Employ a woman. 

One who is 6 months pregnant and who intends to take ''limited'' time off with her baby.

Is this a giant leap for women?  Should her pregnancy even be an issue?

Discuss. 

http://www.hollywoodlife.com/2012/07/18/marissa-mayer-pregnant-yahoo-ceo/

Wanted to share with you the trends we have picked up on for SS13, these are fresh of the catwalks and can be seen at all the industry trade shows. Our challenge is using them as inspiration for our shoe collection - any ideas welcome!

The trends:

Layered denim

Snizzling snake skin

Summer basics in a wide range of colours

Chic neutrals

Rock and leather

Neon

Lace

Which is your favourite?  I must admit to having a bit of a leather thing, especially in trousers and shorts and it works beautifully with lace to stop it being too vamp.  

WIN FREE SHOES FOR UP TO A YEAR!

OPEN WORLD-WIDE TO ANYONE

Two ways to win:

Step 1) Become our guest blogger and win free shoes.  Entry is easy, send a sample blog post (on any Butterfly Twist related subject)to thesocialbutterfly@butterflytwists.com Then share details of the comp with all your friends.

The winner receives a blogging contract and free shoes up to a year.

Step 2) Become a product reviewer and win free shoes.  Post on our FB, Twitter, blog or Pinterest a link to your fav Butterfly Twists and tell us why you picked that pair.  Share details anyway you can with all your friends.

The winner becomes a Butterfly Twists Product reviewer and can win free shoes up to a year.

(Each contract is three months and after three months we pick a new winner or ask our fans to vote for you to stay on.  Comp closes 31st July.  Email thesocialbutterfly@butterflytwists.com for T&C).

To celebrate the launch of our blog we are offering several lucky winners the opportunity to become our resident product reviewers. Each month, for three months, we will send the current lucky winner a pair of Butterfly Twists for them to share their thoughts on via a post on our newly launched blog (ie here!).

After three months the chair opens up to a newcomer or if our fans like what they see you can stay on the chair for up to twelve months - winning a years supply of shoes. As well as free Butterfly Twists each blogger will be heavily promoted on our site, facebook, twitter, pinterest, blog and will earn the official title of Butterfly Twist Product Reviewer.

The competition is open worldwide to those already with or without a fashion blog, with or without experience. A passion for shoes is essential. To enter simply tell us you want to enter by posting on our wall via Facebook, Twitter or commenting on the blog.

www.facebook.com/ButterflyTwists

Twitter:  butterflytwists

Then show us how good a blogger you are by sending in a sample post to thesocialbutterfly@butterflytwists.com. Your subject matter should be relevant to our Butterfly Twist followers who love travelling, partying,shopping and who are, always, always on the go (without ever getting sore feet). Some ideas below:

- Tell us about your favourite pair of shoes

- Tell us about the first time you fell in love

- Tell us about your favourite travel destination

To win you also have to share details of this competition with as many people as you can either via your own blog, FB, Twitter, Pinterest or something more creative – all ideas are welcome. The winner will be picked based on content and quality of their blog post as well their ability to generate interest in our competition and show us how good they are at spreading the Butterfly Twist word!!

We would expect our resident Product Reviewer to be the epitome of the Butterfly Twists girl so show us what you can do.

 You do not have to be an established blogger - its open to everyone with a passion for Butterfly Twists.Two lucky runners-up will receive a pair of Butterfly Twists of their choice. On top of this we will be posting our favourite entries (from winner and non winners) on our blog so you can have your name and post up there on our much visited site.

Competition closes 31st July 2012 for the announcement of the first winner.  Email vicki@butterflytwists.com for full T&C.

Would seem my obsession with Neon has reached new heights. This weekend a group of us attended a mini bachlorette party which involved a lovely manicure. We were presented with a shelf of colours to chose from, imagine girls suddenly girly cooing over an never ending supply of candy creams and pop tastic brights. Only I didn't realise the cooing was as far as it went since everyone (and I mean, everyone) lifted from the shelf a shade which can only be described as pink, pink shimmer, pink pearl or, at a push, a pinkish lilac. Ok, so everyone excluding me. Who opted for Neon Orange in a shade very closely resembling a high visability vest. Of course it was then met with questions such as ''what will you wear to match?'' (answer by the way is nothing, I think neon is meant to clash no?) and was even followed up by a text the day after to remind me to ''take if off before work on Monday'' (it's still on by the way and staying remarkably chip free).

The reactions to my high-vis choice leaves me with two questions - are neon nails ever really socially acceptable and do you think it's possible to remain professional with eye catching talons at work? Let me know your thoughts. In the meantime a picture to inspire you, unfortunatley they are not as bright on film as they are in real life (seems even my camera is also trying to tell me something).

