OOTD: Rosanella and Burgundy.

Before I start this outfit post off, I wanted to *briefly* mention that the 20% portion of the Boden diminishing discount sale will end tonight.  Tomorrow it goes to 15%, which is fine, of course, and par for the course in a diminishing discount way, but 20% off sounds pretty good to me.  :-)  I would say go for the 15% off tomorrow only if it is on an item you wanted but is sold out and pops back.  I wrote more on this sale here.

Day: Monday, February 17, 2014.

Where: Probably the grocery store, 'cause that is all I ever seem to do.  LOL.  No it was Target, which was stupid on my part (more in the anecdote section), and then to the school to pick the kids up from school.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Oh, such an easy outfit.  The only reason the point is knocked off is because I was a *tiny* bit worried that I would snag the pretty lace on the Rosanella Pullover sweater.  By the end of the day, the sweater still looked amazing, so yay! 

This sweater got really great reviews over at Anthropologie and sold out super fast.  You can find it on ebay, but as of right now, there is only one for sale. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  I feel so egotistical when I write that I think an outfit looks cool, but I felt like I really was working it that day, even in my harried state at Target.  Don't worry, there are plenty of bad attempts that are most definitely not cool to make up for all of the good, so I stay humble (most of the time).

Anecdote from the Day: The kids went to school on Presidents Day to make up for all the snow days they have had (they don't want to extend the school year) so I completely spaced that it was a national holiday in an area FULL of federal government workers, who ALL want to go to the Seven Corners Target on their day off.  Pulling into the lot I sort of noticed an uptick of cars, but it wasn't until I started going around the store that I realized not everyone there was either really old or stay at home moms like me.  Oops.  I don't mind crowds, I just feel like since I can shop in off hours, I should, to keep the stores from being over-crowded when everyone else has to shop.  Oh, well.

Okay, one last thing about that Target--they NEVER have buggies (grocery carts) at the entrances, and the ones in the parking lots don't work half the time.  I sincerely wonder where they all go.  I am not the only person who stares dumbly at the place where the carts should be, either, several other mothers of young children were staring despondently at the area.  Fortunately some nice lady gave Angus and me a buggy, but I tell you, if it weren't for the kindness of strangers...

Good night, you all!

Boden: Diminishing Discount! Whee!

This image has nothing to do with the sale, I just thought it was cool.

Hi and good Monday morning!

I mentioned last week (in this post) that there would be a diminishing discount this week, as I had seen a postcard that said as much, and it was confirmed over the weekend by the affiliate program people who sent me some new links for you all to use to receive 20% off with free shipping and returns.

Most of you know this, but the diminishing discount means that for a week Boden has sale prices on everything (barring clearance items).  For the first few days you receive the best deal of 20% off.  On Thursday it goes to 15% off, and on Friday, it is 10% off.  So obviously better to shop earlier. 

As per usual, I am a bit groggy this morning, so I am going to keep this brief, but I would love to read any picks you all might have from this sale (items that will probably sell out before the big end of season clearance sale comes, items that are a great price with 20% off, or even just items you LUUURRRVE!). 

Also if you need inspiration, I have hosted a few Boden Weekly Review Roundups so far this season, and the spring items that others own and have reviewed can be seen there.  Lots of beautiful colors and silhouettes are definitely on display.  :-)

Talk with you all later, have a great rest of your day!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Spring Floral, Finally.

Good Friday to all!  I am glad I can sit for a spell and get this review roundup done.  :-)

As most of you know by now, Boden introduced a sale on selected items this week, at 20% off.  Some of the items in the sale are wonderful, but if you are like me, you are still coming down from the high of getting some *gorgeous* fall/winter clearance items for super super low amounts (I am still amazed that I received the jewelled collar sweater in nude in perfect condition for just under $30).  Anyhow, there is still a lot of lovely over there in the sale section, and it may be just the item you are looking for...

I found out from Lou that the 20% off sale items *did* stack with UK promo codes, but when I try to do it with the code U216 (that is a 15% off code), it doesn't stack.  They are know what we are up to, lol.  It sounds like it may have not worked at all here in the States, because I can guarantee that if it had, one of you all would have told me, since that usually happens when something awesome related to Boden and their prices comes up.  ;-)  So yay for the UK, but (small) sad face for us here in the US.

Fear not, there is something delicious down the pike for next week, in the form of a diminishing discount starting on Monday, so be on the lookout for that very soon.  Can't stack on that, for sure, but there will be a lot more on sale next week.  It would be exceptionally awesome if Boden decided to keep the 20% off items from this week's sale at 20% off, and then with the diminishing discount we could get the additional 20% off, but chances of that happening are probably slim.

Before we start, I wanted to give a big huge congratulations to one of my blog friends, Lizzy, who won a modelling competition over in the UK for the company Fever.  Yay, that is very exciting!  Pop on over to her blog and give her a cheer!

Regular Boden:

Button Back Sweater.  Size 6.  Right choice for my frame and height.  It does run a touch shorter than some of my Boden knitwear, so bear that in mind if you are taller in your torso.  If I had purchased the 4 it would have been too small, and the buttons in the back would not have laid flat.

Side View.  The length on the sleeves is 3/4...which is okay but I look forward to a time when designers go back to full length sleeves, since between Boden and J. Crew, I have a ridiculous amount of 3/4 sleeved sweaters.  (And because I have long monkey arms, they are more like 2/3 sleeves.)

Back View.  The print is so beautiful, the mix of coral and mint and taupe is visually stunning, especially in real life.  These buttons were fine, but that mid-point one is bowing up like that because of my shorter back length, combined with an ample rear end.  This always happens to me, so I have just accepted it and moved on...lol.

Most winters here in VA I wear this particular outfit combo a lot, a wool jacket, lighter sweater, pants, and shoes.  This winter of *suck* I have not had many opportunities, so I was THRILLED yesterday when the temps stayed in the 50s so I could wear my favorite combo.  (The Bella jacket made me so happy...I definitely have missed wearing them this year.  Be aware now that the temps are rising you may be seeing all of mine in a parade of outfits over the next month or so.)

Button Back Sweater.  (Use the link in the name as the affiliate program has no direct link yet.) The stocks look healthy in this shade, but I am glad I bought it now since it is so cheery, and since normally* our area has fairly mild winters, I can usually wear thinner cotton sweaters now instead of in the spring.  (In fact by early May, this sweater will have to be put away as it will be too warm to wear it, at least in my life.  Office folks with the blasting AC will probably not need to put it away.)  Other shades are selling well, though, so grab it sooner than later if you see your favorite shade is selling well.

*Not this winter, though.  Dang blasted cold that has sat upon us like an angry viper protecting a brood of baby viper eggs.  Okay, and with that, I will shut up about the weather already.


Penny Loafers.  I wore these in navy with last year's LouLou dress here at this post.

Skinny Jeans and Pretty Pendant.  (Use link in name for skinny jeans as the affiliate program has no link for those.) See lovely Liz in an ensemble featuring these pieces (plus a cute pair of boots from last fall) here at this post.






Jersey Maxi Dress, Easy T-Shirt Dress, Full Stripy Skirt, Essential Crew T-Shirt, and Modern Stripy Top.  Fiona from Avenue 57 shows off a lovely assortment of striped items from Boden.  (Her very first order, btw!)


Cotswold Weekend Top.  Anna, a blog friend, has a plea for you all: Hi ladies, I was wondering if any of you tried the Cotswold Weekend Top - I can't decide between getting the cream or the blue and would love to hear what they are like in real life.  If you have tried this top, would you mind letting us know?  Thank you in advance!

Clearance Boden:

Heritage Sweater.  Wore my hummingbird version with crazy printed pants here at this post.

Chic Ankle Boots.  (Use the link in the name as the affiliate program has no direct link to these.) Lou has a fairly in-depth review of these adorable shoes here.


Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater.  Lou received hers from the big clearance sale and it looks just right on her.  :-)

Okay, that's it for today.  I hope that your weekend goes well.  If anyone was able to stack the codes at the Boden USA site, do tell!

20% Off Select Styles + 10% Off Everything Else plus Free Shipping & Returns

OOTDs: Striped in Specs.

Before I go into the ootds from two weekends ago, I wanted to mention that those of you who did dabble in the *up to 80% off* clearance sale may have done VERY well for yourselves.  I bought the jewelled collar sweater in the nude shade for a mere $30 and today it is back up to over $100.  Wowza.  I didn't think that would happen.  Most of the items went back up a little, at least, but some, clearly, were truly a one time price reduction of insanity.  (I received the sweater today, btw, and it is lovely and fits true to size, I took a 6 and its length and width match my upper body nicely.  Can't wait to wear it out!)

But in true Boden form, today brought another deal to the table.  Today and through the remainder of the week, you can find 20% off selected styles here, and for anything else you may want, you can grab them at 10% off with free shipping.  I put the link to that at the bottom of this post for those of you who want to go there right now.  ;-)

Day: Sunday, February 9, 2014.

Where: Dinner Out, I think.  I was going to say church, but I took this photo at 4:50 pm and had I been headed to church, I would have taken it earlier than that.  I will probably remember exactly what I did after I publish the post.  (This is the problem with publishing posts late at night after drinking a glass of wine...memory fading.)

UPDATE: I went to church in it.  We just were really late that day.  We didn't realize till we got in the car just how late.  But we did stay late to make up for it.  :-)

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I felt so comfortable in this outfit.  I could sleep in it, if need be.  The LouLou dress has its fans for a reason (this year's version is called the Libby dress and can be found here in the clearance section).  The Boden Penny Loafers are also very comfortable, and have been worn by me multiple times since they came to me (in early January, when you first spied them here).

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  Very put together and presentable.  The glasses (Bookclub from Madewell, got them for $35 on sale, yay!) help up the cool factor, if hipster glasses are your thing, of course.

Anecdote from the Day: Since I don't remember what I was actually doing, I have none.  If I do remember, I will come on in and change the anecdote to what I was actually doing.

UPDATE: That night the church was giving out pretzels and beer (BEER!!!) after mass.  Yay!  It was to thank us for supporting the church (read: giving them our money).  I happily ate a yummy pretzel and drank a yummy beer.  My PE teacher was there (she teaches my kids, too, how cool) and my daughter told her she looked so pretty in her dress.  It was a really cute jersey dress. 
 

Day: Saturday, February 8, 2014.

Where: Pants Patterning Class at G Street Fabrics, Bethesda for yummy Cajun food at Louisiana Kitchen, and a brief trip to Madewell.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Leggings and a soft sweatshirt and the awesome Blakeley boots (find them here at Lands' End on sale for $99) and a warm coat and a "made by me" scarf equal very comfortable.  I was a bit unsure of showing my bottom off in public, but I had a reason (see anecdote on why), hence the 4 rating.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  Not over the top cool, but it's a good look.

Anecdote from the Day:  That day was my very last pants patterning class, the one in which Ms. Annette would finalize our pattern to our exact body shape.  I wanted to make sure she could get up close and personal, without me having to disrobe completely, so I wore these leggings.  Great news is that the pants pattern is very much perfect for me, bad news is I wore leggings as pants.  I think my body looks okay, but I know a lot of people getting bugged by leggings as pants, so yeah.  I walked the edge of irritating others by my sartorial choice and being okay with my body in the leggings with a shorter top.

The trip to Madewell was to return a top that fit poorly, and I knew I needed glasses to replace the pair my son threw in the trash (agh!), so I went in with a mission to find a pair.  I tried every pair in the place on, and all the sales assistants and my daughter wanted me to get the grey pair you see in the first outfit.  Now if only I could find the time to actually get them filled with proper lenses so I can use them to see...

Okay, below is the link to get you to the sale at Boden on selected styles.  :-)
20% Off Select Styles + 10% Off Everything Else plus Free Shipping & Returns

Hope you all have a great night, talk with you tomorrow!

OOTDs: Hummingbirds and Hearts.

Hey, all!  Happy Monday!

Before I start, just wanted to remind all you Boden fans out there that the clearance "up to 80% off" deal is apparently ending tonight.  Just what they are going to do with the clearance items after tonight is anyone's guess, but just in case they take it all away *or* they raise the prices back up, you may want to take a look around just in case.  I wrote more about the sale here at this post.

Day: Sunday, February 16, 2014.

Where: Rex's birthday party and Church.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The Heritage Sweater ( here in the clearance sale, numbers are very low, though) is awesome and very cozy and warm, and I am glad I found an occasion to wear the cute sneakers from Boden again (running around at Laser Tag), but I am still a bit iffy on whether or not I like the fit of the pants or the jacket.  I mean technically both fit, but I could use a touch more room on both pieces for comfort.  I think these last *freaking* five pounds of baby weight I have to lose will help the situation, but till I wean, no dice.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  Hmm.  A bit of a weird combo, though my hubby just LOVED it, so I am going with the halfway point, a 2.5.

Anecdote from the Day:  Laser Tag is what Rex chose for his 7th birthday party.  A lot of his friends had been choosing this for their parties, and he wouldn't even consider other options.  So there you go...laser tag.  I had done laser tag years ago with some kids from the middle school I had taught at, so I remembered to wear appropriate footwear, even if I really would have preferred a cute wedge.  :-)  I turn into some kind of gun-toting FBI agent at these places, though.  I sneak behind corners, watch covertly, and attack when the other team's players aren't looking.  I am normally so nice, too.  I ended up in third place for our team.  Guess who was first?  Yeah, Rex.  I know.  (Eeep.)  Our team was slaughtered by the other team (all adults not at a birthday party).  Guess you can't count on a bunch of first-graders to attack.  LOL.  Unless they are all Rex. 

Last night I was tucking him into bed and he was gently holding his baby doll (yeah, he has one that he asked for) and I was struck by his very different personalities, all aggressive in one moment, and all gentle and sweet in another.  Maybe he will be a cop when he gets older, protecting all the innocents while going after the bad guys.  Hmmm.

Day: Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Where: IHOP in celebration of *finally* being able to leave the house.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This outfit is so comfortable.  Both the top and skirt are now a bit loose so they were perfect for the gorge-fest I engaged in at IHOP.

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  I think the "Heart Throb" dress made from the skirt/top (seen here at J. Crew back in the day) is cute, not cool, but cute.  I like the *dress* paired with the Target wedge shoes, but I think a different pair of shoes would have worked better with the darling Halston Heritage coat.  Next time I will grab a pair of shoes that are tan or navy to better anchor this look.

Anecdote from the Day:  Before we left and while taking the photos, Angus snuck in and photo-bombed that last photo you see there.  I had no idea he was standing there.  Ha.  I decided to include it even though I am in a silly pose and I clearly had not properly tucked in my blouse.  He looks so cute there...

We had been stuck in the house on both Thursday and Friday because of the storm, so Mr. Dina insisted we go out for dinner to celebrate our now cleared driveway.  I had no opportunity to wear my Valentine's look (yeah I know it's derivative--and I am so fine with that), so I wore it to IHOP.  I ate the chicken fried steak dinner with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a salad (Angus had the bread that came with it), and for dessert I enjoyed a peach and cream cheese crepe.  Oh it was all so very good.  I know it's just IHOP, but yum. 

If you want free shipping on the Boden clearance sale, you can use this coupon below, but be aware that if you are not a new customer, the bag won't be coming your way. My sidebar coupons, btw, have stopped working, which is annoying. If you have a need for anything not in clearance and need the discount, use the code Z4W8 for the "Buy Three, Get the Fourth Item for $1." I suspect I will get a new batch of sidebar coupons soon, just not in the affiliate directory right now. :)