OOTDs: Spain!

Last Day, Barcelona, at Playa de Sant Sebastia

Hi, all!  Hola! 

I am glad to be back from Spain, I did have a lovely time, and I really do want to get back (especially to see the finished Sagrada Familia in 2026), but I was beat by the time we got home.  :-)  I have more travel type photos to share later, but since this is more an "ootd" kind of blog, I know those can wait.  (I know, I know, I haven't really been all that great at the ootd lately.  Ha.  But I am trying to get back! Hand on heart!)

Okay, so though I started with the above image (one of my favorites from the trip), I am going in order from the first day traveling on the plane (from Philadelphia to Madrid), followed by Madrid, then Barcelona (and day trips), and finally the trip from Barcelona to Philadelphia.

I knew I would have to wear super comfortable clothing, but I also didn't want to wear clothing that was shlumpy, so I tried hard to meet my needs for cute and comfy right in the middle.  I did choose to use three main colors, a deep teal/aqua, grey, and black.  I only brought two pairs of shoes, and that turned out to be more than enough.  In fact I brought just enough, and we had room left over to bring back souvenirs (including the "top" from the top photo up there).  I bring more than this to my trips to Mississippi and Louisiana.  I think I am going to try this capsule kind of thing again. It was great!

Day: Monday-Tuesday, March 28-29, 2016.

Where:  Travel to Philadelphia from Alexandria, then the flight from Philadelphia to Madrid, and finally Madrid (with a nap for me at the hotel).

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Made the tunic so I could wear it with the Madewell leggings without showing off my bum.  I did this so I could basically wear pjs in public.  LOL.  I barely slept on the plane, but still felt danged good because I wasn't pinched at all in the outfit.

Outfit Details: Coat, Anthropologie; Tunic, handmade (used New Look 6240); Shoes, Clarks (find them here at amazon.com); Sunglasses, J. Crew (here); Leggings, Madewell.

Anecdote of the Day: I had a sinus infection before leaving town (yep, that's my third illness of 2016, after the Pink Eye of January and the Strep Throat of February), so I had antibiotics and strong cough medicine to take with me on the plane.  I was very tempted to just go when we arrived in Madrid, but I heard the doctor in the back of my head reminding me to not overdo it, since that was likely what landed me with a third illness this year.  (She called it having a suppressed immune system, sigh.)  So while the rest of them went sightseeing, I slept for four hours instead.  I felt much better after waking up.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, March 29, 2016.

Where:  Madrid.  Mainly the Museo del Prado.  This was after I had my nap. 

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Again, super comfortable.  Very few of these outfits, btw, are anything but comfortable.  One or two might be described as a bit less comfy, but nothing dramatically uncomfortable.

Outfit Details: Coat, Anthropologie; Top, J. Crew; Shoes, New Balance for J. Crew (they have this cute pair in gold and ivory right now); Pants, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (I think these are the same from amazon.com); Necklace, Stella and Dot, Bag; Travelon (buy the same one from amazon.com).

Anecdote of the Day: The Museo del Prado had free hours between 5 and 7, if I am remembering correctly, and though I would have preferred to spend more time there, we got quite a bit more of the "must-sees" done in that time, so yay for small things.  I would have thought it would have been more crowded, and though there were a lot of people there, it didn't feel overwhelming. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, March 30, 2016.

Where: Continued Madrid sightseeing, including the castle and the Museo Reina Sofia.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I made this dress a while back and I think I forgot to give you all the blog post I wrote on it for Fabric Mart.  Anyhow, the dress is wonderful and fits so well, plus the knit fabric (from Halston Heritage!) moves and drapes beautifully.  It also has pockets.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade (used Ottobre Magazine 05-2015, read more about it here); Shoes, Clarks (find them here at amazon.com); Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (I think these are the same from amazon.com); Tights, probably Spanx, but I can't remember; Necklace, Stella and Dot.

Anecdote of the Day: This was day one of MANY many miles walked in Spain.  Most days we walked 10-12 miles.  Angus was in his buggy or on my back for the most part, but the older two were forced into walking the whole amount.  That said, we ate and drank very well, so though I didn't lose any weight, I definitely didn't gain any (and I ate a lot of very high calorie foods and all my beverages were of the vino category).

Madrid, btw, is where my mom was born.  She is Spanish only by birth (she is German/American), but I know that your birthplace is still important, and it was nice to see the city she knew as a little girl.  I was quite taken with Madrid.  It is apparently a very big city, but it felt small, and that was appealing to me.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

SECOND INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, March 31, 2016.

Where:  Madrid to Barcelona, and then a lot of sightseeing in Barcelona (including a frightening funicular trip--my first of two terrifying rides up mountains while in Spain). 

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) These pants were made by me to fit extremely well and do well on travel, so it was a no-brainer I was going to bring them.  I wrote more about the process of making them here at this Fabric Mart post.

Outfit Details: Top, J. Crew; Shoes, New Balance for J. Crew (they have this cute pair in gold and ivory right now); Pants, handmade (used McCall's 6901); Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (I think these are the same from amazon.com); Bag; Travelon (buy the same one from amazon.com).

CW, by the way, is wearing one of my favorite mini Boden dresses ever, the Sweatshirt dress.  It is still available, but it is out of stock in most sizes in this color.

Anecdote of the Day: We walked so much that day, and I LOVE walking, but by 6:30 pm, I was done.  This is the first time in my life where I can remember actually wanting to stop.  We had to keep going, but at least we didn't head to another museum.  I think the kids and I would have revolted had we continued.

We ate dinner at a hole in the wall, and this British couple was sitting near us, and very quickly identified that we were from Virginia, based on our accent.  I was stunned.  People in Wisconsin think I am from the deep deep South, but people in Mississippi think I might as well be from the Bronx.  Turns out they had lived in Harrisonburg, VA, and knew the accent of "us" very well.  Yeah.  Good for them.  They may be the only people who can do it outside of Virginians.  :-) 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, April 1, 2016.

Where: Figueres, Spain, which is a small city outside of Barcelona fairly close to the French border.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The pants are the same ones from the day before, and so still comfy, but stupid me only brought the rain jacket (not pictured, well except I am holding it in my hand in the courtyard at the Dali museum) and not the Anthropologie knit coat, so I was a touch cold all day.  I drank wine to make up for it.  Ha.

Outfit Details: Top, J. Crew; Shoes, New Balance for J. Crew (they have this cute pair in gold and ivory right now); Pants, handmade (used McCall's 6901); Glasses, Bebe eyewear; Scarf, MoMA (yep, it's Jackson Pollock inspired; apparently you can buy anything on amazon.com, including this).

CW's rainjacket is the Pack-Away Rain Mac from Boden.  It's wonderful, and does truly and easily pack away and was exactly the right layer for her that day and others.

Anecdote of the Day:  To get to Figueres, we ended up on the fast train to Paris.  I was very very tempted to see Paris, so I threatened to stay on the train with CW.  But I did want to see the Dali museum, and it was worth it.  There were hordes of French teenagers everywhere, too, so it kind of felt like I was in Paris, anyhow. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, April 2, 2016.

Where:  Barcelona (mainly Gaudi sites besides the Sagrada Familia) and La Rambla. 

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The tunics CW and I are wearing are made by me, and they were super soft rayon knit from Joann's, so they felt wonderful, but mine kept riding up a bit on the jean leggings.  Ding down for that. 

Outfit Details: Tunic, handmade (used Kwik Sew 3463 for mine and Kwik Sew 3958 for hers; I wrote more on my original make of this pattern here); Shoes, New Balance for J. Crew (they have this cute pair in gold and ivory right now); Leggings, the grocery store...seriously; Bag; Travelon (buy the same one from amazon.com); Necklace, Stella and Dot.

Anecdote of the Day: I loved this day.  I was stoked to take it all in, and though the trip to get to the Park Guell was a bit of a bear, once we got there, it was very lovely, and I dug the mosaics everywhere.  The view was great, too.  We decided to walk (of course!) to the next Gaudi site, and it took us through these darling streets with cute shops and restaurants.  It was hard not to fall in love with Barcelona that day.

