Happy New Year!!

Thanks to my new baby, a sweet little Pocket PC I bought this summer, we're posting from Times Square tonight and wanted to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year! As you may have noticed, we've added a new hits counter to the site. We're honest gals, so we started it at zero. Therefore, naturally, the numbers are fairly low right now...but increasing rapidly thanks to our beautiful audience.

Speaking of beautiful, some of these performers are certainly sacrificing decency...ummm, *clearing throat*, I mean, warmth for sex appeal in some very slinky numbers (see Rihanna's sequined minidress). Didn't anyone tell them that they could be both sexy and warm in some hot over the knee boots? We're waiting to see Christina Aguilera. She knows how to wear boots so maybe her legs will be properly/warmly coiffed. Oh, wait... K.T. Tunstall is singing Black Horse and a Cherry Tree and, of course, wearing a sizzling pair of brown cowgirl boots! Have fun gals, I'm going to go dance (and find someone to kiss)! Note: I am of course dressed like every gal out here should be, in a very cute and very sturdy pair of chocolate aviator boots. Happy 2007! Signing off for the last time in 2006, Bice Baby.

These Boots Were Made For Walking (rUmPeLsTiLtSkIn)

Nancy Sinatra - These Boots (rUmPeLsTiLtSkIn)

Fashionably Flat

Maybe Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie, and Mary Kate Olsen are not your idea of great role models but these young starlets seem to have the right idea when it comes to boots. Lately, flat boots have been all the rage, demonstrating that you can have sex appeal without the high heel. Check them out at Whatcelebswear.com

Just a great outfit

This is a photo of a very simple handknit scarf from Lion Brand Yarns and...doesn't it look great with boots?

Thou Art in Heaven and God is Wearing Boots

For Mature Audiences Only, Please.

Fashionistas, read on

Ladies, here is a fashion tip to take you into the new year and beyond. It isn't every girl who has the wherewithall to buy a new pair of shoes each week. However, wouldn't we all like to have a fresh look as often? Afterall, noone wants to be seen in the same clothes two days in a row and our shoes/boots should be no exception. So what are we getting at? Jewelry...or rather shewelry. There's actually a site by that name, shewelry.com that sells accessories for your shoes. Feeling like a naughty girl today? Try the chain photographed here. They've also got jewelry for the rich girl, royal girl, spice girl, and more. So, mix it up a little.

On a similar note, why wait for your order to come in from shewelry when you have the means to "kick" those boots up a notch, right in your closet? Got a long scarf? Wrap it several times (or however many times it will go) around your right or left boot (political commentary?) and pin or tie it elegantly together in the back. Voila, a hot new look for your boots...people will be asking you where you got them from. You can, of course, do the same thing with any long necklace you might have on hand (and Phillipa says she also wears her long ones as anklets every summer), by wrapping it once or twice around the ankle of your boot and fastening it. This turns out to be a great way to use that old costume jewelry Grannie had in a chest in the attic. You may not have occassion to wear long chains of faux pearls everyday, but they might just look fabulous with your tall black sweater boots.

Ride Off into the Sunset, Cowgirl.

Elegant Victorian Wedding Boots from Sat'n Spurs, $110.

Your Eyes are Virtually Nomadic!!

From Cliptomania.com : These Heirloom Quality Reproduction Earrings from Designer Sadie Green. They are an elegant addition to any wardrobe. Pair these with dress boots and knock 'em dead.

Occasionally an Eye Wanders

Make that two eyes...Is that Eva Langoria in that tunic? Our own Zoe Magdelena says this is just the thing to wear with a hot pair of tall boots. Well, it wouldn't hurt to wear some leggings or pants too.

It's available from Macys originally for $69 and currently on sale for $50.99. Pictured here in Smoke but currently only available in Black.

The Low-Down

The weather in Western New England right now, as some of you have experienced, is extremely mild for Late December. We are expecting to stay in the upper 40s, low 50s through Christmas and perhaps even on into the New Year. It's that in between weather when young teens assume they can get away with summer t-shirts, camisoles, and short skirts and it's often colder inside than it is outside. In this kind of weather, the right accessories make all the difference. A lovely embroidered shawl thrown over the shoulders and a warm pair of boots mean you are both beautiful and smart, a trendsetter completely prepared for the occasional chill.

Coming up in the new year, we'll review how some of the boots we have raved over at Boots Mania in 2006 have performed in field tests in the categories of comfort, warmth, popularity (measured by the number of compliments received by wearers), durability/ease of care (who wants to worry about whether their suede boots with the white fleece-tops still look as pristine as the day they bought them?), and of course sexiness.

Some Musical Entertainment with Boot Flavor

Franz Ferdinand's music video: Eleanor Put Your Boots On

Most Expensive Boots of This Time.

So, those riding boots reviewed in the last post got us thinking about expensive shoes and wondering which were the most expensive of all. It turns out that Forbes ran an article on this, less than one year ago, where they revealed that these alligator boots by Manolo Blahnik were likely some of the most expensive with which to coif your legs. While there are also several other fascinating pairs of shoes at 4000 or even 8000 dollars, these Manolo Blahniks will lighten your pockets by a smooth 14,000 dollars. Come on, you know that money is just burning holes in your pockets... ;-) And the alligator (or cow actually) is dying for you to wear these too...

So you won the lotto and don't know what to do with your money?

I saw a lovely pair of riding boots on Amazon the other day. But they were...affordable. These are not so much and I must say, while they are very stylish, that I don't know for the world why one should pay nearly a grand for these boots. That's right, these are the most expensive boots you can buy right now at Zappos.com. These Taryn Rose Quincies will run you $998.95.

Want some? Check it out at Zappos.com

Good Things Do Come to Those Who Wait!

Nearly one year ago, we reviewed the sweater wedge boots from Delias, here at Boots Mania. At that time, they were on sale for 63 bucks. Today, you can enjoy these warm and fashionable over-the-knee boots for just $39.99. Moral: Take advantage of clearance deals. Because stores need to keep their inventories fresh...and so do we.

I'm flying high!

Is it wrong to buy a pair of boots if you don't love them unquestioningly? Well the department of boot services hasn't dropped by yet and I do promise to treat these babies lovingly nevertheless. But I really wanted these hot aviator boots in edgy biker chick black, like the they were meant to be, and will have to settle for a mature brown. Delias sold out of the black and anyhow, I got these on clearance so it isn't right to complain I'm sure.

So What Are You Wearing Down Under?

Sydney Boots are those moccasin type hotties that hug your legs all the way up to the knees and cost a pretty penny when you go hunting in the wrong quarters. It's all about searching for that hot deal that makes the difference between getting one pair out of your boots allowance this month or getting two, maybe even three. Can you tell the difference between the Minnetonka Moccasins from Amazon for $57.97 and the Sydney boots from Delias for $19.99? Neither can "eye." So while both are affordable, I can't wait for my three pairs of boots from Delias to ship. More on those in the next posts.