Jaspe Is My Buddy & I Am Loving My New Pencil Pot

Still tired..Lucy is better but not all the way. I went to bed a little early and then got up with her twice last night. 2nd time was a total false alarm. You get up at 2 am, open the crate door, and she just stares at you like "oh, you're awake, would you like to pet me while I lounge here?" (Puppy version of the charming smile your 3-month-old gives you when you come into their room to get them out of the crib.) She got rice for breakfast this morning to help calm her tummy. Yes, the puppy version of the B-R-A-T diet. :) And to clarify, this is the first time she has gotten puppy food for two reasons: (1) general gastrointestinal health, and (2) manners. We're getting there...on all fronts.

Pretty day, spring-ish, a little cool, so I pulled out my spring buddy, the Jaspe sweatshirt. I am still loving this. It's perfect for this weather. Comfy but not too heavy. Slim shape so that it's not too bulky. Love the gray melange color. And then jeans, white tank, black mocs and some pearls. Amazingly enough, I have again resisted the tired = ponytail default. (must be the haircut, maybe I should do that more often)

Polyvore set for today:

Wearing Today - 5/12/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew hoodies

So I spent the morning doing some cleaning out to help de-fuzz my brain. First up, the school supplies/arts & craft chest. This was hubby's grandfather's desk and it sits right behind the kitchen table. Perfect place for the crayons, glue, scissors, stickers, loose paper, workbooks, etc. And it was a total nightmare. So I went through each drawer, decluttered, cleaned, organized. Here is the top drawer - isn't it pretty?

And this is my new pencil pot - in other words, what I did with the pencils, on top of the desk so they are easy to get to, esp when in the midst of homework. 1-2" of pebbles in the bottom to help the pencils stand up straight, makes them easy to see and get to because sometimes, you really want that specific pencil, you know. And I won't have to listen to the requisite 5 minutes of sorting through them all.

I also went through the kids' books to do some cleaning out. And then a bunch of other straightening, organizing plus laundry and picking up for the cleaning ladies to come tomorrow. I feel satisfied with what I've accomplished today. Time to hit the grocery store, and then come back to walk Lucy until bus stop pick up. Hope you all are having a productive day!!

Wearing today - pearls, pearls, pearls

Today I was back up at school to help M's class glaze tiles in Art class. It's actually very cool. They are tiles (all with cows) that will go in the Mooseum (yes, that's the correct spelling) in Germantown The Mooseum is a converted dairy barn in the middle of the South Germantown Recreational Park that periodically opens and educates the puble about the heritage of dairy farming in Montgomery County. We do a field trip there each year, which was supposed to be tomorrow,then got moved, and now is up in the air. One of our teachers is very involved in the Mooseum. They have finally gotten enough funding that they are supposed to be doing construction to convert the dairy barn to a full-time museum. And M's grade was chosen to make tiles that will be put up in the Mooseum.


So, what to wear, what to wear. Glazing tiles? Let's go with a dark color. Temps? Still gray/chilly in AM but could warm up. Don't want anything too heavy.


J Crew navy cotton vneck sweater and jeans it is. I am so glad I got this sweater earlier this year. I have worn it just as much as the BR navy vneck that it replaced. (And oh, the BR one sooooo needed to be replaced. It was sad...) For a little color, bright yellow painter crewneck tee and gray patent flats. And then topped off with some pearls - the Target pearl cluster necklace and the F21 long strand doubled. I liked how both necklaces looked together, and I think it worked on such a simple (hehehe, read boring or plain) outfit. And it's not like I'm wearing grandma's heirloom pearls up to art class.


About the gray patent flats...I've discussed these before but that was early on in my blogging life and I have more readers now than I did then so I am hoping someone can help. These flats (accurately depicted in the Polyvore) are from Target last year. One of the many colors that the Xhilaration Sable ballet flat. I love these shoes. The gray patent works with just about everything. And they usually give any outfit a fun, unexpected pop.


So what's the problem? Like I said, I got them last year and wear them a LOT. So you can imagine the wear on them when they weren't the bestest quality to begin with. So here's my plea for help. I am looking for some really simple gray patent flats that are comfy. If anyone has any info, suggestions, sources, I would love to hear. You'll be my new BFF. Seriously. Thank you!

Polyvore set for today:


Wearing Today - 5/6/09 by HeidiGblog on Polyvore.com


By the way, when I put together the Polyvore set this morning, I was betting that I would have my hair up at some point in the day. But it's 2:30 and hair is still down, so yay me! Not so lazy today...

Wearing Today (incl new Merino Michelle in Beechwood)

Ahhhh the love of J Crew's Merino Michelle cardi (#11659, orig $88, online $49.99-whatever, in store $19.99 and then 25% Mickey card!!) Seriously, folks, $15. How can you go wrong?

I picked up the beechwood on sale last Friday. Do I need another cardi? Probably not, but I actually don't have anything in this color, and I wore my charcoal BR cardi just like this one all the time this past winter, so I imagine I will enjoy it. Since I hate to have clothes hanging in the closet without being worn, I decided to pull it out for today as it's still a bit chilly. I paired with a shell bf vneck tissue tee (like these 2 colors together!), jeans, pearls, and some black mocs. I feel a bit Laura Petrie-ish in the cuffed jeans/pearls/loafers, but hey, it works for me. Yes, these are the F21 pearls.

Polyvore for today:

Wearing Today - 04/21/09 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew t-shirts

Keeping this short, because I got a lot of ("real") work finished and want to walk Lucy before picking up the kiddies at the bus stop. I want to share some info on the new shampoo & conditioner I found and discuss the J Crew shoe love, since I just got my first pair of non-flip flops/sneakers.

But I'll leave you with some Lucy pics from this morning...

Ring-a-Ding-Ding at Forever 21

Inspired by Gigi's excellent advice on how to shop Forever 21 as well as some majorly cute F21 finds she has been posting lately, I decided to pop in for a visit on Friday. Now I violated rules #5 & 6 because it was my 2nd errand, and I went after J Crew, so I had a bag. But it was still a weekday and I wasn't planning on trying on clothes; my goal was to zero in on some accessories. Plus, had a limited amount of time since Lucy was home in her crate.

Find #1, and my absolute favorite - Domed Flower Ring ($5.80). I got this in the cream/clear, but I think the rainbow/clear is very cute, too.

Here's a pic on my finger for scale (forgive the placement - easier to take pics with right hand). Also, I wore it today, so when I get to posting today's pic & Polyvore, it will be on there.

If you remember back to one of my very first posts, on my fun H&M ring... my favorite jewelry purchase last spring was a fantastic Banana Republic ring that turned. The bottom half of the band is now copper. And I did pay about $40 for that ring. I realize it wasn't precious metal, but would have expected better quality than that. And I loved that ring! (still wear it occasionally and make sure no one sees the inside of my hand) So I won't mind when this one turns, since it was under $6.

I am going to include the link to all of their rings here because they have so many fun options. It was hard to choose, but this was my favorite. But here are some others that I also looked at in store. I will say that if I ever have to get a ring specifically for a fun or fancy event and my current stock just doesn't cut it, I think I may try F21 first.

And one more note - I think the sizing may be a little wonky. I believe that my ring said size 7, but it fits my size 6 finger. The size 8's fit my index & middle finger, which are size 7. So just be careful about the size if you order online. (if anyone has any additional info on the ring sizing, I would love to hear it) Also, they were all kind of piled in a big bowl that I dug through.


So without further ado...check out the pretty pictures...
(is it me, or did that last one bear a striking resemblance to J Crew's crystal pillow ring?)

Find #2 - Long faux pearl necklace ($6.80). The numbers don't match, but I think I have the correct link, or it's pretty darn close. This isn't rocket science, you know. A great option for layering. I have several that are 2 or 3 strand, but none that are long, so I thought this would be good to add to the mix.

Find #3 - Mini bow headband ($2.80). So cute, and less than $3!!! I got this in hot pink for E, and she was thrilled.

So total for the outing - $6.80 + $5.80 + $2.80 + tax = 16.32. Not too shabby...