That last one… ewwww!

At first glance I fell in love.

The strappy design and minimal appearance of Louis Vuitton’s RTW sandals are classy.

But that sculptured heel, with its understated approach… and what looks like a little animal paw, I was unsure how I felt.

Then I discovered there are similar versions with other types of animal heels, possibly a zoo of choices.

But on to the shoes! I’ve been looking at all kinds as my shoe shopping isn’t really dictated by the season. More like what grabs my attention.

Like this black suede boot from Diane Von Furstenberg. I’ve been thinking of a suede boot for a while, but we get our fair share of rain here and it remains on my list of must have items still. It’s called ‘Guardian’ and looks stunning.

If price were no object, I might go for the incredible looking Skyscraper Shoe by Vivienne Westwood. I’d almost be willing to give up half my shoe collection for a pair of these. Little things like eating, bills, and guilt keep me grounded. but I love the description for these;

“Cause visual vertigo and watch others swoon over the arousing architectural allure.”

I’m a huge fan of L.A.M.B. and thought the ‘Peppa’ looked kinda spicey! Love the peep toe and t-strap design combination. And 20% off! Hmmm.

Sometimes a shoe that’s more sexy and flirty or more fun than the more practical. Like this one from DSquared2. I’m not sure if it’s all the buckles, the way it’s designed, or the silver heel. But it looks to have just enough glam and couture to make me want it.

Still missing from my closet is a pair from Giuseppe Zanotti, which makes me a little sad. I believe this one is called ‘nero’ and if you ask me it’s one of the more classy stilettos I’ve seen in some time. I wish I had a black tie function to attend soon so I might be able justify getting these. These would look so great with a gown at a swanky party of some kind. Note to self, more scratch and win tickets.

Confession time – I’m also in love with this pair from Alexander McQueen. I can’t put my finger on it, but I could see Uma Thurman wearing them in a future Kill Bill episode. Dress to kill! Speaking of confessions, almost half the time I buy high heels I don’t have anything in my closet to go with them. You think I’d learn. Sound familiar to anyone reading?

I hope you all have a happy holiday with friends or family and get yourself something nice. And Happy New Year!

Here’s Christina Aguilera is a closet that makes me crazy with envy.

“Everything on my shoe wall is grouped by designer—Louboutin, McQueen, YSL—all in their own little family,” says Christina.

Tamara Mellon is president and co-founder of Jimmy Choo, and needless to say her closet is amazing.

Tamara Mellon Shoe Closet

Go on a tour of Tamara’s home to see a closet that will make you weep.

Have a look at the closet of Miley Cyrus, a teen’s dressing room dream come true. I guess it isn’t really a closet, but still.

Rachel Zoe doesn’t really have a closet, but you’ll want to see what she does have – more shoes than the average department store!

She currently reigns as the most sought after celebrity stylist, boasting a roster of bold-faced names such as Cameron Diaz, Lindsay Lohan, Debra Messing, Eva Mendes, Keira Knightley, and Anne Hathaway. She also consults for Gap and Piperlime.

Rachel Zoe's Studio

Rachel Zoe's Studio 2

Fergie turned two guest rooms of her Brentwood home into her closets, plus the existing master closet—that makes three huge closets.

Nanette Lepore is a fashion designer in Manhattan with a spacious closet;

Then there is the closet of the queen of daytime tv – Oprah!

Have a look at a shoe addict’s visit to an amazing closet. It just goes to show its not just the A-list that gets to have all the fun!

Last but certainly not least we have Jane from Sea of Shoes with her own amazing collection. Be sure to visit her blog too!

The Shoe Goddess – Weekly shoe roundup

Sea of Shoes – Nickolas Kirkwood for Rodarte Spring 2011

SheThinks – What gives with women’s shoes?

FashionSquad – Tribute to leopard

Vogue Diaries – Street style

WhoWhatWear – Obsessesion du jour, Fall footwear

The Beauty Shop – Fashion Spotlight, Red Accessories

Style Bakery – Hottest bags of the season

Daily Pump – The MVP of Every Woman’s Closet

I called department stores and direct to most of their retail stores but had no luck.

Just when Iwas about to give up, the woman on the phone asked me “Did you you try our outlet?”

I had not,  got the phone number from her, and sure enough I managed to find one of the last bags of this line.

If you’re wondering it’s a Gucci horsebit hobo, and I had it shipped from Woodbury Common in New York. I think Gucci changes their line every year so if you don’t snap up a particular one you like it might not be around later. At least not through regular retail stores.

Most of us know about sites like Gilt or Ruelala that have private sales by invite, or sites like Bluefly with daily discounts.

But the discount outlet could be your source for those hard to find or discontinued items. And even if you live in one area that doesn’t have it, you could try what I did and call around until you find what you’re after. I think I lucked out within 4 calls to different locations.

Here’s some outlets to try if you can’t find it online…

http://www.premiumoutlets.com

http://www.primeoutlets.com

http://www.outletsonline.com

Your best deals are always online, but premium outlets are another option.

Something worth noting is while I was shopping around I found the bag I wanted but didn’t know about the company. You may have seen banners for discount Louboutin shoes or similar. Be sure to check carefully before sending your hard earned money. Since I was dealing with a Gucci outlet, what I did was call a Gucci store to confirm the location.

In my case it was a bag, but these outlets carry shoes, clothes and just about everything you could want. Happy hunting!

If you want to take the plunge, you can try Net-A-Porter

Hope everyone has been enjoying the fabulous weather!

A few posts you may have missed, but are worth a look…

ShoeWawa on Brian Atwood ‘Donna’ heels

ShoeSmitten shares how to create your own one-of-a-kind shoes

The Jet Set Girls have Louboutin Fall booties

SheFinds tells all on stuff rich people like

The Shoe Goddess has the scoop on a Zanotti sandal to die for

And the Manolo posts on Jimmy Choo sandals – also to die for

Fall is just around the corner and there’s been all kinds of sales (sorry for not posting about them!).

Now is the time to start looking for boots, and I have my eye on a few.

The Miss Dior II is a style I’ve always wanted. I have a couple that are close, but these are Dior!

And 20% off. Nuff said.

The Gucci Sofia is another style I’ve wanted for a while.

I’m all about the black patent these days, even if prints are hot.

This pair from Stella McCartney would look good just about anytime.

I’m really tempted by these ones.

Have you ever noticed there isn’t enough hours in the day to shop? Or enough room in our closets?

I love all 3 of these but have to choose. Sometimes life isn’t fair.

The designer described his chain shoes creation creation as;

“The shoes express the contrast between heaviness and lightness, elegance and brutality, complexity and simplicity, movement and anchorage. To create these contrasts, we have chosen to work with metal chains at different stages of aging. Chains function as both structural design and the developer of the illusion of not reaching down to the ground or mastering a given form. “

Sometimes creations like these make me wonder if the designer ever intended anyone to wear them.

Paging Lady Gaga…

Lauren Conrad and Kylie Minogue

Wooden heels are hot hot hot this spring.

These aren’t a match to the above pic, but sometimes you  just go with what you love.

And I love Michael Kors!

This pair from Sergio Rossi is sure to turn some heads and look great with almost anything!

Fyi, this pair from Theory would rock with jeans.

And the aboe by Theory are 40% off, so its only $177 (via Bluefly)