OOTDs: Ferns, Palms, Ikat, and Itty Bitty Florals.

Hey, all!  Happy Wednesday!

Before I get started, I wanted to let you all know that Boden rolled out quite a few new arrivals on Monday.  Because that was the day I was in "new" teacher training I wasn't able to get the news out right away.  :-)  That said, I am sure most of you figured it out already.  I have my eyes on a few items, and hopefully before the week's end, I can get a post done on the rollout in a proper fashion.  There is a coupon for 20% off mini Boden in my sidebar and at the bottom of this post, but it works for everything on the site, so enjoy it for you, too.

Okay, onto the outfits of late.

Day: Saturday, August 8, 2015.

Where:  Mini Golf in Manassas and dinner with my brother.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) J. Crew had that redonk 75% off sale recently, and the shorts were an impulse purchase (along with a pair in green).  They are amazing.  I sized to a medium since I wanted the extra room so I could pull them down to my hips so they wouldn't super short on me.  (I read they were running large, so instead of sizing up to a large so I could pull them down, I went with my "tts" J. Crew size of medium--though crazily enough J. Crew sometimes runs so large in bottoms I can wear an small.) The linen is substantial, the tie is not superfluous or silly, and the elastic is thick and comfortable.  If you are a pear shaped lady, these are your shorts.  Trust me.

The silk fern blouse was from a while back, and it was loose and flowy and just right for the searing heat and humidity that afternoon.  Playing mini golf in the middle of a parking lot with the sun blaring down on you is intense, but I didn't feel too gross or overheated.  (The top is a bit cropped, though, so long torso ladies, beware.)

Outfit Details:  Cropped Silk Popover Blouse in Tropical Fern, J. Crew here (also in a darling coverup that is more "in stock" and a bathing suit--I own and love that one); Drawstring Linen Shorts, J. Crew here; Shoes, J. Crew; Clutch/Bag, Stella and Dot here and chain for bag here; Sunglasses, Target (but then left those at home, d'oh, so switched to the ones in my car from Anthropologie).

Anecdote of the Day:  I was better at mini golf than I remembered, but it wasn't like I was some sort of superstar.  I got a hole in one, though, so for that, I celebrated.  Little things bring me joy, you all.

Rex used a knife to cut up onions at my brother's house (we were eating Mexican food).  I guess eight is a good age for them to learn that skill, but it's still weird to just let it go and be okay with it.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

Where: Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Oh I love this halter dress so much!  The back has a bit of elastic to give it some wiggle room, and the skirt is nice and full with pockets.  It is the perfect dress for a pear shape.  I am so glad I bought it all those years ago.  :-)  (It's been a while since I wore it, though, inexplicably...here I am in it with my long, no bangs, light blonde hair.)

The Esska shoes are awesome for long walks, since they have tons of cushioning there in the sole.  I desperately wish these were available here in the United States more readily.  I was only able to get these because Anthropologie decided to carry a couple of styles a year or so ago.  UK ladies, so jealous of you all!

Outfit Details:  Jakarta Halter Dress, J. Crew (someone has this exact dress in the same size for sale at ebay); Sandals, Esska; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  I get along with most people, most of the time, even if I am a bit introverted at first.  I was finishing up the winesday portion of the evening, and about to start the shopping portion (usually yogurts, fresh produce, and some vitamins) when I saw a former roommate of mine from the late 90s.  It was so weird to see him just standing there.  I *know* he saw me but I pretended not to see him, I just couldn't make small talk and pretend like everything is okay.  He was fine for the most part while we were roommates, but at the end it got B.A.D., and I had to leave living there in a hurry, so seeing him was a bit jarring.  Mr. Dina has seen him a few times through the years, too.  Didn't see him last night at Winesday, though, and haven't seem him at the other ones, either. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Where:  Playdate at the park with Rex.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Contrary to what the photos show, earlier in the day I felt like such crap, and though I knew I needed to go this playdate with Rex for his class (he just loves seeing all his friends), I was struggling with a massive migraine (I only get these a couple of times a year compared to my pre-PFO surgery amount), and while the medicine worked to keep it from being too intense, it still was imparting some pain.  The Garnet Hill starlet dress is so soft and has such nice ease because of the knit fabric, that I at least didn't have to deal with digging waistbands or too tight hip areas. 

After I took a nap and used more medicine and an ice pack, we all went to dinner and I felt even better in this getup.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill's versions from this year here; Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I was telling one of the moms about my migraine and she said she suffered from them, too, and through that conversation, we discover we had both suffered strokes (mine of the mini variety) and we both had to have our PFO closed.  She is the only other person I have met who has gone through what I went through, I am so glad I opened up to here about not feeling great.  I have someone in my circle who "gets it."

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, August 13, 2015.

Where:  Cafe Rio for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (3.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) You ever have days where you feel a little bloated for whatever reason?  Well that day was one of those for me.  These shorts are normally my "go to" shorts since they always fit just fine, but they felt so snug that day, even though I could pull them down to my hips, etc.  I think I was just in a truly terrible state and nothing was going to feel good, outside of pjs or a easy knit dress.  But I had it in my head I wanted to wear the tee, and these shorts were the only ones that seemed to work, and it was too hot to wear pants, and a skirt wouldn't have looked right.  Grr. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, J. Crew; Shorts, J. Crew; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, AR Trapp (via J. Crew).

Anecdote of the Day:  Cafe Rio was really yummy.  I don't know that eating yummy salty Mexican food was the smart choice for me that "night of bloat" but man it tasted so good.  I should have better willpower, lol.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, August 18, 2015.

Where:  Staples, then to Honey Pig Izakaya for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This is a handmade dress so it is very comfortable.  :-)  Love the woven rayon for its very comfortable hand in the heat, though sadly it appears I didn't prewash and dry it enough to keep it from shrinking.  It has gotten a touch shorter and slimmer over the past year.  It hopefully will be done soon, but I definitely have to baby it when I wash it.

Didn't feel like contacts that day, so threw on my Bebe glasses, and unfortunately in our heat and humidity, they kept slipping down my nose, sigh.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here; Bag, J. Crew; Necklace, J. Crew; Glasses, Bebe.

Anecdote of the Day:  Going to Staples to buy the kids school supplies on a Tuesday was smart.  We were the only ones there, which is contrary to the Target/Walmart runs we have engaged in the past.  We saved money, too, so I say go for it if you are a parent who is tired of getting places and finding 7000 other people and completely empty cartons of glue sticks, markers, etc.  Unfortunately the teacher stuff was kind of disappointing, so I will have to order some of that online.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, August 7, 2015.

Where:  Another playdate, this time to say goodbye to a friend leaving the area for a while.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Boden does these kind of summer casual jersey dresses so well.  I would say Garnet Hill does it a touch better, but Boden is definitely in second place, and if they could up the "softness" level on their fabric, they would be in first place because their prints and colors are better than Garnet Hill's.

I have now put the Birkenstock sandals on their tightest setting on the strap, and now they fit perfectly.  I walked for a mile in them last night and they stayed on my feet perfectly.  Love these so much now that they fit exactly to my foot.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, this exact pair can be found here at amazon.com (amazon.com also has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  My son's friend's mom is another big Boden and Garnet Hill fan and we have a very eerily similar closet.  LOL.  Anyhow, she was wearing the Blackberry dress that night in yellow, and I knew it was her from 200 yards away.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's it for me for now.  I hope to come back sooner than I did this time.  :-)

Remember if you want to try something from Boden's new styles, this coupon is good for those, even though it is marketed specifically to mini Boden.

OOTDs: Suddenly in Summer.

Hey, all!  Happy end of July.  :-)

If you missed it, I am selling quite a few dresses and some swimwear from my great closet cleanout.  I will have more for sale next week, probably shorts and other summer type clothing.

Day: Sunday, July 26, 2015.

Where:  Church, then to La Madeline for lunch.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This linen dress by Boden is a perfect one for summer, nice and lightweight for the heat but still substantial enough to be worn to church or any other place where you may want to be dressed up without sweltering.

That said, as per usual with some Boden dresses, the hips started off a bit snug because the material hadn't stretched out enough to be super comfortable.  One hour after wearing the dress, the material had stretched a bit and it felt just fine!

Outfit Details:  Bow Shift, Boden; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, sold out in this shade (Amazon.com has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We have no kneelers at church right now since the actual church is being renovated.  We have to meet in the basement for mass instead.  I told Mr. Dina to go back into the house and grab pillows for the kids to kneel on, and he was all, "they can handle the bare floor."  That sounds like something I *would* have said.  In the end, sense prevailed and we decided to bring them for the kids, but not us.  (Our knees were fine.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

 Day: Tuesday, July 28, 2015.

Where:  Harris Teeter.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Besides the fact that it was six thousand degrees with a gazillion percent humidity, the outfit itself was awesome.  I love this tank but struggle to style it, and was pleased to see how cute it looked with the shorts. 

Outfit Details:  Vacationland Shorts, J. Crew Factory; Tank, J. Crew Factory; Necklace, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Sandals, Madewell.

Anecdote of the Day:  We walked to the back of Harris Teeter and there on the floor was spilled beer, everywhere.  I joked with one of the employees that I needed a long straw so I could started to help them clean it up.  He informed me that it was Corona that spilled.  Mmmm, Corona.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, July 25, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Swim Team Banquet.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  I should have dressed up more, I just figured if the banquet was at the pool, it would be more casual.  For once in my life, I showed up not as dressy as everyone else.  It was actually a bit freeing.  :-)

The shorts are reversible, which is stupid cool, but the silky material rides up when sitting down and it required me to adjust a few times.  Blegh.  I hate adjusting!

Outfit Details:  Tee, WalMart; Shorts, TruthNYC (Marshall's); Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, sold out in this shade (Amazon.com has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  Looking for a place to sit and hang out with other swim team members was redonk.  Even though none of the tables/chairs had anything to indicate they were occupied by human beings, I was repeatedly told by pinched face people that the entire tables/chair were occupied and that my five would have to go somewhere else. *When I say entire tables/chairs--I am talking tables that could fit fifteen.* I guess a smile or some gentle kindness would have helped the situation, but as per usual for the DC area (God bless my home and its influx of selfless folks, lol), it was all ME ME ME not YOU YOU YOU first and foremost.  Thankfully, a friend from the pool felt badly for us and let us pull up with him and his amazing wife and girls.  See!  I can crowd in (and am happy to!).  I guess in the end I was at the table that was the best one, anyhow, just had to find it.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Morning Wednesday, July 29, 2015.

Where: Lasagna lunch at my friend's house (I made it for her as part of a meal delivery).

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This was super comfortable. Kind of boring, but at least I tried a skirt, I guess.  ;-)

Outfit Details:  Tee, Target; Skirt, Lands End Canvas; Shoes, Boden.

Anecdote of the Day:  My friend wasn't sure if she was going to have us come over that day or one of the others, but I read that it was "National Lasagna Day," so I texted her and said, "well, it's national lasagna day, which means my offer of lasagna is even more appropriate."  She insisted I come that day after seeing that.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, July 29, 2015.

Where:  Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Many Boden fans own this dress, the Adelaide.  There's a reason this one and its sister, the Blackberry, are so popular.  Super soft jersey, not too heavy for summer, pockets, cute styling, etc.

The Esska sandals always feel great, though they look fairly dressy, they can be worn for long walks due to their cushioning and shape.

Outfit Details:  Adelaide Dress, Boden (the Blackberry Dress is very similar); Sandals, similar Esska sandal from Amazon.com; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, Madewell (darker version is here).

Anecdote of the Day:  I took Rex with me to the Winesday, and we took the bus there and back.  He loved it.  I am so glad I found a way to get there and back without having to drive myself back (I am too much of a lightweight to drive after the tasting).  I hadn't realized there were that many buses that could get us to Old Town, but apparently there are quite a few.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, July 21, 2015.

Where:  Rex's swim team practice while CW and I enjoyed the path near our house; Grocery Stores (of course); Summer Preschool run.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This dress is awesome.  It has a fun printed rayon woven front and a super stretchy jersey back.  This means that no matter what, it will always fit, even if the rayon shrinks a bit.  Score. 

Outfit Details:  Harbour Island Dress, Boden; Sandals, Madewell; Necklace, J. Crew; Selina Sunglasses, Boden here.

Anecdote of the Day:  The walk was beautiful, but buggy.  This prompted me to buy lots of bug spray at Whole Foods.  Guess how many times I have brought it with me since last week?  If you guessed zero, you would be right.  Score one for attentive momma.  :-/

INSTAGRAM HERE of outfit.
INSTAGRAM HERE of walk.

Okay, all, that's it for today.  Talk with you soon!

OOTDs: Two Dresses.

Day: Friday, June 26, 2015.

Where: Bobby Van's, a steakhouse here in the DC area.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Ha, though this Zara dress is made from a scuba knit fabric and is in its largest size available, I still needed to wear the proper shapewear and suck the gut in so that it would look decent on me.  My hubby liked it, and I think it does look nice for the most part, but it is definitely a "date" dress that you wear for a few hours at a time.  God bless you, Zara, and your teeny-sized clothing.  ;-)

To be fair, it was very hot that evening, and I suspect both the shoes and dress would feel better under cooler and drier conditions. I'll try again in late October.

Outfit Details:  Floral Printed Tube Dress, Zara here (a medium is back as of 11:56 am); Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Earrings, Premier Designs.

Anecdote of the Day:  Parking in downtown DC is always an exercise in patience, and after driving around the White House area a few times, my hubby was convinced we were really far away from the restaurant.  I looked on the phone and saw it was like two blocks away.  I was like, "dude, two blocks...super close."  It turned out to be three.  He complained.  Eye roll.

Food was worth it, though.  Great steak is still great steak!

INSTAGRAM of outfit here.
INSTAGRAM of the dirty martini here.
INSTAGRAM of the dress and skirt in this pattern.

Day: Sunday, July 19, 2015.

Where: Church, Whole Foods, and a BBQ.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The linen zip-front dress in gold foil leaf from J. Crew is very lovely, but the waistband, right above the elastic shirring, is a fixed measurement/seam.  Many others have pointed this out in reviews, but what's the point of having an elastic waist and then having part of it not stretch?  Sigh.  STUPID.  But, because I chose the exact right size for my body (6 regular), it fit just fine.  You do need to know your waist measurement, where your waist falls on your body versus the dress, and from there you can figure out where it work on you.  Honestly, I lucked out.  Usually a style like this I would order in a 4 regular (or petite if this bodice looks really long--I have a short torso), but because of the reviews, I tried the size up and it was perfect. 

The linen is very nice for summer, very stiff, especially the hem (it is faced with the same fabric to keep that effect--it does allow the skirt to fall more like a full skirt), but it breathed well in the near 100 heat (plus full humidity) yesterday. 

I only wore the jacket in church for modesty reasons.  I was hot in church, but whatever, it's only an hour.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew here; Jacket, Loft; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, History Store.

Anecdote of the Day:  I had to go to Whole Foods before the bbq at my friend's house.  She lives two blocks from the one in Arlington, so my brother, Angus, and I walked to the store.  I knew Angus would be a wriggly mess at the store (that one is SO CROWDED), so I just strapped him in my ergo instead.  Hoo boy, was that a brilliant way to make 98 degrees feel like 120.  Still was a great idea since the store was, as predicted, full of people who I have noticed are not the "kid-friendly" types.  (They are a bit more kid-friendly at the Old Town Alexandria one, fwiw.)

INSTAGRAM of outfit and Angus in Ergo here.

Okay, thanks for stopping by!  :-)

I am thinking I can do a special "clearance" Boden Weekly Review Roundup (now that I am starting it up again) this week.  If you are interested in adding a review, and you are not one of my "regulars," you can email me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com or put the review in the comments section of the Boden Reviews tab.  (You can always email me if you are a regular and just think I won't get your review, too.)

OOTD: Hibiscus Floral Birthday Muumuu Maxidress.

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

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

Day: Sunday, July 5, 2015.

Where: BBQ Birthday Party.

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

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

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

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

INSTAGRAM of the outfit HERE.

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

OOTDs: Rest of Georgia on My Mind.

Day: Wednesday, June 17, 2015.

Where: Atlanta to visit the World of Coke Museum, the Georgia Aquarium, and the Varsity for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) God bless you, Garnet Hill.  I can always count on them to make jersey dresses that are sublimely comfortable, beautifully made, and in gorgeous bright colors and patterns.  The Born sandals I have had for years and I finally realized that I had to bring the straps in a notch, which made them fit my narrow foot better.  I wish that lightbulb moment had occurred earlier.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill (find this version from last year and this year's version here, I have bought the navy floral from the current year and have plans to wear it soon); Sandals, Born, but there is a similar style from Clarks available at Amazon.com here; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: Two things! 1. At the World of Coke, they have this amazing tasting room with all the flavors of soda throughout the world.  I am not really a soda person (though I was as a kid), but it was a blast trying them all out.  My favorite from when I was a child in Germany was there, Mezzo Mix (I also drank Spezi, which is similar), I was giddy with excitement over remembering it.  It is now my mission to find it at the German Gourmet store up the road from my house. 2. We took the kids to the dolphin show at the Georgia Aquarium and since I have never seen dolphins up close, I didn't know what to expect.  Although the show was super cheesy (it was bordering on Stilton, you all), I get the love dolphins get now, they are pretty darn magical creatures.

INSTAGRAM HERE (outfit).
INSTAGRAM HERE (day in Atlanta).

Day: Thursday, June 18, 2015.

Where:  Watch the movie Inside Out.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It's made by me for both my husband and me, so I would think his would also be a 4.5.  (You can read more on that sewing adventure here at my blog post for Fabric Mart's blog, where I am a regular contributor.)  I always find sitting in movie theaters in a dress is weird, but overall not an uncomfortable night.

Outfit Details:  Dress, handmade from this Japanese Pattern Book (you can find a copy of it at Amazon.com); Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Target; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: So there are volcanoes on our clothes (Mt. Fuji to be precise), and the intro cartoon before Inside Out was called "Lava," about a lonely volcano singing about wanting to find his Lava Love.  It was such a sweet little cartoon and I felt it was serendipitous we wore these clothes that night.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE and HERE.

Day: Friday, June 19, 2015.

Where: Steak and Shake. Yes, I dressed up for Steak and Shake.  :-)  Earlier in the day I had been at a pond/pool in Cohutta, GA. 

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I love this dress.  I actually decided to get the blue version of this dress (similar pattern but not the same), I love it that much.  It is a touch short, but I wear enough conservative dresses otherwise, it is nice to let my legs out from time to time.  I wore this one a few weeks back, btw.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Target here (the version I am wearing in this post is here and the version I just purchased is here); Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:

INSTAGRAM HERE (outfit).
INSTAGRAM HERE (day at pool).

Day: Saturday, June 20, 2015.

Where: Drive home from Georgia to Virginia.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I was comfortable enough, but it is really hard to be comfortable in anything when sitting in a car for twelve hours straight.  The Turner pants do well considering.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Turner Pants, J. Crew here; Top, Zara; Sandals, Target here, but if you want the real thing (Birkenstock Arizona), you can find them here at zappos.com; Necklace, Madewell here; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  You all probably think my Steak and Shake obsession is weird, but my husband adores something even weirder, Krystal.  Most southerners will understand, either with me in my "ugh, more Krystal," or with my husband in the "OOOOH, Krystal."  Krystal serves these steamed burgers and hot dogs and fries, and while it's *okay,* that's kind of low praise from me considering I'll eat almost anything.  Anyhow, Mr. Dina HAS to get at least one last meal at Krystal before we leave Tennessee, so we always have to stop right outside of Knoxville to grab his grub.

Their sweet tea is awesome, though!

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's all for now.  I am so glad I was able to write this post up.  Our internet has been really spotty since getting home, and since I can't blog from my phone (I mean maybe I could, but no thank you, very very much), I have been unable to do much.  It should be fixed up real soon.

You all have a great Monday night!