OOTDs: Rest of Georgia on My Mind.

Day: Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Where: Atlanta to visit the World of Coke Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Varsity for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) God bless you, Garnet Hill.  I can always count on them to make jersey dresses that are sublimely comfortable, beautifully made, and in gorgeous bright colors and patterns.  The Born sandals I have had for years and I finally realized that I had to bring the straps in a notch, which made them fit my narrow foot better.  I wish that lightbulb moment had occurred earlier.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill (find this version from last year and this year's version here, I have bought the navy floral from the current year and have plans to wear it soon); Sandals, Born, but there is a similar style from Clarks available at Amazon.com here; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: Two things! 1. At the World of Coke, they have this amazing tasting room with all the flavors of soda throughout the world.  I am not really a soda person (though I was as a kid), but it was a blast trying them all out.  My favorite from when I was a child in Germany was there, Mezzo Mix (I also drank Spezi, which is similar), I was giddy with excitement over remembering it.  It is now my mission to find it at the German Gourmet store up the road from my house. 2. We took the kids to the dolphin show at the Georgia Aquarium and since I have never seen dolphins up close, I didn't know what to expect.  Although the show was super cheesy (it was bordering on Stilton, you all), I get the love dolphins get now, they are pretty darn magical creatures.

INSTAGRAM HERE (outfit).
INSTAGRAM HERE (day in Atlanta).

Day: Thursday, June 18, 2015.

Where:  Watch the movie Inside Out.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It's made by me for both my husband and me, so I would think his would also be a 4.5.  (You can read more on that sewing adventure here at my blog post for Fabric Mart's blog, where I am a regular contributor.)  I always find sitting in movie theaters in a dress is weird, but overall not an uncomfortable night.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade from this Japanese Pattern Book (you can find a copy of it at Amazon.com); Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Target; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: So there are volcanoes on our clothes (Mt. Fuji to be precise), and the intro cartoon before Inside Out was called "Lava," about a lonely volcano singing about wanting to find his Lava Love.  It was such a sweet little cartoon and I felt it was serendipitous we wore these clothes that night.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE and HERE.

Day: Friday, June 19, 2015.

Where: Steak and Shake. Yes, I dressed up for Steak and Shake.  :-)  Earlier in the day I had been at a pond/pool in Cohutta, GA. 

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I love this dress.  I actually decided to get the blue version of this dress (similar pattern but not the same), I love it that much.  It is a touch short, but I wear enough conservative dresses otherwise, it is nice to let my legs out from time to time.  I wore this one a few weeks back, btw.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Target here (the version I am wearing in this post is here and the version I just purchased is here); Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:

INSTAGRAM HERE (outfit).
INSTAGRAM HERE (day at pool).

Day: Saturday, June 20, 2015.

Where: Drive home from Georgia to Virginia.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I was comfortable enough, but it is really hard to be comfortable in anything when sitting in a car for twelve hours straight.  The Turner pants do well considering.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Turner Pants, J. Crew here; Top, Zara; Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  You all probably think my Steak and Shake obsession is weird, but my husband adores something even weirder, Krystal.  Most southerners will understand, either with me in my "ugh, more Krystal," or with my husband in the "OOOOH, Krystal."  Krystal serves these steamed burgers and hot dogs and fries, and while it's *okay,* that's kind of low praise from me considering I'll eat almost anything.  Anyhow, Mr. Dina HAS to get at least one last meal at Krystal before we leave Tennessee, so we always have to stop right outside of Knoxville to grab his grub.

Their sweet tea is awesome, though!

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's all for now.  I am so glad I was able to write this post up.  Our internet has been really spotty since getting home, and since I can't blog from my phone (I mean maybe I could, but no thank you, very very much), I have been unable to do much.  It should be fixed up real soon.

You all have a great Monday night!

OOTDs: Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia. In Reverse.

Day: Tuesday, June 16, 2015.

Where:  Haircut with my sister-in-law, niece, and daughter, here in Georgia.  Apparently I only cut my hair away from home.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This Boden casual weekend dress I bought last year and I fell in love with it then, and still love it now.  They have the same style this year, but none of the colors spoke to me, so I just said no this time 'round.  Had they had a pattern I really loved, I would have probably gotten another one.  The pockets are the best, and it is so soft. 

