Early for Our Tenth Anniversary...

LOL.  We aren't all uber-ambitious trying to prove something by going out for our 10th anniversary a whole three days early, no, in fact, it turned out that someone else's 50th anniversary was far more important, hence turning our actual anniversary date into an "early-bird special."

Ten years ago yesterday (October 13, 2001), Mr. Dina and I were wed on a blissfully beautiful Saturday with nary a cloud in the sky and high temps in the 80s.  Yesterday the lovely weather was nowhere to be found.  In fact, on my way to meeting Mr. Dina for the 50th anniversary gala dinner for his work (sometimes work does come before play, and really...any excuse for me to get all dressed up is okay by me), there were TORNADO watches and warnings all over the area.  Nutso. 

Fortunately the cards were aligned to have our actual night out of celebration be on a similar sort of day to our actual wedding date.  On this past Monday, there were lovely temps and fairly clear skies, making for a lovely (not too cool, not too warm) night to have a lovely romantic meal at a French restaurant in Old Town (Le Refuge for those of you who know the area).

We wanted to give Mr. Dina a chance to try some real French food before we go to France next week (10 year of marriage to "Mr. White Tennis Shoes" means we get to go to Paris--hopefully the white tennis shoes stay home, lol).  He swears up and down he doesn't like French food, but from the evening we had out together, I would say he is lying.  He scarfed down all of his frog legs and part of my filet mignon (in a yummy pepper sauce) with room to spare (creme brulee also made an appearance at our table).

Anyhow, this wouldn't be my blog without photos of the outfit I wore to eat (very very) well...so without further ado, here it is.  You have already had a sneak peek here, I just made it more romantic and feminine and added a ton of makeup.

Just like the try-on in the J. Crew store, but I added Spanx hose and Cole Haan heels.

No food babies here (saw KDot in her similar outfit tonight using the term food baby and fell on the floor over the term, love it!), thank goodness for Spanx (seriously).

Added the Herringbone Bella Jacket in black (J. Crew retail version) to ward off any chill the restaurant may have had.  It didn't have a chill, btw, but the jacket seemed to work nicely with the overall look.  :)

The "Svetlana, spy from Moscow" smirk I am giving is optional, of course.  My hubby kept calling me that all night.  So funny.  "Da."

I did use the Poppy King lipstick from J. Crew.  I have to say the color is very nice for all skin tones, and can be applied lightly to full on, depending on the need.  I went somewhere in between.  The rest is Arbonne. :)

This look is Svetlana getting annoyed at hubby for mentioning how easy it would be to defect to the US, if that is so what she desires.

Mmm.  Frog Legs.  They taste like CHICKEN!

Happy Anniversary!  :)  You all will see the gifts in another post.

Red, Black, Brown, Cream. Yum. by dinagideon featuring patent leather handbags

Above is the polyvore of the outfit. 

Talk with you all soon, have a great night!

Boden Limited Edition: And Now for Something New for Winter...

She is hiding some sparkly new pretties for you all...

Hi, you all!  I knew that the new Limited Edition pieces would be out soon, and since they typically drop on a Friday, AND my newest catalog had an insert with a sneak peek, I figured this Friday would be the day.  And it is!  :)  Yahoo!

Anyhow, this week has been really busy, between fancy pants dinners, weddings, preparation for our France trip, AND our 10th anniversary (yesterday!), so I will just take a few moments to show off my picks from the new styles and save my energy for the written word in my posts later today and this weekend.

The affiliate program I work with has not yet placed direct links to these items in their catalog, but I do have a direct link to the main page of Boden at the bottom of this post, from where you can go directly to the dedicated page at Boden to view the new styles for yourself.

Elizabeth Dress.  This has something so special to it, you can tell it's Boden, but the volume on the pattern has been toned down to make it elegant enough for a night out at any of NYC's fanciest restaurants.  It also has (what I am positive to be well-secured) a bit of bling at the neckline taking away any need for a necklace.  :)

Silk Flower Top.  I know that the price is a bit much for a jersey top, but based on the close-up views of the detailing at the neckline, I can tell that the silk trim is well-made and meant to last.  I like the grey version most as I think for that amount of money, it is essential you buy it in a fab neutral, but I can say that if you like a punch of color, the pink version will definitely give you big bang for your buck!

Vintage Wool Jacket.  I can see where and when this jacket would be worn.  The folks at Boden like the idea of creating a suit with the matching mini (also new from the Limited line), but I most like their second idea of pairing it with a complementary colored tee and slim jeans and cute flats.  (Well they said the jeans part, but just like the placket on this jacket, I like to embellish.  LOL.)

Showstopping Knitted Jacket in Navy and Pewter. First, go back to my original review of this jacket in the silver version from last spring. Then, go visit how I wore it out and about.

Okay, you're back...clearly you can see I am a fan of this jacket. You all know that I adore the amount of time, detail, and craftsmanship goes into creating just one of these beauties. If it weren't excessively superfluous of me (or anyone outside of the Queen, quite honestly), I would so want this in the navy, too. ;)

Okay, I will see you all back here a bit later today...I have an outfit from a night out with my hubby to show off.

Oh, before I go...do you have any favorites from the new Limited Edition line?

Mobile Users, let's make your life easier...here is a direct link to the Boden home page (from there you can click on the link for the "new limited edition line").

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: And Then There Was a Surprise...

Hi, all!  I promise I will get to the "surprise" in my post's title, but that will be in a little bit.  We have quite a few reviews today, so yay, I want to get this weekly party started (groan, lol).

Reminder: If you would like to see an item on me closer, click on the photo which will take you to another page where you can see the details a little larger.  If you would like to see an item on a bloggie friend, I have provided a link back to the blog post where they did the review.  If you would like to see the item at Boden, click on the stock photo, which will take you directly to the item page where you will be able to see size measurements, availability, and other colorways.

This month, Boden is offering all new customers free shipping and returns and a free wallet with any purchase.  I have the link to that in my sidebar, along with a link for plain old shipping and returns above that link.  Also, mobile users, I have a link at the bottom of this post for free shipping and returns (so you don't have to go and "view full website.")

Boden for Women:

Cashmere Cardi Coat.  Oh, have I ever been salivating over this bit of softness since I saw it debut on the website back in the summer.  It is pretty tasty, but also has a pretty tasty price tag.  It is 100% cashmere, and it is a WHOLE lot of cashmere, but still, woah, definitely the sort of item I need to save up for.  LOL.

I will get to how I was able to get this pretty in a minute (the "surprise"), but first the review.  I chose to get the size US 6 (UK 10) because I tend to wear that size in knitwear from Boden.  Also the US 6 in this colorway was selling out (low stock), so I knew that I wanted to grab it before it sold out completely (some of the Boden cashmere pieces will do that, the tunic I bought a few years ago was the same situation, low stock and then it sold out completely in my size).

The size I chose fits perfectly, not too tight or loose through the shoulders, and when I do up the buttons, they all lay flat.  I only recommend ever sizing up in the knitwear if you have broader shoulders or a larger cup size (like D or larger).

The knit is not especially thick, but it is still a great little topper, especially if you have a day like I had today, rainy, grey, kinda cool.

The cashmere is super soft and the buttons are made from shell (it has been a long time since I have seen real shell buttons on any garment, I remember when J. Crew used them all. the. time.).

Only gripe (and it is teeny) is that I would have love the option of having longer sleeves, but I don't think it is terrible to have 3/4 sleeves, either.  I could see layering a cute striped long sleeve tee under this, that could look darling!

Now for the surprise...next to the neat little shell buttons I am holding a certificate from Boden which is congratulating me for being the Boden Publisher of the Month!  WOO!  I had no idea I was going to receive this honor, but I was informed of this status around a month ago and the manager of the program also let me know there would be a little gift in the package along with my certificate!  I think you all know where this is going, right?

It was a Boden gift card for $50!  Yay!  That totally helped me afford this luscious little topper, and I think I definitely chose a great way to spend the fun (and unexpected and OMG I am so grateful) gift.

And I do want to let you all know that I literally would not have been able to be the "publisher of the month" without this growing community of Boden babes.  It is lots of fun to do reviews by myself (and clearly had been doing them for years before the BWRRs started up) but I am far more enjoying them since the Boden blogging community has been gaining steam!  Yay for our small sisterhood.  And THANK YOU!

This is for polyvore.  Ecru (the color I have and above) does seem to be selling faster than the other colorways.  I would say the real color is pretty close to above with a slightly darker, slightly beige-y undertone.

On Vanessa.  I want my hair to do that.  Seriously.


Cashmere Cardi Coat. Also comes in grey and navy.

So speaking of our community, this week we have multiple reviews from a new bloggie friend, ShOperaRach. She does lots of wonderful reviews for J. Crew and Anthropologie as well.

If you get a moment, follow her blog and any of the blogs we have featured here on the BWRR!!! :)


Breton Tunic. Modeled by ShOperaRach in the red/navy.


Bella Jumper. ShOperaRach has the rosy version and gives a peek at how cute it is IRL.

Printed Cord Dress. I couldn't find an affiliate link, so you will have to click on the link that is in the name of the dress. ShOperaRach looks darling in this dress, perfect fit!


Essential Scoop Neck. Looks like ShOperaRach solved the ultimate sartorial problem, the perfect white tee...take a look at her review here.


Colourblock Cuff Top. On ShOperaRach's wishlist for a while, I can see why. Very colorful and very pretty (even with the "elastic" issue, lol).

Boden Clearance:

Chic Boatneck. ShOperaRach tried this beautiful sweater on in a purple colorway. :)

Printed Tunic.  You all, with your Boden spy eyes, likely saw this pretty peeking out from beneath my cashmere cardi coat, and knew immediately this was a summer choice gone fall.  :) 

I did a review way the heck back when, but I think it deserves a second look, even in fall.  The price is definitely decent now that it is in clearance.

I paired it with a J. Crew necklace, Madewell leggings, and a pair of gladiator sandals from Circa Joan and David.


Printed Tunic. The jade version I have is sold out, but the grey colorway of the one I have is still in stock, as are the two 70s floral print versions.

Have a great night!  Thank you all again, and do let me know if I somehow missed a review (it has been a really busy week here in dinagideon land)!

For Mobile Users, the link below will take you directly to Boden's website (mini Boden, but it is easy enough to go back to the Women's section) and give free shipping and returns:
Mini Boden Winter Launch plus Free Shipping and Returns!

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.  ;)

Campo: One Year. One Dress. Two Outfits.

Hey, all!  Happy Friday.   Hope your area is blessed with 70s and sunny!  We are definitely loving the dappling sunshine and warmth after the (near) month of grey and rain and wind. 

So in reference to the HAPPY that this weather brings me, I am finally getting around to posting an outfit that I wore in the summer of 2010.  Yes, 2010.  The outfit was *meant* to be part of a Mid-Century Mom blog post (she visited the dentist!), but I lost my focus and energy for that blog (it is still there, but she is dormant for a while, hear she plans to come back, with pics in the dentist chair, natch).

And because I felt bad over not writing the blog post, I just put the outfit to the back burner.  LOL.

But I am not crazy and love the Campo de Fiore Ballerina Dress, so I wore it again last week, and since it has literally been almost a year since I last wore it, I figured the time was right to finally publish the outfit from last summer.

I know many of you own this dress, so here is how I styled it--twice.  Obviously I style more towards whimsy and mid-century and colorful, and these two are no exception.  :)  I think I need to challenge myself and wear it in the winter with only dark neutrals, like I tend to do with the sweater dress of this same print.

First up, the version from last week.  I wanted the dress to become a skirt, so I layered the cashmere shell over the dress and belted it with an aqua satin skinny belt.  I also paired a pair of wedge gladiator sandals with the outfit to keep it from looking too twee.

I also added a stella and dot necklace (from the children's line--it is actually CW's!) to finish off the look.

Dress: J. Crew Campo de Fiore Ballerina Dress, Size 6, found on ebay for a decent enough price.  I think they pop up, but infrequently.  Size for your bust as the hips are full.
Top: J. Crew Cashmere Shell, Size Extra-Small.
Belt: J. Crew Satin Skinny Belt, Size Small.
Shoes: Aerosoles Bora Bora Wedge Sandals.

I also tried it unbelted.  I prefer how it looks belted in real life, but I think in photographs it looks better unbelted...which seems weird.

I spent the day as a SAHM doing the preschool run with a visit with other moms to the coffee shop.  Very comfortable overall.  :)

Campo So Pretty. by dinagideon featuring j crew jewelry

Above is the polvore of how I wore it last year.  Note I used the Bora Bora sandals in this version, but in real life they DID not read mid-century mom so I nixed them in favor of ivory ballet flats.

Much more expected, likely, with the Jackie cardigan and hair bow.  This was long enough ago that Rex still liked to pose with me!  :)

Cardigan: J. Crew Jackie Cardigan, Aqua, Size Medium.  Bought from a JCA, and I LOVE it.
Belt: J. Crew Silver Skinny Belt, Size Small.
Shoes: J. Crew Collection Luxe Tweed Ballet Flats, Size 9.5.

I look forward to seeing if I can make this dress work with dark neutrals.  :)

Oh--next summer--I think I might just try wearing it on its own with just a simple pair of sandals.  How novel. 

Talk soon, all!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Sweater Dressing Continued...

Hi!  Happy early Thursday.  In parts of very western French Polynesia it is still Wednesday, so I guess I am on time for them.  LOL.  :) 

Trust me, my lateness has an excuse, but in the grand scheme of things a day late is not a dollar short.

There is a lot of dress-ing in this episode of the BWRR.  Two of them are on me and CW, and the others appear on our good bloggie friends, Polly and Fiona.  :)  To see the item closer on either me or CW, click on the photo which will take you to a larger version on another page.  To see the item on Polly and/or Fiona, click on over to their blog, to which I have provided a link.  If you would like to see the item at Boden, click on the stock photo provided which will take you directly to the item's page.  You can see oh so important things like other colorways, measurements, and sizing availability over there.

For those of you on a mobile device, at the very bottom of this post I have provided a direct link to Boden's main page.  This link also provides free shipping and returns, as well. 

*If you are a new customer, right now Boden is offering a free wallet with your first purchase and free shipping and returns.  This offer is in my sidebar if you would like to use this one.

I have literally worn out my wallet from Boden that I bought three years ago, so I can verify that these suckers last.  The only reason it broke?  Because I overused the zipper.  I do not kid you when I say it is a daily fixture in my life.  (I am still using it, btw, just can't zip it all the way round.  Ah, well.)*

Onto the roundup:

Boden for Women:

Retro Knit Tunic. Like I mentioned in this post from yesterday, I am a big fan of Boden's sweater dresses. They can make my frown turn upside down. (BTW, I forgot to add this, but I wore the dress/tunic from yesterday last year, and I wanted to add that so you all could see the styling I did with it on another, non-rainy day.)

Anyhow, when the Retro Knit Tunic went on sale during last month's mid-season sale, I bit as I had a feeling even though it is similar to the one I already own, I could justify it IF I wore it as much as I wear the other sweater dresses in my closet.

Well, here I am, today, Thursday, October 6, 2011, wearing it not one week after I received it. So there you go. I guess I have my proof. LOL.

I chose to get the 8 rather than the 6 for two reasons. I wanted more length so I could wear it without tights (as I am doing today), and I wanted to have something that if I was having a "fat day," I could still wear and feel good. The 8 serves this purpose nicely. I suggest you only size up if you want a little extra length and a little extra room. If you prefer a slightly more fitted look, go with your tts.

From the side.  This morning's photo session was only successful inside.  This was the only decent shot from the outside lot.  It got to the point where I was unable to keep it together, my hubby was making me laugh that much.

I am wearing old school J. Crew shoes, back from the era when pointy toe ballet flats were common.  They don't do this anymore.  I don't know when OR if the pointy toe flat will ever come back in style, but whatever, they serve my purpose as a SAHM well, looking cute and keeping me comfy, too.

From the back.  Definitely just the right amount of cling.  I love that my backside can look decent even on a fat day (not having one today, just saying I know that there will be those days, probably in superfluity over the next few months).

Detail shot.  The colors are BRIGHT.  Fair warning.  I personally love this shade of green and blue, but it is not a color combo for the shy and retiring.  My son thinks the green bits look like lily pads.  They are about the same color, too.

The wool is soft, in my opinion, and at least a tad thicker than last year's version.

The necklace is J. Crew from a few years back.  It may have been an in-store only one, as I don't recall ever seeing it on-line.

Because I have no problem embarrassing myself, I wanted to add this photo.  I do a lot of patting down and adjusting before a shot (OCD heaven, that's me!), and without fail, if my hubby is taking the photos, he always manages to grab one where I just look silly.  Ha.  (This is why I usually rely upon my camera's timer.)


Retro Knit Tunic. Comes in a pink version and a pretty grey/lavender version, too.


Stitch Detail Dress. It's head to head, "gold" against "navy." Who will win? Both? Take a look at both Fiona and Polly in their versions of the same dress. :) In my opinion, they both succeeded as I hadn't even thought to wear boots. Love it! (Also notice that the stock photo from Boden changed, LOVE the new styling, very pretty!)

Fun Dress. Sadly, my affiliate program has no direct link to this, but if you click on the name, you can go to the web page. That said, I love the way Fiona styled this with the belt, even if it wasn't the "winning" outfit. :)


Skinny Belt. As seen on Fiona (in coral) with the Fun Dress.

Boden Limited Edition:

Audrey Dress. Ooh, Polly is perfection in the gold/bronze version of this dress. Nicely played, Polly!

Clearance Boden:

Breezy Beach Dress. Fiona wore hers out recently, styled cutely! Still available in some sizes and colorways. :)

mini Boden:

Knitted Dress.  Umm, this may be one of CW's most favoritest ever ever in the history of clothing, dress.  Her grandma got this for her for her 3rd birthday (a scant two weeks ago) and she has now worn it twice.  For all of Mr. Dina's complaining about how much Boden these kids own, he has NO problem dressing them in their offerings nearly every day.  LOL.

This dress is from the baby Boden line, so if you are a mom, sadly this line ends at 3-4.  Sigh.  She will outgrow this line by next year, wah!  ;)

This dress is the size 3-4.  Reminder, this dress should not be tumble dried as it is a wool blend.  Would hate for this dress to shrink on any of you all!


Knitted Dress. Also has the other two adorable colorways you see above.


Pretty Party Dress.  Why do I suspect CW will also be playing "pretty girl" in this dress in the dusty aqua songbird?  A little bird told me so.  Chortle. 

Okay, that's enough.  You all have a great day!

Mobile Users, for you: