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Now on to dresses I tried on last Friday. You can see the other two May 2012 try-ons here and here.

I love the Ella Dress in Porcelain Paisley as much as the No. 2 Pencil Skirt. The print is gorgeous. It has pockets. The fit is great in my normal strapless dress size of 8. But the price is the only detractor…$298. I’m not sure I would be able to get many wears out of it to justify the dress at that price. If it makes it to a decent sale price I’ll be all over it but for now it’s a wish-list item. 
The Lucille Dress in Lace in Bright Sun is very pretty. This fits better in a Size 8 than the Basket-Weave Shift Dress in Retro Lemon that I tried on in March. This one also comes in Navy. I can’t remember if it has pockets or not.
This is the Villa Dress in Light Emerald, still full price in-store but on sale for $49.99 online. The size Small fits well and I’d stick with that if I purchase it with a promo. I’m not sure if the knit might be a little too thick for my part of Texas once the weather gets hot this summer. 
This Blouson Striped-Knit Dress, #83380 $69.50, is very cute and is a thinner knit than the Villa Dress. It may be an in-store only dress. It has adjustable straps and an elastic waist. I am wearing a Medium but would size down to a Small as this runs a little big.
I am wearing a Medium in the Stripe Button Front Dress, which fits ok. I’m not sure that sizing down will help as it might run tight across the chest. It’s a pass for me as it seems too blah even with the stripes and belt.  
The Dree Dress in Deck Stripe, Sz 6, is not worth the $148 price tag. I didn’t even notice the price when I tried it on. It is lightweight and has some elastic shirring at the waist but this would probably stick to me on a hot summer day. Gigi just reviewed it here. I see this heading to sale and getting a deep discount.
The Cotton Embossed Dress in White, #83826, $150, Sz 6, is a very cute and casual summer dress. It will go great paired with any colored Jackie or a bright belt…and it has pockets! It came in another color but I can’t remember what it was. I’d consider this on sale.
And I completely forgot a few items in my last post so I’ll one more later today or in the morning, along with the Size 4 of the Porcelain Paisley skirt.
Have a Great Day!
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I was able to try on some of the New Arrivals from J Crew on Friday. The three most anticipated items were the shorts in Safari Cat and the Porcelain Paisley skirt & dress. You can see part 1 here.

I think the Polka Dot Babydoll knit, Sz M, is an in-store only item as I can’t seem to find it online. It fit fine across the bust and maybe even a touch snug. The straps seem a little useless to me. They might have been adjustable but I can’t remember. The 9″ Short in Antique Paisley, Sz 8, are cute not a need/want item. The 3″ Short are in yellow.

I have been waiting for the Linen Short in Safari Cat since I saw the first lookbook images and then I forgot about it. This year has gone by so fast I thought they were from last year and I missed them. I am glad my memory was jogged because these are so cute. I have on the size 6 in the first image, which were an ok fit but I wanted a little more wiggle room. The second image is the size 8 which fit much better and are my normal JC size short. I have it paired with the Lace Placket Tee in Cerise, Sz S. I’d size up to my normal Medium for the tee. The lace is a nice detail but a little pricey for $52.
I am not a fan of the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Neon Tweed. It shows every lump and bump in my normal size 6 and I don’t like the feel of it at all that I didn’t even try on the size 8. I don’t think even Spanx could save this tweed skirt. It is a train-wreck. The tweed material feels cheap and I think it’s because J Crew thinned it out as much as they could to be lightweight. When I see the word tweed I think of Fall and Winter, not Summer, and this skirt proves tweed should not be used for Summer.
I adore the Porcelain Paisley print and can’t decide between the No. 2 Pencil Skirt in Porcelain Paisley or the dress. The skirt was a little loose on me. The length is ok but I think I could get away with a 6 Petite for a better fit and preferred length.
The Shirred Mini in Tidepool Tweed is short! Like showin’-all-your-bizness short! I like most of the minis from J Crew and you’ve seen me in quite a few of them. This is a size 8 and is super loose in the waist on me. It is sitting above my hips and way too short. The Size 6 must be booty-licious short. Also, it doesn’t have pockets. The coloring and shape is very reminiscent of the Surf Tweed Charter Skirt from 2 years ago with a little more Casablanca/Cobalt blue in it. 
Dresses are up next.
I am off to see the Warhol Exhibit at the McNay Art Museum. I had no idea it was in town until I went to a wedding reception last night at the museum. Just my luck that today is the last day of the exhibit so I’m sure there will be lots of people going at the last minute, like me.
Have a Great Day!
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Here’s Wednesday’s outfit, which I loved! The J Crew Seersucker pencil skirt from Summer 2011, the Linen Dot Popover, and the latest Anthropologie Wrap Around Blouse that I found on sale and my trusty CL Simple 70s in Navy. 

The Wrap Around Blouse has lines on the body and polka dots at the neckline and tie. I think this was a good match in colors. 
I must confess, if I haven’t already, the Linen Dot Popover was a total blogger peer pressure purchase. Originally, I was not a fan when it first came out. Especially when I heard it was pretty thin and see-through. Then I kept seeing it on bloggers and in the store and then on more bloggers and right as it sold-out I wanted it. I was able to find it on ebay and have worn it several times already, as seen below. I am wearing the popover with the Morse Code Cafe Capri’s and the Safari Pumps from a few years ago. I’m happy with the Morse Code Capri’s and they will serve me well through the rest of the year.
Do you ever have an item you didn’t like when it came out but then were “swayed” after a few weeks?
Have a Great Day!
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Tuesday was another office visit day. As much travelling as I’ve been doing it’s nice to be able to wear some “NWT” items as well as some of my favorites. I was able to do both on Tuesday.

I absolutely adore this Cocodrillo print from J Crew, circa 2009. I have it in the pencil skirt, 3-inch shorts and the ballet flats. I missed out on the swimwear and search for it every once in a while on ebay. I paired it with the Chambray Top and my trusty CL Simple 70s in Navy. I am certainly bringing my cost-per-wear down on those babies. One of my favorite things about this skirt – the pockets. Love those!
I have two more days in the office so you’ll be seeing a few more “professional” Que Bella’s.
Do you have anything in the Cocodrillo print? 
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Husband and I did a little shopping over the weekend for the final items we need for our trip. I was looking for a daily bag to use along with some sandals and he need some shorts and shirts. Our first stop though was to get a massage, as part of my Mother’s Day weekend. After that, we headed to the outlet mall since we both knew we could find most of what we wanted there.

I couldn’t resist wearing my Mint Skirt again and paired it with my favorite sweater, the Linen Cable-Knit Sweater in Neon Pink. I have these in several colors and though it’s a little sheer and needs a cami they are perfect for our Spring weather right now. 
I do not own any Lilly Pulitzer items so the colors were as close as I could get with this outfit. I am wearing the Shaded Portico Wedges from Anthropologie and went out of my comfort zone with accessories. I am wearing the Giraffe Bracelet from J Crew, my new Elephant necklace and a Magnifying Glass necklace Husband gave me for Christmas last year. 
And yes, I am in the J Crew Factory dressing room. I was trying on the Seersucker pants and they did not fit in either size. I walked out without buying anything and Husband walked out with a Trilby hat for the trip. I thought it was pretty funny I couldn’t find anything I really wanted at one of my go-to retailers and he did.
We finished Mother’s Day weekend by having some friends over on Sunday to relax by the pool and grill some shish k-bobs. 
How was your weekend?