OOTDs: Grey Casual.

Hi, all!  Happy mid-February!  It is quite a time here in our household, what with the continued healing of Rex (it's working, yay!), his eighth birthday (today!), and Mr. Dina's bday yesterday.  I also *just* finished a rather labor-intensive sewing project involving rayon challis and a button-up shirtdress for Fabric Mart (that post will be at their blog Saturday morning).  I am definitely looking forward to a yummy margarita tonight.

Since it has been so long since I have haunted here (barring a few comments back to questions left at posts), I figured it was high time I get something written.  :-)

Very little in the way of text, since I have the birthday dinner to get to, but will add bits and pieces where needed.

Date: February 9, 2015.

Details: Tunic & Scarf, J. Crew; Leggings, Madewell; Shoes, J. Crew Factory; Glasses, Bebe.

This was the first day that I convinced Rex (in his tiny wheelchair) to go on an errand with me to the grocery store so we could pick up his medicine and some random items we needed.  I had to put Angus in the Ergo (still fits him!), and Rex and I navigated the store the best we could.  He even got the sweet fishmonger to sign his cast.  :-)

These are my *fancy* glasses.  Now that I have frames that look decent on me, I am wearing them more than I did before.  I was surprised these were from Bebe, since their clothing line is not really my style (go on and open that link, haha).

Date: December 14, 2014.

Details: Top & Pants, J. Crew; Shoes, Urban Outfitters.

I went pre-bowling that day.  The whole time I noticed there was this boy (probably 20 years old), walking around and kind of looking at me.  Based on how well he was bowling, I figured it was because he was just horrified at my bowling.  Well, no, turns out he may have been sweet on me, because as I was leaving he asked me so nicely, "are you leaving?"  And then proceeded to converse with me for a long time.  Or he was just really lonely.  Or he wanted to push me for info on how this woman could be just that bad at bowling.  Hahahahaha.

Date: December 16, 2014.

Details: Sweater, crewcuts (size 16); pants & necklace, J. Crew; boots, Vince Camuto.

I was substitute teaching that day. ;-)

Date: December 17, 2014.

Details: Coat, Boden (here); Pants, Pure Collection; Sweater, Wal-Mart; Shoes, J. Crew.

Another day of subbing!  I have to say, considering this sweater is from Wal-Mart, it's pretty darn cute and fun.  A bit sheer, but nothing horrible.  Definitely 100% acrylic.  LOL.

Date: January 4, 2015.

Details: Top & Pants, J. Crew; Necklace &; Shoes, Boden.

Don't remember anything from this day, but I remember really liking this outfit.

Okay, you all have a great day!!!  Should be back soon, less going on for the rest of the month (thank goodness).

Boden: New Spring Items for 2015 in Today's Rollout!

Martha Dress--very pretty!

Okay, so I know Boden has been doing these mini rollouts for a couple of years now, but I still can't get used to this system.  I understand they want to be more "American," and appeal to a wider audience, but I so prefer the old rollouts of four per year, plus maybe an extra one for party wear at the holiday season.

But, eh, clearly it's working for them, so I just need to move on already.

There are lovely items to be had from today's rollout, and I *think* I remember seeing them in preview time, but they were not my cup of tea, so I think I glossed over them.  There are only a few that pique my interest now, but not enough to go and buy them, you know?  Maybe eventually, but not right now.

Anyhow, the affiliate has a 15% off with free ship promo going right now, and I have included that coupon at the bottom of this post and in the sidebar if you are interested.

Here are a few items that I think look worth a second look:

Martha Dress.  Like my beloved Notch Neck Dresses of the past (see here for an example of one of many in my closet), this is composed of a heavier weight cotton blend in bright, punchy colors and a fun print.  I kind of dig seeing Miss Mona, model extradonaire, in a "fun" dress.  LOL.  So editorial.

Alana Top.  This one is different than anything I have seen from them before, but they didn't try too hard to be someone they weren't in creating it, either.  Very pretty and great for multi-seasonal use.  It is a viscose woven, so maybe size up to keep away the creeping effects of washes (this fabric is notorious for shrinking).

