OOTDs: Heidi Buns and a Piped Plaid Coat.

Day: Wednesday, January 16, 2013.

Where: Massage and Winesday.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Well, I think it was easy to wear, but since massages require disrobing, I definitely am taking off points since it took me for-freaking-ever to take all the layers off and put them back on.  I had no other choice, though, because I was walking from the massage to the Whole Foods, and it was pretty chilly out, and raining, so extra-thick layers of wool were the only real option.

The Alexa Dress is so warm.  I am glad I chose to wear it that day, since it allowed me to be warm and still have a fairly dressy look.  It is currently in Boden's clearance section, and many sizes are still left.  (I am wearing an 8 long.)

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Haha, in Anthro world, this is the coolest outfit ever.  In non-twee/unicorns/sparkle dust land, it is a bit much. 

The piped plaid coat definitely is not a best seller.  I saw it at the store on deep discount and fell in love.  I have worn it a handful of times since then, and think the size small I got fits well and is a great fun option for outerwear.  It does have short sleeves, so you have to wear a longer length top/layer under it, or you can wear longer gloves (which is what I did, a pair of J. Crew long gloves from last year).

Considering how crazy my hair was that day, I expected all sorts of horrified reactions, but my brother and the massage therapist both liked the Heidi buns.  :)  For whatever that is worth...

Anecdote from the day:  Mr. Dina was NOT a fan of the Heidi buns.  He likes it when I wear pigtails, though, so I have given up caring, since "Ellie May Clampett" is okay but not a play on "Princess Leia."  Whatever.

He paid for my massage because he is a sweety, so I will forgive him.  LOL.

And I promise to only wear the Heidi buns whenever he won't have to see me.  ;)

Day: Monday, January 28, 2013.

Where: Pre-Bowling.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Since it was a pre-bowling day, I needed to be in something that I could easily move in so that I could ensure good scores*. 

The turtleneck is from Pure (I did a review of the dark grey one here) and is currently in the clearance section.  It pops back from time to time, but grab it if you see it and want it, since it always sells out super fast.  They have introduced their spring line, though, and you could get this Gassato Cashmere Relaxed Sweater with the 25% off sidebar coupon instead, and since it is fully stocked you don't have to do the whole "OMG, will that popback really ship to me?" 

*It didn't work, btw.  My first game was HORRIBLE.  I have since vowed that I will never pre-bowl by myself ever again.  (And it had nothing to do with the outfit, btw.)

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I like the look.  Nothing especially cool or uncool.  It just works and looks decent on this SAHM.

Anecdote from the day:  CW's school system had the day off.  She doesn't go to school on Mondays, but since all the other counties look to CW's school system for info on whether or not they should cancel school when there is inclement weather, them not having school really messed up all the other systems.  LOL.  The county that Rex's school is in usually DOES NOT cancel school for bad weather, since the county is fairly small and is in the "warmer" part of the DC area.  Well, that morning there was some ice and so Rex's school was canceled.  NO other counties canceled school.  In fact, almost all of them went in two hours late.  That was the first time I have ever seen that happen. 

Fortunately I was home, and so it was no big deal, but for the working (outside the home) parents, what a pain, right?

I took Rex to pre-bowling with me.  He didn't notice how badly I did the first game, but I will make a point of telling you all that he did better than me that first game (he had bumpers, but still!).

My second and third game were decent, but I had the two of the bowling staff giving me personal lessons.  You know it's bad when that happens.

BTW, Boden fans, new "Spring Trim" today, with items in all categories at 20% off (and an additional 15% off with the blog's sidebar coupon).  Two new trim items from the women's cut include the Stitch Detail Dress and the Colourblock Bag.  

Okay, that's it!  Have a great Monday**!

**And a Happy Birthday to Mr. Dina!!!  I bought him Rush tickets and a concert tee.  I know he would do the same for me.  :)

Boden: Paisley Print Dress OOTD/Review and Clearance Picks!

UPDATE (10:45 am, 1/2/13): There are many items with popbacks. Good luck if you had your eye on an item that was previously sold out!

Happy New Year!  2013 feels SO different from 2012.  :)

Anyhow, this review is a day late, but I know there will be popbacks on this dress, so I figured better late than never.

I also have some of my clearance picks at the bottom of this post for those of you who want to see some of the best deals from this latest set of price cuts (at least they seem like good deals to me).

Paisley Print Dress.  Size 8.  I always get nervous with Limited Edition pieces because they tend to run smaller, but based on the measurements, I was fairly certain that the size 8 would work.  It does, but with a small caveat.

The hips are exactly right, but without the smoothing powers of my control top tights, I find I am not as comfortable in the dress as I want to be.  I am holding onto an extra 10 pounds because I am still nursing Angus, so I am certain that once that weight is gone, I will be able to sport this dress sans spanx-like control.

This is the front view without the added sash belt.  Honestly, I prefer it without the sash belt.  Normally dresses like this (without a defined waist) look awful on me, but I suspect the way the print is placed may give the illusion of a defined waist.

The top portion is large, if I were to split hairs here, I would ask for a size 4 top with the size 8 bottom, but since I can't, I will accept the shape and say that it does help broaden my shoulder line, which in turn balances out my silhouette.  So I consider it a win.  Especially since I got this dress for a small fraction of the original price (second cut--when it went to $59--currently $49).

The sash belt was worn by me on Sunday.  I wore this outfit as above with the 60s Coat, and kept the placket open so that the print could be seen.  I figured if I needed to take off the jacket, the dress would look cute with the nipped in waist, but now that I see it, I definitely will wear it without the sash next time.  (Or I will use a different belt.  The sash is a really sad bit of fabric.)

Side view. I like how it *just* skims the curves.

Back view.  The sash looks less awful from the back.

Here is how I wanted to wear the outfit, but the outside temperatures conspired to prevent this.

If Sarah is reading this post (she is my IRL friend who has her own blog), she should remember me buying this jacket at Club Monaco a few years back when we visited her in NYC.  She was surprised that I wanted to visit Club Monaco, but I thought since I had heard of it (in mags), I would at least like to see what the buzz was all about.  In the end, this was the only piece that caught my eye (and was also on super sale), but in the years since I bought it, I have really come to appreciate its unusual shape and lines, plus its versatility (the fabric is perfect for rain showers--it isn't cotton, though it looks like it is).  Here is one on ebay (same size as I am wearing--small) for sale.

Placket open to show off a different look.  This really broadens my shoulders.  My hips look teeny in comparison.  LOL.  ;)

The boots are the Charley wedge suede boots from J. Crew last year.  There are a ton of these on ebay.  If you like them, you can definitely get them for a lot less than they originally cost last year.

This fabric is a bit odd, a viscose.  Boden is using way too much viscose this year.  But...this viscose is nice and soft and it didn't wrinkle like I thought it would, so I would say as long as you are okay with the viscose, and you would wear the dress enough to justify purchasing it, then the current clearance price is very nice.

The grey is a very dark grey, nearing charcoal. I would have done poorly in the black version as black is the worst color for my skin tone.


Paisley Print Dress.  This is almost all sold out (a lone size 2 in the thunder paisley is hanging on for dear life) BUT there will be popbacks.  Trust me.  The black will be less likely to popback, but I wouldn't rule it out.

Alexa Dress.  I reviewed the grey Alexa dress here at this post.  This grey color is nearly sold out, but there is a lot of the purple/red colorway for sale.  At $59, this is a solid choice for any winter wardrobe.  Very warm, very lady-like, and very well made.

Riviera Shirt Dress.  Hey, it's the dress in my blog header.  :)  And it was supremely unpopular.  I still love it and actually prefer this printed version to the blue and white floral Riviera Shirt Dress I purchased last spring (though that one is lovely, too).  At 70% off, I think it is a very good deal.

Glamour Tweed Skirt.  I found the right size and recently wore it to a holiday party.  The first time I wore the glamour tweed skirt, it looked like I was hiding a small pregnancy up in the folds of the fabric.  Definitely make sure you choose your size well.  If you do, this is a skirt that could be in your closet for a lifetime, classic shape and fabric with a color that goes nicely with many others.

This one is not on super sale, but for $82, and with the idea of wearing it loads, the cost per wear could be very low by the end of its lifetime.

Embellished Cardigan.  Hey, it's another very unpopular item that I love!  :)  Maybe the fact that this so so so soft and sweetly detailed cardigan is now 70% off will convince folks that they can make room for it in their closets.

I did a review, but I think if you look at the way I styled it here, you will see why I (heart) this embellished cardigan oh, so much.

Merino Cardigan. I do not own this cardigan, but all of my merino pieces from Boden are wonderful, no pilling, soft hand, and in sumptuous colors.  This light blue shade is 60% off, but many of the merino cardigans for sale are at 70% off.  Definitely a great buy.

Juliet Top.  I bought this top for my stepmom for Christmas (the navy version, though) and she LOVED it.  It fit true to size (she and I both wear a six, and I tried it on, too, and it fit me).  It is also constructed with the finest, smoothest silk and lovely detailed pleating at the neckline.  It is a keeper if you can find it in your size.

Juliet Top.  Here is my stepmom in the top on Christmas Day (she wore it as soon as she received it).  I would say half-off is a good price for what you get.  Make sure you will wear it often (or plan on keeping it for years) to lower the cost per wear.

Leather Loafers.  At 50% off, these won't stick around for long.  I have now worn mine many many times, and think this shoe is the ideal traveling shoe (especially when going through airline security--they slip on and off easily).  Definitely size down in the leather loafer, as per my original review.

Sixties Heels.  The black is all sold out, but use my original review of the sixties heels to help you decide which size is best for you.  I love the red, and if I had the world's largest shoe closet, I would get those.  I won't, but plan to live vicariously through those of you that do.  ;)

I had planned on adding more to my picks, but there is a WHOLE LOT that sold out between the time I downloaded the photos and now.  I am sure some of them will be back thanks to returns, but I wanted to make sure that there were at least some sizes and colors still available when I hit "publish."

Do you have any thoughts on the paisley print dress?  Do you own it and love it? Or did you own it and hate it?  :)

Are there any picks that you see from Boden's clearance that I may have missed?

If you are on a mobile device, here is a direct link to the sale.  

You all have a great New Year's Day!

On "Target" with Maternity Stripes.

Oh, man.  I couldn't stop myself with that title.  LOL.  Most of you pregnant ladies (or have been pregnant ladies) will know this, but for those of you not aware...besides supplying the United States with easily accessible cheap fashion (Missoni, Liberty of London, etc.), really cheap and cute children's clothing (Circo, Gwen Stefani's new line, etc.), and endless supplies of groceries and adorable homewares that break after a season, Target also supplies pregnant ladies with their own line of clothing, Liz Lange for Target. 

So get it?  On "Target?"  Okay, I'll stop now.

Anyhow, I loved this outfit and plan to exactly replicate it at least once more this pregnancy and then, even though (God willing!) I will have a smaller torso and belly area, I will totally do the look again after pregnancy with the sweater as a tunic.  That is how much I heart this striped sweater/free French scarf/Hue leggings/Target Ballet flats combo.

I was doing the preschool run last week and had bought the sweater as a way of perking myself up (Target is really good at perking me up, anyone else?)...by the end of the trip I felt yards better.

I knew it was true love because the next time I went to preschool I wore the sweater, a mere two days later.  (I rarely let anything I really love wait that long to be worn...)

Anyhow, the sweater does have stripes and as Mr. Dina so kindly pointed out, "it makes you look REALLY pregnant," in the end, I am REALLY pregnant, so happily me and my ginormous Gus belly made our way through the day.

Sweater: Liz Lange for Target, Size Small.  Liz Lange for Target can run big, so definitely try it on before purchasing if you can.  This is one of the few tops I own from her line that isn't an x-small.

Leggings: Hue, Size Medium (I think?).  Bought from Anthro, these are just a nice staple to have.  These seem pretty big as I could hitch them up over my belly, which I can't do with my other leggings (I have to wear them below the belly).

Scarf: Gotta Love The European Magazine Freebie Giveaway...Lolita Lempicka Poly Square Scarf.  A score that I found in the November issue of French Marie Claire.  CW has actually worn it too.  :)

Back when, way back when, in the late '90s, this style scarf was all the rage and I still have all my small square scarves from then...I would really like this style to make a comeback, love the look and instantly dresses an outfit up.  I like big scarves, but wow, they are a tad overwhelming with some outfits.  This one was the exact right size for this look.

Shoes: Mossimo Venda Flats, Size 9.5.  Adorable shoes that "spoke" to me on the day of the sad preschool run/ Target makes me happy day.  They were $25, but I had a $25 gift card (thanks, Dad!), so they were FREE!  LOL.

Close-up of the scarf and sweater.

Oh, yeah.  Definitely the stripes enhance the baby belly.  But look at the cute embellishments on the Venda flats.  Darling!

A Target Striped Score! by dinagideon featuring liz lange maternity

Above is the polyvore.  :)

You all have a great night.  This momma-to-be has some 30 Rock to enjoy.  Yay DVR. 

A Little Johnnie B. Tee for Me!!!

I referenced that along with this beautiful canvas bag (in my post yesterday), I received my very first tee-shirt from Johnnie B., the juniors clothing line from my favorite clothing company across the pond, Boden. I showed you the bag, but was coy about the top. Well I had planned on wearing it to yoga today, but sadly for me, and for Rex, we didn't make it to preschool (he had a yucky, terrible rash, and I was scratchy throated and tired, blegh, come on SPRING, already!).

So I decided to wear it this evening for our weekly outing to Moe's, one of the finest fast food Mexican-style chains out there. It also happens to be Tuesday, which means FREE KIDS' MEALS, and with two very hungry children, well, yum, and yay for savings. (I am still feeling blegh, but at least I got a nap today, so I had the energy to go out tonight!)

A Little Johnnie B. Tee for Me! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is what I paired the tee with...I actually received the skirt in the J. Crew shipment that came to the house today...it was a popback and I was so excited because I didn't want to spend $78 on it, but $30? Sure! (And was it ever a popback, the darn skirt didn't even have a price tag on it! I think I suspect something fishy, but here's the thing...the skirt is in PERFECT shape, so I won't complain.)

The leggings definitely gave the outfit a youthful vibe, but I figured, eh, why not? I attempted this look as a twelve-year old (and for sure got it wrong then...I should show you photos), and now that I am older and sort of have some of this fashion stuff figured out, I thought I would try again. :)


Sizes:
Tee: Size Medium. If you buy from Johnnie B., you must be aware things are cut smaller through the torso, shoulders, and hips. I am not even going to try any of their jeans, skirts, or shorts. Those would just be scandalous on me. That said, if you are petite lady (I mean size-wise, not height-wise), then by all means, give the entire line a try. I am only going to be able to get their tops, and that is okay by me. The line is incredibly affordable, btw. This graphic t-shirt was $20 after I applied some discount or another onto the shopping cart (and I got a free bag--$20 for both--shipped both ways for free--is a GREAT price). I like the style of the tee...the bird saying "moo" cracked both my kids up and I could see this being a hit when I substitute! It is also incredibly soft and was made well (no twisty-seams, yes, J. Crew, I am talking to you).
Skirt: Size 10. Had I ordered the 8 it would have sat at my waist and been very very short.
Leggings: Size 2 (?). Hue has funky sizing.
Shoes: Size 10. Love that they gave the outfit a bit of girly prettiness. If ever in doubt, go with a ballet flat...universally an appealing choice for most outfits.

BTW, did you notice that CW has a bird on her top, too? Yes, I planned it that way. ;)


Close-up of the graphic and the color. I cannot wait to wear this in the summer with a pair of shorts and sandals...man, this winter weather is for the (cough, cough) birds.

Have a lovely evening, all!