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!  :)

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Before the Sale.

UPDATE, 12:07 pm. US site is live and running the sale.  There is a direct link to the sale in the sidebar and at the bottom of this post.  Enjoy!

As you may have read in the post that I just published (on how the Boden site is down), I clearly had meant to publish this post yesterday in preparation for the sale that I assumed would be today.

Unfortunately my bout with mastitis threw my plans into a big ole trashcan, and I am now having to publish this post right around the time the sale starts (which should be about noon, maybe even a little before).

I will try to come back to this post and re-do it with all of my blog friends' reviews, but that may be later today.  I wish I had the energy to put a whole lot of time into this post, but if you have ever had mastitis, you will understand why I can only string together a few sentences, and feel like I have run a marathon.

Anyhow, here is the "not quite done" BWRR.

Regular Boden:

LouLou Dress.  Size 6 Long.  I saw this on a few of my blog friends and on one of the staffers at Boden (from their Boden blog and here on Facebook), so I knew that this could potentially be a good choice for my body type, but I was holding off until I actually got it on me to decide if it was a keeper.

I almost went with an 8 Long since I had read that the dress was pullover and may be a struggle to get over my head, but I looked at the measurements and decided to give the 6 a try.  This was the right call since the 8 would have been too baggy everywhere, which would have looked a bit dumpy and not the cute "fit and flare" that you see on the 6.

I could have worn this outfit for much longer than I did.  I wore it to go to church last week, and if I had fallen asleep in it, I would have been comfortable. 

The material is the same type as the polo shirts we have here in the States, very much like this dress that I also own and love to bits.

The belt is necessary.  I think I could have gone without, but it wouldn't look as polished, so I am glad that I chose the accent.

Close up of the fabric and the belt.


LouLou Dress.  Last I checked this dress is popular and is selling well.  I don't anticipate there being a big discount on this one, but since the UK site is up and running, I can see that my hunch is right...the dress is only marked down about 16 pounds (around 28 dollars).  I am not in the least upset with the price I bought this one at, then, and encourage all of you who think you would be flattered by the shape to splurge on it.  ;) 


Lavish T-Shirt. Worn here with the crazy pants!  CC, my blog friend, also wrote about her experience with this top in the comments section, so scroll down to read more on that.


Scoop Tunic Dress. Worn for a preschool field trip.  :)


Sarah Dress. Lovely dress for going out with the family. 


Swishy Jersey Skirt.  I wore this to go see Santa with the kids.  This outfit is possibly one of my favorites that I have ever worn. 


Embellished Cardigan.  I placed this cardigan over a very preppy look.  It worked in that context, so don't think of it merely as a party piece.

Boden Limited Edition:

Vintage Ponte Dress.  Dressed this up with the intention of making it less party ready and more casual. 

Johnnie b.:

Fun Knitted "Dress." (Dress, my bottom.  If you're 5'3".)  I never intended this sweater to be anything other than a tunic.  This is a size large, and I am very glad I chose that size.

I definitely liked this outfit from yesterday (worn to go to Rex's swim class and the coffee shop), but I now realize that my burgundy leggings would have been a better choice.  Guess when I found my burgundy leggings?  Yep.  After I got home. 

Cute cute critter.  Since critters are everywhere this season (and I am obviously a sucker for them), I wanted a critter sweater that was a bit different.  As much as I love my French hen sweater, that particular one is everywhere, a bit like the bubble necklaces.  So if you are interested in something that is not everywhere, this may be a good choice.

Close up of the knitted fabric and detail of the stitching.

Love the colors, and am glad this came in this shade of blue.  Sometimes blue looks terrible on me, so I give a little shout of joy if any item comes in this particular bright, clear shade of blue (I am a "Spring" color, so I need bright and clear).

Look at us at the swimming pool.  So photogenic.  :)  CW is wearing a mini Boden dress that I can't locate because the UK site is down again.  I will redo this sentence when I get a chance and the site is live.


Fun Knitted Dress. The dress you see in the stock photo is all gone, but there are plenty of the pheasant critter version available.


Sparkly Graphic T-Shirt. If you like your critters printed, French, wearing a beret, and on a yellow background, then this one might be for you.  :)


Pretty Cardigan. Love this very soft, versatile, and comfortable cardigan.

As promised, here are some links to my blog friends and their blogs and/or specific posts.  I hope to get their reviews integrated into this BWRR more officially and formally later today, but it definitely won't be this morning.

Shopping with M: She did a multi-review of many Boden items here at this blog post.

Egyptomaniac the Shopping Maniac: She did a review on the Alpaca wrap in one of her daily outfit posts.  

Poppy's Style: Lots of cute outfits worn with Boden items over at her blog.  There are reviews in some blog posts, too.

What Lou Wore 365: Louise is prolific and manages to get her outfits published daily, like a proper Personal Style blogger.  ;)  She features many many Boden items. 

Okay, all, that's it.  I am sure I will be talking with you all soon, but do bear with me if I can't get to your questions right away (if you have any, of course).  :)

Below is a direct link to the sale.  Please note that the first day of the clearance sale is always nuts, so if the site goes down, try again.

