Facebook. Twitter. Urban Outfitters.

These three websites are, hands down, the most clicked bookmarks on my Safari page. Like most people, I have my allotted time throughout the day where I routinely check my Facebook News Feed and update my Twitter. It is almost automatic that I then click to Urban and check out what’s new on sale. And then buy it all. Woops?

Online shopping has become almost a hobby as it is almost too convenient to scroll through an entire store, easily click the size you want for a cute shirt and have it shipped in a few days. Yet in a world where there’s an unlimited amount of online stores to shop at, how do you know which ones to skip over and which ones are worth looking at? Leave it to me to tell you the websites with the best sales, free shipping, and cutest clothes!

Behold: the holy grail of online shopping.

If you’re a committed shopper like myself, these websites will change the way you shop forever. You won’t regret reading this…or signing up for those annoying mailing lists (which WON’T be annoying with all those sales you’ll hear about.)

Happy shopping!

It’s Thanksgiving week. You know what that means: more food than you’ll ever be able to eat, run ins with family members you’d really rather avoid and those awkward moments when everyone gathers together to say what they’re thankful for.

Friends.
Family.
Happiness and health and blah blah blah.

Those are all great things to be thankful for, important things, yes.  But what about the not so important things, the little things that we all take for granted? Here’s what I’m thankful for this holiday season…

10. Trashy Tabloids. Reading about the problems of the rich and famous makes everything in my life seem so much less problematic. Sure, maybe I’m having boy problems, but at least my guy didn’t leave me for Angelina Jolie. And maybe I’m worried about wearing a bikini to the beach, but at least there’s no one zooming in on my butt cheeks. (At least not that I know of.) Celebrity scandal really helps me see the big picture.

9. Steve Madden’s Fall Boot Collection. Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just head over to Steve Madden’s website and stare at some shoes. Laugh if you want, but it totally works. They’re like works of art, I swear. And even though I’ve put myself on a boot buying ban until after the holidays, I still enjoy purusing the styles. And you will too.

8. Chocolate. I’m sorry; do you really need an explanation for this one? I didn’t think so. Read More »

I’m not a girl who’s skilled enough to wear heels. I’m not sure what the problem is, but every attempt at stiletto sex kitten I’ve ever made has resulted in scars of the physical and emotional nature. My knees and my pride may never recover from past attempts, but a wise woman once told me what her 24 years had taught her: it’s all about the wedges.

Why should you have to give up feeling confident and sexy because those heels in your closet look better as a prop then when you try to wear them out? OK, so they make your legs look like the hottest stilts in the world, but how hot do you look waddling in them until you trip and smack your face on a keg and have a black eye for the first week of classes? Wedges could have saved my cousin.

And these are the hottest pair of the season. The lace up wedge is so on trend right now, and this Steve Madden pair just won’t quit. They have the awesome height, the sexified peep toe, and an added hole (peep heel?) in the back. The above-the-ankle cut makes them PERFECT for wearing with leggings to completely avoid the dilemma of wearing tights with exposed webbed toes; the legging will totally disappear under the lace-up ankle of the wedge and – voila – you’ve the appearance of opaque tights that allows you to show off the pedicure you splurged on. Read More »

[Welcome to Celebrity Chic on the Cheap, where our style guru takes a celebrity look and breaks it down for you, our poor college fashionista. What does that mean? It means that while the celebrities are spending $5,000 on an ensemble (even a lazy Saturday outfit), you don’t have to. All you have to do is click on the goods and - boom - you can buy the entire look. For cheap. Yes, we know - there is a spot for her in heaven.]

I don’t care for Katy Perry that much. I only like every other single that she releases, I think her taste in men is beyond questionable, and I thought it was highly ridiculous to claim that as a Christian, she was highly offended by Lady Gaga.

Yet, I cannot deny that I am completely fascinated by her style. She’s fearless, experimental, and not afraid to switch things up. She’s the only (non-Gaga) woman I can think of who is as comfortable wearing a bra made of cupcakes as she is dressed down and looking like Zooey Deschanel’s doppelganger. And I love that.

You know what else I love? This stunning polka dot number Katy recently sported on a stroll through London town. Gimme, gimme, gimme. Read More »

I hate to admit it but fall is almost here. Major tear.

But while I’m not excited for midterms, wool coats, shivering on my walk to class and being too cold to drink iced coffee, I am excited for boots (and really excited for Pumpkin Spice Lattes). I know, its not easy to think about knee-high boots when you’ve got sweat building up in the crook of your arm (just me?), but right now- while you’re still in summer mode – is really the best time to stock up on boots for the season:

1) Because you can find good deals.
2) You can find whatever you want in your size.
3) You’re so sick of dirty flip flop feet, you just want something soft and buttery covering up those toes.

Those three reasons were good enough for me to go on an Internet shopping spree from my bed last night. And I found some major gems.

This season, embellished boots and more masculine lace-up boots are totally in my closet. Doesn’t seem like you? Wrong. You can wear these little guys with anything. Pair them with leggings and a long button down for the day, or pair with a flirty feminine look for a nice juxtaposition of girly and boyish. Read More »

So I’ve hit that point in the summer (which usually comes after a couple hot-as-death-weeks) where I start craving my leather boots. I’m not going to lie if you walked into my apartment unannounced I may or may not be wearing them around with the AC cranked up pretending that, if for just ten minutes, it is finally fall.

Other than my crazy “pretend” sessions, I obviously satisfy this yearning to zip up my motorcycle knee-highs and run through some leaves by heading to the mall and dropping some major cash (if not all my cash) on a brand new pair…which then just leads to more torture as I stare at them for an entire month before it’s socially acceptable to put them on…outside of my apartment.

But that’s beside the point.

The actually point of my ranting is that I have found my new fall love. Which is no easy feat (or feet…ha!) considering that there a million different styles of boots of which I own about 20, so finding one worth my entire paycheck for a week is a hefty task.

This fall, Steve Madden’s Roady boot in brown will be my go-to shoe for any and every occasion. I am so excited about these that I can barely contain it. I can’t really begin anywhere other than the color, which in a sea of black leather boots stands out like a sore thumb- in an amazing way of course.

The distressed brown leather is so unexpected – rugged and feminine at the same time – making them a girly addition to rocker-inspired dark wash skinnys and a motorcycle jacket for night, while also being able to toughen up a floral print dress and tights for day. Read More »

Handbags may take home the gold for the biggest problem-poser during the summer months (okay perhaps a close second to melting foundation and yellow pit stains).

All fall and winter I run about my life with a two-ton bag slung over my shoulder (and the red marks to prove it). Seriously stick your hand in there and you’re likely to find half of Sephora, enough snacks to feed a small army and a textbook-sized agenda. And while the chocked full schedule may die down a little during the summer months (making room for the much needed lazy days on the beach…or in bed, whatever), that doesn’t mean that it’s easy to decide what stuff can stay and what has to be left at home.

I love my big bags, but I love my sanity more and there is just no way I could deal with a 12 pound bag in the sweltering heat of summer. Which means a chic, easy-to wear and most importantly compact(!) bag is on the top of my wish list.

And Steve Madden’s Bleigh handbag fits the bill perfectly. Seriously Steve, I now know what love feels like. Read More »

I love when completely undeserving, socially unacceptable, borderline retarded people like Snooki are somehow able to rake in the big bucks for absolutely no reason at all. Good for you! (Actually, if you couldn’t tell by my tone, I absolutely hate it).

Still, contrary to my opinion, the Snooki obsession not only has yet to die, but it’s going stronger than ever. Perhaps it has something to do with the greatly anticipated season 2 of Jersey Shore. Or the fact that everyone loves a hot mess (what up, LiLo?). First the girl gets paid $10,000 to party at clubs across the country and now Steve Madden has decided to create the “Snooki” shoe.

WHY, STEVE MADDEN, WHY?!?!

However, I must say, the shoe’s multicolored glittery, platform design couldn’t epitomize my chic, sophisticated icon, Snooki, any better if it tried.

Despite my deep contempt for the fame that has befallen The Princess of Poughkeepsie, I do fully support any woman’s quest to rake in the big bucks while she still matters. But why stop at stripper shoes, Snooks? Here are a few other products our favorite Guidette should slap her name on.

1. Bumpits
Umm… hello? Why hasn’t anyone ever thought of this before? Snooki was obviously this company’s main inspiration in the first place, thus she is the rightful woman to reap the benefits. (I actually think I saw commercials for this before I ever laid eyes on that breathtaking Guidette bump of hers, but who cares? No one does bumps like Snooki.)

2. Pickles
I know this might sound a bit unrealistic but I mean, really, if you think about it, how exciting can a typical pickle commercial truly get? That Vlasic Pickles duck’s got nothing on itty-bitty, teeny-weeny Snooki.

3. Tanning beds, lotions etc.
It’s one thing to go tanning. It’s another to get the deep, dark, sensual (slightly orange) skin tone of Miss Snooks. Who would want to use the plain ol’ regular shiz when your tanning experience can give you a one-of-a-kind Snooki Glow?

4. Mini dresses with built-in underwear
If you’ve ever watched the Jersey Shore you probably know a little something about Snooki’s tendency to – ehm – do back flips while battling on the dance floor. Instead of the cameras (or whoever’s watching) having to blur out your panty-less crotch – this new line of mini dresses will not stop you from having a good time…Snooki-style. (Really, girl, you should get a patent on this. You can thank me later.)

5. Condoms
Because – can you really think of anyone better to endorse safe sex?!

My Blackberry is flooded with so many email messages from stores that I usually mass delete them. But when “Trend Alert: Neutrals” appeared in the subject line dozens of times I figured I better check out what all the hype is about.

And of course I fell in love…as always. There really is something so elegant and timeless about a white cardigan or a pair of khaki cargo shorts.

My own style, however, is a little more edgy and my closet is filled with tons of printed dresses and patterned tanks. But just because I love me some major color when it comes to my wardrobe doesn’t mean that there’s no room to employ this totally-fab neutral trend.

Which is where Steve Madden’s Toppazz Heel comes in.

It’s suede texture and ruffle are adorably sweet, while the 4-inch heel gives it that extra kick of edge to keep the heel from feeling too demure.

I can see them paired with a flowy A-line skirt for a sweetly-sexy, feminine ensemble, but I can also see them working just as well with a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a leather jacket for a night out. Read More »

I don’t know about you, but when I first heard that clogs/mules were coming back in style I thought of those black Steve Madden clog/sandals with the elastic band that made your feet sound like a horse every time you walked. You know, the ones you paired with Hard Tails and then traded in for the leather platform version to pair with your Paris Blues Super Bell Bottoms come Fall uh… 1998?

So you can imagine my resistance when I saw the words CLOG splattered all over my fashion bibles. Really, Chanel? CLOGS? I do not need to do/wear anything that resembles my 1998 self in the slightest. The horror! What’s next? Butterfly clips? Lord have mercy.

But then, like all old trends that come back around, I realized the clog came with a bit of a twist. Clogs 2.0 are like Heidi Montag 2.0: Bigger, pumped up and plumped up. And some would even argue, better. These clogs are edgier, chunkier, platform-ier and all around cooler. Read More »