Shopping Spree: Ann Taylor

My shopping spree continues with Ann Taylor, which I've actually never ordered from before.  Their price points are a level above Ann Taylor LOFT and Banana Republic, where I would probably say most of my clothes are from.  But with the 40% off promotion they had, how could I resist?  Unfortunately though, I don't think I found any keepers.

First is the Shadow Flower Print Cowl Neck Dress in 00P:

I had low expectations for this one because a fellow petite on AN's Forum had already found it to be ill-fitting.  It wasn't as bad as I'd expected, but the cowl neck just sits funny on me.  And it makes me feel kind of dowdy, so this one is a bust (ha!).

Second is the Graphic Print Silk Dress in 00P:

This one also just fits funny.  There's extra fabric at the armholes and the waist could use some taking in (although I didn't bother to use the included self-waist tie).  From what I've been told, silk is expensive to alter so I'm not sure it's worth the extra investment.

Third is the Silk Georgette Petal Halter Top in XXSP and the Mixed Media Skirt in 00P:

It's like I'm playing dress up!  Here's how they look tucked in:

Not so much better.  Ideally they should probably fit me more like this (with extra fabric held back):

The top is really pretty and I'd be tempted if it'd fit better.  It's probably impossible to alter though because of the intricate design.  The skirt is a definite no... I really only got it because it was on sale for such a good price.  But the material is a stretchy cheap kind and the elastic waist band is way too big... not flattering at all.

Last but not least, my favorite item of this order... the Sofia Peeptoe Pump (worn in all the above pictures):

I've been hankering for a peep-toe pair of shoes for a while now.  These are pretty cute and they're in satin, so they're good for dressy looks.  I got them in a 5.5 and the fit is okay, but I feel like my heels are slipping out a little bit.  But if I size down to a 5 I think my toes would be overhanging the peep-toe part (peephole?).  I'm tempted by these but may just hold out for the perfect pair of peep-toe pumps!

Blow-Dryer Blown Out

I used to always air-dry my hair until my hairdresser told me that it was better to blow-dry (really??).  I was skeptical about the hair health benefits but have recently gotten into the habit of daily blow-drying anyway.  I found that it actually keeps my hair straight even after being slept on and saves me 10 minutes of fixing bed-head hair in the morning ( = 10 minutes more sleep!)

Then last week somehow some of my hair got stuck in the back of the dryer (which I had to cut off), and since then my blow-dryer has been making threatening noises and smelling like burnt flesh every time I try to use it.  I have this horrible premonition of an exploding blow-dryer with shards of plastic embedded in my eyeballs if I keep trying... so I think it's fair to say it's time to get a new one!  I've had this one for 7-8 years already so it's been put to good use.

So, while I definitely have not exactly done any extensive research, my top 2 contenders are:

T3 Featherweight ($200)

Sultra Sophisticate ($280)

Why these two?  Only for the reason that these are the ones that Sephora carries and I'm determined to get it from there since I have some gift cards that should cover most of the cost after the 15% off promotion (code "BI15" until 4/19).  It's still a lot of money to be spending on a hair dryer but I figure since it's something I'm using everyday, it's worth an investment to keep my hair healthy!

Does anyone have any experience with either brand?  Any recommendations for other hair dryers?

BR Fuschia Blouse

When I first saw AlterationsNeeded's Easter outfit, in which she wore this BR fuschia top that ExtraPetite also featured in older post, I did a double-take and thought for a moment that we all had the same blouse!  But no... I was sadly mistaken, as mine is the same color but is definitely not silk.  It looks like I missed out too because the silk 00P version probably would have been fantastic fit.

But for curiosity's sake, I dug out my version of the blouse and took some pictures.  The material is a smooth stretchy spandex blend, and here's a close-up of the ruffles:

I typically would probably wear it with jeans/leggings and a long boyfriend cardigan:

Blouse: BR Sleeveless Ruffle Top in Deep Fuschia, size XXSP (stock photo)

Sweater: BR Boyfriend Cardigan in Black, size XXSP (stock photo)

Jeans: A&F Kids Mackenzie Flare in Dark, size 12 Slim

Shoes: BCBGeneration Emma in Moka, size 5.5

But it can be work-appropriate tucked into a pencil skirt:

I'm usually more conservative when it comes to color choices, and this is pretty much the only fuschia item I've ever bought (and even then I had some second thoughts).  But I guess sometimes you just need a pop of color in your wardrobe!

Confirmed Celebrity Sighting!

A couple weeks ago, I ran into Anne Hathaway at an Apple store... it was my very first celebrity sighting!  This is the picture I snapped of her and her boyfriend:

But of course you can't really tell who they are!  But I guess the two paparazzi I saw following them got some good shots... look what I found on the web:

I even saw them steal this kiss too!  Aww... how cute :)

Anyway, that's my see-I wasn't-making-it-up post.  Again, for those who don't recognize her, this is Anne Hathaway (who plays the White Queen in Alice in Wonderland):

Shopping Spree: Banana Republic

There's been a ton of good online deals going on lately and of course I couldn't resist!  The first box of goodies that showed up was from Banana Republic, but unfortunately they were a little underwhelming.

First up is the Silk Ruffle Wrap Dress in XS Petite:

I should have known that it wouldn't fit since it's not an XXS Petite :)  Even wrapped as tightly as I could, the neckline was too low on me and the arm holes were also so low that half of my bra was showing.  It comes with an inner camisole dress that has adjustable straps though, so I suppose it could work with some alterations.  But I don't think I like the color/pattern enough to spend more money on it.

Next is the Silk Watercolor Print Top in XXS Petite:

As you can tell, the inner camisole isn't really supposed to show, but it would've been scandalously low otherwise.  I thought it was kinda cute albeit ill-fitting, but DH didn't like the pattern so I guess back it goes.

Last is the Slubby Open Cardigan in XXS Petite:

This one was pretty true to size.  The material is very comfortable but super thin, as I think it's meant to be a light-weight cardigan.  It also comes in several other neutral colors.  For $35 after discounts + tax, I suppose it's not too bad, but I might just wait until it goes on sale.

Cole Haan Peep Toe Pumps

I've been secretly coveting these red Cole Haan Carma OT Air Pumps ever since I saw them on AlterationsNeeded's blog:

Look how cute she looks in them!

 (Sorry for plagiarizing your picture!)

I don't have any peep toe shoes yet, so I definitely have a niche to fill!  But unfortunately $300 is more than I usually shell out for shoes, so I've been biding my time looking for good deal.  I snatched up this last pair of Cole Haan Air Carma Grey Suede Pumps for ~$100 online a while back:

But unfortunately size 5 was too small for me and I had to return it.  Alas my search continues...

Then I saw these on Amazon today:

They're Cole Haan Kindle book covers!  I didn't realize designers do "luxury" book covers these days.  I myself would probably never spend $85-140 for a name-brand book cover (I'd rather save the money for shoes!)... but I guess must be a market for it.

Anyway, although the Asian frugality in me loves a good deal and I almost never buy full-price... dear hubby is getting "us" an Apple iPad tomorrow.  I love my iPhone but honestly didn't think we really needed an iPad.  But I guess it will be useful for reading my medical textbooks (downloaded in pdf) which are mostly images and won't display right on the Kindle.

Fitted Knits

There are lots of times when I wish I could sew.  I've seen beautiful things made by other talented seamstresses... and the skill would come in such handy when it comes to altering my purchased items.  But unfortunately for me, I can't sew a straight seam to save my life.  Knitting, however, doesn't REALLY require any actual skill.  I learned the basics of knitting from my grandma, but scarves bored me to death and I never really got into it.  Everything changed, however, when I picked up this book a couple years ago:

It literally changed my life!  Most handmade sweaters I've seen before were boxy shapeless ones, and most sweater patterns are for generic S/M/L sizes that of course would never fit me.  But from this book I learned how to make a seamless, fitted sweater customized to my own exact measurements, using any kind of yarn.  It's really just about the math... and with some basic knitting skills anyone could easily do it.  And with a little experience, you can even just look at a sweater sold in stores and figure out how to construct it.  I don't even use patterns anymore, I just buy the yarn that appeals to me and sort of design my own.  There's also a wonderful online knitting community called Ravelry where tons of knitters post pictures of their work and review yarns/patterns, and that's been an invaluable resource.

I don't have that much time to knit anymore, but here's some pictures of the sweaters I've made in the past.  The first one was made from a pattern, the rest are my own experimentations with design.

Pink V-Neck Pullover

Purple Tweed Cardigan

Cotton Lace Top

(the lighting was horrible when I took this pic, actual color is more like on the dress form)

Cream Tweed Cable Boatneck

 

It's actually kind of funny because I live in SoCal where the weather is probably too warm for sweaters for most of the year... so it's a good thing I'm always cold!

Fitted Knits: 25 Projects for the Fashionable Knitter