Recent Finds at Target

I have been trying to get back to blog-land, but it's been crazy this week with trying to get things done before heading to the beach tomorrow for a week with hubby's family. (Lots of) Work to finish up. Errands to run. Laundry to do. Not that I'm complaining...ok, I am complaining, but I'm just bummed that I haven't been able to spend more time in the blogosphere this week.

I have had a couple good finds at Target lately that I wanted to share. The first is activewear - which is great as activewear...but also works well as casual wear. I could not find this item online, unfortunately, so you'll just have to rely on the pic at right. It's a tank with a shelf bra attached. And since it's "activewear", it's a pretty decently supportive shelf bra - not the dinky thin lining some camis & tanks have. I got it in gray and a light blue. I think it also came in a pink and maybe white.

Obviously, this is great for walking/jogging with Lucy. And it's fantastic for lounging around. But also with jeans, shorts, skirts; under a sweater, sweatshirt, cardi...you get the idea. Instant outfit examples from my closet to get started - (1) with white jeans and spring daisy Jackie cardi, (2) with regular jeans and black jacket, (3) with khaki cafe capris and white ATL cardi, (4) with new ATL tiered skirt in navy or brown and sandals, (5) outfit at right with flip flops. Perfect in summer when you want to wear a tank and don't feel like wearing a bra.

I like the thinner straps on this, too - a little prettier than my standard tank. I would recommend sizing down-ish on this. I got the M and it has plenty of room.

Next up...the knit skirt of my dreams...I think. The JC Esplanade didn't do it. The ATL tiered skirt was ok, but I have found it's not great with some of the bf tees because there's too much fabric past the waistband and it gives me more of a pooch than I have (maybe I should have sized down more, but I have 2 of them in M, so I have to make it work). I stumbled upon this skirt the other day and actually tried it on this week. Love! (again, couldn't find online) It is available in this olive color as well as black. To be honest, the black ones didn't look as good - the color saturation was a bit off. I love the length, just above the knee, I love the fit. It has waist tabs as it comes with a belt, but they are flat and don't poke out so much with a tee (you know, the bf tissue tee, of course). And the belt was pretty cute with it - for those of you who tuck in, it would be very cute either with this belt or with a different belt.

So I wore the skirt yesterday with the bf tissue tee in navy. And the garden pearl bracelet in clementine. Here's a closeup of the waist detail, in case you are interested in checking it out yourself. And it's a nice closeup of the garden pearl bracelet, to boot. (you're welcome, Patina)


And here's my Polyvore attempt with this outfit, using J Crew safari skirt as sub.

7/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Great skirt - I do believe this will be my travel skirt tomorrow for the trip to the beach. With a gray bf tissue tee and Havaianas. Comfy!!

J Crew and Acura - Synchronicity

Talk about coincidences...or are we all on the same wavelength?

Yesterday I got my August J Crew catalog and my very 1st rewards card (yay!) in the mail. Interestingly enough, right behind the East of Eden-themed JC catalog was another glossy entitled “Style.” The picture and the word “Steinbeck” immediately caught my eye. It’s my latest Acura magazine, with the cover story being “MDX (that’s my car) Explores Steinbeck Country.”

Of course, I immediately had visions of a J Crew version of the MDX, much like the old Eddie Bauer version of the Ford Explorer and the LL Bean Subaru Outback. I mean, they’re selling Essie polish online (which, given my love of polish, I will *have* to try or I will lose all blogging credibility). They have vintage books at the Men’s Shop in Soho (of which the catalog was good enough to remind us). A girl can dream...

Of course the depressing version is that with the state of the economy, everyone is harking back to Depression-era inspiration. Recessionistas unite - you can wear J Crew and drive an Acura, I guess...

Here is a list of resources in the article in case anyone is interested in pursuing East of Eden a bit further:


Thoughts?

Confetti + BF + Danielle = Fun!