Carmen Pant.  For those of you tired of skinny jeans and want a pair of full-legged trousers, Carmen is a great option.  It is a linen/cotton/elastane blend, so it should be a bit more wrinkle resistant than just 100% linen, but will be nice and cool in summer.  This pant would look awesome with the Alana top pictured above it. 

Here we have proof that Boden is trying to be "new" J. Crew and not "old school" J. Crew:

Skinny Minnie Pants.  For crying out loud, Boden, couldn't you have at least called your knock off Minnie/Pixie pants something other than Minnie?  Like maybe called them Fiona or Larissa or something?

Lara Heel.  I know these aren't the most "new" J. Crew looking items in the world, but these are a far cry from what Boden typically offers.  They're cute, but I have a pair just like these from J. Crew from four, maybe five years ago?

Proof that Boden is not trying to impersonate J. Crew, at all, unless it is J. Crew, circa 1987, on drugs:

Wendy Coat.  If I was named Wendy, I would be mighty ticked right now.  This is some explosion of Miami Vice pastel colors in a psychedelic version of a clown coat.  Wow.  Boden.  Wow. 

Actually, if I really REALLY REALLY wanted to emulate the fine men of Pink Floyd, circa 1968, I would buy this coat and tell people that was what I was trying to do.  I would keep the photo of them from that year in my dark navy pocket and pull it out to show people I wasn't completely insane.

Okay, that's all for now.  Thoughts?  Especially on the Wendy coat?  LOL. 

OOTDs: Keeping Warm. Keeping Casual.

Day: Friday, January 20, 2015.

Where:  Needed to get out the house after a full week of being cooped up with Rex and his very broken leg.  Met up with my dad (with CW) and went to Joann's and Red Robin.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Well, dang, I was warm enough because that there top is a double-faced cashmere, but it is just not the perfect fit.  While I wasn't fussing over it the whole night ('cause really, no time for that!), it still bugs me.  Ergh. 

The outfit otherwise was awesome for comfort.  You can't see it, but I have a merino wool sweater under the top, and that helped keep me warm (it was in the low twenties with winds howling).  Plus the scarf (which I spoke of more here) is great at insulating, so no wind chill got me there.  The pants are maternity (wanted the band at the top since I would be tucking in a sweater) so duh, super comfortable.

The shoes are also very easy to wear and it fit great at the size I purchased.  They are on sale today at Boden, so I will put a quickie review of them below this for you all who are interested.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  This is about as monochromatic as you will ever see me, which basically means never since this would be considered colorful by 85% of the public.  That said, I felt restrained, which in the world of fashion usually equates to more cool.  The glasses helped, I feel like they stand out a bit.  (They are actually prescription frames, I recently had them filled by my doctor after sitting on them for over a year--I tried them on for the blog here last.)

REVIEW:

Hotchpotch Trainer (here).  Size 9 or UK 40.  I am a bit annoyed that Boden's sizing went all American after the fall.  I personally have no problem with European sizing since other brands out there do that kind of sizing, even here in the "dull as dust" unitedstatesofameruca, so there seems to be no reason to change over, other than the thinking that we can't handle the Euro sizing.  Blegh.  Whatever.  (However, I did applaud the choice to go with American sizing for clothing, though I had gotten used to that, too.  We definitely don't have other companies over here doing British sizing, so that made it easier for most people here.)

My crankiness aside, I went with the size 9 since tennis shoes are usually large on me in my size (other than the J. Crew New Balance/Nike collabs).  I made the right call, the 9.5 (or UK 41) would have been too large.

Here's the deal, though, the shoes run narrow, but a bit long, so do not size down if you have wider feet.  It is true that the width is somewhat adjustable based on the laces, but these are very difficult to get to widen out, even after undoing the laces.  Save yourself the pain of dealing with that.

They are beyond cute, and I loved how it perked up the outfit.  They feel great, too.  They may not be as awesomely comfortable as my Nikes or New Balances, but they are a great first effort by Boden, and I hope they continue this style in the future.

Day: Wednesday, January 28, 2015.

Where:  Again, had to get out the house, so I figured grocery shopping while hanging out with CW, would be a great way to do so.  Of course it was Harris Teeter we visited.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Love this outfit, so comfortable, so warm.  Those Turner pants are great (I did a review of another pair here)!  I know the pink is a bit of an odd color, but I thought it looked nice with the light grey, and obviously matched the scarf well. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  My husband was all, "what are those things you are wearing?"  I said, "pants...you know pants...those things you seem to be wearing as well...pants?"  LOL.  Men.  Just do not get it.  Then he asked if I had made them.  I said no but would be more than happy if these were a creation of mine.  I guess pink elastic cuff pants are beyond him.  I think he is probably not alone, so for that reason, the score goes down to 4 of 5, or 80%.  The scarf is great, as are the shoes, so from a SAHM perspective, at least some of the outfit was cool.

Day: Thursday, January 8, 2015.

Where:  Substitute teaching in the office as school secretary, so maybe not truly substitute teaching.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Dang it was cold that day.  Every time I substituted at the school in January, there was a two hour delay due to either super crazy Canadian cold weather or snow.  (Seriously on the cold--I give every single Canadian major credit for being able to handle temperatures that are below 20 F all winter.)  That day the cold had a massive grip on the area, and the only thing I could think to wear that would keep me warm all day was the Aran Crafts Fisherman Cable Knit Turtleneck sweater that I was lucky enough to grab on popback from J. Crew in a size xs in the oatmeal nep color.  It is warmer than most of the cashmere I own, so that is saying something.  Regarding price, the sweater never goes on sale, but the full price is absolutely worth it.  I have already worn it four times this month and washed it, and it looks great and still keeps me super-toasty.  (You saw it here at this post in the last photo.)

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Again on me thinking "more minimal" equals "more cool."  This is about as stark as I can get--grey, black, oatmeal, and a beret.  ;-)

Okay, that's all for now.  Have a great rest of your Saturday!

Boden: Catch of the Day (Six Hours Left, Anyhow)! Outerwear!

Two days ago, I very belatedly announced that tops and tees were on sale in Boden's catch of the day.  I also made a promise to be back the next day with more on the sale that followed it, which was yesterday, and was for knitwear.  Of course as you all know now, I didn't announce that one, since I chose to publish this post instead.  But I do want to give a big thank you to both Lou and Lisa who did give us the schedule of items that would be in the Catch of the Day sale.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your wants and needs), the American version is different than the British version.

From Lisa (American version):

Boden sent me a schedule of the sale:
Wed: knitwear
Thurs: outerwear
Fri-Sat: pants, skirts, & shoes

From Lou (British version):

It's trousers and shoes Thursday and more excitingly 20% off clearance on Friday and Saturday.

Hmm.  Well, I am not sure which one I prefer.  And I am not sure why Boden didn't make outerwear a bigger deal for the Brits, especially considering half of the United States will start seeing warmer weather in a couple of months, or are already seeing warmer weather simply by existing in the lower 15% of our country, where winter is a sneeze of cold weather for a day in January.  (Ask my mom in San Antonio about southern Texas winters, and she will get enraged at how flipping hot it is there.)

Anyhow, so today is outerwear as the "catch," and if you like something from the section and need it now, go for it.

Regarding any past reviews I have done, I have one for the Eliza coat here, one for the Ingrid Coat here, and one for the Rainy Day Mac here.  I am irritated by the Eliza coat being back as part of the regular Boden section, though, since right before Christmas that same coat could be had for around 30% off.  I know it is only 10% extra off, but that there is a winter coat (okay, it is a "light" winter coat) and should be part of the winter sale schedule and not this transitional time.  I think I am being extra crabby tonight, in case you can't tell.  ;-)

Just realized that the knitwear is on sale today, too.  I went to go peek around a bit and see what was in that section, and all of those pieces say "20% off," so I guess they extended that sale?  Well, good!  That hopefully helps some of you all out there.

Okay, that's it for today.  Tomorrow--yay for pants, skirts, and shoes!  Unless you are in the UK where you get to celebrate an additional 20% off sale items!

P.S. My son is doing better.  His broken leg is still broken, but he is able to be moved without screaming in my ear, so that's good.  He doesn't have to take as much pain medication to feel good, as well.  How fast he will be up and able to use crutches in school is another thing entirely, but I am glad that he is feeling like himself again.  He is napping a lot, so I think that probably helps, too.  Thanks for all of your kind words about him to me, they helped keep my spirits up, too!  :-)

Link to sale.  If you see this tomorrow, it probably will take you to the pants, skirts, and shoes sale. 

Made by Me File/OOTD: Inspired by Nature.

Day: Saturday, December 20, 2014.

Where:  To say goodbye to my friend, W., who passed away in mid-December.  I blogged more about the death here.  We went to his church in northern Virginia where they held a memorial service in his honor.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  In true W. style, we were asked to wear casual clothing to the service since W. was a casual guy who lived in fleece and jeans and boots.  W. also knew that I was (his words, not mine, lol) a "true fashionista," so though I could have worn fleece and jeans and boots, he wouldn't have expected my version of casual to match his.  I had to stay true to what his image of me was, as well as honoring the wishes of his family, so I went with my version of casual, which is exceedingly easy to wear, but since it isn't fleece or boots, doesn't get the full 5 out of 5 stars for ease since the beret, while "stylin'," does start to itch after a while. 

Cool Factor: (... of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Not really a necessary score because this outfit is about W. and not about being cool.  I am sure he would have liked the effort, and would be proud to know that I own a cardigan that has a full on forest on it, however abstract it may be.  (He was a lumberjack/nature man/(his words, not mine) manimal, so the more rustic and down to earth, the better.)

I literally spent days and days crying over W.'s death, as many of you who read here know already.  I didn't know how to process losing him in such a sudden way.  I had kids to watch out for, so that helped me get through the physical hours of the days, but the emotional weight of the emptiness inside was really upsetting.  I had this void of a good friend upon whom I depended for companionship.  He was a tie to so many things in my life, my youth, my love of things "nature," my stupid silly side that I rarely let see the day's light. 

I went through our many messages to each other and it struck me that no matter what, he championed my sewing and creative side.  He was very supportive of everything I made, which was odd considering his way of dressing up was to wear a fancy baseball cap and shoes that weren't boots.   Regardless of his own personal style, he loved mine.  So I figured one way to deal with his death was to make a dress in honor of him for the mass that was going to be said for the repose of his soul (my friend, M., set it up for this last Sunday, 1/25/2015). 

I found two beautiful quilting cottons at fabric.com, the Forest Walk print, and the Cotton and Steel Metallic Netorious Goldilocks that would work well for the vintage pattern I had found to use for the dress, Simplicity 7252 (from 1967).  I wanted the body of the dress to be a forest or tree print, but it had to be abstract, and the Forest Walk was perfect, since from far away it looks more graphic and splotchy than the birch trees they actually are.  The Cotton and Steel fabric is a very subtle silver geometric print on a turmeric colored base, and happens to be an exact match for the yellows in the Forest Walk fabric.  To add some interest, I also included a bias corded piping in ivory at the yoke base and the cuffs.

I made sure to line the entire thing in a slick poly lining so I could wear tights (quilting cottons stick to tights).

The dress sewed up well, but I did have to take in the sides a whole lot since the ease from the bust down to the hem was excessive.  It was very tent-like.  I wanted the silhouette to match the girl on the cover of the pattern, so I knew I had to take it in to achieve that.  I didn't make a size too big, btw, I went with a size 14, bust 34, and through the shoulders, neck, and arms, it fits fine (after I did a square shoulder adjustment, which is very typical for me), so I think there was just a lot of ease built into this pattern. 

If you would like to see more on this project, I wrote more about the sewing side at this Pattern Review.

I also made two small bags in the same prints for my friends who also were at the mass.  The three of us have been spending a lot of time watching out for each other in the past month and a half, so I felt like they needed a tangible reminder that I was there for them, too.  It is really easy to whip up zip bags, btw, I basically followed the instructions at this Purl Bee tutorial (with my own pattern--I wanted one that allowed for the two fabrics to be on the outside, sort of like this bag).  I highly recommend using the Purl Bee tutorial if you are ever looking to make a quick gift for someone else and you have scrap fabric you'd like to use.

After the mass, four of us friends from high school went to Great Falls, which is a national park here in northern Virginia on the Potomac river, where Virginia meets Maryland.  Above is one of the photos I took that day.  I know W. would really have liked this, in addition to being an all-around outdoorsman, he was a very talented photographer.  I felt inspired by him that day and I was glad that I was able to photograph this moment.

Here are the four of us before we set out to hike that day. 

BTW, those boots I am wearing?  Timberland Euro Hikers from 1995.  Yeah, I own some manimal boots myself.  Just don't show them off around here much.  ;-)

You all have a great day.  Enjoy the world outside as much as you can!

Boden: Catch of the Day Sale! Today is Tops and Tees!

Good Monday evening!

It has been a bit since I have published a post here and in the time in between posts, Boden started up a Catch of the Day sale on Sunday, January 25, 2015.  On Sunday and Monday, they took 20% off dresses.  Unfortunately I didn't announce that sale here, but I did at least manage to get the news out to my Facebook page friends.

The folks at Boden have been doing this Catch of the Day thing forever, and I remember enjoying the extra savings way back when.  I think this percentage amount is a decent savings, but since it is the same amount off as I enjoyed during Preview time, I am not going to participate, but since I know many of you choose to wait, this will give you the same amount off.  :-)

Today the tops and tees are 20% off.  I have only reviewed one top, in fact I only have one top from this new season, the Casual Dip Back Sweater (here at Boden).  (It isn't under knitwear as far as I can tell even though it is called a sweater.)  You can see that review here.

I don't know what the Catch of the Day will be for the rest of the week, but they usually cover the popular categories, so do expect to see knitwear, skirts and pants, and on the last day you will likely see a hodgepodge of all the categories. (I also suspect outerwear since the only ads that the affiliate program have include photos of the "outerwear" catch.)

This tops and tees sale expires tonight, with the next one starting thereafter.

I will be back tomorrow with information about which items are in the catch for tomorrow, and thereafter the catches for the rest of the week.  I included a link to the sale at the bottom of this post.

He wanted light blue and dark blue striped.  The tech was really good at his job!

Very quickly, and so you all know, Sunday I spent hiking at Great Falls National Park.  It was glorious and a few of my friends who were also close to W. (my friend who committed suicide in December) went with me to spend the day hiking in his honor.  Of course because my life is one big adventure after another, I received a call that Rex had been hurt at the ice skating birthday party he had attended while I was out doing that.  My husband had left him there since he had the other two kids to help out with, so poor Rex was hurt for a bit at the party with neither of us there.

We all assumed he had just gotten bruised or banged up but by the time I got to him, he had been howling in pain for a couple of hours and it wasn't letting up, so I immediately suspected a break, even though the physical evidence was not there.

And you know how this ends, right?  He ended up sustaining a spiral tibia fracture (fortunately the fibula was not injured) and now has a full leg cast and strict orders to stay home until the pain subsides, and thereafter to be in a wheelchair unless he must be up and using crutches.  (His school has stairs only since it is very old.) 

It is hard to see him in pain and it also very difficult to figure out how to get him around since he is very sensitive to the pain and since he is also very heavy, lifting him to get him to the bathroom and the bed and the couch is very hard.  If you have *any* advice for me, I will take it, happily.

Thanks for all your help.  As usual, it is really great to have such wonderful blog friends.

Ignore that this says outerwear.  Maybe that means tomorrow is outerwear?  The link is good, I just tried the one in the sidebar and it worked fine to get to the sale.

OOTDs/Review: Millie and a Bomber.

Day: Wednesday, December 31, 2014.

Where:  I know I went somewhere, but I am drawing a blank.  I can assure you it was probably out to eat somewhere, most likely.  I *do* know I wrote this blog post that day, though.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Pretty nice to wear, but I am dinging this outfit for the skirt, since I can only get it on and off by putting it on OVER my head instead of stepping into it like a normal person.  The waistband fits fine at the waist but doesn't stretch enough to get over my hips when I step into the skirt.  Considering how full the skirt is, you wouldn't think that possible, but it is possible, my friends.  Now if you are less curvy on your bottom half, this won't be an issue for you, but if you are blessed with larger hips in relation to your waist, get the size for your waist, but be prepared for putting the skirt on over your head.  Hmph.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) From what I remember, people liked this combo, especially the necklace, but honestly it is very matchy matchy and almost appears a bit crazy old lady.  (Which I don't mind, that is actually what I aspire to be!)

That said, the tunic dress on its own is very cool.  Very short, but nice looking and interesting.  Wasn't feeling the length that day.  Was feeling it back here, though.

Millie Skirt.  Size 6 L.  I did write up a review of it here, but I haven't published any photos of me wearing it until today.

The length is awesome.  Really like where it hits on my leg.  The print is fabulous, too.  I have to hand it to Mr. Boden and co., they really do a British/London print well and every incarnation it seems I fall for it.  I refuse to look up at this blog all the times I have fallen for it, but I do know the only one I returned was a Johnnie b. dress that was super short on me.  BUT I LOVED THE PRINT, dang it!

From the side you can see that is very full throughout the skirt, while the waist is fitted.  This is why I suggested that pears suck it up and order by waist size, since ordering up will only for sure guarantee a huge skirt and possibly a waist that fits too large.  Just my two cents, but I know the 8 or 10 would have been very full on my lower half.


Millie Skirt.  Good stocks on all colors, but a few sizes are sold out completely in each color.  (Especially on the smaller and larger ends.  And the longs, as well.)

Crappy quality here of outfit without jacket.  Hello, ancient smart phone!

Day: Monday, January 19, 2014.

Where:  Joann's and Harris Teeter with my stepmom.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  For as tight as these pants appear to be, thanks to a significant spandex percentage, they are so flipping comfortable.  These are stupid super sale at J. Crew for something like $25 (stretch toothpick jeans in arcade wash--size 30 tall--my usual size).  Very much worth the money.  The Nike shoes (Pre Montreal Racer) were also a very inexpensive purchase through another stupid super sale, and as I love my other waffle racers by them so much, it was a no-brainer.  Add the perfect warmth the Johnnie b. bomber jacket gave me (it is in the upper 40s today), I was perfectly happy with how easy this was to wear and run around in.

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  You all know I massively {{heart}} ladylike dresses and ballet flats and girly accessories, so this outfit is very out of my comfort zone.  I think this outfit looks cool, but I felt a bit out of my element, so to me it was only 90% cool.  ;-)

Bomber Jacket.  Size 13-14.  Johnnie b. consistently fits me size 13-14 for tops.  Every once in a while I will size up to a 15-16 if a top looks especially fitted, but usually the 13-14 fits great.  I am a size 4 or 6 or xs in most of my tops in other brands (32B bust, btw), so if you use me to compare to you when purchasing Johnnie b., bear that in mind.  I also am very short from neck to waist, so the shorter length of a Johnnie b. 13-14 doesn't affect the fit for me at all (this jacket measures 22" in length, fwiw, the 15-16 is an inch and a half longer).

You can see the sleeves are more than long enough on me, and though I am short through the torso, I have very long arms. 

These kind of pockets are difficult to sew, and they have a lovely faux leather piping at the pocket edge.  The jacket is fully lined in a deliciously slippy poly, and the fabric throughout the outer portion is a thick wool/cotton that is felted, so it is good at keeping the chill out.

All in all, this jacket is worth the full price of  $84, so its insanity price of $28 is ridiculous.  I am not even sure we are paying Boden anything to buy this, if anything they are paying us to wear it, lol.  Not quite, but $28 is a SCREAMING deal for what you receive.

The side view shows that the buttons lie nice and flat when closed.  I let my stepmom try it on (she has a 32DD bust, I believe) and it fit her fine, too.  She would look curvier from the side, but I have significant amount of ease through the bustline, so I am not surprised she can wear it, too.


Bomber Jacket.  This is a sell-out.  Only the 15-16 has healthy stocks, but at the $28 price, that could soon change, too.  I am not surprised by how well it is selling at the very low price, especially considering what you receive.

Okay that's it for me today.  I am glad I was able to get these last two clearance reviews published before the Boden "extra percentage off the sale" ends tonight.