Pantone Spring 2018 - Rapture Rose, Palace Blue and Harbor Mist

Once again, this week, I am featuring two more Pantone Spring 2018 colors from the London palette, along with another of the classic colors, Harbor Mist. Rapture Rose is a bright pinkish red that adds a perfect pop of color to any outfit. Palace blue evokes a feeling of royalty and will add a classic element that says regal, complimenting any style. Grounding the whole look is a soft, light gray reminiscent of mists coming off the ocean. 

My sleeveless top, doesn't quite match the Pantone color, but it is clearly a mix of pink and red, so you get the gist of the idea. My Palace Blue cardigan is from Christopher and Banks. 

Someone was over visiting while we were taking pictures! She's such a ham!

My trousers are Lee brand, and have a classic fit. I use this pair more often in the summer for work, as they are lighter weight. Here is a pair from Kohl's and a pair from Macy's.

You've seen this NY & Co. bag on the blog before. I thought the blush color was a good compliment to the brighter pink and blue, as well as the gray pants. 

For jewelry I went with gold accents on my necklace and bracelets. 

I thought my Comfort Plus heels by Predictions were a good work wear option. 

I think this outfit is a good option for a work day, especially if you work in an office. It shows confidence and style, as well as comfort and ease. The bright blue sweater is a great option for summer, when many places are overly air conditioned. Although, the way our weather is going here in the mid west, it might be August before we have to turn the air on. 

What do you wear to work? Would you be comfortable in an outfit like this? Do you like these colors? I'd love to hear your comments.

Here are a few more pics of my grandpuppy, Beatrice. 

i've included a few shopping links. These are meant to serve as inspiration for you, as well as provide an easy link through which you can shop. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few pennies when you click on a link and a small commission if you purchase something through my site. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style and Jacqui of Mummabstylish. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Layering Love - Christmas Outfit Two Ways

Since Christmas is just a few days away I thought I would show an outfit with a Christmas sweater. The Ugly Christmas Sweater movement has given way to a whole Christmas trend. You can find Christmas sweaters that  are bright, colorful, stylish and absolutely gaudy. Ha, ha. This one I am wearing I got at Christopher and Banks a few years ago. 

I like the simplicity of it, yet with its bright red color, reindeer and snowflakes, it still says Christmas. I added a pair of creamy white corduroys to keep the outfit warm and cozy. 

I decided on silver or gray accessories. My small hobo bag is just right for a wallet, keys and a few things like lip gloss and tissues. I also decided to go simple with my pendant necklace and silver bracelet.

I thought my gray high top Converse would also be the perfect shoe to wear with this outfit. 

For a more dressed up look I added a gray vest with bling, Swapped out the jewelry for items with a bit more shine and changed the bag to a patent leather red clutch. I also exchanged the Converse for my gray heels. 

Here are the looks side by side.

One outfit, two ways, just by making a few small changes. It's that easy. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas. We will be doing some traveling, so I will be out of my regular posting schedule, but I will try to post a few things about our trip. 

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by the blog. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Holiday Outfit - Dressy - Skirt

Christmas is less than a week away. Every year I have a hard time wrapping my head around how fast the holiday season comes upon us and then passes us by. I have a busy week, but I am trying to keep my blog posts three days a week, even through this holiday time. 

Once again I am looking at a dressy holiday outfit. Today I am showing you how you could take a plain skirt and dress it up for a more formal look. Again, I chose a monochrome palette. You certainly don't have to choose monochrome for a formal look, but it really is an easy way to make an outfit look classy. I chose gray for this look. I know gray is not a color many people would choose, but gray can add a touch of elegance without going as stark as black. The beauty of gray is that it comes in different shades from  neutral, to light to a dark charcoal. 

I love this pretty red bush that was behind my daughter's apartment complex. It was the perfect backdrop for this holiday outfit. 

I found this gray pleated skirt at Kohl's on the clearance rack. It is Apt.9 brand. I saw this skirt last spring when the new season started and I just loved it, but I didn't want to pay the full price. Being a thrifter, I have the attitude that the price is more important than being what I'll term, trend timely. All that means is I am willing to wait on a piece that is more trendy to pay less. That's just me. Before I became a fashion blogger I never paid any attention to the trends, so I figure I am doing better, in that I follow trends, even if I do it later than when they first appear. Here is a pretty metallic one from Macy's.

Once I decided on the skirt I tried a few different tops with it, but settled on this gray Loft short sleeved sweater with pleated, ruffled collar

I added the Worthington drape for warmth and to add softness. Even though i only used gray for this outfit, changing the shades of gray (no pun intended) makes it more interesting 

The jewelry I am wearing I've had for some time and thought it went well with this gray palette. 

My little gray clutch is a brand called Urban Expressions. Here is a pretty red one from DSW. 

These gray pumps are Comfort Plus by Predictions. They are cushy and the heels aren't too high. Here is a different brand, but similar look from DSW. 

What would you wear to a formal holiday event? I'd love to have your input. 

I hope your week is off to a good start and that you are ready for the holidays. Remember to take some time for yourself. You are the only you there is and you are beautiful!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Beautiful Blogger Bests - Cute Top, White Jeans, Skinny Scarf, Heels!

This month I am featuring a lovely lady who has been blogging for over ten years. Starting with a blog that was geared toward The Musings of a Housewife (her original blog name), Jo-Lynne Shane has narrowed her focus to style and fashion. Her blog, Jo-Lynne Shane: My Life and Style, is widely visited and subscribed to by thousands of women looking to learn about fashion. Jo-Lynne is sweet, intelligent and giving. A woman of faith she shares her life with her husband (also her photographer), three children and a dog.

Jo-Lynne terms her style as "casual chic". I love her casual, comfortable, yet totally put together looks. The post I chose to reinvent was from March 15, 2017 and is titled, Bell Sleeve Top and White Jeans with Floral Skinny Scarf. 

You can either click on the title of the Jo-Lynne's blog post above, or click on her picture and it will take you to the original post, where you can read it in full and leave her some love! What I love about this look is the comfort aspect. The top is not tight and binding, yet Jo-Lynne did a fabulous job of looking so chic and put together. The pop of pink of her heels and the cute neck scarf are the perfect accessories. The outfit is balanced, not being over or under done.

For my outfit, I didn't have a bell sleeved tee so I opted for a  Sonoma brand peplum tee instead. I found this tee on the clearance rack at Kohl's. Here, here and here (plus size) are some very cute versions.  My white crop pants are an older version from Christopher and Banks. Here is a similar pair, but in an off white. They are having a pretty good sale right now too, so take a look. 

I have a bit more going on in my outfit with the stripes on the tee, but I tried to tone down my accessories, so it didn't seem too busy or out of balance. 

Instead of tying the scarf short around my neck, I let the oblong pieces hang which allows for some print mixing. While the colors do not match, the yellows and browns in the scarf go well with the oxford gray of the top.

Jo-Lynne's blush bag looks so good with her bright pink shoes and the pinks in the scarf. I decided to carry this goldenrod yellow Elle bag which draws out the yellows in the scarf. As far as I can tell, Elle does not make handbags anymore, or at least not for regular retail. You can find a number of Elle bags on Poshmark, an online thrift store. 

Like Jo-Lynne, I kept my jewelry minimal, since the scarf adds visual interest around the neck. I wore a simple beaded cuff bracelet that picks up the browns in the scarf.  

This outfit would have been fun with bright yellow heels, but I don't have a pair in my closet. Ha, ha. These gray ones work just as well. DSW has a great selection of pumps. Here is a cute pair of Clarks, My shoes are a Payless brand called Comfort Plus. You can check those out by clicking on the link.

Be sure to hop on over to Jo-Lynne's great blog. She has her own board on my Pinterest account, because I love so many of her outfits. 

There are two reasons I started this Beautiful Blogger column on my blog. The first is to exposed my readers to some other really awesome fashion bloggers. The second is for purely selfish reasons, their sense of style gives me more inspiration to look great and feel confident. 

Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today. Have a great weekend. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style. Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jo-Lynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up,