OOTD/Review: Father's Day and a Snapdragon.

Hello, all!  Happy belated Father's Day!

First up is the ootd portion of the post, followed by the review of the Shabby Apple Snapdragon dress.

Day: Sunday, June 16, 2013.

Where:  Father's Day at Mount Vernon, then to dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Shabby Apple asked me if I would be willing to try one of their dresses from their vintage inspired line, and of course I was more than willing to give one of them a try!  :-)  (I had seen their dresses over the years, but since their presence isn't as big amongst us J. Crew/Boden/preppy personal style bloggers, I never really went over and checked out the items on a regular basis.) 

Anyhow, long story short, they were happy to send me a dress of my choice (from a list of contenders), and though I was enamored with many of my choices, I knew that the pretty Snapdragon dress had to come to me.  Its vintage style reminds me of clothing my grandmother wore in the mid-50s, but its happy, colorful print seemed to be very "me."  And since I am clearly a fan of shirtdresses (hello, blog header!), I was sure I could make this one work for me.

I had the dress for less than three days before I knew I would wear it, yesterday, for Father's Day.  It was really muggy and warm yesterday, and I knew the only thing I wanted next to my skin was a lightweight cotton.  And since I wanted to dress up for Mr. Dina, but still would need to nurse Angus, this dress was exactly right for the day.

The sunglasses (Kirkland Signature--yep, Costco), the belt, and the Cole Haan shoes nicely rounded out the outfit without making me feel too wilted by the end of the day, and considering I had to spend half the day running after Angus and/or holding him while he tried to escape me (and climb the stairs, natch), I know that outside of a track suit and trainers, I chose best for the occasion.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I added the belt and the sunglasses to up the cool factor.  But considering I was going for the retro/vintage vibe, I didn't want to style this beauty too much, since the darling print (birds frolicking amongst leaves, oranges, and apples) shines on its own.

Anecdote from the day:  Since it was Father's Day, I forgave Mr. Dina when he assured me he would be done with the learning center part of Mount Vernon in no time flat, while I went on ahead with Angus, who was definitely done with enjoying it.  Some TWENTY minutes later, Mr. Dina finally ambles on out and is all, "what, why are you upset?"  Humph.  ;-P

(I will take this opportunity to let you all know that we have annual passes to George Washington's home, since it is a mere ten or so miles from our home.  We can go there anytime we like, it's not like we're from Kansas and this is our one trip to our nation's capital.)

REVIEW:

Snapdragon Dress.  Size Small.  So some of you may have ordered from this purveyor of fine, conservative clothing in the past, but for me, it was a first (as mentioned above).  I took a gamble that the website's sizing chart was accurate, and that this skirt would be full enough for me *not* to worry about the hip measurement.

The gamble was spot on, since the bust is only a touch too full, the waist is exactly right, and the hips are free.  Surprisingly the only part that was tight on me was the sleeves, which were not uncomfortable, but more fitted than I am used to.  If you have more ample upper arms (my upper arms are actually considered kind of skinny), you may want to bear that in mind if you like this dress.

The dress is made from what seems to be a stretch cotton poplin.  This means that by the end of the day, the dress fit better than it did when I first put it on, since it was able to stretch and conform to my shape.  It will be washed and hung to dry, and will return to its shape, and upon wearing it again, it will then again stretch and conform to my shape. 

From a sewing perspective, I love working with cotton poplin, since they take dyes very well, are very breathable, and are very easy to sew.

This fabric was a bit stiff before wearing it, but after a few trips to the washing machine, it will just keep getting softer and softer.

The dress is made with women in mind who want to be fashionable, fun, but still a bit conservative in their dressing.  I clearly am more conservative than not when it comes to my choices, and like having a wardrobe full of pretty, unique, vintage-inspired frocks for my daily life.  The arm length is lovely on this, but I often wear sleeveless items, but for those of you who do need to wear dresses with sleeves, this one has nice, ample coverage (just remember they are a bit tight).  The skirt comes right to my knee, which is nice, since I am very tall through my legs, and most dresses that are not in a tall length end up well above my knee.

I actually think the dress looks prettiest from the back!

I like it without the belt, a lot, but wanted to do something special yesterday, so I added the belt, sunglasses, and bag.  That said, I could definitely see wearing this as above out with the kids to a playdate or to their school.

