J Crew Sherpa Hoodie

The camera is still in the trunk of hubby's car from soccer games this weekend. What is it, Wednesday? So no outfit pics this week so far. (And hubby is getting irritated enough at my constant borrow, take pics, download, toss camera back in bag routine that he suggested I ask for a pocket-size camera for Xmas since that's what I'm getting. Silly hubby... Of course the camera is, technically, "his"...) But I realized in my haste to post new arrivals on Friday that I completely blanked on my originally intended post about the sherpa hoodie. Without further ado...

J Crew Sherpa Hoodie (#17590, $69.50). Is this a lot to pay for a hoodie? Um, yeah. But for me, totally worth it, as I had nothing like it in my wardrobe. I got this back at the August Tysons outing, so I did have the 25% off. But I have worn it a ton since then. Admittedly many times as a top layer with yoga pants and a tee, but it makes them look nicer, I swear. It's also a great top layer for any other combo as well.

I got the hoodie in ivory (I love warm white). Even before you put it on, it just *looks* cozy. I did size up to an L because I wanted it to be a bit roomy. The sleeves are plenty long on the hoodie, and the overall length is at low hip (longer than previous versions, per the website) - so it covers a bit more than a traditional hoodie. Summerilla loved hers so much that she got a 2nd one at the Tysons outing.

Did I mention the sherpa part? That's the best feature! Per the website - "extremely cozy poly sherpa lining." Oh yeah, baby, it's SO cozy.

Last Friday, I wore the hoodie with a coal tissue bf tee (crewneck this time, woo!), black Minnies, my cap toe ballet flats, a pile of necklaces, and my new Gilded Daisy Ring (#19497, orig $50, curr $29.99 and totally worth it, IMO). Closeup ring pic below. As you can see, the glass stones are actually clear - they looked a little gray in the online pic. The sweet Tysons JC SA loved the necklaces with the hoodie. Well as you can see (top right), I totally cribbed that idea from the online pic...

Is there a downside to this hoodie? Yes. The fleece is so cozy and thick that this sucker just does NOT fold flat. My plan when traveling will be to wear it so that I don't have to pack it. Otherwise, it's pretty much dead-on perfect in my book.

Back to the price question...I can't tell you if it's worth it for you to spend that on a hoodie. Like I said, it was a definite yes for me. But I would most definitely wait for a sale to possibly get another. Even if you aren't crazy about the price, I would highly recommend nabbing it on sale later. Is it better than cashmere? Hmmmm, will have to think on that. If not, it's definitel close.

Polyvore from Friday:

10/2/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Another outfit idea - it's fantastic with the dressy jersey strapless dress (never got pics, though):

9/14/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

J Crew New Arrivals - Tops to Treasure

So I headed down to J Crack today at Tysons Galleria to do a return and sniff out a little something for a future giveaway...that you'll all have to wait to hear about, but I'm pretty excited. And I lucked into seeing a few new things. And THEN the lovely and adorable SA who was helping me offered to go grab a couple of new tees they had *just* gotten in. So pardon the quality of the photos - from my BlackBerry, which I clearly am not great at using - but I wanted to get these up asap.

First up - some new ruffly goodness. Viscose Layers Cupcake Top (#20061, $49.50) Well shoot, if you had told me "cupcake" was in the name, I would have grabbed it without even trying it on. For starters, let's just get this out of the way - CLEARLY this garments needs some steaming, or some ironing, or at least some Downy Wrinkle Reducer. But try to get past that for now... I think this is a cousin to the rolling ruffles tank, but for me, it's way better. I like the way the ruffles hit the shoulder, giving a bit more coverage there. The neckline is fab - nice and open, but not too low at all.

The top actually nips in at the empire waist (covered by the bust ruffle), so that gives the garment some more shape. So it's not at all boxy. I find the ruffles to be balanced, even though they're not symmetrical and they don't all go all the way around - but it just works.

