OOTDs: Some Regular Clothes. Not for Teaching.

Day: Wednesday, September 16, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting followed by Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This Boden jersey dress is very comfortable, I dig that it is tighter without being constricting.  It also has shaping at the top part of the dress, which draws the eyes up from my hips/bottom, aka my "trouble" spots.

Outfit Details: Dress, Boden; Shoes, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day: This was the last Winesday before I left for my cruise (on the 20th).  When I got back to town, the next Winesday there were threats of no more Winesdays (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) and a few of my most favorite employees had received the ax, even though they were all amazing and most deserving of promotions/more money and not firings.  Stupid Whole Foods.  The Winesdays are still on (phew!), but those employees aren't back.  Boo. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, September 29, 2015.

Where:  Preschool, Swimming, Old Town Alexandria.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well, gee, I am basically wearing an adult nightgown outside, but because it is shirred just right, and not of flannel, I can wear it and not draw any suspicions.  The scarf helped keep me warm, though I ended up taking it off partway through the day. 

Outfit Details: Dress, J. Crew Factory; Sandals, J. Crew Factory; Scarf, Do Everything in Love; Sunglasses, Target.

Anecdote of the Day: I never had a preschool run where there wasn't a kid attached to me (either CW as a baby, or Angus as a baby), and wow, it certainly is freeing not having any children attached to me at all.  I really enjoyed swimming and going to Old Town with only myself to worry about.   

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, October 4, 2015.

Where:  Church.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I haven't worn a formal skirt in a while.  I felt compelled to wear this because it was so gross and grey out and felt like matching the skies.  It was fairly comfy, the skirt sits well on my hips and waist, and the tights, sweatshirt, and shoes fit with just the right amount of ease.

Outfit Details: Skirt, J. Crew; Top, Boden; Shoes, J. Crew Factory, Boden; Necklace, J. Crew; Tights, Lands' End.

Anecdote of the Day:  I liked the look, but I was surprised by how many Instagram friends liked it, too.  I never do these monochromatic/neutral looks, and I guess people were happy to see me in something other than eye-searing color and pattern, lol.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, October 7, 2015.

Where:  Funeral of a childhood friend and a school meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well I knew I would be walking to the funeral from my school since the parking is a bear around the church where the funeral was to be held.  I also knew I would have Angus in the stroller, so I had to wear comfy shoes for that, too.  Fortunately this older Boden Limited Edition dress is made of a jersey ponte, and the shoes are flat without being so flat that they are hard to walk in.  I don't wear this dress often, but I appreciate it for occasions like this, one where reverence and formality are key.

Outfit Details: Dress, Boden Limited Edition; Shoes, FS/NY; Earrings, Macy's.

Anecdote of the Day: My friend went to grade school and high school with me, and now I teach with her mom, who I have known forever.  I feel for her mom, so if you are a praying type, do send some prayers her way and for the rest of the family.

On another note, I have now seen five of my high school friends die before age 40.  I know death is part of life, but it seem so shocking to lose so many so young.  We didn't even have that large of a graduating class (~250).  

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Monday, October 5, 2015.

Where:  Very little done this day.  I may have done the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Leggings, Sandals, and a Tunic.  Yeah, 'nuff said.

Outfit Details: Tunic, Boden; Leggings, Boden; Sandals, J. Crew Factory; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day: If I had something to give you, I would.  I know I was happy it had finally stopped raining, after nearly four full days of constant rain.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

Where:  Preschool, Swimming, Huntley Meadows for a walk, and the other school run.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I found the outfit most comfortable after wearing it for a bit.  The J. Crew Reese pants are great, but sit funny sometimes...it's like I have to find their sweet spot on my hips.  At least they come in a tall length so I can have proper full length pants.  It got really warm that afternoon.  Glad to have it, but wore the wrong top.  Oops.

Outfit Details: Sweatshirt, J. Crew Factory; Pants, J. Crew; Sandals, Birkenstock (can find them here at Amazon.com ); Sunglasses, Target.

