Review of the Beautiful Wallpaper Print Cardigan...

Which sadly has a hole. The tiniest, most miniature hole ever...but enough to bug the bejeezus out of me. Am I wrong to want to return it? I would order another one, but agh, how frustrating. The hole is located on the inside button placket (and on the fabric that isn't even visible) but still it's the principle of it all.

What would you do?

Okay, 'nuff said...I at least wore it for a pic so I could do a review. The cardigan is available from jcrew.com. It is not on sale (I bought mine with 20% off) anymore.


The fabric is silk and linen...and I personally love the feel of it. Smooth, light as air, and very drapey. I bought this in a medium and think even with a bit of stretching through normal wear this cardi will still be fitted enough. The print is hand-printed and just so pretty. I even have a cardigan in which the pattern lines up perfectly (making me extra-sad about returning it...if that is what you all recommend I do). The buttons are metal (like on the merino michelle) and don't weigh the delicate fabric down at all.

I belted it but would also wear it open if that was my desire that day. :)

In short, if you love this print and fabric, I say buy it...but watch for the smallest of holes. (This may not happen to you...it could just be my dumb luck...perfect pattern...small hole, of course. I would probably return it and get a cardi with no holes but an imperfect pattern.)


I swapped the cardi because I didn't know if I would return it, so I wore this instead. Same basic outfit but the featherweight cashmere short-sleeve cardigan in misty lavender. What a gorgeous color. It may be the only purple I can actually wear.

I did a review of this cardi in this post earlier.


And just because I can...there is CW holding her brother's Trucktown book. I love the contrast of her frilly, girly frock and the boy truck book. Funny!

Target "Coppelle" Pencil Skirt!!!

This is not going to be my longest post ever...suffice it to say...work has been INSANITY today. We are end-of-year testing and EVERY single one of the computers that were in my classroom failed at one point or another. Multiple kids had to restart their tests. I am about to quit over how difficult it is to do something that should be so much easier. Ugh. I need wine. Stat.

If you have specific questions relating to this outfit, comment and I should be able to add my answer directly to the post (when I get home and get that wine, of course).

A couple of things to note:
This is the skirt from Gigiofca's post about Target copying the Coppelle design. I also bought the dress. I purchased them both from a Target in Richmond (I didn't stay in Richmond for the weekend but rather stopped by Richmond on our way back from Williamsburg--note--best Target ever located at the intersection of 295, Route 1, and I-95--basically the Atlee/Elmont exit off of 95 Southbound). I LOVE these pieces. They are extremely well-made. :)

The tee is the white tee I was talking about when I did the white tee post. I know technically it is off-white, but stark white tends to look kind of bad on me. It is an Eddie Bauer tee from a few years ago.

Please ignore the bandages on my feet. They are covering some awful blisters I got when running to school on Friday (I was "running" late...haha).



Target Coppelle Paisley Skirt for a Rainy Day!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

This is the Polyvore.


This is the outfit with no cardigan.

I bought the skirt in a size 10. This skirt definitely fits close to the body but it seems to be made for me. The waist fits exactly at my waist and is definitely narrower than the hips. And because this skirt has a flared A-line but yet still manages to be a pencil skirt, it fits my hips nicely, too. YAY! I personally love the fabric and the lining. The fabric is substantial and the craftsmanship is very detailed. There are even pockets that are separate from the lining but in no way are bulky. Best part--the pockets are deep enough that I can use them when I want to put my hands in my pockets (which I do a lot while teaching)!

I would say this skirt is true to size, but if you have a large waist to hip ratio (the opposite of me), you probably should size up. This seems to be made more for us pear-shaped ladies.


This is the outfit with a cardigan.

This cardigan was on super-sale at J. Crew and it is awesome. The color is persimmon and is a beautiful coral-orange. And LOOK--it perfectly matches the skirt! :) I call that fate!

You all have a great day!

Ooh...Party Time!!!

I went to two parties (well, three, but two were on the same day) last week. I have two different party outfits for you all to glance at.

But first things first!!! These two outfits are interesting because one of them my husband really LOVED and the other one he really HATED. What cracks me up is that my brother really, really LOVED the one my husband hated. Heehee. So if any of you ladies want my bro, I guess you know which outfit to wear when you meet him. HILARIOUS. However, if you really want a kind of nerdy, shy, yet sweet guy, definitely do not wear what I wore that he HATED. ;)

So why did I wear the outfit he hated? Umm...we have been married a LONG time and well, most of my outfits he loves. Also, he has questionable fashion sense. For instance, the last outfit he really disliked (here), you all LOVED. So, honestly, I can't always dress the way he likes.

A Night Out with the Political BigWigs! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

Here is the Polyvore of the outfit he loved. Honestly, I love this outfit, too. I am a HUGE fan of seersucker. If you live anywhere near where it gets as sweltering hot and humid as it does here in Northern Virginia (well, anywhere in Virginia, really)...you should own seersucker. It is a great fabric for being dressy but not killing yourself with wool (hello, heatstroke)!


So I wore it with a linen sweater (bought off JCA--awesome transaction, btw) and it was the PERFECT combo for that night. Last Thursday night wasn't too hot so I could get away with this look. If it had been hotter, I would have worn a cami (like my victoria or bria or lydia) instead.

This green is insane...it is Kermit the frog, for sure. Fine by me...the brighter the better...however, this is a sweater from last summer so it isn't available except through ebay or the great exchange over at JCA.


Here is the suit with the blazer. Yes, I did have to take it off because it did get to warm, but oh, well.

Just so you know, the total cost of this suit was 70 dollars. This is a Merona Collection suit (from Target) and it is really, really well made. I think J. Crew has competition! I bought the blazer in an 8 and the pants in a 10. The pants sit fairly high on the waist so keep that in mind when you order (if you order).

An Outfit for Two Hot, Humid Graduation Parties! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Ooh, Mr. Dina HATED this outfit. A lot. He says he just doesn't get why I would want to wear something that froofy. I know why...because it is fun. Saturday was SWELTERING. This outfit allowed me to stay cool and yet be somewhat dressed up for the parties (one for a Ph.D. grad and one for my bro with his Associate Degree). This is the outfit Pete (my bro) LOVED. Girls, stat, to J. Crew now. Skirt is on sale. ;)

I will admit to being a bit stuck on what top to wear with this bottom. I like the way I styled it (even if I look a bit 80s...yes, haters, I know...I know). So I am gonna throw it out there...keep in mind I have a short torso...what would you pair this with? I think the next time I wear it (yes, Mr. Dina, it is coming out to play again) I will pair it with a fitted polo shirt. Does that sound cute? What other ideas are out there?

Does anyone have any interest in creating polyvores for this? I would love to see the ideas in that format, too! (I know I am asking a lot but some of you all love this stuff...) Thank you in advance!


I only did a close-up because I wanted to show off the coolest sunglasses in the world. These are made by Boden. I love them so much that I actually have them in a green horn color, too. These that I am wearing are the light brown and they are perfect for spring and early summer. The tint is a medium tint so they still allow you to see pretty well (I hate too dark sunglasses). The case it comes in is very practical (read: big and bulky), but practical is better than ruined sunglasses.

The green horn color comes in a different tint, a darker tint, better in my opinion for the pool and the beach.

That's all for now...

Oh, by the way, this dress is now sold out. I am keeping the post up, though, because the exchange between HeidiG. and Drewablank cracked me up.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Computer is coming with me down to my vacation spot, so you will get more from me (hopefully)!

Red, Aqua, and White...A Little Twist on Patriotic! (Also, a Review of the Boden V-Neck Cardigan!)

Boden Red and Aqua Striped Cardigan with White!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

Compared to my Monday's outfit (meh), I actually really LOVED the outfit I wore on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. I felt like I had hit the right mix of color, interesting pieces and unique styling. Yay! I did get compliments at work (sadly, Mr. Dina had given me more grief about the new cardigan so if I look a little down in the photos it is because I felt bad about the fact that he was calling me out on the purchase instead of noticing how AWESOME it is--don't worry, he ended up complimenting me later, so all was good in the end).


The outfit in full-length (minus the scarf--see next photo). The pieces are: the fabulous Boden red and aqua striped v-neck cardigan (spring 2009); the crisp Talbots short-sleeved button-down (spring 2007); the "wow, I can't believe how flattering pants can be" Banana Republic white cords (summer 2006), and the fun Kenneth Cole off-white peep-toe wedge sandals.

