Wish list and a little J Crew rant

It's like Christmas in late August.....My wishlist is growing longer by the minute. And considering the price tags involved, this will continue to be just that — a wishlist.
Prowling the World Wide Web o' shopping yielded some cool finds. Here's what I'm lusting after now:
• Anthropologie Plaza cardigan. I tried this on in the store, and it's pretty fabulous.
The cobalt blue is so vibrant and bold — and something we'll see a lot of in the fall. The ruffles are also on-trend. The jury's still out on the slouchy pockets. I like 'em alone, but paired with the ruffles it could be overkill.
This is made of a cashmere blend and is so soft, but I was sweatin' in the dressing room since it's still over 100 degrees. Plus, the $128 price tag is a deal-breaker.
• Now that I own one DVF, I want more, more, more. I'm a sucker for words on clothing, and this Julian wrap dress has that newspaper vibe (even though one of the words is "love").
I keep thinking that maybe if I dress to promote newspapers then maybe people will think they're cool and the medium may hang around for a bit longer. Read the paper! Read the paper!
• Free People has been turning out some lust-worthy jewelry, and statement necklaces are huge this fall.
The vintage feel of this piece paired with an edgy vibe from the multiple chains is irresistible. Alas, the $168 price tag is not. Are you sensing a theme here? I have very expensive taste.
• Another on-the-mark find from Free People is this rockin' light-weight coat. Perfect for Tucson's non-existent winters, the We the Free Clash Jacket's got ruffle action paired with studs — also trendy — to temper the feminine frill.
• J Crew has lots of must-own fall pieces, including this sleeveless blouse. Dammit.
I'm trying so hard not to buy Crew because the retailer keeps making me mad.
Most recently, I was trying to use double codes (free shipping plus a 20 percent discount). Everything worked fine on the faux checkout, but when I was ready to pull the trigger, only one code would work.
A call to customer service brought no help. "Sorry. The codes expire at eastern standard time."
That was it.
No offer to help, no consolation prize. Just sorry.
Revolveclothing.com will credit you if a discount code goes up after you've bought something. Free shipping and returns, too.
Order from swayandcake.com and the online director, Erica, will actually try stuff on for you and clue you in to the fit.
Free shipping, too.
J Crew consistently has this screw you attitude.
Even worse than a scorned woman is a scorned shopper.....I was so bitter that I took back a shirt I'd purchased from the red phone in the store (free shipping when you order from the red phone). So take that — you got hosed on the shipping for that order, J Crew.

Keds and 'quins

Keds and 'quins — as in sequins — seem like strange closet companions. And yet, I'm completely drawn to both right now.
'Sup with that?
One is the epitome of practicality and the other is...well, pure hooch. If there is such a thing as bipolar fashion disorder, then surely I have it.
As a kid, I always got a new pair of Keds each year. Of course, they weren't true Keds, just some kind of knock-off. Now I'm more into Simple sneaks, when it comes to that kind of footwear. But, Keds are really looking cute these days. How could anyone not be smitten with the polka dots on these wedges? There's the tall, d'orsay style or the lower one. Can't decide which I like best.
As for the sequins, I've purchased one spaghetti-strapped bustier — a bargain for $15 at Forever XXI (true story: I called the store once, and the 14-year-old boy working there who answered the phone actually said "Hello, x, x, i" rather than 21). Anyway, I envision myself wearing it over a plain, white tee and pairing it with boyfriend jeans to tone down the hooch.
This purple, Free People sequin tank is calling my name. But then I hear it say, "Yeah, who are you kidding? When was the last time YOU went out on a date? Give a sequin top a break and let me go home with a cute, hip 20-something who'll show me some love."

Clothing crush

I am crushing pretty hard on the new Rachel Rachel Roy line, the clothing so nice they named it twice.
I originally fell in love with a rhinestone necklace-adorned tee that I spotted in — of all things — Teen Vogue. But when the designer's new site went live this week, I found tons more to lust after.
Roy — who's a ringer for actress Freida Pinto — has created a lower priced line (i.e., $70-$149 as opposed to $300 and up) that's edgy but very wearable. Items are allegedly available at Macy's (somehow Tucson always gets hosed in the lower-priced designer arena. Our Targets didn't even get the last big-name collection). You can buy on the Web site, www.rachelroy.com — shipping's free. Naturally, all the stuff I want doesn't ship until October.

