Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Kiera Goes to Communion.

Hi, all!  Happy Sunday!  I have a very small BWRR this week, only three reviews.  There are lots of pretty items for sale, but it seems most of the bloggers and friends that usually do reviews of Boden items have been purchasing less, so we are seeing fewer items overall, which considering my insane schedule may not be a bad thing this time around.

That said, Boden has made a new tag for Instagram called #bodenbyme.  I have been using the tag #boden on any of my Instagram posts that feature Boden, but apparently they want you to use this one.  Whatever.  Will do!  If you want to check that page out to see how folks like us are wearing their Boden, head on over here for that.

Some reminders:

1. Boden's Autumn Preview 2015 is set to end its additional 20% off preview orders on May 24, 2015.  I will definitely do a picks post this week, in fact if I can get my act together, I will write it on Tuesday morning (bowling has ended for the year).  The preview code for 20% off is 7D4N.  BTW, mini Boden has its preview up now, too.

2. Boden had a very tiny rollout of summer items.  I missed it.  I think an email was sent, but unlike J. Crew, who literally SCREAM from the rooftops that there are new arrivals (their emails always seem over the top that way), Boden's are more subtle, so likely it said something like, "something's afloat here at Boden HQ--come check out all the beachy new garments for your holiday!"  Anyhow, they are cute, and I recall seeing some of them in preview, so if you ordered some items from the summer preview, it is likely that you will receive them soon if you haven't already.

Lou also mentioned that the Festival line is set to roll out and when that does, I will let you know.

3. Coupons. Sigh, coupons.  The affiliate program had a coupon last week, but every time I clicked on it, the coupon did not give 15% off, but instead just landed me at Boden with no discount.  Something is not right over there.  I wonder if the manager is a robot that isn't bothering to check emails or links, etc.  It's bizarre.  They used to be so much better about getting coupons up and running, and if I had an issue, I could email and have a response that day.  Ultimately this hurts Boden most, if I don't have proper working coupons, I don't bother to promote them, and while I am in no way, shape, or form more than a little teeny tiny drop in the big bucket of money that Boden makes, I must help somehow since I see the sales that are made from links here at my blog.  Anyhow, when the act actually comes together and proper coupons start rolling back in, I promise to let you know.  For now, I recommend using the emails that come your way from Boden, as they usually have a discount attached to them (I have received recently a 25% off one, and one for buy 3 items, receive the fourth for $1).

Kiera Dress. Size 8 Long.  This dress was a purchase made during preview last year, and was officially the last item I received from Boden from a preview order that didn't get massively screwed up.  I am really glad it didn't get screwed up as this dress is just lovely and a great addition to my wardrobe.  (Although we all know how many yellow dresses I own, but in fairness they all get worn!)

The 8 Long was a guess as they didn't have the measurements up on the page during preview.  I made the right choice, though the 8 Long bodice is pretty big overall.  The 8 Long hips and length, though, are exactly what my body needs. 

The skirt portion of the lining, though, suffers from the ill-conceived "let's use a pencil skirt lining for a full-skirted dress" phenomena that only Boden seems to do.  Ugh.  Having said that, the skirt's lining is not as excessively fitted as I found it to be on the worst offender of this tragic trend of theirs, the Selina Dress.  I still need to take the skirt's lining out (it isn't needed for modesty, and I can always wear a separate skirt slip if I need it for some reason), but I wore this dress just fine at my son's First Holy Communion (that is an hour plus service at the church), so it isn't too terrible of an issue.

The shape is pleasing, a bit more fitted at top and a slight a-shape tulip skirt.  If you carry any weight in your stomach area, this dress may be a difficult fit for you as the waist is the most fitted part of the dress.

It has a back zip, which I prefer, it made getting in and out of it quite easy.  The photo here really shows just how loose the bodice is on me, especially through the middle part.  I found that if I took up the straps a touch, it fit better, so that is a possible future alteration I may make on my sewing machine.

The fabric is a substantial rayon/cotton blend, which I wasn't sure I would like, but it wore very well, and the colors are very vibrant and summery.  The color you see in this photo is the closest to its real life color.

Instagram of my outfit here.


Kiera Dress.  It is currently 30% off since it is an older spring item, and I would say the price is good for what you receive.  The stocks are running low, and considering how very "Boden" this is, that doesn't surprise me, at all.  With Boden featuring fewer "Boden" type items, those of us that love Boden for being unique are probably buying up what they still offer that are like what we have always loved from them.


