The Weekly Roundup: J.Crew Store Closing Haul

I was sauntering through my local mall checking out the January sales as one does when I noticed that the shelves in the J.Crew store looked surprisingly bare.  I went inside thinking that the sale must be very, very good and what did I see?  Signs saying "70% off Everything" and women digging frenziedly through merchandise heaped on tables. Now 70% off for J.Crew is unheard of even for a Boxing Day or Black Friday sale.  I asked a harried looking employee if the store was closing and, sadly, it was.  To be honest, instead of leaping into action when faced with such unexpected opportunities, I tend to freeze like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights.  I prefer a much more leisurely approach to shopping where I get to browse, wander around for a bit and contemplate in a Zen-like manner whether I really want or need something.  Nonetheless, store closings mean the chance to score deals for things that normally would not be within reach.  I was in desperate need of work-appropriate clothing and I knew Monsieur was in need of new pants.  Here is what I scored:

Monsieur was ecstatic when I brought home two pairs of J.Crew`s classic 770 pants at 70% off.  Yes, he did specify he wanted a cranberry pair.  At these prices, it is a good time to experiment with offbeat colours.

via jcrew.com

This blouse came home with me as well.  I love the flattering neckline and the full sleeves.  At a certain point, women need sleeves!  Also, I have been on the lookout for a blouse that is a proper white, not cream, not ivory or any version of pale beige as these non-colours tend to wash me out.  Weirdly, it is quite difficult to find.

via jcrew.com

This dress came home with me too.  It would be perfect if it had sleeves but I knew I could pair it with a cardigan and, for the price, I couldn`t say no.  I love the cowl neckline and how it just seems to arrange itself into the right architectural folds.  An LBD is so versatile as it can be styled for work or after work in a snap.

via jcrew.com

I had given up on finding a pair of jeans that looked good on me years ago but I decided to take a chance on a pair of J.Crew`s iconic toothpick jeans in Classic Rinse (a dark wash).  Oh my, I have been living in these jeans for the last couple of days.  I may never go back to leggings again.  Now I am wishing that I had bought another pair.

  

Finally, I picked up this Timex watch which is actually a gift.  I wish I had been able to pick up more gifts but there was not much left by the time I found out about the store closing.  I felt really lucky to find the items that I did in the right size.

How did you make out in the January or Boxing Day sales? Have you heard of any other J.Crew stores closing down?

LBH January Monthly Favourites: Shopping the Sales, J Crew, Banana Republic

Wow, I can't believe January is winding down. What with starting a new job and a partner who has been housebound for almost the entirety of January, the month has flashed by.  The new job caused a bit of a concern on the wardrobe front.  The thing with having a capsule wardrobe is that any gaps tend to make themselves glaringly known especially if one is starting an office job after a long while working from home.  Thank goodness for the January sales where it is possible to pick up much needed items at a good price.  Perhaps I should have titled this post, "How to Shop the Sales."  Believe me when I say that I have made many shopping mistakes in the past, lured by the low price tag.  Having a shopping list and knowing what looks good on me and what my style is has helped enormously in cutting down on costly mistakes.  Even if the price is cheap, if it is a mistake and you know that you will never wear it, then it is still money wasted. Top of my list was a pair of tailored trousers.  I picked up this basic pair of black wool tailored trousers at J Crew at 50% off.

via J Crew

You can't go wrong with a pair of straightforward tailored pants and they really are a staple item in any wardrobe.  

Next I picked up a gorgeous navy velvet skirt from Banana Republic.

via Banana Republic

What's not to love about navy velvet?  I am crushing hard on this addition to my wardrobe.  It can go from work to evening with ease and the velvet adds that bit of discreet glamour to what would otherwise be a standard pencil skirt. 

That's it for me.  Have you picked up anything in the January sales?

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Mindful Black Friday Sale Haul: Sephora, Tarte, Becca, Muji, J Crew, New Balance, Rockport Mary Jane Shoes

How did you make out with Black Friday?  I have never been one of those people who line up on the sidewalk at 2 am in the morning.  These days I usually utilize Black Friday to get my hands on Christmas pressies at a price that eases the strain on my wallet and to get replacements for things that have long since bid goodbye to their best before date.  I have a running list in my head of needs balanced with wants.  I hesitated on calling my buys a "haul" and settled on calling them a mindful or intentional haul (only slightly less cringeworthy!).  Did you stop in at Sephora?  I do love checking out the limited edition boxed sets that brands come out with specifically for Black Friday and the holidays.  I picked up this boxed set from Tarte.

You get a blush in Ornate which is a lovely coral that I know will suit me to a "T", a mini lipstick called Surf's Up which is a warm brown pink, and their Lights Camera Lashes mascara.  The set that I got last year had a full size lipstick and I do wish that this year's lipstick was also full size but for $13.00 it is a screaming deal so I can forgive the mini sized lipstick.

I picked up this set from Becca.  I have never tried anything from Becca so I am really looking forward to acquainting myself with the Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight in Moonstone.

Becca's highlighters are known to be holy grail products so I was really pleased to pick this up for $20.00.

Next up, I think every beauty vlogger on the planet has stacks of Muji's acrylic storage cases sitting on her/his vanity.  Well, I am no beauty vlogger but I was growing tired of the mess on my table.  I have noticed that Muji's sales are far from being doorcrashers.  They are usually very sedate affairs but for this Black Friday, their acrylic storage line was 30% off.  Woot!

The long wide 3 drawer case was completely sold out so I had to settle for the smaller, 2 drawer case.  Now I know why this line is so popular.  The clear acrylic is so sleek and minimal and you can see at a glance what is inside and in which drawer.  Honestly, I could spend hours opening and closing the drawers.

Next, I have had a long standing love affair with Mary Janes in all its incarnations whether as a high heel, flat or wedge.  My old pair of wedge heeled Mary Janes were in a dire condition.  I tend to wear shoes until the straps and buckles are hanging by a thread, the leather is splitting apart and the soles are disintegrating.  Unless you have no choice, do not take frugality to the extreme like me.  I am worried that I have permanently broken my feet as a result.  So I was thrilled as anything to pick a new pair from Rockport.

What, Rockport, you say?  Gone are the days when I would make a beeline for the stilettos whenever there was a sale.  These days, the question in my mind is "Can I walk in them?"  Rockport has a line called Cobb Hill which is slightly dressier but still prioritizing comfort.  Hopefully, I am not in granny, orthopedic shoe territory just yet and these Mary Janes ride that comfortable yet pretty line just right.  The fact that they are riffing off Chie Mihara shoes but at a much more affordable price point doesn't hurt either.

Last but by no means least, are a pair of sneakers by New Balance for J. Crew.  The soles of my last pair of sneakers literally separated away from the shoe so a replacement was most definitely in order.

To be honest, I am still on the fence about these.  I love the crisp contrast between the navy and the white and the slight retro vibe.  But now I am wondering whether they are a bit too retro?  What do you think?  Yay or nay?

And that's it!  Let me know of your Black Friday scores and adventures!

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LBH Weekly Roundup: Ralph Lauren Crawley Tote, J Crew Ankle Boots

Although I have always leaned towards black accessories as a wardrobe staple, in the last few years I have begun a love affair with caramel tones.  These luscious shades of tan can range from the lightest butterscotch to a deep caramel and their warm hues transition so well from the height of summer to the colder months. Sometimes, a bit of visual warmth instead of the moody severity of black is needed to offset the chill of a Canadian winter.  A late entry to my Autumn capsule wardrobe is this lovely little number from Ralph Lauren.

It is the Crawley tote and was a surprise gift from Monsieur.  I suspect it was an effort to placate to me when he arrived back from his impromptu solo vacation.  It is just the right size, not big and not too small and I know the leather will wear very well.  I really like the fact that it zips shut at the top.  I have the perfect pair of ankle boots to pair it with.

I got these gorgeous J Crew ankle boots a few years ago but seldom wear them due to the preponderance of black handbags in my collection.  I really love that the gold hardware on the tote pairs with the gold buckles on the boots.  Even though I got these boots a while back, J Crew tends to produce iterations of well known classics every season and their boots are no exception should you be inclined to check out their A/W lineup.  Bring on Autumn, I'm ready!

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LBH Weekly Roundup: J Crew, LOreal Magic Roots Cover Up, Haagen Dazs Ice Cream

Bring on Autumn!  Having a capsule wardrobe, means that a change in season elicits enormous excitement at the prospect of changing over one's wardrobe.  With the addition of this cotton eyelet blouse from J Crew, my wardrobe for Autumn is just about set.

via jcrew.com

Even though it shows up as white in the catalogue, it is a dark cream in real life.  It has bell sleeves which are the sleeves of the season and it looks really nice with a bright cardigan thrown on top.  

I have never coloured my hair in my life but, lately, have been toying with the idea.  My hair stylist warned me that, if I go that route, I will be colouring my hair forever.  If any of you colour your hair, please chime in with your comments!  I picked up a can of L'Oreal Magic Root Cover Up in Dark Brown because I wanted to try out what it would be like to colour my hair without actually having to commit to it.