You have already seen these sandals on me before, but they really are quite a buy.  Target did good.  The original review of them is here.  I am very glad I brought these with me on vacation.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden (find this year's version here); Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Madewell here.

Anecdote of the Day: I got sick in North Carolina (food poisoning) and haven't been able to eat much since the incident, so to get calories, both Monday lunch and Tuesday lunch I ate milkshakes.  Well, half a milkshake each day.  It is a sad day when a milkshake, half-drunk, gets passed to a husband to be finished off.  :-(  On the plus side, I usually gain a couple pounds on vacation (hello, yummy Steak and Shake!), but this time I will probably not have to worry about that.  

INSTAGRAM HERE.
INSTAGRAM OF OUR HAIRCUTS HERE.

Day: Sunday, June 14, 2015.

Where:  Church and a Mexican restaurant.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made these dresses for both CW and me for a Fabric Mart blog post back in May.  If you are interested in the construction, fabric, or thought process that went into these, definitely check out that blog post.  (Also check out my latest make--a button-up shirt for my husband for Father's Day--yeah, he got it early!)

They are Lilly Pulitzer inspired, you are not imagining it.  The fabric turned out to be actual Lilly fabric from the summer of 2014, and you better believe I was thrilled to find it and buy enough yardage to make the two dresses (and have a touch left over for an American Girl dress).

I used a vintage pattern for my dress, and while it fits fine, I feel like I should have shortened the torso since I feel like the extra length there puts a narrower bit of the dress's body at my larger hipline.  The next time I make it up, I will shorten it by an inch at the bodice and lengthen it by an inch at the hem to make up the difference.

Because I made the dress for me to my needs, it is long enough for church, and even though it is not as loose as I would like it at the hips, it still fits great.  Most actual Lilly dresses are too short AND too tight in the hips.  I rarely purchase Lilly Pulitzer for myself because of that.  (The only one I have, in fact, is an altered size 10 dress I found at a consignment shop, its bodice is much smaller than a size 10, but the hips are still the larger size 10.)

I wish I had a different pair of shoes to wear with this dress, but since we are on vacation, we are limited in our choices, and no one threw things at me because I dared to wear Birkenstocks with "Lilly."  In fact, if I am being honest, I kind of think it looks cute together.  Kind of 1960s Palm Beach.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade; Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com.

Anecdote of the Day: The Mexican restaurant we went to that day is the restaurant that made me sick.  I forgive them as they have never made me sick before, but dang, what a vacation bummer, you know?  

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, June 14, 2015.

Where:  Mellow Mushroom and downtown Greensboro.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  We had driven the whole day after being at Rex's baseball game early in the morning, so no matter what I wore, I was going to feel not the best.  Considering all that, though, the comfort level was pretty high.  These Bistro shorts are from last year, but this year's versions have some cute designs.  One thing to note about this year's version is that the long is a very long inseam, at 9 inches, I think they added 2 extra inches to their inseam from last year.  I don't mind the extra length, but I think seven inches makes them more casual and easier to style.  In fact, because of the extra length, I haven't worn them yet since I am still a bit stumped on how to wear them and not look too frumpy.

The shoes are awesome, duh, lol, I already loved on them in the above outfits.  The tee is from American Apparel and while it's cute, it is very thin fabric and required both a cami and a bra.  That's a lot of coverage for someone who is not especially well-endowed.

Outfit Details:  Tee, American Apparel; Shorts, Boden here; Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day: I point a lot in my photos.  I don't know why I do that.  It's weird.  And sometimes when I point, I think I am pointing at what I should be pointing at (this time yummy drink), but instead I am pointing at something I didn't even know was in the background, this time the waiter putting an order into his till.  It looks like I am pretty excited by him doing that instead of the amazing drink I received.  Hee.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, June 12, 2015.

Where:  Last Day of School! YES!

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  How did this knot detail dress get so long?  I mean seriously?  Last year it wasn't this long (three inches below my knees) but this year it is.  It grew!  I don't want it to be that long, so I dinged the points on ease down.  The outfit, though, is seriously very comfortable. 

