OOTDs: Made by Me May, Part Two! And One Outfit Isn't Like the Handmade Others.

Made by Me May, Part One is here, btw, for those of you looking for it.  There will be a Made by Me May, Part Three, also.

Day: Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

Where:  Airport to pick up my mom with my brother, then to Five Guys.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Super comfortable, but I still felt a bit exposed showing off this much of my legs.  That said, I just love this outfit overall, the colors, the gorgeous liberty print, the unique necklace.  Just wish I had made the skirt a bit longer. 

Outfit Details:  Skirt, handmade (using an old McCall's pattern, I believe); Factory Short Sleeve sweater (bought an extra-small, it's roomy), J. Crew Factory here; Necklace, J. Crew; Sandals, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day:  Pete can't just take a normal photo with me, he pretty much always has to do something silly.  Still love the photo, though.  :-)  Brothers...

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, May 20, 2015.

Where:  The school to help out at the Mexican Fiesta party.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Was so excited to finally wear my bias cut jacket that I made back in December, but because of its timing with my friend W's death, I couldn't bring myself to wear it back then.  I decided enough was enough, and brought it out, but of course, I wore it for a grand total of thirty minutes before I decided it was too hot to be wearing it.  Sigh.

The Contrast Paneled Shell I purchased in a size petite small, and though it fits well, it is a touch tight in the bust (and I have a very small bust).  I prefer the petite since it hits higher on my hip, if I had purchased the regular, it would have been too long.

Outfit Details:  Jacket, handmade (using Vogue 8910); Contrast Paneled Shell, J. Crew here,  Turner Pants, J. Crew here, Sandals, J. Crew.

Anecdote of the Day:  I always feel like I have to fake it till I make it at my kids' school with the other parents.  They seem like the sort that were very popular in high school and college and are still holding onto the "cool" that they are.  I don't feel cool, I just feel out of place.  Well, anyhow, long story short, I finally have met a few moms and dads there that don't make me feel like I have to be someone I am not, and that day I got to spend some time talking with one of the moms there that literally agrees with me on almost everything, which is just amazing.  :-)  So good to finally be able to really be me, you know?

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Where:  Birthday party for one of Angus's Little Gym Friends.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Beyond needing to make the shoes a bit looser by wearing them out a bit more, this was a nice outfit to wear to a birthday party.  It was really really hot and humid, though, and the ITY knit felt a bit stifling towards the end of the day.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade (using New Look 6097); Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:   Angus arrived late for the party since he was taking a long nap.  We got there and the face paint artist was just about to leave.  I asked her is she could get something drawn on Angus real quick, and she said, "maybe a small spider on his arm?"  Yeah, small spider my butt.  That thing took up half his arm.  How long did it take her? Two minutes. Crazy.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, May 16, 2015.

Where:  Girls Night Out.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I love love love my tiered jersey dress from Garnet Hill so much that I had to make my own when challenged last year to copy a RTW item in my closet and make a new version of it using fabric from our stash.  It was a no-brainer, as soon as I knew what the challenge was, I knew which RTW item I was going to copy.  I hope to make another one this summer.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade (using a pattern I made using an old Garnet Hill dress, learn more on that here); Sandals, Madewell; Necklace, Uncommon Goods.

Anecdote of the Day:   So my friend, B., is moving to the outer suburbs, close to where my brother is planning on moving.  If you know anything about DC traffic, twenty miles equals at least an hour on the road (especially if the highway that gets you there is far from your house, twenty miles for us on 395, no biggie, 66, BIGGIE).  SOB!  Don't move!

INSTAGRAM HERE.
 

Day: Monday, May 18, 2015.

Where:  Church Meeting.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I thought it would be funny to wear a "going to the pool" tee with a "wanna be by the sea" skirt.  The two together are very nice and certainly comfortable for the hot/humid weather, but I really wish the skirt was a touch less full.  I even chose to size down to a 6 Long and it was still voluminous. 

Outfit Details:  Top, Madewell; Florence Skirt, Boden here; Sandals, Madewell; Necklace, Target.

Anecdote of the Day:  One lady in my church group is French and she 100% appreciated the "going to the pool/wanna be by the sea" play I did with my clothing.  It flew over all the other heads, though.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 21, 2015.

Where:  Richmond with my Mom and Angus to eat lunch at the Can Can and go the Children's Museum.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  So all week and through this last weekend it has been either warm or hot.  The one day we travel, south even, and it is freaking cold!  It was barely in the 50s and raining like nobody's business.  At one point, I wondered if we all should have worn coats.  It did allow me to wear a tunic that I wasn't sure would be able to be worn in May, though.

Outfit Details:  Tunic, handmade (using McCall's 6796); Leggings, J. Crew here; Nike Waffle Racers, J. Crew here (navy only).

Anecdote of the Day:  I loved my wine so much at lunch, I bought the bottle for some ridiculous price.  It was so worth it, though, I have been enjoying it for the past few days (it has a screw top so it stays fresh in the fridge).  If you want to see it, check out the instagram shot.

INSTAGRAM HERE.
 

Day: Friday, May 22, 2015.

Where:  Doctor's appointment for CW and a long walk on our forest paths in our neighborhood.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Since I have lost a little weight since I first made this dress, it fits me better through the bodice, but still is a touch to close for comfort.  I didn't know it then, but I need to always make a square shoulder adjustment on patterns, and any future versions of this, I will need to as well.

Outfit Details: Dress, handmade (using an old Amy Butler pattern); Sandals, Target; Selina Sunglasses, Boden here.

Anecdote of the Day:  I so enjoy the forests in our neighborhood, but that day was so special, it was 70 and sunny and perfect for a walk.  It seriously felt like I was on vacation, if only for an hour or so.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, May 23, 2015.

Where:  Dropping my Mom at the airport and Church.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This top is literally two rectangles sewn together.  I cut it out on Friday night and the next day had it ready to wear.  It's not much sewing for a whole lot of impact (especially if it is a super loud  pattern like this).  I definitely will be trying this "pattern" again.  The tee is super soft, too.  The sandals are those (sold out in a heartbeat) Mackenzie crackled foil sandals and they, like the rest of the outfit, are stupid comfortable too.

Outfit Details: Top, handmade (using a "pattern," snort); Turner pants, J. Crew here; Mackenzie crackled foil sandals, J. Crew here; Bag, Hobo, Intl.

Anecdote of the Day: Mr. Dina hates Olive Garden, so we never go there, but my friend wanted to go there after mass, and to be honest, it was pretty tasty.  I mean, take what I say with a grain of salt.  Apparently I'll eat anything, since I took one of those online "what won't you eat" quizzes and out of 120 items, I would eat 119 of them.  (My one "eww" was kidneys, yep, kidneys, don't like because of their texture, not their taste.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Sunday, May 24, 2015.

Where:  To watch the movie "Tomorrowland."

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts and top and sandals combo are so comfy, almost pajama-like.  My one issue with the shorts are that they are short enough that when I sit down, my legs make contact with the chair or bench.  It feels weird enough that I notice.  (Writing that out makes me realize I may sound like a freak, tell me I am not alone here).

Outfit Details: Top, Forever 21; Shorts, (using a Burda Magazine pattern from last summer); Factory Raffia Boardwalk sandals, J. Crew Factory here.

Anecdote of the Day: Every time I watch a George Clooney movie, he cries in it.  Damnit, George Clooney.  Stop crying.  It is inevitable that watching him cry will make me cry.  (Pulls out tissues...)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's it for now.  Hope the parade of excess in the form of photos didn't overwhelm you.  :-)

OOTDs: The Starlet Knit Dress, the Star of My Wardrobe.

After spending half of my California OOTD post declaring my undying love for the Garnet Hill jersey dress, I thought it best to follow up with three ootds from this summer that feature the remaining photos that give further proof of my obsession with this company's fine women's wear.

