Pantone Autumn/Winter 2022: Lava Falls, Amazon and Arctic Wolf

Here we are, once again, looking at another color palette from the Pantone Color Institute. For the next few weeks I will be concentrating on the New York colors. In the past I have tried to give you both palettes, but with changes in life, so too come changes with the blog. For now, I want to bring you the New York palette which was where the institute was founded in 1962. From the Pantone website it looks as though the London palette was added in 2017.

For this look, I wanted to combine the bright red of Lava Falls with the energetic green of Amazon and see if I could come up with an outfit that didn’t look like I was getting ready for a Christmas get together. Let me know in the comments if you think I pulled it off.

My Lava Falls flag tee was a thrift store find this summer. Unfortunately, I didn’t have it washed to wear for Independence Day celebrations. When I was pulling clothes for this series, I saw the tee and thought, why not. Our gratitude for our country and our freedom shouldn't be restricted to one or two days a year, just like Thanksgiving shouldn’t be the only time we dwell on what we have to be thankful for.

This Amazon green sweater was new from Christopher and Banks a few years ago. I love a longer cardigan like this for fall, and an open front cardigan has no buttons or zippers for things like coats or bags to get caught on. Most of the time, I leave my cardigans open anyway to show off the top underneath, so an open front piece is a great choice.

Arctic Wolf is a creamy off white and these thrifted Gloria Vanderbilt pants probably tend towards a little more gray where as the actual Pantone color has more yellow undertones. However, you get the idea and when it comes to the color cream, off white, ivory or whatever title you want to give it, they are all in the white family.

For accessories I went with black to go with the black stripes on the flag. My black bag was an Amazon purchase a few years ago and is Aidebam brand. My sneakers are new to me, a thrifted pair of Vans high tops with a fun floral design.

For jewelry I added a simple choker pendant. I found this at a thrift store and love the pressed flower look of the pendant.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear them together, or do you think red and green are strictly for Christmas? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

I’m including a few shopping links for items in similar colors. These are affiliate links, which means when you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site, I get a little bit more. I appreciate each and every click.

I just tested positive for Covid yesterday, after my hubby tested positive on Friday. Our two friends who came for the weekend have also tested positive. I feel so bad, but here we are. I would appreciate good thoughts and prayers, as with my asthmatic condition it puts me in a higher risk category. Thank you everyone!

Have a good week and stay healthy.

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Past

Today’s outfit draws its inspiration from Charles Dickens’ ghostly apparition of Christmas Past. Before the visitation of the three ghostly characters, Scrooge is visited by the ghoulish presence of his former business partner in life, Jacob Marley. Jacob warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, for the hopeful purpose of his redemption. The first of these paranormal beings makes their appearance when the bell tolls one.

The idea of drawing fashion inspiration from a ghost, might seem a stretch of the imagination, but I do like a challenge. If you have watched a version of A Christmas Carol, you probably saw the Ghost of Christmas Past as a being dressed in white garments, sometimes shining and sometimes in an unearthly, ethereal manner as if floating and flowing in some unseen breeze. Two of my favorite movie versions of A Christmas Carol are the 1984 drama with George C. Scott, and the 1992 musical, The Muppet Christmas Carol. Surprisingly, the Muppet version stays fairly true to the original tale by Charles Dickens. Both versions are filled with amazing scenery, typical old time London and excellent veteran actors, (the Muppet version stars Michael Caine as Scrooge).

We often shy away from white in the colder weather. It has long been a color we wear in spring and summer. Obviously, things have changed immensely over the last decade, especially as more and more women have access to fashion blogs and more reasonably priced clothing. White is now a year round color choice. It stands true to reason, that if we live in colder areas in the winter, our white pieces will have to be compatible for those frigid temps. This is where layering, fabric choices and textures all come into play.

My daughter and I didn’t have a lot of time for pictures, so we went, once again, to the Toledo Botanical Gardens. They have so many interesting sculptures, garden areas and small buildings used for various events. These metal arches provided the perfect backdrop for an other worldly vibe.

When I started thinking about an all white outfit, I knew that most of my pieces were not a true white. Not everyone can wear a crisp white near their face, but most people can pull off an ivory or a cream. All of these pieces, except the scarf, have more of a cream, or ivory tint to them.

My long, Apt. 9, chenille sweater was a piece my daughter was getting rid of. It wasn’t really her style, so when I saw it, I took it home, figuring I could always just wear it around the house as a cozy topper for casual days. As I thought about how to make this outfit look flowing, but also updated and fashionable, I knew this sweater would be perfect.

The blouse I have on under the sweater is a recent thrift store find and will be more useful in the warmer weather, but the color went well with everything else. The brand is called Mango, and when I saw the embroidery on it, I knew it was calling my name.

I also added this white scarf from The Jacket Society, that I bought a few years ago. You can’t see it in this photo, but the scarf has tiny silver threads through out, so I thought it added an extra element of texture and shine.

The silver snowflake pendant just seemed appropriate for a ghostly, Christmas outfit.

I chose silver for my accessories, to represent the shimmering appearance that many of the Ghosts of Christmas past seemed to have. Perhaps the shimmering details represented good memories from Christmases long ago; or maybe the light represents the idea that we can learn from our past, thus becoming better people. Whatever your interpretation of the details, I think silver looks very pretty with white.

My silver, sparkly clutch has been a regular on the blog. My SO ballerina flats are from Kohl’s.

My cream colored St. John’s Bay corduroys have been around for a few years and were an original purchase at JC Penney.

I really like this outfit. It is something I would feel completely comfortable and warm in and could be worn to a special Christmas outing or just a family dinner, where I don’t have to do the cooking. If I cooked in this it wouldn’t be white anymore. Ha, ha. Here are a few other fun pictures from our shoot.

The wind was helping me look a little more ghostly. Too bad we didn’t have fog. Ha, ha.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you think I pulled off showing how taking inspiration from the Ghost of Christmas Past translated into a chic, modern look that could be worn to work, out on a date or to a Christmas concert?

I’m including a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Be sure to stop back on Thursday for another Christmas movie inspired outfit.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Chambray Dress - Look #3

This is the final look from the sunflower fields at Hirzel Farms. My Massini chambray dress has proven to be a versatile piece and very easy to combine with accessories and toppers to create new and different looks. I think you could do a similar thing with any solid colored dress. For today’s outfit, I wanted to show a look that was more ready for fall.

This pretty, open weave sweater was a clearance find from Kohl’s. I have a number of Liz Claiborne pieces and I really like the feminine, lacy look of this cardigan. The sweater has no closures, which is fine, but what I have noticed is if the piece isn’t folded or hanging just so, the front tends to fold back. I solved that little problem by adding a small brooch to keep it closed and laying flat.

I added the leaf print scarf as another way to add interest. The colors of the sweater and scarf were very similar, so I like how this looks. This is an infinity scarf, which I like when I don’t want to worry about how to tie it.

Since the leaves on the scarf are black, I added this recently thrifted Scarlton bag. Amazon has a lot of these vegan leather bags. I have many purses that are not real leather. They are sufficient for looking nice and serving the purpose a purse serves, but what they don’t do is last. I have several real leather bags that I bought second hand that look brand new. Many of my non leather bags start showing signs of wear after only a few seasons. We’ll see how this vegan leather bag holds up.

My ankle boots are my old, trustworthy, Sonoma suede boots. The neutral color was perfect for this look.

What did you think of this outfit? Do you have a chambray dress, or any other solid dress that you could do looks like these? Leave me some love in the comments.

Here are the three looks side by side. Which one is your favorite?

I hope you enjoyed these sunny pictures. It was fun to take pictures with these yellow beauties. Isn’t God’s creation amazing?

I am including a few shopping links, so be sure to take a look at those. These are affiliate links, so every click you do gives me a few pennies. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Wearing White - White Sleeveless Sweater

As I shopped my closet for white pieces to use in this series, I realized I have some pieces that get worn more frequently and this sweater tank is one of them. I will pull this out time and time again, when I want something that looks more classy to wear with nice pants or a skirt. With that in mind I paired this top with a multi print skirt that I have had for a long time.

This sweater tank is a thrifted piece and I have had it for a long time. What drew me to it was the beaded embellishment around the neckline, which you will be able to see better in a later picture.

I just love the motion in this picture. My daughter and I have been working to get a little more variety in our shoots. It isn’t anyone’s fault, other than life being very busy and just trying to fit photos in around both of our schedules. For this shoot we went to one of the metro parks in our area that is along the Maumee River, called Farnsworth Metropark. All of the parks along this stretch of river are just gorgeous and make a great back drop for pictures.

This skirt was thrifted from many years ago and I hang onto it, because I love the swing of this a-line piece. I also like the pattern. You can’t see the colors too well, but there are greenish blue stripes mixed in with the white ones. Seeing as it is a light weight skirt, I don’t wear it much in the winter, but it is the perfect weight for a transitional outfit from summer to fall.

Once again, when I think about transitioning to fall, I think about layers. For this outfit, I wanted to bring in a more muted fall tone, so chose this sweater I found on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx. A simple open front cardigan, I think it adds depth and warmth to this more crisp and cool look.

Trend Alert: One of the trends for fall is layering knits. I found this rather amusing, because I’ve been layering knits for years. Ha, ha. I was trendy and didn’t even know it. Layering knits just means wearing knit type fabrics with other knit type fabrics, so go ahead and layer your knit shells with your knit cardigans, or your knit turtlenecks with your knit v-neck pullover sweaters. Obviously, if you are in the throes of menopause you do not want to be layering anything, let alone, heavy knits, otherwise layer away.

I found this white lariat type necklace on clearance at JC Penney. I like that it is both a choker and a longer necklace all in one, and that it is not the typical metal or beaded chain. The white piece is cording and every little way along it are a cluster of beads with the whole piece ending in two large green beads at the bottom.

I thought a retro vibe would be appropriate with this skirt so chose my chunky heel shooties which are thrifted Naturalizers. These are easy on and off due to the elastic inset on each side. I have found that shoes with these elastic type insets are very comfortable. You can also tell a good quality shoe, as I have had these for a while and they shoe very little wear.

I chose this very simple cross body bag to match the shoes and keep things sleek, rather than going for a bulkier bag. I got this on clearance at Meijer.

Of course things wouldn’t be complete without a goofy photo. In this one, my daughter was trying to direct me to hold my arms closer to my sides and look cozy. I ended up looking a little bit more like deranged. Honestly, I don’t listen to directions very well. Bah, ha, ha.

Other, than showing my silly side, what do you think of this outfit? Is this something you would wear? How would you change it up to make it more your own? I’d love to hear your ideas. I learn from you, just like you learn from me. It’s all good.

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

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Eva Trends - Verdant Cardigan

The word verdant means green with grass or other vegetation or of a bright green color. Today’s featured piece from Eva Trends is just that, a piece reminiscent of the first greens of spring. Who doesn’t look forward to those first green buds of spring after a long, cold winter. While this winter, so far, has been an exception to the usual winters we have, I still look forward to when the cold, drab days, loosen their grip and spring once again claims the land. In the mean time, this sweater is the perfect piece for a cold winter day.

The Verdant Cardigan is a heavy weight sweater made of a cellulose based fiber knows as Viscose. Viscose is not a completely natural fabric such as cotton or silk, but is also not completely man made. The mateiral is plant based and results in a silky, soft fabric used in the manufacture of various clothing pieces as well as upholstery. The resulting fabric hangs well and provides a heavy weight perfect for sweaters or coats.

There are many fun features about this open front cardi besides the material itself. It has pockets that are woven right in, meaning no fear of things coming unattached. The pockets are square and roomy.

Another fun detail is the stitching on the front and sleeves. The back is plain. The length is perfect for office wear or just for a cozy night at home.

For this outfit I decided to put the pretty green sweater over my plaid top from Christopher and Banks. I added my Chico’s slimming pants, my SO olive booties and my Charming Charlie tote bag. The silver and coppery bead necklace finished the look.

This is a very pretty cardigan and I really like it. It will be great for cold, winter days at the office and at home. My only caution is that the sizing runs small. This is a one size item and if you are bigger than a size 12, I would not recommend this particular piece. However, Eva Trends has many other good options, so be sure to head over to their site and do some looking.

If you are interesting in purchasing anything from Eva Trends, if you used the code AC15, you’ll get 15% off your entire order. Their website is filled with fun, eclectic, artistic pieces and I am sure you can find something there to suit your tastes. Just keep in mind their sizing runs a bit smaller than normal.

The Verdant Cardigan was gifted to me. I was not paid to feature these pieces, and I do not receive compensation if you purchase something through these links, but you do get the discount for me featuring their product on my blog. All opinions are my own.

I hope you enjoyed this post and this outfit. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. I so appreciate you ladies that regularly comment on my blog. You always make me feel special!

Have a great Tuesday and be sure to check back tomorrow for my Faith post, When Our Thoughts are a Train Wreck, and on Thursday for my final Eva Trends piece.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Spring Colors: Lilac Gray and Peach Echo

This is the final installment in my Spring Color series using the Pantone 2016 Spring color palette. I decided to get brave and do a bit of pattern mixing with this outfit. The open front cardigan is black with a lilac gray pattern. Seeing as I got this at a thrift store, I was excited that it had that color and matched the Pantone Lilac Gray perfectly.

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Photo Credit: Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen

The sleeveless blouse I got two years ago at J.C. Penney. The peach echo elephants are outlined with a lilac gray, bringing the two pieces together. The lilac gray bag, also from Penney's shines with gold chain on the handles, which also matches the gold buttons on the blouse.

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I added a pair of black leggings, an orange/peach long necklace which I looped twice to make it shorter, and a pair of gray swede booties from the clearance rack at DSW.

The outfit is comfy, casual but dressy and the layers are light, making it a great combination for a spring day or a summer evening. It also might look great with a belt around the cardi and the blouse accentuating the waist for a different look.

Shop the Look (similar pieces):

Printed Open Front Cardi - Kohl's -$49.00; Macy's - $44.99

 Blouse - Kohl's - $24.99; Chico's - $65.00

Black Leggings - Kohl's - $38.00

Gray Booties - DSW - $119.95; $49.95

Bag - J.C.Penney - $59.40; Kohl's - $39.99

Necklace - Impressions Online Boutique - $24.00; Chico's - $49.00

Seeing as I am still new to this blogging game, I want to apologize if my selections do not do justice to the original outfit. Many of my clothes are bought from thrift stores and I try to find pieces that will give you the same look even though they are different. Also, I encourage you to find inspiration in my outfits, rather than copying a specific look. If you have certain stores you like to shop at, peruse their racks and online sights for similar items. Instead of a printed open front cardi, maybe you find a solid steel gray button up cardi that you love. The point is to find your fashion "real" look. That look that makes you feel confident and special. I am here to give you ideas, to inspire you to be beautiful and unique, not make you a carbon copy of me. Please don't do that, one of me is enough! Ha, ha.

Next week will be little different as my photographer/daughter is not always available to take my pics, so you might be getting a little lower quality photos, but my goal is the same, to encourage you to feel and dress like the actual woman you are. Until next time!

Today I am linking up with Jess at Elegantly Dressed and Stylish for Turning Heads Tuesday.

All Photos by Rebecca Trumbull, Makeup by Rachel Christensen