It's the little things in life that make me happy (a smaller butt, small well designed jewelry...) One of the things that makes me so happy about my new job here at Toasted Rav is that I can now wear that pile of open-toed shoes that I couldn't when I was working in a conservative business environment.  I now have more fun getting dressed in the morning, because I pick out my shoes first and the pull everything together based on that choice - it's like shoes are Garanimals for grownups. 

The more I shop, the more I find that I am in love with very expensive shoes... namely Christian Louboutin's (prices range from about $500 to well over $1,000 per pair!), but I am not comfortable spending more on a pair of shoes than I do on car insurance so I have to get creative to take my favorite looks from something I covet to something that lives in my closet.  One of the answers to my shoe problem comes in the form of shoe guy Steve Madden.  For example, here is a pair of Christian Louboutin I covet:and here is a pair of Steve Maddens that could actually go in my closet ($80): 

Another Louboutin I covet:

and a similar pair by Steve Madden for my closet ($99):

One last covet from Mr. Louboutin:

and a treat for my closet courtesy of Steve Madden ($109):

I am not an ex-reality television star nor did I play one on TV, so I shop on a budget and I think that saving money and still wearing styles I love is really all about just getting a sense of what I like and being patient enough to shop around until I find it. 

I also recently started using Polyvore to pull together pictures of my favorite shoes, accessories, and clothing so that I can keep track of what I love but can't afford.  I use the site go on virtual shopping trips when I don't feel like working I am eating lunch (thank you "Alt+Tab"), and before I shop within my practical budget it helps remind me of what to look for in any potential additions to my wardrobe.  Fair warning: Polyvore is potentially more addictive than caffeine.