Mommy Style Monday #28: Postpartum "Style" Week One and Two.

I placed a set of quotation marks around the word style because, in all honesty, the first two weeks of postpartum life are so flipping difficult that if you simply make it out of bed and into something other than a hospital gown, then you are doing great.  In fact, for the first four days of Angus's life, I was in the hospital bed, gown on, with only brief moments of moving to the bathroom and/or window (to remind me that, yes, there was a world left out there).  And bear in mind I only moved as long as my painkillers had kicked in.  (I am a big wimp when it comes to pain.  The pain, OMG, the pain.)

The very last day in the hospital, I attempted to dress myself and discovered that the blouse I had brought to wear (and it was maternity, I am not crazy enough to believe I could walk out of the hospital in normal clothing) was too small on my hips.  Wah!  I had worn it in my pregnancy and in no way, shape, or form was it too small on my hips.  I asked the nurse about this and she said that c-section mommas, because of all the fluids they give during surgery and thereafter, often keep the water weight in their legs, hips, and waists.  Well, yay for me.  No.

So thank goodness the shirt I had worn to the hospital still fit on the way out of the hospital.

5:15 AM, Sunday Morning, March 25, 2012.  Yeah we take photos before getting in the car to go the hospital to give birth.  Yeah, we sentimentally roll like that (even if Mr. Dina closes his eyes).  BTW, that bright yellow top saved me...I had nothing else to wear home from the hospital.  Take a look here to see it on me on the way home.

Once I got home, I spent all day Thursday in bed (Thursday was my first full day home).  I happily took my painkillers every four hours on the dot and slept as need be.

By Friday we needed to take Angus to the doctor, and I knew that it was really important for me to give it a go even if I may overdo it (and I did, btw, but I spent Saturday recovering, fwiw).

I still had a TON of water weight on my hips and legs, which meant that I still could only wear soft, comfy leggings (these are the Maternity Leggings from Boden) and super flowy, soft, soft, soft tops (this is an ancient J. Crew top made from a cotton jersey).  Since I was feeling a bit tired and ache-y, I limited my accessories to the J. Crew palm springs necklace and a pair of Missoni for Target flats.  I did manage a bit of makeup, but again, very subdued.

I absolutely love J. Crew's weekend wear, they do understand what "sort of stylish and comfy" can look like, and if you are in the throws of only being able to wear comfy clothes daily (for whatever reason), J. Crew's weekend wear is the place to go...especially on sale (which is the only way I will buy it, the pieces always seem to go on promo with an extra percentage off).

So since I still had a bit of water weight throughout my hips and thighs, I pulled out the Saturday pants in grey, added a pair of glitter flats, and put on my crewcuts star shirt (made from a super soft cotton).  My daughter asked me to...wouldn't have been my first choice but I felt bad that I couldn't spend a ton of time with her (constant feedings and sleeping prevented that) so I said sure.  I think I may have worn this outfit for a grand total of one hour that day, for dinner.  I figured it was better than nothing. :)

And here is where the true version of postpartum me comes out.  Because of the flowy nature of the first J. Crew top (the one in pink) and because the crewcuts top was black, I was able to really hide the effects of the water weight from the eyes around me (and your eyes, too).

However, on Monday (one week and one day after Gus was born), I heard we were going to Five Guys (mmm, Five Guys!), and I wanted to again just dress up a little.  So I pulled on the Boden Maternity Leggings, a Mossimo tank top (Target), the Paisley Gust Cardigan from Anthropologie, and my Cole Haan penny loafers.  I actually thought I looked halfway decent...until I saw the photos and realized you could for sure see all the excess poundage on my abdomen.

I could have changed, but in the end, I was all, "screw that."  I don't know.  Maybe I just felt good enough (thank you, Percocet), or maybe I was (and still am) proud that I carried a MASSIVE baby in my belly for ten months (well the massive part was only the last month or so) and was not afraid to show off the evidence of it, ESPECIALLY since I had just given birth.

I also felt proud that I was walking around, smiling, functioning, etc.  After my birth experience with both Rex and CW, to do so a mere week and one day is saying something.  (I had to use a cane after both of their births, for a couple of weeks, AND I was in far more pain with both of their births.)

Anyhow, I know that the above outfit is definitely a style "no," but because of the particular situation I was in, I actually believe it was a style "yes" because I had the exact right attitude to pull it off.  So there.  ;)

 Ah, Angus me boy.  (He looks so cute here.)

The top part of this outfit is actually salvageable, especially if I tuck the tank into a cute pair of jeans and add a statement necklace or a scarf.  BTW, we are at Five Guys.  My smile is directly related to my little cheeseburger I had just eaten.


(We go to Five Guys at least twice a month.  It is my local restaurant done good.  I grew up one block from the original in Arlington, so it definitely is important for me to see it succeed the way it has.)

Okay, so even though I owned my atrocious outfit (you go girl and all that jazz), I knew I had to learn from it...so the next day I decided to wear my pink maternity shorts, my striped blue/white maternity top, J. Crew necklace, and trusty Cole Haan penny loafers.

I clearly do not hold weight in my upper torso, arms, and lower legs, but I still felt I needed to wear a maternity top because I needed to have the extra give for the hips.

By Thursday (one week and a few days after Gus's birth), I was seeing the pounds falling off and my hips going back to semi-normal (still larger, but I could feel the difference when I put on certain pants).  Instead of these J. Crew pepper pants sitting below my hips, I was actually able to pull them on to my waist and almost cinch the tie.  The material is very flexible and (say it again now) soft, so I spent the day in a cashmere/silk/terry cloth heaven.  Yum.  Gus was in heaven, too, in his adorable striped bodysuit.

Still showing my curves here, but it truly is amazing what a body can go through.  I know women are meant to be able to do this, but it still boggles my mind.  (If you are a doctor or nurse, I am sure it is old hat by now, but for a lay person like myself, I am stunned by the human body's flexibility.)

This was taken nearly two weeks after Gus was born.  Again, still wearing the leggings and a super stretchy tunic, but I could see and feel the difference in my body compared to the first few days out of the hospital.  I wear that smile honestly.  By this point I was off the hardcore painkillers (quickest yet, btw, with Rex and CW I needed them for nearly four weeks) and felt so excited to go out and get out.

I know some of you saw these two photos already (the tunic was part of last week's Boden Weekly Review Roundup), but I wanted those of you who didn't see that post to understand how nice it felt to have a wardrobe piece that could work so effortlessly with my changing figure.

So here are my thoughts on postpartum "style":

1. It is going to be hard.  REALLY REALLY HARD.  Even if you don't have a c-section or complicated normal birth, your body will be your enemy.  For some women it will be WEEKS before you feel even semi-normal (this was me with Rex and CW, but not Angus).  For other women, you'll pop back into normalcy mere days after giving birth (and trust me, I am in awe of you if you do that).  But for most of us, we will be somewhere in the middle, between two to four weeks.

2. Your body will not bear any resemblance to its pre-pregnancy shape for a long while, likely.  Even though I have lost almost 26 pounds of the 31 I gained (as of today's weigh in), I still have an extra three inches on my waist, and an extra inch at my high and low hip.  And thanks to Angus being hungry constantly, I am now one cup size bigger.  For some of you, your weight will hang out in your belly, for others, you will gain near porn star sized "girls," and for some of you, your feet will have increased in size.  With Rex, I never got back to my normal size...I instead got pregnant with CW.  After CW, I was SO SURE that I would always be a size 10-12 in pants, and a size 8-10 in tops that I overbought and now have a ton of clothes that only fit when I was postpartum with her.  (Most of these I have since sold.)  It took me a whole year after she was born to get back to normal, BUT I DID.  And when I did, I was all, "oh, wait...my postpartum period was just really long, and that's okay."  And now I tell everyone, DO. NOT. OVERBUY. CLOTHING. WHEN. POSTPARTUM.

3. Because your body feels so different and so painful and so bloated (likely), just accept that style in the first couple of weeks is a fairly fluid notion...leggings, casual wear, stretchy tunics and top are all great.  If your feet don't see the inside of heels until months later, so be it.  YOUR body will let YOU know what you need.  If style means you simply got up, put on something other than PJs, took a shower, and maybe put on some lip gloss, then that is what the style is for you.  If, however, you feel fantastic and want to wear real jeans (with buttons and zippers, no less), then you go on with your bad self.  ;)

4. You may be in your maternity clothing for a full three months after pregnancy, so don't be in a super rush to sell or donate it.  If you had a c-section, especially, since that scar can be sore and sensitive...it makes sense to use pants with a belly band top rather than traditional button/zip pants until your scar is completely healed.  (Likely completely healed by six weeks postpartum, usually coinciding with your checkup with your OB/GYN.)

5. Oh, and because I didn't realize this myself until it was too late...you may need to bring more than one top and pants to go home from the hospital in...even what you are sure will fit you may not fit you.  Just bear that in mind when packing your hospital bag.

Anyone else have early postpartum style advice???

P.S. We'll talk soon...as  you all may have noticed, my blog writing is WAY down.  There are days where I am unable to get on the computer until way late at night, and because of my love for the vino, most of those nights I am just not really using the sharpest knife in my brain.  (Although I am sure my vino influenced posts could potentially be hilarious, depending on the amount of vino I have drunk.  Just kidding.  I only have one a night...I am way too lazy to pump and dump because I can't control my drinking habits.  Oh, to be 22 again.)

Mommy Style Monday #21--Resized!

It looks like I am going to break out into a dance here, which I could do, as I finally got the right size!

I have little pride when it comes to proper sizing.  I know I have to just get over it and deal with the size that fits.  It has always been like this, even when I was a skinny minnie teenager whose "swimmer thighs" were the bane of my existence.  All my itty-bitty teeny-weeny little friends all wore size 2 (and this was back when a size 2 would *probably* be even smaller than J. Crew's current 00).  I was the heffalump who wore the size 8 (cough, cough size 4 by J. Crew standards today). 

Here's the crazy thing.  Even though I was far thinner in high school (imagine me minus 15-20 pounds), I have FAR more confidence in my body now.  I don't know if it is because I dress better and for my shape rather than in whatever sack/sister wife dress I *thought* made me look good but really just made me look kind of sad, but I love all my lumps and bumps and skinny arms and long "finger" toes and ridiculous bottom that no woman with my shoulders should ever have mixed (thanks for that, mom and dad!)  I also just sort of laugh that I have a petite upper body with the legs of someone who is 5'10".

So because of this sanguine attitude of mine, I take all sartorial mistakes made by yours truly and the measurements that my most favorite retailers provide me, and roll with the punches.  Case in point, the Relaxed Silk Dress by Boden and the Boardwalk shorts by J. Crew.  Both were "supposed" to fit my hips (it is ALWAYS my hips, btw) based on the measurements at boden and net-a-porter.

Packages come.

I eagerly open them...I mean come on, yummy grey dress with diminutive floral print and bright green cotton shorts (I was gleeful over these pretties, minimalism is clearly not me)...

Only to try both on.

