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 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!)

Ped fans, you know how it goes: you’re window shopping on the Internet when you run across a shoe or a bag that makes your heart beat faster. You think, “Oooh, I LOVE that!”  Then you quickly rein yourself in with the follow-up question, “But what would I wear it with?

We know certain styles and colors may seem daunting. Chances are, though, they’re easier to wear than you think! To help you see the possibilities and spur your imagination, we offer a few visual prods below.

All the gals at Ped HQ are committed to ease—the less fuss in getting ourselves out the door, the better. With that in mind, each of the following five ready-to-go outfits consist of only four elements.

Here Vialis’s Claudette peep-toe clog offers an ideal complement to the the textural interest of the drape-y top and skirt. Add the Cydwoq Cedar Bag in turmeric, and all the colors become richer! Easy and elegant.

Maybe you want to incorporate a mod Mad Men-esque look into your wardrobe?

It’s all about geometry and balance! We love the chunky-heeled Coclico Vidal paired with this fun shift dress! Square everything up with Fiorentini + Baker’s sleek Milano Shopper and Jamie Joseph’s Smoky Quartz Ring. (Did we mention every Ped item in this look is on sale?)

If you have a penchant for black and your aesthetic trends toward urban sophistication, why not give it an artistic edge?

Riveting (literally)! Cydwoq’s versatile Bright Bag and Trippen’s fantastic Agave sandal boot anchor the dazzling patterns of the skirt and jacket. Sure, it’s “a lot of look,” as Tim Gunn would say, but it’s a lot of look we like!

What’s that? You say you simply want something comfortable to dash from class to lunch and then off to run errands? No problem!

Easy as pie and just as tasty! Fiorentini + Baker’s Ding Clog‘s fringe echos the movement of the striped skirt, and the Dean Towner Bag makes an ideal everyday satchel.

Maybe you’d like to amp up the femininity for a garden party or date night? If so, florals and jewel tones are your best friends!

Although not exact matches (that would look twee), Dean’s green suede Thimble Bag, Jamie Joseph’s Orange Chalcedony Ring, and Accessoire’s Sagan in the prettiest shade of dahlia all work with the dress’s colorful palette!

And to demonstrate the versatility of these styles, imagine how terrific  F+B’s Ding Clog from outfit #4 would look with the shift dress in the second outfit, or how beautiful outfit #1’s Vialis Claudette would be with the skirt in outfit #4. Feel like creating edgy contrast? Then envision pairing the Trippen Agave from outfit #3 with either outfit #1 or #5! Fun and unexpected!

A great way to figure out how a tempting shoe or bag might work with your wardrobe is to play around—like we did—at Polyvore!

(Speaking of tempting bags, this week’s Sweet Treat is Cydwoq’s Flap Bag! Get Flap happy for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any Ped page, which will take you to the Flap Bag with a magic code to enter at checkout.)

February sometimes seems like the longest month of the year, despite have the fewest days! Good thing someone thought to plop Valentine’s Day smack in the middle of it! For one day, at least, the grey chill is mitigated by red roses, red hearts, and red you-name-it!

At Ped, we heart red all year long, but since it’s Valentine’s Day, we’re taking a moment to celebrate its juiciness, its warmth, its flair, and its ability to sass up any outfit! Behold below a few of our favorite rosy-hued things to set your hearts on fire:

Let’s start with a shoe that’s perfect for transitioning from winter to spring: Cydwoq’s Buckle.

What a sweetheart! It looks fantastic with skirts. It looks terrific with pants. It looks stellar any way you wear it! And what a luscious wine red!

Perhaps your way of dealing with February’s greyness is to jet off to a tropical destination. If so, make sure to pack Cydwoq’s Thong:

This simple sandal is the very essence of relaxation! Easy-going and chic, it will stay comfortable for as many miles as you care to stroll. And its red is guaranteed to turn every head!

“Nice try,” you may be thinking, “but some of us are office-bound for the foreseeable future.” Don’t despair! Liven up work with Chie Mihara’s Vaive!

The most beautiful heeled oxford we’ve seen, the Vaive wins hearts with rosettes blooming along its side. Blue Mondays don’t stand a chance when you lace up the red-hot Vaive!

Need something to spice up date night? Chie Mihara has just the ticket! Say hello to the Xifon!

Oh my! What a temptress! Whomever you’ve set your sights on will be powerless to resist you when you wear this red suede charmer!

For those of you who prefer grrrrl to girly-girl, you can get your red fix with Fiorentini + Baker’s Eli Bootie:

Rugged, ruddy, and ridiculously comfortable, this ankle boot lets you put a little badass in your beauty. (Leave it to the Italians!)

At Ped, our love of red goes beyond shoes. Feast your eyes on the rouge-a-licious beauty of Cydwoq’s Flap Bag!

Cydwoq’s genius of design, Rafi, has subtly combined angles and curves in this go-everywhere bag. Practicality meets artistry, with a generous helping of red!

Want to express your fondness for red on a smaller scale? Consider Jamie Joseph’s Round Carnelian Ring:

Stunning! The angles of the facets contrast beautifully with the gem’s circular shape. Let your fingers do the flirting!

Of course, at the end of the day, it is still February, so staying warm is of the essence. Why not wrap up in Epice’s Jardin Scarf?

Loomed from the softest wool, this lovely will keep you cozy, while its red and fuchsia palette will chase away the winter blues.

There is more red loveliness to discover over at Ped’s main site. Happy Valentine’s Day, Ped fans—you put the color in our cheeks and a song in our hearts!

(Although not red, this week’s Sweet Treat is certainly luscious: Trippen’s Fox wedge bootie. Simply click “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page to be whisked to the Fox, where you will find the code that brings 20% off at checkout! Foxy!)