Since when did J. Crew get so la dee da?

I've been shopping at J.Crew for as long as I can remember. It was always a great place to get nice, classic pieces that didn't look like an old lady. So don't get me wrong, I love J. Crew. However, now they have introduced the "J. Crew Collection," which is essentialy Fancy J. Crew. Banana Republic did this too (the "Monogram Collection," I believe). However, I haven't noticed any $2000+ items at BR. And yet, there it is, at J. Crew, a $2200 Astor jacket! If you don't like that, there is a $400 beaded shell. What on EARTH? Are they serious? I mean, I love J. Crew, but if I am going to buy a $2000 jacket, it's not coming from J. Crew. (Mr. Belle is thinking, "um, NO, Carolina Belle. There will be NO $2000 jackets. From anywhere").

As long as J. Crew continues to have the normal stuff they've always carried, I suppose I can get over it. I still think it's crazy though! While we're on the subject of Fancy J. Crew/Banana Republic, however, how cute is this top (from BR Monogram)?

I think it would be adorable for Christmas parties, New Year's, etc. I might need it. Hmm . . .

Christmas Cards

OK, I promise I am NOT one of those people who thinks it's ok to have Christmas decorations for sale in Hobby Lobby on October 1st (it drives me insane, to be perfectly honest), but I am nothing if not an advance planner. So, when October rolls around, I start thinking about The Perfect Christmas Card Picture.

Since I discovered her incredible work a few years ago when Miss Priss was a baby, the amazing L from Eyesmiles Photography (http://www.eyesmilesphotography.com/) has done our Christmas cards. L is awesome because while her clients typically dress their children in a more urban/contemporary style, she knows that our family will be showing up for our photo sessions in Southern trunk show finery and Lilly Pulitzer, and it doesn't bother her one bit.

Finding L made obtaining The Perfect Christmas Card Picture much easier, because she's so talented that the usual problem is choosing just ONE great shot. The problem is, The Perfect Christmas Card Picture comes at a price, and we have a lot of friends, so we send a lot of cards. Mr. Belle is typically not amused by my large expenditures on these cards, so I have to exercise a little restraint. In past years, I have ordered 75 fancy cards from L, and supplemented with 25 or so extra (i.e., cheaper) cards for the more "fringe" members of our Christmas list (yes, we have an A list and a B list - it's awful, I know).

This year, I had grand plans to cut back spending by only ordering 50 cards from L, and doing 50 cards of the cheaper variety. I figured I would take Miss Priss and Master P out to a scenic location, dress them up, and use massive bribery ("Lollipops for all who cooperate!!!") to get a reasonably decent picture for the B List card (note: while I am not a particularly talented photographer, I have an awesome digital SLR camera that typically allows me to get very respectable pictures of my children). Let's just say that this activity was an unmitigated disaster. It started with a thumb-sucking Miss Priss in tears, and ended with a bawling Master P. I couldn't even get one shot (this from the girl who took 75 pictures at the pumpkin patch).

So, I came home, freaked out about it for a day or two, and today I bumped up my order from L to 75. I am at peace. I'll work something out for the remaining 25 cards, but they won't be going to really close friends, so I won't be as stressed out about it. Lesson learned. ALWAYS entrust your Christmas card pictures to someone who actually knows what they are doing!

Resort! Resort! Resort!

Woo hoo!!! Lilly's 2009 Resort Line is up! Now, I always like to see things in person before I come to a final conclusion on my favorites, but I nearly fell out of my chair when I saw these - they are Lilly Shift Dress Christmas ornaments!!! TOO CUTE!
While we are on the subject of Lilly shifts, I loved this one from the Resort line:

And finally, if you are still in search of appropriate footwear for an election returns celebration, check out these shoes . . . Sorry, Obama supporters - Looks like Lilly is a Republican: Happy shopping! I can't wait until our store gets in the new stuff so I can check it out in person.

Go Heels!

I would just like to say that it was a challenging weekend at my house. My beloved Tar Heels played the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in football on Saturday. "But Carolina Belle," you say, "Didn't the Tar Heels win?" Why yes, they did! So what's the problem? It's quite simple: DH went to Notre Dame. Eeek! Not only did he attend Notre Dame, but he is as big a ND fan as I am a Tar Heel fan. So, we had people over for a little game-watching party, and I used my cute Carolina serveware, and dressed Miss Priss in her UNC bishop dress, but the fun of the party (and the victory) were overshadowed by DH's despondent mood. Poor boy. I tried to be compassionate and respectful, but I really wanted to do a little victory dance. Oh well. Next week we'll be back to rooting for the same team again. Meanwhile, GO HEELS!!!

Christmas Dress Agony

This is a big year for Christmas at our house - We are headed back to Carolina Belle's Mother Country (yay, North Carolina!) to spend the entire week of Christmas at my parents' house, along with my brother, sister in law, and sweet baby nephew. Last Christmas, we were here with DH's family, so I am beside myself with joy at the prospect of a Carolina Christmas.

Last year, I hit it out of the park (in my humble opinion) with Miss Priss's Christmas dress. Behold, the magnificent Amanda Remembered Nativity Bishop:

After last year's glorious selection, I was eager to find an equally gorgeous follow-up this year. Sadly, as each line debuted their Christmas selections, I was disappointed time and time again. My visions of Miss Priss prancing down the same church aisle I walked down as a bride in The Perfect Christmas Dress were not working out as I had planned, because I couldn't find a dress that inspired me.

Finally, I happened upon this (admittedly beautiful) Strasburg bishop, to use for Christmas Day:

And I decided on this (again beautiful) white bishop from Orient Expressed for Christmas Eve:

I do think that the white bishop with a red satin hairbow really will be gorgeous at Church.

I was (mostly) satisfied. But then today, I found this:
Yes, that would be a GORGEOUS Anavini Nutcracker bishop dress, for those of you playing at home. Since I really do think that the white Orient Expressed bishop is ideal for church on Christmas Eve, the first thought I had was to return the Strasburg bishop. However, due to Strasburg's stupid (and ridiculously draconian) return policy, I was out of luck. The AGONY!

I simply couldn't leave Miss Priss's perfect Christmas dress out there waiting for her. It would break my heart. In swooped my dear friends (and fellow children's clothing addicts) C and A, who are the BEST when it comes to helping me rationalize purchases I really shouldn't make. Hee. C astutely pointed out that the Strasburg bishop would likely fit next year (her very tall 3.5 year old can wear the size I have, and Miss Priss will be 3.5 next Christmas). Plus, she knows me well enough to know that I simply had to have the dress. We are both big Christmas People, and suckers for all children's Christmas clothing. My friend A ran the numbers, and somehow came up with a formula in which, spread out over the number of years that I can feasibly choose Miss Priss's Christmas dresses, made the dress essentially free. Who can argue with that?

Now I'm thinking that I should take Miss Priss to the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party here in town so she can wear her dress . . .

WWJD (i.e., What Would Jackie Do?)

Most of the time, I consider myself to be a pretty classic girl - you know, White Gloves and Party Manners. However, there are times when I succumb to the pull of trendier clothing items that I KNOW I will end up getting rid of in a year. While sometimes that's ok (see, e.g., the darling Dalmation print ballet flats I bought last year - STILL love them), I really do have to restrain myself on occasion. I have found that when I am struggling to fight the allure of items that are on the funkier side, I have only to ask myself one question to rein myself back in. WWJD? No, not that "J." I'm talking about this one:

While Mrs. Kennedy's (I'm not even going to address the Onassis period - I'm not a fan of oversized sunglasses) political views were quite different from mine, her sense of style was simply beyond reproach, in my opinion. There are so many occasions when I have been standing in a store, trendy sweater in hand, asked myself if it's something I could picture Jackie Kennedy wearing, and put it back. I have never regretted those decisions. I HAVE, on the other hand, regretted those rash moments where I have ignored the WWJD litmus test and thrown caution to the wind. I always end up looking silly in those purchases, and wishing I had left them in the store. It's not that they aren't darling. It's that they look ridiculous on me.

Now, lest you think that I am running around Target in a little black dress and pearls, have no fear! Jacqueline Kennedy could look just as fabulous in a casual sweater as she could in a ballgown . . . It's just all in the sweaters she chose. For me, determining which sweaters fall into the "yes" category and which ones fall into the "Um, no" category is the tough part. In addition to the challenge of determining what is cute and classy, and what is destined for the donation box, there is also a fine line between "classic" and "frumpy." (Talbots, in my opinion, often loses sight of that line). I want my clothes to be classic, not matronly, and I want just enough trendiness in there so that I don't look dated. It's complicated. Allow me to demonstrate:

Something like this little Lilly number I tried on this weekend would be a clear "yes, please!"

As would this sweet sweater from J.Crew:

Whereas this would be a definite, "no, thank you" (as an aside, what is UP with all the ruffled and bow blouses this season? I feel like I'm watching "Tootsie" when I flip through magazines. Ick.)

OK, so clearly I would probably never even pick up the turquoise number and have to make the WWJD assessment, but I'm exaggerating to prove a point. Really, for me, if comes down to making sure that I keep myself more on the Charlotte York end of the spectrum, and less on the Carrie Bradshaw end. (Because somehow I'm guessing that Jackie Kennedy wouldn't have walked around Washington in a tutu with a giant flower pin. I'm just saying).

Am I the only one who does this?