Navy for Spring, including J Crew Shelby Dress

So when my parents were here for a visit Tues-Wed of this week, my mother informed me she was tired to seeing the same darn picture of my fingernails on my blog.  Ok...'nuff said...I've been wanting to get back to blogging.  Black Pearl by Chanel is lovely, but you can only stare at it for so long....even for me....

And now that I am cast- & splint-free, I really have no excuse.  I got discharged by my occupational therapist on Thursday and the hand surgeon on Friday last week, no surgery needed. Immobilization by cast & splint did the trick.  And apparently,  I have weirdly hyper-flexible thumbs, so even though I don't have all the movement back in my right thumb, I can still bend it more than the vast majority of the population.  And I'm working on strength.  Every bottle or jar I open is a victory.  Uber-bendy thumbs...who would have thought? 

So... a slew of pre-spring purchases to share.  And boy have I been on a navy streak....just like I am every spring.  (note same navy flats and, as appropriate, Gap jeans.  and...the cast...this was a quick try-on session)

Let's start with J Crew.  The Shelby Dress (#35083, $128).  Wow, still full price, and I bought it a month and a half ago.  Huh, how about that.  What can I say?  Love love love.  It's navy, so that always wins in my book.  I love the eyelet.  I tried on the white, because I've been looking for a LWD for summer, but navy was so much better on me.  Yes, the dress is short, but you know me - I'll be wearing it with flats or flat sandals to ground it.  And interestingly enough, the white read as shorter on me than the navy.  Optical illusion?  Who knows - but it was the navy I fell for and brought home.   

I took a 6 in the dress.  And even though I've been sizing down across the board due to the weight loss, I really think this dress runs large.  It doesn't get you in the ribcage like so many JC dresses do.

Love the cut of the dress.  There's a lot of fabric up top, but because it's shirred, I didn't feel like it looked "vacant" up there.  At the same time, if you are busty or actually have curves, I think the dress could totally accommodate that, too.I'll wear it tons.  Nicely out to dinner or to church.  Or just running around town. 

Next from J Crew, the Stripe Tux Tunic, (#34997, orig $79.50, now marked down to $19.99 on the website, all sizes available).  I certainly didn't pay full price for this one.  I believe it was marked down, and then I got 30% off.  So the price was not too far off the current price.  Glad I didn't pay full price.  It's really cute but it has its limitations, for sure. 

I took an M in the top, but if you aren't as large in the shoulders as I am, you could definitely go down a size. 

IMO, the *only* way to wear this is with very slim bottoms.  In my quick try-on pics, I've got a pair of Gap legging jeans (which merit their own post soon, because I've been living in them).  But truthfully, I actually liked them better with the black Minnies when I tried them on in store.  The color of the stripes is "washed navy" - very pretty, but it almost works better with the black slim pants. And likely white jeans, since I wear them with everything in the spring.  But again - slim is the operative word here. 

I wore pretty much this outfit to the Valentine's parties at school.  Loved it.  It will be a fun top for spring.  But again, not worth full price. 

Moving on to Ann Taylor and more stripes.  Because the only thing better than navy in spring is navy stripes. No idea what this dress was called.  But when I saw it and then tried it on...again, it was love.  I usually wear sundresses in the summer, but there are lots of times that you just want a sleeve.  This dress perfectly fits the bill. 

I love the wide scoopneck - and have even tested it to verify that yes, you can lean over and the top stays put.  Often with necklines like this, to get the dress large enough in the shoulders, the scoopneck is so loose that I would end up flashing everyone any time I bent down to put something on the dinner table!  So bravo, Ann Taylor...or should I say...brava!

In case you happen to run into one of these in the sale section, I took an M.  It's fitted but not tight.  And way comfy (is there any other way for my wardrobe?  no...not really)

I think my mom actually liked this one better than the J Crew one.

I'll wear it with any kind of shoe in my closet really - sandals, TOMS, flats, whatever.  With hoops and a ponytail, I'm done for summer.

Finally, a quick run-through at the Loft.  Wow, the Splitneck Lounge Tunic is mega-on sale, with extra % off even!!  It was orig $34, pretty sure I had a % off when I bought it, though...but that was back during the cast days.  Now it's $29.99 with 40% off.  

