Days Of, High Gloss, Pinwheels, and Painful Injections!

Of Painful Injections...

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with 50% collapse of the Carpel Tunnel in my Right Hand. Since then, I learned to mouse with my left.  If you have ever tried to to do this, you know that you take a big hit on accuracy. It appears I have been over correcting for my lack of accuracy by squeezing the mouse with my Left Thumb. I have now developed Trigger Thumb.  A painful locking of the thumb in a bent position.  My Kaiser Dr. recommended a steroid injection. 

Mitred and Metered Top in Yellow - by Pilcro - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - Mar 2011
Day Off Skirt in Navy - By Hei Hei - Anthro Orig $78 Sale $40 - Aprl 2011
Beaded Shoulder Cotton Cardi in Putty Pink - by Gap - Orig $60 Sale $30 - March 2011
High Gloss Belt in Yellow - Anthro $28 - Apr 2011
Shiny Leather Caraway Bag in Muave - Orla Kiely Orig $584 Sale $380 - Feb 2011
Pinwheels Petals Double Strand Yellow/Navy - by unknown - Anthro $48 - June 2010

Both the Dr and Nurse claimed the injection really wasn't that bad. I had heard a different story. I should have immediately got a clue when the Nurse set out one of those little ampules they break under your nose when you pass out.

OMG!  Ladies!  The pain level rates just above child birth.  Although not as long a period of time. The Dr. did later mention that this was the most painful area to have this injection. At least during labor you get a breather every few minutes.  The initial pain was bad enough. But then he began pressing the fluid onto the tube where the tendon passes through.  Every person on the first floor, maybe the second, heard me yelp.  And yes an audible curse emanated from my mouth.  He may as well have held my hand over an open flame for 20 minutes.  I had to use Lamaze breathing techniques to keep from passing out. I didn't move a muscle. No way was I going to ever repeat that procedure.  If only I had brought someone with me.  I could have had Valium. 

Mitred and Metered Top in Yellow - by Pilcro - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - Mar 2011
Day Off Skirt in Navy - By Hei Hei - Anthro Orig $78 Sale $40 - Aprl 2011
High Gloss Belt in Yellow - Anthro $28 - Apr 2011
Dotty Cluster Tights- by Eloise - Anthro $16 - Aug 2010
Roadways in Natural Linen - by Bobbi Blu - Zappos $83 with Free Ship - Jun 2008 Anthro $88 My Size OOS
Pinwheels Petals Double Strand Yellow/Navy - by unknown - Anthro $48 - June 2010

I must continue to keep my thumb immobile for 2 more weeks, as I have been for the last month.  Hopefully by then I will be able to freely bend my thumb.  I have only a 50/50 shot.  Not very good odds in my opinion.  In the mean time I am ambidextrous.

Of Days Off... 

No vacation for me.  Just a 2-day weekend.  I'm actually referring to Anthro's  Days Off Skirt by Hei Hei. I initially ordered the Moss Green version in a 4. It was a bit snug.  Naturally the Moss in size 6 was sold out by the time I got my skirt by snail mail. So I re-ordered the Navy in a 6.  It's just a tad loose.  Hence the slight pooch in front.  The six is back in Stock, but I like the Navy better.

As for the Mitered and Metered Top. It has wonderful stretch, but is much too thin.  I had to layer a Cami under or suffer embarrassing Head Lights.  My Beaded Shoulder Cotton Cardi is one of a few I picked up from The Gap online for a song.

Shop my Gap Cardi even further reduced HERE

Mitred and Metered Top in Yellow - by Pilcro - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - Mar 2011
Day Off Skirt in Navy - By Hei Hei - Anthro Orig $78 Sale $40 - Aprl 2011
Beaded Shoulder Cotton Cardi in Putty Pink - by Gap - Orig $60 Sale $30 - March 2011
High Gloss Belt in Yellow - Anthro $28 - Apr 2011
Dotty Cluster Tights- by Eloise - Anthro $16 - Aug 2010
Shiny Leather Caraway Bag in Muave - Orla Kiely Orig $584 Sale $380 - Feb 2011
Roadways in Natural Linen - by Bobbi Blu - Zappos $83 with Free Ship - Jun 2008 Anthro $88 My Size OOS
Pinwheels Petals Double Strand Yellow/Navy - by unknown - Anthro $48 - June 2010

Of Glossy Belts...

I was seriously in need of narrow colorful belts.  So I sprung for Anthro's High Gloss Belt in both Green and Yellow at full price. Think about it.  How much do you save by waiting for these belt to go on sale?  Anthro will probably only mark them down $8.  However, waiting for a $128 dress to hit sale would save you $60.  You may as well buy lower priced items full price to ensure you get the color and size you want.  BTW!  I'm wearing a small below my natural waist.  At my waist I am on the tightest hole.  So be prepared to punch holes.  The belts run large.  I love the little Tortoise Shell Buckle.

Of Pinwheels...

Oddly enough, it was all Anthro could do to get rid of the Pinwheels Petals Double Strand.  I grabbed the Yellow/Navy Version at Full Price.  They also had an Orange/Pink version. Wish I had it too.

Dotty Cluster Tights- by Eloise - Anthro $16 - Aug 2010
Shiny Leather Caraway Bag in Muave - Orla Kiely Orig $584 Sale $380 - Feb 2011
Roadways in Natural Linen - by Bobbi Blu - Zappos $83 with Free Ship - Jun 2008 Anthro $88 My Size OOS

The Rest of the Story...

I purchased the Dotty Cluster Tights to wear with the Babergh Dress. I've actually worn these tights with just about everything in my closet.  So versatile. Another Full Price item that sold out.  Never making it to sale.

I needed a big Orla to drag all my photo taking paraphernalia out to the park at sun up.  The Shiny Leather Caraway Bag was a perfect selection.  Except I managed to arrive at a great location and perfect light with no Tripod mount for my camera and my Scan Disk not in tow.  So I had to run back and grab the Scan Disk and use my mini 4 inch bendy tripod.  Thank goodness trash cans are the perfect level for the mini tripod.  The Post was saved by Heidi's generosity.  She gave me this tripod many months ago.

Last but not least, are the Bobbi Blu Roadways.  The very first pair of shoes I saw on Anthro that I had to have. This was 3 years ago ladies. I had just discovered Anthro at Las Vegas, Cesar's Palace. Anthro online was out of my size.  I found them at Zappos for less.  Including Free Ship.  I happily bought them and saved about $15. 

See Carly of Strawberry Heels Forever wearing Bobbi Blu Shoes.

It's Open Blog Friday!  What's on your mind today?  Any plans for the weekend!  I have something exciting planned for the coming Memorial Day Weekend. Very Anthro related.  But for now it's hush, hush.

Anthro Sister Love, Laura  (lauramartinsemail)@yahoo.com

My Baby Blue Gunilla...Anthro Shoe Reviews...Returns and Style GeoInCalifornia

 Ready!  Set!  Twirl!



Gunilla Dress - by McGinn  - Anthro Orig $258 2nd Cut $70 - March 2011
Mini Ruffle Cardigan in Blue Glow - by Banana Republic - Orig $60 Sale $50 - Mar 2011
Opaque Tights in Navy - by Hue - Anthro $12.50 - Dec 2010
Sulky Belt in Brown - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - March 2011
Pot of Gold Heels in Seafoam - by Seychelles - Seychelles $90 - Mar 2011
Gleaming Slow Poke Necklace - handmade in USA - Anthro Orig $38 Sale $20 - Apr 2011


Was Anthro referring to Gunilla Hutton when they named this dress? The Swedish born actress starred in Hee Haw. Finding a good photo of Gunilla was a challenge.  They were all blocked by work, or low quality.  This was the best I could do...



Swedish Actress - Gunilla Hutton of Hee Haw

I took pictures in the bathroom at work this morning. Not the best location!

This is the second time I've worn the Gunilla Dress.  It's very easy to style on a last minute morning.  Which seems to be my situation most days.  Unplanned!  This dress easily styles with so many colors.  Today I went with a Baby Blue Gunilla. 

See me wearing the Gunilla HERE a bit differently.



Gunilla Dress - by McGinn  - Anthro Orig $258 2nd Cut $70 - March 2011
Mini Ruffle Cardigan in Blue Glow - by Banana Republic - Orig $60 Sale $50 - Mar 2011
Opaque Tights in Navy - by Hue - Anthro $12.50 - Dec 2010
Sulky Belt in Brown - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - March 2011
Pot of Gold Heels in Seafoam - by Seychelles - Seychelles $90 - Mar 2011
Gleaming Slow Poke Necklace - handmade in USA - Anthro Orig $38 Sale $20 - Apr 2011



Today the Gunilla got together with Yurtle.  One of my favoite Dr. Suess Books as a child.  A book I read over and over to my now 23 year old son.  So when I saw the Gleaming Slow Poke Necklace on sale a few weeks ago, I couldn't help but admire his bright, shinning face. Gunilla and Yurtle bring a bit of happiness and sunshine on an cold, overcast day like today.

