J. Crew (In-Store Only) Lovelies...

So, I know you all are looking the next picture and asking yourself, "dinagideon, I have seen that great looking puffer vest before, here at jcrew.com, but I don't recall seeing that color...tell me where did you ever find it?" To which I respond, "In-store only!"

I recalled seeing the puffer vest in the catalog and being smitten with it...I love it for its sheer practicality...especially in a climate like ours where you can get by with a heavy down vest with a sweater for 50% of the winter. But then I saw the clincher...not available in the olive color. Well, color me sad. :(

Then, I, along with three other beautiful JCAs of the DC area, HeidiG., Summerilla, and Drewablank, went to Tysons yesterday to scope out the goodies there. And within mere seconds of entering the store, I saw it...the OLIVE green puffer vest. (YAY!) And even better, it looked so nice on me, and, the very best part...instead of being $118, it was on special for $98. :) Yes, it came home with me...as did these other (in-store) only beauties.

(By the way, am I the only one who didn't realize just how much stuff is sold in-store only at J. Crew? I thought there might be a piece or two, here or there, but no...there are totally different styles...different colors...)


By the way, you will see this outfit again...probably not for a week or two (man, it takes me FOREVER to get these posts up), but I wore it out today sans puffer vest (tried that on only so you all could see it in real life). The outfit I wore out included the pumpkin fiona jacket. (Yes, I know, very fall-like...)

I Like This Look for Fall, Part Two... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is a polyvore of the outfit above (yep, the puffer vest I clipped to polyvore from this post, plus the other three items (tissue turtleneck, striped tissue tee, and the men's cardigan), so they are under my items if you are a polyvore addict).


This is the tissue turtleneck in peacock blue (or teal or whatever)...it is NOT available on-line in this shade. Such a shame, this is a BEAUTIFUL color in real life. Purchased a small, my normal size.


Both Summerilla and I came home with this gem. The scoopneck is insanely flattering. I bought a small, which is my usual size.

The above puffer vest, close up. The vest is lined in sherpa and is so cozy, I want to wear it to bed one night. I bet I would sleep well. ;) I purchased this in a small, which is great, because I typically have to wear a medium in cardigans at J. Crew.


Now, this is a MEN'S cardigan, but we went a little nuts and discovered that the men's section (especially the sale section) holds some goodies of its own...HeidiG. purchased a men's sweater in a rich red/orange, Summerilla purchased a cardigan (I believe), Drewablank purchased a cardigan and a button-down. I, of course, got this one...it is fleece lined, and also extremely cozy. The closest I could find to it on-line is this, and it looks like they are close to selling out. I also did not pay as much as it costs on-line. I do not anticipate wearing this except in the most casual of situations (it is a tad big on me in a men's small), but this morning, when there was a nip in the air and all I was doing was trying to stay warm in my pjs, this FIT the BILL perfectly.

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I hope you enjoyed seeing what your local store can offer you...

I wanted to also mention that I am so behind in commenting that when I do comment back it will have to be a group response, which I hate to do, but I want to get back on track...thanks for your understanding, everyone!

Monterey Linen Striped Skirt, Take Two...

I am not going to spend a whole lot of time talking about this outfit because you have seen the pieces multiple times and why freaking re-invent the wheel? So, check out the embroidered floral tee (I still say fireworks tee) and the striped linen monterey skirt (or whatever the heck it is called) in this post.

Perfect for a Hot Day!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for this outfit. :)


And here I am in it. I don't even quite remember when I wore this...I do know that it was very very warm that day, and honestly, this skirt is truly fantastic when you want to stay cool...

Look at baby CW right there, peeking out from under my skirt...aaaaaah!

Shimmer Paisley Lawn Dress for a Day at Preschool...

I have been waiting FOREVER to do this post...I actually have really looked forward to it, which is kind of weird, I admit.

I am simply in LOVE with the shimmer paisley lawn dress...it is now one of my top three ever items from J. Crew...along with the Sybil Coat in burnished yellow from Winter 2007 and the double-strand frog necklaces, also from 2007. This dress replaces the (still wonderful) coccodrillo pencil skirt, as seen in this post. I made up a top three list because the very delightful Suzy challenged us to think about our favorites, and this is now one of mine! (BTW, before all my time was eaten up by preschool follies and subbing, I actually made a polyvore of my favorite items. Yes, I did. :)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is my favorite items polyvore. These items will be with me as long as I can keep them, and then they will be my daughter's. I have even talked to my mother-in-law about recreating this dress in another fabric, and she says with some tweaks, it is actually possible! (Do I smell a liberty-print version of this dress in my future???)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

This is the polyvore for the day's outfit. The shoes are different, but they look really similar to the ones in the polyvore.


This is the dress on me. I find the fit is FANTASTIC. I could have sized down to a six, but because I wanted to be very careful, I bought an eight. Now, here is my mantra, and some of you may want to use this, "I would rather take in than squeeze in..." So, while this may be a bit loose, I know that I have the option to tailor down...had I bought to small, then this lovely would have never been allowed out to play. The top is truly my favorite part...isn't the collar just beautiful? The fabric is also quite special, with the subtle play of fall colors of brown, gold, olive, cream, and purple. And the shimmer in the dress name? It comes from a very slight metallic thread woven through the fabric. And I should let you know, in all fairness, I love all things paisley...it is very preppy but also a bit boho...which suits my fashion-sense perfectly.

I almost didn't get this dress...by the time I figured I should get it, it was all SOLD-OUT. I nearly cried, but figured I could work something out...and then, my personal shopper (on-line) saved the day...she took the info, and within two days, had located my size in this dress out in one of their California stores. :) God bless you ladies in CA who overlooked this dress...I am a very happy Virginian, thanks to you all...

You have seen this dress on two other lovely ladies (anyone else out there own this dress?)...summerilla and ratsonparade. I knew summerilla wanted it and she was the only reason I knew that it might be sold out. So thank you, summerilla, for keeping me in the loop, and thank you, awesome, personal shopper, for taking such good care of me in locating this amazing dress. :)


So I wore this dress on the second day of Rex's preschool. Because his preschool also happens to be where I do my swimming, nature hiking, and chilling out, I decided I would spend that entire morning while he was at preschool there. It was a very foggy, drizzly kind of morning, and I swear the whole atmosphere was very Scottish Loch-ish (which I will have you know is my favorite atmosphere ever)...and so I wrapped the outfit up with the featherweight cashmere short-sleeved cardigan and took a walk out in nature, with all the trees and leaves and fog...I felt, and I am not even joking, like I was in an Anthropologie catalog. (And, yes, that felt very, very cool...)

Anthropologie Catalog featuring J. Crew! by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

(I may even make a polyvore of me walking in a foggy loch somewhere and add it to this post because I have always wanted to be in an Anthropologie catalog...) Oooh, I did it! (Added 10/12/09...I know, I am a bit of a nerd...)

Have a great Thursday. Much, much, much more to come (I have finally organized my pics and have figured out how to save and publish posts when I am not even necessarily there to publish it myself...I know some of you all are super-savvy, but alas, I am not)!

So, Yes, This Was Unexpected, But I'll Take 'Em...aka Heirloom Flora Earrings for a Tired Momma...

BTW, as you are reading this (provided you read it tonight 10/5/09), I am attempting (or so I hope--Baby CW is being VERY NEEDY) to finish commenting back...I feel terrible for not commenting sooner, but I truly promise it isn't because I don't want to...it is because my family makes it kind of hard to find the time I need...I actually can publish posts faster than I can comment (probably because posts are just me talking to myself, which I find really easy...go ahead, make fun, I know, I know...).

ONTO THE UNEXPECTED:

I call my bro this afternoon to check on the babies, and after confirming that they were in fact, alive and napping (lucky Peter), I asked him if I got any mail, and he confirms that yes, I did get a white, small package. Yes, it appears that, I, dinagideon, was a recipient of the much discussed earrings over at J. Crew Aficionada. Hmmm...and dinagideon begins the speculation.

#1--I received it under my maiden name, not my married name (which you all will never ever know...gotta have one thing I keep quiet). Now I have not made many purchases under my maiden name in a long time, but a lot of my correspondence happens with my maiden name, including a lot of the stuff I do with this blog. Hmm...

#2--My personal shopper knows my married name...it is on my credit card info...but the e-mail I use to discuss stuff with her is under my maiden name.

#3--I used to receive two catalogs in the mail, one for my married name and one for my maiden name (I know, get the act together, J. Crew), but now I only receive one for my MARRIED name, so I thought that J. Crew only knew me as my married name (and HAD indeed gotten their act together).

#4--I don't know. I just don't know. Hmmm...

#5--No free shipping code...hmmm...

#6--The earrings are BEAUTIFUL, so regardless, I am enamored. In fact, I love them so much that I wore them this afternoon to Border's Bookstore and received a compliment on them from one of the sales people. (And my bro, he REALLY likes them...) So, however I received them, thank you, J. Crew. Very cool.

#7--That said, what is the impetus? I really want all cardholders to receive this. I think, like has been said over at JCA, the "perks" of being a cardholder should be unconditional, like at Banana Republic. (I am assuming I received this because of my card...I know it is under my maiden name...but you know, I seriously haven't bought anything with that name in a LONG time.)


Peter took this pic of me wearing the earrings. They are in fact, very comfortable to wear, and of the right shade that they could be worn with many different outfits.

P.S. I made the photo "glow" because I was very tired when this was taken, and honestly, a "glow" (thank you, Picasa) makes it all a little bit better. ;)


A photo of the earring close-up. So shiny.


Gotta love a grosgrain-tied silver package. So pretty.

Have a great day. Maybe we can unwrap the mystery of the earrings sooner or later...yes, I just said "unwrap." And yes, I know, bad pun.

A Few Outfits for a Vacation (aka Let's Go to the OBX)!!!

I realized I had not gotten my outfits up from my trip to the Outer Banks (which I took all the way back in early September). Since we are going away fairly soon to another beach-y location, I knew that I just had to publish. the. pictures. already.

:)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore of the outfits I wore (except outfit #1, which is directly below).


I wore this on the way to the beach. It was actually kind of cold (mid-60s), so I wore a light jacket (see next photo), but this is what I wore under the coat. The top is a tee from J. Crew from maybe two or three summers ago? I love this tee, it is so soft and pretty. The V-neck is a nice neckline, and I adore the anchor detail. The shorts are the ubiquitous summerweight stretch bermudas that you all know now that I own in almost every color. (These are the navy pair.) The sunglasses are from Boden, and from this summer. I ADORE these glasses!


The light jacket I wore is the Ruffle-neck short trench coat that J. Crew made this last spring (2009). I remember Slastena loving it, so I bought it, and I loved it, but it is definitely too heavy for me to wear in the summer...but 60s? Yes, I will definitely pull it out again...plus, look at the tea rose contrast color in the sleeves!!! Too freaking adorable. Love it!


This is from Target (and is in my polyvore). This giraffe-print is so sweet. It is a Merona Collection item, but lucky me...I found it on sale. YAY! (And in my size...even better!) This may be my favorite dress from the weekend. It fit perfectly and the giraffe print was not especially overwhelming (the way animal prints can often be)...I saw this dress on sweet tea in seattle and fell in LOVE, so thank you! :)

I wore it belted with the skinny leather belt in hot pink, which is from J. Crew this last spring. The shoes are some knock-off gold capri sandals from Target from a year or so ago (I think they were ten dollars--definitely a steal).

Oh, the giraffe print obsession continues. This time, for the next day, (the day I visited the crewlet), I wore the giraffe-print belted top by Merona Collection (also on sale) and a pair of aqua shorts (also on super-sale...something like 5 dollars). I wore the fake capri flip-flops again, natch.

I wore this delightful dress to dinner the last night we were there. Dinner itself was a nightmare (thanks, Rex), but I still felt good and eventually even Rex was well-behaved enough for us to enjoy ourselves at least a tiny bit.

This is the linen constellation strapless dress from J. Crew this last spring 2009. I tried it on in a ten initially, and decided it was too big, so I went back to J. Crew later (and armed with the Mickey card) and bought it in an 8 and for 25% off. That works for me. But here is the kind of sad thing...I just got around to wearing it (some five months later) and I find the 8 fit, but a 6 would have been better. Here is my advice to all you post-partum moms out there...if you buy it while you are still losing baby weight, be prepared to do some tailoring or else you will have wasted your money. I got by with it being a bit too big by doing the old tug, tug, tug. Sigh. (And I must say, I didn't have to tug this one nearly as much as the Sanur dress...that dress is really hard to keep up...)


And here is the dress with the linen seafront cardigan (I think that is its name). I love this cardigan. I am obviously a huge fan of the linen (what with it being all southern preppy summer friendly) but I especially love linen sweaters...they are so unique and the texture so special, that I usually buy one or two linen sweaters a summer. I believe gigiofca also wore this one for you all at some point.

That is all for now, lovelies. :)

I will be publishing my pretty pics from this trip (which will include some of the kids that are super-cute) later tonight. You all have a great day, I am off to comment on the other posts (hopefully) and to go sub...

A Tale of a Perfect Purple Pencil Skirt...

