Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Popular and Unpopular.

Hi, all!

Here are a few quick reminders and info before we get this review roundup started.

1. There is a 25% off with free shipping promo going on at Boden right now, with some exclusions.  This promo will be going on for a while, so you can take your time deciding on what you want to get with it.  If you love something that is not part of this promo and want to purchase it with a discount, you can grab it with the 15% off promo that is in my sidebar.  I have placed both promos at the bottom of this post for those of you on a mobile device, though.  :)

2. On Monday, November 26, 2012, the 20% off with free ship and returns promo (use PRV3) ends at the Spring Boden preview site.  I still have yet to make my order.  I think I may have to remind myself, too.  I wrote about the extension of the promo here and I did a picks post here.

3. I was asked by a blog friend about the outlet in Pittston, PA this morning over at my facebook page.  All I had known was that it was open only select days and at certain times, and that its location is pretty close to Scranton (yep, as in the location of the tv show the Office on NBC).  But after realizing I should know more, I turned to my friend google and found a pretty good article on it from a British newspaper.  There is also this article on it from a US newspaper, too.  I found this VLOG on the outlet, but since I am on my portable hotspot, I can't stream video as it is very expensive if I go over my data usage amount, but based on the comments, it appears there is good info in it!

I definitely need to get there, but have yet to find the time.  I have the inclination, but no ability.  LOL.  If you do ever go to the outlet, and would like to report your time there, I would be more than happy to have a guest post here.  :)

4. My friend Joanna, of the awesome blog Poppy's Style, wrote a nice little post on why she loves Boden.  You will see it linked to on the bottom of this post, but I think it needs to be linked to here, also! 

Onto the business of the review roundup...I named today's post popular and unpopular because the outfit I am showing off first has both a very popular item and a very unpopular item.  And to be honest, I have no idea why the one that is unpopular is so unpopular.  Maybe it is just a dark horse yet to be discovered and will sell out next week.  Probably not, but who knows?

Fitted Ponte Dress.  Size 8 Regular.  This is the unpopular item I was speaking of in the above paragraph.

I really really really love the way this dress looks, feels, and wears.  Based on what I experienced both wearing it out and styling it, I have no idea why this dress isn't completely selling out.

The outfit above, btw, is what I wore to church and to dinner out with the family.  I could have worn it for a full day and night and felt none worse for wear, it was that comfortable.

This is another idea for styling, especially in the colder months.  It also is a bit more funky for those of you who veer more towards Boden for uniqueness rather than the ubiquitous.

I wore a pair of tights that did not get stuck to the skirt when walking (even though the dress is unlined), an Anthropologie beaded elastic belt, and the insanely popular effortless suede boots from Boden.

I did not wear this outfit out, but could see it being a great option for when I have my room parent duties at Rex's school, just dressy enough to show I care, but definitely comfortable enough for me to get down and be hands on with the kindergarteners.

Yet another pose, but legs crossed like a flamingo.

The dress, because it is made from Ponte fabric, is wonderful at not wrinkling.  Therefore this is a great dress for traveling, as well.

The dress zips up in back, which means I could have worn a size 6 regular (the long would have been too long), but I kind of like how even though it is fitted in the 8, it doesn't feel that way.  I know the 6 could have fit, as this fabric stretches, but I like that I don't have to wear spanx with it.  My hips are grateful, too.

I like booties, clearly, since I wear them all the time.  These are worth the money, though, IF you can get them on popback.  The all leather construction (including the soles) mean these feel good, are going to be long-lasting, and have a richness of hue that you can't get from man-made materials (the patina is really lovely in this suede).

I bought a 40, which is the size I wear in the Leather loafers.  I have decided that I am a size 40 half the time and a 41 the other half.  Heck, I even bought the mini Boden Sequin Ballet Flats in a 39 and THOSE FIT.  (They must run really large, when I say they fit, I mean I don't feel squeezed in like I would expect to.)

The laces stay laced up, too, no double knotting necessary.

I wore these yesterday, the whole day, and I am happy to report they did not hurt nor did I regret choosing to wear them, even though I was in the mall walking around with my mother-in-law and my son (read into that what you want).



Fitted Ponte Dress and Effortless Suede Boots.  Not selling out in the Fitted Ponte Dress, but nearly gone in the suede boots.


Audrey Dress.  I did a review smackdown between this dress in red and the J. Crew Teddie dress in red.  I am planning on sending back the Audrey dress (had meant to do so last Friday, but whoopsie!), but I still have it, so if you want it and can wait for it till next week (on travel now), I will happily send it to you.  As you can see, this is another super popular item from Boden this fall.


Roma Jacket.  Lou really loves this one...like the fitted ponte dress, it is not super popular, but maybe should be?  See it in an outfit of hers here and in the review post here.


Casual Suede Bow Pumps.  Lou completes her cute outfit with these adorable flats. 


Crinkle Jersey Shirt.  Lou wears the shirt here. In that same post, she writes about the mini Boden Spring 2012 Preview, too. :)


Slouchy Merino Jumper See this modern take on a wardrobe staple on Joanna in this post.  She also wrote a review here.


Stripy Jumper. See this lovely *almost a* tunic on Joanna in this post.


Fairisle Jumper.  Joanna has a written review on this sweater in this blog post.

Okay, that's it for today.  If you decide to ignore the fact that I didn't publish last week, I feel like celebrating that I got this post done on Wednesday, which is *supposed* to be my usual BWRR day.  Woo!

Happy Thanksgiving, btw!  :)

P.S. Here at the links to the various coupons I spoke of at the top of this post:

OOTDs: Leo Scarlet.

Good Sunday night!

I have been a very bad blogger.  Wow.

Anyhow, not gonna even bother explaining, as I have a feeling you either...

a. don't care about my absence from blogging,

or

b. didn't even notice.

So, on that note, let's begin!

Last week my dad turned a pretty big "important" number, and as our wont in our family, we celebrate all big occasions with lots of eating out.  I think we, just our family, keep many of the restaurants in the Northern Virginia area open simply because we seem to always be celebrating someone's birthday, graduation, baptism, "good" days at school, etc.

And because we are clearly certifiable, we went out to eat with my dad, even though he wants to lose weight, two times, at lunch to a Mexican place, and to dinner at an Indian place.

But since this is a personal style blog, let's just say we had a great time, yummy food was had by all, my dad felt very feted, and November 9, 2012 was properly memorable.  ;)

Since I had church at Rex's school before we went to eat with my dad (the Mexican restaurant is three blocks from the school), I wanted to make sure that my outfit was properly conservative enough for the mass.

I originally had planned to wear booties, but they ended up being too clunky, so I changed them out for the ballet flats instead.  (I wore the booties with the second outfit instead.)

I wasn't sure if I wanted to wear the shirt untucked and slightly open over the Loft tee, so I tucked it in and took a photo.  In the end I went with the untucked version, but either way, the outfit would have been fine for this SAHM.

These skimmers from J. Crew factory are weird, btw.  I found them pretty tight at the waistband but more than fine at the thighs.  It is usually the opposite. 

The Liberty perfect shirt in Leo Scarlet is beautiful, btw.  I really love the colors and find that because there are so many shades within the pattern, this button-down works wonderfully with so many pieces I already have in my wardrobe.

It fits similar to the other Liberty shirt that I bought earlier this fall, so I am glad I went with a size 4.  I think it is a touch smaller, though, so if you find only your bigger size is available, you should be okay.  (It is on sale right now, plus an additional 30% off, at least for the next few hours.  This is how I bought mine.  I am THRILLED that I got this one for $70, definitely stings less than paying near full price.  I also picked up the adorable crewcuts shirtdress in this fabric for CW for Christmas.)

The necklace ended up getting broken, thanks to Angus.  He decided he wanted to play with it at church and in the process of pulling it, it broke where the ribbon and pearls meet.  It can be fixed, but because I know myself, it may be MONTHS before I get around to it.  Sigh.

Here we are at the restaurant.  The kids managed to all look happy and content while posing with the birthday boy.  I believe this was their present to my dad.  ;)

I was whispering for CW to be agreeable and to pose nicely, but the way the photo looks, it appears I am sharing a "mommy secret" with her.

And here is the shirt done up for a night out at one of our favorite Indian restaurants.

It was actually cool enough for the jacket, and the color worked quite nicely with the Leo Scarlet pattern.

Since the jacket and the shirt are pretty in your face, I toned down the rest of the outfit with neutrals, including the booties I scored from Target for $30.  These have suede uppers and are very comfortable, so definitely consider them if you like the look of booties but don't want to spend a lot of money.

This is last year's version of the sterling skirt.  I am so glad I chose to buy this one when I did, even though I was pregnant.  This one has a small waist and full hips, whereas the new one is more like a modified pencil skirt shape.

If you have a pear shape like me, it may be worth your while to try and find last year's version.  I took this in a size 6 and it fits exactly as a pear shape needs it to...no need for me to size up for my hips like I have to when purchasing pencil skirts.

One more view of the skirt.  The pockets are fab, and I found I was using them often over the course of the evening.

CW didn't change her dress, but she did change her tights and boots...because she could.  She will often go to her room, and I will think she is playing with her toys, and then she comes out all dolled up in a new ensemble.  She has recently taken to waking up and changing before she comes to find us.  This morning she pulled out her crewcuts Maritime dress (red/blue version), white leggings, and a pair of black boots.

This jacket is the Funnel Neck Jacket for those of you who are curious.  I did a review of it here.

Close up of the fabric next to the necklace.  Isn't that print so special?

Leo Scarlet... by dinagideon featuring flower jewelry

Above is the polyvore of the night outfit.

Alrighty!  If you did a review of this shirt, would you mind dropping the review in the comments?  I know that Gigi did one, but I am not sure who else did.

You all have a great night!

OOTDs: Hipster Me.

Preppy me is often at battle with hipster me.  Because I am old and actually lived during a time period when preppy was the "in" style (but has it ever really gone out of style?), sometimes preppy me feels a bit stale.  So I give the hipster a go...but only so much.  If I were 23 and single and had a blog, I think this twee persona would be me, but since I am not (oh, sadness), I will limit my hipster outings to just a few a month.

Fedora--check.  Sperry's--Check.  (Although I guess with Sperry's I could call this a hipster/preppy hybrid.)  Weird hammered metal necklace--Check.  Heavy on the Madewell and Anthro?  Check. 

Detail of top portion of outfit.

No fedora, plus the dress has pockets!  :)

Hipster occasion?  Winesday at the local Whole Foods with my friend J., and little CW, of course.  Mmm, winesday!

More Madewell and Anthro!  And add a dash of desert boots and the hipster equation is complete.  Of course I could have added an "ironic" winter hat (one with kitten ears, preferably), but again, I am old.  I can't play that anymore.

Brighter shot of the outfit.

Detail of hair, makeup, and necklace.

Wore this outfit to go out with Rex to the city a few weeks ago.  He was having a blast, as evidenced by his jump for joy outside the Museum of Natural History.  I was a bit less thrilled, but I blame the Macalister high-heeled booties since this was the first day I had worn them, and even with the addition of socks, they were very uncomfortable after a few hours of walking.  (This, btw, did not happen the second time I wore them, so at least they wear in fast.)

Okay, that's all for tonight. 

I am in Florida right now (yay, Amelia Island--so pretty) but will be home tomorrow night.  It's just my hubby, my baby, and me, so it has been very relaxing.  We took a nice long walk today all over the resort, so even though it was 60 and windy and overcast, it felt special because the nature here is spectacular.

Have a great night, everyone.  And if you are in Williamsburg or Silver Lake, I tip my fedora to you.  ;)

Closet Cleanout: More for Sale!

One of many from my closet I am saying "good-bye" to...

A few months ago I began my journey to get rid of many clothing items in my closet, as much as I loved them, many of them just weren't working for me for whatever reason.

One of them is the one above, the J. Crew Factory Madeline Dress (from 2008, not the one from last year).  This is a wonderful dress, heck I was even able to wear it when pregnant with Angus, but unfortunately this dress fits me less well not pregnant than pregnant.  (So weird, right?)  The top is far too loose for me, and the hips are just fitting, so I am going to let this one go.  I have the one from last year in a size smaller and that works on me better, so I am not crying big ole tears over losing my pretty pink ruffly dress.  ;)

Anyhow, below you will find the polyvore of items I am selling.  If interested, please do e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or polyvore message me.

I am out of town starting tomorrow, but should be able to get all items in the mail on Friday.

For Sale! by dinagideon featuring a ruffle blouse

1. NWT J. Crew Merino Sequined Crochet Cardigan (Gold), Size Extra Small, $45 Shipped.

2. EUC J. Crew Infinity Cardigan (Medium Teal), Size Extra Small, $35 Shipped.

3. EUC J. Crew Library Shawl Cardigan (Ivory/Oyster) (can't remember name), Size Medium, $50 Shipped.

4. EUC J. Crew Honeyclover Ruffled Romance Perfect Shirt (Liberty Tana Lawn), Size 6, $50 Shipped.

5. EUC J. Crew Silk Fresco Tunic Top, Size 4, $60 Shipped.

6. EUC J. Crew Frances Cami (Mint), Size 8 Petite, $30 Shipped.

7. EUC J. Crew Classic Stripe Tissue Tee (Navy), Size Small, $20 Shipped.

8. EUC Anthropologie Snowscape Tank (Corey Lynn Calter), Size 4, $55 Shipped.

9. EUC J. Crew Factory Madeline Dress (deep pink/purple shade), Size 8, $65 Shipped.

10. EUC J. Crew Factory Cord Bella (Tan), Size 4, $40 Shipped.

11. NWOT Boden Audrey Dress (Vermillion), Size 8 Regular, $110 Shipped.  I did a review of that one recently.

12. (No photo, but I wore this here.)  EUC J. Crew Cashmere Turtleneck (Tangelo--bright pretty orange shade), Size Medium, $40 Shipped.

Thanks for looking!  Have a great day!

Boden: 25% Off Sale!

She smiles because she loves a good sale.  I am sure that's it.

Hi, and good morning!

Like I mentioned in last night's review smackdown (Audrey versus Teddie), there is a new promotion at Boden this morning.

It's a good one, and even better, it lasts until early December (likely because that is when Boden switches to clearance mode).

I don't know if this means some items are stackable (say they were already discounted and the 25% off is on top of it), but if they are, that means that right now some clothing is at clearance pricing, which is nice...especially if you are like me and like to do the majority of your holiday present shopping in October and November.  (I have already bought CW some of her presents, and all my girl relatives are taken care of...)

Anyhow, do you see any especially great deals out there?  If so, go ahead and comment!!!  Would love to see what is out there.  :)

UPDATE: There are terms and conditions, which include a list of items that will not be included in the discount.  You can see those items here.  If you need to buy one of those items, go ahead and use the 15% off coupon button in my sidebar, which does not have that condition.  :)



This coupon button is in my sidebar, as well.

Talk with you all later today!

Review Smackdown: Audrey Versus Teddie.

Hi, all!

So I have been planning this post ever since I received the Audrey Dress from Boden in vermillion in August.  It is really crazy that it has taken me this long to actually publish the review smackdown, but it may actually benefit one of you out there because I didn't return the Audrey Dress in vermillion and since the darn thing is completely sold out in the size I bought it in, I am able to offer it to one of you all instead of returning it.  :)  (If no one bites, I will go ahead and return it on Friday.)

I had initially bought this color of the Audrey dress because I thought the dress looked orange in the on-line image, but upon receipt of the dress, it was indeed a much more red than orange shade.  That will teach me to not use the dictionary to make sure that vermillion is red and not orange.  (Of course, that wouldn't have helped during my turmeric debates.)

Aaaaaaaaaaand...not only was it red, it was an exact duplicate of the Teddie Dress that I already owned.  Le sigh.

But for those of you in love with either dress, and have neither, this head to head could help you decide which one you might want to have in your wardrobe.

Here it is...the smackdown collage.  :)

You will see here photographic evidence of just how similar the two are.

Both are sold out, but the Audrey Dress does pop back in this color from time to time, and the Teddie Dress is definitely available on ebay.

I did a review of the Teddie Dress here last year, if you would like more information.

I did a review of the Audrey Dress (in green) here.  I chose the green because I had received the red and decided that the green dress made more sense for me than two duplicate dresses from two different companies.

I also wore the Teddie Dress in Paris last year, and you can see that post here.

There are a few differences, though, some obvious, like the button detail at the waistband on the Audrey, the longer length on the Audrey (and this is an 8 Regular, btw, not Long), and the longer sleeves on the Teddie. Some are less obvious, like the fact that the Teddie is wool, and the Audrey is a thick jersey.

I am keeping the Teddie, btw.  I love the Audrey Dress, but since I have it in green in the regular length and the grey in the longer length (which in that longer length and in that color makes it a very beautiful and classic piece--review will be done in the next few weeks on that one), I decided the wool Teddie would win out simply because I love it and didn't feel strongly enough about the Audrey in the red to get rid of the Teddie.

Anyhow, that's it for tonight!  :)

BTW, if you are interested in the Audrey in size 8 regular in the red shade, you can e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim.com.  I can offer it to you at the price I paid, but unlike Boden I can't give free shipping...so I can sell it to you for $102 ($95 plus $7 for shipping).

P.S. I am able to put up a new offer here from Boden tomorrow, so do be on the lookout for it.

You all have a great night!