Saturday, March 30, 2013

Random Saturday Mornings: shopping, usher, etc

Happy Saturday! 

It appears that it is going to be a busy day here - and it is going to be awfully nice out - sunny and warm and you may see me out in the yard shovelling snow off the back deck!  I will also be digging through for something nice to wear for easter dinner!  But first the dreaded grocery store.  And I need more flowers - can there ever be enough?

But as always, lots going on in my head:

1) Leaving the mint to the drinks (alcholic and otherwise)

Many thanks for helping with me your advice on minty fresh fashion.  Sometimes, it is just a moment of needing something colourful to pep us up and then it is out of your system!  I think I went and put on a lilac sweater that day and it helped! I am still contemplating the spearmint cashmere sweater, but have decided to follow my new rules and stick to less trendy items...

But I have had a hankering to order some inexpensive casual clothes, so I have ordered some things to try on from J Crew and Banana Republic!  The latter are the easiest to try on as they cost nothing to return.  The former, sigh....

What goodies have I ordered?

From J Crew:

The Minnie Trouser in beechwood.  Know they fit, know I like them, know they are flattering.  Nice neutral for spring.

Minnie pant in stretch twill


The Sera silk top in dark cove:

Sera top


I love this colour and had been waiting for it to pop pack in my size.  I plan to wear it with my white jeans, blue jeans, the pants above, skirts.  The dealbreaker will be if the lining is poly, since i refuse to swish, swish, swish anymore. 

And in case, it does, work, I ordered a little summerwieght cardi in the same colour:

Featherweight cotton V-neck cardigan

And in a purely whimsical vein, I have pre-ordered the linen banana tank top for summer:

Pre-order linen banana botanical tank

For $37, it was worth it to try and I think it will be quite fun if it works.

I also gandered over to Banana Republic and here is what I have ordered to give a try:

Textured Peplum Top

The Textured Peplum top.  I wanted to try one on, and JC version are back-ordered to July (until next week when they may suddenly be available!).  Will let you know what I think when it gets here!

And for some reason, the heritage ikat skirt below just spoke to me:

Heritage Ikat Tulip Skirt


So. not sure what if any will actually stay with me besides the minnie trousers (I have given up on the cafe capris - I find them getting too baggy for my taste - I seem to do well with skinny trousers or very wide leg trousers, anything else just looks kind of odd on me I think), but will let you know when they finally arrive and I give them a whirl.  The banana tee is back ordered until May, but it is J Crew, so you never know.

2) and speaking of J Crew...

When I looked in the pre-order section, I was instantly attracted to the Collection Fringe Linen Skirt below:

Pre-order Collection fringed linen skirt
Oh it was expensive, $314 CDN, but it had that weird je ne sais quoi that I love so much.  SO I clicked to see what sizes were available still for pre-order, but here's the thing: the sizes only go up to 6.  While I think I could fit into a 6, I was shocked to see no sizes larger than this!  You cannot convince me that everyone from a size 8 up have already ordered this skirt.  Has anyone noticed J Crew doing this before?  Having a lookbook item in only small sizes seems quite rude to me, but am I being overly sensitive?


3) My new crush

I started watching The Voice with my daughter this week.  I prefer this show to American Idol - the format is more to my taste, plus I have a crush on Adam Levine and Blake Shelton and their bromance.  But then I met Usher.


Oh, I know - you all know him.  I know him.  But I don't think I had paid any attention to Usher until this past week, when I got to see him smile for 2 nights in a row.  Sigh... Yes, I have a crush.  Don't tell me bad stuff about him please.  There, I feel much better to have gotten this off my chest!

4) You know you live in a small place, when....

The second top story for the Maritime Provinces on Thursday night was about a wedding photographer from Prince Edward Island (PEI) who moved away to Alberta and took all the wedding photos with him.  The first was about a house fire.  This is a good place to live, and it is good to remind myself of that from time to time!

One of Canada's favourite comedy shows, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, did quite a nice spoof of this phenomenon, called "PEI Witness News", which is actually not only funny, but close to the truth of this place!




Have a wonderful day!  Am off to get ready for Easter!!!  Stay safe out there!









32 comments:

  1. Hi WMM,
    I like all of your clothing choices, although BR would capture my attention more if they stopped using polyester. The color of the Sera is gorgeous for you, and even if it doesn't fit and you don't keep it, keep the cardigan. Usher is not on my radar.Really, how lovely to live where you live- snow and all. PEI has been on my radar since I was a child. Hopefully we will get there sooner rather than later- even if just for a visit!

