OOTD: Making Some Maritime.

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

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

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

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

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

The bits of this outfit are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Close up of the necklace and sunglasses.

Making Some Maritime. by dinagideon featuring animal necklaces

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

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

You all have a great night!!! 

OOTD: Leftover Shorts Shots.

I have a love/hate affair with shorts.  I really truly love them in the middle of summer when it is so hot and gross that I don't want anything coming close to my skin, but then it (often) turns to hate when I discover that I like having longer pants and skirts on because I hate my legs sticking to the car seat and each other.  And linen shorts that are just linen?  They are of the devil because over the course of a day they will wrinkle to a point where the front of the shorts are substantially shorter than the back, making my wardrobe choice look ridiculous.

I also think someone should start a company where all they sell are tall shorts and skirts.  Almost all companies sell tall pants now, and many sell tall dresses, but almost no one sells tall shorts and skirts.  How often have I turned away from a cute pair of shorts solely because I knew that a pair would be too short, too tight, and far too low in the rise?  And no...I do not only want to wear walking (bermuda) shorts.  Skirts, too!  18.5 inches for a mini seems reasonable, 15 is not reasonable, it is nearly scandalous!  ;)

Onto my leftover shorts shots (I almost always get excited by my dress ootds, and always publish those fairly quickly...as you can see, I even have a shorts shots in here from back when I was pregnant!)...

No tee ball gown that day!  I decided for one of Rex's recent tee ball games I would break out a pair of J. Crew wide stripe board shorts (size 10, I usually size up in shorter inseams).  The shorts were comfy and because they have some nylon (you can take them swimming, if you so desire), they didn't wrinkle.

I topped off the shorts with a blousy Anthro top from a bagizillion years ago, some Cole Haan sandals, and the Anthro Gramercy Shades.

Angus's onesie matched mine!  :)  (Love this momma/me pic!)

From the front.  That blouse is probably a bit too blousy, I may need to sell it (it is a medium, back from when I weighed more).

I love these patchwork madras bermuda shorts from J. Crew.  I bought them years ago and wear them every summer without fail.  They feel good, ya know?  These are another pair that wear well and look almost better worn-in than fresh out of the wash.

I love the garment dyed linen cable knit sweater, mainly because the pink is just SO VERY PINK.  CW saw me in it and exclaimed, "Oh, momma, that is my most favorite shirt that you have EVER worn."  She is easy to please.

The neckace and clutch (Brompton clutch in safari cat) are from J. Crew, as well.  The Naturalizer shoes are from DSW.  I wasn't sure if nude colored loafers were a good idea, but they actually work okay with this outfit.

Close up of the cables and color of the sweater and the flowers on the necklace.

This outfit made me feel cool.  I just wish I could have used another pair of shorts with the outfit, but I am still pulling them out of pregnancy storage (the four seconds of time I have in my day when I am not feeding a child or two or three, or putting out child "brush-fires," or running errands, or blogging, I try to get some storage related things done, but that usually gets chopped).

These shorts are mimi Maternity and fit, but are pretty saggy through the crotch because of the whole "I am not pregnant anymore" thing.  Blegh.

I think I will try using my loft black shorts the next time I wear this particular ensemble.

The top is Boden Limited Edition, the sunglasses are A.R. Trapp for J. Crew, the clutch/bag is Hobo International (TJ Maxx, you and your awesome deals), and the sandals are Target.

I am glad I was able to pull out this top and wear it again so soon.  I was a bit worried that it wouldn't fit (it is a US 6 and ran a bit small), but thankfully it did and was fairly comfortable, to boot.

This one is FROM TODAY, you all!  :)

I put the info on the pieces in the photo, but I want to make a couple of review/remarks about the top and shorts.

The top is the Girls Flutter Tee in Dizzy Anchors, size 14.  I can only ever wear crewcuts tops and this one just fit.  By the end of the day it fit better, but I wasn't sure if it was going to stretch much.  I liked the look, though, so I held onto the faith that it would stretch out a bit.  The cap/flutter sleeves are nice for balancing out my pear shape, but if you hate cap sleeves and/or have broad shoulders, I would stay away.

The shorts are Madewell's Bungalow Stripe Panorama Shorts, and I found them to be supremely comfortable.  Unfortunately the front of them wrinkled a bit by the end of the day, leading to the weird front is shorter than the back thing that linen does, but because these are 100% cotton, it did so in a less obnoxious way. 

I also took these in a size 10, and while the waist is a bit big (the belt was only decorative), the hips/thighs fit, which in the end is what matters.

Dizzy Anchors and a Panorama. by dinagideon featuring giraffe jewelry

Above is the polyvore of this outfit.  I also felt a bit hipster wearing this ensemble, but mainly because of the higher rise on the shorts and the more closed off neckline.

I was about to have Angus when this photo was taken (may have been two weeks before his birth).  It was yet another insanely hot day in Northern Virginia (weirdest winter ever), so I pulled out my ancient ringspun fish tee from J. Crew, a pair of Motherhood maternity shorts, and my Cole Haan loafers and called it an outfit.  :)

CW and Rex really wanted to pose in this photo, and CW even included her "Serta" sheep that she had been given the night before by a really nice SA at the local Sleepy's (the store we ultimately bought our king sized mattress--ah, best home purchase made in all our years of marriage!).

Okay, I guess that's it!  I will be commenting back on the sweet comments you all have been making here lately in the next day or two!  They are all being read, I promise!  :)

OOTD: Bright Orange Madewell and the Os.

We are a split decision family here in our house, but only during any Nats vs. Orioles games.  (When they play each other it is called the Battle of the Beltways, although we could call it Momma against everyone else.)

So why would I, a native of Northern Virginia be adamant in rooting for the Orioles over the Nationals, when the Nationals are our "home" team?

Well, if you know anything about baseball, DC did not have a team for many years between the 70s and the early 00s.  We had a football team, a basketball team, and even a hockey team, yet no baseball.

We had exactly one team we could root for and they were not so conveniently located an hour north in Baltimore (well it was an hour in 1997, the last time we went to B'more--for this Rush concert--it took us 2.5 hours to get there).  It didn't matter...if you were a fan of the boys of summer (fave Don Henley song, btw), you needed to head up 95/295 to see them playing in Charm City.  My fave boy of summer was always BJ Surhoff (showing my age there, lol).

One day my hubby came home and announced that Montreal was losing their team and they were coming to DC.  I was stoked but also a bit bewildered.  Would I forget my team?  Would I not root for them any longer?

Well, in most cases, yes, I do root for the new home team of the Nationals, but like most folks who grew up between Richmond and Baltimore in the 70s, 80s and 90s, when the Os play the Nats, the Os win out purely because of nostalgia.

They play each other a few times a year and I always pull out my Os hat and don some bright orange to let the world know my allegiance.  My hubby tolerates it, but only because I let him dress the kids up in Nationals gear.  (He did not grow up here.  Which I have no problem reminding him when he gets lost on his way anywhere in this area without me--the streets here are "challenging" to put it mildly.)

We were stopped a lot by folks, mainly other Os fans giving me a thumbs up and asking why the baby on my chest had a Nats cap on...it was fun, and it was nice to have a heated "frivolous" rivalry in the house.

My beloved Orioles?  They lost.  Sigh.  (Yeah, Mr. Dina, Rex, CW, and even darling Angus totally rubbed it in my face.)

I was not super heartbroken, though, had it been any other team going against the Nats I would have been cheerful at the win. 

I was inspired to wear this outfit not only because the shorts are the exact right shade of orange, but also because Madewell sent out an e-mail with items from the beach shack a while ago that paired these shorts with a hot pink top.  I so loved the look that I immediately purchased the shorts along with a bright pink v-neck that was on sale (the one in the e-mail was too pricey).

I plan to show off that image in my inspired by Madewell post that is upcoming, but until then, I will give you all a sneak peek at the bottom of this post.

Sunglasses: Anthropologie Gramercy Shades.
Tee: Madewell V-Neck Pocket Tee.
Shorts: Madewell Seashell Eyelet Shorts, size medium. (They fit true to size.)
Scarf: Anthropologie Noon Glow Loop.
Shoes: Bensimon with Liberty Fabric.

My hubby really likes me in braided pigtails.  I sort of thought he would outgrow that, you know seeing as I am no longer 18, but every time I wear them, he says, "I love you in pigtails."  Whatever.  :)

The wacky bird is the best mascot, btw.  It is rare to see actual orioles in these parts, so if I ever saw one in real life, I would probably be surprised that it isn't a big fat black bird with a grinning orange beak.  :)

This was Angus's second game as a Nats fan, and because he faced outward, he definitely was a favorite of many of the people at the game.  I think my favorite part is his fisherman sandals, so cute!

This was the image I was inspired by.  I also have the red sunglasses, again because it was less expensive than the ones I had been eyeing at J. Crew (a near $75 difference, btw!).

Okay that's it!

Do you have any family fun rivalries?  It could be anything...political, tv shows, etc.  Do tell!

Boden OOTD and Review: Favourite Jersey Maxi and Tee Ball.

I am of the desperate sort that really enjoys dressing up time, but in my life two things work against that desire--I have toddlers and our summers are vicious, humid, over the top hot, and crank-making.

So last Saturday Rex had another tee ball game (in really "warm" conditions) and then we were going to go to Bethesda to get some yummy Cajun food at our favorite Cajun restaurant, Louisiana Kitchen.  I wanted the perfect outfit that would allow me to:

1. Stay cool.
2. Look nice.
3. Be casual enough that all the people at the park wouldn't wonder what the heck I was on.
4. Allow me to bend and move with ease to shuttle various babes wherever they needed to go...
and
5. Allow me to breastfeed (with a cover, natch, I am not that daring!).

Not too long of a list, right?

(Stay with me here with this anecdote)...well, a couple weeks back I had to go to Rex's kindergarten open house night, and again, needed dressy enough but also nursing friendly and I realized last year's Boden maxi dress was the perfect solution (seen on me here, I had got a pic from this year, but the card was corrupt and poof--!!!--all the photos disappeared).  The straps can be pulled down to allow easy access for Angus, but with the overall conservative feel to the dress, more than proper for the Catholic school Rex is attending next year.  (It is also my former grammar school so I have a reputation to uphold...)

I had wanted to give this year's favourite jersey maxi dress a try as I do so love the print, but it was sold out a LONG time ago in my size and colorway preference (4L/pink pansy).  One day the 6L in pink pansy popped back and I figured it was worth a try.  It eventually came (from BRITAIN on the Moldovan boat they send to get stuff to us in America), and I had my first chance to wear it out for reals to Rex's teeball game/yummy Cajun food getting.

Mr. Dina indulged my other fantasy, taking shots of me while I am "in action" versus posed.  If he has the time and the mood (he had both!) he will happily play along.  I know his limits, though, and don't go asking him to do it when he is on his way to work or I am on my way to preschool.  We have (fairly boring) lives, people!  :)

The dress is not all that long as you can tell from the photo.  I am 5'8" and it is at my ankles which means the skirt portion is only 40 inches from my natural waist (I am 42 inches from natural waist to the floor for reference).

If you are exceptionally tall with long legs, this will likely be even shorter on you, even in this longer length.

Many women are reviewing saying they are thrilled they finally have found a maxi short enough for them (it comes in petites and regulars, too).

I don't need a super long maxi, not especially practical for my life, so this suits me just fine, but the regular would have been too short.  (I got the regular last year after reading the long was really long, but this year Boden made them too short overall, they were likely overcompensating for last year's mistake?)

Back view.  It was hot last Saturday and the sleeveless, dipped back helped to keep me cool.  Bear in mind the weight of the dress is heavy (all that jersey weighs a lot), but it flows over the body (skirt area) helping keep air circulating.

Detail of the print.  It is the same as the print in the textured cotton skirt I last wore here.  I am a sucker for these bold, super feminine prints.

The sunglasses are the Gramercy Shades from Anthropologie (yay for a sale, I had been "eyeing" them forever) and the earrings are from J. Crew.

I actually added this crewcuts (Factory girls' french terry zip-up) jacket for sun protection, not because I needed to keep warm.  With my skin, I have to be VERY careful with sun exposure (many relatives of mine have had skin cancer--fortunately no melanomas).  (I also wear a lot of sunscreen, as do my kids.)

The sandals are a really old pair from Banana Republic.

We live on the edge of a forest, but the kids will take any opportunity to play in any forest they find.  This one is at the edge of the teeball field, and they happily and merrily switched between the grassier areas and...

Playing on the logs at the edge of  the forest.  Now I personally know what is in the forest (yummy poisonous spiders like the black widow, awesome poisonous snakes like the copperhead*, and big ole birds of prey like the hawk**) but I can't stop them from going outside, so I just let them know what they could see and have told them that if they see those critters, they need to come and find Momma and let her know they saw those animals.

Upon which time I am sure I will suffer a heart attack.  LOL.

*I have quite a tale about sitting down next to a copperhead--while pregnant with CW--four years ago at the end of summer.  Rex saw the whole thing from his stroller.  Mr. Dina used words I have never heard from that man's mouth.  So, yeah, I have a bit of history with scary things here in this area.  No, I wasn't bitten.  We would have had to rename CW Vipera if I had.

**Speaking of hawks, just yesterday one attacked our playroom window with its TALONS.  I am not even joking.  Then it realized that Angus was not going to be its dinner and moved on to harassing our neighbor's animals/living creatures with its SQUEEE-EEEH call and scary big wing span.  Yeah, we are all Animal Planet up in these parts.

CW didn't try to get on the big log, she was content to stay on the little log.  That's my dainty little girl.  ;)

I watched the game (this was before my "photo shoot") from the last row in the bleachers.  Angus still feels like he had the best seat.

Okay this photo shows both the best and worst parts of my day. 

Best--Umm, that is a cajun martini I am holding, and OMG, it is amazing.  Vermouth, Absolut Peppar, and a pickled okra.  YUM.

Worst--See the bags under my eyes?  Angus wouldn't let me sleep the whole night prior cause he was hungry...and I ended up getting a migraine from it.  Now I am not normally one to bother with martinis and migraines (there's a blog name for you all, lol), but I couldn't resist.  And for about forty minutes, while at Louisiana Kitchen, I felt a bit better.

But then I got home and looked at myself in the mirror.  Those bags you see up in the photo?  That is carry-on baggage.  Two hours later I had the full on "ma'am you'll have to pay extra for those oversized bags" eye bags.

So again, for forty minutes I felt great, and besides the OMG cocktail of awesomeness, I indulged in my most favorite mid-Atlantic treat, the soft shell crab po'boy.  If you have never had soft shell crabs, it is is a Maryland institution (that a few of us from Virginia will admit to loving) and are really only available fresh between May and August.

The construction of soft shell crabs for actual eating purposes is best left described by the experts, but be warned, if you are a bit nervous about "unusual" food, this particular dish may be a bit much for you.

Okay, that's all.  I am heading off to spend time with my Grandpa and won't likely get to the Boden Weekly Review Roundup until tomorrow, so if you have a review for me, and you think I may have missed it, go ahead and leave a comment here or e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com.

Talk soon!

Paris: Day Five Outfit(s) of the Day. Eiffel Inspired. And Gilded.

When did I do the day four outfit of the day?  A month ago?  Come, on.  Well, late is better than never, I suppose.

To remind you all, I am taking on my Paris trip bit by bit, starting with outfit posts, then moving to all around general stuff, and finishing with tips for traveling with toddlers.  Knowing my rate of success, I will get around to the "tips for traveling with toddlers" post on our anniversary of actually traveling to Paris.  LOL.

Okay, to re-cap...here is outfit Day One...outfit Day Two...outfit Day Three...outfit Day Four.

And outfit Day Five.

I actually drew inspiration for this outfit from two J. Crew catalog images, which I will show later on, but the top/vest combo is from one image, and later, my earrings and pose are from another image.

Top: J. Crew Suzannah Liberty Print Blouse, Size medium.  This was a sample from 2007, although it is similar to the blouse that they sold in the fall of that same year, this one has slight differences in construction from the retail version.  I am glad I went with the medium as this was cut a bit closer, and as timing had it, I needed the extra room in the waist.  :)  Go, baby belly!
Vest: J. Crew Jackie top, size small.  Do you all buy the Jackie tops only to use as vests?  I never wear mine on their own, I far prefer them with button-downs.
Skirt: Gap Maternity, size 8.  This is way too big and by the end of the day, it looked like I was wearing a skirt four sizes too big for me.  (This puppy stretches.  To say the least.)
Tights: Walmart George Brand.  I wear my George Brand control top tights constantly and they have not ever let me down, I have had the above pair for over three years.  Get thee to a Walmart for some $5.50 tights if you need some good ones.  Whilst in Mississippi, I bought the local store out of their Size Cs...I bought them in brown marl, black knit herringbone, grey marl, and a couple of opaque pairs.
Shoes: J. Crew Collection Lula Snakeskin Ballet Flats.  The love.  These aren't awesome for walking but they are certainly good enough if you don't go all crazy and wear them for a six mile trek.  I only did about four that day, so my tootsies survived.