I took an M - the S was too tight in the shoulders.  This top is very thin, which you may not be able to tell so much in the picture. And when they say splitneck...they mean it.  No way can I go without a cami underneath. 

I picture wearing this with every pair of slim pants under the sun that I own - white jeans, khakis, cafe capris, and (duh) regular jeans.  It would also be way cute with Bermudas.  

The top has a button on the outside of the sleeve and a tab inside so that you can roll up and secure the sleeves.  If you wear it with sleeves down, the tab may bug you a bit, but shoot, paying that little for a cute spring top, who cares?

So you can tell by the 2nd pic that I was realizing the riculosity of posing with a big blue cast on.  Is riduclosity a word?  It should be...perfectly describes my state of being while I was dealing with this thumb mess. 

Dum dum da dum...dum dum da dum.....

Why, yes, that is a wedding march I'm dum-dumming in my title.  (really?  you didn't get it?  gee, I thought it was soooo obvious...)

Here's my good news, my dearest friend from high school, Patty is getting married this fall in Massachusetts.  (that's not her, btw, it's one of our planning pics found by here ever-resourceful sister, I believe.) I am absolutely thrilled for her because she is without a doubt the best person I know - so smart, so good, so funny, so generous, a great athlete.  As in she was the complete package.  Is there anything she can't do?  Ummmmm, she never tested well, but that's pretty much the biggest flaw she had, I think.  And it didn't interfere with her getting into college.  And even though I will always love William & Mary and it is part of my soul, I have to admit that UVA actually is a good school.  I'm just not going to pay for my kids to go there.  Anywhere else but there...

So she found a really great guy and they are getting married...and I get to be a or the bridesmaid (numbers not yet finally determined).  Which reminds me of a funny story about Grace Kelly when she was getting married and they were trying to explain bridesmaids to the foreign press because at the time (no idea if it's still true), bridesmaids where much younger unmarried women, so the phrase just didn't translate.  So as a 38-year-old married woman, I get to be a bridesmaid, and I couldn't be happier.  Especially since I'm supposed to wear navy blue, my all-time fave color. (Yes, it's about more than just the dress, but the dress is so much fun, isn't it?) And E & M might be flower girl & ring bearer.  How cute for words.  (E's feeling a little shy about it right now)

Yes, it's about more than just the dress, but come on...the dress is so much fun, isn't it? I can't wait to go looking at dresses with Patty - I hope she goes with white-white, as opposed to off-white.  You know how most people need a tan to look good in white?  She dosen't - she always wears that color well.  She is currently favoring some Alfred Angelo dresses, and we have plans to go to one of their salons soon to check them out.

And I'm looking forward, yes to finding one for me, it's like the supporting actress category at the Oscars - I'm the supporter - a good background!  And I'm supposed to wear navy blue, my all-time fave color. It has been a while since I've been in a wedding.  I remember the bright purple dresses for my sister's wedding (she did go to ECU, you know) - not anything I ever wore again, but they did photograph so well with the flowers.  And when her hubby's sister got married a year or two later, they recycled the dresses - I was more than happy to hand that over.  Even the Liz Claiborne dress I wore in a friend's wedding - it was hot pink - I wore it one other time and then retired it - it just wasn't a me color. And there are so many more options today than back when I got married.

You know J Crew has a huge bridal section.  silver_lining was kind enough to warn me on the Polyvore below about the side zippers in some of the dresses, so I'll be on the look out for that.  snaphappy is going to be in a wedding in the fall, accompanying in her grandfather, so she's supposed to be wearing navy also - and the bride is looking at J Crew navy dresses.  So I think snaphappy and I will be popping down to the Georgetown B&M in the next month to check out the selection, since that one has their bridal salon.

Ann Taylor has their whole bridal line, although it seems more skewed to bridesmaid dresses lately.  I'm actually strongly considering one of their dresses, not a bridesmaid one, but part of the regular line,which is 30% off right now with code DRESS30.  Of course, by the time I got around to looking at actually ordering it, the smaller size was gone, so I ordered the other dress in the smaller size.  (all dresses currently under consideration in Polyvore below)

And right on cue, timing-wise, I just got an email from my PR Specialist contact at White House Black Market about their new bridal line. And well, since I'm not a PR Specialist, I'll let her tell you about it:

Recognizing that White House Black Market is already a destination for women planning events as special to their lives as their wedding day, the boutique fashion brand is thrilled to introduce a new Limited-Edition Bridal Collection! The collection features a stunning bridal gown ($498) beautifully designed in soft ivory satin with a fitted bodice and elegant asymmetrical skirt, complemented by a matching ivory satin clutch ($68) and heels ($98). The collection will be the centerpiece of a new service-oriented initiative of affordable couture: Wedding Specialists in four select boutiques (New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago) available to assist in all aspects of dressing a wedding with the chicest in-season White House Black Market silhouettes, accessories and gifts. Wedding Specialists will also be available through a dedicated number (888.WED.WHBM) and through a new online service, the Wedding Boutique, at WHBM.COM/WEDDING. The gown is available for fitting at our boutiques mentioned above and is available for purchase exclusively by phone and online at WHBM.COM.

I would love to hear some feedback from all of you concerning wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses.

And all of this brings me to one of my favorite wedding conversations - the First Dance, or more specifically The Song.  What song did you dance to or what song do you plan to dance to?  And more importantly, what songs just make you utterly cringe when you hear them?  I admit to actually having my opinion of someone affected if I learn they did their first dance to a (IMO) completely and utterly cheese-tastic song.  I mean there's sappy and sentimental and then there's just schmatlz and ick.  You know how some songs on the radio will actually make your skin crawl?  Yep, those songs...  Feel free to let loose on your opinions there - music is so individual, isn't?

Polyvore of bridesmaid dress possibilities:

Bridesmaid dresses.. by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew dresses

Photo credit note: sorry - no idea on the photo credits sprinkled throughout, other than the WHBM pics - the others came from a planning email from the bride. :)

Borrowing from the Boys - at J Crew

A little springtime for you all...as we sit here with snow all around. I do love tulips.

You know what I don't love? Boots. I am sick and darn tired of boots. Normally, I really like boots - I would even say I love my black flat boots because I feel rockingly awesome in them. But that sentiment loses a bit of its luster when I am forced to wear them day after day by all this snow.

And this is not a diatribe against the snow. And to update my earlier diatribe against politicians in DC (not the natives but those from elsewhere) - Chris Dodd, we love you. If you hadn't heard, he lifted the since-9/11 ban on sledding at the Capitol. Attention Durbin and everybody else: *that's* how you endear yourselves to the metro area.

Maybe I'm just cranky because we've been indoors so long and I get irritated at the jerkie neighbors who don't shovel their sidewalks, even after a week, and I can barely walk Lucy around the block. I'm just sick and tired of being forced into boots. Maybe it's the stubborn streak.

So, I have officially abandoned boots for the time being. Sure, I'll put on my FUggs to go to and from the bus stop(I'm not *that* stubborn...or stupid), but otherwise, it's back to flats for me.

All of which is a really, really long introduction to yesterday's outfit. (Today? hehehe, still in sweats - going to the office later, haven't dressed for that yet.) The previous day, which would have been Hallelujah, The Kids Are Back at School Tuesday, I popped down to JC to do a couple of returns. As I strolled back from the semi-anemic sale section, I saw a gorgeous sweater...laying on the table in the men's section. Why not try it? It couldn't be any worse that some of the boxy sweaters I tried on from the women's section lately. So I meandered off to the dressing room, swapped out my current sweater for this one, and fell in love.

Let's backtrack...I love all of the fab JCAs who are rocking the crewcuts wear, like Dina. Problem is that crewcuts just doesn't cut it (hehe) with my shoulders - and torso length. But, when you are JC and the women's sweaters in store aren't thrilling you, where do you turn? Yep...the only other section is Men's.

Ta da! J Crew Men's Cotton Half-Zip Sweater (#21666, $69.50) I was anticipating that I would love the feel of the sweater, but would have to give a sternly judgmental eye to the fit and potential boxiness. But to my amazement, it was rather form fitting. On the body, it's much leaner & longer than the online picture would indicate. This would be great with leggings because it covers the butt.

And that thick cotton knit - where did you go? I haven't seen you in the women's sweaters in quite a while. They call it a "chunkier full milano stitch." Can we order that in women's, please??? It's warm enough for winter and will be great for spring, too.

I love the zip neck. Zipped up for warmth. Unzipped to show off a cute tee or fab necklace. This is a perfect piece with jeans, obviously. But I will also wear it with cafe capris and white jeans come spring time.

I got the navy, but it's also available in irish moss and heather stone. Bottom line - how often do you buy something and simply have to wear it the next day. I'm sold!!

Rest of outfit - Chico's Ultra Slim Leg jeans, white crewneck perfect fit tee, clementine pearl garden bracelet, and moc croc loafers. And I was happy all day.

Polyvore from yesterday:

02/17/10 by HeidiGblog featuring Naturalizer shoes

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.

In The Navy...for Fall? Featuring J Crew Classic-Stripe Tissue Tee

I have been on a navy tear lately. Not sure why...I usually think of navy as the ultimate spring color. Maybe it's all the back-to-school-ness? Or maybe I've been feeling it because of the new fab J Crew Classic-Stripe Tissue Tee(#20019, $32.50)? It's one of the new arrivals at JC, has been in store for a couple of weeks and actually appeared online last night with the other new arrivals. (Yay for Polyvore clipping - although Dina's pic that I was using was pretty darn good, I must say, so props to her.)

What can I say about this tee? It's absolutely perfect. I have been looking for this tee for at least 2 years. First of all thanks to jmpb for first alerting me to the striped tissue tee and then taking pics (what a doll!). I believe I mentioned this before, but the very first one I tried on had the twisty-side seam thing going on, so make sure you try on before purchasing if possible! The 2nd & 3rd are just fine in terms of side seam. 2nd & 3rd? Oh yes...if you recall, I purchased this tee with 2 of the new sequin beaded tees (that I later returned). The SA put them all in the bag together, sans tissue. So when I went to put on my new fab striped tee, I had it on about 10 minutes when I noticed a small hole in the middle of the shirt around the belly button. Now, I'm an innie, so it wasn't that. It was from the sequins on one of the tees I got. But I was able to return/exchange without incident, thankfully - or I actually would have coughed up another $30 to get the tee, it's that perfect. But let it be a lesson in packing with sequins & beading...

Back to the tee. Love love love. Nice long length in the body & the sleeves. Fitted but not restricting. Fab neckline - nice scoop, with navy banding around to set it off. Classic. Simple. Perfect. Wow, I am blubbering - but this is probably my fave fall release item so far. Well, tied with the merino striped sweater and the Minnies. I took an M and there is still plenty of room in the midsection. And the stripes help camouflage and lumpiness - trust me, I always check for lumpies.

I wore the striped tee on Monday with jeans and the Atelier jacket. Plus the dangling crystal shapes bracelet and navy patent ballet flats. Later in the day, when I realized it was really cold, I swapped out the jacket for my navy Wellesley cable turtleneck (the antecedent of the Cambridge cable). Love the layered look with the stripes peeking out of cuff & hem. I also loved how this looked when I held it up to my charcoal and beechwood Michelles. Plan to wear lots this fall - maybe into winter if I get the right scarf. (Remember this at right from Glamour's JC fall preview?)

Polyvore from Monday:

10/12/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

More navy fun for fall...all lumped into 1 collage. See, I'm getting better at this - I saved it *with* text this time.

Tuesday was a perfect fall day. Really and truly. Sunny but with a crispness in the air that screams Autumn. This is my first Tissue Turtleneck from J Crew (#17656, $39.50). But I can promise you it won't be my last. I'll probably hold out for special pricing or a discount before I acquire more, but that will give me a chance to do a proper road test on this. Love the spicy olive color but I don't remember if they had that one in store. For a warmer day, this was a great top to layer with a cami, jeans, and some fab accessorizing. I kept it simple with my Hawthorn necklace from Anthro. It will be a great underlayer when it's colder.

Last Friday...maybe the last truly warm day for a while...pulled out the navy short sleeve cardi. I really hope JC has these again next spring because I will definitely stock up on some more. Such a great piece for the warm/cool days. I paired it with French Market tee and golden hickory cafe capris. I love how the capris pick up the gold in the tee.

Last pic...gosh, back in September...this is fun because I hardly even take pics with full outerwear. This is how you jazz up one of my standard outfits of navy vneck sweater and jeans. Add yellow jacket and olive scarf & sneakers. This was a soccer day outfit. Layers and warmth at the neck. I took the pic with jacket since I've worn that exact sweater/jeans combo a million times over - but it shows how much wear you can get out of a classic item. And I'm still not bored with it because it makes a fab backdrop for accessories.

Last 3 Polyvores:

10/13/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

10/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

9/26/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Old Navy

Today - I'm back but boring, boring, boring.

I am going to post some River trip pics and was going to add this at the bottom, but once I started writing, I realized I had (as usual) more to say and the other post will be long enough.

So here goes...This is what I wore today. It's so embarrassingly identical to last Friday, I didn't even bother with a picture.

Wearing Today-04/10/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew cardigans

Sure, I swapped a navy tank for tee and Target pearls for Silpada pearls. Oooooh, green bag instead of white. I know, I know. I was cracking up today when I read Posey Ford's blog, where she had 2 totally fab outfits and one of the commenters referred to other bloggers being "in a rut". Clearly that was me today, and often. I guess I like what I like. But honestly, today I was being lazy. And, seriously, it was this or a sweatshirt because I am still kinda wiped from yesterday, so I guess I chose the better option. Should have opted for different jewelry or different shoes. I did put on the magenta Pumas for the afternoon walk. They worked quite well.

But truthfully, even though it can seem boring, and doesn't photograph as well as a lot of color, I really do love my neutrals - navy, gray, tan. And I get as many compliments (if not occasionally more) when I wear them, compared to bright colors. I think the key is making sure I don't wear just them 100% of the time, add pops of color more often (thinking I need some more colorful shoes), and try some better underlayers. I wear camis, tanks, and tees so often, I need to add some more colorful options. So question... what colors do you like with putty? Other than tea rose. I love tea rose, and I like how it looks on me, but I have had many years' experience of liking that color, buying it, and then never actually wearing it. So I just don't start out by buying it. I was looking at the boyfriend vneck tee in tropical aqua today at JC but I'm not sure that is my color (and the kids were with me, so it was a bit of an ADD-type trip). So wish there was a better blue - like Pacific Blue. Or a yellow. Or a (rich) orange. Maybe I should look at the boyfriend crewneck.

Climbing a wee bit out of my rut... I did get the cotton cashmere bouquet cardi in putty today, so I have another tan cardi. And I got the short sleeve broadcloth shirt in lavender sweet lavender. Both of which go completely against the Lenten shopping ban, and it's eeeeek, Good Friday, so possibly the worst day to break Lent. I think I may need to extend the ban. Since the JCA outing, it's been too easy to imagine breaking it, so I need to refocus.

I am going to salvage this post the only way I know how... here's a pic of Lucy from the River. I love this because you can see my legs and feet beneath her (yes, I wore the boots the *entire* time). Her favorite place to sit is on my lap. 99% of the time, if I sit down in the vicinity and she's not asleep, she comes over to climb in my lap. So I got the closeup because she was sitting right there on my lap.

Thoughts, suggestions, scoldings?

Today's Outfit and the First Set of JCA Outing Purchase Reviews

What a pretty day we had here. Sunny and 60 degrees. Ok, I spent part of the morning in sweats after taking Lucy for a seriously long walk after the bus stop and then had to get some work done. But when I finally did get officially dressed for the day, she passed out on the bathroom floor (for any new readers - this is my 3-month-old Labradoodle puppy, so it's ok), so I had a little time to do some quick try-ons of my DC JCA Shopping event purchases.

First of all - the outfit for the day. I was dying to try out my new Canvas Atelier Jacket (#13105, orig $148, curr $89.99). Remember I had my 25% crewpon (thank you, Gigi for the terminology), plus I got a J Crew card, so I got an additional 10% off - which together worked out to be about 33% off. End price $$60.76. Yippeeee! I really needed a nice spring/summer jacket. I anticipate wearing this one a lot. I added some turquoise beads for color (they were my grandmother's) along with my basic white tee and jeans. But the beauty of the outfit is how quickly I was able to swap jacket & shoes for hoodie and crocs for E's soccer practice - bringing Lucy and tramping about in the woods next to the park.