There were only two small issues that I had with the dress (beyond the tighter sleeves), and that would be the extraneous two upper buttons, and the kind of odd collar.  In the photos, it actually looks really lovely, so I suspect that is all on me, and as I am looking at it while writing this post, the bodice is growing on me.  ;-)  The zipper isn't the most awesome, either, but I am never a big fan of a side zip. 

Okay, that's it for today.  I am planning on hosting a giveaway tomorrow for a Shabby Apple item of your own.  The giveaway will be tomorrow, so be on the lookout for it!  Hope all of you will enter!  (BTW, this dress is one of the ones you can choose from if you win.)

P.S. Since this post is about Father's Day, and I had mentioned my Grandma's 50s style, I thought I would share the above photo of the members of my dad's family from the day my aunt was baptized, in 1959.  Doesn't everyone look so put together and beautiful?  My grandma looks amazing, and my dad and uncle are beyond adorable in their little suits and fedoras.  Love!

End of Summer Equals Shorts...

Sorry for the absence this past week...I have been struggling trying to keep up with the blog while shuttling Rex to and from preschool (and dealing with his "behavior" at preschool itself), plus CW had her year checkup (23 lbs., 29 inches, and a HUGE head). But I have a few moments, so I thought I would do this post plus the Kreativ Blogger Award post (AppGal, THANK YOU!).

These three outfits are just so simple, it may not even be worth your energy to scroll down...that said, I do have a few photos of the kids...so maybe that alone will be worth it!

I love shorts in the summer, and this summer was no exception...


First up: Khaki Bermuda Shorts (J. Crew, Spring 2009); Citron Eyelet Blouse (J. Crew Collection, Summer 2008); Brown Leather Sandals (Nine West, Spring 2008).

I love this blouse...it is so pretty...I really like that it now fits a bit looser (it is a size 10) because I like the tunic look...I could probably have gotten away with an 8, but in the throes of summer, I don't really want fabric sitting too close to my skin. These bermuda shorts are so comfy...I bought nearly every color J. Crew made I love them that much. The shoes are "eh," but I can wear them all day and not feel like my feet are killing me at the end of the day!

BTW, isn't CW darling? I love it when she sneaks into the photo!


Speaking of sneaking into the photo...she is crawling up behind me and...voila...


I picked her up and swung her, just to see her smile... :)

The outfit consists of: same shorts as in the first outfit; Lime-striped tank top (Old Navy, Summer 2009); and Lime fit-flops (Summer 2008). (Oh, and so you know, this was the first day of school here in VA, and I definitely didn't want to wear anything special...hence the super-casual look.)

1st Day of School for Everyone Else! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore of the outfit above. I do agree with one of the comments that the fit-flops match the top...and I believe I may have planned it that way that day (because I get bored like that)...


And finally, a very CASUAL outfit for just hanging with the kids. I may have gone outside to get the mail that day. Ooh, exciting. Anyhow, aren't the kids too cute? I love it! I wish they always were in this sort of mood. Rex is probably excited because he is holding onto his Transformers magnets...which speaking of Transformers, we had to take ALL his Transformers away and put them in a box (which he can still see) up on top of a shelf in order to discipline him for not being a good boy at preschool. Sigh. I am not sure my 2 1/2 year old is quite old enough to get it, but this is what his preschool teacher recommended (supposedly it worked for her son when he acted up). If that doesn't work, does anyone know of a preschool that "bad" boys can go to? I feel like with the way people portray Rex he is a budding criminal, not the sweet boy I know he can be! Is it just me or have any of you mommies out there had a time when your kids were painted as "awful," even when you knew what they were saying was an overreaction? Also, I feel like if you have never had a super-active, crazy 2-year old boy, Rex and the way he acts may be beyond you...I now have a lot of sympathy for any mom or dad with a little boy or girl having a fit in the grocery store (I even go out of my way to help if I can...I know what it feels like to feel like you are the only one who is going through this particular realm of hell...).

Okay, this outfit consists of: Linen (Sequined) Top (J. Crew "Vintage Closet," Spring 2008); Yellow shorts (J. Crew, Spring 2006); and Brown Strappy wedges (Aerosoles, Summer 2009).

You all have a great day and start to the weekend. I will be posting my blogger award very soon!