So you all know what a huge fan I am of the J Crew tissue boyfriend tee. (Did you see plum raisin for fall? Squee, love!) And I love my new Confetti necklace. So imagine my glee when I was looking though some old JC pics and, duh, realized that the previous online pic of the v-neck tissue boyfriend tee shows it paired with the champagne quartz confetti necklace. Fun fun fun! And interestingly enough, I seem to toss on the confetti necklace every time I put on a bf tee lately. They are such a perfect pair - the necklace gives you big bang in terms of statement, but it's still lighthearted & casual from the beads kinda going their own way. And the bf tee is really perfect backdrop for any necklace. And I realized that I wore the Danielle sandals with both outfits, but I think they work nicely with the necklace.

Last Monday, I went with the navy tee. I love this color. Well, I love navy in general, but I really love it in this tee. And I loved it with loose linen trousers (Chicos, Summer 08). And um, yes, these pants are too big for me since I lost the weight, as I bought them in September last year. Maybe I need to take in a few darts at the waist like the linen seaside pants? Or just pony up and actually get a pair of pants that fit? That's honestly the issue - the 2 pairs of pants that fit me best right now (outside of jeans) are both J Crew purchases this season - the Harbour Oxford Capris and the black cafe capris. I think I need to invest in some new pants for next spring/summer.

Polyvore from last Monday:


Wearing Today-7/20/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And speaking of the black cafe capris...this past Monday...um yeah, that was yesterday. Anyway, I popped into the office to meet with a co-worker for a few hours. (Some things are so much easier to do in person!) Easy outfit - bf tissue tee, this time in shell, the black cafe capris, confetti necklace to dress up the tee, Danielles because they are so cute, and Dina hoops. This was my 2nd outing of the cafe capris (still haven't posted 1st one, sorry) and I love love love them. I feel so skinny in them. I feel like Audrey Hepburn. I love them with a simple little tee and I can't wait to wear them with sweaters in the fall.

Polyvore from this Monday (yesterday):

Wearing Today-7/27/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

J Crew Pearl Garden Bracelet

Finally…the promised pics of the Pearl Garden Bracelet...which aren't really in great detail. I promise to try better next time. Patina always gets great accessory pics, but usually I'm like "yay! I don't look insane or exhausted in this pic, let's go with it!" Clearly I need to work on my details. I got this little lovely 2 weeks ago when the store was having the 20% FS. After falling in love with it on A Bigger Closet’s blog, I almost ordered, but then decided I was more into the Confetti necklace (which I happen to be wearing right now). But since the store actually had the bracelet during the 20% FS, well, that was a sign. So $39.99 + plus 20% off = mine for $32!! (With apologies to the totally Fab Post-Fab Princess, that's my version of J Crew Math.) And the crazy thing is that the bracelet is back up to full price ($75) on the website. I don’t get it but, but I’m glad I got it when I did.

It was the perfect bracelet to pair with my dressy jersey strapless dress in dark charcoal, especially when I was headed over to dinagideon’s for a lovely little wine party with the JCA girls. Such a fun, jingly bracelet for a party! I don't really advise it for work, particularly if you spend *any* time typing on well, anything. But I suppose there are appropriate work locations for this bracelet. Maybe a flamenco or belly dancer?

Outfit finished off with Dina hoops (it was *her* party) and the beloved Isaac Mizrahi for Target Liz gladiator sandals. Sigh...the sandals are almost done...they are in such sad shape...and they were actually comfortable! They had padding! And since the stores are now stocked with fall and summer clothes are at rock-bottom prices but usually in sad disarray, I will most definitely be looking for bronze sandals *next* summer because they literally go with everything.

Back to the wine party... Check out Summerilla’s blog for group pics. (I know, I know, once I again I “forgot” my camera. Actually this time, I thought about it, realized I was lugging a bathing suit and towel with me for the hot tub, and then decided against the big ole camera with potentially wet bag-mates.)

