Searching

The family and I are attending a wedding next month.  My step daughter is getting married, in Florida. 

I'm searching for three things, and I would like your help.  Can you locate the following:

a) a hotel in Jacksonville, Neptune Beach or St Augustine that is clean, has suites and an indoor pool, and is not going to cost us the equivalent of the national debt?

b) a great dress to wear?  I found one that I really love - except that I realized today that it won't work.  Why?  Because I'd need a halter bra with it, and I can't buy one off the rack.  I'd have to order one and I don't feel like spending that kind of money on an item I won't wear all that often.  Criteria for the dress - not tight on the butt area, no loud prints or patterns, no contrasting belts, if it has no sleeves, you have to show a wrap with it as well.  (The Hubster actually thinks that this one is too revealing, but my burqa is at the dry cleaners.)  We will be in a church, and I don't think it's that warm in FL in January.  Afternoon wedding, not too fancy. I like green, black, nothing pale.  I now have dark brown hair, with highlights, and am pretty fair complexion wise.  No more than about $150 or so.  I've got Dillards, Macy's, Nordstroms, and the like here, as well as my trusty friend Amazon and I can always order it.  I am about a size 12, I think.  For my own personal reasons I'd like to look extremely amazing.  I can't tell you why, but I'm certain that you are all smart enough to figure it out...

3) shoes to go with the great dress.  Kalisa actually showed me some really cute ones, so I may be set with these.  Or similar.

And, a bonus - I've got to find a bathing suit.  That shouldn't be too hard, right?  My last suit was a Miraclesuit and I loved it, so I think I'm going to get another one just like that.  Only a couple of sizes smaller. 

Oh, and must not forget.  I've got to find the mind that I must have lost to agree to go on this trip.  A minimum of 12 hours in a large van with six kids who make the Vietnam conflict look like a walk in the park, and a man who fell asleep at the wheel four years ago and totalled a car.

Comments

[Karly]

Ok, so my mother in law wore this dress to my sister in laws wedding...it was really pretty. And cheap. http://www.chadwicks.com/product.aspx?PfId=37105&DeptId=8219&producttypeid=1&PurchaseType=0
And it comes in 3 colors!
Ooh, and what about this one? http://www.chadwicks.com/product.aspx?PfId=91193&DeptId=8219&producttypeid=1&PurchaseType=0

Chadwicks has lotsa pretty dresses for around 100 bucks.

Do I get a prize if you pick a dress I showed ya? Huh? Huh? Do I?

[Karly]

OH...and I heart those shoes!

[margalit]

Check out overstock.com for the dress... I've found some extremely great deals there on nice stuff CHEAP. This site has good shoes and they're all on sale with free shipping both ways:

http://www.piperlime.com/browse/categorySearch.do?cid=19808

I'll look on all my special dress spots, but more info is necessary. Types of material? What is your body type (apple or pear?) and do you have specific styles that are more slimming? Anything you HATE? (me, it's the empire waist, makes everyone look preggo). Sleeveless or capped sleeve? Spaghetti straps or strapless? Dark green or lime?

[margalit]

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=2089656

http://www.overstock.com/cgi-bin/d2.cgi?PAGE=PROFRAME&PROD_ID=1844676

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=222533&CategoryID=22120

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=209081&CategoryID=18545&LinkType=EverGreen

for starters

[CharmingDriver]

For the bra dilemma, check out the 80% off sale Lane Bryant is having; they have MANY styles that are buy 2 get 2 free and also if you use coupon code 00301435 you will get an additional 30% off the sale prices! SCORE!

For the hotel, I have always had good luck with Priceline and also hotels.com.

For the trip, my only suggestion is a lot of benadryl and xanax, heh.

[chris]

I was going to suggest waiting to shop until right after New Years Day. All the fancy dresses are deeply discounted at that point. I bought a beautiful black dress last year at Macy's for my niece's wedding and it only cost $12 (originally it was $150, but with the sale and then extra percentage off by using my card) My stockings ended up costing more than the dress ;-)

Ann Taylor always has beautiful dresses too. And the way their sizes run you'd probably be an 8, which iin your case would be a well deserved ego boost!

Can't help with the bra thing, because god knows I have exactly the opposite problem.

[Jess]

http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=500980657&view=20&No=200&N=1590641&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D20%26No%3D200%26N%3D1590641&R=WEC069

http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=501016798&view=20&No=260&N=1590641&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D20%26No%3D260%26N%3D1590641&R=WEB051

http://www.dillards.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=301&langId=-1&storeId=301&productId=500647916&view=20&No=140&N=1590641&searchUrl=%2Fendeca%2FEndecaStartServlet%3Fview%3D20%26No%3D140%26N%3D1590641&R=WWG103

[Jess]

Oh and I forgot the bra thing... Victoria Secret.

[Keri]

I don't know how if you'd like any of these, but looks like Talbots is having a BIG sale. (I tend to wear alot of black, but a few of these dresses come in other colors) GOOD LUCK!

Also, so is Ann Taylor/Ann Taylor Loft

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=C163688&PFID=1427&BID=S20063630956103D0DB253C3E24A45BA453C&h=M

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=A160688&PFID=1427&BID=S20063630956103D0DB253C3E24A45BA453C&h=M

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=J238689&PFID=1427&BID=S20063630956103D0DB253C3E24A45BA453C&h=M

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=J237689&PFID=1427&BID=S20063630956103D0DB253C3E24A45BA453C&h=M

http://www1.talbots.com/talbotsonline/product/itempage.aspx?item=C171688&PFID=1427&BID=S20063630956103D0DB253C3E24A45BA453C&h=M

[DeeDee]

If you don't mind dark colors, this one looks nice. Kind of pricey, though.

http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2909908?search=true&searchtype=keywordsearch

[stacey]

i'd say take the dress and pay the extra and get the bra too. It's striking and you would be a real stunner in it. Go for it girl you only live once and you have earned the right to look fabulous! You've worked had for it. Don't sell yourself short! imho

[Hayes]

jcrew.com
great dresses
good prices
love this one http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod68585441

and this http://www.jcrew.com/catalog/product.jhtml?id=prod78054441

[Lauren]

Ok, I know you said you didn't want an expensive bra. But my life has literally been changed by my Le Mystere bra. An amazing bra all on its own, BUT -- for $56 you have a bra that you can wear with regular stuff or switch the straps around for a halter. It's honestly worth it -- it lasts forever....and then you could get the dress you want....

[Winter]

Get the dress you love!! I agree with Stacey. There's a priceless feeling to knowing you look great - and i pink puffy heart the shoes!

[jen]

I always recommend Lands End for swimsuits, and Coldwater Creek for clothes. Both are having unholy sales this weekend. Sixty percent is pretty good. And the mind to go? You're on your own, sorry! LOL

[rachel]

for the swimsuit, I love Lands End. LOVE them. their overstocks/savings event rocks.

You may want to check out Coldwater Creek for a dress & shoes - they're having a sale, and wantnot.net has a code for 70% off. helloooo Christmas money (that which isn't being used to replace counterfeit iPods). My mom got me 4 pairs of amazingly comfy and cool shoes. But I can't wear heels, as I fall down.

If my mind worked, I'd be happy to give it to you!

[Julie]

I think you have every right to look fabulous and think you would look fabulous in that dress, but let me the voice of dissent for just a wee second. I don't think that dress is necessarily too revealing, but it might be a bit flashy, given the circumstances (I'm reading into, admittedly).

When we got married a few years back, my husband's stepmother--who is much younger than my mom or his mom--showed up at our wedding and was, shall we say, MUCH flashier than anyone there. She spent a fortune on a very elaborate gown, her makeup and hair were impeccable, and she looked absolutely beautiful. But she was also the talk of the wedding, because it was so obvious that she wanted attention, and more than one person commented that she was clearly trying to upstage the other moms. So many of my friends commented that their stepmoms did the same thing at their weddings and what a joke it was!

So that's my two cents, but if there was ever a time to go for effortless, understated fabulousness, your stepdaughter's wedding is the place to do it. Oh, and don't wear black. Even though it's really appropriate for wedding these days, the symbolism might offend, given your relationship to the bride. Just thought I'd share my thoughts!

[Amah]

I know nothing of the dresses as I shop at Omar the Tentmakers but to let you know - it's not all that cool down here. We will be celebrating our New Year with over 80 temps (I'm further south about a 100 miles). Here is a great link - if you've not found it before and it's programmed for
St. Augustine. It's a really neat city - it has Alligator something something that we went to see - it was really cool, the lighthouses are even better, and Jax has all kinds of stuff to do.

http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=st+augustine+fl

[liz]

Nordstrom's will have a halter bra for the dress you liked.

Nordstrom's has everything.

[CharmingDriver]

Hey! I know you said you didn't want to order a bra that you won't wear often but like I said, the Lane Bryant sale I mentioned has MANY of their styles buy 2 get 2 free and lemme tell ya, this little (HA!) number I got is like the transformer of bras! It's a reg bra, a cross back, halter, one-strap, strapless and even has an interchangeable back thing to make it clear. In other words: AWESOME.

Anywho, this is the style
http://lanebryant.charmingshoppes.com/pagebuilder/lane_bryant_product_page?item=8209918&pagesize=3 and it wouldn't be so wasteful as to buy a ''one/few time(s)'' bra because I've decided this is the only bra I'm going to wear ever again, heh. Once I stop wearing it outside of my pj's to play with all the accessories that is.

[CJ]

Carmen, I am useless when it comes to fashion so I will just wish you luck. I don't see a link to your email address anywhere on the page and I hope you don't mind my popping an unrelated question into this comments section. Where is the post with pix of your super-cool wall decorations -- big colorful text that you stuck in your laundry room and dining room?

I've been trying to stencil a stanza of a poem in my bathroom (I know, I'm a nut) and it's NOT WORKING. Thinking about just ordering a custom one of those jobbies if it's not too expensive but I can't find the old post for the link to the company. I told Google to search your archives for "laundry room" and found lots of posts but not the one I needed. :-) And btw, are you happy with them after the fact?

Happy shopping!

[Heather]

My advice on the pools is to assume they are inground... I saw one or two pools above ground when growing up in Florida.

I would call and make sure the pool is functioning and in ground for your stay though. I made reservations in DE for a hotel with an indoor pool.. the kids and I were excited to get in after a stressful drive.. the pool was as dry as a desert. I should have complained.. but I was exhausted.

Good luck on the dress hunting. It's a few days late so I don't want to poke my nose in just in case you have a dress already.

[darren davis]

macys is a great place for clothing

-Darren
http://www.ablewise.com/ads/view/62328/