Here it is...Outfit #1 for Trip to Florida!!!

You all have already seen the polyvore of this day's oufit, but just in case you haven't go to this post and see "Saturday." Oh, and so you know, that pretty green dress also shown as part of Saturday's outfit? Well, it wasn't worn till Sunday, so you all will have to wait to see me in it (I know, the anticipation is JUST killing you...heehee). ;)

I am glad I chose to wear this outfit on the plane...it was UBER-comfy. The cardigan is the same merino michelle cardigan in melon that I wore on April 1, see this post here. The tank is the J. Crew painted tank that I searched high and low for...and finally bought from some store in Connecticut. It is VERY long on me, but I think I will tailor the straps to make it a bit shorter. It is weird...for as tall as I am, I have a very short torso so even smalls are sometimes too long or large. (I definitely never have that problem on my bottom-half...sigh.) The pants are J. Crew Madison stretch chinos and even though they are a little big (should be retired), I decided to keep them for this trip exclusively for the plane...there is nothing I hate more that having a too-snug waistband when you can't get up and adjust (you all know what I mean). The belt is the darling skinny-belt from J. Crew this season. Its perfect hot-pink color works so nicely with this cardigan and tank. The shoes are Earth shoes, and yes, they are ugly, but I have to wear them...they are perfect for travel. I also have on a pair of compression socks. I suffer from something called MTHFR disorder, which basically means that my blood clots too easily, and that can lead to BIG problems on flights. Here is a great explanation of the disorder. You probably have heard the stories...young girl on flight...gets off flight...collapses...discovered that she has a huge clot in her lung...she dies because it was too late. I also have to take extra aspirin (I take one baby aspirin a day to thin my blood everyday without fail) during this time for extra-blood thinning power...woo!

Aren't the kids just precious? Yes, I did dress CW to match me. And no, Rex is NOT dressed yet. He is still in his PJs...smart when you have a two-year old just learning to eat properly with a spoon!!!

Up next will be the post with the outfits from Sunday (the day we went to Magic Kingdom and this awesome restaurant called T. Rex in Downtown Disney).

Have a great night, everyone!!!

Guava, Melon, and Yellow...Like a Yummy Dessert! (Or--One Outfit from BEFORE my Spring Break Began!)

As much as I love being on vacation, there is nothing that I love more than being back home. Northern Virginia, for all its faults, is a great place to live and spring here is glorious. After only five days of being away the tulips are blooming. Wow. Sure, the temps are supposed to be quite chilly this weekend, but when the tulips make it out, NOVA is ready for the good stuff...all that hot and humidity (which I LOVE and this is the reason Florida was so great). Of course I think I love the anticipation of the hot and humidity especially, which may be why a place like NOVA is awesome...we only get that type of weather for half the year (if that)...giving me something to look forward to the rest of the year. Does that make sense or am I just a little weird? I am also the type that loves the anticipation of a trip almost as much as the trip itself.

BTW, I probably won't be able to comment back on all your awesome comments till tomorrow...I hope you all will forgive me.

Without further ado, here is an oldie but goodie (wore it over a week ago, on Wednesday, April 1, 2009).

The polyvore is here:

Guava, Melon, and Yellow...Like a Yummy Dessert! by dinagideon featuring J Crew tops

This is the outfit on me full-length. I really like how the merino cardigan in melon looks with the guava tunic. I also happened to have the most perfect belt ever for this outfit...J. Crew (surprise) from four or five years ago. I have only recently begun wearing belts around my hips...love that my hips are thinner...enough that I can wear belts without getting the dreaded muffin-top look. The pants are cords by Lee Riders that I bought at Kohl's in fall 2007. The shoes are the buttercup colored perfect-patent flats by J. Crew from last fall.

Here is why I tucked in the tunic: I still don't feel completely comfortable with the hem of this top...it is still giving me the scrunched-up look and I really don't like that. Also, there was the added bonus of showing off the pretty belt, so I went with it!!! Here is where my initial review of the tunic is located.

Next up: Saturday's outfit for the plane and the first day in Orlando! (Or Outfit #1 from the trip...)

You all have a great day!!! I am so excited to be back...

Quick Hello from Florida!!!

We are having such a nice time down here...lots of sun, heat, and humidity. But since this is my favorite type of weather (I actually love DC in August), I am in heaven.

On Saturday, we arrived after a very uneventful flight (Rex and CW were awesome). Then we arrived at our friend's house and did nothing...it was blissful. Yesterday we got up, found our way to Magic Kingdom, and were able to ride four rides and walk around before we HAD to quit (yep, along with our two, our friends have two boys under 3--we have a travelling preschool). Then we ran over to T. Rex, a restaurant with a dinosaur theme. The choice for dinner last night was not by accident, Jim made reservations a while ago...after all, our #1 son is named Rex. Considering how expensive and themed it was we completely expected it to serve awful food but a good time. Well it turns out that not only was it a lot of fun and really well decorated, the food was really, really good. I had the Fillet Mignon and it was as scrumptious as the ones I have had at more expensive steakhouses. Mmm.

Today we are off to Cocoa Beach and it appears today will be less active...woo. Tomorrow will be a jaunt to Universal Studios (we have to go on the Simpsons ride). On Wednesday, the day we fly out, we plan on going back to Downtown Disney (where T. Rex is located) for the morning just to walk around and see the sites.

We will be back by Wednesday night, but I probably won't be able to post and/or comment back until Thursday morning at the earliest. (But don't worry, you know I always keep my word, even if it takes longer than I would like.)

I want to leave you with my Polyvore of the trip's outfits. Many of you have already seen this, but for those of you who have not, I felt like this post's pic could be of the set I created. I have worn these outfits without fail. I truly believe Polyvore has helped me with packing...it's official...I am not going back to the old way of packing...this is way better and way quicker. (By the way, I will post all of the in real life outfits when I return to NOVA!)

Have a great day everyone!


Spring Break in Orlando 2009! by dinagideon featuring J Crew cardigans

The World's Best Uncle...

Evidence #1: Peter willingly went to church twice to help me out last Sunday (after the JCA extravaganza at Pentagon City). He pretty much held CW the entire time (so I could kneel and go to Communion). I know I can technically go to church by myself with CW, but man the help was so nice.

CW fell asleep in his arms about halfway through. DARLING!!!


Evidence #2: I have nothing to add to this picture...it speaks the thousand words for me.

Mahali Dot Capris and Pacific Blue Polo!!! (Worn on MARCH 31, 2009.)

First things first, between my dealing with my favorite victim and the trip I made to Richmond yesterday, I have had very little time for updating my blog...this polyvore and outfit pics are from Tuesday, March 31, 2009.


Mahali Dot Capris and Pacific Blue Polo!!! by dinagideon featuring FOSSIL watches
Here is the Polyvore of the outfit. The shoes and watch and sunglasses are a wee bit different...but obviously it is a close enough fit!


Here is the outfit, full-length, on me. The J. Crew mahali-dot capris are finally at the point where I fit into them. Because of the way they are constructed (the waist is generous), the size 10s are a wee bit loose. Fortunately, the material is stretchy so the legs and hips fit well enough to compensate for a too large waistband. I love this pattern...so pretty and retro.

At first I was unsure what to match with these capris, but then this beautiful polo found its way into my home. It is the J. Crew classic pique polo in Pacific blue (or something like that). I have to order mediums in all polos because they are quite tight. Even the medium requires a bit of stretching of the fabric by me before I feel comfortable. But once it is stretched enough, it fits like a dream. And the colors J. Crew have in polos is inspiring. I also have the Parisian polos in crisp celery and tea rose (and they are coming to Florida with me).

The flats are the Etta Suede flats from Winter 2008 (J. Crew). The color is a mix of pewter and gold which is very versatile and the shoe's shape is flattering to my rather long and skinny foot!!! The necklace is the Erickson Beamon for Target Clear Bead necklace that I can't seem to get enough of lately!


And here is my super-hero, Rex, wearing his favorite outfit...Batman! :) Love it!

And the Winner Is...

Image courtesy: http://cgi.ebay.com/Lilly-Pulitzer-Fabric-MillionairesRow-2-Yds-FreeSHIPP%27-_W0QQitemZ360140616614QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20090320?IMSfp=TL090320146005r35526

PINK, GREEN, AND KHAKI! It was close, but in the end the suggestion by FFM of wearing this color scheme in Orlando won out. Close to winning were the combos of orange, white, and deep pink; teal, yellow, and white; and even navy, teal, and yellow. My dad laughed at the color combos I picked out...saying, and I quote, "yuck, white, teal, and yellow," and my favorite, "orange, deep pink, and white remind me of sherbet...do you want to walk around looking like ice cream?" Well, whatever, Dad...you know, I am the one with a fashion-centered blog (though of course that is not my only focus)... :)

I have already picked out my outfits and they are ready to be packed. Hopefully I can even color-coordinate with my children (although I have no pink for Rex, but I think he has plenty of khaki and green).

So thank you for voting...I truly appreciate your input.

BTW, if you have left a comment over the past few days, I have finally found the time to catch up on my comments back. :) Thank you for your patience!

How to Deal with Victims...Some VERY Awesome Advice!

I never imagined that when I asked for "VICTIM" stories I would get such interesting stories, funny comments (esp. you, Miss Lexieloo and Shopaholicdiva1027 and KatyO.), and all around sympathy for my situation. It seems all of us here in blog-land have had our own share of dealing with these special human beings.

The best comment came in the form of advice...I appreciated these words because when I read them I was still feeling the sting from how quickly the situation with my favorite victim turned so quickly into me apologizing to her. The best part of the advice? DON'T ALLOW the victim to get off track...this is what they are looking to do to de-rail your force and focus and turn the conversation back to their favorite topic...themselves and how awful they have it...which then forces you to meekly apologize and then move away (sound familiar, AppGal?).

Before I show you the whole comment, I want to say I think we all should practice this advice. I have always been awful with confrontation and I rarely, if ever, speak up for myself (for fear of being seen as unpleasant). You all will pleased to know that today when my favorite victim started up again after I asked her, "will you be in class tomorrow so I can tell the sub," I firmly restated my question, rather than get into a conversation about why she has her schedule the way she does and how much it is ruining her life. I think she was stunned that I didn't take her bait. She actually answered my question, properly, the second time I asked her. Score one for me, and score one for this advice. So thank you very much, Ms. Anonymous...you have helped all of us. Please come on out and let us know your name so we can thank you properly!!! ;)

HERE IS THE COMMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY:

Victims are all the rage now. The media loves them. Their deflection techniques during conversation can be legendary. They can easily turn their own lack of responsibility into a conversation about YOU being a big old meanie. To them, every problem they have caused for themselves is actually the fault of the person illuminating the problem. They've used these techniques for years successfully through the art of deflection.

What is deflection?

They turn a conversation about something they have done wrong into a conversation about YOU being a victimizer. This makes you defensive, and you start defending yourself. Now the subject of the conversation has been changed.

The key is to stay on topic--They did something wrong. You have to stay focused, and strong. There is at least one of these victims in every workplace, and they are doubly difficult to work with if the Boss buys into their victimhood, or more commonly, the Boss pretends to buy into their victimhood in order to avoid dealing with the problem.

Victims make the silent promise that you will suffer if you push back. Pushing back can be risky at work, especially if you are I (at) the typical workplace, where NO ONE wants to get involved. Why? Because victims are known to be retaliatory. This is why bosses are loath to get involved, and want you to deal with it on your own. There's no easy answer. Sorry you're dealing with this. Unfortunately, many of us are, because the victims often threaten retaliation if you try to make them accountable for their actions. Sorry for the novel. END OF COMMENT...

(To this I said, novel? NOVEL? I am okay with a novel...I LOVE YOUR ADVICE!!!)

I hope this helps all of you...we can overtake these people...one at a time. Good luck standing your grounds, ladies!