OOTDs: Handmade May End and a Bit of NYC.

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

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

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

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

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

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

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, May 28, 2015.

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

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

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

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

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

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

INSTAGRAM HERE.
Another INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, May 29, 2015.

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

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

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

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

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

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2015.

Where:  School Meeting.

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

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

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

OOTDs Only on Instagram:

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

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

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

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

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

OOTDs/Family Fun Time: Cleveland!

Every year, Mr. Dina wants to go somewhere out there in the big ole U. S. of A. to go see his beloved Saints play ball.  Last year he made it to both NYC and to Philadelphia to see them play, this year, Cleveland.  I personally think our annual trek to New Orleans to see family for the holidays should be enough for him, but, eh, I am not a football fan, so I clearly have no right to speak my mind.  ;-)

That said, it was a very lovely time this weekend in Cleveland, and even though I had a ginormous sewing project on my plate (just done today--more on that later--and YES, I did bring the sewing machine with me on our trip), I knew that I would have a good time.  'Cause really any excuse to go somewhere is fine by me.  Even if it is for football.  LOL.

Day: Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Where: The drive to Cleveland.  And any stops along the way, of course.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Very easy outfit to wear on a long drive.  The leggings I made to precisely fit my body, so of course they felt great.  The winner, though, is the Zara sweatshirt, so comfy and cozy.  It was actually kind of cold in parts of the mountains (we drove over them to get to Ohio from VA), so the sweatshirt was welcome warmth.

Cool Factor: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Zara is cool.  I think this looks really cool, but not especially over-accessorized. 

Day: Saturday, September 13, 2014.

Where: Corky and Lenny's, an apparent Cleveland institution.  I can see why.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This outfit would have scored a 4.5 except I was feeling really drained (it has been a pretty crazy couple of weeks 'round here), so everything felt off.  But at least the fun yellow flowers (photo floral sweatshirt by J. Crew) and silver Nikes perked me up a bit.  Well, that and the yummy deli food, of course.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  It's a cute outfit, bit plain barring the bright flowers, though.

Mr. Dina loved his gigantic corned beef sandwich, and so did Angus and his sneaky little fingers.

Day: Sunday, September 14, 2014.

Where: Sewing in the hotel room, a walk to the local Whole Foods, followed by an evening visit to B Spot.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  CW insisted I bring my giraffe shirt so we could match on our girls day (well plus Angus) while Rex and Mr. Dina were at the game (the Saints lost--I still am hearing about that, btw).  We wore this momma/daughter combo years ago.  LOL.

Anyhow, for as old as the tee is, and the pants (from Pure Collection--my very favorite traveling pants, btw), and the cardigan (Boden, here is a similar version this year), the outfit is SO COMFORTABLE.  Needed it, so yeah, very glad I brought these pieces.

CW did not wear her Elsa shoes out, though (the tooth fairy "visited" us at the hotel room and brought her those).

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Not especially cool, but CW loved it, so it counts as cool in her world.

That there is a very strong drink from B Spot.  It is made with an amazing bourbon.  Yum.

This was Mr. Dina's burger.  I am hungry right now, probably not the best time to be writing this blog post.

The next day at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  We have done this before, but in Paris.  ;-)  Wasn't wearing a RUSH shirt then, though.

RUSH!  Very deserving of their 2013 induction...

They had the ENTIRE catalog of RUSH music outside the wall of signatures hallway.  Amazing.  If Mr. Dina would have been more patient, I could have listened to more (and so could the kids).  Sigh.  Impatient men.

Rush is not my only "dinagideon is a teenage boy" infatuation.  I also have every Pink Floyd album, and like a ridiculous pimpled 14-year old, I know the lyrics to every Wall song.  *Yeah*. 

I think Rex may be the next candidate to listen to every Pink Floyd album based on this pose.

Mr. Dina loves Johnny Cash.

And as if eating amazing deli food, great tasting burgers and rum weren't enough, we also stopped at Melt on the way out of town.  Why they don't have Melt here is beyond comprehension and needs to be rectified immediately. 

And here it is, finally done...my entry for the Fashion Challenge #2 for Fabric Mart.  I have made this pattern before, but never in a non-printed, non-stretch material.  This took me forever.  I am such a slow sewer.  But it is a dark green wool gabardine that is fully lined, so it will be just perfect for this winter...

I will write up a blog post on this one tomorrow afternoon at some point, hand on heart.

Okay, that's all for today.  Have a lovely Tuesday night!

OOTDs: Hummingbirds and Hearts.

Hey, all!  Happy Monday!

Before I start, just wanted to remind all you Boden fans out there that the clearance "up to 80% off" deal is apparently ending tonight.  Just what they are going to do with the clearance items after tonight is anyone's guess, but just in case they take it all away *or* they raise the prices back up, you may want to take a look around just in case.  I wrote more about the sale here at this post.

Day: Sunday, February 16, 2014.

Where: Rex's birthday party and Church.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The Heritage Sweater ( here in the clearance sale, numbers are very low, though) is awesome and very cozy and warm, and I am glad I found an occasion to wear the cute sneakers from Boden again (running around at Laser Tag), but I am still a bit iffy on whether or not I like the fit of the pants or the jacket.  I mean technically both fit, but I could use a touch more room on both pieces for comfort.  I think these last *freaking* five pounds of baby weight I have to lose will help the situation, but till I wean, no dice.

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  Hmm.  A bit of a weird combo, though my hubby just LOVED it, so I am going with the halfway point, a 2.5.

Anecdote from the Day:  Laser Tag is what Rex chose for his 7th birthday party.  A lot of his friends had been choosing this for their parties, and he wouldn't even consider other options.  So there you go...laser tag.  I had done laser tag years ago with some kids from the middle school I had taught at, so I remembered to wear appropriate footwear, even if I really would have preferred a cute wedge.  :-)  I turn into some kind of gun-toting FBI agent at these places, though.  I sneak behind corners, watch covertly, and attack when the other team's players aren't looking.  I am normally so nice, too.  I ended up in third place for our team.  Guess who was first?  Yeah, Rex.  I know.  (Eeep.)  Our team was slaughtered by the other team (all adults not at a birthday party).  Guess you can't count on a bunch of first-graders to attack.  LOL.  Unless they are all Rex. 

Last night I was tucking him into bed and he was gently holding his baby doll (yeah, he has one that he asked for) and I was struck by his very different personalities, all aggressive in one moment, and all gentle and sweet in another.  Maybe he will be a cop when he gets older, protecting all the innocents while going after the bad guys.  Hmmm.

Day: Saturday, February 15, 2014.

Where: IHOP in celebration of *finally* being able to leave the house.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This outfit is so comfortable.  Both the top and skirt are now a bit loose so they were perfect for the gorge-fest I engaged in at IHOP.

Cool Factor: (2 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.)  I think the "Heart Throb" dress made from the skirt/top (seen here at J. Crew back in the day) is cute, not cool, but cute.  I like the *dress* paired with the Target wedge shoes, but I think a different pair of shoes would have worked better with the darling Halston Heritage coat.  Next time I will grab a pair of shoes that are tan or navy to better anchor this look.

Anecdote from the Day:  Before we left and while taking the photos, Angus snuck in and photo-bombed that last photo you see there.  I had no idea he was standing there.  Ha.  I decided to include it even though I am in a silly pose and I clearly had not properly tucked in my blouse.  He looks so cute there...

We had been stuck in the house on both Thursday and Friday because of the storm, so Mr. Dina insisted we go out for dinner to celebrate our now cleared driveway.  I had no opportunity to wear my Valentine's look (yeah I know it's derivative--and I am so fine with that), so I wore it to IHOP.  I ate the chicken fried steak dinner with mashed potatoes, broccoli, and a salad (Angus had the bread that came with it), and for dessert I enjoyed a peach and cream cheese crepe.  Oh it was all so very good.  I know it's just IHOP, but yum. 

If you want free shipping on the Boden clearance sale, you can use this coupon below, but be aware that if you are not a new customer, the bag won't be coming your way. My sidebar coupons, btw, have stopped working, which is annoying. If you have a need for anything not in clearance and need the discount, use the code Z4W8 for the "Buy Three, Get the Fourth Item for $1." I suspect I will get a new batch of sidebar coupons soon, just not in the affiliate directory right now. :)

OOTD: Halston Heritage and Retro Boden.

Good day, and Happy New Year, everyone!

Trying to start the new year off right by actually posting an ootd on the day I wear it, let's see how long this lasts.  LOL.  I give it a week.  ;-)

Find this darling "i heart Virginia" necklace here.  Read more about why I wanted this necklace from tru.che's etsy shop and not urban outfitters here.  I was so annoyed for tru.che that I immediately told my husband that this necklace would be a great Christmas present.  (He listened!)  I know the story of tru.che versus urban outfitters is old, but I feel like you can still show your support years in the future.

Day: Wednesday, January 1, 2014.

Where: Brunch at Louisiana Kitchen (home of the yummy Cajun martini) and my hubby's favorite comic book shop.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) Felt great in all the pieces.  Was a bit concerned that I wouldn't fit into the Boden dress since it had been years and one full grown baby boy since I had last worn it.  All fears were quelled once I found it slipped right on without any puckering or uncomfortable pinching.  Yay!  I made it a goal to not gain weight in Mississippi (no particular goals to lose weight, though) and was glad to find that the scale showed that I had kept my goal. 

The Halston Heritage coat is sublime, made from a cashmere/wool blend and lined in silk.  I found it at Mint Condition for a LOT LOT less than it originally cost at Net-a-Porter, so woo and hoo for a pretty, unique coat that keeps me warm, too.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) Lovely, perfectly put-together ensemble.  Bit mumsy overall to be "cool," but the coat and sunglasses help a bit.

Anecdote from the Day:  Not much to report, really.  There is this guy at the comic shop that basically hates children, especially mine, since my husband often goes in there without me, and I am the "disciplinarian" of the two of us.  Anyhow, the owner is fine and has really started to enjoy the kids, and kind of laughs about it with my hubby, but the other lovely fellow had words with me today since I chose to sit with my darling girl on the floor (in my dress and heels, natch) and *carefully* read a book about the Miyazaki's art in the film "Spirited Away."  (Tell me that's already not kind of over-the-top nerdy of us.)  Anyhow, he was like, "NO...NO!  NO!!! Please NO!"  And I just looked at him like "really, fella?"  Anyhow, we even *more carefully* looked through it, the whole time he bore his tiny little angry man eyes at us.  And then of course I *very over the top carefully* put the book back.  I am not the one for karma, but a little part of me would like to hear that he went over to see if we had inflicted any damage on the book with our pedestrian fingers (we did not, btw) and in doing so dropped the book on the floor damaging the cover.  That would have me lol-ing.  But then I remember I {heart} the owner of the shop a ton and don't wish that fiscal damage on him.  But, still.  ;-)

By the way, my husband will purchase so many comics from this shop, I am somewhat sure that this fella's salary is paid for in large part from my husband's stupidly huge comic collecting.   That in no way means I condone my children acting like crazy fools, but they were very well-behaved today ('cause Momma disciplinarian was in the house).  Ah, good times!

Okay, that's it.  You all have a great rest of your start to 2014!

OOTE: Birthday Party and Why I Love Canada.

Day: Saturday, June 29, 2013.

Where:  My Birthday BBQ/Party.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The Mirabel dress has been taunting me over the past two years since I had gotten pregnant in 2011 and was still too postpartum to wear it in 2012.  I was determined to wear it this summer, so I decided to see if I could fit into it again on Saturday night.  And since CW really wanted to wear her factory version (from the current collection), I was hopeful since clearly my daughter has been on a run of "let's look like Momma" lately.  (See yesterday's post for more proof of that.)

Fortunately, I have lost *just* enough weight to fit into it again.  Now, I am not as thin as I was when I first bought it, but it felt great on and was exactly right for me to play hostess at my "I am getting SO old" party.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Simple, great length, with darling embroidery, this dress felt cool and in my mind, looked cool.  The minimalist accessories (barring the balloon, of course) kept things easy and chic.

CW's hair is now long enough to pull back into a high ponytail, so I think she looks really cool.  But I am biased, of course.

Anecdote from the day:  Originally I had decided that I wanted to celebrate my continuing aging by inviting a bunch of female friends over and having "festive" drinks, which depending on the friend either means wine or sparkling orangina.  (Guess which festive drink I prefer...)

But as the numbers came in, it became obvious that only a few women could attend (thank you so much America's birthday holiday week) so I decided to turn the party into a bbq with husbands and kids invited, as well.

It was wonderful, but check out these numbers.

Women--6.
Men--5.
Boys--15.
Girls--5.

Yes, there were 15 (!!!) boys total to a total of 5 girls.  For every one little girl there was three boys.

Okay, so since it is my birthday today and since I get to share it with both the wonderful Gigiofca* AND Canada's Canada Day, I thought I would make a list of things I totally {heart} about Canada.

*Go on over and send her some bday love, y'all.  ;-)

(I have only been to Canada once, btw, in 2004, for one day, and to Vancouver.  I know this seems ridiculous for me to love this country so much--but I don't care.  I still love it.  My husband says my obsession with Canada is only eclipsed by my obsession with clothing.  Har-dee-har.)

I had intended to start this list last July 1, but the Derecho got in my way, and (haha), I lost the wind in my sails to get it done, even late.

1. Rush.  Did you expect I would have written something else first?  And let's be honest, I will admit to loving "In the Mood" which is from their first album and totally LOL-worthy.  But I still LOVE it.

2. Crash Test Dummies.  Especially Brad Roberts, 'cause his voice kicks major butt.

3. Bryan Adams.  I have roped CW into this one since "Cuts Like a Knife" is one of her favorite songs.

4. Ice Road Truckers.  They drive on ice. In 40 below 0 weather.  Because they know no fear.  I can't look away.

5. Survivorman. This guy goes out into remote wildernesses BY HIMSELF, with only a camera, and the barest amount of things to live on...he and the Ice Road Truckers are my personal heroes.  Amazing.

6. Love it or List It, and its sister, Love It or List It, Too.  HGTV has a ton of Canadian programming in its lineup, and of all of the Canadian choices, these two are my favorites.  They are formulaic and I think probably "fixed" for the ultimate "drama" every episode, but I can't help but be on the edge of my seat every time...are they going to "love it," or "list it?" 

For the Love It or List It version (the one in Ontario), I always want Hillary to win since David reminds me of a wily snake, but on Love It or List It, Too (Vancouver), I always want Todd to win because he is my man from reason #7.

7.  Fifteen.  Please please tell me someone, *anyone*, out there reading my blog watched this show in the early 90s and remembers both Todd Talbot and Ryan Reynolds from this "so bad it's 'awesome-ful'" show on Nickelodeon?  I would love it if they were to issue all of the episodes on DVD.  I would 100% buy it and re-watch every single episode.  Multiple times.  (My brother would join me, he loved the show, too.)

8. Gordon Lightfoot.  No, I am not joking.  I adore it when his music comes onto Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Bridge."  My fave song?  "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald."

My dentist *hates* that song.  It was playing while I was having my cavity filled and I told him it calmed me down, and he was all, "glad to hear it, because I hate that song."  Well, then.

9. Metric.  Their "Breathing Underwater" song is lovely, pure and simple.  CW and I sing it so much that Angus can sing it, too, albeit in his own special, "I am only 1-year old" kind of way.  It is more like "Aww ah AW, Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh, ohwwww!"  

10. All my Canadian friends, in real life, and in the blog world.  You all rock, seriously.  Sweet, kind, thoughtful, and pleasant.  I would even bear the terrible temperatures (well, maybe for a week, let's be real here) in winter to spend time with them.

There are items not on my list, but I will make sure to add to it next Canada Day.  I think I need to keep a word file for my list of things I love about Canada.  ;-)

Happy Canada Day, everyone! 

OOTD/Review: Breton and Some Liberty, Please.

Hey, that sweet little man turns one today!  :)

Day: Tuesday, March 19, 2013.

Where: Little Gym and Preschool Run.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Yummy.  Everything, from the thick rugby fabric of the Boden Breton Sweatshirt (available here--review below) to the easy, stretchy twill Liberty print cotton (in the Emma and Georgina floral here--review also below) was so comfortable.  I often think I will be comfortable at Angus's Little Gym class, but I will get there in my "comfortable" outfit and find I am definitely not nearly as easy-peasy as I thought I was going to be.  For those who don't know what Little Gym is and what it entails, the parents or nannies of the toddlers have to run around just as much as their little ones.  I definitely sleep well on the nights I have Little Gym with Angus.

Anyhow, yay for finally choosing an outfit that feels as good as it looks.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The whole outfit is pretty cool, but I still very much give off the stay at home mom vibe in it, probably because I am happily wearing a pair of Cole Haan penny loafers.  ;)  If this outfit was on a fabulous twenty-something blogger, I am sure it would look far hipper.  But that's fine with me. 

Anecdote from the day:  Angus's birthday is today (yay for #1), but because all the Little Gym locations are closed this week for spring break, I had him wear his "Birthday Boy" tee to the class that day so his friends and their families could sing him the Little Gym version of the Happy Birthday song (think it is so hilarious that the song is copyrighted and all businesses are forced to create their own song so as to avoid copyright infringement).

REVIEWS:

Breton Sweatshirt.  I purchased the size 4 since I didn't want to chance another sweatshirt coming to me and being too big on me, which has been happening a lot lately with the Boden tops.  It was a good call, the 4 fits perfectly everywhere, although if you did happen to buy a size too large, the sweatshirt would still look great a bit slouchy.

I really liked the grey color, since I haven't seen this particular color combo on a Breton yet (although I probably just missed it when it did come out).  I also have plenty of striped tops, but it is nice that Boden made this in a sweatshirt, which means I can use it alone once it gets warmer out, and when it is super chilly, it is a very warm layer.

The material is more like those thick rugby shirts that were popular in the 90s (please tell me that some of you all remember those*), which I think is step in the right direction, as I think some of the sweatshirts recently have been too thin and too stretchy.

*I linked to a video of my favorite "guilty pleasure," the show "Fifteen," which ran on Nickelodeon in the early 90s.  Matt Walker (played by Todd Talbot**) is wearing a thick striped rugby shirt in this video.  He's the "hunk" sitting at the table.

**Todd Talbot is now, inexplicably, on the show Love It or List It, Too, yet another one of my guilty pleasures.  Clearly I majorly {HEART} bad Canadian television***.  Shh.  ;)

***And early 90s Canadian country/rock bands, too.  Brad Roberts, love you and your deep deep voice!

Liberty Toothpick Jean in Emma and Georgina Floral.  I bought these in a tall 31 since I had run they ran small (I wear a tall 30).  Another good call since the hip and thigh area fit perfectly.  I have a smaller waist/upper hip area which means I sometimes have a gap in the waistband, and yes, I did have a bit of one on this pair, but not nearly as bad as it can be.

My inseam is 34 inches, and the length in the tall is a hair under 30 inches, which means it hits right above my ankles, which I love, and appreciate.  Now if J. Crew could get away from making Cafe Capris, I think there would be a whole slew of tall women celebrating. 

The floral is beautiful, and much brighter and more primary than it looks on-line.  I thought I was going to end up with something more muted since the J. Crew catalog and stock photo depicted it as almost a pastel (the still shot of the pants, though, is very accurate).

The current sale price, plus the extra 20% off, makes this pair nearly 50% off, which is a pretty good price for what you receive.

Okay, that's it for today.  :)

P.S. I announced it yesterday, and I am s-l-o-w-l-y working on my "picks" post, but Boden is having one of their diminishing discount sales right now, with 20% off until Wednesday (all current season womenswear is included--Breton sweatshirt, too!), but clearance and any mini Boden in the separate "up to 35% off" sale are not able to be further reduced by this 20% off sale.  You can use my sidebar coupon to access the sale or the one at the bottom of this post.

Fabulous Florida Mommy has a few picks (plus other sale announcements) at this post!  I think she made some great choices.  :)

OOTDs: Just One of the Guys.

Since I have a pear shaped body, I rarely dip into menswear.  I definitely am all woman, baby, especially if birthing hips are in any way equatable to extra estrogen.

But I have been known to dip into men's knitwear from time to time, since I can usually make a man's extra small or small sweater and/or cardigan work on my frame.

Up until recently, though, I kept my yummy menswear a secret, only to be brought out in the wee hours of the morning or night so as to keep a chill at bay.  (My favorite is a men's cardigan from 2009 that I wear faithfully...it has been washed so much that it is as soft as a baby's bottom.)

When I spied the Wallace and Barnes Shetland Wool Sutherland Sweater and the Lambswool Inverness Fair Isle Sweater in the fall rollout at J. Crew, I figured it was worth a shot to try some XY clothing that could be worn (gasp!) outside, especially if I could grab them on sale.  After waiting many many weeks and days, I finally got both for very good discounts (thank you, J. Crew, and your endless parades of discounts in November and December).

Here is the verdict...

Day: Monday, January 7, 2013.

Where: Grocery Shopping @ Harris Teeter (it's all I ever do).

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The Sutherland sweater wasn't the issue.  In fact, after I got back from my fun day of activities, I kept that sweater on and took off the pants.  The problem with the outfit was the pants, and the fact that I wore spanx underneath them to keep the shirt tucked in properly (since the waistband is low on these cords, the shirt won't stay tucked in without lots of help).  I felt bound and tied.  It was not a great feeling.

The sweater is wondeful.  Great shape, fits exactly right in the extra-small, even in the shoulders, plus it has long enough arms for me, Miss Monkey Arms.  The color is luscious and very sherberty, but without being too sweet.  The wool is a bit coarse, but kept me very toasty (it was cool here yesterday).  I think with time the wool will soften.  I think the elbow patches are a cute touch and made from a very supple suede.

I think the price they were charging originally was pretty good, but because I (secretly*--shh) grabbed it with a 30% off promo, I was able to get it an even better price. 

(See it on a handsome dude here, btw.  He wears the aqua version very well.  I am officially a dirty old woman.)

*(Wallace and Barnes items are supposed to be excluded, but my computer said yes.  Yay!)

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  This outfit is exactly what a SAHM wears, so not especially cool unless SAHMs are all of a sudden cool.  The only cool thing about my outfit is my bag, honestly.  I did have a guy compliment my coat (men love this yellow Sybil coat--never fails, btw, every time I wear it out, it is complimented by some big, gruff dude).

Anecdote from the day:  Big gruff man complimented my coat.  I only spent around $50 at the grocery store (minor miracle, btw--food is SO expensive). 

Day: Thursday, January 3, 2013.

Where: Bowling and preschool run.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The outfit is the very definition of casual and warm and comfortable.  The pants are made from a very thick ponte in a lovely dark purple shade.

The sweater is not as big of a winner as the Sutherland, but I do really like it.  I am very glad I got this one on super sale (sale plus 30% off), since I don't think it is worth full price.  (It pills a bit--but nowhere near what womens cashmere does.)  I love the fair isle pattern on this, very timeless and less destined for "ugly sweater" party like my ironic favorite, the farmyard fair isle.  This Inverness fair isle is a more fitted shape than the sutherland, especially in the hips.  It fits fine, but the sutherland is so easy and glides right over my hips where the Inverness kind of grabs on and holds me.

Cool Factor: (1.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  In no way is it cool.  Sorry.  The boots may help a tiny bit, and possibly the sunglasses, but the scarf plus the fair isle plus *almost* leggings equals NOT cool.  Plus I was going bowling, people.  Bowling.

Anecdote from the day:  I did just awful at bowling.  One game was decent, a few points up from my average.  One game was pretty good, about twenty up from average.  But--oof--one game was down by nearly 30.  Plus everyone else on my team did really bad, so we lost big time.  We got our bowling pins handed to us (and how) by the other team. 

Okay, that's it!  Have any of you dabbled in menswear?  Or do you stay far far away?

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