After purchasing and wearing the Starlet Knit Dress last summer (first shown here at this blog post), I decided that if Garnet Hill were to issue the dress in patterns/colors I liked this season, and I could grab them with a discount of some sort, I would buy them since I lived in the one I had last summer (it was my "go to" easy outfit when I didn't have the energy or desire to put a lot of thought into my look).  Lucky for me, they issued it in multiple colors, and I went ahead and grabbed two shades, the cherry print (which I brought to CA with me) and a bright aqua floral print.  Every cent spent was worth it since I have worn all three versions multiple times this year.  (I don't photograph every outfit, but if I were that kind of style blogger, you all would be B-O-R-E-D with these three by now.)

Day: Sunday,  July 28, 2013.

Where: Mass.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Not only is the dress pretty and flattering, WITH POCKETS, the darn thing wears like pajamas.  Good thing, too, since half of mass was spent outside with Tiny (Angus) chasing him to and fro, since he just won't sit still for more than a brief nanosecond.  My church has met its match.  Sigh.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This is the closest to cool regarding styling as any of the three looks come to it, but it still doesn't look that cool.  The Madewell sunglasses help a tiny bit.

Anecdote from the Day:  Read the "ease of wear" for more on that. 

Day: Wednesday,  August 7, 2013.

Where: Chilling at home, in all seriousness.  The bag was for show.  ;-)

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Easy enough for me to choose to wear a dress instead of anything else for "chilling" at home.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Meh, the print will probably look dated in a few years.  I love the color, though, and will wear this dress for a long time since I feel so good in it, even if it ends up in the "at home only" pile in a few years.  (I have worn it out in public, just not that day.)

Anecdote from the Day:  I wrote a BWRR that day, the last one I did for a whole month.  I have since rectified that situation and published a new one on Monday.  

Day: Sunday, August 18, 2013.

Where: Richmond to visit Rex's kindergarten teacher (she got married and then moved--sadness).  We ate at the Can Can, one of my all time favorite restaurants and then visited the Children's Museum on Broad Street.  (The egg photos are from the museum.)

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  It was comfortable enough for me to feel good even though we spent THREE WHOLE HOURS in traffic to get from Alexandria to Richmond (it normally takes between one and a half and two hours to get there--and two is what I expect when there is traffic).  We were late, but I barely look tousled.  Good on you, Garnet Hill.

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) Very momma on the go here, so not especially cool, but as you all know, cool isn't always the most important thing to me.

Anecdote from the Day:  THREE HOURS in bumper to bumper traffic.  It was only three hours, btw, because I know that you can ditch 95 and take Route 1 through Spotsylvania county, Caroline county, and Hanover county to get to upper Richmond.  The people on the highway don't want to deal with traffic lights, but I would rather deal with 10 traffic lights and move at 55 MPH than sit with half the population of the east coast staring at license tags in 20 MPH traffic.

I did discover the funniest band name known to man that day, Disco Tex and the Sex-O-Lettes.  Ha.  I did not get to "Get Dancing"* sadly.  Dang and it.

*If bored, you have to watch this.  Trust me.

Okay, that's all for now.

Reminder--Boden's 20% portion of the "Diminishing Discount" promo is ending tonight.  Tomorrow the amount off reduces to 15% off (that is my "usual" coupon % off, btw).  I wrote about that sale here at this post.

What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear When Faced with the Infamous Beltway?

"Oh, dear, Will...I believe our meeting will have to be delayed as I am stuck in just the most terrible traffic ever...the Beltway has beaten us."

It is incredibly fortunate that Emma and Will and their singing teen acolytes are in a suburban high school in Ohio and not in Northern Virginia. See if they were, they would never make it to regionals or nationals because they and their school bus would be forever trapped in the never-ending cycle of traffic that makes the DC region so (in)famous.

Here is how my conversation went with my dear bloggie friend Suzy:

"Suzy, I know that I was planning on meeting you in Montgomery Mall in Bethesda later this morning so you and I could meet up, I could give you your Arbonne catalog and samples and that gorgeous Madewell necklace that I sold you on the exchange, but I am afraid the traffic is too insane to even bear. By the time I got to the mall, I would have to say hi, throw the bag full of goodies at your hands from my open car window, and yell good-bye as I race off to catch the light so I can get back on the highway for my insane return back home. I believe, Suzy, that if I were to try and meet you in Richmond I could get to you faster. (Suzy laughs, and agrees.) Next time, I will take the hour and half trip to Richmond (100 miles door to door) to see you and not the two hour trip to Bethesda (20 miles door to door)!  I will resign myself to mailing your package to you instead."

I had been so excited to see her...I wanted to show off my babies, hang out in the mall, check out the new arrivals at J. Crew, and show off my Emma Pillsbury inspired outfit. Sadly this was not to be. (SHAKES delicate, glass-beaded bracelet wrist at the back-up on 495.)

WWEPW My Take... by dinagideon featuring a cluster necklace

Anyhow, this is the polyvore of an Emma inspired outfit that only my kids and a WHOLE bunch of random strangers were able to see at Tysons (le sigh, it seems I always end up at Tysons for shopping).

Emma Pillsbury wore a similar outfit a few weeks back and WWEPW blogged about it soon thereafter. And then the cardigan went on sale...whee!

And on me...before I realized what my day was to hold. I would have been better off in an orange reflective vest and a green utility jumper. At least that way I would have been better dressed to help the construction workers out...

Sizes:
Cardigan: Pick A Bunch Cardi, Anthropologie, Size Small. Very fitted and short. Definitely size up if you are long-torsoed.
Skirt: Double Serge Pencil Skirt, J. Crew, Bronzed Ochre, Size 6. The 4 fit, but way too closely...I felt like an extra in the secretarial pool over at the Mad Men set in the smaller size. LOL.

I did buy a blazecoat at the Tysons J. Crew. They were running a 25% off special, so I bit. I bought a 2. That coat runs really large. A lot of you all will probably be sized out.

For Sale Items 11/15/10... by dinagideon featuring j crew tops

I hope you all have a great day...just so you know, I have some stuff on sale...go ahead on over to my polyvore and check out the pieces, sizes, and prices.  :)

The Ball Gown...

Date: January 16, 2010.
Who: dinagideon and Mr. Dina, plus Bob McDonnell, our good friend, the governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia (heehee...I am sure he knows us by name and everything).
When: Evening time...past the babies' bedtime. Grandpa and Grandma babysat...Sweet!!! :)
Where: Convention Center, corner of Broad and 6th in Richmond, VA.
Why: It was time to celebrate the inauguration of the above "good friend," and dance the night away with the bands America (yes, the actual band America), and Amaretto (whose singers are really REALLY scarily good at doing covers of Beyonce and such).
Worn: Not J. Crew!!! (You'll see...J. Crew wasn't forgotten...they are a Virginia company, after all, but why would I buy a J. Crew gown when I could wear the one I chose instead?)


Story on the gown: I was invited to some gala or another that was basically a fundraising event for some health non-profit or another, maybe the American Heart Association? I was 23 at the time and I was like every 23-year old...pretty much poor (seriously, as "glamorous" as working on Capitol Hill is and was, it does NOT PAY WELL). I had to get a gown, so my erstwhile friend Lara and I went to a store in Pentagon City that is now a Baby Gap (funny how the stores work for me in all stages of my life). I spied this, the gown, the first time I walked in. I was smitten. The color, the embroidery, the life because of the multiple layers of fabric, the fact that the skirt would work for me and not against my hips (even at my thinnest, and trust me, it was borderline scary, ribs showing and all, my hips were always very full). The best part? This gown was not *that* expensive. Maybe 200 dollars? At the time that was a serious chunk of change, but one that I was okay with as I figured it would stay in my wardrobe. (I did wear it again a couple of years later to another event.)

Fast forward: Two babies later, I was getting stressed that the dress wouldn't fit. I had about a month to go before the event, and I figured I should just bite the bullet and try it. This gown is not vanity-sized, so I figured it may not work. I slip it over my head around the middle of December, find it easily slides over my hips (yay!) and then do up the zipper in the back...and, it FITS!!! I knew I would have to use the wonder power of Spanx just for my own "comfort" that evening (the dress did up without spanx, but I am not a crazy woman living in crazy town who thinks that miracle will include a meal and dancing).

And what you see above is the front view of the ball gown...isn't the embroidery scrumptious? BTW, this is not a silk gown, or anything fancy like that, probably poly blend of some sort, but I don't care...this made me feel special, and the best part? It is so unique...I have never seen a gown like it!


From the back...even a bit of embroidery on the upper back. I love this shot, it feels very mid-century glam. :) Good on Mr. Dina for trying to January Jones me.


And here it is with the gold Coach shoes peeking out, and the sequin scarf cardigan that I last wore here. This is a FANTASTIC cardigan, and works so well, dressed down, or dressed WAY UP!

Please note the amazing cuff bracelet given to me by the spectacular drewablank. The color is perfect with the floral design. Thank you, again!!!


Makeup: I went much heavier than I normally do...including a bunch of eyeshadow and illuminating lotion, etc. Stuck to my true self, though, and wore a whole bunch of lip gloss (mixed together), rather than a lipstick. The earrings are the free Flora earrings given to some JCAs back in October, and the headband is a J. Crew (in-store only) braided job.


I love this photo. I do wish to know why Mr. Dina and CW found the Saints game more interesting than our family photo? Hmm???

So there you go...my ball gown...I hope it didn't disappoint. I did see a few ladies with their J. Crew gowns, and they looked AWESOME, but for the most part it was very "Miss America Pageant." A LOT of sequins and rhinestones and bright blue pleated jobs. Which is cool...but definitely not my cup of tea! ;)

Accessories for a Ball!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

And because some of you may like the accessories, above are the pieces together in a polyvore.

Have a great night, all!!!

Marvelous Minnies, Richmond Style!!! (Said with Jazz Hands!)

Over at JCA today, there is a really good discussion about the marvelous minnie pants, which was spurred by an e-mail sent by J. Crew to all of us JCAs this morning. Somehow, and with some serendipity, I wore my charcoal grey minnie pants on both days of my trip to Richmond (for the Inauguration festivities surrounding Bob McDonnell, our current governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia). I was forced to keep my wardrobe as simple as possible this weekend. When you have to pack a ball gown (floor-length and flowing), plus a tux, a trench coat (Icon trench review will be later this week), a double stroller, diapers, wipes, etc., etc., you can't really go "crazy" and bring everything with you.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

So I went with two simple, easy, packable, non-wrinkable choices that centered around my Minnie pants and my Aerosoles boots. This polyvore is accurate, but the boots are Aerosoles from a few years ago...pretty similar though.

The left side shows my Saturday look, also known as "dinagideon only looks like she rides horses" (you'll read why later on in this post) and the right side shows my Sunday look.


Mr. Dina apparently likes for me to look like I am in a catalog...glowing hair and all.
Sizes:
Jacket: Size Petite 8.
Shirt: Size Small. This is the outlet version of the Annette blouse in the snow leopard print. I see ZERO difference between this and the "real" version from last year. I tell you, I wonder if I should always wait a year to buy stuff at the outlet?
Pants: Size 8. I may need to re-buy one pair (in a different color) in a size 6, these puppies stretch, and buy the time I get around to dry-cleaning them (5 wears...dry cleaning is expensive), they fit pretty darn loose, especially in the knees and upper thighs. (You can see that clearly in the next photo.)

Not pictured in polyvore:
Sunglasses: Boden from last summer, Summer 2009.
Gloves: Ann Taylor ruffled cashmere lined leather gloves, Holiday 2009.
Purse: J. Crew Quilted purse, with leather handle, Spring 2005 (maybe?). This sucker is well-made. I brought it out of retirement just last week and find it is a good purse when I don't need one of my bigger purses, like the Campo.

So can you tell yet why Mr. Dina quipped to me, "Hey, you look like those ladies in the parade on the horses...you know the ones wearing the froofy jackets, the fluffy blouses, the tight pants, and the boots?" Yep, I (unintentionally) ended up choosing an "equestrian" look (a very VIRGINIA horse country look--I know this is true--I may not know "Upper East Side NYC" look--but VIRGINIA horse people--yeah, I know their wardrobe, and apparently wear it without even thinking about it) for the Inauguration. Well, at least I made Virginia proud (I hope).

Here is something funny and definitely ironic...I was in an awful horseback riding accident in the fall of 2002. The summer had been really dry and I took a bunch of girl scouts riding in Hume, Virgina, and the bees were out (one of the weird curiosities of dry summers). The bees started to attack the horses we were on, about halfway through our ride. The horse I was on got stung, and in its anger, started to buck violently. Rather than wait for her to throw me, I chose to fall off (which I am told was smart), but the horse was not done with me and with all of her girth sat on my left leg, and then ran off, leaving me injured. Turns out that I sustained a very deep hematoma (incredibly bad bruise) and did not break anything, but from that day forward, I SWORE off horses forever. I will never ever have a reason to wear a riding habit for real.

I just like the look. ;)


Another view of Miss Horsey and her little Horsey child (CW loves horses...went crazy when she saw them in the parade). In the background are all the people who didn't have kids to worry about and could actually watch Bob McDonnell not on a Jumbo-Tron. It's okay...we had fun, anyhow. :)

You see what I am saying about the Minnies? That is the second time I have worn them since the last cleaning and they are pretty loose at the knees and thighs (running around and crawling on the grass isn't going to help, but still).


On Sunday, I wore this.

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium. I bought the Stained Glass Cardigan, yes, I did. I have an upcoming post with me wearing it with the Ravine dress and belted. This cardigan looks great with the charcoal Ravine.
Top: Size Petite 10. Really wish I had bought this in a Petite 8. I love the length, the color, the fabric, but it is pretty loose overall now. I bought it when I was ten weeks postpartum, so I guess it is okay that I chose the wrong size. If I have kids ever again, remind me (LOUDLY) not to buy anything (except the basics) when postpartum...


One last photo (mainly for relatives and friends and anyone from Richmond that knows this fella). This really neat older man was at the Inauguration and he came by where we all were (families with kids--smart man) with his baby carriage (look at it...awesome) and inside were his chihuahuas...and OMG, they were SO CUTE. Baby CW started salivating as soon as she saw them. She ALMOST jumped out of my arms to go follow this guy. I waited a bit just to make sure this man was okay with my darling coming over and looking. Turns out this guy loves showing his dogs off to the public, and when he saw how intently Baby CW was studying them, he was all "look at her focus--amazing!" :) SMILE.

In the background is Rex with his best friends and their grandpa. It was a great moment. Thank you, Chihuahua Man of Richmond. (I like that name.)

Have a nice night, all. About to go put on my Tutu top for Ms. Janiece. :)

Just a Little Time Off Works Wonders...

Spending time with CW...


And with Rex...


And fooling around in the car with the best brother in the entire world...


And realizing that Kathy, Patina, Summerilla, MissMasala, Kat, grape squishee, Shannon, Drewablank, Slastena, Gingersnap, kendra, monogramgirl, Donna, nobelle, anon at 11:06 pm, Julia, Kristin, anon at 11:57 pm, RatsOnParade, Ann, casual-crew, Kate, AppGal, ashley, tastymoog, cdp, Meli22, Leader, tnorwood, stylestance, Jordyn, luvallthingsjcrew, jmpb, Christina, JCrewcrazy, Beth, PrettyBallerina, kristin, jjc, HeidiG, FabulousFloridaMommy, Petunia, Suzy, Amy, tres tippy, Joyce, JC, Maggie, and MCC (plus others I am sure) FULLY SUPPORT THIS OUTFIT (regardless of what "stylists" and others believe about fit, color, or proportion)...

EQUALS PRICELESS! Thank you everyone for believing in my vision of style...and my version of femininity. It means the world to me.

Thank you, everyone. I am back. :)

P.S. Anyone interested in a crewlet Sara Dress review? I think I could get that posted by tonight...

I (Heart) Milly!!! (Worn on April 17, 2009.)

Hi! Please understand that while J. Crew will most often be my clothing company of choice, there are many other brands that I love. One of them is Milly. This clothing company makes some wonderful dresses, especially, with all sorts of funky and pretty prints. I really (heart) the dresses that this company makes in the jersey fabric. They are soft, flowy, and exceedingly comfortable.

What don't I (heart)? The price tags. OUCH! I have seen Milly dresses well into the hundreds of dollars. I can only even begin to think about purchasing a Milly dress on sale. Also, Milly is hard to find. I realize that the clothing is sold at many upscale department stores and on-line, but it is really hard for me to get out and go try on clothes (and if I am spending hundreds of dollars that is what I need to do).

Here are some of Milly's current offerings.

I am sad to say I only own one Milly dress...and it came with me to California. This was purchased in 2007 at some super-sale price from Pink in Richmond, VA. I think it was originally price at 250-300 dollars but I was able to get it for about 125 dollars.

It is a lovely, funky, bright print and is made of that wonderful jersey fabric I spoke of earlier. It has a belt detail and decorative (non-functioning) buttons. It is a shorter dress, but since I rarely show off my legs (I am weird about it when it is too cool outside), when I do show off my legs I like it to be with a cute dress or skirt (even all my shorts are bermuda length). Because I think high heels look odd with a skirt this short, I paired the dress with my vachetta sandals from J. Crew (spring 2008).

Now, read this carefully, I know, definitely am aware of how odd the lighting is. I am also very aware of how odd the angle of the photograph is. No, my skin is not really that pale and my hair is not that color. (Lighting can screw any photo up and make things look different than in real life...anyone who blogs and posts pics knows this all too well.)

BTW, I forgot to mention why I wore this dress...I was going out for dinner with my family in California. We went to one of our uncle's favorite restaurants and had an empty chair to represent him...it was cool, sweet, and touching. :)

Update: I found one on sale (Ebay) for 110 dollars in a size extra-small if anyone likes this dress. :)

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!

Citron on a Friday Strikes Again!!!

As you know last Friday I celebrated citron (to honor FFM's awesome post about the color). Well without really meaning to, here I am celebrating it again!!! (Although, truth be told...I love this color.)

I decided against creating a polyvore because I couldn't find the top and the sweater I wore is only in polyvore as a natural color, so I will just post pics of me...wooh!

The top is by a company called Miss Closet. I bought this at Need Supply down in Richmond, again on super sale. I bought a large, but it fits pretty well, almost feels like a tunic. From what I read, Miss Closet is a juniors' brand so that could explain why the large doesn't feel too large. The jeans are my beloved Seven for all mankind dojo's. I am a little worried that they are becoming too loose. (The one pitfall of weight-loss, pants that do look really nice become too loose...sigh.) The shoes are the joelle patent flats in spearmint, and the necklace is a green amber piece I got from the History Store (or something like that) back before I was married (2001).

My hair is wet. Honestly if I make it out of the house with everything I need and my hair is wet, I will live. Little accomplishments make me the most happy. Even though it was wet, it was completely dry by the time I got to school (yep, I walked again)!


Here is the outfit, but with the sweater/fancy sweatshirt. This is from J. Crew last winter (2007). I also own it in black, but the Miss Closet top does look very nice with this color!

By the way, I see a lot of J. Crew out in the world, but this sweater/sweatshirt is the one I most often see. I think it had a very broad appeal when they created it. And almost everyone I see in it looks really nice. Must be the universally flattering shawl-collar!

My next post is about my Seven Dojo jeans dilemma. Help me if you can!

Greys and Greens!!! (Or outfit I wore on March 16, 2009!)

Greys and Greens!!! - by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

OH MY GOODNESS! I made it work...I now know how to post my pic straight from polyvore. CELEBRATE!!! Whoo!

Okay, so even though this is green and grey, I actually wore this yesterday, March 16th. I GO NUTS for green on March 17th, and this year was no exception (and yes, I will post it).

Although you have seen me in a lot of other colors, one of my all time favorite colors is green, but I do tend to wear them when it's warmer outside. I am not quite sure why. Hmm.

Well, here goes. The top is a cashmere beaded shell from J. Crew this fall (2008). The pants are the checked pattern university pants from J. Crew this fall (2008). The peacoat is not the one represented in polyvore, it is a deeper green version from Tulle. I bought it on deep discount from Need Supply in Richmond. The bracelet is a J. Crew resin version that I bought in mint green this winter (2008). This bracelet reminds me of my grandmother's costume jewelry...and I really love that sort of mid-century style of costume jewelry. I wore these same pumps (Merona Collection at Target) but in pink. These are the pumps I was waxing poetically about on Saturday night. Swoon!


Okay...I am totally hamming it up for the camera...please ignore or laugh out loud or whatever to my facial expression.

One thing to note about this outfit...these pants are a size 12...I am wearing a 10 now so this is an instance where if you are planning on buying these type of pants, definitely size up. They are very comfortable now, but if I had tried wearing them when I was a 12 for sure, they would have been WAY TOO TIGHT!

This top is so precious and warm and soft and dressy. I received a lot of compliments from the kids. The neckline is so nice, no need to wear a necklace!

And the shoes. Oh, the shoes. They really give this outfit a little extra something something...


Here is the outfit with the peacoat. What a nice, well-fitting coat this is...love the structured, almost regal air of it.


Ah, yes...the shoes. That white piping, the saturated bubble-gum pink, the metal button detail, swoon. Oh, the uppers are leather. Shocking. For 30 bucks, that is a good deal. You know J. Crew would sell the same shoes for five times that amount...

Have a nice St. Patrick's Day!

Oh the lovely Can Can in Richmond...

I could go on and on for ages about how good and awesome the Can Can is in Richmond. Located on Cary Street, this French Brasserie is incredibly popular and I have never gone and seen it anything than less than half-full.

Here's why: Good service (even when toting two under two); Friendly customers (everyone is always so happy when they are there); A fantastic wine list (I am salivating right now); Great ambiance and lighting (why are so many places so dark...I want to see my food and my friends); and of course, AMAZING FOOD (especially their fries).

I have never had a bad meal here. I vary it, sometimes going for the hamburger, sometimes the salads, sometimes soup. Each time...near perfection. The fries? Simply the best...as good as my other favorite fries, Five Guys. Oh, and the bread basket with butter? Awesome, fresh, crispy bread and the creamiest butter (I am sure eating it puts me in heart attack territory but it is so worth it).

I hope I have convinced you to come. Here is their website: http://www.cancanbrasserie.com/0408_opening.html

By the way...this restaurant sits in stark contrast to the miserable experience we had at Andy's BBQ, which was close to our B&B. We had meant to go to another of our Richmond faves, Extra Billy's BBQ, but at the last minute changed our mind. BAD IDEA! Andy's had horrible service, not very good bbq, and get this...a candy machine at the front door that our wonderful waitress sat us right next to...which for any of you with a toddler know...never put the toddler next to candy. Let's put it this way...we packaged up the eh food, took a very angry (I WANT NANNDY) Rex, and got the heck out of there.

So here are some pics:

Superb layout (the lighting...I can see my food!):

A very happy Jim, CW, and Rex (note the lack of candy machines):

Richmond on a cold day outfit on me...

These were taken on January 18, 2009. Top one taken by my husband, bottom one by me in the mirror.

The bottom one is me against a matching wall near Cary Street. :) Love it!