OOTDs: Some Regular Clothes. Not for Teaching.

Day: Wednesday, September 16, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting followed by Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This Boden jersey dress is very comfortable, I dig that it is tighter without being constricting.  It also has shaping at the top part of the dress, which draws the eyes up from my hips/bottom, aka my "trouble" spots.

Outfit Details: Dress, Boden; Shoes, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day: This was the last Winesday before I left for my cruise (on the 20th).  When I got back to town, the next Winesday there were threats of no more Winesdays (NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!) and a few of my most favorite employees had received the ax, even though they were all amazing and most deserving of promotions/more money and not firings.  Stupid Whole Foods.  The Winesdays are still on (phew!), but those employees aren't back.  Boo. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, September 29, 2015.

Where:  Preschool, Swimming, Old Town Alexandria.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well, gee, I am basically wearing an adult nightgown outside, but because it is shirred just right, and not of flannel, I can wear it and not draw any suspicions.  The scarf helped keep me warm, though I ended up taking it off partway through the day. 

Outfit Details: Dress, J. Crew Factory; Sandals, J. Crew Factory; Scarf, Do Everything in Love; Sunglasses, Target.

Anecdote of the Day: I never had a preschool run where there wasn't a kid attached to me (either CW as a baby, or Angus as a baby), and wow, it certainly is freeing not having any children attached to me at all.  I really enjoyed swimming and going to Old Town with only myself to worry about.   

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, October 4, 2015.

Where:  Church.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I haven't worn a formal skirt in a while.  I felt compelled to wear this because it was so gross and grey out and felt like matching the skies.  It was fairly comfy, the skirt sits well on my hips and waist, and the tights, sweatshirt, and shoes fit with just the right amount of ease.

Outfit Details: Skirt, J. Crew; Top, Boden; Shoes, J. Crew Factory, Boden; Necklace, J. Crew; Tights, Lands' End.

Anecdote of the Day:  I liked the look, but I was surprised by how many Instagram friends liked it, too.  I never do these monochromatic/neutral looks, and I guess people were happy to see me in something other than eye-searing color and pattern, lol.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, October 7, 2015.

Where:  Funeral of a childhood friend and a school meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well I knew I would be walking to the funeral from my school since the parking is a bear around the church where the funeral was to be held.  I also knew I would have Angus in the stroller, so I had to wear comfy shoes for that, too.  Fortunately this older Boden Limited Edition dress is made of a jersey ponte, and the shoes are flat without being so flat that they are hard to walk in.  I don't wear this dress often, but I appreciate it for occasions like this, one where reverence and formality are key.

Outfit Details: Dress, Boden Limited Edition; Shoes, FS/NY; Earrings, Macy's.

Anecdote of the Day: My friend went to grade school and high school with me, and now I teach with her mom, who I have known forever.  I feel for her mom, so if you are a praying type, do send some prayers her way and for the rest of the family.

On another note, I have now seen five of my high school friends die before age 40.  I know death is part of life, but it seem so shocking to lose so many so young.  We didn't even have that large of a graduating class (~250).  

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Monday, October 5, 2015.

Where:  Very little done this day.  I may have done the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Leggings, Sandals, and a Tunic.  Yeah, 'nuff said.

Outfit Details: Tunic, Boden; Leggings, Boden; Sandals, J. Crew Factory; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day: If I had something to give you, I would.  I know I was happy it had finally stopped raining, after nearly four full days of constant rain.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, October 6, 2015.

Where:  Preschool, Swimming, Huntley Meadows for a walk, and the other school run.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I found the outfit most comfortable after wearing it for a bit.  The J. Crew Reese pants are great, but sit funny sometimes...it's like I have to find their sweet spot on my hips.  At least they come in a tall length so I can have proper full length pants.  It got really warm that afternoon.  Glad to have it, but wore the wrong top.  Oops.

Outfit Details: Sweatshirt, J. Crew Factory; Pants, J. Crew; Sandals, Birkenstock (can find them here at Amazon.com ); Sunglasses, Target.

