Had some returns at Anthropologie today.......

So I ordered these items instead with my credit. Please cross your fingers with me that they all ship! I got notice the shoes shipped, but the belt & poncho are now showing up as sold out on Anthro's site. I have had them cancel items for me before (The Inez swing dress cancelled twice!!, finally bought on eBay). I really had been looking for a poncho for a while, so I super duper hope it comes!!

This skinny belt beauty was only $9.95 and I needed one I could wear with higher waisted dresses & my blanket scarfs (wearing as a poncho/wrap with a skinny belt is super cute!)

These shoes because I needed some with heels & also black ones. I love brown, drawn to brown a lot but I have a few black handbags that need to get some love, so I wanted to get some black shoes to go with them. Plus these were just not your average, run of the mill looking shoes & I was somehow drawn to them! 

And the poncho. Oh, Anthropologie, please don't let me down again!! 

And these J.Crew jeans are also on the way. I had ordered some awesome Hudson jean's off Poshmark, but sadly they didn't fit. Selling those, and getting the J.Crew ones to replace them. I don't know how it happened, but they were on sale the night I ordered, with additional percent off & then the next day the price went up! So I scored my jeans for $41 shipped & now they are $125 online and in store! 

I plan to style the poncho with a basic long sleeve tee under it, the new skinnies when they arrive. I will probably also wear the new shoes with it and to do so will cuff the jean's a little & add some socks with a fun print to show through the cutout. 

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! I plan to wear a swing dress so I can eat like a mad woman & not have to loosen a belt! 

Caroline 

J.Crew's Black Friday Shopping Event

Me and my mini shopper Myles went to J.Crew today for their Black Friday shopping event. They were wise, they did theirs a week early and thus I actually went. I am one of those who hides in my home on Black Friday to avoid the crazy crowds so this suited me quite well! They had donuts (mmmmm, but how I am going to look sexy in the clothes after ingesting a donut?) and coffee. Myles appreciated the chocolate frosted donut & devoured it in no time. And thanks to the donut, I had approximately two minutes of whine-free shopping time! Store had 30% off most items, with 40% off sale. Coupled with my 15% off educators discount, I got some pretty darn good deals! After over an hour of browsing, I decided on the wool zip mini skirt, blurred ikat blouse (didn't try on, so must exchange for a different size though), a pair of slippers and a pretty blingy bracelet. I also got a pair of thick wintery socks.
I will say while I love the slippers, I was torn between two pairs & now I am wondering if I should keep or exchange the ones I got, maybe my readers can help! I will post pics & links!

Blurred Ikat Top

Side Zip Mini

Postmodern Bracelet

Suede Shearling Scuffs (the ones I got) 

Lodge Moccasins  (the other pair) 

Forgot to mention I also had a few returns & with my discounts & J.Crew $50 rewards card all these items were had for very little out of pocket! A few notes on the items. The skirt, I would say is pretty true to size. I am between an 8 and 10 on skirts (most often a 10) and got an 8 on this. Due to the style of skirt I wanted it fitted. The shirt, I would say is probably true to size. I am usually a Medium or 8, but I tried on a top in a similar fabric in a 6 today which fit well, so I got a 6. Taking it back to get an 8 instead. The bracelet, very nice construction. Well made and very pretty! The slippers fit true to size, I took a 9 per usual! 

Thanks for reading! 

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Jen B! Please check your email for an email from me & thanks to all who entered. Please follow my blog and also you can subscribe to it for post updates!

Thank you!

A little bit different of a post today!

So today's post isn't about clothes. Isn't about shoes, and isn't about handbags. So if you were hoping for that, I am sorry. Today's post is about a subject that I have been wanting to write about for a while now. And I would not say it has nothing to do with clothing, because in a lot of ways it does. The subject is self esteem and how you view yourself, how others view you & what your view really should be. This is a daily struggle for me. Very seldom do I have a day where I look in the mirror and think "Wow, I look great!". Normally I find that I feel like my weight is too high, or my measurements are too big. Or something about my outfit bothers me and I feel like I am not as put together as I should be! This naturally drives my poor husband insane! Sometimes by miracle I feel all pretty & put together but those times are often few & far between. Why is it like this? For me I have always struggled with my weight, just accepting it and accepting my flaws in that area. That I am not a size 2 and will never be. That my arms aren't full of lovely muscles and that my stomach isn't crazy flat. Prior to having Myles I was down a few sizes and feeling decent about my weight, then gaining 45 pounds during pregnancy, and the fact I am now past 30 has left me 20 pounds over my goal weight. I for sure want to and probably need to work on losing it, but lately my goal has just been to find clothing my size that is flattering and doesn't draw attention to flaw areas (arms & waistline for me). But back to why we always view ourselves so poorly? Well I think (sorry media) that media should take a big amount of the blame. When is the last time you viewed a fashion magazine and saw normal women in it? Or browsed online for clothing (Does Anthropologie or J.Crew know that a lot of people aren't a 000 or a 0 and that using normal sized models would really help?). I recently discovered that an 8 or 10 in the modeling world is plus sized! Magazines, TV, Celebrities, Clothing store catalogs. All places we see women on a daily basis. And they most all look polished, and slender and of course the flawless skin & hair. And then we just look in the mirror and when we don't see that we feel badly about ourselves. We are judging ourselves against a photoshopped, tweaked with image. And even though I know that, it is still hard! Even the slimmest girls I know all have some area of self esteem issues themselves. I have actually had friends feel insecure that they are too thin! Imagine! A goal I think we need to have, something I personally want to work on, is to find a positive about ourselves each and every day! And another think also that I think would be helpful is to give your friends and family a positive, truthful compliment about themselves. I know I think complimentary thoughts regarding people often, but seldom say them out loud. Like telling my friend Ruth that her hair is so gorgeous! Or telling my friend Leah that she has the most beautiful blue eyes! Or telling another friend Kristen how I admire how she loves on her children and is an awesome mother. It is often easy to feel weird about paying a compliment or feel cheesy but I think it is often an important way of encouraging another. Try to build friends up daily and not engage in the competitions that cause us to feel badly about themselves. God made us in his image and I imagine it is insulting of us to always be hating on ourselves (His creation!). What is the hardest area for you to be insecure? Do you feel like others make you more aware of it by criticism or that the people you are surrounded by build you up?

And a photo from one of those rare "good self esteem" days!

Giveaway Time!

I am giving away one of these fabulous Zara blanket scarves! This particular one (2014 version) has been hard to find as Zara keeps selling out so fast. Please feel free to share giveaway this will all your friends! Please follow my blog regardless of giveaway too if you enjoy reading it!

Good luck & thanks for checking out my blog! 

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Thursday's Wishlist!

This time from Anthropologie. Loving these items and can envision them as a nice outfit together!

Cascada Top

Fringed Circle Cardigan

Ribbon Cinched Trouser

Aphorism Shooties

or 

                                                                     Bari Wedges

                                                                             or

Edda Mules

Total outfit cost: $218-238 depending on shoe. I'd have to wait this one out for a sale. 

Some Reviews!

I was thinking about doing a "Wishlist Wednesday" post, but today I am just not able to think of much to add to one (shocking I know!) but nothing I am in dire want or need of!

So I decided to do some reviews of items I have posted about in prior posts.

First up:

Gap Supersoft "Bowery" Tee 

Two of the three tee's I posted about last week arrived today! Lately I have been hit or miss about how I feel about Gap's apparel. Some items seem well made, others don't. Some fit me great, others not so much. Well the Bowery Tee's did not disappoint! I ordered Mediums, and they did seem slightly smaller sized, but the stretch was nice & I didn't feel poured into them. Long enough sleeves, nice neckline & I enjoyed the fact that they were part cotton, part poly & part modal so I would have some stretch & shape to them. Looking forward to wearing them with my vests this winter. 

Next up: 

Madewell Coated Leggings "Super, Super Skinny" 

Love these! I wore these out for my birthday dinner two weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed them. Comfortable, slimming, and they didn't bag out! I figured I would give them an even greater test drive today and wore them to work all day. They still didn't bag out! I think I may wash them before wearing next time, but honestly I was impressed with all the sitting done both times that they held shape very nicely. I would highly recommend these to anyone wanting to try the coated denim look! 

Third: 

J.Brand Skinny Jean in Rogue 

These fit pretty snug when I first put them on. At first I was worried they would be too snug but as the day went on they did loosen a little. I loved them though & while they loosened, they didn't look baggy or weird by the end of the day. I did find I wanted a belt with them, as the back waistband did want to slip a bit thru the day, but nothing that was a deal breaker for me. I think often jeans will do that so I do think I am used to it. Love the look and while the fabric was soft, they didn't seem like huge lint magnets which is a big plus for me! 2 Thumbs up! 

A boot: 

J.Crew Chelsea Rain Boot 

I did end up getting these with some birthday money and really love the look of them as well as the leopard in general! I haven't worn them yet, as I am still trying to decide what type of pant looks best. Seems like skinny jeans tucked in feel odd to me, but maybe I am just not used to it yet. I did try on with my relaxed Pilcro jeans that have a little cuff and that did look cute, as the cuff ends above the top of boot. Probably these will get more wear in the spring when I can wear more skirts & dresses and also the cuffed jean. 

