OOTD/Review/Giveaway: Dancing Brown Leaves with Novica.

Although it is rare for me to host giveaways here at this blog, especially ones that I have not directly paid for, I will, from time to time, happily host giveaways when I am approached by a company that fits into the aesthetic/purpose of this blog. 

About a month ago a representative from Novica emailed me and asked if I would be interested in working with them on a giveaway/review of one of their products here at the blog, and after looking around their site and seeing their mission and their offerings, I knew this was a good fit for my readers and me, so I happily agreed to do both. 

The outfit of the day portion is first, followed by the review of the Dancing Brown Leaves Alpaca Sweater, with the giveaway information as the final part of the post.

Day: Saturday, March 14, 2015.

Where: Baby shower and a visit to a local firehouse with my daughter's girl scout troop.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was a warm-ish day, so besides a very lightweight rain jacket (not pictured), I was perfectly comfortable in the outfit.

You all know about my love of the Turner pants, so I am sure it surprises none of you to see this pair on me, but I was surprised by how well the pale pink went with the grey/brown shades of the Dancing Leaves sweater.  The sweater itself was not overly warm, or particularly itchy (though remember I am less sensitive to wool in general).  A review of this sweater at the site describes it as a warm hug and I would definitely agree with that sentiment.  It did feel like a warm hug.  :-) 

Outfit Details:  Dancing Brown Leaves Sweater (here at Novica), Turner Pants (here at J. Crew).

Anecdote of the Day:  The firehouse we toured is three blocks from where I grew up, so it was a really cool finally getting to see it from the inside.  There was some spectacularly specific kind of vehicles in there, including a hazardous materials van.  This firehouse was one of the first to respond to the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon (I grew up two miles away), so it doesn't surprise me they have them, I just was blown away by how advanced and specialized it all felt.  The girls just loved seeing the sirens and receiving pink fireman's hats, though, lol.

Dancing Brown Leaves Sweater.  These sweaters, beautifully crafted by a Peruvian duo Corina and Jesus, come in alpha sizes only, so I chose the small because I suspected (rightly) that they would not be oversized the way J. Crew's are.  For reference I am typically a size 6 in Boden knitwear and a XS/4 in J. Crew.

I received a $50 gift card from Novica, and though I was tempted to just purchase something at the $50 mark, I kept going back to the Alpaca section of the site, and especially the offerings by Corina and Jesus.  After about a half-hour of deliberation, I decided this was the sweater for me, and put in my $50 gift card info and then place the remainder (around $40) on the credit card. 

I couldn't be happier with my decision.  From a purely materialistic perspective, the sweater is made very well in a unique knitted design in a gorgeously soft alpaca wool.  The neckline is stunning and because of its showstopping design, I didn't feel the need to wear any additional jewelry beyond the rings and bracelets I wear daily.

And, yes, a big part of me was stoked that this amazing sweater only cost $90, whereas I know it would be significantly more expensive elsewhere, and that actually gets me to why this route of purchasing is also pretty awesome, it benefits both the consumers of the products BUT ESPECIALLY the artisans who created the products.  Novica partnered with the National Geographic Society on this and their mission is something that I am glad I get to spread the word about.

Their mission is pretty simple:

They connect: 
Artisans to a global marketplace of socially conscious customers.

They empower: 
Artisans to build a sustainable business from their craft.

They preserve: 
Ancient artistic traditions for future generations to enjoy.

I know some of you know this about me, but maybe you don't, so it bears mentioning.  I was an anthropology major in college and I was very invested in learning as much as I could about the cultures, traditions, and ways of life around the world.  I feel so strongly about supporting anything that promotes the continuation and preservation of all the human groupings around the world, that although really excited I would be able to add a beautiful piece of clothing to my wardrobe, what really got me to say yes to this giveaway was their mission.  

