OOTDs: A Lavish Farmyard.

Hi, all!

Hope everyone has had a lovely weekend.  Man, Sunday night can be a bit of a bummer knowing that Monday is around the corner.  (I know that I technically work from home, but I LOVE having Mr. Dina around to help with some of the parenting.)  ;)

Okay, so these two outfits are a bit funny.  I think I chose the wrong bottoms for both of the tops, but in the moment both tops felt great with the bottoms I chose.  Hindsight is always 20/20, right?

Anyhow, my future plan for the Lavish T-shirt is to wear it paired with a beautiful printed pencil skirt (and tucked in) and my plan for the Farmyard Fair Isle Sweater is to pair it with jeans (s-o-o-o-o boring but exactly what that wack-a-doo pattern needs).

I was bowling the day I wore these crazy pants.  In fact, most of the ladies who bowl with me and the guys who run the alley kept referencing my crazy pants.  I was able to procure a ball (for $25 down from $150) because the guy who helps with the alley thought of the ball when he saw my pants.  Who says fashion isn't beneficial?

(The ball is "damaged."  Which in bowling speak means that NADA is wrong with it...you think JCAs get their panties in a bunch over a hole in a tee?  You all should meet some of these bowlers.  Man, they have put the Cray in Crazy.  Of course I only made it worse by wearing the crazy pants around them.)

I think the outfit actually looks okay with the jacket over top, helps balance the print in the pants.

The jacket is awesome, btw.  An ebay seller from Southern VA must have found this at one of the clearance centers since it was a sample and a really great price for what it is (double faced cashmere--so so soft).

If I had to do this over again, I would wear full length pants that are bit more subdued.  Looking at this image, I think I look a bit "girl on stilts" here.  Crazy patterned stilts.  (I wore them last here and they look fine with that particular pairing.  I think these pants need to be left for summer-summer-summer-time.)

Lavish T-shirt.  I went back and forth over whether I liked this tee enough to buy it, even at a great mid-season sale price.  Even when I first received it, I was still on the fence.

I bought the size 6, which is my usual Boden size for tops, and it fits fine in the shoulders and waist.  The bust and waist are a bit big, while the hips are touch small.

I got around the hips being too small by tucking the hem under, which worked just fine, but from the back looks a bit *scrunched*, so I will be dragging out the sewing machine and re-hemming the top so it hits at my high hip and not my low hip, which should take care of the problem.

I really dig the color, a beautiful brown/grey.  I rarely can wear brown without looking horrid, so I appreciate the hues of brown I can wear.  The lovely (and very well done) embellishment at the neckline and shoulder detail is a bonus.

I love the cap sleeves, as it helps make my shoulders seem wider in relation to my hips (pear shapes, if you can find a tailor or you yourself can hem, consider this top for that reason alone).

Here is why I need to get out the sewing machine, once the hem is brought up the fabric will lay much better.

The fabric is viscose, and as I discussed in this post on the Westminster scoop tunic dress, it did wrinkle, but not obscenely so.

Farmyard Fair Isle Sweater.  This was a sweater that intrigued me for a couple of reasons.  One...it is almost ugly, like ugly sweaters that my hero Leslie Hall would wear.  Two...any chance for me to sort of be like Leslie Hall (in small doses, of course), I'll take it.  Three...fair isle is a big thing right now.  Four...I tried it on multiple times and kept hemming and hawing, should I get it?  I loved it, but couldn't decide, but reference number one and two for why I decided to love it for real.  Five...the pattern has kitty cats, and since Mr. Dina refuses to let us get cats until the kids are much, much, MUCH older, this is all I get for now.

I bought a small, which is one size up from my normal sweater size at J. Crew.  (I think it fits a bit short and a bit close, so I think if you like it, definitely size up unless you are tee-tiny.)

Oof.  This outfit looks like I am trying out to be an extra in any movie by John Hughes.  Can't you just see me in some Chicago suburb trying to figure out *what in the world my life is. GOING. TO. BE. and how in the world to catch the eye of THAT. CUTE. GUY. IN. 7th. PERIOD.*

CW looks really cute.

Looks better with the vest opened.  Next time I am ditching the rust colored capris and sticking with denim.  Boring but way less insane-looking.

Oh, and I will leave the pigtails in 7th period.  Or at least wait until I am wearing a sundress and flip-flops.

Gaw!  My baby.  Simply a gratuitous Angus photo for you all to smile at...

UPDATE: Monday 12/10/12. There is a new promo for 30% off selected styles, with free ship. If the items you want is not in the 30% promo, the code Q753 works for 25% off with free ship (more items included in that one, but check the 30% off first, just in case).

Just in time for Christmas! Three days only and limited quantities: take 30% off select items + free shipping at BodenUSA.com.

Lands' End fans, there is a couple day promo going on (until 12/11) that saves you 30% off your entire order.

And in Honor of It Being a Monday...

So Mondays like this are always weird for me. Especially here in the DC area, where there is such a high concentration of government offices, these "less important" federal holiday Mondays throw the whole system off.

First, more than 50-75% of folks here do not have to go to work today. Which is cool, yay! But that leaves the rest of humanity at work. You would think that would be an awesome thing for those that are left over having to trudge to work because they are faced with far FAR shorter commute times, no lines at their local eatery for lunch, and less buzz in their individual work places, but that still can't take the grump out of people who really really want to have a foul day.

So I never know how to respond to them. I have to still trudge my kids to their various activities, I definitely did not have the day off from my "mom" duties, but the shortened commute, easier in and out to the errands, and smiley faces around me definitely bolstered my spirits.

Unfortunately I still couldn't bring the sunshine out everywhere, regardless of my firm intent to do so, as not ONCE, but TWICE, on my far easier commute to the kids classes was I basically road raged for NOT GOING FAST ENOUGH or (you all are gonna love this one) NOT RUNNING A RED LIGHT.

Actual events of the day, which is why either everyone should have the day off or no one should, because clearly, there are some people that just can't handle it at all: ;)

1. Yeah, sorry, the speed limit in the parking lot at the freaking preschool is 5 mph and there are little kids running everywhere, not really my desire to, you know, maim or kill some kid because your snarky butt is all pi**ed off at me for making you pull into that spot an extra 30 seconds later.

(And why she chose to follow me in the parking lot when there were other spaces available on the other side is beyond me. I can't expect snarky people to also be smart, right?)

2. Oh, yeah, and sorry, not gonna do it, pulling onto a major road while their lights turn green and ours are firmly red is not happening regardless of how awesomely my Routan's airbags up, down, and sideways are planted throughout the vehicle.

(Oh, yeah, and the piece of work lady behind me--all 23 years old--decided that a middle fingered salute was the best way to respond to me being safe for my kids and all. To which I made them turn around and wave their little hands at her so she could, I don't know, maybe feel an ounce of shame for being such a heartless, well you know. LOL.)

Ha.

So yeah, there is a second, I promise.

Second, I also find it weird that only my hubby has to work today amongst all our friends and family in the area. Every year we hear of all these folks who have this fabulous long weekend planned, and every year we are asked if we are doing anything, and it's always, umm, no. Some of us have to work.

Third, I always think, huh, I have all these things to do and everything is open, where's the mail? And it isn't there, every year. Yet, UPS ships. Messing with me, all this weirdness.

Is DC the only area in the country where everyone is pretty much off of work (outside of my husband and really angry young women)?

I am not here just to bore you (or make you laugh, depending on whether you have been in the above situations, which my God, I hope none of you have), so here is an outfit I wore a month ago? I was out with the kids running around, so it was sort of like today. I figure it counts.

J. Crew Collection Crystal Cardigan, Size Small.
J. Crew Factory Hayworth Giraffe Cami, Size Small.
J. Crew Double Serge Cotton Pencil Skirt, Size 6.
Boden Downtown Heels, Size 41.

I liked this image better, but silly camera auto-focused wrong, so it is a tad blurry.  :)

It got fairly warm that day, so the thin cardigan had to come off. 

I love this abyss blue color, I wish that J. Crew would issue this color in one of their wool pencil skirts, seems to be a color that can translate well to winter clothing, but I don't believe I have seen them use it outside of some special event dresses.

Okay, all, enjoy the rest of your Columbus Day holiday (if you have it off), and if you don't, focus on the positives, not the negatives.  And keep that middle finger in its holster.  ;)

It Is Still For Sale!!!

Ladies...The Pippa Jacket is still for sale. Size 4...1300 dollars. If they still let us use our teacher/student discount...it would only be 1105 dollars. Come on, one of you must want it! (Smile...)

I wonder when, if ever, this coat will sell. I think I will check back every month or so and let you all know its progress.

So my only post today will be ripping on a J. Crew Collection item...

