Hello Summer!!!

Bonjour Ete! Hola Verano! Ciao l'Estate! However you say it, it all has the same ring: SUMMER IS HERE! And everyone knows along with summer comes a few things: sun, sand and Sperry Topsiders.

As you might have guessed, Sperry Topsiders are one of my favorite summer shoes (actually, I wear them all year round). They are the perfect preppy shoe! When you put these on, you just imagine yourself on the East Coast about to board someone's yahyt and go to a little party. I thrown them on to add a splash of prep to my outfit (as if the popped collar on the polo shirt didn't do it enough). My top pics of Sperry's are the ever-popular navy, the classic brown, and to throw a bit of Cape Cod into your outfit or shoe collection, the light blue and pink seersuckers. Not only are these boat shoes comfortable, they also have a great advantage over flip flops: they don't show off your I-missed-my-pedicure-last-week looking toes. They also give your outfit a unique spin. These shoes provide the perfect juxtaposition of girl meets guy chic. I like to pair them with jeans, a skirt, shirtdress, or shorts. Basically anything goes when it comes to Sperry's!

Another shoe that is a lovely option is the classic ballet flat. I actually have a fetish for Tory Burch flats. I went to the mall last night to buy shoes for my prom dress (which is absolutely FABULOUS! but more on that later...) and I came out with a pair of shoes for my dress and two pairs of Tory's, which bring my grand total to 9 pairs. Yes, it is a touch excessive, but if you see how ofter I wear them (almost everyday), you would see why I need 9 pairs. Why do I love them so much? They are the most confortable flats, the leather is like butter on your feet, the colors and patterns are exquisite, and they are so flattering on the foot! If you are searching for a fabulous pair of flats, run to your nearest Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstroms or Tory Burch store and snap up a few! The ballet flat is called "Reva" and my favorite colors are silver snakeskin (faux of course!), navy and tan crochet, black sequin, and, of course, pink. I like to use shoes to express my personality and style, as well as add some color or texture to an outfit. As you can imagine, I have two pink pairs kept in rotaion because I wear them so often. These elevate any outfit, and can be worn to dress up jeans and sweater, or to dress down a little black dress. Just a look at the patterns and the texture of the shoes show you that these are a work of art. They're beautiful! These are the only flats I wear, they make your feet feel soft and lucious when you put them on, and they give you a little spring in your step!

The search for the perfect sandal is over! The quest for the fabulous flip flop is completed! The journey to find the worlds most amazing summer shoe has been found! What could this magical shoe be? Two words: Rainbow Sandals. Now, if you're not fortunate enough to live in Southern California or you just don't know what they are, they are the "Worlds Most Amazing Sandal" (as if the begining of this paragraph didn't give it away). Flip flops are a part of summer, just like bikinis and the beach. What really makes these sandals the best is not onnly their stunning array of colors and strap widths, but their built in arch support. Arch support? Yes, a foam arch support is built into every Rainbow Sandal, and you can even choose the amount: one layer of foam or two. Did I mention the leather also streaches with your foot to ensure a perfect fit? I have three pairs, and I live in them. They are the best flip flop you will ever encounter. The array of colors, ranging from mint green to espresso, the strap widths (narrow or wide) and the arch support all make this shoe the true summer winner! Once you wear them once, you will never want to take them off! My favorite shoes of the collection include the sandals with swarovski crystals sewn into the strap (I have a pink pair with crystals), and the skinny strap classics (an unspoken but generally known fact: skinny strap is for girls, thick strap is for guys). Any pair you buy, you will love! Buy them initally a little tight at first so the leather can strech, and after a few wears, the shoe will fit your foot perfectly. This is the shoe that EVERYONE (but really, everyone) wears because they are so fabulous! My top pics: the classic mocha skinny strap, the pink skinny strap, and the pink skinny strap with crystals to add some extra snazz.

In case you didn't already notice, since summer is here, I will try to post a blog each week about a new summer look, style, or article. This weeks was the three perfect summer shoes, and next weeks will be... guess you'll have to check back to find out!

Prom Proposals (and How to Answer Them)

With Prom Proposals in full force now (or "hunting season" as my guy friends call them) here area few ideas on how to a) accept the proposal b) gently say "no thank you" or c) think about it (not because you don't want to go with them, just because you don't want to put yourself in a bad situation. This is usually reserved for the stalker proposal. See below)A Prom proposal could be the most exciting thing ever, or the moment when you just want to run away from your stalker and hopes he isn't filming this moment to replay it over and over and over again. I'll get to ideas a and b in a second, but for now, let's focus on Mr. Stalker. (Or Miss Stalker, in case any manly men are reading this.)