I took an M. I am so sorry, but I don't have the full list of colors and they were towards the back of the store - from what I remember - this color (HNI - heather night?? no idea), a darker gray, maybe black, maybe cream, not sure about "real" colors. (they were toward the back and I was trying on in the front and then I got distracted by the cool new tees....)

My biggest concern with this is how it will lay under cardis. I would easily wear this with any pair of jeans, my Minnies (which I have on in the pic), and just about any pair of pants, really. I would like the flexibility to layer it under cardis, if it will lay correctly, so I need to play with that. But it would definitely work under something thicker or under an actual jacket.

The SAs styled it with a blush cashmere cardigan and then we added my pearls to a new necklace. Remember that cute daisy necklace in stores this summer - the daisies were white/cream enamel with black centers? This is the same, except it the daisies have a raised black stone center and the petals are like blush colored crystals (not sure of item number, but price is $65). I liked the blush/gray combo, but quite frankly it's just not for me...and I finally figured out what my "thing" is with pink - I just don't wear warm pinks. I love orange - true orange, and orange-reds. But peach, tea rose, blush...all those warm and/or fleshy pinks...they may look fine or even good on me, but I just don't love them...and so I just don't wear them. Cool pinks on the other hand, love those. Light petunia is a fave (even though I missed out on the Jackie in that color). Now that I have resolved that in my brain, I'm good. Thanks.

And, by the way, it's machine washable and tumble dry low - music to my ears!

Back to top...New tees. Literally while I was trying these 2 tees on, people purchased 4 of each as the SAs were bringing them out. So here are the pics, and if you love them, go get them. I'm still trying to decide...what to keep out of what's hanging in the closet....

On the left, above - Slub Printed Sequin Snowflake tee (#20501, $42.50). I'm sorry, how do you get snowflake out of this? But I swear, that's what is printed on the receipt, which, by the way, is where I pulled all of these names. There are more sequins than what appears in the pic - clear, iridescent sequins interspersed with the design, as well as stitching across portions of the design. The tee itself is IVO - ivory, I presume - and the print color is a dusty rose-tan color. I took an M (in pic), but the S wasn't really that much smaller. The L was much longer and only bigger about the waist - didn't feel much more generous around the shoulders or hips. This is probably the one I will take back, but want to give it full trial with current options in my wardrobe. Plus, even though it's really the same fit as the tee below, I feel like you see the pulling at my shoulders. One other point - the fabric at the crewneck has a raw edge where it's sewn to the crewneck itself. (there's got to be a work or phrase that I'm missing to make sense here, but you know what I mean, right?)

On the right, above - Slub Allover Beaded T (#20487, $52). Color is SHA (shadow). The design is mostly bugle beads with some round beads stitched across the garment. I'm hoping you can use your imagination to imagine how stunning this looks in person. It screams night out with the girls with fab jeans & heels. I love that there is enough of the design that you would see it even with a jacket or cardi on. I also love the neckline on this - it's a wide scoop. Not too low, but not as severe as a crewneck, so I think that adds to the specialness of the tee. I'm just trying to decide if I another dark gray "special" top from J Crew...but maybe the fact that I am so drawn to them tells me yes.

Two other tops to share. This one is just not that exciting...but check out that color!! It's the merino wool turtleneck (#18607, $68), but in the beautiful not-(yet)-online LBE (light begonia?) Remember the note above on cool pinks? Yeah, totally loving this. Didn't get it though...yet. BTW, trying on an M here. A bit sheer. Would not wear with jeans or dark bottoms without a cami underneath.

And here's my new navy stripe top. Tissue Stripe Flora Crew (#20019, $32.50) Now *this* is a navy striped tee - not that awful version I was trying to talk myself into last June. Simple, classic, basic, but fab. Pics of it here on jmpb, who I would like to thank for first telling me about it. Just make sure you try it on! I tried one on last time at another B&M in the gray and white and the side seam twisted all the way around to the middle of my thigh - not a good look at all. Other than that 1 bad apple, I think it's a great tee. Similar (and similarly flattering) neckline as the slub allover beaded tee above. I can't wait to wear this with my navy Atelier jacket and a pile of necklaces.

