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I’ve had the Fire Ants Maxi Dress since December, having purchased it during the half off sale on Black Friday at Anthropologie. I originally bought a size 6 and it was too tight in the torso/rib cage area so I had to size to an 8. Both sizes were too long and after a feeble attempt to hem this dress on my own, I finally took it to Ms. Alvina, my tailor. She is such a sweet lady and when she calls to let you know your items are ready she calls you “honey” or “dear”. I’m so glad to have found her and both she and her daughter do a great job. I now have several “new again” items I can wear without worrying about the fit or length.

I am very happy with the results and wore this dress on it’s own with no other accessories. I even wore flip-flops (Tory Burch Thora) instead of heels. I felt this dress was enough without anything else including height. 
The hem is now perfect! For the Fall/Winter, I’ll add a red cardigan and my red Cece Suede Ballet Flats. I only wish this dress had pockets but it fits great now from top to bottom.
Hope you are having a Great long weekend! Today felt like a Sunday for me so I’m happy I still have two more days off. 
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This post could also be titled “Nothing fits!” I’ve been really busy travelling for work and trying to get hired on that I haven’t had any time for blogging, shopping or relaxing in general. I have so many Que Bella’s to post but I have to start with what I wore Wednesday.

This is what I ended up wearing, taking the picture at the end of the day, with bags under my eyes and a crooked belt. I have my lovely Lace Tee from J Crew along with the Ann Taylor Lace Pencil Skirt from a few years ago. This has been sitting in my closest since I purchased it. Because it was a crochet lace I couldn’t figure out how to wear it but when I kept going through my closet purges I couldn’t bring myself to get rid of it. I finally had enough and ripped the tags off and put it on. Of course, that was after I found out that nothing fit me.
J Crew Leather Belt
J Crew Sydney Patent Sandals
J Crew Flower Lattice Necklace
I was originally going to wear my sweet Gathering Breeze Dress (aka Tim Gunn Dress) from Anthropologie. I had a dark pink cardigan and my Ann Taylor Porcini Pumps ready to be paired up with this dress. But when I put it on and started walking around it slipped down enough to make me say “WTH!” It didn’t fit! I have apparently toned up enough that I don’t have the boobage to hold up this dress. Yay for losing weight and toning up. Boo Hoo Hoo for my most favorite dress not fitting. 
“OK. Fine.” I said to myself and went back upstairs to my closet and picked out another dress. This time it was the Bike Lane Dress from Anthropologie. And one I haven’t worn. I now had a blue cardigan and the JC Sydney sandals ready to wear with this dress. I put it on and “Mother Effer!” It didn’t fit. It was too loose in the bust and waist. Now I have to take another dress to get altered. 
Up the stairs I went and grabbed the Crochet Lace Pencil Skirt. I added the J Crew Cotton-Linen Striped Shirt, JC Necklace and Sydney Patent sandals. I even took an outfit pic. So I finally finish getting ready and walk out the door when two buttons pop open. “Son-of-a-b****!” This is seriously not my day to get dressed. 
By this time I was ready to toss my whole closet out but I was now running late so I grabbed the Lace Tee, tucked it in and went on my way. But, my clothing calamity didn’t end there. The belt ended up being too small and I kept having to tuck my shirt back into the back of the skirt every time I stood up. 
Needless to say, I’m wearing shorts and a tee today. But really, Yay for losing weight and toning up. I just hope I can salvage my dresses.
Have a Great Evening! Like I said I have quite a few outfits to post and am happy to have a long weekend so be on the look-out. 
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Like some of you, I have been inspired by DaniBP’s Frock Philosophy and FFM’s Planning Your Fall Purchases so I decided to cull my closet and make a Fall shopping list for the first time ever. I have done pretty well in figuring out what needed to go from my closet but I should probably do one or two more rounds. I have a few dresses skirts and tees that could be purged.

