Black Dresses....and showing a little love to Banana

Today was a total sweater dress day. Do you have the sweater dress love? I will admit, it is hard to find the right fit, as they usually come in the alpha sizes, not numeric. But when you find one you love...mmmmmmmm...cozy... Nothing better for a chilly day - sweater dress, tights, boots...and done. And it just feels like you're wearing a big huge sweater all day. Danger areas? Either end of the spectrum - the too-tight & too-short hoochie SD, and the so big it makes you look like you are one big tea cozy SD. Last year, I got 2 great sweater dresses from Banana Republic.

(side note - any of you moms out there seen Elmo's World when he did the banana episode - and he sings ba-ba-banana, ba-ba-banana - well, it's been about 7 years and that song still pops into my head whenever I go into BR. you're welcome...)

This is one of the 2 sweater dresses from last fall. I got this one with 30% F&F last fall (so $130 less 30% = $91.) I have definitely worn it enough to be worth it and I'm not done yet. Last Christmas when we visited the in laws in NC, it was unseasonably warm, so I wore it plain with footless tights and ballet flats. And I layered it with a white or cream tee plus tights and boots all last winter. BUT...I kept wanting to get a striped tee to layer underneath because I thought that would be cute. If I do say so, I think I was right. Ta da!!

Today's outfit was the BR sweater dress from last year (in M), BR gray/white striped tee from this fall (M), black tights, flat black boots, plus some silver hoops & my Tiffany silver mesh ring from ages ago. I wore my hair down today (probably for warmth, hehe), but the dress looks really cute with hair up.

And you probably can't tell so well from the picture, but there is an inverted pleat in the front of the dress below the empire waist. So it's a great dress to wear when you might be filling the belly, so to speak. And today I had brunch at a friends' in the morning and then we went out to dinner tonight. Excellent wardrobe planning. Hubby & I took the kiddies out to a Japanese steak house for the first time and it was way fun - they loved it!! Of course, I'm sitting here in pj-sweats, because it's almost my bedtime, but the dress was a good dinner dress.

Polyvore from today:

11/6/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew bags

Items in this set:
J Crew t shirt, $33
Forever21 dress, $23
Ann Demeulemeester boots, 795 GBP
J Crew tote bag, $150
Thelook4less.net ring

And speaking of dresses... I really, truly, honestly appreciate all the feedback from everyone on the 3 Nordies dresses. I also applaud everyone for the very constructive comments. (You all didn't love all of them, which is fine - but you played nice - and I do appreciate that as well.)

I think my problem is that I am just not totally 100% feeling it with any of them. They are all very nice dresses and any of them would be fine. (yeah, I know, nice problem to have). And maybe part of the problem is that I got the 3 of them from 2 different parts of the store over 2 different shopping trips of about 15-20 minutes each, so I was rushed-rushed-rushed - and they just have some bad vibes attached. Or maybe I'm just being ridiculous and overthinking this whole thing because, this is not a problem - it's an irritation...at the most. (Thanks Jemma Ruby - ever since you posted on that, I try to hold those words close.) So it's not a problem, other than the fact that I clearly need to get a life.

If you did comment on the 3 choices, please don't feel that it was a waste of time at all (and don't shoot me)...it made me really look much closer at the dresses and figure out what did and didn't work with them.And, I have come to the conclusion that I am just prejudiced against chiffon. I don't like how it feels. Ok, lesson learned.

But I think I have found true dress love... After debating over the 3 Nordies dresses, I happened to be perusing the BR website and found the dress at right. BR Tiered Pleated Dress ($132). They are already showing this dress on the large placard in the window, but it's Holiday 03 and only Holiday 02 is in the stores - wish I hadn't needed that level of detail. So I ordered it with 25% off and it is supposed to arrive on Tuesday.

And, I believe, it combines the best of the 3 Nordies dresses - the versatility and lack of chiffon in #1 (I would totally rock this with tights and boots for a more casual look), the tiers & necklace potential of #2, and the fun & flirtiness of #3. And when I first saw it, I swooned I felt it. We'll see. I've got my fingers crossed. So should you, so that I shut up about this. Whew, it's late, I'm punchy, and I should go to bed. Here's my planned ensemble in Polyvore...let's see how it all comes out in the proverbial wash...

Idea #1 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew jewelry

Items in this set:
Banana Republic dress, $132
Gojane.com shoes, $13
J Crew necklace, $98
Banana Republic earrings, $35
SEPHORA by OPI nails, $9

Speaking of Banana Republic (coincidental timing), Slastena has an interesting post on Banana Republic today, from some spring magazine catchup - yay, I'm not the only one. Hop on over to comment - are you a Banana Fan? Or is your new theme song "Yes, we have no Bananas"?

The LBD...pick one...please?

So we have a wedding to go to next weekend. Very excited.... Because (1) being that I am 37 and hubby is 42, pretty much all of our friends have been married (at least once) so it's been 3 years since we've been to a wedding - that one was a FL beach wedding - fun fun fun. (2) Wedding is in Annapolis so my parents are coming up to watch the kiddies & we have a weekend away.

BUT...I need a dress. The lack of true cocktail functions over the past few years had caused my dressy dress supply to dwindle. And the 2 cute dresses I got last year from AT & ATL - well, they're just too big. I know, nice problem to have; I'm not complaining. But I don't want to break the bank getting a new dress. Enter Nordstrom. First of all, can I just say how much I love that store for their non-tricky pricing. It's full price...then it goes on sale and stays on sale...and that's it. No working coupons (unless you have that Nordstrom rewards Visa), or discounts, or sales on the right day - at least not that I'm aware of. And it just makes it easier because unlike Macy's, Lord & Taylor, etc, you don't worry that you are paying twice as much just by picking the wrong day to shop. Plus, Nordies doesn't put up their Christmas decorations until AFTER Thanksgiving and I really respect that.

I am planning to get...well, ok, I actually already bought (3) LBDs. It's a 6:00 wedding - not black tie (groom wanted to the rehearsal dinner to be jeans - bride nixed that one - but it's not uptight formal for sure) - so LBD is the way to go. And if I don't already have one that works, clearly that is a big vacuum in my closet. I think Tim Gunn is cringing right now.

In their latest catalog, Nordstrom had a whole section on LBDs - get this - under $150. Well hello, Nordies, you are speaking my language today. Here's the full LBD section online - lots and lots of choices (including the ones above $150, but seriously - many many many choices). And right now, Nordstrom has free shipping on orders over $100 with code HOLIDAY09 - through December 20.

Why am I boring you with the full background? Because I need some backup opinion here. Hubby & kids have weighed in. Hubby had an interesting perspective I'll mention below. But overall they liked all 3 - which is nice as I did as well. But I do need to choose. I would have loved to have my mom or sister with me for some very honest opinions and perspective, but I didn't. So I have you all. Get the rotten vegetables ready...let's go.

And it may be a long post before I'm done because I still can't figure out how to get the collagse to click-enlarge, so I'm posting lots of individual pics.

And please note utter lack of styling - hair & accessories are exactly as I wore them yesterday and shoes were too much of a bother. Plus I am employing the uber-unflattering to me full front pose, just for the info. You know how I hate that. Keep in mind, the event styling should be a vast improvement.

Dress #1 - Tahari by Authur S Levine Beaded Neck Shift Dress ($138). If you clicked over, did you notice that Nordstrom has "fit" notes with these dresses - this one says "Form-fitting at bust and hip. Runs large; order one size down." Wow, certain retailers with their wacky, inconsistent sizing should take note...you know how you are. I am very comfortable in an 8.

Thoughts on this dress - first of all, the most versatile of the 3. I can totally picture this for the wedding with strappy sandals/heels, or with a pair of black tights and pumps for a less formal occasion (or for warmth, hehe). The fabric is the most substantial since the other 2 involve chiffon. It has an interesting texture to it - horizontal ribbing - but not so straight and rigid. Hard to describe, but it's flattering and it means this dress really doesn't wrinkle.

In terms of Audry Hepburn categories, this, to me, is a Sabrina dress. I feel infinitely chic in it. I love the hemline - perfect spot on me. I don't feel like this dress is dated, or old - but I feel like it's a bit more classic than the others and I would wear it longer and probably more often. The wide beaded neckline is even more gorgeous in person. Obviously, no necklace needed - just earrings and a great bracelet.

Dress #2 - Patra Beaded Chiffon Dress ($138). Again, took an 8. This is the dress that hubby thought was pretty but was the least "me". Interesting of him to note that because I actually feel the same way. I mean, I do like it or I wouldn't have brought it home. I think it's very flattering. I love that it shoes my collarbone, which we all know is universally flattering.

The tiers of chiffon on this are very nice and are edged in jet beads. And it is way comfy - as in you could eat a huge dinner and it probably wouldn't show. (hehe, as an aside - that sentence originally said "it was way comfy" - maybe I've mentally dismissed this one already?)

Downside - Is this too young for me? Will I get tired of the tiered look? Is it going to look dated in a couple of years? It is chiffon which does always run the risk of snagging (have I mentioned what a clutz I am?) I worry that with this dress, I will love it for that one night and then not ever wear it again. I can see this with a fab dangly necklace or two...of course, they would have to be non-snagging necklaces...

Dress #3 - Taylor Dress Illusion Yoke Silk Shift Dress ($148). Again, took an 8. This is probably the most fun of the 3 dresses. And initially, it was my top choice. Back to the Audrey categories - this is a total Holly Golightly dress. The petals at the neckline and hem are just fun fun fun. I don't think you can put this dress on and be sad. Exuberant...that's the word.

Downside - first of all - the wrinkling. This is the advantage of bringing several home and trying them on a few times. I have noticed this wrinkling. It shows in my pics, esp in the sheer mesh at the top. If you click over to the Nordstrom page and really look at it, you can see the wrinkling in all their pics in the sheer mesh at the top and across the whole body of the dress. I think it may be in part due to the fact that the entire dress has the mesh overlay, but still...what does that mean for packing it? And spending part of the evening sitting down for the ceremony or for dinner, etc? Am I going to end up a big wrinkled mess? (It is so cute though.)



Polyvore of dresses:

Dress Options by HeidiGblog featuring Tahari by Arthur S. Levine dresses

Items in this set:
Nordstrom.com dress, $148
Tahari by Arthur S. Levine dress, $138
Patra dress, $138

So those are my choices. What do you think?

Back in Black - J Crew Selby bag & Tango Tank, and 212-Sephora OPI Polish

**UPDATE TO POST - I am still working on how to click on the collages to enlarge, but I added detail on the necklace/pin combo.

Happy Halloween!!

Appropriate post for Halloween, no? I'm up because I can't sleep and my stomach hurts from all the junk I ate yesterday. (Must get Lucy out of cone so we can get back to using Gentle Leader and regular walk schedule before I gain 20 pounds and my legs fall asleep.)

So here's Friday's outfit... with lots to discuss.

First up, I'll bore you with the details of the day. Halloween costume parade outside and classroom parties at school today. Way important to layer as it was chilly outside but those classrooms turn into mini-saunas with the kids running around partying, plus all the extra bodies (parents). And then I got to count out oodles of cash to room parents to reimburse them for the class parties since I'm a volunteer coordinator at the kiddies' school. Let me just say how nice it is to have Halloween a day after all the craziness at school. Very good for my sanity and everyone else's.

Now that you understand the environment, the outfit makes total sense...staring with the Viscose Tango Tank (#20061, $49.50). I had posted on it back here when I first got it at the store, and was maybe on the verge of returning it since I hadn't worn it - but I realized how perfect it is for days like today when I know I am going to need to strip down to very light clothing, but still want to look good with the layers on top. Gigi did a great review here, with links to lots of other blogger reviews as well. I love when she does that - it's so helpful to see an item on so many people and get everyone's different perspective.