My most recent ''get away from it all'' destinations have been primarily Europe bound (with the exception of both a spectacular New York and  Indonesia trip - but more on another day). My last holiday was in Italy, and the one before, and the one before that (are you seeing a pattern here).  Yes I love Italia.

It's not because I once stood at Lake Garda at sunset and was told I was someone else's everything.  Ok it is a little but it's not the only reason.  There is so much under one country flag and each region offers its own idea of what it is to be Italian.  Head to the Chianti Hills and experience red wine like it's meant to be enjoyed - with rustic bread and delicious hams.  Learn valuable life lessons about serving red wine at room temperature in a glass already washed out with the same wine (to remove any soap traces).  Forget all the valuable lessons by fourth glass and laugh like you have never laughed before. Sit with an ice cream in Sienna square and realise that no one does footwear like the Italians.  Feel slightly substandard in your flip-flops and buy hand made Italian leather shoes. Watch your friends excitement when you show off thee shoes back home.  Head to Maranello and pay homage to Ferrari;  a car like no other.  Hire said car in bright red form (obvs)  and feel like life couldn't get any better.  Because it really can't, at least not at that exact moment.

It’s true, I have left little bits of myself soul in many countries around the Globe, each visit to somewhere else excites and changes me into someone new.  But when it comes to Italy I think I really did leave my heart. Everyone should have a special place like that - where is your home away from home?

Being in the fashion industry I am frequently asked for any inside secrets or advice when it comes to shopping. Sometimes I am qualified to answer and sometimes I have to draw on the knowledge of my wonderful design team. But I or they or we will always answer. 

Of course there are some times little snippets of generic advice that pop up and which will fit most people and most situations.  They are fashion fairy gold dust. And this post will see me dispensing one. 

BUY TWICE.

Seriously.  It is the best advice I can give.  If you have something you love I suggest buying it twice.  Not a similar something with the same fabric, same cut or same mood but buy thee exact one again.  Different colour is ok, neigh encouraged since it stops people thinking you are wearing the same thing day after day.  But it must be the same style.

Now before you think I have gone crazy know that my advice comes from many a broken heart when I have had to throw the best denim I have ever owned away due to massive holes in unforgiving areas. And I am sure I cannot be the only one who spent most of the summer looking for shoes in the exact same nude colour as the shoes I had adored, used and abused the summer before?

The trick is to buy one and see how your reaction and infatuation is within a month.  Does the lust keep up?  A month is a respectable time for the garment to still be available in store and you for you know if the item has any longevity in your affections.

Ok before anyone starts to think I have an unlimited bank account and a wardrobe full of double ups you have to know this way of buying is actually capable of saving you money.  This is because when you have a favourite item of clothing you are going to swing towards wearing that more than others and the cost per wear actually goes down.   As a result all the other items you add to your collection actually end up costing you more if you don't wear them.  The key is to stop continuing to buy similarish items since, in the end, you are only going to revert to your favourite (the same old comfy jeans, the reliable t-shirt) but one day those favourites are going to go to clothes heaven and you haven't lined up a reliable successor.

On top of this by investing in similar items you are actually helping to create sense of style loyalty and paint a consistent picture of who you are.  And who doesn't want to be known as the girl always rocking killer denims, coloured knitwear and perfectly co-ordinated pumps.

What's your thoughts?

Reporting straight from the front line of the fashion world and I see that colour blocking is everywhere, it's come quickly from the catwalk to highstreet just in time for a skittles style summer explosion. My research sometimes shows that when it comes to ''on trend'' usually at least one big retailer can miss a fashion wave but in this case everyone has backed the same colourful horse.  Good news then as it means that this trend is really accessible and there should be something out there for all of us, even those who are more on the wall than off it.  Please believe me colour blocking doesn't mean you have to look like a grown up version of Rainbow Bright (for those under the age of the 30 click here).

There seems to be two messages when it comes to colour:  the sorbets and the brights.  For the sorbet trend many retailers are showing a message of pretty pastels with washed out tight skinny denims teamed with feminine denim chambray shirts and lacy blouses.  For me, its an overly girly statement and footwear must be kept neutral and subtle which is not really my thing - I prefer bold and bright which is why I verge more on the brighter colour explosion.  Think solid colour cotton trousers in shades of coral, cobalt blue, turquoise, fuchsia or yellow teamed with a white vest top and a fitted jersey contrast colour blazer.  Shoes, well here's the thing, it seems anything goes (hurrah!) - match your top, your bottom, or match only your nails and it seems you are on to a winner.

So we know I am in for colour but are you?  Let me know your shouts and doubts in the comments below.