The first thing on my list was Tailoring. I have several JC Cafe’ Capri pants that are not Capri on me. I self-hemmed a few of them so I could wear them immediately but knew that wouldn’t work for the long term. I ended up taking a trench coat, 6 Cafe’ Capri pants, 2 dresses and a skirt. I am pretty pleased with myself as it seemed like such a chore to do but, in the end, when I pick everything up I will have all “new” items to wear for Fall and beyond. Especially since several of those items were NWT from last year.
The rest of the list…
As you can see, next on my list was a pair of jeans. Specifically the Matchstick Jeans from J Crew. They are a great fit and just need the hem tailored. I have a pair of bootcut from Lucky Brand but I wanted a straight leg to rotate in my closet as well. I was able to find a pair on ebay for $37. They are from a few years ago but just what I was looking for. Money saved!
I have also already said “No” to a few items. I tried them on and they just weren’t up to my expectations. I kept them on the list and just added the “No” so I would remember how I felt about them come sale + % off time. Because you all know we forget how badly something fit and convince ourselves we were having a bad fitting room day and buy it anyway when it hits sale plus a promo. I do have a lot of J Crew items listed but it’s the brand I love, the brand that looks good on me and the brand that fits me well, consistently. 
OK…The Blazer…Since coming back from vacation, I have been wanting a Navy Blazer. I kept hoping the Schoolboy Blazer would hit sale but that never happened. The latest version from JC is Wool and I was looking for a warmer climate blazer, preferably cotton, but a blend was a possibility too. The Gap offers a Ponte Academy Blazer, and 25% off through Saturday night. That was a possibility but I needed to try it on. 
Husband wanted to go to Nordstrom Rack Saturday afternoon and I needed to make a return so I tagged along. Right as I walked in I saw a display with a Navy Blazer. Upon closer inspection, it was a Ponte Knit, Navy blue, only $50!! – AND MY SIZE! Before stripping the mannequin I walked around the store three times looking for the same blazer, in any colo, but never found one. I checked with an associate to be sure it was ok to disrupt his display and he happily took the blazer off the mannequin for me. 
Double – buttons
Lower back hem
Substantial gold buttons
Pretty striped lining
With my return and a balance on my gift card I only paid NINETY-FIVE CENTS out-of-pocket. Don’t you love it when you score an amazing deal! The blazer is by Willow & Clay,was originally $98 and is the same blend as the Gap blazer – Poly, Rayon, Spandex.  My store manager at JC had on the cutest Navy Blazer from Anthropologie that was similar to this one but I knew I had seen this blazer somewhere else. I had saved the image from Pink Peonies as a styling option once I bought my Navy Blazer. How crazy is it that I would find the exact same one! And don’t forget Princess Catherine in her Navy Blazer. 

Now I really can’t wait for cooler weather so I can wear my new blazer, with my new Matchstick Jeans. I’m off to a great start as far as price is concerned. I hope I’m able to score my other Fall List items on sale too.

Have a Great Day!

/ Que Bella

Lately I’ve been in my standard summer uniform – jersey skirt, tee or tank and flip-flops. It’s comfortable and cool for these hot summer days, and nights. But I did leave the house twice during the week and left the uniform at home.

On Tuesday, The Boy and I had a mother-son dinner date to a restaurant he’s been dying to try. So I put on my Double-Serge Mini in Brilliant Blue, the Silk Indigo Floral Blouse and my new Sydney Patent Sandals in Casablanca Blue.
How perfect does all of this match! The blue in the blouse and the skirt are exact even though they are a few years apart. I have the skirt in this print as well and it is divine.
On Wednesday, I had to visit my local office for the day. The visit was very last minute so I was lucky I had this beautiful old-school-Crew Wild Daisy Dress in Husband’s closet as I didn’t have time to even run upstairs to find an outfit in mine. Alexis featured this in May on the JCA blog as a J Crew of Season’s Past post. I was lucky enough to find it on the JCA blog in a size 8. It’s a beautiful print and a perfect fit! I added my new Sydney Patent Sandals in Neon Azalea. I guess now I have to keep them. I appreciate all the suggestions on how to wear these bright shoes.

Have a Great Day!

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During the last 30% promo that J Crew had, I noticed the Lexington Penny Loafer had gone on promo.  I had just noticed them a few days earlier and was happy to see them marked down and with a promo to use. I couldn’t decide between the Patent in the beautiful Casablanca Blue or the Suede in a more practical, neutral Cognac. I decided on a neutral color in the suede.

J Crew boasts a comfy rubber sole and a slot for the penny. Well, the sole and interior padding make the shoe very comfortable. As far as the slot for the penny, that’s debatable. If you put a penny in you’ll surely lose it pretty quick. It’s hard to explain but basically, the slot for the penny is for show.
I took my normal size 7 and though they looked slim and narrow coming out of the box they did conform to my feet. And again, immediately very comfortable. 
A few days after receiving the suede I saw a Bright Dahlia in Patent on ebay…in my size. They are oh so pretty and in my favorite J Crew color. 

Unfortunately, I won’t be wearing these for another month or two, at least until the weather cools down a bit. But I’m very excited to wear both colors. I am now waiting for another promo to get the Casablanca Blue or the Tangier Orange, both in patent.

What do you think of the Lexington Penny Loafer?