INDEPENDENCE DAY GIVEAWAY!!!

Because I believe irony (you know--an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected) is fun...I give you my very unexpected giveaway of a bag with a Union Jack on it for my Independence Day Giveaway.

(The Arbonne FC moisturizer that I am also giving away--very expected, I am sure, seeing as I am an Arbonne Independent consultant, so definitely not an example of irony.)

As a hugely patriotic American who recognizes that we did indeed tell the king of England to (in my words, not theirs) "stuff it" some 234 years ago on July 2nd (should really be our Independence day, but well, let's move on already and be happy with the day it is... after all, the revised version was accepted on July 4th, and it is a lovely version for sure...), but who also loves that through the sands of time, our two countries have formed such a lovely bond as to allow us to buy such pretties from Boden (yes, yes, I could focus on how our countries really came together during World War II, etc., but most of you read this blog because you love clothing and the like). Therefore I thought, "what a fitting tribute to America of yesterday and of today that I can give away a bag with a Union Jack on it?" Heehee. And really, what is America without a great sense of humor about itself? ;)


Above please see the image of the items I am giving away and their names. (Open the pic up to see it close-up.)


Oh, I am not done...let me surprise you all with ANOTHER giveaway...one for my birthday! If I could have, I would have BEGGED my mother to have waited three days so I could have been an Independence Day baby (how very cool for a woman whose destiny held AMERICAN HISTORY teaching). But, yet, in another fit of irony, my mom had me on CANADA day. Haha, very funny, Mom. :)

This one is simpler and is just two items from Arbonne that I covet from their Seasource Detox line, a packet of their Sea Soak and their Sea Mud and Body Mask. I use these products at least once a week as a special present to myself. So even when it is no where NEAR my bday, I get to have a mini-celebration of "me-time."


Above please see the image of the items I am giving away and their names. (Open the pic up to see it close-up.)

Here are the rules:

You may enter for both giveaways, but please do a separate comment for each one.

You should make sure to put your name. I have your e-mails through Disqus, but if you use a different one for your main e-mail, then please do leave that one.

You should also tell me your favorite thing about America in the Independence Day Giveaway one, unless of course, you aren't an American, in which case, please do tell me your favorite thing about where you are from. :) (And, yes, that does mean I am willing to accept international entrants.)

For my Birthday Giveaway comment, please do tell us how you pamper yourself throughout the year.

Even though you could (potentially) win twice, I will be limiting one giveaway to one entrant, just to keep things even. So if you win the Independence Day Giveaway, your other "comment" will be taken out of the running for the Birthday Giveaway.

This giveaway ends on July 11, at 11:59 p.m. Good luck!

If you CANNOT access disqus for one reason or another, please e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com and I will enter the giveaways for you. :)

P.S. Many of you have worked with me on placing Arbonne orders. I expect that in the next week I will be sending out a coupon and a card to each of you who are on my list. If you would like to be on my Arbonne mailing list, please do e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com and I will get you squared away.

To Celebrate My Birthday, I Give You a Celebration of the Sundress!

I thought I was old last year. Yeah, no. This year I feel even older. So, yay, birthdays! LOL. ;) (Happy Canada Day, you all, btw.) (Oh, and happy birthday to my fellow July 1 birthday gals, Gigiofca and Betsy! Can we be blog triplets?)

So rather than focus on me getting older, I am going to focus on one of my very favorite clothing items--the ever awesome summer sundress. I must own a bazillion sundresses, and with good reason, I wear them nearly. every. single. day. during the summer. Who can blame me when it is a million degrees outside with some insane humidity level? Plus, and this may shock some of you, sundresses are cooler than shorts and a tank. :)

I give you Part One of the Sundress Extravaganza (love that word). Part two, three, four, and more are upcoming.


Sundress #1: Target Girls Section, Liberty of London for Target, Size XL. My uncle was shocked when I told him this was a girls dress. No one batted an eye at me wearing this. I am telling you all, head to the girls section of Target for fun (and cheap) sundresses. :)

Let's Celebrate the Sundress! by dinagideon featuring Nine West shoes

Polyvore of number 2 is above. :) (Had it in the draft section, figured I should just publish it...even if the rest of these sundress outfits don't have polyvore!)


Sundress #2: Boden, Pretty Cotton Dress, Size UK 12 or US 8. On sale, you all! :) Wore it with some pretty Nine West nude peep-toes and the sea urchin bib necklace.


Sundress #3: J. Crew, Pique Shirred Dress (or something like that), Size Medium. A perennial fave of mine...I wear it constantly during the summer. Also, how fab is it that I can wear it regardless of how much I weigh?

Oh, and hello, look at baby CW doing her pose exactly like me...Agh!


Sundress #4: Target Girls Section, Xhiliration Tank Dress, Size XL. I had bought baby the dress she is wearing in Las Vegas for her 18-month birthday, and get this--her dress cost SIGNIFICANTLY more money than the one I am wearing. BTW, this dress is so comfortable. We are both wearing matching sandals from the Miss Trish of Capri for Target 2010 season. These were the only sandals that fit me this year. The rest were FAR TOO LARGE. (The width was too wide for my foot.) (P.S. I have an extra pair of size 9 if anyone wants to buy them from me.)


Sundress #5: J. Crew, Ruffled Hem Jersey Dress, Size small. Another fave of mine, I just LOVE the caspian blue color from last year (this year's abyss blue is very similar). Dressed this up with the Lola for J. Crew raffia hat and the Cleo Platform Sandals.

You all have a fab day, and if you are also born on July 1, I celebrate you, too! Cheers!

Gotta Squeeze in One Last Little Post Before the End of June...

To make up for a really sad showing of posts this month, I am making up for it by publishing TWO WHOLE POSTS in one day. Admittedly this is a fairly easy post to create, basically, pick photos, upload them, write a paragraph to introduce and close the post, and write a sentence for each photo. I think a well-behaved monkey could do this post fairly successfully. :)

These photos below are only part of the trip to CA. I have more but really want to focus on each part of the trip. All are taken in Santa Barbara, CA. I so very much HEART Santa Barbara, what a lovely place. I was glad that as a family we could enjoy such a beautiful day and environment together. Okay, yes, Rex freaked out at the beach (that poor kid has as many anxieties as a neurotic old woman) but eventually even the waves couldn't stop him from seeing that we were indeed having a great day. CW, from start to finish, had a blast. That's my girl. LOL. Mr. Dina says that if Rex didn't look exactly like me he would be concerned that he wasn't my kid, what with his fear of the beach and Disneyland (yes, he is afraid of most of Disneyland--more on that in another post).


From the very end of the day, slightly sunkissed, and very sated, the dinagideon family poses for what could possibly be our Christmas card photo (it is in the running). We are next to the restaurant we ate at (which also had an INCREDIBLE view from their open-air deck of the Pacific Ocean).


I know kids shouldn't be allowed to plant their face in the sand as it is very icky, but well, we couldn't stop her in time. Doesn't CW look so happy, though? It's okay...this time. ;)


CW...even happier. Momma...still kind of grossed out.


CW walked happily, hand in hand, with me to the waves. The water was chilly, but she was more than happy to stride into the water for at least a minute or two.


Rex managed to stop freaking out, and at that point he sat happily looking at the ocean with us.


And there Rex stands, looking quite proud and satisfied. Good. He deserves a nice day every once in a while.


Here are CW and Momma at the restaurant with one of the best views anywhere. I really liked CW's face, which is why I uploaded this photo.

I hope you all have a great night. I know that these photos are mainly for my dear relatives and friends who love seeing pics of my kids, but if you are one of my beloved fashion friends, more info on my outfit can be found in this post and this polyvore.

P.S. For all of you who are born on Canada Day, I say a early "Happy Birthday." SWAK.

In a (Floral) Daze...

I am back, but barely! California was insanely awesome and getting to see my family and friends is so wonderful, but I definitely missed my routine. (Hence my inability to publish any posts!) For as much as I missed my routine, my kids missed it even more...Rex was TERRIBLE these past two days, and I 100% blame it on lack of sleep. You all want to know what he is doing right now? Yep. He is napping. Good for him, and great for us! :)

In a Floral Daze... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

A few weeks ago, our family visited Nationals park to watch a baseball game. I needed something that would keep me cool, but also allow me to be somewhat covered as it was hot AND super-sunny. Above is the outfit I created to do just that.


And here it is on me. :)

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size small. This is the Floral Daze Cardigan that has a Liberty fabric front and a knitted arms and back. I quite like it, nice and lightweight, but still funky enough to suit my sensibilities. I know a lot of people disliked the weight of this cardi, but I need something MUCH lighter for the summers around here...heavy to me equals heat stroke. LOL. It is sold out, but maybe watch for popbacks. :)
Shorts: Size 8. These are the oxford shorts in the light purple color. I like the inseam length on these, short enough to scream "summer," but in no way indecent for my leg length. :P
Top: Size small. This is the perfect fit tank in the vintage orange color. I pulled out the shorts and the cardi and discovered that this tank was the PERFECT complement to the outfit. I love this tank, so soft and well-fitting, without being to stretch-y. Worth every penny spent.
Shoes: Size 10. These are some version or another of J. Crew's capri sandals. Maybe the posie sandal? They made it through the day, but by mile 4, a blister had formed. I guess that is reasonable enough for what the sandals are probably meant to do.

One last thing...I made it onto the Polyvore blog again. Woo-hoo!

A Little Bit Hipster... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

They loved this set I made and quite fittingly said "whatever lola wants...lola gets..." Teehee. :) Thank you, Polyvore.

P.S. I am just giving up on replying back to the past three weeks comments. If you made a comment in that time and need me to reply, can you either e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or comment on this post? I am so sorry to do that to you all, but I feel like I am all swimmy and I need a fresh start. ;)

Incorporating Lola for J. Crew Into My Life...

You all may have noticed in my blog post on packing yesterday (which I have updated with my tips for making packing easier) that there was a Lola for J. Crew raffia fedora in the mix of items I packed for my trip to Southern California.

I have always been a "hat" girl, and as a teenager, my dad was constantly buying me hats...especially from J. Crew. It has been YEARS, though, since I have purchased a real hat from them as I had found that even their medium/large hats were a touch too tight for my ginormous noggin.

So imagine my surprise when shopping at Tyson's a few weeks ago with drewablank and I try on the Lola hat and discover that it not only fits, but looks really nice on my huge head. :) YAY! It was a bit too expensive at the time, so I held off until I could grab it and not feel guilty.

Well, based on how many times I have already worn it (umm, four times) in the last two weeks, I would dare say the purchase price will seem a lot more reasonable by the end of the summer...what is that called...price per wear equation? I want to wear it so many times that the price per wear goes into the pennies. LOL.

A Little Bit Hipster... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of the first way I attempted an outfit with the hat. In the end this outfit made me look a bit "hipster," but eh, well, I guess there are worse ways I could look. ;)


You see? A bit hipster. I feel like this outfit made me look like I was going to an art opening in some funky neighborhood and then to the farmer's market and finally to the local coffee shop (never Starbucks) for a soy latte. In reality, we went to Moe's and then back to our house for a stint on our play castle (read: jungle gym).

Sizes:
Top: Lisbet Blouse, Anthropologie, Size 2. Ran very large, but I LOVE it and am so glad I could snag it for $30. Woo-hoo.
Shorts: Wool Shorts, J. Crew, Size 8. These are the ones from last fall that were meant to be worn with tights, and I did do that once, but I like the shorts in the summer, too.
Shoes: Cleo Platform Sandals, J. Crew, Size 10. Have worn tons already this summer. Price per wear should be low for these, too. :)
Hat: Lola for J. Crew Raffia Fedora, J. Crew, One Size. This may be too big if you have a smaller head, as it fits my cranium beautifully.


Mr. Dina HATED the hat at first, but halfway through our play castle stint, he smiled and said, "I actually kind of love that hat on you." Good on you, Lola.

My dad saw the hat for the first time yesterday and said, "ooh, I really like that hat for you and for your California trip--it is perfect."

If you are not a hat person, just ignore my love note, and move on to the outfit without the fedora (below).


And here is the outfit as I wore it inside the restaurant (although a wee bit of me wanted to keep it on--haha).

CW is in the photo! It's been a while, girlie. :)

Have a great day.

P.S. I AM SO BEHIND in commenting it is making me kind of ill. I will catch up, but if I have to ignore your comment (even though I assure you I read it), please forgive me. Anyone with kids, a trip, a family, a commitment will get this!

Mommy Style Monday #7--Packing Tips for the Stylish Mom...

Hi! Get this! I am on a an actual AIRPLANE writing this. That said, my kids are acting crazy (shocker) and I am on borrowed time. Okay, so with that, I will tell you what you will see this morning and what I will do tonight to finish this post.

You will see a polyvore of all the things I packed for this trip, and you will also see a picture of all the items I packed laid out. I have a very specific method to my madness. :)

Tonight I will discuss my tips for stylish moms and their packing needs...won't be my most long-winded post, but it will certainly have more info that I have in here now. LOL.

Mommy Style Monday #7--Vacation Packing Tips for the Stylish Mom... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of all the things I packed.


Above is the picture of all the things I packed laid out and ready to go into the suitcase.

Wish me luck today. We are all a bit loose and you know little toddlers and planes, such delightful, happy memory-making times for all. ;)

Oh, and yes, I know it is Tuesday, but can we just squeak this one in this on time? :)

UPDATE:

It is now Wednesday and I am finally able to finish this post.

As a SAHM, you would think that I would have the luxury of packing made easy, as I have ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD. Well, turns out that just isn't true. I do work out of the home, even if it is sporadically, and that takes time, plus my family was in town these past two weeks, so almost all my time was spent with them and not my beloved suitcases--LOL.

Even in the best of situations, you know, it's winter, no one is visiting, no subbing jobs, packing can be a very tedious process. After many years of getting frustrated that it would be the DAY of the flight, car trip, train ride, etc., and I was still packing...I knew I HAD to streamline the process...and here is what I came up with to help me...

1. Start early, but not too early. I find that if I am going away for a week, I start one week early. If I am going away for two weeks, I start two weeks early, and so on. It may be that I just bring the suitcases upstairs but even that simple move gets me in the mindset that packing must get started.

2. Pick a theme. I love to theme my vacations...this time (for Southern California in summer), I themed it "Chloë Sevigny Goes Beach-Girl Chic." Adding the raffia hat and the linen scarf helps complete that look, as I can totally see Chloe wearing both of those pieces to the beach, wind whipping her scarf, yet not her hair (which is protected by Lola for J. Crew).

3. Definitely find a color trio. I love working with three colors. Clearly I went for the teal green/silver/white look. I always try to incorporate at least one neutral and one bright. Sometimes I throw in another color, whereas other times I throw in another neutral (which is what I did this time with silver).

4. Don't overpack. I do pack a lot of clothing for my trips, but honestly, I should NOT need more than 7 tops for a 7 day trip. Even if I REALLY want to add in that extra tank, etc., I restrain myself. I also knew that I would have only one dress-up occasion (church on Sunday), so I packed one dress-up outfit, the Silver Lining dress by Anthropologie.

5. Don't forget accessories. The sunshine of California necessitates sunglasses and the hat, the cooler temps at night (can dip into the low 60s--especially on the coast) necessitate the cardigans and the scarf, and because I don't want to be boring, I have also packed jewelry (the necklaces) to add a boost to each outfit.

6. Remember your climate. If I was headed to Virginia for a summer vacation, I WOULD NEVER pack a jacket or heavy cardigan. That would be silly. I would pack a raincoat, though. Did I bring an umbrella to CA? Nope. Not needed!

7. Remember Wal-Mart. It used to be that I would FLIP out over the little things, like "where is the toothpaste, and how many diapers should we bring, how about how heavy is this shampoo going to make this bag?" Finally, I just stopped one day when my hubby gently reminded me, "Remember Wal-Mart." He's right...if you leave anything behind or you don't want to bring something, you can always find what you need somewhere when you are travelling. It may not be EXACTLY what you are used to, but isn't part of travelling the fun of finding novelty? Since then, I have EMBRACED the novel, and do not stress over those small, unimportant things like bringing 50 diapers.

I hope this helped you all. If I think of anything, or if you all can think of anything to add, please comment, would love to hear what you have to say!!!

NYC Fab, at Least My Version of Fab...

I have been promising you this post for what, three weeks, right? Crazy!

I call this post NYC fab because I felt FAB in these outfits. Now I understand that for many of you, these outfits may be less than fab, as some of you really do fab very very well, but for a mom who rarely has the chance to really bring it (wait for the mega-post I will be doing on summer sundresses--LOL--that has been my uniform so far since the heat and humidity decided to sit upon us here in Virginia), NYC over Memorial Day weekend was my opportunity to try some outfits that I normally wouldn't wear. One reason is because it does tend to be more conservative around these parts and I feel like I stick out a bit more if I wear these outfits when I am out with my kids...in NYC, I felt liberated, sort of like all the other people were doing more "high" fashion, so I could get away with shorter skirts, funkier necklaces, and crazy high heels, even if I was out with my kids. It was kind of nice, actually. Second reason is that being away from my "normal" life and clothing, I was forced to wear what I brought, regardless of comfort or how I was "feeling" in that particular moment.

So let us begin!


First outfit is my very favorite of the whole weekend and the first one I actually wore. I do have to admit to wearing this on the night that my dad (HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, dad!) took care of my kids and Mr. Dina and I were able to go to dinner and a show together. The kids were not part of the equation for this outfit, so I was more than happy to wear the Alecias as long as I could (haha, which wasn't all that long, see next photo for more on that).

Sizes:
Dress: Carly Dress, J. Crew, Size 8. You know I love this dress, and still do. I find for a very comfortable dress, it can be dressed up very easily, especially in this (in-store only) color of grey. Belt: Roughed Out-Belt, J. Crew Outlet, Size Small. Really punches up where the waist is on this dress.
Shoes: Alecia Suede Peep-Toes, Size 9.5. See, I have raved about these before, but oh, I didn't have to wear them to walk nearly 2 miles. Oops! I had to go to a discount shoe store near Union Square and buy a fancy pair of flip-flops halfway through the evening. ;)


And there they are, those fancy flip-flops by Kenneth Cole Reaction. (They are pretty comfy for being all sequined and special...)


Next day, the day I walked nearly 8 miles total (maybe more--who knows?), I wore this outfit. Yes, I did. And it was PERFECT. Only by the 8th mile were my feet anywhere close to suffering. Amazing!

Sizes:
Top: Caspian Blue and Black Floral Tee, J. Crew, Size Small. Love this but didn't realize it was a sheer (do you see the pattern of the skirt through it?). Also, the seam under the arm had a hole, so I had to do emergency surgery on the tee with a sewing kit. Grr. :P
Skirt: Croccodillo Pencil Skirt, J. Crew, Size 8. Bought this last year when I went to NYC and visited the Collection store. Still LOVE this skirt. One of my very favorites ever from J. Crew.
Shoes: Lalia Gladiator Sandals, Circa Joan and David, Size 9.5. I specifically bought these for the long walk I knew I would be taking in NYC. Purchased at Macy's for a song, and 100% worth every penny. Have already worn them multiple times this summer.

Baby CW is wearing her Liberty of London for Target sundress. That evening we passed the big HUGE billboard for Liberty of London for Target, so we got a photo of her in front of it! (You will see the fun, candid shots in another post.)


After walking 8 miles (ooh, yes, just like Eminem's awesome album), I decided to change. You would have too. :) Trust me.

I actually had bought this at the SOHO J. Crew store earlier in the day, and loved it. You have already had a sneak peek of this when I showed this photo off, but now I can discuss it!

Sizes:
Top: New Favorite Tank, J. Crew, Size X-Small. This must be an in-store only color, and it is really bright, but just what the outfit needed for a punch of color. Yum.
Skirt: Drapey Drexel Plisse Skirt, J. Crew, Size 8. I am shocked this hasn't sold out, at least for the shorter ladies. It is a SHORT skirt, but it is super-comfy, very easy to dress up or down, and is a flattering shape. Plus it packs well and is wrinkle-resistant. I highly recommend it if you can carry off the shorter length. I can only get away with it because my thighs are shorter relative to my overall height. I also sized up so I could pull it down a bit.
Shoes: Kenneth Cole Reaction "they saved my feet" fancy flip-flops. :)
Scarf: En Plein Air Scarf, J. Crew. Same print as the fleurette that I love, but cannot wear. Sigh. ;)


Last but not least is the outfit I wore to the American Museum of Natural History. Yes, more walking. :)

Sizes:
Top: Racerback Tank, Banana Republic, X-Small. I rarely buy from Banana Republic anymore, but I did like this tank. I knew I could make it work in the summer, and in the winter under a cardi. Only issue I had was that the Fenton-Fallon necklace created some pilling, but I know that I can take the shaver to the tank and get rid of the pills.
Pants: Scout Chinos, J. Crew, Size 8.
Shoes: Same as in Outfit #2.
Necklace: Fenton-Fallon for J. Crew Tassle Necklace.

Baby is wearing a Jacadi Liberty of London printed cotton dress. It even has matching bloomers. :)

Have a lovely Father's Day, you all.

P.S. I will comment back, have been away from the computer more than I would like, but plan on getting as much done today and tomorrow as I can. Wish me luck!