misosouper, a shopping blog

These luggage tags remind me of when my suitcase fell apart in Charles de Gaulle airport on my way home from Paris. Two months of smoky, wine-splotched clothes fell onto the pristine floor; the bag checker loaned me a roll of packing tape and a garbage bag, snickering while I scooped my sorry American stink off the ground. The story’s funny now, but it would have been funnier then with the “open with caution: dirty clothes inside” strapped to the handle.

Admittedly, a splurge: it’s red, made out of sustainable harvested coconut, and, sigh, $750. But…imagine how this decadent piece could crown your room. With a table in black and chairs in white, I’m ponying up my pennies now.

Thin gold bands worth wearing (we’re talking less than 2mm) are hard to find. They’re either too round, too fancy, or too ridiculously priced…and that’s *if* you can locate them at all. Enter Anne Kiel’s stacking rings: perfect for the days when you want to keep love simple. (Or not. They’re priced to stack 8 deep for more complicated romantic situations.)

Finally: an attractive, eco-friendly outdoor rug that doesn’t feel like woven hemp or slatted bamboo. Ideal for covering your porch’s ugly concrete floor while protecting little heads from nasty splats. (Not that that’s happened on my watch.)

Two years ago, I scored a pair of lady-like pewter BC flats, not too matte and not too shiny, replete with a tiny leather ruffle. The kicker? I found them on the clearance rack for $12.50. They’ve proved to be shoes for all seasons: great with jeans and thin black socks in winter, barelegged with minis and shorts in summer. This season, I’m feeling more subversive. While the green-gold-Grecian-bondage look might not seem versatile, these naughty shoes just might be what you wear all spring. And though they’re not $12.50, for shoes this comfy and cute, the price is still pretty great.