We have snow on the ground, and temperatures in the 20s this week.  I pretty much fail at dressing for this sort of weather – I’ve only recently started layering, and I’m still trying not to wear pants.  Actually, I find the combo I’m wearing in the first photo – leggings with tights, socks, and boots, to be much warmer than pants anyway – and they don’t drag in the snow and get wet!

Jumper: Simplicity 2848

Sweater: Merona, thrifted

Socks: Merona

Boots: Alfani

I’ve had a lot of trouble incorporating this jumper into my wardrobe.  It has a tendency to look a bit young to me (and it’s short, which doesn’t help.)  I’ve layered it with a button down shirt, but I didn’t care for that either.  This is the best combo I’ve found, other than wearing it as a dress with nothing underneath (which does work.)  I like the look of the cowl draping over the neckline, and it’s also pretty warm in this combo (the sweater is tunic length.)  I also like the looks of socks peeking over the top of my boots, which I’ve seen quite a lot lately.  This outfit was warm, especially when I wore it outside with a heavy coat, earmuffs, and a handknit scarf!

Sweater: Ann Taylor, thrifted

Dress: Vogue 8663

Boots: Nine West outlet

Here I’m trying out the “sweater over dress” method of winter layering.  It works well to take this dress into the colder parts of the year – though it has long sleeves, the knit is rather thin.  I think this would look better with different shoes, but I’m unwilling to subject any of my shoes to the snow and salt except these two pairs of boots!

I’m still having trouble with my eyes, thus the glasses.  The infection is gone, but I’m having difficulties with my contact lenses going blurry after several hours (and they are supposed to be the kind you can wear overnight.)  It’s like they develop a film over them that is hard to clean off without leaving them overnight in the heavy-duty cleaner.  I have an eye appointment on Friday, so hopefully that will clear things up.  Perhaps I need different contacts.  I’ve decided that I need to come to terms with my glasses and wear them occasionally, to give my eyes a rest from contacts, but I don’t like these frames.  They need a new prescription (I bought them ten years ago) because one of my eyes has worsened, and I need bigger lenses – since I am pretty nearsighted, I have a lot of trouble reading etc in these, because the field of vision is so small.  I read over at The Story Girl about a company called Warby Parker.  She ordered glasses there, and hers are so cute!  They offer free at home try on of 5 pairs, and have a lovely selection of the vintage styled frames I like.  They are also pretty cheap – $95 for prescriptions between  -4 and +4(and only a little more for over – and mine are over -4!)  I’ve ordered 5 pair to try on, and when they get here I’ll be sure to post for opinions.

On to the other part of this post title: spring shoes!  I have mentioned my love for shoes before – I do not thrift them, so they are nearly the only clothing item that I buy new.  I usually look at the new styles, and then wait for them to go on a big sale or clearance.  I don’t pay full price.  My favorite place for clearance shoes is 6pm.com, which is Zappos’ clearance site.  I’m a big fan of Zappos – their warehouse and clearance center is located here, and my best friend used to work in the warehouse, packing and shipping shoes, and she only has nice things to say about their treatment of their employees.

Last spring I fell in love with two new styles from Seychelles.  They make great vintage-style shoes, which are also sold at Anthropologie.  I was unwilling to pay the full retail prices, so I waited until yesterday, when the daily email from 6pm informed me of a sale of Seychelles.  I got these two styles:

Trip the Light Fantastic in taupe.

I ordered these shoes in black last year, but ended up cancelling the order because I felt bad paying full price.  I thought the taupe would go with most of my closet, and it’s not a color that I already own.   These are sold out now on the website.

Get Outta Town in nude

These are sold out in nude, but there are some left in white here.  I remember seeing these on several style bloggers last year (were they sold at Anthro?)  I think they will look nice with casual dresses.

It’s worth signing up for the daily emails from 6pm… the deals sell out fast, though anything left usually stays at that price until it sells out.  There are more Seychelles still on the website for cheap.  I’m waiting for a sale on Poetic License shoes, my new obsession.  I have a pair of these boots, bought at the clearance center, and I love them, but their new shoes are super adorable, kind of like doll shoes.

Yes, impractical, but so cute!  And the heels are all manageable heights.  I like to wear heels, but I won’t wear anything over three inches (the red shoes are 3.25″ but have a platform, so it would feel like 2.5″.  I’m not interested in damaging my feet, and I do have to stand up a fair bit.