Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 6

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This is my final installment in this series on kimonos and ruanas. If you have been following along you know there is a difference between these two pieces, but often the way a piece is put together, makes it more of a hybrid, or something I call a "kiana". A piece like this has both the longer front drape of a ruana, but also the more formed sleeves of a kimono. Today's piece is a kimono and this one is a heavier piece that will take me well into fall. I found this cute little number at a Bealls store in Florida last December, when our whole family spent a few days together in the St. Petersburg area. It was cold, so shopping was a fun alternative to the beach for my daughters and I. 

I decided to pull my outfit colors from the flower embroidered on the front left of the kimono, thus the red and olive green. Here is a picture of the outfit without the kimono.

This olive top is thrifted and Chico's brand. The crop pants are from the Meijer clearance racks and is a brand called Stitch Star. 

Once in a while things get rather interesting when my daughter is taking my pictures. I think she gets bored so she was making rather suggestive comments about the flower on my chest, which elicited this response from me. Of course she had to get it all on camera!

Anyway, you can see the floral embellishment includes the deeper red like my pants and a lighter pink. I just got a pair of distressed pink jeans from H&M and I think they will look nice with this kimono. There is also just a hint of green in the leaves, thus my olive green top. The marled black knit of the kimono is a nice alternative to an all black look. 

i went for brassy gold in my accessories and grabbed my small heart embellished black clutch and black strap block heeled sandals to complete the look. 

Aren't the snaps on these pants a fun addition. I am looking forward to styling these pants more different ways this fall. 

Here is a back view, showing you the hi-low hem line of the kimono. 

What do you think of this outfit? Do you think the red pants are too bold? Would you where bright colored pants? Do you own a kimono? How do you like to where yours? I'd love to hear you thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments section below. If you are not sure how to comment, just read the instructions below. 

Thanks again for following the blog. If you haven't subscribed, please add your email in the subscription box and I'll add you to my email list. I only email once a week. 

Have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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Texture Talk - Part 1 - Accessories

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I am going to veer away from my usual monthly column for a few weeks to talk about texture. We all know that our clothes are made of various fabrics. These fabrics are woven together from many different materials including plant based items like cotton and linen, to man made items like rayon and nylon. Every fabric has its own feel, swing (or lack thereof) and texture. Many materials might appear to have no texture at all, but even something smooth has texture. Silk for example is smooth to the touch, but a silk blouse feels beautiful because of its smooth, silky texture. Why, then, even worry about whether an outfit has textural elements, when all fabric has texture of some sort? The reason is quite simple. Texture adds interest.

Let's look at a few examples of texture in nature. 

Try to imagine our world without texture? Texture has the ability to tell us something about the thing we are looking at. The bark looks rough. The feather looks soft. The trees have depth. The grass looks wispy. Leaves and flowers speak of life and provide a texture all their own. In the same way, our clothes speak volumes about who we are and what is important to us. 

As I mentioned before all fabric has texture, whether it be smooth, rough, bumpy, itchy, or anything in between, but what sorts of elements can add texture to our outfits to make them more interesting? Think of elements such as ruching, ruffles, buckles, zippers, weaving, fringe and lacing. All of these elements create interest in the palette of an outfit. 

This week I want to give you a few examples of how accessories can easily add texture to your outfits. These are all items you've seen on the blog before and came from my closet. Many of them came from thrift stores or end of season clearance racks. You certainly don't have to spend tons of money to add interesting elements to your every day outfits. Take a look.

Bags

A bag is the perfect way to add texture to an outfit without adding a bulky extra layer. We often think of adding texture by putting on a chunky sweater or a fury scarf, but a bag with ruching, weaving or other textural components is a great way to take your texture IQ up a notch. 

Shoes

You might wonder how a pair of shoes can add texture to an outfit, but think about perforations, laces, shearling or fur, buckles, straps, and bling.

Photo by me

Jewelry

Jewelry is another way to add texture to your outfits without adding a lot of bulk. There are so many choices when it comes to jewelry with just about every material imaginable. Here are some of my pieces.

Scarves

I love scarves and have way too many of them, but scarves are another way to add texture to an outfit. With summer coming to an end and fall on its way, now is a great time to pull out those scarves and think about how you can add them to your outfits. 

Photo by me

Photo by me

 

Accessories are an easy way to add texture to all of your outfits without having to buy new items. You already have purses and bags and jewelry. Think about how you can combine these for more interesting and undated looks. 

Next week I'll continue this little side series by taking a look fabrics and embellisments that also add texture to our outfits. I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments section and have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull, unless otherwise specified. 

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 5

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I have two installments left in this series on kimonos and ruanas. I have found that adding a couple of these pieces to your closet will give you miles of extra wear on things that you might consider more plain or mundane. The kimono or ruana is a piece that can stand alone, meaning it doesn't need much help to make an outfit look fabulous. For most of these I have worn the kimono/ruana over an outfit built from simple pieces like a skirt and a tank, pants and a tank, etc. The over piece is what takes center stage, which it should. 

Today's look is a different sort of kimono/ruana. Once again, I am going to call this one a "kiana" because it takes the long drape of the ruana, but makes it more kimono like by sewing the sides together to create a sleeve of sorts. When I first got this open weave piece, it was only sewn at the sides by a few stitches. I liked the way it stayed in place, but soon the stitching came undone and I noticed it was harder to keep the piece from slipping off, so I sewed the sides back together. 

I decided with this open weave look, I could focus more on the entire outfit standing out, thus the tropical print pants and graphic tee. I got these fun pants at H&M on the clearance rack. I don't wear this loud of a print too often, but I loved the fit and thought it was time, once again, to climb out of my comfort box. 

At first, I tried this on with a number of tank tops, including white and a light blue, but nothing seemed right. It was then I remembered, I had this thrifted tee and the greens matched perfectly. 

I chose the pink accessories to pull out the little bit of pink in the pants. Yes, my necklace is wrapped over my boob! Sometimes, I forget to make sure everything is positioned just perfectly. Ha, ha. Oh well, just keeping it real!

Just a few words about this shirt. If you follow my Instagram feed, then you have seen this before and I said a similar thing then that I am going to say now. It is often hard to see beauty in tragedy. How do we see beauty in school shootings, wild fires, volcanoes, mud slides and things like disease and addictions? The point is not that those things themselves contain the beauty, but that there can be beauty, even amid those difficulties. Communities coming together to help families of victims, amazing fire fighters who risk their lives saving others, and people who come out stronger than ever going through loss and heartache are all beautiful. 

There is a verse in the Bible, which says,

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
— Romans 8:28 (NASB)

I'm not going to preach to you, because this is a fashion post, but I truly believe this. Gratitude plays a huge part in seeing beauty and in bringing healing when we have gone through difficulties. Finding, even the smallest things to be thankful for, is the first step to realizing exactly what this tee represents. I'll step off my soap box now. Ha, ha.

Here is a back view of the "kiana".

Besides the open weave allowing your outfit to take center stage, rather than the kimono, it also allows air to get through. I have found many kimonos are make of polyester, poly blends, viscose or silk and actually can make you feel more hot and sticky. That's perfect when you are in an overly air conditioned building, but not if you are walking at the fair or an outdoor summer festival. An open weave outer piece is a great option for the waning days of summer. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. What do you think of this outfit? I'd love to hear your comments on how you style a kimono or a ruana in the comments sections below. 

I've included a few shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links which means if you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my site, I might get a little commission. I appreciate all the clicks you can give, but even more I appreciate hearing from you. 

Have a great day everyone!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Is It a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 4

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Here I am, once again, taking a look at kimonos versus ruanas. Both of these over pieces are excellent additions to your wardrobe. They help spruce up a more plain outfit and add a lovely, interesting, layer to a work outfit or a date night look. The lighter layers not only add interest, but a little extra warmth for those overly air conditioned offices and restaurants. If you didn't see my previous three posts you can look at those by clicking on the link. Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3. Week 2 gives a good overview of the difference between the kimono and the ruana, if you were wondering.

This week's post centers around a hybrid piece that I am going to call a "kiana", as I feel it has both the cut and fit of a ruana, but the essence of the kimono. This is another online purchase from Christopher and Banks that I got for a good deal. 

For this outfit, I wore a pair of Sonoma olive trousers, a cream colored St. John's Bay tank, and my blue SO flats. 

I am calling this a "kiana" because it is shaped like a ruana, but is sewn on the sides, creating the illusion of sleeves, thus the kimono. Once again, you can see that the outfit by itself is rather plain, but adding this sheer over piece makes the outfit really pop.

I received this fun textured clutch for Christmas from my younger daughter a few years ago. I love the color and the texture. Texture is another way to add interest to an outfit. Think about adding texture in the form of a jacket, a scarf or a bag like this one. Jewelry can also be a way to add more texture. Think pendant necklaces with fringe or even a beaded bracelet like this one I am wearing that I found in a clearance basket at Chicos. 

Here is another look at the entire outfit. 

What do you think of this piece? Do you think calling it a "kiana" is a good name? What are some ways you style your kimonos or ruanas? What are some ways you add texture to your outfits? I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments section below. 

I've included a few shopping links below for you to peruse. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a wonderful day. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Instagram Review

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I am going to be out of town visiting my mom for her 92nd birthday, so for today's post, I thought I would forego my usual Outfit Inspiration post and just show you some of the outfits from my Instagram feed. Now that I have a smart phone, and have been taught how to post pics and so on, I am enjoying the ease of throwing on an outfit and quickly posting it to IG. The thing I like about Insta is that it allows you to see a more realistic view of how I dress. 

The outfits I post on my blog, are ones that I would wear, given the opportunity, but often real life gets in the way and I find it easier to just throw on a pair of skinny jeans and a pretty top in order to chase my grandson around, go grocery shopping, do laundry and so on. The following are just a few of those everyday outfits that I frequently reach for. 

Plaid Dress with Skinnies

Striped Tee with Embroidered Chinos

Yellow Ankle Pants with Multi-print Tee

Eyelet Top with Skinnies

White Ankle Pants with Floral Kimono

Distressed Crop Jeans with Multi-print Top

These are just a few of the outfits you'll see in my Instagram feed. Do you like this post? Do you follow me on Instagram? I'm still a work in progress and I appreciate all of you who have subscribed to my blog. If you read my posts, but haven't subscribed just fill in the info in the subsciption box and I'll put you on my email list. I only email once a week, because I know how full our in boxes can get. You can follow me on Instagram and I am also working on putting more things on my Pinterest boards so check those out as well. 

Have a great weekend!

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 3

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If you are new to my blog or to this series, I am looking at the difference between a kimono and a ruana. You can see the definition of each as I explained it here in last week's post. This week's outfit revolves around a more traditional kimono. The first post in this series featured an outfit with a short kimono. You can see that post here. Front and center this week is a longer kimono, which to me, seems more traditional to what I think a kimono is supposed to look like as far as shape and length. 

This kimono is thrifted Massini brand. Since the kimono has a lot going on with its vivid floral print, I decided to go with a more monochrome outfit underneath. 

This gray, embellished tank is Croft and Barrow and was thrifted. The pants are Falls Creek and a recent clearance purchase from Meijer. Once again, I like the idea of print mixing stripes and floral. This time the stripes are vertical rather than horizontal and worn on the bottom rather than the top. 

No outfit is complete without a few accessories. I added a silver necklace and a couple of unique bracelets. Since the tank has the beaded embellishment I went for a simple, understated necklace. 

I have also fallen in love with the color yellow and I couldn't resist adding the bright sunflower feel of this thrifted Elle bag to the berry and gray mix. Do you think it works?

I decided on my gray oxfords instead of sandals, which makes this a work approved outfit. We can't wear open toed shoes at the bookstore. Although, I'll tell you even a shoe like this will not keep your foot from getting injured when you drop a 1st Semester Nursing package on it. Ha, ha. 

Here is a back view of the kimono. The hem line is higher in the front and lower in the back. 

What do you think of this outfit? Do you have a kimono hanging in your closet? If not, I'm sharing a few pretty ones that I found in my shopping section. I also shared how you might put them together with pants and a top. These are just suggestions. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my links, I might get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I'd love to hear from you. You can also see what I am wearing on a daily basis by checking out my Instagram account. I try to post on there at least three or four days a week. 

Have a great week everyone. 

Old Becomes New - High Waisted Skirt

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This week I am styling a pretty skirt that I have had in my closet for ages. I refuse to get rid of it, because I love the flowy feel of it. I'm sure it has more versatility than I think, so I pulled it out. Since I was already on the crop top band wagon, I thought I would try pairing the same blue and white crop from last Thursday's post (see here) for some fun print mixing with this high waisted skirt. 

This skirt is George brand and I got it at JC Penney, many moons ago. It has a full lining and the fabric is very light weight and flowy. It also has a high, stretchy waistline, which is very comfortable and worked perfectly with the crop top.

I loved the pop of red in last week's outfit with the crop top, so I kept them exactly the same: red patent leather clutch, red bangle and red canvas peep toe Keds. 

I added the cropped denim jacket as a solid piece to tie together the two patterns. When print mixing it is usually best to pick a smaller pattern with a larger pattern and then use a complimentary piece to pull the two patterns together. Here is a photo of  the outfit without the jacket and beside it one with the jacket. Do you think it looks better with or without the jacket?

I hope you liked this outfit. Do you have something in your closet that you are not sure how to wear? Depending on the piece think in terms of balance. Try pairing a fuller, bulkier skirt with a stream lined tee or a belted blouse. Pair skinny jeans with longer tunic tops or even dresses with the jeans rolled up. When the weather cools pair those same skinnies with bulky sweaters or sweat shirts. Wider leg pants look perfect when paired with a tighter fitting top to show off your curves. 

I always love to hear from you, so be sure to leave me a comment or two. I have learned so much from fellow bloggers and others, who leave ideas in my comments box, so please feel free. 

Have a great weekend everyone.

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 2

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Last week I styled a short kimono. You can see that post here.  This week I am styling a ruana. What exactly is the difference between these two outer layer pieces? A kimono is more of a jacket. It has sleeves that can be narrow or wide, long or short. It is usually open in the front, but can come with or without a belt or tie to keep it closed. A bathrobe is really a heavy weight kimono. A ruana is one large piece of cloth that falls down the back, over the shoulders and down the front. It has no sleeve closures, rather just drapes over the shoulders and is kept in place with your arms, although I have seen and heard of people using a pin or a pretty brooch to keep them in place. A ruana is usually worn open, although the fashion police won't put you away if you wear it with a belt for a more cinched in look. 

This tasseled ruana was a spring purchase from Christopher and Banks. To make the look more streamline, I went with a tank top and a dark gray pencil skirt. Here is the outfit before adding the ruana.

You've seen this blush tank with bling before on my blog. I am an avid proponent of shopping and re-shopping my closet. The tank is Relativity brand and the pencil skirt is Liz Claiborne. Both of these pieces were thrifted. The black heels are Comfort Plus brand and the straw bag was thrifted as well. I opted for minimal jewelry with the beaded choker and a few beaded bracelets. 

The next two pictures show you the width of the ruana, which is typically a wider silhouette than a kimono.

Do you own a ruana? How do you like to wear it? Is it more of a summer weight or a fall weight? I am seeing fall styles beginning to fill the racks at most retailers. Kohl's was having some good sales on kimonos and ruanas and right now, you might find deals on the lighter weight ones that you could use for the rest of the summer and next season. 

I'd love to hear your feedback on this outfit. Would you wear something like this? I think this outfit is a great office look and the ruana would add a light layer for those overly air conditioned buildings. 

I've included a few shopping links for you to peruse. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. 

Thanks for stopping by the blog and be sure to check back on Thursday to see what I am featuring on my Old Becomes New column. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Outside the Box - Wearing a Crop Top - With a Tee

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I'm sure many of you have seen crop tops. You might even own a few. I have never been a crop top kind of gal. I like my shirts to cover my middle with no skin exposed. We hear much these days about being less inhibited, wearing what we want to wear regardless of our age and equality of the genders. I want you to know, I'm okay with being more inhibited. I'm alright with not wearing the same things a thirteen year old might wear. I believe in equal pay for equal work, but I also believe that men and women were created differently and that is okay.

For today's post, I am featuring a crop top that I found a few years ago thrifting. This is Express brand. What really drew me to this little piece was the bling. I love my bling, as many of you know, so even though I knew this was shorter than I would normally wear, I thought I might be able to pop it over top of another shirt for a two in one type of look and still be able to have my fun bling. 

I wore a Christopher and Banks navy tee for my under layer, which went perfectly with the navy stripes on the crop top. 

This next picture shows you the separation of the two shirts. 

These Apt. 9, white, crop pants I just found at a Goodwill store near by. The combination of navy and white is always classic in the summer time and no matter how you wear it, I think it looks chic and fresh. I decided to pair this look with my red Ked peep toe wedges, a red clutch and a red bracelet. 

In this pic you can see all the pretty bling. It also makes me look well endowed, which I am not, but here is a trick for those of you who are smaller in the bust line. Wearing horizontal stripes on the top can make you look bustier. Also, with the way this crop top stops at my waist it gives my waist a more cinched in look, another optical illusion. Isn't that part of what dressing is all about? Finding ways to hide what we don't like and accentuate what we do all helps build our confidence. 

I really like these Ked wedge heel peep toes, but they do have a tendency to slide off my heel. I need to get some of those gel pads to put in the back that help keep you heel in the shoe. Other than that these are quite comfortable and have a cute retro vibe. The wedges even have red polka dots on them. Here are a few options from DSW including a canvas stripe, a black textured, and a denim blue. 

What do you think of wearing a cropped shirt like this? Finding different ways to wear styles we may not usually reach for is a way to expand your wardrobe and wear something totally different. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Leave me some love and have a great weekend!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 1

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There are numerous over layers that we can wear including sweaters, blazers and jackets, but what about kimonos, and ruanas? I'll admit, I had to look up ruana, because I wasn't sure exactly what that was. I am familiar with kimonos and have been seeing lots of bloggers showing off these stylish pieces over their summer tanks and shorts. I bought a few pieces from Christopher and Banks recently and realized that one was more like a kimono and one was more like a ruana. Needless to say, I now have acquired a number of these and thought it would be fun to do another series, before we have to start thinking about the reality that fall is coming. 

This first pretty piece is a short kimono I recently found at Meijer on the clearance rack. For each of these posts I'm going to show you a picture of the outfit before I added the kimono. For this week I chose my Sonoma (Kohl's) Bermuda shorts, a Sonoma tank (Kohl's) and my light blue Keds (thrifted). 

For some reason, tank tops seem to be the perfect under piece for a kimono. I think what I like about it, is that the kimono really takes center stage and there is no bulk or extra fabric to deal with when wearing a tank top. I won't normally wear just a tank top, unless it is really hot and I am doing yard work. However, a tank top under a kimono, shawl, ruana or other light weight piece is perfect. 

Here are a few other pics of the kimono. I love the color, the pretty blue flowers and the lace edging. I kept my accessories simple with a teal fringe pendant necklace. 

I'm carrying my navy Simply Vera Wang bag (thrifted), as I thought it went well with the colors in the kimono. 

Of course, the footwear had to be ultra casual as well, thus my bright blue Keds (thrifted).

Do you have any kimonos? How do you like to wear them? I have become more fond of them over the last couple of years and seeing how other bloggers style them really helps. They are a great piece to add pizzazz to any outfit whether dressy or casual like this one.

I love to hear your feedback. Did you like this outfit? Do you like this kimono? I usually think of kimonos as being longer, but I think this short one works and I'll be looking at more ways to style this in the future. 

I've included a few shopping links for shorter kimonos, Bermuda denim shorts and Keds, just for fun. These are affiliate links which means I get a few cents if you click on a shopping link. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Ordinary Amy - White Denim Jacket

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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! 

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 5

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This is the last week of my marvelous maxi dress series. It has been fun, and good for me to pull these beauties out of my closet, and think about how to wear them. Let's face it, most of us will reach for the same pieces over and over, because we want things to be easy. I am finding that growth as a person does not happen by doing everything the same way. Sometimes you need to do something differently for your brain's sake, even if it is something as simple as starting your washing routine on the opposite side of your body. With these maxi dresses the easy way is to just throw them on, after all most maxi dresses can pretty much stand alone, but taking the time to think about adding a fun belt, fancy jewelry, the right shoes or a statement bag can take the outfit from boring to bold. 

This last dress is one of the very first maxi dresses I bought years ago. It is Sonoma brand. As I have mentioned before, I don't wear dresses very much, as I am more a jeans kind of girl, but I do like to have options and when I saw this particular dress, I thought the pattern and color combo perfect for summer and the empire waist hides many a bulge. I am showing you two ways to style this piece. 

Look 1 - Casual

For the first look, I simply threw on my  black Mossimo shrug, a pair of beaded MIx-It thongs, a gold and silver necklace, charm bracelet, and carried my woven bag. 

I know what they say about horizontal stripes that hit at the hips, but you know what? I don't really care. Ha!

Look 2 - Dressy

For the second look, I decided to do a bit of print mixing by removing the black shrug and adding an elegant, floral, rectangular scarf that serves as a wrap. I swapped out the casual thongs for a pair of Kenneth Cole - Reaction, patent leather wedge heeled sandals and exchanged the jewelry and bag for something a bit fancier. 

Just a few simple changes can take your look from every day to date night. Here are the outfits side by side 

I hope you enjoyed this series on the maxi dress. It might be fun to revisit these in the fall and see how I can style them for colder weather. What do you think? Is that something you would like to see? I love hearing from you.

Be sure to leave some love in the comments box. My comments box disappeared last week for some reason, but the next day it was back, so if you ever have an issue and want to leave a comment, just wait 24 hours and try again. Technology!

I've included a few shopping links just for fun. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own. 

Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Outfit Inspiration - Chambray Shirt with White Pants

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I can't think of a an outfit that more epitomizes summer than a chambray shirt with white pants. The combination of blue and white just seems to say picnics, sunshine and longer hours of daylight. Adding a summer hat, bag and a pair of comfy sneakers and you have the outfit in today's post. The inspiration for this outfit came from an old advertisement for Chico's. Their adds always seem to have the prettiest outfit combinations; a great marketing idea, of course. They want you to buy their products and they do have wonderful clothing. However, if you are like me, then you like to find pieces in your own closet to make use of the clothing I already have and occasionally add a piece or two from thrift stores and regular retailers. While my pieces are not exact duplicates of the original add, they do mimic the outfit well. 

I didn't realize until after I took these photos that I should have smoothed the top out in the front by pulling it down. Ha, ha. The joys of being in a hurry when you are taking photos. 

Both of these pieces are from Christopher and Banks and I bought them in the store. You've seen these white ankle pants on the blog before. You can see those posts here, here, here and here. For this post I rolled the pants up to create more of a cropped pant look, which is what the original outfit had. 

I've styled this light chambray popover top on the blog before as well. You can see that post here. You can see in the next three photos more details on the shirt, including the hi-low hem, front pocket, three button closure, v-neck, no collar and roll tab sleeves. 

This is such an easy outfit to put together. I kept it completely casual and didn't even add any jewelry, although you could easily throw on some pretty colored bangles or bead to add a pop of color. You could also wear sandals or flip flops and carry a bright colored bag to add color in a different way. 

I've had my cream macrame bag for years and it is a cute little number for shopping when I want to carry something light and less bulky. I've also had these white Keds for years as well and they are starting to show some wear. 

What kind of outfit do you envision when you think of summer? I love to hear your feedback. I appreciate those of you who subscribe to my blog. If you like my blog, share it with your friends and family. 

Have a great day.

 

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 4

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If you are just joining me on the blog, this is week four of my Marvelous Maxis series, where I am looking at various maxi dresses and how to style them. The first week I styled a dress with a fun fluttery bohemian vibe (Week 1), the second week revolved around a comfortable blue and red number (Week 2), and last week I wore my Christopher and Banks dress with a columnar skirt (Week 3). You can click on each of the weeks to view the other posts. 

This week's post returns to a simpler maxi dress with a tank top bodice and straight skirt. This is a tee shirt type knit which pulls on and off just as easily. The waist is gathered elastic. This dress has no bells or whistles and most often I would not pull this out if I wanted to get dressed up. This simple black number says beach and lounge wear all over it. Of course that made me curious to see if I could actually dress it up.

I really have no idea what I am doing with my face. Just being goofy, I guess. Now that I am looking at this, I wish I would have tied the gray shrug higher up on my waist. The dress is more baggy by nature, so leaving the shrug more baggy, just makes the whole outfit look frumpy. There's that word again! Ha, ha.

Yes, my little photo bomber was still around for these photos, since these were all shot on the same day. To dress this up, I put on the gray, sheer shrug. I added some jewelry with bling, a sparkly clutch and my flat, thong sandals with sparkles. 

A simple black maxi like this could be a versatile piece to have in your wardrobe, but as I talked about last week finding a dress that fits well and looks good on you is worth paying a little extra for. I may try to make a few adjustments on this dress to make it more wearable. I feel that it is too long and I had some issues with the top being to loose and bulging in a few places. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this outfit. Leave me your ideas on how to style a maxi dress like this.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Old Becomes New - Knee Length Print Dress

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I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. We spent Tuesday evening with some of the family and friends watching the fireworks and yesterday, I took my younger daughter out birthday shopping. My in-laws are coming into town this evening. It will be fun to see them. I am so very blessed to have married into a wonderful, caring family. 

Today's Old Becomes New column, revolves around a thrifted, knee length, print dress. When I saw this dress a while back (Note: that is another reference that I have no remembrance of when I got this - ha, ha), I thought it would be a great piece to dress up or down. I like the fun print and the colors are not conducive to a specific season, so it can be worn all year round. However, as usual, I bought it and have never worn it. Once again, I pulled it out thinking either use it or lose it. I am not one to regularly dress up, yet I have this desire to have dresses in my closet, just in case. While my hubby does occasionally get us tickets for something fancier, most events these days are not formal occasions, thus the need or the desire to figure out how to wear something I would normally consider more dressed up in a more casual way. 

Look 1 - Casual

My daughter was able to take these pics for me. Don't you love the color contrast between the green of the background and the colors of the dress? The dress is George brand, which seems to be sold both by Target and Walmart, although, as I said, I bought this at a thrift shop. This sleeveless, v-neck has a side zipper for easy on and off. 

I did a little research on dress styles so I could give you better information. This is not truly an empire waist, which rests just below the breasts, but it is also not hitting at the natural waist, plus it is more fitted due to the cinch piece that the skirt attaches too. It is also, not an a-line skirt, so I am going to term this dress a princess dress with an empire waist. Ha, ha. It is fully lined, so no worries on see through issues. This also makes it perfect for year round wear. The lining helps if you work in office air conditioning and makes it great for wearing in the fall. 

For this casual look I added my antler and bead necklace from Cabela's, a wooden bracelet, a thrifted straw bag, my MixIt hat and my Easy Spirit flat espadrilles. 

Look 2 - Work Wear

This second look adds a bit of polish and structure, making the outfit perfect for the office. This gray jacket I got from my younger daughter because she had lost some weight and it is too big for her. The jacket is a simple knit, something like a heavier sweatshirt material. It is Laundry brand. I added the black beads, a large black tote and my black loafer heels. 

Here are the two looks side by side. 

What do you think, my faithful followers? Would you keep this dress? Would you style it a similar way, or do you have some other fun ideas. I love hearing from you all and I have gotten some very good advice and ideas, so I appreciate your input. 

Hope you all have a great weekend! See you next week. 

Be sure to check out my Instagram. Since I've gotten a smart phone, I am posting on there, more often. I also have some Pinterest boards as well, that I occasionally add pins to, so you can check that out as well. Always check back on your comments, because I love to respond to your great input.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 3

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Here we are again, taking another look at why maxi dresses are one of the funnest summer staples you can add to your closet. It really doesn't matter if you are short or tall, narrow or wide, there is a maxi dress out there that will look fabulous on you. My BFF back in NY mentioned that she has a hard time finding maxi dresses that are not too long. She is petite, and so often maxi dresses are sweeping the floor, even on people over 5'5". I have a few suggestions. 

1. Search stores that have a regular petite's section.

Macy's, Penney's, Christopher & Banks and Talbots all cater to petites. You can also read this article by InStyle, which lists 35 other retailers that have petite offerings. If you are a plus size girl check out stores like Catherines, dressbarn or Eloquii. All of these stores have a nice selection of maxis and good return policies, so if you order it online, try it on and still don't like it you can send it back or just return it to a store nearby. 

2. Find the one that fits.

Maxi dresses are not just about length. Find a dress that feels comfortable all over. In the heat of the summer, the last thing you want is to wear a dress that is pinching the love handles and gaping at the "girls". Try dresses on. I mean lots of dresses! Sure it is work to shop, but you only really need one or two good maxi dresses to get you through the summer. Shop online and try on at home, then you can take your time trying on and have the option of listening to music while drinking a tall glass of iced tea.

3. If the perfect maxi is too long, have it hemmed.

If you find the dress that fits perfectly, but don't like that it is dragging on the floor have it hemmed up, either by doing it yourself or taking it to a tailor or seamstress. A good seamstress won't charge that much for a hem. 

4. Instead of a maxi, look for a midi or tea length dress. 

If you are still concerned about length, try shopping for a mid length or tea length dress. These usually fall at mid-calf or just above the ankles. You will still get the coverage and the ease of a dress, but won't have to be fearful of tripping over the hem.

I hope that helps, for those of you who might be having issues with the length of many maxi dresses. I'll include a few shopping links at the end with a few petite and plus size maxi dress offerings. 

As you will see, my maxi dress this week is shorter than the last two. I got this simple navy number from Christopher & Banks a few years ago. I need to add something here. When I say a few years ago, that means I can't remember how long ago I got it, but it has been hanging in my closet for a while. Ha, ha. It is scary how fast time goes by. My husband has a much better memory than me and he also remembers dates and years better than me. I'm often shaking my head thinking, "Wow! Has it already been that long?"

I couldn't resist throwing this black and white photo in. I love black and white pics and whenever my daughter posts black and whites from photo shoots, I am always drawn to them.

You can see this dress has a straight or columnar type skirt. It reminds me of something worn during the ancient Greek or Roman period. 

I decided to dress this up, just a touch, with my silver accessories. The necklace is from Charming Charlie, while the bag and belt are thrifted. The gladiator type sandals are old and No Boundaries brand. 

This maxi is so easy to throw on and I don't have to worry about shape wear, slips or hose. The material is a medium weight knit and is basically wrinkle free. 

The beauty of a columnar type skirt is that you get coverage without adding bulk. If you are bigger on the bottom, like I am, usually sizing up helps keep the skirt from being too tight. However, trying things on is always the best way to find what fits and what doesn't. For another look at columnar type skirts, take a look at my Marvelous Maxis post from last summer on skirts. This one is specifically about straight skirts. 

Here are a few more photos just for fun! I can't help but put a plug in for my talented daughters. If you live in the Toledo area and need a photographer, I would recommend Rebecca Trumbull Photography. She not only does my fashion photography, she shoots pets, weddings, high school seniors, commercial photography and manages social media accounts. My younger daughter, Rachel, not only produced my silly photo bomber, but she is an amazing make up artist. She is not currently a practicing MUA, but if you follow her on IG you can see what products she recommends. 

And this is me at the end of the day! Ha, ha. 

What did you think of this dress? I love to hear from you. I have learned so many new things from other bloggers and from all my wonderful followers who take the time to comment. I know life is busy, believe me! Your comments are appreciated and do help my blog to grow. I do not actively seek out collaborations or advertisers, just because I am very busy, so I rely on my followers to let others know about my blog. Your input helps me to become a better blogger. 

I've included a few shopping links, just for fun. These are affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through one of the links on my sight, I get a little commission. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Makeup Rachel Christensen. 

Be sure to check back tomorrow for my weekly faith post, and Thursday for another Old Becomes New column. 

Have a great week.

Outside the Box - Wide Leg Crop Pants

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I recently acquired a pair of wide leg crop pants thinking they would be a good addition to my summer wardrobe. I have never been a big fan of wide leg crop pants. I feel that they make me look short and stubby. However, as a fashion blogger I am trying to have an open mind and try things that I wouldn't necessarily wear. That is precisely what this column is for. I found these on the clearance rack at Kohl's and figured since I didn't have to pay full price it was a good time to try this trend. 

I wore this outfit to work, so the pants were a bit wrinkly by the time I took these pics later in the afternoon. Right away, seeing this outfit, I am thinking these pants are too big. While they feel incredibly comfortable, the pieces I combined them with for this outfit just aren't working for me. I like the color combination, olive with pink and blush, but I'm looking rather, frumpy, as my hubby would say. 

I wore my blush SO flats to go with the sweater and tee. Maybe heels would have been a better choice. What do you think?

You've seen this waterfall cardigan on the blog before. You can see that post here. I love this thrifted sweater. It is light weight and I can wear it with so many outfits. The embellished tee is from Christopher and Banks from a number of years ago. 

I also wore my stained glass necklace as I thought the colors went well with the top. 

Here is a shot without the sweater. Once again, I feel like everything about the outfit is wrong. Perhaps a tighter fitting top with heels or a cropped jacket instead of the sweater, or maybe flip flops and a tank top would be better. The other thing I am feeling is that the pants are not cropped in the right place. It almost seems to me they should be just a tad shorter. 

How do you wear wide leg crop pants? Or do you not wear them? I'm going to try these a few other ways before I totally give up on them. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. Thanks for following along on the blog. See you next week.

If you like wide leg crop pants, here are a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 2

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I wasn't intending to take last week off from the blog, but that is the way things turned out. On Monday we left for Indiana to meet my husband's Aunt and Uncle from Wisconsin. We have been trying to meet up for several years now and it finally worked out. We met in a small Amish town called Shipshewana. This little town is known for its flea market which runs through the summer and into October. During the warm weeks of summer this peaceful Amish community turns into a busy metropolis with mobs of people, cars and the familiar black buggies. 

We spent two nights in our pop up and discovered that it leaks. Ha, ha. Of course our luck continues as it rained every day we were gone! What is it with the rain lately? Is it rainy in your part of the country? This spring and now summer we seem to be having more days of rain and clouds than days of sun. However, even with the rain, we had a great time. Our days were spent shopping and eating and our evenings spent in our relatives' lovely motor home playing cards. 

This week's outfit features a  maxi dress that I bought a few season's ago at Kohl's. I have never worn it! I love the colors, the empire waist and the easy, comfort that this dress allows, but for some reason, I just don't seem to reach for it. Once again, I decided to feature it on the blog as a way to style it and give me ideas as to how to wear it. 

The weather has been unusually indecisive this summer so I knew the sleeveless top may not be warm enough for certain situations, whether, just the cooler temps or air conditioning, so I added a dark wash chambray button up.

I tied the shirt to give it a casual flavor. You can also see I chose a blue metal and bead cross, and a red bracelet for my jewelry. 

I wore my Comfort Plus wedge slip on sandals. I've had these for a long time and got them at a thrift store. They are easy to get on and off and very comfortable. 

I also thought it would be fun to add my MixIt straw hat and my oversized Sonoma tote bag for a casual, summer, beach vibe. This is an outfit I would wear to the beach. It would be easy to slip my sandals off so I could get my feet in the water. The large tote offers plenty of room for a book, sun screen, keys, sunglasses and a towel, while the hat offers additional sun protection.

The day we took these photos I had come to help my daughter with her packing. She, her hubby and their dog are officially in their new home. On this day I had my grandson with me, so here are a few of his photo bombing shots. Beatrice was happy to photobomb as well. 

He's such a ham!!

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you have  maxi dresses in your closet? How do you like to wear them? As always I love to hear from you. Remember to check back on your comments, because I always try to respond to your input. 

I've included a few shopping links, just to give you ideas of what is out there. If you click on a link, I get a few cents because these links are through an affiliate program. Believe me, I have not made enough to warrant them even sending me a check, so I won't be quitting my day job, but every click does help. Ha, ha. All opinions are my own. 

Have a good week. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Outfit Inspiration - Bold & Bright

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My outfit inspiration comes from many places. Sometimes it is a picture in a magazine or catalogue. Once in a while it comes from something I see in a book, but many times it comes from other fashion bloggers. This month my inspiration is coming from Liz of With Wonder and Whimsy. Liz has been a fashion blogger for a number of years now and specializes in outfits and styles for plus size women. She is sweet, fun and very knowledgable about clothes, styles, fabrics and working with retailers. I had the honor of doing a collaboration with Liz in the spring of 2017 on the Pantone Color palette for that year. You can see that post here. 

Liz has a whimsical, colorful approach to not only her outfits, but her life in general. This is a gal who is not afraid to wear pale pinks, purples and yellows, but she also knows when to take the color palette up a notch to make a statement. The post that inspired me for this month's Outfit Inspiration column is from June 1st and is called, Packing A Capsule Wardrobe for Summer Getaways.  You can see her original post by clicking on the link. 

I have never been a big fan of a capsule wardrobe, because I am a clothes horse and like to have options when I travel. However, I think it is an idea worth visiting so I thought I would give it a try for this post. I did not give too much thought ahead of time as to how I would put this together, but I chose four key pieces for my capsule wardrobe. At the end I will give you list of the extras I would throw in to make this a weekend worthy wardrobe. 

Outfit 1 - Casual But Cute

White pants whether cropped at the ankles, capris or longer are always a must have travel piece in the summer. They are versatile, going from casual to dressy and can be worn with anything solid or print. I have styled these Christopher and Banks ankle pants on the blog before.  Like Liz did in her post, I styled mine with a Simply Vera  - Vera Wang floral top. 

For this look, which would work well for perusing the shops in a cute little village and then having lunch or dinner with my husband, I chose simple accessories that draw on the colors in the blouse; blue heels, light pink clutch, silver bracelets and my new Marina Griffin necklace that I won in a drawing on Jodie's Touch of Style. 

I couldn't believe how perfectly the necklace goes with the colors in the blouse. Unfortunately, the necklace does get a little lost in the print of the blouse, so I'll be choosing a solid top next time to show off the necklace. This is a very pretty piece that is well made. Be sure to check out Marina's Facebook page by clicking on the link above.

Outfit 2 - Dressy But Comfy

When packing for a getaway it is nice to include pieces that will not wrinkle easily, especially if you want to get more dressed up. I chose my LuLaRoe maxi skirt for the bottom piece. these maxis are made out of a silky, stretchy medium weight knit. They pack well and you don't need to wear a slip as the material is thick enough to keep light from showing through. Any skirt that has some give and is made from material that won't easily wrinkle will be a good choice for your get away wardrobe.

For the top I chose another comfortable piece made from a similar material as the skirt. This knit peplum top is Liz Claiborne from JC Penney. 

This is such an easy top to wear. You just pull it on and go. there are no clasps or zippers or buttons. It's like wearing a tee shirt, but more dressy. As you can see I threw on a string of olive colored beads to go with the olive print in the skirt. 

I was also doing a fair bit of print mixing in this outfit. This works well, because the print of the top is smaller than the print in the skirt and it coordinates with the black in the skirt. 

Once again I kept my accessories simple with a little black clutch and a new pair of shoes I found on the DSW clearance rack. These may be my favorite black heels ever. I love the retro vibe and they are so easy to get on, as well as incredibly comfortable. Win, win! These are Aerosoles brand. They still have these in a number of sizes here. 

Here are my two outfits side by side. 

Now what would I add to these four pieces to make it the perfect weekend wardrobe?

1. One other shirt like a tank top that could be worn with either the pants or skirt.

2. A pair of flip flops or more casual sneakers.

3. A jacket or sweater that would go with either the pants or skirt. I think my dark wash, distressed cropped jean jacket would be perfect. 

Add to those three things a swim suit, sunglasses and a good book to read and you'll have just what you need for a fun weekend away. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. As always, I love to hear from you. What is something you can't live without when you travel? Leave me some love in the comments. 

Have a great day and a perfect weekend!

Marvelous Maxis - The Dress Edition - Week 1

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Last summer I did a series called Marvelous Maxis. In that series I focused on the maxi skirt, which is a wonderful year round staple in many women's closets. You can revisit those posts by clicking on the title of each: Pleasantly Pleated, Playing It Straight, Wearable White, and A+ A-lines, This year I wanted to revisit the maxi idea, but instead of skirts, take a long lean look at the maxi dress. 

Today's featured dress is a new purchase from Nordstrom Rack. For Mother's Day my daughters gave me a few gift cards. They know how much I love to shop! When my hubby and I were on vacation we discovered a Nordstrom Rack near the hotel we were staying in and we stopped in to see what I could find. I found this fabulous floor length maxi dress with a country bohemian vibe. 

What immediately caught my eye was the colorful eclectic pattern. When I pulled the dress off the rack, I fell in love with the silky light weight fabric, the ruffles on the sleeves and the crocheted details on the sleeves and bodice. 

The waist falls at my natural waistline and for this post, I used one of my daughters fun belts to further accentuate the dress waistline. 

The neckline is scooped with a tie detail. I chose to leave it tied, but you could wear it open as well for a little more casual, sexy look. 

The bodice and the top half of the skirt are lined with an ivory slip type lining, so no need to wear a slip underneath this sheer colorful fabric.

With so much going on in the pattern of the dress, I kept my jewelry extremely simple. This is a plain velvet choker, but you could also do a string of pearls or beads or a few shorter gold or silver chains. 

My daughter and I got to laughing, because in all the shots up until this point my purse was facing the wrong direction. Many bags you can carry either way, but some have details on one side and are more simple on the other side. This is the side I wanted to have showing, so we were amused when I finally realized it was facing the wrong direction. I went for my mustard yellow Elle tote, to bring out the yellow in the dress. That's the beauty of this dress. There are so many accessory options to choose from because of all the fabulous colors.

Due to the length of the dress, I opted for a wedge heel. These coppery slip on Croft and Barrow sandals were perfect.

I added the black and white photos because I am a big fan of black and white. It allows the eye to appreciate the textures and depths without the distraction of bold colors. 

I am excited to have found this fun dress and it will be great piece for spring, summer and fall. The colors will adapt well to the seasonal changes of fall and I can make it warmer by adding tights or leggings underneath and jackets or sweaters on the top. 

I've included a few shopping options, but there are a slew of maxi dress options on line and in the stores right now. If you have time, do a little looking. You might find something you like. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen. 

Friday linking up with Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots.