Shopping Our Closets for Valentines's Inspiration

I know not everyone celebrates Valentine’s Day, and many do fun alternatives like Galentine’s Day and celebrate with friends. My hubby and I will probably do something at home on the actual day, because I have to clean that day and will be exhausted. Ha, ha. However, we can always get dressed in the wonderful colors that revolve around Valentine’s Day like reds, pinks, burgundies, whites and florals. I am doing that all week on Instagram, so be sure to check out my account on there for additional outfits.

I decided to build an outfit around a piece that is little used in the cold winter months, a kimono. While kimonos are not strictly for the warm weather, they do seem to cling and hold static in the colder months, so I don’t use them much. I thought it would be fun to style a casual, date night look using this pretty floral piece.

This thrifted kimono is a brand called Mason & Belle. I liked the floral print, the darker color and the shape of the piece. The lace trim was another fun detail.

I settled on my darker wash, newer Maurice’s jeans that I bought back in the summer. These are everflex, so they have plenty of stretch and are quite comfy.

Style Tip: A darker wash jean is a great alternative to dress pants for a dressy casual outfit or a work wear look.

I’ve had this thrifted Apt. 9 pullover sweater for quite a few years, and while it is showing a bit of wear, I really love the diamond shape open weave, and thought it went well with the kimono.

You can see in the above picture how I layered a few of my rose gold necklaces for a fun addition. Obviously the heart necklace, given to me by my younger daughter, is a shout out to Valentine’s Day.

Here are a few pictures of close ups of the jewelry I had on.

I decided to keep my bag and boots a similar color to the kimono. The bag was a thrift find from my bestie that she gifted to me, and is The Sak. My boots were a Kohl’s purchase from a number of years ago and are ESpirit brand.

What do you think of this outfit? Is this something you would wear? Do you do anything to celebrate Valentine’s Day? We certainly don’t need a significant other to shower love on others. Give a treat to your kids or grandkids; send flowers to a friend; or just take yourself out and celebrate the fact that you are alive!

I’ve included a few shopping links for bags and boots. These are affiliate links. If you purchase an item through my links, I get a few pennies. I appreciate all you support.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s week!

Outfit Inspiration: Winter Trends and Embroidery

Happy New Year everyone! Welcome back to the blog. After a couple of weeks off for the holidays I am ready to get back to sharing outfits through shopping my closet, sources of inspiration, and studying up on the latest trends and colors for each season. We are in the full throes of winter here in the midwest. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for many) we are only experiencing the cold and very little snow. Being a Buffalo girl I definitely miss the snow in the winter and would much rather have a full blown blizzard to maneuver than the psychological ramifications of drab gray and brown.

Seasonal Affective Disorder is real and many people are affected by it in the cold, cloudy months. The lack of sunlight drives us into our self made caves where we try to comfort ourselves with layers of cozy blankets and pillows, fuzzy sweatshirts and sweaters and snacks that all contain some amount of carbohydrates. If we, like bears, would hibernate in the winter we would be just fine, and all those treats we ate through the holidays would simply melt off as we slept the weeks away.

To counteract my own struggle with SAD I looked up what colors and patterns were trending for winter and came upon a few favorites, so this month I am going to put the color burgundy on repeat and show you outfits full of layers and textures that will be sure to make you think about your own pieces in a new, although dim and clouded, light.

I was having a hard time with pictures on the day I took these. It was freezing outside, with a wind chill of 9 degrees Fahrenheit. I did attempt a few outside, but the light was too bright even though there was solid cloud cover, so most of the pictures looked washed out. What you get is a blend of indoor and outdoor pics.

What inspired me to follow the winter trends for this month was this gorgeous cardigan my best friend gifted me when we went to New York the weekend between Christmas and New Years. She felt it was too big on her and thought it might look better on someone with a bit more height and with broader shoulders. I absolutely love it. It is a thrifted Christopher and Banks piece and what can I say except the embroidery is stunning, and contains a beautiful blend of burgundy, pale to medium pink, as well as white and gray. The sweater has a bit of luminous silver threads through out and is gathered in the back for a better fit. I’m adding a few embellished cardigans, though they may not have embroidery.

With burgundy being the color choice for this winter I rifled through my shelves to find these thrifted Westport pants. They are comfy and have a straight leg, which is one style that is always in. Whatever you think about wide legs versus skinnies, boot cut or flares, you really can’t go wrong with a classic straight leg pant. I know I have said this before, but that’s why I hang on to various silhouettes.

I decided to do some subtle print mixing with this plaid SO shirt that I got from Kohl’s a few seasons ago. Plaid is also in for winter, which makes me ask the question, when has it not been in? Ha, ha. I wear plaid pretty much all year round and flannel is my go to for cool weather days in fall, winter and spring.

My necklaces were thrifted and hand-me-overs, and I had a few silver bracelets on that I forgot to take pictures of, but you can add your own jewelry to your own outfit. One of the things I like to try is layering different pieces of jewelry, just to add a bit of fun and interest. Here you can see I did that with two different necklaces.

My bag was another hand-me-over from my best friend. It is a brand called The Sak.

My patent leather ankle boots are a thrifted pair and are Forever 21’s own brand. I do not shop at those stores as, for the most part, they are not using sustainable practices, and the turn over of product is rampant. However, when it comes to second hand, I am fully aware my purchasing it keeps it out of a land fill.

What do you like best about this outfit? Are you fond of the color burgundy? What would you do differently with these pieces? I always love to hear your ideas and thoughts, so be sure to leave me some love.

All shopping links throughout this post are affiliate links and are brought to you at no cost. These are provided to give you ideas or possible sources for similar items. If you purchase something through a link I have provided I get a few cents as a commission. I appreciate all you support.

I hope you have a fabulous Tuesday!

Heading Toward the Holidays - Blazers and Scarves

One of the things I like about the cold weather seasons is the ability to wear layers. Layering is possible in the warmer weather, but we reach for light weight tops, sweaters and kimonos. In the winter I can get out my blazers and layer them over sweaters, buttons downs or long sleeve tees. I can also add scarves and boots to the ensemble for a warm work wear look. Today’s look is just that.

I thought I would go step by step to show you how I put this look together. I wanted to give you a less casual outfit than last week since I know some of you like to get more dressed up for holiday gatherings. I thought this look, while still leaning towards casual works perfectly for an office Christmas get together.

Step 1 - Pick a top. I got this cute tee from Kohl’s online when I was looking to use some Kohl’s cash and a 40% off coupon. I paid less than five dollars for this tee. I got this one and a navy blue with a woodsy vibe, both of which will work all winter, not just for the holidays. You certainly don’t have to pick a long sleeve tee. You could go with a light weight pullover sweater or a button down blouse. You do you.

Step 2 - Pick a blazer. Blazers are such versatile pieces and I think most of us have at least a couple in our closets. I have plenty (yes, clothes horse, most likely a Clydesdale - ha, ha), but I opted for this one I thrifted this past summer due to the green in the plaid. Green has been on my radar over the last few months. You could just as easily choose a plain colored blazer. I love plaid, and this definitely works for a holiday look.

Step 3 - Choose your bottoms. Since my outfit was business casual, I chose a wider leg, dark wash jean, because I think they look a more dressy than a skinny, and definitely more appropriate than a distressed pair with holes. I love those, but that would not necessarily be the right choice for a more corporate setting.

Step 4 - Pick a bag and shoes. I wanted my bag to draw out the reds in the jacket, so I chose my burgundy saddle bag.

I tried on several pairs of boots and ended up choosing my Nine West brown suede boots, also from Kohl’s a couple of years ago. I wish I would have tried on my burgundy ankle boots, because they might have looked just a tiny bit better.

Step 5 - Choose a scarf. A scarf is the perfect finishing touch on an outfit, especially when you want a little more class, and a little more warmth. You never know when you go to a gathering what the temperature is going to feel like. Often where there are a lot of people someone might open a door or a window because they are feeling too hot (this often happens when alcohol is being served). A scarf will be that added touch of warmth, and you can always take it off if you feel too warm. Again, I chose burgundy. I think this thrifted piece has a bit of a Christmas feel.

Would you wear an outfit like this? What would you do differently? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so leave me a comment or two.

No shopping links this week. I think all of us are trying to watch our spending as things have gotten so expensive. I do not like to push buying products because I feel we have enough pressure to spend, spend, spend. I just watched the Grinch, so I can hear his voice saying “All the noise, noise, noise…” I will continue to make recommendations and provide shopping links on occasion, but my motto is, if you haven’t tried thrifting it is a great way to find all sorts of fun and interesting clothes and try brands you might not know about.

As always, thank you for following along. I appreciate each and every one of you who support me and my blog. Have a great day!

If you follow my Faith page, be sure to stop by in a day or two to see my next installment as I head towards Christmas by looking over the names of Christ in Isaiah 9:6.