I LOVE J.CREW

The Gap’s New Advisor Is J.Crew’s Former President

2012-01-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

I wonder if this means we'll see a return to the "glory days" of the GAP. Will we say goodbye to the ill-fitting, disposable throw-away, um, everything? Here's hoping!

The Gap’s New Advisor Is J.Crew’s Former President [nymag.com]

The poor old Gap has been limping along with poor sales figures for years now, but perhaps the company is actually ready to make good on all those promises to fix itself up and sell clothes people actually want to buy. Enter Tracy Gardner, who was the president of J.Crew from 2004 to 2010, after which she resigned in order to “spend more time with her children," according to J.Crew CEO Mickey Drexler (she was replaced by Jenna Lyons). Like Drexler, Gardner worked at the Gap before J.Crew, so this move is a homecoming of sorts.

As of now, Gardner doesn't have a specific title; she'll work "in an advisory capacity and will provide oversight and guidance on the development of our women’s product,” Gap spokeswoman Louise Callagy told WWD. And don't expect to see major changes at the store for quite some time — Callagy said that Gardner's first project is "developing holiday product for 2012." (If Gardner brings any of her J.Crew fairy dust with her, this means we can anticipate lots of sequins and artfully half-tucked collared shirts from the Gap come Christmas.) Meanwhile, the brand is still hunting for a successor for head designer Patrick Robinson, who was dismissed this past summer.

Read more about Tracy Gardner's new position at Women's Wear Daily: http://www.wwd.com/retail-news/people/tracy-gardner-to-advise-gap-5526740?module=today

Fotoshop by Adobé

2012-01-11T09:24:00.002-05:00

Not J.Crew-related, but I got a kick out of this.

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Pantone 2012 Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango

2012-01-02T09:36:00.001-05:00

While a shocking orange might come as a, ahem, shock, to some as Pantone's color of the year for 2012, anyone who's been following along with J.Crew will recognize "Tangerine Tango" as last season's "Modern Red" (and this rollout's "Cerise.") Thank goodness for us it's still going to be "in" for next year as well!

You can get your hands on this year's new must have color with these bright pieces:

Matinee Trench in Modern Red, $178.00 item 36326

Colorblocked stripe long-sleeve tee in Cerise, $45.00 item 62774

Double-breasted gold-button blazer in Cerise, $118.00 item 71042

Shrunken Fisherman Sweater in Cerise, $88 item 41313

And, just because I feel the need to pat myself on the back for actually taking part in a trend while it's actually happening, I wanted to share this little Kate Spade beauty that I picked up from Gilt back in December. I was a bit disheartened after our trip to New York last month, considering this was supposed to be THE color. And I saw all of no one - not a single person - carrying a handbag of a similar shade. I was quite convinced the curse of anything-popular-in-Ohio-was-popular-everywhere-else-two-years-ago had struck again. But now that I know it's the shade of the new year that just means I was ahead of the game, right? Right?

Kate Spade 'Lori' Shoulder Bag - Gazpacho Red via Pinterest

What's that? You're not on Pinterest OR Gilt?! Goodness sakes, get with the program! And if you haven't yet gotten an invite to Pinterest, leave a note in the comments.

Do you have any Tangerine Tango in your closet?

Happy Crew Year, 2012!

2012-01-01T12:31:00.003-05:00

I'm back! Kinda. After re-reading last year's posts around this time, I thought maybe I'd give this another shot. To say I haven't felt like it lately ("lately" being since about April of last year) would be an understatement. I don't know about you, but I'm quite glad to see 2011 go into the archives. Not that it was bad, necessarily. But I'm glad it's over.

So, since I was absent for most of the year - let's recap!

January: Watched my brother and sister-in-law's dog and her parents' dog while they traveled to California. Overcame the flu.

Februrary: Can't remember. Pretty sure nothing happened in February. Let's move on.

March: Spoke at SXSWi again, this time on a panel with two friends. Hung out at a number of journalism parties (because I'm a total glommer-onner) – I think I secretly have a thing for journalists.

April: Company I worked for went on the auction block. Things happened. I stuck it out. Bygones.

May: Can't remember. Nothing must've happened in May either. My husband says "we were living life! Does everything have to be an event?" No, I suppose not. But for real, nothing happened in May. Just don't tell him I said that.

June: Went on a week-long vacation to visit my husband's parents in Treasure Island, Florida, and stayed in the iconic Sands of the Treasure Island. It's about as far from a luxury hotel as they come, but at least now I can say we've been. I believe it's also currently on the market for a cool $6 mil., if anyone's interested in a run-down 50s-era beachfront motor-court. Oh, and we also drove up to see WeekiWachee while we were there!

July: Over the course of three weeks, I completed three red-eye overnight trips to Los Gatos, CA, then to Seattle, WA, then to Austin, TX. I also learned how not to negotiate. I'm working on that one as a resolution for 2012.

August: Changed health insurance policies for the second time in two months. Yeah. I got nuthin'.

September: Drove out to Indianapolis to see my Dad do three laps in an Indy Car at the Indianapolis 500 race track. That was fun.

October: Took off a few days to fly up to Boston to speak at the Geekend Roadshow, which was part of the DMA conference. Turned it into a 2-day tour of historic Boston and Harvard with my awesome friend who was also speaking on the panel with me at the conference.

November: Flew to Washington, DC to speak on a panel for DCWEEK. Walked all the way around the outside of the White House in my brand-new, never before worn Mona pumps (and got the blisters to prove it!)

December: Drove up to New York City (road trip!) to meet up with my Dad and his wife for a whirlwind escapade to New York City. It was my Dad's first-ever time in NYC, so we did all the usual touristy fare, and since it was New York City at Christmastime everything was two-hundred times more fun.

We also realized (just two days ago while watching 'Big' for the umpteenth time) that the seedy and not-really-affordable, but darn close(!) hotel we stayed at was the very same seedy hotel from the movie! I like to fancy myself a movie location buff, at least when I think of it, but this was totally unplanned. My husband and I stayed an extra few days and ran smack-dab into Santacon at Grand Central Terminal, and then saw 'Book of Mormon' on Broadway before heading for home.

The following week it was year seven of attending the Cleveland Orchestra's Holiday Concert, where my husband, my Dad and I got up to sing 'Five gold rings' during 'The Twelve Days of Christmas.' We each won a free CD for embarrassing ourselves in front of all of Cleveland. I thought it was totally worth it.

And now here we are! Like I said, nothing particularly bad happened. Working 80+ hours will wear a person out, but I really have no one to blame but my.....yeah well. Nevermind. I also gained 20 pounds. But on the up side, I did get a good handle on how to use my crockpot in 2011, so there's that.

I've made a number of J.Crew purchases over the past month that I hope to review in the coming days, and I've got more (almost finished) 'Who's that model' posts that I never got to share from last year.

Bring on 2012!

The J in J.Crew!

2011-08-16T06:42:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, New York Magazine published an article about the Creative Director and President of J.Crew, the one and only Jenna Lyons. Yes, I know, what more could we possibly learn about the head of J.Crew? Much, apparently, as the article takes Jenna's affable, real-woman persona to a whole new level. Dental work! Bald spots! You can read the full article over at nymag.com here.

And if you happen to have stumbled across this blog from NY Mag (welcome!) – may I highly suggest you mosey on over to jcrewaficionada.blogspot.com, affectionately known as "The Mothership," for more J.Crew updates, community postings and member sales, promo codes, and J.Crew news than you can shake a stick at.

Hey, what's that item? Email Edition

2011-05-16T09:58:00.005-04:00

If you're like me, when you see an item used in the email newsletters, you might think "Hey, I want that!" And of course you do! The goal is to make the items look as enticing as possible so you'll click the link.

Isn't it bothersome, then, that they don't tell you what's in the photo? For example:

Is that a towel wrapped around the model's neck? A scarf?

A quick chat with the "Online Specialist" (thanks for that, by the way!) revealed the item as the LemLem® Tullu Scarf (item 45193) - $125.

Are you inspired by the email stylings?

Monogramming + Gift Boxing = Whoopdeedoo

2011-04-19T09:41:00.004-04:00

If you've logged into your J.Crew account in the last few days, it's possible you may have been treated to a unexpected little surprise. A "special thank you" if you will.

In the past, this promotion has usually included free gift boxes for some, free monogramming for others, and for the über-lucky, free shipping with no minimum. When I received the free gift box options last time, I stocked up. The thinking was "hey, I could always use some free boxes." Those boxes quickly ended up in the basement, and it's possible they got a bit soggy because we tend to get water down there when it rains. And it always rains in Ohio, thus all those cardboard boxes are probably now unusable. But at least I took advantage, yes?

Have you checked into your J.Crew account lately?

Speaking of Interviews

2011-04-18T06:00:00.000-04:00

Have any of you ever applied to J.Crew Corporate?

I found the process to be odd at best, and pitifully um, pitiful at worst. Clicking on the "Careers" link from the footer takes you to J.Crew's job listings. That's actually a misnomer. There are no job listings.

According to this article at Excite (no idea how old this article is):

J. Crew does not post listings for corporate jobs...The company only recruits on college campuses for telemarketing and warehousing staff. Interviews are "very relaxed," and generally involve two or more rounds with HR and then with people from specific departments.

Okay, I get it. You want to be all mysterious - promote from within. That's fine. I figured I'll give it a shot anyway - putting a resume out there into the ether - that's always a good use of my time (okay, I realize it's not - but I do it occasionally just because.) But can you imagine the discounts? Plus I have friends at AOL, which just happens to have its headquarters in the same building. A win-win, yes?

A search of all jobs for the New York Corporate offices at 770 Broadway displays "Department Listings." I was looking for anything design-related, to which there are four options:

1) Brand Creative. This doesn't necessarily mean you'd be doing anything related to branding, like, you know, if you had applied to a "Branding Studio" somewhere else. Semantics I suppose. The website designers fall into this category)

We're famous for the way our catalog looks, thanks to this department. Brand Creative develops the image of the brand through photography, styling, copy, graphic design and catalog production. It supports key merchandising initiatives through a creative display of product and visually communicates marketing messages to the customer.

2) Technical Design, which seems to include the design of store window displays and the planograms within the stores? I'm not sure - obviously I've never worked in retail.

The interior designers and in-house architects for every J.Crew store. Visual Merchandising creates an exciting environment that includes everything the customer can see: engaging and creative windows, easy-to-shop and well-presented merchandise. Store Design transforms raw space into brand environments through architecture, fixtures, lighting and signage.

3) Visual Merchandising & Store Design - interior design. Wait, this description is identical to the Technical Design department (see above)

The interior designers and in-house architects for every J.Crew store. Visual Merchandising creates an exciting environment that includes everything the customer can see: engaging and creative windows, easy-to-shop and well-presented merchandise. Store Design transforms raw space into brand environments through architecture, fixtures, lighting and signage.

4) Design - I'm assuming this means clothing design.

The birth of a product starts here. Designers help to define the color, print and overall inspiration for each seasonal collection. They select fabrics, create sketches and develop samples. The presentation of each collection gives clear direction for all of our products and influences the overall look of our stores, catalog and jcrew.com.

So, you've decided you're going to apply. Good luck! Clicking on "Apply to this department" takes you to another page, where you are forced to create a profile. This, in and of itself - not so strange. Most sites will require you create an account and/or a profile with them before you may apply. Perhaps the strange part of this process at J.Crew's site, is that when you click on "Submit Profile" you may think you're just creating your profile - then you'd go back and actually apply for the departments you're interested in. NOT SO! Creating a profile and saving it actually SUBMITS your profile. Am I the only one who finds this disturbing? Guess it was just an unexpected behavior. I'll get over it.

According to that (old) Excite article, if you really want to apply, "resumes with cover letters can be mailed to the NY Human Resources department, or e-mailed to resumes@jcrew.com." I did this, but I didn't so much as even receive a "thanks for applying" confirmation email. So yes, sending into the ether. Fun way to spend a Sunday morning. :)

New Arrivals Online/In Store This Wednesday!

2011-04-17T08:16:00.005-04:00

According to my favoritest SA of all time - AnthonyC, Mr. Associate 0000000999999 at store 00568 - new arrivals (for Summer!) will be online and in stores this Wednesday, April 20th. Rewards cards have also recently gone out - check for yours in the mail.

In that I'm in need of new pants, and the B&Ms are currently running the additional 30% off on sale purchases, I headed to Easton Town Center and Polaris yesterday to see what they had in stock. We'll just skip over the part where I buy the suiting pants for full price. It sickens me to spend that kind of cash on something I'll likely wear once, but I needed interview pants (that is to say, pants to wear during an interview) and nothing I have currently fits. It is what it is.

Perhaps my greatest "get" yesterday was the purchase of the Belmarin Pant (item 35583) in Dark Pewter for $13.99 (regular price $75).

Easton had about 10 of these in white left, and just one in mink, so after buying my pair there I headed over to Polaris to see if their sale section was more robust. They had two whole racks of these pants in Dark Pewter! But just a precaution, they were all mis-marked. Some were priced $49.99, some $29.99, some $19.99. The "right" price is $19.99 (which is what they rung up at the register), that's not including the additional 30% off. When they have so many of a particular item at such a heavy discount, it makes me wonder if there's something horribly wrong with these pants. For under $14 bucks I was willing to give them a go. They fit pretty true to size. Well, considering I'd eaten an entire pizza by myself just the night before......probably not the best time to go pant-shopping. Some people go out for drinks when they get stressed. I, apparently, eat my feelings.

The 30% off sale continues online and in stores through 11:59PM tonight (Sunday, April 17th).

Get Fab!

2011-03-23T07:49:00.006-04:00

Yes, I know....disappear for months at a time, then reappear with nothing even remotely J.Crew-related. What can I say, that's how I roll. Sorta. I'll get back to your normal J.Crew ramblings soon. Promise!

Anyway...

Have you signed up for fab.com yet?

Fab.com features daily design inspirations and sales at up to 70% off retail.

Sound familiar? If you like Rue La La, Gilt, Hautelook and Ideeli, well, you may as well sign up for Fab too. I'm sure there will be something special to separate Fab from the rest of the pack, but in reading the "about" page I'm still a bit unclear as to what that might be. Regardless - it's free to sign up (and you can always create a Gmail filter to ignore them later).

J.Crew Launching Blog

2011-02-09T10:08:00.004-05:00

Big news! And something, quite frankly, I didn't think would ever come, considering J.Crew's internal blogging policy (read the policy document from 2009 at PRNewser).

J.Crew is launching a blog!

Get ready to bookmark—J.Crew is launching its own blog late this month. Jenna Lyons, J.Crew’s president and executive creative director, broke the news to FashionEtc at Lucky magazine’s first Fashion and Beauty Blog Conference on Feb. 8.

Lyons revealed that the blog will start with a chorus of J.Crew voices. She recruited people from throughout the company to contribute their observations, ideas, and inspirations to the company’s blog.

“We’ve done a pre-selection of people within the company who would have something interesting to bring to the table but we’re also looking at people outside the company, to bring things to the forefront of content,” Lyons said.

Lyons actively sought out J.Crew contributors outside of the fashion departments, looking for people with captivating tastes and points of view. “We asked this cool guy in IT. We asked someone who’s a stylist. We asked someone who does all the sets for the shoots,” she explained.
“We looked for the most interesting people in the company … and we want a range. I want to hear what the IT guys are listening to, because they always have awesome music.”

Read the full story at Fashion etc.: http://fashionetc.com/news/fashion/511-jcrew-blog-jenna-lyons

Who's That "Model": Sam Page - February 2011 - Cover

2011-01-31T01:03:00.010-05:00

Yesterday we took a look at Mona Johannesson's reappearance on J.Crew's February cover. Her convertible cohort? The everywhere-man, Sam Page.

You've seen him most recently on Mad Men, on Gossip Girl, and Greek. He's also starred in Castle, Desparate Housewives, CSI: NY, Melrose Place, The Event, etc. etc. etc. He really is everywhere!

Gossip Girl

Mad Men

Greek

According to Wikipedia:

Sam Page (born Samuel L. Elliott on November 5, 1976 in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin) attended Princeton University, where he earned a BA in ecology and evolutionary biology.He captained the football and baseball teams at Whitefish Bay High School.

Swoon.

In addition to being all over the small screen, Page also did an editorial for BELLO MAG:

Photo source: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f50/sam-page-118983.html

Is there nothing that man can't do?

Who's That Model: Mona Johannesson - February 2011 - Cover

2011-01-31T00:44:00.007-05:00

Yup, it's another repeat! The beautiful Mona Johannesson is gracing the latest J.Crew catalog for February (she's the one sitting next to Sam Page in the convertible. Hot damn, that lucky girl.) You'll most likely remember Mona from the Spring 2010 Look Book.

For those of you who need a refresher, here are her details again courtesy of wikipedia:

Mona Johannesson (born September 18, 1986, Huskvarna, Sweden) is a Swedish model.

Johannesson was discovered at the age of 14 by an IMG Models scout while she was at a horse trials event in Gothenburg, Sweden. She modeled only part time until she finished school. Once she finished her education, she moved to London. Her big break came when an editorial in Fjords magazine re-created some of model Kate Moss's most famous poses, and Johannesson was quickly dubbed "The Next Kate Moss", including by Vogue. The nickname "Baby Kate" has stuck with her ever since.