I took an M, and got the heather gray, which is not online. I will say that I am mega bummed about the name change, silly as it is - I loved the name "Cupcake Top" that printed out on my receipt. Yes, I am a sucker for the cute name - probably why I hoard nail polish - they have the best names! If JC ever comes out with a garment named for my darling daughter, E, I will probably have to stockpile it.

But back to the tango top - which is a cute name in its own right - the fit on this is fantastic. The brilliance of it is that there is an empire waist seam around the top, so it's fitted right under the bust, and then follows the line of the body much more than some of the other ruffled tops have, meaning it doesn't add pounds. Plus, because it's viscose, not cotton, the ruffles themselves are a bit thinner and drapey-er - so they lay much better under cardis, etc. When the weather gets colder, I will probably layer a long sleeve tee or even a turtle underneath for warmth. And come spring/summer, I plan to wear it even more.

To layer on top, I chose my charcoal Michele - well, it's actually last year's BR version of the Michele - same cut/fit, but it's a teeny bit more substantial/thicker than my beechwood Michele - I really like that. Not seen is the usual yellow short Loft trench (which I love with all the gray). And then black Minnies and some black Target flats.

Necklace wise - I wore a double strand of F21 faux pearls with the J Crew Velvet flower pin in dark slate (#19374, orig $29.50, curr $14.99). I got mine from the "candy jar" in the front of the store. I'm sure I'll wear it as a brooch sometime, but for now, I plan to use it mostly to pin together random necklaces, a la JC catalog. But I think I'll stick to 1 or 2 necklaces, not the editorial 6 or 7. I just pinned the necklace over the 2 strands. (Thank you, cheap F12 necklace that has lots of space on the strand because it made it easier for me to do.)

And then the bag...isn't it pretty? Yes, I have officially abandoned the Campo camp for Selby-ville. J Crew Selby Satchel (#18260, $275 - I got the black on sale for $149.99) DaniBP nailed it in her comment on my last post, talking about the black and natural leather combo. That's what I really love about the bag - I think it softens the black and makes it more versatile - both season-wise and outfit-wise. Not that black isn't uber-versatile on its own, but I think it stretches it some. The full-price dark caramel that they show online is gorgeous also...just not priced quite so nicely. Regarding the straps - perfect. The handles easily go over the elbow or even the shoulder without too heavy of a coat, and the long strap works great for a cross-body look. I'm sure you can sling it over your shoulder, too, but hey, I've only had it 2 days.

The bag is lined in tan cotton, so guess what? You can actually *see* what's inside the bag - love that! I think the size of the bag is perfect for me - holds lots of stuff, but not too much. Yesterday it had the usual purse stuff, SLR camera, water bottle, bag of candy pumpkins, magazine, stack of multiple papers - and it still zipped closed just fine. I have over the years discovered that regardless of actual size, I need my bags to be "landscape" instead of "portrait." If the height exceeds the width, I won't be able to find a thing. The satchel has the usual zip pocket on 1 side and 2 stuff pockets on the other.

And now onto the fun polish...black again. This was a last-minute addition to my Sephora F&F order. (Have you done that yet? 20% off everything through Nov 2 - code is FF2009). The color is actually called 212-Sephora, created in celebration of Sephora's new 5 Times Square flagship store. (oooh, I want to go there....) It's only available at that store and online. The color is described as "smoky black with iridescent, gold, and copper glitter." Perfect Halloween polish? Oh yeah. I think this would be a very fun New Years polish, too. Oh, who are we kidding...I'll be sporting it on and off all fall/winter.

Polyvore from Friday:

10/30/09-Halloween Parties at School by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Polyvore from Thursday when I started carrying bag but didn't get pics - but you know me, I'll be wearing this outfit again sometime:

10/29/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Oh, and here's today's planned outfit for Halloween...we'll see what I really end up wearing...

Planning for Halloween by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Hope you all enjoy your day of tricks & treats!

Still Nuts About Navy

Yes, still loving the navy this week. And last week...this post includes last Friday's outfit which did not qualify for the last cardi party post. You know, since it wasn't a cardi and all that... But I think my current navy phase is entirely due to the J Crew classic stripe tissue tee (#20019, $32.50) and the tissue turtleneck tee (#17656, 39.50). They are such great fall pieces - I love the color (navy...duh) and I love the weight - soft but not too-too thin - and they layer up beautifully.

Last Friday, I pulled out my J Crew cashmere femme sweater from last winter. How many of you have this? I love love loved it last year. Love love love it again. I took an M, and if anyone wants to sell an M in another color, let me know. I really should post that on the JCA weekly exchange but well...yeah, I'll get to that. Not much blog reading this week, as it started on a real down note since Lucy was not able to shed the cone of shame. Her stitches came out, but the patch of skin above the incision that had razor burn from them shaving her tummy had gotten infected as well and even though she couldn't get to it by chewing (thanks to the cone of shame), she was able to scratch at it with her back paws - which we realized too late and it started getting worse because she was able to scratch at the (sorry to be so gross) scab to get most of it off, so that infection just continued. At least we did get the stitches out, so we are in 1 more week of cone - and now she needs a tshirt 24/7 to keep her from being able to get at it with her back paws. Funny as it sounds, we both were really down about it on Monday and Tuesday...but we have both adjusted and bounced back. We go back to the vet on Monday and I hope hope hope we will be cone & tshirt free after that. I won't actually ask you to say a prayer for my puppy, but feel free to keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer for my sanity. thanks.

Back to the outfit...honestly, I was looking for another way to show off the JC heirloom floral earrings that the lovely Summerilla passed on to me. I do really like them with the navy. However, just adding the garden pearl bracelet wasn't enough to jazz it up (esp when the bracelet is clasp-forward in the pic). I think the earrings alone were definitely more glittery in person, so I wasn't sure about adding a necklace. But photo-wise, it definitely needed something else. Ah, live & learn...that's one reason I take the pics - I learn from them too.

Polyvore from last Friday:


10/23/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Then again on Monday, more navy in the form of the tissue turtleneck tee, which I love with jeans and the cami peeking out at the hem. This time I added the confetti necklace, which I really liked with the turtle. I asm so glad I got that necklace. I believe those are the Chicos boyfriend jeans - way comfy for a day where I spent a good chunk of time at the computer working adn the rest of it moping around about the fact that my puppy & I were sentenced to 1 more week of cone-dom.

Polyvore from Monday:



10/26/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And on Wednesday...


Striped tee again. Have I worn this once a week since I got it? I'm definitely dropping its CPW (cost per wear) fast. I really could wear this about every other day. Since it was warm on Wednesday, I layered it with my navy short sleeve cardi and then added some necklaces to chunk up the neckline a bit. And I even wore my hair up (just for you FFM), which interestingly enough, works better since I got 2+ inches chopped off the ends.

Polyvore from Wednesday:



10/28/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Where's the navy train headed? I don't know...but much as I love these pieces, black may be taking a more predominant spot for a little while. Why?

Reason #1 - (hello, Halloween on Saturday)

Reason #2 - 212-Sephora polish - funky, but love it - mani'ed it tonight - pics soon, I promise.


And Reason #3, for those of you who haven't seen my Polyvores today/yesterday - this little lovely arrived at my doorstep on Wednesday....


J Crew Selby satchel in black (#18260, $orig $275, black on sale for $149.99) Can you believe I actually didn't have a black purse in my closet? I mean, I'm certainly not a bag hoarder - just a nail polish and mascara hoarder, but I actually didn't have one in black. More on the bag later - it's lovely, must post pics. I will say this - perfect!

Why am I up this early? That crazy puppy is running around the backyard with, I believe, a green tomato in her mouth. At some point, she realized that "balls" grow on the tomato plants by the side of the garage. How convenient for her. (Detached garage in back - no, I don't have tomatoes growing in my front yard. Seriously....) I'd just like to go back to bed since we have kiddie Halloween parties at school tomorrow.

And the Winner Is....

Congratulations to Kelly, who is the winner of my giveaway!

Kelly - I will send you an email shortly to get your address so that I can send you your new fabulous J Crew crystal shapes bracelet!

After copying all the names into Word from both posts to weed out dupes and get a total number...I used random.org to pick the winner. The other option was writing everyone's name on a piece of paper and letting M or E pick one - but that would have taken way too much time. Besides, if E realized that there was a sparkly bracelet up for grabs, she would probably take off with it.

I wish I had extra bracelets because I would love to share them all with you! I'll be on the lookout for another good giveaway item. (and next time, I'll snag more than 1)

Thank you all for reading!!

Don't Forget to Enter My Giveaway - Deadline Tonight!

Today has been a crazy day, so I'm not sure I'll be doing a regular post, but I wanted to remind you to enter my giveaway if you haven't already. The deadline is tonight at midnight.

(woobie - definitely enter - winning a contest doesn't violate your rules at all!)

As a reminder...here is the pretty pretty pretty Crystal Shapes bracelet I am giving away:


Contest post is here. Good luck!

Another Cardi Party?

Must be the season...so today, I inspired myself. (nice going self). Ok, actually I just completely copied a look from almost 3 weeks ago - 10/6/09. As I wrote on my Polyvore, "Wishing I could get an IRL pic but camera is in trunk of hubby's car. Sure I'll be wearing this again, though... So comfy and way cute (IMO)." I literally wore the exact same outfit today. And enjoyed it just as much.

Michele cardi in Beechwood from last year (M), the ubiquitous white tissue bf vneck tee (M) - which is about to get some competition because I just ordered my 2nd open crewneck painter tee in white, and Minnies in coal (8). Plus twisted crystal necklace, its mate from BR that has dangling crystals every inch, Dina hoops, and the crystal shapes bracelet. Speaking of which, did you enter my giveaway for that bracelet? (Not the one I'm wearing, of course, duh.) Deadline is end of the day tomorrow! I love the neutral combo of coal and beechwood with the white tee to crisp it up. When it gets colder, out come the boots, a long sleeve white tee, and maybe a scarf. And Rosa & Gingersnap - just pretend I'm wearing JC toothpicks, ok?

Polyvore from 10/6/09 - and today (seriously, it's exactly the same - I think I need to switch up accessories next time):


10/6/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Saturday...skip - hubby out of town, not enough sleep, soccer games, Target, rain, etc = Jaspe sweatshirt + jeans + pink rain boots. Not a cardi and definitely not photo-worthy.

Moving right along backwards...Friday - oops, disqualified, not a cardi...save for another post.

Thursday - Nice day - just beautiful. Jackie in spring daisy (M), white ON tank (L, and too big as it keeps stretching out - but their M's are too tight at the hem, need to find another white tank source), and Chicos boyfriend jeans. What else? Confetti necklace, FA07 dog charm bracelet, and cuff link earrings. Done.

Polyvore from Thursday:


10/22/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Wednesday - bad pics, but great outfit. Need a re-do - which I'm sure will happen as you know I repeat my outfits...often.

Tuesday - Home with sick M and infected Lucy. But at least I tried...This outfit did not photograph that well, but I really loved it in person. Maybe better accessories next time, like my red patent peep toe flats? Tissue stripe flora tee with my charcoal BR Michele-cardi-copy and Chicos slim leg jeans. I really liked the navy-charcoal combo - it might have worked better in the IRL pic with better lighting. Or chunkier necklace action. And I will once again sing the praises for the striped tee - so comfy, so cute, total winner for me. (unless you have a really short torso, and then I'm sorry)

Polyvore from Tuesday:


10/20/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Cardi party rocking on... (and don't forget to enter my giveaway)

Heidi's Beauty Bag - Mascara Report

You all know I love mascara...and I am always looking for a newer, better, more perfect option. So here are a few options I have tried out lately. And I give them all good marks, too.

1) Maybelline Pulse Perfection ($12.99 at Ulta). Ok, I actually did not try this one out in person, having tried and been rather disappointed with Estee Lauder's and Lancome's "vibrating" mascara's. (Or as my fab friend Sherry calls them "mascara with benefits", hehehe.) However, bus stop & blog buddy, snaphappy tried it and swears by it. I'll be honest - my whole issue with the vibrating mascaras is just my own impatience - I feel like it takes too long and I can swipe the wand through my lashes in half the time (swipe swipe swipe wiggle wiggle done - repeat on other eye). But...if you are a fan of the pulsars, try it out, or you haven't tried them, this is a good way to start.

2) Cover Girl Lash Blast Length ($7.79 at drugstore.com). I tried the regular Lash Blast when it came out (how cute is the big orange tube?) but the large handle on the wand just felt awkward. This one, however, I really liked. Wand is great - no clumping. It's a perfect everyday mascara. Very good length and some volume. Not a rock star look, but not everyone is looking for that.

3) L'Oreal Telescopie Explosion Mascara ($8.99 at Ulta). Seriously check out that wand. I first fell in love with that wand when Givenchy came out with their Phenomen'Eyes mascara last year - but on me, the formula was too wet and I felt like the mascara never dried and my lashes were kinda gummy. Then again, to be fair, it was August, which may not be the best time to try out a new mascara, but I still returned it. However, the brush was fab! It gets every single little lash. So I figured I would just wait until someone else came out with a similar wand. And here we are, slightly more than a year later, and L'Oreal does. Really like this mascara - it does grab every single lash. My concern about the wand was that the little mace-like tip would take forever to coat the lashes (see comment above in #1). But it really doesn't take any more time. So, 2 thumbs up for this one. Nice length & volume, minimal smudging.

4) Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara ($22). Love this. Love love love. Really truly love. Ok, I probably wouldn't have actually purchased #2 & #3 (at Walmart) if I realized the BB one would be out this soon. And I've sorta abandoned them for this one. I didn't love their Perfectly Defined mascara, that came out this summer - like the Givenchy above, it was too wet for me - it took forever to dry on my lashes and I always ended up with the little tiny black dots all over my eyes - ugh, what a mess! But the Extreme Party Mascara...first of all, how can you not love the name? In terms of application, no clumping, great length & volume with not a ton of effort. But the reason it's called "extreme party" is that formula is supposed to stay flexible so that you can reapply whenever - including hours later on your way out to a party! And guess what? So true!

I can put this on in the morning and then add another coat later in the evening and my lashes just look better and better! And I haven't had any smudging with this either. I can't believe I am about to type these words, but I do believe this works better than my beloved YSL Faux Cils, especially because you can reapply later. The timing of this release is perfect, especially with all the holiday parties coming up in the next few months.

I do realize the irony of my typing about party mascara on a Saturday night at 10:00 pm as I sit here watching Rachel Zoe in my sweaters, hehehe, but what can I say - hubby out of town (bachelor party in Vegas), so I'm not a bachelorette myself, I'm a single mother this weekend. Fortunately, 1 soccer game was cancelled this afternoon due to the monsoon, so we had a quiet afternoon/evening - which is good since tomorrow is going to be CUH-RAZY! Many props to anyone who can do this, and I'm not trying to be flip here, I promise - I am exhausted. Of course, it's my own fault because after I caught up on Project Runway last night, instead of going to bed like I should have, I was sucked into watching The Negotiator with Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey. Have you all seen that? Love love love that movie - both actors are just fantastic on their own - but together...AMAAAAAZING. It gets me every time.

So tell me about your fave mascaras. I know GingerSnap loves her L'Oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes and yogagirl is nuts about her Lorac.

The Cone of Opportunity

Since so many of you were kind enough to inquire after the health of by babies, furbaby & humans...I can well you the health barometer in the G household continues to rise. M was fever-free yesterday morning and is back at school today. And Lucy...well, Lucy is back to being a rambuctious (that's the nice way of saying obnoxious) 10-month-old Labradoodle.

When she's not running around crazy, she can be very lazy...

And I'm probably the only person I know who keeps a towel by the back door to clean my dog's face when she comes in (big fan of the sandbox).

As most of you know, Lucy is in the cone of shame because she got spayed the previous Monday, the incision got infected because of 4 straight days of rain, and then this past Monday, she was put on an antibiotic for 10 days and sentenced to the cone of shame and "quiet" until next Monday when she gets the stitches out. And it can't come soon enough.

This was how we started post-surgery...

The tshirt worked pretty well....

(told you she liked the sandbox)

...until all the rain - did I mention 4 days straight? It seemed like so much longer...

So back to the cone it was. However, once she adjusted, she was doing fine. And the antibiotic kicked in because after 36 hours of it, BAM, obnoxious 10-month-old puppy was back. Stealing socks, destroying shrubbery in the back yard, digging holes in the sandbox. She can do anything with the cone except eat. It even helps camouflage the shoe she has in her mouth that she is running around with. Yes, running. Darn it, give me back my navy patent flat!

I was able to keep her quiet for about a day and a half. But she's back. And she is wielding that cone like a weapon. Thank goodness it's long-pants-weather or I would have bruises on my calves from the number of times that cone knocks into me. And she's not shy about shoving that cone right in your face or your lap when she wants attention. Oh yes, she has adjusted.

She sleeps comfortably.

She figured out how to get to her bone. (3rd appearance here, yes, it's her favorite)

And her other toys.

But if nothing else, the cone makes a nice backdrop for a portrait.

Moving Minnies into Fall...

J Crew Minnies (#18850, $79.50). Do I really need to wax poetic about them again? Fun in the warm weather with a tee and flats or sandals. But now that the weather is getting cooler (I say ironically as we are going to have a high of 74 degrees today)...such a great fall/winter pant. Yes, they are cropped as can be on me...but that's why God invented boots. Or someone did.

I took an 8 in the Minnies, and they have worked quite well. I *did* wash them - both pairs (coal & black) last week and they bounced back just fine. I did a delicate wash with some other dark clothes (like fine gauge sweaters and tissue tees) and used Woolite - or rather Target's generic version. Then I put them in the dryer for about 5 minutes on fluff and laid flat on a drying rack. I don't think they shrank at all; they just went back to original shape. So yes, you can wash your Minnies - this may be especially good news for those of you who got the british khaki color. Also, in case you didn't read it here or elsewhere already, they are available in store in navy.

Here are a couple of my latest Minnie looks for fall.


(left) Wednesday, 10/14 - Cool day but not too cold, so still sticking the ballet flats. This sweater is one of the cuddliest I own - from Ann Taylor Holiday 2007. It's just like a big hug. Pairing it with a more fitted tee and the black skinny Minnies helps manage the bulk.



10/14/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

(middle 2 pics) Thursday, 10/15 - Cold & rainy (the start of the weekend deluge...) All I can tell you is that my feet stayed warm and dry all day in the Minnies & boots. So comfy! And the Minnies stayed totally tucked into the boots all day. Will be a winter staple, that's for sure. Here I have the chunky star cable popover with the coal Minnies. I have to say that I am thrilled with this outfit. You know how you try on a piece of clothing and sometimes you have an instant outfit pictured in your mind? When I first tried on the Minnies, this was the exact outfit I pictured. Hope you like it...you'll be seeing it a lot this winter. I do love the bracelet sleeves of this sweater - perfect for showing off something sparkly (just like the one in my giveaway - have you entered?), but a long sleeve tee or turtle will later perfectly underneath later when it's colder. And that's the Kate Spade purse I got at the outlet last December. I have no idea what it's name is or whether it's "real" retail or outlet only, but I love the combo of the brown leather with the dark brown patent trim. And it's lined in leopard, so it's always fun to peek inside. (and dina will probably fuss if I forget to mention the Dina hoops, so yes, I am wearing them too.)

10/15/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


Saturday, 10/17 - Still cold, raining, etc, etc, etc.... Minnies & boots again for sure! This time, coal Minnies with black boots - plus cream cashmere long sleeve tee. Again, my toesies were warm & dry all day long, thank you very much. Kept the jewelry simple with stud earrings and a pocket watch necklace - mine is from AT Loft a couple of years ago. And yes, I'm pretty sure I had at least 3 cups of tea that day.

10/17/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Up tomorrow...Minnies for 80-degree days. Just kidding...I think it's only supposed to get to 79.