Anecdote of the Day: I (heart) Huntley Meadows so much.  It is a local wetland/forest preserve that has a boardwalk over the wetland portion.  We always see something, whether it be a snake, a beaver, a heron, etc.  This time was huge numbers of box turtles out sunning themselves.  Every time Angus said (more like like loudly spoke), "ooh look at the turtles, Momma," they would dive off their sunning logs and go hide.  Can't blame them.  He would look terrifying to me if I was their size.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, October 11, 2015.

Where:  Lazy day at home.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I feel like I am on repeat here.  Loose fit pants, a sweatshirt, and some Birkenstocks.  'Nuff said.

Outfit Details: Sweatshirt, J. Crew; Pants, Walmart; Sandals, Birkenstock (can find them here at Amazon.com in gold and silver ); Sunglasses, A.R. Trapp.

Anecdote of the Day: My facebook feed was filled with Redskins chatter (SO BORING, GAW) or people exclaiming they had just run the Army Ten-Miler (not boring, but made me feel LAZY).  I need to go away from FB sometimes.  Better for my mental health. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Where:  Housewarming Party.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love how polished this looks without being polished "feeling."  The Turner pants will always be in heavy rotation in my closet (every color I have fits well no matter what I am feeling that day, weight wise).  Even with the elastic banding at the cuff, they still manage to suitable for my version of dressy.  The linen Lena top is a bit wrinkle-prone, but manages to cut a nice shape without being too form-fitting.  (It actually swings away from my hips, so its a-line shape is perfect for my pear shape.)

Outfit Details:  Top, Boden (here on clearance, I took a size 6); Pants, J. Crew (they are now available in wool--yes, I bought them in grey); Shoes, Target; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: Our minivan's battery died.  We manage to get it restarted and went to the housewarming party.  It started again after the party, so we went to Joann's since I needed to pick up some patterns.  That's where trouble started again.  No battery power.  We found the nicest person in the world to take ten minutes of her time after work (she had just gotten off) and she let us jump the van with her engine.  I need to make sure to pay that forward big time.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

OOTDs: A Little Bit of Late Summer.

Day: Sunday, August 23, 2015.

Where:  Church, Elevation Burger for lunch, and Bowling with some friends.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I almost sold the Barbados dress, but because I had plans to wear it on an upcoming cruise, and because I didn't get back to the blog reader early enough (she found it on ebay!), I was able to hold onto it for longer.  I am so happy it worked out since re-wearing it and matching CW has reminded me of why I fell in love with it in the first place.  It is super lightweight, very cool on a hot day, and made in a silhouette that is super friendly to my pear shape.  :-)

The Cole Haan sandals have been in my closet forever and I love them so much, they give height without being too uncomfortable. 

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew; Shoes, Cole Haan (similar here at amazon.com); Necklace, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We saw some good friends at mass and when we mentioned that we were going bowling, their ears perked up.  We thought, "hey, let's invite them the next time we go," but they could come that afternoon.  I love it when plans fall into place so easily.  It was awesome.  :-)  I did okay, but I want to always do better.  BTW, I am not joining the bowling league this year (sad) since my new job means I don't have enough spare time to make it happen. So I really will need these outings to keep my bowling skills up.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

INSTAGRAM at bowling HERE.

Day: Wednesday, August 19, 2015.

Where:  Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The dress features buttons that gape a bit at the back, but other than that, seersucker in a bright yellow in a pear shape friendly dress style?  Yep, a winner.  I sometimes wonder why I bother to wear trousers and shorts.  Ever.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, this exact pair can be found here at amazon.com (amazon.com also has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Necklace, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  So the week before I had seen my ex-roommate at Whole Foods at Winesday.  I am happy to report there was no sighting of him this time.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, August 21, 2015.

Where:  Swimming Pool.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It's a ruched femme swimsuit from J. Crew, my favorite swimsuit style ever, hands down.  It even beats out the iconic Speedo one piece styles with the racer backs that I wear for swimming laps.  The only reason for the slight ding is that this particular version of the ruched femme ran a bit longer in the torso than the other ones in the past.

Outfit Details:  Swimsuit, J. Crew (my version is only available in d cup or long torso, but the pretty fern print one is still around in a regular length).

Anecdote of the Day:  I did nothing but laze around with my kids and my dad at the pool that day.  I was glad I took those moments, though, since the next week was an endless parade of school meetings and classroom work.  I was exhausted from all the teacher prep I did.  (I will do those teacher type outfits later this week, fwiw.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, August 22, 2015.

Where:  Rex's baseball tryouts, Stella and Dot party, and a dog fair.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Like I said above, I don't even know why I bother ever wearing anything other than dresses or skirts and tops.  I find shorts and pants a bit uncomfortable, except when they are made by me OR when they feature an elastic waistband and stretchy material.  And since that's not always appropriate everywhere you go, I suck it up and do the "real" thing with proper closures from time to time.  But I can't help the feeling of "I want something better!"  :-)  These are fine, and really, they aren't nearly as bad as I know they could be, but unless I feel super thin (which is almost never), I feel very conspicuous when wearing pants and shorts.  

Outfit Details:  Tee, Madewell; Shorts, Boden (this year's styles here); Shoes, J. Crew (in navy here); Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  My friend, A., mentioned there was some kind of fair near us when I was at the Stella and Dot party.  Initially I was supposed to walk three miles home from the party, but instead I went with her to the dog fair.  In the end, snuggling cute puppies and then only getting 1.5 miles seemed to be a fair trade.  Right?  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, I hope you all are doing well!  Have a great last few hours of August and happy early September!

OOTDs: Simple and Super Simple.

Day: Friday, June 5, 2015.

Where:  Harris Teeter.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The Le Minor tee fits but it fits a bit more snug at the hips than above the hips.  I think the version I bought was the male Breton (from Madewell a few years back) and it fits like a male top would with a bit more ease through the shoulders and upper chest and goes straight down from there.  Basically exactly the opposite of what I need.  That said, it was fine, and sometimes it is nice to wear something in a different silhouette than I normally wear.  I last wore it a couple winters back.

These Boden shorts are super comfortable and have a nice long inseam for tall ladies, right at 7 inches, which for those of us with longer legs means it hits at our mid-thigh.

The Target shoes are the same pair that I mentioned liking at this post.  Still like wearing them, very supportive and secure, but nice and open for summer.

Outfit Details: Le Minor Shirt, Madewell; Shorts, Boden; Sandals, Target (this year's version here); Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: I went to Harris Teeter.  We've gone over this before here at the blog.  It basically means I did the usual grocery run.  It was uneventful.  I did, however, come back and make a fried oyster po' boy, which tasted pretty good.  :-)

Day: Wednesday, June 3, 2015.

Where:  I stayed home all day, dealing with the air conditioning repairman and the cable guy.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I only put this outfit up here to show I can take it REAL easy sometimes.  I mean, there are pajamas that are more involved than what you see here on me in this outfit.  A loose fitting pair of shorts, a lightweight baseball tee, and a pair of slides.  Hmm.  Oh, and zero makeup.

My hubby likes outfits like these on me, though.  Men are weird.

Outfit Details:  Lovebirds Baseball Tee, J. Crew Factory here (it is a bit sheer, just be warned); Shorts, Target; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here.

Anecdote of the Day: Oof.  The air conditioner needed some major repairs.  I wish there was someway we could have put it off, but the swamp otherwise known as the greater DC area is a place known for its especially brutal humid and hot summers.  We really didn't have a choice.  It's been great the past few days, though, even a bit cool.  So we spent all that money for the repairs and haven't even used it yet.  Of course.  :-)

Okay, that's all for now.  Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.  Enjoy your Sunday!

OOTDs: Handmade May End and a Bit of NYC.

Thanks again everyone for your nice comments at the last post.  It really does help to know that I wasn't crazy for feeling bad about what happened!  Sometimes you get so mired in what's going on that it is possible to lose a sense of relativity.  :-)  Turns out a little outrage was okay.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  The play "Fish in the Dark" (starring Larry David--woo!), dinner at Braai (which features South African cuisine), and a tour of our friend's workplace after dark (many of the 44 floors).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wore shapewear under my dress since I knew that if I didn't, I would likely have bumps from my underwear, and since it was hot and humid (brought VA to NYC, I did!), it was a touch uncomfortable.  By the end of the night it was cooler, so it wasn't as bad then.

Outfit Details:  Floral Print Scuba Dress, Handmade from this McCall's Pattern; Sandals, J. Crew here (also worn here, few outfits down); Necklace, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day: I loved that Mr. Dina and I could get away to NYC for a day and a half and a night, without the kids!  While heading to see Larry David be his own over the top ridiculous self in "Fish in the Dark," we noticed our friend's building was a few steps from the theater.  My husband refuses to go on Facebook, so using my account, I took a photo of us in front of his building, and told the friend we were outside of his office.  In mere moments, he had come up to find us and my husband was very impressed (but not enough to actually join FB, mind you).  Later that night after having an insanely delicious meal of ostrich and biltong, the friend wanted to give us a tour of his building.  At 11 pm at night.  And since the tour was exhaustive, it didn't end until 1 am.  I was dying at the end and nearly fell asleep on the subway home.  The photo where I am seated on the white couch, btw, was on the 42nd floor.  I thought by going up that high late at night I wouldn't have the cold clammy hands of my terrifying fear of heights, but nope, I was so scared.  The whole time.  Such a wimp/flatlander...

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  Bus Ride to NYC from Arlington, VA, a gallery to see some Shag paintings, and the Meatball Shop for a late lunch.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I look wilted in the above photo for a reason.  It was HAWT and I was so stupid to wear the Turner pants instead of changing into the shorts I had brought. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, Madewell (they have this muscle tee this season, no Français though, I am afraid); Turner pants, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though).

Anecdote of the Day: So what is up with gallery attendants being so snobby?  It is amazing.  I think of any retail environment, even if it includes selling really expensive original artwork, to be a place where customer service should be paramount.  Well the gallery we went to the ladies where absorbed with their computers and phones and couldn't be really bothered to answer any of our questions.  Here's the thing, though, Mr. Dina and I own three original artworks from Shag (they are smaller and we did save for them) but we clearly are good customers of his.  Seems a shame that they couldn't be bothered with us.  ;-)  Ladies, you had ONE job. 

Okay, I know some of you may work in galleries, etc., but my experience, more often times than not is that the people who work there are incredibly uninterested in helping us out when we come in, I understand we are not dripping in jewels or high end bags, but that is because the money we could use for that we save to buy artwork!  LOL.

(Well when we have money to save...the past few years have been a bit harder budget-wise.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.
Another INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, May 29, 2015.

Where:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lunch, Garment District to shop, and a bus ride home.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was a fine outfit, and the top was super comfortable, as were the shoes, but I think the bus ride would have been better if I had switched to the Turner pants.

The shorts, btw, run a bit snug.  I had purchased a pair in an 8 and they fit fine, but I knew I would want to size up in the lighter color that these are, and am glad I did.  The 10 fits me very well but doesn't show off lumps and bumps as well as an 8 may have.  These shorts were very difficult to photograph well, I blame the color.

Outfit Details:  Top, Handmade from this Butterick pattern; Crepe Pull-on Shorts, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though); Necklace, J. Crew; Bag, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We went to bed at nearly 2 am after the long night out.  We woke up at 8.  I was so bleary-eyed the whole day, it really threw me off.  I really hand it to people who can go go go all day long and be great the next day.  Stunning ability that I wish I had.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This dress is so soft and cozy, if only it was a touch longer when wearing it, I would have given this a bit higher of a rating.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade from this Simplicity Pattern; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here (I have worn these so many times already this summer, here, here, and here, for instance).

Anecdote of the Day:  I am an alumna of the school, a parent at the school, a sub at the school, and a parishioner at the church attached to the school, so I needed to be at this meeting to represent many categories of why I care about this school and what I want it to become.  It was eye-opening to see how the school is valued for different reasons.  It was also shocking to see just how much is expected from a school that probably doesn't have the funds to support all the things needed by the parents.  I sort of feel like there may have been a touch of too much navel-gazing going on and I really feel like it became a "what is best for my kid is what will be best for your kid."  Sigh.  How the focus group moderators are going to take all of that in and then get the info disseminated into eatable chunks by the powers that be, I will never know.  I tip my hats to them.
 
INSTAGRAM HERE.

OOTDs Only on Instagram:

Winesday with my brother (in a handmade top), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Little League baseball game (Rex's) (wearing handmade shorts), INSTAGRAM HERE.

RUSH (!!!YEAH RUSH!!!) concert (wearing nothing handmade but I was a girl there in a Rush tee-shirt, so that counts for something, right?), INSTAGRAM HERE and HERE.

Today's outfit (wearing a few cute pieces from J. Crew Factory, including the Raffia sandals again, though they didn't make it into the photo), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, you all have a great night!  Hope all is well!

OOTD/Review: Loving the Boden Blackberry.

I still have the rest of the Me Made May ootds to post here, but I really wanted to show off today's outfit on time since I am trying (desperately making this pledge) to go back to the daily ootd posts like I used to do.  We'll see if it's possible, but some things 'round here have changed enough that I do have more free time to get them done more quickly and easily.

The ootd portion is first followed by the review.

Day: Monday, June 1, 2015.

Where:  Little Gym with Angus, a stop at Harris Teeter, and the school pickup.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The Target sandals are what made me uncomfortable!  The length and width is great, but the bit between the toes is not as far forward as I need them to be, so until they stretch out a touch more, I can only wear them for a few hours at a time.  (Fortunately the Little Gym requires bare feet in class.)

The dress is stupid comfortable.  It is soft and lovely and all will be explained in the review.

Outfit Details:  Blackberry Dress, Boden here; Selina Sunglasses, Boden here;  J. Crew Factory here; Necklace, J. Crew; Sandals, Target, this year's version here (I have a pair just like this year's version, and I prefer that styling to the one they replaced it with last year, which are the pair above).

Anecdote of the Day: One of the little girls at the Little Gym came up and touched the circles on my skirt, I think she was excited to recognize the shape.  Angus can't stop talking about shapes, he insists on finding triangles, circles, squares, ovals, and rectangles wherever he can.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Blackberry Dress and Selina Sunglasses.  The Blackberry dress I took in a size 6 Regular as I had read that it ran long a bit big.  I don't mind long dresses, but longer fitted knit dresses can look a bit frumpy on me, especially in summer, so I sized down in both length and size.  I made the right call.  The 8 R would have been way too blousey up top, and would have been a touch too big on bottom.

The details are wonderful.  This is this year's answer to the Newquay dress (had a review of that one here) and the Adelaide dress (that one had a review here).  I am so excited by this dress, I am selling the Newquay if any of you are interested in that one.  (I have a massive closet cleanout that has been on since last fall, if you can believe it.  I am not quite sure where to sell all the items.  Hmm.)

The Selina Sunglasses fit my face, which hasn't been the case with the last few sunglasses that Boden has produced.  The frames often run wide, and since I have a narrow face, they just don't fit!  These are much less wide, still not super narrow, but close enough that they don't fall off my face when wearing them.

Though the skirt is fitted, it isn't tight, just covering the curves.  The blousey top is just blousey enough, but not so overwhelming for my petite upper body.

I am bugged that the side seams at the top are off but the skirt's aren't.  That said, my arm covers the side seam on the top, so I can live with it.

This is how I know if a dress shape will work.  If my bottom doesn't look super massive from the back, I know I have a dress I can wear in public.  No, I am serious when I say that.  If I see a rear view that shows a massive disproportion between my top and bottom halves, it definitely gets returned. 

The length is a couple inches above the knee, and though I am normally more comfortable keeping things knee length, I am glad to have a dress like this in my summer wardrobe.

The fabric is super soft and cozy.  They should make pajamas from this fabric.  :-)  The colors are pretty true to the screen, so a bright white/light olive green/mint-aqua blue. 

The Selina sunglasses are a perfect neutral shade for my skin tone, but if your skin is mid-toned, this may be too much of a close match to work as a proper nude, you know?  They do a great job of keeping the sun out and have all the proper factors/ratings for sun protection. 

Okay, all, that's it for that...

But before I go, a word about the affiliate program.

It is gone.  Well, not the affiliate program, that still exists.  CJ.com (used to be called Commission Junction but is now Conversant or something like that) is around, but Boden no longer is part of the businesses that are accessible to those of us who publish blogs or coupon sites, etc. 

Last Saturday, May 22, I woke up and decided to check for the status on how the 30% off sale was going and to see if they had published any banners for coupons for the next week.  I clicked on the home page (which I rarely do) by accident and I saw, in the teeniest font ever, a red exclamation point.  I decided to take a look and it said that Boden's affiliation with me was set to end on May 29.  I wasn't expecting that, and considering they have expired the terms of their program before, I was set to find out how to renew the affiliation, but couldn't find that!  So in a desperate search, I went all over my portion of the site and finally found a mysterious email box and it had an email from Boden saying they needed me to remove all my banners, etc., by May 29, 2015 as they had ended my affiliation with them.

I was so sad and dumbstruck.  After four plus years of working with them and I couldn't get more than a random email in a email box at the program itself?  Nothing at my regular email?  Nada? 

I thought and thought and thought and came to the realization that they might not be happy with me not being happy with their offerings of late, and even though I tried to maintain some positivity while trying to be proactive and telling you all about the changes to finance terms (billing with preview orders, etc.), and the change in their aesthetic with Fall 2015, I was CONVINCED that I was the reason it ended, and was blue for nearly a week. 

I also lost a source of income that by the end was doing well enough that I didn't need to think of going back to work full time away from the home.  It was enough that when my husband would lose a contract or we would have a big repair at the house, we could still manage.  But it was never anything mind blowing as we all know I am not Atlantic-Pacific, with a thousand gazillion followers.  ;-) 

So of course it stung knowing that an income that was consistent and helpful was gone.

It also bummed me out that I couldn't get you all those coupons anymore, even though they had dwindled down over the past few months.  I just figured it was a snafu at the time and that they would eventually come back. 

But, nope, the affiliate program had probably been prepared to be shuttered by Boden for a while and now I know why the coupons disappeared and why my contact at the program never emailed me back when I would contact them.

Guess what, though?  It wasn't just me, as it turns out.  On Saturday, May 30, the day after Boden left the program, the whole operation was gone from the site.  To make sure I wasn't seeing things, I went over to Shopsense/ShopStyle and Retail Me Not (they used CJ for their Boden links, too) and all their Boden links were dead, just like mine was (I checked before I removed it).  Here's an example of what you see when you click on a link to Boden through an old CJ link: Selina Sunglasses using ShopStyle.

Anyhow, it did make me feel massively better that I wasn't the only one, that it wasn't me alone getting the pink slip, but I do wonder if they have any plans to go on and have another relationship with another American affiliate program?

For now, I can't devote time to Boden Weekly Review Roundups.  I will try to still do the reviews, but if I don't have time, I have to put it on the back burner.  I would like to continue ootd posts and the sewing stuff, and from time to time do the reviews. 

I have employed ShopSense as my links to products, but as anyone who uses ShopSense can tell you, it is nowhere near as good for the wallet as an affiliation through an affiliate program.  I am fine with that, but I do know that any income I make from there will be small in comparison, so I know I do need to move onto something else.

I have a desire to become (of all things) a Disney travel agent since a great friend of mine is an investor in a Disney travel agency.  The possibility of this being my future career is in its infancy, but like Boden, Disney is something I am pretty passionate about having spent so many of my vacation days as a child and an adult at the parks throughout the world.  So we'll see what happens there, but I definitely will let you all know when I start figuring it all out.

Thanks again for reading my blog, you all.  I know that for many of you, the coupons and the BWRRs brought you in, but I hope that you'll stay even though I can't really offer you those right now.  :-)

OOTDs: Made by Me May, Part Two! And One Outfit Isn't Like the Handmade Others.

Made by Me May, Part One is here, btw, for those of you looking for it.  There will be a Made by Me May, Part Three, also.

Day: Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

Where:  Airport to pick up my mom with my brother, then to Five Guys.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Super comfortable, but I still felt a bit exposed showing off this much of my legs.  That said, I just love this outfit overall, the colors, the gorgeous liberty print, the unique necklace.  Just wish I had made the skirt a bit longer. 

Outfit Details:  Skirt, handmade (using an old McCall's pattern, I believe); Factory Short Sleeve sweater (bought an extra-small, it's roomy), J. Crew Factory here; Necklace, J. Crew; Sandals, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day:  Pete can't just take a normal photo with me, he pretty much always has to do something silly.  Still love the photo, though.  :-)  Brothers...

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

Where:  The school to help out at the Mexican Fiesta party.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Was so excited to finally wear my bias cut jacket that I made back in December, but because of its timing with my friend W's death, I couldn't bring myself to wear it back then.  I decided enough was enough, and brought it out, but of course, I wore it for a grand total of thirty minutes before I decided it was too hot to be wearing it.  Sigh.

The Contrast Paneled Shell I purchased in a size petite small, and though it fits well, it is a touch tight in the bust (and I have a very small bust).  I prefer the petite since it hits higher on my hip, if I had purchased the regular, it would have been too long.

Outfit Details:  Jacket, handmade (using Vogue 8910); Contrast Paneled Shell, J. Crew here,  Turner Pants, J. Crew here, Sandals, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  I always feel like I have to fake it till I make it at my kids' school with the other parents.  They seem like the sort that were very popular in high school and college and are still holding onto the "cool" that they are.  I don't feel cool, I just feel out of place.  Well, anyhow, long story short, I finally have met a few moms and dads there that don't make me feel like I have to be someone I am not, and that day I got to spend some time talking with one of the moms there that literally agrees with me on almost everything, which is just amazing.  :-)  So good to finally be able to really be me, you know?

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Where:  Birthday party for one of Angus's Little Gym Friends.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Beyond needing to make the shoes a bit looser by wearing them out a bit more, this was a nice outfit to wear to a birthday party.  It was really really hot and humid, though, and the ITY knit felt a bit stifling towards the end of the day.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade (using New Look 6097); Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:   Angus arrived late for the party since he was taking a long nap.  We got there and the face paint artist was just about to leave.  I asked her is she could get something drawn on Angus real quick, and she said, "maybe a small spider on his arm?"  Yeah, small spider my butt.  That thing took up half his arm.  How long did it take her? Two minutes. Crazy.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, May 16, 2015.

Where:  Girls Night Out.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love love love my tiered jersey dress from Garnet Hill so much that I had to make my own when challenged last year to copy a RTW item in my closet and make a new version of it using fabric from our stash.  It was a no-brainer, as soon as I knew what the challenge was, I knew which RTW item I was going to copy.  I hope to make another one this summer.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade (using a pattern I made using an old Garnet Hill dress, learn more on that here); Sandals, Madewell; Necklace, Uncommon Goods.

Anecdote of the Day:   So my friend, B., is moving to the outer suburbs, close to where my brother is planning on moving.  If you know anything about DC traffic, twenty miles equals at least an hour on the road (especially if the highway that gets you there is far from your house, twenty miles for us on 395, no biggie, 66, BIGGIE).  SOB!  Don't move!

INSTAGRAM HERE.
 

Day: Monday, May 18, 2015.

Where:  Church Meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I thought it would be funny to wear a "going to the pool" tee with a "wanna be by the sea" skirt.  The two together are very nice and certainly comfortable for the hot/humid weather, but I really wish the skirt was a touch less full.  I even chose to size down to a 6 Long and it was still voluminous. 

Outfit Details:  Top, Madewell; Florence Skirt, Boden here; Sandals, Madewell; Necklace, Target.

Anecdote of the Day:  One lady in my church group is French and she 100% appreciated the "going to the pool/wanna be by the sea" play I did with my clothing.  It flew over all the other heads, though.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 21, 2015.

Where:  Richmond with my Mom and Angus to eat lunch at the Can Can and go the Children's Museum.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  So all week and through this last weekend it has been either warm or hot.  The one day we travel, south even, and it is freaking cold!  It was barely in the 50s and raining like nobody's business.  At one point, I wondered if we all should have worn coats.  It did allow me to wear a tunic that I wasn't sure would be able to be worn in May, though.

Outfit Details:  Tunic, handmade (using McCall's 6796); Leggings, J. Crew here; Nike Waffle Racers, J. Crew here (navy only).

Anecdote of the Day:  I loved my wine so much at lunch, I bought the bottle for some ridiculous price.  It was so worth it, though, I have been enjoying it for the past few days (it has a screw top so it stays fresh in the fridge).  If you want to see it, check out the instagram shot.

INSTAGRAM HERE.
 

Day: Friday, May 22, 2015.

Where:  Doctor's appointment for CW and a long walk on our forest paths in our neighborhood.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Since I have lost a little weight since I first made this dress, it fits me better through the bodice, but still is a touch to close for comfort.  I didn't know it then, but I need to always make a square shoulder adjustment on patterns, and any future versions of this, I will need to as well.

Outfit Details: Dress, handmade (using an old Amy Butler pattern); Sandals, Target; Selina Sunglasses, Boden here.

Anecdote of the Day:  I so enjoy the forests in our neighborhood, but that day was so special, it was 70 and sunny and perfect for a walk.  It seriously felt like I was on vacation, if only for an hour or so.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, May 23, 2015.

Where:  Dropping my Mom at the airport and Church.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This top is literally two rectangles sewn together.  I cut it out on Friday night and the next day had it ready to wear.  It's not much sewing for a whole lot of impact (especially if it is a super loud  pattern like this).  I definitely will be trying this "pattern" again.  The tee is super soft, too.  The sandals are those (sold out in a heartbeat) Mackenzie crackled foil sandals and they, like the rest of the outfit, are stupid comfortable too.

Outfit Details: Top, handmade (using a "pattern," snort); Turner pants, J. Crew here; Mackenzie crackled foil sandals, J. Crew here; Bag, Hobo, Intl.

Anecdote of the Day: Mr. Dina hates Olive Garden, so we never go there, but my friend wanted to go there after mass, and to be honest, it was pretty tasty.  I mean, take what I say with a grain of salt.  Apparently I'll eat anything, since I took one of those online "what won't you eat" quizzes and out of 120 items, I would eat 119 of them.  (My one "eww" was kidneys, yep, kidneys, don't like because of their texture, not their taste.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Where:  To watch the movie "Tomorrowland."

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts and top and sandals combo are so comfy, almost pajama-like.  My one issue with the shorts are that they are short enough that when I sit down, my legs make contact with the chair or bench.  It feels weird enough that I notice.  (Writing that out makes me realize I may sound like a freak, tell me I am not alone here).

Outfit Details: Top, Forever 21; Shorts, (using a Burda Magazine pattern from last summer); Factory Raffia Boardwalk sandals, J. Crew Factory here.

Anecdote of the Day: Every time I watch a George Clooney movie, he cries in it.  Damnit, George Clooney.  Stop crying.  It is inevitable that watching him cry will make me cry.  (Pulls out tissues...)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's it for now.  Hope the parade of excess in the form of photos didn't overwhelm you.  :-)