Having Fun with Layers - Dressy Valentine's Day Look - 5 Year Bloggiversary with a Giveaway

Today I am showing you a more dressed up Valentine’s Day look. Although, so many of us are choosing to not go out very often, or at all, there still is the opportunity to dress up for a date night right in your own home. Obviously, this is harder for those of you who have kids, but those of us who are empty nesters can do this a little more easily. If you are a young couple, there is no reason you can’t have a fun Valentine’s party with your littles and reserve some of your own special time once they are in bed.

Today’s outfit revolves around a beautiful blouse I recently acquired from Maurice’s clearance rack. I love everything about this blouse from the high collar, to the pattern and the flowy, sheer fabric. Just like I did for my casual outfit on Tuesday, I am wearing the same under layers consisting of the black tights and black tank top.

My long, black maxi skirt was a Meijer clearance find. It is a summer weight skirt of lighter material, but it is not sheer, so doesn’t need a slip underneath. The brand is Ava James. I like the textured pleats which gives it the look of crepe. It also has a comfortable elastic waistband and pockets.

You can see from the above picture that I drew on the gold, metallic splashes that are on the blouse for my jewelry inspiration. There is plenty going on, on the blouse, but I thought a few simple gold pieces would compliment the look just right.

I added the metallic, blush moto jacket as my over layer piece. This jacket, I’ve styled before on the blog. I got it a few years ago at Nordstrom Rack and it is a brand called Coffee Shop New York. You can see how I styled it with a camo shirt and with a Mickey Mouse tee.

In keeping with the gold jewelry and the gold flecks on the blouse, I decided to carry my small gold, clutch. This is a thrifted piece and perfect for those special occasions that require you to dress up. I don’t have very many of those any more. How about you? Do you still find occasions to dress up?

My shoes you have seen multiple times on the blog. They are Aerosoles and I got them on clearance at DSW. Again, I apologize for the dirty shoes. I didn’t realize how much cat hair is just laying around, and I have vacuumed several times since Christmas. Those darn fur balls. Ha, ha.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you like floral blouses? Do you prefer maxi skirts, midi skirts or a knee length or shorter? Are you doing anything special for Valentine’s Day? I don’t know if we are doing anything or not. As we get older, it has become less about the particular days and more about making every day special. Don’t forget about the giveaway. I’m including the rules again, below. If you haven’t entered yet, be sure you comment and subscribe.

If you want to be entered into the drawing to win either a $25 Target card, or a $25 Amazon gift card, please be sure to read the rules and enter. Entries will be taken until 12 midnight on Friday, February 12th. If you are not sure how to subscribe, just click the link at the top of home page that says, Subscribe and fill in the information. Being a subscriber does not cost you a thing. It just allows me to sent you a once a week email, to remind you there are new posts on the blog. You can either comment on today’s post, or on this past Tuesday’s post. You can also earn more entries by commenting on Facebook and Instagram. Have a fabulous Thursday!

Color Crash Course - Mad About Monochrome

Webster defines the word monochrome as relating to or made with a single color or hue. Black-and-white photography is a form of monochromatic imagery called grayscale, using shades of gray with or without black and white. Now that I think of it, if you look at a black-and-white photograph like the one below, it really does look like varying shades of gray.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull

When we talk about a monochromatic outfit we are not only referring to those that might be black or gray, but to any outfit that contains a single hue. The monochrome look seems to be one that has been around forever and will continue to do so. The look is classic, effortless and can be dressed up or down. 

Today's post centers around two outfits that I put together to show you a casual and a dressy monochrome look. The first outfit uses hues of salmon or coral or possibly both. You can decide.

Many of the things I have read about pulling off the monochrome look say to vary the textures of the pieces. As you can see I have a pair of skinny jeans which creates a smooth look on my bottom half (minus the pudgies - ha, ha). I got these at Dress Barn back in my home town when I was out shopping with my bestie! They were on clearance, so I think I paid about eight dollars for them. I love those kinds of sales.

On the top, I am wearing an asymmetrical hem (shark bite to be exact) short sleeve tee that I recently purchased from Kohl's. There are still plenty of colors here. 

I also added my open weave tie front, short sleeve cardigan. I found this at a thrift store and pull it out every summer. It is a perfect topper for overly air conditioned restaurants, or for when the weather is just not quite warm enough. i love the texture of this sweater and the length is perfect if I am just having a bad "butt" day!

Rather than go for a contrasting color for my bag and shoes, I went for a more neutral, subdued tan that almost blends with the coral color. The loafers are thrifted and the leather and faux burlap bag I got when shopping a friend's closet.

I kept my jewelry understated, but shiny with the three strand gold necklace and the multi-strand beaded bracelet.

The next outfit might be something I would wear to a summer show or a nice dinner out. For this look I chose classic black.

This outfit consists of a long black knit maxi skirt that I got on the clearance rack at Kohl's a few summers ago. The weight of the material is somewhat thin, so you might notice underwear lines, but with it being black, I don't think it is that noticeable.

The top is a black lace short sleeve top that is rather short, but it works well for this all black look. I wore a black tank top underneath. I'm sorry, but I didn't change bras and you can still see a little bit of my purple blue one peeking out around the shoulders. If I was wearing this out in public, I would put a black bra on or a tank with fuller coverage. I just think it looks more polished if the bra straps aren't showing. It is one thing if that is the look you are going for. With all the pretty bras out there, why not show a little strap, but for a monochrome look, I personally feel black underwear would be better for this outfit.

For accessories I went with gold. Three gold bracelets. gold fringe statement necklace, gold woven clutch and my gold wedge sandals. Gold brings a touch of class and upscale to any outfit. 

Me striking a striking pose. Ha, ha. I have the silliest time taking my own pictures. I forget to smile, forget to put on make up, forget to stand up straight or focus on my good side. When my daughters are involved they coach me and I don't have to worry about where the focus point is, if the picture is blurry, was I squinting, am I standing in the wrong spot. I just pose and try to look like I know what I am talking about. Whoo, hoo! 

I hope you enjoyed this post on wearing a monochrome outfit. Monochrome is a great way to go if you love a particular color, if you want to elongate your body or if you are going for a classic, chic vibe that transcends all seasons. You can't go wrong with monochrome. 

Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you. 

Have a great weekend.

Here are some possible monochrome looks to shop for. This post contains affiliate links, which means I get a little bit of an income if you shop through this post. All opinions are my own.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge.  Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. Saturday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb.

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Styling an Outfit Around a Printed Bag

When I started blogging back in February I was informed by my daughter and other resources to start following other bloggers. My email is constantly inundated by new posts. Sometimes I can keep up and sometimes I can't, but I have found a number of bloggers that are worth following for their creativity, fashion moxie, sense of humor and their beautiful spirits. When I decided to start this column it was not to give myself a pat on the back by featuring other bloggers, hoping they would do the same for me. I made the decision based on a simple theory....inspiration inspires inspiration. The inspiration I have received from other bloggers has given me ideas, confidence and creativity that I never knew I had. It is my goal to inspire you by drawing on the inspiration other bloggers have given me.

The blogger I am featuring today is Janeane of Designing from My Closet. If you visit Janeane's blog site you will find a California girl who loves interior design, color and fashion. You can follow Janeane by clicking on the link I provided and subscribing to her blog, or find her on You Tube or Instagram. 

Back in May Janeane did a post titled How to Wear a Printed Handbag. Click on the link to read that original post. My first thoughts were, "What?" "How do you wear a handbag?" After reading the article I realized what Janeane was referring to was designing an outfit around a particular bag. In her case a beautiful floral tote bag. I came away thinking, "Hmmmm. That would be a cool thing to try. I do have a couple of colorful bags I could work with."

Not long after reading that post a girlfriend of mine was getting rid of a closet full of clothes, bags and shoes and invited myself and two other friends over to "shop" her closet. We had done that before and had such a fun time we jumped at the chance to do it again. 

This was one of my finds from my friend's closet. Right away I knew I had found the bag to style an outfit around. I asked my other two friends, "Does anyone want this bag?" We're polite that way! Ha, ha. Neither one did, so I brought it home.  I have used it many times this summer and found that styling an outfit around a bag is an easy way to pack for a short weekend or to style an outfit for a summer evening out. What follows are two of the ideas I came up with for styling this bag.

Black maxi skirt, black strappy wedge sandals, bright pink tank, blue 3 strand beaded necklace and a simple green and gold cuff bracelet.

Here you can see a little more of the detailing on the bag. It is a beautiful tote by Sarah Violet. There is an exact version on Poshmark right now for only $15.00, so click on their link if you are interested. I am not real familiar with the brand, but it seems sturdy and well made. The bag is roomy and has a few pockets for added organization.

Here is the other outfit, this time drawing on the red, blue-green and yellow on the bag.

Light blue crop pants, black strappy wedge sandals, red button up front tie blouse, yellow beads and bracelets.

Here are the outfits side by side.

Styling an outfit around a bag is fun. It gave me a starting point for choosing an outfit and actually made it much easier to decide what to wear. I am thankful for Janeane who inspired me with her idea and I hope that this post will inspire you as well. 

If you come up with a great outfit styled around a bag let me know in the comments section below or post a pic of it on my Facebook page.

Thanks for checking out Stylin' Granny Mama and have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.