My Adventures As a Pack Mule, Part Two.

First, before I go into part two of the story that I started yesterday, I want to send a BIG HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mr. Dina. He is old today. :) (At his request, I am baking a cake, and some of you may be delighted to hear that I will be decorating it a la Mid-Century Mom.)

Second, we clearly did not lose power in this last blizzard (the one that started on Tuesday night, February 9, 2010 and not the one these posts are about). I know, I have lost count, too.

Okay, back to business. :)


Remember how a tree and a power line got into a wrasslin' match on our street and how the tree won and knocked out the power? Well, Miss Utility got that tree back and good...


Okay, on the slog home (Monday afternoon, February 8, 2010) we didn't have to hike the entire mile back to our place. In fact, my dad and his 4WD got us to the edge of our street with no problem. That said, we still got to be pack mules (yee-haw or should I say hee-haw) for the last 1/10th of a mile...our street, still not plowed and still very deep. My dad, ever the sweety, said he would take the kids and that Mr. Dina and I could be the luggage carts.


Yippee!!! I can see that this foreign thing, dry pavement really excites Rex. God bless this neighbor. This stretch of dry pavement lasted one house...then it was back to thigh-deep snow for us adult humans and shoulder-deep snow for the rugrats. :)


Ooh, more dry pavement...this time on the other side of the street. Clearly we weren't drunk, but hop-skipping our way from side to side and back to the middle made me feel like I was. Except in my oh, so attractive puffer coat, my walk of shame is eminently more fashionable. (Haha.)

Oh, and yes, those are dirty clothes in that HUGE Target bag. Truly, truly a walk of shame.


Now isn't that nice, a place where Rex won't drown in the fresh powder. I think he saw our house and because he is (almost--tomorrow, you all) 3, the view was like something he hadn't seen in ages. Do you remember how S-L-O-W time dragged when you were a kid? To Rex, the two days we were gone are probably equal to two weeks for us adults. I am sure his only thought upon spying the house was, "My bakugan, my sweet triad sphinx bakugan!"


And with his smile, Part two is finished. There appears no need to do a part three and four (thank goodness). I look forward to getting back to the business of dressing up and being sparkly again!

Have a great night, all!

My Adventures as a Pack Mule, Part One.

First: How I didn't lose readers this past week, I will never ever know!!! I promise the reason I was gone for so long is a good one, but every day I was sure I was losing followers left and right...I typically like to update daily, so a week off with no word, I was convinced I would have lost some of you. But no! You all stuck it out, and I even managed to gain a couple followers in the process...so woo hoo!

Second: On the heels of the announcement that this winter of 2009-2010 is indeed the SNOWIEST on record here in the DC region, I present to you my blog post in which I became a PACK MULE because of this lovely, LOVELY weather (can you sense the sarcasm?)...

I will be doing this post in timeline format, oh, and yes, there are two parts to this pack mule story. Part two (provided we don't lose power--please, dear God, no more) will be tomorrow.

TIMELINE:
Friday, February 5, 2010: Reports circulate that the incoming winter storm will be a doozy. We were told that if we hadn't gotten supplies to make it for days on end without power and access to anything, well, we basically had shot ourselves in the feet.

(We had gotten supplies, and thank goodness I had included D batteries in the grocery list!)

10:30 pm: Snow has been falling steadily for a while. Lots of wind and lots and lots of snow.

11:58 pm: While watching Project Runway on DVR, I hear a crack-boom, and lo and behold, the power is GONE. G-O-N-E. Mr. Dina and I furiously try to find the D batteries he had bought so we can use our awesome flashlight. They are GONE. Just like the power. Sigh.

Saturday, February 6, 2010:

12:30 am: Can't find the D batteries, but have found a small flashlight. And some candles and some matches. We can see the bathroom to go to the bathroom. Well, thank goodness.

12:35 am: I find my reading flashlight. Well, yay, I can read the book about mountain climbing in the Rockies. Just perfect...I get to spend the evening reading about blizzard conditions somewhere else. Haha.

9:00 am: Family is up. Still no power. Sadness. Rex does, though, point out where he put the D batteries...in the cabinet, of course. :P

10:30 am: Starting to get REALLY cold in the house. Children are now wearing overcoats.

12:00 pm: I take a bath. The hot water works, which is a blessing.

3:30 pm: We give up. We call my dad and let him know we have to go to a hotel for the night, possibly two (we have our aunt at my dad's--pretty tight quarters--8 people in 1500 square feet).

And now for the photographic journey (part one) of our adventures as pack mules...


