Spring/Summer - 2021 - Spark Joy

This trend is a bit different and I think really open to each individual’s own interpretation. The idea of Spark Joy is color and print combinations that make you feel like you are wearing a party. I actually enjoyed putting this together. You know I love print mixing and this pushed me even further outside of my color and print mixing box. Let’s take a closer look.

I got this Universal Threads, sun print top at Target at the same time I got my pastel colored eyelet shirt (seen last week on the blog). Once again, you can see the puffed sleeves. Usually, I am not a ruffle girl, but once in a while, I find something that doesn’t make me look like a clown and this top was one of those times. I think the gathering around the neck helps and that the ruffles are vertical rather than horizontal. Horizontal patterns on us larger ladies are harder to pull off, and that goes for ruffles as well. In fact, when placed as they are on this top, I think it balances out my wider bottom.

This is another LuLaRoe skirt that I found at a local thrift store. The thing I like about these maxi skirts is that I don’t have to worry about wearing a slip. They are comfortable and easy to wear. The fun patterns are great for print mixing as in this outfit, or you can pick any color in the pattern and match up to it. I know not everyone can wear a maxi skirt and I will include a few shopping links at the end for shorter printed skirts for those of you who prefer a midi or knee length style.

My floral, Erin London, bomber jacket you’ve seen before. It was a purchase from Shop National from their mark down section a few years ago. You can see it here with a floral top.

My accessories were simple since there was already plenty going on in this outfit. I chose another long pendant necklace, this time with some bling and fringe. I also opted for a wide black belt to make more of a definition between my top and the skirt. I added a few bracelets, my thrifted, black, a.n.a. loafer heels and my thrifted bucket bag. My daughter does not like this bag. What do you think? She doesn’t like the shape of it. I told her I would ask for your opinion, so be sure to comment below.

So what do you think of this crazy print mixing outfit? I do not really expect you to go out and wear something like this, but it is truly fun to experiment and push ourselves outside of our normal outfit ideas. Would I wear something like this? Probably not exactly as I have it here. I might swap out the skirt for a solid black skirt or pair of pants, or I might change the top for a solid tee. I might even wear the top and skirt together, but switch out the floral bomber for a solid cardi or light weight jacket. You can still have joy with bright colors and print mixing, but you can also look polished and classy.

I’m including a few shopping links for fun prints. Be sure to check those out. These are affiliate links. When you click on a link, I get a few cents. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I hope you are having a great week.

Outfit Inspiration - Gingham and Olive

This week’s Outfit Inspiration comes from a Christopher & Banks add that I received in the mail. I love to try to copy the outfits that many retailers put in their advertisements and catalogues, because it gives me a source for a well thought out outfit, without me having to come up with the idea. I still have to shop my closet and try to find similar enough pieces to create the look, but the inspiration was provided by someone else.

When I saw the classic combination of a gingham button up with olive pants I knew it was an outfit I could easily replicate from pieces in my closet. This is what I came up with.

Since olive is treated as a neutral these days you can wear it with any other color and it works. Case in point, for this outfit I am pairing these olive trousers with a black and white gingham blouse, a white tank underneath to add interest and a gray casual cardigan.

This is an outfit I would easily wear to work. While the outfit is fairly neutral you can easily jazz it up by adding color in your accessories. I chose to keep my look more neutral all over. I have on black loafer heels, which I have worn on the blog before, and decided to carry my thrifted snakeskin clutch, since animal prints are trending right now. I opted for a few silver bangles and no other jewelry. I felt there was enough going on with the gingham check and the layers, although you could easily add a necklace or a pretty colored scarf to wake the outfit up a bit.

This gingham blouse was thrifted and is Old Navy brand. The white sweater tank that I have on underneath was also thrifted and is George brand. The original photo that I took the inspiration from showed the model with her top tucked in and no belt, even though the pants had belt loops. I wanted to stick to the original outfit as much as possible, but next time I will add a belt. I just think it makes an outfit look more polished. I have an olive colored one that would have worked perfectly with these pants.

My gray sweater is from H&M. I had a gray sweater, very similar to this, but it was showing wear, so I was glad to find this as a replacement.

Here is a picture of the shoes taken on a different occasion. They are a sturdy, practical heel, but still look stylish while being fairly comfortable. These were thrifted and are ANA brand.

Rebecca Trumbull

Here are a few more photos I thought I’d share just for fun:

I was having fun with this red bud tree. Unfortunately, the poor thing is half dead.

That’s all I have for today. I hope you enjoyed this post. I’d love the hear your feedback. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Outfit for a Special Night Out

If you have not been introduced to Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, then I hope you will click on over to her site and see what a beautiful lady she is. Another red head, her sweet and gentle spirit touches all who come into contact with her, whether in person or over the internet. Jess was diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome nine years ago. An illness that affects the muscles and joints, Jess hasn't let this stop her from being a very active and popular fashion blogger.  You can see more about EDS on Jess' About Me page on her blog. 

One of the many posts that Jess has inspired me with, was this one from just before Christmas, called Rockport - What to Wear to a Holiday Show. You can see her full post by clicking on the link. While Jess was doing the post for the Rockport shoe company, I just loved the look of her outfit and thought it could be incorporated for any dress up occasion, such as a concert, theater or other function. The following post is my take on the inspiration Jess provided from her post.

While Jess wore a beautiful strapless black dress, I opted for a slightly less formal look by wearing this navy dress that I got from Christopher and Banks. It is a heavy weight polyester knit that hangs perfectly. The area on the bodice has a sort of criss-crossed ruching and a v-neck. 

I opted for a black pair of loafer heels that have some fun buckles and stitching on the top of the toe. Dressy, but casual.

The dress having short sleeves also prompted me, like Jess, to add a jacket over top. The berry color of this velvet piece pairs beautifully with the navy dress. You can see how I styled this jacket in these other posts here and here. 

This is a fun little jacket with its 3/4 length sleeves, the velvet covered buttons and the ruching on the pockets. I am finding it a great blazer for dressing up or down. Here you can also see the statement necklace I added. Jess added a lovely necklace that adorned her neck with just the right amount of delicacy and bling. I tried to do a similar thing with this necklace I found a few years ago on the clearance rack at H&M.

For my finishing touches I added a few silver bracelets and carried a black blingy clutch, which I have featured with other outfits. 

I love the way this outfit turned out. The sleek fabric of the dress and the jacket are a perfect back drop for the texture and bling of the statement necklace, sparkly clutch and buckled loafer heels. 

Please follow the link to Jess' site and give her some love. She has inspired me in so many ways and I know she will inspire you too. Let me know what you think of this outfit in the comments section below. Do you like to go to the theater and see live shows or are you more of a stay at home and cuddle on the couch kind of person? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

Shop the Look:

Navy Dress - Kohl's - $89.99

Berry jacket - Make Me Chic - $37.00

Black loafer heels - Nordstrom - $114.95

Black clutch - Target - $29.99

Statement necklace - Charming Charlie - $24.00