Polyvore for Sunday's Wine Party:

Wearing Yesterday-7/19/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Pop Quiz – what is the perfect polish to pair with the garden pearl bracelet in clementine? Why, it’s Chanel Delice. I think this is the exact same color as the bracelet. Great summer color. I think I lived in it last summer. Although mid-spring when my skin is still winter-pale, it looks awful. The color works now, though. And like all polishes with glitter, those little gritty bits increase the staying power, so it lasts better. Of course, this was over a week ago, so I am on to the next polish, but it was fun while it lasted.

ISO...Purple Shoes

First off, forgive my absence, which I am sure you all managed quite nicely. There was some major stress going on over the week. Sometimes things happen that just throw you way off your center and that was me this week. And I just couldn't handle blogging. I barely read - maybe a post or two a day (and I know I love to get the comments/feedback from you all, but I am back to that now - it will take a few days to catch up, of course.) But it's all settled down and I'm back. And I have some catching up to do (I know I promised pics of the pearl garden bracelet in clementine - oooh, it's pretty!) At least for a week - we are headed to the beach next weekend for a week with hubby's family, so not sure how much blogging will take place that week.

I think I may be on a purple shoe kick...which is a little odd, because I am not a huge "purple" person. In fact, looking at my closet, I don't even think I see a purple tshirt (well, duh, no bf tissue tees in purple). I do have the misty lavender Jackie, but that's it. And you know I love my flats, especially ballet flats. I have been seeing purple ballet flats everywhere and am starting to want a pair for the fall - specifically, purple suede ballet flats. Why, if I don't really have purple to speak of? I think it would be a fun pop of color with all the neutrals. I love the idea of purple with all the tans/creams that I have.

It all started with a stroll through Target and these pretties were on the endcap. (Interesting that the search starts in the low end and works its way up for me.) Mossimo Odell Suede Ballet Flat ($12.99). The color is richer in person - closer to a plum. I tried it on in a 9 and found it very comfortable, with plenty of room. If you have narrow feet, this is probably not the shoe for you. If you do like this shoe, it comes in 21 incarnations right now online - suede, patent, metallic, fabric, and lots of colors, too. (Maybe it's replacing the ubiquitous Xhilaration Sable ballet flat from a couple years ago that came in a billion colors/fabrics?) The reviews for this shoe have been very positive, too. One had a 3-star average, and the others had 4-5 stars. For those of you who have not heard me go on and on about my shoe issues, this is my old-lady Target trick. Yes, their shoes are not that supportive. (Whose ballet flats are, really?) When I get a cute cheap pair of flats from Target, I usually stroll over to the foot care aisle and get a pair of gel insoles to put in them. Tacky, I know, as I run through the lame-o "gelling" lines from the commercials, but *amazing* in terms of added comfort.

The next purple shoes I spied were at Nordstroms...not on sale for the Anniversary Sale. (Jerkies! Otherwise they would be mine already.) Steve Madden Krowwn flat (#265289, $49.95) This actually might be my favorite of the bunch. Ok, it's not *exactly* purple; it's really fuchsia. Well, it's purple-ish. I love the cute little satiny ruffle along the edge all around the top - adorable!! I did not actually try it on, but I did pick it up and handle it, so I can vouch for the fact that it does seem to have some degree of cushioning in the bottom. So I would imagine they are more supportive than the standard ballet flat. They are also available in black, but that's it.

Back to a more true purple - Boden Patent Trim Flats (#AR404, $108). I have not yet tried their shoes, so I can't vouch for the fit factor. These are "fully padded for extra comfort." I like that they are leather because suede can be limiting, depending on weather. And that's why I would also have to seriously consider how much I want to spend on purple suede flats - how easily would they get ruined. Maybe leather is a better way to go. I really love the patent trim on these - way cute and such a nice detail. It is available in a couple other colors (red, green, blue), as well as the standard brown & black.