Cerys Dress.  Lou loves hers, and it is absolutely stunning on her in the tropical blue shade.


Lily Skirt. Lisa mixed her plaids!  The Lily Skirt in light blue looks adorable as she styled it.

Okay that's it!  You all have a great Sunday!

Boden: Diminishing Discount Sale Ends Tonight! And a Quickie Mariella Review!

Hi, all.  I promised you a reminder on Thursday, and while knee deep in pants sewing for Rex (but, it's all good--they look great), I remembered I forgot the post this morning! 

So in order to kind of make up for it, I decided to do a very very brief review of the Mariella tee.  I was pleased that at least one item from my preview order didn't fall apart, especially since I really ended up liking this one a lot.

I chose the size 6 and I am so glad I did.  Though it is a linen knit, it starts off a bit snug, so I was glad that I chose a size up from what I thought I would need.  By the end of the day, the top was looser, owing to the linen knit, but it wasn't overly stretched out or anything.

The length might be short for some of you ladies, but I liked where it hit on me, right around high/mid hip.  The v-neck is continued in the back, and is not immodest, at all.

The colors are pretty true to what you see on your monitor (if you see what I see, anyhow).

Mariella Tee.  Running low in stock in this color and the other striped colors. 

All the info on this diminishing discount can be found at this post from Monday.  :-)  Hope you all have a great night.

Boden: Diminishing Discount Time!

Hey, all! 

After weeks of seeing nothing good, coupon wise, at the affiliate program's directory, I finally spied something over the weekend, this Diminishing Discount Sale!  For anyone who has been buying from Boden for a while, you're probably familiar with the concept, but for those of you relatively new to the sale, Boden offers a certain percentage off your order (in this case 25%) for a few days, then reduces the amount off by a bit (this time down to 15% off), and the finally reduces it fully to a small amount (10% off).

This is what I usually recommend with this kind of sale, go after the items you want but are pretty popular, as they may not make it to a deeper discount, at all.  (As we have seen often, sometimes clearance prices are higher than what they would have sold for in the regular season with a good discount.)

Since this is a decent sale, I may even pick up an item or two that I have been waiting for a good discount to buy.  :-)

I am sewing my son's entire First Holy Communion suit and possibly two dresses this week (Mommy and Daughter), so I don't know what kind of internet presence I will have, but I am finding that even when crunched for time, I am able to get on Instagram or my blog's facebook page.  I will make sure to remind you when the 25% off ends, though, so expect to hear from me on Thursday!

Boden Weekly Review Roundups Link.  If you need help deciding, it is possible one of my blog friends or I have reviewed an item you are interested in at one of the weekly review roundups.

Happy (sale) shopping!

OOTDs: Blues and a Boucle.

Day: Friday, May 1, 2015.

Where:  School Mass and the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This was very comfortable.  I haven't been wearing pencil skirts much these past few years (barring this one, which I made for myself), so I decided I would start off May with skirt that I love but haven't worn much.  (I last showed it off here at the blog and before that here.)  Considering how "dressy" I look, the overall outfit didn't feel stuffy or make me wish I had worn something less fitted. 

Outfit Details:  Sweater, handmade (it is May, and a bunch of people are devoted to wearing their handmade items daily in May, I don't have enough made for full ensembles, but I have at least a piece per day); Feather Paisley skirt and necklace, J. Crew; shoes, Bandolino.

Anecdote of the Day:  CW was picked to bring up the gifts at mass.  Rex read last year for his time in first grade, but CW gets a tiny bit nervous, so a non-speaking role is a bit more bearable for her.  I braided her hair special (we usually don't have time in the morning for braids).  Of course by the time I saw her at mass, her braids were undone.  ;-) 

Instagram here.

Day: Saturday, March 28, 2015.

Where:  Angus's Birthday party at the Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wanted to look nice, but I also knew that I would be running around after a half a billion children, so I knew I had to be very relaxed in my outfit, too.  The combo was fine, and the shoes didn't matter as the Little Gym has you go barefoot in the gym.

Outfit Details:  Sweater, Boden; pants, Loft; shoes, J. Crew Factory; scarf, J. Crew; glasses, Bebe.

Anecdote of the Day:  Usually kids parties have a fail rate of every third kid can't make it.  (Maybe even every one of two can't make it.)  We fully anticipated no shows and budgeted for that.  Yep, you know the punchline...everyone who was invited made it.  We paid a bit extra for the extra kids, but were thrilled that so many kids could make it.  Angus had a blast, of course.

Instagram here.

Day: Thursday, April 2, 2015.

Where:  Lunch with a good friend and packing for trip to IN/IL.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I was unsure if I made the right choice with these jeans, I was really concerned they would pinch and hurt, but I chose correctly, and they fit very well, nice and long (but not too long) and just enough wiggle room up top to feel right not like a vice.  The top I have had forever, and the shoes I wear constantly, so I knew those would be great.

Outfit Details:  Top and jeans, J. Crew; shoes, J. Crew Factory.

Anecdote of the Day:  You know, you would think I was capable of clarifying plans with people since I have been on this planet for a while, right?  Well I showed up to my friend's house on that day at the agreed upon time only to realize she wasn't there but instead was at the restaurant waiting for me.  Duh.  Sigh.  Next time--will clarify for everyone's sake.

Okay, all, you have a great day!  Talk with you soon!

OOTDs: Three Times a Turner Sub!

Day: Friday, April 24, 2015.

Where:  Subbing Art.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Although I had crafted this top to fit me exactly (it was my last entry in the Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge last year), I have gained about three pounds since then, so it was a touch tight through the waistband, but holla, linen is always stretches out by the end of the day, so by noon, I felt fine.  :-)  The pants are awesomely comfortable, which is why I keep praising them to the hills.  I don't think I am the only person who loves the Turner Pant this much, but I *may* just be the most vocal.

Outfit Details:  Top, made using Simplicity 1590; Pants, available still from J. Crew; Shoes, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  The reason for wearing the top should be obvious, but in case it's not, I wore my hand-painted top so I could use it as a vehicle for discussing the process of creating art.  It actually ended up helping one kid who was stressed out about something not being perfect at the beginning of his hippo art (yep, that's my signed version above, lol).  I told him my top was nowhere near perfect when I started and honestly was far from perfect still, but overall it was a good piece of art.  I think it worked.  He seemed satisfied by his art from there forward.  :-)

Instagram Shot.

Day: Wednesday, April 22, 2015.

Where:  Subbing 4th Grade.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I basically felt like I was wearing pajamas the whole day.  The navy version of the Turner pants (haha, yes, I wore them twice in a week with a wash in between) is a touch tighter than the other colors, but still stupidly comfortable.  The merino wool metallic striped sweater appears that it would be scratchy because of the metallic threads, but the inside is nice and soft.  Very lovely.  I also found the size extra small that I bought to fit well on my frame, but keep in mind I have a very short torso for my height.  For some of you this may be too short.  Hogl is a brand out of Germany, and I had purchased these shoes way back in 2004, when we went there on a spring break.  They are doing well considering their age.  I love this brand and wish they were easier to find in the States.

Outfit Details:  Sweater, a few left at J. Crew; Necklace, J. Crew; Pants, available at J. Crew; Shoes, Hogl.

Anecdote of the Day:  I was supposed to be in the office but at the last minute switched to fourth grade.  I didn't know what the day was going to hold, but apparently there was a big "station" day at the school focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) with an emphasis on CSI kind of work, so I loved it, since as an archaeologist we had to use many of the same techniques that CSI does in its work.  I looked a the clock one minute and it was 1:15, and then LITERALLY five seconds later I looked at it and it was 3:00.  That was easily the best day I have had teaching, ever.  It was fun.

Instagram Shot.

Day: Friday, April 17, 2015.

Where:  Subbing Computer.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I could repeat what I wrote in the above entry.  Gracious.  I am probably boring you now.  But these Turner pants are the black version.  Woo.  Right?  Exciting stuff here, I tell ya.

Outfit Details:  Top, Target; Necklace, Target; Pants, available at J. Crew; Shoes, J. Crew Factory.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex was out of school for a month when he broke his leg and was wheelchair bound.  Apparently he was missed.  The note above tells what one student felt made them lucky, and one of their "I am lucky" statements was that Rex was back.  I nearly started crying, so sweet.  :-)

Okay, that's it.  Want to point out that I am wearing no Boden in these outfits.  Yes, it is possible.  Haha.

You all have a great night. 

Boden: Autumn/Fall 2015 Preview is Live!

London Cashmere Sweater!

Hey, all!  Happy Saturday.  I was subbing all day yesterday and was unable to get to my computer till late last night.  There was an email from them letting me know that the Boden Preview was live and ready to purchase from, all with 20% off.

