Kenneth Cole Refreshes Flat Sandals Scene For 2013

images via Kenneth Cole

Last week I happened to find a really sassy pair of Kenneth Cole flat sandals at Marshall's in San Diego.  I'm sure they are probably a last year's style but I have never seen then anywhere before so they're new to me and everyone I know. I wasn't looking for shoes, but when you're a hard to find size and you find something great you buy them. These bright green faux croc skin sandals with the funky little platform seemed like a great bit of spice to liven up summer outfits and with the thicker heel seemed like they would be much better for walking in than plan flat-flats.

I scooped them up not knowing quite how I would work them into my wardrobe. They did look super cute with jeans which I was wearing when I was in the store, so I thought if they look that great with jeans they'll work with just about any pants, skirt or dress.

That same day I snagged two tube top dress/skirts at my friendly neighborhood Navy base NEX store, one in diagonal bright blue and white stripes and the other in a tropical islandy print. I thought they would both be great with lightweight linens tops as maxi skirts for the summer. Bingo, the green sandals which I bought later that night look fantastic with both.

These are the kind of sandals that just up an outfit's game by a 100 percent. They can take so-so and make it look so put together. What a great deal for just $25! The photo doesn't do them justice at all, these are very hard to photograph and show them off without an actual foot in the shoe. But I hope you'll get the idea anyway.

So finding these gems got me interested in what else Kenneth Cole was doing in flat sandals and I thought I would share some of my favorites. These are all from the Spring 2013 collection. I really like how each of these basic styles have been revamped and refreshed to keep them interesting and new in fun colors and pattern combos. Each of these sandals come in a variety of colors too. You can see the entire Kenneth Cole sandal collection here.

Loving Light Summer Meals

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I am really enjoying light summer meals this year. It seems meals have gotten especially delicious and simple these past few weeks. We eaten lots of fresh berries, corn on the cob, green beans, plums and large bags of red and green grapes too. There is something really delicious about ice cold grapes in summer. It seems most meals consist of a simple main dish and then bowls of fruit or big salads on the table.

Some of my favorite lunches lately have been cheese, crackers and fruit. Always so delicious. For dinners I've made a few simple dishes like macaroni and cheese, burgers or grilled turkey sandwiches with lots of cool, refreshing fruit or spinach salads with fruit. I have found that using the crock pot doesn't heat up the kitchen like turning the stove on does. I'm hoping to use it a lot more this summer for main dishes because our oven really overheats our small kitchen quickly.

Good summer eating reminds me so much of my childhood. Almost every night of the summer we would eat fresh vegetables brought straight in from the garden for dinner. Eating grocery store produce has never quite lived up to what we grew at home. Even now our home grown tomatoes are so deep red and meaty. I've never seen such gorgeous tomatoes as the ones we grow here on our balcony. I just revamped our balcony garden last week with another green pepper plant & a new bush tomato plant. They stay short and produce heavily so I'm looking forward to trying this very container-friendly variety of tomatoes. Hoping for a good harvest of herbs, peppers and tomatoes this year. I'm experimenting putting Epsom Salt around my plants. Here's the link to that info and a little more here. If your interested in small space gardening I have a great gardening board on Pinterest called Farmgirl Gardens.

The summer harvesting months go by quickly so I'm hoping to stay on this good track of delicious meals fresh from the vine. It's July soon, time for watermelon. However, I have no confidence in my watermelon buying skills, if you have any tips, please leave a note in the comments. Also share your ideas about great summer meals. I love more fun ideas. Happy eating!