C is for Cashmere....(and cashmere is for me....)

Yes, I have kids but I remember Cookie Monster's song from when I was little.  Well...as a grown-up...today it was "c is for cashmere".  Fall has officially arrived - with cold and rain.  Down to the 40's tonight.  Yeeps.  We actually turned the heat on tonight and I gave our bed its usual fall makeover, swapping out the percale sheets and thermal blanket for flannel sheets, fuzzy blanket and a down quilt on top.  Yum...can't wait to go to bed tonight.

It was definitely a day where I was thankful that I do work from home, as I was hanging out in a big cozy sweatshirt.  And then tonight, I had a PTA chair dinner to attend, so cashmere was the only way to go.   Out came last winter's dark slate cashmere turtleneck (yes, I was that chilly, size M btw) plus black Minnies (8T) and black Born Lovely flats, and a stack full of bracelets - crystal shapes, gold link, crystal supernova.  It gave a little sparkle to the outfit.  (Any sparkle will do. It's a great base outfit for pretty much any kind of accessorizing.) 

Then some gold hoops and a ponytail and I was good to go.  Anyone else read the Percy Jackson series?  Yes, I am a 38-year-old woman and I like to read some juvenile fiction.  I say it's just because of the kids...  Anyway, in the 3rd or 4th book, where the author starts talking about the "Party Ponies"?  Always makes me think of this hairdo.  It's my party pony (in other words, my hair's been down all day and I need to do something different with it).

To recap the evening - lots of fun catching up with friends.  And I stayed cozy the whole time.  Success!  I may have to pick up another one this season.  I'm digging that heather cobblestone and heather saddle color.  Sigh, I know, more neutrals.  Maybe I need to swing over to the warm honey.  We'll see.  But it's late and I'm itching to crawl into my cozy bed.  Good night!

Polyvore from this evening:

10/4/10 by HeidiGblog featuring crystal bracelets

An Even "Skinnier" Alternative, plus Pics of the Knox

As I have mentioned time and again, I am a big fan of Chico's jeans. Even at JC, I find the waistband is too low plus too big leading to muffin top plus big gape at the back. Sure, I could get jeans tailored, but I'd rather find a pair that fits really well to start with. I blogged about the Chico's Platinum Denim Slim Leg Jeans a couple of months ago. And I have been loving them...but when I ordered, they no longer had the blue washes in the 35" inseam, so I just grabbed the regular inseam in store and have been wearing them cuffed with flats or tucked into boots.

New Find - even skinnier jeans from Chico's. I'll admit right up front that I was bold enough to try these because (1) they actually had my size - 0.5 - in the 35" inseam in the "Rinse Wash" - now of course, they are sold out and (2) I had a 50% any item if purchase is $50+ - usually the threshold is $100 - so I got these for half price. Behold..Chico's Platinum Denim Ultra Slim Leg Jean ($69). I think even my sister would be impressed at how skinny these jeans are.

Speaking of my sister - a huge Happy Birthday to my twin & birthday-mate. I can't think of anyone I'd rather share a birthday with, other than Donny Osmond, which we do - and when we were 10 years old, that was just so cool. And since I can't sleep, it's 2:34 am, which is about 2 minutes after you arrived, and 1 minute before I did. Those blissful 3 minutes when our mom thought she would only have to deal with 1 baby. Ah, the days before ultrasound...

Back to the jeans...I am very happy with the fit. I like the higher waistband because it kinda holds everything in so there's no muffin top or gaping. I do realize that on some, this waist would be too high, but on my rectangular form, it works. I took a size 0.5, which is supposed to equate to a 6 (yeah, whatever), but I find in their stretchy jeans & pants, it's best to size down because they will stretch out.

I still need to experiment with which tops work best. A long cardi is kind of a no-brainer. I had on the tango top with a long sleeve tee layered underneath and just wasn't feeling it this morning. The biggest pitfall to avoid is the Stacy & Clinton ice cream cone effect, aka ICE. (ICE where the top part of your bottom half is really wide, and your pants narrow down to really skinny at the bottom - your ankles may look tiny by comparison...but your behind - by comparison - looks huge. ICE is best managed through trouser or straight cuts.) But I think these are workable by choosing the right top half. And even if I only wear these with long sweaters & tees, hey, they were under $40 - so I'm not complaining.

