OOTDs: Keeping Warm.

Good Friday afternoon!

As I mentioned in this morning's sale post, I will be trying to crank out as many blog posts as possible over the next few days.  I hope that I can put a dent in this backlog of reviews, outfits, and fun times I have ready to publish (in my head, at least).

This post features two outfits I wore over the past two days, since my return home from Mississippi.  It was fairly warm down there and I only had to pull out my jacket twice over an eight day period.  Virginia is a touch cooler, of course, and we are currently seeing high temperatures in the low 50s (which is utterly and absolutely normal for December). 

Because I am a wimp, and not a Canadian from the upper parts of Ontario, I cannot handle the frigid mornings where the temperature is right around the freezing mark.  Since I haven't felt properly cold in about a year and a half, I really have been enjoying the cold weather dressing (if not the cold weather itself, remember, I'm a wimp).  My coat closet is full of really lovely J. Crew coats, including a few from the old days that I just love and will hold onto until the end of time.  :)

Wore this ensemble on Wednesday.  Had a day of playing at the Little Gym with Angus, walking in Old Town (including a fortuitous visit to Mint Condition), a kid's bday party, and grocery shopping, so I knew that layers and flexible fabrics would be necessary.

The coat stayed on until midday, the tunic was on for most of the day (except at the birthday party where I was overheated), and the boots made it until Mint Condition.  After my visit to Mint Condition, I swapped out the boots for this pair by Frye that I found for a song.  They looked much better with this outfit than the booties, and the next time I try this silhouette, I will make sure to wear those.  For now, I am planning on wearing the new Fryes with a midi-length jersey skirt and a cropped sweater.

I like this necklace, but it may be too jarring for the overall look.  Next time, I will wear a necklace that hits higher up on the neckline (maybe a statement necklace like this one).

Ah, the old coats.  I love them.  I have this Sybil Coat in yellow, as well.  I like it in yellow so much that when I saw the purple come up on ebay for an insanely great price (wasn't listed as a coat or as the Sybil, had it been, I would not have been able to get it for such a great amount).

This outfit is from yesterday.  I went bowling, so I definitely needed something I could move in (the bi-stretch minnies are wonderful for that).  I also know that the alley can get pretty warm, so layers were positively necessary.  As it turned out, the alley stayed cool enough for me to keep on the cardi (under the coat), but I was ready, just in case.

BTW, I am now sort of kicking Dottie's butt.  She bests me about 2/3rds of the time, but I will beat her 1 of every 3 games.  Progress, people, progress.

This is the Cashmere Wrap from Boden, and like last year's Cashmere Cardi Coat, it feels like a million bucks, all while keeping me nice and toasty.  I have a silver cashmere cardi that is literally on its last legs (pilling horribly and misshapen--guess where from?), so it was nice to be able to replace that one with this one.  Plus this one is longer and thicker, so I will get more use out of it, simply because it is more versatile.

It looks really cute opened, but I wanted to do the whole belt over the cardigan and scarf combo.  This look was "in" a few years ago, but I never did give this look a try.

The scarf is from Madewell and is one of their ubiquitous Storyteller scarves.  This one features a huge map of the UK.  The wool is lovely and soft and lightweight, and the pattern looks wonderful whether laying open, tied up, or partially shown (like in the look I created).

 Close-up of the torso.  I may try a thicker belt next time, so that the belt doesn't get so lost.

From the side.  You can see that this cardigan completely covers my bottom.  This is rare in a long cardigan, for me anyhow.  ;) 

I was very VERY lucky to get this one for near half-price.  On cyber Monday (Sunday night, too, of course), I saw that I could stack 25% on top of the 30% off price (thanks to a wonderful blog friend!), and when I added this to the bag, it went from a price of $218 to $114.  I wasn't sure if that price was going to stick or if it would ship (since the extra 25% off was indeed a glitch), but it did ship and the price did stick, so I was super-stoked.

I bought this in a size 4, which is one size down from normal size, but I read that it ran big (which it must if it fully covers my bedonkadonk).  So if you are on the petite side, this may end up being too big, even in the smallest size.

Alright, that's it.  :)  More to come this weekend.

BTW, I received many e-mails from the Land's End affiliate over the last few weeks, and they seem to have some amazing promotions for their customers available to the publishers (that would be my blog), so I went ahead and accepted them as one of my affiliates.  Like Boden and Pure Collection, I can vouch for their quality, so I don't feel like I am sending you all down some horrible rabbit hole.

Like Pure Collection, I don't have a lot of items in my closet, so I don't do a ton of reviews and/or ootds with their items, but I will happily put their current coupon/promo in my sidebar and in blog posts (as appropriate).

Here is a pretty decent one from Land's End, so if you are a fan, this may be a good one for you!

Boden: New Sale!

Hi, all!

I am back from my L-O-N-G trip to Mississippi, and am glad I can sit down and just write on my blog again.  :)  I love traveling, but I think that November may have been a touch much.

Anyhow, I had heard that the newest offer from Boden would start yesterday, but I couldn't find the moments needed yesterday to actually write about it, so I do apologize for the delay on my part.  I know that many of you receive Boden e-mails, so I figured most of you heard that way.

The deal is this, many women's party clothing are 35% off as well as many mini Boden and Johnnie b. winter warmers.  This special comes with free shipping.  In addition to that, you can continue to receive 25% off most items at Boden.

Here is the list of women's items that are on sale.

Here is a list of mini Boden and Johnnie b. items that are on sale.

Here is a list of items excluded from all sales.

I have included a link to this sale in my sidebar, but remember to use the code SAVE in the shopping bag (if it doesn't already appear in the code box).

I have also put the link at the bottom of this post for those of you on a mobile device.

I want to give a shout-out to one item on the women's list, the Fitted Ponte Dress.  I reviewed it here, and I really do believe that if you have a need for a pretty, comfortable, and conservative dressy dress, this is a very nice option.  I have the grey/black spotted version, and if you like that one, you are in luck, as that is one of the two color options in the sale.

I am going to be writing at least one more blog post today, and hope to get a lot of posts done this weekend.  I have a bunch of overdue Boden reviews to do, and would like to get some of them done before the clearance sale happens.  My thinking is that though many of my reviews are on currently sold out items, if there is a popback on one of the items during the clearance sale, you will have at least one IRL review to reference.  :)  I don't know if I will get the BWRR done, though, but it is on my short list of things to do, as well...

Talk with you all soon.  

Take 35% off party + 35% off mini outerwear + 25% off all other selected styles + Free Shipping! Use code SAVE at BodenUSA.com

OOTDs: Amelia Island. Plus Shots from the Camera.

Happy Monday, everyone.  :)

I hope all of you are still above water after the craziness of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.  They were nuts this year.  I thought last year was crazy, but because of multiple companies offering many discounts that brought prices down by 40-60% off, I think 2012 will take the prize for most savings made by the most people over a five day period. 

With the exception of my dad and my brother, I have bought everyone's presents.  (Well, there is that American Girl I want to get CW, but I am waiting until I get paid on the 20th of December to buy that one.)

Okay, enough about that, and onto the mini-jaunt I made with Mr. Dina and Angus a couple of weeks ago to Amelia Island, Florida.

Mr. Dina had a conference to attend down there, and since he was booking the trip while I was up to my eyeballs in scheduling, errands, and kid-related catastrophes, I decided to ask him to book me on the trip, too.  Had I realized that the trip would be right next door to another trip (the one I currently am on in Mississippi/Louisiana), I might have re-thought my spontaneity, but since I couldn't look back, I went ahead and tried to enjoy myself.  (Chortle.  You all with kids know that I am being sarcastic when I say I tried...the two days I was away were insanely blissful, with just a wee baby's needs on my docket, I was in heaven.)

The weather was slightly dreadful, what with the overcast skies, cool temperatures (low 60s), and high winds, but it could have been snowing hot coals from leaden clouds and I would have still be relaxed, that is how much this time alone was needed. 

First night's outfit.  Our resort had a restaurant at it that was at our doorstep, so rather than drive to one of the other places to eat, we decided to go to the fanciest one and walk instead.  (The resort is rather large, with multiple hotels and condos.  Like the state of Florida, it is spread out.)

This was also to be the only meal I was set to enjoy with Mr. Dina (the other was Krystal, oh, yeah, that's romantic), so I wore the nicest outfit I had packed that night.

Right before we were heading out, I was trying to get a close-up shot of the details of the outfit and my makeup and hair, and Angus decided he would ham it up for us.  LOL.  What a cutie.  ;)

The next morning, Angus and I were on our own, and since I knew the whole day would be spent walking all over the resort and the beach, I wanted comfortable yet bright (yay for yellow), so I threw together a casual look.  The top is Old Navy, the shorts and sunglasses are J. Crew, the clutch is Tulu, and the sandals are from Target.

I added a merino cardigan from J. Crew to help keep the chill at bay.  I wasn't the only person wearing shorts that day, but more folks were decked out in jackets and pants than in tees and shorts. 

I set the self-timer on the walk and then grabbed this photo of Angus and me.  The mossy oaks are so pretty, and the fact they have bent by years and years of wind from the ocean is pretty incredible.

My camera (Sony RX100) allows me to switch modes when taking photos, this one is the high contrast monochrome setting.  I like that it really emphasizes the shape and shadows of the scene. 

This was taken at the boardwalk leading down to the beach.  I took it in the high contrast monochrome setting so the grain of the wood would pop, and I post-processed the image in Picasa using duo-tone (which is how I turned the black to a mid-purple color).

Boardwalk again, another high contrast monochrome setting.  I only processed it slightly, to get the rounded corners in the image (1960's does that).

The camera also takes photos in "watercolor," which is what this is.  I post-processed this image to up the color and add the rounded corners, but otherwise this is how the image looked when I took it in this setting.  The watercolor setting is fun, but probably not for the "serious" photographer.  ;)

I love this shot.  Again, set up with the timer.  I took this in the camera's regular "intelligent" mode, but heavily post-processed it.  If I had to do it again, I would add the 1960's at the end so the photo corners are pure white and not the grey (the grey happens when you add the layer of Holga-ish to the image). 

The other shots from this part of the day are hilarious, btw.  This was the only one where my hair wasn't sticking straight up from the wind. 

The next day we were set to go home, so I wore my boring, yet very practical and cozy, outfit.  For those of you interested in the two-tone cashmere sweatshirt from J. Crew, it is lovely, soft, and unique (the blending of the two colored yarns create a fun, distinctive knit).  It does run a bit short, so if you are long-torsoed, you may want to size up.  (This is a size extra-small and if I were re-ordering, I may get the small so I wouldn't have to pair it with a cami for coverage.)

The beach was warmer the second day, so instead of just playing on the boardwalk, the three of us sauntered down and walked on the shore instead. 

This is really cute, but imagine the next scene...Mr. Dina screaming loudly, "OWWW, tiny, stop pulling my hair...STOP TINY STOP!"

This was on the plane.  Angus fell asleep and I loved the way the light sort of created a halo on his scalp.

Okay, that's it.  Have any of you all ever been to Amelia Island?  I keep insisting that we go back when it is a bit more seasonal (read: warm, sunny, and still), but Mr. Dina isn't so sure.  Convince him that I am right.  ;)

Ladies who love Boden, quick reminder...in five hours the Boden Preview shuts down the 20% off promo (PRV3), so if you were thinking of grabbing something with the extra off, you have until 11:59 pm. 

Boden: Cyber Monday Special! 30% Off with Free Ship!

Should read: For my readers...Thrill Them to Bits.

Yay!  I am sure many of you were wondering why Boden didn't have a Black Friday sale going on last week (like every retailer out there was).  But...regardless of how well Boden is doing (seemingly so based on how much of their stock is completely sold out as of today), they couldn't pass up the opportunity to at least dabble a bit in the holiday sale spirit.

Anyhow, the deal is this...today (or what is left of it) and tomorrow until 11:59 pm, you are set to save 30% off with free ship and returns on almost everything that Boden has in their collection right now.  There are some exclusions (it is a really short list, btw) here, so do check them out before you do your (sale) shopping.

Because I had some time today, I compiled a list of gifts that could work for various people in your life.  I tried to find things that are adorable and/or practical (depending on the recipient), and IN STOCK.  I can't guarantee all of these will be in stock tomorrow night as some of them are already verging into pink checkmark territory, but at least it may give you an idea of something you could get.  ;)

Women:

For your Mom, the Sparkle Skye Jumper.  I have this in navy and my blog friend, Joanna, has this in the ivory color, and we both heart this one so much.  I find it to run a bit big in my normal knitwear size, but I am not going to send it back for the size smaller since it looks really cute a bit slouchy.  Your mom would love this for comfort and a bit of bling...really isn't that what we all want, anyhow?  Was $118, now $82.60.

For your best friend, the Velvet Scarf.  This scarf, with its deep purply-red shade and luxurious hand feel, would adorn the neck of your dearest friend beautifully this holiday season.  And every time she put it on, she would be reminded of your generosity and your kindness (necks do get so cold!).  Was $58, now $40.60.

Men:

For your husband, the Graphic T-shirt.  You know your man secretly eyes your little boy's graphic tees and wants to have his own man-sized version of them.  This season, Boden has four English-themed tees for sale, sure to please the kid at heart.  I like this one above and the grey version with the bulldog.  Was $38, now $26.60.

For your Dad, the Short Line Harrington.  Your dad took good care of you all those years you were growing up, now's the time to shower him with something well made, practical, and warm.  This coat was $148, now $103.60.

Kids:

For your daughter, the Ruffle Party Dress.  If your daughter is like CW, the combo of ruffles, pink, and pretty stars will have her "eeeeeee"-ing all morning.  She may even continue "eeeeeee"-ing into the afternoon.  Was $56, now $39.20.

For your son, the Exploration T-shirt.  This shirt is pretty cool, no pun intended, of course.  The little man in your life will show the world that no amount of ice, snow, and polar bears will stand in the way of his aspirations.  Or not.  He may just really like the dude with the beard and the snow goggles.  Unfortunately the other two (very very cool) t-shirt colors are all sold out, but maybe Boden will re-stock before the sale ends?  Was $24, now $16.80.

Teens:

For your teen girl, the Chunky Hooded Cardigan.  This beautiful style is both practical (warm, hooded, and button-down) and pretty (the fair isle decoration is in style and in lovely shades).  This is a hot seller, but maybe you can grab yours for your young lady before they are all gone?  Was $78, now $54.60.

For the teen boy in your life, the Gilet.  Aren't teenaged boys impossible to shop for?  Add to that the fact that almost all boys Johnnie b. items are completely gone, it makes for a difficult shopping season for sure.  And since we all don't have hundreds of dollars to get them the latest IPAD, well, we need to get something.  He will like this coat since it is different enough from what he owned as a boy, but not all stodgy like his dad's, and his parents (if they are you or not) will love the fact that this coat will be in his closet for years and will wash very easily (no trips to the dry cleaners necessary).  Was $76, now $53.20.

Baby:

For your littlest, tiniest, wee-est babies in your life, the Knitted Newborn Set.  Even if you can't get the baby the size they need (the smallest sizes are sold out), you could grab them in the next size up (I would get Angus a size 12-18 months).  These separates are wonderful together, but exceptionally versatile on their own.  Was $54, now $37.80.

Do you have any ideas for potential gifts from this sale?  Spill them in the comments!  :)

Below you will find a direct link to the sale, especially useful if you are on a mobile device.  I will also add this to my sidebar for those of you not in need.
Shop our Cyber Monday Sale! Take 30% off almost everything + free shipping at BodenUSA.com.

Also, remember tomorrow is the last day to receive 20% off with free ship and returns over at the Spring Preview site.  I wrote up a list of my picks here at this post.

You all have a great Sunday night, talk with you soon!

OOTDs: Teal, Grey, and Pink.

Good evening, all!

My poor poor lil Angus has come down with some sort of congestion and that combined with some real nasty teething means my lil guy is almost incapable of nursing.  He kept bucking and struggling and arching his back, which led to a visit to the local Urgent Care here in Mississippi.  Sigh.  I am so tired and down after this day of not being able to meet my baby's needs.  Fortunately the doctor ruled out any sort of awful infection and has given us a script for antihistamine to clear Angus's nasal passages, but blegh, poor kid.

*He has nursed since this morning, but it is a struggle, at least he is trying...*

Since this is a personal style blog and not a baby blog, I will move on, but I am going to keep it brief since my ability to type, think, and write are almost non-existent right now. 

Two Fridays ago, on the 16th, my brother and I hung out all day, he had the day off and I needed to get about a billion errands run, so we did them together.

It was a lovely, pleasant day, with bright blue skies, sunshine, and mid-50s.  Truly the best sort of fall day...

I had received these Cafe Capri in Herringbone pants in the mail a few weeks ago, but it has been just a touch too warm to wear them.  I did know, though, that I wanted to combine the pink with teal and grey, seemed liked it would be a pleasing color combo to the eye, even if the colors read more mid-winter or early spring.

With the utterly perfect temperatures for wool dressing on that Friday, I figured a grey herringbone (the Ryder jacket from 2006--worn here last) and the pink herringbone would keep me warm enough, and be texturally interesting, as well.

The capris, btw, are a tall 8.  I could have bought the regular 8 and had them hit higher on the calf, but I have discovered that if a capri is too short on the leg, it looks kind of ridiculous on me, so I always buy the tall when given the option.  Though these read as regular pants instead of cropped, I am okay with that, as I think this looks a bit less casual.

Without the jacket, the look becomes more casual, but still very collegiate preppy.  :)


I had to go to the neurologist for my annual check of my head.  Although my hubby would like to argue with her, I am not completely crazy, and it looks like my head is in perfect health.  Besides regular run of the mill migraines, I have no other issues.  (She confirmed that all the business with the PFO had been taken care of with my closure back in December of 2010.)

That bag is the Quincy hobo that I was able to pick up from the outlet down in Lynchburg for a ridiculously low price (I think it may have been $40).

There's my partner in crime, looking all hip to my square.  I seriously need a pocket protector and I would be set.  Peter *is* the reason fathers lock their daughter's windows at night.

Close up of the details of the jacket, vest, shirt, and necklace.  I kept missing the Crystal circle necklace on jcrew.com and figured I would never get it, but with a bit of money in my paypal account from selling some of my own items, I decided to see if it was available on ebay, and it was...for a great price (much better than the price on jcrew.com, too). 

The blythe blouse in polka dot was a random add on (sale, of course) purchase I made one day, and it turned out well, quite like it, and having seen it styled on so many bloggers, I get the appeal.  In fact, the lovely Audrey Bella has it on in her blog post from earlier today.

There's the patient.  He was in far better spirits that day, of course.

Since I have you here, I figured I would throw in this one off outfit, too.  The only thing that ties them together is the fact that this one has a sort of teal sweater as well.  (Although it looks like a deep dark blue here, I can confirm there is a bit of a green hue to it.)

The oversize merino pocket sweater is amazing, but I really can't see a way to dress it up.  I wore this to take Angus to a Little Gym class, hence the stretchy leggings, lack of accessories, and ballet flats.  If you have an idea of how to make this sweater more fancified, I would love to read it (or see polyvores). 

Here is a close-up of the sweater.  The pockets are there right below my hand, and I did find myself placing my hands in them throughout the day.  I wouldn't say you can put anything really substantial in there, but my phone went in there just fine and didn't fall out.

AJC did a great review of it a while back.  :)

Okay, that's all for today.  I definitely will be back tomorrow, so I will talk with you then.

I hope everyone is having a great couple of days, especially if you are in the United States and have had the last few days off from work.  ;)