Mommy Style Monday #19: Drive Time.

How many of us mommies spend all of our day in the car?  I have actually not quite gotten to that point, but I know it is coming (I hear that siren's fierce scary wail in my nightmares).  For those of you there, I bet there are days where you are unable to take it anymore.  LOL.

Beyond being ridiculously over-stressed about dealing with the actual driving (I HATE driving around here, it is terribly awful), I also hate the way I feel when I am wearing what I *thought* was going to be a stylish and comfortable outfit only to realize partway through my drive time day that the outfit is uncomfortable and binding.  Gah.  I sort of wonder if all those crazy moms in mini-vans are road rage filled because their belt buckle is biting into their belly buttons...

So recently we drove to North Carolina so I could go to an Arbonne meeting and also to visit our friends who live there.  Both drives to and from North Carolina were great, around 5.5 hours total, but we have had drives in the past to get down there that have taken up to 7.5 hours.  Sadly for me, the 7.5 hours ones also included me wearings something that was insanely uncomfortable.  By the end of that drive, I nearly jumped out of my "leather" seat into oncoming traffic (I kid, but still, very difficult to feel that way--bloated, fidgety, and tense).

This time I decided I needed to pick outfits that are time and time again proven comfortable.  But you know me, I still want them to look decent.  I don't want to look like I am a high-schooler wearing baggy sweatpants, hoodie, and uggs.

So here are the outfits I came up with:

Drive Down:

My problem with any of my Drive Time outfits is usually the pants.  These are the "never let me down" chambray cocktail capris from J. Crew in spring 2009.  I literally bought every color, including the light blue in-store only color.  I also bought a dark tan color in the non-chambray fabric.  I find these super-comfy, but tailored enough that I could go to dinner or lunch on the road at someplace other than McDonald's or Taco Bell.  They do tend to stretch a bit, but not obnoxiously, and I think the stretch may be the reason why I like wearing them so much...no chance of any bloating to affect the fit.

I rounded out the outfit with a Boden merino v-neck (similar here in the V-neck Knitted Top, although this is a short-sleeved knitted sweater in a cotton/linen blend, it has a similar shape) in navy blue, the purple gingham plaid shirt from J. Crew last spring, and the Bensimon Elastic sneakers in vanilla.

Two more views, hand on hip, and from the side.  ;)

It wasn't quite warm enough to wear the outfit on its own, but the cashmere Suzy jacket (bit of luxury this one--super-soft, I am constantly petting the arms--good thing it was a sample and the ebay seller sold it for WAY under value) was the exact right topper for the slightly cool late winter day.

By the end of the drive, I felt great.  The entire outfit also survived, and looked decent.

Drive back:

The time-tested minnies are back.  Like the cocktail capris, I own quite a few minnies.  I love that they are stretchy but don't lose their shape.  And unlike the rest of J. Crew's pants, I have to size down to fit in these.  (LOL, so vain.)  I ALWAYS wear Minnies on plane flights, I don't know why it didn't occur to me that these would be fab for Drive Time.

I rounded out this outfit with the wool pique sultana jacket, the striped sequin boatneck tee, the silk driving scarf, and the ever wonderful Anthropologie Miss Albright Anticipation heels (super-comfy, you can even drive in them--although I still recommend driving shoes for long drives, like the driving mocs made by J. Crew or Tod's).

Untitled by dinagideon featuring printed scarves

Above is the polyvore of the entire outfit.

This is the outfit without the jacket.  It was still cool, though, so this look was purely indoors.  :)

You all have a great day!  We'll talk soon...

A Week's Worth of Outfits...

Between being all "dina's dramatic diary" last week AND looking for the roll out of Liberty of London for Target, I have sort of neglected my whole outfit of the day posts. So to honor the week that was lost to angst and capitalism, I give you the outfits of last week.

They are barely in order, and only one has a polyvore I created, but they are here! :)

BTW, for the vast majority of the week, Baby CW was way more stylish than me. I guess unfiltered emotion plus my style don't work. No wonder I looked so bad in college. Ha.


I always like to start on a high note. I am an optimist at heart, after all. Love this look. I wore this on Thursday (03/11/2010). I actually had a headache on my "headache tee" day. Surprisingly this outfit held up well to the ravages of the mud my kids decided to sling on themselves that day (yeah, I know I was asking for it wearing these pants to preschool). The headache only got worse. Hmm.

Sizes:
Jacket: Size 4. This is the J. Crew Duchamp Print Astor Jacket from Fall 2008. This is a sublime piece of jacket. Bought it off ebay for way way less than it cost when it was full-price.
Tee: Size Small.
Pants: Size 8.
Shoes: Size 10.

Mommy and CW OOTD!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the only Dina-made polyvore from last week. Yes, I did include baby's outfit. You'll see why...


Baby TOTALLY brought it this day (Monday, 3/8/2010). SO CUTE. Gah.


I brought it far less. I do want to point out that all I did on Monday (besides coach in the evening) was take a long walk in the neighborhood with the kids (it was BEAUTIFUL that day).

Sizes:
Top: Size 8. It is now just fitting over my hips properly. I hate it when one size 8 will be huge on me and then another size 8 will. just. fit. GRR.
Pants: Size 30 S.
Shoes: Size 9.


Onto Tuesday, 03/09/2010. Baby is still bringing it! I am going to yoga, so these are workout clothes (well, not the top, but I have a tank on under it).

Sizes:
Top: UK Size 10, or US Size 6.
Pants: Medium. These actually are yoga pants. So comfy!
Shoes: Size 9. It was warm that day, so I pulled out sandals...WHEE!


So, guess what? I stole this outfit idea from Slastena, over at About All and Nothing At All (don't worry, I asked before I could wear it). And you know what? I finally wore it last week, and you know what she does today? She posts on this very outfit (and how she wore it on Wednesday, one day after I wore it). I think she and I have a mind-body connection. :) Thank you again, Slastena. What a beautiful outfit!

I know, Rex looks SO SAD. He was. I think he hadn't gotten his way, had a fit, tears, tears, temper, beating the floor, momma pick me up...etc., etc.

I wore this out to the movies with Mr. Dina. This was Tuesday night, 03/09/2010.

Sizes:
Jacket: Size Small. Downtown Field Jacket equals instant chic.
Top: Size 6.
Pants: Size 32 R. These are the bootcut jeans, and I think these are sized pretty small. I am wearing a 30 in other J. Crew jeans, so I don't know what's going on here. Hmm.
Shoes: Size 10.


I believe I wore this outfit on Wednesday, 03/10/2010, when I was trying to find the first batch of Liberty of London for Target.

Sizes:
Top: Size 8. Yet another size 8 that is just now fitting me.
Pants: Size 10. These are the Mahali Dot Capris. I really need a size 8, but am holding onto these until I can trade with a JCA for the right size (anyone interested in a trade?). I love these pants, so cute!
Shoes: Size 9. These are the pale oak Porto tumbled leather driving mocs. In classic J. Crew fashion, I sized down to them. The 10s would have been HUGE.


This is my Saturday (03/12/2010) evening outfit (I wore it to church). My hair looks dark here because of the lighting. I promise, I didn't go and get it dyed to a whole new color. You people would have to think I have way more time than I do to have done that!

I love baby's leg kick here. So cute. You know what wasn't so cute? Their behavior at church. Man. They were TERRIBLE. :P

Sizes:
Dress: Size small. Bought this Anthropologie Whirling Ruffles Sweater Dress from ebay, again for way less than it was originally. I tacked the lower ruffle to the dress better (it was a bit floppy) by using safety pins. Eventually I will sew the bits to the dress. :) Very comfy and cozy. I highly recommend it!
Shoes: Size 10.

Later today I will post three more IRLs of Liberty of London for Target dresses (including the gorg girl's dress). I also plan on doing my giveaway, too, so be looking for that! :)

Devoted to the Crystal Devoté Necklace...

Up first, before I get into my utter devotion to the (in my humble opinion) beautiful Crystal devoté necklace from J. Crew's Spring 2010 collection, I wanted to tell you all about something cool that has happened for this blog (and some of my other blog friends)...there is a very neat website devoted to shopping called become.com and it has a few blog off-shoots, including a blog called Carnival of Shopping. Every week (on a Wednesday), they write-up in their post about blogs that consumers and interested people can check out if they have specific needs and/or desires. Well, my blog and GingerSnap's blog were listed in today's blog write-up, as was Roxy's Effortless Anthropologie! YAY!!! So go check it out...I found some neat blogs by looking through their archives, and plan to keep reading so I can see what else is out there in blog-land!

Now, for the much anticipated review of the Crystal devoté necklace...aka "J. Crew's nefarious plot to make anyone who buys it look like they have spent their money stupidly." No, I just kid. But based on many (MANY) reactions to the fact that I (horror) spent near full-price on this (well 20% off) bauble...I have now renamed it for this post at least. After this post I will be calling it my "sweet starburst devotion," because that is what I am...devoted to my devoté.

So why am I devoted?


Here goes why:
1. I like the retro look. The starbursts remind me of a necklace that my grandmothers would have worn in the 50s and 60s to make their outfits sing.
2. I happen to think the ribbon looks fun, like a bit of spun sugar enveloping the chains and glass beads. I also know that they can easily be removed by a simple "snip, snip" of the scissors.
3. The weight is not too heavy, although I can see why many would be worried about that.
4. The size is lovely...can be worn with many types of necklines...like the silk tiered-cami (shown above), turtlenecks, under button-downs, etc.
5. The crystal colored version is by far my fave. I can't say I can recommend the black version, as I think the black beads are very jarring in this necklace. But to each his own, and if you love the black beaded version, more power. (I am all about people enjoying what they enjoy...)

The price is a bit much, but based on all the haters of this particular bit of jewelry, I believe this will make it to the sale racks. I believe the crystal colored one will sell out first, and the black beaded version will linger.

I am glad I bought it when I did, near full price or no...I love it that much. And that is okay, because it is my neck it is on, not yours. ;) But if you love it, find it here.

And because it is me, I actually wore the necklace outside. Yes, outside. People besides my family spied the necklace. And, get this. Not one single person fell over at the fact that I wore it! No, contrarily, I got many compliments on it. Imagine.

Okay, enough sarcasm. :)

Catalog Inpiration...with a Twist! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

I wore it with the outfit pictured in the polyvore set above. The tie-front cardigan is so yummy and warm, and because it was a "winter warm" day (yay), I used it as outerwear. The novelty was not lost...I miss our normal (read: not so cold) DC winters.


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Small.
Top: Size 6.
Pants: Size 8.
Shoes: Size 9.

I did this look because I had seen a similar image in the October 2009 catalog (see the polyvore--tiny image is in there), and fell in love with how nicely the tiered cami and tie-front cardi worked together. Plus the model looked super-pretty in the outfit.


And of course, no real My Superfluities outfit post would be complete without baby CW hamming it up. And there she is...in her version of the "mommy outfit." (I did this, as an homage to the prior night's Project Runway--Thursday, February 18th, 2010 episode--seems to have worked, maybe not as "fashionista," but certainly well enough.)

You all have a great afternoon. Remember, too, that I still ADORE all of you even if you HATE the Crystal devoté necklace. But...here is my message of the day...try out the things you may think won't work...because sometimes they just might. Step out of that comfort zone. ;)

Fresco Tunic Thursday for Debye!!!

Update: I had originally posted this at 11:21 am, but stupid, idiotic Blogger was not publishing it to the Reader feed (I follow my own blog anonymously so that I can make sure posts publish). So I am re-publishing. I love you Blogger, BUT I also really hate you sometimes. GRRRR.

Thank you all for your votes yesterday on which Campo outfit I should wear on Saturday. I think the black turtleneck, black tights, and ankle boots combo is the winner by a landslide. Quick question...what should I do to prevent the black from showing through the sweaterdress? Or should I not stress about it?

I feel a million times better today than I did yesterday. Usually if I have a migraine, Mr. Dina will stay home and take care of the kids while I recover for an hour or so, but because Mr. Dina has had to be at home the past week to deal with the malfunctioning water heater, he HAD to go to work yesterday. Therefore, my migraine and I got to chill with each other all day long. :P

Fresco Tunic Thursday by dinagideon featuring J Crew

I promised Debye that I would wear the Fresco tunic today and I have. It is a great all-year tunic top. It was in-store only, but I have seen them on ebay. If you pay 75 dollars, it is still a great deal (I think it was over a hundred in store originally). Because it is silk, I stay warm in the winter, and in the summer, it breathes, keeping me cool. (BTW, if you own the tunic and use polyvore, you are welcome to save the item to your items, it is me wearing the top, but you obviously can cut it to have just the tunic showing, as I have done in this set.)


Sizes:
Tunic: Size 8. Don't remember the last time I wore it. I have worn it quite a bit...very versatile. Also, I should have sized down, but it doesn't look bad this loose, so thank goodness! :)
Pants: Size 8. Very, very comfy.
Shoes: Size 9.

CW is wearing baby cowboy boots. She had on skinny cords yesterday. Fashion has caught up to the under-3 set. Crazy, but oh, so cute.


Sizes:
Coat: Size 8. I have definitely worn this a lot, perfect length and fabric for most of our winter days, which usually top out at about 45 degrees.

Later on today, I will comment back on the last three posts and I will also post a review of the Icon trench (which I bought during December's 30% off coats sale). I HIGHLY recommend that if it goes on sale again, BUY IT! It is truly a classic coat. ;)

Stadium Cloth Winnie Coat (in Yellow) plus the Beaded Ribbon Front Top Equals Casual Confidence!!!

I promise I will get to the review of the ruched-waist dress from Boden, but I want that to be a stand-alone review, so I will either write it tonight or tomorrow morning. It appears it isn't close to selling out in the patterns (solids have been sold out for awhile).

Winnie Love + Bow Top=Perfect for a Saturday!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Yay...I am on this whole "let's blog about my daily outfit thing" with startling regularity lately. Wooh! Above is the polyvore of the outfit I wore for our monthly visit to Bethesda, MD. We always head up there to go shopping, hair cuts, eating awesome food (either Indian at Haandi or Cajun at Louisiana Kitchen) and various sundried other things.

I will highlight the top and the Winnie Coat today, because it seems to me you all might need a review on those more than on the Jackie Cardi (my first!!!) and the boyfriend chinos. :)


Cardigan: J. Crew, Jackie Cardigan, Dried Orchid, Size Small, Winter 2009.
Top: J. Crew Collection, Beaded Ribbon Front Top, Antique Stone, Size 6, Fall 2009. Totally sold-out, but may be worth a check for a pop-back. Great sale price for what it is, so I would jump on it if it pops back in your size. I bought it full price (but with some sort of discount).
Pants: J. Crew, Broken-in Boyfriend Chinos, Khaki, Size 8, Fall 2009.
Shoes: J. Crew, Montebello Driving Mocs, Toffee, Size 9, Fall 2009.
Earrings: (Ann Taylor) Loft, Sparkly Earrings, Sparkly Color, Summer 2009.

The whole outfit was so comfortable...the only time I worried or fretted at all was when we were eating Indian food. I went ahead and buttoned-up the cardigan and then layered a napkin on top of it to make sure that no yummy food ended up on that gorgeous top. But when I was getting my pedicure, I was able to show off its loveliness. (I want this top to be a piece I wear a lot, even if it is "special.")

The silk in the top is very similar to my Cecelia dress, so it is substantial...and the beading is very tight and well-done. It is a collection item, so that might be why, but who knows?

I am wearing my regular cami size in this top. Check out Ema and gigiofca in theirs.

I don't know that I can wear this top by itself because the antique stone is a bit pale on me, but I think it looks so pretty layered with the Jackie cardigan in dried orchid.

I had never purchased a Jackie Cardigan before because the times I tried it on in the store, I would try on a medium, and the shoulders were a bit wide on me, so I just assumed the Jackie wasn't my girl. But on a whim, and at a wonderful price of $37.50, I decided to take the plunge with this color and a smaller size. Yay! (Normally, I wear a medium in cardigans.)

If you have thin feet, and would like to wear the montebello driving mocs, please try a whole size smaller. I am now getting to the point where I won't buy a size 10 in J. Crew shoes because they fall off way too often...so I get a size smaller and then it fits fine width-wise, and the fabric then stretches a bit to accommodate me in length. Anyone else noticing a change in J. Crew sizing in shoes???


Coat: J. Crew, Stadium-Cloth Winnie Coat, Bumblebee Yellow (maybe???), but is actually Butternet Yellow...I prefer my Bumblebee version more, Size 4, Fall 2009. This was my favorite purchase made at the Arden Clearance Center, NC. Yay!!! There are no more coats in this color on-line, but there are a couple in navy still available.

The warmth factor is high in this coat, what with it being stadium-cloth, but I like that its shorter length is perfect for days when you don't need to be SUPER-covered up. The color is just that bright in person, and honestly, you could see me coming for miles amongst the sea of black and navy at the Post Office, but well, there you go! :) The sizing doesn't surprise me much. My hips are what make me a 6 or an 8 in tops. If the top is short enough, I wear a 4. This coat grazes my hips, so the 4 worked very well. The other thing I love? The sleeve length is REALLY long, and it is RARE for me to find a top that fits my short torso AND my sleeve length. So yippee, J. Crew...

HeidiG. loves her Winnie. Check her out in it here.

Have a great night (for those of you reading tonight); otherwise, Happy Sunday! :)

Happy Mardi Gras!

So this is the second post in as many weeks where I am celebrating Mardi Gras. Well, today there is no party, only a field trip to an art museum, but I had to show the world that I at least recognize today as Fat Tuesday. Mmmm...eat, drink, be merry, SHOP, because tomorrow starts the fasting. :)

I also needed to be "dressed" up for the museum but wear something that would keep me semi-warm (it is COLD out there) and would allow me easy access to pumping (yeah, fun times at the National Gallery of Art bathroom).

So there you go. That is why there is a yellow cardigan (not really the one from J. Crew, but a darn good facsimile--see that other post I did on "a look for less" for more info), a purple Emerson blouse, brown pants (had to have a neutral), and metallic avocado mocs (green). NO way was the trench warm enough. I wore a michelin man coat instead. Let's celebrate! Wooh.

By the way, turns out the National Gallery of Art is the only museum in the ENTIRE Western Hemisphere with a Leonardo daVinci. My kids in my group seemed slightly underwhelmed by this fact! PEOPLE--THE ONLY ONE. Ugh...kids. ;) At least one or two seemed slightly interested eventually.

Polyvore for this Mardi Gras spectacular? Here: http://www.polyvore.com/purple_yellow_brown...early_spring_for/set?id=6621836


On me this morning...wet hair and all. Ah, you all have seen way worse! I am wearing the proper size fitting pants. :) Finally!


Here is a shot of Rex (kind of)...he deigned to be in a photo. :)

Teacher Professional (or what I should probably wear to work every day)...

I wore this today because it is cold out, was supposed to snow, and I can't wear jeans on Tuesdays (only Fridays). I put VERY little thought into this outfit...I still like it, but it is one of those "easy" outfits.

The shirt is Nine West, bought at Macy's and silk. It is a button-down and reminds me a little of a blouse ladies in the 40s would have worn. It is also very comfortable.

The khakis are the wonderful madison stretch chinos from last spring (bring them back, J. Crew!). The J. Crew cardigan is the pewter merino ruffle-neck version from this fall. The shoes, from J. Crew (where else?) are the siena metallic leather driving mocs in guava, also from this fall.

I normally love to wear brighter colors/more colors, but my clotheshorse self needed a break! I usually get worn out from teaching (SO MANY THINGS TO DO) that I let my clothes creativity slide a little bit...but honestly, everyone does this every so often!

Also, I have suspicion some of the other teachers would like it if I toned my wardrobe down a bit...I think they want me to show up in their uniform...you know, capri pants, bland, one-color shirts, loose cardigans, and sensible shoes. I prefer to live on the edge. :) Thank goodness J. Crew brights are as out there as I get...could you imagine a punk me with black lipstick?

Shiny Casual on a Day Off!

This is the polyvore set of my outfit I wore on my day off. I actually got inspiration from "My Delightful Obsessions" blog, here: http://mydelightfulobsessions.blogspot.com/2009/01/todays-outfit.html

I changed it up a bit...but still have to give credit where credit is due! Thanks!

Here is the link to the Polyvore set itself: http://www.polyvore.com/shiny_casual_on_day_off/set?id=6205487



Here it is on me...right before I left for Costco with my brother. I am sort of surprised how comfortable I managed to be in the behemoth of a store. Let's not even begin to talk about how much I bought (and scary enough, how much we will USE)!



Had to add this pic, because my brother took such a nice pic of me and CW. Her outfit is so darling itself. It has RUFFLES on her butt. AWESOME. At Costco, I bought her an outfit with a bee on her butt and a ladybug on her butt. Does she need them? No! But will she look darling...so that is enough for me. Oh, and at 5.50 per outfit, no big deal!

I also want to mention how much I love the Picasa 3 photo editor...although Photoshop elements does more, if you want quick fixes, this is where to go. I used the GLOW feature on this photo. :)