We ended up having to go to Zara to get the kids some shoes (they complained theirs were too small), so we found some there in the sale section, and because it is Spain, and it is Zara, of course I had to peek in the women's section, too.  I ended up with dos vestidos (two dresses--more like tunics on me, of course).  They were both on sale, and when I checked the American price, I realized the price I paid in Spain was much better.  Woo hoo!  The cashier was super handsome, too.  (Not that this matters, wink wink.) 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

SECOND INSTAGRAM HERE. 

THIRD INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Monday, April 4, 2016.

(There is something and an ootd for Sunday, but the dress is under wraps until late April as it is my April make for the Fabric Mart blog.  You can take a peek at it here at this instagram.)

Where: Barcelona, mainly the harbor/beach, and a very very long walk to the Sagrada Familia.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This is one of the two dresses I bought from Zara.  I decided to wear it under the skirt as a top, but if I hadn't gone to Sagrada Familia that day, I would have been tempted to wear it on its own.  Sure it was short, but I *think* I can get away with it. 

Outfit Details:  Dress, Zara (here, I did buy it for about $23, btw, but it sold out here at the higher price, it is worth it, though the back button is a bit flimsy); Shoes, Clarks (find them here at amazon.com); Sunglasses, Ray-Ban (I think these are the same from amazon.com); Tights, Boden; Necklace, National Trust UK.

Anecdote of the Day: So that beach there that I am posing at?  It has a nudist beach there in the summer (though unofficially).  No nudists there while we were there, but that would have made for an interesting discussion with the kids had we ended up there by accident in the summer.  :-)  Angus is really vocal when he sees bare chests, declaring that those people are "naked, Momma," so I imagine he would have been very loudly exclaiming over the nakedness surrounding him had this been the case.  Instead we ended up nearly getting killed by an errant skateboarder who acted like we were the problem (yeah, no, you were skateboarding DOWN the stairs).  I would much rather see naked people.

The Sagrada Familia is certainly interesting from the exterior, but the interior was so beautiful, I nearly started crying upon entering.  I rarely have moments like those, but I felt the love and passion all the artisans had poured into its creation, and the fact that it was made for Catholics to worship in made it even more special and spiritual.  I just wish we could have gone to mass there.  (We went to Monserrat on Sunday instead, also a very spiritual place.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

SECOND INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, April 5, 2016.

Where: Barcelona to Philadelphia, and then the car drive to Alexandria.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The shorter length of the Gaudi top (purchased on the day we visited all the site) didn't ride up with the leggings the way the tunic did, so it was super comfortable.  And considering I was on a plane with three children for eight hours along with a very surly flight attendant crew (not surly to us, just surly/complainy in general), I was very relaxed and at ease in it.

Outfit Details:  Top, Gaudi inspired, made for the museums that showcase his work; Shoes, Clarks (find them here at amazon.com); Leggings, Harris Teeter.

Anecdote of the Day: I could have stayed a few extra days, but my body thanked me for returning to normal by insisting I sleep non-stop for days upon return.  I was going to bed at 8 every night for a week.  I am still very much hitting the hay as soon as I can.  I do want to try and get more walking in, even more than I already do, since I love the benefit of eating and drinking well in return.  :-)

Okay, that's it for now.  Thanks for reading.  :-)

BTW, Boden has both rolled out a collection for April and the Icons.  The Icons are nearly sold out, but the new stuff for April is still around and I have a code for 15% off below and in my sidebar.  I want to talk more about it, but I really wanted to get this post up instead.  I am sure Boden doesn't care which I do.  LOL.

Shop New Spring Arrivals Now With 15% Off Plus Free Shipping! Valid through 4/25 with code 8W5Q

OOTDs: Dressy Casual Teacher.

Last week, the day after I arrived in Mississippi, I wrote up a post on what I wear when I substitute the younger grades at my school.  (Overall pretty casual looks and very easy to wear shoes!)

Today, as I leave Mississippi (it's been ten days!), I figured I should finish off this round of subbing ootds with what I wear when I am teaching the older grades.  Although I like to dress up, the colder weather of late has necessitated the wearing of pants, so the only real dressy look you will see here is the day I needed to best represent the school, the last look, which is also the one look that is not technically from me subbing.  (I was there as a guide for the school, so I wanted to look really put together for the prospective parents.)

Next week and the week after, I will be subbing in my son's second grade classroom.  Hee!  I am looking forward to it for many reasons, of course.  Although I do tend to go more casual with the younger grades, because it is Christmas week festivity time then, I guarantee there will be at least a few dressier outfits to celebrate the occasion.

Okay, onto the outfits.

Day: Friday, November 14, 2014.

Where:  Subbing Fifth Grade.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I bought these pants when Angus was young, maybe six months old, and while they fit okay then, they fit exactly as they should now, so the little bit of extra pounds off has made a huge difference in comfort.  The handmade sweater is always warm and never fails me, so I am glad I made that one last year.  I need to make that pattern again, I think another sweater should be on my sewing table.

Though the coat didn't exactly match, I needed its' warmth that day, so not really worried about color matching.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Decent look, though with a better choice in outerwear, this look would have fared better on the "cool" chart.

Day: Thursday, November 6, 2014.

Where:  I was in for the older grades' Spanish teacher (there are two Spanish teachers--one for the youngins and one for the older kids)..

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  No complaints, at all.  Very comfortable, easy to wear outfit. 

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Poor Talbots.  Though a purveyor of some fine looking items, it will never be cool.  ;-)  Therefore, though darling and pretty, the top dings the overall coolness.  Though if it read Zara, would you all be fooled into believing it was cooler?  Hmm...

Day: Wednesday, November 19, 2014.

Where:  Leading the prospective parents on a tour of the school, going to a moms' group, and attending my daughter's Thanksgiving Feast activity in the afternoon.  So not busy at all there that day.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  A very very slight ding for the tights not fully staying up.  I had to tug them up a few times throughout the day.  I wish these were control top, that would help keep them up on my frame a bit better. 

The Amy Dress (here on sale) was a champ, though, very easy to wear, and it surprised me at how well it wore in winter temperatures.  I did a second, more in-depth review of it at this Boden Weekly Review roundup.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I love it, but it is pretty darn prissy, lol.  The shoes make it a bit cooler since the shape is a bit unusual, but really, this is very traditional and conservative, which was what I needed that day.

Okay, that's all for today.  I hope everyone has a great Thursday, and we'll talk soon!

OOTDs: A Weekend's Worth.

Day: Sunday, January 12, 2014.

Where: Church.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) The dress was made by me for me (see this post on the process and more views), so it is very comfortable for me to wear.  I took a point off because the dress sleeves didn't comfortably fit in the cardigan sleeve, but that wasn't hard to fix, I just had to fiddle with them a bit, and I *hate* fiddling.

The Boden Suede wedges are comfortable, too, am pretty excited to receive the Mid-Heel Wedge in navy so I have another pair of easy wearing heels to tromp around in.  The Suede Wedge in Pewter is pretty similar to these that I am wearing, a bit lighter in color, but same height, etc., and it has the bonus of being in the clearance section right now, too.  :-)

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I am not knocking my outfit, but yeah, not super cool.  It's for church, and I wore a cardigan buttoned up so I would have a fairly modest outfit for mass.  (I had to, check out the back view of the dress had I not worn the cardigan.  No one at church wants to see me in that, trust me.)

Anecdote from the Day:  No big adventure, but I met a nice girl who is single and all manner of things adorable, and of course, I immediately went into my spiel about my nice, sweet, handsome, very Catholic brother.  LOL.

I also met a lady who has been going to my church for 60 years!  60!  I have been there for 28, which I know isn't a ton, but it is definitely longer than 85% of the people there have been there.  I have a feeling I will be doing things like her when I am in my elder age...talking with younger moms about my experiences with my three little ones.  I kind of look forward to that.  So wonderful that I could share a few moments of my day with her.

Day: Saturday, January 11, 2014.

Where: Birthday party for one of our family friends.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) Nothing was super uncomfortable enough to ding the outfit two whole points, BUT enough little things bugged me to ding it two points overall.

1. It was raining a lot.  There was even thunder.  Rain makes things harder.

2. I went to a birthday party with my two youngest, and because my youngest refuses to wear shoes, I have to cart his bottom in my arms when it is raining so he doesn't get his feet completely wet.  That means I get hot and bothered FAST.

3. The darn second button on the back of this adorable Lace-Trim Swiss-Dot Top kept coming undone, because the length of the hole is just a bit too big for the button.  It kept popping out, which led me to constantly asking my friend to redo it for me.  Blegh.

4. I know this isn't really a comfort thing, but the necklace I planned originally to wear with it just looked wrong, so I switched to a wool/cotton challis infinity scarf that I had sewn up yesterday morning.  I am glad it looked decent with the top, since my brain didn't want to have to bother with a third option.  LOL. 

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) For all my issues with it, I dig it, and think it looks pretty good, as long as we forget that I tried the blue Stella & Dot necklace with it first.

Anecdote from the Day:  The party was held at the same place where my kids went to preschool.  It was nice to go back.  Even though I am always in that neighborhood, I just don't get over to the center very often.  They had completely redone the soft play room with snazzy new toys.  The kids were over the moon about the party.

Back view of the top.  I was *this* close to buying the size Petite 6 instead of the regular 4, and seeing the back of this makes me think my instinct was probably spot on...I will keep this one, but for future reference, I will store that bit of data and just trust my instincts. 

See that second button there, btw, cheekily starting to pop out.  Yeah...

Day: Friday, January 10, 2014.

Where: Dinner at El Paso Cafe to see my Grandpa (he is in from Poland for a few weeks).

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) I purposely chose a more fitted outfit so I wouldn't overeat at El Paso, which is SHOCKINGLY easy to do there.  Gawd, that food is so freaking good.

Anyhow, all the pieces fit, but I know that my comfort level in the Boden Bistro wool crop go way down if I eat too much, so there you go.  :-) 

I still ate way too much, hence the 3 stars.  Ah, well.  It was worth it.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I like the curvier, edgier look I had that night, which for me is a rare occurrence.  I would rather be pretty and polished (like the church outfit) most of the time, and find my comfort level is highest in dresses, cardigan, skirts, tights, and low heels, but I have to try other things, and that is why I appreciate this blog so much.  In the (nearly--eep) five years I have been publishing posts here, I have really pushed my own preppy, perfectionist ways, allowing myself to be a bit more "whatever."  This look seems a bit girl band rock prep.  Yeah, girl band rock prep.  I like that. 

Anecdote from the Day:  Angus's look is because he just wasn't having the Mariachi band that was playing that night.  They were loud, very good, and not exactly Angus's cup of tea.  Poor fellas were trying so hard, too, they even played La Cucaracha for him, really putting the show on, and he barely managed a smile.  Boo, Tiny, Boo!  CW and I applauded big time to make up for Angus's surliness.

Okay, that's it for tonight.  Have fun the rest of your late Sunday evening!

OOTDs: Heidi Buns and a Piped Plaid Coat.

Day: Wednesday, January 16, 2013.

Where: Massage and Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Well, I think it was easy to wear, but since massages require disrobing, I definitely am taking off points since it took me for-freaking-ever to take all the layers off and put them back on.  I had no other choice, though, because I was walking from the massage to the Whole Foods, and it was pretty chilly out, and raining, so extra-thick layers of wool were the only real option.

The Alexa Dress is so warm.  I am glad I chose to wear it that day, since it allowed me to be warm and still have a fairly dressy look.  It is currently in Boden's clearance section, and many sizes are still left.  (I am wearing an 8 long.)

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Haha, in Anthro world, this is the coolest outfit ever.  In non-twee/unicorns/sparkle dust land, it is a bit much. 

The piped plaid coat definitely is not a best seller.  I saw it at the store on deep discount and fell in love.  I have worn it a handful of times since then, and think the size small I got fits well and is a great fun option for outerwear.  It does have short sleeves, so you have to wear a longer length top/layer under it, or you can wear longer gloves (which is what I did, a pair of J. Crew long gloves from last year).

Considering how crazy my hair was that day, I expected all sorts of horrified reactions, but my brother and the massage therapist both liked the Heidi buns.  :)  For whatever that is worth...

Anecdote from the day:  Mr. Dina was NOT a fan of the Heidi buns.  He likes it when I wear pigtails, though, so I have given up caring, since "Ellie May Clampett" is okay but not a play on "Princess Leia."  Whatever.

He paid for my massage because he is a sweety, so I will forgive him.  LOL.

And I promise to only wear the Heidi buns whenever he won't have to see me.  ;)

Day: Monday, January 28, 2013.

Where: Pre-Bowling.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Since it was a pre-bowling day, I needed to be in something that I could easily move in so that I could ensure good scores*. 

The turtleneck is from Pure (I did a review of the dark grey one here) and is currently in the clearance section.  It pops back from time to time, but grab it if you see it and want it, since it always sells out super fast.  They have introduced their spring line, though, and you could get this Gassato Cashmere Relaxed Sweater with the 25% off sidebar coupon instead, and since it is fully stocked you don't have to do the whole "OMG, will that popback really ship to me?" 

*It didn't work, btw.  My first game was HORRIBLE.  I have since vowed that I will never pre-bowl by myself ever again.  (And it had nothing to do with the outfit, btw.)

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I like the look.  Nothing especially cool or uncool.  It just works and looks decent on this SAHM.

Anecdote from the day:  CW's school system had the day off.  She doesn't go to school on Mondays, but since all the other counties look to CW's school system for info on whether or not they should cancel school when there is inclement weather, them not having school really messed up all the other systems.  LOL.  The county that Rex's school is in usually DOES NOT cancel school for bad weather, since the county is fairly small and is in the "warmer" part of the DC area.  Well, that morning there was some ice and so Rex's school was canceled.  NO other counties canceled school.  In fact, almost all of them went in two hours late.  That was the first time I have ever seen that happen. 

Fortunately I was home, and so it was no big deal, but for the working (outside the home) parents, what a pain, right?

I took Rex to pre-bowling with me.  He didn't notice how badly I did the first game, but I will make a point of telling you all that he did better than me that first game (he had bumpers, but still!).

My second and third game were decent, but I had the two of the bowling staff giving me personal lessons.  You know it's bad when that happens.

BTW, Boden fans, new "Spring Trim" today, with items in all categories at 20% off (and an additional 15% off with the blog's sidebar coupon).  Two new trim items from the women's cut include the Stitch Detail Dress and the Colourblock Bag.  

Okay, that's it!  Have a great Monday**!

**And a Happy Birthday to Mr. Dina!!!  I bought him Rush tickets and a concert tee.  I know he would do the same for me.  :)

Boden: Boho Dress Review and OOTD. Plus a few quickie dress reviews!

Hi, all!  I am delaying the *official* BWRR by one day because I have fallen under the weather, blegh.  I had intended for this review to be part of this week's BWRR, but instead I will just publish it on its own, so that way you all can see it in real life and take the opportunity to get it during today's dress promo.  I have no idea if the prices will go back up tomorrow, but I do know that you never know with Boden, so better safe than sorry.  :)

I am also including any e-mailed reviews that were sent to me that included dresses, but I will put them in tomorrow's BWRR as well, just to be on the safe side, as some of you may not be as interested in the Boho dress and miss the extra reviews.

Boho Dress.  I bought this during the mid-season sale, I believe, and paid pretty much the price that this dress costs today, so somewhere around $85.  I really dig the Liberty of London type print on the fabric, especially since it reads Art Nouveau to me, which I believe Liberty does particularly well.

The fabric is viscose, so not a favorite of mine, as it reminds me of dresses I wore from Contempo Casuals back in 19-freaking-91, but I couldn't resist the call of the pattern.  Oh, you siren.

This is a size 4 Long, which is TWO whole sizes smaller than my normal Boden dress size.  I read that it was running rather large, especially through the hips and waist, so I knew I would be fine (pear shapes take note!).  In fact, I was able to pull this on without undoing the zipper, so there you go, very large indeed.  If you carry your weight through your torso you may need to size up, but bear in mind there will be a lot of excess fabric throughout the skirt.

