At Ped, we are so fortunate! Our lives are full of good friends, wonderful family, sweet pets, and work we truly enjoy! Because we are so lucky, we think it’s important to give back! Helping organizations that make the world a better place is the least we can do.

Here are some of the worthy causes we believe in and regularly support:

The American Cancer Society: Terry and I, like most people, have had our lives personally touched by cancer. We believe in supporting the ACS’s search to find a cure and improve treatments.

The American Red Cross: Whenever  and wherever disaster happens, the Red Cross is always on the spot to provide medical care to those in need. But it also does good work in so many other areas every day.

Berkeley East Bay Humane Society: Our wonderful local humane society promotes treating animals with love, dignity, and respect. Due to a tragic fire in May 2010, the BEBHS’s shelter is currently closed, and the organization urgently needs funds to rebuild.

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund: Headed by former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, the CBHF is helping earthquake-devastated Haiti recover and rebuild.

Hopalong & Second Chance Animal Rescue: This fantastic no-kill shelter in Northern California is on a mission to end euthanasia through its rescue, spay/neuter, and educational programs.

Sea Turtle Restoration Project: Dedicated to rescuing endangered sea turtles around the world, this organization is currently working hard to help turtles in the Gulf of Mexico affected by the BP oil catastrophe.

UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine: Not only is UC Davis’ vet school doing cutting-edge research in many areas, its doctors also saved Ped’s Chief Canine Officer Lulu’s life when she injured her back! We are forever grateful!

Vitamin Angels: Founded by our good friend, Howard Schiffer, Vitamin Angels is working to ensure children everywhere receive essential nutrients for growth and health.

We are glad these organizations are out there making the world a brighter place! We may have beautiful soles at Ped, but these organizations are fueled by people with beautiful souls!

(Just a quick P.S.: Ped’s current “sweet treat,” Fiorentini + Baker’s Eden Boot, is especially tasty! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page to get to the discount code that will make this beautiful boot yours for a cool 20% off!)

Summer, summer, summer! Now that we’re adults, we work right through it, but we still have that kid feeling that school’s out, and suddenly, the world is full of freedom and possibility! And green is everywhere you look, which, of course, I love since it’s my favorite color!

Ped has lots of luscious green things, so you can remind yourself of summer any time of year.

It’s no secret that I am in LOVE with our latest boot from Fiorentini + Baker, the Eden:

Not only is it a tall drink of green (bonsai green, to be specific), it’s also so supple. I love the idea of this boot scrunched down and paired with a floaty summer dress.

Another recent addition to Ped’s green lineup is the wonderful Cydwoq Tourist:

Rafi at Cydwoq keeps refining the lace-up low boot, and this is his latest version! Perfect for walking and walking and then walking some more!

Trippen’s Octopus is another shoe designed to take you anywhere you need to go in cutting-edge, green style:

I love how the straps cross over your foot and then tie in a knot behind your heel! Trippen never fails to wow with its innovative designs!

If you’re a gal who prefers a heel, have we ever got a treat for you! The current star of the Ped warehouse: Chie Mihara’s Jupi!

Oxfords are IT for fall, and this is one of the prettiest we’ve seen. Plus, the forest green color is to die for!

Of course, green grows beyond merely shoes and boots at Ped. For instance, drink in the myriad greens in Pepita’s Giorgia necklace:

The way Pepita mixes antique hardware with soft beads is so unusual and fresh!

Speaking of fresh, Mia Zia’s Willow Scarf reminds us of sunny picnics and sweet-smelling grass:

The weave of this lime checked scarf is deliciously soft, and Mia Zia’s signature tassels automatically make any day more fun! (Plus, it’s on sale!)

Of course, there are more lovely green items sprouting all over Ped’s main site! So, spruce up your style with a touch of green and maintain a summery frame of mind all year long!

(By the way, this week’s “sweet treat” may not be green, but it’s named for something that swims in green water: Trippen’s Fish! Just click “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page to get to the discount code that will make this sweet shoe yours for a cool 20% off!)

One of our favorite things at Ped is receiving Tales of the Sole from customers. Every story is different, but they always put everyone at Ped HQ in a good mood! For instance, here’s what Heather wrote us on June 1:

Well Lovely Ped Folks, I am not sure if this qualifies as a tale, but its making has certainly been epic for me. I am pregnant with our first kiddo, due June 22nd. The first six months were no trouble in the style department, but boy howdy, when I hit the third trimester things got pretty boring in the sartorial department.

I have been pretty determined not to buy clothes that I know I’ll only need for three months, so the same handful of shirts it has been. And one might think that I could do a little spring sprucing with some of the fabulous shoes you’ve been getting in, but nope! I am one of those gals whose feet have gotten a wee bit bigger, so I knew that anything that fit now would not fit later.

What’s a girl to do for a little spring fashion under such circumstances? Buy the handbag of her dreams, that’s what! Last month’s sweet treat hooked me up with this gorgeous teal Cydwoq bag. I have been on The Bag hunt for, sheesh, years now, and it’s over. It’s the perfect size, wears delightfully over the shoulder or across the chest, the color is gorgeous, and the leather is super supple. It joins my ever growing collection of Cydwoq shoes, which have all aged and worn beautifully—I’m sure this bag will do the same!

Thanks for hooking a pregnant gal up just about when she lost her patience.

Heather and her Cydwoq Flap Bag---how to do nine months in style!

What a smile! Since she was due June 22, we hope congratulations are in order by now! Such a lucky baby to have such a beautiful mother!

See what we mean? Isn’t your day just a little brighter now? Thanks, Heather! For sharing her story, we’re delighted to send Heather $100 in Ped credit! (As a no-doubt exhausted new mom, she could probably use a little treat.)

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!

(Did you notice Heather found her bag through the “Sweet Treat”? In case you don’t know, every week Ped chooses an item to offer at 20% off—and you never know what we’ll pick! So, when you visit Ped be sure to click “be sweet to your feet” in the upper right corner of any page to discover the current “sweet treat” and receive the code for 20% at checkout. Sweet!)