More Cardis...Matchy, Matchy...

Let me tell you a funny story. Once upon a time there was a nice girl who liked clothes very much. She married a wonderful man and then had an adorable baby boy...and then she got pregnant with a baby girl and that wonderful husband laid down the law: "No matching outfits." I think it may have been said even before the actual labor & delivery.

This is much funnier when you're not the mom. And clearly that was me, and I have pretty much paid heed. Hubby doesn't ask for much in terms of attire from us. But then....what happens when you get 2 fabbie hand-me-down Lilly Pulitzer cardis from your sister-in-law for your darling little girl and they happen to be the exact shade of 2 cardis that you happen to have in your closet? You got it - matchy matchy time.

First up, the muted aqua faux-Jackie from ATL. I love these cardis just as much as my JC Jackie. Fit is a little different, but different is good, right? I wore this aqua-ish one on Monday since E was wearing her mini-me version for the 1st day of school. That's right - the 1st day of school - you would have thought I would have been blogging more, huh? Yeah, me too. (Work deadline, what can I say?)

E loved that she and I had on the same cardi - just as she loved it when I got similar Target shoes to hers...of course I'm not wearing them since I'm still trying to heal my heel. (Flip flops through the weekend and them I'm done, my feet are tired!)

I wore the cardi with a white tissue bf tee, outlet matchstick jeans, and an ATL scarf that matches the cardi. My daughter loved it, so it was a good outfit. 1st day of school went well for everyone, except that M is bitter that he has had homework all week and E hasn't. I adopted the twin message of "Life isn't fair, deal with it" and "Wait until next week, she'll have homework every night, too."

Such a good mom I am. At least neither one has asked for purple hair...yet. (Kathy - I especially loved the dual perspective on your post, it was hilarious. I have been on 1 side and anticipate being on the other side very shortly.)

Polyvore from Monday

Wearing Today-8/31/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

The weather has been gorgeous this week, did I mention that? Not too hot, not too chilly. So I've been loving the chance to wear sweaters this week and not swelter in the heat. Wednesday was not exactly matchy matchy, as I was sporting the cardi color that E wore the day before. Give us time though... So glad I got the spring daisy Jackie - I just love this color. I'm quite sure it will look ghastly on me mid-winter (I mean literally, it will totally wash me out and make me look like a corpse or zombie), but it's fantastic for now and fall, when I still have a little wore-SPF-but-got-some-color-anyway. Plus it's perfect with my Cocteau tote.

Under the cardi, I wore a tissue bf tee - but a *crew* neck one. I really should grab 1 or 2 of these next time I order online. Love them as much as the vneck, and it's nice to have another option...especially when the weather gets chillier. This one is dark slate or charcoal or whatever.

And then white jeans. Patina had a fun post yesterday about wearing white outside of Labor Day, and I say wear it as much as you want. I love white jeans with thick, cozy sweaters - I think they chic up some sweaters and give you a different look. White outside of summer is all about fabric weight. Linen = no. Thicker denim, wool = yes. Simple.

Totally neglected the accessories on this one. Ah well, what can you do? I think this was day 1 of flip flop wear, so I was focused on the feet and the gaping wound on my heel.

Polyvore from Wednesday:

Wearing Yesterday-9/2/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Short Sleeve Cardis This Week

Catching up... let's start with 2 outfits this week - both with short sleeve cardis. Here's today's outfit - the new linen short sleeve cardi that I got at the Tysons JCA event and my new (totally on sale) cafe capris in golden hickory. I am very glad I kept these capris, they are such a fun, offbeat color for a neutral. This cardi is going to be such a fantastic transition piece; right now it's perfect for going over all the tissue bf tees that I have...and today it was a white one. Plus the confetti necklace for more white/cream tonal...whatever. Eh, I felt like wearing it. And I have on my JC fleur de lis flip flops from 2007, I think, which happen to match the pants perfectly.

Yes, me, wearing flip flops and my feet miss being strapped in, especially when I walk Lucy. I am recovering from some major blistering on the back of my left heel that I got Tuesday and then exacerbated yesterday...so flip flops for a few days. Of course, most of my JC flip flops are a couple of years old, so not to be found in PV. No worries, I'll just have barefoot PV sets for a few days.

