OOTD: Striped Silly. In Hats.

Day: Friday, May 17, 2013.

Where:  Sushi Lunch.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   The stripe jersey maxi skirt from J. Crew is so so so comfortable, super soft and exactly the right weight and "flowiness" for summer weather.  I thought this skirt was a new arrival at my local store since I didn't remember seeing it on jcrew.com.  Well, it was there, but it sold out super fast.  There were a handful at the Pentagon City store, at full price, but since I know I wear maxi skirts/dresses constantly, and don't quite know how to sew stretch jersey fabric yet (it is supposedly kind of difficult for a newbie), I figured I could bite on this one and not feel too bad about it.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I am wearing a fedora, a striped maxi skirt, and a clutch.  I suspect the cool hipsters have moved on, but I will happily stay in 2010 when this look was cool. 

Anecdote from the day: I have the best brother (no girlfriend, people!).  He took me to sushi buffet for Mother's Day.  And he bought sake.  And he drove.  :) 

Angus is smiling in the third photo because I gave in and gave him that fig newton he was waving at me in the second photo.

Day: Saturday, May 18, 2013.

Where:  Church/Dinner Out/Shopping at Burlington Coat Factory.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   Can't go wrong with the LouLou Dress (review here) for pure pretty combined with ease of wear.

The Penny Loafers (I will do a review in the next BWRR) have been comfortable from day one, with no break in period needed at all.

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I am wearing the loafers out of necessity, since they are patent leather and repel rain well.  I don't think this combo is especially cool.  In fact with all the grey and tan in this outfit, I look a little muted.  For me, that is definitely unusual, but it suited my mood and desire to be unfussy (for once).

But clearly I can't stay away from the color completely, look at those hats I tried on at Burlington.  LOL. 

Anecdote from the day: It has been a long time since I have gone to church without the kids, but when Peter (that's my single brother in the photos from the last outfit) wanted me to join him on his hunt for a professional interview suit, with a stint at church and dinner beforehand, I gladly said yes.

I must say that I picked the wrong mass for Mr. Dina to miss since the priest started off his sermon talking about how God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were like characters from "The Lord of the Rings."  I have only ever seen the movies, but Mr. Dina is a HUGE LOTR freak and would have no doubt sat there riveted by how well the priest connected Pentecost with one of his favorite book series.

The hat trying on session was fun, I told Pete to find me the most ridiculously over-the-top hats and make me try them on...I ended up really liking that light blue straw cloche with silly feathers, though.  :)

Okay that's it for today, hope everyone is doing well!

BTW, I have been positively bad about giving you all information on Lands' End and Pure Collection these past few months.  Nothing really important is going on with Pure right now, but Lands' End is having a sale that is exclusive to us who carry their coupons on our blogs.  I have updated the sidebar, but it is also below if you would like to save an additional 20% off anything in Lands' End Sale/Clearance Sections.

OOTD/Review: Bright. Seersucker. Florals.

Day: Tuesday, May 21, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Errands/CW's Gardening Class.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   I'll discuss the shorts and sandals in the review section, but I will let you know the dinging of points happened because of these two pieces.  Nothing big, but some things that need to be pointed out.

The top is fit for me since I sewed it (blog post on that here), so that piece is exceedingly comfortable and easy to move around in.

The whole outfit is awesome, comfort wise, for the weather we had today, all humid, sticky, icky that it was.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I like the outfit, and think the in your face color combo is really fun.  Definitely not for the faint of heart, but compared to the super-fashionable out there, this is pretty tame really.  ;)

Anecdote from the day: Been feeling a lot better since my wah-wah post of a few days ago.  No, I haven't magically developed a "quarter-bouncing butt" or found six million new friends, but I have been able to solidly connect with many of my friends and the time I have spent with them has been wonderful, and has made me feel a lot better about not being part of the "in" crowd at my son's school.

I also read (and responded to) most of the comments and e-mails I have received, and the kind, supportive words from you all mean the world to me.  Really.  :)  I know it sounds trite, but I mean it, I am so grateful for all of you who read my blog and are my blog friends.  Thank you!

5" Seersucker Shorts.  Size 10.  These are from J. Crew, purchased with the last 20% off coupon I received.  They are the same exact shorts as I have from last summer, but this year they are in a green/blue seersucker, whereas last year's seersucker is in a red/navy combo. 

