I’ve been looking for a couple pairs of ballet flats to wear to work with jeans.  In my search, I’ve come across a ton of pairs and I figured I might as well share my efforts.  If you’re looking for ballet flats, there’s a very good chance that at least one of the pairs of shoes below will appeal to you.

MADISON BALLET FLAT
Price: $9.99
Satin/rubber. Black, Burgundy, Champagne. Imported.

QUILTED HEART BALLET FLAT
Price: $9.99
Man made materials. Gold, Red. Imported.

TENDER BALLET FLAT
Price: $14.99
Velvet/rubber. By Groove. Black, Teal. Imported.

TENDER HIGHLIGHTER BALLET FLAT
Price: $32.5
Man made material. By Groove. Pink, White. Imported.

CL by Laundry Acting Women’s Ballet Flats
Price: $9.99
Embellished ballet flats are a casual wardrobe essential CL by Laundry ballet flats feature cut-out embellishment along sides and bow detail at toe Round-toe flats feature padded insole and rubber sole.

Chinese Laundry Possess Women’s Ballet Flats
Price: $18.99
Clean and simple lines make these flats a wardrobe staple Women’s footwear is available in pink, yellow, red and white color options Slip on shoes feature a rounded toe.

Report Natalia Women’s Black Ballet Flats
Price: $32.99
These Report ballet flats are chic and sophisticated Fashionable footwear is a must for any woman’s wardrobe Comfortable and durable shoes feature bow detail on toe.

Liliana by Adi Tease Ballet Flats
Price: $22.99
Lightweight flat shoes are a wardrobe essential Liliana by Adi ‘Tease’ Ballet Flats feature sequin embellishment at toe and heel Ballet flats features criss-cross straps on vamp.

CL by Laundry Ashley Women’s Ballet Flats
Price: $23.99
Flirty flats are a wardrobe basic Women’s footwear is available in brandy and black color options Flats feature a closed toe and heel.

Liliana by Adi Bejeweled Ballet Flats
Price: $24.99
Comfortable ballet-style flats are a wardrobe essential Liliana by Adi ballet flats feature bejeweled embellishments Flat shoes can be worn with pants, skirts, dresses, and more.

Adidas Amyrina Women’s Ballet Flats
Price: $39.99
Graceful in form and function, this elegant ballerina shoe features a comfortable Orthoclase sockliner Women’s ballet flats ahve satin ribbon that laces up the calf for extra style in your studio excercises.

Jessica Simpson Lot Women’s Plaid Ballet Flats
Price: $39.99
These Jessica Simpson Lot plaid ballet flats were made for walking Chic and sophisticated footwear is a must for any woman’s wardrobe These women’s shoes are perfect for almost any occasion.

Bamboo by Journee Metallic Ballet Flats
Price: $26.99
Get the latest in high fashion apparel with these Bamboo by Journee metallic ballet flats Stylish women’s shoes feature patent leather metallic construction Chic shoes are a must for any fashionable woman’s wardrobe.

Ramona Ballet Flat
Price: $12.01
Ramona Ballet Flat

Medium Home Stretch Ballet Flat by Amanda
Home Stretch Ballet Flat by Amanda

Nine West Denham Ruched Satin Ballet Flats
Price: $20.98
“Denham” ruched satin ballet flats from Nine West.

Cole Haan Air Bria Ballet Metallic Leather Flats
Price: $79.99
Metallic leather gives the “Air Bria” ballet flats a style all their own, while Nike Air cushioning offers extra comfort.

Steve Madden Tillary Wrap-up Ballet Flat
Price: $20.98
Tillary wrap-up ballet flat from Steve Madden

Tommy Bahama St. Croix Cap Toe Ballet Flat
Price: $79.99
Basketweave leather caps give these ballet flats a fresh, summery quality that makes you want to take a picnic in the park.

Steven by Steve Madden Ryde Ballet Flats
Price: $27.98
“Ryde” ballet flats from Steven by Steve Madden.

Apepazza Obe Sequin Ballet Flat with Bow
Price: $27.98
Obe sequin ballet flat with bow from Apepazza.

Lilly Pulitzer Bea Ballet Flats with Bow
Price: $49.99
These bright ballet flats are quite simply adorable, with a sweet floral design and a tiny bow detail. Now for less!

Cole Haan Air Bria Ballet Metallic Leather Flats
Price: $79.99
Metallic leather gives the “Air Bria” ballet flats a style all their own, while Nike Air cushioning offers extra comfort.

Tommy Bahama Freeport Ballet Flat
Price: $79.99
Light and carefree, these round-toe skimmers from Tommy Bahama are banded with leather and lie almost flush to the ground.

If you don’t like any of these ballet flats, let me just say that you are insane.  I looked at so many shoes that I almost got sick of looking at them.  Crazy talk, I know.

Although Other People’s Love Letters: 150 Letters You Were Never Meant to See was published last October, I have to think that most of the letters within are decades old.  I can’t imagine a modern man writing a love letter worth publishing, but then again, maybe that’s just the men I hang around with.

Even if you don’t want the book, though, be sure to check out the 1 negative review by a Shayne McKean.  In that review, he or she asks, “Want to see crudely drawn pictures of naked people?”  Thanks for the heads up, Shayne.  I’m going to go with an enthusiastic, “Yes, please!”

And seriously, lady/dude - At 14, I never would have been able to purchase a book like that without the parents noticing.  They read pretty much everything before I was allowed to (barring stuff like the Babysitters Club or the classics).  Maybe if you spent more time watching your kids and less time writing Amazon reviews, your daughter wouldn’t be getting her hands on this kind of “filth”.

Rant over :)  Carry on.

Yes, you heard me correctly. That’s Beef Flavored Non-Alcoholic Dog Beer, and I think it’s a fantastic idea.

If you’ve ever had one of those immature boyfriends that tries to feed your dog beer, you know that most dogs actually LOVE drinking beer. The problem, of course, is that real beer has alcohol and hops, which are not good for the pup.

Handsnpaws  got smart and decided to make a lightweight beer for your furry lightweights. Alcohol and hops free, this beef broth and malt barley beer will delight your doggie for just $1.50 a bottle.

After a long day of napping and butt-licking, your dog deserves to kick back with a nice cold one, too.

If you find yourself completely unable to keep any plants alive, this Atomic Bonsai Tree should be pretty exciting. Instead of spending hours nurturing and carefully pruning a real bonsai tree, you just snap and twist the cardboard pieces together. End result? An adorable fake bonsai tree for your home or office - and a great conversation starter.

This Steiff Hedgehog Key Ring reminds me of the good old days of playing Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis back in the early 90s.  I’d have a friend over and we’d load up on junk food and play all night long.

I recently tried to get back into Sonic on the Wii, but it’s just not the same.  Modern day 3-D Sonic is an abomination.

I’ve always been impressed with the Annick Goutal perfume bottles, but until now, I’ve never found one of their scents that justified the price.  They’re all very good, but the Mandragore Eau de Toilette is enough to make me shell out $72 for the light fragrance.  They say it has “a feeling of strength, vitality and mystery,” but I just like it because it smells good.  I think it might be the ginger.

What’s your favorite perfume?  I had a long Creed phase, but now it’s a toss-up between Armani and my tried and true Cynthia Rowley.

Annick Goutal Mandragore Eau de Toilette
Annick Goutal Mandragore

I don’t know if it’s the fact that this t-shirt is green, or the fact that it has shiny lettering that makes me like it, but I’ll definitely be ordering this cute poly/cotton t-shirt as soon as I can figure out what else I can order to bring it up to $75 for free shipping.

I have an unnatural aversion to paying for shipping, and I don’t consider it at all strange that I would order another $55 of merchandise to avoid having to pay for it.  That’s just how I operate.   Especially when it comes to clothing stores, since you always need clothing - right?

Anyway, back to the focus here.  If you want to pick up your own GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK t-shirt, it’s $19.50 over at Alloy.  Yes, Alloy is usually considered to be a high school kid’s store, but this is the internet and no one has to know if you don’t tell them :)

I spent most of last week sick in bed with the flu. It could have been a miserable time, but one of the networks was running the Karate Kid movies and I managed to Tivo them. Instant entertainment.

Anyway, I had to smile when I saw this Ralph Macchio Karate Kid T-Shirt. It come in both male and female styles (though I’ve linked to the female version), and it’s just $20. Not bad.

It’s not often that I see “real” jewelry that I would be willing to pay for. I love the sparkly things as much as the next girl, but you can usually find what you’re looking for without spending the cash to get the real thing. I would make an exception for this Graduated Sapphire Nautical Wave Pendant, though.

While the site describes the necklace as nautical, it seems small enough and subtle enough to wear on a regular basis. I love the varying colors of the sapphires, and the wave looks almost symbolic of the wild, untameable woman who wear the piece. At $399, it’s a little pricy, but certainly no more than a lot of purses or good shoes these days. Given the fact that you can keep the necklace forever, I think it’s actually kind of a deal (love the woman-logic?).

I’m not sure why I’ve never heard of Beat the Intro. Maybe I’m just totally out of touch these days. Or maybe it’s just a hidden gem. Either way, it sounds pretty darn cool.

The game itself sounds kind of like the home version of the old “Name That Tune” game show. Now that we have things like DVDs and CDs, I guess it’s much easier to make games like this reality. There are over 3000 questions, too, so it’s not one of those games you’ll only get to play once or twice before you know everything. Even better, the music in the game spans 4-5 decades, so it’s not like all the young people will be beating the old people, or vice versa. Your only hope for a clean victory is to be extremely well rounded, musically.

For around $20, I’m sold. I’ll definitely be picking up a copy sometime before the next major family event. How else can I keep the aunts quiet about their medical problems while also preventing my mom from asking me why I’m not married?

Beat the Intro-Ultimate Music Trivia Game
Price: $21.12