Color Play - Red and Orange Cream

As you know, the reason I like to play with color is to force myself to get out of my own preconceived box regarding color combinations. Most of us are familiar and comfortable with combinations like navy with white in the summer, or rust with yellow in the fall. We tend to stay away from those combinations that look like restaurant decor - think yellow and red (McDonalds), or team colors - yellow and green (Green Bay Packers), unless we are putting on our work uniform or going to a football game. However, I like the challenge of finding different or unusual color combinations allowing me to make better use of the clothing I already have in my closet.

Today’s outfit revolves around two new pieces I got in the last month: a red and white striped top and a creamy light orange eyelash cardigan.

I pulled out my thrifted St. John’s Bay wide leg pants. The only reason I chose these was so I could wear my knee brace without it being seen. Ha, ha. But I actually like the way the outfit turned out. Wide legs seemed to have jumped off the trend-go-round until next time, but that is no reason to get rid of them, if you have a pair. Every once in a while it is nice to wear something outside the trend box, just because it is comfortable and the right color.

My bright red striped mock turtleneck tee is from Maurices and was another great deal. I love stripes anyway. I have a few tops that are white with red stripes, but when I saw this red with skinny white stripes, I grabbed it. It is very soft and comfortable.

I also added a long pendant necklace with reds for a bit of fun.

This wonderfully fuzzy chenille eyelash sweater is the bomb. I love the fun texture and the luxurious softness of the knit. It is also extra cozy, so I have a feeling it will be popping up here and there throughout the chaotic weather of spring. I found this on the clearance rack at our local Meijer.

I used my red top handle bag again for the Valentine’s red color and added my SO ankle boots which matched my pants fairly well. However, silly me, didn’t think to put on my brown socks…ha, ha. Oh well, the little foxes match quite well.

Style Tip: To make your legs look longer and leaner match your shoe to your pants (and your socks :)). You can get the same effect with tights and boots of the same color.

What do you think of this color combination? I think it is fun and different, but not so different that it doesn’t work. Let me know what you think by leaving me some love in the comments.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. These are provided for your benefit and do not cost you anything to click on.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

My Style - Blue Jeans and Plaid Blazer

Nothing says comfort and style like a good pair of jeans and a fun blazer. This is the kind of style I love and dressing like this always makes me feel stylish, and confident. An outfit like this can be worn on casual Friday’s at the office, out for lunch with your gal pals, or for a casual date night with your significant other.

In keeping with my month long attempt to use mainly Valentine’s colors in my outfits I had to showcase this recent purchase from Maurice’s. I got this red plaid blazer and a few other fun items at great prices as they are moving fall and winter stuff out to make room for spring and summer. This piece may just be wearable for at least three seasons if not all four. It is a medium weight knit, but still structured enough that it lays well. It has a double breasted feel, with a one button closure.

My jeans are oldies that I have worn for many blog posts and Instagram photos. They are a brand called Kikit, and like many of my favorite jeans are beginning to show their wear. Do you have a few pairs of favorite jeans that you always find yourself reaching for over and over?

I thought this Elle brand, Eiffel Tower sweater would be a good mix with the black and white in the blazer. While this interpretation of the French tourist attraction is by no means symmetrical, I like the way it is filled in with the black velvet paisley swirls, flowers, and lace.

Since I was going for a casual, fun look I opted for my thrifted black marled Converse sneakers. My jewelry was simple with a short chain necklace with blingy globes and the burgundy twist bracelet. Last, I chose my black top handle/cross body bag, which was from Amazon.

Do you like to wear a blazer with jeans? What is your go to style for a casual Friday look or going out with friends? Let me know in the comments below. I love to get your feedback.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few cents when you click on a link. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own and you are not charged anything extra to make a purchase through my links. I supply these links mainly to give you ideas and options for outfit pieces you may not already have. I appreciate all you clicks and purchases.

Updating Your Wardrobe: Part 2 - Old Becoming New

I thought I would take another week to look at ways we can update our wardrobe using older style pieces by showing you my own rendering of a couple of outfits with a recent thrift purchase I made. This two piece set is from Blair. I don’t know about you, but I have often felt that mail order retailers like Blair are old school and really gear their products to women, who like the simplicity of shopping via mail and buying products that are easily mix and match and easy to take care of. Don’t get me wrong, they do have many lovely pieces, like this Fair Isle sweater, this spring jacket, and these cute Skechers sneakers.

