Chic and Bubbly

Meet Megan V. for The Girls' Corner! “Louboutin, Dior and Manolo, Oh my! I'm searching for more than ruby slippers!” Megan V. Ah June, what a wonderful month...for shoppers! It's shoe-diet season! That's right people, that special time of year when you forfeit your ability to purchase food in exchange for an array of beautiful shoes. Who needs money for food and bills when you have shoes that look like this: The half-yearly sale, designers sale, take your pick! Just about every major retailer is clearing their inventory to make room for the new fall lines. Not only does this mean amazing prices for amazing shoes, it also means we get to see what the designers have been cooking up during the past year! Pop culture tells us to “stop and smell the roses.” I propose a revision of that statement, “stop --by your favorite boutique/online retailer-- and feel inspired by the new fall lines.” Although I am searching for more than ruby slippers, I have a sneaking suspicion ...

Sometimes a big fatty cocktail ring is all you need to spice up a simple plain outfit. During US Prohibition between 1920 and 1933 when the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor was made illegal, large dramatic stone rings were very popular. Women wore these rings at the speakeasies to show off not only that one was drinking illegally, but also that one was doing with style, and thus the name cocktail rings. Here are Chic and Bubbly’s top 10 cocktail rings:  Ariella Collection Clover Cat's Eye Ring, $78, Nordstrom.com.   Kate Spade New York "Crystal Orbit" Ring, $160, Nordstrom.com.     Kate Spade New York "Tuxedo Pearls" Ring, $93.75, Bloomingdales.com.  Juicy Couture "Love Story" Boxed Adjustable Cocktail Ring, $68, Nordstrom.com. Citrine and Green Amethyst Ring, $1,173, Bloomingdales.com.  Amethyst and Diamond Ring, $1,065, Bloomingdales.com. Doris Panos Diamond Guard Rings, $1,340 to $3,040, NeimanMarcus.com. Ariella Co...

Thanks to Food and Wine magazine, here’s an interesting fact about the President of Manolo Blahnik , George Malkemus: Did you know that George Malkemus, President of Manolo Blahnik and his partner Anthony Yurgaitis purchased a horse farm in 1999 across from their Litchfield, Connecticut home and established Arethusa Farm ? Their original plan was to turn the horse farm into a dairy farm and bottling milk for sale to the local community. However, they had to come up with new ideas and plans as the new barns were built, and old ones remodeled. Fortunately, they were introduced to “show cows” and asked Ernie Kueffner , who is a successful breeder of Holsteins and Jerseys, to join them in building Arethusa Farm. In 2004, they had two wins at the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin: (Prizewinners Melanie and Veronica (brown). Photo © Cybil Fisher.) What is Chic & Bubbly’s winner? It's a pair of beautifully designed tweed boucle d'Orsay by Manolo Blahnik. (Tweed boucle d...