . Transitioning from summer to fall can be an uncomfortable time. One minute it's cool and breezy, then suddenly scorching hot! Layering with lightweight clothing is an easy fix. I personally love wearing a jacket with some shorts or a skirt. This is the time of year when you can be really creative with your wardrobe and mix and match your summer and winter clothing together for fun and eclectic looks.  for more fab fashion tips head over to 'Styled By Noosh'...

Ok sweet blogosphere friends--welcome to the final few days of summer. I simply cannot believe it. As much as I'm an "autumn" spirit at heart, I have loved this last June, July, and August which have been filled with so many memorable adventures, highs, lows, loves, heartbreaks, and of course...lots and lots of summer shoes! As you'll be able to tell from the amount of blogging I have not done, it's been a very good summer! I'd say one of the BIGGEST highlights of the hot, hot, heat this summertime was my adventure to Las Vegas! Exactly 1 week before my little baby Hazel's 1st birthday, I hopped a plane and met my beloved cousin in Sin City. Not only was it one of the most relaxing vacations I've had, but it was the most money I've ever spent in one weekend - ha! I'm still mayyy-jorly loving my husband for not disowning me after he saw the receipts ( more on that story later! ). During my fab Vegas adventure, I had a few go-to shoes that I...

I have to admit that I am an autumn girl at heart. I love traipsing around in leather boots, scarves, a colorful knit beanie, sipping on hot cocoa and curling up in a coffee shop. Now, don't get my wrong, I love the summer too - mostly warm summer nights that allow me to keep my shorts and tank on at 9pm, and feel the warm summer breeze on my sun-kissed, sunblocked skin! But to be honest, I'm always stuck on what to wear in the summer. In beautiful SoCal, we get this phenom called "June gloom" and it is enough to drive a fashionista bonkers. It's cardigan weather up until the clouds burn off, around 11am or 12pm, and I'm left needing an entire outfit change! So basically, layers are my BFF. This summer, you can find me in 3 key things: 1) stripes 2) short shorts 3) flat sandals I majorly love these summertime outfit ideas from Piperlime - fun combos of stripes + lace, nude strappy heels and flat leather sandals, too. The Steve Madden 'Stecy...

As much as I scour the web for great deals and trends at major department stores like Nordstrom, Gap, Target, Forever 21, I really do also love to shop small. Supporting local business is such a great thing to do - to step into a boutique filled with hand-picked items, and usually the shop owner at the front counter - there's really nothing like it. Most of these local biz owners have a really cool story, too. They started in a regular desk job, hated it, then discovered their true passion and went for it! I can hear different versions of that same inspiring story, and love hearing it every time. This week, one of my favorite Orange County shop owners, Sarah and Mike Dowdell, are opening up a new store called Scouts Honor . Located in Irvine at Woodbury Town Center, these OC-based owners of Love and Whiskey (also in Irvine), are now focusing on refined goods for men, women, kids and the home. Here are a few sneak peeks! I love love love that Scouts Honor will cary t...

Essential to every girl's closet is a good pair of sneakers. I know, it may seem odd coming from a girl who has "heels" as part of her nickname, but I'm assuming you all have a solid pair of heels and are just in need of a few alternatives. When it's one of those rainy, cloudy, jeans n' tee sorta days, then I will be the first to admit that I don't want to throw on my suede heels or my platform wedges. Oh no no, I want to slip into something a little more comfy and friendly - but not skip the style. That's where the fashion sneaker comes in: the one shoe you need now (if you don't have it already!). Vans, Steve Madden and Vince are just a few brands that have carefully mastered this fashion, too. With some fantastic slip-ons, and great textures like pony hair, textile and metallics, you're sure to find the perfect fashion sneaker that fits your sass and style. Here's a peek at my top 3: 1. Steve Madden 'ECENTRIC' 2. ...

I love Target. I mean, who doesn't? Where else can you get a re-stock on your paper towels, pick up a birthday card, an adorable cake stand for that new cupcake recipe you just tried out... and pick up an adorable pair of under-20-dollar shoes?! I know you agree. So every time Target pulls off another one of their designer collaborations, I just fall more and more in love with the big-box store. This month, Target is teaming up with designer Peter Pilotto , which has been on my stylish radar since last September. Launching in stores and online on February 9th (just a few days away, hooray!), this color-clad collection is at a friendly price range of about $14-$80. Preview the collection here ! I love the dashes of yellow, poppy, turquoise and lime green amidst the geometric black and white shapes on each piece from this fashion-forward designer. Busy patterns and stripes all accentuate the clean cut lines of Peter Pilotto's dresses and jumpers. You'll find women'...

One of this generation's most stylish actresses, Miss Zooey Deschanel, is making headlines this week. That gorgeous, blue-eyed brunette is slowly convincing me (and the rest of the world) that she can quite possibly do it all. Not only does this doll sing, act, and show off her sophisticated humor in every interview we see, but she's now teamed up with designer Tommy Hilfiger on a new clothing collaboration! Deschanel and Hilfiger found their dream team beat when the two met and started chatting on the topic of vintage clothing. This "new girl" to the fashion scene is now ready to make her Macy's debut on April 14 with the retro-inspired line of 14 dresses, affectionately called To Tommy From Zooey . The price point is friendly, at $98 to $199, and will eventually expand on tommy.com and Tommy stores in North America, Europe and Japan one week later, along with Deschanel-designed jewelry and handbags, too. Photos by Carter Smith and via  WWD I think yo...

...I can tell you what I would do! Throw it down on these navy + white striped Penelope Espadrille Wedges from Target (pronounced tar-jjjjjay in this case)! These slip-on wedges are the perfect first shoe for your spring wardrobe - an ease into the new season of colors, patterns and styles. Yours truly, in fact, has them in multiple colors, but the stripes are next on my list! With a 3" heel and a cushioned insole, these darling espadrilles will have you hopping around town in comfort and in style. And 30 bucks means you just can't go wrong! Go go go, I'll meet you at Target! xoxo, holly in heels

As many of you know, I had a baby about 5 months ago (hip hip hooray!). Hard to believe that just a few short months ago my bod looked something like THIS: (whoa there, stripes!) Well, now I have this darling little thing (equipped with her own mini shoe closet,  of course!)... ...and life is now never the same! My lil' bud and I have a really good time together - and she's growing like a little weed! But wanna know what else isn't the same? My bod. Yeaaaah, surprise surprise. I have to say that the baby weight has come off of me quicker than expected, but I'm left with a completely different shape (or lack thereof!). As I sift through my giant closet full of clothes that I've acquired over time, I'm finding some materials aren't so great on m now, I need a different cut top, and my skinny denims can't get skinny enough in some parts (if ya know what I mean ;)) Needless to say, it's time for a shopping trip! And when I wrote down my ...