I have zero desire to get dressed up...so here I am, in pjs, no makeup, CW is asleep, posting on something extremely unimportant. ;) Oh, well, I guess we all get to take a break sometime!

This is a J. Crew Collection item called the "Pippa" jacket. I love the name Pippa, it reminds me of a girl who would be so much fun to hang out with, she would have curly red hair, and she could drink every single guy under the table even though she is only 5'3" and 110 pounds. So how does J. Crew immortalize her name? With this atrocity (my apologies if you own this jacket).

It sold originally for $1800 and is made of calf-hair. Some poor calf lost its life to create this jacket. Wow.

One thing that bothers me more than anything about this article of clothing...it looks nothing like J. Crew or J. Crew collection. It has the air of a couture Italian piece, but who in the United States and Canada (main purchasers of J. Crew) is going to buy this jacket? The people who shop at J. Crew are not avant-garde to this extent. It is one thing to create a sublime overcoat in a shimmery-grey fabric (the luscious stormy tweed Lille--which I own) and ask people to buy it for hundreds of dollars (which I did not--scored on sale for a fraction of its original cost) for it, but it is another to think the people who shop at J. Crew (even those willing to spend more on the Collection) are going to get something that looks NOTHING like the rest of what of your other clothing looks like. ABSURDITY!

The model sure is trying her best to look pretty in it, but while her face is amazing, the jacket (even on miss skinny) looks ill-fitting through the shoulders and the calf-hair looks shiny...which disturbs me (I am not sure why). Plus styling this with an orange turtleneck and a green skirt is like saying..."hey, you there, yes, you, in IRELAND...here are your colors, do you want to buy this?" I think that this could have been saved (maybe, big MAYBE) if the jacket fit, if the colors used with this were more muted (that jacket cannot compete with other things), then I could possibly see spending (wait for it)...$500. That's it.

The whole reason I posted this is because this was back on the website last weekend (2/21 and 2/22) and they were attempting to sell it at the bargain rate of $1300. Guess what? Still for sale, in a size 4. Here you go (if you want to see for yourself): http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/jacketsouterwear/jacketsouterwear/PRDOVR~86099/86099.jsp

By the way, the LA Times mentioned this coat in their post on their blog. Seems they agree with my sentiments. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2008/03/when-did-jcrew.html

How to be colorful and stay warm...all at the same time...

I almost didn't blog this outfit because I was feeling blah this morning, but I decided to after I realized how much I love this color orange. It is tangelo in the cashmere turtleneck. It is way cold here and I needed something warm. Thank goodness for cashmere. I have had no pilling issues with this particular sweater...although I have in the past with other J. Crew cashmere/dream items. The pants are buttercup surplus chinos.

The necklace is from the January 2008 catalog. My hubby calls it my witch necklace. He HATES it. I think he actually liked that wedding dress I posted about yesterday more than this necklace. My teacher buddy laughed when I told him of Jim's extreme hatred and quipped, "whose soul do you keep in there?" To which I quipped back, "my former roommate (oh was that guy AWFUL)." Later on in the day, another coworker said, "I love your necklace...how chic." I guess this necklace is either black or white, you love it or you hate it!

The shoes are some Lauren driving mocs I bought a few years ago!



I always pose with CW...so I decided today it was Rex's turn. I picked up his massive 35 pounds (he isn't even two yet) and posed. He is at the age where he doesn't pose. Oh, well. Even with a sippy cup, he is still cute!

Golly, I hate this wedding dress...

Oh, J. Crew...you of the pretty people and pretty things. How could you have screwed up so badly? In one word, this dress is atrocious...

Yes, I would like to look like a frilly lady from the 1910's. Oh, yes, indeedy! I should have one of those frilly umbrellas that they sell at Disneyland that you can personalize, too (they look like this dress, but in umbrella form).

If you have seen the show little britain, there is a character who always runs around saying, "But I'm a lady," even though she is clearly a man. She is the sort of character who would LOVE this dress. This is the dress that character would wear if she was getting married. If you still want to see this dress on-line, look here: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WeddingParties/womens/forthebride/PRDOVR~11835/11835.jsp

Can I suggest another dress instead? And one that isn't almost 3,000 dollars?

This one is only 400 dollars and is sleek, classic, and sweet. The "I'm a lady" character wouldn't touch this dress with a hundred foot pole. Find it here: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WeddingParties/womens/forthebride/PRDOVR~96230/96230.jsp