Sunday, May 26, 2013

Memorial Day weekend

Please be patient with the long gaps between posts --- I am job searching like a maniac, and I also have an increasingly ill family member. That said, this blog and all the blogs I enjoy reading are a welcome happy distraction!

I went to Target recently where I found this linen floral print blazer that I have loved for a while on the clearance rack. This purchase was a no-brainer. I would like to wear this with white pants, jeans, or shorts.

I also bought this Chanel-esque lady jacket in pink by Merona. And of course, the much blogged-about seahorse shirt. Seahorses are my favorite "animal" and I have a growing collection of accessories with the print. Sadly, I do not have enough clothing items so I am pleased to see such a variety this season!

The last thing I need to buy is ANOTHER pair of jeans. Seriously. I have so many jeans I could probably wear one new pair every day for a month. And in recent months, I have opted to buy all jeans from thrift stores, which carry the brands I like at a fraction of the price and are already broken in. So for me to buy a pair at J. Crew Factory was a bit of a surprise. But you know that feeling, when you put on jeans that feel like a glove? That is how I felt with these. With discounts, these matchsticks cost $40 but I have no regrets. Coincidentally, the last pair of jeans I bought in a (non-thrift) store was a pair of Madewell "rail straight" jeans and I have worn them at least 6 times already.
While at the factory, I bought the chambray dotted "capri" pants. These were surprisingly loose so I sized down from my tried and true regular "capri size." I'm fairly certain I have not lost weight so I think it was the material that caused it to be loose. I felt that if I bought my normal size, I would have sagging in the rear after an hour of wear. I hate that!

Have you done any shopping this holiday weekend? Have you been to the Factory 50-off storewide sale?



Saturday, May 18, 2013

Linen tees

Sorry for the delay between posts. I've had plenty of purchases I wanted to share but not enough time to get on this blog.

Let me start with J. Crew linen tees. Love them! It was not love at first sight, because I was not loving the see-through quality, plus my normal size seemed a bit big. So the second time I tried one on, I sized down and I immediately liked it better. In my last post, I shared that I bought the Soleil colorblock tee. Well, I had to grab these two from the sale rack -- the Polka Dot linen tee and the Pop Art linen tee (pink of course). Both were a steal at under $20 each.


I also had to go back and grab the umbrella tee. Online it was on promotion but in store it was not. Fortunately the store associate was nice enough to honor the online price with an extra 30 off. I also grabbed (not pictured) a linen tee from JC Penney, which was only $10. The quality was surprisingly good! The idea to shop there came from Beach Chic Style. I didn't buy the flamingo linen tee (which was cute!), but found a great neon violet basic instead.

I also grabbed ANOTHER pair of Scout chinos in soft violet. Love the fit of these and was able to get it on the sale rack for about $20. Lastly, I bought the neon tweed skirt. I am not sure if the $50 I spent on it (after discounts) was a good deal because I don't know how often I will wear it. That said, I couldn't pass up the last one in the area, which consequently was in my size.

I'll post the rest tomorrow if I find the time. Enjoy the weekend!





Saturday, May 4, 2013

J. Crew storewide sale

I always debate the storewide sales at J. Crew -- which thankfully have become slightly more common these days. I am pleased that the store is starting to reward the cardholders with an additional discount (cardholders get 30 off as opposed to 25 off). I weigh whether the storewide promo is actually a "deal" or not. Let's face it, many items will eventually make their way to the sale section where they will inevitably receive a markdown and an additional discount. But the question is, will an item be so popular that it sells out in most sizes, or will there be plenty to purchase in a few weeks for less?

I often luck out by waiting for an item to hit the sale rack. I've had the experience of buying something on the sale rack, only to learn that a week later the price dropped by another $20. But when you buy "final sale" you take that risk. Likewise, I've had the experience of waiting for an item's price to drop, only to learn that I waited too long and now the item is gone (Hello, Porcelain Paisley skirt circa 2012!)

This was the conversation that took place in my head this week as I shopped J. Crew's storewide sale. Is this a good deal? If I wait will I get a better deal, or will I have waited too long? These were the items I decided were too good to pass up.


The first two items I bought were no-brainers. It was highly unlikely that I would get a better deal for these Scout cropped chino pants here --- Just $15 each after discounts! I see these getting a lot of use in the warmer months and the quality seems good.


I also bought the indigo dot schoolboy blazer here. I bought this in my usual size for Schoolboy blazers, but for some reason this jacket had a "boxy" fit on me. Unfortunately, sizing down didn't feel "right" either so I guess I will just deal. The jacket with the promo came to $56, which is what a similar blazer at GAP would cost. Do I need more chambray with polka dots? Absolutely not, but that won't stop me from buying more!


It took me three trips to the store to make a decision on the Lodden paisley Liberty print shirt here. The shirt was marked to $99, so with 30 off it would be $70. I felt that was still a lot, based on the fact that I have bought other Liberty shirts in recent months for less. But, this print was sold out online and hard to find in my size in other stores. Plus I had a $25 reward that J. Crew emailed me the other day. With that, I justified in my mind that the item was really only $45. I like the light pinks and greens in the print.


Lastly, I bought the Soleil linen tee here It was $45 retail, but only $30 after the promo discount. I am a sucker for hot pink.

I wish I could say that I'm done shopping for the weekend but I might have to pass by Factory for the 40-off store-wide promo.

Have you done any damage this week at J. Crew? Do you own or like these items?


Please share!