OOTDs: California. 2015.

I realize I actually have a California, the Outfits, post or two, here at the blog.  I guess since I travel there so much I now have to start just naming them by years.  Of course I didn't think I would have a 2015 version, but as many of you know, my great aunt passed away on July 5, so I ended up traveling back to my birth state to say my last goodbyes.  It was a great visit, and her funeral service and interment were very beautiful, just like she was.  It was also nice to see friends and relatives, of course, and even though there was a loss bringing us together, it still brought us together, which is something my great aunt loved.  :-)

I will post the California: Photos post later, but those are still all stuck in the phone and camera for now. 

I am going from most recent to furthest in dates for these outfits, starting with the outfit I wore to fly home. 

Day: Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

Where: Flight home from CA, with three airports in between.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Any outfit is going to be uncomfortable after twelve plus hours of wearing it (barring pjs, let's be real), but considering I had this on for that long and with a very unexpected change of flight plans, with a long shuttle ride to another airport, this outfit was as easy to wear as can be without looking too sloppy.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Pants, J. Crew here; Tee, J. Crew (but I found it at Marshall's for $16--who knew they had current J. Crew stuff); Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I discovered my phone can take selfie shots on timer when propped up just so on a tall bottle of San Pelligrino (those are the shots with the white background).

Our flight plans were originally Long Beach--Phoenix--DC (National) but then the little plane set to get us to Phoenix was unable to shut its door (not good, obviously), so that flight was canceled and we ended up going to LAX (SHUDDER) to fly nonstop to Dulles (double SHUDDER).  But, meh, once on the way it was fine.  I should complain less.

INSTAGRAM of LGB here.
INSTAGRAM of LAX here. 

This is my lovely cousin, K. Isn't she super cute?

Day: Monday, July 13, 2015.

Where: Knott's Berry Farm's Soak City.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  A swimsuit, a lightweight a-line teeshirt dress coverup, and a pair of flip-flops?  Definition of ease.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Soprano (found at Marshall's); Flip-Flops, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Swimsuit (not pictured--but it's the yellow one), J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  Soak City was so much fun.  I usually am so absorbed with going to Disneyland every time I visit CA that I always neglect Knott's, even though as a kid, we went there quite a bit too.  Soak City is the water park for Knott's and not the amusement park, but that was more than fine by me.  I should have worn more sunscreen, though, my very pale skin burned.  Eek.

INSTAGRAM of the other outfit I wore that day here, definitely more dressy than the outfit above.

Day: Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, 2015.

Where: The funeral on Saturday and mass on Sunday.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Garnet Hill's tiered maxi dress is one of my favorite summer staples (I have this version and this version, too).  So unique, very presentable, exceedingly packable (doesn't wrinkle), and comfortable to the max (groan, bad pun there).  Add a pair of sparkly, fun, casual flats, and it's a winner outfit.  Can you blame me for two days of wear?  (Well that and the fact that I packed very little.)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill here; Sandals, Target here (they are true to size); Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day:  My aunt is buried next to my uncle, and whenever I go to the cemetery, I am overjoyed that their final resting place is on such gorgeous grounds.  Nestled in the hills in between Los Angeles and Orange County, it is verdant, full of light, and in a position to see the mountains to the east. 

We stayed in Downey for the visit, and my dad, though raised in Downey, had never really taken me there as a girl.  Walking around the downtown area after mass I fell in love.  It is an absolute mecca for fun mid-century architecture.  I especially adored the Masonic Lodge.

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of my cousin and I here after mass.

Day: Friday, July 10, 2015.

Where: Marshall's (where I got the tee and dress above from), In and Out, and one of my many visits to the hotel's Happy Hour.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The day after traveling I always feel ugh, so I wasn't surprised to wake up and feel a bit bloated and under, so no matter what I wore, it wasn't go to be awesome, but I figured a brisk walk (our mode of transport to get to Marshall's) would help.  I wanted to show some pride in the gorgeous palm trees of CA, so I decided to wear this Madewell linen tank with one of my favorite pairs of shorts.  The outfit was comfy enough, and got comfier as the day wore on.

Outfit Details:  Tank, Madewell; Shorts, Bandolino Blu (THEY ARE SO OLD); Sandals, Target here; Sanibel Reversible Pendant Necklace, Stella and Dot here.

Anecdote of the Day: I cannot believe how much my family enjoyed happy hour.  Embassy Suites has free drinks from 5:30-7:30 nightly, and the drinks kept coming.  The first day I was jetlagged (you'll see evidence of my fun while jetlagged in the next ootd), but by the second I was more clear, so I enjoyed it more.  By that point, all the relatives had come to town, including my once super bratty boy cousin, D.  He's not bratty anymore, more like an enabler.  I have to massively detox this week to make up for my CA sins at the bar.  :-/

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with boy cousin here.

Day: Thursday, July 9, 2015.

Where: Flight to CA from VA, El Torito for lunch, Happy Hour, and thankfully bed thereafter.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made that tee you see the day before and dang, it's super comfy.  Granted it is two rectangles sewn together and made out of stretchy rayon knit, but it was so comfy, I made it work as pjs later that weekend.  And leggings, I mean, really.  It barely counts as an outfit.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Tee, handmade; Leggings, J. Crew here; Sandals, Target here; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Costco.

Anecdote of the Day: This day was fine, but remind me never to start the weekend of drinks before my family gets to me.  If I had known what they were capable of, I would have waited (I had a glass of wine on the plane and a beverage of choice at El Torito).  I fell asleep easier than I have ever fallen asleep before.  AND--I slept better than I have in a long time, so there's that.  :-)

INSTAGRAM of the no makeup Dina here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with girl cousin here.

Okay, that's all for now.  Armchair travelers, some more atmospheric photos to come.  (And for those of you interested in more shenanigans, those are coming, too.)

OOTDs: Photographic Evidence.

Day: Tuesday, August 5, 2014.

Where: So mundane--Joann's to pick up fabric for the boys pjs and Harris Teeter to go grocery shopping.  I live the life, you all.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  By the end of the day, I can push this to a 4, but I always feel a bit exposed in shorter shorts.  I should probably just get over it already or stop wearing them, but to me, these muscle tees that I love wearing look best with a shorter silhouette on bottom, so there you go.  I guess I could just wear a skirt, but eh, three kids, you know?

I do want to include a quickie review of this tee, the photo stripe tank from J. Crew, since I have been wanting it since early July, and maybe there are a few of you out there who are eyeing it now that it is on super sale (I was able to buy mine for $21 plus shipping).  I had first seen it online and knew I wanted it, but at $45, I wasn't willing to do it, especially for a fairly simple/sheer tee.  I then got to the store and tried it on, but again, at $45, nuh uh.  So when it went down to $36 minus 40%, I was then willing, since $21 for this tank seemed reasonable enough to me. 

I tried it on in a small, and seeing that it was just loose enough to keep it casual, but not sloppy, I didn't bother with the extra-small.  I often buy extra-smalls in J. Crew tees, so bear that in mind.  I don't know that I would have liked the extra-small on me, it would have been too fitted for the look I wanted to achieve.

The tee is fairly sheer, but not anything indecent.  I love the graphic, it is well done and very pretty.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I am definitely in love with this look and I felt cool today.

Anecdote from the Day:  If you are a long time reader (like from the very beginning) you will remember me posting about my HUGE crush on Don Henley* way back when I was in high school.  It was mad and redonk, but oh, my, he was my *everything.* 

*The link in that post is broken but it was for an ebay listing for a bag made from this Rolling Stone cover.

I also am from California (born there, spent multiple summers there as a kid).  I moved to VA as a young girl, but I always thought I would move to CA after high school.  I even applied to USC and Chapman, was accepted, but then decided not to go at the last minute.

So the mix of Don Henley/California Love gave me an great appreciation for all things west coast, especially the video for Boys of Summer.  I remember one summer spent listening to Boys of Summer non-stop and thinking of my future as Don Henley's wife under the setting sun on the beach, wearing our Ray-Bans with the swaying palm trees behind us.  (And, yes, our car would be the car from the video.)

Well obviously I stayed in VA, and I married someone else, but the tee reminds me so much of that time/obsession, that I am happy that I have it and can secretly remind myself of being the greatly deluded teenager I once was.  ;-)

Boys of Summer video here.

And just for kicks, California Love video here.

Day: Monday, August 4, 2014.

Where: Doctor appointment, uniform shopping, and Five Guys.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The darling Paris tee from Forever 21 is really fun, but it is a touch short on the sides so I needed to make sure that I kept my cami tucked in so the line of the sides weren't ruined by it.  But, really, other than that, super comfortable.  The shorts are made by me (here), so clearly they probably fit me well.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Shorts may be a touch baggy, but a decent summer look.  I felt young. 

Anecdote from the Day:  Uniform shopping is such a bear.  We definitely knew that while we wouldn't have minded saving $25 on VA's tax free weekend to purchase the kids' uniforms for the year, we also know that place is an absolute madhouse on their slow days, so we chose to go the day after the tax-free weekend ended.  It was still super crowded, but tolerable.  And since all the kids were with us, we need all the help to keep us sane.  I cannot even imagine what the place looked like on Fri, Sat, and Sun.  Yikes.

Okay, that's it for now!  I hope all of you are doing well.

And since I am curious, and I rarely ask questions like this...who was your secret celebrity crush?  Was yours as odd as mine? 

OOTDs: California!

I am going to dispense with the "anecdote" portion of these outfit of the days since I will be publishing a separate California photos post, which will include more "fun family times" type photos and will include the stories from the trip.  :-)

Day: Thursday,  August 29, 2013.

Where:  Flight from DC to CA.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Can't go wrong with knit fabrics and an elastic waistband for a long flight with a toddler.  Also helps to have the back of the plane empty so the toddler can have a whole row to get antsy on...if only the flight back could have been that easy.
 :-P

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It is hard to be cool while attempting flight with a toddler.  I do think the Madewell scarf, Anthropologie sweater tee, and bright blue Sperry deck shoes helped a little bit.  (Plus Angus's shoes were bright blue, so we got to be "in style" together.)

Day:  Friday, August 30, 2013

Where:  Hanging with my family for a trip to see my brother *jump out of a plane--OMG* and then a rehearsal dinner/bbq.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   I brought two Garnet Hill jersey dresses with me on the trip (the other is in a few photos) because they are ridiculously, kind of like wearing PJs in public, comfortable.  They also pack well and do not wrinkle. 

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It's a pretty look, but not cool.

That's my pretty aunt there in purple, and if you look closely, you can see my bro taking the photo.

Day:  Saturday, August 31, 2013.

Where:  My cousin's wedding.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I have reviewed the Daisy Jacquard Dress before and declared it a winner for comfort, but it was a touch warm and humid the day of the wedding (I BROUGHT VA weather with me, sigh), so the dress wasn't super comfy, but it was fine and it wasn't like I was wearing wool.  

Cool Factor: (3.5 for 2013 (5 if it was 1965) of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The mid-century look of the outfit was enhanced by the mid-century architecture of the hotel where the wedding took place.  I fit right in, lol.

The Flowerburst Necklace is a statement piece, and one that you have to be in the right mood to wear, but the gold accents of the piece worked nicely with the gold Anthro belt and gold hardware on my bag and shoes.

Day:  Sunday, September 1, 2013.

Where:  Disneyland.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was hot and humid that day and this dress (Long Tiered Garden Dress) kept me covered from the sun AND it kept me cool since the air circulated well in the full skirt.  Word of warning about this jersey dress--it runs HUGE since this is an extra small and it fits me very well in both length and width.  It is almost a touch too long in the bodice since my bra kept peeking out, so if you are very short and very thin, you should stay far far away, since there is no xxs size.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The hat helps the look, and I felt cool.  I don't know if this look is cool, though, since I don't see a ton of this kind of look out in the blog world.  Maybe for my age and station in life, this look is cool?  :-D

If a seagull appears out of nowhere in your photo, is that good luck?

Day:  Monday, September 2, 2013.

Where:  In-N-Out Burger and El Capitan Beach.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made the purple top/shorts outfit for me on my sewing machine, so it better be comfortable.

And a swimsuit and flip-flops?  Yeah, stretchy equals comfy.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The top look is all mine so I don't know how cool it is but I do think the shape of the top and shorts is pretty cool in a "retro modern" kind of way.

I think the swimsuit look is cool because I felt confident in the suit, and really, that is all you can ask for when baring that much of your body in front of people.  (That last shot of me walking on the shore is one of my favorite photos ever taken of me since I look so carefree, wish that were truly the case.)

Okay, that's it! 

Really quick, if you are a Boden fan, the current sale ends tonight (wrote a blog post on it here).  If you see an item in that sale you would like, you may want to grab it since it appears that Boden will be doing a diminishing discount sale starting tomorrow morning.  The diminishing discount sales do not allow stacking of codes the way the sales of the week do (you can use the sidebar coupon to get an additional 15% off of the sale prices).  That said, if something you want is not in the sale, wait till tomorrow, since the beginning discount of the diminishing discount sale will be 20% off.

California: Photos, Part One.

My camera's SD card conveniently finished its run right around California Adventure, which happened to be halfway through our vacation, so I can actually separate these posts into two distinct albums, part one (San Diego, Legoland, RV camping, and Disney's California Adventure), and part two (Disneyland, the beach, and the San Diego Zoo).

If you would prefer just to see my outfits, check out this post instead.  :)

However, if you really dig my kids and the hilarity that can ensue when two parents willingly take three children under 6 on a cross-country trip, well then...

Enjoy!

CW is easy to please on a plane.  All she needs are crayons and coloring books.

Rex is even easier to tame.  All he needs is my kindle fire and Angry Birds Space.

Gus is flying while flying.  My mind is blown.  ;)

Our second day in California included a trip to the San Diego Botanical Gardens.  There was a insect fair going on.  For some reason, Yoda welcomed us.  I don't get it, and neither does Mr. Dina.

I had just eaten an Old Bay seasoned cooked mealworm.  It was really tasty.  :)  I was impressed that they used a Maryland spice to help make the mealworm even tastier.

Rex liked the mealworm, too.  CW did not partake.

This is Monica.  She is a blog friend.  She was the one that suggested we come to this fair because of the bug tasting.  Of course she would be enjoying the fare. 

You can't tell here, but we are both wearing modern red shorts.  She is also wearing a bug pin, which I appreciate, very appropriate for the occasion.  Angus doesn't care what he is wearing as long as he can gnaw on his bjorn (eck, he is teething, though, so I just have to wash the bjorn when I can).

Rex is slightly smaller than the snake.

I put the camera on its timer and got this shot.  There are the modern red shorts that I spoke of two shots back.

I am not making up a caption.  I am insisting that you blog friends make up one instead.  LOL.

This was on day three when we went to Legoland.  We are on a boat ride looking at Lego villages and cities.  It looks like Gus disappeared.  But he is there, at least his legs are.

I was beyond disturbed by this Lego.  Mr. Dina and Rex were very impressed, though.  You gotta love the joining of nerd fantasy one, Legos, and nerd fantasy two, Star Wars.

I only wish there were really palm trees at the Capitol.  It would have made working there so much better.  I also appreciate the lego ambulance.  I gather a Senator needed to be rushed for emergency care after spending too many hours in filibuster.

I got this shot of CW when we just hanging out waiting for Rex.  I love how the light captured just how hazel/yellow her eyes really are.

She also has a really pretty side view.

More than anything, this particular moment made CW's trip to Legoland worthwhile.  She *loves* pretty princesses.

Rex's first ride ever by himself!

I totally think that Mr. Dina looks like this knight.  He insists that it looks more like Russel Brand.  Who's right?  (Note--Mr. Dina is wearing white shoes.  LOL.)

Angus had no rides at Legoland outside of a handful.  This was even too big for him, but he still loved it.

Some nice little boy took this pic of Angus and me.

On day four and five, we joined my Aunt and her family at an RV campground in Menifee, CA.  I had no idea people willingly chose to live in that part of CA (very hot and dry).  Turns out that it was quite lovely, and the folks in the area were super nice.  This canal was fake, though.  It's rare to see that much water in one place in CA, especially desert southern CA.

Haha.  I adore this photo.

Last day there, I had coffee outside.  This bird came up to say hello...and then proceeded to stay next to me, then follow me, and then...

wait at the door of our cabin until he finally realized I wasn't going to be bringing him food.

Day five we went to California Adventure, which was built right next door to Disneyland a while back.  I had never gone because I always just want to go to Disneyland (I think I have been to Disneyland nearly 30 times), but then Mr. Dina suggested we go to both parks because he really wanted to see the Cars ride but also wanted to make sure we got to Small World.  We could have done that with a one day flex pass to both parks, but he decided not to kill us (wise move, btw).  Here CW and I are waiting for Mr. Dina and Rex to get the fast passes to the Cars ride.

After taking the above photo, we went and got a cappuccino for me.  CW posed like Hollie Hobbie while we were waiting.

And then, because we had even more time, we did another group self-portrait.  The cappuccino was really good.  ;)

Gaw.  Gus.

It's a family portrait that *almost* is perfect.  CW must love Hollie Hobbie.

Angus enjoyed this underwater version of a carousel.  I like the goldfish, especially.

You can't tell, but Mr. Dina is petrified.  This ferris wheel went really high, and Rex was all about making it move.

You can't tell here, either, but I am completely petrified, too.  I am clutching onto Gus like he is going to save me if something goes wrong.  The ladies to my left seemed so calm.  How in the world do people not get sick to their stomachs when presented with high heights and open air?  I mean, really!

CW has a boyfriend.

You could probably use this as an ad for Disneyland.  Even her tag is placed *just so*.

This is a train that takes you on a bugs-eye view of food.  The watermelon (very large) was my fave.

I know you all are SO envious of our super-chic eyewear right now.

Mr. Dina and I have a HUGE soft spot for the movie Monsters, Inc., partly because it came out when we were first married, but also because Boo reminds us so much of CW. 

Mealworms, Monster sushi?  I'll eat it all, yum.

Rex is actually really adept at balance and strength.  Maybe I will see what sports this means he would be good at...and don't say men's gymnastics.  He is likely going to be well over 6 feet tall and "sturdy."  Don't really see that as a great body type for the parallel bars.

We ended our night here, near Cars Land.  And with this photo, I bid you all good day, too!