Paris: Day Two Outfits of the (Sick) Day.

So how many of you have ever traveled and ended up being sick in the hotel room one of the days you are on vacation?  With the Paris trip, this will make twice for me.  LOL.  (Not laughing at the time, but I do see the humor now.)

As I described in this post, I may have slightly overdone it the first day of our visit to Paris.  Whoopsy doodle.

So even though I think I am super-woman, I am merely human with a bit of a delusion that I can (and should) do. it. all.  :)

Day two was like this...

Wake up at 2 am with a throbbing head and aching all over my body.  Go to the bathroom and want to keel over.  Take some nyquil (after the first trip where I got sick--London 2003, btw--and discovering that England HAS NO NYQUIL, I have since traveled with it, TSA be damned).  Fall back into bed and only barely sleep.  The next morning I wake and unfortunately have to visit the porcelain king (still porcelain in France, if memory serves). 

Yes, so my hubby wasn't going to torture me, so he got me some breakfast in bed from room service, which had 4 (!!!) pain au chocolats, cereal, milk, juice, coffee, fresh fruit, and yogurt.  Amazingly, that worked to help me feel a bit better.  (I didn't eat it all, but I tried, however there were a few toddlers who helped.)

Then my hubby told me NOT to go walking all over Paris, and insisted that after our visit to the train station for a quick lunch that I should immediately go back and nap the afternoon away.  Which I did.  Happily.

I could have gone out, but I think he was right.  That said I did get dressed to go the train station (can't go in my jammies, after all, no matter how avant garde Paris is).  I also managed enough sleep to get really dressed up to go to dinner out with the fam that night.

So let's name this day what it was...a day of sick, leopard, and a lot of food.

I want to start with my favorite outfit of the day, so I am going to show off the dressy dinner outfit first and then the going to the train station to grab a quick bite to eat food outfit.

I was feeling way more refreshed by this point.  Mr. Dina could have told me we were going to have more room service and I would have still wanted to dress up, I felt that good.  I guess rest did the trick.

Dress: J. Crew Teddie Dress in Red, Size 6.  Did a fairly exhaustive review here.  I am definitely a fan, but it has detractors.  I think if you want a dressy night out dress, this is your gal.
Tights: Who knows?  Maybe Assets, a Target brand.  They were comfy and had a control top (which I insist upon, cannot stand loosey-goosey tights).
Shoes: Clarks.  Found these at Rugged Wearhouse (a TJ Maxx kind of re-seller) for $25.  I guess that is a good deal, as on Nordstroms these go for far more.  They were also super comfy, and I could wear them for a while whilst walking in Paris and was fine.
Necklace: Fiona Paxton Sylvie.  Love this necklace, definitely a statement, but this was the night (and the place) to make one.

Ah, yes, the Leopard Tote.  I had pre-ordered this bag WAY back in June and it finally arrived one week before we left.  I was so concerned that it wouldn't come on time that I actually contacted Boden's customer service.  They assured me that this fab bag would be on my person in the City of Lights.

The bag is a great size, just big enough, but not so big that I was going to dislocate my shoulder.  The bag is calf-hair with a leopard print, and has a dark brown leather trim (on the handles and bottom).  The lining is a very pretty contrast aqua cotton sateen fabric.  I had no problem slipping the handles over my shoulders, either, making it the perfect size for carrying up high (even though I am holding it in the pic above).

See, the lights?  Get it?  City of...

I have shown this pic before, but you all didn't know I was hiding the Teddie Dress underneath.  Let's just pretend it has never been shown.

BTW, CW had on a Boden dress, too.  She loves her Funky Print Dress and has now worn it five times since we got it for her. :)

Paris: Day Two Dinner Out. by dinagideon featuring j crew dresses

Above is the polyvore of the dressy dinner outfit.

This was right before we were to go to Gare de Lyon for our quick lunch.  I was feeling more lively here, but I can tell I was tired (love the darling baggage I was carrying under my eyes--oh dear).

Sweater: J. Crew Leopard Print Tippi Sweater.  So this sold out really fast, and I fortunately grabbed it before it went away.  I bought it in a size small (rather than my usual x-small) and it fits great.  I think this sweater, if it comes back, can easily be bought up a size larger than you normally wear and you will be fine.  Just my two cents.
Pants: Some random pair of black pants I have had forever.  Not leggings, p.s.  :)
Shoes: Clarks (see above for more info).

Hands on hips.

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  :)  BTW, the reason I didn't do a Boden Spring Preview 2012 post is because half of the darn photos have not been (Boden's words, not mine) "picked up at the chemists," or some such nonsense.  LOL.  I will wait till they have filled out their coffers a bit.

Talk to you all tomorrow.

Endless Chevrons, Castle Lake, and a Silver Lining...

Hey, all! First thing--REMEMBER TO ENTER MY INDEPENDENCE DAY/BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY! Second thing--Each of you receives two separate entries, you just need to have two separate comments! Third thing--Some of you have a disqus account, but for me the e-mail you registered under is not available for me to view. If you are one of those types, you need to get me your e-mail address, just in case you win! :) The more the merrier, and the giveaway ends Sunday, July 11, 2010, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

I am continuing my summer series on the sundress by doing a special Anthropologie post. :) You all know I love me some crew, but man, the Anthro store gets me every. darn. time. Only rarely do I see anything in the Anthro catalog and say, "I have to have." But get me in an actual store, and watch dinagideon go cah-ray-zee. (The Endless chevrons is an exception to this rule, btw...the catalog image did me in, 100%.)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring Anthropologie dresses

Above is the set I wore on my birthday, for the party my husban threw for me (on three, awww!). I wanted to save the Endless Chevrons dress for an extra-special occasion, and I think a beautiful July day is a great reason. ;)

I had to buy the Endless Chevrons dress full price. I don't know if they made less because it is Anna Sui, but I saw the sizes going away and I knew I would have to just suck it up and order it. I am glad I did because by the time it went on sale, there were only a few left in a 4 or 10?

The catalog image was very pretty and when I saw it way back in March (?), I kind of knew it would be mine.


Sizes:
Dress: Size 6. The 4 would have fit better at the bust, but I needed the room in the hips. Still love this design, I think it is very flattering in general. The name Endless Chevrons comes from the very faint chevron designs printed in light brown onto the bright turquoise background. Love the collar detail, btw.
Shoes: Size 10. Cole-Haan, you have such wonderful shoes. :)


As with any birthday party over age 21, dinagideon was able to "enjoy" the evening with a few lovely beverages. By the time we got to my cake (pretty--look at that rose!), I was pretty sauced. Can you tell?

I love how Rex is looking at his pretty friend, his pretty friend is looking at me (probably wondering what in the heck I am doing), and his pretty friend's brother is staring longingly at the cake.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This is the Castle Lake dress and there are so many people who wear this so well. Seriously, do a google search for "Castle Lake" "Anthropologie" and you will see all the beautiful ladies who have purchased this dress and then have found some fantastic way to wear it. I almost returned it, but after seeing all their styling ideas, I was inspired to keep it. I like it belted, and with wedge sandals.
Belt: Size small. This is the studded leather belt and was a FRACTION of its on-line cost at the Georgetown J. Crew. It is 68 on-line, and I was able to get it for under 40. The stores are where you should get this belt. It is highway robbery to buy it on-line when the stores are selling it for cheaper. Get thee to a b & m, stat.
I like the way the studs kind of help keep this outfit from being too sweet (although its effect is very subtle).
Shoes: Size 9.5. Love you, Aerosoles, so comfy, and like my favorite food when I was younger, you comfort me with your cheapness.

P.S. I wore this TONIGHT! Yay, me. An actual ootd. Heehee.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of the outfit I wore in California to church. If you recall, I was going for a color theme while in CA of grey, teal, and white. The silver in the silver lining dress reads light grey, so it worked with the theme, AND it is very packable (no wrinkling--score), so it was the perfect choice. This is available on-line still and I do think that if you can wear this version of grey, you should consider purchasing it.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This dress runs true to size, which is nice. I am finding I am having to dip into a lot of extra-smalls at Anthro, and that seems foreign to me, so I am doing a bunch of returns on items that are too big...I have found that if I read the reviews first (uh, duh!), I can feel my way to the right size, and the three dresses in this post all were sized based on reviews. I am very pleased that Anthro offers this option (hint, hint, J. Crew).
Cardigan: Size medium. Love it, from J. Crew last spring.
Shoes: Size 10. The cinema t-straps have given me way more wear than I ever expected. Sort of am shocked at how versatile they are.
Necklace: Fiona Paxton Silver Harley Necklace. Can I just give a big ole shout-out to my friend who moderates the blog MODA for pointing out to me that Gilt Groupe would be having a Fiona Paxton sample sale? Umm, yes, please. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have a second lovely Fiona Paxton necklace!!! YAY! :)

You all have a great night. More later, remember enter my GIVEAWAY!

Mommy Style Monday #6--Girls' Night Out!

A little over a week ago, a good blog friend named Carrie wrote to me and asked me for some ideas for an outfit to wear for going out with a good friend on a proverbial "Girls' _____ Out." In Carrie's case, it was a daytime event, but often girls go out at night (hence the post's title)! :) I loved that I was able to give Carrie some ideas, as she already has a fab closet full of great items from our very favorite retailer, J. Crew.

Armed with her desires (specifically which items she wanted to wear the most), I created two separate polyvores for her Girls' Day Out.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring Tory Burch shoes

Above is the polyvore that shows off a great option if you are going out with the girls and it will be fairly warm. The silk cargo dress, which you saw on me here, is a fab option when the temperature is very high, as the silk dress is airy and lightweight. I like that this option will be effortlessly chic, especially if you pull your hair back in a ponytail and just "go." :)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

The next polyvore I created for a day out when it isn't super-warm, but still spring or summer. The zebra-print cardigan can be taken off if it gets warmer during the day, but often, especially in the summer in movie theaters, the AC is on super-high and all of a sudden, the cardigan is a great item to have stashed in your purse (especially if it is a big one like the Andie bag--what mom doesn't have a ridiculously oversized purse). Plus the pops of color are a lot of fun, and will really help you stand out on your "day out."

Now, I didn't go into Carrie's conundrum without some insight to it myself. In fact I have recently started FORCING myself to go out with the ladies more often. I love my kids (clearly) but I started to feel like my socializing skills were atrophying, and that is just kind of uncool. Do I expect to turn into the 22-year old I was, partying with my friends until 2 am, drinking a lot of alcohol, sleeping it off at some one's house in the city? No, and frankly, I have zero desire to go back to that (hangovers are a B****).

That said, I have a closet full of incredible clothes that I DO try to wear out regardless of whether or not I am with the kids (you all know I love a bit of sparkle for my preschool runs), but I can't 100% get all glammed up with the kids. For one, is it really practical to have a full face of makeup, a lot of jewelry, sequins, and some kick-a** heels while toting CW to the coffee shop and Rex to McDonald's? Even I have to admit "probably not." ;)

Okay, so I had planned two separate girls' night out, and here is my attempt at giving it my all, sans kids. I think I did just fine. Maybe not 22-year old clubbing fine, but for my nights out, it was just what I needed.

anthro look recreated with some j. crew... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the insanely popular polyvore I created about a month or so back that was based on an Anthropologie catalog look. I love this shot, and I thought my "copy" did it justice. Definitely not as many frills (but really, who outside a few Anthropologie models can get away with that many ruffles), but still pretty awesome, regardless. I knew in the back of my mind that if the top came in good shape and it worked with my skin tone that I would definitely be trying this look out.

I got the opportunity when the ever-awesome drewablank and kater invited me to chill with them in Friendship Heights (upper DC, almost MD--I know, I went almost to MD, I think I really love these gals--haha, just kidding, Maryland). It was a simple night of shopping and dinner, but to me it was like feasting on the forbidden garden's fruit, so very tasty, and a bit criminal (how dare I have this much fun)!


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size small. From J. Crew last summer.
Top: Size 4. Definitely sized down and it is perfect. Love this color, too, like a precious honey that costs a lot more than the honey in a bear. ;)
Pants: Size Tall 6. Umm, these freaking denim leggings from J. Crew are so amazingly comfortable. I had tried them in a size regular 8 and they were all wrong--too short everywhere and just not the right ones for me. A tall 6? Plenty of length everywhere and plenty of support, too. I bought them in black, too.
Shoes: Size 9.5. These Alecias are getting more and more comfortable the more I wear them. I am almost at 4 hours now!

The necklace is by Fiona Paxton. Anthropologie sold it as the "Aerial View Necklace." I had been salivating over it for months and months. Then I sucked it up when Bloomingdale's had a sale and got it for 20% off. But then I felt guilty and returned it (so sad). But then, I saw it on ebay for nearly 100 dollars off, and I jumped at the chance to grab it...and have not looked back. (BTW, I would think this kind of necklace would be very hard to replicate, it is intricate! I am in no way worried about it being a fake.)

And, yes, baby looks happy for me, so that made it easier to face the red line on Metro. (However, as anyone in DC can attest, that doesn't mean that the red line is at all friendly or comfortable or even worthy of any other label than "a special circle of hell.")


Close-up of the Oscillating Folds Top and the Aerial View necklace (called the Sylvia on other websites). Cannot say I will be wearing this necklace with the kids, I think it may be for adults only nights! Can you blame me?

I again had the opportunity to go out with just the girls thanks to drewablank last Wednesday night as she invited me to hang with her beautiful friends for drinks at a local watering hole, and I am so glad I did. Obviously I loved wearing extra-special clothing, but I really loved being able to just chill...and that is all...just chill (doesn't that sound NICE?).


Sizes:
Top: Size 6. This is the Sequined Starland Tank, and I believe Michelle Obama wore this a few weeks ago with a red pants-suit. I definitely took it down a notch, but still a neat top. The 6 was the right size as the length of the top is long and I needed to accommodate my hips (it runs narrow through there) but I believe a 4 would have fit better through the bust. That said, I love the way it looks on so I guess I did right!
Pants: Size 8. I love these pants, regardless of popping buttons. LOL. I think Jenna Lyons would like the way I paired the more manly capri pants with a very girly blouse. (Maybe?)
Shoes: Size 41, which I believe works out to a size 9.5. These are the Boden snake-print sandals and I cannot say enough nice things about them. I find that these adjustable type sandals make for happy feet...even when you have a narrow foot, the buckles allow you to tailor the width to what you desire. Again, Johnnie Boden, SWAK!

Look at how lovely drewablank looks. So pretty!!! Love the belt!

And CW? Umm, hello, even holding Fritos the girl looks super-feminine! :)


Close-up of the tank. LOVE IT!

On that note, let's review! I have a list of four things to remember on your next night off from being a mommy:

1. STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. I am already comfortable with sequins, obviously, but mixing accessories with sequins, and make-up, and special shoes is a whole new world for me. Being willing to take the whole look on rush-hour metro is definitely worthy of "out of my element!" For some of you, stepping out of your comfort zone may translate to wearing a sundress and sandals and straightening your hair. And that is great...try it and find what your new "zone" might bring you!

2. BUT NOT TOO MUCH. You know, I couldn't have added a newsboy cap and 15 necklaces to my sequined starland tank outfit, and here is why...I would have felt conspicuous. I like people to look at me, but if I have people staring, I immediately would think, "it's the hat, right, it's too much, right?" LOL. Each mommy has their own comfort zone, so some of you could rock the newsboy/15 necklaces/sequined harem pants, but others of you would find that even my outfits take you too far. You DO NOT want to spend your night off thinking about some minor part of your outfit that by you choosing to wear it has turned into something major. If you only have a few hours a month to enjoy yourself, make that your VERY FIRST PRIORITY, not looking edgy/chic/whatever. ;)

3. WEAR THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT KID-FRIENDLY. Don't really have to explain this one, do I? Hahahahaha.

4. MAKEUP IS FOR MOMMIES, TOO. I normally wear a bit of lip gloss, some powder, and maybe mascara. You can tell that I wore a lot more than I usually do in the Anthropologie-inspired look. I wanted to. It felt weird at first, and I thought it might be too much, but at the end of the evening, when just a touch was left, I just had a nice glow. And really, isn't that the goal of the girls' ____ out? To get that feeling and that look?

You all have a great night! BTW, don't be shy! I loved hearing from Carrie, and would love to hear from more of you!