Outside the Box - All Over Pattern Mix

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Since becoming a blogger I have learned about pattern mixing. I have done a little bit of it here and there, but usually with smaller pieces. I did a post about pattern mixing in March of last year. You can see that post here. Many of those outfits were examples of an all over pattern mix. While I have done it in the past, I thought it would be fun to revisit the all over pattern mix for a fun spring work outfit. 

I came up with the idea for this post when I did my Spring Trends post back in February. You can see that post here. When I lined up the skirt and top to show the plaid/check trend for spring I thought the combination would be perfect for a spring outfit. 

Everything in this outfit is thrifted except the shoes and bag. The skirt is a brand called Michelle. The black and white plaid is broken up in the lower left corner by two pretty embroidered flowers. 

This cute little clutch is actually a pencil pouch that I found at Barnes & Noble. It makes a great clutch and is perfect for spring. You can see how I styled an outfit around this bag in this post here. Since I was going for an all over pattern mix, I thought this bag was perfect for this outfit. 

My jacket is a brand called Madison and Max. I found this in a friend's closet. Shopping your friends' closets can be a great way to recycle and save money for all of you. 

The blouse is Jaclyn Smith brand and is a light green gingham. You can see the mixing better here.

You might feel this mix is over the top, but I really think the jacket pulls it all together and because it is a solid, keeps the mix from becoming too overwhelming. 

I decided on my black Cabela's flats. These are a great shoe for work, when I have to be on my feet. 

How are you at print mixing? Do you think this works or is it too much? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

I've included a few shopping links for some fun printed pieces for spring. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a shopping link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my site, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Have fun with your print mixing!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style and Jacqui at Mummabstylish. Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, and Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane.

Spring Colors: Snorkel Blue, Flash Green and Iced Coffee

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This week's color palate includes my attempts at Pantone's Snorkel Blue, Green Flash and Iced Coffee. I've noticed that Iced Coffee keeps showing up and I am thinking that color is like a good cup of coffee, great to have anytime and anywhere! You will see in these photos some of my pieces have been reused like the black chunky heel flats and the Lilac Gray bag. 

My version of Green Flash really does not do the color justice. The color is much more vibrant than the top that I have on. That being said, I think the outfit would be better with a brighter version of that green. 

I styled the outfit two different ways, so you could see a variation on a similar theme. The first outfit is styled with black crop pants that have a bit of a lacy texture to them. I like this look and would wear something like this to work. The lightweight leopard print scarf has an Ice Coffee background with black spots pulling in the black of the pants. For added depth and fun, I added a few green beaded necklaces over the scarf.

In the second look I removed the scarf and green necklaces and put on a silver and blue necklace as well as swapping the crop pants for a pair of floral Palazzo pants. I am not as fond of this particular look as it makes my hips and legs look wider. I love Palazzo pants as they are so comfy and fun, but you really do need to find a look that works for you. After viewing these photos I decided I am going to do a post or a series of posts, just on Palazzo pants, so we can figure out what works and what doesn't. 

Hope you enjoyed this week's fashion post and that you are inspired to see what you have in your closet that might make an outfit using some of Pantone's Spring colors. Next week, I'll continue my Spring color line up.

Read on for this week's Closet Clean Out Tip.

Find the Look:

Jacket Ideas - Khol's $44, Macy's $79.50

Top Ideas - Chico's $79.50, Macy's $69.50

Black Pants - Saks Off 5th $99.99, Khol's $36

Palazzo Pants - JCPenney $34, Kohl's $36

Shoe Ideas - Kohl's $65, DSW $49.95

Scarf Ideas - Kohl's $20, Etsy $38

Necklace Idea - Kohl's $18, Etsy $17

Closet Clean Out - Tip 5: Accessories

I love accesories! Necklaces, bracelets, scarves....you name it, I love it and enjoy wearing it. What I don't enjoy is trying to figure out what to do with it all. As with all my Closet Clean Out Tips, it is important to go through your accessories and purge. Are you ever really going to wear that black scarf? What about that necklace you got at Disney World back in 1983? Or what about that charm bracelet you have had since high school? If a piece has sentimental value, then by all means hang onto it, but unless is has some sort of value, or it is something you love and actually wear, you can probably let it go!

I am going to show you a few of my own organizing "tricks". These are simple and cheap!

This is a simple, adhesive hook. There are tons of these available at Walmart and other stores. Here is one example. These hooks are easy to apply and remove and they hold quite a bit of weight as you can see from the following picture. These hooks can be applied anywhere. These three are on a book case right next to my dresser, but I have three more in my closet on the wall.

Yes! I have too much jewelry and I am due for a purge! Ha, ha.

This is a simple plastic hanger, but with a little tying ingenuity it becomes....

A scarf hanger! I use this for my infinity scarves, but you could take any other type of scarf and hang it by tying it onto the hanger. Some of my scarves I fold an put in a storage cubicle like this one and then set it on a shelf in my closet.

There are plenty of other options for storage of jewelry such as tiered trays, hanging organizers, and organizers you can slip into drawers. 

I hope that gives you inspiration for organizing some of your accessories. Next week we'll focus on shoes and bags! Have a lovely Tuesday!

Check Out this Blogger's site: She is looking for other "Over 50" bloggers to collaborate with. She will choose and feature 50 bloggers to start with, and maybe more later. Just click on her link if you are interested.

Today I linked up with Catherine at Not Dressed As Lamb and Jess from Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Be sure to check out their blogs.

 
 

Spring Colors: Lilac Gray and Buttercup

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

Today you'll see the second outfit in my Spring color series. The color emphasis is on Pantone's Lilac Gray and Buttercup. I found the button up at a thrift store. We had a hard time finding a similar color, but here is a possibility. The bag I found on clearance at JC Penney and I really like it. This purse is roomy, but not overwhelming. I have a tendency to put everything in my bag. The muted color enables it to be carried with many other outfits, and the gold chain gives it a classy look without making it heavier. We found a similar bag at Kohl's.

Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

The buttercup tee (another thrift store find) has an embellished neckline which goes well with the gold on my bag and shoes. We found a similar embellished tank top at Macy's. The skirt, simple black leggings, shoes, and yellow bangle are all second hand store finds but we were able to find you some inspiration from some other stores. Here is a skirt from Kohl's, black shoes from DSW, and a bracelet option on Etsy. As you can tell, I love to thrift shop. If I had been born in an earlier century, I would have been a pirate! Arrrrrrrrrggggg! I was excited to see that the low chunky heel is making a come back!

Obviously, the outfit could be retrofitted for summer simply by getting rid of the leggings and wearing a cute pair of sandals or espadrilles. Carry the button up as a covering for overly air conditioned shops or restaurants and you are all set.

Since, this blog is all about inspiration, I would like you ladies to start digging for treasure in your own closets. See if you have any of Pantone's Spring color line up. Throw an outfit together and have someone take a picture. Then send it to me via a Facebook message or you can email it to me. If you take a pic on your phone you can just text it to my email at guineapigtrekie@yahoo.com. I would love to see how I have inspired your fashion sensibilities and you might even get your pic posted!

Now it's time for our next Closet Clean Out Tip.

Closet Clean Clean Out - Tip 3 - Skirts and Dresses

I really do not know why I have so many skirts and dresses. I think it stems from my upbringing. Being raised in the church we always dressed up for Sunday service. As far as that goes, my mother used to make me wear dresses when I was in elementary school. Being a tomboy I grew to loathe skirts and dresses, although, I never stopped wearing them to church...until recently. However, I still do wear a skirt for work once in a while and if my husband and I splurge on a show I dress up.

Once again, I would say, start by organizing. You can arrange by color, length or type of skirt, or seasonal. The same goes for dresses. If you have room you might want to hang from shortest to longest. Organization is for your benefit, so figure out what is going to work for you. As you begin to organize take a hard look at what skirts and dresses you have. Do you love it? Does it fit? Is it in style?

Actually that is not a valid question any more. What isn't in style? Mini vs. maxi, plain vs. print, plaid vs. floral, a-line vs. pencil, pleather vs. leather.....anything goes! Style is what you make it. A dress you wore in the 80's may no longer be in style, but if you throw a chunky sweater over it, or add a black moto jacket and a pair of over the knee boots you can make it work. That's not something I have to worry about, since I can't fit into any dresses that I owned in the 80's. Ha, ha.

I have found that if I am unsure about a particular item, I put it in a pile, then when I have a significant number of items I try them all on. The item has to answer several questions: Does it have a slimming or smoothing effect? Is the pattern or color complimentary? Could I pair it with other items I have to make it work for me, like wearing a dress with a jacket or sweater over the top, or wearing a skirt with a wide belt and a tee shirt or tank top. How can I update my look if it is something I really love? I am getting better at putting things in the donation box if I am not absolutely convinced it works for me.

I hope as you reorganize your skirts and dresses you will be thinking about some of the things you have read here on my fashion blog. As you saw today, I paired a skirt with leggings, something I have never done before. Think outside the box, after all, you are women and we are more like spaghetti than waffles.

Be sure to come back next week. We'll have another Spring outfit and more tips on cleaning out our closets. 

All photos by Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen