Don’t panic. We’ve all been there! You want to get something really lovely and stylish for that special gal who makes you smile—girlfriend, daughter, wife, BFF, mom, mentor who got you where you are today—but you’re just not sure what size she wears. No problem! Although we love the footwear here at Ped, we also have lots of gorgeous things that require no knowledge of numbers. So, let us offer a few ideas for what we think would make wonderful tokens of your affection.

If you really want to delight someone, you can’t go wrong with a scarf from Sophie Digard, our favorite Parisian textile artist.

Whatever design you select, the work is guaranteed to be dazzling (use the “zoom” feature at the Ped site to appreciate the intricacy of Sophie’s artistry).

Maybe you’re enamored of Mademoiselle Digard but want to give something slightly smaller. Why not one of her wonderful brooches?

So pretty and what a lovely reminder that spring is not too far away!

But, then again, maybe the razzle-dazzle is exactly what you want, in which case, look no further than Jamie Joseph:

Everyone here at Ped HQ—including Terry—adores this Halo Diamond Pendant. What makes it so special is each of the organically shaped silver ovals moves independently, and the diamonds, well, they’re diamonds—need we say more?

If the woman you admire prefers adorning her lobes, we’re also especially fond of these Indian ruby earrings:

They are simply designed yet absolutely drop-dead gorgeous! Jamie’s hand-selected stones are truly out of this world!

Admittedly, jewelry is a rather intimate gift, so if you’re looking for something lovely but a little less emotionally charged, the 49 Square Miles Clingy Wallet may be just the thing:

Practical and luxurious! (Plus, the leather is so soft.)

Speaking of practical, any woman who has a chilly commute or who has to walk across campus when the mercury plunges will thank you profusely for a pair of Rain + Jack wooly arm warmers:

The colors alone will warm her heart.

We’ve also heard toasty toes are the key to winter smiles! Unlike shoes, socks are pretty much one-size-fits-all, and Antipast makes the socks everyone wants because they’re just so darn cute (and warm):

Any chilly day is going to be a lot more fun with pom-poms!

See? No need to worry about measurements or numbers! Everything above is guaranteed to brighten the holidays for your favorite gal!

And if you see something that sings, “my heart’s desire,”  to you—yes, you!— as you browse around Ped’s site, just click the green box that says, “add to favorites.” Then you can e-mail your wish to the people who’d like to make you happy this holiday season!

We love this time of year at Ped Central! The mornings are crisp, the leaves are turning brilliant colors (Laura the orange-lover is in heaven), and the air smells so good! Although we advocate wearing tall boots anytime you like—so cute with a light summer dress!—when fall rolls around, they become de rigueur daily wear.

I always keep you Ped fans in mind when I study what boots to offer for fall and winter. Your feedback helps me so much in making selections that stay comfortable all day, offer versatility, flash the ‘zazz, and still accommodate a range of calf sizes (many Ped boots let you adjust the fit depending on whether you’re a skinny Minnie or a curvy Katie). And, of course, they’re all beautifully made and designed to last for years.

Here are a few of the full-length boots that are high on our list this season.

Okay, Ped fans, it’s no secret that the Cydwoq Game Boot is my absolute favorite:

As you can imagine, I see a lot of beautiful boots, so my powers of resistance are well fortified (otherwise, I’d be broke). But when Cydwoq’s Rafi showed me the Game, I was a goner! I simply adore it! The 1″ wooden heel is super easy to wear. The Italian leather is beyond gorgeous. The dart at the top of the shaft makes the Game extra calf-friendly! And those windows–those sexy little windows running up the back, well, oo la la, do they ever bring in the compliments!

Another favorite here at Ped HQ is Trippen’s March:

I decided to show you the rear view because the exposed seams are so fabulous the way they curve around from the front of the boot and run up the back! Plus, the March features Trippens’ t-shaped wedge sole, which has a legion of fans devoted to its comfort. And the color? Well, see for yourself—pretty as a Maple leaf or a glass of cabernet.

Another Trippen boot with backside interest is the Medea:

Crafted from buttery buffalo leather (you have to touch it to believe how sinfully soft it is), this beauty offers flirty lacing up the back that’s not only sexy but also functional. Notice that it extends below the fullest part of the calf, meaning you can adjust it to fit your individual leg. Once you’ve got everything just right, then you can leave it be, thanks to the Medea’s full inside zipper that lets you get in and out of this boot in a breeze.

But don’t just take our word for it. Ped customer S.N. recently wrote from Seattle,

“I’m in love with my Medea boots.  They are so cool and soft and overall awesome.  I also really appreciate that they can be expanded in case my calves do the same.”

Giraudon’s versatile Miranda boot also has a great system for fitting a range of calves:

Featuring classic riding-boot good looks, the Miranda’s secret is an elastic panel on the inside of the calf and another hidden under the boot loop on the outside. Neither interferes with the clean lines of this brown stunner but both love your leg like no tomorrow.

Those are just a tasty sampling of the feast of tall boots spread out at the Ped site. (Hello, did someone say Fiorentini + Baker? Mmmmm. Our delicious reorder is due in shortly–e-mail us if you’d like to be notified when it arrives!) So kick up your heels as you kick up the leaves and enjoy!

Hey Ped:

It’s been a while since I set off on my “Adventures with Harriet,” but since she’s been browsing through your new Trippen styles and catching up on the blog, I thought I’d tell you about a near disaster that happened to me over a year ago.

In the fall of 2007, I found myself on Harriet’s feet A LOT! (That woman wears me everywhere.) But one night she laced me up to install a piece she made for an outdoor art exhibition called “Let There Be Light” that celebrated the Winter Solstice (sorry, she didn’t take any pics of her piece). Of course, she wanted to wander around to see the other artists’ work. Well, one piece by Bree and Geoff Luck involved ice candles, which they invited visitors to place along a path.

Constellation - Bree and Geoff Luck (Photograph by Rosita Gonzalez)

Harriet decided to take her candle a little ways off the beaten trail, not realizing that a small ravine was waiting in the dark. Suddenly, we were stumbling and falling with FIRE about to slip out of her hands! Yikes! Harriet was trippin’ in her Trippen! Fortunately, I’m pretty reliable, so I got us stopped—no burns on the skin, no flames in the brush! Whew. But I did come out of it with a few permanent scars that show how I suffer for Harriet’s love of art. Here I am chilling at home, fully recovered:

But let’s take a closer look at my left side:

Harriet says she thinks it makes me look more interesting (something about “rugged beauty”). I’m just glad she gave me a break in 2008 and wore her worn-out hiking boots for her recent installation in the woods. Her photographer friend, Stacey Evans, took an image of her piece, “The Waiting Room”:

The Waiting Room — Harriet Arthur (Photograph by Stacey Evans)

Hope the hiking boots had fun dragging chairs through the trees! Me, I was glad to sit this one out at home.

Say hey to all the shoes for me,

Harriet’s Liebchens, Charlottesville, VA

I want to give a Valentine’s Day shout-out to several online sites that have spread the Ped love! We are especially delighted by recent sweetness in the following blogs:

ooh-shiny.net—which accurately calls itself “a random directory of pretties.” Lots of prettiness, indeed!

bluemossgirls.blogspot.com—not only does Michelle Taylor, founder of Blue Moss, create dazzling jewelry from re-purposed baubles, but she also serves as a wonderful guide to things of beauty on the Web.

blissfulb.blogspot.com—where Mrs. French shares lovely items that have captured her attention.

We also send roses and thanks to members of Ped’s overseas fan club, like stardust31.livejournal.com and www.laboutiquedelupi.com/blog. We can’t always read their blogs, but we’re still delighted they’ve noticed us.

We’re so grateful to all of you who have taken the time to tell others about Ped! Here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day overflows with love, wine, and chocolate! (Just don’t let any spill on your fabulous shoes.)

The holiday season is over. There’s snow everywhere. Which can only mean one thing: bring on the sunshine and sandals!!

My husband left Tuesday for a little tropical vay-kay in Costa Rica. Sigh. Here at Ped Central, we can’t help it—we do feel a smidgeon of envy. We all have the urge to abandon our sweaters and boots and slip into something a little more airy. Fortunately, Cydwoq just delivered the first of Ped’s sandals, so our warm-weather dreams are just a little more tangible. Rafi has really outdone himself this year with the new designs. Here are a few to tantalize you (and if you’re lucky enough to be jetting to Bali or Barbados, we’ve clearly got you covered… or uncovered, to be more exact…).

This cutie is called the Copy. I love how minimal the design is, and yet your heel feels so secure resting within the nubuck back (the rivets look great from behind, by the way). Plus, the tie at the ankle adds a little sizzle.

Another style that we’re wild about is the Hurricane:

This sandal just slips on—no muss, no fuss—but the way Rafi has cut the leather straps gives it a wallop of visual impact.

And speaking of visual impact, check out the Elect!!!

Now that is what you call a head-turner! It’s edgy and fashion-forward, but because it’s Cydwoq, it’s guaranteed to be comfortable. And the icing on the cake is that it’s green (my fave)!

So, while the hub enjoys the tropical breezes of Costa Rica, we at least have sandals to remind us that winter won’t last forever.