Shop my Gleaming Slow Poke Necklace on sale HERE

 

Gunilla Dress - by McGinn  - Anthro Orig $258 2nd Cut $70 - March 2011
Mini Ruffle Cardigan in Blue Glow - by Banana Republic - Orig $60 Sale $50 - Mar 2011
Opaque Tights in Navy - by Hue - Anthro $12.50 - Dec 2010
Sulky Belt in Brown - Anthro Orig $48 Sale $30 - March 2011
Pot of Gold Heels in Seafoam - by Seychelles - Seychelles $90 - Mar 2011
Gleaming Slow Poke Necklace - handmade in USA - Anthro Orig $38 Sale $20 - Apr 2011



Have you wondered why I haven't had many OOTD photos lately?  Camera or disk malfunction is plaguing me.  My camera appears to be saving my photos to the Scan Disk.  Once I take a photo I can pan through the album on the camera and see the photo's.  But when I remove the disk and insert into the PC, they aren't there.  The internal memory holds only 4 photo's at 12 mp.  The weird thing is the grainy quality of the photo's.  Just look at these.  It's crap I tell you. I have reset the camera several times with no change.



Opaque Tights in Navy - by Hue - Anthro $12.50 - Dec 2010
Pot of Gold Heels in Seafoam - by Seychelles - Seychelles $90 - Mar 2011



I will order a new Scan Disk today!  If that doesn't work, it's time for another camera.  Poo!  Camera's cost a lot of Anthro Bucks.  That's pretty much how I view my money.  In Anthro Dollars and Cents.  So my car payment is at least 3 dresses, a cardigan, and 2 pairs of shoes on sale. Ouch!



Opaque Tights in Navy - by Hue - Anthro $12.50 - Dec 2010
Pot of Gold Heels in Seafoam - by Seychelles - Seychelles $90 - Mar 2011



I love my Seychelles Pot of Gold Heels.  The 3 and 3/4 inch heel is a bit difficult to negotiate.  Overall the shoe is comfortable, but difficult to buckle. And I sure get a lot of compliments on them.

See them in action and find links for shopping The Pot Of Gold Heels HERE

Online Reviews

A few posts back, I promised 2 Anthro Shoe Reviews.  Sorry gals!  I'm swamped.  But I don't want you to miss my reviews.  Especially since one pair went on sale yesterday. These are just as thorough as my blog reviews and include photos.

Review for Sveaborg Picnic Clogs by Lucky Penny HERE

Review for Cut Sprigs Heels by Giraudon HERE on sale.

Notes

I added a new Folder to my Virtual Closet.  The "Returns, Cancellations, and Wait for Sale" Folder contains items I returned, were cancelled by Anthro, or I am waiting for the item to go on sale. Included are brief descriptions and dates.

The Paraiso Dress by Maeve arrived last night.  It was all I could do to get the dress over my chest.  The waist was far too high and loose.  The skirt so full, a wide belt would have been useless to tame all the pleats. The skirt was past my knees.  Not flattering on those that are well endowed. The fabric was dreadfully stiff and noisy.  Although I didn't notice that the boning hurt.  But then I had it on for the total of 2 minutes.  It was all I could do to get it off me.  It didn't resemble the online image at all.  The colors were not nearly as bright and pretty.  And it was a hideous wrinkled mess.

My eBay auction win, the Wye Valley Dress by Maeve, arrived last night.  The fit is as expected.  It's too low cut and the waist band right under my bust. No fear.  My plan called for this very issue.  Because the Jemima Shrunken Cardi by Moth is just the cutest all buttoned up the front with a narrow belt.

Style GeoInCalifornia 

So now it's time to get Style GeoInCalifornia for Spring in Full Swing.  Go to the Link at the top of my Side Bar. You must style me if you want to enter the Giveaway for a $25 Anthro Gift Card.

I've got three entries so far.  So please won't you help me style my Wye Valley Dress and Jemima Shrunken Cardi for Spring? 

Anthro Sister Love, Laura  (lauramartinsemail)@yahoo.com

Sale Picks! Orla Review! Anthro Response!

Woohoo!  I was not expecting a sale today.  It was in the back of my mind naturally.  And of course I checked as I do every Tuesday.  So I was happy to see a few things made sale from my Wish List.  Although I winged it for a few additions.


Drifting Lilies Dress - by Leifsdottir - Anthro Orig $298 Sale $150 - Apr 2011

Leifsdottir's Drifting Lilies Dress SHOP HERE is the Cream of the Crop.  It's very different for me.  I don't normally go for romantic.  My thought is to tone it down with a rugged topper....

 Lengthy Days Vest in Green - by Sanctuary - Anthro Orig  $128 Sale $70 - Apr 2011

 I like the idea.  But I can't be sure about the execution as an outfit.  The dress was not Wish Listed, but the
Lengthy Days Vest SHOP HERE was. I may remove the Vest belt and belt over with one of these...

Curves and Lines Belt - Anthro Orig $54 Sale $30 - Apr 2011.JPG

OR....

Sliver Belt in Green - Anthro Orig $38 Sale $20 - Apr 2011

go for a more colorful choice in Green. Or maybe the softer version that looks Orange, but is described as Pink....

Sliver Belt in Pink - Anthro Orig $38 Sale $20 - Apr 2011

Any one of these belts might work.  All these colors are wonderfully light and Spring ready. I normally have better luck wearing stretch belts like the Curves and Lines SHOP HERE.  But if the Sliver Belts SHOP HERE are soft enough (they do look soft) then they will work just as well.

Remember this Orla Kiely Bag?   We Orla fans were so excited to see OK back at Anthro.  My excitement turned to disappointment when I saw this bag first hand. 

Sustainable Sunflowers Bag - by Orla Kiely -  Anthro $258.jpg

Heidi ordered it.  We poked, prodded and discussed it.  She returned it.  I reviewed it. 

Shop this bag and read my NOT-SO-STELLAR review HERE

While adding my Review I happened to notice this little Miss Albright Satchel sitting on the Side Bar.  It was Wish Listed immediately. 

Bursting Peony Satchel in Green - by Miss Albright -  Anthro Orig $148 Sale $80 - Apr 2011.JPG

Now maybe it will work for this outfit, maybe not.  I thought it was Yellow, but it turns out the bag is pale Green.  I like the Appliqued Fabric, But I know I had better protect it with something to keep it from picking up dirt.

For the last 3 years I have sufficed with 1 pair of Espadrilles.  See Anthro's Roadways by Bobbi Blu  HERE.  Just the other day I was wearing those with the Mompos Dress.

Anthro's Mompos Dress by T Reese with Roadways by Bobbi Blu

Suddenly I have found myself starving for Espadrilles.  Then I saw Anthro's Lemon Stick Wedges by none other than my favorite Anthro Brand Miss Albright SHOP HERE.  Guess where I saw them first?  On Molly's awesome Blog Anthromollogies.  She paired them with the Mompos Dress. 

I did ask her if it was OK for me to run with her idea.  She approved.

Now back to the subject.

To make a long story short I was compelled to grab at another pair of Espadrilles. This time on sale.



Etruscan Espadrilles - by Bettye Muller - Anthro Orig $198 Sale $100 - Apr 2011



I'm thinking the Etruscan Espadrilles by Bette Muller SHOP HERE 

will work very nicely with this outfit.  Don't you?

I received a response from Anthro regarding the Mompos Review Situation. 

Read my email message to Anthro HERE

Here is Anthro Response...



Hi Laura,

Thank you for being such a passionate supporter of Anthropologie. We all enjoy your blog and reading your thoughtful and thorough reviews when you submit them. As you know, our ratings and reviews section is an open forum for customer’s to share their personal experiences with our products. We welcome all opinions but do take the time to read each review prior to posting to ensure they are appropriate. In our experience, we have found that customers can have very different opinions on the exact same item. In regards to these two reviews, they are two customer’s opinions and although they may seem skewed, we cannot remove them as they are within the Review Guidelines and follow the Terms and Conditions we have set for submitting reviews. We appreciate that you took the time to share your thoughts on the dress (you looked great in your photos on your blog!) and made us aware of a possible issue with the content on our site.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to us anytime regarding any issues you have or see!

Sincerely,

Joannah Holmes

Anthropologie

Don't you just love how Joannah first attempted to smooth my ruffled feathers.  Very apropos!  I would have done the same thing if I were in her shoes and given the responsibility of dealing with me.  Ha-ha!  I think I like this gal.

However, I felt like I was being addressed like a child. Why explain the rules to me? Why repeat issues I had already suggested? I explained there was nothing inappropriate about the review.  I didn't ask for the reviews to be removed. And I didn't say the reviews were skewed.  I said the votes were skewed.   The most important question I asked was not addressed.  So who knows if the system has been compromised by someone using a server that can randomly generate IP Addresses.

Should I now consider Anthro's Review System as possibly compromised and untrustworthy. 

I suppose it's time to rely on the Blogs as I should have been in the first place. 

The big question is...should I continue providing reviews to Anthropologie?

Or should I reserve my energy for my Fellow Bloggers?

Is my Top Ten Ranking really all that important?

What do you think!

Actually don't answer the above questions if you don't wish to.  Here is an alternative discussion.

What did you get from the sale today if anything?  I'd rather hear about that!

SIDE:  I am so sorry I'm behind on blog rounds.  I feel so bad about that, because everyone comes to visit me even when I can't seem to get over to them.  I promise to work harder on that.

Did you notice the other day that my replies to comments were filled with gobbledygook?  Is that HTML code?  That is what happens if I use my Laptop PC from Yahoo mail..  But when I use my iPhone from Yahoo mail it's fine.  But it's also very hard to type on that little keyboard.

Anthro Sister Love, Laura (lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com)

Dear Anthro................

This issue concerns everyone in the Anthro Community. Please join me by voicing your concern to anthro@anthropologie.com

Anthro Sister Love, Laura  (lauramartinsemail@yahoo.com)