Wednesday, February 3, 2010

I'm Leaving On A Jet Plane...Part 1


And just like the song that inspired the title for this post, I don't know when I'll be back again.

Back at home again that is.

The past few weeks have been leading up to what will probably be THE most challenging time of my adult life so far.

Now because this is really a blog about fashion, I've tried to avoid going on and on about my health issues (although every once in a while I've been guilty of sneaking in a gory detail or two, or three). I don't want sympathy. But I've loved your support and encouraging thoughts. Those kind words always give me strength. And you know, I've often found that reading about what someone else is going through can maybe help a person better accept their own situation. So for that reason alone, I guess it's worth sharing personal stories that are not about fashion, even on a fashion blog.

Recently though, I've been guilty of blogging less, not answering comments, and being absent from commenting on blogs I love to read. So I do feel I owe my dear readers an explanation. Plus I'm told it's therapeutic to share your troubles. ;)

Lately, I have read about the health challenges other bloggers face too and because I've been feeling like crappy-poo myself (as in huge effort to do anything, like you seriously can't type or even form a coherent sentence when you can't breathe), I didn't get a chance to say I WANT TO SEND HUGE VIRTUAL HUGS to gals like Chloe, Gingersnap, and Sum Sunshine. I kinda, sorta, totally know what you're all going through ladies.

To start with, some of you may have noticed that I've lost weight in my pictures recently. And yup, you were right, it is the way it looks.

My weight loss hasn't been intentional, but I have to say it's given me some insight into how models must feel if they need to stop eating to stay skinny for their work. It might make the clothes hang well but IT'S NOT FUN!!

In addition to the airway problem I've been dealing with for some time now, I've also developed difficulty swallowing, an unfortunate side effect of treating the main problem...we think. So that brings me to the topic of this post. I'm leaving home indefinitely to seek treatment from a couple of our most esteemed specialist types on the other side of the country, who seem to be (I hope) more knowledgeable about what the best thing to do (or not do) for me will be at this stage.

Without their input and/or intervention my options seem limited and pretty scary right now. Either a complicated surgery where my trachea gets detached from my voice box, and the bad part gets cut out, then they reattach what's left (no, I don't think my lovely long neck will look shorter...but I'm sure it will feel that way and I could lose my voice). Or I could get a tracheotomy, where I could lose my voice too plus have to live with a plastic tubey-thing sticking out of my neck. And finally, maybe even a feeding tube. Yikes! *ABC cringes for the umpteenth time just thinking about these possibilities*

Honestly, I feel like I've been a human guinea pig these past couple of years. I've been poked, prodded, chemo'd, prednisoned, x-rayed and CT'd along with a dozen, yes a dozen, trips to the OR for the same procedure! It's so true what they say, that if the disease doesn't get you, then the treatment might.

Still, something positive has to come out of this at some point though, don't you agree dear readers?

Yes, exactly.

That's what I firmly believe too. Something good always comes out of something bad. You just have to spend time reflecting on what it is.

As for me, well, I'll be content when I can eat pizza and sushi again.

Seriously though, often it's only when you lose something you took fore granted before that you learn to truly appreciate what you have. So stop complaining people about piddly diddly little things like snow and rain and a bad hair day!!! :))

Just kidding.

I still complain about bad hair days too (and rain and snow, or lack of either) although less often now that I've gone past that awkward stage where you lose some but not all your long hair to chemo, and those bits around the ears and forehead start growing back, and you try everything including gluing them down with crazy glue...I mean hairspray...to keep from looking like you have newborn baby hair head...which IS cute on babies, but not so much on gown women with long hair!

So I now have tendrils. Yes, I'm officially in the tendril stage of regrowth...Yippee! I love tendrils! They're so pretty when I wear my hair up.

But I digress.

Pretty tendrils aside, this week has been insane for the ABC household. With my increasing symptoms, the surgeon has decided it's now unsafe for me to fly on a commercial jet.

So instead of maybe grabbing a few business class seats and freaking out some uppity businessmen mid flight when the paramedics try to revive me, I've been banished to having to charter my own private ambulance that will whisk me to my own private medical jet at the airport, which will then whisk me across the country, where I'll be whisked away again by a private ambulance at the other end.

Oh, and did I mention that the flight and rides include my own personal doctor and paramedic too? Yes, and they're ones who are specially trained to deal with my bizarre breathing problem!

And the cost of flying to see these specialists for treatment? You don't even want to know the price-tag that the ABC household is footing for this little one-way trip with a two-way trip price-tag (because of course all those lovely people who take me there also have to somehow come home). Well that's ok, because Mr. ABC and I planned to just hitch-hike back across the country anyway once I'm all fixed up!!

Seriously though, it's just money, right....never mind there goes my J.Crew clothes shopping budget for the next...oh..say...10 years or so!!! Not to mention the everyday stuff like food and shelter. But really it's a small price to pay if I get a chance to feel better again.

Isn't it funny how people always say that when faced with huge medical bills? ;)

And the ultimate kick in the behind for a fashionista? The place we'll be staying at has a walk-in closet but I can only bring one large suitcase with me on the flight!

You're seriously crimping my style there sucky disease!!

So if I want to keep taking pictures for my bloggy while I'm away from home, I suppose I'll need to pick and choose my pj's and medical appointment outfits carefully. Very, carefully. Come to think of it, this could be like a challenge to mix and match and get the most versatility from every piece I take. All 5 pieces that is. Humph!

OK, but now here's an easy one. Can you all guess what I'll be accessorizing my outfits with?

Yes, scarves are my new fashion staple because who knows how hideously mangled looking my neck will be at the end of what's ahead. I think I can rock scarves. And I decided that if at all possible, rather than imitate the surgeon by cropping off my neck, I'll accessorize my outfits with lovely scarves for my photos. I'll be just like Becky Bloomwood (aka The Shopaholic) with my signature scarves.

And because this is a fashion blog, I'll end on a fashion note. After all, I'm sure that the real reason J. Crew makes pretty dresses like the Merino Maya dress pictured above, is so people like me can feel better even when we feel crappy, just because we're wearing something lovely like this piece.

If all goes according to plan...I'm expecting to leave either on Saturday or Monday and will share my medical travel tales and outfit stylings from another city.

See you there!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Another Outfit of the Day

I'm just trying to catch up with posting pictures of some of my outfits from the past week and a half! I wore this outfit earlier in the week. We're having unseasonably warm weather on the West Coast right now, to the point where I'm not getting any wear from my lovely winter sweaters. Layering a couple of t-shirts and adding a scarf is more than enough for me indoors.

By the way, I adore the metallic Aran scarves from J.Crew this winter. I got both the gold and silver on sale and seem to wear them with everything!

Originally I returned this paisley skirt but decided to re-buy it on sale, and I'm happy I did because it really is so versatile. I sized up to wear this one lower on my hips.

The Sienna fringed moccasins booties I'm wearing below are fab. The fit is TTS although they're really more appropriate for indoor wear and dry weather - I don't recommend taking them into the snow or rain.

And I've discovered practical side of the 'belted scarf' trend. It keeps those long ends out of the kitchen sink and off the floor, or from swinging around and knocking things off tables if you're wearing a scarf indoors! ;)

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Outfit of the Day...and a Surprise!


I have a few outfit pictures and new arrivals (my new arrivals not J.Crew's newest arrivals that is) to post about, but I only had time to load a few images today.

Today's Outfit:
Sweater/cardigan - Forever 21 (this one sold out online, but it's a fairly common style at the moment so there should be similar styles available)
Top - J.Crew
Jeans - Moto
Necklace - J.Crew
Shoes - J.Crew
Handbag - Michael Kors



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And thanks for all the great comments on my last post about J.Crew's Ruffled Carly Dress. After seeing J.Crew's newest arrivals for spring, I've decided to keep this dress and work it! : ))


There are a couple of ruffled tops along this theme in their new arrivals, but those don't really compare IMO. So, I did a couple of minor 'adjustments' to help define the waistline of this dress (it's a super easy style to alter), and some of my readers dared me to restyle this along the lines of an idea I had to shorten it. So...here it is...shortened.

Introducing the convertible Ruffled Carly dress!

I'm just kidding. :) I didn't really cut it off, it's just folded under, BUT I have to say I'm tempted to, because I really, really like it shortened like this with leggings and flats - it's completely fun and chic. Except for the uneven leggings - how could I miss that one? ;)

Anyway, that's it for today. Sorry, about the quick post. I'm hoping to catch up on blogging this weekend and to fill my readers in about what's been going on with some personal issues I'm dealing with right now.

So I'll be back soon!

Monday, January 25, 2010

(The many sides of ) The Ruffled Carly Dress in Real Life

I was excited to try J.Crew's Ruffled Carly dress after seeing it on lovely Dina here. She really rocked this little number. And to echo her thoughts about this dress, it's a little out there for me too in terms of something I would normally wear, but I was still drawn to the combination of sweet, flirty ruffles and tough-ish looking color/fabric.

Before ordering, I called for measurements and decided to go with a size 2. The fit feels good in the bust and shoulders, but the overal design makes it less fitted around my waist and hips. The dress is well made. The fabric looks and feels nice, and is washable too. It's substantial but not too stiff or heavy and works well with tights, boots, and a sweater now, or sandals later.

Unfortunately, after seeing my pictures, I think this dress maybe looks kind of 'awkward' on me. It makes my legs look too skinny (which they are) and my hips too wide (which they're not) and the length is really short (I'm 5'8"). Dang! I do love all those ruffles and tiers though.

Welcome to my virtual dress room. So I tried to belt it. Any better?

And with the Dream Shawl Collared cardigan (OT - love this cardi). Getting better, I think. This is definitely more 'me'.

Now here's a surprise. Just for fun, compare the waist tiers on my photo below with the tiers on J.Crew's dress photos below that. Whoa! I'm on to you Ruffled Carly Dress! This appears to be another infamous J.Crew does retail and model styles differently item.


  1. My dress has 7 buttons in front. The online dress is pictured with 8 buttons in front.
  2. My dress has 7 equally wide tiers below the narrow ruffled rows. The online dress is pictured with a wide-narrow-wide tier pattern at the waist, and a total of only 6 tiers.
  3. The back of my dress has 5 tiers (see first picture) compared to only 4 on the J.Crew model's dress.

And the light amethyst color appears to be a third variation of this dress. Check it out below. This one has 7 tiers, but also a very obvious wide-narrow-wide tier pattern at the waist, and 8 buttons instead of 7 in front.


So aside from those obvious design differences, what's your take on the Ruffled Carly dress readers?

Believe it or not, I'm sort of on the fence about this one. I know I probably shouldn't be because I can do better for figure flattery (ie. Merino Maya dress = perfect fit, Wool Ruffle shift = so chic). But what can I say, something about this dress has me hooked. :)

Now here's another crazy thought, I could wear it like a dress for now, and later turn it into a top/jacket by removing the bottom three tiers. That would make it rock wouldn't it? Picture it belted like a safari jacket over slim, white cropped pants and jeans, or over a pencil skirt with heels! Now we're talking. Am I right...am I right? ;)

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Styling J.Crew's Clustered Constellation Cardigan - Wear it 3 Ways


As some of my regular readers may have noticed, I've been slowly working on making a few changes to my blog this month.

Along with an updated layout, I've also added Twitter for A Bigger Closet. I'm new to Twitter, but thought it might be fun to give it a try. Please feel free to follow me by clicking Here, or on the Follow Me link at the side.

And Wear It 3 Ways is new, and also happens to be the subject of this post! :)

A shopping rule that I try to keep in the back of my mind with any new fashion purchase, is to make it work in more than one outfit along with items I already have in my closet. In reality, though a piece can end up being difficult to style in real life, or one outfit looks great and I just keep wearing it the same way. So my personal goal here will be to try and create at least 3 different outfits with each featured item.

I'll post the outfits on Polyvore. I've also added a widget on the right to display the three outfits, and then I'll follow up with a post and real life pictures on this blog.

Hopefully these will inspire readers who own the same item(s) for new outfit ideas, plus I'll use the images for those times when I'm in a hurry and can't figure out what to wear. :)

My first Wear It 3 Ways features J.Crew's Clustered Constellation Cardigan in the heather rosewood color. I actually took the pictures for this post a while ago. And this weekend, in a perfectly timed coincidence, I was happy to find an email from one of my lovely readers asking for styling tips on just this piece! Thank you - you've motivated me to finish this post.

I bought this sweater from J.Crew before the holidays, but didn't have a chance to wear it until this month. If you missed this one, grab it while you can with the extra 30% off sale going on now right now.

About the sweater itself. The fit is TTS. I did size down though for a more fitted look because I mostly planned to just wear this over sleeveless tops and didn't mind the snug fit on the arms. If you want to preserve the sequins but like to wear a belt over longer cardigans, use a soft tie/fabric belt that won't put stress on the hand stitched sequins. Also, I did notice after wearing it twice, that some pilling appeared under the arms.

All items in my outfits are from J.Crew, with the exception of the black scarf from Forever 21, fishnet tights from White House Black Market and my own pearl necklaces.

Option 1 - Cardigan worn with pencil skirt.

Option 2 - Cardigan worn with cropped pants


Option 3 - Cardigan worn with full skirt.


I like this cardigan best over a plain white tank top. Then I added three different bottoms. The shapes of the bottoms, along with all the different accessories, help to make each look unique enough so that it doesn't feel like I'm wearing the same thing. The neutral color palette consists of silver, pearl, white, grey, brown and black.

For those who crave more color, try wearing the cardi with a different colored top, bottoms, or accessorized with pops of color from a scarf, jewelry, belt and shoes.


Not for everyone, but if it works for you, paper-bagging the waist is an easy way to update a longer skirt for a long-over-short silhouette.

And these were two of my favorite necklaces with this cardigan.


So that's it for this first 'edition' of Wear it 3 Ways featuring J.Crew's Clustered Constellation Cardigan.

Friday, January 15, 2010

New Tops from J.Crew and Forever 21

This a quick post on some new tops I ordered from J.Crew and Forever 21 recently. Sorry, I didn't put much effort into styling outfits - I just wanted to get the pictures up for anyone who may be interested in seeing these items IRL.

First is J.Crew's Belted cardigan in breeze (size small). For me, this is basically a casual cardigan that's fun and easy to wear over a t-shirt, tank top. It's a very lightweight cotton, so definitely just for spring/summer wear. The exposed seam construction on this piece is consistent with J.Crew's 'relaxed/slouchy' stylings of late.

Here's a closeup picture of the tie/belt. The ties seem to be designed to 'pull' the fabric forward for a customized fit. This sweater fits TTS and I don't recommend sizing up only because thin cottons like this tend to stretch with wear.

Next, is the Victoria ruffle tissue cami. This was one of my favorite new releases from J.Crew recently. It's basically the Victoria cami done in a carefree knit that's washable and looks great under more casual sweaters, or by itself. I got 2 of these as Christmas presents (in white and dark charcoal). I'm wearing an XS. On a side note - does anyone have this and have you tried washing it yet? Do the ruffle wash out on this one?

The next top is the Striped Jewel button cardigan from Forever 21, Canada. This is from their Twelve by Twelve line. I was inspired to buy it after seeing the sweater on Chloe (I now call her the little styling wiz), in one of her recent posts. I *heart* this top IRL. It's so me. If you like bling, you'll adore the buttons on this sweater. They're inlaid with sparkly rhinestones. F21 kindly includes a spare button for the sweater and a snap for the belt. The fit is TTS (I'm wear small) in a hand washable silk/cotton blend.

The Julia sweater cardigan from Forever 21 has a bit of a Chanel vibe. This cardi is very pretty IRL. It's a cropped length, but easy to elongate visually by wearing it over a black top. I ordered this in medium based on the measurements on the website, and the fit is perfect.

...and worn open over J.Crew's Victoria ruffle tissue cami.

This hooded cover-up was a steal from Forever 21, for only $14.99 (Reg. around $35). It's another Twelve by Twelve collection piece that seems to have sold out since I ordered it. It's also a more substantial weight that's perfect for adding warmth to t-shirt. The material on this top is a hand wash, cotton/cashmere blend.

The last sweater is also from Forever 21. Somehow I missed out on J.Crew's Marled wool cardigan, so decided to give this one a try as a possible substitute. This is the Speckled tie belt cardigan. It's definitely not as warm as J.Crew's cardigan would have been, but it does have a flattering shape and is easy to wear over jeans and casual tops or a skirt. The crochet construction has a couple of see-through areas in front, below the waist, and along the arms. For some reason, it looks more see-through on photos than in real life. You can see the white t-shirt showing under the cardi in both areas on the pictures below.


So that's it! For my readers who like to shop through pictures...I hope these are helpful. :)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

The Look for Less...Mixing Forever21 and J.Crew Pieces


One of my favorite casual looks featured on J.Crew's website last month, was their cashmere zip front hoodie layered over the textured jersey bouquet tee. It was shown in red, green, and blue. My favorite was red. I even ordered the hoodie, but the small size was too big, the x-small was sold out, and unfortunately, the dark poppy color wasn't particularly flattering on me.

So I came across these cheap hoodies at Forever 21 that I thought could work to create 'the look for less'.

Basically any brand of hoodie in your favorite color will do the trick if you already have this t-shirt and scarf.


My t-shirt, scarf, boots and clutch are from J.Crew. Hoodie, tank, and dark grey skinny cords are from Forever 21.



Forever 21 continues to impress me as a go-to place for cheap basics like t-shirts and tank tops.

I probably do 99% of my shopping online, and with being in Canada, the options for where to shop are still paltry compared to the selection of online stores available to US shoppers.

Aside from having affordable, often trendier items and new arrivals almost daily, Forever 21 also offers fast delivery, free shipping on orders over $75, and easy returns. These are obviously the things that make customers happy. And it shows, because they seem to be gaining momentum in Canada. I notice more and more that new arrivals on their website can sell out VERY quickly, often within minutes of being added.

I'll be featuring more Forever 21 steals and deals that have made it into my closet to wear now and thru spring/summer 2010.


Tuesday, January 12, 2010

It's (Graphic) Tee Time Again!


With each new release it seems J.Crew manages to convince me that I need just one more graphic tee. So here's one of their new online offerings, the Textured jersey splatter tee. For those of you who haven't seen this one in real life yet, I'm wearing the light pewter combination (also comes in ivory) in size small. This top feels like it has a more snug fit on me than some of the other textured jersey tee's I own. It may just be this particular tee, I'm not sure. Anyway, these tops do tend to stretch with wear.

I do love the combination of browns and purple on this top. Of course I am biased because I've been on a purple kick for months now! And bonus, it goes so well with many other J.Crew pieces already in my wardrobe.

This is a good transition piece for spring, and easy to wear with basics that most of us already have in our closet, like denim and white pants and shorts.

Here's the t-shirt under a cardigan from last winter. I like that so much of the print is visible.



Now there are A LOT of clear sequins on this tee, so that's something which may not appeal to everyone. Personally, I like sparkle. And sequins do seem to be part of the spring 2010 fashion trend.

Do other JCA's own this t-shirt already? Are you planning to buy it, maybe when it goes on sale? How do you like it?

Saturday, January 9, 2010

The Gift is in the Bag.


Yes, it's a belated Christmas gift post. And the bag is actually Michael Kors Fulton East-west Tote in Black Python. I've been meaning to take pictures of the lovely handbag I received from Mr. ABC. He definitely surprised me with this one. And it's not even from J.Crew! ;)

Here's a close-up of the lovely.




Kudos to Mr. ABC. He has a great eye for handbags. :) And I do love it. This bag is large yet lightweight, with lots of compartments inside to hold everything. The leather feels like satin, and the double handles are contoured to stay on your shoulder. This is my first Michael Kors handbag, and I have to say I'm quite impressed with the quality and design of this item. We actually have the only MK retail store in Canada here.

My photos don't really do justice to how pretty this bag is in real life. And while I'm not usually one to go for items that feature large designer logos on them, this bag manages to be blingly yet refined looking, with the signature gold details. And I think it's versatile enough to use all through the year. I look forward to styling it with upcoming outfits.

It's such an ucky yucky soggy day here that I really wasn't inspired to put much effort into my outfit. When that happens, I usually end up thowing on a scarf and a couple of fun necklaces to liven things up. Or in this case, a shiney new bag! :)

Cardigan, J.Crew, camel
Tank, F21, black

Scarf, J.Crew, ombre shadow

Necklaces, J.Crew
Jeans, F21, medium denim

Boots, J.Crew, black

Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying their weekend! :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

My Holiday Outfits


Happy New Year to my fellow bloggers and readers! I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season.

I'm happy to see other bloggers still posting about their holiday outfits because at least in my little corner of the world, I'm just not ready to think about spring outfits yet.

Unfortunately, I ended up in the OR again between Christmas and New Year (what else is new, right?) but I won't start off this post with those gory details. Suffice to say, I'm on the mend and staying optimistic for better things to come in 2010!

So I only had a chance to dress up on Christmas eve and day. And I'll admit to feeling a little 'bling deprived' this holiday season. To remedy that, I think I need to wear more blingy outfits this month....oh yes, twist my arm. ;)

My Polyvore set (above) is the outfit I planned to wear on New Year's eve, but that didn't happen, so I'll try again with that one soon.

The ABC household opens presents and celebrates on Christmas eve, and my outfit (photo above) was a combination of J.Crew pieces from last Christmas and this year.

- Cashmere sweater, J.Crew, bright papaya
- Heirloom flora necklace, J.Crew, butterscotch
- Wool twill club pant, J.Crew, butterscotch
- Claudia crackle metallic pumps, J.Crew, metallic sherbet
- Red Ombre scarf, Forever21 (happens to be a great match with J.Crew's bright papaya!)



On Christmas day I wore my favorite holiday top from J.Crew's '08 Christmas offerings, the Paisley Crawford cami. I stalked this top for a while after it sold out, and was so thrilled to finally grab it, in my size and on sale last spring. It's a perfect festive top with all those gorgeous jewel tones and soft silk fabric. This top is an example of the kind of classic piece that made me fall head over heels for J.Crew in the first place.

I was disappointed in this year's Ikat silk streamers cami by comparison. I found the shape was unflattering and the colors too jarring against my skintone. Also, the top I got ended up having a lot of the bright orange color close my face.

- Paisley Crawford Cami, J.Crew
- Toothpick jeans, J.Crew, black
- Galaxy ribbon and chain bracelet, J.Crew, black
- Perfect leather pumps, J.Crew, black
- Belt, J.Crew, gold



This top also looks great worn tucked in to show off a sparkly belt.

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Coming up, I'll add some photos of Christmas loot, Forever21 finds, and a few changes to the blog itself. Stay tuned!