Blushed Tweed Pencil Skirt and a Frances on a Friday!!!

First, before I go into my tale of debauchery (not really, but it felt like that to me), I want to remind you that I have a list of links on my sidebar to "Help Haiti." I have received extra links to add, so keep looking, and if you can help in any way possible, I thank you!

Second, I have one of my Polyvore sets in a contest over at the very fab blog "What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?" Emma Pillsbury is the guidance counselor over at the show Glee who is very likely to show up for work in pencil skirts and frilly blouses, i.e. the very epitome of lady-like. Since Emma is a character who reminds me a bit of my alter-ego (very much neglected of late...sigh) Mid-Century Mom, it was obvious that I needed to send a few of my polyvores over to this other blog to be in the game of "What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?" Well, sadly for my polyvore set, it is against a set with a skirt that has a bow. And if you know Emma Pillsbury you know she loves herself a good bow!!! So head on over and vote in this fun contest, better yet, become a follower of that blog so you can join in future frivolity (including the time in the future when my set won't go down in flames...it's actually okay, I think the other set is REALLY EMMA)!!!

Blushed Tweed and a Frances on a Friday! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Onto my outfit (and debauchery) from last night. In this post I said I would wear the blushed tweed pencil skirt for Chanel Fashionista and the Frances Cami for Debye on Friday. And that is exactly what I did. I had a ladies night out, so I wanted to splash out, even though all I would be doing is chilling with some of Mr. Dina's co-workers and wives of Mr. Dina's co-workers (who are all amazing ladies, and when told of this blog, and of all the other awesome JCA/Boden centered blogs, were very,very intrigued). Regardless, I was insanely excited to go out in this outfit. And what made this outfit even more fun? Wearing it while drinking really great red wine. Thank you, Megan, awesome tasting South African wine. (And thank you, Miss Leigh, for providing us a perfect place to drink said wine!) (And by now you have guessed why I didn't post this last night, right??? I was definitely a bit "drunk" Dina. Mr. Dina was kind enough to drive me there and back...)

The polyvore is accurate. I even will do a tiny, itsy-bitsy review of the tangled treasure bracelet (which is in final sale and is the reason I bought it).


Sizes:
Cardigan: Size Medium.
Top: Size Petite 8.
Skirt: Size 6.
Belt: Size Small-Medium.
Shoes: Size 10.

I like the play on proportion...with the tight pencil skirt, the shorter ruffly cami, and the l-o-n-g forever cardigan. It feels feminine, but not too over the top. I think heels would have been too much, as well. The flats feel better for a ladies night out at a house. :)


Here is my little lady. She did not have a ladies night out, but her shoes are very cute, no?

The tangled treasure bracelet is not nearly as scary in real life as you would imagine it would be. Based on the photos on jcrew.com (which I can't find because it appears sold-out; if the pics come back, I will update this post). I was a bit nervous, but figured I could work it somehow. The dangly bits are definitely "dangly," but I love the beads and mix of chains and pearls. I have also ordered the tangled treasure necklace (hello 30% off final sale--awesome), and have a feeling I will love it, but I imagine that will be a harder sell than the bracelet. I love a great statement necklace, but the tangled treasure necklace may be too much for 98% of JCAs out there.


My action shot. HeidiG. mentioned to me that it is hard to pose with an open cardigan, and she is right, so I looked on-line and saw that in all the photos of models wearing an open cardigan, they had one hand on their hip holding back part of the placket on one side of the cardigan. I think this flatters a woman's shape nicely. I may have to do more of these "action shots" in the future.

Ta-Ta, all. Tomorrow is the Campo dress (equals success--black looked GREAT under it) and maybe some Boden try-ons??? We'll see!!!

Let's Take a Boden Break...Merino Ruffle Tunic or Hotchpotch Shirt, Anyone???

I know so many of you are disappointed with today's Cyber Monday offerings at J. Crew (20% off sweaters only--and only those they chose--feh...), I thought it might make some of you happy to see a non-J. Crew centered post. So I dipped into my (significant) backlog and pulled out two Boden offerings. Now, I don't think Boden has any Cyber Monday offerings at all, but they are British, so maybe they don't ever do that! (Also, Boden seems to offer a % off at all times, and they ALWAYS have free shipping and returns, so they probably don't have to have a Cyber Monday deal.)

BTW, Ann Taylor has 40% off your entire purchase and Ann Taylor Loft has 30% off your entire purchase. Those are % off that seem pretty darn special to me!!!

Merino Ruffle Tunic=AWESOME! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches

Outfit #1's polyvore is above. It includes the Merino Ruffle Tunic that is currently sold out in this print in almost all sizes. That is too bad, because this is an AWESOME item. I bought it over the summer without really being sure that this would be the tunic for me, but having had such good luck with this other Boden tunic, I decided to take the leap. And the leap proved to be the correct move. I felt like it fit me exactly as it looked on the model in the catalog (which is rare in these days of pinning, etc.). I even wrote my first (and so far only) review of it for Boden! (It received 5 out of 5 stars...)


Here it is on me. Size UK 10, which is exactly the right length and fit. Now, on me at 5'8", it is far too short to be a dress, but if you are petite (say 5'3" or shorter), you could wear this as a dress.

The only thing that concerns me is that the print is so Partridge family of the 1970s that it will be out of style very soon. But I have been fearing this for years, and I am still able to wear some of the crazier prints in my closet that I probably shouldn't stress too much about it. :)

A Little More Hotchpotch Love!!! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Here is the polyvore for outfit #2. The Hotchpotch Shirt is probably not for everyone, but unlike the merino ruffle tunic, it is still available in all colors and all sizes. I think the shape of the shirt and the colorways it is offered in make it less of a "all-star" the way the tunic is, but if you find yourself drawn to it, I would recommend it. I personally love the sort of vintage feel of this shirt as it is unlike anything else I own (and reminds me of something that my dad or mom might have worn in the mid-70s).


Here it is on me. To counter its sort of roomy fit (I ordered it in a UK 12), I went ahead and paired it with tight matchstick jeans and a pair of the Alessia peep-toe heels in root. I also wore my hair back, as this kept the look a bit more modern.


I wanted to show you the rear shot because the matchsticks are such a great pair of jeans. I love them and feel that if they can look this good on my rear, then they can look awesome on everyone else (I have always had issues making my rear look fantastic). I also wanted to show you the preciousness that is CW. Too cute!

Photoshop and Its Perils... by dinagideon on Polyvore.com

Oh, and take a look at the polyvore above. While taking a gander at the offerings over at Ann Taylor today, I found this image. The people who photoshop for these websites have serious issues. It is frightening what they did to this model's hips. Seriously. The editors need to get glasses, or a grip, or both. MAN!

Have a nice rest of your Cyber Monday. Happy Shopping!

What to Wear to a Wake...on Very Little Energy...

Okay, admittedly this is a post that is a bit weird...what to wear to a wake, but after I posted my review of the necklace, I saw that people could benefit from what the heck to wear when you need to appear a very "certain" way.

I literally got off the plane from DC to CA and then with my family hightailed it to the hotel where I had about three and half seconds to get ready for the wake. Fortunately, I knew before I left what I was going to wear. The Tuesday before I left for CA (April 14, 2009), I wore a very similar outfit to school. You may remember it from this post. Since I hadn't worn it long and it was very fresh, I decided to just wear the darn outfit again (obviously with different undergarments, I am not a heathen). I changed it up, though. I wore a bright pink short-sleeved cashmere cardigan from J. Crew (Summer 2008) and the skinny patent leather belt in root from J. Crew (this winter 2008). I wore the grey Alessia peep-toe heels with this (figured it wouldn't clash with the belt too badly).

My main concern was to look nice, formal, yet more relaxed than I would need to be for the actual funeral. I think this outfit is exactly what is needed at event like a wake. (I went way more formal and classic for the funeral itself.)


Here is the full-length view.


Full-length view with the cardigan. The flash failed to fire properly, so I just pumped up the "fill-light" in picasa...that is why the image is so grainy.


Here I am with CW. She has only one piece of black clothing, so I knew I had to reserve that for the funeral, so I put her in one of Rex's old "formal" baby outfits...I realize she looks like a boy, but at least she was dressed right for the occasion. I forgot to put her bow in her hair (which definitely helps with the gender confusion).

Please bear in mind that I was EXHAUSTED when these photos were taken. The wake started at 10 pm Eastern time and we didn't get done till nearly midnight Eastern time.

I hope this helps some of you all out there who may be faced with such an occasion in the future.

My Easter Best (Well, Not Really)...but Still Points for Trying...(April 12th, 2009)!!!

