The Perfect Shoe...

Whether you are an disney nostalgic, or a sex and the city viewer, most women (and men!) know the importance of a amazing shoe at a big event.

So, for my upcoming blog launch, I spared no time searching for the perfect shoe for the launch. I have had friends question their shoe collection, wondering if their shoes would be up to the standard for photo ops and ogling. My advice was simple - wear what you love, and don't be afraid to stand out.

With that advice in mind, I had to turn to my own shoe dilemma...what would be, "my pair?"

Oh yes, I thought about Cinderalla, and her perfect shoes - although I have yet to leave one shoe behind in any situation....

Then I recalled Carrie Bradshaw, and the perfect pink sandals that she wore to meet Big, that eventually were soiled with an unfortunate water break.

So, my search (high and low) is continuing....with only 6 days left, the search for the perfect shoe has intensified.

Here are my top five pics for the perfect shoe...tell me what you think. Which shoe should I choose?

// Fendi Bug Feather Sandal // 

// Jimmy Choo Kamaris // 

// Christian Louboutin Chester Fille // 

// Christian Louboutin Ostri Slingback //

// Sophia Webster Butterfly // 

It's Almost Here....the Website Debuts in ONE WEEK

I CAN'T believe it's almost here....the new launch of my website and a whole new look to Cha Cha Living.

Over the past year, the blog has grown from a wholehearted obsession with shoes, to something broader, unearthing what I find to be as the "best" shoes/clothing/food/wine/music/makeup and anything else under the sun.

I search, scour and skim every website, magazine, blog and store to find what I consider as the best things out there. I debunk myths (best ____) and test out what the best box wine is (for when you are saving those $$ for a pair of shoes).

And the great news is, my new website and blog launch is just 7 days away!!

While the current site graphics are etsy worthy, the new graphics are amazing, and were created by the super talented Sam Burns (contact info here). We had so much fun incorporating the feel and vibe of Cha Cha Living into a logo.

Then, with the help of the amazing web development team from Salt Lake City company, WebTek Interactive (contact info here) we have created an amazing site that is streamlined, and super easy to navigate. Think better surfing, more pictures, easier links, and amazing content. These guys were amazing to work with - and my vision for the website is about to become a reality!

So....keep your eyes peeled for the October 25th launch of the new site....ChaChaLiving.com

New Fragrance I Love....Tom Ford Neroli Portofino

Is there anything Tom Ford can't do? I mean, I have long loved Tom Ford's designs, particularly when he was Creative Director at YSL. There was this navy blue velvet suit during the summer of 2002...I found it on 1st Dibs....but just couldn't pull the trigger.

That leads me to his fragrance line, started in 2006. I had sort of landed on my own personal favorites over the past couple of years, and Kai had been the leading perfume in my rotation. But, one day, after waiting for my makeup purchase to complete, I ran across the most beautiful scent - and it was no surprise that it was a Tom Ford creation.

Enter Neroli Portofino, one of the private collection perfumes from Tom Ford. The perfume is like no other, with scents of citrus, floral and amber that is surprisingly clean and fresh. His inspiration was the Italian Riviera, and the clear water, cool breezes and lush foliage.

And, like most of Tom Ford's creations, it's not cheap. But, if you have ever owned anything Tom Ford, you will know there always high quality, and worth every penny.

// Tom Ford Neroli Portofino // 

Halloween Favs

Halloween is by far one of my favorite holidays of the year. The weather starts to cool down and nights start to have a crispness in the air. And then there is the start of holiday decorating season.

To me - Halloween is the official kick off to the holiday season - and it provides virtually any excuse to create a new craft cocktail and decorate the house.

This Halloween - my costume will be influenced by a recent trip to Barcelona. But, until then...here are a few of my favorite Halloween items to get you in the mood.

// 1. Zoe Karssen Tee // 2. Aquazzura Lace Up Sandals // 3. Pottery Barn Skeleton Napkins // 4. Jayson Home Claw Candlestick // 5. Jayson Home Bottle Opener // 6. Williams Sonoma Medallion Plates

Makeup Line I Love - Jouer

I am a sucker for top lists. best (fill in the blank) beauty fix or any new trend in makeup - it's almost like a challenge to me.

I always question...could this "best of" list really be true...or just hype about a certain product?

So, when a certain company kept popping up on the "best of" lists, I had to try it out.

Meet Jouer, a cosmetics line founded in 2004 by Christina Zilber. Jouer means "to play" in french, and everything in their collection is fun and light.

Curiosity got the best of me, and a couple of weeks ago, I bought a couple of their best sellers, particularly their aluminizing moisture tints (with SPF 20!!).

My favorite thing about this tinted moisturizer is the ease of the product. I tend to only pick 2-3 products in the morning - for me, ease and simplicity is what I prefer on a day to day basis. This product is amazing in that it gives some color, but leaves skin luminous and glowing. A little powder, blush and mascara, and I am done.

I picked two colors....a bronzed color for summer, and the blush color for fall and winter. The only problem with buying online is guessing your best color. But, it is available at your nearest Nordstroms if you want to check color in person. And guess what...you can get 25% off now at Jouer.com with code (FFLOVE).

New Music Wednesday - Hozier

Hozier....Hozier...Hozier. Let me tell the many ways I love thee.

Have you ever listening to a record on a long drive, and purposely drove past your exit so you can finish the rest of the songs? That's Hozier.

Hozier is Andrew Hozier-Byrne, and Irish musician that recently released his debut album. Seriously, I had a hard time picking one song to share with you (hence the two songs below). 

But  his stuff is good - perfect for a fall day while nesting in your house with a glass of wine and the smell of roasting apples in the background. And, if you wanted to really get in the mood, buy the vinyl version here...because the only thing better than Hozier on your iPhone is Hozier on vinyl.

Blog Launch Party - It's Finally Here!

Yes, its true. The day has finally come!!

A new website...

New logos...

And much more content ranging from shoes, to clothes, to food and wine, and much more.

If you are in the San Diego area, please join us for the event of the year....the Cha Cha Living Blog Launch party on October 25th. Details below!

Cracking the Code - a shoe addict spills the inside secrets in finding the best shoes on ebay

You know those people that show off an amazing pair of shoes, tell you they found them on sale...on ebay....for $40??

I hate them, don't you.

It's like they have a honing radar for great shoes, and great deals online. Do you ever wonder what their secret is? High bandwidth speed, making their kids scour the web?

Not so. I give you the four key ways to find the best shoes on ebay.

Take for instance these never been worn YSL heels. I recently found them on ebay using step four below!

1 - Search - The key to finding the right pair of shoes or any item on ebay is a good search term. I tend to go more specific first, and then broaden my search if I don't know what I am looking for. The more descriptive you can be (gold ysl heels satin) the closer you will get to what you are actually looking for.

And, if there is a particular brand that you love (Jimmy Choo) you can always keep it broad and just search the brand + shoes. If you don't know which brand you are looking for, keep notes of full price shoe brands online that you love, and start to follow them on ebay.

2 - Sort - The best way to narrow down the hundreds of thousands of shoes is to sort. You can sort by size, heel height, color, new or used, as well as from lowest to highest price (or vice versa).

Sorting is one of the best ways to pinpoint those shoes that are relevant to you, and speed up your search process.

3 - Follow - Did you know that you can follow searches in your ebay feed? Your ebay feed is what shows up when you first pull up the site. If you have a strong preference for Jimmy Choos and Sofia Webster, then you can make sure that your news feed is full of those shoes.

4 - Save - The ultimate ebay trick. Who has time to peruse ebay sites for amazing shoes? Well, other than shoe fanatics and bloggers, it's not really realistic to search for those special shoes every day. The save tool changes all of that.

After you click the follow link, there is an option to to save the search and send to email. That means that whatever you specially searched for (YSL, size 8 or size 8.5) you can now save that search, and receive a daily email. Email preferences can be updated at any time, just go to "my ebay" and then to "followed searches." This option is really a lifesaver and can help you find those special shoes as soon as they appear on ebay.