J.Crew Houndstooth Tippi & New Arrivals

I checked out the new arrivals at the store last night. Specifically, I was searching for the Houndstooth Tippi sweater that is currently not available online.  I tried it on both colors, the navy and hunter green. Here are quick photos of both:

Personally, I like the top version, in hunter green and that is the color I purchased last night. The fit of this is very similar to my other Tippi sweaters, it is true to size, fitted and really comfortable. In particular, I like the larger houndstooth print detail on the shoulders.

I bought the Excursion vest in Saddle and the much beloved  Horsing Around Sweatshirt. I had to size down in the Excursion vest since it runs a bit big. I found the sweatshirt to be true to size, but it is definitely a more fitted sweatshirt and NOT a relaxed fit like some of the other sweatshirts I have purchased from J. Crew in the past.  Quick photo of both together:

I really liked some of the other new roll outs, but I am waiting for some of them to come down in price before I spend more. Now, if only the weather would cool down in Los Angeles, so I can wear them! :)

Happy Shopping!

100 Degrees of Summer

Temperatures in the San Fernando Valley will be over 100 Degrees today.  Summer is really here in full force.  I am staying cool at work in a J.Crew Blue Seersucker Button-up, Madewell Rail Staight Jeans in Western Wear, J.Crew Silver Belt, Rocket Dog Silver Sandals and my J. Crew Crystal Factory bracelet. Thank god for casual summer dress days!  Here are images of my Outfit of the day:

I tried taking an OOTD selfie with my iphone camera, and my arms are just not long enough. Ha ha! :)  I have no idea how people successfully do this without a mirror.  They must have fashion minions on standby to fix this problem. :) 

When I get home, since the temperatures will be super high still....I will be changing into my new Lilly Pulitzer shorts and a navy tank after work:

I am new to buying shorts from Lilly Pulitzer. The print is adorable with the trademark clever Lilly print name, "Get Nauti".  These shorts are light weight and the fit is true to size.  The Callahan short with the 5 inch inseam is just the right length for me.  However,  if you like "short shorts", there is a 3 inch version available.  There are also a couple of casual knit dresses and a skirt available in this print as well.  

Hoping to stay out of the summer heat today! :)

J.Crew Factory Weekend Splurge

I went a little nuts this weekend at J.Crew Factory.

I rarely make the drive up to the Camarillo Premium Outlet's J. Crew Factory store, since it is located an hour outside of LA.  But...who could resist 50 percent off the entire store?!!!

I set out on Saturday afternoon to check out the deals. The line for the dressing rooms was enormous, but I came back with quite a haul! :)

I am most excited about this pencil skirt:

It has been sold out online and I was finally able to grab one in my size! Fabulous print, and it is perfect for my office. The pencil skirt, like most Factory items, seems to run a tad bit large so I sized down on this skirt.

Next on my list, I purchased this adorable lace dress:

I have been looking to buy a lace dress for the summer and this will be perfect styled with some colorful accessories and cute heels. It can be dressed up for the office, and worn to the Hollywood Bowl for a perfect summer date night with my husband.  Again, I sized down in this dress from my normal J.Crew retail size.

Finally, picked up another pair of the oxford shorts in caribbean blue, some basic vintage tees, a cute navy rope belt, new button up shirt and this adorable tank:

I love this tank so much! It fits true to size and is a beautiful color. It will layer well under my navy Jackie cardigan for work, and I can wear it with shorts on the weekends.

All in all, a great trip up to the outlets. I spent so much time at J. Crew Factory that I had just enough time to grab lunch and pop into a couple of other stores and window shop. I am all stocked up for summer!:)

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend!

Spring Jewelry

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself back at J. Crew returning the coveted Beaded Rose Necklace. After waiting almost two months for it to arrive, I was very disappointed with it.

For my 5'2 frame, it was just too big. And quite frankly, I hated the color. Maybe it was my computer monitor, but I was not expecting the almost neon red color. I was expecting a bright red color found in nature. Also, my husband commented that I looked like I was wearing a Hawaiian lei for luau. That guaranteed that it was going back to the store. I know I am in the minority on this necklace. Every blog I read, and almost every fashion poster on Instagram owns and loves this necklace. For me, it was a pass.

I exchanged it for this necklace instead:

The Crystal drop necklace is fantastic and I love it! I am not normally a fan of pastel colors, but the bright green stones really sold me on it! I love the size, color and style of this new accessory.  I wore it on Easter with my chambray popover shirt, polka dot jeans and nude flats. It also pairs well with many of the other items I have in my wardrobe.

I will be wearing this necklace long into the summer months! :)

Come Sail Away!

My birthday was earlier this month and I received two amazing nautical charms.  Love them both!

On the left, Sailboat Charm by Pocket Change by Alisa Michelle, a birthday present from my friend Nikki.

On the right, Tiffany & Co. Anchor Charm from my husband. Both adorable!

I wore my sailboat charm today with a classic J. Crew navy stripe and sequin tee. Sails and Stripes:

Hope everyone has a great Thursday! :)

Spring Flowers, Jewels and Accessories..oh my!

A new season, brings about my overwhelming desire to completely re-do my wardrobe. I notice that as the weather starts changing and catalogs start arriving...my purchasing goes up!

So what do I have my eye on right now? Let's start with J. Crew. I would love to pick this beauty up soon:

I love the Color Mix Statement necklace. The price point is a bit high, but I am considering using the current 30% offer for J. Crew card members to add this to my jewelry collection. Beautiful bright spring colors and it reminds me of candy!  I am still focusing on adding accessories to my wardrobe, and this is a unique necklace guaranteed to wow. I am hoping to check this out in store, this weekend. I have a couple of returns to go back to the store and it is a good excuse to check out the new J. Crew spring arrivals.

I also love love LOVE this clutch:

Cork seems to be turning up as a trend at both J. Crew and Kate Spade this spring. Cork is a fun interesting new texture that is light and airy. I can see pairing this clutch with spring dresses, skirts, shorts and capri pants. This clutch is definitely on my wish list. In the meantime, I have purchased this cork belt from J. Crew and hopefully it should arrive soon:

 The Kate Spade Terry flats below are adorable and a perfect match to the J.Crew cork accessories.

Another company on my radar is Kiel James Patrick. They recently partnered with Brooks Brothers to sell their unique bracelets and belts. I have purchased a few of their adorable Vickers Bow bracelets in the past and have this lovely bow bracelet on the way:

Kiel James Patrick is a wonderful American made brand that I am excited to support! I am a huge fan of both Sarah Vickers and Kiel James Patrick and the fabulous line they have developed. Check out Sarah Vickers's stylish blog Classy Girls Wear Pearls or the Kiel James Patrick Collection at Brooks Brothers for more information on what is sure to be an American classic brand for years to come!

Happy Spring shopping! :)

Instagram as Inspiration

My biggest obsession lately is Instagram. I have found it to be incredibly useful for planning outfits, keeping up on spring trends, and feeding my love of photography. Some people, love photos of food.  I love photos that include "OOTDs" or outfits of the day! :)

I regularly follow a few amateur and professional fashion bloggers who post outfits of the day and fantastic photos of their fashion choices. I have found that seeing the outfit combinations that others post, helps me put together better combinations of my own clothing. It also helps me find holes in my wardrobe. I am trying to buy less of the same items, and find things to improve what I have on hand.  I am re-learning to accessorize. Not something I have done much of in the past, since I tend to wear the same simple jewelry everyday. Instagram has really helped me learn to go outside of my comfort zone and try new accessories. Of course, it makes me want to shop a little too much too! :)



Two recent OOTD:

Thanks to all the fashion bloggers! Your photos and fashion feedback, help inform your followers and are a great source of information. Now, if I could only have ALL of your wardrobes. :)

In-Store Reviews Spring 2013

I made it in to J. Crew today, and tried on a few of the new spring arrivals. My store was offering the secret   20% off promo in store, which was a great incentive to shop. I am so glad that I did an in store visit! It really helped to see things in person, and changed what I would have ordered had I gone my usual online purchase route.

First the Pink Peony tee...beautiful print! Really lovely, but very see-through!!! I tried it on with my nude bra underneath, and you could still see a little too much skin for my comfort.  And, the linen fabric was snagged on both medium tees that were left in my size. So, I passed! If this comes back in a 100% cotton fabric for J. Crew Factory, I would definitely consider trying it again, since the flower print is really spectacular.  I know it has worked for some bloggers, but I am not one of them.

The elbow sleeve anchor tee, was great! Loved it and picked it up. Very cute! Not much of a surprise, I guess. I need another stripe tee, like I need a hole in my head. But, I know it will get lots of wear. :)

The indigo popover blouse, pictured below, is very cute in person. It is a lighter color then I expected though and not a deep blue as pictured on the site .The fabric was much heavier then I thought it would be too. I did like it, and considered picking it up, but I think I will wait until it goes on sale. The fabric is a bit thick for the sunny weather in Los Angeles. It's 80 degrees here today, and it made me hot. So pass for now!


Next, I tried on and purchased the Loden Peasant top in Liberty Fabric. Beautiful print! It runs a little large, so I would suggest sizing down. I am a sucker for Liberty of London items, and happy to add a new shirt to my collection. :)


Finally, I picked up the Kaleidoscope Scarf for a great price..$39! I have had my eye on this for a while and cannot wait to wear it. :)

I came home with some lovely things and am looking forward to wearing them during this beautiful LA weather. 

Spring Update!

New arrivals are up on the J. Crew site today. Since I just bought a bunch of stuff on sale and from J. Crew and J. Crew Factory, I will be waiting to add new things to my wardrobe. However, here is what caught my eye that I might buy later:

The Liberty Peasant Top in Lodden:

Love the new eyelet top too! I have missed out on eyelet tops in the past, so may be adding this to the top of my list:

My anchor obsession continues with this new offering:

Finally, I will be breaking my no spending rule for this one tee:

There a quite a few other things that I love, but J. Crew's price point seems to keep jumping up. I spend too much as it is, and higher prices mean I will miss out on quite a few things. If I luck out, I am hoping to get something in the Hummingbird print. But, I will have to wait.

What new items do you like from the J. Crew spring collection?

January 2013 Purchases

We have a good friend's wedding coming up in March, and I finally was able to buy a dress I have been stalking for a few months. This will be perfect! I wanted something ladylike to wear, that will not upstage the bride. :) I think this will be the perfect dress for the occasion.  Also, I can easily wear this to work as well. I have been looking for the perfect dress with a peter pan collar and this fits that need.

In 2012, I spent way too much on clothing. My goal in 2013, is to only buy pieces to fill holes in my wardrobe, and keep my spending to a minimum.  Hopefully, I can stick to it! I will post a review once it arrives.

I have also purchased a few things from LL Bean Signature recently, and have to say I am very impressed with the quality of the line. It reminds me so much of the J. Crew line from years ago, that was so classic.

These were my two purchases:

I ordered an 8 Petite, and found that this fit true to size.  The madras print is beautiful and goes well with many things I have in my wardrobe.

I seem to be on an Anchor kick still this year. Love anchor prints, and bought this very popular sweater after seeing it on a blogger, I regularly read. This is now sold out online:



Adorable, heavy wool sweater. It fits very fitted and its best to size up if you can.

Loving all of my winter purchases, and looking forward to more style choices for 2013!