Despite her short stature (by modeling standards), Johannesson has walked in numerous fashion shows including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Nina Ricci, Miu Miu Burberry, amongst others. Her list of advertising campaigns includes Armani Exchange, Boucheron Jewelry, Bulgari, Burberry Blue, Cacharel, Costume National, Filippa K, Hogan, Hugo by Hugo Boss, H&M Divided, iBlues, Kurt Geiger, Les Printemps, Nina Ricci, Tse Cashmere, Ungaro Fuchsia, and Valentino RED.

She is currently the face of Valentino's Rock & Rose fragrance and Tommy Hilfiger's Dreaming fragrance.
Height: 5 ft 8 in, Dress size - 4 (US)

And for those of you who just can't get enough, you'll want to head on over to Fuck Yeah Mona Johannesson to get your fill: http://fuckyeahmonajohannesson.tumblr.com/ She'll rock your world, for shure.

The 40% Off Frenzy

2011-01-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

Oh, J.Crew. You and your wily ways. I'd heard from a sales associate (my favorite SA!) at the Easton Store that inventory would be happening sometime around mid-January. For those of you in the know, inventory is the time when all the stores send back their unsold sale merchandise to the warehouse to make room for the new rollout, resulting in a panic-inducing phenomenon called MORE POPBACKS THAN YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT* which appears anywhere from 2am-8:30am (EST) on the jcrew.com website on limited occasions. (I'm totally making this up based on my own hypothesis of how all this works. Totally unverified. Just don't quote me, because I'm probably wrong.)

Let's recap, shall we? J.Crew started out with a 30% off sale. MANY POPBACKS OCCURRED. Then, to the amazement of pretty much all of us, J.Crew's 30% off online magically morphed into 40% off. MORE POPBACKS OCCURRED. It was about this time that I feared my head might just explode. Because, as I've previously mentioned, I have issues. Obsessive compulsiveness aside, I couldn't let this sale go without at least ordering something (and totally blowing our clothing budget for the month in the process).

I certainly don't want to be a catalyst to any of you folks out there who have a shopping problem. (*cough* Like I do. *cough*) But I'm going to tell you my tale of the 30, er 40% off sale week purchases anyway. It'll feel good to get it off my chest. A cleanse, if you will.

The first order was placed on the 13th during the 30% off sale. I was able to snag the Dream Zip Henley (31359), Ruffled Jersey Dress in Heather Carbon (29816), See the Joy Art Tee (33617) and the Ciel étoilé cardigan in black (28994).

On the 14th (still during the 30% off), the Marled Alexie Sweater (32851) that I'd been drooling over since before Christmas popped back in my size. As did the Cashmere Zip Shawl-Collar Sweater in black (30698).

Oh, but then.....on the 15th, at the start of the 40% off bender, what should appear but the Petit four cardigan in black (28996) and a bright yellow pair of cashmere gloves in Heather Honeycomb (31889).

The 22nd brought back the Velvet Ruby Jacket in black (29018), in a size 4. And 40% off. In my size. Sigh.

I wish I could say that was all, but what's a proper bender without one last hurrah. This past Sunday, during yet another moment of "oh-my-gosh-more-popbacks" frenzy – the cashmere scarf in Heather Honeycomb also popped back. Because what good are bright yellow gloves without the matchy matchy scarf to go with!

In my defense (thanks Gigi for pointing this out) – you're right, there's no defending my sale indiscretions. I did actually write down a wish list on a piece of paper of all the things I really believed I wanted (and I kept to the list. It just happened to be a little, um, long). Just like at the grocery store, it helps to go in with a list to avoid coming home with packages of Oreo Cakesters instead of the Draino you went there for in the first place. And yes, at least I did make a few returns to the store too – that striped sweater I'd been hanging onto since 2009 that never made it out of the closet finally went back, as did a few other unworn pieces that had been lingering around for at least a year (purchased prior to the 60-day do-or-die return policy). And thank goodness for that. But besides the returns taking a bit of the sting off, well, let's just say the clothing budget has sufficiently been depleted until about March.

*Thanks to DrBabyMamaDrama for the stick shaking reference. I don't use that phrase enough.

Who's That Model: Lily Aldridge - January 2011

2011-01-26T06:00:00.002-05:00

Time for another round of "Who's That Model?" I'd hoped to try and do more of these when I started doing the research a year ago, but seems as though time hasn't been permitting as of late. At least this one is (somewhat) timely - at least until the new catalog hits mailboxes later this week.

Forgive me for the repeat, but to keep things timely I figured let's just go with it. Lily Aldridge has returned to the pages of January 2011 (and has since abandoned the ever-present waist-slouch!)

Want to see Lily circa 2005? Well here you go.

All images found at The Fashion Spot: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f52/lily-aldridge-116817-14.html

April Catalog: Bathing Suits at Turks & Caicos

2011-01-25T10:55:00.004-05:00

From the Providenciales Forum at TripAdvisor:

Yesterday [January 6th] there was a model shoot for bathing suits, J Crew catalog at Somerset, to be released April.

This would make sense considering this recent quote from Jenna Lyons in "Jenna's Picks" on the website:

I'm off to Turks & Caicos for some much-needed sunshine to start the new year.

Here's a link to the beautiful Somerset on Grace Bay: http://www.thesomerset.com.

While our skies here in Ohio are gray and filled with snow, I'd love to take a trip to Turks & Caicos. Can't wait to see the catalog come April!

A number to call your own...

2011-01-24T23:51:00.005-05:00

In today's mail I received not one, but two envelopes from J.Crew. I knew the Rewards Cards were on the way - I'd noticed my points balance fall sharply about a week ago on my credit card statement so I figured it'd be mailed out around the time the new spring line hit stores. Also included with the Rewards Card is a small booklet of Spring 2011 looks (I can safely assume everyone has seen all of these images by now). But the other I wasn't expecting. It arrived in a nondescript white envelope – the type that usually contains tax statements. But instead of a bill inside was a brownish piece of cardstock with a white credit-card-like piece of plastic attached. What is it, you ask? Why it's a "VIP" number, of course!

I'd received one of these last year - or was it the year before? I can't remember. I don't recall ever making use of it - and I'm curious to know if all of those receiving the card got the same exact 800 number. Hard to tell. Still, it's the sentiment that counts right?

Here's what it says:

GIVING YOU THE BEST OF THE BEST IS OUR TOP PRIORITY, SO WE CREATED THIS SPECIAL VIP NUMBER JUST FOR YOU.

It's yours to use anytime – 24/7 – and it gives you front-of-the-line access. Use it to place orders, inquire about hard-to-find items or sizes, get introduced to a personal shopper or just let us know what we can do better. Simply put, it's your call (and we're waiting to hear from you).

P.S. Make sure to create a registered account at jcrew.com – we want to make sure you're taking advantage of any special benefit online too.

Have you received any correspondence from J.Crew lately?

Get a $20 Amazon Gift Card for $10 from LivingSocial

2011-01-19T00:17:00.003-05:00

Not J.Crew-related, but who doesn't love a good deal? LivingSocial is offering $20 Amazon Gift Cards for just $10. Follow this link to LivingSocial to get yours!

** Limit one per email address/credit card. You don't need to live in the DC area to get the deal.

Lemlem Wanza Skinny Scarf

2011-01-06T21:39:00.007-05:00

This evening my Lemlem Wanza Skinny Scarf (#33335) arrived via UPS. Initially I was a little disappointed - the colors are not as vibrant as they are in the product detail photo (darn you, expert J.Crew photo editors!) Or maybe it's the fault of my new work monitor, for making the colors look a lot more bold than they are in person. But after giving it a few hours of the cold shoulder (by stuffing it into the back of my scarf bin - it was final sale, so yeah, can't be returned) I'm happy to say I'm giving it another go. My normal color palette is usually a bit more muted, so this actually suits me. Yay.

Here's the jcrew.com description:

We fell in love with International Goodwill Ambassador (and supermodel) Liya Kebede's line of handmade garments. Lemlem, meaning "to bloom" in Amharic, was started as a way of providing Ethiopian weavers with a means to escape poverty. The result? An amazing collection of delicately handcrafted pieces—like this exquisite handwoven scarf, which was designed exclusively for J.Crew. Cotton/acrylic. Import. Hand wash. 68 1/4"L x 4 1/2"W.

Wait, did that say "designed exclusively for J.Crew?" Because while it's currently sold out online at jcrew.com, it is available directly from lemlem.com (and for $37.50, no less!) Am I the only one who didn't know Lemlem had their own website?

So I like this one. I really do. But this isn't my first Lemlem purchase. Let's just say the first time around wasn't quite as successful. That scarf got exactly one wear before it was off to Goodwill. I'm all for "light and airy," but "feels like gauze" wasn't quite what I was looking for.

Lemlem Scarf (item #16520) - February 2009

Hopefully I'll be taking this new scarf out for a spin this weekend. Have you tried the Lemlem line for J.Crew? Any favorites?

And the winner is...

2011-01-06T20:41:00.003-05:00

A big congrats goes to lisabfashion - she's won the orange J.Crew Day Planner!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered! Don't forget about DrBabyMamaDrama's fantastic giveaway(s) over at http://www.drbabymamadrama.com/ - she's giving away two pairs of J.Crew earrings, a J.Crew gift card, Lands End gift card, and more! It's a giveawaypalooza over there!

Sears, Urban Outfitters Said to Weigh J. Crew Bids

2011-01-05T11:56:00.005-05:00

Am I reading this right? I thought Sears was on their last legs after partnering up with Kmart.

At least Urban Outfitters understands the demographic (and owns Anthropologie, so I guess....maybe that's not so bad. Except that the already rising clothing prices would likely skyrocket). But Sears? Sears. I mean, it's Sears. Good for Craftsman tools, but clothes? Ugh.

Here's a snippet of the article.

Jan. 5 (Bloomberg) -- Sears Holdings Corp. and Urban Outfitters Inc. are weighing rival bids for clothing retailer J. Crew Group Inc. in a potential challenge to TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners LP’s $3 billion buyout, said three people with knowledge of the matter.

Read the full post from businessweek.com here.

London, England & J.Crew Day Planner Giveaway

2011-01-04T22:47:00.007-05:00

Right before Christmas my husband and I decided to go on a last minute trip to London. Looking down the barrel of my husband's winter/spring/summer/fall quarter class schedule it didn't appear we'd have time to go anywhere anytime soon. Because he had a few weeks off between December and January, we decided if we were going to go anywhere it's now or never!

So London! I wish I could show you all the outfits I wore while we were there, but our luggage opted to just hang out in JFK while we jetted overseas (not to worry, it showed up on our front porch a few days after we arrived home). As you might imagine with holiday travel, it was a bit of a mess - first our flight to London Heathrow was canceled due to "weather" (snow in London? whodathunk), then we got rebooked on a flight to Manchester, England that flew out of Orlando (which meant an unexpected trip to MCO airport). Add in another rebooked flight to Gatwick airport and we finally made it! And only 6 hours later than we'd originally planned to arrive.

In lieu of OOTD photos, I'll just share a few photos of things we did. Oh and by the way, this trip was totally inspired by Ashley over at Pink Julep! I don't know her personally, but reading her blog was really the sole basis for this whole trip! It was fun to come home and see her photos of many of same things we'd just visited a few days earlier.

Lights on Oxford Street

Felt Mistress Store Windows at Selfridges

Winter Wonderland at Hyde Park

Harrods

Pogues at O2 Brixton Academy

Here's the Polyvore of what I packed, including (on the left) what I ended up wearing......for four days straight. We did make a stop at Mark & Spencer to get knickers (heehee) and socks, and somehow I came home with three new scarves and a hat from H&M.

OOTW: London, England by ratsonparade featuring converse shoes
--
Oh! And today's the last day to enter my giveaway for the orange J.Crew day planner!

Here's how to enter:

Follow this blog, then comment to say you did - and leave your email address or a way to contact you. If you're already following, just leave a comment to say so.

Additional entries:

Follow me on twitter @jaynawallace. I've been known to say an interesting thing or two (once in awhile, anyway).

Follow this link to sign up on gilt.com. Because Gilt is pretty awesome. Doesn't cost a thing to sign up (except your email address). Again, just leave a note in the comments that you've signed up.

I'll select a winner on Wednesday evening this week using a randomizing generator. Good luck!

And while you're at it, head on over to DrBabyMamaDrama's "Voice of Reason and (in)sanity" Blog for her J.Crew gift card/J.Crew Earrings/Ina Garten Cookbook giveaway!

My Favorite Store Associate

2011-01-03T06:00:00.003-05:00

Saturday I braved the....what was it? Mist? Light rain? Yeah, we've been pretty lucky weather-wise around here lately. Though I did choose to go to the open-air mall to do my returns, and I did get rained on (briefly). And then the sun came out.

So anyway, on New Year's Day I went to Easton. I must be getting better about not buying things I'm not going to wear, because my ratio of buys to returns has dropped quite a bit. Surely the fact that final sale has returned and the change to 30-day/60-day window for returns has hampered my serial returning days as well.

Today's returns:

The Silk-Swathe Dress (item 30261)

I waited and waited for this dress to pop back. And let me tell you, I was SO excited when it finally shipped! And then so un-excited when I opened the package. For one thing, it looked nothing like the photo. Sure, it was all rumpled up in a plastic bag - mayhaps a good steaming could've brought it back to life. Or not. But besides all that, it's short. And it's oddly casual without any of the dressed-up-ness I was looking for. So back it went.

And the Muse Tank (item 32367)

Another rumpled up mess that didn't really live up to the photo. It was only $20.99 what with all the sales and discounts going on lately. But that's still $20+ that I DON'T NEED TO SPEND. Not if I'm never going to wear it.

The store walls at Easton are starting to look a bit bare - the yearly emptying out of January, no doubt. According to the (wonderful!) SA who rang me up, the big rollout is to happen around the third week of January (it was going to be the fourth, but it got pushed up). Inventory happens a week prior. So the new catalog isn't to be out until later in January as well. Oh, and that store associate I just mentioned? He's my new favorite. If I get up the gumption to do it, I'm sending a letter to his manager! Or his regional manager's manager! He's that good! And it wasn't just yesterday - he's always the most polite, most friendly, most likable store associate I've ever had the pleasure of dealing with. Regardless the time or day, he's always smiling and ready to help. So AnthonyC, Mr. Associate 0000000999999 at store 00568, you are MY FAVORITE. Way to go! You get a gold star!

It's been said so many times before, but good customer service just can't be underestimated. Do you have a favorite B&M employee?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for the orange J.Crew day planner!

Here's how to enter:

Follow this blog, then comment to say you did - and leave your email address or a way to contact you. If you're already following, just leave a comment to say so.

Additional entries:

Follow me on twitter @jaynawallace. I've been known to say an interesting thing or two (once in awhile, anyway).

Follow this link to sign up on gilt.com. Because Gilt is pretty awesome. Doesn't cost a thing to sign up (except your email address). Again, just leave a note in the comments that you've signed up.

I'll select a winner on Wednesday evening this week using a randomizing generator. Good luck!

Resolutions for the Non-Resolute

2011-01-02T07:30:00.002-05:00

Like many of you, I feel compelled to set up some resolutions for the new year. My husband and I have a separate list for "our goals" and my work goals will get their own list as well. But as for me personally - there are a number of things personal-upkeep-wise that I've just been putting off for far too long. Rather than do the global "I'm going to lose weight/read more/blog more" I'm going to try and set up actual, concrete goals. Nothing big, mind you, but I've tried the ambiguous route and I need structure or it'll just never happen. On another friend's blog he set out very specific goals to "get driver's license" and "finish up those last two tattoos." I like this approach! Here's what I came up with:

1) Get my weight down to 140lbs (or below).
On my wedding day (three years ago), I managed to get down to 137lbs - that was after topping out at 165lb+ earlier that same year. Well guess what? According to the scale at the doctor's office, I'm back at 164lb. I kept trying to convince myself that my hair was accounting for 10 pounds of that, but yeah, wishful thinking. I know, you're not supposed to shoot for a weight - because your body is made up of water and muscle, blah blah blah. But when I was down in the 130s (okay, high 130s) my clothes fit and I actually felt somewhat decent, with energy and whatnot. I was doing cardio and weight training on a daily basis, and we were eating normal-sized portions of good things like fish and salad and vegetables and sugar-free pudding. That was way back when. I believe I can get there again, I just need something to shoot for.

2) Get a new pair of glasses and sunglasses.
I meant to do this last year, but I never wrote it down so it never got done. I haven't liked my prescription sunglasses from day one - even though I dragged my husband along to help me pick them out, they just never looked quite right. And then I sat on them. It's time for a new pair.

3) Schedule an appointment for the gum grafting surgery.
My dentist has been on my case about this for the past year. I keep putting it off, because, you know, it's surgery. And I don't wanna! But if I don't, he claims, my teeth with fall right out of my head. And I don't want that to happen either.

4) Schedule an appointment with a new dermatologist.
I love my Mirena IUD. But with all the many many advantages that come with having an IUD, there's one big downside: the side effects. I've always had problem skin but it was manageable enough with a little help from Pro-Activ. Now it's morphed into some other, more unseemly issues that have manifested themselves in much more unmanageable ways. While technically I do have a dermatologist already, each time I go in I get about 30 seconds of a "hello, how's it going, take this, goodbye." Hopefully one of the referrals I got from my gynecologist will actually take the time to answer my questions so we can find something that works.

5) Get a pedicure.
Oh, I know, it sounds a bit random - what girl doesn't already get a pedicure every so often? Well, me for one. I've had a total of four pedicures in my life (three of those four times involved weddings). My feet are quite nasty (no photos - just take my word for it) - and without the benefit of a pedicure, I never wear my peep toe shoes (see resolution #10). I'm weird about having to make conversation with people who are touching my feet (I also don't enjoy getting haircuts for the same reason), so it's not something I'm going to go out of my way to do. I'm not saying I want a pedicure every week, or every month. But if I can shoot for just once this year, that will be an accomplishment.

6) Get a flu shot.
This is actually a reminder for next fall/winter flu season. I've never had a flu shot. After this year - and battling some kind of yuck for the past two weeks - maybe now's the time to get past that old adage "the flu shot doesn't do anything!" Might be worth it to find out. Being sick during the holidays is the pits!

7) Have a proper bra-fitting.
For my bachelorette party, my friends took me to New York City for a whirlwind weekend of pampering, which included a haircut at the fabulous Ouidad salon and a bra-fitting at La Petite Coquette. That was three years ago, and though I keep meaning to go back I never do. I don't (yet) have a trip to NYC on the books for this year, but this has to be a priority. One of the things I remembered from that trip was, of the ladies that purchased an undergarment on that excursion, we all noticed how much better our clothes fit. And, considering I don't wear the same size clothes as I used to (see #1) - well, I need some new bras, pronto.

8) Get a pair of jeans. That fit.
Right now the only jeans I have are three pairs of the high-heel flared jeans from J.Crew. Wow, I'm sensing a theme - those were also from three years ago. They're starting to wear thin, and once those go I'm up a creek. I spent an hour a few weeks back at Nordstrom trying on as many jeans as I could find that I thought I could get up over my well-endowed calves. I even bought a pair of 7FAM that went back less than a week later when I tried them on again at home and came to my senses. I'm sorry, but butt crack just cannot be a fashion staple in my closet (and those were called Mid-Rise jeans!) Anyone got a pair of high-waisted, trouser fit dark wash jeans with minimal embellishments made from 100% cotton (no spandex!) that I could try?

9) Get a new haircut. With bangs.
I always go to the same hairstylist. I'm not completely happy there, but every time I've tried going somewhere else I always end up right back in his chair. We're to the point now where he doesn't even ask me what I want. I just sit down and he goes to it. You know how, on the commercials, they advertise that this/that shampoo with leave you looking like you just left the salon? Well when I leave, my hair is ALWAYS a sopping wet mess. I'm not sure if they think I just don't care, or if I've really just given up and see no reason to say anything. Either way, it's more than mildly disappointing.

10) Get dressed at least three days a week.
Okay, this one is a little ambiguous and general, I'll admit it. For the past year, I've done everything in my power not to get dressed on a daily basis. Working from home I have very little motivation to dirty up a bunch of clothes that no one will see me in. Plus, taking things to the dry cleaner cuts into our "clothing budget" - so the more clothes I don't wear, the more I can buy! (How's that for whacked logic!) I don't know how well I'll fare with this one but I've got to at least try. I got dressed yesterday, and today too, so that's only 363 more days to go!

That's it for me. I've emailed this list to myself at FutureMe.org, and I'll check back in around the six-month marker to see how well I've done (or what I still need to work on!)

Here's to a promising new year! Oh, and don't forget to enter my giveaway for the orange J.Crew day planner!

Here's how to enter:

Follow this blog, then comment to say you did - and leave your email address or a way to contact you. If you're already following, just leave a comment to say so.

Additional entries:

Follow me on twitter @jaynawallace. I've been known to say an interesting thing or two (once in awhile, anyway).

Follow this link to sign up on gilt.com. Because Gilt is pretty awesome. Doesn't cost a thing to sign up (except your email address). Again, just leave a note in the comments that you've signed up.

I'll select a winner on Wednesday evening this week using a randomizing generator. Good luck!

Happy Crew Year!

2011-01-01T16:34:00.007-05:00

And my, what a year it's been!

My blogging certainly has been intermittent this year, but lots has happened, not the least of which was working 80-hour weeks over the summer (wouldn't have traded it for the world, but geesh!)

January: Fell victim to Aol's involuntary "action" er, layoffs of nearly 1/3 of the company.

February: Started new job on an amazing team with an even more amazing boss.

March: Flew to the New York office to meet with the Blockbuster team, then onto Austin, TX to speak at SXSWi 2010 and to complete Gowalla's Austin BBQ Bonanza (11 BBQ restaurants in 9 days. That's one heckuva lot of barbecue!)

April: Wrote off store #00620 (i.e. Polaris J.Crew B&M location). Didn't return until December. Okay, that's all that happened in April. It was a slow month.

May: Road trip to Gatlinburg, TN for my father-in-law's 70th birthday.

June: Road trip to NxNEi in Toronto, Canada where I spoke on the "Work Anywhere" panel, then drove out to Indianapolis to my brother's house-warming party, and then the next day flew out to Beverly Hills, LA to meet up with the folks at Myspace. Whew.

July: Spent a weekend living it up in Chicago (baseball game, Chinatown, Transformers filming...), then drove to Taliesin to see Frank Lloyd Wright's home.

August: Another trip to Beverly Hills, this time involving Tokyo Police Club and a nacho bar. Those Myspacers sure do know how to party. Tack on a night at the El Rey to see Alejandro Escovedo, a screening of the new Ricky Gervais movie and the best steak I've ever had in my life and you've got yourself one heck of a work-cation!

September: Road trip to Pittsburgh, PA to see Marah. Good thing, too, since the following night they were scheduled to appear in Columbus, OH, but they chose to leave the club before the gig started.

October:
Attended the TEDx Conference held in Columbus, OH. Accidentally insulted a very nice woman sitting in front of me on Twitter, who was more than kind about the whole ordeal when I ran into her again in the restroom. I'm an awful awful person.

November: Road trip to speak at Geekend 2010 in Savannah, Georgia, then traveled to Myrtle Beach to visit with friends on a very (very!) cold beach. Here's a tip - keep the shoes ON and avoid stepping in a wave, should you find yourself on a very cold, very chilly beach in early November. Received acceptance notification for SxSWi 2011. Austin, here we come! (again) Traveled to NYC for work, walked right past Jenna Lyons (and entourage) as she came off the elevator at work, saw Chuck Prophet the same night and had gourmet waffles from a food truck, then stayed with my awesome friend in Brooklyn for a jam-packed weekend of craft brew tours, sushi and skeeball.

December: Traveled to Cleveland with my Dad to see the legendary Dave Brubeck perform with the Cleveland Orchestra, then the next night attended the Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concert at Severance Hall (this was the sixth year for our "new" family tradition). The very next day my husband and I flew to JFK, where our bags were hopelessly sequestored at the airport while we continued onward to London, England, somehow managing to miss the closing of Heathrow both on the way in, and on the way out.

And here we are, today!

Last December, J.Crew was kind enough to send out the pink-colored day-planners - which I loved! But two days after I began penciling in dates and events, I lost my job. I'm nothing if not superstitious, so when the orange version of the planner arrived this year - well, I can't bring myself to use it (but I'm still very appreciative of the gesture. I love it, and I thank you, J.Crew! I really do!)

And so, good readers (those of you who are still reading!) I'm giving it away. You can read more about the day planner over at The Mothership. Near as I can tell these planners were not sold in stores.

Here's how to enter:

Follow this blog, then comment to say you did - and leave your email address or a way to contact you. If you're already following, just leave a comment to say so.

Additional entries:

Follow me on twitter @jaynawallace. I've been known to say an interesting thing or two (once in awhile, anyway).

Follow this link to sign up on gilt.com. Because Gilt is pretty awesome. Doesn't cost a thing to sign up (except your email address). Again, just leave a note in the comments that you've signed up.

I'll select a winner on Wednesday evening this week using a randomizing generator. Good luck!

Repurposing: Magazines Into Bows

2010-12-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not usually one for being thrifty, and I'm certainly not in the slightest bit crafty. But these are so adorable, and I bet even I could do them (with some hair pulling and lots of tape, of course. Or....I'll just look at the pretty pictures.)

There's a how-to tutorial over at How About Orange.

BREAKING NEWS: J.Crew Sold for $3 Billion

2010-11-23T13:23:00.002-05:00

From Fashionista.com:
J.Crew will be acquired by two investment firms for $3 billion, according to a document released moments ago by the preppy-chic retailer. (We first reported on this Monday night–click here for some background.)

This will allow CEO Mickey Drexler and co. to fix what’s wrong with the business–and build on what’s right–without having to deal with public shareholders.

Read the full store here: http://fashionista.com/2010/11/j-crew-sold-for-3-billion/

Jenna Lyons Sets New Trend - Hairy Legs Are In This Season!

2010-10-16T12:57:00.003-04:00

Leave it to the Brits and their dry humor to notice the latest in this (hopefully fleeting) "trend" from J.Crew.

Somebody get the girl a razor! Trendy tights that make legs look HAIRY

I tried to find this photo on jcrew.com, but all I could come up with was this:

The detail photo, however, is still intact:

Lace Tights (item 31350)

This is one trend I'll likely be taking a pass. Yeah, um, no.

Read the full article over at DailyMail.co.uk here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1321128/Somebody-girl-razor-Trendy-tights-make-legs-look-HAIRY.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

One Check-In at J.Crew = One Pair of TOMS Shoes

2010-10-15T16:54:00.007-04:00

I'm going to assume all of you are familiar with Gowalla. My husband tells me I just assume that everyone knows everything I know (he finds it annoying, because very often he has no idea what I'm talking about). But in my defense, I don't feel like I know a lot sometimes, so I just assume that you all must know these things already, because I'm always the last to know everything. Yeah, so anyway....Gowalla. It's a geo-location based app that runs on your iPhone, Android or Blackberry. Similar to Foursquare, but with prettier icons. You can sign up here: http://gowalla.com

About a month ago, AT&T and Toms Shoes teamed up to randomly give away a pair of real Toms shoes to folks who check in at various (undisclosed) locations. Here's the "official" breakdown from Texas Tech Pulse:

According to Gowalla, the firm is giving away 1,000 pairs of TOMS shoes and an AT&T smartphone or netbook, as part of a celebration of the one millionth pair of shoes given away as part of the two firms' One for One program.

So what's all this have to do with J.Crew? I'm getting there - keep your pants on.

I'd read about the giveaway, and at the time I just thought "well great, I work from home and I never go anywhere. I'll never win." Then one day, I was doing my weekly trip to the mall to do returns, and checked into J.Crew at Easton (as I so often do -- I am the Mayor on Foursquare, after all) and whaddaya know, I won a *real* pair of TOMS shoes!

It took another 4-6 weeks to receive them, but they finally arrived. (please excuse the poor quality of the iPhone photo)

I'm not going to say "I never win anything," because quite to the contrary, I've won more than my fair share of contests over the past ten years - I was on some kind of streak I guess. That, and I was a shut-in who listened to a lot of radio. (I should mention that terrestrial radio makes my ears bleed now, hence I no longer win radio contests. It's no wonder.) The majority of the prizes I won consisted of concert tickets, CDs, movie passes and the odd press box seats to hockey games every once in awhile. In a one-year period during college I managed to score $1000 from one radio station, $1000 from another, and then $1000 the first station again - which yeah, it sounds like a lot, and it actually did help quite a bit to pay for car repairs on the clunker I used to get to and from work. Looking back, you'd think I would've just gotten a "new" used car that didn't break down every other week instead of getting that death trap on wheels repaired. But I digress. (And yes, in case you're wondering, I did have to pay taxes on all my winnings. They really should advertise that as part of the "contest" - but I guess it's not as catchy to say "call in and win $1000 - minus your federal and state tax obligations!") It got to the point where I'd have to alternate listening to different stations - because you were only allowed to win once every 30 days. Lucky for me I was very open to listening to different kinds of music back then. When I was a kid I even won a mountain bike from the grocery store for stacking the most Oreos in 60 seconds. So like I said, I win a lot. Or I used to. Not so much anymore.

All that said, TOMS is pretty awesome. TOMS gives away one new pair of shoes to children in need in for every pair of shoes purchased by consumers from the company. If you want to join in the TOMS love, check out their shoe selection over here: http://www.toms.com/

OOTD: Backyard Wedding

2010-10-14T06:00:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I were fortunate enough to attend the wedding of Pixelant and her (now!) husband. It was in Stafford, VA - about 40 minutes outside of Washington, DC. We drove out Friday evening after work, and drove back Sunday. Didn't even come anywhere close to DC, but we did get to stop by a fantastic (and some might even say "sincere") pumpkin patch in Delaplane, VA. I'd never been to a real pumpkin patch before and wooboy, was I ever excited when we saw the signs!

Hollin Farms, Delaplane, VA

Some of you may remember my quandry over what to wear to the wedding - I had plenty of options (some of which are for sale now, as they went unworn). I ended up going with a "dress" from Ya Los Angeles that I found at a small boutique in the Short North called Substance. I put "dress" in quotation marks there because the tag actually labeled it a "tunic." But it was long enough to be a dress, and I was going to wear it as one. So there! I'd love to Polyvore it, but it seems that to shop Ya Los Angeles online, you have to be a boutique or a retailer (of which I am neither). I was indecisive up until the day of the wedding, by the way - I'd taken three options with me and I tried on all three before we left: another dress I've had forever and a skirt I'd purchased from J.Crew the day before the day before we left for the trip. One day that Goddess Dress from J.Crew will be worn. One day!

Shameless Plug: Our friend (and former co-worker) and her husband catered the event - they are also the proprietors of the the newly opened Kushi Restaurant, serving authentic Japanese cuisine. If you live in the DC area or plan to visit - GO! You won't be disappointed!

Since our hotel didn't have a full-length mirror (yeah, seriously), I have no photos of myself in the my outfit. So instead I thought I'd share some photos from the (absolutely lovely!) wedding:

We had an amazing time, with fantastic food (and cupcakes from Red Velvet - YUM!) and good conversation with old work friends who I don't get to see often enough. The bride looked positively stunning, and the whole event couldn't have been more delightful. I'm so glad I got to be there! Congrats to Pixelant and her new husband!

Welcome, Madewell! Opens Tues. 10/26

2010-10-14T04:00:00.001-04:00

Recently another local J.Crew fan (Liz) alerted me to the notecard she'd received in the mail, promoting the arrival of the latest Madewell, opening soon at Easton Town Center. Today I received the same card in the mail - and it comes with a 15% off my first purchase as well. Nifty!

It reads:

PREPARE YOUR CLOSETS
Madewell Columbus opens Tuesday, October 26th
Swing by, say hi and take 15% off your first purchase through November 9th*

MADEWELL COLUMBUS
160 EASTON TOWN CENTER
COLUMBUS, OH 43129

*Present this postcard to redeem offer at checkout. One-time user per customer during offer period. Valid at the Columbus Madewell store only. Discount cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion and cannot be applied to denim hemming services or to the purchase of gift cards. Some exclusions may apply. Discount may not be applied to previous purchases. Store associate: scan bar code at time of transaction. Valid through 11/9/10 only.

I have to say, the arrival of the new Madewell is going to be slightly bittersweet for me. Up until this point, Madewell didn't operate any brick and mortar stores in the state of Ohio. What's that mean? No sales tax for online orders. Sadly, that aspect of madewell.com will be likely going away. But on the upside, easier returns - and the possibility of buying more in store! Hooray!

Welcome to town, Madewell!

OOTD: Dinner with Friends

2010-10-13T10:59:00.007-04:00

Last Friday my husband and I traveled to the quaint downtown of Marysville (all of 40 minutes away) for dinner. We were meeting up with our friends at Doc Hendersons, a gorgeous old brick house converted into a fancy-pants restaurant. And it was fantastic.

Somehow, even though I did think about it at the time, I failed to take any pictures of the building or of my food. I feel a little weird bringing out the camera in restaurants, especially with other people at the table. Doesn't always stop me, I know, but as we were engaged in delightful conversation with our friends at the time I thought it might be rude. So anyway...had I actually taken photos, I would've posted them to Foodspotting. What's Foodspotting, you ask?

Foodspotting is a visual food guide that makes it easy to share and discover good foods around you.

It was created by a woman who used to work in Columbus, but relocated to San Francisco before the website took off. Due to the fact she no longer lives here (and didn't really start the project until moving), I hold to the belief that it was a creation of Silicon Valley - and therefore does not fall under the "it's from Columbus!" umbrella. There's a certain faction of folks who seem to believe that Columbus is and/or will become a hub for technology and innovation, and I'm just going to come right out and say it's not. Because, um, it's not. A hub for the dilapidated Santa Maria, sure. Technology? Not so much. It's a pet peeve of mine, and I could continue on (and on and on and on) about that particular subject, but I'll just leave it at that.

Blah blah blah.....this was supposed to be an outfit of the day post. Here you go! (Pay no attention to that mountain of dirty laundry in the background. I need a better place to take my photos!) I bought the Novo-Stripe Wrap Top at a B&M during my excursion to Los Angeles a couple months back. Also worn but not pictured, the Braided Crystal Chain Bracelet I'd just gotten via UPS earlier in the day. It's a little bigger than the jewelry I typically wear, but I like it.

And because it gets chilly around these parts at night, with a cardigan.

And the Polyvore:

OOTD: Dinner with Friends by ratsonparade featuring chain jewelry

J.Crew Novo-stripe wrap top - dark charcoal
$98 - jcrew.com
J crew tops »

Women's sweaters - cotton - Featherweight cotton long cardigan -...
$70 - jcrew.com
Cotton tops »

High-heel flare jeans in clean indigo wash
$98 - jcrew.com
Crew jeans »

Women heels Juliet patent-leather midheels
$178 - jcrew.com
J crew shoes »

Women's jewelry - bracelets - Braided crystal chain bracelet - J.Crew
$95 - jcrew.com
Chain jewelry »

A PAIR OF DIAMOND EAR STUDS, BY ADLER | Jewelry Auction | earrings,...
christies.com
Diamond jewelry »

J.Crew "Red" Card, 2010 - Round 02

2010-10-12T06:00:00.011-04:00

I couldn't help myself but to make one last teeny tiny stop by the B&M Monday during the lunch hour, just because. I've finally come to the determination that driving all the way over to Easton and back CAN be done in a reasonable timeframe - reasonable, say, for the hour that exists when I take my lunch (assuming I don't have any conference calls directly following lunch).

As I promised yesterday, here's round two! All of these items were purchased in-store, and some had additional in-store only (drastic) cuts in price - I'm looking at you, Microspun Cowlneck Tee! Along the way I did make a few returns (of course) - there was the 120s pencil skirt I'd purchased thinking I would wear to that outdoor wedding I attended a week ago (I went with something completely different, by the way), and then there were the Bettina Camis. Don't get me wrong, I love the colors (the olive, so pretty!), but I quickly realized I'd never wear them. Not even at $11. And because $11 times 2 is $22 (which is clearly enough to purchase something I would wear) they went back today along with a never-worn belt. And instead I got the cobblestone cashmere crewneck cardigan that I really wanted.

Without further adieu! Behold, the results of my "Red Card" extravaganza:

Tulipe Cami in Charcoal (item 28734), originally $98

Waxed Utility Jacket in Black (item 29329), originally $148

Faded Paisley Flouncette Blouse (item 30742), originally $98

Microspun Cowlneck Tee in Black (item 20659), originally $39.50

Heather Traversa Cardigan in Charcoal Shimmer (item 29599), originally $98

Traversa Cardigan in Black (item 29615), originally $88

Cashmere Crewneck Cardigan (item 18871), originally $158.00

Two of the other items I purchased appear to be in-store only:

Drapey Crepe Tux Cami, BK0001 (099102070045), Black - originally $98, marked down to $49.99

Toggle Puffer Vest, GR6492 (099102121974), Green - originally $128

J.Crew "Red" Card, 2010 by ratsonparade featuring cardigan tops

All and all I did alright. And....I'm shopped out.

J.Crew "Red" Card, 2010 - Round 01

2010-10-11T06:32:00.006-04:00

Well, folks, it's been a fun week. I've been to the B&M at Easton no less than three times (and as a result I am now the Mayor of J.Crew at Easton on Foursquare. Go me! Ha.), and during that time I've bought and returned, then bought, then returned, then bought again.

Some of you have asked (okay, one of you) what I used my "Red" card for. Oh, so many things! You may remember prior to receiving said "Red" card when I went on a returning binge (er purge?) which actually afforded me all the purchases I made later in the week. Trust me when I say I returned A LOT. Cleaned out the closet AND got some new fripperies! Win-win for me! YAY!

The first purchase I made was for the Tilly Satin Two-Tone Platform Heels (item 28758) - originally $325, with markdown + 25% discount, $149.99. I can honestly say I have no idea where I will ever wear these - they're too tall for all my jeans, and I can't think of a skirt or dress where these would be appropriate. They really are quite beautiful in person, though, and it was one of those things where I'd convinced myself that rather than frittering away my store credit on little things, I should get one big "nice" thing, even if I had no plans of what to do with it. They were final sale, so I suppose you could say I'm stuck with 'em now. Yeah, you could definitely say that.

Tilly Satin Two-Tone Platform Heels (item 28758)

I also got the Kingston Leather Ankle Boots in Weathered Stone (item 27810) - originally $250, with markdown + 25% discount $112.49. So far since receiving these, I've put them on twice and removed them twice in favor of my Almond Juliets. Maybe it's just because it's been freaking hot for the past week (goshdarnit it's FALL - it shouldn't be 84°!) so it doesn't quite feel like boot weather yet. Hopefully they'll get further than the closet next time I put them on.

Kingston Leather Ankle Boots in Weathered Stone (item 27810)

From the red phone, I was able to order the Braided Crystal Chain Bracelet (item 32630), originally $95, with 25% $71.25.
Braided Crystal Chain Bracelet (item 32630)

Stay tuned tomorrow for Round 02 - a look at my in store purchases!

J.Crew Factory Tiered Lace Cami

2010-10-10T11:58:00.009-04:00

Remember when the Factory store popped online? I remember it well - just a few short weeks ago on September 17th (even though actually it feels more like eons), when I spotted the Factory Tiered Lace Cami (item 28749), immediately placed it into my shopping cart and then I waffled. Oscillated, even. It's $158.40, and that's not including tax. Man, that's a lot of money for a Factory piece. Yes, I was in love before it'd even popped online, thanks to Dinagideon's posts about finding it in her local outlet. But again, so much for one cami, and the nearest outlet to Columbus is a good 50 minutes away (that's with no traffic, and there's never a time when there's no traffic on I-71), and there was very little likelihood they'd even have it in stock. So I pondered, "do I really need this?" Of course I do! Well okay, no, actually...when would I wear it? Oh but maybe......and I waited. A bit too long, apparently, because just like that, it was removed from my cart - no longer available.

J.Crew Factory Tiered Lace Cami (item 28749)

Since then, I've checked every weekend, first thing, to see if that coveted cami had popped back. Someone's even selling the darn thing for $399 on eBay. I mean seriously, I like it - it's nice and all - but $400 bucks? Anyway, starting out every weekend on a down note can be a bit disappointing, that's for sure.

So again this weekend....I woke up Friday morning and no luck. Saturday - same deal. But today - TODAY! - it was back! In both a size 2 AND a size 4! Without hesitation I emptied my cart of all the other items I'd been holding out for (there are always so many), and zipped through that checkout process faster than Walt Flanagan's dog.

I was having a bit of buyer's remorse, so I decided to share this whole longwinded story with my husband. Because, even as the breadwinner in this household, we do still have a budget (and a constricting one at that). It's best to keep these sorts of random purchases in check. Considering our clothing budget for this month was blown before the month even started, I felt guilty about pulling the trigger on such an expensive (non-necessary*) item. *Necessary = socks. Non-necessary = anything with lace. Not that I expected anything other than his blessing - however silly it may be - he was totally cool with it. So I'm letting go of the guilt. And from now forward, thankfully, I can spend my weekend mornings eating Cheryl's Cookies and drinking farmer's market cider, instead of stalking the internets.

Thus concludes my Sunday morning.

Oh, I almost forgot -- on our morning Edmund walk we saw a man carrying an antique pink loveseat into the Whetstone Park Prairie. Not that that's odd or anything.

The Fastest 2-Week Shopping Ban In History

2010-09-29T17:26:00.023-04:00

Well that ban didn't last quite as long as I thought it would.

At the urging of Dinagideon from the fabulous My Superfluities, Tuesday night I decided to draft a letter to Mickey, not to berate him or to type in all caps with various random obscenities in response to their strange and somewhat baffling promotional strategies. Nope, I just wanted him to know my feelings had been hurt and that, as a loyal long-time customer, I was disappointed and would delay any further J.Crew purchases until the conclusion of the current promotion.

I'll admit, writing to the President of anything is kind of a crap shoot. During a pep rally in college, I'd won a pizza party for my entire dorm floor with (then) President Gordon Gee. A week later he announced he'd be leaving to become the new President at Vanderbilt (he's since returned to OSU, interestingly enough). Not one to let a pizza party go to waste, and because now I'd somehow ended up being blamed by my dorm-mates for the fact it wouldn't happen, I wrote a letter to incoming president Brit Kirwin. It took some time, but about a year later the girls of our dorm floor reunited and had that darn pizza party, with new president in tow.

More recently, when Tim Armstrong was set to take over the reigns at Aol., I crafted a letter to introduce myself, welcome him to the company, and to plead my case for why remote employees just make sense for a such a forward-thinking company as Aol. (Yes, "forward thinking" is in italics. I'll leave you to decipher why). That particular letter didn't exactly result in the outcome I may have been hoping for at the time. In the end things turned out just fine and we're all better off for it. But he didn't even bother to respond. Bygones.

Within minutes of hitting 'send' - Mr. Drexler responded not once, but twice:

Will look into asap-
Mickey

Just checked-total error on our part-so sorry! Team member will be in touch
Mickey

Um, wow. Not that I'm surprised. I already knew that Mickey had a history of responding personally to his customers (including me). I just didn't want to get my hopes up that he would. Such a cynic! (I should have a little more faith next time!)

I got a chance to speak with the aforementioned "team member" on Wednesday afternoon, and was told that the 25% card was being overnighted to me (see slastena's comment here). She assured me that it was, indeed, an oversight - they have someone investigating the matter to find out what went wrong in my particular case. As for who gets them: It's way more involved than simply a name on a list somewhere (by way of spending or because an SA likes you) - and just because you've received one promotion or another, doesn't mean you'll receive all of them. So the mystery of the elusive J.Crew promotion remains a mystery.

And just like that....the ban is over. (Actually, I haven't bought anything yet, and now that I've managed to go for two days - seriously, two whole days - I'm thinking I could go for a solid three. Or four even!) Thank you everyone for your comments over the past two days.

And! To top it off, just one more confirmation that communication (vs. not communicating) is always best. Might not always turn out the way you'd like it to, but wouldn't you feel better knowing your voice has been heard? (Fodder for my upcoming talk at Geekend 2010.)

Singing the J.Crew Shopping Ban Blues

2010-09-28T16:10:00.009-04:00

Solidarity, sisters!

I, like a number of other fellow J.Crew-loving / J.Crew-blogging women, did not receive a "red card"* this time around. Now now, let's not get our panties all in a bunch over my sob-story -- I've gotten lots of gifts over the past year -- lord knows I've spent above and beyond to get on the "nice" list -- but apparently those days have come to an end. J.Crew no longer considers me "one of our most loyal customers." I get it - they have their agenda, and it doesn't involve courting me. I'm a bit miffed, for sure, but I'll get over it.

As Slastena over at Blog About All and Nothing At All said:

Without hashing and rehashing my "hurt" feelings about not getting the current Red Card, I have decided to do something positive instead. I love the brand, I wear it almost exclusively, therefore I still will be posting the lovely J Crew clothes my closet is brimming with. What I will not do is I will not shop J Crew until the card expires which is October 11th. That's only fair and square, right? (wink) I am not alone as Gigi and many others are doing the same.

At Gigi's Blog, kikki cee posted a snippet of The New Yorker's piece on customer service by James Surowiecki:

"Because most companies are set up to focus on the first sale rather than on all the ones that might follow, they end up devoting all their energies to courting us, promising wonderful products and excellent service. Then, once they've got us, their attention wanders."

Given this sort of dynamic, Surowiecki claims that "a company's existing customers are often the ones who experience the worst service."

Ain't that ever the truth.

And so….in light of recent events, I find myself inspired. On Monday I went through my closet and retrieved all items I'd purchased over the last year that had yet to be worn, still with tags attached. Some of them had been purchased out of season, other items were just aspirational. But it all went back. Every. Last. Piece. This, combined with the return policies of 'olde, resulted in a fairly hefty gift card. So thank you, J.Crew, for inspiring me to take charge of my closet and take back the crap.

While my online shopping cart is actually bursting at the seams with "wants" and "must-haves" - I can wait. I CAN WAIT. (Maybe if I type it, and say it, and type it a few more times it'll sink in.) In that we're finally starting to see some fall temperatures around here, I've got plenty of unworn clothes that I really should take out for a spin before buying anything new.

Until October 11th, dear J.Crew. I'll see you then.

*What's a "Red Card?" According to J.Crew Aficionada:

"J.Crew is sending customers a card for 25% off any in-store purchase.

What to Wear: Outdoor Autumn Wedding

2010-09-28T07:36:00.007-04:00

I'm back! Yes, months later. I hope to make posting a more regular part of my daily routine. We'll see how it goes!

This weekend I'm attending the wedding of good friend Pixelant (YAY! You're getting married!) - it's in (near) Washington, DC, and I've finally decided on two options. Both are in transit at the moment - hopefully they'll show up in time (lest the decision be made for me and I'm forced to wear something I already have. Oh the horror!)

Last weekend - after fits of "would I"/"wouldn't I" about a certain sequin pencil skirt (it was on sale in store and I'm a sucker for that dark rosewood color) - I stopped into Anthropologie to do a return. I found a couple possible dresses on sale- one of which being the Drifting By Dress (seen on Kim over at Anthroholic, Roxy at Effortless Anthropologie and others here and here). The only size in store was a 2, and it was smeared in lipstick and makeup - probably for the best that didn't work out - so I came home and looked it up on eBay and found my normal size 4 in both the blush/cream colorway and in black.

I've been putting off ordering the Tilly Satin Two-Tone Heels -- since the ceremony and reception will be held outside all I can think about is the possibility of expensive 4-inch heels sinking into mud. Just doesn't seem like the best way to spend that kind of money. What to do, what to do!

Wedding Option 04 by ratsonparade featuring crystal jewelry

So what were my other options?

Plain. Simple. Black.

Wedding Option #03 by ratsonparade featuring peep toe shoes

A demur plain/simple/black. But the Tulipe Cami doesn't really look how you'd think it might (and it's charcoal, not pure black). I'm still on the fence about keeping it.

Wedding Option #02 by ratsonparade featuring peeptoe shoes

And finally -- the skirt that wreaked havoc on my no-nonsense sensibilities (I'm still fairly certain I could never pull off a sequin skirt). And the cardigan was a little too casual (and long!) to really make it all work. But the colors! Oh the colors...

Wedding Option #01 by ratsonparade featuring j crew jewelry

Madewell - Coming Soon to Columbus, OH!

2010-09-18T20:33:00.006-04:00

Fellow Columbus-JCA Liz sent me an email today to let me know that Madewell will be opening up a retail location in Easton Town Center (located on the east end of Columbus, OH).

From Liz:

I went to the outlets today and a really nice SA at JC told me we're getting a Madewell at Easton before the holidays. I wasn't sure if you knew that so I wanted to pass along the good news.

The Easton Town Center Website confirms it, with the location listed as 4215 The Strand, Columbus, OH 43219.

This is SUCH GREAT NEWS! Currently the nearest Madewell is in Virginia, and further out, New York City. I just happened to luck out on my last trip out to Los Angeles (since they have two!) -- that was the first time I'd ever set foot inside an actual store. And....even better still for me, since my shopping as of late has been Madewell, Madewell, Madewell (their plaid picnic shirts are so "me!") I have to admit, when I read Liz's email I started jumping up and down. Just a little.

If you're in the area and looking for a job, you might consider applying to be Madewell's Store Director (posted on Monster.com 16 days ago). Just think of the discounts!

Welcome to town, Madewell!

Who are you? eBay "Finds" or "Fakes"

2010-08-24T06:00:00.001-04:00

I recently purchased this on eBay:

Now in all honesty, I'm not all that concerned whether it's a fake or not (just couldn't come up with a more creative title). I have no reason to question its authenticity, other than it was super-cheap on eBay, and there's no style number on the tag. But it does have a J.Crew tag (albeit a little crinkly), and it looks like it could maybe possibly be something J.Crew (or its Factory counterpart) would've made in a former life. Have any of you seen this one before? It's a cute top regardless, 100% silk, and despite the photo it's black (my favorite color of the moment, or lack of color - depending on which side of the fence you're on). I like it. :)

Can You Guess the Real J.Crew?

2010-08-23T15:56:00.007-04:00

J.Crew or LOFT? How in the "crew" are you?

I, for one, had a pretty easy time with this quiz. Probably because A) I've been pouring over the last few catalogs for so long I've got a pretty good grasp on what *is* J.Crew's style nowadays. B) I can easily recognize the J.Crew models by their distant stares and persistent slouches and C) Because, as a general rule, I don't shop at LOFT (at least since that former co-worker and I showed up for a wedding in the same dress.....and then two friends showed up for *my* wedding in the same dress....) So I feel I can spot a LOFT item a mile away. And I'm usually right. :)

Test your crewability here: http://www.thefrisky.com/post/246-ann-taylor-or-j.-crew-its-hard-to-tell/

OT: 'Obsessive Consumption'

2010-05-25T08:12:00.008-04:00

What did you buy today? It seems like forever ago that I was making a J.Crew purchase a day. That's right, on average, I was making purchases 6 out of 7 days of the week. True, they were usually (almost always) sale purchases, but let's think about that for a minute. Aside from the enormous financial strain that can put on a person's wallet, who really needs to buy new clothes EVERY DAY? (And I wondered why my husband would look at me so strangely when five J.Crew packages would show up on the porch at a time....) And please don't think I'm bragging....I had (and am still working through) serious issues dealing with my relationship with money and always being for want of everything under the sun. As soon as I'd find one sought-after popback, I'd move right onto the next sought-after thing. It was only after reading the post 'Lessons of a Shopaholic' over at 3-Penny Princess (what a brutally honest heartfelt read!) that I finally decided to address my problem.

Thankfully I no longer find myself compulsively pulling the trigger on every tank top and headband I might wear "someday" – which, let me tell ya, really starts to add up. Nevermind the fact that when you buy all that crap you have to have someplace to put it, and I'd say more often than not I never even ended up wearing most of the things I bought.

So why am I sharing all of this (somewhat damning) personal information? This morning I came across a book called 'Obsessive Consumption: What Did You Buy Today?' by Kate Bingaman-Burt. The message really resonated with me. Here's a quick snapshot:

Obsessive Consumption -- Our daily lives are filled with consumption—$1.50 for a cup of coffee, $5.95 for a magazine, $17.99 for headphones, $1.79 for cough drops, $36.00 for a haircut. Whether bought out of necessity or indulgence, purchased alone or in a group, everything we buy has its own story to tell. We buy art supplies while feeling inspired, CDs while shopping with friends, and a new pair of jeans to give us a lift when we are feeling blue. Yet, these powerfully emotional experiences can be fleeting—quickly erased by the pull of the next "must-have" acquisition. In Obsessive Consumption, Portland-based artist Kate Bingaman-Burt holds up a mirror to her own obsession with shopping and acquisition. Faced with a mounting pile of postgraduation credit card debt, Bingaman-Burt concocted a unique artistic response to this all-too-common dilemma. She picked up a pen and began drawing her monthly credit card statements, painstakingly recreating every last ledger line and decimal point, vowing to continue serving her artistic penance until her debt was repaid. As a relief from this project—turning the idea of "retail therapy" on its ear—Bingaman-Burt began drawing one of her purchases from each day, losing herself in the items, patterns, simple lines, and typography.

I just love this. It's so relevant (and so true!), and something I just don't put that much thought into. I know (at least for me) it seems like carrying around cash is the worst – it always gets frittered away in no time, and at the end of the day there's nothing to show for it. Coffee yesterday, kettle corn at the Craftacular on Saturday. It's always something! More images and a continuation of the project can be found here: http://www.obsessiveconsumption.typepad.com/

OT: What's in that sunscreen?

2010-05-24T14:43:00.006-04:00

Summertime's almost here! For many, that means pedicures, short shorts and that radiant "I've been basking in the sun" glow. For the rest of us, it means protection, protection and more protection!

Over at the fabulous "Sweet Tea in Seattle" blog she reviewed the Yes to Carrots daily facial moisturizer with chemical-free SPF. Such a timely post! Because at the same time I was reading her review, I came across an article (via MSNBC's Luke Russert on Twitter - @russertxm_nbc) about how only 39 of 500 SPF products tested actually prevented cancer. And to top it off, many of them contain chemicals that (at least in lab animals) are more likely to produce tumors and lesions. How's that for bringing out the Boogeyman! Those journalists, always trying to scare you with science and research. <--totally kidding. I like science. And they're usually right.

Many Sunscreens Might Be Accelerating Cancer [AOL News]:

"But the most alarming disclosure in this year's report is the finding that vitamin A and its derivatives, retinol and retinyl palmitate, may speed up the cancer that sunscreen is used to prevent.

In that yearlong study, tumors and lesions developed up to 21 percent faster in lab animals coated in a vitamin A-laced cream than animals treated with a vitamin-free cream," the report said."

At the end the article they link to a searchable database of the best and worst sunscreens (provided by the Environmental Working Group): http://bit.ly/cSJcyj

All this talk about tanning and burning reminded me that my reddish hair and fair skin are no friend to the sun. Good to remember, since I so often just think while we're out and about "nah, I don't need to put on sunscreen – I'll be fine!" Famous last words! I'm much more likely (okay, guaranteed!) to burn rather than tan. And sunburns hurt like the dickens. Which brings me to my personal favorite soothing sunburn reliever:

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins®

I know what you're thinking - why would you use a night time skin cream for a sunburn?! That's a fair question. It's not like I was just rummaging through the cupboard looking for something (anything!) to stop the pain – though don't think I haven't tried that too! I discovered this particular moisturizer's "healing powers" last year after a particularly sunny day visiting our friends in Conway, SC (aka Myrtle Beach). As always happens, even despite my best SPF-slathering efforts, my face and neck were bright red and in quite a lot of pain. I thought a moisturizer might help, and boy did it! Unlike the aloe-based "soothing" creams they sell at the drugstore specifically for sunburns (you know the ones – as soon as they dry they get all hard and crusty and make the sunburn hurt even worse) – this stuff worked miracles. MIRACLES!

The thing is it's a little expensive ($36) – so probably not something you're going to want to share with every bright red friend who also gets burned at the beach. But for yourself – if you're feeling indulgent – or if you're just seriously in need of some relief from the pain, it's well worth every penny.

J.Crew: Edie Beale goes to Girl Scout Camp.

2010-05-20T09:34:00.008-04:00

American socialite Edith Beale Jr. poses in front of her dilapidated mansion in East Hampton, Long Island, in the 1975 documentary film Grey Gardens.
(Hulton Archive/Getty Images) Taken from CBC News

We've heard a lot of talk lately about J.Crew's upcoming fall collection. Style.com describes it as "Edie Beale goes to Girl Scout camp." But what do we know of the real Edie Beale? For starters, there wasn't just one Edie Beale:

From CBC News:

Edith Beale and Edith Beale, Jr., were a pair of mother-daughter eccentrics and former society ladies who lived together as recluses in East Hampton, N.Y. Life was different in the decaying mansion inhabited by Big and Little Edie: in their world, it made perfect sense to wear sweaters on your head, do a soft shoe alongside free-roaming raccoons and subsist on a diet of liver pâté and ice cream.

Big Edie and Little Edie Beale weren't just any garden-variety batty recluses – they were the aunt and cousin of none other than Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.

Little Edie on Style:
The head scarf with a rhinestone brooch, the leotard, or dress tied in a knot just below the hips are now definitive Little Edie style statements. - dressingvintage.com

Photo from MyGreyGardens.com

The Beales' Living Conditions:
“attics full of raccoons and their droppings, toilets stopped up, a kitchen stove that had fallen into the cellar, a living room with literally only half a floor, grounds so matted with devil’s walking sticks and other thorns they were impenetrable, a large walled garden which was so overgrown it could not even be seen. Over everything hung the knee-buckling smell of cats and cat excrement. Whole rooms had been abandoned when they filled-up with garbage, as the Beales moved to the next room…” – Ben Bradle

Photo from Dressing Vintage

And finally....this photo [below] actually makes me hopeful that J.Crew will take into account Little Edie's "pre-Grey Gardens documentary" classic look.

Photo from http://patrishka.wordpress.com

But I digress.

You can read more about Edie Beale over at GreyGardensOnline.com.

--

Now let's take a look at J.Crew's interpretation of Edith Beale style:

Photo from Style.com

In all fairness, I really don't think the new collection pieces (or styling) are any more whack-a-doodle than any of the other recent rollouts we've seen. Will I be wearing diaper shorts (yes, diaper shorts(!)) this fall? Probably not in the cards for me. Not surprisingly, J.Crew's Creative Director, Jenna Lyons, says of the collection, "I'm not expecting people to dress like this....But they could, and I would love it if they did."

I'll bet you would, Ms. Lyons. I'll bet you would.

I ♥ The Sartorialist

2010-05-19T12:26:00.012-04:00

Okay fellow J.Crew-lovers, heads up – this isn't a post about J.Crew. Though last night I did buy a Madewellesque plaid button down shirt (which I already regret – it's WAAAY too big and slouchy) from the upcoming rollout (in-stores as of yesterday according to the SA), but I've kind of fallen off the bandwagon as of late. As a result of the current sale, I have loads of things in my basket too, but I've yet to pull the trigger. Is 20% + free shipping off better than waiting for the new arrivals? Such a dilemma! So I'm trying to deter myself from thinking about J.Crew until I can make a decision. Luckily J.Crew's debut on Net-A-Porter today reminded me of how much I love European fashion!

I'm certainly not the first person to note The Sartorialist as one of my favorite blog-stops to visit. But for some reason, even though it's in my feed-reader, I almost always forget about it. Until I saw the photo (below) posted on another wonderful JCA blog, which I can't for the life of me find again. If you're the one who posted it – my apologies for not crediting you properly! One big snafu with using the iPad in conjunction with Google Reader – I can never find anything that I read just a day or two before. It vanishes – poof! If and when I find it, I'll update the post to reflect!

I. LOVE. THIS.

The beautiful girl in the photo is from Sydney, but her style is purely Parisian. If we're to assume the commenters at The Sartorialist to be accurate, the sandals are by K Jacques (which can be found at the official online store, ShopBop, Zoe and Bergdorf Goodman, among others) and the dress is by Isabel Marant (found at farfetch.com and Yoox). I couldn't find the exact replica of either the dress or the sandals, but I'm happy enough to save the photo for later inspiration.

Here's a quick bio:

Isabel Marant, born in 1967, creates her own world of «melting mode». Her French father, her German mother and particularly her West Indian mother-in-law gave her a cosmopolite education. It is also while traveling in India or Africa that she finds her inspiration.

Set up in Saint-Tropez in 1933 by Jacques Keklikian and his wife, the K Jacques workshop started life stitching together basic leather sandals for visitors to the Med resort. The Homère (or Homer), a Greco Roman-style sandal with five horizontal straps across the foot, was, and still is, the signature piece - Picasso loved them, and over the years they've counted the likes of Colette and Bridget Bardot among their fans.

You might also remember my fondness for American Vintage (which pops up at Gilt and RueLaLa fairly regularly) – obviously I have a penchant for French designers (for reasons I cannot explain). Though there are no trips to France in my anywhere-near-to-distant future, if I can't be in Paris at least I can dress like 'em. :)

How To: Look Good in a Photograph

2010-04-27T06:00:00.002-04:00

I don't know about you, but I've never been particularly photogenic. I know a ton of folks who just can't take a bad photo, but I've never been asked to join that elite group (and rightfully so). Even when I'm trying – and I have what you might call a "natural" smile – well....let's just say it isn't pretty. And so...I do what I can to avoid the camera. (Here's a tip: If you're the one taking pictures, this will easily eliminate you from having to be *in* the pictures yourself!)

So if you're like me and you feel you could use a few pointers, check out this video on 'How to Look Good in a Photograph.' Good tips! Now if I could just remember them all the next time somebody flashes a camera...

Digital Cameras: User's Guide:
How To Look Good In A Photograph

So long, B&M / Final Sale FIRE SALE

2010-04-26T14:25:00.003-04:00

As of late, J.Crew's been getting on my last nerve. Especially after last weekend. Store number #00620, you are officially dead to me. From now on, Easton is now the only game in town.

J.Crew's return policy CLEARLY STATES:

After 60 days of original purchase:
J.Crew will gladly make an exchange or issue a merchandise credit for the price at the time of sale (with original receipt) or for the current selling price (without original receipt).

I like to know the rules going in. And EVERY OTHER TIME I've brought in returns, I've always had receipts in-hand, itemized and hilited to make your job easier. And I usually try to make the extra effort to come at a time when you aren't so terribly busy. It was my mistake for actually thinking I could return something without the receipt for store credit (even though your own store policy makes it CLEAR that this is completely acceptable.) **To be fair, I have returned without receipt once prior. ONE TIME. And that went without incident. Why only once? Because I was afraid it would turn into a clusterf*ck, exactly as was the case last Sunday. I was actually kind of surprised that the whole transaction went so smoothly the first time around. Obviously that was simply a lapse in the space-time continuum. I won't make that mistake again.

It's not my intention to be a troublemaker. But thanks for making me feel like a criminal for following your own store policy.

I hope you're happy Store #00620. I'll not be back.

**As a sidenote, there was one kind associate who was actually willing to help throughout the whole ordeal – I truly appreciate your patience.

--
So....what else is getting my panties all in a bunch? Final Sale. I mean it's not like the 'Final Sale' nonsense is new, but after assessing my spring and summer wardrobe (which had been packed away up until this past weekend), I've come to the conclusion that I've spent WAY too much on crappy Final Sale items that I cannot get rid of. I haven't worn them, I don't want them, and J.Crew won't take them back. What's a girl to do?

I'm having a Final Sale FIRE SALE. Starting on Polyvore, moving to eBay and then (if all else fails), it's going to Goodwill. Just seeing all those tank tops and belts sitting around reminds me of how much I've spent over the past year, and how completely ridiculous it is that J.Crew can get away with selling 'Final Sale' items for nowhere near clearance prices. BAH!

So please take a gander - see if there's anything that floats your boat. The intent is to get rid of these items - so I'm trying to price accordingly.

Final Sale FIRE SALE by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

GO TRY IT ON

2010-04-19T13:32:00.004-04:00

My friend pixelant just sent me a link to GO TRY IT ON - a new site that allows you to post outfit of the days and garner input (helpful advice – it's not a "hot or not" type scenario!) from the Go Try It On community. In that it seems like the exact thing most of us are doing with our OOTDs (*cough* when we do them *cough*) I thought you all might be interested.

Here's the official 'About Us':

How many times have you been in a fitting room and seen someone staring at herself in the mirror...

Turning to the right. Turning a bit to the left. Finally asking the sales girl, "What do you think?"

Naturally, sales girl responds with some classic, off-the-shelf line about how she just bought those exact same skinny jeans and "loves loves them" (never mind the fact that she's 5'9" and would look great in a brown unitard).

You, as a somewhat innocent bystander, believe this woman could do better, and that those jeans are just not right for her. But in an awkward "she didn’t ask for my opinion" Presumed-Dressing-Room-Etiquette moment you say nothing and look away.

Well, silence of dressing rooms, beware! GO TRY IT ON is a community ready to answer that question: "What do you think?"

Honest advice, honest opinions. Innocent bystanders no more! See someone you think could do better? Have an idea for them? Speak up!

Such a simple idea - and so well-executed! I haven't tried it yet, but I plan to. As soon as I get all those OOTDs from the past two months off the camera....

Go Try It On!

Aw, J.Crew - You like me! You really like me!

2010-04-01T14:50:00.004-04:00

I realize I've been noticeably absent from blogland for way too long - in my defense I've been busy (New York, New York again, then Austin) - but I just had to share the latest gift I received today in the mail from dearest J.Crew. I'd read that a few others had already received their gift maybe a week or so ago - and I just assumed I wouldn't be on the receiving end this time around. Since the beginning of the year, my J.Crew spending has been on a drastic downward spiral. In part because I lost my job in January (and then got a new one) but now it seems I've been spending so much time cleaning out the closet (and making 1+ year-old returns) that I haven't actually spent very much in the way of real money. I was $19.00 away from even qualifying for a rewards card this time around - and that's just unheard of. Anyway - the tote bag! So excited!

And of course, it included an oh-so personal (printed) note from CEO Mickey Drexler:

Thanks, J.Crew! I still love you too!

From J.Crew: Best of the Best - Free Alterations!

2010-03-01T16:44:00.006-05:00

It'd been awhile since J.Crew had sent out a "we love you" mailer, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a J.Crew-stamped envelope mixed in with the bills today.

This time it's for Free Standard Alterations during the month of March. Almost makes me want to run out and get something that needs to be altered -- too bad most (uhm, all) of J.Crew's clothes typically fit me right off the rack. Yeah I know, such problems! But if I DID need to have something altered, free's definitely a good way to do it!

AND! For those of you who live in New York (I wish I was one of 'em!) they will hand-deliver your newly altered items right to your door! *UPS overnight is provided to those of us not in the immediate NYC vicinity.

UPDATE: As some of you have mentioned, J.Crew already offers complimentary standard alterations on the full-price merchandise (except leather, suede and beaded fabrics) purchased in a retail store, on jcrew.com or by phone. For card holders.

While this makes the mailed promotional offer a little less exciting (I'm already a card-holder, so yeah -- I thought this all sounded a little too familiar) -- it should be noted that this promotion is good for non-cardholders as well. So, um, yay! for all you non-cardholding big spenders who can now get free alterations! I have to say, the free gift box promotion that happened around the holidays was actually more useful for me, but you know, still - it's something.

Here's what the mailer looks like (click on the image to enlarge):

Who's That Model? 2010 / Katarina Ivanovska

2010-03-01T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark and say Katarina Ivanovska is the swimsuit model for the February catalog. Because I don't think I've seen her in anything else.

All images screencapped by wickedcrazyness over at The Fashion Spot Forums.

From Wikipedia:

Katarina Ivanovska (Macedonian: Катарина Ивановска}; born 18 August 1988 in Skopje, SR Macedonia is a Macedonian model. She began her modeling career in 2004, appearing at Milan Fashion Week after winning the Look Models International model search in Macedonia. In December, 2004, she appeared in a pictorial for Elle magazine and has also appeared in Citizen K, Stiletto and the Italian and Russian Vogue. She has been featured on the covers of Diva and Maxima magazines and in advertisements for D&G in 2006. She is considered the most successful Macedonian model.

Height: 5 ft 11 in

"Off the Runway" photos can be viewed at nymag.com.

More images of Ivanovska wearing J.Crew can be found at The Fashion Spot Forums.

Who's That Model? 2009 / Jessica Stam

2010-02-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

From Wikipedia:

Early life and discovery

Stam was born in Kincardine, Ontario and grew up on a farm alongside her six brothers. She came from a religious family and attended Sacred Heart High School in Walkerton, Ontario. Her original intention was to become a dentist.

Stam was discovered in a local Tim Hortons coffee shop by Michèle Miller (an agent at the International Model Management agency in Barrie, Ontario) who found Stam on the way back from Canada's Wonderland (a theme park just outside Toronto).

Career

Stam won the Los Angeles Model Look Search in 2002.[citation needed] Photographer Steven Meisel jump-started her career and soon after cast her in every advertisement campaign of his.[citation needed] "I guess I'm his muse", she has said.[1] She has appeared on the cover of UK & German Vogue and in advertisements for Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Giorgio Armani, Vera Wang, Valentino, Miu Miu, Gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Versace and Holt Renfrew, Dior, BCBG Max Azria, Lanvin, Roberto Cavalli, Bulgari, H&M and DKNY. In 2004, Stam appeared in the short film Agent Orange. She was once sued by New York Model Management in 2004, because of a breach of contract.

Fashion designer Marc Jacobs created The Marc Jacobs Stam, a bag inspired by and named after her. For the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2006 she opened the fourth runway theme "Pink". The appearance also included a featurette showing a Victoria's Secret commercial shoot and what a model sees when walking the runway. In the January 2006, she appeared in the Rochas ad campaign, shot and directed by Bruno Aveillan.

For Spring 2006 Ready-to-Wear, Stam walked a total of 64 shows combined during the New York, Milan, and Paris Fashion Weeks. During Paris's Spring/Summer 2007 Haute Couture fashion week she walked for Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Christian Dior, Givenchy, and Jean Paul Gaultier. She currently stands at number five on the "Top 50 Models" rating at models.com, tied with model Agyness Deyn. In the May 2007 issue of American Vogue she was featured on the cover with fellow models: Doutzen Kroes, Caroline Trentini, Raquel Zimmermann, Sasha Pivovarova, Agyness Deyn, Coco Rocha, Hilary Rhoda, Chanel Iman, and Lily Donaldson as the new crop of supermodels.

In July 2007, earning at an estimated total of $1.5 million in the past 12 months, Forbes named her fifteenth in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. Currently she stars in campaigns for Bulgari, Dior, Lanvin and Escada. She also appears in the F/W 2007 Christian Dior, DKNY, Miss Sixty, Loewe and Roberto Cavalli ad campaign. She has also walked in the 2006 and 2007 Victoria's Secret fashion shows. For F/W 08 Stam can be seen in ads for Giorgio Armani "Onde" fragrance, Dolce & Gabbana and Bulgari. She has appeared in an advertisement for the Ricci Ricci fragrance by Nina Ricci.

In 2009 she returns as the face of Bulgari and in March she appears on the cover of Tokyo Numéro.

She has been included in the group of models considered "doll faces", alongside Gemma Ward, Vlada Roslyakova, Lily Cole, Caroline Trentini, Lisa Cant, Devon Aoki, and Heather Marks.

"Off the Runway" photos are available at nymag.com.

Who's That Model? 2008 / Mallory Snyder

2010-02-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

Scans by kochie332 and SirSunday at The Fashion Spot Forums

From Wikipedia:

Mallory Snyder (born January 7, 1984) is an American model best known for her participation on MTV's reality television program The Real World: Paris and her work as a swimsuit model for Sports Illustrated. Snyder is a 2002 graduate of William Fremd High School. Her father, Todd Snyder, played professional American football in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons from 1970-1973.

Who's That Model? 2009 / Du Juan

2010-02-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

My first recollection on Du Juan was from last the August 2009 catalog.

From Wikipedia:

A former Ford Supermodel of the World runner-up, Du made her runway debut in Spring 2006, walking for prominent designers such as Valentino (opening and closing his bridal show), Jean-Paul Gaultier, Roberto Cavalli and Chanel.

In 2005 Du shared the cover of Vogue Paris with Australian model Gemma Ward leading to a flurry of advertising campaigns for Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Gap, Swarovski, United Colors of Benetton, and Yves St. Laurent. With multiple bookings being a rare accomplishment, particularly for a new face, Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W magazine, declared her one of the top ten models to watch for the Fall 2006 season.^[4] She graced the cover of the premier issue of Vogue China and has since become a fixture in its pages.^[5] She has also appeared on the cover of the 2006 TIME Style&Design with fellow model Coco Rocha, and is one of the models featured in the 2008 Pirelli Calendar, which was shot in her native Shanghai.

She is currently ranked number 45 on model ranking site MODELS.com, having peaked at number 14. In recent seasons Du has been featured in advertisement campaigns for Giorgio Armani, Anna Sui, GAP, David Yurman, H&M and Yue Sai, a Chinese expansion of L'oreal.

Du has appeared in editorials for Allure, Harper's Bazar, Elle, V magazine, i-D and the American, Chinese, French, Italian, Korean and British editions of Vogue.^[6]

Being largely absent from Europe in recent seasons, Du spends her time between New York and China.
Height: 5 ft 10.5 in, Dress size - 4 (US)

View more photos at The Fashion Spot Forums.

Jenna Lyons: Celebrity (Non-J.Crew) Gift Guide

2010-02-25T18:00:00.000-05:00

I have a Google Alert set for "Jenna Lyons" so that I can keep on top of what the fashion maven is up to. But sometimes I miss things -- like this great Holiday Gift Guide that came out around the end of December over at The Daily Beast.

The task? Jenna Lyons was to choose presents for "the people who already have everything" (think Sarah Palin, Brangelina, Google's Marissa Mayer, and more).

A few excerpts:

For Sarah Palin: A "Slap Chop", a “Bumpit”, a "Clapper", and a “Go Duster”

For The Kardashians: A first edition of Emily Post’s book on etiquette

Check out the whole slide show over at The Daily Beast.

Who's That Model? 2009 / Renata Maciel Dos Santos

2010-02-25T06:00:00.002-05:00

Renata is another one of those J.Crew models you've probably seen a lot of lately.

Here's a photo from J.Crew circa 2008:

More recently:

Additional pics from recent J.Crew rollouts can be viewed at The Fashion Spot Forums.

From Fashion Model Directory:

First Name:	Renata Maciel
Last Name:	dos Santos
Nationality:	Brazilian
Hair Color:	Brown
Eye Color:	Brown
Date of Birth:	February 11, 1981
Place of Birth:	Florianópolis, Santa Catarina - Brazil
Height:	5'9", Dress Size - 4 (US)

Renata was discovered on a bus travelling home from school when she was 14 years old by the Mega agency in Brazil.

She has a tattoo on her lower back, a chinese hieroglyph on the back of her neck and she has a pierced navel and tongue.

In addition to J.Crew, Renata can be found all over the place! Here she is for Bloomingdale's:

And JC Penney:

And finally...I don't know what this is from. But wow, those models with their versatility again. It's really quite something.

Image from thegrumpiest.com

Most J.Crew Catalog Models Mustached in 1 Minute

2010-02-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

I don't understand why anyone would bother to time this, let alone write it down. But there it is, recorded for all the world to see. Have you been watching John Oliver's (of Daily Show fame) new show on Friday nights? Just a week or two ago he did a bit about Americans and their lust for setting stupid world records. This record-shattering feat actually took place in January of 2009, but it still seems relevant. Um, relevant-ish.

Most J.Crew Catalogue Models Mustached in One Minute

Combining quick hands with facial hair animation abilities Nick Spahr drew mustaches on 16 clothing models in a J.Crew catalog, a new universal record.

As he quickly turned the pages, Spahr spruced up model after model using a regular fine point Sharpie. This feat was achieved at a World Record Appreciation Society event held in New York City on January 7, 2009. Rob Birdsong and Corey Henderson were present to document and record the feat.

Why? Just......why?!

Here's John Oliver's take on stupid world records, more often than not accomplished by Americans:

Jokes.com

John Oliver - Americans and World Records

comedians.comedycentral.com

Joke of the Day

Stand-Up Comedy

Free Online Games

Who's That Model? 2009 / Erin Wasson

2010-02-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

In November of 2009, Erin Wasson appeared on the cover of J.Crew's monthly catalog.

In that I have no reference point with which to gauge this event, it doesn't seem at all strange. There's yet another pretty model on the cover? Um....okay. So what's so weird about that?

According to nymag.com:

Erin Wasson recently started doing catalogue work for J.Crew. It seems like an odd pairing, but J.Crew creative director Jenna Lyons said her tomboy style is a good fit for the brand. They style her in menswear items, and carefully decide on the roll of each cuff and scrunch of each sock prior to her shoot. "She's not going to wear an anorak with a flower on it," Lyons said.

Photo from FabSugar.com

Ohhhh.....well when you put it *that* way. Wait....huh? Actually, I think this gives us good insight into Jenna Lyons' approach to clothing design. If we're to assume that she's in any way inspired by Erin Wasson (and why shouldn't we assume that, hmm?)

I mean, just try and tell me you can't see Jenna Lyons wearing this exact outfit. Am I right?

From Wikipedia:

Wasson has graced the covers of numerous fashion magazines, including French, German, Spanish and Australian Vogue, Flair, Numero, Allure, Esquire and Elle, and walked international runways for notable designers like Armani, Balenciaga, Cavalli, Gucci, and Karl Lagerfeld; in addition, she walked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2007. Over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to work with renowned photographers Steven Meisel, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier and Ellen Von Unwerth. Her advertisement campaigns include Michael Kors, Rolex, Tiffany & Co., J.Crew, Levi's, H&M, and the Gap. Since 2002, Wasson has been the international face of Maybelline, appearing in print ads and television commercials for the iconic cosmetics brand.

In the fall of 2008, she appeared opposite Justin Timberlake in a multimedia campaign for his clothing line, William Rast. The campaign includes a series of short films directed by Jonas Akerlund. Wasson plays Timberlake's love interest, "Birdie."

For two seasons, Wasson played stylist[clarification needed] for CFDA/Vogue Award-winning designer Alexander Wang, and in the spring of 2008 introduced her own line of jewelry, LowLuv. For Spring '09, Wasson is launching a womenswear collection - Erin Wasson x RVCA - in collaboration with surf and skate lifestyle brand RVCA. The line will be available at leading department stores and boutiques worldwide.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

2010-02-23T12:00:00.009-05:00

Hellllloooooo New York!

I'm here for three days on business - meeting up with my "new" team. I say "new" because everyone I'm working with now I was also working with three years ago. But it's still qualifies as new since we're all at a different company now than we were then. See? "New." There you go.

This is approximately where I'll be spending the majority of my three days while I'm in town. The photo is from 1935, but in all honesty, it hasn't changed that much, save the Yellow Rat Bastard shop near our offices. Oh, and there's a Madewell literally right across the street - and a Men's store right next door to that. I've never been to a Madewell! I'll have to stop by when I run out for coffee. Which should be about right now actually.....early morning flights mean caffeine will be my best friend today.

Source: Changing New York / Berenice Abbott. (more info)
Repository: The New York Public Library. Photography Collection, Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs.

You might remember that my last trip to NYC was in September for Advertising Week. I completely flaked out on posting OOTDs then, so I'm going to try (and try real hard!) to do it this time. It doesn't sound like there will be much (er, any) sightseeing time on this trip - it's fairly whirlwind - just there and back. But still. I get to fly on a plane. And ride on the subway. And stay in SoHo. And (hopefully!) meet up with my friend who just moved to the city (um, Brooklyn) last November. Oh, and this same aforementioned friend works at 770 Broadway. Know who else works at that address? Aw c'mon just guess! I'll give you a hint. His initials are MD. That's right - good 'ol Millard (Mickey) Drexler! I hear he's friends with Aol. CEO, Tim Armstrong. I'm tempted to go visit her at the office just on the off chance I might run into you-know-who on the elevators! More than likely they probably have separate "executive" elevators for the CEOs, you know, so that they won't have to rub elbows with the rest of us ne'er-do-wells. But you never know!

Who's That Model? 2009 / Kasia Struss

2010-02-23T06:00:00.000-05:00

For reasons I cannot explain, Kasia Struss is my absolute favorite J.Crew model (though Cintia Dicker ranks a close second!) If I had to pick one model that personifies the carefree, messy-hair-but-still-manages-to-look-polished ideology that Jenna Lyons wants us all to subscribe to, Struss would be it. Oh, if only I could look that good wearing white tennis shoes with a suit!

From Wikipedia:

Kasia Struss (real name: Katarzyna Strusińska; born November 23, 1987 in Ciechanów) is a Polish model, currently living in New York City. Struss was introduced to modeling when she was still in high school in her home town Ciechanów. After graduating she began her modeling career. She has appeared in various magazines, including Vogue Italy, US, France, Numéro, W, V, Dazed & Confused, and Ten Magazine. In December 2009 Kasia appeared on the cover of Italian Vogue. In January 2010 issue of Vogue USA Kasia gracies 8 pages shot by David Simms.

She has walked the runway for Prada, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf, Calvin Klein, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Givenchy, Chanel, Chloé, Christian Dior, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, John Galliano, Valentino, Kenzo, Diesel, DKNY, Donna Karan, Burberry Prorsum, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, Sonia Rykiel, Gareth Pugh, Julien MacDonald and many more. In 2007/2008, Struss opened shows for Yves Saint Laurent, Nina Ricci, Balenciaga, Costume National, Jil Sander, Sinha Stanic, Jil Stuart, Loewe, Wunderkind.[citation needed] In the Spring/Summer fashion week 2010 she was the third most booked model, after Constance Jablonski and Liu Wen, who placed first and second respectively.

Struss has shot ad campaigns for Chloe, Mulberry, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Pringle of Scotland, Jil Sander and Valentino, Cosume Nationa.

Kasia was named 'Best Dressed' by Vogue USA in June 2008. She was also named Top Model of the Year in January 2009 by infulentianl Polish magazine - POLITYKA. Vogue Paris declared her one of the top 30 models of the 2000s.

"Off the Runway" photos can be found at nymag.com.

Photo from trunkarchive.com

View more of Kasia Struss in J.Crew over at The Fashion Spot Forums.

Mickey Drexler on TV: Charlie Rose 2/19/2010

2010-02-22T16:00:00.002-05:00

On February 19th, Charlie Rose hosted Narciso Rodriguez, Mickey Drexler, the chief executive of J. Crew, and Robbie Myers, the editor of Elle. They discussed all things fashion from their different perspectives of the industry.

A video of the round table discussion can be viewed here: http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/10875

A bit of the transcript:

CHARLIE ROSE:  Do you buy this idea that there is some relationship in
terms of fashion and the economy?

MILLARD DREXLER:  Well, I think right now there is, because I think
we’ve been through an enormous change a year ago.  And I think -- I don’t
think it’s about the look as much as it is about the value.

CHARLIE ROSE:  The cost.  Right.

MILLARD DREXLER:  The cost, the reality of what people need and don’t
need.  So I think the recession, which was a huge jolt to all of us, which
was probably as close as anything to a depression that we’ve known, I think
changed many, many people’s shopping habits.  And so I think in that sense,
definitely a relationship.  But I think it’s re-jiggled in a sense the
businesses that are selling fashion.  I think it’s had a huge enormous
impact on our industry.

CHARLIE ROSE:  What else are consumers looking for?

MILLARD DREXLER:  Well, you know, for me, I don’t go to any of the
shows.  And I live a very narrow life in the world of J. Crew and Madewell.

CHARLIE ROSE:  Yeah.

MILLARD DREXLER:  But I think they’re always looking for the best
product, pretty, good looking, not commodity and not basic for our
business.  Because I think what’s happened in the world is it’s either gone
style, quality, detail, fashion or then it becomes commodity and basic.
And if you are going to compete in the basic commodity business today,
price wins out always.  If you are competing in a creative environment, I
think it’s price, and the creativity along with value that win today.

The full transcript can be found here: http://www.charlierose.com/download/transcript/10875

--
Drexler also appeared on the Charlie Rose show back in 2008 (Alexis over at J.Crew Aficionada did a great post about this interview here). The full video can also be found at charlierose.com.

I was especially impressed during this interview when Drexler said that he is more interested in where someone worked in high school, as opposed to focusing on their college diploma and their GPA.

"I don't size up their grades or their board scores, because in America today that's just an advantage certain people have." He goes on to say "I love people who've worked in coffee shops who were waiters and waitresses. They've learned to get their butt kicked at bit. They've learned to work hard. They haven't had *privileged* jobs in a sense. I'm of the school of wanting hungry, smart, high-energy people who are passionate in what they do."

My own personal experience with Mickey Drexler:

Over the New Years' holiday weekend between 2008-2009, I'd received (yet another) email notifying me that J.Crew "had received my cancellation request" for a handbag I'd ordered online - a cancellation request I did *not* make. As you're probably all aware, this was happening a LOT in 2008 - what with the website "upgrade" from the previous summer that seemed to be bringing J.Crew's online order fulfillment to a screeching halt. So I emailed Mr. Drexler about my love for J.Crew and how that experience had left me feeling concerned that my favorite retailer no longer cared about their customers. (I'm totally paraphrasing). Within five minutes - on a holiday weekend no less - Mr. Drexler personally emailed me back from his Blackberry. Then emailed again later in the day as he was boarding a plane to make sure I'd been taken care of. I was put in touch with his assistant (who called my home phone and left a message) and with John O'Dell, Director of the J.Crew Service Excellence Center. Needless to say after all that I was indeed taken care of. And I am now also a J.Crew loyalist for life. :)

Want to know more?

Image from cnnmoney.com

Millard S. Drexler's Business Profile, Forbes.com
Mr. Drexler has been the Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and a director of the J.Crew Group, Inc. since 2003. Before joining J.Crew, Mr. Drexler was Chief Executive Officer of The Gap, Inc. from 1995 until 2002, and was President of The Gap, Inc. from 1987 to 1995. Mr. Drexler also serves on the Board of Directors and Compensation and Nominating and Corporate Governance Committees of Apple, Inc.

Retailing icon Mickey Drexler Doubles Down (CNNmoney.com, 2008)
J.Crew's CEO says that this is the worst retail environment he's seen in 40 years in the business. His strategy? Launch a new, upscale brand called Madewell.

"Business Leaders & Success" (Paperback, 2003) - available on eBay
Find out how GAP CEO Mickey Drexler built a $9 billion-a-year retail business by ignoring self-pronounced expert to heed the advice of 12-year-olds.

SXSWi 2010: Showering Optional

2010-02-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

In addition to forgetting to blog about my new job... (did I tell you I have a new job?! And it came no less than just nine days after being cost-reducted out of my previous job!) So yeah....did I mention I'm going to Austin in three weeks?

A few months back, I posted a sidebar (advertisement) to "Vote for Me!" in the South by Southwest panel picker. And somehow, by some crazy random act of fate, out of the 2500+ submissions, mine (along with about 200 others) was picked! I'll be presenting the Core Conversation "Showering Optional: Tips for Remote Employees " on Sunday, March 14th at 3:30pm (for any of you who might happen to be attending the conference).

Last week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Sarah Beckham of the Austin Statesman daily newspaper (the blurb can be viewed on the austin360 website - hopefully they'll correct the title soon!) My first newspaper interview! And I was so nervous!

But only HALF as nervous as I am about actually getting up in front of, well, it could be 100 people, or it could be 2 -- just depends on how many decide to show! Sure, I've given presentations in college, and at work -- this seems so completely different!

So, dear readers, there were a few things I thought maybe you could help me with --

1) Have you ever spoken in public (*at a conference*) before? If you had to give one tip to a newbie, what would it be?

2) Many of you have mentioned on your own blogs that you also work from home -- either part time or full time. What are some of the challenges you've faced by working remotely? How long have you been doing it? And how did you find yourself in that position? Are the companies you all work for located in the same city, or are they somewhere outside your drive-able region?

3) How do you handle the aggressive oppositionist questioner who wants to take over the session?

4) How do you prevent yourself from saying "Um..." repeatedly?

5) What would you wear to appear casual, yet professional...comfortable, and still approachable? (Keep in mind that the majority of conference-goers will be wearing t-shirts, hoodies, jeans and Chuck Taylors.)

Thanks in advance!

**I'm also going to New York City to meet up with my new team at work -- THIS WEEK -- on Tuesday! Wait, that's TOMORROW!!? What to pack!? What to bring?!

Who's That Model? 2009 / Lily Aldridge

2010-02-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

If there's any question in your mind as to which model Lily Aldridge is, she's the one who has the "waist slouch" in just about every photo she appears in. Aw I'm kiddin'. Though for awhile I thought maybe they were just Photoshopping the different sweaters onto her, because her pose rarely ever changes. But hey, when you find what works....

From Wikipedia:

Aldridge has been featured in campaigns for Rocawear, Arden B., Bobbi Brown and Smashbox Cosmetics, Coach, JCrew, Charles David, and Levi's. At the age of 18, she appeared on the cover of the August 2003 Spanish Vogue. She also appeared in editorials for Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue and Elle Girl. In 2009, she modeled in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

From FamousWhy:

Lily Aldridge was born on November 15, 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is a well known model and not only this, she has an incredible beauty.

Biography and Career :

She became famous worldwide in 2006 when she appeared in Levi's commercial. From then on people recognize her on the street. Lily Aldridge is a model and she was on the cover of the Spanish Vogue in August 2003. She is working with two model agencies: The Fashion Model Management and IMG Models New York. In her spare time she likes to play soccer and another hobby of her is acting. She has a sister, Saffron Aldridge and a brother, Miles Aldridge.

View more photos of Lily in the J.Crew catalog over at The Fashion Spot Forums.

OOTD: Downtown Field Jacket

2010-02-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

It seems like forever since I've done an OOTD! Strangely enough, I actually have been getting dressed a lot more lately -- what with the interviews (well okay, they've all been phone interviews except for two that were here in town) and the many trips to the outplacement services office (if you ever find yourself in a position where your former company offers you outplacement services and you have the opportunity to have your resume professionally rewritten - SO well worth it!) In each case -- because I'm so totally not used to having to get dressed at all -- I was usually running out the door 10 minutes late, and when I came home I changed right back into my sit-around-the-house-and-play-with-the-dog pajama/sweats garb.

Yesterday we had nothing planned -- so what better time to take care of all those errands that always seem to get pushed to the end of the to-do list? Returning library books (yes, despite living so freaking close to the library they're STILL overdue), getting rid of the recycling, visiting our friend who owns a coffee shop (and getting coffee in the process), going to the pet store to get 'lil Edmund's nails clipped, then over to Target to pick up his Dingo bone "cupcakes." It was a lot of runs to sterolab, but at least now it's all marked off the list!

My OOTD was inspired by YogaGirl over at Love Your Life and Look~TODAY!, whose post about her awesome Marshall's Downtown Field Jacket Stand-in reminded me that I haven't worn my own Downtown Field Jacket in quite some time, and GingerSnap, whose OOTD from the 15th reminded me that I too have the Tenley High-Heel Midboots -- another item I'd also totally forgotten about. Don't get me wrong, my closet isn't so jam-packed that I can't find anything -- both items were actually out in plain sight. But I tend to wear the same "uniform" every time I go anywhere anymore - black, black and more black -- so I tend to not even think about other the other color options I could be wearing. Like, um, ivory (hey, it's not black!)

Here's the Polyvore:

Wearing Today 02.20.2010 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

And IRL:

J.Crew - As Seen On TV: Greek

2010-02-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

I'm going to tell you something that I don't go around admitting to just anyone off the street. Prepare yourselves. I mean it.

I watch...and enjoy...the show Greek.

I'm a dork. I know it. But I love it just the same. And if you really want to know, I also watch One Tree Hill. Why? Well, I can't really go into that, BUT...... each and every week you're guaranteed to see at least one character on both shows wearing something from J.Crew. Something that you may probably already have in your closet.

Case in point - on last week's episode, Casey (one of the main characters) was wearing the 2 Dogs Tee and the Mohair Retro-Stripe Cardigan:

Not only do I have both the cardigan and the tee, I've worn them in this exact same configuration. Sans beret of course. (I may be a dork but I'm not a total geek.)

Here's the Polyvore:

Greek: 02.15.2010 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

You can catch new episodes of Greek every Monday (hey, that's tomorrow!) at 10PM (9PM Central) on FOX Family.

Who's That Model? 2010 / Spring Look Book - Mona Johannesson

2010-02-20T17:00:00.002-05:00

I had trouble finding out the name of the model in the latest 2010 Spring Look Book -- just try doing a Google search for "J.Crew Spring 2010 Look Book Model" and see what comes up. That is to say, good luck with finding out whose face it is that graces every page! There are lots and lots (and lots!) of articles about J.Crew's spring 2010 collection, but nothing - and I mean nothing! - about the model. At ALL! After some rather frustrated digging, I finally came across the forums at The Fashion Spot, who name the model as Mona Johannesson. They actually have a whole thread dedicated to ID-ing models. YAY for The Fashion Spot!

I LOVE the Spring 2010 Look Book (view all the images from the Spring 2010 Look Book at www.coutorture.com) I'm tempted to take it in with me the next time I get my hair cut. For serious. And Johannesson isn't *just* in the Spring Look Book. Upon further investigation, this model is all OVER the jcrew.com site!

From Wikipedia:

Mona Johannesson (born September 18, 1986, Huskvarna, Sweden) is a Swedish model.

Johannesson was discovered at the age of 14 by an IMG Models scout while she was at a horse trials event in Gothenburg, Sweden. She modeled only part time until she finished school. Once she finished her education, she moved to London. Her big break came when an editorial in Fjords magazine re-created some of model Kate Moss's most famous poses, and Johannesson was quickly dubbed "The Next Kate Moss", including by Vogue. The nickname "Baby Kate" has stuck with her ever since.

Despite her short stature (by modeling standards), Johannesson has walked in numerous fashion shows including Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Nina Ricci, Miu Miu Burberry, amongst others. Her list of advertising campaigns includes Armani Exchange, Boucheron Jewelry, Bulgari, Burberry Blue, Cacharel, Costume National, Filippa K, Hogan, Hugo by Hugo Boss, H&M Divided, iBlues, Kurt Geiger, Les Printemps, Nina Ricci, Tse Cashmere, Ungaro Fuchsia, and Valentino RED.

She is currently the face of Valentino's Rock & Rose fragrance and Tommy Hilfiger's Dreaming fragrance.
Height: 5 ft 8 in, Dress size - 4 (US)

For more photos of Johannesson, check out the Fashion Spot Forums.

Jezebel's Take: February Catalog

2010-02-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Are you as much a fan of Jezebel as I am? I used to read it every day...well, I did back when the blog first started up. Kind of like how I used to read the Consumerist every day. What's happened to me? Why do both just sit so patiently in my blog reader, waiting to be "marked as read" but they never see the glaring light of the computer screen?

Well anyway, all this time I've been neglecting my blog-reading duties, I've also been missing out on the oh-so-snarky Jezebel's take on the J.Crew catalogs! For shame!

I'm about a week late with this, but here are just a few snippets of what they had to say about February's Portugal Catalog in J.Crew: Socks & Sensibilities:

Poor child is so confused. Are we going boating? Or on a picnic? Or dancing? Or to the opera? Gloves and a veiled cocktail hat would improve this look immensely. And by improve, I mean "make it apparent how ridiculous it is."

Wooboy, Jezebel, you always keep the laughs comin'. You can see all their fantabulous takes over at Jezebel.com. (And take a gander at their brilliant quips on the January catalog while you're there.)

Who's That Model? 2010 / Liu Wen

2010-02-19T21:00:00.005-05:00

Continuing from the last "Who's That Model" post -- another standout of February's Portugal catalog is Liu Wen.

More catalog photos can be viewed at the Asian Models Blog (and of course, in the actual catalog).

From Wikipedia:

Liu started her modeling career in 2005, when she entered the New Silk Road World Model Contest, a contest previously won by international covergirl Du Juan, of hoping to win a computer, which was the main prize. Though she didn't win, she began working after the contest. She became a national success when she landed the cover of Chinese FHM in the beginning her career. She then started working for top Chinese fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.

Height: 5 ft 10.5 in, Dress size - 4 (US)

Want more of those "off the runway" photos? Check out nymag.com's slide show.

Photo from nymag.com

J.Crew's Fashion Week 'Red' Tote

2010-02-19T06:00:00.004-05:00

Did you make it to Fashion Week? Yeah, me either.

No surprise, J.Crew was there -- and they brought along a custom-made tote just for the occasion!

FashionWeekDaily recently reported on this adorable tote made for the Heart's Truth Red Dress runway show, complete with a map of Bryant Park. Too cute!

Photo from FashionWeekDaily.com

Who's That Model? 2010 / Lakshmi Menon

2010-02-18T18:37:00.015-05:00

I have to admit, up until the debut of "America's Next Top Model" I had no CLUE about the fashion industry. Like, at all. I'd never heard the names of many (er, most) fashion designers -- outside of maybe Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik, and that was only because I'd started watching reruns of SATC.

But now I'm completely hooked. And intrigued. While I know a *few* more names of designers (Rebecca Minkoff, Kate Spade, Coco Chanel, etc. - yeah, I'm really stretching aren't I), I'm completely baffled by the J.Crew models. Who ARE they? This evening I was trying to put some names to the faces -- using Google -- and let's just say I consider myself a pretty good Googler when it comes to finding out rare useless bits of information. But I was having the darndest time. It's not like they have a repository where they just list every model who's appeared in a J.Crew catalog (um, if they do, can you please forward me the link?). Still, it seems like a lot of people do know who these women are. I want to join the ranks of the knowing! Please please pretty please!

And so I Googled again. (Maybe I should take back that "I'm a pretty good Googler" title, because once I put in the right search terms - "2010 jcrew models" - it was right there at the top.)

And the model for February is………duh duh duh…..Lakshmi Menon! I never would've guessed! For one, I've never heard that name before, so, um, like obviously I'd never in a million years be able to get that one on my own.

More photos of Menon from the February catalog can be found on the Asian Models Blog. Or, you know, in the catalog itself.

So, who is this Lakshmi Menon?

According to Wikipedia:

Lakshmi Menon (born November 4, 1982 in Bangalore, India) is an Indian fashion model. She took up modelling to earn money while studying for a degree in sociology at the Bangalore University. After modelling in India for several years, she began her international career in 2006. A show for Jean Paul Gaultier was followed by work on the Hermès catwalk and campaigns for Hermès, Max Mara, Givenchy, and H&M.

Height: 5 ft 10 in, Dress Size - 2 (US)

For a few "off the runway" looks check out the slideshow over at nymag.com.

I'm always so amazed at how drastically different the models are able to transform their looks, depending on the designer and/or the photographer. Versatility is certainly a valuable quality to have when that's the business you're in!

Check back for the next installment featuring Liu Wen, another model appearing in February's catalog.

OOTD: Tiered Cami

2010-01-24T17:10:00.005-05:00

And....I'm back! I know, I know, I said I wasn't going to stop blogging and what happens? I stop blogging! But I was busy, I swear! And in all honesty, I've been more busy this past week than I had been the last few months at work. Go figure!

So....big things! That I can't talk about! Oh I know, I'm such a tease. But for real -- nothing's official, and I really can't (er, won't, since it doesn't seem like the best of ideas) talk about it till it is. And once it does become official you all will be the first to hear! First, of course, after my husband, my family and all my real-life, Twitter and Facebook friends. :) But first as far as the rest of the internet world goes. :)

And before I forget - I must must MUST thank all of you who left comments this past week regarding my work situation. I know I said it before, but geez youse guys, I was seriously overwhelmed by the amount of support I got from my fellow J.Crew-loving-online-friends! It really did mean so very much -- I can't even express to you how much better I felt after reading through each of your comments. Thank you thank you, and oh by the way, THANK YOU!

On to the outfit of the day! Saturday evening our friends invited us over for dinner. They'd gotten a new CrockPot for Christmas and were eager to try it out. Dinner was delicious, and has since inspired me to get out my own CrockPot from the basement and maybe, just maybe actually use it! Due to my recent forced thriftiness, I discovered that the local library has the entire Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Collection available for reserve. Turns out Williams-Sonoma has published at least two "Slow Cooker" books over the years, both of which I now have sitting in my living room (on the stack with the 30 other books that I reserved and have since checked out). First on my list is Chicken and Sausage Gumbo! Can't wait to try it!

**As a sidenote, our house is all of two blocks away from the library. Which makes it all the more easy to just stop by and pick up reserves since it's so close. I should tell you, I have a horrible horrible habit of not returning my books on time. Yes, I know you can renew them. And I do. Over and over again, until they aren't renewable anymore. And yet..... they still end up overdue. I don't know what my problem is, other than maybe I just have this intense desire to contribute to paying my library's utility bills. Hey, I just want to help out, is that so wrong? Regardless -- I just can't seem to return things. Please don't hold that against me.

Anyway.....for dinner I decided to wear my tiered cami which I got on sale a few weeks ago (prior to the forced shopping ban of which I have previously spoken). I'd asked my friend Pixelant how to wear it, since she'd gotten the cami awhile back. She mentioned that it's tough to wear without a cardigan -- I totally agree. But I think it looked just fine with my Tartine Cardigan from last year, and it was drape-y enough that I could wear it and eat (a lot!) and not display the ever-so-lovely "I just ate a giant dinner" gut. Oh, and I also used this occasion to break out my new Perfect Leather Pumps, purchased from eBay. LOVE them!

Here's the Polyvore:

OOTD: 01.23.2010 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

And IRL:

Another Day, Another Round of Layoffs

2010-01-13T07:39:00.007-05:00

Unfortunately this time around, I didn't make it.

I feel quite lucky to have spent the past five years at a job I truly, truly loved. I loved the people, I loved the work, I even loved the company. I was just about as passionate as a person can be about their place of employment, and while I realize life does go on after a layoff (I've been down this road before), I can assure you with absolute certainty my job with AOL will be sorely missed, and not just for the paycheck.

That said -

This does not mean I'm going to stop blogging! Oh no! If anything, I may even have to get dressed more often now. Go figure! But (and this is probably a necessary evil) this does put a stop to the crazy wild spending spree I've been on for the past year with J.Crew (oh hey, you think J.Crew Corporate is hiring? Not a bad thought!) Luckily I have a ton that's never been worn, which, you know, YAY maybe I'll finally have a chance to wear now.

So if any of you have any leads on openings for a Principal Visual Designer, Art Director or Social Media Strategist, please reach out. Not that I should share so much information (oh heck, why not!) my portfolio and resume can be viewed here: http://jaynawallace.carbonmade.com.

Cuz one month of severance is, you know, just one month.

Spring 2010 Look Book

2010-01-09T15:42:00.007-05:00

The Spring 2010 Collection Look Book arrived today!

The colors are surprisingly muted this time around, and the whole book is sprinkled with photos of flower petals and stems. Oh....and it doesn't appear that there are nearly as many ruffles and froo-froos as there have been in the past. Sure, there's still plenty of the usual crazy-bag-lady layering and the occasional abnormally large embellishment, but in general....YAY for embracing subtlety!

Of all the looks, the flowy pink dress in #9 is the one that makes me swoon. I will not be buying this dress (yeah yeah...I say that now) but pretty. So so pretty!

And there you have it. Spring has officially sprung. :)

File Under: What tha???

2010-01-04T08:24:00.004-05:00

It's not J.Crew-related, but I really just had to share. (It's a Japanese Snuggie, for those of you who couldn't tell. I know I sure couldn't.)

OOTD: New Year's Eve

2010-01-01T10:37:00.017-05:00

Happy New Year!

Like so many others, I always view New Year's Day as a fresh start, erasing all the yuck of the previous year. Isn't that an awful outlook! It's so easy to fall into the trap of remembering only the bad things, totally forgetting about all the good. So without further ado, here are just a few of the many good things that I had the fortune to experience in 2009:

1) I got a promotion to Principal Visual Designer in January. At which time I promptly began my quest to become Art Director. ;)

2) Husband went back to school - 20 years later! This is itself is a HUGE accomplishment, and something he'd been talking about for a long long time.

3) I had the opportunity to report to four extremely talented and inspiring managers over the course of the year - all of whom have since moved on to other adventures (one is now the Director of Product Management at MySpace, and two have gone on to form the start-ups Assistly and SimpleGeo -- which I'm quite sure we'll all be hearing much more about in the coming year.)

4) My husband and I, along with another couple, took a road trip out to Conway, SC (near Myrtle Beach) to visit our friends who are both professors at Coastal Carolina University (and were expecting their first child). It was so nice to get a chance to spend a few days (albeit jam-packed busy days!) with them at their new house, exploring the town they call home. Conway is so charming, and our friends are seriously the best tour guides EVER. Tree blossoms that smell like root beer? Who else would know that? Seriously!

5) Both sides of our family met up together for a summer holiday in Treasure Island, Florida. This was the first time my side of the family had gone on a vacation together in 12+ years. There were so many highlights to the trip, but watching my Dad and his wife go up parasailing really takes the cake! I can't wait to start planning the next get-together!

6) I had the opportunity to travel to New York City for a week in September during Ad Week, where I met our company's CEO, Tim Armstrong, AND prolific alt-country superstar Ryan Adams AND his pal Jesse Malin! What a trip that was!

7) I was selected to speak at the SXSW 2010 Interactive Festival in Austin, TX. I'm still a tad freaked out as I don't think the reality of it has quite sunken in. Must....start....preparing.... March will be here before you know it!

8) We moved into an AWESOME house with a garage that has a DOOR (I know, I couldn't believe it either), and a fenced in backyard for 'lil Edmund and it's only a mere 2 blocks from a fantastic public library AND a gigantic park with ball fields and bike trails and Whetstone Park of Roses is just up the hill.

9) We hosted a dinner for 13 at our house on Christmas Day and it all went off without a hitch. I'm particularly lucky to have such a great sister-in-law (okay, okay, my brother's not so bad either) who helped me prepare the entire meal. I couldn't have done it without them!

10) Husband and I attended a Health & Wellness Class on Strengthening Relationships (presented by our friend who is a therapist), after which we decided to begin couples counseling on a weekly basis. No no - nothing's wrong! Every time we bring up our counseling to friends or family we get the same reaction -- there's such a stigma attached to seeing a therapist. And so many people wait until it's too late to begin counseling -- we figured that while things were going well there was no better time than the present to improve our communication skills and make our marriage stronger. It's been immensely worthwhile. Mental health is a good thing! Now if we could just start going back to the gym again and get that "physical health" thing in motion we'll be in good shape! :)

So....what's the first thing I have planned for 2010? I'm going to J.Crew, of course! I have more returns to do (always) so I'm heading out to Polaris and Easton to see if anything has changed since I was there two days ago. I also have to do a little running around before people come by this afternoon to watch the Rose Bowl. I think I picked the Ducks in the pool, so I won't necessarily be rooting for OSU. But all in good fun. (Even better fun if they lose....HA!)

Oh yeah...New Year's Eve! Our friends were house-sitting at a gorgeous house in Victorian Village and were hosting a quiet get-together for a few friends. Included with the house-sitting were a pair of Westies - Kirby and Chloe. And come on, parties are always better with dogs. :) I had literally no time to get dressed (spent too long making those Mexican Pinwheels and forgot I actually had to get ready), so I kinda threw together something totally last minute.

Here's the Polyvore:

OOTD: New Year's Eve by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

And IRL:

And for you Westie fans here's little Kirby. :)

OOTD: Christmas Day (and new resort arrivals at the B&M!)

2009-12-29T23:45:00.002-05:00

CHRISTMAS!

I LOVE Christmas. I've got a 160GB iPod designated specifically for holiday-themed music, movies and television shows, and a large and ever-growing collection of vintage Shiny Brite Christmas Ornaments from the 50's and 60's (one day I'll get iloveshinybrite.com up and running). And...we put up (at least) four full-sized trees every year (three artificial, one live). Oh, and I have decorations for at least three more trees (green, gold/metallic and a bird-themed tree). But seriously now, where would we put three more trees? (I say this as I gaze outside at the GIANT pine tree in our backyard..... Next year we'll rent ourselves a cherry-picker. Just you wait!)

If four trees sounds like a lot -- I should mention how pleased as punch I was to find out that Summer over at Sum Sunshine has multiple trees set up this year as well! I should forward the link to dear husband, as he's quite certain I'm going to turn into an old batty Christmas-Crazy Woman one of these years -- complete with a nobby reindeer jingle-bell sweater. (Trust me, that is NOT happening anytime soon!)

Would you like to see our trees? Of course you would! (I know, as if you really have a choice...feel free to scroll on past if you're not as Christmas Crazy as am I):

Silver & Blue (Husband's Office)

Silver & Red (Kitchen)

Vintage Shiny Brite (Listening Room)

Vintage Shiny Brite (detail)

White "Cartoon Tree" (My Office)

Tabletop "Charlie Brown Tree" (Living Room Turntable Stand)

So what was I wearing this super busy Christmas Day? Something comfortable, that's for sure!

We hit the gate running bright and early at 6am. We were having 10 adults and 3 children over for dinner in the afternoon, and I still hadn't finished wrapping presents yet! Needless to say I didn't get any shots of myself wearing my "Christmas Outfit" in the midst of all that craziness - but it wasn't a particularly exciting outfit anyway, so you can just as easily picture it in your minds (with the help of Polyvore, of course!)

Wearing Today 12.25.09 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

I'd been zipping around town like a mad person on Christmas Eve morning trying to get all those last minute things I thought I'd taken care of prior to the 24th but hadn't -- things like charcoal for the Christmas Chicken and a soap dish for the Christmas Snowflake-Shaped Soap. While I was out I stopped by J.Crew -- because of course returning things the day before Christmas is the MOST important thing, no? (actually, no, it isn't....but it was the first place I stopped. Thank goodness the mall opened early so I could get it out of the way!) While I was there I was looking around to see what they had in the way of sales, and - knock on wood - I didn't succumb to the pressure! I found a pair of the black w/contrast trim satin ballet flats in my size marked down to $29.99 (Slastena also mentioned finding these on her blog "About All and Nothing At All") and I put them back. I put them back! Because as cute as they were, I did NOT need another pair of ballet flats that I may or may not ever wear. I'm so proud. But, what I did find (and did get) was the Marled Wool Cardigan (item #20270), which I hemmed and hawed about for so long that it sold out in my size online. And mind you I'm still on the fence about long cardigans. On "What Not to Wear" it seems they're always saying not to wear tops that come down past your behind because they make you look short and stumpy, and I totally agree. Hence I haven't gotten aboard the super-long cardigan bandwagon -- I'm short and stumpy enough as it is. I suppose if you were wearing this with leggings, covering your behind would be preferred (although after a recent trip to Ikea, apparently some women would rather their posteriors be out there for all to see. I really wish they wouldn't. For all our sakes.) But I don't wear leggings so the point is moot either way. Anyway, I got this and I wore it Christmas Day (and I liked it!) It was perfectly cozy for the drizzly cold weather outside, and comfortable enough to open presents in the morning and do a lion's share of cooking and food prep the rest of the day. It's a keeper! (It'd better be, since the tags have been removed!)

Oh! And something NEW! For the third day in a row, I visited my local B&M to do some returns (cleaning out the closet seems to have that effect), and the new resort arrivals had arrived! I don't know what's with all the exclamation points - it was really anything but exciting. There were some new tees, a TON of swimsuits, and some brightly colored button down shirts -- but little else. (There are more pics over at Simply JCrew). Despite the lackluster selection and my lack of time, I did come away with a very cute (and very sheer) navy and gray striped sweater. The receipt calls it the "ALPACA CTN QUI STRIPE V SWEA, KN3825," style #23009.

OOTD: Christmas Eve

2009-12-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was very young, Christmas Eve meant dressing up in a new outfit for the evening church services. My mom was the organist, so it always seemed that my brother and I were in the spotlight (if only so other members of the congregation could tattle on us about how we weren't singing the hymns or we weren't paying attention during the sermon. I imagine bring a preacher's kid to be similar, only more so.) Anyway, dressing up was all part of the routine - to convey the "proper image." Which is probably why it seems so strange to me now to see people wearing jeans or their "comfortable clothes" to church - especially on Christmas Eve. Aren't you supposed to dress up a little? I mean, NASCAR shirts to evening services....really? (Yes, I realize I'm being judgmental. I've accepted it and moved on.) :)

So I wore a dress. And while the dress wasn't "new," the cardigan was, so it still counts. This year my husband and I joined his sister and her family and his parents (in town from Florida) to attend the Festival of Lessons and Carols at the First Community Church. I'd only been to this place once before about eight years ago for the Children's Christmas Eve service. Which was nice, though I just remembered it as a lot of crying babies and some hymns and that was it. This time there was a full orchestra, along with the choir. And it was PACKED. We got there a half hour early and were still sitting in a second overflow room watching the service projected onto the wall in front of us. (We could still see all the action at the pulpit, it was just very very far away). I really enjoyed the fact that they weren't doing all traditional carols - sure, there were plenty of carols thrown in, but there were also a lot of choral numbers I hadn't heard in the longest time as well. We'll definitely be back for their Christmas Eve services next year.

After church my husband and I headed over to our friend's Christmas Eve party (he was born on Christmas Eve, so he's been throwing a bash every year for the past few years to celebrate his birthday...with some Christmas festivities thrown in just for kicks). It's always nice to see our friends before we all separate to spend the holidays with our families, plus it's chance to get away from all the hustle and bustle (and anxiety!) the holidays tend to bring. Oh, and as for the dress code....I was more than just a tad overdressed. This wasn't that kind of party. But, as my husband told me, I looked like a person who'd just come from church. Which I was. Still very very overdressed, but you know, at least I had my reasons. :)

What I wore (the dress was actually the in-store only version in black):

Wearing Today: 12.24.09 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

IRL:

And....It Went. (J.Crew's Double-Cloth Madeline Coat)

2009-12-27T07:14:00.005-05:00

Thank you ALL for your comments and suggestions regarding the red Madeline Coat! I'm sure you're all wondering how the quandary came to an end. (I know I'd be wondering, for sure. Kidding. Ha!)

For better or for worse....it went back to the store.

I'd made the proclamation that if I wore the coat to the upcoming holiday party, I would keep it. Little did I know that we weren't even going to said holiday party! (Apparently watching football at a bar takes precedence over holiday parties...thanks to dear husband I ended up going grocery shopping that night instead. Really, shopping on a Saturday night is great, you know? The queues aren't nearly as long. And me? I'm not at all bitter about being at the store instead of at a party. Not at all.) Anyway....decision made!

I have to admit, right up until the last second I still tried to think of every reason not to take it back. Even now...I kind of wish....well no, actually I don't. I tried it on with a black turtleneck, and realized that I will never wear red and black together (something about red and black being the school colors for the town I grew up in....and the fact I'm trying to forget growing up there...bah). I've been wearing a LOT of black these days...so right off the bat that limits the number of times I would wear it. And, as Ema pointed out, you shouldn't need a special occasion to wear a coat. She's absolutely right! I really do appreciate all the comments - they were so helpful in coming to a final decision! And, if you noticed in this post, I did end up getting that Frances Cami in Ivory - which I wore the very next day! See? I'm already getting better at this "buy it, wear it" mentality!

"Present Face"

2009-12-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again. You know, the time when the well-meaning (er, lazy?) people in your life pretend they've put a lot of time and thought into a gift just for you. You and all the other people they don't really care too much about.

And so, to honor these wonderful folks, here is Garfunkel & Oates' rendition of "Present Face."

Perhaps the best gift you'll be getting this year.

OOTD: Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concert

2009-12-20T06:00:00.006-05:00

Continuing our "tradition" for the fifth year in a row, my husband and I made the trek up to Cleveland on Friday night to join my Dad, his wife and some old family friends for the Cleveland Orchestra Holiday Concert at Severance Hall. Regardless of what might be going on this time of year, this concert always manages to get me in the holiday spirit more than anything else. And not just because I have a married-woman crush on a certain cellist.

I didn't take pictures inside the actual theatre, but here's a shot or two of the lobby:

Here's the Polyvore for the evening:

Wearing Today 12.18.09 by ratsonparade featuring J Crew

IRL:

And I layered my jewelry! Alright, so I didn't go so far as to layer the necklace with another necklace, but I did wear multiple bracelets! (Guess I've learned a thing or two from Patina! What can I say - I was truly inspired!) :)

AND -- I finally got a chance to wear those Nordstrom Rack Fireball earrings I won from Emily's blog to go with my Pavé Bracelet! (Thanks again, Emily! They were perfect!)

All in all a wonderfully lovely holiday evening! :)

They Like Me! They Really Like Me! (and a Merry Holiday to you TOO J.Crew!)

2009-12-19T15:25:00.006-05:00

It was just yesterday that I was bemoaning to my husband the fact that J.Crew hadn't sent me a Christmas gift this year. I mean, times are tight and they *did* send out those earrings a little while back so I'd understand if they opted just not to do it this year. Still, though, I was a little bummed. Not enough to start a boycott, mind you, just a little blah that I hadn't gotten that "surprise" box in the mail.

Until today!

The postal carrier just delivered a special package from none other than J.Crew - with a label on the outside that read "A Surprise (Look Inside)." No luggage tag for me this year, folks. Nope, this time I got – wait for it – a day planner! And it's pink! (er, "coral" I suppose might be more accurate.) It was all tied up with a shiny silver ribbon and a pretty bow. It's got a fun brown and mustard colored print on the inside and back covers, and charts for air and road distances, addresses of foreign embassies, holidays, weights and measures and lots more. Aw, J.Crew, you're just the bestest!

The box also included a nice note from Mickey Drexler (of course it's a form letter, but it's the thought that counts right?):

Season's greetings from all of us at J.Crew. Thanks for being one of our favorite customers. We wanted to make you something special – please enjoy this exclusive calendar as a small token of our appreciation. As always, if there is anything we can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask.

Best, Mickey

All this in addition to a sweet handwritten note from my online Personal Shopper that I received earlier in the week (I'll write up a post about that for tomorrow).

Lindsey over at Objects of My Closet's Affection also received this special gift! She's posted more photos of the day planner on her blog.

Happy Christmas to you too, J.Crew!