Now that we are done with tops, let's move to a quick but important note on bottoms:

MINNIE NEWS UPDATE - Minnies are now available in store in NAVY! (I tried them on...but didn't get, since I just got my black pair bringing my Minnie total to 2.) Check them out.

I know the pics aren't the greatest and for some reason, you can't always click to enlarge on my posts. If you are interested in seeing the full pic of any of these items, just leave me a comment and I'm happy to share.

Cream for Cold Weather

I'm talking about the *color* cream, not the milk-based product - which, I think, pretty much works year-round. Cold weather always inspires me to wear these warm shades of white. They just feel cozier. Autumn definitely feels like it has arrived!

Yesterday - yep, pulled out the cashmere for the first time this season. J Crew long sleeve cashmere tee. This is my dressy version of "I feel like hanging out in a sweatshirt." So comfy, not tight (but not too baggy). It just feels good. Layered with a cami or tank of course. Is it me, or do you just assume that you will need an underlayer when wearing light colors on top? Anyway, paired with new Chico's off-the-cuff boyfriend jeans, new cap toe ballet flats, and the classic confetti necklace.

It was a good day because I am now dropped down to chiro only once a week - and hopefully soon can phase out altogether. I will say that it has truly been a lifesaver. My neck and shoulders are better than they have been in several years.

Oh, and that's my new haircut with 2 inches lopped off the bottom. Love love love it. Do you like getting your hair trimmed? Not to go to Britney extremes, but I love the feeling of getting a good chunk hacked off at the ends. And of course, the beauty of hair is that it grows...so if you don't like it, just wait a bit for it to grow out.

Polyvore for yesterday:

9/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Today, again, a nice good chill in the air, so I pulled out a new BR tee that I got yesterday (on sale for $19 in store). Love the gray and white stripes. Look at the way cute gathered cuff (below) - it's brilliant because you get plenty of length in the sleeves but it's not so long that it will drop in your soup. Fab! I definitely anticipate layering it with many sweaters this fall and winter.

And I've layered it with my BR cream sweater jacket from a couple of years ago. I love this sweater - the 60's-ish styling always makes me feel chic. The jacket is hard to photograph well, though. I love it in person, but the pics never turn out that great. And to finish out the outfit, since the tee is nice and long, I wore my gray Minnies and then added black ballet flats. Fun, comfy, and I felt great in it.

Polyvore for today (not the greatest since I had to sub both tops):

10/1/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Join the Cardi Party - Including J Crew Merino Ocelot Cardi

I loved GingerSnap's post yesterday about having a Cardi Party. I feel like I go for long stretches in a Cardi Party. And this is a fab way to catch up on some outfit posting, too... And I get to show off, once again, that I finally downloaded Picasa to my desktop so I can do collages. You'd think I'd get more creative, but I'm pretty pleased with myself thus far.

So yesterday, day before that, day before that, and 2 other random September outfits that I actually photographed.

Moving from left to right (thought I added text to the pic but apparently I'm not as good at Picasa as I thought I was...):

First up from waaaaay back on September 10, classic J Crew - misty lavender Jackie, white vneck tissue boyfriend tee, and khaki cafe capris. Twisted crystal necklace and Target sandals that are way comfy. Very basic J Crew. Next?

September 17 - finally wore IRL the merino Ocelot since it was cool enough. I had been waiting ever since our Tysons JCA event to wear it. Like Patina, I really just love this cardi with jeans...plus the usual bf tissue tee for me, natch. The cardigan (#19006, orig $88) is sold out - no surprise there - it's gorgeous. Maybe it will pop back one of these days. Gigi actually reviewed it in this post earlier in the month, and she & quite a few others preferred the Target version. Me? I really love the colors in this cardi - so pretty. I find the fit to be pretty much like the Jackies - which does make sense since it's pretty much the same cut as the Jackies (although we all know how wacky their fits can be...).

September 27 - outfit for church - cotton-cashmere bouquet cardi plus...once again, white bf tissue tee and jeans. Ooooh, think I need some new under-tops. Anyway, I heard mixed reviews on washing this cardi - but will vouch for the fact that it irons like a dream since, um, mine was at the bottom of a pile of cardis and was all wrinkly. Wore my new cutie cap toe ballet flats, too - loving these shoes!

September 28 - Kids off school for Yom Kippur, which we don't celebrate, so...fun chill day at home, some errands, lunch with dad. Actually the chilling out at home was huge - M & E have been fighting off colds just like me, so we needed an extra day of rest. And I actually didn't wear a bf tee that day. Love the linen cardigan - great layering piece and great on its own. It's still available online on sale for $29.99, if you are interested. Plus Minnie pants, confetti necklace and cap toe ballet flats again.

And that brings us to yesterday, September 29 - Hello my dear old friend. 1st wearing of the season for the Library Shawl Cardigan. I love this cardi today as much as I did the day I bought it. Like that lovely striped sweater I had in my last post, it was worth every penny of full price - and that's how you know you made the right purchase. (ps - if *everything* feels like it's worth full price, you may need to put down the Crew-lade...just sayin'....) This cardi just feels like a hug every time I wear it - and yesterday was so blustery, it was perfect. Jeans and a tee...again...I know.

When you look across the board at how many times I'm wearing a ponytail (even in not-hot weather), you will understand why I actually got 2 inches chopped off my hair yesterday. Oh, it felt so good! Pics later today or tomorrow.

So now we are pretty much caught up through yesterday. And here's the Polyvore-o-rama to go with the outfits above:

September 10:

9/10/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


September 17:

9/17/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


September 27:

9/27/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


September 28:

9/28/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


September 29:

9/29/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


And the Cardi Party rocks on...

J Crew Fall Sweaters - A Hit aaaaand a Miss

I mentioned in my earlier post today that when out shopping before the JCA brunch I fell in love with a new J Crew sweater. And I fell hard. And went back to get it later in the week because I just couldn't get it out of my head. Is that sad? Maybe it's good in a way because I am really trying to be smarter about my purchases. I don't *need* any more sweaters. So if I'm buying one, it needs to be so fab and perfect that my wardrobe will feel incomplete with out it.

J Crew Striped Merino Sweater. Per the receipt, its official name is CSHFL (no idea what that means) James Stripe Henley. (#19905, $98) This sweater is not online, but the tag indicates it is a Holiday item (HO 09), so here's hoping that it ends up online so I can grab it for Polyvore. Oh come on, Polyvore addicts, you know what I mean - you just don't wear the things that aren't on PV, do you? Yeah, me too. Anyway, I also hope it ends up online so you all can order it. Color code is BWH. Black + WHite? That's my guess.


First of all, it's 100% merino, nice weight too it - not too heavy or too light. Very soft - but not so soft or thin that the sweater is flimsy. The neck is sits up ever so slightly at the shoulders. I love the stripes (which are more cream than white). I think the combo of the weight of the sweater and the stripes help camouflage any lumpiness in the middle, even without a tank or cami underneath (if you don't know what I'm talking about...well, you don't need to worry about it). This sweater runs on the long side - well, you can see by the stripes in the picture - but I got the M and it fits close to the body, not boxy at all.

But the most fab part of this sweater is in the back. (pardon the full rear view in the pic - can't believe I am showing it - but you have to see the detail) There are 3 buttons going up the back on the neck and 6 buttons on the back of each sleeve. Love love love the detail. So chic. And with a pair of black Minnies...well, I almost feel like I'm channeling Audrey Hepburn. From the instant I put it on, it was perfect. And *that's* when you know you have to have it.

On the other hand, we have the J Crew Argyle V-neck sweater (#17850, $79.50, curr $49.50 in store promo). Ok, so I remember seeing this sweater briefly on Gigi's blog. And when I was shopping with Dina last week, I picked it up in black (which is no longer showing online) to try on since they were on promo in store for $49.50. (Um, I had gotten the striped sweater and black Minnies at Montgomery Mall earlier in the day and then met her at Tysons. Do I have issues? Yeah.....) I was wearing my khaki cafe capris and with those pants they looked fab. It is a long sweater, but I liked the length, figured I could just throw a tank underneath, and that I could wear it with my khaki pants, black pants, gray pants.

