Today is a fun, cheerful day with green thoughts in the air and people pinching each other. But Why? I never really understood why we must wear green on March 17 to celebrate Saint Patrick’s day otherwise you would get pinched. When I was younger, I thought it was because it was the leprechaun’s favorite color and had something to do with four-leaf clovers. I didn’t really care the reason, it was fun to participate in a holiday that for one day, everyone did something together. For me, Saint Patrick’s Day is just a fun, sort of magical celebration. I did want to know more about it, so I read the history about why we wear green on this day. I understand and appreciate the history of this holiday, but the answer I read on twitter this morning made me laugh so I am going to share that one. According to my Twitter friend, we wear green on Saint Patty’s Day so we can be invisible from the leprechauns and they will not be able to pinch us, because otherwise they pinch all the time so the green hides us. I thought that reason was cute and entertaining. Do you have any thoughts about the holiday traditions and where they came from? How do you celebrate this fun holiday?

At jbandme.com we are celebrating by pinching customers for not wearing green, just kidding we are not really pinching people, but we are offering 20% Off sitewide and in-store. Online, use the promotional code: patty

I hope you all have a fun and magical Saint Patty’s Day!

This season, instantly complete any look with a great pair of shoes. I personally am obsessed with shoes of all kinds. I love how a great pair of heels can make a statement and give you so much confidence. This season we are moving toward heels being the main staple piece for an outfit. Usually when the weather warms up, I have a tendency to reach for sandals and flats, but this season with all the fun, embellished heels and wedges, I am craving that look instead. I love the look of a pair of boyfriend jeans or cuffed jeans with heels. It is a polished, effortless style that looks great on anyone. One of the best things about this seasons shoe trends is all the colors that are available. This way the shoes can really take over the outfit. Fashion for this spring is all about mixing up your style. Adding florals to stripes and sequins tanks with cargo style pants. I love the creative way fashion is heading and it shows in shoes this season as well. Just because I gushed over heels for this season, does not mean that flats and sandals are on the back burner. Make sure to choose embellished shoes for a unique and playful style and have fun mixing up your look. Check out all the new shoes recently added to jbandme.com.

This weekend is the annual Girlfriends weekend in Downtown Holland. jb and me is excited to be apart of the weekend celebrations. We have two amazing activities planned for Saturday, March 6. Here are the details

Starting at 10:30 am, Maribeth will be hosting a seminar on “How Not to Look Old” based on the popular book by Charla Krupp. This book highlights Fast and Effortless ways to look 10 years younger, 10 pounds lighter, and 10 times better. This seminar is open to everyone.

From 11 am to 3 pm- jb and me will be hosting a Spring/Summer Shoe Trunk Show. The show features Nicole and Madeline shoes. You will get a first hand look at the latest styles for Spring and Summer. The show will be featuring styles that are in store and styles that we do not have in the store along with multiple colors in each style. You will be able to special order shoes from the truck show, which will be shipped to your house Free of Charge!

It is going to be a fun day to get out and enjoy shopping. Grab some girlfriends and check out what is new for Spring! Hope to see you all there!

It is finally sunny this week in Western Michigan making me have major Spring Fever! One thing that I love to do when the weather warms up is grab a great book and sit outside. There are so many great books it is hard to find the time to read them all. Here are a few on my list to read this spring.

Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment

Read this book for its painterly depictions of a rattled city, its deliciously biting satire of media and real estate madness, its tender knowledge of the creaturely ties that bind.

Yes, My Darling Daughter by Margaret Leroy

Read this book for the mystery of why 4-year-old Sylvie longs to return to a house she has never seen, a family she cannot have known, takes this peculiar child, her anxious single mother, and a romantically scruffy psychologist onto the windswept beaches of a tiny coastal Irish village—a setting as enchantingly perilous as childhood itself

Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella

Lexi Smart wakes up in a hospital, thinking she’s twenty-five with crooked teeth and an unsuccessful love life. But when she notices her teeth are perfect, her handbag is Louis Vuitton. She had a car accident in a Mercedes. But now Lexi is twenty-eight years old, and she is the boss of her department. And she’s married to a good-looking millionaire! But soon Lexi realizes her life isn’t perfect. Lexi’s old friends hate her. A rival is after her job. What had happened to her?

These are just a few that I am excited to dive into. Do you have any must reads for Spring and Summer?

Lets all take a moment and celebrate the fact that today is the first day of March, which means that Spring is on the way! There is so much to look forward to with Spring when you live in snowy Michigan. We can get excited about the sun shining more, snow melting (hopefully), and warmer temperatures. Best of all, we can put our snow boots away, and break out open toe shoes. With that fact, we also know that our toes have been in hiding for awhile now and it is time to get that pedicure. This season we are seeing a new color for nails that we have not been introduced to for awhile. It is not a bright color, like you might expect with spring or a pastel. Instead one of the hottest trends in nail color is Putty. Celebrities have been seen with manicures in this color. Let us break it down how you can capture this new nail trend (As seen in People Style Watch-March Issue)

The Trend: The color is a warm gray with a hint of brown. It is a neutral color with a cool vibe.

How to get the Look: A lighter shade of Putty is great for pail skin while medium skin tones can sport a darker shade.

Nail Shape: Make sure your nails on on the shorter side with this color and keep them more square with a round edge.

The neutral color for nails matches the neutral palette for spring showing up in clothing, shoes, and accessories. Try this trend, I am sure you are going to love the simple, warm feeling of Putty Nails.

Handbags are one of my passions. I love to check out all the different styles. I rarely carry a purse because I usually have an oversized tote that can fit everything for work and then carry a smaller clutch that can fit in my work bag for running errands after work. However, I still love to check out all the new styles and latest trends. Spring is one of my favorite seasons for handbags. The colors are so vivid and cheery. One of the trends that I am definitely in love with this season is the Bag as a Drawstring Bucket. I love the chic style of this trend and the round shape this bag takes on when closed. This style handbag is a remix from the 80s with a modern twist. Bright colors are playful with your day outfit and for night try a more embellished handbag. I also love how the bag looks when placed on your shoulder. It has a slouchy look that is not too oversized. A great trend that I am definitely going to try with my handbag this spring and summer!

We are absolutely flattered that jbandme.com has been chosen to be featured in the March Issue of People Style Watch. We were chosen by the editors as a website with deals under $100. How exciting! To celebrate this amazing news, we are offering 20% off your order this weekend. Use the promotional code: sw20

Check out the issue. It is filled with lots of amazing style trends and beauty finds. One of the best issues!

Check out all the new spring looks and product details at jbandme.com under our lookbook section. More styles coming soon!

Spring Shoes featuring Miz Mooz shoes

Even though we may not be able to wear some of the spring shoes just yet, well depending on where you live, we can still get an early start on all the great new styles. I love this time of year, it can look grey and ugly outside, but inside boutiques you see bright colors and floral prints to get us in the mood for spring. I am definitely dreaming of spring and warmer temperatures which makes me want to buy spring clothing and shoes now. It is a good time to think about what you can carry over from last year and what you are going to need this year. Some of the hottest trends in shoes is keeping it simple while taking risks with bold elements. Neutral and nude colors are going to be a main staple in shoes this season. We are loving the Seychelles Bette flats to capture this trend. The soft tone gives a romantic vibe and feminine feeling. Cowboy boots are making their way back into the shoe trends for this season, only we are seeing a softer side to them as well. Lighter colors and without all the hardware you typically see on cowboy boots. They are an amazing style in an ankle boot paired with flirty summer dresses. You can never go wrong with a classic black peep toe heel. The Seychelles “Trip the Light Fantastic” Heels are perfect for everyday wear and are an essential piece if you work in an office setting. The best part about Seychelles, besides the trendy styles and comfortable fit, is the funky names of the shoes. So creative you want to buy them! On the other side of  shoe trends this season are the riskier, embellished styles. We fell in love with the Seychelles “Shes Got the Moves” Heels. A great shoe for going out at night or making your boyfriend style clothing feminine. A great color to be paired with any outfit. Last year we saw a similar heel to the Poetic Licence Passion Fruit Heel. It was red and black with a red rose embellishment. This year it is a little softer with lighter colors and a simple peach flower on the toe. A bold, yet subtle pair of heels. The shoes featured are just a select few of our favorites. Don’t worry, there will definitely be more to come!