Shopping Our Closets: Linen

Today’s outfit revolves around a few pieces I found in my closet that are over 50% linen. Linen is a go to for summer outfits due to it’s ability to keep the wearer cool and comfortable. I see many bloggers and Instagram gals wearing linen on the regular all throughout the summer. Many retailers carry these light weight pieces starting in the spring. You can see numerous pretty tops, pants, and skirts at Chico’s, JC Penney, Coldwater Creek, Old Navy and more.

Linen as a fabric is made from the inner stem fibers of the flax plant. In its pure form it is breathable, durable, dries easily, and is perfect for hot climates. The only bad side of pure linen is that it is rather stiff and wrinkles quite easily.

My two pieces featured today are a linen blend. My pants are linen and rayon, and my vest is linen and cotton. The pants are not as cool as a linen cotton blend, but they are flowy and that allows for better air circulation. As you can see, they still get a little wrinkly, and that is part of what makes me less enamored with linen than others might be.

These pants were a Christopher & Banks purchase from a few years ago. I liked that the stripes were vertical, keeping the eye moving down rather than fixating on my wider hips. These had front patch pockets, and a wider elastic waist. They are very comfy and so easy to pull on and off.

My vest is the other linen blend piece. This is a thrifted Maurice’s piece. I love vests and I have a small stash of lighter weight ones that I like to pull out for layering and texture when it is warm. The eyelet on this piece is really what drew me to it. I love clothing with texture and eyelet is one that we see a lot of in the warmer months.

I ended up using a simple, thrifted tank top underneath. While I could have chosen any color, I decided to go with white, to keep the top part of my body more monochrome, helping the blue stripes in the pants to stand out.

I also went for neutral accessories in my pendant necklace, my bracelet, and my lace up sandals. I like the way the neutral looks with this color combo giving the whole outfit a very summery feel.

I could have chosen a neutral colored handbag, but went for a lighter blue to add a bit more understated color to the look.

What do you think of this outfit? Do have linen pieces in your closet? Do you like linen and wear it often in the summer? I love to have your feedback so feel free to leave a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. I decided to show you an array of linen/linen blend pieces. Even if you only have one or two in your closet, they do come in handy for these warm days of summer. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day!

Begin Again, and a Look at What I Have Been Wearing

Hi everyone. What was originally going to be a one month hiatus has turned into nearly two, thanks to my new normal. I am trying to come to terms with the idea I have a chronic illness; a muddled mess of chronic sinusitis and asthma, each one individually trying to be managed, and at the same time exacerbating the other when one goes awry. In my vast experience (ha, ha) of 3 years I am seeing a pattern of sinus infection almost always leading to worsening of asthmatic symptoms. There seems to be a definite connection, though you will hear little of it from the medical community. Indeed, I am learning it is imperative we do our own research and keep looking for answers while trying to maneuver an overburdened medical landscape.

That is part of the reason for my disappearance from regular posting on my little blog. My hubby and I were able to take our meandering vacation in May without any issues, other than the car having a few hiccups. I am so thankful, because it was after that I got sick, and that would have ruined a really relaxing trip.

Here I am doing what my counselor so often tells me to do and that is, begin again. I will be starting out slow, but I do want to get a little bit of content out there before the summer is over. Today I am going to share a few of my daily outfits that I was able to post to instagram.

Outfit 1 - Long Denim Skirt and Graphic Tee

I wore this while we were visiting my mother-in-law, before we left for our Meanderings. It was the perfect combination of comfy and cute. I have this skirt in my rotation to be worn again, so I am thinking it deserves its own spot in a blog post.

Outfit 2 - Olive Pants and Peach Top with Lace Cut Out Yoke

I love this thrifted top. It has a cotton liner in the bodice area, and since the entire thing is cotton it is very comfortable for our warmer temps. I thought the combination of pastel peach with olive and blue chambray a fitting outfit for late spring and early summer.

Outfit 3 - Subtle Camo Cropped Pants, Floral Tiered Tunic and Open Weave Shrug

This is one of my favorite outfits I put together since we got back from our trip. Everything but the Sperry sneakers was thrifted. The outfit came together as a result of a print mixing challenge in Instagram, and I always love a good print mix. It was one of those cooler, late spring days, and these pieces kept me completely comfortable.

Outfit 4 - Rewear of Camo Cropped Pants with Floral Peasant Top and Blingy Vest

I always rewear my pants over the course of a couple of weeks between laundry sessions. Rewearing helps keep our clothes from getting worn out due to over washing and saves water and detergent. Do you rewear your clothes before washing? Isn’t the floral mix of print and embroidery beautiful on the sleeves of this piece? The Christopher and Banks vest makes regular appearances on the blog and Instagram.

