I can smell it…well, if I was back in upstate New York I would—the smell of Fall, the anticipation of a new year, crisp mornings, and sunny afternoons.

With the smell of Fall comes the smell of fall fashion (like a new car smell).  You’re excited to try it on and take it for a test ride.  I often wonder what the trends will be this year and how far the designers will need to travel back in time to jumpstart their creative juices.

The other night, I checked out fall fashions here in California.  I was excited, Christmas had come early, and I got to sneak a peek into Santa’s sack of toys!  So what’s new and exciting with a Fall twist?

• Florals (not a big fan of in any capacity).
• Leather (which I totally love)!
• Bejeweled dresses, jackets, sweaters, purses – you name it (I only like bejeweled shoes).
• Sensual dresses that are refined (sort of stuffy and prude, but give me a couple drinks – still on the fence about that one).
• Last but not least black & gold (every woman deserves to be a goddess)!

That’s just the tip of the iceberg.  There are suits, full skirts, winter white-everything, and curvy, and bodacious-you name it!

Since I cannot view all the eye candy drinking a cocktail (which I would love to), I grab a cup of joe (Starbuck’s style) and jump right in!  There are times I cannot focus and find myself spinning like a top.  I’m in total fashion overload, and I am not heading to rehab!  To quote a fellow Jersey girl, “I could die!”  Do you know who I am talking about?

You must realize that with fashion come extremes, just like life and people (did you read my toxic article)?  You can go classy or trashy.  Sometimes I think to myself, “oh that is just a Jimmy Hendrix moment” (don’t give me grief, I love Jimmy), but I remind myself that you can take one part of your body and focus it with one trend and balance out the rest to showcase your direction.  For instance, if you want to wear a floral dress, then don’t add floral shoes, a floral hat, floral panties, and floral gloves (get it)?

I stopped by Bebe because I heard London was calling.  The girls are sweet and helpful and what girl can’t have a conversation about fashion—well, I know a few.  I fell in love (all over again) with houndstooth and I just love this dress:http://www.bebe.com/bebe-Houndstooth-Ponte-Peplum-Dress/dp/B007YGYUTA  I tried it on and Stephanie (a Bebe staffer) also had it on, so we took a moment and took a picture.  This dress was comfortable and cute and you can tell we are both happy in it.  I remember back in my corporate days wearing a houndstooth skirt and pairing it with black heels (red on a Friday) and a silky white blouse with a bow tie.  It’s a gorgeous pattern and I’m glad someone went into their closet and re-introduced it to the world.

For those budget conscious gals out there (and nowadays, who isn’t), pick up a style magazine, circle what you like then head straight to the stores that don’t clean out your bank account.  Go online, go to overstocks, watch an item ‘till it goes on sale, and look online for coupons.  I almost never pay full price and you don’t have to either.

This past weekend I stopped by Nordstrom and took a peek in the Junior’s department.  I had $20 in Nordstrom Notes and found an adorable jeans jacket.  Retail $59.00 but ended up walking away with it for $39.00.  Instead of spending the other $20 on coffee (which is my vice) I also got a cute scarf for $18.00. (see links below)

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/bp-essential-denim-jacket-juniors/3200829?origin=category&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Dark+Wash&resultback=389   http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/lulu-print-scarf/3334156?origin=category&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=Camel&resultback=551

The moral of the story is you can participate in fashion trends, but be careful not to turn into a fashion nightmare.  Use coupons and take the time to find or wait for a deal.  Patience my friends…

What’s your FFF (Fall Fashion Favorite)?  Send me pics – I’d love to see them!

xo,jo

Jo’s Toes

As I stare at my cute pedicured feet, I can’t help but admire my new toe ring.  For some reason when people hear the word feet or toes it makes them cringe.  I’m not sure why (at times I feel the same way), is it because we think feet are dirty (and some are), some are gross to look at, and well…smell?

For the record, I happen to like the way my feet look, and my friends always laugh at me when I say that.  My Dad had “nice-looking” feet and so do I.  Sorry to all you jealous people, blame it on genetics!  My feet are sexy and they know it!

I recently checked out the Saw Dust Festival in Laguna Beach, CA. www.sawdustartfestival.org   I wanted something fun to do with my sons on my birthday and boys typically don’t get into “girly” things, so Magic Mike was out (reserved for my girlfriends)!

As we walked around the Saw Dust Festival admiring the crafts and drinking a frozen margarita (I only had one), I came across a toe ring booth.  It was decked out with a sitting area, music was playing, and had a wide range of toe rings.  You couldn’t help but get sucked in and want to bling out your toes!

My new friend John (the owner of this fun establishment) helped me pick out the perfect toe ring.  He knew a lot about them and had an eye for piecing together the perfect look (I think he had a thing for feet).  He has been wearing a toe ring for about 30 years (I felt no need to see it)!  As you can tell by our picture (at the end of article), he couldn’t keep his eyes off my cute East Coast toes!

I remember spending my summers in LBI (Long Beach Island), which is exit 63 of the GSP (Garden State Parkway) in New Jersey (Shout-out to my Jersey friends) and showing off my toe rings.  When you meet someone from Jersey, they will ask you, “What exit are you on the parkway?”  Romance is determined by exits in Jersey, and if you are a lifeguard, well that is certainly taken into consideration.  Take Skip, my 8^th grade summer boyfriend for example  (from Island Beach State Park), the only blonde lifeguard I ever dated – he was hot and built.  I, like most women have a “thing” for men in uniforms (for me: lifeguards and surfers – my kind of uniforms)!  The beach is the perfect place to display your pedicured toes bedazzled with toe rings.  It’s Summertime and you’re feeling cute, or maybe sexy walking on the boardwalk or dancing the night away!  If we are going to tan our bodies, paint our toes, and wear sexy heels, why not bedazzle our toes with silver, gold, and even diamond rings?  I have been wearing toe rings since 7^th grade.  They are fun, there’s no big commitment, no piercing involved, and they bling out your feet.  If you have ugly feet (fess up, some people do), they are a great distraction!

Toe rings have a rich history behind them.  In India, married Hindu women traditionally wore a large ring on the big toe of their left foot, which is called bichiya in Hindi, and in some cultures, men wear toe rings on their big toes as a symbol of their masculine vigor (hmmm….I like the sound of that)!

A big thanks to Majorie Borell, who introduced toe rings to the States.  After returning from India she began manufacturing and selling them in New York in 1973.  She had a trendy retail store called Fiorucci that was located on 59^thStreet.  She sold toe rings in silver, gold, and with diamonds.  In the U.S. toe rings have no special meaning other than a fashion statement and accessory, which is fine to me – sometimes things just need to be “fun and easy!”

Jayden’s cute feet!

I found out that toe rings are enjoyed by adorable girls as young as six (notice my cute toe model Jayden) to my new friend John (not advertising his age).  This fun fashion accessory is not exclusive to certain countries, age or even sex.  Here are a couple of sites I like: www.bodycandy.com and www.toerings.com.

This is a guilt-free treat.  No big purchase necessary, remove it when you feel like it, and when you’re having an “off” day – throw on a toe ring to brighten your step!

Jo&John (Toe Envy)

xo,jo