some j.crew sale reviews: Bonfire, Lighthouse, Armory Pouchette, Noelle Booties, Bell Skirt

Hi everyone!

With the LOVEIT extra 30% off sale at J.Crew, I'm going to add some new pics of sale items, even if they're older pieces. Just in case you're hemming and hawing over something. :)

Bonfire Cardigan -- A sweater I never tried in the store and never thought about much, until I heard a number of raves and my curiosity was peaked.  So when I saw one in an XS at the store, for $45+20% discount, I thought it was worth a try. Um, hello! It's soooo cozy and cute. It's very substantial, and is one of those sweater that I can see throwing on over and over again, even just around the house. It's big and it's heavy, all in a good way. I took it home, just in case I can't get it online with the 30% off. (With the Mickey card, it's not final sale.)

Lighthouse Cardigan -- I could use an ivory/white cardi, and wanted cotton, and thicker. Saw the Lighthouse and tried it on. First, it's super soft/smooth, so much so that I didn't want to take it off. It's a bit shorter, which is fine for me, but just note it if you're long-torso-ed.  I love a cotton sweater, all year long -- sometimes I just can't deal with hot wool, yo know? I definitely recommend. It was $40 in store plus discount.

Cotton Bell Skirt -- I was tempted to get the toffee Dorrie skirt with the Mickey card, but grabbed a Bell skirt in a size 6 (I sized up in the wool version, so figured the same for the cotton). It was priced at $30+discount. Hello again, I loved it. Sizing up gave me length to almost match the Dorrie, and it's such a similar color. Much different fabric, but it's a nice sturdy cotton, so I still dig it. (oops, pic got deleted, but I'll post asap.)

Crewcuts Boy's Lobster Trap Tee and Engineered-Stripe Slub Tee -- I've found I can wear a size 14 in Crewcuts boys tees easily (probably a 12 if I wanted a slimmer fit). So when I see a cute one, I give it a whirl. The bonus, it's always shipped free. The stripe shirt is a nice if you're looknig for a short-sleeve crewneck option. It's soft and thick enough not to be see-through. The Lobster Trap tee has that fab coral color in it, very cute. 

Noelle Canvas Booties -- I ordered these on the last promo, for $70, and love them. They are super comfortable (even sans socks), and look hot, bonus. So cute with both skirts and pants. If I can get the suede version in black in my size, it's mine. Very much recommend. (Sorry, camera is dead and am away at parents' so can't get extra pics uploaded.)

Armory Pouchette -- This was a bit of an impulse purchase for me, but is something that I'm always searching for -- a sturdy cross-body purse that's not too big or small or heavy. Perfect for traveling or shopping. Love the muted green color. Worth the discounted price IMO.

Are you shopping this promo?

ETA:  I'm just back from a marathon day at the mall. My stupid camera conked out on me at J.Crew, so sad! I had loads of things to try on for y'all too, boo. I have a few pics to upload, but I"ll tell you a few updates. Many prices seemed to match online. This store didn't have the extra 20% (making it final sale), but if you have a Mickey card, you benefit from nothing being final sale. You might get it cheaper online though with the extra 30%.

-- Boathouse dress was down to $60 in store (same as online now). I tried it on again (IRL pic), and decided I still didn't think it worth more than $30 or so to me.

-- Katie Colorblock Cami was also down to $40 in store in the pink/rust colorway. IRL pic here. I tried it on again, and just decided it made me feel like I was wearing one of my maternity shirts. It's super cute, I just had enough of that fairly recently. ;)

-- Indigo Pea Jacket was in the sale section for $90. SO cute. Navy, with a touch of shimmer, pretty gold buttons, very cute shape. I could have done the size 2, but liked 4 better for if I'm layering.With the MIckey card, a pretty nice deal IMO.

-- I tried and loved the orange (modern red?) Urbanite Shift Dress (what was it called before? Odd.) Anyway, it's the color of the Dorrie, and just sleek and easy and pretty.

-- Delphinium dress, while FP online, is $40 in store. With the Mickey Card, a steal. It's just a super cute and easy little day dress. A 2 fit me nicely, the 4 had armholes way too big, 0 too tight in the hips.  IRL pic here.

-- Ribbon Cami is very pretty IRL. Sort of silky, a touch sheer, but not enough to warrant a cami or anything. Nice at sale price IMO ($49.50 online plus discount).  It was not on sale in this store. Fit was TTS (My normal 2 fit me.)

-- Delaney Eyelet Top was in the sale section for $50, so with a Mickey card, a nice price. I didn't think I'd like this one at all, but when you put it on, the neckline is super flattering (not too low at all), and the seaming is also flattering as well.

-- Boy Shirt in Indian Voile -- I think this is what I tried on, in strawberry. Gorgeous and bright (better than the picture for sure). Nice and light and beautiful with a touch of summer color!

Have a wonderful day!

Kohl's Simply Vera reviews: a dress and a tank

Hello everyone!

It's freezing outside today, and I have total spring fever. At least it's not snowing I guess, right? I wanted to share a few pretty items found at Kohl's recently, from their Simply Vera line, which has some gems now and then. I have a Kohl's card, which I've found is definitely worth having, as cardholders tend to get better discounts. I had a 20% off coupon, some Kohl's cash, and another $10 off (no min!) coupon to use. These pieces were practically free! Even if you forget your coupon, they almost always will give you 15% off if you just ask the cashier.

Swirl Shift Dress -- Love the pretty coral color, with a nice neutral tan pattern. The long sleeves make it a great transition piece, worn with boots and a cardi or sandals. (They also push up and stay up, if it gets warm) It's a poly blend, so easy to wash, but I guess not as breathable. I tried on a small and XS and went with the small, just for a bit more wiggle room. There is also a short-sleeved version.

Splatter Tank -- Such pretty spring colors! This felt very Anthro-like to me. I've been drawn to these floral-y numbers because they go with everything and anything. Easy to throw on a cardi and jeans or tuck into a pencil skirt. The price was fabulous as well, at a $15 promo, plus extra 20% off discount coupon.

Are you a Kohl's shopper? I'll admit it's a big touch and go for me there, but I've always had exemplary customer service with them, which is very appealing. My store was recently totally revamped and it looks really great. Much more updated. I know they're also continuoin to improve their website and mobile apps. LOVE that they've added a customer reviews feature -- so helpful! 

BTW, J.Crew went to 30% off final sale and free ship on $150+ with code LOVEIT. Will you be partaking? Make sure to check out Gigi's final sale round-up -- no buying final sale without checking out reviews!! :)

p.s. Hooray!!! The fabulous Elizabeth at Have Your Cake & Eat it Too just announced that I won her wonderful giveaway, an adorable See by Chloe Square Shop Bag from Otte.  Yay!!! I've never won a giveaway, so am thrilled. Check out her blog when you have a moment. (And also please check out the Otte site as well for many, many gorgeous designer clothes, bags and accessories.)

Have a fabulous week! It's spring break for us, so I'll be heading up to my parents' house for a few days.

old school j.crew: cherry blossoms!

Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Old School J.Crew.  As many of you know, I'm a stalker of the J.Crew pieces from around 2005-2008, most of the print variety, and most especially the dresses. 

While I knew about the Frances blouse in the cherry blossom print (Kaboodle clip, size 4 on ebay), I did not remember a dress in the print. Until I came upon gorgeous pics of the dress at the fabulous Love at First Shop blog (here). It immediately went on my wishlist.  (Here's the Kaboodle link to the dress)

Lo and behold, I found it on the fabulous Interwebs (eBay), just in time for the spring, well, cherry blossoms. I went with a size 2, since I know that size worked for me in their other silk dresses from that time. Crossed fingers...and hooray, it fits!

It's a lovely light silk, with a nice lining. Yes, it's a short shift again, but I'm cool with that. Pockets, squeal! Here it is, paired with the ever-fabulous pink Lulu peep-toes.

Do you remember this dress? Have it? Have the blouse?
Have a wonderful weekend!

anthro reviews: gathered hemlock, fountain of youth & drawing parallels.

Hello everyone!

While my son was in preschool yesterday, I popped into Anthro to check out what's new and what the sale racks held. :) 

Gathered Hemlock Dress -- So I never expected to like this one, but I had to try it on b/c it looks just so darn cheerful. And you know what, once I had it on, I loved it! It's bright and lovely. The small fit me nicely, without being too tight. The shape and folds all work well. I would almost buy full price, but I don't think it would get worn enough to justify that, so it's wishlisted.

Fountain of Youth Dress -- I hadn't planned to try this one on, but it was in the sale rack b/c it had a little tear in the zipper, so was marked down. It's a pretty color, but I wasn't blown away with it on me. I did love the back actually -- it really flatters the shoulders. This was a size 4 and I think a 2 would have been a better fit for me. So I'd say it runs a touch big.

I also tried on the Drawing Parallels Skirt, which is nicely priced at $68. I grabbed the purple, but also loved that emerald green. I tried a small and loved the fit and the length. Very cute!

I also tried on the Sunny Skies/Printed Boy Tee (why did they change the name? Sorry, no pics b/c I was running out of time) It looks just like the pictures. It's a cute tee, but honestly, no way is it worth $38 IMO, sorry. It didn't pass the F21 test. At a great sale price, it's very cute. The small worked for me.

I have the Ardennes skirt coming to me to try out, since I haven't seen it in stores yet. I'll review when it arrives.
What are you loving at Anthro right now?

ETA:  Wow, how awesome is L.L. Bean? They've just announced FREE shipping, NO minimum, every day. No end date. That's impressive, but I'm not even surprised. I heart them even more now.

reviews: old navy eyelet dress, embellished tank, tiered top.

Hello everyone!

Gigi recently reviewed some cute Old Navy eyelet dresses here, and during the 30% off Give & Get last week, I decided to try one of them out, the Shiffli Shift Dress, in both blue and white. I love the Land's End Canvas eyelet shift, but it's too pricey for my budget right now. I'm set with white dresses, but wanted to check it out at least. Based on some reviews that said the length was much better on a small vs. XS, I went with the small.

First, I love the french blue color! A very pretty periwinkle, a touch brighter (in a good way) IRL. It's definitely short, but man, it's cute. For popping over a swimsuit and heading to the pool, or a backyard grill-out, perfect! I'm sure the XS would have fit a bit closer to the body, but I definitely couldn't go shorter than this. I feel like the quality was quite nice on this, especially for ON.

Here it is in the white. Attached slip underneath = not see-through! I tried it belted and didn't love it that way.

Since I was already ordering, I added in this bright white embellished tank top, because the colors in the embellishment looked very pretty -- pinks and yellows and melons.  Reading reviews, they said it was running smaller than past years, so I ordered a medium. Fits perfectly, so I'm glad I sized up. The beading is sewn on quite poorly, so there's a good chance of them popping off. Might be worth a little tightening up if you know how (or have a tailor that could do it on the cheap). Perfect match to JC's sunshine peony skirt from last year.

And, you know, I had to try one other one item out, the watercolor cami (called Tiered Top, except there aren't really tiers, odd). It looked really pretty online, but got some terrible reviews. Eh, whatever, I wanted to try it out anyway. IMO, it's really pretty and vibrant in person. Many reviewers said it was a huge tent, but I didn't find it to be so. I got an XS and since I knew it to be an empire, expected the flowiness. I didn't think it was overly so.

  




































Did you pick up/receive anything from the recent sale?

forever 21 stripes!

Hello everyone!

I popped into Forever 21 today, as I was lured in by some cute stripes in the display. I like to go on the weekdays, when it's fairly empty, and the young girls aren't wondering why a mommy is looking at the same clothes as them. *snort*

First was the shirt I saw in the window, and I wasn't disappointed with it. The Striped Button-Shoulder Top is a nice material, heavier than just a tee, with cute gold buttons on the shoulder. They have navy and red, and it was just under $20. The color is a nice true red. This was a small:

Next, I tried on the Casual Terry Striped Top. Loved the pink color and I there was a bonus - pockets! This was just under $18. I'm wearing a small:

Finally, I tried on a citron-y yellow and white-striped tee. (I've been on the lookout for more cute matches with the J.Crew No. 2 pencil skirt) This was just under $13 and also cute and casual. A bit thin, but didn't seem see-through in the store. Sorry, I haven't found it online (yet). This is a medium:

Do you ever go to or buy things from Forever 21?

happy day at nordstrom rack and marshalls.

Hi everyone!

Today I had a fabulous day. This morning, DH and I headed over to Home Depot with our little kiddo, checking out some stuff for upcoming projects. Then we hit BW3 for a lunch of hot wings and basketball. That place rocks for taking little kids -- tons of t.v.s and nobody notices a bit of whining. ;)  When we came home for naptime, I got to head out for a little "me time."

Ha, guess what that means? I hit up the strip mall nearby that houses Nordstrom Rack, Loehmann's, and Marshalls. Ah, such a luxury to wander around by myself, without having to race home.

I had many an item in my cart and in the dressing room, but I managed to keep it down to just a few goodies. At Nordstrom Rack, I didn't find anything until that last minute, in the accessories section. Hello pretty Kate Spade bracelet that I had been pining for forever! Um, $40 + 75% off!! What?

Next to that lovely piece were a ton of plastic Timex Indiglo watches in candy colors. They were priced at $20 + 75% off! Water resistant = perfect for Mexico and summertime. Er, at $5 per watch, I grabbed a raspberry and an army green.