And, of course, I can't neglect J Crew, can I? Kelcey Suede Ballet Flats (#19312, $98) Let me just say how much I love J Crew for putting their shoes out in store in a size 8. All of you with your cute, tiny, dainty feet, don't complain - you get to try on everyone else's shoes. When the size 8 is out, I can usually pop my size 9 in there for a second, just to get a sense of whether a size up would work or not. I think I tried these on in store (in, ummm, the 8) the last time I was in and the fit was reasonable - so the size 9 might work without killing my wide toe box. But I'm not 100% sure since, quite frankly, there were so many cute little flats out that I was extremely distracted by all of them and I don't remember which one I actually tried. Anyway, with the Kelcey, the plum raisin is the most colorful option, but I love the navy - online it looks almost peacock (a JC fave color, I know), so it may be worth checking out IRL. The chalkboard could be a semi-decent replacement for my beloved gray patent ballet flats.

So...any other crazy cravings for Fall?

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!

Update from Yesterday and J Crew Sale Purchases

My parents were in town Wed night through Thurs night/Fri morning, so we, of course, hit the mall on Thursday for the day. (not so much shopping at the river - but that means we shop when they visit, yay!)

Of course, I had to stop in at J Crew to take a little peek around and do a couple of returns. The ripstop utility pants were just awful on me, so they went back. They looked so fab on dinagideon earlier this week. I am wondering if they were just too big, but ah well...back they went. Instead, I snagged a pair of cafe capris. They are just a basic black but I am ridiculously excited by them because I tried these on in way early spring and the 10 just looked awful on me. But yesterday, I tried an 8 and they were perfect. Yay!! And my current black cropped pants are really on their way to the dustbin, so it was a good buy. But I have to say I was rather disappointed in my B&M as there really wasn't much sale merchandise or new merchandise either. Here's my PV set of my JC 20% off purchases.


Final Choices from Latest 20% Off by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

So you can see that I did re-purchase the confetti necklace in champagne quartz. For $45, it's worth it. I love that they a solid color and not iridescent, like pearls - just a fun change. I love the longer length of this necklace too - it will work with so many tops. And it won't snag my sweaters like the beautiful but evil twisted crystal necklace. And I love that it's the necklace shown with the tissue bf vneck tee, since I am such a fan of that tee. And I did branch out...to the tissue bf *crewneck* tee. BTW, love the neckline on this as it has a bit of a scoop, so it's not strangling you. I may see what other colors I can turn up.

And I did get the pearl garden bracelet in clementine, which I have been coveting ever since A Bigger Closet posted it - love this color! I had it in my cart last week before checking out, but took it out since I figured 1 pair pants, 1 necklace & 1 tee was enough. But it was actually in the store, so it was a sign.

And this is what I wore for the shopping outing. New confetti necklace - yay! And tissue bf vneck tee. And my linen-cotton seaside pants. But I have to say, the pants are making me sad. I think they are too big for me now (ok, I have lost about 10 lbs since I got them). And the linen does stretch out a bit. And you know I practically refuse to wear belts. But they are so loose, flowy, comfy. I think I need to take a couple darts in the waist so they actually stay up and don't fall & give me saggy-bottom. And I really should be wearing it with more fitted tops, actually. Ok, lecture to self on pants over - anyone got anything else?

Polyvore from Thursday:


Wearing Today-7/16/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

And here's the Polyvore from Thursday night when we went to the Nationals game with my parents. We had a fantastic time and had great seats! Fun evening out. (Kiddies had a fun evening with their beloved babysitter.) Mom left from the game to head back to the river, Dad spent the night (don't ask, long story involving schedule/calendar mixups). And oops, not enough time for IRL pics. I will get one sometime when I wear the harbour Oxford capris - but I will say they were perfect for the ball game.


Baseball Game-7/16/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

My other fun purchases from Thursday were makeup, so I'll save those for another post as this is long enough. Good night!

Summer Fun

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

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

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

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

Super Fantastic Gazpacho

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

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

Serves 10.

