Pantone Autumn/Winter 2022 - New York Palette: Samoan Sun, Martini Olive and Chiseled Stone

Today is my last post for the Pantone Autumn/Winter 2022 New York palette series. I decided to do a flat lay for a change due to several factors that are affecting my ability to get posts done. The first is time. I do not know where time goes, but it sure seems like I have less of it than ever before and I am not even working a regular job right now. Second, I injured my knee a few years ago and recently I tweaked it and it has been very painful. I have an appointment Thursday to have it checked out, but I knew it was going to be hard to get pictures done with changing clothes, running up and down the stairs and going outside, so I thought a flat lay the next best thing.

The three colors today’s outfit revolved around are great colors for fall and I think this outfit would be perfect for a casual Thanksgiving celebration. My yellow Samoan Sun sweater is a thrifted Old Navy piece. It has more orange undertones to it, but I still think it works great for this outfit.

My Chiseled Stone striped tee is another thrift find from a brand called Company Ellen Tracy. I looked up Ellen Tracy and it is a clothing retailer with some nice pieces. You can check it out by clicking on the link. The brand seems to exude class and modesty. Prices are a tad high for my limited resources, but I like to show you retailers you might be interested in. If I had the money, I would definitely shop this brand more often.

My Martini Olive utility skinny pants have made multiple appearances on the blog. They are Gloria Vanderbilt brand. You can see these pants styled with a floral bomber, a light weight pullover, a snakeskin print jacket, a floral dress, a lace vest, and a floral dress as a jacket.

My accessories were simple and I chose to emphasize the black to coordinate with the stripes in the tee.

I love this simple charm pendant necklace. It adds a touch of interest to almost any outfit without being overly garish. I couldn’t even tell you where I got it, but knowing my past shopping habits it was either thrifted, or bought at Kohl’s or JC Penney. Ha, ha.

I’ve shown you this black Aidebam bag on the blog before. I got this one from Amazon, but Amazon’s inventory changes pretty regularly and I don’t see this exact style on there anymore. I will include a few shopping links at the end. Here is a very similar one.

These black boots are a very recent thrift find. They were my size and I loved the “witchy” vibe of them. They are a brand called Rampage. I have a wedding coming up and right now I am planning to build my outfit around one of two pairs of ankle boots. I also found a blue velvet pair, another thrifting treasure that I wasn’t lookin for, (but I was). I hope to do a blog post next week on what to wear to a fall wedding using the outfit I come up with. Keep a look out.

Style Tip - The right shoes or boots with an outfit can absolutely make the outfit. If you are not sure about which pair of shoes to wear when going to an event or celebration, try on a few different pairs. Remember, heels of any height will upgrade a look, even when wearing distressed jeans and a tee. If you are going for a more casual look, then think flatter souls and a heel that is an inch or less.

I hope you enjoyed this flat lay and the conclusion of my Pantone series. From now through the end of the the year I hope to bring you holiday inspired and winter looks. Leave me a comment or two, letting me know what you thought of this outfit. Which was your fave in the series? 1 - Lava Falls, Amazon, and Arctic Wolf, 2 - Orange Tiger, Nosegay, and Autumn Blonde, 3 - Rose Violet, Caramel Cafe, and Polar Night, 4 - Waterspout, Midnight and Loden Frost or today’s.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. Remember these are affiliate links, which are brought to you at no extra cost. You do not pay anything extra to purchase something through one of my links. In fact, it helps me by putting a few cents into my pocketbook. I really appreciate every little bit.

Have a great week!

Pantone Spring/Summer 2022 - NY Palette - Innuendo, Poinciana and Basil

Week two in my Pantone Spring/Summer 2022 series and we are looking at the New York Palette. Last week we saw a medium blue, a bright yellow and a crisp white that, put together, made a perfect spring Easter look. This week is another perfect combo for the upcoming Sunday holiday, especially if you are going to church or visiting family.

Innuendo is a bright, hot pink, while Poinciana is a simmering red. Combined with the classic light green color Basil, the look I put together says chic and classy with a splash of watermelon cooler! Let me know what you think.

I don’t often think of pairing pink and red, but for some reason I love how this turned out. The bright pink with the bright red just seems to work. Pairing them with the printed floral skirt led to a bright, colorful spring outfit perfect for Easter Sunday, or even a spring wedding or other event where you need to get more dressed up.

My bright pink open front cardigan was a thrift find and is Old Navy brand. I like to give you the brand names on things because it gives you an idea of the cut and quality of a piece. I don’t shop at Old Navy, but I certainly will grab their brand at a thrift store. This is a lighter weight piece so perfect for the warmer temps…at whatever point those arrive. Ha, ha. Here is one from Kohl’s, Shein, and Chico’s.

