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!

Surviving the Snow

First of all, let me get something off my chest that has bothered me for quite some time about the DC area, and I include all my beloved suburban MD & VA brethren under the "DC" umbrella (hee, weather metaphor).

As you probably know, we are smack in the middle of Snowpacolypse 2010. 27" over the weekend. 10"+ today - hard to tell since the wind keeps blowing (blizzard conditions) and moving it all around. UPDATE - Per the news, we got 18" here in the 2nd round. I had shoveled out front walk earlier today, and now when I look out my front door, all I see is a wall of snow across the walk. Ok, that was smart. At least I got some fresh air. (That's the view out my back door and off the back porch from early this afternoon. Snow's actually higher now.)

But here's the thing...I hope this finally shuts up all the smart-aleck carpet bagging politicians who count dissing DC snow response as a favorite sport. It never fails that every 2 years, when we have a crop of new politicos in town, regardless of party, that as soon as it snows and DC freaks out, they all decide to get up on their little platforms and OMG, everyone in DC is an idiot and no one know anything about snow, you all are a bunch of wimps, etc, etc, etc.

I will not argue the fact that people flip a little when we get just a bit of snow. But HELLO, that's because we don't GET a lot of snow (I mean, except for this year, it is historic and record-breaking and the federal government is closing again tomorrow - 4 days in a row because of weather, I believe that's unprecedented). DC with snow is kinda like people who've never had alcohol before, give them a beer and wacky things ensue.

But don't blame us for getting a bit wacky. We don't have the infrastructure that *y'all* do back in Chicago/Massachusetts/New York or any other spot in the Midwest or Northeast you care to pick. Clearly our "snow shovels" aren't as big as yours. If you would like to pull out your check and write the various Metropolitan Departments of Transportation a six-figure check to up the manpower, equipment, and various supplies for dealing with the snowfall, I'm pretty sure we can all get used to the snow real quick. But until then, please, shut up, you don't look cute or clever or cool, you look like an a$$. Please go back to the work you're supposed to be doing.

Thank you, I feel so much better now.

You might not know this but I can be a bit superstitious about silly things. So I swore yesterday, as we were getting the blizzard warnings about the high winds that if we had power today and didn't lose it that I would actually get dressed in real clothes instead of the usual yoga pants, cami, sweatshirt that I've been hanging out in all week.

Thus far {knock on wood}, our power has stayed on. And I think getting dressed in real clothes made me feel a bit less lethargic today. This does hold with my usual philosophy of trying to dress up when I feel really crummy because it definitely makes me feel better.

For today...navy J Crew Wellesley cable turtleneck sweater - yes, that's Wellesley - the precursor to Cambridge. Wellesley = HO06, much thicker. Cambridge = now, and thinner, but I think we've all had the quality discussion. Moving on... I may need to replace this next year, though, because I absolutely love to wear it, but after 3 years, it is just too short. In their latest issue, Real Simple had a really great article on stretching out shrunken clothing. Guess I need to try it out with this sweater, huh?

And let me talk about the pants for a moment...Gap real straight cords (on sale for $24.99, $19.99 or $17.99, depending on color). The cords come in regular, petite, and tall. I have the regulars, but I cuff them (or wear with boots). I love the fit of these, very comfy (size 10, btw). They look a little weird if you see them folded on the table, but that's because they are several inches higher in the back than the front. And you know what that means - they actually cover your butt! And don't flash anyone if you bend over.

Now, I'm really not much of a cord girl. I'd usually rather wear jeans or Minnies, but I love winter-white cords for winter. So these are perfect.

Underneath, I have a short sleeve perfect fit tee in light berry (size L - I always size up in the perfect fit tees) - which I got back in December for $4.99 at my B&M. (How could I resist?) I love this navy-white-berry color combo - I think I'll definitely be sporting it with white jeans in the spring.

Other than that - Dina hoops, clementine pearl garden bracelet, and brown croc mocs. (This, of course, was all after I finished shoveling this morning). A pretty decent snow day outfit, I think.

Polyvore for today:

2/10/10 by HeidiGblog featuring GAP pants

Of course, I'm probably going back to sweats tomorrow... Stay warm and safe, everyone! And thanks for listening...

In The Navy...for Fall? Featuring J Crew Classic-Stripe Tissue Tee

I have been on a navy tear lately. Not sure why...I usually think of navy as the ultimate spring color. Maybe it's all the back-to-school-ness? Or maybe I've been feeling it because of the new fab J Crew Classic-Stripe Tissue Tee(#20019, $32.50)? It's one of the new arrivals at JC, has been in store for a couple of weeks and actually appeared online last night with the other new arrivals. (Yay for Polyvore clipping - although Dina's pic that I was using was pretty darn good, I must say, so props to her.)

What can I say about this tee? It's absolutely perfect. I have been looking for this tee for at least 2 years. First of all thanks to jmpb for first alerting me to the striped tissue tee and then taking pics (what a doll!). I believe I mentioned this before, but the very first one I tried on had the twisty-side seam thing going on, so make sure you try on before purchasing if possible! The 2nd & 3rd are just fine in terms of side seam. 2nd & 3rd? Oh yes...if you recall, I purchased this tee with 2 of the new sequin beaded tees (that I later returned). The SA put them all in the bag together, sans tissue. So when I went to put on my new fab striped tee, I had it on about 10 minutes when I noticed a small hole in the middle of the shirt around the belly button. Now, I'm an innie, so it wasn't that. It was from the sequins on one of the tees I got. But I was able to return/exchange without incident, thankfully - or I actually would have coughed up another $30 to get the tee, it's that perfect. But let it be a lesson in packing with sequins & beading...

Back to the tee. Love love love. Nice long length in the body & the sleeves. Fitted but not restricting. Fab neckline - nice scoop, with navy banding around to set it off. Classic. Simple. Perfect. Wow, I am blubbering - but this is probably my fave fall release item so far. Well, tied with the merino striped sweater and the Minnies. I took an M and there is still plenty of room in the midsection. And the stripes help camouflage and lumpiness - trust me, I always check for lumpies.

I wore the striped tee on Monday with jeans and the Atelier jacket. Plus the dangling crystal shapes bracelet and navy patent ballet flats. Later in the day, when I realized it was really cold, I swapped out the jacket for my navy Wellesley cable turtleneck (the antecedent of the Cambridge cable). Love the layered look with the stripes peeking out of cuff & hem. I also loved how this looked when I held it up to my charcoal and beechwood Michelles. Plan to wear lots this fall - maybe into winter if I get the right scarf. (Remember this at right from Glamour's JC fall preview?)

Polyvore from Monday:

10/12/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

More navy fun for fall...all lumped into 1 collage. See, I'm getting better at this - I saved it *with* text this time.

Tuesday was a perfect fall day. Really and truly. Sunny but with a crispness in the air that screams Autumn. This is my first Tissue Turtleneck from J Crew (#17656, $39.50). But I can promise you it won't be my last. I'll probably hold out for special pricing or a discount before I acquire more, but that will give me a chance to do a proper road test on this. Love the spicy olive color but I don't remember if they had that one in store. For a warmer day, this was a great top to layer with a cami, jeans, and some fab accessorizing. I kept it simple with my Hawthorn necklace from Anthro. It will be a great underlayer when it's colder.

Last Friday...maybe the last truly warm day for a while...pulled out the navy short sleeve cardi. I really hope JC has these again next spring because I will definitely stock up on some more. Such a great piece for the warm/cool days. I paired it with French Market tee and golden hickory cafe capris. I love how the capris pick up the gold in the tee.

Last pic...gosh, back in September...this is fun because I hardly even take pics with full outerwear. This is how you jazz up one of my standard outfits of navy vneck sweater and jeans. Add yellow jacket and olive scarf & sneakers. This was a soccer day outfit. Layers and warmth at the neck. I took the pic with jacket since I've worn that exact sweater/jeans combo a million times over - but it shows how much wear you can get out of a classic item. And I'm still not bored with it because it makes a fab backdrop for accessories.

Last 3 Polyvores:

10/13/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

10/9/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew

9/26/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Old Navy

Wearing Today

Spring Break is slowly coming to a close. We have 2 more full days off until the kids go back to school on Tuesday. That morning is going to be harsh. Yes, I get up with the puppy early, but I get to just chill. We don't have to start moving early, you know?

Here's my Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today - 04/11/09 by HeidiGblog featuring Old Navy tank tops

The day was gray and rainy to start, and, as usual, I was cold. So I decided to brighten up the day with the Tangelo Cambridge Cable Turtleneck. It needs to be laundered again after taking to the river, so I thought today was a good time to pull it out. But I spiced it up with the raspberry pink Pumas, which I think work really well since that have the same level of color saturation as the tangelo. Couldn't find the Pumas on Polyvore, but it was funny that I found a pair (what are they, F21?) that are the exact same color/texture.

Of course, I didn't get dressed until later in the day since my wonderful hubby let me go back to bed for an hour or so this morning. Ahhhh, bliss! But still managed to get the kids' rooms picked up (joint effort with them, of course) and the downstairs picked up, since we were having friends over for dinner. So by 6:00 pm, the house was looking pretty good.

Then to change for dinner... First of all, let me tell you about the dinner itself. Our friends came over and the 2 hubbies cooked and both of them are great cooks. They went with a tapas theme. It was all so yummy. And I had to do very little work, other than the clean up. But I felt like blogging instead of doing dishes, so here I am. Kept the tank, jeans, and earrings for dinner. Swapped out for a fun cardi (Gap Summer 2008) and the gray patent flats. It was a fun, but very late evening. I'm not worried about oversleeping for church, though, because I am sure I will be up with puppy early.

Hope you all have a joyous and blessed Easter!

J Crew Cambrige Cable Turtle in Tangelo and a Closet Update

It's cold here today. Really chilly compared to the earlier part of the week. I know, I know, cry me a river, whatever... But still... I'm not asking for 70-degree days ad infinitum. But, 45 degrees and windy is just not fun. Can we please take it up a few degrees and let the wind die down. Please?? What to do on a day where you've got spring in your heart but winter outside your doorstep? And you are always cold so you can't just thumb your nose at Mother Nature and wear a tshirt?

Let's see... how about a cozy sweater in a nice, bright, sun-shiny color? Hello J Crew Cambridge cable turtleneck sweater in Tangelo. It's kind of a crazy color. It totally reminds me of the very bright Crayola "yellow-orange" crayon. Or was it "orange-yellow"? I think they had both and they were 2 very different colors. Suffice it to say, it's bright and cheery. Yes, of course I got it on sale. I think January-ish, during one of the 20% off sales, probably $39.99-ish. It's a little sheer, so I sized up to the large, whereas my old navy Wellesley cable turtle is a medium. It's a good way to bring a little warmth into my day as I sit here and sip my tea. (paired with standard cami, Chicos jeans, navy patent flats, and very cool AT Loft pocket watch necklace)

So...how's that closet going? Thanks for asking! Well, remember my nefarious plan to trick myself on Monday by dumping all the pants on my bed right before I went to the office for a meeting? Worked like a charm. Of course I had to go through them all. Putting them away without the try-on would have taken almost as long. So here's our progress, with accompanying "pile" pictures.

Sunday - skirts, and Monday - pants - wish I had a picture of the pants pile up - it was scary.

Tuesday - dresses, exercise/gardening/paint clothes (it's a sliding scale and items move down the chain)

Wednesday - shirts and jackets (basically tops other than sweaters). This one almost did me in. I started it at 8:00 right after the kids went to bed. So so so did not want to do it. But the piles made me. (yay for the evil plan!)Thursday - sweaters, sweatshirts, bathing suits, bathing suit coverups

I still haven't worked through today's pile, but will obviously do so before I get to go to bed. My bag for the consignment shop is over-full, so I will definitely have enough to take tomorrow, and may have to set up another appointment while they are still taking spring clothes.

Still to do: shoes, bags, and coats, and the random items in the nether regions of the closet.