OOTDs: Handmade May End and a Bit of NYC.

Thanks again everyone for your nice comments at the last post.  It really does help to know that I wasn't crazy for feeling bad about what happened!  Sometimes you get so mired in what's going on that it is possible to lose a sense of relativity.  :-)  Turns out a little outrage was okay.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  The play "Fish in the Dark" (starring Larry David--woo!), dinner at Braai (which features South African cuisine), and a tour of our friend's workplace after dark (many of the 44 floors).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I wore shapewear under my dress since I knew that if I didn't, I would likely have bumps from my underwear, and since it was hot and humid (brought VA to NYC, I did!), it was a touch uncomfortable.  By the end of the night it was cooler, so it wasn't as bad then.

Outfit Details:  Floral Print Scuba Dress, Handmade from this McCall's Pattern; Sandals, J. Crew here (also worn here, few outfits down); Necklace, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day: I loved that Mr. Dina and I could get away to NYC for a day and a half and a night, without the kids!  While heading to see Larry David be his own over the top ridiculous self in "Fish in the Dark," we noticed our friend's building was a few steps from the theater.  My husband refuses to go on Facebook, so using my account, I took a photo of us in front of his building, and told the friend we were outside of his office.  In mere moments, he had come up to find us and my husband was very impressed (but not enough to actually join FB, mind you).  Later that night after having an insanely delicious meal of ostrich and biltong, the friend wanted to give us a tour of his building.  At 11 pm at night.  And since the tour was exhaustive, it didn't end until 1 am.  I was dying at the end and nearly fell asleep on the subway home.  The photo where I am seated on the white couch, btw, was on the 42nd floor.  I thought by going up that high late at night I wouldn't have the cold clammy hands of my terrifying fear of heights, but nope, I was so scared.  The whole time.  Such a wimp/flatlander...

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

Where:  Bus Ride to NYC from Arlington, VA, a gallery to see some Shag paintings, and the Meatball Shop for a late lunch.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I look wilted in the above photo for a reason.  It was HAWT and I was so stupid to wear the Turner pants instead of changing into the shorts I had brought. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, Madewell (they have this muscle tee this season, no Français though, I am afraid); Turner pants, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though).

Anecdote of the Day: So what is up with gallery attendants being so snobby?  It is amazing.  I think of any retail environment, even if it includes selling really expensive original artwork, to be a place where customer service should be paramount.  Well the gallery we went to the ladies where absorbed with their computers and phones and couldn't be really bothered to answer any of our questions.  Here's the thing, though, Mr. Dina and I own three original artworks from Shag (they are smaller and we did save for them) but we clearly are good customers of his.  Seems a shame that they couldn't be bothered with us.  ;-)  Ladies, you had ONE job. 

Okay, I know some of you may work in galleries, etc., but my experience, more often times than not is that the people who work there are incredibly uninterested in helping us out when we come in, I understand we are not dripping in jewels or high end bags, but that is because the money we could use for that we save to buy artwork!  LOL.

(Well when we have money to save...the past few years have been a bit harder budget-wise.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.
Another INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, May 29, 2015.

Where:  Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lunch, Garment District to shop, and a bus ride home.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was a fine outfit, and the top was super comfortable, as were the shoes, but I think the bus ride would have been better if I had switched to the Turner pants.

The shorts, btw, run a bit snug.  I had purchased a pair in an 8 and they fit fine, but I knew I would want to size up in the lighter color that these are, and am glad I did.  The 10 fits me very well but doesn't show off lumps and bumps as well as an 8 may have.  These shorts were very difficult to photograph well, I blame the color.

Outfit Details:  Top, Handmade from this Butterick pattern; Crepe Pull-on Shorts, J. Crew here; Pre-Montreal Racer Sneakers, here at J. Crew (only grey left, though); Necklace, J. Crew; Bag, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We went to bed at nearly 2 am after the long night out.  We woke up at 8.  I was so bleary-eyed the whole day, it really threw me off.  I really hand it to people who can go go go all day long and be great the next day.  Stunning ability that I wish I had.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This dress is so soft and cozy, if only it was a touch longer when wearing it, I would have given this a bit higher of a rating.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade from this Simplicity Pattern; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here (I have worn these so many times already this summer, here, here, and here, for instance).

Anecdote of the Day:  I am an alumna of the school, a parent at the school, a sub at the school, and a parishioner at the church attached to the school, so I needed to be at this meeting to represent many categories of why I care about this school and what I want it to become.  It was eye-opening to see how the school is valued for different reasons.  It was also shocking to see just how much is expected from a school that probably doesn't have the funds to support all the things needed by the parents.  I sort of feel like there may have been a touch of too much navel-gazing going on and I really feel like it became a "what is best for my kid is what will be best for your kid."  Sigh.  How the focus group moderators are going to take all of that in and then get the info disseminated into eatable chunks by the powers that be, I will never know.  I tip my hats to them.
 
INSTAGRAM HERE.

OOTDs Only on Instagram:

Winesday with my brother (in a handmade top), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Little League baseball game (Rex's) (wearing handmade shorts), INSTAGRAM HERE.

RUSH (!!!YEAH RUSH!!!) concert (wearing nothing handmade but I was a girl there in a Rush tee-shirt, so that counts for something, right?), INSTAGRAM HERE and HERE.

Today's outfit (wearing a few cute pieces from J. Crew Factory, including the Raffia sandals again, though they didn't make it into the photo), INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, you all have a great night!  Hope all is well!

OOTDs: RIP Ugly Sweater and Other Lost Outfits of 2013.

Good Saturday night!  So looking through my photo albums on my computer tonight, I realized there were a staggering number of ootd photos from 2013 that never saw the light of day on the blog.  Some of the outfits, well, meh, but some of these I really did want to show off.  Now that it is *embarrassingly* nearly six months after these were taken, I figured showing them off late at night on a beautiful Saturday in May may lessen my embarrassment a touch.  Not much, but maybe some of you will be viewing these after having had a drink or two and will be all, "eh, she got 'em up!"

You saw a bunch of the ootds from NYC (this was from late November 2013) mixed in with other posts (mainly J. Crew and Boden review posts).  This was actually my favorite shot from the entire trip, I thought my stepmom did a great job of taking the photo.  Anyhow, most of that outfit is Anthropologie and J. Crew, with some Target shoes thrown in for comfort.

I believe I wore this outfit subbing one of the days last year.  The Boden Sarah dress will always be one of my favorites, and the extra length on this one makes it very Catholic school appropriate.

I can't even tell you what we were doing that day, but I will tell you CW dressed herself entirely, and it appears we were both happy with our choice of hot pink clothing.

CW had some event at her school we needed to go to, and I really wanted to wear my cord deer and birdie printed shirt dress (Southward Stop, thank you Lou!) from Anthropologie I had bought off a blog friend.  Of course it was insanely cold that day, but I scoffed at real outerwear instead choosing to suffer with a thinner plaid J. Crew jacket.  The snood and ugly Target gloves helped, but not really.  I learned my lesson after winter decided to continuously laugh in my face this year by never going away.  My coats haven't ever seen this much action.

This here is another 2013 subbing ensemble.  I LOVE this Nanette Lepore top so much.  I last wore it pregnant.  I can't say I notice a huge difference in fit between the two times.  Hmm.  :-)

I did wear a big old Boden coat, gloves, hat, and a scarf, but that photo turned out really bad.  So, yeah, just imagine it.

RIP Ugly Sweater.  RIP.  Thanks, Mr. Dina for putting my beloved ugly farmyard fair isle sweater from J. Crew in the dryer on hot heat.  The sweater now is at home in CW's closet, seeing as she is the only one small enough to wear it.  Sadness. Sob!

Let's end here, with one of my favorite ootds from last year.  Very festive (worn to see the kids get their photo taken with Santa), yet chic enough to work in the non-Christmas season.  Love that Bella coat, and for all my super moaning over the awful cold and snow this last winter, it did mean my pretties that hide away for nine months of the year did get to help elevate my outfits for a few months more than usual.

Okay, that's it.  If you are drinking, have a sip for me, pretty please.  ;-)

J. Crew Reviews: Embroidered Front, Funny Birds, and a Pebbled Leather Tartine.

Embroidered-Front Tee. Size Extra-Small.  This top is currently almost sold out, barring a size extra-small in the navy/burgundy shade.  (I am in the light grey/ivory version.)

I thought this was a very pretty top when it debuted whenever (maybe two months ago?) and put it on my (teeny tiny) J. Crew wishlist.  Since my J. Crew wishlist is so miniscule, I can actually now afford to budget for the two-three items I am interested in per season. 

When this tee went on sale, and there was a decent promo going on, I bit, and was more than happy with the $45 I paid for it.  I don't know that I would have spent the entire $63 full price, but the extra bit of savings made me feel like I hadn't been swindled by the Crew.

I wore it for an entire morning in the back of my van while my hubby drove all of us to New York City.  My stepmom and I, by virtue of being *smaller* than my dad and my hubby, were squished in the back with Rex in his booster in between us.  Surprisingly, the Routan's back row is more comfy than you would expect, but let's not praise it too much, it is still the back bench row of a minivan.  The top survived the trip and barely looked worn when the photo above was taken after we finally alighted from the clutches of the car.

I think the potential for snags in the embroidery is there, so I would caution you to wear the tee when doing less physical activities.  I definitely would not wear this while toting Angus in the Ergo, for instance.

Anyhow, it was super comfortable, very pretty, and I think true to size (I typically wear a size xs in J. Crew's knits/tees).

BTW, that is the Tartine Satchel and I did buy the grey version after having bought the ivory version over the summer (again, I got this purse on a pretty decent discount, something like half off, I think I hit the sale/promo at exactly. the. right. moment.).  Anyhow, I highly recommend the pebbled version, and have worn it non-stop for the past two months.  My review is exactly the same as for the ivory over the summer, but I would say the pebbled version is proving to be very hard-wearing, so I recommend the pebbled version especially for anyone with a very active lifestyle (read: lots and lots of children).

Funny Birds Tee.  Size Extra Small.  I love the mid-century modern styling of these birds on the front of the tee.  I didn't wait for this tee to go on sale, I just bought it with a 25% off the first day it came out (I wanted the free shipping they offered that day).  I see that it is fully stocked, so if you want it, but want a better price (I paid around $35), I think you could probably wait. 

I could have bought the size small for a bit more of a loose fit (like the way the model in the catalog is wearing hers), but I am not exactly disappointed in the fit, I think it works for me the way I wear tees, so I won't be returning to size up.

Anyhow, this tee is very nicely made, with a soft feel, and interesting seam detailing (the shoulder lines are a bit dropped).  I didn't grab a photo of me in this with just the tee on (it was COLD that morning), but I have plans to wear it again and soon, so I should get a photo of it on its own soon enough.

Okay, that's it from me for tonight.

I should be back tomorrow with something, I hope.  I can't count on anything these days since my littlest man seems to be in the habit of midnight freak-outs/crying jags, and I won't lie, I am just a bit tired.  ;-)

OOTDs: Puff Sleeves and Pelicans.

Day: Sunday, October 13, 2013.

Where: Anniversary lunch at Oyamel and a trip to the Corcoran Art Museum, one of the only things that is still open while the government is shut down. 

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Well, we walked quite a bit and the whole outfit held up well to the slight drizzle and wind that overtook the area this weekend.  There was a bit of wrinkling on the dress, but that comes after sitting for a bit, so no biggie.  The Heeled Loafer was very comfortable, and having added the inserts to make them fit just a bit better (original review here) was a blessing in disguise since they provided extra cushioning for our long walk.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I think this dress, a Paul & Joe pelican printed silk frock that I got for a great price on sale last year from Net-a-Porter, was styled much cooler when I wore in New York City last April.  It still looked very pretty for my date with my husband and our son (lol, there's a date companion), but not as chic.  Mr. Dina liked it, though, especially since he went to college at Tulane in New Orleans, and pelicans are big down in Louisiana.  (They recently renamed the New Orleans basketball team the "Pelicans.")

Anecdote from the Day:  We were married 12 years ago.  Gracious.  :-)

That dress gave me a bit of a heartache since I had always planned to wear it out for our anniversary lunch.  I thought I had hung it up after we came home from NYC in April, but after searching three separate closets (I have some off season storage), I couldn't find it anywhere.  Then I had the horrible thought that I had cleaned it at the dry cleaners and had left it there, but couldn't for the life of me remember leaving it there.  Then Mr. Dina suggested gently looking for it in the suitcase since it was possible I left it in there.  I just scoffed, tears ready to be shed over the loss of my pretty pretty dress, and looked there.  And he was right, there it was all nestled so in a garment bag in the front pocket of the suitcase.  :-)

Day: Saturday, October 12, 2013.

Where: G Street Fabrics for a class on how to work with vinyl, leather, and other "difficult" fabrics. 

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I like the outfit, but I guess I take a bit of an issue with the thinness of the Johnnie b. Harem Pants (there is a size 13-14 left, I took these in a 15-16) since I feel like they should be made from a bit thicker of a fabric if they are going to be for bottoms.  That said, they are really meant more for summer, so I can see the thinking behind the decision.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I love the outfit all done up with the trench coat and the bag, but the outfit without those two pieces is a bit meh.

Anecdote from the Day:  I love the G Street fabrics $2.97 remnant table SO much.  They have the most gorgeous fabrics shipped down from the fabric stores in New York all the time.  When I was there for that class, I grabbed a lovely poly (which I normally detest, but figure this one can be lined to take away some of the potential static that comes with it) in a sage green color with dandelions blowing in the wind.  There was also some yummy knit cottons, perfect for continuing how to figure out how to sew up my own tee-shirts.  (I made one already, and it turned out okay.)

Day: Saturday, April 20, 2013.

Where: Day out in NYC with my little lady--going to see Cinderella (Broadway show) and dinner out with our good friends, Marietta and her husband, A. 

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Besides the shoes, I did great walking all around NYC, since given the preference, I would rather walk than take the subway.  CW did great, too, but she was just four when we went, so by the time we were walking on the Upper East Side to meet Marietta, she was a little (maybe a lot) bit tired. 

I did end up changing right before my walk to the restaurant, but only into a pair of pants and a lace tee (didn't get a photo of that outfit), so the shoes stayed on my feet.  I will know better for next time.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This is one of my favorite outfits ever.  I think I prefer the dress unbelted and tied up at the neck with the self-belt.  The Draycott Coat is fine, but maybe I will try another topper the next time I wear this out and about.

Anecdote from the Day:  Poor CW, the first scene of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella included a scary forest scene and she kind of freaked out.  I knew that the rest of the musical would be all flowers, rainbows, and happy sunshine, but of course she didn't.  It took a lot of convincing (quietly, of course) to assure her that the rest of the musical would be fine and she would really enjoy herself since she was ready to bolt.  :-P

And it was fine, she was positively swooning over Cinderella by the end of the show.

Okay, that's it for today!  I hope everyone is having a great Wednesday.

BTW, I am taking all these skirts to the consignment shop tomorrow (well, the ones not sold), so if you wanted one of them, let me know today.  :-)

Boden: Mid-Season Sale Picks! Plus Some New IRL Photos!

Some of the items are actually 50% Off!

Good Monday morning!  Certainly is grey here in Virginia, unlike this weekend which had amazing weather.  Grey mornings mean I am stuck at home, so I figured I would take this time and finally get my mid-season sale picks done.  I first blogged about this sale last week.  :) 

One thing has changed since that post, though.  Now they are offering free shipping with the promo, so if you paid shipping, you may want to call and ask if they can refund the shipping fee.

Anyhow, this post will be split into three sections, the 50% off section, the 40% off section, and the 30% off section.  Yes, there are items that are 20% off, but I decided that 20% off, while a good promo, is close enough to the 15% off you get from using my sidebar coupon that I wouldn't add that to my list today.  (That said, there are still quite a few picks here from the 30-50% off...Boden has A LOT in this sale.)

The sale ends at 11:59 pm on May 1, 2013, which is this Wednesday.  I will definitely remind you all over at JCA, here, and on my facebook page that it is ending.  I seem to forget when promos end (I usually order the last day of a sale) and having reminders from fellow blog friends helps remind me.

Below is the direct link to the promo.  The prices for the items should show up properly if you use the link.


Okay, onto the picks!

50% Off:

Hand Crochet Jumper--50% off; $69 from $138.  I am tempted by this one myself, in the white.  I love the idea of having a sweater that you can wear in the warmer weather.  Still on the fence, but if stocks go really low, I may give it a shot since low stocks usually become no stock fairly quickly. 



Riviera Shirt Dress--50% off; $74 from $148.  You all know I am a fan of this dress since I am wearing its fall version in my blog header.  I didn't buy this season's version since I already own three of these, but I can see the allure of this version.  It even fills out the very thin model in the shot above, so it seems to suit many different body shapes.  The $74 is reasonable, especially for what you receive.

40% Off:

Vintage Ponte Dress--40% off; $70.80 from $118.  This dress is not selling well.  It is adorable, striped, and perfect for summer.  I wonder if most women already have a striped tank dress in their closet and don't really need another one.  Anyhow, if you do need a striped tank dress, this is a good price for a well-constructed version, made from a really nice thick fabric.


Cashmere Textured Jumper--40% off; $118 from $198.  I thought this sweater had completely sold out in all colors a couple of months ago.  Turns out that there are still a few left, but stocks are getting low again.  If you wanted it and thought you had missed out, here is your chance to grab it.


Cashmere Hoody--40% off; $118 from $198.  I have now worn the one I bought when it went on sale the last time (and sold out, or so I thought) multiple times.  It is just the right amount of awesome...comfortable enough to wear whenever you need comfort, colorful enough to lift the mood (I bought the pretty rich green version), and dressy/fitted enough so that it doesn't look like you are wearing a glorified piece of gym wear.  My original review is here.


Textured Party Top--40% off; $88.80 from $148.  I did decide to grab this one this morning, since I had a credit on my account from a return, plus the fact that it is selling out in the smaller sizes.  I decided on the grey in a size 6.  I read that it is running large, but the garment measurements lead me to believe the 6 is the best fit for me.  I hope I decided well.  Anyhow, I love the shape, the slight peplum at the hip, and the adorable cap sleeves.  Add the fun textured, mod 60s fabric to the mix and I am sold.  Will definitely jazz up a cute pencil skirt or capri pants easily.  Plus, if you like the Clara Dress, but definitely can't afford it (or missed out on it--selling well!), this is a great alternative option.


Darcey Dress (Gold only); 40% off; $88.80 from $148.  The navy version in the stock photo is more expensive, but still on sale.  The gold, in my opinion, is prettier, though, and less expensive.  I really like that you can see the darling embellishment better on the gold, plus the gold is a rich, muted gold, so it looks expensive.  The dress is made from cotton sateen, as well, so it will stretch and move with your curves, instead of making you feel like you are wedging yourself into a dress. 


Draycott Coat (Navy only); 40% off; $100.80 from $168.  Another one from Boden's spring/summer line that I have already worn to death.  :)  My original review of the navy is here, and even though I only received 20% off (bought in the preview), I am perfectly happy having paid the higher amount as I am definitely getting a good return on my cost.

I wore it all over NYC last weekend when it was a touch cool on both Saturday and Sunday.  Above I am wearing it (with my darling little princess) before we left to go uptown to do some shopping and watch Cinderella on Broadway. 

30% Off:

Breton Sweatshirt (Grey only)--30% off; $40.60 from $58.  Of course the only color in the sale is the color I bought during preview.  LOL.  Doesn't matter.  Like the Draycott Coat, I have been wearing this one constantly, which is definitely outside my M.O. of "wear something once or twice a season."  I think this may be because of my "great closet cleanout of 2013" which is wonderful for my pocketbook (consignment shops--woo and hoo) and for my ease of dressing, just a lot less to choose from...  My initial review of this top is here.

Wore this sweatshirt on the trip to NYC (in the car for four plus hours--hence the crumpled me you see).  I love the top with with the J. Crew pleated short in structured cotton and ballet flats, very simple but still dressy enough to not look like a total schlub (although my hair looks terrible).


Wardour Dress (White, Black only)--30% off; $103.60 from $148.  Well now, bit surprised this one is in the sale, but maybe some ladies are like me, all "nuh-unh" to the idea of adding that much of a bump to the hip area.  I love the look, though, and would likely have been all over it had there been either a straighter skirt or a more a-line skirt. 


Adelaide Dress (Soft Red only)--30% off; $54.60 from $78.  Did the review of this one on Friday, late in the day.  The grey/yellow version is not 30% off, but if the soft red would suit you, then you are in luck, since this is a great dress, no matter what color.


Sumptuous Silk Dress (Printed versions only)--30% off; $152.60 from $218.  I have enough printed silk dresses to last me many months of dinners out, church visits, and parties.  If you don't, though, this is an exceptionally pretty version!  One of the reviewers compared it to a Monet painting, and that is *exactly* what I was thinking.  :)


Hotchpotch Jumper--30% off; $61.60 from $88.  I never did a formal review of the one I received, but I bought the gold version (also on model above).  I bought the size 6 and found it ran a big snug, but nothing so small that I would have sized up.  I would only recommend sizing up if you carry your weight in your shoulders or bust.  This one is warm, lovely, and thick, so it was perfect for my trip to Ireland.  Definitely not a sweater for warmer weather, though, so if you live in the South like I do, you will only get use out of it 4 or 5 months of the year.

Here is how I styled it the first time I wore it on my trip in Ireland.  I really love it with the cobalt blue and neutral accessories.

Okay, that's it!  Don't forget that the sale extends to Johnnie b. (many of the styles can be worn by us women, too), mini Boden (girls, boys, and babies), and Boden for men.

If you just love something that is not in the sale, you can always use the coupon below (also found in the sidebar) to get an additional 15% off items not in the sale.


Do you have any picks from the sale that you would like to share?  Anything we should stay away from?