OOTD/Review/Made by Me File: Pretty in Pink Rainbow/Roses.

Hi!  Happy Saturday night.  Yes, I know it is Valentine's Day.  I only ever celebrate it by dressing up in festive outfits.  With the boys of this family having their birthdays in February (well, March for Angus), Valentine's Day is WAY down on our "must do" list.  Mardi Gras gets way more attention than it, too. 

But I still have a big crush on the pretty pinks/reds/ivories of the day, so here are two outfits featuring those gorgeous hues.

Outfit one first, then (as promised in this post) the review of the Rainbow Knit sweater, and third, the outfit that also features a very recent made by me.

Day: Saturday, February 14, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Birthday Party!

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I really really love these Turner pants from J. Crew.  My husband made fun of them the first time I wore them and said no words today.  Success!  He has grown used to the pale pink elastic cuffed wonders.

The sweater was more than adequate to keep me warm, but I did make sure to layer it with this pretty tulip-printed Liberty shirt from J. Crew from a few years ago.  The Eliza coat was actually plenty cover for this morning, it is only recently that the winds have picked up and the snow has begun (it looks frightening out there, I have never seen snow blow sideways!).

Cool Factor: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) I don't know, it is an all pink ensemble.  Granted, it is appropriate for the day, and I was at my kid's birthday party, but yeah, I don't know if I can't rate it any higher.

The heeled loafers are a fun neutral, not quite silver/not quite pewter, they helped ground the all pink ensemble.  So that helped.  Plus the coat is getting quite a bit of airtime from Boden over at their facebook page (they celebrate *other* bloggers, lol, example one, and example two). 

Anecdote of the Day:  Wheelchair bound, we weren't sure if Rex's birthday party at the laser tag place could still go on, but yep, they were all ADA compliant, so we were able to wheel him around in the actual games.  I sucked, though, because the loafers have a slippy bottom, and he DESPERATELY wanted me to push him up the steep ramp in the game.  He weighs a lot, as does the wheelchair, and I was slipping.  I don't even know where my brain was when I dressed this morning, hello!  I have actually played laser tag before and have worn tennis shoes, but not today.  He blames me for his poor ranking (8th out of 20?).  His daddy propelled him to a much better ranking (3rd of 20).  We now have the one example of Mr. Dina's white tennis shoes being the better option.  :-D

Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Size 6.  It features a curved hem, contrast hem, and very long sleeves (they are long on me, and I have really long arms).  The fit does get looser as you wear it, I changed out of the button-up upon returning home, and it has stretched out so that the back and front are a bit looser so the sweater is hanging a bit lower.  But is an all cotton knit sweater, so no surprise there.

Back View.  I don't have the usual horizontal lines at my mid-back the way I usually have on almost all of my tops.  That is a small feat, and I am thrilled at this fit.  And it is great the length of the sweater hits at my upper hip, which means I don't have to worry about it being too tight at my tush.

Close-up. I know there are no greens in the sweater, but I really like the tulip print with the stripes.  It just worked, somehow.

I wrote up a written review yesterday of the Rainbow Knit Sweater and I have more photos of the beautiful Eliza coat here.



Eliza Coat and Rainbow Knit Sweater.  Neither is close to selling out, but the Eliza coat can be worn now, whereas unless you will wear the Rainbow Knit sweater *now* and later, you can wait for a better price on that one.

Day: Thursday, February 12, 2015.

Where:  Rex's Valentine's Party at school and his birthday dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It is a made by me dress, Simplicity 2246, which is a Lisette pattern for shirtdresses.  I chose to make the more fitted silhouette (view a), because darn it, I can make adjustments to suit both my smaller upper body and larger lower half, so I don't have to go for the more full-skirted version.  Yes!  So on the fit side, it wears well.  I do wish I had a better time with the hem, and if it could be just an inch longer, I think I would be more comfortable with it.  My main issue with this outfit is because that night the winds came and the temps dropped to 20 F, OMG, and with the wind chill, it felt like 4 F?  I don't know, it was B-A-D.  And yeah, the Eliza, so pretty, and the rose print rayon challis, lovely, but not the right outfit for those temperatures.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.) This look had its fans.  I like it on me, but it may be too twee or feminine for some.

Anecdote of the Day:  Rex is not back at school, and won't be for a couple of weeks, but we were able to arrange for him to come that day so he could see his friends, get his cast signed, exchange Valentine's cards, etc.  I was so grateful for the school for getting the classroom set up so he didn't even have to go down the stairs (the other 2nd grade teacher is on the same level as the ramp so she gave us her classroom for an hour).  It really meant the world to him, he was in such great spirits after leaving the party.

For those of you interested, you can check out more on how I made the dress (there is a lot of information for sewers there) at the Fabric Mart blog.  This was my make for the month of February, and let's just say I was pretty excited to make a festive Valentine's look for my blog post this month. 

Hope all of you have a very happy Valentine's Day!

OOTD: Bright Orange Madewell and the Os.

We are a split decision family here in our house, but only during any Nats vs. Orioles games.  (When they play each other it is called the Battle of the Beltways, although we could call it Momma against everyone else.)

So why would I, a native of Northern Virginia be adamant in rooting for the Orioles over the Nationals, when the Nationals are our "home" team?

Well, if you know anything about baseball, DC did not have a team for many years between the 70s and the early 00s.  We had a football team, a basketball team, and even a hockey team, yet no baseball.

We had exactly one team we could root for and they were not so conveniently located an hour north in Baltimore (well it was an hour in 1997, the last time we went to B'more--for this Rush concert--it took us 2.5 hours to get there).  It didn't matter...if you were a fan of the boys of summer (fave Don Henley song, btw), you needed to head up 95/295 to see them playing in Charm City.  My fave boy of summer was always BJ Surhoff (showing my age there, lol).

One day my hubby came home and announced that Montreal was losing their team and they were coming to DC.  I was stoked but also a bit bewildered.  Would I forget my team?  Would I not root for them any longer?

Well, in most cases, yes, I do root for the new home team of the Nationals, but like most folks who grew up between Richmond and Baltimore in the 70s, 80s and 90s, when the Os play the Nats, the Os win out purely because of nostalgia.

They play each other a few times a year and I always pull out my Os hat and don some bright orange to let the world know my allegiance.  My hubby tolerates it, but only because I let him dress the kids up in Nationals gear.  (He did not grow up here.  Which I have no problem reminding him when he gets lost on his way anywhere in this area without me--the streets here are "challenging" to put it mildly.)

We were stopped a lot by folks, mainly other Os fans giving me a thumbs up and asking why the baby on my chest had a Nats cap on...it was fun, and it was nice to have a heated "frivolous" rivalry in the house.

My beloved Orioles?  They lost.  Sigh.  (Yeah, Mr. Dina, Rex, CW, and even darling Angus totally rubbed it in my face.)

I was not super heartbroken, though, had it been any other team going against the Nats I would have been cheerful at the win. 

I was inspired to wear this outfit not only because the shorts are the exact right shade of orange, but also because Madewell sent out an e-mail with items from the beach shack a while ago that paired these shorts with a hot pink top.  I so loved the look that I immediately purchased the shorts along with a bright pink v-neck that was on sale (the one in the e-mail was too pricey).

I plan to show off that image in my inspired by Madewell post that is upcoming, but until then, I will give you all a sneak peek at the bottom of this post.

Sunglasses: Anthropologie Gramercy Shades.
Tee: Madewell V-Neck Pocket Tee.
Shorts: Madewell Seashell Eyelet Shorts, size medium. (They fit true to size.)
Scarf: Anthropologie Noon Glow Loop.
Shoes: Bensimon with Liberty Fabric.

My hubby really likes me in braided pigtails.  I sort of thought he would outgrow that, you know seeing as I am no longer 18, but every time I wear them, he says, "I love you in pigtails."  Whatever.  :)

The wacky bird is the best mascot, btw.  It is rare to see actual orioles in these parts, so if I ever saw one in real life, I would probably be surprised that it isn't a big fat black bird with a grinning orange beak.  :)

This was Angus's second game as a Nats fan, and because he faced outward, he definitely was a favorite of many of the people at the game.  I think my favorite part is his fisherman sandals, so cute!

This was the image I was inspired by.  I also have the red sunglasses, again because it was less expensive than the ones I had been eyeing at J. Crew (a near $75 difference, btw!).

Okay that's it!

Do you have any family fun rivalries?  It could be anything...political, tv shows, etc.  Do tell!

