Ink Blot?

I recently scored the ink blot pencil skirt form a lovely over on the JCA weekly exchange. I really love it and the colors work great with others in my closet. I think the print is really unusual and dark enough to move into fall even though it is light weight. I could use a few styling suggestions to take it beyond the obvious. I am wearing it today with a black tee and gray cardigan and black pumps. I can also see it with a white blouse or black turtleneck and tights. Any other suggestions out there?

The Winner Is...

Thanks to everyone who commented on my post asking about back to school shopping for my daughter. We ended up at Lands End and they were having a 25% off everything sale which was great. We looked at mini boden which was also highly recomended but she really wanted to go somewhere with me, without her brothers, and try things on. We got 3 of these cute tunic dress/tops, 3 long sleeve dresses, 3 long sleeved tees, a couple of pairs of coordinating leggings plus cords and jeans. All for way less than I was expecting! I know they will hold up because they are Lands End and she got to feel like a big girl. A win all around! Thanks for all your input!

Just Add Ugly

Ok here is my vote for the ugliest thing in the new rollout at J Crew. I am not counting the feathered jacket, lamb stole, sequined harem pant type pieces which are so bad they are ridiculous and only can be worn by Jenna when appearing at some fancy place or in the inner circle of hell. This is called the Drea dress and the price is $118. Here is how J Crew describes it:

"Just add leggings and voilà!—instant elegance. Less is more, as seen in this simple yet chic all-season dress that we consider a style cure-all. Fashioned from a featherweight baby alpaca blend, this versatile gem keeps you warm while your silhouette stays slim. With a roomier fit through the hips and a dropped drawstring waist, it's the perfect blend of comfort and sophistication. Merino wool/poly/nylon/alpaca in a 12-gauge knit. V-neck. Three-quarter sleeves. Hits at midthigh. Import. Dry clean."

First, as we all know, "hits at mid thigh" is J Crew code for ridiculously short. Second, "featherweight" is code for see through. Third, they didn't add leggings, they added weird thigh hi stocking things and horrid looking boot things. Add to that the fact that the model looks strung out on drugs and it isn't exactly a look I am dying to copy! Never, never, never!

Now that said, I am not hating fall at J Crew, there are some lovely pencil skirts and other pieces that are resting in my cart but still, this is really not something I ever want to see in person!

Back to School Shopping for Girls?

Hi there fabulous ladies and a happy Friday to you all! I have a question. I need to take my daughter shopping for some new clothes for back to school. She is 7 and will be in the second grade. However, she is very tall for her age and so looks loder. She wears a size 8/9. I am very traditional and like my children to dress like children. I don't want her to look like Brittney Spears. Her school has a very strict dress code but no uniform. I am stuck in that she seems to old to buy everything at Gymboree but I think the clothes in her size at Gap or Old Navy seem to old. I have to admit that as much as I love J Crew, I do not care for their kids clothes. I think they are too expensive, not well made and too trendy. These clothes will see recess, art class and the lunch room. No cashmere! Any shopping suggestions?

Going to the Chapel! (well went to the chapel anyway)

Today is my 15th wedding anniversary. Wow, that's hard to believe. In some ways it feels like we got married eysterday and in some ways it feels like yesterday. We had a wonderful wedding day. The ceremony was at the Carmel Mission Basilica which is a beautiful church. The gardens were gorgeous and in full bloom. Then the reception was at the Monteray Plaza Hotel. It was so fun, everything seemed to go perfect. Flash forward 15 years and 3 kids later and still going strong. It hasn't been an easy 15 years, in fac the last 10 have been the opposite of easy. But our committment never wavered. I'm pretty proud of that. There were several times when I thought about throwing in the towel but instead just kept trucking. It was worth it. So Happy Anniversary to me!

Help! Is there a Stylist in the House?

You know those days when you look in the mirror in the bathroom at the office at about 3 pm and think "OH MY GOD" and not in a good way? You find yourself wondering who is that slightly overweight person with the horrid haircut and bad glasses? And what is she wearing? Well I have just had that experience. Granted I have gained about 5 to 7 pounds over the last 2 years since I went from working part time to working full time. I also couldn't get my contacts in this morning and I hate my glasses although most consider them unobjectionable. My hair is bad, my last cute was an attempt to take a plain, all one length bob and layer it, not a good idea. It may have to go. But what I would truely love is a stylist. Someone, like Stacey and Clinton from What Not To Wear, who would come over and go through my closet. Tell me what to get rid of, what to keep and what I should buy. I feel like my closet is full of not quite perfect things and lone orphans I always thought would be perfect and aren't. Maybe it's just not exciting or full of things I "love". For example, today I am wearing gray Banana Republic pants, with a plain white tee and a black J Crew cardigan and black ballet flats. Not objectionable but not great either. I think the pieces in my closet are fine in abstract but what else I need to make them stand out is missing. Any of you lovely bloggers in the San Francisco area want to help me out? Anyone else have any great ideas? I want to look pulled together, sharp and stylish and I feel like I am falling short.

Now and Before?

In a lot of ways I feel these two photos illustrate exactly the disconnect so many of us feel with J Crew these days. The cute gray pencil skirt is slightly different from the top to bottom picture which I think is is from fall 2008 or 09. I see the ruffled top but the model looks great, she is smiling, the styling is clean and yet fun with those great purple shoes. I want to buy each piece in the hope I would look as great as this girl does. The I look at the picture of the first model which is on line and in the stores now. I've actually seen and tried on this skirt in real life and it's really pretty and in fact on my want list but look at the styling. Ugly clunky boots, messy hair, a gray tee shirt and military jacket. Not to mention the model looks like she just rolled out of bed and hasn't eaten or combed her hair in a month. I don't want to look like that. I know that we all moan about the "old J Crew" but these two pictures totally demonstrate why I am less excited these days. What do you think?

Pearl or Carbon?

The one thing I will have from the early fall rollouts at J Crew is the new perfect pencil skirt. I missed out on last years version in all but the blossom color and have been reduced to stalking the JCA exchange and ebay with limited luck. I went into my local J Crew on my way home today and the one color they had in my size was the greenish bronze color. It fit and felt great but totally not my color.

If you saw my post below about a signature color you will understand when I say my winter "color scheme" is gray, black and white. I have a red Lady Day coat that rocks. So, I'm in need of a gray one. I went on line and there are 2 choices, the lovely pearl color on the model, although I don't care for how it is styled or this lovely dark gray color called Heather Carbon. I am drawn to the light gray color but considering that much of the time I will be wearing it with black tights as the winter approaches maybe the darker color is a better choice. Also, I'm thinking the darker color might be a more slimming choice?

Maybe I should bite the bullet and grab both before it is to late? What do you think? And if anyone has last years version in that great plum or blue color, sz 10 that you don't want anymore, be sure and let me know!