OOTDs: Ferns, Palms, Ikat, and Itty Bitty Florals.

Hey, all!  Happy Wednesday!

Before I get started, I wanted to let you all know that Boden rolled out quite a few new arrivals on Monday.  Because that was the day I was in "new" teacher training I wasn't able to get the news out right away.  :-)  That said, I am sure most of you figured it out already.  I have my eyes on a few items, and hopefully before the week's end, I can get a post done on the rollout in a proper fashion.  There is a coupon for 20% off mini Boden in my sidebar and at the bottom of this post, but it works for everything on the site, so enjoy it for you, too.

Okay, onto the outfits of late.

Day: Saturday, August 8, 2015.

Where:  Mini Golf in Manassas and dinner with my brother.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) J. Crew had that redonk 75% off sale recently, and the shorts were an impulse purchase (along with a pair in green).  They are amazing.  I sized to a medium since I wanted the extra room so I could pull them down to my hips so they wouldn't super short on me.  (I read they were running large, so instead of sizing up to a large so I could pull them down, I went with my "tts" J. Crew size of medium--though crazily enough J. Crew sometimes runs so large in bottoms I can wear an small.) The linen is substantial, the tie is not superfluous or silly, and the elastic is thick and comfortable.  If you are a pear shaped lady, these are your shorts.  Trust me.

The silk fern blouse was from a while back, and it was loose and flowy and just right for the searing heat and humidity that afternoon.  Playing mini golf in the middle of a parking lot with the sun blaring down on you is intense, but I didn't feel too gross or overheated.  (The top is a bit cropped, though, so long torso ladies, beware.)

Outfit Details:  Cropped Silk Popover Blouse in Tropical Fern, J. Crew here (also in a darling coverup that is more "in stock" and a bathing suit--I own and love that one); Drawstring Linen Shorts, J. Crew here; Shoes, J. Crew; Clutch/Bag, Stella and Dot here and chain for bag here; Sunglasses, Target (but then left those at home, d'oh, so switched to the ones in my car from Anthropologie).

Anecdote of the Day:  I was better at mini golf than I remembered, but it wasn't like I was some sort of superstar.  I got a hole in one, though, so for that, I celebrated.  Little things bring me joy, you all.

Rex used a knife to cut up onions at my brother's house (we were eating Mexican food).  I guess eight is a good age for them to learn that skill, but it's still weird to just let it go and be okay with it.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

Where: Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Oh I love this halter dress so much!  The back has a bit of elastic to give it some wiggle room, and the skirt is nice and full with pockets.  It is the perfect dress for a pear shape.  I am so glad I bought it all those years ago.  :-)  (It's been a while since I wore it, though, inexplicably...here I am in it with my long, no bangs, light blonde hair.)

The Esska shoes are awesome for long walks, since they have tons of cushioning there in the sole.  I desperately wish these were available here in the United States more readily.  I was only able to get these because Anthropologie decided to carry a couple of styles a year or so ago.  UK ladies, so jealous of you all!

Outfit Details:  Jakarta Halter Dress, J. Crew (someone has this exact dress in the same size for sale at ebay); Sandals, Esska; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  I get along with most people, most of the time, even if I am a bit introverted at first.  I was finishing up the winesday portion of the evening, and about to start the shopping portion (usually yogurts, fresh produce, and some vitamins) when I saw a former roommate of mine from the late 90s.  It was so weird to see him just standing there.  I *know* he saw me but I pretended not to see him, I just couldn't make small talk and pretend like everything is okay.  He was fine for the most part while we were roommates, but at the end it got B.A.D., and I had to leave living there in a hurry, so seeing him was a bit jarring.  Mr. Dina has seen him a few times through the years, too.  Didn't see him last night at Winesday, though, and haven't seem him at the other ones, either. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Where:  Playdate at the park with Rex.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Contrary to what the photos show, earlier in the day I felt like such crap, and though I knew I needed to go this playdate with Rex for his class (he just loves seeing all his friends), I was struggling with a massive migraine (I only get these a couple of times a year compared to my pre-PFO surgery amount), and while the medicine worked to keep it from being too intense, it still was imparting some pain.  The Garnet Hill starlet dress is so soft and has such nice ease because of the knit fabric, that I at least didn't have to deal with digging waistbands or too tight hip areas. 

After I took a nap and used more medicine and an ice pack, we all went to dinner and I felt even better in this getup.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill's versions from this year here; Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I was telling one of the moms about my migraine and she said she suffered from them, too, and through that conversation, we discover we had both suffered strokes (mine of the mini variety) and we both had to have our PFO closed.  She is the only other person I have met who has gone through what I went through, I am so glad I opened up to here about not feeling great.  I have someone in my circle who "gets it."

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, August 13, 2015.

Where:  Cafe Rio for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (3.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) You ever have days where you feel a little bloated for whatever reason?  Well that day was one of those for me.  These shorts are normally my "go to" shorts since they always fit just fine, but they felt so snug that day, even though I could pull them down to my hips, etc.  I think I was just in a truly terrible state and nothing was going to feel good, outside of pjs or a easy knit dress.  But I had it in my head I wanted to wear the tee, and these shorts were the only ones that seemed to work, and it was too hot to wear pants, and a skirt wouldn't have looked right.  Grr. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, J. Crew; Shorts, J. Crew; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, AR Trapp (via J. Crew).

Anecdote of the Day:  Cafe Rio was really yummy.  I don't know that eating yummy salty Mexican food was the smart choice for me that "night of bloat" but man it tasted so good.  I should have better willpower, lol.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, August 18, 2015.

Where:  Staples, then to Honey Pig Izakaya for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This is a handmade dress so it is very comfortable.  :-)  Love the woven rayon for its very comfortable hand in the heat, though sadly it appears I didn't prewash and dry it enough to keep it from shrinking.  It has gotten a touch shorter and slimmer over the past year.  It hopefully will be done soon, but I definitely have to baby it when I wash it.

Didn't feel like contacts that day, so threw on my Bebe glasses, and unfortunately in our heat and humidity, they kept slipping down my nose, sigh.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here; Bag, J. Crew; Necklace, J. Crew; Glasses, Bebe.

Anecdote of the Day:  Going to Staples to buy the kids school supplies on a Tuesday was smart.  We were the only ones there, which is contrary to the Target/Walmart runs we have engaged in the past.  We saved money, too, so I say go for it if you are a parent who is tired of getting places and finding 7000 other people and completely empty cartons of glue sticks, markers, etc.  Unfortunately the teacher stuff was kind of disappointing, so I will have to order some of that online.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, August 7, 2015.

Where:  Another playdate, this time to say goodbye to a friend leaving the area for a while.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Boden does these kind of summer casual jersey dresses so well.  I would say Garnet Hill does it a touch better, but Boden is definitely in second place, and if they could up the "softness" level on their fabric, they would be in first place because their prints and colors are better than Garnet Hill's.

I have now put the Birkenstock sandals on their tightest setting on the strap, and now they fit perfectly.  I walked for a mile in them last night and they stayed on my feet perfectly.  Love these so much now that they fit exactly to my foot.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, this exact pair can be found here at amazon.com (amazon.com also has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  My son's friend's mom is another big Boden and Garnet Hill fan and we have a very eerily similar closet.  LOL.  Anyhow, she was wearing the Blackberry dress that night in yellow, and I knew it was her from 200 yards away.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's it for me for now.  I hope to come back sooner than I did this time.  :-)

Remember if you want to try something from Boden's new styles, this coupon is good for those, even though it is marketed specifically to mini Boden.