Veteran's Day Shopping at U Village J.Crew

 On Friday, I went to University Village near University of Washington in Seattle.  I stopped by J.Crew, Madewell and Anthropologie and went to the Ram Restaurant and Brewery where my husband went to watch the game while my daughter, her friend and I shopped.  My daughter and her friend (both 12) had a blast trying on clothes in H&M and putting lipstick on in Sephora. I really like this mall and don't know why I don't go there more often.

The J.Crew at U Village is really nice and has a great selection.  I  tried on the Plaza Coat in cobalt.

It is a fitted silhouette (I've got a long sweater underneath and dress so it's not one you can layer a lot underneath without seeing bulk).  I like the classic shape and length.  It hits mid-thigh which is perfect for winter skirts and boots, like in the picture below.

I ended up with the Sequin Stripe Tee, although I tried not to like it.  I am really, really trying to boycott more sequins in my wardrobe, since thanks to J.Crew, I have enough to make a disco.  However, I love stripes, and this is a great tee with a nice fit and crewneck.

I paired it with the Navy Excursion Quilted Vest.  I've never been a vest girl (I owned one in 1990, I think) but this is a lightweight puffer and easy to layer.  I like it for some reason.

J.Crew Sequin Stripe Tee and ExcursionVest in Navy 

Excursion Vest in Navy

There are some other fun colors including Getaway Green and Candied Cherry, as seen below:

In addition to shopping, I did some pampering and got a mani/pedi with a shellac french manicure.  This looks really nice.  I got it done a couple few weeks ago and it lasts a long time.  I hope that it last for Thanksgiving.

I'm excited for the holidays soon.  In the middle of all of it, I'm traveling to London, Dublin and Luxembourg for work in December.  Either I need to finish my Christmas shopping early, do it all online, or pick up some things in Europe.  Maybe all of the above.

I am super jazzed about the Kindle Fire tablet coming out on Amazon.com this week.  I'm excited about the tablet version and the price.  In addition to the Kindle Fire, here are some other things on my holiday wishlist from J.Crew, including the bubble necklace and bag:

Wishlist by handbagaficionado featuring chronograph watches

What are some items that you want to get or give for the holiday season? 

Happy Holidays!

What a busy month!  Work, travel, shopping, wrapping presents...


I did a lot of Christmas shopping online and in stores.  I stopped in J.Crew and bought a couple of sweatshirts for my son and husband and had to get a few things for me.  Hey, it was 30% off with a $150 purchase.   How could I pass that up?

I  got two beautiful wool wraps shown below.   I love this scarf, but now I am trying to figure out what I should wear with it.  There are so many color options, I know, but I'm still pondering.  Let me know if you have ideas.

I also bought the Vintage cotton traversa-stripe tank for myself:

I love Navy.  Now I need a nice cardi or jacket to go with it.  Any suggestions?  I also tried on the Vento Tunic in Small, but didn't love it.  I passed on it.

I also got my J.Crew order with the Lodge Puffer Jacket and Tissue Drape Tee.  It's the best of both worlds with silk and cotton:  the silk makes it polished in the front, and cotton makes it comfy in the back and sleeves.

Tuesday evening by Handbag Aficionado featuring j crew necklaces

We went to Ohio before Christmas to visit family, then returned to Seattle a couple of days before Christmas.  My son got the flu, and was felt pretty bad Christmas Eve, then we made a trip to Urgent Care on  Christmas Day.  He's feeling better now.  Other than that, the kids had a nice Christmas.  

For Christmas, my husband and the kids got me perfume, Apple Airport Express, a beautiful Coach Handbag (seen below)

 and a Coach Signature Messenger bag in Plum.  I'm usually not a fan of signature anything (Coach, LV, Chanel), but this plum color is a so fun compared to my leather tan and black laptop bags:

Check out the Coach Leopard Shoes!  I went to Nordstrom Rack and found these shoes (I used the $50 off Groupon - it expires tomorrow 12/31, so if you have a Rack nearby, take advantage of it).  These were so cute, and since have an affinity toward leopard, I had to pick them up.  Grrr.....  

I also got a new Washer and Dryer.  I realize that makes me sound really old and boring, but clothes are an investment and it has a steam option!  Now I just need to figure out how to use it.

My big happy present is a trip to Maui in February.  We went last February and in August, and I am so excited to go back.  It's my happy place!  The skies here are gray now, so I am looking forward to warm weather.

I'm inspired by bright colors.  Here's a pic of me with one of my new wool scarves.  BTW - I took this at work in the ladies restroom.  I had a lady walk in a few seconds after I took the iphone pic.  That would have been incredibly embarrassing and awkward.  :)  The top is the Muse Tank in Heirloom Pink  with a Halogen cardigan very similar to the J.Crew one in style and quality, but I got this on sale for $12.99! Woo-hoo!

Hope you have a wonderful holiday season!