OMG. Boden! Limited Edition 40% Off for the Next Three Days.

ALL LIMITED EDITION ON SALE.  EVEN THE NEW WINTER LIMITED EDITION.

Plus 25% off everything else.  Wow.   I didn't think the Stella Dress was going to be mine or the Silk Ruffle Neck top, but I think I might just bite before the promo is up (can't today, but possibly Thursday, depending on funds). 

I was SURE, sure, sure, that the 30% off everything yesterday was as far as Boden could go.  Nope.  Retailers have been nuts this year with the promos, which is all at once exhilirating and exhausting.

I am currently holed up in a New Orleans hotel, with a flight scheduled for later today back home (with a stop at Cafe du Monde, of course), so my access to the internet is limited, to say the least.   (The internet has been the bane of my existence this trip, lol.  I love traveling, but I do love my "down time" in the AM and PM with my favorite internet reads.)

By the way, there have been reviews of quite a few Limited Edition items, so check out this link if you would like some more info on a few of the pieces before you buy.  Hope that helps some of you.
As of right now, I have not received  a direct link to the sale from my affiliate, but if I do, I will absolutely update this blog post with the information and direct link.  I will also update my sidebar, as well.

For now I recommend going through the link below and placing the code WL01 into your shopping bag (if you would like to participate in this offer). 
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

I have already heard from quite a few of you that this promo worked for you and you are super-pumped to have this sale!  Thanks especially to Tweetybird2, CC, and clairenmaddy for either e-mailing me or commenting to this blog with this info.  :)

Anyone else excited, as well?

Boden: Cyber Monday 30% Off Today Only!

She spies a 30% off (one day only!) deal on Boden today.  It is making her smile.

UPDATE (10:49 am Eastern Time):  I just received a DIRECT LINK and code for the sale at Boden from my affiliate, woo!  Here it is, and for regular computer users, I will give you a direct link and code in my sidebar, too:
Get 30% off with Free Shipping at Bodenusa.com. Use code WCM1.

Wow, in all the years I have been shopping at Boden, I have never seen a 30% off sale on their items (except clearance time). This is awesome. :) I received an e-mail this morning alerting me to the Cyber Monday deal and I am stoked for us Boden babes.

This is *almost* as good as some of the clearance prices, which when the clearance happens, usually is 35% to 50% off the original sale price.

This is a particular good deal if you are interested in a promo priced item like the Gorgeous Cashmere Cardigan which is promo priced at $182.40, but whose price with the extra 30% off is $127.68. (And I thought I got a good deal when I got it at an additional 20% off promo price, lol.) This cardigan came to mind because I have recently reviewed it, but there are tons of items on promo, some of which I covered in this post.

I also feel like if you have an item you really want but are concerned it won't make it to sale OR that you see has low stocks, this is the sort of sale made for your needs. I will probably bite today on three or four mini Boden items that are showing lower stocks that I want to have for the kids' Christmas presents. I have already bought CW's (a couple of weeks ago), but today I will get Gus and Rex squared away with the Woodland Appliqué T-shirt, the Big Appliqué T-shirt, and the Lined Skate Trousers.

If you need help deciding, remember I have a whole bunch of Boden Weekly Review Roundups, which can be found by clicking this link.

Hope you all have a great (Cyber Monday Sale) shopping!

Boden: Clearance Sale in Pennsylvania!

A HUGE thank you to LaurenPhD, who wrote me an e-mail to let me know that she had been invited to a clearance sale in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next Saturday, December 3, 2011, from 10 am to 4 pm.  :)

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go except that Pittsburgh is six hours away and would require an overnight stay.  LOL.  Add to that the fact that I am 5.5 months pregnant, I will just spread the good news and let all the wonderful readers of this blog know, just in case anyone CAN make it (and if you do, please e-mail me or report back, I would love to know what a Boden clearance sale is like!).

Have any of you been or are planning on attending?  

If you can't go, remember there is a 25% off all full-priced and promo items from Boden (excludes clearance, aw shucks) going on right now.  I have seen what can and will happen when Boden switches their site from regular to clearance, it is madness...some items are excluded (only to appear a few weeks later), some items sell out in mere minutes, and some items linger and linger.  If you know that an item that you want is looking like it could sell out quickly, I always advise to buy during a sale like this one, just in case.  (I plan to do this for a select few items, especially mini Boden which disappear the fastest in sale time.)

The link for that promo is below, which if you are on a mobile device, should help as it links you directly to Boden without having to switch to my main website to find it in the sidebar.
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!


P.S. I gained my 300th follower today! Woo! I can't believe it...seriously this is wonderful news. I promised myself that if I made it to 300 followers I would have a giveaway, so please do be on the watch for one in the next week or so. Yay!

Thanksgiving Maternity Wear Times Two!

Hi, all!  Happy belated Black Friday.  LOL.  :)  I hope everyone had a great time shopping the great deals.  I, unfortunately, had absolutely no access to the internet (it was on the fritz in a major way, and kinda still is, ugh).  So I did my Black Friday shopping the old fashioned way, in the mall and at Walmart.  Woo!

I did have a great Thursday, though, with all sorts of yummy deep Southern favorites like sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, broccoli and cheese and rice casserole (do you sense a theme?), and of course, the ultimate yumminess, stuffing.  I barely even touched the turkey or pecan pie.

We dress for dinner here but only just, so I didn't really need to bring it fully with a dress and tights and heels, so I decided to wear a maternity outfit I purchased in Paris (only clothing I bought, btw!) from a darling little (little is being ambitious) boutique called Mamma Fashion. 

I walked into the store and barely showing meant that I had to guesstimate if the items I chose would actually fit, but these pieces had the dual advantage of looking decent without a real belly, and now that I have a belly, look pretty good with...I guess it might have something to do with French women only buying quality pieces that will last a lifetime, so the shop only carried the items that truly fit that description.  I anticipate the top working well beyond my pregnancy and the pants appear to be the sort that can be tailored to work after your postpartum stage is up.

The top and pants are from a brand called Pomkin, and they have the rare (at least I have rarely seen this) plus of actually being MADE IN FRANCE.  That probably also explains the prices, which also explains why these two pieces are the only clothing I purchased over the entire trip.  ;)

Top: Pomkin Liberty of London Silk Fabric Tie Top, Size Small (FR 38).  This retailed for around 170 Euro, but it was on sale for 85 Euro and was the last one in the shop.  I felt like I had literally died and gone to heaven, here I am the biggest Liberty of London fan, AND on sale is one of the most exquisite tops (not even just maternity tops) I have ever seen.  In. my. size.  And my hubby gave me a thumbs up.  I might have squealed.  Yes, 85 Euros, even on sale, is a HUGE chunk of change, but I think you all get it, right?

Pants: Pomkin Career Full Leg Pants (Pantalon Drew Caviar), Size Large (FR 42).  These were 98 Euro, but the fabric is super soft and fit then and fits now.  It also didn't appear to be too small in the thighs but too big in the band which is often my issue.

The headband is from Anthropologie, the earrings are the J. Crew Snow sparkle earrings (which have been the MOST popular item I have ever clipped for polyvore, seriously every time I go on polyvore, it has been used by 20 women for 20 different sets), and the shoes are Nine West.

You can really tell here how this top can work both for pregnant and non-pregnant women.  The fabric is the Caesar design, more often known as the Peacock design (as the design is based on peacock feathers).  I have a few items with this pattern, but they are all from the Liberty of London for Target line.  I daresay the fabric on this blouse may be a teeny bit more exquisite.

I also happen to own a LoL top from Target that can also be maternity, same pattern.  :)  LOL at the LoL love.  I just think that one is less dressy, so can be worn a tad more casually. 

Close up of the snow sparkle earrings, headband, and the bow on the blouse.

You know what I did after the very filling meal, right?  No, I didn't nap.  We took a walk!  Of course!  I didn't want to wear heels and fancy pants and fancy top out so I switched to a Boden Maternity tunic called the Special Day Tunic.  I will be linking back to this on Wednesday for the next Boden Weekly Review Roundup, so here is a little on this tunic.  I went with my regular tunic size in Boden, size 6 (US size), and it fits well, and is very very soft.  I love the pretty pattern, it reminds me a lot of the Show Stopping Tunic, but is a bit more forgiving of a forever expanding waistline.

The leggings and shoes are a bit casual, but worked for the event.  I will probably wear the tunic with tights the next time and a cute pair of ballet flats.

From the side.  The nice thing is that this tunic could also work as a non-maternity dress if you so desire.  I feel like you had best wear super-control top tights, though, as any little bulge is going to be read as a pregnant belly owing to its baby doll shape.  Just a little PSA.


Special Day Tunic. Also comes in a blue and a pink version. Right now, with the continuing 25% off and free ship and returns (till November 30th), this tunic goes from $98 down to around $75. (I have placed a link at the bottom of this post for folks to get the 25% off...seems that with my internet issues lately, I turned out to be the one who MOST needed the access from my mobile phone, lol.)

I have added this top's photo to this post so I can clip it to Polyvore and create a chic maternity set. Yay!

Okay, all, better go, as I really don't want to press my luck with the internet...

Here is that link for the extra 25% off and free ship and returns at Boden:
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Thankful Edition!

I know I have mentioned it before, but since the vast majority of you will be reading this post on American Thanksgiving day, I wanted to once again repeat my overwhelming gratitude to all the wonderful ladies who have helped me in the past year create a successful weekly review roundup for a wonderful clothing brand!  :)

I also want to thank Boden for offering such lovely goodies that all of us seem to keep coming back for more, and a special thanks to the genius who figured out that some of us love the brand SO much that a preview of upcoming fashions with a % off is a great idea.

To thank us, Boden is currently offering a stellar sale on all promo (non-clearance sale items) and full priced items, a whopping 25% off with free shipping and returns.  If you are like me, you may have already used it once, and may use it again for presents (hello, adorable mini Boden!).

The link for the 25% off with free ship and returns is at the sidebar (if you are on a traditional computer) or at the bottom of this post (for those of you with mobile devices who are viewing my mobile blog version).  I recommend clicking on this first to ensure that the Boden site knows that you have this promo, and takes the extra money off the cost of the item.

There are three reviews tonight, one of which is currently on promo price, so with the additional 25% equals a significant amount of savings.

If you would like to see an item on me closer, click on the photo.  If you would like to see a photo on a blog friend, click on the link to that blog.  If  you would like to check out availability, sizing, measurements, or colorways, click on the Boden stock photo to go directly to the item page.

Onto the reviews!

Boden Limited Edition:

Gorgeous Cashmere Cardigan, dressed very "low."  :)

Obviously I am sucker for embellished cardigans as they keep jumping into my shopping carts and I keep. buying. them.  But at least I wear them, right?

I wore this yesterday to go to the movies with the kids.  We saw Puss in Boots (high-lair-ee-us if you like kids movies), and even though the temp outside was hovering in the 60s (with t-storms, woo!), I knew it would be chilly in the theater, so I brought this super-thick, super-soft cardigan with me.  The embellishments were just an extra something something, but clearly you can see how this cardigan can easily work with a dress or skirt or even a nice pair of dark jeans.

So you know the tank is J. Crew, the shorts are maternity from Motherhood Maternity, and the sandals are Born.

From the side (I am 22 weeks baby belly, they think). 

This is a shorter cardigan, which Boden does a lot of...if you have a longer torso, it may be too short, but since my waist (non-existent though it may be right now, lol) is just right above the spot where this cardigan's hem hits, it works for me.  I like it opened, but I anticipate that when I get my figure back, it will look darling closed and paired with a brightly hued pencil skirt.

I chose this color, pearl, as I actually don't have a white cardigan I can wear as a completer piece for outfits.  It really did fill a void in my wardrobe.  I do, however, have light grey ones in superfluity, so definitely need to just say no to anymore in that color. 

If you open this photo, you will see the detailing a bit better.  Those beads are sewn on nicely to the grosgrain ribbon trim.  CW's little head kept bashing into it during the movie (she sat on my lap, yet we paid for her ticket, huh, how does that work?).  I checked as I took it off and they were all still on and very well, I might add.

I chose to get my true size 6 in this, and it fits nicely.  Only size up if you have a larger bustline or shoulders.


Gorgeous Cashmere Cardigan. $182.40 Promo Priced, but with the additional 25% becomes an awesome $136.80.


Regular Boden:

Somerset Coat. Suburban Mom models the ecru color in this coat, and looks so lovely in it. :) I know she will wear it for many seasons to come. :) It is priced at $188, but with the 25% off it is $141. 


Twist Jersey Top. It comes in a variety of colorful prints, but also a very important basic black. Suburban Mom also does a review of this top (which I hadn't realized was nearing tunic length!), and also shows an IRL photo of it under the Somerset Coat. Very nice. I can see why she would keep it! It is normally $78, but with the 25% off its price comes down to $62.40.

Well, that's all, you all. ;)

Have a happy Thanksgiving if you are in the United States, and if you are in Canada, I am so sorry for having forgotten to wish you all Happy Thanksgiving when you had yours, so I am saying it belatedly! For all elsewhere, you all have a GREAT Thursday!

Oh, yeah, didn't forget, promise. Mobile users, here is a link for the 25% off with free ship and returns at Boden USA:
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

J. Crew Reviews: Stadium Cloth Elements Coat and Lula Jacquard Ballet Flats...

I am so gonna make this a super-fast post, what with this terrible internet connection I have here in Mississippi (it was great last year, huh).

I know that many of you are disappointed by the lack of the outerwear in the outerwear promo, including the stadium cloth elements coat in nordic blue, and I get it.  That is some kind of lame promo over the past two days, eh, J. Crew?  I did decide that with today's price drop on the excursion coat (Rex has one just like it, and I love it for its ease) AND free shipping, the price was decent enough for me to at least give it a try.  I will eventually do a review on that one, too.

Anyhow, here is the review of the elements coat.  Ema did a great review of hers here.

I wore mine when I needed a very warm topper to my snow leopard/blue pencil skirt combo.  Of course I left my legs bare, makes sense, right?

Size: 4.  I received the measurements from my PS and the numbers are generous, as I suspected.  All stadium cloth coats of the past few years have run really large, imo.  I wear at least a 6 or an 8 in double cloth coats.  Maybe they give more wiggle room in the stadium cloth because they figure if you are buying stadium cloth you must live in an area where you absolutely need extra layers beneath the coat?  Here in VA, even at the coldest nights, we almost never need those extra layers, the stadium cloth itself is plenty warm on its own.  Anyhow, if I find I do need an extra layer, I just pull out the down puffer and resign myself to looking like the Michelin man as I just stop caring when my face is about to freeze off.

Clearly I am unable to button the bottom button completely, but the zip did up just fine.  Remember, I am with child (22 weeks about right now), so I have a good excuse.  ;)  I also expect that by next winter the coat will fall nicely from shoulder to hem.  (Can you tell I look forward to getting my waist back, lol?)

Note about the zipper...it is one of the double ones, so if need be, you can unzip it a bit from the bottom and from the top, which as a pear-shaped momma to be, I really appreciate.

The color is fab, and you can see it is tonally the same as the bright blue pencil skirt but less intensely colored.  I love this color and am thrilled that they decided to bring back the nordic blue for another season (it came in a peacoat last year).

From the side.  It has four pockets, an interior drawstring (which I am not using right now) to define the waist), and a nicely made hood (doesn't detach, however).  The length is fine on the sleeves and hem, and when you have done up all the buttons and zip and put the hood up, you just look serenely warm, not like you are out looking for trouble.

I definitely think if you have a need for a brightly colored super-warm coat, go for it.  Really, though, unless you are truly in love with fashion and love collecting clothes, this may be a luxury more than a necessity, but I do love being able to walk around on a grey, cold, miserable day with a divinely colored jacket on...makes me smile every time.

I bought this coat during the last 25% off promo.  It is worth that price.  $325 is a lot for this coat, so maybe hold off if you can?  Otherwise, if your size is almost out of stock, maybe bite, and be willing to return and re-buy if a better price comes around?

Anyone else have this coat?

These are the Lula Jacquard Ballet Flats, also bought as a pre-order during the last 25% off promo.  They have since sold out in my size, so I am glad I bit when I did.

I have many incarnations of this flat, as I find the fit and style to be very much perfect for any SAHM who spends a lot of time on her feet.  I bought my tts 9.5 and it fits well.  In a pinch I could have gone with a size 9 (I have one pair of Lulas in that size and while a bit tight feel fine), but I only recommend doing that if you have narrow feet.

The flat has NO leather, which I think is insane, but that poly jacquard fabric is so luscious and pretty, I forgave J. Crew.  Anyhow, the non-leather bits are super-comfortable and ensure I can stay on my feet all day, so again, forgiveness is on the offering.

Anyone give these flats a try?

Okay, so you all know, I have worn these two items with outfits, the stadium cloth elements coat is worn with the leopard harlow blouse and blue pencil skirt and the lula jacquard ballet flats is worn with the old navy tee/leopard print top and grey pants.  Both outfits appear in this post.

That's it!  Boden babes, I have a Boden Weekly Review Roundup slated for tomorrow, and right now, I have one review, which is fine of course, but if you would like to have yours included, would you mind e-mailing me at dinagideon @ aim DOT com?

Boden: Site Unavailable?

UPDATE: I heard from Suzy that the site is back up, and she was right!  The site appears as normal (as it was yesterday), so the 25% off coupon (in my sidebar and in this post about halfway down) are still useful.  I just got a teeny bit excited thinking that maybe Boden was moving their stock to clearance early.  LOL.  ;)

Hmm.  I was going to check out some availability of stock at Boden this morning for tomorrow's Boden Weekly Review Roundup, and lo and behold...NO site available.

The last time they did this to us was in late June when they put all the the spring/summer stuff on sale.

Having said that, Boden waited until early December last year to make their fall/winter stuff go on sale, so I don't know what to make of this.  :)

Also, they gave us that FAB coupon last week for 25% off all full and promo priced items last week, and that coupon was meant to be good until November 30th, which makes me think this is not a move to clearance, but you never know.

Here is that coupon, btw, if you are on a mobile device, which also gives direct access to the (currently down) site:
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

If this is Boden moving their items to clearance, you all, enjoy!  Woo!  If not, I wonder what could be up?

I am in Mississippi now (bumpy flight and all, ugh), so I have some ability to get on-line, just not as much as if I was at home in Virginia.  I hope to be able to bring you more news of what is going on later today, but if any of you see what has happened, would you mind putting it in the comments?

Have a great Tuesday!

Fall Colors in Superfluity.

Since I am leaving on a jet plane tomorrow, I figured I would just smack out a whole bunch of ootd photos in one fell swoop, but because I work by categorization (teeny bit ocd, that's me!), I had to find a "theme."

I also was waiting to publish some of these because most of them were taken before you all knew about little Gus, and I felt like these would be better published later than sooner.

I do plan on publishing posts whilst in Mississippi (go wifi!), but it may not be daily, which I know is cool and all. ;)

BTW, you all said so many nice comments in yesterday's post.  THANK YOU!  I definitely feel good most of the time, but there are moments when a little boost certainly helps.  (Like this afternoon when my belly literally felt like it was sitting atop my bladder.  Oof.)

Onto my fall colored clothing...

Picniked the heck out of this photo, but the coat and turtleneck were begging me for saturation.  :)

I wore this on the day before Halloween, wanted to be festive without being too "in your face" (that will be in the next set of photos, lol).

Coat: J. Crew Bonbon, last year, size 6.
Turtleneck: J. Crew Cashmere, Winter 2008, size medium.  This is yet another item pulled from my postpartum with CW wardrobe (handy to have held onto...).
Pants: J. Crew Pinstripe Suiting Trousers, Winter 2007, size 10.
Boots: Aerosoles from a long time ago, worn constantly by me when the temps dip.

No coat here, but the necklace is Chicos.  I love this color turtleneck, I believe it was called Tangelo.  So pretty.  We had a few trees round these parts that turned this color when autumn officially showed up (first week of November, really).

Actual Halloween outfit.  I didn't overdo it, but the jack-o-lantern earrings are a bit much.  :)

Cardigan: J. Crew Cashmere, I can't remember what season, size medium.  Really nice color here, too.  J. Crew really does color well.
Top: J. Crew Drapey Sequin Tank, winter 2010, size extra small.  Here is the crazy thing about J. Crew, there sizing in tops is so wacky that even nearly five months pregnant with a small belly, I CAN WEAR THIS SIZE.  Nuts.  No wonder I go to crewcuts so much of the time.
Jeans: Maybe Calvin Klein?  Pulled from postpartum with CW pile.  Size 10.
Shoes: Cole Haan, Size 9.5.  I wear these a lot.  Very comfy and go with everything.
Necklace and earrings: Ancient and brought out exactly once a year.

CW is all princess, all the time.  That's Princess Aurora, if you don't mind.  :)

Really unnecessary to publish this photo twice, but OMG, CW's smile is darling.

I only got one good shot this day, but I kind of like it, makes me feel like I am some sort of warrior in this pose.  A pregnant warrior.  :)

Top: J. Crew Button Down, Fall 2009, Size medium.  They offer these all the time.  This is likely a suiting top, but I liked it layered with the Missoni for Target "dress."
Dress:  (Chortle, dress.  Tunic if you are 5' 6" or taller.)  I was able to order one item from Target the morning of the Missoni madness.  You are seeing it.  I had also ordered some tights, for around $15.  I mention the price of the tights because when they canceled that part of the order they sent me a gift card for $25 to say "sorry."  I appreciated the gesture, but I think in the end, I won out.  Huh.  Anyhow, I love this tunic, very unusual, not too much stripy madness, and the black panels are slimming.  Plus this tunic looks cute with a tiny belly.  I may even wear it later when I have a bigger belly, we'll see.  I ordered the small, and it fits well enough.  Obviously we'll see next fall how well it really fits.
Pants:  J.C. Penney, Duo Maternity.  I had these from the past two pregnancies.  These are simply the easiest pair of pants for me to wear while preggers, they go on well without struggle and they stay up well (although this early on I have to use the bella band to keep them up).
Shoes: Cole Haan Ada Low Heels in Nude, Size 10.   Great pair of heels, low heel, but high enough to improve the leg line.

I had a day out with my mom (she visited in very early November), so I wanted comfort but pretty comfort, so I pulled this one together.

Cardigan: J. Crew Factory, Golden Roses Merino Cardigan, Size small.  I finally found something I like with this cardigan.  Until this point I hated everything I paired with it.  I think the neckline on the dress, plus the dark grey color, work nicely with the print.
Dress: J. Crew Carly, Winter 2009 (maybe early 2010).  Don't wear this a ton, but I do always love it when I do.  They had a factory version for awhile, I wonder if the quality was the same.  FWIW, this was a size 8 and it fit fine over the belly, meaning that its waistline is a bit loose in general.
Tights: Target Assets, I believe.  Love the Spanx off-shoot.
Heels: Anthropologie, Miss Albright Prised Rose Peep-Toes.  You all have now seen this pair of shoes at least a half a dozen time this season.  I am so glad I was able to buy them (and on sale, to boot).
Headband: J. Crew.

I run "hot," even when not with child, but OMG, when pregnant I am literally on fire every day.  Hence I need layers.  With Rex it got so bad that I wore a sundress and sandals with an overcoat towards the end.  It was freaking February and there I was, wind whipping, and temps in the 20s, with no overcoat on, and looking like it was a nice mid-May day.  Only other moms got it.  Men thought I was NUTS.

Heehee.  I see a happy outfit here, but  really should have worn these with boots or at least a pair of closed toe flats.  It looks less odd with the Bella off, but only just.

Jacket: J. Crew Factory Bella, Size 4, coral color.  These came out one season post the original, so Fall 2008.  Love this jacket.  :)  Lucky me, I was able to get a pink herringbone version in a P6 (like a 4, but with slighter shorter sleeves) off ebay.  I paid near full price, but I know how hard it is to find the pink one, so I was stoked.  It is in great shape, just waiting for a "pink" mood to strike so I can wear it.
Tunic: Boden Terazzo Tunic.  Size 6.  Such a fan.  And its stretchy modal fabric is genius...it looks great when you are not pregnant, and stretches (without hurting the fabric) when you are.  Love!
Pants: J. Crew Minnie in twill, navy, size 8.  Fit fine that day, but were retired soon thereafter.  Could unzip an inch or so, but eh, no.
Shoes: J. Crew Collection, very cute, but probably too summery here.
Scarf: J. Crew Mohair, Winter 2008.

I like the top half better than the bottom half, especially with the jacket.

But when the jacket is gone, the shoes look okay.  Still not great, but better.  LOL.

I thought I had uploaded the shots of me wearing an adorable crewcuts collection cashmere cable knit sweater (woo, that was a lot to type) in heather citrus, but I appear not to have done so, I guess I will leave that one for another day.  :)

You all have a great late Sunday or Monday!  Hope you all don't work too hard this week...

Whole Lot of Snow Leopard Going on...

So without even meaning to, I wore my three snow leopard pieces in a row last week. I think my brain is on pregnancy mode and I seriously pay no mind to whether something has been overplayed in my wardrobe, especially over a freaking weekend. :)

I typically wear these three snow leopard pieces over the course of a season, usually twice each, but I knocked out the first time rather swiftly. LOL.

The snow leopard pattern was a J. Crew fabric from Fall 2008, and from what I can tell continues to be a popular one. I see the pieces pop up from time to time on ebay, and without fail, they sell easily and with multiple bids. It is a rather unique design, and with its rich ivory and black coloring, it lends itself to be a great anchor for so many saturated colors.

Wore this last Thursday to do the preschool run.  I am trying to have a pregnant belly but still enjoy mixing it up with non-maternity pieces.  Jackets are fab for this as I never gain weight in my shoulders while pregnant, so as long as the jacket is unbuttoned, I can wear them throughout the entire pregnancy.

Jacket: Snow Leopard Simone Peacoat, J. Crew, Fall 2008.  Thank you, Slastena, I am so GLAD I bought this from you last year.  :)
Top: Tissue Pintuck Tee, J. Crew this season.  I bought this in my usual x-small, because, and this is as I suspected, the tissue tees are running quite large this season, like they did last year.  I like how it flares out from the empire waist, making it perfection for the first six months of my pregnancy, and quite possibly longer, especially if I employ the lovely Bella band (what in the world would I do without these whilst pregnant?).
Jeans: J.C. Penney, Duo Maternity, Career Denim Pant, Size Small.  I wear a lot of this brand while pregnant, they have nice long inseams, with waistbands that (usually) stay up nicely.  This pair gave me a bit of trouble as the thighs were just fitting (now fit great after being worn, btw) but the band was a bit large.  Ah, well, the bella band also fixes a too loose waist, so I just hitched them up with one of those.
Shoes: Miss Albright (Anthropologie) Prized Rose Peep Toes.  Love love these.

BTW, I guess I am a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of gal.  Except for the long hair and baby belly, this is a familiar outfit, eh?

No jacket here, but I am giving a HUGE thumps up to the pintuck tee for pregnant and postpartum ladies.

Polyvore addicts, you will totally recognize this outfit from a set I did last week.  I wore this ensemble to go out last weekend to dinner with the fam, and I was pleasantly surprised when both the top and skirt still fit decently enough to wear out in public.  :)

Top: Snow Leopard Silk Harlow Blouse.  I had bought this in 2008 in a larger size for my then postpartum (with CW) body.  I had lost the weight and suddenly needed a smaller size, so when a size 4 came up on the JCA exchange, I bit.  Then, to pay it forward, I sold my larger size to another JCA.  I was thinking as much as I loved the polyvore set, there would be no way the 4 would still work on me.  Well, it turns out that the fabric has some give AND with the button back, I could unbutton the very bottom button and have it fit, just fine.  This one has since been retired, and I will happily bring it back next winter.  :)
Skirt: J. Crew Double Serge Pencil Skirt, Bright Blue, also from the 2008 season.  I got this off ebay in a size 8 and again, was slightly concerned it wouldn't fit, but aha!, if you just keep the top 1/2" unzipped, the skirt fits fine.  Again, I am retiring it till next winter, but I was glad I got to take it out for one more go.
Shoes: Anthropologie Chiseled Wedges, Size 9.  Yum and eee.  I had spied these in the catalog over the summer and really really liked how the shoe almost looked like a cool mid-century modern building.  The heel itself is made from wood and has a cut-out opening.  The leather is a printed snakeskin, which also lends it a very MCM feel.  I sized down to a 9 because I read that the heel slipped if you bought it too large, and with my crazy narrow feet, I knew sizing down would be smart.  And guess what?  They fit awesomely. (I also waited till sale time, and was able to buy them at a much more reasonable price, too.)
Bag: Andie Bag, also J. Crew Fall 2008.  What would I do if it weren't for the JCA exchange?  When this bag came out, I LOVED LOVED LOVED it, but could not even consider its nearly $500 price tag.  Yow.  But then a savior in J. Crew clothing came and sold it to me for a mere $200 (she had gotten the sale price, and passed it along to me).  Between the bright red color and the crinkly, patent leather, and the special, elaborate zippers, this bag makes me smile every time I bring it out.

I wish my hair and makeup looked like this everyday.  Sometimes the pregnancy hormones agree with me and sometimes the hormones equal baggy eyes and curly frizzy hair.  Sigh.

Here you can see the outfit, sans bag.  You can also a teeny bit of "Gus" belly here.

Shopping My Closet... by dinagideon featuring platform high heels

Above is the polyvore that inspired me to wear this outfit. I especially like madped's comment about the phrase "growing into glamour" being especially appropriate for me right now. Teehee. :)

And finally, this look.  I wore this to church with Rex on Saturday night.  Normally I wear dresses and skirts, but it was C-O-L-D and I just wasn't feeling wearing tights.

Top: Old Navy Burgundy Tee (ancient, ancient, ancient), paired with the J. Crew Factory Snow Leopard Button Down Shirt.  J. Crew factory does a lot of this, re-issuing prints in similar styles the next year.  So I bought this button down the summer of 2009, if I recall correctly.  I wasn't tremendously worried about this top buttoning up, as I knew the layer atop it would cover it if I couldn't, but it did still do up, so there was that.  (But I do have a belly in this outfit, wait till you see the next photo.)
Pants: J.C. Penney, Duo Maternity, Stretch Twill Pants.  Once again, bringing out the duo.  The pants fit well enough, but still used the bella band to keep the waistband up (I think that is less necessary when further along, and not as far along, right now my belly is kind of long--up and down--so not huge, but not high enough to keep the waistband from having issues).    BTW, if you have no idea what I am talking about, just ignore my ramblings.  Only if you have been pregnant will any of this make any sense.  I also bought these in the regular length (as opposed to talls), so I could wear them with flats.
Shoes: J. Crew Lula Jacquard Flats, Size 9.5.  I am going to do a review of these (and the Elements coat) later this week, but let me just emphasize to you all...if you have never owned a pair of Lula flats, go out and buy a pair.  They fit well, are cute as can be, and are super-comfy.  When I saw these were coming out in this darling fabric, I made sure my PS pre-ordered them (and with the 25% off, woohoo!).  They are now sold out in my size, so I guess I made the right call.
Necklace: J. Crew Ombre Maritime Rope Necklace. 

Rex is all Target, btw.  Go Circo!

There is no hiding a baby belly with knit tees.  :)

You all have a great day!  BTW, I was supposed to be on a plane to Mississippi today, but I received a phone call from Mr. Dina in which he let me know that he had screwed up...we aren't leaving until Monday.  I was in the midst of packing when he did this, so I kind of just laughed out loud, threw my arms up in the air, and exclaimed that at least I had a great head start.

P.S. Don't forget, until next Friday, Boden is having a 25% sale off everything (except clearance), with free ship and returns.  If you are on a mobile device (or even if you aren't, lol), I have included a link below. 
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!