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    1. KNityarns - am with you on the poly! The skirt is linen-cotton and hope no poly lining or back it goes! The top is 63% cotton 30% poly, so we shall see!! Usher was not on my radar either!

      And PEI is gorgeous! You will love it there!

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  2. I agree Usher has a great smile. I didn't even know that JCrew had this whole pre-order section now, those prices are crazy! That linen skirt is pretty I agree. I always liked that Baird McNutt linen. I like your banana top.
    Those Minnie pants are in a great neutral colour. I never could fit my derriere into those pants, they look terrible on me!
    I have to go to TARGET this morning, it's true. We have one here now but I've not yet been. I have to get some treats for Easter and I think they have the lowest prices, also Christopher told me they have an amazing grocery section!

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    1. They are reno-ing our old Zellers even as we speak to make it a Target - am interested to see - I know FFM gets some great deals there and I think ours opens in August.

      I really did like that skirt and for $200, would not be a bad deal, as let you take the 30% off those orders. I am still thinking about it... I love that linen too!

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    2. WMM- I think the skirt is fun and fresh- but... Raffia on a skirt is not going to be a pleasant sensation at all, and the skirt is spot clean only. It is not meant really as a wardrobe booster if it is not cleanable. And, I am sure you could get a great boost for $314 CDN (30% off or not) at Tiffany, Tory Burch, Ralph, Paige, etc. ,that would have the added bonus of being washable!

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    3. You are right - and that is why I am trying the BR instead. Still want to find some soft linen for summer!

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  3. Are those the stretch twill minnies? I do seem to be able to wear those and they are so comfortable. I have black ones on now with a bright blue Vneck while baking blueberry mufffins and granola. That banana top is v.cute.

    Have a lovely relaxing weekend, WMM!

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    1. Thanks Lane - they are the stretch twill. I have several pair now and I think the only ones I never kept were the ORANGE ones - they were the orangest thing I ever saw! Have a great weekend as well!

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  4. Love your picks Wendy! The blue will look great on you,lets hope the quality and fit is nice.
    I also preordered the linen tank,just in the hawaian print and am excited about it.
    Just received the citrus print shirt and the striped boyshirt and they are lovely(review on my blog).

    Have a great Easter!

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    1. Thanks Ina! If I go for the linen skirt I would def pre-order the tank as I think it is so cute as well!

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  5. Happy Easter, Wendy! Re: fringe-y skirt, the sizing and early sellout remind me of my attempts to acquire the Jeweled Jardin Jacket. It was a while ago, but the hurt feelings and awkward memories still linger. It was quite some time before I managed to stop frothing at the mouth with rage at even the mildest reference to the Crewniverse. When I grow up I will do a blog post about that experience.

    Those of us who look a-amazing in neutrals do better with a pale sage green than with "mint" - nana used to call this spring's mint "chlorophyll."

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    1. Oh Fred - your Nana is awesome!!! I will be anxious to hear this story. I would just dread loving it and then it being a tight 6. All their sizes vary so much!

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  6. Hi WMM! It sounds like you have a very busy day ahead of you! This past week has been extremely busy and hectic for me with appointments for the boys, my youngest son's birthday yesterday, and a visit from the claims adjustor to look over damage to our home from a terrible storm last weekend, among other things. Thankfully I have my Easter shopping done, and hope to be able to relax a little bit today.

    I will be looking forward to the reviews of your new purchases. I ended up with a couple of dresses last month from Lands' End that work well for everyday life, and finally managed to review them on my blog today. They are having a 30% off spring sale right now, too.

    Enjoy your day, and have a very Happy Easter weekend! :)

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    1. Oh no about the storm!!! Was there a lot of damage? I am glad you were all right regardless! I am eying the market pants today from LE, as I think they would be great for errands and rolled up with sandals...

      Off to see your dresses!

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    2. The boys new trampoline is a tangled up mess in the back field, and we will need a new roof too. There are trees uprooted in the neighbor's pasture and another neighbor lost their barn. It was a bad storm for our entire area. Everyone is ok though . That is what is important and what we are thankful for. :)

      Have you already shared your Easter dinner menu this week? I missed a lot of posts and have not had the chance to catch up yet. I'd love to know what you're serving.

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    3. As someone who lives right near Hurricane Sandy's path, I really sympathize. So sorry to hear about your storm problems. Thank goodness everyone is ok. Have a Happy Easter.

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    4. Well I am going to pray for good weather for you till you get that new roof! The good thing is they can do those quickly!

      We are having roast chicken (stealing from Dani - we usually have ham but decided on chicken this year), carrots, broccoli, a garlicky potato dish by Nigella (first time making that) and a chocolate easter cake by Nigella that looks like a nest with easter eggs on top from her feast cookbook! Either biscuits or rolls. How about you?

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    5. FFM, hope you get your insurance payout settled very quickly. Severe weather and natural disasters are terrifying. I'm very glad you're ok and hope your Easter is calm!

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    6. Thank you so much Knit Yarns, WMM, and ruth! We are used to these types of storms in the summer and during hurricane season, but this one was a bit unexpected, and the weather men didn't even know how strong it was going to be. Some people lost their power for more than a day, but we were lucky enough to keep ours this time around. Life is getting back to 'normal' now, and today is a beautiful sunny day. Happy Easter to you all! :)

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    7. WMM: We are having ribeye steaks, durkee green bean casserole, ritz vegetable casserole, mashed potatoes, deviled eggs, and potato rolls, with cherry pie and vanilla ice cream for dessert. We rarely have ham for the holidays, and opt for ribeye steaks or barbecue ribs instead. :)

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  7. I tried on that peplum top at BR last weekend (at least, I'm pretty sure it was the same one). It was really really cute, but it just didn't hit me at the right spot. The bodice needed to be an inch or two longer on me. LOVE the fringe skirt.

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    1. Hi Merry Wife - I am concerned about same thing, but will try it and see - so much depends on where it lands!! I love the fringe skirt too, though knit yarns is likely right! I would love a really soft navy linen skirt. Anyone see one?

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  8. Funny, poly doesn't bother me but I can't bear the feel of the stretch twill in the MInnies, it feels so rough and unyielding to me. I love the banana t, I had a similar Chloe one years ago.

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    1. Hiya! For me, it depends on the quality of the poly - some is ust too stiff! I was at H&M the other day with my daughter and they have a new line which is made with recycled polyester! It is actually quite nice and I really do support the use of recycled materials when we are talking man made!

      I will see about the bananas - I tried the peony tshirt and it was a bullseye for the breasts - will see about hanging fruit - it could just be too symobolic for me!

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  9. Exciting to have new things coming to play with!
    That banana tank must have slipped my field of vision.
    I have Minnie pants in 3 colours: purple, red and most recently, navy. I love them, although the petite size are very short indeed, even on my very stumpy legs. I got regular size in navy this time. I'll review them on my blog next week.
    The raffia skirt is lovely, but far too much $$.
    I hope you have a lovely Easter and that you love your new clothes when they arrive!

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    1. Hi Ruth,

      I love the Minnies, too - I am not all that hopeful on the rest based on recent experience, but will see! I always get regular, too!

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  10. I'm looking forward to trying the banana tank. I have had my eye on it since seeing it in the lookbook and expected it to be much more expensive. The price is nice for a change. I just hope is cut well at the armholes do there isn't major bra show. That's a deal breaker.
    Frivolous of me to wait until you post something about fashion to comment. I've read along every day but it has been a very busy week: working an extra shift and getting ready for spring vacation. On the way to the beach with my pup riding shotgun in my lap. I'm so glad to be in route but my mind can't rest thinking of all the things I probably forgot.

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    1. Hope you had great time at beach! I can only dream of that! I think the banana t could be fun, but get so nervous with JC quality these days!

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  11. I need to look for a crush - I haven't had one in way too long. I hope you have some luck with the things you ordered, I've totally given up on J.Crew, and haven't shopped at Banana Republic since they stopped being a supplier for safari clothing!

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    1. Kathy - you are right - I know that the pants will be fine, but am nervous as a cat about the rest including BR stuff. I remember good old BR days - they always appealed to my inner Jane (as in Tarzan and Jane!)

      Usher is a completely unexpected crush. I am not going to go too deeply there and enjoy smile!

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  12. Just say NO. If you zoom in on the J.Crew linen skirt the raffia looks like plastic. Horizontal seams will chop up your silhouette and the longer length could be quite dowdy. The lining is probably polyester as well, I've emailed to check. So many reasons why this skirt will not translate well in real life.

    There will be plenty of linen pieces available this year, it is increasingly popular as cotton prices have escalated over the past few years. You can find something better, I am sure of it.

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    1. You are right - when I zoom it does look plasticky! It was always a no-go anyway with spot clean - am too much of a klutz! Thanks for the great advice!

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