A day (or two...or three...) at the beach (+OOTD)

Every year, my fiance's family spends the middle two weeks of June on Long Beach Island, in New Jersey.  His extended family also intermittently meanders onto the island through out the two weeks, and we all stay within the same block of each other. 

Even though we were getting married in, ohhh, 10 days, we didn't let that stop us from driving across two states to spend five days on LBI with the fam.  We only had about two and a half good "beach days," but we enjoyed ourselves nonetheless.  Even on the days when it was too chilly to actually sit on the beach, I made sure to spend some time walking on it:


Sweatshirt: J.Crew spindrift sweatshirt
Shorts: J.Crew anchor shorts
Necklace: Swarovski conch shell necklace (it was my grandmother's from many years ago)
Sunnies: Gap

LBI is a charming little island that's about 20 miles long, and only half a mile wide.  I love it, because it's almost trapped in the middle of the century.  There are lots of great old-school Italian restaurants, ice cream parlors, little beach shops and boutiques, and very few touristy-type spots.  One of the few tourist attractions is a teensy tiny amusement park called - what else? - Fantasy Island.  Every year, my fiance and I ride the ferris wheel, which is by far the biggest ride there:



The Fantasy Island Ferris Wheel, all instagram-ed up. 

Do you have a summer escape relatively close by?  Do you visit it regularly?

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!