I can’t stop thinking about shoes lately. Here’s my favorite so far today (though the hour is young!).

These are from Keller, and only available in New York apparently. Though I’m sure an enterprising local shoe purveyor could look into it…

Here’s an interesting idea: Portland-based Hannah Westwood just launched a line of custom pendants for pregnant women, ostensibly to alleviate them from the constant question, “When are you due?” The simple nickel pendant necklaces say “due in [fill in appropriate month].” I suspect that instead of “when are you due?” wearers will get “is that when your baby’s due?” while pointing at the necklace, but it’s still a cute gift idea, and I like the simplicity of the design quite a bit. It’s called Go Belly Go, and available on the other end of that link.

It’s been nearly two years of massive craft sales for Crafty Wonderland, the monthly event that brings us crafted items from area designers and artists. Give ‘em some love on April 13, when they’ll be celebrating the two-year mark with, in addition to 40 vendors, a free cupcake decorating (and eating) DIY table, plus more surprises.

and Kalista Salon has lowered their prices on treatments like lash extensions, nail and foot services, lipomassage, and electromagnetic wave treatment. So there you go. Some good news to start your day.

You’ve got just a hair short of a month to apply for the Second Annual Handbag Designer Awards being held by Handbag Designer 101. The award ceremony takes place on June 18th in New York, and the deadline for entries is April 18, so hop on it!

(HD’s handbag of the day, by Missco Girl)

On March 29th & 30th at their Irvington location (1811 NE Broadway) and April 5th & 6th at the NW 23rd location (722 NW 23rd), Oh Baby is offering 15 percent off of purchases when you schedule a bra fitting on those days. Plus, next Thursday’s “Thursday Nightie” event is the “Sexy Singles Pre-Sale,” where you can sip a drink and score undies ‘n’ more at 40-70 percent off!

The 18th annual Buckman Art Show & Sell is just around the corner (April 11th, 5-9 pm and April 12th, 10 am-5 pm). The huge fundraiser benefits Buckman Arts Elementary School, and features over 120 arists, designers, and craftspeople displaying and showing everything from dishware and jewelry to objets, toys, accessories, textiles, and more. Even better, the night of April 11th, 7 pm at the Jupiter Hotel is the Buckman Bash, a night of auctions, food, drinks, and performances from The Shins’ James Mercer and Stephen Malkmus, with openers the Well-Swung Gypsies. Plus, Andrew Dickson emcees, and the auctioned art includes work from Storm Tharpe, Jenene Nagy, Scott Wayne Indiana, and more.

(The “Perfect Trench” by participating designer Emily Katz.

UPDATE: I just got a message from Emily and she will be re-launching her Bonnie Heart Clyde line at the Buckman event, as well as selling her encaustic paintings, embedded with gemstones:

She also won’t be at the event herself until Saturday, because she along with Stewart + Brown and Toggles, will be showing the Emily Katz line in New York on the 10th at an eco-media party in conjunction with spa week. Speaking of which, make your appointments! $50 spa treatment specials from spas and salons all over town, April 14-20!

Forget your garden variety band tee, girls. Tina Richard, who designs Pastel Apparel whipped up some pieces for the Slants to use as band merch, including this pencil skirt (!) emblazoned with the band name. The line officially launches with the band’s April 28 show at Sakuracon in Seattle, but look for it on merch tables by the end of this month.

Join RACC and Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams on the third Thursday of every month for Art Spark, a new monthly mingling of artists to network, socialize, discuss, blather, applaud and plot the growth of the arts in Portland. The next Art Spark will be held on 3/20 from 5-7pm at Living Room Theaters, 341 SW 10th. Visit portlandartspark.com for more event information and to RSVP.

I hit the Glass Candy/Chromatics show on Friday night at Rotture, two of the best looking and most popular bands in town. It was crammed, and I must have run into about 70 people I know, including the Mercury news intern, who scored many points in my book when he rescued me from fighting through the crowd with two full vodka sodas that were getting jostled and sloshed by carrying them over the crowd for me. Now that’s an intern. Anyhow, Merc photog Minh Tran was there too, and was nice enough to pass on some of the images he snapped:

(Here’s Ruth. She likes it that in Chromatics all she has to do is stand there and sing and look pretty even though she can play guitar better than any of her bandmates. Don’t ever forget it, she totally shreds.)

(Here’s Johnny. He built the “deco” stage you can see in the other photos.)

(Here’s Ida, who begs the question: pigtails, yes or no?)