Fun Fall Look - Shearling

For this Fun Fall Look today, I am wearing a pair of boots I recently thrifted, that combine the earthy tone of brown suede with the fun texture of creamy shearling. Shearling is basically the wool from a sheep after it is shorn. Most of the shearling you see in the stores this season is fake, but it is a fun texture that is widely popular right now and appears on coats, vests, hats, scarves and yes, boots. Most often the fuzzy texture is left a creamy white color and can be made of various man made fibers.

Because I wanted to show off the boots, I kept the rest of my outfit rather casual and simple. 

This berry colored tunic I bought a few years ago at Christopher and Banks. Here is a cute cowl neck version at Nordstrom. 

The  Apt. 9 vest I found on the clearance rack at Kohls. This is a light weight faux suede. I like the waterfall open front and this brown will go with many other colors. Do you like it paired with the berry? I think it works to keep the outfit more earthy. Here is a back view of the vest and the boots.

I chose these dark wash Rock and Republic skinny jeans for a look that slimming and in keeping with the darker colors of fall. I got these on clearance at Kohl's. I lost about 7 pounds over the summer, so they fit a little better now than when I first got them. It's amazing how just a few pounds can make a difference. 

I decided to mix jewelry just to keep the look more interesting. To go with the suede look of the vest and boots I chose the lariat choker. To go with the berry tunic I also added this fun fringe gold and bead pendant necklace.

I also added a number of bracelets that I recently brought home. They are just simple stretchy beaded ones, but even these can make an outfit look more fun and interesting. I love these layers of burgundy, berry and gold.

These Unisa brand boots were a great find. I love that they have a higher wedge heel and the gold zipper and buckle detailing on the outer leg gives them a cool vibe that can be dressed up or down. They seem pretty comfortable, so I expect these will get some wear this winter. Just remember if you are going to wear suede boots they should be treated for waterproofing and I would avoid wearing them when the salt trucks are out. Salt does nasty things to suede and leather. To keep your boots looking great wear your snow boots, rain boots or a boot that can be easily cleaned when the weather gets really messy. 

Do you have any shearling pieces in your closet? How do you wear your shearling? I hope you enjoyed this post. Below are a few affiliate shopping links that can give you other ideas for how to wear shearling. All opinions are my own.

I hope you have a great weekend. 

Pantone Spring 2017 - Flame

If you follow the Pantone colors, you know that they come up with a palette every spring and fall that contains ten colors. This palette becomes the basis for what fashion designers and architectural designers use as their color schemes for clothing, accessories, paint colors and home goods, such as furniture, bedding and pillows.

Today's earthy hue is called Flame. This bold, deep orange is evocative of sunny days sipping iced tea and warm evenings sitting around a campfire toasting marshmallows. It also shouts of day lilies and fuzzy peaches warmed by the mid day sun.

Earlier in the year, Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy and I, did a collaboration sneak peek of the Spring Pantone colors. To see my post click here. For one of my outfits I styled the same pair of pants that I used in last week's post and called it Flame. Just for fun I want you to see the difference in these two oranges.

When we initially did our sneak peek back in February, I thought these orange pants were pretty close to the actual Pantone color. Turns out I was wrong! See, I do mess up! Ha, ha. It's all good. I am still learning about color. Perhaps that is the reason I enjoy doing this series on the Pantone colors. The first orange really is more of a pumpkin color and has yellow undertones. Flame has more red undertones. So we could say, orange is orange is orange, but in reality, it isn't. 

The reason, I am spending a bit of time on this idea of color, is that I often hear people say, "I can't wear that color. It just washes me out." In reality, I think we can wear every color out there. You just have to know which version of the color is flattering for you. I probably would not wear the pumpkin orange near my face, but Flame, I can. However, I can wear the pumpkin orange as pants and it is no problem.

On to my outfit. This Flame utility jacket I purchased at Nordstrom Rack with the gift cards I received from winning a drawing on Jodie's Touch of Style.  I fell in love not only with the style, but with the color. 

I wore my dark wash skinny jeans, although I think any wash denim would look good with this orange. This orange would also look great with brown, khaki, olive and white. I rolled the jeans for a fun look and the lighter colored cuff adds some interesting texture. 

Since stripes are in I decided to wear my navy and white Loft tee. I found this at a thrift store. It is a nice weight and has an elastic bottom. I love that it is a tee, but hides my flaws. The best kind!

You can also see I kept the jewelry simple. Gold seemed to be a nice contrast, but I think silver would have worked as well. 

My navy blue bag, another thrift store find, is a Vera Wang. I love the dual tone and texturing on the bag, and, of course, the roominess. 

This was meant to be a transitional outfit, taking me from winter to spring. In Northwest Ohio, for me it is still pants weather, so I will be wearing this again. I went with a pair of ankle boots, but it could be just as cute with a pair of fun canvas sneakers or cute flip flops. 

