What I Have Been Wearing Lately, and a Look Forward

Hi everyone! It has been a long while since I last posted on my Fashion page, or my Faith page. Life has been busy and filled with all manner of difficulty and struggle, so the blog has taken a back seat for a little while so my spouse and I can try to catch up and recover from all the various challenges.

I have thoughts in mind about when and how to proceed with getting back to a more regular posting schedule which I will share at the end of this post. For today, I thought enough time has passed where I could get away with another post on what I have been wearing lately using outfits I posted on Instagram.

I enjoy the ease and quickness of posting on Instagram. The descriptions are short and usually include a little blurp about a challenge I am participating in, the outfit I am wearing and what was happening on that particular day. Lately, they have been shorter than ever because I am so tired and unmotivated, but I keep trying to show up because I know if I give up I will crawl under a comfortable rock and probably never come back out. Here we go!

Italian Coastal Chic

I put together this fun look from the above prompt for one of the IG challenges I was participating in. The idea of an outfit that exemplified the Italian coast was way outside of my wheelhouse, so I began with Pinterest. I typed in Italian Coastal Chic and most of what popped up where beautiful, lanky women in their mid thirties dressed in lovely tiered dresses, flowy neutral pants, crisp white tees or tanks, carrying cute straw bags and wearing strappy sandals. As much as I would love to look like they did, I don’t, so I created this look from what was in my closet, using the embroidered, lace topper as a jacket of sorts over a tank top. Keeping the colors neutral definitely gives it more of a European vibe.

Bohemian Vibes

Most of these outfits, you will see, are the direct result of a daily Instagram challenge. The prompts are meant to inspire whoever joins to shop their own closets and come up with an outfit that goes along with the prompt. For this look the prompt was Urban Boho. I had fun combining this pretty Sonoma kimono with the thrifted tee that matched perfectly. It’s always fun when that happens.

Print Mixing Fun

I always love a good print mix and this outfit was a cute combination of summer stripes and textured waves on the Chaps knit vest. Vests are great pieces for summer layering. They are perfect when you are going to an air conditioned restaurant or coffee shop.

Ultra Casual

I put on this very casual look after I had housecleaned. The tee has been around for a number of years, while the wide leg capris are a brand called Westbound. They are so incredibly comfortable. The perfect pants when you just want to chillax.

Cherry Tones

Who doesn’t love the sweet, black cherries of summer? I buy several pounds every time I get to the grocery store during the season. This outfit was born of three separate challenges: Chic Cherry Tones, “Cherry” On My Wayward Son, and Wear It. The last one had to do with sustainable pieces in our wardrobes and my focus was this cute Christopher & Banks vest that I have had for many years. It is such a well made piece and always looks great, no matter how often I wear it. That is what I look for in a sustainable piece.

Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday

I’m showing you two outfits that I wore right around the 4th of July. I was tapping into the traditional reds, whites and blues and liked how both of these turned out. I’m so glad I found these Comfortiva red shoes. These are probably one of the best buys I have found. This brand of shoe runs around $105 new. I got them for $1. In the second outfit I am showing off a new pair of thrifted jeans with fun, floral embroidery.

Preppy Neutrals

The highlight of this outfit is certainly the striped top with embroidered flowers. It is a brand called Jane and Delancey. I paired it with a light weight pair of Sonoma utility pants, for a breezy traveling outfit.

Vanilla Raspberry Fudge

This outfit revolved around two IG prompts: Vintage Revival with Distressed Denim, and Style an Outfit Based on Your Favorite Summer Treat. The pretty lace tee was a recent find, and reminded me of the bodice of an old timey dress. My favorite summer treat is ice cream from a little shop around the country from where we live, called Vanilla Raspberry Fudge. It is so creamy and delicious.

I hope you enjoyed seeing these everyday outfits. When you start feeling like your closet has gotten boring and you no longer have anything to wear, trying looking at it differently. Try taking inspiration from a painting, a paint swatch at the hardware store, or even the tiles in a public restroom. Perhaps you never thought to combine those colors before. Another way to find inspiration is by pulling out various pieces in your wardrobe without worrying about what goes with it. For instance, pull out three bottoms; perhaps a pair of jeans, a tiered skirt, and a pair of capris. Now pull out three tops that you haven’t looked at in a while. Start imagining how one of the tops could go with one of the bottoms. Now you have the beginnings of a completely new look. Add a belt, a bag, some shoes and maybe a light weight jacket or sweater and you are set to go.

I am hoping to get back to more regular posting in August, or at the latest, September. Whenever I do I will be starting with my Pantone series to kick things off for fall. Isn’t it crazy that we are already thinking about fall? The New York Palette has some very pretty colors on it this year which I will be exploring.

I hope you all are doing well, and I appreciate your patience with me and the blog. Have a great week1

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!

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2020 - London Palette - Samba, Tawny Birch, and Sheepskin

Today’s neutral palette is interrupted by the bold, daring color red. Samba was in our New York palette and if you don’t remember which outfit that was you can see it again here. In the New York outfit I paired Samba with Fired Brick and Sleet for a chic work outfit with a bit of subtle print mixing. Today’s outfit, once again, would be perfect for the office or a date night with your significant other. In this time of Covid restrictions do you get dressed up to go out, or do you go out at all? Thus far my hubby and I usually get take out and either bring it home or take it to a park and eat it, so I’m afraid I haven’t been getting very dressed up, usually just jeans and a nicer shirt. It really depends on the day. I am not sure what we are going to do when the weather gets real cold.

When I was looking for pieces for this whole fall Pantone series, I knew I wanted to incorporate this thrifted, red, Calvin Klein, sleeveless sweater. I originally bought the piece thinking I could use it as a sweater vest, which, seeing as it is a larger size will offer enough room to put a blouse or long sleeve tee underneath. It will probably show up again either on the blog or in my Instagram feed. If you don’t follow me on Instagram make sure you do. I show you more of my day to day outfits there and occasional cute pictures of our cat and pretty scenery.

My Sheepskin colored cardigan was another thrifted piece. I thought it was a good balance between tan and beige and will be wearable with just about any color. This is a thrifted St. John’s Bay piece.

My Tawny Birch houndstooth patterned ankle pants have been on the blog before. These are Sonoma and were thrifted. You can see them styled in the Pantone Fall 2017 series, and in another series I did on vests.

Since I really wanted the red sweater to be the focal point of the outfit, I kept my bag and shoes a similar neutral tan color to the sweater and pants. Both thrifted, the bag is New Directions and the boots are Aerosoles. Then I added pearls. I thought this made for a great work look.

What do you think of these colors? Do you think the more neutral Tawny Birch goes well with the brighter Samba red? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I hope you enjoyed this look and that you are doing well. For those of you who follow my faith page, I hope to have the next installment of my series on Our Unseen Enemy up tomorrow. Have a great evening.

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

Graphic and photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.