And then yesterday, I was trying it on again to get pics to post, and honestly, I just don't think I love it. I really don't like it so much with the black Minnies. In spite of the original online pic, I'm probably not going to wear it with jeans. So that leaves me with khakis, and I don't have a good pair of winter khakis right now (that's what I should be spending my money on). And I don't love it so much with the tank underneath. So I think it's going back.

Don't get me wrong. It's a really cute sweater. But going back to the point I made above, it's not so special that I think I need to keep it. I do love argyle and would love an argyle sweater, but I have enough sweaters as is. And I really do need to clean out my closet.

Maybe if it's on sale again later or something. Or maybe in another color. Or maybe if I worked in an office full time - I can totally see this layered under a black suit. But not right now, not for me.

Now this...this is what I'd like to see in womens' sizes in argyle. (currently crewcuts only) How fun would that be?


Or maybe that's just me.

JCA Brunch at Le Chat Noir

The lovely Rosa organized a fab brunch for us at Le Chat Noir in DC last weekend. I'm sure many/most/all of you have read the wonderful recaps by 3-Penny Princess and Slastena.

Like Slastena, I'm not even going to try to compete with 3-PP's writing skills. But it was lovely. Perfect spot for a JCA brunch. Yummy mimosas. Yummy crepes. Love lunching with the ladies because they split dessert...

Since I had to scoot home right after brunch for my parents visiting and soccer games, I stopped by the Friendship Heights J Crew before brunch. Tried on a few things, but didn't actually get anything that day as time was getting short to get over to brunch. (yay me, for once) I did, however, fall positively in love with a new sweater and went back later that week to get it. More on that in another post.

I wore the dark slate Frances cami with white jeans and my spring daisy Jackie cardi. I love this cardi - the color literally goes with everything. Finished off with Danielle sandals and the twisted crystal necklace - which I wore as a bracelet, wrapped 5 times around my wrist. Perfect fit - I'll have to remember that trick, since I hardly wear it during winter because of the sweater-snagging issue.

Group photo because yes, I actually remembered the camera again:

Pictured above left to right:

Me

3-Penny Princess - my fellow Frances friend

Drewablank - totally rocking the dressy jersey ruffle-neck dress

Slastena - even more radiant than usual with her lovely pregnancy glow

Rosa - fab organizer and total smarty, too

CleoP - looking like a movie star - love that dress!

K - I just wish this was a full-length shot because she had to most insanely fab shoes on

Polyvore from Brunch:

9/19/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Thanks again to Rosa for organizing!!

A Pair of Pairs of Shoes (does that even make sense?)

I was planning this post along with some JC reviews, but decided to bump it up based on Harvill's comment on my last post.

So a couple of weeks ago, I ran into snaphappy at my local DSW Shoe Warehouse, which I admit, I don't visit often enough. I'm trying to branch out a bit with the shoe purchasing...and trying to really find cute shoes that are actually not bad - or maybe even good - for my feet.

Only one purchase on that 1st trip, and did I mention I had a coupon for $20 off a $49.95 purchase? Naturalizer Cedra Patent Moc (#194610, $49.95) Ok, I did use the coupon and got them for basically $30, but oh yeah, these are definitely worth full price. First let's be shallow and go with looks. Brown croc patent? Too cute. Love the little tassel thingy. They are synthetic, but are so comfy that I haven't had any rubbing or blister issues. I got a 9 1/2. I agree with DSW's reviews that they do tend to run a bit short. I love how they look with jeans - that's probably how I will usually wear them. Being that they are by Naturalizer, you do expect the support and comfort, and I give them an A+ on that. (snaphappy got a pair of these, too.)