The cardigan is ridiculous, that is how much I love it. You can find it here on Boden's website. I believe they have some more of this color combo left. I also bought the green and yellow striped version. I chose to buy a 12, which is a size 6 or 8 here in the States. It fits me PERFECTLY. It is the right length, width, and everything in between. The fabric is cotton, but this soft, sumptuous cotton that had me rubbing my arms the entire day. I also love the fact that it is buttoned completely and there is no gapping and I can do up the bottom button (on some J. Crew cardigans I can't button up the bottom button--my hips are just a sceech too big). The colors are also super-beautiful and the combo of colors is very fresh. I highly recommend this cardigan. It is not about to replace my lovely short-sleeved featherweight cashmere cardigans from J. Crew, but I definitely know I will get a lot of use out of this fabulous Boden creation.

P.S. Don't forget to vote in my J. Crew Cardigan Death Match--Jackie is winning--all you non-Jackie lovers need to come on down and vote for your favorite!


Here is the outfit with the very pretty linen scarf from my local J. Crew. This color is such a nice match and I think the scarf gives the outfit another little piece of flair.

Have a great afternoon. Next up--Review of the J. Crew Magnolia necklace!

Monday, May 4, 2009--An Outfit for the Ages (Note--This Title is Sarcastic with a Capital "S")!

This is "meh." My hubby loves to say that word, meh. I like that word, too, a good descriptive word when blah is too much and fine is too complimentary. (Although oddly enough my husband did not describe this as "meh." Maybe he was asleep when he took the pic.)

I think overall it is a fine outfit for just living...but there was no real oomph to this outfit...and I like oomph. Ah, well. :) Can't have an olive green Victoria cami day everyday, right?

The individual pieces are: J. Crew striped tee from four years ago or so; cream and sage green Dotted Cardigan from Charter Club (Macy's--Spring 2009); J. Crew cream Skinny Belt (Summer 2009); Dockers dark brown cords (Fall 2008--by the way, it was kind of gross on Monday--hence the cords in late spring); and J. Crew iridescent guava Salina flats (Fall 2008).

I think the pieces are all great by themselves. Except the Dockers. I, once again, have fallen victim to wearing pants that are too large for me. They make me look like a sack on the bottom-half. Sigh. My retirement pile is HUGE! I think if I had worn this top-half with a cute pencil skirt, this outfit would have been more "wow" than "meh." :) NEXT TIME!

BTW, I have some time today, so I should be able to get two more posts in...and both contain reviews--one of the J. Crew magnolia necklace (Summer 2009) and one of the Boden red and aqua striped V-neck cardigan (Spring 2009).

Two Outfits for the Price of One...or My Time is SO Limited that I Can Only Post Every Once in Awhile...

Okay...quick info...a couple of you may have seen this published before I added notes. Note to self...do not try to eat and blog at the same time...no matter how well Ms. HeidiG of Head to Toe with Heidi can do it!


Also, for those of you who have been waiting desperately (yeah, right) for me to comment back, I have!!! I still need to comment back on the FFM birthday and I (Heart) Milly posts, but I will get to it!

Today are two outfits from when I first got back from California. That was the insane week where I nearly disappeared and you all wondered if I had gotten the swine flu or something. No, nothing like that...but there was a field trip both weeks that sucked EVERY available bit of energy from me. :)


This is what I wore on the field trip on April 23, 2009. This was the Thursday after I got back from California. This is also the only outfit that you will see of me from this week because it was the only day I could really get the energy up to try and "work it!" Drewablank, if it looks familiar, it is because this is the outfit that you saw me in that afternoon at Pentagon City.

The top is from Macy's, a Charter Club lace frou-frou concoction that is AWESOME. It is stretchy and tailored and really, really pretty. Under it I wore a light purple camisole from Costco (Lady Hathaway). Does anyone else LOVE Lady Hathaway camisoles as much as me? They have a shelf bra, are super-long (but not too long), and come in the greatest colors. Plus, they are as soft as silk (even though they are not). The pants are the stone-colored version of your favorite pants of mine, the Bistro stretch pants. I actually own these in an 8. And they fit. WOO! The shoes are the Juliet patent pumps in Dusty Rose. Do you all have a problem with the insole lining coming out? I know I can get them glued back in, but I was wondering if you were experiencing the same thing...

All in all, I love the way this outfit looked. Pretty, professional, and just the right thing for carting 60 6th-graders on a field trip to DC. Yeah, I know, I am just a little bit crazy. ;)


I wore this on Monday, April 27, 2009, and yes, I am very aware that the skirt kind of makes me look like a nun. The issue? I didn't realize how much this skirt does not fit me until I looked at the pics and then it was too late to change. Whatever. The idea of the outfit is good, but the execution, not so much. A tighter, shorter (to the knees) pencil skirt would have made this outfit sing!

