My Style: Bohemian Vibe

I started a series last month on the various styles that make up what I like to call my blended style. I don’t stay true to one style, but mix styles together for looks that are completely my own. I’m sure many women have this same thought about their own styles. Last month I looked at the basics of a Classic Style. Today we are going to take a look at Bohemian Style.

(It was extremely windy and cold when I took these pictures, so they aren’t the best. It even started to snow when I got back into the house. :))

Here is another article to look over, 15 Boho Outfit Ideas: Must Have Items. I found that once I started looking in my closet I had most of these pieces. In fact, I will be adding a few photos from previous posts wear I display the Bohemian Style.

I recently found this thrifted, gauzy top and I just love it. Especially with the lace cut outs around the neck area. The brand of this top is Jodifl. No, I did not spell that wrong. Ha, ha. I do have a white tank top underneath as it is pretty see through.

The crochet and wood belt is also thrifted. Since crocheted items are in the boho vibe, I thought it was appropriate, and the shirt is a little more billowy, so I wanted a little more of an hour glass silhouette.

My asymmetrical fringe vest has been on the blog before. It is Say What brand, and I honestly can’t remember where I got it as I have had it for quite a while. You can see that other post here. This piece is great for the warmer weather and like a kimono would be cute with shorts and a tee or tank top.

My tiered maxi skirt has been around quite a while. This is another piece I have used on the blog. You can see those posts here, and here. This piece was from JC Penney, and is St. John’s Bay brand.

Layered jewelry, wide hair bands, and soft bags with fun prints are all part of the Bohemian style.

We can’t forget shoes. Neutral ankle boots are big in the Bohemian style. This suede Sonoma pair are quite old, but still fit and still look fairly decent. Sorry about the blurry pictures!

What did you think of this outfit? Are you a boho kind of girl? Do you like certain aspects of the Bohemian style? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to leave a comment or two below.

I’m including a few other Bohemian style outfits from past blog posts. Just click on the picture to go to the original post.

I’ve included a few shopping links, but I didn’t have much success on the vests. I would say check sites like Etsy or second hand sites like ThreadUp or Poshmark.

Have a great day!

Hello 60! The Writer in Me

If this is your first interaction with my blog welcome to my Fashion page. This month I celebrated my 60th birthday. I decided to spend the month celebrating me. Why not? I rarely spend a lot of time talking about how I came to be the person I am, and 60 is a pretty big deal.

Last week I did a post that gave a shout out to the decade I grew up in, the 1970’s. I was born in 1964, but it wasn’t the 60’s that most influenced my fashion or music choices. I can distinctly remember a particular pair of red cuffed, wide leg flares my mother ordered for me out of one of the sale catalogues at the time (JC Penney, and Wards were the two I grew up with). I remember standing on the toilet in the bathroom, so I could see what I looked like in the medicine chest mirror. We never had a full length mirror in our home. I was so excited to wear my mod, red pants to school that day. Do you have any good memories that revolved around clothing when you were young?

I’m gong to throw my pictures in throughout, tell my story, and then give the outfit details.

It was in 8th grade that I became a writer. Our English class was reading The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. For some reason that story felt so real and personal. As a typical public school student I saw the divisions, the bullying, and the reality of teens being affected by their peers. I was one of them. I didn’t get bullied like some, but I never fit in. My family didn’t have a lot of money, and I often wore second hand clothes I got from my cousin. That’s probably why I remember those red pants so vividly. I had a small circle of friends and most of my social life revolved around the church.

I began to create my own Outsiders stories. After several “books”, which were hand written pieces of about 100 pages, I moved towards stories with mild sci fi slant. Gradually, I turned to trying to write historical fiction, and now my muse is fantasy. I have published a few short articles, and I do a regular monthly article in a local community news magazine, and of course I have this blog. Do I want to be a published author? Yes? Why haven’t I got there yet? I could give you a million excuses such as undisciplined, lazy, tired, busy, etc., but I think the real reason is much simpler: fear.