Outfit 5 - Purple and Blue Striped Maxi Skirt and Graphic Tee

It is a struggle for me to wear things outside my comfort zone. This comfort zone revolves more around what is going on in my life than things not being comfortable due to size, fit, or type of piece. I love skirts and dresses, but my life rarely is conducive to wearing them. In order to not be too stuck in a rut, I am trying to reach for a maxi skirt on occasion and style it for my writing grandma lifestyle. Ha, ha.

This outfit is so me. I love the purple hues in the skirt and the tee is right up my alley. The tee was thrifted, and the skirt was another past Christopher and Banks purchase. I haven’t bought from them since they closed down their brick and mortar stores, but I sure did like them when I was able to shop in person. Since they went to an online only presence I have been less than underwhelmed. Sad!

Outfit 6 - Embroidered Chambray Shirt, Graphic Tee and Dark Wash Jeans

I have had this light wash chambray shirt for years and I absolutely love it. If it has embroidery on it I am sold! I used it more as a shacket, but occasionally wear it as a button down. I don’t like to layer it under other things because I want the embroidery to be a focal point. The floral graphic tee was a Maurice’s find several years ago. The dark wash, ankle jeans are a pair of Lee’s petites that I found at Kohl’s on clearance a while back. I don’t normally buy petites but when looking for an ankle pant they often work.

Outfit 7 - Pineapple Bling Tee and Jeans

A fun, easy outfit. What more can we ask for during the busy, hot, days of summer?

Outfit 8 - Floral Kimono, Oversized Tee and Reworn Jeans

I had an eye doctor appointment the morning before I took these pictures, and my eyes were dilated. That’s always fun. When I stepped back outside after I got home to take these pics, I was pretty squint eyed. Ha. ha.

Style Tip - There are so many ways to take an ordinary jeans and tee outfit up a few notches with accessories including layered necklaces and kimonos. Just because you have a routine of wearing the same type or style doesn’t mean it has to get boring. Jazz up the routine with colors, patterns, layers and bling, even if it just for a grocery store run or a doctor’s appointment. It is amazing how much better it makes me feel to put in the effort. Even when I am struggling with my physical heath.

Outfit 9 - Jeans with Bling and an Oversized Tee

I could not resist this recently thrifted tee. It is not cotton, so definitely not one I will wear when it is super hot, but it is so me. I love murder mystery shows, all the comfy clothes, and feel most comfortable with just a small number of people; although I can handle more like 8 or 10. Ha, ha.

Finding pieces that perfectly fit both your body and your personality is really what makes fashion fun. Graphic tees are great ways to show off the bands, movies, books, and philosophies you like. In the same way accessories can further show off your amazing sparkle. Don’t be afraid to play dress up every day, even the days you don’t feel good.

I hope you enjoyed this look at a few of my more recent outfits and I hope to be back at regular posting soon. Have a great week!

Color Play - Building an Outfit Around Jewelry

Since my Color Play column can encompass all aspects of color, I thought it would be fun to show you how I build an outfit around a colorful piece of jewelry. Let’s face it, not all of us are into fine jewelry. Yes, I do have a few silver and gold items that my spouse gave me over the years, but those are mainly rings and a few chain necklaces. Most of my jewelry is costume jewelry that I have either found on clearance at regular retail stores like Kohl’s, JC Penney, or Maurice’s, or it is from a thrift store. The piece I will be using today was actually gifted to me by a friend.

I love all the colors in this piece, but it does make it more difficult to combine with printed pieces, of which I have many. However, that makes it more challenging, which I love. Today, I decided to go for more of a color block style, and used solid colors for each of the pieces in my outfit. Take a look.

I am grooving on my wide leg cropped pants right now, so if they are not your cup of tea, then just swap them out for your own version of pants. You could also just as easily choose a skirt. Remember my job is to inspire you to look at your own clothes in a new and innovative way, to make them work for you and your style preferences.

Today’s style tips are going to cater to styling an outfit around a piece of jewelry.

Style Tip 1 - Choose a piece of jewelry that makes a statement, then figure out how to monopolize on that statement effect.

As you can see in the first picture my necklace contains so many colors: orange, dark blue, turquoise, or aqua, purple, olive, light green, orange and a light yellowy orange. If I wore this piece with a printed top it might easily get lost, but pairing it with this navy popover blouse was the perfect way to make the colors of the necklace pop. You could have used any of the colors in the necklace, but I love the way it looks against the navy.

I have two of these Knox Rose tops. The other is a pale purple color. I love the lace, the longer length short sleeves and the flowy silhouette. The trim on the bottom is pretty as well. I honestly can’t remember if I found these on the clearance rack at Target, or at a Goodwill store where I often find like new Knox Rose items.

Style Tip 2 - Choose pieces that go with the colors in the jewelry or at least compliment it.

The navy top almost matched exactly the navy beads on the necklace. However, I chose to wear a pair of pants that was less matchy and more complimentary. The light green borders on olive, but not exactly. It’s almost a very pale chartreuse. I know in the picture they look more gray or beige than green, but believe me they have a green cast to them.

These raw hem jeans are Sonoma brand and they were a clearance find at Kohl’s a summer season ago.

After choosing my main two pieces I decided on shoes and a bag. I also added a few other bright beaded bracelets for fun. My SO ankle boots have been around for a while. I thought it appropriate to start throwing in a few fall like pieces since we all know it is coming at some point. My thrifted orange suede bag is not one I use very often, but I simply love the bright color, and it works so well as an accent piece.

Style Tip 3 - Pull in one or two other colors from you chosen piece of jewelry (if it has more than two colors) by adding them in as accessories: shoes or boots, bags, scarves or a sweater or jacket.

I thought about adding a sweater to this, but I wanted to still look summery, and it was nearing 90F when I took these pictures. I was already beginning to sweat. Ha, ha.

What do you think of this outfit? Have you ever styled an outfit around a piece of jewelry? If so, what was it? I’d love to hear your thoughts. You feedback is always welcome, good or bad.

I’m including a few shopping links for fun necklaces. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Have a great day!

Color Play - Peach and Sea Foam Green

My grandson was here for the weekend, so I asked him to give me an unusual color combination. First he came up with orange and purple, which is definitely on my list of colors to pair in the future. He also mentioned red and green, but when I said Christmas, he decided not that. Finally, he said, “Peach and Sea Foam Green.”

We proceeded to have a mini discussion about what peach and sea foam green or blue actually look like. I finally had to Google both colors to see what the internet said. Sea Foam green is pretty straight forward. It is akin to minty green, but with a touch more blue in it. Peach, however, is another story. There are so many versions of peach: yellow-pink, pink-orange, yellow-orange…the list goes on. When you open up the peach fruit, the center is a yellowy orange, but the skin can have shades of pink in it.

When I started looking for these colors in my closet I was leaning towards the pinky orange, but everything I have leans more towards coral than peach. I finally settled on this floral tee blouse. I call it a tee blouse because it looks and feels like a tee, but the sleeves and front have a sheer material, giving it a lovely dressy vibe. The sea foam green jeans were just right for this post.

Style Tip: Think outside the box when it comes to color. You don’t have to wear the same colors all the time, because that’s what the color gurus say you look best in. Try adding color in small amounts with a bag or shoes, or other accessories. I know I have said this before, but color is just too fun to not wear it.

This pretty floral piece is Alfred Dunner brand and was either a thrift find or a clearance find at Kohl’s. It has been a few years, so I can’t remember. Ha, ha. I like the water color feel of the flowers. Since peach is yellow, but also pink, I thought this blend of colors a good compromise. You might not think it looks very peachy, but the point is not about perfect matches, but color inspiration.

Style Tip: Let color be a guide rather than a prison. Maybe you don’t have anything peach, or orange or yellow. Maybe your clothes revolve around neutrals. Why not use beige or tan with your sea foam green instead?

These bright green jeans are a brand called NYJD. I found these thrifting, but they do have a website and it looks like a decent brand. I love the fit and feel of these jeans. They are a bit stretchy, but not so much so they get slouchy. Check out their website, NYJD. I am not receiving anything in exchange for telling you about this retailer, it just looks like a decent place to get jeans that fit well.

I decided to add a pinky-peach cross body bag to tie in the pink colors in the top. I also added my pale yellow Universal Thread sneakers, clearance from Target. Isn’t the embellishment on this bag so much fun? It looks like embroidery.

When you really pay attention you can see that this top isn’t really peach. You can also see that the green in the top, which is almost a citron green is nothing like the sea foam green of my pants, but I think the outfit works. Again, think in terms of inspiration rather than firm rules.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think these colors work together? What is the brightest pair of pants you have in your closet? Do you have anything in the sea foam color? I love hearing your thoughts so leave a comment or two.

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Outfit Inspiration - Independence Day Color

We just celebrated the 4th of July which is a summer holiday filled with fireworks, picnics, and cookouts. For my husband and I it was a day to get things done around our home that we have let go way to long. On Sunday we started cleaning our bedroom. I kid you not when I say, it took us three days, and he still has a bit of tidying up to do on his bookshelf and dresser, but we conquered the dust bunnies!

In addition to cleaning our bedroom, we decided to clean out our chest freezer. We have had our freezer for many years. My husband being a hunter, we bought it expecting that part of its use would be for game. Unfortunately, what seems to happen is that things get lost in there. In fact, the freezer becomes like an ancient tomb, but the finds at the bottom of the burial mound are not very pretty, let alone edible. We threw away a lot of food. It is unfortunate, but it is real life and we are going to try to do better from now on to use what we have, and rotate our stock.

For today’s ultra casual look, I will confess I didn’t even get dressed until late afternoon. I tried on a maxi skirt, but that made me feel too hot. Usually, they are pretty cool, but on a 90 plus day the less material the better. Ha, ha.

This is my regular, summer outfit formula. Rolled up jeans, or cropped pants, a top, sneakers, some sort of jewelry and a topper for air conditioning. My husband and I were heading out for dinner and ice cream. Ice cream was our treat for working so hard the last few days, that and the reward of a clean room and defrosted freezer.

My bright red sleeveless top is perfect for these occasions when red is the color of choice. It is a bright, tomato red and is a brand called Popsugar which I found on clearance a Kohl’s a few years ago. I love the smocking detail on the bodice and the ruffles. It is also flowy, so no worries about the bulges showing. Ha!

These thrifted cropped jeans are Mossimo. They have been seeing quite a bit of wear this summer. I am always on the lookout for jeans when I thrift. I have found some of my most favorite and most worn pairs second hand. Jeans see a long life of wear, if made properly, so getting them at thrift store is a way to find off brands that fit, save money and keep clothes out of the land fills.

My creamy white sweater is another thrift find from a few years ago. I was enamored with the beaded embellishment near the neckline. It also has 3/4 length sleeves, which I don’t wear often, but for summer air conditioning they are the perfect length. It is Christopher and Banks brand.

I went with white for my jewelry. That way, if I did’t have the sweater on, I still wore red, white and blue. The cute daisy pendant necklace was a Christmas gift a few years ago from my spouse. The bracelets were clearance finds.

The Comfortiva red shoes you saw last week, and the blue bag, I added after I finished taking pictures, so I had my hubby snap a couple with the bag. Ha, Ha.

What did you wear for your July 4th? Did you get dressed up, or did you keep it casual? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Just leave me some love in the comments.

Don’t forget you can support my blog and the content I bring you by Buying Me a Coffee. Just click on the link below.

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Color Play - Finding Inspiration in Wall Art

We don’t just have to go to Pinterest to find inspiration for our outfits, although that is a great source for all sorts of color combinations. All you need to do is type in your color combo and outfits of all sorts will pop up. For example if I type in, “Neon green with brown outfit,” or “Outfits with neon green and brown,” you’ll get a variety. If you want to only search casual outfits, add the word casual to your search.

I am one who likes variety when it comes to where I am getting my color inspiration, so it is a good thing the sources are unlimited. Besides nature, one of my favorite places for inspiration is wall art. From water colors to oils, to photographs to tiles in kitchen back splashes or bathroom trim, I love to create outfits using those colors.

Today’s outfit revolves around two pieces of wall art that were hanging at the house we staying at on our trip to Kentucky. I loved the colors in each. (I had to take the pictures at an angle to cut the glare on the glass that was over the prints.)

As I started looking through my closet I was struck by how many different outfits could be derived from these prints. I may have to revisit these at a future date. Today’s casual outfit pulled out the bold red, dark and medium blue, and the creamy light brown.

Everything in this outfit is second hand, except for the tee shirt. My white v-neck tee is Time and Tru brand from Walmart from a year or two ago. These make great basic tees and are totally affordable. If you click on the Walmart link you’ll see they have two packs of these types of tees in various colors.

I pulled out a pair of straight leg jeans as it was going to be a little cool and rainy on the day I took these pictures. These are Old Navy brand and are called The Sweetheart. As I usually do, I rolled these. Having my ankles showing makes me stay cooler and it just seems more appropriate for the summer weather.

My print jacket is a Christopher and Banks piece. It seems to be a blend of leopard, and floral. I thought the lighter colors would be good for the warmer weather. It is also lighter weight than a denim or utility jacket. Once again, the beauty of thrift shopping is that you can find all your favorite brands at reduced prices and keep them out of the landfill.

Since the jeans incorporated the darker blue of the picture, I added the brighter blue crossbody bag to pull in the pretty blue of the vase in the second print. This is Tignanello brand.

Now let’s talk about the color red. Red provides such a wonderful pop of color in any outfit that is somewhat understated. I think the red flower necklace and the red shoes make this outfit more fun and interesting. I just found these awesome red shoes at my favorite dollar thrift store. They are like brand new and are a brand called Comfortiva.

If you want shoes that are super comfortable, and affordable, check out their website. They have some cute sandals like the Erena, the Parrea, and the Ganata. I’m not getting any compensation to recommend this retailer, I just know my dollar thrifted shoes are super comfy and cute.

So what do you think? Did my outfit look a little like the prints I took inspiration from?

As I said before, I might have to revisit these color inspiring prints for another outfit. Do you ever get your outfit inspiration from paintings, wall tiles or nature? I would love to hear your sources for outfit inspiration, so leave me a comment or two below.

I hope you are having a great week.

Oh, Olive! Utility Jacket - Casual

I am back from visiting my mom and ready to get back to posting here on the blog. I wasn’t feeling well, the first couple of days after I got home, but I think most of it was fatigue and allergies. They seem to be beating on everyone this year. While I was at my mom’s I didn’t have internet, but I was able to get some photos taken and was pretty pleased with the result. I hope you will be as well.

I am continuing my look at a few of my different olive pieces and how they can be used with just about any outfit and any color. I do like to think outside the box, at least my box, so I hope you will find some of these outfits inspirational for your own wardrobes. The week before last I showed you a casual and a workwear look using an olive pair of pants. Today and Thursday, I want to take a look at ways to style an olive utility jacket. You can see how I styled this same jacket on the blog before with a striped tee and distressed jeans, another striped tee, and a polka dot chambray top.

Another thing, I decided to add to this little series, is to give you a few peaks at what is trending for fall. I’ll point it out as we go along. Let’s take a look at the olive utility jacket.

I have had this olive utility piece for a number of years now. St. John’s Bay brand, I got it at JCPenney. Since then I have accumulated a few other utility jackets in other colors. I like that they are so versatile. In fact, I may have to do a post on that at a future date. Most of my pieces, including this one are lighter weight, so a great topper for spring, summer and fall. While they do tend towards more casual, I will show you on Thursday how to make one look appropriate for work.

What makes a piece utility? I think it has to do with the pockets and the details like drawstrings, snaps and metal zippers. Next week I will be showing you an olive utility vest.

Fall Trend Alert - Denim on Denim

Once again, it seems denim with denim is trending for fall. While I wouldn’t wear this regularly, it does have a casual appeal. Monochrome is always a good way to get a longer, sleeker line. Most of what I saw on the runway were pieces of the same wash. See this post on Fall 2021 trends from Marie Claire. However, there is a sense of personal creativity in putting together pieces with different washes, as I did in this outfit.

My chambray top is a thrift find from earlier in the summer. It is a brand called Cremieux. Apparently, Daniel Cremieux started a men’s clothing line in Saint Tropez, on the French Riviera in the mid 70’s. It looks like he designed women’s clothing for a time as well. Both lines were sold at Dillards, but the women’s line is no longer available in the US. The fun things you find when you thrift.

You’ve seen my thrifted, distressed Simply Vera, Vera Wang jeans plenty of times on the blog. They are getting rattier looking as time goes along, but I guess that is the point. Ha, ha. If the holes get to big for my comfort zone, I may make a few patches, which actually could be fun.

I decided to add this floral mini print scarf just for a little extra color. I don’t use my scarves much in the heat of the summer. I sweat just sitting still on these humid days. Last night, I was working on this post and I was dripping with sweat. Of course we hadn’t turned our air conditioners on. Sometimes, we have to choose between a little bit of inconvenience and being able to pay the electric bill. My husband always runs colder, so he’s not as hot unless he is doing yard work or something. Today is supposed to be even warmer. I think the air will be on later, so this woman doesn’t get too cranky. Ha, ha.

If you follow my Instagram account, you may have seen that I rearranged my scarves. Just like with all of my clothes, I have way more than I need, but I am trying to make everything more accessible and visible, so it is easier to sort through and find. Do you have a special way of arranging your scarves?

My blue Converse are making another appearance. While I still think this brand of sneaker makes me look even more like I have ski feet, I am trying to embrace those long skinny things on the ends of my legs.

The last accessory I have is my white cross body bag. This was another thrift find. I like that it is a little bit larger than many cross body bags, so I can actually fit everything in it, without having to squeeze it in. I am not sure what the brand is, but it was still very clean and unworn, so I snatched it up.

Do you own an olive utility jacket? How do you like to wear it? I love hearing from you, so be sure to leave me some love in the comments. I hope your summer is going swimmingly well!

I’m including a few shopping links for denim pieces and utility jackets. I hope you’ll look those over. Every time you click on a link, I get a few cents and I appreciate it. All opinions are my own.

Have a great Tuesday!

Kickin' It with Kimonos - Multi-colored Floral

As you have figured out by now, I have a number of kimonos. The one thing they seem to have in common is they all have prints. Kimonos really are more of an accessory to an outfit, as opposed to a cardigan or blazer, which serve, not only to pull an outfit together, but as a layer of warmth in the cooler weather. Most kimonos and ruanas are very light weight and are meant to be used much as you would use a statement necklace or scarf. They are meant to make your outfit more fun and noticeable.

This next kimono I am going to show you is a LuLaRoe piece and once again adds an element of flirty and feminine to an otherwise casual, tomboyish outfit.

I got this thrifted Nike tee on a recent thrift run. I usually don’t buy brand tees like this. I have no affinity for sports wear branding. I am sure if I were more into sports, then I might feel differently. However, I have always thought that Nike’s slogan, “Just do it,” was something we all could identify with. I mean which one of us hasn’t wished we could do better, be better, eat better, exercise more and so on. Typically I don’t like to go around with this type of slogan across my chest. Not because I am worried about people looking at my chest. I highly doubt a tee shirt like this is going to invoke a drool worthy response from a man. Ha, ha. My feeling is more along the lines that I don’t want to advertise something I have to live up to. Seriously! Yes, I want to be a writer: just do it! Yes, I want to eat better: just do it! Yes, I want to exercise more: just do it. I feel as though I am a walking billboard for a chorus of condemnation. Do any of y’all get what I am saying?

That being said, maybe I need to have these types of messages make an appearance more regularly, not only in my wardrobe, but in the things I read, watch and listen too. Maybe, if I added a bit more of this spice of encouragement to my life, I would be more likely to succeed at those aforementioned desires. What are your thoughts? How do you encourage yourself to do the things that are difficult? Especially when life is so busy and chaotic?

Let me also add in here I know my tee is extremely wrinkled. Ha, ha. I should have gotten it out further ahead of time and let it hang in the bathroom. My daughter keeps telling me I need to get a steamer. Maybe I’ll suggest that on my Christmas list.

This is our first grand puppy, Beatrice. We call her Bea, Sweet Bea, Sweetie Bea and an odd assortment of other endearing terms. She is a mastiff mix. My daughter actually sent in a sample for DNA testing to Embark, to see what breeds Beatrice has in her lineage. The main breed was Cane Corso, which is an Italian breed of mastiff, but she also has Dog de Bordeaux, which is a French breed of mastiff, Neapolitan, which is another Italian mastiff and Bull Mastiff, along with a few other odds and ends. We were trying to get her to turn around, but she wasn’t having anything to do with it.

My yellow, Talbots, crop pants are a thrift find. I have styled these on the blog before. You can see it with a white tee and light gray blazer, and with a pink button up and open weave vest,

This little yellow cross body bag is starting to show some wear, especially since it was second hand when I got it. Paying a little extra for real leather trim or a real leather bag is definitely worth it as they will last longer. I think this one is going to go in the donation box. I do like the color, but I am not lacking purses, so I’ll find a suitable substitute.

Even my cute beaded, fringe bracelet is showing some wear. I will either trim the tassel or just remove it entirely.

Here again are my Naya black suede oxfords. I really like these shoes and they are great for fall and winter.

You’ve got to have a few fun photos. In the second shot my daughter was trying to get me to show the asymmetrical line of the kimono, but my mind went towards Dracula’s cape. Ha, ha. Always the ham, I am!

What do you think of this outfit? Is this a little too outside the box? Do you stay away from writing on tees? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to leave a little love in the comments. I appreciate all your support.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’m including a few shopping links. Enjoy! These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Summer Outfit - Geometric Maxi Dress - Casual

Tuesday you saw this dress with a pretty, flowy, pink shrug, heeled sandals and gold accessories. Any maxi dress can be dressed up or dressed down. I did a series called Marvelous Maxis, a few summers ago using some of the other maxi dresses in my closet. I tried to think outside the box when it came to styling them. You can see how I styled a plain, black tank dress, that I would typically think of wearing to the beach for a snazzy night on the town. You can also see how I added a dark wash chambray shirt to this multi-print maxi to make it look more casual. Here is one more, a multi print one that I finally let go, styled both casual and dressy. I had to let it go, due to weight gain and I really didn’t like the way the horizontal lines fell. If you are not going to wear it, let it go!

Today’s casual take on the geometric dress from Tuesday is right up my alley. I love the way this all came together and taking this from dressy to casual was so easy.

In case you missed Tuesday’s more dressy post, this geometric maxi dress is Calvin Klein brand and the top part is a simple black tank. All I did to dress it down, was swap out the flowy, pink shrug and add a cute, thrifted, black and white Disney graphic tee. The tank part of the dress and the tee are both light weight enough that combining the two, doesn’t make the outfit seem any warmer. I did the side tie, to make the tee less boxy.

To make the outfit more casual and give it the added summer vibe, I chose a straw bag and a straw sun hat.

Instead of my wedge heeled sandals, I wore a pair of black flat cage sandals. Flat shoes to me, typically seems more casual than heels.

Here are some silly pictures as I tried to mimic Michael Jackson. Ha, ha.

Here are the two outfits side by side. Which one do you like better? Have you every thrown a tee shirt over a maxi dress to give it a different look? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

i hope you enjoyed this week’s summer style feature. You can do this with any maxi dress you have just by changing up your accessories and adding a fancy shrug or a graphic tee.

I’m including a few shopping links, just for fun. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own,

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Summer Outfit - Leopard Print Skirt - Casual

Hi everyone. How are you doing? I just finished reading an article written by a woman whose whole family contracted COVID. They are all struggling through it. Her husband was in the hospital, but now is home. Both of her kids got it, but they are slowly progressing. She has it as well, but is managing at home with oxygen. I also read another article this morning that yesterday was the highest recorded day of new cases in the US since April. It is very disheartening and discouraging, but it is, what it is. Don’t stop taking precautions. Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Keep your distance. Okay, enough on that, now time for an outfit.

Tuesday I showed you my thrifted leopard print skirt in a more dressy, work wear friendly style. Today, I am showing off that same skirt, but with a more fun, casual flair.

If you didn’t read the last post, this thrifted skirt is a brand called Who, What, Wear. It is a very light weight material, but it did seem to get full of static when I put it on. I am going to have to see if washing it with fabric softener makes any difference, plus I dried it on the line, since I don’t have a dryer at the moment. As long as the weather is good, I like to hang clothes out in the warmer weather anyway, so I decided I wanted to get the dish washer, which we just replaced last month, paid off, before we purchase a new dryer. The joys of real life. Ha, ha.

I kept the same off white thrifted St. John’s Bay tank top, but swapped out the black polka dot blazer for my thrifted Rue 21 cropped denim jacket. This is one of my favorite thrifted pieces. It is so versatile and I pair it with everything. The fact that it is cropped with 3/4 length sleeves makes it the perfect piece for summer outfits, when you don’t really need a full blown jacket.

I changed my accessories to reflect a more casual vibe. Sometimes it is fun to wear multiple necklaces together, so I wore a gold and cream beaded choker with a longer gold charm pendant necklace.

I chose my thrifted yellow, Elle tote bag because I like the way it went with the skirt and I thought it added another dimension of texture and interest to the outfit.

My Mossimo sneakers were also a thrift find. One of the Goodwill stores I go to has multiple new items from Target. They must be items that are discontinued, but they are brand new with the labels still on. How fun is that! These are not sneakers I would wear for a long day on my feet, but I thought they were fun for occasional wear and for the blog.

What do you think of this casual interpretation for this skirt? Do you think it works? Would you wear a skirt in this way. Leave me your thoughts in the comments. I love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

Here are the two outfits side by side. Which one did you like better?

I’ve included a few shopping links to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great weekend everyone and stay safe!

Denim Daze 2.0 - Vest - Casual

During the summer of my first year blogging, I did a series called Denim Daze. During this series, I featured different denim pieces and showed you how I styled them both in a casual way and a dressy way. I’ve decided to reboot this series using different denim pieces and giving each outfit a full post, so one day for the casual look and one day for the dressy look. You can see the original Denim Daze posts by clicking on the following links: Intro, Bermuda Shorts, Chambray Shirt, Knee Length Skirt, Flared Jeans, and the Denim Jacket.

For this series I am starting with a denim vest. You have seen this Christopher and Banks denim vest on the blog before, with a maxi skirt, a pair of olive crop pants, in a Pantone outfit, and in a holiday outfit. It is one I return to again and again.

I thought it would be fun to give you the rationale behind each of the pieces I have chosen for this series, and why I styled them the way I did. This vest has several characteristics that I love.

1 - The color. I love denim in all washes, but for a vest, jacket or top, I often go for a medium wash. I’ve seen denim vests in light, medium and dark washes, but for me the medium wash seems to be easier to style with a lot of different options as far as colors, textures and patterns.

2 - The fit. I have a variety of vests. Many of them are knit with cascading fronts, or puffy for when the weather cools down. For a denim vest I like a more fitted profile. This one is pieced together with panels, rather than being one whole piece in the back or sides. These seams and the panels give a more fitted silhouette.

3 - The bling. What takes this simple denim vest up a notch is the bling. The sparkly studs on the yoke are the perfect compliment and make it quite simple to dress this cutie up or down.

The next piece I chose for this outfit was the thrifted floral tee. I knew I wanted to jazz up the outfit with a print and with some color. There is a little bit of blue in the top that matches the denim blue of the vest perfectly. I just love the cohesiveness of at least something matching in an outfit.

Once I picked out the top, I immediately thought of these jeans, which I have worn on the blog before as well. These thrifted Gloria Vanderbilt jeans are fun with their bright pinky red vibe and of course, the polka dots. They also match the shirt.

The tee, honestly, became the driving force in picking out the rest of this bright, casual outfit. I had blue and pinky red, the last color I wanted to accent was the green, thus the jewelry and the bag.

If you have a hard time putting outfits together, it is often easier to pick a piece with a few different colors in it and then use those to guide you to your next pieces. You can use a floral top like I did, a printed scarf or even a bag with multiple colors. Once you choose that piece, then find a skirt or pair of pants that comes in one of the other others, then a top or scarf, etc. Even your jewelry can be part of the color combination. When you are done, you will have an outfit that is cohesive and looks fantastic. For those of you who like to follow a recipe when you cook this method of picking out an outfit will work especially well for you.

For shoes, I am sure you could have guessed, I chose my blue SO flats.

