OOTD/Review: Boden Lace Dress.

Lace Dress.  Size 8 Long.  I initially spied this beauty back during the summer preview (original post here) and even though they didn't have the garment measurements up (grr, Boden, grr), I took a chance and pre-ordered the size 8 long, hoping that it wouldn't be too tight in the hips, or (more likely as of late) too large overall, especially in the bodice.

Summer 2013 rolls out and I think, "goody, I get the dress soon."  Nope, hold on...it looks like all colors and sizes are on deep backorder, which means that all of us in love with this dress will need to hold off until mid-April, at the earliest.

Upon receiving it (exactly when they said I would receive it), I grabbed it, tried it on, did a teeny squeal of excitement, and ran out to my dad (was helping with pickup of the kids that day) to show him its gorgeousness.

My dad immediately declared it a winner.  And although I really wanted to wear it as soon as I could, I knew I had to wait for the exact right occasion, which this spring is Mother's Day.

In a surprise twist from Boden, they made the bodice just big enough (without being too large for my smaller upper body) while keeping the hips more a-line, however not sacrificing the pencil shape.  The waist is exactly right for my body, with about an inch of ease, I feel good, but also know that the waist is defined enough to highlight my curves.

The length if fab, hitting right on my mid-kneecap.

I would say that for all of you interested in this one to size for your waist, since this seems to be where the smallest measurement is, plus it is a grosgrain ribbon, which is not stretchy at all, unlike the cotton lace and cotton lining which has at least some stretch (not jersey stretch, of course, just a bit of flexibility).

I have a very high waist and the waistband sits right on it.  Usually in talls, this means I have to sacrifice the right placement for my waist in order to get the length, but this dress was not fashioned with a longer bodice (which means if you have a long torso, this dress may not work for you).

That bump there at the top of my bottom is the zipper.  Good news, it is a back zip, which means easy access as you can put the dress by stepping into it.  Bad news for my shape is that it sticks out a bit, since I suspect I may have a bit of a sway back (didn't even know what that was until I started sewing...now I see it everywhere and am very aware when the garment doesn't quite work with my particular posture).

Now that bump didn't even come close to bothering me, didn't even notice it until I was editing the photos.

Back view.  The slit is accommodating without being too high, nice for moving around.

Word about the lining, it is the same lovely yellow of the lace, so you get a whole lot of "bright" when wearing it.  I happen to love insane bright colors like this, but if you are not a fan, the dress also comes in a white and navy.

The lace is delicate, so please do take care when wearing it.  I accidentally brushed up against the wooden pew at my church and managed to snag a very small bit of thread.  Nothing is wrong with the dress since the damage was miniscule, but just wanted you all to be aware.


Lace Dress.  The model looks so good in it.  The yellow is not quite as bright as in this photo, but still very "happy."  :)

I think the price is high, but I can see why it is so expensive when looking at the detailing throughout, from the cotton lace and fabric to the careful way they enclosed seams and the hem.

Day: Sunday, May 12, 2013.

Where: Mother's Day Mass.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I am giving this very girly and lacy dress a whole 4 points since I could have kept wearing it all day.  I wanted to wear it at least once more before I had to take it to the cleaners (definitely dry clean), so I took it off right after the photo of the kids and me was taken.

The lace is delicate, as I mentioned above, so I deducted a point for that since you can't really *do it all* in this dress.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Hmm. Lace is in, yellow is in, but this frock is probably too mumsy and conservative to be cool.  Do not care.  ;)  The invitation clutch is amazing and really is exactly the right bag for the outfit, and I think that particular piece is cool, so maybe the combo is bumped up from its inclusion?

Anecdote from the day:  My children (specifically CW) gave me a Barbie card for Mother's Day.  Inside the card was a sticker declaring me the "Best Mom Ever."  I totally wore that the entire day.  ;)

Mass was awesome, the kids were really well-behaved, and they didn't even have their coloring books or crayons with them.  I suspect they knew that since it was Mother's Day, it probably wasn't the best time for them to act up, even though they had no diversions.  (Still, those diversions don't bother me--Mr. Dina just forgot them in the car.)

I came home after getting some champagne and fresh-squeezed orange juice (mimosa, mmmm) and while the two oldest, my dad, and Mr. Dina went to a baseball game, and Angus slept, I enjoyed maybe one or two or three glasses.  ;)

Okay, that's it for now.

Happy Mother's Day, btw, to all my favorite moms and moms-to-be out there!

BTW, today marks the start of another set of trim items over at Boden.  This week there are many "high summer" items, including the Harbour Island Dress, which was one of my picks.  I believe I may be ordering that this week. 

If you use the sidebar coupon (below, as well), you will receive an additional 15% off, which equals about 32% off total.

Winter Wardrobe: Day Four and Day Five.

Hi, everyone!  :)  I hope everyone is having a fab weekend.  I am recovering from my week of teaching the girls.  It is ridiculous that I need to recover, but by Friday I could tell my pregnant body was not taking the constant up and down and running around as well as I had hoped.  I think it would have been easier had I, upon returning home, not had young kids to take care of, but I know that is what I signed up for.  LOL.  Mr. Dina has been great, though, letting me sleep more and in general just allowing me to take my time and relax.  (Yay!)

Okay, so I totally am smooshing day four and five together, but for a good reason.  One, I don't want to bother with two posts and two, I sort of was disappointed by day four's look, so I want to start with a more positive note, which is my look for day five.

My day four look appears okay in the photos, but trust me when I say it wasn't exactly pregnancy friendly.  By the end of the day I was actually in pain.  I suffered for fashion.  Chortle.

Day five was far more pregnant friendly AND it was high fashion enough and comfortable enough to allow me to make it through the crazy that runway day entails.

So we will start there, okay?

I totally love this look.  It isn't necessarily "me," but the elements came together to become a definite "me" look.  The dress is the stunning Stella Dress, which I did a review of here (and if you use in conjunction with my current sidebar coupon you can get sent to you with free ship--no 15% off sale items, but free ship and returns nonetheless).  I was super glad that I had this dress in the house because the dress I had intended to wear, the Anthropologie Flickering Slip Dress did not do up at the bustline.  Turns out Gus riding so high has messed up the measurement of my underbust, so instead of that being my smallest measurement, it is now an inch bigger and means that the baby doll frocks won't work until he decides to "drop."  I am stoked that it fit over the belly, but if I can't do the zipper all the way up, it ain't happening for school.  ;)  Next year, though, you had better believe I am going to wear it.

The boots are the Charley Shearling Wedge boots.  Really, these are sort of insane for me to own, but the unusual look combined with wedge heels and the added warmth of shearling drew me in.  The 30% off deal I got when purchasing them also helped, to be honest.  Worth it at the 30% off, not so much at the full price.  Those of you who read this blog post know that I had initial issues doing up the back of the boot (where the zipper is).  I am glad to report that after wearing them multiple hours on Friday, they do up perfectly, and have stretched exactly to the right size.

The necklace is a Diana P. original.  I reviewed the handmade piece in this blog post.  The colors worked exactly right with the dress.

Dress is a size 8, one up from my typical Boden "stretchy" dresses sizing.  This is a Limited Edition piece and I have noticed that vanity sizing is non-existent in this line.

The boots are a size 9.5, which is my exact size in J. Crew shoes.  Remember if you need extended calves on your boots, these will probably not work for you unless you take them to a cobbler and have him or her stretch the calves for you.

Closer look at the boots.  The bit of ankle wrinkling only happened here.  When I wear them with leggings or skinny jeans or tights, this doesn't happen.  Weird, right?  It doesn't look bad to me, it almost seems intentionally worn that way. 

I rarely wear boots with dresses, but I am glad I did that day.  The boots held up well, looked chic, and were pretty darn comfortable.  I also loved being able to pet the suede of the boot.  Super soft.

Winter Wardrobe: Day Five. by dinagideon featuring wedge heels

Above is the polyvore of this outfit.

Now onto the fashion folly of the fertile.

At this point of the day, the outfit felt okay.  The pieces fit okay (not great, but bear in mind this is non-maternity, just like the stella dress)...but by the end of the day I was feeling every inch of this outfit.  It was wearing this outfit that convinced me that unless it is a non-maternity piece that is flowy (like the Stella dress), I need to shelve it and just bring on all the maternity pieces I own.  (I am 28 weeks, not a bad idea at this point.  LOL.)

Dress: J. Crew Factory Madeline Dress in hot pink.  This was a wonderful dress in fall 2008 that the factory stores replicated in 2009.  I was super-excited to find it at Mint Condition, our local consignment shop.  I also am psyched because if it fits at 7 months pregnant in a size 8, it will for sure fit at not pregnant.  ;)

Shoes: J. Crew Coralie Patterned Heels.  Um, ow.  Ow.  By the end of the day not only did the dress feel wrong, but these shoes WERE KILLING me.  They are a 9.5 and fit, but the toe box is not especially pliant, so I have a feeling others probably have the same experience.  Misery loves company.  ;)

Turtleneck: J. Crew Tissue Turtleneck, Size Medium (few years old version).  Best part of the outfit, hands down.

Tights: Assets, Size 3.  Also fairly comfortable.

Front view.  I look forward to trying this look next winter.  It is really pretty on, especially with the heels...just not right now, ya know?

The ruffles on this dress are awesome.  The factory recently re-issued this and called it the Emeline dress.  I own that in the heather elm color, but in the size 6.  The size 6 fit in early pregnancy, but honestly, I look forward to wearing this with a much smaller waistline.  The last time I wore the Emeline, I did the same thing, black turtleneck and black tights, but with black heels.  I didn't grab photos that day.

Winter Wardrobe: Day Four. by dinagideon featuring mini handbags

The polyvore is above.

Okay, all that's it for my week as a fashion teacher.  It was a lot of fun, and recovery has been fantastic.  ;)

Later today or tonight I will publish a post with my picks from Boden's spring line that I hadn't noticed the first time Boden sent out their spring preview.  Lots to love!

Talk soon!

Little Bit of Everything from Everywhere for a Trip South.

Okay all, before I get into the four outfits I brought with me on my trip to NC last weekend, I wanted to tell you all a few things regarding my life, this blog, and other such necessities.

1. My stinking computer is STILL being fixed. The teeny computer I am using will not let me onto either disqus OR facebook, so if you connect with me either way, know that I am very limited in what I see. I have to go to my phone to connect that way, and honestly, the smart phone, whilst great, makes it kinda hard to comment, etc. Maybe it would be easier if I was 15, but I am not that (and kinda pregnant), so I do what I can when I can. :)

2. Speaking of my computer, my abilities to edit photos and such are pretty basic at best here, and my wonderful photos are all tied up in the illin' computer, so things like finishing my Paris posts, etc., are all on the back burner.

3. My bro promises me he can fix it (he works at a computer superstore, you all!) and I have faith, but oy, could this take any longer? ;)

4. Although Rex looks beyond adorable in the photos he is in below...he has been a right holy terror in our lives this past week and a half. Let's just say I am questioning whether I am a doing a good enough job as his mom and I am spending many hours in either my bed or in the bathroom sobbing. It may require us to look into counseling for both me (giving me strategies on how to be both an advocate for me and be a sensible and rational force in his life) and him (he has outbursts and emotions that go beyond your typical "he is a four-year old, lucky you!"). Because of the emotional upheaval, my energies are being spent on trying to not let this problem get bigger. So if you don't hear from this blog for a day or two, it probably means I have to "deal" with a situation. If you do hear from this blog it is because the kids are napping or for the moment, all is okay. I know many of you moms have had issues with your own kids, so I know I am not alone, but it is hard when you see your kid being singled out amongst many others, and not having the backbone to see that the other parents don't think less of you as a parent because your kid is that "one." (And if they do think less of me, well, then, they must have some pretty terrible karma coming their way, right? Like their kids will be the bad seed teens? LOL. Just kidding!)

Anyhow, onto brighter things! Some folks out there do think we are okay people and actually let Mr. Dina and I be godparents for the second time this past weekend. Their baby girl, all adorable 6 months of her (squee, love babies!), is our second goddaughter in that family (#1 is exactly Rex's age).

Of course we said yes...the family thinks of us more like family than friends (Mr. Dina and the dad have known each other since 1995, I believe), so we trucked it on down to NC for a weekend. We go down there often, but it has been a while since I have had to take a trip away with honest to God maternity clothing. It was fine on the pant/tunic/dress front, but I could not (for the life of me) find all my old maternity tops (where the bleep are they???). So the bella band came out for a bit of fun times with one of my outfits as a "modesty" panel of sorts. ;)

Outfit #1 (Trip Down First Day):

It was cold enough to warrant a light jacket, so I opted for the awesome Cashmere Cardi Coat that I did a review of back at this post.

Topper: Boden Cashmere Cardi Coat, Ecru.  Although not available in ecru and grey (sold out fast--watch for popbacks), this can still be bought in the navy colorway, which is still at full price (only the ecru and grey went on sale). To find the navy look under the "non-sale" tab at Boden.  I bought the US 6, which is fine for me non-pregnant, but looks cute enough just buttoned up to the bump so the bump can be all exposed to the world.

Top: Loft Maternity Starry Night Bubble Hem Top, Size Extra Small. THANK YOU, ladies who suggested I look to the loft for a few items in this pregnancy. Although this is the only thing I have bought, I really love it. Adorable pattern, does not wrinkle, and is made just so that I could possibly wear it postpartum, too. I also bought it on Cyber Monday, so it was 50% off!  Woo!

Leggings: J. Crew Signature Leggings, Size Medium.  I love these, they keep going and going.  The length is fab, too, if you are a taller lady, must be around 31 inches or so?

Scarf: Loft Shimmer Open Knit Infinity Loop Scarf. Bought this (and one more) during the Cyber Monday madness. The other one I bought is for my stepmom for Christmas. Shh, don't tell her. ;)

Shoes: J. Crew Jeweled Bow Ballet Flats, Size 9.5.  I am kind of wearing these out!  I think next year will require me to find a grey replacement ballet flat.  I throw these on whenever my brain can't handle color matching and/or I am traveling and limited to what I can pack (these are a wonderful shade for a neutral).

Close-up of the darling starry print on the top from the loft.

From the side.  Gus is definitely getting bigger.  His weight gain could be contributing to my overall hormonal imbalances, but Rex isn't in the all clear just 'cause I am nearly 26 weeks gone.


Outfit #2 (Actual godmother outfit):

I did a written review of the dress at my last post, so go and check that out for more info, if you are interested in this beautifully printed Boden "maxi" dress.

Dress: Boden Jersey Maxi Dress, Size 6 LONG.  I found it fits perfectly over my bump, but its skirt does have a ruched kind of effect with an a-line flare.  If you are a pear shape, you are fine to go with your bust size on this dress.  Currently on sale for $109, which is not that great of a deal, but this is a pretty good seller, so I suspect that is why they didn't reduce it all that much.  I got the idea to wear it, btw, after I saw this photo in a pregnancy magazine.

Shoes: Boden Upbeat Kitten Heels. This shade sells out quickly, but will popback from time to time.  I did a review of them here.

Necklace: Diana P. Original (Papazian Jewelry).  I have one other Diana P. necklace, this gorg yellow one that you all saw here.  The beautiful 3 Penny Princess gave me this necklace for Christmas!!!  I have already worn it twice.  Yum!

Close-up of both the necklace and the print on the dress.  Color is true in this photo.

From the side.  I have noticed non-maternity clothes only make me look "just pregnant," whereas pregnancy clothes make me look pretty darn far gone.  Weird.  Anyhow, you can tell this is nowhere near a true maxi on me. 


Outfit #3 (Hanging with our friends, post Baptism):

Rex looks so sweet here, right?

Top: J. Crew Honeycomb Cable Sweater, Size Extra Small, Warm Ivory.  I decided to buy this in my non-pregnancy size even though I knew it would definitely be difficult to wear at the stage I am at.  That said, with the bella band and matching cami, the sweater was fine on me.  I think it will fit nicely next winter.  I had it monogrammed with my initials (which is why there is a white bit of something over my chest) since I had free monogramming on my account.  I chose red thread for a "festive" look.  This sweater is like a kitty cat, though, it shed everywhere.  It sort of made me miss my kitty cat Sammy (he died after Rex was born).  I would be wary of this sweater if you have black furniture and/or you are allergic to rabbit hair (angora is one of the components).

Pants: Duo Maternity Cord Pants, Size small.  Love these maternity pants.  Literally worn by me once a week during pregnancy.

Shoes: J. Crew Lula Jacquard Ballet Flats, size 9.5.  They are back in stock (at least they were a bit ago) and on sale, but only in limited sizes.  Watch for popbacks.  Love these shoes...very comfortable.

From the side.  Gus riding high and the other two playing low.

You can see a bit of the red monogram if you look closely.

One more view for you all.  CW is wearing her "muno" dress with tiger stripe tights.  Roar!

Outfit #4 (Going home outfit):

Tunic: Boden Easy Crossover Tunic, Size 4.  I did a review of this Boden Maternity piece WAY back before I was actually pregnant.  It actually can be worn before, during, and after pregnancy.  It is a great piece, very versatile.  Definitely shows off my bump, though, but part of that comes from how tight the bodice fits (doesn't bother me, but if you are busty, size up!).

Leggings: J. Crew Signature Leggings again.  Why not?  LOL. ;)

Shoes: J. Crew Jeweled Bow Ballet flats again.  Why not, part deux? 

From the front.  I think the bow is so cute with this tunic, but may seem superfluous to some of you.

Here I am holding my goddaughter (she is obscured for privacy) and my little princess CW.  Her poor chin, she busted it running around after all her friends.  She is pretty clumsy, and her poor face always seems to take the brunt of her falls.  Sigh.  At least at her age they heal quickly!  (You should have seen her busted lip over the Thanksgiving break, yowza...seriously scary how much blood can come from a lip wound!)

I added the Cashmere Cardi coat and scarf to keep me warm for the trip home.

Okay, folks, that's all.  Be back later with this week's installment of the Boden Weekly Review Roundup! 

So this is What Mother's Day Looked Like this Year!

If you have spent anytime at Polyvore this week, you have seen my outfit for Mother's Day. Somehow it was one of the most "popular" this week because it hung out in the "popular" section of the various groups I published it to. Well, yay!

I actually loved wearing this outfit last Sunday. It was AMAZINGLY gorgeous here. In this area we typically go from yucky, cool, rainy weather to HOT AND HUMID overnight. If we are lucky we squeeze in two or three days of perfection. That was what we had last Sunday. It was 75 degrees and sunny. I think God was blessing all us moms in the DC area. So, thank you, God...we totally appreciated it!

Here is the polyvore:


Mother's Day 2009! by dinagideon featuring J Crew Clothing



Here is the full-length. I am standing next to my brother. We are at my church. Peter and I and my dad have been going to this church since I was 10. I even went to grade school here. One day maybe my own kids can go here (we are still members). I would even love to teach here one day. We'll see! :)

I loved this outfit because it was the right amount of color, fabric, and accessories for the day. The one warning I have is about the shoes. Rex decided to sit on the poor sandals and the turtle fell off. Sad! They are not put on the sandals quite in the same way as the starfish from the other Miss Trish of Capri for Target sandals I own. So I have had to buy some heavy-duty glue to place the turtle back on...

The dress is older, from last year J. Crew. It is very comfy. I bought a medium because I wanted it to fit longer. It is like wearing a really long polo shirt.

The necklace is the very pretty vintage daffodil necklace made by DianaP. The dress was the perfect backdrop for the necklace. I received a million compliments on the necklace from people last Sunday!!! (DianaP.--you have yourself a great idea here...)


Here I am with the kids in Bethesda. After church we went to one of our favorite restaurants, Louisiana Kitchen (which replaced Louisiana Express when it closed). The current Louisiana Kitchen is in a different location but serves almost the same menu. If you LOVE Cajun food, this is the best place to get it in this area. It is very similar to the food you can find in the New Orleans area. Mmmm. I do spend quite a bit of time down there as that is where Mr. Dina is from (actually SW Mississippi--but pretty darn close). Our favorite restaurant in New Orleans is Mother's and although Louisiana Kitchen doesn't have the menu of Mother's, it is almost as good!

After Louisiana Express, we went and explored the Bethesda Arts Show. We even ended up buying an original piece of art...a 3D Robot Face (it is too hard to explain--I'll just have to get a pic up at some point).

All in all, a great day!

You all have a great Sunday, too!

Quick Update and Two Pictures of Necklaces for Polyvore!!!

I have been a bit under the gun at school and at home. Very little time is being afforded to me so I can blog...how dare they? :) Just kidding. I know May is crunch-time and I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but still. Man. I need a break. Since I spend about 15% of my day nursing CW (or in some manner thereof...you all figure it out)...I have a lot less time for other things. And dear blog readers and friends, you all have to be one of my last priorities. Sad. :(

I had to do at least one post, though...so I am showing off pics of two necklaces I received this weekend. I really am doing this for polyvore, but figured you all would love to see them because they are very nice.

By the way, I have commented back on the grey, white, and yellow belted outfit post. You all are so sweet and complimentary. I definitely need to wear that outfit again!!!


This is a DianaP. necklace and I got it on Saturday at the tea party. Isn't it divine? The flower is vintage and DianaP. really made the beading and pieces fit just perfectly. This necklace can also be turned into three separate necklaces...the one you see here (and the one I wore on Mother's Day--you will see this outfit soon)...and one that can be a single strand...and one that can be all three strand but minus the flower. Oh, and the flower is a pin and can be attached to coats, jackets, etc. as a brooch of sorts. :) VERY PRETTY, in my opinion.


This is the necklace that my kids and my dear husband got for me for Mother's Day. It is from Target but to me it looks like a necklace from a speciality boutique. Target...you do it every time...you even managed to grab my hubby and my kids... :) I love it, though. That color is just perfect with so many things I wear (and wear it I did, on Monday, in fact).


Have a great night, everyone!