Haute for Teacher

Ask my husband and I what our dream job is, and we'd both say, in unison, "a teacher."

Clark and I were very blessed to attend fabulous schools throughout our lives, but we are each particularly thankful for our high school experiences...me and my small class of 25 at Rocky Mount Academy in teeny Rocky Mount, NC and Clark at Woodberry Forest School a beautiful boarding school in the hills of Virginia, outside of Charlottesville. Though both of our experiences were incredibly different, we are both ever grateful for the time we spent on each campus, developing us into the people we are today. We make it a point to give back every year.

While we enjoyed our sports teams, our school dances and the "fun stuff" for those 4 years before college, we make it no secret that our teachers and mentors have almost everything to do with our happiness and our growth as people.

Celebrating this thought, an Atlanta area shopping center, Vinings Jubilee, wants to give back to the teachers that continue to give us all so much. Submit your favorite local teacher via this form, and he or she could win one of four $100 gift certificate to be redeemed at any store in Vinings Jubilee Shopping Center. (Emly Benham & Sandpiper would be my picks - no doubt!) Submissions must be entered in the next two weeks! After all, the only thing better than getting something for 100 and south is getting it!

chalkboard image found at creativecommons.org

Hey, I Got Some New Shoes On!

Two of my proudest finds lately have come in the form of shoes.

What is it about shoes that makes us girls go so bonkers? It's like men who don't give us enough attention, but we LOVE it and we want more.



Check out my fab finds: a pair of Via Spiga black leather and jute wedges (I've been on the hunt for some black-accented wedges all summer). Snagged 'em at Tootsies (when I got my Theory shorts) for $59.50, marked down from $175! Next up, probably my most fabulous find of the summer (maybe the century): these mega-badass snakeskin Modern Vintage wooden heels! These beauties came from the Boutique Bargain Warehouse Sale at Atlantic Station last month...ATL boutique Lexie and Jane is going out of business and had them marked down from $198 to $35!

These were fresh enough for the Paul McCartney show, for sure. Rocked 'em all night. Details, details, details!



Gold and silver studs on the tippy toes!



Get a load of those cutouts. Magnifique!

*PERK! Via Spiga has my wedges on sale for $69 online - find them here in all sorts of fun colors!

Right now is the time to shop the sales. What's been your best find recently?

The Long and SHORT of It

Ah, summer clothing. Ethereal floral prints, wispy tank tops, caramel brown sandals...these are a few of my favorite things.

But SHORTS? Not so much.

I probably own 3 good pairs of shorts, all three hand me downs from my sister. All 3 have been beat to hell by the both of us so that they don't constrict my legs and suffocate my poor ankles. I dread that first moment when you try on a pair of new shorts, and it's like you have two rubberbands latched on to your thighs!

But I have a Theory to my problem.

Literally.

Or should I say, Theory has become the solution to my problem after I discovered these shorts on sale at Tootsie's in Atlanta for $95.



Seem pricey to you even at $95 for a pair of shorts? Well, while mine came in an army green color for half the price of the khaki ones above, I have worn them well over a half a dozen times since buying them 2 weeks ago. The amount of usage I've gotten out of these shorts helps explain my theory of P.P.W.

What am I talking about?

Why, it's "Pay Per Wear" of course! You know you've gotten the most bang for your buck when you divide the number of times you've worn the item from the price it originally cost you. That's why in some instances, it's okay to splurge on that $350 DVF wrap dress- as long as plan on wearing it for the rest of your same dress size life.

So sure, I was only only $5 away from my maximum, but after sporting the heck out of those shorts in less than a month, I'd say it was a GREAT purchase.

What are some of your most valuable P.P.W. items in your closet?