OOTDs: Summertime Leftovers. And a Giveaway Winner!

Day: Sunday, August 24, 2014.

Where:  Day in DC at the Natural History Museum with the family.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  There is a reason why I keep buying the Garnet Hill Tiered Maxi Dresses, they are so comfortable and incredibly easy to wear on hot summer days.  This year's version is slightly shorter (yet more fitted) than last year's (which I wore here last), and while different, I love them both equally the same.

I have had these Boden sandals forever, I don't pull them out as much as I used to, but they do make their way out to see the sunshine at least a few times a year.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Pretty and breezy.  Better suited for Maui than DC, but I don't exactly live there, so I'll take here.

Anecdote from the day:  They are redoing the entire dinosaur exhibit at the Natural History museum, but until they are done, they have some temporary exhibits up.  When we were there, this live action dinosaur screen was going and you were part of the action ("Walk Among the Dinosaurs").  The kids ate it up.  I love how CW is gently holding her hand up to the T. Rex, like he wouldn't bite her.  Yeah, right, hon.

Day: Thursday, September 18, 2014.

Where:  CW's birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wish I didn't have to wear a cami with the Boden knot detail dress, but since it was dinner out with the family and not a date night, I knew I wanted to be a bit more covered up.  Otherwise the outfit was very comfortable.

I know some of you will want a little review on the knot detail dress (here on sale), so here goes...I took a size 6L, and you can see that it is pretty long, so I only recommend sizing to a long if you are very tall or if you have modesty requirements.  I may have gotten away with the shorter version, but since most of my height is in my legs, it does help balance my frame a bit.  I also think if you stand the wrong way you could potentially get the question, "are you pregnant," so definitely stand up straight, lol.  I actually never mind if people ask, but I am a weirdo like that.  It is usually kids who ask, so I just smile and say, "no."  The dress is well made and very lightweight.  Perfect for summer.  I wore it with a cardigan at night and it looked cute that way, so it could be transitional, too.

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I like this shade of orange on me, but the length keeps it from being a homerun.  That's okay.  :-)

Anecdote from the day:  The sombreros were out again for CW's birthday.  I think outside of my upstairs railing and our outdoor forest no place has seen more of my photography on this blog.  I don't go there for my birthday, but everyone else does, it seems. 

And now for the winner of the giveaway...Aimee Everrett, you are the winner.  I almost *never* enter giveaways until someone enters first because I figure there is no way #1 will ever win, even though I understand chance from my years of math schooling.  Hahaha.  Was I proven wrong--on my own giveaway--which had 153 discrete entries (after I took out duplicates and extra superfluous comments).  Aimee commented first and won the big giveaway.  Chance dictated that #1 has as good a shot as #47 and #122, but I guess seeing it is believing it.

(I even made sure to screen grab the date and time so you could see that I wasn't fudging it!)

Congratulations to you, Aimee!  Enjoy your prize!

Take care, all.  We'll talk soon.

P.S. Thank you to those of you who took time to comment on yesterday's post or email me.  I feel better today, definitely, still feel like I have a bit of an uphill climb, but most assuredly less blue than before.  Your sweet and kind words really helped make me feel a lot better!

Five Years. New Items. And a Giveaway.

Well, look at that...five years of blogging.  I am still amazed that I have kept this personal style/OMG I love Boden/J. Crew/SAHM craziness blog up for all this time.  If it were April Fool's Day I would totally tell you all that I was shuttering the doors to My Superfluities, but since it isn't, I will just take this opportunity to thank you all for coming here and reading/commenting/supporting me and mine throughout the years.  It has been a process and I cannot believe how much of a difference putting myself "out there" has made in my life.  I will probably write down the "five things I have learned from five years of blogging" post sometime soon, but for now I think I will focus on the most tangible difference, that of personal confidence.  I may still have days of worry and doubt and insecurity, but for the most part I wake up every morning feeling so much better about myself, my situation, and the future of my family than I would have five years ago.  I may have gotten there on my own, without this blog, since I am in my thirties, and most women gain self-confidence in their thirties, but I cannot deny that this blog helped my evolution.

Anyhow, I will blather on about all of this when I have more time, but for now, I wanted to share with you all two separate things...

1. I received a HUGE package of Boden/mini Boden in the mail today.  I took photos of the Boden items and can give you a very brief overview of the clothing, but do expect more information in the next Boden Weekly Review Roundup which I desperately need to do already.  I must say that receiving the package on the birthday of this blog seemed like perfect timing, so yay for that.  ;-)

2. Because I love celebrating the years of blogging with a giveaway, I will be giving away a $50 gift card to Boden.  To enter you will need to leave a comment below with your name and e-mail, plus one item that you just LOVE from the Boden spring rollout.  I can give this gift card to anyone, so international friends, don't hesitate to enter, either!

In order to enter, I would appreciate you following this blog in some format or another.  Bloglovin' seems to be the favorite, but I know that many of you follow (or can follow) through other formats, so go ahead and mention how you follow, if you wouldn't mind.  I don't need huge numbers of followers, but it is nice to see an uptick as the years go on and on...

The giveaway will be on January 30, so you have fifteen days to enter!  Usually I end them after a week, but feel like this will allow more folks to enter. 

I am paying for this giveaway out of pocket, btw.  Boden knows I love them, but they don't make it a habit of giving me gift cards to giveaway.  I just felt like I should make that clear since in the fall they *did* partner with some (much bigger and more established) bloggers to host giveaways, which did include those bloggers giving away a gift card from them, that Boden did pay for and not the bloggers who hosted the giveaway.  Being clear about this is important, since I am a Boden affiliate, as you all know, which means Boden works with me through an affiliate program.  That means I can offer you all some yummy coupons and codes and in turn Boden pays me a % when purchases are made.  They do all of this through an affiliate program which means I have *very little* interaction with Boden.

Okay, so onto the yummy goodies that I received in the mail!

L to R, clockwise order: Button Back Sweater, Must Have Tee, Sophia Sweater, Penny Loafers, and Bistro Short.

I will discuss the four clothing items below, but I didn't take a separate photo of the loafers and want to give a big huge thumbs up to the folks at Boden for making these in half sizes, since these are a 40.5 and fit my narrow 9.5 feet perfectly.  As many of you know, I have struggled in Boden shoes for years since it would often be that the size 40 would fit well width-wise, but not in length, but the 41 would be too wide and the right length.  The 40.5 is exactly what I needed, and these shoes confirm that. 

Button Back Sweater.  Size 6.  Fits well, just long enough, in a very soft, lightweight cotton/merino wool blend.  But all that aside, look at the pretty pretty print, swoon!

Must Have Tee. Size 6.  Runs ginormous, but because it is viscose (the stretchy knit type), I know that eventually it will shrink, even with careful washing and line drying, so I will keep the larger size with that in mind.  If I only planned to wear it for a year, I would buy the 4 and sell it when it got to short and narrow.

Bistro Short.  Size 10 L.  Perfection in all ways, length, fit, comfort, etc.  As per usual, the waist is a bit big since my waist is technically a 6 or 8 by Boden standards, but the bonus of buying up is I can wear the waist lower, which in turn makes the length a touch longer.  I need that with my height, so I am not complaining.  The print is so gorgeous, too, and made me smile.  I can't wait for warm weather.

Sophia Sweater.  Size 6.  This sweater (or jumper, for you British readers) runs really long.  Like it is "almost a tunic" on me long.  It's not something that looks bad, but I was expecting it to be a bit shorter.  I won't be able to wear it with shorts, but this will look adorable with the J. Crew minnies and a pair of ballet flats.

Okay, so don't forget to look around Boden so you can tell me what you would grab from the Spring rollout when you enter the giveaway.

Boden: Weekly Offers Are Back!

Hey, all!  I am literally 40 minutes from leaving my house to get on a plane to fly to CA with my brother and baby for a wedding, but the awesome pdxelizabeth let me know last night about the return of the weekly offers over at Boden*.  Last spring Boden started offering "Spring Trims" which were a set of items that were an additional 15-20% off of their normal price, but were also STACKABLE with other coupons and promos, which made the deals extra lovely.

*There are offers for men, teens, kids, and babies, too. 

This current promo can be used with my current sidebar coupon of 15% off, so that makes the savings on each of those items around 28%, which is pretty good if one of the items is on your "must have" list.

Since I am heading out today, I won't be on the internet at all, quite possibly until much later tonight, so if you have a question, ask away, just know it could be a while before it is answered.  I have such awesome readers, though, I see that sometimes when I can't answer a question quickly, someone will jump in and answer it for me, which I am very appreciative of, so thank you all!!!

Any picks from this current sale?  Would love to see what you all choose!

Here is the current coupon, but I do want to point out that the 15% is only if you spend $100 or more, so bear that in mind.  Of course this is Boden, and $100 doesn't take many items to reach, but you must have $100 in your basket to get the additional 15% off.  (Boden must be doing well this season, it has been a long time since I have seen a coupon with a limit like this.)

Giveaway: Shabby Apple!

Shabby Apple Snapdragon Dress

Hey, all!  As many of you saw yesterday, I did an ootd/review post on the Shabby Apple Snapdragon dress.  I definitely have had a positive first experience with Shabby Apple, and because I was fortunate enough to receive this dress for free from them, I thought I would pay it forward by hosting my own Shabby Apple giveaway.

(I had originally thought the company wanted me to review the dress and host a giveaway, but my bad, I misunderstood.  Regardless, I wouldn't have hosted the giveaway without having tried the brand first, so either way, I needed to give a product a try first before wanting to do a giveaway.)

Anyhow, I always do a giveaway around this time of year, so I figured, "hey, I made a promise, let's make this the giveaway for this time of year!"

Okay, so here's the deal, I would love to be able to say, "hey, choose whatever you want if you win, and I will make sure you get it," but I do have to have a cap on what amount I can spend, but I am sure you all understand.  ;-)

So, if you win, you can head on over to this link and choose any item that is $100 or less*, and you will send me all of the info I need, and I will place the order for you and have it shipped directly to you, as a way of saying "thank you" for reading my blog.

*Canadian winner will have a cap of $80, and International will have a cap of $70.  See rule #5 for more info on why. 

Here are the rules to enter:

1. Make sure to comment with your e-mail address (you can obviously use AT and DOT if you don't want spam-bots finding you), and your choice if you won the giveaway.  Let me know, as well, how you follow the blog.

2.  Please do follow my blog, either through blogger itself, on facebook, or at bloglovin'.  If you follow me through some other way, that's fine, just make sure you mention how in your comment.

3.  The giveaway ends on Sunday night, June 23, 2013, at 11:59 pm Eastern time.

4.  The winner will be announced next Monday morning, June 24, 2013.

5. If Shabby Apple delivers to you, you can enter.  Canadian and International winners will have a lower cap, though, to compensate for the extra shipping charges.  (I am sure that you all understand that, too, especially since shipping to Canada is nearly $30 and international is $40.)

6.  Good luck!

Alright, be back later today with another post. 

OMG. Boden! Limited Edition 40% Off for the Next Three Days.

ALL LIMITED EDITION ON SALE.  EVEN THE NEW WINTER LIMITED EDITION.

Plus 25% off everything else.  Wow.   I didn't think the Stella Dress was going to be mine or the Silk Ruffle Neck top, but I think I might just bite before the promo is up (can't today, but possibly Thursday, depending on funds). 

I was SURE, sure, sure, that the 30% off everything yesterday was as far as Boden could go.  Nope.  Retailers have been nuts this year with the promos, which is all at once exhilirating and exhausting.

