My affinity for J.Crew has ebbed and flowed over the  years, but this season I’m crushing hard.  And they’re having a huge sale at the moment!  Pretty much everything in the store (and online) is 30-50% off!!!  Here are my top mix-and-match picks…

 

Martie Pant in Bi-Stretch Wool – Very Audrey Hepburn chic.  These pants are a great length for pairing with flats or heels, the cut is super flattering, and the fabric is a medium weight for all season wearability.  The only con is that they run small, so be prepared to size up one or (gulp) two sizes.  I already own a pair in black, and I’m planning to buy the gray as soon as they restock in my size!

Holiday Party Top in Sequin – Simply beautiful.  Incredible blush pink top.  Sport it under a blazer, flaunt it with a pencil skirt, run errands with it in boyfriend jeans, and take it into summer with white short-shorts.  You need this top.  I found my regular size fit okay, but one size down transformed the fit to uber-flattering.  Love.

Contrast Floral Lace Skirt – A surprisingly versatile skirt.  Pair it with a cashmere sweater and flats for work, or a silk cami and heels for a hot date.  The skirt hits just past the knees and is sophisticated chic and feminine flirty all at the same time.  WARNING:  You may be tempted to size down, but don’t take it too far.  The skirt is meant to have a bit of pleating all the way around.  When you try it on examine the rear-view and make sure it’s not laying too flat across the bum.  If it is, go one size up.  I bought my normal size.

Powder Crystal Necklace – Hello lovely!  This necklace looks smashing paired with the blush pink sequin dress and/or top; but let’s be honest… it looks pretty good with a gray t-shirt and jeans too.

Open Cardigan Sweater – This sweater feels so cozy and luxe.  I went with the Heather Pewter color.  For some reason it just looked more elegant and versatile to me.  I live in Northern California where sweaters are a must most of the year, and I anticipate this will be a favorite go-to.

Cap-Sleeve Sequin Dress – Can’t quit the sparkle.  Looking for a holiday party dress, some NYE sparkle, and/or a Valentine’s date dress?  This dress can do it all.  Beautiful color, super comfy, and hella sparkly (but in a classy way); and at a reasonable price point too!

Collection Classic Turtleneck Sweater in Cashmere – A cashmere basic.  Soft, cozy, and well cut.  I’ve owned MANY cashmere sweaters from J.Crew over the years, but my cashmere turtlenecks in black and heather flax have been wardrobe staples.  This is a need.

Carrie Cami in Floral Lace – Another super versatile piece.  This cami pairs just as well with boyfriend jeans as it does the sleek Martie pant referenced above.  And simply add a blazer and it becomes office friendly.

Embellished Tippi in Glen Plaid – A fun seasonal sweater.  I love this bedazzled piece.  The colors lend themselves to easy mixing and matching, and there’s just enough sparkle to make it pop.

The holidays are almost here, my office will be closed, and I’m looking forward to doing some extracurricular reading.  I’ve narrowed my (virtual) book list to four, and I think it’s a pretty well-rounded bunch.

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling — Described as a collection of hilarious, insightful, and personal essays; this is going to be my go-to for my holiday shopping commutes downtown.

Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki — A personal finance book, to help reset after all that holiday spending.

Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris — Autobiography in essay form makes it another great read for a commute or coffee house.

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray, Ph.D. — The cover says it all:  “A practical guide for improving communication and getting what you want in your relationships.”  Sounds to good to be true, but I’ll give it a go!

 

 

I went to the doctor today.

Doc:  Hi there!  So you’re here for your annual… would you like STD testing? 

Me:  No thanks, I’m good. 

Doc:  Do you have any partners? 

Me:  Yes…  Actually, we got married this year.  [raise hand to show ring, smile awkwardly]

Doc:  Congratulations!  Are you planning to have kids? 

Me: Uh..  we’ve talked about it… but we’re not trying or anything… 

Doc: Well, don’t stress about it, but if you wait much longer you might want to think about freezing some embryos.  

 

Didn’t see that coming.  I wonder if all 30-somethings get the same thirty second STD to frozen embryo (or egg) talk.  I thought embryo freezing was mostly for the wealthy celebrity-types (looking at you Sophia Vergara and ex-fiance Nick Loeb).

A quick Google search seems to indicate that “banking” as it’s called appears to be gaining in accessibility and popularity.  Prime candidates for banking include women wanting to delay childbearing for various reasons, and women diagnosed with cancer.  The numbers seem to suggest that the frozen embryos have a better viability success rate when compared to thawing and fertilizing a frozen egg.  But for women without a male partner or sperm donor, or who for whatever reason don’t want to mix before freezing– know that there are many factors that could be skewing these numbers.   And some banking centers report pregnancy rates via frozen eggs as being just as good as via frozen embryos.

Costs total roughly in the $5-10k range for freezing of the embryos/eggs, $500 per year storage fee, and $5k to thaw.  Rumor has it that some insurances may even provide coverage, but I didn’t look that far into it.

 

 

 

Since my last post I’ve bought a house, changed jobs, joined a gym, quit the gym, and talked a whole lot about wanting to start writing.  Like a lot lot.  Well the talk stops here.

Sing like no one’s listening;

Dance like no one’s watching; and

Write like no one’s reading.

Like many other singles out there, I have entered the ever expanding online dating community. A social network for singles and creepers.

Hopefully with a little Match and some Tinder, something will catch fire. In a good way of course.

 

The hooks been baited.  Looking forward to seeing what gets reeled in.

Tonight I have no plans. It’s Friday, work is done, and I am inexplicably giddy walking home from the office. I have nothing on the agenda for the evening. In fact, my weekend has recently cleared.  I feel lighter, happier, and much more positive than I have in recent days. The funk I’ve been in has finally lifted and I am vibrating with the universe on a higher frequency. Hallelujah I’ve turned the corner and things are looking up!

****

With my new found free time, I took my dog for her usual walk, but instead of heading back home I stopped for a drink of wine at a neighborhood wine bar. The sidewalk seating there is perfect for people watching.

At the table on my left is a group of girls. Five of them in their mid-twenties sharing a bottle of prosecco. They seem to have just gotten off work and are still talking shop. The gal sitting closest to me, on the other side of a potted plant, breaks the workplace war stories by turning the topic to vacations. She talks about her upcoming trip to Paris that she is planning because she and her hubby are going to start trying to have kids soon and she wants to be able to imbibe in France before trying for baby.

Meanwhile, two young professional looking guys snag the table to my right and give my dog a few pats before taking a seat. I order a glass of Clavo Granche Blanc ’09 and settle into reading up on securities law as it pertains to 1031 exchanges and TIC investments.  I am a sexy nerd with adorable doggie sidekick.  Eavesdropping is my super power, and I love wine.

The women to order another bottle and it doesn take long before the one sitting on the other side of the plant from me starts dialing a male friend to introduce him as a possible love connection to one of the group. They’re all a bit louder now, and the girl-talk turns to reminiscing about playing strip poker and making out with randoms at 4a.m. I feel like someone pressed the fast forward button, and instinctively check my watch.  And that’s when things got loud.  “HEY! YOU’RE HOT! Yah, YOU… YOU THERE… there in that HAT… you’re HOTTT!!..”  Giggles all around, and she falls off the bench and into the plant.  At which point she amazes herself by stating the obvious- “Look! I’m in a bush!!” … yup… and soon she’ll be in Paris, with her husband, trying to start a family.

****

I paid my tab and headed home. The last few weeks have been particularly rough for me, for reasons that I don’t fully understand. As I try to make sense of it all, I consider that I may have been experiencing a type of growing pains. If true, then I can rejoice that I am moving forward and ascending to new levels of awesomeness. If not, well, then I’m quite possibly bipoloar with a strong willpower to cling to mania. I’ve read philosophy, prayed in churches, lit candles in temples, talked with counselors, studied astronomy, consulted with past-life seers, traveled the world, practiced yoga, performed rituals, journaled, and meditated… and now I just wonder optimistically what is next to come.