/ Bella Picks

A few weeks ago I reviewed the Gallabia Peru Dress offered at J Crew. It’s sold out now but it got me thinking about other embroidered dresses and shirts, especially in linen. One of my favorites that I have is from Lucky Brand. It’s a tunic that is a light tie-dye and has an embroidered cuff and neckline. One of the reasons the Gallibia Dress was so striking was that it was embroidered on the front, sleeves and back. I did find a few similar to the Gallabia Dress here, here and eBay.

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The Gallabia Dress wasn’t the right shape or fit for me but I did find a few others that could work. I especially like the last two that are more of an a-line or swing shape.

I also found several embroidered tops that will pair well with my growing collection of linen shorts. I found this top on eBay.


I’ll have some reviews coming up of both embroidered dresses and tops in the next few days.

/ Uncategorized

I always get excited when I receive my Anthropologie birthday discount. I used to just buy everything I wanted and then return some of it. The last few years, I’ve created a list, tried things on and then made my purchase, usually getting only a few items. Last year, I only purchased this mug, a replacement from one that was broken, and a few Capri Blue Volcano scent candles, with my discount. I did stop by the store last weekend and a few things caught my eye. Here are some items that made it to my birthday list.

At the top of my list is the Maeve Cirque Swing Dress. I saw it in store when it first arrived but has since sold out in-store and there are limited sizes online. But the more practical dress I’d wear often would be the Paleta Shirtdress.

Shoes are also always on my list. I still want a pair of the Taggart Booties and the only reason I haven’t bought a pair yet is that I can’t decide on a color. And I have been loving the cage style heels by Schutz so I’m really happy to see a version of them in wedges.

Of course if I wanted to splurge I would get this beautiful ball gown or this necklace. But sometimes you just need a stuffed sloth to make you happy!

/ Reviews

A few weeks ago I stopped by Tory Burch to try on an off-the-shoulder top they had. I knew it would match the J.Crew linen shorts in Byzantine Copper perfectly. They also has the matching embroidered skirt in-store so I grabbed that to try as well.

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~ Eliza Embroidered Top, size 6 ~

I found the top to fit surprisingly well in the size 6. I thought it would be tight across the chest when the top was pulled up, like in the second pic below. I know some off-the-shoulder tops are needing to be adjusted quite a bit to stay off the shoulder. Unfortunately, I was tugging on this one all day the first time I wore it. But in the top’s defense, I was holding a baby or playing with little kids most of the day. I think if I had worn this when I wasn’t so active then it would have stayed put.

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It looks just as good not off-the-shoulder, making it wearable when that trend goes away. The top also comes in a bright red. The white is on sale here.

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~ Cassie Embroidered Skirt, Medium ~

The Medium was a nice fit and wasn’t too full at the hips but I could have sized to a Small due to the elastic waist. The sides of this skirt are a little shorter than the front and back. Both items are embroidered in bright thread, making it stand out against the white background. This embroidered pattern also comes in a jean and dress. I found the skirt on sale here.

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The sandals I’m wearing are the Pecha Sandal and sold out everywhere online. I’m wearing a size 7 and they were very comfortable for such a high heel. They also blended well with my skin-tone. I did have an issue with the ankle strap being too short so I passed on buying them. I’m happy with the J Crew Factory Stacked-Heel Sandals. There is a Pecha Mule available that my store had plenty of as well.

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Shop more of my picks from Tory Burch! I have the Miller Sandal in Snakeprint but I also think the confetti print is cute for Summer.

I was given a gift card for my birthday so I am trying to decide from the picks above what I should buy. I’d like to buy on sale to have the money go farther and am leaning towards the striped Jackie Tank, and the embellished Hit the Road Tee.

/ Bella Picks

Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly has begun, ending June 5. I always look to these sales to find those Tory Burch items that have been sitting in on my shopping list. Right now, Fringe Tunic and Linen Tank will pair well with the J Crew Linen Shorts I bought. I recently purchased the Miller 2 Sandal in Snakeskin. They are a great flat sandal that is a dressier alternative than regular flip-flops.

Of course there are a few splurges on my list. Isn’t that teal Rebecca Minkoff bag gorgeous. I love my Gingham Shirtdress from J Crew but this Maggy London gingham dress has a nice fit-and-flare shape to it. If you haven’t tried the Cole Haan ZeroGrand Oxford I highly recommend them. I have them in Gray and they are really comfortable.

Those are my picks. What are yours?

/ Bella Picks

The Summer arrivals at J Crew are some of my favorites. Those are the items I usually wear all Summer and into the Fall, depending on how warm it still is around here. The colors this year seem to be lots of pinks, reds and purples, or at least in my picks below. The flamingo print looks really cute in both the skirt and shirt option. The Ratti Happy Cat Print is really abstract and not what I was expecting. It looks cute on the Off-the-Shoulder Blouse.

J Crew really is loving the popover in both shirts and dresses. My favorite is the Gingham Shirtdress and I plan on wearing it this weekend. The color on the Vintage Plaid popover is more faded than it seems online. I thought I would like the Candy Stripe popover but it’s too “circus” for me. I don’t know how else to explain it.  I really wish that Midi Skirt in Oversized Gingham was just a few inches shorter in the Petite size. At both 27 1/2 or 29 1/2 inches in length both the regular and petite items are too long for me. I’ll still try it on if it’s in my store though.

You can take 25% off your purchase with SUMMER or 30% off if you have a J Crew Card, using code CARDSONLY. There are some restrictions, like the Chambray Off-the-Shoulder Dress or any other off-the-shoulder blouses or dresses. I was able to try several items in-store and have a bunch of reviews starting tomorrow.

Happy Shopping!