Today's Outfit and the Story of the $2 Purse

Another bit of spring for you - although today was pretty Spring-like here, with the sunshine and warmer temps. (Tonight, though - 40 degrees and rain, whatever... Ugh!) So here are the tulips I picked up at the store yesterday - they always need a day to settle in the vase - I love that they totally match the polka dots on the vase! Tulips are one of my most favorite flowers. I love how they still continue to grow and twist and turn after you put them in water.

So, um, yeah, I wore another cream sweater today. What can I say? It's a favorite color and it always looks good on me. But today's sweater is the J Crew Tartine cardi in snow. This one was $19.99 online, with the 20% off to counteract the shipping. It's so thin that it's great for a day like today. And yes, I did brave it with Lucy, but I took her on 2 nice walks this morning, before and after PT, so she was wiped all day long. Tired puppy = good puppy.

Ok, yeah, cream sweater, whatever. Navy tank, Chicos jeans, pink patent Clarks peep toes to show off the navy toes, and then some sparkle. I love this necklace combo - it's Anthropologie's typeset initial necklace with J Crew's twisted crystal necklace doubled. Fun and sparkly. Plus a few bracelets. Not quite as blah anymore. But if anyone has some suggestions about what *else* to put under the Tartine cardi (other than my usual cami or tank), I would love to hear!! To me, the bracelet sleeves, with something this sheer can be a little tricky when it comes to layering.

And I finally remembered to get a pic of the short yellow trench from AT Loft. This color always makes me happy. And it definitely perks up any outfit. Love it with navy, gray, tan, pretty much anything. So it was perfect for yesterday's rainy, nasty day!! (Dina - makeup inspired by Vanessa in the Paris JC catalog - reddish lips, heavy (heavier) on the eyeliner. Fun, fun!)

In other wardrobe news, pulled out my warm white purse in honor of the spring weather. Now, I'm not one of those girls who change out their purse all the time. I'm just too lazy. I hate to totally rearrange purses that often. But this purse has a special story. I got it for $2 in cash from Ann Taylor. And it will forever be famous. I coveted it at the original price of $199, then it was marked down to $99 online. In I went to the store with my 30% F&F coupon, and asked about the purse. They checked and in spite of the misinformation on the price tag, yes, it was marked down in store as well. I had a sweater to return that was a gift but unfortunately had arms that were too short (or mine were too long). And I had 2 $20 reward certificates. So let's do the math, shall we?

$199, marked down to $99, take off 30%, credit of $34.99 or so, $40 in reward certificates = you owe us exactly $2.

I handed over my 2 $1 bills and walked out with this purse. Now I have several nice purses that I really love, but I don't think anything will ever truly take this one's place in my heart.

Today's Outfit and Mall Outing

First...a little dose of spring for you. Haven't had a chance to pick up pansies to put in pots, but I did grab a hanging basket of violas for next to the garage (we have a detached garage out back). I always love a bit of color here. So nice to see the sweet yellow flowers, especially on a yucky, gray, rainy, chilly day like today. Memo to spring: where did you go?

My mom came up last night to visit and meet Lucy and we went to the mall to run around and have some lunch. I did return the 2 ON striped sweater jackets (and the medium tall is on its way to me, thank you, FFM!). And I didn't buy one more thing. I really and truly wasn't tempted. I checked out the new Chanel Spring polishes, but naw, not that great. I browsed by the shoes at Nordstrom on our way to the Nord Cafe but mostly out of idle and not targeted curiosity. And I wasn't even interested in J Crew because (squeeee) can't wait for our DC JCA outing on Sunday. The desire just wasn't there. I think this is a big step for me.

But it's chilly, gray, rainy, icky - yes, I know I already said that. So what to do...cashmere, please. Pull out the J Crew cashmere long sleeve tee, add trusty Chicos jeans and these cute Clarks Artisan red patent peeptoes (insanely comfy). When we went out, I put on my yellow AT Loft short trench from last spring (need to add that pic sometime), which always totally bumps up the color of an outfit. So yellow coat and red shoes - much more colorful than this pic here. I'm working on the color thing....

Then I need a great necklace. I had to do a close up pic of this one. I love the mix of metals. It's so sparkly. Isn't it fab? Well, of course it is because fab friend Sherry picked it up for me at the jewelry show in NOLA when she was there for Mardi Gras (so pre shopping ban, thank you). I will say that I did think about it before I emailed back a "yes, get it" after she sent the pic. It wasn't immediate.

And here's your Lucy pic for the day. Well, 2 pics actually, because I couldn't choose. I love the one of her looking down because it's so puppy-ish, but the look-at-the-camera pic really shows here eyes - she just look so old there! And the detail in the outside pics is so much better. Funny Lucy story for you all...when my mom got here late last night, we were hanging out in the family room. She was playing with Lucy and said "Where does her brown nose come from, the poodle or the Lab?" Hubby and I both looked at each other and in unison said "The dirt." Well, it made me laugh. I'm still giggling thinking about it...

Closet Update and Outfit of the Day

Well, I started the closet project this weekend, dipping my toe in the water. I got through "skirts". Yes, that's the smallest category. I have to get through the closet this week since I have an appointment at the consignment shop this Friday. See my start here of 4 bags - consign now, consign summer, consign fall/winter, and donate. I am well on my way. I would have liked to have continued today but I had to go into the office for a few hours in the middle of the day. So there goes the free time while the kids are at school.

