OOTDs: Knee Socks and Jacket Weather.

Day: Monday, October 20, 2014.

Where:  Little Gym and School Run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I knew I needed something that I could move in for the Little Gym, but I really didn't want to wear a full on fall outfit, so I dared to wear the (gasp!) knee socks (here at Boden) with a shorter denim skirt.  Of course it was going to be cool enough in the morning to justify a jacket, so I pulled out this lighter weight cashmere one from J. Crew that I bought on ebay (it was a sample piece, only one made, and sold for cheap!).

By the end of the day, I definitely didn't need the jacket any longer, but was still glad I had the Pure Collection cashmere turtleneck to keep me warm.  This year's version of this is here. 

As comfortable as I felt, though, I would pick that day to wear the skirt...the day the instructor asked us to do some pilates move on our back with one of the balls.  I did it as gracefully as I could, but yoga pants would have made that move a whole lot easier.  Sigh.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I like it, but I have always liked knee socks with shorter skirts.  I think this is a particular style choice, and if you really aren't into it, this isn't gonna be your thing.  But I love quirky preppy, so it works for me. 

These socks come in a pack of three and include a pair with squirrels on them (like on my Hartland dress!).  I hope to wear those out, but I definitely have to be careful on how I style those.  LOL.

Anecdote from the day:  Well, I did a pilates type move in a skirt...that was pretty much the highlight of my day.  I don't really live that exciting of a life.  ;-)

Day: Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

Where:  Bowling, Harris Teeter, and School Run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Bowling requires me to have even better a range of motion than the Little Gym (Angus *normally* does all the work there), so I knew a skirt was out.  But dang it, I am not completely ready to give up sandals.  I knew it would warm up during the day, just like it did yesterday, so I made the decision to wear the sandals and the short-sleeve top, so I could at least pretend like fall isn't here by the end of the day.

That said, the jacket is pretty lightweight (I found it in the Zara girls section, it's a size 13-14), so I ended up wearing it all day, anyhow. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  Definitely not the quirky preppy I did yesterday.  :-)  Still like this look, especially the shoes, top, and necklace.  I really want to pattern out this top so I can sew up other versions in some of my fabric in my stash.  I have some beautiful lighter weight fabrics that would look so pretty in this silhouette.  It should be fairly simple to do, just have to sit down and do it.

Anecdote from the day:  Apparently all the bowling ladies know about my sewing success.  The secret got out!  So while I may not be the *best* bowler in the league, I was feeling very loved over my sewing feat.  These are ladies that did learn how to sew when they were younger, so I know they know how much work goes into crafting your own clothes, so I doubly appreciated their kind words.

Okay, that's it for today.

Who's ready for a Boden Weekly Review Roundup?  I think I may be publishing one tomorrow.  If you have a review for me, you can email me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or you can leave the review at the Boden Reviews tab.

Talk with you all soon!

So if you are #2 or #7...

Winner of My Giveaway! by dinagideon on Polyvore.com


Then you have won my socks giveaway! Yay!!! I always think when you have a higher number of people enter for a giveaway, then one of the higher numbered entrants will win, like #16 or #23 or something (24 people entered the giveaway, by the way).

But of course...I know intellectually this is not true...every entrant has the same chance of getting the prize as the next person, especially when you use a machine like random.org to help you pick.

So, #2 (also known as AppGal) and #7 (also known as Summerilla), please e-mail me. (You both have my e-mail, right?)

I plan on having another giveaway real soon...this was fun...

TaDa! Post #200!!! (A.K.A. My First Giveaway!)

#1 thought of the day--I have somehow made it to my 200th post. Crazy. I hope I am still kicking for my 500th post. I think the only thing that would make me want to stop blogging is haters...so please stay away if you are a hater. ;)

#2 thought of the day--I am always amazed at the generosity of others...from the very start of this whole "blogging" thing, I noticed that people were more than willing to give away good advice, share secret deals, and mention when coveted items at jcrew.com or TJ Maxx or whatever are in stock. Then there is the whole "giveaway" phenomenon. Many wonderful bloggers happily give away awesome gifts to people who come to their site as a way of saying "thank you" for visiting. In that spirit, I am hosting my first giveaway, in celebration of these two thoughts of the day.


First, though, let's discuss what I have received in the past from winning giveaways. Wowza.

The very first giveaway I won was the Fashion Tape (shown on the left) from Gigiofca. I am such a spaz I forgot to check and see who won until three days after the contest was over. She still let me win...And can I just tell you? Fashion Tape is AMAZING. If you have a need to keep things up or keep things tidy, this is the stuff for you. It is the Fort Knox of tapes. VERY SECURE!

The second giveaway I won was by default, but I guess it counts, was the green flip-flop keychain (shown in the middle) from AppGal. I currently use this keychain for my summer fun...very lightweight and perfect just for a house key (esp. useful for all the walks I take). BTW, AppGal is so friendly she even included a fun magnet!

The third giveaway I won I didn't technically win(someone else did), but because I mentioned that I would give my library at school the book if I won, Patina Cabachon went ahead and bought a SECOND book just for my school's library (which they ADORED, by the way). (The book is on the right.)

So thank you, awesome ladies...

And so I thought I was done winning, I mean, that is three in a row...but then...


I won a BEAUTIFUL bag and wallet from Tres Tippy. Look at this! It is lightweight, fun, and colorful and by Le Sportsac. It is possibly the most "dinagideon" bag I have ever seen. Perfection. And I won it!!!

So thank you, Ms. Tres Tippy!

So here are my TWO sets of prizes...

Okay, they are nowhere in the vein of cool or awesome the way the four prizes I was lucky enough to win...but they are J. Crew socks (which I LOVE) and there are two sets of them (one set per 100 posts). If you love J. Crew socks, then this is the giveaway for you...

If you are like me, you will have to wait to wear socks (I only wear sandals and flip-flops in the summer), but I know for a fact they are perfect for fall.

Here is the kind of boring bit so you can enter:

Two winners will be selected by random.org.

The first winner picks the set of socks (seen above) she or he wants and the 2nd winner gets the 2nd set.

To enter this giveaway for the socks-PLEASE:

1. Tell me one thing you love about summer clothing.

2. Tell me one piece of clothing you most look forward to wearing this fall (and if you want, use items from the J. Crew fall look-book, I would love to hear what you love in the look-book).

3. Please remember to sign on with your blogger or whatever account name, so I can contact you if need be. If you sign as Anon, you must leave a name in your post or it will be deleted.

4. Entries accepted for through Wednesday, July 15, 2009, 11:59 PM EST. Entries made after that time will be deleted.

5. Winner will be selected by random.org.

6. I will create a post on Thursday, July 16, 2009, announcing the winners. At that time, I will ask the winners to e-mail me and whoever gets to me first gets first pick!

GOOD LUCK...and most of all...THANK YOU FOR READING!