The Bubble Question

My style is very simple. As you can probably tell from my OOTD posts, I am not big on accessories, but like my foray into the makeup world, I would like to get better at it and add more to my outfits. I feel like I've done a decent job with simple necklaces like my favorite Golden Pinnate leaf necklace from Anthro. One thing I would like to try but am scared out of my mind to is the statement necklace. Naturally, I have my eye on the ubiquitous J.Crew Bubble necklace, but y'all, I'm terrified I cannot pull it off!

What am I so afraid of? Well, statement necklaces are just so....statement-y. They're big, and "loud," and that's so not my style. I guess I'm also concerned about what my colleagues would think (and say...many have no tact) at work. But I'm really drawn to the Bubble necklace. It looks so great on simple outfits to bring a little bit of "oomph" to the table. This particular necklace is all over the blog world and every single time I see it, I think, "I waaaaaant that!" But then I convince myself that it would look awful on me.

Several times, I've almost bought a version of the necklace on eBay. Even though they claim they are real, I'm skeptical, but for under $20, it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe this is the way to go so that I'm not sinking over $100 in something I'm not sure about?

Here are my favorite colors of the necklace:

I've also seen a cobalt version on ebay that I don't know was in retail. I really like that one. 

What do you all think? Could I pull off the Bubble necklace? Should I cheap out and try an ebay version? Are there any other statement necklaces I should try? 

Clearance center haul

Not necessarily a "haul," but here are a couple of items I picked up during my visit to the NC Clearance Center over the weekend:

Madewell Deco Dot skirt

I'm not proud of how I got this skirt. I saw another customer carrying it around as I was browsing, and I instantly got "the envy." I kept my eagle eye trained on her dressing room until she sent out her discard pile. I was on that skirt soooo fast, buddy! And no, I had no idea if it was actually my size, but the girl looked to be a similar size to me, so I was hoping for the best. Glad I stalked her (although if it was you, I apologize, lol); it was my size, and I adore this skirt! Isn't it purty? It looks especially lovely with the item below...

J.Crew Valentina pumps

So...I thought I would never ever buy a pair of pointy-toed heels. I was first drawn to the navy color of these heels (you all know how difficult it is to find a good pair of navy heels) but didn't like the toe. Thank goodness I tried them on regardless because I LOVE THESE SHOES!!! They are so lovely! The leather is incredibly soft, and I love the mid-heel height (would you call these kitten heels, or are they a little higher than that?) So happy with these! I got them for a STEAL too, especially considering they are still full price ($228) online!

What do you think of my clearance center finds? Do you have either one of these items? 

J.Crew Fitting Room: Spring '12

Got a chance to visit my nearest store over the weekend. Here are my fitting room try-ons: 

Apple print Tippi sweater (in-store only item)

SIZE SMALL

SIZE XS

LOVE

I was so excited to see that my store had this item! It is quite adorable, and as you can tell, from far away looks like polka dots. BUT THEY'RE APPLES. AND I'M A TEACHER. So you know, duh, I had to get this. I ended up with the xs...it just had a better shape on me. See it on Gigi here and AJC here.

Linen polka dot pullover (in-store only)

Wearing: Size small

LIKE/LOVE

Ugh...I kinda loved this top but for crying out loud, $85?!?!?!? The 100% merino apple sweater was about the same price, and I wouldn't have to wear a cami underneath it! While I LOVE the design of this top, $85 is just crazy, especially when the material is already starting to pill a little bit into nubby nubs. 

Big-Shot dot dress

Wearing: Size 4

PASS

It pains me to pass on a polka dot dress, but pass I must. I mean, look at me. I look like I'm 6 years old going to Easter church service, right? Come to think of it, I might have had this exact dress when I was 6 years old...   It will look lovely on certain people, but on me, this dress is a huge NO. 

Long No. 2 pencil skirt in sovereign paisley

Wearing: size 4

LOVE

Wasn't sure what I'd think of the new long pencil skirts, but I am a fan now!!! what a lovely skirt! Also wasn't sure what I thought of this paisley print (I can only do so certain paisleys) and this one is absolutely breathtaking. I sat there staring at it for a good minute or two before I even put it on. The neon throughout is beautiful. This one's a winner. Hope I can catch it on sale. 

Spindrift sweatshirt

Wearing: Size small

PASS

Meh. Meeeeehhhh. That is all. 

Stripe twisted stitch henley

Wearing: size small

PASS

What in the world is going on with the bottom of this thing? It flares out in an incredibly unflattering way. This item was so cute on the hanger, but a no-go once I got it on. Nice color combo and interesting texture, though! 

Stripe silk popover (in-store only?) 

Wearing: Size 2

LIKE

It's cute enough. Didn't get a chance to glance at the tag for price info, but my guess is that it's overpriced. Love the colors. 

***

I also got a chance to visit the clearance center and I found a couple of great items (one Madewell, one J.Crew retail)! I'll share those with you in an upcoming post. For now, must go put feet up. Looooong day! Let me know what you think of the above items in the comments section! :)

Summer Shoes

These spring temps are getting me soo excited for some consistent warm weather. While I am not usually a summer person (I hate being too hot!), I am quite excited to cast aside the heels and don my comfortable warm-weather flats.  Here are some other shoes I'm excited to wear:

Converse Chuck Taylor in polka dot

Thanks a bunch to Debra from I Dream of Anthropologie, who tracked these down for me at DSW! I haven't owned a pair of Converse since I was young. I think these will add just the perfect touch of whimsy to outfits, and how cute would they look with a solid colored dress on a dress-down day?

Chaco Z/2 Sandal

Ah yes, you all know I couldn't talk about summer shoes and not mention my beloved Chacos! They're not for everyone, but they're definitely perfect for my lifestyle and foot needs during the summer. I have been wanting a green pair for a long time. This is my favorite of the bunch right now! 

TOMS Classic Crochet in Aqua

TOMS Classic Crochet in Coral 

I already own one pair of TOMS classic shoes, and I absolutely love them. They really are as comfortable as everyone claims they are (and this is coming from a flat-footed girl who needs good arch support!) These crochet TOMS look perfect for summer--while I love my classic pair, a little ventilation would be nice! I have my eye on these two particular colors of the crochet style and am having the hardest time deciding which one to get. I do wear a lot of blues and greens, so the aqua ones would probably go with more (according to reviews, the color is a deeper turquoise than shown, which I'd prefer), but that coral color is just gorgeous and would add such a fun pop of color to outfits. Which color should I get?!

What summer shoes are you looking forward to wearing in the next few months? 

Land of the Living

Two fantastic things:
#1: I have Internet! High Speed Internet! It only took 4 months! Hooray! I feel like I'm back in the land of the living.
#2: Today is the first day this week I've been home before 5pm! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I got home at 8:30, 9:00, and 9:15 respectively. Suffice it to say, I'm straight up pooped today!

(don't mind the hair. It's "Friday hair.")

J.Crew Jackie cardigan

LOFT tank

F21 palazzo pants (reviewed here) 

Indigo by Clarks shoes

Farmer's Market necklace

Since we weren't going to be in school on Saint Patrick's Day, I wore my green today! Does this mean I'm good for tomorrow? I also wore my ridiculous pants that I love oh-so-much. They're so fun and swishy...

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

J.Crew Review: Elinor dress in polka dot

I got the waitlisted Elinor dress in polka dot on Tuesday. I know many of you have tried it on in both the orange and polka dotted versions (see it on Gigi, Audrey Bella, AJC, and Rose) and based on their reviews, I was expecting to NOT like it. Fortunately, my take on it was different. I really like this dress! It even got a thumbs up from my husband! It IS low-cut in front, so if I were to wear it to school I'd need to wear a cami--not a deal-breaker to me though as this is a good dress for summer vacation or a day wedding. The fabric makes it perfect for the warmer months. Here are a few pics:

Wearing: size 4

Don't really have the ability to do a detailed review here, but ask me any specific questions you have about it in the comments! 

Hodge Podge

This post will be a hodge podge of stuff from the last few days...

-I'm not really sure when I'll be able to post again (consistently) thanks to some more issues with our home internet. It's been a SAGA, y'all. It's quite a long story, but here's the short version: we have had a very low Internet speed since moving into our house in November, which was not enough for us to both use our computers at the same time OR stream TV through Hulu. CS said that we were already at the highest speed we could go (not true--our brand-new neighborhood had lines run for the highest speeds possible). We then found out that our next-door neighbor was able to order and receive the highest speed. Back to CS we go, and we were told that in order to get the higher speed, we had to CANCEL OUR SERVICE, THEN OPEN UP A NEW ACCOUNT. WTF??? To add insult to injury, it is taking forever to "process" the cancellation and additional time to "process" our new account and order.

-I finished Jane Eyre, and I absolutely LOVED it! This means that Out of Print clothing needs to quickly make a Jane Eyre shirt available!!! My next classic re-read is Little Women. It was going to be Wuthering Heights, but I realized over the weekend that I do not own a physical copy of this book (I used to--not sure where it went!); I would read it on my iPad like I did Jane Eyre, but it hurts my eyes too much.

-I'm currently off the mountain for a technology conference taking place on Thursday and Friday. I'm so excited to get a couple days off from school. This conference is supposed to be one of the best in the state, so I cannot wait to learn some new things and get some ideas for my classroom!

Here are a few outfits from the past few days:

Last Friday (jean day!)

Splendid tee via Anthropologie (forget the name) 

J.Crew herringbone schoolboy blazer

7 For All Mankind jeans

TOMS shoes

Tuesday:

J.Crew Factory End-on-End camp shirt

J.Crew No. 2 pencil skirt in double serge wool

Walmart tights

J.Crew plaid mary-janes (ebay find)

Farmer's Market necklace

I do have a review of the Elinor dress in polka dot to share with y'all. For some reason my BlogPress app on my iPhone is not working, so as soon as I get the pics on my computer and get a free minute, I'll put it up!