Here is my Polyvore: (Fun stuff! Love Polyvore.)

3/31/09-Out and At Soccer by HeidiGblog featuring Crocs flat shoes


And on to the other items...

Don't have a heart attack. This might be a little too exciting for you... Ok, I know, so boring, but so basic, and necessary. (basically awesome, I say) I went ahead and got a Boyfriend Tissue V-neck Tee in white (#11657, $29.50 online, but $19.50 in store). I know it's sheer, but I'll be wearing a cami or tank underneath anyway. Have I mentioned in the last 5 posts how soft these are? Well, I'll say it again. Love.... Anyway, I will probably wear this as much as anything else. And promise I'll accessorize it to within an inch of its life. Is that ok? And see, left on the turquoise beads that I wore today. So there's a little color.... Yeah, I know, lame. But me likey.


Next up - the ruffle favorite tank (not online anymore) in navy. I think this will be a really great layering piece. I like the ruffle - it adds detail, but not too much so that it misbehaves under other tops (bunching, etc.). End price $13.16. What do you think? Worth it? I think I will regret taking this one back. 3-Penny Princess had one on in putty at Sunday's event and it was way cute. It will definitely add a little something instead of the usual tank or cami. So I am thinking I will probably keep it. Will try on with some other tops to make a final decision.


The last item in this batch... we have the silk-linen v-neck sweater (#12961, orig $59.50, curr $49.50 online FS). End price was $40.16 on this sweater. I was and am still very iffy on this one. I love the fit. It's nice to have a not-long sweater for a change. I really loved the fit - in M. What don't I like? 2 things - (1) dry clean only (machine washable is the main reason I tried the gateau skirt - to be reviewed later this week) even though I know I could hand wash, and (2) the color. I'll be honest, I love orange. But this sweet cantaloupe just isn't it. The color is too faded/muted. My IRL picture actually makes it look more vibrant than it is. Here is a better pic of what it really looks like. And um, I hate to say it, but I have thrown up and had it be this color, and unfortunately, that's what it makes me think of, which is a pity. Plus, hello - more on sale now than 2 days ago. I wonder if it is also marked down in store. I am thinking I will take it back and see if I can get another color, especially on sale. (Sorry, Dina, but I promise I'll get a bright.)

More pics to come over the week. I'm cooking up a fun outfit for Girls' Night tomorrow.

What do you think so far? I am totally open to feedback, except negative feedback on the Atelier jacket since I already cut the tags and wore it. If you hate it, be honest, but realize I can't do anything.

J Crew Cashmere Femme Sweater

Today's outfit... the J Crew Cashmere Femme Sweater, in navy. Gosh, I can't even remember how long I've had this. I got it this fall, but I don't even remember if it was online or B&M - probably B&M since I likely wouldn't have chanced this fit online. It has been a great sweater - you know how much I love my cashmere... And of course, navy, my favorite color. It was a good choice today for season (spring=navy in my book) and weather (sunny but very, very cool).

And...stop me if you've heard this...Chico's jeans - yes I do wear them this much. Plus the cute Payless flats from Summer 06. And I added a long necklace from Ann Taylor Loft - last spring, I think, with some silver bracelets (1 Tiffany and 1 Schwarzchild) and a pair of hoops (Silpada). I think I'll wait just a little bit longer before doing the long necklace again, it was a little too tempting for Lucy.

I like the flowy fit of the sweater. It is a-line, but not too trapeze-like. I would actually love to get this sometime in another color. It makes a fabulous backdrop to any accessories. And the bracelet sleeves...well, they show off my bracelets.

Unlike the other puppy training sweaters, which I was wearing knowing I would need to wash before storing, I plan on wearing this one a few more times this spring. I think my white jeans or pale khakis would really jazz it up a bit. But Lucy's not ready for white jeans yet, is she?

J Crew V-neck Short-Sleeve Cardigan

Back in February, on one of my shopping sojourns, I finally tried on the J Crew V-neck Short-Sleeve cardigan. (item #10510, orig $59.50 or $72, depending on whether you believe the B&M tag or the online info, currently $29.99) Online, it is only still available in white, but several B&Ms that I have been into lately have had a whole rack of them in various colors - navy, white, putty, yellow, fuchsia, pale pink.

Since I am always freezing indoors in the summer, I thought I would give it a go and sure enough, the navy one came home with me. I am a sucker for navy. Of course, I believe it was 30% off as well, so I got it for just over $20. Very happy with it. The length is nice and long, just the way I like it.I don't think I would button all the buttons. I will either wear it open as in the online pic above, or with the top few buttons done, as I am wearing it here at right.

I have to give credit to Elegant Mom, from whom I "borrowed" about 90% of the idea of this outfit; see her post here. But it's a great comfy way to spend a spring-like day. I got to wear my red peep toes because the snow is almost gone.

Such a perfect piece for summer. I can throw this on over just about anything to up the warmth factor and the cute factor. I understand some of the other colors are much more sheet, but I think keeping the cardi open mitigates that. I highly recommend this one - get thee to a B&M.

J Crew library shawl cardigan

This one was a purchase from several weeks ago. The J Crew Library Shawl Cardigan, (#13377, orig $98, currently on sale online for $59.99). By the way, I don't think I'll wear it like this because I just don't do belts. I haven't bought a belt in years. I like the look of them. They just don't work so well on me. Although I like the idea of it with shorts. I plan to wear it with jeans, trousers, a mini, and a dress. Lots and lots of ideas.

The cardi comes in light pewter and putty. I chose the putty although it was a toss-up; I really liked both colors. It's only available online in the light pewter, but my B&M had putty when I was there last Thursday.

I can't even begin to tell you how cozy this is - but not too heavy. I was wondering why it was so soft until I looked at the tag and realized that it was cotton AND cashmere. (cashmere, squee!) Per Gigi's post, the blend is about 70% cotton/30% cashmere. (I cut my tag out, so don't have it, sorry.)

I love the weight. It's soft enough to wear now in Feb/March. But I think I'll be wearing it through about June at the very least. It would be a great cuddly evening sweater at the beach. Because the colors are both so light, it makes the sweater last longer through the seasons that it might in a darker color. I think that is the very definition of a transition piece.

I just love the longer length of it. Long tops work best on my figure. I've worn it open and closed. Sleeves are long enough. I think it's just a classic piece that I'll wear a long time. I wear it with the top 3 buttons done, and lower 2 undone (don't like it hugging under the booty so much).

Here I had it on this week with a navy tissue boyfriend vneck tee, my trusty Chicos jeans, navy patent BR flats (Spring 08), and pearls. I'm still experimenting with the right necklaces to wear with it when the top buttons are closed. Any ideas?

J Crew Broadcloth Scalloped Shell

Mardi Gras Purchase #2, although it could definitely vie with the white cashmere long sleeve tee for #1 on my list because it is just smashing! Remember how I said I didn't get the gray zebra tee because it just didn't make me feel like I could conquer the world? Well, in this, I feel like I can conquer the world and then sit to have some tea afterward. Yes, I would have loved it on sale (ok, I did use my 10% off gave-them-my-email-card), but it was worth the full price to me. That's how good I felt. And really, shouldn't all of our clothes make us feel like that?

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the J Crew Broadcloth Scalloped Shell (item #12548), price $69.50. I love love love the black and navy combo. So chic, just gorgeous. The shell is navy and the scallops are 1 row of black topped with 1 row of navy. I tried to get a picture to show the color difference, but it just didn't work. But take my word for it, it rocks. The buff, on the other hand, was just not that flattering on me at this time of the year, but would look great with the right skintone or a tan. Slastena had a great review of this top in the buff on here blog; check it out here.

The fit is perfect on this, not too tight, not too loose. The fabric is nice and crisp but soft, not at all stiff or scratchy. The slit in the neck is a little low, but there is a hook & eye closure toward the bottom to keep it decent. I think it's fantastic, and can't wait for it to be warm enough to wear. I may try to sneak it in on one of these not-too-frigid days. Right now a black jacket and jeans would be my top choices. And I can't WAIT to wear it with my white jeans. Maybe a cute skirt. I really should start to Polyvore one of these days.

Mary Beth - lots of arm work tomorrow, ok?