Anecdote of the Day: I (heart) Huntley Meadows so much.  It is a local wetland/forest preserve that has a boardwalk over the wetland portion.  We always see something, whether it be a snake, a beaver, a heron, etc.  This time was huge numbers of box turtles out sunning themselves.  Every time Angus said (more like like loudly spoke), "ooh look at the turtles, Momma," they would dive off their sunning logs and go hide.  Can't blame them.  He would look terrifying to me if I was their size.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, October 11, 2015.

Where:  Lazy day at home.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I feel like I am on repeat here.  Loose fit pants, a sweatshirt, and some Birkenstocks.  'Nuff said.

Outfit Details: Sweatshirt, J. Crew; Pants, Walmart; Sandals, Birkenstock (can find them here at Amazon.com in gold and silver ); Sunglasses, A.R. Trapp.

Anecdote of the Day: My facebook feed was filled with Redskins chatter (SO BORING, GAW) or people exclaiming they had just run the Army Ten-Miler (not boring, but made me feel LAZY).  I need to go away from FB sometimes.  Better for my mental health. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, October 10, 2015.

Where:  Housewarming Party.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love how polished this looks without being polished "feeling."  The Turner pants will always be in heavy rotation in my closet (every color I have fits well no matter what I am feeling that day, weight wise).  Even with the elastic banding at the cuff, they still manage to suitable for my version of dressy.  The linen Lena top is a bit wrinkle-prone, but manages to cut a nice shape without being too form-fitting.  (It actually swings away from my hips, so its a-line shape is perfect for my pear shape.)

Outfit Details:  Top, Boden (here on clearance, I took a size 6); Pants, J. Crew (they are now available in wool--yes, I bought them in grey); Shoes, Target; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: Our minivan's battery died.  We manage to get it restarted and went to the housewarming party.  It started again after the party, so we went to Joann's since I needed to pick up some patterns.  That's where trouble started again.  No battery power.  We found the nicest person in the world to take ten minutes of her time after work (she had just gotten off) and she let us jump the van with her engine.  I need to make sure to pay that forward big time.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

OOTDs: California. 2015.

I realize I actually have a California, the Outfits, post or two, here at the blog.  I guess since I travel there so much I now have to start just naming them by years.  Of course I didn't think I would have a 2015 version, but as many of you know, my great aunt passed away on July 5, so I ended up traveling back to my birth state to say my last goodbyes.  It was a great visit, and her funeral service and interment were very beautiful, just like she was.  It was also nice to see friends and relatives, of course, and even though there was a loss bringing us together, it still brought us together, which is something my great aunt loved.  :-)

I will post the California: Photos post later, but those are still all stuck in the phone and camera for now. 

I am going from most recent to furthest in dates for these outfits, starting with the outfit I wore to fly home. 

Day: Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

Where: Flight home from CA, with three airports in between.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Any outfit is going to be uncomfortable after twelve plus hours of wearing it (barring pjs, let's be real), but considering I had this on for that long and with a very unexpected change of flight plans, with a long shuttle ride to another airport, this outfit was as easy to wear as can be without looking too sloppy.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Pants, J. Crew here; Tee, J. Crew (but I found it at Marshall's for $16--who knew they had current J. Crew stuff); Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I discovered my phone can take selfie shots on timer when propped up just so on a tall bottle of San Pelligrino (those are the shots with the white background).

Our flight plans were originally Long Beach--Phoenix--DC (National) but then the little plane set to get us to Phoenix was unable to shut its door (not good, obviously), so that flight was canceled and we ended up going to LAX (SHUDDER) to fly nonstop to Dulles (double SHUDDER).  But, meh, once on the way it was fine.  I should complain less.

INSTAGRAM of LGB here.
INSTAGRAM of LAX here. 

This is my lovely cousin, K. Isn't she super cute?

Day: Monday, July 13, 2015.

Where: Knott's Berry Farm's Soak City.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  A swimsuit, a lightweight a-line teeshirt dress coverup, and a pair of flip-flops?  Definition of ease.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Soprano (found at Marshall's); Flip-Flops, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Swimsuit (not pictured--but it's the yellow one), J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  Soak City was so much fun.  I usually am so absorbed with going to Disneyland every time I visit CA that I always neglect Knott's, even though as a kid, we went there quite a bit too.  Soak City is the water park for Knott's and not the amusement park, but that was more than fine by me.  I should have worn more sunscreen, though, my very pale skin burned.  Eek.

INSTAGRAM of the other outfit I wore that day here, definitely more dressy than the outfit above.

Day: Saturday and Sunday, July 11-12, 2015.

Where: The funeral on Saturday and mass on Sunday.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Garnet Hill's tiered maxi dress is one of my favorite summer staples (I have this version and this version, too).  So unique, very presentable, exceedingly packable (doesn't wrinkle), and comfortable to the max (groan, bad pun there).  Add a pair of sparkly, fun, casual flats, and it's a winner outfit.  Can you blame me for two days of wear?  (Well that and the fact that I packed very little.)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill here; Sandals, Target here (they are true to size); Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Costco; Necklace, tru.che.

Anecdote of the Day:  My aunt is buried next to my uncle, and whenever I go to the cemetery, I am overjoyed that their final resting place is on such gorgeous grounds.  Nestled in the hills in between Los Angeles and Orange County, it is verdant, full of light, and in a position to see the mountains to the east. 

We stayed in Downey for the visit, and my dad, though raised in Downey, had never really taken me there as a girl.  Walking around the downtown area after mass I fell in love.  It is an absolute mecca for fun mid-century architecture.  I especially adored the Masonic Lodge.

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of my cousin and I here after mass.

Day: Friday, July 10, 2015.

Where: Marshall's (where I got the tee and dress above from), In and Out, and one of my many visits to the hotel's Happy Hour.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The day after traveling I always feel ugh, so I wasn't surprised to wake up and feel a bit bloated and under, so no matter what I wore, it wasn't go to be awesome, but I figured a brisk walk (our mode of transport to get to Marshall's) would help.  I wanted to show some pride in the gorgeous palm trees of CA, so I decided to wear this Madewell linen tank with one of my favorite pairs of shorts.  The outfit was comfy enough, and got comfier as the day wore on.

Outfit Details:  Tank, Madewell; Shorts, Bandolino Blu (THEY ARE SO OLD); Sandals, Target here; Sanibel Reversible Pendant Necklace, Stella and Dot here.

Anecdote of the Day: I cannot believe how much my family enjoyed happy hour.  Embassy Suites has free drinks from 5:30-7:30 nightly, and the drinks kept coming.  The first day I was jetlagged (you'll see evidence of my fun while jetlagged in the next ootd), but by the second I was more clear, so I enjoyed it more.  By that point, all the relatives had come to town, including my once super bratty boy cousin, D.  He's not bratty anymore, more like an enabler.  I have to massively detox this week to make up for my CA sins at the bar.  :-/

INSTAGRAM of the outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with boy cousin here.

Day: Thursday, July 9, 2015.

Where: Flight to CA from VA, El Torito for lunch, Happy Hour, and thankfully bed thereafter.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made that tee you see the day before and dang, it's super comfy.  Granted it is two rectangles sewn together and made out of stretchy rayon knit, but it was so comfy, I made it work as pjs later that weekend.  And leggings, I mean, really.  It barely counts as an outfit.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Tee, handmade; Leggings, J. Crew here; Sandals, Target here; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Costco.

Anecdote of the Day: This day was fine, but remind me never to start the weekend of drinks before my family gets to me.  If I had known what they were capable of, I would have waited (I had a glass of wine on the plane and a beverage of choice at El Torito).  I fell asleep easier than I have ever fallen asleep before.  AND--I slept better than I have in a long time, so there's that.  :-)

INSTAGRAM of the no makeup Dina here.
INSTAGRAM of the shenanigans with girl cousin here.

Okay, that's all for now.  Armchair travelers, some more atmospheric photos to come.  (And for those of you interested in more shenanigans, those are coming, too.)

OOTDs: Dressing Up, Wind Whipping Style.

Hi!  Happy Thursday.  :-)  I have been nose to the grindstone, and with great concentration, furiously sewing up my son's suit for his First Confession on Saturday.  I started the project last week, and whenever I could find the time, I worked on the blazer.  I am *still* working on the blazer, but at least the shell is done, I just need to finish the lining.  I am actually insanely proud of the work so far, but I won't exhale until the finished product is being worn by him on Saturday.  Anyhow, wish me luck, and I hope that explains a bit of why I have been away so much lately.

Also, NADA is going on with Boden, sale wise, so there's that, too.  I had plans to do the Boden Weekly (haha) Review Roundup this week, but with the details I need to follow to the tee with the blazer pattern, I realized something had to be given up.

Okay, I do have a few brief moments to show off a few recent dressier outfits I wore in the past two months.  I have definitely been more focused on casual wear, especially since Rex is housebound and I am going nowhere, but there have been a few occasions that required me to give a little more effort than a pair of Turner pants and an embellished sweatshirt.

Day: Friday, January 16, 2015.

Where:  Fairly certain I went grocery shopping with the Angus that day.  This was before Rex got injured (that happened 1/25), and I saw I took photos of him fooling around the house that day, so because I got dressed up and I have photos of him at the house, I have to assume that Harris Teeter was the reason for my "dress up."  LOL. 

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I never know what size to get at J. Crew or J. Crew Factory when it comes to these straight shift style dresses (this one is the Factory Printed Shift Dress).  I always know that the bust and shoulders will be too big unless I get a size 4, but my hips don't lie and are a size 10, so that's what I chose to purchase.  That was a wise choice, but I still could use a half-inch more if I am being honest, I would prefer just that little bit of extra ease.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Love this look.  I need to wear this again before it gets too warm (ha, no threat of that here in Southern Canada aka Virginia).

Anecdote of the Day:  Angus made some cute faces when I was taking photos of him that day.  Other than that, nada.

Day: Thursday, January 22, 2015.

Where:  A friend's father's interment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It wasn't about ease that day, since the occasion called for very formal.  I am glad I had proper funeral clothing, but with the very chilly day and windy weather, I have to admit that I was close to frostbite (especially on my feet) by the end of the ceremony.  But again, more than okay by me, we were honoring a man's service to his country on this day, my cold feet are nothing to complain about.

Cool Factor: (N/A of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Again, unimportant.  Not a concern of mine that day.  The look is very proper, very put together, and in sedate coloring.

Anecdote of the Day:  I cried at one point, even though I had never met my friend's dad.  The ceremony was so moving.  I felt honored to be there for her and was in awe of how reverent the military is in honoring their deceased veterans.  And the day, though bitterly cold, was incredibly beautiful, and from what my friend said, she knows that her dad would have been so pleased with both the weather and the ceremony.  :-)

Day: Monday, January 12, 2015.

Where: Subbing.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Super comfortable, and the outfit kept me warm.  Let me give a shout out to the J. Crew Factory Harper Double Bow ballet flats.  These shoes fit well on first wearing and have been worn at least fifteen times since I purchased them in early January.  I bought the 9.5, which is my normal size.  They are great for folks who want something pretty but are also flat enough for those of us on our feet all day.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Exactly the right look for substitute teaching.

Anecdote of the Day:  Everyone loves that collar necklace from Accessorize that I bought when I went to Ireland two years ago.  I have a pattern for collars from Simplicity, so I bet I could figure out how to make the base from a firm fabric (like canvas) and bedazzle it with beads.  Hmm...

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  Hope my next post is sooner than later, as that means the suit sewing didn't do me in...

Made by Me File/OOTD: Inspired by Nature.

Day: Saturday, December 20, 2014.

Where:  To say goodbye to my friend, W., who passed away in mid-December.  I blogged more about the death here.  We went to his church in northern Virginia where they held a memorial service in his honor.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  In true W. style, we were asked to wear casual clothing to the service since W. was a casual guy who lived in fleece and jeans and boots.  W. also knew that I was (his words, not mine, lol) a "true fashionista," so though I could have worn fleece and jeans and boots, he wouldn't have expected my version of casual to match his.  I had to stay true to what his image of me was, as well as honoring the wishes of his family, so I went with my version of casual, which is exceedingly easy to wear, but since it isn't fleece or boots, doesn't get the full 5 out of 5 stars for ease since the beret, while "stylin'," does start to itch after a while. 

Cool Factor: (... of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Not really a necessary score because this outfit is about W. and not about being cool.  I am sure he would have liked the effort, and would be proud to know that I own a cardigan that has a full on forest on it, however abstract it may be.  (He was a lumberjack/nature man/(his words, not mine) manimal, so the more rustic and down to earth, the better.)

I literally spent days and days crying over W.'s death, as many of you who read here know already.  I didn't know how to process losing him in such a sudden way.  I had kids to watch out for, so that helped me get through the physical hours of the days, but the emotional weight of the emptiness inside was really upsetting.  I had this void of a good friend upon whom I depended for companionship.  He was a tie to so many things in my life, my youth, my love of things "nature," my stupid silly side that I rarely let see the day's light. 

I went through our many messages to each other and it struck me that no matter what, he championed my sewing and creative side.  He was very supportive of everything I made, which was odd considering his way of dressing up was to wear a fancy baseball cap and shoes that weren't boots.   Regardless of his own personal style, he loved mine.  So I figured one way to deal with his death was to make a dress in honor of him for the mass that was going to be said for the repose of his soul (my friend, M., set it up for this last Sunday, 1/25/2015). 

I found two beautiful quilting cottons at fabric.com, the Forest Walk print, and the Cotton and Steel Metallic Netorious Goldilocks that would work well for the vintage pattern I had found to use for the dress, Simplicity 7252 (from 1967).  I wanted the body of the dress to be a forest or tree print, but it had to be abstract, and the Forest Walk was perfect, since from far away it looks more graphic and splotchy than the birch trees they actually are.  The Cotton and Steel fabric is a very subtle silver geometric print on a turmeric colored base, and happens to be an exact match for the yellows in the Forest Walk fabric.  To add some interest, I also included a bias corded piping in ivory at the yoke base and the cuffs.

I made sure to line the entire thing in a slick poly lining so I could wear tights (quilting cottons stick to tights).

The dress sewed up well, but I did have to take in the sides a whole lot since the ease from the bust down to the hem was excessive.  It was very tent-like.  I wanted the silhouette to match the girl on the cover of the pattern, so I knew I had to take it in to achieve that.  I didn't make a size too big, btw, I went with a size 14, bust 34, and through the shoulders, neck, and arms, it fits fine (after I did a square shoulder adjustment, which is very typical for me), so I think there was just a lot of ease built into this pattern. 

If you would like to see more on this project, I wrote more about the sewing side at this Pattern Review.

I also made two small bags in the same prints for my friends who also were at the mass.  The three of us have been spending a lot of time watching out for each other in the past month and a half, so I felt like they needed a tangible reminder that I was there for them, too.  It is really easy to whip up zip bags, btw, I basically followed the instructions at this Purl Bee tutorial (with my own pattern--I wanted one that allowed for the two fabrics to be on the outside, sort of like this bag).  I highly recommend using the Purl Bee tutorial if you are ever looking to make a quick gift for someone else and you have scrap fabric you'd like to use.

After the mass, four of us friends from high school went to Great Falls, which is a national park here in northern Virginia on the Potomac river, where Virginia meets Maryland.  Above is one of the photos I took that day.  I know W. would really have liked this, in addition to being an all-around outdoorsman, he was a very talented photographer.  I felt inspired by him that day and I was glad that I was able to photograph this moment.

Here are the four of us before we set out to hike that day. 

BTW, those boots I am wearing?  Timberland Euro Hikers from 1995.  Yeah, I own some manimal boots myself.  Just don't show them off around here much.  ;-)

You all have a great day.  Enjoy the world outside as much as you can!

A Dream Realized and Two Weekend Outfits...

You all remember this post, right? This was when I officially admitted to my love of things Liberty (of London) and begged and pleaded that someone, anyone out there help me find a blouse that had (sadly) gotten away from me.

Since then, and with multiple posts on the weekly exchange "Looking to Find" on the Mothership, I have had TWO separate success stories with this blouse.

1. I have a saved search on ebay called "J. Crew Liberty." Whenever anything at all with this in the title is put up for auction, I get an e-mail. For a few months, nada, although there are a lot of very nice Liberty blouses and skirts, etc. that people are willing to sell. I also have a saved search called "J. Crew Laura," as this blouse is a "Laura Femme Fit." This is how I scored! The ebay seller knew it was a J. Crew blouse, and knew it was a Laura blouse, but did NOT know that it was Liberty. Only problem? It was a size 0. Eeek! Well, I know I have been losing some weight, and I do like this blouse as an option to wear over tanks, so I thought, "I'm going for it." I e-mailed her and the seller said she would do a buy it now. I ended up being super-excited to get it! YAY! It came in the mail, and I was shocked to see that the shoulders fit PERFECTLY and the waist fit. WOW! Then the kicker came, the bust and hips...nope, no way, no how. That was okay, as I knew I could just do the "over the tank" deal, and it would be all fine.

Then I had an idea. I checked out Ema's blog, and remembered she had worn this way back in March of 2009, and I saw that the blouse fit her a bit big, as it was a 6. I thought, "let's see if Ema wants to trade." Then I saw she would be out of town for her hubby's bday, so I put off asking her about it until this week.

2. Fast forward to the second part of this story. Ema INDEPENDENTLY e-mails me and asks me if I would like to buy the blouse this week. I, of course, said yes, but told her what I had been thinking just. last. week. Yep. Perfect timing much? She was not interested in a trade (totally fine with that, btw), but I just loved how it all came together so very nicely. I love my blog friends.

3. On that note, I now have a GORGEOUS, still NWT (a line through the tag prevents store returns), size 0 (ZERO) Laura Femme Fit Blouse in the beautiful Liberty Print from January 2008. It originally cost nearly 100 dollars, but I will sell it for $72, if anyone is interested. :)


And here we are:
Sizes:
Top: Size 6. See the story above for more on that.
Pants: Size 8. Grey J. Crew Minnies.
Shoes: Size 10.

Wore the entire outfit to church. Very comfy, yet very nicely put together. BTW, baby CW is not crying because she doesn't like the blouse (no, she loves the "fworers"), but rather because i dared to put her down to take the photo. Toddlers! ;)


Okay, onto a much, much more somber outfit.
Sizes:
Top: Size Small. Silk-Linen V-Neck Sweater by J. Crew. Love these as basic staples in a wardrobe. Definitely not my typical colorful tops, etc., but still very necessary, and often I am glad that I have them around.
Pants: Size 8. Super 120s Trouser in black. These fit tight. Very very true to size. I had to wear Spanx. They look good, though, so I'll keep 'em. Weird thing--they were more comfy when I was SITTING!
Shoes: Size 10. These are some Cole Haan lovelies. Again, a very nice, basic nude mid-heel. Definitely a necessity in any closet.

The necklaces are the Crystal Colettos. I am wearing two of them together, a lilac one and a muted green (petrol) color.

This is a somber outfit because my best friend's (from high school) dad passed away last week and tonight was the wake. I took a photo of the outfit because I know that fashion has to extend to our sad moments, too. Please pray for my friend and his family. They are doing incredibly well considering, but I just know there is an incredible amount of pain right now for them.

Talk with you all tomorrow for the next installment of Mommy Style Monday.

Wool Ribbon Ravine Dress and a Stained Glass Cardigan...Belted to Perfection!

I almost forgot that I needed to do this review. Oops!!! Thanks for the reminder, S. :)

I also have to do that gorgeous dress that I blogged about way back when...maybe I can have Mr. Dina photograph that one, in addition to the Boden pieces. (The ones I took of the dress didn't work out so well...I find photographing in the mirror is a tough job most days!)


Here is how I plan on styling the Wool Ribbon Ravine Dress...with the Stained Glass Cardigan, and belted just so. I also like the way the Metropolitan Ankle Boots look with the outfit.

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium. I went with my usual J. Crew Merino cardigan size. I have found that I can fit into size small, but when I want to button the cardi up, I go with the larger medium...lays better that way.
Dress: Size 8. It is a bit loose at top and a bit snug in the hips (but nothing terrible and certainly spanx-fixable), but I have been searching and searching for the perfect "serious" dress for a while now. The one I wore to my uncle's funeral is too big now and the black looked too harsh with my skin tone. I feel like this charcoal dress is a nice replacement, especially if (when needed), I pair it with a conservative jacket, dark tights, and dark flats. (BTW, if anyone wants to buy the EUC Target dress I wore--I can e-mail pics, btw, I am more than willing to sell it...I know what it is like to try and find that perfect "serious" dress and not finding it!)
Shoes: Size 9.5.
Belt: Size Small. It is from the outlet, but you can find one just like it almost anywhere. :)


Here is the Ravine dress on its own. I LOVE the fabric, it is soooooooo soft. The collar is very pretty and unexpected. (It is a "frayed" look, but because it is wool and not silk, it won't be a big ole mess the way some of J. Crew's frayed looks get after one wearing.)

I am posting the pics of the Campo later today, and then maybe tomorrow, I will post the Boden reviews, etc. I am substituting, so it really depends on what the teacher needs me to do on whether or not any posting will get done.

My Long Lost Desire... by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

P.S. Because I am in LOVE with the Liberty Print Fabric, I put an insane bid on a liberty print blouse over at ebay (one of my awesome blog friends found it for me). At the last second, I was sniped for $2.50 over my highest bid (which, btw, is almost twice the original cost of the blouse). In the end, I guess it is the way it goes, and really, should I be that obsessed? But, here is my plea...if any of you have this blouse in an 8, 10, or 12, I would buy it from you in a HEARTBEAT. SERIOUSLY, please consider it, especially if you never wear it anymore. Thank you!!! BTW, I will be putting this on the "looking to find" over at the JCA exchange, but I thought I would try you all first, 'cause you are my peeps! ;)

What to Wear to a Wake...on Very Little Energy...

Okay, admittedly this is a post that is a bit weird...what to wear to a wake, but after I posted my review of the necklace, I saw that people could benefit from what the heck to wear when you need to appear a very "certain" way.

I literally got off the plane from DC to CA and then with my family hightailed it to the hotel where I had about three and half seconds to get ready for the wake. Fortunately, I knew before I left what I was going to wear. The Tuesday before I left for CA (April 14, 2009), I wore a very similar outfit to school. You may remember it from this post. Since I hadn't worn it long and it was very fresh, I decided to just wear the darn outfit again (obviously with different undergarments, I am not a heathen). I changed it up, though. I wore a bright pink short-sleeved cashmere cardigan from J. Crew (Summer 2008) and the skinny patent leather belt in root from J. Crew (this winter 2008). I wore the grey Alessia peep-toe heels with this (figured it wouldn't clash with the belt too badly).

My main concern was to look nice, formal, yet more relaxed than I would need to be for the actual funeral. I think this outfit is exactly what is needed at event like a wake. (I went way more formal and classic for the funeral itself.)


Here is the full-length view.


Full-length view with the cardigan. The flash failed to fire properly, so I just pumped up the "fill-light" in picasa...that is why the image is so grainy.


Here I am with CW. She has only one piece of black clothing, so I knew I had to reserve that for the funeral, so I put her in one of Rex's old "formal" baby outfits...I realize she looks like a boy, but at least she was dressed right for the occasion. I forgot to put her bow in her hair (which definitely helps with the gender confusion).

Please bear in mind that I was EXHAUSTED when these photos were taken. The wake started at 10 pm Eastern time and we didn't get done till nearly midnight Eastern time.

I hope this helps some of you all out there who may be faced with such an occasion in the future.