The top is a J. Crew v-neck tee from Fall 2007. I think I bought it in Summer, though. Love the top. It is in citron and has the definition for "spontaneous" right there on the front. Too cute. The skirt abomination is from this Fall and purchased four weeks after CW was born to wear to a Gala. It fit well then. Of course I have lost like 25 pounds since then...I guess I just wasn't thinking. It was comfortable, though, I will give it that. I bought it at Macy's, on sale, for like 12 dollars. The shoes are from Kohl's and I love breaking out the sandals, 'cause that means summer is here! Woo! ;)


Here is a close-up of the tee. I actually have started doing this more, taking pics of my shirts close-up, so that I can use them in polyvore. Is anyone else doing this, too?

Have a nice day. I have more outfits to share, but it will probably have to wait until tomorrow. I have a whole slew from this weekend, today's outfit, and one from Disneyland left to show you. Maybe I can get them all posted tomorrow. We'll see.

My Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 Outfit for School...

I was inspired by Ashley of the blog Love It (and I do Love It) in this post to find a way to wear my Paris striped scarf from J. Crew this last holiday season (2008). This scarf is awesome. It is a blend of linen and metallic thread with some cotton thrown in (I think). I purchased the beautiful muted yellow and silver color.

Since I needed to feel good about school when I was insanely busy (I was flying out to CA two days later and I had to get my grades in before I left), I knew I could dress the scarf up (it can also be casual).

It is no longer available at jcrew.com, but maybe some of the stores still have it? Or ebay?


The outfit I created without the cardigan. The blouse is from Macy's and is very stretchy and dressy. It is so comfortable it should be criminal to wear it...feels that good. The pants are INC pants bought at Macy's. Love the matchstick leg...which oddly enough works on my frame. The shoes are Isaac Mizrahi for Target (I miss you!) from last spring (2008). I obviously have already told you about the scarf.


Here is the outfit with the addition of the Tartine merino cardigan from J. Crew (fall 2008). I love this pewter color. The Tartine is a fun, yet very practical cardigan. For all of its ruffles, it works well with so many outfits!!! It was cold-ish that morning, so I knew I had to have something covering my arms...and this fit the bill.

I have many scarves just like this one...I hope to let them come out and play soon! I know it is a bit warm for scarves now, but at night the linen ones may work. :)

Have a lovely day!

How to Wear the Slub Cotton Puff-Sleeve Tee...(With a Mini-Review)!

Slub Cotton Puff Sleeve Shirt Layered! - by dinagideon on Polyvore.com
Okay...I LOVE this tee, but for the longest time could not figure out how to wear it. I knew I wanted to wear it today (because it is casual enough for me to walk home from school in), but was feeling slightly stressed about how to make it special. (By itself it looks okay, but kind of odd, like "Why are you wearing the puffy sleeves, Mrs. J.?")

Then inspiration struck. MAKE THE DARN TEE work for you like a vest, I mumbled. YES!!! So I took a Joie blouse I bought from bluefly.com and slipped it under the tee, and it actually looked pretty good. :) SMILE!!! Oh, and then belt it so the expanse of off-white on your belly is broken up! YES!!! Excellent...

I own all the other pieces, except the necklace is a wee bit different.


Here it is full-length. Those of you interested in buying this tee, be warned...it runs large. I have a small on and look at how long it is on me. The shoulders are this close away from being too broad for my shoulders. I already told you I had to belt it to take away from the blankness of the off-white on my belly...

So why do I (heart) it so much? The texture is divine and the sleeves are so pretty and feel so silky in real life. I am a big fan of feel-good fabrics, so I will tailor the heck out of something that feels awesome, but put back something that fits beautifully if it feels wrong or stiff or coarse.

I added the pop of color in the pants and shoes. I almost treat these gold pants as a neutral, they are that versatile. And let me tell you, a lot of the other bloggers out here in JCA land have the same exact pants. I am thinking I will have to purchase these exact pants in a smaller version off of ebay when I lose more weight...I love them that much.


I am showing you this pic (ignore the fact that I am sort of hunched over...I was holding Rex...see the next photo) because I want you to see how the joie shirt looks under the tee. Very cute!!! I love this outfit a lot and may wear it again soon!


And this pic? Serves no other purpose than to show you how freaking cute rex can be while wearing his batman pjs, eating a plum, hamming it up for the camera, and not wearing both socks.

You all have a great day!