All over leopard can get REALLY tacky REALLY fast. Luckily I have no inhibitions when it comes to style so rather than calming this dress down with tame accessories, I slapped on a neon orange bag and some purple lipstick. Too bold? Maybe. But I felt flashy, and anyone that knows how much I love attention (no shame) can tell you the flashier I feel, the happier I am.

I’ve had a love affair with these booties from the very first moment I saw them as a Nordstrom intern this summer. They were a part of the Anniversary Sale and as an employee, having to wait to buy them until after pre-sale was torture. I visited Salon Shoes everyday for a week to make sure they still had my size. When I finally bought them I was so excited I wore them to a movie night with my friend Paige, despite the fact that we were cuddled up on her couch the whole time drinking wine and binge eating goldfish and cookies (I would typically wear nothing classier than Nikes to this type of soiree – it was a big day for me).

Back to the booties – it was SO hot in Austin the day these pictures were taken. If you can’t tell, my hair is withering in the Texas humidity. But since I’m so in love with these shoes I will find a way to take them into Summer if it’s the last thing I do. And the best way I can think to compensate for seasonably inappropriate shoes is by pairing them with the brightest bag in all the land. So thank you Kate Spade for allowing me to break all of the rules without feeling bad about it.

So go out and be adventurous this season. Wear something that’s completely seasonally inappropriate just because you’re in love with it and add summery pieces so you don’t look like a crazy person. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.