Shopping Our Closets - Wonderful White

I grew up in the era when white was only worn between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with the exception of Easter Sunday when my mother typically bought new white shoes, for both of us. Easter Sunday always represented the onset of spring, even though the actual spring equinox happened before, so white shoes and a white bag were perfectly acceptable for that religious holiday. However, wearing white blouses, dresses or pants usually didn’t start until after the end of May when the summer festivities were well under way.

I love the combination of white with brown. When I thought about going for a monochrome look, I knew I didn’t have a white belt, although I could have left my shirt untucked and wore white tennis shoes and had a white bag for a completely white look. However, I like the way this turned out. Casual and fun with interesting details, this would be a great look for a summer concert at the park or a boat outing with friends…I wish a had friends with a boat. Ha, ha.

Everything in this outfit is thrifted. Thrifting seems to be on the rise as people look for more ways to save money. I did a little shopping at Kohl’s recently and was flabbergasted by the prices. A man’s polo shirt for $80? What? I bought the ones that were on sale for $12.99 and I had a 30% off coupon. Shopping retail becomes a game of knowing when to shop and finding the best deals and coupons. Thrifting, fortunately, tends towards slower inflation rates and many places still offer spectacular deals. We have a shop about 20 minutes from where I live where everything is $1. With the exception of a few upscale brands, furniture and the like, all the clothing, books, toys, shoes, and home goods are one buckaroo!

My top is Adrianna Papell brand. This brand seems to specialize in special event gowns and dresses. I love the crinkly texture and the “just enough puff” sleeves. I really don’t like anything too poofy, as my shoulders are a bit broader. That’s why I was never a fan of shoulder pads. If they are removable, I take them out of my blazers, dresses or tops that come with them. You can also see the necklace I added in keeping with the brown theme.

My distressed, Boyfriend cut, white jeans are Stylus, a JC Penney brand. They are super comfy and casual, so these will be on repeat this summer. The belt loops were wide enough that I was able to get this recently thrifted, woven piece through. I thought the speckling of color and the braiding of the belt were great details.

I found these cute sandals when my hubby and I went up north at a Goodwill store. They are a brand called I Love Comfort, and looks like it used to be a Sears brand. They slip on and tie up just like regular shoes. They have a fairly comfortable footbed, and give full coverage for my veiny feet. Sorry for the nasty looking nail polish. I need to redo my toes with a more durable polish. Ha, ha. Hey, I’m just keeping it real.

You’ve seen this bag on the blog before. It is Rafe for Target brand. Check out the actual Rafe NY website. Cute bags, but way out of my price range. I love this one I found at a second hand store. It is quite roomy, so I might make this my bag for our upcoming travel.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you wear white in the summer, or all year round? Do you like to dress in a monochrome look? Do you add different colored accessories to make the outfit more interesting? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. I hope you are having a great week!

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!

A Look Back at 2020 - My Favorite Outfits

Before I launch into a short series on some of the current winter trends, i wanted to revisit my favorite outfits from this past year. 2020 was a year unlike any other with the Covid Pandemic, racial unrest and the election overwhelming our newsfeeds. There were times where I just didn’t feel like being a blogger any more. I just wanted to crawl into a nice, cozy hole and not come out until all of the bad news went away. Fortunately, I didn’t do that. I had a sense that every single one of you that regularly follow me, needed a brief respite from all the bad that was going on around us. The normalcy of looking at and talking about faith and fashion, just seemed to be a good thing to do, so I kept at it.

I have a feeling that 2021 is not going to be a whole lot different from 2020. Change is going to continue to happen and change is what often pushes us well outside of our comfort zones. However, my little blog is still going to be here, as long as God gives me the health, energy and brain power to continue, I will do so. Many of you have become like family to me. Those of you who have regularly commented or even taken the time to send me a personal email have been a great source of encouragement to me, so thank you.

Here is a look back at 2020. As I have done before, I go month by month and pick out my faves. I’d love to know which outfit really inspired you.

January

Actual Amy - Waterfall Cardigan

Why I like It: This whole outfit is very much me. I love the rusty textures of the waterfall cardigan and faux suede boots. As you all know, I love my jeans and the striped long sleeve tee is the perfect choice for this ultra casual outfit. I also like the subtle print mixing going on between the stripes, snakeskin patterned bag and the speckled bead pendant.

February

Seeing Red - Thrifted Thursday - Burgundy Skirt

Why I Like It: In all honesty, I had three outfits, all together, that I liked from February. I decided to post this one as my favorite, because it was totally unexpected. I honestly did not think this outfit was going to look as good as it did when I started putting it together. I wasn’t sure about the color combo or the mix of smooth faux leather pencil skirt with oversized textured sweater, but I absolutely love everything about this outfit. The color combo was perfect and the unexpected mix of textures and lengths honestly works well. The only thing I might have changed is the shoes. I’m wondering if a burgundy shoe would have been a better choice, but overall it worked. The other two that I liked from February were, Seeing Red - Red with Tan - Velvet Jacket, and Seeing Red - Actual Amy - Plaid Jacket.

March

Spring Trends 2020 - Maxi Dresses, Psychedelic Prints and Vests

Why I Like It: March was the month I focused on the Spring Trends for the year. I will do that again this year. I like the boho, hippy vibe of this outfit with the medallion printed maxi dress, the striped tee and the denim vest. It just presents a fun, eclectic mix that makes for a great casual date night look.

April

Transitional Spring Outfit

Photo credit Rachel Christensen

Why I Like It: Who doesn’t like a kimono? They are just fun, fabulous pieces and every woman should have one or two in her closet. I have many more than that, but there are so many pretty styles, prints and colors. This pink, burgundy and white piece is no exception. I especially like the fringe on the sleeve and bottom hems. Every since I learned about print mixing, I have become obsessed and nothing pairs better than stripes and flowers. The burgundy colored accessories complete the look perfectly.

May

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Sunlight, Flame Scarlet and Ash

Photo credit Amy Christensen

Why I Like It: There is nothing special about this outfit, other than it is something I would actually wear. Though all of the outfits I post are things I actually own, I don’t necessarily wear everything that you see, exactly as you see it. The reason for this is, I am trying to show a varied audience outfits that could be used for every day, work, going out or traveling. Right now I am not working outside the home and we really aren’t going anywhere, yet this outfit is something I would still wear.

June

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Tanager Turquoise, Heritage Blue and Blanc de Blanc

Why I Like It: This look is classic. It could be worn by any woman, anywhere. It is a great outfit for work, but could also be worn for a date night, or lunch with the girls. It also exudes spring and summer with the bright floral top, crisp white ankle pants and silver ballerina flats. The blue bag, beaded necklace and bracelets add fun matching elements to the ensemble.

July

Summer Outfit - Geometric Maxi Dress - Casual

Why I Like It: Honestly, I like this outfit, because I think it is fun! I love the hat, the tee and the geometric print on the maxi dress. The top is a light weight sleeveless tee material, so adding the other tee did not add bulk, weight or make it hotter. This would be a great look for traveling, going to the beach or on a picnic.

August

Outfit Inspiration - Dressed Up Casual Style

Why I Like It: What is not to love about this dressy casual look. The star piece is the thrifted kimono. It took a simple white tee and boyfriend jeans up to a new level of style. The fringe necklace compliments the purples in the kimono and the rusty orange bag the oranges. This was a nice transitional outfit for the waning days of summer.

September

Pantone Fall/Winter 2020 - Samba, Fired Brick and Sleet

Why I Like It: September was another month where I had several favorite outfits, but this one still stands out as a winner. Once again, the combination of colors, as well as the print mixing, really goes a long way to making this dressier outfit perfect for the office. I also like how my last minute addition of blush accessories pulled everything together. Two of my other faves were, Pantone Fall Winter 2020 - Peach Nougat, Sandstone and Military Olive, and Color Play - Fall Mix.

October

Pantone - Autumn/Winter 2020 - London Palette - Samba, Tawny Birch and Sheepskin

Why I Like It: I don’t wear neutrals all that often, but a combination like this really pops. The neutral palette colors of Tawny Birch and Sheepskin, combined with the bright Samba red makes an exceptional outfit. The added joy is that everything in this outfit is thrifted, except the pearls. When I can put a whole outfit together with thrifted pieces and it ends up looking like this, I am all for it.

November

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Harvest Tee and Distressed Jeans - Dressy

Why I Like It: This outfit is just very me. I love wearing tees, and jeans and throwing a nice blazer and a pair of boots on really levels up a very casual outfit. The addition of a fun statement necklace and a cute bag also provide a dressier look, even with the distressed jeans.

December

A Dickens’ Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Past

Why I Like It: Out of my whole Christmas series, I think this outfit and these photos were my faves. Winter white is really trending right now and when I put these pieces together for my Ghost of Christmas Past persona, I didn’t realize how popular these creamy whites were. The outfit itself was cozy and in keeping with my love for pants and flats. Ha, ha.

There you have it, my favorite picks from 2020. What were your faves? I would love to hear back from you. Also, if there is anything you would like to see more of on the blog, or a different topic you would like me to talk about, please let me know.

I hope your New Year is off to a great start. Check back on Thursday for a look at some of the current winter trends.

Photo credit unless otherwise stated, Rebecca Trumbull Photography.

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Harvest Tee and Distressed Jeans - Dressy

Yesterday was my eldest’s birthday. She ordered us lunch, which I picked up and took to her house, then after we ate, we went shopping. I have to say, I felt almost like life was normal for a few hours. We had fun and I enjoyed my time with her. I have always tried to take my girls shopping on their birthdays since they were fairly young. I used to take both girls and we would get lunch together, but then the gift buying would be for the birthday girl, although I would usually end up buying the other girl a little something too. Life is so busy and with the Covid complications it is hard to find time for those moments.

Today’s look is the dressed up version of my distressed jeans and harvest tee. I only made a few changes to elevate the look. I switched out my cozy sweater for a long burgundy blazer. I also donned a pair of heeled boots and grabbed a snazzier bag.

This burgundy blazer is a thrifted Pendleton piece. I have, on several occasions thought to get rid of it, but it is such a classic, tailored piece that I keep hanging on to it, and this is precisely why. I love the way it looks with jeans. Obviously, it would also look good with a pencil skirt or more dressy trousers. The structured collar, more fitted waist, pocket flaps and detailed buttons really make this a class act.

I kept the same necklace, but added a couple gold bangle bracelets and a gold belt to go with the gold on the tee.

This thrifted, no name bag has such cute details. From the faux alligator print to the fun clasp and more structured shape, I knew I had to snatch it up. Just don’t tell my hubby! Ha, ha. He thinks I have too many sweaters, bags and shoes. Ha, ha. Why would he possibly think that?

These boots were also a thrift store find. They are Life Stride brand and I really like the brownish, burgundy color. It makes them unique from the typical black, brown or gray colors of many of my boots.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think the changes I made elevates the look or do you think because of the distressed jeans, it still looks ultra casual? I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or two.

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

Can you believe a week from today is Thanksgiving? I will confess, I have started listening to Christmas music. I just need that little bit of happy in my day to day life right now. I haven’t started decorating, but I hope to get to that soon.

I am leaving a few shopping links. Be sure to check those out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a good evening everyone.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Seeing Red - Outfit Inspiration - 4 Year Bloggiversary Giveaway

Happy Bloggiversary to me! This month makes four years that I have been writing about faith and fashion. Though my consistency hasn’t been perfect, I have tried to show you a variety of outfits that are meant to be inspirational. From the start my blog was meant to be encouraging. I desire to lift up the average woman, the ones who don’t always get the recognition, the ones who don’t always have a close friend to ask, “Does this make me look fat?” Ha, ha. I never was the popular one at school. I never got involved in student activities, other than a poetry club. I was shy and I didn’t fit the popularity norm.

The force that drove me to start a blog, was the desire to write. It really doesn’t matter what I write, but just the process of typing out words and expressing ideas through letters and sentences gives me a thrill. However, I knew as I was living life as a wife, mother and believer, I often felt alone. Even though we were involved in a good church, I still never felt like I quite fit in. Those are the women I am writing to and for.

I wanted women to know they were accepted. I wanted them to feel they could go into their closets and put together an outfit because I had shared something on the blog that inspired them. I wanted them to be able to read a faith post and feel that they had finally met someone who got it and who could encourage them to walk the walk. I hope I am succeeding.

Today, in addition to an outfit, you get a give away. Once again, I am offering a $30 Target gift card. The rules for entering the giveaway are at the end of the post. In order to be entered into the giveaway you need to be a subscriber and comment on this blog post. If you want an extra entry you can comment on the Facebook post of this blog post. I’ll announce the winner next Tuesday.

Today’s outfit was inspired by another ad that I received in the mail, this time from Christopher and Banks. The outfit featured a burgundy, plaid button up shirt, styled with some distressed jeans and a floral scarf. This is my take on the outfit.

My plaid shirt is Old Navy brand. I usually don’t shop at Old Navy, but a few years ago at Christmas I ordered some gifts online and got this shirt for myself. I love the color.

My jeans are a recent thrift find. I only have a few distressed items in my coset, but I wanted to add a few more. They are fun to wear for a trendy, casual look. This pair is Lane Bryant brand and have a slight boot cut.

The original model cinched in her waist with a simple belt, so I did the same with this thin, black patent leather one.

In the original ad, the model also featured a darker floral print scarf. I didn’t have anything that color, so I decided to go with the light, white floral print. I thought it went well with the shirt because of the white stripes.

I’ve read that large tote bags are back this spring, so I chose this thrifted Style & Co. bag. You can also see my fun bracelet.

My burgundy Spirit brand ankle boots went perfectly with the outfit. I know my shoes don’t have to match my shirt, but once in a while, I just love that they do.

Before we ran out the door to take these photos I threw on this double breasted wool blazer, just to keep me cozy, while we walked a little ways to where we were going to take the shots. It’s a an older thrifted piece, that I don’t wear a lot, but I like to keep it around, because it looks classy and I love how it looks with these distressed jeans.

Be sure to enter the giveaway to win a $30 Target gift card.

A special thank you to everyone who follows along and subscribes to my blog. I appreciate all of your support, comments, suggestions and prayers. You are what keeps this blog going.

Have a wonderful day and a great weekend.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

20 Days of Christmas - Velvet Floral Top

If you saw my post on Tuesday you already heard me talk about velvet. It seems, for a while, velvet only hung around on fancy drapes and a few relatively expensive clothing items. Now, velvet is every where. I have even seen men’s suit coats made out of velvet.

I mentioned in Tuesday’s post that many of the pieces we now have in our closets are made of a velvet that is manufactured from fabrics like polyester, nylon or viscose. These fabrics give the velvet the characteristics of ease of wear and stretchability. My jacket on Tuesday was more of a traditional velvet without much stretch. This type of velvet is perfect for a more structured piece like a jacket, but for a top we want something that moves with us. Today’s outfit features a piece that is just that.

I have featured this top on the blog before. You can see those posts here and here. This Notations brand top was a thrift store find. I fell in love with the soft, silky fabric, the floral print and the bell sleeves.

For this particular outfit, I thought it would be fun to veer away from the traditional Christmas colors and throw on my blush colored distressed jeans from H & M. These were a clearance find at the end of the summer. I had to make a gradual move into the distressed trend and personally like less rather than more. These jeans are perfect.

I thought gold would be a good choice for contrast with the dark back drop of the floral top.

I grabbed my gold clutch and added a few bracelets in complimentary colors.

These LifeStride ankle boots have a bit of a reddish tinge to them, so I thought they were the perfect accompaniment for the outfit.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think this works as a Christmas outfit? What about it works or doesn’t work?

I think what makes this outfit work, is the combination of a dark floral print on a velvet fabric, embellished with a classic gold pendant necklace and a gold clutch. You could have chosen black pants or even a burgundy or maroon for a more elegant look. I was going more for biker babe meets princess. Ha, ha.

i hope you all have a great weekend. I’m not sure how much I’ll be posting over the next week or two as we will be celebrating with family, both in and out of town, but I’ll try to get something up here or there. How are you going to be celebrating? I love to hear from you all so leave me a little love in the comments.

Until next time.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Here are a few floral velvet tops to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Layering Love - Wearing a Vest over a Cardigan - Another Look

After last week's post on layering a longer vest over a longer cardigan, I got curious to see how a shorter vest would look over a shorter cardigan. Finding different ways to use the pieces we already own, not only gives us more choices, but it helps our brain to stay active and learning. In the same way we benefit from learning a musical instrument, solving puzzles or taking on a new activity, figuring out how to put outfits together, helps keep our brains healthy. Check out this older post from Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style, about how restyling our clothing can help our brains. 

I decided to give you two outfits for today's post. The Rock and Republic jeans are the same for both outfits.  I just bought these for my birthday in January. Kohl's was having a buy one get one 50% off, which doesn't happen too often, so I took advantage of it. 

Look 1: Monochrome

Just like last week's post, I decided to do a matching sweater and matching vest. For this look, I chose black. I chose this shorter A.M.I. cardigan with the big buttons and bell type, 3/4 length sleeves as something different from the usual standard cardigan. Since this was thrifted I had a hard time tracking down the original brand. There is an AMI out of Paris featuring Alexandre Mattuissi designs which are mainly for men, although he is launching a menswear for women this year. There is also an AMI Clubwear, which features more sexy and cute styles for going out, dancing and parties. If you click over there, just be prepared for a bit of skin. All that being said, I am not sure where this sweater originally came from. Ahh, the beauty of thrifting. Ha, ha. 

I used my Selene Sport (older brand-thrifted) quilted faux leather vest and added my Ralph Lauren leather ankle boots and my sparkly clutch to go with the bling on my necklace and pants. 

Look 2: Not Matching

For this outfit, I switched out the black cardi for a leopard print version by Karen Scott. Karen Scott brand is sold at Macy's. Once again it has 3/4 length sleeves, but a more traditional cardigan shape. The vest is Christopher and Banks that I got a few years ago. I thought the burgundy denim was a perfect compliment to the print of the sweater. 

I swapped out my black ankle boots for my knee high Unisa shearling ones. I thought these pulled out the brown in the cardi quite well. You can see how I styled these boots in another post from fall, here. I grabbed a simple burgundy clutch and threw on a few silver pieces of jewelry to go with the silver buttons on the vest. 

Here are the two outfits side by side.

I think this is a fun way to get more wear out of both your vests and your cardigans. It is also a perfect way to add an extra layer of warmth around your core. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments section. I love to hear your thoughts. If you ever have a suggestion for something you'd like to see me feature on the blog, please let me know. 

Have a great weekend!

Here are a few shopping links. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane. 

Holiday Outfit - Casual - Jeans

Welcome to my series on holiday style. I hope that these next few weeks will take you from Thanksgiving through the New Year in creative and inspirational ways. I grew up in a family that rarely dressed up, except for church on Sundays. Holidays were typically ultra casual, in fact sometimes on Christmas we stayed in our pjs or most comfortable sweats all day long. When I got married and we had children our holidays were always spent traveling so that we could spend time with our extended families. Living out of a suitcase for a week was always a challenge, not because I couldn't fit everything in, but because I had to plan ahead! What was I going to wear on each and every day of our time away? And how was I going to look presentable, but still be warm and comfortable?

Now that I am a fashion blogger, I want to dress in a more festive way, but still stay true to my comfortable, relaxed roots. For this series I decided to take a look at three different approaches to holiday dressing, (No! I do not mean stuffing.) The first two weeks will look at a casual approach, the second two weeks a dressy casual approach and the last two weeks will be devoted to a dressy approach. I will follow that with a post on a New Years eve look. So let's begin.

Certainly all of you own a pair of jeans. Some of you may even own a pair of cropped jeans, and/or a pair of distressed jeans. Jeans are a part of my style routine. I wear them all the time, for work, play, dressing up or down and everything in between. Maybe you are not a jeans kind of girl. but whether you are or aren't you can create a casual style using the following simple guidelines.

1. Pick a pair of jeans or casual pants that you enjoy wearing. For this outfit I chose my Vera Wang cropped distressed jeans. Here is a cute pair from Lord & Taylor. You could just as easily choose a pair of mom jeans or a pair of skinnies and just roll up the bottoms for a similar, fun look. 

2. Pick a fun sweater. It doesn't have to be a holiday sweater. I think it is fun to wear something with a holiday motif after Thanksgiving, but until then, any warm cozy sweater will do and over sized is even better. Here is one from Old Navy, Nautica and Target. 

I found this fair isle sweater on the clearance rack at Kohls. It is amazing the treasures you can find on the clearance rack for just about any season. This is Chaps brand, which is on the higher end of what I like to spend, so finding it on clearance with a good coupon was a win. I tucked it away knowing I would be able to use it this winter. 

If you are not familiar with fair isle, it is a knitting technique that uses multiple colors to create patterns. This sweater also has some silver threads knitted in, so it gives the fair isle pattern some subtle bling. My fave and perfect for a holiday gathering.

As you can see I had a tank top underneath, but it works because the pinky red of the tank matches the pinky red in the sweater. I am always cold in the winter, unless I am moving around, so I like to have an extra layer or two, but more on that Thursday in my Layering Love series. Ha!

3. Add a few statement jewelry pieces. Jewelry can be such a wonderful outfit booster. A fun piece of jewelry can take an outfit from dowdy to divine.

This pendant was another Kohl's clearance find. The bracelet I found on my first visit to Chico's. The two matched perfectly to one another and to the light blue in this sweater. Plus the silver trim goes well with the silver threads in the sweater. 

This brings me to another style question that seems to often come up...to match or not to match? This really is a matter of personal taste. I personally love to have at least a little bit of matching going on in an outfit. I feel that it makes the outfit look polished and gives it a classic, pulled together feel, BUT that is just my personal taste. There are many fashion bloggers who take pride in not being matchy and do a fabulous job at it! Do what is best for you. After all that is what this blogging thing is all about, helping you find your own style!

4. Grab a great bag. Since red is big this fall, I couldn't resist pulling out this Arizona Jeans brand Buffalo plaid tote. A Penney's clearance purchase last year, I got this as a possible Christmas gift, but decided to keep it for myself. Ha, ha. Here is an adorable one from dressbarn. 

A tote bag is a great way to transport things, especially if you are going to visit family at the holidays. Whether you are going just for dinner, for the day or for an extended weekend, a large roomy tote will give your room for all your essentials, a few little gifts and that book you are planning to read in the car while someone else drives. Oh, and don't forget that water bottle! The holidays can be a hard time to keep hydrated because there are so many goodies and fun drinks occupying our hands 

5. Don't forget the shoes. Just because you are going casual doesn't mean you have to wear sneakers, although a cute pair of hi-top Converse would be perfect with this outfit. I chose my wedge heel ankle boots from Impo. Here is a very similar pair from Macy's. 

I love these gray suede boots. They are super comfy, but also stylish. I wear these over and over during the cold weather. 

This is a look that I will most likely be wearing over the next few weeks as the holidays begin. It would be a great casual look for a holiday gathering, movie night or a day out Christmas shopping. I hope the tips I gave you will help you come up with your own casual holiday outfit. 

I would love to hear about what outfits you came up with. Leave me a note about them in the comments section, or leave me a picture on my Facebook page. I'd love to see your looks.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Below are a few shopping options. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you buy an item through a link I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Spring 2017 Pantone Sneak Peek with Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy

When Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy contacted me back in January about doing a collaboration featuring some of the Spring 2017 Pantone colors, I was so excited. I featured Liz on my Beautiful Blogger Best column a few months ago. She is a fantastic blogger who offers her readers a wealth of knowledge about style. Both Liz and I love to play with the Pantone colors. The chance to actually meet up and enjoy having our pictures taken together was the perfect spring board to show you some of the new Pantone colors. Be sure you click on the link below to check out Liz's post on her blog. There you can see more details on her beautiful outfits.

After getting refreshments at the local coffee shop, we made our way out into the foggy atmosphere. Even though the air was thick with moisture, I feel it made our colorful outfits pop even more. Pantone's color of the year is called Greenery. This lovely spring green is meant to remind us of life, new growth and to connect us back to nature. In our first outfits, Liz and I tried to incorporate Greenery in a way that would say, "Hang on! Spring is coming!" Do you think we succeeded?

Liz's outfit boasted little pops of Greenery throughout, from the pattern on her skirt, to the cute tassels on her purse pom, to the stones in her necklace. 

I went for a darker look wearing a popover top of Greenery with white. Adding my navy eyelet jacket, distressed cropped jeans, navy heels and the navy fringe necklace really made the green stand out.

Here are a few details of my first outfit including my American Eagle cross body bag, which I donned with brooches, and my navy loafer heels. Yes, those are distressed jeans. I thought I would never get a pair, but I found these at my favorite thrift store. They fit, and the distressing was minimal. Sold!

I had to include more than one of these photos, because I think the grounds and buildings were beautiful, plus we look fantastic! Ha, ha. Liz is styling the Pantone color called Pink Yarrow. Her clutch and scarf also contain Flame, a deep orange. You can see, Liz added a blue bracelet and a pair of super cool earrings that also bring in the Pantone color Lapis Blue. 

Two other colors that are on the Pantone Spring 2017 line up are this olive green which they labeled Kale, and a very light pink called Pale Dogwood. These Kale pants were a recent purchase from Kohl's and will probably become a staple in my transition wardrobe from winter to spring. The Pale Dogwood flats were also a Kohl's find. What can I say? I had a gift card from Christmas and some birthday money. Ha, ha. 

Since I have very little green, when I found the other popover top, I also found this gingham button up with the same Greenery vibe. I love the fresh, crisp feel of this color and of these pieces. I wore a thrifted burgundy leather jacket and threw on two beaded necklaces which brought in the Pale Dogwood and Flame colors. 

Here is a close up of these comfy flats and the bag, which I also found at Kohl's, ha, ha. I love that this bag has, not only the Greenery color, but the Pale Dogwood and Pink Yarrow as well.

All seriousness aside, Liz was a great person to hang out with. Her hubby Kyle came along as well and my daughter Rebecca was doing pictures. Sometimes we both felt a little silly posing, which makes me love her even more! Ha, ha. For these two looks we both included Lapis Blue. While Liz made her focal point the blue, my focal point was my Flame colored pants. 

Here we are Charlie's Angels! We could so pull it off! 

I loved Liz's floaty top and those jeans!! If I can't find a pair like this soon, I think I might have a project to do in the future! Also, check out that cute bag. It provides the perfect pop of color and texture.

Once again, I found parts of this outfit when I was out shopping. These pants are from JC Penney. Don't you love that orange, or Flame, as the experts are calling it. The vest was another Kohl's find. I find most of this stuff on the clearance racks, just so you don't think I am spending oodles of money. The long sleeve tee was a gift from my mom for Christmas. The boots were another Kohl's find and so was the jewelry. The Kale colored bag was thrifted and the brooches on the bag were mine. Another shout out to Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style for the pin inspiration.

It was fun to meet Liz and her husband and spend time working on our blogs together. I hope you will head over to her blog and check out all the details on her lovely outfits. Just click below. 

I hope you enjoyed this collaboration. Leave us both some love and let us know what you thought of these Pantone colors. I'll be doing a whole series on each of this Spring's colors soon. Thanks for hanging out on the blog.

Check out the shopping options below. This post does contain affiliate links which means if you click on a shopping link I get a few cents. If you buy something through one of the links I get a little bit more. I appreciate your support and input! 

Have a great day and don't forget to check back tomorrow for this month's beautiful blogger! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. My makeup Rachel Christensen.

Wednesday linking up with Hannah and Sara in the Wearable Wednesday Link Up. Linking up with Shelbee in the Spread the Kindness link up. Friday linking up with Nancy's Fashion Style.  And Jennie of A Pocketful of Polkadots, and Laurie of Vanity and Me.