I do know that I expected to receive the package from a warehouse in the United States, but nope, it came direct from Peru, all wrapped up beautifully, with a little card about Corina and Jesus, and a sweet little doll.  I had read that the packages would be gift-wrapped, but hadn't read about the direct to consumer shipments, but upon seeing that, the pin dropped and I understood how the artisans were able to better support themselves from a system like this...rather than a bunch of middle men between the consumers and the artisans, there are now far few barriers, and more of the money stays in the hands of the creative people behind the products.  :-) 



Dancing Brown Leaves Sweater.  This sweater was already at a pretty low stock when I purchased it back in February.  That said, there is a L and and XL still available.  Some other beautiful options like the Dancing Brown Leaves sweater, also from Corina and Jesus, are the Dancing Blue Leaves Sweater (here), the Leaf Shadow sweater (here), and the Hypnotic Honeycomb Sweater (here).

Closeup of the beautiful knitting on the sweater.

GIVEAWAY!

Novica has offered to give a $50 gift card to one of my readers so they can enjoy a product made by one of their artisans from around the world.  I am partial to the artisans from the Andes, but there are artisans from Bali and Java, Brazil, and India, just to name a few.

In order to enter, I need for you to leave a comment below this post with your email address and one product that you see over at the Novica site that you just love.

The giveaway ends next Wednesday, April 1, 2015, at EDT 11:59 PM.

This giveaway is only open to US residents.

UPDATE: This morning (3/26/15) I received a couple of coupons from the NOVICA affiliates.  They are good until 3/31/15 and 3/30/15. :-)

$10 off at NOVICA! Enter HAPPYSPRING at checkout. Valid through 3-31-15 11:59 PM PT.

10% off select African jewelry and decor at NOVICA! Valid 3-30-15 through 4-5-15 11:59 PM PT.

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: Three Celebrations.

Before I start, two things to let you all know about.

1. I have completed my first blog post for the Fabric Mart blog.  Eventually you will see all the pieces I made for that blog post dissected here in separate "made by me" files and in a special packing post, but for now head on over to see the pieces I slaved over the past week.  :-)  I love the end result, and am very excited that I have these for my trip to Mississippi in a couple weeks.

2. Boden's 25% off sale ends tomorrow.  For more information on that one, please do check out this post.

Onto celebrating!

Mr. Dina didn't intend to make this look like a catalog shot, but it turned out that way.  He probably thinks he is a "photographer" now.

Day: Saturday, November 8, 2014.

Where:  Rex's baseball team's championship win celebration.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The party was at 3 at a local Italian restaurant and even though I ate well (although that time--weird, right--hard to decide, late lunch or early dinner), I didn't feel like I was being pinched or pulled, so I would give this one a thumbs up for comfort. 

The New Balance 620 shoes are a recent purchase.  I have to say even though J. Crew has been falling down style-wise for me of late (too blah and not enough color), their shoe collaborations are awesome.  I took these in a 9.5 and they fit perfectly true to size.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  This one is pretty cool.  For me.  :-)

Anecdote from the day:  Since I spent all of last weekend celebrating, any moment I had free at the house was sewing.  It was a weird situation to be in, I far prefer to do all my sewing at home for an extended time (cocoon-like and hiding away), but this put me in a different frame of mind.  I didn't dislike it, but my hyper-focus had to be shut down, which was a little unnerving.  It was probably good for me. 

Day: Sunday, November 9, 2014.

Where:  Mass and El Paso for my dad's birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This dress was made by me, so it fits perfectly, so that made it very easy to wear.  That said, the Naturalizer booties were not my best choice of footwear for that night, though (see the anecdote for more on that).

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Nice, but very buttoned up.  The scarf is fun and the boots put a fresh spin on an outfit with a tailored sheath, but it is still very conservative.

Anecdote from the day:  I suffer from weird hip pain in my left hip, and it flares up once a year without fail.  I have had this since the very end of my pregnancy with CW and it makes walking very difficult when it comes around.  It usually is around for a week and then disappears.  This is why choosing booties was probably not smart.  This was the first night I experienced it, btw, and have been in a bit of pain since then (though it gets worse at night than during the day).

I haven't seen my brother in ages he has been working so hard.  It was good to just be able to sit and chill with him.  He is starting a new job, so we are very excited for him.

And how cool is it that the Berlin Wall has been down for 25 years?  I remember when it came down in 1989.  Since I had been there many times as a girl (my dad's dad lived in Berlin and that is where my mom's mom is from), the idea that the horrible barrier was gone was truly uplifting.  (One more cool fact--my mom's mom and my mom's dad met during the Berlin Airlift!)

Day: Friday, November 7, 2014.

Where:  Dinner out with my besties from high school.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This one was very easy to wear, the only bummer was the scarf which I needed to keep warm.  I think it looks fine and definitely helped keep the biting cold winds from my neck, but blah for style in this particular outfit.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Necessity is the downfall here.  I just don't love the scarf with it and can't see beyond it.  Really glad I still have this Boden dress in my wardrobe from all those years ago, I still love it as much as when I first bought it.

Anecdote from the day:  I love that I can still hang out with my friends from high school.  They are some amazing women.  I can't get over how much more I laugh and let loose around them than I do with other adults I have met since then.  I don't know what it is, but it is just easy to be fully me around them.  Maybe I feel less judged by them?  I also let my hair down around my kids and my brother, so maybe the "no judgment" thing is a huge part of it.

Okay, that's all for now!  I hope you all are having a great Wednesday!

Ireland: The Outfits!

Today's post will be *so much* shorter than yesterday's monster post of visual imagery of the beautiful countryside, my kids, my friends, and lots of crazy frivolity.  Today is all about the outfits.

I have recently joined pinterest, and I noticed that before I pinned my own outfits, my blog's photos were being pinned here and there, and quite a few of them are outfit of the day photos, which is awesome.  :-)  So I delved a little further and discovered that my polyvore sets were really popular on pinterest, and of all my polyvore sets, the packing sets are the most popular.  Well, okay then, if that's what the people want, I'll provide.  So at the end of the post I will include a polyvore set I've entitled "Ireland Packing Polyvore" for anyone who wants to pin it for any future packing ideas they need.

I will keep the comments brief, letting the outfits speak for themselves, but if I have something to say, I'll definitely mention it...

On my right is the lovely Avril, who wrote up our night out in Belfast here at this blog post.

Even though Belfast was on our second full day in Ireland, I wanted to publish this outfit first since it is a look that I don't normally wear, and I was glad I had challenged myself to try it out.  And because great minds think alike, I love that Avril wore almost the same outfit.  ;-)

This look is from my first full day in Ireland, when we enjoyed all the sights of Dublin.

Wore this ensemble to Giant's Causeway.  I knew there would be a lot of trekking, but also a lot of driving, so I wanted something that would do well in both circumstances.  I *may* have switched to my uber comfy Pure Collection tie-waisted trousers for the ride down to Kilkenney (that is a whole lot of Ireland between the two), but I honestly can't remember.  I have to drive, btw, since I have experience driving on the left hand side of the road and Mr. Dina doesn't.  You would think that by now, and with all the traveling we do together, he would have learned, but nope, he makes me take the wheel in any country who drives opposite us here in the States.  (Since I hate driving, I figure that means I will just have less of it to do in general if that's his plan, lol.)

Worn to trek all over Kilkenny on our third full day in Ireland.

The last photo shows the effect of too much mead on a good woman's soul.  :-)  This was our fourth full day in Ireland, and was from when we were at Bunratty.

There was a fifth full day of traveling, but that was the day that Mr. Dina was very ill, so we didn't do much beyond checking out of Bunratty and driving to Dublin.  Then the kids and I went to dinner, without Mr. Dina.  If I recall, I wore the comfy Boden leggings with the Boden sweater.

Ireland Packing Polyvore by dinagideon featuring wrap boots

I feel like I chose well for this trip.  The boots may seem a big extravagance when airlines limit just how much luggage a family can take, but with all of my undergarments, tights, and socks packed into them, there was plenty of room left over.  I don't regret bringing any of these items, and as you can see from the right hand side, many of the items were worn multiple times.  The items on the left packed well and didn't wrinkle, so I can highly recommend any sort of item like that for any packing you may have like this in the future.  Because it was Ireland in the early spring, I made sure to pack woolen items for warmth and layering, but also packed a lightweight down coat to ensure that it wouldn't weigh me (or my luggage) down, but still keep me warm, AND not wrinkle.  Surprisingly I needed the sunglasses nearly daily, not a drop of rain fell while we were there.  It was pretty stunning how bright Ireland was!

Okay, that's it for now.  Thank you all for your sweet comments over the last few posts.  My darling Angus is really sick with the stomach flu, and just on the mend, so most of my time over the past day has been to tending him, but I definitely have plans to go back and comment to all of your nice thoughts! 

OOTD: Fair Isle Birthday.

Good morning, everyone.  Are you one of the many who is out of school or work today because of the monster snow storm that has affected pretty much the entire east coast?  We are out today and we will probably be out tomorrow, if history holds true.  I guess I will be getting a lot of housework, sewing, and blogging done.  (Secretly thrilled over here.)

If you have a Boden review and would like to share the link to the blog post, or you would like me to include your written review in my next BWRR (tomorrow), you can e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com.  You can also leave the details at the Boden Review tab here at the blog.  If you don't get a chance, and you are one of my regular blogs that I feature on the BWRR, you should be fine, but if you want to be sure, I don't mind.  :-)

Okay, onto the outfit!

Day: Wednesday, February 12, 2014.

Where: Women's Club at the church and Rex's Birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These jeans are one of the only pair of jeans I plan on keeping after I use my new pants sloper pattern (I have been in some sewing classes learning how to make a pants pattern to exactly fit my body).  Something about the way these exactly work with my curves make them super comfortable and still presentable.

The Fair Isle Yoke sweater ( still available on clearance in limited numbers; review here) was nice and warm, exactly right for yesterday's very cold temperatures and nighttime snow.  It is pilling a touch under the arms, but still nothing terrible and nothing that a fabric shaver couldn't easily take care of.

I am surprised by how warm the double cloth bonbon coat kept me.  This one is not insulated, so I thought I had chosen poorly (even though it is exactly the right shade for the outfit), but I felt fine.  I suspect I layered correctly for the weather.  :-)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  I love the look of it, especially with the coat opened.  On its own without the coat, it would drop down to a 3, but with the coat, very cool.

Anecdote from the Day:  With the help of our parish priest and another mom, I am starting a "moms with young kids" group at the church.  We will meet every first and third Wednesday of the month, and it will be a chance for those of us suffering from what I affectionately call "sleep blindness" to get together and be prayerful and celebrate this time of our lives in a community rather than on our own, which is what so many of us do.  At the same time as we meet, some older women of the parish meet to do arts and crafts, and more than not, it includes sewing and knitting, so it is right up my alley.  Meeting the women of the arts and crafts group was lovely since it allowed me the chance to explain what my group would do and also allowed me to see that in addition to meeting for companionship, we could also help the arts and crafts group out as needed (and as long as it included activities that all of us could do, especially since some of the moms won't have sewing and knitting experience).

Later that day we took Rex to our favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Meaza, for his birthday dinner.  He specifically asked for it since his favorite food is the yellow lentils they have there.  (They are really good.)  Normally I buy a glass of wine, but last night I decided to try the St. George beer, which is an Ethiopian beer.  It was so good, I ended up drinking two beers.  Then the waitress told me I could purchase it at the shop next door, and since I live so close, I guess I could just make the grocery there part of any grocery run.  :-)

The kids were so excited by the snow they ran around our darkened driveway for a couple of minutes when we got home.  I took pictures (obviously) and CW posed.  Of course she did.

Alrighty, that's it for now.  You all have a great day!

OOTEs: Dots and Sequins. 90s and 80s.

Happy Monday, everyone!

I am still in a major state of recovery after having all my wisdom teeth extracted on Friday, so I only have a few minutes before I go back down for *another* rest and eventually more baby food (yum!), but I thought looking at pictures of me before the oral surgery in really pretty clothing would make me feel a tiny bit better.

Anyhow, without further talky-talk...dots and sequins!

Day: Saturday, November 30, 2013.

Where: My high school reunion.  If you follow this blog with any regularity, you know which one, but I am not gonna actually write which one it is, 'cause ouch.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) You take away those darn glitter Mona heels (as fab as they look), and this would easily have scored a 4.5.  The Tulip Party Dress in the right size (8 regular) made all the difference in the world.  (I had originally purchased the 6 long and when I do the review in the next Boden Weekly Review Roundup, you'll see that it was really smart for me to buy the next size up).

It was chilly that night, but the Lady Day coat was more than adequate for keeping me warm.  Bonus points for nearly matching the jacquard dots on the dress.

Cool Factor: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Aw, hell, if I can't give myself a 5 out of 5 after putting as much effort into this look as I did, then when can I?

Anecdote from the Day:  Aren't reunions weird?  I found that I really just didn't want to talk to some people, even though it had been *** years and I should be over the fact that these people didn't like me in high school because I wasn't cool enough.  I did talk to some people that I barely even saw in high school, and one girl and I commiserated over having three young kids and being utterly spent most days.  That was really nice to know that one of the cool girls is just like me, you know, normal, and not sprinkled with fairy dust, like I always assumed the cool ones were.

I also decided that since I am getting older, I might as well embrace my inner hog and cut it up on the dance floor, even if I really am not very good at dancing.  But with the assistance of a lot of wine, my friend Michelle, her "friend," and my other friend Leyla, I "jumped" just like Kris Kross told me to.  LOL.

Day: Friday, November 22, 2013.

Where: Went to see the "Legwarmers" perform at the State Theater in Falls Church.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear)  Dang it, J. Crew.  Your stinking ruffled silk blouse felt weird on the bottom half.  Eventually I cut out a tag I had never noticed before and cut off part of the lower zipper (it doesn't affect the zip since the zip's stopper was above where I cut).  It helped, but the stupid top still fits awkwardly.  I may just have to give this one up to the consignment gods, as much as I like the way it looks.

Amazingly, the showstopping knitted jacket held up really well.  You go, Boden!  Years after purchasing it, the pretty sequined cardigan still looks pretty and brand spanking new. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I thought I was doing a good version of the 80s, but then I arrived at the theater with my friend, S., and we discovered there were a whole lot of twenty-somethings wearing honest-to-God vintage 80s clothing.  I *knew* I should have gone in the attic and found some of my 80s clothes.  Ha.  :-)  I mean they had it all...Members Only Jackets, scrunchies, weird jumpsuits, neon sweatshirts, etc., etc. 

My husband said I barely looked 80s, but I told him that at my age, I should dress as "inspired" by the 80s versus actual 80s since I could fall into "mutton dressed as lamb" real fast if I am not careful.

I still think the next time I go I am grabbing something from my vintage closet and going with it, my mutton status be damned. 

Anecdote from the Day:  Apparently I had some guy ask me if I wanted him to buy me a drink.  I didn't actually see or hear this exchange (it was LOUD in there), but S. swears up and down that it happened.  I will call it my own personal Brigadoon...did he really appear?

Okay, that's all for now.  Based on my own wussiness, I can't say I will be back with anything here for a day or two, but maybe I will miraculously feel better and I can get my normal schedule back on track!