OOTD/Made by Me File: The Two Hour Dress: McCall's 6886 in a Colorful Tribal Print ITY Knit.

Day: Saturday, February 28, 2015.

Where:  Mass and Dinner at Chick-fil-A (living the life, you all).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  If the ITY knit had NOT stuck to my tights, I would have given this a 5 out of 5.  But, nooooooooo, stupid Virginia is going through a stupid cold/dry/winter is NEVER EVER going to end phase, and the static electricity is at an insane high.  My hair, even with all of its thickness, is falling prey to this, too, and will stand on end whenever it wants, usually in front of a crowd of people.  (You should see my kids, it is way worse on them, especially Angus with his baby hair.)


That said, in the house, where the humidifier is properly working to pump moisture back in the air, the dress doesn't cling to the tights, and feels so comfortable.  And crazily enough, for the thinness of the ITY knit, it keeps me warm, too.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I really love it, and I think the bodycon style works for my frame (which surprised me, especially with my pear shape), but I think tribal prints and bodycon went out a few years ago, so probably not "cool" anymore.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex hasn't been to mass since the accident since he has either been in pain (first week), or uncomfortable and unwilling to move (second and third) week.  But he had to get out on the 28th since he was set to receive his First Penance that morning, and after we saw he could manage an hour in the handicapped pew (in his wheelchair), we knew he would be fine at the the mass later that night.  The handicapped pew combined with Rex looking older than he is meant that the extraordinary minister wanted to give him Communion, which he has not received yet (his First Holy Communion is in May).  I had no idea they would try to give him Communion, and he stared at the man and was all, "no, I can't get it yet!" 

McCall's 6886.  I made this dress on the fly because I was so sick and tired of working on my son's First Penance blazer project (Burda 9452), which you can see in the last photo at the end of this post.  That blazer is a very classic blazer, which means a two part sleeve, full lining, proper set-in sleeves, darts, roll line, collar, and so on and so on.  I needed the break from all the navy blue wool!

I figured I would like to make up a knit dress in something colorful, since nothing cures the winter "blah" as much as bright cheery colors.  So I looked through my pattern shelves, and into my fabric closet and spied two that would work very well together (at least in my head they looked good together).

It seriously only took me two hours from cutting to sewing/serging to finishing to get this dress done.  Admittedly I decided to leave the sleeve and skirt hems raw (but even and tidy), but even if I had decided to hem them properly, it would have only added on a half hour, tops.  This knit doesn't ravel and it doesn't curl, so it is the perfect fabric if you ever decide to try a raw hem yourself.

A big chunk of the two hours was spent making sure I properly laid out the fabric so I would have the right horizontal lines at the right places.  I knew I wanted the brighter colors at my shoulders, waist, and higher hip, and the darker, more muted colors at my low hip, so that my hips wouldn't be over-highlighted.

I also had to make sure the would match up at the side seams, which you can see in the next photo.

I did make a neckband as opposed to turning the neckline and stitching (that's what the directions wanted me to do).  It looks like it sticks up a touch here and in the next photo, but that is only because I have my hand on my hip...it stays flats 90% of the time, and you can see that in the second to last photo.  I decided to make the neckband two inches tall by nineteen inches long, which when seamed into a circle and pinned into quarters, makes for a non-saggy, flat-lying neckband.  I felt like a champ when I successfully made this neckband, since neckbands are usually my big problem in making knit clothing.  (I really like using the 7/8ths rule for the neckband, seems to be the best solution for making them.)

I sewed up the size 10 at the bodice and then made sure to carefully grade out the pattern from waist to hips from the size 10 to 14 so that my curves would be skimmed by the fabric and not stretched to the full capacity because I chose to let the ITY stretch do its job in the 10 versus cutting my proper size.  I think I made the right choice since the color and stretch stays the same throughout the garment, rather than being brighter and less stretched at the bodice and duller and more stretched at the skirt.  (I hope what I am describing makes sense.)

Here is a close-up of the fabric (bought for $3 a yard at Fabric Mart last year--here is a selection of tribal prints they have right now).  You can also see the neckband laying flat here, too.

I wrote more technical details, etc., here at this Pattern Review if you want to read more about the dress construction.

And before I go, here is a photo of Rex after he successfully gave his First Penance.  :-)  The blazer I made has on its lapel the pin he received for partaking in this sacrament.

You all have a great day!!! Be back later!

