Miracles at the Drugstore...or Target...or wherever...

Miracles?  Yes...they are to me.  A sample here of three of my latest, life-changing products, two of which are cast-tested to make life easier when you only have 1 completely functioning hand.

#1 and definitely tops on my list: Olay Professional Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System.  (usually $29.99 in drugstores) 

I was seeing ads for this all over this winter, and while still casted, picked one up figuring that it would help since I really only had the use of 1 hand for exfoliating and this might make showers easier.  I have friends with the amazing Clarisonic system, but I never wanted to spend $200 on it...even though I know, yes, they *swear* by it. 

Admittedly, I haven't tried the Clarisonic but now....I *swear* by this one.  Wow.  The brush is nice and soft so it's not harsh on my skin.  But it definitely clears away any flaky skin and really gets the cleanser working.  I have used this with both the cleanser it comes with and another one - and they are both great.  It feels like a facial massage. The only problem is I can't decide whether to keep it in the shower or to keep it by the sink because I'd love to use it twice a day - it feels that good on my face.

If I'd known how amazing it was, I would have scoured the DC metro area for one - or ordered from Amazon sooner. No wonder all the stores were sold out.  I got mine at an off-the-beaten-path CVS, but it seems like the stores are better able to keep it in stock now.  But if you don't need immediate gratification, the link above takes you to the Amazon sight - where you can get the Free Shipping option - have I ever mentioned that I really HATE paying for shipping?  But I've also seen it at Target now, too.

I said I loved it.  But....how well does it work?  Well, let's see....when I went to see Black Swan with friends about a month ago, the ticket guy ID'ed me...yes, at an R movie...because "you can't see it if you're under 17".  That's what he told me when I started laughing because I didn't think he could possibly be serious. I figured it was "be nice to moms" night or something.  Oh no, he wanted to see the ID.  And then a couple weeks ago, out with other couples for dinner, the waitress said she probably should ID us, but even I looked like I was probably an 84 or 85 birth year.  Ummmm, no, 1971.  So that's my testimonial right there. 

#2: Garnier Anti-Dark-Circle Eye Roller ($11.39 at Amazon...I got mine at Target)

So here's the deal with this one.  I love it.  I really do.  The color is supposed to be one-size-fits-all, and I don't know about anyone else, but it's perfection on me.  It is a totally awesome everyday product for me.  And here's why - it's concealer and eye cream in one.  Ta da!!!  Yep, saves me a step.  And I do love it when I can save a step in the morning...at least most (all) mornings...

I often have trouble with eye cream in that a lot of them are way too strong for my undereye tissue - ow, the stinging, the burning...you know what I'm talking about.  My faves are: Arbonne RE9 Advanced Corrective Eye Cream, Kinerase Under Eye Rescue, and Olay Regenerist Eye Serum.  And the last combo eye cream/concealer product that I tried (Clinique's) was a bitter disappointment - too cakey, not moisturizing enough - blegh.

I thought I'd give this one a try while I was in the cast because I was all about saving time and keeping things easy.  And this one was a winner.  I will be honest - when the directions say to roll on the product and then blend in any excess - hahahahaha - um, yeah, I have yet to use it and not have to blend.  So, I roll on, pat in (don't rub!!), and I'm good to go.  It feels nice & cool, no stinging to be had.  And I bet it's going to be even more amazing in the summer. 

Yes, I still use my regular eye cream with my Bobbi Brown Corrector sometimes.  But I'm going to sub in this product on a regular basis - and in the summer?  It's likely all I'll use. And um, fyi, better than YSL Touch Eclat.  Oh yes, I said it.  And I mean it. 

#3 and most recent purchase (yesterday at Target): John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer ($9.99) 

Wow!  Love love love!!  I just got this yesteday - had seen it in magazines and thought "well, heck, why didn't I think of that" and "OMG, where has this been all my life?"

I can only speak to my very fine hair (we don't need to revisit the appalling haircut I got last spring when some idiot thought it would be a good idea to texturize my hair all while saying "wow, your hair really is fine").  Yes, it's fine, it's not thin - just fine.  So I get those little wisps of hair at my scalp where the hair broke that stick up and always prevent me from using any type of volumizing products on my hair.  UNTIL NOW.

As you can see from the product pic, it's basically like a mascara wand for your hair.  And the product inside is like some wacky-good combo of smoothing/fixative/oil/hairspray whatever.  I don't really care what it is, it works.  Totally kept down the icky pieces and didn't make my prone-to-be-oily-and-needs-to-be-washed-every-day scalp greasy.  So mega bonus for the not-greasy scalp.

