Summer is Here…

Well, summer here, and for lucky east coasters, full summer preppy chic is in order.

Sadly, here on the west coast, its a dearth of critter capris, a lack of popped collars, a sad few grosgrain belts, and nary a Bonnano sandal. For me the saddest absence is Madras mania. I love a good patchwork plaid capri or skirt. JCrew has a few items each year, but last year in Chatham I found a great brand for pretty Madras patterns cut into great Bermudas, skirts, capris, and pants.

Their recently updated site is at www.capemadras.com, and here are a few of their cute designs:

Here are all the fab patterns! And the best news of all, one of the patterns is named after my and Shiloh’s last name! GLEE!

 

Would you rather…?

Would you rather hang out with Martin and Osa or Mr. J Crew?

I think Martin and Osa seem like a fun crowd. I mean…they are explorers and could recount the stories of climbing the icy tundra.  Hopefully Martin and Osa work as a happy pair to create clothing that reflects the needs of traveling stylish women and men. I have not know this store very long but I feel that instant connection with their soft pallet of colors and ”wear till their threads” basics. M & O makes me smile as I walk in and know I will return at a later date as I walk out.

So…

Am I right that J Crew obviously takes the role of a Mr.? His store is full of bright colors and a pipe dream of a woman who is so naive headbands and pearls are part of the standard model. Season after season a myriad of sun dresses denote every mans dream. We know JC is a “Mr.” Crew is a multiple offender of the impractical and ill-fitting. Only a man would continuously recreate variations on a chino that will never properly fit anyone above a size 2. But still I love Mr. Crew. John, Jack, Jim, Jordy, I could dream of this preppy puppet master all day. We could converse endlessly about polka dots vs. seer sucker, bugs as adorable embroidery and enamel jewelry accents. I Imagine sipping a gin and tonic just off the croquet court chatting with J. Crew and I beem with happiness… I think that answers my question because I just could not turn down a date with J Crew.

Martain and Osa..take a hike. (but continue to make excellent adorable clothes!!)

 

pps. if it does not work out with Mr. Crew I will be sure to send you a roving text message booty call.

 

JCrew Final Sale Sneak Attack.

So many posts about JCrew lately. It can’t be helped, they are very newsworthy.

I am sure JCrew devotees know about the latest online sale strategy–the Final Sale. Now at first the Final Sale phenomenon was a fleeting, occasional deal. Once in a while, JCrew would take their sweet markdowns and mark them down EVEN more on one condition. You buy this item without trying it on and its yours–no exchanges, no returns. NOW the sale is 24/7 Final Sale, no relief.  I swear this has become a new form of gambling. You would wait and wait to see if the price of your fave sale item would drop without getting sold out, then when you saw it go FINAL SALE you would wonder–can I fit into this FOR SURE. Am I CERTAIN this color isn’t ugly? Sometimes for $19.99 you are willing to risk it. Sometimes JCrew would even double down with additional incentives–20% off final sale. Why, that item is like $17.234576 now! WHAT a deal! And your gambling trigger finger would click “Checkout”, only to have your wide-leg cords in “Deep Surf” arrive and look more like “Syracuse-purpley-blue”.

In-store sales are a totally different game. They are straight up pricing, racks of stuff to try on–of course not everything is there but, what you see is what you get. Imagine my delight when the very blue Joelle blouse loved by Harlow was at my local JCrew, in my size, AND all sale items were extra 25% off! I had TOTALLY avoided the Final Sale online gambling debt!

So I thought. When I got to the register, the chipper salesgirl informed me that since it was an extra 25% off, it was Final Sale. WTF?! Sneak ATTACK! Now, online I would slink away and leave my shopping bag open for days due to my compulsive returning. But what can I do in person? I interrogated the sales girl about why the Final Sale exists. Her reply–cause they are such great prices, they want to clear merchandise.

That doesn’t help my Syracuse pants, girl.

 

Umm JCrew? Gucci called, they want their prices back.

So.  I was scrolling through the JCrew New Arrivals, one of my favorite pasttimes, when I stumbled on this:

Its their new Lugano Leather Garment Bag.  Here’s how they describe it:

Handcrafted in Italy by Dell’Ga—and completely worth it. Dell’Ga is an exceptional luxury leather house with a long history: founded in 1800, it soon became a favorite among the noblest families of Milan. Two centuries later, we’ve partnered with this incredible company to bring you an heirloom-quality collection made with the highest quality, naturally tanned Italian vachetta calf leather—in a very special J.Crew color, of course.

This thing is $2000 dollars. TWO. THOUSAND. DOLLARS.  Next to a Madras headband!  I mean, its beautiful, but wow.  I remember when JCrew went up to $128.

Other than that there are many gorgeous new arrivals.  They have also expanded into a Yoga line!

Well played, JCrew, well played.

 

I just got…Boston Organics!

There are few things better than someone delivering something to you for free. I mean, seriously. Netflix? Prepaid envelopes. Martha Stewart Living? Automatic subscription renewal. Dream!

But fresh fruit and vegetables? This always seemed a little tricky to me. How do you know they are good? Those Peapod boxes always looked a little gummy and gross. I don’t want my broccoli rubbing up against the outside of Wheat Thins box!

Well, now my produce is sticking with my produce thanks to:

You can sign up for deliveries every week or every other week, starting at $27 per box. Each box has a mixture of vegetables and/or fruit. You select how much of each – I chose 2/3 vegetables, but you can do 1/2 and 1/2 or all of one. Then you fill out a list of things you DON’T like and what to replace it with.

Here is what is in this week’s box:

1.5 lbs Bananas
3 Cameo Apples
3 Green Bartlett Pears
3 Valencia Oranges
1 Avocados
1 6oz Bagged Spinach
1 Cucumbers
1 Green Bell Peppers
1 bunch Red Leaf Lettuce
0.5 lbs Snap Peas
1 lbs Zucchini

yum! They will even have you make a copy of your key for them and drop your box off in the foyer of your building.

Gone are the days of pawing through questionable food items in the Shaw’s “produce” section, to wind up at the checkout line with green beans or asparagus (again). Soon I’ll be whipping up batches of Garnet yams and Bartlett pear salads!

Or I’ll have a lot of rotting produce on my hands. One or the other.

 

Oak-ee Doak-ee

I always hate when people say that. Especially when it’s me. But sometimes when you’re having a nervous, rambling conversation with an old supervisor from that department you used to work in while you’re the only two riding in the elevator, there’s just no avoiding it.

But that’s not what I’m here to talk about today.

Introducing, Oak:

A.K.A. a treasure trove filled with trinkets, gifts, jewelry, clothing, paper goods, stuffed animals, baby clothes, handbags, and virtually anything else that local artisans can cook up. Everything in the store is handmade, and often one-of-a-kind, so next time you’re headed to one of your trendy soirées, swing by here and you’ll be sure you won’t end up wearing the same uninspired Banana Republic frock as every George, Bess and Nancy in town*.

It is also a delightfully cheerful boutique:

So check it out.

Okey Dokey?

*A brief Nancy Drew related aside: Did it bother anyone else that the author made sure we all knew that Nancy was hotter and smarter than George and Bess by describing them as, respectively, “boyish” and “plump?” Note to Carolyn Keene: your illustrator drew them all the exact same way. Only the hair cuts are different. Not sure what about Bess’s blond curls makes her “plumper” than her nosy, “titian” haired friend, but apparently, Bess is a heifer and George is a jock/possible tranny. The only possible explanation is that Nancy wanted to hold onto her beau, Ned Nickerson, and thus had to distract him from the fact that she had a. hot friends and b. no discernible interests, skills or work ethic outside of her pesky sleuthing (some might say “meddling,” Nancy…) hobby. Just a theory.

 

Grey is in for Spring, at Anthropologie.

In my opinion, Spring is always the best season for Anthropologie. They just always seem to really hit it right. This year it seems like they are all about grey.

These dresses are so cute, and great for brunch and strolling the South End, or to wear to your evil younger sibling’s college graduation.

All Purpose! Snap ‘em up now.

 

two things you must purchase immediately.

Here are two recent purchases that make me gleefully happy:

1. Cole Haan Giovanna Woven Ballet Flat

These are a. gorgeous b. comfortable and c. on sale (but still kind of expensive). To justify this purchase, simply take the money you will spend on them and subtract the amount that you would have otherwise spent on reconstructive surgery from your Tory Burch Reva induced foot deformities. You’ll be miles ahead.

2. Pond’s Clean Sweep Cleansing & Makeup Removing Towelettes

Coco turned me onto these and let me say they are A (wait for it) MAHAAAAAAZING!!!!! I know that sounds like a lot of excitement for a makeup remover, but for reals these rock. Here’s why:

• For people with super sensitive and easily harmed skin (guilty), you can use these in place of face soap. The cleanser is so gentle, you don’t even have to rinse your face afterwards.
• For people with heartier facial surfaces or elite athletes (Shiloh) these are awesome to remove the workday makeup at the gym.
• Resealable package makes them perfect for office desk drawer, gym bag, suitcase

Now, go. Run. Consume!

 

I just bought….

Nivia (cellulite) Cream.

I will let you know who it works. The potential of this working is motivation I have never known! Swim Suit Season here I come!

I applied some this morning and it is a little like putting on Aloe Vera after a bad sun burn. It is always a self esteem boost to take BIG SWEEPING rub downs of my most self conscious areas. But hopefully it works and I end up looking like Gisele Bundchen.

 

Nordstromsational!

We had the distinct honor of being invited to the Nordstrom Grand Opening Event at their new store in the Burlington Mall on Wednesday night!

The Good: It was fabulous. The evening began at 6:30 with passed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, as well as buffet tables and open bar throughout at the store.

The two full-length fashion shows featured the latest designs by Milly (adore), Vince (snore), Missoni (yuck), Diane Von Fustenberg (yum), and St. John (surprisingly adorable), to list a few. These 20 minute shows gave us ample opportunity to put all our reality TV watching to good use by making snarky comments on the models’ walks and the designers’ designs.

Miss J and Nina Garcia would be so proud!

During the fashion show, the tables were reset for dessert, featuring the most delicious lemon bars, chocolate tarts, glasses of mousse, and even “smores on a stick.” Delectable.

The Bad: Juggling plates of salmon and giant sugar-rimmed peachtinis is relatively dangerous around the pseudo couture. One juggling act resulted in a thai shrimp skipping down my pencil skirt. buffets are dangerous! Also, buffets (like Amtrak stations) bring out the worst in a crowd. They need to pick ONE end of the table to load with plates and silverware. Otherwise people will flow from both ends along the buffet, resulting in a traffic jam in the middle, with all parties feeling self-righteous and impatiently glaring at each other while vying for the salad tongs. Just a suggestion.

The Ugly: Imagine this: you are dressed to the nines, teetering back to the coat check after innumerable glasses of champagne and peachtinis, when you see it: the wall of giant silver boxes. THE GIFT BAG. Your mind swims with the possibilities: tiny pots of La Mer, mini bottles of Laura Mercier liquid liner, a vial of the new Chanel Chance perfume (totally snagging this for summer by the way), maybe even a free makeup gift set. Your smile widens in delight as you struggle into your coat and charge towards the gift box. It is passed into your grip like the Olympic torch and you stumble along until you’re an acceptable distance before, heart pounding, adrenaline coursing through your veins, you rip it open to reveal…a commemorative plate. and a tacky, doodled “girly” plate that looks like an embarassing dailycandy illustration ripoff.

(shudder).