To Do. 3.15.2009

To Do 3.15.2009 - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

Attacked By Fur, or a Word of Advice: Think Twice Before You Get a Shiba

Many of you may not be familiar with the Shiba Inu.  I didn't know what they were until I got one.   Then I got another.  Obviously I am a glutton for punishment.  But my puppy was the cutest puppy you ever did see.  Back before the real baby, and back before we were Mr. & Mrs., we made the decision to get a fur baby together.  We were serious about it.  We took online quizzes (Highly scientific process, I know) to determine what was the best match for us.  We took these exams independently of each other (I told you, it was scientific) so that we wouldn't be influenced by the other person's answers.  & then when we compared notes, we found we liked the same Mystery Dog.  I say that because we both had never heard of the breed before.  So.  Being the logical people we are, we locate said Shiba Inu puppy.  Since we were in Hawaii and Hawaii is a rabies-free state, our puppy came in from New Zealand... This is pretty common in Hawaii to have breeders bring in dogs from New Zealand or Australia, which are also rabies-free areas.  

Anyway, I digress.  Life was good for a year with Kaya.  Our first baby.  We loved him so much, we got Rocky.  Here they are.

We totally love our fur babies.  But there is a line.  A fine line.  & it's drawn in fur, I swear.  Because shiba inus blow their coats, a la this:
& it is miserable for their owners.  Because I'm vacumming.  & swiffering.  & swiffer-vacuuming (oh, BTW, the Swiffer-Vac is the most amazing invention since, I don't know, the straight-iron.  It is literally my ultimate favorite thing in the house.  Especially now).  We are surrounded in fur!  There are fur-balls.  Like tumble weeds.  & I can't get them into the groomers because of "booking issues."  

& BTW, don't take online quizzes to determine your dog breed of choice.  My quiz said that my shiba would like water (they both HATE it), didn't shed too much (LIARS, flat out LIARS), and was not high maintenance (Talk to my VET BILLS, GROOMING BILLS and everything in between).  

Though I talk about them that way, my life would be so strange without them.  As in, I would have a clean house.  More money.  Room to move in my bed at night.  An open seat on the couch.  But no love!!  & they are sweeties.  But I am thisclose to shaving them. 

Horn Tooting: Lemonade Nominee in the House

A big THANK YOU to Beth who just nominated my blog for a Lemonade Award! 

The award is for sites that demonstrate great attitude and/or gratitude in general.

"When life hands you lemons, make lemonade."

Upon receiving the Lemonade Award, you also pass it on to other bloggers who you think show great attitude and or gratitude.

I really appreciate the nomination.  It means perhaps my blog doesn't totally stink.  LOL.  Congratulations to all the other nominees!  I've really come to love the blogosphere and finding ladies and gents with the same obsessions and loves as me.  Have a good one, everyone!

Current Obsession: Anthropologie's Bedding and Curtains in Celadon & Turquoise

Sigh... In a break from opening boxes, I had the brilliant idea of perusing the Anthropolgie website... never a good idea.  I can never break myself away from it.  Everything is gorgeous in that I-Could-Live-So-Simply-Yet-In-An-Understatedly-Elegant sort of way. ... mmm.. That way seems to always involve grandmother-closet-chic at exorbitant, inflated price points.  Simple-Yet-Elegant is always expensive...why is that?? Well, here are my favorites this morning... that I am holding myself back from busting out the plastic for:

Behold the fabulousness that is the Spiral Vine Curtain.  A paltry (**dripping sarcasm**) $98.00-$118.00 per curtain.  I want these.  I need these.  But are my choices to shell out $500 for 4 panels??  Insanity.  I would need the 96" versions, for sure.  & I would need 4.  But I looooooove them.  I really do.  I love the colors.  I love that white runneth through the design - the easier to match it with other things in the living room.  & oh yes, I want these for the living room.  Think it a bit much?  My entire downstairs is in a color I like to call oatmeal.  Oatmeal is code for boring beige.  If you recall from prior posts, my downstairs living area looks like this:

Beige walls and what I would consider to be cherry-colored floors and open stairs.  They are crying for some color.  My couch.. is rocking the Quaker Oats scheme.  A chair... yup, same thing.  Other furniture?  Some Chinese antique stuff I was able to pick up...um, all darker woods.  So I guess you could say I've got oatmeal, white, and browns going on.  & the green coming from outside and the blues from the ocean across the street.  

So you see?  Do you see??  I'm thinking how perfect would these curtains be!  A little bit of whimsy amongst a serious yet casual backdrop.  
Switching gears, er, rooms, let us turn the discussion to the Quintana Roo Bedding.  $228.00 for a King quilt.  $58.00 for each Euro sham.  As much as I love Anthropologie, I think they're on crack if they think I'm able in this shiteous of economic times to purchase said bedding at said price point.  Seriously!  This calls for a "WTF."  Now, I have to say I loooooove the quilt.  The celadon and the turquoise thing continuing upstairs would be peaceful yet vibrant, adding that bon vivant thing I would want in a bedroom (you know, energetic and perky, yet casual and tranquil at the same time).  However the prices leave me only to dream about it.  How fitting.  
And alas, the Celadon Trellis Bedding.  $248.00 for the King duvet and $58.00 for each Euro sham.  You get it.  The color thing continues.  Even in the name.  Now absolutely dreamy would it be to have the duvet here AND the Quintana Roo quilt from above??  Now if you lived across the street from the beach, and you had hermit crabs roaming your back yard (Big suckers, too), would this not be the most tempting thing you ever did see?  Would you not want to just pull the trigger on this??  

I do, but I am a realist.  & I know spending a thousand dollars at Anthropologie seems...like, well... I'd have to be on crack.  But a girl can dream.  

What do you think?  Anybody like the color scheme?  Anybody out there would actually purchase said items with my home in mind?  

Today's Wears 3.14.2009

Stay at Home Luxe - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

Today is Operation: Open Boxes Day, and so not in a good way, like opening newly received J.Crew boxes.  I've procrastinated the last 2 weekends and haven't opened up all the boxes from the move yet.  I'm procrastinating now by writing this blog instead of hauling ass upstairs to attack said boxes.  It's just I have storage issues, man.  Like, lack there of.  But there is absolutely nothing else to do today except open boxes.  The weather sucks.  Windy.  Rainy.  & big surf.  & it's also 50 degrees outside.  So while my son builds his city for his army men (He's into the whole Citadel thing... I've been telling him about what City Planners and Civil Engineers do, and he's feeling the vibe...but the city must be built for army men, so...) I will be opening boxes.  

I've already ran some errands this morning so have had my Saturday Starbucks requirements.  Atleast the caffeine will keep my attitude in check while I work.  Wish me luck on the boxes... 

Today's outfit has been brought to you by: J.Crew, as usual.  The silk-linen v-neck sweater in aqua, vintage slim distressed jean, and suede city ballet flats in the brown color.  

Today's Wears 3.13.2009

Friday - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

So I am spending the day in an outfit very similar to Wednesday's **yawn**. But I love love love my Super 120s Blair dress. I always feel totally pulled together in it and never have the "fat feeling." I wore them with boringly similar accessories to Wednesday's outfit, but with purpose! I'm going to a big wine event after work and am planning to wear - for the first time - my Banana Republic metallic shift. Unlike the photo, I do NOT plan to wear the neck warmer. However I'm thinking of accessorizing with the blanched almond skinny belt. What do you think? I'm going to use the classic black / pearl clutch my husband surprised me with on V-day and am so looking forward to a "grown-up night" out. Moms out there, you know what I mean. You love your little munchkins so much, and there's nothing better than a Friday night "in" with the babies, setting up camp on the couch with tons of blankets and having popcorn and watching movies... But there are those moments when you want to dress up like a lady and paint the town. For me, so long as 'the town' closes by 10pm and has me headed home to my sweet little boy, I'm all for those sporadic 'mommy moments!'

Newest Members to My Closet...Thanks 20%!

Newest Purchases - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

So I went dress crazy with my 20% off coupon code, getting the Camilla dress in the tan/brownish color, the wool suiting garbadine dress with the tres elegant back view in the brown/slate color, the cotton poplin tie front dress in black, and not pictured because I can't find the image in Polyvore is the Bobbie sundress in the white swiss dot. I have always wanted that dress and it is never - repeat, NEVER! - in Final Sale for less than $99.99, or ever in my size. So I saw it and pulled the trigger. I also ended up getting the pearl necklace...not sure the name, but there's a waiting list til who knows when for it on the site. I'm finding I can be a patient girl, so Woot-Woot to my fellow Waitlisters!
I'm proud of myself that I waited for the coupon code, and that I didn't buy the silk charmeuse skirt at full price. Because I KNOW it will go on final sale soon. & I can grab it then.
What do you think of the purchases?