Now, you know I love my ballet flats and let's be honest...it's a lot easier to camouflage all that support and comfort in a pair of mocs than it is in ballet flats. Probably why I usually go with my cheapie Target shoes and a gel insole, since it's not like they're going to be *that* much more supportive if I spend more money... Well, I stand corrected. Some ballet flats can be a bit more supportive and comfy. And I would like to thank snaphappy because when we were at DSW the previous week, she said "Did you look at the clearance section?" I replied, "nope, never even got there." (thinking it would be all summer and I'm looking for fall/winter shoes)

Flash forward to this past weekend when my parents were visiting, my mom wanted to stop by DSW to look at some shoes. I honestly, truly I swear, rode along to get a bag of dog food at Petco right next door. (Lucy, now 9 months old and 48 lbs, goes through a 35-lb bag of food in 1 month. And folks, she's not chunky.) So I got my intestinally-friendly large-breed puppy food (yeah, I know, ridic, huh?) and wandered back to DWS to meet my mom. She was still browsing and I had pretty much seen everything on the regular rows, so with snaphappy's words in mind, I headed back to the clearance section...and fell in love.

Me Too Swann Cap Toe Ballet Flat (#177123, $39.94 online). I got it for $54.94, less 50%, so a wee bit less than $28. Again, score! And um, yeah, I probably would have paid the full price for these too. Yes, they are a bit of a Chanel knock-off, but what ballet flats aren't (other than the TB Revas, of course). So pretty - beige leather and black patent cap toe. Love! But the big news is how comfy they are. Without looking totally clunky. I did get a 9 1/2 in these as well, but probably could have made the 9's work. Except that my mom got the 9's for herself. I did add one of those back-of-heel cushions to help them stay on a bit better. Can't wait to wear these with most or all of my fall/winter sweaters. (And now I have a pic I can clip to Polyvore because I can't on the DSW site...stinkers.)

Here are my IRL pics of the 2 shoes. Pardon the mark across the top of my foot - I was wearing toe socks earlier today with my J Crew sneakers...and did a quick photo op of both pairs of shoes before swapping out for big comfy cozy socks.

Boyfriend Tees and Cafe Capris

Whew, do I have some catching up today. If you recall, I mentioned in my last post...a week and a half ago...that I tend to get a bit obsessive about projects to the detriment of, well, everything else.

So what have I been doing since last Wednesday?
-Furniture moving after finishing the first insane round of furniture painting (Thurs)

-Hosted a brunch for about 20 friends (Fri)

-Went to the DC JCA brunch (Sat)

-Had my parents visit to see kiddies play soccer games (Sat-Sun)

-An insane amount of gardening (Sun, Mon, Tues)

-More furniture painting after my dad came back up to bring the other bed for E's room (Tues)

-Met dinagideon (plus bro & kiddies) for some JC time (Wed)

Fortunately, work is kinda on hold right now while we await some info on the direction of the project, so I had the time. But like I said, to the detriment of all else...including my health. By late Wednesday, I realized that I had worked myself into a big old nasty sinus/head cold thing - it was more that I couldn't think straight at first, and then the symptoms arrived. (dina - I am sorry, if I realized I was sick, I wouldn't have met up with you - hope hope hope I didn't pass on the germs.)

I would like to, once again, extol the virtues of Mucinex-D for sinus issues - genius product. Once I finally went to the store on Friday and got some (motivated by the fact that we were actually down to only 2 rolls of TP in the house and we have 3 bathrooms - like I said, not thinking straight when I have a head cold)...oh, so much better. In fact, I was feeling so great that I got up at about 2:30 am and started catching up on my blog reading. But I did sleep in this morning, thanks to my wonderful hubby.

But basically, I spent Thursday and Friday parked on the couch, trying to rest and not let the house totally collapse around me. Now I am back to blogging and do I have some catching up to do... First of all, outfits for the week. J Crew boyfriend tissue tees and cafe capris. Hey, they work. Perfect for this transitional weather we are having right now. I like to think that the different colors and accessories vary the outfit, but this week, I was either too busy or too sick to care. And um, yeah, I only showered and got dressed yesterday since I had to go to the store. And I finally figured out how to use Picasa on my desktop to do the collage thing - which is nice, because seriously, these outfits really don't merit their own individual posts. But I am way amused at the fact that clearly I have a favorite pose.

