Boot Up!

As much as I dread the changing of the seasons (Chicago's summer is all too short) and right now it's difficult to imagine cool weather (95 degrees!!), I can't even remotely express how excited I get about boot season! Booties, tall boots, stiletto boots, rain boots, motorcycle boots - I pretty much love them all. Here is just a quick (and fabulous) selection from the upcoming fall season.

   Flavor Flav has nothing on this stellar bootie. 

   You'll always know what time it is!

   (Charlotte Olympia, On Time Clock Face Suede

   Ankle Boot, $1595)

          Shiny black patent! Shiny psychedelic colors!

          Stiletto heel! This bootie will snazz up any winter LBD.

          (Sophia Webster, Amis Holographic Mermaid Bootie,

          $695)

   Don't wear anything flashy with these boots -  

   they make a statement all by themselves!

   (Alexander McQueen, Studded Cutout Platform

   Ankle Bootie, $2795)

          Burgundy beauty - a perfect fall color bootie!

          Preppy and sexy!

          (Gucci, Lace-up Cutaway Bootie, $995)

Let's not forget motorcycle and riding boots for an edgier tough look!

   MICHAEL Michael Kors, Tamara Mixed-
   Leather Boot, $335

       Rag & Bone, Harper Leather Motorcycle
       Boot, $575

And just for fun and playing in the rain! Aunt Shirlee - the one on the left is for you!

   Burberry, Mixed Media Rain Boot, $295

       Gameday Boot Company, University of
       Michigan Tall Gameday Boots, $399

Ba ba ba banana!

When you read the above title did you think about the all the bananas sitting on your counter and in your freezer that you just can't seem to use up? Or does it elicit an image of the minions from Despicable Me?

Well, I just can't seem to be able to use up all the bananas I keep receiving in my co-op box. I very determinedly set out to use up some of these persistent fruits and found a cupcake recipe that not only used bananas for the cupcake mix, but also used bananas in the frosting! I managed to polish off three whole bananas. Check out this easy and delicious recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Frosted-Banana-Cupcakes

I made very few changes to the recipe with the exception of using butter instead of shortening (you can use a 1:1 butter-shortening exchange ratio) and doubling the frosting recipe. I topped off the finished frosted cupcakes with banana runts.

Look - I was able to use my cake platter!

Banana runts make the perfect topping.

And in honor of bananas (and also just because I love shoes - especially high-heeled boots!), take a gander at these fabulous Louboutin Daf Booty Jaune de Naples Suede high heeled boots:

Day-o, Day-ay-ay-o!!

All About the Fruits

I love fruit and I will eat most kinds of fruit without complaining - in fact, I tend to be quite happy while eating fruit! Mango, however, does not fall into this category. I love mango smoothies, dried mangoes, mango jelly, mango-flavored candy; but I absolutely dislike fresh mangoes (it's probably the texture). And alas, I received three very large mangoes in my veggie/fruit co-op box. I put them on my counter and watched in distress as they ripened - what to do with them?? In hindsight, I realize that I could have easily dried them, but that did not occur to me at the time (of course!). What did occur to me was that if bananas went into muffins relatively easily, why not mangoes? I searched online and eventually created a combination of two banana-mango muffin recipes found here and here.

Banana-Mango-Coconut Muffins    Print Recipe

• 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 c. oats
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• mashed bananas (~ 1 1/2 bananas)
• 1 - 1 1/2 c. mango puree (~ 1-2 mangoes)
• 1/2 c. nuts (optional)

Combine flours, oats, sugar, coconut, baking powder, soda and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the egg.  Stir in the oil and vanilla. Add the mashed banana and mango puree. Mix thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with Pam and divide the batter among the cups.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

These turned out wonderful! 

(Left) Buttered muffins - yum! (Right) Pre-buttered muffins

I also received a carton of itty-bitty little grapes called champagne grapes (no, these don't make champagne).  Once again the inter-webs came to my rescue with a great recipe for Champagne Grape Cake. Check out the recipe here.  I made this strictly according to the recipe.  It was a fairly simple recipe and turned out a tasty, not overly sweet cake - perfect for a light summer dessert.

(Left) Champagne Grapes  (Right) Champagne Grape Cake

You think you're tough??

Give the modified Kellan Lutz workout a try! Do one set of each exercise and repeat for a total of 3 sets.  Modify the weights according to your body type and strength needs. 

Weighted Crunches	V-Ups
15 lb dumbbell	2 lb exercise ball
20 reps	20 reps
3 sets	3 sets

(Left) Weighted Crunches   (Right) V-Ups

Burpees	Pushups
13 reps	Set 1: 12 reps
3 sets	Set 2: 13 reps
	Set 3: 14 reps

(Left) Burpees   (Right) Classic pushups

Dumbbell Bench Press	Bodyweight Iron Chair
15 lb dumbbells	Set 1: 20 secs
Set 1: 13 reps	Set 2: 25 secs
Set 2: 14 reps	Set 3: 30 secs
Set 3: 15 reps

(Left) Dumbbell Bench Press  (Right) Bodyweight Iron Chair

Plyometric Pushups	Dumbbell Lunges
Set 1: 10 reps	15 lb dumbbells
Set 2: 11 reps	Set 1: 15 reps
Set 3: 12 reps	Set 2: 16 reps
	Set 3: 16 reps

(Left) Plyometric pushup    (Right)   Dumbbell Lunges

Dumbbell Iron Cross	Kneeling Kickbacks
10 lb dumbbells	Set 1: 15 reps
Set 1: 7 reps	Set 2: 16 reps
Set 2: 8 reps	Set 3: 17 reps
Set 3: 9 reps

(Left) Dumbbell Iron Cross    (Right) Kneeling Kickbacks

Side Planks

20 secs

3 sets

Now do it again two more times for a total of 3 sets!! Yeah, don't worry - I felt like my arms were going to give out when I was doing the plyometric pushups and the dumbbell iron cross.

"You think you're tough!!!"

Jimmy Choo: You make me feel like dancing...

This fringed sandal makes me want to break out into song and start dancing whenever I see it.  The Jimmy Choo Fedora Mixed-Media Sandal looks like it is meant to be worn dancing - or to any place where that cute little fringe can be shaken up a bit.  Paired with a similarly fringed black dress, silver short shorts or even a modest burgundy bridesmaid dress, the Fedora sandal gives an air of playfulness (and sexiness!) to any outfit.

1.  Jimmy Choo Fedora Fringe Mixed-Media Sandal, Claret, $1050
2.  Roberto Cavalli Sequinned Cocktail Dress, $3761.51
3.  ML Monique Lhuillier Bridesmaids, Ruched Strapless Cationic Chiffon Dress, $188.00
4.  Stella McCartney Compact Jersey Sleeveless Top, $460
5.  All Saints Restrain Hot Pants, $181.00

To quote Leo Sayer:

"You make me feel like dancing 

I'm gonna dance the night lcuway 

You make feel like dancing 

I feel like dancing, dancing, dance the night away"  

It's six foot, seven foot, eight foot BUNCH!

"Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana!" If the tally man counted how many bananas I had in my apartment and paid me for them, I'd be rich. Well, not really. But I sure had a lot of bananas sitting on the counter and in the freezer and I was getting a bit sick of basic banana bread and muffins. And I'm sure this is shocking, but the banana bread and muffins I had been baking were not exactly monuments to healthy eating.

Determined to find a healthier way to use up the bananas (besides just eating them), I searched on my favorite healthy recipe website (www.eatingwell.com) and discovered an intriguing recipe for Banana-Blueberry Buttermilk Bread. Hmm, easy to make, 278 calories per serving and uses bananas? Ok, I'll give it a try. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out AMAZING - with a perfectly browned crust, slightly moist inside and a nice light nutmeg aftertaste. Check out the picture of my banana blueberry bread below - I've never had a loaf of banana bread turn out so perfectly on the first attempt.  Want to give it a try? Here's the recipe on the Eating Well website.

Banana-Blueberry Buttermilk Bread

Alas, I still had more bananas left.  And now I had blueberries as well.  And then I started thinking - I like oatmeal, I like bananas on oatmeal, I like blueberries on oatmeal - what if I made a kind of oatmeal-banana-blueberry snack bar? Yum.

Blue Banana Bars

Dry ingredients:
2 c. oats (not the quick cook kind)
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. wheat flour

Wet ingredients:
1/2 c. mashed ripe bananas (~ 1-1 1/2 bananas)
6 tbs. milk
1/4 c. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbs. creamy peanut butter

Extras:
1/4 c. walnuts
1/4 - 1/2 c. blueberries
1/2 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease an 8x8 or 9x9 glass pan. Combine the wet ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the dry ingredients in a smaller bowl and add to the wet ingredients. Gently fold in the coconut, walnuts and blueberries. Pour into the pan and spread evenly.  Cook for 25 minutes until the top is relatively firm, golden brown and the blueberries are bubbling (the first time you make these, you should keep an eye on them starting around 20 minutes - I burnt mine the first time because I cooked them at a higher oven temperature!). Let cool for about an hour on a wire rack and then cut into bars.  Enjoy as a mid-day snack!

Blue Banana Bars

"A beautiful bunch a' ripe banana

Daylight come and me wan' go home

Hide the deadly black tarantula

Daylight come and me wan' go home"

Are you Spartacus?

Given the intense looks of fury and bulging muscles on all the faces in the above image, my answer should obviously be a resounding "No!"  That, however, did not stop me from attempting the Men's/Women's Health Spartacus Workout several weeks ago.  I stumbled across the Spartacus Workout on a fitness app when I was searching for a way to spice up my stale strength training routines and decided that (a) I was already in decent shape so this workout couldn't possibly be too challenging and (b) Eh, what's in a name? Spartacus shmartacus - I mean, he died, right?

Right. That should have been a hint. At the end of my first set (a circuit of 10 exercises), I was pouring down sweat and wondering how on earth I was going to get through two more sets. The Spartacus Workout is an intense strength/cardio circuit that works a variety of different muscle groups, while continuously working your core. I was painfully sore for 3 days. Bring on the humility!! I am NOT Spartacus - not yet...

The Spartacus Workout inspired me to shake up my workouts. I incorporated it into my training regime with several other strength routines that mimic the Spartacus Workout (but target different muscle groups) as well as boxing, kickboxing and running.

Think you're tough? I challenge you to give it a try (view the workout)! As Batiatus (Spartacus, 1960) said "Good luck, and may fortune smile upon…most of you."

Falling for Dillard's designs: Gianni Bini

In a couple of days, I am flying off to Little Rock to visit my mom and to (hopefully) go shopping with her. In preparation for this, I decided to google department stores in the Little Rock area to determine the best spots to hit up for dresses. As a Chicagoan, I am massively spoiled when it comes to the number of department stores in a 5 mile radius of my apartment (Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom, etc). Umm, no Macy's in Little Rock? No Nordstrom? Where do people shop?? Dillard's. With a bit of disdain, I perused the Dillard's website...and fell in love with Gianni Bini designs.

In August 2001, Vince Camuto (co-founder of Nine West) launched several footwear brands for Dillard's, including Gianni Bini.  Gianni Bini has now expanded to include a clothing line and handbags. Overall, Gianni Bini dresses have received high points for style and versatility and the shoes are considered to be edgy, yet remarkably comfortable. Not to mention the fun colors in the new Spring and Summer collections! 

I almost couldn't stop myself from purchasing the following dresses and shoes online, but managed a little bit of self-restraint with the thought that I could try them on in just a couple of days. And yes, in case you're wondering, the shoes are placed strategically below the dresses to match!

(From left to right) Gianni Bini Bogan Dress - $119, Gianni Bini Della Strapless Dress - $139, Gianni Bini Cabrina Sheer-Overlay Maxi Dress - $109, Gianni Bini Greta Dress - $77.40

(From left to right) Gianni Bini Torrie Patent Flats - $59.99, Gianni Bini Twinkle Jeweled T-Strap Pumps - $89.99, Gianni Bini Traci T-Strap Sandals - $79.99, Gianni Bini Lizzie Wedges - $59.99

"Wokking" it out

Oh dearest wok, how I love thee!! You make everything so tasty! I am constantly astonished by how easy it is to cook with a wok and how delicious wok recipes turn out. 

Upon opening my co-op box this week, I saw almost the same vegetables as last week.  You know - the ones that typically go in a salad (lettuce, tomatoes, a little bit of broccoli, etc)...and I mutinied. No more salads! I have been eating salad for multiple weeks and it's highly possible that I am slowly transforming into a rabbit.  This is going to call for creativity with regards to using the lettuce, but more on that in another post. 

However, unlike previous weeks, I did get a boat-load of gorgeous spinach. I decided that a stir-fry with spinach and tomatoes sounded yummy, so I searched around online for recipes that used both of the ingredients. While I didn't find a recipe that appealed to me, I did find a blog posting on stir-fried eggs and tomato and garlic spinach that inspired me to attempt a fried rice recipe using my (marvelous) wok.

Beef fried rice with eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and broccoli

1 lb flank steak, sliced into strips for stir-frying
3 c. cooked jasmine rice
4-5 eggs, whisked
2 tomatoes, diced
1 head of broccoli
3-4 large bunches of spinach (you can use a lot - it really cooks down)
1 small onion, chopped
2 tsp minced garlic
3 green onions
~1/4 c. soy sauce
2 tbsp Thai garlic-chili sauce
2 tbsp sesame seed oil

I prefer to chop all the vegetables (and slice the beef) prior to cooking anything in the wok since the wok cooks everything so quickly.

Left to right: Whisked eggs, diced tomatoes, chopped green onions, cooked rice, spinach, chopped broccoli

In a small skillet, scramble the eggs and set to the side.  Heat 1 tbsp sesame seed oil in the wok and add the garlic and onion. Cook for 30-60 seconds, then add the beef. Cook until all sides of the beef are browned and then transfer to a plate. Wipe the wok clean.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of sesame seed oil in the wok and add the broccoli and spinach. Saute until the spinach starts to wilt and add the tomatoes. Cook until the spinach has completely wilted and add the scrambled eggs. Saute for 30 seconds. Add in the cooked jasmine rice and stir to combine. Add in the soy sauce and the Thai garlic-chili sauce and stir, cooking for 2-3 minutes until the rice is completely heated through. Finally, add the beef back in, mixing thoroughly. Cook for 2-3 minutes and serve. 

Voila! Easy, tasty and served with a side of fruit salad. What a wonderful, wonderful wok.

The Clash of the Collard Greens

Yesterday was CSA day. I excitedly opened my box of surprise veggies to find broccoli (sooo much broccoli)! And cauliflower! And salad veggies! Oooh - and lots of fruit! And collard greens. Despite having spent several years in the south, I was never able to fully reconcile with collard greens. In my opinion, they have an unusual texture and are quite bitter. However, collard greens are an excellent source of vitamins A and K and are also top among cholesterol-lowering cruciferous veggies - better than kale, mustard greens, broccoli and cabbage (source - whfoods.com). 

Ever the optimist, I searched through multiple recipes that feature collard greens until I came across a coconut curry collard green recipe on the Cooking of Joy blog. According to the blog, the sweetness of the coconut milk helps to cut down the bitterness of the collard greens. And the recipe also called for broccoli, of which I had an abundance. I started thinking about other vegetables that could be steamed/stir-fried in a wok with the collard greens and broccoli and decided that cauliflower deserved a chance in the recipe as well (also a very good source of vitamins A & K). So, out of my CSA vegetables, I set aside a little more than half of the broccoli and cauliflower for the curry recipe and used the rest for the salad. 

Coconut curry noodles with collard greens, cauliflower, broccoli and steak

1 bunch collard greens,

~ 1/2 head cauliflower

~ 2 heads broccoli

2 - 3 pearl drop onions (Note - these came in my CSA box. I had never seen them before and decided to throw them in for some flavor since they had such a nice fragrance. You could probably use any white or yellow onion)

4 - 6 garlic cloves

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 lb flank steak (Note - this recipe was originally vegetarian. I added in the meat for D.) 

1 can coconut milk

2 - 3 tsp curry (your choice)

1 tsp salt

1 package chow mein noodles (or other noodles of your preference)

sriracha

Preparation:

Slice the collards greens in long thin strips, discarding the stems. Cut the thin strips in half as this makes them easier to eat. Chop the broccoli and cauliflower and set aside. Mince the pearl drop onions and garlic cloves and set aside. Finally, slice the flank steak into small 1" strips.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the directions on the package - drain and set aside. At the same time, cook the flank steak in a skillet (add 1/2 tbsp olive oil before adding the steak), drain off the grease and set aside. 

In a large wok, saute about half of the garlic and half of the minced onion in a tablespoon of sesame seed oil for about 1 - 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and salt and stir-fry for about 3 - 5 minutes until the broccoli turns bright green. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover to steam the vegetables further (about 5 minutes). Remove the cauliflower and broccoli from the wok and set to the side. Add the remainder of the garlic and minced onions with another tablespoon of sesame seed oil and saute as before. Add the collard greens, the coconut milk and the curry and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes (to fully cook the collard greens and thicken the sauce). Add the broccoli and cauliflower back in and stir to combine. Finally, add the steak and the cooked chow mein and mix thoroughly. Serve and top with sriracha (Caution - taste sriracha before using - it has kick).

Voila!  Tasty coconut curry noodles with collard greens, cauliflower, broccoli and steak - with a side salad, of course!

Adoring Axara and American Rag

Alliteration anyone (almost!)? On a recent trip to New Jersey, my mother-in-law and I visited a wonderful little boutique named Angel Hearts in New Hope, PA. There I discovered the French designer Axara and all I can say is: J'adore Axara. Axara mixes lace and embroidered pieces with French elegance and feminine allure creating silhouettes that are flattering for any figure type. 

At the same time that I fell in love with Axara, I received my first pair of American Rag wedges. American Rag is a relatively new brand being sold exclusively at Macy's. Not only are the Gracii espadrille heels flirty with a vintage feel, but incredibly comfortable despite their 4-1/2" wedge height. And they complement the Summer/Spring 2013 Axara clothing line theme to an "A"!

Axara meet American Rag - love at first pairing!

Axara & American Rag in Black

(Left) Axara Robe Bimatiere Noir, 245 Euros (Middle) American Rag in Black, $59 (Right) Short Effet Tweed Dore, 135 Euros

Axara & American Rag in Natural/Ecru

(Left) Axara Robe Dentelle Ecru, 252 Euros (Middle) American Rag in Natural, $59 (Right) Veste Courte Blanc, 290 Euros

And in case you were wondering whether the Gracii wedges are as cute as they are made out to be in Macy's online images, the answer is a resounding 'Yes'!

Kale and squash and gnocchi...oh my!

I recently decided to re-sign up for a local food co-op (Farmer Tom's CSA) on a quest to eat more greens and fruit on a daily basis. This past Friday, I picked up my half-bushel of local and organic veggies and a 'fruit surprise' in two very heavy boxes. In case you're wondering, a half bushel of vegetables is a spectacularly large amount of veggies, especially considering that you do not pick which vegetables show up in your box. I received a beautiful head of lettuce, some potatoes, a giant Covington yam, tomatoes, broccoli, a yellow squash, green onions, green peppers, some kind of radicchio, an eggplant (yech!), some carrots and a huge bunch of fancy-looking, frilly purplish kale - and I haven't even started on the fruit surprise yet!

You must be wondering what I will be doing with this random assortment of vegetables. Obviously, a salad: lettuce, tomatoes, green pepper, broccoli and carrots all add up to a perfect salad. Yay! Down a couple of veggies! Salad every night for a week!

Ok. On to the more unusual veggies. I began scouring the internet for a recipe that uses frilly purplish kale (aka red bor kale) and lo and behold, I found a recipe that required not just kale, but also squash...kind of. The recipe, Gnocchi with Kale and Squash, called for red bor kale and butternut squash. I don't have a butternut squash - eh, small detail - I can just use the yellow squash. Then, I decided that this recipe would be even better with more vegetables...because I have soooo many! I used kale, yellow squash, potatoes, a tomato and green onions. And since D. prefers to have non-vegetarian meals, I also added ground lamb. And changed the cheese. And modified the spices. It was so very, very good.

Gnocchi with Red Bor Kale, Yellow Squash and Lamb

Ingredients:
4 tbs unsalted butter
1 yellow squash, sliced into pieces
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp oregano
~ 1/4 - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 - 2 c. chicken broth
1 bunch red bor kale, stemmed and chopped or shredded
1 package potato gnocchi
1 tomato, diced
3 green onions, sliced green parts
2 red potatoes, diced
1 lb ground lamb
1 package fancy shredded cheddar (or preferred flavor) cheese
crumbled goat cheese for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray. Melt butter in a large skillet and add the squash. Cook until soft and slightly golden (about 8-10 minutes). Add garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and cook for about 2 minutes. At the same time, cook the ground lamb and drain off grease after fully cooked.

Add chicken broth to the skillet. When it starts to simmer, stir in the kale and the potatoes and cook until the kale starts to wilt, about 3 minutes. Add the gnocchi, stir, cover and cook until the gnocchi are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and add several handfuls of the shredded cheese, the tomatoes, green onions and the lamb. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the casserole dish, sprinkle more of the shredded cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and serve, sprinkling individual portions with goat cheese as preferred.  

It turned out to be a tasty and colorful dinner!

Food adventures: Indian and dessert!

In order to further improve and extend my 'chef-abilities', I recently purchased two additional cookbooks: The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook and Petite Sweets. I am very excited about the Petite Sweets cookbook - who doesn't love the idea of dessert being in a miniature, easily accessible form?! As a result, I have decided to cook one recipe from each cookbook every week (hopefully). Yay! Dessert every week! This week's two recipes were: Chicken Tikka Masala and Chocolate Velvet Cakes. 

I was a little hesitant to try the chicken tikka masala recipe. At first glance, it looked quite involved - putting spices on the chicken, creating a sauce, creating a yogurt sauce and using a broiler. In addition, this was my first real experience using a broiler and broiler pan to cook anything. Surprisingly, the recipe was not that difficult - slightly time intensive, but not overly complex. The yogurt sauce keeps the chicken moist while broiling. Although the recipe states that you can broil the whole chicken breast and then cut it into chunks, I cut the chicken breast first and then broiled the individual pieces. The resulting meal (served on rice) turned out quite tasty.

Quick note: Unfortunately, I chopped the serrano chile without latex gloves - bad idea. If you do this, you can rub nail polish removal on your fingers and then wash your hands with soap - the acetone in the nail polish removal helps to remove the oils from the chile. 

Let's talk dessert. I am a huge fan of miniature desserts - the perfect amount of sweetness without the guilt afterward. Not to mention how incredibly cute the little desserts look! Upon starting this recipe, I realized that I didn't have any regular all-purpose flour - only whole wheat flour and bread flour. So, I made the chocolate velvet cakes with whole wheat flour and the frosting with the bread flour. After allowing the mini cakes to cool, I attempted to use the frosting - which failed slightly due to the soft consistency of the frosting. I ended up refrigerating the cakes to allow the frosting to set. In hindsight, it would probably have been best to let the frosting chill for 5-10 minutes after adding the flour mixture to it. Despite the slight frosting setback and the flour mix-up, the mini-cakes turned out to be big treats.

A new take on nude heels

As spring rounds the corner (yes, it's true - just ignore those pesky snowquesters!), it is once again time to pull those classic nude pumps out from the back of the closet. Ahh, how boring. Tis time for a fresh nude pump overhall - in the form of sexy lace! Perfect for classing up a casual outfit, sprucing up a staid work outfit or preparing for a night out with the girls, the Dolce Vita Vixen pumps take nude pumps to an inspirational new level.

Presenting: Dolce Vita Vixen - casually looking good!

(Left) J. Crew Perfect Long-Sleeve Tee: $14.99 , (Bottom right) Lilly Pulitzer Callahan Beach Twill Short, $64.00

Presenting: Dolce Vita Vixen at work

(Left) White House Black Market Ecru Paneled Ponte Sheath, $160 , (Top right) Oasis Crew Neck Cardigan, $38

Presenting: Dolce Vita Vixen - Friday night out!

(Top left) Express Stretch Lace Peplum Top, $39.90 (Top right) J Brand Super Skinny Stretch Jeans, $238