Dreamy Dresses from Closet52 - The Doily Print Dress

Closet52 is on a mission to give all women affordable, quality made dresses at reasonable prices. Based in New York City, they provide dresses for work, everyday and special occasions. Their line of affordable, quality made dresses includes swing styles, a-line, sheath, maxis and more. Join me today as I style the Doily Print Dress.

This dress is all about the print. I love the fun doily pattern. If you are older, like me, then you probably had doilies around your home growing up or perhaps they were in your grandmother’s house. I always love the lacy look of a doily under a lamp on a side table or dresser. These are much more colorful than the creamy white ones I grew up with, but they definitely give the dress a lacy look.

I am very impressed with Closet52’s fabrics and details. The dress is a medium weight (polyester/spandex blend) which gives it movement and swing. This one lays very well and I did not have to worry about wearing a slip. The other detail that impressed me about all of the sleeveless dresses I picked out was that the armholes were the perfect size for me. Often the sleeveless arm holes on a piece will be too big, revealing my bra, or so small they feel constricting.

Another fabulous detail on this dress is the tie at the back of the neck. Easy on and easy off make this piece perfect for a summer party, event or dinner out after a day at the beach. The material will pack well and the fun pattern will translate into all seasons. I am already thinking about how I could add tights and ankle boots in the fall, or a blazer and skinny jeans in the winter. I love when clothing pieces have that much versatility.

For this look I simply added a few of my own elements, including a necklace, bag, combat boots, and a jacket.

There are so many ways you could style this dress from amazingly simple to wonderfully elegant. Add a pair of flip flops or sneakers for ultra casual. Add a fancy topper and heels for a night on the town. If you are looking for a dress be sure to stop by Closet52. Styles range from cute to elegant, and sizing includes regular, petites and plus size.

If you are looking for a dress be sure to stop by Closet52.

Photo credit Jessica Trumbull @ Rebecca Trumbull Photography.

This dress was gifted to me by Closet52. All opinions are my own.

Spring Outfit with Bright Blue Pants

I thought I would come up with another outfit using my thrifted, bright blue, Ruby Rd. pants, since I was just talking about them on Tuesday. It was a beautiful day, so I managed to snap a few pictures for this post. They are never as good as my daughter’s pictures, but that is okay. This is real life, right? I never want to come across to you all as having it all together. There are so many bloggers and people who post on Instagram and it is easy to feel like we don’t measure up to their fabulous outfits, looks, or homes, but I know reality. It is messy, hard, busy and many times overwhelming. So I am trying to be as real as possible and not so great pictures are my reality, and so is my wide bottom. Ha, ha.

I wanted to create a look that was casual with just a touch of sass. My Star Wars tee belonged to my oldest daughter and she didn’t want it any more. I’m all for fun graphic tees and certainly am a Star Wars fan. I am actually a bigger Star Trek fan, but Star Wars is a close second.

Funny story about my thrifted silver belt. I chose the silver belt and my silver SO ballerina flats to jazz the look up a little bit, and it went with the silver lettering on the tee. When I went to pull the belt through the first belt loop a ton of the silver flaked off. I had silver dust all over my pants and my rug. Needless to say, I threw the belt in the trash when I was done with the pictures. I was disappointed, as I had great plans for that belt. Oh well, like I said, real life.

I’ve styled this thrifted, white, Sanctuary, jean jacket one other time on the blog. You can see how I styled it with a leopard print skirt. This jacket is not truly denim, it is a thicker cotton material, but doesn’t have the same characteristics of denim. However, I really like it and it is a good piece for the warmer weather and something different from the traditional jean jacket.

I didn’t take a picture of my little silver clutch, but you have seen it on the blog before. I chose it because it went with the belt and shoes. I do like things to match, but it is okay to not have things match as well. Many of our old fashion rules have gone by the wayside. I always go back to the idea, do what is best for you. If you like things to match, then make them match. If you want to wear purple shoes, carry a red bag and wear a green belt, you go girl! As bloggers, we are only here to give you inspiration, not tell you how you have to dress.

I want to know if you have gotten yourself a pair of bright blue pants? Ha, ha. Actually, they are a little hard to find, but if you thrift shop, be sure to check there. Thrift stores will often have loads of brightly colored pants, because they are no longer trending.

I hope you enjoyed this post and one more idea on how to style those bright blue pants.

I’m including a few shopping links just for fun. These are affiliate links brought to you at no added cost. If you click on a link I get a few cents. I appreciate every click. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2019 - Toffee & Mango Mojito

I am continuing my Pantone Spring/Summer - 2019 series with two more fun colors called Toffee and Mango Mojito. I was glad to see this lighter brown on the palette this year. Usually brown doesn’t show up until fall and often it is more of an orangey brown, so this brown is a perfect neutral. I absolutely love this pretty yellow and I think the name is perfect. It makes me think of sunflowers and sunshine and what could be more reminiscent of summer.

I didn’t really have anything that was this particular brown. As I have said before, when I talked about Brown Granite in the last Pantone post I did, I like brown, but it is not something I have a lot of in my closet. For this Toffee color, I decided to use my Worthington leopard print skirt. Animal prints are still in, so hang onto your snakeskin, zebra and leopard.

When I saw this Apt. 9 tee at a thrift store, I chose it for the color alone, not realizing how perfectly it would mimic the Mango Mojito color. Then when I chose the skirt, I knew this tee would be the right piece to pair with it.

As with any outfit, accessories can make everything even better. I’ve had this thrifted white jean jacket by Sanctuary, for a few years and pull it out every now and then for the warmer weather. I thought it was the perfect topper for this outfit.

I kept my other accessories simple and earthy in keeping with the leopard print. A black pendant necklace, a beaded bracelet and my woven basket bag with black trim seemed the perfect accompanying pieces for this outfit. Do you own a basket bag? They are fun, and much more versatile than I once thought, especially in the summer.

I decided to wear these thrifted loafers to keep the look more casual. You could easily take this outfit up a notch by adding a sweater instead of the jacket, a sparkly clutch and heels, along with some jewelry with a bit more bling. As is, it is a nice outfit for work.

We had fun taking these pictures inside a local mall that is no longer a “normal” mall.

What sort of photos do you like best? Outdoor or indoor? I’ve always been a fan of natural light, but I think these indoor shots are kind of fun, don’t you?

Do you like these Pantone colors? I think Mango Mojito is one of my favorites. I know not everyone will like it, because not everyone can wear it, but remember, you don’t have to wear a color that’s not really good with your complexion, you can always carry it in the form of a bag, wear it on your feet, or even tie a scarf in the color to your purse.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links, which means, when you click on a link, I get a few pennies. All opinions are my own. Thanks for all of your support. If you know someone you think might enjoy my blog, be sure to tell them about it. If you aren’t already a subscriber, please subscribe. It keeps my blog going.

Have a great week.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Ordinary Amy - White Denim Jacket

I have always loved denim. Traditional blue denim is still my favorite, but I also love colored. Today there are so many wonderful colors of denim to choose from. What is it about denim that I love so much? 

When I was growing up, I lived in the country. We had a good sized yard and fields all around, as well as a creek behind the house that my brothers and I used to traverse, fish, catch turtles and frogs in and ice skate on in the winter time. Being that I was a tomboy, my clothing pieces of choice were jeans and tees, or sweatshirts in the cooler weather. When I got my first denim jacket I thought I was the coolest thing around. Even now, slipping into a denim jacket always makes me feel like a girl who can take on the world. Denim is tough, and durable and that is how I feel when I wear it. It helps that denim today has spandex and other stretchy fabrics in it, to make it comfortable as well. 

My jeans are my new loves! They are Rock & Republic brand from Kohl's. My favorite part are the zippers. Ha, ha. I know! It's the simple things. In addition they are extremely comfortable. Everything in this outfit is thrifted and obscure brands except the gray Keds, the jeans and the jewelry. 

The jacket is Live - Life by Sanctuary, which seemed to be available at Sears and K-Mart stores in the past. Sanctuary does have its own website, which you can visit by clicking on the name and they also have pieces at Nordstrom, Macy's, and Anthropologie.  

This no name tee, is a bit big, but it is comfy and casual and sometimes that is just what I need. You can see that I am not overly done with my make up. I always put make up on, but sometimes in a more simplistic and minimal way. 

I added this Cold Water Creek woven bag for a pop of color. I love the texture of it. Here is a fuzzy close up. I wasn't on my photography game when I took these. 

My good old Keds! 

Jeans and denim are great for those days you just want to be comfortable, but still want to look put together. 

How about you, friends? Do you like denim? Is a denim jacket one of your go to items, or you more of a sweater kind of gal? As always I love to hear you thoughts. 

I've included a few shopping links for other Sanctuary jackets. None of these are the traditional denim jacket like I have on, but they are cute! 

Have a great weekend everyone!