Now that I have a wedding dress*, I can legitimately start thinking about accessories! Trust me, we will talk much more about jewelry and hair pretties down the line, but today, we’re going to talk about shoes.

FYI, here is what I consider the Big Momma of wedding shoes:

Both shots by Jose Villa

Perfection. However, since they are Louboutins, I clearly will not be wearing them on our wedding day.

That being said, the shoes I like tend to fall into two categories. Those with bows:

Top to bottom: Samm Blake via Style Me Pretty, Alexandra Daley-Clark, Sarah Rhoads, Katie Stoops via Southern Weddings, JAC Photography

…and those that are gold and glittery:

BHLDN and unknown

Keeping that in mind, and adding to it a budget of no more than $100 and a requirement of a low heel or a flat, here are a few options I found.

Sources: 1. Nina Paladin in white luster satin ($58); 2. Elle Japan (price unknown because the website is in Japanese!); 3. Nina Brooks in ivory luster satin ($90); 4. Nina Paladin in gold royal satin ($58); 5. Unforgettable Moments Nathalie in sea glass ($50); Fergalicious Abby in champagne ($40); 7. Nina Eterna in ivory luster satin ($99); 8. Nina Freja in ivory luster satin ($80)

I always thought I’d be a white shoe girl, but those gold flats and pale blue heels tug at my heart. However, I think my favorite pair overall is the Nina Paladin. I’m going to go ahead and order a pair to judge the comfort, but the question is, should I order them in the rose gold (no. 4) or the soft white (no. 1)? Feel free to weigh in in the comments!

P.S. Thinking of ordering your own pair of Ninas? I just saw on their website that if you sign up for their email list, you get 20% off your next order!

*Yes, I have a wedding dress!! I’m not planning to share it before the wedding, but I will share more about my search very soon!

I wear a lot of cardigans. They’re perfect for North Carolina, because it’s too warm in the winter to wear a heavy sweater, but too cold to wear just a short-sleeve shirt. I also love cardigans because they help me get extra mileage out of my wardrobe — pair the same cardigan with three different shirts, and you have three different outfits! I actually just peeked in my closet and counted, and I currently own ten cardigans. I swear I am not a grandma (though I do love grandmas).

All this to say, I am something of a cardigan conneisseur, and I wanted to share my favorite cover up source with you today. I used to be a fan of J.Crew’s “Jackie” cardigan, but as they’ve inched the price upwards over the years, I’ve grown less and less fond of it. ($62 for a simple, solid cardigan?? No thank you.)

My new go-to source is the Nordstrom juniors department, specifically the Nordstrom house brand, BP. They almost always have a cardigan very similar to the Jackie, but with a tiny bit more stretch, and a much lower price tag. In the winter they offer a long-sleeve version, and in the spring and summer, a 3/4 sleeve one. The quality on both has been quite good in my experience. Online, the long-sleeve version is going for $34 right now, but they’re often on sale in store (I bought most of mine for about $24). You’ve seen this picture before, but here I am in the light pink, 3/4 sleeve version:

I hope this tip helps my fellow cardigan-wearers! If you are going to pick up one for yourself, I would suggest going up a size, since BP is a juniors line, after all. In my experience, they also shrink a tiny bit in the wash.

Kind of in love with this faux fur jacket from Kate Spade, despite the fact that I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have too many opportunities to wear it. I do enjoy that it has a built-in muff, which helps compensate for the 3/4 sleeves. (I never understood why winter jackets ever have 3/4 sleeves… anyone??) And that little bow! So sweet.

Unfortunately, this fine jacket has the not-so-fine price tag of $845, so I think I might have to console myself with these faux fur ear muffs, which retail for just $12.99.

My Mom is probably dying of laughter right now, because I’m pretty sure I adamantly refused to wear ear muffs as a child. But alas, my ears get cold, and I think I look weird in hats. So ear muffs it is.

These two lovely pairs of shoes have been on my wishlist for months. I do already have a pair of leopard-print flats, and though they’re my favorites, they’re pretty tired (probably because they’re my favorites…). On the other hand, I don’t have any light neutral flats, and I think these would be a good addition to the wardrobe. But what do you think — is it silly to buy two pairs of the same style of shoes, even if they’re in different colors/patterns? Which one would you go for?

Leopards $89.95 // Natural $55.45