Outfit Inspiration - Independence Day Color

We just celebrated the 4th of July which is a summer holiday filled with fireworks, picnics, and cookouts. For my husband and I it was a day to get things done around our home that we have let go way to long. On Sunday we started cleaning our bedroom. I kid you not when I say, it took us three days, and he still has a bit of tidying up to do on his bookshelf and dresser, but we conquered the dust bunnies!

In addition to cleaning our bedroom, we decided to clean out our chest freezer. We have had our freezer for many years. My husband being a hunter, we bought it expecting that part of its use would be for game. Unfortunately, what seems to happen is that things get lost in there. In fact, the freezer becomes like an ancient tomb, but the finds at the bottom of the burial mound are not very pretty, let alone edible. We threw away a lot of food. It is unfortunate, but it is real life and we are going to try to do better from now on to use what we have, and rotate our stock.

For today’s ultra casual look, I will confess I didn’t even get dressed until late afternoon. I tried on a maxi skirt, but that made me feel too hot. Usually, they are pretty cool, but on a 90 plus day the less material the better. Ha, ha.

This is my regular, summer outfit formula. Rolled up jeans, or cropped pants, a top, sneakers, some sort of jewelry and a topper for air conditioning. My husband and I were heading out for dinner and ice cream. Ice cream was our treat for working so hard the last few days, that and the reward of a clean room and defrosted freezer.

My bright red sleeveless top is perfect for these occasions when red is the color of choice. It is a bright, tomato red and is a brand called Popsugar which I found on clearance a Kohl’s a few years ago. I love the smocking detail on the bodice and the ruffles. It is also flowy, so no worries about the bulges showing. Ha!

These thrifted cropped jeans are Mossimo. They have been seeing quite a bit of wear this summer. I am always on the lookout for jeans when I thrift. I have found some of my most favorite and most worn pairs second hand. Jeans see a long life of wear, if made properly, so getting them at thrift store is a way to find off brands that fit, save money and keep clothes out of the land fills.

My creamy white sweater is another thrift find from a few years ago. I was enamored with the beaded embellishment near the neckline. It also has 3/4 length sleeves, which I don’t wear often, but for summer air conditioning they are the perfect length. It is Christopher and Banks brand.

I went with white for my jewelry. That way, if I did’t have the sweater on, I still wore red, white and blue. The cute daisy pendant necklace was a Christmas gift a few years ago from my spouse. The bracelets were clearance finds.

The Comfortiva red shoes you saw last week, and the blue bag, I added after I finished taking pictures, so I had my hubby snap a couple with the bag. Ha, Ha.

What did you wear for your July 4th? Did you get dressed up, or did you keep it casual? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just leave me some love in the comments.

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Color Play - 2 - Pantone Spring 2023 - NY Palette: Tangelo, Peach Pink, Machiatto

These are the final three colors from the Pantone Spring 2023 NY Palette and I wanted to let you see them. This is also going to be a color block outfit, though not as distinct as the previous one with the more primary colors. These colors are softer and make me think more of light spring showers and Easter flowers. This outfit has almost a monochromatic feel as the colors are similar in their hues.

With Easter only a week away, I thought it might be nice to focus on an outfit that would work for a casual Easter get together. It used to be we dressed up for this holiday, and I think many people still do, but while many are still donning their white shoes and pretty spring dresses, there are others who will reach for a more casual, practical outfit for a day of cooking and preparing treats for the grandkids’ Easter hunts.

This outfit is made up of three main components: bottom, top and accessories. I am including the vest in with the accessories because it is not essential to the outfit. You could easily wear a top and bottom without a topper like a vest or blazer. For this outfit, the vest was representing another of the Pantone colors and not only does it add an element of warmth, but an element of texture and interest.

My Peach Pink pants are W62 brand and I believe were from Dress Barn. I have styled these on the blog before. You can see them styled here in a monochrome look, with a red moto jacket, with a pastel pink cardigan, with a LuLaRoe tee, with a cropped blazer, and with a different set of Pantone colors,

Sorry for the poor picture quality. Phone pictures are great, but not so much when it comes to editing.

My Tangelo vest was a Christopher and Banks purchase a few years ago. I love the deep orange color and it serves well for both spring and fall.

You can also see in the above picture my thrifted Old Navy sweater top. I had a Machiotto colored jean jacket picked out, but I didn’t have any other orange that worked as well as my vest. Even though there is a distinct marled print you can see the brown color throughout.

I added the scarf as a way to pull the entire look together.

My daughter was getting rid of this pretty, statement necklace, so I snatched it up. I thought it went great with this outfit.

My sneakers are Mossimo and were thrift find. They also mimic the Machiotto color almost perfectly and add another bit of shine to the look.

My bag was a gift from my daughter. Both my girls know I love purses, so I am always excited when I get a new one as a gift. I love the embellished detail on this piece.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear these together? What are you going to wear for your Easter Day celebration?

I’m not sharing any shopping links to day, but hope you have a marvelous weekend.

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Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2021 - New York Palette: Mykonos Blue, Spring Lake and Coconut Cream

It seems that every Pantone color palette that comes through the Institute has at least one, if not two blues on it. Blue is a color that everyone can wear, whether you wear dark classic navy, casual comfortable chambray or tropical hues that take you to the beaches of the Caribbean. I have a lot of blue in my closet, but then, I have a lot of every color in my closet. Ha, ha. Blue is great for pairing with many other colors. I pair denim with every color and denim definitely falls in the range of blues. Today’s blues are wearable and most likely already in your wardrobe.

My colors did not really line up with these blues. Oh well, that is part of the challenge of doing this series. I don’t always get the match spot on, but that is okay. The point is to take things you already have and do something similar. It doesn’t matter if your blues are a perfect match or not. All of these pieces were things I already had.

When I picked out these pieces I really thought the pants and the vest would have matched better to Spring Lake, but now looking at the picture the pants seem to match better with the Mykonos Blue. The vest, which does seem to lean a little bit toward a gray undertone, was too dark to match the Spring Lake color. However, the patches on the pants seem to lean a little more in that direction.

The vest is a thrifted Relativity piece. I have styled this on the blog before. You can see it worn with a graphic tee. The jeans which I have styled on the blog before are thrifted and a brand called Est. 1946 Denim. You can see how I wore them with a graphic tee and cozy sweater here. Looking at the above picture, I should have rolled up the cuffs on the jeans.

When you have an asymmetrical vest with fringe, you just have to twirl!

My yellow mini floral print button down is a thrifted Old Navy piece. I decided to leave it completely untucked to add to the ultra casual vibe of this outfit.

I was trying to go for the Coconut Cream idea in my accessories, but again, things didn’t match up exactly. My bag was a hand-me-over from my daughter. This Miche brand bag actually has interchangeable outer shells, so for this look I used the cream colored one.

My sneakers are thrifted Mossimo.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like to wear blue? What color blue is your favorite?

Thanks for following along with the blog. I appreciate all of your clicks, likes and comments.

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Have a great day.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull with Rebecca Trumbull.

Thinking About Fall - Transitional Style - Button Down Short Sleeve Top

I hope those of you who have subscribed to my blog are content with what I have been posting lately. I have fallen into a rhythm of only posting twice a week, but for now that is the best I can do. Real life is never as pretty as it looks on a blog post or Instagram. Real life is messy and often requires more of our energy and time than we have to give. That being said, I want you to know, I am trying to bring you content that goes along with the seasons and what is going on in the fashion world, as well as to encourage you in your faith. I will probably spend a few more weeks on these transitional looks and then I hope to start that infamous Pantone series. Ha, ha. Stay tuned.

Last week, I took myself on a little shopping trip. I went to two stores, Kohl’s and JC Penney. These have long been my go to’s when I am looking for new items. In my town, these two stores are only a few blocks apart, making it even easier to justify stopping at both. As you know by now, I shop the clearance racks and I really found some great pieces, including this yellow and white gingham, St. John’s Bay button down. I actually purchased these in two different prints, the other being a blue, yellow and white mini floral.

The thing I like about these is the light weight cotton material, which is perfect for these hot summer days, and the high-low square hem. You can see that better in the picture below. This makes it easy to wear the top out, like I did in this outfit, or you could tuck it in for a more polished look.

To keep my look light and cool, I accessorized with light, neutral colors and added a bracelet as my only piece of jewelry. My bag is from a few summers ago and is Sonoma brand. A woven bag is always a great summer piece. My off white sneakers were thrifted and they are Mossimo brand.

To make the outfit ready for cool weather, I made a few simple adjustments. I added a fun yellow moto jacket that I ordered from Kohl’s last year that was on clearance. This is Elizabeth and James brand. I fell in love with the color and it is a heavy, sturdy piece that can be worn as a jacket, not just a show piece.

I love this scarf and I think the colors are perfect for fall. The yellow mums, the burgundy splashes and there is also a little bit of an olive leopard print throughout. I should have straightened it out a bit more, since the ends look a but rumpled. My hair looks crazy too, so no worries. Ha, ha.

I swapped out my woven bag for a cute burgundy leather and suede shoulder bag my bestie gave me that she found thrifting. I also added my thrifted Rock & Candy by Zigi ankle boots. These are such a fun boot with the lace overlay. One of the reasons I love to thrift is finding fun, unique pieces like these boots.

Here are the outfits side by side. What do you think? Did I make a good transition to fall? What would you have done differently? I love to hear your thoughts.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. Moto jackets are a great way to take your clothes from one season to the next. They provide an added layer of warmth in the cooler weather and a lighter layer as the temperatures start to warm up in the spring.

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Have a great week.

Color Play - The Grinch - Green, Red and Brown

When it comes to Christmas we are inundated with red, green, silver and gold, but today people are using blues, teals, purples and pinks to decorate their homes and wrap their presents. Check out Liz from With Wonder and Whimsy. I adore her whimsical style and her love for all things pastel. She does such an amazing job decorating for all occasions and Christmas in her home is simply beautiful. See her Holiday Home Tour by clicking on the link.

I love the red and green color combo for Christmas, but it really doesn’t work for many people in a fashion sense. I wanted to show how you could put together a fun, festive red and green outfit that could be easily worn for work and give a nod to our friend, The Grinch.

What could possibly be more fun, than styling my very “Grinchy” work outfit in front of something that looks like it was taken right out of Whoville? This colorful 3D mural is another of the fascinating places at the Toledo Botanical Gardens. This little scene is just outside the Unruly Arts Studio, which is a studio that focuses on providing a creative space for artists with developmental disabilities. Check out their site at UnrulyArts.org , their Instagram page @unrulyartsstudio or their Facebook page.

I have always loved The Grinch by Dr. Suess and my favorite holiday movie version is the animated one narrated by Boris Karloff. I think part of my affection for that version was that I was a fan of Karloff and his horror movies like Frankenstein and The Mummy. However, the movie that came out in 2018, where Benedict Cumberbatch plays our grumbling, green friend, is now my second fave. I actually was reluctant for a long time to watch the Jim Carey version, since I am not a big fan, but I finally did watch it and I was pleasantly surprised. I will say that Jim’s version which was directed by Ron Howard is much more geared toward adult humor, so not as appropriate for younger kids.

I got this Grinch sweater last year when I was working at Kohl’s for the holiday season. I knew I wanted a more typical ugly Christmas sweater and I thought this one was more gaudy with its candy cane stripes and the Grinch’s face plastered across the front, but I still thought it was cute.

My plaid trousers are a thrift store find and are Mossimo brand. I do love plaid in all its forms and while these slacks would feel a little better if I were a few pounds lighter, they still fit. I love that they have the green stripes throughout, and that they have a bootcut silhouette.

My brown, faux leather moto jacket was a thrifted piece from a few years ago and I have styled it on the blog a few different times. You can see it with a maxi dress, a maxi skirt and a pair of plaid crop pants. The name of the brand is Celebrity Pink.

You can see in the above picture I also added a little bit of red jewelry in my wrap around red beads. When these are not doubled they are more of an opera length string. I also threw on a red bracelet.

I decided to use brown for the bag and boots to add to the more grounded vibe. You’ve seen this thrifted brown, corduroy, hobo bag on the blog before. The ankle boots are a Nine West purchase from Kohl’s.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like How the Grinch Stole Christmas? Which movie version is your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Be sure to check back next week for the final two outfits in my Christmas series. I’ve included a few shopping links for you to check out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit, Rebecca Trumbull.

Summer Outfit - Leopard Print Skirt - Casual

Hi everyone. How are you doing? I just finished reading an article written by a woman whose whole family contracted COVID. They are all struggling through it. Her husband was in the hospital, but now is home. Both of her kids got it, but they are slowly progressing. She has it as well, but is managing at home with oxygen. I also read another article this morning that yesterday was the highest recorded day of new cases in the US since April. It is very disheartening and discouraging, but it is, what it is. Don’t stop taking precautions. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Okay, enough on that, now time for an outfit.

Tuesday I showed you my thrifted leopard print skirt in a more dressy, work wear friendly style. Today, I am showing off that same skirt, but with a more fun, casual flair.

If you didn’t read the last post, this thrifted skirt is a brand called Who, What, Wear. It is a very light weight material, but it did seem to get full of static when I put it on. I am going to have to see if washing it with fabric softener makes any difference, plus I dried it on the line, since I don’t have a dryer at the moment. As long as the weather is good, I like to hang clothes out in the warmer weather anyway, so I decided I wanted to get the dish washer, which we just replaced last month, paid off, before we purchase a new dryer. The joys of real life. Ha, ha.

I kept the same off white thrifted St. John’s Bay tank top, but swapped out the black polka dot blazer for my thrifted Rue 21 cropped denim jacket. This is one of my favorite thrifted pieces. It is so versatile and I pair it with everything. The fact that it is cropped with 3/4 length sleeves makes it the perfect piece for summer outfits, when you don’t really need a full blown jacket.

I changed my accessories to reflect a more casual vibe. Sometimes it is fun to wear multiple necklaces together, so I wore a gold and cream beaded choker with a longer gold charm pendant necklace.

I chose my thrifted yellow, Elle tote bag because I like the way it went with the skirt and I thought it added another dimension of texture and interest to the outfit.

My Mossimo sneakers were also a thrift find. One of the Goodwill stores I go to has multiple new items from Target. They must be items that are discontinued, but they are brand new with the labels still on. How fun is that! These are not sneakers I would wear for a long day on my feet, but I thought they were fun for occasional wear and for the blog.

What do you think of this casual interpretation for this skirt? Do you think it works? Would you wear a skirt in this way. Leave me your thoughts in the comments. I love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Here are the two outfits side by side. Which one did you like better?

I’ve included a few shopping links to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe!