Heading Toward the Holidays - Graphics and Flannels

Once again, I apologize for my inconsistency in getting things posted on the blog. Life has been busy and often overwhelming with various difficulties, but I will keep trying to show up. I decided to forego my Pantone color series. Just like in life, we often have to review and measure what is important and meaningful in our lives. The things that don’t give us the spark they once did might better be set aside for a time, and maybe even left forever.

The whole Pantone entity has become much less user friendly. The graphics are no longer available to use without paying for them, and even their website seems less geared toward the fashion industry and more towards color as it is used in building and designing interior spaces. That is fine, but I am a bit underwhelmed by it all, so for now, I am setting that part of my color interest aside.

For this month, December, I want to focus on building outfits for the holidays from our closets. Winter colors, textures and pieces can be so much fun to play with and even more fun to think about putting together as we deck the halls, make the cookies, shop, wrap presents, and gather together with friends coworkers and family.

Today’s simple, casual look revolves around a Christmas themed long sleeve tee and a plaid, flannel shirt.

Style Tip: When dressing for the cold weather holidays think textures and layers. Chunky beads, or scarves, fabrics like flannel or fleece, and faux suede boots with a bit of slouch make for interesting outfits whether dressing in jeans, skirts or even dresses.

This outfit is a mix of new and old. Let’s start at the top. This men’s flannel shirt was purchased last year on line from Kohl’s when they had a good sale. You know my love for flannel and I didn’t have anything with this combination of tan and dark green. The Christmas Tree Farm tee was also a Kohl’s purchase last year. Both of these pieces are Sonoma brand.

My string of beads are a thrift find. Don’t they match perfectly with the tee?

My jeans I’ve had for a few years. They were also a Kohl’s purchase and are a brand called Angels. Kohl’s only seemed to carry them for a short time, as the brand is no longer available. I really like them and was sad when the brand disappeared. These are a skinny leg, which are still my faves for sliding into boots.

As I mentioned earlier faux suede or real suede is a great textural element to add to your winter outfits. My boots, which are also a Sonoma purchase from Kohl’s clearance a few years ago, are one of my favorite pairs and they went so well with this casual outfit. I took a few close up pics of the boots, but for some weird reason they would not download like the other ones did. Go figure. It honestly is ALWAYS something! Ha, ha.

My fun, velvet bag comes out every year in the colder weather. It’s a different green, but I think it works because it is just different enough it stands out on its own, but the blue flowers complement the blue jeans and pull the outfit together.

Style Tip: Pick accessories, especially bags and boots that you know you will reach for again and again. These are the easiest to use with multiple different outfits and if you love them you’ll want to show them off.

At the last minute I decided to add one other piece to this outfit to make it perfect for a run to the store for those last minute stocking stuffers. I found this beautiful reversible jacket on one of my last thrift runs with my girlfriend when I was back to see my mom. It’s a brand called Jenny Buchanan, but seems to be only available now on second hand websites like Poshmark and Thread Up. I love the detailed quilting on this piece. It isn’t lined, so definitely won't work for a really cold day, but this will be great three season piece. I probably will use it more like a blazer in the winter.

Do you like to wear casual outfits like this? What would you do differently? What is one of your favorite casual brand names for winter clothes? I love to hear your thoughts.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look through. I provide these as a service to you, to give you ideas or places to look for similar pieces. These are affiliate links. all opinions are my own.

Have a great week everyone!

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2020 - London Palette - Strong Blue, Military Olive and Jet Stream

Happy Thursday friends! Are you all as tired as I am. When morning comes I feel like I could just stay in bed for days. I am sure some of it has to do with our current Covid life. It really is extremely disheartening to see the numbers keep rising and know that there is really nothing different we can do, other than keep on keepin’ on. I implore, those of you who don’t wear masks, to at least consider it for the sake of others. These are very hard times. Do what you can to keep yourself busy and involved in life as much as you can. I have been spending a lot of time alone, when I am not with my family and I don’t think it is good for me. As an introvert, I enjoy my alone time, but I seriously feel like my brain is turning into slush. Anyone else feeling the “squishy brain syndrome”? I have also noticed a lax in my creativity. Going places and doing different things has always fed my creative brain, but being stuck at home, well, it isn’t very interesting. Ha, ha. What do you other creatives do to keep the creative vibes flowing? I’d love to have some feedback.

Today’s outfit centers around another medium blue, olive and white. Strong Blue could be a close cousin of Classic Blue. I was fortunate to have just found this graphic tee while thrifting. I think it matched the color perfectly and I really like the message. I can do the get up part, and being kind isn’t too hard, but being awesome is a bit of a stretch. Ha, ha.

This tee is a brand called Gildan. Once again, I have been exposed to a brand I had never heard of before, by thrifting. This is a basics retailer, selling tees, underwear, sweatpants and hoodies for men, women and children.

When we looked at the New York palette, Military Olive was a classic color. If you remember I wore it with Peach Nougat and Sandstone for that palette. You can click here to see the outfit again. For this look I just wanted to do something different from a solid colored sweater or jacket, and then I remembered I had this thrifted plaid piece. This is Jones NY brand and is part wool, so I can’t wear it without something long sleeved underneath. I made an exception with this outfit, because I knew I wouldn’t have it on very long. Wool makes me itch. I doesn’t matter if it is rich Merino wool or cashmere, my skin can tell the moment I put it on.

My Gloria Vanderbilt jeans have been on the blog numerous times before. They are a heavier weight, so perfect for the cooler temps of fall, winter and spring. They are really a little too white compared to the Jet Stream color which almost has a hint of tan or gray to it.

My military belt, SO ankle boots and beaded bracelets all have the Military Olive vibe.

I also added a heart necklace that has a sort of greenish colored stone. I think this used to belong to one of my daughters, who did not want it any more, so I snatched it. Ha, ha.

While my bag is not really Military Olive it does have an olive leaning and the blue flowers go well with the blue of the tee.

What do you think of this color combination? I like olive and blue together and I feel that olive goes with so many different blues, and really with so many different colors. It really can be used as a neutral in many situations.

I hope you are enjoying the colors on the London Palette. It is fun to experiment with color, especially when you discover, that color you thought you couldn’t wear, looks fabulous on you. Have a great rest of your week. I am including some shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no cost to you. If you click on a link, I get a few pennies. I offer these as a way for you to shop similar items in my posts. Since most of my items are from my closet or thrifted, I try to find items as close to mine as possible. All opinions are my own.

Keep in mind, the holidays are quickly approaching, so these shopping links may also offer you a way to shop for others you need to buy for. Enjoy.

Graphic and photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Thrifted Thursday - Dots and Stripes

Today’s outfit is another one pulled together from my many thrifted pieces. I wanted something casual that wasn’t the same old outfit formula that I have been wearing all summer, which has been skinny jeans or ankle pants rolled up with some sort of warm weather top, whether a sleeveless button up or a light weight tee. I knew I wanted to still wear pants, since I still have to watch my grandson and I never know what I’ll be doing, but I wanted something different. I remembered these salmon colored polka dot pants and knew I had the start of my casual thrifted outfit.

I have several pairs of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I am not a huge fan, although I have worn them on and off through out the years. Don’t get me wrong, they are very comfortable and if you want a fairly high waisted jean, most of hers fit the bill. I like my jeans to fit a little tighter. I also like either a skinny jean or a wider bootcut jean. That gives me the notion that I need to do a post on jeans. Ha, ha. So many things to blog about and so little time.

I decided to try a blue top with my bright jeans, for a fun contrast. I tried several solid colored navy shirts, but when I saw this thrifted striped tee, I thought it would be fun to do a little print mixing. This is a comfy tee and is a brand called Cotton On. Some people only buy certain brands and that is fine, but one of the many things I like about thrifting is I get to try so many brands that I would have never heard of otherwise. Cotton On has a whole website with all sorts of pieces for men, women and children, from sweats and tees, to jeans and button ups. Their price points don’t seem too bad and I do like the quality of this tee, so they might be worth checking out. My tee is a Large for reference.

Since we are thinking ahead to fall with cooler mornings and evenings, I thought it would be appropriate to show this outfit with a layering piece. This Dalia Collection button up is another thrift store find. I like the dark wash and it has a soft feel.

You can see that I added a navy belt to my pants. The reason I did this is three fold. First, I almost always wear a belt. That is just me. The second reason has to do with the print mix. Since the prints on both of these pieces are so small, a dividing line is not really necessary, but sometimes a belt provides a border between the two prints, making it more pleasing to look at. The third reason has to do with interest. The belt is wide, bold and has texture; all things that add to the interest of an outfit. I did the front tuck, to make the belt visible.

This is the last thrifted piece in my outfit. I just found this glass pendant necklace at a local charity shop. I thought it was a very unique piece and will go with just about any outfit.

I wanted to make this outfit look more like fall, thus my choice of bag. I think velvet is the perfect touch for an outfit that is transitioning from summer to fall. It adds texture and an element of warmth to any outfit. This was not thrifted, but a Meijer clearance find from a few seasons ago.

My white Keds are a frequent choice during the summer. I know there is not longer a “wearing white” rule, but I do prefer to put away my white shoes in the winter, mostly because I have way too many cute boots to wear that keep my feet a lot warmer. These were also not a thrift find. I think I got these at DSW on clearance.

What do you think of this outfit? How do you make the transition to fall while still using some of your summer pieces? Leave me some love in the comments. I always like to hear you thoughts.

I am leaving you with a few shopping links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. Every click helps. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Ordinary Amy - Lace Hoodie

It is time for another Ordinary Amy post. When I started thinking about this column, I thought it would be fun to let you see a little bit more of who the regular, normal, Amy is. Sometimes, bloggers look as though they have it all together and life seems like a continuous stream of happy thoughts, great outfits, travel, meet ups and food. However, I am an actual woman and I live real life. I like clothes that are easy and comfortable, have always been a jeans sort of girl and don't usually take pictures of my food. If I had done so this morning, you would have seen a small bowl of dry Cheerios! Ha, ha. This virus, has my appetite a bit wonky as well. Oh well, this too shall pass!

I found this lace hoodie a while back at a thrift store and fell in love. After all, what is better than the comfort of zip up hoodie made with a soft lace fabric that makes it look elegant and classy. I've styled this lace hoodie on the blog before. Check out that original post here. 

When I was growing up my mom and a number of her sisters used to crochet doilies, and other lace decorative items like toppers for dressers and lovely table clothes. Maybe it was those pretty pieces that fueled my fascination with lace, but for some reason I have always loved lace. Maybe it is my inner romantic or my writer's mind that associates lace with epic tales of love, magic and danger. I have always liked the look of a wedding gown that has lace, at least in some form or other on it, as well as curtains or shears made with lace designs. While we have long associate lace with women's underwear and bridal veils, I like that lace is now taking front and center stage on the fashion scene as a functional, wearable clothing piece. 

You can see the all over lace design on this piece has a floral pattern. While lace can come in many patterns and be made today from many different materials, all of them have the quality of being woven or sewn in an open web-like fashion. That is part of what makes lace so beautiful. To me, lace is like art work for the body. Here is a Wikipedia article that gives a bit more information on the different ways of making lace and its early origins. 

For this look, I wore the jacket over my Greenery Merona popover blouse. Remember, Greenery was the Pantone 2017 color of the year. I like this green color as it is more of a true green rather than a yellow green or a blue green. I also wore my Rock & Republic jeans from Kohl's. 

This particular day from a number of weeks ago, we were just running some errands. I still like to try to look put together, so I threw on the silver and bead necklace and the green bracelet.

Since I was going for ultra casual I chose my SO ankle boots and my green velvet bag. Even though the weather is warming up, I think this pretty green bag with its blue flowers is perfect for spring. If I can wear lace as clothing, more than just underwear, then I can also carry a velvet bag all year round!

Do you have any lace pieces like that, that you love to wear? I'd love to hear your comments. 

I've included a few shopping links below to pretty lace items that would be perfect for spring or summer. Take time to click on a few. Each of your clicks earns me a few pennies. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great weekend!