The only caveat I have here is that I've only used this for a day.  But I really think it's that good.  I may even need to get one to tuck in my (voluminous) purse. 

So those are my 3 absolute bestest products I've found lately.  Enjoy!  And happy shopping!

Do you have any recent discoveries you want to share?  Speak up!!

Field Trip Chic

Q:  How do you know it's been too long since you blogged? 
A:  Blogger asks you sign back in when you get into your Blogger Dashboard.  hahahaha.

I was doing so well and then work got INSANE because I had deadlines to meet before heading off to Disney for a week - we just got back yesterday.  (And I even had started this post a week before we left and never finished it) 

A couple Fridays ago, I went on a field trip with M's class to the Montgomery County Agricultural History Farm.  This is a field trip that could have been very ugly depending on the weather.  But the heavens smiled on us and we had a gorgeous, sunny, crisp fall day. 

What do you wear on a field trip?  Remember, you don't *have* to go into full slumpadinka mode.  But like the Boy Scouts, you do need to be prepated.

First of all, read the instructions.  (We're women, we're usually good at that.)  When the info sheet comes home and the first item says "dress for mud", you know to toss the ballet flats or flip flops in the back of the closet.  Then again...we were visitng a farm...not really sandal stuff, you know? 

So I started from the bottom up...with the good old LL Bean duck boots.  I couldn't even tell you how long I've had these...and they still work.  And then I had to giggle when a bunch of the parents were sitting around and I looked over to see another mom in duck boots. 

Jeans are the natural option.  Hey, if you want to feel good about your size, head on over to Target.  I just got these - Merona, fit #2, in straight - and I took a size 4.  How's that for the ego?  Now admittedly, I have shed some pounds over the past couple of months, but not that much.  Hey, we've all made that ooh-it's-a-smaller-size-and-it-fits purchase.  At least with jeans, you know you'll wear them - it's not a purple floral muumuu that will sit in the closet with its size 00 tag dangling dejectedly waiting to be worn. 

And given the recent weight loss, I have no idea where I'll end up, so I don't really want to spend much on replacement bottoms right now, so $24.99 jeans from Target worked out well.  It's nice to be able to wear pants that aren't falling down while you walk. 

Ok, the jeans and boots were kinda obvious. What to put on top?  Layers...always layers.  So, last JC cambridge cable turtle with a tee & cami layered underneath.  Then a puffer vest and cozy cashmere scarf.  To stay warm, zip up the vest and bundle up in the scarf.  To cool off, unzip vest, loosen scarf or stow in bag.  It was a perfect outfit for that day.

The field trip itself was a lot of fun.  And made me love M's teacher even more. Like when she, my friend Kim and I got in trouble with one of the volunteers for chatting at the back of one of the stations.  We were talking about our kids as students, and not gossiping, I swear.  Teacher was not really happy with the cranky lady. 

And then during another demonstration, a student turned her camera off and it made a very small noise.  The volunteer at the farm doing the demo pretty much freaked out - "what was that? who made that noise?"  After the students around the poor little girl with camera said "oh it's ----, she just turned off her camera," yet another crankly lady LOUDLY intoned "BOYS AND GIRLS COULD WE PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND ELECTRONIC DEVICES SO WE CAN PAY ATTENTION?".  Yes, she was that nuts.  These kids aren't allowed to have cell phones, duh.  So I really fell in love with M's teacher when she turned to me and whispered "Ok, I'll give you my cell phone number and then you can call me right now."  Love that!

A Belated Happy 4th of July

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

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

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

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

07/04/10-Me & E by HeidiGblog featuring Kenneth Cole NY shoes

Dresses - Fern Print Maxi Dress
$98 - anntaylorloft.com
More clothing »

July 4th Party Favors - Flag Novelty Items - Party City
$9.99 - partycity.com
More clothing »

Women's Merona® Elyssa Strappy Sandals - Bronze Snake : Target
$15 - target.com
More sandals »

Kenneth Cole NY Hampton Beach - Silver
$90 - heels.com
More Kenneth Cole NY sandals »

Girls' Liberty of London for Target® Sleeveless Woven Dress - Tan :...
$17 - target.com

stick figure family
opendoormusic.ca

Little Big Planet and Fidgit wish you a happy 4th of July | Fidgit
fidgit.com

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

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

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

Polyvore from yesterday:

7/9/10 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

Women's knits & tees - textured knits - Open crewneck painter tee -...
$30 - jcrew.com
More J Crew t shirts »

Women - tanks - Perfect-fit tank - J.Crew
$18 - jcrew.com
More J Crew tops »

Women skirts Cotton taffeta Nicky skirt
$78 - jcrew.com
More J Crew skirts »

Women's Merona® Elyssa Strappy Sandals - Bronze Snake : Target
$15 - target.com
More sandals »

J.Crew Constellation locket
$50 - jcrew.com
More J Crew necklaces »

Gold Hoop Earrings
$180 - vivre.com
More earrings »

Paper > 12x12: A Cherry On Top
$1 - acherryontop.com

Ray Ban sunglasses sidestreet 4068
replacealens.com
More Ray-Ban sunglasses »

Short Skirts...Long on Style & Value

Today's post will be on a couple of short skirts I have picked up recently.  Both of which are, IMO, very cute, fun for summer, and a great value for the money.

First, >Old Navy Women's Linen Blend Whirly Skirt (#730585, $24.50, curr on promo for $15 in store).  I tried and then purchased after seeing Gigi's post when ON first instituted the dress/skirt promo.  I also used an in-store 15% off coupon to get it for $13.50.  Not too shabby for a summer skirt.  (and how can you not love the name "whirly"???)

I got the flax skirt; it's also available onlin in white, cobalt ink, and honey pot.  The B&M may have had more colors - to be honest, I don't really remember because when it comes to linen, there's nothing better than khaki for me.  (Which is why I was so bummed the JC Playa dress was only in the white & papaya - I still think it would have been perfect in khaki.)

This skirt is short - 16", as mentioned online.  However, because the elastic is only in the back and the rest of the waistband is nice and wide, it's very easy to wear low on the hip.  And in summertime, that's probably comfy, too.  I got an M, which gave me plenty of room for the nudge down on the hips trick. (If you plan to wear at your waist, you will want to size down.) At this length, I think it works fine...as long as I'm wearing flat sandals or sneakers with it.

And that would be in direct contrast to the dreaded JC Nico skirt, which has an extremely wide elastic as its waistband that creates mega-muffintop on anyone trying to nudge it down to get the length to a decent level, if they're short-shinned like me.

I love the pockets - I think they give the skirt some extra style.  But the key is wearing the skirt low enough so that the pockets aren't adding width to the hips.  But you definitely want a streamlined top with this skirt - nothing too blousy.

Next skirt...from Target.  No...not Liberty of London.  Actually, did they even have women's skirts?  Because that would have been way cute.  >Merona Women's Patchwork Madras Skirt (orig $19.99, in store on sale for $14.99, online for $8).  (Tough choice here - do I get a price adjustment from the 19.99, or re-order online?)  I have been semi-coveting this ever since >Sweet Tea in Seattle got a similar one last summer from Target. 

I got it in a 10, figuring that I may want to wear it a bit down on the hips since it's much shorter than the online picture would make you think.  And the 10 works.  I love it with the navy tee here, even though I just grabbed that to throw on with both skirts.  (And yes, if I wear the tee sans cami, I definitely need a dark bra.)

Not much more to say on this skirt - I love the patchwork madras, the fit is just fine, I can't wait to wear it with tanks or tees this summer, and it will be great with sandals, flip flops, or sneakers.

Easy...just like a summer skirt should be...

Flats Fun at Target

Let me start by telling you about these way cute little shoes I got for E last spring from Target.

Girls' Xhilaration Flora Ballet Flats ($12.99) Adorable. And they literally go with *everything*. E had a pair last spring that she lived in. And I got her another pair this fall because, yeah, like I said, they work with everything in her closet. Did I mention how darn cute they are on her? And I've always kinda thought, hmmm, I wish they made this exact shoe in my size because it would be oh-so-versatile. Love the color, especially - that pewter is fantastic.

So, lo and behold, what did I spy with my little eye when as I wandered the Target shoes aisles today?

Why, it's the "grown-up" version of E's cute little flats. Mossimo Vlasta Snip Toe Flats ($24.99) So to put my money where my mouth is, so to speak, I did get a pair. They fit very TTS - I got a 9, not too wide, not too narrow. Love this!!

As I continued to stroll along the shoe aisles (did I mention the kiddies are back at school? first solo trip to Target in weeks)...I looked for those cute purples suede flats I posted on a few weeks ago. Not in my size, of course, (guess I'll have to go with the Steve Maddens instead, darn it), but I did see my size in Mossimo Odell Ballet Flats in the cheetah print ($12.99).

