Time to Breathe

I am sitting here with a lovely tall white wine spritzer, watching Devil Wears Prada (again). I never tire of that movie. I can just stare at the clothes all night long. And hubby's out playing poker, so it's a great girlie night movie. I have earned my chilling out because we just had E's birthday party here this evening. Lots of fun - an almost sleepover from 5:30-9:30. The girls had a lot of fun, but I am wiped. (Just so you know, hubby didn't leave for poker until after the party, though.) I am now unwinding.

But wow, those clothes make me look so boring...but that's ok, because these suit my lifestyle better. But watching does remind me that I do need to keep the bangs on - they've been growing a bit longer and I was considering leaving them a bit longer through the beach (1st week of August). But they really look much better across the brow than swept to the side, I think. Take a look at the latest pics to see. (Fortunately, I have a hair cut on Tuesday, so I just have to deal with them for a few more days.)

Friday - Kids at camp. Met a few friends at Starbucks after drop off. E had her recital at the end of dance camp. What fun!!

This is one of my fave ATL dresses - from last summer. So comfy, always cute (at least I think so). Easy for a hot summer day. Not much more to say about the outfit, though. Better than sweats?

Polyvore from Friday:



Wearing Today - 7/17/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Unisa shoes

Today was a busy, busy day as we were getting ready for the birthday party. The house is actually in order - and the basement is not totally trashed.

Since I'm the mom/host, I needed something easy and comfy, that worked standing, sitting, etc. ATL tiered skirt and the J Crew chiffon rose tee. And I realized I haven't really been wearing the chiffon rose tee much, so clearly that needs to change. It's such a cute tee, it needs more exposure. I'll have to fix that.

Finish off with Danielle sandals, braided rope rose gold bracelet, Dina hoops. Honestly, I was dying to wear the clementine pearl garden bracelet today, but given the crafts for the party, I thought a slightly smaller scale bracelet would work better.




Wearing Today-7/18/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And I finally met a crazy nail polish that I can't stand. Last fall's OPI Parlez-Vous OPI. I saw this on friends last fall and really liked it but figured it wouldn't work so well on my skin tone. Sephora by OPI's Metro Chic was much better on me. Well, I should have listened to myself because I put on Parlez-Vous OPI last night and it was awful on me.


See? Not good at all. I think it's actually too red for my yellow-y skin tone. I couldn't wait for the party to be over so I could put on a new color tonight. Barielle - Misbehavin' Mistress - so much better.

And in other fun news, my blog was featured on the Polyvore blog again in their Polyvore Love Letters - Blog Roundup post. (mine is the 5th down.) I am amazed and thrilled. It was my post on Day Dresses. So yay! What a treat to see that. Thank you, Polyvore!

3 Skirts

I really haven’t done much else in the way of outfits, but I do have a few skirts and such to share with you from shopping. And yes, I took these as successive shots in a white tee & sports bra, which is clearly not how I will be styling IRL. Ok, maybe a white tee, but a bit more put together than this…I hope. :)

First of all, IRL pics of the ATL tiered knit skirt that I posted on before we left. (Just for you, Patina.) Totally worth the $24.50 on sale price. This is the navy (deep sea blue, I believe), but I have the (saddle) brown as well. It also comes in white, black, and green. I am wearing it right at my waist because it sits there easily, and then it’s above the knee. But I have also worn it lower on the hips, which makes the length at or just below the knee – there’s flexibility here. I will note that the length of this surprised me. I have an extra-long femur (it’s where most of my height is), so for a skirt to be this long on me…well, I can just imagine how long it would be on someone with normal height.

I have worn it with my tissue bf tees (albeit a bit better styled than the pic at left, like I said - sports bra, no jewelry, etc). It was also way cute with the striped ringspun cotton cardigan and a tank underneath.

Second, my Boden skirt that I ordered arrived. So excited about this! It’s their Button Through Mini. What a great skirt. Medium weight denim – perfect for year-round wear. Light enough for summer. But heavy enough to wear with sweater and tights in the winter. It has pockets and buttons up the front – big, chunky brown buttons that match the stitching on the skirt. And it even has front pockets, with the cute stitching trim. So I am no officially a Boden fan. The only thing I wonder about is if the skirt will look silly with a cardigan if it has 2 different rows of buttons going up the front. Maybe an open cardi? And now I can submit sets to Dina’s Polyvore group, Boden is Bodacious. (Best PV name ever.) And by the way, Boden is having their summer sale online now.

Third was a purchase here at the Lake. I went to Danbury Fair Mall with my mom & E earlier in the trip and hit the J Crew store, of course. Didn’t get a lot done as E was with us and a bit cranky – well, tired, really. But I finally got the Silk Charmeuse Pencil Skirt in pewter (#11652, orig $98, curr $29.99). I have tried this on multiple times and eyed it many more. I know, I know, the wrinkles are just *appalling.* Please pardon me – it has been sitting in a bag in a corner of my room as I really don’t have plans to wear it this trip, you know? And you know I hate ironing unless absolutely necessary...

I can’t say I would recommend ordering this online unless you are sure of sizing. I will say that I got it in a 10. I usually go with an 8 in skirts, but I wanted it to be a little loose and not hug too much…the whole point is comfort, not having to wear Spanx with it. I am planning to wear with a tissue bf tee and sandals this summer, maybe even a white blouse. And in fall/winter, I’ll trade the tee for my black cashmere shell or a turtleneck. The fabric feels divine. I also picked up a gray beaded stretch bracelet – never got it at my B&M and it sold out, but picked up here on sale for $14.99, yay! And, a fab silk scarf – large square with pewter border and bronzed twig center square – for $9.99. The tag says Spring 2009. Anyone remember such a scarf? I guess I was on a total gray kick at JC that day.

Why I Love the Loft

You know I love J Crew and Target, but we all need to mix it up occasionally. And, um, ok, I’ve said before that I have had some issues with Ann Taylor Loft. I used to get a good portion of my summer wardrobe there because I had an Ann Taylor Visa (relic from the 90’s, I believe) and I got reward certificates. Loved that. I used to get so many dresses there – it was one of my fave places for dresses, esp cute summer knit dresses. Then they discontinued the Visa card because they had their new relationship with Mastercard and I was bitter. I’ll admit it. And when asked if I want to get the new card? Um no, thanks. Will wallow in my bitterness for now.

But I was lured back in by the promise of Jackie-esque cardigans and I got one with a 30% off on a sale and it was $17. And I liked it. And then in my quest for a summer knit skirt, since the JC Esplanade just did not work on me, I noticed they had some cute knit ones. So I went yesterday (you know, kiddies' last day of school) and fell back in love…and got 2 of the skirts, 1 dress, and a not-exactly-Jackie cardi in white. I think the Loft items mix really well with J Crew.

So here are my scores. I will post IRL pics when I have them.

Tiered Knit Skirt (curr on sale for $24.50) I got this in deep blue and saddle brown. I also saw it in white, green, and black in store. This is so comfy! And while tiered, it’s not so full that you can’t wear it with a slouchy tee (yes, J Crew tissue bf tee, of course). It’s great with a tank, too. This is not a super short skirt. I wear the waistband right on my waist (since I never tuck in, you know) and it hits me right above the knee. If you wear the waistband lower, you can easily cover the knees. I also tried on the white, and while I didn’t get it, I can vouch that it is not very sheer – it’s a great white summer casual skirt if your are looking. I took an M. You could size up a bit and wear it lower. But I anticipate wearing this all the time this summer. It is also a nice knit – substantial without being too heavy, perfect for a summer skirt.

3/4 sleeve Crewneck Cardigan (curr on sale for $24.50). I had one in dusty teal, I think. I just got one in white. It is similar to the J Crew Jackie, but it’s a bit longer. I got this in an L to allow for shrinkage, because I have had them shrink on me, and it didn’t gap at the buttons while closed like the M did. But I have the shoulders to do it, so size as you please. I think a lot of the JCA’s have partaken of these. And the pic I’m posting is of the shocking pink because the online pic of white and teal is, quite frankly, pretty cruddy. AT Loft definitely is not the best at styling their clothes (as has been discussed in the blogosphere before), but that means that you have a decent shot of the clothes looking as good on you and sometimes better.

Sleeveless Dress with Front Twist (curr on sale for $29.50)
I got this one in black. It's a thin knit, but the black makes it work. It would be too flimsy in a light color. I love the silhouette on this one. (sorry, link is not great but that was the best I could do) If I recall, my store had this in black and brown, not sure what else. And a regular bra fits just fine underneath this. (say it with me... yay!!)

Sparrowsandsparkles has been posting some way cute Loft finds lately, too, so check her blog out if you haven’t before.

And….I actually started a Polyvore group, “I Love the Loft”. Original name, I know. Anyway, feel free to hop on the Loft love train. It’s a fun ride!

Here is my opening Polyvore. I actually own all of the items in the top 2 rows, so that’s a good start. (ok, 4 of them were purchases yesterday)

Why I Love the Loft by HeidiGblog on Polyvore.com