OOTD: Nancy and CW Come to Winesday.

Day: Wednesday, June 10, 2015.

Where:  Winesday with my darling daughter.  Pete (my bro) usually goes with me, but he works out in Manassas now, so this means I have to find alternate people/transportation to get to this event.  He still comes, every once in a while, but not this week.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Even though I mentioned that there was a pencil skirt lining on this dress in my review last year, I forgot about that and when I put it on tonight, I was all, "wuh?"  Sigh.  Should've remembered.  It worked itself out and stretched out, but still.

The Cole Haan sandals (have had them for years) held up well, especially considering we took the bus back from Winesday.  The bus stop is about one mile from my house, so not super close.  :-)  I have to take public transportation if I don't have a ride, I am a super lightweight when it comes to alcohol.


Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden; Sandals, similar style Cole Haan here (I can't find an exact match like mine from this year); Necklace, Uncommon Goods; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day: I wore my Nancy Dress because Lou has been talking about #bodentwins over at her Instagram account a lot lately.  When I saw her in her Nancy Dress yesterday, I knew my chance was here, so I took it.  I also plan on wearing this dress that @kdot1990 wore a few days back (probably tomorrow).  I never thought I would get into Instagram as much as I have, but it is more fun than I expected it to be.  :-)

Speaking of Instagram, my Instagram of this outfit is here.

Okay, you all have a great night!  We'll talk soon!

OOTDs: Dusk Pink, Bright Blue, and Some Sequins.

Hi, all.  Happy Monday night!

I am so appreciative of all the words of support with regards to my current state of affairs (redonkulous pain thanks to mastitis).  It really helps to know what works, what doesn't, who has gone through it, who knows someone who has, etc.  I am floored that after three babies (who each nursed many many months) the dreaded mastitis happens now.

Anyhow, I am feeling better, but I need to stay on top of the ibuprofen and the antibiotics in order to feel good.  :)  I also read that resting up is helpful, so Mr. Dina has insisted that I only do as much as we need this week, so no extra runs to the grocery store, Target, school runs, bowling (sob!), etc., until I feel better. Aw!  (I think Dr. Ma letting us know that I would have been hospitalized had I waited too long to be seen scared the you know what out of my husband, hence Mr. Dina's strict instructions to lay low.)

Okay, I can and will do blog posts in between naps and warm compress applications.  LOL.  That isn't terribly taxing, right?

Worn last Wednesday to Winesday with my bro.  I had thought I wanted something a bit dressy since my brother had just come from work and figured I didn't need to be the schlub standing next to "Mr. Hot Stuff Working Man."

The tee is the Fabric Mix Long Sleeved T-Shirt (Pure Collection--currently in the sale section).  I sized down in this tee to a size 4 since I personally believe that all of Pure Collection runs large.  I took a 4 in this top, but if I had ordered a 2 (the smallest size they carry), I would have fit into that, no problem.  Do not order this tee if you are tiny...it won't fit you.

The skirt is the Tall No. 2 pencil skirt in the mauve blush color.  I chose a size 8, and because of my hips this was the right call.  I am glad they are carrying talls, this one fits exactly right, with only the littlest bit of extra room at the waist.  I love how long it is, especially, hitting right below my knees!  Only Boden skirts hit there on me, so I am happy that J. Crew is doing this.  I also got this one on super sale, so ladies, the price it is right now is pretty darn good for what you get.  Also, I think this pink can act as a neutral, and looks very nice with the teals, greys, browns, and warm yellows.

The other pieces are just really old.  I wear them a lot.  Especially those tights.  I LUURRRVVEE my Wal-Mart Tights (George brand if you need to know).

Added the Boucle Peplum Jacket and the Tulu bag in grey to keep the outfit extra coordinated.  ;)

This outfit is from the night I went to the urgent care with the dreaded mastitis.  Imagine the feeling of pain in your "lady bits" in this top.  Yeah.  It hurt. *Bad.*  Thankfully the pain came on at the very end of hanging out with our friends, but this tee, though a nice knit cotton, is not the best choice when experiencing the pains of motherhood.

I love my bright blue pencil skirt, but I seem to always wear it with black and white (or I did last year--before that I paired it with guava).

The polka dot sequin top is fun, I preferred the cream version to the black version because too much black near my face is a bad idea.

I took an extra-small and it fits fine.  The small would have been better *that* night, but I am not planning on those events ever happening again.

I added the Bella Coat in black with my Belgian beret (all my friends tease me about my ubiquitous beret that comes out every winter--since 2000!) and the big red Andie bag.

We went to DC to see the White House Christmas tree.  We parked near the American History museum and the Washington Monument.  I have lived here long enough (almost 30 years--woo!) that I have a stupid number of Washington Monument photos.  How many can one girl have?

I do like this one a lot, but last year's had the babies and me.  :)

There the tree is, along with the Menorah behind my friend A.'s shoulder.  His girlfriend, J., has never been to DC, so he was excited to show her around (and off!).  A. looks like he could be my brother, but he's not.  My soul brother, maybe, but not my real brother.

Rex graced us with a photo.  Barely.

Today I took it really easy.  I decided that I needed to get out of my PJs (had been wearing them since late Saturday night), so I threw on the Cashmere Herringbone Sweater (dusk pink color).  I love these two colors together, and I had lucked out into buying it one real late night over the Thanksgiving weekend when all those crazy sales were running (so I ended up getting it for near half off--yay for delaying shutting one sale down before starting another, J. Crew).  I took this in a size small, which is one size up from my normal cashmere size.  It has a nice long length this way and since the knit on this a bit tighter of a weave, the fit is less close.  Definitely do not size down in this one.  The cashmere is not exceptionally soft, but oh, it is SO warm!  Exactly what I needed to feel good today.

Here is a detail shot of the knit, so you can see just how nicely woven this particular piece is.  Didn't pill at all today, btw.

Okay, that's all.  Thanks again for being so sweet to me!  :)

OOTD: SAHM, Sequins, Fedora, and a Maxi.

Hi, everyone!

After writing last night's post, I expected that I could get this post done by mid-morning today.  Then life (read: kids, doctor's appointments, errands, etc.) happened.  I didn't have a blog the last time I had a wee newborn, and even then, I didn't have two toddlers on hand whose every last need was my responsibility.  ;)  So I take it as I can, but it does sort of get frustrating that I can't keep my favorite hobby up to the extent that I would like. 

Having said all that, I won't get this time back with my kids, so in the world of priorities, clearly spending as much *quality* time as I can with them will always be number one.

Anyhow, I now have a few brief moments, and will at least get this outfit post published.

I had thought I would wear this particular outfit in California, but the night that I had planned to wear it, I decided to be lazy (it was on day 8 of the vacation) and stay at the hotel with Angus and watch four hours (!!!) of National Geographic channel while feeding him and me (yummy hotel food--and yummy hotel mojito).

The day after we got home (amazingly, if you didn't read it in the last post, we nearly, and I mean NEARLY, missed the flight) I had a Whole Foods date with a good friend of mine, so I decided that this had just enough casual dressy to work for the occasion.

Whole Foods here has a Wines-day event every Wednesday, and for $5 you receive a wine glass, five separate tastings of wine and small samples of a food pairing.  It was awesome, and my friend and I have plans to do this at least once a month or more (I may try to make it every week).  This week was Pinot Grigio week, so I was in heaven, as this is one of my most favorite types of wine.  Plus it was super hot outside, and the pinot was very light and fresh.

Skirt: Boden Swishy Maxi Skirt.  First reviewed by me here.  I wanted to make this outfit a bit more conservative and more California casual, so I decided to go with a fuller sequined tee, the fedora, and a very "now" white clutch.  The navy skirt is barely on sale (only $15 off full price), but the other colors are priced to sell.
Top: J. Crew Sample.  I wore it last here.  Definitely a different look this time, but sadly I still have an additional 10 pounds around my upper hips, so those green shorts are not happening right now.  
Hat: J. Crew Factory.  I wear this hat constantly in summer.
Clutch: Anthropologie Malmo Shoulder Bag.  I bought this on ridiculous super sale.  I had it in my shopping bag waiting for a good sale, and I nearly forgot about it...and one day I opened the shopping bag up and saw that this near $300 purse went on sale for $30.  It is full grain leather, nicely lined, and with a pretty closure (you can see a close-up in the bottom photo).

The clutch isn't really a clutch, but you can easily hide the strap in the back portion of the bag.

I wore this outfit with a pair of sandals from the Loft.  I am stoked that this skirt is *just* long enough to cover my feet except when walking...most maxis are too short for me, so if you are a taller lady, definitely consider this skirt if you want to have a true maxi.

Detail shot of the makeup, hair, hat, and a tremendous number or sequins.  ;)

Detail shot of the closure on the bag.  LOVE.

Sequins, Swishy, and Swank. by dinagideon featuring a straw hat

Above is the polyvore.

You all have a great afternoon.  Maybe, with any luck, I can get around to answering questions left for me in the comments.  Maybe.  ;)

Lalalala, I am in My Backyard, on the Deck, Writing a Post About a Month-Old Party!

Man, it is GORGEOUS out here. I am on my deck, in 75 degree weather, typing on my laptop (with its great wireless access). Technology and pretty atmosphere=happy dinagideon. :)

And I am singing a little ditty to myself..."Lame, lame, lame, you are so lame, waiting over a month, to get out a post, about the pretty ladies and wine..."

So here it is...the wine party I hosted at my home for a few of us JCA ladies of the DC area that I am fortunate enough to know...and who graciously came to my house on a Sunday afternoon to drink wine with me, look at J. Crew clothing, and for HeidiG. and drewablank, enjoy a dip in my hot tub (inaugural dip...woohoo).

Wine Party Mid-July 2009 by dinagideon featuring J Crew

But what would my posts be without a polyvore set?

The reason I posted today, btw, is because awesome Patina did a post yesterday in which she looked beautiful and was wearing my all time favorite statement necklace from Banana Republic. Which reminded me that I wore it at the party...which then reminded me to get my a** in gear and post the dang pictures already.

So without further discussion...the pictures...


The ubiquitous shot of me in the outfit. This dress, once again, is easy, breezy, and truly a great color. And it looks so nice with the necklace, too.


Here are the five of us, plus CW (she didn't have wine...no worries)...look at how HeidiG. is bathed in light, like she is some kind of angel. :) After her is Summerilla, Drewablank, 3-Penny Princess, and me and CW. This is our serious shot. BTW, this is the deck and the table upon which I sit and type right now. :)


Here is our lovely candid shot...I think we all look so pretty. I esp. love the way 3PP and Drewablank still have their arms around each other...so nice!

And because we couldn't resist, here is the shot of us being ridiculous. We have hanged HeidiG., Moose Summerilla, Too Long Tongue Drewablank, Screeching 3PP, and "I'm gonna eat that baby" dinagideon.

Hope you all enjoyed a trip into a past partay! :) I know I did...that ridiculous shot still cracks me up!

RIchmond on a cold day...

I wore this when we went to Cary Street (on Sunday, Jan. 18) and did awesome shopping and ate at one of my favorite restaurants...Can Can. I will post pics of me wearing it in real life later and I will post a review of Can Can as well.

The Ecole jacket is cobalt...and a GORGEOUS color in real life. The cords I wore are not J. Crew but a similar color and cut. The Xhiliration shoes are plum and not super-comfortable, but very cute detailing makes the shoes worth it. The Merino turtleneck is this saturated wine color and the wool itself is soft and warm. I actually think I prefer J. Crew merino to their cashmere. The Meribel scarf is so long it is crazy...but very warm, chic, and an awesome color. The pillow ring is dainty and special and looks very nice on my finger.

Link for the outfit is on polyvore (here): http://www.polyvore.com/richmond_on_cold_day/set?id=5999847

My outfit...on me...before the party...

The outfit obviously pales in comparison to the best accesory ever, my baby girl Caroline Wealthy (or CW as I like to call her).

I liked how comfortable I was while hosting my husband's office party. I wore the outfit the entire day...from 8:30 am teaching to 10:30 pm clean-up after the party.

Why were we hosting a party on one of the coldest nights ever in Northern Virginia? Why was it on a Thursday? It actually was a belated Christmas party. It had an original date of December 18th, but it had to get pushed back. So there you go, a January 15th "Christmas" celebration.

It was kind of nice, though. Because Christmas and New Year's are done with, no one at the party was stressed about getting shopping done or travelling or getting to another party. Nope, it was pure frivolity!

I drank a lot of good wine and ate a lot of great food. Can't beat that...we should do this every January 15th!