Get ready for envious stares, double takes and, of course, compliments. The much anticipated Lita from Jeffrey Campbell has finally arrived at Lulus.com! This hot leather lace-up bootie comes in a rich shade of mustard yellow with sweet caramel shading (pictured below). Dream up all sorts of ways to sport this shoe around town, but don’t dream too long – this baby is going fast. 

Check out new fall styles “On The Run” in Jeffrey Campbell’s very first music video below! 

On The Run Jeffrey Campbell F/W 2010 from andrea cruz on Vimeo.

Whose apartment or home doesn’t need a little feng shui makeover every now and again? In my case, stuff was taking over my tiny living space and my life.

Knick knacks, old letters, and clothes I never wore any more. All had to go, except for the books.

I have a sentimental attachment to books, and I’m never able to part with my favorites – of which there are many. And then there’s my college text books, which I MAY need one day…for something I’m sure. Some grammar debate that can only be solved by my Introduction to English Grammar, Volume 1, or something along those lines.

With a limited number of shelving space and growing frustration, a good friend directed me to this great little post from a site called Apartment Therapy. This website is chock-full of ideas for apartment dwellers, seeking to add organization and beauty to their living space. 

I love the pictures featured here, filled with clever ways to stack your books, with or without the help of a bookshelf. I love the books stacked in the fireplace (top), but I’m pretty sure if I had an awesome fireplace like that, I’d use it for making cozy fires instead.

So check out the site. It’s really amazing, with many creative ideas we could all learn from. You guys have any tips for making the most out of a small space?

Photos from post: Roundup: Books on the Floor by Jessica Tata

Greetings from L.A.!  I have just completed my road trip of California and I thought I’d share my trip with you all (while sharing some fun travel tips)! 

 My roommate and I started from our hometown of Sacramento and drove down to San Francisco to visit one of our friends (Travel Tip #1: Instead of spending loads on a hotel, stay with a friend.  They’ll be happy to have you… although don’t stay longer then 3 days, you don’t want to impose).  While there we shopped on Market St., walked around Haight and Ashbury, and had a picnic at Golden Gate park.  (Travel Tip #2: Pack some groceries.  Eating out can be fun, but it can also be unhealthy.  Instead of going to fast food joints, pack trail mix, fruit, and sandwich makings.

From San Francisco, we left for our 6 hour drive to L.A.  Neither one of us wanted to stay in the car for that long of a time, so we thought it’d be fun to make a little detour to Solvang.  Solvang is an old Dutch town with fun shops and amazing restaurants/bakeries. We ended up choosing a place to eat, and indulged in a dessert known as Aeble Skivers. These are pancake-like balls topped with Raspberry syrup and powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Delicious!

After our amazing meal, we continued on the road and eventually made it to L.A. The next day we ate lunch with a friend at Mini Kabob (Travel Tip #3: Don’t judge a book by its cover, especially when applied to restaurants). Mini Kabob is this tucked away Greek restaurant run by a loving couple, and I have to say, it was the best Greek food I’ve ever had! 

Next we went to Santa Monica!  We walked through the 3rd St. promenade where there were a bunch of cool stores and some street performers.  Then we headed to the Venice boardwalk where there were more street performers and street merchants.  A lot of cool art and jewelry can be found here. 

Last, but not least we finished up in Hollywood!  After some shopping (Hello Rodeo Drive!), we went back to Graumen’s Chinese Theatre where I got to compare myself to the stars…at least with my hands and feet.  FYI I fit perfectly into Marilyn Monroe’s hands and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s hands are HUGE!

 P.S.  Do you have a crazy vacation story?  What tips do you use to travel?

 It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of coffee, coffee, coffee! At least once a week, I’ll treat myself to a latte from our local coffee house, The Naked Lounge. They make the most amazing drinks, and I’m always dazzled by the gorgeous art work for each cup (one of my favorites is pictured above). Curious, I searched around on youtube and found this great little video. Now I’m really inspired to try it myself, especially with the chocolate sauce, yum!  Any baristas out there who know more about coffee art?