Winter Trend - My Take on Color Block and Shearling

The trend of color block isn’t new. It has been around for a very long time. Some attribute the inspiration for color blocking to Piet Mondrian, an artist who used dark lines and bright colors to form paintings with block like components in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. In fact, in 1966, Yves Saint-Laurent designed a line of dresses called Mondrian dresses, after the work of the late artist.

Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay

Often when color blocking is done, it follows a formula of sorts, where one color will be paired with an opposite color from the color wheel, creating a bold, bright outfit that really stands out and makes a statement. You can easily make your own color block outfit by combining solid colored pieces from your closet.

I am not a huge fan of color blocking, because I love patterns and textures so much. I did, however, find a beautiful color block sweater when my girls took me out birthday shopping, so that is what I built today’s outfit around.

I bought this glam brand, color block sweater at Eden Fashion Boutique. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to try it on. It is so soft and cozy. We have some below freezing temps coming down the pike and I know I will be wearing this to stay warm. I also like the drop shoulder sleeves and the more neutral color tones. I’ve included a shot of the back. As you can see the back is a little longer than the front.

My cognac colored pants are another pair of thrifted jeans. They are Michael Kors brand. I like the color and feel it is one of those colors you can use for all seasons.

You can also get a closer look at my thrifted Unisa wedge heeled shearling boots. I have not really had the opportunity to wear these for anything other than the blog, but they are so cute, I can’t stand the thought of letting them go. For now they still have a home with my many other boots. You can see the fun side decorative gold zipper and the shearling trim in the next picture.

You can see how I styled these on the blog with a fringe vest, and with a floral dress.

My thrifted, leather, Fossil bag is making another appearance in this post. This bag is so durable and goes with everything, plus it is a cross body bag which is my go to when I am going out shopping.

The only jewelry I added was this necklace which was a clearance purchase when I made my Christopher & Banks store closing run. I love the peachy coral colors on the beads. This will be a nice piece for spring and summer.

You noticed that these pictures were taken inside (sorry about the glare on my glasses). I just didn’t have the energy to trudge out into the snow with the camera in tow and take pictures. My incision is starting to heal, and it occasionally hurts a little. I have no complaints, because I think the doc did a great job getting rid of my little fatty tumor, but I decided to take it easy this week, until my appointment on Monday for a recheck.

Here are a few other posts I did, that show off how you can do color blocking with solid pieces from your wardrobe. These do not follow any particular formula as far as colors go, but you get the idea. If you don’t particularly like print mixing and have lots of solid colors in your closet, this is a great way to create outfits that are colorful, fun, stylish and trendy.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am including a few shopping links for you to enjoy. Have fun with it. These links are affiliate links and are brought to you at no cost. If you click on a shopping link I get a few cents and if you purchase something through my links, I get a little bit more. Think of it as a way to get yourself something special and buy me a cup of tea. Ha, ha.

Have a great day everyone. Be sure to check back Thursday for a post on how you know it is time to get rid of certain pieces in your wardrobe.

Photos in photo grid Rebecca Trumbull.

Winter Trend - My Take on Bold Checks

While I have always loved plaid for as long as I can remember, my affection for checks has come about more slowly. When I was younger I always thought gingham was meant for tables, not clothing. I thought it was silly to wear checks. Wouldn’t someone think I looked like a table cloth, or a cutesy picnic ground covering? As gingham evolved and grew, the types of clothing pieces adorned with a gingham pattern grew as well. Dresses, blouses, and now, even pants, tees and all manner of accessories can be found with these colorful little checks.

The checkered pattern has evolved over time and the popular pattern Buffalo Plaid really had its time this past holiday season. Perhaps that is partially due to the fashion trend that I am talking about today, that of bold checks. The idea of bold doesn’t necessarily refer to its color, although that is certainly part of what makes this pattern so fun. Bold references the check itself which is big and makes a statement, no matter what color it is.

My outfit today centers around a bold black and white piece that is perfect for the cold days still ahead of us. I would not wear this as an outer piece except, perhaps in the cooling days of fall. My thought is to wear it as a a layering piece for when I am at a coffee shop or even at home. Being a writer means I am often sitting for long periods of time and I do tend to get cold, so a piece like this is perfect for taking the chill off.

