OOTD/Review: Space-Dyed Shine in Sprinkles.

OOTD first, followed by a quickie review of J. Crew's Space-Dyed Sweater.

Day: Thursday, June 4, 2015.

Where:  G Street Fabrics, School Run, a very brief visit to Nationals Park, and Good Stuff Eatery for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  This whole outfit presents well but is pretty comfy, considering it is a bit more dressy than my usual wear of late (Turner pant, a fun top of some sort, and sandals).  The skirt is the factory version of the J. Crew Lighthouse Postcard skirt but I bought it off ebay for a song in a size 8, which is usually too small, but in this skirt is actually a touch too loose.  That's okay.  I needed the extra room with the redonk amount of food I ate at Good Stuff tonight (the hamburger I ate had an egg on it, mmmm).

The space-dyed sweater is awesome, not cozy and soft, but it felt wonderful to wear all day even though it wasn't cashmere.  I have more info on this one in the review below.

Outfit Details: Space-dyed Sweater, J. Crew here; Necklace and Shoes, J. Crew; Skirt, J. Crew Factory (ebay has this one for sale--btw, the factory version is lined but the retail was not, hmm).

I chose to wear the teal shoes and the green necklace after I saw Lisa instagram with her skirt paired with a mint green top.  It looked great together, so I (sort of) copied.  :-)

Anecdote of the Day: It is really rainy and kind of chilly out there, and so rather than go to tonight's baseball game with one kid and grab bobbleheads (there was a giveaway tonight), my husband drove us all into town, had CW and I get out, GO into the game, GRAB the bobbleheads, LEAVE the game, and meet him on the road where he would be waiting for us.  LOL.  So weird.  But because I am easygoing, I just went with it.  Whatever, man.  I got a burger with an egg on top of it for my troubles. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Space-dyed Sweater.  I saw this one a while back at J. Crew, and though I loved it right away, I knew I had to wait for a promo to get it, so the moment a 30% off and free shipping popped up, I grabbed it in the size extra-small (my usual J. Crew sweater size).  It had a bit of a backorder, but I know this is an all-season sweater (well except for the most hot and humid of days), so I was fine to wait.

It fits exactly like all my other extra-small sweaters fit, great through the shoulders, a touch big through the neckine, and with enough ease to be comfortable overall.

It has a weird composition of rayon/metallic threads and poly.  It isn't soft, and it isn't especially warm, but it is fine unless you are a super-sensitive type person.  If you find wool sweaters itchy, this may be too much for you.

The length of the sleeves is really long, and the rib trim at the cuffs and hems stretch well, but bounce back easily.  The ribbing at the sleeves is extra-long, reaching nearly to my mid-forearm.

The sweater is a mid-length, so a bit long on my body, but that is likely good for most of you since I have a shorter torso.

It looked nice with the Lighthouse skirt.  It worked even better after I put the necklace on, since the subtle golden shimmer of the sweater worked well with the necklace, while the more platinum shade the base of the sweater worked well with the skirt.  Very pretty, all the pieces together.

It stayed tucked in all day, which is not always the case with sweaters.  I was pleased since I hate it when they come untucked.

This photo shows off the color the best I could capture it in the low light of today.  It is a sheer top, so you must wear proper undergarments.  I have on a very light colored cami, and it worked fine as a piece for modesty.

It really is very shiny, and goes with so many pieces in my closet.  I can see why this shade is nearing sold out status.  At $70 (after discounts), I would say it is money spent well.

FWIW, I had been looking at the Elegant Shimmer Sweater from Boden, and price-wise, they are very similar.  That said, I think this "neither cool nor warm" shade of metallic in the space-dyed works better for my skin tone, so I am glad I went with this one.

Space-dyed Sweater (that photo is a shopsense link, btw).  The color above is the same one I chose and it is out of stock in many sizes.  There is a gold shade, though, which is fully stocked.  They had a similar sweater two years ago (though looser) and it came in the gold.  I have that one in gold, and I suspect many other women do, too.  This unusual shade is not common, so I can see why this one sold well.

Okay, I hope you all have had a great Thursday!  We'll talk soon, have a great night!

Review/OOTD: Rainy Days!

Since the 20% off with free ship and returns promotion is ending tonight (the original promo expired last night, but the affiliate sent me a new one this morning?!?), let's just start with the review of the Rainy day Mac (here at Boden) before getting to the ootd featuring the Rainyday Mac.  (BTW, the outfit above is *not* the one I am showing off, this one above was blogged about here at this post.)

The size I chose to purchase originally was a size 6, but as cute as it looked in that size, I just knew that I had to size up to better fit my hips.  Of course I knew that would mean that the 8 would not fit me as well in the top half, but I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

Well, the best happened, although looser overall, the 8 fits very nicely through the whole body, but doesn't manage to make me look like I am being swamped by British soldiers and buildings and flags, etc.

I was particularly surprised at how well it fit in the shoulders considering how narrow mine are.  Having said that, if you do have broader shoulders, it may be in your best interest to size up.

This coat is SO WARM and cozy.  When I wore it both times, it was raw, chilly, grey, and rainy (but not monsooning out), and this kept me feeling quite warm.  The fleece lining was especially lovely, and I was so grateful that it was carried through the hood and in the pockets.  Especially the pockets.

There is a zip and buttons, and the hood is removable, so they really did think of all things, quality-wise.

I have heard it isn't the greatest at keeping rain out (oddly), but from what I understand the complaints stem from the heavy downpours and not the milder piddly rain.  It is a bummer it won't work as well in heavy rain, but since I was personally only interested in it as a fall coat to keep me warm enough, but not too warm (actually happens a lot to me around here).

I have some close-up photos and other thoughts on it from this BWRR.



Rainyday Mac.  Not selling out in this color, but some of the shades are definitely low stock or sold out.

Day: Saturday, November 1, 2014.

Where:  Rex's baseball championship game and the Washington Craft Show.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Rainyday Mac kept me nice and warm, which I needed since we were outside, standing and watching the game in the cold piddling rain for a couple of hours.  The sweater I sewed up last year (blogged about it here) is made from a nice wool/acrylic boucle and also helped retain some heat.

The booties, while darling, did nothing to keep my feet warm.  I should find some fleece socks since apparently fleece works really well on retaining heat (I guess I could make them, too).

I wear the sunglasses because my eye bags were BAD that morning, lol.  You all don't need to see those. 

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I like the outfit better without the coat, but as discussed above, I had no choice but to wear it.  One of the vendors at the craft fair liked the coat, but I have to say the coolest "cat" (hardeehar) was my daughter, whose homemade cat costume in a minky fleece was the hit of the show.  My stepmother made it for her and she decided CW wearing it out on a rainy cold day would be the best idea since that minky stuff is super warm.  It got so warm for her, in fact, she had to take the cat hood off to stay cool.

To be six again...

Anecdote from the day:  Rex's team won the championship!  Woo!  Yay them!  :-)

Rex got injured halfway through, he was hit by a ball to his knee while playing catcher, but like the tough kid he is, he went back in and played the rest of the game.  (Makes me proud, I have to admit.)

Okay, that's all for now.  I think my next post will be showing off my son's pizza costume, since I am proud of that one.  It is slightly hilarious, but lots of fun.

The Boden sale DEFINITELY ends tonight, so keep that in mind if you had wanted something with the 20% off.
TODAY ONLY! Shop Boden for 20% Off Everything plus Free Shipping & Returns with code SHOW

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Glamour in a Knitted Dress.

Hey, all! 

Before I start, I want to say "hello" to all my new sewing friends.  I realize quite a few people joined this site over the past month or so, and a lot of them may be confused why what they thought was exclusively a sewing blog is anything but a sewing blog.  Clearly I need to explain what's going on here a bit more, so I created an "About Me" page, which can be found below the blog header.  I don't want anyone think that I am trying to fake you all out by sewing in a competition and making you think I will never sew again and all you all will see is a whole bunch of Boden and outfits of the day.  :-)  I am a sewer, and I will be showing off projects again, but this blog is not a sewing blog, nor will it ever exclusively be a sewing blog.  To help any of you that really only want to see sewing projects, I name all of my post titles.  The ones that most sewers will want to see are called "Made by Me Files."  I probably write those up two-three times a month, unless I am being especially fast with my sewing. 

Most people, though, who come to my blog are not sewers, and I would say that my *least* popular posts are my sewing projects.  Most people who come here are Boden fans or people who enjoy seeing outfit of the day posts.  And since this blog was started in 2009, well before I started sewing, I am not going to completely change course of this blog to suit a new sewing reader base.  I LOVE having sewing friends here, but if the blog's intent isn't your thing, I understand that, and respect any decision you make regarding whether you want to stay around or not.  So know that I want you here, but I can't fully commit my blog space to what you may want to exclusively see.  :-)  And for those sewing friends who are enjoying it all, cool! 

Boden Reminders and News:

1. The Boden Spring 2015 Preview was extended a week or so back, so we could continue to enjoy the 20% off with free shipping and returns for a little while longer.  I *still* have not updated my picks post.  I am so bad.  I can blame my children, those darling time sucks, but that's probably a cop out.  ;-)  Hopefully before the code (F9Z8) expires, which is Sunday, October 26, 2014, I can manage to get it properly written up and with the newer items in it, too.

2.  Boden is only running a 15% off with free shipping coupon on my site right now, but I was emailed a promo for 25% off dresses and 15% off everything else.  That coupon expires on Sunday, October 26, 2014.  I will be using it to purchase the correct size for the Hartland Dress (review here) since I lost seven pounds over the last month and now the size I bought is too big everywhere.  I won't return the bigger size until I am sure the smaller size will work, but it is nice to get the new size at a better price.  Use the code 3S9K for the 25% off.

3.  The affiliate program sent me a coupon for new customers, where you will receive a scarf, bag, or socks with your first purchase (it is your choice, I will run all three in my sidebar for you new customers).  I also have the coupons at the bottom of this post, along with the regular one that I always put in the post for you every time I write one of these posts.  If you aren't a new customer, no dice, you can't get the free item, but those of you that can, enjoy! 

Okay, onto the roundup!

Regular Boden:

Glamorous Knitted Dress.  Size 6 L.  I purchased this size wondering if I should have sized up, but after the weight loss, I think this is the best size for me.  I will say this long is kind of laughable.  If you are truly looking for a longer length, one that hits at the knee or just below, and you are 5'7" or taller, you ain't gonna get it.  This one on me, at 5'8", hits just above the kneecap.  It doesn't look bad, but I personally prefer these fit and flare type dresses to hit right at the mid-knee or just below for proper proportions.

It was cold and rainy when I wore this out to go to dinner with the family (my treat!), and I wanted something that would keep me warm.  It wasn't quite cold enough for tights, but the next time I wear this dress, I think I will style it with a scarf, slim belt, and tights with a pair of boots.  I think that will look very cute, and definitely be nice and warm.

This dress is a sweater knit, but has no wool in it, at all.  It is a combo cotton/viscose/nylon/metallic fibers.  The metallic fibers are the only thing that *might* be itchy.  I thought it was super soft and cozy, but I am not especially sensitive to scratchy fabric.

I think the side view looks nice, I may not fill it out, especially out front, but it does at least show off what little I do have.  Those sleeves are mighty long, which is awesome.  If you have shorter arms, you may want to go with the regular length.

Here is the one place where the dress sort of fails me, the back.  Again, I have a very short back length (the same as on a petite woman--about 15.5 inches), so I nearly always have pooling at the back.  I don't see anyway to fix this, but if any of you sewers have an idea, I am open to it.  There aren't a ton of seams, and with that pattern, I could sew it up without it looking bad.  Let me know if you have ideas.


Glamorous Knitted Dress.  The sizes are still available in this color, but the blue version is on backorder for nearly all sizes. 

I did write up a review with a close up of the fabric here at this post if you want to see more of it.




Everyday Sweater, Low Heeled Loafer, and Charlotte Top.  I wore these pieces out and about recently.  Check out this post for more on these items.


Knee Socks.  I wore these with a denim mini, turtleneck, jacket, and tennis shoes.  You can see them in action here.


Skinny Jeans.  Lou wears hers (in indigo) with a darling yellow jacket.  She also wears them here.

The link above is for last spring's version, I can't seem to find this season's.  Hmm...


Cambridge Skirt. Lou looks fab in her fall ensemble, which includes this skirt.  The boots look especially chic!  :-)


Millie Skirt.  Monica is beyond adorable in her squirrel-themed outfit.  Love the whole outfit!






British Tweed Mini, Printed Shirt, Sixties Mini, Pattern Sweater, and Ponte Skater Dress.  A Pear to Remember shows off these four items as part of four very nice outfits.  The tweed mini outfit is probably my favorite!


Zip Top Clutch.  Liz look very sophisticated in her outfit that she wore recently to cocktails with friends.  She brought the clutch along for a little extra sparkle.  :-)


Jewelled Flats.  My blog friend, Abbi, who blogs at Dorset Fashionista, recently told a few of us about her experience with these shoes.  She writes:

Well these arrived and I loved them so much I wore them last night for a dinner party at my house. So I've just noticed four places on them where jewels have fallen off, and it looks really obvious, not a third world problem I know, but would you even bother getting a replacement? There are threads hanging where the jewels were and I'm thinking if this happened in three hours at home what will happen if I wear them out?

After some discussion, with most of the ladies saying to get a refund, Abbi let us know what she decided:

I'm getting a refund as I just know it would happen again, I only wore them for about three hours and most of that was sitting around the table! Its put me off them, I am over them, I have moved on already.

She also showed us some photos:

So definitely bear this in mind if you order these shoes.  I have ordered them, but in gold, and have not had any of the jewels fall off.  The big stone on the right shoe was wobbly, but after turning it a bit to the right, it became secured.  I will trust they will be okay, but I will be watching them very very closely.

Clearance:

Knot Detail Dress.  I wore it on CW's birthday, back when it was still nice and summery.  Ah, summer, how I miss your sweet embrace.  ;-)

mini Boden:

Button Pinafore Dress.  Size 7-8.  CW is probably closer to the 6-7 size, but I love having items from mini Boden that will last a few years, so I always size up.  She has had other versions of this dress (here for last year's fall version and here for last year's winter version), and I think this may be one of mini Boden's best garments.  These are well made from hard-wearing corduroy, and are fully lined in a lightweight cotton.  There is an invisible zip in back, and the buttons are well secured at front.


Button Pinafore Dress.  This one is selling well, but not in this color.  If you like one of the colors from the fall rollout (this is a winter color above), you may want to grab it sooner than later, since those won't be around at clearance.

Vehicle Applique T-Shirt.  Size 2-3.  Angus is above in the green version, petting the world's most adorable chocolate lab puppy.  Gaw.  So cute.  Anyhow.  The applique is of an excavator, which is Angus's very favorite piece of construction equipment.  We live in an area with constant construction, so he is always seeing his favorite earth mover.  LOL.  The applique is nicely applied, secured well, and from a similar cotton weight fabric that the shirt is made from.  All applique tops we have in our household from Boden last forever.  All of Rex's tees from years ago are now being worn by Angus, and still look new.  So the money you spend now is worth it, especially if you have younger children who could also wear the pieces in the future.

This size fits a bit big, but I am fine with that since it means he can wear it longer.


Vehicle Applique T-Shirt. These are not even close to sold out, except the blue, which has a backorder for two of the sizes.

Okay, all, thank you for sticking around!  Thanks again to all my blog friends for their reviews!  I'll be back tomorrow with another post.

The links below give you new customers a choice of either a scarf, socks, or a bag with your first purchase.  You will also receive 15% off with free shipping.  (Below these three coupons is the one for the rest of us.)




This coupon is for us old-timers. Remember if you want to receive 25% off the dresses, use the code 3S9K. :-)