Boden: Sale is Now Up to 70% Off!

I can't upload the 70% off banner here at the blog, so I used this darling image from a recent e-mail instead.  :-)

Okay, I am going to be very brief, but today Boden marked down quite a few items to 70% off.  That's a great deal if you had been waiting for those sleeper items that weren't selling well throughout the season to drop down to the rock bottom prices.  Anyhow, this is likely to be one of the last reductions they offer (though I do hope they reconsider dropping the price on the Jewelled Collar Sweater and the Wool Bistro Crop that I wore in this post...those prices are way too high for the number left in the stocks). 

There is free shipping, but you need to make sure to use the code USSH after clicking through to the site.

Do any of you see any items that are a definite must have at 70% off?

Alrighty, that's it for now...off to New Orleans again.

Final Reductions of up to 70% off at BodenUSA.com!

OOTDs: So Far in Mississippi...

Hey, all!

It's been a long while since I have had an ootd posts, so I thought I should at least publish what I have worn so far on the trip.  Since I am here for a few more days, this is part one of this post...part two will likely be published when I get home.

Since I am short on time (lots of family get-togethering is on the schedule), I am going to only mention items or things of interest that need to be said.  For the most part, you all have seen these items before on the blog since most of them are items I have had for years.  If something is new or can still be purchased, I will briefly review them and link to them.  ;-)

Okay, onto the outfits...

It was warm that day, probably in the mid-70s.  All I did was head to Wal-Mart with my girl, CW, to pick out some presents for her brothers.

Those kicks are from the J. Crew collaboration with Nike (called the Nike Vintage Collection Waffle Racer Sneakers).  Aren't they cool?  Mr. Dina loves them.  He may just decide to kick his white tennis shoes to the curb in favor of these waffle-soled wonders.  Sadly it appears I can't get his size in these green ones (all sold out...I barely managed to grab them in a men's size 8--that's a women's size 9.5).  It looks like I might be able to grab the navy in his size.  Hmmm...

The scarf is handmade.  It is a very easy pattern to sew up, thanks to this tutorial by Simplicity.  Highly recommend it if you are a newbie to sewing and are looking for an easy first pattern OR if you have a need for a quick present to make.  I used roughly 5/8 yard of this cotton jersey to make it.  (I will do a more in-depth review of this item in my next "made by me" file.)

Here we are at the Superdome.  Mr. Dina wanted to go to the Saints store when it wasn't super crowded.

CW's dress wass in the Boden end of season sale, but it is gone.  I will update the post with its link if it comes back.  :-)  I can see why it sold out, the owl applique on this version is so cute!

Here I am standing in front of an abandoned factory really close to Mardi Gras world.  Very cool location, if a bit somber.  I have never lived in a place where factories are a normal thing (DC area has very little industrial history, so no factories there), so I have a thing for factories.  I think they are beautiful structures, especially the ones from long ago enough that they had smokestacks and detailed brickwork.

Two of these pieces are newer, the cable knit pocket sweater from J. Crew (size small, fits a bit loose, but it runs short, so I erred on the size of sizing up--gigiofca did a great in-depth review of it here) and the Wool Bistro Crop in tartan from Boden.  The tartan wool bistro crop pants have been popular, but have not sold out, so you can still find them in the sale section.  They sold well enough, though, that Boden didn't feel it necessary to bring the price down on them a ton.  I find they fit a bit big, since I normally wear these in a size 10 L, and chose to buy the 8 L.  Barring a tiny bit of pinching at the waist (which I alleviated by doing the whole rubberband trick), they fit very well, especially in the hips and thighs, which is where I carry my weight.

We were heading to church on Christmas Eve, but I was told it was fairly casual, so I chose pants rather than a dress.  There were a lot of casual outfits, I was still dressier than 90% of the folks there.

The pocket of the cable pocket sweater.  I ABSOLUTELY love these pockets.

Saw Anchorman 2 with Mr. Dina yesterday.  Because I am crazy and literal, I chose to wear shoes that match my tee exactly (Dublin Green if I recall the J. Crew color correctly) and to wear shoes that would have fit right in the Anchorman movie. 

Best line from the Anchorman 2 movie?  Upon someone commenting on Christina Applegate's bottom, she turns to Will Ferrel and asks, "why don't you talk to that man who said that?"  Will Ferrel responded with, "your butt is like the north star, wise men follow it."  Hahahahaha.  Next time I feel down about my bottom, I truly hope Mr. Dina says that phrase to me.

They have even more horses in the field behind the house.  Years ago there were one or two, now there are at least four horses, plus a donkey (!!!) and a pony.  I am 100% freaked out by horses (really bad accident with one ten years ago), but I appreciate how beautiful they are.

I don't buy much from Stella & Dot, but every once in a blue moon, I will grab something from them.  I just recently acquired the Mesa necklace for a song ($35, I believe).  Both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law are in love and will probably be getting their own Mesa necklaces, too.  (Which I now discover they can't, since they are all sold out.  Darn.  I might suggest they try the Dakota necklace instead, which sort of resembles the Mesa.)

I believe that although you shouldn't look like you have stumbled out of bed when boarding a plane, I truly believe that dressing up to the nines is a ridiculous proposition in this era of cattle car plane travel, so I always go super comfy. 

Bummer about the sweater, btw, it has TWO holes, one in the cuff hem, and one below the v in the neckline.  J. Crew, drat!

And that's it!

I hope you all have a great night!

Remember, if you have a desire to grab something from the Boden sale, you can get free shipping right now.  You can use the link below, but if you are having any issues, remember to use the code USSH.  ;-)
Our Christmas gift to you- free standard shipping from 12/25 through 12/28!

Boden: Christmas Treat! Free Shipping!

If you watch this photo for a bit, you will see a happy, waving snowman!

UPDATE (12:31 PM Central Time): Just got the code from an e-mail.  It is USSH!  Have at it all!

UPDATE (9:24 AM Central Time): I am so sorry, you all.  It appears that this linking code from the affiliate manager is a dud.  I checked out other coupon sites that also use this same affiliate program and none of their free shipping links are working either.  I doubt I would get an answer to any questions I e-mailed to the manager today, but I will give it a try after lunch.  Oh, well.  I guess we can hope that it gets fixed, but if not, maybe they can extend it a day?  Do let me know if you try it and it works though.  Thanks to those of you who commented that it wasn't working.  :-(

Happy Christmas!  Merry Christmas!  Frohliche Weihnachten!  ;-)

I hope everyone is well.  I am going to keep this brief because it is actually still Christmas Eve here in Mississippi for an hour more, and I *desperately* need to finish one last sewing project 

Well, I did start this post at 10:50 Central time, but decided I would wait to publish and hey, still no free shipping even though I am using the link!  What up, Boden???

but I do want to let all of you know that if you were lamenting the fact that Boden took away free shipping last week on clearance items, it is back as of 12:01 AM TBD (???), today, December 25, 2013. 

So for those of you hankering for just one item, or want more but REALLY hate to spend the extra $10 for shipping, these next three days are made for you.

The free shipping expires on December 28, 2013, but I will make sure to remind you of that fact that day.

If you happen to notice that the free shipping is working for you and you wouldn't mind commenting, I would very much appreciate it!  Thanks!!!  :-)

Okay, that's it for now.  Have a warm, toasty, fun-filled day!

Remember, use code USSH to get the free shipping to work!
Our Christmas gift to you- free standard shipping from 12/25 through 12/28!

Boden: End of Season Sale Picks! (Autumn/Winter 2013 Version.)

We'll get to why I think the Ava dress deserves the #1 spot in my picks post soon...

Hello and happy Saturday to everyone.  :-)

As you are well aware by now, the Boden end of season sale has started and has even managed to have second cuts already, so I am not going to spend much time on the logistics of the sale.  One quick thing to point out...as of right now there is no free shipping on any items, so bear that in mind when purchasing any items, it is far better to make a purchase with multiple items (if that was what you had intended to do anyhow) than make multiple purchases of single items.  If free shipping gets going again, you had better believe I will update the blog.

Rather than bore you all with the MANY many reviews I have done of the fall and winter items, I will instead send you to my BWRRs.  I also think that since so many of my choices have been selling out, there are not many from the items I chose that are a "good" enough deal to make my sale post.  (There are a few, obviously, and I will highlight them below on their own.)

Okay, onto the picks.

Ava Dress.  This pattern and its sister shade are on deeper discount than the "fan" printed versions.  The sister shade of this one is actually half price at $64, so the one you see above is not the least expensive, but since I own the one above, and LUUURRRVVE it, I will still happily recommend it to you at 30% off.

The reason this dress made it to #1 in my picks post is because it falls into a bunch of categories.  Is it at least 30% off in some of the colors?  Yes.  Is it figure flattering on most bodies?  Yes.  Will it look horrible and dated in a few years?  No, this kind of print has been around for years and will continue to be around for years.  As a bonus, this dress packs well and is super comfortable since it is made of a beautiful jersey material.

When I wrote up the review, I even declared it a winner, and I have yet to change my opinion.  ;-)

One quick note, I did size up in this, so please do read the review before choosing the size you want to purchase.

Bow Front Blouse.  These tops are in the 60% off category, and I must say, the bow front blouse does look very pretty in the still shots.  They come HIGHLY recommended from many readers of this blog (thanks, ladies!), so I am taking a second look at them myself (maybe the white version?).  Anyhow, these are not as well rated on-line, unfortunately, but if you think you could make one work for you, these are definitely a steal at the lower price.  Bear in mind that the two biggest complaints are the sheerness of the blouse coupled with the empire waistline of the top/bagginess of the lower portion. 

For those of you who recommended this, I would normally purchase a size 6 in this, do you think I should size down to the 4 since so many of the reviewers said to size down?  I would love some IRL perspectives from my blog friends.  ;-)

Dazzling Heels.  The black version of these darling heels are barely reduced in price, but the silver and gold versions are 40% off.  I personally have no experience with these, but I did see them in a fairly recent issue of Real Simple magazine, and I figure many of you did, too, so I am going ahead and recommending them to you now that they are a really great price for what you receive.

Embellished Ballet Flats.  I have these in the gold (above) and I think these are darling and sweet and go with so much.  I am sort of surprised they have hung out so long that they made it to 50% off, but based on the reviews, I can see why a few women may be not so keen, especially regarding the black version, whose bow is not as pictured (the black apparently has the same darker bow as the rose gold ones).  Anyhow, if you like them and can make them work for you, this price is really nice!  My original review of them is here.

Bejewelled Sweater.  Only the black version is 60% off, but what a great price for a really special sweater.  The other two shades have sold well, which is why they are not as greatly reduced, so clearly this particular shape is appealing to women.  It has a 5 star rating, so I say grab up the black sooner than later.  I don't know that this one will linger in the 60% off sale for long.

Wool Bistro Crop. There are two shades in the sale at 60% off, this brown check above and its sister pair in grey.  I own the bright blue tartan version, and I can at least give you my two cents on sizing since that seems to be the sole reason people return it to Boden.  I chose to get an 8 Long knowing full well I may need to exchange it for the 10 Long.  I am always fighting a losing battle with Boden and their trouser sizing.  ;-)  Anyhow, this was one of the very few times I actually was able to keep the size I chose initially.  That means these pants run big, btw.  I find the waist is a touch big, the hips are just perfect, and the thighs are more than roomy enough.

BUT--there are many women in the reviews who say they tried multiple sizes and couldn't get even one size to fit right.  As much as I am fine with the way the 8 Long fits me, I wouldn't say they are my best fitting pants ever, either.  So buyer beware, and maybe try two sizes and send one back.

They are made very well, from a lovely wool, and are lined, so there I can definitely recommend them.

Amelie Dress.  Although I technically did a review of this beautiful wool knit dress back at this post, I wanted to add a photo of me wearing it out to dinner, since the color of this one seems a bit drab, which may be why it is not selling well.  I wasn't sure it the grey would work with it, but it did, and it made for an unexpected combo.

Anyhow, at 40% off, you get a great dress that is toasty warm and very unique.

The only shade at 40% off is this warm brown/black striped shade, btw.

Laura Dress.  Here is another one that comes very highly recommended by my blog readers!  All shades are on deep discount (at least 50% off--the grey above is 60% off).  Not quite sure why this one is not selling well, such a pretty dress done in high quality wool, but based on the reviews, there seems to be an expectation of what it *will* look like and what is *received*.  When people love it, they really LOVE it, but when they dislike it, they really DISLIKE it.  LOL. 

Smart Shift.  I didn't choose this one because it reminds me of my multiple (sickness, I know!) notch neck shift dresses.  Instead, it was actually recommended by Cate, who owns it in the raven falling flower pattern.  All of these dresses are at a decent % off, but this black spotted version is at 50% off, which makes it the best deal of the bunch.

British Tweed Blazer.  This black, cream, & grey version is $91.20.  $91 down from $228.  That's a great price.  WOW!  Thanks to Avery12 for recommending it...I wouldn't have even noticed it normally!

Military Wool Jacket.  I own and love this green version above (photo is near the bottom of that post), and so does my friend, B., who I saw wearing it just the other day.  The green version is 50% off and nearly sold out, though.  The navy and grey versions are even more of a screaming deal (that's a B. phrase, btw), and so I say go for it if you have been waiting for an insanely good price.

Okay, that's it for now.  :-)  Thanks for reading.  We'll talk soon!

Further Reductions up to 60% at BodenUSA.com!