There is a thin straw coming out of the nozzle which you aim at your roots.  I don't have a huge swathe of grey roots showing so I sprayed it at my head in a somewhat haphazard manner.  The force of the spray took me by surprise.  For some reason, I expected a wet, inky jet to come squirting out and not a fine, powdery mist.  I think it takes a bit of practice as I had to rub in the excess with my fingers.  It is good for one shampoo so no worries if you mess up.

And lastly, what to do when Old Mate announces that he is going on vacation WITHOUT ME and only tells me 48 hours in advance?  This...

The horrid diet goes flying out the window, that's what happens.  By the way, the above ice cream tastes like a frozen pina colada which is not a bad thing in such circumstances.  The next thing that happened was a decluttering marathon of all his shiz that has been annoying me since, umm, forever. Pffttt.  Let's see if he is brave enough to dare complain when he gets back.  Adios until next time!

LBH Weekly Roundup: Mid Summer Haul at J Crew

Even though I am a fan of the capsule wardrobe, the downside to having one is that items that are on constant rotation get worn out very quickly.  Summer basics like white t-shirts acquire mysterious stains and fabric begins to pill.  Two of my blouses became so worn that holes appeared in spots that were nowhere near a seam line thus rendering them unrepairable.  So, even though it appears as if I am breaking the basic tenets of having a capsule wardrobe whereby you take a step back from acquiring new additions for your wardrobe, with now only a couple of tops to see me through the rest of a hot, humid summer, a dash to the shops was in order.

via jcrew.com

Luckily the summer sales are in full swing.  I picked up a smocked cotton top from J Crew.  I was told that it could be worn either on the shoulder or off.  The blouse does have a habit of constantly sliding off my shoulders so it isn't very easy to wear it on the shoulders.  The loose, flowy fit keeps me feeling cool and aerated but, a word of warning if you are considering this top, depending on what you wear on the bottom, you run the risk of looking preggers.  It isn't called a "Smock" for nothing.  I pair it with tight fitting jeans to compensate for the top's fullness.

A flash of green drew me to the cardigans.  If you are a long time reader of this blog, then you'll know that I love me a good cardigan and the colour green.

via jcrew.com

Cardigans make such a great layering piece.  J Crew has already brought in their new colour lineup which includes a green called "Juniper" for fall but their summer lineup is on sale which included a green called "Warm Jade" which was an ever so slightly more intense green than Juniper (pictured above).  So even though, I was on the lookout for a second top, the cardigan came home with me instead.  Never mind as the cardigan will transition well into Autumn.
Do you have a capsule wardrobe?  If you want me to chat more about a capsule wardrobe, please let me know in the comments.

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LBH Weekly Roundup: Harvest Snaps, J Crew Eyelet Shirt, Ole Henricksen

Ahhhh, Spring is coming in strong!  Somehow, the warmer weather puts me in mind of eating mindfully.  It is difficult to move past the Easter chocolate extravaganza and snacking has always been my downfall.  Luckily, I discovered these Harvest Snaps and have been obsessed ever since.

They are baked, low salt, whole pea pods and remind me of the green pea version of corn puffs.  Somehow, I expected them to be crispy and crunchy but they are feather-like in weight and texture.  They come in lots of other flavours like Wasabi Ranch and you can even get Lentil Snaps in Tomato Basil.  The problem is that I could easily finish an entire bag in one sitting as they are so light and airy which rather defeats the purpose of healthy snacking.

The advent of warmer weather has meant that I have been feeling very hot and smothered in my winter tops. I picked up this J Crew eyelet shirt this past week.  I have tried being thrifty by checking out the thrift stores but it isn't as easy for me these days to engage in multiple trips hunting for the right top that will suit my needs.  When I saw this shirt, the last one in my size at my local J Crew, I figured it was meant to be.

via J Crew

It buttons up the front which means I can put it on without too much struggle, is loose fitting so disguises the omnipresent muffin top and the slightly billowing sleeves take care of the batwings. 

And lastly, Sephora had an Insider Sale this past Friday.  Did you get anything?  More to the point, did you dare set foot into a store?  It was pandemonium at my local Sephora.  I was quite sad when I finished off my Ole Henricksen skincare kit and was very pleased to see he had brought out another small kit.

I am kicking myself that I didn't pick up more but my brain tends to freeze when confronted with hordes of manic shoppers.

Are you enjoying warm weather, wherever you are?

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