Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sale!

Boy, it's really been a whirlwind for the past few weeks. June tends to be busy for me, with a week at the beach and a week in Washington DC for DAR, but this year we added my 10th college reunion, my college roommate's bridal shower in Rhode Island and (dun dun dunnnn) the LP WHS! And I needed a few days to recover from that.

The Warehouse Sale (WHS- we Lilly Lovers also love our abbreviations) takes place in King of Prussia (KOP), PA (Pennsylvania (lol)). About a month ago, my mom said to me, what do you want to do for your birthday? (June 12th) Do you want to go to lunch? Or meet for dinner? I said, Mom, I want to go to KOP for the LP WHS (Mom also loves abbreviations.) Mom thought about this for about a week and then said yes, we should go. Part of her reasoning was that we went to the Vera Bradley WHS last year in Fort Wayne, IN, which is way farther than PA- we were in KY so we were kind of already halfway there, but it was still just as long a drive. Her opinion is, this is something we'll always want to do and probably wish we had, so we may as well just do it. If we don't like it, well, we've done it once, and we don't have to wonder. So we did.

The sale started on Thursday June 14th at 5am. We're not 5am people, but all the same, we drove down to KOP, leaving on Wednesday the 13th at 2:20pm. I snacked on a delicious birthday cupcake along the way (from the bakery next to Hall's in WH, I need to go there again!)

We arrived after 4.5 hours with minimal traffic at the Homewood Suites right near the Valley Forge national historic site (mom was like, oh I know where we are! I've been on this road before!). This is the hotel LP recommended and they even had a discounted rate, so I, in my Creme Fraiche Worth shift, fully expected to see some other Lilly lovers around- alas, not a one! Our plan was to unload the car, drive to KOP to visit the KOP Lilly store, go get dinner at a restaurant near there that a few people recommended, and then drive by the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center so we'd know where the sale was and how to get there/how long it'd take us. But when we checked in, we smelled tasty bbq... and the guy at the front desk said, we serve dinner Monday through Thursday, and tonight's dinner is "Backyard BBQ", it's available until 7:30. So we looked over in the food service area of the lobby.... and agreed it made much more sense to eat a free dinner here and more importantly, save time for shopping. So we had a quick, decent and free dinner, and then went immediately to the KOP mall. It's a big mall ("big" is an understatement, but I hate malls so we really avoided all other parts of it) so I called up the KOP store and asked where they were- right next to Nordstroms, which is where we were when I called. Perfect! We entered the mall and saw the Lilly store (Westfarms girls: it was basically where Harry & David is if you walk out of Nordstroms at Westfarms). I approached the Lilly store.

Cue Handel's Hallelujah chorus. I'm serious.

One of the side windows (I got enough weird looks for this picture and the above picture that I didn't take pictures of the other windows)

 The entrance! With a Lilly print turtle!

 Just inside the door, on both sides and along the ceiling above the doorway you see on the right, are all framed prints! I've seen pictures of people decorating their houses like this and liked it, but now I know I definitely have to do it! My husband wouldn't say anything against it if I decorate my sewing room this way :)

These are the chandeliers in the dressing room area. We had one girl helping us who was super nice, and she said they started out with one and then gradually added more. She's a teacher who has worked there part time since she graduated college in 2007, she said she works just enough hours to keep her in Lilly. Smart girl!

All the dressing rooms are decorated differently. I was in the Philadelphia Room, with handpainted scenes from the city.

 Well, since we were there....
Sailor's Patch Worth, size 10. I'm definitely getting this eventually, I just can't decide what print!

 Giuliana, 12. This is roomy but very comfortable. I got it on sale for $59 :-D

 Sloane in Oh Buoy, size L. LOOOOVE. oh my! I've never given Sloane a chance before, probably because this is the first one I've ever seen in person. My "local" Lilly store doesn't carry many/any maxis. I'm 5'6 and here am in flat McKims so I'd possibly need to hem it.

 Briar skirt, size L, with Patricia argyle sweater, size L. I took the sweater home with me, for $44 :)

 Jonah, size L. Jonah also came home with me, for $69

 More dressing rooms! This room was to the left of mine.

Here's the opposite wall of that same room.

 This was the bathroom!

 Never before have I taken a picture of a toilet (except in Europe where the toilets were funny), but I had to prove that the zebra room really is a bathroom. Even the back of the door was zebra!

 The dressing room across from the bathroom

 Vintage postcards dressing room! This one and the citrus room were actually really tiny, I was glad I wasn't put in there with my load of goodies to try.

 These animal busts are decoupaged either by traditional African artists or in a traditional African style, I'm not sure which.

 This one is done using the Disney print from the 70s! Unfortunately with the bright lights right by it, it was hard to photograph well with just an iphone.

 This adorable cardigan is from the new shipment, and we both grabbed it and said oh cute! Mom's in XL, I'm in M. I might size up to L, the arms were a little snug. We didn't end up purchasing, you'll see why in a few pictures.

 We were the last ones out of the store. We were having far too much fun to leave, and all the employees were far too nice to tell us to go! We didn't actually purchase anything, but I had them hold Giuliana, Jonah and Patricia for me.

Then we were off to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, to figure out where it was! We left the mall just before 9:30pm.

The road to the expo center was riddled with these cute "Lilly Pulitzer Warehouse Sale" signs. You know I wanted to take one home... but I didn't.

What we found when we arrived at 9:30 is something I regret not photographing: about 100 people, mostly women, camped out in their Lilly pjs with their Lilly coolers and Lilly thermal cups, already lined up for the sale. At 9:30pm for a sale that opened at 5am. Someone at the store said people started lining up on Monday... I'm not sure I believe that. At first I thought they were crazy, then I thought, well.... get together with your friends and make an adventure out of it, I guess it'd be pretty fun! Then in the morning as I was in the shower I thought: ....where do they go to the bathroom? So I decided I wouldn't be interested in camping out. I put off showering til later, but...

Then we went back to the hotel, and had another adventure. I was all set to go to bed early so I could get up early, be downstairs in the lobby when breakfast opened at 6am, and we could get to the sale at 6:30. Ha, I should have known... we were both too excited to go to bed until 11:30. And when we did, mom noticed some sort of winged bug between the beds. Carpenter ants! We looked all over and there was a mini colony behind the nightstand between the beds. Fortunately, mom always travels with Raid (remnant from her time in KY, perhaps, where there are far more icky bugs than in New England), so we sprayed those mofos and settled in. I always read a chapter before going to bed, so I did that, then looked at my pillow and saw an ant on it. Gross! So that did me in. Our room was hot but I was so terrified by the thought of a carpenter ant flying into my mouth or nesting in my hair while I slept that I couldn't help but bury myself in the covers. I finally fell asleep at 3am, only to have my alarm go off at 5. Sigh. Well, pure adrenaline can carry me through a sale like this, so no matter.

We arrived at the sale just after 7am. We got a good parking space, near the front, didn't see a huge number of cars or anyone waiting outside like they'd been the night before, so we thought awesome, we're between the mad rushes so we can walk right in!

Not quite!

We waited about an hour and 20 minutes, but we talked a bit to the woman behind us, who lives in KOP and was waiting for her friends to show up. We also talked to the women behind her, who told very un-Lilly like stories so I was glad when they started talking to the people behind them- buying things at the WHS and selling them for full price to people who were "too rich and dumb to know the difference". Nice.

Someone recommended not wearing Lilly to this sale, just in case someone mistook your clothes for something for sale while you're trying on things in the changing room. Despite not planning to need to try anything on (is there anything from Fall 2011 through the first summer shipment I haven't already tried on?), I decided not to wear any Lilly, except for my really beat-up McKims that no one could possibly mistake for an item for sale. And when I walked in and saw hundreds of Lilly-cld ladies, I felt bad about that decision. So next time, I'll definitely wear Lilly!

I was hoping to meet people I knew, but my timing was off. However, as we were standing in line, someone in the row next to me said, "excuse me, is your name Catherine?" I looked at her, but she didn't familiar at all, so I said, "yes...". Turns out she is one of my repeat etsy shop customers! I've made a number of items for her using her fabric- White Zin christmas tree skirt, White Zin quilted placemats and coasters, and most recently, a Patchtastic shower curtain. She's super sweet and I love working with her, so it was a real treat to meet her! She was there with her mother, her young daughter her and very young baby boy. We ran into her that one time in line but then I never saw her again!

Other people along the line kept us entertained that 1.25+ hours, but when we got to the last row in the line, we were next to the black curtains separating the line from the sale, so we spent a lot of time peeking through and planning our attack. We would be given giant pink bags to stow all our goodies in (just like at the Vera Bradley sale), and I'd heard talk of $15 shoes, so my plan was to head towards the giant wall of shoes first, and mom was going to look at XL tops first.

 When we finally got in, I was so overwhelmed I couldn't take any pictures. And then towards the end, I was so tired from lugging around that bag to take any pictures... oh well.

The $15 shoes were great. By the time I got there, they only had navy polka dot picture perfect wedges (in all sizes) and a few pairs of natural/gold wedges. I've heard there were also flat McKims, which would have been lovely. The seconds and samples section was next to shoes, so I went there next. They had several long tables with boxes filled with random things.They had hundreds (really!) of these Minnie's sweater dresses with a zebra on them (or a giraffe?), all $10, all with damaged spots where the collar was attached to the dress. I considered getting one to save, but they all had so much damage that I didn't care enough to hunt for a decent one. My real find was the Pipster dress for $20, and mom and I each grabbed one, so I ended up with one in each color! Unfortunately my green one has some spots on it that I didn't notice til I got home, so I'll have to fuss with that. I also found a Caroline cardigan in Island Coral for $30, which wasn't a great price but it's a good cardigan- only later on I noticed it has a big smudge on the sleeve. I think $30 for a cardi with a big smudge is a little pricey. Unfortunately, a lot of people were camped around their piles of goodies in this area, so the seconds and samples table was also the "I changed my mind" table and there were a lot of items tossed over these boxes that weren't actually seconds. Not cool, you lazy bums! It was annoying to get so excited to see a Ciara or something in this area and find it was still $59.

The seconds and samples racks were even worse- I didn't see a single second/sample there- which all had pink tags, while the regular stuff had blue tags. This was all peoples' discards.

From there I went to tops (all in boxes, mostly sweaters/cardis for $100+, and short sleeve tops for $40+, which is still too much, in my opinion.) Jarveys were $49 and there were no shorts in my size. The Reef Me Up Cissys were cute, but $49. I looked at tops on the racks, but they seemed to be mostly Elsas at not very good prices and $59 Ciaras. I moved onto dresses- there was the Jonah the KOP store was holding for me, for $10 more than the KOP store's price. Many other dresses (nothing that I was actually looking for), starting at $79. I did get a Jacqueline for $99, which was a complete splurge but I really love Jacqueline.

Everything seemed to be resort or summer, but they had some older Cormick dresses that were still $79. The other shoes were all Resort Wedges for $89 or high wedge McKims for $79- that's still too much for me! I tried on a few other Resort Wedges and I conclude that, contrary to everyone's opinion, they do NOT run big- at least in the larger sizes. A 10 is still a 10, and a small 10, at that. I continue to despise those resort wedges. >:-o

The other fun thing was all the GWPs- shift ornaments, menagerie ornaments, Derby hats, tailgate totes, jewelry boxes, pencil cases, hangers, etc. I got a bunch of those. Mom somehow found cosmetic bags in the pink heart print, which I love. I vultured a bit and found one of my own at the very end.

Then, a little before 10am, we decided we were done. Actually that was a good thing, since mom got one of the very last GWPs! I was not so lucky, which made me sad because they turned out to be those framed Jubilee art prints that I recently saw on ReLilly, 3 prints for like $175 or something crazy. We didn't go way, way overboard (in my opinion), although the prices definitely added up. Also, they gave everyone a 10% off any purchase (sale or full price) at the KOP Lilly store!

Here's mom's haul: lots of GWP goodies, a coral/seahorse necklace, the GWP for the WHS, a Jacqueline as a birthday present for me, and a Coral Cascade Connell sweater that was originally for me, until she tried it on.

 

Here's my stash: 2 Pipsters, some GWP stuff, a cardigan, Touchy Feely Cinch one piece bathing suit, the $15 navy polka dot wedges, the heart cosmetic bag and a coral bracelet.

After the sale, we still had 2 hours before checkout, so we went back to the hotel to rest. Then we checked out and went to the KOP store to use our coupons!

The store was much busier this time, and they had new sale racks, so we each added to our purchases.

Mom bought me the Giuliana for my birthday ($59 plus 10% off) and got herself a Corinne that she plans to cut down to a top, for $34 (plus 10% off!). Also some Do The Wave napkins and plates to match the cups I got her for her birthday.

 I was a little more bratty: Abington tie wrap for $39, Saratoga sweater for $34, Patricia sweater for $44, Jonah for $69, all with an extra 10% off for a total of $160- which is a great deal for all that!

On our way out of the store, we noticed this cute little dog outside the jewel box dressing room.

 Now, onto lunch! We ate at Seasons 52, which I'd never heard of (despite it being a chain) and it was delicious. There was a 20 minute wait at 1 in the afternoon, which I've never, ever seen except at Disney World, so we expected it to be pretty good to be so popular. All their menu items are 475 calories or less, and you really wouldn't think that! Plus, there were probably 4 or 5 items each of us had trouble deciding between. I ended up getting the spicy chicken chili relleno

 and mom got the fish tacos.

 They have mini desserts, clockwise from the top: Key Lime, Mango Raspberry Cheesecake, Carrot Cake, strawberry cannoli.

 All of the food was delicious and the portions were sized perfectly! I really hope one opens in CT or MA soon!

Then we began the looooong drive home. We, of course, hit traffic all through NJ and again in CT. I was really cursing all those people I met in line who were like, "oh we're kind of nutty, we came from reeeeeeeallllly far away- it took us over an hour to get here!" ugh. We left at 2:20 and got home must before 8pm.

However, one highlight along the way happened when we stopped at the last rest area on the Garden State Turnpike. I've been looking for the 2012 animal crackers for months now, with absolutely no luck. Obviously I should have been including highway rest stops in my places to search, because here they are!

 

 That was a nice end to this Lillyful trip.

What was my overall impression? It was fun. I wish it weren't so far. I was very unimpressed by the prices, and the seconds and samples weren't very plentiful when I was there. I was sad to have missed every single murfee and almost every single handbag (I had the opportunity to buy a clutch for $39 but I passed and I'm sorry I did), but I think that's really just the luck of the draw. I heard they brought out more bags and samples later on the in the day, so I don't think it's simply that I didn't get there early enough.

Would I go again? It was fun enough to make it worth it, and I would definitely want to visit the KOP store again. I think next time I go, I'll drive down in the morning of the first or second day, hit the sale right when we get there (plus standing for an hour after a 5-6 hour drive would be not unpleasant!), then stay overnight and hit the sale again the following morning. I think we might have had more luck if we had another round (we tried- when I realized I hadn't gotten my GWP, we went back to ask about it (it was practically on our way out of town) and I was really planning to go in for round 2, but the line was still almost as long, and we were facing a very long drive home). If we lived closer, I'd definitely go often.

I've heard people say they go with a definite plan and a list- I think this is pointless. I had many lists from many people, and I found absolutely nothing on their lists- because nothing was there. If you want to make a list and get bargains on things, wait for the ESS, when you won't have to get up early (unless you live on the west coast), travel or wait in lines. However, the nice thing about the WHS is that you pick up an item you like, you can try it on, and when you pay for it, it's actually in your hands so you don't have to worry about your order being canceled.

I won!

Last week I entered a giveaway. Well, ok, this is a regular occurrence. There are a lot of giveaways in facebook groups I frequent, and I enter many of them. Some I really want to win (ahem, In The Pink's $500 shopping spree), some would be nice to win, and some I really don't care about the prize but it would make a nice gift for someone.

Last week Purse Lady Too had a giveaway. I don't think there was a specific reason for it, she just had one. All you had to do was share the giveaway information on your fb page and comment that you had done so, and you'd be entered. The prize was one of Lemon and Line's rope bracelets.

So I entered. Why not? The bracelets are cute, they're not exactly anything I'd go out and buy, but again, nice possible gift for someone.

Now, Purse Lady Too is really cool. I think Bird told me about her. She sells lovely little stationary goods, including Lilly, Kiel James Patrick, Fornash, etc. Lots of great things. And she likes to offer special deals often! I made my first purchase last fall, I bought a bunch of things on sale that I used as gifts. And included in the box (mind you, I didn't buy all that much, maybe $40 worth), I got a free lobster notepad! too cute. I gave it to my mom as a stocking stuffer. But that little free gift got me hooked.

My most recent purchase was on Leap Day, when there was a free Lilly tech case/wristlet with a purchase of $65 or more. I stocked up on birthday gifts for 2012 and planned to give the wristlet as a gift, but when I actually saw it I decided I can't part with it.

Too cute! Perfect for the beach.

So I want to spread the PLT love. Go sign up for emails and like her on facebook, and be the first to hear about her upcoming specials!

But back to the giveaway.

Well, wouldn't you know, I actually won! I never win. I used to be good at guessing the number of jelly beans in the jar because I can do some quick math, and I have a secret trick for tea cup auctions, but I never win random giveaways! I was excited about the novelty of winning, not so much about the actual prize. Again, great birthday gift for someone. But then PLT contacted me to ask what color and what size bracelet I'd like. Um, size? Get this- these Lemon and Line rope bracelets come in different sizes. Whoa! I love bracelets but they're just so hard to fit right. Either they're huge and fall off, or they're tiny and more like a large ring. I checked out L&L's size chart (which, btw, isn't the most user-friendly thing, actually go as if you're about to purchase a bracelet, then there's a drop-down menu where you select the size and it tells you the measurement of each size in inches).

I selected my color and size, and PLT shipped it off to me immediately. I received it a couple days ago, when I got home between choir rehearsal and going out to dinner, opened it up, put it on, and kept it on for the rest of the day. I'm quite fond of this bracelet! I predict I'll be using it quite a bit this summer it's a great, colorful, casual accessory. Perfect for the CT shore. There's some give to the length because of the rope and the knot, and it has a neat-looking clasp (although L&L would have you believe it's the best clasp since sliced bread, super easy to put on, etc. It's not all that easy. It could be worse, but I have to fuss with it a bit to get it to close). The size of this is perfect, I like my bracelets a little loose, and it is. I just hope it doesn't get all weird if I get it wet!

I'm wearing it today, since the pink in it is the same shade as my pink Elsa.

And speaking of giveaways, I won another one a few days later! I won a Fornash fishy necklace. Another perfect-for-summer accessory! I'm a roll! I need more giveaways to enter before my luck runs out!

Jeans, and how I deal with them.

Many people say they hate bathing suit shopping. I don't. I never really have. I'm far from happy with my figure, but over the years I've been lucky to find two brands of bathing suits that always have at least one style that works on me- Lilly (duh) and J Crew. I've gotten to the point where I can even order online. It's a big relief.

But one thing that's just impossible to fit is jeans. Pants are ok, it's something about the denim or the rivets or the seaming... I don't know, but jeans are awful to shop for.

I think this is fairly common. I mean, that's why there are so many different fits of jeans. Curvy fit, straight fit, relaxed fit, boyfriend fit, skinny, slim, petite, cropped, long, flared, bootcut... oy. I've tried on all of it. I got to the point where I found a pair of jeans that fit, and I bought 3 pairs. Then I went through a phase where I bought 2 sizes. Then I saw that sometimes sizing up makes them wearable, but I might have to belt them. All of this worked for a while, but of course when they started to wear out, I went to get more, only to discover they no longer make that style, or anything close to it. Ugh!

When I try on a pair of jeans, if I get my normal pants size, the waist/butt fits perfectly, but the legs are so tight I can hardly pull them up. If I size up, the legs are perfect but the waist is huge. If I try on anything flared, that scenario is more exaggerated. If I try on skinny jeans... well, it's the opposite, sizing up makes the waist fit nicely but the legs are weird and baggy. It makes no sense!!!

Over the summer I found a pair of really cute new without tags size 12 Lilly jeans on ebay, they were misspelled so not very easy to find, but I found them, and I got them for $29.99. They have adorable pink and green stitching on the back pockets, and they were kind of a consolation for a pair of size 8 jeans I bought at Nordstrom Rack a few years ago, completely forgot about while I was that size, and then had no hope of fitting into again. Well, like I said, lately I size up in jeans, and these were that up. They arrived, they're lovely- they look completely brand new, they're that good bootcut fit that I love from the pre-skinny jeans days. They fit perfectly through the leg.... but the waist was enormous. We're talking Jenny Craig commercial enormous (ok I exaggerate, but it felt like that!) There was no way I could wear them. So sad!

So I tucked them away while I tried to decide whether or not to sell them.

A few weeks ago, I went through a big closet purge- wear it or sell it, that's my motto now. I found these jeans again, tried them on, but I just couldn't bear to list them. Legs fit and look great, but the waist is too big to actually wear them, just walking around the house makes them fall down.Aren't they cute?

And then came my brilliant idea.

If you have a skirt that's just a tiny bit too big, how do you alter it? Take in the seams a bit. Easy peasy, just one seam on each side. Why not try that on a pair of jeans? The only obvious issue is the super thick denim.

I made a seam on each side, first about a 1/4inch in on each side, reducing the waist measurement by 1 inch (the pink seam), and then it was still too big, so I made a seam another 1/4inch in, reducing the waist measurement by 2 inches (the green seam). I stitched over the existing seam again, just to reinforce it.

The seams are kind of hard to see in these photos. This isn't a fool-proof fix, however, because pulling jeans on and off puts a lot of stress on this area and these seams, which is why I sewed again over the innermost seam. You'll probably need to resew them after a handful of wears. I had to urge my sewing machine along by turning the wheel thing with my hand, when the motor fought the foot pedal, but that's the same as when I sew something that has 6 or more layers of fabric, and other than that, sewing these seams takes just a minute and is very easy and straightforward.

Here's how the jeans look after the seaming. You can see the little indents on each side from the added seams. Honestly, the first time I put these jeans on those indents felt a little odd, but by now, after wearing them a handful of times, I don't notice it.
Over the weekend, I was going out with the girls, and the pub we chose is fairly casual, so I wanted to wear jeans- but what jeans? I found a pair of trouser-style jeans from White House Black Market (the only item I own from there, sadly), but these were a pair I bought after I decided I needed to size up in jeans- I tried on the 12s, too big. So the 10s: roomy, but there's no way I can still be an 8, I was sure of it. So I bought the 10s, and wouldn't you know, too big. The wide legs make the legs look fine, but they were another pair I had to belt. Well, on Sunday afternoon, the light bulb went on, and I sewed these up too. I'm wearing them as I type, so I can't show you any photos at the moment. I didn't have to take these in quite as much, only about a 1/4 inch on each side, and they fit perfectly. I'm so excited, yet another pair of pants available in my closet. :)

So if you have this same problem of baggy waists in your jeans, get out your sewing machine, or go to a friend who can let you borrow it for 5 minutes. It's such a quick and easy fix, and might open up a whole other section of your wardrobe. Also, it's a great way to salvage your old pants after losing a little weight- but I wouldn't suggest trying this to reduce the waist measurement by more than 2-3 inches.

Spring is in the air, part 3!

And I'll probably need a part 4, too. E.A. Davis has a LOT of spring in stock! They were unpacking a lot of it so I think even by today there are many more styles there.

Last Friday I had a meeting in CT, and afterwards I really felt that I needed some retail therapy. Yet, still being unemployed, retail therapy has to mean only trying on clothes (although I admit, I did buy a roll of Do the Wave wrapping paper. For my etsy shop! "Business expense"! I'll get some cupcake wrappers in that and I have a fab new item idea but I'm having trouble finding of the materials. I think I need to be brave and visit Home Depot.) I took the very long drive from north-central CT over to Wellesley. It was a long drive. I stopped at Marshalls and bought a bag of caramel corn... which I promptly devoured before I got home. Well hey, that was my lunch and snack. Fortunately, there was no traffic getting to Wellesley. (totally different story for getting home from Wellesley... Note to self: don't leave Wellesley or anywhere around Boston at 5pm on a Friday)

This wasn't such a successful trip, I really only liked one new thing, and improved my opinion on another. I also tried different sizes of the one thing I truly plan to buy, so that I can purchase online if a sale pops up sometime in the next 3 months (I'd like to get this for my birthday in June!). And I was a little tired when I got there, so I only had one round of trying on.

First up, the Cherry Dress. (In Prep Green Twinkle, for $268)
I really like this print. I'm not entirely sure it's the right green for my complexion, but it might have just been the dressing room lighting. This is a size L and fits comfortably, so I think fits true to size. I think the cut is pretty flattering, but the flutter sleeves aren't for me. I think this would be a great, easy dress to throw on in a hurry and still look lovely. I wish it were about $100 less, though! It seems awfully expensive for what it is- even though I think it's the same fabric as the Blanca and Blayneys, it doesn't feel as nice as those.

The Carolyn, in Shorely Blue Lavish Lillys, for $118.
This is super cute!! I'm in a L and it's roomy but not overly so. It's a good length for 5'6-me, and for the low, Cassie-like price, this is definitely an adorable dress to throw in on a hurry. I feel that the cut is far better than the Cassie, more fitted and less smock-like. The ruffled button placket is super cute. Unfortunately, I'm not such a collar person, so I probably won't get this... if only it had more of a nehru collar or a neckline like an Elsa! But the body of the dress is splendid, and I approve of the cute little ruffles on the sleeves.

The Ferra, in Call Me Kitty, for $198.
Sorry for the blurry picture, I had a horrible time getting a decent picture of this one. Why, you ask? Well, this is a size 12, but I couldn't zip it past the waist. My arm is clutching the dress to me so that it doesn't fall down. Not cool! This fit about as poorly as the Franco, although at least the bottom half looks fine. It comes in a 14, but the store didn't have one (actually, now that I think of it, the largest size I've seen there in my spring visits is a 12! Hmm, that's not good.) Other than running very small, this dress is very cute, but it's a little short on my 5'6 frame. So sad! I love this print. It's very me, since some people call me Cat, and I do love cats. The only other possibility this print comes in is the Delia, so that's on my list for my next visit.

Amberley, in Prep Green Twinkle, for $228.


I'm not sharing a picture of me in this because it was worse than the Ferra. It basically had the same problems in fit and length, but without the pretty bodice to save it. Very sad. Size up, size up! The 12s in both of these seriously had about 5 inches of space between the sides of the zipper. That's ridiculous!

Let's get back to something cute.
The Parker, in Lagoon Green Birds and Bees, $228

This is very cute! Fits a tiny bit snugly, it was tough to zip up at the bust but fits more or less comfortably. I wouldn't size up, but I might wear spanx or a different bra. I thought this was cut pretty well for me. The skirt's a little more poofy than I need, but really this fit the way I'd hoped Eryn would. The straps were too long, but that's normal for me, and the V-neck is flattering without being too low (I'm wearing the same Not Just Fringe necklace as in my last trip- convenient coincidence!). I probably won't get it, but I may look for it when spring goes on sale!
(I just remembered- this fits like the Chichi! Which I adore. Poofier skirt and has that cute rosette at the waist, but otherwise like the Chichi! No wonder I liked it.)

Here's my favorite from the day:
Adeline in White Sweet Daisy Eyelet, $228
This is a little snug. That day it felt like maybe I should have tried a 14 (but again, not in stock! geez) but looking at this picture it looks ok. Maybe I just need spanx? The bust was tight, but the way it's cut you can just spill out a little to relieve the tightness, which I'm doing here so it doesn't look crazy. It's pretty low cut, and you can see the edge of my demi bra, so I'd need to rethink undergarments for this. But the best thing is that I looked much better than the model in this-hahahaha!! I may be a little chubby, but I'm not awkward! This is a possibility for paging, although I'm not sure if it's too low-cut. Chichi is a little low and that's been fine, so maybe this would be ok.

Now, they had a few things on sale- a few. The Valentine's murfee for 50% off (SO tempting!!!!! But I left it there), a couple Minnies dresses in the Valentine's print, and the Estelle Love sweater.
Which, fortunately, I didn't really love. I mean, it's ok, it's not bad, but I just didn't LOVE it. So I was glad, because I had wanted it and was sad I couldn't get it, and now I can't afford it. So that worked out well.

I also revisited Joycee. You may remember in my last spring post that I didn't much care for the Reef Me Up Joycee. The shoulders were weirdly tight.

Well, today I tried on a larger size.
Scorpion Bowl Joycee, size L.
Size L feels good. It's roomy (quite roomy) but the shoulders feel right. So I tried on the same thing in M.
....fits well. A little roomy, but not too roomy, and the shoulders feel... right. Really?

Don't you feel like I'm wearing the same top in both pictures? I'm not. The first really is L, the second really is M. Let's revisit the M Reef Me Up.
it's hard to tell in this picture, and it's hard to say if the shoulders were super tight in this simply compared to the awesome Via I'd been wearing for all the bottoms I tried on, or if they really were tight. I didn't grab a Via this time to study that aspect.

But I dunno. I guess I conclude that I can wear EITHER M or L in Joycee. Just like in the Bidi tank, either M or L fits. Somehow that just doesn't seem right.

But at least it widens the possibilities for shopping sales!

Speaking of sizing oddities, I didn't photograph the Mariana this time, but I tried on SOM in 10 and 12. Remember I tried on Bloomin Cacoonin in 10 and 12, and decided I preferred 10, but SOM I only grabbed as 12 and thought it fit right? Well, without a doubt, the Mariana in SOM size 10 is TOO SMALL. I need a 12 in SOM. But I need... a 10 in Bloomin' Cacoonin'? This is just too confusing! Dresses should not vary in size in the same season! Last year's Adelson can fit different than this year's, or my 2010 Shell We Dance Blayney can fit completely differently (I need M) than this year's Starry Blue Drama Queen Blayney (size L is a tad snug), but things can't vary in the same season! Step it up, Lilly.

But Lilly, remember that I love you, even with all your peculiarities. After all, it gives me a great excuse for this fake retail therapy afternoons :)