OOTD/Review/Made by Me: Knotted and Beaded and Crocheted.

Day: Monday, February 16, 2015.

Where:  Star's Beads in Vienna for a class on crocheted wire beaded jewelry.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Dang boots had to be worn since it was supposed to snow up to eight inches (with it starting while I was in class), so I had to wear them for traction and safety.  The pants have a boot cut but were not super wide, so the pants got a teeny bit bunched at the top of the cuff of the boots.  Oh, well.  Could have looked worse, just wish I could have figured something else out (I was a bit time crunched, though).

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Meh.  The sweater deserves a cute skirt and ballet flats.  On the plus side, the merino wool/cotton blend kept me warm enough.

Anecdote of the Day:  My friend, A., from high school, invited me to come with her to a class on how to make crocheted wire jewelry.  I am always willing to give something crafty a try, so I said sure.  A. LOVES making jewelry, and is really good at it, so I knew if I screwed up, she could hold my hand a bit.  I can crochet, I didn't even realize it until I was watching a knitting video and they showed the crochet stitch, and I was all, OH THAT'S SO EASY!  LOL.  For the longest time I thought crocheting was harder than knitting.  Anyhow, it was an awesome time, and I loved being able to see my friend and make something really pretty at the same time (photos are at the bottom of this post).

French Knot Sweater.  Size 6.  At least Boden's knitwear is pretty much consistently true to size.  I usually buy a size 6 and all three sweaters I have shown off this weekend (Rainbow Knit here and Tilly here) are this size.

The fit on this one is a touch more fitted, but it is meant to be.  It is not tight-feeling, even with the cami layered underneath, though.  There is a nice amount of recovery in the wool blend that it fits and hugs properly without either stretching out or feeling to constricting.

That said, I do think the fabric is a bit thin, and in the white you can see everything below, so be choosy with your undergarments.  I wore a white cami, but if I had plans to tuck it in, I would wear a nude one.  It also shows bulges from the straps, so I need to invest in a cami with bralette that is also seamless (I am sure that won't be too difficult, chortle).

The length is nice, hits at the high hips.  The sleeves are three-quarters, which on me equals just a bit below the elbow.  They are never the proper length on me.  (Darned monkey arms.)

The French knots are hand tied, from what I can tell, and are a bit delicate, but nothing major.  The consistency of the knots is off, though, see that yellow up there, OFF!  I am just persnickety enough to be slightly bothered by it, but the beta blockers I take (for migraines!) must be helping because I don't care if I can't see it.  ;-)  The rows are very straight, so I will hand it to them on the *level* (slaps knee).

I would say to be careful with the tufted underknot on the wrong side of the fabric, though, and definitely hand wash or hand wash cycle on the machine.

And lay flat to dry, of course!


French Knot Sweater.  The sizes and colors are fully stocked.  Though the 20% off knitwear and outerwear ends tonight, you would be fine to wait if you need to wait for a better deal.

20% Off Outerwear and Knitwear ends at 11:59 pm tonight:
20% Off All Knitwear, Coats, Jackets and Skiwear, Plus Free Shipping When You Spend Over $49

Crocheted Wire Necklace with Pink, Pearl, and Grey Beads.  I am just so excited by this necklace.  It was much easier to do than I thought it was going to be, and am glad I took the time to go to the class today.  I have hopes to make one again in the future.  (But with all my sewing and knitting to do, this will be lower on the totem pole.)

I chose the colors of ivory/grey/pink to match the dress you all saw on Valentine's Day over at Fabric Mart's blog.  My friend, A., had most of these beads in her bead stash (I only bought the smoky grey ones, example of one is front center).

Okay, that's all for now!  Have a great night! 

OOTD: Making Some Maritime.

Good late Sunday night early Monday morning, all.  I hope everyone's father's day was superb.  I definitely made sure that both my dad and my husband know just how much I appreciate all they do, my dad for all the time and care and energy he spent on my brother and me (and now my kids!), and Mr. Dina for all the great love and affection he gives to our three rugrats.

I am getting around to publishing an outfit I wore a few weeks ago out with my littlest man for a jaunt out and about.  I am now moving onto trying to hang out with each of my kids at least once a week on their own.  The oldest two really enjoy themselves, because it is nice to get the full attention and not split three ways, but I am not sure how much Angus really enjoys himself.  Whatever, I like that I can just focus on him, and in reality, it feels good to be able to slow down a little bit.