J. Crew: Inspiring Me Now.

If you were around on Sunday, I published a post on several images from the J. Crew factory that were inspiring me right now, so rather than rehash why I started this type of post, I encourage you to check it out if you haven't already.

Crazily enough, J. Crew is LESS inspiring to me than the factory.  I really like quite a lot from J. Crew now, just not enough to be inspired or even to be inspired to buy.  (Is it fatigue or is it consumer fatigue?  The blog world may never know...or care.)  ;)

The factory, in addition to having better prices, also has more classic styling AND sometimes has better quality.  This red sweater I wore recently I bought for around $10 and is thick and plush and vibrant and seems to be the sort that will be in my closet forever (read: made well).  Although most of my J. Crew retail sweaters are fine, I did notice that for the money spent, I would anticipate that they wouldn't pill, or get holes, or get stretched out...and unfortunately about 10% of my sweaters from the Crew do.  Sigh.  Might explain my "consumer" fatigue.

Regardless, I will always have an affection for J. Crew and will continue to seek out their catalogs and website for ideas, and will likely spend at least a little bit each month on something, but it is definitely odd that I have more inspiration photos from their little sister than them.

From this rollout's looks we love, this is no. 6.  I briefly mentioned this sweater in yesterday's post on the color yellow, but I do not own it, nor will I.  However, I can easily replicate this look with pieces in my closet...including the Brompton clutch in safari cat that I own (I reviewed it here).

This model looks classic, current, and beautiful in these pieces.  Definitely very inspiring.

This is look no. 16 from the looks we love.  Adorable.  Again, I own none of the pieces but I love the whole look, and it can be easily replicated.


Closet Crisis reviewed the short sleeve sweatshirt today on her blog.  Definitely a great piece that I can see working in many people's lives.

I have really gotten into bright pink this year, and though I don't want either of these, I do adore this whole look, so simple and easy, yet has a high impact.  Love.

This is the cashmere v-neck sweater and the skirt is only available in the Madison Avenue Collection store.  

I confess to finding this pleated blouson dress very intriguing.  The dress is poly, but the pleats might stay in better shape because of that and since I am allergic to ironing (it's true, lol!), a silk option would have been a no go for me.  The shape is likely a good one for me, as it really emphasizes the waist.  Is anyone else in love with this dress or is it just me?  (Note, I know the price is CAH-RAY-ZEE, I mean do you love the dress if you could have it at whatever price you could buy it at, be it $10 or $350?)

Okay, that's it, four looks.

Did I neglect any looks from either the collection or regular line that you love???  Do tell!

Pink Jacket and Brown Top. Again.

Hi, all!  Thank you for your sweet Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays wishes over the past few days.  :)  I read them all and even though I can't respond (without a lot of effort, thanks teeny computer with no access to disqus), I want to wish all of you a Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays right back.

Also, I read all the comments about Rex, and thank you, every one of you, who told me your own story, etc.  It was very helpful to see what has worked for you, what your life is like with your "energetic" toddler/child, and what isn't working.  So so appreciated!

I will continue to tell you all about the Rex saga, but for now, things are okay.  Not great, but with the extra empathy and patience we are trying with him, we seem to (crosses fingers) be on the road to normalcy (we don't expect--or want--him to overnight become the opposite of his personality).

So onto today's quick post.  Remember this post?  I wore the pink heather azalea Lexington Jacket with Boden's Silk Flower Top and jeans.  Well, I guess I really liked the pink/brown combo so a few days later I went with a similar combo...the heather azalea Bella Jacket (yes, that one!) with J. Crew's perfect fit swirling petals tank in cobblestone.

This is the outfit as worn out of the house.  The sunglasses and scarf are from Target (CW picked both of them out for me, in between trying on bits and pieces for herself--see bottom photo for proof of that).  The pants are really ancient Duo Maternity cream canvas pants, very comfortable and go nicely with the pink and brown/grey of the top half.

It was warm, though, probably too warm for the jacket, scarf, and Bensimon sherpa lace-up low sneakers I bought from Madewell recently.  With highs in the 60s that day, I felt a bit heated on my preschool run and it had nothing to do with Rex's teacher.  ;)  They are saying this is the fourth warmest December on record here in the DC area.  I want you all to notice I am not complaining.  I am such a weather wimp.

From the side.  I was so lucky to find the bella jacket on ebay a few months ago.  It was around the price of the original retail cost, but it was NWT and (almost) my size, so I bit.  I love this shade of pink, and I know that even if J. Crew was to re-issue the bella (like they did with the Lexington), they may not re-issue this herringbone version again, so I just re-budgeted that week so I could work it into my finances.

I am wearing the petite 6, which is nearly the right everything, except in the sleeves (har-dee-har, and my belly, but that isn't permanent).  The length of the sleeves are short, but I will take it so I can have a perfect fit in the shoulders and torso.  (And next year, lol, in the waist.)

The perfect fit tank is long enough to fit over my belly, even in the size small.  J. Crew's tanks and tees run really long, don't they?

The Bensimon sneakers are a size 41, which is about a size 10.  I thought the 41 would fit great, and they do, but I think I over-sized for what I suspected would be a fair amount of sherpa lining.  It is lined, but don't be fooled into believing it will be all thick like Uggs or even like what J. Crew does with sherpa.  I should have gone with a 40, but because it ties up, I just have to tie my shoes a bit tighter to have them fit well.

CW in the Target women's accessories department.  She loves trying all these on...the bag right next to her, btw, is really cute, sequined and all bow-ed up.  Go Target.  :) 

The sunglasses in the first shot were about $12 and are from Merona and the scarf is around $15 or so and also from Merona.  I can't find the glasses on-line, but I have included the scarf in my polyvore (below) so you can get more info on it.

Pink and Brown. Again. by dinagideon featuring cami tops

Above is the polyvore.

Umm, okay, that's all, I guess.  Before I go, two quick reminders/questions...if you have a review for me for this week's Boden Weekly Review roundup, can you either drop your link to your blog review in the comment or e-mail me at dinagideonATaimDOTcom...and on that note...when do you all think Boden will switch over to their second cut prices?  Last year it seemed to come a couple of weeks after the initial clearance, but I still haven't seen the prices budge (and I am WAITING for some of the pieces to go down in price, couple of my wishlist items are still too pricey at even their sale price). 

Have a great rest of your Tuesday, everyone!

Here Fishy Fishy!

Yay for fun theme days!  :)

Before I show of the "under the sea" outfits, I wanted to remind everyone (not just my Boden fanatic friends) that I am hosting a really great giveaway for some very pretty sparkly scarves from Boden.  Please enter here.  Would love to top out near 50-75 entrants, if possible!

Okay, so this first outfit includes the very popular "school of fish" skirt from J. Crew back in 2006...I spent far too much on ebay for this (ugh), but when I received it, I saw that this skirt is so unique and special, it was okay to make this one of my only ebay splurges.  (I usually try to do bargain hunting on ebay, only treasured items am I willing to pay more for.)  The second outfit is a mix of Anthro and J. Crew and includes a pretty aqua and coral print top and cute little starfish earrings.

The skirt is a size 6, which is fine, but I would have preferred the 8, but c'est la vie...it fits and looks decent.  Plus that adorable print?  Agh!  Love it!

The tee is awesome.  I have literally worn it over and over and over since I bought it back in the winter of 2007.  In fact I wear it so much that I bought the silver/grey version from ebay for $7, I really do find these neutral striped tops go with so many of my printed skirts and pants.

The necklace is the sparkle flower necklace, perfect little bit of bling, not too much, but just enough to add interest to the neckline.

I decided to wear it with the most comfy platform sandals, from Aerosoles a few years ago.

I was teaching the book "Swimmy" at school and really loved the message of "together we are stronger."  This skirt is a very nice little visual reminder of that.  :)

From behind.  I would love to have this skirt in a navy version, too, just like there is a navy version of this print in a dress.

Here Fishy Fishy! by dinagideon featuring clutch handbags

Above is the polyvore of this outfit.

I wore this outfit on the day we were driving from GA to southern VA.  (This was way back in late July, btw.)  I love this Coil Flower Tank from Anthropologie.  It doesn't really read floral, in fact I see the gorgeous red corals of the seabed, but whatever.  The shorts are J. Crew from a few years back, as are the cherry blossom lucaya espadrilles.  The earrings are not Elsa Peretti as are shown in the polyvore, but rather from Stella and Dot.  I found this outfit perfection for driving all day long.  Very comfortable and kept me cool (very important)!

Do you all see coral or florals?  LOL.  You can also see the earrings a bit closer here, as well.

Starfish and Corals. by dinagideon featuring a floral tank

Above is the polyvore of this outfit!

Okay, all, have a great Friday.

Oh, and although this is a fun "under the sea" day, I really truly hope that we don't end up "under water" with this ridiculous storm heading our way!  ;)

Animal Print. Roar. (Or in this case more of a neigh.)

Hee.  My animal prints on display today are definitely not the fierce jungle cats that are all the rage this season (and every freaking fall, it seems, definitely not a trend if it keeps. coming. back. people.).  Instead I took a milder approach to animal prints and wore a zebra and a giraffe.  Ah, how sweet.

One more thing before I get onto the outfits.  I was definitely shaken and stirred by the earthquake yesterday.  Very scary, and definitely unexpected.  This article from the Washington Post explains why it happened and why this area's response of being *freaked out* was okay.  LOL.  Looks like we have a hundred years or so to go before another big one...

Zebra Time.  I wore this while teaching summer school a few weeks back.  I had been going for themed outfits (here, fishy, fishy AND floral explosion) but that day I was just not feeling it, so I brought out my inner Africa.

This is the Blakely dress in zebra print that was a big seller back when it came out.  I like it and I am glad I got it, but I only wear this once a year or so.  I think a zebra print dress is one of those items you can't really parade around all the time, very noticeable.  :)

The Cleo platform sandals, however, I wear constantly in the summer.  Very comfortable and great at lengthening the legs without having to resort to stilettos.  I also paired the dress with a hot pink leather skinny belt that also sees quite a bit of action from me (and does especially in this post).

Another view.  This outfit was supremely comfy.  The cotton is a nice weight for summer, not too heavy.  The dress can also be worn with a jacket or cardigan in spring or fall if you wanted it to transition.

You all are going to have to open this pic up.  Not only are we at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington (very near to where I grew up, in fact), but my hubby captured a plane coming in for a landing at National airport, AND my daughter is making the best face.  Plus, if you open the photo up you can see my outfit a bit better and the now closed (thanks, earthquake) Washington Monument.  (Don't worry it won't be closed forever...just a bit, or so says the National Park Service.)

The dress is a Merona Collection piece from 2009.  The cardigan is J. Crew from 2008.  The shoes are the awesome neon pink strapped Dani heels from 2010 and the belt, see outfit above. ;)  The sunglasses are the wonderful Cutler and Gross #0930.

Rex loves the Air Force Memorial.  He has been talking about seeing the "swords" since he was pretty darn tiny.  And even though we only live just down the road a bit, we had not found the time (ridiculous, I get it).  This place is great!  When I was a kid it was just a big ole hill that people went to see the fireworks every July 4th (in fact, they still do, alebit with less space available).

That night no one was there.  It was AWESOME.  CW and Rex could fully enjoy it.  If you open the pic, you can see her running along quite merrily...

Before you think I am all too tame with my zebra and giraffe prints, I did bite onto a few of the jungle cat pieces from this fall...I have recently purchased the Tippi sweater in leopard (love, so soft!) and from Boden I pre-ordered the Leopard Tote (still not here, sigh) and the Animal Bow Flatsbow flats in the army green leopard print.  I am even contemplating another small piece, but I am on the fence.  (A great coupon would help!  Of course it would!)

Speaking of Boden, if you have a review for me, I will be doing the Boden Weekly Review Roundup this evening, so if you could get me the reviews before 6 pm Eastern time, that would be fab! (dinagideon@aim.com) Thank you!

Also on the Boden front, I will be doing a HUGE back-to-school post tomorrow that not only showcases my back-to-school picks from Boden's fab Autumn 2011 line, but I will be sponsoring a really nice giveaway, so please do be on the lookout for that.  :)

Okay, all, talk soon.  BTW, besides the Boden posts I mentioned earlier, I have all those themed outfits to go.  Here are some upcoming theme days...floral explosion; here, fishy, fishy;  and print passion.  There may even be another theme day, still working on my backlog of ootds.  (Which is just supremely irritating that I have let it get this bad. LOL.)

Spring Into Style: Day Six 2011.

Spring Into Style: Day Six 2011. by dinagideon featuring cluster jewelry
Above is what I wore today for my sixth day of teaching "Spring Into Style."  I can't believe that I found the exact Japanese wooden sandals I own on Polyvore. I bought them over two years ago!

Oh, I love this Shelby Dress.  Still do, even after the "accident," le sigh.  For more on the accident, see last photo.  Thank goodness I own sewing equipment.

Today was "PJ day" at school.  Yes, I could have worn my pjs and tried to be the Fashion World's version of PJ chic, but it was meant to get to 85 degrees (all this after yesterday's gripe on the terrible cold weather), and sorry, my PJs do not mix well with heat.  At all. 

I did make a nod to the day by wearing a Japanese kimono robe for part of the class, which is also why I happen to have on Japanese wooden sandals.  I actually own quite a few kimono robes and a handful of Japanese sandals, so it was a no brainer that this would be my PJ chic.  LOL.

I own the Shelby Dress in dusty pink in a size 4.  Word of warning, this dress runs large, a la the Liberty Bouquet Shirtdress, so definitely size down two sizes if you are a smaller on top/larger on bottom kind of gal.

It has POCKETS!  Yay for pockets.  Everyone loved this dress, which made the accident even sadder.  :P

From the back.  I can't wait to wear this easy, breezy dress in the middle of summer when I need to look nice but want to stay cool.

Close up of the eyelet and the pearl ombre necklace (this is from Spring 2010).  My makeup is super-simple, a modified version of my "guide."  I only am wearing my moisturizing items, mascara, lip polish, and sheer pressed powder.

Haha, this will be the only time any of you all will see me in this.  Promise.  It looks way less "conservative" in real life, I promise.  I only wish this was silk and not poly, if it were silk, I could have worn this all day.  :)

Go on, open up the pic.  Under the "X" is where the accident happened.  I had applied masking tape under the rip/tear by this point, so it is barely noticeable, but the rip/tear was pretty big.  I was walking out of the teacher lounge when I ran into the fridge which happened to have a torn handle and a sharp pointy bit sticking out.   My darling eyelet got caught and an inch and a half of cotton came with the eyelet.  Fortunately it appears I can sew it, but if any of you have ideas on fixing it for this relative newbie to the world of sewing repairs, I would appreciate it!

Alright, you all have a great night.  I also wanted to thank EVERYONE for the fab comments, etc., you all have been leaving lately.  Clearly I am just going and going like a bunny (probably why I had the incident with the fridge, grr), so if I don't get back to your comment quickly, I ask for your understanding and forgiveness.  ;)  Talk soon!

Spring Into Style: Day Two 2011.

Very different look for me today. I wanted to wear a vest I knew I had but just could not make work whenever I wore it. LOL. I think I finally stumbled on the right proportion for this long tuxedo style vest from the J. Crew Factory. It either needs to work with straight legged pants and a sleeveless top and heels OR I could try it with a strappy sundress like this one from Boden and moto boots and a cute long necklace.

Every time I tried it with a long-sleeved shirt, I just looked like I was trying to hide my body, so in the end, I knew I would just have to wait for warmer weather to give this *wool* vest a try. Crazy.

Spring Into Style: Day Two 2011. by dinagideon featuring cropped pants

Above is the polyvore of the outfit.

Still not perfect, but I do like it.  Very funky and actually quite a bit dark/edgy for me.  I might have to try the same pieces but with a cotton tank and a printed scarf.

The vest is a size 4, and I find it fits perfectly.  That said, I don't button this vest, so I can't really speak to how it fits all buttoned up.

This was the outfit as I intended it yesterday.  Then I realized it *wouldn't* be in the 70s/80s today and knew that my classroom would be FREEZING, so I figured the vest would take me out of my comfort zone AND keep me in my comfort zone.  LOL.  :)

No hand on the hip...I also chopped off my head to make sure the outfit didn't look too ridiculous. (I like my head on my body, so it makes me less likely to dislike an outfit if I have the head attached, taking the head off makes me more willing to say, "yeah, not working.")  I think next time I might try a scarf or a long necklace to give the middle a bit more definition. 

.

So all you all in the NOVA area...did you get woken up/couldn't sleep because of the crazy crazy t-storms and winds?  I not only couldn't get to sleep as the air was super-heavy (humid central) but as soon as I made it to sleep the storms came.  Ugh.

At least I had the presence of mind to put on my makeup...even if it is just the bare minimum of mascara, lip polish, and sheer pressed powder.  I think the pink in the top also gave my face a bit of color, which I truly appreciate.  :)

Talk with you all later.  I should have my "All Made Up" Cosmetics Guide up tonight, Sheer Glow Highlighter version done by the late evening.  Remember, there are only four days left to receive a sheer glow highlighter for free with any $100 plus purchase made at my Arbonne website.  :)

A BonBon and Some Pink Plaid...

Hey, everyone!  How are you all doing?  I am fab.  :)  Had a bit of a time last week between all the festivities, recovering, and that special "lady time," but all I needed was an overabundance of wine and some really understanding (REALLY understanding) family members and some sleep and I feel just a bit better this week.  Plus the presents...somehow I lucked out this year and received some truly unique and exactly right gifts this year.  That definitely helped with my mood.  LOL.

(Christmas post is later on...right now I want to get some review posts out of the way!)

First up is a delightful little coat called the Double Cloth BonBon Coat by J. Crew.  I own so many coats, it is true, but I believe that the weather here in Northern Virginia actually calls for many different types of coats as we see it all from around early November to late April.  I actually have a coat now for all sorts of occasions, rainy and cold, rainy and warm, snowy and cold, snowy and REALLY cold, just plain cold, mild, cold, windy and cold, must be dressy coat even though it is cold, etc., etc.  LOL.

Seriously, though.  I sold a few coats recently (including a pretty velvet Boden one and the Shipley coat from a few years back) to make room for this Bon Bon.  I had been eyeing the Bon Bon in torch orange as it so reminded me of the orange coat that Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but at its original price of $325, I definitely said, "No way, Jose."

Then came the amazing coat sale that J. Crew does every year.  They usually take 30% off and are done with it.  But...here's the awesomeness...if you have a J. Crew card, you could then use a specialized code given to you, along with your card and get an additional 30% off.  So, guess what?  I said "bonjour" to the bon bon.

And here it is...

Yes, the orange shoes and slightly worn cords are definitely not the look I would go for with this coat, but I kind of was only wearing the coat as a try-on (I have worn it out in public, though, and the color is very popular...there is definitely something uplifting about wearing an orange coat in the middle of winter that brings out the happy--same thing goes for my yellow coats--yes, I said coats--yellow coats are the BEST--haven't sold any of those and probably won't).

Fit and function: I took a size 6.  I say size to your largest part of your body, which for me is my hips.  If you are busty, go with your top size.  This is a shorter coat, and maybe a tall would have made this a smidge longer on me, but I don't want the waist to be anywhere but where it is, so the regular will work for me now.  I like it buttoned up all the way, adds to its retro look, but the collar can be played around with to create different looks.  This is a double cloth, and there are no thinsulate options, so I would say this is a coat for mild, or slightly cold weather. 

Here it is opened all the way.  Also retro-looking.  The opened look is crying out for some statement jewelry, though.  :)

From the side.  The collar isn't quite Bella pretty, but it does the job of being just different enough.  This color is "torch orange," btw, not "spicy russett," which was a similar color from the early fall.

That Orange Coat by dinagideon featuring feather hats

Above is the polyvore that I created when I purchased the coat.  I love how close this coat is to the Breakfast at Tiffany's one.  If I had one wish, it would be that the collar was a bit more fitted, a la the one in the movie.

This is a pink plaid gingham boy shirt that is available in stores only right now (maybe it will be part of the next on-line roll out?).  I was drawn to it when I went in last week to get some Christmas gifts...the pink color is very vibrant and very much a nice change from their "neutral" pinks they have had these past few years.  It is is hard to tell from this pic, but the white color is more of a creamy color and plays nicely with the very pretty pink (color code is ppi--probably Paris Pink, but I like pretty pink more).  This is a size 6 and it retails for $72, but with the 30% off everything sale they were having the day I went to the store, I ended up getting it for $50.  I wear a size 4 in perfect shirts, if that helps any of you out with sizing.  This fabric is uber-soft, almost flannel-like, although this isn't a flannel shirt.  (I want to add I have no makeup here, and if I were to wear this in public in the winter, I would for sure add some lip gloss, lol.)

Hand on hip.  :)  The item number is 35187.  I like that it is kind of a retro look, too.  I hope J. Crew continues with its retro twist.  Sometimes you just want a classic, you know?

Talk with you all soon.  :)