It takes effort, time, and something I would call heart and soul to pour out your ideas and thoughts into a cohesive work that makes sense and appeals to others. Not only do you have to write, you have to read, voraciously, books in your genre, books in other genres, and books on writing; lots and lots of books. In addition, once you’ve written your piece then comes the ripping, and tearing editing process, followed by the overwhelming questions. Where do I send this? Is it long enough? Is it short enough? Is it good enough? Should I get an agent? How do I look for an agent? The questions are endless. Believe me, to be a writer for a living is a full time job, and not for the weak. However, I am not going to give up.

I am currently working on a fantasy novel with a Christian slant involving a rag tag group of young people who have to learn how to overcome their various problems, find self acceptance and become warriors who can help save the world. In addition to that, I have a few short stories I want to fine tune and try to send either to e-zines, or contests. I would like to get a portfolio of 10 to 12 short stories that I can keep sending as I receive rejections to eventually get something published. Right now I have five short stories that need some work. I am also going to keep looking for some sort of freelance work that I could do part time. If anyone you know is hiring for remote writers, or copy editors let me know.

That’s enough about my writing life. Let’s look at the details of this outfit.

I was inspired by looking through Pinterest at 70’s and 80’s fashion when I found knit sweater outfits, either a skirt and top or a dress. I thought it would be fun to mimic that style and use a few of the 70’s accessory vibes.

My creamy zip up v-neck was a Kohl’s find a year or so ago. It is soft and warm. The skirt I found at a thrift store. I don’t usually wear sweater knit skirts or dresses, due to the hip factor. I do have wider hips and I have never felt comfortable showing off my curves like some women do, but this skirt is big enough that it doesn’t cling. It is also very warm and comfy. The brown belt adds an hour glass vibe, without being extreme.

The Walmart bag is a nod to the patchwork patterns that were popular in the 70’s. Bags were shaped differently than this one, but I thought this worked as a tote bag, and purse.

Once again I added my thrifted slouchy, suede boots.

Apparently, pearls were a thing in the 70’s too. I do remember my mom wearing fake pearls to church early in the 70’s, so I guess that was a thing.

Are you a sweater dress, or sweater skirt fan? What do you think of this look? Would you wear something like this to work? Please leave a thought or two in the comments. I always love to hear from you.

Sharing a few shopping links just in case you are looking for slouchy boots, patchwork bags, or knit pieces of a similar vibe.

I hope you have a great Tuesday!

Outfit Inspiration - Knit Vest

The outfit I am showing you today was styled around a knit vest. I didn’t post anything last week as life was extra busy and we had company for the Labor Day weekend. Today, Monday, I was feeling tired and unmotivated, so I decided to just you give a post on what I had on. It’s certainly nothing fancy, but it incorporates some last minute print mixing and fun textures.

This longer knit vest is a Christopher & Banks piece. I like the colors, and thought they were perfectly suited for a summer day in the air conditioning. We are having a little heat wave right now, which puts off wearing layers, but this worked for being at home all day. This vest is great for spring, summer, and fall. My biggest trouble is remembering I have it. Ha, ha.

I chose my cute a.n.a. pineapple print tee which went well with the coral/orange in the vest. My girlfriend visiting this weekend has several pineapple tees and tanks, so she inspired me to wear mine. I love the gold pineapples and they make it easy to accessorize with gold jewelry.

Style Tip: Remember when picking pieces for a print mix try to coordinate at least one color. This is part of what makes print mixing fun and easy to do.

My jeans are a thrifted pair of Merona’s. I finished out the look with my olive Sperry suede sneakers, and my thrifted American Eagle hobo bag. I also added a green with gold wrap bracelet.

This outfit is casual but cute. I still look like I made an effort, even though the pieces are comfortable and easy to wear. Do you like to wear long vests? What is your every day, go to outfit? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of my links I might get a little kick back. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful evening.

Spring Trend 2022 - Wearing a Dress with Pants

I saw this on one of the websites as I was looking at Spring Trends for this year. This one is a bit more obscure, but I thought it isn’t so far outside our boxes as we might think. The runway models were wearing outfits that included long, oversized shirt dresses with voluminous pants. That is too overwhelming for most of us, especially if we are carrying a bit of extra weight. However, most of you have already done this to a degree, when you wear a longer tunic with leggings. After all, isn’t a tunic just a short dress? Aren’t leggings sort of like pants? I thought I would show you my version of a dress with pants outfit. It is very simple and perfect for these long, cold days of winter.

I found this fun, velvet piece thrifting and knew the moment I tried it on it was coming home with me. It is soft, warm and stretchy. I love the 70’s pattern and the empire waist with the slightly flared skirt. If I had the legs for it this would be a fun piece to wear with patent leather go-go boots. Ha, ha. However, I bought it with the idea that it would be fun to use as a tunic over pants, especially jeans.

I don’t know about you, but even though skinny jeans are not supposed to be in any more, I just love wearing them with boots in the winter. It is so much easier to get a pair of skinnies into the shaft of a boot, rather than a straight leg pair.

This dress could go over a variety of solid colored pants as well as a few smaller prints like gingham or pinstripes. You certainly wouldn’t have to choose skinny leg pants either. The length and silhouette of this tunic dress would work just as well with a pair of straight, or boot cut jeans.

Style Tip:

Wear a taller heel with straight leg or boot cut jeans for a more upscale look.

To give the outfit a little more interest, I added a long sweater vest the same length as the dress. I then chose gray suede boots, a long pendant necklace and a red bag to pull in the other colors in the the dress.

These boots were another thrift find. I usually don’t have as much success with shoes, but these were a great find. While not real suede, I have found that the faux suede boots last pretty well, as compared to the faux leather ones. They just don’t seem to show the wear as quickly.

My red bag is also thrifted. I don’t typically carry a satchel like this as I like to use a cross body bag to keep my hands free. But I like to keep a few different options around the house for the blog and so that I have choices. I think I might have a few too many choices. Ha, ha.

This long pendant necklace was another thrift fine. I find so many amazing jewelry pieces at thrift stores, so if you are a thrifter, be sure to check out the jewelry racks and counter.

It is easy to put together this kind of outfit and when it is cold during these long winter months, wearing a dress with pants isn’t so far outside the box. I hope you enjoyed this post.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links which means I get a few pennies every time you click on a link. I get a few more if you purchase something through one of the links. I appreciate all your clicks and views. Leave me some love in the comments and let me know what you think about this Spring 2022 trend of wearing pants with a dress.

Have a great evening.

Outfits with Sweaters

Hey everyone! I am trying to bring you content at least once a week, but time got away from me this past weekend and I wasn’t able to get pictures taken. I thought, instead, I would show you some of the the outfits I have been posting on Instagram. I know, not all of you have an Instagram account, and maybe not a Facebook account either, so you wouldn’t be getting that content.

Anyway, I recently styled four different sweaters and thought I would show you those outfits. I love my sweaters in the winter time. Anything to add extra layers on these frigid days is exactly what I want and need. We live in a drafty old house and over the years we have added insulation, new windows and things like that, but it is still a drafty, old, house. Ha, ha.

All of these outfits were made using a few of my longer cardigans. I love a long cardigan in the winter in our house, because my legs often feel cold, even with the extra bits on my thighs! Having a longer, cozy cardi makes me feel like I am wearing a blanket around my body.

After each outfit explanation you will see a new feature called a Style Tip. Be sure to check those out for easy ways to update your looks.

