Pantone Spring 2018 - Introduction to the New York and London Palettes

This spring, the Pantone palette is full of pastels. Both the New York and the London palette have a number of overlapping colors that instantly say spring. I am excited about introducing this series to you and even though the colors have been on the Pantone website since last fall, I feel that the end of February and beginning of March are the perfect times to introduce spring colors. 

I'll confess, up until a few days ago, I couldn't even think about spring. As much as I want it to be here, I know there are still cold days ahead. However, with a forecast of temps in the forties and fifties, I think I can finally blog about spring, knowing that it will soon be here in all of its splendor.

The above graphic as well as the photos in this post are done by Rebecca Trumbull. Rebecca, not only takes amazing photos of all varieties from pets, to weddings, to seniors, to models, she also dabbles with managing social media accounts. If you need someone to manage your social media Rebecca might be a good choice. She is organized, has strong business savy and knows her way around the internet. (She didn't ask me, or pay me to advertise, I get something better, she's my daughter!)

As you can see by comparing the two palettes there are seven overlapping colors that appear on both palettes. These are :

Cherry Tomato - an orangey red described as "...impulsive....demanding attention...courageous..."

Blooming Dahlia - a peachy salmon.."subtly alluring...with understated appeal."

Meadowlark - a pretty yellow, described by Pantone as "glistening with joy and illuminating the world around us."

Pink Lavendar - lavender with a little more pink and a little less blue. Described as, "..soft and romantic...that charms with its soothing sense of quiescence."

Ultra Violet - Medium purple with a "complex and magical" hue. This is Pantone's choice for Color of the Year. 

Almost Mauve - this ultra light blush is perfect for using as a neutral and pairing with any other color. 

Lime Punch - appropriately named, this color makes me think of citrus fruit and warm sunny days. 

In addition to these duplicate colors each palette has five other colors:

New York Palette

Little Boy Blue - the color of sunny skies and a feeling of "expansiveness". 

Chili Oil - think spicy for this deep reddish brown. 

Arcadia - a green with blue undertones, reminiscent of tropical waters.

Emperador - a rich chocolate brown.

Spring Crocus - described as a "...witty and flamboyant...fuchsia shade...."

London Palette

Palace Blue - not quite royal, but "...sparkling with energy...."

Ash Rose - a more earthy darker pink.

Nile Green - reminiscent of sage and honeydew melons.

Spiced Apple - similar to Chili Oil, but with a deeper brown.

Rapture Rose - a pinky red "...that brings flirtatious charm to the Spring 2018 palette."

In addition to each palettes' twelve colors, this year they added four Classic Colors which can be used with any palette choice for a foundation from which to build an outfit. These are the same for both New York and London and are:

Sailor Blue - dark navy.

Harbor Mist - light to medium gray.

Warm Sand - tan with more yellow tones.

Coconut Milk - white to off white. 

The following photos are some sneak peaks at my series that will start next week, where I will feature outfits using two or three of the palette colors as well as a classic color. 

I hope you'll join me next week as I begin my Pantone Spring 2018 series. Check back on Thursday for my Old Becomes New column. 

Have a great day. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee in The Spread the Kindness link up and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Outside the Box - Styling PJ Pants

This new monthly column on my blog is going to deal with fashion ideas and trends that I don't really buy into. Most of the time, it will involve me trying a different trend that I would have never tried before. It will also, occasionally include posts about color, print and texture pairings that we wouldn't usually think about putting together. Once in a while, I might use this monthly column to discuss ideas in the fashion world that I find hard to swallow. I hope you will enjoy this new column and I would love to hear from you. If you have an idea of a trend or fashion style you would like me to feature as something you are not used to wearing or don't have any idea how to style, this will be a good platform for that as well. You can leave me your ideas in a comment here on the blog or send me a Facebook message.

This week, I decided to try a trend that I have seen come and go on the runways: wearing pajama pants as part of an outfit. I'm sure we are all used to the idea of pajama pants as something we put on before we go to bed, or something we put on when we want to lounge around the house, but wearing a pair of pj pants out in public...uh, no! Okay, so I get it. I see more and more people running to Walmart and the grocery store with their fuzzy pajama pants on, but that is hardly stylish, let alone, something a stylish 50 something year old would wear to work or out to dinner. Remember, we are doing a fashion blog to help ourselves and you look and feel better, not end up imitating a walking pile of laundry. 

I found these striped pajama pants at a thrift store. They are Sonoma brand and a size large. If I do this again, I think I will try to go down a size and see if I like that look better. Sizing really depends on what you want to do with them and what look you are going for. If the only thing you are going to do with the pants is watch tv and get cozy, then by all means size up. The roomier the better. But for a sleeker, more stylish look it might be better to have the pants fit a little tighter. Let me know what you think.

Look 1 & 2 - Casual

For this first look, I paired the pants with my Paris graphic tee, a Loft green cardigan, Keds gray sneakers and an olive American Eagle bag. Here is another option on the Loft cardigan.  I also added my pearl, velvet and silver choker as well as a pearl bracelet.

For the next casual look, I swapped out the graphic tee for a long sleeve Mossimo tee from Target. Here is a bell sleeve one.  I did the front tuck to give a little more definition to my waist. Over the top I have on a heavy weight Liz Claiborne button up, that works great as a light weight jacket. I am wearing my SO taupe ankle boots and carrying a Nine & Co. bright blue tote. 

I also added a silver and blue chain necklace as well as a green cocktail ring. 

Look 3 & 4 - Dressy

The next two outfits I dressed up a little bit more. These would be good for work or even for a date night, if your hubby doesn't mind being seen in public with you wearing a pair of pajama pants. Ha, ha. 

In the first look I am wearing a navy crocheted top that I bought a few years ago at Christopher and Banks. It is more of a tunic, but I decided to tuck the top in and add a belt to give me a more defined waistline. I think this is a good idea when your pants are more bulky or billowy. 

The belt is a simple crocheted number that is stretchy. For jewelry I just added a neutral beaded necklace to pull in the colors of the shoes, belt and bag. The bag was a recent find on the Kohl's clearance rack. It is Madden brand. Here is the same one from Nordstrom on sale. I got a better deal at Kohl's, but clearance is what it is. When it is gone, it is gone. 

These SO peep toe heels are another recent find from Kohl's clearance. Here is another pair from Kohl's that is very similar. I am looking forward to warmer temps (and painting my toenails, of course), so I can wear these more. 

Even though my top is navy and matches the navy in my bottoms, I've got some print mixing going on. See how I did that? Print mixing is not always about color. It can also happen with textures and the weave of fabrics. 

This second dressy look is, perhaps my favorite. This outfit uses a button up top from JC Penney and a thrifted suiting piece, that I'll just call a vest. It is more like a blazer vest. You'll get what I mean if you know what a coat vest is. If not, don't worry about it. For the purpose of this post it is a vest. 

I think this is one classy outfit and yes, I am wearing pajama pants. Ha, ha. In addition to the button up, which has fish on it (more print mixing), and the vest, I added a beaded necklace and bracelets with an olive hue. I also grabbed my velvet clearance find from Meijer. This is Wallflower brand. Such a cute bag, and I don't care that it is velvet, I'll be using it in the spring! My loafer heels were the last touch. 

Here are all four of the outfits:

What do you think? Would you wear pajama pants as part of an outfit? I think this is a great idea, especially for summer, when you need something cool and light. I think part of the process in figuring out if a pair of pj bottoms are good for style wear is to see how they fit and what sort of outfit you can make out of them. I personally would not wear my Eeyore pajama pants, but this striped pair or maybe a plaid, why not! 

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gave you a new perspective on those cozy duds we wear to bed!

Here are a few fun options. How would you style these into an outfit? This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. Saturday linking up with Rena of It's All Fine. Whatever Tickles the Fancy. 

Spring Trends

I know most other bloggers have already been talking about the trends for Spring 2018, which makes perfect sense since the Spring clothes are already in the stores. But I have never been one to keep up and I have a hard time thinking about Spring clothes, when it is still in the teens at night. We are supposed to get some warmer weather this next week, so maybe that will get my Spring sap moving...ha, ha. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull

In the mean time, I thought I would at least talk about what is up and coming for Spring this year.

Romance is In

Flowing fabrics, and florals highlight the romantic vibe that seemed to be taking the runways by storm.I like this trend, because it is feminine and flirty. 

Here is a piece in my collection. While it is not made from flowy fabric, it is bursting with florals and the bell sleeves add a romantic touch. I'll be styling this little dress at a later date. 

Shimmer and Shine

Dressing in shiny tops, dresses or tops isn't just for night time any more. Now you can wear your shimmer to the office. Pair a glittery top with a pair of jeans, ankle boots and a cute bag and you are ready for shopping with your gal pals. Add a denim jacket to a party looking skirt and you are ready for work. 

I've styled this top on the blog before. You can see that post here. 

The Check Please

Checks and plaid are still holding their own as a go to pattern. Now they are being found on bags, hats, tops with embroidery, pants and jackets. Colors vary from cool blues and reds to warm peaches and pinks. 

I pulled these two pieces out of my closet and when I took the picture I thought, hey those pieces could be worn together for some fabulous print mixing. 

Lucious Lavender

I have always been a fan of purple in all its varying shades. This spring the shades range from Pantone's Color of the Year, Ultra Violet, to the soft pastel of lavender. Which ever shade you choose purple is a must have item for this spring. Don't wear purple on a regular basis, add a pop of color with these pretty shoes and bags. 

I couldn't pass up this beautiful lavender sweater from Ralph Lauren when I was out thrifting. You will probably see this on the blog soon too. 

Fabulous Fringe

This trend seems to be hanging around for the long run. While it isn't prevalent everywhere for every season, it does seem to appear here and there, especially on bags and shoes. Fringe is a fun textural element to add to any outfit.

You've seen this on the blog before too. No need to run out and buy new things when they are already hanging in the closet. Original post on this vest here. 

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great day. 

Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. 

Ordinary Amy - Tomboy Memories

I am using the word ordinary as a term to mean usual, not plain. I don't want any of you thinking I only think of myself as ordinary...okay, so once in a while I do struggle with the old self image, but that is not what I am intending to address with this new monthly column on the blog. 

Ordinary Amy is going to be a monthly column emphasizing outfits that are my go to's. These will be pieces that I frequently reach for, because I find them, comfortable, easy to wear and pair other pieces with, yet still stylish. 

A v-neck sweater, red in honor of Valentine's Day, a pair of skinny jeans and a pair of combat boots. Casual, comfy, warm and a masculine edge. 

I grew up in a home with two older brothers. Being the only girl and the baby, it was my goal to try to keep up with the boys, as annoying as that was to them. Ha ha. From playing in the creek behind the house, to making trails in the field down the road for their dirt bikes, I tried to follow them everywhere. As far as I was concerned I was a boy, just like them. I had a short hair cut and wore pants as often as I could. I can still remember my mother and I fighting about the fact that she thought I should wear dresses to school. She gave that fight up before too long. When we went swimming in our pool, I would wear a pair of shorts and that was it...no top. I was a boy. why should I have to wear a top? (This was before I began to blossom and hit puberty, so flat chested, was flat chested.)

I can still remember when I got my first period. I explained to my mother what was happening and when she told me what it was, I ran from the house angry and crying. I didn't want to be a girl. Gradually, hormones did their job. I started to change in shape and I also began to notice boys! I became extremely private and modest, even around my brothers, and I became interested in clothing, hair styles and eventually make up. 

However, I still prefer pants over dresses and I like looks that have an edgy, military or masculine vibe. 

This type of look is something I turn to again and again. I love boots. I also like skinny jeans. I used to never wear them, so when I finally tried them, I fell in love. The thing I like about skinnies is that I can wear them all year round. In fall and winter I tuck them into boots and in spring and summer, I roll them up and pair them with ankle boots, sneakers, flats or flip flops. 

A chunky, cable knit sweater is stylish, but forgiving enough that I don't have to worry about my bulges. This particular sweater is Chaps brand from the Kohl's clearance rack. I am wearing a short sleeve lace tee underneath which provided an extra layer of warmth and a touch of ivory around the neck line. 

When I started putting this outfit together, I chose the sweater and jeans first, but then I thought of adding this fun bomber jacket which I introduced on the blog earlier in my travel post from last March. This little number is actually quite warm. It was a JC Penney clearance rack find and is Arizona brand. I think I paid about $5.00 for it. 

With the bomber jacket I knew I had to wear my thrifted combat boots, giving the whole look a WWII feel. With that in mind, it made me think of my dad. 

My dad, who grew up in a pacifist Mennonite family, was a hard working farm boy with a fascination with airplanes. When he was old enough he left home and went to work for the Curtiss-Wright airplane factory in Buffalo, NY. making wings for the P-47 for WWII. My dad, however was not content to make wings, he wanted to enlist. When he went to sign up, they asked if he was employed. When he told them where he worked they rejected him, saying his work was more important to the war effort than being in the service. Being the man he was, he waited a little longer, quit his job and went back to enlist. They let him right in. His enlistment came late in the war and he ended up serving in Air Sea Rescue on a B-17. 

I found this little pendant necklace somewhere along the way, possibly at Charming Charlie. What originally drew me to it was the bling, but it suddenly occurred to me that it would be a good piece to remind me of my dad. My dad passed away eleven years ago, but obviously I still think of him often. 

There you have it...ordinary me, on an ordinary day. I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope you have an extraordinary weekend! 

(With the awful tragedy that occurred yesterday morning in Parkland, Florida I thought to add a note to this post. I pray for the families, friends and school staff left behind after the mass shooting. My heart is heavy as you deal with the aftermath and I pray that time will bring healing for the loss you are feeling.)

Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

More Ideas for Valentine's Day

I thought I would put together a collection of looks from the last two years that would work for a Valentine's Day date either with your significant other or with your friends. 

I love the multiple textures involved in this outfit from the patent leather heels and the embellishments on the leggings, to the pleated skirt and fringe on the woven belt. The floral velvet top is a perfect piece for a romantic candle light dinner. See the original post here. 

I love the richness of the burgundy of this dress and it's perfect for those of you who don't like a bold crisp red or a light whimsical pink for your Valentine's Day color of choice. Since the dress has short flutter sleeves I topped it with a lacy romantic hoodie. See the original post here. 

This was one of my earlier posts. My daughter who takes my pics is probably cringing right now. I think it is neat to see how far we have come, both her and I! Anything leopard can be dressed up to look romantic. There is something special about this animal print and I think pairing it with this light pink top was a great way to showcase the skirt and add an additional feminine touch. See the original post here. 

For a more casual look choose black for your base pieces, but add a pop of berry, or red to really make the outfit Valentine's Day perfect. I like this melding of colorful feminine with edgy biker chic. See this original post here. 

This outfit uses the same pink top seen in the picture worn with the leopard print skirt. My favorite piece in this outfit is the velvet blazer. It is such a cozy, lux piece and the color is perfect for a Valentine's night out. The tote bag adds another dimension of fun and whimsy to the entire look. Original post here. 

This extra casual look would be great for a quick bite to eat and then a comfortable night at home watching a movie. Just kick off the heels and put on the fuzzy socks. Or skip the socks so your hubby can massage your feet while you cuddle on the couch. See the original post here. 

How do you pick out an outfit for a special occasion like Valentine's Day? Do you stick to the traditional colors of the holiday or do you reach for your usual go to look? This year, if you are doing something special, try picking out an outfit that wouldn't be your norm. Layer a dress  over jeans, add a moto jacket over a more dressy outfit, add a bright red hand bag or a pop of pink to a more monochrome look. There are all sorts of ways to up your styling game using what you already have. 

Have a great Valentine's Day everyone, whether you are with your hubby, significant other, kids or girlfriends. Make it an occasion to get dressed up for. 

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge. Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style. 

Outfit Inspiration - Jacket, Chambray and Colored Pants

I decided to start four new columns on the blog to replace those I had last year. Thursdays seem to be the days I like to focus on a particular fashion idea, whether it be inspiration from a source outside myself or how to style a particular piece. Today being the second Thursday of the month, I am going to feature outfit inspiration from other sources. Last year I devoted this Thursday to other fashion bloggers in my Beautiful Blogger Bests column. While I will still be featuring different bloggers once in a while, I wanted to focus on other sources to show you that you can be outfit inspired in so many different ways and by so many different people. 

What got me started on this idea were several sources including a Chico's catalogue/ad, and a home decorating book focusing on color. The outfits I saw in the Chico's ad were lovely, but I couldn't afford to run right out and buy all the beautiful things I saw. I thought to myself, "I wonder if I could come up with a similar outfit using my own closet as the pool from which to pull the pieces." Today's outfit is my version of one I saw last fall in a sales flyer I received from Chico's.

Due to copy right infringement I cannot show you a picture of the original outfit, but I have included a few shopping links to give you an idea of a similar outfit. 

The outfit included a herringbone blazer, mustard colored ankle pants, a dark blue chambray shirt and orange jewelry. The original model also wore a pair of black loafers. 

This is my version.

My jacket is not Herringbone, it is Houndstooth. I found this little gem made by Pendleton  at a thrift store that I've driven by hundreds of times, but never stopped at. Silly me! Pendleton is an iconic American made brand that has been around since the mid to late 1800's. They are known for their manufacture of quality wool blankets and clothing. 

The difference between Houndstooth and Herringbone lies in the pattern. Herringbone is more compact and looks like zigzags, where as the Houndstooth looks like each spot has little teeth attached at the opposite corners. 

My darker chambray shirt is Canyon River Blues, a brand that has been sold at Sears and K-Mart and is also sold at Walmart. This one is also thrifted. 

I chose a rust color pant, because I don't own any yellow ones. These rust colored pants I got at Chico's just recently. These are their So Slimming Slim Leg Pant. They are high waisted and have no zippers or belt loops. Just pull them on and go. 

Because I went with rust for my pant color I thought olive green would go well with the rest of the outfit, so I added by olive beaded necklace, an olive bracelet and my new SO olive suede ankle boots. I also picked up my olive colored tote to complete the ensemble.

Do you see my clenched fist? Ha, ha. It was pretty cold and got colder as we continued our shoot. You'll see some of the blustery pics when I start my Pantone Spring 2018 series. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Next time you are at a bookstore or library, take a look at a few fashion magazines. These are great places to look for inspiration. Don't let the glamorous models and glossy pages make you lose heart. The goal is to find YOUR style, not someone else's by taking bits and pieces from different places.  

I hope you have a good weekend. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots. 

A Fun Casual Valentine's Look

I am going to take a break from my series on Working Undercover, to post a couple of Valentine's looks this week and next. After that I am going to start the Pantone Spring 2018 series. Don't worry, I will get back to more posts on hiding our "flaws" at a later date.  

Today's outfit revolves around a summer dress by Vera Wang. I got this fun watercolor print from Kohl's a few summer's ago and thought my Florida trip in December would be the perfect place to wear it. Unfortunately, the temps were not conducive to wearing it as a dress, so I chose to style it as a longer tunic over a pair of skinny jeans.  Take a look. 

I added a light pink tee to wear underneath for extra warmth. It was the perfect combination and went with the light pink in the dress. In addition I threw on the SO flats. I am not as much a sandal type of girl due to my vein issues (yes varicose veins can cover the feet too). So I like to wear ballet flats or sneakers in the warmer months. 

I have been intrigued by Vera Wang's Simply Vera, line of clothing at Kohl's since I first became acquainted with it a number of years ago. I love that she chooses patterns and colors that are out of the ordinary. I am not a big fan of everything she puts out on the run way, but she does have many cute pieces that are available to the average shopper. Many of her pieces have unique and interesting details. The prices aren't too bad and even better when you can score something off the clearance rack. 

I added the distressed cropped jean jacket as another layer. I kid you not, it was only about 50 degrees. so I not only added the cropped jean jacket, but before we left to go play mini golf, I also added a wind breaker. Ha. ha. 

Here are a few silly pictures of me being cold. 

In addition to the jean jacket I decided to wear the dress over my Rock and Republic jeans. 

I think this outfit would work well for a casual Valentine's date. The dress is flirty and feminine, but I made it my own, by adding the edginess of denim. I also wore minimal jewelry to let the dress take center stage. 

What do you think of this outfit? Would you wear something like this? Do you like Vera Wang's line of fashion? I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. 

I hope you enjoyed today's post. Check back on Thursday for the start of a new monthly column. I think you will enjoy it. 

Below are a few links to a few other Vera Wang pieces. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you purchase something through a link in my post, I might get a little commission. As usual all opinions are my own. 

Have a great day!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. Friday linking up with Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane. 

Layering Love - Wearing a Vest over a Cardigan - Another Look

After last week's post on layering a longer vest over a longer cardigan, I got curious to see how a shorter vest would look over a shorter cardigan. Finding different ways to use the pieces we already own, not only gives us more choices, but it helps our brain to stay active and learning. In the same way we benefit from learning a musical instrument, solving puzzles or taking on a new activity, figuring out how to put outfits together, helps keep our brains healthy. Check out this older post from Jodie of Jodie's Touch of Style, about how restyling our clothing can help our brains. 

I decided to give you two outfits for today's post. The Rock and Republic jeans are the same for both outfits.  I just bought these for my birthday in January. Kohl's was having a buy one get one 50% off, which doesn't happen too often, so I took advantage of it. 

Look 1: Monochrome

Just like last week's post, I decided to do a matching sweater and matching vest. For this look, I chose black. I chose this shorter A.M.I. cardigan with the big buttons and bell type, 3/4 length sleeves as something different from the usual standard cardigan. Since this was thrifted I had a hard time tracking down the original brand. There is an AMI out of Paris featuring Alexandre Mattuissi designs which are mainly for men, although he is launching a menswear for women this year. There is also an AMI Clubwear, which features more sexy and cute styles for going out, dancing and parties. If you click over there, just be prepared for a bit of skin. All that being said, I am not sure where this sweater originally came from. Ahh, the beauty of thrifting. Ha, ha. 

I used my Selene Sport (older brand-thrifted) quilted faux leather vest and added my Ralph Lauren leather ankle boots and my sparkly clutch to go with the bling on my necklace and pants. 

Look 2: Not Matching

For this outfit, I switched out the black cardi for a leopard print version by Karen Scott. Karen Scott brand is sold at Macy's. Once again it has 3/4 length sleeves, but a more traditional cardigan shape. The vest is Christopher and Banks that I got a few years ago. I thought the burgundy denim was a perfect compliment to the print of the sweater. 

I swapped out my black ankle boots for my knee high Unisa shearling ones. I thought these pulled out the brown in the cardi quite well. You can see how I styled these boots in another post from fall, here. I grabbed a simple burgundy clutch and threw on a few silver pieces of jewelry to go with the silver buttons on the vest. 

Here are the two outfits side by side.

I think this is a fun way to get more wear out of both your vests and your cardigans. It is also a perfect way to add an extra layer of warmth around your core. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments section. I love to hear your thoughts. If you ever have a suggestion for something you'd like to see me feature on the blog, please let me know. 

Have a great weekend!

Here are a few shopping links. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Friday linking up with Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane.