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.

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.

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Present

If you have seen any of the more recent versions of A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present is the one that exudes the festive, living presence of the holiday season. In both the George C. Scott version and the Muppet Christmas Carol version the being known as the Ghost of Christmas present is a jovial, boisterous giant of a character who escorts Scrooge on a tour of Christmas day. The day is filled with food, singing, gift giving and game playing. The joyful Ghost, shows Ebenezer a day made even more beautiful by the love of family and the generosity of his fellow man.

When I began thinking about how i wanted this outfit to look, I knew I wanted it to be bright and colorful. I wanted to present Christmas as a joyful celebration full of life and beauty.

Once again, the Toledo Botanical Gardens provided the back drop for our pictures. They have the entryway into the park so festive and pretty.

Everything in this outfit is thrifted, except for the necklace and boots.

My skirt is another LuLaRoe piece that I found at a thrift store just around the corner from me. It really is a little too long and a tad too big (I rarely have that problem…ha, ha), but I love the floral pattern and it seemed perfect for representing the spirit of Christmas.

My daughter was playing around when she was editing the picture and added a smattering of festive green bubbles.

I found this fabulous Tommy Hilfiger red corduroy jacket at one of our local Goodwills. I haven’t really had a chance to show it off, until I thought about this outfit. I definitely wanted to stick with the more traditional Christmas colors of red and green, so this jacket and the lighter green Sonoma v-neck were a good combination.

I found this long, sparkly, fringe pendant necklace at a thrift store as well. You can’t see it real well in this picture, but the beads have a sparkly, iridescent quality. The picture below, shows you a closer look at the textures of the necklace, sweater and jacket.

You’ve seen this faithful leather, Fossil bag on the blog numerous times. I need to find a smaller wallet to use with this purse, as my current one is too big.

I wanted comfortable boots with this festive outfit, so I chose my suede Massini boots that I found on clearance at Meijer a few seasons ago.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think it represents the Ghost of Christmas Present and all the symbolism that goes with it? I thought it exemplified the idea of life, celebrations and festiveness; all the things that the Ghost of Christmas Present is fond of.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are enjoying my movie inspired outfits this month. It has been fun to see what sort of outfits I could come up with.

I am including a few shopping links to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - Christmas with the Kranks - Holiday Vest

If you haven’t seen, Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis in the holiday movie, Christmas with the Kranks, it is a must see comedy, that reminds us of the importance of family and of giving to others. When Luther Krank decides to can Christmas and book a cruise for he and his wife Nora, the chaos ensues. From the neighbors demanding Luther release Frosty, so he can be put up on their roof, to the last minute chase for a particular canned ham, the Kranks try their hardest to pretend Christmas isn’t going to happen. That all changes when they realize their daughter, Blair, who was in Peru with the Peace Corp, is coming home and bringing her fiancee.

The character of Nora Krank is someone many of us can relate to. She loves her daughter and is very sad when she flies off with the Peace Corp. She also is a traditional stay at home mom, enjoying all the activities typically associated with the holidays. She even loves to wear festive holiday clothing. When my girls were young, I used to dress a lot like Nora. I would wear the festive turtleneck adorned with Christmas trees, with my colorful Christmas vest donning bells and bows.

I have come a long way since then. Now I more often enjoy graphic tees with a holiday scene or words under a blazer or sweater. I had long since gotten rid of my jazzy Christmas vest. When the thought of doing these Christmas posts came to mind, I started to think, how could I take something like an over the top Christmas sweater or vest and make it look classy and fashionable? This is what I came up with.

I found this snazzy vest at the American Cancer Center Discovery Shop thrift store. They typically feature items that appeal to people whose taste might include things like this retro style vest, but they have a great selection of all different items including glassware, pillows, shoes and bags. The vest is a brand called Erika. I like that the vest is black, because to me it still seems somewhat classy and stylish

My blue, velvet skirt is Chaps brand and was a Kohl’s clearance find a few seasons ago. Velvet is a classic cold weather fabric, but especially so at the holidays. It really dresses up an outfit, and the twirlier the better!

My shiny, cream colored blouse was also a thrift find and is Jaclyn Smith brand. Her brand used to be available at K-Mart. We no longer have a K-Mart in our area, but I do remember her pieces being very classic.

I decided to go with gold for my jewelry and bag to elevate the look just a little more. Plus gold goes so well with the gold bits in the vest.

I chose my Aerosole black heels again. They are comfortable, but still look fairly nice, especially with an outfit like this. I thought blue hose, would be a different option to black and still cover up the legs.

What do you think of this outfit? Have you seen Christmas with the Kranks? When I first watched this movie, I wasn’t sure whether I really liked it, but now I enjoy watching it and there are a few very funny scenes. Sometimes you have to watch something more than once to really appreciate it.

I am including a few shopping links. I wasn’t able to find very many Christmas themed vests, but there were plenty of sweaters, so I included a few of those. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Location Toledo Botanical Gardens.