I also found a bunch of fabulous candy-colored, long, beaded necklaces that could be wrapped around 3 times. I picked up one in aqua and one in lemon yellow. I had been searching for similar old-school J.Crew necklaces for a while, and decided that at $3.50 each, these would do. My cashier was bug-eyed at my deals.

**Quick story about Nordstrom customer service. If you remember the Lucky Brand boho top I recently bought there, I was alerted by a fab reader that Macy's had it on sale. Rather than go over to Macy's, I popped over to Nord to see if it went to sale. Indeed it had. However, I was past the time frame for price adjustments. I figured I'd have to return and go to Macy's -- never my first choice -- but the lovely SA said she'd rather keep a loyal customer, and proceeded to return it and re-ring it up for me. Ah, don't you love good customer service that rewards being loyal? :)  Back to the topic...**

After that, I moved on to Marshall's. There, I found a pair of cute and comfy Sperry Topsiders in a yellow and mint tie-dye. Clearance rack: $7.  Yay me!  Now, I just need the yacht.

Rounded that out with a navy and white striped long-sleeve t-shirt dress by French Connection on clearance for $15. These are the best dresses -- cotton, comfy, cute.  You'd think I'd have had enough of stripes, but that's not happening apparently.

At that point, my feet were tired and I was ready to call it a day. 
Grand total = $50.  *bows*

OOTD:nightfall jackie & moss tweed.

Morning everyone! Busy Sunday today, and I'll try to post something more interesting a bit later, but here's a recent OOTD. Trying to get in all the tweeds before it gets warmer! This moss tweed has been a favorite of mine. Surprisingly, so has the cascading flutter tank.

Polyvore:

jackie, cascading flutter, moss tweed by shopwithm featuring sterling silver bracelets

On me:

Have a wonderful day!

ann taylor loft: antique floral & printed pansy blooms skirts

I had a few minutes in Ann Taylor LOFT yesterday, so snapped a few pics of the two skirts (and a random shirt) that I wanted to check out in person.

Antique Floral Print Pencil Skirt ($69.50)-- I'm wearing a size 4, which fit nicely. Sometimes I need a 6 in Loft sizes, so maybe it's running bigger? Not sure. I thought it was a nice neutral skirt, and was very comfortable. I wasn't super wow-ed by it, but it was cute.

Printed Pansy Blooms Skirt ($69.50) -- This seems to be sold out online now (here's a link to the Polyvore clip), but there were still a number of them in my store. I loved this skirt. The colors are gorgeous, the length is nice, and it was a comfortably light material (viscose/nylon-y type though, so fyi if you dislike that). I loved the contrasting grograin band in a pretty aqua. If you have any $25 cards to use up, this would be my recommendation!  I'm wearing a size 4.

Hidden Placket Boyfriend Shirt ($44.50) -- This is the shirt in the pics above. I just grabbed it to try on with the skirt. The color was really pretty, but it was super blousy, I wasn't a fan of where the non-sleeves hit my arm, and I didn't love it. This was an XS on me.

Anything you're eyeing at LOFT? 

p.s. J.Crew Factory is 40% off everything today (prices as marked), and you can still use the FREESHIP code, no minimum!

Have a great weekend!!

Gap Give and Get time -- 30% off!

Happy St. Patty's Day everyone!

ETA: Talbots has a promo going on from noon-4pm today, with code LUCKY. Buy 1 FP item, get 15%, buy 2, get 20%, buy 3, get 25% off!  I highly recommend the Tuileries and Daisy Lace Pencil Skirts!

Gap's Give and Get time! (in-store coupon line) Enjoy 30% off from March 17-20 at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy plus they'll make a 5% donation to a non-profit to the charity of your choice. I've picked Feeding America, a wonderful organization. If you'd like me to send you an email with the 30% off for online use, please let me know. I have a limited number, but will send you one as long as I have them!

My picks for Gap:

Animal print city flats

Cork wedge gladiators

One-shoulder drape top

Denim surplus skirt

Eyelet front top

Skinny Boot Jean

for Old Navy:

Embellished Tank

Tiered Tank

Cuffed Linen-blend shorts 5"

Shiffli Shift Dress

Cuffed Cargo Bermudas

for Banana Republic:

Silk Watercolor Twist Strap Dress

Madras Tunic  (reviews say it's running small though, with tight sleeve syndrome, a la JC.)

Striped Embellished V-neck

Leeza Floral Cardigan

Ballet neck sweater 

Will you be partaking in this one? I'm going to just be ordering some shorts for my son, and one tank for myself (the embellished one above).

Have a fabulous day! Cheers! ;)