fashion quandary: so near, and yet...

...so far.

these fabienne boots had my eye the instant i saw them in j.crew's new pieces for fall. i had such high hopes that these were, in fact, the perfect fall boot - that elusive cool-weather staple.

alas, that black trim that was all set to make these the perfect fall boot has instead turned them into something sad...for that trim is not regular leather, but patent. i don't think that pulls these squarely into the realm of streetwalker...but it's not a positive thing.

what do you think? can you overlook the shine for the overall chic?

deal of the day: 20% off all j.crew purchases

note that's not only on sale purchases, peeps. guess that slow economy has some fringe benefits after all.

maybe now i can justify nabbing that yellow handbag i've been eyeing. and if i go in and order it from the store, i can snag free shipping too! just a little tip from me to you - happy wednesday!

what i want today: ruffle trench

not much to say about this darling except: perfect. spring. coat.

love the ruffle, the bright orange-red color, the 3/4 sleeve, and the flattering, fitted silhouette. i even love the price, which is much more reasonable than i was expecting.

nab it for $198 at jcrew.

making me happy today: hippos

no idea why, but on a day that isn't leaving much to smile about, i'm really enjoying hippos. random, i know.

hippo charm necklace ($60) by j.crew.

geometric stoneware hippo ($250) by jonathan adler.

hippo cosmetic bag ($18) by simbiosisbyjulia at etsy.

what i want today: j.crew oslo tote

i am so ready for spring - i am pouncing on anything and everything with bright, bold color these days. this fabulous yellow bag by j.crew is a perfect example. the color is absolutely divine (and would be oh-so-cute with my new wallet...). i think citrus colors are really a great "new neutral" when the weather gets warm. they're perfect with brown, black, blue, grey, white...really, just as flexible as most of your classic neutrals, but so much more fun. and i know we're all supposed to be phasing out the massive, suitcase-sized bags...but i just couldn't resist this one.

the down side: the oslo bag is $425, which is unusually high for a j.crew piece - particularly considering their tendency not to line their bags - a very annoying quality in a $400 handbag, if you ask me. but the good news is that i have some serious cash riding on this baby making it to the sale rack. cross your fingers!

what i want today: gorgeous dresses from....jcrew??

i'm sitting here being very annoyed with j.crew - their stupid 'final sale' emails always, always suck me in. i end up spending 20 minutes finding things i want, only to talk myself out of them because i just know i'll get the one sweater that was mislabeled or something, and is actually 2 sizes too small, and i'll be stuck with it for time and all eternity (a phrase that is funnier if you grew up around mormons, but i digress).

however, they've managed to (briefly) redeem themselves. i haven't seen pieces this stunning come out of j.crew....well, ever, really. i mean, i don't really go to them for the fancy, dressy stuff - they're more of a "cashmere sweater & flats" sort of place, right?

but they have a couple of really beautiful options available right now. i absolutely love this silk boatneck a-line dress, which would be a stunning substitute for a suit at the office. or if you love the colors, but wish the style was a little more casual, check out this version, which has a gorgeous ruffled hem, but is otherwise a very straightforward silk sheath that could be styled a dozen different ways.

not a big fan of the pricing - i still dry heave a little at the thought of spending $335 on a j.crew dress. but i have to give credit where credit is due, and these are pretty fantastic.