JCAs, I'm cycling 100 miles and would love to have your support

Hi my dear JCA friends!

Be forewarned:  This post is NOT fashion-related in any way, because it has to do with the use of chamois-padded cycling shorts which, I think we can all agree, are not a fashion item anywhere in this galaxy. :-)

You may have noticed that once again I've been AWOL from blogging.  But I've got a REALLY good reason. I've been quietly investing increasing amounts of time to training for the biggest athletic challenge I've ever set out for myself, and I'm ready to tell y'all about it. 

I’m going to take part in a really exciting and important event, glaydies.  And I'm asking (hat in hand) for your encouragement and, if you can do it, your monetary support.

On Saturday, April 24, 2010, I’m going to be indoor-cycling 100 miles in this year's Atlanta RIDE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE™ benefiting Ovarian Cycle, a wonderful 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness of and funds for the fight against ovarian cancer.  

Since 2004 Ovarian Cycle’s indoor cycling events like this one have raised $645,500 for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, the Ovarian Cancer Institute and the Norma Livingston Foundation, all of which are working on the development of a reliable, early-detection screening test for ovarian cancer.  This is critically important work.  Ovarian cancer remains a deadly threat to women in large part because only 25% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages when treatment is most effective.  This year more than 20,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and the statistics tell us that 15,000 of these women likely will lose their lives to this disease.

I'll be riding my "century" (100 miles) with some good friends from my weekly spinning classes.  We call ourselves “Team Pedal Pushers" and we are riding together because, sadly, we've all watched friends or family battle ovarian cancer or a related cancer. Many of you, I'm sure, have had the same awful experience.  

I'm going to cycle in honor and celebration of my beautiful Texan friend Virginia Tate, who I get to see every summer at a fitness weekend I attend.  Last summer she wasn’t able to attend our annual event because she was battling fallopian tube cancer, a rare and frightening malignancy that's very closely related to ovarian cancer.  Thankfully, she’s had a complete recovery.  I'll be thinking of her radiant face all day long as I'm pedaling through a "virtual" Georgia!

My goal is to raise $2,500 to support Ovarian Cycle's important mission, to honor Virginia's courage and the miracle of her recovery, and to honor all of the countless women we all know and adore who have fought so bravely against terrifying gynecological cancers.  I always hate asking for money, and in these tough economic times I know that I’ve set an especially ambitious target for my fundraising.  But I also know that every dollar will help bring us one step closer to important breakthroughs in the detection and successful treatment of the family of ovarian-related cancers, and that means more happy endings like the one my friend Virginia is living today.  

So I'm asking for help from everyone I know, and it occurred to me that I should include you, darling JCA's. You are intelligent, joyful, generously-spirited women, and I'd be so pleased to have your support for my ride.  I will deeply appreciate any donation you can make, big or small.  Your donations are fully tax-deductible, and if you prefer to keep your IRL name private, you may donate anonymously.

And if you're not in a position to donate right now, then just cheer me on, and please keep Ovarian Cycle in mind for future support when you're feeling able to contribute.

Please click on this link to go to my Ovarian Cycle home page, where you can find more information about Ovarian Cycle and can make a contribution if you like:

JCAUNCMom's Ovarian Cycle Atlanta RIDE TO CHANGE THE FUTURE™ 2010 Page

One more important thing:  Whether or not you’re able to donate money, please be sure to write to me at jcauncmom@gmail.com if you’d like to tell me the name of any woman you know who has faced an ovarian-related cancer.   It would be my privilege to ride in celebration of your loved ones, and I’d like to add their names to Team Pedal Pushers’ Honor Roll of the courageous women for whom we’ll be cycling.  

And could I ask this of you?  If you're a Follower here (and there aren't many of you, but bless your little hearts for hangin' in there with me), please pass along a link to this post to anyone you know who might be interested in supporting Ovarian Cycle's vital work.  

Thank you so much, everyone!! Now, off to meet the team for a 2.5 hour afternoon training ride -- huff puff!!! :-)

JCAs, I'm cycling 100 miles and would love to have your support

Dashing By With Ann Taylor Money Saving Advice

Hey y'all!!

Belated Happy Saint Patrick's Day from this 99.9999% Irish JCA!  Hope yours was green and fun, as was mine!!

Puh-leez accept my apologies for being inexcusably AWOL lately.  I have been reading and lurking occasionally, but obviously not posting.  The past couple of weeks I've been Willie Nelsoning a bit, including a visit to my MIL at her Snowbird perch in Florida where it was seriously NOT WARM (?????), and then almost as soon as I got home, our very adorable Tar Heel DS#2 was home for spring break.  Of course, I spent his whole visit just eatin' him up with a spoon.  One thing is very clear to me: There is no girl good enough.  Period.  I'm just sayin'.

So I have Tales to Tell, but not today.  Today I'm on the fly, and am just buzzing by quickly to impart Secret Important Money Saving Advice.  (My mom, who never "went" anywhere in her life, would have loved that description of my day.  Here's how she'd have described what I've been up to:  "Well honey, (she'd begin) I've have to stand up to weewee today for sure. I had to dash to the grocery store and then zip by the dry cleaner's, and then I made a mad dash by the alteration place and just sprinted real quick thru Target on the way home."  Boy, do I miss ya, Mama.  In your honor later I'm gonna scoot to my spin class. :-)

But back to my quick point, right?  Today's Secret Important Money Saving Advice applies to Ann Taylor.  And the Advice is:  Call Ann Taylor's very friendly customer service people (who, I learned, are in Utah where it's also NOT WARM) before you place an online order.  They will flippin' volunteer to do good things for your wallet.

I know this because I have been eyeing a couple of AT pieces that have now gone on sale, and during my dashes, zips and flits today I was positively, pitifully seized with the notion that my sale items were going to sell out while I was driving around.  So instead of eating lunch I went online (yeah, I know, but again I'm SAYIN') to place my lil' order but before hitting SEND I called AT CS to ask a sizing question.  As CS Gal is looking up my sizing info I casually ask "So, have ya got any good promos you can help me out with?  I haven't been able to find anything that would apply to sale stuff."  To which she says, "Well, you're right, all of our current codes apply to full-price stuff, but I'm sure I could find something good for you...."  And she proceeded to take $30 off my order, which pre-discount was only a little over $100.  This was way better than what I'd have earned in Ebates dollars.

So call, shuggas.  There are many adorable things left on sale. Don't trust the AT online search engine by size, by the way -- things go missing.  Just scroll thru the categories and you'll find goodies.

And if you do order online don't forget to order thru Ebates. Here are a few Ann Taylor codes that are currently working for full-price items.  Enjoy!

30% off $100 coupon -- Use code:  30CABIN Click link, enter code & you'll receive 30% off your online order of $100 or more (excludes sale.) This coupon expires April 7, 2010.
40% off coupon -- Use code:  40CABIN Click link, enter code & you'll receive 40% off your online order of three or more full-priced items. This coupon expires March 24, 2010.
30% off $100 coupon -- Use code:  30MORE Click link, enter code & you'll receive 30% off your online order of $100 or more (excludes sale.) This coupon expires April 7, 2010.
40% off coupon  -- Use code:  ANN STYLE Click link, enter code & you'll receive 40% off your online order of three or more full-priced items). This coupon expires March 24, 2010.

Buzzing out of here, now that I've fully enabled your AT shopping!  Be back soon with Tales to Tell!!!

Dashing By With Ann Taylor Money Saving Advice

Penny Loafers & "Penny Moccasins", Revisited

It's been a quiet weekend around Casa JCAUNCMom (I am going to HAVE to shorten my screen name) with just me and my pooch -- DH is out of town and Journey Boy's been out and about with friends, and working at his new part-time restaurant/bakery job.  (More on that another time!)

Today I want to follow up with more thoughts on the what's-old-is-new-again return of the classic Penny Loafer.  Ever since I saw the Bass Weejun in the February JC catalog and Kathy's follow up post over at her blog, I've been musing about buying a pair.  And if you're like me, boy, do you have some good options.  What's old really is new again!  Let me share a few finds with you.

The Penny Loafer (mine were Bass) and the Sperry A/O Two-Eye Topsider (also on-trend this spring -- go figure) were truly the shoes of my teens and college years, girls.  (Yeah, I know how olllllllllld that makes me. ;-))  Bass Weejuns were a staple in my high school wardrobe, and we wore them pretty much as you see them being styled by J. Crew -- with everything, with and without socks.  I had two pairs, and my favorite was in a color that reminded me of my mother's distressed walnut dining room chairs -- sort of a warm chestnut brown.  Lo and behold, they looked exactly like these beauties:

 

Bass Wayfarers (a/k/a Weejuns) in "Karicole Patent" (yes, patent -- but kind of a soft satin finish) available at Zappo's (in this color and several others) for $89.  

Just a quick Google search and I found this same shoe quite widely available, with prices are almost all right around Zappos' price.  Here's an example:  Shoes and Boots Now.com, where this shoe is $80 and shipping's free for anything over $79, but you'll wait longer than with Zappos' amazing free overnight shipping and free return shipping.  By the way, if you're not already signed up to be a "VIP" Zappos customer at VIP Zappos.com, hurry on over.  Just being a customer there guarantees you the best in all of Zappos' deals on shipping and pricing.

In case this shoe floats your boat, I'll tell you that Bass Wayfarers famously, always and still run 1/2 size big on most people.  I know Kathy has gotten a pair or two and she felt they were running big (although I think she kept her usual size to allow for a little extra width -- they do run narrow, so do what Kathy did if your tootsies are wide.)

Compare this to the nearly-if-not-identical G. H. Bass Penny Loafer being sold at JC for a defiantly whopping $120:

 

Now check this out:

 This one's a Sebago Plaza in a very similar color just called "Brown" (wow, who stayed up all night thinking of that one), also available at Zappos for $89, and preferred by many Zappos customers for style (a little different tongue, a bit higher on the foot all around and a stitch-reinforced heel) and fit.  These seem to fit narrower feet even better.

But wait, Loafer Lovers.  There's more.  My second pair of high school Penny Loafers was in a menswear color that guys call "cordovan" -- a gorgeous burgundy that looked sooooo good year-round with blacks and greys and cooler colors and even khakis.  Presto, here they are:

If you like this, you'll find it at Zappos, or anyplace else the classic Wayfarer/Weejun is sold.  The color's called "Burgundy Box".

But let's say cordovan/burgundy's not your thing, and you'd prefer a richer, darker brown?  With maybe a touch of shine for spring?  How d'ya like these?  Gorgeous, huh?

 

Another view of the same shoe:

This one's made, believe it or not, by Sperry, and it's called the Authentic Original (or A/O) Capetown.  This color is called "Dark Brown Patent Croc", and it also comes in black patent which is wicked pretty.  You'll find this shoe at both Zappos ($85 in limited sizes) and Onlineshoes.com ($74 in more sizes).  Word is that it runs TTS.

So you're saying "Kath, love that glammed-up brown, but a Penny Loafer's not my thing."  How about a fantastically comfortable driving moc style in a bronzed brown metallic?  This ought to take you from winter into a very fashionable spring:

This is the Cole Haan Air Penny Driver Moccasin" in Brown Metallic, on sale for a fantastically great $99 (40% off) at Nordstrom.  

I lucked into this shoe just a week or so ago at TJ Maxx in a crinkled black patent, and honest to goodness, it puts my JC driving mocs to shame.  Look for it if you're near a Teej.  It runs TTS, it's got that Nike Air insole for cushiness, glove-soft leather and heavy-duty treads on the soles for traction and comfort.  If there's no Teej near you carrying them, you can find this shoe at Nordstrom in a smooth black patent, as well as in black calf and brown calf.  We're talking the ultimate in driving moc comfort and style.  No offense, J. Crew, 'cause you know I love me my Lizzies.

Now, last but by no means least in my book, there's the always-hard-to-resist colorful loafer option.  Y'all know by now what a sucker I am for colorful shoes, especially since I often tend to dress in a "column of color" (like, say, black or navy or grey or cream) and I don't wear many prints unless they're kind of subtle.  A pop of color in my shoes is one of my "personal style" looks -- ya know, something that my friends often see on me and seem to enjoy.  I get especially woozy when I see a good looking pair of red shoes.  Whaddaya know, I can be on-trend with Penny Loafers AND wear red shoes!  Whatcha think of these babies?

 

These are the same Bass Wayfarers from Zappos, in Red Patent.

Cute as a ladybug, if you ask me.  But coming in neck-and-neck, and possibly winning because of that awesome Air Nike insole, is the equally fetching Cole Haan "Air Penny Moccasin" in Lacquer Red patent:

 

This one's currently on sale at the marked-down price of $120 at Nordstrom. 

There you have it -- a few of the wonderful choices out there if you're interested in trying a classic Penny Loafer.  Or are in the market for a fab pair of driving mocs to add to your collection. :-)  I'd love to hear what you think of these, glaydies.

Stay warm, and to my Mid-Atlantic pals, be careful in all that snow but enjoy it!

See y'all later in the week!

Penny Loafers & "Penny Moccasins", Revisited

For Gigi -- The Redwood Schoolboy Blazer, Three Ways

Another quickie from me today, girls.  I am wearing my Redwood Schoolboy Blazer today (look number three below) and thought I'd Polyvore up a few options for Gigi.  Keep that jacket, girlfriend.

This is fast becoming one of my favorite jackets, and right now it's still available in a wide array of sizes.  Marked down from $198 to $99.99 plus today's EXTRA30 -- at that price, I think it's a deal and a half, girls.  It runs TTS for this type of classic, fitted blazer, which, for me, translates as the larger of my 2 JC jacket sizes.

Enjoy the day, everybody!  It's so pretty here and I'm about to go and enjoy some errand-running and a little bit of cranked-up Beatles in my car! :-)

The Redwood Schoolboy Blazer

(a surprisingly versatile little jacket!)

Option I



Redwood Schoolboy Blazer I by JCAUNCMom featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
Frances ruffled tuxedo shirt - J.Crew, $90
Women's jackets & blazers - jackets & blazers - Wool schoolboy blazer..., $100
Women - wool - Wool tweed Oona coat - J.Crew, $90
J.Crew - Search, $165
Tory Burch 'Nico' East-West Tote

Option II

Redwood Schoolboy Blazer II by JCAUNCMom featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
J.Crew Frances stripe ruffled tuxedo shirt, $90
Women's jackets & blazers - jackets & blazers - Wool schoolboy blazer..., $100
WILD BLACKBERRY Stretch twill minnie pant - J.Crew, $40
Women's Patent Tortoise Ballet Flats - J.Crew, $125
Women's Navigation - Women - Campo bag - J.Crew, $300

and Option III (what I'm wearing today, with very similar oxford shoes)

Redwood Schoolboy Blazer III by JCAUNCMom featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
j.crew doggie tee
Women J.Crew cashmere Tissue turtleneck, $40
Women knits & tees Ringspun cotton crewneck tee, $33
Women's jackets & blazers - jackets & blazers - Wool schoolboy blazer..., $100
Women vintage slim Distressed vintage slim jean, $135


The tissue turtleneck is worn under the doggie tee, but is also optional -- if the day is warmer just wear the tee.

Another shoe option for this look would be the Cadogan ankle boot (without the argyles, of course). Wicked cute with the jeans rolled tightly to about an inch above the boots.

And for an fun alternate belt look, try using TWO skinny leather belts.  Sometimes I criss cross them and buckle each one into the other one's buckle.

For this look, I'd use these two faves -- the hazelnut and the neon orange classic leather belt. 

For Gigi -- The Redwood Schoolboy Blazer, Three Ways

OOTD 1/24/10: Sunday Night Sushi featuring the Professor Blazer

Hi everyone!  Quick little post (I know, uncharacteristic) with an equally quick Polyvore for you of a simple and comfy outfit that I wore last night.  It was raw, chilly and raining cats and dogs, but DH and I ventured out to have all-you-can-eat sushi & dim sum with some good friends.  Given the weather it seemed appropriate to incorporate the much-love doggie tee!

And by the way, this outfit would have been cute, too, with the Schoolboy blazer in Redwood and the same glass cylinder necklace in dusty blossom (or both necklaces).  I know Gigi has pondered keeping that Redwood blazer, here, and FWIW, I'm finding that it's a very workable neutral.

Enjoy your day! :-)

Sunday Night Out featuring the Professor Blazer by JCAUNCMom featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
j.crew doggie tee
Women knits & tees Ringspun cotton crewneck tee, $33
J.Crew - Wool herringbone professor blazer, $200
J.Crew ankle toothpick jean in twilight wash, $125
Black Boots (Nine West "Frollic" in black suede)

OOTD 1/24/10: Sunday Night Sushi featuring the Professor Blazer

Speaking of Sperry Topsiders

Hey gals and the occasional guy! Busy day around Casa di Tar Heels.  Journey Boy's having a few extra friends over for dinner.  JB's college buddy/housemate and housemate's girlfriend are coming later today to spend the night with us en route to driving out to Colorado where they'll be living for two years and working, I think, with Americorps.  (Could be Teach America or the Peace Corps -- I'm not 100% sure which organization, but you get the idea.)

But of course, even in the midst of a busy day I have to make time for a cup of coffee and pop by my Blogger Dashboard.   Something always catches my eye amongst your wonderful writings.  Today's eye-catcher was the chatter over at the mothership about Sperry Topsiders.

What a jolt of nostalgia THIS product reappearance has given me!  I lived in Topsiders for four years of college, honest to goodness.  At both of my colleges (I switched mid-sophomore year), Topsiders were a part of the unisex uniform, and life simply could not go on if yours wore out.  We all had plain old brown ones with cream-colored soles and caramel rawhide laces, just like these:

I don't think Sperry even made this shoe in another color, and if they did, my crowd didn't buy 'em.  In downtown Athens, Georgia (home of my beloved UGA -- go Dawgs!) there was a fantastic clothing and shoe store called Heery's Clothes Closet that had student-priced stuff AND chic mom-and-dad-priced stuff.  Heery's is still there and still fabulous, and boy, back in the day it was THE place to shop.  They did a brisk lil' biz in Topsiders -- I'll bet I bought 5 or 6 identical pair in my 2.5 years at UGA.  I wore them with Army green fatigues or canvas painter's pants from the Army/Navy store, plus an Izod shirt and a clear vinyl belt.  Voila, uniform completed.

So I will mos' def get myself some Topsiders for this spring, and I'll grin every time I put them on, I'm sure.  Which ones to get, though?  The color and fabric choices now are mind-boggling.

Here are a few of my favorites from Zappos, in the Topsider classic "A/O 2 Eye" style and in a sister style called the "Bluefish 2 Eye".  Be forewarned, kids -- I am a sucker for brightly colored shoes.  If you prefer neutrals, click on the Zappos links because lots of cute neutral combos are available.  

Here's the A/O 2 Eye in Raspberry. Cute as a pink bug, and available for you to invite into your closet RIGHT HERE.  I'm picturing cropped pants or shorts, a fun tee with ruffles or a graphic, and a Jackie in a contrasting bright color.

 

Meet Miss Orange, the cheerful sistuh of Miss Raspberry.

Oh please, STOP it.  How can anybody NOT love Topsiders in navy denim with navy patent accents??  What could I NOT wear these with, from my khaki/grey/army green/honey glaze/rosy pink basic palette?  Welcome to my closet, cuties.  Heidi, are ya seeing these? ;-)

These are the "Bluefish" style (which also is available in a couple of colors with a shearling lining -- oh SNAP!)  Check them out along with FIFTEEN other color combos RIGHT HERE.  This color is so luscious in the suede, and although it's hard to see here, there's patent on the accents here, too. 

Same shoe.  Had to show you this rich forest green.

Last one of the "Bluefish" for ya.  I love this combination of a creamy vanilla, springtime-y base color with the fun plaid accents.  Come to Mama.

So whatcha think, glaydies?

That's it for me for now -- off to make lasagna for a crowd.  For which, by the way, I'll post the recipe later if you like.  This variation is vegetarian (in honor of JB's vegetarian buddy/housemate) and uses roasted veggies of all sorts, black beans and a spicy sauce.  Yum-O!

Speaking of Sperry Topsiders

Oh my, an award!!

A view of Atlanta's downtown skyline ... with a rare addition to the ground cover!

Good morning, everyone, from freeeeeeezing (16 degrees) and ice-glazed, snow-dusted Atlanta, where we are so not used to dealing with this!!!  BRRRR!!!

As always, a cup of coffee and a visit to some of my favorite blogs started me off on the right foot -- I should say the right fashionably-clad, fit and well-fed foot.  My blogroll is chock full of JCA's, but in the wake of Julie & Julia and the holiday season I've been adding a few cooking and baking blogs, and of course I follow my most beloved fitness instructors' blogs as well.  To be a proper online guest, I really should sit down at my computer dressed in a fetching workout ensemble accessorized with great J. Crew jewelry, with one perfectly-brewed serving of coffee in a bone china cup on the rim of which is perched one perfectly-made gourmet breakfast scone.

Hold onto that image, friends.  Naturally, that is exactly what I usually look like sitting here.  Do not picture me, hair thrown up on my head like Pebbles Flintstone, sprawled in my comfy leather office chair this late in the morning in a UNC sweatshirt over candy-cane-decorated thermal jammies and fuzzy red 'n white Victoria's Secret snowflake slippers (yeah, I'm slow putting away the holiday garb, I know.)  I plead total inertia and I blame it on ice and cold and snowy dust, which in the ATL equals immobilized city.

So, you got the right pic of me in your minds, right?  Super, because yours truly was given the prized Beautiful Blogger award by one of my blog heroes, the always-wonderful Fabulous Florida Mommy!  Thank you so much, FFM!  It's a wonderful award, and especially nice to receive it from you!

To accept this award I need to tell you 7 random things about me, and then nominate 7 of my favorite bloggers to receive the same award.  Cool.  Here ya go, inquiring minds!

•  My parents nicknamed me "Kathy" when I was born (short for Kathryn), but I don't remember a single time in my entire life that either of them called me Kathy.  They had other pet names for me.  My dad's favorite was Kas -- pronounced like "Cass" -- and my mom's fave was Katie. Even my sister never called me Kathy (she did, and does, call me "Sister".)  Being the good girl that I was, for years I only introduced myself as "Kathy", as instructed.  Imagine how confusing this was to new friends who visited me at home!  As an adult I still introduce myself as Kathy, but sometimes I share this oddball naming tidbit from my past with my friends, and as a result one whole group of friends has chosen to call me "Kas."  Another group has made up a whole new nickname of their own and only call me "Kath."  By the way, my DH calls me Kathryn or Kath -- NEVER Kathy.  I'll answer to anything if you're holding movie theater popcorn for me.
  

• I'm a seriously addicted fan of everything Star Trek and own the entire 7-year box set of ST: The Next Generation.  You could strand me with Patrick Stewart and I'd be a happy castaway.

• I have watched and adored Days of Our Lives since I was in college.  Of course I missed a few years pre-VCR/pre-TiVO, when I was a full-time working mother of two busy boys.  But in the soap opera universe time is a weirdly fluid kinda thing, so when I was able to start taping the show I caught up in no time.  Now I TiVo the whole week and on the weekend I cruise through all five episodes in about 45 minutes.  A real guilty pleasure.

•  If Journey Boy (DS #1) had been a girl, we were going to name him Caroline.  His girlfriend of almost four years is named Caroline.  I consider this cosmic.

• If I'd been a boy, my parents were going to name me Kevin.  I wanted to name Blues Boy (DS #2) Kevin.  For months DH said no (and it was always more like "HELL NO", actually), but he was strangely dodgey about telling me why, so I kept trying to persuade him.  Finally he confessed that the only wrestling match he lost in his stellar high school career was to a guy named Kevin. 'Nuff said.  I didn't entirely lose the war, though; hearing me tell the story of why NOT "Kevin", my paralegal said to me "Well, why don't you name him 'Evan'?"  Eureka.  We did.  Close enough.

• I looooove spinning and take a class on Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6:00.  One of my secret (except to you ;-)) 2010 goals is to become certified to teach spinning myself.

• My taste in music is kinda all over the map.  I love 70's and 80's music (you could also strand me with Jon Bon Jovi, actually -- I'd never wanna be rescued.)  But I also like me a little country (Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Sugarland, a little bit of Brad Paisley and Willie Nelson, and I highly recommend you check out Billy Currington's "People are Crazy" for a classically country hoot 'n a holler.)  And I'm a big fan of Usher and Kanye.
  

Okay, fangirls, that does it for my mini-autobiography. Now I'd like to pass along this award to seven terrific bloggers, some of whom y'all might not know.  Not in any particular order...

• The Brownie Project  -- An awesome, awesome blog devoted to one of my favorite food groups.
• Mid-Century Mom -- The nom de plume of the beautiful DinaGideon, who in my book would give June Cleaver a serious run for the money as Most Elegant, Effortless & Ethereally Pretty Homemaker.
• Jillian, Inc. -- A recently-discovered new favorite; an Atlanta JCA gal like me who is gorgeous, well-dressed, devoted to her equally gorgeous family and very, very witty.
• Dinners for a Year and Beyond -- A gold mine of great recipes and a delightful cook/author.
• Smells Like Home -- Another foodie blog that I really love, devoted mostly if not entirely to Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipes -- and I always love Ina's food!  Beautiful pictures that you just wanna take a bite out of.  Great stuff.
• My Favorite Things -- Love this blog, love this gal.  Read about what she accomplished in 2009.  And she's a big fan of LOST -- me too, girl, me too. :-)
• Tracey's Blog -- The blog home of my friend Tracey Staehle, who is a truly wonderful gal.  She's a fitness instructor who has been producing fitness videos for a few years (see her website, Fit by Tracey) and she's the proud new mommy of the beautiful Scarlett Olivia Staehle.  If you own a treadmill, you MUST buy Tracey's "Walking Strong" DVD and you MUST preorder her just-filmed "Walking Stronger."  She makes walking on a treadmill hard, productive and fun.  A party in a package.

Happy Friday, everybody!  Stay warm and have a nice weekend.  Blues Boy leaves to go back to college on Sunday morning so we'll be doing Fun Things With the Family for the next two days.  See you soon!

Oh my, an award!!

Surfacing for Air! Happy Holidays from Casa de JCAUNCMom!!

Hi glaydies!

I'm about three weeks late in saying this, friends, but do let me wish all of you a wonderful holiday season!  I hope every celebration in your holiday universe has been joyful, stress-free and fun -- be it Hanukkah, Christmas (traditional or orthodox), Kwanzaa or anything else including the often-overlooked Seinfeldian Festivus.

As you have no doubt noticed if you're one of my trusty little band of followers or are an occasional dropper-by, I've been AWOL from my own blog for weeks and weeks.  I've been suffering from an extreme case of Overwhelmeditis, which is especially easy for ME to catch since I am a card-carrying, founding member of the "seriously ADD but didn't know it til her kid was diagnosed" Club.  It's been an exceptionally busy holiday season around here, starting really just before Thanksgiving.  In six weeks here's what's been shakin' around Casa de JCAUNCMom:

• Journey Boy arrived home safe, sound, healthy and happy from his epic cross-country trip, with hundreds of pictures and reams of journal pages that he's working on editing (so, more to come on both text and pics as soon as he's officially allowed me to publish a few).
• I had a mercifully short bout of the flu -- the regular kind, not the swine kind, yet just awful nonetheless.  It started right before Thanksgiving and sort of limped along that whole holiday weekend during which we were in NJ visiting the DH Clan.  My immune system really pulled out the stops and I managed to get thru that weekend reasonably intact with just a sort of overall feeling of crummy, but when I got home the last of my brave little defenses collapsed and I was flattened for another four or five days.  Yuck.
  
• Blues Boy's early December birthday arrived (age 20 ... twenty???) just as I was recuperating from the flu and just as he and all five of his suitemates at UNC came down with a wicked head cold.  Poor kids.  I had remembered even in my flu-induced stupor to order him a strawberry birthday cake from my all-time favorite cake site Very Vera, and over the course of a week he and his buddies apparently ate it in shifts, as their heads cleared enough to allow them to taste it.  Then their exams started.  Poor kids again!
• Mrs. Santa -- depending heavily upon her Online Elves this year -- got a late start but managed to get everyone on the Nice List a few goodies.  In view of this year's economy we really did dial it back, but I was pleased to take advantage of a couple of the good sales at The CrewseShip's site.  Can I say that all my boys are lookin' quite well-outfitted this week? Oo la la!
  
• Mrs. Santa also decorated the house, which in our interfaith home means that I go allllllllll out.  Translation:  Cars slow down to gawk.  I think the neighbors send their friends to look, seriously.  We've got a menorah faithfully lit for the 8 nights of Hanukkah, but we've also got an old-fashioned multi-colored Christmas tree, a wreath on the door and reindeer in the yard.  And why not, right?  True story:  When our boys were young we used to invite some of their Jewish friends to help decorate our tree, and one year I actually had my DH (Jewish) and the two dads (one Jewish and one Buddhist) of a couple of our sons' friends on ladders putting lights on my tree for me.  Isn't that the definition of Ho Ho Ho???
• Blues Boy made it home safely after exams, still sniffling.  He's all better now, thanks to a ten day dose of super-intense Mama Care.
  
• Hanukkah came and went, with our usual small-scaled but sincere and fun celebration.
• The four of us went to see Billy Crystal do his one-man show 700 Sundays.  Fantastic show -- a hysterically funny, deeply moving and truly awesome tour de force memoir of Billy's fascinating family life.  Such a great treat for us, and a nice Jewishly change of pace from our usual family "holiday night out" which is often The Nutcracker at Atlanta Ballet or A Christmas Carol or some other festive Christmas show at one of the many local theaters.  L'chaim, y'all!
  
• And right on Hanukkah's heels Christmas week roared by in a happy blur of wrapping packages, cooking, baking and visiting with friends.

So here we are.  It's quiet at Mi Casa today.  JB's beautiful girlfriend is visiting, so they're out hitting the after-Christmas sales.  BB is, as I type this, searching On Demand for a movie and sinking into an impressive sub sandwich he constructed from Christmas leftovers.  I hear Eddie doing his most pitiful "pleeeeeeaaaaassse share" whine and I'm betting BB will ignore him.  DH is at work, and I am enjoying this tiny lull before I get set for us to ring out 2009 in style with a small dinner party on Thursday evening for three couples who are all dear old friends.  I'm thinking Italian buffet -- whatch'all think?  I'll post menu ideas, how 'bout that?

Glaydies, I hope for all of you, and for my own family here and scattered all over, that 2010 becomes a year that we'll be able to look back upon fondly.  I don't do "New Year's Resolutions" any more, having decided years ago that big, grand, long-term goals like that don't work for little ol' ADD me.  But I do set smaller, more manageable goals for myself, and one of mine this next year is going to be:  Write more in my blogs.  So, if I'm "on track", look for more of me and my scribblings here  (WITH OOTD AND IRL PICS, I PROMISE) and at my other blog 500 Characters Max.  You can bet you'll see me commenting here and there on YOUR wonderful blogs.

Before I sign off, I do want to share three pics with you all.  Enjoy!

The first is my Tar Heels (BB on left, JB on right) on Christmas morning (check out their Santa hats :-)) with our 13-year-old Bichon Frise, Eddie.  It was early-ish, and you can see how very excited Eddie was to be roused from his favorite Nap Chair for this picture:

And here is what I believe might win the prize for Funniest Power-Point-Created Christmas Gift Packaging Ever.  I had asked the boys for a copy of "This Is It", the Michael Jackson DVD.  Here's what I got:

Happy New Year, everyone!!!!!!

Surfacing for Air! Happy Holidays from Casa de JCAUNCMom!!

If You Coveted ABC's Purple LP Clutch....

Hi everyone!

It's been awhile since I've had time to post, although I've tried to find a few minutes each day to peek at your blogs for fun.  All's well here, though, and when I can get back here later today to tell y'all what's been cookin'.  (Hint:  Navy shoe shopping.  Plus ridiculous water-related house repair issues keep cropping up like mushrooms!)

For the moment, I've got a couple of quickies to post about.  First things first -- HUGE THANKS to Kathy and Seashell for giving me the Over the Top Blogger Award!  I'm so tickled, girls -- I just love you two and I really appreciate you thinking of me! Watch for another post from me where I'll answer the OTT Blogger questions! :-)

And next, I want to pass along a tip from my morning e-mail:  a Bluefly TODAY ONLY extra 15% off sale. :-)  If you've never shopped Bluefly (and I can't imagine you girls haven't), it's essentially Loehmann's Back Room, online.  High-end stuff at ever-increasing discounts.  The gamble is to wait something out -- if it's still there in a couple of weeks it WILL be marked down again.

There's lots of great stuff marked down the extra 15% today, but the main reason I'm alerting you to this sale is that contemporary handbags are marked down... including some gorgeous Linea Pelle bags.  And what will you find there, if you look?  None other than that beautiful LP "Alyssa" clutch in "Purple Dawn" that our friend A Bigger Closet bought to replace the J. Crew Lexi clutch in Light Amethyst, which she didn't love.  She's a big fan of this Linea Pelle clutch.

I have borrowed this picture from ABC's blog for you (thank you, ABC -- hope this was okay to do!)

Bluefly has this cutie (or the same bag in a pretty taupe color) on sale for $99.45, marked down from $195.  ABC was able to buy hers directly from Linea Pelle for a little less money because she scored an awesome sale + a discount code, but this bag's sold out at LP's website.  Bluefly's price is still a great sale price.

Don't forget to do your Bluefly shopping through Ebates.com so that you can rack up an extra 4% in Ebates dollars!  And get this -- if you are a first-time Bluefly shopper and spend more than $200, Ebates will kick in another $40 off for you!  

Happy shopping, glaydies, and I'll see ya later!

If You Coveted ABC's Purple LP Clutch....

Searching for the Elusive Navy Flat Shoe

Part II of today's posting. :-)

It's autumn, and for my wardrobe color palette that means I'm on a quest for some new navy shoes.  I need driving mocs/loafers for my usual "uniform" of cords, tee and sweater, and I need some ballet flats for my skinny lil' toothpick jeans.  As much as I really hate to say this, I am finding over time that many of my Crew ballet flats aren't very comfortable.  Do y'all find this??  It's especially true of some of the stiffer patent leathers (e.g., metallic guava and peacock Salinas), which I love... until I wear them for a while.  Could be I am needing to size up a 1/2 size -- I may try that -- but I'm feeling a little burned and so am looking elsewhere for this fall.  And I'm not looking to spend $$$ on anything -- $$ or better yet $ would be wonderful for my clothing budget!

Wow, are there some cutie pie shoes out there in the $ to $$ price range, from basics on up. I'm with our friend Sweet Tea in Seattle on this:  I love Endless.com.  I also have a close personal one-on-one relationship with Zappos.com.  I've even been invited to join VIP.Zappos.com.  Oo-la-la. :-)

I Polyvored a few candidates, of course including some juicy little items that aren't navy -- aren't even blue at all! -- but look so luscious.  I especially like the idea of the little evergreen-colored Calvin Klein suede ballet flat with some of that gorgeous new forest-green stuff at JC.

Here are the mocs & loafers:

It's Autumn -- New Navy Mocs & Loafers Needed! by JCAUNCMom on Polyvore.com

And here are a few from the SO many beautiful ballet flats out there:

Ballet Flats in Beautiful Colors! by JCAUNCMom featuring Cole Haan shoes

Whatcha think, JCA's?

Searching for the Elusive Navy Flat Shoe

A Visit Home from Blues Boy

Good morning JCA's!

I've been searching for navy blue flats (ballet and moc-style) and in my next post want to report on a few interesting possibilities (Heidi, oh Heidi, are you listening, GF?) -- but first lemme tell y'all why you're looking at an especially happy JCAUNCMom today!

(1) The weather's (finally) beautiful and dry here and

(2) WAY more important, Mr. J'Mom and I had the absolute delight of a nice long-weekend visit home from our almost-20-year-old DS#2!!!

Since his older brother Journey Boy has a blogosphere name, let's name DS#2 more descriptively.  How about "Blues Boy", in honor of his startlingly blue eyes and his love for all things "Carolina Blue"?  Sneak peek at the big blue eyes and the face I love so much:

Blues Boy blew into town last Wednesday night for UNC's fall break and brought with him an adorable suitemate, along with a huge dose of clutter and stinky giant shoes and noise and laughter.  The most fantastic manly aromas drifted out of Blues Boy's shades-drawn-vampire-in-residence bedroom, our guest room (shades also drawn -- vampire number two in temporary residence) and my usually-pristine-these-days bathrooms, which for four days stayed all delightfully steamed up and messy with wet towels on the floor and the lingering scents of Old Spice deodorant (BB's favorite) and some pleasant girl-enticing cologne.  I spent the whole weekend wearing a big silly grin.  The boys packed just about every Atlanta activity possible into their 3 1/2 days here.  Lots of college kids seemed to be on break or just in town this weekend, so Blues Boy got to introduce many of his high school "posse" to Cute Suitemate.  Saturday night a big crew piled into our house for ping pong, pool and roasting s'mores, marshmallows and banana boats over our little copper fire pit.  Hubby and I spent the evening in the living room watching shows we'd TIVO'd, answering the front door, happily getting big hugs and hearing life-at-college tales, and listening to the chatter and belly laughs coming from the back yard.  Heaven heaven heaven!!!

Today the boys are back at college, and in the ATL our house is quiet, order is restored, and our little old dog is zonked in a state of delighted exhaustion.  This must be a bit like what Cinderella felt like at 12:10 a.m.  Dinner tonight will be on a much smaller scale, and the doorbell won't ring to interrupt our evening.  These aren't bad things at all -- don't get me wrong.  Life in an Empty Nest is sweet in many ways, and I do enjoy the order and peacefulness.  But I don't think anything will ever send our happiness rating soaring more than having our children, their friends, and someday their wives and children home to visit.  It's the definition of pure joy.  If we could bottle that feeling, creating world peace would be a piece of cake. :-)

A Visit Home from Blues Boy

Passing This Along: Deal on NWT Navy Winnie Stadium Jacket, Size 6

Hey folks,

I'm just running my usual recreational searches on eBay this lazy afternoon while DH "watches football" (meaning, of course, naps), and I ran across an auction by a seller who always offers discount deals on NWT JC stuff.  Today's auction is for a size 6 NWT Winnie Stadium Jacket from this fall season's collection, in NAVY (the auction photo is yellow, but read the auction text) -- Buy It Now price is $160 or bid starting at $140.

FYI, I tried this jacket on IRL and it runs a bit roomy, IMHO. I'm almost always an 8 in my JC jackets and coats, and the 6 was fine.

Buyer beware, of course.  If you're hesitant I'd ask the seller some questions.  I have no clue how he manages this pricing, but I bought one item from this seller before and had no problems at all.  If the merchandise is counterfeit I sure couldn't tell it.

Here's the link:  Winnie Stadium Jacket eBay Auction

Passing This Along: Deal on NWT Navy Winnie Stadium Jacket, Size 6

Journey Boy Checks In

Happy dreary Saturday, friends!

Once again, I'm looking around my fair Southern city and my cheerful, busy neighborhood today and wondering when we all got picked up Dorothy-style and dropped over the rainbow into the Pacific Northwest.  It is raw, wet, and unseasonably cold -- again -- and there are no bikes, trikes, Big Wheels or skateboards afoot outside.  We're all hunkered down.

It's been like this now for weeks with few breaks, and I find myself (a) sending big mental hugs to my JCA friends who really ARE in the Pacific Northwest -- and other areas where this is ordinary October weather -- and (b) having to search harder and harder for mood pick-me-uppers. But today I got a great one when I logged into my e-mail with my first cup of coffee:  an e-mail (the first of the trip) from our wonderful DS#1, a/k/a Journey Boy, with pictures!

If you don't know who and what I'm talking about, before you read on I suggest you peek back at my post from mid-September about my son's then-impending departure on his dream trip.  He's a month in, with about six weeks to go, and he's as happy as a pig in the mud, I'm tellin' ya. Today's e-mail was brisk and jaunty, and his pictures reflect that same delighted attitude.  He and his traveling buddy "Moose" (the non-dredlocked guy in the blue shirt in the first picture below -- Moose is so nicknamed because he was born in Canada) are loving what Journey Boy calls "life in the Champagne Beauty" --- their name for the champagne-colored 2007 Dodge Grand Caravan that they're calling home. In the first month of their trip they've camped, climbed, hiked, visited friends and family and generally cavorted their genial way thru the Carolinas, the Virginias, New Jersey and New York, Kentucky, the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, Grand Tetons National Park, Nevada (with a stop in Reno to mail home a box of clothes that, although fresh from the laundromat, smelled magically like my boy!), Salt Lake City, and parts of California, where last week they met up with two other buddies who will be with them for the remainder of their trip.

 Journey Boy (left) and Moose.

Journey Boy in his climbing harness.

The Badlands in South Dakota.

Sunrise, somewhere early in their trip -- this one wasn't labeled.  But wow.

Moose (left) and JB.  With George Washington. (Mount Rushmore -- look carefully at the background.  This is your "Where's Waldo?" picture of the day. )

  I can't look at this picture without grinning and without thinking about Willie Nelson's classic lyrics:

On the road again, 

Goin’ places that I’ve never been. 

Seein’ things that I may never see again,

And I can’t wait to get on the road again.

On the road again,

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway. 

We’re the best of friends,

Insisting that the world keep turning our way.

And our way is

On the road again.

JB does his bouldering thing.

The Black Hills of South Dakota.  D'ya see those granite peaks (probably "the Needles" but we're not certain) in the background?  I'm betting that my son did a bit of dangling there.

Here's my boy in the burgundy sweatshirt, just getting started on the ascent of a bouldering "problem" (that's kinda like "route" or "as-yet unconquered piece of giant rockface" to the rest of us non-climbers).  He's standing in front of Moose and I think that's their other two pals Nate and Tommy who are watching.

Today's e-mail reported that  "...we're taking a rest day right now in the town of Bishop [California] after having climbed hard the past two days, and plan to stay here through the weekend at least. The bouldering is so good, and the camping is free and easy. After that we'll probably head to Yosemite ...".

As his brother would say, Sweeeeeet.

I can't say that the worry and anxiety I wore so heavily when I wrote that September post have miraculously vanished, girls.  They're still there and I think about my dear faraway child constantly.  But I've managed with surprising success to back-burner almost all thoughts of him dangling 40 feet up, driving at 2:00 a.m., camping with nearby bears (and without what I would personally consider adequately waterproof boots, but then I'm kinda wussy about that kind of thing).

And the reason I'm able to back-burner these scary, worrisome visions is really simple: There is not a doubt in my mind that he has never been quite so contented -- and he's generally a contented person, so I'm saying a lot here. Last week he called for a quick chat while he stood outside a laundromat waiting for his clothes to dry.  He told me that one night, after a nice day hike, he and Moose had camped on the shore of a lake in Grand Tetons National Park.  He had woken up at dawn feeling really cold and unable to go back to sleep.  So he'd opened the tent flap, intending to make a fire and start some coffee, and he'd discovered an overnight snowfall.  Instead of making the fire right away, he bundled up, tiptoed out of the tent and sat, alone, on the shore watching the sun come up over the mountains, listening to the trickle of water and the sounds of birds and little woodland creatures awakening.  Later in the morning he and Moose hiked back out thru all that fresh fluffy stuff.  A few pictures from that lovely day:

Moose, enjoying the same view his traveling pal had enjoyed earlier in the morning.

 Brrr. But again, wow.

No matter how cold your face may be, you just cannot contain a grin that comes all the way up from your frozen toes.

I listened to the joy in his voice as he shared this experience so vividly with me, and I wanted to cheer and cry all at the same time.  And I asked him if he was reaping from this trip everything he'd hoped he'd discover and gain. This was his answer:  "Well, Mom, you know, I'd say yeah, actually.  I would say I definitely feel.... (long pause as he pondered the right word choice) ... Expanded. Know what I mean?"

I sure do.  Awesome.

Journey Boy Checks In

Sad news for me means good news for one of you!

Hi everyone!

It's been another rainy, dreary week here, and I've found myself wondering how our pal Sweet Tea in Seattle stands so MUCH rainy weather.  STIS, you're my hero, girl.  Enough already here.  Bring me some autumn sunshine!

I thought I had a bit of autumn sunshine earlier this week when my Shimmer Paisley Lawn Dress arrived safe and sound.  What a beauty this dress is IRL!  The fabric is so light, floaty and soft, and the print is the most gorgeous paisley mix of muted fall-like colors. It looks fantastic with a cardi -- especially one of the delicate chiffon-trimmed ones like last year's Tartines -- and all of the colors in the glazed pecan-honey glaze-burnished olive family work.  Ditto for any skinny belt that you might want to play with.

I got the 8, and it was perfect thru the bust so I know the 6 would have been too tight there. Unfortunately, pretty much everywhere else it fit me poorly.  I'm simply too short to wear it -- at least to wear it in a size that accommodates the meno-boobs. :-)  The bodice was too long (making the beautiful neckline droop), the shirred waist hit me above my waistline at a weird "nothing" place, and the full skirt (even as I imagined it hemmed shorter) just did nothing at all for my short little legs.  Oh well.  This wasn't a big surprise to me since I know my body type, but a gal can hope, ya know.

I actually let the dress hang in my closet for a whole day and then tried it on again.  Nothing miraculous happened overnight -- shockeroo -- and it still looked frumpy and dumpy.  Not at all like it looked (which was:  fan-freakin'-tastic) on Dina or on RatsonParade. And check out ROP's lovely Polyvore set.

So glaydies, who'd like to give this truly fabulous and sold-out piece a home?  I will sell it for exactly what I paid plus your choice of shipping.  I paid FP ($150) plus $12 sales tax (interesting -- it came from a store in South Florida) and free shipping, so my total was $162.  You pick the shipper and I'll send it anyway you like.  I've got a PayPal account so paying will be real simple.

If you're interested, give me a shout.

Sad news for me means good news for one of you!