Boden: Mid Season Sale Time! Up to 40% Off.

Happy Monday, all!

Boden rolled out a mid-season sale this morning, with many items up to 40% off.  This may be the first time some of the items I really like, and want to buy, are at 40% off.  Of course that also means that some of the items I have loved already and worn are in the 40% off category (including the jade/pink Clementine Dress here, review here), but, eh, at least I have enjoyed it before it dropped in price.

The Icons collection is not included in the mid-season sale nor are the clearance items, but I am sure this surprises none of you.

This sale runs from today until next week, so you have plenty of time to peruse your favorites and make some decisions.  I definitely have a few reviews from my closet AND from other women's closets (all my blog friends have been busy), so there will be a Boden Weekly Review Roundup this week.  I will not make excuses.  It will happen.

Is there any items you love in the sale that made it to 30% or 40% off?  Would love to read your thoughts!

Enjoy (sale) shopping!

Boden: 25% Off Flash Sale and Spring 2016 Preview!

Molly Dress

Hey, all!  I am back!  I love being away, I would never ever complain about having fun on vacation, but it is nice to return to structure and normalcy.  I have plans to get all my vacation shots organized and put together, since I know many of you like to see vacation ootds as they help for planning packing for future trips.  If I am really productive, maybe in the next few days? 

It really has been all Boden over here at the blog lately.  Not that it surprises any of you all, but usually I do throw in more ootd posts in the mix.  (I have a few to show off, they are all stuck at Instagram right now, though.) 

First up--Spring 2016 is up and ready for Preview orders.  I don't have a code for the usual 20% off, but I am fairly confident I will receive one eventually.  If any of you have one and would like to share it, that would be great.  :-)

The preview I have only briefly glanced at, but the dresses and knitwear look a bit dire.  Boden should really go back to showing us the catalog shots.  They really do help set a mood.  The blah blue background may help the colors pop, but there was very little catching my eye.  I may warm up to it, but right now I am a bit underwhelmed.  (Though I do love the above Molly Dress and the Martha Dress, they are definitely "Boden" in feel, and of course, that's what I love, garments that are their "look.")

Second, I was emailed by the affiliate program that there is a flash sale going on at Boden, 25% off everything (that excludes the new Boden Icons collection and clearance), but I didn't see it until this morning.  It is set to expire on Wednesday, so there is still some time left to enjoy the savings.

I don't know if I will enjoy this sale, there are a few items I would like to have (I have bought very little from fall and winter!), but I am not sure my funds are there.  ;-)  I hope some of you are able to grab items you would like.  (I say if they are low stock now, go for it, especially if you will wear it sooner than later.  Fully in stock items you can wait on...)

This text link works to receive 25% off!  Have fun (sale) shopping!
25% off everything! 4 days only (valid 9/27-9/30)

Boden: Boden Icons Debut!

Belgravia Dress. Karen Elson makes this dress look fierce.  It is a bit less fierce looking in real life standing up.

Belgravia Dress on Model. Still very pretty, but has lost a bit of the specialness that the Karen Elson photo brings it.  That is probably all the downlighting and atmosphere.  :-)  And where is the tie neck?  (I actually like it better without, but still...)

Hey, you all!  I am on the cruise right now (this was the second trip I planned for September before receiving a job offer this summer).  I have to be quick, but the Boden Icons collection debuted this morning and I figured some of you would want to talk about the pretty, the not so pretty, and the huh?  There are bits of all three, and as you can see above, the Belgravia dress, while pretty, is also a bit of "huh" what with the loss of a tie neck promised in the Karen Elson shot, and the addition (probably always there, though) of the split front skirt seams.  I love the idea of the Belgravia dress, but now seeing it in real life, I like it less.  It just woudn't suit me as much as what I thought it was would have.  Oh, well.  Not that I could have afforded $378 anyhow.

Speaking of affording the Icons line, I tried the coupon that Boden's affiliate program has issued for us publishers to use, and it didn't work last week, and it's still not working this week.  It is supposedly valid, but it isn't working on even regular clothing, much less the Icons, so I couldn't tell you if the Icons collection is excluded from this coupon or not right now.  Maybe one of you all will have more success?

With that said, I present the gorgeous Karen Elson photos followed by the products not on Karen Elson.  It is a bit of a difference.

(Oh, sorry for the formatting issues.  I am having a tough time getting things to look "proper" and I don't have the energy to make it right.  Right now, anyhow.)

This is also the Belgravia Dress, just in a sheer silk chiffon.

This is not the dress for me.  Too Stevie Nicks.  Too Sheer.  I am certain someone could make this work. Let's just hope Karen Elson isn't the only one, lol.

Hyde Parka.  Stunning.

Hyde Parka.  Less Stunning.

Brighton Duffle Coat.  I thought this was leather.  It looks like leather here, anyhow.

Brighton Duffle Coat.  Not too bad, and a reasonable-ish price.  Not leather though.

Spitalfields Coat in red. This version is way better than the mismatched plaid version from my last blog post (though the version on the model on the product page is properly matched).

Spitalfields Coat.  Very generously sized.  It is a glamorous coat, but looks proportionally off on the model. 

Okay, that's it.  I want to say more and while the wifi is pretty decent on the ship, it's still slower than at home, so I will save myself frustration and end the post here.  :-)

Definitely leave any thoughts you have!  I may not be able to respond back for a while, but I should be able to read them all soon enough!

This coupon is supposed to work.  I hold out hope it will, which is why it is here at the bottom of this post.  Fingers crossed...

Boden: Fall/Winter 2015 is Here! And Boden Icons!

Longer Line Cable Sweater here in two colors...

Hey, you all.  I am back from Florida. 

CW made a beautiful Princess Anna.  I am pleased she was pleased after all the saving up of money (it's expensive to be pricessified), and having to deal with a five hour delay going there (hello, 3 am arrival) and a cancellation on the way back (come on, really?).  I am happy to go back to Disney, but it's going to be a few months, at least.  ;-)

I am off to a cruise for my (big, OMG I am how old) birthday with my aunt at the end of this week, so if the blog goes fully silent, blame lack of internet access.  Which is fine, I know.  I just am used to being super plugged in.  It's probably good for me (at my age, lol) to be unplugged from time to time.

Okay, so that out of the way, onto Boden.

1. There were quite a few new arrivals on Monday.  Couldn't write about them then (travel day) and couldn't write about them yesterday because of...

Angus at his first day of preschool *yeah*,

so I am writing about it today. 

There are quite a few lovely items and it seems I must have missed many of them in my original picks post way back when.  Or they didn't have these in the preview.  I don't know.  These multiple rollouts are to hard for me to follow (at my age, lol).

2. The folks at Boden must be doing well since the current promo being emailed around and on the back of the catalogs are for 11% off with free ship and returns.  I haven't seen one that "low" in years.  Probably 2010?  But...and because I have access to it, and so do you, the affiliate program has a promo for 15% off with free ship and returns (over $49), which is pretty great, so use it if you need it, of course.  I probably will (after I have paid for the princessification of Little Miss CW).

3. So in this last catalog they sent out there was an insert for the "Boden Icons" collection, which is like the Boden Limited Edition of yore (RIP).  It is intriguing, but it was no secret that I was a HUGE fan of the Limited Edition stuff. In fact, I have only ever sold one item from my collection, and that was because there was a fit issue.  I on the regular wear my beautiful silk jersey dresses from that line.  Here is a look at the lookbook, courtesy of the Telegraph.

The Belgravia dress is gorgeous, and I am a fan, but woah, that 250 pound amount is roughly equivalent to $375.  The other pieces are lovely and if I was an independent gazillionaire I would happily purchase most of it and put in my gorgeous MASSIVE closet.

This is a "huh" piece, the Spitalfields Coat, which at 400 pounds maybe should have plaid that lines up properly?  I suspect this is intentional, but my seamstress eyes are really bothered.

Okay, that's all for now!  Do you have any picks from either the rollout from Monday or the Icons line?  I would love to read your thoughts!  I will be unlikely to respond for some time, but do know I read all comments and do appreciate them all.  I eventually do write back, but it often takes me some time.

Have a great night everyone!

Boden: Extra 20% Off Clearance Items! Ends Tonight!

Hi, all! 

I have been a terrible blogger this month.  I know you all know I am back to teaching, but one thing that you didn't know (unless you know me in real life) is that before I found out I was going to be teaching this year, I booked two big trips for this September, since September travel is usually the least expensive of the year.  Well, I was sure I didn't have a job for this year since all the positions had been filled, but in late June, I was asked to be the Tech teacher for the little ones, and fortunately my new boss was very understanding of my predicament of having two trips in a September time frame.  She approved the trips (won't do that to her again, though, lol) and so I have been a flurry of activity, teaching, child rearing, packing and unpacking, and sub planning.  It's all good, I am super happy, just super busy.  I will be sure to update as I can, but it likely to be a very sparse month here at the blog.  :-)

I am sure most of you know this, but to make sure the word is fully out there, Boden decided to do an "extra 20% off" their summer clearance.  They did this a few weeks ago in Britain, and it sure took a long time to get to us in the United States!  But it's here until tonight.

