OOTDs: Searching for Comfort. (Wherever I Can Find It!)

I am so not going to bore you with why I haven't published since Thursday, but I will ask you to take a look at this article on why those of us with baby are susceptible to a condition known as a suppressed immune system (you know if that's your thing--learning about stuff like that). I finally got over the nasal infection only to be walloped with a mild flu. I have been asleep in bed for the past two days. I suspect I will be going back to bed in exactly two hours. Fun!

What has helped me get through this? My Kindle Fire and episodes of Portlandia and Storage Wars on Netflix Streaming. Thank goodness for technology. :)

I have quite a few outfits of the day to get through that I have been meaning to publish for a while now.  This will be short and sweet, with just a quick look at the items in the outfits along with where I was going.  They ALL were comfortable.  At this point if anything pinches, rides up, or makes me feel like I am going to hurt if I wear it longer than twenty minutes, I nix it as a possibility.

This is one of my more dressy outfits of late.  I wore this one to go out with the family a recent weekend night.

Top: Liz Lange Maternity.  I wore this to the George Mason Basketball game, too.
Skirt: Mimi Maternity.  This has a large elasticized waistband to make it work at all stages of pregnancy.
Shoes: J. Crew Quorra high heel oxfords.  I love that these can be worn in the winter, although the cut-outs make them summer-appropriate too.  (FWIW, it wasn't that cold that night...really hasn't been here at all.  Winter was officially a no-show this year.)
Necklace: J. Crew from Fall 2009.

It was cold enough for a topper, though, so I pulled out my J. Crew Double Cloth Carlin Coat in Blackberry.

Mr. Dina's bday may have been a few weeks ago, but it took us until last week to go to dinner to celebrate (the very yummy Lebanese Layalina in Arlington--he actually proposed to me there all those years ago).

Dress: Liz Lange for Target.  This was bought during CW's pregnancy, so it is a summer dress.  Guess what?  The temps in the 60s that day made this more than appropriate, especially with the cardigan.
Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie.
Shoes: Anthropologie Schuler and Sons Chiseled Wedges.
Earrings: J. Crew Snow Sparkle Earrings.

Better view of the outfit.

I also was making a really stupid face (like I was in the last photo, but that one was less stupid).

You can see the bracelet here too (J. Crew Sunset Charm Bracelet).

I recall feeling nice this day, no yuckiness, etc.  Maybe a preschool run day?  Ugh.  Can't remember.  LOL.  I should probably just stay on top of the ootd posts, huh?

Top: Motherhood Maternity smocked bubble print tank.
Cardigan: J. Crew Soft Tee Cardigan.
Pants: Duo Maternity Cords.
Necklace: J. Crew Glass Bead Ladybug Necklace.
Shoes: Target Merona Meadow.  These are a mary jane style with a slight heel and a darling rosette "buckle" on the strap.

This was my Valentine's Day outfit.  I decided that although I LOVE the heart throb shirt, I didn't want to go over the top and "in your face" with my V-day ensemble.  :)

Top: J. Crew Tissue Pintuck Tee.  This is one of those tops that J. Crew makes that can stretch, stretch, stretch.
Shirt: J. Crew Tartan Tuxedo Shirt.
Pants: Duo Maternity Jeans.
Shoes: J. Crew Lula Bow Ballet Flats.  LOVE the Lulas!
Necklace: J. Crew.

I even wore red lipstick!

Valentine/Lumberjack. by dinagideon featuring j crew jewelry

I did create a polyvore of this outfit.  I felt it was a great mix of lumberjack and sweetheart.  {Snort.}

This was last week on the preschool run. It got up to 70 that day.  It was pretty incredible.  I even managed to fit in a walk at a local nature preserve, and after 2 miles, I felt it, but the sun felt wonderful.

Top: J. Crew Jaspe Pullover.  I loved the blue version so much that I bit on the grey as well.  I think these will be cozy comfy options for pregnancy, and for post pregnancy will be the perfect tops for traveling (ugh, long car rides and/or plane trips).
Shirt: Old Navy Maternity Ruffled Button Down.
Shorts: Motherhood Maternity Bermudas.
Necklace: J. Crew Carnation Necklace.
Shoes: J. Crew Piera Ballet Flats.  These stood up to the walk in the park well.  :)

Another view from inside, colors are more true to life here (the outdoor shot was a bit washed out).

This was worn this weekend for church.  We had also intended to go to a movie but because my slow as molasses butt was not walking fast enough, we got to the theater too late and every. single. seat. was filled up (not really, but you know my kids--as mature as they are--can't sit in seats away from us--there were only single seats left...ergh).  And my big belly didn't elicit gasps of "help a sister out," either.  LOL.  Nah, I understood.  ;)

We ended up going to Dairy Queen instead, which was a definite plus in my book.

I have worn this tunic before recently (in the red halfway down that post), but clearly it is being stretched to its limits now (but still is fine, yay for soft jersey knits!).

Tunic: Boden Terazzo Tunic.
Leggings: J. Crew.
Shoes: J. Crew Dreamweaver Ballet Flats, Size 9.5 (quickie review at the very bottom after the next photo).

I love ballet flats and wear them constantly.  I was drawn to these for the same reason I was drawn to the Quorras in outfit #1--they are summery with the cut-out/weaved fabric, but are perfectly fine in less warm months too.  (Can be worn with thin socks, if need be.)  I chose to get my true size of 9.5 and they fit beautifully right out of the box.  I have a feeling they will be a bit too narrow for some of you though...I anticipate you could stretch the shoes, though, fairly fast.  These seem to be made from a softer leather.  The footbed and sole are leather, as well, so more worth the price than other flats of the same price made from man made materials.

Okay, that's all.  I feel it would be a minor miracle if I actually post tomorrow, but who knows?  :)  You all have a great night!!!

J. Crew Reviews: Stadium Cloth Elements Coat and Lula Jacquard Ballet Flats...

I am so gonna make this a super-fast post, what with this terrible internet connection I have here in Mississippi (it was great last year, huh).

I know that many of you are disappointed by the lack of the outerwear in the outerwear promo, including the stadium cloth elements coat in nordic blue, and I get it.  That is some kind of lame promo over the past two days, eh, J. Crew?  I did decide that with today's price drop on the excursion coat (Rex has one just like it, and I love it for its ease) AND free shipping, the price was decent enough for me to at least give it a try.  I will eventually do a review on that one, too.

Anyhow, here is the review of the elements coat.  Ema did a great review of hers here.

I wore mine when I needed a very warm topper to my snow leopard/blue pencil skirt combo.  Of course I left my legs bare, makes sense, right?

Size: 4.  I received the measurements from my PS and the numbers are generous, as I suspected.  All stadium cloth coats of the past few years have run really large, imo.  I wear at least a 6 or an 8 in double cloth coats.  Maybe they give more wiggle room in the stadium cloth because they figure if you are buying stadium cloth you must live in an area where you absolutely need extra layers beneath the coat?  Here in VA, even at the coldest nights, we almost never need those extra layers, the stadium cloth itself is plenty warm on its own.  Anyhow, if I find I do need an extra layer, I just pull out the down puffer and resign myself to looking like the Michelin man as I just stop caring when my face is about to freeze off.

Clearly I am unable to button the bottom button completely, but the zip did up just fine.  Remember, I am with child (22 weeks about right now), so I have a good excuse.  ;)  I also expect that by next winter the coat will fall nicely from shoulder to hem.  (Can you tell I look forward to getting my waist back, lol?)

Note about the zipper...it is one of the double ones, so if need be, you can unzip it a bit from the bottom and from the top, which as a pear-shaped momma to be, I really appreciate.

The color is fab, and you can see it is tonally the same as the bright blue pencil skirt but less intensely colored.  I love this color and am thrilled that they decided to bring back the nordic blue for another season (it came in a peacoat last year).

From the side.  It has four pockets, an interior drawstring (which I am not using right now) to define the waist), and a nicely made hood (doesn't detach, however).  The length is fine on the sleeves and hem, and when you have done up all the buttons and zip and put the hood up, you just look serenely warm, not like you are out looking for trouble.

I definitely think if you have a need for a brightly colored super-warm coat, go for it.  Really, though, unless you are truly in love with fashion and love collecting clothes, this may be a luxury more than a necessity, but I do love being able to walk around on a grey, cold, miserable day with a divinely colored jacket on...makes me smile every time.

I bought this coat during the last 25% off promo.  It is worth that price.  $325 is a lot for this coat, so maybe hold off if you can?  Otherwise, if your size is almost out of stock, maybe bite, and be willing to return and re-buy if a better price comes around?

Anyone else have this coat?

These are the Lula Jacquard Ballet Flats, also bought as a pre-order during the last 25% off promo.  They have since sold out in my size, so I am glad I bit when I did.

I have many incarnations of this flat, as I find the fit and style to be very much perfect for any SAHM who spends a lot of time on her feet.  I bought my tts 9.5 and it fits well.  In a pinch I could have gone with a size 9 (I have one pair of Lulas in that size and while a bit tight feel fine), but I only recommend doing that if you have narrow feet.

The flat has NO leather, which I think is insane, but that poly jacquard fabric is so luscious and pretty, I forgave J. Crew.  Anyhow, the non-leather bits are super-comfortable and ensure I can stay on my feet all day, so again, forgiveness is on the offering.

Anyone give these flats a try?

Okay, so you all know, I have worn these two items with outfits, the stadium cloth elements coat is worn with the leopard harlow blouse and blue pencil skirt and the lula jacquard ballet flats is worn with the old navy tee/leopard print top and grey pants.  Both outfits appear in this post.

That's it!  Boden babes, I have a Boden Weekly Review Roundup slated for tomorrow, and right now, I have one review, which is fine of course, but if you would like to have yours included, would you mind e-mailing me at dinagideon @ aim DOT com?

Whole Lot of Snow Leopard Going on...

So without even meaning to, I wore my three snow leopard pieces in a row last week. I think my brain is on pregnancy mode and I seriously pay no mind to whether something has been overplayed in my wardrobe, especially over a freaking weekend. :)

I typically wear these three snow leopard pieces over the course of a season, usually twice each, but I knocked out the first time rather swiftly. LOL.

The snow leopard pattern was a J. Crew fabric from Fall 2008, and from what I can tell continues to be a popular one. I see the pieces pop up from time to time on ebay, and without fail, they sell easily and with multiple bids. It is a rather unique design, and with its rich ivory and black coloring, it lends itself to be a great anchor for so many saturated colors.

Wore this last Thursday to do the preschool run.  I am trying to have a pregnant belly but still enjoy mixing it up with non-maternity pieces.  Jackets are fab for this as I never gain weight in my shoulders while pregnant, so as long as the jacket is unbuttoned, I can wear them throughout the entire pregnancy.

Jacket: Snow Leopard Simone Peacoat, J. Crew, Fall 2008.  Thank you, Slastena, I am so GLAD I bought this from you last year.  :)
Top: Tissue Pintuck Tee, J. Crew this season.  I bought this in my usual x-small, because, and this is as I suspected, the tissue tees are running quite large this season, like they did last year.  I like how it flares out from the empire waist, making it perfection for the first six months of my pregnancy, and quite possibly longer, especially if I employ the lovely Bella band (what in the world would I do without these whilst pregnant?).
Jeans: J.C. Penney, Duo Maternity, Career Denim Pant, Size Small.  I wear a lot of this brand while pregnant, they have nice long inseams, with waistbands that (usually) stay up nicely.  This pair gave me a bit of trouble as the thighs were just fitting (now fit great after being worn, btw) but the band was a bit large.  Ah, well, the bella band also fixes a too loose waist, so I just hitched them up with one of those.
Shoes: Miss Albright (Anthropologie) Prized Rose Peep Toes.  Love love these.

BTW, I guess I am a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of gal.  Except for the long hair and baby belly, this is a familiar outfit, eh?

No jacket here, but I am giving a HUGE thumps up to the pintuck tee for pregnant and postpartum ladies.

Polyvore addicts, you will totally recognize this outfit from a set I did last week.  I wore this ensemble to go out last weekend to dinner with the fam, and I was pleasantly surprised when both the top and skirt still fit decently enough to wear out in public.  :)

Top: Snow Leopard Silk Harlow Blouse.  I had bought this in 2008 in a larger size for my then postpartum (with CW) body.  I had lost the weight and suddenly needed a smaller size, so when a size 4 came up on the JCA exchange, I bit.  Then, to pay it forward, I sold my larger size to another JCA.  I was thinking as much as I loved the polyvore set, there would be no way the 4 would still work on me.  Well, it turns out that the fabric has some give AND with the button back, I could unbutton the very bottom button and have it fit, just fine.  This one has since been retired, and I will happily bring it back next winter.  :)
Skirt: J. Crew Double Serge Pencil Skirt, Bright Blue, also from the 2008 season.  I got this off ebay in a size 8 and again, was slightly concerned it wouldn't fit, but aha!, if you just keep the top 1/2" unzipped, the skirt fits fine.  Again, I am retiring it till next winter, but I was glad I got to take it out for one more go.
Shoes: Anthropologie Chiseled Wedges, Size 9.  Yum and eee.  I had spied these in the catalog over the summer and really really liked how the shoe almost looked like a cool mid-century modern building.  The heel itself is made from wood and has a cut-out opening.  The leather is a printed snakeskin, which also lends it a very MCM feel.  I sized down to a 9 because I read that the heel slipped if you bought it too large, and with my crazy narrow feet, I knew sizing down would be smart.  And guess what?  They fit awesomely. (I also waited till sale time, and was able to buy them at a much more reasonable price, too.)
Bag: Andie Bag, also J. Crew Fall 2008.  What would I do if it weren't for the JCA exchange?  When this bag came out, I LOVED LOVED LOVED it, but could not even consider its nearly $500 price tag.  Yow.  But then a savior in J. Crew clothing came and sold it to me for a mere $200 (she had gotten the sale price, and passed it along to me).  Between the bright red color and the crinkly, patent leather, and the special, elaborate zippers, this bag makes me smile every time I bring it out.

I wish my hair and makeup looked like this everyday.  Sometimes the pregnancy hormones agree with me and sometimes the hormones equal baggy eyes and curly frizzy hair.  Sigh.

Here you can see the outfit, sans bag.  You can also a teeny bit of "Gus" belly here.

Shopping My Closet... by dinagideon featuring platform high heels

Above is the polyvore that inspired me to wear this outfit. I especially like madped's comment about the phrase "growing into glamour" being especially appropriate for me right now. Teehee. :)

And finally, this look.  I wore this to church with Rex on Saturday night.  Normally I wear dresses and skirts, but it was C-O-L-D and I just wasn't feeling wearing tights.

Top: Old Navy Burgundy Tee (ancient, ancient, ancient), paired with the J. Crew Factory Snow Leopard Button Down Shirt.  J. Crew factory does a lot of this, re-issuing prints in similar styles the next year.  So I bought this button down the summer of 2009, if I recall correctly.  I wasn't tremendously worried about this top buttoning up, as I knew the layer atop it would cover it if I couldn't, but it did still do up, so there was that.  (But I do have a belly in this outfit, wait till you see the next photo.)
Pants: J.C. Penney, Duo Maternity, Stretch Twill Pants.  Once again, bringing out the duo.  The pants fit well enough, but still used the bella band to keep the waistband up (I think that is less necessary when further along, and not as far along, right now my belly is kind of long--up and down--so not huge, but not high enough to keep the waistband from having issues).    BTW, if you have no idea what I am talking about, just ignore my ramblings.  Only if you have been pregnant will any of this make any sense.  I also bought these in the regular length (as opposed to talls), so I could wear them with flats.
Shoes: J. Crew Lula Jacquard Flats, Size 9.5.  I am going to do a review of these (and the Elements coat) later this week, but let me just emphasize to you all...if you have never owned a pair of Lula flats, go out and buy a pair.  They fit well, are cute as can be, and are super-comfy.  When I saw these were coming out in this darling fabric, I made sure my PS pre-ordered them (and with the 25% off, woohoo!).  They are now sold out in my size, so I guess I made the right call.
Necklace: J. Crew Ombre Maritime Rope Necklace. 

Rex is all Target, btw.  Go Circo!

There is no hiding a baby belly with knit tees.  :)

You all have a great day!  BTW, I was supposed to be on a plane to Mississippi today, but I received a phone call from Mr. Dina in which he let me know that he had screwed up...we aren't leaving until Monday.  I was in the midst of packing when he did this, so I kind of just laughed out loud, threw my arms up in the air, and exclaimed that at least I had a great head start.

P.S. Don't forget, until next Friday, Boden is having a 25% sale off everything (except clearance), with free ship and returns.  If you are on a mobile device (or even if you aren't, lol), I have included a link below. 
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Only a Few Weeks Late.

Hi, all! First thing I want to say is THANK YOU for all the congratulations and well wishes regarding my big news from yesterday. :) If you haven't read that post yet, definitely go ahead on over there. It will for sure be affecting many of my ootd posts in the near future (and many of my Boden reviews!).

Onto the very VERY delayed Boden Weekly Review Roundup...I grabbed a few of my most recent reviews, including a new one for today. I also looked through my blogger dashboard to find all the recent Boden reviews. I feel like I have missed some, though, so if you have a blog and have done a Boden review recently, OR you have e-mailed me a review, would you mind terribly e-mailing me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com and let me know??? Many early thanks!

Also, and this is important for budget watchers (probably all of us, lol), today is the last day you can use the coupon code that Boden sent out recently, either through the catalog or the e-mails. I could have sworn my catalog said this Sunday, but I could be wrong. At any rate, 20% off and free ship/returns is nothing to sniff at if an item you want from the fall/winter line is showing low stocks. I often will just wait for the big sale at this point of the year, but sometimes these last minutes sales (there will probably be another % off promo in the next few weeks) can be nearly as good as the BIG SALE and it has the bonus of ensuring that you will get your desired item. I have seen items completely disappear at the BIG SALE within hours, so keep that in mind.

The BIG SALE last winter was the first week of December, which I love because it means I can get presents for the holidays for a little bit less!!! (I expect that the BIG SALE will be the same time as it was last year, but I will be on top of it for you all if it comes early.)

If you want to use a code from your catalog, there is a box on the shopping bag page that allows you to use the code. After you enter the code you will see that your entire purchase (minus some clearance items) will show the additional % off and all items on their regular pages will reflect the new price.

Okay, onto the reviews. :)

Regular Boden for Women:

Animal Bow Flats.  I have worn these for the past few days.  I had seen them in the Fall Preview, and bit.  I could have waited to buy them, but I was glad to have them for the fall. 

I bought them in a size 41, which is technically my tts Boden shoe size, however that said I have been wearing the size 40 a lot, too, especially since Boden tends to run wide, which is NO good for my narrow feet.  These run narrow enough, though, that I had no need to size down.  So bear that in mind when purchasing, if you have wider feet, you may want to size up for extra width.

The army green color PLUS the animal print look very military and I would have returned them for another color had it not been for the adorable bedazzled bow which takes the military aspect way down.  :)

I have a lot of items in my closet that work well with this color, and have found it a versatile part of my wardrobe. 

It has all leather construction, except for a rubber bit on the bottom for traction, and its sparkly bits are nicely secured on a grosgrain ribbon.

I wore it to the "let's find out the gender" 20 week ultrasound yesterday, like that they are easy to slip on and off, so they could also make for nice travel shoes too.  I wore it with a fun skirt (circa Summer 2009?) in a size UK 14 or US 10 (little tiny baby belly is making it hard for me to do up many of my smaller sized skirts and pants, but that is to be expected, I have been wearing some of my CW postpartum clothing until the maternity wear fits better).  I also wore a J. Crew v-neck sweater and necklace. 

Mr. Dina quite likes me in my simple, funky, preppy style.  He says this look is not overdone.  Men always make me laugh.  I would say I dress 30% of the time for him and 70% of the time for me and my blog buddies.  :)  If I dressed for him 100% of the time, you all would see a whole lot more gingham and plaid and khaki pants.


Animal Bow Pumps. These also come in the grey version in the stock photo and a tan version (like my leopard tote whose review is below).


Fun Skirt. Don't forget, I also did a review of this fall's version in the black/fern colorway.  (Would you all let me know if this link doesn't work for you?  I had to pull it from a previous post.)


Venice Dress. I did a quick review of this the day I left for France. :)


Leopard Tote.  This was the bag I wanted to have for France, and am so glad I bought it.  Out of all the items I have ever purchased from Boden, this one is by far the chicest.  My review is here. 


Richmond Cardigan. Suburban Mom did a review of this a while ago, I had put it on the blog but not in an official BWRR. :)


Cashmere Cropped Cardigan. Ema paired the black version for a night out. It looks wonderful with her black party dress. :)

Boden Limited Edition:

Knitted Boucle Coat. Suburban Mom is in love, and I can totally see why!!! :)

If Baby Gus looks this darling, I seriously may not be blogging very much because I will literally be staring at him constantly.  Look at this darling baby.  Swoon!

Woodland Applique Tee Shirt.
Now that you have all seen my "news," I bet you are wondering what my pick for my darling little man will be from this fall/winter season.  Seeing as how we are naming him a revered Scottish name, we figure we need something uniquely British Isles, so we picked a tee with a hedgehog on it.  :)  You had better believe my little guy will be all kitted out in the best baby Boden has to offer.   (To see the adorable hedgehog version, click on the stock photo, although I must say that moose one is pretty cute, too!)

Okay, all, have a great night.  :)  Talk soon!

Cherry Blossom Times Three!

I am sort of addicted now to the cherry blossom print, a GORGEOUS J. Crew print that came out in the spring of 2008.

It was a slow burn to say the least.  I actually have owned the Cherry Blossom Lucaya Espadrilles for almost two years now, in fact I purchased them for $10 at Rugged Wearhouse, which is a local store much like TJ Maxx or Ross, in that it sells overstock.  I just couldn't seem to find a reason to wear it...

I know, I know, kind of lame.  LOL.

Then I saw the wonderful Cherry Blossom dress modeled on shopwithm.  I didn't know if I would find her exact dress, but she, like me, loves the ebay, so I thought I would give it a try.  And lo and behold, a seller was selling a factory version of the retail dress that shopwithm owned.  I ended up winning the auction, and now am the proud owner of the very pretty Cherry Blossom print dress.

I even added to my own cherry blossom fervor (I live in the DC area, I guess I should just accept my fate) and bought the Cherry Blossom necklace when it dipped down to nearly *HALF* of its original cost (love the extra 30% off sales).  I had loved it styled in the catalogs, so to get it for half off felt like the best score!

Finally, just two days ago, I won an auction for the cherry blossom cafe capri pants (the actual retail version, too!) for $15!  YAY!  :)  Cannot wait to model these!

Anyhow, onto the pretty!

J. Crew Factory Cherry Blossom Print Dress, Size 6, Cotton.  It has pockets that are on the front (as opposed to stitched into the seam which is what the retail version has).  The cotton works better for my summer lifestyle, and I have a lot of success with these factory shift dresses, and probably own five of this style.  I don't think I will be hunting for the silk retail version, this one is just fine by me! :)

The shoes are the current retail leather ballet flats.  This poppy color is a very vibrant tomato red and is exactly the right shoe for this dress.  Score!

Close up of the print.  Definitely more muddied than the retail, but still very pretty!

The collar also has no buttons, the tailoring (or lack thereof) is probably what makes this factory.  The retail version clearly has more detail and fine features. 

That said, if you can find this factory version on ebay, go for it!  (And polyvore peeps, I have a pic of it saved!)

This is the outfit that features the cherry blossom necklace.  I wanted to highlight its prettiness, so I chose to wear it last week with the very preppy and perfect for summer heat Land's End Dobby Dress (that I found at Sears!).

The dress is a size 4, and I highly HIGHLY recommend that if you have a smaller bustline to size way down.  I wear a 6 in most J. Crew dresses, sometimes an 8, so I am either down one or two sizes.  The hips are free, so even those of us (lucky) pear-shaped ladies should be in our smallest size.  Unfortunately, Land's End's smallest size is a 2 petite, so many of you will be sized out...but on the other side, this dress goes up into many of the women's sizes, so if you love the prep and get angry at J. Crew for not having anything above size 14, this company may suit your prep desire.  :)  Very very cute stuff!

The shoes are the Lula Ballet Flats in the Liberty print fabric from this spring.  I jumped on these when they went on super sale, with an additional 20% off.  These are so COMFORTABLE.  Highly recommend these flats for comfort.  I am wearing my tts 9.5 in these.

The necklace will be reviewed in a few photos (there's a close-up).

Hands on hip.  This dress has phenomenal drape and the waist sash is a nice touch and really emphasizes the waist perfectly.

This dress is very mid-century Mom, yes???

From the back you can see why, even on me, the dress runs fairly large.  The bodice is pretty loose and the straps are a bit long, so bear that in mind if you buy this dress.

Black and white pic.  The necklace in b&w looks really unique and special. 

Close-up of the cherry blossom necklace in color.  The necklace is not a delicate thing, is it?  In other words, it is so my style.  Love the statement necklace and the beautiful, contrasting pave-style cherry blossom flowers make this necklace truly a conversation piece.  It is heavy, too, so keep that in mind.  Definitely worth it at $75 (and for sure $60), maybe not $150...

CW and I were going to her dance class that morning.  Her ballet costume (with tutu) is so darling.  Obviously we are practicing in this shot.  My dad is going to love this shot.  :)  (Yes, dad, I will make you a copy!)

Old School J. Crew and Cherry Blossoms... by dinagideon featuring chain bracelets

Above is the polyvore of the outfit I am wearing below.  This shirtdress may be familiar to you old timey J. Crew fans.  :)  It is from Spring 2007 and was from back when the Crew went boating on a regular basis in Italy (it was in the Capri catalog--February 2007).

Dress is not my hubby's favorite.  He far prefers more fitted and shorter.  (Aw, shucks, Mr. Dina, no sister wife fashion love???)  I love this dress and will always wear it, regardless.

That said, I did buy it at a larger, postpartum size (bought when Rex was a few months old), and maybe I would do better with a four or six, but until I find the right size on ebay or the exchange, I will continue to wear this size 8 chestnut stripe version (it also came in a light blue stripe).

It has pockets, love that.  The dress also has a sash (like the Land's End one) but it looked boring that way, so I took my hot pink skinny leather belt (size small) and used that instead.

The shoes are the cherry blossom here, the Lucaya Espadrilles.  They are in a size 9, which is 1/2 size smaller than I normally wear, but it was fine, maybe a millimeter too short, but nothing crazy.

Hand on hip, being all sassy.

You all have a great day.  I want to thank each and every single one of you for reading my blog.  I know I have been kind of busy lately, and not commenting very often, or commenting back, but I am reading other blogs (and enjoying the posts), and I am reading all comments that come to this blog.  You all rock!  Once this week is done (Rex has his last day of preschool on Thursday), I will have more time (gotta love that!).

P.S. If you have a Boden review for me, would you mind e-mailing me by tomorrow?  I plan to have the Boden Weekly Review Roundup published by late afternoon!  THANK YOU!


P.P.S. I have found the fresco cardigan that I so love in a smaller size! (The medium I had was a tad bit too big and loose.) So I have decided to sell the medium, below is the polyvore with info on that...

Fresco Cardigan! by dinagideon featuring a j crew cardigan