Navy for Spring, including J Crew Shelby Dress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Polyvore of bridesmaid dress possibilities:

Bridesmaid dresses.. by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew dresses

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

Dress Update (Are you tired yet? I am.)

Ok, so here's the dress update. And I think it actually might be final, unless I find something amazing on sale at the Lake Forest Ann Taylor when I do returns tomorrow.

You remember my post on the 3 Nordstrom dresses... They each had some very good points, but none of them were "the one." Then there was the Banana Republic dress that I ordered. Oh, how I had high hopes for this one. Fortunately, it arrived in the mail on Monday so that I could make alternate plans. How did it look on me? Oh honeys, it was bad...it was so bad...it's been a while since I actually looked that bad in a dress. One word for you...hideous. I didn't even bother to take a picture - I just wanted to get that dress off asap...before my self-esteem suffered any more. (hehehe)

That's not to say it's a bad dress - it's actually quite cute. It was a little short (but that's always manageable with the right shoe). No, the real fault is in the cut at the shoulders. Somehow I had muffin-top at my armpits. I don't pretend to be a sample-size, but somehow this dress created fat. From the online pics, I thought it was a fairly straight shoulder, but it cuts way in on me. And with my rectangular body shape and my wide shoulders...recipe for disaster. This is the single most unflattering cut there is on my upper body. However, if you have a pear shape (dina, summerilla, etc), definitely go try this on because it is adorable. And, at $132, plus the Gap/BR/ON 30% off right, now - wow - that gets it down to $92!!

So...what did I end up getting? Well, I went to Tysons yesterday to return all 3 dresses. I hit up just about every store there (except the department stores as I just did not have time). I did squeeze in lunch with hubby so that was a nice treat. I actually purchased 2 dresses - 1 from Ann Taylor and 1 from Talbots (that would need to be shortened). Both are going back because I swung by Montgomery Mall on the way home to do some J Crew returns and popped into their Ann Taylor while I was there. And then I found it....the dress.

Dress by Taylor at Ann Taylor, on sale for $99.99, plus 40% off, so final price was $60. First of all check out the amazing swirly ruffles around the neckline. Talk about framing the face...


The dress is actually a heavy knit, but the cut & the detailed neckline definitely kick it up - and it will be dressed up with accessories as well.


Let's talk about the cut - definitely form-fitting. My sister will be proud. (and dina - can you see my waist?) Requires a wee bit of shapewear for the midsection, but the Assets by Spanx line at Target will do - nothing too heavy duty. And I'm not even wearing any in this picture, so IRL, it will only look better. I also see versatility in this dress. It will work for the wedding. But I also may wear it to our work holiday party with my charcoal gray 3/4 sleeve fitted turtleneck tee from the Gap with tights and boots. And I can also just wear with sandals in the summer.

Can you tell I have a splitting headache and want to go back to bed in this pic? Yeah, me too. I am starting to see a new correlation between my headaches & migraines and atmospheric pressure. It could be the Halloween sugar, too, though...

Back to the accessories topic. (And this is why I don't Twitter - like I could actually limit myself to 140 characters - ask my friends & family - I really am this scattered in person.) First of all, I'll be wearing my hair up - in a ponytail (dressy ponytail, I swear...mental note, master the dressy pony before Saturday...) And with the neckline, I don't want to do a necklace, so I'm thinking significant earrings and major bracelets on 1 arm. I don't think a statement cocktail ring is going to cut it this time.

Idea 1 - heirloom flora earrings with something like the duchess stone bracelet in dusty blossom, with the garden pearl bracelet in clementine and a bracelet similar to the crystal symphony? I think I'll check F21 for bracelets as well.

Idea 2 - large gold hoops (Dina hoops, natch), with gold & crystal bracelets - like the crystal shapes bracelet, twisted crystal necklace wrapped 5 times, etc.

Any other ideas?


So off to mall tomorrow to return at AT & Talbots. (Here's the Talbots dress I had purchased, by the way - it is so gorgeous in person, just about 2-3" too long, and it's 3 times the price of this one, so back to the store it goes...) And that would be Lake Forest, since it does have both AT & Talb.

And here's a dress only pic so I can grab it for Polyvore (because it's not like some of us are even capable of getting dressed without PV, right?):

Moving Minnies into Fall...

J Crew Minnies (#18850, $79.50). Do I really need to wax poetic about them again? Fun in the warm weather with a tee and flats or sandals. But now that the weather is getting cooler (I say ironically as we are going to have a high of 74 degrees today)...such a great fall/winter pant. Yes, they are cropped as can be on me...but that's why God invented boots. Or someone did.

I took an 8 in the Minnies, and they have worked quite well. I *did* wash them - both pairs (coal & black) last week and they bounced back just fine. I did a delicate wash with some other dark clothes (like fine gauge sweaters and tissue tees) and used Woolite - or rather Target's generic version. Then I put them in the dryer for about 5 minutes on fluff and laid flat on a drying rack. I don't think they shrank at all; they just went back to original shape. So yes, you can wash your Minnies - this may be especially good news for those of you who got the british khaki color. Also, in case you didn't read it here or elsewhere already, they are available in store in navy.

Here are a couple of my latest Minnie looks for fall.


(left) Wednesday, 10/14 - Cool day but not too cold, so still sticking the ballet flats. This sweater is one of the cuddliest I own - from Ann Taylor Holiday 2007. It's just like a big hug. Pairing it with a more fitted tee and the black skinny Minnies helps manage the bulk.



10/14/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

(middle 2 pics) Thursday, 10/15 - Cold & rainy (the start of the weekend deluge...) All I can tell you is that my feet stayed warm and dry all day in the Minnies & boots. So comfy! And the Minnies stayed totally tucked into the boots all day. Will be a winter staple, that's for sure. Here I have the chunky star cable popover with the coal Minnies. I have to say that I am thrilled with this outfit. You know how you try on a piece of clothing and sometimes you have an instant outfit pictured in your mind? When I first tried on the Minnies, this was the exact outfit I pictured. Hope you like it...you'll be seeing it a lot this winter. I do love the bracelet sleeves of this sweater - perfect for showing off something sparkly (just like the one in my giveaway - have you entered?), but a long sleeve tee or turtle will later perfectly underneath later when it's colder. And that's the Kate Spade purse I got at the outlet last December. I have no idea what it's name is or whether it's "real" retail or outlet only, but I love the combo of the brown leather with the dark brown patent trim. And it's lined in leopard, so it's always fun to peek inside. (and dina will probably fuss if I forget to mention the Dina hoops, so yes, I am wearing them too.)

10/15/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew


Saturday, 10/17 - Still cold, raining, etc, etc, etc.... Minnies & boots again for sure! This time, coal Minnies with black boots - plus cream cashmere long sleeve tee. Again, my toesies were warm & dry all day long, thank you very much. Kept the jewelry simple with stud earrings and a pocket watch necklace - mine is from AT Loft a couple of years ago. And yes, I'm pretty sure I had at least 3 cups of tea that day.

10/17/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Up tomorrow...Minnies for 80-degree days. Just kidding...I think it's only supposed to get to 79.

Today's Outfit and the Story of the $2 Purse

Another bit of spring for you - although today was pretty Spring-like here, with the sunshine and warmer temps. (Tonight, though - 40 degrees and rain, whatever... Ugh!) So here are the tulips I picked up at the store yesterday - they always need a day to settle in the vase - I love that they totally match the polka dots on the vase! Tulips are one of my most favorite flowers. I love how they still continue to grow and twist and turn after you put them in water.

So, um, yeah, I wore another cream sweater today. What can I say? It's a favorite color and it always looks good on me. But today's sweater is the J Crew Tartine cardi in snow. This one was $19.99 online, with the 20% off to counteract the shipping. It's so thin that it's great for a day like today. And yes, I did brave it with Lucy, but I took her on 2 nice walks this morning, before and after PT, so she was wiped all day long. Tired puppy = good puppy.

Ok, yeah, cream sweater, whatever. Navy tank, Chicos jeans, pink patent Clarks peep toes to show off the navy toes, and then some sparkle. I love this necklace combo - it's Anthropologie's typeset initial necklace with J Crew's twisted crystal necklace doubled. Fun and sparkly. Plus a few bracelets. Not quite as blah anymore. But if anyone has some suggestions about what *else* to put under the Tartine cardi (other than my usual cami or tank), I would love to hear!! To me, the bracelet sleeves, with something this sheer can be a little tricky when it comes to layering.

And I finally remembered to get a pic of the short yellow trench from AT Loft. This color always makes me happy. And it definitely perks up any outfit. Love it with navy, gray, tan, pretty much anything. So it was perfect for yesterday's rainy, nasty day!! (Dina - makeup inspired by Vanessa in the Paris JC catalog - reddish lips, heavy (heavier) on the eyeliner. Fun, fun!)

In other wardrobe news, pulled out my warm white purse in honor of the spring weather. Now, I'm not one of those girls who change out their purse all the time. I'm just too lazy. I hate to totally rearrange purses that often. But this purse has a special story. I got it for $2 in cash from Ann Taylor. And it will forever be famous. I coveted it at the original price of $199, then it was marked down to $99 online. In I went to the store with my 30% F&F coupon, and asked about the purse. They checked and in spite of the misinformation on the price tag, yes, it was marked down in store as well. I had a sweater to return that was a gift but unfortunately had arms that were too short (or mine were too long). And I had 2 $20 reward certificates. So let's do the math, shall we?

$199, marked down to $99, take off 30%, credit of $34.99 or so, $40 in reward certificates = you owe us exactly $2.

I handed over my 2 $1 bills and walked out with this purse. Now I have several nice purses that I really love, but I don't think anything will ever truly take this one's place in my heart.