OOTD: Maternity That Isn't.

I am trying something new with my ootd posts.  The review posts will stay the same, as will any "family photo" type posts.  I just find that because I am naturally inclined to constant talking here at the blog, my ootd posts are being put on the back burner because I can't find enough time in the day to post, since I know that writing and publishing ootd posts can take between thirty minutes and an hour.  That's fine if it is a Boden Weekly Review Roundup, but not so cool if it is a post that (by its very nature) should be brief.  I hope this new type of writing the posts helps me be more timely in publishing ootd posts.

Day: New Year's Eve Day, 12/31/12.

Where: Grocery Shopping @ Harris Teeter with all three kids and my stepmom.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The cozy Boden Cashmere Wrap* (currently part of the clearance section) is so lovely and warm, utterly right for the slightly windy and cool day.  The silk top is from my maternity days with Angus (first seen here and then here).  Because of the way it was designed and made, the top easily fits into my non-maternity wardrobe, since it looks like the empire waist seaming was intentional, and not like it is a maternity top.   The Loft pants are the Zoe fit, so they are very straight, but the stretch fabric fit fine over my hips.  I still need to lose about five pounds before the pants are utterly perfect, though.

*Did a review of the Cashmere Wrap here.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Well, the earrings help give this outfit an edge, and the retro velvet purse/clutch is distinctive, but the rest of the outfit is very safe and easy.  That said, maybe the fact that the maternity top is French helps a tiny bit?  LOL.

Anecdote from the day:  Let's just say I am very happy that I rarely have to go to the grocery store with all three kids.  Although there is one buggy with three seats, it was heavy and because the seat belts didn't work in the "kids seating" portion (the baby's one did, though), Rex and CW were able to escape their seats at will.  And of course everyone and their brother was shopping that day, so there were lots of near misses with other carts.  Fortunately, about halfway through the trip, my stepmom stepped in and took Rex with her to get a few food items.  :)

Okay, that's it!  Any of you former pregnant ladies use maternity clothing as an intentional part of your non-pregnant wardrobe?

P.S. Little birdies (everywhere, FB, e-mail, etc.) have let me know that there may be a drop of the new Spring line at Boden tomorrow morning.  You better believe I will let you all know when that happens.  I just looked over there, so you know, and there are "internal errors" aplenty.  I believe the process has begun.  

P.P.S. New BWRR tomorrow--lots of great reviews, etc., from my blog friends, so I will have something to deliver in the BWRR.  ;)

P.P.P.S.  (LOL, last one, promise.) Post took twenty minutes to write.  Woo!

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Winter Wardrobe: Day One.

Hi, everyone!

Don't have a ton of time tonight, not because I don't want to actually write a blog post but because I am back to teaching my elementary school fashion class again, which means a really early rise (must be at school well before 8 am) and a very early to bed.  :)

Winter Wardrobe was a blast today, but oh, my, I guess starting the class on a federal holiday means my numbers (and all the other classes numbers) were teeny-tiny.  I had 7 girls in my first class (of a total of 10, woah) and 11 girls in my second glass (of a total of 15).  In the past I have never had a class with less than 18 kids, so I was a bit stunned.  But (and those of you who are teachers totally get this) those lower numbers made for a lot of one on one time and fairly easy transitions and the world's best set of kids and ZERO discipline problems.

Anyhow, I am not sure I will be able to do much more than these posts this week (and the Boden Weekly Review Roundup), but if I find I am high on energy and time (not likely, lol), I will add more posts.

I call this my "OMG I have no idea what to wear on 2 hours of sleep and whilst pregnant getting ready for a fashion class that I teach...yawn" outfit.  Surprisingly, after hubby saw it, and confirmed that he liked it (did I add that Mr. Dina is sick on top of all of the prep work I have been doing?) , I felt a lot better about my sartorial skills.  Not my best outfit ever, but it worked for today.

Top: Old Navy Maternity, Size Small.  LOVE this stretchy 80s inspired top that I bought during CW's pregnancy.  Great color, too.
Jeans: Duo Maternity, Size Small Tall.  Still have to wear these with a support belt to keep them up (belly is more up and down than out which means the built in panel is too big), but I love the fact that J.C. Penny's maternity brand has tall jeans, which means I can wear heels.
Shoes: Merona Collection, Size 10.  These mod heels are lovely, and I definitely don't pull them out enough...but worked wonderfully with the top.
Scarf: Old Navy.

I would like to point out the whole outfit probably cost less than $100 total.  It felt good to have a head to toe pregnancy look that wasn't an extravagance.  So much maternity wear is insanely pricey.

Hands on hips.  This outfit was plenty warm enough for school, but wow, even with the down jacket I wore with it, I was freezing at recess.  (Aw, darn it, I guess the December of 60s had to give way to normal January temperatures eventually.)

I think Mr. Dina was up to no good when he captured me in my side belly pose next to the referee doing the same exact pose on the TV.  I get it...my belly is larger than a football official's.

My Favorites (From a Really LONG List)! by dinagideon featuring a leopard print tote bag

Before I go, I do want to show off my favorite pieces from 2011.  I created this Polyvore the other night...I am so glad I purchased these pieces, I anticipate they will be in my wardrobe for a long time...

I would eventually like to show off my favorite outfits from 2011, but it probably won't be for a bit...

Do you have any favorites from 2011 you would like to share???

Night, night, everyone!

I'm Back...Cloaked in Roses, with an Emerald Isle, and in a Lace Scallop...

Hi, all! I am feeling great! At the end of the post I will let you know how my surgery and recovery has been, but I know some of you are just beyond tickled at the gorgeous Anthropologie sale they are having on-line and in stores, so I want to get to some reviews/outfits that feature current on-sale offerings! :)

First up is the Cloaked in Roses Jacket by Charlie and Robin.  This AMAZING lace-covered, boiled wool piece was a pretty penny, ringing up at around $180 before it went on sale (this morning!!!).  I fell hook, line, and sinker in love with it in the store and although I knew it would probably go on sale, I had to have this piece for the trip I took to NYC the weekend before my surgery (for those of you counting that would be the weekend of the 10th-12th).  I knew this outfit I wore above would be the exact right outfit for walking around Soho in as I knew it would keep me warm, but be visually interesting enough that the Sartorialist wouldn't keel over and die if he saw me in it.  LOL.

Thoughts:  I bought a size small.  The length, waist, and sleeve length is exactly right on me.  The shoulders and bust are a touch too big, but nothing terrible.  I feel like the lace looks delicate, but is more sturdy than you might realize (I snagged a few lace-y bits through the day and there is no damage as far as I can see).  My hubby LOVED this jacket. 

I bought this jacket one week and six days ago.  For those of you doing the Anthro price adjustment calculations...you guessed it...I was able to apply a price adjustment to this jacket today at the Tyson's store and with that adjustment and one other (and the phenomenal extra 25% off sale items), I was able to save (your jaws are going to drop) $125.  (Which I then promptly applied to an orange Paisley Gust sweater jacket...yeah, I know...but come on, that puppy is totally selling out, I doubt that one will make it to sale!)

Rex took this picture.  He isn't even four.  Good on you, Rex. 

Before I went to Soho, we made our way to see the Statue of Liberty in real life.  Rex is actually jumping for joy over seeing it (yay, America!!!). 

I nearly tucked in my striped tee (a J. Crew gilded striped tee from Holiday '07), but in the end I liked it better untucked.

Fast forward to last night (there are other NYC pics, but you'll see those some other time). 

I have recovered enough that getting out the house isn't super-challenging and I am not liable to fall asleep in my dinner (or breakfast, you should have seen me at brunch on Sunday).  Mr. Dina's work had a smaller, more intimate party last night and I was feeling festive, so I brought out Elevenses Emerald Isle Coat for my dressy night out. 

Thoughts: This is a very elegant piece.  Feels almost like I should be heading out to the Moscow ballet wearing it.  I would not wear this coat with pants, I feel like it is perfectly made for the mini-dresses and skirts that seem to be all the rage now (and if you follow the antiquated slightly outdated rule of your coat must match your dress length).  I bought this in a six, and that is my usual Elevenses coat size.  Having said that, if you are at all well-endowed (lucky!) or more broad-shouldered than I, you may want to size up.  The skirted portion of this coat definitely fit fine over my hips. 

I am wearing the Wintertide Scarf here as well, its faux fur edging really adds to the exotic feel.

This may be the single stupidest pose I have ever made but I guess you all can pretend that I was pretending to be all cold and chilly and I was going "brrrr, it's cold outside."  Which I ended up doing for real later that night.  Turns out that a sleeveless lace dress, tights, ballet flats, faux fur scarf, and a sort of thin brocade coat may not be enough to really keep the chill out, but dang, at least it looks pretty!

Next up is what was under the Emerald Isle Coat...the Lace Scallop Dress from the Loft.  I have dressed it up here with the Stella and Dot Charlotte necklace and a belt I made myself (crafty!).  :)

Thoughts: Gigiofca couldn't really find any redeeming qualities, and I get that.  I almost gave up when I received the size 8 I ordered during their Cyber Monday sale and found that it barely fit over my hips.  (I had *just* bought a dress from the Loft in a size 4, so I thought the 8 would be fine, even a bit loose!)  Two weeks later the size 10 pops back (I think it sells out and comes back frequently), and I get that one instead.  The ten fits much better.  Much more like the way it looks here on this model:

Thoughts continued:  I ask the lady at the Loft today if she thinks that this has been a hard fit for people, like they have been bringing it back because it is so off from their regular sizing.  She basically gives me the look of death (where is Debye when I need her?) and icily says, "no, that has not been happening at all."  (Okay...guess I will not be darkening your doors anymore, lady!  Psycho!)  Anyhow, not that I care, a size 10 is my "classic" size, if we were back in the 80s and 90s when there wasn't vanity sizing...heck, I have ZERO problems ordering an 8 or 10 with Milly, it's just the darn inconsistencies I have issues with. 

Bottom Line:  It is a beautiful dress, lined well, made well, but if you are a pear shape like me, size WAY up...for me, 2-3 sizes was the key.  If you are an inverted triangle, stick tts.

From the side. 

Belt Instructions:
1. Get red ribbon from some random gift or another that someone gave you a long time ago to which you thought (cleverly), "ooh, I can use this one day for my hair, or my waist, or my daughter's hair..."
2.  Receive yummy box of Godiva chocolates.  Eat chocolates (of course).  Take red rosette and say loudly, "how pretty, maybe I can make a barrette, or a brooch, or a pendant, or a corsage, or a..."
3. Find ribbon and rosette...discover how nicely they go together. 
4.  Receive awesome lace dress in its right size and try on...ooh, needs a belt!
5.  Take red ribbon, tie it at the waist in a simple knot.
6.  Take rosette (which already has a pin attachment--thank you very much, Godiva) and attach it to tied ribbon.
7.  Go to party in which all the girls go "oooh, I LOVE YOUR BELT!"
8.  Proudly say (making sure your husband is in ear shot), I spent 0 dollars making this.  Then as quickly as possible, read steps 1-7 for them from above so they all know how to make their own 0 dollar belt, too.

No stockings, no necklace.  Same belt.  Cute for spring, no?

From the side, all simple like.  :)

Best is always at the end.  CW in her Jacadi Liberty of London dress, with tights, silver-bowed shoes, and a precious turtleneck to keep her nice and warm. 

With her crewcuts Collection (oooh, how snazzy) coat.  (Don't worry, I bought this at the Lynchburg Clearance Center for $20?  It is a piece from 2006, I believe.  Best part is the pretty hot pink lining and the collar-less neckline, how very chic!)

That's it.  (Psyche.)

:)  Tuesday last week was my surgery day.  I went in, was cleared for takeoff, the awesome Dr. Thompson gave me some awesome sedatives and proceeded to implant the Amplatzer device in my hole.  He is done an hour later.  I then go to the recovery area, where I am forced to stay in one position for six hours (they want to make sure my entry site at the groin area doesn't burst open--that would be bad, so you all know, like emergency room, 911 call kind of bad).  I get home, receive flowers from my kids and the DC JCAs (yay for the coolest and most fashionable friends ever), and hit the hay.

The week since has been great.  I haven't had any headaches, mini-strokes, or the like.  I have been INCREDIBLY tired, but I suppose having your heart muscles growing over a device is going to do that to you.  I feel different.  Other people who have had this done know what I am talking about, but unless you have had the incredibly awful and terrifying auras that can come with migraines and mini-strokes (although with mini-strokes they are not called auras, they are simply just "symptoms"), it is truly hard to describe how my world looks and feels different.  I feel clearer.  I feel more focused.  I feel normal.  YAY!

I am still on anti-coagulant drugs to prevent my blood from continuing to clot (like it so wants to do) and will be for many months.  I will never not take a baby aspirin, or mega doses of folate but that is because MTHFR raises homocysteine levels in your blood, and that can cause clotting, so even if my hole is closed, my doctors still want my blood to be ideal, not all sticky and mean to my poor organs.  LOL.  :)

You all take care.  Hope to write and talk again soon!

Boden Bliss...

Dinagideon is in busy, busy land lately! Sorry for the absence! :) Just out and about, but unfortunately for my poor blog that means a lack of posts and commenting back. Le sigh.

Clearly today's post is brought to you by the letter "b," as I am not only busy, but I am in Boden bliss. Why? Well, not only is today's outfit one of my personal favorites ever from this British bastion of bodacious blouses, but yesterday, my dear friend Johnnie B. sent me a $25 gift voucher to be used on any purchase between now and the end of the month. Best part? No minimum amount required AND I could use it with another promo! So what did I do? I used it last night to buy my daughter and I some outerwear. Right now there is an e-mail circulating (and probably in some catalogs, too) that if you buy 2 items, you get your 3rd for $1. This is one of the best that Boden offers as you can buy three nearly the same priced items and receive a huge % off (do the math, you'll see). The three items I got were $88 a piece, which equals $264, but after the offer, it goes down to $177. Apply a $25 gift voucher and all of sudden what was $264 is now $152, or a savings of around 42%. That includes free shipping and returns, btw. So yes, I am a bit in Boden bliss today. :)

Boden Bliss... by dinagideon featuring stretch tights

Above is an outfit I wore on Sunday (when I made the decidedly serendipitous trip to Mint Condition). The coat is from Mod Cloth and as soon as I saw it back in September two thoughts ran through my head: "Ooh, that looks like an Emma Pillsbury coat," and "It will be mine."

Mr. Dina loved the dress.  It got nearly the same reaction as my jeans and tee combo from a few weeks back.  I am wearing this Retro Spot Tunic in a UK size 10 or US size 6.  I like that the length finishes where it does...too short and I would have to wear it with pants and too long and it would be A LOT of that print.  ;)

Rex is not picking his nose.  It only looks like he is.  I have no idea what he is thinking in this shot...

This was supposed to be a full-on side shot, but Baby CW came in and decided to shoot her historical re-enactment gun at the window.  She must have seen a deer.  LOL.  (Her Pops--grandpa--is a deer hunter.)

With the Mod Cloth coat.  It is called a "Coat fit for a queen," but it's just fine as a "Coat fit for a SAHM mom who spends way too much time worrying about her clothing."

You all have a fab night.  I will talk with you all sometime soon.  Promise!  ;)

Anthro Afternoon Delight...

Lazy, lazy dinagideon, no desire to update yesterday. :)

I hope you all have had a great end to your week. I have! I *finally* got paid for teaching my Fall Into Fashion class. I only had to threaten to quit plead nicely to receive the check (was supposed to come on Tuesday).

I will admit to maybe, just maybe grabbing a beautiful Milly sweater in my size (in the black and white colorway), as it is on sale, and oh, so, lovely. Nice little treat, and I can wear it to my winter intersession class. (BTW, anyone have a good name for my Winter class?  I was thinking Wear Winter Well, but I don't know...sort of stumped here.)

Today I am showing off three Anthropologie outfits that I have worn in the past month...

First up is the Vestiges Dress.  I have had my eye on this all summer long, and when I couldn't wait any longer, I bought it off ebay for a substantial amount of savings over its full price.  It did make it to sale but as of today only size 2 and 8 are left.  And I know why--because it is AWESOME.

I took a size 4 in this...I have one other shirt from Girls of Savoy (blue one with the ruffles) and that is in a 2, so I know this brand runs large.  The four is perfect everywhere, but especially in the bust, where it is just fitted enough.  The minor miracle is that it fits just wide enough to accommodate my larger hips.

The belt is quite long, but I just played with it until it worked for my waist.

I had heard this dress was very constricting through the neckline, and I truly understand that.  Although it didn't bother me in the least, I could see how the sheer excess of ruffles could get on the nerves.

Hand on hip and my girl in her own frilly floral frock.  She, btw, told me that we matched as I had flowers and she had flowers.  God, I love two-year olds, they are so freaking cute.  ;)

Outside church.  We have now moved to the stage where Rex does well at church and CW does not.  Sigh.  I chose to keep her out as long as possible, her sweet little voice becomes almost manly in volume when she enters the marble encased hall of worship.  To keep her amused, I took pics of us and then showed them to her.  She loved this one, especially.

This is an Anthro dress from last season called the Whirling Ruffles Sweater dress.  I bought this on super sale, and I am glad I did.  This is easily one of the comfiest, warmest dresses I own.  It was *just* chilly enough that morning for me to wear it layered with a Boden cardigan, a J. Crew skinny belt, and some Cole Haan sandals.  Sadly, this outfit can't be worn now, it has turned a bit too frigid here and I had to put all my sandals away for the winter.  I am not one of those snow bunnies...I far prefer the moist, oppressive humidity of August to the dry, windy, and bone-chilling air of February.  (And this is coming from someone who runs hot, even in winter...)

Whirling Ruffles by dinagideon featuring anthropologie tops

The polyvore of the outfit.

Finally is an outfit for Date night.  Fittingly for the final outfit, I present the Curtain Call dress  It was priced right when I bought it, much less than its original price, in other words.  I chose to go with the x-small, as I read the reviews that it was RUNNING HUGE.  It does run huge...hence the x-small was perfect on me.

I personally like the effect of the exaggerated sleeves and the narrow waist.  That said, I know this is not a dress for a lot of women.  The neckline and sleeves work well on my small upper-body as it helps balance me out a bit, but I imagine that if you are larger than a B cup and you have a bit broader shoulders, this may put you out of balance.  Then again, if your S.O. LOVES you with more up top, this may be the dress for you!  LOL.  ;)

I am wearing it with a pearl necklace I bought from Ann Taylor last winter and a pair of Carma peep-toes by Cole Haan.

Here is the outfit with my all time favorite leather jacket...which I bought from Ann Taylor in 2004.  I fell in love with how buttery soft it was, and since it was on sale, I snatched it up.  I remember buying it for around $150 and cringing at the price, but considering it was originally near $300, and I have worn it a TON since then, I think my purchase was pretty sound.  :)

You all have a great day.  If you are interested in receiving the Arbonne Holiday Catalog from me (it is SO BEAUTIFUL), please leave a comment with your e-mail address or e-mail me at dinagideon@myarbonne.com.  I am planning on offering my clients a Black Friday sale on all items in the Holiday catalog, so if you want to be in on that sale, I need you to be on my client list before that point! 

A Babergh Here, a Zoya There...

Hi, all! Happy Monday from a (slightly) overextended momma. As you know I have been teaching a fashion class to upper elementary kids the past two weeks, but what you may not have known is that I clearly sipped some crazy juice and decided that Friday was the ideal day to leave directly from school and travel to North Carolina with my family so we could visit friends AND see Yo Gabba Gabba LIVE in concert. We got back after midnight last night. I think, based on the past two weeks, I may need to take about 50 hours of sleep to recover. (In fact, it will definitely be "nap-nap" time after I write this blog post. Snooz.)

I will be showcasing my North Carolina outfits at some point soon (including IRL pics of the babies in all their Yo Gabba Gabba glory), but not today. Today is clearly a day meant for some Anthro. So here goes...

The Perfection Known as the Babergh Dress... by dinagideon featuring nine west shoes

I have made ONE polyvore since last Monday. One. That is sad...but at least it is a pretty set. Above is the outfit I wore to my Fall Into Fashion class last Thursday. We had dubbed Thursday our dress-up party day, and since we were invited to the "Planning Perfect Parties" class down the hall, I knew that this amazing cream-colored party dress would be exactly the right outfit!

Aah, the Babergh dress.

Sizes:
Dress: Size 6, Floreat (Anthropologie brand). I realize this is now sold out (in fact, I willingly paid full price--gulp--two days before this beauty sold out on-line), but just in case you all see it somewhere, it is helpful to know what size I took. I almost went with an 8, but couldn't as that size sold out super-fast. I was nervous the 6 wouldn't fit, but in the end every. measurement. was. EXACTLY. right. In fact, this is the dress that will keep me honest about maintaining my weight as it is right now. I forever want to be able to wear this incredibly feminine and romantic frock.

This dress has felt the LOVE from multiple bloggers...there are far too many to name, but I will link to Anjali, as she IS the blogger who put me over the edge in deciding to purchase it for myself. LOVE it on her...

Note: This is not a full-length shot as I was wearing quite possibly the worst pair of shoes to wear with the dress.  My hubby was the reason I even thought to take them off.  He saw me in them, gagged (how delicate, Mr. Dina), and said, "off now."  I looked at the photographic evidence...muttered quietly that he was right and moved on to find more appropriate footwear.  I hate it when he is right.  I thought I was the fashion blogger.  LOL.  :)

To make matters worse, I moved onto a better pair of shoes only to make the stupidest face ever. Agh. But...indulge me...take the bottom half and add it to the top half and I think you get the drift. I felt heavenly that day. The dress is pretty darn magical.

Sizes:
Dress: Size 8, Tabitha (not the amazing British blogger with legs that go on for miles but another Anthro brand). I had tried the Zoya dress on in a size 10 in the store, but in the end went with an 8 to better fit my top. The 8 fits okay through the hips, and I found that by the end of the day, the skirt had stretched out, so the 10 would have been a bit loosey-goosey.
Shoes: Size 9.5, Aerosoles. Yes, I said Aerosoles. These shoes were insanely popular amongst my Fashion proteges. :)
Necklace: Special Cuckoo Clock necklace that my dad and step-mom bought for me a few years ago from a fab jewelry designer known as Pade Vavra.  Yum.  Check it out close-up here.

I hope you all enjoyed my sojourn into Anthro this fine afternoon. God bless you all for continuing to read my (sadly) neglected blog. I think my return to regular blogging is in the works, so expect a bit more from me in the next few weeks! SWAK!

P.S. I loved all your comments on my homemade Liberty of London sundress. I do plan on continuing with my sewing and hope that you all will too, if that is your thing!!! Yay for being enterprising!

I FOUND LIBERTY OF LONDON!!! (yay!)

Oh, my goodness, you all. I took a chance on going to a local Target this morning thinking that *maybe, just maybe* they would have put out some of the Liberty of London items early. (I took that chance because I heard rumors that some folks had seen and bought some items at their stores as early as this last weekend--which, btw, is a full week early.)

As I walk in and look around, I see no Liberty of London items...except a pair of little girl's flip-flops. Exuberant, I think, "Well, at least I have found one item, perfect for CW eventually (a little big yet for her to wear this summer)."


Yes, my pretty, I do want you.

And, then, like an oasis, I saw it...the gleaming stainless steel hanging rod of beauty...two WHOLE racks of Liberty of London clothing, just waiting for me to touch, and peruse, and better yet, try on...

I took the items I liked in both size smalls and mediums, but because I was with the kids, I had to do the whole "try on over my tank" thing at a mirror outside of the changing rooms. Turns out in most of the items I wear a small, except for the halter tops, which I had to get in a medium.

I FOUND LIBERTY OF LONDON!!! by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

Above is the polyvore of the items that I clipped from my Only for Polyvore, Peeps blog. Check out that link if you want to see the items close-up for yourself.

If you click on the polyvore, you will see info on the items, plus if you are a polyvore addict, and DO NOT LIKE the Target.com images (they are odd and not easy to use in sets), you can take my clipped images if you would like for future use.

I promise to get to comments in the last few posts, especially for all of you who WANT. TO. KNOW. MORE. ABOUT. MY. HAIR. ;)

I also promise to get photos of me in these items...soon!!! (Just have to wait till the kids take a nap to do so!)

Oh, the Weather Outside is Frightful...No, It Really Is!!!

Don't worry, friends. We are alive. I will still be able to comment on the last three posts...promise...but first...ta da...the crazy Christmas storm of 2009!!!

We get snow here in Virginia. We tend to get, oh, maybe 1 to 6 inches of snow a YEAR. Today, as of right now, at 3:27 pm, we have almost 16 inches. You read that right, 16 inches. That would be, by my calculations, 3 years worth of snow...and that is only if we get 6 inches a year. Last year (by which I mean the winter of 2008-2009; we are currently in the winter of 2009-2010) we received LESS SNOW than Mr. Dina's family did down in southwest Mississippi.

We do get blizzards and crazy snow, but only once every (and this comes straight from Topper Shutt, et. al. over at WUSA 9 News) 6-10 years. I guess we were due...our last big snow was in February of 2003.

If you live in a place where 16 inches sounds like child's play, well, I tip my hat to you. If you live in a place where you can dig out of a snowstorm that dumps 16 inches in a day in a couple of hours, I COMMEND you. At this rate, we won't be able to get of our neighborhood (barring a snow-dog led sled or skis--neither of which this family has) until maybe Monday. Knowing our part of Virginia, likely Tuesday. Tuesday P.M. ;)

Enjoy the pics, all.


Rex was super-excited to get out and play in the snow. He didn't even complain that I made him wear a very tight snowsuit, coat, hat, snowboots, gloves, and a trapper hat. By the end his cheeks were BRIGHT red. Darling!!!


CW hated the snow for the most part...I don't think she quite got that you shouldn't fall into the snow...once she fell the first time and all that cold wet got on her face, it was downhill from there.

She did wear gloves, eventually...I think it took her realizing that her poor hands don't like freezing water for her to be okay with the gloves. You know kids...(well, maybe not, maybe my kids are the only ones who fight me on their wardrobe...yes, I know this is slightly ironic).


Ooh, so cold. And the snow was literally blowing into my eyes...I look slightly off-kilter here. Still a nice photo, nonetheless!!! These photos were all taken when the snow was about 12 inches...therefore if we went out now, CW would be nearly covered. That is A LOT of snow.


This is one of those family place signs you can use on your driveway. Only the vestige of our family characters are poking out...you can't even see the kids!!!


It would be some kind of Northern Virginia miracle if my well-hidden street gets a snow plow down it before Monday. Some of you might think I am joking, sadly, I am not. :P

If you are in the thick of this...do like me...grab some wine and update your blog. :)

Have a nice one...

Uh, Oh, J. Crew is in TROUBLE. (A.K.A. Boden's Spring 2010 Collection is AWESOME!)

I am back. Sort of. I don't have much time tonight to actually do any real business on my blog, but I did want to announce something. And that is that J. Crew is probably going to make very little money from me this spring if the way things are looking actually come true in reality. After a very spirited discussion at J. Crew Aficionada about the preview of the Spring Collection 2010, I was unsure if anything being offered by J. Crew will suit me and my personality. I tend to gravitate to the bright, bubbly, printed fabrics, and it seems that J. Crew's spring collection may not have a lot of what I normally love. And, being fair, maybe that is okay...I can try new things and styles, right? I am flexible and I do LOVE clothing.

But then Johnnie Boden struck again...and being the Boden Aficionada that I am, I couldn't resist taking a sneak peek at his spring collection 2010. And yep, it is confirmed...I AM IN LOVE with Boden's spring collection 2010.

You know what is crazy? I got a fairly non-descript e-mail from Boden announcing the collection, along with a 20% off offer (and free shipping and returns). I ALMOST DELETED THE DARN E-MAIL. If anyone at Boden is reading this, you may want your e-mails to be a tad less subtle.

Swoon. Look at this GORGEOUS linen Printed Tunic. The play of mod florals with such fantastic hues of olive and pink? If I didn't know better, I would think this was a resort piece from Tory Burch or Lilly Pulitzer. Nope, just an 88 dollar piece by Boden. Yes, I will be getting this. Can you imagine a world where I wouldn't? I just wish they had a mini-Boden piece like this so I could get CW her own version!

Untitled by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

I also made a polyvore, because I had to let my peeps in the "Boden is Bodacious" polyvore group know about all the FINE items on offer.

Hope that some of you who are beyond disappointed with the lackluster spring J. Crew is offering (sorry, Mickey, I tried to love) are gonna join me in the parade of AWESOME across the pond. Thank you, Mr. Boden. You have delivered us what spring should be: Sunshine and Happiness!

Quickest Post of My Life...and a Boden Dress!

I am suffering from ennui today...I just can't seem to get it up for blog writing. I think it stems from spending so much time this weekend moving, that now that I am not moving, I just want to sleep or sit or just be. :) I know every single one of you have had days like this, so I know I am in good company.

Today is a Boden-centric day. One part of the post is a pic of me in a dress that I bought on super-sale from their Spring/Summer 2009 collection. This bad boy of a dress may still be on sale over at their US site.

And here it is, the blue bubble dress, as I affectionately have named this. I wore it when it was raining cats and dogs here in Virginia, and I just felt like the dress matched the mood of the day. It is a beautiful print, and can be worn casually (like I have done), or you could dress it up (maybe with tights, heels, pretty jewelry, and maybe a contrasting belt).

It is a jersey fabric dress, and Boden does their jersey dresses right...they always seem to be the best weight and they always seem to hit the curves of a woman's body well. I also love that they do many of their jersey dresses in prints, as opposed to my favorite company, who tends to stick to one color options...I wonder who I might be talking about? Hmmm...

Boden Video Reviews! by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

Two...and this is so ridiculously cool...that if you are reading this over at J. Crew...please, please, please, for the love of all things fashionable...start doing this...the video catwalk of all dresses, skirts, and coats. At Boden, they have the SAME model walk down a catwalk in all the different types of dresses, skirts, and coats that they have created for that season. If you are on the fence of whether or not you should purchase an item, this video feature can make your decision easier. In fact, it was the video feature that convinced me to buy this coat (in turquoise) back when it was on a 20% sale. When you watch the video, you see how it flows over this model's body, you see the contrast lining, you notice how easy (or difficult) the buttons are to button, etc. It is a GREAT feature...and very, very helpful. The reviews from actual customers will always be MY favorite way to gauge whether something will work for me, but this video catwalk is up there in helping me decide. I also adore that Boden individually measures items at various places so you can, with the help of your handy-dandy measuring tape (you have one, right?), decide which size is also best for you.

These reasons, plus Boden's very unique style, keep me reaching across the Atlantic to get more from them. Poor J. Crew loses a lot of money to them from me...

Summer School=Two Boden Outfits, Of Course!

In the vein of attempting to always try and make a good impression (which I admit doesn't always work--I have seen some of my outfits--and wooh--they are certainly "unique")...I approached my first two days of summer school with a couple of thoughts.

#1--I am teaching kindergarten, therefore I must be colorful and expressive (kids love both).

#2--Because I am teaching kindergarten, I must be comfortable, and above all, must wear something that can be cleaned very easily.

#3--I also walk to school, therefore I must be able to wear it for a mile's distance in the heat and sun without completely boiling and baking!

So here you go...the beginning of my series on my workwear, summer style...

Summer School Day #1 by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore of Day #1.


So, yes, I did wear a Boden sundress (in white) on the first day. But I honestly could not resist. I had a suspicion that 5-year olds would love the big graphic flowers. :) They did. Mr. Dina really liked it, too, although he only saw it when he took the pic (I am a big fan of getting into yoga pants or shorts when I get home from work).

There was a lot of buzz over at the Boden site about how ill-fitting this garment was and how many people just thought it was the wrong style dress for them and everything. But I decided to try it anyhow ('cause that's me...Miss Risky...smile), and it paid off. I bought it in a UK size 12 (US size 8), which nicely fit my shape, because Boden gets my "pear" shape. God bless you, Johnnie Boden. Unlike J. Crew (whose Gladiola shift was just plain wrong on me), I have with this delightful British company a "shift" dress9 which is narrow enough on top to not make me feel like I am swimming in a pool, but wide enough in the hips to allow me to sit down like a normal person.

I have no clue if it still is for sale over at their site, but if it is I bet it is on super-sale. ;) Just a thought...

Summer School Day #2 by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

Here is the polyvore for Day #2.


As you can see, I took it nice and easy on the second day...nice and bright...just like the green crayons the kids use in the classroom. This is about as simple as an outfit I will ever wear (as you all should know by now). Even though there is nary a print or piece of flair on this dress, I still loved it. Man, this is a great, simple dress. AppGal, if there are any left on the Boden website, it should be yours...I know you would love it! BTW, I bought this in UK size 10 (US size 6) and it is perfect. Therefore, AppGal, go with a UK 8. Seriously. :)

One issue I had was with the sandals...if you can believe it...the thong strap part completely came out of the footbed. HUH? These are a nice pair of Born and all...I wonder if a shoe repair place could fix it? Mr. Dina actually had to come (with babies in tow) to pick me up and drive me part-way because I needed another pair of shoes (look at the polyvore to see what I actually wore).

BTW, Summerilla, I will do the Jakarta dress post tomorrow, just for you. ;)