What do you think of this orange? Do you think you like the pumpkin orange of my pants or this Flame color better? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. 

I hope you are enjoying this series on the Pantone Spring 2017 colors. I love to read your comments. Right now if you make a comment you won't know if I respond, but I always respond to your input. Just check back on the original post a day or so later and you will be able to see that. I am so thankful for your support.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a small trickle of income if you click on a shopping link. If you buy something through my post I get a small commission. That means a lot to me. All opinions expressed are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Here are some possible "orange" options.

Have a great Tuesday!

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Nicki of Sweet Parrish Place, Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Wednesday linking up with Sara and Hannah of The Perfect Storm. Friday linking up with JoLynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Color Crash Course - Brown and Navy

It's time for another Color Crash Course column. You have seen me style denim with denim, orange with red, Halloween colors including black, orange and purple, red and burgundy and the Christmas colors of red, green and gold. This month's color combo is not as bold as some of the other choices, but it is what I would call comfortable.

For this outfit I wore my brown mid-calf boots with navy blue jeggings. I chose a vertical striped sweater tunic as my top. For added warmth and interest I topped the sweater with my cropped denim jacket...sneak peek...this jacket will be featured on my Piece Perfect column next week. To add a little print mixing I threw on a fun blue and brown infinity scarf.

I got this blue bag from my younger daughter for Christmas. I just love the color and the texture. It has an edgy vibe, and can be used with the strap or as a clutch.

Here you can see more of the fun texture of the sweater. 

For a pop of bling I put on my gold pendant necklace. 

Just a closer look at the boots. 

A view from the back. There was a time, I would have never had my top hanging out below my jacket, or sweater, or vest, or whatever, but now I love to do this. It adds an element of interest to the outfit and allows you to show off a piece even if there is something over the top. This is especially fun if you have something like this with a unique texture or print. It also allows you to show off the color.

I hope you enjoyed this Color Crash Course today. Would you combine brown and navy? How would you wear it? I'd love to see your comments below. If my post inspired you to put together an outfit post a picture of it on my FB page in the comments section. I'd love to see them.

Have a great weekend. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Shopping Options:

Navy jeggings - Old Navy - $25.00

Brown tunic sweater - Venus - $26.00 (Not familiar with this brand, but this has some great detailing)

Cropped denim jacket - Macy's - $69.00

Mid-calf boots - Walmart - $43.99

Blue clutch - Charming Charlie - $16.99

Awesome Accessories - Over the Knee Boots

Happy Thursday everyone! I hope today is a good one for you. Once again I am trying my hand at my own photos, so bear with me. One of these days I will be better, I promise. As with anything hobby related, we don't often just sit down and start doing something perfectly. We have to practice, learn, try and then learn some more and try again. 

One thing I have learned in my almost one full year of blogging is that there is always room for growth and change. I never used to think I would want a pair of over the knee boots. When I put these on and went outside to take pictures I suddenly realized why so many people have these. They are cute and they are warm. Just having that little extra length covering my leg really helped to warm things up.

When I got dressed today, I wasn't even really thinking about this post. when It hit me, I needed to do some pictures, I thought I had better put something on that was somewhat photo worthy. I decided on a white button up which has a print of blue bicycles that have a tiny red seat, thus the red cardigan. These skinny jeans are one of my favorites, although they do give me muffin top....ha, ha. Due to that anomaly, I had to try to stand up straighter. 

I actually bought these boots before Christmas with the idea that my husband could give them to me as a gift. Ha, ha. Anyone else do that? I had a coupon for DSW. As usual I went straight back to the clearance section of the store and found these! Not only were they marked down, but they were an addition percent off, plus I had the coupon. Win!!

I like the color, as I didn't have a tall pair of gray boots. I like that they are a little wider, so no tugging and pulling to get them on and the full zipper up the back makes them very easy to get into. There is a short little wedge inside the boot giving me an extra lift. 

To add some texture and bling, I added this multi layered necklace, which incorporates ivory, gray and blush beads. 

Here you can see a little more detail on the white button up. It's an Old Navy shirt that I found at a thrift store. I like the whimsical little bicycles and can wear this all year round. 

Now that I own a pair of over the knee boots, I would highly recommend them. especially if you live in an area that is cold five or six months out of the year. I am looking forward to styling these in more ways, say with a shorter skirt.

Tell me what you think of over the knee boots. Do you have a pair? Would you wear these? What is your favorite boot height? I would love to hear your thoughts. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog. If you haven't subscribed you can get emails from me when there are new posts. Just fill in your name and email in the subscribe slot. I only send out emails once or twice a week to try not to overload your inbox. I'd love to have you on board. And for those of you that already subscribe, thank you! Your support, thoughts and comments mean a lot. 

Have a great weekend. 

Shop over the knee boots:

Bare Traps - $79.95

Journee - $59.95

Unisa Saranaa - $79.95