OOTD: Scenes from a Baby Shower...

Gus and I had the lovely fortune of being thrown a baby shower in DC last Sunday. In the world of perfect timing, it was also the same day as Mothering Sunday and one of the best days to see the cherry blossoms. I felt incredibly blessed to have some great blog friends (folks who I met in this area by being part of the blogging community--some with blogs, some without blogs) literally shower my little man with some darling gifts and company.

Clearly, with a big brother, Gus will not want for much as many items we have already and will be happily handed down to him from Rex. That said, I truly believe that each little baby is special and even just a small treat here or there is something that needs to be done. (He has a handful of items bought specifically because I want him to have something that is his own that Rex or CW can't use.)

Did I ever imagine we would have a shower? Heck no! But when I received the invitation from the lovely Rosa (of the amazing blog Rosa Loves...), I was so excited and grateful!

We had settled on March 18, which was the absolute last day I felt comfortable going (just in case he came early!), so bearing that in mind, I ended up choosing an outfit that is amongst the last few maternity items that still actually fit.

Top: Liz Lange for Target.  This doesn't fit today, but managed to do the job last Sunday.  As I don't grow the "ladies" while pregnant (even postpartum it is kind of sad, really), I have a whole host of tees/tops that fit beautifully for the vast majority of my pregnancies but become far too small in the belly at the very end.  Because while I may not grow up top, my bellies are always very large at the very end.  Really, I probably need a size medium belly area and a size extra small in the shoulders.  Like I say when people seem surprised by my waistline at the end, "I brew 'em big."  :)
Skirt: Gap Maternity.
Shoes: Naturalizer.
Necklace: J. Crew Tangled Treasure.
Purse: J. Crew Patent Mini Campo.

I contemplated using this image as a header for my blog, even for just a brief time, but in the end, I will stick with insouciant dinagideon standing in front of a green fence thingy in the city.

You can see the slight pulling at the waist, yet look at the looser neckline.  Oh, Gus, you big ole boy.

One more view.  Really loved this look, felt a bit less frumpy (as I have been feeling a lot lately, muumuus will do that to any girl, right?) and a bit more fun.  It was pretty comfy, too, so yay for stretchy waistbands and padded insole booties.

Ladies who brunch...from left to right...Rosa (Rosa Loves...), Kelly, Cleo26 (former blog Trousseau Adventures), Slastena (About All and Nothing at All), Rebecca (I Wanna Be a Domestic Goddess), yours truly/Angus, and Summerilla (Sumsunshine).   The brunch was held at Jose Andres yummy eatery, America Eats Tavern, which is in the same building as both minibar (was in the DC episode of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain) and what used to be America Eats--Cafe Atlantico. 

BTW, Slastena BRAVED the DC traffic.  She accidentally ended up driving over near the tidal basin (I mentioned the cherry blossoms were blooming above, right?) and a four mile detour that would normally make her late by maybe 15-20 minutes meant she was stuck in traffic for an additional hour.  On the bright side, she was able to take many a pretty picture whilst stalled.

I saw the cherry blossoms from the metro.  Since I take the yellow line to get home, which crosses OVER the Potomac near the Tidal Basin  (as opposed to a tunnel, which some of the lines do UNDER the Potomac), I was able to get a view from my comfy air-conditioned seat.  It has been years since I actually went to the Tidal Basin.  (Quick secret for non-Washingtonians...many neighborhoods have cherry blossoms, they are quite ubiquitous around here.  Our neighborhood in Alexandria has a handful just hanging out on folk's front lawns.  Admittedly it doesn't quite stun the way the hundreds of trees together do, but they are still amazing in their own singleton way.)

America Eats Tavern does comfort/historical American food, but with a high-end flair.  Clearly the ingredients were top notch as everyone was raving over how our taste buds danced when enjoying our first bites to our last bites. 

Above is what I chose, the cornbread with Virginia (natch) bacon, fried egg, and sorghum syrup.  I also had some sweet tea, and unlike a lot of sweet tea I drink (and trust me, drink it, I do!), this was less sweet, which I have to say, I prefer.  My hubby's family makes it this way, and so I guess I have just gotten used to it.  That said, McDonald's sweet tea is awesome during pregnancy, ESPECIALLY when it is warm out.  (That crazy hit of over the top sweet and ice...unbeatable.)

Gus received many a gift, of which you will see on him (promise), but I did take one photo of the blue stuffed dog and hand-knitted booties and cap that Summerilla gave me.  :)  She says her mom knitted the booties and cap.  As someone who doesn't knit, I am in constant awe of those who do.  I literally hold the knitting needles and become all thumbs (like with gardening, I make a mockery of gardening).

Turns out hand knitted and crocheted items were the flavor of the day as Rosa gave Gus a beautiful blanket that she herself made (come on...amazing!).  Technically it was from her adorable dog, Lola, but I won't tell Gus, if you won't. 

We also received a few receiving blankets and adorable outfits and such.  I even was given the Hope Welcome Baby (Philosophy) set, which will be just what the doctor ordered after coming home from the hospital.

Thank you ladies.  I can't wait to see (and show off) Gus enjoying them all!!!

And finally one last little present, for everyone, a beautifully wrapped little pink box containing a yummy treat from...

Georgetown Cupcake!  Summerilla had ordered these for all of us to enjoy, and iced in light baby blue, with just a hint of femininity in the pink flower, this chocolate cupcake was the perfect end to an amazing day.  :)  Rex and CW even got one (which they devoured, btw).

So that's it!  I hope the cupcakes and yummy comfort food didn't make you all too hungry.  I am actually getting hungry.  Mr. Dina wants to go to this restaurant...so don't be surprised if you see more goodies from it in the future.

J. Crew: Carriage Coat Dress IRL.

I am FINALLY getting around to publishing this review.  I wanted to make sure I could edit these photos properly (teeny computer from heck didn't have adequate photo editing on it), so I had to wait to get the new computer. 

I figured if you all are interested in this coat/dress, then you need good photos and not crummy, non-edited photos.  Right now, this is SOLD OUT on-line, but we all know that J. Crew has popbacks.  Maybe one of you will even be fortunate enough to grab it tomorrow before the extra 40% off sale ends (which would bring the price of the coat dress down a whole bunch, most likely to cost).

Lots of photos, so let's just begin.

UPDATE: Shopwithm has a wonderful review of this dress, so take a look over there for more info.  :) 

Okay, all, this was early December, so the belly is only 24 weeks along, so there is only a teeny bulge in these photos.

I cannot wear this dress now, but the fact that I COULD wear it at more than the halfway point of this pregnancy should tell you something about this dress...it runs large.

I asked my PS for the measurements and she sent them to me.  I was sort of shocked by what I was reading...the bust/shoulders/waist AND hips were almost exactly my non-pregnancy measurements (up an inch or two overall, obviously, so it's not skin tight).  I thought for sure I would have to buy a small...but nope, the extra-small (!!!) was the exact right fit.

I could write an essay on the vanity sizing of J. Crew, but it would be a dissertation, and that would bore you all, so let's just move on...

I chose to style this dress similar to the way it was styled on the model, with a turtleneck and darker bottom.  I did not go for jeans, but anticipate doing that next winter when I am not pregnant.

Dress: J. Crew Collection Carriage Coat Dress, Size Extra-Small.  FWIW, the hips are about 43", which may be why this worked so well on me.  The shoulders and bust run smaller, though, so I expect that pear shapes will warm to this dress more than other shaped bodies.

Turtleneck: J. Crew Tissue Turtleneck, Size Medium.  From a few years back and definitely a workhorse in my pregnancy wardrobe.

Tights: Assets.

Shoes: Clarks Artisan.

Bag: Boden Leopard Tote.  Yummy.  Love this bag.  The other colors this came in are on super sale right now.  The tan is all sold out.

Earrings: J. Crew Snow Sparkle Earrings.  Also on clearance right now.

It has pockets!  That are perfectly placed!  :)

And lined!

The price was ABSURD for this coat dress.  For one, it isn't really a coat.  Come on now.  It is a thick dress made from some very pretty material and made in a beautiful mid-century shape.  This dress will make the long run in my closet as it is a classic in a great shade of red, but the original price?  Feh.

I got it at 30% off, so a much more reasonable amount.  I would have recommended it at the 30% off, but at this current super sale price?  Yes, ma'am, especially if you are a pear shape.

I was headed out to dinner with other JCAs that night (dinner at Oyamel) and the kids and I were going to see the White House Christmas tree beforehand, so the kids wore their own "festive" look.

Close-up of collar and material.  You can see that the linen (flax?)/wool blend is lovely, especially with the bits of creamy threading.  The collar also has a hidden button or two, which if you look closely, you can see the loop of one of them near the bottom of the placket.

I am so glad to have Picnik back.  Love having fun with photos!

This is the Highland Coat from a few years back, Fall 2006.  I bought this from Molly (My Closet Travels) in a size 10, and boy am I glad I did.  Turns out that the 10 is perfect.  Normally I would buy a 6, but clearly this coat doesn't suffer from vanity sizing.  I could go with an 8 during non-pregnant times, but the 10 will allow me to layer thicker sweaters.

It was a cold night, so I HAD to wear a real coat, not just a dress pretending to be a coat.  LOL.

This shot makes me so happy.  We captured three happy smiles, with a beautiful sunset framing the (now closed--boo, earthquake) Washington Monument.

Carriage Coat Dress IRL! by dinagideon featuring turtleneck shirts

Above is the polyvore, for you addicts out there. (Smile.  I am one, too.  I admit it.)

Okay, I hope that helps you all!  :)  Good luck, and fingers crossed the Carriage Coat Dress will pop back tomorrow!

Blushed Tweed Pencil Skirt and a Frances on a Friday!!!

First, before I go into my tale of debauchery (not really, but it felt like that to me), I want to remind you that I have a list of links on my sidebar to "Help Haiti." I have received extra links to add, so keep looking, and if you can help in any way possible, I thank you!

Second, I have one of my Polyvore sets in a contest over at the very fab blog "What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?" Emma Pillsbury is the guidance counselor over at the show Glee who is very likely to show up for work in pencil skirts and frilly blouses, i.e. the very epitome of lady-like. Since Emma is a character who reminds me a bit of my alter-ego (very much neglected of late...sigh) Mid-Century Mom, it was obvious that I needed to send a few of my polyvores over to this other blog to be in the game of "What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?" Well, sadly for my polyvore set, it is against a set with a skirt that has a bow. And if you know Emma Pillsbury you know she loves herself a good bow!!! So head on over and vote in this fun contest, better yet, become a follower of that blog so you can join in future frivolity (including the time in the future when my set won't go down in flames...it's actually okay, I think the other set is REALLY EMMA)!!!

Blushed Tweed and a Frances on a Friday! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Onto my outfit (and debauchery) from last night. In this post I said I would wear the blushed tweed pencil skirt for Chanel Fashionista and the Frances Cami for Debye on Friday. And that is exactly what I did. I had a ladies night out, so I wanted to splash out, even though all I would be doing is chilling with some of Mr. Dina's co-workers and wives of Mr. Dina's co-workers (who are all amazing ladies, and when told of this blog, and of all the other awesome JCA/Boden centered blogs, were very,very intrigued). Regardless, I was insanely excited to go out in this outfit. And what made this outfit even more fun? Wearing it while drinking really great red wine. Thank you, Megan, awesome tasting South African wine. (And thank you, Miss Leigh, for providing us a perfect place to drink said wine!) (And by now you have guessed why I didn't post this last night, right??? I was definitely a bit "drunk" Dina. Mr. Dina was kind enough to drive me there and back...)

The polyvore is accurate. I even will do a tiny, itsy-bitsy review of the tangled treasure bracelet (which is in final sale and is the reason I bought it).


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium.
Top: Size Petite 8.
Skirt: Size 6.
Belt: Size Small-Medium.
Shoes: Size 10.

I like the play on proportion...with the tight pencil skirt, the shorter ruffly cami, and the l-o-n-g forever cardigan. It feels feminine, but not too over the top. I think heels would have been too much, as well. The flats feel better for a ladies night out at a house. :)


Here is my little lady. She did not have a ladies night out, but her shoes are very cute, no?

The tangled treasure bracelet is not nearly as scary in real life as you would imagine it would be. Based on the photos on jcrew.com (which I can't find because it appears sold-out; if the pics come back, I will update this post). I was a bit nervous, but figured I could work it somehow. The dangly bits are definitely "dangly," but I love the beads and mix of chains and pearls. I have also ordered the tangled treasure necklace (hello 30% off final sale--awesome), and have a feeling I will love it, but I imagine that will be a harder sell than the bracelet. I love a great statement necklace, but the tangled treasure necklace may be too much for 98% of JCAs out there.


My action shot. HeidiG. mentioned to me that it is hard to pose with an open cardigan, and she is right, so I looked on-line and saw that in all the photos of models wearing an open cardigan, they had one hand on their hip holding back part of the placket on one side of the cardigan. I think this flatters a woman's shape nicely. I may have to do more of these "action shots" in the future.

Ta-Ta, all. Tomorrow is the Campo dress (equals success--black looked GREAT under it) and maybe some Boden try-ons??? We'll see!!!