Boden: 30% Off Sale!

Aw, look at the cute plane flying really low over London!

Good Friday morning.  :-)

Yes, I changed my blog design and header.  I was feeling a bit jealous of all the gorgeously laid out blogs out there, all white space, special modern graphics, etc.  Of course mine is not designed by anyone other than yours truly, which definitely makes it very Suzy homemaker-y, but it's an attempt, at least.  Maybe one day I will be able to afford for someone else to professionally lay out my blog for me...

Okay, back to the business at hand.  Apparently 30% off selected items wasn't enough, so the folks at Boden decided to have a 30% off everything sale, *until* Johnnie returns home from his vacation (which based on what my affiliate manager tells me is Monday, June 24, at 11:59 pm Eastern time).

I doubt I will have the time to do a picks post from this sale since I have my church's 75th Gala dinner to attend on Saturday, but I do want to point you all to my BWRRs, which will at least give a chance to see many of the on sale items on regular people, with average bodies, and not itty-bitty teeny airbrushed model thighs.  (Well, okay, some of my blog friends are teeny weeny, but you get what I mean...)

Do you have any favorites?  Is there anything that is in the sale that you think will sell out before the big end of season clearance in July?  Let us know!

Below is the direct link to the sale. 
Take 30% off everything at BodenUSA.com!


If you need free shipping, the below link will get you that, but the 25% off does not combine with the 30% off.

OOTD/Made by Me Files: Liberty Tana Lawn Floral Eve (Coral) Tank. (McCall's 6711.)

Day: Sunday, May 19, 2013.

Where:  Maybe Dinner Out?  I know I had gone to church the night before, so I know it wasn't there (especially in shorts).

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  The shorts and Greta suede sandals are part of my "go-to" summer wardrobe, so those pieces are super comfortable.  I have actually owned the shorts for about seven years now, and they look and feel as good as when I bought them.


The top, obviously, is made for me by me, and without a doubt, it is soft and pleasantly breathable because of the materials I chose, but I did struggle a bit with both the neckline and the armholes.  Since I had to change up the front of the top to use the entire remnant of Liberty fabric I had, the neckline's placement was off, so I had to do some major sewing MacGyvering to get the neckline to look right, but in the end, it looks decent and feels great, so score.  The armholes were a different battle, and even though I followed the instructions to a tee, they feel off and even a bit high.  This is probably because I cut the top so it would fit closer to my body (very loose top in its original shape--my "size" would have swallowed me up).  Once I cut for the smaller size, I neglected to cut the armholes for my normal size, which would have probably felt better.  Whatever, it wasn't horrible, I am being very picky here.

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  The silhouette is lovely, rarely do I look this slim in shorts.  I need to sew a pair of shorts this shape and length in a few different colors, so I can have a full range of "go-to" shorts for summer.

The "Floral Eve" fabric is from the Spring 2013 Seasonal line, and from what I can see, most stores that sold it have all sold out, with the exception of Purl Soho who has a few yards of both the coral (same as mine) and the blue.  Based on this, and the fact that J. Crew keeps selling out of their floral eve items, I would say having created an item from this year's floral makes it a bit cooler, even if I added a bias tape bow neckline and a contrast fabric back (more on why I did that later).

As a reminder, this is another version of this fabric that I am planning on turning into a button up blouse sometime this fall (bottom of post).

Anecdote from the day:  I had spent WAY TOO MUCH time making this top.  I don't know if it is just me or what, but I suspect it shouldn't take nearly ten hours to sew a simple tank top.  I fuss over every detail when sewing, from cutting the pattern paper (or tracing depending on the pattern), to cutting the fabric, to positioning the pins, to ironing the seams.  Ugh.  So persnickity.

I was so thrilled that it was done that I immediately changed into the outfit.  This was the big exciting anecdote from my day (so much so that I can't even really recall what I did that day).

McCall's 6711.  The is a "coordinates" pattern, which comes with a jacket, top, dress, skirt, and pants.  I may make the dress of this pattern, and I really like the pants, but probably won't be doing the jacket or skirt.  I may make the top again, but I definitely need some time off from it right now.  Chuckle.

I cut the size 10, even though I measure closer to a 14.  This was definitely the right call since the top is still pretty loose even in the smaller size.  As mentioned above, the armholes are the only part of the top that feels a bit tight.

I underlined the Liberty fabric so that the beautiful details of the florals would show up nicely, I would have some extra modest coverage underneath (the floral eve fabric is a touch sheer), and also to have a barrier between my skin and the gorgeous fabric.  I used a plain old muslin piece to underline, since the off-white color was a perfect match for the ivory of the liberty tana lawn.

Underlining is not necessary in this top (I don't even know if there is a facing in the pattern), but now that I have underlined once, I definitely will be doing it a lot in the future, since it is a) easy, and b) gives the garment a touch of tailoring not found in most ready to wear garments.

The back side view is a bit wonky, let's blame that darling sway back that I have.  ;-)  You can definitely tell how wide this tank is.  I also significantly shortened the length to make sure that I could use this piece of fabric (it was from a Purl Soho "remnant" bag--they are awesome, btw, if you ever get to their Soho store). I would have probably wanted to shorten it regardless of fabric choice, though, since the pattern's original length would have almost been a tunic on me.

The back is made from a remnant fabric that was found in the same bag as the Coral floral Eve.  It is some lightweight cotton that looks a bit like a linen.

I really like the gathering detail at the back, right below the yoke.  This was definitely a success on my part, whereas the gathering detail at the front (on the tank straps) was a p.i.t.a. and really was not very successful.  Again, not that any of you probably noticed, but I can't stop fussing about it.  (Fwiw, my friend who sews says she likes the gathering, both in front and back, so I guess that means it was fine, but grrr.)

Offending gathering at the tank strap...right there above.  You see how the one gather is deeper and more pronounced than the others?  It sort of poofs out when I wear it, and that is what bugs me. 

I suspect that this may be why it takes me so long to sew everything.  LOL.  I definitely can't see the forest for the trees.

(I would SUCK at Project Runway, OMG, my model would definitely end up on the runway half-naked.)

Isn't the fabric amazing?  I feel so fortunate that I was able to grab that remnant bag that day.  I also heart Purl Soho for having remnant bags with Liberty fabric in them!

 

So speaking of fabric remnants, I made these two appliqued pillows completely from fabrics from remnant bags.  I received some of the fabric from a friend, the other bits I bought for $3 a bag at G Street Fabrics, and then the rest was from another Purl Soho remnant bag (the owl's blue eye background, tummy--another Liberty print fabric, btw, wings, and red leaves).  Even the button eyes were from a button remnant bag.  So yes, these pillows were very inexpensive to make, *however* they took me nearly twenty hours total to cut, piece together, sew, iron, fuse, decorate, place, and stuff with filling.  They were for Rex's teacher (she just got married), so it was a labor of love.  :-)

Oh, and lest you think I suddenly stopped noticing all the details, I am very bothered by the fact that the decorative blanket stitching on the owl is off in some places.

BTW, this is another McCall's pattern, #6482.

Okay, that's it for now!!!

If you are a Boden fan, today is the last day to save 30% on shoes, skirts, and tops!  The sale ends at 11:59 pm.

Don't forget to enter my Shabby Apple giveaway!

Giveaway: Shabby Apple!

Shabby Apple Snapdragon Dress

Hey, all!  As many of you saw yesterday, I did an ootd/review post on the Shabby Apple Snapdragon dress.  I definitely have had a positive first experience with Shabby Apple, and because I was fortunate enough to receive this dress for free from them, I thought I would pay it forward by hosting my own Shabby Apple giveaway.

(I had originally thought the company wanted me to review the dress and host a giveaway, but my bad, I misunderstood.  Regardless, I wouldn't have hosted the giveaway without having tried the brand first, so either way, I needed to give a product a try first before wanting to do a giveaway.)

Anyhow, I always do a giveaway around this time of year, so I figured, "hey, I made a promise, let's make this the giveaway for this time of year!"

Okay, so here's the deal, I would love to be able to say, "hey, choose whatever you want if you win, and I will make sure you get it," but I do have to have a cap on what amount I can spend, but I am sure you all understand.  ;-)

So, if you win, you can head on over to this link and choose any item that is $100 or less*, and you will send me all of the info I need, and I will place the order for you and have it shipped directly to you, as a way of saying "thank you" for reading my blog.

*Canadian winner will have a cap of $80, and International will have a cap of $70.  See rule #5 for more info on why. 

Here are the rules to enter:

1. Make sure to comment with your e-mail address (you can obviously use AT and DOT if you don't want spam-bots finding you), and your choice if you won the giveaway.  Let me know, as well, how you follow the blog.

2.  Please do follow my blog, either through blogger itself, on facebook, or at bloglovin'.  If you follow me through some other way, that's fine, just make sure you mention how in your comment.

3.  The giveaway ends on Sunday night, June 23, 2013, at 11:59 pm Eastern time.

4.  The winner will be announced next Monday morning, June 24, 2013.

5. If Shabby Apple delivers to you, you can enter.  Canadian and International winners will have a lower cap, though, to compensate for the extra shipping charges.  (I am sure that you all understand that, too, especially since shipping to Canada is nearly $30 and international is $40.)

6.  Good luck!

Alright, be back later today with another post. 

OOTD/Review: Father's Day and a Snapdragon.

Hello, all!  Happy belated Father's Day!

First up is the ootd portion of the post, followed by the review of the Shabby Apple Snapdragon dress.

Day: Sunday, June 16, 2013.

Where:  Father's Day at Mount Vernon, then to dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Shabby Apple asked me if I would be willing to try one of their dresses from their vintage inspired line, and of course I was more than willing to give one of them a try!  :-)  (I had seen their dresses over the years, but since their presence isn't as big amongst us J. Crew/Boden/preppy personal style bloggers, I never really went over and checked out the items on a regular basis.) 

Anyhow, long story short, they were happy to send me a dress of my choice (from a list of contenders), and though I was enamored with many of my choices, I knew that the pretty Snapdragon dress had to come to me.  Its vintage style reminds me of clothing my grandmother wore in the mid-50s, but its happy, colorful print seemed to be very "me."  And since I am clearly a fan of shirtdresses (hello, blog header!), I was sure I could make this one work for me.

I had the dress for less than three days before I knew I would wear it, yesterday, for Father's Day.  It was really muggy and warm yesterday, and I knew the only thing I wanted next to my skin was a lightweight cotton.  And since I wanted to dress up for Mr. Dina, but still would need to nurse Angus, this dress was exactly right for the day.

The sunglasses (Kirkland Signature--yep, Costco), the belt, and the Cole Haan shoes nicely rounded out the outfit without making me feel too wilted by the end of the day, and considering I had to spend half the day running after Angus and/or holding him while he tried to escape me (and climb the stairs, natch), I know that outside of a track suit and trainers, I chose best for the occasion.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest.)  I added the belt and the sunglasses to up the cool factor.  But considering I was going for the retro/vintage vibe, I didn't want to style this beauty too much, since the darling print (birds frolicking amongst leaves, oranges, and apples) shines on its own.

Anecdote from the day:  Since it was Father's Day, I forgave Mr. Dina when he assured me he would be done with the learning center part of Mount Vernon in no time flat, while I went on ahead with Angus, who was definitely done with enjoying it.  Some TWENTY minutes later, Mr. Dina finally ambles on out and is all, "what, why are you upset?"  Humph.  ;-P

(I will take this opportunity to let you all know that we have annual passes to George Washington's home, since it is a mere ten or so miles from our home.  We can go there anytime we like, it's not like we're from Kansas and this is our one trip to our nation's capital.)

REVIEW:

Snapdragon Dress.  Size Small.  So some of you may have ordered from this purveyor of fine, conservative clothing in the past, but for me, it was a first (as mentioned above).  I took a gamble that the website's sizing chart was accurate, and that this skirt would be full enough for me *not* to worry about the hip measurement.

The gamble was spot on, since the bust is only a touch too full, the waist is exactly right, and the hips are free.  Surprisingly the only part that was tight on me was the sleeves, which were not uncomfortable, but more fitted than I am used to.  If you have more ample upper arms (my upper arms are actually considered kind of skinny), you may want to bear that in mind if you like this dress.

The dress is made from what seems to be a stretch cotton poplin.  This means that by the end of the day, the dress fit better than it did when I first put it on, since it was able to stretch and conform to my shape.  It will be washed and hung to dry, and will return to its shape, and upon wearing it again, it will then again stretch and conform to my shape. 

From a sewing perspective, I love working with cotton poplin, since they take dyes very well, are very breathable, and are very easy to sew.

This fabric was a bit stiff before wearing it, but after a few trips to the washing machine, it will just keep getting softer and softer.

The dress is made with women in mind who want to be fashionable, fun, but still a bit conservative in their dressing.  I clearly am more conservative than not when it comes to my choices, and like having a wardrobe full of pretty, unique, vintage-inspired frocks for my daily life.  The arm length is lovely on this, but I often wear sleeveless items, but for those of you who do need to wear dresses with sleeves, this one has nice, ample coverage (just remember they are a bit tight).  The skirt comes right to my knee, which is nice, since I am very tall through my legs, and most dresses that are not in a tall length end up well above my knee.

I actually think the dress looks prettiest from the back!

I like it without the belt, a lot, but wanted to do something special yesterday, so I added the belt, sunglasses, and bag.  That said, I could definitely see wearing this as above out with the kids to a playdate or to their school.

There were only two small issues that I had with the dress (beyond the tighter sleeves), and that would be the extraneous two upper buttons, and the kind of odd collar.  In the photos, it actually looks really lovely, so I suspect that is all on me, and as I am looking at it while writing this post, the bodice is growing on me.  ;-)  The zipper isn't the most awesome, either, but I am never a big fan of a side zip. 

Okay, that's it for today.  I am planning on hosting a giveaway tomorrow for a Shabby Apple item of your own.  The giveaway will be tomorrow, so be on the lookout for it!  Hope all of you will enter!  (BTW, this dress is one of the ones you can choose from if you win.)

P.S. Since this post is about Father's Day, and I had mentioned my Grandma's 50s style, I thought I would share the above photo of the members of my dad's family from the day my aunt was baptized, in 1959.  Doesn't everyone look so put together and beautiful?  My grandma looks amazing, and my dad and uncle are beyond adorable in their little suits and fedoras.  Love!

Boden: Preview News (It's Good!) and Tops/Tees Sale!

I received an e-mail from Lou (from the awesome What Lou Wore 365) yesterday that let me know that the UK preview site had pushed expiration of the 20% off with free ship and returns until July 21, 2013.  Well, now, that's pretty darn awesome.  I had hoped they would extend a fair bit beyond original date of expiration (was supposed to be tonight), but only expected that would be until late June at the latest!  They did extend them as of this morning over at the US site, so yay for us Yanks! (You can use either WPFB or PRV3 to receive the 20% off, btw, they both have been extended!)

Anyhow, I did place one order on Wednesday, but appreciate that I have some time to mull over what I am choosing for the rest of my order.  Also, and this is very self-centered, I am glad I have more time to do the rest of the "picks" posts since I am currently making two pieced/appliqued/labor-intensive decorative pillows for a wedding present right now (wedding is tomorrow).  ;-)

In other Boden news, there is a 30% off all tops and tees promo going on, and this is especially good news if you are a mom of little ones since mini and baby Boden are some of the best made tees out there (you can see two of them in this week's BWRR).  In order to receive free shipping, remember to click on the current coupon link at the bottom of this post.  This promo is set to expire next Wednesday.

Alright, off to do about a million-bagazillion things today.  Costco counts for at least the "bagazil" in that number, amiright?

Link to the current promo code (it says mini Boden, but it can be used for everything):

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Making Time for Dresses.

Good Wednesday, everyone.  :)

Today is full of reviews, so I will keep my introductory comments brief.

1. Don't forget that this Friday the 20% off (with free ship and returns) ends over at the Boden Preview site.  I think I will do my order tomorrow night, I really wish we had more time to make our decisions!  My hope is to do at least two more "picks" posts before Friday, which were *supposed* to be published last week (stupid computer messing up, shakes fist!).  The first "picks" post is here.  Don't forget to add the code PRV3 to the shopping bag page to receive the savings.

2. The dresses sale ends tonight.  The 30% off seems to be enticing a lot of Boden fans, because from what I can see, quite a few dresses are now sold out or nearing it with lots of "low stock" boxes.  I have singularly focused on dresses reviews this week, which were in the queue anyhow, it just took a little incentive to get them done already.  :)

Alrighty, onto the review roundup!

Regular Boden:

Amelie Dress.  This must be a popular silhouette since Boden issued it in a spring version this year, this summer version, and has it slated to come out again next fall*.  I see why there is a lot of love for this dress, but I didn't even notice it until it came out in this gorgeous shade of yellow (I admit to maybe having a *thing* for yellow dresses).

I purchased this one in a size 6 long, which is what I typically buy in dresses with a fabric that have "give."  (I buy the 8 long in the dresses whose textiles are woven cottons and silk, though, and size 4 long in those really stretchy jersey maxi dresses.)  It fits nicely throughout with no gaping or places where it is too tight.

If you have a longer torso, this waistline may fall too high on you, but the fall version appears to have changed that, so if you like the look but need a slightly different design, definitely consider that one.

*I would love to get one of the fall ones, since they are made from merino wool, but the brown/black and black/white versions won't work with my coloring, and the navy/wine version looks to much like my LouLou dress.  If they come out with any other shade for the fall, I will definitely be interested.  Hint, hint Johnnie...

Detail shot.  The stripes are a dune shade, fairly close to my skin color.  The coral version of this dress (all sold out but watch for popbacks) has an oyster colored stripe.  I kind of dig the nude stripe, definitely unexpected.  I thought it would be more grey, like the bag I am holding.

I feel for this dress the way I feel about the movie with the same name, LOVE.  :-)

The side view only bothers me a little bit because my girls look teeny here.  LOL.  Gracious. 

Fwiw, my hubby loved this whole look.  The braids, the dress, the makeup, he said I have to wear it again when we go on a date, not just a night out with the kids running errands.

The back bodice is really cool.  Love the way the design meets the waistline there.


Summer Amelie Dress.  This one is not gonna make it to a deeper clearance.  If it does, the price is unlikely to get any lower.  That is my PSA for the day.  ;-)

Fabric Mix Dress.  Wore this (in the sand/navy color) last Wednesday for my favorite non-kid event, Winesday!  The link takes you to the one still part of the regular line, the black/grey and coral/purple versions are currently in clearance (for ten dollars less!).



Harbour Island Dress.  Wore this to go to a tee-ball game and then to a "girls night out."


Tarifa Dress.  The lovely Egyptomaniac has reviewed this gorgeously bright floral dress for us here at this post.


Printed Jersey Tunic.  I love Boden's jersey tunics, but since I already own a half a million (that may be a slight exaggeration, of course), I am depending on my favorite blog friends to buy the new ones and wear them so I can live vicariously through their wardrobes.  Thank you for purchasing this one, sweet Egyptomaniac! 


Pleat Top.  I love this airy linen top on Egyptomaniac! 

Printed Cardigan.  Izzywizz looks so cute, darling baby bump and all, wearing this pretty cardigan in aqua with a navy blue dress. 

Boden for Men, baby Boden, and mini Boden:

Revere Collar Shirt and Big Applique T-Shirt.  Hey, Mr. Dina has a Boden item!  I pre-ordered this shirt for him back during the summer preview because I know Mr. Dina is a huge fan of Hawaiian style shirts.  (In fact for Christmas I will be attempting to make him one made from this fabric.)  His shirt is the size large, which is fine for him since he has a 36-38 waist (much to his dismay, btw, he misses his 34 inch waistline).  I will say that if he does lose any weight (can't believe he wants to at his size), this shirt will be big on him, but that's okay, since the Hawaiian shirt looks fine a bit loose.  The print is really fun.  We all were in our tropical finest that day since CW and I were wearing the Barbados dress (J. Crew), Rex was in his Creatures of the Deep t-shirt (below).  Only Tiny Angus was in something decidedly not tropical, the puffin being a fan of colder climes.  ;-)

Angus's tee-shirt was another pre-order of mine but from the spring preview.  I thought the color and applique were perfect for my little Nordic man.  I purchased it in the size 12-18 months, but if I had any idea of how big he was set to get over the past six months, I would have sized up to 18-24 months instead.  It fits him, but he is gonna outgrow it soon.  (Sad face.)



Revere Collar Shirt and Big Applique T-Shirt.  Because Boden is trying to get items sold before the big clearance sale comes in July, these two items are selling fast.  I am surprised that the men's items are selling out, but the mini Boden selling out is absolutely no surprise.

Creatures of the Deep T-Shirt.  It is sort of hard to see the applique here, but it is adorable, a huge red octopus holding up a pirate ship. It is really nicely detailed, and as per usual with mini Boden, the tee material is super soft yet durable.  I bought Rex the size 7-8 since he is getting really big for his age, and I wanted him to be able to wear it for at least two more years.  It is a touch wide and a bit long, but like most boys, he doesn't care.


Creatures of the Deep T-Shirt.  This grey version with the big fish is all gone, and Rex's octopus one is fast disappearing, too.  The eel version has some left, but I doubt those will even be there by clearance time.

Okay, that's it for this BWRR!  Enjoy your dress sale shopping.  Thanks, as usual, to all my blog friends for their great reviews!

Below you will find a direct link to the "up to 25% off" sale currently running.  :)