I like the bright, happy look of this outfit and I think it would be perfect for lunch or shopping with your girlfriends, or for me a casual date night with my husband. I would even wear an outfit like this to work.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you own a denim vest? Do you ever wear it? If not, why not? I hope this provided a bit of inspiration for taking that denim vest out and putting it to work for you. Be sure to check back on Thursday for the dressed up version of this sparkly vest.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Outfit Inspiration - LuLaRoe

Last August I was introduced to LuLaRoe by a friend of my daughters, who was a styling consultant with the retailer at the time. I purchased a few other pieces from her since then, and while she has moved on from the business to finish her nursing degree, I think the idea of a small business selling modest clothing for women and girls is a great idea. You can see my original post here, as well as this other post on a different piece, here. 

One of the other pieces I purchased was a dress. I was a bit hesitant to try the Julia dress (each style has its own name), because it has a more fitted silhouette. However, I'm trying to get outside my box (see my Thursday Outside the Box column) and be open to other styles and pieces that I haven't tried before. 

This lovely number has a blue colored background with aqua and white diamond shapes as well as white dots in the foreground. At first I wasn't sure how to style this, but once I pulled it on and felt how comfortable it was, I knew I wanted to evoke a casual, date night look. 

The LuLaRoe website describes the Julia in this way:

“The Julia dress is a form fitting, knee- length, knit dress with mid-length sleeves and a high neckline. Its simple silhouette makes the Julia dress a great canvas for layering and accessorizing. This dress is a staple for every season’s wardrobe. It is feminine, flattering, and you may not ever want to take it off.”

I think this perfectly defines this dress. I love the longer sleeves and it is so comfortable, I almost feel guilty wearing it, but not that guilty! Ha, ha.

I am wearing an extra large, because I prefer to not have a body con fit. You can see from the two photos below, the material, which is a mid-weight knit skims my hips, but clings in the right places. 

I went for my cropped slightly distressed denim jacket to wear as a topper. I think the jacket adds an extra dimension of interest and texture to the look and makes the outfit seem slightly edgier. 

Once again I reached for my textured blue clutch, which I felt paired well with the blue in the dress and the denim jacket. 

For jewelry I added a light yellow pendant necklace and a darker yellow bangle. 

While I could have went for a wedge sandal or a heel, I decided to keep the look casual with my blue SO flats. 

i was pleased with how this outfit turned out and I am excited to try a few other combinations with this dress. I think a chambray shirt tied at the front would look cute too or a cropped sweater or tee. I think there are many possibilities. 

Do you like this look? What do you think of this dress? Do you like to wear more form fitting dresses or do you like silhouettes that are more swingy and flowing? I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

I hope you all have a great weekend! 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane, and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

Marvelous Maxis - Wearable White

White has long been a summer staple for many women. I can remember when I was a girl, going shopping with my mom before Easter to get a new pair of white church shoes. Back then, we didn't wear white until after Memorial Day, with the exception of Easter Sunday. White is now a year long embraceable color. Spring, summer, winter and fall are all appropriate seasons for wearing white. In the warmer months our white clothing will usually gravitate to capris, shorts and lighter weight tanks and sleeveless tops. I have also found white skirts are a fun item to have in your wardrobe. 

Today's skirt is St. John's Bay brand from JC Penney. They currently do not have a white maxi version, but they do have a knee length version here. 

Look 1 - Casual

I topped the white skirt with a simple orange and white striped tee that I found at a thrift store. I like the bright color of this tee. 

I added my antler and bead necklace from Cabelas and a bracelet that matched. It's funny how sometimes you can buy two separate pieces of jewelry, at two different places, at two different times and end up having them look great together. 

To keep the look ultra casual I wore my black flat espadrilles. These are Easy Spirit brand and have a nice cushy insole. Here is a very cute low wedge version. Espadrilles are a great shoe for summer as they are usually made of canvas, which keeps your feet from getting too hot. They also look cute with just about everything.

Look 2 - Dressier

I didn't dress this outfit up as, much because I wanted to show you that making only a few little changes can make a casual outfit look a bit more dressy. 

I kept the same tee, but topped it with a Joe Fresh navy eyelet jacket from JC Penney. Penneys no longer carries Joe Fresh, but they have their own website. Here is a cute version from Old Pueblo Traders. 

You can see I also kept the same bag. This roomy top handle bag is from shopping a friend's closet. It is an Aldo brand bag and is well constructed with a burlap looking body and tan leather trim and handles. 

I swapped out my antler and bead jewelry for a few orange beaded bracelets and a bird pendant, with a gold chain and pretty faux rhinestones. 

I also swapped out my flat espadrilles for my Croft and Barrow Ortholite sandals. These are very comfortable, look stylish and come in two other colors. You can see them here. 

Here are the two outfits side by side.

Do you own a white maxi skirt? How do you style it? Do you wear it all year round or just in the summer? I actually could see wearing this skirt with a heavy sweater and boots in the colder weather, so I may just have to try that. I'd love to hear your input in the comments section below. 

Check back Thursday for a colorful outfit on my Color Crash Course column.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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

Linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb, Nicole of High Latitude Style,