For your reconsideration

Finding the right mascara is about as easy as finding the right man.
Which is to say, it's flippin' hard.
Earlier (see Gettin' Jiggy Wit Mascara) I'd written about Maybelline's new pulsating mascara — the cheaper alternative to Lancome's smash sensation. It seemed pretty good. Well, after using it for more than a month, I'm changing my tune. It kinda sucks.
After coworkers started pointing out how I could be a linebacker with the heavy black smudges beneath my eyes, I stopped applying the mascara on the bottom lashes. Still, the stuff managed to slide down and make my undereye area look bad.
As if it didn't look tired enough.
So, I'm officially throwing it out and I'm back on the hunt.
I just read positive reviews about a new lengthening Cover Girl mascara. Perhaps I'll try that. Meanwhile, if anyone has suggestions, I'm open.
And, for my second recant of the day.....I need to soften my review of "Who What Wear" By Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power ($18.95).
In a previous post (Gap jeans! "Who What Wear"! Hair powder!), I said you'd be better off saving your Benjamins and just subscribing to the authors' kickin' daily fashion/beauty e-mails instead (whowhatwear.com).
Now that I've had it for a week and have examined it more thoroughly, I think it probably is worth getting as a supplement to the e-mails. It offers good tips on what to splurge on and what you ought to save on and suggested looks for specific occasions.
I still suggest looking through a copy first (I always like to give books a "test drive" before purchase) to make sure it's really what you want. I've passed on all the Lucky magazine books — and I adore the magazine — because to me, the books don't make sense. The monthly mags do the same thing and do it well. The whole point about fashion is that it's cyclical and changes. A book charting current trends isn't useful in a year or even six months from publication — if it's even still relevant when published. Which is why "Who What Wear" is useful — it offer guidelines on how you can pep up a timeless outfit.

Losing it

Signs that I am officially losing it....
I inexplicably placed a glass jar of applesauce precariously on the top of the fridge. The minute unsuspecting husband opened the door, it came crashing down.
Then, this weekend, rather disastrous consequences ensued when I picked hair color based on food I like. Previously, this logic worked with "Chocolate Caramel." I thought I was safe with Garnier Nutrisse's "Truffle."
Now, I look like Professor Snape.
My right foot is still puffy and cranky like an alcoholic on a bender because of foot surgery. I can't wear anything other than a flip-flop. Yet, I keep buying shoes. I soooo desperately want to wear one of the, um, seven pairs that I've acquired while being unable to wear two shoes that I'm contemplating just slapping the post-surgical boot back on my right foot so I can at least wear a new shoe on leftie.
But perhaps the biggest, single sign that my mind is not long for this world....I'm obsessing over fur. Faux, of course. I really want this BB Dakota vest, I don't know why.
It's freakin' 90-plus degrees and will be through at least October and likely into November. I am no where near cool enough to pull of this look. If I wore it to school I'm afraid I'd look like that other crazy mothuh I've dubbed Day Time Hooker Mom. She regularly wears stilettos, a black long tank and leggings to drop her kid off. At 8:30 a.m. Perhaps that's unkind — the tank *does* cover her butt, so perhaps her career is more upscale. Like, an escort.
Of course, if I wore the fur, I'd still look like her pimp.

Shopping with a vengence

Among the many things you shouldn't do when you're angry — shop.
Or, maybe you should.
Blind with fury, you don't see price tags or flaws, you just buy, buy, buy.
I hit La Encantada, a lovely outdoor mall here in Tucson, in a particularly bitter mood this weekend and did some damage at J. Crew and Anthropologie.
Of course, things will marinate with their price tags on while I mull over whether I really *need* another tee. Although this one with its chiffon flowers is just so darling. And versatile.
I'm probably about 3-5 pounds too big for these stretchy J Crew Minnie pants. But, I don't have anything else like them and I think with an appropriately badonkadonk-covering cardi, they'll be just fine.
As for the rosette tank....Well, my love of frilly rosettes has been documented (see previous posting "Everything's coming up...rosettes).
I'm sort of a shopping bulimic, so perhaps some — or all — will go back.
Haven't heard of that affliction? Well, it's a term I can't take credit for. That would be my editor Maria. But, it certainly describes me and how I shop. I buy like crazy in one big binge. Then, I feel guilty and return.
There's an incredibly satisfying feeling — maybe even more satisfying than when the original purchase is made — of relief that comes along with knowing that you can live without something. And, that allllll that money is going back onto the card.
For another day. Then, you get to do it all over again.

Shredded wear

This is (one of the many reasons) why I am not normal.....I had a pair of ripped jeans, I really, really liked them. Thought they looked super cute, but I couldn't bring myself to wear them.
I was afraid the rips would, well, get ripped and ruin the jeans.
Dumb, right?
And now I come across this incredibly cool, distressed Raw 7 cardigan made of shredded modal. You know that material is Charmin-soft — it looks so fine and gauzy. The approach is edgy yet sweet all rolled into one.
It's also more than $200, and I dunno, is it me but that just seems wrong to pay so much for something that's been partially destroyed.
AND if I did happen to wear something that expensive and it got snagged, I'd die. And not in the Rachel Zoe way.