Wednesday, I finally pulled out my BR statement necklace. This is the FA08 version of the SP09 one that Patina and dinagideon have. It only has 4 chunks on it - leaf, chrysanthemum, peacock, and elephant. I don't wear this often because the elephant always flips around, but I actually took a pair of pliers and switched the direction of the elephant so it's not as likely to do it now. (pats self on back) But I really think adding an extra jump ring between the elephant and the big link will really help. Need to do something as I got a ton of compliments on the necklace when I wore it Wed - which was nice, since I think that one was the most boring of the outfits.

Patina - this is for you - closer up of the BR necklace. (sorry, didn't get a separate shot, had to crop a full length photo)

Polyvore for the week:

This Week - Boyfriend Tissue Tees & Cafe Capris by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Some J Crew reviews to come shortly, including the most perfect-for-me gorgeous sweater that seems to be B&M only right now. (Come on JC, I need a pic for Polyvore!)

Happy Anniversary!

A huge Happy Anniversary to Hubby today...14 years of marriage! Yep, I was only 23 years old when we got married...and we are still happily married today. Happier, I think, as we've both matured together. It was a fun day - hubby and I had a nice lunch out at one of my fave restaurants (J Gilberts in Mclean)...then I went to the office for a meeting. At least the billed time offset the lunch. For dinner, we did fondue at home with the kids - hey, it's not just anniversary for the two of us as a couple but the anniversary of the start of our family...yes, I know that's sappy...but it's true. And fondue is so fun for dinner. We do cheese fondue for dinner - and dip bread, sausage (you know, protein), apples, celery. Dessert is (duh) chocolate fondue. Yum!!!

And it's appropriate that I'm posting on this today because hubby is a wonderful man and really does put up with me. I have been semi-absent from bloggy-land for darn near a week because I have been way overinvolved in house projects.

Let's see...Background: first of all, back in June we got some furniture from hubby's grandmother for E's room. Backing up further, a few years ago we converted the guest room into office for hubby and made E's room the de facto guest room and she sleeps on our floor when we have guests - which is a fun treat, but she's starting to tire of it. (Although sleeping with Lucy on the floor is a huge treat, so we end up with M on the floor in our room as well.) So M had a twin bed and E had a double bed. Eventual plan was to get M bunk beds (summer-ish) and E would have 2 twin beds in her room (my parents have the mate to M's bed).

Fast forward to this weekend. Someone in the neighborhood was selling a fantastic bunk set at an amazing price, and we picked that up for M on Sunday. So we had to clean out, organize, and rearrange his room. This led to the realization that we would have the 2 twins for E, so to pull everything together, I've been out in the garage for days painting her current dresser & bookcase, Grandma's furniture, and the twin bed (still have to do its mate when I get that, hopefully next week). Also had to do a MAJOR clean out and organizing in E's room, as she is an accumulator and saves *everything*. This was also a good time for both kids to do the "do you think you've outgrown this?" test. I collected 4 bags of books plus 2 Leapsters for Dina, several bags of recycling (don't get me started on the paper in E's room), 1 huge bag of trash, and multiple bags for Salvation Army or whoever. And oh, it felt so so so so so good. And I've been cramming mini-clean out sessions in all my other spare time like...counter in the butler's pantry, kitchen linens drawer, bathroom cabinet (still need to do medicine cabinet & counter), etc. I am on a roll.

And Monday, since the bunk beds were set up in M's room, I decided to go ahead and do everything with E's room, so I disassembled her double bed, moved it all to the basement by myself, brought up the 2nd twin mattress & box spring, took the current book case & dresser out to the garage for painting. And I want to have her room mostly re-assembled before brunch on Friday morning here. Yes, I get a bit manic when I am working on a project.

Plus I got the new Dan Brown book yesterday and read that most of the morning today instead of blog-reading/posting. Again, a bit manic when I have a book I've been waiting for.

So instead of the blogosphere, I have been living in a cloud of paint fumes and moving dust. And I haven't even gotten to painting the walls yet. That's supposed to be a late spring/summer project...we'll see if I can wait that long.

See? This is what hubby has to live with. Seriously, he's such a good person. (By the way, if your eyes totally glazed over while reading all that drivel, no worries...common reaction.)

And so I think I'm back to regular blogging. And will be catching up on reading too - I have missed everyone. If you want to read a really lovely post about bloggy friendships, you should check out monogramgirl on A Nantucket State of Mind. I really loved this post...so true, so true.

So where was I? Oh yeah, anniversary lunch... Ok, I'll admit, I did the bus stop in Jaspe sweatshirt and knee pants since I was taking Lucy on a looooooong walk....and um, changed after I got back from getting the kids at the bus stop. But I looked really nice, I swear, in between. White slim stretch shirt and gray Minnies. Plus bronze twig Joleys and the confetti necklace. No bracelets since I was to be sitting at a conference table, although the pearl garden bracelet was awfully tempting (but just too noisy).

Should I have dressed up more? Maybe, but hubby had on a golf shirt and jeans, so I thought I was doing pretty well. Plus I had that meeting to sit through.... And I'll dress up for brunch on Saturday (probably).

Love these Minnies...I think I'll be living in them this fall and winter with boots and sweaters. Just can't decide whether to get the tan or black next. I'm leaning toward the black...

And this....is busted. (that would be E's koala, Fuzzy Wuzzy)

Kids: need to keep doors closed or Lucy steals things.... (I so said that I wouldn't be a door closer when we got a puppy...that she would learn. Hahahahahaha...shows you what I know.)

Polyvore for today:

9/16/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Heidi's Beauty Bag - Stinky Pits

What a post title, I know. But let's talk shaving, deodorant, and all that fun stuff. (I know, again, like the beach post, I wait until the end of summer - what can I say, I was "testing.")

First up, the shaving issue. Hands down, my absolute favorite shaving cream is Aveeno Positively Smooth Shave Gel. It's supposed to help you shave "less often." I discovered this when I pregnant with M, so that would be...10 years ago. I swear this works. You know how when you are pregnant, all those hormones are raging and the hair on your head gets thicker? Well, I think it all does, and with this shave cream, I needed to shave my legs less often. I will admit that I have strayed to others over the years, but I always come back to this one. Love love love.

After shaving the legs, you need some serious moisture, right? Well, you do anyway, but *especially* after shaving. Back when I first discovered the Aveeno shave cream, I used to use with their Positively Smooth lotion - which I thought worked quite well. But I don't recall seeing that in a while on my usual circuit, and last summer, I started using Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with Sunscreen. Not for active wear, but great for your everyday nominal exposure. I think it does a great job of hydrating - it may take a half minute longer to soak in, but you get the sun protection. And you all know how I am about loving my sunscreen.

Given how much I love love love my Aveeno shave minimizing, so when I saw the ads this summer for the new Dove antiperspirant - "Visibly Smooth", I was psyched. So in spite of my utter devotion to my current antiperspirant (more on that below), I ran right out to get some. Outcome? Meh, I give it a C. I gave it a true test and wore it for about 6 weeks, but I saw no difference. It was ok as an antiperspirant, but not great. Bummer!!! So as soon as my trial was over, I went running back to my all-time fave antiperspirant....

Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant Deodorant. I swear this stuff is magic! (I like the Light & Fresh scent)It's the first product I have ever found that truly effectively stopped perspiration and stinkiness on me. Love love love love. Wow, I gave it 1 more "love" than the Aveeno shave cream. But seriously folks, it is gold. The only teensy drawback is that you do have to be careful about the dark sleeveless top/white mark thing - but you know, antiperspirant really functions better if you apply at night before you go to bed. Your body heat helps it really sink in and be more effective the next day, even after you shower. I always forget that, but am trying to remember. Maybe I need to set it next to my toothbrush. When I need to reapply and will be wearing a dark top, I just try to apply sparingly and make sure it is very dry before dressing.

Wishing you smooth legs and fresh scents...