🤣

Must have giraffe pj’s. What is the brand, please?

I think I tried the itty bitty boot cut jeans once and they ran smaller than the straight legs. But I may be remembering incorrectly. Will you report back on the fit?

ETA nm, found the giraffe pj’s.

I want these shoes from J Crew! They’re kids’ shoes, though. Sad.

I think I tried the itty bitty boot cut jeans once and they ran smaller than the straight legs. But I may be remembering incorrectly. Will you report back on the fit?

Will do. Recently I bought the same pr of jeans in two different colors and one was smaller!

Sue, you can get shoes like that without the giraffes from several different mfgs. Just google women’s velvet smokong slippers. Vivaia has knotted slippers with cute animals on them for grown ups but they are not velvet.

Mtn.i’ve noticed that black jeans are always tighter.

The process for creating a deep, colorfast black dye is different and can lead to more shrinkage compared to dyeing jeans blue.

Yup! I think it was the first time I had identical pairs that were both new.

ok now i need these

WDYT of these shoes? I bought them to try with the walk-thru gown. I decided against them because they were not comfy enough for a decent amount of walking over cobblestones. But they would be ok for most situations.

Another issue was the straps are stiff not stretchy, and they sort of gap over my foot.

Return or keep? FWIW they are quite inexpensive!

I think you can do better - my vote is to return.

I can’t really see the shoes on my phone well enough to form an opinion, but I will say from experience that those stiff straps are FAR more comfortable than the foot hugging stretchy kind. I have several pairs of shoes with a similar look that can only be worn for a couple of hours at a time — certainly not all day— because the stretchy straps make one’s feet swell.

Interesting, that is not my experience at all. Stiff straps, especially on poor quality shoes (these shoes list at $29!) can rub and cause blisters. Stretchy straps feel like ace bandages to me.

In any event, they are not outbound and have been moved to the loading dock.

I agree that you can do better.

Inexpensive or not, they arent comfortable and while not-not flattering, they arent especially flattering.

Mtn, those remind me of these that I just bought.

Naturalizer $31.00!

I was looking for a dressy sandal. Comfortable enough, not cobble stone though.

I think that yours gap a bit too much.

Return. They are not your most flattering look. If they fit properly, I might have a different opinion. You’ve mentioned that you wear a large size shoe. Nevertheless, your foot isn’t thick. Those shoes were made for someone with a thick foot.

I do like the look of the shoe but think they are too wide for your foot Mtn.

Happy Halloween 🎃.
Here is Wednesday and yes I went to Pilates in my costume too. I have shorts underneath and I changed into my grippy socks.

OMG so cute Gscience!

I saw a woman the WF dressed up like a raccoon, with the cutest tail!

gsciencechick, your costume is great!!

Also, I think may have to order those giraffe pjs.

DDIL has a bday before Christmas and is raising chickens, so I got her these pj’s.

Those are so fun, and I am tempted to say, so,"her", but I will stop myself as I sound psycho.

LOL!

(we're all psycho here)

When I was thinking about your team-building, it made me think of getting-to-know-you party games and the like. At our GTGs, we have a different problem. We know so much about each other, it can feel a little uncomfortable (especially with spouses in tow). Instead we have to play Pretend You Don't Know That.

Ha.. yes, I know exactly what you mean!

bbstx.. i just received the message (below) from houzz. weird. I don't see the post (I struggle to read/scan many posts these days) but I assume it was related to airing out my RL blazer I hadnt worn in 10 + yr?

I did use dryel a few times when I was still working in the office. I don't remember all that clearly but I know I havent bought it since. What sticks in my mind is that it doesn't do much more than airing outside would. What is your experience? Do you recommend?

bbstx said:

@Funkyart, have you ever tried Dryel? It is good for freshening things that aren’t really dirty.
A men’s store (is it called “boutique” when it is for men?) that DH used to frequent had a list of things to do to make your clothes last longer. One of the items was to brush and air clothes and not ..

I have a clothes brush and use it religiously on wool garments after i take them off. Then I either hang them for a few hours in the closet on a valet hook with an air purifier going or out on the screened porch. They do feel ”rested” when I hang them back where they belong. (Yes, I know that sounds cuckoo.)

Eileen Fisher navy skirted leggings arrived today and are magical. There were many complaints about them in the reviews about

1. the skirt being too tight (not so subtle clue that the reviewer needs to size up),

2. the legs too long (pull them up under the skirt to the length you like as with previous EF skirted leggings), and

3. the skirt being too clingy and not hanging properly (see #1)

They fit exactly like the old ones did but are made in an updated fabric that’s a bit thinner. They are really great! I plan to wear mine around home with a turtleneck and our church sweatshirt (gray with red and navy design) OR with a white turtleneck or button down and either a gray or maroon knitted vest for an out of house look.

Kswl - quick question before we switch to November - you mentioned using an air purifier in your closet. I've been thinking about buying one for my walk-in closet. We have an Air Scrubber on the HVAC but there isn't a vent in the closet. I've been looking online - the NYTimes recommended this one for small rooms - Blueair Blue. The size is right - 8x8x14, 5 pounds, simple design and the filters can last up to 6 months.

Are you happy with yours?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KPJCDN6/?tag=thewire06-20&linkCode=xm2&ascsubtag=F0401HZT0R8QDXP15H5JQDSMQ5ZV6&th=1

Gscience, you look so cute! And btw you’ve got great legs and should show them off more often. Your hard work at the gym is showing!! congrats!

@Funkyart, I haven’t used Dryel since I stopped working. I used it often for my St. John suits because I didn’t trust our local cleaners to clean them. If I spilled something, I had to take them to the city for true cleaning. The Dryel kit I had came with stuff to treat stains, but I never successfully used it.

During the summer, I would pack my suits folded in a container with cedar strips. The Dryel would remove the cedar odor and any wrinkles when I took them out in the fall.

In my experience, sometimes airing won’t get out food odors if you’ve been to a restaurant with inadequate ventilation. Dryel would get out the food odors. I guess the bottom line is I felt the Dryel was about the same as airing the garment but a little more aggressive.

I am still looking for regular ol sweatpants because I like winter afternoons at home in old school sweatpants and sweatshirt. I have tried Aritzia (too big and bulky), Gap (weird fit), and Old Navy, where my current pair came from (not the same ”model” but will try — they arrived yesteday but haven’t opened the pkg yet). Tried Aerie, too, and one pair was too bulky and big in the waist (no drawstring) but these, I kept.

They are essentially Hammer pants (hello, 1990) and look kinda silly — maybe I could/should have sized down) — but they are soooo comfy and not heavy. I wouldn’t wear them out in public although maybe I could use them next halloween.

Have you tried Vuori?

I did try them a couple of years ago and they didn’t fit me well. I should look again, maybe.

@Sueb20, check out Target. I think I’ve mentioned this before, my favorite sweatpants are from Target. They are thin and very soft. Of course, Target no longer carries that brand online, so I can’t order them. However, the next time I’m close to a Target (closest one to me is an hour+ ), I’m going to go in and see if they are carrying something similar.

I like the old school sweatpants too-- they are nostalgic. I remember as a kid/teen having them in all colors (swim team, track, field hockey, etc). Key for me is the high cotton content.

I have a very old pair from Nordstrom/Caslon that are close. I havent liked the material on any of the joggers/sweatpants I have gotten from Old Navy but maybe I am trying the wrong styles? I never remember to look at Target -- we have 4 in the area so I have no excuses.

Maire Cate, thst is very similar to the one i have in my closet and it works very well. In our case we do have a vent in the closet but my big problem is dust, and the fine particulate matter from the talcum powder I use almost every day.

I think you will be happy with that purifier!

Gscience you look fantastic in that costume! Did you watch the Netflix series Wednesday? I liked the first season :)

That picture of Barbara Eden…. I had to lol as an entire generation of men seemed to think the ideal woman wore harem pants with a bolero top and granted wishes to her master.

@jsk, that is fantastic! Plus, everyone still looks good (a big no to costumes that don't flatter!). DId they use a filter to make the greenery look dead too!

In other news, @Sueb20 the Itty Bittys came today. I'd say they are maybe a half size smaller than the black ones I got above, if that. Thumbs up!

GREAT costumes, Jsk .. and yes, your DGD played the part perfectly! They all did!

Mtn.. a 1/2 size smaller would be perfect for me .. but is the length longer too? That is my deal breaker.

I am such a sucker for marketing emails.. and sales..

I have a number of pricey BR sweaters in my cart-- I know they will go on sale for 40% off soon so I have been waiting them out. Today I received an email showing that each of them have less than 50 remaining. Do I continue to wait or do I pay full price??? I am torn but I don't think I can pay full price when I KNOW in a week or so, they will have a rewards member promo. Still ... it has been nagging at me all morning.

Oooh, what a dilemma @Funkyart. Is there one that you really really want, that will leave you bereft is you miss out? If so, I’d be tempted to go ahead and buy it … but then wait for the sale for the others.

Funky, I think I have that same turtleneck sweater in not one, but two colors. It really is a cozy sweater. I like it a lot, and I don’t usually like turtlenecks at all.

If you buy it and it subsequently goes in sale, do they give you the new price. Some retailers do from what I understand.

Yes, Sue! I also got two last year - paid full price for the brown when it was first released. Waited for BF for the beige/light brown.

Bbstx, that's what I have been trying to decide just that all day. It is a $400 diff between the current cart total and the expected discounted cart. The responsible thing is to wait ... still not sure what I will do. ;)

That's a lot!

Mtn.. i dont think they do price matches for the cardholder deals but I am not sure. I was JUST thinking I could buy now/refrain from wearing. If they do go on sale, I can return the full price sweaters. I think that is what I will do.

Funky, I was just about to suggest what you decided to do.

I have the dark brown and a sort of Christmas green.

Yup.. I did :) Thanks!

@Funkyart, I queried the BR chat bot. Here is a copy of the transcript. I find it less than conclusive. I also ”talked” to a customer service agent who I don’t believe understood the question.

Q: If I pay full price for something now and within 14 days the price is reduced for Banana Republic credit card holders, can I get a price adjustment?

A: If you pay full price for an item and it is marked down within 14 days of your purchase, you can request a one-time price adjustment. However, items purchased with a promotional discount are not eligible for price adjustments. If the reduced price is a special offer only for Banana Republic credit card holders (such as a cardholder-exclusive promotion), that would be considered a promotional discount and would not qualify for a price adjustment.

If the markdown is a general price reduction (not a cardholder-only promotion), you may be eligible.

KSWL - thanks for commenting on the air purifier. I just hit the Order button!

I guess this last comment will nicely end October. Don't forget to change your clocks!

@mtnrdredux_gw DD sent me the pic, I showed to DH and he added the filter which made it even more amazing.