Life of Colleen

Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be

2012-02-14T22:20:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: J.Jill
Top: J.Crew tissue turtleneck
Skirt: J.Jill
Boots: Cydwoq

Pretty much the same outfit here only different boots, and a nifty art-glass pendant (frosty glass splotched with olive green).

The superlative Whitney Houston:

Whitney Houston, "The Greatest Love of All" (1986)

Twilight

2012-02-09T20:58:00.000-08:00

Top: gifted
Cardigan: J.Crew (navy blue)
Necklace: made by me (worn here, among other ootds)
Skirt: gifted (navy blue)
Navy blue tights
Shoes: J.Crew Camden brogues (black)

Hmmm...it's still too dark for taking proper ootd pics, but this is one of my favorite color combinations (the blues are bluer irl; here they appear black).

U2 - "Twilight" (1980)

U2 used to be good. This song sounds kind of crude, yet there is that entrancing bass line, the lyrics of childhood...

I'm running in the rain
I'm caught in a late night play.
It's all, it's everything
I'm soaking through the skin.

Makin' time

2012-01-31T23:02:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: J.Crew
Shirt: LRG
Earrings: made by me (the ones on the right, below)
Skirt: J.Crew denim pencil
Boots: Cydwoq

This was Saturday's ootd, and the pic does faint justice to the shirt's impressive breadth of greens. Still in my "pre-spring" mood—yeah, pre-spring, that's what winter is!

Listening to:

...which I'd found randomly on youtube.

This whole Experiment of Green...

2012-01-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

Dress: J.Crew Flannel Tuxedo Tunic
Extender slip: A Slip Shop (etsy.com)
Earrings: made by me (silver chains, aquamarines and green amethyst)
Obi belt: gifted (black leather)
Black tights
Boots: La Canadienne

It wasn't actually warm enough to go out like this, mind you; I'm merely anticipating our usual early spring.

Talking with aliens

2012-01-20T22:24:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: gifted (charcoal grey)
Top: C&C California
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Black tights
Dark brown boots: La Canadienne

It would be nice to get a close-up of the pendant some time; it's an actual coin, apparently, and hundreds of years in age. Being American, naturally this is a bit of a shock...once anything reaches 100 years old here, we handle it with gloves. These folks punch a hole in the top of the coin, add a bead...voila! Instant pendant.

The title of this post was from my daughter saying, "It looks like people are talking with aliens when they program."

Nothing but blue skies from now on*

2012-01-17T21:41:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Top: Peruvian Connection
Necklace: made by me
Skirt: gifted (navy blue)
Navy blue tights
Shoes: J.Crew Camden brogues (black)

The necklace is an older piece:

...and I'm yet contemplating redoing it. Imo the lapis beads are just a bit too small to look right. I adore the pendant (from Shiana); not only is it striking, if you run your fingers over it, you'll feel how each edge was hand-finished. I might check out my LBS (local bead store) some time...and it needs to be a bit longer.

All of that said, the silver and oxidized grey of the pendant, combined with lapis blue, work well with something like this top, where the color is a tad murky.

* Still dig Bobby Darin:

Bobby Darin, "Blue Skies" (1962)

How did the party go in Portman Square?

2012-01-15T22:06:00.000-08:00

...I cannot tell you; Juliet was not there.
And how did Lady Gaster's party go?
Juliet was next me and I do not know.

lol! I was cleaning out some old stuff this long weekend, and came across this. Made me smile.

Been etsy-crawling too. Would this work, for work? The top I mean; wondering if it's hot-weather office-friendly (you'd have to wear a camisole under it of course, but it looks marvellously cool).

You are the antidote.*

2012-01-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

Jacket: gifted
Top: Banana Republic
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Shoes: Arche

* Where the heck is that from? It's been in my mind the past four months or so.

If we do meet again, why, we shall smile...

2012-01-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Sundance catalog
Pendant: gifted
Top: C&C California (also worn here and here)
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Navy blue tights
Shoes: Arche

It'll be lovely when it's light again in the evening; this is as good as it gets for now. grumbles...

I don't think anything profound happened today. I was mostly just thinking about the natural order of solving a particular problem. Sometimes the order of the steps is integral to the solution.

You must unlearn what you have learned.*

2012-01-11T20:35:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Shirt: J.Crew
Skirt: gifted
Shoes: Cole Haan

* Been in a total Yoda mood, lately.

A little local culture

2012-01-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Top: J.Crew boatneck painter tee in Pale Blossom
Varsity-style jacket: gifted
Necklace: silver peapod with three tiny pearl "peas"
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq

I was going to embed Everybody's Working for the Weekend here, but felt the below a superior representation of our local culture:

Huey Lewis and the News, "I Want a New Drug"

No more training do you require.*

2012-01-05T22:05:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Sundance catalog (also worn here)
Top: Peruvian Connection
Necklace: tourmalines on gold chain, designed by my daughter (made by me)
Skirt: Sundance catalog "Carnegie"
dark brown tights
Shoes: Cydwoq Recess

Still playing with indoor ootd pics. ...what happened to my shoes?

This top arose from my visit to the b & m Peruvian Connection in the City. It's browner irl (still tinkering with camera settings as I say), like a bright terra cotta flowerpot. Came in handy today, because the weather in early afternoon was like spring.

* Already know you that which you need.

OOTD; more kpop

2012-01-04T22:59:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: Sundance catalog (worn many times)
Dress: J.Jill
Obi belt: gifted (black leather)
black tights
Shoes: Arche (thanks to mil...these are beautiful)

I fiddled around trying to find earrings to go with this. In the end I wore the blue topaz pair (left):

...which I've redone since taking the above photo (the loops were doubled, making the bottom stones tend to kink). These didn't really go with the outfit, so I'm pondering what would (something involving sparkle and black?).

Was really pleased with the obi belt. The dress is velour, which is nice and soft and warm, but looks too casual un-belted.

T-ara, "Bo Peep Bo Peep"

What's up with the kpop? I suppose I miss our days of radio. Much of it was shlock, granted, but we've rather given up producing anything dance-able like this.

OOTD and a bit o' kpop

2012-01-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

Cardigan: gifted
Top: C&C California
Necklace: made by me
Skirt: Stewart+Brown
black tights
Shoes: J.Crew Camden brogues

Here's an old pic of the necklace (there's a golden flower either side of the clasp, not just the one):

I remember making this piece; it was fun, since the challenge was getting the whole "two strands into one" to fall naturally. I haven't made much jewelry lately...the last piece I did was designed around an unusual cut of smoky quartz. I'll have to photograph it some time (it's nice for fall/winter).

Listening to:

T-ara, "Roly-Poly in Copacabana "

Welcome to 2012!

2012-01-02T20:14:00.000-08:00

Black turtleneck: Eddie Bauer
Navy blue cardigan: J.Crew
Necklace: made by me
Modaspia aubergine skirt
Dark grey tights
Cydwoq boots

I hope to stay more focused this year...haha (must figure out how to take indoor pictures with this camera).

I love this skirt. It is linen, which you normally associate with summer I suppose, but the rich, dark reddish plum color, paired with the heavier fabric—have you noticed? is it me? materials are simply becoming thinner in just about everything? Which can work (e.g., J.Crew tissue turtlenecks), but here the heavier weight equals warmth, plus a noticeable tendency to shed wrinkles.

This skirt runs fairly large...they were sold out of medium, so I got large, and it's...large, actually. The first time I wore it, it totally belled out, so I ran it through the dryer, where I'd say it shrank between 1/2 and one size. If you tumble it, it doesn't need ironing (for winter I like to touch it up though).

Last post of the year

2011-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

I've decided to conclude each blogging year with, ah, some pics of my kids. A quick analysis shows this is likely the best path for me, as Dec. 31 2008 reveals sundry blabbering over developing a five- to ten-year work wardrobe (I've long since thought in terms of twenty years); Dec. 30 2009 features a review for Pacifica soap, a screenshot of the Diptyque b & m downtown courtesy of Google Street View, and a Bryan Ferry video.

Happy New Year!

J.Crew new arrivals thoughts

2011-12-30T23:43:00.000-08:00

J.Crew Jackie pullover in Warm Jade

How I have longed for a, well, long-sleeved Jackie sweater? Love the Jackie cardigans and shells; they wash nicely, dry readily on hangers... The green caught my eye (it's difficult finding outstanding green tops; I collect them) but must speculate if off-white would prove as versatile as their Pearl shade:

J.Crew Jackie pullover in Canvas

That's all I've craved from the new arrivals, at least in the immediate sense. Like this idea:

J.Crew Silk pintuck blouse in Dark Charcoal

...but it's a bit dear. (I for one am ready for another percent-off sale.)

There are other items I like, but don't want fp, like this:

J.Crew No. 2 pencil skirt in Waterfloral

There's a dress of the same material, capri pants too, but the skirt looks prettiest of the three.

Soapwalla Kitchen deodorant cream review

2011-12-08T20:18:00.000-08:00

image courtesy Soapwalla Kitchen (etsy.com)

Been trying this out over the past six days, as a potential substitute for traditional anti-perspirant (the aluminum and paraben in which have been associated with cancer).

I'm super-picky about this sort of thing, and have tried alternatives such as the crystal:

...which is great for prohibiting odor—better imo than commercial anti-perspirants, for this function—but useless for wetness.

Hm. So far, Soapwalla's deo rocks. I've had a few slightly clammy moments, and for super stressful days I would probably fall back on my traditional anti-perspirant (at least I think I would). I've worn this exercising (no stink...amazing). This is a cold-weather trial; no idea how well it holds out in high temps.

Overall, I feel totally dry with this stuff, to the point I forget I'm wearing a non-aluminum-containing product.

It's a slight extra step applying it, because it's a cream. You are to thinly apply it all over your armpit. It's smooth even on chilly mornings (yeah!), smells nice (lavendery-herbal, with a skosh of mint); the scent is not too strong.

It will be interesting to try this out in summer; another gripe I have with traditional anti-perspirant is its tendency to leave difficult-to-remove stains on shirts—there's even a product for that (scroll down to Deo-Go, which I haven't tried).

I found out about Soapwalla Kitchen from this post: Pretty in Green.

Happy Sunday!

2011-11-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Working my way through Micro-Phonies part I and Part II.

Peruvian Connection reviews

2011-11-12T22:44:00.000-08:00

Poor blog! It's been too long.

They opened a b & m Peruvian Connection recently, on Fillmore. PC is one of those etailers I've perused, on and off, for years probably. I did get one of their silk half-slips a while back (it's held up well over many washings, and is a handy length), and tried a discounted bias pima cotton skirt—like this, but in a muted grey-blue tone:

I can't carp about the color or fabric (beautiful, and fairly luxe, respectively) but the length was too great even after a hearty spin in a hot dryer. Had it shrunk further...hmmm...maybe I should try that again. It's been sort of sitting there in my weekend pile, awaiting cooler weather. Wish they offered the skirts in a shorter length—this would be work-friendly—I do like that they always have matching tops (pima cowl necks, and long- and short-sleeved scoop necks).

Anyhow, I did make it out to the b & m shortly after it had opened. I'll have to admit it was cool seeing the stuff in person, after puzzling over it online...take the Extreme Turtleneck:

This is less extreme than it sounds; the neck is long, but fits comfortably (I'd dreaded a giant tube o' fabric, suitable only for those with swan necks). Fabric: silken pima cotton, with a twist of lycra—seemingly durable and a bit stretchy.

The colors differ from how the swatches appear on my monitor, sorta...Umber is browner (gorgeous, but useless for my wardrobe), Glacier greyer, basically grey with a slight blue cast. They didn't have Navy, and Eggshell...can you go wrong with that? it's ivory. Tuscan Red is not red, but rather red-orange with a bit of brown. Pesto iirc is quite brown, a fatigue color. Port looks drab in the swatch, but is the most transcendent shade of red wine.

These run in size similarly to J.Crew, or "smallish" (I tried medium and large, and preferred the large).

Another item I'd come to see was the pima cotton layering tee:

These seemed less useful to me than the Extreme T-necks, since they are after all tee shirts, but I was after something like it if the color was right (a plain tee shirt can look quite pretty in a nice fabric and color). I ended up getting the Tearose shade pictured above, but it's more a terra cotta flowerpot color, with a rosy cast. (Sizing is about the same as the Extreme T-neck.)

Overall, well worth the trip. PC offers a lot more than basic items, but it's the basics in which I was interested; something versatile, easy to wash and dry, handy to grab when you've no time to iron, and in subtle and unusual hues.

Freedom is not free

2011-11-11T22:47:00.000-08:00

A heartfelt thanks to the men and women who have fought to preserve the rights and freedoms we all enjoy today.

J.Crew Camden leather brogues - review

2011-11-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

J.Crew Camden leather brogues in light ginger, nutmeg and black

I bought these a while back, actually, during one of J.Crew's discount-on-top-of-sale things, and I've worn them several times now—I got the black ones, despite the allure of the other tasty tones, on the notion they would be far more useful. (Don't you often find yourself gravitating towards your black shoes?)

There was advice to go up half a size for these, which I did initially, but it didn't work. 8-1/2 was too long on my foot; the heel slipped off. My regular size 8 fit fine and didn't feel overly narrow on (I have wide feet too).

I can admit these aren't exactly the best quality shoes I own. My Cydwoqs are better made, as are my Cole Haans. But they are undeniably cute, and are decently-enough made. They are a perfect small replica of a man's oxford shoe, but somehow don't look masculine on. Perhaps it's the plethora of perforations and the neat streamlined shape. They're also quite comfortable as you would imagine.

Now, what do you do with them; they seem to look best with textured hose or tights of some sort, although I have worn them with regular stockings. The rest of the outfit could be a work skirt and a button-down shirt, and a cardigan, which is what I've been wearing a lot of, lately.

In summation, I'm not sure these would have been worth the FP. And I would hate to have to buy on Final Sale (I would've been stuck with long shoes). But for sale price, so far these have been rather nifty.

Modaspia notes

2011-10-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yes! I finally got hold of a Modaspia item. Mind you, I'd lost out on a couple of Fiji dresses this summer:

Modaspia is a local brand (Placerville, in fact), and the clothes are made there and in Oakland and San Francisco.

I haven't brought the green top out yet; we're experiencing another Indian summer in the Bay Area (didn't this occur last year as well?), so I'm squeezing the final seasonal wears from my warm-weather clothes. But I have tried it on. Mmmmm! The neckline is higher than appears in the photos, which is great (no "must wear camisole"-ness), the green is intense...what I'm really craving for though, is the print. It is now quite easy to find outstanding solid-colored clothing items, but difficult finding beautiful prints.

R.I.P. Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

There will always be a warm place in my heart for the now late, and great, Steve Jobs.

I don't even care for Apple products, much (ducks), but the thing Jobs accomplished was to make computers and software fun and intuitive. "Fun" and "intuitive" were not buzzwords in application design, particularly, until, well, Jobs sold the concepts.

Now the average user expects software to be incredibly easy, and even a pleasure, to use. It's harder to make it that way, but ultimately it's better. If we were producing nothing but generic software, surely it could be outsourced; it's the customization which is valuable now.

Rest easy, Steve...I'm looking forward to jumping on that iMat.

Madewell b & m notes

2011-09-25T12:02:00.000-07:00

Steely Dan, "FM (No Static at All)"

Nothing but blues and Elvis, and somebody else's favorite song... This version is described as 2003; the song came out on the radio in 1978. The live versions are sublime.

Madewell opened a shop in Corte Madera about a month past, and I made a pilgrimmage the other day. Perhaps unfairly, I was expecting a J.Crew-alike, but Madewell is quite a bit different. Smaller, for sure; better, in some ways.

Take shoes. My local 'Crews tend to be sparse footwear-wise, but the Madewell shop had an actual section of rather decent shoes and boots. Their plaid shirts are superior to J.Crew's imo, more attention to detail...the section in the back of the store is reminiscent of the men's section of J.Crew (I had to look twice). There is no sale section per se, just some marked-down items integrated with regularly-priced ones, which is okay I suppose. The sizes run larger from what I saw. I'd gravitate toward a size 10 or large in a J.Crew boy shirt, but the Madewell size medium "ex-boyfriend" shirt more than suffices.

Madewell Cloudwriter Top in True Black

This was rather disappointing. I dunno, the tiny cloud thought was nice, but the overall look of it was a tad blah.

Madewell Dune Trail skirt in Dark Camel

This was rather intriguing...they'd weathered the cotton twill in places to make it appear vintage, along with the vintage-y style itself. I looked it over—have been playing with the notion for some time of a female version of, erm, Dockers. This was rather Docker-esque, and indeed they show it with a more formal button-down shirt.

Madewell Driggs Ex-boyfriend shirt in Red Check

This was sprightlier than appears in the photo, with the harmonious red-orange and blue (looked great on both my daughter and me). "Ex-boyfriend"? We live in interesting times.

Work wardrobe chit-chat will resume...

2011-09-18T11:29:00.000-07:00

...I'm a bit busy now. In the meantime, listening to:

Talking Heads - "Wild Wild Life" (1986)

Our lips are sealed

2011-09-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

The Go-Go's, "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1981)

This is the effervescent version of this song; pensive Fun Boy Three version here:

Fun Boy Three, "Our Lips Are Sealed" (1983)

To this day, I find the two interpretations interesting. The song was written by Jane Wiedlin (Go-Go's) and Terry Hall (Fun Boy Three); versions and videos contrast sunny carefree 1980's with its darker more serious flavor.

Random work thoughts...there are four programmers I've wanted to work with, since I began working at UC Berkeley. That doesn't mean I don't want to work with other programmers; it's not that. It's just you have an immediate sense of the other guy's skill. I've never held with the idea of being a cowboy programmer; the search is to find someone at your skill level—or better—where you feel the work styles are compatible.

I actually work with one of them (the aforementioned Yoda), one of them left Berkeley for UCSF, one of them probably doesn't know I exist, and the fourth, most important one, I have worked with in a limited context. Not that Yoda isn't important (imagine Star Wars without him), but, as I say, you have an immediate sense of the other guy's capabilities, and that is what is attractive, above and beyond the project at hand.

Fall shopping...or not

2011-09-12T22:35:00.000-07:00

I actually don't care that much for fall fashion, as much as everyone else seems crazy about it. I mean I like deep red and all that, but summer office attire is a greater challenge (try being comfortable in heat without looking cheesy).

That said, I went gaga over this:

J.Jill Simple 120 button-front skirt in Walnut "Hthr"

Sure, it looks a tad fug in the picture, but, in person, it is a quintessential 1970's skirt. (The "good" 1970's I mean.) It's a bit longer without being long, and you can adjust the slit in front by leaving a button or two undone. Then there is the "hthr" color—heather? I give in? This isn't heathered by any means; it is a 1970's solid dark chocolate brown.

I've been wanting to try the J.Jill Simple 120 line anyway. Wool work pieces you can wash in the machine? I didn't care for the first items issued, but kept an eye on the line itself.

The Simple 120 jacket won't work with the skirt:

J.Jill Simple 120 jacket

It's too big. An oversized jacket might work with a narrow skirt:

J.Jill Simple 120 short trouser skirt

...if it works at all. The 1970's slightly flared, below-knee skirt requires a smaller fitted jacket, if there's going to be a jacket (since I don't work in a suit office, it's not that important to me; just saying).

Here's what I'm really lusting over:

This purports to be machine-washable cashmere; but it's not the cashmere I'm after. It's the color. I've searched for this shade (if the above item is indeed this color), for years. I have a cherry red lambswool cardigan, but it's over twenty years old and the fabric has thinned. Whenever I wash it, I have to mend it...poor wool, you have lasted these many years... This is the closest I've found to a potential replacement. (Boden also carries machine-washable wool and cashmere sweaters, but not in this shade of red.)

Madewell in Corte Madera

2011-08-29T20:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, San Francisco Bay Area ladies, Madewell is opening a b & m in Corte Madera...tomorrow, apparently. I'd like to see their stuff in person; it's a bit difficult to fathom from the website images. Take this, for example:

Madewell Cloudwriter Top in Optic White

Fantastic, or craptastic? Impossible to say. It looks nicer modelled:

Madewell Cloudwriter Top in True Black

Done well, this could be handy—it goes with everything, and the lace at the top would add something special. It's cotton/modal, machine washable, shouldn't require ironing...hermmm...

That's a random pick; there are many intriguing items on the site (will post back once I've checked the shop out).

How do young people survive today...

2011-08-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Blondie - "Atomic" (1980)

...with drum machines and singers who can't sing?

Was talking with the co-worker the other day, I said he was like Blondie...underrated, lots of good ideas, the kind of guy who influences...he looked blank. Blondie? What's that?

Knowledge is cute.*

2011-08-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.

Appearance blinds, whereas words reveal.

--Oscar Wilde

Done some random J.Crew diving, to whit:

J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Lacquer Yellow

Finally, "Laquer Yellow" showed up at the b & m, and now sporting a "c"! Hm. I'm glad I didn't try buying it online, sight unseen. Had been speculating if this were screamin' yellow, or mellow yellow, but it is totally a bright lemon shade. Could do with something subtler...

J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in African Violet

Likewise: is this knock-down, drag-out purple, or more a blue-purple tone? Inquiring minds discover—it's...purple. Were it bluer, I could've been interested.

J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Saddle

This was a bit of a disappointment...I'd been looking for a "nude" Jackie shell, but not literally nude...more a tan, like this:

Not this exact look (the tank here is silk) but the idea, a very simple look. I'm not even sure a Jackie shell would work here, but Saddle is not it. It's just too flat; it needs a dash of pale gold, or of rose, or of something.

They did not have "Brilliant Pine" Jackie in the store. Wah!

J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Deep Peri

And finally...this one, I liked. More vivid than the imo rather drab "Madagascar Peri," yet not, ah, screamin' neon blue. I tried it on, and was a bit fuddled by the fact it seemed a size larger than other Jackies I have tried. Neither the Jackie cardigans nor the shells are sized consistently; I've tended to buy Large in the shells (on the notion they could always be shrunk in the dryer), and X-Large in the cardigans, to get them to button without gaping at the bust. But this one buttoned fine in Large. It seems to depend on the shade; my navy Jackie just fits in X-Large.

Why the Jackie obsession? I've found them amazingly useful, the perfect weight for our "summer"—chilly in the morning, almost hot by the afternoon? You don't feel the need to pile on an extra layer for the A.M. nor strip off clothes later on. I can admit I like it they crank out so many shades of these; if you don't see one you like, it seems to me you could just wait twenty minutes and another will come along.

* Why smart cute guys are cuter than regular cute guys.

J.Crew Alyssa Top review; workplace randomness

2011-07-20T20:50:00.000-07:00

Colleague (writing information on a paper pad): I need a system for this.
Me: You need a device.
Colleague: I need something to talk to, and it writes what I'm doing.
Me: You mean..."Do What I'm Thinking"?
Colleague: (nods)
Me: I've tried that many times. It doesn't work.

Me: Why is it working? It works.
Colleague: It never works.
Me: Yeah, you're right. It works until you use it a few times. Then you find out it doesn't work.

J.Crew Alyssa Top in Mauve Morning

I got this, when the 'Crew offered one of their percent-off sales. Haven't worn it yet (sorry no ootd photo), but a few notes:

This thing definitely runs big. I tried on the white version at the b & m; size 6 fit me better than 8 (I wear a size 10 in the perfect and boy shirts). A nice feature is it fits over the bust without giant arm-holes. It's cut too low to wear as-is to work, but the Mauve Morning shade is formal enough to fly as business casual with a camisole underneath it (the white version seemed too casual to me).

I'm still irked at the idea of carrying only one shade in the store. The navy blue one looked pretty online, but do you want to fork over in the realm of Final Sale for something that may not look that great on? I was willing to take a chance on Mauve Morning, since it appeared one of those ubiquitous "J.Crew shades" (ex., burnished olive, mint green with a tad of blue, greys washed with blue and green, bright red-orange, etc.). The 'Crew excels at rose-brown blends (Mauve Morning is slightly browner and deeper than it appears on my monitor).

All in all—looks useful (I have a specific stash of work-friendly hot-weather clothes).

Idly craving...

2011-07-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

...a tee shirt. A white tee shirt. For a man, this type of thing comes bagged, with three tee shirts in the bag; for a woman, it's more complicated.

His:

Hers:

At least this is the shirt I'm idly craving—I haven't tried it yet. It's supposed to be fair trade; costs a bit more, but looks sturdy (the White Tee Shirt must be sufficiently thick so you don't have to fret about bra showing), has a scoop neckline—for this I don't want crew, but the scoop can't be too scoopy. Again you should not have to fuss over low necklines. The little cap sleeves look right (I really don't like elbow sleeves), and it has to be long enough to tuck in.

I tried the "little white tee shirt with sundress" thing recently in fact, with something like this:

I love this dress style, but unless you wear a strapless bra, your options are...ah...a racerback tank would work, with a racerback bra, but it can be a hassle. Hence the need for more than one slightly fitted white tee.

OOTD; Washington fun!

2011-07-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

A statue constructed of beer and wine bottles

Top: J.Crew (lavender tissue tee with silk trim)
Necklace: made by me
Skirt: J.Crew Zafrina (the blue one worn here)
Sandals: Cydwoq

Yes, it was cold in Seattle (though they have been getting better weather in general than we have)—and yes, I knew it was going to be cold. But it is a kind of deranged fun to wear summer clothes in Seattle in the summer. This is also the same rain jacket I wore when I lived in this area. It didn't rain but I was prepared!

Grainy close-up of the necklace

OOTD; wardrobe randomness

2011-06-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Top: gifted
Cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Necklace: tourmalines on gold chain, designed by my daughter :) (made by me)
Skirt: gifted
Tights: Wolford
Boots: La Canadienne

This is one of my go-to outfits, when there's no fancy meeting to dress up for, but it's not Friday yet? It can fly with many different tops, jewelry and shoes; even the tights can go—I prefer them because the skirt is a bit short, but then I do have some of these to play with:

image courtesy A Slip Shop

A Slip Shop (Etsy) is pretty cool; the ladies there will make you either a standard- or custom-length half-slip, with a variety of lace trims to choose from. I dithered between them and The Cotton Mill, where they'll make you a cotton half-slip to order (again with lovely lace trim options). A Slip Shop's nylon half-slip was more practical to my needs; it is a regular ol' half-slip, at the end of the day, and can function as such, and add length to skirts which need it.

This could be terrible news for your wallet, but ASOS is having a summer sale:

ASOS

Naturally I noticed their cool web interface, where you can select your way handily through mammoth amounts of clothing. Mind you, I'm ratcheting down new clothing purchases, but I'm all for losing my ASOS virginity at these prices.

Hmmm...I'm shagged, actually. I'm converting my online add/drop/change program to be entirely online-submissible. It's a fairly interesting process, if only because you have to pretty much replicate what the currently-used PDF form does...without replicating the drawbacks of the form...and this form does everything for everybody.

General drool-o-rama

2011-06-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

Totally jonesing for this dress. It's a cotton print, and made in the U.S. When first I saw it, I didn't think of, well, jonesing for it, but the more you look, the more useful it appears. Cotton and sleeveless, yet work-friendly, with lovely black piping detail—not only does it have pockets, the pockets are even piped. In back there are rows of shirring to make more fitted, yet it's not one of those dreary butt-cupping things. I don't normally gravitate toward prints over solid colors, if only because most prints don't appeal to me, but this print looks special.

Dire Straits - "Romeo and Juliet" (1981)

Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet, and you exploded in my heart
And I forget, I forget the movie song
When you gonna realize, it was just that the time was wrong?

This is one cataclysmic song; it has something of everything: touches of country & western, lyrics from an early 1960's pop song, a reference to the Romeo and Juliet play itself:

You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin
Now you just says oh Romeo yeah you know I used to have a scene with him

...a dash of West Side Story, a description of a musician (Knopfler, presumably) writing the song and playing it, all within the song itself. It's just fascinating. I remember this song, of course, and had liked it...oh well, I suppose I'm just having an 80's moment.

OOTD; anyone seen a taupe hoodie?

2011-06-11T19:57:00.000-07:00

Top: The Gap
Cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Skirt: J.Crew
Shoes: Cydwoq Art

Still fiddling around looking for a brown casual jacket or hoodie of some sort. It's surprisingly obscure—there are plenty of dead brown models, but I'm jonesing for taupe, since that would be more versatile.

OOTD; more Leather Honey and Summer Soles notes

2011-06-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew Lace-stripe tissue tee in Buff
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Dark Charcoal
Sunnies: gifted
Earrings: made by me (grey freshwater pearls with small aquamarines)
Skirt: gifted (denim)
Textured navy blue stockings
Boots: Cydwoq Extreme

Been meaning for a while to take a "fashion blogger sunglasses pic." :)

I've now tried Leather Honey on shoe soles. It works fine on soles which have already been scuffed some, but makes virgin soles a tad slippery. Scuff first.

On the shoes themselves: it loosens up shoes which have already fully stretched out...which can be good (my Cole Haans used to feel a bit tight at day's end).

I've also tossed my first pair of Summer Soles, meaning they lasted over nine months. I do make a point of rotating my shoes to let them dry out, but the 'Soles were getting kinda raggy. They pretty much peeled right out, leaving a slight tackiness in the heel, which disappeared when I cleaned the inside of the shoe. Much impressed...but why don't they make some with anti-microbial properties?

ETA: I did get to tuck the Lace-stripe tee into something, finally: a high-waisted skirt (same one here but in taupe).

Shoes

2011-06-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Made you look. :)

Still contemplating these shoes—the West Indian ones, in black? or brown? or green?

OOTD and a cool site

2011-06-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

OOTD:

Top: J.Crew Bettina cami in White Ash
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Wild Mushroom
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq Deck

I'm digging Bettina more this year...

A cool site:

Curated By Color - A carefully chosen collection of finds from the worlds of fashion, design, and home decor, all organized by color!

I stumbled across this—forget what I was looking for? Oh yeah, must've been this:

...from Turquoise: Splurge. You could spend hours browsing here, but of course I managed to find shoes...hmmm...

Runfree Hosiery Repair notes

2011-06-03T20:08:00.000-07:00

Run Free Hosiery Repair

I got to try this (wouldn't you know it?) pretty much right away, when one of my stockings showed a pull—not yet a run, nor quite a hole, but sure to develop into one or the other.

This product smells strongly of chemicals when wet, but dries quickly. It's easy to use (as easy as clear nail polish would be). The advantages of this over clear nail polish are supposed to be: it won't stick to your skin, and won't dry hard. It did stick a bit to my skin (nothing a brief tug didn't fix). As promised, the product was perfectly flexible when dry.

Interestingly, it didn't quite dry clear. The area where I'd applied it showed a wee bit lighter than the stocking itself. It occurred to me perhaps I'd used too much. It just sort of melds with the stocking fabric, so you'd need only enough to cover the hole and ring of stitches surrounding it.

So far, I'm quite pleased. My next tests would be: a.) see how it fares after laundering the stocking; b.) try it proactively on not-yet-worn-out stocking toes; c.) see if I can use it to "glue" a fancy stocking in which I'd popped a stitch.

Happy Mon--erm, Tuesday!

2011-05-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

Blouse: Modcloth
Cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Skirt: gifted
Dark brown fishnets
Boots: La Canadienne

Earrings:

OOTD; Leather Honey review

2011-05-30T21:17:00.000-07:00

T-shirt: gifted
Jacket: C&C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq Deck

Hope your Memorial Day went well.

Would I have worn this shirt back home? smirks I was feeling sentimental, thinking about my math tutor today. He was a Vietnam veteran, and one of the nicest people I can remember from Norfolk. Always wondered what happened to him.

I tried the Leather Honey out, on the above boots and on Cydwoq Art, and the soles of my Cydwoq Extreme boots. I didn't do the entire Extreme boot because, ah, they were just polished.

Hm. First of all, it does darken the leather some. It showed more on the Art shoes, which went from a sort of greyish brownish green, to a deep rich greenish brown. I can admit I like the new color better. The Deck boots went slightly deeper...they'd already darkened some the first time I started messing around with some Meltonian shoe cream. Can I confess I like playing around with this stuff? If you've got black shoes, it's fine if they look new, but brown shoes are far more elegant aged.

I poked at the shoes after the requisite two hours had passed, wasn't particularly impressed...the real beauty appeared the following day. By then the Leather Honey had softened the leather. Ah...and if you'd applied gobs of it, supposedly your shoes would ooze Leather Honey, but these poor desiccated babies had drunk it right up. Only a slight bit of residue, to buff off with a cloth.

The Deck boots had always been kind of stiff, to the point I disliked walking in them for any appreciable length of time, but now they feel much more flexible. The Art shoes are softer now as well.

Which is great...and it's supposed to be water-resistant, but not water-proof...my remaining question has to do with extending the wear of leather soles. If this stuff can do that, it will have more than paid for itself.

J.Crew notes: Alyssa Top, Perfect Shirt in Suckered Mini-Gingham

2011-05-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

J.Crew Alyssa Top in white

This definitely runs big. Interesting, eh? The last several J.Crew tank-style tops I tried...the Silk Pocket Tank, Eyelet Embroidered Tank, Lace-over Tank, and now this...required sizing down at least one size, possibly even two.

The new "tank top sizes" don't appear to correspond to anything else J.Crew sells—but they do seem consistent.

Oh well. I still haven't seen the other two colors, Mauve Morning and Navy. The white is a beautiful top. The sole complaint I could have—it's nit-picking—would be to have a tiny drawstring instead of the gathers. If you get the bust to fit, the waist is a touch big. But then, who cares; it's a summer top, not meant to be tight-fitting.

I'd like to see the other two colorways, and will likely try to hit another b & m this weekend. I still find it annoying, the idea of not stocking all of the shades. What's up with that? I suppose it's a cost-cutting measure... But the same item can appear very different in a different color. Just saying.

J.Crew Linen Island Cardigan in Sea Salt

I inspected this more closely, and decided against it. It's pretty, but its fine, relatively loose linen knit is too impractical. It's like a big ol' snag magnet.

J.Crew Perfect Shirt in Suckered Mini-Gingham

I tried this on a whim. Ah! The fabric is amazing. Feather-light, but not sheer. Perhaps it's the "suckering." I'm not drawn to gingham though, the way I am to plaid—wish there was a "perfect shirt in suckered plaid." Still it's quite lovely...I tried the blue, as I don't generally wear bright colors ("neon kelly" is indeed quite bright in person). If gingham is your thing, I would highly recommend this incarnation of it.

Maintenance

2011-05-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's—cornstarch! I posted ages ago about trying to remove an old oil stain in clothing using this. The cornstarch sucked up some of the stain...after that I tried flour, and that worked better...but only Dawn dishwashing detergent actually obliterated the stain. Yup, plain old Dawn liquid, the kind you use to hand-wash dishes.

Run Free Hosiery Repair

From another old post...I finally got some of this, but haven't tried it yet. Supposedly you can not only use it to stop runs, you can apply it on high-stress areas to prevent holes/runs in the first place.

Leather Honey

Been meaning to try this for a while...apparently it was developed as a conditioner for leather saddles (and was known as "Harness Honey"), but it's supposed to work on any leather product (except suede). I was particularly intrigued by the idea of using it on leather shoe soles; some guy claimed his soles lasted way longer that way.

OOTD; revised J.Crew drool list

2011-05-21T19:59:00.000-07:00

Top: gifted (Felix the Cat tee shirt)
Jacket: C & C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer (also worn here)
Sandals: Cydwoq

Went 'Crew-diving; was a bit underwhelmed. Oh well. I suppose my wallet can thank me. sighs

J.Crew Chambray Tuxedo Cami in Blissful Blue

This was indeed...blah. Too conservative, perhaps that's what I mean. It just seemed boxy, and the straps appeared a tad too long. The trick with making a chambray tank top would be to render it feminine and cute; otherwise it's, ah, your mama's chambray tank top?

J.Crew Sandstone Linen Swoon Skirt in Natural

This seriously reminded me of a basmati rice bag—a tad thick and slightly stiff, with an obvious weave. Scarlett O'Hara could have fashioned this, had she had a bag of rice on hand rather than curtains. The deep bright blue version fared better (less sack-y because of the color), but I was not overly tempted.

J.Crew Indie Dress in white

Saw this in both the black and white colorways. It was too young for me, but I do think it would look nice on someone in their teens or twenties. The detail was lovely.

J.Crew Alyssa Top in Mauve Morning

I spotted the white version; is mauve of those "online-only" shades?

J.Crew Linen Island Cardigan in Indigo

Now this...mmmmm...the navy blue rather appealed. The other colors were actually quite good—I seldom "want one in every color," but here I can kind of see it. The navy was special from the contrast of delicate sheer linen and deep tone, and navy blue always goes with gold buttons anyway. Could it work, for work? Would it snag?

J.Crew new arrivals potential drool list

2011-05-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

J.Crew Alyssa Top in Mauve Morning

Hm. I checked out the white version first...but can you really own too many cute pink tops? I didn't think so. Wonder if it's too young for me, with the gathered middle? Do I care?

Honorable mention:

J.Crew Jacinta Cami in white

Not even sure I like this (though the eyelet paisleys look kinda fly), but feel it deserves mention, since a.) straps are sufficiently wide to conceal bra straps and b.) "White is fully lined."

J.Crew Chambray Tuxedo Cami in Blissful Blue

At first blush, seems a bit ordinary, despite the florid copy: "We're absolutely smitten by the indigo hues of authentic chambray." But I like the tuxedo detailing, wide straps (spaghetti straps are nice but difficult to wear), mellow blue...it even looks work-friendly, with a light wrap of some sort.

J.Crew Indie Dress in white

This could go either way...you'd have to see it in person. J.Crew dresses are unpredictable; off the top of my head, I don't think I've ever bought one without having tried it on. The back is nice:

J.Crew Sandstone Linen Swoon Skirt in Natural

This doesn't look like much, but then I've gotten a lot of mileage out of my colorless linen J.Jill skirt. When it's hot—if it ever gets hot this year—natural linen totally works.

Are you too sexy for your shirt?*

2011-05-19T20:25:00.000-07:00

Dress: J.Crew Tuxedo end-on-end (also worn here)
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog (worn many times)
Navy stockings
Boots: La Canadienne

I actually took a picture of one of the earrings, in 2003:

...but I believe these date back to the 1990's(?).

* Too sexy for your shirt? So sexy it hurts? Hey, it's Cameron Alborzian at 0:58!

I get me out of bed and sing this song*

2011-05-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

* Listening to:

Billie Holiday - "I Hear Music"

Wondering about:

J.Crew Jackie Shell in Laquer Yellow

Has anyone seen the cardigan version of this shade? Is it a screamin' neon yellow? I fancy a yellow top, but the exact yellow is key (so easy to go wrong).

Idly craving:

A dress with triangles on it

Mmmmm...along with the navy blue, there's a turquoise version, and a grey, and a black.

Oddly, only the turquoise is tie-less. I could've done with a removable tie (gripe, gripe) but it's not a deal-breaker. The black is least appealing—how often do you want to wear a black dress? The grey would be pretty, but probably best for someone into colorful scarves.

Does Macy tell Gimbel?*

2011-05-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Top: C & C California (also worn here)
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog (worn many times; it's pretty handy)
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Pendant: gifted
Grey fishnets
Shoes: Cole Haan

Closer pic:

Sometime I will have to take some actual jewelry photographs; the pendant's a nice piece.

It was originally an earring, so I made a bail for it from a piece of heavy sterling silver wire. The bail looked kinda bare that way, so I took some very fine-gauge silver wire and wrapped it around and around the bail to cover it. The "earring" itself looks a bit antique; it's missing a few stones. I could probably find something to fill in the empty spaces, but then it would lose its uniqueness.

* Sorry for all the silly question-mark titles. I caught this line from an original episode of The Addams Family tv show and couldn't resist, though I suppose many readers were born after Gimbels closed down.

Did I get down on Friday?*

2011-05-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

Dress: Eddie Bauer
Pendant: gifted (single black pearl)
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in "Pearl"
Sandals: Cydwoq

I see Eddie Bauer has gotten back into selling dresses (surreptitiously eyeballs the Eddie Bauer site). Sweet! The trick is to not buy rayon dresses from them. I tried some, and the dresses were pretty, but they wrinkled way too readily. This model is cotton lawn; you can actually toss it in the dryer on low heat, remove it and hang.

* I don't think so.

Bueller...?

2011-05-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew Jackie Shell in Pearl
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Dried Orchid
Pendant: gifted (single black pearl)
Earrings: made by me (tiny pearls on gold chains)
Skirt: gifted
Shoes: Cole Haan

As you can see, it's my day off. :) Actually I had a bunch of stuff to do...but thought I'd take a moment to experiment (super old camera + glare + self-timer + no tripod).

Me, drink the Crewlade?

2011-05-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

Hermmmmm...yeah.

J.Crew Stripe Button-Back Tee in English Saddle Ivory

Placed serendipitously on the sale rack, in my size and in the coppery shade I'd eyed (universally flattering to blonde, brunette and redhead alike—the stripes are slightly darker/browner in real life than on my computer monitor).

J.Crew Maritime-stripe Hoodie

Got this too, in my size, though it wasn't for me. Drat! this style is a tad too young. I was surprised it fit, actually; those side zippers look kinda scary, but it's cut fairly generously at that point.

J.Crew Raglan Babydoll Tee in Smoldering Brick

Now I'd seen this full-price, hadn't thought to try it on, but hey, there it was, I was already trying on other items, yadda yadda... Turned out to be next to weightless on, and the bricky color was more practical than the off-white, which I found sufficiently sheer to require "something under it" (counter-productive in a warm-weather top, particularly one with sleeves).

Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without one.*

2011-04-28T19:36:00.000-07:00

Top: back of the closet :)
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Grey fishnets
Shoes: Cydwoq Recess
Earrings: made by me (blue-green stones on gold chains)

Apologies for the glacial posting on this blog; things have been crazy.

I got to wear J.Crew Lace-Stripe Tissue Tee (also worn here) this week, for the second time. Hm. I've concluded this shirt was not meant to be tucked in. I mean you can tuck it in, it's just you won't get the full benefit of four lace stripes; rather, you'll get two stripes and a sort of mushed-in partial stripe.

I was moving one of my applications into production today, which amounted to going through over a hundred pages of code. Ah...at this point, I'm thinkin', time to step away from the computer. Bye!

* overheard in my department

Jackie randomness

2011-04-25T22:03:00.001-07:00

J.Crew Jackie Shell in Hyacinth

Wore this today...usually I try not to wear the same top in two consecutive weeks (have the notion of prolonging the wear of my stuff), but made an exception for this, because of the color.

This was one of those esoteric, Final Sale drastically marked-down Jackie purchases, and I'm not sure I'd seen Hyacinth in person prior to buying it, but it's grown on me. Light purple is an optimistic color. It's the height of fashion in Iran right now; somehow I feel this sort of positive energy...

OOTD: weekend

2011-04-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

Top: white tee shirt
Pendant: gifted (I made a leather cord for it)
Jacket: C & C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq (also worn here)

Still playing around with weekend clothes, though I'm pretty much finished with it. By definition, what you wear on the weekend imo should be simple. I have it in mind to get a pair of shoes, but not sure what kind yet...walking shoes, but nice looking ones. Pondering these:

Aurora Shoe Company Middle English Shoe

...or these:

Aurora Shoe Company West Indian Shoe

I suspect the Middle English shoes would be more useful to me—I already have sandals, after all. Still, the t-strap version looks kinda cute.

Apparently Aurora Shoe Company shoes are more popular in Japan than they are here. The shoes are handmade in New York State.

OOTD; random notes

2011-04-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

Top: a white tee shirt :)
Jacket: C & C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer (worn many times)
Shoes: Cydwoq Art (also worn here)

Pixelated close-up of the fish pendant (tooled sterling silver, with two lapis stones):

It's occurred to me, I don't do casual overly well. I got the pendant and jacket to match :D otherwise, I have jeans, cord pants, and lots of tee shirts (including some nice ones from the tech-bubble days)...but I have focused much of my effort on developing my work wardrobe.

Casual clothes should be easy, since you need to please only yourself, i.e., you should wear stuff you would not necessarily wear to work. For the same reason, imo, a work wardrobe is important in the first place. You are an actor, playing a role, and your job is to play this role in the finest way that you can. So how you look reflects what you do, and looking the part makes it easier to get into the groove.

Hence...much as I love this Velvet skirt, it's really not a weekend skirt. I'm thinking something more like this:

...only not in this color. I like the shade, but it's not relaxing (I was sitting on a log today, and hardly felt like wondering what would happen to my skirt).

YesStyle crawling

2011-04-14T21:51:00.000-07:00

YesStyle.com

I've browsed this site off and on for a couple of years, but have now dug more in-depth.

At first blush, YesStyle seems depressing, as many items are labelled "one size." The impression is an entire site comprised of "extra tiny," with a couple "xx-tiny" thrown into the mix, but this is actually untrue. There are just tons and tons of items, and many of them are sized in a range, or it turns out the "one size" is a bit stretchy and/or forgiving. After a while you get the hang of it.

This is a casual skirt, clearly, yet it's thoughtfully constructed. Check the arc shape at the front, instead of the usual straight tiers. It can also be worn as a dress:

...where it's shown over a little tee shirt, thus ending the bra strap/strapless bra quagmire, at least for this particular item.

This also looks useful:

I've had the notion to succumb to the lace skirt fad, but feel a well-made one could become a classic. Why not? I would prefer this off-white style to pure white, and its alternating lace stripes to a solid overlay of lace. The skirt is long enough to work for work, which is another huge bonus.

J.Crew notes

2011-04-09T21:05:00.000-07:00

I went 'Crew-diving, and found some things of interest.

J.Crew Schoolboy Blazer in Eyelet - Smoky Graphite

I'd seen this before, along with the white one, and didn't think to try it on. But something about the grey version caught my eye this time. I seldom wear blazers...don't work in a suit office; even the director of my department does not wear a suit. The eyelet makes this blazer less formal, yet it's cute, and a change from my perpetual cardigan-ness.

J.Crew Shelby Dress in Dusty Pink

This, likewise, has been hanging around the stores for quite a while. I recall seeing the pink version once, maybe twice, followed by a deluge of black, navy and white colorways. I'd never tried Shelby on, and it occurred to me:

You do anything once
You try anything twice
You do what you got to do
But I love you, Suzanne
(Lou Reed, if you'd like an eyeful of 80's fashion)

So I went ahead and tried it on. Amazing! Really nice. It looks kinda horrible in the wrong size; I'm between sizes, so went a size down.

J.Crew Voile Tuxedo Tunic in Blue Back Stripe

This was so pretty! but, on me, the fit was awkward, as the buttons gapped at the bust. I felt this top would fare best on someone tall and slim. Loved the beautiful bright blue, sheer material, but passed here.

J.Crew Delaney Eyelet Top in white

I tried this on, and pondered buying it. It's way cheaper in the store, and appears well-made, what with the lining (nice touch!). The wavy eyelet pattern looks cool, and the "ventilated" sleeve design tempts:

In the end, I figured I had enough similar tops (have made a point of collecting office-friendly tops that would work in hot weather). And finally...

J.Crew Jenny Dress in Deep Peri

I'd really wanted to try this on, particularly in the blue colorway, but the fit just was not right on me, and sizing down didn't help. Too bad—for it being a simple dress, the blue would have been stunning on a summery day.

OOTD

2011-04-09T21:04:00.000-07:00

Top: ModCloth
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Pearl
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: Cydwoq

Apologies for the stiff pose and silly side-view, but my stock "hands in front" would've obscured the neat wavy hem of the top.

Havin' a good Thursday?

2011-04-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew tissue turtleneck in Champagne
Taupe cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Necklace: made by me (bigger pic of it here)
Skirt: gifted
Ivory fishnets
Boots: La Canadienne

I am, and hope you are too.

This pic illustrates what I like about this skirt (also worn here, here and here): its distinctly plummy tone. Perhaps the boots bring it out best, since they are straightforward dark brown suede.

It's totally modular!

2011-04-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Top: J. Crew Crinkled Chiffon Tunic in Orchid Shadow
Taupe cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Skirt: gifted (also worn here)
Tights: Wolford
Shoes: Cydwoq Category

I've done some flavors of this outfit a few times now, swapping out the shirt and/or jewelry, but same sweater, skirt, tights and shoes.

This pleases the inner programmer, the idea of a.) much less planning/thought involved in outfit composition and b.) having a template outfit you can plug different shirts into, depending on the weather and what happens to be clean.

If I don't see you, I'll think about you more.

2011-04-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

Top: gifted
Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in "Pearl"
Earrings: made by me
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
navy blue fishnets
Shoes: Cole Haan

I made these earrings quite a while ago, from tourmalines and oxidized sterling chain. They look kinda stiff here; I assure you, they're swingy:

Hm. This outfit is a prime example of the "Gibbs' Rules of Wardrobe Development" I've been fiddling around with, off and on (#4):

Never screw over your partner. This rule supersedes all other rules. (Just kidding, that is an actual Gibbs' Rule.)

Never shop at Banana Republic. The lasting quality of their clothing varies wildly.

If you shop at a store and walk out without buying anything, twice, reconsider the necessity of returning to that store. Time is money.

The first time you wear a new item, odds are good it won't look right.

I reallllly wanted to wear this shirt today, because of its sky-blue color. But this is not the ensemble for it. The stockings came out well (was wondering if they'd appear black, but they were nicely navy), but this shirt deserves a more thought-out setting. Dunno, I'll look into it later.

Telecommute

2011-04-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

Top: gifted (and worn here, here, and here)
Jacket: C & C California
Jeans: gifted
Sandals: Cydwoq Bare

Nice outfit for a Monday, eh, well I was working from home today.

The pendant is special; it's agate, and has my husband's name carved in it. What are the odds? He found it in Iran, decades ago.

Listening to:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Scar Tissue" (live at Slane Castle)

...which is, oddly, one of my favorite RHCP songs.

Paul and Joe lipstick #14 Strawberry Jam review

2011-04-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Paul and Joe lipstick #14 Strawberry Jam

Top: cotton, made in the Philippines (also worn here)
Jacket: C & C California
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Sandals: Cydwoq Bare

I haven't bothered putting on makeup today, but did don my new Paul and Joe lipstick to show you what it looks like on me.

Hermmm... Pretty much as I'd expected, from reading other bloggers' reviews; one of those natural, "your lips but better" shades. Nicely moisturizing, without flavor or much in the way of scent, pleasant texture on lips—ever so slightly tacky, actually, reminiscent of a good sticky pot lipgloss—but requiring more frequent touching up than my regular Dr. Hauschka.

I rather like it, but can't see a tremendous investment in P & J lippies coming on. Thank G-d. lol #14 is deep pink and warm in tone; no shimmer that I can detect, glossy finish (as I say, feels a bit like a pot gloss on the surface).

Something in your eyes is making such a fool of me*

2011-04-01T19:38:00.000-07:00

Top: Urban Outfitters Ecote Delicate Embroidered Tee
Skirt: J.Jill olive silk (also worn here)
Nude fishnets
Shoes: Cydwoq Category
Earrings: made by me (peridot, prehnite and tourmaline)

This is yesterday's ootd, and I hesitated to post it as I had major eyestrain and was tired. But then I thought, is this not a programmer's blog? Is there a programmer in existence who doesn't get eyestrain and never is tired? I liked the outfit, anyway.

I've been working on integrating two entirely separate programs (both mine—the Summer Sessions student portal, and their local version of the campus add/drop/change grading option/change unit value/switch secondary/do everything but cook your lunch program) into what will appear to be one seamless application. It's a bit tricky, since I developed them separately, from discrete concepts.

Cardigan: J.Crew Jackie in Pearl

Top: cropped eyelet, by Lush
Earrings: made by me
Skirt: Tulle (also worn here)
Grey fishnets
Shoes: Cole Haan

I posted about this top a while back and got to wear it today. I don't have a pic of the earrings, but they're silver chains with drops of aquamarine and green amethyst—designed to evoke falling rain.

* Madonna - Borderline (1983)

J.Crew Lace-stripe tissue tee

2011-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew Lace-stripe tissue tee in Buff
Grey cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Skirt: gifted (denim)
Shoes: Cole Haan
Earrings: gold hoops (okay you can't see them, but they went well with the pink)

Ah! finally almost hot today. I wasn't planning on bringing out the lace-stripe tee until later on in the season...and I doubt this was the most stylin' way to style it...as you can see, I got a loose-fitting size. Normally I tuck my shirt in, but it looked awkward with this skirt, which is a bit high-waisted. (Possibly it would look awkward tucked in with anything; don't know yet.)

But, love the light pink color, pretty lace, scoopy neckline and tissue-weight cotton: all quite cool-feeling. I've dithered about getting the "Soft Dove" version:

J.Crew Lace-stripe tissue tee in Soft Dove

...but, eh. Perhaps had it been blue, or ivory-colored, or écru...

Kindly allow me to gripe again: I really think the 'Crew should carry all of the colors of a given item at the b & m stores. I saw (and tried on) Dark Navy and Olive Tree—both pretty, but less striking than Buff (the lace being less visible), but could not find Soft Dove anywhere.

I can't tell you what's on my mind.*

2011-03-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew Jackie shell in Hyacinth
Taupe Cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Necklace: made by me
Skirt: gifted
Dark brown fishnets
Shoes: Cydwoq Category

Same necklace here:

This outfit cried out for a longer strand of pearls, which I don't own. I have it in mind to make one though; it should be pearls of about the same size as in the above piece, a single strand knotted on silk (easier than it sounds). Hm....

*Me: I can't tell you what's on my mind. You already thought I was hitting on you, before.
Prince/Knight (aghast, but fake-aghast): I didn't think that.
Me: Yes, you did. You totally thought I was hitting on you. You know, if I'd wanted to hit on you, I would have done a much better job of it.

—from "A Romantic Trip to Fry's"

Lipstick thoughts

2011-03-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Paul & Joe lipstick

I realize I've blogged hardly at all about beauty products lately—from sheer inertia. Been working my way through a tube of Dr. Hauschka #07 Adagio lipstick:

...which, while reasonably useful, is not something I'd care to repurchase time and again. (Unlike Hauschka #09 Dolce, which is a staple of mine.)

Come to think of it, this tube of #07 is probably my second (rolls eyes) but I'd had it in mind to try something else next time, and now both Adagio and Dolce have waned, down to the barest sliver (still usable, but gettin' there).

I'd a coupon, but online only; when I glimpsed Paul & Joe's cat-shaped lipstick in a google search, something told me I'd found my next lippie to try.

Since I'd never...in a million years...wanted to own a cat-shaped lipstick, why the sentiment? The sculpted shape and natty printed tubes were sure to attract beauty bloggers—those kind folks who describe and photograph beauty products on their blogs. I mean Paul & Joe Beauté sounded vaguely familiar, from when I'd done some beauty blogging myself, but amongst a swirl of brands I'd never gotten around to trying.

The cat shapes appear to be limited edition, with P & J cranking out new cat shades now and again. Not something I'm into, since devolving into a pattern of sloth; I'd far rather chance upon something useful, and repurchase-able.

BTW other P & J LE lippies have a delicate flower design carved into the lipstick bullet (see Pink Sith).

After sifting through the swatch and FOTD (face of the day) pics, I decided to try #14 Strawberry Jam, modelled by Strawberry Mochi, Tracy's Beauty Blogsphere and Inspired by beauty. Perhaps it's difficult to go wrong with this sort of color, but I am picky about makeup, so the descriptions of lipstick quality are as valuable to me as images—I decided against Nvey Eco and Vincent Longo Lipstain based on mixed reviews of their feel on the lips.

Anyhoo, it's wait and see on this. :)

Idle dreams (the best kind)

2011-03-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

J.Crew Quorra Ballet Flat in Black

J.Crew Quorra Oxford in Black

I loathe buying shoes online. I'll buy just about anything else over the Net, but shoes...seldom look "on" the way they do photographed by themselves.

That said—are these cool or what! Imagine in the summer, when it's steamin' hot (or what we call steamin' hot, anyway); here you have shoes (work-friendlier than sandals) paved with teensy perforations. The oxfords pull ahead here, if only because you could do the little-socks-thing with those, but the ballet flats appeal (less shoe, more air on feet).

A Daisy Buchanan moment

2011-03-22T21:06:00.000-07:00

Dress: J.Crew Tuxedo end-on-end dress
Earrings: made by me (tiny pearls on gold chains)
Grey cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Distressed leather jacket: ? have had for years
Boots: La Canadienne

I bought this dress on a bit of a whim:

J.Crew Tuxedo end-on-end dress

Not something I'd normally consider, but I saw it in the shop and was attracted to its bright blue color, and the fact that it resembled a shirt my husband owns several of.

He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one, before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel, which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher — shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange, and monograms of Indian blue. Suddenly, with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily.

"They're such beautiful shirts," she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. "It makes me sad because I've never seen such — such beautiful shirts before."

On the negative side, it does wrinkle when you've been sitting in it a while. I suppose it's meant for warmer weather; the long sleeves roll up (and can be tabbed). The drawstring is nifty, since you can convert the dress into a drop-waisted effect, or more of a blouson.

Happy Monday!

2011-03-21T19:19:00.000-07:00

Top: gifted
Earrings: made by me
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Skirt: J.Crew Denim Pencil
Boots: La Canadienne

Here's a really bad pic of the earrings:

They're sterling silver with grey stones, and purple garnets on the bottom.

Notes on J.Crew Lace-over tank

2011-03-19T22:15:00.000-07:00

J.Crew Lace-over tank in Smoky Charcoal

Got to see this in person, but only in Smoky Charcoal, Ivory, and Taupe; no Shore Pink or Dark Navy.

Is it me? Do your b & m 'Crews appear to stock only some colors of items now? I find that annoying.

This tops runs big. I could wear a Small in it, where I'd normally try Large first. There didn't seem to be much difference between Small and Medium, actually...I'd probably spring for Medium here, if only because I prefer looser-fitting tops.

About the colorways: they really need to stock them all. I'd normally have gravitated toward Ivory or Taupe, over Smoky Charcoal, but the former looked blah on me when tried on. Smoky Charcoal fared well.

The quality was a bit off here too. I noted the buttonholes hadn't been finished nicely. Okay, technically there's no reason to unbutton the top, being henley style—ironically the shirt is presented in the store with the first two buttons undone, and those buttonholes look fine—for a $52 top, you'd expect a bit more. Oh, and the top of the placket looked kinda fuzzy. Okay, I could just take it home and sew it...grumbles

On the plus side, the lace layer over thin cotton effect was quite pretty. The neckline was too low on me, but then I usually wear a camisole under just about everything, so big whoop. I was tempted by Smoky Charcoal...but couldn't they have stocked Shore Pink and Dark Navy? How would navy blue lace look? Would the pink appear too close to my skin color to pack much of a punch?

I liked how the top was long enough, and loose enough at the hem, to be worn untucked. Usually I like to tuck in my tops, but here you'd want the lace to show.

Overall...had the 'Crew stocked the pink and navy shades, I might well have bought one FP. Waiting for the price to drop can be risky, in terms of getting an un-shopworn item in the color and size you want, and a pretty, business-casual-friendly top that would work in hot weather is something I can use.

OOTD; listening to...

2011-03-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

Shirt: J.Crew
Earrings: made by me (grey freshwater pearls with aquamarine)
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Skirt: gifted (and squashed in the photo)
Boots: La Canadienne

Drat! the glare obscures the graph-paper pattern of the shirt:

At first I was convinced he was the Knight, not the Prince. I'm American, so the Knight is more valuable to me (he works for a living, where the other guy was merely handed the job); but, at one point, I recognized what he was doing. (He was the Knight and the Prince.)

—from "A Romantic Trip to Fry's"

Kinda like Picasso's day job was making shirts.

2011-03-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Top: ?
Cardigan: Sundance Catalog
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Boots: La Canadienne

This is a different Stewart + Brown skirt from yesterday's: it's reversible. When I first got it, I thought, eh, it's reversible, but then it becomes a plain black skirt.

But that can be a good thing. If you feel your outfit is too busy, you need only turn the skirt inside out. The "loom" pattern side didn't do much for the shirt, so that is what I did today.

The shirt now, is at least fifteen years old, probably closer to twenty. It was sitting in the back of the closet when I was taking care of my kids and working as a contractor.

It's nice, particularly now that we have so much mass-produced fashion, which tends toward solid colors over prints. Another factor imo is the preponderance of apparel made in China. Indian, Indonesian, Japanese, English and U.S. textiles tend to be far more sophisticated.

It never rains in California...

2011-03-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

But, girl, don't they warn ya?
It pours, man, it pours.

Top: C & C California
Grey cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Black pearl pendant: gifted
Skirt: Stewart + Brown
Boots: La Canadienne

OOTD; notes on J.Crew Eyelet Embroidered Tank

2011-03-14T18:59:00.000-07:00

Top: J.Crew tissue turtleneck in Champagne
Taupe cardigan: J.Jill kimono sleeve
Skirt: J.Jill
Boots: La Canadienne

It was not "supposed" to rain today (I checked the forecast yesterday), so naturally I wore rain boots. :) The weather has just been strange. It's come to remind me of Washington State, where, after a time, you just give up and enjoy the humidity.

J.Crew Eyelet Embroidered Tank, revisited

Wah! I finally saw these in person, and was more than a bit disappointed. I'm still scouting around for office-friendly hot weather tops—and this is not one imo.

In the shop, they had the Ivory and Baltic Blue. No Dusty Blush, but a fourth color not on the website: rich brown-olive, prettier than the other two available shades. Still, a.) It was big...I grabbed my usual size Large and had to go down to Medium. The arm-holes were kinda ginormous and I pictured wearing a camisole beneath it. Not a deal-breaker (who cares, wear a cami) but b.) it just didn't look all that special. The embroidery was a killer concept, but almost cheesily rendered; I had visions of ravelling threads....

Bibico: fair trade temptation!

2011-03-06T11:34:00.000-08:00

Bibico Celia Dress

Because I need more sartorial seduction in my life. :)

Allow me to preface this...whenever I hear the phrase "fair trade," my first inclination is to find products made in the U.S. (Go ahead, throw tomatoes.) So that would include Velvet, Stewart + Brown, C & C California, Cydwoq, smaller brands such as Heartbreaker Fashion and Punkin NYC, the odd Supima cotton item...all of which I have bought, and check out periodically. There is also a slew of brands I have yet to try, such as LA Made, Lamixx, Prairie Underground, Clary Sage, Vintage Shoe Company, Aurora Shoe Company, Splendid, yadda yadda...

Lamixx Intermix Skirt at Threadsence

All of that said, the idea of fair trade international is a good one. Why not?

The one domestic source of Bibico I've found is Modcloth:

...where you can get this nifty yellow-and-white striped top with pockets for about what you'd have to pay at J.Crew.

J.Crew Confidential #2

2011-03-06T01:47:00.000-08:00

J.Crew Lunette Mini in Dark Beechwood

This was nicer in person than in the pic. I mean it looks okay pictured, it's just anything termed "mini" is scary to me, and it looks as if it might poof out, giving you gargantuan hips.

So:

It isn't that short. I did my usual scoping around for a bigger size, and got it to fit akin to last year's Nico skirt:

With opaque tights, it should be okay for work.

It does poof somewhat. If you're against poofiness, at all, you may not want to wear this skirt. For me it was...well, it was great, actually. I got the blue one:

J.Crew Lunette Mini in Dark Navy

Had been looking around forever for a nice navy blue skirt.

J.Crew Lace Stripe Tissue Tee in Buff

Here's another item looking better in person. This kind of thing could be hit or miss, depending on the quality of the lace, and the overall effect could be super casual, or it could also function as a business casual work shirt (more valuable).

Nice touch, lace travelling around the back and sleeves:

You'd need to wear something under it for work (being constructed of strips of fabric and lace, not lace sewn over a solid shirt), but the lace is quite lovely. They didn't have the grey one:

"Buff" is light pink, with a faint tone of brown.

The sole glitch here: it is marked Dry Clean Only. It's cotton, so I'm wondering if the concern is the lace and fabric pulling apart (the lace is a bit delicate too). Could you not hand-wash it though?

I saw the Dorrie skirt, but not in the two colors I was looking for.

J.Crew Dorrie skirt in Alabaster

The Dragonfly Blue and Chambray versions of this might have been interesting to me. The red-orange one...eh, it's too young a color for me. And I really don't like white skirts. I take public transportation (thought of wearing a white skirt on the BART kind of skeeves me out) and then I'm a clod, so would be destined to dump some food or beverage on it, no doubt the first time the skirt gets worn.

The brown one, Toffee, I just did not feel attracted to.

Yo, ladies...

2011-03-03T22:16:00.000-08:00

Apologies for the dearth of ootd pics.

Today's outfit kinda blew, anyway, involving a Kenneth Cole sweater that'd been sitting in my closet for ages (a nice black cotton one, patterned with graduated khaki-colored stripes). I wasn't sure what to do with it, so I put it with a black skirt...ah! Too much black. The sweater melded with the skirt, detracting from its lovely striped-ness.

I have purchased this fine cotton eyelet crop top from Threadsence...before you get all gah! Madonna called from 1983 and wants her shirt back, I'll have you know I have tried it on, and it's fab. (It was described as off-white on the site, but is rather a light warm grey.)

It looks useful; could work as a casual summer top, but also (perhaps even better) over a tank top or dress, as pictured.

She's my Twilight Zone, my Al Capone...

2011-02-26T18:09:00.000-08:00

Cameo - "She's Strange" (1984)

She's my Rolling Stones, and my Eva Peron.

Hm. I liked the 80's.

Now on to the serious stuff:

J.Jill Simple 120 jacket in Heather Grey

J.Jill Simple 120 short trouser skirt in Heather Grey

I don't know if I actually like these pieces; I don't work in a suit office, and I'd rather the skirt zipped in back. The jacket is a bit overly conservative...and I haven't seen any of this stuff in person—there are other washable wool pieces in 'Jill's "Simple 120" collection, including pants, majorly long skirt, shorts even...it may well all be fug, or fly to pieces when actually laundered in a machine.

Nitpicking aside, it's great. Any real reason you can't develop washable office clothes?

J.Crew Lace-Over Tank in Taupe

Kindly allow me to throw in, re my current J.Crew drool list. This had to catch my eye...what do you really do when you see something irresistible? Do you just stand there while your eyeballs pop out of your head? muses

It's cotton, making it easier to maintain than silk, yet perhaps it's sufficiently pretty to work in a biz-cas office setting. Say on one of those sweltering summer days, when you're rifling through your closet, wondering what's gonna work. Could this be 2011's "Bettina Cami"?:

J.Crew Eyelet Embroidered Tank in Dusty Blush

J.Crew Eyelet Embroidered Tank in Baltic Blue - detail

This could be tempting too, along the same lines.

As long as they're good-looking, who cares if they're shallow?*

2011-02-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

Sweater: gifted (black merino wool)
Necklace: made by me—two sterling hoops, a tiny gemstone in each
Earrings: made by me, aquamarine (even though you can't see them)
Skirt: J.Crew cord pencil skirt in Shadow
Boots: La Canadienne

Hey! Finally it's reasonably bright when I get home from work.

This outfit materialized because I'd wanted to wear the sweater...was thinking of pairing it with my best grey skirt (sounds like neutral Hell, and probably would have been), but then I saw the 'Crew skirt hanging there, unworn for some weeks? It occurred to me the skirt would look bluer, were it the only colored piece in the outfit.

Have I been drinking the Crewlade lately? If only. I did return the Silk Pocket Tank for one size down. The exchange is being processed slooooowly...I even saw the Silk Pocket Tanks in the store last weekend, it's that slow...they didn't have all five shades, only Wave Crest (the blue one I'm exchanging), Pale Blossom (gorgeous, but a stain magnet if I'm wearing it), and Spicy Guava, which was surprisingly pretty irl.

J.Crew Silk Pocket Tank in Spicy Guava

Here it looks like a faded pumpkin, but the actual color is richer and browner.

* overheard in my department

Happy Sunday!

2011-02-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

Dress: Eddie Bauer
Sandals: Cydwoq

I haven't worn this dress in quite a while...hmmm...here it is in a 2008 photoshop screenshot (top row, third from left):

When did Eddie Bauer cease making pretty dresses? Granted, their rayon ones weren't great (wrinkle magnets), but the cotton ones were amazing.

Did you ever see a dream walking?

2011-02-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

Fats Domino - "Did You Ever See a Dream Walking" (1962)

Well, I did. :)

I'd like to get some ootd pics going again; it's been sparse, since I don't like indoor ootd pictures (my camera being too old to do it well anyway). Maybe today or tomorrow.

J.Crew Silk Pocket Tank: a quick observation

2011-02-02T23:01:00.000-08:00

J.Crew Silk pocket tank

I just got this, from the major discount sale a while back. It's HUGE. Debating which size to size down to...the size below? two sizes down? It is that bad. Silk can shrink somewhat even washed in cold water, hence the notion of sizing up in the first place, buuuuut...

Nu...?

2011-02-01T23:38:00.000-08:00

Poor dilapidated blog...no, I haven't reformed and given up, ah, anything much, at this point. Still fawning over the J.Crew new arrivals porn, as much as the next gal (they have some sweet stuff this spring). I suppose things will pick up in a bit...we just opened for Summer 2011, replete with the usual central IT department issues. The next several days are typically, not "hell" exactly? but there are always things which can't be tested in a development environment.

My Student Record Change Form is coming along...I'm doing the most headache-y case now (Switch Secondary Section and/or Lab). You have to account for courses with no or one secondary, multiple secondaries with no labs, multiple secondaries with one lab each, multiple secondaries with multiple labs... There are different approaches to this sort of thing (no two people do it the same way); after a while you already know how you want to solve it, it's just a matter of doing it.

Happy Monday!

2011-01-10T23:07:00.000-08:00

Frick it's cold, in our weird Californian style. I say "weird" because it's actually not that chilly; it's just we're in a perpetual state of denial that it ever dips below, oh, 60 degrees Fahrenheit...which is glacial btw.

Punkin NYC Fall A-Line skirt

I wore this the other day— I'd bought it June-ish of last year, but the thing is this: it was designed and made in New York City. Those ladies know how to do it...it's mere cotton jersey, but double-layered, like a storm window. Doesn't feel "hot" on, but the wind is hard put to blow through it.

Work-wise...I've been converting my Student Record Change Form from Lasso to PHP (I'd started it earlier, actually, when I'd had some extra time). The SRCF is by far the most-used student form in my department; more than 4000 of them were uploaded last year. The form was literally a piece of paper when I started in 2008.

Cydwoq Drill Boots at 0:52!

2011-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Elfstones Jewelry Fall Fashion Shoot

Not sure which the other boots are--Future? This video also features some Stewart + Brown clothing, a line by which I've become intrigued.

When they introduce the people who made the video at the end, I have to notice, and applaud, that they mention two of the ladies are moms. Yes! Finally! I've maintained all along that being a mom is a profession, and should be granted the same regard as any other.

Help for the scarf-challenged

2011-01-08T16:18:00.000-08:00

Michelle Phan & Chriselle Lim - "7 Ways to Wear a Scarf"

I always liked Michelle Phan (she's narrating the video; Chriselle is modelling the scarves) from back when she did cool stuff like use an electric toothbrush instead of a Clarisonic.

Not for nothing, but...

2011-01-02T18:35:00.000-08:00

Did I actually write that my J.Crew-affair had peaked? Hm. I've done a fair amount of mall-crawling, in this our never-ending holiday season, and have only come to appreciate the 'Crew more. It's like Macy's, only with better clothes, in a much smaller physical space. Rather than floors and floors of stuff you don't want, you can be in and out of the shop with relative speed, and there's always something useful for which to write a mental Post-it note.

J.Crew Silk pocket tank

Ya, another boring J.Crew silk tank top, but wait! It's machine washable! Was I not recently grousing why the 'Crew did not produce more washable silk tops, in a wider color range?

J.Crew Lace dobby skirt

I saw this in person...not something I'm likely to buy, but quite pretty. White skirts frighten me; they scream, "Drip coffee on me!" but I like the lace skirt concept.

J.Crew Canvas military skirt

Mmmm...might be nice for summer. I was looking for something like this, actually: a casual pull-on skirt in a neutral color. The drawstring would be a bonus (you could make the skirt fall longer), pockets are handy....

Hermmm...

2011-01-01T18:14:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year.

Today, PG&E (our beloved power company) doused the electricity around 11:20 AM, not to power it back up again until after 2:00 PM. Happy New Year to you guys too. Fortunately the gas was still going, so we spent our holiday huddled around a gas fire, playing the world's least ethical Scrabble game (imagine someone fondling the tiles inside the bag, attempting to feel for a blank???). In the end, words such as "wabet" were accepted (what Elmer Fudd hunts)...oh wait, wabet is a word?

I just realized I posted something every month in 2010, which has to be a first. I should do a Best of 2010 wardrobe recap.

January:

The height (depth?) of my turtleneck obsession. I still cower inside these once the weather turns. J.Crew cranked out ton-loads of Tissue Turtlenecks at one point, but a good turtleneck is relatively easy to find. Yay!

February:

J.Crew Nico skirt in Black Blossom

Love this skirt (no, it is not as short on me): great for summer, travel, casual Friday with tights, has pockets, goes with every color, yadda yadda....

March:

J.Crew Boatneck Painter tee in Pale Blossom

My two Boatneck Painter tees—this is actually light pink, like a ballet slipper, the other is light bluish-greenish grey—have served me well. The boat-shaped neckline makes them fancier than plain tee shirts, and the colors are sublime. Hope the 'Crew puts out more in 2011.

April:

Anchor Print skirt by Heartbreaker Fashion (via ModCloth)

This skirt has been lovely for weekends and casual Fridays. I'm usually not too big on prints, because most of them, well, suck, (are extremely uninspired) but the anchor-and-rope design charms, and I like the high waist.

May:

J.Crew Jackie shell in Pearl

Jackie shells, I love you! Why don't they carry them in the stores?

These are pretty handy tops; working in hot to coolish weather, coordinating with matching Jackie cardigan for a non-saccharine-looking twinset, even going nicely with non-matching Jackie cardigans, or any number of office or weekend clothes.

June:

J.Crew Crinkled Chiffon Tunic in Orchid Shadow

Okay, I didn't buy this in June, merely commenced drooling over its fine self. Wish there were more crinkled, doubled-layered silk tops from the 'Crew, and in a wider color choice (there were only the three above).

Oh, and I wash this in the machine (Woolite, delicate cycle, mesh bag) and hang to dry. Silk should be washable.

This is becoming a huge post. Probably should break it into two.

Hermmm... part 2

2011-01-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

See Hermmm... if you are lost.

July:

My first "outfit of the day" pic! Dorky as it sounds, these pictures are actually quite useful. I'm sure to pop open my ootd pages when looking at clothes online...at a glance, you can see if the item under consideration would work with what you already own, and get a ballpark what it would look like on you.

August:

J.Crew Pencil Cord skirt in Golden Wood

Apparently I started drooling over this long before acquiring it. Here the virtue lies in the glorious color (really looks woody, with the golden brown and hint of green), and consistent 'Crew pencil skirt sizing (this was sold only online/catalogue). It's unlined, so you need a slip that's almost as long as the skirt to make it work with tights.

September:

The Rolling Stones - "Emotional Rescue" (1980)

I didn't do too much wardrobe-wise in September, but listened to this song a lot, and a slew of other Bobby Keys stuff. I remember Keys' work better from John Lennon's Walls and Bridges than his more famous work with the Stones. It was interesting taking a Youtube journey, from Dion's Runaround Sue to the more esoteric:

The Jim Carroll Band - "City Drops Into the Night" (1980)

October:

J.Crew Herringbone Plaid Boy Shirt

Plaid! I have been drawn to men's plaid shirts since forever, and often wondered why (was irked as hell, really) there weren't similar shirts for women. Thank you, J.Crew. smooch

November:

I passed on Boden's machine washable wool sweaters; the prices were too high, even with coupons/sales. Do ya really want to spend a hundred bucks on a sweater? I don't.

December:

Ah, it feels like only yesterday...erm...December was cold. I recall skulking around in every single pair of wool tights I own, and every skirt or pants in corduroy, velvet or anything hairy/woolly/furry/fuzzy.

Last post of the year

2010-12-31T22:15:00.000-08:00

When did they get so tall?

It's been a marvellous year for me. Not financially, (rolls eyes) though I have plans for 2011. 2010 was rather a discovery of the extraordinary...which may be found, as usual, right under your nose.

Have you ever heard of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates?...

2010-12-28T21:22:00.000-08:00

...Morons.

Have a great day!

2010-12-27T13:14:00.000-08:00

Sweater: The Gap
Necklace: freshwater pearls
Bracelet: gifted (Venetian glass with a bunch of silver doodads)
Skirt: Velvet by Graham and Spencer
Boots: La Canadienne

Another year over;

2010-12-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

and a new one just begun.

Almost, anyway. Three work days remain in 2010 (I know, I'm fortunate enough not to work in retail, but then I don't get commission). The year end has been significant to me for quite some time; it's when I analyze whether I'd accomplished what I'd decided, at the end of the previous year, to do, and determine exactly what I want to do in the upcoming year.

What does that have to do with fashion? Weirdly it is kind of relevant. I've thought for a while that my J.Crew-affair had rather peaked. I will always love the 'Crew, of course, and you can't beat them for office wardrobe basics which are prettier than...plain ole office clothes...but, after collecting 'Crew items over a period of time, I have enough.

So, where to now, post-'Crew?

I've been digging into American-produced fashion. There's a surprising amount of it, and it's not as spendy as it may seem. Sure, we haven't aspired to undercut foreign labor cost; you may pay more at full price...but not horribly more. And there are sales (it's American stuff, remember?).

I haven't sworn off J.Crew by any means. (The horror....) Just branching out some.

You were amazing.

2010-12-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

No, you were amazing.
Awww....
lol
I've returned from the Pacific Northwest. These are my waterproof boots (suede, with an interesting patent leather toe) and a machine washable wool sweater, both of which came in handy. It wasn't quite as cold as I'd remembered; I was okay with the boots and sweater under a raincoat.

ETA: I need to shrink this skirt more.

I'll be the first to admit it

2010-12-06T21:07:00.000-08:00

I'm curious about you; you seem so innocent.*

Jacket: distressed leather
Top: gifted
Skirt: J.Crew Denim Pencil
Boots: Cydwoq

Hmmm...the top pic is of my brother-in-law's amazing architecture (2003); I dug it up because I'm wearing the same jacket and hairdo as in the pic below (November 25 2010).

* Ever had a song stuck in your mind?

I feel warmer already :)

2010-12-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

Tom Jones and Cerys Matthews - "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

It's getting chilly these days; I've already brought out my machine washable lambswool sweater:

Yes! I've washed it in the machine. I hate it when people review machine washable wool items before washing them. Isn't that what's really on your mind? Does it shrink? Does it pill?

So far anyway, this thing is killerific. I washed it in a mesh laundry bag (cold water, delicate cycle, Woolite), took it out...I didn't even have to pull it back into shape, just hung it on the line to dry.

Along with, J.Crew Tissue Turtleneck in Nightfall Blue:

...which is a dark teal, this velvet skirt, only in BLACK:

...black tights, boots:

I've had the skirt almost two years, from back when Sundance Catalog marked this type of thing way down. The pic doesn't really show the pockets; it has two honking cargo pockets, side pockets, back pockets...but the virtue doesn't lie in the pockets (particularly since the sweater has them), but rather in the snuggly velvet.

For this I have a necklace I made from two kinds of heavy sterling silver chain. No pic, sorry! The outfit would be too dark otherwise. One of the chains has large hammered oval links; the other, two round links soldered together, connected with textured oval links. You can wear it different ways, because you can clip the oval-link chain anywhere.

Thanksgiving randomness

2010-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

I'm blogging from Southern Cal! I like it down here.

Discovered this: Heavenly Couture

We don't have an "all items for $15 or less" store in Northern Cal! (Or if we did, it would be so crappy you wouldn't care to venture inside.) I got a cream-colored cotton-and-silk-blend vest, the front appearing almost like a scarf (long and diaphanous, no buttons), the back shorter and gathered. Also a long crinkled black cotton shirt with metal buttons, that came with a belt—not the greatest belt in the universe, but you could swap it out—it's belted low, on the hips. And a black bamboo knit top with mesh panels (you'd need a camisole or tank; contrasting color could be interesting).

(Weirdly none of these items appears on the site.)