But in a flash of inspiration or insanity (take your pick), I pulled ALL of the pants out of the closet, still on hangers, and dumped them on my bed. So I pretty much have to go through them now. Oh, the tricks we are forced to play on ourselves...

Anyway, as I was going through the closet, I realized it had been a while since I wore on of my most favorite J Crew finds from Fall 08 - the pintuck jersey scoop neck tee in Cool Charcoal. I love this color. And I love that it has some wool in it so that I'm not freezing in just a thin knit. (I'm always, always cold.) So that's what I pulled out to wear today. Plus the trusty Chicos jeans, a sparkly necklace, and Clarks Clearlake flats (so comfy).

On another note, I think I have found my guide for this whole Lenten shopping ban/closet clean out experience on Rachel's blog, My Fashion Chronicle. Here's the post for the full description, but she summarizes the goals of her shopping ban as:

1. Reinvent my wardrobe.
2. Make my clothes work for me.
3. Pare down number of items.
4. Discover actual needs.

I think it's brilliant. Very wise, indeed, and words to live by.

What is your mantra right now, shopping-wise?

J Crew French Terry Double Zip Hoodie

It seems odd, with the approaching snow tonight, to be writing about the J Crew French Terry Double Zip Hoodie (item #12661, $49.50). Because that, my friends, is probably going to become my throw-on-top-of-everything summer staple. I tried it on over a few outings before I finally purchased. But I am so glad I did. (Mardi Gras purchase #3, and that concludes the J Crew portion of the Mardi Gras shopping.)

I got the dark charcoal but I included the model pic so that you can see the pockets and other features better. And I honestly debated about the color, as I liked both the light pewter and the white. In the end, I decided that a dark color would last a whole lot longer between washings, and I wouldn't be as concerned about setting it down somewhere.

I love the double zip, especially since it hits a little lower than the traditional hoodie. Plus that additional few inches in the length elongate the figure a bit. Us non-models can always use a bit of help in that department.

The fabric is very soft. A perfect weight for a spring/summer topper - not too heavy, but not too light or thin. It has pockets - always a bonus. And they're quite cute with the top flap and all.

One of the my favorite features about the hoodie is the collar - you can see it best in this picture - it has a full collar all the way around, with the hoodie coming out over it. Just a nice extra feature that your standard hoodie is usually not equipped with.

Size-wise, I took a large. Honestly, the large and medium looked the same, so I figured I would go with the large to allow a little extra wiggle room with potential dryer shrinkage.

And the sleeves. They are actually long enough. Amazing! (Remember, I did take a large.) But they looked really, really cute folded up in a cuff, so if you have shorter arms, that would work, too. The sleeve is finished in a

I wore the hoodie this past Friday with a shell tissue boyfriend vneck tee, jeans, and my new Clarks Clearlake flats (see earlier post). And I layered my Anthro typeset initial necklace with the JCrew twisted crystal necklace doubled for a little sparkle.

Aren't these shoes cute? I love them!

Life's Too Short for Ugly Shoes

Sitting here watching the Oscars, I started thinking about all the fantastic high heels that the girls, and for all I know, some of the boys, wear. (Remember when the South Park guys showed up at the Oscars dressed as Gwyneth and J Lo? Ok, I'm dating myself, but it was great.)

So I've really been trying to reform my shoe habits. And considering the foot surgeries my mother and sister have both had, I probably should be concerned. Starting this past summer, I virtually eliminated my flip flop wear (I miss you, my cute, fun JC flip flops!). But the different in my feet was amazing! But when fall started and I started wearing my totally unsupportive Target ballet flats (even with the tacky gel insole - but it works, I tell ya!), I started having occasional pain on the top of my foot. And my Dansko clogs, much as I love them, just aren't what I want to wear everyday. Then again, maybe I should have gotten the leopard patent pair that my sister and my friend, Laura, have. And I have a wide foot up front that's narrow at the heel, so it's not always easy to find shoes that fit. Much as I love JC, most of their flats and heels are just too narrow in the toe box. This year, I am on the lookout for cute shoes that are actually supportive and (gasp) comfortable. So far, I have found 2 winners over the past month.

#1 - Clearlake by Clarks Artisan. (Yes, Clarks.) They have a small heel to offset my usual flat wearing - always good to switch up your heel height! As you would expect from Clarks, they have some nice padding and support. But they are so cute on! This is the light pink patent. The bummer is that I've only worn them once so far as the weather has been too chilly. But come spring, I'll be all over these. They fit in perfectly with the nude trend for spring that JCrew and others have been showing us. I may even consider the gray leather version, except, of course, I don't need another pair of peep toes, much as I love them, since it is winter.

#2 - Inspiration by Aerosoles. I got these a couple of weeks ago. They look great with a dress and a pair of black opaque tights. I wore them for 2 parties over the past few weekends with said dresses, and they worked. Enough heel to be fun, but not so much that some of my shorter hemlines looked trashy. I'm an a-line mini over a pencil skirt kind of girl - works better on my shape. I definitely thing the black patent is best in these, since they give it a little more pep than the flat black. They are insanely comfortable and I am actually planning to wear them to school tomorrow to volunteer in my kids' classes. THAT's what we call a true road test!

So, what are some of your favorite comfy but cute & chic shoes?