CW is in a mix of Boden, Target, and some boutique-y brand.

From the front before the skirt became a size 16.

I wore my Thierry Lasry sunglasses that day along with my J. Crew Collection double faced cashmere popover.   For those of you dying for more info on the popover, I did a more in-depth review of it at True Crew Love.

The background is the Eiffel Tower.  We have more shots from that day, but I will publish those in the general "look at how awesome Paris can be" photos post.

I remembered that the beautiful Vanessa Lorenzo was wearing a pair of Eiffel Tower earrings in one of the Paris catalog images, so of course I bought a pair from the Eiffel Tower gift shop.  They were only $10 and adorable.  They seem to be decently made, too.

Both of my kids LOVED the Eiffel Tower and now, whenever they see a photo or film of it, shout really loudly, "look MOMMA...the Eiffel Tower!!!"

Not exactly the same shot, etc., but look!  The Eiffel Tower earrings!  (Too bad I didn't have roller skates and a more agreeable husband, lol.)

Again, not exactly the same...I searched and searched for this sweater dress all over ebay but never found it (but still interested, lovely ladies, size small or medium, please!!!)...so I came up with my version instead.

That night my hubby and son went to a French soccer game, so I took CW out to a nice little restaurant for a night out.  We got all dressed up and it was sort of special...really sweet, in fact.

Top: J. Crew Tissue Turtleneck, Size Medium.  From a while ago and I still wear it, all the time.  Great versatile basic.
Skirt: J. Crew Collection Floral Long Swing Skirt, Size 8.  It's my header skirt!  :)  Cannot even think about wearing this one now...waist is way too tiny to fit over my baby belly now.  It barely did up that night for that matter.
Shoes: Clarks Artisan aka "most comfortable black heels ever," size 9.5.  Bought them for nada at the local Rugged Wearhouse.
Necklace: J. Crew Double Strand Frog Necklace.  Also a perennial favorite from the Paris Catalog.  I double looped it for a different look...I quite like it like that...

With CW...she is a cardigan by some French brand (I forgot which, and she is napping right now), a Tea dress, random tights, and a pair of Target shoes.

Paris: Outfit of the Day Five. Girls Night Out. by dinagideon featuring tote handbags

Above is the polyvore of the outfit for our Parisian Girls Night Out.

Well I guess that's it for now.  Hope your Friday is great.  :)

Reminder, if you are a Boden fan, the affiliate folks sent me a direct link to their most recent promo, 30% off and free shipping:
Save 30% at Bodenusa.com with Free Shipping

A Little Blue...Good Time to Show Off My Blue!

I have had a rough week. Insanely enough my finding out what I exactly suffer from in regards to my terrible migraines isn't even what had me down this week. :P

First, the news regarding my PFO (please see this post for more info on what that is).

Trust me, the next paragraph or two will make more sense if you do read it. :)

I definitely, 100%, there is no doubt in my mind, HAVE a HUGE hole in my heart. In fact, based on my trans-cranial doppler with micro-bubbles study (link takes you to a PDF), I have the absolute worst possible grade you can receive regarding holes in the heart. The hole I have basically is open for business, even when I am at rest. That means there is always a bit of the bad blood mixing in with my good, oxygenated blood and because of that, my brain is receiving bad blood a lot of the time. There are two tests they do...the first test is at rest, which I received "uncountable bubbles," or a "curtain," which equates to a grade 5+ (plus). The grades start at 0, which means no bubbles pass through (there is no PFO if that is the case) and go all the way to 5+. When they gave me the second test, I needed to replicate exertion, so I had to blow into a tube (called a valsalva maneuver). This test is normally done because a lot of people will experience more bubbles passing from their right atria into their left atria under conditions of exertion, if they have a PFO. (This second test is valuable especially for those people who have a PFO but the PFO did not register on the first test.) Me? Oh, no. I mean, yes, I had more bubbles passing through, but yep, the bubbles were still uncountable, and still a curtain, and therefore still a Grade 5+. I think this is unfair, I think there should be a distinction...I want to be a 6, darnit. LOL. (See I can still laugh about it!)

My neurologist then moved on from that to my MRI results, which were...da da DUM...normal (enough, my hubby may disagree). :) GREAT, I'll take it. But wait, I am not done...

Turns out that even though I have a normal MRI, my neurologist suspects STRONGLY (bold-face font, thank you very much) that I have suffered from "mini-strokes" already based on my symptoms while having my AWFUL TERRIBLE migraines this summer. Turns out that a prolonged aura (my worst ones have lasted for hours) with partial blindness in my right eye and difficulty walking (walking into walls and falling over from standing) and not being able to speak properly are not typical and worry her.

With my MTHFR disorder (I clot blood easily), she is not putting my health to chance and is INSISTING that I get my PFO closed before my "mini-strokes" turn into big, land you in the hospital STROKES. I have an appointment with a local cardiologist in a few weeks, and at that point I will know more about when and where I will get my hole closed. YAY!

See why I am not blue about my health? This, albeit a bum-tastic thing to have lived with, is nearly done. THANK GOD.

My blue-ness is more on me and feeling like I can't get along with people. Not my friends, nope, my family. Fortunately I am pretty adept at figuring out familial issues, but it still stinks feeling down. (And hence, my absence from the blog, couldn't get motivated to be happy for you all...boo!)

So as an HOMAGE to blue, I give you two blue outfits I wore this summer. :) Enjoy!


Sizes:
Dress: Size 8. This is the knotted starfish dress and I must have tried this dress on five or six times in multiple J. Crew dressing rooms. The 8 always fit best (even if it is a bit short--but hey, it's summer and I was going to a picnic). I just couldn't pay full price. It went on sale, but even on sale, I thought it was too expensive for what it was. When I was able to get an extra 20% off, I bit, and ended up getting it for around $45.
Shoes: Size 10. I believe these are some Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals. They are sparkly!

This is the outfit as I wore it. Below is what I had originally intended to do.


Sizes:
Belt: Size small. Elastic Blossoms Belt. I adore this belt, and love the way it looked here. But for a picnic, nah. That and the heels are better for a date.
Shoes: Size 10. Yummy, love how the light lavender look like a neutral. I believe these are the patent Elodies from Summer 2009.

Yes, I am full aware of how ridiculous the kids look. Baby CW is for sure doing a "staying alive" dance move. I think she must love the disco. That is a starfish crewcuts top. Yep, another mommy and me outfit. ;) Rex's sunglasses kill me, too. I didn't know 3-year olds could look like cops. LOL.

And notice how the "knotted" in the knotted starfish dress is spangling out onto my upper-arm. Awesome. Not. Fixed that right up before I left the house, promise.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This is the Marin Dress and I LOVETH. Simply put. I know this was not insanely popular, but I found the fit, fabric, and comfort perfect for my life. I wore this out and about doing normal SAHM things. Drewablank wanted me to get the x-small, but I found that it fit too well at the hips, thereby making the skirt portion shorter. Prefer it to only be "just" so short.
Shoes: Size 10. Just plain old flip-flops from J. Crew.


This lighting better shows off the color. :)

Mommy Style Monday note: I have received all the e-mails, comments, etc. regarding your nominees. Awesome. :) Currently creating the questions for the Q & A, and all will be sent out the Stylish Moms very soon. When I receive them back, I will start that new portion of Mommy Style Monday.

Have a great night, and be safe at school.

Mommy Style Monday #8--Inspired By...

The whole premise of my "Spring Into Style" class this last spring break centered around one focal question: "Who are you inspired by?" My twist and the twist I present to you today is not who are you inspired by emotionally and spiritually, but instead who sartorially inspires you? Who brings out your inner fashionista?

For the 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-graders it ranged from Beyonce to Taylor Swift, and from Robert Pattinson to Shawn White (he is a snowboarder--I had to look it up). For their teacher (that's me), I took my inspiration from some most unlikely suspects (for the kids, anyhow, you all won't be surprised, I bet).

The VERY first day of class I insisted they create an Inspiration Board, a construction paper full of drawings, photos, color, and objects that bring out some sort of look that wished to recreate for themselves in their style...no holds barred. I didn't tell they had to have people, if they chose to have pictures of doorknobs, I was fine with it. What inspires you is personal and special. Most folks do choose people, and so I give to you the challenge of creating your own inspiration board and taking from the people you choose an enlivened sense of what you want to look like and how you want to appear on the outside (I am not able to help you work on the inside, yet, anyhow, lol).


Above is my inspiration board, and the one I still use to remind myself of what I love to see and what I would love to be:
From left to right, clockwise:
1. The lovely sisters Emily and Zooey Deschanel. Zooey had me at the first dulcet tone of the song she sings in the cotton commercial. I know. I know. For those of you that have seen the commercial, doesn't she just transport you? And her clothing in the spot, um, yes, please. And Emily? She is utter perfection as Temperence Brennan on Bones. Love her character and her character's styling. Put Zooey and Emily in an embrace, and bonjour, l'amour. :)
2. Zooey waving her hand in a flowy, lightweight blue strappy dress.
3. Emily on the cover of HEALTH magazine. Any lady that makes it on that cover is taking good care of herself, which always reminds me to eat better, stay out of the sun unless I am wearing SPF 100, and to exercise.
4. Liberty of London for Target ad. You all know me and my love of Liberty of London fabrics so no explanation necessary, I am sure!
5. Peacock feather. LOVE the colors in peacock feathers.
6. Emily walking in a fitted trench. She is a modern '50s lady. Love it!
7. There's Zooey again, sitting pretty in a fab red frock and gorg flats. Swoon.
8. Giada De Laurentiis. I love her...from her slightly large head to her amazing figure. She comes across as nice, sweet, approachable, and lovely. I want to be her friend. And crazily enough if I could be part of her circle, I bet she would be a great friend. :) And her style? Delish. I have loved every outfit I have ever seen her in (and bonus points to her for wearing J. Crew...see her in pieces all the time...so if she is a JCA, props to her)!
9. Lemons. Love the taste, the color, and the firm outside with the slightly soft inside.
10. Tiffany's Box. Great color, great style, amazing icon. Couldn't fit Audrey Hepburn here from Breakfast at Tiffany's, so I put the box instead.

So that's my inspiration board. I had been saving images for about a year, and right before the class started, I did mine. I may do another for the fall class, but have it themed for the colder season, with hats, boots, denim, etc.


Now, I know I promised you a review of the A.R. Trapp Trouboudor sunglasses in the Japanese Havana colorway (tortoise, in other words, of course, lol), but I start with why I bought these. If you look at this image of Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's, you should see the resemblance of these glasses to the ones she wears. Now I look nothing like Audrey, in fact, if I breathed on her she would probably break (poor dear under ate and was a basket of nerves, supposedly), and in no way is my own personal style like hers. That said, there are many items I have seen of hers from movies and in her own personal life that I at some point wished to have for myself, the sunglasses being one of them. Another thing I would love to have is Audrey's amazing generosity of spirit. If you don't know much about her personal life, I highly recommend any of the biographies on her...it appears that she was beloved and for so much more than her style and grace.

I will start with the sunglasses and go from there. ;)


Side view of the A.R. Trapp sunglasses. These are handmade and well-made. They fold up very flat, so there is no need for one of those huge clam shell cases. They actually come with a leather slim case for the glasses, and I definitely suggest you use it. I plan on having these for many, many years (cost per wear hopefully in the pennies by the time I am done with them), and I can do so with great care. So use the provided case!!!


I love the image of the model for J. Crew pulling the sunglasses down on her face and smiling. I couldn't quite get to her sweet expression, but maybe a few points for trying? :)

Notice that these have green lenses, but when you wear them, they seem just like other sunglasses, but it is clearer. (I think the lenses are made from very nice, optical-grade material, a la what is put in prescription glasses.)

So you know, I did research on A.R. Trapp before purchasing these (umm, hello, not a crazy person who spends that sort of money without seeing if it is worth it). Turns out they are a HIGHLY respected shop in NYC that have the very finest sunglasses and prescription glasses, you know, great materials, great handiwork, quality service, etc.

They are sold-out, but there may be a way of locating them? I got the last pair from the Collection store (pulled from the display case), so good luck! I did like the yellow pair they had, but felt that would be too harsh of a yellow for my skin coloring (although I love yellow, the muted, dijon-y mustard yellows make me look a bit sick).


And now for my last inspired piece. Remember I love Giada, right? And I love J. Crew, right? I had purchased this very tunic top from the store (it was in-store only) in March and have worn it a couple of times since then (have yet to get a good photograph--I actually hate this photo). I also love silly reality shows like "The Next Food Network Star." (Yes, I admit it...) Well, guess what? Giada hearts this very top, and is wearing it in her Target commercial. :) I think I chose my inspirations well.

P.S. My hubby asked why I didn't have any blondes on my inspiration board like Cameron Diaz, Anna Torv, or Naomi Watts. I told him...this is a board of women I want to emulate. I don't need to look like them to emulate them. Now if I was doing a "makeup inspiration board," you had better believe that Cameron, Anna, and Naomi would be on mine.

P.P.S. I will pick a winner for the giveaway tomorrow. Wanted to get my Mommy Style Monday done. I know you all understand!!!

Borrowing from the Boys, Literally...

For those of you that read this post early, all you got were four pictures of me wearing the same tee as Rex, and so I am sure that even without copy you all could guess where I got the title "Borrowing from the Boys..."

But just in case you still don't get it, I wore two separate tees recently that happened to be from crewcuts, and were boy's tees. Yes, I literally borrowed from the boys. And because nothing seems to tickle me more than matching my kids (I know, it doesn't take much to amuse me), I had to buy Rex the same tees in his size.

So here you are...


Borrowed from the Boys (Section), Part One (Also today's look, so yay for that!):
Sizes:
Top: Size 12. This is the boys graphic tee with the phrase "Don't be so shellfish," and has a drawing of a lobster. Did I tell you I happen to also love puns??? ;) I like the size 12 in the crewcuts boys shirts, but far prefer a size 14 in the girls shirts, which are cut narrower.
Skirt: Size 8. This is Jones New York from last year. I like the length and modest cut of this for church.
Shoes: Size 10. These are the Carina T-Strap Sandals from last summer, J. Crew. Very comfortable and well-made.

I love that it was baby CW who happily posed with me, not Rex, even though he was the one most excited by the fact that we matched.


I LOVE this picture. You all be expecting my dad to come in and post a comment about how much he loves it, too. Look at that--we are all smiling, no one has their eyes closed, perfection!!! :)

And isn't Rex just DARLING in his shirt??? (Oh, and get this, one whole hour of church and Rex was amazingly well-behaved. He even did prayer hands AND did the sign of peace with one of our pew neighbors--YAY!)

Oh, and yes, inquiring minds, those sunglasses are my new A.R. Trapp for J. Crew Troubadour sunglasses, and yes, I do love them. I did save up for them, and I figure after a few years their cost per wear should be pretty low, so I anticipate these being worth every penny I spent!!!


Borrowed from the Boys (Section), Part Two:
Sizes:
Top: Size 12. This is a crewcuts from last year that I fell in love with...love softshell crabs (to eat) and felt that I had to declare it. I have not yet had ANY this summer, and from what I can tell, I may not the rest of the summer (shortest softshell crab season ever, it seems, sadness is me), so I decided to put it out there that I NEEDED some. Alas, no one caught my (admittedly subtle) plea, so no offers from random strangers in Alexandria offering me some. Boo.
Shorts: Size 10. Yummy buttercup chino color, no?
Shoes: Size 10. Miss Trish of Capri for Target, you did good.

And even though it SHOULD have been Rex in this picture with me, again it was baby CW. I think she just loves the camera (and I think it loves her right back)!


One nanosecond after this photo was taken, Rex bolted for the other side of the room. It was a minor miracle this photo looks like this. LOL.

You all have a great night. Thanks for visiting and bearing through dinagideon's children's photos. :)

P.S. Less than 1.5 hours before my giveaways end. Don't forget to enter!