Boden: Glamour Appearance.

Hi, all. Happy Mardi Gras! I am spending the day home, recovering. (Because of my wild, wild, wild night out last night.) Yeah, right. If you can call this a wild, wild, wild night:

Me: I am dying here. I can barely breathe, I ache everywhere, I can't talk above a hoarse-y whisper, I can't sleep, and my husband has decided you all had better do something because he can take my whining any longer.

Dr.: Well, see, you're pregnant, so you really are very limited in what is going to help you.

Me: (Almost in tears.) Um, well, I tried both Tylenol and a decongestant and while they sort of helped, it didn't do as much as I hoped.

Dr.: And based on my new knowledge of your use of a decongestant, it is no wonder your heart rate and blood pressure is elevated. So now you need to give that one up, too.

Me: (Inward SCREAM of OMG NO!) Well, okay, that makes sense...

Dr.: Good, I am glad you came in, even if that is all we can do for you today.

Me: (Dying slowly on the inside but baring as brave a face as possible...) Well, when I had this same exact thing as this when I was pregnant with my daughter, the other urgent care gave me some antibiotics, and within a couple of hours of using it, I was feeling a whole lot better.

Dr.: Oh, well, okay, then, let me go see what they have for pregnant women...

Me: (Thanking the Lord that my grasping at straws worked.) Okay, thanks! Smile!

I did get a very mild antibiotic, and well, whadyaknow? It is working. I still have a whisper voice instead of a real voice, but none of you all care about that, I am sure. :) I am super grateful that there are a few items in the pharmacy that those of us with baby can take. So while I may not spend Mardi Gras in any sort of real party mood, know that I am starting Lent off in the right frame of mind...thanking God!


Onto the real meat of today's post...

In the February issue of Glamour, there was a brief appearance of a Boden dress...which almost never happens. I will catch an item here or there, but it is usually relegated to the back pages of People Style or some such...but this month, the dress was in the middle of the magazine as part of a feature on prints (no surprise there)!

Mentioned in the very first row of dresses, the Flower Burst Shift, is part of the "If you're into graphic prints" section.  I would say that this pattern is for sure a graphic pattern as it is a repeated and structural...that said, it has the floral feel unlike the other three.

I am clearly a fan of printed fabrics, and I kind of fell in love with a lot of these dresses mentioned.  I also found the advice to be helpful, especially if you tend towards solid pieces in your wardrobe, and this is your first foray into this type of clothing.  This "trend" of printed dresses technically never goes out of style (Milly wouldn't exist if it did, lol), but I gather all the designers had presented pieces like this in the spring 2012 runway shows, so it became a "trend."  (I just made a side eye, fwiw.)

Anyhow, have any of you tried this dress?  It is certainly a beauty, and fairly restrained for Boden.  I do like that is made from heavy, textured cotton fabric that will wear well, especially if you have an office job.  Unfortunately it does not come in petites, but it does have longs for the taller ladies.


Flower Burst Shift. The brown colorway is proving to be the most popular (many sizes are in deep backorder), but that was the color featured in Glamour. It also comes in a blue/green and red/grey colorway.


Textured Cotton Skirt. This skirt also has the this pattern in the brown flowerburst and the blue flowerburst. I cannot recommend this skirt without first reminding you of the fit issues on this skirt. Check out my review #1 of this skirt and review #2 (which has the correct size for me).

For those of you on a mobile device, I am attaching a link that will get you 15% off and free shipping and returns (regular computer users, you can use my sidebar link):
Save 15% at Bodenusa.com with Free Delivery and Returns!

Later today I will be doing another post in my series of "If It Came Back Today."  And later this week, once I have taken photos, I will do another Boden appearance, this time in Marie Claire (March 2012).

Have a great day.  :)  And remember, Urgent Care can be your friend.  Grasp at straws, though, especially if you are pregnant. 

I'm Back...Cloaked in Roses, with an Emerald Isle, and in a Lace Scallop...

Hi, all! I am feeling great! At the end of the post I will let you know how my surgery and recovery has been, but I know some of you are just beyond tickled at the gorgeous Anthropologie sale they are having on-line and in stores, so I want to get to some reviews/outfits that feature current on-sale offerings! :)

First up is the Cloaked in Roses Jacket by Charlie and Robin.  This AMAZING lace-covered, boiled wool piece was a pretty penny, ringing up at around $180 before it went on sale (this morning!!!).  I fell hook, line, and sinker in love with it in the store and although I knew it would probably go on sale, I had to have this piece for the trip I took to NYC the weekend before my surgery (for those of you counting that would be the weekend of the 10th-12th).  I knew this outfit I wore above would be the exact right outfit for walking around Soho in as I knew it would keep me warm, but be visually interesting enough that the Sartorialist wouldn't keel over and die if he saw me in it.  LOL.

Thoughts:  I bought a size small.  The length, waist, and sleeve length is exactly right on me.  The shoulders and bust are a touch too big, but nothing terrible.  I feel like the lace looks delicate, but is more sturdy than you might realize (I snagged a few lace-y bits through the day and there is no damage as far as I can see).  My hubby LOVED this jacket. 

I bought this jacket one week and six days ago.  For those of you doing the Anthro price adjustment calculations...you guessed it...I was able to apply a price adjustment to this jacket today at the Tyson's store and with that adjustment and one other (and the phenomenal extra 25% off sale items), I was able to save (your jaws are going to drop) $125.  (Which I then promptly applied to an orange Paisley Gust sweater jacket...yeah, I know...but come on, that puppy is totally selling out, I doubt that one will make it to sale!)

Rex took this picture.  He isn't even four.  Good on you, Rex. 

Before I went to Soho, we made our way to see the Statue of Liberty in real life.  Rex is actually jumping for joy over seeing it (yay, America!!!). 

I nearly tucked in my striped tee (a J. Crew gilded striped tee from Holiday '07), but in the end I liked it better untucked.

Fast forward to last night (there are other NYC pics, but you'll see those some other time). 

I have recovered enough that getting out the house isn't super-challenging and I am not liable to fall asleep in my dinner (or breakfast, you should have seen me at brunch on Sunday).  Mr. Dina's work had a smaller, more intimate party last night and I was feeling festive, so I brought out Elevenses Emerald Isle Coat for my dressy night out. 

Thoughts: This is a very elegant piece.  Feels almost like I should be heading out to the Moscow ballet wearing it.  I would not wear this coat with pants, I feel like it is perfectly made for the mini-dresses and skirts that seem to be all the rage now (and if you follow the antiquated slightly outdated rule of your coat must match your dress length).  I bought this in a six, and that is my usual Elevenses coat size.  Having said that, if you are at all well-endowed (lucky!) or more broad-shouldered than I, you may want to size up.  The skirted portion of this coat definitely fit fine over my hips. 

I am wearing the Wintertide Scarf here as well, its faux fur edging really adds to the exotic feel.

This may be the single stupidest pose I have ever made but I guess you all can pretend that I was pretending to be all cold and chilly and I was going "brrrr, it's cold outside."  Which I ended up doing for real later that night.  Turns out that a sleeveless lace dress, tights, ballet flats, faux fur scarf, and a sort of thin brocade coat may not be enough to really keep the chill out, but dang, at least it looks pretty!

Next up is what was under the Emerald Isle Coat...the Lace Scallop Dress from the Loft.  I have dressed it up here with the Stella and Dot Charlotte necklace and a belt I made myself (crafty!).  :)

Thoughts: Gigiofca couldn't really find any redeeming qualities, and I get that.  I almost gave up when I received the size 8 I ordered during their Cyber Monday sale and found that it barely fit over my hips.  (I had *just* bought a dress from the Loft in a size 4, so I thought the 8 would be fine, even a bit loose!)  Two weeks later the size 10 pops back (I think it sells out and comes back frequently), and I get that one instead.  The ten fits much better.  Much more like the way it looks here on this model:

Thoughts continued:  I ask the lady at the Loft today if she thinks that this has been a hard fit for people, like they have been bringing it back because it is so off from their regular sizing.  She basically gives me the look of death (where is Debye when I need her?) and icily says, "no, that has not been happening at all."  (Okay...guess I will not be darkening your doors anymore, lady!  Psycho!)  Anyhow, not that I care, a size 10 is my "classic" size, if we were back in the 80s and 90s when there wasn't vanity sizing...heck, I have ZERO problems ordering an 8 or 10 with Milly, it's just the darn inconsistencies I have issues with. 

Bottom Line:  It is a beautiful dress, lined well, made well, but if you are a pear shape like me, size WAY up...for me, 2-3 sizes was the key.  If you are an inverted triangle, stick tts.

From the side. 

Belt Instructions:
1. Get red ribbon from some random gift or another that someone gave you a long time ago to which you thought (cleverly), "ooh, I can use this one day for my hair, or my waist, or my daughter's hair..."
2.  Receive yummy box of Godiva chocolates.  Eat chocolates (of course).  Take red rosette and say loudly, "how pretty, maybe I can make a barrette, or a brooch, or a pendant, or a corsage, or a..."
3. Find ribbon and rosette...discover how nicely they go together. 
4.  Receive awesome lace dress in its right size and try on...ooh, needs a belt!
5.  Take red ribbon, tie it at the waist in a simple knot.
6.  Take rosette (which already has a pin attachment--thank you very much, Godiva) and attach it to tied ribbon.
7.  Go to party in which all the girls go "oooh, I LOVE YOUR BELT!"
8.  Proudly say (making sure your husband is in ear shot), I spent 0 dollars making this.  Then as quickly as possible, read steps 1-7 for them from above so they all know how to make their own 0 dollar belt, too.

No stockings, no necklace.  Same belt.  Cute for spring, no?

From the side, all simple like.  :)

Best is always at the end.  CW in her Jacadi Liberty of London dress, with tights, silver-bowed shoes, and a precious turtleneck to keep her nice and warm. 

With her crewcuts Collection (oooh, how snazzy) coat.  (Don't worry, I bought this at the Lynchburg Clearance Center for $20?  It is a piece from 2006, I believe.  Best part is the pretty hot pink lining and the collar-less neckline, how very chic!)

That's it.  (Psyche.)

:)  Tuesday last week was my surgery day.  I went in, was cleared for takeoff, the awesome Dr. Thompson gave me some awesome sedatives and proceeded to implant the Amplatzer device in my hole.  He is done an hour later.  I then go to the recovery area, where I am forced to stay in one position for six hours (they want to make sure my entry site at the groin area doesn't burst open--that would be bad, so you all know, like emergency room, 911 call kind of bad).  I get home, receive flowers from my kids and the DC JCAs (yay for the coolest and most fashionable friends ever), and hit the hay.

The week since has been great.  I haven't had any headaches, mini-strokes, or the like.  I have been INCREDIBLY tired, but I suppose having your heart muscles growing over a device is going to do that to you.  I feel different.  Other people who have had this done know what I am talking about, but unless you have had the incredibly awful and terrifying auras that can come with migraines and mini-strokes (although with mini-strokes they are not called auras, they are simply just "symptoms"), it is truly hard to describe how my world looks and feels different.  I feel clearer.  I feel more focused.  I feel normal.  YAY!

I am still on anti-coagulant drugs to prevent my blood from continuing to clot (like it so wants to do) and will be for many months.  I will never not take a baby aspirin, or mega doses of folate but that is because MTHFR raises homocysteine levels in your blood, and that can cause clotting, so even if my hole is closed, my doctors still want my blood to be ideal, not all sticky and mean to my poor organs.  LOL.  :)

You all take care.  Hope to write and talk again soon!

Dressy Mix and Match...

Hi, all! Thank you so much for your sweet thoughts and e-mails over the past week or so. :) MUCH NEEDED...I definitely have left Funky Town, its population is now zero. LOL.

Real quick, I wanted to let you all know that I am having surgery to repair my "hole in my heart" on December 14, 2010, which is one week away. I am not nervous, but I am a teeny bit anxious. Some of my bloggie friends have reached out to me and told me their stories of people they know who have had this surgery so I feel great to know that it is usually a very easy procedure, but it is still my heart and all.

Turns out that I have an ASD, which is a birth defect, and not just the flappy opening between the atria not completely closing at birth (which is what we thought I had--also known as a PFO). If you want to read more about the differences between an ASD and PFO, check out this link for more info. The ASD explains why I have continual blood flow between my right atria and my left atria (also known as a right to left shunt, which I explained in great detail at the "hole in my heart" post which I linked to in the last paragraph), and which makes me understand why I have been susceptible to "mini-strokes" and why the cardiologist was willing to get me in for the heart repair so quickly! (I am even having my surgery before BRET MICHAELS!!!)

Okay, enough talk about my health. Let's move onto OUTFITS!!!

Mix and Match Packing List! by dinagideon featuring a vneck cardigan

Above is the polyvore from my trip to Mississippi and Louisiana that I talked about in my last post. For more info on how this polyvore works, check out the post for the info on how I mixed and matched the pieces together to help me have a well-chosen plan for my ten-day trip. Today I will focus on how I mixed the pieces to create dressier outfits (my last post was on the casual outfits).

Worn to church the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  I know that at my church people dress up, but nothing compares to Southern Baptist church services.  Everyone is turned out just so.  It is very lovely to see, the parade of finery and thoughtful, well-cleansed faces bright and fresh.  :)  Love it!

The outfit consists of pieces #5, 2, 9, 21, and 17.  You have seen the jacket, the dress, and the shoes before, but the belt and necklace are new.  I love the way the grey worked with the purple and browns.  I didn't know if the colors would look ghastly together, but in the end, it all worked.  The belt is the suede floppy belt and I bought it in a size small so I could wear it at my waist.  If you want a more "floppy" effect, buy up a size.  I don't want a floppy effect, so I was great with the size small.  The necklace is the knotty pearl necklace and I just love how a fairly inexpensive piece of costume jewelry (I got it on super-sale) can make an outfit look extra-special.  (Well, the velvet Bella jacket helps, too...lol.)

I dress for Thanksgiving dinner.  Something about dressing for dinner speaks to me, so I was happy to oblige, even if I was a bit "over-dressed."

This outfit consists of pieces #4, 2, 9, and 19.  This dress was wrongly identified as the super 120s banquette dress on ebay when I bought it...it is actually the stretch flannel banquette dress from last year, but in the end, I don't really care.  At the price I bought it, I was happy.  This is in a size 8, and sadly this means that the top is very loose and the hips just fit.  To counter this, I cinched the belt REAL tight and wore a cami on top and wore spanx on the bottom.  It was worth it, though, my super-beautiful sister-in-law complimented my outfit, and that made me feel great!  :)  The necklace is the Charlotte Statement necklace by Stella and Dot that I was able to get (FOR FREE) after CW's Stella and Dot birthday party (CW received a LOT of jewelry for VERY good prices).  If you would like to order Stella and Dot, I can put you in touch with Rachel, who is my Stella and Dot stylist.

This is an outfit I wore at the very beginning of the trip when it was SUPER hot and I needed to cool down.  The first photo shows how I took shimmer paisley dress and winter-ized it and this photo shows a nice early fall option.  It does look like I am wearing a top and a skirt, but I actually just layered a cami over the dress.

These pieces are #25, 9, 5, and 18.

Finally, this is an outfit I wore the very first night of the vacation.  We were going all fancy with a fixed price dinner at a yummy New Orleans restaurant and I wanted to match by dressing up.  It was hot that night, so the cashmere and the wool skirt were a *bit* much, but the restaurant was cool enough, so I didnt keel over in my crawfish or anything.  :)

This outfit consists of pieces #24, 17, and 1.  The tee would have made it into the polyvore BUT polyvore has a limit of 50 pieces!!!  (Did you all know that?  And the numbers that I used to label the pieces count as items!  Shakes fist at imaginary owner of Polyvore...)

CW was also dressed up and ready to go.  Love the pink and brown!  :)

You all have a fab night!  I look forward to posting more outfits!!!  (I will be on forced bed rest for a good portion of next week...but guess what bed rest means?  My wireless computer can come with me!!!  Heehee...)

Boden Time!

Ugh. Woke up with a migraine. Boo. But yay for one thing...until this morning I had made it a (near) record of 12 WHOLE days of no migraines at all. I do believe that the recipe of extra vitamins, eating better, taking that lovely little baby aspirin, and not exercising so intensely (!!!) has helped me feel better. But, BAM, like that, I am reminded that I still have a hole in my heart. Ugh.

Had to take Rex to preschool, too, for his first day. I felt like maybe I shouldn't go, but against my better judgment, I took my migraine medication (which sometimes works and sometimes doesn't--guess what today was?) and drove. Halfway through driving, my fingers were tingling and I kind of was freaked out. I drove VERY carefully to Rex's school and then after dropping him off (so cute, see bottom photo), I realized I needed to at least get my fingers back to full function before driving, so I chilled at a local coffee shop for about an hour. Still wasn't 100% at the end, but at least I wasn't all weird feeling, you know?

Yes, Mr. Dina is not letting me do that again, so you all know. :)


But I wore Boden, so it must all be good, right? Just ignore the flip-flops, please. Pretend they are a fab pair of sandals. :)

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size UK 10, US 6. This cardi is way more useful than I ever expected it to be. Its shorter length and lovely color work so well with so many of my dresses. It is like the Jenna cardigan, but short-sleeved and cotton/linen. Yum!
Dress: Size UK 12, US 8 Regular. This is the fun dress from summer 2009. I was tempted by a few of the fun dresses this summer but I have to stop myself from accumulating more dresses. Seriously, I have a HUGE dress addiction and I have a HUGE problem parting with my dresses. I have in my closet dresses from 15 years ago that are in perfect shape because I am such a OCD freak about caring for my dresses (which means, btw, if you do buy a dress from me, you KNOW it will be in fab shape...lol). This fun dress is a great shape, and I adore the floral pattern on the bottom.
Shoes: Size 10. Seriously this is a problem. I was so out of it, I forgot to change out of my house flip-flops. THESE ARE THE FLIP-FLOPS I NEVER LET ANYONE SEE, and look at that, YOU ALL SEE THEM! Ha. Guess my secret is out. These 10 dollar flip-flops have the price per wear of like 1 cent now. Yeah, I know, pretty sad. :P


Hand on the hip, and CW all turned around. Heehee.


As one of my best friends from high school quipped when he saw this pic of Rex, "He's working the backpack AND the lunch bag. That kid is ready for school!"

Night, night, all. For those of you interested in CW's Stella and Dot Children's Jewelry Party, I will be posting on that tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled for that link. (Oh, and you don't have to order just children's jewelry...all orders will be happily processed...we are just trying to get CW some fab "little" jewelry for her upcoming birthday!) :)

A Little Blue...Good Time to Show Off My Blue!

I have had a rough week. Insanely enough my finding out what I exactly suffer from in regards to my terrible migraines isn't even what had me down this week. :P

First, the news regarding my PFO (please see this post for more info on what that is).

Trust me, the next paragraph or two will make more sense if you do read it. :)

I definitely, 100%, there is no doubt in my mind, HAVE a HUGE hole in my heart. In fact, based on my trans-cranial doppler with micro-bubbles study (link takes you to a PDF), I have the absolute worst possible grade you can receive regarding holes in the heart. The hole I have basically is open for business, even when I am at rest. That means there is always a bit of the bad blood mixing in with my good, oxygenated blood and because of that, my brain is receiving bad blood a lot of the time. There are two tests they do...the first test is at rest, which I received "uncountable bubbles," or a "curtain," which equates to a grade 5+ (plus). The grades start at 0, which means no bubbles pass through (there is no PFO if that is the case) and go all the way to 5+. When they gave me the second test, I needed to replicate exertion, so I had to blow into a tube (called a valsalva maneuver). This test is normally done because a lot of people will experience more bubbles passing from their right atria into their left atria under conditions of exertion, if they have a PFO. (This second test is valuable especially for those people who have a PFO but the PFO did not register on the first test.) Me? Oh, no. I mean, yes, I had more bubbles passing through, but yep, the bubbles were still uncountable, and still a curtain, and therefore still a Grade 5+. I think this is unfair, I think there should be a distinction...I want to be a 6, darnit. LOL. (See I can still laugh about it!)

My neurologist then moved on from that to my MRI results, which were...da da DUM...normal (enough, my hubby may disagree). :) GREAT, I'll take it. But wait, I am not done...

Turns out that even though I have a normal MRI, my neurologist suspects STRONGLY (bold-face font, thank you very much) that I have suffered from "mini-strokes" already based on my symptoms while having my AWFUL TERRIBLE migraines this summer. Turns out that a prolonged aura (my worst ones have lasted for hours) with partial blindness in my right eye and difficulty walking (walking into walls and falling over from standing) and not being able to speak properly are not typical and worry her.

With my MTHFR disorder (I clot blood easily), she is not putting my health to chance and is INSISTING that I get my PFO closed before my "mini-strokes" turn into big, land you in the hospital STROKES. I have an appointment with a local cardiologist in a few weeks, and at that point I will know more about when and where I will get my hole closed. YAY!

See why I am not blue about my health? This, albeit a bum-tastic thing to have lived with, is nearly done. THANK GOD.

My blue-ness is more on me and feeling like I can't get along with people. Not my friends, nope, my family. Fortunately I am pretty adept at figuring out familial issues, but it still stinks feeling down. (And hence, my absence from the blog, couldn't get motivated to be happy for you all...boo!)

So as an HOMAGE to blue, I give you two blue outfits I wore this summer. :) Enjoy!


Sizes:
Dress: Size 8. This is the knotted starfish dress and I must have tried this dress on five or six times in multiple J. Crew dressing rooms. The 8 always fit best (even if it is a bit short--but hey, it's summer and I was going to a picnic). I just couldn't pay full price. It went on sale, but even on sale, I thought it was too expensive for what it was. When I was able to get an extra 20% off, I bit, and ended up getting it for around $45.
Shoes: Size 10. I believe these are some Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals. They are sparkly!

This is the outfit as I wore it. Below is what I had originally intended to do.


Sizes:
Belt: Size small. Elastic Blossoms Belt. I adore this belt, and love the way it looked here. But for a picnic, nah. That and the heels are better for a date.
Shoes: Size 10. Yummy, love how the light lavender look like a neutral. I believe these are the patent Elodies from Summer 2009.

Yes, I am full aware of how ridiculous the kids look. Baby CW is for sure doing a "staying alive" dance move. I think she must love the disco. That is a starfish crewcuts top. Yep, another mommy and me outfit. ;) Rex's sunglasses kill me, too. I didn't know 3-year olds could look like cops. LOL.

And notice how the "knotted" in the knotted starfish dress is spangling out onto my upper-arm. Awesome. Not. Fixed that right up before I left the house, promise.


Sizes:
Dress: Size small. This is the Marin Dress and I LOVETH. Simply put. I know this was not insanely popular, but I found the fit, fabric, and comfort perfect for my life. I wore this out and about doing normal SAHM things. Drewablank wanted me to get the x-small, but I found that it fit too well at the hips, thereby making the skirt portion shorter. Prefer it to only be "just" so short.
Shoes: Size 10. Just plain old flip-flops from J. Crew.


This lighting better shows off the color. :)

Mommy Style Monday note: I have received all the e-mails, comments, etc. regarding your nominees. Awesome. :) Currently creating the questions for the Q & A, and all will be sent out the Stylish Moms very soon. When I receive them back, I will start that new portion of Mommy Style Monday.

Have a great night, and be safe at school.

Showing Boden Some Long Overdue Love...

Oh, you all! I love the comments I have been getting lately, so sweet! I have been a bit over-extended, hence my not commenting back, but I have read them all and loved them all, so thank you!

I have also been neglecting my very good friend, Johnnie, you know Mr. Boden? He is so good to me, always making things that fit me just so and in such luscious prints and colors. I have been wearing his stuff, I just haven't celebrated it lately. So I make up for that today with a Boden-centered post. (With that said, Johnnie, if you feel so inclined, I would totally LOVE a *free* trip to your headquarters in England, just sayin'. LOL.)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Above is the polyvore of the outfit I wore to have my MRI in. Okay, admittedly, I didn't really wear *this* outfit IN the MRI, but I wore it to the MRI place. (I wore scrubs in the MRI.) Can I just swoon over this silk tunic? I HEART it so much. And I almost overlooked it! It came out last season and I must have missed it amongst all my troll-ing over at bodenusa.com. The other day I was poking around the fall stuff and I happened on the clearance section and saw it and took a chance, knowing I might return it. Now? I WILL DO NO SUCH THING. I think we have a winner. :)


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium. J. Crew from Spring 2008. I bought these out when they went on sale in four colors, and I am glad I did, I wear them all the time.
Tunic/Dress: Size UK 12, US 8. This silk tunic is a dress, although I guess if you are VERY tall, it may be best to wear it with leggings or tights. It is still for sale, and if you love a particular color and it appears sold out in your size, try again another day as it may be back in stock.
Shoes: Size 9-10. These are from Vera Bradley and they have a very subtle "Sittin in a Tree" pattern on the sole.

And baby's outfit? All J. Crew and Target. Her smile is also very real, and unlike the rest of the world, cannot be bought. ;)


No cardigan in this shot. I only wore the cardigan at the hospital. Still August here in the swamp known as Northern Virginia.

(Quick side note: I don't know what my MRI revealed, but they gave me the CD with the pics of my brain, and of course I snuck a look...my brain is BEAUTIFUL. I will know more at my next neurologist's appt. on August 31, 2010. I am not worried, as I KNOW I can get through all of this--God has given me that strength!)


And yesterday's outfit. (Also a Boden product, but Johnnie B. style!)
Sizes:
Dress: Size Medium. This is the Jersey Broderie Dress and is all sold out. :( I think that they make FAR fewer Johnnie B. items as it is a relatively new line and I don't think Boden is willing to over-do it and have too much stock sitting around. It also came in a navy colorway, but I have approximately 1,984,352 navy jersey dresses for summertime, and I don't need another. Sea Lion (fancy way of saying brown)? Sure, I can use another. :) Comfy, swingy, and VERY casual, this is the PERFECT way to be a SAHM.
Shoes: Size 10. These are from back when J. Crew was okay with making grosgrain flip-flops in many different patterns and styles. I think they had two grosgrain patterns this summer, and they both kind of were ugly. Sad.

Just Sayin' by dinagideon featuring J Crew coats

One last polyvore...above I have put the J. Crew stadium-cloth Milo coat against the Boden Greenwich Reefer coat. Sure there are differences, but with Boden constantly running some special or another, AND with free shipping (and sometimes returns), the Greenwich Reefer eeks out a win in my mind. (And that is why I ordered it. LOL.)

If you are an Arbonne client of mine and you DID NOT receive today's August specials e-mail OR you would like to be on my e-mail list, please e-mail me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com. My e-mail server has been a bit wacky lately, and I want to make sure that you all got today's specials (they are REALLY good). :)

Have a great day, and remember, give Johnnie B. some love!

A Little More on the Hole in My Heart...

You all are the sweetest blog friends ever. Between you all saying such nice things about all the skirt outfits I wore in that last post and the kind, loving things you all said regarding my health issues, I truly feel blessed. THANK YOU!

But I would feel terrible if some of you in any way were stressed for me because of this whole "hole in my heart" situation. Yes, truly, you don't want to hear a doctor say, "yep, there's a hole in your heart," but if you *have* to have a hole in the heart, supposedly this is the one you want to have. It is called a PFO, which stands for Patent Foramen Ovale. Yeah, sounds pretty suck-tastic, right? Well, it turns out something like 10% to 20% of the US population has this congenital defect. At birth, this little hole connecting the right and left ventricles is meant to close shut, and for some people, it just doesn't.

Great, right? So now you are thinking, "Dina is set, no worries." Well, maybe not. Turns out that my migraines with aura (as opposed to migraines without aura) put me in a specific group of people...HALF of all migraine with aura people (including me) have a hole in their heart (PFO), and that is pretty darn significant. And there is some proof that those with migraine with aura who also have PFO have LARGER openings than the normal PFO population.

So why is this significant? Turns out that the blood that is pumped into your right ventricle is old, de-oxygenated blood that has travelled all over your body picking up clumps of cells (like blood clots) and other kind of nasty chemicals. After the blood goes into your right ventricle, it is then *supposed* to go to your lung for purification and oxygenation, kind of like a visit to the spa...aaah. Well, if you have a PFO that has an opening that is all open for business (like it sounds like some of us with the aura migraines might have), the *bad* blood sneaks on over to the left ventricle without its purification ritual. Bad, bad, blood, and bad, bad, PFO! Why is it bad, you might wonder? Well...that bad blood, full of nastiness and clots can go to the brain which could cause the brain to have a bad set of chemical reactions (possibly) leading to the aura portion of the migraine...and (for all you Bret Michaels fans) if a clot gets in your brain, well, oops...there's a STROKE. Oh, goody.

Oh! And check this out...I am on a daily regimen of baby aspirin already because my blood has a tendency to clot because I have a disorder which (in the end) can lead to blood clotting.

Sigh. I am like one big walking stroke, migraine magnet. (Interesting fact...folks with migraines and auras have a MUCH greater chance of having a stroke...hmm...I think you can see the connection now!)

Here's the kind of stinky deal...there is a LOT of controversy on whether or not to surgically close the hole. Many doctors are wary of it, saying don't mess with something unless there is REALLY GOOD proof of causality...in other words, we don't have enough proof that PFO causes migraine with aura, so don't close up the PFO if that is the only thing you are worried about.

You can, though, have your PFO closed if you have had strokes. Oh, nice. So all I have to do is have a STROKE to get something that probably, most likely is causing most of my migraines closed? Swell. Fortunately for me it appears my neurologist is a pro-closing the PFO doctor(from what she said to me when I met her--smart lady, btw, totally knew within 10 minutes of meeting me to check for this).

I have read (did a LOT of research yesterday) that many people in EXACTLY. THE. SAME. SITUATION. as me had their PFOs closed in some clinical trial or another and guess what? Yep...they feel great, major reduction in migraines, much lower risk of stroke and many forms of heart disease.

Oh, and because my life is serendipitous, look what the New York Times wrote about the day AFTER I got my diagnosis? Yeah, someone up there must have known...lol.

Anyhoo, that is all for tonight. I will get back to fashion, but what is more fashionable than being able to actually post every day because I feel fan-freaking-tastic? Yeah, I thought so! ;)

P.S. Had another one today, yep, a migraine. Have them enough that I am starting to think I may be close to the chronic headache label.

P.P.S. If you are a doctor who reads my blog and I totally screwed something up, please let me know!!! I want to be accurate!!! :)

Cate, You Get Five Votes for the Campo You Prefer...

I have let you all down...sadly. I woke up with a terrible migraine, and although I took my medicine, oftentimes, and today was definitely an example of this, the side effects from the medicine were ALMOST as bad as the migraine itself. Ergh. Suffice it to say that I didn't get to wear the Campo de Fiore dress today, as promised. Yoga pants, a tee, and a lightweight coaching jacket were my wardrobe for the day (one side effect--I was freezing the whole day).

So here is the deal...please vote for your favorite of the two outfits (both options are in the same polyvore). Do you like the lighter, Option 1 version, with the lighter-colored tights, white scarf, and pewter flats? Or do you prefer the second, darker option, which includes black tights, the black tissue turtleneck, and the metropolitan ankle boots?

Every one's vote counts as one vote. If you voted over at polyvore, and then again here, you still only get one vote (sneaky, sneaky...). The only person who gets more than one vote is Cate, the person who originally voted for the Campo dress. She gets five votes. (No, you don't have to say which one you prefer five times, just once.) :)

Thank you all for understanding. I am feeling better, and anticipate that I will wear the Fresco tunic tomorrow, and the Frances cami and blush tweed skirt on Friday.

Re-do of the Campo!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew accessories

Above is the polyvore.

P.S. Thank you all for your wonderful comments about my ball gown outfit. I really felt very special. Also, isn't it a trip that the band Amaretto found my blog?

P.P.S. I don't think I have any events where I personally could hire Amaretto to play for me, but I will vouch for their awesomeness (they are really very good) if any of you all have a need for a band!!! ;)

Tissue Beaded Crest Tee and a Tartine...

FIRST!!! PLEASE ENTER MY GIVEAWAY CONTEST WHICH ENDS TONIGHT AT 12:00 AM (EST), 1/18/10.

All rules, etc., are posted at the original post. If you enter, you could have a chance at winning this J. Crew Collection (fancy!!!) flamingo-colored cashmere beanie hat.


Second: We were insanely busy this weekend, but it had NOTHING to do with the hot water heater blowing up last week. A long time ago, my hubby bought tickets to go to the Inaugural ball in Richmond for the current governor (as of yesterday--actual Inauguration day here in the Commonwealth of Virginia) Bob McDonnell.

All pics of our weekend down in lovely Richmond will be posted tomorrow. I have them edited, but am pretty darn tired tonight after an evening full of dancing and fun. :)

Tartine and Tissue Tee... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

But I knew I wanted to get up Friday's outfit, so here it is in Polyvore form. The pants and shoes are different, but the ones I own are so ancient, I doubt you would even be able to find them on ebay.


Sizes:
Cardigan: Medium.
Tee: Small, last seen on me here under a v-neck sweater. I want to find different ways of styling this tee. I love this tee, regardless of others' opinions. ;) BTW, those of you who own the tee, I washed it on a cold cycle, inside out, and with the "hand wash" cycle going. The beaded embellished part is fine. Only thing is that the coating for the green sequins is starting to flake off, so some of the sequins are more of a pearl-ish, silvered color. This may bother some of you, but I quite like the color. As long as the sequins stay on, I am a happy girl.
Pants: Size 10. These are from J. Crew back when the had the "frayed" summerweight chinos, maybe 2005?
Shoes: Size 10. I believe these are Etienne Aigner.

We went to dinner on Friday night at a steakhouse. Turns out that I am anemic, and so is CW!!! I have been anemic before (which is why I am always on prenatals), but CW??? So she has to take supplements. I knew it was bad when the nurse didn't even bother to hide her shock at CW's hemoglobin level. Sigh. This is one drawback of nursing into the second year, both momma and baby have the potential for this happening. Still plan on nursing, but I am going to be smart about her supplements and extra food...for instance, if you take something high in Vitamin C and add the iron supplement to it, the iron is better absorbed...pretty cool. Good thing applesauce is high in vitamin C. :)


There's my sweet, pretty, little anemic girl. She is wearing the cutest outfit. I was *this* close to pulling out my silk tiered cami in papaya and wearing something similar to her. I think I will wait until summer. I have no great white cardigans. ;)

And with CW's wave of "bye-bye," I bid you all farewell. Giveaway winner and Clothing choice winners announced tomorrow. BTW, a lot of you love my blushed tweed pencil skirt. :)

Weighty worries...

As you know, I am the very proud momma of a 23 month old and a 4 month old (as of Sunday). Well, along with that comes the weight gain. I gained 38 pounds with this last pregnancy and have lost 25 of them. YAY!

Well, you think that would be satisfactory. I only have 13 pounds to go, right? Well, technically yes. However, I started the pregnancy off at a higher weight than I would have liked.

Before I had Rex (first-born son), I was 155 pounds. That is a fairly nice weight on me. I am a swimmer and I am pretty strong, so I know that I will never be one of those stick-insects. I am 5'8" and should weigh around 140 if you believe the "charts."

In attempting to get pregnant with Rex, I was placed on hormones for about a year (long story for another time) and consequently gained 12 pounds, putting me at 167. Still not a bad weight, but I had to move from size 8 bottoms to a size 10. It seems with every 10 pounds I go up a size.

So now I am a 12 on the bottom. Not bad and if I stayed this size forever and was able to stay strong and healthy that would be fine.

I think...

See when I was younger, I dated the skinniest man on the planet (or so it felt). He was 120 pounds (soaking wet) and about 6 feet tall. Yeah, I know. Obviously something was up...he was an anorexic. And he wanted me to be one, too.

He asked me out when I was a bit heavier (freshman 15 or 20 from college). I weighed at 20 what I weigh now, except I didn't have pregnancy to blame for it. So the extra weight showed up in my face and other areas that don't get affected when you gain weight from pregnancy. We went out many times and really enjoyed ourselves. This was March-May of 1996.

Then I went to Belize to participate on an archaeological dig in a cave in the wilds of the western forest. It was a physically demanding two weeks and I lost about ten pounds after fording rivers, climbing boulders, you name it...

So you know where this is going, right? The boyfriend said, "I like the way you look, and I would probably break up with you if you gained the weight back." Okay, had I been me, only at my age now, I would have said, "I know how I can lose 120 pounds real fast...," but I didn't have the guts to say it.

I continued trying to lose weight for him, through a combination of a lot of exercise (think swimming 5 days a week, averaging a mile each time) and his brilliant idea of "skipping lunch." I would actually sneak lunch the way I sneak J. Crew shoes into the house now...except sneaking food is really messed up. If he ever saw me eating at lunch, or overeating, he would give me the look. It was awful. I guess sort of abusive, huh?

It took me forever to fall out of love with him. He was "the one" of your youth that just makes you crazy, dramatic, impulsive, and yet at the same makes you feel amazing (even through all the weight crap).

I eventually got down to 129 pounds. Some of you tall ladies out there are thinking, "so what--that is what I weigh." Well, let me put it to you like this...you could count my ribs from about 6 feet away. Yeah, that's real healthy.

Sometime I will post pictures of me real thin and you decide. If you are freaky, you may go for the super-skinny girl that I once was...and although I have my days where I want that (see what happens when you mess with girls when they are young?)...I really truly believe I need to celebrate health and vitality, not skin and bones.