More Eco-Friendly Shoes...

I've been telling a lot of people lately about how it's actually not THAT hard to go eco-friendly, and even cruelty-free altogether (no animal skins or furs), with shoes and accessories. (Seriously y'all, it's Easy Being Green!) So I thought I'd share some resources that make it easy-peasy to find eco-friendly shoes - and a few of my favorite recent eco-friendly finds.

Zappos
Best shoe site ever. So of course they make it easy!
http://www.zappos.com/vegetarian.zhtml.

"For those who have tried, finding non-leather shoes can be a daunting, almost impossible, task. Specifically for those kind individuals, here's a collection of vegetarian shoes for secure, cruelty-free peace of mind. With advances in synthetic manufacturing, non-leather materials are now virtually identical to their genuine counterparts, but with none of the guilt."

You can even leave your email on that page to be notified when new vegetarian products are added. Genius! (That's also REALLY smart marketing right there.)

Zappos also has a kick-ass e-commerce feature which allows you to show product results based on categories of your choosing. I chose womens, eco-friendly, shoes and received 476 results - http://www.zappos.com/womens-eco-friendly-shoes~g! The only problem is what flies as "eco-friendly" isn't always cruelty-free. Zappos does do a great job however of describing their products well and detailing what all parts of the shoes (upper, sole, etc.) are made of - and I appreciate that.

I'm really diggin' Timberland's new "Earthkeepers" collection, but they're not leather and suede free unfortunately. Timberland would totally have my vote if they were using recycled leather like they are recycled PET (plastic bottles). I would have no problem buying shoes that reclaimed leather from old shoes instead of using new leather, for what it's worth.

They have a fun ad campaign running for this line, too:



Both shoes retail on Zappos for $194 - see each online by clicking on the images above.

The Timberland Earthkeepers Granby ($174) (pictured below) would also be flawless if not made from suede.


Now here's a cool winter boot from The North Face which is cruelty-free and made from recycled raw materials!

The Nuptse Knee High (pictured at right) retails for $170 at Zappos - http://www.zappos.com/the-north-face-womens-nuptse-knee-high-demitasse-brown-paisley-pastel-orange.

According to the site, the sole's are pretty high-tech, too:

"Durable TNF Winter Grip ™ rubber outsole with Ice Pick™ temperature-sensitive rubber snowflake lugs. Ice Pick™ rubber hardens when the temperature falls below freezing to provide ultimate biting traction".

Keep reading for more shoe finds later in the week!

Jessica Simpson Must-Haves

Shocking confession here: I heart Jessica Simpson.

Even more so, I double love these shoes:

On sale for $118.30 at Macy's. Super bumming that they don't appear to be available in the "Milk Chocolate" brown anymore, just black and grey. Shoot. :-(

These are super cute, too:

Maybe a little high at $75.00, but I would totally pick them up if they went on sale at Macy's. Also available in black.

PS: Update for Lisa S. and my mom (who asked if I was hinting at these for Christmas). As some of you may remember, I made a commitment to not purchase any leather goods anymore, because there are so many non-animal alternatives out there. Both of these shoes are leather products, so I wouldn't buy them for myself nor would I wishlist them. I'm surprised that both are actually real leather, to be honest. Many, many products now are made from vinyl or faux products, so keep an eye out for those and let me know if any look like these cute shoes. Love the style, not a fan of the raw materials. ;-)

A Kourtney Kardashian Outfit that I'd SO Wear...

Love those boots with that tunic!

I have to admit, I love watching to crazy Kardashian girls on E!. They're such hot messes, but some of their crazy antics remind me of my girlfriends and even my the ridiculous that my sister and I may or may not have caused on occasion. We hardworkin' ladies deserve a little mindless TV every once in a while, no? See http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/2010/10/kourtney-kardashian-mason-airport-nyc/ for brands that Kourtney and kiddo Mason are rockin'.

image via http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com/2010/10/kourtney-kardashian-mason-airport-nyc/kim-kourtney-101610-12/?bfm_index=2&bfm_page=0

Cute Boots

I saw these boots in Garden & Gun magazine this morning and came home and looked them up. Unfortunately, there is very little chance I will actually buy them now, because they honestly just made me work too hard for it. (Ignore the rest of the outfit picture below... I'm only talking about the boots in this post.)



Brand: LeChameau

Style: the Iris 2 boot

Color: in gold (perfect for Mardi Gras, Vegas, and any New Orleans Saints fan at the moment ;-))

Link (although useless): http://lechameauusa.com/fashion/iris2








Why do I think the link to the product site is useless?
1. There's no pricing info (not even ranges). *Slaps forehead*.
2. You can't buy online there. (Shopify people! It's cheap, easy, and looks nice!)
3. Their list of retailers doesn't include any in my area. Boo :-(
4. The include Amazon.com as an online retailer, but no direct link. So I had to go to Amazon and then try and find them there... just to see how much they are compared to Hunter boots (since they look so similar).


So, in case you're looking for these boots in particular on Amazon, here is the direct link!

I would possibly consider paying $100.00 for these (if I couldn't find similar elsewhere for less, because I like the look of the gold with denim), but their other boots are $400.00. Now that, I wouldn't do.



PS - Sorry for the Negative Nancy post. I know a lot of retailers and brands come across my blog though, so it's important information nonetheless. And hey, in case you are looking for these boots, hopefully my direct link to them on Amazon have made it easy for you :-)


{Images: LeChameau and Amazon.com, respectively.}

WANT: I Must Have These Boots

Love at first sight... I am not even kidding.

I WILL have these. ASAP.

Double ASAP because they are only $160.00, which if you know boots, you know that's a steal for beautiful boots. (Especially because you can get them re-soled time after time again.

Boys may come and go, but great boots last forever.

Also totally loving these.



I need to start bartending so I can have cash money coming in on the regular that's not already accounted for something. HAH! (Notice my terrible logic here: Not so I can save it, but so I can indulge in a ridiculous boot collection!)

Everyone's got their vices - I just wish mine didn't come in so many different styles, colors, and finishes!

Love Her Look: Julianne Hough

I love Julianne... and LOVE the wardrobe in her new video:

Julianne Hough MY HALLELUJAH SONG
Uploaded by tvguide

Snag this look -- under budget, too!
Vintage Gold Necklace - Etsy.com - $16.00


Charlotte Russe - Pocket Vest - $14.99


Mossimo® Black: Micro Rib Racer Back - True White - $8.99
(I personally love the long layering tanks from Old Navy, but there are none in white on the website! Yikes!)


Mossimo® Black: Skinny Denim Jean - Eric Dark Wash - $29.99


Piperlime - Bandolino "Edwina" - $69.97
(There is also an even cheaper alternative for $39.97!)Love it or hate it? I'd rock it.

Actually, I do rock it.

I wore something similar to the Whitney Duncan concert we had here in Raleigh this past November with a black vest and black boots.You have to forgive her drummer, Peter, in the background for that picture. They are a fun bunch!