The Fashionable Housewife » Anna Davies

Review: Miche Handbag – Interchangeable Purse With a Changeable Shell

Anna Davies — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 14:00:54 +0000

The first time I ever saw a Miche Bag (pronounced Mee-Chee) was on an infomercial during the early fall when I was home sick from work. Now, I’m an infomercial junkie – I love watching them and always want everything I see on them – but I have never actually bought anything from one before. However, when I saw the Miche Bag, I knew that I wanted one.

The concept seemed simple: a basic bag with interchangeable designs on the outside. I thought it was a very novel idea, and I went online to research it more. Over the next few months I kept looking online for reviews and websites that sold them and the different shells. I still wanted one, but not bad enough to buy it without seeing it in person.

Then, one day at the mall I saw a woman with a really cute purse. I complimented her on it, and she responded proudly that it was a Miche Bag! I was so thrilled to see one in person. It looked really good, and didn’t seem like it was obviously a snap on cover over a base. That was enough for me; I was getting one.

By this time it was too close to Christmas to buy anything for myself (I’ve learned the hard way not to buy anything for myself past Thanksgiving because I might be getting it for Christmas an not know it), so I promptly told my mother that I wanted one. When my fiancé and I arrived at my parents for Christmas, my mom told me that she had not been able to find any in stores, so she wanted me to pick out what I wanted online and just have it shipped to my house for a late present. So I did.
The Miche Bag website offers three different base bags, the basic black, the basic brown, and a large black one. I chose the basic black. Then my mother told me I was allowed to pick three shells to start my collection. I chose the black Stacy, the purple Ellie, and the green and tan Darla. Then I waited.

My bag and shells came surprisingly quickly considering I ordered them on Christmas Eve. I received them on New Years Eve. As soon as I opened the package I was in love. I knew that they would look good, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good their quality was. I was kind of expecting something made of particleboard covered in cheap faux leather, but the quality and detail of both the bag and the shells are very impressive. Right away I began trying on outfits to match with my new bag. I’m glad I got the purple one, because my winter coat is purple, and I have several purple shoes that will coordinate wonderfully.

I took it to work the next day and proudly showed everyone who passed my desk. I have received several compliments, and one person decided to buy one herself. (I should become a consultant, haha) I have already scouted out the next few shells that I am going to purchase, and to my delight I have found a shop in my city that carries shells! Another thing that I have found when looking for shells is that some craft sites have people that will make you custom shells. These are not “official Miche shells” and I have not purchased one yet, so I cannot vouch for the quality of these custom ones, but I am interested in possibly trying one.

I strongly recommend a Miche Bag for every Fashionable woman. The initial purchase of a bag and several shells can be expensive up front, but I fully believe it is worth it. The base is $35 for the small black and brown, and $40 for the large black. Shells range between $15 and $35 dollars depending where you buy them and how detailed they are. The large shells go for around $40 dollars. Though I bought mine from www.michebag.com, there are many online and local retailers, along with personal consultants. Just Google “miche bag” and your city to find one near you.

~Anna~

Review: Crocs Hanalei Wedge Sandals

Anna Davies — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:39:32 +0000

My friend Sarah was insistent. “I promise, you’ll like what you see,” she said. But I refused. I just couldn’t bring myself to even look at the shoes. I’m not that kind of person. But she told me that if I just looked, then she would buy me lunch. So I did.

That’s when I saw them. Mixed among the flip flop wedges and those ridiculous looking clogs, were a simple, non plastic pair of wedge sandals. I liked them. And they were Crocs. So I clicked on the info and thus began my love affair with the Crocs Hanalei wedge sandal.

The Hanalei is a simple wedge with a single strap open toe and an ankle strap, both made of a woven fabric in one of several colors. The base is your standard Crocs plastic foam, but the fabric upper makes it look a little less like a pair of life sized Barbie shoes. I read a couple of reviews, and found that they were supposed to be really comfortable, which is always my main goal, so I decided to purchase a pair. Since I was looking at them on the actual Crocs website, I decided to shop around for a less expensive site. I found the same pair at Endless.com for about $20 less than on Crocs.com so I bought a pair of the Natural/Stone color.

They arrived the next day (yay free shipping!) I was in heaven. They were so cute on, and I knew the second I stepped into them that they would be my favorite pair of shoes. Two months later, they still are. They are so comfortable that I can walk around all day and not have sore feet, even though they are heels! Plus, they are super cute, and since I live in a place that has pretty mild winters, I’m sure I’ll get to use these year round.

About three weeks after I got them, I decided to purchase the Jade/Natural ones I saw, because I have a green shirt and khaki skirt that I’m sure would look perfect with them. But when I went back to the website, to my horror they were gone! I was so sad. Luckily just yesterday I was looking for some rain boots online, and I found my wonderful Hanaleis available once again on Endless.com, and they’re on sale!! I’ve already purchased my Jade/Natural ones and look forward to them arriving tomorrow! I’m even going to wear my planned outfit with them the next day.

I strongly recommend these shoes for anyone. Even the Croc haters (trust me, I was with you). They are super cute and really comfortable. Plus, they have several different styles, and they’re on sale right now on Endless.com. You can pick up a pair of crocs Hanalei Sandals for $47 on Endless.com. FYI, they are no longer on the Crocs website, but I’m thinking about writing them to ask for new colors for the next summer season!

~Anna~

Target Ballet Flats – Cheap and Chic

Anna Davies — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:27:08 +0000

I love ballet flats, but I have a really hard time paying more than about $20 per pair. I just can’t bring myself to pay too much for a pair of shoes that, with regular wear, won’t last more than a year. Lucky for me, Target has a whole line of ballet flats under $20 for their new fall collection. I first noticed them on one of my bi-weekly pilgrimages to the Super Target across from my work. I was just wandering by when I noticed a single pair of bright blue flats. They were cute enough to catch my attention, and soon I sprawled out in the aisle like a child trying on pair after pair of cute flats. I didn’t buy any that particular day, mostly because I knew if I caved and bought one, I’d end up with five. But I went home and looked up target.com to see even more styles of flats. Internally squealing with glee, I purchased two pairs, Mossimo Supply Co.’s Odell flats in Patent Red, and Xhileration’s Saniya pointed toe flats in Blue.

They haven’t arrived yet, but I’ve already picked out my next pair to order if these work out well. I’m very excited!

~Anna~

Don’t Purchase This: Earth Aspire Flats

Anna Davies — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:36:42 +0000

Double OUCH!!!
My not so positive review of Earth Aspire shoes

Even though I love heels, there is a need in my line of work for flats. I actually love flats. They were my shoe of choice for the longest time, and they are my default shoes for my non-work days. However, not all flats are created equal. Just because a shoe is a flat does not mean it will be comfortable. Nor does it mean it will be useful for what you need it. At my new venue I do considerably more standing and walking around than I have previously, and as such, I have been trying different flat shoes to accommodate.

The first pair I tried was a carry over from my previous employment, and I found out quickly that they were not sufficient. The second pair I tried was a slightly modified version of the first, but still managed to blister and hurt my feet. So for the third pair, I decided to do some research and splurge a little on some better quality shoes. I looked up many different brands and finally, based on a tip from someone, settled on the Earth footwear brand.

From the website, I found that these shoes were made from special, light weight, form fitting material, called BioFit, and they also had a special “negative heal technology” called Kalsø. This is supposed to strengthen and tone the legs while promoting a “natural walking motion”. Looking through the website a found that these shoes look better than some of the other toning shoes I’ve seen, but they are still not the most stylish shoes ever. That aside, I decided to go to one of internet stores that sell the shoes (they’re not for sale on the actual website) and look at some of the reviews.

After looking through the selection and narrowing them down to what I was looking for, I settled on the Aspire. It was a basic slip on shoe made from soft leather in a variety of colors (I got the Mahogany Butter Calf). Another reason I chose them, they are a part of the Kelsø Lite collection, which are even more lightweight and flexible than the originals. I read the reviews on Zappos.com, and based on those I decided to give them a try.

My first impression when I got them was that they were kind of tight, and that the back dug into my heel. I knew that I needed to give them a few wears to break them in, and since they are leather I assumed they would stretch and mold to my feet. I put Band-Aids on my heels right away to avoid blisters and set off for a normal day at the office. They were actually quite comfortable to walk in. The negative heel took a bit getting used to, and my calves were a little tight for the first hour that I had them on, but really, they seemed like they might work out. The biggest complaint from that first day was that they rubbed my heels even with the preventative Band-Aids, and my pinky toes were developing blisters. I didn’t wear them the next day to give my feet a chance to heal, but I wore them the day after that with the same results. I knew that it would take a bit to break them in, and I really wanted them to work, mostly because they were expensive, but also because I really need flats that don’t kill my feet. I had a weekend with two big concerts coming up about two weeks from when I got the shoes, so I figured if I stuck to my day on/day off pattern I would break them in by then. NOPE!!!

The first concert was on a Friday, and I actually didn’t wear them because I wasn’t sure that I could wear them two days in a row, and I wanted to save them for the bigger concert on Saturday. Well. Friday went well, but when I arrived on Saturday with my Earth Aspires on, I knew I was in trouble. For starters, just an hour into work, before the doors even opened, I had to go to the medic and get them to tape up my heels because they had already rubbed blisters onto them. It didn’t help that I forgot to put Band-Aids on to begin with, but still, I shouldn’t have blisters after an hour.

Then, as the night wore on, I became more and more aware of the pain in my feet. My pinky toes were on fire from blisters that even Band-Aids and tape couldn’t relieve, and the bottoms of my feet hurt worse than if I’d walked around Disneyland for two days in flip-flops. The worse part was that my calves were starting to cramp to the point where I actually couldn’t walk without limping.

By then end of the night I was so upset that I was in tears on the way home. The next morning when I woke up, I literally COULD NOT WALK because my calves were in knots. I had to have someone massage the knots out before I could even limp around. That was Saturday. It is now Monday and I am still recovering from my blisters, and my calves are still so tight that I decided to skip my morning work out to avoid more injury.

I fully intend on writing to the company about my experience with these shoes, and have already started looking for alternatives to wear to the concert I have in two weeks. Though I had a miserable experience, I wouldn’t write the Earth brand off completely, as they could work out for someone who doesn’t have to walk as much as I do. They have several open back models that would not cause blisters, and I’m sure once my calves stop aching I will enjoy how toned they’ve become from just one day.

~Anna~

Review: Carlos Santana Mojito Wedge

Anna Davies — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:53:34 +0000

It started off as an act of desperation. I was three weeks into my new job as an event coordinator at a multi venue complex more than three times larger than my previous venue, and I realized that the heels that I had been wearing to work just weren’t cutting it. I had blisters and calluses and it felt like the balls of my feet had been burned with matches. With the increase in walking I was doing on a daily basis, I realized that I needed to find a pair of shoes that would allow me to go the full eight hours of a non event day without going home at lunch to switch into my trusty old flats.

So that weekend I went shopping. My goal was to find a pair of heels that I could walk in without crying. I usually don’t like heels, so I stick with the kitten heels or anything under one inch, but a one of my new co-workers mentioned that she found wedges to be really great in the comfort department, so I decided I’d be willing to branch out of my comfort zone, so long as the branching left my feet comfortable. At this point, I wasn’t desperate enough to be willing to shell out the big bucks, so I headed to famous footwear, one of my shoe stores of choice for their cheap yet cute selection.

Click To Enlarge

While there, I found tried on a pair of Carlos Santana wedges, the Mojito style. At first glance, I really liked how stylish they were, and I loved the round buckle detail on the front. Walking around in them for a few minutes, I noticed how incredibly soft the leather straps were, which mean that I wouldn’t get blisters on the side of my feet. My last thought before I took them to the cash register was that I liked the thicker base because it absorbed some of the shock while walking. They impressed me enough to buy them, and I was excited to try them the next day at work.

I picked out an outfit especially to compliment my shoes, then slipped on my new Mojitos and headed to work. A perfect test for them, we had a trade show moving in, and I went with one of the other coordinators to walk the show floor. Considering it was only the first day of wearing them, I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable they were. I didn’t even need to break them in! By the time I went home, I was so happy that I had found a pair of shoes that were as comfortable and charming as these.

Now that I’ve had them for a few months, I can definitely say that the Carlos Santana Mojitos are one of my favorite pairs of shoes for the day to day in my office. I’m not sure I would wear them during one of the more labor intensive events that require me to walk around for 6-8 hours straight, but they are definitely comfortable enough to wear most days. I’ve even worn them for smaller events that don’t require as much walking, and they can get me through a 10-12 hour day, as long as I’m not walking the whole time.

I bought my Mojitos in brown, though they come in a variety of colors. I purchased mine at a famous footwear store, but you can also get them at famousfootwear.com as well as the following websites:

I strongly recommend these. In fact, I like them so much, I’m thinking about getting them in another color!

~Anna~