4:00 pm: Goodbye, cold, frigid house. We may see you soon, or it may be weeks. You are lovely, but without power, kind of useless to us in the middle of a driving snowstorm (or two).


4:10 pm: Here is the best photo of me as a pack mule. I have CW in a Bjorn that is *supposed* to only carry up to 26 pounds. CW weighs almost 30. On my back is my backpack full of supplies for two days away from the house. The backpack weighed about 20. Yep, I was carrying 50 extra pounds of weight!!! It was like I was 9 months pregnant ALL OVER AGAIN. Good times...


4:15 pm: We made it to the end of our block. I was not the only pack mule. Mr. Dina was one, too. Rex weighs almost 40 pounds. The Vera Bradley Large Duffel filled with clothes and snacks for the kids? Almost 20. Yep, Mr. Dina got to feel what 9 months of pregnancy feels like, as well. He was a little worn out...and get this...we had to go ALL the way to the edge of the neighborhood to meet my dad...ONE MILE.


4:16 pm: You remember the crack-boom that I mentioned in the timeline? Yes, the one that shut our power off? Well, although there was THUNDERSNOW (great, great word, btw), the cause of the crack-boom was at the end of our street. TREE VERSUS POWER LINE...Tree won.


4:30 pm: Almost 75% of the way there. At about the halfway point, I gave up. I couldn't carry CW anymore. Fortunately, I was able to carry her through the really REALLY deep snow (like 30 inches), and by the point that I was done, the street had been driven on enough (not that we would drive in it, but still, thank you, drivers) so that Rex and CW could walk. This is my favorite picture from the snow...by far. So cute!


4:35 pm: One block away from RESCUE!!! Rex was beyond excited to see my dad. He liked the walk, but he is little and was starting to get worn out. Mr. Dina was carrying CW by this point.

4:45 pm: We meet up with my dad...in his 4WD. He takes us to the house I grew up in, we have a great meal (YUM!), and then he brings us to the hotel nearest our house (just in case the power comes back on in our 'hood, we could just walk home--yes, we are a bit optimistic).

10:00 pm: We are all done. We pack it up for the night, and sleep, sleep, sleep.


Sunday, January 7, 2010:
Whoops, I meant February 7, 2010...it only FELT like January! ;)

8:00 am: Wake up on the 18th floor of the hotel nearest our house to a sparkly, sunshine-y morning. But the sun was a farce...it was still FRIGID and very snow-covered, everywhere.

9:00 am: Still taking photos of the view. It is incredible. If we had been on the other side of the hotel, we would have some awesome views of DC. Instead, we have views of...our neighborhood, my old school (where I still substitute from time to time), a new building being constructed near our home (and is looking to be a behemoth), and 395 (also one of the major highways in the area). Go ahead and click the photo above. Based on the photo, you would NEVER be able to tell that is a major highway. I HAVE NEVER seen 395 look like that.


12:30 pm: We have checked out of the hotel, and well, what do you know? We are going to try to spend the night at my dad's, even with my aunt there. The more the merrier, right? Well, turns out there aren't enough blankets and pillows at my dad's...so we head to Target at Skyline (which is the building in the photo above) and stock up.

BTW, we hear from a neighbor who lives down the street from us (she was at the same hotel as we were) that there may not be power for an ENTIRE week. Sigh. Target becomes our refueling station.



My Improvised Superbowl Look... by dinagideon featuring Keds shoes

6:00 pm: I change. I was wearing one outfit, but decided to change so that Mr. Dina wouldn't be all concerned about me wearing Colts colors (remember, Sunday was the Superbowl). (I had been wearing teal, and that was just too close for comfort.) Not that I changed into Saints' colors (keep in mind, I wasn't really thinking about what I should wear for the Superbowl when I was packing for this mini-adventure of ours)...see the polyvore above for what I did wear.

Amazingly, though, Mr. Dina HAD brought for himself an outfit with Saints' colors. Good for him. He says he wasn't even planning to do that...it just happened. Whatever...we all know that he is a budding fashionista (or fashionisto?).


7:00 pm: We look happy, but in reality, I was just along for the ride, happy to be in my childhood home, not freezing, and being able to enjoy electricity. Mr. Dina spent the next 2.5 hours freaking out...but in the end...the Saints won!

PART TWO will continue tomorrow.

Little sneak peek: We went home on Monday, January 8, 2010. It took way less time to get power restored than we thought. We still had to be like pack mules for the journey home, though, so the title sticks.

What I will not be going into in part two: This current storm...as in, holy moley...there was ANOTHER big storm...not even three days after the last storm ended!!! (And the current object of my prayers--please, please, please protect our power lines from the wind...I really do not want to have to write a My Adventures as a Pack Mule, Parts Three and Four...)

Thank you all for sticking it out with me. SWAK!

Review of the Bateau Top...Striped and Ready to Go!!!

This is going to be VERY quick. Baby CW has something...hoarse cough, bad mood, you name it, she is suffering from it. Blegh. I am tired because she is tired (does that make sense)?

Striped and Ready to Go!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

But I LOVE this top, so I really wanted you all to see it on someone. I will issue one caveat...I have a small mini-crush on striped tops from J. Crew. I own a red-striped top (short-sleeves), a thin black striped top (long-sleeves), multi-colored striped top (long-sleeves), and a khaki-striped top (turtleneck). So when I saw the vintage bateau top in the new arrivals this month, I kind of knew I would buy it at full-price. Yes, all, it is FULL PRICE love. :) That's commitment. I have already gotten the tiniest stain on it and ripped out the price tag. 'Tis love.

The polyvore shows accurate pieces, except the pants, which are not true. I am wearing ancient J. Crew chinos from four years ago. I really love J. Crew pants, I think they are well-made and last a LONG time.

The shearling chalet boots I got on a popback!!! SCORE! I was ready to go and ebay pay someone for a pair from a clearance center, but nope, only had to pay 80 dollars. YAY! And perfect timing, what with all this awful snow we have had (and will continue to have--10-20 inches forecast for Fri.-Sat.).


Sizes:
Top: Size small. I like it, and think the cotton is sturdy, and not see-through. I think it is cut a bit generous and long, so if you felt comfortable, you could potentially size down. I don't mind this looser cut on me, it isn't so loose that you lose my waist or anything, so that's good. And the color? Camel? GORG. I will be surprised if this doesn't sell out.
Cardigan: Size medium.
Pants: Size 10.
Boots: Size 9. (I sized down one whole size...didn't make a bit of difference. Feels to me the way the old 10s used to feel...I say size down for sure.)

See my model baby there in an old Rex crewcuts vest? Right, so precious...well, take a gander at the next shot (open the photo up for the best effect)...


Heehee, even model babies have to yawn. :^0


Close-up of the bateau top. The necklace is a outlet (I think) item, a mushroom that jingles like a bell when it is swung. The kids LOVE it. :)

Have a nice night. Maybe, with any luck, I can pre-order from BodenPreview.com tomorrow. Play nice, Johnnie!

P.S. I have been terrible commenting back on my last few posts. I will probably not post much tomorrow, instead I will focus on answering comments. :)

Orla Kiely, Marimekko, You All Look So Fine...Oh, Wait, That's a Boden Dress??? Summer Preview 2010...

Marimekko, is that you???


Orla, is that you???

One of my awesome readers, Erin commented in this post last night that the new Boden Summer Preview (2010) was up and ready for all eyes to see. She even posted a code. Thank you so much, Erin. :)

Well, I had a gander at their new items, and I am pleased, to say the least. I have always loved Orla Kiely and Marimekko, but could never afford the prices of their items, but this summer preview afforded me the chance to get a dress a la Orla,or Marimekko, but for$98, minus 20%. (BTW, you don't need a code, just click on the sidebar--at the right on the bodenpreview homepage--to get your basket to show a total minus 20%.) By the way, Orla is a fun, British company known for their patterned bags, and Marimekko is a Finnish textile company that always has fresh, fun, and bold florals. Gah!

So head on over, and take a look around. There isn't a ton, and I only am really interested in a few items, but some are very very pretty.

P.S. If you can make the 20% off work, let me know...as of right now, all of my mock orders are coming up with an "error" message (which is bound to frustrate even the most devoted Boden fan--Johnnie, fix it, please). Thank you in advance!

Mad for Plaid, and not in a 1993 Kind of Way, Either!!!

First things first: Yay for Mid-Century Mom...new post!


Mad for Plaid. In 2010. by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Second: Today's outfit will be published either late tonight (ha, right, Lost season premiere on) or tomorrow am (well, we are probably going to be snowbound for the millionth time this year, so a much more likely scenario). I look forward to doing today's outfit, though, because it is of the Vintage Bateau top (camel color), which means I get to do a mini-review. (Well, okay, a mini-mini-review: Love!)

Here is the polyvore of the outfit I wore yesterday, February 1, 2010. I wore this out to chill with HeidiG. and my kids at Tysons. I had promised Ms. HeidiG. a birthday lunch (her bday was in December--late much, dinagideon?). We had a yummy lunch at Legal Seafood (Shrimp "nuggets" for the kids, a Crabcake for HeidiG., and a Shellfish Salad for moi), and then we went to the Crew to check out the new wares. HeidiG. was great and bought nothing (good for you, very awesome)! I had a return, so I did that, and exchanged it for a tee and a top. I spent $3. LOL.


Before I get to sizes, I have a quick announcement. As of today, 2/2/10, I am now 1.5 lbs. away from my "ultimate" goal weight. YIPPEE!!! I told myself when I started this blog that if I never made it to my ultimate goal, I was okay with that, because as Mr. Dina says about the photo on the left, "gee, you have lost weight, but you still looked good in the 'before' photo!"

Okay, yeah, that's good and all, but ladies, you all know what I mean? It is an elusive weight that we all want so bad, the weight from whatever time in whatever era of our lives that we want to achieve again. For me, it ISN'T the weight I was at 23 (way too SKINNY--yikes) or when we got married (it was fine and all, but eh, not a goal I am hoping to reach), it IS the way I was in the summer of 2004, when we went to Hawaii. I just felt perfect at that weight, you know?

And now, through an odd combo of 1/4 actual contrived exercise, 1/4 good eating (try to be fresh if possible), 1/4 nursing, and 1/4 exercise from running around after crazy toddlers (definitely not "traditional exercise" by any stretch of the imagination)...I have done it. Since I started this blog, I have lost over 25 pounds...and as it appears, baby CW has taken most of those for herself, and most of my weight loss was from my face. :) LOL.

Okay, Sizes. (Not from the pic from last year...come on now!):
Shirt: Crewcuts Boys' Size 12. Very comfy, but again, is on the shorter size. I feel very Kurt Cobain in this, but I think keeping it a closer fit has helped to keep this look from going over to that side of grunge. Since I owned over ten plaid shirts in college, I am planning on having this be the only one I own in 2010. I think if I am to have one, this is the one to own!
Tee: Size Extra-Small. I want to point out that I forced HeidiG. to try it on, and she looked amazing. That is all. ;)
Pants: Size 30S.
Shoes: Size 9.5. I think I am forever done buying J. Crew size 10. It appears I am either a size 9 or 9.5 in the Crew shoe.

Well, there you are...Mad for Plaid, 2010!

Talk with you all tomorrow. Off to go sing some ditties from REM's Losing My Religion album.

A Little Sultana to Brighten Your Day...and a Wee Little Rant About Rude People.

I have to make this quick and easy...I am in the midst of preparing clothing to be sent out for people who bought things last week from me on the exchange (thank you, all!)...had meant to do it yesterday, but in case you hadn't heard, we had over 6 inches of snow fall here. :P

Also, I have to get my next Cash from My Closet entry ready to go, AND (for all of you who have waited with bated breath) get my next post of Mid-Century Mom up and published (for a sneak peek, see the second photo for a glimpse of the outfit I wore).

Miss Sultana Can Brighten Your Day! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Okay, above is the outfit I wore on Thursday evening. I clearly love the Sultana jacket enough to wear it the VERY next night after purchasing it. No waiting in the closet for this bright and lovely mid-century inspired jacket. I guess that is one way to tell if the item you bought is a keeper, do you wear it right away? (Although if it is out of season, like shorts in winter, I guess that doesn't apply...)

We were just going to our friends' house to celebrate the birthday of one of them. I didn't need to go all crazy and dressed up, as this was a casual party, but I added a bit of "dressy" to the look. :)


Sizes:
Jacket: Size 6.
Tee: Size Medium.
Jeans: Size 10.
Shoes: Size 9. I guess even Merona Collection are suffering from vanity sizing. These are thin enough for my feet, but had I gotten the ten, they would have been far too long.

What is up with CW's stance? Maybe she is perfecting the "slumped over so no one sees just how short this skirt is" stance that so many J. Crew models have learned!


And now let's move to Friday.
Sizes:
Dress: Size 10. Jones New York, Macy's. I bought it after I had CW and it was so very very tight. Now it fits very well. My only issue is that the poly-blend does not lay well and wrinkles. That said, the shape is divine and that bit of lace at the collar is so beautiful. I feel very lady-like in this dress.
Heels: Size 10.

Baby is only wearing the outfit from the last night because she went to sleep in it...we changed her into another outfit shortly after this photo was taken. :)

I wore this to go to Rex's parent-teacher conference. It was okay, and the teachers must either really like me or really dislike me because we spent over an hour talking. I think it was that long because I am a teacher, too, so things like pedagogy and implementation got into our discussion (although we didn't actually use those words).

Then I went to Whole Foods and shopped. I put on a pair of flats in that same peacock blue color so I could be comfortable. Let me tell you something, though...in this day and age it doesn't matter how well-dressed you are, how lady-like you act, or how patient you are, you are still likely to p*ss someone off during grocery shopping. I am the type who will sit and wait for someone else to find what they are looking for and then I will move into their spot when they are done. I figure it is the right thing to do. Not ONCE, but TWICE, (and this part kills me), really OLD people chewed me out for not moving out of their way fast enough!!! Wow. I just hate to think it is THESE people who are representing my beloved Northern Virginia. So classy! Ugh. And to make it worse, I was only in their way because I refused to be rude to someone else and tell them they needed to move to make way for me. So my manners led to others' rudeness. How very ironic.

Okay, rant over. The whole purpose of me wearing this outfit was NOT for the conference (although I wouldn't have worn sweats) or for the shopping (I have done that already), but for the next chore on Mid-Century Mom's docket--unpacking the groceries. Post to be published either late tonight or early tomorrow morning!


It was REALLY really cold on Friday (still is, but the snow excuses me from having to step foot outside). This is what I wore to cover up.
Sizes:
Coat: Size 8. This is the Shipley Stadium Cloth Coat in Ivory. It is pretty and oh, so warm.

Preview for My Polyvore Pals!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Last thing, I am offering up two new items for the Cash from My Closet blog, and I am giving you all a sneak peek. Please note that the jacket does NOT have the button in the middle...that was in the photo from polyvore, and was not in any of the Aubrey jackets actually produced. Having said that, I really liked this jacket when it fit me. Now it is far too big in the shoulders for me to wear. I would say a size 10 could wear this no problem.

Have a great night all!

Watercolor Leopard Cardigan Brings Out My Wild Side...

Ladylike with an Edge! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

The night I went to Pentagon City to look at all of the new goodies at J. Crew, I wore this outfit (pictured above in the polyvore). If you know me, you know that dark, edgy-looking outfits are not normally my thing. I wanted to try something new...ladylike with an edge. I loved the outfit, it made me feel exactly like I wanted to feel, confident, pretty, and ready to try new things (you all saw that I tried on not one, but two, very short, very full mini-skirts, right?).

If you like the boots, they are still for sale, but you have to go directly to Naturalizer, and not through the polyvore. For some reason Polyvore seems to think they are sold-out. Sadly, the GORGEOUS tweed mini-bag is sold out, but I was lucky enough to buy mine from a fantastic JCA in NYC who was going to return hers to her local store, so I swooped in and begged her to let me buy it straight from her. (It was an awesome transaction.) :)

Here is what the outfit looked like in total.

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Small. I had bought the watercolor leopard pencil skirt, but even in a size 8, that sucker was T-I-G-H-T. It fit, but wow, super-uncomfortable. And no 10s available for sale. But serendipity stepped in, and the cardigan was at Tysons when I went, and on sale for 40 dollars, maybe? I ended up getting money back from the transaction!
Top: Size Medium. This Target Xhiliration tank has sequins all over the front, but they are sewn onto a piece of fabric to keep the sequins NICE and SECURE. No Sequin OCD from me on this top--smile. I loved it and its price so much, I also bought it in a turquoise color (supposedly 2010's IT color). :)
Skirt: Size 8. From the outlet and very comfy!
Tights: Size Medium/Tall. These are the glitter version J. Crew made for the holidays. The glitter is subtle. Only beef I have is that the tights don't have a control top, and I LOVE feeling "sucked in."
Boots: Size 9.

I am also wearing the Tangled Treasure necklace. I think it is the PERFECT match for this outfit...

CW has now taken to placing herself in all of my photos. If she sees me taking my pic of the day, she comes up, holds my hand, and poses. Cracks us up still! :) Come on, J. Crew, don't you see her potential as a crewcuts darling???


This is with the cardi off. It wasn't warm enough for me to do this, though. That cardi stayed on for a good portion of the night.


Here is the sparkle tweed mini-bag on me. I love it as much as I love her sister, the shimmerveil mini-bag. (Don't tell her sister, but I *think* the sparkle tweed may come out and play more because she is less high maintenance.)

By the way, so you all know, I kept the Contessa dress, the Sultana jacket, the denim full mini, and the scalloped zipper cardigan. I definitely bought the bag. I may, when it goes on sale, buy the froo-frah tee.

You all have a nice night. (Oh, and prepare for a new mid-century mom post...I finally got the chance to do another chore in a very prim and proper outfit.)