I must have tried on five different dress and cardigan combos on Easter morning and none of them worked. So frustrating. I don't know what it was...everything fit...but most of them felt "off."

Until I put on a few years old Target dress and a VERY old cardigan from Chadwicks. Then it clicked. It looks so much fresher and alive than anything else I tried on that morning. The only J. Crew? My awesome Alessia peep-toes in root (love them).

Here they are--side by side--didn't really mean to put them this way, but whatever--looks good to me.

The dress is Merona and it is that stretchy, jersey type material that is so pretty and SOOOOOO comfortable. The cardigan is basic, but at Chadwicks prices (very inexpensive), so worth it. Best part? If the white cardigan gets stained (has not yet--I am a bit of a freak about stains), I won't stress too much because it cost so little. The shoes I have professed my love for so many times I could write a novel on them. ;)

So what do you all do when you find all your clothes feel wrong? I obviously go with tried and true as my backup. (Maybe I will create a poll to see what we all like to do.) Have a nice afternoon, everyone!

My Cherry Blossom Inspired Outfit (Monday, March 30, 2009)!

In Honor of the Cherry Blossoms!!! - by dinagideon on Polyvore.com
I didn't really celebrate this awesome event that happens here in DC very well this weekend, so I thought I would make up for it with my outfit yesterday. The cherry blossoms (for you all that don't know) are these beautiful flowers that spring to life in late March through early April on our cherry trees. Everywhere in the Mid-Atlantic that has these trees gets to see them in their full glory every year. It is really quite spectacular to see the variations of white and pink wherever you go for a few weeks. The best concentration of these trees is in the Tidal Basin over near the Jefferson Memorial, but that is also where all the tourist congregate, so if you are like me and a little wary of crowds, you will be relieved to know there are many other places to find these beauties. (A lot of times you can even find them in people's front yards...)

So my outfit is meant to represent a cherry tree: The top is the tea rose silk cami by J. Crew that was reviewed so well by A Bigger Closet here: http://abiggercloset.blogspot.com/2009/03/silk-georgette-pleated-tank-review.html. It is nice to see that we both like it!!! The cardigan is the J. Crew merino crewneck cardigan I reviewed at the beginning of March...it has finally come out to play. The pants are the J. Crew Madison stretch chinos in brown that I purchased a long time ago...these are awesome fitting pants...but the most exciting news...they are getting a bit too big (YAY)! The shoes are everyone's favorites, the J. Crew Alessia peep-toes in root. I seem to be wearing these on a weekly basis. The belt is the J. Crew skinny patent-leather belt in root (had to match the shoes and belt). The necklace is the J. Crew bauble (I think) necklace...I also seem to be getting a lot of wear out of that piece lately!

Only things not J. Crew? The bracelet and the watch!


Here it is full-length. I really do prefer this cardigan either belted or open. Just buttoned-up this cardigan is awful...it must be the length plus the crewneck that makes it so ugly.


Here is the top with no cardigan. I cannot wait till it is warm enough to rock this top by itself. It is so pretty with the pleating and the color. The Bigger Closet is a bit smaller than I am on top and I think the top suits both of us nicely. I say if you like it, grab it now...it is in the sale section at J. Crew and they are running that 30% promotion, too!

Have a nice day...it has been frenetic around here...so I apologize for not posting more...and commenting more...don't worry, I will catch up. I always do!

P.S. I have updated the JCA brunch post with links to both Slastena's post and HeidiG's post!

It's Another Grey and Green Day for Me!!!

Since there is no polyvore for this outfit, I will just list the items. Polyvore does not have this dress and since there is no acceptable alternative, I was like, "whatever!"

Dress: Studio M, purchased Spring 2007 right after Rex was born, size medium.
Cardigan: Tartine by J. Crew, Light Pewter, size medium, from fall 2008.
Shoes: Allesia Peep-Toes in whatever the grey is called by J. Crew, also Fall 2008, size 9.5 (they fit fine a 1/2 size small).
Jacket: Ruffle-collar trench by J. Crew in khaki, early spring 2009, size 6.
Necklace: Tiffany's Pendant, don't remember the name, bought by Jim a long time ago.
Watch: Fossil.
Bracelet: From Macy's.


This dress is so comfy and fun. I love the empire-waist as I believe this is one of the most flattering shapes if you are a little small on top and a little big down below. ;) I have to wear a cami with it, though...this dress is very revealing otherwise.