From the side.  I have a few issues with this dress, which are most apparent in this photo.  The tie is literally right under my bustline, and since I am nursing, there are points of the day where the tie is on my lower boob (TMI, I know, but for those of you that are busty, you will appreciate that!).  I know that once I stop nursing this will not be an issue, but woah, this tie is HIGH up, almost maternity dress high.

The other issue I have is that the sleeves are SO SO short and the cuff on the sleeve buttons tight enough that I have to unbutton every time I need to take off or put on the dress, which I rarely ever have to do (I have child sized wrists, they are kind of freaky skinny).  I know that many of you will have to keep them unbuttoned, which does not ruin the line of the sleeve, but come on! 

From the back.  I personally do not find the tie super-long like some women on-line did, but in my opinion, I think the tie is sort of silly.  I kind of wish they had nixed the tie belt and shaped the torso a bit more.  You can't even see the tie unless you look closely, so the dress's integrity would not have been compromised by leaving it off.

I am really glad I bought it in the long, the regular would have looked ridiculous at mid-thigh.  That would have definitely messed with the dress's integrity.  Chortle.

I did not wear it like this today, but DEFINITELY will try this look this winter with tights and a chic, elegant coat.  Very retro without being all in your face about it.

(I wore the outfit to pick up my son today and run errands and because it was lovely and warm, the wool cloche was unnecessary.)


Boho Dress.  Selling well in all the colors except the one I own.  I really love the colorway I have, but maybe people didn't realize that the dress has as much color and life as it does?


Carnaby Dress. Boden blog alert!!! One of my blog friends, Izzywizz, has a wonderful blog and has reviewed for us this dress in peacock. Definitely become a follower if you can!!! :)

Speaking of blog friends, Kendra wrote me an e-mail with many Boden reviews, including these four dress reviews:

Pimlico Dress. Kendra writes of this one:

I love the fit of this dress. I got the 6R (seems to be my "usual" boden size) and it fits perfectly. Hits just below the knee. slimming-- slim fit but not tight or body hugging. I got the blue, which I like with my coloring. However, although I've had this dress for about a month, I haven't worn it-- it is a bit cutesy w/the small flower print, which has deterred me from wearing it to work yet. And it is just starting to get cooler, and this is a leggings and boots dress for me. I have kept this one so far. 


Multi Stitch Dress.  Regarding this one, Kendra has these thoughts:

Have this in navy, size 6R. It's a bit roomy but fits my upside-down-triangle shape well. There's extra fabric in the tummy area, but I don't mind that- I carry any extra weight I have there, and I don't like things to be too fitted in that area. It is a tad more fitted in the hips, which works well for me. Plus, I have broad shoulders and I think a size smaller wouldn't have worked. R length is just above the knee. The cord is soft, velvety and plush, not stiff. The arms are a bit roomy, but I dig this dress- I recommend it highly on sale if it works with your body type! 


Alexa Dress. Kendra says of this knitted beauty:

I wanted to love this one. I really did. The dress itself and the knit is gorgeous. Ordered in sz 6 and WAY too big in the tummy/hips area. It was short waisted on me, although the R length was more than long enough. I tried a size 4 and it was way too tight in the arms, ok in the bust, and still too big in the tummy/hips!! I sadly gave up on this one. If you're a pear, it may work perfectly for you!!


Audrey Dress. One of my favorites (obviously, lol), Kendra says of this one:

Dina inspired me to try this one. I love it on her, but not me. I got the same kelly green, which is gorgeous, but the front pockets paired with my black plastic frames (I have dry eyes right now so can't wear contacts which is so frustrating!!!!) looked a bit silly together. The dress was snug on me, a bit uncomfortably so (I like my clothes looseish), but sizing up would have probably been too much. The dress in a 6R was also a bit short on me- almost too short for work without boots and tights or leggings. It went back.

Thanks, Izzywizz and Kendra for your wonderful dress reviews!

Okay, that's all, I am off to go take some Nyquil and go to sleep.  ;)