OOTDs: The Rest of Mississippi.

Hey, all!  I spent today lounging around in a Johnnie b. sweatshirt and a pair of really old cords, so I didn't really have this *huge* desire to photograph the outfit, but figure I have plenty of stuff in my files to more than fill any gaps I have for quite a long time.

Today's post features two outfits I wore while in Mississippi and Louisiana.  I won't go into a ton of detail, but below each photo (as a caption), I will mention things of interest.

The outfit was exactly right for the day since I wanted to wear something comfortable and appropriate for church (I went to mass while my husband was at the Saints game). 

Still love that there are horses in Mr. Dina's childhood home's backyard.

This is a strawberry mai tai.  I don't drink at his parent's house so I very much enjoyed this while at Middendorf's, a yummy seafood restaurant smack dab in the Bayou.

Angus was thoroughly enjoying his water, too.

This is across Highway 51, that is how close Middendorf's is to the water.  Above us is the Manchac Swamp Bridge (Interstate 55) that gets us to New Orleans from where Mr. Dina's family is from in Mississippi.  It is really cool to travel this way a few times a year.  :-)

Here is Angus enjoying the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas.  This was at the penguin tank.  He ran around like a crazed sugar fiend at the aquarium.  Benefit of that is that I had a sleeping baby at church.  Woo!

I did change jackets.  This is from Three Dots and I bought it Anthropologie, which is located at Canal Place.  The cardigan is only $88 at Anthro, but is a whole lot more at Three Dots.  I wonder why?  I can't find it online at Anthropologie, but if it comes to be available, I will update this post.

I had seen this wool dress/tunic (so so short) at Anthro years ago, but never bit the bullet on it.  I then saw it on ebay a few years later and grabbed it for next to nothing.  I love it!  It is so comfortable and warm.

Love how pretty the knit detailing is...I have started taking a knitting class on Craftsy, but I will be honest with you, I am not so sure I can wrap my head around knitting.  Sewing seems so much easier to me.

Okay, that's it, I hope you all had a beautiful Thursday and will have a wonderful Friday!

OOTDs: So Far in Mississippi...

Hey, all!

It's been a long while since I have had an ootd posts, so I thought I should at least publish what I have worn so far on the trip.  Since I am here for a few more days, this is part one of this post...part two will likely be published when I get home.

Since I am short on time (lots of family get-togethering is on the schedule), I am going to only mention items or things of interest that need to be said.  For the most part, you all have seen these items before on the blog since most of them are items I have had for years.  If something is new or can still be purchased, I will briefly review them and link to them.  ;-)

Okay, onto the outfits...

It was warm that day, probably in the mid-70s.  All I did was head to Wal-Mart with my girl, CW, to pick out some presents for her brothers.

Those kicks are from the J. Crew collaboration with Nike (called the Nike Vintage Collection Waffle Racer Sneakers).  Aren't they cool?  Mr. Dina loves them.  He may just decide to kick his white tennis shoes to the curb in favor of these waffle-soled wonders.  Sadly it appears I can't get his size in these green ones (all sold out...I barely managed to grab them in a men's size 8--that's a women's size 9.5).  It looks like I might be able to grab the navy in his size.  Hmmm...

The scarf is handmade.  It is a very easy pattern to sew up, thanks to this tutorial by Simplicity.  Highly recommend it if you are a newbie to sewing and are looking for an easy first pattern OR if you have a need for a quick present to make.  I used roughly 5/8 yard of this cotton jersey to make it.  (I will do a more in-depth review of this item in my next "made by me" file.)

Here we are at the Superdome.  Mr. Dina wanted to go to the Saints store when it wasn't super crowded.

CW's dress wass in the Boden end of season sale, but it is gone.  I will update the post with its link if it comes back.  :-)  I can see why it sold out, the owl applique on this version is so cute!

Here I am standing in front of an abandoned factory really close to Mardi Gras world.  Very cool location, if a bit somber.  I have never lived in a place where factories are a normal thing (DC area has very little industrial history, so no factories there), so I have a thing for factories.  I think they are beautiful structures, especially the ones from long ago enough that they had smokestacks and detailed brickwork.

Two of these pieces are newer, the cable knit pocket sweater from J. Crew (size small, fits a bit loose, but it runs short, so I erred on the size of sizing up--gigiofca did a great in-depth review of it here) and the Wool Bistro Crop in tartan from Boden.  The tartan wool bistro crop pants have been popular, but have not sold out, so you can still find them in the sale section.  They sold well enough, though, that Boden didn't feel it necessary to bring the price down on them a ton.  I find they fit a bit big, since I normally wear these in a size 10 L, and chose to buy the 8 L.  Barring a tiny bit of pinching at the waist (which I alleviated by doing the whole rubberband trick), they fit very well, especially in the hips and thighs, which is where I carry my weight.

We were heading to church on Christmas Eve, but I was told it was fairly casual, so I chose pants rather than a dress.  There were a lot of casual outfits, I was still dressier than 90% of the folks there.

The pocket of the cable pocket sweater.  I ABSOLUTELY love these pockets.

Saw Anchorman 2 with Mr. Dina yesterday.  Because I am crazy and literal, I chose to wear shoes that match my tee exactly (Dublin Green if I recall the J. Crew color correctly) and to wear shoes that would have fit right in the Anchorman movie. 

Best line from the Anchorman 2 movie?  Upon someone commenting on Christina Applegate's bottom, she turns to Will Ferrel and asks, "why don't you talk to that man who said that?"  Will Ferrel responded with, "your butt is like the north star, wise men follow it."  Hahahahaha.  Next time I feel down about my bottom, I truly hope Mr. Dina says that phrase to me.

They have even more horses in the field behind the house.  Years ago there were one or two, now there are at least four horses, plus a donkey (!!!) and a pony.  I am 100% freaked out by horses (really bad accident with one ten years ago), but I appreciate how beautiful they are.

I don't buy much from Stella & Dot, but every once in a blue moon, I will grab something from them.  I just recently acquired the Mesa necklace for a song ($35, I believe).  Both my mother-in-law and my sister-in-law are in love and will probably be getting their own Mesa necklaces, too.  (Which I now discover they can't, since they are all sold out.  Darn.  I might suggest they try the Dakota necklace instead, which sort of resembles the Mesa.)

I believe that although you shouldn't look like you have stumbled out of bed when boarding a plane, I truly believe that dressing up to the nines is a ridiculous proposition in this era of cattle car plane travel, so I always go super comfy. 

Bummer about the sweater, btw, it has TWO holes, one in the cuff hem, and one below the v in the neckline.  J. Crew, drat!

And that's it!

I hope you all have a great night!

Remember, if you have a desire to grab something from the Boden sale, you can get free shipping right now.  You can use the link below, but if you are having any issues, remember to use the code USSH.  ;-)
Our Christmas gift to you- free standard shipping from 12/25 through 12/28!

OOTDs: Mississippi Missus.

Good Sunday!  I hope everyone is well.  :)

Before I dive headfirst into the many Boden reviews I have (most positive, a handful not so), I wanted to get the ootds published from my last trip to Mississippi.  Unlike last year when we stayed there for nearly eleven days, this year was a mere eight total, so I was happy to have far less to pack and to think about.

Anyhow, since I have done this before (2009, 2010, and 2011), I don't think I need to go into much more. 

Travel Day.  I love the idea of looking fabulous while traveling, but the reality of flying with three young children means I can't go all "7FAM jeans, button-down fitted shirt, crisp wool jacket, and high-heeled boots." 

So instead, I take three lovely and comfortable pieces, wear just a touch of makeup, and fix my hair just so, and am happy when I make it through the process relatively unscathed.  (Which we did--the first travel day was wonderfully easy, for once.)

I had read the temperatures in New Orleans would be in the 70s on the first day, so I decided to pack some tees for us to wear once we landed (it was cooler in DC by twenty degrees).  The tees have a hand-printed bicycle (I used a stamp I found at AC Moore), with the words "hipster" and "mini hipster" below the bikes.

I hadn't originally planned to make a tee for CW but she saw me making mine, so she asked if she could have one, too.  I actually like hers better.  :)

The second day we were there was mild enough to go without a coat, but I knew that a sweater was necessary.  The sweater was reviewed by me here, and I have to say it has held up well, and looks wonderful with a variety of different colors.  Of course, this shade is nearly sold out (as is much over there at Boden).  The Effortless suede boots were my go-to the entire time I was in Mississippi, and I was glad to have brought them.  They are also almost completely sold out, but if you like them, I reviewed them here.

The Madewell scarf I received for a song, as it was a popback sale item with an extra 25% off.  The cords are a wonderful color, and even though I usually stay away from J. Crew pants, I have lucked out this season, since the ones I have bought have fit well and are special and unique.

BTW, the whole day was very relaxing, a bit of shopping, a bit of eating, and a bit of visiting.

Two days later (didn't get a good shot of the in-between outfit) was Thanksgiving.  We do a very easy midday meal, so none of us ever really "dress" up, but we do at least make some effort.

The collection pencil skirt in windowpane was one of my favorites from the J. Crew Fall lookbook, but OMG, the original price was so expensive.  I can see why they *wanted* to charge that amount, as this skirt is made from the softest virgin wool imaginable, but what J. Crew *should have* done was to mark it at a bit above what they wanted to get for it, and I guarantee they would have sold out immediately.  Instead, the skirt sat in the sale section until it was priced where most of us could afford it.  (And at 30% extra off, at least in my case.)

The rest of the outfit is old, except for the shoes, which I mentioned in the last outfit.

No cardigan in this shot.  I cannot express to you all how much love I have for this tee.  These were from the holiday 2007 season, and I have two of them, this one in silver, and one in a gold stripe.  If I was only allowed to have two tees in my closet, I would immediately grab these two and not look back.

Funny face!  (I love my self-timer, it always catches my *best* moments.)

I wanted to wear the Carriage coat dress again this year, and since I have plans to try it like it was styled by J. Crew (see here), but knew it wouldn't be cool enough to do so down there, I came up with the idea to wear it with lightweight leggings, some black boots, a tank (not shown), and the Madewell storyteller scarf.

And a bag that holds everything a mother of a baby and two kids might need while at a nice restaurant in town.  ;)

I wore the dress here last, while pregnant, so it is nice to see that even though it fit me then, it still works on me now (although the a-line shape is much more obvious now).

I am throwing this in here because Angus turned 8 months while we were there.  :)

Just another simple outfit from another simple day.

The sweater is the dreaded dream v-neck sweater.  For those of you who are not a JCA, the dream sweaters are dreaded because the fabric pills nearly immediately, usually if you decide to look at it the wrong way.  Now I have no idea how I lucked out, but this year's version in this lovely heathered mint color has barely a pill on it.  Sure, it is a bit "lofty" but I don't need to get out my sweater shaver and I have worn it at least three times since purchasing it (mainly lazing about the house, that's why this is the first time you have seen it on me).

Two days before we left, CW, Angus, and I went to town to get some things.  I love this Liz Lange nursing dress, especially since the colors and pattern seem right for fall festivities, but I wanted to see if I could make it work as a skirt with a buttoned up cardigan.  It almost works, barring the bit of dress you see poking out of the top of the cardi.  (I wore it last here, more traditionally.)

I didn't really grab photos of the outfit the day before we left or even the day we left, but I did ask Mr. Dina to grab a photo of the food I ate at Mother's.  Now I know that this food looks kind of gross, but WOW, it certainly doesn't taste like that.  In fact, as much as I enjoy cooking Cajun myself, and have done so for years, the food at Mother's is my personal holy grail, and if one day I can manage to cook a jambalaya like Jerry's jambalaya (my fork is pointing to it), I would be exceedingly thrilled.

I also kind of dig what Angus is doing there in the back.  Any quotes?

Since I knew I wouldn't get a photo of the last day's outfit, but I really dug the sweatshirt I was wearing, I wanted you all to at least see that, so Mr. Dina grabbed this shot of me.  It is from JC Penny's and looks and feels way more expensive than it actually is.  I liked it so much that I went ahead and grabbed it in heather grey on Black Friday (it was almost half-off, so cheap went down to insanely inexpensive).  I am wearing this in a small, and I would say it fits well (I wear a size xs in J. Crew for reference).

Mississippi Missus. by dinagideon featuring columbia jackets

Above is the polyvore of my packing list.

Okay, that's all.  Will be back later tonight with more.

Casual Outfits Mix and Match!

I have been GONE, both mentally and physically. I am sure some of you all figured it out by now...but I was away from home for TEN whole days around Thanksgiving. Every year we leave Northern Virginia and go visit Mr. Dina's parents down in Mississippi. This year is the longest we have ever gone, and if you can imagine, it was sort of a nightmare to pack for. On one hand, it can be downright HOT in the deep South in November, but then there are times (like last year) where it is COLD! Top that all off with the combo of fashion blogger and TEN days of outfits, and well, it calls for the big guns.

Mix and Match Packing List! by dinagideon featuring a flannel dress

I have talked about packing before in this Mommy Style Monday and I find that the color combo thing usually works quite well for me. This year I highlighted the colors purple, brown, grey, and olive. I also threw in a bit of blue for fun. Above is the polyvore of the vast majority of what I brought with me...and for the most part you will be seeing all the items in action. I wore most of the items twice, three times, and all the items were perfect for both casual and dressy. Unfortunately for me, I didn't bring enough warm weather clothing, so I did have to buy clearance shorts from the local department store (Belk), but that was only for the first two days I was there. I numbered all the pieces in the polyvore so that I could make it simple for me in these posts (this one I am writing now is on the casual outfits I wore and the one I will write later is on the dressy outfits I wore). If you need more info on these pieces, click on the polyvore. If that isn't enough info, comment here or at the polyvore and *eventually* I should get back to you. :)

In New Orleans, second day (we added on a night stay in the Big Easy this year--we always fly into and out of the Louis Armstrong Airport).  It was H-O-T that day.  I wore my Dauphine as a nod to Dauphine Street but I was BROILING in this photo.  I had to change after this morning, before we went to the Audubon zoo (which is fab, btw).

This outfit consists of pieces #11, #12, #22, and #8.  Yes, those are my A.R. Trapp for J. Crew Troubadour sunglasses.  Those come with me EVERYWHERE I go.  ;)

This is a combo outfit shot and review shot.  I ordered this Milly sweater a few weeks ago and in general, I love it.  Very feminine, very French, and very Emma Pillsbury.  C'est magnifique!  Only gripe I have is that the back collar area folds under (you can tell by looking at my upper right arm area), but I think if I wash it and lay it flat to dry, it should be fine.  At any rate, the tic was barely noticeable and I felt fab wearing this cute little knitted number.  I took it in a small.

Another pic, no hand on hip.  Don't you LOVE my husband's childhood room?  All those Star Wars posters?  ;)

Here is the full outfit, which consists of #7, #6, and #1.

Wore this outfit the last day I was there in Mississippi.  We went to see the latest Harry Potter (very, very good!) and I needed a cardi to keep warm and something comfy to sit in for all those hours.  I also had a migraine that day (hence no makeup), so I needed to not feel too fussy. By the time the movie started, the medicine I take had started to work, and the outfit felt great and I was able to really enjoy the show!  (The buttery popcorn I ate also helped...lol.)

I am wearing #3, #15, #13, and #1.

From the side.

Few notes about the pieces in this outfit.  The dream v-neck cardigan is starting to pill, especially under the arms.  This heathered nordic blue is such a great color that I will shave the heck out of this cardigan in order to wear it.  That said, if you are fussy about pilling, don't buy this cardigan in this color.  The sequin drizzle tank is CRAZY.  I have it here in a size PETITE 6 and it is WAY too big.  I had to basically pin my bra to the interior of the tank so my bra wouldn't show to the whole wide world.  The tank straps are made for someone with a far longer upper body than I have.  What would the regular size 4 or 6 look like on me?  Based on this, I say size down at least two sizes and make sure to get the Petite if you are short-torsoed.  I think the petite 4 or even Petite 2 would have fit my upper body much better (don't even get me started on the gaping arm holes).  As it stands, I have to sew the straps shorter to have this work without having to pin, pin, pin.  Irritating!  The glen plaid minnies are a size 8, and feel great.  I don't mind the way wool feels, though, so bear that in mind.   There is very little stretch in these so SIZE UP from your normal Minnie Pants size (my usual size is a 6).

The dressy mix and match is coming up.  I had a lot of fun dressing up while I was down there.  ;)

P.S. I want to say I am truly sorry for being missing in action lately.  I wanted to comment back on the last few posts, but honestly, I am lacking in energy.  I feel like it is a combo of a few things...my health (I feel fine most days in the AM, but by the PM I am ready to collapse, and the PM is when I usually post or comment), my general sadness (been feeling blue a lot lately, I don't know if it is the weather or what, but it has been hard to stay upbeat), and the fear of people coming to my blog and being mean (just don't have the will to deal with negativity right now, and honestly, there has been some knocking around at my favorite blogs lately and I really worry that it will come here and muck things up!).

Missed you all!!!