And then realize that while they *fit*, they really more just emphasize that I am most definitely being squeezed into these pieces like the proverbial sausage in its casing (and just for my lovely British readers, I will link to a banger, lol).

I have no proof of me trying to wear the size 8 Boardwalk shorts because, and I want to emphasize this clearly, I do not want to do that to you all.  If you read my blog, you deserve better.

I did try on the Relaxed Silk Dress in the size US 6 Regular (UK 10 Regular) and while I look decent (I get it, it looks pretty okay), it. did. not. fit.  (Even with spanx, I know, RIGHT?!?)

But (and here is my point, some many many paragraphs in)...I knew that if I HAD the right size, I would rock the two pieces.

So, yes, I smacked the littler teenage version of me to the ground floor of my subconscious, told her to take her V.C. Andrews books, Don Henley/Eagles tapes and CDs, and her "dramatic diary," and just shove it.  I didn't care that the smaller size looked better on the label, I LOOKED better in the less glam larger size.  And...thank God, dramatic teen Dina shut the bleep up.

Does that mean that an extra few pounds here and there don't sting?  Of course they do.  I am human and I do prefer that my bottom only look significantly larger than the rest of my body, not clownishly larger.  LOL.  So I will always watch what I eat, exercise, take care of myself, etc.  But I do also know that this body is what has been handed to me, and even at my thinnest, I had a booty and teeny, bony shoulders.   And to not accept me, fully, is to not be the best Mommy in style that I can be.

And here is photographic proof of the successful return and exchange of the Relaxed Silk Dress:

It's arty and it's farty, but this dress, in its correct size, is meant for a party.  (Couldn't stop myself.)

I love this image.  I love that I look my best.  I may not be a size 0, but I wear my size 8 well.  And you all should celebrate the best you, whatever size you are.   (You even get a tiny glance at my finger toes, lol.)

From the side.  These photos were taken in our driveway.  This is what constant rain, humidity, and heat does to the forest primeval that we live next to.

Pockets.  The original pockets on the wrong size made the dress lay poorly and I hated them.  On the right size, my goodness, gasp, perfection.

From behind.  With the right size, my bottom actually looks a bit larger than a normal-sized bum, but like it is meant to be on my body...and in my world of fashion, that is the recipe for happiness.

For the comments, what is your body type and when do you know when a piece of clothing is perfect for you?  How do you know when they have enhanced what you have?

A good Mommy Style Monday would never forget to mention "Happy Father's Day."  The outfit, plus the rest of my darling family's, were because we were all taking Mr. Dina out for Indian food and a (I am a good wife, btw) comic book convention.

I want to give mad props to Mr. Dina...only he could have a James Bond smile while the rest of us are clearly melting down.  (Open the pic, trust me!)

Family photo, edited fully, and all of us are at least somewhat smiley.  :)  (And comfortable.)

I want to leave you with this image. I know I have waxed poetic about feeling good about your body image for YOU, but remember, great mommies of style, what you do, your kids see...and mirror. Please...don't let your teen "hang-ups" spoil their body image. Chances are, it will happen to them, but let them have a great role model who loves themselves and their bodies more than the size label.

Thanks!

Robert Noble and Roses.

Finally, an outfit of the day post.  It's been a long while since I have just published an ootd.  Wow-zers.

That said, I am really grooving with this Boden blogging thing.  It *is* fun to put all the reviews together, to show off the new stuff I (or CW) happen to have in our closets, and find all the best deals and sales.  I mean I will always, always love J. Crew and Anthropologie, but with Boden getting a bit more chic and mainstream, it is great to take this fairly niche brand to the next level (here in the US at least).

"Okay, blah, blah, blah, you chattering cow."  Onto the outfit, which incidentally has no Boden whatsoever.  It is pure J. Crew love.

Robert Noble and Roses. by dinagideon featuring floral tops

Above is the polyvore if the outfit I wore today. :)

A lot of today's SAHM outfit is Old School J. Crew.  The jacket is Robert Noble wool, from Scotland, a red herringbone.  You all have seen this jacket before, but today I paired it with a pencil skirt.  Even though I really had no need for a casual professional look today, I felt like wearing a sleek outfit as I have recently put on an extra 3 or 4 pounds (grr..frustrating...grr), and this outfit allowed me to at least look slender from the outside, even if I wasn't feeling it from the inside.

I am one of those people, though, who upon realizing the weight has been gained goes into crazy overdrive and cuts calories DRASTICALLY.  I had tea with a tablespoon of creamer instead of a breve latte this morning, and a salad as a snack instead of chocolate.  A couple of weeks of that and I should be back on track, but I am beyond ticked that I got here.  Blegh.  What do you all do when you gain a pound or two over what you like to weigh???

The tee was an in-store only option from J. Crew last spring, but somehow ended up as a factory tee this year.  Huh.  It never made it on-line at jcrew.com last spring, so I was a bit surprised to see it in the factory section this spring (called the factory ikat floral tee).

The shoes are the Etta metallic suede ballet flats from the Fall of 2007.  I love these so much that I actually hunted down a similar pair on ebay to buy.  I am glad I did as I have worn both pairs multiple times this winter alone.

From the side.  Great thing about this jacket, from Fall 2005 (I believe), is that the collar can be popped to show off a very preppy tie repp with very English crest upon it.  The Earl Grey tea I drank this morning very much suited my topper. Cheers!

You all have a great day, I plan to get the Boden "Catch of the Day" up first thing tomorrow morning, followed by the Boden Weekly Review Roundup in the afternoon.  If you have a review for me, and you would like it to be included, would you mind e-mailing me at dinagideon@aim.com?  THANK YOU!