A Dickens' Christmas - Introduction

I love Christmas, and I especially love coming up with outfits around the holidays. If you have been following me for a while, you know I enjoy finding inspiration for my ensembles in all manner of places, from colors in the natural world, like leaves and flowers, to colors and designs in home decor and bathroom tiles. You also know I love using movies and songs around Christmas time to inspire outfits. Last year I used a number of my favorite Christmas carols and songs, some well known and a few that were less popular, to inspire a month of looks that were both somber and understated as well as fun and party ready.

This month I am going to switch from music to movies: from auditory to visual, to inspire my choices for outfits. All my outfits are going to be built around inspiration from a particular character or characters from a Christmas movie. Starting today, and for the next three Tuesdays, I am going to focus on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. It has long been one of my favorite stories from the Christmas season, but it has also become one of my favorite Christmas movies. On the following Thursday of each of those weeks, I am going to resume my monthly columns, but each outfit will be inspired by a certain character in different Christmas movies, which I will share with each post.

When I think of A Christmas Carol, I don’t usually think about the time period during which it was written, other than to see it as a back drop for the fabulous ghost story that Dickens weaves. This year, it struck me to look at what people were wearing during that time period and for this first post use that as the inspiration spring board for my outfit. These outfits are not meant to mimic a time period or character from the movies, but to simply draw inspiration from which to build an outfit I could realistically wear to work, a holiday party or a show.

When I started looking at 1800’s fashion, I was specifically looking at the dress of Christmas carolers. One of the costumes I saw was a long plaid skirt, a jacket with buttons and a tightly fitted bodice, with a small cape over the shoulders. Bonnets were also worn, typically with a large ribbon tied under the chin to hold the bonnet in place. You can see a “costume” version here.

This gray and black, A-line, plaid skirt is from Christopher & Banks from a couple of years ago. While it looks like a wool blend, it actually is a medium weight knit, making it very comfortable, though not quite as warm, thus the heavy weight black tights. It would look cute with black boots and nude hose as well.

I’ve styled this thrifted, red velvet, Briggs New York blazer on the blog two years ago, for this Christmas outfit. The idea to wear it with a white blouse seemed obvious, so I chose my H & M clearance pinstriped blouse from a few seasons ago. I also wanted to add an unexpected element, so I chose this Pepin brand knit vest. I do not remember where I picked this up, but knit vests are trending right now and they are a great way to add an extra layer of warmth around your core. I like both the unexpected color combination and the textural element it adds.

I picked up this paisley scarf at some thrift store along the way a number of years ago. It looks particularly festive for the Christmas season with its reds and greens, making it the perfect accessory to bring this whole outfit together. Instead of trying to tie a bow, I just did a regular knot.

Since the scarf also had blue in it, I decided to carry my blue, textured clutch.

I wanted to wear a heel rather than a flat boot for this look, so I chose my faux suede Aerosoles. The black shoe with the black tights helps to elongate the leg and wearing tights allows you to show off the shape of your gams without the unsightly varicose veins.

Does this look make you think of Christmas carolers back in Charles Dickens’ time period? Is this something you might wear to work at the office on a chilly winter day? You could easily pair it with a different colored jacket or sweater for a completely non Christmas look.

I hope you enjoy this series and will follow along the rest of the month as we look at more Christmas movie outfit inspiration.

I am including a few shopping links, just for fun. These are affiliate links and come to you at no cost. All opinions are my own.

I hope your December is starting off well.

Outfit Inspiration - Feliz Navidad

This final installment in my Christmas outfit series was supposed to end on Christmas day and what better song to end it with, than Jose Feliciano’s, Feliz Navidad? It simply means, Merry Christmas in Spanish. The song is upbeat and perfect for the joy of Christmas day. Jose Feliciano wrote and recorded the song in 1970, and it regularly remains one of the most downloaded and aired Christmas songs.

For a song with such an obvious party vibe, I wanted an outfit that was full of color. As you can see, I still kept the more traditional red and green Christmas colors intact, but went for an olive green rather than the true Christmas green. I also added my multi colored kimono and lots of colorful beads.

My kimono was a DSW clearance rack find and is a brand called Do Everything in Love. I styled this piece earlier this year in the Spring 2019 Pantone series. You can see that post here. It is such a fun, colorful piece and I am glad I added it to my wardrobe.

I love a soft turtleneck when the weather is cold, especially if my hair is up in a French braid or a bun. This thrifted one is a brand called Josephine Chaus and is a perfect Christmas red. It really shows off the array of colored beads quite well.

My green tiered skirt is an Old Navy thrift find. For some reason, I have always been drawn to the prairie skirt, or as you saw in my previous post, the prairie dress. The tiered skirt appeals to me as a somewhat casual skirt that offers comfort and ease of wear. I rather like the gypsy vibe of this tiered piece and the green color goes with many other things.

In keeping with the idea of Mexico and warm weather, I added my palm print clutch, which was also a DSW find.

While I wanted the outfit to represent a colorful, Mexican celebration of Christmas, I also wanted to keep it grounded to the reality of a mid-western winter where boots are a must, even if there isn’t snow. Boots are a great way to keep your legs and feet warm and when you are wearing a skirt, that is very important.

I found this pair of simple Sonoma rusty colored boots in the Kohl’s clearance area. Don’t be afraid to rifle through the clearance areas at your favorite stores. Between thrifting and clearance finds I rarely pay full price for any of my clothes. When you are on a budget as tight as ours and you like to shop, that is an absolute must.

I hope you don’t mind that I dragged out my holiday outfit posts. Working more, taking care of my grandson and Christmas gatherings used up most of the energy I had. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a lovely New Year. I might try to post a Favorites from 2019 post some time this week, if I can.

I hope you are looking forward to a New Year. Happy celebrations and be safe!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - Santa Baby

There are two Christmas songs I would classify as sexy. The first inspired the outfit in today’s post, Santa Baby sung by Eartha Kitt. The second would be Elvis Presley’s Santa Claus is Back in Town. there is also a good version of that by Kurt Russell in his Christmas movie that came out last year called The Christmas Chronicles. That is a fun family movie, if you are looking for something different to watch.

Back to Santa Baby. This song was written by Joan Javits in 1953. It was meant to be a tongue in cheek look at the Christmas list of a a woman who wants expensive gifts from Santa such as furs, cars and a diamond ring. Eartha Kitt, a multi-talented actress, and singer recorded the song and it was a hit. She had a very distinct voice and that is part of why I love her version of the song. There have been several other artists who recorded the song since then, Madonna being one. Eartha rerecorded the song in 1963 with a more upbeat tempo. I personally, like the original version best. It is sassy and sexy and that is what I was trying to evoke with this outfit. See what you think.

When I thought about doing this song, I pushed the idea from my mind, because I am not a sexy person by nature. As many of you know, who have followed me since the beginning, I grew up with brothers and was a tomboy. I also grew up in a very conservative home, where affection was not regularly expressed and things like sexuality were not discussed. Unfortunately, that did affect how I related to my spouse once I was married. I feel rather silly trying to be sexy. I can pull it off once in a while with my hubby, but that stays in the bedroom. What I have for you is a much more subtle and modest attempt at sexy.

This pretty red kimono was a gift from my hubby in an attempt to make me more sexy, Ha, ha. It is a very pretty piece, so I thought why not use it for this outfit. The red is perfect for Christmas. The kimono is a brand called California Miss. I have no idea where my spouse bought it as that was a few years ago.

You can see the pretty floral detail on the sleeves of the kimono and how fun that it goes with the floral embroidery on my jeans. I just bought these jeans on clearance at Kohl’s. They are Simply Vera/Vera Wang brand. They fit well and have a good amount of stretch and the skinny legs will work great in boots.

My black velvet tee was a Christmas gift from my spouse last year. The tee is a brand called City Streets. One or both of my daughters usually go shopping at least once with him, to help him choose gifts. He had to do it all by himself when the girls were younger. How did he manage? Ha, ha. He usually does pretty well. My best ever gift was this computer from four years ago. I wouldn’t be blogging if he hadn’t gotten me this wonderful Apple. What is one of your favorite Christmas gifts?

I went for silver and black for my accessories. My silver bangles you can see in the above picture. I also added two silver necklaces. A long fringe pendant and a snowflake pendant.

My little black heart embellished clutch and my Ralph Lauren boots are both thrifted.

Here are a few other pictures that I was inspired to throw in because of the song.

A sable, the keys and a deed. Ha, ha

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you think this outfit worked for the song? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

It is hard to believe Christmas is in four days. Yikes! I have so much to do. My brother is coming into town tomorrow on his way to see my mom for a few days. I am glad he will be with her, since with this seasonal job I won’t be off contract until January 4h. I hope you are prepared for the upcoming holiday. I’ll have two more outfits, next week in this series, so keep a look out for those.

Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Enjoy this version of Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.

Outfit Inspiration - Let There Be Light

This series wouldn’t be complete without a contemporary song or two. Point of Grace is a Christian Contemporary group made up of three ladies, Shelley Breen, Denise Jones, and Leigh Cappillino. In 2005 they came out with a Christmas album called, “Winter Wonderland.” The song, Let There Be Light, became one of my favorites from that collection of both old and new Christmas songs. The song was sung by John David Webster with background vocals by the girls.

“From the beginning the Father
Had a magnificent plan
Revealed through the law and the prophets
To fulfill the redemption of man
You spoke after centuries of silence
In the midst of a still, starry night
And Emmanuel came down among us
And the Father said, ‘Let there be light’”

— Let There Be Light - Point of Grace

I love the imagery. We were walking in darkness, but God sent His son, the light. Indeed a magnificent plan. With those words in mind, I came up with an outfit full of shimmer and light.

My Hollister, Light up the City crop tee was a thrift find. I don’t typically wear cropped tees or tops, but when I saw this one and the one in my O Holy Night outfit, I knew I could afford to purchase them and give them a try. This one boasts dots that make it look like there are splotches of light on the tee.

I wanted to have my arms covered so I added this thrifted gold George button up under the crop top. Originally, I was going to let the gold top hang out the bottom of the crop top, but it is a little small and didn’t look quite right, so I tucked it, instead.

This pretty velvet skirt was a Kohl’s clearance find and is Chaps brand. I love some of the Chaps brand pieces, but they are typically a higher price point than I want to pay, so finding this on clearance was perfect. I really like the way the velvet has a light of it’s own and definitely takes the outfit up a notch. Once again, the dark blue makes me think of that night sky over the fields of Bethlehem, when baby Jesus was born.

You’ve seen these shoes a few times on the blog now. I think they are fun and classy and the black suede could be a first cousin to velvet, but without the shimmer and shine. These are Easy Spirit brand.

My accessories were meant to add further bling and light to the outfit. The multi strand bead and metal necklace, the gray stone and bling bracelet and the sparkly black envelope clutch all bring added light.

I love the light: sunshine, candles, Christmas lights, fairy lights, fireworks, fires in a fireplace, campfires, lamps in all their various shapes and forms. The light is so important to our lives and to our world. We couldn’t grow food without sunshine. We couldn’t see in the dark without a candle, flashlight or lamp, or at least the light of the moon. Light gives our lives meaning and purpose, especially the light that came into the world over two thousand years ago.

“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.”

— 1 John 3:1 (ESV)

“For God so loved the world,[a] that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

— John 3:16 (ESV)

“Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.””

— John 8:12 (ESV)

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like to wear clothing that is luminous and reflects the light? What sort of light do you like? At Christmas do you decorate your house with lights? Where do you put them and do you have a lot of lights or just a few? I have enjoyed so much, reading your comments. People have been sharing their Christmas memories from going to get the tree with their family to Christmas caroling and giving out food. These just make me smile, so thank you everyone who has been willing to comment and share.

Here is the song, Let There Be Light by Point of Grace. Enjoy!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Here are a few velvet skirts to look at.

Have a great week!

Outfit Inspiration - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

One of my favorite Christmas tunes is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. When I was in high school I hung out with a girl a grade ahead of me named Sherry. We had tons of fun together and had a very special friendship. Though our ways parted after high school, we still keep in touch through Facebook. Sherry and I were in my church’s youth group together and often found ourselves with other church friends at local restaurants. One particular pizza/sub shop had a juke box. Seeing as it was that time of year, Christmas songs had been added to the playlist. Sherry and I chose a few songs, and one of the ones she picked was Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. The funny thing was, Sherry decided to be silly and kept going up, inserting more change and playing that same song over and over. We all had a giggle fest as we ate our food. Now, every time I hear that song, I think of my dear friend and all the fun we had together.

The song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, was written by Johnny Marks and sung by Brenda Lee in 1958. The interesting thing about Brenda Lee was her age when she recorded the song. She was only thirteen. Her mature sounding voice lead her to a career in country music, but it is the blend of rockabilly and country style that makes this song a forever hit. To this day most radio stations from adult contemporary, to top 40, to country play Mark’s and Lee’s version of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree more than any other version.

Of course with the 50’s rock and roll feel of the song, I had to dress with a 50’s vibe. Rolled up jeans, a mismatched sweater set and a ponytail with a fun Christmas scarf brought in the 50’s details, most of which I got from watching shows like Happy Days. Ha, ha. Probably not exactly historically accurate, but you get the idea.

I hadn’t gotten my full sized Christmas tree up yet, but I wanted the pictures to look somewhat festive. When my daughters were both still living at home, we had gotten them each a tiny, Charlie Brown, type tree for their rooms. This one still resides at our house, so I thought it would add a touch of Christmas cheer to the pictures. Plus, how do you rock around the Christmas tree, if there isn’t one?

As you know, high waisted mom jeans are back in style. I had gotten rid of all of mine, not because they went out of stye, but because I gained weight and had to buy new jeans. Personally, I don’t really like the confines of high waisted jeans now that I have muffins to stuff into them. I prefer jeans that fall just below my belly button, but when I found this pair on clearance at Kohl’s, I thought I would add one pair of high waisted jeans back into rotation. These are Wild Fable brand. Target carries this brand and has a number of different washes, as well as various amounts of distressing.

You may think pink and red an odd color combo for Christmas, but it just makes me think of candy canes, Christmas cookies and wrapping paper. Both of these pieces were thrifted. The red cardigan is Merona brand and the pink pullover with rabbit fur embellishment is Emma James (a Liz Claiborne company). I am not a proponent of real fur, but if I have the choice of saving a clothing item from a land fill and part or all of its component are real fur, then I am a fan. Here is a pic without the cardi.

Since I wanted the outfit to be simple and fun I didn’t wear any jewelry. I don’t own a pair of saddle shoes, so the next best thing was a pair of Converse high tops. These are the only Converse I own. They typically do not fit my feet very well, but I found these on clearance at DSW. I popped on the white socks as a topper and it reminded me of how girls would wear their socks back in the 50’s.

Of course, in my opinion, no outfit is complete without a bag. What if you realize as you are rockin’ around the Christmas tree, baking cookies or decorating that you’ve run out of sugar or you’ve discovered another string of lights that won’t light (I swear, it happens every year)? You will need to run to the store. I chose this white, Jaclyn Smith satchel. This thrifted bag can be carried by the top handles and it also comes with a long strap to wear it as a cross body bag. This is also a thrift find.

My final addition was the scarf in my hair. Over the years I have collected a number of Christmas related pieces. I have a number of long sleeve tees, a couple sweaters and a few scarves. If you followed my Instagram feed last year, I featured most of those pieces in my “20 Days of Christmas series”. This cute snowman scarf is a narrow oblong scarf that works perfectly as a hair tie. I wore it to work yesterday around my neck, with a snowman pin.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like high waisted mom jeans? Is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree a favorite song of yours? Do you think I did justice to the song with my outfit? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Here is Brenda Lee singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.

I’m including a few shopping links. I hope you are having a good month leading up to Christmas. I especially hope that you do not feel stressed out and that you are staying healthy. Take care of yourself. There is only one beautiful you. Have a great week.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Christmas can truly be one of the most wonderful times of the year, but I know it can also be an extremely hard time for people who have gone through loss, are struggling with illness or things like financial strain and relationship stress. Often, the holidays become a mad race to get everything done that we feel we have to do and we end up feeling down and disappointed. Even amidst the struggle and the strains of life, I think we can still see Christmas as a very wonderful time.

Christmas is typically a time we reconnect with loved ones. It can also be a time to do things we find hard to do the rest of the year, like listening to special music, baking, attending holiday parties and other activities like Christmas shopping and gathering with friends. In the church environment there are also special services, kids programs and service activities like caroling and helping at the local food pantries and city missions. Yes, it is a very busy time, but I also believe that the basis for many of these activities is what makes it the most wonderful time of the year.

Serving others and thinking about that special gift we are going to buy for a friend or family member gets us outside our own boxes. It creates in us an others’ centered mentality and it is in that, that we find joy. Not only that, but the basis for Christmas from the very beginning was the unselfish act of an Almighty God, towards His fallen creation.

What I instantly think of when I hear Andy Williams’ It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year, are shopping malls and stores all decked out in Christmas garlands and lights while Christmas music plays overhead. It also makes me think of loud family gatherings around the Christmas tree opening presents with laughter and joy.

For this outfit I wanted to look festive, but also like myself. I wasn’t going to see the King, I was going to the mall to shop for my family. Ha, ha.

This wonderful red plaid Requirements blazer was a thrift store find. I just love the treasures I find at thrift stores. I could never have the large wardrobe I do if it weren’t for thrifting. I still shop quite regularly at full price retailers, but I have found some of my most special, unique pieces at thrift stores. Many of them, like this blazer are by brands that no longer exist; the added benefit of thrifting.

The fit and structure of this beautiful jacket is perfect and will definitely get used long past the holiday season. I am excited to try it with various colors and pieces. It is a wool blend, but fully lined so I don’t have to worry about my skin’s aversion to wool.

My black long sleeve embellished snowflake tee was purchased a number of years ago. I believe it is from Kohl’s and is a brand called MCCC Sportswear. You can see holiday sweatshirts from this same brand at Kohl’s by clicking on the link. They also have long sleeve tees here.

You can also see my Believe pin. If you have ever watched Miracle on 34th Street, then you know the significance of the word believe. I have noticed over the last few years, the word believe is popping up everywhere. Whether you believe in Santa, the Spirit of Christmas, the person of Christmas, Jesus Himself, or in yourself, the idea of belief in someone or something is pretty important in our world.

I personally believe in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that is what I think of when I see the word believe, but I also love that this idea of belief has become a positive message to all of us, especially young people, who are often told they will never measure up or amount to anything. The beauty and simplicity of the Gospel message is found in this idea of belief. God’s word says,

“For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’”

— Romans 10:11 (NASB)

At first I was going to wear knee high boots, but then I thought the pants didn’t really look right with them, so I opted for this pair of Sonoma booties from Kohl’s. I like the contrast of the gray, black and red with the taupe of the boots and bag. I didn’t bother with any other jewelry since I felt the embellishments on the top and bag, along with the pin, gave the outfit enough punch.

What do you like to wear when you shop? Do you dress up or do you prefer to just go out in your sweats? I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think about the word, believe? Is belief something that is important to you? Please leave me some love in the comments.

Here is my favorite version of It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams. I’m not so sure about the music video, but it is colorful. Ha, ha

I’m including a few shopping links of all things plaid, for you to look at. Maybe you still have some Christmas shopping to do and one of these links will inspire you. These are affiliate links, which means if you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of my links, I might get a little more. Every penny helps.

I hope these posts are inspiring you and bringing back memories of your own childhood Christmases. Have a great weekend and stay healthy for the holidays.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and welcome to my holiday series! This year my fashion posts leading up to Christmas will be inspired by a few of my favorite Christmas songs. I love Christmas music and I am guilty of starting to listen to it, the week before Thanksgiving. In my opinion, the season goes by so fast and I want to enjoy all the music, lights and trimmings for as long as I can. In addition to the outfit photos, I will also provide a few tidbits on the history of the song, as well as sharing a few of my own Christmas traditions. I also hope to connect my faith posts on Wednesday or Fridays (depending on which day I can get them done), to the songs that epitomize the original reason for the season. I hope you enjoy the series.

The first song I chose is It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. This song was written by Meredith Wilson in 1951. Mr. Wilson was an American flautist, composer, conductor, playwright and author. He is probably best known for the book, music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Music Man. This Christmas song is probably best remembered by us older folks as being performed by Perry Como, or Bing Crosby, but was also performed by Johnny Mathis. More recently Michael Buble did a version which has gained popularity over the last eight years when it first appeared on his album, Christmas.

As you can see, this first outfit and the setting are, indeed, beginning to look like Christmas. We were fortunate (?), to have snow for this first outfit. All the rest of them will be typical Northwest Ohio, browns and grays. Ha, ha.

This mid thigh length red sweater vest is a great piece for Christmas, or anytime the weather is cold and you need an extra layer over your core. This was a recent thrift store find and is a brand called one A. The vest has a full button front, roomy square pockets and a belt. For this outfit, I chose to leave it open and tied the belt at the back, so you could see my Joy sweater.

I’ve styled this cute, thrifted, Old Navy sweater on the blog in my Christmas series last year. In that post, I wore it with my burgundy pleated skirt. I’ve also styled it with a purple moto jacket. Just click on the links to see those posts.

Christmas is a season that brings me joy and that is part of the reason, I chose this song and this sweater. When I was a child, Christmas wasn’t about how much money we had, but about the traditions that went with the holiday season. My family celebrated Jesus birth. That was the central focus of the holiday. We would go to church, sing Christmas hymns and carols and enjoy good food with family. There were several things that brought me joy. The first was when my mother would begin to get out the Christmas decorations. We had a trio of red bells that lit up and we would hang those in our front door so you could see them from the street. I loved seeing those bells as they flashed, announcing to all the passersby that it was Christ’s birthday.

One of the other things that brought me joy was the Christmas tree. When I was really little, my dad would get the tree and he and my mom would decorate it after we went to bed on Christmas eve. My brothers and I would wake up to a magical tree complete with pretty wrapped packages from Santa under its scented pine boughs. As we got older we would go with my dad to pick out a tree and helped to decorate it after he put it in the tree stand. We have wonderfully amusing memories of crazy shaped trees.

These distressed cognac colored jeans were from Meijer a few years ago. They are a brand called Stitch Star. I’ve styled these on the blog before too. In that post they were a featured Pantone Fall 2017 color. I wore them in that post with a red sweater. I just love the combination of those two colors. This type of distressing is my favorite. No skin shows and they have added pretty embroidered embellishment.

For my accessories I added a Christmas scarf as a head band and tied it in a bow. I also grabbed my patchwork tote bag from Walmart and my SO cognac booties from Kohl’.s. The booties got a little bit snow covered. Ha, ha

Do you like Christmas music? What is your favorite song? What do you think of this outfit? Do you have Christmas traditions that you remember from your childhood? What sort of Christmas traditions do you have with your family? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

This last picture will hopefully bring you joy, as it is a photo of me being silly.

Since there is a few weeks until Christmas and because you might be stumped on what to get people on your list for Christmas, I am including a few shopping links and a few Black Friday deals. Be sure to check them out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving Day. I had to work, but we are going to have dinner this evening.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Here is a link to Michael Buble’s version of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. That is my favorite version of the song. I hope you like it as well.

20 Days of Christmas - Red Velvet Jacket

When you think of Christmas style, what piece in your wardrobe do you think of? Is it a bright green dress, an ugly Christmas sweater or maybe a classic holiday vest with jingle bells and bits of bling? One fabric that always says Christmas and holiday gatherings to me is velvet, or the faux version that we see everywhere these days. The original manufacture of velvet was a complicated and costly process and traditionally was made from silk. Today’s velvet is manufactured at much lower cost, on large machines and is made of various types of fabrics including polyester, nylon, viscose and even spandex. Many of the pieces that make it into our wardrobe in the form of tops are these types and are known as “stretch velvet.”

I found this gorgeous red, velvet jacket at a thrift store and fell in love. The color, the fit and the fact that it is made of velvet compelled me to try it on and once I did, I knew I would be styling it for Christmas and other days throughout the winter. This blazer is a brand called Briggs New York.

I wanted a festive, but casual look with an edge, so I chose my Sonoma camo jeans. I also added a recently purchased long sleeve Croft and Barrow striped tee from Kohl’s. Thanksgiving weekend and the week following are great times to find essentials for yourself while you are shopping for everyone else. Long sleeve tees are sold at great prices, so you can pick up a few. Ha, ha.

I couldn’t make up my mind for jewelry so I went with two necklaces for a layered look. Even though the greens on the necklaces don’t match and the metals are different I think it works.

Since I went with dual necklaces, I went for dual bracelets as well and once again mixed silver and gold. If Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman can do it, why can’t I? I also used my daughter’s minty green clutch. Thank you, Rebecca!

My olive green SO ankle boots are making another appearance. I rolled the hem on my jeans so that the whole boot shows. I like the cut out on these. It makes the boot more interesting and also makes them easier to walk in and easier to get on an off. These have an inside zipper as well. You can see these similar ones at Kohl’s. Right now they are marked down from $49.99 to $34.99. Unfortunately they no longer have olive colored ones. But here are a few olive pairs from Francesca’s, Old Navy and these Sonoma ones at Kohl’s.

One thing I have learned from doing this 20 Days of Christmas Challenge is that many clothing pieces have greater potential than we realize. Who would have ever thought to use camouflage jeans in a Christmas outfit? I’m sure someone thought of it before me, but to me it was new. It has also made me rethink pattern mixing. I love this combination of red stripes with the camo. I also really liked the festive look of last week’s, Eva Trends dress with my plaid shawl/vest. You can see that post here.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this to a Christmas get together?

For those of you who regularly get my emails, I apologize for not sending an email out last week. I have been swamped with work, family responsibilities and Christmas gatherings and preparations. I haven’t forgotten about you and you all are the reason I keep doing this, so thank you. If you don’t get an email, just go to the blog and check for new content. I appreciate it.

Have a great Tuesday everyone.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’ve added a few shopping links for all things red velvet. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few pennies. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

20 Days of Christmas - Eva Trends Dress

Many of you know that I worked with Eva Trends earlier this year on a collaboration where I featured three of their clothing pieces over the course of three posts. I was recently contacted by Eva Trends again and they gifted me three more items to feature on my blog.

Today’s post revolves around the Tori A-Line dress, a light weight piece that really would be perfect for spring and summer. Made of a light weight cotton, this piece will see additional wear in the warmer months. However, since I like to expand my thinking and my wardrobe, I thought it would be fun to layer this dress up for a festive, warm Christmas outfit.

I love the fun pattern on this dress. In keeping with many of Eva Trends silhouettes the dress is an a-line with plenty of room. As the material has no stretch, it is helpful that it has a more voluminous outline. I usually don’t like things this long that don’t have a zipper or buttons, but I had no problem pulling this on and off.

Here are a few pictures without the plaid shawl/vest.

For this particular outfit, I layered a long sleeve lace tee under the top and leggings at the bottom. Layering is the perfect way to make those summer weight pieces usable in the colder months.

Accessories included a navy blue fringe necklace, a burgundy cross body bag and my burgundy ankle boots.

You can see in the above picture the dress has a bit of a high-low hem line. I will say, that when you go to the Eva Trends website the proportions on their models compared to our own bodies might be a little skewed. This is a Chinese company and many of their models are smaller than many of us. This dress in the picture I looked at on line, goes down to the model’s ankles. Ha, ha. As you can see that is not the case with me. However, I love it and can’t wait to do more things with it with belts and vests, jackets and jeans.

To complete my look I added a plaid shawl/vest for extra warmth and some fun pattern mixing. I think this dress is a perfect, festive piece for the Holiday season even if it is light weight. That just means more layers, which I love. I love to get creative in my layering, so I think this worked.

Eva Trends is offering my followers a 15% discount if you go through my website. Just use the code AC15 at check out. Be sure to go to their website. They have some unique, fun pieces that you won’t find any where else. Many of my blogger friends are featuring their pieces. From warm sweaters to interesting trousers to lovely lace dresses and oversized coats, Eva Trends has many different styles to choose from.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that you’ll take some time to shop Eva Trends.

Have a great weekend.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

20 Days of Christmas - Joy Sweater

I have styled this sweater on the blog before (see that post here) and I think that it is the perfect piece to add to my 20 Days of Christmas challenge. For many who believe that Christmas is celebrated because of Jesus birth, it is a time for joy. However, I think joy is a good word to think about at all different times of year. Webster’s online dictionary defines joy as: the emotion evoked by well-being, success or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.

When I think of joy, I think of something much more permanent and deep than merely obtaining what I desire. I desire all sorts of things, but it is rarely the acquisition of those things that brings true joy. In the same way good fortune or success do not necessarily bring real joy. They may provide momentary happiness, but joy seems to be much more stable than the fleeting happiness that success or things may bring.

If you are interested in hearing more about joy, check out my faith post tomorrow on the blog.

I would have worn tights that matched my skirt and shoes if I had them, but when I tried these on, I thought, why not? Both the skirt and shoes are more maroon, while the hose are more burgundy. To me it just seems festive all the way around.

This sweater is thrifted and Old Navy brand. It is fairly light weight, so I felt the need to add a blouse underneath. I chose my thrifted Jaclyn Smith piece that I have featured on the blog before, for another holiday season. You can see that post here. The thing I like about these silkier types of blouses, is that they add a layer without adding bulk. Plus they have that shimmery look to them, which is perfect for the holidays.

I found this unique necklace on one of my thrift runs. I really like the colors and the design.

I’ve had this maroon pleated skirt for a while now. It was originally from Kohl’s and is AB Studio brand. To keep the outfit more upscale I grabbed my pewter sparkly clutch and added my thrifted Bandolino heels.

Figuring out a festive look does not always mean green and red or silver and gold. Sometimes it is easier to find one festive piece, like a sweater and then build the rest of your outfit around that. A pleated skirt will always kick an outfit up a notch and then adding heels and a sparkly bag or jewelry is all you need to be ready for a Christmas get together.

What did you think of this outfit? What do you like to wear for holiday gatherings? I’d love the hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram for my 20 Days of Christmas challenge. You’ll see more of my every day Christmas looks.

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

i’ve included a few shopping links for cute booties and blingy clutches for you to look at. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

20 Days of Christmas - Plaid Pants

Every now and then I have to get outside my comfort box. I have never really liked wearing things that draw attention to my lower half. Especially tight fitting, brightly colored pieces. I prefer a-line dresses to body con styles. If you don’t know, body con is more of a form fitting dress. I prefer dark wash jeans to lighter washes and feel most comfortable in jeans rather than leggings. I don’t wear leggings as pants, or if I do, I have my bum covered. Anyway, when I saw these crazy, red, plaid pants at Target on the clearance rack, I immediately thought of my Christmas challenge.

Those of you who regularly follow me, know I have been doing a monthly column called Outside the Box. These have been posts that I have done to try to challenge myself to get out of my typical fashion mentality. Let’s face it, we all like to be comfortable. Some women are comfortable in heels and dresses. While I can do that, it is not what I turn to when I want to feel secure. My go to, as you know are jeans and cozy sweaters or flannel shirts. But I also know that part of getting older is the urge to get stuck in a rut and not be willing to learn or try new things, thus the idea of getting outside the box.

These plaid pants do not have any green in them, so they will be easily styled with other colors, but I thought they were perfect when paired with a newer Croft & Barrow v-neck cable knit sweater and a thrifted blazer.

This blazer is actually meant to have a double breasted look, but I am too big to button it in that manner. However, when I saw it, it was the buttons on each side that made me want to buy it, that and the color. I think wearing it open, using the buttons for a decoration, works just as well. Since it is more of a forest green, I felt that it keeps the outfit from being too over the top with color.

I decided on silver for my accessories and was excited to remember this large silver pendant necklace that closely resembles a snowflake. That and my SO silver flats and a small silver clutch complete the ensemble.

I think this outfit is festive and fun and would work well for a Christmas office party, or a lunch date with your girlfriends. Would you wear a pair of pants like this? How do you like to dress up for a Christmas party?

I’ve included a few shopping links for more fun plaid prints. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Layering Love - Christmas Outfit Two Ways

Since Christmas is just a few days away I thought I would show an outfit with a Christmas sweater. The Ugly Christmas Sweater movement has given way to a whole Christmas trend. You can find Christmas sweaters that  are bright, colorful, stylish and absolutely gaudy. Ha, ha. This one I am wearing I got at Christopher and Banks a few years ago. 

I like the simplicity of it, yet with its bright red color, reindeer and snowflakes, it still says Christmas. I added a pair of creamy white corduroys to keep the outfit warm and cozy. 

I decided on silver or gray accessories. My small hobo bag is just right for a wallet, keys and a few things like lip gloss and tissues. I also decided to go simple with my pendant necklace and silver bracelet.

I thought my gray high top Converse would also be the perfect shoe to wear with this outfit. 

For a more dressed up look I added a gray vest with bling, Swapped out the jewelry for items with a bit more shine and changed the bag to a patent leather red clutch. I also exchanged the Converse for my gray heels. 

Here are the looks side by side.

One outfit, two ways, just by making a few small changes. It's that easy. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. We will be doing some traveling, so I will be out of my regular posting schedule, but I will try to post a few things about our trip. 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by the blog. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Color Crash Course - Christmas Colors

For as long as I can remember we have associated red and green with Christmas. It probably has something to do with holly, poinsettias, and other traditions passed down through the years. Here is a good website to learn about Christmas traditions, whychristmas.com. Of course I had to take the challenge of coming up with an outfit or two that uses these wonderful colors without looking like a walking version of an ugly Christmas sweater. Here we go.

In the first outfit, I chose to use more green with just a hint of red and a large splash of gold.

For this outfit I wore a green turtleneck sweater. To tone down the "too Christmassy" look, I only used red for my jewelry. I wore gray leggings with my gray ankle boots to elongate my legs, then topped the whole outfit with this gold fringed cape that I got from Chico's. 

Here you can see the necklace and bracelet I chose to bring red into the outfit. The jewelry is not overwhelmingly red, just a few beads here and there mixed in with gold and tan.

Here is a great shot of the fringe on this fun cape. I look a little crazy in this picture. Ha, ha. 

For my next outfit, I decided to use the red for the brighter color and tone down the green.

Again, I wore leggings, this time a blue pair. I kept this outfit even more casual figuring it would be perfect for a Christmas day spent at home. I left the blue and red flannel shirt untucked to give the outfit a very laid back vibe. Instead of a bright Christmas green I opted for an olive colored sweater and an olive necklace.

Can't have casual without a fun pair of sneakers, so it was the navy Keds for this outfit.

Here you have the two outfits side by side.

And just for the sake of being a proud mama, I am including three more pics that I thought were very cool, that my daughter took. 

Let me know what you think of these casual Christmas Day outfits. I always love your feedback.

Next week I will be celebrating with family and will not be posting on Monday and Tuesday. I will finish up this Winter Wonderland series on Thursday the 29th. I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. 

Thanks for following my blog!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Shopping Options:

Chicos no longer has this cape, but here is a cute poncho option - Chico's - $59.40

Green Turtleneck - Macy's - $14.99

Red Plaid Shirt - LLBean - $59.00

Olive Duster - Maurice's - $26.40