Chasing Away the Winter Blues - Week 1

January can be a difficult month for many people. The days following the busyness of the holidays can be cold, dark and conducive to illness, depression and fear. How do I know this? Because I am a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder. Probably more of us suffer from it than even realize. With the lack of sunshine during the shorter days of winter, especially in the north we can become reclusive, emotional and even fearful. I have already experienced that descent into darkness this year and I still find myself asking, "Why am I feeling this way?" However, now that I am aware of the issue, and have been for several years now, I can reassure myself, "This too, shall pass!"

There are numerous things that I, or you can do if you suffer with mild SAD syndrome. If your case is really severe you may need to see your practitioner who might prescribe light therapy or mild anti-depressants. I need to get my light out and put it to use! I find there are other things that help me through these gray days. Exercise is very important, if you can get out of bed! Eating well is also a plus, if you can pull yourself away from the carbs that your body craves during this syndrome. Another thing that I try to do is up the color factor in the outfits I pick our for each day. Thus, the outfit for today's post!

Once again I am taking my own pictures, so the quality is not great. Thank you for bearing with me as I continue to learn about taking my own photos. One of the issues I noticed is that when I try to focus my camera, I am not standing there to be the focal point for the lens. A good friend suggested I get a card board cut out of someone like Johnny Depp and have it be my stand in. Ha, ha. 

As you can see I opted for light pink. The bright color, not only reflects light up into my face, but makes me feel like spring might not be too far away. Seeing as it is winter, I layered a lighter pink long sleeve tee underneath and added an orange marled sweater vest over top. 

I added a multicolored scarf to add interest and texture to the outfit. The scarf with its orange and pink floral pattern drew together the pink of the blouse and the orange of the sweater.

I also had this silver and bead necklace that coordinated with the yellow green in the scarf.

I decided on a pair of dark brown jeans. I like the way these colors compliment each other. The dark brown still keeps me connected to the winter season, but the bright colors on top lighten up my whole visage. 

Because my pants are a little bit short I opted for dark brown ankle boots to elongate the leg and keep the eye from noticing the shortness of the pants. 

The thing I like about this pair of shoes is the elastic inserts on the back of the ankle. It makes getting into the shoes easy and it also avoids that cutting feeling that some stiff leather or non leather ankle boots can give.

To keep the colors bright I decided on my Lush Meadow colored bag. You can see it has a few defects like a missing rivet and a little wear on the bottom. But overall it is a lovely bag and makes a statement all on its own.

Next week I will share another idea for chasing away the winter blues. I hope you enjoyed today's post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. Check back on Thursday for this month's perfect piece.

Have a great day.

Due to time constraints I am not including any shopping options in this post. If you ever have any questions as to where you can find a particular item, please leave me a comment in the comments section below and I will do my best to find something similar and let you know where to find it. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style and JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up.

Color Crash Course - Christmas Colors

For as long as I can remember we have associated red and green with Christmas. It probably has something to do with holly, poinsettias, and other traditions passed down through the years. Here is a good website to learn about Christmas traditions, whychristmas.com. Of course I had to take the challenge of coming up with an outfit or two that uses these wonderful colors without looking like a walking version of an ugly Christmas sweater. Here we go.

In the first outfit, I chose to use more green with just a hint of red and a large splash of gold.

For this outfit I wore a green turtleneck sweater. To tone down the "too Christmassy" look, I only used red for my jewelry. I wore gray leggings with my gray ankle boots to elongate my legs, then topped the whole outfit with this gold fringed cape that I got from Chico's. 

Here you can see the necklace and bracelet I chose to bring red into the outfit. The jewelry is not overwhelmingly red, just a few beads here and there mixed in with gold and tan.

Here is a great shot of the fringe on this fun cape. I look a little crazy in this picture. Ha, ha. 

For my next outfit, I decided to use the red for the brighter color and tone down the green.

Again, I wore leggings, this time a blue pair. I kept this outfit even more casual figuring it would be perfect for a Christmas day spent at home. I left the blue and red flannel shirt untucked to give the outfit a very laid back vibe. Instead of a bright Christmas green I opted for an olive colored sweater and an olive necklace.

Can't have casual without a fun pair of sneakers, so it was the navy Keds for this outfit.

Here you have the two outfits side by side.

And just for the sake of being a proud mama, I am including three more pics that I thought were very cool, that my daughter took. 

Let me know what you think of these casual Christmas Day outfits. I always love your feedback.

Next week I will be celebrating with family and will not be posting on Monday and Tuesday. I will finish up this Winter Wonderland series on Thursday the 29th. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. 

Thanks for following my blog!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Shopping Options:

Chicos no longer has this cape, but here is a cute poncho option - Chico's - $59.40

Green Turtleneck - Macy's - $14.99

Red Plaid Shirt - LLBean - $59.00

Olive Duster - Maurice's - $26.40

Winter Wonderland - Week 3

Here we are less than a week away from Christmas! What????? I cannot believe how fast time flies by. When I was playing with my grandson today, I spent a few moments just looking at his cute little face (something we grandmas like to do) and I wondered what happened to that little tiny burrito that I held in my arms six years ago! Time keeps its own pace and doesn't ask how we feel about it, even if we would like it to slow down a little.

This week's day to night outfit revolves around a faux leather pencil skirt. Once again, I reached for the burgundy color to pair with my grays. I just love how these two colors work with one another, almost like a lovely dance with the burgundy confidently taking the lead and the gray coming along for the ride.

For my day look, I chose to style an outfit for work. The look is still casual, but more professional. This would also be a great look for a lunch get together with the hubby or the girlfriends.

Wearing a light gray tunic sweater I wanted to add a little more color by my face so I chose this oblong, multi colored scarf. I love the way the scarf draws in the burgundy of the skirt.

Here is a closer look at the scarf. Try to imagine the look without the scarf and I feel I would be a bit washed out, but adding the scarf and my Mary Kay Mystic Plum lip color adds a wow factor. This close up of the scarf shows you the lovely purple and burgundy tones. I added a brooch to hold the scarf together. A shout out to Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style for motivating me to get reacquainted with pins and brooches. Another way to add some bling to our outfits.

I added a dark gray clutch that can be used as shoulder bag. It has a chain for a strap so I wouldn't put anything real heavy in it. To keep the look more casual, I wore my gray suede wedge heel ankle boots. 

To transform the look into more of a night time go out on a date look I swapped out the scarf for a chiffon kimono and gold layered necklace. 

Instead of the gray clutch I carried a gold woven one to go with the gold necklace. I also swapped out my casual gray ankle boots for a low heeled black pump.

Here is a back view of the kimono. It has a bit of a hi lo hemline and while for this outfit I wore it more as a jacket, I could see pairing with a belt and leggings for more of a tunic look.....oooo good idea for another post. I really need to write these ideas down when I get inspired or I will forget! 

After my daughter had loaded these pics onto her computer she said she wasn't real happy with our back drop because of the busyness. Now I see what she meant. Too many leaves and branches and lights. Ha, ha. But she's the professional. I still think it looks pretty. 

So here are my two outfits side by side. 

Let me know what you this of these outfits. Do you think the look transitions from day to night? What would you have done differently? I love to hear your comments, because I don't know everything and fashion has so many aspects to it that I don't even think of. So don't be afraid to leave a comment. I appreciate the input. I do respond to all comments and you can just check back on the post later to see what I've said.

Shopping the look:

Faux leather skirt (black - other choices in burgundy available on ebay, etsy, etc.) - Macy's - $59.50

Gray tunic sweater (many sizes in light gray sold out - this is another option) - Macy's - $41.99

Kimono - Essential Apparel - $28.80

Ankle Boots - DSW - $49.95

Clutch - Charming Charlie - $29.00

Necklace - Charming Charlie - $18.00

Monday linking up with Michelle of Michelle's Pa(i)ge and Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb.

Winter Wonderland - Week 2

This series for the month of December focuses on taking a more casual day time outfit and making it more party ready. Last week my efforts focused on a pair of jeans and a graphic sweatshirt. This week I take the casual day time look up a notch picking pieces I would be more likely to wear to work.

Here I am featuring a piece in the line of the berry or wine color again. Last week it was my shoes and two different jackets. You can see that post here. I love this color paired with gray. I topped the dress pants with a thin long sleeved cowl neck sweater. Over that I layered a holiday sweater that I got last year at Christopher and Banks. 

What drew me to this zip up cardigan was the design on the front. It looks like a winter city scape with pine trees and sparkles which represent the stars in the night sky. It doesn't have to be for Christmas and that is part of why I liked it. I can wear it all winter long.

I carried my berry colored fringe bag and wore a simple silver fringe necklace.  You can also see I kept the look more casual by leaving the cowl sweater untucked.

Here is a close up of the necklace and you can see a little of the detail on the sweater.

For shoes,  I chose my shiny Oxfords. I have worn these shoes to work on several occasions as they look nice, and are quite comfortable. 

To take this look from day to night I made only a few simple changes. First I changed shoes from the Oxford to the higher heeled black ankle boot. 

Sorry that my boots were looking a little less than spiffy! 

I removed the sweater and donned a brocade vest. When I looked at the pictures after my daughter had downloaded them for me, I realized how similar the color scheme was between the vest and sweater. When I first looked at the pictures I couldn't even tell that I had made a change. So maybe next time a different color vest would be better. I don't know, what do you think?

To add to the dressed up look, I accessorized with gold. The gold fringe necklace took the silver one's place and the gold woven bag added some shine to the outfit. In addition I added a front tuck and wore a thin belt with some gold detail. 

When I put these pieces together, I really liked the combination of colors. The gold adds rich detailing when combined with the wine colored pants and gray sweater. 

Once again, here are the outfits side by side. As you can see, just changing a few details can change the attitude of an outfit. The first outfit says, professional, but warm and comfy. The second outfit says festive and rich with textures and colors. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Shopping the look:

Pants - Kohl's - $36.99 (skinny ponte pants)

Gray Cardigan - J.Jill - $49.99

Gray Cowl Neck Long Sleeve Tee - Kohl's - $17.99

Brocade vest - Etsy - $25.00

Black oxfords - DSW - $49.94

Black ankle boots - DSW - $59.95

Gold clutch - Charming Charlie - $22.00

Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Tania of 50 is not Old, Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Tif of Bright on a Budget,  and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. Saturday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. 

Winter Wonderland - Week 1

As I begin writing this post, it is 9:30 at night. I usually get started a tiny bit sooner, but my younger daughter had an emergency, so my husband and I, after finishing our dinner out, drove over to her apartment to see if we could help. The cold water supply pipe to her water heater burst! By the time we got there, maintenance was on site vacuuming up gallons of water that had sprayed out in Niagara Falls type form in my daughter's bedroom closet. Obviously, in apartment living these sorts of disasters not only affect you, but your neighbors as well. While maintenance was doing their job of fixing and cleaning, I held the chinchilla who had been doused with cold water. I wrapped the fat little guy up in a blanket and he soon stopped shivering. After the two men left with their huge shop vac, I helped my daughter go through dresser drawers, bags and boxes that had become soaked in the flood. I cannot imagine what people who go through actual flooding feel. This was overwhelming enough!

All that said, it is time for the start of my Winter Wonderland series. When I stared thinking about this, I was envisioning snow as my backdrop, but all I got was gray and drab. A typical midwest winter! Ha, ha. So we did what we could for our photos.

The idea behind this series was to show some of the textures and styles that we often see in the winter months. This being December I also wanted to choose outfits that could be taken from day to night or work to celebrations with just a few minor changes. 

This day time look is all about casual and warm. Rock and Republic skinny jeans, black knee high boots and a black double breasted jacket look sharp and classic. 

To add some fun to my casual outfit, I wore a short sleeve gray tee with a light weight Beatles sweatshirt over top. I added a scarf with some silver threads and my maroon fringe bag. Voila!

Details of scarf.

Details of the bag. You are going to see this color come up again and again in this series. Whatever color you want to call it, burgundy, wine, maroon, it doesn't matter. I think is is a beautiful winter color, so I'll be working it!

In the above photo you get a better look at the jacket buttoned. This is not a jacket I would wear to be warm. It is more like a blazer than an actual coat. However when you layer pieces you can get away with wearing this for a coat. Especially if you are not going to be spending hours outside.

And here is a closer look at the boots. I wore a pair of leg warmers with them as well, just for extra warmth and texture.

For the night version of this casual outfit I swapped out the heavy dark jacket and threw on my faux velvet one. I changed from knee hight boots to maroon heeled booties and changed the fringe bag for one with a bit more shimmer. I was having problems with the heels on these shoes, not only sinking into the ground, but getting attached to leaves. Ha, ha.

Instead of the scarf I wore three silver necklaces, just to add some bling. It is amazing to me how just a little bling or shimmer can take an outfit from casual to dressy.

I was having a hard time standing with these shoes on this ground.....

I had this other longer jacket, so I threw in a picture of that as well. I just wanted to show you different ways you could style the same outfit.

Can you guess which of these three was my favorite? I'd love to hear your favorites in the comments section below.

Thanks for following along. Be sure to check back on Thursday when my Awesome Accessories column will take a look at boots.

Have a great Tuesday.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Shopping the looks:

Rock & Republic Jeans - Kohl's - $59.99 (on sale)

Double Breasted Blazer - Macy's - $64.99 (this one is velvet)

Beatles shirt - Fab Four Store - $34.99

Black Knee High Boots - DSW - $69.95

Scarf - Charming Charlie - $19.00

Velvet Jacket - ModCloth - $79.99

Suede Heeled Booties - DSW - $49.95

Longer Jacket - Nordstrom - $89.00 (also velvet)

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter, Tania of 50 is not Old, and the Ageless Style Link Up. Friday linking up with JoLynn Shane in the Fashion Friday Link Up Party, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots,  Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, 

Piece Perfect - The Navy Blazer - Part 2

Last month I showed you two ways to wear a navy blazer with a dress and a skirt (click on the words to see that post).

Because I found so many ways to style this navy Ralph Lauren blazer, I felt I needed another post to give it, its due! Today I'll be wearing the blazer with two different pant outfits. As usual I try to do one that is more casual and one that is more dressy.

Casual Look - 

Being a woman of layers, I took advantage of all the pieces I possibly could! I started with a gray tee with bling, put a rusty orange cardi over that, then threw the blazer over the top. I paired the tops with my white/gray snakeskin jeans and a pair of gray, suede mid-calf boots. Finally, I pulled the whole look together with an oblong scarf with similar colors.

You can see how I styled the gray tee, here and the snakeskin jeans, here in previous posts.

I am using my orange bag as well. 

Dressy look -

For my dressier pant look I wore these dark color dress pants. Sometimes they look gray and sometimes they look brown, so I will say they are brownish-gray. I wore my printed pussy bow blouse and threw on some simple, non-colored jewelry. 

There you have it. A good quality, fitted blazer is a must for every woman't wardrobe. Here are this week's outfit's side by side. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing all the ways you can style this versatile piece. A blazer can take your wardrobe from small to large and it can take it from dull to dynamic. Whether the blazer is blue, black, gray or red, it can be a great piece to have in your closet.

Be sure to check back next week for the start of my Winter Wonderland series on Tuesday. 

Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Shopping for Pieces:

Blazer - J.Crew Factory - $79.00

Snakeskin jeans - Macy's - $21.99

Orange cardi - Target - $19.99

Gray Tee - Kohl's - $14.99

Oblong Scarf - Kohl's - $7.99

Gray/brown dress pants - Macy's - $69.99

Printed Pussy Bow Blouse - Lord and Taylor - $40.27 (clearance)

Family Weekend Getaway

The day after Thanksgiving we drove to Shipshewana, Indiana to meet my husband's family. All of us were able to be there and it was a lovely time of too much good food, a little bit of shopping and tons of visiting. Our daughters were both there; our eldest with her hubby and our youngest with her son. Both of my husband's parents were there in addition to his sister and her spouse along with their two boys and their families. The cousins all have so much fun together and the children of those cousins are now continuing the tradition of celebrating the holidays. There is nothing quite like the enthusiasm of a six, five and three year old!

Since Rebecca was there I had her snap a few pics one of the days so I could use them for this post. 

Many bloggers talk about a capsule wardrobe, especially when traveling. While I think it is an awesome idea, I have the same problem with clothes that I do with food. I love food! I love variety! I love different tastes and textures. When we are talking Christmas cookies, I can't just make one or two kinds and save myself the work. I have to make four or five kinds. Sugar cookies are a must, though I am not sure why only cut outs are called sugar cookies (and a few others), but don't all cookies have some amount of sugar in them? But, I digress! I can't just have a Christmas tree shaped cookie. I have to have stars and snowmen, Santas and bells. And, they can't be plain, they have to have various colored frostings and sprinkles! Maybe that is why my Grandson loves to make cookies with me!

The same is true for my clothes. I love clothes. I love the colors and the textures. I love jackets and sweaters, pants and skirts....and my husband just interjected, "And you love to wear all of it at the same time!" Ha, ha. Anyway, when I travel, I still like to have variety, but I have been experimenting with choosing a color theme when I pack. For this weekend away, I chose the colors, cream, gray and brown.

This outfit was one of the choices that I packed. Keeping in the same color theme for the weekend I only needed one pair of shoes, plus the pair I wore on the drive. I wish I would have gotten pictures of all three outfits I included in the weekend, but that didn't happen. Too much partying and little picture taking.

This thrifted gray fly away cardi is the perfect addition to many ensembles. It is light weight, so I will be able to use this through many seasons. While I didn't get a picture of it, the cardi has a band in the back which gathers the material and gives it a fitted look. I love the drape of this piece. I wore the cardi over a multi- print popover top which had an elastic band on the bottom giving the top room and comfort. I wore my off white corduroys which, I felt added a casual vibe to this holiday outfit. 

Here's a closer look at the top. I also wore a gold pendant necklace.

For shoes I wore my gray suede ankle booties. I wish I would have pulled my pant leg up higher. The boots have a cute chain on the outside of each ankle. I love the low wedge heel on these. They are the perfect boot for shopping and can be worn with a dress or skirt as well. 

Just for fun, I asked my stylin' sister-in-law Sue to take a few pics with me. 

We were having too much fun!

I thought Sue came up with a great outfit for our holiday get together. Her tunic sweater set shimmered with gold threads and the mix of skinny jeans and cowboy type boots kept the outfit casual, but festive.

I love how Sue kept her accessories minimal. The simple bead dangles on the necklace pull together the creams, browns and golds in her outfit. Isn't she beautiful? She's also has a beautiful heart! I am very blessed to have her for a sister-in-law.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into my world. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. I appreciate all your support and input. Don't forget to check out my Instagram page and Pinterest as well. 

Have a great Tuesday.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Thursday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Nicole of High Latitude Style, JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday Link Up, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polkadots.

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Styling a Scarf with a Bag

There are so many fun bloggers to follow, that I actually have a hard time, deciding who I should feature next on my Beautiful Blogger Bests column, but this week I was pressed for time and needed a fairly simple look that didn't require a ton of prep or thought. Enter in the English beauty Gemma of Jacquard Flower. 

Gemma is a part time professional and a full time mom to twins. Her style language is fairly simple, a few good quality items mixed with clothing pieces that can be used every day. I always look forward to Gemma's posts. In this particular post Outfit Ideas with Scarves and Bags, Gemma takes two simple pieces and creates a fabulous casual outfit with eye popping color. Be sure to click on the link to see her original post. I especially like her orange shopper bag and blanket scarf. The scarves and bags Gemma used in her post were all from Laura Ashley.

While Gemma wore jeans and a black sweater, with tan knee high boots, I wore jeans and a gray sweater with black boots. 

Look 1 - Red and Gray Scarf with Red Bag

We were at my daughter's (photographer) house meeting our new grand "dog". She's a big puppy with some mastiff and a few other things in her lineage. I should have had my daughter include a photo! Anyway, my girl and my son-in-law have this wonderfully large and comfy chair. It just felt like the perfect pose!

Look 2 - Blue and Gray Scarf with Blue Bag

This one doesn't have the pop of color like the red does, but I like the textures involved in the outfit as a whole.

Here are the two looks side by side.

You might be asking yourself, why follow all of these different fashion bloggers? My answer is to be inspired. I have learned so much from all of these lovely ladies and their creativity inspires me daily to look in my closet and ask myself, "How can I look my best today?"

I hope you will check out Gemma's site and give her some love. As bloggers we benefit from your comments and your views! We all thank you. 

Have a great weekend!

Piece Perfect - The Navy Blazer

Today's Perfect Piece is going to be spread out over two months, because I found so many ways to style this fitted navy blazer by Ralph Lauren. Today's post will feature wearing the blazer with a dress and a skirt. Next month I will look at styling it with casual and dressy pants. 

Navy is one of those colors that can be worn with just about any other color. If you look up navy blue on the internet it shows a range of blue from what I would term royal blue to what I would call true navy. For the sake of ease I am referring to this blazer as navy, even thought it is a bit lighter than true navy.

The term blazer refers to a jacket that resembles a suit coat, but more casual. For more info on the origin of blazers see the Wikipedia article here. 

The three above pictures give you an overview of the fit of the blazer. Blazers can be fitted, flowy or boxy. I like a fitted blazer best because it cinches in at the waist giving me that girlish figure. Ha, ha. This blazer has a breast pocket on one side with the Ralph Lauren initials, two front flap pockets and two buttons. You can also see the split in the lower back allowing movement and flexibility. 

This blazer is also fully lined which means the lining not only covers the entire body, but the sleeves as well. The silky lining not only adds a layer of warmth, but makes it easier to slip into and out of, especially if you have long sleeve layers underneath. 

Here is the first outfit with the blazer. I just threw it on over a striped tee shirt dress, then paired it with my navy Keds. Not to get to matchy, I carried my Lush Meadow tote bag. I accessorized with blue beads and a blue bangle. 

Note the line where the sleeve hits my hand. It is just longer than my wrist, which is where I like most of my jackets to hit. This allows you to show just a little bit of sleeve if you have a top that you want to stick out or if you want your bracelets to show. Some people wear their sleeves longer and some shorter. I'm sure there is a standard, but in the fashion world it's more about personal preference. I also like that the initials are not overwhelming. If you look up Ralph Lauren jackets you will see that many of them have his crest on the pocket in gold. I got this at a thrift store and I am not a huge brand buyer, especially if it is advertised on the pocket, but I like the fit and look so well, that it didn't bother me that the RL was on the pocket.

Here is the blazer paired with a skirt and sweater. The skirt has a navy, red and cream pattern, so I chose a creamy sweater with Joy printed on it. I kept my accessories in the gold/pewter line to go with the lettering on the sweater.

This will be a fun sweater to use again at the holidays. 

Here are the two looks side by side:

So what do you think of this blazer? Do you wear a blazer? How do you style it? I'd love to have your input. Just leave a comment in the comments section below.

Next month in this Piece Perfect column, I'll show you the outfits I put together pairing the blazer with a pair of dress pants and a pair of snakeskin jeans. 

Thanks so much for your support. Be sure to like and share on my Facebook page. You can also see what I've been pinning on Pinterest, and peek at some of my other outfits on Instagram. 

Have a lovely weekend!

Photo credit, Rebecca Trumbull.

Shopping for Blazers:

Ralph Lauren version - Black - Dillards - $198.00

Other brands:

JC Penney - $34.99

Target - $29.99

There are a number of navy blazers available including Ralph Lauren on Poshmark, ModCloth and eBay.

Color Crash Course - Spooky Color Combo (without being scary)

One of the ways I wanted to challenge myself in this Color Crash Course column, was to come up with color combinations that we usually associate with something else. For instance red and yellow make me think of McDonalds; red and green Christmas; green and yellow the Green Bay Packers (my husband's team) and so on. With Halloween only a few days away, I had to look at colors traditionally associated with this holiday. 

It used to be Halloween colors were restricted to orange and black, but in the more recent decades green and purple have been added to that mix. Images of pumpkins, witches, the Frankenstein monster and ghosts flying through a purply black night sky all come to mind. I decided to take those four colors and combine them into an outfit. 

Black jeans make the color subtle, rather than a stark black pant or skirt. Plus the jeans add texture to the outfit. Remember we have been exploring the idea of texture for making an outfit more interesting. 

This orange sweater was from Christopher and Banks last year. I like that it is light weight so perfect for layering and it has.....texture. The little raised bumps give it a polka dot effect. 

You can see the button up I wore under my sweater is black and has little owls on it. What better for Halloween. With the black background the little tan owls really show up as well as the little bits of purple and green in the pattern. I decided to add the lighter purple necklace so as to not overwhelm with a too Halloween-ish outfit. 

I left the shirt tail out to add some color and dimension between the sweater and the black jeans. 

For my bag I decided on a Lush Meadow clutch (more on that color in a few weeks). My shoes are an older pair I just love. A dark purple velvet kitten heel with sequins. They sound quirky, but I really like the way they fit my foot and the dark purple and sequins remind me of that Halloween sky. 

And, of course, I had to throw in a silly one. For another lovely look at black and orange check out Laurie at Vanity and Me. She shows an orange sweater styled two ways.

What do you think of wearing these colors together? What do you think of this outfit? I'd love to have your input. Just leave a comment below. 

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Thanks for hanging out with me on the blog!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Fall 2016 - Aurora Red

We only have three weeks left of our Pantone 2016 Fall color series. Today's feature is Aurora Red. By the time we took this picture on the evening we were scrambling to fit some photo's in we were both exhausted. The evening was hot and humid for September and I was literally wilting. My daughter had just worked a full day, then came over to squeeze in a few photos before the light was completely gone. 

So yes, our photos were getting a little silly. I styled the Aurora Red 3/4 length sleeve tee with a pair of Palazzo pants. I styled these before here. For this look I added the vest to give the outfit an extra layer of warmth. Granted on the day we took the pics I didn't need it, but with the cooler weather we are now having this vest is perfect. In keeping with the edgy vibe the vest adds I opted for chain link and coin belt and necklace.

I wore simple black heels, which are hardly visible due to the grass and the length of the pants. The taupe bag I am carrying is a thrift store find. 

I have given these pants a second go round and have decided I am getting rid of them. They are very comfy, but in all honesty are not flattering on me at all. I think it might be the way the pattern encircles the leg. It makes me look stumpy. Ha, ha. I only share that, not to get down on myself or because I have body image problems, but to show that some pieces can flatter and others can detract. 

However, I do like the look of the red tee under the vest and the fun chain link and coin belt and jewelry, perhaps with a skinny pair of jeans, a pencil skirt or a maxi. Aurora Red is a beautiful rich color to add to your wardrobe. If red is not your color, try adding it to your outfit as an accessory. In the shopping links below I listed a pair of ankle boots, and a red bag. You could also add a scarf or a necklace to bring that red pop to any outfit.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know your thoughts good or bad in the comments section below. I appreciate input of all types, because it helps shape me as a blogger and a fashionista. Check back on Thursday for my Color Crash Course. This week I'll be styling a spooky color combo, just in time for Halloween. Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping for Aurora Red:

Red ankle boots - JC Penney - $44.99

Red skirt - Loft - $59.50

Cross body bag - JC Penney - $24.00

Red tunic - J.Jill - $44.99

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Monochrome with Print and Texture

This week on my Beautiful Blogger Best column, I am featuring the lovely Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy. Liz is a firey red head who is not afraid to wear any color and has a knack for styling outfits that are feminine, flirty and fabulous. 

Today I am referencing Liz's post Outfit Formula: Monochrome, Texture, and Print. To check out her original post just click on the link. The neat thing is, Liz was taking something she learned from another blogger Janeane of Designing from My Closet. I featured Janeane in my original Beautiful Blogger Bests column on styling an outfit around a bag. See that post here. 

In her post Liz styles an outfit using the colors black and white. If you follow Liz you know this is not her norm. She loves pastels and lace, colors and frills, but she wanted to challenge herself to step outside her norm. The challenge for me was to put an outfit together that had two basic colors, a print and some texture. This is what I came up with.

This photo was taken on one of the last really hot afternoons we had before it started to cool down and become more fall like. Thus, I look a tad wilty. The skirt is thrifted and the top is actually a tunic that I recently acquired from Charming Charlie's end of the season sale. I put the tunic on and then layered the skirt over top.

The eyelet jacket and the bag with it's gold rivets and extra buckles add great elements of texture to this otherwise monochrome outfit. I did cheat by adding the red beads, but I love the contrast of the red against the white and blue. The large beads also add additional texture to the look.

These are my navy loafer heels. Funny thing, I really didn't know what this type of shoe was called. That just shows I am still a newbie to the fashion world, so I thought, "Well they look a bit like a loafer, but with a heel." I typed in loafer heels and up they popped. Isn't the internet amazing? Ha, ha. This is a great shoe to wear with a skirt for a more casual look or with pants for a more dressed up look. Funny how that works!

Are you seeing spots? I'm thinking this would have looked better with a belt of some sort. What do you think?

So there you have it. I am so thankful to all the beautiful bloggers that I follow. Liz has been a great inspiration to me, not only with her knowledge of fashion, but with her kind and attentive comments on my fashion posts. Be sure to click on her link and give her some love. 

Check back next week for more fashion fun! Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options (I chose black for the color):

Polka Dot Dress - Kohl's - $69.99

Black Eyelet Jacket - Jacket Society - $155.00

or

Bomber Eyelet Jacket - Macy's - $55.99

Black Loafer Heels - Belk - $89.00

Black Tote - JC Penney - $85.00

Piece Perfect - Basic Cardigan

I'm pretty sure most of us have, what I would term, a basic cardigan. What makes it a cardigan is that it serves the function of a sweater and usually has long sleeves, along with a button up or zip up front. In today's fashion world, cardigans are anything but basic. There are sleeveless, short sleeve, 3/4 sleeve and long sleeved versions. There are buttons, snaps, toggles and zippers. There are also versions that have no closures, such as tie front and fly away. They vary in length from short to long and anything in between. However, I think a wardrobe is incomplete without the basic cardi.

Today I am styling a brown cardigan two ways. I will not admit to the number of basic cardis that I have, just as I will not admit to the actual number of sweaters that are residing on various shelves throughout my home. Just don't ask my hubby. Ha, ha. For me, brown is a fairly basic fall color, so that is what I chose for my outfits.

1. A Casual Look -

For this basic look I styled the brown cardi over a Spicy Mustard tee. You'll see this top again in the Pantone Fall 2016 color line up when I feature it in a few weeks. I added my comfy boyfriend jeans. 

My accessories included a large multi colored tote which pulls together the browns and the yellows. I also wore a bead and antler necklace that I found on clearance at Cabela's. In keeping with the natural theme I added a simple wood bracelet. To finish off the look I wore my leopard print flats.

2. A Dressed Up Look - 

For this look I kept the same Spicy Mustard tee and basic brown cardigan. Instead of boyfriend jeans I wore eggplant colored hose and a leopard print skirt

In choosing my accessories I went for the purple, gold and brown. My jewelry was mainly gold with a few clear beads. My ankle boots were brown and the small clutch pulled in the purple of my hose. 

Here's the two looks side by side.

Yes, the vine is trying to eat me! 

So there you have it, my take on styling a basic cardigan. I think a cardi is a great piece to invest in, whether you have a couple or one in many different colors. They are versatile and an easy addition to any outfit casual or dressy. 

I hope you enjoyed this piece perfect edition. Let me know what color cardi's you have in your closet. I love to have your feedback. Have a great weekend.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping for Cardigans:

JCrew Factory - $32.50

Target - $15.99

Christopher and Banks - $24.00

H&M - $14.99

Saturday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb in the Saturday Share Link Up.

The Season of Fall

Today's post centers on the season of Fall. Autumn officially started a week ago to the day on the calendar and the weather has changed to reflect the beginning of this glorious season. My husband and I spent this past Saturday raking the leaves that had already fallen and enjoying a fire in our fire pit in the evening, while sipping on mugs of tea. It was cool enough that I threw on a hoodie. 

As the temperatures begins to fall our thoughts turn to changes in our wardrobes. As you can see from my Tuesday posts, the Pantone Fall color report included rich reddish brown and jewel tone green, as well as yellow and red reminiscent of the leaves that we will be raking out of our yards. But the colors are not the only thing that changes with the seasons. Our choice of clothing pieces change as well.

In the past we have usually put our whites and pastels away and opted for darker colors. Now anything goes. I have seen a number of articles and bloggers feature ways to wear white well into the season. Deborah of Fabulous After 40 shares three distinct outfits for wearing white into the fall in her article Can You Wear White After Labor Day?  JoLynn Shane, one of the many wonderful bloggers I follow, shared her take on wearing white jeans in the fall. Her White Jeans Outfit for Fall post is worth reading. You'll see me styling a pair of white jeans in an upcoming post in a few weeks. 

Since we are going to keep our whites out, we might as well rethink those pastels. Here is a good article from the site Bustle called 7 Ways to Wear Pastels in the Fall written by Emily McClure. While this article is from a year ago, her tips are just as applicable today. The one statement that really stands out to me is:

“When it comes to styling pastels, it’s all about adding in different textures. Personally, I love pairing pastel pieces with suede or leather in the fall, as it’s such a lovely juxtaposition of sweet and edgy staples. However, if you’re into bold prints and colors you may want to add bits of pastels as well. Bold cranberry pieces mix great with mint and cool blues. Basically, pastels are for everyone, all the time.”

— Emily McClure

I love that she talks about adding textures. That is something I am just learning how to do. I also like that she says, "...pastels are for everyone, all the time." Now, does every pastel look good on every complexion or skin tone, maybe not, but you can find the pastels that work for you, or as she says, mix textures. Choose a light pink top under a edgy wine colored moto jacket and maybe throw on a scarf that complements your skin tone. 

Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy, another beautiful blogger I follow, does a perfect job of pairing pastels with fall pieces in this post titled, Color Palettes featuring Pantone's Sharkskin Gray. You can see how she combines light blue and light pink with the darker, edgier Pantone Sharkskin Gray.

In addition to colors, we also think about patterns and how they change in the fall as well. This year in the stores and on the runways we are seeing animal prints like leopard, snakeskin, zebra stripes and tiger stripes. Leopard seems to be the rage right now. Here area a few of my own photos of pieces in my wardrobe.

As you can see in the above pics, I have a few things that have the snakeskin pattern. It is a fun pattern and can go with many different colors, depending on if you want to dress it up or dress it down. 

And just like on the fashion runways and in the stores, leopard print has turned up a few places in my closet. In addition to this fun skirt, I have a button up short sleeve blouse and a pair of flats which turn up occasionally in a blog post. 

Besides the animal prints I have mentioned, florals are also trending, but whereas in the summer the florals were light and backed by whites and pastels, the fall florals are darker shades backed by navy, wine and black. Check out Gemma's take on florals on her blog post The Cherry Blossom Midi Dress. This is the perfect floral look for transitioning to fall. 

Besides colors and patterns the other thing that significantly changes as we move into fall are the textures. Summer fabrics are usually light weight, breathable and moveable. The whole point is to keep you cool. As our weather changes, especially in the northern part of the country, our fabrics become heavier, bulkier and warmer. As women we still appreciate breathability and movement in our clothes, especially if you are menopausal, but we like textures that are soft to the touch and make us feel cozy. Cozy, after all, drums up images of roaring fires, hot cocoa and good books. 

One of the trending textures for fall is velvet. This jacket (which will be featured in a future post) is not real velvet, but it is so soft. Real velvet can be somewhat stiff, so I like this "faux velvet" if you will. It is moveable and fairly light weight.

There are so many other things we can talk about as the season of fall takes center stage. Our shoes transition into boots; our light weight sweaters transition into light weight jackets which transition into trench coats and we pull out scarves to accessorize and add warmth to our necks. Our sweaters become longer and eventually heavier and we begin adding hose or tights to our once bare and sun tanned legs. As I write this, I feel a little sad, but also excited because as you know I am a woman of layers and as the cool weather closes in, I get to create new and interesting outfits full of layers of texture, color and depth. And that will be fun!

Pantone Fall 2016 - Potter's Clay

I absolutely love this color. It's earthy and edgy all all the same time. It reminds me of the fringe jacket my oldest brother used to wear back in the late 60's and early 70's. I always wanted one of those. It was suede, had fringe and was the color of late summer deer and it had that wonderful leather smell. Since I wasn't ready to go out and drop hundreds of dollars on a leather jacket with fringe, I got the next best thing, a thrift store vest with fringe. Ha, ha. Again, I try to find pieces that will closely mimic the colors that Pantone puts out, but they may or may not match perfectly.

This swingy dress, I discovered while thrifting a few years back. It is covered in a fun print of geometric circles that look a bit like mums or zinnias. The dress is sleeveless, so in keeping with the transition idea, I layered a dark brown lace tee underneath and added the duster length vest for a playful fall look. I kept to brown for my low wedge shoes and accessorized with orange.

And of course, being a girl, if it twirls, I had to try it! Who can say no to a twirly dress or skirt, even if it is not a huge twirl.

Here you can see the pattern on the dress, and the dark brown lace patterned tee, as well as my orange beads on my necklace and bracelet and my orange bag. I think these colors together give the whole outfit a monochrome look of sorts.

Here you can see how long the fringe is on the vest! Also, my low wedge brown shoes. These are a faux suede material and the elastic band/strap is great for easy on and easy off. 

And of course I had to include the pic where I am looking somewhat sultry. Ha, ha. You also get a closer look at the pattern on the tee and the texture of the vest. Texture, as I am learning from so many of the other bloggers out there, is a big part of making a stylish and interesting outfit.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do any of you remember the days of those fringe jackets like my bother used to wear? How many of you actually own one? I'd love to hear your answers. Also, let me know what you think of Potter's Clay. Don't forget you can receive emails letting you know when new posts are up by filling in your name and hitting subscribe. Or you can follow me on Facebook and Instagram. 

Thanks for reading. Thursday we'll be looking at mixing orange and red in my Color Crash Course column. Until then, keep stylin'!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping for Potter's Clay:

Faux suede vest - Maurice's - $39.00

Faux suede skater dress - Express - $50.99

Faux suede seems to be the closest color match to Potter's Clay that I could find. Finding an item you like in a certain color can be a fun treasure hunt. Enjoy!

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Tania of  50 Is Not Old, and Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style and JoLynne of JoLynne Shane in Fashion Friday.

Pantone Fall 2016 - Airy Blue

This week's post concentrates on the Pantone Fall 2016 color choice of Airy Blue. When we are talking blue, it is easy to say, light blue is light blue is light blue and in all reality, if I am wearing a light blue item, I could tell you it is Airy Blue or I could tell you it is Serenity (from the Spring collection). I am not a fashion designer, nor an interior decorator. If I see two light blues side by side, I can tell you there is a difference and I might even be able to tell you one is more blue based and one is more red based, but over all light blue is light blue. That being said, here is my take on Airy Blue.

I have had this open weave poncho for a number of years. I have worn it occasionally, and was thrilled when I found it similar to the Airy Blue Pantone color. I think my poncho is a tad bit more blue, but it works. I styled this poncho over a sleeveless blouse with a similar color blue, as well as red and brown. Then I added red jewelry with gold tones, brown sandals and a brown bag. For the bottoms I wore a dark wash pair of jeggings that are soft and comfortable.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my take on Pantone's Fall 2016 color Airy Blue. Who remembers having a poncho like this when they were younger? Would you wear it now? Let me know what you think in the comments sections below. 

If you like my posts help me out, by subscribing to my blog. Go to bottom of the page and fill in the info to subscribe. That will get you an email once or twice a week letting you know about my latest posts. I promise to not fill up your mail box with tons of emails! 

Check back Thursday for my Beautiful Blogger Bests column and see who I'll be gushing on this week. Until then, have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping the look: 

Blue Poncho - Chico's - $54.98 (more of an aqua)

Dark wash jeggings - Maurice's - $29.00

Sleeveless print top - Dillards - $39.00

Sandals - 6pm - $39.99

Bag - Kohl's - $48.30

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Tania of 50 Is Not Old in Wednesday's Wardrobe link up. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of a Pocketful of Polka Dots , JoLynn Shane in Fashion Friday and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. Sunday linking up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter.

Piece Perfect - The Faux Leather Jacket

Our weather, here in Ohio has yet to really cool down. Tonight was rather pleasant with a steady, soft breeze and less humidity, but Labor Day and the week following still looks to be very warm. However, before we know it, the temperatures will drop and I will be pulling out one of my favorite cool weather pieces - the faux leather jacket. 

I own a leather jacket, which I love, but for days when I want to wear a different color, or I am looking for something heavier to wear over my top at work, I frequently turn to my less expensive faux leather.

As you can tell, I just love to be silly and my daughter always seems to capture my silliness quite well. This is an outfit I would wear to work. The stripes on my sweater and the plaid pattern on my crop pants could be a mild attempt at pattern mixing, but the main piece is the brown faux leather biker jacket. This piece was adopted from one of my favorite thrift stores, Savers. The material is soft and pliable, not stiff like some leather or faux leather can be.

The day we did this shoot, it was turning stormy just as we went outside. The wind was blowing and the gray clouds were rolling in. We had just enough time to snap some pictures before it started to rain.

A jacket like this can be worn in so many ways, similarly to a denim jacket or a blazer. It can add warmth to any outfit, without a lot of bulk. Wear it with a nice pair of trousers for work, a distressed pair of skinnies for date night, or with a maxi skirt or dress for some other special occasion. These jackets come in all forms - bombers, bikers, moto (a tad different than a biker), blazers, and trench. 

You can see in this picture my faux leather collection. I have two moto jackets, the black and red, which I purchased from Christopher and Banks (they currently do not have this style of jacket). I also have two biker jackets, the brown, which as I said, I got at Savers and the gray, which I think I got at Kohl's. 

Is she a Rockette or is she kicking the 4th quarter touch down that wins the game? I think she's just being silly!

And here's one more for good measure! 

Okay, enough of my attempt at being a fashion model! 

I think a faux leather jacket is a great investment. They are reasonably priced, come in a variety of materials, styles, colors and sizes and can be styled in so many ways. You won't regret adding this type of jacket to your fall wardrobe and it will become a piece you turn to again and again. 

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.

Denim Daze - the Denim Jacket

This is the last post in my Denim Daze series. If you haven't seen the rest of the series click on these links to see the Chambray Shirt, Bermuda Shorts, Knee Length Skirt and Flares. 

This final installment features a denim jacket. I have always owned a denim jacket for as long as I can remember, but I always had the kind that you just wore as a jacket, not one that I would say was stylish or girly. Over the years the look of the denim jacket hasn't changed much, but now it can come with embellishments, lining, dark wash, light wash, stiff or stretchy. I've seen denim blazers and denim dusters.

I found this jacket at a thrift store (where else) and fell in love with it. It is a crop jacket, meaning it is not as long as a regular denim jacket and it has a bit of stretch to it. I love the dark wash and the little bit of distressing here and there. It has 3/4 length sleeves which makes it a perfect jacket for summer or even the transitional days into fall. I even love that the collar is a little bit askew. It's quirky, just like me! 

This print dress is somewhat retro, maybe channeling the 80's, but I like its midi length, the colors and the fit. It is comfy and I can see wearing it in the fall like a jumper with a dark turtleneck and tall boots. I'm carrying a bright green and gold bag for some contrast with the monochromatic look of the outfit.

And of course I have to have some fun accessories. The fringe navy necklace is a fun piece I found earlier this summer. The beaded bracelets I've had for a while. And don't forget the comfy Keds!

To dress up the look, I changed into a long, light green maxi dress. 

This is one of those dresses I absolutely loved when I tried it on at Kohl's last summer, so I bought it. I have yet to actually wear it!!! One area I need to work on is getting out of my routine. I always say that I can't dress up unless I have a reason to, but I need to change my thinking to any reason is a reason to get dressed up. I doubt you'll see me wearing this to the grocery store, but maybe date night with the hubby? Could happen!

I wore a embroidered belt, instead of the simple green tie that came with the dress. The belt has just a little bit of pale purple, so I wore the necklace you see along with a silver and gold bracelet. I carried the sparkly pewter clutch that I have used in other posts.

I decided on the brown sandals to go with the brown belt, even though you couldn't really see my feet. 

Here are the two looks side by side.

Hope you all enjoyed the Denim Daze series. Be sure to check out Thursday's Piece Perfect post. Next Tuesday, I'll be starting a series on Pantone's Fall 2016 color choices. Thanks for stopping by.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.

Shopping a similar look:

Cropped Denim Jacket - Kohl's - $32.99

Printed Midi Dress - Kohl's - $79.99

Maxi Dress - Macy's - $59.00

Navy Keds - Macy's - $40.00

Sandals - DSW - $59.95

Bags - Clutch - $31.50, Hobo - $38.50

Tassel Necklace - Loft - $24.99

Color Crash Course - Denim with Denim

Since I have been doing a series on denim, I thought it would be appropriate to start my Color Crash Course column with a post on styling denim with denim. These days denim comes in a variety of colors so we don't have to be concerned about being too matchy or not matchy enough, but I am sure there are still a few souls out there who think that styling blue denim with blue denim is taboo. 

See what you think after looking at how I paired different washes of denim together.

You know, doing a full day photo shoot can get tedious, especially as I am running in and out, up and down, changing my clothes, so you have to expect I get a little silly once in a while. I'm amazed that I can still stand on one foot and not fall over. That and I can rub my tummy and pat my head at the same time. I am just a woman of amazing talents. Ha, ha.

You can see I wore the same bermuda shorts that I styled in my Denim Daze series (see that post  here). This time I wore a white tee then threw on an infinity scarf and a button up in a darker wash. You can see another way I style this darker chambray shirt here, here and here.

Here is a better look at the scarf. I thought it really pulled the two washes of denim together. I completed the look with a navy bangle, my black espadrille flats and a canvas bag with a similar look to the shoes.

For a different look try styling a solid denim piece with a printed denim piece. Again, in this outfit the denim have different washes.

I used a white top, this time a light weight short sleeve sweater and layered the chambray shirt over it (here is another post where I styled this chambray shirt differently). I think another way this outfit could have been done is to skip the tee and tuck the shirt into the pants then add a blingy belt and some sparkly wedges to dress it up. Add a bright colored bag for a pop of color. 

Here you can see my jewelry a little better. The necklace was from Kohl's and the bracelet was from Chico's. My bright blue Keds are another thrift store find. 

I chose to style both of these outfits casually, but I could see combinations involving bright colored heels and bags, or different colored jewelry or scarves. Denim really is a type of neutral and it goes with anything, even itself.

Here are the outfits side by side.

Let me know in the comments section below or by posting a comment on Facebook whether you think denim with denim works and would you wear it. I appreciate your support and input.

Denim Daze - Flared Jeans

Today I'm styling a pair of flared jeans. I have said this before, but jeans are my go to for just about any sort of event. I wear them to work, to shop, out on a date with my spouse and even to church. Jeans are just that versatile. 

As usual, my first look is casual.

These jeans are a thrift store find and to me have the perfect flare width. I personally do not care for flares that are excessive. I like just enough of a flare to show they aren't bootcut. The long sweater vest I am wearing was another thrift store find and is actually a long dress (for a very svelte person - ha, ha). I thought it gave this outfit that boho feel and I will be planning other things for this vest. I added a pop of color with the coral 3/4 length sleeve tee.

I wore a simple macrame belt, along with a dark silver medallion necklace. I think this added to the boho vibe. For a little contrast I used a metallic clutch and metallic sandals.

Here is the more dressed up version.

I swapped out the vest and tee for a cami and a sheer long sleeve blouse. 

Here you can see the gold polka dots on the blouse. I wore a long gold pendant which I use quite often, a gold and silver bracelet and a gold belt. I did the half tuck on the blouse to show off the belt and give me a little shape. The bag was a thrift store find and has little gold threads running throughout.

The final piece for my dressy outfit was a pair of gold strap wedge sandals. 

I hope you enjoyed the outfits I came up with for a pair of flared jeans. Be sure to check back Thursday for my Color Crash Course and next Tuesday I'll wrap up my Denim Daze series by styling a jean jacket. 

Be sure to leave me a comment about how your are wearing your denim. I'd love to have your input.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping a Similar Look:

Denim Flares - H&M - $19.99 (flares are popular and can be found just about anywhere you like to shop)

 Sweater Vest - Kohl's - $40.60

3/4 Length Sleeve Tee - Christopher and Banks - $26.95

Silver Sandals - DSW - $69.95

Silver Clutch - Charming Charlie - $10.00

Dressy blouse - Macy's - $34.99

Gold wedge sandals - DSW - $54.95

Gold pendant necklace - JC Penney - $15.40

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Allison of Sydney Fashion Hunter. Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Linking up with Jennie of  A Pocketful of Polka Dots and JoLynne of JoLynne Shane My Life and Style.