Outfit Inspiration - Pinterest Fall Fashion

Right now is a great time to look to Pinterest for inspiration for fall outfits. There are so many outfit combinations complete with fall colors, textures and accessories. I don’t know why I haven’t used Pinterest before this to find inspiration for an outfit. This pin is from my Pinterest board titled Fall Fashion. I wanted to find something that would be a subtle shift from summer to fall, to provide both the colors and layers we often associate with this wonderful season.

I decided to give you a three for one deal today too. Instead of just showing you the original Pinterest inspired outfit, I thought it would be fun to show you two additional outfits I came up with as I was getting out my camera to take pictures. The only changes I made were the outer layer, bag and shoes. You’ll see how easy it is to come up with multiple combinations using the same two pieces.

Outfit 1 - The Pinterest Copy

Yes, there is a huge, red stop sign behind me and yes, my tee is wrinkled. I am going to blame it on the pretty bird bling. Of course I didn’t realize it until after I had taken the pictures. The joy of taking my own shots.

I am a huge fan of striped shirts and have many in my closet in just about every color. I have short sleeve tees, long sleeve tees and sweaters. For this outfit, I decided to choose a thrifted, short sleeve, J.Crew tee since it is still fairly warm during the day. I also love the embellished bird on this piece that I found thrifting. When I find a unique piece like this I grab it. It is just a step above ordinary. Of course with the sweater on, you can’t see it as well, but in the warmer part of the day, I will probably have the sweater off.

For an outfit like this any pair of skinny jeans will do. In fact, you don’t even have to wear skinnies. A pair of boyfriend or bootcut jeans would work just as well and give the outfit a totally different vibe. These jeans are a.n.a brand. I wear these all summer long. They are stretchy and the cropped length is perfect for warm weather. In fact, I usually wear them turned up, but as fall approaches, the ankle length is just right.

My cognac colored sweater is an old thrift find and is a brand called Maison Jules. It is a soft waffle weave and while I can button it, I usually just leave it open, for more of a fly away look. It has a bit of a high-lo hemline and side slits.

I’ve had this bronzy cross body bag for a while. I think it is a nice color for fall.

For shoes, I chose my white Keds, since the Pinterest outfit was styled with white sneakers.

Outfit 2 - Utility Jacket and Booties

For this next look, I simply swapped out the sweater for an olive, utility jacket. This one is St. John’s Bay from JCPenney. You could use any color utility jacket. I have a number of these, ahem…just like my striped shirts…ha, ha.

You can see I also swapped out my white sneakers for my olive, SO ankle boots. In addition I changed the small bronze cross body bag for this large mint green tote. I added the checked scarf as a pop of color and if it was extra cool, I could put the scarf around my neck.

I took these photos all at the same time of day, with pretty much the same settings, so I am not sure what happened to these. I was sort of misting out, so I don’t know if the weather conditions had anything to do with it.

Outfit 3 - Plaid Jacket and Combat Boots

My final ensemble was chosen for the cooler temps that will soon be upon us. I love this plaid jacket with sherpa trim I got at Maurices at the end of last season. You can see how I first styled it on the blog in a similar look here.

My black bag was a recent thrift store find. I had been looking for a black one and this Scarlton tote was perfect.

Once again, my Seven Dials combat boots are featured. I have used these frequently on the blog, since I got them. You can see them styled with a dress, a plaid skirt, distressed jeans, a denim skirt, and black faux lace pants. I like to give you the links to these previous posts, so you can see how one piece, like a jacket or a pair of boots can be used over and over again.

Here are the three outfits side by side.

Do you have a favorite? It is fun to see what combinations you can come up with for different pieces in your wardrobe. These are all looks I would return to again and again. I would call this a formula that works for me. A pair of jeans, a striped tee and then some sort of top layer in the form of a sweater, jacket or other topper. You could do the same thing with a graphic tee.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I am working on the Fall/Winter Pantone series, so hopefully I’ll have that for you soon. I also want to apologize to any of you who have sent me personal emails over the last few months that I may not have responded to. I love to get your emails, and please don’t stop. I get so many emails that I tend to not keep up very well, so if you have emailed me, I am sorry if I have not gotten back to you. I am going through my in box now, trying to clean it up a bit, so hopefully it won’t happen again. All of you are important to me and it means a lot when you take the time to comment on the blog or send me a little personal encouragement. Thank you so much and please don’t stop!

I’m including a few shopping links for you to peruse. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Since there were so many options I’ve included a number of links, so feel free to click and shop.

I hope you had a good week and have a safe and happy weekend!

Actual Amy - Tiered Navy Skirt

Today’s Thursday column revolves around outfits I would be likely to wear. What I would like to do with this column is give you some explanation behind my outfit choices. Not only does this help me to be more thoughtful about what pieces I am putting together, but it also helps you as you think about the pieces that are in your closet.

Today’s look is what I would call dressy casual. What makes an outfit fit this description? I believe it is a combination of what types of pieces are worn and how they are accessorized. While we don’t usually think of something like sweat pants or torn jeans as being dressy, there are certainly ways we can make them looked more dressed up.

With this outfit, I think the tiered skirt, the button up and the tee could all be dressed up or down. Pair the skirt with heels, a silk blouse and a blingy bag and you’d be ready for a show. Layer the tee under a blazer, with nice dress pants and heels and you’d be ready for the office. The button up could be worn with a cashmere sweater in the cooler weather, with nice skinny jeans and boots and it could be date night. I have learned to try not to divide my wardrobe into casual or dressy. I believe there are all manner of levels of casual, dressy casual and dressy between the stay at home in your jammies look and the heading to the Oscars look.

I just recently found this pretty, navy blue, Chaps tiered skirt, while thrifting. I really am a sucker for tiered skirts. Why is this me? Part of it is, I like to cover my legs, due to my veins, but I have liked the prairie skirt idea ever since I can remember. I always thought the long dresses of days gone by were so unique and different, whether plain, like the women living on the frontier or the frilly, decorative dresses of the nobility. I am also a bit of a boho girl, and to me a prairie skirt just seems to have a certain hippy quality about it.

There is definitely something fishy about this JC Penney button up from a few years ago. Though this top is not silk it has a certain soft, silky quality to it. I chose this top, because I decided I wanted to go for a more monochrome look. There is just something classy and slimming about an outfit with one main color scheme.

My white, v-neck tee underneath is Time & Tru brand from Walmart. Walmart, Target and Kohl’s are great stores to get basics like short sleeve and long sleeve tees.

Rather than tucking the top in and adding a belt, which would have made the outfit more polished, I chose to tie the tails at the waist. Just that simple choice of tying, rather than tucking, can make an outfit more casual or dressy.

My accessories were chosen to finish off the casual look, yet I felt they kept the outfit elevated enough to be something I could wear to an outdoor concert or dinner with friends, especially if walking was involved. I got this great Stone Mountain cross body bag at a thrift store. It is real leather and looks hardly used. I thought it was a fun pop of color and goes with the color of some of the beads in the necklace. Once again, my white Keds sneakers are making an appearance. Adding sneakers to a dress or skirt is an easy way to make the look more casual and right now this is very trendy and also better for your feet, knees, hips and back if you have to do much walking or standing during the day.

I don’t have much opportunity to wear heels any more, though I do put them on with outfits for the blog, because I know many women still wear their heels. That is why I have so many different sneaker type shoes. It’s just what I wear.

What do you think of this outfit? I am including a few shopping links, for you to look over. Remember every link you click on gives me a few pennies. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay safe, stay healthy and stay sane.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Capes

This is the last of my Flat Lays in the Flesh outfits. I picked out the four that really appealed to me, but that doesn’t mean the other Flat Lays weren’t also interesting and possible “in the flesh” outfits. These four were the ones that appealed to me for various reasons and it has been fun to see how they actually looked on a person, namely me. For your information, so that you know how you might measure up, I am 5’5”, 171lbs. I would feel more comfortable in my skin if I was about 150 or 155, so that is a goal I am working towards, albeit very slowly.

Today’s outfit in the flesh features the Fall 2019 trend of capes. I think capes were very popular back in the day, especially in Medieval Europe. They have come and gone over the years and typically when we hear the word cape we think of super heroes donning their spandex suits and adding a cape as a finishing touch; think Superman, Batman and Robin or even Thor. While capes came back this year, I personally haven’t seen very many of them floating around in the stores or donning women walking down the street.

Flay lay and photo by Amy Christensen

I know not everyone is buying into the mustard trend, but I really do like this rich sunflower yellow cape that I found while thrifting. I like that it is a crafted piece, made by hand and has the fringe, which is so indicative of a bohemian look. Here is the outfit in the flesh.

My yellow thrifted plaid shirt is Divided brand from H&M. I had no idea when I found it how well it would go with this knit cape. I love plaid and since I have been on the yellow train, it makes sense that I would buy a yellow plaid shirt, especially one from a thrift store. The plaid print includes a little blue, white and blush.

Drawing on the blush in the shirt, I went with blush accessories. My clutch I found on clearance at Meijer. My necklace was a JC Penney clearance find, and my SO ankle boots with the block heel, were a Kohl’s clearance purchase.

My Rock and Republic boot cut jeans are more like jeggings than jeans, but they have a zipper and button front, as well as regular pockets. They are just made from a stretchy fabric and are easy to move in.

Here is a quick shot of the back of the cape. I just love the fringe around the bottom.

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear a cape? Just to clarify, capes are usually shorter like this one and cloaks usually come past the knee, with some versions reaching the floor. Do you know how to knit or crochet? That is something I wish I had time to do, but not right now. My mom used to crochet afghans and doilies and I had an aunt that used to crochet stuffed animals like bears.

I’ve included a few shopping links for capes and for yellow pieces that I think are fun. I hope you are having a great Tuesday and thanks so much for stopping by the blog.

Photo credit, except where specified, Rebecca Trumbull.

These shopping links are affiliate links. When you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through my site, I get a little bit more. All opinions are my own.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Layering Knits

One of my favorite flat lays from my Fall Trends 2019 series was the one featuring layered knits. I’ve always been a fan of layering, especially in the winter time. I don’t like to feel cold, so laying is the obvious choice here in northwest Ohio. I know it might sound funny, but the other reason I like to layer is so that I can wear more of my clothes at the same time. Ha, ha. When I saw that layering knits was a trend for this fall, I was so excited. Finally, a trend I can really buy into.

Photo by Amy Christensen

Normally, I only layer knits on the top. I don’t typically wear leggings, but would be more likely to do this outfit with a pair of jeans. However, wanting to keep an open mind and use these LuLaRoe leggings my daughter got me, I decided to add them to the mix. Here is the look in the flesh.

This long green sweater is from Christopher and Banks. They are having some good sales on sweaters right now, so check out their website or if you have one near you drop in. This sweater is medium weight and has no closures, so just hang open. I rather like that idea, because then I can wear something underneath and know that it will still be seen.

What you see underneath the sweater this time is my thrifted Merona bear sweatshirt. This is definitely not something you want to wear when you are going to be real active, but if you are sitting around watching a movie at home or want to be comfy when running to the store, this would be a great outfit. Mr. Bear looks a little wrinkly. Ha, ha.

I added the gingham scarf as a way to pull the purples together, making the outfit look a little more cohesive. I added a green envelope clutch and my Rock & Candy by Zigi thrifted boots.

In the picture below, you can see the fun lace detail on the side of the sweater. Little details like those are what draw me to different pieces. It was the same way with the boots. I love the lace overlay giving them a unique texture.

I was a little disappointed with how this outfit looked in the flesh. Part of it might be the leggings. I think I would look better in leggings that were a solid color and preferably a darker color. I feel that these flowers are a little much for my pudgy gams. The other thing I do not like is the volume of the sweatshirt and the sweater together. It makes me look like some sort of pillar. Just being real here and analyzing this. When we think about what we are wearing and what works and what doesn’t we will begin to make better choices about how to put pieces together.

My verdict on this outfit is that it looks better as a flat lay, than in the flesh. What do you think? Please be honest. I love to hear your opinions and ideas.

I hope you all have a great weekend. See you next week.

I’ve included a few shopping links for sweaters. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit (except where noted) Rebecca Trumbull.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Dark Florals

For those of you just joining me on the blog, I am doing a short series based on the Fall Trends 2019 flat lays that I did back in September. You can see those original posts by clicking on the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. I’ve been discussing how a flat lay can present how an outfit might look, but only from a more two dimensional view. Actually putting a person into the outfit is three dimensional and helps you see how the pieces go together and fit on the human body. In this case it is my human body, with all of its lovely flaws. Ha, ha

Photo credit Amy Christensen

This week’s outfit was based on the dark floral trend which was prominent this fall. Dark florals are moody, mysterious and melodramatic and that is why I like them. Dark florals want to be noticed, but are just as happy being partially hidden under a jacket, sweater or blazer. So what does this flat lay look like in the flesh?

This teal floral bomber jacket was a late summer purchase from National an online women’s clothing retailer, that I did a sponsored post for back in May. You can see that original post here. After working with National, I regularly received their catalogues and had my eye on this fun jacket. I was able to purchase it at a good discount, so ordered it straight away. The jacket is fully lined, has soft banding around the neck, sleeves and bottom and a durable metal zipper that is easy to zip.

This thrifted Jeans by Buffalo floral tee goes perfectly with the color of the bomber jacket. You can see the same teal color in the top and they look like they were meant to be together. Here is a picture of the top without the jacket, just so you get an idea of the shape. I like the longer tunic length hi-low hem and the a-line cut of this top.

The pattern on the top is only on the front. The back and sleeves are a simple, basic black. I’ve been thinking of pairing this with a black button up or a turtleneck so I can have the warmer layers without covering up the pretty print. I think I’d also like to try this with white jeans and a red jacket. What do you think? The colors in the shirt make me think of Christmas, so this might be a good top to wear throughout the holiday season.

These Rock and Republic jeans from Kohl’s have a good deal of stretch, otherwise I would never fit into them. Ha, ha. I like the bling and the distressing and I figure as long as my bum is covered I can still wear these because they are very comfy, even though they are tight.

My tall black boots were a clearance find at DSW. Don’t you love the clearance racks? They are definitely worth checking out from time to time at any store you may shop at. i love the detailing on these and the bright red zipper casement along the back. Sorry about the cheeky bum!

I went with red for my other accessories, and even though the necklace doesn’t make a bold statement, I like the way the gold chain and charms give added texture to the top.

Do you think this flat lay worked in the flesh? What about it do you like? What don’t you like? I appreciate all your input and your support.

I’m including a few shopping links for some dark florals. Remember Christmas is right around the corner and shopping from home is so easy. Ha, ha. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit, unless specified, Rebecca Trumbull.

Flat Lays in the Flesh - Animal Print

On Thanksgiving I will be starting a holiday series that I think you might find inspirational and interesting. That is all I am saying about that right now, just to whet your appetites. Until then I thought it might be fun to revisit a few of the Fall Trends 2019 that I talked about through the medium of flat lays. If you don’t know what a flat lay is, it is simply a way to show an outfit by laying out the pieces on a flat surface, rather than showing them on a person. I find so many flat lays look amazing, but I am always left wondering, what does the outfit look like on an actual person. I hope you don’t find this too repetitive, but I decided to take four of the flat lays I did for my Fall Trends 2019 series and show you what they look like, in the flesh. Let’s get started.

This first outfit features a snakeskin jacket that I found thrifting last spring. This was the flat lay from the original post, which focused on the fall trend of animal prints.

Photo by Amy D. Christensen

This is what the outfit looks like in the flesh.

It was only about 10 degrees outside and as much as I like to play the tough chick, I decided, forget that nonsense, so my daughter/photographer turned her spare bedroom into a studio. She is so good at being flexible and working with what we have. She does such a great job with natural light. There was no flash in any of these pictures.

This Liz Claiborne snakeskin jacket has a little bit of stretch to it, making it very easy to move in. I paired it with a thrifted Banana Republic sweater for this outfit, but you could easily swap in other pieces like a button up blouse, a graphic tee or a lighter weight turtleneck for all manner of stylish vibes. A jacket like this is a work horse in your wardrobe and can be dressed up with a skirt or dress and heels; or dressed down with distressed jeans and sneakers.

I went for a work wear look, pairing the sweater and jacket with my Gloria Vanderbilt cargo skinnies and my Impo wedge ankle boots.

I chose the yellow tote bag to enhance the sunshiny vibe of the outfit, making this a good combination for a cloudy, fall day. This was another thrifted piece.

I thought layering a few fun necklaces would make for an added statement. In the original flat lay I only had the shorter necklace, but just recently I found the long pendant necklace at JCPenney on the clearance rack. They don’t match, but I think the combination works well against the yellow back drop.

Do you think this flat lay turned out to be a good outfit? Do these pieces work well together? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

I’m leaving you with a few shopping links for fun animal print pieces. Remember Christmas is coming soon and there might be a person or two on your list, who would love an animal print piece. These are affiliate links, which means if you click on a link, I get a few pennies, and if you purchase something through one of my links I get a few more pennies. Ha, ha. I appreciate every penny I get.

Hope you all have a great weekend and thanks so much for taking the time to stop by the blog.

Photo credit (unless otherwise stated) Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - London Palette Recap

It’s time for a recap of the all the Pantone - Autumn/Winter -2019 - London Palette colors. There were things about these colors that I liked better than the New York Palette, but each of them had colors that I felt comfortable wearing. I’ll explain my favorite from this series after a review of the outfits.

Outfit 1 - Merlot and Antique Moss

Outfit 2 - Cranberry and Chicory Coffee

Outfit 3 - Summer Fig and Bluestone

Outfit 4 - Butterscotch and Grapeade

Outfit 5 - Crabapple and Forest Biome

Outfit 6 - Galaxy Blue and Hazel

I am having a hard time picking just one outfit from this series that I liked the best. I really liked Cranberry and Chicory Coffee. I have always been a fan of browns, but I just love the result when it is combined with the medium pinky red of Cranberry. I also like the long line of this outfit and I think the long Rutabaga open front cardi helped with the illusion.

My next fave would be the boho vibe of Butterscotch and Grapeade. If you would have asked me a few years ago if I would wear an outfit with these two colors together, I would have said no way. Yellow and purple? You have to be kidding, but there is something whimsical about this outfit and the color combination is only part of it. The colors are happy and fun, but the print of the skirt, the fringe bag and the fun textured boots really give this outfit its bohemian style.

Finally, I really like the last outfit. Even though, I wouldn’t necessarily wear a color like Hazel all on it’s own, I do like the way this color pairs so well with the grays and the blues in outfit. I also like the subtle plaid print mixing. It is obvious, but it doesn’t overwhelm the eye like some print mixing is capable of doing.

Well, I’ve told you my favorites, now tell me yours. I love to hear your feedback.

i hope you enjoyed this Pantone - Autumn/Winter series. If there is anything else you would like to see, with regards to the Pantone Color Institute you can check out their website. Just click on the link.

Have a great Tuesday!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - Galaxy Blue and Hazel

I neglected to get my post done for Tuesday. Monday and Tuesday, my grandson had off from school. It was parent/teacher conference days. My daughter had her appointment right away on Monday morning and Quintin is doing very well. He is nationally high ranking in his reading ability and math, so this Grandma is proud of a certain nine year old.

This is the last outfit from the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 London Palette. Next week, I’ll have another recap post to show you all the London colors and then we will put the Pantone Institute aside until spring. For your information, the Spring/Summer colors for 2020 are already up on the website and have been for a couple of months, so if you are really curious, you can go the to the Pantone website and see what they look like. As for this blogger, you won’t get to view them here until spring.

Our last two colors are Galaxy Blue, which was also on the New York palette and a mellow brown called Hazel. This brown is not one I would regularly reach for. I like colors that are more rich and saturated. In the Crayola Crayon box, this color might be similar to Antique Brass. See the complete list of current crayon colors here. Talk about fun color names! Be sure to read some of those. They are not merely called red, pink or blue any more. Ha, ha.

I decided to do some plaid print mixing in this outfit, as you can see with my ruana and my pants. I must tell you how I came to own this beautiful ruana. My hubby and I were out on a date. We try to go out once a week, usually for dinner and then to Barnes and Noble bookstore. We both love spending time around books and we usually end up getting a hot drink and sometimes a treat. On this particular night we went out for Mexican. After we were finished eating he told me that before we head to Barnes and Noble he had to stop at Bass Pro Shop and get something for his trailer hitch. I don’t even think twice about it. I don’t mind going to Bass Pro or Cabelas, because they both have fun things to look at, like mounted animals and clothing that I like, but would never purchase, because it is out of my price range.

We walked into the store and were heading down the center aisle. On the right side of the aisle are all the women’s clothes. We got to this lovely display where this ruana was styled over an ivory sweater. It immediately caught my eye. My husband said, “I thought you might like this.” I was shocked. Not only had he thought of me, but he had picked out something he thought I would both like and look nice in. He let me pick out a few other things besides the ruana to try on and just hung out while I did. I picked out the ruana and a rusty orange sweater, that I haven’t worn yet, but that looks great under the plaid. My husband does not do things like this very often, but it sure makes an impact on me, when he does.

My thrifted blue tee is Charter Club brand. It is a bit brighter than Galaxy Blue, but once again, you get the idea. I like the detailing around the neckline.

These gray pants are also thrifted and you can see how I styled them with a faux leather jacket, and with a pink sweater set.

Here is a close up of my print mixing.

I kept my accessories simple since there was already so much going on in the outfit with the two plaids. A bright blue crystal pendant, a simple gray Rosetti bag, and these thrifted Lifestride maroon ankle boots.

What do you think of these colors? Do you like plaid? I’d love to hear your thoughts so be sure to leave me a comment or two. Your support and feedback mean a lot to me and help give me ideas and direction for the blog.

Graphic and photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to peruse. With the holidays coming up maybe these will give you some inspiration for someone on your list. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Crabapple and Forest Biome

The next two colors in the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - London Palette are Crabapple and Forest Biome. I grew up with crabapple trees in our back yard and I thought they were one of the prettiest of spring’s trees. We had a pink and a white, and they had a glorious scent that just floated on the air. Obviously this Crabapple color is meant to mimic, not only the pinky flowers, but the tiny little fruits that hang from the branches. As for Forest Biome, we know that it is a dark green, but I had to look up the word biome, to fully understand it. A biome is an ecological community system, such as a rain forest or dessert. Forest Biome, then would refer to an area of forested land probably brimming with pines and cedars and perhaps a few deciduous trees. Wherever they come up with the names for the colors and just what meaning they had in choosing the name, we don’t really need to know, but it is fun to think about.

My Forest Biome is a little more blue and my Crabapple is a bit more pink than their colors, but again, you get the idea. I thought Evening Blue would be a good classic color to pair the other two colors with.

This was a neat little sitting area at the Toledo Botanical Gardens where we took the pictures for this series. I’d love to have a patio like this with an English type garden all around, and fun outdoor furniture, but I have neither the resources, the time or the energy. They always say you will find time for the things you really want to do, but I think it would be more accurate to say, we can always find time for the things we know we should do. Ha, ha. My Grandson is a priority. Picking him up after school and hanging out with him when he has a day off are priorities. Do those things cause other things to be put off or put on the back burner? You bet, but that is what I choose to do because I love him and my daughter. What we really need to do, is stop beating ourselves up for all the other things we are not able to get to.

My jeans are W62 brand from dressbarn. They are very comfy and contain a good amount of stretch. I wear these again and again for work or when I just want a different color skinny jean.

This thrifted, embellished, 3/4 length sleeve top is Dana Buchman brand. I do love the swirling pattern and glistening sheen of the front portion of the top. The sleeves and the back are more like a plain jersey knit.

The dark navy vest is really a belted dress that I found at a thrift store a while ago. It is Issac Mizrahi brand and if I was thin enough, I might consider wearing it as a dress, but it works beautifully as a vest. What do you think?

I went with a little metallic bling with my accessories including a rose gold pendent and bracelets, a Madden bag that I got on clearance at Kohl’s and my SO heeled boots, which were also a clearance purchase at Kohl’s.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear an outfit like this? I’d love to hear from you.

I’m leaving you with a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Butterscotch and Grapeade

Today’s outfit features two colors from the London Autumn/Winter palette that Pantone describes as a “deliciously appealing golden yellow” and a “notable muted mauve tone.” You might wonder why I would pair purple with yellow. There was just something about this combination that I loved and when I paired them with the printed maxi skirt, I felt I had a winning outfit. Take a look.

This outfit says several things. First, it says I’m not afraid to try unusual color combinations. Second, it says you can make up your own style. The short sleeve sweater with a cardigan topper is a more classic combination, but the medallion print skirt, beaded jewelry and fringe bag scream boho. Let’s talk details.

The purple short sleeve sweater is a thrifted Loft piece. I like the scoop neck and it has plenty of stretch, but still holds its shape. I also love purple, which is trending this fall.

The Butterscotch thrifted cardigan is a brand called Callaway. When I looked it up, it appears to be a clothing brand for golfing, selling things like polo shirts, pants, jackets and other golf related pieces. The brand also has their own website which features golfing equipment like drivers, putters and bags. Neither my hubby, nor I play golf. He calls it “cow pasture pool.” He’s always got a name for everything. You can see Callaway clothing on Amazon, and on their own website, Callaway Apparel.

I may not be a golfer, but I know a quality sweater when I see one. I love the women’s fit of this cardi and the ruffle treatment around the neckline. It makes the sweater very feminine and fun.

I’ve styled this medallion print Roz & Ali brand skirt on the blog before. I got this at Dressbarn a few years ago. While it is a summer weight skirt, it is fully lined, so good for cooler temps and if you pair it with leggings or heavy tights you could wear it all winter. You can see how I paired the skirt with both an orange tank and a gold top here, and with another lighter purple color here.

In keeping with the boho feel of the outfit, I went for a hand crafted look with my jewelry and bag. The necklace was actually made by my oldest. She was into beading as a teen and made some fun pieces, of which I still have a few.

This beaded bracelet was probably a Kohl’s or JCPenney piece from the clearance rack. I’ve had it for a while, so I don’t remember.

I found this fringe bag at a thrift store and knew I had to have it. It looks like it was hand made and there is no label inside. I like that it is a neutral color and long enough to be a cross body bag.

My ankle boots are another thrift store find and I thought paired well with the boho theme of the outfit. These are a brand called Rock Candy by Zigi.

What do you think of these colors? Do you have these in your closet? Would you wear yellow and purple together? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Leave me some love in the comments.

i’m including a few shopping links for things purple and yellow. The holidays are coming up. How many of you have started your Christmas shopping? I’m guilty! Life is so busy, I can’t afford to wait until the last minute. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Summer Fig and Bluestone

You’ll remember from the New York Pantone series the color Bluestone. This is one of only two colors that showed up on both palettes. I’m not sure how the Pantone Color Institute comes up with the colors they choose. Is there a committee? If so who is on the committee? How do they come up with the names for each of the colors? Yes, these are the things a fashion blogger wonders when she is tired and needing a burst of writing motivation. Ha, ha. I am speaking the truth when I say, I had to look up what a fig looked like to understand where they came up with this red color. This red coincides with the bright red interior of the fig fruit. I have never eaten a fig, have you?

This bright red tee is SO brand from Kohl’s. It is a few years old. I find Kohl’s and JCPenney my go to’s for things like short and long sleeve tees.

The Bluestone vest is a LuLaRoe piece. This particular style is called Joy. I like that some clothing companies name each of their styles. Not that I will remember what they are called, but I just think it adds another dimension to a retailer, that they have taken the time and effort to specify a certain line has a name. This is the only vest I have that is this length and I like how it looks in this outfit. The fabric has plenty of stretch, but doesn’t lose its shape.

Once again, I turned to the classic color of Olive Green for my pants, bag, and belt. Olive just seems to be an easy color to pair other colors with and it grounds an outfit and keeps it looking chic with a bit of an edge. These utility pants are Gloria Vanderbilt brand and I’ve styled them before on the blog. You can see them styled with an olive utility vest here and in a flat lay with a snakeskin jacket here. I got the tote bag from Charming Charlie a couple years before they went out of business. Belts are so expensive, I usually try to pick them up at thrift stores.

I kept the jewelry simple with a gold pendant necklace and a gold bracelet.

This old pair of Sonoma ankle boots has been with me for a while, but they are the perfect neutral finishing touch and the suede texture is just right for a fall outfit.

What do you think of these colors? They are very similar to the New York palette using Bluestone and Chili Pepper. Do you like to wear vests? Do you have a long one like this? What are some other ways you could style a long vest? I’d love to have your feedback.

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

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Merlot and Antique Moss

The first two colors from the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - London palette that I am featuring are Merlot and Antique Moss. As you can imagine, Merlot, like the wine is a rich burgundy red, while Antique Moss is a yellowy green. Often when we think of pairing red and yellow, we are concerned we will come out looking like an advertisement for McDonald’s, but let me reassure you these two colors pair in a perfectly un-Ronald like way and I love the combination.

The London color palette classic colors were just a bit different. Green Olive is comparable to Guacamole from the New York palette, with a little more of a gray tinge. My version of olive in my accessories is much darker, but you get the idea.

This Jones Wear skirt you’ve seen on the blog before. I styled it for the Pantone Fall 2017 New York Palette in a very similar fashion. I even used the same dark olive bag. Ha, ha. You can see that post here. I also used it this past spring for the Pantone Spring/Summer 2019 colors. You can see that post here. In addition you can see it with a green cardigan, here. I keep coming back to this skirt, because it works so well for these color schemes due to the reds and greens in the print of the skirt. I could easily used this printed skirt for a Christmas outfit as well, so you might see it come up again later this year. I love a versatile piece and when I purchased this skirt, I never knew how often I would use it for the blog.

We took the pictures for this series at the Toledo Botanical Gardens, which are just down the street from where my daughter lives. The gardens are beautiful in all seasons and with walking paths through the grounds, it is a lovely place to visit and I don’t do it nearly enough. In the picture below, I am watching several bus loads of kids scramble on to the grounds and thinking, “Oh boy!” Ha, ha.

I obtained this red scarf from a friend’s closet. It looked a little more like Merlot, when it was in the low light of my closet, but here it looks much brighter. However, It is not a true red, but more of a burgundy. My 3/4 sleeve tee, I’ve worn on the blog before too. It is a thrifted Sonoma piece and has elastic on the bottom, which allows for freedom of movement and bulge camouflage. Ha, ha. You can see the tee styled with boyfriend jeans and a leopard print skirt here, and with a snakeskin print skirt here.

As I said earlier, I opted for olive green accessories which included my necklace, bracelets, thrifted bag and SO booties.

What do you think of these colors? Would you wear either of these? Would you wear them together? I’d love to have your feedback. Your support means a lot to me. I always respond to your comments. Just check back in a few days if you are interested in my reply.

I’m including a few shopping links for Merlot and Antique Moss if those colors got you excited. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few cents when you click on a link. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - London Palette - Intro

Past Pantone seasons, I have tried to combine both the New York and the London color palettes into one series. Most of the time there were plenty of overlapping colors, so I was able to take colors from both palettes to make my outfits. This fall there were only two overlapping colors, Galaxy Blue and Bluestone. It was for this reason, that I decided to break the series into two parts. We just finished the New York palette last week. You can see a recap of those outfits here.

Today’s post will introduce you to the London palette and give you a few sneak peeks at the upcoming outfits.

Both the New York and the London palettes included numerous fall yellows, reds and browns. They both included a green, some blues and hues with pink undertones, but the London palette is the only one to include purple, which I thought was interesting since purple is trending right now. Purple has always been one of my favorite colors, so I was excited to see it included on this palette.

In all honesty, I like this palette better than the New York one. I always veer towards richer more saturated colors, rather than pastels and I felt that I had an easier time finding pieces in my wardrobe that better personified the color palette. In this palette we find words like vital, fortifying, robust, delicious, rich, baked, arresting, mellow and distinctive to describe the colors.

I hope you will join me on Thursday as I take a closer look at the London color palette for this fall. Here are a few peeks at what is coming up.

I hope you will join me on Thursday for the start of this series and a look at the first two colors.

Have a great day.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - New York Palette Recap

I was going to start the Pantone London color palette today, but decided to do a recap of all the New York colors. Some people have told me they like to see all of the outfits and colors together in one post, so here we go.

Outfit 1 - Chili Pepper and Bluestone

Outfit 2 - Fruit Dove and Galaxy Blue

Outfit 3 - Crème de Pêche and Rocky Road

Outfit 4 - Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar


Outfit 5 - Orange Tiger and Eden

Outfit 6 - Peach Pink and Biking Red

I hope you enjoyed this look at the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - New York palette. Which outfit was your favorite? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Next week I’ll be starting the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - London palette. Believe it or not, the only two overlapping colors this year were Galaxy Blue and Bluestone. Be sure to check that out next week.

Thank you all for being a part of my blogging journey. If you ever have something you would like to see me feature on the blog, send me an email. I’m open to new ideas and value your opinions and support.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Peach Pink and Biking Red

These are the last two colors from the Pantone - Autumn/Winter - New York palette. Peach Pink is reminiscent of coral, which never really seemed like a fall color to me, but I must remember that the old rules don’t apply…at least to some things. I know many people buy into the old adage, the rules are meant to be broken, but I don’t always believe that is the best mindset to have, and that mindset trickles down to our children and our grandchildren. As far as rules, I think that many of them are in place for our protection and our benefit. Rules like, look both ways before you cross the street, floss your teeth once a day and eat your fruits and veggies are not bad. Actually, they are for our well being. Rules about color, really no longer apply, so I am okay with wearing white after Labor Day and wearing coral in October. Why not?

The other color in this ensemble is a dark red. It reminds me of the Brick Red from my Crayola Crayon box. How many of you remember those wonderful boxes of crayons? I used to obsess about having all the similar colors arranged by shade in my box. I didn’t want to hunt around for Brick Red, so I put it in the “red” section. Ha, ha.

As you can see, once again, my colors were not perfect matches. You will see I did a little better with the London Palette, which I will be introducing on Thursday.

The heavy gauge sweater is Candies brand from the Koh’s clearance rack at end of last winter’s season. I find this is the best time to shop for those pieces you want for the season, if you don’t want to pay full price. I have found most of my non-thrifted clothing pieces this way.

My Peach Pink tank top was a thrift find from a few years ago. It is Eddie Bauer brand. You’ll be able to see the ruching on the neckline in an upcoming picture.

My Paloma gray pleated skirt was also a Kohl’s clearance find a few years ago and is Apt. 9 brand.

My chunky wood ring necklace is making an appearance again. I love this necklace my daughter gave me for Christmas. It is so handy for making a statement and pulling the colors in an outfit together. A necklace like this works much the same way a scarf will, but without the added heat around your neck.

My little thrifted Houndstooth bag works both as a satchel and a cross body. The shoulder strap is inside the bag, but can easily be taken out and attached so I can wear this for hands free activities.

I really like these black Aerosole heels. They are comfortable and stay on my feet with no slipping or sliding. I decided to add the dark tights at the last minute for two reasons. The first was to keep the leg more monochrome and thus make the legs look longer. The other was to make the outfit seem more ready for fall weather. The day we took these pics it was hot!

What do you think of this outfit? Is this something you would wear? Do you like these Pantone colors? Why or why not? I’d love to hear from you, so leave a comment or two.

I’ve included a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit, Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great day.