that’s right, we have another fabulous designer Q&A coming up on monday – this one’s a doozie, so make sure you check back on monday! (hint: she designed the completely gorgeous handbag pictured above!)

stay tuned…

argh. i have been so, so, so good about shoes lately. and now, it’s fall, and there are at least a dozen pair(s?) of shoes that i’m completely dying for. i am so very in need of a money tree!

first, as you know, i had to have those gorgeous red suede pumps. not so much practical, but literally could not stop myself. too fabulous.

then it occurred to me that i actually have no presentable boots for fall. given the size of my shoe closet, you can imagine my shock. boots are not exactly cheap, especially given my tastes. ideally, i think at a minimum, i’d need a casual pair (flat) and a dress pair (heel). for the flats, i’m leaning heavily toward the dharma boot by delman, but i’m also seriously considering loeffler randall’s matilde boot.

for the dress boots, i’m a little stumped…but i’m thinking maybe the thing to do is be a teensy bit fiscally responsible and pick up these very classic j.crew boots for a very reasonable $225. as soon as they have a free shipping promo, of course. i actually think these are a pretty perfect dress boot. pointy toe, but not too pointy, and a very walkable 2.5″ heel makes them workable for skirts or pants.

then flats. how is it possible that i have no silver shoes, and no black round-toe flats? seriously. i have gold, and i wear them all.the.time. but sometimes, one needs silver. i’m pretty sure i’ve chosen the classic sue london flats for that purpose, though i’m still deciding between a true silver and a yummy gunmetal color (anyone with input, please speak up!). i just love that they fold up – makes them completely perfect for travel, as i’m always looking for a way to squeeze one more pair of shoes into my suitcase. plus, the metallic shoe really is the answer to the “i have no shoes to go with this outfit” dilemma almost every single time.

the black flats are easier, but expensiver (yes yes, send your grammar police somewhere else). sigerson morrison is my drug of choice in this case. i’m lusting after these, but may decide these are a bit more lasting in terms of style. but the studs on those first ones are so freaking cute. agh.

and then, of course, the chunky heels, they are everywhere this fall. i was trying desperately to avoid them, but then those most fabulous ladies over at bunnyshop had to point out some amazing cuteness from frye (yes, i was shocked too). i think i have to have these, either in cognac or grey. grey would be much more “of the season” i realize. but the cognac would be super fun too, and the color is just fabulous. plus, $150…much cheaper than almost anything else i’ve posted here. (ps: ahem, if someone buys the last size 11 while i’m debating, i’m going to be SO annoyed!)

yeah. um. so that’s the problem. i’m up to about $1500 in shoes, and i haven’t even been out to check out the new barneys that just opened in san francisco. plus, i still want about 7 fall dresses besides. as i said: argh.

so, anyone know where to find that money tree???

this is part two of our quest to find you fabulous products at fabulous prices (if you missed the fashion edition of frugal finds, check it out here). we upped the ante a bit on this one: we didn’t consider any products over $25, and we really worked to find products that really were a cut above your average drugstore find (while a few drugstore products did make it onto the list, they all impressed us just as much as their high-priced counterparts). here’s what made the cut:

(head on over to TDO to read the second “frugal finds” installment!)

first of all, a HUGE thank you to all of you for entering the olay giveaway contest. i seriously can’t believe i had so many entries!!

anyway, i conducted the drawing my very own self, using a very high-tech method: i printed out all the comments, cut them up into individual pieces, and threw them into a saks bag. and i didn’t look, i swear! i even took pictures of the drawing…granted, it was with my crappy camera phone, but hey…better than nothing!

so, the winners are (i’m posting them exactly as they commented, in case screen names are similar):

* Melissa
* only4becki
* SAM
* Amanda
* Tiffany

congratulations!! if you won, send me an email with your mailing address at shoppingsmycardio@gmail.com within the next 48 hours, and i’ll send your prize out ASAP!

and everyone else, stay tuned…there are many, many more goodies to come, i promise!

just a reminder that today is the last day to enter the olay definity eye illuminator giveaway. just check out the original post, and leave any comment there – winners will be announced on tuesday, sept. 25.

good luck!!

we’ve all been there – after a month of looking through all of the fall fashion magazines and seeing thousands of fabulous looks that cost, well, thousands of dollars, you just want to throw your hands up and forget the whole thing. we feel your pain. so, for the last month, we’ve been scouring the web and every store we could visit (tough work, i know) to find the best bargains under the sun. today, we’ll be talking fashion finds, but next week, we’ll bring you a list of beauty products. the only rules we gave ourselves were that the pieces had to be fabulous, fashionable, and under $75 (or $25 in the case of the beauty products). so, without further adieu…

(head on over & check out my post at TDO for loads of great fashion buys for under $75…finally, i’m blogging things i can actually afford!!)

be sure to check out the interview TDO did with jessie randall, of loeffler randall. it’s a really lovely interview, with lots of pictures of their gorgeous RTW collection. the pic at right is my first (no doubt first of many) love from the fall shoe line, the matilde boot.

would you just look at the completely fabulous suede pumps that followed me home last night?? i try so hard to be opposed to suede…it stains, it scuffs – it’s basically the highest maintenance material out there (except for satin shoes…don’t get me started). but these just called to me…you know, like the evil queen in sleeping beauty? i’ve been wanting red pumps, but these are so much more wonderful than plain red. and i loooove the pointed vamp…the whole thing is just yum!!

true, i totally blew my spending money for my trip to montreal this week….but it was soooo worth it!

i have been so excited to talk about this designer…i’ve literally been making myself a little giddy with anticipation. jennifer tuton designs absolutely amazing jewelry, right here in my hometown of san francisco. she has such impeccable taste when it comes to her designs, i couldn’t wait to pick her brain!

SMC: How did you get started designing jewelry? Tell us your story!

JT: After college I worked in an advertising agency. By the time three years passed, I realized I could no longer fight the urge to be more creative in my career. I gave my letter of resignation. What seemed like the biggest decision in my life (at the time), led me to a series of part time jobs. One of which was hand painting on barrettes (using toothpicks!). I called them ‘Jenniclips,’ and there my business was born. I designed every hair clip imaginable—sparkly bobby pins, hand painted barrettes, crystal wrapped clips and ornate ponytail holders. As my business began to unfold, I kept asking “what else can I make?” and that led me into jewelry making. At that time, I moved from Boston to San Francisco (1998) and my jewelry line really started to evolve and take shape. Soon thereafter I’d made a Crystal Cluster Ring that was featured in In Style Magazine. To this moment my business is constantly shifting and changing and unraveling…what will it be next?

SMC: I love the fact that your pieces are so unique – you aren’t afraid to play around with color and shape, which makes your designs really stand out. Can you talk a little bit about your design philosophy?

JT: I have always had a passion for color, every since I was a kid. I played a lot with watercolors and painted the most amazing trees! Reds and browns and greens and yellow! There were no rules! In my own work today, I create from the same type of chaos. I have all these supplies in front of me: beads, wire, tools, pens, sketches, and then I begin putting the parts together. What would this look like? Gems next to gems, different shades and shapes, jumbled or neat, asymmetrical or balanced…this evokes a feeling or nostalgia…and then VOILA! CREATION!

SMC: I’d love to hear about your creative process when you actually sit down to design a piece. Do you just start playing with stones, or do you get a mental picture of a piece before you even begin? Are most of your pieces filling a hole you see in the collection, or is it more a question of a design just sticking in your head and begging to be made?

JT: Sometimes I sit down and know exactly what “look” I’d like to create. In that moment I have a vision or an idea of what I’d like the piece to look like—and I make it quickly and effortlessly. Mostly I sit at my desk, surrounded by my gems and tools and wire, and in the silence I begin playing: placing beads next to beads and it’s almost like I’m in a trance. Anything is possible in that moment…and some of my most admired pieces emerge from that space. Ultimately, there is no form or structure of how the creative process takes place for me. It’s ever new and ever changing, and usually starts with a question, like “What would I like to create today?”

