Outside the Box - Wide Leg Crop Pants

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

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

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

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. 

Old Becomes New - Tiered Maxi Skirt

This Old Becomes New column was put together to help me reach for those things in my closet that I have had for a while. The goal is to come up with an outfit that feels fresh, and modern, then decide if it is a piece I want to keep. Today I pulled out this brown tiered maxi skirt.

The goal of this outfit was ease and comfort. This St. John's Bay skirt from JC Penney is made of a medium weight knit, much like a heavier tee. It has four tiers. Sometimes a tiered skirt can add bulk, making our bottoms look bigger and heavier, but this fabric drapes really well and almost gives the appearance of long pleats.

My 3/4 length sleeve top is Dana Buchman, from Kohl's  and is also older. What drew me to this silky tee were the spots and the neckline. I wish I would have straightened it out a bit for the pictures, but that's what I get for trying to rush. The neckline is a pleated v-neck and lays quite nicely, except for the big wrinkle in this pic! Ha, ha. The print is not really leopard and not really cheetah, but it has that same wild looking effect. 

This is an old bag that I got at a thrift store. I love the sheen, which makes it great for dressing up an outfit. I also love the simple muted taupe and silvery tan color. You really could use a purse like this with any outfit. The brand is Tignanello. Most of their products seem to be sold through QVC or Macy's and are made of leather. The price points are higher than I would pay for a purse, thus thrift stores are a great place to find quality name brand pieces at much more affordable prices. You just have to be vigilant and visit your thrift establishments on a regular basis. 

I've styled this pretty necklace on the blog before and always look for ways I can incorporate it into an outfit. I got this at H&M a number of years ago on the clearance rack and thought it was a unique and fun piece. 

Once again, I chose my peep toe, perforated sandals to complete the outfit. I am really finding these Sonoma brand shoes versatile and comfortable. I actually made the effort to paint my toes before we took pictures, so they could get some sun. Ha, ha. 

So what do you think? Do you like this type of skirt? I think a maxi skirt can be a versatile piece to wear in the summer. It gives you coverage, but also gives you a wealth of options for dressing up or dressing down. You could swap our the silky tee for a tank top and the heels for flip flops. You could also dress it up by throwing a cute black blazer or sweater over the top, then switching out the more casual sandals for a pair of black heels or black wedges. Add a cute sparkly clutch and your all ready for a date night. 

I'd love to hear your feedback, so leave me some comments below. 

I've included a few shopping links for you to peruse. These are affiliate links which means if you click on a link, I get a few cents and if you purchase a piece through one of these links, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great weekend.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.