Saturday, September 4, 2010

J Crew Franny Dress (Retail Only?)

Happy Labor Day Weekend!  We are headed off to a Mexican Fiesta Pool Party tonight - grown-ups only.  I want to be wearing a cute little dress...but it's about 70 degrees right now and headed down to a low of 51 tonight, so I don't think a cute little dress is in the cards...unless I go with a coat and tights...but it's Labor Day weekend - way too soon to pull out the tights in MD.   Instead I'll be wearing a pair of white jeans, like probably 50% of the ladies there.  I imagine that about 35% will have on regular jeans, and the other 15% will split out between black pants and the fools crazy enough to go with bare legs.  Did I mention it's always very breezy at our pool, so it's going to feel a lot chillier? 

But I'll have my Jaspe sequined slouchy sweatshirt to keep me warm...and sparkly...and given all the gardening I've been doing today, a sweatshirt seems about right  I've posted on that before and I'm not sure if I'll get pics before I go, so I thought I'd share what I wish I were wearing.  And I'll brace myself for the tomatoes, because a lot of you saw it on AppGal of Musings on the Mountain and I think pretty much everyone agreed with her big thumbs down.  Then again, I've always said it would be really boring if we all wore the exact same JCrew, right?

J Crew Franny Vintage Mixy Dress (#31033, $128, currently marked down in stores but not sure of the price).

Let's get this out of the way...it's short.  It's shorter than anything I own.  But I fell in love with the dress...in spite of the length.  Now I'm certainly not going to wear it to volunteer at school.  For me, it's a great party dress.  I wore it a week after I got it to a wine tasting and fundraiser for Grassroots Soccer.  (fantastic organization, by the way, a co-workers daughter is doing a fellowship in South Africa this year) 

Even though it's short, the way the hem falls, I actually don't feel like it's about to blow up in the wind - it's cut straight at the bottom - not billowy.  I actually felt very secure in it, hem-wise...and you know me, I'm usually the first complaining (whining) about JC's hemlines.

I love love love the fact that the dress is cotton.  I like the mix of textures - the black eyelet is just fun for me.  The waistline hits me at a good spot.  It's cool and comfy, and works great with just a regular black bra (so it's easy).

Interestingly enough, I got this dress when I was out shopping with one of my dearest bloggie friends, dinagideon - who is a couple inches shorter than me and is long-shinned as well (while I am short-shinned, with more of my leg length in my femur).  Dina tried on the dress, but it actually looked shorter on her, which was weird.  And we both agreed it was weird because usually everything looks and is shorter on me.  We think it had something to do with the weird bodice fit on her.  For me and my wide shoulders, it sat in the right spot.  But it was nice to ha

But I go back to Ema's sidebar notes on her blog, My Closet, My Baby, and I:  "If something that you are trying makes you feel like you are Kate Hudson (replace Kate Hudson with your favorite style icon), BUY IT."  I felt a bit Gwyneth in the dress.

Given all that's going on with the dress, I kept the rest of the outfit pretty simple - ponytail, stud earrings, and flat sandals.  Yes...FLAT sandals...because it is a short skirt and flat shoes always ground the short length a bit. 

Funny story:  When I was trying the dress on at my not-usual B&M, the SA suggested it would look great with heels.  And I just looked at her and said "with a hem this short?  seriously???  Um, yeah, I don't think so."  But I may try it out in chillier weather with tights and a long cardi...we'll see...not sure if I'm that adventurous yet.

And if you need a tomato to toss, check out the gorgeousness below...fresh out of the garden this morning:

Posted by at 11 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , ,

Friday, September 3, 2010

Back to School in the Crew...with some Loft Love

Today's post is dedicated to My4Boys - have you seen her new blog, Tweed and Toile?  And it's not just the cute pic of her 2 pooches on the sidebar that makes me like it...although admittedly for me, cute puppy pics always make it more fun.  She's always had such great Polyvore sets, and now we get to see them in person. Check it out!

Anyway...a month ago or so, she had a way cute Polyvore set with one of my all time fave tees, the J Crew navy/white striped tissue tee from last fall with cuffed jeans and a pair of adorable red sandals - from Loft (the Bridget thong sandal).   I might not have stopped to look that closely at the shoes at Loft, but the next time I went in, I moseyed over to the big huge tower o'sale shoes, tried them on, and realized that they actually were as cute as I thought they should be (note the large amount of projection here - it disappoints me when something doesn't live up to all the outfits I've created in my head).  And not only were they cute, they were on sale and 50% off, so they were mine for $17.49.  I was impressed with the padded footbed for comfort, and the fact that it meant my other sandal requirement - that I could  slide the strap over the back of my heel without having to unbuckle it.  Lazy, I know, but it works for me.

I'm viewing these as the perfect summer alternative to my patent peep toe flats - it's a great pop of color for all the neutral - white/tan/gray/navy/black - that I wear. It works with all of them.

And so to the outfit...I wore it, ironically, much earlier in August - about 2 weeks before the kiddies went back to school, but the JC Nicky skirt always has such a schoolgirl vibe for me (maybe because of the navy color?), so it really reminded me of back to school.  So whenever I wear it, I'm usually trying to downplau the schoolgirl feel and skew it more to the resort vacation vibe..which is why I probably never wear it with sweaters.  But colorful sandals really help with that. 

The Bridget thong sandals were the perfect finishing touch to the navy skirt and white (open crewneck painter) tee ensemble.  And a chunky pewter locket for some visual weight.  I liked the nautical feel of this outfit. Admittedly, I could sub in most any of my colorful sandals and they would work with this outfit.  I particularly look forward to utilizing the Bridgets for the 4th of July, when I'm usually wearing navy with or without some white, because I just don't do red clothing in the summer - doesn't work on me with my coloring.  Speaking of the 4th, I could replicate this outfit...if only it weren't so hot every year...oh well, food for thought.

Does anyone else have the Nicky skirt from Spring 09?  I wouldn't mind finding it in in the hot pink or orange color they had.  Size 8...let me know.  Maybe I should really be posting on the JCA exchange.  (see note above on laziness)

Polyvore from 8/16/10:


And since I mentioned cute puppy pics above as well as back to school...this is Lucy's back to school picture...since the only way E would consent to get a BTS pic with her brother was if Lucy was in the pic as well. (yes...the kiddies needed to go back to school this week and get out of the house...)

Hope you are enjoying your back to school season!!

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Old Navy Striped Rosette Cardigan

Kiddies & I are at the River for a few days of R&R before school starts back up...next Monday...one more week before we have to back to real life.  Hubby is even here for a long weekend.  And of course, the pooch.  Lucy always loves it here...plenty of room to roam.  And M&E have a new toy to play with - my parents got a kayak, so that's been a lot of fun. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to tomorrow morning (gotta get my kids out of it first!).  And maybe I'll get closer to caught up on blogging.

Last week, while still in town, I met up with one of my fave bloggie friends, dinagideon, and all our kiddies, to do some lunch and shopping.  We actually started at Old Navy, since I was on the hunt for what appears to be an online only dress. 

I was out of luck with the dress, but while we were there, dina stopped by the table with the cardis...including the Striped Rosette Cardigan (#772013, online $26.50, was in-store special of $19.50).  The cardi comes in charcoal, heather oatmeal, purple or yellow, all with white stripes.  And of course, I was drawn straight to the charcoal - a lot like my JC vintage bateau striped tee - I love that white/dark gray combo.  Dina picked up the yellow as it reminded her very much of a JC cardi from a few seasons ago that she missed out on.

As of right now, while I'm typing this, the cardi has an online rating of 4 1/2 stars, based on 25 reviews.  (oh, I love the online rating!  wish everyone did it...)

I got an M, and I thought the fit was great - not too tight, not too loose.  Interestingly enough, the cardi comes in Tall and Petite online - but I really didn't see any need to size up to the L, or go with a Tall - for how I'm going to wear this cardi, it's plenty long.

I didn't close the lower 2 buttons - I think it works better with the bottom 2 undone, or open...much like the JC Jackie.  Like the Jackie, the sleeves are 3/4.  Nice cotton knit - not too thin, not too heavy, very versatile - especially in transitional seasons.  I've washed it once, and it seemed fine.  We'll see how it does over the long haul, but so far, so good.

After picking up the cardi on Monday, we had a break in the humidity on Wednesday, with lots of rain and some cooler temps, so of course, I had to pull the new cardi out for a spin. The cardi is fitted enough to go with looser bottoms, so I paired it with my J Crew linen cotton seaside pants and a white cardi.  Then some fun red sandals for a pop of color.

The ON cardi was a fun, comfy cardi for the day.  I anticipate wearing it a lot with just a white tee and jeans or Minnies in the fall.  

Gigi also tried on the cardi here.  If I missed anyone else, please let me know.

Polyvore from Wednesday:
8/18/10

8/18/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , ,

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Nail Files - Essie Love

With a blogging absence of more than a month, it's a safe bet that I have some polish pics stored up to share.  So I will start with 2 new polishes that I am loving.  Not new as in a new collection, but new to me.  And shocker...they're both by Essie.  I do tend to prefer OPI polishes over pretty much every other kind - including the OPI Sephora line.  I just find that the regular OPI line has fantastic formulas, dream application with that pro-wide brush, and gorgeous colors.  Essie has often been a problem child for me, especially their light and sheer colors - way streaky - even with 3 coats.  But these two...totally covetable. 

First up - with indoor & outdoor pics - Essie Jazz - "a neutral creamy beige-taupe", which is available in J Crew stores and on the website (#22678, $8).  Finally...a JC Essie shade I can fall in love with, unlike that Russian Roulette red and some of those drippy (IMO) mauves.  To start with, since application is always my issue with Essie, I will tell you that the application on this light polish is great - surprisingly easy for a paler Essie shade.  Virtually no streaking, yay.

And I *love* the color.  Again, another version of classic khaki pants for your finger tips.  A fantastic neutral.  Definitely work-safe, IMO.  I will be wearing this on my tips a lot this fall, a very good alternative to a standard nude polish.  As mentioned, I purchased mine at the JC store.  I haven't seen it in my usual Essie/OPI haunts (i.e. Trade Secret, Pure Beauty, Ulta), so if you really love it - try J Crew (especially if you're trying to get to that free shipping minimum) or one of the polish e-tailers.

Next...what may be my new fall fave polish - Essie Over the Top - "a dramatic metallic midnight silver", originally from their Winter 2007 collection.  It reminds me a lot of YSL's Tuxedo Gray or a metallic version of OPI's Suzy Skis in the Pyrenees from last fall's Espana collection - not quite navy, not quite charcoal, but in between.  Kinda like a fave J Crew shade of mine, Shadow (aka  SHA).  Over the Top almost looks like hematite.  It's less intense than black, but still has that dark moodiness I love. 

And I can't stop staring at it.  After the first OTT mani on my fingers, I used it for the next one- that's love. 


Posted by at 9 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Monday, August 16, 2010

2 Days, 2 Denim Skirts

Back again...I think I just needed the long uninterrupted break.  Good to take a breather from the electronics every once in a while, no?  It's funny...when I didn't have any hours at work, I thought I'd have all sorts of time to blog, but I just wasn't on the computer that much - Polyvore, blogging, blog reading, Facebook, any of that. 

But work has picked back up.  So back to busy, back to being on the computer.  Hubby got me a real chair for my desk after I swiped his while he was in Chicago last week.    So now I can sit here at my little desk in the living room and look out the window while I lean back in my comfy chair.  I just have to keep kicking the kiddies out of it.

While I was breaking, I started to work on some more closet clean out and gave quite a few things the fish-or-cut-bait designation.  You know...this things you always mean to wear but never get around to it.  On this latest round, I realized I had 2 denim skirts hanging in there that had probably not been on my body in almost a year. 

Not usually something I wear in the summer, but we had a semi-cool stretch of days, so it seemed a perfect time to pull them out.  (No idea why I never wore them this past fall or winter, but enjoyed them so much, I'll definitely make that change).

First up...from this past Saturday, the Boden denim mini I got last summer...the one that I planned to wear all fall and winter with a sweater, tights, and boots....and never did.  Maybe I was too into the Minnies & skinnies?  I've always loved skirts, and was so happy when M & E were out of diapers so that I could actually wear them again.  changing diapers on a floor while wearing a skirt take more talent or effort than I've got.

I love the buttons down the front of this skirt...not that I ever tuck anything in so that you can see most of them.  But it's a really fun piece.  Not too heavy.  I paired with a navy JC boyfriend tissue tee & cami, a chunky bracelet, and my old trusty JC sneakers.  No idea how old those sneaks are...they don't date back to my college JC outlet days, but they were purchased early on in motherhood for me.  As always, with a short skirt, I don't like to do heels - at 5'10", and with a long femur (2, actually), I like a flat shoe to ground the look.  And this suited a day that involved a training session at church and hanging out with the family at home.  Grilling out and then s'mores, yum!!  I'm pretty sure I've posted a similar outfit on Polyvore, but it's simple and it works.  And it's navy.  What more do I need?

Polyvore from Saturday:
8/13/10Fashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore


To repeat from above...what more do I need?  Well, stripes for starters.  Oh, I am such a sucker for stripes. Especially the navy and white ones.  The tee is from Gap, and without a doubt, has one of the worst online pics I've ever seen (check out the Polyvore below or the embedded link:  Striped cropped-sleeve henley tee.)  It looks anemic.  I never would have purchased it based on that - in person, it actually is navy and has a really great long length they seem to be trying to hide in the online pic.  Well, you can see the length from the picture at left.  So you know I love it.  The fabric is very similar to the JC painter tees - so you definitely need a cami or tank underneath.

I got the tee (size M) a couple of weeks ago when my sister came up to visit.  She liked mine so much, she went back the next day to get one for herself (of course, we had all 4 kids on the 2nd trip).  I think the striped tee ended up being around $17 or so...one of those chain reactions - on sale, plus % off, plus additional 10% off since I put it on her BR card. 

The outfit, btw, is from Friday, when we had some very cool weather (oh it was lovely).  The denim mini here is from Loft from probably about 3 years ago.  The weight of the denim (heavier than in the Boden skirt above) keeps it from flying up or riding up.  But you can find a denim mini pretty much anywhere.  And then my canvas slip-ons from LLBean, gold hoops and a ponytail.  I felt very young and carefree that day. 

Polyvore from Friday (seriously, isn't the IRL so much better?):

Happy to be back and looking forward to catching up with you all.  Thanks to all the followers and other regular readers who didn't just jump ship!  XOXO
Posted by at 6 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Saturday, July 10, 2010

A Belated Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th!  Ummm....a little late.  What do you do when you're visiting your parents and realize that your BlackBerry connection for your laptop to get internet is totally messed up?  Sit back and enjoy it and keep up with essential emails via BlackBerry.  Oh, it was a nice electronic-lite week at the river for us.

Here's Lucy in her July 4th finest!  My mom got the barrettes for E, but she was out the door too fast to ride in the town parade.  Ah...love small-town 4th of July.  Town parade followed by a picnic. 

So anyway, Lucy ended up with the barettes.  It took her a while to realize that she could rid herself of them with a couple good shakes.  But it made for good pictures before that.  Bandana stayed on for a few days...until she found some dead fish to roll in.  Dog owners...if you don't have puppy shampoo on hand, baby or kid shampoo works really well because it's tear-free.  Even if you have to wash your pooch a couple of times.

Sorry - no pics of me on 4th of July, since I was the one taking pics, as usual.  But I did wear my Loft fern-print maxi dress - it is uber-cool and comfy (original try-on-at-home pic here). And that's pretty much how it looked - I added a ponytail, hat, and sandals.  Don't need much with the print. E wore a Liberty of London Target dress - the maxi dress in red, white, & blue (& a bit of purple).  So we had our matching maxi dresses.  That's about as close to "matching" as I'm allowed to get.  4th of July Polyvore for me & E:


But here's a semi-appropriate 4th of July outfit that I actually wore yesterday to run around and do errands with the kids.  Ah...summer...errands with the kiddies....my friend MB commented to me that she'd rather get her right knee drained than take all 3 kids to the grocery store.  Yep, I get that.  Massive errand run was necessitated becuase we are having E's birthday party tonight and didn't get back into town until Thursday.  6 girls sleeping over - which means I get the couch for the night since hubby did couch duty when M had his sleepover.  But it is a really nice group of girls.  I'll let you know if I change my opinion in another hour, hee hee.   

Back to Friday's outfit - white & blue and I guess my nails look red-ish (Essie Risky Business - supposed to be "tangerine" but read as a coral/orange/red on my hand).  Hot day but not too awful...just lower 90's.  I pulled out my navy Nicky skirt from last spring.  And this is the first time I've had it on this year.  Need to rectify that - it's such a cute skirt.  Even though I don't tuck in and you can't see the grosgrain waistband, you can still see it on the pockets.  Too cute.  A crisp skirt felt just right for the weather.  I kept it simple with a white painter tee, my fave go-with-everything Target sandals, J Crew constellation locket and ponytail.   What can I say...I've just realized that, really & truly, simple works best for me.

I uncovered the skirt while doing some closet cleaning out.  Oh, the bags on my floor.  Consignment by season, donation, trash, and JCA exchange.  I hope to update my closet blog soon with some new items.  What works best for you when you clean out your closet?  I'm trying really hard to be ruthless this time - which I why I wore the Nicky skirt yesterday - it needed an outing to deserve staying in my closet.  Then again, we didn't really have a spring - it seemed like we went straight from frigid winter to blazing hot summer. But oh, how I love to clean out the closet - so cathartic.  I find that I'm always inspired to clean out when I get back from vacation - when you're away a few days, you realize that you just don't need that much stuff. 

Polyvore from yesterday:

7/9/10Fashion Trends & Styles - Polyvore

7/9/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew
Posted by at 12 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)