The Allesia peep-toes...I have them root, as well...and I should have gotten them in all of the colors they offer. They are the single most comfortable heel I own. It doesn't make any sense, either. Why these shoes? They have very little padding and they have a peep-toe. In my mind those two things equal torture not walking on clouds. Interesting...I wonder if they were just designed better than other heels?


Here is the dress with the cardigan. The bracelet sleeves work here because you can actually see my bracelets!!! Yes!

Next time I think I will belt this with a contrasting belt, maybe the skinny root one that I own. That would probably look very nice!


Here it is with the trench...a bit conservative, but you know me, I am not exactly known for baring it all...the Delores dress is even a bit much for me (I know you all love it, but still, that there was a lot of skin showing)!

Can't say much more for this outfit, and the Paris catalog post and the what to wear if you are pregnant post kind of wore me out!!! Have a great day, everyone!

Cerise Bistro Pants...A Bright for a Bright Day!

So I decided that I would wear more color than I did yesterday, and hoo-boy, these pants certainly fit the bill (wait for it--the color is coming).

The look I created includes: The Bistro Pants in Cerise (J. Crew 2009), Zoey Whisper Lame top in champagne (J. Crew winter 2008), Allesia Peep-Toe Heels in root (J. Crew winter 2008), Seersucker Jacket in tan/metallic (Banana Republic sometime in 2006), a Fossil Watch, the ladybug yellow necklace, and a mohair muffler scarf in ivory.

The link to the polyvore is here: http://www.polyvore.com/cerise_bistro_pants...bright_for_bright/set?id=7158069


No, you do not need to adjust your computer...the pants are that bright. The color is so delicious, though, like a beautiful ripe tomato in summer. With the flash, the color appears even more saturated. Also, I should mention, these pants are so comfortable, and with heels, they are the perfect length!!!

I went for a more subtle look with the heels, top, and jacket. The necklace is a punch of color for my face, but is not too much color (because then I would look like a clown--yeah, that's the look for me).

The reason my hair looks stupid? I had just washed it and it is still wet...don't worry, it dried fairly soon (and no, I never blow-dry, pool does enough damage to my hair)!

I think I may want to try another top with these pants...any suggestions? I love the look I created but don't want to be limited to just this top.

I am glad these pants are this color. I cannot wear this color anywhere near my face...outside of purple, this is the worst color for me. However, they look great as pants. In fact, a male teacher at my school said he really liked my pants! How sweet! Usually it is only the women who notice my outfits.


Here is the outfit without the jacket. I actually like it better without the jacket, but I knew I had to wear something over top (it was only 40 degrees outside when I left for school).

By the way, I reviewed these pants and more in this post: http://mysuperfluities.blogspot.com/2009/02/pants-pants-and-more-pants.html

What I wore on Saturday to church and dinner at Moe's...

So I decided it was too cold to wear anything but cashmere and a heavy pair of jeans to church on Saturday night. Well, yeah, then I became stupid and wore my Allesia peep-toes in Root, too. Hmm, footwear over sanity? Yup, this time anyway! The Ava cashmere sweater in light spearmint is too pretty. I love this color. I think the collar is awesome at framing necks and faces, and since I would rather highlight that than my hips, there you go...the jeans are my lee riders (wal-mart--12 dollars, gotta love value)...and the beautiful, fairly impractical) allesia peep-toes. Only downside to this outfit? I think the cashmere sweater is not fitted enough through the torso, so it made me look kinda weird through the waist (or it could be the way I am standing to pose for this photo). Well, whatever...I will wear it again...I love the entire outfit and since I don't think I look like dog doo (some of you may disagree), this will be a repeat outfit.

Oh, you vixen, ms. stormy tweed lille jacket. So pretty and seeming so appropriate for winter but you really are not, are you? It was so cold that night and this darling coat was a bit too light for my needs. The Ava cashmere sweater did very little to help, either. Sigh...at least you are as pretty as my peep-toes, maybe you can come out and play again when it is March and a little less brisk outside. (It was about 30 degrees F on Saturday night--cold here for us in VA.)

Since some of you look at my posts to see the individual items up close...well, here you go. Look at the lovely detailing. I would NEVER had paid full price for this coat, but on way reduced sale, I did not say "no." I love J. Crew Collection pieces and when I can score one, I am very pleased...