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. 

Pantone Spring 2018 - Spring Crocus, Almost Mauve and Little Boy Blue

This is already week four of my Pantone Spring 2018 series. You can check out the previous weeks' posts by clicking on the links: Week 1, Week 2, and Week 3. This week I am featuring the colors: Spring Crocus, Almost Mauve and Little Boy Blue.

Since my daughter and I have to arrange time to get together for photos, we often shoot as many outfits as we can fit in at a time. If you follow me regularly you already know these pictures were all shot on a wintery day. Not very spring like, but then spring is taking its sweet time to make an appearance this year, so I guess this is appropriate. 

I found this Chaps maxi skirt on the clearance rack at Kohl's back in January. When I began looking for pieces for this Pantone series, I thought the flowers on the skirt were a good representation of both Spring Crocus and Almost Mauve. 

My NY & Co tee is also Almost Mauve. I tucked the tee in to give more definition to my waist and topped it with an H & M Harbor Mist cardigan. Pantone has included four classic foundational colors with their palette this year, which serve as a great way to keep an outfit from getting too overwhelmed with color.

I decided to add the Little Boy Blue color as a bright pop against the floral back ground. It makes me think of a sunny blue spring sky. The crossbody bag is Rosetti brand. My SO flats are also blue and probably a tad bit closer to the actual Little Boy Blue color. 

For jewelry I wore a necklace and bracelet with light blue colored beads and silver embellishments. 

Here are a couple of pictures of me being cold! Ha, ha. Don't I make the goofiest faces? I have always thought I could mimic Lucille Ball and some of her funniest looks. Sound like a future blog post.

The things we do for the blog! Ha, ha. This was the last picture we took outside that day, so the next three weeks you'll see indoor pictures. We had had enough. 

I hope you enjoyed this look at three more of the Pantone Spring 2018 colors. Which one do you like the most? I really love Spring Crocus, but Almost Mauve makes a great neutral that can be paired with almost any color. Little Boy Blue will be great color for the transition from spring into summer. 

I've included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few cents if you click on a link. I really don't make any money on this blog, but your clicks will add up, so that maybe in the future I will. I appreciate all your support. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up by Rachel Christensen. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. 

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Ballet Slipper and Neutral Gray

This week's color combo is a blend of soft shades of pink and gray. When I first saw the Pantone Fall 2017 color line up for both London and New York, I was surprised to see light pink featured on both palettes. Looking back I now realize that blush, which is all the rage right now, really is a very light version of pink. Light pink seems to be another neutral that can be paired with just about any color. For this look I chose to pair Ballet Slipper with Neutral Gray.

I really am in love with this neutral combination. There are so many shades of gray out there, think names like oxford, charcoal, heather and steel. The beauty of this gray is in its ability to go with any other color. It really is a neutral. I personally don't wear oxford gray very often. I feel it is too light. Steel gray is sometimes too blue and charcoal can be too dark for some people. Neutral gray seems like a perfect go-to choice when looking for a gray to pair with any color.

I put this outfit together thinking it would be a prefect choice for a work day. The Neutral Gray crop pants from New York & Co. are fairly light weight and work well for these still warm days that we are having here in the mid-west. I've styled these before here and here. 

To capture the Ballet Slipper pink I found this Neiman Marcus silk sweater set at a thrift store a few months ago. This is one reason I shop thrift stores so often. I would have never shopped Neiman Marcus as they are way above my pay grade, however I was able to find this beautiful set in a trending color for only a few dollars and it is in great shape. I have never had a sweater set before, For some reason they never appealed to me, or maybe I thought they weren't my style. However, when I saw this and then felt its smooth softness, I knew it would be the perfect addition to my wardrobe. 

To give the outfit more of a fall feel, I decided to add a bag and necklaces that herald a coppery orange color. 

Once again, I chose my SO ballet flats. For work I almost always wear a flat shoe. Heels just aren't as practical for moving heavy textbooks. Here is the same style and it comes in a variety of colors at Kohl's.

What do you think of these colors? Do you think they are too summery or do you feel they work well for a transitional outfit?

While we tend to move toward darker colors for fall, I think it is important to remain open to new ways of looking at our wardrobes and the colors we are used to wearing for each season. Either one of these colors would pair well with the rusty oranges, deep wines or dark pines that we are used to seeing in the fall. Be creative and try pairing your pink top with those burgundy skinny jeans. Or pull out that chunky neutral gray sweater and wear it over a dark green pair of leggings. You'll suddenly find you have even more outfits than you thought. 

I always appreciate your comments. Be sure to leave me some love below. Also check out my Instagram and Pinterest pages too. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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

InVESTments: Wearing Vests in the Summer - Long Knit

An open weave vest is perfect for summer because it allows air movement. Whether the fabric of your vest is yarn, lace or some other material, having perforations, or open weave will keep you cooler than a vest of the same material without the holes. 

This week's look was based around a long, open weave vest that I featured last fall in my Pantone series. You can see that look here in the post Potter's Clay. For this week's outfit I decided to pair the vest with a pair of crop pants, a button up short sleeve top and accessories. 

Everything in this outfit except the sandals and the jewelry was thrifted. These plaid Sonoma ankle pants are a combination of colors we usually think of for fall: brown, tan, orange and black. However, the light weight of this chino type fabric makes me think summer. To keep the look summery under the clay brown knit of the vest I chose a bright orange New York & Co. top that suggests more peaches and cream than pumpkin. This orange perfectly compliments the orange in the pants.

The above two photos show you more detail of the open weave of the vest. I love the fringe on this vest. It adds length, but also adds a fun bohemian vibe to the outfit. 

I added a gold stretch bracelet and a simple pendant necklace that I picked up at Meijer on clearance. I wanted the focal point of the outfit to be the vest, so I kept the accessories minimal. 

The cute black clutch and St. John's Bay block heel sandals complete the look. 

I know it might seem silly or at least not very practical to layer on a long vest in the summer. However, there are times and places for everything. For example, this would be a great outfit for work. Let's face it, most work places are overly air conditioned and usually you have no control over where the temperature is set. Wearing these layers will give you extra warmth without giving you extra weight. Also, this vest and others like it can easily take an outfit from day to night just by switching out a few things like shoes, your bag and jewelry. Exchange those black block heels for a pair of nude  or blush heels, add a blingy clutch or cross body and layer on a few long gold chains and you are ready for dinner and the dance floor. Ha, ha.

I hope you like this post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. I know you are very busy, but your comments help my blog to grow. Also, check out my Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram. Once in a while there will be different things featured on those. As always thank you for your support.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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

Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

InVESTments: Wearing Vests in the Summer - Asymmetrical Hem

I have always liked to wear vests. I know for some women, vests just aren't a piece of clothing they consider wearing. Today, however there are so many more options. Rather than the structured denim and stiff cotton fabrics of my childhood, vests come in all manner of materials, lengths and styles. In this series I would like to show you a variety of vest types and ways to style each of them for the summer months.

This week I am featuring a vest with an asymmetrical hem line. Asymmetrical means that the hem is not the same all the way around. This vest is shorter in the front and longer in the back. This vest is Say What? brand which can be found a numerous retailers including Target, Macy's and Kohl's. I know I found this on clearance, but I actually can't remember where. Ha, ha. My brain just isn't what it used to be! 

The looks in this series will revolve around a more casual style. This outfit would be perfect for work.

For this look I wore a pair of checked ankle pants that are New York & Co brand. Here is a cute polka dot pair. 

I wanted to keep the palette a soft neutral so I chose an off white Faded Glory tee that I've had for a few years. Here is a cute lace front one from Walmart. 

For accessories I just threw on a couple of beaded necklaces that drew in the soft pinks, grays and tans of the vest.

I found this bag at one of my favorite thrift stores called Savers. The brand is New Directions which is found at the retailer Belk. Here is a similar one currently in stock. I bought the bag because I loved the soft hobo bag styling and the buttery rum color. I'm sure I'll be using this in the fall. 

You've seen these cute SO flats before that I got at Kohl's. I loved them so much that I ordered two more pairs, a light blue and a floral. They will probably show up on the blog sooner or later! Click here to see these and many other colors. 

The open weave of this vest makes it a perfect addition to a summer outfit, but I can see styling it with long sleeves, skinny jeans and boots for fall. Do you like vests? How do you like to wear yours?

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a shopping link below, I will get a few cents. I appreciate all the support you give to me. I wouldn't have a blog without subscribers and readers like you. Thank you!

All opinions expressed are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee in the Spread the Kindness link up. Wednesday linking up with Sara and Hannah of The Perfect Storm. Linking up with Jo-Lynne Shane in the Fashion Friday link up.