OOTDs: Three.

Sewing friends, before I begin, I want to let you know there are sewing projects in the queue for publication at the blog, but most of my sewing energies of late have been of the selfless sewing kind.  I haven't sewn anything up for myself since my splatter art blouse!  I knew the first week I would definitely want to take a break, so I sewed up a bunny rabbit stuffed animal for Rex.  I did cut some coat fabric for a coat last week, but then Rex reminded me about his pizza costume.  So I put the coat on hold and decided to make that this week (it is nearly done--woo!).  But the coat will have to wait just a touch longer since I will be receiving my first fabric from Fabric Mart tomorrow for my very first blog post for them.  I suspect most of my weekend will be spent getting a lot of that project done.  :-)

Okay, onto the outfits!

Day: Tuesday, October 29, 2014.

Where:  Joann's, Michaels, and Noodles and Co.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Even though the only reason I could wear these pants was because I had a recent weight loss doesn't make them easier to wear.  They are cute, I like the slim cut with heavier fabric, but the waistband kept riding down.  I had to keep hitching it up.  I don't know what is going on...it wasn't the worst, but I wish there was something I could figure out to do so they wouldn't ride down on me.

The Chepstow top (here, original review here) is awesomely comfortable, so that helped make up for the pants.  But not enough to drag it higher in score.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  My style is usually not this style, even with the Chepstow top, so I would say stepping out of my preppy comfort zone helps up the cool factor. 

Anecdote from the day:  Fall.  Grr.  Fall.  I hate the "oh it's so cold in the morning, but almost hot by midday, and then rainy in the afternoon."  I spent the day wearing this wondering why I bothered.  I am not sure what would have worked for the weather we had yesterday.

Apparently Angus is a Lorde fan.  Upon arriving at Joann's to procure more supplies for Rex's pizza costume, "Royals" came on, and Angus got mad at me for singing because he wanted to sing the song.  When asked if he wanted to listen to the music or go into the store, he didn't hesitate before he said "listen to music."  And to make his day even more complete, they were playing "Royals" in Michaels, too.  :-)

Day: Tuesday, October 28, 2014.

Where:  Bowling and Harris Teeter.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These johnnie b. jeans are wonderful, but maybe a bit too fitted for bowling?  I should probably just show up to bowling in sweats, but no one else does, so I guess I should just learn how to bowl better in non-activewear.  :-)

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It's cute enough, I suppose.  That's all I got.

Anecdote from the day:  My games were B-A-D, like my first year bad.  Sad.  Our team was whooped soundly, after soundly whooping others the week prior.  Sigh.

BTW, these photos had to be lightened a ton.  The light during the morning is just off in the house and outside.  I look forward to the time falling back on Nov. 1...it will make waking up easier and getting photos done properly, as well.

(If I use the flash, my skin looks ghostly, and I am 100% serious when I say ghostly...I am paler than I realized.)

Day: Saturday, October 25, 2014.

Where:  Rex's baseball game.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I was warm because of the Blarney Woolen Mills cape, and comfortable because of the J. Crew jeans.  The boots, while awesome, didn't work with the socks I wore, so I had to keep pulling them up to make them stay up.  That is the blemish, and the reason for the 1/2 star reduction.

Cool Factor: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I am giving this one a perfect score.  I really like the way this cape looks when combined with the jeans, boots, and sunglasses.  I don't know if the Sartorialist would dig it, but honestly don't give two flying "you know whats" about his opinion. 

Anecdote from the day:  Rex's team made it to the championships with the game they played that day.  There is a really good chance their team will be in first place.  I am thrilled for them.  We have the most amazing coach, just an all-around great guy, and the kids really work super hard and try their best, so to see the team make it this far is really exciting.  Wish Rex and his team luck on Saturday coming, please!!!

Okay, that's all for tonight!

P.S. Boden fans--20% off with free ship and returns are here starting tomorrow for four days!!!  Will write more on that tomorrow morning!  :-)

OOTDs/Review: Santorini Amongst the Dandelions.

Day: Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Where: Baseball Game (Rex's not the National League--at least not yet!) followed by a trip to get Vietnamese sandwiches and then to Barnes and Noble.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Even with the higher-heeled sandals, this outfit is one of the easiest I have ever worn, hands down.  I am such a fan of the Santorini Sundress (here at Boden) that I am immediately going to pin this dress to my "Favorite Pieces from my Wardrobe" board.  I can see why this dress sold out almost immediately.  For more on the dress, I have written up a quickie review below.  The only issue I had was that my shoulders got burned, but that is MY fault...what kind of pale fool like me forgets sunscreen on a hot, sunny day?

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I think it looks very interesting with its unique mid-century inspired print, plus it is a very flattering easy knit dress with a fitted bodice and slightly flared skirt.  My husband really really liked it on me.  :-)

Anecdote from the Day:  I was going to go out with my friend from high school, L., but at the last minute she had to cancel.  I was tempted to go to where we were headed anyway, but I was all, "meh."  LOL.  So. not. motivated.

Santorini Sundress.  Size 6L.  I didn't even know this was part of the first summer rollout (came out with the Nancy dress) until I was looking around and then realized I hadn't seen it before.  I was very intrigued by the print, but when I opened up the page, I saw that the 6L was LONG gone.  Sadness.  I immediately started wondering how I could recreate this dress on my sewing machine, but I was really hung up on the fabric, so even though I *probably* could sew this up, I am happy to not have had to, since I think the fabric is very special.

It fits precisely as it should, and even features darting at the bustline for shaping, which is not always something found in jersey garments.  The pockets are also very handy and I found myself sticking my hands in them all day. 

It was hot out, but the breeze would catch the skirt and give me some *subtle* air conditioning, which is a big bonus here in DC, now that summer is very close (summers in DC--always brutal).

I think if you can grab this one, and you think it would suit you, it would be money well spent.  I had no problem buying this with the 15% off coupon.  No regrets!


Santorini Sundress.  A lot of the sizes and colors have sold out, but watch for popbacks.

Day: Saturday, April 26, 2014.

Where: Rex's baseball game (connection to the first outfit!), meeting my good blog friend Leslie in Old Town, and the walking SIX miles home from Old Town.  SIX miles.  :-)  It felt good!

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Since I knew I would be walking home from Old Town, and I knew it would involve sun, some heat, and a few uphills, I decided comfort was key, even if I really wanted to wear something more pretty and unique to show off to Leslie.  This was the first time I was going to be meeting her, and even though I suspected had I worn a burlap sack she would have still liked me, I really wanted to look good, ya know?  In the end, I decided to go halfsies...wear the cool sweatshirt from the Neiman Marcus/Target collab...do my hair up in a functional yet kind of pretty style...and wear the sneakers that will help on the six mile walk, but also look *fly*.

I ended up getting pretty hot, but fair skinned me wasn't about to take off the sweatshirt for fear of burning.  I did drink all the water and green tea I had in my bag on the walk home to stay cool, though.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Pretty cool.  The sneakers are actually pretty old, but that retro style Nike is staying popular (although these aren't nearly as retro as my green kicks).  The short in front, longer in back sweatshirt look may be on the way out, but it still works, trend-wise, especially if you are a SAHM on a very long weekend walk.  ;-)

Anecdote from the Day:  Leslie wrote up a nice description of the day at her blog, Pink Tulips, and I really appreciate her taking the time to meet up with me.  She is an absolute breath of fresh air, which is needed in this hot air kind of place (thankyouverymuch, Congress!).  I loved when we were able to sit down at Austin Grill and just enjoy our yummy lunches al fresco (yay for outdoor seating!).  Anyhow, only regret?  Not grabbing a photo of the two of us!!!  Next time, for sure!

Okay, that's it for tonight, I really hope everyone is having a great evening!

If you are looking for a discount for Boden, this coupon below is the current one running through the affiliate program:

OOTD: Aaron the Dog Got Fresh.

This photo was taken three nanoseconds after Aaron "got fresh."  Chortle.  Rex must know what happened based on that look he is giving me.*

*If you look closely, you can see I am taking my Roger Bernadina statue and covering up the "Roger Berna" part so it looks like I have a statue of Dina.  Yeah, I know...

Poor Aaron was near dead last in the mascots race, or he couldn't see past Abe's massive head, preventing him from realizing just how badly he was doing.

Even though he lost, Aaron still managed to find me in the crowd and give me a "knowing" look.  Kisses to you, too, Aaron.

Day: Saturday, August , 2013.

Where:  Potomac Nationals Game.  They used to be the Prince William Cannons, which is how I remember them from the game I went to when I was fourteen and snuck a few sips of beer from my dad's friend's cup.  Shh.  Don't tell anyone.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was made by me for me, but if you read about the construction of this romper/playsuit, you will know that by them time I finally finished it, I was a tiny bit tired, which made me feel less than super comfortable.  Now that it has been a week since I have finished sewing it, I would be willing to give it a 4.5, but wasn't ready that night to give it a higher score.

Plus it was stormy and rainy and kind of cool, and the bleachers were wet which meant that the fabric (and that of my underwear) got wet, too.  (I wonder if Aaron would have got fresh with me *after* my bottom was wet.)

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Haha.  It is a romper, made in a quilting cotton fabric.  I love it, but it's likely not that cool.  ;-)  Aaron liked it.  LOL.

Anecdote from the day:  If you haven't already guessed, Aaron "accidentally" felt my butt up right before Mr. Dina snapped the photo above.  Ha.  It was just the slightest amount of pressure from his paw on my bottom, but it was just enough for me to entitle the blog post "Aaron the Dog Got Fresh."  Mr. Dina swears Aaron did it on purpose, because he is a *...* after all.

Alrighty, that's all I got.  This weekend wasn't long enough, was it?

Be back tomorrow, looks like this week will have some wonderful surprises from Boden.  ;-)

OOTDs: Dragging Shorts Out of Their Slumber.

Day: Thursday, May 30, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Except for the linen button-up coming untucked pretty much constantly, since I didn't belt the shorts (ugh, I hate belting shorts and pants), this was a very comfortable, movement friendly combo.  Kept me cool, too, since May 30th was one of the last truly hot days we have had here.  (Our summer has been very cool and rainy, relatively speaking...highs in the 80s and rain nearly every day.)

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I matched my infant son, on purpose.  Something tells me that's not cool, regardless of darling French designed necklace, gingham linen shirt, or cute flat sandals.

On its own, the outfit is probably closer to a 3 out of 5.  ;-)

Anecdote from the day:  Not much to report, but I definitely got a lot of "you match your son, was that planned" comments.  Yeah, I don't know that these people asking that question know me very well.  Ha.

Day: Thursday, June 20, 2013.

Where:  Little Gym/Play Date.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Making your own shorts to fit your body means comfort won't even be an issue.  Yay for shorts with enough inches everywhere I need them, and no excess where I don't.  I may just need to sell all my ready to wear shorts and make a whole wardrobe of comfortable shorts made just for my body.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The look is very hipstery, but I like that look, as we all know.  I think this outfit would have been a slam dunk in 2010, but only with a fedora and ironic glasses, of course.  :-)

Anecdote from the day:  Well, yeah, another typical Little Gym run, but I had both my older kids with me, so they had to chill in the lobby area while I did my thang with Angus at his Birds class.  Fortunately there is glass between the gym and the lobby, so I could keep my eyes on them.  Rex just played on the kindle the whole time and CW found a friend to play with (one of the older siblings of one of Angus's classmates).

Day: Wednesday, June 26, 2013.

Where:  Massage/Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  These ancient J. Crew shorts are amongst the only pairs that I own that I really truly feel great in, and the two pairs I have are in regular rotation in my wardrobe, well at least when it is warm enough to justify dragging them out, of course.

The outfit received a 3 because the very nice wedge sandals hurt my tootsies after walking from the Mint Condition store to the massage and then the Winesday at Whole Foods (a total walk of about a mile).  I shouldn't have walked so fast, but I didn't want to be late to the massage, which was a treat for my birthday.  (It was my bday gift to me, btw.  It felt great!)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I think it looks cool, especially with the sunglasses and bag.  The tee is one of my most favorites, I really love the unusual hem, which dips in the back a bit. 

Anecdote from the day:  Well I walked too fast and ended up with blisters, but the rest of the day was amazing.  I mean you really can't go wrong receiving a check for your consigned items, having a stone massage, and enjoying lovely wines with your brother at the local grocery store.

Day: Tuesday, June 4, 2013.

Where:  Preschool Run/Fabric Store with my friend.

Ease of Wear: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was hot that day, and muggy.  I chose poorly, since the shorts felt too tight, and the Short Sleeve Ponte Top from Boden felt too clingy, even though I could potentially see it being okay for summer (the top is currently 60%, so $21.60, for you Boden fans).  I think I can pull this outfit out again, but will have to wait for a drier, less hot day, which around here means fall.  Hmm.

Cool Factor: (1.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Nah, not cool.  I think it looks decent, but you know, in a very simple SAHM style.

Anecdote from the day:  I love hanging out with my buddy (she is the mother of one of CW's former classmates).  She sews, too, and is the reason I have any clue about quilting and/or appliqueing.  Without her help, I suspect these pillows (bottom of the post in link) would have looked terrible.

Since I do a lot of garment sewing, she is asking me for advice (she wants to do more sewing for her), but I still think she might be wrong in asking me since I am definitely still a beginner!

Day: Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

Where:  The Os/Nats Game.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts rode up a bit since I was wearing silky undergarments (cotton ones mean that the shorts stay in place better).  It wasn't terrible, I just felt that I kept needing to pull them down since I felt like at my age, it is probably better if all of my legs aren't on display.  Next time, cotton underpants, for sure.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  For an Os fan, I look pretty styling, I suppose, but it's still full-on "let's go Os," so not really very sartorial.  CW looks really cool, and I appreciate her being our middle ground, wearing pink instead of orange or red/navy.

Anecdote from the day:  Did we get to see the game?  No.  Torrential rain came down from the heavens for approximately two hours and by the time they could start the game it was almost 8:30 pm (game was supposed to start at 7), and my kids were D.O.N.E. at that point--especially Angus, who was p*ssed that we were tormenting him with the buggy.

Look at my face and CW's face.  I guess we are related, after all.  ;-)

Okay, that's it for now.  More to come, but I will be traveling a bit over the next few days, so my posting may be reduced because of that.

OOTD: Bright Orange Madewell and the Os.

We are a split decision family here in our house, but only during any Nats vs. Orioles games.  (When they play each other it is called the Battle of the Beltways, although we could call it Momma against everyone else.)

So why would I, a native of Northern Virginia be adamant in rooting for the Orioles over the Nationals, when the Nationals are our "home" team?

Well, if you know anything about baseball, DC did not have a team for many years between the 70s and the early 00s.  We had a football team, a basketball team, and even a hockey team, yet no baseball.

We had exactly one team we could root for and they were not so conveniently located an hour north in Baltimore (well it was an hour in 1997, the last time we went to B'more--for this Rush concert--it took us 2.5 hours to get there).  It didn't matter...if you were a fan of the boys of summer (fave Don Henley song, btw), you needed to head up 95/295 to see them playing in Charm City.  My fave boy of summer was always BJ Surhoff (showing my age there, lol).

