I actually have no idea what the groundhog said yesterday, but I have been outside lately and I can tell you with confidence that spring is coming early this year. The number one perk? We can wear flats! Every winter, I place my flats despondently on the back-of-the-door rack of my teeny tiny bedroom (New York real estate!) around November 1 and I don’t take them down until  mid-April. Well, I’ve been wearing them all week and it’s February. Don’t get me wrong, I still like my boots, and soon boots will be on sale and I’ll go around buying way more than I need and they don’t even fit on the back-of-the-door rack, so it’s really problematic. But anyway, nothing compares to the flat. They’re slim and trim and delicate and feminine. They look perfect paired with my skinny cords and fur vest. My favorite new flats this season will transition effortlessly from “winter” to spring to summer.  And I can already tell they’ll be a staple– I’ll be wearing them with my yoga clothes and sundresses and cut-offs alike.

Oscar noms are in and for the most part, they’re as everyone expected.  I think some really good movies (Margin Call) got slighted and also Tree of Life was super boring…like even the trailer was boring. But this isn’t a catty film blog and what do you care what I think about Money Ball? (Rent it.) Me telling you what I think about movies (Young Adult was perfect) would be like when celebrities get involved in politics (Woo, Obama!) and you’re like, “Shut up! Tell us about that new rom-com you’re in!” So I’ll stick to what I really know– shoes! Here are the nominees for best picture, and of course the shoes to match each film!

Once winter comes, I don’t want to wear anything but thick socks and boots.  I miss my Supergas and my ballet flats dearly, but it’s just too cold and too wet to let them out of the house. This becomes a particular pain when my outfit doesn’t want to be paired with a riding boot or a motorcycle boot. It needs something a little more delicate.  Additionally, sometimes my outfit is busy or I’m wearing a long tunic and cutting my legs off with a taller boot is simply not called for.  This is where the ankle boot comes in.

Ankle boots can be paired with anything for a sleek and modern update. Lots of them have hidden wedges as well, and we all know how flattering those are– VERY.

I went to a party recently, a fancy Saturday night cocktail party, and the hostess opened the door, greeted me, and said, “We don’t wear shoes in this house.” This was not cultural. These people don’t have a baby. The girl just likes a clean house. So, I took my shoes off, a beautiful pair of Corso Como heels, and carefully set them to the side of the hideous shoe pile. Then I joined the party in the kind of mood that demanded I have a drink right away or I would stay annoyed for the entire night.  What I really wanted to do was thrust the bottle of champagne I’d brought into the hostess’s arms, yell out, “No thank you! Taking off my shoes will ruin my outfit, so I don’t care to stay! Plus your house seems warm enough without me!” And then run out of the building.

I had a fine time at the party, despite my cold feet and ruined outfit, but I would have had a way better time with the shoes on. There’s nothing you can do in this situation. Or maybe there is. Now, every time I go to a party, I bring a pair of really cute socks.  Don’t get me wrong, they’re not going to make up for having to take off my heels (socks are never butt/thigh/calf-flattering) but it will be better than nothing. Some girls were going around in their raggedy white gym socks– I felt worse for them.  Check out some cute party socks here!

Of course you can get the shoes you wear over the socks at Barefoot Tess!

We love catching glimpses of our favorite women of Hollywood skipping around LA and New York in their “regular people” clothes. Some of them actually have terrible style, but here are some who look fabulous as always.  Getting their look would be pretty simple, especially considering you can get shoes just like theirs at Barefoot Tess!

Sarah Jessica Parker

Miz Mooz ‘Renee’ ($119), Bloch ‘Arabian Ballerina’ ($119), Miz Mooz ‘Renee’ ($119)

Eva Mendes

Matisse ‘Grifter’ ($269)

Jessica Biel

All Black ‘Banded Flat’ ($49)

Beyonce

Gwenyth ‘Paisley’ ($149)

Frieda Pinto

FSNY ‘Brickle’ ($219)

Everyone is always excited for the first snow. It’s clean and white, everything’s quiet and still, and maybe just maybe we get a snow day, woo! The problem is the next day, and the day after that, and those following months where grey snow lines the street and black ice makes you trip and fall into the grey snow and it’s hard and dirty and now your tights have ripped and you’re so cold! I can’t help you with this. I can however, help you feel better about it and your life in general. You have to wear snow boots for weeks on end, but if the snow boots are cute and your outfit matches them, you’ll be a little happier.  The boots are of course available at Barefoot Tess. Check out some of my best out suggestions.

One more cold-weather tip: Scarves are the new hat. If your scarf is warm, you’ll be so much better off.

So this “Sh*t [insert classification of person] Say” youtube trend is basically my favorite thing since Kittens on a Roomba. Just kidding– Baby Kicked by Breakdancer is way more my speed. Regardless, I don’t want to say too much more about youtube or I’ll just stop writing this post and watch it.

My new favorite video is this one.  I think you’ll be able to figure out why I’m sharing it with you guys. Enjoy!

Online shopping is full of perks. We avoid the crowds of vicious sale shoppers and really really vicious teenage girls having tantrums at thier mom in the fitting room. We can do it pajama-clad from the comfort of our nice warm bed. And we don’t have to try anything on. This is my favorite perk, considering last week at Arizia, I was so lazy in trying on a pair of pants that I decided to leave my shoes on while doing so, thereby ripping the pants with the heel of my desert boot wedge. I bought them anyway. Citizens of Humanity bell-bottoms for $75– you would have bought them too. Luckily my friend is an expert sower and she’s going to stitch the tear when she hems them. I digress.

Lately more and more online clothing stores have been popping up.  They’re way cheaper than their mall chain-store counterparts and the clothes are among the trendiest available anywhere.  Check out some of my favorites!

Mod Cloth is the first of the online stores to grab my attention as a serious clothes-shopping destination.  They have a combination of one-of-a-kind vintage pieces and vintage-inspired new stuff. Their dresses range from cute and kicky daytime to sultry evening, with the vast majority of them in the $34-$80 price range. There are also some splurges on the site. Their outerwear section is also not to be missed, with coats in shapes and patterns you’ve been craving and searching for for seasons on end. Their Be the Buyer section is also awesome. Free ground shipping over $50!

Lulu’s has all of your hot going out clothes, your edgy pieces, and the trend of the moment. They stock hundreds of dresses, ranging from gorgeous to sexy all between $30 and $70 and then of course the obligatory reason to visit them is that they have the best selection of sequined shorts anywhere. (also $30-$70) And free shipping over $75!

This is simple. Do you love Anthropologie, but wish it were way cheaper? Here it is! That’s the aesthetic. That’s the inspiration. That’s where you need to shop. So much lace and big scarves and jewelry that looks like an heirloom. Countless dresses under $80, plus a truly inspiring collection of affordable blouses and purses. Go! Go now!

Of course if you’re on the market for shoes rather than clothes, Barefoot Tess is the place to go!

New Years Eve is on the horizon and let’s face it, nobody likes this night.  Cheap champagne tastes bad. Things are expensive. It’s impossible to get a cab. You spend all this time trying to think of something fabulous to do or you rebel and stay home drinking wine and playing Scrabble. Either way, there’s always that looming feeling that you’re supposed to be doing something awesome. You know what can be awesome? Your outfit.  No matter what you’re doing, if you’re dressed in the best possible thing, how bad a time could you have, right? Well, some amateur partier could throw up on you, but otherwise, the night will be a little better if you’re outfit is bangin’.

Here are some suggestions ranging the full casual-to-dressy spectrum.

Time to give people stuff for Christmas and Hanukkah and that holiday grab bag at work. It’s not easy. You don’t know people’s life. You don’t know what they want.  Some people are easier than others, but no gift is a sure-fire hit.  Well, some are, but if you’re on a budget, it’s hard to buy people a Caribbean cruise for instance.  Here I’ve categorized the kind of people you might be buying for and some suggestions.

1. The Sister-Friend: You’ve got her style locked down and you even know her various sizes (pants, shoes, bra.) You can get her anything and shopping for her is going to be tons of fun and nothing of a search.  You’ll probably just see something and think, “OMG, that’s so her.” Gifting advice: Get her something you’d want.

The BFT ‘Phoenix’, Barefoot Tess, $59

2. The She-Has-Everything: Moms are the worst culprit in this category, but also bosses, older coworkers, etc. They have beautiful things and they’re more expensive than your beautiful things, but you still need to get them something. Gifting advice: Get her something that she probably wouldn’t buy for herself, the kind of thing people never think to get, but always love having.

Hand-Enameled Bracelet, J.Crew, $68

3. The She -Likes-Nothing: She’s picky and every suggestion is a failure in some way. She won’t want to wear anything you pick. Don’t feel bad– she’s just not into that. You have to get her something though. It doesn’t matter that maybe you don’t like her that much. Gifting advice: Get her something any woman would have to like a little bit– a gift set!

A Lavender Spa, L’Occitane, $58

4. The man. Hm, this one is tricky. Bothers, dads, other men you know…I have no idea what they’d like.  Probably something like tickets to a sporting event or a video game? I’m not going to be that helpful in this situation, but here’s something I’d want if I were a man– gloves you don’t have to take off to use your smart phone. I think it’s a brilliant idea and the most convenient thing to come around since the invention of the smart phone.

Isotoner smarTouch Gloves, $31.50

Holidays are stressful for many reasons and gifts shouldn’t be one of them. Nonetheless, they totally are. Don’t worry though– even if you give someone a gift and they do the fake “I like it” routine, it’s the thought that counts. And the gift receipt.