My Style: Pre July 4th Look

It is hard to believe the first full day of summer, the longest day of the year is already past and we are heading towards Independence Day, the 250th birthday of our country. When we celebrated the 200th birthday I was 12 years old and I do remember going to the parade and seeing fireworks. It was a big deal. No matter who you are, what you believe or who you voted for, I hope we all can set aside the negativity and simply enjoy the freedom and benefits we have living in the United State of America, and that for just a little while we can concentrate on all that we have to be thankful for.

Today’s outfit revolves around this idea of celebration of the red, white and blue.

I didn’t really want to go full on red, white and blue, so I chose olive green as the back drop for the rest of the outfit. I started with this Love in Faith tee that I purchased a few summers ago. If you have followed me for a while you probably know my love for this online retailer. They do not pay me to endorse their products, I just love their faith-based tees for their fun graphics, their soft material and their decent pricing. Here are a few of this year’s patriotic tees.

I wanted to keep the olive theme going so chose these thrifted Supplies cropped utility pants. With their zippered pockets and fun camo pattern they are a good summer alternative to white. Here are a few possibilities from Torrid, Chicos, and Walmart.

The next thing I chose were my shoes. I got these red, Comfortiva sneakers at a thrift store a couple years ago and I just love them as a fun alternative to white sneakers for summer. I found these for $1. It really does pay to check out second hand stores on the regular. You may not find exactly what you are looking for, but you might just find something you would have never tried otherwise. Here are some possible red options from DSW.

I also chose red jewelry.

At the last minute I decided to add a topper and chose my thrifted Ralph Lauren navy blazer. I might have chosen a lighter weight cardigan, but I was trying to get these pictures taken so I could get this post up for Tuesday. I like the juxtaposition of the classier, structured blazer with the more casual vibe of the tee, pants and sneakers, but I also wonder if the cardigan would have been a better choice. Oh well, live and learn. Here is a pretty one from Land’s End, Chico’s, and Kohl’s.

The last piece I chose was my Charming Charlie tote bag from a number of years ago.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like to dress up for holidays like the 4th of July? What kind of outfit will you be wearing for our country’s 250th birthday? I love to hear you thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

Thank you for all of your support, and have a wonderful week!

What I Have Been Wearing Lately

Hi everyone. It has been a crazy few weeks since I last posted on this page. Since I don’t have an outfit picked out for today, I thought I would just share a few of my Instagram outfits, just for some content until I can get back to regular posting. My spouse and I are making progress on his retirement, but it has been one roadblock after another. Who would have thought getting all the things in place for retirement would be a full time job, and a job without all the perks! Ha, ha.

A Little Bit Boho

Most of these outfits were put together for a monthly Instagram challenge, but I have also been trying to challenge myself to wear things I don’t regularly reach for. This tiered blouse was a thrift find a number of years ago. On the day I wore this it was chilly so I added a long sleeve tee underneath. The asymmetrical vest is older, but I bring it out every warm weather season since it is lighter weight.

Floral Midi Skirt and Denim Vest

This combo includes a Christopher and Banks skirt that I fell in love with before our brick and mortar store closed. I love that it contains so many fun colors and is light weight making it perfect for summer. On this day it was cool, so I added my Joy light weight sweater that I have had for a number of years, and a dark wash denim vest that I thrifted more recently. My Converse were also thrifted.

Wearing a Scarf a Different Way

One of the Instagram prompts was to wear a scarf, not around your neck, so I decided to used this square plaid piece as an interesting addition to my waist with a thrifted embellished tank top, thrifted gray jeans and my older Saucony sneakers.

Linen Pants Outfit

This look revolved around my striped linen pants. Linen is one of those fabrics most of us have a love hate relationship with. It is a marvelous fabric for the hot weather months, but it wrinkles terribly. Most people don’t worry about the wrinkles and wear their linen pieces with pride and less sweat. Others of us look for pieces that won’t show the wrinkles quite as much and these striped pants fit the bill. This is another Christopher and Banks piece that I have had for a while. For this outfit I paired them with a tropical print tee and a denim vest, also C & B.

Airy Neutrals

I don’t reach for my neutral pieces enough, but when I do I always like the way the outfit turns out. This prompt gave me the opportunity to wear this cute “fashion girl” tunic tee, the knit ruana, and the light colored Chico’s pants all together. The tee was thrifted, and the pants were a hand-me-over from my besties in NY.

Floral Button Down Casual Style

This pretty floral top is a recent thrift find. I fell in love with it because it reminded me of my mom. She always wore these types of collared button downs during the summer months along with her culottes. Due to my veiny legs I no longer wear anything short, but I made it my own style with my dark wash jeans and another pair of Converse sneakers. Yes, I do seem to be accumulating Converse, a shoe I never thought I would own! Ha, ha.

Striped Pants Outfit

I found these St. John’s Bay striped pants last fall, and I knew they would be perfect for the warm weather months. I wasn’t completely sure how I felt about them, but now that I have taken them for a spin around the block I love them and will definitely be styling them again for summer and maybe early fall. They fit great, have pockets, and a roll up hem. The one side is missing the snap to hold the tab in place, but I just used a safety pin to keep it in place. My top is a few years old and is Liz Claiborne brand from JC Penney. My Keds sneakers are also a few years old.

I hope you have enjoyed this look at what I have been wearing. These are outfits I actually wore. I post on Instagram almost every day, so these are definitely outfits that allow me to live my life.

I hope to get back to some regular posting in the next few weeks, and I will also give you an update on all the things my spouse and I have had to deal with. I appreciate your support, and hope you are having a fabulous Tuesday!