And another boot:

Hunter Original Boot 

These boots! They were worth the wait (wanted them for a year before taking the plunge). First out of the box, they felt tight (I sized from an 8.5-9 down to an  8) But then I wore them a few weekends ago and they felt great on me so I think originally my sock may have been bunched up or a tad to thick. I have worn a few more times & can foresee them getting a lot of use as Ohio tends to be a rainy, damp state. 

And the last item I am posting about I have not yet received but was lucky enough to find back in stock on Anthropologie and marked down. I wasn't sure on sizing and they didn't have the size I normally would buy, so I went to the next size down. Crossing fingers (and toes) it fits! It is on its way now, so expect a review next week! 

Thanks again for reading! 

Caroline 

Thursday's Deal Alert!

So another blogger I follow The Northeast Girl (Absolutely adore her blog & style) posted about Gap's sale on their Supersoft Crewneck Tee's. I had been on the lookout for a good deal on long sleeve, basic tees for with my enormous vest collection and under sweaters. Turns out, this was the deal I had been looking for! I purchased 3 in basic colors, and using my free shipping code for being a Gap Silver card holder & my Ebates  I was able to score them for under $20 shipped! GAP Supersoft Crewneck Tee. You will need to use code FFSALE to get the full discount as well.

Here are the colors I ordered:

These would be also great to give as Christmas gifts without breaking the bank! 

Thanks for reading & Happy Thursday! 

Caroline 

Wishlist Wednesday!

First and foremost my wish for this Wednesday is that my headache would subside and some energy would find me. My littlest love, four year old Myles was "making bad dreams" last night and it took some doing to get him back to sleep, so basically after trying to snuggle with a wiggly preschooler, before giving up and heading to sleep on the couch so he would feel like I was closer I ended up being awake from about 1-3:30 during the night and thus am beat today! On to a more fun topic, clothes! This is my current little J.Crew wishlist. Please, oh please reward card come today so I can get at least one or two items off it! If you are in the market for a nice leather tote, those are on sale too! I didn't add to my list, because I already have one but check them out!

J.Crew

So come on! How adorable is that bow top? And the cranberry skirt, perfect for upcoming holiday parties. I would wear either top with the skirt but since I overheat easy, especially at crowded holiday parties, I am almost leaning toward the bow top with a cute jacket for over it. And maybe some tall boots or leopard shoes, since leopard has my heart these days! Speaking of leopard, I will add a bonus picture of a handbag that is on its way to my closet right now. I was able to score it for an epic deal from the Kate Spade secret sale (75% off!). It is sold out, so I couldn't link it.

Hope this "hump" day is a good one for you and that life on the other si

How to score a deal on designer jeans!

So I think I have fallen in love with premium, designer denim! Not to sound like a snob or anything, but I am finding the quality and fit of the jeans I have in my closet that had price points over $100 to start just is so awesome & I find myself reaching for them most often. What is even better? Finding amazing deals on them! So far I own one pair of Pilcro  (originally they start around $140) and one pair Point Sur for J.Crew (originally $256). Total for both those pairs was less then $150.  I received an email coupon the other day for Neiman Marcus Last call for $25 off any purchase. So after adding a bunch of Kendra Scott jewelry to the cart a few times, I changed my mind and decided to look for jeans. I happened to be in the area of a Nordstrom on Saturday so I tried on about $1400 in denim to get a feel for what size I would be in Hudson, AG, JBrand, 7 for all Mankind, Citizens of Humanity and the like. Oh and I might add, $1400 in premium denim was about 7 pair! Then I got online later that night & eyed the selection at NM. They had a few pair of Hudson I really liked, but I settled on a pair of JBrand in black, since I need work appropriate pant options. I will say of all I tried in store, I loved how the Hudson ones fit. Anyhow back to JBrand. They ran a little tight, but true to size. I hear they stretch a little during wear so I kept with my size. Here are the ones I ordered:

Original Price: $218. On sale for $69 at NM Last Call. Then another percent off coupon & the $25 off I paid $34 shipped! Unfortunately I must have bought the last pair, so I can't link you to this exact pair, but do check NM for others!

I also was eyeing these Hudsons and hopefully can order them soon too!

Hudson

Hudson

Of all the jeans I tried I will say I was in the same size as usual except for in AG I did have to try a size up. The 7 for all Mankind I tried on did not look good on me, not sure if it was a fluke, the style of that pair or what but I think I want to try on more before purchasing in that brand. 

Thanks for reading!