Made by Me File: Splatter Abstraction Simplicity 1590. Thank You, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner.

UPDATE (10/18/14): I just found out the news, and I won the final week, which means I won the challenge!  Wow!  I was not expecting that result, to say that I am stunned is a bit of an understatement.  I am so excited, though, of course.  :-)  It was a great time, I learned so much during these six weeks, and my competition were truly amazing sewers and I am glad to say I have gained so many friends through this process.  Thank you to Fabric Mart for hosting the challenge, and thank you to all the judges for taking their time to look at our pieces.  Their feedback was so helpful for my sewing!

This is the last entry for the Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge!  I made it to the finals.  I really hoped to go far, but honestly, because I started as the "lowest" level sewer (advanced beginner--there were a lot more seasoned sewers in the competition--churning out amazing things every week), I expected to be auf'd sooner than not.  So to be here, right now, is very exciting!  :-)  I want to thank all of you who have so supportive of my creative endeavors of late, having your sweet words and nice comments definitely helped in all those moments when I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open after a long day of sewing.

I haven't won one of the weeks, yet somehow still here, so I guess I was *just good enough* all those weeks to keep on keeping on, lol.  The final three do receive a prize, so yay!  I'll take bronze if that is what I end up being.  I'm cool!  :-)  (But wouldn't say no to a silver or gold, of course...)

Anyhow, here is my final entry, and because I want to go out with a bang (and take a big risk), I chose to create a blouse inspired by the art of Jackson Pollock, his wife Lee Krasner, and the era in which they both created their visions, the 40s and 50s. 

Before I start, the first five photos are done like I am in a magazine, but we were asked specifically to do so by the challenge (stage your outfit in a setting that will go with your vision...think of yourself as a model in a fashion spread), so understand that is why my mid-century Eames rolling chair (mine is the real deal that I was able to save from being trashed!) is perched at the edge of my driveway with the vista of the forest in the background.

Chicken Wings were so a *thing* in the 1940s.

I was asked four questions by Julie, and since my answers pretty much cover everything I would have said here anyhow, I will copy and paste those here.  :-)

Tell us what artwork, movement, etc. you chose and why you chose it. 

After reading what the last challenge was going to be, my brain *immediately* went to Jackson Pollock. I own some Liberty tana lawn called Melly that is very reminiscent of his famous "splatter" paint technique and thought I would use that at first to create a design from one of my Japanese dress books. But after doing some research on Jackson Pollock and reminding myself that the National Gallery of Art here in DC has one of his most famous works (that I also happen to LOVE) Number 1 Lavender Mist, I knew that I wanted to try painting my fabric myself, in colors I love, just like he did with his work. To see how he did his splatter paint technique, check out this link. I explain how I created my vision of his work in my fabric in the next questions below.

But he alone did not inspire me in my creation. I also read up on his wife, Lee Krasner, who also was a very successful, if less well known artist, in her own right. She was overshadowed by her husband, but her works also inspired me, as she, too, created works using a similar technique to Jackson Pollock.

The garment I decided to make is from the era of both of these artists and based on the portraits I saw of Lee Krasner, I could easily have seen her in a similar piece.

Bringing the blouse to 2014...

Then also tell us about your garment, why you created what you did and how you can use it in your life. 

I chose Simplicity 1590 which is a reprint of a blouse pattern from the 1940s.  It features a scoop neck, fitted waist, and a peplum hem. There is also a five button closure. I chose this pattern, as I mentioned above, because it looks to me like something a woman like Lee Krasner would have worn, and since I wanted to keep her as part of my inspiration, I was specifically looking for something from that era.

I also felt like the painting method used by Pollock would look good on a garment like this. I saw that other designers (recently, in fact) have used Pollock for inspiration in their collections (Dolce and Gabbana 2008, amongst others--AND Sportmax 2014--Rosario Dawson is wearing one of the dresses here).  Armed with the knowledge that I wasn't alone in my love of his unique art, I forged ahead, willing to take the risk.

I loved the idea of something so prim and ladylike being paired with something so messy and not prim. The disconnect makes this garment exciting to me.

I find it very wearable, but do look forward to washing it. You have to wait at least 72 hours before doing so, but based on how long it took to dry, I think I will wait a week and carefully handwash mine and line dry it.

I will be wearing it with jeans since it looks so cute that way, but maybe for a night out I will wear it as I did in my "editorial/magazine" photos.

Explain what fabrics you chose and why.

