OOTDs: California!

I am going to dispense with the "anecdote" portion of these outfit of the days since I will be publishing a separate California photos post, which will include more "fun family times" type photos and will include the stories from the trip.  :-)

Day: Thursday,  August 29, 2013.

Where:  Flight from DC to CA.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Can't go wrong with knit fabrics and an elastic waistband for a long flight with a toddler.  Also helps to have the back of the plane empty so the toddler can have a whole row to get antsy on...if only the flight back could have been that easy.
 :-P

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It is hard to be cool while attempting flight with a toddler.  I do think the Madewell scarf, Anthropologie sweater tee, and bright blue Sperry deck shoes helped a little bit.  (Plus Angus's shoes were bright blue, so we got to be "in style" together.)

Day:  Friday, August 30, 2013

Where:  Hanging with my family for a trip to see my brother *jump out of a plane--OMG* and then a rehearsal dinner/bbq.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)   I brought two Garnet Hill jersey dresses with me on the trip (the other is in a few photos) because they are ridiculously, kind of like wearing PJs in public, comfortable.  They also pack well and do not wrinkle. 

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It's a pretty look, but not cool.

That's my pretty aunt there in purple, and if you look closely, you can see my bro taking the photo.

Day:  Saturday, August 31, 2013.

Where:  My cousin's wedding.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I have reviewed the Daisy Jacquard Dress before and declared it a winner for comfort, but it was a touch warm and humid the day of the wedding (I BROUGHT VA weather with me, sigh), so the dress wasn't super comfy, but it was fine and it wasn't like I was wearing wool.  

Cool Factor: (3.5 for 2013 (5 if it was 1965) of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The mid-century look of the outfit was enhanced by the mid-century architecture of the hotel where the wedding took place.  I fit right in, lol.

The Flowerburst Necklace is a statement piece, and one that you have to be in the right mood to wear, but the gold accents of the piece worked nicely with the gold Anthro belt and gold hardware on my bag and shoes.

Day:  Sunday, September 1, 2013.

Where:  Disneyland.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was hot and humid that day and this dress (Long Tiered Garden Dress) kept me covered from the sun AND it kept me cool since the air circulated well in the full skirt.  Word of warning about this jersey dress--it runs HUGE since this is an extra small and it fits me very well in both length and width.  It is almost a touch too long in the bodice since my bra kept peeking out, so if you are very short and very thin, you should stay far far away, since there is no xxs size.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The hat helps the look, and I felt cool.  I don't know if this look is cool, though, since I don't see a ton of this kind of look out in the blog world.  Maybe for my age and station in life, this look is cool?  :-D

If a seagull appears out of nowhere in your photo, is that good luck?

Day:  Monday, September 2, 2013.

Where:  In-N-Out Burger and El Capitan Beach.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made the purple top/shorts outfit for me on my sewing machine, so it better be comfortable.

And a swimsuit and flip-flops?  Yeah, stretchy equals comfy.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) The top look is all mine so I don't know how cool it is but I do think the shape of the top and shorts is pretty cool in a "retro modern" kind of way.

I think the swimsuit look is cool because I felt confident in the suit, and really, that is all you can ask for when baring that much of your body in front of people.  (That last shot of me walking on the shore is one of my favorite photos ever taken of me since I look so carefree, wish that were truly the case.)

Okay, that's it! 

Really quick, if you are a Boden fan, the current sale ends tonight (wrote a blog post on it here).  If you see an item in that sale you would like, you may want to grab it since it appears that Boden will be doing a diminishing discount sale starting tomorrow morning.  The diminishing discount sales do not allow stacking of codes the way the sales of the week do (you can use the sidebar coupon to get an additional 15% off of the sale prices).  That said, if something you want is not in the sale, wait till tomorrow, since the beginning discount of the diminishing discount sale will be 20% off.

California: The Outfits.

This is the closest I have ever come to packing well, outside of when I was in college and was trying to be a "backpacker."  (Well, I sort of was one...but I never did one of those six months in Europe with just a backpack, a map, and a youth hostel card. My backpacking was more like a bag, a map, makeup, youth hostel card, passport, camera, etc., etc.).

Even with all the good packing I did, we still had way too much stuff (thanks, infant Angus and all your needs, lol), and like I have mentioned before, our stuff may have got in our way of getting out of CA on time. It is still too traumatic for me to even talk about here, but one day I will tell the story of losing the car keys in Rex's bag, spending an hour looking for car keys, and how in the world we SCRAPED our way into the San Diego airport just. in. time. to catch our flight with seconds to spare.

So it is our goal to pack even better next time for our next trip, which may mean that I will pack a pair of pants, a dress, a pair of shorts, a pair of shoes, and a pair of pajamas. :) Oh, and a top or two.  (Just kidding, but we will be very mindful of not losing keys in the kids' luggage.)

We were in California from July 14-24, so these outfits should total right around 10 or so.  I have placed all the info on the pieces in the photo, so open them on up if you want to see more on them.

There was a theme of "red, white, and blue," which was very easy for me to work with, as I have more red, white, and blue pieces that I ever imagined.

If I can find a link to the items on the internet (if they are still for sale), I will include that link for your convenience.

The wires behind me are from the fan my friends have in their master bedroom.  It was great to have a white noise machine, even if that wasn't the original purpose for the fan.  I am very grateful to them, as well, for letting us stay in their bed (all five of us, awesome, but better than the other option--an air bed).  :)

Vintage Cotton Cap Sleeve in Stripe is still available and on sale.  I am wearing a small.

Went out and had fun at the San Diego Botanical Garden with all my kids and my girl, Monica (she was in the last BWRR reviewing the embellished tunic), and her kids, husband, and her husband's grandma.  :)  My hubby was at Comic Con.  (He was a runner-up in something that was announced at Comic Con, but I will spill the beans on that one in the "California: The Photos" post.)

This is an outfit you all have seen already.  :)  I definitely am a huge fan of this combo, very easy, a bit cool, and just dressy enough for a night out for some awesome Mexican food (seriously...every Mexican restaurant in CA is amazing, be it a dive or a five star eatery).

Wore this to go to Legoland.  Legoland is always a big hit...with my hubby.  The kids liked it, too.  ;)

The shoes are from Target, the Wilhelmina Flat Sandal in raspberry, and are available and on sale.  Very comfortable, btw, and look way more expensive than the $20 I paid for them.

Went out with my Aunt to a Mexican restaurant (!!!) in this get-up.  I went ahead and brought a few pairs of pants and longer tops because it can get cool at night in CA.  I was actually looking forward to not sweating constantly, like I have been for the past six months here in VA.  It is seriously obnoxious how hot and humid it has been here on the east coast.

Ultra Eyelet Shell is on sale.  I am wearing a size 4.

Cafe Capri in Foulard is also on sale.  I am wearing a size 8.

The Uptown Heels are also on sale.  These are a size 40.

CW is also in a mix of J. Crew and Boden, but reversed, her dress is Boden and her shoes are from J. Crew.

I bought this lace top a while ago from Madewell and was struggling on how to style it, but right before the trip, I was bound and determined to figure it out so I could wear it in CA, where I know its kind of loosey, lacy, 80s style, would be appreciated.

We were headed to California Adventure that day (the sister park of Disneyland).  It held up well, and I was frankly surprised at how resilient the lace top was.

Was headed to see Monica again (J. Crew shopping in Mission Valley), then to my Aunt's, then to dinner in Long Beach (in da house)*.  This ensemble was perfection, just dressy enough for dinner, but very sturdy and comfortable for the rest of the day.

*I can't be the only person who immediately says this to themselves whenever Long Beach is mentioned, right?  Other times I do this include when I read the word "distance," I immediately say, "he's going the distance, he's going for speed, she's all alone, all alone in her time of need." 

I am mixing two uniform patterns here, the top has bitty birds, and the shorts have embroidered keys.

Unfortunately, the birdie top had to take a break halfway through the day, only to be replaced by...

The most awesome tee ever.  LOL.  I kid, but I am a huge fan of Captian EO (in a theater near you...if you happen to be at Disneyland).  My hubby surprised me with this top partway through our day, and because of an Angus poop storm (seriously, what a phrase Mr. Dina made up), I had to wash the birdie shirt and wear this one instead.  Lucky me, it totally matched.

Yes, CW is in an Ariel dress.  No, that is not my favorite princess.  I personally do not agree with going against your family, making a deal with a (clearly) demented witch octopus lady fish thingy, losing your amazing gift of singing, all to get the eye of a man who likely won't even notice you.  She was SO fortunate that it all worked out in the end, no thanks in part to her blatant stupidity.  ;)

(I do have to say aside from Ariel being a dingbat, I do like that she is a mermaid, has great style, and wonderful red hair.  That's all that CW cares about too.  She's three, so she gets a pass on not knowing Ariel's past.)

Instead of going out with my friends on the Sunday night before we left, I decided to stay in the hotel and hang with Angus instead.  Since the law says that I must wear clothing to get food from an establishment in a public place (hotel lobby), I put on this outfit. 

Last full day before we left.  We went to the San Diego zoo, where madness ensued (more on that in the photos post).  I felt very comfortable, though, in this ensemble, so at least there was that.

Villa Dress in Stripe is still available and on sale.

Chevron Tie Belt is also available and on sale.

California Trip 2012. by dinagideon featuring j. crew shorts

Above is the polyvore of most of the pieces.

Alright, you all have a great night. :)

America's Most Endangered Historic Places...

As many of you who have been following this blog for awhile know, I have a thing for mid-century modern things. I love it all...furniture, clothing, houses, and buildings. Many folks dislike this style because it is a bit "in your face," especially in the case of buildings of this style.

You can ignore someone's choice in furniture or clothing (because this is their own personal choice). To a lesser extent you can ignore mid-century modern homes because they have less of an impact on the public space than buildings (even though there are WAY MORE houses of this style out there than buildings).

You have no choice but to pay attention to a building, because they exist as part of the public footprint on a community. They are often very tall and imposing structures. The 60s was a time of over-the-top creativity, a pushing of boundaries in architecture. It is no surprise that buildings like this (Markel Building, Richmond, VA) were born in this time period.

Sadly, not everyone feels preserving these (admittedly) unique structures. So the National Trust for Historic Preservation has listed (as of yesterday) their take on America's Most Endangered Historic Places, and the list includes two mid-century modern buildings, the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, CA, and the Miami Marine Stadium in Miami, FL. Both built in the 60s and both in great danger of being torn down.

I can do very little on my end, other than inform a couple of you that this is happening. If there was a mid-century modern building in my area about to be torn down or listed as endangered, I would find a way to take action.

Now, I know this is not some of you all's cup of tea, but there are non-mid-century modern buildings and structures on the list as well.

Take a look at the American Historical Association's blog post about this. Good read.

Hope you all have a great (and enlightened) day!

By the way, thanks, Dad, for sending me this info!