Jewelry Giveaway! Enter NOW!

A girlfriend of mine, and sorority sister from college, is giving away a necklace on her blog! Check it out!!

http://designgirlblog.blogspot.com/2009/08/giveaway-week-4-giveaway-no-1.html

Thanks!

Slim Fit Rip + Repair Jeans - Martin + Osa

Well, you've already read a review of my favorite pair of jeans at the moment, but here is a whole new take on them... and these have already jumped to the front of the line as far as my denim goes!


These guys arrived at my house later last week and I just couldn't wait to try them on! I've been wanting to try the "boyfriend" jean look - but after about 10 attempts at making it work, I have given up! BUT - THAT'S OK! Because as it turns out, it was actually the 'destroyed' look that I was lusting after, not the saggy bottom, just-took-these-out-of-my-boyfriend's-dirty-clothes-pile-on-the-floor look.


After scouring the incredibly helpful and fun Denim Guide on Martin + Osa's website, I finally narrowed my choices down to this pair. The Slim jean in Rip + Repair rinse.' (click here to see and purchase!)


The 'rip + repair' aspect of the denim is nice because you still get that destroyed look without looking like an 80's rockers, or worrying your knees are going to rip right through the denim when you bend down! Plus, once the weather turns cold, I'd really prefer not to have wicked-cold air coming through holes in my jeans!



Since all of my jeans are very dark, the lighter/ medium rinse of these was something I was looking for! The cut of this 'slim' style is perfect for cuffing, rolling-up, or just wearing plain and straight. I'll have to get these hemmed before I can wear them just straight, but until then, the other possibilities are making me very happy!

These are the dark rinse ones I already owned

Front pocket

Cute 'destruction' detail - but not an actual hole!

Bottom Line: I will pretty much only wear Paige Premium and Martin + Osa jeans. I promise you, if you haven't tried the M+O denim this season, you need too! The price (generally under $100 for M+O) is much milder than a lot of high-end denim brands, and the look is incredible! I've gotten all size 26 in my M+O jeans (they stretch and loosen up bit!) and I generally wear a 27 in other pants/ jeans .... so you might want to size down in their denim. Don't worry J. Crew, I still love you.... but not your jeans ... just sayin'!

Head to your nearest M+O now or hit them up online because right now they are offering an incredible free gift with every full-price denim purchase!! (like, a gift worth $60!!) {Woot!} * Thanks to "Shannon" for the correction: this free gift deal is for Labor Day and runs from 9/2-9/7 (online) and from 9/5-9/7 (in stores) ! Thanks Shannon! *

P.S.- I had to show you this super-cute shirt I got from Forever 21! I really love it! My sister initially pointed it out for herself, but I ended up getting it after trying it on!

UPDATE!! Mackenzie on The Young and the Restless had this shirt on in the 9/14/09 show! Fun! There are a lot of F21 pieces on this show!!

The Anton Sweater: Heather Camel & Dusk - J. Crew

Easy and effortless—this is the sweater you'll shrug on over everything from feminine dresses to a simple knit tee. Spun from a supersoft merino wool and cashmere blend in a lofty 7-gauge knit, it features a single-button closure and wide-ribbed trim. Merino wool/nylon/cashmere. Fitted. V-neck. Three-quarter sleeves. Hits at hip. Import. Dry clean. Item# 17857 Price: $98

My first fall-rollout review is of The Anton Sweater. After browsing through the August catalog, this sweater and the Minnie Pant were really the only items I felt strongly about trying, Luckily, my store received both and I was able to try-on and figure out what size I would need. The Anton sweaters completely flew off the shelves of my local B&M in all colors and sizes they got in. My store only carried the heather grey and charcoal colors of the sweater, so I was going to have to order the heather camel color anyway, so I went ahead and placed an online order for all the items.

My first reaction to the sweater was very positive. Sometimes I get an item and initially I'm not thrilled ... but then I guess I kind-of try to convince myself that I love it!? I don't know .... but anyway, this was not the case with this sweater!

It's a great mid-weight sweater.... not see-through or thin, but definitely something you could start wearing in the early Fall (at least in the midwest!) through the Winter under a coat and possibly into Spring. The fabric feels great, and in my honest opinion, better than most of their 100% cashmere options.

I absolutely love this sweater! My biggest concern is deciding which color to keep, because at the full price of $98, one of these beauties MUST go back!

Bottom Line: LOVE LOVE LOVE this. I allowed myself to purchase this FP b/c it was one of the very few things that caught my eye and I HAD to have! The sleeves run a bit tight, so I sized up to a Small. The sweater still hangs very nicely and is not too big or bulky... plus there is room to wear a tee underneath.

Do you have this sweater yet? If so, what do you think? How will you wear it? Are you holding out for it to go on sale? Which color should I keep?

J. Crew Fall Items On Their Way Via UPS - Grey JC Tee Review

I caved. I said I wasn't going to order ANYTHING at FP this fall because I NEED NOTHING .... however, I'm expecting a shipment and some new Fall J.Crew items tomorrow! I jusified the purchase because I needed to order the garden pearl bracelet for a good friend of mine to wear on her wedding day.... and of course I needed to order enough to get free shipping! ha! I ordered the Anton sweater in the heather grey and heather camel in size Small, the Minnie Pant in Coal, among a few other things! There are still a few other things I have my eye on - ankle cords, scattered glass necklace, dream ruffle sleeveless sweater, etc... but I went ahead and ordered the things I couldn't live without! Can't wait! Reviews to come tomorrow (ok - Connor starts school tomorrow - so maybe Tuesday!)

One the more recent items I purchased for FP from JC (which is a rare thing for me) is this tee-shirt! I LOVE it! I believe this was an in-store only style... I actually don't remember the name if it and I can't find my receipt which would have the name of it, but anyway. I spotted it while we were in California, but the store didn't have it in my size (small). After not being able to find it online, with the help of some fellow JC lovin' bloggers, I found the name and style number and emailed my local JC to hold the tee for me until I got home!! I've already paired it with white jeans and black shorts! I think this will be a great piece to take me into fall. I probably could have taken an XS because the material isn't that clingy, but I'm happy with the Small!

Have a great Sunday!

Trench and Jacket: Martin + Osa

Holy Crap! It'a been over a week since I posted anything! Sorry! I can assure you, I am back!

Oh, M+O how you tempt me with your 30% off sale!! While in California, we stopped by a M+O and I found not 1, but 2 jackets that I absolutely could not walk away from!

First, a very lightweight trench.. like light enough to wear almost all year, but will still block the breeze and rain! Knee-length (on me at least) and fabulous, I could not pass this one up! I've been looking for a light jacket in a color other than TAN (aka: JC Safari Trench, Banana Trench, JC Cooper Chino Jacket... you get the picture) so the burnt orange color really made me happy! This jacket boasts many of the great details found in more expensive coats like a back vent and lots of cute buttons, including on the wrist. I think this style might have also come in black!

Regular Price: $150

Sale Prince: $79 - 30% = $55!

Number 2 is a lightweight (but a little heavier weight than the trench due to the mesh lining) jacket in white. This will be a great go-to jacket for the fall and spring. I love the crisp white and the shiny, but not too shiny, fabric. Once again, M+O adds a wonderful detail... a cinching waist band hidden within the jacket! Notice in the back how it doesn't look frumpy! Yea! This jacket also came in several other GREAT colors... there was a blue, black, yellow, and green that I know of for sure! I had been looking for a white rain jacket after seeing pics on my mom on vacation wearing hers .... I thought I was going to go with a North Face one, but I think this one is more fashionable!

Regular Price: $120
Sale Price: $49 - 30% = $34!!



The thing that BOTH of these jackets are missing is a hood, but I have looked around quite a bit for a fashionable, affordable jacket that I like with a hood and came up with just about nothing, so oh well. I bought a small in both styles, not an extra small. The should areas in both were a bit snug in the XS.

Bottom Line: These were sweet deals - plus I am a jacket-a-holic .... so you knew I wasn't going to pass these up! Some are still available online, but there aren't many sizes left, so I would head to your local M+O ASAP!

Denim Jacket and Black & White Dress: F21

I promise this is my last short and sweet post with month-old pics! We just got home 2 days ago an re-adjusting to time and getting things back in order has proved to be more of a challenge and time-consuming than I planned ... what's new? So....

I found both of these pieces at my local F21 about 3 weeks ago and just fell in love with them. I've actually found a few jackets at F21 recently that were super-cute and actually fit better than many of the JC jackets out right now.

Jacket: F21
Dress: F21

There are even cute button and distressing details on the back!

The dress by itself

The jacket: $24.80 - This is now available in all sizes (S,M,L) online. There are several different styles/ washes (as is common with F21) but this is my favorite. I really wanted to get JC's jean jacket (retailing for $98) but this really fits the bill ... especially for how often I'll be wearing it (which, with the number of jackets I have, won't be very often!) Runs TTS - I purchased a Small.

The Dress: $22.80 (I think) - I'm not sure if this is available online right now, but it's been in at least 2 stores I visited recently. The dress fits and hangs very nicely, especially for the price, and I loved the classic black and white pattern! What sold me on it is the built-in soft cups in the bust, which means I don't have to wear a bra! That's a HUGE bonus in the sticky-hot summer of the midwest {woot!} The fabric also doesn't wrinkle easily AT ALL which makes this a great go-to travel dress! I feel like I'll probably wear this dress well into the fall, and maybe even with leggings. Runs TTS to a little large (if you are small chested like me!)

OOTD: Bunco Night Out, F21 Jewelry and What's to Come

OK - so obviously I'm still in Cali and haven't been able to do my regular posting. BUT, I'm heading home tomorrow and CANNOT WAIT to blog about some of the finds from this trip!!!

Until then, this is the outfit I put together for Bunco night in the neighborhood just before we left for vacation! I am loving navy right now!

Top: J. Crew Ringspun Rosette Tee in Shell

Bottoms: J. Crew Navy Summerweight Bermuda

Necklace: F21

Also, I hit up the local F21 before we left and found these awesome jewelry steals!!

I love this necklace .... it looks very cool and expensive in person! I don't do a lot of silver anymore, so I think I really needed this ;)

I've already worn this several times. It's light pink and stretch. The only issue is a couple of stones already fell out ... but you can't really tell and it was only $5 ... so there!

Just love this! And it's not too grossly oversized like some JC pieces!

Coming up next week: Review of the brand spanking new Forever 21 at Huntington Beach and all the awesome finds from there, baby gift registry 101 - what I learned, Martin + Osa trench and rain jacket!

We Have A Winner

The winner of my Hoopnotica Giveaway is ....

Martha from Goleta, CA!!

Congrats to Martha!

She will be receiving her Travel Hoop and Intro DVD soon!



Thanks so much to all who entered!

Sunblocks Print and Summerweight V-neck Cardi: J. Crew {Sale Finds!}

Lovin' me a couple of great finds from my local J. Crew Sale section! I purchased a Summerweight Cardigan in a charcoal color and the Sunblocks Print shorts. Both these items were on sale for $19.99 plus an additional 20% off, so I was pretty pumped they still had them in my size.

Here are a couple of IRL pictures of both pieces paired together, then a couple of just the shorts:
*also paired with Glass Pearl Necklace in Shell (JC) and Perfect V-Neck Tee in white (JC)

Summerweight Cardi and Sunblock Shorts

I LOVE the colors in these shorts!

Bottom Line: Who can't use another lightweight gray cardi - or any other color for that matter? I really love this piece! I got it in an XS and it fits great. I would say it's TTS to a little large for JC cardigans. The length is perfect... not too long, not short.

The shorts are super cute with a side zip and nice sturdy fabric. They run TTS. I got these in my normal size 2, which was surprising because I usually have to size-up in the specialty shorts. (i.e. - I had to get a size 4 in the Giraffe Shorts)

F21 Military Jacket - J. Crew Look-Alike

F21 Hidden Drawsrting Jacket - $22.80

J. Crew Boyfriend Military Jacket - $98

Forever 21 Jacket - $22.80

There is even some cute piping on the inside! Impressive!

I was lucky enough to come across this puppy at F21 last night! I love the fit and there are many cute details that you wouldn't expect to find at F21 for $22... including an inside tie-belt at the waist to give it a cinched looked (if you want).

I tried on the JC version in the store a couple of days ago and even in the smallest size (XS) was huge and bad looking! I'm not sure for how much longer the chino jacket will be "en vogue" to I'm happy I found this. I don't see it online right now, so head to your store now!

Update: I found it online here. All sizes are currently available!