I chose handkerchief linen because I know linen is perfection for accepting paints and colors, so it was a no-brainer choice. I had *just* enough to make my garment with a little left over for experimenting on before I began the big painting job. After deciding on how I wanted to apply the paints--yellow, green, and turquoise were all applied in drips and gentle waves, while navy blue was applied more aggressively, I proceeded and when pleased with the results, I left the pieces to dry. It says four hours on the Tulip soft paint, but it took nearly twenty-four hours to get mine to dry fully.

(I need to point out that I needed to add water to the Tulip soft paint to get it to the correct viscosity for applying the paint the way Pollock did, in its regular form it is far too thick.)

I found that once dry, the pieces were easy to sew together, but the pressing process was very interesting and took me a long time since I didn't want to ruin all my hard work. :)

Include a photo of the inspiration too. 

I was inspired by this quote by Pollock, which allowed me to fully release and let go during the process of painting my fabric: “When I am in my painting, I’m not aware of what I’m doing. It is only after a sort of ‘get acquainted’ period that I see what I have been about. I have no fear of making changes, destroying the image, etc., because the painting has a life of its own. I try to let it come through. It is only when I lose contact with the painting that the result is a mess. Otherwise there is pure harmony, an easy give and take, and the painting comes out well.”

Jackson Pollock Art: Number 1 Lavender Mist (more amazing in real life, btw); Untitled 1951; Convergence

Lee Krasner Art: Shellflower--(an article, btw, which has a lot of info on Lee Krasner); Shattered Color

Okay, that's it for now.  Again, I am so grateful for all the support.  I am definitely worn out, but feeling great that I stayed the course and kept on keeping on.  :-)

Voting will be open tomorrow and I will update this post with a link if you feel *inspired* to vote for me.  ;-)  For now, here is a direct link to the Fabric Mart blog.

Made by Me Files: Preppy Roar! Fabric Mart Bundle Challenge (McCall's 6711 and Butterick 5922).

Before I begin this "made by me" file, Boden is continuing their mid-season sale (post I wrote was here), and from what I can see, the sale seems to be successful.  Neither of the items I am watching are sold out, so I may or may not participate.  They also started a "up to 30% off EXTRA off clearance items" this week, but because I have been so hyper-focused on getting better from my bout with the flu, sewing this project up, and the mid-season sale, I didn't even notice.  The extra 30% off prices are good, but only some items received that full percentage off.

Okay onto this week's Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge Sewing Competition entry, the Bundle Challenge.  A couple weeks ago I received a ten yard bundle from Fabric Mart (LOVE THEIR FABRIC BUNDLES, btw), and in the hyper-focus of trying to finish the challenge of that week (I believe it was the fit challenge with the sheath dress), I didn't even open it until I started the next challenge.  (Which was still too early, but I did abstain at least a week, normally those bundles are like candy for me--ooh, what pretty fabric has come my way this time that I get to play with and make something from?)

I received two amazing pieces of wool yardage, a white wool and a light tan/blue plaid.  I also received two pieces of knit fabric, a maroon horizontal rib knit and a "funky" crinkle animal print knit with a solid black nylon reverse.  In the package was also a piece of iridescent mint green poly, or possibly silk, can't tell from just looking at it (didn't have the time to fully investigate it since I knew it wouldn't play well with the others).  So I knew when Julie said to use four fabrics, I had my four ready to go.

When she mentioned a TWO-PIECE GARMENT, I was sort of "huh?"  I looked back at the bundle challenge from last year and the contestants in general made a two-piece outfit from their fabrics (coat/dress; top/skirt, etc.) but one made a three-piece outfit, and three made two-pieces that needed an additional garment from their own closet to fully create a look.  So I just went with what I think was the safest route and created a two-piece outfit with my four fabrics, using three for the top I created, and one for the pants.

The top is made from Butterick 5922, view A, with a collar, and with view B's long sleeves.

The pants are from McCall's 6711, which I chose specifically because they had pockets, a back zip, a waistband facing instead of a waistband, and would be easy enough to fully line in a blue cotton I had in my stash.

The top was sewn up in a size 10 at the neck, bust, and waist, with a *slight* grade out to a size 12 at the hips (only the very bottom couple of inches are the 12).  This shirt is shorter than a lot of sewing patterns out there, so for once I didn't have to shorten the top for my short torso self.  Yeah!  (Bear that in mind if you are a petite sewer!)