Boden: Site is Down!

Yes, Johnnie.  We will.

Everyone, Happy Sunday!

I have just woken up after a very long night (ended up going to urgent care with what the doctor called a "severe" case of mastitis), but since I rarely sleep in past 8 am, my body won't let me sleep any longer.  I obviously would like to get back to feeling good, but I have to wait until I can sleep.  I am sure, though, that Mr. Dina won't expect me to do much more than relax, so I suspect the laptop in the easy chair and/or the bed will be fine.

Anyhow, I saw that School Gate Style had written on her blog this morning that the sale had started at the UK site, so I figured we were either there OR we would be soon.

And, yes, lo and behold there is a sign saying that their is preparation going on for the sale, which means we should see the sale go live very soon.

I have the Boden Weekly Review Roundup started (you know, the one that has three weeks of reviews in it), but I don't know that all of it will be 100% completed when I hit publish.  I think I will link to the blogs that have had recent posts wearing Boden clothing, but unless there was a very specific review for Boden clothing, I will just give the link to the blog so you all know that the clothing is there. 

You can also check all the fall/winter BWRRs from this site for more, and to remind yourself of something that you may have fallen in love with earlier but had forgotten about.

I checked my e-mail and the affiliate site has provided me a link to the sale, but they say it won't go live until noon, so we have a little bit to wait.  :)  When the link works, I will insert it into this post. 

Okay, all, talk soon, and feel free to let us know if the site goes live!

OOTD: Putting a Bird on It, Sequin Style.

Hi, all!

We're home today, even though I was *supposed* to be running around doing about a billion errands and getting the kids to school and back.  Last night was Rex's pageant at the school (Nativity pageant) and while it was theoretically enjoyable, I found I was a bit less than enthused.  Between the crowds of crowing and over-enthusiastic parents waving animatedly to their children many many rows away on the altar (was at the church) and the supremely loud conversation right next to my ears between woman a and woman b, I found I was getting aggravated.  Which I knew RIGHT AWAY meant I was coming down with something...my hubby makes fun of my ability to be patient with all irritations (he gets annoyed by everything, everyday), but I couldn't handle it all last night.  I felt crotchety because of the cacophony.

Anyhow, I am home trying to get over my achy, sore throaty, blegh something or another so I can go to the next "helicopter parent party" with a bit less "put upon dinagideon" attitude.  (There are at least fifteen more in the next two weeks--these schools these days, heartily celebrating over-involvement!)

Before I got all Surly Sue last night, I went out with CW to a playdate at one of my bowling friend's house.  She is like me...definitely the spring chickens of the bowling league.  She, like me, is far from the best of the bowlers, so we have a lot in common and a whole lot to talk about.  Her daughter is only 2 years older than CW, so they were able to draw, dance, and do princess play stuff while her mom and I talked about "mom" stuff. :)

I felt good in my outfit.  The bits together were comfy and the overall aesthetic is something I hope to replicate more often.

The bag and the pants are no longer available from Boden, but the Embellished cardigan is (I did a review here).

The Lands' End Blakely Riding boots are AMAZING and had I been told that I would ever think a pair of light caramel colored riding boots would work in my wardrobe, I would have given the side eye.  I figured I would limit my boots to black, brown, and grey.  However, since becoming a SAHM, I really get why so many of us have so many darn boots, they look great and feel great too.

The sequin bird tee by J. Crew is more lovely than I expected it to be.  I sometimes find that their sequined tees are lacking in some way, either the knit fabric is too thin (hole-prone) or the embellishments are not nearly well-secured enough.  This time, the tee is exactly right, a good thick cotton with sequins that will stay on the garment.

One thing, though, and you can definitely see it here, the top runs short.  I have a short torso, so it barely bothered me, but if you have a longer torso, this one may be too short, even if you size up.  (I think the one the model is wearing is longer, but isn't that just like a clothing company, making an item exactly the right length for the model?)

I purchased this tee in an extra-small and it fits fine, with no gaping, bagging, or pulling.  I also like where the sleeves end, but if that is one of your problem areas, take note.

From the side.  The Blakeley Riding Boots are fairly plain overall, but have a bit of detailing at the ankle.  I love how high they are, hitting right under my kneecap.  It is rare for a boot to hit that high on me.  In fact, the only reason I purchased these is because one of the reviews on the Lands' End site mentioned that these boots were perfect for the reviewer, one of the few boots she has ever purchased that was tall enough for her height.  (I had been mulling a purchase of boots at Long Tall Sally, but their prices were prohibitive, these boots were bought when Lands' End last had a 40% off sale.)

Makeup looked okay, and I like how the earrings "go" with the top.  My hair was a bit scraggly.  I find my hair looks worst the first day I wash it, but by the third day post-wash it looks awesome.  Any quick (emphasis on that word, please) ideas on how to get the bangs to look less fly away and stringy the day I wash my hair?

Pretty, non-twee "bird on it."

Detailing of the boots.

Speaking of Lands' End, this seems to be the month of promos (well, I gather that's true everywhere).  Today and tomorrow, they are offering $40 off $100 (with free ship). 


Any of you out there own this pretty sequin bird tee?  Thoughts?

Talk with you all soon!

OOTD: Navy, Brown, Grey.

Hey, all.  Happy Monday!

So the Boden Weekly Roundup has not disappeared, promise.  In reality, there are just so many reviews/ootds recently both here and at my blog friends' blogs that it is going to take a lot of time to get the post together.  It will be a Super BWRR, ready to conquer all other BWRRs.

It turns out my lateness is less of a big deal, too, since Boden is clearly waiting forever to put the fall/winter stuff on clearance.  Last year the sale happened within the first week of December, and here we are in the second full week of December and no sale is in sight.

There is some talk over at the Facebook page for Boden that since their shop will be shutting its doors for a little while next Sunday, the 16th, that must mean that the sale will be happening that day.  It's definitely possible since I remember that also happening last year.

What makes this year different from last year is that this year's collection is selling well, often to the point of selling out, so Boden may not feel that an earlier sale is justified since people are buying the items up with only a bit of a % off, instead of waiting for a better deal.  There are items that are not selling well, at all, including the top (Lavish t-shirt) that I had in my ootd post from last night, but all that means is that Boden is offering it for a bigger percentage off right now (near 50% off, in fact) to maybe drive a few more sales of those tops.

When clearance does happen, anticipate that if you love something and it is sitting in the pink "low stock" checkmark territory, it will not stay that way long.  Those pink checkmarks disappear fast and become "out of stock" quicker than you can say "Johnnie Boden."  If you have your eye on something with a blue "in stock" checkmark, you are probably okay to wait a bit.

Also, if the item you like has been selling well, it is also unlikely that Boden and co. are going to reduce the price by that much, there have been items in the past that have sold so well that the price only went down by 20-30% in the clearance sale.

Okay, blah, blah, blah.  Let's bring on the outfit full of neutrals.

Winesday was on offer last week, for the first time in forever.  My brother and I try to make it weekly, and if we miss it too many weeks in a row, we feel pangs of withdrawal.

The outfit is all neutrals, but I kind of dug the play of different shades together.  I am all for following sartorial rules, but in this case, I feel like the deep navy combined with black, grey, and brown works.

Oh, who am I kidding?  I had to get some color in there.  ;)  Now I didn't actually wear this outfit inside Whole Foods since it would have been too warm to have the coat on, but I did need some sort of cover up for the drive there.

This coat is the Rose coat from Boden's spring/summer Limited Edition line.  I would never be able to wear this coat in the spring or summer (too warm), but I will happily wear it when the temps drop below 50.

(I see this is gone from the clearance sale from last summer, but there are still a bunch of its sister, the Rose Dress, available for sale.)

Close up of the hat, coat, and bag.  My hair was smoothed down after I saw this shot.  LOL.

See?  Smoothed hair.  ;)  This is outside my house.  I am in my street.  Fortunately my neighbors didn't even notice, but I live on a block full of slightly insane people (including us, btw), so I think even if they did notice, it wouldn't bother them. 

Vintage Ponte Dress.  This dress is almost all sold out in the smaller sizes, especially in the navy.  I bought the dress to try it on for the blog, with the thought I would be sending it back.  Then I got it and realized that the dress fits very well and is so pretty and comfortable, I decided that I would just sell a dress or two from my collection (ridiculous collection, really) to make up for this purchase.  (I am going to the consignment shop tomorrow, have a BIG box full of stuff to sell).

I bought this in a size 6 since most of the stretchy type fabric clothing from Boden fit me in my smaller size.  This was definitely a good choice, since the 8 would have been far too big in the bust and waist.

The length is shorter than it appears on the model, but I have a high waist and long legs, so almost all dresses and skirts are shorter on me than other folks (plus they probably gave the model a lengthened version). 

My feet only look this big from the side.

I added the sequin belt to this dress, which Boden did with their catalog shot.  I had to buy this belt in a size medium because (surprise!), it sold out in all the other sizes.  The medium is big on me, but I am just doing what the model in the catalog does, I am wrapping the end into the belt, which looks kind of nice.  Another thing with the bigger size is that I can wear it lower on my hips, which I may have to try with some of my denim.

Don't let your husband zip up the back of your dress if you are taking photos from the back.  (There was a hook closure that he missed--my brother fixed it at the store). 

The dress has the back zip, which is fabulous if you have a bigger bust and find side zips/no zips impossible to deal with.

Close up of the fabric of the dress and the sequin belt.

I do have plans to wear the dress as you see it above.  (I really love the daintiness of the sixties heels with the dress.)  It was just too chilly last week.  Maybe this spring?

Okay, that's it.  Have any of you tried this dress or this belt?  Do you ever mix all your neutral shades together? 

Today Boden started a 30% off (select items) sale with free shipping.  This is a decent enough sale if you can find the item you want in the sale.  I only had the briefest look around, and didn't see a ton on sale with that discount, but I will have more of an opportunity later today.  If what you want is not in the sale, you can still use Q753 for 25% off with free ship, btw.
Just in time for Christmas! Three days only and limited quantities: take 30% off select items + free shipping at BodenUSA.com.