Hello 60! A Woman of Faith

Out of everything in my life that is important, my faith in Jesus Christ is at the top. I was raised in a Christian home, attending a small Bible church from the time I was small. My mother still has pictures of her and I going to church in matching dresses that she made for us. It wasn’t until I was twelve that I truly committed my life to Jesus. I always felt a pull toward Him, from the time I was very small, but at twelve, the same age I began to write, I finally understood He wanted my whole heart, and He wanted me to commit to believing in Him.

I honestly believe God’s hand was on me, and it was Him who kept me from going down a much different path. Just as with most junior and senior high schools there were plenty of opportunities to get involved in activities that weren’t glorifying to Him, but for some reason, I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to party. I didn’t want to drink, smoke, or do drugs. I was boy crazy, but most of it was worship from afar. It wasn’t until I had graduated from high school and was looking to go to Bible college that I got involved with a guy who didn’t know Jesus. I met him at the grocery store I was working at in my home town. If it was a test, I was going to fail, but God. He protected me from going too far physically, and helped me to break up with him. I was going to Bible college. I was going to be a missionary, because I couldn’t outrun the burning flame of His love.

I would not trade my three years at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL for anything. All of the learning, and experiences are part of who I am today. I grew in my knowledge and understanding of His word and of Biblical history. I participated in ministries, and mission trips that stretched my ability to get along with others, and die to my own selfish desires. It was during my time there on one of those trips that I met my husband Mark. I never did end up on the mission field, other than a summer trip to Africa where I almost died from Malaria. Mark and I married after I graduated in 1987.

Becoming a wife, and eventually a mom, and now a grandmother has brought about growth in my Christian life that I may never have experienced on the mission field. There are certainly other struggles and challenges for missionaries in addition to marriage and family. Perhaps God saw that I would not have been able to handle it. Perhaps, I would not have been a good fit in an intense ministry situation. The only thing that matters is trusting that He has it all figured out, and that He knows what is best.

I continue to grow in my faith, and God is amazing. He daily meets me right where I am and I try to remember to invite Him in to whatever I am doing, and feeling. He is certainly capable of handling my “issues”, and He gives me the strength and help to handle them as well.

Today’s outfit is truly a tribute to what I deem important in my day to day outfits: comfort, warmth (in the winter), texture, and modesty.

My pullover, Fair Isle type sweater was a Maurice’s piece from a few years ago. I love the colors. I found the Chevron print scarf at a thrift store this past year. I thought the colors very similar to those in the sweater, so I thought a bit of print mixing might be fun. I also added the flower medallion pendant necklace as another nod to the 70’s decade.

Style Tip: Choose similar colors in prints for print mixing ease.

This lovely thrifted denim midi skirt is so roomy and versatile. I used it for my Murder Mystery birthday party when I dressed up as Jessica Fletcher. This is a piece I will be able to use all year round. Right now it is perfect to pair with tall boots, for a fun dressy casual vibe.

Style Tip: Basics always stay in style. A denim skirt is essential for any wardrobe, but you don’t have to have a voluminous circle skirt. Go for a simple a-line or even a pencil shape for a more narrow silhouette.

This Liz Claiborne bag was another thrift treasure. I love the rich green color and the brown trim. I may just fill this up in the next few days and use it for a while. It isn’t there just to look at. Although with all the bags I have you would think that is the case. Ha, ha.

Style Tip: Purses are expensive, even the ones that aren’t leather. Try shopping second hand, or wait for end of season sales to help take the hit out of your pocket book.

These brown faux suede Sonoma boots were on clearance at Kohl’s, again from a few years ago. These are one of my favorite pairs of boots. I like the color, the strap and buckle and the slouch. I think this skirt would also look cute with ankle boots and cute tights or knee highs.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this? What is your go to style? I’d love to hear your thoughts so leave me a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. I hope you enjoyed this post.

Shopping Our Closets - Unique Cardigan: A Casual Valentine's Day Outfit

I am pretty sure all of us have a unique cardigan in our closets. This would be the piece that has a different pattern or print that you simply love, but aren’t sure how to use it in an outfit. It has been hanging there for a while, and you are starting to think you should just get rid of it. Don’t do it, until after you have read this post. I am hoping to give you style tips on how to take that unique cardi and turn it into a masterpiece of an outfit.

I found this thrifted cardigan recently at my local thrift shop around the corner. I liked that it is a bit shorter, so for me gives the appearance of a cropped cardigan. It’s actually a petite size, so the sleeves are a tad short, but again this gives it a different look.

Style Tip - Always shop all size sections at thrift stores and even at full priced retailers. Sizing has become such a circus of silliness today. A size 12 now can be worn by someone who wears a size 10 or someone who wears a size 14, depending on the manufacturer. A small might fit someone with a very petite frame or it might be way to big.