You all have a great night!

Mad for Plaid, and not in a 1993 Kind of Way, Either!!!

First things first: Yay for Mid-Century Mom...new post!


Mad for Plaid. In 2010. by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Second: Today's outfit will be published either late tonight (ha, right, Lost season premiere on) or tomorrow am (well, we are probably going to be snowbound for the millionth time this year, so a much more likely scenario). I look forward to doing today's outfit, though, because it is of the Vintage Bateau top (camel color), which means I get to do a mini-review. (Well, okay, a mini-mini-review: Love!)

Here is the polyvore of the outfit I wore yesterday, February 1, 2010. I wore this out to chill with HeidiG. and my kids at Tysons. I had promised Ms. HeidiG. a birthday lunch (her bday was in December--late much, dinagideon?). We had a yummy lunch at Legal Seafood (Shrimp "nuggets" for the kids, a Crabcake for HeidiG., and a Shellfish Salad for moi), and then we went to the Crew to check out the new wares. HeidiG. was great and bought nothing (good for you, very awesome)! I had a return, so I did that, and exchanged it for a tee and a top. I spent $3. LOL.


Before I get to sizes, I have a quick announcement. As of today, 2/2/10, I am now 1.5 lbs. away from my "ultimate" goal weight. YIPPEE!!! I told myself when I started this blog that if I never made it to my ultimate goal, I was okay with that, because as Mr. Dina says about the photo on the left, "gee, you have lost weight, but you still looked good in the 'before' photo!"

Okay, yeah, that's good and all, but ladies, you all know what I mean? It is an elusive weight that we all want so bad, the weight from whatever time in whatever era of our lives that we want to achieve again. For me, it ISN'T the weight I was at 23 (way too SKINNY--yikes) or when we got married (it was fine and all, but eh, not a goal I am hoping to reach), it IS the way I was in the summer of 2004, when we went to Hawaii. I just felt perfect at that weight, you know?

And now, through an odd combo of 1/4 actual contrived exercise, 1/4 good eating (try to be fresh if possible), 1/4 nursing, and 1/4 exercise from running around after crazy toddlers (definitely not "traditional exercise" by any stretch of the imagination)...I have done it. Since I started this blog, I have lost over 25 pounds...and as it appears, baby CW has taken most of those for herself, and most of my weight loss was from my face. :) LOL.

Okay, Sizes. (Not from the pic from last year...come on now!):
Shirt: Crewcuts Boys' Size 12. Very comfy, but again, is on the shorter size. I feel very Kurt Cobain in this, but I think keeping it a closer fit has helped to keep this look from going over to that side of grunge. Since I owned over ten plaid shirts in college, I am planning on having this be the only one I own in 2010. I think if I am to have one, this is the one to own!
Tee: Size Extra-Small. I want to point out that I forced HeidiG. to try it on, and she looked amazing. That is all. ;)
Pants: Size 30S.
Shoes: Size 9.5. I think I am forever done buying J. Crew size 10. It appears I am either a size 9 or 9.5 in the Crew shoe.

Well, there you are...Mad for Plaid, 2010!

Talk with you all tomorrow. Off to go sing some ditties from REM's Losing My Religion album.

2010--Let's Start with an Award and a Look Back...

One of my resolutions is to get on top of any awards that are given to me from other bloggers. It is a really nice thing, and while I take every single award seriously, I find if I don't get to it RIGHT AWAY, it falls through the cracks. NO MORE!!! :) Thank you to the wonderful Eleanor, et. al, over at the very cool Shopping the Closet blog for their interest in me and my blog. So sweet, and your words about my blog and my kids were just perfect as a pick-me-up this week. :)

So here goes:

1. For all my goings on about being a native of Northern Virginia (as much as any of us can claim it), I was born elsewhere, in a small town in California. Yes, teeny-tiny. The big time there every year is a carnival and parade they have in June. It is an absolutely stunning place, really close to the ocean, and the people are super-friendly, but it is not typical CA. It is more typical Missouri than anything else. Definitely nothing like Northern Virginia. My relatives are all still there, so I do get to go back, but it isn't my home and hasn't been for a really long time.

2. I also lived in Germany as a small child. I learned German and English at the same time, which bizarrely makes me "bilingual." Supposedly if you learn two languages that early in life you never lose either language, you just fall out of practice. What's even weirder is I will sometimes think of a German word for a word, instead of the English word. I also dream in German, too. And when I was in the Netherlands, Dutch sounded very interesting to me, because it is a combo of English and German...or at least that is what I think it sounds like.

3. I HATE driving. Like DETEST it. I will only drive if I really have to, or if I have someone in the car for me to focus my attention on (while keeping my eyes on the road). I used TO LOVE driving, but slowly, and surely, the aggression of this area's drivers (not necessarily natives of this area, there are a lot of transplants who came here after college) chipped away at my patience, and now I try to either have others drive me or I walk. Isn't that terrible?

4. You all have already heard about my BIG OLE Don Henley crush, but I didn't tell you that I found Phil Collins cute, have I? Yeah, I know. There are others. I will wait till the next "spill your guts" award to tell you more of these oddball crushes I have had.

5. I am attracted to shiny things, just like a magpie.

6. I love my kids, clearly, but I don't really have a saint's patience, so sometimes when I get exasperated with them, I put them in their cribs, walk away, and take 5 whole minutes to collect myself. It has made a world of difference. At first I got really upset at myself, but then I started reading that other mom's do this too, and I felt better. So here I am to tell you all that if you are mom, it is okay to do similar. (I don't leave the house, I literally just go into the next room and wash my face or something...)

7. I am keeping the ruffled Carly dress. I said I was going to return it to keep the money, but my husband says my legs look nice in the dress and says that if the dress makes me feel good, then I need to keep it!!! YAY! Love it!!! :) Plus, he loves LEGOS. Teehee.

Now it's your turn...I am tagging:

1. HeidiG. at Head to Toe with Heidi, my girl numero uno!

2. Drewablank at This, That, and What Not...I miss seeing her and this blog allows me to connect with her at least a bit!!!

3. Slastena at About All and Nothing At All...SWAK to a new mom, I obviously was there when I started my blog, and she was there for me back then...

4. Ema at My Closet, My Baby, and I...such a cutie with a great sense of style!

and in honor of her 1 year blogoversary:

5. Chanel Fashionista at Chanel Fashionista...this isn't because I won a gift today, but to say thank you for a great year!!! :) But thank you for the gift, so very cool!!!

There are so many others, and I love to spread the wealth, so the next time I win an award, I will nominate a whole new crowd of blogs.

Now, let's move onto the Year Behind Us, aka 2009:

I started this blog on January 15, 2009, when I was four months postpartum. It is January 1, 2010, today, and I am now 16 months postpartum. Heehee.

In that time, my style, my body, and my life have changed for the better, completely due to this blog.

I am going to give you an overview of my "style transformation" as I like to call it in a bit, but I want you all to know that as of today I am THREE pounds away from my goal weight. YAY! So over the last nearly twelve months I have lost nearly 25 pounds of baby weight (that doesn't include what I lost before I started this blog).

My life, well, clearly I enjoy spending time writing on blogs. I have two substantive blogs, and two other more utilitarian blogs (one for polyvore and one for selling clothing). I have learned in this year that not everyone is going to like me, not everyone is going to like my clothing choices, and not everyone is nice (that was really hard for me to understand). But I did also learn that there is a great amount of amazing folks out there...and I am fortunate enough to have most of my blog audience be these really awesome folks. You all humble me daily when you turn out to cheer me on, talk with me about really random stuff, appreciate our shared obsessions with J. Crew or Boden, and be my best bloggie friends ever. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.
My style? I started this seriously only thinking three or maybe four people would want to talk with me about my style. My early blog followers (Maggy, swak for being one of the very earliest) really really kept me going. Fashion on this postpartum body was very hard to find...some days I was SQUEEZING into something and feeling terrible about it. But then by spending time over at other blogs and seeing what others had to offer, I found some pretty darn awesome looks. There were some clunkers along the way (HeidiG., lame outfit???) but the vast majority were just somewhere in between, perfect mom on the go wear...not mom jeans territory, but you know, this mom is giving it some effort today.

But who does a let's start the New Year post with just "okay?" Nope, not me.

Here are my FAVORITE looks from this year. (I don't have the photos, many are stored in my external hard drive, so you will have to click over to see my choices...plus that keeps it mysterious.) :)

1. 1/15/09--First outfit ever, and even though I was 25 pounds heavier, I think I did a nice job of finding an outfit that looked good with my momma curves. (Featuring the Merino Wave Cardigan.) Oh, and, my goodness, CW IS SO TINY!!!

2. 2/1/09--The day I really played with color. Bright, saturated yellow with a tomato red turned out to be a nice combo. Plus my hair is the winter red, and I now think I like my winter red. (Which is taking longer to appear this year.) (Featuring the amazing Sybil Double Cloth Coat.)

3. 2/12/09--Shimmery in February. I wore this to dinner with my husband and babies. I had lost some weight and I was thrilled by how well the outfit turned out. Still am... (Featuring the Maggie Peacock Jacket.)

4. 3/8/09--Teals and Browns make a nice combo, who knew? (Featuring the merino snow leopard Tartine cardigan.)

5. 3/27/09--Florals and Citron are good colors for my skin tone. I am not sure this was my most popular outfit, but I like the way I looked in it. (Featuring and Ann Taylor Loft Floral Print Top.) Rex's fashion? Hmm... :P

6. 4/30/09--The Cerise Pants (the bright red ones) come out to play. They are bright, but they work with the mix of grey and white. (Featuring the Cerise pants, heehee.)

7. 5/5/09--Tonal Olive...worn to a movie. Wasn't sure but I liked it. Got back from the movies and something like 20 of you had commented you loved it. SCORE!!! :) (Featuring the Olive Victoria Cami.)

8. 6/4/09--Very controversial but this is the ruffled cotton sateen dress in dark mushroom. I liked it and so did many of you...but this may be one of the first time I realized not everyone likes what I feel comfortable with...one of many to come. Smile. I do want to point out that I feel confident that this is a good look for me, and I feel like that is HUGE. (Featuring the Ruffled Cotton Sateen Dress...natch.)

9. 6/11/09--The day I wore some Boden. Love the tunic, love the citron and brown combo. Still love them and will wear the same pieces next year, regardless if they may be a bit loose. :) There are always tailors. (Featuring the silk tunic from Boden.)

10. 9/7/09--I liked the looks from the summer, but I didn't LOVE LOVE them enough to make this list. So onto September I go. This was the day I showed the outfit that I wore to go to the White House in...with my fabulous bloggie friends. Very ladies who lunch, this get-up. (Featuring the Twist Sash Dress.)

11. 10/2/09--Ooh, purple and yellow. Yes, the perfect pencil skirt in plum...nuff said. :) (Featuring the perfect pencil skirt in plum.)

12. 10/7/09--This was the post on the amazing on-line personal shopper I have. She found this dress for me, and when I got it, it felt like I had met my clothing soul-mate. (Featuring the shimmer paisley lawn dress.)

13. 12/3/09--I felt like a Parisian lady in this get-up. (Featuring the vintage tiered fleur top.)

14. 12/12/09--Oh, these pastels plus a punch of yellow? Lovely. (Featuring the Winnie Coat.)

That is all for now. And here is to a whole new Year. Thank you, all. ;)

A Bit of Orange Thanks to Miss Fiona!!!

Must be quick today...we have been in North Carolina for the past four days and we are heading home very soon (so I must pack and not post--but I can't resist a small, itty-bitty, little post).

This outfit is from one of my most popular polyvore sets...normally I put an outfit together and then create a polyvore, but this outfit is from a polyvore creation first. In real life, I really like how it turned out.

I wore it about a month ago when I took a walk on one of our local forest paths here in Northern Virginia (amazingly, you can go from very urban to very quiet and country quickly here--thank you Fairfax County Park Authority). I live very close to this forest, so I spend a lot of time walking in this area. The kids love it, so it is utter perfection!



I Like This Look for Fall! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore. Don't worry, all, I DID NOT wear the shoes walking in the forest. I switched to a much more appropriate pair for the walk. :)


But for the pic, definitely wore the shoes. MUST remember to wear nude socks the next time I try this look...ridiculous, those white socks peeking out like a mouse out of a mouse hole. :)

I am SO glad I bought this Fiona (very recently at jcrew.com, for something like 30 dollars) in a size 6. I had bought this in citron, but in a size 10, and sadly (as much as I love the color), it is far too large now. I wore it in this post, way back when. (Anyone want to buy it??? I haven't gotten my for sale blog going yet, but this item will be one of my first listings...)

So you all know, the gorgeous cuff bracelet was a gift from the amazing Drewablank. I said one time to her that I was all ga-ga over it, and she had it, but wasn't wearing it often, so she gifted it to me...how nice is that? I wear it all the time, I love it so...THANK YOU, Ms. Drewablank, you rock!!!

Also, HeidiG. is the reason I got these flats by Merona Collection. She had tried them on at Target and found them to be very narrow, so she suggested I try them on my freaky narrow feet. She was right, they are perfect for me!!! So, thank you, Ms. HeidiG.!!! :)

Okay, all, must pack now. Have a lot of cool things to tell you about...including a trip to the Arden, NC, J. Crew Clearance Store. Yes, it is amazing, and wow, there are some DEFINITE deals. :) (Just a little tease for you all...think the Winnie and now subtract a lot of money...)

Guava, Melon, and Yellow...Like a Yummy Dessert! (Or--One Outfit from BEFORE my Spring Break Began!)

As much as I love being on vacation, there is nothing that I love more than being back home. Northern Virginia, for all its faults, is a great place to live and spring here is glorious. After only five days of being away the tulips are blooming. Wow. Sure, the temps are supposed to be quite chilly this weekend, but when the tulips make it out, NOVA is ready for the good stuff...all that hot and humidity (which I LOVE and this is the reason Florida was so great). Of course I think I love the anticipation of the hot and humidity especially, which may be why a place like NOVA is awesome...we only get that type of weather for half the year (if that)...giving me something to look forward to the rest of the year. Does that make sense or am I just a little weird? I am also the type that loves the anticipation of a trip almost as much as the trip itself.

BTW, I probably won't be able to comment back on all your awesome comments till tomorrow...I hope you all will forgive me.

Without further ado, here is an oldie but goodie (wore it over a week ago, on Wednesday, April 1, 2009).

The polyvore is here:

Guava, Melon, and Yellow...Like a Yummy Dessert! by dinagideon featuring J Crew tops

This is the outfit on me full-length. I really like how the merino cardigan in melon looks with the guava tunic. I also happened to have the most perfect belt ever for this outfit...J. Crew (surprise) from four or five years ago. I have only recently begun wearing belts around my hips...love that my hips are thinner...enough that I can wear belts without getting the dreaded muffin-top look. The pants are cords by Lee Riders that I bought at Kohl's in fall 2007. The shoes are the buttercup colored perfect-patent flats by J. Crew from last fall.

Here is why I tucked in the tunic: I still don't feel completely comfortable with the hem of this top...it is still giving me the scrunched-up look and I really don't like that. Also, there was the added bonus of showing off the pretty belt, so I went with it!!! Here is where my initial review of the tunic is located.

Next up: Saturday's outfit for the plane and the first day in Orlando! (Or Outfit #1 from the trip...)

You all have a great day!!! I am so excited to be back...

Campo de Fiore Sweater Dress on a Miserable, Rainy Day!

Campo de Fiore Sweater Dress for a Cool and Rainy Day! - by dinagideon on Polyvore.com
So I have three compelling reasons for wearing this outfit today:

1) It is NASTY outside and this dress is merino wool and will keep me nice and warm.

2) I have finally lost enough baby weight (still 12 pounds to go, but getting closer each day) that I can wear sweater dresses again without having people cover their eyes and yell, "MY EYES--WHY ARE YOU BLINDING ME WITH YOUR BABY BELLY?" (Although for some people the print alone may burn people's eyes...heehee.) (The old J. Crew-A-Holics R Us had a field day with this print last year...I can't seem to find the link...but the writer on that blog had a field day making fun of this print...I just laughed and laughed because I loved it so much...everyone has an opinion!)

3) I love this dress and have a feeling some of you do, too. And since many of my lovely blog readers are in the mid-Atlantic and currently under grey skies, rain, and depression, I know this dress at the very least will awaken some of you!

The dress is in the January 2008 catalog, but what I did today is not technically a copycat...however I do have the pieces to make a copycat, so I will try it when the weather cooperates a bit more (as it requires bare legs to do the copycat).


Do you even know how many people came up to me at school today and had a fit over this dress? Like 85 people. This is not a dress for shy, retiring types. Good thing I am not introverted or else today would have been very difficult for me. ;)

My hair is wet in this photo (seems I can only wash my hair every other day and only very early in the morning--that's when everyone else is asleep). My makeup, although I tried, did not turn out as well as yesterday. (Maybe one day I will figure the magic steps out and be able to look well-turned out everyday!!! I can dream, right?)

You all have a great day. I know my day has been okay. Found out about the death of a family friend, so obviously not the whole day has been great (say prayers, please, for the family if you can), but what I have had otherwise has been pretty good. Huge, 70s looking florals will help get your groove on pretty well, I have to say!

My Beloved Seven for All Mankind Dojos Are Too Loose...Whatever Shall I Do?

Please ladies...I need advice.

Should I:

1) Place my Dojos (size 32) into my retirement pile and wear them again whenever I have another baby and need awesome jeans to wear in the postpartum period?

2) Try to shrink my Dojos in the washer and dryer? They are 100% cotton and will shrink. I own the flip-flop length which is a nice length for me with flats, but if I shrink them, would the hem shrink too, thereby making them too short on me? (I have a 34 inch inseam.)

and,

3) If I decide to retire my Dojos for now, what shall I do to replace them? Should I buy them in a 31 off ebay (but worry that I will end up with a fake and no recourse) or should I buy them at (gulp) retail?

All advice is appreciated. If I were to shrink them, I would wait until I lose about five more pounds because the jeans are okay for now and not too TOO loose, but I suspect the day will come when I have to make that decision.

THANK YOU!!!

Citron on a Friday Strikes Again!!!

As you know last Friday I celebrated citron (to honor FFM's awesome post about the color). Well without really meaning to, here I am celebrating it again!!! (Although, truth be told...I love this color.)

I decided against creating a polyvore because I couldn't find the top and the sweater I wore is only in polyvore as a natural color, so I will just post pics of me...wooh!

The top is by a company called Miss Closet. I bought this at Need Supply down in Richmond, again on super sale. I bought a large, but it fits pretty well, almost feels like a tunic. From what I read, Miss Closet is a juniors' brand so that could explain why the large doesn't feel too large. The jeans are my beloved Seven for all mankind dojo's. I am a little worried that they are becoming too loose. (The one pitfall of weight-loss, pants that do look really nice become too loose...sigh.) The shoes are the joelle patent flats in spearmint, and the necklace is a green amber piece I got from the History Store (or something like that) back before I was married (2001).

My hair is wet. Honestly if I make it out of the house with everything I need and my hair is wet, I will live. Little accomplishments make me the most happy. Even though it was wet, it was completely dry by the time I got to school (yep, I walked again)!


Here is the outfit, but with the sweater/fancy sweatshirt. This is from J. Crew last winter (2007). I also own it in black, but the Miss Closet top does look very nice with this color!

By the way, I see a lot of J. Crew out in the world, but this sweater/sweatshirt is the one I most often see. I think it had a very broad appeal when they created it. And almost everyone I see in it looks really nice. Must be the universally flattering shawl-collar!

My next post is about my Seven Dojo jeans dilemma. Help me if you can!

Merino Wave and French Tee Casual Chic!

I actually wore this outfit yesterday, March 9, 2009. I wanted to wear something comfortable, but not be too casual. I walked home yesterday so I knew that I couldn't be too dressy...so this was my compromise.

The pieces are all J. Crew, except the watch, which is Fossil (I love Fossil watches). The tee is the French Sardine Tee from last summer (2008), the pants are the madison stretch chinos in stone (and in a size 12...way too big now...let's all say it...RETIREMENT) from winter 2007, the shoes are the perfect-patent flats in buttercup (very cushioned compared to other J. Crew flats) from last fall (2008), and the cardigan is the Merino Wave cardigan from last fall (2008).

The link to the polyvore is here: http://www.polyvore.com/merino_wave_plus_french_tee...casual/set?.mid=ecard&id=7097420



Here it is on me with the cardigan. Oh, and those pants were already way too low on my hips, I had to keep hitching them up all day long!

I neglected to mention this, but the bracelet is the sunset charm bracelet and not the one pictured in the polyvore. This bracelet I am wearing is from last year (2008).


I love this tee. It does a have a gold sardine on it, but what can I say, playful and not too serious. The kids I teach love this shirt! :)

Review of the AWESOME Chambray Cocktail Capri Pants...

Here is what the colored chambray cocktail capris (ooh, how alliterative) looks like on the J. Crew website. Here is a link for them: http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Special_Sizes/size16/pants/PRDOVR~12305/12305.jsp


Here they are in real life, in that light rose color. I do not think I can express my love enough for these pants. I wear a ten and these pants fit like a gorgeous leather (cashmere-lined) glove. They also made me look thin, which 5 months postpartum is a real gift. I don't have pics of me wearing them yet, but don't worry, once it gets warmer, these will be my go-to pants. They are so loved by me I WILL purchase them in a size 8 in grey because I want another pair for the inevitable (or so I hope) time that I lose enough weight that the size 10s don't fit anymore. They hit me at my lower calf (I am 5'8"), but that is fine. I know a 26" inseam is not meant to be super-long. The rise hits about four inches below my belly-button (but I am high-waisted), right above my hip-bones. It actually fits my bottom well, with no tugging or pulling.


Here is a close-up of the waistband and pockets. It is nice to have a flat waistband and slanted pockets, as those help prevent the bulging look you can get when wearing other types of pants with buttoned waistbands and other types of pockets.

The fabric is SOOOOOOOO SOFT! I love the feel. It is like the most washed tee-shirt you own, but with the bonus of not looking all worn out. The color is very muted and I would probably not wear this color near my face, but on a pair of capris, it is perfect. It is so soft of a color, I bet I could wear it as a neutral!

I would recommend everyone buy a pair. If you would prefer darker colors they have the cocktail capri in other fabrics, (but I can't vouch for their awesomeness): http://www.jcrew.com/AST/Browse/WomenBrowse/Women_Special_Sizes/size16/pants/PRDOVR~12428/12428.jsp

It's raining and I am walking home...you heard me right!

So nothing fancy today because there is NO WAY I am ruining a special piece of J. Crew by walking home in the rain. That said, I have no desire to look like a complete bum, either. This is a middle ground which will keep me warm, is sturdy, and is interesting enough to say "I tried."

The cardigan is the lovely and warm oatmeal haley. It is so pretty in real life and such a nice neutral. The silver version (as I may have mentioned before) was so shiny and looked like tinfoil. I am really glad I purchased the oatmeal color instead. The shirt is one of those ring-spun ones from J. Crew last spring (2008). It has a map of Andros (a Greek island) on it. It is the prettiest shade of blue and right near the map has a "critter" of an anchor embroidered in gold. It is a very comfy, yet stylish shirt. I think someone over at the J. Crew Aficionada blog mentioned how statement tees are for teens only, but if you are in a profession like teaching, it is an acceptable look. Kids actually look at teachers longer who wear brighter colors...it is kind of cool to be in a profession that prefers colors to greys and blacks. The cords are the fantastic-fitting matchstick cords in citron. I have good news, these are about to be retired, which means I have lost more weight (whee)!

The tennies are an adidas from DSW a few years back. I am not picky about tennis shoes. My question when buying them is "will they last and are they comfy?"

Here is what the outfit looks like without the cardigan (how I wear it in the classroom). My classroom is about 80 degrees, so I have to wear layers to ensure I won't collapse from heat exhaustion. IT WAS GREAT WHILE PREGNANT (NOT)!

The ubiquitous shot of me and CW. She does make this outfit shine, huh? :)

Shimmery and Sophisticated in February!

This is my polyvore set of the outfit I wore to dinner last night (my hubby's bday dinner). It was WAY TOO WARM to wear the hat (almost 70 yesterday here in Alexandria) but I could definitely wear the rest. I have received two favorites from this outfit at the polyvore site, so people like it. Jim (hubby) liked it, too. Based upon how I felt when I wore it, I feel like this is the perfect dressy outfit without being overdressed. I will definitely wear this again!

Pants are matchstick cords, black, size 32 (yay...going down in size) regular, the shoes are the lovely joelle patent flats in spearmint, the blouse is the hammered silk tank in fog (grey/silver), the jacket is the peacock maggie, the necklace is the yellow glass beads with a bee closure (I think it's a bee), and I bought the beret in Belgium in 2000.

These items all fit well, and felt fantastic. I love J. Crew for the fabric they choose...the peacock maggie is soft, shimmery, with little flecks of color sewn into it. The other maggie I own is a great shape, and this jacket is a size smaller, so it fits nice and snug to the body (which is what I need in a dressy jacket).

Here is a link to the set: http://www.polyvore.com/shimmery_sophisticated_in_february/set?id=6443169


Jim did a great job taking this photo of me, but it may have helped that I spent some time putting on makeup and brushing my hair (ha)...I didn't even use the glow feature in picasa. :)

This gives a nice close-up of the jacket, tank, and necklace.



This is the outfit overall. I think it is flattering and slimming. Score!

I will post pics from dinner and give a review of the restaurant later...

Pop of color...times two!

Okay so the reason I have named my post "pop of color...times two" is because I am not technically wearing this outfit exactly. It is like this outfit, but polyvore does not have the actual pieces I am wearing, so I gave you two for one. (Sort of...)

The outfit from polyvore is a honey glaze star pleated top, a pair of chinos, some beautiful silk patterned flats, the pearls everyone seems to love (target knockoffs and all), and a sweater peacoat that I bought last year after seeing it in the paris catalog (see 2/8/09 for pics of the sweater in the catalog). I think pink, yellow, dark red, and pale tan look nice together. I did the same color scheme with my outfit, just a bit differently, and with no yellow.

Here is the link: http://www.polyvore.com/pops_color/set?id=6453074


So here is my version...star pleated top in pink (whatever J. Crew calls it) in medium, my own pearls from Macys, the Claire pants in white, size 12, and the liberty fabric pointy toe flats from a few years ago (J. Crew, of course).

The top is a medium, which oddly enough, fits in the shoulders (usually smalls do), but is HUGE in the waist. Whatever...I will just wear it with skinnier pants to offset it. I love the color and the material is so soft...

The claire pants are huge...yay!!! I have lost another few pounds, and it is definitely apparent in my pants. I have been hitching them up all day. I think it is time to retire another pair of pants...

The shoes are that gorgeous fabric they did a few years ago. Mine are all tattered and worn, but I kind of like them that way. They still get compliments... I actually bought a second pair on way reduced sale and have yet to bust them out. I probably will when CW is 6... :)

The pearls are my own version of the love of so many JCAs...I could never justify another set of pearls when the ones I own work almost as well.

I hope everyone has a great day...side note...no fighting over at J. Crew Aficionada today! YAY!