One day my hubby came home and announced that Montreal was losing their team and they were coming to DC.  I was stoked but also a bit bewildered.  Would I forget my team?  Would I not root for them any longer?

Well, in most cases, yes, I do root for the new home team of the Nationals, but like most folks who grew up between Richmond and Baltimore in the 70s, 80s and 90s, when the Os play the Nats, the Os win out purely because of nostalgia.

They play each other a few times a year and I always pull out my Os hat and don some bright orange to let the world know my allegiance.  My hubby tolerates it, but only because I let him dress the kids up in Nationals gear.  (He did not grow up here.  Which I have no problem reminding him when he gets lost on his way anywhere in this area without me--the streets here are "challenging" to put it mildly.)

We were stopped a lot by folks, mainly other Os fans giving me a thumbs up and asking why the baby on my chest had a Nats cap on...it was fun, and it was nice to have a heated "frivolous" rivalry in the house.

My beloved Orioles?  They lost.  Sigh.  (Yeah, Mr. Dina, Rex, CW, and even darling Angus totally rubbed it in my face.)

I was not super heartbroken, though, had it been any other team going against the Nats I would have been cheerful at the win. 

I was inspired to wear this outfit not only because the shorts are the exact right shade of orange, but also because Madewell sent out an e-mail with items from the beach shack a while ago that paired these shorts with a hot pink top.  I so loved the look that I immediately purchased the shorts along with a bright pink v-neck that was on sale (the one in the e-mail was too pricey).

I plan to show off that image in my inspired by Madewell post that is upcoming, but until then, I will give you all a sneak peek at the bottom of this post.

Sunglasses: Anthropologie Gramercy Shades.
Tee: Madewell V-Neck Pocket Tee.
Shorts: Madewell Seashell Eyelet Shorts, size medium. (They fit true to size.)
Scarf: Anthropologie Noon Glow Loop.
Shoes: Bensimon with Liberty Fabric.

My hubby really likes me in braided pigtails.  I sort of thought he would outgrow that, you know seeing as I am no longer 18, but every time I wear them, he says, "I love you in pigtails."  Whatever.  :)

The wacky bird is the best mascot, btw.  It is rare to see actual orioles in these parts, so if I ever saw one in real life, I would probably be surprised that it isn't a big fat black bird with a grinning orange beak.  :)

This was Angus's second game as a Nats fan, and because he faced outward, he definitely was a favorite of many of the people at the game.  I think my favorite part is his fisherman sandals, so cute!

This was the image I was inspired by.  I also have the red sunglasses, again because it was less expensive than the ones I had been eyeing at J. Crew (a near $75 difference, btw!).

Okay that's it!

Do you have any family fun rivalries?  It could be anything...political, tv shows, etc.  Do tell!

A Night with the Nats.

It feels like a long time (minus the announcement of the birth of Angus) since I curated any sort of familial events on this blog. Of course I love the sartorial spin my blog has, but I do enjoy putting some of my other passions on here, namely my family and the fun things we get to do together. There has definitely been a reduction in fun times, but now that the reason for the fun times diminishing has been solved (my pregnancy, cough, cough), we can get back to the business of making memories. ;)

Rex was barely two months old when we brought him to his first Nationals baseball game (April 2007).  CW was around a year old, but that is owing in part to her birth date in September (she was born *just* at the end of the season in 2008).  Of course Mr. Dina was all gung ho to get lil Gus to his first game some mere two weeks after his birth, but my influence held some sway and Mr. Dina saw the ridiculousness of that request.  I gave in last week, Tuesday, when Gus had made it to a much more sturdy age of five whole weeks. 

This photo cracks me up.  If you open it up, you will see the insanity that is us at a planned event.  Starting from the left back, you will see Rex at the picnic table with the very friendly Deena (no joke) who had insisted on competing with him in a round of Angry Birds space (she on her phone and Rex on my Kindle--moms, take note, that KINDLE IS THE BOMB diggity for keeping kids amused).  Deena works at the park and from what I gathered she was on her break.  How awesome of her to be so sweet to my pumpkin.  If you have kids in this area and have not made it to a game yet, I insist you go, the park is uber-friendly to the children.  In fact, Deena mentioned that on Sundays kids get to run the bases after the game and get autographs (maybe we can get Jayson Werth's autograph after his hand heals?).

In front of the picnic table you see CW cuddling with her new Nationals stuffed animal. 

And then there's Gus and me.  He is feeling me up!  In his Bjorn!  How cheeky!

I am dressed (can't not tell you, right, lol?) in my postpartum "my it's sticky outside" best.  The visor (oh, yeah, I own a visor!) is team gear, the tank is J. Crew, the shorts are Mimi Maternity (still have a few pair I admit to letting linger in my dresser), and the shoes are Miss Trish of Capri for Target.

So you know, I had no idea how awesome this shot was until I got home and could zoom in on the individual happenings.  I think CW cuddling Mr. Nat made me laugh the most followed by how *inappropriate* Angus was being. 

Handed down from Rex, Angus was good to go with his Nationals skull cap.  He made quite a few fans that night, btw.  The folks sitting right next to us kept cooing at him. 

The little red pants, which are a perfect shade of red for the Nationals, are from J. Crew's Nature baby line.  These cutie pie pants were given to me by my sweet on-line Personal shopper.  I let her know that day that she helped us with Gus's outfit...unfortunately for little baby boys, most companies make three colors in their baby pants, navy blue, grey, and brown.  Yawn!

Okay, that's all.  We had a great time, and all of us made it back to the car in one piece.  I think waiting a few weeks for Gus to go may have been the key.  :)

BTW, the Nationals lost.  Sigh.  Of the games that week, ours was the only goose egg of the bunch.  We have all summer though to make sure Angus sees some winning!

In a (Floral) Daze...

I am back, but barely! California was insanely awesome and getting to see my family and friends is so wonderful, but I definitely missed my routine. (Hence my inability to publish any posts!) For as much as I missed my routine, my kids missed it even more...Rex was TERRIBLE these past two days, and I 100% blame it on lack of sleep. You all want to know what he is doing right now? Yep. He is napping. Good for him, and great for us! :)

In a Floral Daze... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

A few weeks ago, our family visited Nationals park to watch a baseball game. I needed something that would keep me cool, but also allow me to be somewhat covered as it was hot AND super-sunny. Above is the outfit I created to do just that.


And here it is on me. :)

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size small. This is the Floral Daze Cardigan that has a Liberty fabric front and a knitted arms and back. I quite like it, nice and lightweight, but still funky enough to suit my sensibilities. I know a lot of people disliked the weight of this cardi, but I need something MUCH lighter for the summers around here...heavy to me equals heat stroke. LOL. It is sold out, but maybe watch for popbacks. :)
Shorts: Size 8. These are the oxford shorts in the light purple color. I like the inseam length on these, short enough to scream "summer," but in no way indecent for my leg length. :P
Top: Size small. This is the perfect fit tank in the vintage orange color. I pulled out the shorts and the cardi and discovered that this tank was the PERFECT complement to the outfit. I love this tank, so soft and well-fitting, without being to stretch-y. Worth every penny spent.
Shoes: Size 10. These are some version or another of J. Crew's capri sandals. Maybe the posie sandal? They made it through the day, but by mile 4, a blister had formed. I guess that is reasonable enough for what the sandals are probably meant to do.

One last thing...I made it onto the Polyvore blog again. Woo-hoo!

A Little Bit Hipster... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

They loved this set I made and quite fittingly said "whatever lola wants...lola gets..." Teehee. :) Thank you, Polyvore.

P.S. I am just giving up on replying back to the past three weeks comments. If you made a comment in that time and need me to reply, can you either e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or comment on this post? I am so sorry to do that to you all, but I feel like I am all swimmy and I need a fresh start. ;)