Monday, April 26, 2010

Special Guest Outfit of the Day: My Mom!

Here at According to Moi, we don't just limit Outfit of the Days to just moi - it's a family effort at times. So since Little Guy is regularly featured, I thought I would introduce another to the blogosphere.... my mom! She looks good, right? She was channeling Audrey Hepburn in a major way on a recent shopping excursion and I told her to pose for the blog. It's a simple outfit but executed extremely well! Good job, Mom!

Wearing Today:

T-shirt & Jeans: Banana Republic

Bag: Dooney & Bourke

Flats: Ann Taylor

A great shot of the perfect ballet flats from Ann Taylor. I love these shoes and wasn't quick enough to grab them. They were done in a faux snake, which I'm sure 99.99% of you know. Too bad the detail isn't evident in the shot.

As an update to a previous post on the Talitha Getty dress from J.Crew, no, I ended up not getting it. My overthinking and usual procrastination, coupled with worrying about the pattern and quilt-bedding effect the dress might have on me won over my want of the dress. On to set my sights on a new object to obsess about!

Also finally settling in here in Hawaii, so posts will follow about what's been going on over here in the last few weeks with some new photos and reports on the differing experiences! Looking to forward to sharing with y'all all that's new!



Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hiatus and Other Large Excuses

Andy Davis art images

Aloha to all my fellow gal pals in the blogosphere! I admit that I have been a sucky blogger as of late. I'm still getting settled in Hawaii, but I am here, there's tons to say about what's going on, tons of great photos and ofcourse I've already shopped, paid homage to the local J.Crew and all our other favorites, gone to Waikiki, yadda yadda yadda.

Once I work out my PC and storage issues, I'll be right back in here, telling you all about my fabilis and not so fabilis trials and tribulations. You know, de rigeur stuff.

Thank you for being patient with me and looking forward to us girls getting to chat soon!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

What do we think of this? The Patchwork Talitha Dress

Ladies, this has been one of my "Holy Grail" objet d'art that I scour eBay for from time to time. Well, it's there, and it's available. Ofcourse, as is my custom, I'm wondering if I should pull the trigger.

The question is, what do y'all think of this dress? Would you pull the trigger?

I have always loved this dress and always fantasized about owning it. It's coming up to summer, this would be a great summer piece. I'd be in Hawaii, where -- hello! -- would this not fit in perfectly with? But the length, the colors, the patch-work-iness... would you?

Love to hear what y'all think!

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Just the Cutest Shirt Ever.

Words don't even describe, ladies.

If you have a little guy, and he let's you put this shirt on him, get it.
These are the kinds of things I will always remember when he's older!

(That's a Harry Pottery Lightning Bolt scar on his head, BTW)

Friday, April 2, 2010

Shine on, baby.

I'm feeling a little easy-breezy today, Ladies. Most of my taskers for the move are either done or on their way to completion and work is wrapping up today. Today! My last day of high-flying fun with the best co-workers and boss in the world. To keep the day light and in light of my Hawaii-bound self, I decided to throw together a look that said Happy Day. This was my Happy Day outfit.

Wearing Today:
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CREWLADE
J.Crew Collection Sequined Raye Tank
J.Crew Jackie Cardigan in Champagne
J.Crew White Matchstick Jeans
J.Crew Crystal Necklace
J.Crew Pearl Necklace
Chanel J12 Watch
Not Shown, but wearing: J.Crew Patent Juliet Heels in a light beige color (name escapes me at the moment)

This is the first time I'm wearing the Sequin Raye tank, and I've had it for awhile now and I have to say I like it very much. I bought the medium and I like the length and where it hits at the hip on me (I'm 5'4" if that helps). I am NOT the type of girl who normally wears sequins to the office, but I have to say the top is rather understated for something so blinged out, and besides, today is my last work day here in Japan and it's a Friday. Of which all these excuses adds up to moi wearing whatever the heck I felt like today. I am such a huge Jackie fan. I only have 2 Jackie cardigans but I love them. I love them for their washer-dryer friendliness and their fit.

In shopping news, I've re-banned myself, but if you saw my Anthro cart right now you would only say, "For shame!" It is soooo out of control. Anthro just has the cutest stuff right now. Let us hope I make it through this weekend with enough will power not to purchase it all. But it's all so gorg! What does a shopaholic do in trying times like these, when retail therapy appears to be only answer to the moving-to-a-new-country stress levels I've been under?

Send me your thoughts and have a nice weekend Ladies!

Sunday, March 28, 2010

The Countdown has Begun.

So Ladies, life is moving at its usual high-speed pace. I've accepted a job in Hawaii and my first day has been set ---- For 3 weeks from now! Which means I'll have to square away just a few things, like my job here, my son's school, health certificates, quarantine arrangements and flights for the puppies.... In 2 weeks. That way I'll have a week to reconstruct some semblance of a life in Hawaii before I have to start work.

As for the good news, it looks like we've found a house, and I had to share! This is an artist's rendering, as it won't be built until just before Christmas. But then, being in Hawaii, it probably will look like this at Christmas time anyway, with the palm trees blowing in the trade winds. It will have 4 bedrooms (so that Hubs will have his man cave, Little Guy will have his space, and moi, I'll have a room I can build into a closet!).

I'll miss everyone over here in Japan so much. I've met some really good people that I don't want to lose touch with. But new adventures await, so I have to be open to it all.

As the next few weeks will be crazy, I will be MIA (um, more so than now, lol). I'll check in and do a post here and there to keep you all informed of the craziness that has become my life.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Some New J.Crew Goodies

People say golf is an expensive habit, but whoever says that is truly not even knowing about the full-blown powerful J-crack addictions. I say this in all seriousness, peeps. I actually consider myself restrained for putting the mouse down for a few months and holding myself back from the sweet sound of the clickety-click and hitting Submit Order on jcrew.com.

My glorious mega-order has arrived! Now let's hope it lasts me a few months.

This was the mega-order, ladies. The order which I had been waiting to make in, oh, forever (if by forever you get that I mean January). It has been 2 months since my last indiscretion and I went for the gusto and now that the goodies have arrived I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what has me grinning like The Joker. That bag in the back? It's holding in its clutches the J.Crew Collection Curator pants my PS had tracked down in total sleuth-like fashion. The items in the box in front? The flannel Banquette dress, the Neopolitan pencil skirt, a black merino tunic, and the Hand Cut Flower Art tee I ordered from Final Sale to basically get the free shipping that was being offered at the time.

I'm quite satisfied with the tee. J.Crew says, "Each of these silk flower appliqués are hand cut and hand stitched with neon thread. The result is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece." The flowers are rather delicate and look very nice, not cheapily sewn haphazardly. I am a little concerned about the flower edges and how frayed they'll be after a few washes, and the flower's center seems like it may come undone - all in one piece - as well. Well, it was about $20 and shipping on my order would have been $18. So I look at it like it's a great alternative to paying for the shipping fee, and I always love when you get something that you didn't think would impress you or catch your eye and then it does.

A little detail of the Hand Cut Flower Art Tee, now Final Sale and $29.99
I'm sort of surprised at its cuteness.

Another favorite out of the order? The Neopolitan pencil skirt. J.Crew says, "Our perfect pencil silhouette—leg lengthening and fit to flatter—updated for spring in a painterly brushstroke jacquard (it's exclusive to us)". The jacquard is really pretty and has a little bit of shimmer in the light. It's kind of fish scale-y, but in a totally good way. The fabric is thick and feels almost quilt-like; It's not cheap and thin. It does seem to fit a teeny bit snug, which makes me cringe, because this baby is currently only offered in my usual size 6 (which I ordered and seems to be slightly tight), and a 10. It looks like I'll be stalking the site until I can land on an 8, or contact the PS to search it down for me. Then, and only then, will I give up the skirt I have now. That is the power of the J-crack, ladies. I actually am willing to hold on to the ill-fitting skirt until I can find one in my size before letting it go. Because the thought of losing a few pounds to get myself into this thing has not necessarily been ruled out.

I did not take photos of the merino tunic and the banquette dress, if only because black photographs so not well. I'll try to take IRLs in the next few days of the items so you'll get to see what I did with them!