J. Crew Clearance Center, Arden, NC...It Is as Awesome as it Should Be!!!

I have to be fairly quick in this post, but I definitely want to give you the highlights of my trip to the Arden, NC, J. Crew Clearance Store. There is a closer store to me in Lynchburg, VA, but that is still about a 2.5 hour drive, so I have never been there (but do plan on it someday...hopefully with some of my DC JCA friends). My hubby was down in Asheville, NC, for a conference at the GORGEOUS Grove Park Inn and Spa, and he decided that he needed his family around, so the three of us tagged along. :)

I certainly enjoyed Asheville to its fullest, and even got to go the very yummy Tupelo Honey while I was there...AppGal, you were SO right about its delicious menu, but I knew that at least part of the time I was there I would HAVE to go 20 miles outside of the city to visit the smaller enclave of Arden. I mean, yes, I did visit it mainly for me, but I also knew I would have my JCA blogroll place revoked by Alexis if I didn't go to this clearance center and report back my findings. So you all know, AppGal has been there before and did a very nice write-up of her experience, as well.

Turns out we had kind of different experiences while visiting. (Granted, AppGal visited at a different time of year...so that may be why she found less "deals" and I found less shoes to ogle.)

I found a lot of tempting goodies in my hour or so there. I have created a polyvore for you all to peruse so you can see the details, but let me put it to you this way...if you are ever in western North Carolina for any reason, and you are travelling I-40, stop by. It is worth the 20 extra miles or so off the highway.

Here are some things I want you all to know:

1. Your GPS can find this location (1 Clifford Way, Arden, NC). It is not that far off the beaten path. However, if on the way back to your hotel or location you request "no highways," you may very well end up driving on a mountain on a tiny-a** little road. Yes, this happened to me. Alexandria has very few hills. I was actually told by my realtor to avoid buying a place near a fairly steep hill (what we here in NOVA call hills) because of my fear of hills. It was an interesting drive back to the hotel. I obviously survived, no thanks to Miss "I drive these here mountains all the time" teenage girl willing to tailgate me on the entire drive on the mountain.

2. If you have kids, the clearance store has toys. Oh, yes they do. Thank you, very very kind people of this center for thinking of all of us mommies whose toddlers may recognize J. Crew (and shout "ooh, J. Crew momma" from the back of the car) but really don't enjoying shopping at said J. Crew. :)

3. Speaking of kids, they have crewcuts. Not very recent crewcuts, but crewcuts nonetheless. I bought three items. Two from spring 2009 and one from fall 2007.

4. They are NOT an outlet. Everything they sell is from the actual "J. Crew" retail store. There are no double diamonds, etc.

5. If you ever see a really good price for something on ebay, and it has a mysterious designation of "tag marked with a black line to prevent returns," the person selling it has bought it either from the J. Crew Clearance Center (Paisley Petunia, an Ebay store I adore, does sell these things, and if you look, they are from Virginia, so they probably buy their items from the Lynchburg clearance center) or from TJ Maxx or Rugged Wearhouse.

6. It is probably worth buying these items with the tagged marked to prevent returns, because the clearance stores do NOT do charge-sends, as one of my blog friends tried when she saw the great deal I got on the stadium-cloth Winnie Jacket. The two Winnies that I purchased (one for me and one for HeidiG.) had nary a thing wrong with them (and the other items--nothing wrong there, either). Turns out that sometimes the retail stores get returns and instead of going to the warehouse, some of them get sent to the clearance store. Why current items go there is beyond me, but, hey, it worked out for us in the end! I am sure some of the items have issues, but I didn't see anything on the items I looked at (and I am a very careful observer...I have to be frugal with my money now as a SAHM/sometimes substitute teacher).

7. One place you will see the "black line through tag to prevent store returns" means that the item may potentially have an issue is at places like TJMaxx or Rugged Wearhouse. I have seen items at these stores that are from J. Crew that have missing buttons or a seam that is wonky, etc. But that said, I bought a Super 120s Black two-button jacket in a size 4 at Rugged Wearhouse that had a button missing. That was all. And it cost $25. Down from $235.

8. The hours at the clearance store seem super-friendly, like 10 am to 8 pm on M-Sat., and 12-6 on Sundays (maybe...didn't check Sunday hours as closely).