Yesterday, I opted for my BR Michelle-twin, a white open neck painter tee and then piled on some gold/sparkly necklaces including the should-have-picked-one-that-doesn't-snag twisted crystal with my dangling crystal shapes bracelet. Simple, yes...but it really suited my mind frame and you know the drill - toss on the yellow Winnie coat and the outfit goes to fab immediately.

Polyvore for today:


12/8/09 - What I really wore... by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
Women's Merino Sweaters & Cardigans - J.Crew, $88
Women's knits & tees - textured knits - Open crewneck painter tee -..., $30
Head to Toe with Heidi: Winnie Love
Chico's - Platinum Denim Ultra Slim Leg Jean, $69
Mossimo® Desta Ballet Flats - Black : Target, $20

And on the subject of charcoal sweaters...melissa molasses asked for an IRL pic of the J Crew Knox sweater jacket (#18172, orig $132, curr $49.99 in store). This sweater is sold out online, but still pops back. Most stores seem to have a number of them back in the sale section. I stalked this one for a while, waiting for the price to drop.

I haven't yet gotten a pic when I've worn it as an actual outfit - but here's the pic from just after purchase. Love the sweater - very warm. It's a very tight knit, so it's less likely to snag. And (not pictured) even though it's double breasted, it still looks very cute open. I was paging through the JC Oct catalog and the model was wearing it open...but I can't quite remember what else she had on though.

I took an M. It's not tight, but I feel like it's streamlined enough to not be boxy. The sleeves are plenty long. You could consider sizing down in this, depending on your shoulders. I think the sweater is very versatile and plan to wear it a lot this winter. The only thing that I'm still working on is the best neckwear when the sweater is closed. A regular "shirt" would be great. But I feel like it needs something extra when wearing with a tee - but I haven't figured out which necklace works well, or if a scarf might be better. In fact, the last time I wore it, that was vexing me, so I just wore it open. Ah well, plenty of time to experiment.

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)

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.

My First Giveaway

Only 10 more to go, but I couldn't wait until post #200. And let's be honest...I've been a bit slack for the last couple of months compared to when I was first starting out blogging...and I don't want you to wait until November for this.

My first blog giveaway ever (drumroll, please)......is the J Crew crystal shapes bracelet.

top pic by Slastena, or at least I swiped it from her Polyvore

Here's the full story on this bracelet and how patience can occasionally pay off. I first coveted it when the lovely Summerilla got it as a present from her wonderful bf who is such a great guy that he paid full price for it (total keeper, I tell ya). I again admired it when the lovely Slastena got it on sale the day we had our JCA brunch in Friendship Heights.

So imagine my shock, surprise, and utter glee when I popped into a B&M a couple of weeks later, only to find out that the bracelet had been marked down AGAIN to $9.99. I scooped up the only one in the jewelry candy jar by the register right away and have been enjoying it every since.

But THEN I went down to Tysons, where it was still on display in the jewelry case. So I nonchalantly asked the SA to check on the price - again she came back with "OMG you *have* to get this, it's $9.99!" (and then told the other SAs who, I believe, stashed the rest away so they could purchase - not that I blame them - they would get them for $%!!!) Why did I need a 2nd bracelet? Well, 2 of these would be smashing together. But really...I thought it would be a nice giveaway for my readers...especially those of you who haven't bailed through all my mini blogging breaks. (See, I tell myself I'm doing you a favor and not clogging up your Google Reader.)

So what are the rules of the contest? Simple. Leave me a comment below with your email address so that I can contact you if you win. 1 entry per person.

I'm going to limit shipping to US & Canada only. (sorry) If you are a follower, that's wonderful, and you made my day. If you want to post about this on your blog, great. But still 1 entry per person to keep it easy (for me).

And if you want to add a comment about what you like or don't like about my blog, or what you would like to see more or less of, feel free. I love feedback.

Good luck!

**Oops - forgot to add the deadline - You have until the end of the day on Monday, October 26 to enter.

*** One more update - If you aren't comfortable leaving your email address, feel free to send me a message on Polyvore.