Friday Shenanigans, pretty pictures, and today's outfit

So, after much consideration and some nudging from my wannabe administrator BF, I decided I should probably change my blog post for the day. There were some Friday shenanigans at school today, but in the interest of my job, I think I'll just leave it at that. However, I have a fun school story to share: My classroom doesn't have any windows, so I had two of my students paint me one! The quote coming out of the dragon's mouth says, "Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are."

LOVE IT! The girls have been working on it all year, and they finished it yesterday. I'm so happy with how it turned out!

Now, on to the fashion. I couldn't decide what to wear today. It's jean day at school. Those two statements are directly related. As much as I love a jean day on a Friday, it always gives me seemingly limitless outfit options. It's kind of sad, really. My mind begins reeling as soon as I find out we have a jean day. I look up the weather, lay out outfits, and try to decide what kind of look I'm going for. Does this happen on a regular school day? Nope. Do I get this overwhelmed in everyday life when I wear jeans? Heck no. There's just something about jean day at school that makes me hyperventilate. With that being said, I had the BF weigh in on outfit options this morning.

Option #1:

J.Crew Fiore Cotton Cardigan

J.Crew Outlet cotton henley in an unknown, but pretty, bright coral color

J.Crew Perfect fit tank in pale buff

New York and Co. Crop Boyfriend Jeans, Hawthorn Wash

New York and Co. Peep Toe Wedges in Charming Pearl

I've been wearing the Fiore cardigan so much lately. I've really been wearing coral as much as possible (because I love it and the color complements my pasty pre-summer complexion), and the Fiore looks so good with coral. Because it's been practically glued to my shoulders, the BF told me to go with option #2:

J.Crew Outlet cotton striped vest in an off-white and bright coral

J.Crew Outlet cotton henley in an unknown, but pretty, bright coral color

J.Crew Perfect fit tank in pale buff

New York and Co. Crop Boyfriend Jeans, Hawthorn Wash

New York and Co. Peep Toe Wedges in Charming Pearl

This vest was also available in a bunch of solid colors (white, navy, coral), as well as a very pretty white and navy stripe. If you can, I highly recommend that you get to a crewlet this weekend. They have a lot of versatile summer pieces that are great for just lounging around in. The quality isn't the best, but we all know that. I think if you go into the store with that in mind, you won't be disappointed.

I hope your Friday has been a bit calmer than mine! Have a wonderful weekend!

Today's Outfit: Highish and Lowish?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!
So last week I did a blog post about mixing higher end items (not haute couture, or anything...I'm only a teacher, remember!) with less expensive items. This outfit kind of qualifies, I suppose. Here's what I'm wearing:(Please disregard the face I'm making. It was 7:30AM, and it had already been a long morning.) The dress is from my last excursion to the J.Crew factory store. It fits beautifully and was originally $89, but I got it for about $68 after a few discounts. The cardigan is a Ralph Lauren from five or six years ago. The necklace is a cheapie from someplace like Claire's, I think, and the sandals are J.Crew's leather capri sandals in light gold (on sale for $39.50 right now!) I really am in love with this dress for the price. The color is a bit blah, but the fit is superflattering, and my favorite part is the detailing on the back:

I'm a sucker for buttons down the back of, well, almost anything. I think they're so elegant.

Anyway, whether or not this qualifies as a high and low outfit is debatable. Alexis has some great pictures on her blog today from the J.Crew factory store on this post. Most of what I see in the pictures is what I saw at my outlet, but it seems that there are a few more original J.Crew items in those pictures than what my outlet had. My outlet seemed to be strictly double-diamond (items made for the outlet only). Like I said yesterday, I plan on doing a complete inventory of IRL pics and prices for the things I bought at the crewlet sometime this week.

Have a great day!

Back to the grind after a wonderful weekend

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. The BF and I spent a whirlwind 24 hours in DC and had a great time. Our suite at the Fairfax on Embassy Row was pretty (I'd say it juuuuust barely hits the luxury mark), and the location was beautiful. We spent much of our time just walking the streets near Dupont Circle and looking at embassies. We found a frozen yogurt place we loved so much that we went Saturday night AND Sunday afternoon before we left. It's called Mr. Yogato. I highly recommend it if you're in the area. It's a little hole in the wall, but it's really cool and the yogurt is to die for. We also ate at Cafe Green on Sunday afternoon. Very interesting vegan menu. I had raw flaxseed pancakes with agave and strawberries just to try something new. Here's a pic:

The flaxseed was not really my thing. The BF, however, got whole wheat waffles with strawberries, and those were amazing. Saturday night we went out for sushi, and I wore the Frankie with the Fiore cardigan. I know I posted a pic of it before, but here it is styled:

Last but not least, here's the outfit for the day.

J.Crew Jackie cardigan in White, size small - $62

Crewlet white and coral striped tank, size small - $14.95

NY&Co. 14th Street Zipped Crop White Denim, size 4 - $27.96

Flip flops that are a few years old - can't remember where I got them

Crewlet seahorse necklace - around $22-$25

I had a little bit of success at the crewlet on Friday afternoon...I'll post a total item list with pics and prices later this week when I have more time. I got the tank and cute seahorse necklace there, though.

I LOVE this necklace and have been wearing it almost nonstop since I got it on Friday. I also purchased a gold sanddollar necklace and have sometimes been wearing the two together. I'm a big fan of ocean-themed stuff, so I'm of course going to be a sucker for a blinged-out seahorse!

Have a great day, everyone!

Bridesmaid Dress Mess = retail rationalization

Hello, fellow JCAs! You must believe me when I tell you, I really was going to try to stay away from shopping this weekend. I swear. Then my plans came crashing down like a flimsy drying rack with too many sweaters. Now I sit in a crumpled mess of retail temptation.

I'm in a wedding on June 19th. I made the hour-long trek to the bridal store in January or February to try on bridesmaid dresses. A dress was chosen, I was sized, all was well with the world.

Then I lost 20 pounds. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic, but it's been the cause of too much retail rationalization. Nothing fits, so I must buy new clothes, right? It's also been the cause of the Bridesmaid Dress Mess. You see, the bridal store is the only bridal store in the country that doesn't offer in-house alterations. This was last week's panic. I found a woman that teaches with me who will do the alteration I'm anticipating I'll need on the dress (I went from a size 8 or 10 to a size 4. My bridesmaid dress is an 8.), but she, of course, needs some time and wants to do a few fittings. No problem. I figured I'd just use my last 1/2 of a personal day at work today, take the afternoon off, make the journey to the bridal store, and pick up the dress. That would leave me about an hour and a half to get back to my house and go to a garden party with my mom this afternoon. A HUGE outlet mall is conveniently nestled right off the road on my way home, so I figured I'd stop at the crewlet, buzz through, and be on my merry way.

Oh, cruel, cruel fate.

I called the bridal store yesterday, and the dress isn't in yet. Not only is this going to be a headache for me (I have zero time next week to go pick up the dress) and the woman doing my alterations, but this predicament has left me with a wide-open afternoon on a beautiful day. Nothing to do. The outlet mall beckons.

So, you see, I really must go to the outlets for the afternoon. I'm really left with no other choice. With this DC trip coming up this weekend, and the current 20% off crewlet offer courtesy of the Queen Bee, it's plainly what was meant to happen. Because it's the crewlet, however, I will shop with extreme caution. I promise.

All dressed up with someplace to go! Packing dilemmas...

Good morning, everyone! This weekend, the BF and I are heading to DC. Of course, I'm 97% sure I broke two toes last night, and this morning I woke up with a head cold, but we're going come hell or high water. I got us a pretty decent deal through RueLala to stay for a night at the Fairfax on Embassy Row. It's supposed to be part of Starwood's Luxury Collection, but after reading reviews, it sounds like it doesn't really deserve the rating. Oh well. I'm not too fussy, so it should be a good time no matter how "luxurious" it is.

Anyway, on to the clothes. I've been trying to figure out what to wear in the car (I'm thinking J.Crew's Jessie Dress in either muted grape or slate), and then what to pack for the weekend. We'll only be there Saturday and Sunday, but I have no idea what we're doing (I know a bunch of the JCAs are in DC...anyone have any recommendations?). I've been polyvoring my little heart out this morning, and I've come up with a bunch of outfits that are a combination of my last J.Crew shopping spree and some older NY and Co. items. I'm not great at the polyvore thing yet, so bear with me.

Weekend outfit option 1 - day

Items in this set:
Softspun cotton pocket tee - bright coral, $33
J.Crew Starfish cinema short - abyss blue, $60
MADISON, 29 GBP
Studded bar-car belt - J.Crew, $38

Weekend outfit option 2 – day

Items in this set:
J Crew sequin stripe henley tank, $60 quarry, $68
Women's new arrivals - tees and knits - Softspun cotton cardigan -..., $50
New York and Company - Skinny - The Skinny Ankle Jean, Optic White Wash, $37
Women's shoes - flip-flops - Shimmerveil leather capri sandals -..., $50
J. Crew - Fireball cluster necklace (copper), $55

Weekend outfit 3 – night

Items in this set:
Knotted starfish dress - J.Crew, $130
MADISON, 29 GBP

Weekend outfit option 4 – night

Items in this set:
Sequin falls cardigan-J.Crew (Fawn), $170
Perfect-fit tank - pale buff, $18
New York and Company - Shorts - The Gramercy Short - Metallic Brocade, $35
MADISON, 29 GBP

Weekend outfit option 5 – night

Items in this set:
Women's sweaters - cotton - Fiore cotton cardigan - J.Crew, $120
Women's new arrivals - lounge and beach cover-ups - Frankie mini-dress -..., $55
MADISON, 29 GBP

Weekend outfit option 6 – day or night

Items in this set:
Women's sweaters - cotton - Fiore cotton cardigan - J.Crew, $120
Softspun cotton pocket tee - bright coral, $33
New York and Company - Shorts - The Gramercy Short - Metallic Brocade, $35
MADISON, 29 GBP

(Note: I couldn't find my NY and Co. wedges from yesterday's post on polyvore, so I just substituted similar wedges.)
I can't figure out what to take! HELP! Also, how would you accessorize the starfish dress? Any and all critiques, opinions, comments, etc. would be welcome.

Today's Outfit: High and Low

In true working girl style, I often like to mix and match higher end, more expensive clothes with lower end, less expensive clothes to make outfits that are a bit more unique and easier on the wallet. I'm thinking about making this idea a weekly feature of my blog. Here are pics and reviews of today's High and Low outfit:
I had to take a close-up pic of the earrings because I love them so much. I've had them for years and I'm just rediscovering them.

• J.Crew Jackie cardigan in White, size small - $62 (unfortunately, the white color is not part of the summer sale that the J.Crew Aficionada informed us about this morning.)

• New York & Co. Scoop neck pocket tee in Protesting Orange, size small – $14.95 or 2 for $16

• J.Crew Sunshine peonies pencil skirt, size 4 - no longer available online, but $39.99 at the B&M? Anyone know if they're still in stock anywhere?

• New York & Co. Peep Toe Wedge Sandals in Charming Pearl (color out of stock in site, but the local store had a ton left last week), size 8 - $16.17

• Earrings - $15 at a charming little local vintage clothing/jewelry store that has since closed and broken my heart

Here are some reviews/thoughts on the pieces in this outfit:

The skirt: I LOVE LOVE LOVE the sunshine peony print, and I've been in love with it since it came out. The perfect shirt ($49.99) and coccinelle dress ($89.99) are still available and are part of the summer sale. However, does anyone have trouble with their J.Crew pencil skirts riding up? My new oak tweed 21" doesn't, but this 24" does. I'm not sure if it's because of the length or if it's because I have a relatively small waist and some junk in the trunk =P Whatever the reason, I have to keep pulling on it. Oh well. I love the print enough that I am willing to risk the embarrassment of getting caught yanking at the hem.


The scoop neck tee: I actually like this version of the boyfriend fit tee for $14.95 better than J.Crew's softspun cotton pocket tee for more than twice the price at $32.50. The fit is better...it's a bit more snug, so I feel like it's more feminine. PS...Protesting Orange?? The color is gorgeous and matches the sunshine peony print perfectly, but if I was web-shopping and came across this color, the name itself would deter me from buying this shirt. Just a thought.


The cardigan: I love how soft and lightweight the Jackie is. For spring/summer, I like the shorter sleeve length also. The only downside is that you can pretty much see right through the white color.


The shoes: Pretty comfortable, for less than 20 bucks. I can teach in them all day and not have sore feet by 3:00 PM. I love the cute knot detailing.


The earrings: Like I said, I just rediscovered these after they were hidden away in a drawer for 5 years. They're a bit kitschy, but I love the colors and I couldn't resist putting them on with this outfit. And they're clip-ons that are actually comfortable to wear!


I'm interested to know 1) if anyone has seen any of the other sunshine peony print stuff left in the B&Ms, and 2) if the 24" pencil skirts ride up on anyone else.

Have a fabulous day, everyone! :)

A Fabulous Summer Read (No Matter Where You Are!)

Good morning, fashionistas! With Memorial Day Weekend coming up, I thought I'd give everyone a bit of recommended reading for summer:
Coco Chanel made the best of every situation. So no matter whether you're spending your summer frolicking in Vegas, letting the Caribbean waves lap at your toes, or laying on a float in the pool in your own backyard, I recommend making the best of your summer situation by reading The Gospel According to Coco Chanel: Life Lessons from the World's Most Elegant Woman by Karen Karbo. I'm sure this book has made its way around the fashion blogs, but since I'm a blogosphere newbie, I figured I'd throw my two cents in.

My mom gave me The Gospel for my birthday last year, and I have re-read it several times. With help from cute illustrations by Chesley McClaren, Karbo does an excellent job entwining Chanel's own trials and tribulations with life lessons we can all learn from. Karbo describes a life that was flat-out gritty at times, but she makes sure the reader understands that Coco Chanel was an absolute pro at being fabulous, no matter where she found herself.

I already knew I couldn't thank Chanel enough for the cardigan, but after I read this book, I began to realize that I should thank Chanel for her attitude as well. From fearlessness and spontaneity to style and self-invention, Karbo begins every section with a Chanel (or in some cases, supposed Chanel) quote that encompasses the theme of the section. My personal favorite? "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous."

Fashion and philosophy often go hand-in-hand in the couture world, but this book makes for a light, but thoughtful summer read that weaves the two together beautifully for the rest of us.

Have you read this book? What do you think? Do you have any other great fashion or non-fashion summer read recommendations?

J. Crew New Arrivals Summer 2010 Reviews and IRL Pics

One of the girls I teach with invited a few of the teachers to a private J.Crew shopping party in Pittsburgh's B&M store this past weekend. What a blast! We all saved 20% on purchases of over $125, which wasn't a tough mark to hit. I had an opportunity to check out several new arrivals fresh off the shelves. Here are my reviews:




This is the starfish print dress ($128) that appeared on the website for a short time then disappeared last week.

Likes:the fact that it fit really well (size 4) and was TTS. It also had a very light, airy feel to it as the fabric is not heavy at all.
Dislikes: the fact that it had a weird pouch of fabric at the stomach, but that might be because I have a bigger bust. The length was also an issue. I won't be able to wear it to work, but it'll be excellent for dinner, bridal showers, and weddings this summer.

Next outfit:


Softspun Cotton Pocket Tee in Bright Coral - $32; size small
Starfish Cinema Short in Abyss Blue - $59; size 6

Likes: The shorts are a fun print and fit TTS; the linen is very soft and appropriate for summer. The length is very flattering as well.
Dislikes: The tshirt is very baggy, and although this is how it's supposed to fit, it's not very flattering. I plan on tucking it into the shorts and styling with a gold or cream-colored belt.
I purchased both of these items.

Next up:



Marin dress in Navy - $128; size small
Studded bar-car belt in Bronzed Avocado - $38; size small

Likes: Loved the silky material of the Marin dress. I also loved it cinched with the belt. It was very comfy.
Dislikes: It seemed to run big. I know I keep repeating that for pieces that are supposed to be a bit more roomy, but without the belt, I seemed to swim in the dress. I also didn't like how wide the neck was.

I did not purchase either of these two items.

Next up:


Chambray Maxi Dress - I can no longer find this on the website, but the store had a ton of them

Likes: the color
Dislikes: everything else. I seemed to get lost in this at 5'2", and my 34D bust just kind of hung out all over the place. Maybe with some major tailoring, this would've been an okay dress.

Didn't purchase this one.

Next:


Frankie mini-dress in Neon Peach - $55; size small
Fiore cotton cardigan in Natural - $118; size small

I've had my eye on this outfit for a while but decided to wait to purchase until the party because of the sale.
Likes: the colors, the fit of both pieces (both TTS)
Dislikes: the shortness and straps of the Frankie dress, the price of the cardigan (way overpriced, but I bit anyway because I've been in love with it since it came out), the fact that I need to wear a bra with the dress, but the straps make it very difficult

I purchased both of these pieces and can't wait to wear them.

Last, but not least...my favorite:


Sequin falls cardigan in Fawn - $118; size small
Sequin necklace tank in Wild Mushroom - $64; size small
Oak tweed pencil skirt in Natural - $110; size 4

I love love LOVE this outfit minus the sequin necklace tank. I didn't purchase the tank because it was relatively expensive for a tank top. I went with the Perfect Fit tank in Pale Buff for $18 instead.

Likes: LOVE the gauzy material of the sweater and the flattering vertical sequins. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE this skirt. It is VERY worth the $110. It's soft and the 21" hemline hits perfectly above the knee for me (again, I'm 5'2"). Both the sweater and skirt fit TTS.
Dislikes: The hemline of the skirt might be a bit short for taller women. The only other complaint I have is that I'm going to want to wear this outfit all summer, and it'll be too hot for the sweater.

I bought this outfit and I'm wearing it today. I've gotten several compliments on it.

I also tried on the neon madras shorts for $59, but they fit relatively tightly around my legs and were an odd length. They weren't comfortable at all. The starfish shorts were a much better choice.

Overall, I had a successful visit to the Crew B&M this past weekend. If you have any questions on any of the items pictured, ask away!

Short and Sweet: About the Blogger

I'm a twenty-something high school English teacher who loves fashion. Because I'm a teacher in a relatively rural area, I really have very few opportunities to strut my fashionista stuff. As I made the decision to start this blog, I began to think about my grandmother who passed away when I was seventeen. She looked just like Audrey Hepburn, and dressed like her too - even though she lived in a small town with a population of just over 100 people. My grandmother believed wholeheartedly in being fabulous every day. She never saved anything "for good," as many women of her generation did. She served every meal on her best china and cooked in gold high heels. I've decided to live like her. Even if I am all dressed up with no place to go - other than the dinky corner cafe or the high school where I teach - I plan to go anyway and look fabulous while I'm there.