I am currently holed up in a New Orleans hotel, with a flight scheduled for later today back home (with a stop at Cafe du Monde, of course), so my access to the internet is limited, to say the least.   (The internet has been the bane of my existence this trip, lol.  I love traveling, but I do love my "down time" in the AM and PM with my favorite internet reads.)

By the way, there have been reviews of quite a few Limited Edition items, so check out this link if you would like some more info on a few of the pieces before you buy.  Hope that helps some of you.
As of right now, I have not received  a direct link to the sale from my affiliate, but if I do, I will absolutely update this blog post with the information and direct link.  I will also update my sidebar, as well.

For now I recommend going through the link below and placing the code WL01 into your shopping bag (if you would like to participate in this offer). 
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!

I have already heard from quite a few of you that this promo worked for you and you are super-pumped to have this sale!  Thanks especially to Tweetybird2, CC, and clairenmaddy for either e-mailing me or commenting to this blog with this info.  :)

Anyone else excited, as well?

Boden: Clearance Sale in Pennsylvania!

A HUGE thank you to LaurenPhD, who wrote me an e-mail to let me know that she had been invited to a clearance sale in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, next Saturday, December 3, 2011, from 10 am to 4 pm.  :)

I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to go except that Pittsburgh is six hours away and would require an overnight stay.  LOL.  Add to that the fact that I am 5.5 months pregnant, I will just spread the good news and let all the wonderful readers of this blog know, just in case anyone CAN make it (and if you do, please e-mail me or report back, I would love to know what a Boden clearance sale is like!).

Have any of you been or are planning on attending?  

If you can't go, remember there is a 25% off all full-priced and promo items from Boden (excludes clearance, aw shucks) going on right now.  I have seen what can and will happen when Boden switches their site from regular to clearance, it is madness...some items are excluded (only to appear a few weeks later), some items sell out in mere minutes, and some items linger and linger.  If you know that an item that you want is looking like it could sell out quickly, I always advise to buy during a sale like this one, just in case.  (I plan to do this for a select few items, especially mini Boden which disappear the fastest in sale time.)

The link for that promo is below, which if you are on a mobile device, should help as it links you directly to Boden without having to switch to my main website to find it in the sidebar.
Boden 25% off plus Free Shipping and Returns!


P.S. I gained my 300th follower today! Woo! I can't believe it...seriously this is wonderful news. I promised myself that if I made it to 300 followers I would have a giveaway, so please do be on the watch for one in the next week or so. Yay!

Bonjour to Hello!

As of two days ago I was saying the five words I know in French in superfluity (bonjour, merci, pardon, au revoir, and garcon--guess why I said that last one so much, lol). As of today between attempting to keep my eyes open (guess who is REALLY REALLY tired) and shuttling the kids everywhere, I am taking the many English words I do know and hoping to eventually get my patooty in gear and spark some fire to get the many posts I have in my head actually here on my blog.

Pigs don't fly, but if I get these posts actually done with any real speed, I will be looking to the sky (where I might see this).

For now, I hope you all don't mind if I say both "bonjour" and "hello" and pretty much leave it at that (well, and a few photos, of course).

At the end I have a couple of requests but let's have the dessert first, photos of yummy France. :) (And two of the outfits, of course...)

Whole outfit is J. Crew.  More on that later.  What you don't see?  The dude to the right of me who was clearly confused by why I was taking my picture right here.  Yeah, okay.  I don't know how to say "whatever" in French, but maybe I should learn.  ;)

This was taken near somewhere in Paris near the Seine.  It was taken the first day I was there, and at this point had been existing on no sleep (the plane shook the. entire. time. we. were. flying...agh.) for nearly twenty hours.  I am surprised I managed a smile.  I am glad I went out as the weather was beautiful and I captured this shot on the Seine looking towards Ile de Cite:

Yeah, this isn't even all photoshopped or anything.  It literally looked exactly like this.  Made the sleeplessness worth it.

Taken at Chartres, which is a small, beautifully preserved city southwest of Paris.  With the toddlers we knew that we would be certifiable if we attempted to go much further, but the distance here was definitely doable. 

However, that said, within thirty minutes of this photo being taken, Rex had a meltdown in the courtyard of the Chartres cathedral.  Yeah, lucky me.  And lucky French folks.  (Who, btw, in general, seemed to actually like my kids--granted when they were smiling, etc.)

Whole outfit J. Crew.  More on that later.  :)  Sunglasses are from Anthro.

Taken in Chartes as the sun was setting.  Living in Alexandria, I am used to cobblestone streets, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate it again and again.  Cobblestone is cool.

Yeah, Rex had another breakdown thirty minutes after this photo was taken.  I began to suspect that Rex just didn't like Chartres.  He preferred the cosmopolitan air of Paris (ha, yeah, that was it, I am so sure).

And a tee-shirt!  No, this is for polyvore.  I bought a Vogue Paris mag from September 2011 (they still had them for sale at the store), and if you paid an additional eight euro you could get this tee.  I was all, "ooh, yes, s'il vous plait."  I wore this tee today.  Hence the need for a polyvore photo.

BTW, I have already published one photo from France, but since it was in a Boden-centered post, some of you all may have missed it. (And gigiofca, that bag is the Leopard Tote and it is awesome...review to come, promise, hand on heart.)

Now onto bizness.  Boden friends, I have not done a roundup in SO long.  And my internet crashed a bagizillion times in Paris, so I lost all the tabs of reviews that were to be published.  Would you all mind e-mailing me at dinagideon@aim.com if you have recently (two weeks or less from today) published a Boden review?  I would be VERY appreciative if you could.  Also, if you have any non-published reviews, I would love to have those, as well!

Also, speaking of Boden, one of my fave Boden centered blogs has disappeared.  Polly and Fiona, where are you?  Miss you much!

Okay, you all, have a GREAT night!  Bonsoir.  ;)

Boden: Catch of the Day, Friday, Thank Goodness!

You are seeing this photo because I have the internet.  Don't worry, there is a Boden piece or two in here amongst all the French pretty, the Leopard Tote I am holding and CW's adorable dress.  This was taken last night after a yummy dinner!  Neither of these Boden pieces are on sale today but were earlier this week!  :)

And it is TGIF!  How is your Friday starting off?  I am six hours ahead, and I hope that our Friday is as good as your Friday!  (But I have toddlers, in Paris, eek, so say tiny prayers, if you wouldn't mind!).

So I WAS able to get onto the internet this morning, woo!  :) Yesterday was a day I spent taking it much easier than the day before, but that was because I had overextended myself on Wednesday. My version of taking it easy was to nap while the children and their daddy went to the Modern Art Museum.  Word of advice, don't just "go, go, go" even when your body says "stop, stop, stop."  LOL.  Trust me on this.

The US site is not updated with the catch of the day, but I briefly went over to the UK site and it appears that a few skirts are on sale (including the printed A-line I reviewed here), pants (which I have not reviewed or seen reviews of), and many shoes (including the upbeat kitten heels which I LOVE).  I am abstaining from this sale entirely, in fact, the only thing I really wanted on sale was on Wednesday, of course, the one day I didn't have any access at all to the site (oh, Parade Coat at 30% off...sadness is mine!).  For those of you who got your fave pieces at a great % off, yay!  Enjoy.  And for those of you tickled by today's offerings, report back and let us know your faves!

I am going to include a link from this post to the mini Boden portion of the Boden website.  This link will also enable all users to get free shipping and returns so I wanted to make sure the link I used was able to do that, too.

From that link, you need to go to the top of the page and find the tab that says "women."  If you are in firefox, you should be able to drag your cursor over the tab and it will illuminate all the categories, one of which is called "Women's Catch of the Day."  (This is at the very bottom on the right hand side under "Style Shops.")  You should click on that which will then lead to the main page for that day's catch of the day (and also includes links to all the others--mini Boden, Johnnie B., and mens).

I am hoping that some of you could come back and comment your favorites from today's catch of the day, and which seem to be especially good deals.

Reminder...this catch of the day is 30% off selected items each day for a week. So if you see something you like, you have to get it that day or else lose out on the 30% off.  Also, you are unable to use additional % off offers with this discount...the 30% off is what you receive.

I look forward to seeing what all the great deals are, and from what I hear, my smart phone's internet should work, so whilst waiting in line (inevitable, right?), I will definitely be checking in...

Thank you all, or should I say "merci?"  ;)

Link to free ship/returns:
Mini Boden Winter Launch plus Free Shipping and Returns!

Boden: Catch of the Day, Thursday, Oui, Oui!

It is day two of Paris vacation, and I am sure that I will have had a chance to update this post, but you never know, so I have "auto-published," which means if you are seeing this, I have had no access to my blog (lol, I know it's okay).  :)

So, "oui, oui," or "yes, yes,"  I ask you again, dear blog friends to check out the Boden catch of the day for me!  I am going to include a link from this post (and the two future scheduled posts, although if I have internet access readily available may get updated) to the mini Boden portion of the Boden website.  This link will also enable all users to get free shipping and returns so I wanted to make sure the link I used was able to do that, too.

From that link, you need to go to the top of the page and find the tab that says "women."  If you are in firefox, you should be able to drag your cursor over the tab and it will illuminate all the categories, one of which is called "Women's Catch of the Day."  (This is at the very bottom on the right hand side under "Style Shops.")  You should click on that which will then lead to the main page for that day's catch of the day (and also includes links to all the others--mini Boden, Johnnie B., and mens).

I am hoping that some of you could come back and comment your favorites from today's catch of the day, and which seem to be especially good deals.

Reminder...this catch of the day is 30% off selected items each day for a week. So if you see something you like, you have to get it that day or else lose out on the 30% off.  Also, you are unable to use additional % off offers with this discount...the 30% off is what you receive.

I look forward to seeing what all the great deals are, and from what I hear, my smart phone's internet should work, so whilst waiting in line (inevitable, right?), I will definitely be checking in...

Thank you all, or should I say "merci?"  ;)

Link to free ship/returns:
Mini Boden Winter Launch plus Free Shipping and Returns!

Boden: Catch of the Day, Wednesday, a Favor Please?

Friends, while you are reading this, I am in Paris, most likely tiredly walking on some boulevard or avenue with my over-exhausted children and definitely cranky husband, but I feel that I wanted to at least schedule the Catch of the Day posts before I left for the vacation.

Having said that, I will not be around to update exactly what is in the catch of the day, which is where the "favor, please" comes into play.  I am going to include a link from this post (and the two future scheduled posts, although if I have internet access readily available may get updated) to the mini Boden portion of the Boden website.  This link will also enable all users to get free shipping and returns so I wanted to make sure the link I used was able to do that, too.

From that link, you need to go to the top of the page and find the tab that says "women."  If you are in firefox, you should be able to drag your cursor over the tab and it will illuminate all the categories, one of which is called "Women's Catch of the Day."  (This is at the very bottom on the right hand side under "Style Shops.")  You should click on that which will then lead to the main page for that day's catch of the day (and also includes links to all the others--mini Boden, Johnnie B., and mens).

I am hoping that some of you could come back and comment your favorites from today's catch of the day, and which seem to be especially good deals.

Reminder...this catch of the day is 30% off selected items each day for a week. So if you see something you like, you have to get it that day or else lose out on the 30% off.  Also, you are unable to use additional % off offers with this discount...the 30% off is what you receive.

I look forward to seeing what all the great deals are, and from what I hear, my smart phone's internet should work, so whilst waiting in line (inevitable, right?), I will definitely be checking in...

Thank you all, or should I say "merci?"  ;)

Link to free ship/returns:
Mini Boden Winter Launch plus Free Shipping and Returns!

J. Crew Jakarta. The Love.

Hi, all. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your thoughtful responses to my September 11 post. I was not sure if I should take my blog there, but I truly felt like I would not be true to myself if I just let the 10th anniversary of the attacks come and go without some reflection on that day. The comments shared so much, and I feel blessed to be surrounded by such love and trust.

So I am at the beach right now, we decided that the NC beaches were calling our name back in August, and because of our flexible schedules, decided that going to the Outer Banks after Labor Day would not only means less crowds, but also far less money. I will have more on the outfits and fun we had while here later, but I also wanted you all to know why I was doing a super quick post on an outfit from late July. ;)

J. Crew Jakarta Halter Dress, Size 6.  This dress gets the love every summer.  Gah!  The fit, the print, the cute detailing make it a winner.  Plus it fits regardless of whether I have just had a baby or if I am in my best, fittest shape ever.  Gotta give it up for a-line skirts, eh? 

The sandals are from last summer and have a darling bit of grosgrain and jewels at the toe hold.  And then, in the world of super-simple, I added the tangled treasure bracelet.  Three pieces equals summertime ease.

CW is in a handmade dress.  Of course she adores the ice cream cone pockets.  :)

It has pockets! 

I haven't had a ton of time lately to "picnik" my photos up, but I do always love how the filters and effects work on the shots. 

Another picnik edited photo.  The sun was there beyond my shoulder, I actually had no idea that effect had happened until after I took a look on the the computer.  Good timing is sometimes just good luck.  LOL.

Speaking of luck, anyone have any luck with Target this morning?  I have exactly two Missoni items I am looking at purchasing, but the on-line site is down, down, down.  They do not have me at "hello."  I actually find their little dog wearing the Target red uniform irritating.  Ha.  My son, though, wants me to get him that stuffed animal.  As if.

Alrighty, off to go to the beach.  Sunny and yummy out there.  Missoni for Target is gonna have to wait. 

Some Changes???

I am for sale over at dinagideon's other blog, Cash from My Closet...

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So I am thinking about changing up my blog a bit, maybe making it a little less "personal." Here is why...I had a comment on Friday night about how I went on about the skirt I was wearing being a size 6 and how I mentioned how it was too big for me (actually said it was too big in the waist), when (in the commenter's opinion), it clearly was too tight. Another commenter came along and quickly jumped to my defense, which was very nice...and then the original commenter apologized and made it more clear what she/he had meant. Most of the comments were very sweet and actually said they really like the way the skirt looked on me, but I still had a nagging feeling...maybe I just need to filter what I say here a bit more. Had I just said, here is this skirt, "fab isn't it?" and maybe mentioned its size as a reference point for you all, then maybe I would have avoided the comment I received. I do feel like I have spent a lot of time on this blog going on about my weight and how I really want to lose it, and every time I lose a bit more, I do tend to be a bit "woo-hoo" and all...but maybe I should just focus on one or two things rather than kind of be all willy-nilly with this blog...in order to regain some structure and avoid some of the backlash (and I do see the original commenter's intent...be proud of who I am...even if it means sizing up to an 8...which by the way, I wouldn't have done, the sales assistant, and the other ladies shopping with me all agreed the 6 was the best fit).

I guess I just want to feel that I can post here without fear of reprisal. I do know that if I put myself out there, then it is bound to happen...but if I just keep it all tidy, dry, and just the facts, ma'am, I have a feeling things will be less of a mess...

I have seen the way other blogs, whose owners lay out personal anecdotes and information, get treated very poorly by other anonymous bloggers like poop on peeps. I don't think I am in the realm of being linked to by poops on peeps, but I also really don't want to even have a remote chance of that happening.

When I received that comment on Friday night, that is what I felt like..."oh, man, this goes to show...if you allow your personal feelings get involved (the way I spoke of how the skirt fit me), then you open yourself up to the comments people can leave." (Even if the intent was in the end okay...the first thought was harsh and kind of like the ones I have seen people leave at places like poop on peeps.)

I have a poll going right now. :) I want to see from you all what you want from my blog. If you are really JAZZED by my more personal stories...then awesome, vote for it! If you are more inclined to want the more business-like end of my blog (reviews, quick posts, in real life photos of clothing on me, and just the facts ma'am sizing), I can do that, too. Just let me know!

BTW, there is an "I need to see more of..." button on the poll...if you click that, could you please leave a comment with this post to let me know what you would like more of???

Oh, and the original commenter whose comment got me thinking? I am not upset...or mad...just thinking...so I thank you for that! :)

TaDa! Post #200!!! (A.K.A. My First Giveaway!)

#1 thought of the day--I have somehow made it to my 200th post. Crazy. I hope I am still kicking for my 500th post. I think the only thing that would make me want to stop blogging is haters...so please stay away if you are a hater. ;)

#2 thought of the day--I am always amazed at the generosity of others...from the very start of this whole "blogging" thing, I noticed that people were more than willing to give away good advice, share secret deals, and mention when coveted items at jcrew.com or TJ Maxx or whatever are in stock. Then there is the whole "giveaway" phenomenon. Many wonderful bloggers happily give away awesome gifts to people who come to their site as a way of saying "thank you" for visiting. In that spirit, I am hosting my first giveaway, in celebration of these two thoughts of the day.


First, though, let's discuss what I have received in the past from winning giveaways. Wowza.

The very first giveaway I won was the Fashion Tape (shown on the left) from Gigiofca. I am such a spaz I forgot to check and see who won until three days after the contest was over. She still let me win...And can I just tell you? Fashion Tape is AMAZING. If you have a need to keep things up or keep things tidy, this is the stuff for you. It is the Fort Knox of tapes. VERY SECURE!

The second giveaway I won was by default, but I guess it counts, was the green flip-flop keychain (shown in the middle) from AppGal. I currently use this keychain for my summer fun...very lightweight and perfect just for a house key (esp. useful for all the walks I take). BTW, AppGal is so friendly she even included a fun magnet!

The third giveaway I won I didn't technically win(someone else did), but because I mentioned that I would give my library at school the book if I won, Patina Cabachon went ahead and bought a SECOND book just for my school's library (which they ADORED, by the way). (The book is on the right.)

So thank you, awesome ladies...

And so I thought I was done winning, I mean, that is three in a row...but then...


I won a BEAUTIFUL bag and wallet from Tres Tippy. Look at this! It is lightweight, fun, and colorful and by Le Sportsac. It is possibly the most "dinagideon" bag I have ever seen. Perfection. And I won it!!!

So thank you, Ms. Tres Tippy!

So here are my TWO sets of prizes...

Okay, they are nowhere in the vein of cool or awesome the way the four prizes I was lucky enough to win...but they are J. Crew socks (which I LOVE) and there are two sets of them (one set per 100 posts). If you love J. Crew socks, then this is the giveaway for you...

If you are like me, you will have to wait to wear socks (I only wear sandals and flip-flops in the summer), but I know for a fact they are perfect for fall.

Here is the kind of boring bit so you can enter:

Two winners will be selected by random.org.

The first winner picks the set of socks (seen above) she or he wants and the 2nd winner gets the 2nd set.

To enter this giveaway for the socks-PLEASE:

1. Tell me one thing you love about summer clothing.

2. Tell me one piece of clothing you most look forward to wearing this fall (and if you want, use items from the J. Crew fall look-book, I would love to hear what you love in the look-book).

3. Please remember to sign on with your blogger or whatever account name, so I can contact you if need be. If you sign as Anon, you must leave a name in your post or it will be deleted.

4. Entries accepted for through Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 11:59 PM EST. Entries made after that time will be deleted.

5. Winner will be selected by random.org.

6. I will create a post on Thursday, July 16, 2009, announcing the winners. At that time, I will ask the winners to e-mail me and whoever gets to me first gets first pick!

GOOD LUCK...and most of all...THANK YOU FOR READING!