I do see a lot of great deals out there, but there are some items that while better priced than when they were in "regular" price mode, they aren't really that big of a steal.  That happens when an item is super popular, and Boden is pretty sure they will get the higher price for it, so they don't feel the need to super reduce it.  I wanted to make sure to mention it, if you are real bargain hunter.

There a ton of tees and tops that are reduced significantly, from $70 down to nearly $15.  That's a good deal, and definitely a rock bottom kind of price.  If you hunt and look, you will find things.  Now whether you want or need those things is up to you.  We live in Virginia and our summer is the longest season of the year, so I have more summer clothes than winter clothing (though I know I have a large coat collection, which I admit is ridiculous), so this clearance draws me in more than the fall and winter one.  The fall/winter one does come at holiday time, so I do dip for gifts, but not much more than that.

Has anyone spied any great deals they would love to share?  I would love to see what your thoughts are!

Don't forget, if you want more information on any item, it is possible there was a review of an item or two in one of my blog's Boden Weekly Review Roundups.

I hope to be back with more here at the blog soon, but until then, I hope all of you are having a wonderful September.

Limited time with an additional 20% off clearance!

OOTDs: A Little Bit of Late Summer.

Day: Sunday, August 23, 2015.

Where:  Church, Elevation Burger for lunch, and Bowling with some friends.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) I almost sold the Barbados dress, but because I had plans to wear it on an upcoming cruise, and because I didn't get back to the blog reader early enough (she found it on ebay!), I was able to hold onto it for longer.  I am so happy it worked out since re-wearing it and matching CW has reminded me of why I fell in love with it in the first place.  It is super lightweight, very cool on a hot day, and made in a silhouette that is super friendly to my pear shape.  :-)

The Cole Haan sandals have been in my closet forever and I love them so much, they give height without being too uncomfortable. 

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew; Shoes, Cole Haan (similar here at amazon.com); Necklace, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  We saw some good friends at mass and when we mentioned that we were going bowling, their ears perked up.  We thought, "hey, let's invite them the next time we go," but they could come that afternoon.  I love it when plans fall into place so easily.  It was awesome.  :-)  I did okay, but I want to always do better.  BTW, I am not joining the bowling league this year (sad) since my new job means I don't have enough spare time to make it happen. So I really will need these outings to keep my bowling skills up.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

INSTAGRAM at bowling HERE.

Day: Wednesday, August 19, 2015.

Where:  Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) The dress features buttons that gape a bit at the back, but other than that, seersucker in a bright yellow in a pear shape friendly dress style?  Yep, a winner.  I sometimes wonder why I bother to wear trousers and shorts.  Ever.

Outfit Details:  Dress, J. Crew; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, this exact pair can be found here at amazon.com (amazon.com also has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Necklace, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Anthropologie.

Anecdote of the Day:  So the week before I had seen my ex-roommate at Whole Foods at Winesday.  I am happy to report there was no sighting of him this time.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, August 21, 2015.

Where:  Swimming Pool.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) It's a ruched femme swimsuit from J. Crew, my favorite swimsuit style ever, hands down.  It even beats out the iconic Speedo one piece styles with the racer backs that I wear for swimming laps.  The only reason for the slight ding is that this particular version of the ruched femme ran a bit longer in the torso than the other ones in the past.

Outfit Details:  Swimsuit, J. Crew (my version is only available in d cup or long torso, but the pretty fern print one is still around in a regular length).

Anecdote of the Day:  I did nothing but laze around with my kids and my dad at the pool that day.  I was glad I took those moments, though, since the next week was an endless parade of school meetings and classroom work.  I was exhausted from all the teacher prep I did.  (I will do those teacher type outfits later this week, fwiw.)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, August 22, 2015.

Where:  Rex's baseball tryouts, Stella and Dot party, and a dog fair.

Ease of Wear: (3.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Like I said above, I don't even know why I bother ever wearing anything other than dresses or skirts and tops.  I find shorts and pants a bit uncomfortable, except when they are made by me OR when they feature an elastic waistband and stretchy material.  And since that's not always appropriate everywhere you go, I suck it up and do the "real" thing with proper closures from time to time.  But I can't help the feeling of "I want something better!"  :-)  These are fine, and really, they aren't nearly as bad as I know they could be, but unless I feel super thin (which is almost never), I feel very conspicuous when wearing pants and shorts.  

Outfit Details:  Tee, Madewell; Shorts, Boden (this year's styles here); Shoes, J. Crew (in navy here); Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  My friend, A., mentioned there was some kind of fair near us when I was at the Stella and Dot party.  Initially I was supposed to walk three miles home from the party, but instead I went with her to the dog fair.  In the end, snuggling cute puppies and then only getting 1.5 miles seemed to be a fair trade.  Right?  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, I hope you all are doing well!  Have a great last few hours of August and happy early September!

OOTDs: Ferns, Palms, Ikat, and Itty Bitty Florals.

Hey, all!  Happy Wednesday!

Before I get started, I wanted to let you all know that Boden rolled out quite a few new arrivals on Monday.  Because that was the day I was in "new" teacher training I wasn't able to get the news out right away.  :-)  That said, I am sure most of you figured it out already.  I have my eyes on a few items, and hopefully before the week's end, I can get a post done on the rollout in a proper fashion.  There is a coupon for 20% off mini Boden in my sidebar and at the bottom of this post, but it works for everything on the site, so enjoy it for you, too.

Okay, onto the outfits of late.

Day: Saturday, August 8, 2015.

Where:  Mini Golf in Manassas and dinner with my brother.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) J. Crew had that redonk 75% off sale recently, and the shorts were an impulse purchase (along with a pair in green).  They are amazing.  I sized to a medium since I wanted the extra room so I could pull them down to my hips so they wouldn't super short on me.  (I read they were running large, so instead of sizing up to a large so I could pull them down, I went with my "tts" J. Crew size of medium--though crazily enough J. Crew sometimes runs so large in bottoms I can wear an small.) The linen is substantial, the tie is not superfluous or silly, and the elastic is thick and comfortable.  If you are a pear shaped lady, these are your shorts.  Trust me.

The silk fern blouse was from a while back, and it was loose and flowy and just right for the searing heat and humidity that afternoon.  Playing mini golf in the middle of a parking lot with the sun blaring down on you is intense, but I didn't feel too gross or overheated.  (The top is a bit cropped, though, so long torso ladies, beware.)

Outfit Details:  Cropped Silk Popover Blouse in Tropical Fern, J. Crew here (also in a darling coverup that is more "in stock" and a bathing suit--I own and love that one); Drawstring Linen Shorts, J. Crew here; Shoes, J. Crew; Clutch/Bag, Stella and Dot here and chain for bag here; Sunglasses, Target (but then left those at home, d'oh, so switched to the ones in my car from Anthropologie).

Anecdote of the Day:  I was better at mini golf than I remembered, but it wasn't like I was some sort of superstar.  I got a hole in one, though, so for that, I celebrated.  Little things bring me joy, you all.

Rex used a knife to cut up onions at my brother's house (we were eating Mexican food).  I guess eight is a good age for them to learn that skill, but it's still weird to just let it go and be okay with it.  :-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Wednesday, August 12, 2015.

Where: Winesday at Whole Foods.

Ease of Wear: (4.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Oh I love this halter dress so much!  The back has a bit of elastic to give it some wiggle room, and the skirt is nice and full with pockets.  It is the perfect dress for a pear shape.  I am so glad I bought it all those years ago.  :-)  (It's been a while since I wore it, though, inexplicably...here I am in it with my long, no bangs, light blonde hair.)

The Esska shoes are awesome for long walks, since they have tons of cushioning there in the sole.  I desperately wish these were available here in the United States more readily.  I was only able to get these because Anthropologie decided to carry a couple of styles a year or so ago.  UK ladies, so jealous of you all!

Outfit Details:  Jakarta Halter Dress, J. Crew (someone has this exact dress in the same size for sale at ebay); Sandals, Esska; Sunglasses, Anthropologie; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  I get along with most people, most of the time, even if I am a bit introverted at first.  I was finishing up the winesday portion of the evening, and about to start the shopping portion (usually yogurts, fresh produce, and some vitamins) when I saw a former roommate of mine from the late 90s.  It was so weird to see him just standing there.  I *know* he saw me but I pretended not to see him, I just couldn't make small talk and pretend like everything is okay.  He was fine for the most part while we were roommates, but at the end it got B.A.D., and I had to leave living there in a hurry, so seeing him was a bit jarring.  Mr. Dina has seen him a few times through the years, too.  Didn't see him last night at Winesday, though, and haven't seem him at the other ones, either. 

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Saturday, August 15, 2015.

Where:  Playdate at the park with Rex.

Ease of Wear: (4.75 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) Contrary to what the photos show, earlier in the day I felt like such crap, and though I knew I needed to go this playdate with Rex for his class (he just loves seeing all his friends), I was struggling with a massive migraine (I only get these a couple of times a year compared to my pre-PFO surgery amount), and while the medicine worked to keep it from being too intense, it still was imparting some pain.  The Garnet Hill starlet dress is so soft and has such nice ease because of the knit fabric, that I at least didn't have to deal with digging waistbands or too tight hip areas. 

After I took a nap and used more medicine and an ice pack, we all went to dinner and I felt even better in this getup.  :-)

Outfit Details:  Dress, Garnet Hill's versions from this year here; Shoes, J. Crew; Bag, J. Crew; Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, Gift.

Anecdote of the Day:  I was telling one of the moms about my migraine and she said she suffered from them, too, and through that conversation, we discover we had both suffered strokes (mine of the mini variety) and we both had to have our PFO closed.  She is the only other person I have met who has gone through what I went through, I am so glad I opened up to here about not feeling great.  I have someone in my circle who "gets it."

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Thursday, August 13, 2015.

Where:  Cafe Rio for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (3.25 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) You ever have days where you feel a little bloated for whatever reason?  Well that day was one of those for me.  These shorts are normally my "go to" shorts since they always fit just fine, but they felt so snug that day, even though I could pull them down to my hips, etc.  I think I was just in a truly terrible state and nothing was going to feel good, outside of pjs or a easy knit dress.  But I had it in my head I wanted to wear the tee, and these shorts were the only ones that seemed to work, and it was too hot to wear pants, and a skirt wouldn't have looked right.  Grr. 

Outfit Details:  Tee, J. Crew; Shorts, J. Crew; Sandals, Target here; Sunglasses, AR Trapp (via J. Crew).

Anecdote of the Day:  Cafe Rio was really yummy.  I don't know that eating yummy salty Mexican food was the smart choice for me that "night of bloat" but man it tasted so good.  I should have better willpower, lol.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Tuesday, August 18, 2015.

Where:  Staples, then to Honey Pig Izakaya for dinner.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.) This is a handmade dress so it is very comfortable.  :-)  Love the woven rayon for its very comfortable hand in the heat, though sadly it appears I didn't prewash and dry it enough to keep it from shrinking.  It has gotten a touch shorter and slimmer over the past year.  It hopefully will be done soon, but I definitely have to baby it when I wash it.

Didn't feel like contacts that day, so threw on my Bebe glasses, and unfortunately in our heat and humidity, they kept slipping down my nose, sigh.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Handmade; Factory Raffia Boardwalk Sandals, J. Crew Factory here; Bag, J. Crew; Necklace, J. Crew; Glasses, Bebe.

Anecdote of the Day:  Going to Staples to buy the kids school supplies on a Tuesday was smart.  We were the only ones there, which is contrary to the Target/Walmart runs we have engaged in the past.  We saved money, too, so I say go for it if you are a parent who is tired of getting places and finding 7000 other people and completely empty cartons of glue sticks, markers, etc.  Unfortunately the teacher stuff was kind of disappointing, so I will have to order some of that online.

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Day: Friday, August 7, 2015.

Where:  Another playdate, this time to say goodbye to a friend leaving the area for a while.

Ease of Wear: (4.5 of 5 stars--5 being the most easy to wear.)  Boden does these kind of summer casual jersey dresses so well.  I would say Garnet Hill does it a touch better, but Boden is definitely in second place, and if they could up the "softness" level on their fabric, they would be in first place because their prints and colors are better than Garnet Hill's.

I have now put the Birkenstock sandals on their tightest setting on the strap, and now they fit perfectly.  I walked for a mile in them last night and they stayed on my feet perfectly.  Love these so much now that they fit exactly to my foot.

Outfit Details:  Dress, Boden; Birkenstock Madrid Sandals, this exact pair can be found here at amazon.com (amazon.com also has the shade in these sandals and J. Crew still has some of the mirrored Madrid available); Sunglasses, Target; Necklace, tru.che here.

Anecdote of the Day:  My son's friend's mom is another big Boden and Garnet Hill fan and we have a very eerily similar closet.  LOL.  Anyhow, she was wearing the Blackberry dress that night in yellow, and I knew it was her from 200 yards away.  ;-)

INSTAGRAM HERE.

Okay, that's it for me for now.  I hope to come back sooner than I did this time.  :-)

Remember if you want to try something from Boden's new styles, this coupon is good for those, even though it is marketed specifically to mini Boden.