SMC: What piece from your collection is your favorite (we know you have one!)? And what one piece would you say is a “must have” for someone new to your designs?

JT: One of my favorites are my Gemstone Branch Earrings. They are quirky, intricate and organic—they take some time to actually make them—while still being very chic, unique and sparkly. I love sparkly. What woman doesn’t? As much as I love being up with the trends, I like that these particular earrings are timeless, which allows them to be “in style” every season.

SMC: Where do you find inspiration?

JT: Designers like Missoni that work a color palette like none other, that’s where a lot of my inspiration comes from. I love seeing what the big designers are creating. With that being said, I can also look at a country-side and it evokes something in me that ignites an idea. I was driving to Reno (of all places!) last November, and when I was going through Tahoe I couldn’t help but notice the incredible mass of trees, like stalks of asparagus tightly packaged, with pointy tops. I was bombarded by the hues of mocha, and emerald, hints of garnet and yellow. It’s all right there in front of us.

SMC: What jewelry are you wearing today?

JT: I have been really into “layering,” and can’t seem to get away from wearing more than one necklace. I keep it simple with a dainty gold necklace and then layer it with a longer one either with shimmery discs, or a locket, or one with gemstones that add a flicker of color. I love the subtlety of sparkle or color or design that pulls people in, and makes them wonder “What is she wearing? I want that!”

SMC: How would you describe your personal style? Tell us about your favorite, no-fail outfit.

JT: Like most women, I am drawn to beautiful shoes, great-fitting jeans, and a simple top. I always like to have one piece of my outfit STAND OUT from the rest. Whether it’s a top with a ruffle, or a gold sandal, or a great handbag or belt. If my clothing is the canvas, then my jewelry is the paint, bumping it up a notch. I’m into simple and chic.

SMC: What one style secret do you wish you could teach every woman out there?

JT: Ask YOUR BODY what IT wishes to wear, don’t just wear what everyone else is wearing. When I go into a store before I buy something I ask “Body, would you like to wear this? Would it feel good on your skin? Does it make you happy?” My personal style is conveyed when I feel comfortable in my own skin, that’s when I’m walking confidently and strutting my stuff. When I wear clothes and accessories that are personal favorites, it makes me smile and pleases my spirit, which is always, in my point of view, “in style.”

see? i told you she was fabulous! i was first introduced to her designs when i came across that gorgeous turquoise necklace i teased you all with over the weekend (which, by the way, you can find here). i’m still coveting it desperately, and i think i’ll be adding it to my jewelry box before long. the thing i love about all of her designs is that she manages to keep her pieces really unique, while making sure they’re still very wearable in a “real” woman’s everyday life. that’s something that is always a struggle for me: keeping my jewelry interesting and fashion-forward, without it being too trendy or over-the-top. but jennifer’s pieces are always a safe bet – they have the perfect amount of “wow” factor.

some of my favorites are pictured throughout this post: i absolutely love the multi-disc necklace ($165), which is impossibly versatile. the waterfall gem necklace ($170) is just the perfect thing to make any ensemble suddenly fabulous, especially on a day when you feel like your outfit just isn’t “popping” the way the you want it to. the 24K gold leaf charm necklace ($130) would be a fabulous “everyday” necklace – i’m pretty sure if i owned it, i’d never take it off. the aquamarine linked necklace ($170) is the ideal modern version of a strand of pearls – picture it with a classic white shirt and slacks, or a gorgeous little black dress! and i want a handful of her stunning stacking rings!

do your jewelry box a favor, and take a few minutes to drool over the goods on her website. if you find something (or several somethings) you can’t live without, email jennifer at sales@jennifertuton.com, let her know what struck your fancy, and she’ll be more than glad to send it right out to you! also, tobi has a few pieces that aren’t on jennifer’s website (including that gorgeous turquoise necklace i adore, as well as a red quartz necklace that’s just amazing), so you can check her work out there as well!

(PS…a great big thanks to jennifer for taking the time to tell all of the shoppingsmycardio readers about her gorgeous designs!)