OOTDs: Weekend at Skippy's.

So last weekend we were in North Carolina.  It was thrilling.  :)

No, really, it was a lovely time with our very best friends and their three daughters (yes, all three of mine were beyond happy--CW had girls to play with, Angus had girls to flirt with, and Rex had girls to torment).

Anyhow, it was a very brief weekend away, just a nice little journey to get out of dodge and out of our routine.

We happened to celebrate our 11th anniversary there, but beyond that, there wasn't anything over the top special, so I was able to bring the very bare minimum as far as packing goes, and with all the extra kids I pack nowadays, the less I can bring means the easier it is on me.  Blah.  One day I can go back to packing amazing clothes and shoes and accessories in multiple suitcases, but for now and the next eighteen years of my life, the less the best.

(Oh, who am I kidding, I never had amazing clothes and shoes and accessories in multiple suitcases...but one day, it will be the way I travel, oh, yeah.)

Here they are!

Wore this on the anniversary evening, which was last Saturday (10/13).  We came down from VA that day, but the traveling outfit on the way to NC was kind of boring, so you will only get a very brief glimpse of it later in this post.  And the only reason you are getting a glimpse of the outfit from the way home is because it has two J. Crew reviews.  :)

This outfit looks so professional, but underneath that amazing Robert Noble wool jacket (J. Crew--2006) is a very inexpensive Target nursing dress and Macy's necklaces.

The heels are from Boden last year, which I love having around, they are literally the perfect little heels for most occasions.

And there it is, the world's most lovely, cheap, comfortable nursing dress.  (Technically it is maternity, but because it is made from jersey it doesn't read maternity if you don't have a pregnant belly.)

Wore my makeup fairly bare, but definitely made the lips as rosy as possible without being too done up.

The next day we had church, so I wore this ensemble of navy and chartreuse.  ;)  (I didn't blind the folks at mass, I wore the jacket from the last ouftit during the service.)

The top is the Roll sleeve silk t-shirt from Pure Collection, the same one I reviewed here.  I tucked it into some spank shorts as I hate it when silk is so silky that it comes out of the skirt it is tucked into, but other than that, it was the perfect blouse for the longer baby cord midi from Boden.

That skirt, btw, is my very first purchase ever from Boden, way back in 2003 or 2004 (can't remember).  It is so old that the tag only has the British sizing (12 L, thank you very much).

Close up of the shirt, makeup, hair, and jewelry.  The jewelry is by Premier Designs, and my gal Rachel is the lady to go to if you are interested in any of these pieces.

With the jacket on so as to not disable the vision of reverent Catholics in the greater Greensboro area.

Next day we were headed home, and while I planned to be comfortable for the ride, the addition of the shrunken anorak by J. Crew turned out to be a good choice (last photo of this set of outfit photos) as it was definitely needed in the lovely drizzly rains we had that morning.

Anyhow, the outfit under the rain jacket was functional enough.  I really do love the Peter Pan Collar Tee (J. Crew) and was glad to have grabbed it before it sold out in my size (extra-small).  It does pop back on occasion, and if you like the look of this top and have a short enough torso to wear it (definitely runs short, even on me, it barely hits my high hip), this could be a winner for you.

It is super soft and the neckline and collar fabric is silk, so big thumbs up.  I know that J. Crew could have used a poly fabric (and am frankly surprised they didn't), so to pay near full price for it seemed reasonable enough (I think I had one of those 20% off coupons when I ordered it).

The Desert Bloom bracelet was an "on a whim" buy from the Greensboro J. Crew, where it was marked down to $29.99 and further reduced by 30%, making it a whopping $20.  I have now worn it twice since I bought it, so I would gather I made a good choice.

I just like the way this photo turned out.  :) 

The Leather Loafers are still available from Boden, btw, but on deep backorder.  I did a review of them here.  I actually purchased them for traveling, I find that I wear loafers on long trips, especially ones involving airplanes, as I can get them on and off easily through security.

The lighting was off in this photo, but you can get the gist of the jacket from what you see. 

It really is a "shrunken" anorak.  Much like the Peter Pan Tee, it is shorter through the body than most anoraks.  HOWEVER, I prefer that as my hips are wider than my bust and waist, and for an anorak to normally fit me, the bust and waist has to be huge to accommodate my hips.  But this one doesn't even hit my hips, just lays there on the top of my hips.  Awesome.  :)  I am possibly the only person this one worked for, which is why it is on super sale now (yay for super sales, I even got mine for a good price a month ago--that is how unpopular it is).

It is not the best at keeping water out (is canvas, not nylon), but for mild drizzle and wind, it will do the job.

OH, and for those of you wondering, I did happen to have a version of this back in 1992, the one that inspired this current version.  I also had a rain jacket from 1995 *still have it, in fact* that bears a passing resemblance to this one (but is red).

You can't see it from this pose, but it has side pockets where I could stick my hands in for protection.  And all those zipped compartments?  I totally used those, 'cause I'm a nerd, and see no reason not to...so the big one there in front?  Held my cell phone.  And the next time I wear it, I wouldn't be surprised if I stuck a size 3 diaper in the pocket, too.

Okay this one and the next three photos are just some fun shots from the trip.

I told you my "going to NC outfit" was boring.  I only put the info in the photo because who knows, maybe one of you is all, "ooh, where are *those sunglasses* from--must. know. right. now."

Okay, so why in the world am I posing with the Hamburglar and Birdie from McDonald's?  Well...it turns out that the South Hill, VA location was having a GRAND OPENING spectacular the very day we decided to eat there for lunch.  Oh, yeah.  My kids were in heaven...and omg, if you ever want amazing service from a McDonald's, you must go to McDonald's on an opening day celebration.

And, yeah, the folks at McDonald's totally loved Angus.  I think it was because he matched Grimace.

Speaking of Angus, look!  He is literally one big dimple.  I can't stand the cuteness!

(There were other photos of my kids from the trip, but to keep my friends' privacy in mind, I won't be publishing any of them here.  I know you all are cool with that.)

Guess where I am?  Steak and Shake.  Mmm...Steak and Shake.  Mmm. 

Okay so the rains are definitely a bother when driving, however, when you get to see this for nearly a half-hour of your drive (don't worry, Mr. Dina was driving, I took the photo from a non-driving position), it is totally worth getting wet. 

And that's it!!! :)

BTW, if you are interested in getting any last minute "Catch of the Day" sale items from Boden, the sale ends in less than two hours.  ;)  Thought some of you may want to know...

OOTDs: Still Shorts Weather.

Our weather forecasters are blatantly lying, I've decided. 

I am not a big fall or winter fan, and I have been known (especially in February) to have threatened to move to Florida or South Carolina in hopes of never having to encounter a snow flake or ice storm ever. again., but right now temps in the low 70s or high 60s would be fine by me (it has been in the high 70s and low 80s, those ten degrees seem piddling, but they're not, at least to me). 

After spending my entire pregnancy last year sweltering in North America's warmest winter on record, and the spending my entire summer nursing the world's largest baby through multiple heat waves and a derecho, I have to admit to a *tiny* pining for some cooler weather. 

But, nope.  Even with the promise of cooler temps today, I still ended up disrobing halfway through the day (see the outfit photo here at the facebook page to look at how ridiculously overdressed I was). 

But I still give in, believing the darn forecasters, as you will see in the below outfit photos...every one of them features some sort of cardigan or sweater (which I later ended up regretting, sigh).

You all have every right, btw, to go ahead and remind me of this post when my inevitable b*tching about the cold, wind, rain, and snow happens in a few months time.  ;)

First up we have the outfit I wore yesterday to take the kids to classes and the park (pictured!) for a playdate.  It is intentional hipster, including the topknot. 

Yeah, I probably will never try this combo again, but I kind of was digging it as I wore it, so I guess that's half the battle?

I had been meaning to wear the top, but since I wasn't deluded enough to wear pants (such a weather cynic, that's me) with it, I figured going all out with pattern mixing was the flavor of the day.  I wore the Madewell shorts here last (second to last photo).

So I think Forever 21 has one of the worst laid out websites, and something like 3,128,208 tops in its inventory.  I plan on clipping the above photo to polyvore instead of trying to find this top in its site.  My three kids would never let me spend that much time trying to find it instead of playing with them.  ;)

Without the cardigan.  I took the cardigan off three minutes into my day.  It was completely and utterly unnecessary, you might say superfluous.  LOL.

I wore this getup on Tuesday to take the kids to the doctors for their vaccinations and check-ups. 

I love this cardigan from Boden (it is about three years old--wore it last here) and instead of waiting a while to pull it out, I thought, "oh, cotton, it will be fine."  Yeah, in the air conditioning of the office, Starbucks, and Giant it was fab.  Not so much out in the sun.  Lesson learned.

Sunday was a touch cooler, so I didn't feel so hot in this particular get-up, but if I had worn a tank under the cardigan, I would have likely taken the adorable lemon print cardigan off (this one is from Garnet Hill).

Look at how messy my hair is!!! Awesome.  So glad I saw that after I went to the party (bday party for Rex's girlfriend, for reals, his GIRLFRIEND).

I did like my makeup, though.  :)

And those earrings (called the frosted earrings) are from Premier Designs Jewelry.  My friend Holly had a party and I bought a few pieces so she could get some jewelry for free.  Anyhow, our mutual friend Rachel is the consultant, and I told her I would let you all know about her facebook page, just in case you were interested in contacting her. 

I bought this really pretty bracelet (Rosie Bracelet) from them, too. 

You can also see the close-up of the lemon print on the cardi in this shot.

Okay, that's it.  :)  They *SAY* it is supposed to be 70 on Saturday.  We'll see...

How about you all?  Is it cool where you are yet?  Or are you still in the thick of "summer?"

Two Anthro Blazers and a Pregnant Belly. Chortle.

Before I begin this showcase of how adaptable jackets really are, I want to say a few things!

1. You all are too sweet. I had such a rough day when I wrote my last post and all the comments were wonderfully uplifting. I know that the road to Rex's success is a long one, but at least I know I am not alone in my journey--that others have also had similar challenges and came out in the end. :) Whew.

2. A parent from the class (she is also pregnant), saw the whole "Rex" incident and was MORTIFIED over what happened to me as a parent (the teacher basically took Rex out of the holiday sing-a-thon in front of all the kids and other parents and loudly announced that he needed to be with me) and was so very sad for us. She said I handled it well and she understands how embarrassed I felt. She actually said she would have been livid if it had happened to her daughter and her and would have had words with the teacher. She was surprised at my patience. Huh! I thought I handled it poorly, I am glad to know that an outsider felt I held my own...

3. I am reading a book, though, regardless of all incidents, that I picked up because I felt like Rex needed some extra parenting on my part. It is called "The Explosive Child," and OMG, it is wonderful. The advice is spot on AND it also makes me realize that I had some explosive tendencies of my own as a child. (Albeit differently...I was the type to explode exclusively at home when there was a change in my daily routine. I never ever exploded or acted out in public or at school which made my anger and sensitivities a bit easier for my dad to bear.) I have such a clear understanding of why and what is occurring now that I feel so much better...it is like experiencing thick fog and then suddenly seeing blue skies and trees, enlightening and uplifting. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with their own explosive child.

4. Onto (somewhat) less pressing matters...my darling brother has ordered the part for my computer and he will fix it himself. :) Cross fingers that this means in the next week or so!!! I miss having access to disqus or facebook or etc. SO FRUSTRATING.

5. Speaking of computer issues, mine means no disqus, which means NO access to awesome giveaways like Molly's of My Closet Travels.  Just 'cause I can't enter doesn't mean you all can't!  Anyone want to win a $50 gift card to J. Crew?  If you win, spend it on something glittery and fun, so I can live vicariously through you!

Okay, now onto true frivolity--CLOTHES! Just kidding...clothes are only slightly frivolous.

CW's pose is cracking me up.  She looks like a nutcracker.

We were headed to see Santa that night and I figured since I made both of my kids dress up, I should be festive, too, which in my world means sequins and ruffles.  Of course it does.

Jacket: Anthropologie Elevenses Boucle de Souffle Jacket, Size 6.  It does not button up.  It still can be worn as my shoulders haven't grown, so yay for jackets working in pregnancy!  YAY!