Outfit 1 - Mint Green Bubble Cardigan

This is a Christopher and Banks piece I bought a few years ago. The bubble texture is soft and cozy. For this outfit I decided to pair the sweater with a pale, lavender long sleeve top and a printed scarf which also had navy accents in addition to the mint and purple. That is why I chose my navy, SO ankle boots and a few navy bracelets. Here is a similar pair of boots at Kohl’s. My jeans are from Maurices. Click on the link to a similar pair.

Style Tip:

Trying pairing pastels with other pastels, then throw in a bit of a primary color like red, bright yellow or dark blue for an interesting contrast.

Outfit 2 - Leopard Print Cardigan

I found this great piece while thrifting and I grabbed it. I had been on the hunt for a longer, heavier, leopard print cardigan and this one was perfect. This cardigan, like the last one is an open front piece, with no zippers, buttons or snaps. I have grown to really like these types of cardi’s because they provide warmth, but still allow you to show off the top underneath, as well as any accessories like scarves or jewelry.

For this outfit, I chose my rusty brown, thrifted turtleneck, which happens to be Chico’s brand and is very soft. My jeans are my trusty old Rock & Republic brand from Kohl’s. My boots are clearance Sonoma brand, also from Kohl’s a few seasons ago. Here is a different gray pair, a brown pair, and a black pair.

Style Tip:

Adding a belt to a longer cardigan can give you an entirely new look, accenting your waist and making the outfit more streamlined.

Outfit 3 - Camouflage Waffle Weave Cardigan

This purple camo piece I found recently at my local Meijer. Not only was it on clearance, it was an additional 50% off. Yay! Being that is was such a different piece with the color and the texture, I grabbed it. I had just been thinking I want to add a few other purple pieces to my closet and this was perfect. In addition, it is a medium weight so I will be able to wear it for three seasons instead of just one. You can try finding a long light weight cardi here on Amazon.

This look was very casual, with a thrifted light weight pullover sweater, thrifted jeans and my sherpa lined ankle boots. Another clearance Sonoma pair. I wore this to go meet friends at a nearby BBQ place.

Style Tip:

Add layers of fun jewelry to a casual look to take it up a notch, making it social engagement ready.

Outfit 4 - Bright Blue Bubble Sweater

Apparently, bubble sweaters were a thing, but now they are not. I think I got the mint one, and this bright blue one the same year. This one I found at a local shop last year when my girls took me birthday shopping. My sparkly, red, long sleeve tee is a recent online purchase from Kohl’s. Tee’s are definitely a staple in my closet: short sleeves for spring and summer, and long sleeves for fall and winter.

The jeans are a stretchier version of my other Rock & Republic jeans. The boots are a hand me over from my oldest. Since her pregnancy her feet got a tad bigger. These are tight on me too and I almost wonder if they were mislabeled. I wear them around the house and places where I don’t have to walk a lot. Do you wear shoes at home? Many days I wear my slippers, but I will also get fully dressed, just to feel like I am not frittering away time. Since I am currently working from home with my little freelance jobs, it makes me feel like I am accomplishing something if I get dressed. Ha, ha.

Style Tip:

Color block an outfit by adding two, three or more different solid colors, then add a fun printed scarf for warmth and interest. Don’t forget to accent your scarf with a pretty pin/brooch.

I hope you enjoyed this post. These are a few of my every day outfits. I love to get dressed and to add interest and color to my outfits, even if I am just staying at home. I provided a few shopping links within the article that you can check out. Some of these are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great evening.

Having Fun with Layers - Summer Dress in Winter

The beauty of layering is that it allows you to wear many of your wardrobe pieces over multiple seasons. In fact, when you layer you can wear any lighter weight spring or summer pieces all year long. For people like me, who have way too many clothes for every season, I don’t really have to worry about wearing summer skirts in the winter, but there is an element of desire here. Once we get into the month of March, all of us are over winter and want to pull out our light weight pieces and at least look like spring has sprung.

Today, I am going to show you how to layer an outfit with a summer dress that makes it perfectly wearable during a polar vortex. It is most likely you won’t be going anywhere anyway, but why not look springy and bright in your own home for a needed change of pace. You could turn the heat up to 80 F, or you could just add a few layers.

I am also trying to add a few tips to my blog posts when applicable that help you in the how to’s of outfit building. These will be highlighted in bold text.

My daughter was getting rid of this LuLaRoe swing dress with a high-low hem and I just fell in love with the colors, so I grabbed it. In the picture below, you can see it without the belt, but I wanted to have more of an hour glass silhouette so I added the wide black stretchy belt.

Once again, I used my black knit tights and my black tank top as my under layers. I simply use what I have available, but every woman is different. You might prefer more silky fabrics agains your skin and choose pretty cami’s and slips for your foundational under layers. Or you might prefer a set of heat keeping thermal (or something like Under Armor) underwear. Whatever you use, if you live in a climate that gets cold, snow and ice in the winter you know how essential layering is.

Layering Tip: Use multiple light weight layers to alleviate bulk.

For this look I also chose to add a button down blouse under the dress. This thrifted chambray printed top is Old Navy brand and I thought the colors in it went well with the colors in the dress. I get a bit of print mixing as well.

Print Mixing Tip: Choose patterns that have at least one or two similar colors.

For this first look, I added a bright blue bag, a Christmas gift from my younger daughter a few years ago. I like how it makes the blue in the dress really pop. It also adds that element of spring we are all longing for.

Once I added the belt, I thought I would also add a longer sweater over the top. Ladies, I live in an old, drafty house that is almost 100 years old. We have done a few things over the years to help insulate, like add loose insulation and get new windows, but without actually tearing the place down and starting over, we still live in a drafty, older home. I’m fine with that, but it does require multiple layers. I often feel silly wearing as many layers as I do, but this is life. All that to say, yes, I would wear these layers at home.

This cozy open front sweater was a Christopher and Banks purchase from a year ago. I love this medium green, marled look and I thought it went really well with the dress, even though it isn’t exactly matchy, matchy. Sometimes a little different shade of color or added texture can really add to an outfit.

Outfit Building Tip: Adding texture to your outfit will add interest, and often extra warmth.

Since the background of the dress is black, I thought black was a good choice for the belt and boots, and in this look with the sweater I added my black Aidebam bag, which I got this past Christmas from the same daughter who got me the blue bag. Both my daughters know, I love my accessories. My boots are Croft & Barrow, a few years old, from Kohl’s.

For jewelry I wore a simple bead pendant necklace with a similar color scheme and a couple of beaded bracelets, that I didn’t get a close up of.

Accessory Tip: Less is more. If wearing busy pattern all over, chose accessories that compliment rather than detract from the pattern.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like your pieces to match or do you like to think outside the box when it comes to blending colors and patterns? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments section below.

Now, for the winners of the Bloggiversary giveaway. The winners are Jessica Klimesh and April White. Congratulations, ladies! I will be contacting you soon, to arrange getting your gift card!

Have a great day everyone. Stay warm, stay safe and stay sane!

Actual Amy - Layering Up

As most of you know, I love layers. Layering in these transitional times, from summer to fall, and fall to winter, gives us the ability to create outfits with even more interest and texture. Easy layering pieces include cardigans, blazers, jackets and scarves. These can all add a fun change to your wardrobe and give you layers to put on or take off as needed with the changing temperatures. We are expecting a warm spell these next few days, followed by falling temps for the beginning of October.

In today’s outfit, the focal point is a recent clearance find from Target. This A New Day striped blazer was uniquely different from my other blazers and jackets being that it is striped, so I knew I had to have it.

It was a chillier day when I took these pictures, so I already had the fall colored knit top and rust colored cardigan on in the house. We are hoping to make it until October before we turn on the heat. Ha, ha.

My knit, short sleeve multi-print top is a thrifted Loft piece. The rust colored cardigan is Croft & Barrow brand. There is some subtle print mixing going on here with the multi-print tee and the stripes on the blazer. This is one way to print mix without it being overwhelming. The solid color cardigan provides a border between the two prints, but you still see the mix.

These are my favorite thrifted jeans. This is an older brand called Kikit, which are only available from thrift retailers like Poshmark and Thredup. You can see how I styled these on the blog before with a leopard print blazer.

Less is more, when it comes to accessories for an outfit like this. This hand made pendent necklace is a simple piece, but makes just the right statement.

You’ve seen this pretty bag just recently on the blog when I used it with a fall colored fringe kimono.

I chose my black faux suede ankle boots. These are Natural Reflections which are a brand Cabela’s carries. My hubby and I go there every so often and usually pass through the shoe department to see what’s on sale. i really love the buckle detailing on these and I use them a lot throughout the cooler seasons.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you wear lots of layers when it gets cooler? How do you like to put your layers together? I love hearing your thoughts so be sure to leave a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links, so be sure to stop by. Every time you click on a link I get a few cents. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone. If you follow my faith posts be sure to stop by tomorrow to see the latest.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Capes

This is the last of my Flat Lays in the Flesh outfits. I picked out the four that really appealed to me, but that doesn’t mean the other Flat Lays weren’t also interesting and possible “in the flesh” outfits. These four were the ones that appealed to me for various reasons and it has been fun to see how they actually looked on a person, namely me. For your information, so that you know how you might measure up, I am 5’5”, 171lbs. I would feel more comfortable in my skin if I was about 150 or 155, so that is a goal I am working towards, albeit very slowly.

Today’s outfit in the flesh features the Fall 2019 trend of capes. I think capes were very popular back in the day, especially in Medieval Europe. They have come and gone over the years and typically when we hear the word cape we think of super heroes donning their spandex suits and adding a cape as a finishing touch; think Superman, Batman and Robin or even Thor. While capes came back this year, I personally haven’t seen very many of them floating around in the stores or donning women walking down the street.

Flay lay and photo by Amy Christensen

I know not everyone is buying into the mustard trend, but I really do like this rich sunflower yellow cape that I found while thrifting. I like that it is a crafted piece, made by hand and has the fringe, which is so indicative of a bohemian look. Here is the outfit in the flesh.

My yellow thrifted plaid shirt is Divided brand from H&M. I had no idea when I found it how well it would go with this knit cape. I love plaid and since I have been on the yellow train, it makes sense that I would buy a yellow plaid shirt, especially one from a thrift store. The plaid print includes a little blue, white and blush.

Drawing on the blush in the shirt, I went with blush accessories. My clutch I found on clearance at Meijer. My necklace was a JC Penney clearance find, and my SO ankle boots with the block heel, were a Kohl’s clearance purchase.

My Rock and Republic boot cut jeans are more like jeggings than jeans, but they have a zipper and button front, as well as regular pockets. They are just made from a stretchy fabric and are easy to move in.

Here is a quick shot of the back of the cape. I just love the fringe around the bottom.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear a cape? Just to clarify, capes are usually shorter like this one and cloaks usually come past the knee, with some versions reaching the floor. Do you know how to knit or crochet? That is something I wish I had time to do, but not right now. My mom used to crochet afghans and doilies and I had an aunt that used to crochet stuffed animals like bears.

I’ve included a few shopping links for capes and for yellow pieces that I think are fun. I hope you are having a great Tuesday and thanks so much for stopping by the blog.

Photo credit, except where specified, Rebecca Trumbull.

These shopping links are affiliate links. When you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site, I get a little bit more. All opinions are my own.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Layering Knits

One of my favorite flat lays from my Fall Trends 2019 series was the one featuring layered knits. I’ve always been a fan of layering, especially in the winter time. I don’t like to feel cold, so laying is the obvious choice here in northwest Ohio. I know it might sound funny, but the other reason I like to layer is so that I can wear more of my clothes at the same time. Ha, ha. When I saw that layering knits was a trend for this fall, I was so excited. Finally, a trend I can really buy into.

Photo by Amy Christensen

Normally, I only layer knits on the top. I don’t typically wear leggings, but would be more likely to do this outfit with a pair of jeans. However, wanting to keep an open mind and use these LuLaRoe leggings my daughter got me, I decided to add them to the mix. Here is the look in the flesh.

This long green sweater is from Christopher and Banks. They are having some good sales on sweaters right now, so check out their website or if you have one near you drop in. This sweater is medium weight and has no closures, so just hang open. I rather like that idea, because then I can wear something underneath and know that it will still be seen.

What you see underneath the sweater this time is my thrifted Merona bear sweatshirt. This is definitely not something you want to wear when you are going to be real active, but if you are sitting around watching a movie at home or want to be comfy when running to the store, this would be a great outfit. Mr. Bear looks a little wrinkly. Ha, ha.

I added the gingham scarf as a way to pull the purples together, making the outfit look a little more cohesive. I added a green envelope clutch and my Rock & Candy by Zigi thrifted boots.

In the picture below, you can see the fun lace detail on the side of the sweater. Little details like those are what draw me to different pieces. It was the same way with the boots. I love the lace overlay giving them a unique texture.

I was a little disappointed with how this outfit looked in the flesh. Part of it might be the leggings. I think I would look better in leggings that were a solid color and preferably a darker color. I feel that these flowers are a little much for my pudgy gams. The other thing I do not like is the volume of the sweatshirt and the sweater together. It makes me look like some sort of pillar. Just being real here and analyzing this. When we think about what we are wearing and what works and what doesn’t we will begin to make better choices about how to put pieces together.

My verdict on this outfit is that it looks better as a flat lay, than in the flesh. What do you think? Please be honest. I love to hear your opinions and ideas.

I hope you all have a great weekend. See you next week.

I’ve included a few shopping links for sweaters. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit (except where noted) Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Summer Fig and Bluestone

You’ll remember from the New York Pantone series the color Bluestone. This is one of only two colors that showed up on both palettes. I’m not sure how the Pantone Color Institute comes up with the colors they choose. Is there a committee? If so who is on the committee? How do they come up with the names for each of the colors? Yes, these are the things a fashion blogger wonders when she is tired and needing a burst of writing motivation. Ha, ha. I am speaking the truth when I say, I had to look up what a fig looked like to understand where they came up with this red color. This red coincides with the bright red interior of the fig fruit. I have never eaten a fig, have you?

This bright red tee is SO brand from Kohl’s. It is a few years old. I find Kohl’s and JCPenney my go to’s for things like short and long sleeve tees.

The Bluestone vest is a LuLaRoe piece. This particular style is called Joy. I like that some clothing companies name each of their styles. Not that I will remember what they are called, but I just think it adds another dimension to a retailer, that they have taken the time and effort to specify a certain line has a name. This is the only vest I have that is this length and I like how it looks in this outfit. The fabric has plenty of stretch, but doesn’t lose its shape.

Once again, I turned to the classic color of Olive Green for my pants, bag, and belt. Olive just seems to be an easy color to pair other colors with and it grounds an outfit and keeps it looking chic with a bit of an edge. These utility pants are Gloria Vanderbilt brand and I’ve styled them before on the blog. You can see them styled with an olive utility vest here and in a flat lay with a snakeskin jacket here. I got the tote bag from Charming Charlie a couple years before they went out of business. Belts are so expensive, I usually try to pick them up at thrift stores.

I kept the jewelry simple with a gold pendant necklace and a gold bracelet.

This old pair of Sonoma ankle boots has been with me for a while, but they are the perfect neutral finishing touch and the suede texture is just right for a fall outfit.

What do you think of these colors? They are very similar to the New York palette using Bluestone and Chili Pepper. Do you like to wear vests? Do you have a long one like this? What are some other ways you could style a long vest? I’d love to have your feedback.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Fall Trends - 2019 - Part 2

If you missed last Thursday’s post, I’ve started a short series on Fall 2019 Trends. Every season the runways are filled with with new colors and trends. This fall the trends include things we are familiar with like animal prints and metallic sheens to rebooted trends like patchwork, tiny bags and shoulder pads. I encourage you to pick and choose the ones that you feel most comfortable with and maybe go for one that pushes you a little outside your comfort zone.

The next trend I am featuring would, perhaps, be the one that would be a little outside my comfort zone, but one that I felt I could easily adapt to with pieces I already had in my closet.

Trend 3 - Romance Gone Goth

If you want to see the original looks from the runway click on this article by Who What Where titled These are the 9 Biggest Fall 2019 Trends, Period. Of course that is a matter of opinion. Ha, ha. I changed the name to Goth rather than Grunge, because if you do your research, Goth is head to toe black with lace, leather and more form fitting wear. Grunge is more about torn jeans, flannel shirts, Doc Martens, and while black is a common grunge color, other dark colors like maroon, forest green and indigo are also common.

My version is a lot less revealing and personifies me. My outfit is, also, not true Goth, because it has color. It is also not really Grunge either. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet. Do your research.

For this look I chose three pieces that I would term romantic. This short sleeve ruffled top was thrifted and is Loft brand. The sheer blouse that I put underneath was my way to add another fall trend, that of dark florals, as well as add, just a touch of color. This is a brand called Kensie. I also thought the wide belt and the cross choker added a touch of metal that is often associate with Goth outfits.

These Apt. 9, faux lace pants I’ve worn before on the blog, You can see them styled with a multi-print tunic, and with a shimmery taupe top. Lace is another fabric or pattern that we often associate with romance, so it seemed appropriate to use them for this Romance Gone Goth outfit.

My black, Seven Dials, combat boots seemed the perfect choice for this faux Goth look. True Goth would not have any brightly colored patches.

The bag is totally not Goth, but I thought it went nicely with the green in the floral under-top.

Trend 4 - Layering Knits

I think this is a fun one, although not for everyone. Most women our age are in the throes of menopause and the last thing you want to do is start wearing layers of heavy knits, but for those of you who are typically cold most of the time in the winter months, this trend is for you.

I love the way this outfit turned out in the flat lay and I may actually put this on when it gets colder and see how it looks. I am not a big leggings fan, but this just looks so fun, I may have to do it…yes, getting outside my comfort zone again.

The sweater was a clearance find at Christopher and Banks. I love the lace up detail on the lower sides. This sweater has an open front with no closures and falls right about mid to lower thigh. It is a medium weight, so good for pairing over this thrifted over-sized Merona sweat shirt.

Isn’t Mr. Bear, just the cutest guy ever? He’s styling that cable knit sweater and I’m sure he’s heading right into his cozy hole to sleep for a good long while. He looks so happy. Believe me, I’d be happy too, if I knew when winter was on its way, I could go into a cozy hole and just sleep until spring arrived. Ha, ha.

These leggings are Lu La Roe and my daughter gave them to me. I have been waiting on the perfect outfit to pair these with and I think this just may be it. Because I opted for these leggings I decided to wear a recently thrifted pair of boots, high lighting the lighter yellows and tans in the leggings and sweatshirt. These boots are a brand called Rock & Candy by Zigi. While this is a brand I had never heard of before, it appears that they are available at places like Nordstrom Rack, Famous Footwear and Shoe Carnival.

Since the outfit already has a lot going on I went for a simple green clutch.

I added the scarf as an after thought as a way to tie the whole outfit together.

What do you think of these two fall trends? Would you do Romance Gone Goth, or Layering Knits? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

I hope your week is off to a great start. Thursday, I’ll give you another peek at two more Fall 2019 trends.

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