The Maritime dress is really popular.  It came out originally in this blue and white version, but has since been reincarnated into many other colors and differing stripe widths.

Speaking of stripes, do check out Tabitha's hilarious take on striped clothing whilst traveling in Europe.  Turns out that the US and UK have one thing in common for sure...we think the stripes are a "do," and no one else really does. 

So riddle me this...then why do the French make such amazing striped Breton tops? 

The bits of this outfit are:

1. Maritime Dress, J. Crew.  From last spring (2011).  This is a small.  Mr. Dina really liked this dress and said he expected me to wear this outfit on our next date.  (I didn't.  I wore the rowboat instead.  Similar enough to make him happy.)

2. Double Strand Seahorse Necklace, J. Crew.  This is another beaded necklace in my collection.  I have a real fondness for these critter/glass bead concoctions.  The red beads are very hefty, and the color is a beautiful red/orange color that pops off the blue and white of the dress.  The seahorse is attached well and is beautifully painted (see second to last photo for a close-up).

I appreciated this one being on backorder.  It gave me plenty of time to budget so I could buy it when it dropped with the May rollout.

3. A2 by Aerosoles Taillight Sandals.  (Who even knew Taillight was a proper word!  I thought for sure the spell check would pick it up, but no, it is spelled correctly.)  I got these from Target for far less than they are priced on the Aerosoles website.

4. Sunny Day Shades, Madewell.  These are the cheaper version of the Selima Sun Sophia shades that J. Crew sells.  I LOVE the Selima version but I definitely don't need to spend a lot of dough on a pair of freaking red fake ray-bans.  Come on.

I bought this silly oversized clutch from Anthro on super sale recently.  I figured (like with the red fake ray-bans) that any trend like this needs to be bought on the cheap.

The oversized clutch, the Opal Sparks Pouch, is actually made by Miss Albright, whose shoes I really get a lot of wear out of...this clutch is made as well as the shoes, and even though it is excessively big, I can see using this as a fun bag to bring out with me when I just don't want to bring the big mom bag with me places.  It has plenty of room for the kindle fire, my phone, a slender wallet, sunglasses, powder, lip gloss, and maybe a magazine.  (Oh, and a size 2 diaper.  With a baggie of wipes.)
 

Close up of the necklace and sunglasses.

Making Some Maritime. by dinagideon featuring animal necklaces

Above is the polyvore of this outfit.  This would be a good outfit for July 4th (if it wasn't too hot to wear this dress, of course.)

This bikini has nothing to do with this post, but I am planning on selling it, along with another bikini set, and three one piece bathing suits, tomorrow on the exchange.  If you are interested in old school J. Crew bathing suits, keep your eyes open for the polyvore and listing on the exchange.

You all have a great night!!! 

Crystal Cardigan IRL (Casual, Easygoing Style)!

Crystal Cardigan and Stripes! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the outfit that I wore the day before we went to NYC. This was the same day that I had about a billion things to do, but because I knew I was going to Mint Condition to drop off some of my clothes for resale, I couldn't just show up in yoga pants (LOL). :) I figured this outfit was a nice mix of casual plus a bit of style and a bit of comfort.

If you would like to see any of these pieces closer, click on the polyvore, and then click on the individual items. The sandals are definitely still for sale, but the rest of the items are probably only on a popback basis only.


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Small. I really don't know how J. Crew could justify trying to sell this (nylon) cardigan for over 100 dollars. Really? It is very pretty and I love the name (Crystal Cardigan) but come on now! That is a lot of money for something that could snag if you are not careful (think of your nylons and you will get an image of how delicate this cardigan is). I saw it at the Clearance center, and *almost* got it for 40, which is far more reasonable, but the two they had already were showing signs of small snags. I waited until the cardigan went on sale on-line and got it whenever they last had an extra20 off. It came in perfect condition, and I must say, it does a nice job of dressing up a fairly casual outfit.
Top: Size Small. This is from last spring and I had to get it altered as the straps are very long and if I were to wear it as it was originally, there would be a lot of decolletage on display (and since I have very little to show off, it would just look kind of sad). :)
Pants: Size 29. These are just crazy. Bought on sale from Anthropologie, the Pilcro Low Rise Slim Straight runs REALLY big. I read that you should size down at least one size, if not two. They weren't kidding. I think I should have sized down to a size 28 because by the end of the day I was hitching up the waistband. Other than it being a bit big, these are crazy comfortable and very nice looking jeans.
Shoes: Size 9.5. These are from Rachel Roy and are called the Sian. They are very edgy for me. I thought well I will give them a try and it turns out that I do like them a lot. This is an example of stepping out of your comfort zone and finding it suits you. (Can't say that for every time I have tried it, but it worked here.) I sized down, but because it has ankle holders, and I must have one ankle that is bigger than the other (weird, right?), I had to place TWO shoe pad thingies into the ankle portion to keep one of my ankles secured. (My right ankle is the skinny one.) After I did that, the shoes were perfect.

By the way, I took this photo of myself. I have found the perfect way of placing my smaller camera (the Olympus, not the huge Nikon) in a bowl (full of toys) and putting the timer on...and voila, perfect self-potraits! No more badly focused mirror shots for this lady!

Sorry for the wait on this outfit (and the many more to come), but I have "themed" posts upcoming--NYC outfits, Mommy Style Monday #6 (going out with the gals edition), and a Summer Dress Extravaganza--so I haven't really had a ton to work with. :)

Have a great day!

Thank You, Janiece...How I Wore the Anthropologie Tutu Top Last Night...

As I promised in this post, I would pick 5 winners (or 2nd through 6th place) to choose my "wardrobe" this week. My second place winner (responsible for Monday's choice) was Janiece, and she said she wanted me to wear the Anthropologie Tutu Top I wore last on New Year's Eve.

Anthropologie Tutu Top Monday by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is how I styled it this time...note, I used the Anthropologie catalog image to help inspire me.
I liked how it turned out...I think I need to continue to play with this top because it is a lot of fun and a great versatile "non-boring" basic.


On me. Let me tell you...this was the best shot by far. I couldn't seem to make the right pose last night. Any other bloggers find that happens sometimes?

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium.
Top: Size Small.
Jeans: Size 31R.
Boots: Size 9.5. These were KILLING my feet by the end of the night...but I did go back and forth something like 4 times at the mall, probably equals a mile, I am sure! No wonder!!!


BTW, I won a giveaway myself two weeks ago, over at Chanel Fashionista's blog for her blog-o-versary. :) These Mark lip glosses and eye shadows are great, and since I am a big lip gloss fan (only make-up I were every. single. day.) this was the PERFECT giveaway for me to win. So thank you, Chanel Fashionista!!! I love them.

I will post pics of today's outfit (Winnie coat) when I get home, and soon thereafter, create the post on the ball gown (it has a lot of pics, so it will take me some time to do). Talk soon!

Silk Tiered Cami Goes for a Day Out!!!

Merry Christmas, one day late, you all!!! It has been a great couple of days, just insanely busy.

Learned a few things. My daughter is a HUGE fan of Baby Chou Chou and of the Fur Real Animal Friends Kitty Cat. My son can't get enough of his Dragon Castle and of his Big Bakugon.

More on the festivities later, but I wanted to go back to publishing my outfit of the day, even if I have almost no time to really devote to it.

So here you all go...my outfit of the day for December 26, 2009 (the other days this last week will be published probably tomorrow and Monday).

Silk Tiered Cami... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

This above is the polyvore. The only thing that is different are the pants. I was wearing a pair of INC pants from a few years ago. If you fall in love with any of the other pieces, you can link to them from Polyvore.

One thing, the boots are a DEAD ringer for the Metropolitan Leather Ankle Boots. They are not *exactly* the same in color, and are certainly not leather, but for $35 from Naturalizer (in store price), plus a "woo-hoo, looking good" from Mr. Dina, I'll take it even if they aren't J. Crew. ;)


Sizes:
Top: Size 6.
Pants: Size 10.
Boots: Size 9 (I have been fitting into MUCH smaller sized shoes lately...is it just me or are the shoe companies suffering from vanity sizing, too?).


Sizes:
Cardigan: Medium.


Sizes:
Coat: Size Small.

I loved this outfit from tip to toe. Not only was it comfortable, but I felt chic. I almost never feel chic. It was a good feeling going out all dressed up...lots of teens in their sandals and socks combos at the mall today, so these boots felt ultra-glam. I don't think anyone realized I got them from Naturalizer. ;)

Have a nice night, all. Will get to comments for the last two posts (one on the shimmerveil charmed mini bag and the one on the watercolor leopard dress) shortly. Probably not tonight, but soon...you all know I am good for it!!! ;)

Review of the Shimmerveil Charmed Mini-Bag...Plus What I Really Wear When It is Nasty Outside!!!

The sister of this bag has so many fans, including yours truly, but I have not gotten her sister yet. (Soon, darn it, soon, your "sold out" status does not stop my desire!) Reviewed by nojcrewinjapan and shannon, you can see why I am so interested in it.

Here is the thing, though. I wear a lot of bright colors and paler neutrals. In all honesty, the tweed sister would only come out to play every so often. That is why when faced with the prospect of 30% off all items at J. Crew, I went for the Shimmerveil Charmed Mini-Bag...it just suited my life more.

When all was said and done, I got this beautiful, feminine, chic bag for about 135 dollars (it normally costs 198 dollars).

It is currently sold-out, but be like me...hold strong, popbacks happen all the time.


Here is what I saw when I opened the dustbag (of course it has a dustbag, however mini it may be). Oh, swoon. This may be the most lady-like purse I own. Then I touched it...the leather is so SOFT and special.

And the chain? Extremely substantial, yet in no way masculine. The charms? Full of (well, and pardon the pun) charm. ;)

The clasp does its job well and with only the barest "hint" of a click. If a mouse made clicks, this is what it would sound like. However tiny the click, the holding power is "STRONG" and there is no coming undone once clicked shut.

This is a well-made bag, and barring the canvas interior (why not a beautiful printed lining, like the lovely watercolor leopard print), is worth every penny...even at full price.

Now can you see why I want to own both sisters??? :)


The dustbag home of my pretty.


My pretty all open and saying "hello." Or because thees ees zee Franch bag, "bonjour."

Pretty, pretty, special little charms. I think you alone make the bag. :)

Ignore the mirror. It needs a good cleaning...I know. Many little hands play on you every single day...

On one shoulder, the bag comes right to hip length. The chain keeps the bag on quite nicely. The chain makes the bag heavier, but nothing too dramatic. There is not a lot of room but I can put a few credit cards, an id or two, lip gloss, powder, my cell phone, some cash, and my keys. But since this bag is the bag equivalent of the Paris Catalog, I won't quibble that it can't hold more.

And I am now moving onto the non-charming, non-pretty portion of today's post...what I really wear when it is nasty outside, specifically when I need to go to the grocery store because we are out of everything, but there is no way to drive there because our street is an icy/slushy mess, so I need to walk there (thank goodness we live 3/4 mile from a grocery store, a Starbucks (yum), a bank, and a CVS).

I have warned you...if you continue on and want to be a willfah (my own name for trolls who leave negative, non-constructive comments) know that I will be mad. :) Just kidding. But I am still warning you.


Hat: From Anthropologie a million years ago.
Sweater: Old Navy from a million years ago.
Turtleneck: From J. Crew a million years ago.
Pants: Nike MEN'S track pants from a million years ago.
Boots: Payless Rain Boots from a million years ago.
Coat: (not-pictured) From L.L. Bean a million years ago.

Like you expected me to wear my nice clothing in the slush? Pa-sha. Not even.

Baby CW stayed home. Only I braved the elements.

At least this outfit isn't as bad as this one from March. Heehee.

Have a great day...coming later, a review of the watercolor leopard dress (it sure is pretty)!!!

Forgot About This Outfit (Overdyed Cropped Matchsticks for Anyone?)...

Hi!!! I finally have commented back on the last FOUR posts. Oops. I forgot that I had taken that long. I guess travel does that to you, makes you a bit stupid and forgetful.

Speaking of travel, I am STILL recovering. There were multiple times on the trip (Thanksgiving visit to Mr. Dina's family) where I felt every imaginable feeling possible. Let's see there was EXTREME DESPAIR on the flight down (I cried nearly as much as Rex did--we were not the friends of anyone on that flight), there was FRUSTRATING ANGER when attempting to discipline him while many eyes watched me with either disbelief ("what? a mom who yells at her child? no, wrong!") or rudeness ("why is that woman letting her kid yell and scream and cry so much?"), and the ultimate, there was INCREDIBLE EXHAUSTION after attempting to put CW down for just one minute but she screamed and hollered like I was cutting off her toes because I wasn't holding her for every minute of every day. Sigh.

I made it through the trip intact...but by the end I had kind of thrown my hands up in the air and just let Mr. Dina start making the decisions. And if you know me, you know I don't give up control very often. :) (That said...once I had given up control, I felt better. Like A LOT better. It was nice not having to assert myself...I think I may try that more often. Too bad I waited till the last day to try it!!!)

No polyvore for today's blast from the past. This is simply a look I like for summer (yeah, haha, great timing there, dinagideon).

The outfit consists of:

Top: Navy Blue with graphic floral image shirt from Nordstrom's juniors' section, probably 2004? It FINALLY fits again! :) Yay!

Pants: Overdyed cropped matchstick denim in misty lavender from this summer, 2009, J. Crew. These are a 30. They are very comfy. LOVE THEM. Also loved the price (something like $30).

Flip-Flops: Metallic Atlantic Wedge Flops from last spring, 2009, J. Crew. Size 10.

Necklace: Scattered glass necklace from this summer, 2009, J. Crew. One of my favorite necklaces, I wear it a lot! (No longer for sale over at jcrew.com, either. Not surprised it sold out...)

Watch: My old standby, white leather Fossil watch.

Have a lovely day. I hope to update my Mid-Century Mom site soon. Wish me luck! :)

Review of the Ruffles and Roses Tank and the Pearl Pebble Ring!!!

Ooh, I have like four moments to myself because I am subbing today!!! Just enough time to publish this post if I only give you the basics!!!

So, do me a favor, if you have reviewed either of these items on your blog, would you mind leaving me your info so I can later put them into my post???

Onward I go...

Ruffles and Roses!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
J Crew top, $43
J Crew sweater, $148
J Crew pants, $40
J Crew flats, $145
J Crew tote bag, $298

Here is the polyvore of the outfit I wore with the (wonderful) ruffle and roses tank and the (gorgeous) pearl pebble ring.


I think I wore this the day after I bought the tank. That is my new test of whether I am allowed to keep something I buy from J. Crew or Boden. If I don't wear it in the first month of purchase, it has to go back. This does two things, it allows me to really think about whether or not I want the item enough to wear it that soon, and it also keeps me from spending the money because I cannot justify spending money on something I *may* wear in the future. It seems to be working!

I love this tank. It is black, and the ruffles and roses get lost in this first pic, but look how nicely it layers in this outfit. I felt like I looked good, but also felt good as every piece of this outfit is made from some nice material. The ruffles and roses tank is made from the tissue material so it is nice and soft!!! I bought a small, which fits very well (I often have to get x-small in the tissue tops). It does seem to be a bit steep at $42.50 but I believe that if you wear it enough, then it is worth the money. I suspect I will get a lot of use from this in all seasons, so I felt like at least this color was worth it.

There are more colors and sizes at jcrew.com.


Here is a close-up of the tank without the cardi. You can see the "ruffles and roses" better here. See how nice this could look with a summer skirt or shorts??? I suspect I might get another color for summer when they go on steep discount (and yes, I will remember my "wear it by one month rule).


Onto the Pearl Pebble Ring. I bought it for $25, I believe. This is a size medium which means I can wear it on my index or middle finger. I wore it on the index with this outfit.

The gold color is a rose-gold color, which is a pretty, muted color, and matches well to the little pearl pebbles.

I honestly think for the price, I got a deal. I think even at $55 this is a nice ring and of a good value (its original price). I do not see it for sale at jcrew.com. I think it has sold-out and I am not surprised.


Close-up of the ring from the front. Dresses up my hand. Love it! (Although, and I get this, costume jewelry is not for everyone...)

P.S. Mid-Century Mom is updated and so is Cash from My Closet!

A Mish-Mash of Everything...Even I am Lost...

You know what? When it rains SO HARD that you can't even see four feet outside your window, it is CRAZY RAIN. CRAZY!!! That is what we have been having here in the inner-burbs of the DC area for the past twenty minutes (it is around 2:15 pm as I write this). Jeez-louise.

Onto my (LAST) weekend wear...part deux. My first weekend outfit was the insanely popular "owl-eye" miniskirt. I already posted it... Then I went ahead and posted my outfit from Thursday of last week because I like to confuse you all, obviously. I hope you all aren't getting whiplash from all my starts and stops.

I CANNOT wait until every last bit of my classroom is packed up, my grades are done, and I am outta here...anyone want to help? ;)


Please try really hard to only laugh a little bit at this outfit. I chose to put it up because well if I spend 50% of my summer at the pool it seems a bit disingenuous not to show what I wear to cover-up my swimsuits (NO, I will NOT show my swimsuits...sorry or Thank Goodness!).

This cover-up is from J. Crew, Summer 2008. So cute, right? Look at all the seahorses, crabs, and shells...precious! Obviously Rex doesn't really care for it...or maybe he was just ticked off because we weren't allowing him to do something dangerous (he always has a fit if we take away stuff that he shouldn't be playing with...you know, letter openers, permanent markers, ant spray, etc.). (We really have child-proofed our house but--and this isn't something they tell you--a lot of kids figure out the locks and things, thereby making the locks, etc., totally useless...sigh!)


Onto what I wore after the pool on Sunday...the blue, jersey, tie-front dress from J. Crew, Spring/Summer 2008. From what I read, a whole lot of you have this dress. Isn't it AWESOME? I love this color, especially...what a unique, vibrant, almost Tiffany-box color. The necklace is the yellow-glass bead ladybug piece from J. Crew this last fall, 2008. The wedges are from the Gap Outlet last spring 2008.

We were heading to church which is why I look all dressed-up.


This pic is for you all to see how sweet CW is (like you all didn't know this).

I have a picture of me and Rex that is very similar and which I had framed as soon as I printed it. When I saw this picture, I decided this would be the one I would print of me and CW to place next to the one of me and Rex. The one I have of Rex I look at daily (and hopefully will get up on this blog for you all to see), so I knew I wanted one of my precious little girl.



This is a picture of what my next post will include--the in-store only Ikat print Bermuda length shorts. This pattern is popular, but this seems to be the only piece that was done in this melon/yellow combo. Anyhow...I need to publish this pic so I can put it in polyvore!

You all have a great day. If you live near me...can someone pick me up in their boat? I am not sure our streets will be vehicle passable... ;)

Double Strand Frog Clasp Necklace for SALE on Ebay!!!

Oh, listen up, you all!!! The necklace I wore in this post is for sale (not by me, just someone willing to part with theirs).

I don't know why they are selling it...but here is my deal. I LOVE this necklace. It used to be so important to me that I would say "pry it from my dead, cold hands," but then I had CW. So I now say, "this is my necklace that will become an heirloom." To each her own, though!!!

I am Wearing a Skirt...to School...(Plus My Review of the Cate Slingbacks)!

Yellow, Khaki, and Shell Pink! - by dinagideon on Polyvore.com
I know, I know...call the doctor 'cause I have a fever. I am actually baring my legs and for work, too. By the looks on the kids' and other teachers' faces, you would think I had grown horns. Everyone has been super complimentary, but I was still very nervous about wearing a skirt. Like Gigiofca has mentioned in her blog, I hate wearing my skirts too high on my navel. And because of my "baby" fat, it is taking me a while to get back into my lower-rise skirts (and I have some darling ones). But I went into J. Crew (the actual store) around a month ago and I purchased a soft shell pink pencil skirt, in kind of a stretchy, sateen-y cotton. It was something like 25 dollars. It is beautiful. And it is comfortable. It is also not the one in the polyvore set, but since polyvore only has what is on-line, we polyvore ladies have to improvise. (Although I do own the skirt from the set in navy.) I think the reason the skirt is so comfy is because I was basically forced to buy it in a size larger than I wear (size 12--the pencil skirt's hips are tight...and I hate tight, so hence my choice). This means that my waist is deliciously loose, almost 3 inches loose. That's fine. For now I just won't tuck anything in...still looks polished and pretty.

The rest of the set is self-explanatory. The only thing that I don't own in the set is the black necklace. The necklace I do own (and am wearing) is from Macy's a few years back (you got it--I bought it on "super-sale"). I also am wearing the lovely Erickson Beamon for Target clear-bead necklace you have seen before!


Full-length. For those of you who follow Emily's blog, Champagne and Cupcakes, you have seen these shoes before...the Cate slingbacks in shell. I bought my slingbacks in shell in size 10, my normal size. I have a very narrow foot, though, and I find these shoes work really well for me. And I normally hate slingbacks. Emily mentioned that these were narrow in the footbed and I want to warn you of that, too. For me it isn't an issue, but I can imagine for some of you it might be. I think the general consensus is that if you have normal feet, size up 1/2 size. For those of you with narrow feet, stay with your normal size. To read more, go here: http://champagne-and-cupcakes.blogspot.com/2009/03/cates.html

I should point out two things. The makeup I used this morning must not have been blended in correctly because I look very pale. I will blend much better tomorrow morning. Also, I highly recommend a cami under the lighter-colored tissue turtlenecks. I am wearing a pink cami and I think it helps save this turtleneck.

I thought about belting the turtleneck, but because of my waist and the waistline of the skirt not being 100% compatible, I decided it looked weird, so I went with necklaces instead. Fortunately, my waist is still defined enough that I could do this...


Here is a close-up of the slingbacks. The shell color really is the perfect neutral for me. It nearly matches my legs and I feel like this plus the fact that they are heels really lengthens my legs. I also love the patent...such a nice sheen and very classy in a retro sort of way.

I hope you all have a great day...by the way, I gave CW a lot of kisses last night, one for each one of you who sent her 1/2 birthday greetings!!! :)

What I wore on my trip to West Virginia (THREE OUTFITS)!!!

Here is the polyvore of many of the items I wore on my trip to West Virginia. I don't have the time or inclination to discuss each item, so I will just tell you what items I do not have from that set. I have a different dress, bought from Kohl's. I have a different striped shirt, bought from J. Crew last spring (2008). The Lady Day is actually a Sybil coat in the same color, bought from J. Crew last winter (2007). The necklace is different, but looks very close to the one in the polyvore.

I really do have that Andie Bag, I did bring my camera, I did tote my laptop, and I drank copious amounts of red wine. YUM!

You can find my set here: http://www.polyvore.com/trip_to_west_virginia_in/set?id=7195152


This is what I wore to drive to WV. Or I should say, what I wore to be driven to WV in our VW (heehee). I have a fear and hatred of driving, so usually Jim drives me...I know, very, very sweet.

The turtleneck is so comfy and cashmere and J. Crew, this winter (2009). The pants are from Athleta and are super-stretchy, perfect for long drives. The shoes are from that brand Earth (not Wal-Mart but the walking shoes) and I bought them last summer. The necklace is a Macy's find, very inexpensive, but a great piece for layering. It reminds me of the cheaper version of the stone necklace J. Crew has now.


Here the outfit is with the Sybil Coat. I LOVE THIS COAT. I actually can tolerate winter in this coat...so cheery and sunny! I usually receive many compliments wearing it...I think because people need the dash of yellow in their lives.

This is the dress I wore out to dinner with Jim. We didn't go anywhere fancy, but I just had to dress up. The dress is from Kohls, and I have no idea who made it. I believe it is a juniors dress. I love the empire waist and fuller skirt--perfect for us pears. The shoes are the Jane suede flats in brown. The necklace I have discussed already, but the clear necklace is the Target find I wrote about on Saturday night (3/14/09). This necklace is Erickson Beamon for Target and I think it worked well with the other necklace and with this dress. I really, truly think I will get a lot of use out of it!

This is a close-up of the Andie Bag in flame. It is GORGEOUS in real life. I could never have spent what it originally cost, but I got it at a significant savings (THANK YOU EMILY)...and it is just so much fun. I will not go on much more because My Delightful Obsessions did an amazing review of it here: http://mydelightfulobsessions.blogspot.com/2008/10/fabulous-andie-bag.html. Suffice it to say, if you like it and you can find it, I would recommend buying it. It was sold last summer (2008).

Here I am holding the bag...nice size for lugging a lot of stuff around. It does get heavy being leather and all, but I have my vera bradley when I need lighter stuff. If I am just going around to show off, I am bringing my Andie Bag. You also see the Sophie sweater peacoat in this pic. This is the only red I can wear this close to my face (I have mentioned this before). I like the way the reds and browns all work together in this outfit. I felt very stylish...I know we were just hanging out in a simple Italian restaurant, but it was so nice to feel pretty!

No Andie Bag, but you get a nicer view of the Erickson Beamon necklace.

This is what I wore to hang out on Sunday (the day I received the best facial ever--seriously, I have never felt that relaxed). The cardigan is the Lea from this winter (2008), the pants are some Levi's that I have recently started to be able to wear again. I have already discussed the shoes, necklace, and tee. This is a very comfy outfit, and I think it manages to be a sleek casual, as opposed to messy casual! ;)

It's been awhile since CW has posed with me...so here you go. She makes the outfit SING!

You all have a great day. As you can tell, my weekend was pretty awesome...definitely making Monday way more tolerable than it normally is!!!