Putting on the Parisian with J Crew

Ok, I'm not taking credit for the theme here...I'm going with Parisian because as I was leaving the bus stop this morning, walking Lucy, one of my friends was driving by and hollered out her window "You look so French today!"  Well, I'll take that as a big huge compliment...and wear this outfit again.

And here's the thing...in part, I was thinking of all my fellow JCA's as I got dressed this morning.  I know a lot of uber-JCA's got the shaft regarding the Mickey card.  I did get my 25% white card...and I am completely flummoxed as to how I got it when so many deserving others didn't.  As I said on Rats On Parade's blog, I hardly even shopped this summer - because the kiddies are home, so not so much mommy-out time.  Who knows...

So today's outfit was a few J Crew classics.  Ok, both purchased in the past year, but they've already become classics to me, and will continue to be so.  The vintage bateau top in dark pewter (#24484, $39.50) - still for sale on the website and in store.  (This is an M, btw.) My store had it in a gorgeous bright orange, but not in my size.  They also had a dark olive green, which I purchased, but then returned because it is just so similar to the dark pewter..  I am still considering ordering the orange one..  I still just adore this top.  I'm curious to see how much I end up wearing this when it really turns to sweater weather.  But even if I'm not wearing it as much mid-winter, I'll be wearing it plenty now.  Of course, the most recent Jenna's picks suggests using a striped sailor tee as your base layer, just like a cami.  Hmmm, I think I'll stick with some of my tanks.  But striped tees almost always send me mentally to Paris...or the French Riviera...

If you can see the tank peeking out, it's from the Loft - their Essential Tank.  I only see it on sale on the website, but if I recall correctly, the store was quite well stocked.  These have been one of my major finds from this summer.  They are usually $14 each, or 2/$20.  But I majorly stocked up when they were on sale for $6 (um, yeah, I got 8...but I think I'm pretty set for a looooong time now).  They are similar to the JC favorite tank, but the straps are a wee bit wider (good for hiding bra straps).  And the Loft tanks come in a wide array of colors - even for neutral-happy me.  Yes, I got white, navy, and black, but I got a yellow, orchid, several tan/taupe colors...lots of options.

The pants are, of course, the JC Minnies in Tall 8 (#24646, reg $79.50, curr on sale online for $69.50).  I think I need to wash and dry these because they are way loose in the midsection now.  Then again, I've lost a some weight recently, so maybe that's it.  In any case, they still worked, and a quick spin in the dryer will put them back where I need them to be.  As a reminder, the Tall Minnies have an inseam of 29" and I'm 5'10", so mentally adjust based on how long you want your pants to be.

To finish off...crystal? starburst? pendant necklace (can't remember the name), gold hoops, braided rope rose gold bracelet, and my comfy Naturalizer croc loafers.  Anything exciting today?  No...just work.  But I felt cute & comfy, so that's a good way to be.  So if you are on a JC shopping ban because Mickey snubbed you, enjoy those classics in your wardrobe - they still work!!

Polyvore from today:

9/29/10 by HeidiGblog featuring rose gold bracelets

Oh la la...J Crew Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt

J Crew Jaspe Sequined Slouchy Sweatshirt (#21197, $150).  "Sequined" and "Slouchy"?  Count me in...love it. 

The back story is that, as you probably read on Summer's and Slastena's blogs, a bunch of us DC JCAs got together to do a little shopping and Starbucks time on May 1.  And what happened?  Well, we all dove into the Crewlade, as shown in my Polyvore below:

Crewlade Cliff Diving Anyone? by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew tops

So here's our total:
2 = already had it in white, aka "grey jaspe" (dinagideon, Summerilla)
1 = pregnant so actually had a bit of sense (Amber)
1 = Cleo was strangely immune to the charms of the sequined Jaspe
6 = the rest of us, who bought out Friendship Heights' stock of the metallic jaspe (me, drewablank, kater, Slastena, Rosa in DC, and Jane-who ordered it)

Yep, that was pretty much it.  Thank goodness they didn't have crewcuts there or a crewcut version, since I brought along my mini-Jenna, E. 

The sequined jaspe originally came out in December and then was waitlisted forever.  But wow, that front table display was wiped out after we whirled on through.  dinagideon wore hers here in the "grey jaspe" version, which has the white sequins. 

This is the "metallic jaspe" color, which just means the sequins are a dark silver color.  Admittedly, I re-ordered it when knits were 20% off, so at least I only paid $120 for it...which still seems like a lot...but it's just so cozy...I really love the fit.  Most of the ladies got a regular sweater size.  I actually got the Large.  And truthfully, I really only tried it on for a lark after the SAs told kater that there was an M on the mannequin that they could grab for her since she said the L was too big. (Slastena snagged hers from a mannequin, too - like I said, we cleaned them out of Jaspes)  I was thinking NO WAY, but as soon as I put it on....love love loved it!  It's so comfy.  And such a great combo of shiny & slouchy.  And let's be honest, I love to dress up, but it always has to be comfy. 

The sequin-sewing backing is totally fine - I ended up returning the Loft sequin shell because every time I put it on, the back sewing of the sequins was totally irritating to me.  (wardrobe test - if you can't stop fidgeting when you try something on, don't get it because you'll be doing the same thing when you try to wear it for real.)

But back to fit...I think the Large worked on me because of my frame.  With wide shoulders and a fairly flat chest, I can usually pull of slouchy better than someone with a curvier figure.    And it has a nice long length so it sits on me as slouchy, not boxy.  It really is a fine line, though, but fit-queen dina approved.  The open neck adds a lot to the sweatshirt since it shows off some skin...and who doesn't have a great collarbone?  But because of the slouchy fit, I will only wear it with slim bottoms.

So for a house party the other weekend, I wore it with skinny white jeans (KUT from the Kloth at Nordstrom - love them).  Not this pic here, since it was a come home from soccer game and immediately change to go out evening - no time for pics.  But this is pretty much how I wore it.  Except that I also had on silver flip flops and the gray pearl earring that drewablank brought back for me (which I still love - thanks, honey!).  With all the sequins, you really don't need much else - too much jewelry would actually be distracting.  And oh yeah, I got a multitude of compliments.  So I give it an A+.

Other ways to wear it:

• Like I am in the first pic when I just tried it on for a photo but hadn't gotten around to posting.  How fab would you feel lounging around home in this? 
• I tried it on in store with a navy blazer, while wearing my white jeans and it looked amaaaaazing under the blazer.  If I actually worked in an office, I would totally try it out.  And if I had a regular real navy blazer, which I don't, but it really should be on my list.  Maybe next fall, I think I've blown through my spring/summer wardrobe budget.
• With skinny jeans - the sequins almost have a blue tone, so it would totally work with medium to dark denim
• With Minnies, duh - black definitely.  not sure about the coal ones - haven't tried.
• With khaki pants & black heeled sandals, a la Dec 2009 Marie Claire feature copying a Celine look ("Cents-ible chis: Shimmering sweaters and sexy ankle strap heels amp up low-key khakis) but the printer with the scanner died so you'll have to take my word for it.  And yes, I have been cleaning out my magazines.
• With cute shorts and flat sandals for a very casual glam beach party.

Am I crazy?  Or crazy like a fox?  We'll see...

Updated with:
Gigi's post on the Jaspe...
and Debye's original post on the Jaspe, her 2nd post on Jaspe styling ideas, and most recent on pairing with a pencil skirt.  Thanks, ladies!!

Out of the Shadow with Black and Blue

Ok, I get it...much like wearing white after Labor Day, the navy and black combo is no longer the fashion taboo it once was. Done right, it's actually very, very chic. But it's not a combo that I find easy to pull off, unless the black & navy are combined in a single garment. But I think jeans make it work pretty well. And so does the J Crew color "shadow". You know I am a huge fan of navy blue. And I love J Crew's dark grays. Shadow falls kinda right in the middle. It's a navy, but a grayed navy...it actually reminds me exactly of the OPI shade from this fall, Suzi Skis in the Pyrennees - dead-on match. Someone asked the every-stylish & wise A Bigger Closet about it on a recent post which reminded me that I hadn't posted this outfit yet. (like so many others...)

A couple weeks ago, I met dinagideon for lunch and a little Crew time. New DC JCA Rachel joined us - and it was lots of fun. Her kiddies are adorable and she was so great. We look forward to seeing her at DC JCA outings to come. And I enjoyed being the only one without kids.

Um yes, I did just say that...hey, I shopped with my 2 darling angels for quite a number of years until I unloaded, I mean sent, them to school. don't shoot me. My kid-shopping triumph will always be the time I went bathing suit shopping with both of them and actually came home with a suit - and it was quite fab if I do recall. Ask my mother about the time she took M shopping and warmed up the bottle under the hand dryer at LL Bean. Which, incidentally, is a great place to feed a baby because they have those really comfy rocking and Adirondack chairs. And I look forward to E being able to shop with me on a regular basis soon - she's almost there...

Actually, when I do these outings during the school day, I end up being like the grandma since I get to do fill-in kid-less adult tasks. Or I'm the really cool aunt. I think I like the aunt title better.

So back to the whole black & blue thing. I wanted to (a) wear the Winnie since dinagideon was, of course, the kind soul who found it for me at the clearance center and (b) show off the new BR chain necklace since she is such a fan of BR jewelry herself. For a chic background, I went with my Chicos ultra slim leg jeans and the JC shadow perfect fit long sleeve tee (size L, which I always take in the perfect fit since I don't like them toooo tight, picked up for $10 at post-Xmas sale) for the blue and a black cami and boots for the black. So...black and blue altogether. I think the shadow really knits it together. And it was great for showing off the necklaces (BR mixed chain with JC antique finish constellation locket) as well as the Winnie jacket.

Really, with that jacket...do you need anything complicated underneath? Or at least that's been my excuse all winter. And then this pic shows off the supercool fun new scarf-trying trick (hacking knot) that I picked up from Cate's blog - Confessions of a Shopoholic Medical Student...she had picked it up from Sweet Tea in Seattle who tried it with a wrap as well as an Hermes scarf (which I had somehow missed even though it was just the day before, but she is one of my fave blogs to read). Bottom line...vlog instructions for scarf tying here - and I love how she showed it with the skinnier scarf, too.

So yes, I wore my Woobie/Blankie that day, too. This BR cashmere wrap is addictive!! And speaking of cuddly things...it's been a while since I posted a Lucy pic (she's 13 months old today), so here you go...this is the "are you seriously bothering me with that camera?" look.



And this is the "oh, am I not supposed to play with this?" look. And *that's* why I get my FUggs at Target. (FUgg - Fake Ugg. Get your mind out of the gutter. Ok, your first reaction may have been accurate, but they are the best bus stop shoes ever.)

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!!

J Crew Embroidered Flowers Tee, Minnie Pants, and Linen Cardi

New Outfit day! I love new outfit day...when you wearing all new things and not just 1 piece. All 3 of these pieces were part of my apparently cream-gray-themed purchases at Tysons at the Sunday JCA event. Lots of wordiness here, but that's what happens when I wear 3 new things at once. Bear with me...

First up, the Slub Cotton Embroidered Flowers Tee (#18527, $42.50). First of all, with the design, I love that there is enough "space" at the top of the tee to wear necklaces with this tee. You could also easily wear a great scarf. I love that the design is not perfectly symmetrical - I think that makes it more interesting. A lot of other JCAs have reviewed this tee. I would like to thank RatsOnParade, because I think I first saw it on her blog, and as soon as I did, I thought "Mine!"

I got the tee in champagne, which is what is available on the website. AppGal got it in both champagne and buff pink at her B&M. I only remember seeing it in the champagne color at Tysons - although, like I said, when we had our shopping event, I had not been at the Crew since July, so I was a bit overwhelmed in trying to take in EVERYTHING. I will say again that this tee does not look like that great just laying on the table. It just looks kinda ok. But pick it up and try it on, because it looks so much better on, I promise.

I have included my front and back pics so you can see that you really do need to wear a cami underneath this as it is quite sheer, unless you are pairing with a jacket/cardi that you swear you will not take off. With a jacket/cardi, I think the flowers give you enough coverage in front.

Fit-wise, I took an M, so I would size down-ish in this. Usually in sheer tees, I size up a bit so I don't get the bulgies, but this one was just fine without doing that. I wore with the linen short sleeve cardi in natural yesterday and it was a perfect match. I will be wearing this with my black cashmere Jackie, my black BR swing jacket, my charcoal BR Michelle-look-alike on top, and jeans, Minnie pants, black cafe capris, stone linen pants, black skirt on bottom. Lots of options.

Next up...the Stretch Twill Minnie pants (#18850, $79.50). Given the feedback in blogland (some major fans and some non-fans alike), I was a bit apprehensive about the bulgie, sausage-effect in these pants but I loved them. I think the key (much like the pixie pants, and this is so counterintuitive to how I usually try on sizes, but I swear it's the key) is to get them so they are truly fitted. If you get them too small, you get the extra fabric in the crotch and it is just awful. Fortunately, I had Dina in the fitting room, so I didn't even bring in a size 10/L (except for the sherpa hoodie, but that's another post). I took an 8 and the fit is fab. The fabric has a nice weight to it to help with smoothing.

I got the pants in coal, since I have been wanting gray pants. Can't wait to wear with my tangelo cambridge cable turtleneck, putty library cardi, star cable popover, cream cashmere cabin popover, plus all the other assorted random cardis/jackets. I believe I will be living in them this fall and winter. When it is not as cold, I will wear them with flats and when it gets colder, I will actually put on socks and tuck them into boots.

The pants are also available in black and british khaki (both of which I have in cafe capris, so that helped the decision to go with the coal). But I will probably be looking to add another pair later this fall. Summerilla and I were discussing whether or not you could wear them for work and decided that it was definitely possible, depending on your environment, with a jacket and sweater/shirt. So they are potentially office-worthy. (Isn't she adorable in them?)

Last item - the Classic Linen Cardigan (#15131, orig $69.50, curr $39.99). Dina has this piece and loves it. I had seen before and never got around to trying it on, so glad I did now. I got it in a medium. I love that it has short sleeves, so it's a great layering piece for summer. I can picture wearing this with many summer ensembles for little warmth, since I almost always freeze inside if there is A/C. Can't wait to wear with just a white tee & matchstick jeans when it gets a bit cooler with some fab shoes & jewelry. Great piece at a great price (plus that 20% off, of course).

And here's my actual outfit for the day. Flowers tee, linen cardi, and minnie pants. Had no idea the cardi & tee were the exact same color until I happened to hang them on the fitting room rack right next to each other. Love the pieces separately, but I really loved them all together. I actually felt kinda hip in this ensemble - a bit more downtown that I usually skew. I think it's the pants. Anyway, just added my usual Kenneth Cole black flat sandals, stud earrings, and the cha-cha bracelet I made several years ago. And the Cocteau tote, which I really need to snap for Polyvore one of these days.

If you have seen Summerilla's latest blog post, you know what I did yesterday (other than physical therapy/chiropractor in the evening). Kiddies & I met Summerilla, Dina, and Dina's adorable kiddies at Tysons to Starbucks and play. Yes, I am using Starbucks as a verb. Don't you? So it was our last chance to hang out before Summerilla departs for NYC, given everyone's crazy schedules this week. And then we headed to Pure Beauty to play with (and buy, of course) nail polish. Dina had to go and 3-Penny Princess joined us for lunch at Nordstrom Cafe where M went through 2 bowls of tomato soup and E loved coloring with Summerilla. What a fun day we had! M & E were really good. They loved Dina's kids (who doesn't?) and they are totally bummed that Summer is moving away. Summerilla - we will miss you!!

Polyvore for Today:

Wearing Today-8/26/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

DC JCA Tysons Shopping Event

What a fun day on Sunday! The fabulous 3-Penny Princess and AnneG arranged a J Crew shopping event for the DC-area JCAs at Tysons Galleria for the 2nd wave of the fall rollout. We had the store to ourselves from 10 am to 12 noon, with lots of helpful SAs and some yummy munchies & drinks, and oh yeah, the 20% discount. (Yay!) We had fabulous, gorgeous, and kind JCAs from north of Baltimore to Richmond joining us for the event. Such lovely ladies - as nice as they are in the blogosphere, they are actually even nicer in person. So many new faces - but I was unfortunately way too focused on snagging clothes to try on to do much chatting since I hadn't been at a B&M since July. And we had the fantastic Pilar helping us with outfits, accessories, sizes and all that.

And then those of us still standing at 12:15 wandered over to the Daily Grill for brunch.

(Yes, I actually remembered my camera this time)

What to wear? I was really wanting to go with a dress, but decided to go practical instead (but pretty, I hope). Bf tissue tee + cami, since I live in them and need to make sure sweaters, etc., work over them. Jackie cardigan to make sure tees work under it. And a pair of cafe capris since you need a decent pair of pants to test out tops in case any of the ones you brought back to the dressing room don't work.

Acessories were minimal in number but max in visual effect - a chunky necklace and ring that come off easily to toss in my purse while trying on clothes. Oh yeah, I was doing some serious shopping. And the spring daisy cocteau tote since it's lightweight, holds everything, and, um, matches the cardi perfectly. And peep toe Joley flats. I'm telling myself that it's not boring, but tonal with textural variation. Don't shatter my illusion, please.

Polyvore from today:


Wearing Today - 8/23/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

What did I get? Polyvore below. In spite of the fact that I was sharing a dressing room with the colorful dinagideon and Summerilla (so they could yell at me when I was trying on too-big sizes), I actually went all neutral - everything ended up being cream and gray.


Tysons JC Purchases-8/23/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Unfortunately, I only came home with 1 bottom piece even though I feel like that's what I really need. Of course, tops are just so much more exciting. A few quick notes, as I will be posting IRL pics later this week as I wear things. And that's another thing - I tried on some great pieces for later in the fall but well, you can only buy so much at one time, and I have found that if I buy pieces too early, I just don't end up wearing them. Check out Ema's post on her Rules for Fall Shopping - very true, all of them.

So to the notes - The ocelot cardigan is so fab IRL - great weight - not too heavy and not too thin. I know other JCAs love some of the thin cardis, but I like mine to have a teeny bit of thickness, otherwise I'll just wear a shirt. The Sherpa hoodie is so delightfully cozy - but I did size up on this one. The floral embellished tee is so pretty on - better than on the table display, I think. The linen vneck sweater is a great piece for now and into early fall. Loved the Frances cami in the dark slate. And the Minnie pants are perfect.

What did I love but decided not to get? Polyvore of the to-purchase list:


Today's Non-Purchase Wish List by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

The Nottingham boots are to die for - the leather is so soft, you could cuddle with them - and I thank Pilar for bringing them to me, since I doubt I would have picked them up on my own. And they were way comfy, too. The Winnie jacket is just fab - and size down on this one, the size 8 gave me plenty of room in the shoulders, even with a sweater (see Ema's Fall Shopping Rules for the note on buying fall/winter jackets). I would have gotten the cadet funnelneck if they had it in the gray, but they only had cream in store. The pencil skirt is fab, but it would be a few months before I would wear it. Loved the necklace and the ring, but felt like I was getting enough - and if they aren't around later, they weren't meant to be.

All in all, a lovely day. Thanks to the wonderful 3-PP & AnneG for organizing and to my wonderful hubby for not minding that I ditched the family most of the day for some fun girl time!

As Seen On TV...Outfit Inspired by the Disney Channel

So when you are a 37-year-old mom, it's always fun to be watching TV with your 2 cute kiddies...Disney Channel...Jonas, and go "I have that shirt!" Yep, sure enough, on the "Love Sick" episode on Jonas, Stella Malone (played by Chelsea Staub) has on the J Crew Bon Voyage tee.


(photo credit to jonasbrothersdaily.com - thank you, I felt the need to prove it)

Gotta say - not loving the cardi with it so much. But love love love Stella on the show. Not that I watch it *that* often. Oh wait, who am I kidding? I have a 7 y.o. daughter and 9 y.o. son - Disney and Nick are on all the time. I mean, not all the time, but when it is on, it is often on those 2 channels. I still can't stand Fairly Oddparents and try to prevent that one whenever possible - gotta pick your battles.

So here I am wearing Stella's shirt. Not sure if this gives me any street cred with the early elementary crowd, but a mom's got to do what she can. Now if I went out and bought the tee *after* seeing the show - that would be lame.

Honestly, though, seeing it last night (JoBro marathon, how lucky am I?) reminded me that I hadn't worn it in a while - well you know, it's been hot, sundresses have been the rule of the day. So I decided to pull it out of the tshirt pile and give it a go today.

With a pair of rolled up khakis, Danielle sandals, and the Dina hoops. This is the last weekend before the weekend before school starts. So the kids got to stay up late, we're chilling out...and DC JCA Tysons shopping event tomorrow - so looking forward to it - I haven't been in a B&M since July and I can't wait to see all the fab JCAs.

Still have to figure out what to wear, but it's pretty much going to involve cafe capris, bf tissue tee or rose tee, and cardi (Jackie or otherwise). Not too much jewelry, nothing too fancy because tomorrow is about serious shopping - and some major trying on, so it has to be easy in & out - but also have the basics to see how everything works with the capris, with the bf tissue tee, etc. Wish me luck!

Polyvore from today:




Wearing Today-8/22/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

The Nail Files - August Update # 2, and Outfit of the Day tossed in, too

With my last Nail Files post I mentioned that I had my fab friend Sherry on a Dior polish mission at Nordstrom. And she delivered. And oh yeah, I think I am in love with this polish. Behold, Dior Lemon Balm #703. It is available exclusively at Nordstrom and it is quite possibly the most perfect color (for me) I have ever seen. I love that it's darker and moodier, but not almost-black. It's a shimmery, plum-y, taupe-y confection and um, I actually can't stop staring at my toes. (Fab friend Sherry borrowed it on the way to her pedi tonight, and it's totally fab on her, too.) Here's my picture of it:


Trust me, it's way more gorgeous in person. If you want to see fantastic swatches, check out alllacqueredup.com - she is a polish genius, and also a polish-photographing whiz. And her blog is my go-to, 1st stop source on all matters nail-related.

Can't wait to toss it on my fingers as well (currently sporting OPI At First Sight), but I'm not quite mentally ready for dark fingers yet. Give me another week, hehehe. Of course, I still have to IRL test OPI Here Today Aragon Tomorrow and Essie Chinchilly. But that likely won't happen until this peels off my toes.

And here's my you've-already-seen-it outfit for the day. Black knit dress from ATL, black sandals, simple stud earrings. But I added the new Cocteau tote and the spring daisy Jackie to freshen it up and loved them with it....but I just didn't get them in the picture. One of these days I'll actually take pics with bags and cardis and all that to show you that it does get more interesting...just not today.

It was 97 degrees here today, with a heat index above 100, so it was perfect for an easy knit sundress. We picked up Lucy at the kennel this morning and she always sheds upon coming home, so a black outfit was the right choice. And E had her 7-year check up today (she grew 4 inches this year!), so a cardi was a must as well.

I have to say that I am really loving this spring daisy shade. I feel like it makes everything look a little fresher and more interesting since it's an unusual shade of yellow. I will probably look like death in it in the middle of winter...but I'll be wearing way heavier sweaters then, so no worries! And I am also love love loving the Cocteau tote. I highly recommend. The laminated canvas is just plain fun. (anyone seen a good pic for Polyvore, by the way?)

Polyvore for today:



Wearing Today-8/10/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

In other news, if you are in the DC area and haven't actually checked out 3-Penny Princess' posts on the next DC JCA Private Shopping Event at Tysons on Sunday, 8/23, and Diana P's Fab Jewelry Trunk Show 8/22 & 23, get thee to her blog to check it out. Would love to see everyone there!!

J Crew Sunbleached Flower Crinkle Tee & Weekend Review

J Crew Sunbleached Flower Crinkle Tee (#19095, $42.50). I have been seeing this tee pop up on Polyvores all over the place. So I had it on my check-it-out-next-time-I'm-at-J-Crew list. And then I found out the applique was actually black. And then I saw a really cute PV set Jillie made with cardi and jeans. And then I saw FFM's PV set pairing the tee with black cropped pants. I was done. It went on the definitely-getting-it-unless-it's-really-awful list. I love navy and black together. And I had a chance to get it last night.

So a few other DC JCAs and I met up last night at Montgomery Mall for supper at Nordstrom Cafe and then a little shopping jaunt to J Crew. We brought 2 of the mini-Aficionadas with us, E (mine) and CW (Dina's). The little girls had fun and E thought CW was the most adorable thing in the world. (who doesn't, really?) I wish I had pics to post but hubby & M went to the NASCAR race at Dover and took the camera. But Summer had hers and got a pic, so hopefully that will up on her blog later (hint, hint). Great girls, great time.

Back to the tee - Love love loved it. I actually ended up getting the L as I wanted shrinkage room and I felt the M was a little lumpy/bulgy on me. (hate it when the back bra straps show) And the L has more shoulder swinging room, not that I'm planning any YMCA dances today. So it's a size up from the boyfriend tissue tee, but the same size as my rosette tee and my silk-applique critter bow tee.

I love the caspian blue color - so pretty. The "flowers" are done in silk habotai. But I'll be totally honest with you, I am just referring to this as the "swirly tee." Flowers, whatever, I'm much more concrete than that.

One thing to be careful of (can't believe I'm calling attention to this) is the right hand flower. It's fine in the L because it sits a little lower, but in the M, it had the pasty on top of your shirt effect - yep, drew attention right to that. So if that bugs you, you may want to switch up your sizing a bit. Then again, maybe some people like that, follow your bliss.

I am wearing it today with my black cropped pants (the ones that I had tailored from too-short regular Gap pants into perfect ankle length) in a blatant rip-off of the PV set that FFM made. I love this with black pants. But I'm also going to love it with my white jeans and light khaki bottoms, too. I went with black sandals, Dina hoops, and a few bracelets. I'm not sure how a necklace would work with this - whether it would compete or enhance. But for me, I thought there was enough going on with the design.

Polyvore for today:


Wearing Today-5/31/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Polyvore set #1 from Saturday, E's soccer game: (Wish I had gotten pics as my friend Laura and I both showed up to the game in charcoal gray knit dresses. different styles, thank goodness.)

Wearing Earlier Today - 5/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Nike accessories

Polyvore set #2 from Saturday, meeting JCA's out for supper & shopping:

Wearing Later Today-5/30/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Weekend Review

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all Mothers and to all of you who may not be a Mother in name, but mother others to make their lives better. I wish I could be as eloquent as Lissa of Humble Pie, but I'm not, so I will send you over to her blog to read her post in honor of Mother's Day, I Love Being Your Mama. It is truly beautiful, inspirational, and, of course, tear-inducing. So to my wonderful children (the 2 2-legged kids, and 1 4-legged kid), I'll just say "Ditto."

Let's catch up, shall we? I really took an online break this weekend. On Saturday, 3-Penny Princess hosted a tea for the DC J Crew Aficionadas. It truly lived up to all expectations. It was absolutely lovely. A gorgeous day. Beautiful setting. Fantastic company. These ladies are so amazing. It was so great to see old friends and to meet some new ones. The tea and goodies were just divine. The garden was so beautiful. I am a total loser and did *not* bring my camera, so head over to see 3-Penny Princess' or Slastena's blog to see pics. Maybe next time. Hey, the big fat SLR just did not fit into the cutie-pie J Crew rattan clutch! (although just about everything else does)

Update - Summerilla and Cloggsy have both posted their pics. They were both just lovely and I'm so glad I got to meet them!!

I ditched my planned outfit last minute as it was so humid, so I went with an AT Loft black shift dress (soon to be replaced by its fresher, woven twin at J Crew so that it will last longer) but mostly J Crew accessories - twisted crystal + fireball necklaces, rattan clutch, Joley flats, and the bouquet cardi. I did not, in fact, wear the hat as I just wasn't feeling it that afternoon. But oh, I should have when we were outside as my nose was a little pink that evening. (And I am such a sunscreen Nazi that I really am appalled at myself.)

Polyvore set for Tea:


What I Really Wore to Tea today - 5/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew dresses

I wish I could have stayed longer at tea but my parents came up for the weekend so I needed to head back home and meet up with them. Hubby cooked filet on the grill. We just chilled out on the patio. And I got to road test the J Crew Dressy Strapless Dress I was posting about a week and a half ago. Final verdict? It was way comfy. A perfect piece to slip into for hanging out. For me, an excellent buy, but I need to alter the removable strap because it's just too long for me. In other words, there isn't that much there for it to hold up. And yes, I was barefoot the entire rest of the day...and it was good. It was my goal and goals are important, right?

Polyvore for later on Saturday:



What I *Really* Wore After the DC JCA Tea by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew dresses

Mother's Day started out with breakfast in bed (chocolate donut - yum, I love the ones that are yellow with the plastic-chocolate coating - but only if they have been chilled). Later in the morning, shrimp & grits, asparagus, and strawberries for Brunch, cooked by Hubby, of course. Hubby & kiddies surprised me with Wii Fit for Mother's Day (no, it wasn't a veiled insult; I had asked for it for Xmas). Speaking of veiled insults, when I was pregnant with E, I got a new digital scale for Mother's Day. Totally by request. I was like "after I have this baby and start trying to lose weight, I want to know if I've even lost 1 pound because that will motivate me." I'm such a numbers girl. But I always love telling people about the Mother's Day scale because they usually look so shocked and appalled. hehehehe.

I say surprise because we had just spent $1400 getting a new A/C for my car the day before so I thought that was my Mother's Day present. And like Dina said yesterday, "I've been in a car without A/C with kids in 90-degree heat. It's worth every penny!" Plus I got a lovely poem that M wrote in his class, and E made one of those plates with flower petals stapled/glued on that list different things she'll do for me. I opted for "wash your car" today, so she, M & hubby did a total clean out of the inside. You should have seen the bag full of stuff that hubby brought it - every nook & cranny was emptied, including the glove box & console. Outside of car was already clean...which for $1400 at the dealership, I would bloody well hope!

It's too bad there wasn't a "I will change my attitude and stop being grumpy" petal because I would have totally cashed that one in. What can I say - kiddies spent the night in the basement with Hubby as a special treat, and so they could do the breakfast in bed thing for me & my mom this morning...but they stayed up way too late, so I had 2 tired grumpy kids this evening. They went to bed early, so here's hoping tomorrow morning is not a total disaster. Nothing's better than having the health room tech call you and say "E told me that you said she should come to school and if she's not feeling well, she can come to the Health room" and me replying "I tell her that 3 days out of 5." I will note that since she started using the alarm on her clock, she has been better. But I'm not counting my chickens for tomorrow morning until they hatch themselves out of bed.

So I wore what I had originally planned for yesterday, since it was cooler today. I finally am wearing the henna tee that I obtained in the JCA weekly exchange. Love love love it! Note the accessories in the PV set differ from IRL (gold vs. silver/pewter). But I was too lazy to do a new set because hey, it's Mother's Day! I'm sure I will wear this as pictured at some point.

Polyvore set for Mother's Day:

Wearing Later Today - 5/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Old Navy tops

All in all, it was a wonderful day, a wonderful weekend. And now I'm off to bed...promise to catch up on blog reading tomorrow!!

Final Look at Lenten Shopping Ban, and a Look at the J Crew Short Sleeve Broadcloth Stretch Shirt

Well, as I said before, I just didn't do as well as I'd hoped to on my Lenten shopping ban. I was so good for so long. I think I could easily do a month again, but after that, it gets hard. I started down the slippery slope with the DC JCA outing. It was fab, but I did make a few decisions there that, at the time, in my gut, I knew were the wrong ones. I also should have actually made more of a list of what I was looking for, because that got me when I did returns/exchanges.

I went to JC last Friday - on Good Friday, no less - as I told you all. I did get the Cotton Cashmere Bouquet Cardigan (#12728, orig $78, curr $59.50 online, in store $49.99 + Mickey's 25% card) - which I am definitely keeping. Look for it here probably tomorrow. I got putty and I do love it. I have been loving my Library Shawl Cardi, and this is similar (knit & color), just more dressed up. (Back to Friday's Putty Question - what other colors do you like with putty, besides my usual white & navy?)

I returned the too-large Jackie cardi in misty lavender and they were out of M at the store. (See A Bigger Closet's post today - she is wearing this cardi with the shell and looks gorgeous!) And that sent me on a lavender hunt because I wanted that color. So then I ended up with the Short Sleeve Broadcloth Stretch shirt (#13326, $59.50), in sweet lavender, in a size 8, which is a size smaller than I usually take in shirts/jackets because of my broad shoulders. From the front it was ok. Then I went to take pics at home, and as you can see from the back, it's just not working. Those wrinkles are from me walking across the room from the camera after I hit the timer. Dina got it in the blue stripe at our DC JCA outing and is planning to wear as a little jacket. It looked fantastic on her I would like to wear it open or closed. And it's almost $60. Ok...$45 with the Mickey card. But considering how much I *HATE* to iron and given my usual style, I'm thinking this should really go back - and not just to exchange for a size 10.

In the end, I was able to order via red phone, with my 25% off, thank you very much since it was not in store, the Jackie cardi in M, so that should be on its way here shortly. I was just semi-flustered as I had the kiddies with me Friday, and I don't think I was making the best choice for me. What do you think about the lavender shirt? Especially since I was able to order the Jackie in my correct size and it shipped...

Of course, I wasn't done after the J Crew outing with the kids. As I posted about also on Friday, I had to go to Target to do Easter baskets and got sandals and a necklace, for a total of about $45 more, which is a bargain, but still...

And Sunday, I ordered from J Crew again. History - When I first started checking out the JCA blogs, I found Gigi's fabulous blog. And was so sad because she was on semi-hiatus when I found her. Thankfully for all of us, she came back after the holidays (collective cheer!!). Gigi is an encyclopedia of IRL pics of, well, everything. (and hilarious to boot!!) One of the sweaters that I always loved and coveted that she had tried on was the J Crew Chunky Star Cable Popover Sweater. As you are probably guessing, it popped up in the Sale section this weekend. I first saw it Saturday and tried to forget. Kept thinking about it. Checked size - L. Referred to Gigi's blog. She sized up, check. Told myself, as I was mulling it over in church on Easter, that if it was still around late in the afternoon, I would do it, and it would be a sign. (I'm very big on signs as you can probably tell - I've seen Sleepless in Seattle *way* too many times.) And did I mention it was $49.99, down from originally $128? Yep, I ordered it. Expect to see it here when it arrives. And if the order mysteriously cancels, and JC orders are wont to do? Yep, again, a sign, and I won't look for it again. (Update - as I was typing this, I got the email that it shipped. yes, a sign. and yes, I know I need to own my actions more - see note at bottom about extending my ban)

All of which brings me to....I am going to extend my shopping ban a little longer. I think I need to continue the re-focus a bit as I have clearly gotten off-track. Plus given the vet visit this week with Lucy, I'll be dropping enough money there. I do think this isn't a short trip. It's a journey towards a better understanding of self and habits.

Maybe I was a little nutty because the kids have been home for a week, but they do go back to school tomorrow. My eating habits haven't been so stellar this week either. Not too bad, but not where they should be. So I will continue to work towards my goal of a better and more balanced me. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Don't forget, input requested on (1) colors to wear with the putty sweater and (2) thoughts on the shirt. Thanks!!

J Crew Silk-Linen Vneck Sweater and Linen-Cotton Seaside Pants

Presenting 2 of my "updated" DC JCA Private Shopping Purchases. The Silk-Linen Vneck Sweater (#12961, orig $59.50, curr $49.50) and the Linen-Cotton Seaside Pants (#13053, $69.50) And again, thank you, Mickey, for the 25% red card!

If you remember, I originally got the sweater in sweet cantaloupe, which just wasn't the color for me. Although if I ever get called in somewhere for a photo shoot, I'll remember it because the color was so much better in photos than I felt like it was IRL. I really loved this sweater with the gateau skirt, so I definitely wanted to exchange it and get another color. And I successfully resisted the urge to get it in the slate which I did like. So - sun yellow it is. And what a great sweater for a day like today - it was sunny, rainy, cloudy, thundering on and off all day long. Happy Spring Break!

If you are looking for a summer sweater, I highly recommend this one. The fit is great. I got a M and it fits close to the body without being skintight or bulgy. Definitely needs a cami or tank underneath as it does run a bit sheer. I like the length on this one - it's not as long as a lot of their sweaters and other tops. While I do love long, as you have no doubt noticed from past postings, it is nice to have a not-quite-as-long length, which is why it works so well with the skirt (probably my Easter Sunday outfit). It says Dry Clean, but I will plan to hand wash this one, as I do with just about everything else.

Let me tell you about the Linen-Cotton Seaside pants. I tried these on that Sunday but did not get because I was too into the cocktail capris. But when I tried the cocktail capris on again at home, I just didn't love them. The waist felt a bit big, and I was concerned about how they would work if I lost a little more weight. So I decided to return them. I may try them again another time, who knows...

But when I returned the capris, I tried on the Seaside pants again, in Stone. These are such a me-in-the-spring-summer pant. Bad news first, they have a 32" inseam - so I just rolled the cuffs up twice and I really like them like that. In fact, after I wash them the first time, I am going to tack the cuff into place. Makes it feel beachier, more casual - more like my daily lifestyle. They definitely require a fitted top, or a fitted underlayer tucked in. But they will be so fab for the rest of spring and through the summer. I am already envisioning them with my Bon Voyage tee and the short sleeve cardi in navy on the next warm day...

Nice, light linen/cotton blend, so they aren't too insane with the wrinkles. Machine washable - love that! Fit wise, I would suggest your normal size or sizing down. They loosened up a bit during the day. But a belt would take care of that - and I never felt like they were sliding down - they were just way comfy.




Spring Break, Day 1 - 04/06/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Forever21 necklaces
The accessories are all subs, I need to take an IRL pic of the green bag.

And as far as other activities on Saturday's "Adjustment" Day:

I returned the ON sweater jacket of Sadness.
At JC, I returned the

-Ruffled Tank (just wouldn't lay right under my personal stash of sweaters)
-Cocktail Capris (see reasons above, plus ice cream cone effect in original pics with metallic shirt)
-Sweet Cantaloupe Silk-Linen Vneck Sweater (exchanged for less vomitous-on-me color)
-Gray Bangle (hadn't worn it yet, which was a bad sign, so bye-bye)

And it (mostly) balanced out at JC with:

-Nicky skirt ($15 after red card!! plus it looked good as opposed to when I tried it on 10 lbs ago)
-Jackie cardi in Misty Lavender (need one of these, esp since returning the ON sweater jacket)
-Linen-Cotton Seaside Pants
-Silk-Linen Sweater in Sun Yellow

The other big news was that I finally saw the Cricket Cardigan that I have been coveting in person! There was one on hold behind that counter that had been a return. And you know what? I didn't totally love it. It was the navy, and I think I would actually like the natural/golden olive one more - but I already have a natural sweater jacket from BR last year, so that would be too similar. So I am actually happy that I never got it. (yay!)

So here's the final tally from the DC JCA Private Shopping Event (with next Saturday's adjustments)

-Cotton Atelier Jacket in Navy
-Molten Metallic Perfect Shirt in Metallic Khaki
-Silk-Linen Vneck Sweater in Sun Yellow
-Jackie Cardigan in Misty Lavender
-Cotton Scoopneck Ruffle Tee in Navy
-Cotton Sateen Gateau Skirt in Light Pewter
-Linen-Cotton Seaside Pants in Stone
-Nicky Skirt in Navy

Final Purchases Out of the DC JCA Private Shopping Event by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew jackets

Lots of great basics that I need, plus some fun pieces to spice it up. Thoughts?

Have you tried the silk-linen vneck sweater or the seaside pants?