happy feet

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With wedding season approaching, we ladies get to look forward to what is my least favorite thing about weddings: dancing the night away in horrifically uncomfortable shoes. If you're one of those people who's either barefoot or in flip-flops by the end of the evening, here are some tips for saving your feet from the clutches of those evil (but adorable) stilettos:

• If your shoes are new, wear them around the house for a few days before your party. You'll break them in a little and figure out if there are any trouble spots where you'll need reinforcements, such as...
• Band-Aid Friction Block — my new best friend. It looks like a tiny stick of deodorant, and it's packed with emollients that keep friction from causing blisters in places where your shoes rub.
• If your shoes are slightly big and your heel comes out, stick an insert in your shoe at the ball of your foot. The extra padding pushes your heel back slightly. (I like Tip Toes from Foot Petals because they're cushy and cute.)
• Slingbacks are lovely, but by the end of the night, the straps tend to slip. Plan ahead by cutting a strip of double-stick tape in half and putting the pieces into your clutch. If you find yourself yanking the straps back into place, duck into the powder room and stick on the tape. Violà — your straps stay put!
• Whatever you do, resist the temptation to slip your shoes off under the table unless you have no intention of putting them back on. Once your feet are free, they swell immediately. And you thought your shoes were uncomfortable before you took them off!
• At the end of the night, calm your barking dogs with a hit of Peppermint Cooling Foot Spray from The Body Shop. The combination of peppermint oil and menthol soothes your puffy skin and feels fantastic.

drawn together

Most brides will concur that finding the perfect dress is one of the most painstaking albeit rewarding parts of the whole wedding process. It involves going to umpteen bridal salons and abandoning all shame to get undressed in front of sales people who are complete strangers and a tad overzealous to profess how every dress she tries on is the dress. But for the bride, it's all worth it when she ends up with the most beautiful and special article of clothing she'll ever wear.

After all that time, effort and money, wouldn't it be nice to give her an extra-special keepsake to remember her beloved gown? We've decided that a one-of-a-kind illustration of her wedding dress just might be the most ingenious wedding, bridal shower or anniversary gift.

Send Dreamlines a photo of the bride on her wedding day, and the company will do a pencil illustration of the dress that looks like it could be straight from the hand of the designer. For a small fee, you can have them add an accessory like the bride's bouquet. If you want something even more personalized, Etsy artist Brooke Hagel includes the bride in her colorful illustrations.

So even though she'll only get to wear her dress for a few short hours, she'll have a truly unique portrait in which she can always behold it.

get your green on

As I've said time and time again on this blog, I'm not exactly into festive holiday dressing. When I was younger, my mom always insisted on pinning a dreadful, knitted shamrock to my shirt on St. Patrick's Day. Once I was at school, I'd shove it in my book bag and suffer the pinches for not wearing green because anything was better than sullying my outfit with a sad-looking clover. Later on, I'd settled on the fact that I couldn't be pinched because my eyes are green.

Now I've converted and am here to spread the gospel of green. All you need is one cute accessory to keep those annoying pinches at bay.

For the lassies:

• Accessorize your work wardrobe with a simple, green scarf. Just keep the rest of your outfit neutral with black, white and shades of gray to make the green pop.
• Channel your inner Blair Waldorf with a headband. Etsy has loads of handmade ones — go for feathers if you're flashy or green silk for something a little more demure.
• If cold weather is plaguing your holiday, stay warm with this button-up hoodie. More fashion-forward than a traditional sweatshirt hoodie, you'll be chic and toasty on your pub crawl.
• As an addict of Tory Burch's flats, my St. Patrick's Day would be complete with this pair of green-patent-leather Revas.
• When all else fails, grab a green clutch. Sling this mint-green wristlet on your arm and keep your hands free for a pint (or a Shamrock Shake).

For the lads:

• You can't go wrong with a classic — these Adidas Sambas with kelly-green stripes are the perfect addition to your jeans-and-T-shirt ensemble.
• This baseball hat takes a much more subtle approach to Irish-themed headwear. I get that it's St. Paddy's Day and all, but do you really want to look like a leprechaun?
• Attention label lovers: Your French-cuff shirts need these Paul Smith cufflinks!

dressed to the canines

Who doesn't love getting dressed up around the holidays? Have you ever thought that maybe your dog would like to get in on the action? And no, we're not talking about one of those costumes that will make you and your guests laugh at the expense of your poor pup.

The Good Life Dog Collars fit just like a regular collar, but spiff things up a bit with dapper neck tie. You can choose from an array of solid colors or patterns (Christmastime says red tartan to me), or send them your own tie and they'll make it into a collar.

These classy collars aren't just for the holidays either. Feel free to dress up your pup for his birthday or to look extra sharp in photos. And on that note, if you're the type of person who throws their pooch a party (and believe me, when I own a dog, I'll be that person), be sure to check out our pet party guide for canine-friendly tips and ideas. We also have a slew of pet party invitations with adorable pics of man's best friend.

festive dress for the rest of us

I was recently invited to a splashy event at an art museum. That’s terrific. Keep ’em coming. Less terrific was the dress code, “festive attire.”

Festive in relation to what? And according to whom? A quick online search revealed that festive attire is semi-formal with a twist. In other words, brighter colors, bolder styles, hats, anything sparkly. If it raises an eyebrow, wear it. It’s supposed to let you throw together something that makes you feel good and shows off some personal style.

Now, you unleash that kind of festiveness on an art museum crowd, and things can take unexpected turns. To some, festive translated to mismatched socks with sandals, skirts the size of belts and woolly ... jackety things (preferably worn together), all topped off with a never-before-seen hairstyle. And hey, if that festive attire contributed to their festive mood, then it served its purpose.

Here’s a quick recap of traditional dress codes so you don't get caught without the minimum pieces of flair.

holiday smashin' fashion

There’s so much to love about holiday parties — eggnog, sugar cookies, holiday tunes, mistletoe, (and my personal favorite) party dresses. I live for the time of year where it’s totally acceptable to throw on as many sequins and sparkles as you can find.

Need inspiration for your holiday party attire? I head to FabSugar for the genius way it dissects celebrities’ outfits. The bloggers give you details of where you can find look-alikes (or the real thing) of each component of the ensemble you covet. If you’re ready to spend, ShopBop has an unbelievable selection of this party season’s omnipresent shift dresses. Just try and resist the offerings from Rebecca Taylor and Alice + Olivia.

If you want a new red lipstick or eye shadow palette for your fete, surf on over to Makeup Alley. The site has a comprehensive section of reviews on every beauty product under the sun so you can get the scoop from people who’ve tried what you’re eyeing.

While you’re out there spending your money, look into some outlets that donate a portion of your total to charity. Current Vine has a section of its blog dedicated to places you can go to spend for a cause.

What are your favorites sites to get that fashion fix?