Narrow feet, stay away! It is definitely meant for those of us with the fat feet. And I sized up to 9 1/2 because the 9 felt a bit short (which never happens). That 9 1/2 does feel a bit wide, even for me, but I am hoping that an insole will make it work. For $13, I don't mind doing a little work to it.

A good start to fall, I think.

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 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?

Memorial Day Weekend Review

First of all, I would like to wish everyone a happy Memorial Day. I wish I could be eloquent, but instead I will direct you to Lula Mae's post and Joyce's post about the holiday. So well said. Thank you, ladies.

We started with work-day on Saturday to get things picked up, organized, and set up for M's birthday party here at the house on Sunday. Once all the sweaty work was done, we hit the pool because hello, opening day and it's actually not thunderstorming or 65 degrees.

Post-pool, I actually got dressed in normal clothes. It was hot, hot, hot, so a definite day for the white gauze skirt and a Target boyfriend tissue tee - flamingo that day. Hair up, Dina hoops, fireball necklace...good to go.

And can I tell you how much I am loving my Havaianas Fit flip flops? Because the strap holds the back on so it's much less strain on your feet. Yay, happy feet! My mom got a pair a couple of weeks ago per my suggestion and I ordered a pair for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. Just trying to spread the joy here, folks.

Polyvore for Friday:

Wearing Today-5/23/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

In other exciting (to me) news...Lucy turned 5 months old on Friday. She is just over 30 pounds, so I guess we are halfway to her projected adult weight of 60-65 pounds. And I think she's teething because she has developed a new love for everyone's shoes in the last couple of weeks. She will try to pick up my sandals right in front of me to go chew on. The only casualty so far is a pair of E's sparkly pink flip flops from last summer that needed to be tossed anyway. (thank you, Lucy!) And we have birthday pics...trying to get her in front of the peonies that managed to survive her daily presence. (the secret was the 3 little coated wire panels of fencing that allowed them to grow just high enough and kept her from jumping directly on them)

And this one is "is she done yet? can I go now, please?"

Sunday was M's party and well... we were just too busy and I didn't get pics. Outfit wasn't too exciting - but did include the new Gap outlet khaki shorts which were way comfy. I'll get a pic of them soon, I think. But the party was a blast - we had an backyard splash party with 2 slip-n-slides and a huge inflatable pool. Great for a group of 8 & 9 year old boys. M loved it. And then friends invited us over for dinner so, yay! we didn't have to cook.

For dinner, I wore a cute little black knit shift dress from AT Loft last summer. So comfy & easy. Flat black sandals, silver hoops & cuff, I'm good to go! It's practically mindless dressing. No Polyvore since the dress isn't on PV and I actually couldn't find a great stand in. But I paired it with a lavender Jackie later when it got cold.

And since I couldn't Polyvore the outfit, here is my dress pic for future Polyvores: (just scroll on down, sorry)

And pic of the sliver cuff. It's Silpada, but a discontinued piece. I love it. (polyvoring this one, too, sorry, scroll along) (And guess what? Now I can Polyvore Sunday night's outfit! It is a sickness, really it is.)

And, blissfully, no plans today. We did some yard work to clean up from the party and take care of a plum tree that hubby had to chop down last weekend while I was away (long story) that was sitting out back behind the fence just waiting for us to break it all down. So we have 2 bags of yard waste for the recycle truck on Thursday and a pile of wood to use in the outdoor fireplace.

Never mind the corner of the yard where he chopped down the tree that I need to re-landscape or re-configure or re-something. I know it needed to be done, but still...

So today's outfit incorporates my version of Summer Sweats - the C9 running skort from Target. It's cute, it's comfy, it's cool. Works with just about any tee or tank. My sister and her friends actually get these for tennis. I love it for walking or the occasional jog, since I have actually started doing just a little jogging with Lucy - I despise it, but she loves it.

Skort with BF tissue tee, cami, and the french terry double zip hoodie (which was perfect after the rain when it cooled down), and the Havaianas. A relaxing outfit for a relaxing day. I feel very lifeguard-y in this outfit.

We grilled pizzas for dinner. On the grill. We each made our own. (Did I mention what a fantastic cook hubby is? Makes his own dough, since clearly I'm not going to.) I made my knockoff of a pizza that Fat Tony's here has - the Pizza Gina - crust, sauce, mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, goat cheese, and pesto. Of course, I can only think of the fab John Candy/Dan Akroyd flick, The Great Outdoors, whenever I think about goat cheese pizza - but that is one of my fave flicks.

Polyvore for Monday:

Wearing Today-5/25/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew