OOTDs: Two Dresses.

Day: Friday, June 26, 2015.

Where: Bobby Van's, a steakhouse here in the DC area.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Ha, though this Zara dress is made from a scuba knit fabric and is in its largest size available, I still needed to wear the proper shapewear and suck the gut in so that it would look decent on me.  My hubby liked it, and I think it does look nice for the most part, but it is definitely a "date" dress that you wear for a few hours at a time.  God bless you, Zara, and your teeny-sized clothing.  ;-)

To be fair, it was very hot that evening, and I suspect both the shoes and dress would feel better under cooler and drier conditions. I'll try again in late October.

Outfit Details:  Floral Printed Tube Dress, Zara here (a medium is back as of 11:56 am); Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Earrings, Premier Designs.

Anecdote of the Day:  Parking in downtown DC is always an exercise in patience, and after driving around the White House area a few times, my hubby was convinced we were really far away from the restaurant.  I looked on the phone and saw it was like two blocks away.  I was like, "dude, two blocks...super close."  It turned out to be three.  He complained.  Eye roll.

Food was worth it, though.  Great steak is still great steak!

INSTAGRAM of outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the dirty martini here.
INSTAGRAM of the dress and skirt in this pattern.

Day: Sunday, July 19, 2015.

Where: Church, Whole Foods, and a BBQ.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The linen zip-front dress in gold foil leaf from J. Crew is very lovely, but the waistband, right above the elastic shirring, is a fixed measurement/seam.  Many others have pointed this out in reviews, but what's the point of having an elastic waist and then having part of it not stretch?  Sigh.  STUPID.  But, because I chose the exact right size for my body (6 regular), it fit just fine.  You do need to know your waist measurement, where your waist falls on your body versus the dress, and from there you can figure out where it work on you.  Honestly, I lucked out.  Usually a style like this I would order in a 4 regular (or petite if this bodice looks really long--I have a short torso), but because of the reviews, I tried the size up and it was perfect. 

The linen is very nice for summer, very stiff, especially the hem (it is faced with the same fabric to keep that effect--it does allow the skirt to fall more like a full skirt), but it breathed well in the near 100 heat (plus full humidity) yesterday. 

I only wore the jacket in church for modesty reasons.  I was hot in church, but whatever, it's only an hour.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew here; Jacket, Loft; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, History Store.

Anecdote of the Day:  I had to go to Whole Foods before the bbq at my friend's house.  She lives two blocks from the one in Arlington, so my brother, Angus, and I walked to the store.  I knew Angus would be a wriggly mess at the store (that one is SO CROWDED), so I just strapped him in my ergo instead.  Hoo boy, was that a brilliant way to make 98 degrees feel like 120.  Still was a great idea since the store was, as predicted, full of people who I have noticed are not the "kid-friendly" types.  (They are a bit more kid-friendly at the Old Town Alexandria one, fwiw.)

INSTAGRAM of outfit and Angus in Ergo here.

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  :-)

I am thinking I can do a special "clearance" Boden Weekly Review Roundup (now that I am starting it up again) this week.  If you are interested in adding a review, and you are not one of my "regulars," you can email me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or put the review in the comments section of the Boden Reviews tab.  (You can always email me if you are a regular and just think I won't get your review, too.)

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: More Grey. More Casual.

It seems I could sum up Winter 2014/2015 with the words grey and casual.  Not that was my intention, it is just what happened.  I suspect I found I liked the way grey worked with my new red shade of hair, and so I just kept wearing it.  (Surprisingly, light pink seemed to work with the red hair, too.) 

Anyhow, now that spring is here, I figured it's about time to wrap up the season of grey and casual with one last post of outfits featuring grey and casual.

I also am turning over a new leaf in other ways, too. 

I have decided to get rid of the "cool" rating on my evaluations of outfits.  I think I started that to be a little tongue in cheek about the whole process of dressing up for others, but the joke got a little lost in translation, so I am moving on and nixing that part of my posts. 

I also have decided to join the year 2010 and join Instagram.  I already see I have fifteen followers, have no idea how that even happened, but okay then, lol.  If you want to join me there I have decided it won't be me showing off my outfits, but instead the outfits laid out in some way or another, with a direction to an IRL photo of me wearing it over here at the blog.  I think the pretty people wearing pretty clothing thing is definitely overdone at Instagram, and I cannot compete there at all, so I will let the objects do the work instead.  (I know the objects thing is overdone there, too, but at least I don't do the objects thing here so it is somewhat novel.  Somewhat.) 

I will follow people on Instagram, no problem.  But please, if you are going to follow me with the hopes that I follow you and then you unfollow me the next day, you know that's weird, right?  So don't do it.  I am too old for that crap.  ;-)

Onto the outfits!

Day: Saturday, March 7, 2015.

Where: Sewing Class.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The top was more than comfortable, but I forgot it was a pullover and struggled a bit getting it on...then my daft brain went to the buttons on the front (under the bow) and said, "yeah, probably should undo those next time."  Turner pants--brilliant.  SO COMFORTABLE.

Outfit Details:  Eliza Coat (here at Boden), Turner Pants (here at J. Crew).

Anecdote of the Day:  I went out to G Street to go to a sewing class.  It seems that for the past three months anytime I went to G Street Fabrics, it snowed.  Sigh.  I was starting to get a complex.  If it snows when I go in July, we'll know something is up.

Day: Monday, March 9, 2015.

Where:  At home working on this sewing project (while attempting to home school Rex at the same time).

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I am wearing clothes that can be worn outside but are basically pajamas.  Very cozy and great for all the stooping and contortionist poses I need to get into to properly cut and sew up the garments on which I work.

Outfit Details:  None of these are available.

Anecdote of the Day:  Though I am glad I was able to home school Rex rather than him receiving an incomplete for the time he was physically not able to be in school, I found it very challenging teaching him.  It is far easier for me to teach him a classroom environment that at the table/couch.  I tip my hats to all of you successful SAHM/homeschool teachers.  Just because I am a fully certified teacher does not mean it worked well for this situation. 

Day: Wednesday, March 18, 2015.

Where:  Mom's group, a walk with Angus to the mall/Harris Teeter, and the school run.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I thought the Reese pants (these are an 8 Tall, which is basically the same size I take in the Turner pants) would be a home run, but they aren't as comfortable as the Turner pant.  They are longer, which is great, but the crotch depth and length isn't the same, and I find my shape suits the Turner more.  I will keep these as they are still awesome, but they are not as super wonderful, blah blah blah.

Amazingly, the Hotchpotch trainers were perfect for the long walk to the mall and the grocery store and then back to the school.  Really glad I chose these.  My mom's group friend really liked them, but she was also in a pair of neon yellow nikes, so she may be a bit biased to color.

Outfit Details:  Tilly Sweater (here at Boden, review here); Reese Pants (here at J. Crew); Hotchpotch Trainers (here at Boden, review here).

Anecdote of the Day:  I love my mom's group, it is wonderful to meet people in the same situation as I am, and because it is through the church, we know we have our beliefs in common, as well.  Plus all the boys are very active and a bit nuts, so all of the moms are real chill about their behavior, which doesn't always happen.  (My favorite being the moms of darling, sweet-tempered little girls who literally have never had the experience of the energy and moxie of the little guys--lol--they always are left struggling to decide whether or not to keep their little girl around that.  And to be honest, if I only had the experience of CW, I might be the same way. But on the flip side, I have friends who had only girls and two may be innocent as all get out, but one of them ends up having more energy and spirit than they boys.)

Hey!  It's the outfit from Instagram.  Shame the photo from the camera was so "off," color-wise (no amount of color correction seemed to help).  Sigh.

Day: Friday, March 20, 2015.

Where:  Substitute Teaching.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This is very sedate for me to wear, but I really just wanted an outfit of neutrals with the emphasis being on the pretty lacy texture of the peplum top and the lovely necklace.  All in all, a great, easy to wear outfit.  The Loft pants fit me especially well, too, need to see if I can replicate those in one of the fabrics I have in my fabric storage.

Outfit Details:  None of the pieces are available.

Anecdote of the Day:  I love subbing the "extras."  You know the "fun" classes like PE, Computer, Art, etc.  That day I was able to be with the little wee ones (including CW) for computer.  The way those kids get transfixed, it is a site to behold.  They literally can't stop moving two seconds before they sit down at the computer, but once the educational site loads, they become as still as a rock. 

Day: Monday, March 23, 2015.

Where:  Little Gym, Harris Teeter, School Run.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was cold enough to wear a coat, but I didn't photograph it.  Besides the fact that I am pissy that it is late March and I am still wearing a flipping winter coat, this was a perfectly fine outfit for a SAHM day.  I hadn't worn the sweater in a while, and though it is a cotton yarn, it has enough heft to keep me warm. 

Outfit Details:  None of these are available.

Anecdote of the Day:  I receive a text message from Mr. Dina last night wondering where some of the groceries were.  Whoops.  I left the non-perishables in the trunk.  I think he survived, but seemed a bit distressed at the lack of things to feed the children while I was away (I also went to a women's group last night after he got home from work).

Okay, that's it for now.  I have a really great giveaway from a new company to me (and probably you, as well) tomorrow.  Hope you all have a great evening!

OOTD/Review/Made by Me: Knotted and Beaded and Crocheted.

Day: Monday, February 16, 2015.

Where:  Star's Beads in Vienna for a class on crocheted wire beaded jewelry.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Dang boots had to be worn since it was supposed to snow up to eight inches (with it starting while I was in class), so I had to wear them for traction and safety.  The pants have a boot cut but were not super wide, so the pants got a teeny bit bunched at the top of the cuff of the boots.  Oh, well.  Could have looked worse, just wish I could have figured something else out (I was a bit time crunched, though).

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Meh.  The sweater deserves a cute skirt and ballet flats.  On the plus side, the merino wool/cotton blend kept me warm enough.

Anecdote of the Day:  My friend, A., from high school, invited me to come with her to a class on how to make crocheted wire jewelry.  I am always willing to give something crafty a try, so I said sure.  A. LOVES making jewelry, and is really good at it, so I knew if I screwed up, she could hold my hand a bit.  I can crochet, I didn't even realize it until I was watching a knitting video and they showed the crochet stitch, and I was all, OH THAT'S SO EASY!  LOL.  For the longest time I thought crocheting was harder than knitting.  Anyhow, it was an awesome time, and I loved being able to see my friend and make something really pretty at the same time (photos are at the bottom of this post).

French Knot Sweater.  Size 6.  At least Boden's knitwear is pretty much consistently true to size.  I usually buy a size 6 and all three sweaters I have shown off this weekend (Rainbow Knit here and Tilly here) are this size.

The fit on this one is a touch more fitted, but it is meant to be.  It is not tight-feeling, even with the cami layered underneath, though.  There is a nice amount of recovery in the wool blend that it fits and hugs properly without either stretching out or feeling to constricting.

That said, I do think the fabric is a bit thin, and in the white you can see everything below, so be choosy with your undergarments.  I wore a white cami, but if I had plans to tuck it in, I would wear a nude one.  It also shows bulges from the straps, so I need to invest in a cami with bralette that is also seamless (I am sure that won't be too difficult, chortle).

The length is nice, hits at the high hips.  The sleeves are three-quarters, which on me equals just a bit below the elbow.  They are never the proper length on me.  (Darned monkey arms.)

The French knots are hand tied, from what I can tell, and are a bit delicate, but nothing major.  The consistency of the knots is off, though, see that yellow up there, OFF!  I am just persnickety enough to be slightly bothered by it, but the beta blockers I take (for migraines!) must be helping because I don't care if I can't see it.  ;-)  The rows are very straight, so I will hand it to them on the *level* (slaps knee).

I would say to be careful with the tufted underknot on the wrong side of the fabric, though, and definitely hand wash or hand wash cycle on the machine.

And lay flat to dry, of course!


French Knot Sweater.  The sizes and colors are fully stocked.  Though the 20% off knitwear and outerwear ends tonight, you would be fine to wait if you need to wait for a better deal.

20% Off Outerwear and Knitwear ends at 11:59 pm tonight:
20% Off All Knitwear, Coats, Jackets and Skiwear, Plus Free Shipping When You Spend Over $49

Crocheted Wire Necklace with Pink, Pearl, and Grey Beads.  I am just so excited by this necklace.  It was much easier to do than I thought it was going to be, and am glad I took the time to go to the class today.  I have hopes to make one again in the future.  (But with all my sewing and knitting to do, this will be lower on the totem pole.)

I chose the colors of ivory/grey/pink to match the dress you all saw on Valentine's Day over at Fabric Mart's blog.  My friend, A., had most of these beads in her bead stash (I only bought the smoky grey ones, example of one is front center).

Okay, that's all for now!  Have a great night! 

OOTD/Review/Made by Me File: Pretty in Pink Rainbow/Roses.

Hi!  Happy Saturday night.  Yes, I know it is Valentine's Day.  I only ever celebrate it by dressing up in festive outfits.  With the boys of this family having their birthdays in February (well, March for Angus), Valentine's Day is WAY down on our "must do" list.  Mardi Gras gets way more attention than it, too. 

But I still have a big crush on the pretty pinks/reds/ivories of the day, so here are two outfits featuring those gorgeous hues.

Outfit one first, then (as promised in this post) the review of the Rainbow Knit sweater, and third, the outfit that also features a very recent made by me.

Day: Saturday, February 14, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Birthday Party!

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I really really love these Turner pants from J. Crew.  My husband made fun of them the first time I wore them and said no words today.  Success!  He has grown used to the pale pink elastic cuffed wonders.

The sweater was more than adequate to keep me warm, but I did make sure to layer it with this pretty tulip-printed Liberty shirt from J. Crew from a few years ago.  The Eliza coat was actually plenty cover for this morning, it is only recently that the winds have picked up and the snow has begun (it looks frightening out there, I have never seen snow blow sideways!).

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I don't know, it is an all pink ensemble.  Granted, it is appropriate for the day, and I was at my kid's birthday party, but yeah, I don't know if I can't rate it any higher.

The heeled loafers are a fun neutral, not quite silver/not quite pewter, they helped ground the all pink ensemble.  So that helped.  Plus the coat is getting quite a bit of airtime from Boden over at their facebook page (they celebrate *other* bloggers, lol, example one, and example two). 

Anecdote of the Day:  Wheelchair bound, we weren't sure if Rex's birthday party at the laser tag place could still go on, but yep, they were all ADA compliant, so we were able to wheel him around in the actual games.  I sucked, though, because the loafers have a slippy bottom, and he DESPERATELY wanted me to push him up the steep ramp in the game.  He weighs a lot, as does the wheelchair, and I was slipping.  I don't even know where my brain was when I dressed this morning, hello!  I have actually played laser tag before and have worn tennis shoes, but not today.  He blames me for his poor ranking (8th out of 20?).  His daddy propelled him to a much better ranking (3rd of 20).  We now have the one example of Mr. Dina's white tennis shoes being the better option.  :-D

Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Size 6.  It features a curved hem, contrast hem, and very long sleeves (they are long on me, and I have really long arms).  The fit does get looser as you wear it, I changed out of the button-up upon returning home, and it has stretched out so that the back and front are a bit looser so the sweater is hanging a bit lower.  But is an all cotton knit sweater, so no surprise there.

Back View.  I don't have the usual horizontal lines at my mid-back the way I usually have on almost all of my tops.  That is a small feat, and I am thrilled at this fit.  And it is great the length of the sweater hits at my upper hip, which means I don't have to worry about it being too tight at my tush.

Close-up. I know there are no greens in the sweater, but I really like the tulip print with the stripes.  It just worked, somehow.

I wrote up a written review yesterday of the Rainbow Knit Sweater and I have more photos of the beautiful Eliza coat here.



Eliza Coat and Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Neither is close to selling out, but the Eliza coat can be worn now, whereas unless you will wear the Rainbow Knit sweater *now* and later, you can wait for a better price on that one.

Day: Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Valentine's Party at school and his birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It is a made by me dress, Simplicity 2246, which is a Lisette pattern for shirtdresses.  I chose to make the more fitted silhouette (view a), because darn it, I can make adjustments to suit both my smaller upper body and larger lower half, so I don't have to go for the more full-skirted version.  Yes!  So on the fit side, it wears well.  I do wish I had a better time with the hem, and if it could be just an inch longer, I think I would be more comfortable with it.  My main issue with this outfit is because that night the winds came and the temps dropped to 20 F, OMG, and with the wind chill, it felt like 4 F?  I don't know, it was B-A-D.  And yeah, the Eliza, so pretty, and the rose print rayon challis, lovely, but not the right outfit for those temperatures.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This look had its fans.  I like it on me, but it may be too twee or feminine for some.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex is not back at school, and won't be for a couple of weeks, but we were able to arrange for him to come that day so he could see his friends, get his cast signed, exchange Valentine's cards, etc.  I was so grateful for the school for getting the classroom set up so he didn't even have to go down the stairs (the other 2nd grade teacher is on the same level as the ramp so she gave us her classroom for an hour).  It really meant the world to him, he was in such great spirits after leaving the party.

For those of you interested, you can check out more on how I made the dress (there is a lot of information for sewers there) at the Fabric Mart blog.  This was my make for the month of February, and let's just say I was pretty excited to make a festive Valentine's look for my blog post this month. 

Hope all of you have a very happy Valentine's Day!

OOTDs: Casual Substitute Teacher.

Hi, all!  Before I start, I want to let you know that I heard from the Boden affiliate regarding Boden's Black Friday sale.  It's decent, but not as amazing as I have seen in the past.  This definitely means Boden is doing well this year, which *yay* for them, but for sale shoppers, *boo*.  Anyhow, it is still better than we have seen for the most part this season, so worth it if you have items you would like to purchase. 

Because of this, I would love to publish a long overdue Boden Weekly Review Roundup tomorrow morning.  I have most of the regulars' blog posts saved, but if you have reviewed something and you are afraid I will miss it, do send me an email at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or go ahead and drop the link in a comment over at the Boden Reviews tab.  If you don't have a blog, you are always welcome to leave a review at the Boden Reviews tab.  If you get the the review to me by tomorrow, I will make sure to include it in the BWRR.

Alrighty, onto some casual substitute teacher looks.

I normally go for more dressy when subbing, but the past few weeks of subbing have included working with active little ones (think second grade and younger--and chaperoning one field trip), so I knew I wanted to be ready for anything they could throw my way, which means going for sneakers, tunics, leggings, and the like.  I have had dressier substitute looks, but those were when I was with older students, so I am saving those looks for another post.

I am going to dispense with the anecdote of the day as there really isn't much I can tell about my days subbing, plus it makes writing these posts a touch easier.  Yay for ease, right?

Day: Thursday, November 20, 2014.

Where:  Chaperoning Rex's class's field trip to the Air and Space Museum.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I think the potential for comfort was there, but because the jeans rise was a touch low and the shirt's tails were a bit high (read: short), the outfit was not as comfy as it is pictured here.  In reality I had to untuck the shirt and kind of hide it behind the vest to maintain this look.  And since I am a fussmonster, this bugged me all day.  I probably should have just given up the vest and worn it as a shirt/jeans/cute shoes combo instead.  Oh, well.

At least the new balance 620 sneakers (did my initial review of them here) were insanely comfortable for running around after my son and his kind of crazy second grade friends (said as a devoted mom of a wild and crazy second grader herself).  ;-)

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The shoes are the coolest part of this outfit.  The shirt will always be my favorite Liberty print shirt, ever, and will be cool to me until the day I die.  Mr. Dina loved this outfit.  But he also wears white tennis shoes unironically, so take that into consideration.  It really is just a nice "mom chaperoning a field trip" outfit.

Day: Friday, November 21, 2014.

Where:  Subbing Computer for PK-1st Grade.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This outfit kept me warm, which was most important since it was STUPID cold that day, and as long as that happened, I could have been wearing a burlap sack and been comfortable.

The rest of the outfit allowed me to properly keep up with the youngins I was teaching that day, and at no point did I feel like the shoes were too high (had purchased those last year from Boden), the pants too tight, or the cardigan too short.  I definitely will be wearing this combo again to substitute.

Cool Factor: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I love the stained glass cardigan with a mid-century modern art look to it.  Feel like that element really makes the outfit.  I think the scarf was tied improperly for the look, though, but really, I needed it tied as close as possible to my neck to keep me warm.

Day: Monday, November 3, 2014.

Where:  Subbing for Kindergarten.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Seriously so comfortable.  Perfect for working with the 5-years olds I had all day.  They were exhausting.  I tip my hat to every kindergarten teacher out there, especially those of you without aides (they don't have aides in K at the school, only Pre-K).

The dress is part jersey so easy to wear, and when have leggings not been very comfortable?  The ancient tennis shoes are clearly fun, but kept my feet feeling great all day.

The long merino wool cardigan coat is one I bought from J. Crew in 2005.  I thought the silhouette was nice for our Virginia falls (not too warm, but just right for the cool temperatures we normally receive), but the real reason I bought it was because it was called the "Arlington" coat, I believe, and since I am from Arlington, I couldn't resist.  Still a great choice since it has held up for nine years and still looks brand new.  Ahhh, old school J. Crew quality.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Well, I'll be honest with myself...it isn't especially cool.  It is very fun, and there is no doubt I enjoyed wearing it all day, but yeah, it is very kooky.  LOL.

Okay, that's it for today.  I look forward to publishing the Boden Weekly Review Roundup tomorrow morning!

Review/OOTD: Rainy Days!

Since the 20% off with free ship and returns promotion is ending tonight (the original promo expired last night, but the affiliate sent me a new one this morning?!?), let's just start with the review of the Rainy day Mac (here at Boden) before getting to the ootd featuring the Rainyday Mac.  (BTW, the outfit above is *not* the one I am showing off, this one above was blogged about here at this post.)

The size I chose to purchase originally was a size 6, but as cute as it looked in that size, I just knew that I had to size up to better fit my hips.  Of course I knew that would mean that the 8 would not fit me as well in the top half, but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Well, the best happened, although looser overall, the 8 fits very nicely through the whole body, but doesn't manage to make me look like I am being swamped by British soldiers and buildings and flags, etc.

I was particularly surprised at how well it fit in the shoulders considering how narrow mine are.  Having said that, if you do have broader shoulders, it may be in your best interest to size up.

This coat is SO WARM and cozy.  When I wore it both times, it was raw, chilly, grey, and rainy (but not monsooning out), and this kept me feeling quite warm.  The fleece lining was especially lovely, and I was so grateful that it was carried through the hood and in the pockets.  Especially the pockets.

There is a zip and buttons, and the hood is removable, so they really did think of all things, quality-wise.

I have heard it isn't the greatest at keeping rain out (oddly), but from what I understand the complaints stem from the heavy downpours and not the milder piddly rain.  It is a bummer it won't work as well in heavy rain, but since I was personally only interested in it as a fall coat to keep me warm enough, but not too warm (actually happens a lot to me around here).

I have some close-up photos and other thoughts on it from this BWRR.



Rainyday Mac.  Not selling out in this color, but some of the shades are definitely low stock or sold out.

Day: Saturday, November 1, 2014.

Where:  Rex's baseball championship game and the Washington Craft Show.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Rainyday Mac kept me nice and warm, which I needed since we were outside, standing and watching the game in the cold piddling rain for a couple of hours.  The sweater I sewed up last year (blogged about it here) is made from a nice wool/acrylic boucle and also helped retain some heat.

The booties, while darling, did nothing to keep my feet warm.  I should find some fleece socks since apparently fleece works really well on retaining heat (I guess I could make them, too).

I wear the sunglasses because my eye bags were BAD that morning, lol.  You all don't need to see those. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I like the outfit better without the coat, but as discussed above, I had no choice but to wear it.  One of the vendors at the craft fair liked the coat, but I have to say the coolest "cat" (hardeehar) was my daughter, whose homemade cat costume in a minky fleece was the hit of the show.  My stepmother made it for her and she decided CW wearing it out on a rainy cold day would be the best idea since that minky stuff is super warm.  It got so warm for her, in fact, she had to take the cat hood off to stay cool.

To be six again...

Anecdote from the day:  Rex's team won the championship!  Woo!  Yay them!  :-)

Rex got injured halfway through, he was hit by a ball to his knee while playing catcher, but like the tough kid he is, he went back in and played the rest of the game.  (Makes me proud, I have to admit.)

Okay, that's all for now.  I think my next post will be showing off my son's pizza costume, since I am proud of that one.  It is slightly hilarious, but lots of fun.

The Boden sale DEFINITELY ends tonight, so keep that in mind if you had wanted something with the 20% off.
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