Chronicles of a J Crew Junkie (FKA the year I bid adieu....)

La Bella Figura- in 45 linear inches no less!!

2010-12-03T08:30:00.005-06:00

First of all, it feels good to be back. I will now sing "I LOVE CLOTHES" from the mountain tops. See- this is what happens when I don't socialize with my fellow fashion loving friends in blog land- I get slap happy.

Onto the serious stuff- my family and I are headed to Italy to spend Christmas and New Years with good friends. We are spending the first week in Northern Italy (Parma) at our friends' house, and then both of our families are visiting Rome (4 nights/ 5 days) and Venice (2 nights/ 3 days including New Years Eve) for the second week. It is very much a family outing with 4 kids in tow. My girlfriend has already given me a gentle lecture about over packing (she's known me for 20+ years- what can I say???). We will be travelling by train the second week so we are trying to stay compact (like one overhead fitting bag compact- I get anxiety just typing that). They have a washer and dryer so I will be able to do laundry after the first week before we hit the road. Having said all this- I have been working on my packing list in polyvore and would LOVE any feedback. I would also love a gravity check on thinking all of this will fit in one little roller-bag; I swear, I'm not smoking anything. I just have my rosy colored glasses on. If I wear the heaviest things on the plane (blazer, jeans, boots etc..)- it just might fit. Here's the part where you tell me what to ditch and what to add!! Thank you in advance for any thoughts.

HELP- LA BELLA FIGURA by Woobie featuring a velvet blazer

Back on the streets USING

2010-04-09T17:41:00.010-05:00

No news is good news? NOT QUITE. First of all- hats off to all you bloggers out there that stay committed and blog every day. Tax season TOOK ME OUT- I just couldn't keep my head above water and when times get stressful- I am afraid I turned to my vice for comfort. And boy- it was a slippery slope down. It all started off so innocently when my hubby mentioned that he wanted to replace his J Crew university coat. Oh just use my account. You know what- I'll order it for you, no problem...........and then it went from there (I can't remember exactly- it was sometime around late February/ early April). Soon Mickey was sending me those special cards and emails again. Feeling like a COMPLETE failure, I stayed away from this blog and all the others that I love to read (JCAs, DaniBP, FFM, Head to Toe with Heidi, Gigi's Gone Shopping, and the list goes on.......) I will say that I curtailed my shopping immensely during the last half of the year. For some reason the summer fashion cycle never does that much for me (perhaps it is because we only get three months in Chicago) so I didn't do much shopping this summer. Once my birthday hit- I celebrated with a month of Crewlade- the UPS man and I are reunited and it feels so good! And now I am trying to reel it all back-in. I don't know about everyone else, but the sale really does me in. Just because you get an extra 30% off doesn't mean that you need a rimini cardigan in every color!! Very difficult for me to grasp that. I continue to try to edit, purge, and follow the rule that I will not buy unless I am IN LOVE and it looks fantastic on me. Enough with the ramble- I just wanted to bring some closure to the year by checking-in. I have slowly started following my favorite blogs but have been too embarrassed to say hello. So there you go. I'm back- trying to stay clean! We are taking a family trip to Italy for Christmas to visit good friends, so I am already fretting over the packing and fighting the urge to buy an entire new wardrobe for the voyage. But that is another post...........

So I wrap it up with a thought from Mr. Ford
"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."Henry Ford

Sounds good to me Henry!

P.S. I started this post in April and finished it in November- not sure why it doesn't update the date- but it is showing up as April when in fact it is 11/28!

Another Close Call- 30% OFF AND free shipping?

2010-01-23T09:24:00.003-06:00

Late nights are not my friend these days and last night was no exception. I fell asleep early with my kids, say 9pm, then I woke up at midnight and I could not get back to sleep. So I get up, flip on the tv and set my laptop on my lap of course. I was flipping between What Not to Wear (TLC) and International House Hunters (HGTV- sigh, dare to dream that I too will one day have a house in Cognac France) when I thought, oh let's see what's going on with my old friend JCrew- just looking of course. I arrive to 30% off- and the adrenaline started rising. I quickly scurried through the sale section, giddy as I filled my basket. I headed to checkout with $1,000 of merchandise. Then I pruned it down to $220 of "essential" items and started the process. I got to that final final screen where with free shipping and extra 30% off I was at $159 when I stopped the madness and asked myself a few questions. Will the asymmetrical bow sweater in fawn make me a better person? Will the black wool twill cropped pants change my life? Do I really want to blow it at this point? The answer was NO on all counts so I red X'd out of the screen and shut-down my computer.........phew. It was a quick gravity check that when I think that I am doing well with the no shopping, that my shopping demons are right around the corner. I think my next step is getting a handle on what I have- I have been so busy with work and life, my wardrobe is still in chaos (think multiple closets, rooms, piles- several NWT, never been worn). The ironic thing is I have been wearing the same jeans, fleece and Ugg boots in the bitter cold winter, especially on my three days that I work at home- not a stylish outfit in sight.

Winter Uniform by Woobie featuring J Crew

So my next step from here is to try the New Year purge/ inventory and really figure out what I have. That will help me manage in the future what I really NEED. GigiofCA and Fabulous Florida Mom have both recently discussed their shopping rules on their blogs, which I think is something that I really need to implement in my life. So that's where I am gang- I am in a place where I need to dig deep and focus inward literally and mentally and look at what I have instead of outward at what could be. Any ideas and/or encouragement are greatly appreciated.

Let me tell you how it will be; there's one for you, 19 for me

2010-01-19T19:10:00.007-06:00

cause I'm the tax woMAN, YEAH, I'm the tax woMAN. (sung at the top of my lungs like the good Beatles fan that I am). Sorry gang- this is what happens to tax accountants that program software this time of year when the 60+ work week sets in- we get SILLY. Happy New Year- I have fallen so far off the radar, I thought I would try a quick post among the madness- I am missing all of you in blog land. Here's a quick update on my end. Santa was very good to me- both hubby and my brother had J Crew booty under the tree for me- too much in fact. My mother-in-law got me a gift card to Antrho- I am saving it for the thaw, which is MONTHS away at this point. When the time comes- I will need to be accompanied by a chaperon (that's you Hermie) as per the rules, I can only spend the card amount. The great part of this business is that I have not had time to think about shopping. The downside would be the 5+ pounds that I have packed on since this shopping hiatus has started. A few of my dear friends even suggested that I am subconsciously gaining weight so that I can't fit in my clothes and need to buy new clothes- GASP- I SHOULD HOPE NOT. All theories aside, in a complete panic I joined weight watchers at work and I ordered a meal delivery service until I get things under control (1200 calorie low-fat vegetarian- it's pretty good). I'm trying not to beat myself up- I don't have enough time for the gym or cooking right now- so I am doing the best that I can. On the bright side- the no shopping has allowed me to plan a long weekend to Disney world with my mom and kids- all for less than a monthly bill from jcrew. That my friends feels REALLY GREAT (especially with the subzero temps and mounds of snow around the Chicago area). I'm certainly not "cured"- I have leafed through the January catalog more than once, enjoying the pretty pictures. OH- I almost forgot- Mickey sent me a 2010 planner- a nice little surprise. I guess that he hasn't been following my blog- I am grateful nonetheless. I also must confess that I broke a rule- the Daddy/daughter dance is coming up and my 5yo has sensory issues with clothes. Basically she only wears knits/ extra soft cotton/silk. I would say a majority of her clothes are crewcuts. I did a quick search for a dress- couldn't find anything so I defaulted and ordered a crewcut dress that was knit AND looked special occasionish. (the ruffles are over the knit body)

But the shopping Gods were watching. She tried it on and it runs very TIGHT- not to my sensory girl's liking, so it will go back. The irony, she dug around her closet and pulled out the silk polka dot crewcut dress that she wore to the dance last year. Works for me and I will try not to slip again. So I guess that is enough brain dump for now. I hope all is well. My parting question for everyone- while I am trying to manage chaos/ achieve more balance in 2010- what are your tips and tricks? I'm liking this meal delivery service- but it is cost prohibitive on a long-term basis. What's everyone doing out there to make life easier?

I Get By with a Little Help from my Friends (Family)

2009-12-22T07:27:00.003-06:00

I thought I would take a minute to share an email that I received from my darling only sibling:

My dearest sister. As I recall, you have gone over 13 days of lying to yourself about your true nature. To this end, we can perpetuate the fantasy that you are not Imelda Isis Woobie of the xxxxxxx Woobies. Please to forward me a link to an item of no importance to you that represents your former life. In this way, we can all move forward with your inevitable relapse. The 13th step is the best. Love your brother.

I got quite a chuckle over this one- and you can bet that I sent him a few links. Have a fabulous day everyone.

I'm Having Impure Thoughts (EXTRA25 AND FREE SHIPPING??? come on)

2009-12-18T00:45:00.003-06:00

I know that I have been absent for awhile, and I chalk it up to BUSY, BUSY, BUSY. But here I am, in the wee hours of the night having what is officially to date my weakest moment!! I just had my cart full, entered the EXTRA25 promo and had the summary screen in front of me with the only thing left to do- hit "SUBMIT". I didn't do it- but IT WAS CLOSE. I had rationalized it as, this will be for Christmas from hubby- I will wrap it when it arrives and put it under the tree. But my conscience was screaming in the background and I just couldn't do it; I have narrowly escaped a failure I want to avoid. (For those curious, my basket contained the wool cropped pants in black, jalapeno boat neck cashmere sweater, and the annalise ruffle cami in cinnamon- cute but not worth falling off the wagon for don't you agree?)

On a more positive note, here is the OOTD, and what a nice day it was. Office white elephant exchange/potluck. There are winners and losers- and I walked away with Barney puzzles so you can do the math yourself as to which category I fell in- fun nonetheless. And this evening was my 5yo's holiday program- adorable.

OOTD 12/17/09 by Woobie featuring J Crew

Let's talk about this holiday shopping- while I am laying the confessions out there- I have REALLY been enjoying being back out there as I have shopped for others gifts. I was a bit annoyed when I wanted to get my son's teacher an antrho gift card for holiday gift, but I settled with one of those Nordstrom gift cards that you buy at the grocery store- I think that I squeaked by on that one. No shopping at Nordstroms- nothing in the rules about the grocery store (it is amazing what you can buy in the grocery store these days). As far as my Christmas list- I will admit, it feels like a bit of veiled shopping. I sent hubby an email with links of things that I wanted. But in my defense- that is how we have always done things in the past- I love him dearly, but if I don't spell it out, there would be nothing under that tree. I wish I could say that I am so beyond the material goods at this point, but me likee a present or two. I am curious as to what everyone thinks- my support group here on the ground thought it was ok to put Crew items on the list, but it didn't feel right, so I stuck with non- Jcrew, Anthro, and Nordy items. Instead, I scoured stores that make things that LOOK like they came from Crew, Anthro, and Nordies.........I tried to be frugal/ reasonable in my requests ($20 jeans from lands end, cashmere sweater from lands end that really looks like they are studying the crew catalog these days, and some Tory Burch shirts that were 1/2 price on her website with free shipping). We'll see what he comes up with- given the ban, I am going to be just as excited as my Santa believing cuties this year.

I'll wrap this up with one request as follows: PLEASE SEND ME SOME WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT DURING THIS TIME OF WEAKNESS.
I hope that everyone is having a fabulous holiday season!

Face down in a pile of tissue tees?

2009-11-23T18:44:00.003-06:00

No- I think not. No relapse here in case you are wondering where I've been- it has NOT been my B&M. It has been a crazy few weeks between work heating-up, my son's 9th birthday, and a funeral out of town to support a good friend who lost her brother way before his time. I can't make sense of it, and no J Crew seems so trivial. As we head into Thanksgiving I am feeling very grateful for my wonderful family and friends. I will be breaking out a very old pair of JC shoes for turkey day- they are grey flannel with square buckles and hubby calls them my pilgrim shoes (I will try to snap an IRL pic on Thursday because they make me laugh).
Here is OOTD:

OOTD by Woobie featuring GAP

I really must be making some progress here and I toot my horn of abstinence for this reason: the JC December catalog arrived last week and I have yet to open it. It feels like I have freed up more time in my day than I care to admit which is a great thing. We'll see how I do as we head into that shop shoppiest time of the year. So what's everyone wearing for Thanksgiving? Any other pilgrim shoes out there?

The Secret Decoder Ring

2009-11-09T19:09:00.007-06:00

OK- there is no ring, but for my non- shopping friends supporting me through this, I have had many questions related to the secret language we speak here in blog land (IRL, B&M, IMO, KWIM?) so I would like to take a minute and point them to a wonderful blog- Gigis Gone Shopping http://gigisgoneshopping.blogspot.com/2009/05/vocab-list.html for some additional insight. I look at this as a precursor to the teen texting that I am sure is much closer than I care to admit with my own kids; yes indeed, these are life skills we are building here in blog land. Let's get back to some closet surfing. It was a BEAUTIFUL weekend here in the Midwest- if the thermometer rises above 60 this time of year, out come the shorts, so here is the weekend wear. For taking kids to birthday parties:

11-08-09 by Woobie featuring J Crew

Next up on the weekend agenda was the mother/son hike at my kids' school. Fifty-eight acres of forested fen on a sunny day. We saw a red-tail hawk, lots of deer, and some frogs- much for the kids (and moms) to be excited about and one word comes to mind: GRATITUDE. I am so thankful to be part of this gem of a school. The campus and community are amazing. I am going to go ahead and share my crew gear, despite my slobby look. DaniBP recently posted on the selvedge chambray shirt- she had hers tailored and it looks great (http://danibp.blogspot.com/2009/11/ootd-featuring-review-of-selvedge.html )
So here is my J Crew chambray- I loved it when it was only out for men- and of course I ordered it. They had showed it styled on women in the catalog, but I can't imagine how those toothpicks were sporting it- quite big, but perfect for a mother-son hike.

shirt- Jcrew
turtleneck- JC tissue
pants- JC cords
belt- come on, go ahead and guess
shoes- Chucky T.

DON'T FORGET THE CHUCKS!!

A scene from the hike.

I wrapped-up the weekend with the dreaded change of season wardrobe shuffle. Am I the only one who does this? All linen, shorts, traces of warm weather- packed away. Out came the wool, cords, sweaters, shoes.....And like most things in my life- the project is still hanging out there half-done. Piles of things that need to be dry-cleaned, laundered, put away. It certainly reminded me that I have TOO MUCH, and I have to say right now at this very minute, I am feeling very OK with the no shopping (Nicole- no snickers from you- I will post on that tomorrow!).

I really am curious- who out there does the wardrobe seasonal shuffle? Or are you blessed with that SUPER big closet? Or even better- maybe you live somewhere warm year round -SIGH. Tell me about it.

Tis Better to Give than Receive

2009-11-07T04:34:00.010-06:00

I'm a little behind on my OOTDs, so let me try to catch-up from the past week. Monday, jammies, skip. Tuesday my battery wasn't working yet, so here is the polyvore:

OOTD by
My wool capris are from a few seasons ago, but I see JCrew is offering the same exact style this season. I own multiple pair in multiple colors (they used to make navy as well- not out this year). Anyway it is a year round wool and I love them. Wednesday I actually worked out and then worked at home in my spandex gear so I will spare you a picture of that! Thursday was a belated bday sushi lunch with friends at work and it was YUMMY. For the occasion I brought out the double serge pencil skirt. I love this skirt- so comfy, another item that I wish I had bought in bulk because the colors are looking great this season (as evidenced by FFM's recent sets with the skirt in Dusty blossom.) This is the ochre from last season snagged on clearance. I know I am wearing the Molly's into the ground (they are my new neutral shoe) but I have 6 months of winter ahead of me, so I am getting some good wear out of them before it hits.

Shirt- J Crew hammered silk blouse

Sweater- Old Navy

Skirt- J Crew double serge pencil

Shoes- J Crew Molly peeps

Necklace- Pearls from hubby's last business trip to China

And let's talk about how I'm feeling. I stood at the shopping fork in the road as I shopped for my first gift with the personal ban on. My girlfriend's bday present- she likes clothes- I could go to Ann Taylor, Gap..... or she likes wine. I don't think I am ready to set foot in a clothing store, so instead it was Riedel stemware (after last weekend one might make the argument that I should stay away from the wine gear too, ha ha!). I must admit- it felt good standing at the register. Now why is that? It got me thinking about the holiday gift buying season ahead and I need to start working on my strategy before I turn into gift giver gone wild. I'm going to ponder that one- I'll get back to you.

Who's started shopping? Do you make a list or just hit the stores for inspiration?

Mommy, I think it says J CREW

2009-11-02T21:24:00.010-06:00

Said my sweet little girl as she peered out the door to see what the man in brown left for us. Whoo hoo! Who needs kindergarten, my baby's been schooled in J Crew, and with this statement I am going to go ahead and declare her a reader. Well, there they are, my last boxes from my final days as a shopper. I remain shop free, but I am not going to lie, things aren't as rosy and fun as they were last week. Let's move on to my closet shopping. I started out strong, but my IRL streak stopped at day one. Ready for my dog ate my homework line? My battery is dead, I can't find the back-up, nor the charger. The last time I saw either was our leaf-peeping trip to WI. Have no fear- I will find them, I just can't promise when (and those who know me understand it could be after the shopping ban is lifted). My dear friend Tinker snapped a pic for me on Thursday but we had technical difficulties downloading so it is back to polyvore. Let me share my Ema inspired outfit for the Halloween festivities at the kids' school.

Halloween Outfit by Woobie featuring J Crew

I would LOVE to share my Saturday night outfit- we attended a wedding in the city and I pulled out a Diane Von Furstenburg from a few years back. I can't find a pic of it anywhere but you're going to have to trust me on this one- cute. I had a little bit of a shopping dilemma when it came to the hosiery, because per my rules, hosiery= inbounds. I of course found a $50 pair of gold toned nylons at Neiman Marcus and it just didn't feel right; in the spirit of living simplistically, I instead purchased a $3.99 pair from my local drugstore. sigh. And since I am on a roll with the confessions, I'll move on to the rest of my evening. It was SO MUCH FUN- hubby and I had a chance to visit with a lot of old, dear friends that we seldom see. I was so wrapped up in my social butterflying that I lost track of my vino intake (you know where this is going).......and somehow I turned back the clock from 41 years to approximately 21 yo. Why bother with this detail- well I thought it might help you understand that Sunday and Monday I spent recovering in my jammies (41 year olds do not bounce back that quickly) so there will be no IRLs until work tomorrow.

The good news- I am currently being entertained by the book No Impact Man by Colin Beavan. My good friend Lynne gave it to me in an attempt to lessen the blow of my shop free life- the glass if way more than half-full as I am reading this. For those that have not read it- the gist- an NYC resident spends a year making zero net impact on the environment. Not only do they NOT SHOP, but things such as toilet paper and electricity are also given up along the way. So crew free really isn't that bad right? Has anybody read the book? If so, did it motivate you to change anything in your life?

BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO

2009-10-28T16:32:00.002-05:00

Today I did something I vowed I was going to avoid- setting foot in a B&M. Not just any B&M, but MY B&M, the one I have frequented for the past 7 years. That didn't take long......Don't worry, don't worry, I kept my eye on the register and did not veer off course- but unfortunately I had to return a few items. The campo bag (DaniBP I should have gone with the patent!), it was cute but I was not happy with the color. I ordered the beechwood expecting it to be closer to the nude swatch online and it was much more brown than expected. I also returned the cadance necklace- it was strangely stiff and didn't lay very well. My favorite manager was there- she has been with me these past seven years. She has been around to see my daughter go from infant carrier, to toddler, to the kindergartner she is. I have lived through two of her three boys heading off to college. We had our last discussion today about her senior in hs and where he is heading off to college. Sniff, sniff- she will be an empty nester the next time I see her. A whole year- I had to tell her. For a moment I really wanted a hug her or at least promise to send a holiday card. She is very cute and assured me that I will not be forgotten! Today my favorite SA- perhaps tomorrow I should get Mickey and Jenna on the conference call and let them down easy as well. The good news- I made it out package free.
Next order of business. IRL virgin no mas. I have a lot of work to do on the photos. I was in a hurry receiving a tutorial from a good friend at work, and this is what I came up with. I would like to offer up the lame excuse that hubby is out of the country, I had to get the kids out the door along with myself, etc etc.....but here it is. My first outfit of the day. Celebrating fall. I wish I would have worn my vneck tissue in eggplant but I couldn't find it- so instead I have on the Stacy & Clinton NO NO with the big chest- DREAD- a turtleneck. So be it. I LOVE this skirt.

Shirt- J Crew
Skirt- Anthropologie
Boots- Frye Campus

Parting thought- let's hear some SA stories! Do you have a favorite? Ever invite an SA to Thanksgiving dinner?

The Sunday Paper Ads

2009-10-26T08:55:00.006-05:00

Yet another ritual that I am now re-working. Getting up before everyone else, brewing my decaf (yes, decaf.......that is another post on the glories of aging) and settling in with the paper- always first the ads. So the ads sat there untouched- and I skipped my morning surfing the sales session too. It ended up being a Mother/son day while hubby stayed home tending to recovering daughter. Church, Halloween costume shopping, and haircut for my son and his mop top. A stunning Fall day- and no need for the 60 day rule on the Molly Peeps- I broke them out in a hurry. LOVE THEM (hear me sing from the mountain tops). And BTW- the woman snipping my son's hair commented on the cuteness of the Molly thank you very much.
10/25 Mom/Son Day by Woobie featuring J Crew

It's Monday morning and I am still in my pj's so no what I am wearing post today. One more day home with my almost better daughter and I am heading into the office tomorrow. I'll shoot for an IRL.

I'll sign-off with this parting thought. Exactly how much time do you spend doing shopping activities in your daily routine? Between surfing, visiting stores, calling a store to see if they have something in stock (come on, we've all done it), reading blogs, thinking about a must have item- what's your damage? It's a tough one, but I will estimate in my not too distant past somewhere between 1-2 hours depending on the day.

The Final Boxes Roll In

2009-10-24T13:21:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was a Debbie Downer post for me but today is a new day and I say my life is abundant! Snicker snicker from the peanut gallery- reality has not yet set-in because the boxes are still arriving. My brown uniformed friend ran across my lawn just yesterday as a matter of fact. I almost stepped out on the front steps to hug him goodbye, after all we've been seeing each other for quite some time, but why ruin his weekend. I still have two more boxes coming before we officially break-up. The J Crew Molly peep toe platforms were in the box and while they did not seem to get a warm reception in my first post- I am telling you- they are so comfortable. They blow my LuLus away on the comfort front and I like the pattern. My 8 1/2 Lulus are a little big but the Molly is just right said the baby bear. I am attributing the comfort to the platform. I have a couple pairs of whiskey colored pumps so I am second guessing my color choice, but a little late now. You will see them in future ensembles. Speaking of ensembles, today I reached for my old friend Lydia- a front runner in J Crews trend of the sleeveless ruffled collars(pre-dating our girls Victoria, Bria, Frances, and Kelsey- where do they get their names?). She's got a lot of room, but tucked-in and belted up she's pretty cute don't you think?

Wearing 10/24 by Woobie featuring J Crew

I am going to experiment this weekend and try to figure out how to do the IRL pics. It is odd, but I am feeling so vulnerable about that. I just bared my financial soul- no problem, but exposing the jelly belly, now that's a different story.

I will wrap this up with an update on my daughter's health status. I took her to the doctor yesterday and she tested positive for Influenza A (whisper.....H1N1). And this is when the parenting job gets nerve wracking. We got a prescription for tamiflu and I asked the doctor if this were her child would she give it to her- the answer was no she would not and left it up to us as her parents. My instinct was no, don't do it. But as it got later in the evening, her fever kept rising and she was listless on the couch, let's face it- I was freaking out a little. We decided to wait until the morning because we had until this afternoon to start the drug if we wanted. Thank goodness she popped up this morning fever free asking for food and drinks. She is up playing and almost normal, just a teeny bit warm so no antiviral meds here. phew. This is not an easy time- the virus is not predictable and as the media reminds us of those kids playing a football game Friday and in a coma by Monday- it's just your worst nightmare as a parent.

Any advice on how to do the IRL pics for my life as a closet shopper would be greatly appreciated! Have a fabulous weekend.

Time to Crunch the Numbers

2009-10-23T05:52:00.011-05:00

I am a bean counter, what can I say. This entry is NOT easy to type. Let me start by saying, those lovely earrings that Mickey sent me a few weeks ago were FAR FROM FREE. I spent an hour going through my order history with JCrew over the past year. WOW- not pretty. My online purchases alone from 10/31/08 through 10/22/09, drum roll please. $8,044.34. That total represents 99 online orders, breaking down to approximately 2 visits per week from the UPS man for a solid year. That is only Jcrew online. Not Gap, not Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Target etc, not my B&M visits......So this exercise in self-awareness has me feeling sick to my stomach (and for Hubby's sake, I hope that he doesn't read this one). I will estimate my shopping habit to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $15,000. That is a couple of trips to Italy to see our good friends. That is tuition for one of my kids at their private school. That is easily a Chanel bag, some Louboutains....many ways to look at that. How does the saying go? The cobbler always wears the worst shoes. This CPA does not have a shopping budget and clearly needs one. I guess you might ask if you can afford it who cares- we're not debt free but we're not on the brink of bankruptcy either. I am just making a judgement here- is this really where I want to allocate that much of our family resources, does looking at that number feel good? And for me, the answer is no. SIGH. Let me finish with the numbers here. Current J Crew balance $2402.37. My current J Crew sizes: pants sz8, skirts size 6, tees Medium, blouse 12 (large chested, what can I say....) I am revealing these personal details and I will revisit all the numbers again at the end of this year with the expectation/hope that all of the above will have shrunk substantially.

What am I wearing on this first day shopping out of my closet? Sorry gang- but my sweet 5yo was up all night with a fever and my day is shaping up to be one at home with a sick child. Nothing glamorous today just one worried Mama Bear.

Wearing Today 10/23 by Woobie featuring J Crew

How did I get to this point? I have a whole bunch of amazing people in my life- family and friends. I do not think that I am shopping to fill a void. I have always come from the perspective that I am a Libra and I love pretty things. I love to shop. Hmmm, I have a whole year to dive into this so that's enough time on the analyst couch for now.

But I am curious- what is everyone doing out there? Do you have a budget? If so, is it visited on a monthly, quarterly, or yearly basis? Do you shop once a season? Or do you surf daily to see if anything tickles your fancy? How do you make your purchase decisions? Talk to me.

OK, I Feel Pretty Good About This

2009-10-22T20:36:00.013-05:00

And that my friends was my quote of the day that brought the house down. I said it with conviction, sincerity and was met with laughter. Apparently my credibility is in question as I am still a shopper, and the statement was made during the final hours of shopping frenzy. Maybe I will be curled in a ball tomorrow, but it is my birthday, and I am going with it. Speaking of my birthday, thank you friends and family for making me feel so special. I must pause and share what my thoughtful Dad gave me for my birthday. A Sony flatscreen tv. Kind of cute that he did his own shopping- not quite a vacuum, and I hate to draw lines in the gender sand, but I found it highly amusing. Was hubby in cahoots?
I did a little more Happy Birthday to Me shopping to day, and I have 2 1/2 hours left to finish. Today was all about the foot.

Happy Birthday to Me by Woobie featuring Anthropologie shoes

I have a cart full of tshirts, the khaki minnies and the campo in beechwood; not sure why I am dragging my feet. I stopped by two more B&M- not a dream sweater to be found. I need to tie up some loose ends on the rules here.

Final ruling on kids clothing- I will limit the shopping to replacing things they ruin or need for school events. I am not going to pick specific stores- because there are only a few places I can buy pants for each anyway. As long as I stay away from the Crewcuts I think it is ok.

Gifts that I receive- if I receive a gift card, I can use it but I am not going to set up any type of lifeline for occasional cheating.

And I need to clarify no buying home furnishings. If something breaks or is inoperable, I will fix and replace if necessary (I am thinking about the light fixture in my entryway that is fried and needs to be replaced). So that's it. Just sit back and enjoy the ride- let's see how much vintage crew I can wear in a year.

THE 4AM MAD DASH

2009-10-21T05:02:00.020-05:00

Come on- I'm not the only one out here doing this (as the merino michelle was just sold out from under me as it sat in my cart). Couldn't sleep (gee, I wonder why)....so I am up for one of my last rounds of THE THRILL OF THE POPBACK. The hunt- I love the hunt which is not always a good thing. I have purchased some crazy things over the years. I filled my cart- did some last minute checking (GigiofCA I must thank you- the dream cardigan was left behind after I saw the bunching on your review), and then came the email:
So what did I purchase this a.m. you wonder?

OK, so the white cropped matchstick were impulse, but next summer I am sure that I will be happy to see them, and for $19.99, really. Since I am an equal opportunity shopper, I then mosied on over to Old Navy, full of inspiration from GiGiofCA's latest post on sweaters. Thanks FFM, I went with the weathered wash.

And now it is time to head to work and pay for these final days of shopping. The clock is ticking down- give me a shout out with any final must haves.

The RULES

2009-10-20T18:35:00.007-05:00

I am not shaking (yet). FFM- you asked a very good question, is this ban only on J Crew? Let me take a deep breath here (inhale, exhale); despite MANY naysayers around me, I am going to try NO SHOPPING period. Another deep breath and for those that know me, please stop laughing. I am going to see if I can make it a year in my closet. Here is what I am thinking:

1. No shopping for any NON-NECESSITIES for myself. I chuckle a little on this one. What is a necessity? Given the amazing styling and shopping I have seen on your blogs, it is safe to say I am in good company for what we can rationalize as necessary. GingerSnap- with that bar passed- I am sure you could present closing arguments on why I need the blushed tweed collier jacket. HOWEVER, the definition of necessity is underwear/hosiery, bras, gloves (if I lose one since I live in the Tundra known as Chicago area it needs to be replaced), and make-up. That list is quite short don't you think? No accessories, handbags, home furnishings........zippo.

2. Shopping for my kids/hubby- at first I was thinking how can I deprive my adorable 5 yo daughter from the Crewcuts experience, but really I feel that is code for "No, really Mom it's not mine, I'm just holding it for a friend." I am going cold turkey on the Crew. But the reality is I cannot predict what outfit will be required for the Holiday program, not to mention the growing like weeds issue, so when my 9yo blows out his knees or grows through a size, it is ok to replace. Do we want to put a limit on where I shop for them? Not sure- opinions please.

3. Segue into number three is gifts for others. Again, the Crew ban is on because I don't think "I can handle the truth"; nor could I walk into a store or fill a basket online without the "one for them one for me" shopping method. So it is ok to purchase gifts for others but I am going to take Crew, Anthropologie, and Nordstrom off the gift list. Bummer for others- better for me. Again, if you have thoughts, let me know.

4. Finally, and I am struggling on this one- what about gifts for me. Say for example mother-in-law gives me a gift card for Xmas. Can I use it? The ruling among my work friends, was yes- but ONLY to value of card. Or do I put it on hold until next year. Thoughts?

And back to the previously mentioned naysayers in my life (aka good friends who know me well). There was some brainstorming going on about allowing ten "get out of jail free" cards- where during this year, I could present a case as to why I need an item and then a card may/may not be granted for one item to be shopped for. I feel like that is a bit of a copout. A year is a year period. No shopping. And while I may be begging for a GOOJF card next month, right now I am going with the all or nothing theory.

So that's it- am I missing anything? Back to my final days as a shopper. I stopped by my B&M today. Let me show you what I have purchased thus far. HeidiG you are so right about the special occaision dress. I am on the auction committee for my kids school- it is a black tie function in April but I am having a hard time getting inspired right now. I thought I could wear what I wore three years ago or borrow from a friend when the time comes but I will look around the next two days. DaniBP, I love patent, so the campo is still calling my name. Today I ordered or purchased in the store:

I did order the patterned peep toe from yesterday. The captoe flats are now off the list- they're not Chanel, which is what I really would like in that style, so now I have two days to find some black flats. Still waffling on the crew cashmere- maybe I should just get the dream sweater in jalepeno since it is the color that I really like and I have issues paying FP with questionable cashmere. I will be hitting another bigger B&M, Nordstrom, and Antrho in the next two days. Stay tuned. Let me know what you think.

Here I go.........

2009-10-19T12:01:00.010-05:00

Frugality is one of the most beautiful and joyful words in the English
language, and yet one that we are culturally cut off from understanding and
enjoying. The consumption society has made us feel that happiness lies in
having things, and has failed to teach us the happiness of not having things.
- Elise Boulding

Having just returned from my girls trip to Vegas, I am giggling a little as I copy/pasted the inspiration above. Las Vegas DOES NOT = Frugality. It was my first visit there, and boy there was much to slow down and observe. So after YEARS of overaccumulating, it is time to make some changes. Like any good addict, I am not going to start my new shop free life until AFTER my birthday, which is this Thursday. So what I am looking for? Opinions friends- what do I really need for my final bender?? We all know the reliability of crew cashmere- but the henley in the jalepeno- so pretty. Or the cinnamon pencil skirt? Toothpick cords? Soon to be high and dry, living a life rich with family and friends- what should I put in my basket by Thursday? Please see pics below for current items in basket. Think of this as your if you were going to live on a desert island question- what new J Crew would you take??