/ TravelBella

This is it! The FINAL FINAL packing list for my trip. I changed out a few items from my last packing list due to weather in some places. We’ll be in the mountains for almost a week and it’s quite cool during the day (60s) there right now. Of course, that’s compared to what I’m used to. I don’t think I can remember any days in the 60s this year. We went from 50s to summer almost overnight. It will feel nice but I do get cold easily so I’ve prepared for that. 

-Old Navy Maxi Dress – I bought this dress in Fuchsia last year from ON and was excited to see they brought it back. I grabbed it in the Blue and Green when they had a promo. It runs big and I could have fit into an XS. Some may not like how it ties in the back but it doesn’t bother me. (similar here, here, here and here)
–J Crew Midsummer Maxi Dress in Raj Paisley – This was an unexpected sale find. It fits great and will be perfect for the plane trip and sight-seeing. I bought an 8. The 6 would have been too tight in the rib-cage for me. The length is perfect, hitting about an inch or so off the ground. And it has pockets!
-J Crew Striped Linen Perfect Shirt – Since this is a Cotton/Linen Blend the wrinkling won’t be as apparent. The stripes will help conceal the wrinkles, if there’s any to see. (similar here)
–J Crew Vintage Cotton Tee in White – White tees go with every skirt and it’s a great layering piece for the chilly air in the mountains.
-J Crew Cotton Cardigan – This will be great on the plane and just in general for any cool evenings we encounter. (similar here and here)
-3 Jersey Knit Shirts – These are all similar to the ones I am bringing and Husband even found the red one at Nordstrom Rack for me way back in January. 
–Old Navy Black Jersey Skirt – I felt I needed one more of something and this skirt won out because it will go with every top I am bringing.
-Anthropologie Go Anywhere Skirt – I found this skirt on Ebay a few months ago and will be great during the day in Madrid and Rome. (similar here)
–J Crew Jardin Maxi Skirt – You know the story about this skirt. I think it will be a great item for the trip and also goes with every top. 
-J Crew Factory Scarf in Gallerista Print – I had planned on taking the Printed Summer Scarf in Bold Orange but Husband was a little hurt I was not wearing or bringing either of the scarves he bought for me in India. Never tell a man who doesn’t understand fashion that something doesn’t match with what you have. No amount of explaining that it’s not wide enough to cover your shoulders or act as a beach cover-up will help and will only hurt his feelings more. So, I’m taking a green-ish printed silk scarf and this one that goes with most of what I’m taking. 
–J Crew Crochet Straw Hat – Love this hat and it’s just so summery.
-J Crew Trilby Hat – This is Husband’s but it looks good on me too.
-J Crew Factory Casbah Tunic – I bought this after I knew I won the ebay auction for the swimsuit. And it can work as a blouse tucked into the skirts.
-J Crew Casbah Swimsuit – Though we are going to the beach 2-3 times I am only taking one swimsuit. I was lucky enough to find this on ebay.
–Birkenstock Birko-Flor Mayari – This is made with Birko-Flor which is acrylic and polyamide fibers, making it $40 cheaper than the all leather material I was originally looking at. The footbed is the same as the original/more expensive sandals, just the upper is cheaper. This wasn’t my original Birkenstock choice but after trying them on they were the cuter ones. 
–Soludos Espadrilles in Chambray and Navy Stripe – These go with everything I’m bringing. I was originally going to get the White over the Chambray but after trying them on I liked the Chambray more.
-Tumi Messenger Bag – I found this at the Factory Store for a great deal. I’m still finding extra pockets in it. I wish they had a blue color but for the price I couldn’t pass it up.
Our first stop is Madrid for a few days and then we are off to Rome. After Rome we are flying to Bari, on the Southeast coast and staying in Vico del Gargano and Matera. The last two places will bring calmer, more relaxing days along with a few beach trips. I am so ready and if it were not for being super-busy at work I would not be able to concentrate. 
I am supposed to have wi-fi access and will be bringing Diva so you may see a post or two while I’m abroad. 
Have a GREAT Day!!!
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Saturday I did the craziest thing ever in my love for J Crew. I drove 90 miles one way for a skirt! When I told The Boy what I was going to do he looked at me and laughed! And then asked why. Well, my dear Boy, because I needed it. I compared it to when he needed the latest Call of Duty video game or the latest map pack and he understood.

So what skirt would cause me to lose my mind for a moment and drive 90 miles to get it?

It went on sale in stores this week from $118 to $69.99. I was already contemplating a full-price purchase on this skirt but when it hit sale, my store and the other in San Antonio sold out in the size 4 in this color. My PS was going to order it for me but I asked her to look and see if there were any in Austin first. There was one at Barton Creek Square and a few at the Domain. She called BCS and had it put on hold and I drove Saturday evening to pick it up. An hour and a half drive for a 10 minute stop (I picked up some Lammes Candies Longhorns too) and then we turned around and came home. 
Now, why, you ask, would I drive to pick this up instead of having it shipped and possibly getting the additional 30% off? Because I’ve re-planned my packing list for the umpteenth time and included this skirt as a possibility. So I had to have it as quickly as possible and I knew it wouldn’t get here by Wednesday.
And I was a walking J Crew ad for my adventure on Saturday. After seeing the Gimlet Skirt in Coaster Stripe on the CNBC show about Mickey & J Crew I was itching to wear it again. I paired it with one of my favorite Linen sweaters, the Linen Dot Popover, and my Iris Sandals in Tortoise. 
How Crew “Cray Cray” have you ever been? Confess!
Have a Great Day!
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I really wanted to wear this skirt as soon as possible and didn’t want to wait for another go-into-the-office day (since I won’t have one for three weeks!!). So I decided to try my options to see which one I liked best for running errands on Friday. My goal was to keep things simple and let the skirt shine.

First, I paired the Porcelain Paisley Skirt with a J Crew Factory Favorite Fit Tank in Navy (similar here) and my trusty Stuart Weitzman Nude Wedges. For the hot day we had the tank was perfect.

Next, I added a J Crew Cotton Cardigan, from 08/09, in Navy (similar here). A nice pairing but I didn’t like the longer length covering the print of this skirt, at least for today. 
I swapped the wedges for the Cece Suede Ballet Flats in Wild Berry, making the outfit a little more casual, with a pop of color.
I swapped the Navy cardigan with a Factory Jackie in White (similar here) and the Mona Heels in Wild Berry. I love the pop of pink. 
Finally, I swapped the heels for the Chambray Soludos. I quite like this for a super casual look. It was the one I went with today and ended up not wearing the cardigan since it was so hot today. 
So tell me…what do you think of these pairings? I must confess I was going to wear a red tank but it was too big on me so I had to go for a smaller one. How will you style this skirt? 
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Here are a few remaining items I have tried on in May so far. It will probably be my last try-on until after my trip.

May part 3

I thought the Sequin Anchor Tank, Sz S, would be like the Sequin Stripe Tank, with more sequins and a tighter fit, but this is meant to be loose and drapey and has less sequins than I expected. I like it that much more now but not for $98, so off to the wish-list it goes. The other unexpected item was the Jardin Maxi Skirt, Sz 6. I had to size to an 8 in the midi-Jardin skirt and I actually need a 4 in the maxi-Jardin. The Morning Aqua color is gorgeous. 
The Tropical Cove color is just a pretty. I’m wearing the Size 4 in it and it fits great in the waist and hits about 2 inches above the ground. This is definitely something I want in either the 4 or 6 Petite in the Morning Aqua, but I will wait until after my trip to 1) see if it has gone on sale 2) I want it after I come back. 
My mini mini skirt has a name…Classic mini in Double-Serge Cotton. I decided to try on the Brilliant Blue color, Sz 8, to see if I liked it on. If it makes it to sale I would get it in this color. It’s super-cute and I love my Mint color. 
Poppy Scarf – Not online but so cute. Sorry, I forgot to take a pic of the tag.
I originally couldn’t wait to see the Tippi Sweater in Linen Stripe and then when I did I was really disappointed. I thought this was navy and white but it’s a lot darker than expected. I have on a Medium, which is my normal sweater size, and it fits great. I like that it’s lighweight but I prefer the Linen Cable-Knit Sweaters over the Linen Tippi Sweaters.
I was not expecting to like the Silk Bow Cami, Sz 6, but it’s a great little top. This was the only size 6 left in any of the colors or patterns in my store. It’s selling out quickly. The was not tight across the chest and there was enough material to make a nice big bow.
The Tessa Top in Linen, Sz 6, is another item selling quickly. I really wanted to try this in Chili but both the 6 and 8 were already sold out. This is a comfortable top and fits well across the chest and shoulders (my problem area usually causing me to size to an 8). 
The Size-Down-Two-to-Three-Sizes Peasant Blouse Whisper Gauze Peasant Blouse, Sz Small, is huge on me. And it’s selling like hotcakes. I would really need to size to an XS or even a XXS. And I really liked the Chili color too. 🙁
So, that’s it on the May roll-out for me. I am soooo ready for my trip and will be posting my final packing list in the next few days. 
Have a Great Day!!
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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!