Hello 20% Off! Where Have You Been?

I've been asking for it and it's here.  I just got the Private Sale notice for 20% off my entire order of $175 or more [Enter SECRET at checkout].  I don't want to seem jaded by the larger percentages I've seen in the past,  a la 30%, so I'll probably be taking advantage of this, especially since I do want some FP items.  

My shopping bag has been meticulously maintained these last couple of weeks, with one stalwart, unchanging theme: The Charmeuse Pencil Skirt.  Funny thing is that now that I am ready to pull the trigger, I find myself saying I should wait until this, too, moves to final sale.  20% off would make this item ~$20 cheaper.  & I can easily -EASILY- see this thing for $79.99 as soon as Easter.  

The other thing is I'll be in Hawaii next month and can finally go to a B&M and try the thing on.  So I have reason to wait.  It's not flying off shelves; I hear no one discussing its lusciousness except moi, so I'm guessing it's safe to wait.  

However, the Camilla dress, recently marked down again to $79.99 (last I saw it was $99.99) plus 20% is a rather good deal.  As well as the Frankie chinos for $39.50 + 20% and the Cotton Poplin Tie-Front for $59.99 + 20%.  The Camilla will be pretty when I'm in Hawaii, and the others will be great weekend wear.  

What do you think?  

Today's Wears 3.11.2009

wednesday - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

I almost returned this dress. I bought it because I fell in love with the back of the dress. I already had the Super 120s Blair dress in black, so there was no reason to buy this. & then to my horror, when it showed up, after all my anxious post office visits, it fit HORRIBLY. But I think I lost a little weight. Or I waited too long to return the thing, and it went on final sale. So I gave it a second chance. & voila! It fit really cute. Or so says a very good friend who would tell me otherwise if it looked awful. Despite my "fat" worries, I enjoyed the compliments. & I'm glad I didn't return it.

The outfit: Wool Garbadine Suiting dress in black, J.Crew.  Juliet heels in Pale Almond, J.Crew.  Pearl Cluster bracelet, J.Crew.  Skinny patent leather belt in black, J.Crew.  & the bag, mais oui, is from J.Crew.  What can I say?  I am obsessed.  

How Much Longer??

I just realized it's been about 2 weeks since my last "crime" was committed.  I haven't bought or ordered anything from J.Crew in about that time frame.  I've been thinking how ridiculous it sounds to think that two weeks is an accomplishment in the no-shopping department.  But seriously... it is!  I have an shopping cart situation going on, though.  I keep editing it, determining what pieces are really and truly worth those dollars leaving my pocket.  

I'm thinking it would be a great reward for me, after I finish opening up all these boxes around me from the move, to make my purchase then.  But I've held out so long... I want a coupon code for a % off.  That would probably be a definite reason to get out there and commit to the cart.  

Current Obsession: Shades of Grey...or in my case, J.Crew's Pewter color

obsessed 3.04.2009 - by nojcrewinjapan on Polyvore.com

**Sigh.** I am so not supposed to be shopping, or even looking, at J.Crew. I told myself to be good. But the Frenchie slicker and this skirt have caught my eye. I am envisioning the different combinations I can polyvore with the skirt. Oh the multiple uses I could get out of it! How it would be multi-functional -- not just a one hit wonder -- no! It would be able to be worked into and styled in a myriad of ways. But yet, I shouldn't be shopping. I am supposed to be outfitting my new house by the beach. Or how's this for something truly new:

Don't Shop at All!

I've seen many the JCA who has set herself with the no shopping challenge. & I admire them. I know if I even tried, it would be like setting myself up for failure. 

Baby steps. I atleast want to see if I can wait for a coupon code. & something more than just Free Shipping. I want percentages. 

I hope Mr. Drexler is listening. 

Sir! I would buy so much more with excellent coupon codes for the website! Like 30% off! Or 40% off! On regular priced merchandise and not just the dreaded Final Sale! With warmest regards, Marisa.