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today-9/3/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Here's the other short sleeve cardigan, from Tuesday. I wore my nave blue one with a white shirt underneath. I liked how it worked. A little something different. I paired this cardi with a long sleeve white tee last spring, but hadn't done it with a shirt.

Add in simple matchstick jeans and Danielle flats, plus fireball necklace.

I *started* the day with my Clarks pink peep toes - they started the blister, which yesterday's pre-flip-flop shoes exacerbated. The things we do to ourselves, ugh. Maybe I just need to start buying expensive shoes.

New nail polish on toes - Give Me Moor. Need to post this one - fun color! perfect for fall.

Polyvore from Tuesday:

Wearing Today-9/1/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

I only have 2 short sleeve cardis, so that's it for this post. And I promise to get nail color pics up soon.

Summer Fun

Lots of summer fun for you today. I had 2 mini-deadlines for work, both of which were for today, and was done by 1:30 pm - yay! So I am posting again, and will get to comments on the last post, I swear.

First up...flip flops! My friend, Laura, came over yesterday afternoon to trim M's hair (she's a lady of many talents) - he's growing it out - very Zac Efron-ish - but it needed some evening up in the back. And as soon as she walked in the door, I practically pounced on her shoes - check out these adorable flip flops she got from the Crewlet (Leesburg). Love the gray. Love the flower. Love it all. I may actually start wearing flip flops again if I can snag a pair of these. And check out her cute toenails, sporting OPI Hearts & Tarts (from the Spring 2007 SoftShades Garden Party collection - I think I have this one also, but my fave from that collection is Just Tea-sing, which I was wearing up until yesterday on my fingers). Anyway...admire her cute feet.

Ok, did you admire? She wears a size 10, folks, and if those flip flops can make her feet look cute, dainty, and petite, imagine what they can do for yours. (I think it's a 10, it could be an 11. I'm a size 9 so I am totally a member of the big-feet club, too.) Anyway, rush to the Crewlet, you all need a pair of these in your closet.

Next bit of summer fun - as a work-break yesterday, I made some gazpacho. I love gazpacho! This is my recipe - it's actually from one of my mom's Richmond cookbooks, and it always turns out great, no matter what I switch out.

Super Fantastic Gazpacho

2 tsp chopped chives
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
½ cup tarragon vinegar (can substitute white wine vinegar)
3 cups tomato juice or V-8 (I use low-sodium V-8)
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped fresh tomato
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1 ½ cups chopped cucumber

Mix all ingredients. Pulse in blender/food processor for finer chop (which I always do). Refrigerate.

Serves 10.

My chef notes - I don't really measure anymore, I just use these as guidelines. Yesterday when I made it - I used 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained, since the ones in the produce section aren't great yet (plus the cans were cheaper), I used a mix of grilled red onion/yellow & orange peppers/cherry tomatoes left over from Sunday night kebabs, and I was totally out of onion, so I added the rest of the red onion and lets some dried minced onion soak in the vinegar to reconstitute before I made it. Like I said, it's really foolproof. (and ummmmm, you can also dip chips into it, not that I would *ever* reduce the health benefits by treating it like salsa...)

So yesterday, I spent the kids' camp time working like crazy (and stayed up past midnight) and my Polyvore set is below. It really wasn't worth taking a picture for you, trust me. Summer fun includes hanging out and being casual - and dressing to take your puppy for a long walk (I wore sneakers for that, duh).

Wearing Today-7/14/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And then today's outfit. Hot summer day - not that I can complain, it's still way more temperate than our summers usually are. But it was warm, so a perfect day for the dressy jersey strapless dress. Now, I love this dress, but do you wonder why J Crew refers to some of their dresses as "dressy"? The dressy jersey ruffle sleeve dress, the dressy jersey strapless dress, and so on. My search for "dressy dress" on JC turned up 6. Seriously. Are they going to carry "crappy dresses" too? Just wondering...

But anyway, paired with Danielles and some gold & rose gold jewelry - easy, breezy, cool. What more can I say? The dress is still $29.99 on sale in store and online, snatch one up (it will work with Laura's flip flops, I swear!)

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today-7/15/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And a HUGE Happy Birthday to my sweet little girl, E, who turns 7 today!!

Lots of Shoes - plus More Havaianas Info, by Request

Ok, I'll start out with the Havaianas since at least 2 of you commented about them a couple of posts ago. First of all, these are not the regular Havaianas flip flops. Granted, their flip flops are pretty fab. And quite famous among the model/actress set. They are made of a softer rubber than most flip flops and don't streteh or lose their shape, and the toe piece is more comfortable. Or so I've heard because I don't actually have a pair of the regular flip flops.

What I do have is the "Fit" flip flop, which retails for $30. The key with this one, and where it differs from other flip flops is that it has the strap that goes around the back and that makes it so so so much better for your foot. You've heard that flip flops are the bane of podiatrists in the summer, right? (Or biggest business generator.) Now, I love flip flops as much as the next girl - esp the J Crew ones which are so insanely comfortable. But I found that by limiting my flip flop wear last summer - really just trading them in for flat sandals with a back strap, even without much support, did so much to help my feet. Considering the foot surgery my mom had last spring, I was understandably spooked as bad feet run strong along the maternal line in my family.

Here's the IRL pic on my feet. And I can vouch that they are really comfy to wear. These will be my go-to beach, pool, river, chill out, hang out shoe for summer. They come in black and the sand gray/golden (tan-ish). I love the tan-ish, and I think it works with silver or gold just fine. Again, I highly recommend. If you have specific questions on them, please let me know.

I got a few other pairs of shoes last week that I wanted to discuss. First of all, let's start with the J Crew patterned fabric and grosgrain flip-flops (#67243, $12.99 in store). I love the constellation print and the ribbon. But I may take these back. I was primarily thinking that these would be perfect for 4th of July with the navy jersey dressy strapless dress...and then thought about it and realized that I would still probably wear the Havaianas, esp if we are doing a lot of walking around, as we tend to do in Reedville for the town's Independence Day celebration. I love small town holidays, they are the best - we always go to the River for the 4th. So, in spite of the excellent price, I think these are going back as I just don't need them. And seriously, the pile of other JC flip flops I have that I don't wear very often - it's sinful. If I really want some JC flops for the 4th, I have the really cute ones from 2 years ago (I think), that were blue/white strip with rosy red sailboats.

Other pair of shoes from JC are these...the Danielle sandal, which are sold out on the website. I got these for $59.99 at Tysons in the warm blush. I am still a little iffy on these as the foot bed is just flat and not padded at all, but the straps are really comfy and I can actually pull the ankle strap over my heel without unbuckling - and as lazy as I am, that's always a big plus for any sandal. (Yes, all the sandals you see me wear do that. I have yet to find a sandal that I love enough to re-buckle and un-buckle every time I wear them.) If anyone has any info on the comfort of these, I would love to hear.

The 3rd pair of shoes I got last week are the Target Xhilaration Tayler Flat Sandals in champagne ($16.99). I think these would be a really great neutral shoe for summer, especially with the recent demise of the Samala peep toes, but I'm wondering if I really need it, since I have the Havaianas and the Danielles above, assuming I keep them. Of course, I love how I'm going through all this, and the 2 pairs of shoes I am thinking of returning are, of course, the 2 least expensive.

And then just for nostalgia...these are the beloved Liz Gladiator sandals by Isaac Mizrahi for Target from last summer. I lived in these in the bronze and the black last summer. Not a ton of cushioning and support, but super comfy since they stay on the foot so well. I had even re-ordered the black ones mid-summer since I wore mine to death. Wish I'd known about Isaac jumping ship so that I could have stocked up. Sniff, sniff, miss you at Target, Isaac! Your shoes were the best!

Thoughts on the shoe story?

And then, I haven't had a chance to post the outfit on Friday that inspired the whole shoe discussion (yeah, I've been meaning to post on this since then...) It was our last day of chilly rain. I liked Thursday's outfit so much (library shawl cardi, jeans, white tee) that I pretty much replicated it on Friday. I do find that the library shawl and the beechwood Michelle cardi are pretty much interchangeable in most outfits - Thursday and Friday included. I was at home on conference calls most of the day, so comfort (and warmth) were key. Of course, I started out the day with my garden clogs for taking kids to the bus and then walking Lucy. I swapped out for the Havaianas for the rest of the day. And since we're on shoes...I have to show you the clogs. You know I'll never show you me in the gardening overalls, so this is as close as it gets.

Polyvore for Friday (PV didn't have grubby old beat up clogs, hehehe):

Wearing Today - 6/5/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Havaianas shoes

Ok, time to start comment-responding and blog-reading...

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?