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Many years ago I disliked Cashmere very much because it was too itchy. My opinion has since changed and I love wearing it alone or layered. I must have had a bad batch or something because cashmere is no longer itchy to me but so soft and cozy. I could wear it all day, every day. And I pretty much have been doing just that.

Right now I am a J Crew snob and only have J Crew Cashmere BUT I do want to try other brands (Talbots, LE, etc.) if I can find just the right color. I have purchased at least one “fun” color and one “staple” color a year. I have a range of Tees (short and long-sleeve), Cardigans, V-Neck Sweaters, and Shawl Collar Sweaters. I have only bought my Cashmere on sale or with a % off or both (as it seems to be with JC these days). The rest I have found on ebay, quite the treasure trove out there, but I know you KWIM.

As far as my “fun” colors, I have Bright Dahia, Deep Poppy, a true Red from Old Navy, Jalapeño, Viridian Green or something similar to that, Dark Orange, Pink and Turquoise. For my “staple” colors, I have Snow (white), Black, Navy, Heather Caramel (camel), Cobblestone (gray) and Green. I like the fun colors because they do liven up a pair of jeans or pants. 

So, I found some time to take 3 outfit pics this week. I am lucky I have found made the time to get dressed every day. But each day I’ve had little errands to run so I’m not doing it at the last minute on Christmas Eve.

Monday…I felt patriotic but very warm and cozy. My legs were a little cold and could have used tights and boots instead of flats. I LOVE the Flair Skirt. It was a sizing issue for me that made me originally not like it but when I found my perfect size I was happy with the fit and “flair” of it all.

Sweater: J Crew Cashmere L/S Tee, Dark Poppy
Skirt: J Crew Flair Skirt, Navy, 8P
Shoes: Prada Calf Hair Flats (I’ve had these beauties for 6 years!)

Wednesday…I really like the color of these cords. I never saw them online so I believe they were an in-store only color. I had these hemmed for flats even though I bought the 29 Short. I think she removed at least two inches. As for this tee, I thought I had lost it. It had been missing for almost a year and then one day when I was going through my “handwash” only laundry I found it. Yay!

Cardigan: J Crew Cashmere Cody, Cobblestone
Tee: J Crew Reindeer Tee (2009)
Pants: J Crew Stretch Vintage Bootcut Cords, Bristol Blue (in-store color)
TOMS Shoes Black Glitter
Today…I wanted to somewhat re-create this look. I know the image is a little small and blurry but you can go here to see it. 
I liked the Tuxedo pant with the scarf and the glittery shoes. I completely missed out on this scarf but was able to find it at ASOS for much less than the JC Cashmere Scarf. Thank you Andrea, over at Life’s Divine blog, for pointing me to it! (Also see the Forever 21 scarf!) I wanted to layer the Cashmere Tee but realized I do not have a black button-down shirt other than the Tartan Perfect Shirt, which I wore Thursday (sorry no pic) so I couldn’t wear it again. (You can see it in my Polyvore strip on the right.) I settled on a J Crew Haberdashery in White from a few years ago along with Wool Tuxedo pants. I added the Asos scarf and I was off to J Crew. 
Shirt: J Crew Haberdashery, White
Sweater: J Crew Cashmere Tee, Snow
Pants: J Crew Wool Tuxedo Pants (ebay)
Shoes: Steve Madden Madee, Glitter

Scarf: Asos
I think I finally found a present for Husband the he will not expect. Not only is he hard to buy for but he spoils his gifts every year, including the Kindle he was going to get this year. He also found a stocking-stuffer and tried to use it before I caught him. The Boy is easy – cash and gift cards to Barnes & Nobles. But I am working with Santa on a special gift this year. Something he’s not expecting at all. As for what I want, thank goodness for the Amazon Universal Wishlist Button or I wouldn’t have anything under the tree. Not that I really want anything but it’s helpful for the in-laws so they can pick something they know I will like.
Well, I’m off to try and wrap some presents this evening. Tomorrow I will be shopping for the nephews and niece and grabbing stocking-stuffers.
Have a Great evening!

Merry Christmas!

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I totally bit on the 25% off promo from J Crew hard I think I committed a sin. And I thought I was safe after last night when I “thought” the promo ended. Not only do I wake up to new arrivals but an “extended day” of the promo. I am a mess.

I did start to receive some of my orders today. (Yes ordersssss…plural…I think I need to go to confession.) I was really excited about this order because it contained the gorgeous Blythe Shirtdress in Bright Dahlia. I was never a “pink” kind of girl growing up but once I found this shade that is not quite fuchsia/bright pink and not quite purple I became a “pink” lady. I have the dress in Blue and once this promo hit I had to at least see the dress IRL.

Well, it is just as gorgeous in person. If you are a fan of bright colors then this is a great dress. I would add a navy, gray or black cardigan to tone down the color if I wanted. I’ll switch out the belt as well. As far as shoes are concerned, I would rock these Steve Madden Madee Black Patent Loafers as well as the Madee Glitter Loafers. I also have Navy, Black, Peacock, Snakeprint and Leopard Loafers that will work with this dress too. I’m wearing a size 8 here. If you don’t have shoulders and arms issues like I do then take your normal size.

Next up is the Blouson Dress in Royal Paisley. Unfortunately I can’t link to either dress because they are gone from the website. **Total confession here…I bought this dress twice. First when it was on promo last week. Then, I hadn’t even received it yet and the 25% off promo happened and the dress was still on promo so I ordered it again for an additional % off the $89.50.

Now, this dress is, I think, even prettier than the skirt. I think it’s the silk fabric. I am wearing a size 6 here.

Slightly styled with my Bright Dahlia Cashmere Cardigan. This dress really has so many colors to pick from that you can wear any color cardigan or sweater with it.

Now I also have this print in the pencil skirt. I am torn between keeping the skirt or returning it. Since the skirt is cotton, I consider it an all-year skirt, at least in my climate. But I am pretty sure I’ll wear the dress more, especially during the summer without a cardigan. I’ll sleep on it though before heading to the B&M tomorrow.

Then, I’ll have to start thinking about Christmas presents…yikes!

Have a Great Evening!

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Here are some OOTDs from last week. The first is from Wednesday where it was still 80 degrees outside. This was perfect for our outdoor dinner that night at a local pizza restaurant (outdoor seating only). The shoes were a great casual match for this skirt.

Shirt: Short-Sleeve Selvedge Chambray Shirt
Skirt: Origami Mini in Toile Jacquard
Shoes: Steve Madden Madee in Glitter Multi

By Friday we had received a shift in temps and layering was required. Oh, how I wanted to wear boots and a scarf but even though it was chilly outside the sun was out trying to make you warm. We had a dinner that evening and Husband’s boss’s house so I added my Bella blazer to keep warm that night.

Shirt: Boy shirt in Quincy Tartan (tried on here)
Sweater: Tippi Sweater in Heather Dark Grape
Jeans: GAP Essential
Shoes: Cece Ballet Flats in Sapphire (Shoes-day here)

Blazer: J Crew Bella in Riviera Blue

Question for all you “Bella” owners out there…How do you keep your collar to stay up? Mine is sort of in-between and sometimes one side is up and the other is down. Do you steam it or lay something on it with the collar up?

Have a Great day! I’ll have some J Crew in-store reviews posted tomorrow.

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Hi everyone! I’m going to try to do a Shoes-day post every Tuesday. As long as I can stay ahead of myself I should have consistent posts.

I’ve been seeing a lot of slip-on loafers for Fall since mid-July from different retailers. When Nordstrom had their sale in July I purchased the Madee in Glitter. I thought they would give my jeans and pants a little pizzazz during the Fall and Winter months when things get a little gloomy. It was hard choosing from the two options at the time, Glitter and Calf-Hair Leopard. Knowing I already had a leopard flat made my decision a little easier.

The Madee is a variation of a men’s formal slipper and comes in 18 different colors and fabric. There is also the Madee-S, a colorful sequined loafer, and Melter, which has spikes at the toe. I took a size 7 and found them to be comfortable during my try-on. I have not worn them “full-time” yet but hope to soon. Currently the Madee, excluding the a few colors & styles, is on sale at SteveMadden.com for $79.95. Other retailers are also offering similar styles at different price points.

Aldo has the Pratillo, Killon, and Buschur for $60-90. The Killon in gold looks very similar to the Darby Loafer by J Crew. That price range is from $198-298. Of course, you are paying for an Italian-made shoe. I have not seen the J Crew Darby Loafer in person. I have seen the Aldo Pratillo and Black Patent Killon and would have purchased either of them if I had not already found the Madee on sale in Black Patent. During that sale I also purchased the Taupe Snakeskin. The Madee loafer has a leather sole with a heel while the Aldo loafer has a synthetic sole with a heel. The J Crew Darby has a flat rubber sole with no heel.

I think these will be my “go-to” shoes for the Fall and Winter. I’m excited to pair the Glitter with my Lolli pants, the Origami Mini in Toile and my trusty Ankle Toothpick jeans.

What do you think of the Madee? Will you be getting a slip-on loafer?

**I do want to disclose that I did exchange the above Madee in Glitter for the same pair. As you can see, the sole was coming unglued. I have not had this happen with the new pair or either of my other two pair.