I love Halloween and it’s just around the corner, so it’s definitely time to think about placing an order if you plan to dress up and shop online for your costume and/or accessories.  I don’t dress up in costume every year, but I do occasionally like to go all out and wear a fun getup — my last one was Little Bo Peep with my baby daughter as the sweet little sheep.  So, while browsing around some of the online Halloween stores to check out the latest kids’ costumes, I had to divert over to the women’s Halloween costume shoes to check it out.  One that immediately caught my eye was this pair of teacup heels — too cute!  These shoes have a cup handle on the back of the heel and the back of the shoe actually looks similar to the shape of a cup, despite the open part where the foot goes in, so I think the concept works quite well as a whimsical, unique costume shoe for a Wonderland / Queen of Hearts type of theme.  Perhaps something along these lines, if you’re feeling extra saucy:

You can find the Teacup Shoes for $37.99 and the Queen of Hearts costume for $59.99 at CostumeSuperCenter.com.  Coupon code OCT40 takes 15% off $40 or more (exp. 10/31).  You can also find the shoes at BuyCostumes.com for $39.99 and coupon code TREAT15 takes 15% off through today, 10/6/11.

Season 2 of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills premiered this week and I know a lot of people, including myself, were really looking forward to it after the popularity of the first season.  The opening episode, which aired Monday night, was definitely hard to watch given the recent tragedy of cast member Taylor Armstrong’s husband, Russell, taking his life after the season filmed.  That whole situation is incredibly sad and Bravo is now re-editing the show, but I’m sure it’ll still be pretty surreal for viewers to watch Taylor knowing what the future holds.  Plus, we have other serious situations, like the bitter ongoing fued between sisters Kim and Kyle, Camille getting some of her personal belongings unceremoniously shipped to her from estranged ex-husband Kelsey Grammer, and the addition of the Brandi Glanville, the scorned ex of actor Eddie Cibrian, in future episodes (judging from the previews, her arrival isn’t going to be sugar and spice and everything nice).  All in all, it’s hard to say where this season will to take us, but I have to say it’s looking a little bit dark so far.  However, there is something that may have lightened the mood, even if just a bit: The pretty shoes they featured worn by Adrienne Maloof and Lisa Vanderpump.  I know there are some people looking for these shoes, so here’s a rundown of some of the styles seen on the premiere, plus some options for getting a similar look for less:

We’ll start out with Lisa Vanderpump’s pink heels, which were shown near the beginning of the episode.  To be honest, I can’t see the shoes well enough to be absolutely certain on what they are, but I did find out that Lisa has shoe design aspirations and it involves something pink: Her Vander “Pump” (yes, she does have a perfect last name for this) is a style she created with designer Ryan Haber:

This glam pair comes in pink or black and it’s made in suede with Swarovski crystal detail.  For those of you that can handle the $902.10 price tag, it’s on preorder at ryanhabercollection.com.  If that’s totally out of your price range, but you’d still like to find a pretty pink pump with decorative detail, here are some alternatives:

The Steve Madden Party-R for $129 with free shipping at Shoes.com.  Coupon code 15OFF takes 15% off (limited time) and drops the total to $109.65.

The Paris Hilton Sarina on sale for $80.75 at Shoes.com with an extra 15% off using the code mentioned above.  Few sizes are left, but you can also get it at Heels.com for $94.99 with free shipping.

Lisa also wore these black pumps with large rhinestones on the top of the shoe and around the ankle strap.  We do see a red sole, indicating that these are likely Louboutins (plus, Lisa is known to be a huge fan of the brand), but I haven’t seen this particular style before — perhaps they were never available online or they might be custom made (or maybe I just totally missed them!).  If you like the look of the oversized rhinstones around the ankle, you might like this more affordable style:

The Nina Garima in black, ivory or silver for $114.95 at Shoebuy.com.  Use coupon code SHOEBUY to get 10% off (limited time) or get a better price in gold or silver at Endless, where they are on sale for $74.74 with free shipping.

On to Adrienne Maloof, who made a big splash last season when she wore sparkly Gianmarco Lorenzi heels.  For the dinner party she hosted on the premiere, this lucky lady got to reach into her highly enviable shoe closet for another amazing pair:

This, of course, is the $1,195 Christian Louboutin Lady Clou Spike (seen at Nordstrom), which now appears to be completely unavailable online.  But, I think this next pair is a super-hot — and totally available – option for less:

The Sam Edelman Lorna with spiked bow for $136 at Karmaloop.  Coupon code 15FALL takes 15% off $75 (exp. 9/30).  In addition to the Aged Metal color pictured, it also comes in nude and leopard.

That’s all for the shoes I spied in the first episode, but I also wanted to note that Adrienne Maloof just launched her shoe line and the collection is currently available for preorder.  You can find Adrienne Maloof by Charles Jourdan shoes at Isaay.com and they are priced from $195 for flats to $295 for crystal-adorned heels.  I definitely noticed some Giuseppe Zanotti inspiration going on; for instance, the Ivy Sandal is very much like the Giuseppe Zanotti E10079.  All of the options are really very pretty, but my personal favorite is the Veronica Platform (pictured above) in turquoise - love that color!

Happy Wednesday!

RH photos from Bravotv.com

Oh say, can you see…how much money you can save on shoes this 4th of July weekend?  There are definitely many, many sales going on for Independence Day, so if you plan to squeeze a little shoe shopping in between the fireworks and festivities, you might want to check out my list of shoe bargains for the holiday.  Get your shoes on mega discount at these online stores:

Banana Republic takes an extra 40% off women’s sale items, including sale shoes, when you apply coupon code BRSTARS through 7/4/11.

Macy’s offers an additional 25% off clearance shoes.  The discount is already applied to the product prices, but you also get an extra 10% off at checkout with coupon code FOURTH through 7/4/11.  Shipping is free on $99 or more.

Endless takes an extra 20% off select summer sale shoes, plus you get free shipping.  The discount is applied at checkout through 7/4/11.

Guess has marked their women’s sale shoes down an extra 50%.  The discount is already applied to the product prices and most of the options are under $50.  The expiration is unknown.

80’s Purple takes an extra 30% off sitewide, which includes their selection of women’s shoes, with coupon code REDWHITEBLUE through 7/5/11.

American Eagle offers an extra 20% off and free shipping when coupon code 89427721 is applied at checkout.  Use it to save on their women’s shoes and already-reduced clearance shoes through 7/4/11.

Bebe takes another 25% off sale items, like their sale shoes, with coupon code 4TH25OFF through 7/4/11.

Aldo offers an additional 30% off sale sandals and shipping is free.  The product prices reflect the discount.

Nine West has shoes on sale at up to an extra 60% off their original price, plus they’ll take another $20 off $100 automatically at checkout.  Shipping is free on $75 or more.

Steve Madden offers an additional 20% off sale and clearance shoes through 7/4/11.  The discount is already applied to the product prices and shipping is free on $75 or more with coupon code SMFREESHIP at checkout.

Lord and Taylor will reduce your total on women’s shoes, including regular, sale and clearance styles, by 20% via coupon code JULY4 through 7/4/11.  If you have a Lord and Taylor credit card, use JULY4PLUS instead to get 20% off, plus an additional 10% discount.

Note that all offers are subject to change and exclusions apply.

Have a fabulous 4th of July weekend!

American flag star icon courtesy of patrioticon.org

They say there’s an app for everything.  It’s true — just check out this list of unusual iPhone apps to find out how your device can dog whistle, pass gas, pretend to be your girlfriend, recite embarassing phrases for revenge purposes, and many more.  While these apps all sound highly useful, shoe lovers of the world definitely need something more.  I’m talking about an app that promises to deliver pretty shoe pictures - high resolution close-up shots of some of the latest designer styles for summer - straight to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, meaning you can satisfy your shoe cravings anytime and anywhere you choose.  In addition, the app brings you key footwear trends for the season, street style photos for inspiration, and a shoe store finder for locating cool places to shop in select major fashion cities.  Get this information at your fingertips with the Shoe Trends: Trendstop Top 20 Summer 2011 app from the professional trend forecasters at Trendstop, who recently notified me of its launch.  It’s priced at $6.99 at iTunes and it appears to be seasonal, meaning it covers summer information only.

Note to self: Get iPhone.  Better yet, iPad.

I’m so excited because my birthday is this week and I definitely had something super-pink and totally spiky in mind as the perfect b-day gift.  I’ve been drooling over the Sam Edelman Lorissa for what seems like forever and, although this is a style that has been available in many color and pattern options, it was the hot pink pair that really won my heart.  Of course, my sweet hubby always knows exactly what I want (after I dropped a few not-so-subtle hints, that is), so now these bad babies are in my hands — and I am thrilled!

The pictures of this shoe really don’t do the color justice.  The pink is super-rich and vibrant and the suede is oh-so-soft.  Then there’s the pewter rhinestones and spikes on the back that really set it off and totally up the glam factor:

I am sooo loving these.  I also find that they feel pretty comfortable, at least so far.  I haven’t had a chance to wear them out yet, which is the true test, but some shoes can be uncomfortable right when you try them on.  I don’t imagine that these will be the shoes I wear when any serious walking is involved, but they feel pretty good for being as high as they are and they don’t strike me as being particularly heavy, which I’ve seen some reviews say.  All in all, this is one of my top shoe purchases to date!

I also had to mention this: My 5-year old daughter, who is a huge Mario Brothers fan, declared these “Bowser shoes” when she first saw them.  And, you know, she might just have a point:

Yes, I can totally see where she’s coming from.

You can find the pink Sam Edelman Lorissa on discount at Karmaloop, where the price is $200 and you can apply coupon code SAVE20 for 20% off and free shipping (exp. unknown, one time use per account).  Shoes.com also has them for $225 and coupon code SHOESAVINGS will take $50 off $200 (exp. unknown).  If you’re interested in other color options for even less, check out 6pm for black leather, white or denim for $139.97.

Whatever…stomping fools is my business! - Bowser

Update: I’ve had a couple questions about how these shoes feel when worn out.  I finally had the chance to do just that and I can’t call them comfortable by any means, but they felt much like many of my 4+ heels do after even moderate walking (which for me means I’m pretty much ready to get them off).  They don’t have a very high platform (only 1/2 inch) and I could feel a little more pressure on the lower area of my foot without that extra height in the front to help compensate for the height of the heel.  As far as the heavy back end of the heel goes, I did notice that the back of my foot would occasionally raise up just slightly while walking, but my foot never came completely out of the shoe and it only happened a couple of times.  I went half a size up, but probably could have gone with my true size.  I also haven’t had any problems with the studs and rhinestones falling off so far - they seem quite secure.  That being said, I love them and I definitely had fun wearing them.

Bowser image from mariowiki.com

I hope everyone is having a fun, fab St. Patty’s Day and wearing their lucky green!  I rounded up a bunch of cute green shoes previously, but I didn’t know about the Colin Stuart Braided Platform Sandal (above), which has a nice dose of green - a color that gets along quite nicely with black and tan, I must say - and is available at Victoria’s Secret for $78.  If I had known about these in time, I just might be rocking them today.  Even though it’s too late to order some St. Patrick’s Day shoes in green, it’s definitely not too late to save some green.  Avoid getting pinched - in the wallet, that is - with these shoe sales and coupons:

Famous Footwear: 20% off with coupon code LUCKY

Chinese Laundry: 20% off with coupon code 1DAYSALE317

PlanetShoes: 20% off with coupon code 20lucky

Endless: 25% off with coupon code MARFFEVT (exp 3/18).  Update: Minimum purchase is $100.

Nine West: 30% off automatically at checkout (exp 3/21)

Shoemall: 20% off $20 or more with coupon code LUCKY20

DSW: Free shipping for members with coupon code CLOVER (exp 3/18)

Shoebuy: 20% off with coupon code GREEN

Note that all of these sales end today, 3/17/11, unless otherwise noted.  Exclusions may apply.

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook!

St. Patrick’s Day is coming up on the 17th of this month, so I thought I would round up some green shoe options in honor of the day.  This is serious business, after all, because you definitely want some of that Irish luck on your side and you most definitely want to avoid getting pinched.  When it comes to checking out a bunch of cute green shoes, it’s a tough job, but someone must do it, right?  Right.  Ok, all jokes aside, here are some shoes that are in the perfect shade for some St. Patty’s Day revelry, but also for well beyond - applying a fresh, crisp pop of this color to your look is always nice for spring.  That being said, let’s get into the groove of green:

Frye Kara Trapunto for $228 with free shipping from Zappos.

Mojo Moxy Sassy for $79.95 at DSW.  Members get free shipping on $35 with coupon code SHIPR through 3/21/11.

Michael Antonio Gillespie for $64.99 with free 2-day shipping at Heels.com.

Irregular Choice Power Struggle for $106.98 with free 2-day shipping at Endless (limited sizes left).

Miz Mooz Silva for $99.95 with free overnight shipping at Endless.

Miss Me Rachel-2 for $46.39 with free 2-day shipping at Endless.

Two Lips Too Fling for $49.95 at DSW.  See the code listed above for free shipping.

Aldo Carknard for $34.98 at Amazon, plus free shipping for a limited time.

Corso Como Fabulous for $49 at 6pm.

Here’s to the luck o’ the cute green shoes!

P.S. Be a friend of Fairy Shoe Princess on Facebook! Hit “Like” at the top of the page.