Tweed Dauphine and Alecia Suede Heels Review plus Zebra and Teal Sparkle!

Hi! I am back! Yay! Travelling was great, but it really limits my ability to keep up with my blogs. Pretty much the whole month of April we were off places, so it is nice to be back and in my (somewhat) relaxed SAHM mode. :)

Up today...two reviews and two outfits of the day.


This is both an outfit of the day and the reviews.

Sizes:
Jacket: Tweed Dauphine Jacket, Size 2 (!!!). Wow. This J. Crew Collection jacket runs large. I even checked with the sales assistant and she says that the jacket fits me exactly like it fit the model in the catalog, so that made me feel both good and outraged, all at the same time. Admittedly I am smaller on top than bottom, but wowza, you really petite women are probably completely sized out of this jacket. It is a beauty, too. (See next photo for a close-up.)
Top: Size small. This is the linen-cotton tiered tank that came in one moment and the next was out (probably because it went on 20% off and is a really nice tank). I bought it in the light purple which goes very nicely with the jacket and the pants.
Pants: Size 8. These are the infamous silk-linen pants from the holiday season that it seems very few of us liked. Even I was unsure UNTIL I wore them. Golly they are comfy...and shiny...which makes me feel like the are sweats but a little dressier, and really what could a SAHM want more? :)
Shoes: Alecia Suede Platform Peep-Toes, Size 9.5. A bit tight, these, but I am glad I got this size as I KNOW they are going to stretch out. I love these...and feel that they are worth the price WITH a discount of some sort. I got them in the February 30% off your whole purchase promo, which is way more reasonable of a price to me. (Speaking of, when is the next one???) I love the zipper detail at the back, plus the whole "I am now nearly 6 feet tall" thing.

For what its worth, my hubby hated this outfit. I have enough confidence now to laugh at him. He was wearing white tennis shoes, an oversized tee, and light-wash loose fit jeans when he said this to me. I just pointed to his shoes and said, "you are giving me fashion advice wearing those???" ;)


Here is the Dauphine close-up. The price on-line is EXCELLENT, with the current extra 20% off sale items. At 160 dollars, I thought I GOT a steal...turns out, no, those of you who waited until now got the BEST deal, so BRAVO!



Zebra and Teal Sparkle! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Up next is today's outfit. I felt a bit iffy about the combo of zebra stripes and teal sparkles, but, eh, you only live once.

By the way, I visited the Lynchburg Clearance Center in Wyndhurst (the second of two clearance centers in Lynchburg, VA) on Tuesday and found these pants for $30! Down from $170, these may be my FAVORITE pants ever. They are the Collection Minnies, in the grey stretch wool and I just about died when I put them on, they were that comfy and sleek. Yay!!! (Oh, and my 15% educator discount was applied, which made it more like $27. It made the sewing of the ripped seam--tiny, by the way--feel like nothing!)


And here it is on me. Yes, my hubby had a hey-day with this one, too. He said I was a "dancing queen." Haha, real funny. But, then he said, "no, that's okay, I actually really love this outfit." And then he winked, all rico suave-like. Hmm, okay.

Then the coffee guy was all, "ooh, sparkly!" I guess guys like sparkle. Good to know. :)

Sizes:
Cardigan: Size small. Love me some zebra-print. Yum!
Top: Size Medium.
Pants: Size 6. YAY!
Shoes: Size 10.

You all have a great, sparkly day!

Raveneli Blouse Styled by Yours Truly...

I was DESTINED to own this blouse. Here is why. First, I spied its loveliness in the Anthropologie catalog a few months back. Second, one of my favorite blogs, What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear? highlighted it in a post on whether or not Emma Pillsbury would in fact wear it. (Decidedly yes!) Third, on the VERY day I bought it on sale, Dea of The Dea Diaries goes and shows how she wore it. Yep, three times a charm.

And here is a fourth.


Sizes:
Top: Size 6. Could have gone with a four as there is plenty of room throughout, but I kind of like it a little loose. It can still be yours...a few sizes are left on the Anthropologie website. I will go into the details of the top after the next photo (which shows the blouse on its own).
Jacket: Size 8. Love how the schoolboy blazer is structured enough to balance the ruffles and bows of the blouse. Very nice contrast.
Pants: Size 10. Another example of WHY. YOU. SHOULD. NEVER. BUY. CLOTHING. POSTPARTUM. Yes. It is now too big and when I bought them they were too tight. Sigh. Oh, well, at least I think I can dry them in the dryer to take in some inches. You can't really tell how big they are, but trust me, I was doing the ole "hitching up" dance all night. Don't pretend you don't know what that dance is... :)
Boots: Size 9. Yes, I love you, Naturalizer! Best $25 I have spent in a long time. I wear these all the time!

We were going to IHOP and then bowling. Both were fun. Did you know that if you have a kid at a bowling alley, they let the kid "cheat" by giving them this cool metal ramp to give their ball a good ole head start down to the pins? Rex did way better than me and Mr. Dina...and we used to be on a bowling league (no joke--we own shoes and everything!).


So here is the top sans jacket. It is fluffy and bow-tastic, but not enough to make Mr. Jim crack up at my expense or anything, so in my mind, this makes this top a winner! ;) Go, go, Girls From Savoy (they made the top).

What is Rex doing back there?

Have a great night, all!

Pink Times Two plus a Swan Butt Outing...

Hi, all! Quick outfits post today. :)

First up is the outfit we (you'll see what I mean) wore on Friday. I had a meeting at the school where I will be teaching an 8-day course in style to 3rd, 4th, and 5th-graders. :) Yes, you read that right, I have decided to bite the bullet and turn my passion for fashion into a course for little ones. I really feel strongly about teaching kids how to dress well and appropriately (you should see what kids in middle school wear--yowza), and the earlier you can help them discover a sense of self through their clothing (it isn't nearly as vacuous as it sounds), the better off they will be by the time their peers start wearing gang clothing or really short skirts. I can't say that they won't turn to the dark side, but maybe one or two of the kids in this class will keep what they learned! I am super-excited about it, and I have a lot of really neat ideas and teaching tools (including every one's favorite paper doll site, Polyvore) ready to go. Wish me luck. One week from tomorrow I start, so I will keep you updated on how well it goes. :)

Pretty in Pink... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Speaking of polyvore, above is the "pretty in pink" set that baby CW and I wore on Friday. Slastena wrote an incredibly moving post on her mother's passing ten years ago from breast cancer, and she asked all of us out in blogland to wear pink. Since I hadn't chosen my outfit yet, and knew that I could very easily find pink in my closet, I said "yes, absolutely!" Well, I picked out the button-down first, and then remembered that I had bought CW the dress in the same pattern and that she *might* just fit into it (size 2 crewcuts). Well, she did, and two outfits were born. :)


Sizes:
Top: Size Petite 8. Love that it doesn't hit too low on my hip. That is why I buy petite tops...so that they hit higher on my hips.
Pants: Size 30 Short. Love the brown with the pink, really pretty neutral/bright combo.
Boots: Size 9.5. The metropolitan boots are way more comfortable when you aren't running around a mall for two hours straight. LOL. :)

My goodness, my hair looks dark here. It isn't that dark in real life, but the combo of lighting plus really pale face plus bright shirt makes it look dark. I do like my hair like this, but ladies, I WILL never go dark. It just isn't me. ;)

Okay, on Thursday night (the night before the pretty in pink outfit), we all went to Moe's and to Borders Book Store. I decided the swan butt skirt needed to come out and play...


Sizes:
Top: Size small. I am amazed at how much I wear this top. I think I have worn it four times, which in four months is pretty good. I am definitely getting my money's worth from this one.
Skirt: Size medium. I have it in a large, too, but I am saving that one for summer when I don't wear tights and need a bit more coverage (if you know what I mean).
Tights: Size medium-tall.
Shoes: Size 10.


Sizes:
Jacket: Size 4. The is the J. Crew Collection tweed contessa coat. I think what makes it "collection" worthy is the embellishment at the collar. One of the beads is hanging on by a thread, but considering I got it for over 160 dollars off its original price of 250 dollars, I think I can manage to sew a bead back on...

All right, have a great day. Maybe I can get a review of some of the current button-downs written soon. :)

A Little Milly, A Little Carly...

You all (unless buried under piles of snow yourself, begging for mercy, "get me out") did notice that we had a little bit of snow these past few weeks. You may not have known this but we had to cancel my son's 3rd birthday party (originally scheduled for the 13th) because of the snow. Nanny and Pops, Mr. Dina's parents, had to reschedule their flights so that they could even see us (had they come in on the 11th, they would have had to stay with my dad...ooh, fun...in-laws, yet no kids or more importantly, grandkids).

Okay, I promise this is going somewhere. The new date for the reschedule was February 20th, which was last Saturday. Instead of being a Mardi Gras/kids' funfest, the new party just became a kids' funfest...bad juju to go and have a Mardi Gras party after Mardi Gras...wrong to mess with Lenten observances and all. (I did make a hearty--yet sort of salty and spicy, oops--gumbo this year, always make a gumbo, no matter what!)

So, and I am sure this is on all of your minds (ha)...what did dinagideon wear to her son's 3rd birthday party?

A Little Milly for Emma! by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Well, I did a polyvore a few weeks ago with the new Milly dress I had gotten on (a deep discount) sale at ebay. I also sent the polyvore over to What Would Emma Pillsbury Wear?, so if you see this set at her blog, you all go ahead and vote for it. (Or else the bad juju is coming your way...just kidding.) ;)

Didn't wear the heels or some of the other pieces, but I came to a close approximation.

At first, I was kind of stressed that the jacket would look terrible IRL with the dress, even though in the polyvore it looks good...but in the end, it all came together, even if it does look a bit "church-lady." (It's okay...I am not exactly sitting front row at Bryant Park in this ensemble...I am hanging with my very sweet, darling, very non-fashionista friends!!! Well, except for Summerilla and Drewablank who were able to come and hang in my 'hood for a bit...)


Sizes:
Jacket: Size Petite 8.
Dress: Size 8. (By the way, it is called the Milly Clover Lace Dress or something like that--there are actually small clovers in the lace overlay...and the lining is silk, feels so nice!)
Tights: Medium/Tall.
Shoes: Size 10.

If I was to go out on a date in this, I would have nixed the flats and worn much edgier shoes. I would have also found a different jacket or cardi as a cover-up.


Without the jacket it is so so pretty. Look at the bow at the waist. DARLING! (See why I sent it to WWEPW? Does this dress not scream "I am a neat freak guidance counselor at a school with a fantastic Glee club?)


So the party is winding down (yet I heard it continued for two hours after I left), and I switch into wearing something to go out with the very cool DC JCAs. I had a feeling the ladies all wanted to see me in my Carly dress get-up (see the photo above as a reminder of it), so I dressed just like that, except I kept the sparkly tights from the Milly dress outfit and I wore the Naturalizer boots instead (better match for the darker tights than these Metropolitan boots were).

I quote one of my good friends here..."Dina, very funky." I must have made a face (although I like funky). He then responds, "No, I like it...Funky is good."

Okay, then.

Drewablank and I mosey on out...and had a great time. For me to go further into the story would be a waste of energy, because...

HeidiG. did a great write-up...

as did Summerilla...

as did Slastena (whose birthday it actually was)...

Have a great afternoon. Enjoy your Tuesday, all!

Oh, and P.S., I didn't forget to do the Crystal Devote Necklace review, I just want to give that post more time and energy than I have to give right now. You all know I am good for it, right??? ;)

A Tale of 4 Dresses--3 Boden and 1 J. Crew.

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

Hi, all! I have to make this a quick post, but some of you may really want to see these dresses ON someone before you purchase them. All of the dresses can be found in the polyvore above. Only the J. Crew one is sold-out, but always, always watch for popbacks with J. Crew. :)


Size:
Dress: Size UK 12R, US 8R. Boden is now using both sizes on their tags. Hollah for the good ole USA. Thank you, Johnnie, for keeping us in mind. (Although I had just figured out the UK size I was and now they have switched it...) :)

This dress is called the Pretty Cotton Dress, and it is so very pretty. It has a cotton sateen quality that I adore (and appears to be of a high quality--i.e. no wrinkling like some J. Crew cotton sateen). It is very fitted in the bodice, so go with the measurements over at Boden. Trust me. The only thing not perfect on this dress for me? The shoulders are a bit big, but that is always my issue, and I have gotten used to loose shoulders.

This may be my favorite of the bunch, although the next one is certainly up there...


Sizes:
Dress: UK Size 12R, US Size 8R.

This dress is the Textured Cotton Shift Dress and the texture is there. It is hard to see in this photo, but the cotton has a nubby texture. The print is darling, very special, and I can see this dress being at home on an evening of al fresco dining. The buttons at the waist also make it seem extra-special. This is fitted, but even though it is a shift, there is wiggle room in the hips for those of us with a pear shape (God bless you, Johnnie).

I also can see wearing this with the Parisienne Jacket in the frog green color...the dress has that tone in it...perfect for some of the nippier April days we have here in VA.

Baby CW wants a version of this for herself. Sadly, no such animal exists. :)


Sizes:
Dress: UK Size 10R, US Size 6R.

I bought this Smart Knitted Dress in a smaller size than the above dresses because I have knitted dresses from Boden and they are always pretty loose. Size down one size...the knitted material will accomodate you, I promise. :)

I love this print...isn't the floral very mod and the colors so very happy? I do not suggest this print if you are a bit petite as the florals are rather large, but if you are a taller lady, you should be able to pull this print off.

CW still wants to be in the photo, but she is done hamming it up for you all. ;)


Sizes:
Dress: Size 8.

I am making this face and posture because I am laughing at my hubby's reaction to the ruffled collar. Men do NOT get ruffles. The Silk Ruffle Confetto Dress is a bit much, but take it from me...you can make it work, if you try...


Add a long linen cardigan, and a belt. Ah, much, much better. :) Still a lot of print and dress, so if you are bit more demure than me, this may not be the right dress for you...but to me the combo of silk, pink florals, and ruffles are so much fun. I have to say, Mr. Dina is right, though, this dress needs an anchor, and that is what the cardi provides.


One more view.

I cannot wait till I can actually wear these outside all styled and ready to go. Please bear in mind when making comments that I am NOT wearing makeup and I did very little to prep for my photo shoot!

I hope this helped some of you out!

We'll talk soon. More coming later...

Tissue Beaded Crest Tee and a Tartine...

FIRST!!! PLEASE ENTER MY GIVEAWAY CONTEST WHICH ENDS TONIGHT AT 12:00 AM (EST), 1/18/10.

All rules, etc., are posted at the original post. If you enter, you could have a chance at winning this J. Crew Collection (fancy!!!) flamingo-colored cashmere beanie hat.


Second: We were insanely busy this weekend, but it had NOTHING to do with the hot water heater blowing up last week. A long time ago, my hubby bought tickets to go to the Inaugural ball in Richmond for the current governor (as of yesterday--actual Inauguration day here in the Commonwealth of Virginia) Bob McDonnell.

All pics of our weekend down in lovely Richmond will be posted tomorrow. I have them edited, but am pretty darn tired tonight after an evening full of dancing and fun. :)

Tartine and Tissue Tee... by dinagideon featuring J Crew

But I knew I wanted to get up Friday's outfit, so here it is in Polyvore form. The pants and shoes are different, but the ones I own are so ancient, I doubt you would even be able to find them on ebay.


Sizes:
Cardigan: Medium.
Tee: Small, last seen on me here under a v-neck sweater. I want to find different ways of styling this tee. I love this tee, regardless of others' opinions. ;) BTW, those of you who own the tee, I washed it on a cold cycle, inside out, and with the "hand wash" cycle going. The beaded embellished part is fine. Only thing is that the coating for the green sequins is starting to flake off, so some of the sequins are more of a pearl-ish, silvered color. This may bother some of you, but I quite like the color. As long as the sequins stay on, I am a happy girl.
Pants: Size 10. These are from J. Crew back when the had the "frayed" summerweight chinos, maybe 2005?
Shoes: Size 10. I believe these are Etienne Aigner.

We went to dinner on Friday night at a steakhouse. Turns out that I am anemic, and so is CW!!! I have been anemic before (which is why I am always on prenatals), but CW??? So she has to take supplements. I knew it was bad when the nurse didn't even bother to hide her shock at CW's hemoglobin level. Sigh. This is one drawback of nursing into the second year, both momma and baby have the potential for this happening. Still plan on nursing, but I am going to be smart about her supplements and extra food...for instance, if you take something high in Vitamin C and add the iron supplement to it, the iron is better absorbed...pretty cool. Good thing applesauce is high in vitamin C. :)


There's my sweet, pretty, little anemic girl. She is wearing the cutest outfit. I was *this* close to pulling out my silk tiered cami in papaya and wearing something similar to her. I think I will wait until summer. I have no great white cardigans. ;)

And with CW's wave of "bye-bye," I bid you all farewell. Giveaway winner and Clothing choice winners announced tomorrow. BTW, a lot of you love my blushed tweed pencil skirt. :)

The Infamous Ruffled Carly Dress and How I Plan on Styling it...Plus Mini-Review of the Metropolitan Suede Ankle Boots.

Before I get started, Kristin, I did a review of the mini-Campo bag here. I love mine, and if you need a bag this size, it is a good price and well-made.

This dress was considered a bit controversial here in our household. I purchased it and then posted on it that same night. The next day, I had some issues money-wise, and also saw that someone posted how unattractive the Carly dress looked on me, so I (in a fit of desperation) said I would return the dress, which made me sad, but I felt a bit like a wilted balloon between the money and the unattractive comment. My face that morning----------> :(

But then my hubby saw it and he really liked my legs in it and said I should keep it because if I liked the dress that much (he still isn't a huge fan of ruffles) and he likes me in the dress, then it is a win-win. YAY!

But even I know that the dressing room pics don't do it justice, so here is round #2 of the Ruffled Carly Dress (which is now on-line, but only in olive green and light amethyst; slate is in-store only).


Okay, here is the dress just plain, no extra froo-frah, just me, and my fierce and GORGEOUS (and way below market value--thank you clearance center in NC for providing the ebay seller with these boots so she could mark them up JUST enough so she could make money and I can still have amazing boots for way way less money than they cost right now over at jcrew.com) Metropolitan Suede Ankle Boots. I think the boots help elevate this outfit. They are high heels, so I WON'T be wearing this to any parent-teacher conferences (Jenna Lyons and her ideas notwithstanding). No, even plain like this requires that I consume at least one drink. Preferably in a beautiful wineglass with some lovely Shiraz on the inside.

Sizes:
Dress: Size 8. Remember you can visit my initial review (no high heeled boots) here.
Boots: Size 9.5. These booties are like butter. SO soft. I really want to keep caressing the suede, but I know that this is a little weird, so I physically have to restrain my arms from heading down to my feet. The sizing is fine, just narrow and long enough for me to feel comfort. These have a hidden platform and while they make the heels seem a wee less high (the are 3 5/8 inches high), but I wouldn't go out and take a walk in these (unless I drank so much Shiraz that I forgot what I was doing). BTW, the day I won these boots (with 33 seconds to spare), this is what my face looked like -----------> :)


Many people, including me, think a belt would help this dress. And it DOES. This is a roughed out belt from a J. Crew outlet. I like that this gives the dress a bit of an edge, you know, makes it a bit more manly--need that with all the ruffles. :)

Sizes:
Belt: Small.


Move on quickly from this if you want...I just know some of you do rear views for your blogging audiences, so I decided to try it. Yeah, it looks fine. Bit short, but again, I am NOT going to be like Jenna and go to my kid's play wearing this (she said that hip moms should be all sassy and sort of sexy when out and about with the kids). (Goodness...really, I ask you...why make that suggestion, why???) (Does anyone remember which outfit over the holiday season she suggested that with? It was something inappropriate if I remember correctly...)


This is how I am going to wear this baby this spring. I would do the same look now, just with tights and a coat, obviously.

I adore the mix of the long cardigan and the shorter skirt. Plus the belt really helps tie it all together. So even if you aren't a fan, I am, and I am sticking to my guns. I REALLY REALLY like this.

This is about as "outside of the box" as I get. I don't think the Sartorialist is going to come knocking at my door anytime soon (and that is okay...). :)

Sizes:
Cardigan: Medium. I am wearing it today with a much, much, much more demure outfit.


Me from the side trying to look like a model. Ha. Sense of humor...this is my attempt. ;)

More reviews later. :)

Untitled by dinagideon featuring J Crew

In case you want to get these pieces, here is a polyvore. Remember, the slate color is only available in store.

Drank the Crewlade and I Am Feeling Fine...AKA Some In-Store In Real Life Photos...

First, I want to commend ALL bloggers who can manage to take photos in dressing rooms. I found this to be challenging. There was plenty of light, sure, but I felt at once illicit and contorted (hard to take self-portraits under pressure).

Second, I really had a nice time shopping tonight. I returned a big item to the Crew that I had put on Mr. Dina's card because I felt bad about it. I had re-purchased it on my card, so basically it was me being responsible for paying back my sweet husband. I also returned a tee that my darling stepmom had bought for me without having realized that I had already bought it for myself. :) It's okay, it just means she knows my taste.

I love the crew at Pentagon City's J. Crew, so sweet and nice. Jody is my bud, and even though she doesn't normally work during the week, she was there tonight, and it was great seeing her and talking about all the gorgeous new items. So, merci, Jody!!!

Third, I have not forgotten about the other post I started today...I love the Real World/RR/RW Challenge/Jersey Shore discussion we are having.

Onto the try-ons from the good (and why I am convinced I have drunk the crewlade) to the very bad (at least on me). Top two are the good, the middle two are the meh, and the bottom one is the very bad.


I saw this dress, the ruffled Carly dress on the hanger, and it had ZERO appeal. I actually tried it on for Jody as kind of a joke...like, ha, ha, this is going to look SO stupid on me.

And then I put on the size 8, $98, cotton ruffled concoction. And I about died...I could not believe that 1) it fit, and 2) that it looked as good as it did. Even all wrinkled (I am getting out my tiny steamer iron stat), I could see the potential...tights and flats and a cardi in winter, barelegged and flip-flops in summer. Gah.

I walked out and showed Jody, and she was all, "yep, you are not imagining it, it looks good."

I then sat down, and it was, shocker, COMFORTABLE. Well, there goes the exchange on the tee and then some. Sigh. :)

There is no link to it on-line, not available yet, but you can see a pic of the model wearing the paler one at the top of the dresses page. I notice hers isn't wrinkled.


And here it is from the side. Head to toe ruffles? Yeah, I still am sort of amazed. I am sure Mr. Dina is going to have a field day with this (have you all noticed he doesn't like ruffles)? :)


I also came home with this tee. I have the other rose tee, but it is too big now, and I needed a replacement. Plus I prefer these roses (the material is less frail) and the v-neck works better for me. I can't find this on the internet, but I bought a small for $48.

If you want to buy my other roses tee, I will sell it someone for $15 shipped (inside U.S.A. only for free shipping). Size Medium. It has a small hole at the neckline and under one of the roses. Just so you know...gotta be fair and square in this business.


Love this more on me in the picture. Isn't that weird? I am now wondering if I should have gotten it? Size medium, $88. Adore the print, very mid-century modern, which is my thing, but in real life, I felt it was too pale for me or something. Sigh. Maybe this was my sign that I should only get it on super-sale (which it may never get to, Jody said most of the sizes were gone, even from the back).

Buy it here at jcrew.com.


Don't see this at jcrew.com, either. Like this color, love the idea of a merino type sweatshirt, but execution wise, just not the right look for me. This boyfriend shape is not really good for me, hides my waist, and I don't want to do that. Size small, pretty good price at $69.50.


Yeah, no. Color--wrong. Embellishments--too big for this type of tee. Idea of tee--cute, but execution all wrong. I imagine this could look good on someone, but can't even think if there have been any reviews at all of this top. Maybe there are none and for good reason. I believe this was $45 and this is a small.

Can't find it on the website, either.

P.S. If any of you have reviewed any of these items, could you please let us know in the comments???

I don't know when I will ever do this again, but it was fun. It is hard to get out the house, but I had the opportunity, so I did. Maybe I will make opportunities again in the future. :)