What I am going to attempt to show you is how you can use this two piece set three different ways for looks that are up to date and appropriate for work, date night or church.

I think the pattern and the colors of this set are lovely. It can be worn all year round, but will be especially pretty in the spring and the fall. The under piece is short sleeve and the over piece is sheer.

Look 1 - Casual

The first way I wanted to style it was casual, since that is pretty much all I wear right now. I decided to wear both pieces together, and added a heavier sweater coat that I recently thrifted as a warm layering piece. I love the winter white of this sweater and the textured waffle weave. It has two silver clasps in the front, but I wore it open so the two piece set could be shown off. I added my old olive combat boots, an olive belt and a dark olive bag. I did the front tuck to show off the belt. This is a great casual look and I would definitely wear it for a date night with my hubby.

Look 2 - Church

Obviously, this look doesn’t just have to be for church. You could also wear it to work or on a fun day out with your girlfriends. In this look I got rid of the sheer overlay piece and used a Kohl’s moto jacket I purchased last year. The jacket is rather heavy, so would definitely be better as an outerwear piece rather than just a layering piece. Often, I will use jackets as layering pieces in the winter, but this one will be better as a spring or fall jacket when the temps are cool, but not freezing.

The skirt is another thrift find. I like the buckskin look of this piece, and thought it could be styled with lots of other colors. The skirt actually could be hemmed up, if you prefer at the knee or above the knee. With these tall brown boots, which were a hand me over from my older daughter, I almost think having the skirt above the knee would look a little better. I added a gray thrifted bag as a point of contrast.

Look 3 - Work

For this last look, I got rid of the short sleeved under piece and donned the long sleeved over piece. I do have a cami on, so I could have worn it like that, but I wanted to add another layer for the cold and more texture. I switched to corduroy winter white pants, heeled suede ankle boots and added another layering piece that could be removed if I got too warm. The office I used to work in was cold in the winter months, so layering was essential. The dark olive jacket is thrifted and is probably a dress. The vest was a Christmas gift two years ago. I went for my dark brown, thrifted corduroy bag as a final touch.

There are so many options when it comes to your clothing. Your closet is a space with unlimited possibilities. Don’t worry about what the media says about what women should or shouldn’t wear at this or that age. Wear what you like, just figure out how to wear it to make yourself feel your best and most confident.

Thanks to everyone who follows along with my blog. I really appreciate it. I hope to bring you more fun content in the weeks and months ahead. If you like to read my Faith posts, be sure to check back Thursday for a new post on what I am learning about the word rejoice! Until then, I hope you are having a great week.

I am including a few shopping links for you to peruse. These are affiliate links, which means I earn a few cents every time you click on a link. I don’t receive compensation for what I do on the blog. I do it for myself, because it stretches my creative boundaries, and I do it for you, because I want to encourage and inspire you.

Thrifted Thursday - Neal's Ugly Sweater - The Santa Claus

I don’t know how many of you have seen Tim Allen’s The Santa Claus, or any of its consecutive sequels, but it is a fun, family friendly movie (it has a little bit of swearing), that I love to watch every year. In the movie, Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, (note the initials) a divorced dad who, believe it or not, works as an executive for a toy company. His son Charlie, visits on weekends and for the predetermined holidays. This year, Charlie gets to spend Christmas Eve with his dad, much to his chagrin. Scott doesn’t make a huge effort as a single dad to make things enjoyable for his son, from his lame attempt at cooking a turkey dinner, which he ends up having to put out with a fire extinguisher, to a last ditch attempt to feed Charlie at a Denny’s (along with a number of single dads with their kids).

When it is time for bed, Tim reads the classic tale, T’was the Night Before Christmas, and it is not long after that we witness Santa falling from Tim’s roof and the comedic tale of how Scott Calvin, toy executive, becomes Santa Clause, complete with reindeer, weight gain and elves at the North Pole.

The inspiration for today’s outfit comes from Scott’s nemesis, Neal, who is the new husband of his ex-wife. Neal is a psychologist, and throughout the movie we see him trying to explain away the things that Charlie saw on their quick trip to the North Pole and Scott’s changing demeanor and physique. Neal, played by Judge Reinhold, is a typical 90’s professional trying to look classy in his crazy patterned sweaters and khaki pants. Here are two scenes from the movie, just to show you a couple of Neal’s sweaters.

The funny thing was, when I got this idea, and started looking for these types of sweaters, I found one almost exactly like the top one, but it was way to big. As you can see, I ended up with a striped version, that while, not quite as crazy as Neal’s still qualifies, for a 90’s casual professional look.

This men’s Mercer Street Studio sweater, which I found at a local thrift shop a few weeks ago is obviously a large size, but because it is so comfy and cozy, I knew I would be able to use it for just hanging out on a casual day.

You’ve seen this thrifted, Worthington, faux leather skirt on the blog before. You can see how I styled it with a long vest, a yellow sweater, a lace top, a floral top, and a gray tunic sweater. I tried several other pieces with this sweater, but in the end opted for the more streamlined silhouette. I thought, if I were a psychologist and had my own office, this might be something I would wear.

Because the sweater is busy enough, I kept my accessories simple. My silver pendant looks similar to a Celtic knot. This was another thrifted piece.

I found this Scarleton bag at the thrift store as well. I didn’t really have a solid black bag, so when I saw this one, I grabbed it. A black bag is always a classic and easy choice for make an outfit look more dressed up and professional.

My black, buckle, Nine West loafers were also a thrift store find. You just can’t beat a second hand store for all sorts of fashion treasures. Again, I used my heavier weight black tights to keep my legs cozy and produce a sleeker line.

What do you think of this outfit? Have you watched, The Santa Clause? What is your favorite Christmas movie?

I appreciate every one of you who subscribe and regularly follow my blog. I know I am not always the most consistent blogger, but I do this as a hobby and don’t make a living at it. I want to bring content to you that you will find interesting without lots of adds or pressure to buy things. Christmas is a busy time and if you are like me, you already have a list of presents to buy. The links I offer you are merely possible ideas to get a similar looks to my own, but I am happy if most of you are finding your pieces at thrift stores. It really helps, not only our own pocket books, but our planet as well. Repurpose and reuse.

Layering Love - A Leopard Print Jacket

Every now and then I come across a piece in a store I just love. Sometimes I don't know I'm in love until I try it on, other times I can tell as soon as I see or feel it. When I saw this leopard print jacket on the clearance rack at JC Penney, I had to touch it. When I felt its soft velvety texture, I had to try it on. When I tried it on, I said, "This is coming home with me."

I tried to take pictures outside, but it was only 11 degrees. Which would have been doable, if the camera hadn't decided it was too cold to be outside. I kept trying to use the remote and it wasn't having it! Ha, ha. I did take a few photos right next to the house, but when I looked at them I realized I had an electric meter coming out of my head, and green mold decorating the aluminum siding. I want to be real, but maybe not that real! Instead you get indoor pictures with bits of clutter and Christmas decorations here and there. I probably should take down the Christmas decor pretty soon. What do you think? How many of you still have Christmas up at your house? Please tell me, I am not the only one.

I wore this outfit to work and I was so glad. The heat was off on one side of the store. Did I mention it was only 11 degrees? Of course it was the side with the cash registers, so anytime we had a customer we had to leave our toasty back office and go to the cold side...sort of like the dark side, but you don't get a light saber. This Libby Edelman jacket and Croft and Barrow turtleneck kept me warm and cozy all day. Here is the link to the jacket online. I'm not sure why, but the it is still full price, unless you buy more than one thing, and they only have small sizes left.

For this casual work look, I paired the jacket with my Rock & Republic skinny jeans, and my Rialto black riding boots. 

I chose my Butterum hobo bag and added a simple beaded pendant necklace that I just found at Penney's on clearance. I thought it linked well with the colors in the jacket. 

I think this jacket would look fantastic with a red or burgundy dress or skirt, as well as navy or even cobalt blue pants. A leopard print jacket like this can be worn with many other pieces for both dressy and casual occasions. What do you think? Would you wear a jacket like this?

Be sure to leave me some love in the comments section. I appreciate your input.

Here are a few shopping options. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Friday linking up with Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane.