Outfits from a Short Trip

As I said last week, I wanted to show you this week how my outfits turned out that I packed for the trip to my mom’s. Most of the days I showered, got dressed and put on my make up, but Friday I spend cleaning my mother’s house: a job that needed to be done for some time now. Wearing all pink enabled me to not even think about how my pieces were going to go together. I already had it figured out ahead of time. That is the reason I like to have a theme or color(s) when packing for a trip.

Day 1: The Drive

I chose a comfortable pair of jeans with a good amount of stretch. My short sleeve tee is thrifted and I opted for the Christopher and Banks chambray shirt as a light weight extra layer. It was cooler and with the windows down this shirt was the perfect topper. I added my fun blue Converse sneakers which are comfortable and light weight.

Style Tip: Use a long sleeve button down as a light weight jacket. Rolling up the sleeves gives a little extra freedom and coolness. Add shoes that match your pants for a more elongated effect.

Day 2: Thrifting with My Bestie

I love the simplicity of the this outfit and the vibrant touch of color. No matter what is trending, florals are always in season, just like animal prints. Spring, summer, winter and fall, you can’t go wrong with a floral print. Everything I had on this day was a thrifting find, making it even more appropriate to wear when going thrifting with your best friend.

Style Tip: When deciding on accessories for an outfit with a busy print like florals, choose a statement piece that will stand out against the background using an accent color that appears in the print. For my outfit I chose a green pendant necklace with a bold silver chain and border around the stone. Also, don’t be afraid to wear fun shoes. I found these bright purple Sperry sneakers at the thrift shop around the corner from my house. They are a party for my feet!

Day 3: Birthday Picnic at the Park

Obviously I have a thing for florals. Ha, ha. I really needed to iron this blouse before wearing it, but who wants to iron? Once again, I chose my necklace according to a color in the print. I decided to keep to a shorter, layered piece to allow the beauty of the flowers and soft colors to show off fully.

Style Tip: When wearing a lower cut v-neck add a tank top with some sort of neckline embellishment that just peeks out the top for added interest and coverage. This also adds warmth in the cooler fall temps.

Day 4: Cleaning Day

This was my outfit after I spent about almost eight hours cleaning my mom’s house, then took a shower. Seeing as she just turned 96 and has become quite frail and unsteady, it has been a while since a thorough cleaning happened. My niece has been doing occasional cleaning, but she also has her own family, so is very busy.

I started at the top of the house with vacuum in hand and sucked down every cob web, and spider I could find. I did bedrooms, closets, the hall, down the steps, the back entry way, the laundry room, kitchen and living room. I also mopped and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. I finished by vacuuming the living room carpet. My mom was very appreciative and now she can have a little piece of mind.

Style Tip: Wear comfortable clothes while you clean and after. Ha, ha

Day 5: Company

This look was great for playing with the grand baby, and visiting with, not only my daughter and son-in-law, but another niece and her daughter and their pup, who stopped by to wis my mom a happy birthday.

Style Tip: You can be comfortable in jeans and tees, but still look neat and classy. Try choosing jewelry with a bit of sparkle and bling or a metallic toned belt to bring the look up a notch.

This outfit is another fave. It is comfy and classic. The floral tee is not bold and bright like Day 2, but is more delicate and whimsical in its print. Plus the message is so appropriate. I was also impressed that this necklace matched almost perfectly with the green and pink tones in the tee.

Day 6: The Drive Home

Once again, a comfy outfit for the ride home. Thrifted tee, and jeans, and back to my Converse. The pale pink sweater was just the right coverage for the last half of the drive as the temps went down.

Style Tip: If you like to wear tee shirts like I do in the summer be sure to choose ones that portray messages, graphics and movies or music groups that you identify with. I love tees that give messages of encouragement and hope.

So those were my outfits for my time away including my travel days. I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope you are having a great week.

Favorite Summer Patterns - Floral

I was going to do a post on what is trending for summer, but there wasn’t a whole lot on the list that really appealed to me and if I know my subscribers at all, most of it won’t appeal to you either. Things like bralettes and sheer fabrics, backless dresses and jumpsuits, mini skirts and halter tops have a place in the fashion world, but I just don’t think they are practical and this blog is about real life and real women, so if you prefer trendy attire, there are oodles of bloggers and Instagram accounts that cater more to those preferences. I hope that doesn’t deter you from following my blog, I just want to keep it real here.

Image by Shirley Hirst from Pixabay

Instead of doing a more trend oriented post for this 5th Thursday of the month, I thought I would share one of my favorite summer patterns. Florals, for a long time, were considered a pattern strictly for elderly women, but I have seen a definite move away from ageism and stereotyping to a more all inclusive thinking on patterns and clothing types for all ages. I have seen some rockin’ 70 plus women sporting mini skirts and crop tops and I have also seen some beautiful 20 somethings veering towards a more modest mindset donning floral patterns and midi skirts. I love the diversity of the fashion blogging world, because now almost anything goes.

Florals are everywhere and on everything. While this post is going to show you a few of my specifically summer pieces, I have florals for every season of the year. In fact, some of my favorites are ones in the darker, more brooding colors of fall and winter, but I couldn’t resist showing off a number of my lighter, brighter pieces that work well from spring, into and through summer.

Tees

Both of these tees were thrift store finds. Floral patterns on tees are an easy way to dress up an outfit. Just throw on some jewelry and your choice of bottom in a pair of shorts, jeans or a skirt and you are ready for a summer picnic or lunch with friends. You can find a plethora of floral patterns at thrift stores and whether you like small prints or large, I am sure you’ll find something suitable. I’ll include a few shopping links at the end if you prefer regular retailers as opposed to thrift stores.

Other tops

This babydoll top was a recent purchase at Maurices. I love the pattern, of course, but also the dark teal color and the tiered layers. It hides all my Covid weight gain. Ha, ha. This piece I can definitely wear into fall with a chunky sweater over top.

This sleeveless denim piece was a recent thrift store find. Denim and floral are two of my favorite things, so how could I not scoop up this pretty top?

Jacket

Once again, the combination of denim with floral is the factor that drew me to this thrifted piece. This is another one that will see wear, all year round. Often in the winter I will wear a jacket like this, just as an extra layering piece to keep warm. It will look great with a pale pink turtleneck, cream sweater or light blue long sleeve tee.

Maxi dress

You’ve seen this floral maxi dress make its debut appearance on the blog this past spring. You can see that post here. You really can’t go wrong with a maxi like this. Just throw it on, add a few accessories and maybe a shrug or sweater and you are all set for a date night with the hubby or a stylish outfit to wear to church.

Skirts

I have numerous maxi skirts and quite a few of them have some sort of floral print. I keep telling myself I need to get a few skirts that are just solid colors, but I am always drawn to prints. Both of these skirts are really good in any season. The one on the left is fully lined and the one on the right is LuLaRoe and a medium weight knit, so no need for a slip.

Pants

You can see how I styled these ankle pants on my Instagram post here. I need to think of some other ways to wear these. What would you do with them?

Bags

If you have been following me for a while, you know I love to style an outfit around a bag. The top one is a thrift find and the bottom one is Vera Bradley. I love the color combinations for both of these bags. Do you have a floral print bag?

Shoes

These are the only floral shoes I have, but I would love to get a pair of Keds x Rifle Paper Co sneakers. They have the cutest floral designs. I’ll include a few in the shopping links.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at some of my summer floral pieces. Florals aren’t for everyone, but everyone could certainly wear them. They come in all manner of colors, and sizes, and vary from realistic to abstract. Floral patterns are an easy way to jazz up an outfit and get inspiration for assembling an outfit right from your own closet.

I’m including a few shopping links for all things floral. I hope you enjoy shopping. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Have a lovely weekend. Stay safe and stay healthy.

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Yellow Iris, Rose Brown and Cuban Sand

Today I am featuring two colors I was not quite sure what to do with. When I began searching for these colors in my closet I was sure I wasn’t going to be able to find them. Rose brown is an odd color; not exactly brown, but not really pink, it has a purplish feel to it. Yellow Iris was another tough one for me. I don’t have a ton of pastels in my wardrobe. I like jewel tones and earthy colors, so this pale yellow was stumping me. I have a lot of yellow in my wardrobe; bright yellow, mustard yellow, sunflower yellow, and so on, but not a lot of pale yellow. While Sunlight from the New York palette had an almost light beige or tan vibe to it, this Yellow Iris is strictly a pale yellow. This is what I came up with. Let me know what you think.

I found this floral embellished tee first when looking for these colors. The flowers bear a close resemblance to Rose Brown. This is a thrifted Christopher and Banks tee. The Yellow Iris button up is a thrifted White Stag piece and while not quite as dark as the Pantone color is similar enough. The next pieces I had that were a light yellow were too yellow. Ha, ha.

I added this brown woven belt, because it has a bit of that Rose Brown vibe going on as do the two necklaces I chose. They are definitely a darker brown color, but different than a regular brown, and I thought they went well with the tee.

The gold in the longer necklace made me reach for my gold clutch. You can also see that I added a few simple seed bead bracelets to add a touch more of the Rose Brown color.

My white crop pants I have styled on the blog before. You can see them styled with a dress in another Pantone shoot here. These are a thrifted St. John’s Bay brand.

I looked up the difference between a caged sandal and a gladiator sandal and discovered that there really is no difference. Many gladiator styles come up higher on the leg, much like a boot and involve some sort of lacing, but both gladiator and caged sandals are basically an open style of sandal with numerous straps coming across the foot. They can be open toe, thong or closed toe in variety. The gladiator style ones I have on are Massini brand. I like that they cover more of my foot than a sandal with only a few straps. They also have a small block heel, which I think makes them a little more dressy.

What do you think of these colors? Are they colors you would wear? Do you have pale yellow, this purply brown in your closet? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I am leaving you with a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photos and graphic Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2020 - Flame Orange, Blossom and Cuban Sand

Today’s colors are bright and light and make me think of late night bon fires and light pink peonies. The classic color of Cuban Sand makes me want to take my shoes off and walk on the beach. The combination of these three colors together makes for the perfect summer look, complete with my own version of print mixing and boho vibrations.

This very casual look revolves around my bright orange Worthington pants from JCPenney. I have styled these slimming skinny trousers many times on the blog before. You can see them with a dress, a sheer summery top, a dark green cardigan, and a multi print scarf. They are such a different color from what I normally wear and I like that I have been able to use them for so many different outfits. The fact that they are skinnies makes pairing them with a dress a fun option that I never would have thought of before.

My fringe, asymmetrical, open weave vest has been on the blog before too. You can see it styled with a pair of checked ankle pants. Say What brand is sold by a number of stores including Kohl’s, Target and Macy’s. I am not sure that this brand is as popular any more. Here is a fun shot of me twirling. In the second picture you can see the print at the top of the vest and notice the print mixing.

My thrifted, floral Croft and Barrow tee was really the inspiration for the outfit. Seeing as it had the orange and the light pink, I knew I could make this work. I am a sucker for floral anything. It is an easy place to find inspiration for an outfit and you don’t even really have to worry about accessorizing if you don’t want to.

You can see my Blossom colored necklace in the above pic as well. Another way I wear it is to double it so it looks more like a layered piece closer to my neck. I also chose a few light pink beaded bracelets to go with the necklace and bring more of the blossom color out.

I went for my George bag again from Walmart. While it is not exactly Cuban Sand, the patchwork mix goes well with the tan colors in the top and the vest.

My little thong sandals were a thrift find a few years ago. I don’t wear sandals all that much, but I wanted to give you all a feeling of summer. I would wear them a lot more, but I am very self-conscious about my bunions and my varicose veins. I know, I know! Get over yourself. Ha, ha. I’ll keep trying to push myself out of those boxes that confine me, but on the other hand we should choose to wear what makes us feel good about ourselves. Right?

What do you think of these colors? Do you have these in your closet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I love hearing your ideas.

I am including a few shopping links just for fun. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Thanks for following along on the blog.

Photos and graphic by Rebecca Trumbull.

Denim Daze 2.0 - Denim Jacket

The final piece in my Denim Daze series is a denim jacket. I have several denim jackets, all of which I love. For as long as I can remember I have liked denim jackets. Just like moto jackets, to me they seem cool and tough, but done up the right way they can be feminine and flirty. I own a simple jacket that has no embellishments in a light wash. I also have a cropped one in a medium wash that I have styled on the blog many times. A few others include a white, a light wash with white eyelet stripes and an orange one. This week I am featuring a newer one I acquired from Christopher and Banks. The characteristic that drew me to this one, was the embroidered detail.

I wanted this outfit to be casual, but still clean and fresh. These pinstriped light weight ankle pants are thrifted and Gloria Vanderbilt brand. They have become a go to summer option in my closet, when I want a little more coverage, but not the heavy weight of regular denim.

I thought this floral Croft & Barrow tee from Kohl’s went perfectly with the colors in the embroidery of the jacket. This tee was a recent purchase and has longer short sleeves and a medium weight. I love the cute pic on the front. If I had the time, and was more disciplined I would love to have more of a garden, a bit like an English garden with loads of different kinds of flowers that have some sort of uniform messiness to them.

Here is an up close of the embroidered detail. I can see wearing this into the fall with colors like rust, and maroon.

In keeping with the blue theme of my outfit, I opted for blue accessories. This cute cross body bag was gifted to my by my younger daughter for Christmas. I love the gold zippers and fringe detail.

Since I was on a floral kick I pulled out my floral SO flats. If you follow me regularly you know I love these flats and have them in four different colors. They are comfy and easy to get on and off.

I also wore a simple heart necklace with a pink stone. This was the perfect finishing touch.

Do you like to wear denim jackets? How do you like to style yours? What sort of washes do you have denim jackets in? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or two below.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links, which means when you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my post, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. Have fun shopping.

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.