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.

Kickin' It with Kimonos - Yellow Floral

It seems that floral is a very popular pattern for kimonos. I am not sure it that is because most of us use our kimonos during the warmer months as a way to level up an otherwise, “normal” outfit like a pair of jeans or shorts or if I just am more naturally drawn to the floral prints in my purchases. Today’s kimono is a shorter style, but once again is covered with a floral print, although this time a bit more tropical.

I was on the verge of getting rid of this pretty yellow kimono. It is a brand called TruSelf and I think I got it at Walmart a few years ago. I am not real thrilled about the length of this piece. If the hemline was more asymmetrical, I think I might like it better, but for the sake of trying something different I kept it.

One of the bloggers I have followed since becoming a blogger is Jodie at Jodie’s Touch of Style. Jodie is such a warm, friendly lady, and an actual person. She isn’t at all fake, and I love that about her. Most of the fashion bloggers I follow are real women, who have their own sets of struggles and difficulties, but they are trying, just like me, to accept themselves and this process called aging. Jodie featured a post on a different way to wear your kimonos and that is where I learned this trick of tying the front to give the kimono a different look. You can see Jodie’s original post on how to make kimonos look more fitted here.

I tied mine differently than Jodie did in her post, but it still serves the same function, to make the kimono more fitted, rather than boxy. Here’s what it looks like tied up.

My light blue tee is a thrifted Sonoma piece. I love graphic tees and a great place to find them are thrift stores. Whether you like band tees, place tees or just random word tees, you can find plenty of different graphics second hand. Be sure to check out the men’s section as well. I found a few tees that were perfect for my younger daughter.

My pin striped skirt is reminiscent of the old time railroad engineers’ caps. this was a recent online purchase from Christopher and Banks. I was looking for another pencil type skirt with a little different look than just plain denim. This works perfectly. I am looking forward to cooler weather and styling this skirt with some tights and ankle boots.

Since the chunky sneaker look is trendy with skirts and dresses right now, I knew I could add my bright blue thrifted Keds and be spot on. My other accessories consisted of my thrifted Jaclyn Smith bag, a navy flower pendant necklace from Christopher and Banks and a simple beaded navy bracelet.

Do you have a kimono in your closet that you are not sure how to wear? I hope these little posts are offering you some inspiration. Sometimes we only need a new way of looking at something to give us a whole new set of ideas for styling outfits with clothes already in our closets.

I hope you week is off to a great start.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have fun looking over the shopping links below. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Holiday Outfit - Dressy Casual - Skirt

Here we are five days into December. Only nineteen shopping days left. For my husband it's two. It doesn't matter what time of year it is, there are only two shopping days until Christmas. Ha, ha. I usually get my shopping started  mid to late October. I'm pretty well finished now, except for a few stocking stuffers. I am guilty of spending too much and buying too many things, but the way I figure it, my kids are working hard to pay the rent, bills and other necessities of life. They aren't going to buy that pair of fuzzy socks, even though they love wearing them, because they don't want to spend the money. So, this mama, likes to give them a few of those luxuries that they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves. I tried to pare it down this year as we are flying them all to Florida for a family vacation, but I will still have a few gifts to put under the tree, thanks to coupons and shopping sales. 

Here's my step by step guide for this week's holiday outfit. 

1. Comb your closet for a fun skirt that is not too dressy, but not too casual. 

I am wearing a Jones Wear Studio plaid skirt. In all honesty I cannot remember where I got this. Macy's sells Jones Wear and so does dressbarn, so it could have been either, but I have had it for a while. This type of plaid skirt is not popular today, due to the length, cut and style, but it was a popular style for me in the 90's. Why get rid of something that still fits and looks nice! Besides, plaid is trending right now, so I figure I can't be too far off the fashion wagon. Plaid is part of what keeps this outfit more casual, as well as the heavier weight fabric of the skirt. 

2. Find a blouse or sweater that coordinates with one of the colors in your skirt. (This could be reversed by choosing a solid colored skirt with fun printed top.)

I used the same silky Jaclyn Smith cream colored top as I wore in last week's post where I paired it with jeans. You can see that post here. The combination of the plaid, heavier weight skirt with the silky material of the top really makes this outfit a perfect example of dressy casual. 

3. Spend a little time picking out your shoes and your bag.

I went for a little more of a retro look with the shoes. These A2 by Aerosoles are comfy and stylish. I like the multi layered look. I think pairing these cute shoes with this outfit adds to the festive holiday look, but still keeps the outfit from being over-the-top dressy. 

I kept my bag simple, but I thought it went well with the color of the shoes and the colors in the skirt. 

4. Add a few statement accessories. 

Being a woman of layers and feeling cold easily, I decided I needed something to throw over my shoulders that would still keep the outfit chic and stylish. This berry colored scarf was the perfect width to make a shawl. 

I show it open in these pictures, but you could also tie it at the front for a cozier look. 

My jewelry is understated, letting the shawl and the skirt take center stage. 

Here are the looks side by side. You could easily remove the shawl if you get to warm. 

Do you think this works for a dressy casual holiday outfit? What is your favorite thing to wear at the holidays? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I've included a few shopping links for plaid skirts. These are affiliate links which means if you click on a link I get a few cents. If you purchase something through a link, I get a small commission. Every little bit helps. All opinions are my own.

Be sure to check back on Thursday for another layering love post. Also, if you love holiday movies, I'll be talking about lessons learned from another one of my favorites on the faith page. Check back tomorrow for that. 

Until next time, have a great day and thanks for stopping by the blog.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Spring 2017 - Lapis Blue

This is the final color of the Pantone Spring 2017 color series. The fall colors have already been out over a month, so I will try to get started a little earlier on those this time around. Lapis blue is another color that I think almost anyone can wear. It is bright, but not too bright, deep, but not so deep it washes you out and I think it is a color that will pair well with many of your other summer colors. For instance I think this color would go very well with the blush color that we are seeing everywhere right now. 

For my look, I decided on a more traditional, classic pairing with black and white. 

I have had this silky blouse from Worthington (here and here are pretty options) for a number of years and haven't really gotten much use out of it. I love the blue color and the floral print, both of which are now in style. I'll probably be pulling this out from time to time, now that I have an outfit in mind that I can use it for. The white jeans, by Gloria Vanderbilt, (similar here)  I have styled on the blog before. 

I added the black vest because when I took these pics it was still quite chilly. The outfit would look cute without the vest or you could top it with a dark wash denim for a more casual feel. If I went without a vest I would probably string some long  black beads to add more texture to the top. 

This Jaclyn Smith bag I found at a thrift store. Kmart has a cute version here. I like that this bag can be carried as a cross body or as a satchel. White clothing and accessories used to only show up between Memorial Day and Labor Day, but things have changed dramatically. White can be worn (and carried) all year round. This bag will get some use!

You can just make out my navy two strand necklace. The little beads are such a dark blue they almost look black and have a lovely iridescent sheen. Here is a different look from Etsy that includes the iridescent navy. 

No outfit would be complete without a fun pair of shoes. I love these black wedge espadrilles by Chaps. Kohl's has this same style here. Check out some of the other fun colors.

I hope you enjoyed this color. Do you have anything this color in your closet? I always love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below. 

Below I have included a few Lapis blue items you might find interesting. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a shopping link I get few cents. If you buy something through one of the links I get a little commission. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.