Here's a scenario that you want to avoid at all costs: the stalker proposal. The stalkers usually mean well and just really really really (REALLY) like you, but, unknown to them, they come off as incredibly creepy. This happens far too often.
Here's the situation: Sally and Bill are friends. They met in math class last year, and chat a little. Bill likes to text Sally at least once a day, usually just "hello". The first few times, it was nice and they had a friendly conversations. Bill decides he loves Sally. So, he keeps texting her. Sally sometimes texts back, but she's starting to feel like, OK Bill, get a life. Finally, Bill is texting her daily, often two to three times a day, then facebook chatting her whenever she goes on, and finally, he gets her video chat name. Keep in mind, you only find out someones video chat when you either a) search their name in a database of roughly ten million people, or b) they give it to you.

So there Sally is, doing her homework one Sunday night, and Bill video chats her. She is just creeped out and ignores it. Then, he texts her with the question," so, what would you think if I decided to become an animal trainer for the circus?" Bill is serious. Sally is just creeped out, not because Bill is a weird, shady kind of guy, but because he is constantly talking to her and trying to get her attention.

The next day, Monday, Sally walks into school, and in the senior courtyard, there is a huge sheet billowing in the wind with the question, "Sally, will you go to Prom with me? - Bill". Then Bill pops out of a hallway and says,"Sally, I know you saw my sign. I've been watching you intensively over the last two months and I've decided that you are the girl for me. I want to take you to Prom. I've known my feeling for you now for a while, and I'm acting on them. This is no impulse action, I have been planning this moment for weeks. Please accept my proposal to this dance that I promise will change your life."

Wow. Talk about a prom proposal!

On one hand, Sally is flattered, and she finds his effort really sweet. But on the other hand, she thinks, That was one of the creepiest things in my entire life. What should Sally do?

Here are our options:

Option A) she can go with him, feel awkward the majority of the time because Bill is trying to make the moves on her, and end the evening with many creepy stories to tell.

Option B) Sally replies, "oh my Penguins! You are such a creeper! Leave me alone! I don't like you, I never will and you are the weirest person on this planet! Can you just go find someone else to creep on, or better yet, just leave?"

Option C) Say, "Wow, that is so kind of you. I'm flattered. That was quite a prom proposal! I don't want to lead you on in saying yes, because I only see us as friends. But, I would love to go with you! You're really nice, and no one has ever made that much effort to ask me to anything. I'm flattered. Thank you so much!"

Now, I personally would choose Option C for obvious reasons. One, because it's getting the point across that she only wants to be friends and she says upfront that she doesn't want to lead him on. Two, because she is flattered, and she tells him that, so he feels accomplished. And three, because she says yes. It's just a nice thing to do. And, honestly, he would be crushed if you turned him down, then Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome asked you the next day with roses and you gleefully throw yourself at him, while screaming, "OMG, I WOULD LOVE TO GO WITH YOU! I HOPED YOU WOULD ASK ME!" Not even a stalker deserves that type of rejection.

Oh, rejection... sometimes it's necessary for whatever reason (there better be a darn good reason too!) Some ok reasons to say, "no, thank you" to a Prom Proposal are the following:

- you will not be able to attend Prom
-you already have a date (although I'm sure the person asking you knows if you do or not)
-you do not want to put yourself in a bad situation (this is usually reserved for the 18 year old senior asking the 14 year old freshman)

Here is the way to break the news to your asker, "I'm so sorry, I_______ (can't go to prom, already have a date, you're a weird 18 year old guy who I've heard does some "bad" things and I don't want to be apart of that). I was so kind of you to ask me though, and I'm flattered!"

Other than that, just go with the first person who asks you! It's the classiest thing to do.

Since we have gotten past the worst of the worst, let's move on to the proposal from the man of your dreams, or just a really good friend. Basically, either way, you'll say yes. (Now, if you really good friend happens to be your stalker, please see the above paragraphs.)

If you go with your really good friend, you're guaranteed a fantastic time! It'll be really fun, there will be no awkward tension, and you'll leave with a smile on your face.

If you go with the man of your dreams, it will either go two ways:
A) it will be the most awkward thing EVER and you'll never want to see him again
B) it will be the most magical evening EVER and you'll float home on a cloud
(I'm a big believer of B.)

In either case, both of the ending start off with one thing: The Proposal. We all know if your friend asks you or if your dream date asks you, there is one thing for sure: you will say yes. But, how will you say yes?
You could....
- jump into their arms as he (or she) twirls you around, while screaming, "YES YES YES!!"
- smile, give them a big hug and say, "Of course I'd love to go with you!"
-pull out the good old, "wow that is so kind of you, I'm flattered, thank you so much for asking me, etc." Then concluding the schpele with, "I would love to go with you!"

Whatever Prom Proposal you receive, just remember, it will be a night you will remember for a very long time. Prom will be lots of fun, you will look stunning, and remember, all the fun starts with the Proposal!