Meet Maureen and Mavis

I want to introduce you to two gals who are going to help me out on the blog every once in a while. They used to work retail, but lost their jobs last fall and now they live with us. They were kind of happy their retail positions got canned. Both of them really wanted to become detectives and solve murder mysteries. For the time being they said they would model for me, since they have nothing better to do and there haven’t been any murders in our neighborhood. Although, with a lot more husbands and wives having to spend loads more time together, would it really be a surprise if someone ended up dead? Ha, ha.

Mavis is the taller one. She has a more conservative, classic stye, and is the planner on the team. Maureen likes to mix it up, gets a little edgy with her clothes and loves to play with technology.

Today, our models are showing off a trendy style that is perfect for spring, leopard print and denim. Join me as we get to know the girls and their style a little better.

Mavis

Mavis is wearing a thrifted dark wash denim pencil skirt. This is a brand called No Faze Jeans. I’ve worn this skirt before on the blog and you can see it styled for a casual look and for a date night look. Mavis is dressed for a stop at the coffee shop to do some computer work on a case (or she would be if she had a client and their wasn’t a lockdown). She likes this skirt because it is comfortable to sit in, with a good amount of stretch.

This awesome leopard print bomber jacket was another thrift find. Another Christopher and Banks piece, I like the cognac colored background and the sturdy zippers on the front and pockets. Mavis likes that it looks cool, but still classy.

The brown top is a Faded Glory tee that I have had for a while.

This leopard and gold pendant necklace goes perfectly with the outfit.

Mixing snakeskin print with leopard? Why not! Mavis isn’t afraid to print mix. A private eye needs to have a cute bag to keep their necessities in: lip gloss, tissues, credit cards and a gun, of course. A girl needs to have some protection.

Mavis always goes for a more conservative shoe. She likes shoes that look cute, but also offer support and stay on the foot. You never know when you might need to run after a criminal. These thrifted Natural Soul by Naturalizer heels are perfect.

Maureen

Maureen loves to stand out and be noticed. She loves clothes that are more flirty and feminine, but also has no problem wearing motorcycle boots and leather jackets. Today’s look revolves around a light weight, silky leopard print dress, a brand called Forever (possibly from Forever 21) and also a thrift store find. the dress is perfect for warmer weather as it is light weight and sleeveless.

You’ve see this thrifted Rue 21 distressed denim jacket on the blog before. It is one of my favorite denim jackets and offers a shorter cut, than most. The fact that this jacket has 3/4 length sleeves and subtle distressing means it is versatile for casual and dressed up occasions. You can see how I styled it with a LuLaRoe dress, a midi dress and a maxi dress, a leopard print skirt, a sweater tunic and a high waisted skirt. Maureen loves her denim, especially with a dress.

Maureen and Mavis are both modest girls by choice, so Maureen wanted a tank top under the lower cut v-neck of the dress. This one is thrifted and St John’s Bay. I like the little sparkle detail along the scoop.

Maureen, like Mavis loves jewelry, but hers will typically carry an air of hippy vibes and boho. I found this beaded choker while thrifting.

Maureen loves a bag that she can throw her lunch in if she wants and just like Mavis, she usually carries a piece, although her’s is a bit bigger than her friend’s. This thrifted, slouchy, hobo bag is American Eagle brand and has two handles, so you can either use it as a cross body bag, or a shoulder bag.

These thrifted Falls Creek combat boots are definitely showing their wear, but I thought they would look cute with this dress. Maureen thought so too. You can see how I styled these boots with pink jeggings, skinny jeans, and a printed a-line skirt.

I hope you enjoyed meeting Mavis and Maureen. They will be around again in the future and maybe they will have some adventures to share. Until then, have a great weekend. Stay safe and keep looking up.

I’ve included a few shopping links for leopard print jackets and dresses. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Seeing Red - Color Play - Patterned Scarf

Color inspiration can come from so many different places. In this monthly column, I am trying to force myself to look in different places for color. The typical places we look to are our clothes. For instance a pattern on a top or sweater, might be the basis for the rest of your clothing piece choices. Last month I chose a watercolor painting and table center piece as the inspiration for my outfit. I am hoping to inspire you to look in places you never thought of looking for color inspiration.

This month, I decided to inspire you with something probably every one of us has in our closets; a scarf. This particular scarf is full of color and not typically colors we would want to put together into an outfit, but why not? Think outside the box. Most of us use our scarves at accessories, without ever really letting them inspire our whole look. I decided to give it a try, so be sure to let me know what you think.

This scarf is perfect for this month’s Seeing Red theme. It is full of burgundy, red, shades of purple and a yellowy green. Using this as my spring board, I dove into my closet to see what I could find. This is what I came up with.

These bright red Faded Glory pants are a recent thrift find. I like ankle pants as the weather gets warmer and I thought this color would be fun for spring and summer. I used to never wear bright colored pants like this, but I have decided that life is too short to not wear the fun pants. I still reach for my simple blue denim jeans the most, but a bright color once in a while is a good way to stretch ourselves, whether it be on the bottom or the top.

My lavender colored button up shirt is a thrifted Merona piece. The longer yellow sweater was a clearance find at the end of last winter season from Forever 21. I don’t shop there too often, because most juniors sized clothing, does not fit me very well, but with the advent of bigger, roomier fashion, I can find things once in a while that don’t make me look like I’m trying to dress like I am still 21; 39 maybe, but not 21. Ha, ha. The sweater is soft and cozy, the perfect topper for these very chilly winter days.

I know the fashion industry and many bloggers are already talking about spring and the upcoming fashion trends. I understand the need for being ahead of the game and often at this time of year we are yearning for the change of seasons and the warmer days of spring. However, the reality is, it is still, very cold! This morning when I checked the temperature, it registered at 18, but the “feels like” temp was only 9. Um, I’m still going to wear my warm, cozy sweaters, thank you very much. To even think about baring my ankles or talking about shorts and less layers makes me feel cold.

I’ve had this red and gold charm necklace for a long time. It is the perfect piece to add a pop of red color against any top. I love pendant necklaces and I am fortunate enough to have a long enough torso to wear them. I especially like these charm type necklaces with all their different fun charms, beads and dangles.

You’ve seen this cranberry colored bag just recently on the blog (you can see that post here), and I realized it would be a great color match for the berry color in the scarf. This thrifted Libby Edelman bag was brought to my attention by my thrifting bestie back in Buffalo, NY one time when I was back visiting my mom. As much as my hubby prefers that I never bring a purse into the house again, once in a while a girl has to bring it home.

My olive SO ankle boots are making another appearance. These ankle boots are the most comfortable, versatile pieces and are the one purchase I would strongly recommend. It doesn’t have to be the SO brand, but I have found Kohl’s carries SO and Sonoma boots and I have really liked both. They are comfortable, fairly durable and have a great price point, especially if you can get them on sale or on clearance. I’m including shopping links at the bottom of the post, so be sure to check those out. Now is a great time to get boots for next season as many of them are on clearance. The great thing about ankle boots is you can wear them well into the spring with cropped pants, rolled pant hems and even skirts.

Do you have a scarf in your closet that you would love to build an outfit around? Give it a try. It is always fun to challenge your fashion brain to think beyond your norm. Many people might say they don’t want to change the way they do things, but there is something fun and satisfying about doing things differently and having it turn out well. Give it a try and let me know how you did.

For some beautiful scarves check out Nora Minassian at The Jacket Society. She has some beautiful printed pieces like this blue and white multi, ivory, pink and orange, tan and orange, multi-leaf print, and many others. Nora’s scarves are large and can be used as a shawl too, which would also be perfect for an outfit like this.

I love to hear your thoughts and I really wish there was a way to get more people to interact on the blog. The reason I say this, is not just for my benefit, but you all can be an encouragement to each other. After all, isn’t that what this is all about? For those of you who do comment, thanks again. For those who don’t, I would never want you to feel pressured. I know life is crazy busy. I often delete posts from other bloggers, because I just don’t have the time to comment, but I always feel good if I do. I feel like I am reaching out and encouraging a friend I’ve never met.

Thanks again for all your support.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

The shopping links included are affiliate links. I get a few cents if you click on a link and a little bit more if you purchase something through one of my links. I appreciate every click.

Have a great weekend and I hope the sun is shining where you are.

Seeing Red - Thrifted Thursday - Burgundy Skirt

Today’s column is the first of a new one I am going to feature the first Thursday of the Month. Since I am such an avid thrifter and because I see so many other thrifters featuring their treasures on a regular basis, I thought it would be fun to come up with an outfit once a month that is entirely thrifted. I thought this outfit fit into my February theme of Seeing Red because it features my burgundy faux leather skirt.

This skirt is Worthington brand. I have styled this on the blog before. You can see it styled with a velvet floral top here; a burgundy lace top here; a floral top here; and a gray sweater tunic here. This just goes to show, a faux leather skirt is a versatile option for your wardrobe. It works great as a work wear piece or dressed up for a classy night out.

I love this cognac yellow, cowl neck sweater. It is Charlotte Russe brand. Since it is a wider, more relaxed fit, I decided to do the front tuck. I have seen numerous vloggers, (video bloggers) who use this method to create a waist line on an outfit, with a more bulky or voluminous piece. Since I added a jacket over the top, leaving the back untucked was no big deal, as you can see below.

This olive green jacket could be a shirt dress, a very short one. Ha, ha. However, my days of mini skirts are long gone, so I am using it like a light weight jacket. This is Fashion Bug brand. With its large square pockets, metals snaps and casing belt, it definitely falls into the utility jacket category.

I kept my accessories simple. The fun brass and bead flower pendant I found thrifting a few years ago. The cognac, leather, Fossil cross body bag is perfect for carrying the essentials when shopping. I could have went with some cognac colored ankle boots, but opted for the black ANA loafer heels instead. I thought it made the outfit look a little more professional and office ready. My dark colored hose are the only thing not thrifted in my outfit.

What do you think of this outfit? Do you like this combination of colors? I really liked the way the yellow, burgundy and olive compliment each other.

If you don’t go thrifting, I would strongly recommend you give it a try. It is a great way to help our environment, other people and our own pocket books.

I’ve included a few modestly priced shopping links, if you are more of an online shopper. These are affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - What Child is This?

I had good intentions of getting these last two posts done a few days ago, but it didn’t happen, so you will get these Christmas song inspired outfits after the fact of Christmas. I typed that and I am still having a hard time believing Christmas is over for another year. That always leaves me feeling a little sad, but that gives me a good excuse to extend the holiday for a little longer.

When I looked up the history of this song I was surprised to learn that the tune Greensleeves, to which the lyrics of What Child is This was set, was originally composed as a broadside ballad and registered with the London Stationer’s Company in 1580 by a man named Richard Jones. There are contrary ideas on the original lyrics of the ballad. One idea was that Lady Greensleeves was a prostitute or a promiscuous young lady. The idea of a lady’s clothing being green had to do with grass stains on her dress from rolling around on the grass having sex. Another idea was that a woman had green sleeves on her outfit and was mistakenly taken for a hussy, to which she snubs the advances of the one trying to take advantage of her position. Either way, I am surprised the tune, then became the basis for What Child is This.

In 1865, William Chatterton Dix, a manager for an insurance company, came down with a life threatening illness. During that time, he had a spiritual awakening and wrote a poem The Manger Throne. The poem, became the basis for What Child is This. The poem centered around the adoration of the shepherds when they came to the manger and baby Jesus. It is not clear at what point the poem was set to the tune Greensleeves, nor by whom, but in 1871 it was included in a collection of carols published in the United Kingdom.

To me this song evokes a sense of simplicity and purity. Seen through the eyes of shepherds, the words create an image of the stark simple animal stable and the roughly crafted manger in which the baby Jesus lay. With this idea in mind I chose a simple prairie maxi dress that I found at a thrift store.

When I saw this dress, I immediately grabbed it, lest anyone else notice it and throw it in their cart. When you are thrifting, you have to grab a piece when you see it, otherwise it might be gone. You can always put it back before you check out if you decide to not buy it.

I love the floral pattern and the flounce at the bottom. The waist is gathered with elastic, but I decided to add a belt to add definition and texture. The cuffs on the sleeves are elastic as well. The dress is so simple. There are no buttons, ties or zippers. I just throw it on and go. It is also fully lined, so no worrying over a slip or cami.

You can just make out the elastic waist. It is almost an empire waist, but falls further below the bottom of the bust line. In my typical feminine with an edge stye, I added a wide black belt with plenty of metal. It has a sort of prairie goddess meets motorcycle mama vibe. Ha, ha.

In keeping with the simple theme, my accessories are not loud and other than the belt do not particularly draw attention. A black velvet choker, and a cross necklace give the old time vibe an updated look when worn together. The cross necklace is actually patterned on the front, so I turned it around to show only the black back.

The cognac colored bag was a Meijer clearance find and is perfect for this outfit. I’m also wearing my cognac colored SO booties from Kohl’s.

The final touch was to add my black shawl. It made the simple prairie vibe complete. I’ve had this fabulous piece for many, many years and I couldn’t tell you where I originally got it.

Would you wear a prairie dress like this? Why or why not? Not everyone can wear maxi’s and feel comfortable in them. Not everyone likes the prairie vibe. What sort of style do you like to wear? Are you more contemporary and like to follow the latest trends, or do you like styles from the past? I’d love to hear you thoughts.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I am including a link to my most favorite version of What Child is This, as sung by Andrea Boccelli and Mary J. Blige. In my opinion this is one of the most worshipful and beautiful renditions I have every heard.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Orange Tiger and Eden

I mentioned in Tuesday’s post on Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar, that not everyone can or wants to wear orange. I love orange, but it has to be the right shade for me to wear it near my face. Some oranges make me look sallow or washed out. Today’s colors are bold and what caused me to put these two colors together, was the contrast of dark with light, deep with bright. Today’s colors are a “fearless” Tiger Orange, and a rich “stately forest green” called Eden. I think Pantone’s description of these colors is perfect.

These two colors are the first in this series that I felt truly matched with the Pantone colors. I looked for a while in thrift stores for the perfect green and I really think this dark cardi nailed it. the sweater is Jaclyn Smith brand.

These bright orange pants are Worthington brand and I got them at JC Penney a number of years ago. These are more of a skinny leg trouser than a wide leg trouser. I got them for the bright color and do find occasions in the spring, summer and fall to wear them. You can see how I styled these with a floral tunic here.

This cream colored tank top is a thrifted Loft piece. I actually have two of them, found on different occasions, but the exact same style. This one is a large and has a sheen to it, that you can’t really see in the picture. The other one I have is a medium and is more of a true white. Why do I need two of these? Comfort and ease of wear. They work perfectly for something like this, but I will also be able to use them as a light weight under layer when the temps grow cold. The piece is banded on the bottom, making for a great fit without showing off the bulges. Here are a few to look at.

The scarf I added was another thrifted piece. I don’t have many pieces that are cream or ivory, like this. I am also looking for a cream fisherman sweater and/or turtleneck. I don’t need anything, because I am a clothes horse, but every now and then, I do realize I am lacking something I would love to incorporate into my closet. What about you? What pieces have you been hoping to add to your closet?

In addition to the scarf I wanted to add a long charm pendant necklace to break up the plain back drop of the tank. I think this outfit would have been equally good with a printed tank under the sweater.

My other accessories included my Vera Bradley tote bag and my thrifted Mossimo sneakers.

What did you think of this outfit? Would you wear a pair of bright orange pants like this? What is the brightest color you have ever worn in pants or a skirt? I’d love to hear you thoughts, so leave me some love in the comments.

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 weekend, everyone!