And though I am not usually a Birkenstock fan, I guess I have changed my tune.  I guess I was so oversaturated with them in the 90s (I wore them a ton--I seriously looked just like this girl on a daily basis, minus the socks), I never thought I would want to wear them again.  I still am not sure about my current "I am wearing them all the time" choice either.  :-)

But, like the white Target versions above, I do really like these J. Crew Birkenstock Metallic Madrid sandals.  I think these are a whole lot more sleek than the white ones, so I think they can be worn more easily with more outfits.  I had to try two sizes before I discovered what worked for me.  Because I have a very narrow foot, I often have to size down, and I kept reading how the sizing was big on these, so I chose to try the 39 first, which is equal to about an 8-8.5.  That would be a full size down from my normal J. Crew size.  And while the 39 fit me, they were too short, by a lot.  (I do have long feet, though.)  I had very little hope that the 40 would fit since I figured they would be too wide, but nope, as long as I did the closures up to the next to last hole, they were fine.  Eventually I will have to cinch it to the last hole, but that won't be for a summer, at least.  For those of you with thin and long feet, go to a half-size down (the 40 they say is a 9), but remember to cinch the closure tighter.  After having done that, it was perfect.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden; Necklace, tru.che here; Birkenstock Metallic Madrid Sandals, J. Crew here, but you can also find them at Amazon (which I recommend if you have Prime for free shipping, since the price is the same as J. Crew right now, they also have more sizes!); Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: I got a farmer's tan that day.  It was so flipping hot and sunny.  So not only did the dress grow on me from last year, I got the world's funkiest burn on my shoulders and neck.  Drrrr.  I am so good about SPF normally, too.  But, on the plus side, NO PICKUP from school for a couple months.  Woo!

You all have a great day.  I should be back on with more vacation outfits soon.  If you want to keep up with the vacation, I am posting at Instagram a bit.  :-)

Made by Me Files: Floral Tunic Top and Shetland Wool Skirt. Kwik Sew 3463 and Simplicity 2152.

Before I begin, I wanted to give another shoutout to Katie, a blog friend of mine who is also a Stella and Dot consultant.  She wanted to let me know that the Black Friday special I mentioned in this post is extended and that there is a Cyber Monday special, where you can purchase the very chic Avalon Bracelet Clutch for $9.99 (retails for $49) when you spend $50 or more.  You can read more on that here at Katie's Stella and Dot page.  :-)

Okay, so the made by me files today you all have actually seen before, but I have not formally dissected their creation here at the blog. 

I am most excited to show off the Kwik Sew tunic because not only do I LURVE it, but it took so little time to create on my serger and my sewing machine, and I feel like I have beaten a hurdle that I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to successfully jump over.   (That hurdle being able to complete a knit project almost fully on a serger.  I was just so worried about destroying the fabric in the process.)

The skirt is great and all, but I have made skirts before, including lined skirts with a waistband, so the completion of that didn't seem like such a success to me, even if it did take longer to create (and by longer, I mean a lot longer).

Yes I did color my hair red.  It is a demi-permanent and will wash out very slowly.  Having fun wearing it, but it is very different, lol.

The way I styled the Kwik Sew tunic in the outfit I created for the Fabric Mart blog made the tunic look like a top, which I have done before with the Grainline Scout tee/top that I created for my first entry in their Fashion Challenge competition.  Clearly I have a thing for tunics that can also be worn as tops.  ;-)

This fabric is SO soft and cozy.  The colors are that vibrant in real life and though do read a bit early 90s, seem fresh enough that they don't completely seem outdated.  This fabric is from Joann's, and that surprises me as much as I am sure it does some of you all.  Joann's is really upping their fabric of late.  When I started sewing on my own a few years ago, it was very difficult to find nice, on-grain, well made fabric from them.  Now it seems every time I go in there I find another fabric to salivate over (I am even wearing some pants today made from a fabric that I randomly picked up two or three weeks ago). 

I was worried that handling the soft and thin rayon knit jersey would be a bear, but it cut easily enough, and required only a small amount of tweaking with the tensions on the serger*. 

*On my Brother 1034D, I usually have the needle tensions in the normal range but the looper tensions have to be super high on knit fabrics.  I find the average tensions on the 1034D work best with normal wovens, like cotton sateens and quilting cottons.

I chose to sew up a size small in Kwik Sew 3463, but I did grade out to a size medium at the hips.  The neckline is not super large, but I might have been able to start at an x-small.  I love how this tunic fits everywhere else.