The pants were sewn in the size 14, whose crotch curve looked almost exactly like a pair of Burda shorts that I sewed up last summer.  These pants are meant to be more fitted, like a classic pair of cigarette trousers.  The model's are quite baggy on her, which I think is a combo of them being unlined, the fabric they used, and the fact that she is very thin and that the sample size they sewed up (probably a size 10, if what I have read of the big sewing companies is true) was too big on her.  Normally a 14 wouldn't work on me, but McCall's does run big, so I wasn't surprised, either.

Throughout this competition, no matter what Julie has given us, I knew that I would only want to sew up something I would wear again.  I have three little children, I sub in a school, and so my time is very limited for sewing.  I didn't *not* think I could make a look for me from the four fabrics, I just felt initially that it may not turn out enough like "me" to be wearable again by me.  I knew the pants would be fine, because plaid straight pants on a preppy person, well, lol, yeah, but the top, even with the cute collar?  Mmm.  That animal print had me worried.

Which is why although the above photo shows straight preppy...

The side starts to hint at something else less preppy...

And the back gives it to you straight up...

Yes, it is preppy with a roar.  Get it?  I know, I'll stop.  It looks fine.  Kind of a party in the back, business in front...I can dig it...and wear it again!

I didn't show you this picture so you all could stare at my butt.  Seriously!  I tucked the shirt in so you could see HOW PERFECTLY I lined up the plaid on the seams there.  It isn't that easy, really.  This fabric required me to spend TWO FULL hours cutting it out to ensure that all the seam notches and lines would match up (add to that the wool was a bit off grain in a few places, UGH double UGH).  I also spent a LONG time at the sewing machine after pinning the seams up very carefully (checking and rechecking that all the plaid lines were matching perfectly).  I used a walking foot, which ensured that my plaids did come out even, but I knew that if I put in the back invisible zip and the plaid didn't match up, my biggest asset (hardeehar) would look ridiculous in these pants.

And because I know how hard it is for me to find a pair of pants that actually and properly shows off my bottom, I am beyond stoked that I accomplished a pair of fitted pants, in a plaid wool, fully lined, just after getting over the flu.  Hallelujah! 

I do have plans to increase the thigh circumference on my next pair, since though 95% of the pants fit very well, the straight, horizontal lines there on the back (below the butt) signify a need for some extra room.  I have athletic thighs and slight saddlebags, so this doesn't surprise me.  From what I read, this is not a difficult thing to change on the pattern pieces.  Those lines, though, don't mean the pants don't feel great, they feel awesome on, and when sitting don't pinch, bind, or jab.  YAY!

*BTW, I am not going to be tucking tops into this pair of pants unless I am wearing a long suit jacket.  I specifically made these so I could wear tops untucked, which is why I specified I wanted a pair with no waistband so the waistband wouldn't irritate me when sitting down in them (my belly button is unnaturally high!).  I just HAD to show you all the awesome plaid matching, yeah!

**GREAT TUTORIAL ON PLAID MATCHING HERE.  

Pockets!  They are useable for me for my hands, but really too small for anything else.  If I make these again (probably, 'cause holla, they feel so good), I will likely make them a bit deeper and wider.

Fabrics all at once!

Front of the top is the horizontal rib knit.

Collar of the top is the white wool.

Back of the top is the crinkle animal print knit.

Sleeves of the top are the reverse black nylon from the animal print knit.

Pants are from the so soft gorgeous plaid wool (still at Fabric Mart--well at least it looks like the same fabric!).

I smile because I did it!  I felt so good and accomplished after getting it all done.  :-D

The top is very "Boden."  They have a ton of Peter Pan collar type tops and dresses, and have even done some colorblocked versions in the past, so after completing it, the smile was also because I had duplicated my favorite retailer so well!

Collar detail with button.

I know that if you want a pair of pants to last a long time, you make sure they are lined.  I chose to fully make this lining (waist to hem) and added it right before the waist facing was attached.  I hand sewed the lining to the zip for precision, and also hand sewed the facing to the zip.  It would be more "tidy" on the machine, but less precise.  I also hand tacked the facing to the lining in a few spots to keep it from flipping up (though the facing is properly understitched, etc.).

Front Detail of the facing and lining.

The lining is also very soft against my skin and during the winter will add an extra layer of warmth.  I could have used a poly lining, but there is something kind of luxurious to me about using a cotton with wool.  Normally I prefer silky linings in dresses and skirts (like a poly would provide), but I don't have to wear these pants with tights, so the "slippy" feel was unnecessary.  I just wanted comfort and softness.  They will also extend the life of the wool, which is important to me as I don't really want to make another pair of plaid pants for a long while.  ;-)

That's all for now. 

This is the second to last competition.  The only way I will make it is with your votes!  So PLEASE, with loads of yummy sugar on top *and a preppy ROOAARR*, would you all mind throwing me some votes your way if you are so inclined? 

Talk soon!  I should be back tomorrow with the Boden Spring 2015 preview picks post, so if you have a few items you just love from the preview, make sure you comment in tomorrow's post!

OOTDs: Subbing in Decent Weather.

Hey, all!  It has been nearly three weeks since my last set of ootds.  That's quite a bit of time.  I love writing up the Boden sale alerts and new arrivals posts, but I find the ootds keep me on my toes, style-wise, since if I take a photo of it for the blog, I try a little harder in the morning to look put together.  Admittedly knowing that I wouldn't be publishing as many ootds in the last month has seen me being a bit of a slacker in my fashion, lol.  All good, of course, 'cause ultimately, who cares, but still, I look forward to getting back to it already.  :-)

These ootds will not include an anecdote.  Back when I was teaching full time and blogging (way way back in 2009), I tried hard to not tell stories of my days as a teacher and keep the posts about why I chose what I did for that day.  So now that I am able to more fully revive my teaching outfits (I have a backlog of about twenty spread throughout this year of subbing), I want to keep the outfits to why I like them for teaching, and keep quiet on anything that actually happened while I was teaching. 

I have changed my style since 2009, I am less bright colors/patterns/crazy combos than I was back then, but in teaching, I still like to "grab" the kids attention by wearing something bright and/or patterned.  Although I am not Ms. Frizzle 100% now, I still could definitely see comparisons being made.  (Especially in my pink apple print dress, which will be published in another post.)

Okay, here goes!

Excuse my bit of wayward hair up there.  Bad hair, bad!

Day: Thursday, April 10, 2014.

Where: Substitute Teaching 7th Grade.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) All the pieces worked well together and the shirt even stayed tucked into the cute J. Crew Factory skirt, which I definitely consider a bonus.  It was *just* chilly enough that I needed to wear a heavier cardigan, and this very old school J. Crew cardigan (2006) fit the bill.  The skirt is a stretchy cotton sateen and besides a little wrinkling, kept its shape and moved with my body and not against it.  The Target wedges pinched a bit by the end of the day, but I also didn't sit much, so that may be on me and not them.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Very pretty and conservative look.  I look like I am off to work, but not anyplace too stuffy.  The silhouette flatters my frame, too.

I had tried to figure out how to style the cardigan.  Upon receiving after purchasing it from ebay a few years back, I would wear it, but never liked the way I styled it.  Finally I have found a way to wear it and really show off its darling ruffles and very feminine style.

Day: Friday, April 11, 2014.

Where: Substitute Teaching 7th Grade, which did include a trip to the church twice for Mass and the Stations of the Cross.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Ah, the first edition of the very popular Boden Riviera Shirt Dress.  There is a version of it this spring (here), but I prefer the Gingham Shirt Dress (here and a very brief review of it here).  I wore this very dress the very first time I brought Rex to be evaluated for placement in kindergarten, and I still love it for exactly that kind of use, when I need to feel pretty but more covered up.  Also, with the way the flipping weather has been, it is nice to be able to wear something breezy and springy for once.  (The weather was in the low 70s--not warm enough to wear sleeveless but nice enough not to wear a jacket!)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) It is very easy to overdo it when styling this kind of dress.  By wearing simpler flats, a basic bag, and a simple necklace, I allowed the dress to be the star, and that makes this look cool.

Day: Thursday, March 6, 2014.

Where: Substitute Teaching (can't remember the grade).

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This dress has a fuller skirt and a slimmer bodice, so it is perfect for my body.  I dinged a couple of points for the fabric (this is a rayon woven that is a bid rough feeling) and the weird very short sleeves (Boden's sleeves usually run long, too).

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Again, another nice covered up outfit that still manages to be less frumpy.  I think the ankle boots and dark tights make it look modern, but any more height on the ankle on those boots, I would easily become a school marm in the early 20th century.  :-)

This whole outfit would look way better, though, if I had my current haircut.

Okay, that's all for now.  I am glad I was able to sit down and write about the outfits again.

Have a great Thursday!

OOTD/Review: Poppy Printed Mini and a Mini in Printed Poppy.

Hey, all!  Happy Tuesday.  :-)

Up first is the review, followed by the ootd portion.

Factory Printed Mini and Factory Printed Girls' Poet Blouse.  The skirt is a size 10 and the girls' blouse is a size 6-7.

Really glad I sized to the 10, even though I was told the skirt runs a bit big.  It *does* run a bit big, but even with me having the ability to wear this on my hips in the size 10 (would have had  to wear it at my waist in the 8), it is still really short on me.  Not anything scandalous, of course, but not exactly church friendly, either. 

It is made from a lovely cotton sateen in one of my favorite prints from last year (that made it onto a scarf, a bathing suit, and something else that escapes me now).  I didn't grab the scarf like I should have when I reviewed here at this post, but I did grab the bikini.  I still feel the baby weight, so I haven't pulled that one out (one day, I hope to, though).  I was thrilled to see the factory had re-issued it in both women and girls items, and with the original promo of 40% off, I decided that I could grab both my piece and CW's without feeling like I had broken the budget.

Some of you will hate the back zip, since it is prominent and exposed.  It didn't bother me, but since I have to wear the skirt so low, I have to cover up the waist of the skirt anyhow.

There appears to be about two inches of hem that could be let out, and if I end up gaining any weight in my mid-section, I will have to pull the hem down if I have to wear this baby at my waist.

CW's blouse I sized up on which gives her a bit of a romantic tunic look, but as she gets older it will be a plain ole blouse.  I love that girls can get away with this kind of styling, my boys at least can share clothes, so if I have to buy something for Rex that is true to size, I know Angus can one day wear it, too.

The blouse is a very sheer silk/cotton blend, definitely not tomboy friendly, just a word of warning.  The blouse is lined fully in a cotton, so no worries on modesty, but that lining is not going to make that silk/cotton any sturdier.

Day: Friday, June 21, 2013.

Where:  Seriously?  You all can figure it out, right?  Just in case you can't, we were at the new movie "Monsters University" with our two oldest.  Angus sat this one out, you know, 'cause I actually wanted to watch the movie and not spend the whole time wrangling him.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Very comfortable, especially since I didn't feel any pinching from the skirt.  Sizing up is a great idea if you want to be super comfortable.

I had my special lady friend visiting that day and honestly, most outfits feel awful when she comes.  I was spectacularly pleased with how good I felt, regardless of my condition.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It is a very preppy look, pretty, but not cutting edge or trendy or super stylish.  That's fine with me.  My mini me gets a 4 out of 5, though.

Anecdote from the day:  Monsters University is a great film.  I saw Monsters, Inc. when it came out way back in the day (back when Mr. Dina and I were first together), and I remember wanting to have a little girl just like Boo when I had kids.  I have to say my little lady reminds me a lot of Boo, so I think I was blessed with my wish.

We are such fans of the Monsters that we own quite a few toys (remember, Mr. Dina collects action figures) and have been to the Monsters, Inc. ride at California Adventure.  (If you ever get a chance to go on that ride, it is awesome!)  We had wanted to see the movie the night before, since it came out on Thursday night, but we had to wait till my dad could take Angus.

Okay, that's it.

I am not going to do a post on this, but I did announce it on FB earlier today.  Boden is a having a 40% off 40 items promo right now.  There are some cute items in the sale, including the Sparkle Cotton Top, which I reviewed here. 

Have a great night! 

OOTDs: Sarah and Westminster. Reviewed and Worn.

Good Thursday evening, all.

I almost just wrote "good Wednesday evening, all."  Umm.  No.  It is Thursday.  I bowled today.  Seriously suffering from major Mommy brain today.  Redonk. 

I am continuing my quest to wear as much of my lovely fall/winter 2012 Boden items before the clearance sale starts (Monday, maybe???).  I would have loved to have worn many of these earlier, but unless we have an exceptionally cool fall, a good majority of what Boden offers for sale in their fall and winter collections are much too heavy to wear around these parts until late November/early December.  If I could wait to buy them until they went to clearance, I happily would, however, a lot of their items sell out nice and early in the season (see the Westminster Scoop Tunic below for proof of that) which leads to purchasing items that I won't wear in real life for a good three months or so.  In fact, the Alexa dress (which I did at least review early on) is too warm to wear even now.  That may have to wait until January with the way our weather has been lately (mid 50s/low 60s everyday). 

