Not that kind of necking—we’re talking scarves, beautiful, colorful, soft, and light-as-a-feather scarves from Epice! They’re the latest additions to the Ped lineup!

French for “spice,” Epice is the creation of Danish designers Bess Neilsen and Jan Machenhauer, who launched their artistic textile line in France in 1999. The pair collaborate with master weavers in India to translate their vibrant, complexly patterned designs into wearable expanses of soft cotton and silk. Exquisite to touch, Epice scarves feel wonderful wound around your neck, but they’re also wide enough to wear as shawls—perfect when you need a little something on a summer evening.

See for yourself:

I personally own Epice’s Garden Party scarf, and I wear it all the time!!!

The colors of this all-cotton, floral delight will instantly lift your spirits!

At Ped HQ, we have a well-known weakness for stripes and dots, so we were down for the count when we discovered these next two treasures. First, representing the stripe camp, the appropriately named Stripe Party scarf:

Woven from cotton with just a touch of silk, this gorgeous scarf has a nautical air (think French sailor’s shirt) without any yacht-club stuffiness. We love Epice’s playful juxtaposition of the various colors!

And on the dotty side of things, we have the Dot-a-licious scarf:

This wonderful all-cotton number makes us think of dominoes (preferably played on the porch with a tall glass of iced tea).

Dots and stripes also jazz up the dazzling pattern of the Epice Festival scarf (use the “zoom” at the Ped site to see what we mean):

If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably guessed this cotton and silk beauty is Laura’s favorite—orange and turquoise have her heart! We agree; the Festival scarf is worth celebrating!

So why let your neck go naked this summer when you can wrap it up with a sassy and soft Epice scarf? Spice is nice!

(Just fyi, if you haven’t already discovered it, this week’s “sweet treat” is Cydwoq’s Mandarine sandal! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of this or any other Ped page to reach the Mandarine with its 20% off discount code!)

Via our shoes and accessories, Ped has traveled to lots of exotic destinations and participated in all kinds of exciting events, but none more glamorous than the Cannes Film Festival! We recently tagged along to the international see-and-be-seen scene with terrific longtime Ped customer, Seattle-based Emily Glassman, who is the head of Marketing and PR for the Internet Movie Database (imdb), the go-to online source for all movie-related information.

In mid-May she wrote, “I love you/your shoes/your site SOOO much. Thanks for making it so easy and fun to shop,” and then she added, “I’m headed to the Cannes Film Fest tomorrow and am delighted to be bringing four pairs of Ped shoes with me!!” Now there’s a Tale of the Sole!!! We excitedly asked Emily to send us a few photos of Ped’s visit to Cannes via her feet, and she obliged.

Emily's Cydwoq Heli sandals look right at home among the yachts on the French Riviera.

If you, too, want to get the canny Cannes Cydwoq look, alas, we don’t have the Heli this year… BUT we do have Cydwoq’s Naked sandal, which is a close—and cute!— approximation (ankle strap and all)!

Emily also looked chic in her Chie Mihara Rocosa heeled sandals!

Emily rocking the boyfriend jeans with her Chie Mihara R0cosa.

Whatever she’s directing, we’re on board with it, given how gorgeous she looks in her Chie’s! When she sent us this photo, she wrote, “Dayna: more Cannes happiness in my glorious AND comfortable Ped shoes. If only I had worn nothing else all week long.”

After reading and seeing (and dreaming) about Emily’s strolling among the rich and famous and fabulously talented in her Ped shoes, our smiles couldn’t be any wider. So, for making our month by taking Ped along to hobnob with the film glitterati in France, we are delighted to give Emily $100 in Ped credit!

Do you have a Tale of the Sole? Tell us—and show us (we LOVE pictures!!!)—what happened to you while wearing a Ped item, and you, too, might be the recipient of $100 in Ped credit. Each month we pick the most sole-ful tale to share on the blog. So, let us know what in the world you’ve been doing in your Ped!

(Incidentally, another shoe with movie-star quality is Cordani’s Tia sandal, which just happens to be this week’s “Sweet Treat.” Click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page—including this one—and get 20% off this super-sexy heeled style!)

It’s such a heady time of year with all the wonderful things in bloom! The lilacs, irises, and peonies may have come and gone (or if you’re a little farther north, maybe they’re still around), but gorgeous day lilies and sweet honeysuckle are hot on their heels, with black-eyed susans and other posies still to come. At Ped, we adore flowers—and we like to wear them whenever we can!

The undisputed queen of lovely blossoms that never fade is Swiss fiber artist Karin Wagner. We recently received a new shipment of her hand-felted wonders.

We are particularly crazy about her floral rings, like this attention-grabbing Lilia beauty:

The way Karin has cut tiny diamonds out of the crimson petals is so unusual! Wear this ring and watch as conversations spring up all around you!

Many of Ms. Wagner’s blooms are versatile. Who says you have to wear a brooch pinned to your clothing? This Clochette cluster, for example, makes a fabulous barrette:

And, attention, summer brides, a wonderful alternative to wearing fresh flowers in your hair is to entwine Karin Wagner’s Daisy necklace in your up ‘do on the big day:

You’ll have a sweet memento that will never wilt (hopefully, like your love). Plus, you can wear this vine of buds, leaves, and blossoms in a myriad of ways.

Another knockout flower necklace comes from Sophie Digard:

We love how each blossom has a different color scheme on each side—you can spin them and move them along the cord to create a new variation every time you wear it.

Sophie also works floral magic in her scarves and bags. For instance, how chic is this Geranium Handbag?

Drop-dead gorgeous with a nostalgic air of romance, this bag’s crocheted blossoms must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Each one is unique and contributes to the garden-like impact of this sweet bag.

At Ped, we even like to wear flowers on our feet!

The Accessoire Island wedge, with its pretty rosette on the toe, is one of our favorite styles this season (and Ped’s Laura reports it’s a treat to wear—cushy and comfortable)!

There are even more petaled pretties to make you smile blooming at the Ped site. After all, there is nothing like the power of a simple flower to remind us that, despite wretched oil spills and ugly intolerance, the world offers so much beauty.

Some of you Ped fans have let us know how much you adore clogs! It’s true there’s nothing like the feeling of wood beneath your feet—so solid yet comforting. But we wouldn’t be Ped if we simply offered run-of-the-mill clogs, especially when we know your toes want to be free to enjoy the summer! So, we combed our sources to find a few especially beautiful wood-bottomed sandals that will speak to your stylish souls as well as your soles.

Although we hate to play favorites (we truly love all our shoes), Trippen’s Ritzy is the stand-out style of the season:

It is just IT! Starting with the fabulous way the supple black leather crisscrosses and wraps around your ankle and ending with how the wooden sole gives you a window on the world beneath your heel, the Ritzy is like no other sandal out there. Fun, edgy, and sexy!

Another clog sandal with head-turning power is Giraudon’s Riley:

The lines of this airy peep-toe are so interesting, and we love how the ankle lacing gives the subtle suggestion of an ankle boot. Absolutely of the moment! (And the gold lining is so fun!)

But maybe what you like in a clog is the ability to just slip it on and go, in which case Trippen has your number with the Zen:

Nothing could be simpler to wear, yet the Zen still has enough ‘zazz to make any outfit juicy! After all, who doesn’t love a red sandal?

Another easy-to-wear style with a sole of hand-sculpted wood is the Cydwoq Revolt, a perennial Ped favorite:

Cute and practical, this sandal makes a great traveling companion (slide off, slide on when navigating airport security). And because it’s from Cydwoq, you know the Revolt’s leather will comply with the shape of your individual foot for a custom fit.

So, clog lovers, choose whichever wood-soled siren sings your name, and take a solid step into summer!

(Psst, just fyi, this week’s “sweet treat,” Cydwoq’s Proud, will only be especially sweet for a couple more days, so click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner for 20% off while you still can.)

The other day I was chatting with a Ped customer on the phone, and she was curious about my background. So I thought I’d write a little about myself and how Ped came to be.

I grew up in California, not far from Ped HQ. At an early age, I developed a passion for art and fashion, and my father, a savvy entrepreneur, gave me an appreciation for business. I majored in fine art at UC Berkeley and then studied merchandising at the San Francisco Fashion Institute. I went off to New York for a year, where I worked  for clothing designer J. Morgan Puett (and met lifelong friend Kimmy). In 1993  I moved to Seattle, Wa. and opened my own store, Ardour, a clothing boutique that specialized in up-and-coming independent designers.

Here I am at Ardour in 1993 with my dad—truly my mentor and business inspiration—and my step-mom, Angela, who also has taught me so many things! (Check out my '90s do!)

It offered an ideal way for me to combine all my interests! Ardour quickly gained a huge following, which encouraged me to open Ped as a companion shoe store across the street in 1998. Ardour and Ped became Seattle destinations for fashion-conscious women and were featured in Lucky Magazine, InStyle, and Harper’s Bazaar, among other places. Ped became so  popular that I eventually moved it into the Ardour space.

On the left, a holiday party at Ped in 2002, and on the right, Ella as a puppy atop Ped's jewelry display case, also in 2002.

In 2001, I launched www.pedshoes.com, with the help of a tech-guru. We watched as the Internet took off, carrying Ped right along with it. Because I wanted Ped to reach as many people as possible, I decided to pour our energy into the expanding online market, and in 2006, I closed the Seattle store, relocated to California, and went totally cyber!

As Ped fans know, I continue to take great pride in offering lesser-known independent designers, who emphasize hands-on craftsmanship and a commitment to social and environmental responsibility. I love discovering unusual and beautifully made things to add to Ped. Everything Ped carries is something I truly believe in and would wear myself—and, trust me, I am a stickler for detail!

But life isn’t all about work! I also enjoy great food (have I mentioned what an amazing chef my husband is?), good wine, traveling,

The hub and I having fun on a ski trip to Switzerland. (That's the Matterhorn behind us!)

gardening,

We're currently in the process of landscaping our backyard. It's coming along!

spending time with family and friends, and taking walks with Ella, our golden retriever, and Lulu, our mini dachshund.

Chief Canine Officer Lulu thinks I should step away from the desk and take her for a walk!

I also believe in giving back, so every year I donate a portion of Ped’s sales to non-profit animal welfare organizations, the American Cancer Society, the American Red Cross, and Vitamin Angels.

There you have it—me in a nutshell!