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: Glacier Lake, Daffodil and Snow White

Welcome to the New York Palette of the Pantone Spring/Summer 2022 colors. Pantone has changed the way it allows usage of products, so images are no longer free. Now you have to have a subscription to use the color swatches via the internet, so I have had to get creative in putting together my graphics. I am also not using my daughter’s photography services now, as she is very busy with her business and her baby. I am definitely creating new pathways in my brain, but that is good.

If you want to see the actual Pantone colors click on the following link: Spring/Summer 2022 - New York Palette. I try to get my colors as close to the palette colors as possible, but they are not exact. I appreciate the Pantone Institute’s use of color and always enjoy seeing what the colors are for each season.

For today’s outfit, I thought the mix of yellow, blue and white perfect for spring and even for the upcoming Easter holidays. This color combo makes me think of the sunny flowers the color is named for, and the many blues of summer including skies, lakes and denim. White is always classic, not only for summer, but every season.

My Glacier Lake vest is a Christopher and Banks piece that I found at a thrift store. It has the utility look with the larger, square pockets, encased drawstring and metal buttons. I love using my utility vests in the spring and fall.

Style Tip: If you want an extra layer but don’t want all the bulk choose a light weight vest. A utility vest or a dressier suit vest will provide extra warmth, but won’t add the bulk of a quilted, or sherpa type piece.

My bright, yellow cable knit pullover is St. John’s Bay piece. I honestly can’t remember if I bought it at JCPenney or if I got it thrifting. Ha, ha. My white Gloria Vanderbilt jeans I have had for a number of years now. They are just the right weight and thickness for no-show issues, and can be dressed up or down.

My floral scarf is a piece I recently thrifted. I love scarves. I think they add so much to an outfit.

Style Tip: When styling an outfit with two or three solid colors, add a printed scarf for additional color and interest.

You’ve seen my Merona thrifted bag a few times now on the blog. I thought it was a good choice for this springy look. I also opted to wear my Steve Madden platform sneakers. When it comes to platforms, these are very low, which I like. I really don’t like all the extra bulk of a thicker platform or a really thick lug sole on boots.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear them together? Do you have these colors in your closet? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two. I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links, which means I get a small commission when you click on a link. All opinions are my own.

Have a great week everyone!

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Maxi Skirt and Pullover Sweater - Casual

To mix it up a little bit, I decided this week I would show you two outfits using a floral maxi skirt and a pullover sweater. I love maxi skirts, and I have a number in my closet, as you probably realize by now, because I am always styling them on the blog. When I was working, I would wear them every so often, but with being home, I don’t usually reach for a skirt. It is hard to clean and go up and down the stairs to do laundry if you are wearing a long skirt. However, I still like to show you options for styling a skirt, long or short. Today’s look revolves around two thrifted pieces.

For some reason I fell in love with this thrifted tiered maxi skirt the moment I saw it. Not only could I see the possibilities for spring and summer, but I thought it would be a wonderful piece for fall and winter. It is extremely sheer, and even though it has a lining, the lining is also sheer, so I do have to wear a slip under it. I imagined it with a dark sweater and ankle boots, so that is exactly what I did for this outfit. The floral pattern makes be think of greenery and berries for Christmas, but the gold speaks to the colors of fall, so why not wear it for Thanksgiving Day?

This thrifted olive sweater is the brand DIVIDED from H & M. It is simple, but soft and warm and I like that it is a little shorter than most of my other sweaters. Once in a while, you just need a different silhouette.

I also added this beautiful scarf with a watercolor type print. I used this scarf for my Color Play post on Seeing Red, last spring. You can see that post here. I thought the scarf went quite well with the floral pattern in the skirt as both of them have a similar color scheme. This is one way to print mix without getting too worried about whether the prints will clash. The prints are far enough from each other, but compliment each other with their similar hues.

Once again, I reached for my thrifted, leather, Fossil crossbody bag. It just goes with so many things and has held up so well. I just need to find a smaller wallet to use in it. Maybe I should add that to my Christmas list. Ha, ha.

My faithful, olive, SO ankle boots are making another appearance. I have no regrets for purchasing several pairs of these in various colors. They are on repeat in my wardrobe all fall and winter long.

The beauty of this outfit is in its simplicity and comfort. There are no zippers or buttons. The elastic waist on the skirt allows for plenty of Thanksgiving feasting comfort. The length of the skirt means you can go without hose or tights, but if you want an extra layer of warm you can add leggings or sweater tights to raise the cozy factor.

Is this an outfit you would wear on Thanksgiving Day? Have you ever created an outfit using the colors in a skirt? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or two.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. I know this week is one of the biggest shopping weeks of the year and with the pandemic situation many of us will be doing most of our shopping on line, so make sure you shop early to ensure your gifts get where they need to go on time.

Have a great week everyone!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Sweatshirt and Skinny jeans - Dressy

Taking a sweatshirt and skinny jeans from casual to glam is no easy task. Accessories have a lot to do with making an outfit feel and look more dressed up. Adding a little bling, a shoe with a heel and a more fitted silhouette are just a few things to think about when taking an outfit from casual to dressed up style. For this outfit, I searched my closet for a blazer, sweater or jacket that would give the sweatshirt a more dressed up feel. The jeans themselves have bling, so can stand alone as a dressier piece.

As I mentioned in Tuesday’s post, the sweatshirt was a hand me over from my daughter and it was originally from a local retailer Eden Fashion Boutique. My skinny jeans are from Kohl’s clearance rack and are Juicy Couture.

I found this fun tweed jacket last year while thrifting. I really like this piece. The multicolored plaid print and the textured fringe around all the hems is totally my vibe. This pretty jacket is a brand called Focus 2000. The brand is no longer being manufactured but you can find it on Poshmark and thredUp. Here is the exact jacket in a 12P from Poshmark. I am wearing a regular 12.

I know not everyone likes tweed. For many years it was associated with old women. I am an older woman, but I think we just need to get over the whole, “Older women shouldn’t wear that,” or “Younger women shouldn’t wear that.” What really matters is finding your own style. I happen to like tweed and I have seen numerous “youngsters” wearing it on Pinterest. Check out this, this and this. I think tweed would look pretty with a flowy maxi skirt, a pencil skirt or even over a dress. Never say never when it comes to trying something different.

I decided to pull the little bits of green out of the jacket by wearing this layered pendant necklace. I honestly do not remember where I got this. Ha, ha. A layered necklace like this is nice, when you are not sure what jewelry to wear, but you want it to make a statement.

Since I was thinking of green I grabbed my light green tote bag from Charming Charlie. You’ve seen this before on the blog. I styled it with a maxi skirt, and a utility jacket.

The last thing I added was this new pair of Nine West western suede ankle boots. Adding a little bit of a heel and a pointier toe, elevates the look. These were a Kohl’s online purchase. I have definitely been doing more of that during this pandemic. I have been doing more of my Christmas shopping that way and have just recently placed a few orders. The thing we need to remember about online ordering is the time factor, so make sure you are ordering early. Early is also better for getting the items you are looking for.

What do you think of this look? Do you own a tweed jacket or skirt? If you do, how do you like to style them?

Here are both outfits side by side. Which one do you like better?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about which one you would be more likely to wear.

I am including a few shopping links for tweed jackets, tote bags and boots. Enjoy shopping. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Fall/Thanksgiving Outfits - Sweatshirt and Skinny Jeans - Casual

For the next few weeks I thought I would focus on outfits that could be worn for the Thanksgiving Holiday, or just as another fall outfit. Each week I will take one or two main pieces and show how to style them two different ways. This week my pieces are a pair of embellished skinny jeans, and a deep yellow sweatshirt that I grabbed from my daughter’s "to get rid of” pile.

For today’s look I wanted to go with a more casual vibe. The two pieces could be worn by themselves and be perfectly acceptable for a casual, low key Thanksgiving; just add a scarf or necklace and some sneakers or knee high boots and you are all set. I wanted to do something with a little more texture and print, so I decided to top the whole outfit with my plaid ruana that I got last year at Bass Pro Shop. It may sound a little funny, but I love their clothes. They have a little higher price point than I usually pay, but you can read the story of how my hubby surprised me with a mini shopping spree here.

