OOTD/Review: Embroidered Flower and a Goodbye.

Day: Sunday, June 29, 2014.

Where: Mass and a farewell reception for our favorite priest.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The outfit was very easy to wear considering how buttoned up it feels and looks.  Remember, I have to spend half of mass keeping Angus outside running around (hence the flat sandals which I reviewed here), so that is telling.  I think it helped that I purchased the size 6 in the Embroidered Flower top (here) instead of a size 4, which would have been too fitted to be comfortable, even though the measurements are technically "my size."

This skirt is from J. Crew a few years back and I had forgotten it was lined.  I need to remember that so I can wear it in the winter with tights.  The colors are seasonless and look just as great in summer as they would in winter.  (And would look really pretty with Boden's last season bright pink Ingrid coat.)

Cool Factor: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) The look is polished and pretty.  The top is trend-friendly while maintaining enough "classic" appeal to work for many years, which is fine considering how much it cost (although I did buy this one at about 35% off back during the catch of the day frenzy in mid-April).

Anecdote from the Day:  The priest who is leaving our parish baptized two of my children, taught two of them in school, help my husband convert to Catholicism, helped me start the moms of young children group at the parish, and was an all around great friend.  We are going to miss him so much.  I didn't cry, but since I know that what he is set to do is literally the perfect job for him, I held the tears back.  It still stings, though, and I look forward to seeing him when he comes back and visits.

Embroidered Flower Top.  Size 6.  Although the measurements for the 4 would have fit me, I knew that something potentially as stiff as this top would be best in a bigger size.  I was right.  It is a stiff cotton/poly organza over top a cotton lining.  It isn't uncomfortable, but drapey it is not.  It is a structured piece, reminscent of pieces that were popular in the 60s.  It held up well through the day because of the fabric, and considering it came with a warning of its delicate nature, it didn't get snagged on anything, which I appreciate, considering my overall clumsiness.  ;-)

It hits me at the high hip, which also means that the 6 was a good choice as this is where my hips get a bit bigger, the size 4 would have been too tight there, although I could unbutton the back buttons at the back if need be.  I think if I had shorter arms, the sleeve hem would have hit at a better place on my arm, but it still looked fine hitting at my elbow.  I know some ladies detest elbow length sleeves, so if you have long arms and don't love that look, this top may not be right for you.

Back view.  I unbuttoned the last button so you can see it can be done and it can look cute.  I don't need to unbutton this last button, but I love that this closure is in this top, very nicely detailed, and I can tell you from experience that this kind of placket closure is very difficult to sew up.  Had it been me, I would have installed an invisible zipper and closed off the bottom bit of the seam instead, 'cause that kind of placket takes a whole lot less time.  So if you are wondering why the high price...there you go...craftsmanship/materials/tailoring.


HAVING SAID THAT, this exact blouse (in pink) will be 50% off starting Sunday...unless you have early access to the sale through the Boden preview site (more on that in this post).  I think 50% off is a nice price for what you receive, and if you have a need for pink organza floral embroidered fancy top, then there you go.  LOL.

Okay that's it for now.  Will have more reviews over the next few days to ensure I get them all published before the big sale starts!

Have a great Thursday night, and an early Happy Independence Day for my fellow American blog friends!

J. Crew: Mirabel Dress Review!

I first spied the loveliness that is the Mirabel Dress one night, late at night, whilst pondering all the pretty over at J. Crew (you know, you totally do it, too, lol).

Then I saw the catalog image at JCA, and I was hooked.  I knew right then and there the black version with the white embroidery was all for me.  :)

And THEN Audrey Bella and dinster wore it and I was all, OMG, yes, please.

I asked my online PS for measurements, and once I could pay for it, I did.  And then the pretty was all mine.

And I actually wore it within five days of receiving it (not a record or anything, but still proves how awesome it is)...

I love pretending to be a model.  (There will be a superfluity of that to come, B & T are back...)

The Mirabel Dress does not run true to size in my opinion...I think it runs big.  The measurements I was given by my on-line PS informed me that I needed the 4 and not the 6.  The hips are generous enough to accommodate my pear shape and the top fits perfectly.  If you are a pear shape, it is celebration time!

It has pockets.  Yum to that.  I don't *miss* pockets when I don't have them, but when they are there, I definitely use them.

Word of warning: There is a slight small pooch on the front, nothing that bothered me, but if you are sensitive to that, keep that in mind. 

The cotton is a mid-weight cotton and the black is a muted black, not really dark, and the cream in the embroidery is on the yellower side of cream, and not white.

For those of you that are curious, the flip-flops are the antiqued stone flip-flops, size 9.  They were half off (but no longer, huh?), and I don't actually own any black flip-flops, so I figured, why not?  (And what do you know, they were exactly right for hanging out with friends at dinner that night, a bit casual, a bit dressy with the bling and all, lol.)

From the back.  You can see a bit of extra fabric at the upper hip...I don't mind that, it happens to me all the time since my hips are so much larger than my waist, but if that sort of thing bugs you, once again, fair warning.  :)

Isn't this embroidery amazing?  I know it was done on a machine and all, but it is exquisite.  It is almost Anthro-like in its feel.  Very special.

It also comes in a white/poppy colorway, which is now sold out.  (Oh, yeah, the black is, too.  I guess there is always popbacks.)  There is an in-store only white on white version, as well.  The Mirabel awesomeness doesn't stop there, it has a skirt, and shorts, too.

Yeah, I haven't been posting a lot lately (for me, anyhow).  It is all my husband's fault.  No, I kid.  It is only his fault if his name is Mr. HP. 

So my computer issues?  It all boils down to Firefox being faulty and to my power cord being on its last legs.  Yay!  I feel like I have realized a new lease on life for my wonderful workhorse, the HP Pavillion D7.  Welcome back, little guy.  :)

I almost had given up on even doing a Boden Autumn Preview post because downloading pics was a big ole pain in the you know what, but since my little lovely has come back from the graveyard, I was able to get them all downloaded in record time tonight, woo!

I also have put a few items up for sale, check this post out for more info. 

And finally (FINALLY), I have added a gift with purchase (over $85) to my Arbonne's website, so if you have been holding off, this may be the time for you to bite.  :)

Alrighty, hope this review helped some of you.  Have a great night, everyone!

The Ball Gown...

Date: January 16, 2010.
Who: dinagideon and Mr. Dina, plus Bob McDonnell, our good friend, the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia (heehee...I am sure he knows us by name and everything).
When: Evening time...past the babies' bedtime. Grandpa and Grandma babysat...Sweet!!! :)
Where: Convention Center, corner of Broad and 6th in Richmond, VA.
Why: It was time to celebrate the inauguration of the above "good friend," and dance the night away with the bands America (yes, the actual band America), and Amaretto (whose singers are really REALLY scarily good at doing covers of Beyonce and such).
Worn: Not J. Crew!!! (You'll see...J. Crew wasn't forgotten...they are a Virginia company, after all, but why would I buy a J. Crew gown when I could wear the one I chose instead?)


Story on the gown: I was invited to some gala or another that was basically a fundraising event for some health non-profit or another, maybe the American Heart Association? I was 23 at the time and I was like every 23-year old...pretty much poor (seriously, as "glamorous" as working on Capitol Hill is and was, it does NOT PAY WELL). I had to get a gown, so my erstwhile friend Lara and I went to a store in Pentagon City that is now a Baby Gap (funny how the stores work for me in all stages of my life). I spied this, the gown, the first time I walked in. I was smitten. The color, the embroidery, the life because of the multiple layers of fabric, the fact that the skirt would work for me and not against my hips (even at my thinnest, and trust me, it was borderline scary, ribs showing and all, my hips were always very full). The best part? This gown was not *that* expensive. Maybe 200 dollars? At the time that was a serious chunk of change, but one that I was okay with as I figured it would stay in my wardrobe. (I did wear it again a couple of years later to another event.)

Fast forward: Two babies later, I was getting stressed that the dress wouldn't fit. I had about a month to go before the event, and I figured I should just bite the bullet and try it. This gown is not vanity-sized, so I figured it may not work. I slip it over my head around the middle of December, find it easily slides over my hips (yay!) and then do up the zipper in the back...and, it FITS!!! I knew I would have to use the wonder power of Spanx just for my own "comfort" that evening (the dress did up without spanx, but I am not a crazy woman living in crazy town who thinks that miracle will include a meal and dancing).

And what you see above is the front view of the ball gown...isn't the embroidery scrumptious? BTW, this is not a silk gown, or anything fancy like that, probably poly blend of some sort, but I don't care...this made me feel special, and the best part? It is so unique...I have never seen a gown like it!


From the back...even a bit of embroidery on the upper back. I love this shot, it feels very mid-century glam. :) Good on Mr. Dina for trying to January Jones me.


And here it is with the gold Coach shoes peeking out, and the sequin scarf cardigan that I last wore here. This is a FANTASTIC cardigan, and works so well, dressed down, or dressed WAY UP!

Please note the amazing cuff bracelet given to me by the spectacular drewablank. The color is perfect with the floral design. Thank you, again!!!


Makeup: I went much heavier than I normally do...including a bunch of eyeshadow and illuminating lotion, etc. Stuck to my true self, though, and wore a whole bunch of lip gloss (mixed together), rather than a lipstick. The earrings are the free Flora earrings given to some JCAs back in October, and the headband is a J. Crew (in-store only) braided job.


I love this photo. I do wish to know why Mr. Dina and CW found the Saints game more interesting than our family photo? Hmm???

So there you go...my ball gown...I hope it didn't disappoint. I did see a few ladies with their J. Crew gowns, and they looked AWESOME, but for the most part it was very "Miss America Pageant." A LOT of sequins and rhinestones and bright blue pleated jobs. Which is cool...but definitely not my cup of tea! ;)

Accessories for a Ball!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

And because some of you may like the accessories, above are the pieces together in a polyvore.

Have a great night, all!!!

Monterey Linen Striped Skirt, Take Two...

I am not going to spend a whole lot of time talking about this outfit because you have seen the pieces multiple times and why freaking re-invent the wheel? So, check out the embroidered floral tee (I still say fireworks tee) and the striped linen monterey skirt (or whatever the heck it is called) in this post.

Perfect for a Hot Day!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for this outfit. :)


And here I am in it. I don't even quite remember when I wore this...I do know that it was very very warm that day, and honestly, this skirt is truly fantastic when you want to stay cool...

Look at baby CW right there, peeking out from under my skirt...aaaaaah!

It's raining and I am walking home...you heard me right!

So nothing fancy today because there is NO WAY I am ruining a special piece of J. Crew by walking home in the rain. That said, I have no desire to look like a complete bum, either. This is a middle ground which will keep me warm, is sturdy, and is interesting enough to say "I tried."

The cardigan is the lovely and warm oatmeal haley. It is so pretty in real life and such a nice neutral. The silver version (as I may have mentioned before) was so shiny and looked like tinfoil. I am really glad I purchased the oatmeal color instead. The shirt is one of those ring-spun ones from J. Crew last spring (2008). It has a map of Andros (a Greek island) on it. It is the prettiest shade of blue and right near the map has a "critter" of an anchor embroidered in gold. It is a very comfy, yet stylish shirt. I think someone over at the J. Crew Aficionada blog mentioned how statement tees are for teens only, but if you are in a profession like teaching, it is an acceptable look. Kids actually look at teachers longer who wear brighter colors...it is kind of cool to be in a profession that prefers colors to greys and blacks. The cords are the fantastic-fitting matchstick cords in citron. I have good news, these are about to be retired, which means I have lost more weight (whee)!

The tennies are an adidas from DSW a few years back. I am not picky about tennis shoes. My question when buying them is "will they last and are they comfy?"

Here is what the outfit looks like without the cardigan (how I wear it in the classroom). My classroom is about 80 degrees, so I have to wear layers to ensure I won't collapse from heat exhaustion. IT WAS GREAT WHILE PREGNANT (NOT)!

The ubiquitous shot of me and CW. She does make this outfit shine, huh? :)