This post is dedicated to AppGal, who really is interested in the purple perfect pencil skirt. There has been a lot of buzz with all of us J. Crew Aficionadas about this season's perfect pencil skirt...and I admit to falling hard into this crewlade. J. Crew is REALLY gifted at making a pencil skirt. I think I own ten separate pencil skirts, and even though some were bought when I was a bit bigger, I love them so much that I have altered them so I can still wear them. (BTW, that alteration is really easy and pretty cheap to do at your local tailor.)

There are so many women who have reviewed this skirt, that I don't have the time right now to list them all (but if you would be so kind to let me know you reviewed it in the comments so I can later update this post, I would be most appreciative). I have to substitute teach in about an hour, so I have to make this quick!

Perfect Pencil Skirt in Purple One Style Option... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for this outfit.


This is how I wore this outfit. I had originally styled it with a patent belt in dusty rose (to match the heels), but Mr. Dina did not like it very much, and I really didn't think it added all that much, so I took it off. (But if you would like to see it, look at the next photo.)

This cardigan is NOT the one pictured in the polyvore. I bought this cardigan from TJ Maxx about a month ago, and I LOVE it. It is a merino cardigan by Willi Smith. This is a beautiful pattern and really goes very nicely with the amber cami underneath, and is a nice contrast color to the plum in the skirt. The dusty rose pumps are a great neutral (or at least act like it in this outfit). I was going to church, so I knew I had to be fairly conservative, but let me tell you all, if you buy this skirt in the absolute right size (not too big and not too small), you can ABSOLUTELY make this skirt into the perfect party skirt. I bought this skirt in a six. I normally prefer skirts to be a little loose, but I feel like if you go too big in a pencil skirt the effect of its nature, the body hugging it is meant to do, gets terribly lost. I sometimes will buy one size too big with the intention of nipping in the waist but leaving a little room in the hips, but I did NOT do this with this skirt. When I tried on this skirt in a size six, it just felt perfect...and I truly think it still is! (And, this may shock you all, but it was very very comfortable to wear, even when at church and holding one or both children at the same time!)

So, I HIGHLY recommend this skirt, and I would say either get your normal size or even go to your limits and get a size smaller...trust me!

By the way, buy the perfect pencil skirt here. (Eventually I will buy the blue and cinnamon colors, but I am waiting a bit...need more money...)


Here it is styled with the dusty rose belt. Eh...

Have a nice weekend. I plan on commenting back on all my past posts this weekend. There will be a post of two but they will probably be pics of kids or clouds or some such...

Cocodrillo Cardi Party Alert!!! (Plus, Mini-Review of an Outlet Tee!)

So very tired today, must make post quick!!! (I subbed in the library of my former school today and will be for the next 6 school days, so I may have limited energy, but I will try to keep up with at least one post a day...)

BTW, I always announce the Cocodrillo Print REALLY BRIGHTLY when I do a post on it, ever since one of the commenters said how much she (or he) detested the print...hopefully that individual stayed REALLY FAR AWAY from this post.

HeidiG. and Gingersnap have been having cardi parties lately and since I have been wearing cardigans more often lately (more as outerwear, but today, definitely as inside wear, too--it is BRISK outside), I thought I would do a post on one of my "cardi-party" outfits. There is a lot more to come, including a post with the plum perfect pencil skirt (AppGal, this is a saturated, vibrant true medium purple) and a post which includes photos on how I styled the ocelot cardigan.

No polyvore for today's set because more than half the outfit would require me to post pics and then clip to polyvore and I just can't find the energy!!! :)


Lopped off my head because I looked incredibly bad. REALLY REALLY BAD. If I cut my head off, there is a great reason. :)

The cardigan is the cocodrillo cardigan (in a silk/linen blend, I believe) from Summer 2009, J. Crew. The adorable tee is from the J. Crew Outlet, recently purchased, and it says Fall 2009 on the tag. The jeans are one of my all-time favorite pair of jeans from IT! jeans and I purchased them a long long time ago and never ever thought I could get into them again. AND I CAN!!! Woot woot! BTW, the reason I love these jeans? They have an embellished butt pocket and they just fit over my bottom perfectly. I am not really a bling-y sort of girl, but these jeans had me at "hello." The flip-flops are from J. Crew this last spring 2009.


MUCH better face in this photo.

The reason I posted this is so you all could see the adorable rose on the tee. It is the outlet version of last fall's famed rose tee. The tee from last fall had a rose that was way too big for me, but this outlet version, perfection. The outlet version also comes in white (which I also bought).

The tee is a bit sheer, but whatever...as long as I have a cami on, I am not worried about it!

Have a great night. Hope I don't fall asleep before Mr. Dina gets home. The kids would never forgive me for making them forage...