Okay.  Blah, blah, blah.  Here are the outfits I wore the last couple of days.  

Scoop Tunic Dress. I wasn't sure how I was going to style this tunic, but I definitely knew it wouldn't actually ever be worn as a tunic, since this clearly looks more like a dress on me.

I ordered the size 6 long after seeing the measurements (very forgiving hip numbers, which is always my problem area).  I am glad I did since the 6 works very well for my frame.  If you are a bit bustier up top, you *may* have to size up since the top is a bit more fitted and there is only a side zip (BACK ZIPS, Johnnie, repeat after me, BACK ZIPS!) for ease of access.

In the end, I paired the tunic with a pair of leggings from Spanx (love you, Spanx for making such lovely leggings), the Britten tall boots in brown from J. Crew (this time not worn to be "horsey"), and extra "unique" accessories.  I wasn't sure about the newsboy cap from J. Crew (seen in this very famous J. Crew Paris catalog shot), but the red of the cap was the exact shade of red from the *tunic*, so I gave it a go.  It may be a bit too much, but honestly, I felt great with it all together.  And since feeling good is about half the battle in fashion, at this point, if others dislike the look, I just don't care.  ;)

Even with my hand on my hip, the Westminster scoop tunic dress stays at a nice, modest length. (I was a chaperone on a preschool trip to a concert starring the Disney cartoon characters--not exactly a place for thigh high minis.)

The fabric is viscose, which I am not necessarily a fan of, but whatever Boden did to this fabric made it wear much better than I expected it to.  I thought that the dress would be so wrinkled and messy by the end of the day, I would have to take it off upon my return to home (well, I did take it off, but only so I could nurse Angus--not nursing friendly, breastfeeding moms).  In reality, the dress wrinkled far less than most of my linen items.

I have another viscose top (the Lavish T-shirt) that I wore bowling today and it also wore much better than I anticipated.  Still wrinkled a bit, but definitely not horribly.

No hat here, just in case you are so distracted by the tomato monstrosity that you can't focus on anything else.  ;)

The tunic/dress is nearly sold out in this colorway.  There are many more available in the other shades, but I don't care for any of them, in fact, I think the floral versions are kind of ugly (I know, I said it, I don't like a floral).

Here is a close-up of makeup, hair, and hat.

Detail of the jewelry and the print of the dress.  You can actually sort of feel the print under your fingers, which means that you should definitely wash this one on delicate in cold water and inside out.

Sarah Dress.  The night before we went to dinner, and because it has been so lovely here, I decided to wear this dress without tights or a coat.  I had hoped to accessorize this gorgeous dress with scarves, tights, and the like, but only time will tell if that actually becomes a need here.  (Not even holding my breath.  I am beginning to wonder if 50% of my coats are useless--and no, not just because I have too many coats--lol.)

Anyhow, this one was near to selling out in my size and in the color I wanted (the other color of this print is lovely, but I have a lot of dresses in that coal/red/yellow shade).  The other colors are in this kind of odd print (I said, I know, I don't like a print, c'est shock!).  So instead of taking a chance, I bought this when there was a fairly good discount going (may have been 25% off--which, btw, if you use Q753 will get you that % off, too).

The dress is a jersey fabric and of a nice weight.  This could be worn year round, which is fab if you work in an office where you can wear business casual and need something great for all seasons.

I decided to wear a pair of Madewell boots with them, they looked cute together, but this shot doesn't really show how lovely the boots look in real life.  (The first photo of this outfit does, though.)

I should have worn a regular belt with this dress the way the model in the catalog does.  It would have given the dress more definition from the back.  It doesn't look so bad from the front, but from the back, that is a whole lot of in your face print, huh?

I am glad I bought the 6 long, but if I reordered, I would possibly buy the 8 regular since that would be a bit shorter and a touch looser.  The jersey accommodated my hips fine, but if I even glance at something salty the day before, I will absolutely have to bring out the spanx hosiery.

Close up of the print and the necklace.



Westminster Scoop Tunic and Sarah Dress.  You should not wait on the Westminster print in this tunic if your size is available...it won't be come clearance time.  You can wait for this print in the Sarah dress until clearance (unless you wear a smaller size), but be aware that this shade will sell first, before all the others. 

Okay, that's all for tonight.  Do any of you all own either of these?  What was your experience with them?

Also, don't forget, the code Q753 gets you 25% off with free ship on these two items (and more!).  ;)