9. The staff were very sweet and helpful. I think they liked my kids. :)


Here I am outside the store. I had to take the pic myself, so don't laugh too hard. It wasn't like I could get CW to take it for me. :) I am wearing the Liberty print button-down from last spring, the pewter one with the big florals on it. I saw NO liberty print items that day...sadly.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
J Crew jacket, $245
J Crew jacket, $178
J Crew hoodie, $70
J Crew top, $158
J Crew tote bag, $298

Here is the polyvore of what I did get. Note--the cashmere cardi is actually a paler, heathered silver color that is just divine with my skin tone (I normally can't wear greys very well, so I was pleased to find this). Another thing, that navy schoolboy blazer? I bought it in an 8, and the 8 is BACKORDERED until sometime next year. Crazy. And the sherpa hoodie? I had bought it in the same color and same size just last week, and knew it would be on my doorstep, but for $30, I knew this was a great price, so I just chanced it. Turns out it is THE SAME exact hoodie, just 40 dollars cheaper. Yes. That is all. I am returning the new one this weekend. The one with the black mark through the tag--it's the keeper for me.

I wish I could get to a Clearance Center every weekend and help more people out (HeidiG. seemed pretty happy to hear I scored her a Winnie for well under retail), but not in my cards...however, I will make sure that anytime I am on I-40, I take a tiny little detour to the west to Arden. :)

Questions? I should be able to answer sometime tomorrow (along with commenting back on my last two posts).

September 20, 2009--A Day of Celebration (Baby Baptism and Birthday Party)!!!

Yes, I know this is almost two months late (well, more like a month and a half, but still, a crazy amount of time), but I have to throw my blog friends a bone who like to look at more than me in my clothing (which I also realize are my family and close friends, however, they turn out daily for that quick peek of CW and Rex, so I need to take care of them, too)!

Don't worry, my sweet blog friends into clothing, I plan on doing the J. Crew clearance center post, but I am going to create a polyvore for that, and it is still in planning phase, so give me a few hours! :)

That said, this post still has some clothing in it (how could it not)...



Untitled by dinagideon featuring Theory

And here is the polyvore of the outfit that I wore and my sweet daughter wore on her birthday party/baptism day.

Yes, she was baptized one year and two days after she was born. For Catholics, this is almost unheard of, but we had some "paperwork" issues regarding her Godparents, so it took awhile to get it all together. Thank goodness, though, we worked it out, and in the eyes of the church, she is completely free of original sin. :) (I like this...you wouldn't believe how much time and energy I expended worrying about her poor soul her first year of life...can you tell I am a worrier by nature?)


Back to the outfit. All the info on the pieces is in the polyvore. I bought the Theory dress on super-sale in a size 8. It is GORGEOUS, isn't it??? Turns out many companies make items in Liberty Print fabric. (Yay!!!) And yep, those are my delicious Cole-Haan peep toes. I love them so much I bought them in an olive green color recently (a little smaller, but still very comfy and well-made).


Hey, would you look there? No, that is not a Tartine cardigan from J. Crew last year. Nope, it is the outlet version of the Tartine/Jackie cardigan in the prettiest shade of peacock blue. I have no idea if they still are selling this cardigan at the outlet, but I bought it in a medium for those of you who are curious. BTW, the cardi really did make the party (sorry, couldn't stop myself)...


Now, onto the part of the post for all my kids' admirers. :)

Look at baby CW there, with her adoring Uncle Peter. Can you stand it? Is there anything more precious than a little baby with big owl eyes in a bonnet? On three, 1, 2, 3, "Aaaaaahhhhh...."


Bit blurry, this photo, but so sweet. Love it. Tweaked it a bit in Picasa, but only for the effects...


There's my girl. She is wearing a Baptism gown that Rex also wore. Hopefully this one can be passed down through generations of kids. The one my brother and I wore has sadly been lost...


From left to right...Uncle Peter (Godfather), Me (Mommy), Mr. Dina (hiding...as usual), CW (baby girl), and Amanda (Grandma and Godmother). We are at the point in which CW has been baptized (if you look close you will see her head is wet from the holy water).


Now, it is time to party! And what is better than an ice-cream cake decorated with Yo Gabba Gabba figurines? (BTW, baby CW and Rex went as Foofah--pink figurine, and Brobee--green figurine, for Halloween, and yes, they were very cute, of course...)


Here I am lighting the candle (#1) for her cake. Yes, CW is wearing a "birthday princess" crown on her head and a "It's fun to be one" tee-shirt.

BTW, CW totally wore her Jacadi Liberty Print dress you see in the polyvore above, but (and I know, shocker), we totally forgot to take a photo of her in it. Don't worry, it is a very long dress and very loose on her right now, so I suspect strongly that it will come out to be seen another day, and for another picture. :)


Sorry for how badly exposed this is (dad, take your finger off the flash when taking photos), but still a very sweet image. This is right before things got messy (you mothers and fathers out there know what is coming)...


What kind of one-year old's birthday party doesn't have some sort of hilarity involving a very messy face from placing their head into the cake itself. CW did sort of a "dip head, lick ice cream cake, lift head, stare at her admirers, repeat, repeat" motion for about twenty minutes. This photo is from about halfway through the process. If you think this is bad, you should have seen Rex at his first birthday party. That boy knows how to get messy. :)

Have a nice day, you will hear again from me fairly soon!

A Bit of Orange Thanks to Miss Fiona!!!

Must be quick today...we have been in North Carolina for the past four days and we are heading home very soon (so I must pack and not post--but I can't resist a small, itty-bitty, little post).

This outfit is from one of my most popular polyvore sets...normally I put an outfit together and then create a polyvore, but this outfit is from a polyvore creation first. In real life, I really like how it turned out.

I wore it about a month ago when I took a walk on one of our local forest paths here in Northern Virginia (amazingly, you can go from very urban to very quiet and country quickly here--thank you Fairfax County Park Authority). I live very close to this forest, so I spend a lot of time walking in this area. The kids love it, so it is utter perfection!



I Like This Look for Fall! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore. Don't worry, all, I DID NOT wear the shoes walking in the forest. I switched to a much more appropriate pair for the walk. :)


But for the pic, definitely wore the shoes. MUST remember to wear nude socks the next time I try this look...ridiculous, those white socks peeking out like a mouse out of a mouse hole. :)

I am SO glad I bought this Fiona (very recently at jcrew.com, for something like 30 dollars) in a size 6. I had bought this in citron, but in a size 10, and sadly (as much as I love the color), it is far too large now. I wore it in this post, way back when. (Anyone want to buy it??? I haven't gotten my for sale blog going yet, but this item will be one of my first listings...)

So you all know, the gorgeous cuff bracelet was a gift from the amazing Drewablank. I said one time to her that I was all ga-ga over it, and she had it, but wasn't wearing it often, so she gifted it to me...how nice is that? I wear it all the time, I love it so...THANK YOU, Ms. Drewablank, you rock!!!

Also, HeidiG. is the reason I got these flats by Merona Collection. She had tried them on at Target and found them to be very narrow, so she suggested I try them on my freaky narrow feet. She was right, they are perfect for me!!! So, thank you, Ms. HeidiG.!!! :)

Okay, all, must pack now. Have a lot of cool things to tell you about...including a trip to the Arden, NC, J. Crew Clearance Store. Yes, it is amazing, and wow, there are some DEFINITE deals. :) (Just a little tease for you all...think the Winnie and now subtract a lot of money...)

Boden's Parisienne Jacket and Brass Button Cardigan!!!

You all will have to forgive me. I am very wiped today. I have taken my cold medicine but it has definitely started to kick in and I am going to be unable to give this post my all. That said I want to get these photos up for you all to look at today. Even though I won't be able to answer any comments, go ahead and ask any questions you would like and I will try to answer them over the weekend, when I anticipate being in a better state of mind. :)


Parisienne Jacket, on me, with jeans, a top, a cute hat, and flip-flops. I wore this on the day we were *supposed* to leave for the Bahamas. Note I said we were *supposed* to...yep, we missed our flight. And to make matters worse, it was rainy, chilly, and awful weather that day. SAD!!! (In the end it worked out because we extended our vacation by one day at the end, and that last day was simply BEAUTIFUL--pics to come, I promise).

So I wore this jacket, finally. Up till that point, the weather had been far too warm to wear this jacket. You got it, the jacket is very heavy, very woolen, but also of the most yummy coloring...in other words, perfection for a grey, yucky, terrible day.

You can buy the jacket here at Boden. Still available in all sizes, so yay!

I bought this in a size 10 (UK), as the size 12 would have been far too large. Bear this in mind, though, if you are a bit busty, definitely size up. Oddly, the only place where it is even a little tight is at my bust, which is very unusual for me.

The hat is from Target, by the way. The jeans are from Land's End and the shirt is from Kohl's. Only the hat is current.

Also, isn't CW so cute standing up and emulating momma? Love it...she is even really close to walking at this point!

Close up of the jacket and collar...plus the very pretty hat from Target. CW is pretty darn adorable, too!

And one more shot, I think CW wants my hat...anyone know if they make these in baby sizes? I would love a baby-sized cloche!

Boden Brass Button Cardi by dinagideon featuring American Eagle Outfitters

Here is the polyvore of the second outfit.


I recently wore this outfit. You can find the info on the individual pieces in the polyvore. I will tell you that only the cardigan is an accurate item, however the pieces in the polyvore are pretty darn close to what I actually wore.

The cardigan is SO soft and pretty. And the buttons are just the right amount of embellishment.

I bought this in a UK 12. I waffled between that and a 10. Probably should have gone with a 10, but the 12 is fine enough, plus I can wear a thicker shirt underneath, if need be.

You can buy it here, and I definitely think everyone should. Unlike the Parisienne which could be too bulky on some, this I believe, could work on all. :)


Here it is unbuttoned. My face was just looking stupid, so I went "snip, snip" to my head. :)

Please ask away. I know I will have the energy for your questions at some point soon. Just not today!!!

UPDATE: POLYVORE ADDITION (9 pm...must go to sleep soon...):

Untitled by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

Okay, many of you mentioned this cloche, so I decided to (quickly) create a polyvore with the cloche and the jacket in it, so that you could have info on where to get the items. BTW, the cloche is sold out on-line, but you could probably find it a local Target. :) Hope this helps you all!

Boden + J. Crew=LOVE! (Oh, and a Special Bag Called the Lexi!!!)

I thought I would get these two outfits out together because we are almost at November, and barring a few places in the U.S.A. and Canada, it is full-on fall here. (Of course, as I type this, it is 71 degrees and gorgeous here...huh.)

So even though these outfits may not work for you...there are pieces in here that some of you may be on the fence about buying or you may really like the color combos I have done or you just really like looking at summer clothing when it is yucky outside...but for whatever reason you look today, enjoy.



Frances Cami and Striped Cardi Fun! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore of the first outfit.


This "favourite v-neck" cardigan is still for sale at Boden. I bought it when it was 20% off, and unlike the spring/summer version I wore here and here, this cardigan is not 100% cotton...it is a mix of wools and cotton. If you are an "itcher," this may be too wool-y for you. But Boden does allow free returns so if you are on the fence, get it...you can always send it back free of charge. For reference, this is a UK size 12, although a 10 would have fit great. I wear a medium in J. Crew cardigans, usually.

You have seen the Frances cami on me before, here, in sage. I really really like this deep rose color and think it is so pretty with this striped cardigan.

The shorts and sandals are all J. Crew, but from seasons past, so most likely unavailable except through every one's favorite capitalist site, Ebay.


Without the cardigan, the outfit is just okay. Very comfortable. (Surprisingly so...)



Boden Henley and Lexi Clutch!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for outfit #2.


The top is a Boden henley from last spring. It is also now unavailable, but did languish for a really long time in their sale section.

The shorts are from Target, and because I am a sucker for a plaid bermuda short, and this pair had my very favorite colors, I had to get it.

The real reason I even bothered to take photos of this outfit wasn't for the clothing but rather the SUCCULENT spring daisy-colored metallic Lexi clutch. OMG. This is definitely not a bag for anyone looking to fade into the background, but look at it...I feel like butterflies and birds will come and perch on my shoulder because they will be attracted to the bag like they would a flower.

I can't say that this is the most practical bag ever, but it is a lot of fun. I am wearing it in this shot across my body, with the strap attached to the clutch part (the strap is very easily taken off, if need be).

If you love it, as I do, it is available here at jcrew.com for 99 dollars (I went ahead and got it when there was an extra 20% off, though, so I didn't pay that price).

Now, in all fairness, I should point out that the very lovely A Bigger Closet bought the light purple version of this bag and did not end up keeping it, and her reasons are very valid. So, please do take a look at her post on this bag.


Yes, at one time, I manage to look both stupid and pregnant. I have no idea why I am holding my hand like that, nor do I know why I made that face. Regardless...THE BAG...Look there...it is in clutch form. So pretty!!! Squee...

I would not recommend this for a party bag because it is too big, but I have been using it as a fun day bag...you know, going to lunch, hanging out at a friend's house, taking Rex to preschool kind of bag...

If you have any questions, go ahead and post them...

Have a great afternoon, all.

Uh, Oh, J. Crew is in TROUBLE. (A.K.A. Boden's Spring 2010 Collection is AWESOME!)

I am back. Sort of. I don't have much time tonight to actually do any real business on my blog, but I did want to announce something. And that is that J. Crew is probably going to make very little money from me this spring if the way things are looking actually come true in reality. After a very spirited discussion at J. Crew Aficionada about the preview of the Spring Collection 2010, I was unsure if anything being offered by J. Crew will suit me and my personality. I tend to gravitate to the bright, bubbly, printed fabrics, and it seems that J. Crew's spring collection may not have a lot of what I normally love. And, being fair, maybe that is okay...I can try new things and styles, right? I am flexible and I do LOVE clothing.

But then Johnnie Boden struck again...and being the Boden Aficionada that I am, I couldn't resist taking a sneak peek at his spring collection 2010. And yep, it is confirmed...I AM IN LOVE with Boden's spring collection 2010.

You know what is crazy? I got a fairly non-descript e-mail from Boden announcing the collection, along with a 20% off offer (and free shipping and returns). I ALMOST DELETED THE DARN E-MAIL. If anyone at Boden is reading this, you may want your e-mails to be a tad less subtle.

Swoon. Look at this GORGEOUS linen Printed Tunic. The play of mod florals with such fantastic hues of olive and pink? If I didn't know better, I would think this was a resort piece from Tory Burch or Lilly Pulitzer. Nope, just an 88 dollar piece by Boden. Yes, I will be getting this. Can you imagine a world where I wouldn't? I just wish they had a mini-Boden piece like this so I could get CW her own version!

Untitled by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

I also made a polyvore, because I had to let my peeps in the "Boden is Bodacious" polyvore group know about all the FINE items on offer.

Hope that some of you who are beyond disappointed with the lackluster spring J. Crew is offering (sorry, Mickey, I tried to love) are gonna join me in the parade of AWESOME across the pond. Thank you, Mr. Boden. You have delivered us what spring should be: Sunshine and Happiness!

J. Crew Outlet Rose Tee in White for Church!!!

You all have seen this tee before, in black, here in this post. Well, because of my overall love of this top, I went ahead and purchased in white, too. I like both tops equally, and I especially love that they are in neutral colors which allows me to wear them with pops of color!

Slastena mentioned it (and had photos) in her recent post about visiting the J. Crew outlet.

I wore this outfit to church one Sunday about three weeks ago...it was the perfect outfit for Sunday mass.


Outfit overall consists of: J. Crew Outlet Tee, White, Size small, Fall 2009; Jones New York Skirt, Size 8, Spring 2009 (also seen in this post); Ann Taylor Loft "Bee" Sandals, Size 9, Summer 2009.

Look at Rex back there...didn't even realize he was back there until after the shot was taken...sneaky boy!


I added a J. Crew Merino Lea Cardigan, Size medium, Tangerine Orange (or something like that), Winter 2008, to stay warm, but after seeing this shot, I realized it looked better opened up, so that is what I did. However, I decided to publish this shot because baby is making the cutest darn pose ever...

Speaking of baby...I have read every last one of your comments about the new header. Thank you all for your compliments. Half of children's photography is just sitting still in a weird lunge pose (great for the thighs) until the right moment presents itself (which isn't always a guarantee)...however, my own kids gave me the PERFECT shot on the NC vacation, and for that I am so happy. Plus, what a great memory to catch. Rex, for all his terrible behavior sometimes, is awesome. In fact, when I think of Rex, and capture what he looks like in my mind, I have this image...I just wish his preschool teacher could think of him this way...sigh!

I am still VERY busy these next couple of days, but I want you to know that I will be doing brief posts every day or every other day, time permitting. Have a really nice couple of days if I don't get that chance!!! :)