Life is Short…Buy the Shoes – Page 98

audreybella / December 12, 2014 / Uncategorized

Que Bella – Harvest Moon / Houndstooth

I loved the Harvest Moon Poncho in Maize so much I bought it in Ivory as well. Of the three remaining colors, I knew the Ivory would pair well with what’s currently in my closet. The Silk Sleeveless Blouse is one of the best and most favorite tops J Crew has offered. I would continue to buy these every season in the various colors offered, if that were to happen. They layer so well under cardigans and sweaters. I have all but one color and wear them often. I’ve had the original Origami Mini Skirt in Houndstooth (similar) for a few years now. I also have the other two colors as well (Jacquard, Peony). This ran small and I ended up sizing to a 10.

Along with my Corso Como Samual Boots, I added all Madewell jewelry to complete the look.

I’m trying to stay chic and cozy through the season, while also wearing something new or that I haven’t worn in a while.

I have a house-warming party this evening and another Christmas party on Saturday so there will be more Que Bella outfits to come next week.

Have a Great Day!

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audreybella / December 11, 2014 / Uncategorized

J Crew December 2014: Gold Elephant Tee, Elephant Parade Tee

Wow! Who would have thought these two tees would sell out so quickly? I ordered the Elephant Parade Tee when it first came out and then had to search for the Gold Elephant Tee.

~ Elephant Parade Tee, Small ~

The description said this was a “Slightly loose fit.” so I sized down and ordered the Small. I would feel a little more comfortable in the Medium but the Small fits fine. If you want it to fit a little loose, go with your normal size. This looks so much more lux than I had imagined. You can see the White Elephants are more saturated IRL than the online image, which shows them to look almost gray. This is a cotton blend and so comfortable. I’m afraid I’ll end up using it as a sleep shirt too which will mean laundering it more and maybe having the navy fade quicker. We shall see.

~ Gold Elephant Tee, Large ~

No, I did not buy this because I wanted it so badly and it was the last one left. 😉 MamaBella called me with orders from the catalog she received and when she did, this was sold out online. She was so disappointed as this is the second time something she’s really wanted was sold out. The first time was with the Dutch Floral Cropped Sweatshirt. I was able to call Customer Service and they found it quickly for me. This time she said, “Call your people and have them find it.” LOL! “My people…” which I guess you JCAs are. Anyway, I called CS two days in a row and they couldn’t find it. I finally contacted my in-store VPS and they had just received new stock that day! As soon as she let me know they had one I immediately drove over to the store to get it. I was going to save the tee as a Christmas surprise but I had to tell her since “my people” helped me find it.

This is a Large and fits over-sized, of course. Personally, I would probably get the Medium just to have a little more loose fit. The Small would probably fit exactly, like the Elephant Parade Tee above. Also, this is a Poly/Linen so it might shrink some if accidentally put in the dryer, which I’d probably do. And the pretty gold elephant could melt. I really like this tee but choosing between the two would stick with the Elephant Parade Tee.

As of now, both are back in stock online. Also, check your stores or call Customer Service. GIVETHIS gets you 30% off on select items, including these two tees, as well as sale items.

Have a Great Day!

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audreybella / December 10, 2014 / Uncategorized

Que Bella – Plaid Reindeer

It might only be 15 days until Christmas but they will pass by quickly. I try to do a lot of errands and shopping during the week to avoid the weekend craziness. A skirt or jeans, a tee and a cardigan are my three key pieces to an outfit. These three core pieces help make me ready to go if I need to run to the store during lunch or after work.

~ Reindeer Tee, J Crew (one, two, three) ~

~ Merino V-Neck Cardigan, Distressed Quartz, J Crew (one, two, three) ~

~ Plaid Fit-and-Flare Skirt, Banana Republic (pencil, midi, mini) ~

~ Cece Ballet Flat, Black, J Crew (Lanvin, Toms, Vince Camuto) ~

I love this little skirt and decided to go a little festive with the J Crew Reindeer Tee from Holiday 2009. Instead of a red or green cardigan I chose this soft pink (distressed quartz) cardi instead. It looks a little more normal than “crazy Christmas lady” in green or red.

I’ve done most of my Christmas shopping this year online, mostly from Amazon. Yay for Amazon Prime! That doesn’t mean I still won’t head to the mall but at least I don’t have the anxiety of trying to find that last minute gift for someone. How close are you to being done?

Have a Great Day!

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audreybella / December 9, 2014 / Uncategorized

Que Bella – Elephant Parade

I wanted to share my outfit from my neighborhood’s Christmas Party. As a board member, I’m expected to attend. Most everyone usually dresses in Christmas attire – red, green, Christmas sweaters, etc. I try to wear something fun when I attend Holiday and Christmas parties, especially if it’s an item that’s hard to style or is just meant for a party. The Origami Skirt in Elephant Parade is a great example of a unique party skirt.

I originally had decided on a Navy Cashmere Tee but chose Black at the last minute instead. I still can’t tell if the background of the skirt is navy or black, not that I wanted to match it. I stuck to gold jewelry but had a little trouble finding shoes to wear with the skirt. I thought about my Bronson Booties but eventually went with a pop of red.

I have two more parties this weekend, with one being pretty casual and the other not so I may wear this skirt again to one of those. I could probably casual this up in flat boots or black flats in general along with a Chambray shirt.

What do you think? How else would you style this skirt?

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audreybella / December 9, 2014 / Uncategorized

Shoes-day: Alberto Fermani Anzio Low-Cut Suede Ankle Boot

One other item I was in a desperate search for this Fall was a pair of navy blue booties. When I started searching the options were limited. Now they are plentiful in the retail world.

~ Alberto Fermani Anzio Low-Cut Suede Ankle Boot, Blue Notte ~

I found these at Neiman Marcus and though they are more Western looking with the pointy-toe they were the color I was wanting. I bought a size 37 but should have gone with a 38. I ended up using the freezer trick to widen them just a bit and it worked.