Color Play: Red Orange with Shade of Purple and Brown

This week I am showing you an outfit I actually wore all day. This colorful combination was inspired this past week by my husband’s Aunt Lynn who always wears skirts. I have so many fun skirts that I never wear and I thought, well, why not? Last week while she and my mother-in-law were visiting I donned this purple and blue skirt for a trip to our favorite British Tea Garden restaurant a little ways north of us. This week I decided to pull out this fabulous bohoesque piece. Keep reading for all the details.

Lighting makes such a huge difference in picture quality, as my daughter who is a professional photographer will tell you. It also makes a difference what sort of camera you use, time of day and so on. More expensive phones can take great pictures, and my little IPhone SE does okay, but on a bright, sunny day in the shade it just doesn’t capture the true essence of the colors in my outfit. My top definitely leans more towards a red orange, but in these phots it looks more red.

My top is a very recently thrifted Chico’s piece and is a linen blend. I’m not a huge linen fan as I have said before, but I do like the cool factor of linen, and a blend shows a little less wrinkling, but what really sold me on this piece were the sleeves. Aren’t they fun? Three layers of fringe add to the Bohemian vibe of this look.

This thrifted, colorful skirt is Notations brand. I like that it has a bit of a crinkle to it. Does anyone remember the old “broomstick skirts” from back in the 90’s? I had several back in the day, but ended up getting rid of them. They, like many trends come and go, but if you are into Boho or Cottage Core aesthetics in your fashion then you’ll want to keep a few of these long, wrinkly pieces. I have incorporated a couple back into my rotation, thus my desire to show off my skirts here and there.

The skirt has, not only the red orange color, but dark purple, a medium brown, a subtle olive green, and a periwinkle blue. For today’s outfit I wanted to emphasize the purple and brown in part to show off this fabulous glass bead necklace I found at the thrift shop around the corner from my house. They have so many awesome treasures. My grandson, who I have been watching this week said he loved my necklace and that the dark purple beads looked like candy. Ha, ha.

Another second hand find, this Universal Thread cross body bag was exactly what I had been on the hunt for. Obviously, it is more like the old fashion “butt packs” that we used to carry back in the 80’s. What I like about this version is being able to wear it across my chest. It makes it feel more secure and is very easy to access. This is a soft, buttery faux leather and, while small, it holds my wallet, phone, keys and a tube of lip gloss. What more does a girl need?

If I look a bit tired in the above picture it’s because I am exhausted. With my spouse being disabled from his gimpy ankles, having company last week and now watching a very energetic, stubborn, and loud three year old, I am pooped! But God is good and we will persevere, not because of who I am, but because of who He is!

For shoes I went with my older, tan Keds. While they are not as cute as a pair of sandals would be, they are much more practical for chasing a rambunctious toddler.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a colorful skirt that you like to pull out in the warmer weather? What colors does your skirt have in it? I love to hear your thoughts and ideas so leave a comment or two.

I’ve included shopping links interspersed throughout the article to give you options if you want to shop. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no charge. If you purchase through a link I provided I get a small commission. Thank you for all your clicks, likes and comments. I treasure each and every one.

Have a great Tuesday!

Outfit Inspiration: Pantone Spring/Summer 2025 London Palette Colors - Pear Sorbet, Hibiscus and Cocoa

I got my month all off kilter and I haven’t even been able to get my Faith posts out, so bear with me as I try to get back to my regular posting schedule. This column, Outfit Inspiration, usually happens the first Tuesday of the month, but for some reason I got completely off this month. Oh well, I know you all are very understanding so I appreciate the support even when I am losing the plot. Ha, ha.

I know a few weeks ago, I said I wasn’t going to cover all of the Pantone 2025 colors, but I got sucked in and am having fun shopping my closet for this year’s Spring/Summer palette. Currently, I am covering the London Palette after which I will decide if I am going to continue with the New York Palette. To see the current London palette you can see the pin I added to my board a few months ago with all of the colors. So far I have shown you Airy Blue and Passion Flower, and White Grape, Veridian Green, and Curds & Whey.

Today’s outfit is a mix of a bright jewel tone pinky red, a pastel very pale yellow, and one of the classic colors from their palette, a dark chocolate brown. May I introduce you to Pear Sorbet, Hibiscus, and Cocoa.

When deciding which of the remaining colors to put together I had to play around for a few hours to find the right pieces in the right combinations. I like how this turned out and it all started with this pale, Pear Sorbet, thrifted Christopher & Banks, plaid shirt. I am not as much into really pale colors like this, but I do think there is a place for them in our closets, especially in the warm weather months. This piece is as light weight as it is pale and will be great for when the temperatures go up.

The other piece I knew I wanted to use for the bright pinky red Hibiscus color was this thrifted Amazon Essentials vest. It is interesting how these darker or brighter shades of pink can look so vastly different. If I compare this to pink it looks almost red. If I compare it to red it looks pink. The wonderful world of color!

I have worn this tiered, knit maxi skirt on the blog numerous times. It is one of my regular go to’s in the the warmer months and is so comfortable. This is St. John’s Bay brand and is from JC Penney. You can see it styled with a spotted top, a green moto jacket, a bookish vest, and a long fringe vest.

To make the look more spring/summer like, I added a thrifted, pale yellow, St. John’s Bay tank top under the button down and left the upper buttons undone. I also added some layered jewelry.

I added my thrifted, leather Anne Klein crossbody bag.

Finally, I dug out this pale yellow pair of Universal Thread sneakers I found on clearance at Target a few summer’s ago, to complete the look. Sorry for the crummy picture.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like this combination of colors? Do you like pastels, and how do you like to wear them? I love to have your feedback, so please leave a comment or two.

When the weather does finally stay warm this bright vest will be put away until the cold weather returns, but I was glad to get one more wear in before summer actually arrives.

I’m including a few shopping links below. These affiliate links are brought to you at no extra cost. If you purchase an item through one of my links I get a little kick back. I appreciate all your clicks and purchases.

Have a great week!

Color Play: Pantone Color of the Year Mocha Mousse with Brown and Gray

If you keep up with the Pantone Color of the Year, you know that this year’s color is a creamy brown with rosy undertones looking much like the dessert it is named after, Mocha Mousse. Click on the link to see the actual color. As I began looking through my closet, which contains almost every color under the sun, I realized I don’t have anything this exact color. The closest I came was a piece that is a little bit lighter version of the actual color, but I thought it would do for this post.

This tunic length sweater was a thrift find from last year. It is Lauren Conrad brand and I love the soft texture and the cute heart

I thought adding this thrifted, brown Fever vest a good way to further infuse the idea of the chocolatey goodness of mousse.

Style Tip: Adding a vest is a great way to have the fun of layering without the added weight and warmth. Vests are perfect for these transitional times between winter and spring, and summer and fall. Look for lighter weight, flowy vests that still provide coverage, but don’t add too much heat.

I decided to use my second hand White House Black Market Blanc jeans. It is nice to fit back into this trouser type pant to take a casual look up a notch.

Style Tip: Adding a pair or two of trouser type jeans, which have a somewhat wider silhouette allows you to dress up an outfit without going outside your “jeans box”. You know I am an avid fan of jeans and they are what I wear most of the time, but it is nice to have the option of a jean in a different style and/or color for a completely different look.

I decided to go for rose gold in my jewelry which I think goes well with the brown and the Mocha Mousse colors. I also added my pink Bueno crossbody bag which was a gift from my younger daughter a few years ago.

My thrifted patent leather ankle boots have made an appearance on the blog before and are Forever 21 brand. Apparently patent leather is making a come back this year, so if you have any of those in the shoe direction get them out of the dark corners of your closet and let them shine.

What do you think of Mocha Mousse? Do you like this color? Do you like the combination of brown with gray? How about brown with black? Please leave me your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a comment on Facebook. I always love to hear your ideas.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I hope you all are having a great week!

Outfit Inspiration: Navy and Green Color Combo

Right now Pinterest seems to be the source of inspiration for many of my recent blog posts. I do use the occasional Instagram challenge to also find inspiration, and there are lots of places, people and things to inspire our clothing combinations. However, as you know, convenience often weighs heavily when life is busy or we are feeling tired. This is the pin that inspired today’s look.

Unlike the Pinterest pin, I used a vest, rather than a jacket, and there are other differences in accessories, and so on, but as I have said before, the point is to be inspired. I think something an fellow Instagram user posted makes sense. We want to be inspired, not influenced. Inspiration allows us to shop our own closets and put together similar looks without necessarily having to copy the look. Being influenced might include the pull to purchase pieces we don’t need or won’t actually wear.

This Christopher & Banks vest is from a couple years ago. It is a great piece and the quilting definitely gives it a warm, cozy feel. I like that it is a bit longer than many of my other quilted vests, and that it has buttons instead of a zipper. I rarely wear any of my vests closed, but it is nice to have different options.

Style Tip: Before you purchase vests or jackets think about collars. Ask yourself if you prefer the collar to lay flat or stand up, or be able to do both. Think about what you will be wearing it for and how you will be styling it with your other clothing. For today’s outfit, the stand up collar works great, but those are not my first choice. I typically like a collar to lay flat, or be something similar to a shawl type collar, or in the cold weather a turtleneck will do.

This minty green sweater is a thrifted Sonoma piece. The color and the texture were different than the other pullovers I have, so I snatched this one up. I added the reddish pendant necklace and bracelet, along with my bag as an after thought, but I think the darker reds help define the outfit as a fall look.

Style Tip: When it comes to transitional outfits, you may find yourself reaching for the same pieces which brings the option of pairing them together again. With a few easy adjustments you can make a fall outfit work for spring, or a spring outfit work for fall. To make this outfit passable for spring I would choose lighter colored accessories, possibly in a pastel pink.

These thrifted Sonoma utility pants look brown in this picture, but they are an olive drab. I thought they worked well for this overall casual outfit.

I played around with a few different scarves, one of which was a dark blue with pink and burgundy tones. I thought of pairing burgundy pants with the vest and sweater, but then decided I wasn’t quite ready for the darker colors. Thus when I saw this scarf and liked how it went with the other pieces I opted for burgundy accessories to still bring in the darker tone of fall, and I thought the burgundy went well with the pinks in the scarf.

My bag is The Sak brand and it was given to me by my thrifting bestie.

My ankle boots were purchased at Kohls and are SO brand. I have had them for several years.

Style Tip: Should you match your shoes to your pants, your top or not at all? I think variety is the spice of life, as they say, so why not do all three. Today, I matched my shoes to my vest. Other days I might wear shoes that look more like my pants to create that longer, leaner line from hip to toe. Still on other days, I might wear a basic brown, or black boot, or I might just wear sneakers and they don’t have to match at all. Your outfit, your way, so however you want to do it is fine. The point is to be comfortable, pulled together and confident in what you are wearing.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that it inspired you to build an outfit that combines colors, textures and accessories to make you feel good when you are in it.

I am including a few shopping links for you to look over. Think ahead, and use these links to start your Christmas shopping. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Shopping Our Closets: Spring Trends Edition

Today’s post revolves around several Spring 2024 fashion trends. While I don’t follow every trend that comes along, I like to be aware of what is happening from season to season. Frankly, most things have already been done, and just keep coming back into the trend rotation. Certain colors and prints, fabrics and styles come around again and again. For instance, leopard print is once again in; not that it really went out. I always hang on to a few leopard print pieces. That choice is less about what is trendy and more about what I like.

I’m not even going to give you links to forecasted spring trends because they are all so different. One says high waisted pants are out, another says they are in. The same thing for corduroys, and other styles. As I always say, wear the things that make you happy and feel good about how you look and who you are. You don’t need a high priced fashion entity to tell you what to wear. That being said, in today’s post I will share a few of the trends I like.

Prep School

Academic blazers, button down shirts and polos are all part of this preppy aesthetic. You can’t go wrong with a thrifted Ralph Lauren blazer. This is my second Ralph Lauren blazer. You can see my navy blue one here and here.

Style Tip: Second hand stores, and retailers like Poshmark, Ebay and ThredUp are great places to find cast off high end brand names.

Color Combos

This dark gray and brown pairing was another item on the trends list for this year. It seems there are few color combinations that seem a little different, but you know I love a color combo challenge, so this was perfect. Dark gray and chocolate brown would not be my first go to color combo, but I like it.

Cherry Red

Red is in and it speaks volumes, adding a pop of color to any outfit dressy or casual, and there are so many ways to make a statement with red. Try a red top, a red skirt, a red jacket or coat, a red scarf, a red bag, red shoes, or keep it simple with bright red lipstick.

Wide Legs

The wide leg look is sticking around, and you can wear it in any fabric or texture. Dress up in a wide leg trouser for work or a night out, or dress casual with a variety of wide leg jeans.

Metallics and Flats

Metallic fabric is shimmering on the run ways, but that doesn’t mean we have to go all out. Just a little dab of metals is all you need to take an outfit up a notch. I added mine in the form of my gold clutch and my silver SO flats. Flats are also on trend this spring, so take those ballet flats from the back of your closet and let them shine.

I added a few silver necklaces for a layered jewelry look, along with a few silver bangles.

Before going out shopping for new trends, be sure to take a look in your closet. Without a doubt, you have one or two pieces that are back in the trend revolving door. Out of the trends I listed above a nice structured blazer, and metallic shoes or a bag are great pieces to hang on to. They are easily styled with dressy or casual outfits, and are perfect for parties, special events and work.

I hope you enjoyed today’s outfit, and that it will inspire you to check out the spring 2024 trends on the web. You might find you have some of the ones I mentioned or others already in your wardrobe.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great day!