This black and white checked ruana is a heavier weight flannel. I honestly don’t remember where I got this, and I don’t know what the brand is, but it might have been Kohl’s on the clearance rack a few years ago. If you don’t remember what the difference between a ruana and a kimono, here is a quick refresher. A ruana is one piece of material cut into a t-shape. It typically has no sleeves, but simply drapes over the arms. A kimono is usually a longer t-shaped piece with side seams and sleeves. A ruana might be a little more like a poncho, except you don’t put it on over your head.

Here is a back view. You can see that this particular piece hangs a little longer in the back than in the front.

I decided I wanted to do something other than my typical jeans, so I went for a skirt. The fact that it was a denim skirt is a reflection on my love for this sturdy material that literally goes with everything. I’ve styled this stretchy pencil number on the blog before. You can see it style with a tee for a casual look, and with a asymmetrical tunic for a more dressed up approach. This was a thrifted piece and is a brand called NoFazeJeans.

My white sweater with the tour Eiffel on it is Elle brand. I like the texturized picture, which seems to be made out of something like velvet. I thought it was the perfect piece to go with the bold, checked ruana.

I thought the look would be cuter and more winter appropriate with knee high boots and black tights. Funny story. I bought these tights at Kohl’s and the way they were sized I ended up getting a plus size, because you know how tights and hose can be. I mean, it really is like trying to cram sausages into those skinny paper straws. Well, I thought I was safe with the size I chose and when I unfolded them from the package they were plenty long and the part at the top seemed plenty stretchy. When I went to put them on, it was hilarious. The top is very stretchy and they are very long, but the spandex ended when they got to the actual leg part of the hose. I could barely get them up past my knees. I managed to struggle into them and luckily the stretchy part at the top was also long enough that it stretched around my chubby thighs. It is absolutely ridiculous! Those tights were made for a very tall person with extremely skinny legs. No lie! They were not made for an average size girl, let alone a plus size one! Ha, ha.

These old boots, I have had for a while and are a brand called Rialto. I have worn these over many winters and about two years ago, the soles started separating from the rubber bottoms of the shoes. My hubby got some Shoe Goo (yes it is a real product) and glued them back together. They are showing a lot of wear, and I probably won’t be wearing them when it is really wet out, but I’ll get a few more years out of them.

My bright yellow bag was a birthday gift from my younger daughter. It is a simple tote bag, and I love the color. I was thinking about making this my go to bag for my writing stuff. It doesn’t have a label, so I have no idea what brand it is, but it will be used.

I added a few gold items for jewelry. A couple of gold bracelets and this fun large link, gold and black chain.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like the bold checks? Do you have bold checks in different colors? I’d love to hear what’s in your closet!

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

Winter Trends - My Take on Quilting

I have always loved handmade quilts. I think they are beautiful testaments to the women who work on them, tirelessly sewing, piecing together and creating a work of art in the form of a wall hanging or full sized quilt for a bed. When we went to the fair, back when that was allowed, I used to love to visit the hall where all the quilts were displayed. I always thought it would be cool to be part of a group of women who worked together to create these masterful pieces.

The winter trend of quilting is, once again, more present in outerwear, than in every day clothing. However, I wanted to show you something other than my quilted outerwear vests, so I reached for an older piece that for some reason I do not wear very often and a new piece that I just got. The blatant truth is, I have way too many clothes and one of these days I need to really pare things down, but for the time being, I would like to wear more of the things that I don’t wear as often.

This jacket is a new purchase from Christopher & Banks. It was marked down and then had another percent off. I like that it is light weight and on the day I took these photos it was quite cold and it kept me toasty warm. The shiny, olive green color was a nice addition to my outerwear wardrobe and this is a jacket that I will be able to wear fall, winter and spring when the temps are still cold. It appears, that Christopher & Banks, while closing all their brick and mortar stores, is still going to have on online presence. I know they still have these available on their website, so check it out.

The other quilted piece I want to show you is the gray vest I have on underneath the coat. This vest is also a Christopher & Banks purchase, but from a number of years ago. The quilting detail is much more intricate and unique on the front portions of the vest.

My fun printed pants were a recent thrift find from when my girls took me thrift shopping on my birthday. I saw these on the rack and I have always had this thing for plaid pants. I threw them in my cart thinking there was no way they’d fit, but why not try them on. I was so happy that they did. These are a brand called cabi jeans. Once again, a brand I am not familiar with, but they are a current online retailer, so you can check out their website here.

I will be able to use these jeans all year round and I am already thinking of spring outfit styled with a chambray shirt.

The next photo shows, not only my beaded necklace, but the gray, Worthington turtleneck sweater I wore under the vest. There is nothing like a cozy turtleneck to keep you warm in the winter months. This was the same one I styled a few weeks ago in my post, A Dickens’ Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come.

The only other accessories I had besides my beads were my faux suede boots and my gray convertible bag. These navy SO ankle boots have been on repeat this winter since I purchased them online from Kohl’s. My Evan Picone bag was a thrift find. I like that it can be carried as a top handle tote bag and also as a smaller cross body bag.

Do you have any quilted pieces in your closet besides the comforter you throw on the bed? Quilting is hit or miss. Most of us have heard of Vera Bradley and I almost pulled out one of my tote bags, but it didn’t really go with what I was wearing. I do like many of her things, but it has to be the right pattern and style for me and I usually just look for them at thrift stores. I’ve included some of her products in the shopping links.

What did you think of this outfit? Would you wear patterned pants like these? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

I’m including a few shopping links, for all things quilted. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I apologize that there are not more varied sizes available. I think a lot of things are selling out.

Winter Trends - My Take on Puffer Outerwear

Once again we are overrun with puffer outerwear. Puffers vests, and coats are all the rage this winter and the reasons probably include the colors, styles, warmth, and price points. You can find reasonably priced puffers at almost any department store. With the end of season sales soon upon us, be sure to shop your local faves, in store, or online, to get what you are looking for. I had a few things to return to Kohl’s earlier and since my hubby gave me a gift card for Christmas, I did a little shopping. The junior’s department had the cutest puffer jackets and I really wanted to scoop one up, but I don’t really need another coat. Ha, ha. I ended up with a pretty pinstriped orange blazer, a pair of floral pants/joggers for spring, a cute sweatshirt and a scarf. I still need to try everything on, since the fitting rooms are still closed, but if the pieces fit, you will be seeing them eventually on the blog.

I’ve styled this neutral puffer vest on the blog before. You can see it with an olive tee and jeans. I have had it for a number of years. It is a brand called StyleWorks Sport. I honestly cannot remember who used to sell this brand. It might have been Sears, but I don’t recall.

I decided I liked the combination of gray with this more neutral tan, so I added my thrifted, striped, thermal, Sonoma long sleeve tee. That is a long description for this one piece of clothing, but that tells you everything about it. Being thermal, it is a heavier weight so a warmer layer for the colder weather.

My jeans are my well worn Rock & Republic jeans from Kohl’s. Do you have a favorite brand of jeans you like to wear? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

To add a little fun to the outfit, I added both a longer pendant necklace and my faux fur leopard print infinity scarf. This is a thrifted piece I love to wear, because it is so warm and soft.

My thrifted boots are by Guess. One of the drawbacks of buying boots and shoes that aren’t make with real leather, is that they often wear out quickly. When I got these about two years ago, they looks brand new, but now they are already showing signs of wear. Still, I like them and will keep wearing them with a distressed look. Ha, ha.

This bag was a Christmas gift from my daughter. I love the expensive bag look. It is a little heavy, but holds all my junk in a more organized fashion and I can carry by the top handles or as a cross body bag. The brand is Aidebam and can be found on Amazon.

How many of you have some sort of puffer outerwear; either a vest, coat or jacket? I have a few items that are quilted and not true puffer pieces and I’ll show you that next week. I hope you liked this post. Let me know your thoughts in the comments. As always, I love to hear from you!

I’m including a few links for puffer jackets and vests, so if you are looking for something take a few minutes to check out the links. These links are presented at no cost to you. They are affiliate links, so if you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my link I get a few more pennies. Thanks for supporting me and my little blog.

Have a great weekend.

My Intro to Winter Trends - 2020/2021

I know that the current winter trends have been on the market since last fall, but as I have said before, I am not one to jump on the early trend band wagon. We have plenty of winter left here in Northwest Ohio and I am sure, many other northern areas as well. While we don’t have snow, we definitely still have temperatures in the 30’s, so our sweaters, long sleeve tops and boots are still going to see plenty of wear. In addition, seeing as how I am living in the land of eternal gray skies, I need a motivational boost for getting out of bed, and into clothing that doesn’t resemble pajamas.

For today’s post, I am going to talk about a number of trends that I find interesting, and I will show you samples of each trend via my affiliate links. If you see something that looks fun, just click on the link and it will take you to the retailer, where you can purchase it. These are affiliate links. I get a few pennies for each click you make and a little bit more if you purchase something through my links. All opinions are my own. My hope is that the next few weeks, I can show you what these trends look like by giving you posts of outfits from my own clothes.

Patchwork - This is a fun trend that seems to come around every so often. I wouldn’t want a whole closet full of patchwork things, but I think a few things, make for a more fun wardrobe. I especially like the bags and shoes.

Puffer Jackets and Vests - These might not be your first choice for outer wear, but there is something to be said for these warm pieces. The puff needn’t be overly voluminous to keep your warm. There are many thinner, packable versions that offer toasty warmth as well.

Quilting - This technique is very similar to the puffer style when it comes to clothing, the only difference is in the pattern and the amount of filling. Once again, you see this trend most specifically in outerwear.

Bold Checks - If you like plaid, you might also like the more structured print of checks. I love Buffalo plaid, which is really just a checkered pattern and we have been seeing a lot of it this fall and winter. I especially like the checked white and green skirt below.

Bohemian Chic - There are many things I like about the Bohemian style of dressing and this winter Bohemian Chic is trending. The Boho vibe is not for everyone, but a little dash of Boho in a blouse, a bag or just in the details of a piece of jewelry or an accessory can really make an outfit more interesting. I think one of the reasons I like it, is the bright, pretty colors and patterns.

Color Block - This is a style that seems to always be around, sometimes lingering in the background and other times pushed to the forefront of what is trendy. I decided to put this one on the list, because it is not something I do. Wanting to try new things and keep my content fresh, I am going to give this a try.

Shearling Trim - Shearling trim is a fun, textural addition to any winter wardrobe. Just a little bit can make your outfits extra cozy and cute.

There are a few more trends that I hope to give mention to, when I show you the actual outfits. I hope you enjoyed this quick look at a few of the winter trends that I like. I’m getting off to a little bit of a slow start, but hopefully next week, I’ll have a few outfits back up on the blog. Until then, have a great week.

A Dickens' Christmas - The Ghost of Christmas Present

If you have seen any of the more recent versions of A Christmas Carol, the Ghost of Christmas Present is the one that exudes the festive, living presence of the holiday season. In both the George C. Scott version and the Muppet Christmas Carol version the being known as the Ghost of Christmas present is a jovial, boisterous giant of a character who escorts Scrooge on a tour of Christmas day. The day is filled with food, singing, gift giving and game playing. The joyful Ghost, shows Ebenezer a day made even more beautiful by the love of family and the generosity of his fellow man.

When I began thinking about how i wanted this outfit to look, I knew I wanted it to be bright and colorful. I wanted to present Christmas as a joyful celebration full of life and beauty.

Once again, the Toledo Botanical Gardens provided the back drop for our pictures. They have the entryway into the park so festive and pretty.

Everything in this outfit is thrifted, except for the necklace and boots.

My skirt is another LuLaRoe piece that I found at a thrift store just around the corner from me. It really is a little too long and a tad too big (I rarely have that problem…ha, ha), but I love the floral pattern and it seemed perfect for representing the spirit of Christmas.

My daughter was playing around when she was editing the picture and added a smattering of festive green bubbles.

I found this fabulous Tommy Hilfiger red corduroy jacket at one of our local Goodwills. I haven’t really had a chance to show it off, until I thought about this outfit. I definitely wanted to stick with the more traditional Christmas colors of red and green, so this jacket and the lighter green Sonoma v-neck were a good combination.

I found this long, sparkly, fringe pendant necklace at a thrift store as well. You can’t see it real well in this picture, but the beads have a sparkly, iridescent quality. The picture below, shows you a closer look at the textures of the necklace, sweater and jacket.

You’ve seen this faithful leather, Fossil bag on the blog numerous times. I need to find a smaller wallet to use with this purse, as my current one is too big.

I wanted comfortable boots with this festive outfit, so I chose my suede Massini boots that I found on clearance at Meijer a few seasons ago.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think it represents the Ghost of Christmas Present and all the symbolism that goes with it? I thought it exemplified the idea of life, celebrations and festiveness; all the things that the Ghost of Christmas Present is fond of.

I hope you enjoyed this post and are enjoying my movie inspired outfits this month. It has been fun to see what sort of outfits I could come up with.

I am including a few shopping links to look over. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a wonderful day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.