A New Year, A New Plan

Hi everyone. A month and a half has trudged by since I last posted anything on the blog. I say trudged because, as quickly as it has flown by, it has been difficult. The end of November I got a nasty sinus infection and did a round of antibiotics. It was actually a blessing, because by the time I took my last antibiotic I was able to taste and smell again, so I enjoyed all the delicious treats the Christmas holidays provided. I enjoyed Christmas with our kids and grandkids even though over the course of the month our one grandson got Covid again, and our son-in-law ended up with the flu. There were a few days where we were not even sure we were going to be able to celebrate Christmas on the day, but it all worked out.

During this time, my husband and I were also intending to go see his parents. First we were going to go the week before Christmas, and take our younger daughter and grandson, but with him having Covid we were not able to do that. We then decided we would go the day after Christmas, during the week, but with my son-in-law having the flu we did not want to expose my in-laws to any germs. We waited. Finally, just my spouse and I left on the 30th, to visit for a quick weekend, before he had to start getting ready for the semester. We arrived late afternoon on Friday along with a large Chicago style pizza that we had picked up along the way.

That evening we enjoyed a talkative dinner with my husband’s mom, dad and sister, and were so pleased that dad, who has struggled with Parkinson’s for years, enjoyed two pieces of the thick cheesy pizza and was animated and talkative. Saturday morning, with family by his side, my father-in-law walked into eternity with Jesus. Obviously, my husband and I made the decision to stay the whole week following and help his mom with the planning and implementation of the burial and Celebration of Life service.

Image by Tumisu from Pixabay

I cannot emphasize enough the sovereignty and mercy of our mighty Lord. That we should be there at exactly the right time to be with our family, not only as dad passed, but during the long week of adjustment and planning after the fact is simply amazing. I saw on a daily basis how God gave strength and courage, as well as peace and calm. He used me as servant as the rest of the family dealt with all the details in the planning process. It is hard to say when facing all the loss experienced in this life, but the truth stands, God is good; His mercies are new every morning, and He loves us with a lavish love.

Image by Sophie Janotta from Pixabay

With the coming of a New Year I want to make an effort to get back to consistent posting on this little blog of mine. I came very close to completely giving it up when I got sick, but I believe this tiny piece of the internet has a place and purpose put into play by God. To the rest of the world this might seem like a waste of time. Why do I want to put effort into something that I am not even getting paid for? The answer is YOU. Every once in a while, one of you will make a comment or send me a short email saying, “I love what you are doing.” “You inspire me to look at my wardrobe differently.” “You have a gift from God.” Wow! And you know what? Those comments always come, just when I begin to think I need to stop doing this.

What I am learning is that we need each other. We need a little place we can go to, like a favorite coffee shop or bookstore, where we can spend a little time hanging out, laughing, telling stories and being encouraged. Encouragement is so important. Encouragement and inspiration can be a bright flame in a world that is filled with clouds and dreariness.

Image by Marlon Sommer from Pixabay

I have a few ideas that I would like to share with you about the organization and content of the blog. I still plan to post twice a week. One day will feature fashion and one day will feature faith. There might be occasions where I have more than two posts for a week, but that is my desired minimum. I want to work towards a more structured approach for the fashion page rather than flying by the seat of my pants, so that I can have an organized plan for upcoming content.

I want to go back to more of a weekly column of sorts, so this is my tentative plan.

1st. Tuesday - Outfit Inspiration - a look at sources for outfit inspiration including outside entities like Instagram and Pinterest, and inspiration hiding in our own drawers and closets.

2nd. Tuesday - Shopping Our Closets - on this day we will look to our own closets where we will start with basics that most women own, and build whole outfits around them.

3rd. Tuesday - My Style - here we will begin to explore what style is and how we can begin to find our own style. I will also talk about my own style and share some of my every day looks.

4th. Tuesday - Color Play - one of my favorite things to do is talk about color - think Pantone series - and try new combinations. This will also include patterns, textures, print mixing and sources for color inspiration.

5th. Tuesday (once every few months) - Topics - this will be a time when I discuss topics that are relevant to aging and fashion including: ageism in fashion, sustainability, modesty, being a Christian in the fashion arena, and others.

I am also looking at a few ways to bring in a little income without cluttering up my posts with advertising or pushing products. I do not feel that either of those things is part of who I am or what I want this blog to be. I am hoping to start a little resale shop, possibly through Facebook Marketplace or for those of you who are not on Facebook through Poshmark. I am also toying with the idea of adding a tip jar button to my blog, so if the Spirit moves you, you can buy me a cup of coffee or send a small thank you gift if a post was particularly helpful for you. I am not pushing for money, I just thought it would be a way for you to support something you enjoy and believe in without having to buy new products or wade through ads. I will still try to include shopping links so you can peruse at your leisure. As always, your comments and input mean more to me than anything monetary.

There is a lot to think about, research and figure out, so I covet your support and prayers as I try to make this blog a better place through consistent, quality content. If you have any ideas, thoughts or feedback, please shoot me an email or leave a comment below. Your input is what helps this be a better blog.

If you have made it this far thank you so much for reading. I appreciate all of you. On Thursday I will be sharing my plans for the Faith page, so if you enjoy reading those posts as well please come back then. Next week look for my first outfit post for the new year. Until then, love and hugs!

Outfits with Sweaters

Hey everyone! I am trying to bring you content at least once a week, but time got away from me this past weekend and I wasn’t able to get pictures taken. I thought, instead, I would show you some of the the outfits I have been posting on Instagram. I know, not all of you have an Instagram account, and maybe not a Facebook account either, so you wouldn’t be getting that content.

Anyway, I recently styled four different sweaters and thought I would show you those outfits. I love my sweaters in the winter time. Anything to add extra layers on these frigid days is exactly what I want and need. We live in a drafty old house and over the years we have added insulation, new windows and things like that, but it is still a drafty, old, house. Ha, ha.

All of these outfits were made using a few of my longer cardigans. I love a long cardigan in the winter in our house, because my legs often feel cold, even with the extra bits on my thighs! Having a longer, cozy cardi makes me feel like I am wearing a blanket around my body.

After each outfit explanation you will see a new feature called a Style Tip. Be sure to check those out for easy ways to update your looks.

Outfit 1 - Mint Green Bubble Cardigan

This is a Christopher and Banks piece I bought a few years ago. The bubble texture is soft and cozy. For this outfit I decided to pair the sweater with a pale, lavender long sleeve top and a printed scarf which also had navy accents in addition to the mint and purple. That is why I chose my navy, SO ankle boots and a few navy bracelets. Here is a similar pair of boots at Kohl’s. My jeans are from Maurices. Click on the link to a similar pair.

Style Tip:

Trying pairing pastels with other pastels, then throw in a bit of a primary color like red, bright yellow or dark blue for an interesting contrast.

Outfit 2 - Leopard Print Cardigan

I found this great piece while thrifting and I grabbed it. I had been on the hunt for a longer, heavier, leopard print cardigan and this one was perfect. This cardigan, like the last one is an open front piece, with no zippers, buttons or snaps. I have grown to really like these types of cardi’s because they provide warmth, but still allow you to show off the top underneath, as well as any accessories like scarves or jewelry.

For this outfit, I chose my rusty brown, thrifted turtleneck, which happens to be Chico’s brand and is very soft. My jeans are my trusty old Rock & Republic brand from Kohl’s. My boots are clearance Sonoma brand, also from Kohl’s a few seasons ago. Here is a different gray pair, a brown pair, and a black pair.

Style Tip:

Adding a belt to a longer cardigan can give you an entirely new look, accenting your waist and making the outfit more streamlined.

Outfit 3 - Camouflage Waffle Weave Cardigan

This purple camo piece I found recently at my local Meijer. Not only was it on clearance, it was an additional 50% off. Yay! Being that is was such a different piece with the color and the texture, I grabbed it. I had just been thinking I want to add a few other purple pieces to my closet and this was perfect. In addition, it is a medium weight so I will be able to wear it for three seasons instead of just one. You can try finding a long light weight cardi here on Amazon.

This look was very casual, with a thrifted light weight pullover sweater, thrifted jeans and my sherpa lined ankle boots. Another clearance Sonoma pair. I wore this to go meet friends at a nearby BBQ place.

Style Tip:

Add layers of fun jewelry to a casual look to take it up a notch, making it social engagement ready.

Outfit 4 - Bright Blue Bubble Sweater

Apparently, bubble sweaters were a thing, but now they are not. I think I got the mint one, and this bright blue one the same year. This one I found at a local shop last year when my girls took me birthday shopping. My sparkly, red, long sleeve tee is a recent online purchase from Kohl’s. Tee’s are definitely a staple in my closet: short sleeves for spring and summer, and long sleeves for fall and winter.

The jeans are a stretchier version of my other Rock & Republic jeans. The boots are a hand me over from my oldest. Since her pregnancy her feet got a tad bigger. These are tight on me too and I almost wonder if they were mislabeled. I wear them around the house and places where I don’t have to walk a lot. Do you wear shoes at home? Many days I wear my slippers, but I will also get fully dressed, just to feel like I am not frittering away time. Since I am currently working from home with my little freelance jobs, it makes me feel like I am accomplishing something if I get dressed. Ha, ha.

Style Tip:

Color block an outfit by adding two, three or more different solid colors, then add a fun printed scarf for warmth and interest. Don’t forget to accent your scarf with a pretty pin/brooch.

I hope you enjoyed this post. These are a few of my every day outfits. I love to get dressed and to add interest and color to my outfits, even if I am just staying at home. I provided a few shopping links within the article that you can check out. Some of these are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great evening.

Oh, Olive! Utility Jacket - Casual

I am back from visiting my mom and ready to get back to posting here on the blog. I wasn’t feeling well, the first couple of days after I got home, but I think most of it was fatigue and allergies. They seem to be beating on everyone this year. While I was at my mom’s I didn’t have internet, but I was able to get some photos taken and was pretty pleased with the result. I hope you will be as well.

I am continuing my look at a few of my different olive pieces and how they can be used with just about any outfit and any color. I do like to think outside the box, at least my box, so I hope you will find some of these outfits inspirational for your own wardrobes. The week before last I showed you a casual and a workwear look using an olive pair of pants. Today and Thursday, I want to take a look at ways to style an olive utility jacket. You can see how I styled this same jacket on the blog before with a striped tee and distressed jeans, another striped tee, and a polka dot chambray top.

Another thing, I decided to add to this little series, is to give you a few peaks at what is trending for fall. I’ll point it out as we go along. Let’s take a look at the olive utility jacket.

I have had this olive utility piece for a number of years now. St. John’s Bay brand, I got it at JCPenney. Since then I have accumulated a few other utility jackets in other colors. I like that they are so versatile. In fact, I may have to do a post on that at a future date. Most of my pieces, including this one are lighter weight, so a great topper for spring, summer and fall. While they do tend towards more casual, I will show you on Thursday how to make one look appropriate for work.

What makes a piece utility? I think it has to do with the pockets and the details like drawstrings, snaps and metal zippers. Next week I will be showing you an olive utility vest.

Fall Trend Alert - Denim on Denim

Once again, it seems denim with denim is trending for fall. While I wouldn’t wear this regularly, it does have a casual appeal. Monochrome is always a good way to get a longer, sleeker line. Most of what I saw on the runway were pieces of the same wash. See this post on Fall 2021 trends from Marie Claire. However, there is a sense of personal creativity in putting together pieces with different washes, as I did in this outfit.

My chambray top is a thrift find from earlier in the summer. It is a brand called Cremieux. Apparently, Daniel Cremieux started a men’s clothing line in Saint Tropez, on the French Riviera in the mid 70’s. It looks like he designed women’s clothing for a time as well. Both lines were sold at Dillards, but the women’s line is no longer available in the US. The fun things you find when you thrift.

You’ve seen my thrifted, distressed Simply Vera, Vera Wang jeans plenty of times on the blog. They are getting rattier looking as time goes along, but I guess that is the point. Ha, ha. If the holes get to big for my comfort zone, I may make a few patches, which actually could be fun.

I decided to add this floral mini print scarf just for a little extra color. I don’t use my scarves much in the heat of the summer. I sweat just sitting still on these humid days. Last night, I was working on this post and I was dripping with sweat. Of course we hadn’t turned our air conditioners on. Sometimes, we have to choose between a little bit of inconvenience and being able to pay the electric bill. My husband always runs colder, so he’s not as hot unless he is doing yard work or something. Today is supposed to be even warmer. I think the air will be on later, so this woman doesn’t get too cranky. Ha, ha.

If you follow my Instagram account, you may have seen that I rearranged my scarves. Just like with all of my clothes, I have way more than I need, but I am trying to make everything more accessible and visible, so it is easier to sort through and find. Do you have a special way of arranging your scarves?

My blue Converse are making another appearance. While I still think this brand of sneaker makes me look even more like I have ski feet, I am trying to embrace those long skinny things on the ends of my legs.

The last accessory I have is my white cross body bag. This was another thrift find. I like that it is a little bit larger than many cross body bags, so I can actually fit everything in it, without having to squeeze it in. I am not sure what the brand is, but it was still very clean and unworn, so I snatched it up.

Do you own an olive utility jacket? How do you like to wear it? I love hearing from you, so be sure to leave me some love in the comments. I hope your summer is going swimmingly well!

I’m including a few shopping links for denim pieces and utility jackets. I hope you’ll look those over. Every time you click on a link, I get a few cents and I appreciate it. All opinions are my own.

Have a great Tuesday!

Oh, Olive! Workwear Look

Tuesday I showed you a casual look with olive pants and today I am showing you a workwear look that might be doable for the office. We are looking at the color olive as a neutral. I know many of us have olive in our wardrobes and are becoming more aware of what a great color it is. Tuesday, I showed you how well it goes with orange and white. Check out today’s outfit, which combines dark florals and black for a sassy look.

I found this fabulous dark floral Time and Tru dress while thrifting on one of our trips. I had started really looking over the dress racks at thrift stores recently after seeing Instagram gal, jbowenandcompany using a button up dress like a kimono. It makes a piece like this so much more versatile. When I decided to do this series on olive pieces, I knew this dress as a duster would be a perfect topper for a fun workwear look.

Once again, my olive Gloria Vanderbilt skinny pants are the focal piece. This time I paired them with another neutral, black. My black v-neck polo is a sleeveless piece that I found thrifting a few weeks ago. Black and olive has always been a classic combination. Throwing the dark floral piece over the top really makes the outfit pop.

You’ve seen these Clark peep toe shoeties on the blog before. They are great shoes, I just really have no place to wear them right now. I know many bloggers and Instagram babes who post outfits they are actually wearing, but some of us have a more laid back approach. I would wear these and this whole outfit if I had an office job, but right now I don’t. Still, it is fun to have choices, and to be able to show you all a few of my fun wardrobe pieces, even if I don’t wear them as often.

I thought adding the light blue bag would pull out the light blue in the duster and with the dark florals it still gives the outfit a summer feel. You could have done the same thing with the light pink, yellow, or white. For the same reason I went with the light blue pendant. Just that little extra pop of color adds more interest to the outfit.

What do you think of this outfit? Have you ever worn a button up dress as a duster or kimono? It is a great way to extend the use of your dresses. If you are like me, you don’t have too many excuses to wear a dress. I know some ladies wear them all the time, and if my legs were less blemished by veins, I probably would too, but using a dress in this way still gives me an excuse to get more dressed up.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am going to include a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend. I will not be posting next week once again, as I am going to spend the week with my mom while my brother and his family are out of town. I’ll be back the following week. Until then, take care.

Kickin' It with Kimonos - Looks like Sunflowers

I came across another Ohio blogger, recently on instagram named Shannon Solt. She inspired me to check out Hirzel Farms and their sunflower fields. Since she did a fashion post in front of the pretty blooms, I thought that would be a great idea and texted my daughter about getting some pictures in before the heavy seeded sunflower heads started to droop. Being the practical minded person that I am, I wanted to come up with an outfit where I would be able to get more than one blog post. I finally decided on using one piece styled three different ways.

The piece I chose to revolve all three outfits around is this Massini chambray dress that I found on the clearance rack at Target. I have styled this on the blog before as seen with a denim vest.

It was a bright day, but with plenty of fluffy clouds flying over, so the sun would shine and then it would go behind a cloud. This can be a problem for taking pictures, but I thought my daughter did a great job. We both prefer shade or clouds for pictures.

I found this fabulous kimono, or in actuality a ruana, at maurices. I love the color combination and once again it is a floral print. You can see in these pictures the sunflowers are already getting heavy with seeds. This was about two weeks ago and now they are completely brown and drooping so their heads face the ground. At this point each individual stalk can be cut. Once further dried the seeds can be harvested, or the stalks can be left outside and the seeds become food for all sorts of critters.

Doesn’t it look like the flowers are bowing to me as I walk by? Ha, ha.

I would have had a yellow pendant necklace if i hadn’t forgotten it at home. Ha, ha. The joys of taking pictures somewhere other than home. I can’t just run back into the house if I forgot something. Anyway, there is plenty of activity going on in the kimono and in the back ground, so it is probably okay that I don’t have a necklace on.

I did have this bracelet for another outfit, so I threw that on. I really like the little owl charm.

If you have been following for a while, you know I love these SO ballerina flats. They are comfortable, light weight and so easy to slip on and off. They tend to mold to your foot, so don’t slip off when I am walking.

I’ve used this light blue bag on the blog before too. Unfortunately, in this picture the bag is backwards and you can’t see the pretty gold zipper and blue tassels on the front. I really need to pay more attention to the details.

Here is a fun black and white photo for you. I love the contrast of grays, whites and blacks in this picture.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you own a chambray dress, or a fit and flare dress like this? Do you like to wear bell sleeves? I’d love to hear your thoughts

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Instagram Review

I am going to be out of town visiting my mom for her 92nd birthday, so for today's post, I thought I would forego my usual Outfit Inspiration post and just show you some of the outfits from my Instagram feed. Now that I have a smart phone, and have been taught how to post pics and so on, I am enjoying the ease of throwing on an outfit and quickly posting it to IG. The thing I like about Insta is that it allows you to see a more realistic view of how I dress. 

The outfits I post on my blog, are ones that I would wear, given the opportunity, but often real life gets in the way and I find it easier to just throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty top in order to chase my grandson around, go grocery shopping, do laundry and so on. The following are just a few of those everyday outfits that I frequently reach for. 

Plaid Dress with Skinnies

Today’s summer look. Off on a walk with a girl, her dogs and a boy! #stylingrannymama #stylish #stylingtips #styleblogger #fashion #fashionista #fashionable #fashionstyle #fashionover40 #fashioniver50 #fashionoftheday #fashionofinstagram #womenswear #womensfashion #womensclothing #summerdress #skinnyjeans #keds #beachywaves #walking #walkingthedogs #watchingthegrandkids #summerfun #summertime #wildwoodmetropark #summermorning

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Jul 30, 2018 at 6:24am PDT

Striped Tee with Embroidered Chinos

This is what I’m wearing today. Chino type pant are a great summer weight. These have embroidery on one leg, but you can’t see it in the pic. This top was thrifted and has a sequined eagle up in the corner. What does your Tuesday look like? #stylingrannymama #styleblogger #stylingtips #fashion #fashionista #fashionable #fashionstyle #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #fashionoftheday #fashionofinstagram #embroideredpants #stripedtee #thriftstorefinds #meijerclearance #suedeoxfords #summerfun #summertime #summeroutfit

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Jul 31, 2018 at 7:51am PDT

Yellow Ankle Pants with Multi-print Tee

Yellow is a color I now embrace thanks to Jodie @jtouchofstyle She inspired me to give it a try and these #talbots thrifted jeans are a new favorite! Have a good Wednesday! #thriftedchicstylechallenge #stylingrannymama #stylish #stylingtips #styleblogger #fashion #fashionista #fashionable #fashionstyle #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #fashionoftheday #fashionofinstagram #womenswear #womensfashion #womensclothing #summertime #summerstyle

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Aug 1, 2018 at 5:49am PDT

Eyelet Top with Skinnies

Today’s theme is Elegant Eyelet on the #simplystyledaugust challenge. What are you wearing today? #simplystyledaugust #fashionloveaugust #thriftedchicstylechallenge #copymyfashionnotes #megastyleaugust #liblooksstylechallenge #gbtlstyleup #closetshopaugust #stylingrannymama #styleblogger #fashion #fashionstyle #fashionable #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #eyelet #thriftstorefinds #summeroutfit #ootd #ootdfashion

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Aug 2, 2018 at 7:01am PDT

White Ankle Pants with Floral Kimono

Day 3 of the #thriftedstylechallenge Another entirely thrifted outfit except for my sparkly gray Keds. #stylingrannymama #thriftedstylechallenge #fashionstyle #fashionable #fashionoftheday #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #styleblogger #stylingtips #womenswear #womensfashion #womensclothing #whitecroppants #embellishedtank #floralkimono #graykeds

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Jul 25, 2018 at 5:06am PDT

Distressed Crop Jeans with Multi-print Top

Day 2 of the #thriftedstylechallenge These Simply Vera, Vera Wang jeans were my first distressed pair ever and I love them! Sonoma top and bright blue Keds. All thrifted. Have a great Tuesday! #stylingrannymama #styleblogger #styleinspiration #thriftstorefinds #fasion #fashionista #fashionable #fashionstyle #fashionover40 #fashionover50 #fashionoftheday #womenswear #womensfashion #womensclothing #summerfun #summertime #summeroutfit #summerstyle #simplyverawang #sonoma #keds #thriftedchicstylechallenge

A post shared by Stylin' Granny Mama (@stylingrannymama) on Jul 24, 2018 at 5:36am PDT

These are just a few of the outfits you'll see in my Instagram feed. Do you like this post? Do you follow me on Instagram? I'm still a work in progress and I appreciate all of you who have subscribed to my blog. If you read my posts, but haven't subscribed just fill in the info in the subsciption box and I'll put you on my email list. I only email once a week, because I know how full our in boxes can get. You can follow me on Instagram and I am also working on putting more things on my Pinterest boards so check those out as well. 

Have a great weekend!