The neckline was finished with a foldover elastic in a very pretty mid-pink shade that perfectly matches the fabric.  I sewed that on using a traditional zigzag stitch.  Next time I will cut it shorter than the neckline and slightly stretch the elastic as I sew since this neckline can gape if I am not careful.

The hem and the sleeves are finished with a process I learned watching Linda Lee's Sewing Fashion Knits at Craftsy, which is to take a fusible tricot interfacing, ironing it to the hem, folding up, and sewing the hems.  I chose not to do a twin needle finish since this fabric is so busy, instead doing a lightning bolt stitch, while slightly stretching the fabric as I sewed, to ensure a clean, stretchy finish to the tunic.  The lightning bolt stitch is not for the faint of heart, though, it takes a long time to sew, and if you make a mistake, it takes a long time to unpick. 

I laid out the fabric poorly when I started the project so I ended up having to do the back with two pieces instead of on the fold.  In the end it was a smart choice since I got to practice my serging more AND I was able to make the back pieces narrower, and on me, with my narrower back, it worked out well.

Detail shot of the neckline and floral fabric.  I really love how easy the foldover elastic was to work with and how nicely finished the project felt afterwards.  This tunic is close to ready to wear in the sense of how it is finished, all serged seams and no excessive facings, etc.  The hemlines are what give it away since I don't have a coverstitch machine to allow me to create that kind of hem.  (I imagine how fast it would be to make a project like this with access to one of those, lol.)

I did change up this neckline from the choices, which were to either have a crewneck or a very exaggerated boatneck.  I simply drew a curve in between the two on the front pattern piece and voila, a perfectly normal scoopneck.

I definitely am planning on taking this pattern and shortening it to a regular shirt length.  I had to trace the pattern since the pattern was an old school Kwik Sew type with the heavy white paper, so it should be relatively easy for me to shorten it.

This is how I wore the tunic a few days ago.  I brought it (and the pink skirt) in hopes of wearing the outfit as I presented it over at the Fabric Mart blog, but it has been quite warm down here in Mississippi, and is going to stay that way, so I am afraid that poor skirt came along for the ride and gets no action.  ;-)

I already spent quite a bit of time on this skirt at two separate places, so I am going to be brief in my description of the process of sewing this skirt up, but I do want to at least point out a few things about its completion over here.

For the best, most comprehensive review, check out the post at Fabric Mart.  I go into how I sewed it up with a fine tooth comb, focusing especially on how I managed to make this skirt from a very small remnant of Shetland wool.

For a brief, but still decent review, go to the Pattern Review post.  It speaks more about sizing, etc.

I thought I had made up the size 14 in Simplicity 2152, but I had made it up in the 12.  I chose that size because the upper hip/waist measurement most closely matched mine.  I think I will do the 14 next time, though, since my natural waist is SO high that it would benefit me to wear the skirt a bit lower, and a larger waist measurement would allow that to happen.

I love pockets, but this time I think I chose wrong.  I didn't have enough of the wool to add the pockets as they show on the pattern itself, so I added inseam pockets made from the polyester lining fabric.  They work great but gape a bit and so the poly fabric shows from the outside more than I would like.  Sigh.  I may just sew them up and deal with no pockets.

This is view D, and is a great length, not too short, and not too long.  This is a nice length for most women, so if you are thinking of this pattern, definitely try this view at least once out of a traditional, classic fabric like this.

Yes, that waistband facing material *is* the same as the tunic's fabric.  This fabric, though, is a very HEAVY stretch cotton stretch denim from Joann's that also happens to be double-sided.  I have plans to turn it into a dress and a skirt (the dress will be from the floral and the jacquard print will be for a pencil skirt). 

I felt like the exterior of the skirt took so much less time than the interior.  I can't believe how long it took me to sew up the lining, add the waistband facing, properly attach the two, hand sew the lining to the zipper, and hem the lining.  It is worth it because it does look quite nice (even if I am really bothered by a couple of things--but what sewer isn't annoyed by things in their projects?).  The lining also ensures the Shetland wool can last a long time and can go longer between drycleaning visits.

Okay, I know some of you are just dying to know more about the red hair.  LOL.  Here is another photo of it.  I had washed it one time by the time I took this photo with CW and it had already lightened a bit further to a mid-copper color.  My hope is that it fades down to a lighter copper color and stays there, but I don't know that will happen.  However, whichever shade of red I end up liking best I will try again since I quite enjoy being a redhead.  ;-) 

Alrighty, you all have a great day, and we'll talk soon.

OOTDs: Short. Summer. Hair.

Before I start the ootd post, I received the PURE collection catalog in the mail yesterday.  Although I don't buy a ton from them, I do buy from them when I need a good, high quality basic in a luscious, high quality fabric.  I wear these tie-waisted tapered trousers all the time (that is why I have three pairs--they are in heavy rotation) and their super-soft cashmere keeps me nice and warm in winter (for example, the turtleneck here and the snood here--second outfit).  Anyhow, the catalog featured some beautiful items, and since I forgot to do a spring/summer 2014 look, I figured better late than never by at least getting the fall 2014 rollout off to a good start.  The catalog only featured a 15% off code, but upon checking the affiliate program, I realized I had access to a 25% off code for the blog, so I immediately put that in the sidebar (third or fourth item down on the right hand side).  For those of you who want to see my few picks and stick it out to the end of this post, I have also placed the coupon at the bottom of the post.

Okay, onto the outfits!

Day: Thursday, August 21, 2014.

Where: Hair Cuttery for a haircut and La Madeline for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The Boden Santorini dress (here on sale, my original review here), once again, was exceedingly comfortable to wear.  I wanted something that would make me feel good and also look good, and this dress did both.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Love this look, maybe I will try it with a different belt next time. 

Love that CW is so self-assured, look at all those colors/prints/textures.  :-)

Anecdote from the day:  After finding out that I had lost the baby, I knew that I needed some time to do something to make me feel better.  Since CW was heading back to school, and my hair was getting long and heavy, I knew that a visit to the hairdresser and a dinner out to La Madeline was exactly what the doctor ordered.  My dad came along, too, and because he is awesome, even threw in a visit to the local Sweet Frog for a yummy frozen yogurt dessert. 

Day: Monday, August 25, 2014.

Where: Harris Teeter to do some shopping.  Of course.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I ordered the Delancey Slouch Trousers (from Madewell, here) in a size 10 thinking they would fit, but I maybe could have gotten away with the size 8 since the pants are a bit loose.  I am fine with the 10, though, they are really comfortable in the bigger size.

The Linen Piscine Muscle tee (from Madewell) is also quite large and loose in the size I ordered (one up from my J. Crew xs size), but again, doesn't look too bad a bit bigger, and again, very comfy.

The Slide sightseer sandals from Madewell (notice a theme, lol) are my favorite part of the outfit, though.  They are really cool and very easy to wear.  They didn't have the 9.5 available, but that was fine since the 10 I ordered fit perfectly out of the box.  I guess that means you should size up 1/2 size.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  This is definitely a cool outfit.  The slightly bushy take on the shorter bob (didn't blowdry it that morning) combined with the sunglasses help up the cool, too.  Definitely not polished, but sometimes I don't need to be, right?

Anecdote from the day: A neighbor stopped by who speaks Spanish fluently.  She also speaks French and upon seeing my shirt exclaimed, "oh, you want to go to the pool, huh?"  So while J. Crew apparently screws up their French tees, Madewell doesn't.  Well at least this time.  ;-)

I had gone to the pool that day, so I could reassure her that the dream came true.

Okay, as promised here are the five picks I found from the PURE collection catalog, and below the picks is the coupon for 25% off with free shipping.

Ankle Length Trousers (here).  Since I love my tie-waisted trousers so much, I figure that these have to be a good pair of pants, too.  They are made from a stretch twill and I kind of dig the zip detail on the front of the pant at the hem.

Wool Pencil Skirt (here).  A pencil skirt is a pencil skirt is a pencil skirt, but they have one in a GORGEOUS turquoise color (above on the model).  If you love wool pencil skirts and pretty colors at a pretty good price, this one is probably gonna make you squeal.

Silk Abstract Print Tunic (here).  This is one of the only printed items in their catalog, but what a stunner it is.  And made from silk, too, yum.

Cashmere Blend Coat (here).  This is a wonderful example of what PURE does best, the classic item made very well in a high quality material.  The navy color will be timeless, and unless you don't stay the same size, you could potentially have this one in your closet for years and not ever need to get rid of it.

Luxury Cashmere Textured Sweater (here). Okay, this one costs as much as the coat above, but can't you just imagine yourself on the coldest of days putting this on and being all toasty and warm?  Yeah, tell me I am not alone in dreaming of wearing something like this when it is just awful outside.  If cashmere didn't exist, I would probably have to move to Miami since I just hate hate hate cold weather.  Warm soft wool makes winter tolerable.  But just barely.

Alrighty, take a poke around if you feel like it, and report back if you see something you just love.  Hopefully my budget allows for something from them before too long (probably not the textured sweater, though, sadly).

OOTDs: Florals and Mosaics.

First, before I get on with the ootds parade, I wanted to direct you to my FB page if you have an interest in seeing some of the Boden summer items on me in person.  I loved a lot of what I received, but I had *major* sizing issues with about half the order.  Sigh.  Anyhow, head on over to this page to see more on that.  Eventually these will all make it to the BWRR, but I want to remind you all that I often can update the facebook page more quickly than I can this blog, so go ahead and "like" the FB page if you want to get the things I do post in your feed.

Day: Saturday, April 4, 2014.

Where: Lunch with my dad and the kids and then to the Little League photo shoot.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I made the pants so they are very comfortable, but let's be honest here, is anything *really* that comfortable when you are bloated?  (You know whatimean, right, ladies?)  For all of my bloatedness, I was better than I have been in the past, and I credit ohsosoft jersey and wool with keeping me happy in my skin.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) The pants are a great intro pattern (Simplicity 2061) if you have just started sewing knits and would like to try them out with a lot of hand holding.  I will eventually add my review over there, but I am a bit backlogged with that, too, so give it time.  I will say that while I know there are things I could have done better, I did manage well for my first knit pants pattern.  I've had them for a few months now, and although this was the first time they made their public debut, they have been worn about the house a few times. 

I like the styling here, and I love my hair.  I wish if it was going to go all wavy and curly, it would do it. just. like. this. every darn time.  I also upped the makeup because I had extra time on my hands and extra bags under my eyes.  (LOVE YOU, bloating, swak!)

Anecdote from the Day:  The wind was crazy on Saturday.  Although the temperatures said 60, it felt like 45 whenever the wind blew in.  I really should have worn a jacket.  I don't know how Rex survived in his little uniform (no jackets for the pictures).

Day: Sunday, April 6, 2014.

Where: Church.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Love this dress (you saw it here ready to go for the auction) so much.  I am so glad I have this in my closet with all its stretchy glory ready for me when I want to look good and feel good, too.  (Yeah, bloating day two continued.  Sigh.)

The Bella jacket in pink is exactly the right shade of pink to work with this dress, but it was a bit scratchy.  I was being sensitive, so you all know.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Love the styling from neck down, the Accessorize necklace and darling pink belt really worked nicely, as did the Bella jacket, the navy tights, and the wedge heels.  The neck up, though, was were I struggled.  I was sensitive, remember, and was all verklempt that I couldn't get my hair and makeup to cooperate.  My husband assured me I looked pretty, but you know, dramatic Dina kind of won out. 

Anecdote from the Day:  Rex had a visitor called Hoppy this weekend and he was able to take it everywhere he went, including church.  :-)  We are gonna miss Hoppy now that he is going back to his teacher. 

Day: Monday, April 7, 2014.

Where: Harris Teeter (surprise! not!) and the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Bliss!  I may not be *as* bloated as the past two days, but I still am struggling (grr!), but this outfit was so comfortable.  These jersey tunics are beyond amazing and I really wish Boden would make more of them.  They seem to have gone the way of the Fun skirt and are not being issued anymore (wait, I lied, the Everyday Tunic seems to be similar in style and fabric).

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Decent casual look, and the Mia boots look so cute with the ensemble.  The scarf helps tone down the tunic a bit, too.  The hair, yay!  It is back to being obedient...

Anecdote from the Day:  Won't it ever warm up?  I am so cold and tired and ready for the warmth.  It was rainy and windy and raw today.  Sigh.  At least I was able to get some yummy food from HT (always get their freshly made sushi, their sushi chefs really know what they are doing!).

Okay, that's all for now.  You all have a good night, and stay warm if you are near here.