OOTDs: Amelia Island. Plus Shots from the Camera.

Happy Monday, everyone.  :)

I hope all of you are still above water after the craziness of Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales.  They were nuts this year.  I thought last year was crazy, but because of multiple companies offering many discounts that brought prices down by 40-60% off, I think 2012 will take the prize for most savings made by the most people over a five day period. 

With the exception of my dad and my brother, I have bought everyone's presents.  (Well, there is that American Girl I want to get CW, but I am waiting until I get paid on the 20th of December to buy that one.)

Okay, enough about that, and onto the mini-jaunt I made with Mr. Dina and Angus a couple of weeks ago to Amelia Island, Florida.

Mr. Dina had a conference to attend down there, and since he was booking the trip while I was up to my eyeballs in scheduling, errands, and kid-related catastrophes, I decided to ask him to book me on the trip, too.  Had I realized that the trip would be right next door to another trip (the one I currently am on in Mississippi/Louisiana), I might have re-thought my spontaneity, but since I couldn't look back, I went ahead and tried to enjoy myself.  (Chortle.  You all with kids know that I am being sarcastic when I say I tried...the two days I was away were insanely blissful, with just a wee baby's needs on my docket, I was in heaven.)

The weather was slightly dreadful, what with the overcast skies, cool temperatures (low 60s), and high winds, but it could have been snowing hot coals from leaden clouds and I would have still be relaxed, that is how much this time alone was needed. 

First night's outfit.  Our resort had a restaurant at it that was at our doorstep, so rather than drive to one of the other places to eat, we decided to go to the fanciest one and walk instead.  (The resort is rather large, with multiple hotels and condos.  Like the state of Florida, it is spread out.)

This was also to be the only meal I was set to enjoy with Mr. Dina (the other was Krystal, oh, yeah, that's romantic), so I wore the nicest outfit I had packed that night.

Right before we were heading out, I was trying to get a close-up shot of the details of the outfit and my makeup and hair, and Angus decided he would ham it up for us.  LOL.  What a cutie.  ;)

The next morning, Angus and I were on our own, and since I knew the whole day would be spent walking all over the resort and the beach, I wanted comfortable yet bright (yay for yellow), so I threw together a casual look.  The top is Old Navy, the shorts and sunglasses are J. Crew, the clutch is Tulu, and the sandals are from Target.

I added a merino cardigan from J. Crew to help keep the chill at bay.  I wasn't the only person wearing shorts that day, but more folks were decked out in jackets and pants than in tees and shorts. 

I set the self-timer on the walk and then grabbed this photo of Angus and me.  The mossy oaks are so pretty, and the fact they have bent by years and years of wind from the ocean is pretty incredible.

My camera (Sony RX100) allows me to switch modes when taking photos, this one is the high contrast monochrome setting.  I like that it really emphasizes the shape and shadows of the scene. 

This was taken at the boardwalk leading down to the beach.  I took it in the high contrast monochrome setting so the grain of the wood would pop, and I post-processed the image in Picasa using duo-tone (which is how I turned the black to a mid-purple color).

Boardwalk again, another high contrast monochrome setting.  I only processed it slightly, to get the rounded corners in the image (1960's does that).

The camera also takes photos in "watercolor," which is what this is.  I post-processed this image to up the color and add the rounded corners, but otherwise this is how the image looked when I took it in this setting.  The watercolor setting is fun, but probably not for the "serious" photographer.  ;)

I love this shot.  Again, set up with the timer.  I took this in the camera's regular "intelligent" mode, but heavily post-processed it.  If I had to do it again, I would add the 1960's at the end so the photo corners are pure white and not the grey (the grey happens when you add the layer of Holga-ish to the image). 

The other shots from this part of the day are hilarious, btw.  This was the only one where my hair wasn't sticking straight up from the wind. 

The next day we were set to go home, so I wore my boring, yet very practical and cozy, outfit.  For those of you interested in the two-tone cashmere sweatshirt from J. Crew, it is lovely, soft, and unique (the blending of the two colored yarns create a fun, distinctive knit).  It does run a bit short, so if you are long-torsoed, you may want to size up.  (This is a size extra-small and if I were re-ordering, I may get the small so I wouldn't have to pair it with a cami for coverage.)

The beach was warmer the second day, so instead of just playing on the boardwalk, the three of us sauntered down and walked on the shore instead. 

This is really cute, but imagine the next scene...Mr. Dina screaming loudly, "OWWW, tiny, stop pulling my hair...STOP TINY STOP!"

This was on the plane.  Angus fell asleep and I loved the way the light sort of created a halo on his scalp.

Okay, that's it.  Have any of you all ever been to Amelia Island?  I keep insisting that we go back when it is a bit more seasonal (read: warm, sunny, and still), but Mr. Dina isn't so sure.  Convince him that I am right.  ;)

Ladies who love Boden, quick reminder...in five hours the Boden Preview shuts down the 20% off promo (PRV3), so if you were thinking of grabbing something with the extra off, you have until 11:59 pm. 

OOTDs: Posting to Prove I Am Alive.

Ha.  I am still alive.  :)  I took a couple days off of facebook, e-mail, and blogging because I couldn't do it.  Ya know?  I think we all have those moments, mine was actually caused by a whole lot of scheduled events taking the place of the time I would have normally had for my virtual self...but even if I hadn't had a whole slew of child- and bowling-centered activities, I may have still taken the time off so I could rejuvenate.

Anyhow, it has been a bit chilly here, especially at the beginning of this week, so most of the outfits below are my attempt at staying warm without having to pull out the parka and hats (seriously saw that on Monday, it wasn't *that* cold, people!)...

How have you all been?  Life taking you away, too?  Keeping the chill at bay with warm cozy sweaters?  ;)

Wore this for a preschool run on Tuesday. :)  The outfit held up insanely well for what I put it through.

The pants (Boden's Zip Ankle Skimmer) I will discuss further in the Boden Weekly Review Roundup (later today, I hope), but if you want a sneak peek, I did a quickie review here at the Facebook page.

The French Hen sweater is delightful, and I really enjoyed wearing it.  It is a size small, which is one size up from my normal extra-small.  I wore a layering tee under it, but the sweater turned out to be less itchy than I anticipated, so I didn't need it...

However, I ended up getting hot, so I took the sweater off at midday and just wore the tee, so I am glad I wore that layer.

Very simple makeup that day.

BTW, those Anthro earrings are heading for my hall of fame, I wear them at least once a week.  At $15, that is a great cost per wear and they are less than a year old.

I went to TJ Maxx during the preschool run (had to grab a play mat for Angus) and I tried on some shoes and a jacket...you know, because I could...and I fell in deep love with these heels.  They are Kate Spade Jocelyn heels and so swoon-worthy.  However, I left them at the store because I didn't have enough in my account to pay for them, and I figured if they were there when I did get money in the account, it was meant to be...

The jacket is Tory Burch and while very lovely, at $200 (originally $400), I couldn't justify it...this jacket would need to be a-freaking-mazing for me to buy it at that amount.

I look like I smell something bad.

I wore this on Wednesday to take Angus to his Little Gym class.  Oops.  They decided to do tumbling that day, and yeah, even though the jeans are wonderful, they weren't exactly the best pair for tumbling.  Wearing yoga pants the next class.

Now I clearly smell roses.

No bag here in this photo.

So the Kate Spade heels in the photo two up?  I ended up buying them after Angus's class...they were still there...and I had money to cover them.  (There's a moral of the story there, but I am not going to bother mentioning it.)  :)

I wore this yesterday to do yet another preschool run and bowling (mis)adventure.

Dottie is still kicking my butt in bowling, btw, for those of you keeping track.

I blame my bad score on the pants, though.  Turns out I bought last season's Roma trousers too large (but in my usual size 8 Long) and they kept. falling. down.  Agh!  Not good for bowling.  Will delegate these pants as travel pants exclusively as they were insanely comfortable.

Next week, I am going to kick Dottie's bottom and I will wear well-fitting pants to ensure my success.  ;)

I hadn't worn this Liberty of London for Target tunic top in a while, so I was glad to give it another day in the sunshine.

So this one is from Monday and not anything special, but I will tell you that this cowlneck sweatshirt from the J. Crew Factory is awesome.  Unfortunately it was cool enough that even this didn't keep me 100% warm (had to use a blanket when just sitting in my chair). 

I ended up going to the grocery store that night and this kept me warm enough then, but this was where I saw all the crazy people in their parkas.  It was maybe 50 degrees, but no colder.  In parts of Canada people would be in shorts and a tee if it was that warm (admittedly, we are talking about Labrador here, but still!).

CW had chosen these earrings for me, and though I would have normally not chosen them for myself, she ended up picking up a perfect pair.  Love them.  I am definitely going to have her help me style outfits in the future.  ;)

You all have a great day, will be back later!

OOTD: Orange Stripes and Feather Paisley.

Hi, all! 

First things first, thank you to everyone who commented at my last post letting me know to keep my chin held high, roll with the punches, and everything would be fine.  And it was...of course.  We have power back (finally--and not Saturday like I initially thought--I HEART you, Dominion Power), which makes everything seem just a bit brighter (ha, pun not intended).  We will have to replace the food in the fridge (bright side--we got to clean out the fridge, definitely needed it) and we will need to replace the skylights in our aviary (we have a second small structure on our property that used to house exotic birds, really, you can see the door to it in this pic)*, but that appears to be it.

Second, for all the Boden fans out there, I am as struck by the sheer lateness of the sale's arrival as I am sure many of you are.  Turns out (I learned this on Facebook) years ago Boden would wait until the 7th or 8th of July before doing their summer clearance sale, it has only been recently where it came earlier.  I gather they are returning to their roots, so to speak.  Having said that, I bet you money that the sale starts tomorrow.  (Don't make me a liar, Johnnie!)

Third, I am going to get back on track with my ootd postings (so so so backlogged!), starting with this church outfit I wore recently on Father's Day.

The top is actually from a company called Green Envelope, and I found it at TJ Maxx for $12.  I have so many orange hued skirts and shorts and pants that this top was a no-brainer.  I didn't have an orange striped top, so it was an easy decision (having said that, I do have a superfluity of striped tops, just like every other J. Crew Aficionada out there).

If you open up the photo, you can see the details on the outfit.

The shoes are the Marci Patent Wedges, which crazily enough are still full price on line.  I went to the Fair Oaks store a while back and bought these for some good deal or another (there was a 30% off at the time), so I was surprised that they are not on sale yet on line.

They are fairly comfortable, especially after wearing it a few times, allowing the patent leather to stretch a bit.  I took my tts J. Crew size, 9.5.  They run narrow which works for my narrow feet, but if you have wider feet, you will likely want to size up.  The color was a great match for the oranges in the top, the skirt, and the necklace.

After church, Mr. Dina snapped this shot of Angus and me.  I LOVE Angus's outfit, the adorable fish-printed Hawaiian shirt is my favorite.

Rex brought out his inner prep that day by popping his collar on his crewcuts (factory) polo shirt and by doing the best frat boy sneer.  That sneer is cute now, but if he does that when he is in his early 20s, I will have a few words to say to him about his attitude.  Frat boys bug me with their "better than you" attitude.  (Now, now, I know not all frat boys are obnoxious, but the stereotype is there for a reason.)  :)

Orange Stripes and Feather Paisley. by dinagideon featuring j crew shoes

Polyvore is above.

You all have a great day, will be back on here tomorrow with news of a sale (I hope!).

*Mr. Dina wants me to point out that we did not build this aviary, it was the fella who lived here in  2000, he was a bit of an eccentric based on what the neighbors tell us.  Currently the aviary is sitting there dormant.  I have zero plans to take up birding, so don't expect me to start a bird blog anytime soon.  ;)

A Little Goldenrod for a Golden Day...Plus a Santarific Picture!!!

No polyvores today, just too freaking lazy to care. :) But I do have three photos of the outfit I am wearing today (woo-woo), and one photo of an outfit I think I wore back in September, and the best thing by far, a photo of the kids with Santa from last night.

So why did I entitle this post a "Golden Day?" I happen to be subbing today, for a 1/2 day, but the way this teacher's schedule worked out, I am only really "teaching" two classes, 45 minutes each. I will happily take a 1/2 day's pay for 1.5 hours of real work. This teacher I am subbing for is one of my very favorite people here at my former school, so I must say, I think she worked it out this way just to keep me happy!!! So thank YOU!


Cardigan: Willi Smith, Goldenrod Print, Size Medium, Fall 2009 (TJ Maxx brand). I wore it here last.
Top: J. Crew Outlet, Goldenrod, Size Small, Fall 2009.
Chinos: J. Crew, Grey, Size 10, Fall 2008.
Tennis Shoes: Adidas, worn by me for this blog ONLY when I walk home from school. BTW, yesterday, I said I was going to walk to that meeting? I got a ride...oh, well!
Necklace: Some company somewhere made this snowflake necklace. I wore it today because I hate snow and prefer to keep my snowflakes as decoration, not the real thing. :)


This is a Mr. Dina specialty...take some ridiculous pic of me adjusting while I am being photographed. Sigh. Doesn't he know that it wastes memory??? ;)



Coat: J. Crew, Double-Cloth Camino Coat, Dusty Blossom, Size 8, Fall 2009. Last seen on me here. I finally get to wear it for REAL. It is actually cold enough for this coat. Not that cold, of course, or else I would drag out my stadium-cloth. It is probably 45 outside and sunny...so just perfect. I also like that this fabric is pretty durable, so I know it will be fine under my backpack on my walk this afternoon.


This is from September. It was probably 75 and sunny that day. Oh, what a few months do to your wardrobe. I am highlighting this one because I like that it is yellow (like today's outfit), too.
Dress: Boden, Knitted Floral Dress (something like that), Yellow/Pewter, UK Size 12, Spring 2009. I was attracted to this print because it is so fresh and delightful. I received a lot of compliments on the dress and its print. Definitely not for the faint of heart, admittedly, but still a pleasure to wear and be seen in. The fabric is a knitted cotton, with a modal slip, so it is nice for summer and spring outings.
Shoes: Aerosoles, Grey Patent, Size 10, ????.
Necklace: J. Crew, Pearl Cluster Necklace, Spring 2009.

Watch for both outfits: My trusty Fossil.

And as promised, here is the pic of the kids with Santa. CW wasn't having it...the lollipop placated her for about two minutes, then the tears came quickly and strongly. BTW, Rex was great and loved it. His request? "Big Bakugon, PLEASE!"



Hope everyone's day is GOLDEN, too!

J. Crew Clearance Center, Arden, NC...It Is as Awesome as it Should Be!!!

I have to be fairly quick in this post, but I definitely want to give you the highlights of my trip to the Arden, NC, J. Crew Clearance Store. There is a closer store to me in Lynchburg, VA, but that is still about a 2.5 hour drive, so I have never been there (but do plan on it someday...hopefully with some of my DC JCA friends). My hubby was down in Asheville, NC, for a conference at the GORGEOUS Grove Park Inn and Spa, and he decided that he needed his family around, so the three of us tagged along. :)

I certainly enjoyed Asheville to its fullest, and even got to go the very yummy Tupelo Honey while I was there...AppGal, you were SO right about its delicious menu, but I knew that at least part of the time I was there I would HAVE to go 20 miles outside of the city to visit the smaller enclave of Arden. I mean, yes, I did visit it mainly for me, but I also knew I would have my JCA blogroll place revoked by Alexis if I didn't go to this clearance center and report back my findings. So you all know, AppGal has been there before and did a very nice write-up of her experience, as well.

Turns out we had kind of different experiences while visiting. (Granted, AppGal visited at a different time of year...so that may be why she found less "deals" and I found less shoes to ogle.)

I found a lot of tempting goodies in my hour or so there. I have created a polyvore for you all to peruse so you can see the details, but let me put it to you this way...if you are ever in western North Carolina for any reason, and you are travelling I-40, stop by. It is worth the 20 extra miles or so off the highway.

Here are some things I want you all to know:

1. Your GPS can find this location (1 Clifford Way, Arden, NC). It is not that far off the beaten path. However, if on the way back to your hotel or location you request "no highways," you may very well end up driving on a mountain on a tiny-a** little road. Yes, this happened to me. Alexandria has very few hills. I was actually told by my realtor to avoid buying a place near a fairly steep hill (what we here in NOVA call hills) because of my fear of hills. It was an interesting drive back to the hotel. I obviously survived, no thanks to Miss "I drive these here mountains all the time" teenage girl willing to tailgate me on the entire drive on the mountain.

2. If you have kids, the clearance store has toys. Oh, yes they do. Thank you, very very kind people of this center for thinking of all of us mommies whose toddlers may recognize J. Crew (and shout "ooh, J. Crew momma" from the back of the car) but really don't enjoying shopping at said J. Crew. :)

3. Speaking of kids, they have crewcuts. Not very recent crewcuts, but crewcuts nonetheless. I bought three items. Two from spring 2009 and one from fall 2007.

4. They are NOT an outlet. Everything they sell is from the actual "J. Crew" retail store. There are no double diamonds, etc.

5. If you ever see a really good price for something on ebay, and it has a mysterious designation of "tag marked with a black line to prevent returns," the person selling it has bought it either from the J. Crew Clearance Center (Paisley Petunia, an Ebay store I adore, does sell these things, and if you look, they are from Virginia, so they probably buy their items from the Lynchburg clearance center) or from TJ Maxx or Rugged Wearhouse.

6. It is probably worth buying these items with the tagged marked to prevent returns, because the clearance stores do NOT do charge-sends, as one of my blog friends tried when she saw the great deal I got on the stadium-cloth Winnie Jacket. The two Winnies that I purchased (one for me and one for HeidiG.) had nary a thing wrong with them (and the other items--nothing wrong there, either). Turns out that sometimes the retail stores get returns and instead of going to the warehouse, some of them get sent to the clearance store. Why current items go there is beyond me, but, hey, it worked out for us in the end! I am sure some of the items have issues, but I didn't see anything on the items I looked at (and I am a very careful observer...I have to be frugal with my money now as a SAHM/sometimes substitute teacher).

7. One place you will see the "black line through tag to prevent store returns" means that the item may potentially have an issue is at places like TJMaxx or Rugged Wearhouse. I have seen items at these stores that are from J. Crew that have missing buttons or a seam that is wonky, etc. But that said, I bought a Super 120s Black two-button jacket in a size 4 at Rugged Wearhouse that had a button missing. That was all. And it cost $25. Down from $235.

8. The hours at the clearance store seem super-friendly, like 10 am to 8 pm on M-Sat., and 12-6 on Sundays (maybe...didn't check Sunday hours as closely).

9. The staff were very sweet and helpful. I think they liked my kids. :)


Here I am outside the store. I had to take the pic myself, so don't laugh too hard. It wasn't like I could get CW to take it for me. :) I am wearing the Liberty print button-down from last spring, the pewter one with the big florals on it. I saw NO liberty print items that day...sadly.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Items in this set:
J Crew jacket, $245
J Crew jacket, $178
J Crew hoodie, $70
J Crew top, $158
J Crew tote bag, $298

Here is the polyvore of what I did get. Note--the cashmere cardi is actually a paler, heathered silver color that is just divine with my skin tone (I normally can't wear greys very well, so I was pleased to find this). Another thing, that navy schoolboy blazer? I bought it in an 8, and the 8 is BACKORDERED until sometime next year. Crazy. And the sherpa hoodie? I had bought it in the same color and same size just last week, and knew it would be on my doorstep, but for $30, I knew this was a great price, so I just chanced it. Turns out it is THE SAME exact hoodie, just 40 dollars cheaper. Yes. That is all. I am returning the new one this weekend. The one with the black mark through the tag--it's the keeper for me.

I wish I could get to a Clearance Center every weekend and help more people out (HeidiG. seemed pretty happy to hear I scored her a Winnie for well under retail), but not in my cards...however, I will make sure that anytime I am on I-40, I take a tiny little detour to the west to Arden. :)

Questions? I should be able to answer sometime tomorrow (along with commenting back on my last two posts).

A Tale of a Perfect Purple Pencil Skirt...

This post is dedicated to AppGal, who really is interested in the purple perfect pencil skirt. There has been a lot of buzz with all of us J. Crew Aficionadas about this season's perfect pencil skirt...and I admit to falling hard into this crewlade. J. Crew is REALLY gifted at making a pencil skirt. I think I own ten separate pencil skirts, and even though some were bought when I was a bit bigger, I love them so much that I have altered them so I can still wear them. (BTW, that alteration is really easy and pretty cheap to do at your local tailor.)

There are so many women who have reviewed this skirt, that I don't have the time right now to list them all (but if you would be so kind to let me know you reviewed it in the comments so I can later update this post, I would be most appreciative). I have to substitute teach in about an hour, so I have to make this quick!

Perfect Pencil Skirt in Purple One Style Option... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for this outfit.


This is how I wore this outfit. I had originally styled it with a patent belt in dusty rose (to match the heels), but Mr. Dina did not like it very much, and I really didn't think it added all that much, so I took it off. (But if you would like to see it, look at the next photo.)

This cardigan is NOT the one pictured in the polyvore. I bought this cardigan from TJ Maxx about a month ago, and I LOVE it. It is a merino cardigan by Willi Smith. This is a beautiful pattern and really goes very nicely with the amber cami underneath, and is a nice contrast color to the plum in the skirt. The dusty rose pumps are a great neutral (or at least act like it in this outfit). I was going to church, so I knew I had to be fairly conservative, but let me tell you all, if you buy this skirt in the absolute right size (not too big and not too small), you can ABSOLUTELY make this skirt into the perfect party skirt. I bought this skirt in a six. I normally prefer skirts to be a little loose, but I feel like if you go too big in a pencil skirt the effect of its nature, the body hugging it is meant to do, gets terribly lost. I sometimes will buy one size too big with the intention of nipping in the waist but leaving a little room in the hips, but I did NOT do this with this skirt. When I tried on this skirt in a size six, it just felt perfect...and I truly think it still is! (And, this may shock you all, but it was very very comfortable to wear, even when at church and holding one or both children at the same time!)

So, I HIGHLY recommend this skirt, and I would say either get your normal size or even go to your limits and get a size smaller...trust me!

By the way, buy the perfect pencil skirt here. (Eventually I will buy the blue and cinnamon colors, but I am waiting a bit...need more money...)


Here it is styled with the dusty rose belt. Eh...

Have a nice weekend. I plan on commenting back on all my past posts this weekend. There will be a post of two but they will probably be pics of kids or clouds or some such...

Dina Lives Down on the Farm!!!

Red, White, Blue, and Black!!! by dinagideon featuring American Eagle Outfitters


Yee-haw! So I actually REALLY like this silly, stupid outfit I am wearing today...but yes, I fully realize that it kind of makes me look like a hayseed.

I wore it mainly for comfort (I am walking home in this heat and humidity), but I still wanted to be somewhat colorful. So out came this beauty (laughing as I write this):

The top is Liz Claiborne purchased from TJ Maxx in February. I have no idea when this was made, but I GUARANTEE Isaac Mizrahi had nothing to do with it, so I am guessing 2007 or 2008? I bought this top because I love the plaid in these colors, plus this cotton is SOOOO soft. The shape is basically shapeless, but eh, whatever, not only is it comfortable now, I can wear it if I ever get pregnant with #3!

The capris are the lovely roll-up capris from this post. They are just functional...although the color is very lovely, especially in real life.

The shoes are some Earth Vegan (no animal products at all) sandals that I bought off Amazon for a steal last year (I have never paid full price for my Earth shoes...ever).


Yep, for polyvore...although I do like the plaid top in my set. Although I doubt it would come in my size (that is, adult).

More to come...by the way, does anyone have any interest in a video of my daughter cracking up as she flings a balloon back and forth in front of her face? Mr. Dina and I of course LOVED it...but just asking you all if any of you would watch it?

A Little Yellow to Cinch Grey and White!

So I could have put up the pics from the tea party on Saturday, but HeidiG said, “take your time,” and since I do want to go home and see my precious kids AND I also want to make sure I do a well-thought out post and not some hurried entry, I am going to wait till tomorrow. I am glad I got permission from someone. I am weird like that. Does anyone else do that? Ask permission for something that you should be able to decide on your own? I have been doing that forever. My old professor liked to call that me being a “junior female.” He was probably my biggest advocate for me going as far as I can…and one day, Paul, I will, I promise.

Instead I present you with the outfit I wore on Thursday, May 7, 2009. I had a lot of fun putting this one together. For those of you who look at my polyvore sets you have seen it already.



A Little Yellow to Cinch Grey and White! by dinagideon featuring Marc Jacobs shoes



This is what the outfit looks like without the jacket. I think I like it. It is very ladylike. The skirt is my absolute favorite part. I saw that skirt at Macy’s like three weeks ago and did not get it (I couldn’t pay full price…nope, not at Macy’s…they always seem to have a sale). Then, the 25% friends and family card appeared. And I went to Macy’s and tried it on (squee…an 8…yay). The fit looks like it was made for me. It is a linen-cotton combo by Jones New York Collection. The top is J. Crew’s sequined crest tee (Holiday 2007). The belt is J. Crew’s yellow wide patent leather version (Holiday 2008). The shoes are from TJ Maxx but are from some well-known designer and are grey patent slingbacks with a bit of detailing at the toe-box (Fall 2008). By the way, when I figure out who made the shoes, I will edit this post and re-publish. I promise.


Well, I love this jacket. The J. Crew white canvas Atelier jacket is really pretty and feminine too. I think it looks okay with this skirt but I bet it would look really good with some tailored pants or a pencil skirt!

Have a nice day, ladies. Soon, soon, I will catch up to real time and you will actually be able to see me with the outfit I am wearing that day. Somehow—I will make this happen! :)

Hmm...a look for less...

Isn't this a gorgeous cardigan? Bright and sunny and perfect for spring and cool summer nights (not like I would know what those are like here in VA). Found here at j. crew: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Shop_By_Category/sweaters/cotton/PRDOVR~13195/13195.jsp

Okay...becauseI was on the quest for cheap J. Crew stuff at TJ Maxx last week (sadly found nothing), I looked around quite a bit. I fell in love with this sweater. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was a lot like the one from J. Crew. Differences? The one I bought is part silk, it is a more muted yellow, and the collar has the ruffled look (kind of like the Tartine from the fall). But since this is the look for less, Dina style, it counts!

By the way, if I could have photographed this in better light, it would have been a better comparison. I think you can see how they look alike a bit better in the pics I took close-up.

Here is the close-up of the tag and the print. How pretty...and how cheap. Only 24.99. I'll take one... :)

So the sweater is by a company called Sarah Spencer. I have no idea where they sold these sweaters originally...