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

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

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

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

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

Polyvore for today:

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

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

Day Dresses

I'd like to talk about day dresses. It seems like a bit of an old-fashioned term. But I do love me some day dresses. Pre-kids, I loved skirts and dresses. Then the babies arrived and well...most clothing has to past the floor test, wherein you need to be able to sit on a floor with your legs out and change a kid in the middle without revealing too much. So, the skirts & dresses took a mostly backseat for a number of years. (And I never got the moms who could change a diaper kneeling - but maybe that's too awkward for me since I'm tall, I don't know.)

I think dresses are so easy. 1 piece and you're done. I always feel so put together in a dress. Just add a few accessories. My friend, Laura, went on a cruise in May and packed nothing but dresses - they are so easy to dress up and down. (and they pack small, too!) I love sweater dresses n the winter...but that's another post. This is summer dressing, people!

But I want to talk about day dresses. Not sundresses - which I love - but casual-ish summer dresses that have a bit more coverage when it's not 85 degrees in the shade. So I don't need quite as much sunscreen when I walk outside. So I don't necessarily have to bundle up for a run to the grocery store. (See Summerilla's post here - so true, so true.) And while sundresses aren't that hard to find, day dresses seem difficult. Especially in knit (and you know how I love my knits).

My first summer day dress, which I have posted before, is the J Crew pique striped dress from Spring 2007. Which they were still making this dress! It was perfect for an easy weekend day. My dad was up to spend the night before flying out of BWI to visit his sister, who lives in Hawaii but is visiting a friend in Nevada. We all went out to dinner at Red Robin - his & the kiddies' favorite. Sandals and some simple jewelry and I was good to go. I threw on a long black cardi later for dinner since I always freeze dining out. I wanted to go with a color, but couldn't find a color that worked for me with the black & white.

Polyvore for Saturday:

Wearing Today-7/11/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Diane von Furstenberg

Another summer day dress - Today, I wore my newest Ann Taylor Loft dress, the Sleeveless Dress with Front Twist (which only shows up online if you click from Polyvore). This was one of my finds in my I Love the Loft post. Granted this isn't as covered as some day dresses, but as far as I'm concerned, if you can wear a regular bra with it, it qualifies. And notice the accessories...yeah, just about the same. Boring me, whatever...it works.

My new name for this is the Posture Dress. I will admit I had second thoughts about the dress when I tried it on again, wondering if the bust area was a bit, ahem vacant. But I had already mistakenly tossed the receipt and I just didn't feel like dealing with the hassle of that, so I donned the dress and wandered downstairs to get 2 honest opinions from the kiddies. They both gave it a thumbs up, so it stays. The key is good posture here. If you slouch, the dress is way baggy in the bust area. If you stand up straight, as we all know you should, it works fine. So...ta da...the Posture Dress. And if you really don't know how to stand up straight properly, check out Tim Gunn's Guide to Style book - his description of correct posture is entertaining, endearing, and spot on (of course...it's Tim Gunn, duh) And when I pulled it up, I saw he has a 2009 boxed calendar - 365 tips. How did I miss that? Totally going on my Christmas list next year! (the 2010 version, natch)

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today - 7/13/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Unisa shoes

Blog note - it's a crazy week with some work deadlines and getting ready for E's birthday party on Saturday, so although I am up and running, my posting this week will be limited. Bear with me, please.

What are your favorite dresses for daytime? Or are you anti-dress? Speak up!

Up & Running in Two Skirts

And back to our regularly scheduled programming…. Ok, so I figured out how to do the photo editing in Windows Live Photo Gallery (what came with the new laptop). So I am back to blogging and all that jazz. It’s actually easier than using Picture Project, which is what our Nikon came with. One of these days, I’ll play around with Photoshop and Picasa…

Whew – crazy week! We got back from the river on Tuesday, were home less than 2 hours and then ran out to do a couple quick errands and meet friends at the Splash Park, including a great friend and previous neighbor who, sadly for us, crossed the river and moved over to Leesburg-ish area. And then I went into the office all day Wednesday for a meeting, so the laundry was shoved into the hamper, the counters were cleared, and the cleaning ladies were able to come do their magic. (Literally, hubby & I would eat mac & cheese all month to afford this – it’s my most basic luxury, if that makes sense.) Keep in mind, this is the longest we have been home since school ended, so I think maybe it’s about time we got to the kiddies’ backpacks from school – which are still hanging on their hooks in the back hall, full. Yes, it’s on the list. As much fun as it was to travel, I am happy to be home and get some organizing, cleaning up, throwing out done!!

Back to Wednesday…office all day, meeting all day…comfort important. Great chance to wear the J Crew charmeuse pencil skirt. I love this skirt. I love even more that I only paid $29.99 for it! And funnily enough, here I have it again with a white bf tissue tee – only this time with actually accessories! It was a great comfy outfit for the day. The skirt did get a bit wrinkled as you can see here, since I took the pic after I got home. I am already planning my fall & winter outfits with this skirt – black cashmere shell, charcoal Michelle cardi (ok, mine’s from BR, but you get the idea), white shirt, cream boatneck sweater, tangelo Cambridge cable turtleneck, lots of options.

I wore with my twisted crystal necklace and the faux gold/pearl necklace of my grandmother’s. Plus Dina hoops, the gray stretch beaded bracelet, and Isaac for Target bronze gladiator sandals. (I am going to be so so sad when these actually fall apart. Maybe they’ll be in bad enough shape for me to replace them for real next year.)

Polyvore for Wednesday:

Wearing Today-7/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Thursday involved lots of errands since I was gone all day Wednesday. We hit up Target to get sneakers for the kiddies since camp starts next week. I finally got to wear my new Boden skirt – the Button Through Mini in dark denim. For Thursday, I just went with easy – navy bf tissue tee and my old olive green J Crew sneakers – no idea how old these are – maybe 5 years or so? So the skirt is fab; I love it. Great fit. As I was driving around, I noticed that the buttons do work really well – they keep the skirt together enough, but you really don’t want any gaping in a button front skirt, ya know? Much as I love it with the bf tees, as soon as I got it, I was…as with the silk charmeuse pencil skirt…imagining it with just about every winter sweater I have, plus tights & boots. I think it actually could be a 12-month skirt. I am very happy with it, and think I will take a closer look at Boden in the fall.

When I was on Boden last night, they still had the dark denim skirt in 8L and 12R, on sale for $43. There are also 2 prints and a white cotton solid. For the record, I did not get a long; I got regular…because the long was out and I really, really, really wanted this skirt. In fact, I was going to get it, it disappeared, and then re-appeared half a week later, so I nabbed it. But like I said – 12 months of wear, I do believe.

Polyvore from Thursday:

Wearing Today-7/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Converse shoes

ps - Let me know what you think of the pics compared to previous. Since I have a new display (duh) on the laptop, it looks different to me, so if they look worse, I'll try to work on it.

Fourth of July with the Dressy Jersey Strapless Dress

Hope you all had a safe and festive July 4th weekend! We are finally home…at least until August. Kids start camp next week. Life is getting back to semi-normal.

So let me tell you about the 4th at the River – I love small town holidays. We have 2 parades that we go to every year – at Lewisetta and in Reedville. This year they were on the same day since the 4th was a Saturday.

Here’s what is so fun about the 4th at the River:

Small town parades, which are so fun. We went to one in the morning and one in the afternoon. M & E rode in the earlier one in a decorated golf cart with some neighbors. E was a little worried that she would miss out on collecting candy, so when they drove by, she caught my attentions, mouthed “Mom, get this,” and tossed a huge handful of candy right at me. Such a giver. Lucy even dressed up…or rather, we decked her in some random patriotic sparkliness that we found in the kids’ drawer at my parents’ house. Good dog, Lucy! My mom didn’t even realize we were bringing her to the 1st parade, or she would have come up something even more festive. There’s always next year… While the kids were in the parade, the grownups hung out and had Bloody Marys. Great way to start the holiday (festively red, too, natch).

I wore my dressy jersey strapless dress in navy with the gold Havaianas and a white floppy hat. Perfect dress for the sunny, summer weather. Easy, cool, no bra-wear required. And to accessorize…several strands of last year’s patriotic Mardi Gras beads. (I think I might be wearing about half of what we got at the afternoon parade.) It was such a fun day. Such Americana. I love it. Below is the pic from the afternoon parade, which we watched from the front yard of a friend of my parents'. She had people over for lunch and a swim in the pool before the parade. Those plastic bags by my left arm are chock full of candy...which came home with us. Almost as much as Halloween. Fortunately, July is too hot to dole out chocolate, so there is hope that I won't actually eat all of it.


And then we roasted s’mores and watched fireworks on the dock and later the deck that night. Perfect way to end the evening.

And Lucy is becoming a good dock dog.

Here’s what’s not so fun about the 4th at the River:

Men in skirts shooting off muskets and pistols into the river with, we think, just black powder. I wish I could comment more...but I'll let you all do that.


Eh, enough about that. Blog note – I am still figuring out my new laptop which has Windows Vista. Any opinions? Especially on handling pictures? I am downloading from the card via Windows Live Photo Gallery and then manipulating in PictureProject. And I don't have PhotoShop. But there's got to be an easier way, right?

J Crew Striped Ringspun Cardigan

Wow, what a couple of crazy days. And I am sitting here, just waiting to go to bed, but it is absolutely pouring outside - and I have to take Lucy out before I go to sleep...so here we are at the computer. At least she chills during thunderstorms and doesn't get all freaky, as I know many doggies do.

So we drove back from the Lake on Monday (thank you hubby for doing most of the driving and thank you kiddies & puppy for being so so so good). And then less than 48 hours, I hopped in the car again with the kiddies & puppy to come down to the River today. The Lake was my grandparents' summer house (trust me, not in the least bit winterized), and the River is where my parents live most of the time. This is where we visited on Spring Break. I am much more relaxed...mainly because my crazy home-stay is over and we are here. I had 9 loads of laundry to do - not that I'm complaining because I got to do them at my own house. I had a dentist appointment in the morning yesterday to get those last 2 fillings replaced and M's 9-year check up in the afternoon. All while getting the laundry done and trying to ready us for the river. I packed all 4 of us (pooch included) this morning - but we are here so often, esp in the summer, that packing is easy.

To top off the craziness, hubby ordered a new laptop for me since my old one was going insane. So I am trying to get used to that, and it may be a few days before I am posting pics again, so bear with me. Or take a break. Whatever works for you! But here is my Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today-7/1/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Ok, enough chatter, let's get to the J Crew Striped Ringspun Cotton Cardian (#16283,$55). I first posted pics here, when I was in the "throw everything on with today's shorts" mode, just to get pics for the blog. But today I actually work it for real. Gigi reviewed it here and was not a fan. And, judging by the comments, a lot of you are not fans. I think you need height to work this. If you are shorter, the stripes can be overwhelming. I love this cardigan. And I actually paid full price for it. As I said before, I love the weight of it. I got an M so that it would fit slim, but not too tight - I think getting the right fit on this cardi is essential. I wore it at the Lake with jeans and a tee, and with my ATL tiered skirt and a tank. Liked both of them...not that I took pics (yeah, I was a slacker, but I *was* on vacation).

So since I was going to the dentist, where the office can be a bit chilly, I wanted an extra layer, so it was a perfect day to wear the cardi with white jeans and a tank. Looking at the pics, I think I like it a better with darker jeans, since the last stripe is white and it kinda blends in with the white jeans. Or maybe with a dark tank underneath. But I wore the gray stretch beaded bracelet that I got at the Danbury B&M ($14.99 on sale, yay) and it was perfect with my gray patent ballet flats.

Polyvore from yesterday:

Wearing Today-6/30/09 by HeidiGblog on Polyvore.com

Ok...weigh in on the cardi...