Boden Reviews: An Anna, a Hannah, and a Mia.

Hello, all!  I wanted to get this post out before the "birthday" diminishing discount sale ends on Thursday night.

I have only bought a smattering of items from fall and winter.  Like I mentioned in my picks post for Boden's Spring 2017 preview, I really am not feeling the love for Boden this season.  The items I have from fall and winter are wonderful, they just are not "knock my socks off" wonderful.  To be honest, I am glad for them specifically because they are more conservative and allow me to have easy, comfortable, modest clothing for my job as a teacher in my school.

That being said, the current sale is pretty good if you have items you will wear now or are selling out.  The link to the sale is in the bottom of this post, but also in the sidebar.  You do need to use the code 8Y3R to receive 25% off the items, though.  The 25% is not off any clearance items or any items that are more than 25% off.

Reviews:

Anna Dress. Size 6 Regular.  I love this mix of prints, and the retro look to the dress is appealing.  It is a perfect "Catholic School teacher" dress.  If I had bought the long, it would have been even more modest, so keep that in mind.  This is a very covered up dress.  :-)

Like all jersey dresses from Boden, this fits the way I expect it to, so the 6 was the right call for my frame.

This side view shows the mix of prints nicely.  The prints are very "feed bag" looking, and I am reminded of 40s prints when I see them.  The green is more muted than it appears on the model below.  I think I prefer this teal color, but I was expecting something more vibrant and green.

The sash is sooooooooo long.  SO LONG.  I don't love its length, but it did up nicely enough, and the wrap effect at the front was pretty.

Here is my Instagram shot.

Anna Dress.  See how bright that green is?  Anyhow, the dress is nowhere near selling out, so unless you need it, or you need the modesty for your job, give this a pass till a better % comes along.  :-)

Mia Jersey Tunic. Size 6 Long.  This was one from my summer preorder that came through in August.  It has just gotten cool enough to justify wearing it.  I do really like this one, especially how the "lines" are placed just so, and with the seaming, I feel like my shape is framed well.

This is a touch on the tighter side, but the tighter side is up top, where I do not carry my weight, so it works for my pear shape.  The sleeves are slender, as is the shoulder and bust area, so definitely bear this in mind if you have the triangle shape.

I definitely don't love my choice of white socks with loafers, but I lol-ed when an Instagram friend said I was channeling Michael Jackson.  All I needed was a singular sparkly glove.

It comes to mid-thigh, and as this is the long, I know I can only wear it with leggings to teach.  I could maybe get away with thick tights and flats for going out, but not for school.  If you are shorter (I'm 5'8), you could make this work as a dress if you order the long.

The color is a mix of olive greens and greys and black.  

Here is the Instagram shot.

Mia Jersey Tunic. I think I may be the only one who loves this.  It is very much in stock.  Super fun to wear, and I definitely think this is in my top three of this season, but I am solo loving it, apparently.

Hannah Seam Detail Dress.  Size 8 Long.  This reminds me so much of the Hartland, I suspect they just renamed it and did something to it with regards to the pockets.  I was attracted to the birdies on the print (see photo below), and not the silhouette, but in the end the dress fits better than I thought it would, though it is very large in the bodice compared to the room I have below the waist.  It isn't so extreme that I can't wear the dress, but I feel like I should be wearing a size 36D bra to make this one work properly. (I wear a 32B by comparison.)  You can really see how much it sags in the next photo.

But it is a good choice for my lifestyle, and I enjoy wearing it, so it's a keeper.

The birdies!  And the sagging bodice area, lol.

The cord fabric is so soft and it is a bit stretchy.

Hannah Seam Detail Dress.  See girlfriend above has no curves like I do, so she can wear the size 2 properly.  My bust would probably best work in the 2 (redonk), but my hips need the 8.  Oh, pear shape...

This dress is also not a huge hit, but seems to be doing better than the Anna or the Mia.  The green Hannah is fully stocked, but some of the other colors are not.

Here is my Instagram shot.

Below is a link to the sale.  Do any of you have any good choices to share?  BTW, don't forget to use the code 8Y3R:

OOTD: Hibiscus Floral Birthday Muumuu Maxidress.

Before I write up the blog post, I wanted to let you all know that I looked at Boden's site a couple weeks back and saw they had put up a new affiliate program as one we could apply to, so of course I decided to go ahead and do so, thinking there still might be a chance that my blog isn't big enough to be part of their new program.  However, yesterday I received word that I was accepted, which is good news!  :-)  I see they have similar systems in place as the old program, so when the time is right I will have coupons in the sidebar, etc.  So yay!  Right now the big summer sale is going on, so the sidebar links are to that, but once the regular season starts up, I will switch them out to the coupon links. 

Now to go and dust off my Boden Weekly Review Roundup boots again.  ;-)

Day: Sunday, July 5, 2015.

Where: BBQ Birthday Party.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I bought the Hibiscus Floral Maxidress from J. Crew in November (so well after I could reasonably wear it outside) for a very good price.  Initially my thought was to take it and use all the yardage for something, maybe a shorter dress for myself and a dress for CW.  But then I tried it on back in May and asked all my Instagram friends if I should keep it as is, and most said to not cut into it and wear it as is.  So I did, and I am glad I did.  I *might* bring the straps up a touch since they run low and I know they are meant to hit higher, but otherwise, I love the fit, length, etc.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew; Necklace, J. Crew; Sandals, (can't see them, but I am wearing them, lol) Target here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  It was a very yucky 4th here in the MD/DC/VA area.  All muggy, humid, buggy, and a bit rainy.  I was worried for the 5th, but upon waking I saw all the pretty skies and less awful weather, and breathed a sigh of relief.  Most of my friends and family were able to make it, and it was a great time.  Just perfection.  I even was able to share blowing out my candles with two girls who have their birthdays right near mine or on mine. 

Sadly, my great aunt passed away later that day (we were expecting it, though, unfortunately), and she was more like a grandmother to me than a great aunt.  She *is* the reason I love bright colors and prints, since she was the one who insisted I stop wearing so many drab colors back when I was nineteen.  Her funeral is this weekend in CA, so I will be heading that way on Thursday to say goodbye to her.  :-(

INSTAGRAM of the outfit HERE.

Okay, that's it for now.  Hope your Tuesday is amazing!

Made by Me File/OOTE: A Zara Inspired Birthday! Simplicity 1099 and New Look 6314.

Have you ever been fixated on a "look" and had to have it?  Well a few months ago Zara sold a beautiful sleeveless crop top and matching full skirt with pockets (photos are in the made by me portion towards the bottom) in a pretty African print fabric.  I was head over heels in love with the look.  So even though my normal sizes in Zara had sold out, I thought I would order the one size smaller and see if they fit, and of course they didn't (because Zara is teeny tiny sized).  I went to plan B afterwards and decided that if I couldn't have the exact Zara look, I could at least have a sewn by me version in a fabric just as pretty.

I didn't know when I would want it done by, but I figured if I could finish in time for my birthday (yesterday, yep, same as Canada Day/birthday of Gigi/Sufjan Stevens--he's even my exact freaking age), I could wear this beauty on a very special day.  Now admittedly I didn't finish it until 5:00 pm yesterday, but I took my time and didn't sweat over how long it was taking me, I just enjoyed it during the process.  I think I need to sew like that more in the future, it felt great instead of "OMG I AM NEVER EVER GOING TO FINISH!"

First up is the OOTE portion, followed by the Made by Me File.

Day: Wednesday, July 1, 2015.

Where: Winesday with my brother and our favorite Mexican restaurant for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Hey! I made it! For me! So it was very easy to wear.  I only put a 4.5 because the Winesday at Whole Foods and the restaurant were blasting the AC and I spent half of the time freezing my a$$ off.

I didn't even have to wear a bra, btw, since the crop top is lined and interfaced, and because I have no real "anything" up there, that's all the support I need.  So even more comfy than usual.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Top, Simplicity 1099; Skirt, New Look 6314; Sandals, J. Crew here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  Normally for my birthday dinner we head to sushi, but we took my dad there for Father's Day, and with our budget being so tight, I decided to make my birthday dinner be less expensive, so we went to the Mexican restaurant where we usually go for all birthdays.  It was fun to wear the sombrero.  Pictures are in this Instagram.

INSTAGRAM of the outfit HERE.

Above is the Zara outfit I fell in love with and so desperately wanted to be able to fit into, even though I am a reasonable person and *know* that a Zara size small top and size medium bottom would never ever fit me.  LOL.

After returning the above to the store, I kept in mind what I loved about the outfit, the length of the skirt, the pockets, the ease of two pieces working together, the silhouette, and the beautiful print.  I also decided to change a few things up on my version, including using a top pattern that was a touch longer overall, doing something different to the back of the top, and changing up the neckline.

Enter Simplicity 1099 for the Top and New Look 6314 for the skirt.  Initially I was planning on using the skirt from the 1099 pattern, but it required a whole lot of fabric, even in the shorter skirt, and I would prefer that my skirt not have that much volume, especially for summer.  I may try that skirt with a more formal fabric for winter, but for summer, the NL 6314 fits the bill quite nicely.

The basic idea of this look is close to the Zara images.  Obviously the fabric is very different, but graphically still very bold and colorful.  I bought this fabric from Fabric Mart (it is a Maggy London print--she used it this way in a different colorway), but it sold out.  However, Emma One Sock has a blue version for sale right now, but again, that one will likely sell out, too.

I appreciate that this top and skirt combo does appear to be a dress when worn *just so*.  By the end of the night, the fabric had loosened up a bit and the skirt was riding a touch lower, but only the barest amount of my belly was exposed, so it felt more retro 50s/60s than crazy 80s/90s crop tops.

The NL pattern wanted me to place my skirt pieces on the bias, and while that would have made for a cool print placement and a bit more drape, I didn't need the bias to help with stretch since this sateen fabric has a good amount of lycra in it.  Ultimately I decided to ignore the instructions on placing the pattern pieces on the bias and make the print properly line up with the top, whose pattern pieces said to place them on the straight grain.

I added pockets, using the ones from the Simplicity pattern.  They were fine, although I took off the extraneous bit at the top (it had extra fabric on it as it was supposed to be integrated with the waistband).  They could be a bit deeper, but otherwise I was happy with them as a design detail.

I also chose to make the skirt close up in back, with a zip there, instead of at the side.  It meant adding a seam allowance to the back waistband and back skirt pieces, but that bit of extra work took very little time, but makes getting in and out the skirt a whole lot easier for me.  

The top was interesting in that it called for interfacing all of the lining pieces.  I mean every single one.  I think the decision is sound, though, since it gives the top a lot of structure, meaning if you are as small up top as I am, you can go without the bra (though the back is high enough that as long as you are in a strapless or convertible bra you can wear one, too).  In essence, I made two tops, sewed them up together, but cut out 12 total items (four main fabric, four lining, and four interfacing).  As I wanted to keep the fabric stretchy, I decided to use a stretch fusible interfacing that is meant for knits. It worked well with my cotton stretch lining.

The construction of the top was very precise.  I want to encourage you, if you try this pattern, to make sure to mark all the circles very well and the match points very well.  If you don't, it will be very hard to make the cross back straps work, and to make the princess seams properly line up together.  You also really do need to follow the directions as best you can, and in the right order.  They are involved, but worth the effort.  I still managed to do something wrong, though, and instead of having a clean, enclosed hem, I ended up having to fold under both the lining and main fabric together 5/8", press them, and then carefully topstitch them to create a hem. It is okay, but not nearly as nice as a hidden hem would have been.

I think I love the back as much as the front.  Look at those gorgeous cross back straps!  And sizing wise, they were exactly the right length on me instead of being too long (usually my issue in my upper body is that there--too long straps).

Sizing wise, I made both pieces in a size 12.  I really think I would have done better to make the top in a 10, because there is a bit of excess fabric around my bust and underarms, but I am not super stressed about it enough to go and purchase the next size of patterns down.  (However if Simplicity has another 1.00 per pattern sale at Joann's, I will likely pick it up.)  In a non-stretchy fabric, I would make the 12, though.  The skirt is fine in a 12, though I more closely measure to the 14 or 16.  The hips are free, so that helps, and my waist is smaller.  NL patterns run small in the waist.  In some companies I can wear a 10 in the skirts if the skirts are a-line, but not NL.  I saw this in the Easter dress I made from one of their patterns.

If you look closely at the skirt, you will see my hem has a stitched hem detail.  That is actually a serged edge.  I serge all my hems on my items that I sew, but this time, after finishing, I tried it on, loved the length on me, and also loved the way the serged hem looked, so I kept it.  I don't normally leaving serging visible, but this time it suited the design.  :-)

I am planning on writing these pieces up at Pattern Review, so I will update the links to their pages when I finish each of them.  That is so those of you who would like to learn more about the process can see what I did in greater detail.

Pattern Review of Simplicity 1099 Top.
Pattern Review of New Look 6314 Skirt.

Alrighty, you all have a great day!  Hope everyone's July is off to a great start!

OOTD: A Squirrely Birthday.

Before I start this very quick blog post, I want to remind everyone that if you want to enter the NOVICA $50 giveaway, you have just over a day to enter.  There have been some great comments already over at that post, and thank you for opening my eyes to some beautiful items over at NOVICA.  :-)

Day: Wednesday, March 25, 2015.

Where:  Celebrating Angus's 3rd birthday at our favorite Mexican restaurant (and where we have had many birthdays before...here, here, here, and here, just for some quick examples).

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Not really the fault of the Hartland Dress, but I was feeling a bit bloated that day.  And I think the babycord fabric shrunk a bit in the wash (not really shrunk, but went back to its original shape after being stretched out from being worn).  By the end of the meal I felt fine, but it was annoying at the start of the meal.

The margarita I had helped too, lol.

Outfit Details:  Hartland Dress is the only one available, here on sale at Boden.

Anecdote of the Day:  Angus usually LOVES the birthday song and anything with candles on it to blow out.  Well, at least until this night.  He hid his face away while the nice folks were serenading him.  He got over it the moment he saw that it was fried ice cream, though.  Fatty sugary foods...mmm.

Okay, you all have a great night!  We'll talk more later!  

OOTD/Review/Made by Me File: Pretty in Pink Rainbow/Roses.

Hi!  Happy Saturday night.  Yes, I know it is Valentine's Day.  I only ever celebrate it by dressing up in festive outfits.  With the boys of this family having their birthdays in February (well, March for Angus), Valentine's Day is WAY down on our "must do" list.  Mardi Gras gets way more attention than it, too. 

But I still have a big crush on the pretty pinks/reds/ivories of the day, so here are two outfits featuring those gorgeous hues.

Outfit one first, then (as promised in this post) the review of the Rainbow Knit sweater, and third, the outfit that also features a very recent made by me.

Day: Saturday, February 14, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Birthday Party!

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I really really love these Turner pants from J. Crew.  My husband made fun of them the first time I wore them and said no words today.  Success!  He has grown used to the pale pink elastic cuffed wonders.

The sweater was more than adequate to keep me warm, but I did make sure to layer it with this pretty tulip-printed Liberty shirt from J. Crew from a few years ago.  The Eliza coat was actually plenty cover for this morning, it is only recently that the winds have picked up and the snow has begun (it looks frightening out there, I have never seen snow blow sideways!).

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I don't know, it is an all pink ensemble.  Granted, it is appropriate for the day, and I was at my kid's birthday party, but yeah, I don't know if I can't rate it any higher.

The heeled loafers are a fun neutral, not quite silver/not quite pewter, they helped ground the all pink ensemble.  So that helped.  Plus the coat is getting quite a bit of airtime from Boden over at their facebook page (they celebrate *other* bloggers, lol, example one, and example two). 

Anecdote of the Day:  Wheelchair bound, we weren't sure if Rex's birthday party at the laser tag place could still go on, but yep, they were all ADA compliant, so we were able to wheel him around in the actual games.  I sucked, though, because the loafers have a slippy bottom, and he DESPERATELY wanted me to push him up the steep ramp in the game.  He weighs a lot, as does the wheelchair, and I was slipping.  I don't even know where my brain was when I dressed this morning, hello!  I have actually played laser tag before and have worn tennis shoes, but not today.  He blames me for his poor ranking (8th out of 20?).  His daddy propelled him to a much better ranking (3rd of 20).  We now have the one example of Mr. Dina's white tennis shoes being the better option.  :-D

Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Size 6.  It features a curved hem, contrast hem, and very long sleeves (they are long on me, and I have really long arms).  The fit does get looser as you wear it, I changed out of the button-up upon returning home, and it has stretched out so that the back and front are a bit looser so the sweater is hanging a bit lower.  But is an all cotton knit sweater, so no surprise there.

Back View.  I don't have the usual horizontal lines at my mid-back the way I usually have on almost all of my tops.  That is a small feat, and I am thrilled at this fit.  And it is great the length of the sweater hits at my upper hip, which means I don't have to worry about it being too tight at my tush.

Close-up. I know there are no greens in the sweater, but I really like the tulip print with the stripes.  It just worked, somehow.

I wrote up a written review yesterday of the Rainbow Knit Sweater and I have more photos of the beautiful Eliza coat here.



Eliza Coat and Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Neither is close to selling out, but the Eliza coat can be worn now, whereas unless you will wear the Rainbow Knit sweater *now* and later, you can wait for a better price on that one.

Day: Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Valentine's Party at school and his birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It is a made by me dress, Simplicity 2246, which is a Lisette pattern for shirtdresses.  I chose to make the more fitted silhouette (view a), because darn it, I can make adjustments to suit both my smaller upper body and larger lower half, so I don't have to go for the more full-skirted version.  Yes!  So on the fit side, it wears well.  I do wish I had a better time with the hem, and if it could be just an inch longer, I think I would be more comfortable with it.  My main issue with this outfit is because that night the winds came and the temps dropped to 20 F, OMG, and with the wind chill, it felt like 4 F?  I don't know, it was B-A-D.  And yeah, the Eliza, so pretty, and the rose print rayon challis, lovely, but not the right outfit for those temperatures.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This look had its fans.  I like it on me, but it may be too twee or feminine for some.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex is not back at school, and won't be for a couple of weeks, but we were able to arrange for him to come that day so he could see his friends, get his cast signed, exchange Valentine's cards, etc.  I was so grateful for the school for getting the classroom set up so he didn't even have to go down the stairs (the other 2nd grade teacher is on the same level as the ramp so she gave us her classroom for an hour).  It really meant the world to him, he was in such great spirits after leaving the party.

For those of you interested, you can check out more on how I made the dress (there is a lot of information for sewers there) at the Fabric Mart blog.  This was my make for the month of February, and let's just say I was pretty excited to make a festive Valentine's look for my blog post this month. 

Hope all of you have a very happy Valentine's Day!

OOTD/Review/Made by Me File: Sixth Blog-o-versary Special.

UPDATE (January 16, 2015): There is a new promotion over at Boden for an extra 20% off clearance items that started this morning!  I went ahead and placed the promo coupon in the sidebar and at the bottom of this post for those of you who look forward to sales like this!  I have a few clearance item reviews set to be published, so I will go ahead and push them forward so you all can see them before the extra 20% expires.

Hi!  I almost forgot that today was my blog's sixth birthday.  So bad.  LOL.  I took a nap this afternoon (while Angus slept) and I woke up thinking, "meh, I'll be lazy *again* and post tomorrow."  But then I remembered it was the blog's bday and I felt like I owed it.

So here it is, a super sixth birthday blog post, nothing special, but I decided to have at least one of each kind of thing my blog does in this one post, so you are getting three outfits of the day, one Boden review, and a made by me file.

Day: Wednesday, January 14, 2015.

Where:  Subbing Eighth Grade with a visit to Whole Foods for Winesday with my brother in the evening.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Couldn't be any easier, really.  Take a pair of woolen stretchy pants from J. Crew (years ago), add in a cozy comfy sweatshirt/top from Boden, and a great pair of booties from Mia, and you have an outfit that makes teaching crazy middle-schoolers a bit more comfortable.  Plus the weather was just awful yesterday (snow in the morning followed by really cold temperatures), and this combo (along with proper outerwear) kept me warm, too.

The sweatshirt is the casual dip back sweater and can be found here.  I wrote a more lengthy review of it in the next two photos for those of you that dig Boden stuff.  This is a current season offering, and one that can be worn now and not just in the spring, so that's good.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Well, I think I looked good, especially with my beret (not pictured), but I suspect that the eighth-graders would have not agreed.  For them, "meh," for my peers and me, maybe a "woo?"

Casual Dip Back Sweater.  Size 6.  I think this sweater is a bit odd.  It appears that it should be a sweatshirt, and I am happy to call it that, especially since its styling with the rib cuffs, hem, and neckline, plus a bit of loopy fabric backing makes it appear so, but I am not 100% in the sweatshirt camp.  It is a fitted silhouette, which I wasn't expecting, but seems to work okay.  It is also much longer than I expected.  Honestly, if they had a size 6 petite, I would exchange it for that since I wouldn't mind if the top ended higher on me.  I have to be careful with proportion here.  If I wear too loose of a pant, the look would be frumpy, for sure.

The print and the colors are just amazing, though.  So vibrant and beautiful.  With the red hair, this blue is a great shade for me, much more than it would have been when I was a full on blonde.

The fabric is so soft and stretchy, it sort of feels like expensive pajamas.  Not a bad thing in my book.

I think this could potentially look good tucked into a skirt, and since the fabric is not thick, it could work, I'll just have to try it out and see for sure.  ;-)

Day: Tuesday, December 30, 2014.

Where:  Running around doing errands with Angus while the eldest two went to an all-day Little Gym camp.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I literally could wear this kind of outfit everyday and never want to change it up.  I mean, great fitting jeans, a beautiful comfortable sweatshirt, patent leather loafers, and an exquisite well-fitted wool coat?  Does it get any easier or better for a mom on the go?

But I know I am a dress girl, at heart, so as much as I dig this kind of look, I do know that if giving the choice, I would live in a world where I could wear dresses 100% of the time (I am looking at you, Miami).

Cool Factor: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Cute outfit overall, but the sweatshirt design and nicely tailored coat really help it out here.

Why didn't J. Crew Factory make a dupe of this sweatshirt, btw?  They duplicate all popular items, why not this one which sold out in a heartbeat last year?

Day: Wednesday, January 7, 2015.

Where:  Subbing as School Secretary.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I made this dress out of a very comfortable and warm double knit from Fabric Mart from Pamela's Patterns Softly Pleated Dress pattern, so if it wasn't a 5 out of 5 for comfort and ease, I did something wrong.  Hands down, this is my most successful make to this day.  It turned out very well for me, from cutting to sewing to finishing.  It fits well, wears well, and makes me feel good while wearing it.  :-)  Yay!

I had a little bit of fabric left over, so I made CW a tunic from McCall's 6786, which is actually a dress pattern, but if you leave off the contrast hem, neckline, and cuffs, it turns into a tunic.  She says she was very comfortable, too.  ;-)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It is a pretty dress, and CW's tunic is beyond darling on her, but the print and colors and styling may put some people off.  I like it, obviously, but I know I love more *in your face* prints and styles.

BTW, I wrote up a TON over at the Fabric Mart blog about the creation of this dress and the tunic, so check it out if you want to do something similar.  Like I said, it was a very satisfying sewing experience.

Okay, that's all for now.  Again, I am THRILLED to be here for six whole years.  That seems slightly insane, but I am still enjoying it, so I'll keep on keeping on...

And thank you all for reading.  I really enjoy having all my blog friends around. 

As promised in the update above, here is the coupon for the extra 20% off clearance items: