The Butter event at our Headquarters on Wednesday, June 24th was a tasty treat.  Lee Riech, the designer for the much-loved (by feet and women alike) Butter joined us for an intimate and informative evening all about shoes .  While we nibbled on the likes of buttery-sweet pound cake (we had a good excuse for the indulgence) sipping our Barefoot bubbly, Lee answered questions ranging from the origin of her line to the color palette and inspiration behind her collection for Fall/Winter 2009.  

Lee is one of my favorite designers to work with - always aware of the trends but never beholden to them, always willing to collaborate on Exclusve  designs for SimplySoles, always willing to work with us when an unforeseen change of plans (or economies) ensues. She's a great designer (the Butter collection is always in our top three most popular brands), and she's great person who's become a dear friend.  I now… More

What do teenage vampires and designer shoes have in common?  At least one wasn't-so-cool-in-highschool 36 year old.   I'm currently obsessed with them both - shoes for quite some time now and teenage vampires, namely Twilight, I'm now going on 36 hours.

I just watched the Twilight movie last night and am admittedly confused by my captivation with it.  I literally write this newsletter minutes before I sit down (with a requisite and symbolic glass of red wine of course)  to crack open the book friends (young and old) have been encouraging me to read. Twilight the novel was purchased less than 15 hours after watching the movie, and it now has my undivided attention.  I look forward to it with uncommon eagerness - a type of giddy,… More

So I’m just back from spending 5 glorious days at the beach with the family.  I’m proud to say I successfully built my first sand castle in maybe 25 years.  I have the sand-burned knees and sunburned back to prove it. 

Aside from coming home with a slight tan (mainly from the additional freckles), I’m returning home with resolve to adjust my slightly-skewed work habits.  During the 15-minutes of alone time I had while surfside walking (in my fabulous FitFlops), I came to the conclusion that I need to spend more time away from my computer and Blackberry.  I need to unplug.  My business is not a sand castle – it won’t collapse if I’m not connected, obsessively checking emails.  It’s actually better off for it.  Perspective, free ideas, a good night’s sleep – all leads to a… More

Today I’m wearing a pair of cork wedges by Bettye Muller. I confess I wear them nearly everyday – and I own a shoe company – you’d think my personal wardrobe selection would be a little more diverse.  In swaths of cream, orange, green, and brown, the colors match practically everything in my wardrobe.  But the thing is, I wear these shoes nearly everyday because of my secret obsession with cork.  Granted that cork has always had a special place in my life given my weakness for wine, but cork on shoes, it’s just a marriage made in shoe heaven.  Whether I’m chasing down my lillybee designs or my two small kids, I’m hard on my shoes.  Corks wedges are forgiving.  They are shock absorbing.  They are resilient.  And while this isn’t the real reason I wear them, cork is a eco-friendly… More

Last night I had the pleasure and esteemed honor of hosting an event at my bricks and mortar store in Washington, DC with New York designer, Bettye Muller.  She came down exclusively to spend the evening with SimplySoles customers. While I get to collaborate with her on each season's collection of SimplySoles Exclusives, having her here in my space felt different. I felt exposed and vulnerable.   I felt like a teen meeting Miley Cyrus all giggly and awkward with anticipation.  I think Bettye is the bomb (which is such an out-dated expression I'm probably embarrassing myself).  

I don't like to pick favorite designers since I carefully select the few I carry, but I've carried Bettye from the beginning. I was a fan before SimplySoles was even a figment of my imagination.  I know her, I've worked with her for nearly 5 years,… More

Being a mom, I get excited about Mother’s Day being around the corner.  It’s just a dedicated day to celebrate all the things that as mothers, we manage to get accomplished in a single 24 hour period.  I remember being asked how I was going to add motherhood to my current task load of  (1) full-time employee (which is what I was for 2 years as I simultaneously started and ran SimplySoles);  (2) committed entrepreneur; and, (3) supportive wife, daughter, sister, friend.  My answer was always the same: “I can’t tell you HOW I’m going to do it, but I just know it’ll get done.”  I think that’s standard practicing policy for moms.  We’re natural jugglers of tasks, and are efficient users of time.
 
I went to a reception last Monday where Cokie Roberts was the guest speaker to a… More

Contrary to what Kermit says, I actually think it’s easy being GREEN.  Especially these days when being green is the hip thing to do. 

My personal journey to recycle-hood (kind of like adulthood but a little less automatic) started with the simplest of all beginnings, my personal Coke can consumption (the amount of Coke I consume is not the topic of this conversation…thankfully).  Now I’ve gone from recycling an undisclosed number of Coke cans, to recycling everything from toilet paper rolls to every last cardboard box that comes into our office.  I even been spotted dumpster-diving in the alleyway to rescue misplaced recyclable plastics from the landfill.  I’ve become obsessed with recycling…nearly as much as I am with shoes.  But you don’t have to be to make a difference. Every little bit, each recycled can, helps.… More

Happy Celebrate the Earth Day! Today is the day to do something something new, something green, something pro-Mother Earth. It's another Mother's Day of sorts - just for all of creation on the planet and not just the one who each individually created us. If you need inspiration for what to do today to help celebrate (since a Hallmark card isn't going to do it), follow me at Twitter.com/simplysoles.  I'll be sharing various ways - big and small - I celebrate Mother Earth each and every day.

I love my Heels! Yes - I love shoes, but today I'm also referring to another kind of heel - my TarHeels.  Last night the University of North Carolina Tarheels won the NCAA tournament. I'm still celebrating the win.  I kind of want to spread the sensation.  So I've just spontaneously decided that today I'm going to give away a free pair of Heels - winner's choice.  (Simplysoles.com is my boutique designer shoe store - check it out www.simplysoles.com.) All you need to do is be following me at www.twitter.com/simplysoles by 5pm today. The winner will be notified tomorrow.  Here's to the Heels!!!

Inspired by the season, we are doing some internal Spring cleaning here at SimplySoles.  'Tis the season. 

Recognizing employee's natural skill sets and interests, we've reassigned responsibilities.  While I love shoes, I'm going now focus on my true strength - pulling shoes and packing boxes.  It's harder than it sounds and well I'm a natural.  Meanwhile, buying for the designer collection and all lillybee designs will now be the sole (pardon the pun) responsibility of Matt Craine. 

Matt was previously operating in the marketing department as my All-Things-Web-Related Senior Manager. Matt (photographed here) is thrilled with the opportunity.  While he usually doesn't leave his office and rarely is seen by the outside world, he's has "fresh ideas for the fashion world." We're holding our breath in anticipation!