Ped fans, you may not think of us as a “one-stop shop,” but if you have daughters, mothers, aunts, sisters, or simply female friends you want to make smile this season, we’re confident of the pleasing power of Ped presents! Here are just a few ideas to brighten your favorite gals’ holidays:

When you’re mystified by your recipient’s size, there’s no need to scratch your head. Simply give her something toasty to wrap around her neck, like Ben Alder’s Edinburgh Scarf:

Such stripe-tastic fun, this soft scarf is knit from the finest Scottish new wool! One size makes everyone look stylish! We’re in love with this smashing Blue/Lemon/Fuchsia version, but Ped also offers the Edinburgh in three other great color combinations!

Word to the wise gift giver: Ben Alder also knits wonderful striped gloves!

Make her fingers festive and protect them from frostbite! If purple and green don’t float her boat, perhaps Ben Alder’s other color combos will make her heart set sail.

As long as we’re keeping the extremities warm, let’s make sure the tootsies stay toasty! Socks can make a sensational present, especially when they come from Antipast:

Everything Antipast designs is like a party for your toes, but we are especially crazy about the Winter Skier Socks. They are so clever! Beneath a snowy sky of polka dots, a tiny skier whooshes down a mountain of stripes!

We also have a new kid on the sock block: Bonne Maison! Why not give your gal the gift of a garden walk with Bonne Maison’s Autumn Flower Knee High:

This carmine version makes our hearts sing, but perhaps the honey or aged green options are more in tune with your gal.

If you want to up the ante with heating things up, a Sophie Digard work of wearable art is an excellent way to express your affection.

Sophie’s hand-crocheted Cercle Pop Scarf, for instance, is guaranteed to thrill! When she’s not wearing this stunner, your lucky recipient may opt to keep it out where she can simply look at it!

Another gift every woman welcomes is a fantastic bag. Cydwoq offers beautiful ways to help her haul it all through the day!

We just got in two new versions of Cydwoq’s terrific Leather Market Sack! Isn’t this navy and rust argyle pattern to die for? (We’re adding it to our own wish list!) The olive herringbone option is equally gorgeous!

Of course, if you really want to “wow” her, something sparkly from Jamie Joseph is just the thing!

The gold and diamond treatment of Jamie Joseph’s 14kt Gold Organic Circle Necklace is a sure-fire way to kiss holiday doldrums and winter blues goodbye!

As always, there are more goodies at Ped’s main site, so let your stylish thoughts count as you spread the love!

By the way, if you want to make absolutely sure the women in your life will like their gifts, invite them to browse the Ped site and click “add to favorites” for whatever strikes their fancy. Once they’ve finished making selections, they can share the list with you via email. That way the pressure’s off, and happiness is on!

(Psst, the Sweet Treat this week, Sophie Digard’s Velvet Lune Scarf,  would make a fabulous gift, too, even if it’s just to deserving you! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left at Ped’s main site. When you land at the Velvet Lune Scarf’s page, just pop it in your shopping bag to get 20% off!)

Ped fans, we are loving the current emphasis on COLOR—all the new shoe hues have the Ped warehouse looking bright and lively! It’s amazing how an infusion of color makes the daily grind less grind-like and more like a party.

Quite a few of you, though, are mystified by how to work the new shades into your wardrobe. It’s easier than you think! You simply need  to realize things don’t have to match as long as they “go.” In fact, matching too precisely can make an outfit look “twee,” as the British say. (Laura says a friend of hers calls it the “flight attendant look.”)

You’ve also told us you worry that you’ll only wear colorful shoes once in a while, with one specific thing. To demonstrate the versatility of some of our more show-stopping shoes, we’ve incorporated them into not one but two outfits, often quite different in tone and purpose, to help spark your imagination. Let’s take a tour, and along the way, we’ll offer a few colorful tips.

First up, the Trippen Calexico:

This fun boot offers a lot more options than simply wearing it with jeans! We love the Calexico with the easy day look on the left, but it can even go after-five when paired with the dress on the right. We’ve also included Jamie Joseph’s Round Rock Crystal Ring since it looks stellar with the white in both the top and the dress.

Another shoe that’s more than simply casual is the Cydwoq Lodge:

Sure, it’s great for weekend apple-picking in the outfit on the left, but look at the chic edge the Lodge gives the argyle sheath dress on the right! The Cydwoq Bright Bag also easily transitions from brunch casual to workweek sleek. OD-ing on all that red? Simply add the Epice Plaza Scarf to change the flavor!

Perhaps your personal style trends toward conservative, and although you like to browse at Ped, you can’t imagine how you’d incorporate a colorful style into your wardrobe. The answer is to let a shoe, like the Cydwoq Larkspur, punctuate your outfit, like a great piece of jewelry.

What a way to jazz up a suit!

Chie Mihara’s Tunisia is a shoe that immediately produces oohs and aahs, but the unusual color and patterned heel mistakenly lead people to think it might be hard to pair.

The key is not to worry about matching the color and instead simply let it “go.” The Tunisia‘s checkerboard heel echoes the black and white photo on the dress on the left and complements the variety of patterns in the skirt on the right. Since the shoe and clothes are doing the heavy lifting style-wise, it’s nice to go with a simple bag, like the Cydwoq Bright.

Sometimes it’s not just the color but also the cut that gives Ped fans pause when they think about how to wear a design. Case in point, the Trippen Drama boot:

A couple options: 1) contrast the Drama‘s fabulous flared top with simple straight lines up top, such as wearing it with a pencil skirt and streamlined top; or 2) let its shape play up the lines and movement of a flirty A-line dress. We tossed in Jamie Joseph’s round carnelian ring for a little extra red zing!

If you approach dressing with a sense of adventure, it won’t matter an iota if you don’t own anything blue to wear with the Trippen Tender:

When you want to reference the color of your shoe, accessories can work that magic. We like the contrast of the floral of the skirt on the left with Epice’s Baya Scarf, which includes a periwinkle color that calls out to, but doesn’t match the blue of the Tender. On the right, it’s fun to mix the squares of the dress with the circles on the Epice Los Lunares Scarf.

Finally, let’s consider  Chie Mihara’s Kalendu, which is simply too juicy to miss!

You don’t have to go be a girly girl to take advantage of its delicious greenness! The Kalendu adds such fun to the workweek look on the left (again without actually matching any of the colors in the sweater) and is utterly chic with the casual jeans and top on the right. We also like Cydwoq’s Bright Bag and Jamie Joseph’s Organic Circle Earrings with both outfits.

As you’ve probably noticed, many of the shoes above work equally well with outfits paired with other shoes. We hope these ideas bolster your confidence that colorful shoes truly can be your constant companions and not just once-in-a-blue-moon friends! Life is so much more fun in color!

(Psst, you only have a few more days to snap up this week’s Sweet Treat, the Trippen Yard. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” at the bottom of the box on the left of most Ped pages to reach the Yard with the code that will bring 20% off at checkout.)

Ped fans, we know how it is. You fall in love with a pair of rockin’ shoes, sandals, or boots, but then you resist their siren call because you can’t envision what you’d wear them with—and who wants to spend money on something that’s lovely yet languishes in the closet?

Don’t despair, we’re here to help! Below, you’ll find ideas for how to wear several of our bolder designs this season. With luck, these outfits will jump-start your own creativity, and before you know it your imagination will be off and running with ways your sole desire would work with your wardrobe.

Not surprisingly, one of the most whimsical styles this season comes from Chie Mihara! Her Ingra is the essence of  “summer,” but its color palette may seem challenging at first glance. It’s actually more adaptable than you might think. Here’s one way we’d love to wear it:

This easy-going dress from Cotélac falls just above the knee, with a hint of a drop waist and a dash of 1920s pizazz, which works perfectly with the Ingra’s oxford sensibility. We’ve added Sophie Digard’s Etoiles necklace for added flapper-esque flair. Nothing here matches per se, but it all “goes” in a wonderful way! Sunday brunch, anyone?

Another Chie Mihara shoe that we adore is the Obara, with its mix of textures and colors. Don’t underestimate its versatility:

The lovely Accessoire Babeth is perfect for a night on the town, but it plays equally well as a casual day shoe:

We love the look of a wedge platform with cropped trousers—it’s the ideal antidote to frumpiness! We’re also all for mixing patterns! Combining Epice’s striped Montauk Scarf with the abstract floral of the Cotélac top creates a visual party that will have people smiling everywhere you go.

As every Ped fan knows, we advocate boots all year long, but we realize some people think boots and sundresses look a bit jeune. But they don’t have to, as illustrated by this use of Fiorentini + Baker’s Nicky Boot:

This is how to go retro-mod while still looking sexy and modern! The clean and bold lines of Cydwoq’s Bright Bag work beautifully with the dress and booties—three easy pieces for day-tripping in the city of your choice!

If your penchant for vintage runs to an earlier era, check out this idea for showing off the Vialis Zarita:

Red will always turn heads, especially when you look like a 1940s Hollywood starlet! (By the way, read this study of just how persuasive wearing red can be.) Just for fun, we’ve pushed the red envelope with Jamie Joseph’s knockout Round Carnelian Ring!

See? When you open your mind to the possibilities, every pair of Ped shoes becomes infinitely wearable! (Otherwise, we wouldn’t carry it.) The whole idea is to have fun with what you wear! Go forth and be bold with your soles!

Ped fans, we have a confession: we feel a little conflicted this time of year. On the one hand, we love the lights, the parties, the month-long festive feeling, and especially the chance to give those we love something nice! On the other hand, it’s a conundrum to find just the right thing for each woman on our list, ranging from our elderly aunt to our teenaged niece. Good thing all we need to do is look in our backyard—a.k.a. the Ped warehouse—to find treats that any gal any age will treasure!

If you, too, need a few ideas, check out the following suggestions, which are sure to brighten anyone’s holidays. (Best of all—no size knowledge is needed to produce smiles!)

As every woman knows (and every guy should, too), a gorgeous and functional bag is truly a gift that keeps on giving. Practicality and style make beautiful music together in Fiorentini + Baker’s Sylver Bag:

Since I love all things green, you can imagine how my heart raced when I ran across this bag in Europe! Perfect for Ped! The Sylver has twin exterior pockets, plus its spacious interior boasts another zipped pocket! And the leather is so soft. (It also comes in a grey and brown leather combo, in case that’s more to your giftee’s taste!)

Another sure-to-please bag is Accessoire’s Seine Tote:

We absolutely love this carry-all, which is the first bag we’ve offered from Accessoire. The deep red color has beautiful blue undertones! We also like having the option of wearing the Seine as a shoulder bag or carrying it as a hand-held tote.

If your designated recipient wants something a bit smaller and a little funkier, Cydwoq’s Postage Bag might be just the thing:

Constructed using rivets instead of stitching (talk about durable!), the Postage Bag features Rafi and Ari’s latest twice-dyed leathers, neutral on one side and zingy on the other! In addition to the above caramel-and-red combo, Ped also offers a brown-and-orange combo and a super-saturated all-red version! Cydwoq always puts the “fun” in functional!

Another gift sure to warm a woman’s heart is a scarf to warm her neck! Epice makes the most beautifully loomed woolens that not only feel soft and cozy but also wow with style. The Jubilee Scarf is a perfect example:

We’re always dazzled by Epice’s wonderful and often unexpected color combinations! Who else would think to mix pale pink, olive, leaf green, bright orange, and deep blue stripes in the same scarf, creating a design with beautifully balanced panache? Gorgeous! In addition to the Coral Reef combo pictured, the Jubilee also comes in two other equally eye-opening color schemes, Autumn Leaf and Pilot Blue.

In winter, flowers always brighten up grey days. Why not give your gal a wearable garden via the Epice Fleurs d’Hiver scarf?

This nosegays and bouquets strewn across this scarf, which is wide enough to wear as a shawl, have such a lovely vintage sensibility! We love the freshness of the slate version pictured here, but this toasty scarf also comes in a silver version that features more muted blooms.

Our favorite Parisian virtuoso of crochet, Sophie Digard, also designs scarves guaranteed to delight. Who wouldn’t love receiving her magnificent Petits Carres Scarf?

Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny squares come together to form a wearable mosaic of woolen artistry! Truly a masterpiece, this wonderful scarf comes in several color compositions—the Winter palette pictured here, as well as Desert, Bonheur, and Joyeux—all stunning!

Jewelry is another way to express your affection for your favorite females. It doesn’t have to be bling-y or suggestive of romance—it can just be fun, like Sophie Digard’s Velvet Pop Necklace!

The colorful baubles on this necklace not only move along the cord, allowing your gal to cluster them in various ways, but they also spin to reveal a different color combo of velvets on each side. Ped’s Laura has this necklace, and every time she wears it, she’s deluged with compliments and questions about where she got it! Truly a show stopper!

If you do want to go for the sparkle, though, Jamie Joseph is your best gift-giving friend! JJ’s Smooth Indian Ruby Earrings are sure to make your special someone sigh with joy:

Aren’t those stones to die for? Jamie personally selects every gem she uses in her simple yet devastatingly lovely designs!

Determined to dazzle? A time-proven way is with a gift of gold and diamonds! Jamie Joseph’s 14kt Gold Organic Circle Necklace is simple, elegant, and drop-dead gorgeous!

The very embodiment of good taste, without a hint of stuffiness, this sweet necklace will remind her of you every time she wears it!

Lots more possible presents, each guaranteed to please, await your browsing pleasure at Ped’s main site!

We like to think anything you pick will make your recipient’s heart sing, but if you’re still nervous about making a good choice, why not invite her to make a “wish list” via the green button just under the “add to shopping bag” gold button on every Ped item’s page? Another alternative is to have her email you her heart’s desire via the “Share” button under the right corner of her chosen item’s picture. At Ped, we make it easy to please! Happy stress-free holiday shopping!

(By the way, you’ve got another day and a half to take advantage of this week’s tempting Sweet Treat: Chie Mihara’s sparkle-plenty Exito Oxford! Brighten up your holiday by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page. You’ll be delivered to the Exito with the magic code that will bring 20% off at checkout!)

One of the best things about this time of year is the chance to get together with friends at holiday parties! It’s so fun to see everyone at their sparkly best! And, of course, it’s the perfect excuse to dress up.  (We live for the chance to amp up the razzle-dazzle!)

So if you’re looking for some extra ‘zazz to take your favorite little black dress to the next level, Ped has just the thing!

Here to help is Seattle-based jeweler Jamie Joseph, who has “how to dazzle” down to a science!  The hand-selected gems she uses are truly special, and her minimal designs show these spectacular stones off to their best advantage (and yours). Drink in the loveliness of Jamie’s latest cocktail rings, which just arrived at Ped HQ:

Every time we look at this Blood Tiger’s Eye ring, our hearts skip a beat because the stone is so unusual. The rose-cut faceting pulls in the light, amplifying the filament-like streaks that run through the gem. This ring is a guaranteed show stopper!

Another new JJ design that has us swooning is her Dark Drusy ring, which gets extra sparkle from a gold-encircled diamond set in the stone.

A drusy is commonly called a geode, which, as you may know, has a crystalline interior. We think the diamond floating on the sugary background looks like a full moon shining in a star-filled night sky. Go for high drama by slipping this unusual ring on your finger! No one will be able to resist you!

If you really want to pull out all the stops, though, there’s no better way than with Jamie Joseph’s Square Rock Crystal Ring.

You’ll be as glamorous as an old-school Hollywood movie star when you wear this sparkler! Want to flirt with someone across the room? Simply flash this ring with a wave and soon you’ll feel a tap on your shoulder or maybe even an arm around your waist!

You say rings aren’t your thing? Don’t worry, we have other ways for you to turn every head at the party! Look no further than the whimsical creations of Pepita!

What a fabulous necklace! Beautiful circlets of sanded glass cascade down from an antiqued brass chain to create an eye-opening sensation! Not only does Pepita’s Fabiana necklace look gorgeous, but it also makes a lovely sound when you wear it! If you prefer something brighter than these earthy hues, it also comes in a lovely combination of blues and greens!

Another wow-worthy piece is Pepita’s Fortuna necklace:

Crafted from a combination of coral, red, and burgundy silk, entwined through a brass chain in one section, this necklace looks so festive for the holiday season! Imagine how it would enliven a dark party dress!

But if you wish to be the belle of the ball (and why not?), then Pepita’s Mumbay necklace is a must-have for making your mark:

WOW! A necklace like no other, this knockout features lightweight copper beads hand-sewn to a printed piece of Italian fabric. You will feel like an Indian princess when you tie the Mumbay’s grosgrain ribbon around your neck. (And everyone will bow down to your royal style!)

Whether you slide a Jamie Joseph sparkler on your finger or deck your neck with a one-of-a-kind Pepita necklace, you’ll be the spiciest thing at your holiday parties since mulled wine and eggnog!

(And just fyi, you’ve got one more day to enjoy Ped’s current “sweet treat,” Cydwoq’s oh-so-chic Kappa Boot! Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, and you’ll arrive at the Kappa the magic discount code that will take a a cool 20% off when you enter it in the designated box at checkout!)