I think these may be a touch smaller than last year's version, since I know I haven't gained weight from last summer.  They are tightest around the thighs, which is one of my wider areas.  They fit, they just aren't loose.

The five inch inseam is fab, though, giving enough coverage to feel like I am not showing off the goods to the world, but short enough to properly offset the looser silhouette of the top.  If I paired this top with longer shorts, it would like frumpy, in my opinion.

I have no idea what happened to these shorts on-line, btw.  I saw a whole bunch of them for sale last week.  They may have sold out, but I am sure there are plenty of them available in stores, and definitely follow the link in polyvore to catch a popback if you like them.

Leather Clogs.  Size 41.  These day glo pink sandals (they are even BRIGHTER and more DAY-GLO in real life) are from Boden's Johnnie b. line, which I happen to adore.  I often find the biggest sizes in that line fit me well, are sassy, and more importantly, cheap enough for me to indulge in guilt-free.  I buy Johnnie b. to enjoy the current trends, and stick with regular Boden for more classic styles made in materials that are friendly to my current SAHM life.

These clogs are really nicely made from lovely leather and real wood bottoms.  They look a lot like Saltwater sandals, but I know for a fact are not as easy to wear as Saltwaters, since the wood sole is definitely not the cushy rubber sole that I have seen on the Saltwaters.  (I have never owned Saltwaters, but CW had a pair and she wore them constantly.)

There are a few drawbacks, which will benefit you if you have wide feet.  I don't, so for me, these are negatives.  Not negative enough to return, but worth considering if you can't stand looser shoes.

The straps up there at the top (criss-cross ones) are very loose, like should be on a different pair of sized shoes loose.  The other straps have holes that can be buckled, which is what has saved these shoes for me and allowed me to keep them.  (They are buckled on the last buckle, btw, if they get any looser, I will have to have the shoe repairman punch a new hole to make them tighter.

I find that the looser toe box is less annoying to me than the reverse, which is a looser heel area.  I find that a looser heel means the shoe completely flops off my foot, whereas a loose toe box just means my little piggies have more room to spread out. ;)

Anyhow, if you have wide feet and want a nice looking pair of sandals that will definitely fit your feet, for a good price*, then these may be the ones for you.  The pair are also available in silver, which look slightly less obnoxious than these neon ones.

(Everyone commented on these sandals today, especially the color.  Most loved the sandals, but I am sure some folks were freaked out by how glow in the dark they appeared.)

*The price goes down to $43 with my sidebar coupon, which is about a 30% savings.  The shoes are on sale and go further down in price with the coupon.

Kept the makeup super-simple, easy light foundation, super sheer nude lipstick, and lots of mascara (I know it doesn't look that way, but trust me, that's a lot of mascara, I have really blonde eyelashes).

Angus gave me the cutest smile today.  :)  Look at all those teeth!

Okay, all, off to eat dinner, have a great night!

Made by Me File/OOTD: High Waisted. (Vintage Simplicity 7688.)

Hi, all!  Happy Sunday!

Gonna do the ootd portion of the post first, then go into detail about sewing up the shorts.

Day: Thursday, May 2, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Little Gym/Lunch with friends.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   Since the shorts were crafted to fit my body exactly, and made from a nice soft stretchy cotton sateen, I was very comfortable all day.  Too bad my hip really hurt (more about that below in the anecdote section) because had I been feeling fine, this outfit would have been a 100% winner.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  High-waisted shorts had a resurgence last year in fashion, and likely are going to be present this summer as well.  I like the look, a lot, but because they have been done up in a pretty floral and not a distressed denim, they are not "cool," just lovely and pleasant.  And that works for me.  :)

I really liked the animal print bedazzled bow ballet flats from Boden with  the outfit, they worked perfectly with the outfit but have a teeny edge that allows them to be a bit unexpected.  Originally I had planned on sandals, but switched to the flats at the last minute.

Anecdote from the day:  (If you are really not into "wah-wah, woe is me," and that's fine, of course, you may want to skip this section.  LOL.  Trust me.)

I don't like being vulnerable here at my blog, but ever since May 2, I have been feeling really blue.  It all started on the evening of May 1 when my left hip felt like it had been wrenched out of place.  I have had issues with my hips since having the kids (the last few weeks of CW's pregnancy I had to use a cane my hips hurt that bad), but never enough to justify a visit to the doctor.  Honestly, I am just tired of having to be "fixed" all the time.  Fortunately I took some ibuprofen the night of the 2nd and was fine the next day, but it still zapped my energy and spirit to be in pain.

This "blue" period has absolutely nothing to do with my blog, my kids, or my family, in fact it is all on me, and my perception of how others perceive me out in the real world.  To put it mildly, I have been feeling like a misfit that no one likes. 

Every day I amble around, trying to keep my cool and a smile on my face, and in return I get doors slammed in my face (while holding the baby), pushed out of the way by strangers, tailgated by drivers who are angry that I am only going five miles above the speed limit, yelled at by administrators at my son's school because I was hoping to have Rex sit for two minutes in extended day so I could take CW to the bathroom (while holding Angus), and being snubbed by the other moms at pickup time when I go up to talk with them*.  Of course I am human and not a robot, so in all of these cases I have (as soon as I am alone) cried.  As soon as the tears stop flowing, I don't just brush it off and pick myself back up, either.  I wish I could, but honestly, it has been easier to face my bedspread and shut out the rest of the world.

From time to time I do meet other people in this area who are genuine and sweet and caring, but they are definitely few and far between.  I hate that where I am from is like this, full of "me first" people who are only looking out for number one and don't care who they step on to get there.  I think of the examples above there are only two instances where it wasn't a "me first" situation, the one with the school administrator (though she didn't have to scream at me, of course), and the one with the other moms (as much as it hurts to admit it, I am probably not cool enough, especially since I don't have the tight "lululemon butt" that they all have--I am not even kidding, btw, can bounce a quarter off those tight derrieres).

I realize I am not going anywhere, can't leave my home of thirty years and don't really think I should feel I have to in order to find kindness, but I do know that as I am aging, it is all starting to tire me out.  I just don't have the right stuff to ignore the a-holes and be okay with being treated like dirt because I am not fast enough, assertive enough, or cool enough.  Ugh.

*this happens only at Rex's school, the same place I went to as a kid, btw.  CW's preschool parents are super nice and friendly.  I am a little worried that it is going to be like this for the next thirteen years--Angus is going there, too.  I will probably figure it out soon enough, and find other moms who do like me for who I am, but it feels like I am invisible most days.  

/pity party

(BTW, those of you who read the above, and stuck through, thank you.  I just needed to get it off my chest.  I have a few good friends who know not everything is not rosy in my life, but in general, I have to hide my true feelings every day and a lot of this has been building inside of me.)

I have a stash of vintage patterns in my collection, some gifted to me and some found on ebay (so cheap, btw), and though I want to jump right into them, I want to make sure I can really sew before cutting into them.  That said, I knew that I could at least give Simplicity 7688 a try.  This 1968 pattern is pretty awesome, btw, since it has three lengths of shorts/pants in one package that can be customized to your height. It also has an insert on fitting for trousers, which is really valuable to me since I have the biggest problems with fit on my lower half.  With the assistance of that chart, btw, plus some internet searches (Colette has a great tutorial, too), I made these shorts and other pants exactly right for my legs/hips/crotch depth.

I had planned to make the "Jamaica shorts" length, but after examining what came with the pattern, I realized that was the one pattern that was not included (this happens with old patterns, pieces may go missing).  No biggie, though, since the short shorts were in there, and armed with my info on lengthening pants/shorts, I decided to turn the three inch inseam into a much preferable five inch inseam.

The only thing that ended up being a bit off for me was the waistband to crotch length.  I am tall, and though most of my height is in my lower half, after spending many hours figuring out what is going on with my body for perfect alterations, it turns out that I am shorter than I thought between my natural waist and crotch.  The next time I make this pattern, I will probably go ahead and cut it down to the "average" height length, while maintaining the five inch inseam.

To fix how high the waistband was going to be, I decided to fold down the waistband which meant that instead of being "grandpa-waisted," I would end up with a shorter (and less ridiculous) "high waist."

I didn't want to lose any length off the leg, so instead of hemming it like you normally should (folding under about 1/2 inch, then another 1/2 inch to get a 1" inseam), I decided to use some bias tape to face the hem.  Basically I attached the single fold tape to the front of the shorts, then folded it under and secured it in place.  A nice bonus is that if I ever decide to change up the shorts, I can flip the tape up, and voila, a different look.

Fwiw, I decided to wear the hem down that day.

Patterns back then were all one sized, and the one I used was for a 29" waist and 40" hips.  I was nervous the 40" would be too small, but it fit exactly right.  The 29" was a good call, just the right ease to keep these shorts super comfortable.

BTW, this pattern came together fast.  I cut, prepped, and sewed them all in one day.  My current pattern, though, has taken me so so long.  (Admittedly I have done a lot of extra things to the top, including underlining and facing all raw edges, but still, ugh.  At least I can finally say it is done, though!)

Okay, that's it.  Again, thank you all for bearing with me through this post.  I know most of the time I keep things light, but I felt like it would have been disengenious not to let you all know that I have been struggling emotionally.  :-P

Boden fans, today is the last day of the current "trim," which includes many current high summer items.  I am planning on grabbing the Harbour Island Dress, which if I am lucky will come in the mail from PA.  (Would love to wear that one soon!)  If you use the below coupon, you will receive an additional 15% off, which equals decent savings.


Have a great Sunday (or what's left of it)!

OOTDs: Sally Wrong Socks.

Day: Monday, April 1, 2013.

Where: Bowling/Packing for Ireland.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   So easy to wear, especially the Lands' End Knit Pants (link takes you to a similar pair). 

The here and there fox tee from Anthro is so adorable, and is made from the softest cotton.  I felt very lucky that I found it over the Christmas season at a sale price and with an additional % off.  I think this tee sold fast and then was completely out of stock.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  If I had bothered to wear socks that didn't look redonk against the red lulu bow flats, I could totally have upped this outfit to a 3.5, but "Sally Wrong Socks" didn't realize how stupid the socks looked until she got home and uploaded the photos on the computer.  Never. Again.

Anecdote from the day:  I had to pre-bowl because I was going to miss the bowling that week, but I kept putting it off so I had to bowl the morning of the day our family was going to be flying off to Ireland.  I guess the pressure worked since I bowled pretty darn well.  (Yay!)

The packing was no biggie, since I started packing a whole month early.  I always do that, I pack like a organizational fool.  I wish I could say unpacking was as fun for me, but I *HATE* unpacking.  Mr. Dina is constantly making fun of me because of my allergy to unpacking.

Day: Sunday, March 31, 2013.

Where: Easter Sunday.

Ease of Wear: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love the perfect pencil skirt and think it gives a nice, sleek line, but oh, man, it is fitted.  I find that I can only wear them for a few hours before I am all, "get this thing off of me."  Ugh.  I still have those darn extra two inches on my high hip (won't lose them until Angus weans completely) and all of my fitted pants and skirts feel off.  The fit, just not the way I want them too.  (Or they could fit exactly as they used to but because I am getting older, I have way less tolerance for the idiocy of my clothes not feeling good on my body.)

The rest of the outfit felt wonderful, especially the darling wedge heels from Boden (last summer's version; similar here).

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The day before "Sally Wrong Socks" wore black socks with red shoes, "Tania Sad Tights" wore a pair of grey tights that exactly matched her grey shoes.  In my defense, it was really cold that day, and even though it was Easter and I was desperate to wear bare legs, I just couldn't.  Plus the control top of the tights helped suck that baby fat right in.  LOL.

Even if I had worn bare legs, the outfit would have been a 3, tops.  The tresco floral Liberty print is awesome, but it is a whole lot of look, especially paired with the purple skirt.

CW was definitely the coolest girl around, though.  ;)  (I wrote about sewing her dress here at this post.)

Anecdote from the day:  We decided not to cook Easter lunch, so we did what any hungry family of eight (my dad, bro, and step-mom came to) would do on Easter Sunday, go out for Ethiopian food.  Mmm, injera!  :)

Okay, that's it for tonight.  I hope everyone is having a fabulous night (or morning if you are seeing this on Thursday morning)!