Top: J. Crew Collection Glimmer Mist Tissue Tee, Size small.  I am finding as long as it is stretchy material, most tees still fit fine.  Especially J. Crew ones as they run really long, which is ideal for me during pregnancy (not so much when I am not pregnant, they look really long normally, hence my adoration of crewcuts tops).

Pants: I can't remember.  Maybe my Mimi Maternity Black Bootcut ones?  Hmm.  Doesn't matter, Mimi Maternity is gone now, which kind of bums me out...was a great company.

Shoes: Galaxy Leather Ballet Flats.  From a long time ago...still love them, even though one of the gems fell out (sad face).

Bracelet: J. Crew Stone Mosaic Cuff.  Ooh, I got this one this summer.  Found it on ebay for a decent enough price.  I took a close-up pic of it for you all...you will see it a bit later in the post.

Couldn't resist.  CW looks so darling.  LOVE!  :)

Close-up of cuff bracelet.  The color and stones were a nice match to the cream and light blue of the outfit.  The cuff is a tad big on me, but I have wrists that are small enough to wear children's watches, so I think if you have average wrists, you would be fine to buy this and not have it be too big.

I am teaching Winter Wardrobe again...that fashion class for elementary kids that I teach every few months.  I had to skip out on Fall into Fashion as I was feeling really bad in October (and I was going to France, so it would have been CRAZY to do both) and I will skip out on Spring into Style (might not be a good idea to leave a week old newborn in the care of someone besides momma, lol), so Winter Wardrobe is it this year.  I had a meeting last Monday, so I wanted to make sure that I got dressed up, but I don't have a ton of "business casual" looks for pregnancy, so I made due with what I had in my closet (except the dress, which is new).

Jacket: Anthropologie Cloaked in Roses Jacket, Size Small.  Yum.  This felty wool jacket is warm, pretty, unusual, and has the distinct advantage of sort of doing up even though my waist is pretty ginormous compared to what it normally looks like.
Dress: Liz Lange for Target Cowlneck Jersey Dress with Pockets, size medium.  This dress is really large through the top, but since the top has a cowlneck, it sort of looks "on purpose" and not because of my specific lacking in the "lady" department.  Ha.
Tights: Ralph Lauren Grey tights I have had forever, like four years going.  I have good luck with tights.  Fortunately, because I fall in love with tights and how comfortable they are and would be super sad if they ran after one wear.
Shoes: Clarks Artisan.  I wear these all the time.  Definite best buy of my 2011.

The dress has pockets!  And is pretty long!

Necklace: J. Crew Palm Springs Beaded Necklace.  My good blog friend, Marietta, let me know about this one, and OMG, she is so right...lovely, feminine, and very much old school J. Crew.  I won't say it is as awesome as my double strand frog necklace, but it is pretty darn decent for J. Crew 2011. It does not have the heft of the original double strand necklaces from 2006-2007, but it is glass beaded, and the brooch bit is well done.  Thumbs up if this type of necklace is your thang.  I have it double looped around my neck here, but below you will see it worn its "original" way.
 

Nice plain view of the dress and of the necklace.

Closer view of the necklace...and of my very pale face.  Guess I put a bit too much powder on that day.

Okay, all, remember, THANK you for all your sweet comments, even though I can't respond back (easily, that is, I can respond it just takes forever to do it through my e-mail), I am reading every single comment and appreciating all you have taken the time to say!  You all are the best!

Mommy Style Monday #22--Turn It Into Something Else...

Hi, all. It has been about a billion months (give or take a couple million months) since I last did a Mommy Style Monday.

Technically, I could open this to all fashionistas, but I feel like us mommas have a ton of tunics/beach covers in our closets, and this specific column will be great for giving our wardrobe a non-summer fix up. (Is it just me or is the tunic really a mom's best friend?  It may just be me.  LOL.)

And to be completely fair, I have definitely tried this with other tunics/cover-ups, but when I saw this particular silk tunic on sale at J. Crew in the spring, I knew it wouldn't really get used as a tunic in my closet, or a beach cover-up.  From the beginning, I knew I would wear it as a blouse, because it just seemed better to me as a blouse (and I really think J. crew missed the boat by not making this print into a blouse).

Last night I mentioned that I went to the gluttonous capital of the free world, aka Texas de Brazil, and part of my plan was to wear a fitted, fixed waistband outfit so as to not overeat.  It worked, I have to say...so keep that in mind if your family brings you to a buffet (even if it is a really good buffet like America's favorite Brazilian steakhouse).

Skirt: J. Crew No 2 Pencil Skirt, Viridian Green, Size 8.  Prefer this size for the fit through the hips, the 6 would fit, as I mentioned in this review of the flame color, but the fit was too vavavoom for me.

Cardigan: J. Crew Short Sleeved Cardigan in Bright Citron, Size Medium.  I have had this FOR YEARS.  What a cute little topper.  :)

Bracelet: J. Crew Crystal Starfish Cuff Bracelet.

Shoes: Boden Upbeat Kitten Heels in Tweed, Size 40 (one size smaller than my true size at Boden).  Will do a longer review of these on Wednesday in the Boden Weekly Review Roundup.

And there's my top.  I bought the Calais Silk Tunic in a size small figuring that if the hips didn't fit I could alter it and make it shorter, but I did find that it fit, so this is exactly as I wore it on my night of gorging.  :)

Basically I removed the belt (which was used, btw), safety-pinned the notch neck up a bit for modesty, and tucked the entire tunic into the skirt.  I found that because the silk was so thin, you couldn't even see it through the skirt, which is a bonus, as I didn't have to tuck the tunic into a pair of spanx to keep the line of the outfit clean.

Then I bloused the "top" out a bit and through the epaulets (on the shoulders--hard to see on the model shot, but look closely), I threaded the belt through one side, up the back part of the collar, and then down through the other side, leaving one end on either side of notch neck opening.  Then I tied the ends into a loose bow, making the blouse look like it is supposed to have a silk tie (the best photo of this is at the bottom of this post).

From the side.  I have a couple of other skirts that could work with this top, including some summer pencil skirts I bought from the Crew a few years ago.

I have not tried this "top" with pants, but I assume that as long as the pants are lined and of a heavier fabric, then you could hide the bottom portion of the tunic easily enough.  And of course there is always spanx.  ;)

Top Half.  My hubby quite liked the entire outfit, but I suspect it was because it is uber-feminine and I wore my hair down, and not because of my ability to be a magician with clothing.

Close up of the bow.  I kept the bow tied like this until I wash it, I want to see if I can keep it in this shape as I find it hard to tie the perfect bow.  

I love this cuff bracelet, and though it technically isn't important to the post, I really wanted to show off how pretty the beading and crystals all look together.  Why can't J. Crew bring back the beautifully embellished cuff bracelet???

Alrighty, now it's your turn...what was your biggest magic trick with a piece of clothing?  I would love to try this with other garments in my closet.  :)

Viridian Pencil Skirt plus Brights, Yum! by dinagideon featuring a long pencil skirt

BTW, polyvore ladies, above is the polyvore of the outfit.

CW's Stella and Dot Children's Jewelry Party is Starting TODAY!

Hi, everyone! I am so excited to share with you an opportunity to celebrate CW's 2nd birthday by joining us in a week long Children's Jewelry Party with Stella and Dot!

CW is such a girly-girl, but sadly has very few baubles to show for it. I find that we get her all the sweet little dresses and shoes and hair bands but we completely neglect her jewels. LOL. I know that she doesn't really need jewelry, but then I saw what my great bloggie friend, Rachel had on offer with her SAHM business, Stella and Dot. How did I miss this? The Stella and Dot company is fab, a direct sales company like Arbonne, that does costume jewelry very similar to styles you all have seen before by J. Crew, Banana Republic, and Fiona Paxton.

When I found out that Rachel was doing a direct sales business like I was, I immediately told her I was going to have a party with her AND that I wanted it to benefit my little girl on her birthday! So tonight we are going to have the physical party, to which I have invited all sorts of local moms and their daughters, but Rachel and I decided to take it one step further by extending the sale to all of you who read My Superfluities. I know the only way you can order from Stella and Dot is through a rep like Rachel, so I am thrilled that you all can satisfy your needs with this week long party! (And no, you don't have to buy children's jewelry, but that is my goal as hostess.)


CW has so many pretty hair accessories but is so lacking in her bling. She is starting to eye my Fiona Paxton and I am a little concerned.


This is the mini-Charlotte necklace. It looks like a piece for a full-grown lady, but this is made specifically for our little minis (and I am not talking about skirts)!


Ooh, the girliness continues with the Gracie headband and barrettes...the floral attachments are meant to be switched out and you can attach the florals to necklaces if you (or your mini) choose!


This is pure old school J. Crew. Except it's not. Yum. This colorburst enamel cuff bracelet is not meant for the kids. :)


I think I own this. Oh, yes, it is called the tangled treasure necklace by J. Crew. Oh, wait, no--this is Stella and Dot's more versatile option, the Audrey Cluster Necklace. Good for you, Stella and Dot! I should have waited. LOL.


Now, I saw this and said, FIONA PAXTON, when did you start branching out? Nope. This is Stella and Dot being fashion forward with the Nolita Necklace. Awesome.

As you know, my fixation with jewels is pretty legendary. After all, I fell in love with the Crystal Devote necklace even when the rest of the world was crying foul! Heehee.

(But I also know I am not alone...my jewelry posts are always the most read...so there must be some love out there and this party is for you fab, bejeweled ladies!)

How do you join the party:

1. Go to this link.

2. Look for the link at the top of the page that says "Can't Make it to a Show? Find Your Hostess."

3. When the pop-up box appears, put Dina in the box that says first name and Gideon in the box that says Last Name.

4. After that, you are all ready to shop. :) Please do enjoy!

I cannot wait until this party is done so I can show you all the awesome lovelies that I got for CW's birthday!

Thank you all, and have a great, sparkly DAY!

Ruth Barzel Jewelry--My Summer Picks!!!

Yay! I finally have a few spare moments to spend on my blog! :)

And with these few moments, I want to take you back to last week when I introduced you to the awesome Ruth Barzel, who is an AMAZING jewelry designer who lives in this area and I have had the absolute pleasure of knowing through my (other) job as a swim coach.

Her collection is vast and comprehensive, and I do want you to check it all out, but I feel like with summer upon us (90 degrees today here in DC with a dew point hovering in the upper 60s equals HEAT and HUMIDITY), it is best for me to highlight some beautiful pieces from her collection for showing off that (hopefully fake) tan.


Above is a collage I created of my picks for summer from her collection.
From Left to Right and Top to Bottom they are:
1. "Heartbreaker" short gold-filled pendant with cz and charms. What can I say? I am a sucker for all things nautical during the summer and this shorter necklace with a starfish definitely would have me feeling "ship-shape!" ;)
2. "Heartbreaker" long sterling silver pendant with cz and charms. Ditto to the statement I said in number one, except add to that some length (this is a long necklace) and replace the five-armed underwater creature with one that has no arms (a seahorse).
3. "Soulmate" gold-filled 4-strand bracelet. Honestly, this gorgeous bracelet could easily transition to fall and winter, but I see it with a white tank and denim bermudas as a perfect "fun in the sun" accessory.
4. "Trend-setter" silver bracelet with gray mother of pearl. I find this to be utterly stunning. The larger chunks of mother of pearl are really quite spectacular and would be the right counterpart to sun-kissed skin. I would be surprised if Ruth doesn't sell out of these bracelets.
5. "Glamour girl" gold-filled earrings with hot pink jade. This summer, J. Crew has really piled on the brighter shades of lavender and purple, and even though this is called "hot pink" jade, I believe it would do quite well with the hues that are everywhere already in our clothing. (Jaipur skirt or blouse, anyone???)
6. "Glamour girl" gold-filled earrings with blue chalcedony. I picked these as I thought the color of these blue earrings were just perfection for the months of June, July, and August, and it turns out I am in great company. My blog friend, Ginger Girl, had bought these same exact earrings last week (she had told me, but I had forgotten which ones), so when I saw her post this morning where she is wearing them, I *knew* my last choice was a good one. Don't they look just marvelous on her???

Remember, Ruth Barzel has offered all readers of this blog a 15% discount if you use the code "SUPER" during checkout. Shipping is always free. :) Have a great, super-sparkly day!