Anthro Arty Farty Party...

On my birthday/Happy Canada Day, I went to have some sushi for dinner, because what screams dinagideon and our great Northern neighbor more than some raw fish?

Anyhoo, I found that I wanted to be dressed up but not overly done, so to get there I chose to wear a Anna Sui for Anthropologie frock that I wore for my birthday party last year (I am nothing if not loyal and traditional, snicker).

Since we took a backseat to partying all night (unlike last year--but I did order the LARGE hot sake instead of the small), I knew that this would be my splish if I was going to splash.

Mr. Dina ended up liking the outfit (seriously, he had no memory of it last year, men!)...

Dress: Anna Sui for Anthropologie Endless Chevrons dress, size 6.  Shoes: Cleo Platform Sandals in grey, size 10, Stella and Dot Starfish Earrings, and a J. Crew golden headband.

That was all.  Very comfy, btw. 

This tree I am posing with is the best. darn. tree. in our yard...it's trunk sits low so climbing is uber-easy, and it has a huge expanse of branches whose leaves provide a ton of shade in the summer.

Obviously I went nuts with the picnik.  BTW, B & T were not involved in this photo shoot, just my good friends Tripod and D70.

Close-up.  You can get a better glance at the earrings and the pattern on the dress in this shot.

Okay, all, off to continue to see how the Boden update is going.  As of now, the Explorer version is working well, but Firefox's version is all screwed up.  Hmm.

P.S. Speaking of July happenings, a belated Happy Bastille Day to all my favorite French friends/Francophiles.

J. Crew Reviews: An Oona, a Tiered Ruffle or Two, and a Couplet!

So I asked myself, "what kind of post could I possibly do on Superbowl Sunday that would actually get people reading?"

Well it is clear that almost all people are watching the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers battle it out, and that's cool, but this post is for you, the non-Super Bowl viewer who like me is growing weary of watching Toddlers and Tiaras for the fifth time today (don't judge, CW loves the rhinestones and the talent portion--lol).

So enjoy a shot of "grey" (dresses):

J. Crew Wool Oona Herringbone Shift Dress, Size 8.  I had tried this on in the store in a size 6 and that dress was far too tight at the hips.  I *knew* that if I bought it, I would have to get an 8.  I also knew that the bust would be too large, but the design of this dress is meant to be loose overall, so the extra fabric in the cowl, shoulders, and bust aren't really that big of a deal.

And know what else isn't a big deal?  My lack of makeup.  ;)  Didn't feel like bringing the makeup and hair to my "photo shoot" this morning.  (If you want that, you Arbonne lovers, go a few photos down, I have a pic of me all glammed out--almost toddlers and tiaras territory!)

I LOVE the cowl on this dress, so chic.  The cap sleeves work nicely with my teeny shoulders and super-spaghetti arms.  I *almost* look balanced, top and bottom, hallelujah!

From the side you can see the zipper detail.  They hide pockets!  The length is decent enough, but may not be work appropriate without tights or hose.  :)

I belted it with a thin, sparkly belt and loved the look.  :)  I actually may always belt it, although it loses a bit of its cool "Mid-Century Mod" vibe.

FWIW, my dad doesn't like this dress as much as the next two because this one is more "frumpy."  LOL.  I said, "you mean it doesn't show off my legs...you mean because this could be worn to an office?"  He smiled and said, "yeah."  I think he wishes he worked in an office with Vegas showgirls.  Ha.  (He was over tonight to watch the Superbowl with Mr. Dina, btw, and I gave him a sneak peek to today's post.  He also "HATED"--his words, not mine--the Michelle Obama outfit.  I always love hearing my dad's opinion, we often don't agree, and we both live with the outcome of my fashion decisions, and have been since I was 7.)

P.S. Gigiofca didn't get the "feel" from the Oona, either. 

J. Crew Tiered Silk Ruffle Dress, Size Small.  I saw this on-line for a price that was UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE.  I ended up grabbing it during one of the 30% off promos and it was something like $35.  It was originally $148.  I think it probably came to folks, they tried it on, saw it was way too big and that the back of the dress was just black merino wool (the ruffles are only on the front), was really short, and just said "he%% no."  I probably would have at $148.  But I knew to size down by the time I bought it, I knew about the black merino wool back, and I knew how short it was, so I was fine with what I got.

I somehow lost the grosgrain ribbon that went with the dress, but I found a great solution (much like my red ribbon/rosette belt that I used with my Loft Lace Dress).

I paired the dress with a silk obi sash I had from a Banana Republic dress that got ruined by moths (thank goodness the belt was fine).  The cardigan is the sequin scarf cardi from last winter.  The tights are some pair of opaque black tights that I have had for years that have not snagged or run or anything (really exciting, right?)!  The shoes are the Prized Rose Peep Toes by Miss Albright (Anthropologie). 

So why did I need to get all glammed up in this dress?

And why did I have to wear super-sparkly makeup?

Because some beautiful Arbonne Consultants and I were in Vegas for a good time, and had a grand party to attend!  :)  Here I am with two of my favorite Arbonne consultants, we had gone to eat at one of the yummy restaurants in the MGM Grand (last year, for instance, I went to Craft Steak--yum!).

After dinner we were able to see Kevin Costner's band, Modern West, play his version of country rock (at least that is what I assume it was, sure sounded a lot like the Eagles a la 1973).

P.S. Here are some other reviews of this tiered silk ruffle dress, DaniBP, and Jessie. 

J. Crew Collection Couplet Shimmer Dress (also known as Aurelia on Net-A-Porter), Size 8.  This was yet another dress I had to size for my hips.  The tank is REALLY loose.  I will most likely have to take the sides in to make it a bit more fitted.  I don't mind this look, I just know I would feel a bit "exposed" wearing it this loose.  FWIW, my dad liked this dress the best.  :)

Here the dress is belted, and I prefer the dress this way.  That said, the belting does make it shorter, so bear that in mind.  I would probably only wear this in public if I was wearing tights and I had taken in the tank.  (Which I can do with my sewing machine!!!)

Not a huge gain in length, but maybe a 1/2 inch?  I say go unbelted if you need the length, otherwise, stick with belted, as it gives the weird elastic waistband a bit of an anchor.

The top is very pretty, and worth taking in, and not returning.  The bugle/seed beads are well-secured and the shade of beading is just perfection with the soft silk tank.  The skirt is made from a soft wool, like a 120s wool, but I am probably wrong about that.

P.S. Found one review, but of the plain top, non-shimmer version, on AudreyBella.

You all have a great night.  I hope I saved some of you from the Superbowl, if that was your desire.  If not, it is good to see you this Monday morning.  ;)

Endless Chevrons, Castle Lake, and a Silver Lining...

Hey, all! First thing--REMEMBER TO ENTER MY INDEPENDENCE DAY/BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY! Second thing--Each of you receives two separate entries, you just need to have two separate comments! Third thing--Some of you have a disqus account, but for me the e-mail you registered under is not available for me to view. If you are one of those types, you need to get me your e-mail address, just in case you win! :) The more the merrier, and the giveaway ends Sunday, July 11, 2010, at 11:59 pm Eastern Time.

I am continuing my summer series on the sundress by doing a special Anthropologie post. :) You all know I love me some crew, but man, the Anthro store gets me every. darn. time. Only rarely do I see anything in the Anthro catalog and say, "I have to have." But get me in an actual store, and watch dinagideon go cah-ray-zee. (The Endless chevrons is an exception to this rule, btw...the catalog image did me in, 100%.)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring Anthropologie dresses

Above is the set I wore on my birthday, for the party my husban threw for me (on three, awww!). I wanted to save the Endless Chevrons dress for an extra-special occasion, and I think a beautiful July day is a great reason. ;)

I had to buy the Endless Chevrons dress full price. I don't know if they made less because it is Anna Sui, but I saw the sizes going away and I knew I would have to just suck it up and order it. I am glad I did because by the time it went on sale, there were only a few left in a 4 or 10?

The catalog image was very pretty and when I saw it way back in March (?), I kind of knew it would be mine.


Sizes:
Dress: Size 6. The 4 would have fit better at the bust, but I needed the room in the hips. Still love this design, I think it is very flattering in general. The name Endless Chevrons comes from the very faint chevron designs printed in light brown onto the bright turquoise background. Love the collar detail, btw.
Shoes: Size 10. Cole-Haan, you have such wonderful shoes. :)


As with any birthday party over age 21, dinagideon was able to "enjoy" the evening with a few lovely beverages. By the time we got to my cake (pretty--look at that rose!), I was pretty sauced. Can you tell?

I love how Rex is looking at his pretty friend, his pretty friend is looking at me (probably wondering what in the heck I am doing), and his pretty friend's brother is staring longingly at the cake.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This is the Castle Lake dress and there are so many people who wear this so well. Seriously, do a google search for "Castle Lake" "Anthropologie" and you will see all the beautiful ladies who have purchased this dress and then have found some fantastic way to wear it. I almost returned it, but after seeing all their styling ideas, I was inspired to keep it. I like it belted, and with wedge sandals.
Belt: Size small. This is the studded leather belt and was a FRACTION of its on-line cost at the Georgetown J. Crew. It is 68 on-line, and I was able to get it for under 40. The stores are where you should get this belt. It is highway robbery to buy it on-line when the stores are selling it for cheaper. Get thee to a b & m, stat.
I like the way the studs kind of help keep this outfit from being too sweet (although its effect is very subtle).
Shoes: Size 9.5. Love you, Aerosoles, so comfy, and like my favorite food when I was younger, you comfort me with your cheapness.

P.S. I wore this TONIGHT! Yay, me. An actual ootd. Heehee.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of the outfit I wore in California to church. If you recall, I was going for a color theme while in CA of grey, teal, and white. The silver in the silver lining dress reads light grey, so it worked with the theme, AND it is very packable (no wrinkling--score), so it was the perfect choice. This is available on-line still and I do think that if you can wear this version of grey, you should consider purchasing it.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This dress runs true to size, which is nice. I am finding I am having to dip into a lot of extra-smalls at Anthro, and that seems foreign to me, so I am doing a bunch of returns on items that are too big...I have found that if I read the reviews first (uh, duh!), I can feel my way to the right size, and the three dresses in this post all were sized based on reviews. I am very pleased that Anthro offers this option (hint, hint, J. Crew).
Cardigan: Size medium. Love it, from J. Crew last spring.
Shoes: Size 10. The cinema t-straps have given me way more wear than I ever expected. Sort of am shocked at how versatile they are.
Necklace: Fiona Paxton Silver Harley Necklace. Can I just give a big ole shout-out to my friend who moderates the blog MODA for pointing out to me that Gilt Groupe would be having a Fiona Paxton sample sale? Umm, yes, please. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have a second lovely Fiona Paxton necklace!!! YAY! :)

You all have a great night. More later, remember enter my GIVEAWAY!