Obviously, I was drawn to the color and the Fair Isle pattern on this piece. It actually has some wear around the button holes where the threads are starting to fray, so I need to see what I can do to fix it. I like that it has the red, white and a touch of olive green, so a great piece for Christmas, but also a bit of pink which makes it perfect for Valentine’s Day.

In order to build this outfit, I started with my unique sweater. I thought about pairing it with jeans, but then decided I needed to get out of that box. Seeing as I have several olive colored pairs of pants, I knew that would be a good choice. Thus, my Gloria Vanderbilt, olive, cargo skinnies. Black or white pants, or a skirt would have been another good choice.

Style Tip - When building an outfit start with the most colorful piece, then choose the rest of your pieces using colors from that. You can do this with a scarf, a bag, a top, a cardigan, a skirt or even a pair of pants that are very colorful.

My oddly colored long sleeve tee was a clearance find at Kohl’s. It really is a nondescript color. It leans towards an extremely washed out olive, but could also be seen as a very light tan or beige depending on what you wear it with. It is very light weight, so my thought was it would be a good layering piece, especially as the weather warms up.

Style Tip - Colors can be deceiving, which works to our benefit. A color can look quite different depending on what other color it is paired with. This is especially true for lighter colors in the green, orange and yellow categories. Depending on what you pair them with they might look more blue, pink or beige. Do an experiment and hold one of your lighter colored tops next to a variety of more saturated tones and see how it changes.

My jewelry also mimics the color tones in the sweater with the pinks, reds and olive greens. I thought this beaded necklace made a beautiful statement against the drab backdrop of my tee. Especially, with the somewhat monochrome look of the tee, pants and ankle boots.

Style Tip - Accessories are a great way to show off your own unique personality. Your shoes do not have to match your bag and your jewelry can be a whimsical - this is what I feel like wearing - choice; no matching required

I chose my faithful SO ankle boots and then added the bright red bag to pull it all together. (Don’t mind my blue socks! Ha, ha.)

What do you think of this outfit? What would you have done differently? Tell me about that unique cardigan in your closet and how you plan on using it to build a fabulous outfit.

Note in the picture below, the olive threads in the sweater look more beige. Maybe color is as fickle as fashion. Ha, ha. As my photographer daughter will tell you, color is definitely influenced by lighting.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments. Your comments help keep my blog interesting and also keep it growing. I am including a few shopping links for you to look over.

Thanks for stopping by the blog.

Thinking About Fall - What's Trending for 2021

I like to share with you some of the new trends for each season after I’ve done a little online research. I typically go to websites like Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and WhoWhatWear to see what the fashion world deems important for us to know. Believe me, I am not a huge trend follower, but I do like to see what’s going on out there. Many trends continue from one season to the next, and we often find trends come and go, then come back again. I have gotten into the habit of telling people, don’t throw things away that no longer seem trendy, because they will come back around. As long as you enjoy a trend and can still fit into it, there is no reason to give it up, just because the fashion gurus say it is no longer trending.

Image by suju-foto from Pixabay

Today’s post will cover a few of the trends I could easily get on board with. Some of these trends I already have in my closet and a few I might write on my thrift shopping list to look for the next time I go to a second hand store. I am including a variety of shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no additional cost. If you click on a link I get a few cents. I appreciate all your clicks.

Sweater Vests

These core layering pieces have been slowly making a comeback with a bit of a surge last winter spring. They are now on the radar for fall. I am glad. I like a classic sweater vest and think they can add so much to an outfit. Besides just adding a layer of warmth around your middle, they add texture and interest to any outfit from casual jeans and sneakers, to a shapely pencil skirt and heels.

Chunky Knits

Going along with the trend towards knit vests, there is the trend towards chunky, oversized knits. This would include pants, skirts, dresses and the like, but I know many of my followers would not be caught dead in a sweater dress or pants, so I am just including links for pullovers and cardigans. Some of the runway trends lean toward knits on steroids, which is definitely not me, so I will not be sharing those.

Fair Isle Sweaters

Another knit trend that is coming in popular this fall is the “Snow Bunny” trend or Fair Isle sweaters. This recognizable knit was popularized by the royal family in England in the 1920’s when Edward VIII wore his in public. Originally hand made on the island of Fair Isle, a somewhat isolated community north of Scotland, the original knit patterns donned wool hats and sweaters on fisherman, to keep them warm. See the article, History of the Fair Isle Sweater, for more information. While true Fair Isle sweaters are wool or at least partially wool, I’ve included some links for a few that are less itchy for those of us who can’t handle the wool.

Sequins and Sparkles

A girl can never have enough bling in my opinion, so when I saw sequins and sparkles on the trend radar, I thought how fun that can be. Whether you add it in big doses like a skirt, dress or top, or you add just a touch with a small clutch or the pocket on a tee, bling is a great way to jazz up an otherwise casual look.

Leopard Print and Faux Fur Coats

Leopard print is still trending and while the focus is on coats, don’t get rid of those leopard booties, sweaters and bags. I am on the prowl for a fuzzy faux fur coat this year, so I am going to put that on my Christmas list. I just found a leopard print, longer sweater while thrifting, so I will probably ask for my faux fur in a solid color.

The last two trends I want to look at I am going to include shopping links for accessories. I think these two trends are already in many of our closets, so I thought it would be fun to see what there is in the way of bags, shoes and other outfit add ons.

Quilted and Padded Textures

Most of us have a jacket, a longer coat, or at least a vest that has that puffer like quality. I have a number of vests, and a thrifted black coat that I use regularly in the winter. The quilted texture is a fun add on, especially in late fall and winter, when the temperatures plummet.

Highly Saturated Colors

I think most of us who are on the color wagon have multiple things in our wardrobes that fit into this category. Colors like fuchsia, violet, emerald green, royal blue, and bold orange come to mind when we think of saturated colors. Many people do not like deep, bright colors like these, but if you add just a pop here or there in the form of a pair of shoes, a scarf or some beads, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by them.

I hope you enjoyed this look at some of this fall’s trends and that you will take a few minutes to stop and shop. Maybe there was something in today’s post, that you thought, “That is just what I was look for to fill that hole in my wardrobe.” Let me know which of these trends you already have in your closet and which one you are going to invest in.

Until next time, have a great day!

20 Days of Christmas - Fairisle Sweater

Nothing says winter better than a Fair Isle Sweater. Fair Isle is one of the Shetland islands and it is from this area that the familiar pattern of knitting, using multiple colors came into play in the fashion world. The patterns became popular in 1921 when the Prince of Wales wore Fair Isle sweaters in public. You can see examples of true Fair Isle pieces by visiting this website, Mati Ventrillon. Her story is interesting and the pieces she creates unique and beautiful. It is is worth taking time to peruse her site. If you have the resources and are able to wear wool, one of these sweaters would be a once in a life time investment.

Obviously, my sweater was made on a machine at a factory and is strictly man made materials, but finding this Chap’s brand sweater at Kohl’s on the clearance rack last year was a win for me. I cannot wear wool, as it makes me itch and the price for one of Mati’s beautiful hand made pieces tops off at about $250. Since I don’t live on a chilly island north of Scotland, I think I’ll stick with my cheap fake. Ha, ha.

I was a bit at a loss this morning with taking pictures. My weekend was so busy and then I didn’t feel the greatest yesterday, so I didn’t get my pictures taken after work as I had planned. Frankly, I forgot. My brain has turned to its usual SAD slush! Ugg. Weeks of clouds takes it’s toll and while we had one sunny day on Sunday, one day is not enough to bring me completely out of the seasonal funk.

Anyway, it was so overcast this morning, I knew it was going to take more time than I had to get my camera to a setting that would take a decent picture outside, so I opted for my phone. Lots of these turned out fuzzy, so I apologize for the not so great photos.

Here is a close up of the pretty red, white and blue pattern. While typically that color combination is patriotic, on this sweater it seems more festive and Christmas ready rather than Fourth of July. I love the dark navy with the lighter more silvery blue and the red almost borders on pink.

This fun silver fringe necklace is one of my favorites and I like the way it pulls out the silvery threads in the sweater pattern. The other reason I like this necklace is if you get nervous or bored it is fun to fiddle with the fringe! Ha, ha.

Since I wanted to keep the outfit casual I chose to pair it with my silver sneakers which are a new addition to my shoe pile. I found these at a local department store on clearance. Today was the first time I wore them for a long period of time. They weren’t too uncomfortable, although by the time I was done shopping with my daughter at the mall, I was starting to feel a few spots that were rubbing. Oh well, I am sure they will still get plenty of use at my part time job and other occasions where I don’t have to do a ton of walking.

I think this works for a very casual Christmas outfit and the sweater could easily be dressed up with a cute pencil skirt or even a pleated skirt with heels. You could also go for gold, instead of silver for your accessories to change it up a bit.

One last picture just for laughs and of course this one turned out perfect! Ha, ha. Isn’t that the way of things?

I was looking out the window and saw a huge flat bed truck with a full load of wooden palettes doing a U-turn in the middle of our street. It was one of those, “All righty then,” moments. Ha, ha.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you own a Fair Isle sweater? Is this the type of sweater you would wear? I’ve included a few shopping links for a few that are more budget friendly. Remember, these are affiliate links. If you click on a link I get a few pennies. All opinions are my own. I appreciate your support, but even more than clicks, I appreciate your comments. I love to hear how I have inspired you or how you have taken a fashion trend or idea and made it your own. That is so inspiring to me.

Have a great evening.

Holiday Outfit - Casual - Jeans

Welcome to my series on holiday style. I hope that these next few weeks will take you from Thanksgiving through the New Year in creative and inspirational ways. I grew up in a family that rarely dressed up, except for church on Sundays. Holidays were typically ultra casual, in fact sometimes on Christmas we stayed in our pjs or most comfortable sweats all day long. When I got married and we had children our holidays were always spent traveling so that we could spend time with our extended families. Living out of a suitcase for a week was always a challenge, not because I couldn't fit everything in, but because I had to plan ahead! What was I going to wear on each and every day of our time away? And how was I going to look presentable, but still be warm and comfortable?

Now that I am a fashion blogger, I want to dress in a more festive way, but still stay true to my comfortable, relaxed roots. For this series I decided to take a look at three different approaches to holiday dressing, (No! I do not mean stuffing.) The first two weeks will look at a casual approach, the second two weeks a dressy casual approach and the last two weeks will be devoted to a dressy approach. I will follow that with a post on a New Years eve look. So let's begin.

Certainly all of you own a pair of jeans. Some of you may even own a pair of cropped jeans, and/or a pair of distressed jeans. Jeans are a part of my style routine. I wear them all the time, for work, play, dressing up or down and everything in between. Maybe you are not a jeans kind of girl. but whether you are or aren't you can create a casual style using the following simple guidelines.

1. Pick a pair of jeans or casual pants that you enjoy wearing. For this outfit I chose my Vera Wang cropped distressed jeans. Here is a cute pair from Lord & Taylor. You could just as easily choose a pair of mom jeans or a pair of skinnies and just roll up the bottoms for a similar, fun look. 

2. Pick a fun sweater. It doesn't have to be a holiday sweater. I think it is fun to wear something with a holiday motif after Thanksgiving, but until then, any warm cozy sweater will do and over sized is even better. Here is one from Old Navy, Nautica and Target. 

I found this fair isle sweater on the clearance rack at Kohls. It is amazing the treasures you can find on the clearance rack for just about any season. This is Chaps brand, which is on the higher end of what I like to spend, so finding it on clearance with a good coupon was a win. I tucked it away knowing I would be able to use it this winter. 

If you are not familiar with fair isle, it is a knitting technique that uses multiple colors to create patterns. This sweater also has some silver threads knitted in, so it gives the fair isle pattern some subtle bling. My fave and perfect for a holiday gathering.

As you can see I had a tank top underneath, but it works because the pinky red of the tank matches the pinky red in the sweater. I am always cold in the winter, unless I am moving around, so I like to have an extra layer or two, but more on that Thursday in my Layering Love series. Ha!

3. Add a few statement jewelry pieces. Jewelry can be such a wonderful outfit booster. A fun piece of jewelry can take an outfit from dowdy to divine.

This pendant was another Kohl's clearance find. The bracelet I found on my first visit to Chico's. The two matched perfectly to one another and to the light blue in this sweater. Plus the silver trim goes well with the silver threads in the sweater. 

This brings me to another style question that seems to often come up...to match or not to match? This really is a matter of personal taste. I personally love to have at least a little bit of matching going on in an outfit. I feel that it makes the outfit look polished and gives it a classic, pulled together feel, BUT that is just my personal taste. There are many fashion bloggers who take pride in not being matchy and do a fabulous job at it! Do what is best for you. After all that is what this blogging thing is all about, helping you find your own style!

4. Grab a great bag. Since red is big this fall, I couldn't resist pulling out this Arizona Jeans brand Buffalo plaid tote. A Penney's clearance purchase last year, I got this as a possible Christmas gift, but decided to keep it for myself. Ha, ha. Here is an adorable one from dressbarn. 

A tote bag is a great way to transport things, especially if you are going to visit family at the holidays. Whether you are going just for dinner, for the day or for an extended weekend, a large roomy tote will give your room for all your essentials, a few little gifts and that book you are planning to read in the car while someone else drives. Oh, and don't forget that water bottle! The holidays can be a hard time to keep hydrated because there are so many goodies and fun drinks occupying our hands 

5. Don't forget the shoes. Just because you are going casual doesn't mean you have to wear sneakers, although a cute pair of hi-top Converse would be perfect with this outfit. I chose my wedge heel ankle boots from Impo. Here is a very similar pair from Macy's. 

I love these gray suede boots. They are super comfy, but also stylish. I wear these over and over during the cold weather. 

This is a look that I will most likely be wearing over the next few weeks as the holidays begin. It would be a great casual look for a holiday gathering, movie night or a day out Christmas shopping. I hope the tips I gave you will help you come up with your own casual holiday outfit. 

I would love to hear about what outfits you came up with. Leave me a note about them in the comments section, or leave me a picture on my Facebook page. I'd love to see your looks.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Below are a few shopping options. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you buy an item through a link I get a small commission. All opinions are my own.