If you’re like me, Ped fans, when the days grow short and the temperature dips, my spirit sometimes needs an extra boost. And if that thing that recharges my emotional battery staves off the chill outside, too, then all the better!

Fortunately, we thought ahead here at Ped HQ to make sure we’d have some extra-special treasures arriving in the warehouse to brighten your grey, wintry days. (Of course, they’re still fun when the sun’s out!) Behold a small sampling of delightful new things just in from Antipast, Epice, and Sophie Digard!

The mother and daughter team, Emiko and Junko, who are the design geniuses behind Japan’s Antipast, know a thing or two about keeping things fun while keeping things cozy. Their socks are always the cutest, softest, and toastiest! Case in point, the new Fun Fan Socks:

The winter blues don’t stand a chance when you’re wearing flowery fans on your ankles! We love these trouser-length sweeties, but we also have a knee-high version!

Speaking of knee highs, our favorite tall sock from Antipast this season is the Airship Knee High:

Need to take a break from daily grind?  Just look down at your legs and let your mind float away on a hot-air balloon!

Of course, Antipast’s loveliness extends beyond just socks. They also make scarves, arm warmers, and gloves.

How beautiful are these Rose Gloves? Everybody at Ped HQ practically fainted when we took them out of the box—they’re just the thing to pretty up a slushy day!

Another way to bring colorful flowers into wintry weather is with a beautiful scarf from Paris’s own Sophie Digard.

We’re especially crazy about this new Freesia Scarf. Like a soft bed of blossoms, this scarf will make you feel wonderful every time you wind it around your neck.

If you prefer something more abstract, check out Sophie’s eye-opening Biscuit Pop Scarf:

What an amazing amount of labor goes into this wearable work of art! You’re guaranteed to turn every head on the street!

We also just received Sophie’s ever-popular Flower Petal Necklace in rich autumn colors that will look spectacular with your LBD at holiday parties!

A mix of velvet and crochet, this necklace simply could not be any prettier! And did you know that the two sides of each flower are different and allow you to spin and slide them on their cord to create endless variations? So fun!

Maybe you’re looking for something that can work both as a scarf and as a shawl, in which case, Epice has an expanse of luxury with your name on it!

Everyone at Ped loves stripes, stripes, and more stripes, so this finely loomed wool Morocco Scarf has us swooning!

And if you want to up the luxe ante, nothing does that like cashmere! Epice’s wool and cashmere Chevron Scarf is like a soft and cozy piece of heaven!

Wrap this beauty around your shoulders and just say, “Aaaahhhh!” You might even start to wish it was winter all the time.

These things are just a few of the wonders in the treasure trove that awaits you at Ped’s main site! On a cold and dark day, a little indulgence can go a long way.

(And speaking of wonderful indulgences, don’t forget to check out this week’s “sweet treat” because it’s especially delicious: Chie Mihara’s Jupi! Get the sexy schoolgirl look for 20% off by clicking “be sweet to your feet” at the top of any Ped page, which will whisk you to the Jupi and the magic code for you to enter at checkout! Yum!)

Here at Ped HQ, we’re always curious to know how Ped fans mix and match their Ped purchases with other treasures they already own. Longtime Ped customer, Debi T. in Georgia, took the time to tell us:

I wanted to thank you again for having the perfect Jamie Joseph rings, that I could match up to very special bracelets I have been given by my son and husband.

The oval turquoise ring is a perfect match with a bracelet my son bought me in Kathmandu last year. Just think, they were made on opposite sides of the world! Amazing! I get many compliments on the pair, with lots of questions about where I got those gorgeous pieces!

The pink quartz oval ring I matched with a treasure of a bracelet my husband bought me in Bethlehem, Israel three years ago. The bracelet links are made from ancient Roman glass in varying colors of pink and blue. I couldn’t have found a better match for that bracelet than the pink quartz ring.

I absolutely LOVE my Jamie Joseph rings!!! Thank you Dayna for loving what I love!

P.S. Last weekend I attended the annual “Midwives Alliance of North America” conference, and wore my Trippen “Holy” boots. A midwife who traveled all the way from Africa commented that she loved my boots and wanted to know where I got them. She was glad for the information. I don’t know if you will get an order from Africa or not, but now they know!

Beautiful Debi T. in her Jamie Joseph rings and Trippen Holy Boots. (Of course, what really sparkles is her lovely smile!)

We’re so grateful you’re spreading the Ped love, Debi! To thank Debi for telling us how she wears her Ped and for letting others know where she shops, we’re giving her $100 in Ped credit!

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!

(By the way, the “Sweet Treat” this week is Cordani’s retro-gorgeous Remy heel! Get 20% off this beautiful shoe by clicking “be sweet to your feet” in the top right corner of any Ped page, which will magically take you to the Remy, where you will find the discount code! So, save a little money, slip your foot into the Remy, and suddenly have all the glamour of a 1940s movie star! Don’t be surprised if someone asks you for your autograph…)

It’s such a heady time of year with all the wonderful things in bloom! The lilacs, irises, and peonies may have come and gone (or if you’re a little farther north, maybe they’re still around), but gorgeous day lilies and sweet honeysuckle are hot on their heels, with black-eyed susans and other posies still to come. At Ped, we adore flowers—and we like to wear them whenever we can!

The undisputed queen of lovely blossoms that never fade is Swiss fiber artist Karin Wagner. We recently received a new shipment of her hand-felted wonders.

We are particularly crazy about her floral rings, like this attention-grabbing Lilia beauty:

The way Karin has cut tiny diamonds out of the crimson petals is so unusual! Wear this ring and watch as conversations spring up all around you!

Many of Ms. Wagner’s blooms are versatile. Who says you have to wear a brooch pinned to your clothing? This Clochette cluster, for example, makes a fabulous barrette:

And, attention, summer brides, a wonderful alternative to wearing fresh flowers in your hair is to entwine Karin Wagner’s Daisy necklace in your up ‘do on the big day:

You’ll have a sweet memento that will never wilt (hopefully, like your love). Plus, you can wear this vine of buds, leaves, and blossoms in a myriad of ways.

Another knockout flower necklace comes from Sophie Digard:

We love how each blossom has a different color scheme on each side—you can spin them and move them along the cord to create a new variation every time you wear it.

Sophie also works floral magic in her scarves and bags. For instance, how chic is this Geranium Handbag?

Drop-dead gorgeous with a nostalgic air of romance, this bag’s crocheted blossoms must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Each one is unique and contributes to the garden-like impact of this sweet bag.

At Ped, we even like to wear flowers on our feet!

The Accessoire Island wedge, with its pretty rosette on the toe, is one of our favorite styles this season (and Ped’s Laura reports it’s a treat to wear—cushy and comfortable)!

There are even more petaled pretties to make you smile blooming at the Ped site. After all, there is nothing like the power of a simple flower to remind us that, despite wretched oil spills and ugly intolerance, the world offers so much beauty.

Here at Ped, we get so excited about the wonderful things we carry. Everyday we ooh and aah and swoon and gush over the goods in the Ped warehouse, which is why we love it when others appreciate what we appreciate!

It’s been a while since we expressed our gratitude, but we are truly grateful for all the shout-outs to Ped across the Web! Here are several of the wonderful people and sites that have featured Ped treasures recently:

• We adore Michelle Taylor of Blue Moss! It’s not just because she’s admired our Argila Elsie and Chie Mihara Hito, among other things; it’s also because every day she introduces us to beautiful sites, places, and ideas. What an eye for design! She also creates the coolest jewelry from re-purposed vintage baubles for her Blue Moss Etsy shop.
• Katrina Rodabaugh, an amazing artist and poet, mentioned how much she loves our Pepita jewelry on her terrific blog, Made by Katrina.
• The unknown author of the blog Goodness Aggregated made us smile with a post that featured our Fiorentini + Baker Eli boot and Jutta Neumann Kim sandal.
• The mysterious writer and photographer who maintains I Spuddle thrilled us when she coveted our Cydwoq Traction.
• The woman who loves lovely things at Crush Party gushed about so many of our pretty boots! Color us thrilled!
• Jessica at Ring o Blog took a shine to our Jamie Joseph Aqua Chalcedony ring (one of our favorites)!
• Becki Singer, who puts together the hilariously named blog, Shopping is My Cardio, fell for our gorgeous Fiorentini + Baker Eden boots. She’s in good company!

We also say merci, gracias, danke, and thank you in so many languages to the numerous overseas blogs that have highlighted Ped items, among them How to Make a Baby Elephant Float (how great is that name?), du fond du coeur, and Nata Velvska @ ShoeShoe.

If you’ve featured something from Ped and we’ve somehow overlooked your site, please know we still appreciate you! (Let us know who you are, so we can pay attention!) We love being part of the party!

So, to everyone out there who’s noticed us, a huge THANK YOU from everyone at Ped HQ!

February may be the shortest month, but given the wintry storms currently pummeling many Ped fans, it may feel like the longest. Thank goodness, there’s a sweet something in the middle to make February worth it: Valentine’s Day!!! What could be better than a day dedicated to showing your sweetheart how much you love her? It’s the perfect time to express your affection for any woman who really matters in your life! (Remember how you used to give candies and cards to your friends, your teachers, your sisters, and your mom?)

So let your love light shine by putting a sparkle in your favorite gal’s eye with a sparkly something from Ped!

It may be chilly outside, but these gorgeous Jamie Joseph Indian Ruby earrings are guaranteed to warm things up wherever you are:

The color is so juicy, like a ripe pomegranate! And the faceting catches the light in the loveliest way.

Maybe the woman you have in mind agrees with Marilyn Monroe  that diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Then assure her you, too, qualify as a BFF with this understated but stunning Jamie Joseph silver circle necklace that twinkles with three gold-set diamonds:

Jamie has a way of making the simplest designs worthy of “Wow!”

As long as we’re doing song references, maybe you should take Beyonce’s advice if you want to keep your sweetheart from joining all the single ladies—i.e. if you like it, you should put a ring on it! Now, it doesn’t have to be that kind of ring; we’re pretty sure this Jamie Joseph Onyx ring will keep her by your side:

Featured in Vogue, this design is the epitome of chic! We love how the tiny diamond adds a little extra dazzle. Going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day? Imagine how terrific this ring will look with your darling’s little black dress.

“Hmmm,” you may be thinking, “I want to give her jewelry but maybe something more low-key.” How about this Green Onyx and Apatite bracelet from Debbie Fisher?

It’s pretty and fresh without being over-the-top.

The again, maybe the object of your affection is a free spirit whose taste is more whimsical, in which case look no farther than Pepita:

This Eleonora necklace, with its hand-sewn fabric beads blooming from within brass petals, is sure to appeal to her love of one-of-a-kind treasures! A unique beauty deserves something uniquely beautiful!

And if your sweetheart could use a little dose of spring about now, Sophie Digard has just the thing to remind her warmer weather is right around the corner:

Sophie’s cheerful Three Flower Brooch (you can also opt for a single-bloom pin) will brighten up any winter coat or sweater.

Of course, it’s the thought that counts, but a beautiful gift that makes your favorite gal feel more beautiful is a wonderful way to show how much you care! (And if you need to drop a hint or two, remember you can mark anything at Ped as a “favorite” and then share that list with the one who loves you best.)

Happy Valentine’s Day in advance! May love fill every Ped fan’s life!