I'm Back. Kind Of.

Right off the top I wanted to say a great big thank you to every single one of the wonderful visitors who posted their best wishes for my trip to the OR over the last week. You're positive thoughts were (and are) comforting and truly, truly appreciated!

I'm sending each and every one of you a big virtual thank you hug! :)

Everything went relatively well this time in the OR. My airway's open again, they took a few biopsies, checked my lungs, esophagus and stomach, all without complications. OK not counting the part where I lost my voice for 3 days and some extra swelling made it hard to breathe, or eat, or drink. But aside from that, things went smoothly.

See? The power of positive thoughts and prayers (and of course skilled medical personnel). No complications. My new surgeon was great. The first few days were rough yes, but since then I've been slowly improving. I go back to see him in a couple of weeks for follow-up. And it usually takes a couple of weeks before I know how much benefit I got from the procedure.

So I spent most of last week in cozy pj's...J.Crew pj's of course! Remember those cute leopard print and polka dot sleep pants in pink, yellow and grey from last winter that on sale forever? Well I stocked up on those. In multiples. One in every color. And those are what I've been wearing. With matching sleep tees.

Recovery isn't very exciting either to go through or to write about. So instead, here's Kallie - who's been sleeping on the bed with me for most of the week. It's true! Cats really can sleep 16 hours a day! Isn't she a cutie pie though?

And kudos to DF for patiently taking care of me at home. Yes, he kept our place well stock with those chemical vanilla pudding cups, which seemed to be the only things I could eat comfortably for days. :)

And by the end of the week, even UPS came for a visit with some J.Crew and WHBM goodies.

See the lovely fig-purple Shelby handbag in my outfit pictures? Yup, that was a final sale popback that arrived last week. Love it!

So I'm back...kind of. And for today's outfit, I wore a Forever21 sleeveless cardi over a J.Crew tee with an F21 belt, F21 jeans and J.Crew's Glenbrae boots from '08. My scarf is from a couple of years ago but it matches the bag almost perfectly!

The outfit was super comfortable, and different from the preppier looks I usually wear. It kind of reminds me of Robin Hood meets Ninja. :)

So this week I'll be getting back to more posts on my new arrivals, goodies that are on the way, and catching up on blog reading. Be back soon!

Crinkles and Pleats Galore....

Starting with what I wore today! J.Crew's Crinkled cotton perfect shirt in pale wisteria. I returned a pretty (but itchy) lumiere cami and decided to try this perfect shirt instead. Mainly because I thought this would be more versatile (and less itchy) layered over a tee.

I actually scored this on sale through a pop-back, after it sold out online. I was one of the lucky JCA's who had free shipping on their account in October, so I thought this would be a worthwhile splurge.

The fit on this top is roomy enough to easily layer over a tee. I'm wearing it tucked in, but because this is actually a size 2 tall, the hem is long enough to knot in front (I discovered that after I took the pictures ;).

Like the hammered metal skirt, this top looks better with more wrinkles in it! I found it's easy to 'refresh' the skirts or this top simply by laying them flat or hanging, then using both hands, grab and scrunch the fabric towards the middle. The metallic threads hold the wrinkles quite well on this fabric and because it's designed to look wrinkled anyway, why fight it, right?

Tomorrow I'm headed into the hospital for another operation...oh, these things never seem to end for me. I probably won't be posting for a few days while I recover. Before I take off though, I really wanted to share pictures of two special tops I scored in the last roll-out with 20% off and free shipping.

These tops will probably flatter some figures better than others. They did work for me - I adore them, and recommend giving them a try if you liked them on J.Crew's website. One thing I've learned from following JCA blogs, is that if you really like something but read a negative review about the way something fits, don't be afraid to try it anyway because what may not work for one person could be perfect for another.

First the lovely Tiered vintage fleur top from J.Crew. Swoonworthy! Fit is TTS. This top has a side zipper. The material is designed to look wrinkled - and I didn't steam it or iron the ribbon belt before taking the picture. This top has all year wearability, layered in fall/winter and on it's own in spring/summer.

And next, the Pleated Paulette top from J.Crew. OMG! This top is gorgeous IRL. It's made from a heavy silk tafetta that holds the tiers and pleats well. The fit is TTS. And the secret to wearing this piece is to only undo the top 2 or 3 buttons, then slip it on over a fitted tee or wear alone. The buttons are fiddly if you undo them all, and you'll probably just be frustrated and give up. So try slipping it on without unbuttoning the front all the way.

This would be a great alternative to a dress with a sexy black skirt. It also looks sharp with black pants or jeans. Of all the tiered tops I've seen so far this season from retailers, this one is my personal favorite, hands down.

Well that's it for now. Wish me luck tomorrow. I hope to be back soon - maybe even with a funny story from the OR! :)

Falling for Forever 21...Again

Hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween weekend. I stayed nice and warm with J.Crew from top to bottom, in Halloween inspired colors! It's not the outfit I originally planned to wear on Halloween, but once those comfy boots went on, there was little that could entice me to take 'em off!!

DF and I had a quiet evening...no scary movies or trick-or-treaters, but we did enjoy these yummy, spooky cookies from Whole Foods...
We also spent way too much time playing Garfield - Scary Scavenger Hunt II, Donuts of Doom. Yes, and we're how old??? Whatever. It was a blast but eventually we gave up and used a cheat website to figure out where a couple of the things were. ;)

And today in my post Halloween haze, I came across an outfit on Forever 21's website that I thought made rugby and jailhouse stripes look kind of chic. The outfit is one of those pictures they have above each category where usually at least one item needed to recreate the outfit is nowhere to be found on their website. And usually I don't pay a lot of attention to those outfit pictures, because...while some girls can rock 5 inch heels and an itty bitty mini ruffly crinoline, I can't. On the other hand, a combination of wide and narrow stripes in black and cream, under a sparkly black cardigan, is something I just might be able to get away with. Maybe.

I couldn't find the cardi pictured with the outfit on the website, but I remembered I have a J.Crew cashmere cardigan from last winter with sequins on it, that could work too.

So I ordered the Fab striped 3Q top, the Striped fringe scarf and the Ribbed fleece jacket.

I have a red handbag similar to the one in my set, black toothpick jeans and of course the Metropolitan booties in black suede. This outfit will either be hot or a hot mess. I'll let you know when everything arrives. :)

Anyway, here's the outfit on Polyvore....stay tuned!

Today I'm wearing Banana Republic, J.Crew & Gap!

And that doesn't happen often! :)

Top: Banana Republic (from last year)
Belt: Gap (borrowed from a dress)
Scarf: J.Crew (printed wool scarf - plum) Love it!
Jeans: J.Crew Ankle Stretch Toothpick jean
Boots: J.Crew Rivington Kitten heel boots, from last year (similar style here)

Necklace: J.Crew

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Hope everyone is having a great Friday. Tomorrow is Halloween. Are you wearing a costume? DF and I are staying at home this year but I'll be kicking back wearing some J.Crew bistro orange and black. And of course, we'll be gorging ourselves on chocolate. ;)

Here's some fun Halloween sites I came across this week that I wanted to share - for the kid in all of us. They're also a great way to pass the time while you're waiting for trick-or-treaters tomorrow night!

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Halloween Mountain's Graveyard Golf I'm officially addicted to this Halloween themed mini golf game. See that person who's currently at the #1 position called Kitkat on the high score board? Well that's me! And DF is currently #10, Jester. I challenge any golfing JCA's to beat us! :)

The Memory/matching game and Hangman are also fun on this website.

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Primary Games is another good website for online Halloween games. My favorites here are:

• Halloween Tripeaks is a spooky themed solitaire game.



• Witchmart is a timed, interactive potion recipe game - this is quite fun for those who like to cook!



• Slingoween is a multi level spooky candy grab themed game.

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Free Kids Games, Spooky Switcheroo is also kind of addictive. The object is to arrange 3 or more of the same kind of spooky objects in a row.

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Of course Halloween wouldn't be complete without a haunted house or two. I think these are real treats.

Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream website Halloween fun (a must see)
and
Garfields Scary Scavenger Hunt


ENJOY!

Forever 21 Leopard 3/4 Sleeve Cardigan, in Real Life

The next item I'm reviewing from a recent F21 order, along with the Ruffle front knit top I posted about here, is Forever 21's Leopard 3/4 sleeve cardigan. Oh, and please excuse the tag still hanging from the sweater. What, you didn't notice that? Oops, well now you did. ;)

Somehow I missed out on the fabulousness of J.Crew's Merino Ocelot cardigan. Hellooo ABC, what were you thinkin'?

And after seeing this cardi on lovely JCA's like Dina here, Patina here and Heidi here, I realized what a fabulous piece this was.

Well I was thrilled when a similar looking cardigan appeared on Forever 21's website a few days ago. So I placed an order to give it a try.

And here it is...unbelted (above), belted and layered under J.Crew's Astrid jacket. from last year. My necklace is the Rim set crystal chain, also from F21 (another J.Crew look-alike for less).

And here's the same cardigan worn by lovely Isla Fisher, looking very casual, in the charcoal/black combination! I want. I want. :)

I think either of these cardigans would also look great styled for the office with grey or black dressy pants or a skirt and heels.

OK, so it's not exactly the same as J.Crew's ocelot cardigan, but it's close enough. I love it. And for the price, you can't go wrong with this little sweater. The material is a plush cotton-nylon-angora blend that's oh so easy to wear. It's hand washable and features covered buttons (thankfully there's a spare in case one pops off).

The fit and cut on this piece is a lot like J.Crew's Jackie cardigans - which I adore. This one runs small though. I ordered a medium based on F21's measurements and it fits perfectly (I wear small in the Jackie cardigans). The colors on this sweater are very nice. The grey, black and off white design is easy to style just like the J.Crew version!

Forever 21 Ruffle Front Knit Top, in Real Life

I recently ordered three items from Forever 21's website in Canada, because they looked so much like a few styles from J.Crew. The first one is the Ruffle front knit top. This luscious color is called burgundy.

Although this is a pricier F21 tee, it's well made and the material is a soft cotton-spandex blend that didn't sag and bag out of shape even after a day of wear. I sized down to an XS.

The style on this top is similar to J.Crew's Tissue ribbed ruffle henley, reviewed by Gigi here.

Personally, I like F21's version better. The smaller ruffles, covered buttons and pin tucks give this top a more refined look. Also, the neckline isn't cut as low as J.Crew's version.

Here's the top layered under F21's Ribbed Pin Cardigan, another winner I picked up from F21 recently - currently sold out online. The cardigan is great because I can wear it open, like on the left, or tied up in front, like on the right.

I'm also loving the Shimmering Teardrop necklace from J.Crew that I ordered recently on sale. It's paired with the Crystal chain necklace.

My next post is Forever 21's Leopard 3/4 length sleeve cardigan, which is an amazing look-a-like to J.Crew's sold out Merino Ocelot cardigan.

Have a great Friday everyone!

Two More J.Crew Skirts and My Gift from J.Crew Arrived!

This morning I was trying to make up my mind about whether to return J.Crew's Deco Shirred skirt that I got last week, and maybe re-order it later if it went on sale.

I *heart* this skirt but wasn't sure if I wanted to pay full price for it.

Then coincidentally this morning, I also saw that Political Style blog posted about the President's wife wearing the same skirt yesterday for a visit to the Department of Veterans Affairs! Check it out on Mrs. O here.

So....I suppose that means if I really want this skirt too, I'd better hang on to it now because typically, once MO is seen wearing something from J.Crew, it flies off their website. And the only place it shows up again is either in a rare pop-back on J.Crew's website, or on eBay for double the original price!

My only issue with this skirt was the length. It's basically a mini. I loved the print though, so my solution was to try sizing up. Way up. Like normally I would take size 2 in skirts, maybe a 4 if I wanted it to sit a bit lower, but in this case I went all the way up to size 8! Yes, you read that right JCA's. With size 8, the waist measures around 31 inches, like the Hammered metal skirt I posted about yesterday, so it sits comfortably at the top of my hips rather than on my waist. Also, if someone wanted to make this even longer, there is an approx. 1 1/2 inch hem on the skirt.

Sizing up wasn't a problem with this style because the material is soft and drapes nicely, so it's not too full or pouffy looking.

I also tried the Terra Paisley mini (top, right), but as I already have the blouse in the same pattern (and I actually like the fabric and colors better on the top versus the skirt), this one is going back. That skirt is also a size 8 and cut exactly the same as the Deco skirt.

Sorry, I didn't put much effort into styling either skirt for the picture, I just wanted to give an idea of how they looked IRL on a taller figure, and with sizing up.

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And finally, a little something that put a smile on my face yesterday......

That's right...it's a gift from J.Crew! And I was totally surprised.

So here they are, the lovely Heirloom flora earrings...

Thank you J.Crew! :)

Affordable Styling from Forever 21

Two posts in one day! I wanted to write about some pieces I ordered from Forever 21. They're affordable alternatives to (very) similar J.Crew styles.

F21 Alternatives by A Bigger Closet featuring Forever21

The denim jacket and leopard cardigan from Forever 21 run small, so I went with a medium.

The ruffle front top runs larger, so I ordered those in x-small.

I was especially thrilled to find the Nolita jacket look alike to wear with J.Crew's Oona pencil skirt. I love this outfit but really didn't want to pay so much for a distressed denim jacket. The F21 jacket is a great deal. The color is dark (black/grey) and it really doesn't look as 'tattered' as I thought it would IRL. Unfortunately, on my first order I got a small, which I have to return, but I'll post pictures when I get the medium.

The cardigan is a nice (and affordable) alternative for JCA's like myself who missed the original version of the J.Crew's popular ocelot cardi recently.

And the ruffle front henley tops are well made for the price. The fabric and stitching detail is good, the ruffles are nicely placed, and the neckline isn't as low cut as J.Crew's version.

These pieces were on Forever 21's Canada website, so I'm not sure if they're also available on the USA website.

Here's a PV set I threw together quickly with the similar J.Crew pieces.

Untitled by A Bigger Closet featuring J Crew

J.Crew Hammered-Metal Skirt. Take 2.

One of the outfits pictured in my last post, featured J.Crew's Hammered metal skirt in navy. Several readers asked about sizing on this piece, so I thought I'd do a quick post about the skirt. Sorry but I'm just reusing the pictures because I haven't worn this skirt in other outfits yet.

I ordered the skirt in my regular size 2 as well as size 4. I ended up keeping the size 4 - which is also what I'm wearing in these pictures. The skirt fits true to size. I only kept the bigger size because it sat slightly lower on my waist, so it gave me just a little extra length. The waist on the size 4 measures 31" and the length is 21" from waist to hem.

This skirt is basically a straight cut style that doesn't feel tight or fitted around the hips. The material is like the silk Lumiere cami with one big difference. It's lined, so it isn't itchy like the cami.

Personally, I love the crinkly fabric because it's more wearable than the smooth silk charmeuse skirt from summer. Bonus...no ironing needed, and the texture of the fabric helps camouflage any lumps and bumps. :) I wore the skirt for several hours and the crinkles didn't really flatten or fall out of the fabric. Also I did steam the skirt before wearing and that didn't smooth out the texture either.

The front pockets are well placed and usable. And the small front pleats lay flat so they don't than add any visual weight at the waist.

The crinkled texture of the fabric gives this skirt a more casual flair that makes it easy to wear with a simple fitted tee or sweater, heels, flats or boots.

Another question asked was about the tights I'm wearing with the skirt. Those are J.Crew's Wool blend ribbed tights in the heather graphite color. I love these tights. I have them in 4 colors! I think these are perfect for wearing under skirts in cool weather.

I hope this helps for those JCA's who've been watching this skirt in final sale recently.

PS. I received the grey color of this skirt today as well and it fits exactly the same as the navy color.

6 Days. 6 Outfits. Mixing it up with J.Crew, Gap, Forever 21 and Linea Pelle

Has it really been almost a week since my last post? I really did intend to post daily outfits last week. And I was even diligent with taking pictures, but somehow getting them from my camera to the blog just didn't happen as planned. So today I've put everything into one post to catch up. Enjoy! :)

Tuesday. I'm in love with these colors for fall! So classic - black, rust/red, camel/brown. Head to toe J.Crew.

Tee: J.Crew Perfect fit long sleeve v-neck tee (dark rust)
Necklace: J.Crew from summer 2009
Skirt: J.Crew wool mini from last year in black (similar to this year's felted wool mini)
Tights: J.Crew solid opaque tights (chocolate)
Boots: J.Crew Glenbrae boots in camel (eBay purchase before I snagged these lovelies from the 'Crew)

Wednesday. Medical appointment to see my new surgeon. Yes, it's been 4 months since my last trip to the OR, which is huge because it's the longest I've been able to go between procedures in over a year! Of course it's come at a price because the last procedure went askew and caused all sorts of additional problems that I'm still recovering from.

And it doesn't help that my new surgeon repeated three times during the appointment that he's not an expert in what I have. The previous surgeon who left, was more knowledgeable and had close contact with the out of town expert-experts, who he worked with previously. So now I'm back to dealing with the local experts, who advocate treatment that contradicts what the expert-experts recommend. And good grief, of course the egos could never step on each other's toes, so the two mindsets refuse to compare notes on a course of treatment that could help me, the patient. Hellooo!

I was sort of bummed after this appointment because it feels like I'm between that proverbial rock and a hard place. Two completely different recommendations for long term treatment. At opposite sides of the country. With no middle ground.

So DF and I have some big decisions to make about where we'll be living in the near future. The expert-experts in Canada, for what I have, are clear across the country. So do we pull up stakes again and relocate again and maybe, hopefully get better long term care, or ....?

Well, at least I pulled together an outfit that made me feel good. And isn't that exactly what clothes should do? The lovely Regalia jacket and Wool twill club pants from J.Crew. If you can wear cropped pants, these are great. So comfortable, and the heather stone color goes with everything. The tee is another J.Crew favorite fit tee in the light periwinkle color. I never knew periwinkle could be so chic!

And of course the Regalia jacket....which I love...even worn unbuttoned. :)

Thursday. Wearing last year's dream turtleneck dress from J.Crew. I actually got this on sale before summer, and this was the first time I wore it. This dress is so comfy and warm with a flattering fit.

And oh so short! It's fine for at home but I'd feel better wearing this out if it was longer.

A solution? Add a short knit skirt. Subtle change, but better I think. The skirt is from Forever 21 in a dark grey that almost matches the dress. Black or brown would be good too. Necklaces with this outfit are from Forever 21 and J.Crew.

Friday. TGIF in brown, grey and gorgeous shades of purple. The most memorable part of my day? Watching The Proposal. With Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Betty White, can a chick flick get any better? :)

Sweater: J.Crew long sleeve cashmere top
Pants: Gap herringbone wide-leg wool pants (from a couple of years ago). These are a perfect length with my 3" heels!
Shoes: J.Crew Cossette Mary Jane peep toes (glazed pecan)
Necklaces: Forever 21 and J.Crew. Velvet flower pin and belt also from J.Crew
Clutch: Linea Pelle. I adore purple!

Saturday. Outfit idea inspired by J.Crew. Dinner date with DF and Japanese food. Wearing J.Crew's Tissue sparkling rose tee (warning this tee sheds sequins), Refined silk cashmere wrap and Satin derby clutch in delectable warm wisteria (hands down one of my fav colors from J.Crew this fall). My cardigan is last year's lovely Corrine sweater, also from J.Crew.

The skirt is J.Crew's Hammered metal skirt. Seriously JCA's, what's up with this skirt still being available in all colors? This is a must-have multiples piece for me. I love it. I want it in every color. The crinkled fabric is so wearable. Casual, dressy, you name it this piece will go there. The length is great, it has perfectly placed pockets, it's well made, and best of all the itchy metallic fabric that J.Crew forgot to line with the Lumiere cami, is lined in this skirt.

And did you notice my shoes? These are my 'exchanged for black size 10' Metropolitan suede ankle boots. They're sooo hawt! I'm obsessed with this booties and would probably wear them all day everyday for 2 months straight if the heels weren't so freakin' high! I loved the lighter color I tried originally but classic black works better for my lifestyle. And these beauties go with everything.

Sunday. Today I'm giving J.Crew's Scout chinos a whirl. I got the pants during the 20% off sale recently. 20% off a $29.99 sale price was hard to resist. I sized up to a 4 so the waist wouldn't pinch (I have that problem with some of J.Crew's size 2 chinos). These are cut in boyfriend style, with a comfy, somewhat saggy fit that makes them perfect for weekends. They are super soft and don't wrinkle excessively. I'm also wearing the Tissue beaded crest tee and a warm and cozy Cashmere cardigan (belted and unbelted), both from J.Crew.

So now I know why models love those tippy toe, in the air poses. Check out the amazing visual weight loss from my picture on the left to my tippy-toe pose on the right! LOL

Well JCA's and bloggie pals, that's it for my post today. Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!