My Pop Sugar red smocked blouse was from Kohl’s a few seasons ago. It has ruffle details along the sleeve openings, but is otherwise sleeveless. I love the smocking detail and the shiny fabric. Check out these tops from Shein, Dia & Co, and JC Penney. You can also see in the photo below my long pendant necklace and belt. I have a beaded bracelet on as well that mimics the Basil green color, but it is mostly hidden by my sleeve. Ha, ha.

Style Tip: To get more use out of your clothes, try pairing unexpected colors together. You will not only have new ways to wear different pieces, but you’ll become a trend maker.

My skirt is a thrifted piece and the tag was torn or cut out, so I have no idea who made it, but it is a typical prairie maxi skirt. It is lined, but the lining is very sheer like the skirt, so I still felt a slip was necessary. See these from Kohl’s, Shein, and Dia & Co.

My shoes are a number of years old. I don’t wear heels or wedges much any more, so these have stayed in nice shape. These are Keds brand. I most likely got them at Kohl’s on clearance. The brand doesn’t seem to make this sort of espadrille with the wedge heel anymore, but I’ll give you some other options in my shopping links below.

My bag is also a few years old and was from Charming Charlie. We used to have a store at our mall. Now it is called something else, but still has a similar vibe to it with bags, jewelry and scarves being their main products along with a few clothes. Here are a few green tote bags from Amazon, Banana Republic, ModCloth, and Kohl’s.

What do you think of these colors? Do you think they go well together? Do you have any of these colors in your closet? I love hearing your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

I provided direct link shopping links above, due to changes at the affiliate site I was using. I’ve included a few shoe links through the affiliate website. I only receive a few cents when you shop through the affiliate sites. The other direct link sites I bring to you at no cost, but I also don’t make money through them. I just want you to have some shopping options.

Have a great week!

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Past

Today’s outfit draws its inspiration from Charles Dickens’ ghostly apparition of Christmas Past. Before the visitation of the three ghostly characters, Scrooge is visited by the ghoulish presence of his former business partner in life, Jacob Marley. Jacob warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, for the hopeful purpose of his redemption. The first of these paranormal beings makes their appearance when the bell tolls one.

The idea of drawing fashion inspiration from a ghost, might seem a stretch of the imagination, but I do like a challenge. If you have watched a version of A Christmas Carol, you probably saw the Ghost of Christmas Past as a being dressed in white garments, sometimes shining and sometimes in an unearthly, ethereal manner as if floating and flowing in some unseen breeze. Two of my favorite movie versions of A Christmas Carol are the 1984 drama with George C. Scott, and the 1992 musical, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Surprisingly, the Muppet version stays fairly true to the original tale by Charles Dickens. Both versions are filled with amazing scenery, typical old time London and excellent veteran actors, (the Muppet version stars Michael Caine as Scrooge).

We often shy away from white in the colder weather. It has long been a color we wear in spring and summer. Obviously, things have changed immensely over the last decade, especially as more and more women have access to fashion blogs and more reasonably priced clothing. White is now a year round color choice. It stands true to reason, that if we live in colder areas in the winter, our white pieces will have to be compatible for those frigid temps. This is where layering, fabric choices and textures all come into play.

My daughter and I didn’t have a lot of time for pictures, so we went, once again, to the Toledo Botanical Gardens. They have so many interesting sculptures, garden areas and small buildings used for various events. These metal arches provided the perfect backdrop for an other worldly vibe.

When I started thinking about an all white outfit, I knew that most of my pieces were not a true white. Not everyone can wear a crisp white near their face, but most people can pull off an ivory or a cream. All of these pieces, except the scarf, have more of a cream, or ivory tint to them.

My long, Apt. 9, chenille sweater was a piece my daughter was getting rid of. It wasn’t really her style, so when I saw it, I took it home, figuring I could always just wear it around the house as a cozy topper for casual days. As I thought about how to make this outfit look flowing, but also updated and fashionable, I knew this sweater would be perfect.

The blouse I have on under the sweater is a recent thrift store find and will be more useful in the warmer weather, but the color went well with everything else. The brand is called Mango, and when I saw the embroidery on it, I knew it was calling my name.

I also added this white scarf from The Jacket Society, that I bought a few years ago. You can’t see it in this photo, but the scarf has tiny silver threads through out, so I thought it added an extra element of texture and shine.

The silver snowflake pendant just seemed appropriate for a ghostly, Christmas outfit.

I chose silver for my accessories, to represent the shimmering appearance that many of the Ghosts of Christmas past seemed to have. Perhaps the shimmering details represented good memories from Christmases long ago; or maybe the light represents the idea that we can learn from our past, thus becoming better people. Whatever your interpretation of the details, I think silver looks very pretty with white.

My silver, sparkly clutch has been a regular on the blog. My SO ballerina flats are from Kohl’s.

My cream colored St. John’s Bay corduroys have been around for a few years and were an original purchase at JC Penney.

I really like this outfit. It is something I would feel completely comfortable and warm in and could be worn to a special Christmas outing or just a family dinner, where I don’t have to do the cooking. If I cooked in this it wouldn’t be white anymore. Ha, ha. Here are a few other fun pictures from our shoot.

The wind was helping me look a little more ghostly. Too bad we didn’t have fog. Ha, ha.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you think I pulled off showing how taking inspiration from the Ghost of Christmas Past translated into a chic, modern look that could be worn to work, out on a date or to a Christmas concert?

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday for another Christmas movie inspired outfit.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Color Play - Fall Color Mix

What better time to play with color than in the fall? I love the bright hues of red, orange and gold, as well as the moodier tones of burgundy, brown and forest green. I have found many Pinterest pins on fall color combos, so drew some of my inspiration from those. The pieces I chose are perfect for this in between time where the days can still be warm but the mornings and evenings cool. Today, took a turn towards the cooler side and I am typing this post with a cup of hot cocoa at my side. I need the milk for calcium, but thought this morning I would add a little chocolate and pop it in the microwave. Yum!

When I started looking for my Warm Spice colors, I knew I wanted to used my burgundy SO sweater, which was a Kohl’s purchase last year. I have another one just like this in a light pink, which you will see on the Pantone series coming up. I also got two sizes. This one is a large and the light pink is an extra large. I liked the way each fit for different reasons, so I got both. Ha, ha. You can see the side detailing below.

Yellow was the next color in the Pinterest Warm Spice Pin, so I chose a thrifted short sleeve Sonoma tee with a small white pattern.

I also, knew I wanted this to be a cozy, casual look so opted for my Rock & Republic straight leg jeans.

The third color is orange. I wasn’t sure, at first, how I was going to pull that off, and then I saw this infinity scarf hanging in my closet. This was another thrift store find. I love getting scarves, bags and jewelry at thrift stores, because there are so many different choices and you can’t be the prices. I absolutely love athe fall vibe of this piece. It contains all those colors I think of when I think of fall and the pattern is reminiscent of the 1970’s. You can see I did a bit of print mixing as well.

With the mix of orange in the scarf, I thought it would be fun to add another pop of orange away from my face with the addition of this thrifted orange suede bag. It may be small, but this little number packs a powerful color punch.

It seemed the natural choice to also reach for my Spirit faux suede ankle boots, to balance out the whole look. I love all of my boots, but especially enjoy wearing these ankle boots in the late summer and early fall. Only 5 days until the first day of fall. Whoo, hoo. I have already noticed Halloween decorations in yards and Christmas items in the stores. Eye, yie, yie.

The only jewelry I added was a fun charm bracelet with a bit of fall color.

What did you think of this outfit? Would you wear these colors together?

I hope you are having a good week. I have been busy. My grandson’s 10th birthday was Tuesday. He was supposed to have a small friend party, but one of the boys got sick and with our #covidlife as it is currently we had to cancel. We hope to reschedule for a future date. My husband and I went over and I made a cake and he got to open some presents. This weekend, we are going out to Maumee Bay State Park for one night at the lodge as a part of the birthday celebration. Quintin’s mom and he will go with us and our other daughter and her hubby will join us for dinner. We find ways to make life work, even in our current circumstances.

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

I hope to get my faith post up tomorrow, so be sure to check back for that. Have a great weekend!

Chambray Dress - Look #3

This is the final look from the sunflower fields at Hirzel Farms. My Massini chambray dress has proven to be a versatile piece and very easy to combine with accessories and toppers to create new and different looks. I think you could do a similar thing with any solid colored dress. For today’s outfit, I wanted to show a look that was more ready for fall.

This pretty, open weave sweater was a clearance find from Kohl’s. I have a number of Liz Claiborne pieces and I really like the feminine, lacy look of this cardigan. The sweater has no closures, which is fine, but what I have noticed is if the piece isn’t folded or hanging just so, the front tends to fold back. I solved that little problem by adding a small brooch to keep it closed and laying flat.

I added the leaf print scarf as another way to add interest. The colors of the sweater and scarf were very similar, so I like how this looks. This is an infinity scarf, which I like when I don’t want to worry about how to tie it.

Since the leaves on the scarf are black, I added this recently thrifted Scarlton bag. Amazon has a lot of these vegan leather bags. I have many purses that are not real leather. They are sufficient for looking nice and serving the purpose a purse serves, but what they don’t do is last. I have several real leather bags that I bought second hand that look brand new. Many of my non leather bags start showing signs of wear after only a few seasons. We’ll see how this vegan leather bag holds up.

My ankle boots are my old, trustworthy, Sonoma suede boots. The neutral color was perfect for this look.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you have a chambray dress, or any other solid dress that you could do looks like these? Leave me some love in the comments.

Here are the three looks side by side. Which one is your favorite?

I hope you enjoyed these sunny pictures. It was fun to take pictures with these yellow beauties. Isn’t God’s creation amazing?

I am including a few shopping links, so be sure to take a look at those. These are affiliate links, so every click you do gives me a few pennies. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Spring 2018 - Ultra Violet, Cherry Tomato and Meadowlark

Welcome to the second installment in my Pantone Spring 2018 series. Since last fall the Pantone Color Institute has been featuring two color palettes for both the fall and spring seasons. With two palettes to choose from there are so many more color combinations to create fun outfits. 

For today's outfit I combined three more colors. All three of these colors are found on both the New York and London palettes. This week my classic grounding color is Warm Sand. I am glad that the four classic colors were added this year to the palette. Sailor Blue, Harbor Mist, Warm Sand and Coconut Milk are the perfect colors to either use as a foundation for an outfit or to accent a more colorful outfit with accessories. Last week I wore Coconut Milk (white) jeans as the grounding color for my three more colorful pieces. You can see that post here. 

Ultra violet is a lively medium purple. These jeans, which are Not Your Daughter's Jeans, are not truly Ultra Violet, but these colors serve as guidelines for putting an outfit together, not rules. If you don't have the exact shade in your wardrobe, then try a different shade. The outcome will still be a stylish, colorful outfit.

The Cherry Tomato striped tee is has 3/4 length sleeves and a small line of ruffles around the button area at the top. 

For Meadowlark yellow, I added my bright yellow bracelets and necklace. I love how adding just a touch of color can really make a statement. I don't wear a lot of yellow, but using it as an accent in my accessories is a great way to still incorporate the color into my outfit. 

Everything in this outfit is thrifted except the jewelry, purse and shoes. When I bought this sweater it had toggle closures. I'm not a big fan of toggles, so I took them off and simply use the sweater as an open front cardi, or in this case, I added a belt. I thought this worked quite well, as pairing purple and red can be a little bit overwhelming. The sweater really helps to break up the two more bold colors. 

My suede Sonoma ankle boots are old, but I thought they were perfect for this outfit. The pants are very long, so the heel on the boot helps and they are that sandy color, like the sweater, belt and bag. The bag was a recent purchase from Walmart. 

Do I look like I'm running for the house in this last pic? Ha, ha. It was a cold day when we took these photos as you can no doubt tell by the snow.

I hope you enjoyed this look at more of the Pantone Spring 2018 colors. Dig around in your closet and see if you have any of these colors. I bet you would be surprised at how many you do have!

I've shared a few shopping links below. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. 

Layering Love - Wearing a Vest over a Cardigan

When it comes to layering there are so many possibilities. I have learned so much from other bloggers about adding layers and how to make my outfits more fun and interesting. I noticed a few bloggers a number of months ago layering with longer layers and I thought I'd give it a go. 

Today's outfit involves layering a long vest over a long cardigan. 

The color of these two pieces are a perfect match, so it is barely noticeable that they actually are two separate pieces. The duster cardigan is Chaps brand from Kohl's and the vest, also Kohl's. is Wall Flower brand from the Junior's department. Both pieces were clearance. I don't usually shop in the Junior's department for obvious reasons, most of their stuff doesn't fit me, but once in a while it pays to look. 

The knee length cardigan is light weight and will be a good transitional piece going into spring. It has pockets on each side in the front. 

For a fun casual look I paired the sweater and vest combo with a graphic tee. This particular one is Wonder Woman. I like the words. These are words I want to epitomize. 

Because it is cold, I thought my OTK boots would be appropriate. I also chose my burgundy cross body bag and bracelets to got with the red "W" below the words on the tee. 

I think this vest and sweater combo would look cute over a dress or a top and skirt. This would work well even if the sweater and vest were different colors. It adds a layer of interest and warmth to an outfit, which is a plus in this chilly weather. 

What about you? Have you ever tried to wear a vest over a cardigan? What do you think of this loo?. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Leave me a few words in the comments section.

Here are a few shopping links. If you click on a link I get a few cents. If you make a purchase through one of the links, I might get a small commission. I don't get paid to blog, so any help you can give in that regard is much appreciated. All opinions are my own.

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

Piece Perfect - Summer Sweaters

Since I just finished my series on wearing vests in the summer, I thought it would be a good idea to write a post on wearing sweaters in the summer. Everyone has had that experience where it is hot outside, but the moment you walk into that overly air conditioned restaurant your teeth start to chatter. While our bulky winter sweaters wouldn't be appropriate for this warm summer weather, it is good to have a few light weight options for when we know we are going to be in the air conditioning. 

For these pictures I decided to wear two key pieces, a pair of dark wash skinny jeans and a navy shell. By doing this I am emphasizing the sweaters and the accessories, showing you how you can easily change a simple, monochrome look by switching sweaters, and adding different shoes, bags, jewelry and scarves. 

These are four of my favorite warm weather sweaters.

1. Navy cardi with bling.

Before you say my picture was off center I was trying to get creative with my photography. Ha, ha. For this outfit, I kept the entire outfit monochrome navy and added my blush SO flats and my blush bag. 

Talk about silly faces. I do notice when I am doing my own pictures, I am not always attentive to what I am doing with my face. Ha, ha. Oh well, it is entertaining. 

This 3/4 length sleeve cardi I found some years ago at a thrift store is very light weight and it has a spattering of sparkly sequins that embellish the neck area. 

2. Tan open front cardi.

I decided to pair this light weight cardi with a pretty scarf. The scarf has a tiny print on it with light yellow, blue and pink flowers. I added a long pendant necklace and a bracelet that pull out the blue in the scarf.

I matched up my black clutch with a new pair of Clarks peep toe heeled booties. I got these at an outlet mall on a recent trip back to Wisconsin. The store was having a buy one get one for ten dollars on all their clearance shoes. If you are familiar with Clarks brand you know these are not cheap shoes. They are well made, comfortable and have gotten more stylish every year. I was pleased to find these and another more casual pair that I'll show in another post.

3. Cream waterfall cardi.

This next sweater is a cream waterfall cardi with 3/4 length sleeves. That sleeve length is perfect for summer. It provides enough coverage for an air conditioned environment, but not so much that you forget what season it is. 

For this casual look I wore my flat black espadrilles, carried a black canvas tote and added a few pops of color with my turquoise pendant necklace and turquoise bracelets.

You can probably tell in this picture that I am seriously thinking about letting my gray grow out. The last time I went to my beautician I discussed the idea with her. She suggested I try a few highlights to make the contrast between the gray and my natural hair color less noticeable. I haven't decided if I like it or not. I like the highlighting, I'm just not sure I am ready for gray. What do you think? Do you color your hair? Are you letting yourself go gray?

4. Bright pink open weave cardi.

This last sweater I am sharing with you was a thrift store find. I have had it for a while and never seem to reach for it, so I decided I needed to pull it out and play with it, to see if I really want to keep it. 

I do find the handmade look of a piece rather appealing. I don't know if it is because I grew up with a mother who made many of my clothes when I was young and also crocheted beautiful afghans, or if I was inspired by one of her sisters who made all sorts of creations with yarn, or if it is just some of my bohemian gypsy blood, but I love pieces with this sort of texture and charm.

I was having a hard time figuring out how to style this, until I came across this sea foam green infinity scarf. I suddenly remembered this lovely tote that I found when I shopped a friend's closet.

See how the bag has both the green and the pink? I love when that happens. Never say never to a bright colorful bag. You might be surprised how many outfits you can design around it. You can read my posts on creating an outfit around a bag here and here. 

I wore my wedge espadrilles for this outfit. These are another very comfy pair of shoes and they look cute! Cute and comfy? The perfect combo!

I hope you enjoyed this post. My goal as a fashion blogger is not to get you to buy certain clothes, but to challenge you to look in your own closet for pieces that are underused. Do you have any of these types of sweaters that you neglect to reach for. How about taking them out and rethinking how you could wear them?

If you need some added inspiration, I've included a few affiliate links. These are possible shopping options for you. Maybe you don't have a light weight sweater like these and would like to purchase one. These affiliate links can give you ideas. If you click on a link I get a few cents. If you buy something through the link, I get a small commission.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Have a great weekend.