Before I get to the preview, let me take one moment and tell you all about the 20% off tops promo going on over at Boden right now.  This came right on the heels of Boden's dress promo from last week, which I spoke about in this post.  Anyhow, it is "up to 20% off," with the more popular items only garnering a 15% off amount, but because Boden is Boden, there are also quite a few tops that are more than that amount off, including a few for "up to 50% off."  ;-)

Alright, so the preview.  A week ago, some blog friends and I were talking through email and we realized we had all received an email from Boden telling us that things are changing with Boden and the way they process all preorders.  From now on, all preorders will be AUTHORIZED at the time of order, and that hold will be there until your order ships, which usually means a couple of months away.  Umm, no.  I mean, you do you, Boden, but wow, that is like the ultimate, "hey, if you have a low credit line, don't even bother buying from us, because we can only cater to those whose credit lines are ginormous and don't have to worry about putting daily needs items on their cards in the meantime."  I mean, it is possible that I read this wrong, but if I order $300 in preorder, that $300 is tied up until the items ship, but because I have seen Boden operate before with their credit processing, I also know that the initial hold amount could stay on longer, too.  So if my credit line is $1000, that means 30% of my line is tied up for months waiting.  And even though this may be beyond Boden's comprehension, some of us SAVE up to make sure we can pay the amount when we are told it will ship.  At least that was how I did it in the past.  Now I have to save up in the past to save up some random amount so I can buy when the preview order actually is ordered?  Huh.  Okay.  BTW, if your credit line is $50,000, that $300 preview order is a tiny amount of your line squandered away, under 1% of your line. 

Anyhow, I feel it is absolutely necessary that you all know what is going on with the orders so that if you decide to order you are ready for the new system.  I can't order anymore in preview, unless it is with gift cards or credit on my account.  Like a weirdo, I keep my credit line super low, as I hate the idea of carrying a huge credit debt on my record.  I think it is bad enough already, and I am not going to let a huge number sit there in the meantime.  But--if you can handle it and it works for your finances--then just know what is going on! 

Okay, onto the pretty of the Fall 2015 preview.  It is pretty, and there are a few lovely items.  That said, I need for the whole preview to be on view as I think it seems incomplete or lackluster.  I will do a preview "picks" post but fortunately I have nearly a month to do as the 20% off code expires on May 24, 2015.  The code, btw, is 7D4N.

Right now, I only see a few items I would definitely be interested in buying, which for me is a big deal.  Normally I fill that basket up and swoon over everything, so for me to only like a few items is sort of noteworthy.  I am glad they had this Harriet Shift Dress (above) and the London Cashmere Sweater (the top photo in the post) as I was getting concerned I had happened onto a Loft or Ann Taylor preview.  No meanness to Loft or Ann Taylor, I have some great basics from them, but it is a bit "zzzzz" overall.  I go to Boden looking for the unusual, the quirky preppy, the great tailored items in very beautiful, bright, sweet colors.

Do you have any picks?  Would love to read your thoughts since I think maybe I just have skipped right past a lot of the pretty this morning.

You all have a good day and enjoy the preview!

OOTD/Made by Me File: Rosalyn's Easter. New Look 6262 and New Look 6335.

Day: Sunday, April 5, 2015.

Where:  Easter services and Easter lunch/supper.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I had constructed the dress myself with my sizing in mind, so I was very comfortable.  The only thing that bugged a bit was the underarm portion, which makes me fear that I have even more of a square shoulder adjustment to do the next time I sew up this pattern.  (I don't have a lot of fluff up top, but my shoulders go up at the end instead of sloping down, and since the patterns are all drafted for a much more sloped shoulder than I have, I always have to do a "square shoulder adjustment."  I thought I had done enough of one here, but I must need another 1/8 to 1/4 inch to be truly comfortable.)

Outfit Details:  Dress, made from New Look 6262; Shoes, Target; Tilly Cardigan, J. Crew (available here); Necklace, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  So in Mississippi and apparently this part of Indiana, people say supper instead of lunch.  Or is it dinner at lunch and supper is what I call dinner?  I don't know, lol.  Here in Northern Virginia, and maybe the rest of the state, supper is dinner, if we say supper at all.  I find it all so fascinating. 

I say yard sale instead of garage sale and every big road (interstates, freeways, etc.) are highways.  Other states round here do the same, but you go further west/north and the differences in terms are more pronounced.  Speaking of pronounced, if you really want to have some fun, ask a Virginian to pronounce either Fauquier county or Norfolk.  Trust me.

Do you have any local idioms that are a dead giveaway you are from somewhere? 

New Look 6262.  Without fail, I knew that I would likely be making the size 10 at the top bit (hey my absent flat-chested self), but because of the smaller waist measurement on the tissue, I decided it would be smart if I made the rest of the dress below the bust in a size 12.  It worked out great, and though I could have maybe squeezed into the 10 at the waist (the hips would have been fine, obviously), the 12 gave me a lovely amount of ease.

I specifically chose the fabrics because I really wanted to make the Rosalyn Dress from Boden since the debacle with my preview orders about two months back.  I didn't ever intend for this to be my Easter dress, but I was so fired up about the way Boden handled processing the credit that I CANCELED my order and got in my head that I could make something just as great as what I canceled.  The top bit is made from a cotton lace broderie fabric I bought from Fabric Mart last year, and the bottom is a home decor print from Waverly (Blossom Boutique Twill Aurora) I knew would look nice with the lace. 

I love how many options New Look 6262 gave me in terms of necklines, sleeves, etc.  I chose the cap sleeve with the scoopneck option, and made sure to follow the instructions for the lace version at least in the bodice.  It asked me to underline versus line my bodice, and so that is what I did.  It did feel a bit odd to underline (I used a stretchy cotton poplin fabric for that) and then use a facing, but the result was great, so I am not questioning it.  I clearly did not need to underline the skirt, but I did end up adding pockets, which I grabbed from Butterick 5211 (they were absolutely perfect as is).

Back view.  I didn't have any long white invisible zips at the house, but because they are invisible, except for the top pull, I just used a baby blue that matched the skirt perfectly.  It is fine!

The Rosalyn dress doesn't have a back zip and since I prefer back to side zips, AND I prefer this floral to the one they have on theirs, I am claiming sewing success on this dress.  I love it way more than the Rosalyn.  Rare for me to say this, but Dina 1--Boden 0.

Rosalyn Dress.  Still a very pretty dress, just not for me.  I think had all of the credit processing been more normal (or at least more timely in dropping the extra charges placed on my account), I would have gone with this one and not even been tempted to sew my own.  Ultimately I was glad I did since I also had enough fabric left over for my daughter's Easter dress, too.  If you do like this dress, it is on sale right now, for 20% off.

For CW's matching dress (which Boden has no version of for their mini line) I used New Look 6335 for sleeves and skirt, while rest is Simplicity 1211.  Since she is a wee girl with few curves, she is super easy to fit (and that makes this super easy to sew, too), but I did decide to make the skirt from one long rectangle rather than three rectangles (one for the front piece and two for the back pieces with a zip in the middle).  This means that her skirt has no side seams but does have a back seam that meets up with the middle back seam of the bodice.  I could have used a zip that went all the way down into her skirt, but again, girl with no curves, so I just added a small 7 inch zip at the top of the bodice and called it a day.  If she does get big enough that I need to add a longer zip, I have the infrastructure in place to do so.  I don't see any big difference between her skirt fullness and the one on the New Look 6335 package.  Hers is plenty full enough but uses far less fabric.  I tell you those girls dresses require SO much skirt fabric.  Ridiculous.  This is like the tenth time I have chosen not to use the full amount because I refuse to waste fabric if the end result will only look marginally different.

I do want to mention two things--

1. Gathering has always been a bit of a bear for me.  This time I did the proper three rows of gathering on the longest stitch length and then pulled them up to the length needed to match the bodice pieces.  In order to make sure the gathers didn't get folded down and smooshed by the presser foot, I made the *bold,* lol, decision to decrease my foot pressure on my machine.  Why in the world I hadn't done that before is beyond me, but wow, what a difference.  I still had to take it nice and slow and maneuver the gathered bits properly so they wouldn't get misshapen by the machine and the foot, but the gathers lie nice and prettily rather than skewing to one side as they want to do if I leave the presser foot pressure at the higher amount.  (They skew towards the opposite side that the presser foot is approaching from, so if the presser foot comes from the left on the wrong side, the gathers all skew to the right on the front, probably barely noticeable, but it drives me batty.)

2. I have laundered these dresses on delicate, in a cold wash, and hung them to dry.  They came out great, even though the skirt fabric recommends dry cleaning.  Just a bit of a "go on and do it" for those of you wondering if you should.  ;-)

I wrote up a pattern review on my dress here at Pattern Review.  It has a bit more of the technical dealings for those of you that care.

I will write up the pattern review for CW's dress soon.  When I do that I will update this blog post.

Okay, you all have a great night!!!