Made by Me Files: So Many Scarves!

Okay, so in honor of it being below freezing and snowing here in Northern Virginia, I thought I would round-up all of my recent scarf projects in one place.  Most of these below were Christmas presents, but a handful were for me.  (Of course, because you have to test on someone, right???)  ;-)

Enjoy the parade of neck warmers...

First up are the infinity scarves that I created with the help of this Simplicity pattern.  (It is free and very easy to follow.  I ended up having to change measurements, etc., in the process, but overall, the idea is the same for all of the infinity scarves I created.)

I made the above scarf out of a houndstooth cotton jersey ( similar here at fabric.com) for my good friend, B., who happens to have a great big crush on houndstooth.  I kind of knew she would dig it, and the next time I saw her, she was wearing it...and it looked fab on her.  Since I am not a fan of making people appear here who may prefer some privacy, I took a photo of me in it.  I kind of dig it, too.  :-)  I have about a yard of the fabric left, so I may make a top from the leftovers.

B's daughter, M, just turned three and I thought, "wouldn't that be so cute, a mini-me version of the infinity scarf I made for B?"  Well CW thought so, but she is 5 1/2, and a fashionista, so I knew that she would beg me for her own.  (And she did.)  I am not sure M. got it, but maybe she will when she is a bit older.

You have seen this scarf on me already, I wore it here at this post.  As a reminder, the fabric is a wool challis from Fabric Mart that is so soft and airy.  My next plan is to take a similar wool challis and make a square scarf, a la Hermes.

I wore the wool challis scarf again a few days later (you just haven't seen this outfit yet).

You have seen the above tribal print cotton jersey scarf already, here at this post, but I figured another reminder would be helpful, especially if you dug the look.

The second type is a scarf that I *sort of* created on my own.  Basically I took the infinity scarf pattern, but instead of sewing the final ends together, I let them hang free and added some beaded fringe to the ends.  The scarves can still be tied in an infinity-esque look, but is a touch dressier with the bling hanging off of it.  I have a tutorial planned using the first scarf (directly below this paragraph), so if you like the look of it, be on the lookout for that in the near future.

This scarf was for my bowling buddy, P.  She isn't super girly-girl, but I kind of thought she may appreciate having a pretty purple scarf with a touch of shine in her wardrobe.  She sews, so I know she knows what effort I put into it, so she seemed very appreciative.  It felt good to see her smile.  I used a quilting cotton for her scarf.

The beading was from Fabric Mart, but they no longer carry it (I received it for free, btw, in a trim bundle).

This scarf was for my bowling friend, S., who you saw here with me at an 80s cover band concert.  She LOVES purple, so I knew she would like this scarf.  It is made from a poly charmeuse fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics (I received a small remnant, just enough for a short scarf), and the beading.

This scarf was made for my mother (my mother-in-law is modelling it, though).  This is also made from a quilting cotton in the colors my mother JUST LOVES.  She loved it so much she literally flipped out on facebook after receiving it.  Then I told her I sewed it, and she subsequently freaked out even more.  LOL.  :-D

Okay, so that's it for tonight!!!  I hope if you are sewing, you are sewing something to keep you warm.  And if you aren't a sewer, just stay warm, okay???

OOTDs: Thursday, Friday, Sunday.

Hey, all!  Happy Monday.  If you have today off in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., I hope that your day off has gone well.  We have kept it fairly sedate here, but sometimes sedate is the best kind of day.  :-)

Anyhow, onto the outfits from my recent days.  (I have some from earlier last week, but these three "go" best together.)

Day: Thursday, January 16, 2014.

Where: G Street Fabrics/School Run/Little Gym.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) The pants are now kinda big, but since I am a big fan of comfort, especially when going to the Little Gym (all three kids had classes that afternoon), I keep the "they're just a touch too big" pants just for that purpose.  I wish that they wouldn't have that weird whiskering at the crotch area, but any pair of pants is going to have that, *unless* you get the exact right size for your body.  And I can tell you from all this sewing experience I am gaining, that even if you sew the exact right size for your shape, that still doesn't mean anything, you could still end up with weird lines everywhere.  Sigh.  (Even really loose pants will whisker if you put your legs together, you will have very deep frown lines radiating from your crotch.  LOL.  That sounds funny.)

The rest of the outfit was super comfy, and even though I don't wear the Fiona jacket that much anymore, I am glad to pull it out once or twice a year since it is so pretty and warm.

The shoes are the Penny Loafers from Boden that I just received the day before.  It took me less than twenty four hours to pull them out and wear them in real life.  Yep, like I feel about all my Boden loafers, it is love.

Cool Factor: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) This is a pretty preppy outfit, so I think in some circles it would be cooler than in others.  Fortunately most of you who read here seem to like this brand of preppy, so I think there will be a few fans of this look.  :-)

Anecdote from the Day:  I went ahead and purchased a class at G Street that starts this Saturday (the 25th) on drafting a pants pattern to your exact measurements.  Maybe, just maybe, I will eventually have a pair of pants that have no whiskers, at all.  (Crosses fingers!)

Day: Friday, January 17, 2014.

Where: Little Gym/Harris Teeter/Sushi Dinner.

Ease of Wear: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) Overall a very comfortable, weather-appropriate outfit, but I wish that I looked less "matron of a German women's prison" when the jacket is buttoned up.  I rarely button it up, but it was chilly enough that day to have a need for the full buttoned-up look.  No biggie, I am sure no one was staring and saying, "get back to the Fraus, dear lady," but still.  I guess the more severe cut is emphasized in the name, the Military Wool Jacket ( here--and on deep discount in all shades). 

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I like this look.  I really like it most without the jacket, but again, cold day and all.  :-)

Anecdote from the Day:  That is not a typo, we went to the Little Gym twice in two days.  I had missed so many of their classes when we were gone in December, that I have had a lot to make up with them.

And I went to Harris Teeter with all three kids.  They were very well behaved, by some minor miracle.  Hallelujah!

Day: Sunday, January 19, 2014.

Where: Day out in DC with the family.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) It was windy and cold, so any plans I had to wear anything other than a thick cashmere sweater and snood went away after I went outside briefly that morning. 

On the fly, I kind of dig how easy this outfit is and how cute it looks all together.  The Anthropologie boots (made by Pied Juste, more on the brand's history here) are super cool, but not super warm, so they are the reason the outfit had a point knocked off.  (Well and the fact that I triple-looped the snood around my neck, which meant it felt rather tight...warm, but tight.)

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I reckon this is a pretty cool look.  I felt cool anyhow.  My girl was probably the coolest.  Standing at the J. Crew, trying to figure out what time it opened (we had a return to make), a lady remarked on how well-dressed CW was.  Aw!  (She picked out her outfit completely on her own, btw.)

Anecdote from the Day:  We had intended to have me take the oldest two to the city on Friday (they had the day off--hence why they were so well-behaved at the Harris Teeter), but those plans fell through after Angus's babysitter fell through.  In the end, we decided to all head to the city on Sunday instead and I took CW to the Portrait Gallery, while Mr. Dina took Rex and Angus to the Spy Museum.  I then grabbed Rex and CW and went to the Pret a Manger, while Mr. Dina took Angus to the Shake Shack.  (Rex, CW, and I LOVE Pret a Manger, and we go whenever we can.)

Okay, that's it for tonight.  If you haven't had a chance, don't forget to enter my five-year blogoversy giveaway here. 

Boden: Summer Preview 2014 is Live! Yay!

She is so happy swinging that scarf in the summer breeze.

Thank you to CC who let me know in my "Five Years Giveaway" post that the Boden summer preview was going to drop this morning.  Of course since my oldest two are home from school (teacher workday) and my youngest had a class at the Little Gym, this is the very first moment I have had to actually write the post up and it is simply to let you all know that the Boden Preview is here and live.

As per usual, you can use the code PRV3 to receive 20% off with free shipping.  I love to order during preview since I think 20% off is a decent amount and it ensures that I will have the things that could potentially sell out.  I also wear the items before they make it to a greater % off, so I am never that upset if they make it to clearance at a lower price.  The PRV3 code ends on February 7, 2014, so you know.  Will make sure to remind you all again, though, before it expires.

I will do a picks post, fairly soon, but if any of you have any favorites, definitely comment below and I will make sure to try and include them in my picks post!

Enjoy (preview) shopping!

Five Years. New Items. And a Giveaway.

Well, look at that...five years of blogging.  I am still amazed that I have kept this personal style/OMG I love Boden/J. Crew/SAHM craziness blog up for all this time.  If it were April Fool's Day I would totally tell you all that I was shuttering the doors to My Superfluities, but since it isn't, I will just take this opportunity to thank you all for coming here and reading/commenting/supporting me and mine throughout the years.  It has been a process and I cannot believe how much of a difference putting myself "out there" has made in my life.  I will probably write down the "five things I have learned from five years of blogging" post sometime soon, but for now I think I will focus on the most tangible difference, that of personal confidence.  I may still have days of worry and doubt and insecurity, but for the most part I wake up every morning feeling so much better about myself, my situation, and the future of my family than I would have five years ago.  I may have gotten there on my own, without this blog, since I am in my thirties, and most women gain self-confidence in their thirties, but I cannot deny that this blog helped my evolution.

Anyhow, I will blather on about all of this when I have more time, but for now, I wanted to share with you all two separate things...

1. I received a HUGE package of Boden/mini Boden in the mail today.  I took photos of the Boden items and can give you a very brief overview of the clothing, but do expect more information in the next Boden Weekly Review Roundup which I desperately need to do already.  I must say that receiving the package on the birthday of this blog seemed like perfect timing, so yay for that.  ;-)

2. Because I love celebrating the years of blogging with a giveaway, I will be giving away a $50 gift card to Boden.  To enter you will need to leave a comment below with your name and e-mail, plus one item that you just LOVE from the Boden spring rollout.  I can give this gift card to anyone, so international friends, don't hesitate to enter, either!

In order to enter, I would appreciate you following this blog in some format or another.  Bloglovin' seems to be the favorite, but I know that many of you follow (or can follow) through other formats, so go ahead and mention how you follow, if you wouldn't mind.  I don't need huge numbers of followers, but it is nice to see an uptick as the years go on and on...

The giveaway will be on January 30, so you have fifteen days to enter!  Usually I end them after a week, but feel like this will allow more folks to enter. 

I am paying for this giveaway out of pocket, btw.  Boden knows I love them, but they don't make it a habit of giving me gift cards to giveaway.  I just felt like I should make that clear since in the fall they *did* partner with some (much bigger and more established) bloggers to host giveaways, which did include those bloggers giving away a gift card from them, that Boden did pay for and not the bloggers who hosted the giveaway.  Being clear about this is important, since I am a Boden affiliate, as you all know, which means Boden works with me through an affiliate program.  That means I can offer you all some yummy coupons and codes and in turn Boden pays me a % when purchases are made.  They do all of this through an affiliate program which means I have *very little* interaction with Boden.

Okay, so onto the yummy goodies that I received in the mail!

L to R, clockwise order: Button Back Sweater, Must Have Tee, Sophia Sweater, Penny Loafers, and Bistro Short.

I will discuss the four clothing items below, but I didn't take a separate photo of the loafers and want to give a big huge thumbs up to the folks at Boden for making these in half sizes, since these are a 40.5 and fit my narrow 9.5 feet perfectly.  As many of you know, I have struggled in Boden shoes for years since it would often be that the size 40 would fit well width-wise, but not in length, but the 41 would be too wide and the right length.  The 40.5 is exactly what I needed, and these shoes confirm that. 

Button Back Sweater.  Size 6.  Fits well, just long enough, in a very soft, lightweight cotton/merino wool blend.  But all that aside, look at the pretty pretty print, swoon!

Must Have Tee. Size 6.  Runs ginormous, but because it is viscose (the stretchy knit type), I know that eventually it will shrink, even with careful washing and line drying, so I will keep the larger size with that in mind.  If I only planned to wear it for a year, I would buy the 4 and sell it when it got to short and narrow.

Bistro Short.  Size 10 L.  Perfection in all ways, length, fit, comfort, etc.  As per usual, the waist is a bit big since my waist is technically a 6 or 8 by Boden standards, but the bonus of buying up is I can wear the waist lower, which in turn makes the length a touch longer.  I need that with my height, so I am not complaining.  The print is so gorgeous, too, and made me smile.  I can't wait for warm weather.

Sophia Sweater.  Size 6.  This sweater (or jumper, for you British readers) runs really long.  Like it is "almost a tunic" on me long.  It's not something that looks bad, but I was expecting it to be a bit shorter.  I won't be able to wear it with shorts, but this will look adorable with the J. Crew minnies and a pair of ballet flats.

Okay, so don't forget to look around Boden so you can tell me what you would grab from the Spring rollout when you enter the giveaway.

Rare J. Crew/Anthropologie For Sale!

Rare J. Crew/Anthropologie For Sale! by dinagideon featuring J.Crew

Yeah, I have cleared my closets some more. :-)

Info is in the polyvore, but you are welcome to contact me at dinagideon AT aim DOT com if you have any interest in any of the above items.

OOTDs: A Weekend's Worth.

Day: Sunday, January 12, 2014.

Where: Church.

Ease of Wear: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) The dress was made by me for me (see this post on the process and more views), so it is very comfortable for me to wear.  I took a point off because the dress sleeves didn't comfortably fit in the cardigan sleeve, but that wasn't hard to fix, I just had to fiddle with them a bit, and I *hate* fiddling.

The Boden Suede wedges are comfortable, too, am pretty excited to receive the Mid-Heel Wedge in navy so I have another pair of easy wearing heels to tromp around in.  The Suede Wedge in Pewter is pretty similar to these that I am wearing, a bit lighter in color, but same height, etc., and it has the bonus of being in the clearance section right now, too.  :-)

Cool Factor: (2.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I am not knocking my outfit, but yeah, not super cool.  It's for church, and I wore a cardigan buttoned up so I would have a fairly modest outfit for mass.  (I had to, check out the back view of the dress had I not worn the cardigan.  No one at church wants to see me in that, trust me.)

Anecdote from the Day:  No big adventure, but I met a nice girl who is single and all manner of things adorable, and of course, I immediately went into my spiel about my nice, sweet, handsome, very Catholic brother.  LOL.

I also met a lady who has been going to my church for 60 years!  60!  I have been there for 28, which I know isn't a ton, but it is definitely longer than 85% of the people there have been there.  I have a feeling I will be doing things like her when I am in my elder age...talking with younger moms about my experiences with my three little ones.  I kind of look forward to that.  So wonderful that I could share a few moments of my day with her.

Day: Saturday, January 11, 2014.

Where: Birthday party for one of our family friends.

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) Nothing was super uncomfortable enough to ding the outfit two whole points, BUT enough little things bugged me to ding it two points overall.

1. It was raining a lot.  There was even thunder.  Rain makes things harder.

2. I went to a birthday party with my two youngest, and because my youngest refuses to wear shoes, I have to cart his bottom in my arms when it is raining so he doesn't get his feet completely wet.  That means I get hot and bothered FAST.

3. The darn second button on the back of this adorable Lace-Trim Swiss-Dot Top kept coming undone, because the length of the hole is just a bit too big for the button.  It kept popping out, which led me to constantly asking my friend to redo it for me.  Blegh.

4. I know this isn't really a comfort thing, but the necklace I planned originally to wear with it just looked wrong, so I switched to a wool/cotton challis infinity scarf that I had sewn up yesterday morning.  I am glad it looked decent with the top, since my brain didn't want to have to bother with a third option.  LOL. 

Cool Factor: (3.5 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) For all my issues with it, I dig it, and think it looks pretty good, as long as we forget that I tried the blue Stella & Dot necklace with it first.

Anecdote from the Day:  The party was held at the same place where my kids went to preschool.  It was nice to go back.  Even though I am always in that neighborhood, I just don't get over to the center very often.  They had completely redone the soft play room with snazzy new toys.  The kids were over the moon about the party.

Back view of the top.  I was *this* close to buying the size Petite 6 instead of the regular 4, and seeing the back of this makes me think my instinct was probably spot on...I will keep this one, but for future reference, I will store that bit of data and just trust my instincts. 

See that second button there, btw, cheekily starting to pop out.  Yeah...

Day: Friday, January 10, 2014.

Where: Dinner at El Paso Cafe to see my Grandpa (he is in from Poland for a few weeks).

Ease of Wear: (3 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear) I purposely chose a more fitted outfit so I wouldn't overeat at El Paso, which is SHOCKINGLY easy to do there.  Gawd, that food is so freaking good.

Anyhow, all the pieces fit, but I know that my comfort level in the Boden Bistro wool crop go way down if I eat too much, so there you go.  :-) 

I still ate way too much, hence the 3 stars.  Ah, well.  It was worth it.

Cool Factor: (4 of 5 stars--5 being the coolest--for both outfits.) I like the curvier, edgier look I had that night, which for me is a rare occurrence.  I would rather be pretty and polished (like the church outfit) most of the time, and find my comfort level is highest in dresses, cardigan, skirts, tights, and low heels, but I have to try other things, and that is why I appreciate this blog so much.  In the (nearly--eep) five years I have been publishing posts here, I have really pushed my own preppy, perfectionist ways, allowing myself to be a bit more "whatever."  This look seems a bit girl band rock prep.  Yeah, girl band rock prep.  I like that. 

Anecdote from the Day:  Angus's look is because he just wasn't having the Mariachi band that was playing that night.  They were loud, very good, and not exactly Angus's cup of tea.  Poor fellas were trying so hard, too, they even played La Cucaracha for him, really putting the show on, and he barely managed a smile.  Boo, Tiny, Boo!  CW and I applauded big time to make up for Angus's surliness.

Okay, that's it for tonight.  Have fun the rest of your late Sunday evening!