It is always a journey taking my own pictures. Ha, ha. Here is the ruana from more of a back and side view.

This rich yellow sweatshirt is from a local boutique Eden Fashion Boutique. I did a blog post on their Sylvania location which you can see here. Unfortunately that shop closed up during the pandemic. The original shop is still in business in Bowling Green, OH which is about a 25 minute drive. My daughter decided she didn’t wear it enough for it to warrant taking up space in her closet. I absolutely love color. It also has snaps from about the elbow up on both sleeves, which gives it a fun look. I should have taken a picture of it without the ruana. Oh well! I’ll save that for another time.

You can see the blingy embellishment on my jeans. There are sparkles on both legs, the right is closer to the hip. These are Juicy Couture brand and I got them a year or so ago at Kohl’s on the clearance rack.

Since I wanted this to be casual, but it is also meant to be for an occasion like a Thanksgiving dinner, I added a little bit of jewelry and a bag to bring out the blue in the ruana. My long pendant necklace I use regularly. The beaded bracelet has a cute owl charm on it and the blue cross body bag was a gift a few Christmases ago from my younger daughter.

These rusty colored moto boots are a soft faux suede and have zippers on the inside of the leg. They are Steve Madden brand and I ordered them from DSW last year on clearance.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear this for a casual Thanksgiving day gathering? What might you have done differently? Leave me your thoughts in the comments. I always love to hear what you are thinking and how the blog is helping or hindering your fashion journey.

This last photo is very fuzzy, but I liked the way it turned out anyway. Ha, ha. I really need to play with my camera more, so I can take better pictures. I am also a perfectionist, as if you hadn’t noticed. Ha, ha.

I’m including a few shopping links. Remember, Christmas is coming, so you might like to look over these links as possible gift ideas for you or yourself. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Styling an Easter Outfit Around a Scarf - Casual Look

Hi everyone. These are definitely disturbing times we are living in. I am so thankful for my faith in Jesus, my family and friends, and all of you lovely subscribers who are on this journey with me. I am not alone and neither are you. I hope that you are staying safe and healthy. Everyday there is another article in the news about the virus and the long term ramifications on our health, the state of health care in our country, or the world. It can be very scary and really blow our anxiety levels right through the roof, so please follow along for a little break from the bleakness. Follow me into the world of spring color.

I am not starting my Pantone series yet, but I do hope to work on that a little over the weekend. Things look a lot different around here as I am sure they do in your household as well. My older daughter, who is my photographer is trying to stay safe at home and is not venturing out much, and I totally respect that. Therefore, we will not be getting together for pictures for a little while. My younger daughter works and since her son is off school I see both of them several days a week, so we have contact. If you have the option of staying home and not having contact with other people, even your family, please do so. It is really best for everyone. For those of you who are helping your families with child care or in other ways, just be sure to wash hands, sanitize and try not to have too much up in your face contact (hard to do with babies and toddlers.)

As my title says, I decided to give you two spring outfits this week that would be perfect for the upcoming Easter weekend. I know most of us won’t be having our normal family gatherings, but whoever you are with you can still dress up and maybe Face Time or Skype with your other family members. My older daughter said her husband’s family is going to do a progressive dinner of sorts, where they each make something, divvy it into portions for each household and then deliver it to the rest of the families involved. Then when they are all back safe in their own homes they can have video dinner time together. What a great idea! I am not sure what our family will do, but even if you are in your own home with just your spouse, or another significant family member you can still celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and the hope that this current darkness will pass.

Today’s outfit centers around the pretty print scarf I got as a gift. A fiesta of feathery friends, and flowers adorns the light pink background on this long, rectangular piece. There are plenty of colors to choose from including several shades of blue, green and yellow. For this outfit I opted to focus on the blue, green and pink.

This St. John’s Bay utility jacket was my first utility piece. I had never had a utility jacket up until I bought this one at JCPenney I have these longer sleeves rolled up once and they actually came with tabs, so you could roll them up farther and button them. You can see how I styled this same jacket with a striped tee and a pair of distressed crop pants here.

My light pink pants are Christopher and Banks which I got on sale at the end of last season. These are very comfy and have good amount of stretch making it easier to move around. I was not really thinking about my hair in these pictures, so this is what you get. Ha, ha.

Here is a closer look at the scarf and you can also see my SO thrifted polka dot denim shirt. I thought it went well with the medium blue in the scarf.

Once again I went for my thrifted olive American Eagle hobo bag. I didn’t realize how closely it matches with my jacket.

I added this simple beaded bracelet for a pop of orange. I got this last summer at a street fair when we were visiting family.

It must be spring, because the bright blue thrifted Keds are back in the rotation! Ha, ha.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this colorful outfit. On Thursday, I’ll use the same scarf to show you a more dressy outfit.

What are you going to wear for Easter Day? I’d love to hear your thoughts. I hope you are all staying safe out there. Hugs and prayers for you all.

I’ve included a few shopping links. I know it is easy to shop from home, maybe a little too easy, but it is where we are at, so enjoy looking at these. These are affiliate links, which means when you click on a link I get a few cents. When you make a purchase through a link, I get a little more. I appreciate all your clicks and your comments.

Outfit Inspiration - Santa Baby

There are two Christmas songs I would classify as sexy. The first inspired the outfit in today’s post, Santa Baby sung by Eartha Kitt. The second would be Elvis Presley’s Santa Claus is Back in Town. there is also a good version of that by Kurt Russell in his Christmas movie that came out last year called The Christmas Chronicles. That is a fun family movie, if you are looking for something different to watch.

Back to Santa Baby. This song was written by Joan Javits in 1953. It was meant to be a tongue in cheek look at the Christmas list of a a woman who wants expensive gifts from Santa such as furs, cars and a diamond ring. Eartha Kitt, a multi-talented actress, and singer recorded the song and it was a hit. She had a very distinct voice and that is part of why I love her version of the song. There have been several other artists who recorded the song since then, Madonna being one. Eartha rerecorded the song in 1963 with a more upbeat tempo. I personally, like the original version best. It is sassy and sexy and that is what I was trying to evoke with this outfit. See what you think.

When I thought about doing this song, I pushed the idea from my mind, because I am not a sexy person by nature. As many of you know, who have followed me since the beginning, I grew up with brothers and was a tomboy. I also grew up in a very conservative home, where affection was not regularly expressed and things like sexuality were not discussed. Unfortunately, that did affect how I related to my spouse once I was married. I feel rather silly trying to be sexy. I can pull it off once in a while with my hubby, but that stays in the bedroom. What I have for you is a much more subtle and modest attempt at sexy.

This pretty red kimono was a gift from my hubby in an attempt to make me more sexy, Ha, ha. It is a very pretty piece, so I thought why not use it for this outfit. The red is perfect for Christmas. The kimono is a brand called California Miss. I have no idea where my spouse bought it as that was a few years ago.

You can see the pretty floral detail on the sleeves of the kimono and how fun that it goes with the floral embroidery on my jeans. I just bought these jeans on clearance at Kohl’s. They are Simply Vera/Vera Wang brand. They fit well and have a good amount of stretch and the skinny legs will work great in boots.

My black velvet tee was a Christmas gift from my spouse last year. The tee is a brand called City Streets. One or both of my daughters usually go shopping at least once with him, to help him choose gifts. He had to do it all by himself when the girls were younger. How did he manage? Ha, ha. He usually does pretty well. My best ever gift was this computer from four years ago. I wouldn’t be blogging if he hadn’t gotten me this wonderful Apple. What is one of your favorite Christmas gifts?

I went for silver and black for my accessories. My silver bangles you can see in the above picture. I also added two silver necklaces. A long fringe pendant and a snowflake pendant.

My little black heart embellished clutch and my Ralph Lauren boots are both thrifted.

Here are a few other pictures that I was inspired to throw in because of the song.

A sable, the keys and a deed. Ha, ha

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you think this outfit worked for the song? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

It is hard to believe Christmas is in four days. Yikes! I have so much to do. My brother is coming into town tomorrow on his way to see my mom for a few days. I am glad he will be with her, since with this seasonal job I won’t be off contract until January 4h. I hope you are prepared for the upcoming holiday. I’ll have two more outfits, next week in this series, so keep a look out for those.

Have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Enjoy this version of Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt.

Outfit Inspiration - Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

One of my favorite Christmas tunes is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee. When I was in high school I hung out with a girl a grade ahead of me named Sherry. We had tons of fun together and had a very special friendship. Though our ways parted after high school, we still keep in touch through Facebook. Sherry and I were in my church’s youth group together and often found ourselves with other church friends at local restaurants. One particular pizza/sub shop had a juke box. Seeing as it was that time of year, Christmas songs had been added to the playlist. Sherry and I chose a few songs, and one of the ones she picked was Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree. The funny thing was, Sherry decided to be silly and kept going up, inserting more change and playing that same song over and over. We all had a giggle fest as we ate our food. Now, every time I hear that song, I think of my dear friend and all the fun we had together.

The song, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, was written by Johnny Marks and sung by Brenda Lee in 1958. The interesting thing about Brenda Lee was her age when she recorded the song. She was only thirteen. Her mature sounding voice lead her to a career in country music, but it is the blend of rockabilly and country style that makes this song a forever hit. To this day most radio stations from adult contemporary, to top 40, to country play Mark’s and Lee’s version of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree more than any other version.

Of course with the 50’s rock and roll feel of the song, I had to dress with a 50’s vibe. Rolled up jeans, a mismatched sweater set and a ponytail with a fun Christmas scarf brought in the 50’s details, most of which I got from watching shows like Happy Days. Ha, ha. Probably not exactly historically accurate, but you get the idea.

I hadn’t gotten my full sized Christmas tree up yet, but I wanted the pictures to look somewhat festive. When my daughters were both still living at home, we had gotten them each a tiny, Charlie Brown, type tree for their rooms. This one still resides at our house, so I thought it would add a touch of Christmas cheer to the pictures. Plus, how do you rock around the Christmas tree, if there isn’t one?

As you know, high waisted mom jeans are back in style. I had gotten rid of all of mine, not because they went out of stye, but because I gained weight and had to buy new jeans. Personally, I don’t really like the confines of high waisted jeans now that I have muffins to stuff into them. I prefer jeans that fall just below my belly button, but when I found this pair on clearance at Kohl’s, I thought I would add one pair of high waisted jeans back into rotation. These are Wild Fable brand. Target carries this brand and has a number of different washes, as well as various amounts of distressing.

You may think pink and red an odd color combo for Christmas, but it just makes me think of candy canes, Christmas cookies and wrapping paper. Both of these pieces were thrifted. The red cardigan is Merona brand and the pink pullover with rabbit fur embellishment is Emma James (a Liz Claiborne company). I am not a proponent of real fur, but if I have the choice of saving a clothing item from a land fill and part or all of its component are real fur, then I am a fan. Here is a pic without the cardi.

Since I wanted the outfit to be simple and fun I didn’t wear any jewelry. I don’t own a pair of saddle shoes, so the next best thing was a pair of Converse high tops. These are the only Converse I own. They typically do not fit my feet very well, but I found these on clearance at DSW. I popped on the white socks as a topper and it reminded me of how girls would wear their socks back in the 50’s.

Of course, in my opinion, no outfit is complete without a bag. What if you realize as you are rockin’ around the Christmas tree, baking cookies or decorating that you’ve run out of sugar or you’ve discovered another string of lights that won’t light (I swear, it happens every year)? You will need to run to the store. I chose this white, Jaclyn Smith satchel. This thrifted bag can be carried by the top handles and it also comes with a long strap to wear it as a cross body bag. This is also a thrift find.

My final addition was the scarf in my hair. Over the years I have collected a number of Christmas related pieces. I have a number of long sleeve tees, a couple sweaters and a few scarves. If you followed my Instagram feed last year, I featured most of those pieces in my “20 Days of Christmas series”. This cute snowman scarf is a narrow oblong scarf that works perfectly as a hair tie. I wore it to work yesterday around my neck, with a snowman pin.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like high waisted mom jeans? Is Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree a favorite song of yours? Do you think I did justice to the song with my outfit? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Here is Brenda Lee singing Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.

I’m including a few shopping links. I hope you are having a good month leading up to Christmas. I especially hope that you do not feel stressed out and that you are staying healthy. Take care of yourself. There is only one beautiful you. Have a great week.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - Oh Holy Night

When I thought about which songs to choose for this series, I wanted to include both festive secular songs and traditional Christmas carols, that carried the original message of Christmas. Yes, Christmas is a time for fun, frivolity and food, but it is also a time to reconnect with the original “why” that caused this yearly celebration. As a Christian I celebrate the date on December 25th as Jesus birthday. Was Jesus actually born on the 25th? Probably not. Over the course of time practices, both pagan and Christian blended together until in the early 20th century when Christmas became a secular celebration of gift giving and family gatherings. Whatever you believe about the origin of Christmas, in the Christian community it is a day on which to remember God’s gift to the world, the baby Jesus.

O Holy Night was composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem, “Minuit, chrétiens” (Midnight, Christians) written by Placide Cappeau. In 1855 minister John Sullivan Dwight translated the French version into English and it became the carol we know today. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article which shows each version of the song. I thought it was interesting.

Today’s outfit is my attempt at a holy night. The depth of a night sky and the twinkle of unending stars is part of what brought this outfit together.

I found this sparkly Wild Fable crop top at a thrift store and thought it would be fun to figure out how to style. I would have worn a long black tunic top under the crop top, but I didn’t have one, so I opted for a navy blue tunic button up from Christopher and Banks. The dark blue reminds me of the Midnight Blue color from my Crayola Crayon box when I was a kid. I always used that blue to color a night time sky.

I added the longer thrifted jacket over the top to keep the look a little more dressed up. This unique piece has panels on the bottom which are opaque and sheer every other. The sleeves are sheer and the bodice opaque. I styled this on the blog for another holiday outfit, which you can see here. In fact, the two outfits are similar in that they both show a more monochrome look and I used the same jacket, bag and pants.

I didn’t have a lot of time to work through the details on some of these outfits. My tunic blouse was a little tight around the bum. I probably should have tucked it in or tried a different approach, like a black turtleneck or long sleeved tee. Oh well, that just shows my authenticity. Nothing fake going on here. Ha, ha.

My black trousers are Daisy Fuentes brand from a while back at Kohl’s. They no longer carry her brand, but it looks like Walmart still does, and most of it seems to be more casual athleisure clothing.

I wanted to keep my accessories minimal and silver to go with the sparkles on my top, so my glittery clutch and a sparkly silver bracelet gave me some extra bling.

My black block heel Aerosoles are also thrifted and I have used those on the blog before as well.

Do you have a favorite Christmas song? How would you put together an outfit, using the inspiration you receive from that song? I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you get a chance leave me a comment or two in the comments box below. I like to hear what you are thinking.

Since it is the holiday season I am including a few shopping links for all thing sparkly. Enjoy shopping. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’m also including my favorite version of O Holy Night by Josh Groban. There is something pure and beautiful about his voice. and he doesn’t sing the song as though he is trying to take the attention for himself. I have heard plenty of versions of O Holy Night that sound less than holy. Enjoy!

Outfit Inspiration - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and welcome to my holiday series! This year my fashion posts leading up to Christmas will be inspired by a few of my favorite Christmas songs. I love Christmas music and I am guilty of starting to listen to it, the week before Thanksgiving. In my opinion, the season goes by so fast and I want to enjoy all the music, lights and trimmings for as long as I can. In addition to the outfit photos, I will also provide a few tidbits on the history of the song, as well as sharing a few of my own Christmas traditions. I also hope to connect my faith posts on Wednesday or Fridays (depending on which day I can get them done), to the songs that epitomize the original reason for the season. I hope you enjoy the series.

The first song I chose is It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. This song was written by Meredith Wilson in 1951. Mr. Wilson was an American flautist, composer, conductor, playwright and author. He is probably best known for the book, music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Music Man. This Christmas song is probably best remembered by us older folks as being performed by Perry Como, or Bing Crosby, but was also performed by Johnny Mathis. More recently Michael Buble did a version which has gained popularity over the last eight years when it first appeared on his album, Christmas.

As you can see, this first outfit and the setting are, indeed, beginning to look like Christmas. We were fortunate (?), to have snow for this first outfit. All the rest of them will be typical Northwest Ohio, browns and grays. Ha, ha.

This mid thigh length red sweater vest is a great piece for Christmas, or anytime the weather is cold and you need an extra layer over your core. This was a recent thrift store find and is a brand called one A. The vest has a full button front, roomy square pockets and a belt. For this outfit, I chose to leave it open and tied the belt at the back, so you could see my Joy sweater.

I’ve styled this cute, thrifted, Old Navy sweater on the blog in my Christmas series last year. In that post, I wore it with my burgundy pleated skirt. I’ve also styled it with a purple moto jacket. Just click on the links to see those posts.

Christmas is a season that brings me joy and that is part of the reason, I chose this song and this sweater. When I was a child, Christmas wasn’t about how much money we had, but about the traditions that went with the holiday season. My family celebrated Jesus birth. That was the central focus of the holiday. We would go to church, sing Christmas hymns and carols and enjoy good food with family. There were several things that brought me joy. The first was when my mother would begin to get out the Christmas decorations. We had a trio of red bells that lit up and we would hang those in our front door so you could see them from the street. I loved seeing those bells as they flashed, announcing to all the passersby that it was Christ’s birthday.

One of the other things that brought me joy was the Christmas tree. When I was really little, my dad would get the tree and he and my mom would decorate it after we went to bed on Christmas eve. My brothers and I would wake up to a magical tree complete with pretty wrapped packages from Santa under its scented pine boughs. As we got older we would go with my dad to pick out a tree and helped to decorate it after he put it in the tree stand. We have wonderfully amusing memories of crazy shaped trees.

These distressed cognac colored jeans were from Meijer a few years ago. They are a brand called Stitch Star. I’ve styled these on the blog before too. In that post they were a featured Pantone Fall 2017 color. I wore them in that post with a red sweater. I just love the combination of those two colors. This type of distressing is my favorite. No skin shows and they have added pretty embroidered embellishment.

For my accessories I added a Christmas scarf as a head band and tied it in a bow. I also grabbed my patchwork tote bag from Walmart and my SO cognac booties from Kohl’.s. The booties got a little bit snow covered. Ha, ha

Do you like Christmas music? What is your favorite song? What do you think of this outfit? Do you have Christmas traditions that you remember from your childhood? What sort of Christmas traditions do you have with your family? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

This last picture will hopefully bring you joy, as it is a photo of me being silly.

Since there is a few weeks until Christmas and because you might be stumped on what to get people on your list for Christmas, I am including a few shopping links and a few Black Friday deals. Be sure to check them out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving Day. I had to work, but we are going to have dinner this evening.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Here is a link to Michael Buble’s version of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. That is my favorite version of the song. I hope you like it as well.

Layering Love - Christmas Outfit Two Ways

Since Christmas is just a few days away I thought I would show an outfit with a Christmas sweater. The Ugly Christmas Sweater movement has given way to a whole Christmas trend. You can find Christmas sweaters that  are bright, colorful, stylish and absolutely gaudy. Ha, ha. This one I am wearing I got at Christopher and Banks a few years ago. 

I like the simplicity of it, yet with its bright red color, reindeer and snowflakes, it still says Christmas. I added a pair of creamy white corduroys to keep the outfit warm and cozy. 

I decided on silver or gray accessories. My small hobo bag is just right for a wallet, keys and a few things like lip gloss and tissues. I also decided to go simple with my pendant necklace and silver bracelet.

I thought my gray high top Converse would also be the perfect shoe to wear with this outfit. 

For a more dressed up look I added a gray vest with bling, Swapped out the jewelry for items with a bit more shine and changed the bag to a patent leather red clutch. I also exchanged the Converse for my gray heels. 

Here are the looks side by side.

One outfit, two ways, just by making a few small changes. It's that easy. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. We will be doing some traveling, so I will be out of my regular posting schedule, but I will try to post a few things about our trip. 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by the blog. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Holiday Outfit - Casual - Skirt

In this series on holiday outfits I wanted to give you options that you can use for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Although, by the time this series is done, Thanksgiving will be over. I can't believe it is on Thursday. I just took out my turkey this morning to start thawing. How many of you are cooking on Thursday? I really don't mind the work. When I have a special occasion I like to cook. When life is busy my spouse and I will eat out a couple times a week, so when I get the chance to cook, I do enjoy it. The clean up, not so much! Ha, ha

For this week's post I took a leopard print skirt and designed a casual and comfortable outfit that still looks chic and festive. 

Like I did last week, I'll organize this in a way that will help you build a holiday outfit from pieces that you already own. 

1. Pick a casual skirt that you like to wear. I doesn't have to have a print, but prints are fun. In keeping with the time of year, maybe choose a piece that has darker colors or more fall-like tones. Length is up to you. Mini's, maxi's or something in between all work as the foundation for a festive holiday outfit. 

The thing that makes this Jones, NY leopard print, pencil skirt more casual is its texture. It is made of narrow wale corduroy. Corduroy is very close to a ridged velvet. The fabric has the same soft feel, so it is comfortable and movable. Another thing that makes this skirt more casual is the belt loops and front zipper. I have another leopard print skirt that I styled on the blog here, but I feel it is more dressy. It is a smooth chino type fabric with a structured waist that buttons on the side. i'll admit they look pretty similar and I will probably get rid of one of them at some point, but for now, I am guilty of owning two leopard print skirts. Ha, ha. 

Another great casual skirt that you could easily dress up for the holidays is a denim one. Denim is the perfect back drop for all sorts of pretty combinations that stay casual, but still say holidays.

2. Pick a festive companion piece. For my outfit I chose two companion pieces, an open weave pullover sweater with gold threads, and a denim vest with silver bling on the yoke. This sweater is Covington and the vest is Christopher & Banks. 

The bling gives the outfit a holiday feel without being a top that has the actual holiday on it. If you don't have a top with bling choose a vest or sweater in the season's color. A rich burgundy or maroon will work great for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Even a deep purple or rusty orange will give an outfit a holiday vibe. 

3. Pick your jewelry. If you have a more blingy top you might want to forgo the jewelry, lest you feel like a Christmas decoration, but if you think the more the better, then welcome to my world. The goal is overstatement versus understatement

I chose a brassy necklace that had a few beads that matched the Butterum color in the skirt. The brassy chain also goes with the brass buckle on my belt. Sometimes mixing metals can clash, but I think in this outfit it works because no one metal takes center stage. They all compliment and work together with other colors in the outfit.

If your outfit pieces have no bling, then you can layer on the jewelry. Try multiple layers of gold or silver necklaces, or mix them up. Gold and silver can look gorgeous on a backdrop of burgundy, dark purple or deep navy. Think about what you own and try different pieces until you find something that makes you say, "I really like how that looks." Chances are, other people will think so too.

4. Add a bag. To pull together the browns in the skirt and the necklace I reached for my Butterum hobo bag. It is roomy enough to fill with additional items for a trip to see the family for dinner or even to tuck a light weight shawl for someone else's cooler home. 

5. Don't forget your shoes. Once again I reached for my Impo gray suede ankle boots. You can see I also went for a dark brown pair of tights, for full coverage of my legs. 

I chose these as they are dressy, but not too dressy. They are warm and I thought the gray color went well with the gray sweater. You could also wear knee hight boots, over the knee boots or even a pair of Keds or Converse sneakers for an even more casual look. The classier your shoes are the more dressed up the outfit will look. Heels, to me always make a dressy statement. You'll see more of that in the next four posts as we get into dressier looks. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing this outfit in my holiday series and I hope it provided some inspiration for you to create a holiday look from your own closet. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Here are a few cute skirts and boots to shop for. This post contains affiliate links. All opinion are my own.