P.S. Do any of you watch Style Network's Resale Royalty?  I have it on in the background while typing up this post and it is freaking me out how many times they have said the name "Dena."  One of their employees is named Dena and it seems every other sentence mentions her name.  Thank goodness I don't have a drinking game where every time I hear my name I have to take a drink.  I wouldn't just be drunk after watching this show, I would have to go to the hospital.  (Note--I don't actually play drinking games, but Mr. Dina and I really like making up drinking games.)

OOTD/Review: Boden Lace Dress.

Lace Dress.  Size 8 Long.  I initially spied this beauty back during the summer preview (original post here) and even though they didn't have the garment measurements up (grr, Boden, grr), I took a chance and pre-ordered the size 8 long, hoping that it wouldn't be too tight in the hips, or (more likely as of late) too large overall, especially in the bodice.

Summer 2013 rolls out and I think, "goody, I get the dress soon."  Nope, hold on...it looks like all colors and sizes are on deep backorder, which means that all of us in love with this dress will need to hold off until mid-April, at the earliest.

Upon receiving it (exactly when they said I would receive it), I grabbed it, tried it on, did a teeny squeal of excitement, and ran out to my dad (was helping with pickup of the kids that day) to show him its gorgeousness.

My dad immediately declared it a winner.  And although I really wanted to wear it as soon as I could, I knew I had to wait for the exact right occasion, which this spring is Mother's Day.

In a surprise twist from Boden, they made the bodice just big enough (without being too large for my smaller upper body) while keeping the hips more a-line, however not sacrificing the pencil shape.  The waist is exactly right for my body, with about an inch of ease, I feel good, but also know that the waist is defined enough to highlight my curves.

The length if fab, hitting right on my mid-kneecap.

I would say that for all of you interested in this one to size for your waist, since this seems to be where the smallest measurement is, plus it is a grosgrain ribbon, which is not stretchy at all, unlike the cotton lace and cotton lining which has at least some stretch (not jersey stretch, of course, just a bit of flexibility).

I have a very high waist and the waistband sits right on it.  Usually in talls, this means I have to sacrifice the right placement for my waist in order to get the length, but this dress was not fashioned with a longer bodice (which means if you have a long torso, this dress may not work for you).

That bump there at the top of my bottom is the zipper.  Good news, it is a back zip, which means easy access as you can put the dress by stepping into it.  Bad news for my shape is that it sticks out a bit, since I suspect I may have a bit of a sway back (didn't even know what that was until I started sewing...now I see it everywhere and am very aware when the garment doesn't quite work with my particular posture).

Now that bump didn't even come close to bothering me, didn't even notice it until I was editing the photos.

Back view.  The slit is accommodating without being too high, nice for moving around.

Word about the lining, it is the same lovely yellow of the lace, so you get a whole lot of "bright" when wearing it.  I happen to love insane bright colors like this, but if you are not a fan, the dress also comes in a white and navy.

The lace is delicate, so please do take care when wearing it.  I accidentally brushed up against the wooden pew at my church and managed to snag a very small bit of thread.  Nothing is wrong with the dress since the damage was miniscule, but just wanted you all to be aware.


Lace Dress.  The model looks so good in it.  The yellow is not quite as bright as in this photo, but still very "happy."  :)

I think the price is high, but I can see why it is so expensive when looking at the detailing throughout, from the cotton lace and fabric to the careful way they enclosed seams and the hem.

Day: Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Where: Mother's Day Mass.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I am giving this very girly and lacy dress a whole 4 points since I could have kept wearing it all day.  I wanted to wear it at least once more before I had to take it to the cleaners (definitely dry clean), so I took it off right after the photo of the kids and me was taken.

The lace is delicate, as I mentioned above, so I deducted a point for that since you can't really *do it all* in this dress.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Hmm. Lace is in, yellow is in, but this frock is probably too mumsy and conservative to be cool.  Do not care.  ;)  The invitation clutch is amazing and really is exactly the right bag for the outfit, and I think that particular piece is cool, so maybe the combo is bumped up from its inclusion?

Anecdote from the day:  My children (specifically CW) gave me a Barbie card for Mother's Day.  Inside the card was a sticker declaring me the "Best Mom Ever."  I totally wore that the entire day.  ;)

Mass was awesome, the kids were really well-behaved, and they didn't even have their coloring books or crayons with them.  I suspect they knew that since it was Mother's Day, it probably wasn't the best time for them to act up, even though they had no diversions.  (Still, those diversions don't bother me--Mr. Dina just forgot them in the car.)

I came home after getting some champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice (mimosa, mmmm) and while the two oldest, my dad, and Mr. Dina went to a baseball game, and Angus slept, I enjoyed maybe one or two or three glasses.  ;)

Okay, that's it for now.

Happy Mother's Day, btw, to all my favorite moms and moms-to-be out there!

BTW, today marks the start of another set of trim items over at Boden.  This week there are many "high summer" items, including the Harbour Island Dress, which was one of my picks.  I believe I may be ordering that this week. 

If you use the sidebar coupon (below, as well), you will receive an additional 15% off, which equals about 32% off total.

OOTDs: Dressy Grey.

First--before I get this post started--Lou, my awesome British blogging friend, was able to attend the Boden Autumn 2013 Press Day.  Of course I am insanely jealous, but so very happy for her, too.  :)

To see her photos of the day (what she has put up so far, of course), head on over here (accessories, shoes, and bags), or here (womenswear).  I have a major crush on that hummingbird sweater, btw. 

Day: Friday, March 8, 2013. (Timely, oh, yeah, baby.)

Where: Girl's Night Out Dinner.

Ease of Wear: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I finally fit into this Boden dress, after having purchased it in my pre-pregnancy size while fully pregnant.  It was a popback, and a really great price in clearance, so I figured if I couldn't make it work, I could give it to my stepmom.

I like how it looks, but I felt a bit "swaddled."  It got better as the night wore on (probably because of that beautiful drink in the third photo) but this is not my most comfortable outfit ever.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I think I look cool.  Maybe the print is a tad much, but the boots, fun clutch, and unique jacket seem "cool."

Anecdote from the day:  My kids could have stayed home with Mr. Dina, but my friend, E., and I had chosen to take our eldest rugrats to the Little Gym for "Parents Night Out."  It really was just an excuse to get our kids playing together in a super safe environment for three hours while also giving our husbands a bit of a break from all the kids.

E. and I ended up going to Virtue Feed & Grain, a very hip restaurant in Old Town Alexandria.  I was surprised that E. suggested it, but once there, I was thrilled.  Nice to have an outings sans kids, all dressed up, and being able to truly enjoy the ambiance of the place.  Virtue's shtick is that there are no freezers anywhere and that all you consume is as fresh as can be.  Sounds good to me, but honestly Ruby Tuesday without children would have been just as awesome.  (I make parenting sound SO glamorous, don't I?)

Virtue is housed in what used to be a darling little independent bookstore, Olssons.  I remember going to Olssons as a kid, then as a teen, then as a college student.  Now we have exactly one bookstore left, a Barnes & Noble.  Sigh.

I recently drove past where my ex-boyfriend grew up and his house is completely gone.  It was sort of shocking to see it (well not see it).  I don't know why but it made me sort of tear up.  Probably sentimental, I suppose, but I usually am more logical and practical than that.  Maybe I am just getting old.  I cried a few times while watching the National Geographic channel's "The 80s: A Decade that Made Us."  The baby Jessica getting caught in a well story nearly did me in.  ;)

Day: Sunday, March 10, 2013.

Where: Movie with Mr. Dina and CW.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I love the Audrey Dress so much.  :) I ended up buying the green one (which I reviewed here), the red one (which I reviewed here and ended up giving to my sister-in-law), and this petrol version.  I decided that the petrol one would be my serious dress, so I bought it in a size 8 long, so it would hit almost my knee.

You can't beat this one for comfort and practicality.  If I worked in an office, I could wear it there (with tights or hose, though).  But since that isn't me, I just use it for my casual dressy option when I need one. 

And since I paired the dress with pink flats (old school J. Crew, btw), even my feet were feeling good.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Hmm.  I looked polished.  I had a pretty Liberty print invitation clutch (Tresco floral) that matched my (homemade) hair tie.  I made sure all of the pieces were exactly right with each other.  In other words, probably not especially cool since it is clear I tried too hard with this look.  Some of you will love it, though.  :)  My J. Crew gals, especially, since we tend to be the matchy-match queens of the universe.  LOL.

Anecdote from the day:  Rex had ZERO desire to go see "Oz: The Great and Powerful," so we took CW by herself to the movie.  She was thrilled at the absence of her brothers (tiny Angus was not there either...he is way too mobile now to take to movies) and enjoyed her day from start to finish.

She and I have decided that next year we will do Oz costumes again (you can see what we did last October here) but I will change up my costume to better reflect Glinda's costume in this movie, so while it will be similar to the one I wore last year, it will be white and silver instead.

(I am a huge, ginormous fan of Oz, by the way.  I have been reading the books since I was a child and now have one whole bookcase devoted to the L. Frank Baum classics.  There are fourteen books, and countless pieces of memorabilia out there, so it isn't exactly hard to make a collection.  Even the walls in the front living room are covered in Oz posters, some from the movie with Judy Garland, and others, artist's interpretations of the books.)

Day: Sunday, March 24, 2013.

Where: Angus's First Birthday Party.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Can't get much more comfy than Citizens of Humanity jeans that are really just very thick leggings.  I am not sure there is any cotton in these.  :)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Gotta cut my hair, which I have done since, but besides Miss Shaggy, the look is pretty cool.  I love the lace tee (J. Crew factory from last year) and think it looks especially interesting with the black cami underneath.

My shoes match Angus's face in the fourth photo.  LOL.

Anecdote from the day:  Well all first birthdays are supposed to include a ridiculous party with a child over-indulging in cake, right?  That is not just a tradition we made up.  ;)

We do not, however, do these indulgent theme parties*.  I really admire some of these parties, but OMG, how in the h-e-double hockey sticks do these moms do it?  They mustn't sleep.  Right?  Or do they all hire party planners?  It gives me a bit of a complex, really, seeing them all on blogs and/or in real life...I start to feel like a loser mom that I bake vanilla cupcakes with blue icing, slap together some gumbo, make sure some wine is chilled, and call it a party.

Angus didn't seem to care that there was no theme, btw.

*the first link on that google search had me breaking out into hives...

Day: Monday, March 25, 2013.

Where: Angus's Birthday Dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Those JCP leggings, yum.  And they are a bit too big so they are so super comfy.  :)

The Alex sweater dress is another old school J. Crew one, from Holiday 2007 that I found on ebay last year.  I was able to wear it pregnant, and I am happy to report that it fits way better than I expected not pregnant.  Definitely going to be pulling this one out a lot next winter.

You might note I am wearing a sweaterdress, a scarf, and boots on a late March day in Virginia.  Last March I was wearing shorts and a tank top.  So why the cold weather gear?  (See photos below for the answer.)

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  With the Phillip Lim Pashli Satchel in tow, the scarf tied jauntily, and the just tousled enough hairstyle, definitely cool.  Really want to re-wear this outfit.

Anecdote from the day:  See photos below for anecdote from the day.  Each photo is captioned.  ;)

Gus wakes up on his first birthday (IN LATE MARCH IN VIRGINIA) to snow.  More snow, in fact, than we have seen in two years.  I don't ever remember seeing snow this late in VA, latest I can remember is early March, sometime in the 90s.

CW happily wore her "Let it Snow!" tee.  LOL.

I bought Angus gifts, but I made him these pj bottoms.  Unfortunately size 1 in sewing patterns is equal to about a toddler size 2 in Target (or baby Boden).  I just went with it and rolled the cuffs and adjusted the elastic in the waistband.

We love sombreros on our birthdays!

CW, Angus, and Rex shared Angus's birthday dessert.  Well, sort of...while Gus looked on, Rex decided to try and grab some of CW's part of the dessert...which resulted in...

CW standing her ground, all assertive.  Good for you, CW.  Gus's expression cracks me up...he is such a third child.

After a very involved discussion with Mr. Dina, Rex gave up and instead decided to sulk.  I wish I could say this is the first time I have ever seen this happen in our household.  The only one who doesn't sulk is Angus.  I really hope he doesn't learn how.  ;)

Alrighty, that's it!  I hope you all are having a great Friday night and/or weekend.  Talk with you soon!

BTW, if you are a fan of the Boden Autumn 2013 items that you see on Lou's blog, you can comment here, but my plan is to do a post with picks from what Lou grabbed pictures of...I would like to believe there will be a preview sale, but with no preview sale for the high summer items (released last week), that has me wondering if previews are a thing of the past.  :-P