40 and 40: Loft and Style and Co. Top.

40 and 40 has NOTHING to do with the 30 x 30 remix that is really popular lately and that many of my bloggie friends have been doing in the past few months (and for those of you who have, AWESOME!).

40 and 40 is my Lenten sacrifice.  My Superfluities, the name itself, is inherently the anti-Lenten spirit blog.  To be superfluous is to have excess, to have an over-abundance, to be in cahoots with surplus.  I, in good faith, can't allow my blog, whose very purpose is to show off the fun and ridiculous and quantity of my very full life, to be too overabundant this season.  I believe in the sacrifices one should make in the Lenten season, and although in the past two years of blogging I have had Lenten sacrifice, they were of the more private sort, and I chose not to share them with you.

Here is how 40 and 40 works.

I will, each day during the Lenten season, post two items from my closet that will be either free (with a normal shipping charge) or pretty darn cheap (again with a normal shipping charge).  I have too much and I have determined that I need to give up my excess.  I am not giving away anything that isn't in good shape, that would NOT be in the spirit of sacrifice.  I am giving away items I can still wear, and items that still (for the most part) fit. 

I am only asking for shipping because I cannot afford to ship 80 items!  That would probably work out to near $400 or more, and I just can't do that, and for that I am sorry.  For the item that is pretty darn cheap (I am capping their price to 1/3 of the value I could get it for on ebay), I will save 1/2 of the price paid and put it in a special area in my bank account where I can, at the end of this 40 and 40, give away the money to a charity (probably the PFO Research foundation, which is near and dear to my--cough, cough--heart).  My hope is that at the end of this, I have raised at least $100 for this foundation.  So if a shirt is listed at a price of $8, then the buyer pays $13 (with the shipping added in), and the PFO foundation receives $4 (1/2 of $8).

So here goes.  First person to e-mail me for the item or items receives it.  Please know that I use paypal for all transactions that I make on-line.  If the person who "claims" the item doesn't pay, I will relist the item in an upcoming 40 and 40 (meaning some nights will have more than two items).  My e-mail is dinagideon@aim.com.

Thank you for supporting my Lenten sacrifice, and thank you for (if you buy the item that actually costs money) supporting the PFO Research Foundation.

Style and Co. Button-Down Top. Petite Medium. Bought it a few years ago, love the fitted style and the easy-care fabric, but sadly the colors do not work for me. This top is FREE (pay $5 flat shipping).

Loft Cotton Sateen Button-Down Top with Crystal Buttons. Size 8. Love this. And if only I wore it more. Someone will make this shirt a more useful part of their wardrobe. This item is $3.50 (pay additional $5 flat shipping).

Thank you, all. I look forward to presenting you with 78 more items!

Georgia on My Mind (with a Dash of North Carolina Thrown in...)

So remember way back in late July when I went to Georgia and Indiana? Remember when I posted about the portal to hell that was the hotel room that we stayed at in Winston-Salem, NC? Well, I FINALLY have put together a big polyvore of all the things I wore on the trip, two mini-polyvores for some of the outfits, and I have uploaded all of the images, edited said images for publication...phew. This took me a better part of three hours today. Yikes. Blogging is fun but very time-consuming!

(Oh, and so you know, I have many, many outfits to post from late July and August...eventually, my friends, eventually!)

By the way, I did comment back on all the latest posts...not individually this time (unless you had a question or such)...but I did it! YAY!

Oh, and also...I loved my last week (August 23-30, 2009). I did not stop moving. Between three separate DC JCA get-togethers (Tysons for shopping, Tysons for a playdate with HeidiG. and Summerilla, and the White House/Occidental Grille with Cleo26, Slastena, 3PP, Kelly, and Rosa), working out with my brother, and jetting to the pool with the kids, I have been a bit busy...but that really good busy that makes life worth living, you know? BTW, I would be back to school preparing my classroom if I was still teaching full-time. :) I am so excited to only substitute this year...WAY less pressure!



Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

First Polyvore is of all the items I brought with me to both Georgia and Indiana. You will see this in this post and the next one on Indiana.



North Carolina by dinagideon featuring J Crew

This second Polyvore is of my first and second day's outfits. The first outfit (on the left) I wore to a yum-tastic Mexican restaurant in Winston-Salem. We specifically request a journey there every single time we visit. Man, it's good. The second outfit (on the right) I wore the next day (Sunday) to Biscuitville (umm, biscuits, gravy, and grits...mmm...) and on the ride to Georgia...


Here is the first outfit. This is the lovely Liberty print fabric jacket that you all have seen before, but this time I scrunched up the sleeves. I LOVE it this way...very pretty and very (dare I say it), chic. The rolling ruffles tank is the champagne color, a lovely light yellow.


Here is a close-up of the jacket and well, the real reason I put the pic up, CW. On three...1, 2, 3...Ahhh!


This is a tee I bought from Boden for a song. I also purchased it in a navy blue/grey stripe. Why this was not more popular is beyond me...it is pretty and comfortable. Of course it is citron hued, so that may be why! ;)

I know this is going to sound odd, but I got my color inspiration for the trip from CW's onesie that she is wearing in this pic...it has many colors but they all worked so nicely together, I chose those colors as my theme.


OMG--Ignore my face...I look like I just smelled CW's diaper (which is entirely possible)...
This third outfit is from Georgia, and I wore it on Monday. It is the boyfriend tee in aqua (yes, HeidiG., just for you) in size extra-small (that's right, XS); some Ann Taylor Loft shorts I got from Rugged Wearhouse for next to nothing (and it's a short inseam...look out!); and the starfish capri sandals that I hearted so much I bought for full price (minus 15% educator discount).



Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

This third polyvore is from my last day in Georgia. I knew his family would like to see a tee celebrating New Orleans, so I wore it just for them...


Not much to say about this except that the sandals are ancient, but have lasted forever. Hmmm...if Mickey and co. read this, keep these sandals in mind the next time you make something...they are beautiful and built to last...J. Crew, I know you all have it in you to make awesome products again (of course, they still do, but even I, Miss "Rah-Rah" J. Crew has noticed a decline in many of the products' ability to last a long time).

Have a beautiful Monday (no, seriously, try to...)!

A Couple of Outfits from July!

I will never, ever make it to the present time in blog posting if I don't just bite the bullet and start posting all these long ago outfits. So, in order to spare me some time so I can actually catch up to real time, I will post most of the July and early August outfits in pairs or triplets.

Today I have for you three outfits from mid-July. None have polyvores which makes this post especially easy...and easy is what I need because baby CW is being clingy, needy, etc. and I am finding it hard to type and hold her at the same time. (Stay at home mom doesn't mean less work it just means a different kind of work...) :)


Here is one I wore to the gym on a Saturday morning (for a while there I had a Pilates Allegro class on Saturday mornings)...

Info: Cardi: J. Crew, Summer 2009, size small; Tank: Athleta, Fall 2008, size medium; Shorts: Wal-Mart, size large (has to be, that inseam is way too short otherwise); Shoes: Born from forever ago, size 10.


Mr. Dina affectionately called me a "hippy-chick" in this outfit. Haha. He is right, though, I do look a bit crunchy-granola. And the skirt...man, it is long...

Info: Top: J. Crew, Fall 2008, size medium; Skirt: Target (Merona), Spring 2008, size 10 (this may be why it is so long now); Flip-Flops: J. Crew, Summer 2007, size 10.


I actually really like this outfit, worn to summer school. I just wish the skirt was shorter. I think as I get smaller, the skirts still technically fit, but since they ride lower, they look longer, which on me reads as dowdy.

Info: Tee: J. Crew, Spring 2008 (maybe), size medium. Skirt: Macy's Style & Co., Fall 2008, size 10. Shoes: Earth, Spring 2009, size 9 (their shoes run a bit wide and long).

There is more to come. If you have any questions, please comment. As usual, I will comment back...I always *eventually* do. (For example, I have commented back if you have left a comment on the last two posts...)

Poppy Floral Jacket Review--Plus I Wore it Today, June 9, 2009!!!

Ooh, you all, I have been DYING to get this jacket. And it came, yesterday! FINALLY!

So here is the story...girl spies beautiful soft-Liberty print cotton jacket in J. Crew catalog back in early May...girl FALLS IN LOVE with the jacket...girl goes on-line and decides to wait it out because it is so pretty but SO expensive (J. Crew Collection item)...then revisits site a little while later (and happens to have a little bit of money)...discovers said item is on BACKORDER until August...determined, girl orders it in a size 8 and is prepared to wait until August 10, 2009 for it to ship...then, surprise, surprise, girl gets e-mail saying "your order has shipped." SQUEE!

You can find the jacket at jcrew.com if you are interested after reading my review.

Poppy Floral Jacket Worn on June 9, 2009!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

Here is the Polyvore of my outfit that I made with this jacket. I had a tough time deciding what to wear with it...I want to style it like it is on-line and in the catalog, but I have to teach and short-shorts are not really professional (that would be the on-line styling). Also, it is about a bagagillion degrees outside so I knew the cargo pants and cardi and tee styling (in the catalog) would be WAY TOO HOT for me today. So I think I came up with a nice look...tailored to me and to my life. :) And after all, I have only my life to live...


Here is the outfit full-length. The only difference from the polyvore is a slightly different necklace (I have no IDEA where I got it--is that weird?), similar shoes (mine are slingback and grey) and a different denim skirt (mine is from Style & Co.--Macy's brand).

The jacket is J. Crew Collection and costs 168 dollars. It is made from the Liberty print fabric that J. Crew adores. In all the years I have been shopping at J. Crew they have had Liberty print fabric items (I own shoes, shirts, etc. in this fabric). By the way, if any of you own a size 8 or 10 in this blouse (thank you for the pose, Ema), I will happily buy it from you. HAPPILY!

The jacket is "classic" fit, which means it is neither too slim or too loose. I would agree with that sentiment. I truly believe that J. Crew makes their Collection items more true-to-size than their non-Collection items, so I will rarely order anything Collection smaller than an 8. This jacket is an 8 (regular, not petite or tall) and it has long enough arms, and the jacket hits at a nice place on my hips. The waist is a bit big for me, and the shoulders might be a titch too wide as well.

The fabric is SO PRETTY. It has poppies in a dusty rose color, daisies and other flowers in a deep citron color, and other florals in a pretty medium pacific blue color. The background is an off-white. The buttons are real shell buttons and are secured with another button in the back so that the button won't fall off (hate that)! The whole jacket is lined...through the body in a soft cotton and in the arms in some sort of poly-blend.

The whole jacket has a crumpled feel, and the fabric is so light, that I could see wearing this in the summer as a sun-cover! (Normally I would wear a linen blouse...this is just a lot dressier!)

I have good news for you wrinkle-phobes...it has that rumpled look, but besides that...this jacket has not wrinkled at all today and I have been wearing it for nearly 6 hours. YAY!


Here is a side-view. It does fit very nicely...just skimming the body.


Funny 80s-looking pic to make you all laugh...but in all seriousness...I love the collar up...I think it looks fresh and unique this way. I chose to wear the collar down today but I could see wearing this to dinner with the collar up.

This pic also allows you to see the jacket print a bit closer.

I would say that if you would wear this, get it. If you don't think you would get around to wearing it, and it would sit limply in your closet, don't. 168 dollars is a lot to spend if you won't actually wear this item. I personally think it is worth it...but I bet I will wear this in the winter, too, so cost per wear will be low.

And I think J. Crew, because they are limiting how many Collection items they are putting out, are actually putting the effort needed into creating pieces that should QUALIFY as Collection (for instance, shell buttons secured properly, lining of the highest quality, etc.) So good job, J. Crew...you have a very satisfied customer!

Blegh...It's Nasty Out There...Time to Pull Out the Tights and the Turtleneck!!!

So I had a triple dilemma this morning...what should I wear that will keep me warm, look decent for a party (a little girl we know is turning 2!), and will also be comfortable enough to wear to Costco to go shop? So this is what I came up with...and NO J. Crew in sight. Of course I am going J. Crew Crazy tomorrow, so I think it's okay this ONE time. :)

The sweater is a wool green concoction from this winter from the Ann Taylor Outlet (gift from my sister-in-law). The jean skirt is from Macy's and is by the brand Style & Co., which has the best clothes for very little money. The tights are Wal-Mart (and they fit really, really well...will have to pick up more of these). The shoes are from Bandolino and are a brown-suede wedge.

All in all a very comfy and warm and dressy enough outfit. No complaints here. No real hard work styling this outfit, but some days we all need something quick and easy that we can just throw on! Not very inspiring, but what am I gonna do? ;)


The ubiquitous CW and Momma shot. She got all dressed up to go to the party. Don't worry, I made sure she had socks on before we left. By the way, she sat up for a whole 5 minutes at the party. My little girl, growing up so fast...weep. :)