The Double Serge Cotton Pencil Skirt...for Review and for Real Life!!!

Some of you...like the super-sweet Amy...have been waiting a while for this post!!! I am so sorry, my friends, for taking so long. As you know my weekend was chock full of family fun...the zoo on Saturday, and then the pool and church on Sunday. Yesterday I just had enough time to post the mini-skirt info (and by the sound of it...miniskirts ARE my friends...thank you all for the feedback). Today, and for this I do believe God will grant us teachers some grace, we went to a field trip on the National Mall (Air and Space museum, American History museum, etc.). Somehow...no one died...no one broke anything...the guards managed to not freak out when they saw us coming...

BTW, if you are in this area, there is a film being shot at the Mall. I so wanted to be plucked out of the crowd to be an extra. Sigh, maybe next time they will notice my inherent camera-readiness (snort...).

Onto the review...this outfit was actually worn on THURSDAY, JUNE 11, 2009. This was the same day my lovely coworker wore the orange shorts/white tee/grubby shoes combo that I talked about in this post.


Here is the outfit full-length. It consists of an Anthropologie top that I bought in 2006 (and have not been able to wear in close to 3 years...yay), the double serge cotton pencil skirt from J. Crew this spring 2009 (for sale here), and some Linea Paolo kitten-heel mules that I bought probably in 2004 from Nordstrom's.

The skirt is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. I had heard really good things about its predecessor (the double serge WOOL pencil skirt) over at J. Crew Aficionada but knew deep down there was something better for me. I love wool but honestly, because I run HOT, I can only wear the lightest of wool clothing (for instance, the Merino Michelle Cardigan is a perfect weight for me). Plus, I have a deep distaste for having to store wool. I have bags and plastic containers and a hanging implement in my closet for the storage of wool pieces, but it honestly drives me batty that such storage is required because of moths. Ugh. So the less wool and cashmere I have to store, the better.

I saw this for the first time in the May 2009 catalog and ADORED every single color it came in...especially the bronzed twig and slate colors. I decided to hold off on the slate until I tried the bronzed twig and I am glad I waited (more on that in a minute). I figured that if I could only own one of these skirts, I would want the bronzed twig because of it being a brighter neutral that would work so well with many of my summer tops. I went ahead and ordered in a size 10.

I tried it on and was happy to see it fit well. It was a tad big in the waist but the rest of it felt great. Then I wore it to school all day. This puppy stretches!!! By the end of the day, the skirt was very, very comfortable. :) It still looked good, but was very loose. So with that on my mind...I knew the slate skirt would need to be ordered in an 8. So an 8 I shall get.

So...here are the basic FYIs on this skirt:

Length (regular): Perfect on my frame, but bear in mind most of my height is in my legs. So if you are tall but have shorter legs you may need to hem this to get it to hit at the right length. Shorter ladies, I highly recommend the petites.

Colors: The bronzed twig is a bronze color but with a hint of a green...very special. I have yet to see anyone else do this neutral. It isn't khaki, it isn't brown, it isn't olive...just somewhere in between.

Sizing: SIZE DOWN. I may even find the 8, when I receive it, stretches out a lot. I won't get a 6 because I LOVE the comfort factor (plus it still looks good when I wear it a little loose). Or maybe I really am an 8 and keep buying 10s because of something psychological? Hmmm...

Price: At $98 (if you buy it outside of the secret sales), the price may seem high, but even at a regular price, if you wear it enough (which I anticipate a lot of us would...highly versatile piece and all), the price per wear would be very low.


Anthropologie Top close up...for polyvore, of course. :)


Linea Paloa kitten-heel mule...for polyvore, of course. ;)

Any further questions? I won't be able to post anymore today (million, trillion things left to do), but should be able to get to them tomorrow.

You all have a great afternoon. If you are in the Northern Virginia area, watch out for the storms...they appear to be a coming!

Very Bright and Very Casual for School on Friday, June 12, 2009!!!

So here is the quick story about why I wore this outfit to school on Friday instead of something more formal.

On Thursday, my coworker showed up to school (and she drove--keep that in mind) in a pair of ratty orange shorts, a very oversized tee-shirt, and a pair of old shoes. I was wearing (for contrast), a pencil skirt by J. Crew (you will see the review later today), an Anthropologie top, and a pair of Linea Paolo kitten heels. So I went up to her and said, "if you can wear that today (not even a Friday!), then I am so going to wear something more casual tomorrow when I walk to school tomorrow."

And I did. I figured if no one batted an eyelash at her outfit on what should be a dressier day at our school, then I probably could plead my case on a Friday when it is not only more "casual," but I am also walking two miles to school in 85 degree heat with near 100% humidity.

(And to tell the truth, my casual outfit is still more fitted and polished than my coworker's.) I adore my coworker, and she adores me, but we have very different styles! :)

Best part of this story...people are so used to me dressing up that I was asked if I was going on a field trip! So funny...

Casual Walking Outfit!!! by dinagideon featuring Tommy Hilfiger

Here is the polyvore. This is a very busy polyvore...but I was feeling especially creative on Friday...must have been because of my relaxed outfit...


Here it is full-length. I will say this...I felt about a trillion times better wearing this on my walk than a couple of weeks ago when I walked to school and wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a blouse. It was just as hot and humid, and I nearly collapsed from how hot I was getting...

The fit-flops are fantastic. I have no idea if they work, but I will say that I have not had legs this thin since I was in my early 20s. So yay the shoes or yay me for doing enough exercise to reduce my overall size.

The shirt is just your average run of the mill polo. I like the colors, though...

The shorts are from J. Crew, Spring 2006. This is from when J. Crew was all about the bright. Which sadly they are not right now...


And of course, the ubiquitous shot of my favorite little girl. See how she matches me? Totally planned. Not. ;)

Later today, my outfit I wore to go to the zoo with the kiddies yesterday. I wore a mini-skirt. Yes, I did. And I survived.

Quick Post on what I Wore to the Toad the Wet Sprocket Concert!!! (5/21/09.)

Okay, I may not know who Lenka is, but I do know what TWS stands for...one of my favorite bands from the 90s (who got their start in the 80s)...Toad the Wet Sprocket. They sang songs like "Walk on the Ocean..." and "Something's Always Wrong..."

Two weeks ago, on Thursday, May 21st, I went to see them for the SECOND time (yes, second, first time was in 1994) at the National Harbor across the river in Maryland. Except we didn't drive there...we took the boat. Listen up...if you live in Alexandria, consider taking the boat. The night we went it was PERFECT weather and the sun was setting in the west as we approached the dock at National Harbor. Even this hardened married woman was touched by how romantic it was. Once there we walked around (Mr. Dina and I, although we could have brought the kids, they were allowed to go, shocking, I know...), went in some shops, watched the beauty of the river, etc. Let me just say...the National Harbor is awesome. And it is in PG County which has a reputation for being a bit rough (not all parts, obviously...). So get thee to this corner of our lovely area...definitely worth it.

Also, it was great seeing TWS in concert...again. They did not disappoint. I think more folks were there to see Eddie from Ohio (a local, very awesome group), but there were a few of us that REALLY got into TWS. It is funny to see thirty-somethings that are kinda crunchy/granola dancing around to this band. Very nostalgic but in the end sort of funny to watch.

Also very beautiful was the actual SUNSET as the concert played. The view over the water from the venue was immaculate. Even the band admitted it was one of the best views they had ever had while playing!


This is what I wore on this date:
Anthropologie top from 2006? Maybe? Does anyone know?,
J. Crew Summerweight Stretch Bermudas from Spring 2009,
J. Crew Brigitte Metallic Heels in Atlantic (which I later switched to flip-flops...okay, I'm a wimp...I admit it).


This is for polyvore, my peeps. :)

More later, you all!

Three Outfits Worn to School (Week of May 18-22, 2009)...

These three outfits are from TWO whole weeks ago. I guess that is what happens when you combine testing (almost done) with illness (almost over, thank goodness...still yucky, but at least I can sit up straight) with raising two kids (well that is ongoing but my absolute favorite). Suffice it to say I will not spend a ton of time on each outfit. If you have questions go ahead and ask in the comments (I will eventually answer them all...promise)!

Outfit #1:

Worn on Monday, May 18th, 2009. I like this outfit in concept more than reality. I think I needed to wear a different pair of pants. I think the top and shoes work really well together, but the pants...eh. The outfit consists of:
INC Petite Small Peasant Top,
J. Crew Colored Chambray Cocktail Capris (Faded Blue Color--in store only), size 8,
J. Crew Salina Patent Flats in Peacock.

Do you all have any recommendations for pants to wear with this top? What about these faded blue cocktail capris? What would you wear with them? I have a hard time matching this blue to things in my closet!!! (It has been a long time since I have worn this color pants--it actually kind of reminds me of the denim that was popular in the early 90s--faded and cowboyish.) Thanks for all your advice...you guys give great advice!

Outfit #2:

Boden Greens and Blues!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

I wore this outfit on May 20, 2009. I really liked this outfit. Definitely a winner.


Here it is in real life. I LOVE this outfit. The skirt is especially cute. I also have the fun skirt (Boden calls it this) in the white with the multi-colored flower/sun thing. BTW, the kids at school loved the skirt, too. I think teachers (especially those who teach the younger kids) should think of buying a fun skirt or two or three. Kids are suckers for these sort of embellishments. :)

Outfit #3:


Navy, Orange, and White for a Beautiful Day!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches
I really enjoyed wearing this (to SCHOOL) on Friday, May 22, 2009. Yep, I was allowed to wear shorts (Fridays are normally jeans day but at our school tailored shorts are okay, too).


Here it is on me. I walked to school, by the way. I was running late...and yep, those lovely Born shoes caused me some awful blisters when I decided to run to make sure I was on-time. For me, on-time means getting there ten minutes before school starts. I prefer to get to school 30 minutes before school starts, but when I am walking, ten minutes is fine enough. That is how late I was...I had to sprint to make it to school ten minutes before school started. My blisters are fine now...but man, they hurt for a good week.

This Boden top is a size 12 (size 8 U.S.). It was a bit large on me so I went ahead and shrunk it in the dryer. It is now the perfect size. :)

You all have a good day. Hopefully I can get one more post up before the end of today (my goals are not lofty right now...)!

The lovely Trastevere Print Top with pants and shoes!

Okay, so I only pointed out the top in my post title because the top is really the main player today. The Trastevere print paisley tunic top from last spring is just too gorgeous. I am glad I found it on ebay, and for way less than it originally retailed for...yay! Above is the polyvore set (I finally found the dang top--does anyone find their search engine difficult to use?). You can find it here: http://www.polyvore.com/colors_sea_on_cold_day/set?id=6770601


Here is the outfit, full length. Not a whole lot of accessorizing, but it is Monday and this print doesn't need much competition. The tunic top is a size ten, so it's a little loose, but not really a problem because it looks so nice all flowy and silky. The pants are from Ann Taylor a couple of years ago. These are actually a bit big on me, which proves that no matter what you do, if a pair of pants aren't made super-well there will be creasing across the rise (that horizontal striping I talked about in my pants manifesto from yesterday). The shoes are the sumptuous patent-leather heels (Juliet, I believe) in the peacock color. I have already received numerous compliments from kids today about these shoes!


Here is a close-up of the print. So pretty, right? I adore these colors and together they play so nicely! :) I am not wearing lipstick. I should wear lipstick before I take these photos. Oh, well, live and learn!