OOTD/Review/Made by Me File: Sixth Blog-o-versary Special.

UPDATE (January 16, 2015): There is a new promotion over at Boden for an extra 20% off clearance items that started this morning!  I went ahead and placed the promo coupon in the sidebar and at the bottom of this post for those of you who look forward to sales like this!  I have a few clearance item reviews set to be published, so I will go ahead and push them forward so you all can see them before the extra 20% expires.

Hi!  I almost forgot that today was my blog's sixth birthday.  So bad.  LOL.  I took a nap this afternoon (while Angus slept) and I woke up thinking, "meh, I'll be lazy *again* and post tomorrow."  But then I remembered it was the blog's bday and I felt like I owed it.

So here it is, a super sixth birthday blog post, nothing special, but I decided to have at least one of each kind of thing my blog does in this one post, so you are getting three outfits of the day, one Boden review, and a made by me file.

Day: Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

Where:  Subbing Eighth Grade with a visit to Whole Foods for Winesday with my brother in the evening.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Couldn't be any easier, really.  Take a pair of woolen stretchy pants from J. Crew (years ago), add in a cozy comfy sweatshirt/top from Boden, and a great pair of booties from Mia, and you have an outfit that makes teaching crazy middle-schoolers a bit more comfortable.  Plus the weather was just awful yesterday (snow in the morning followed by really cold temperatures), and this combo (along with proper outerwear) kept me warm, too.

The sweatshirt is the casual dip back sweater and can be found here.  I wrote a more lengthy review of it in the next two photos for those of you that dig Boden stuff.  This is a current season offering, and one that can be worn now and not just in the spring, so that's good.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Well, I think I looked good, especially with my beret (not pictured), but I suspect that the eighth-graders would have not agreed.  For them, "meh," for my peers and me, maybe a "woo?"

Casual Dip Back Sweater.  Size 6.  I think this sweater is a bit odd.  It appears that it should be a sweatshirt, and I am happy to call it that, especially since its styling with the rib cuffs, hem, and neckline, plus a bit of loopy fabric backing makes it appear so, but I am not 100% in the sweatshirt camp.  It is a fitted silhouette, which I wasn't expecting, but seems to work okay.  It is also much longer than I expected.  Honestly, if they had a size 6 petite, I would exchange it for that since I wouldn't mind if the top ended higher on me.  I have to be careful with proportion here.  If I wear too loose of a pant, the look would be frumpy, for sure.

The print and the colors are just amazing, though.  So vibrant and beautiful.  With the red hair, this blue is a great shade for me, much more than it would have been when I was a full on blonde.

The fabric is so soft and stretchy, it sort of feels like expensive pajamas.  Not a bad thing in my book.

I think this could potentially look good tucked into a skirt, and since the fabric is not thick, it could work, I'll just have to try it out and see for sure.  ;-)

Day: Tuesday, December 30, 2014.

Where:  Running around doing errands with Angus while the eldest two went to an all-day Little Gym camp.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I literally could wear this kind of outfit everyday and never want to change it up.  I mean, great fitting jeans, a beautiful comfortable sweatshirt, patent leather loafers, and an exquisite well-fitted wool coat?  Does it get any easier or better for a mom on the go?

But I know I am a dress girl, at heart, so as much as I dig this kind of look, I do know that if giving the choice, I would live in a world where I could wear dresses 100% of the time (I am looking at you, Miami).

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Cute outfit overall, but the sweatshirt design and nicely tailored coat really help it out here.

Why didn't J. Crew Factory make a dupe of this sweatshirt, btw?  They duplicate all popular items, why not this one which sold out in a heartbeat last year?

Day: Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

Where:  Subbing as School Secretary.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made this dress out of a very comfortable and warm double knit from Fabric Mart from Pamela's Patterns Softly Pleated Dress pattern, so if it wasn't a 5 out of 5 for comfort and ease, I did something wrong.  Hands down, this is my most successful make to this day.  It turned out very well for me, from cutting to sewing to finishing.  It fits well, wears well, and makes me feel good while wearing it.  :-)  Yay!

I had a little bit of fabric left over, so I made CW a tunic from McCall's 6786, which is actually a dress pattern, but if you leave off the contrast hem, neckline, and cuffs, it turns into a tunic.  She says she was very comfortable, too.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It is a pretty dress, and CW's tunic is beyond darling on her, but the print and colors and styling may put some people off.  I like it, obviously, but I know I love more *in your face* prints and styles.

BTW, I wrote up a TON over at the Fabric Mart blog about the creation of this dress and the tunic, so check it out if you want to do something similar.  Like I said, it was a very satisfying sewing experience.

Okay, that's all for now.  Again, I am THRILLED to be here for six whole years.  That seems slightly insane, but I am still enjoying it, so I'll keep on keeping on...

And thank you all for reading.  I really enjoy having all my blog friends around. 

As promised in the update above, here is the coupon for the extra 20% off clearance items: