Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Autumn Maple and Shaded Spruce

Believe it or not, this is the final installment in my Pantone Fall 2017 Series. Next week I'll do a recap of all the colors on both the London and New York palettes. After that I'll be starting a new series on camouflaging those problem areas, so keep coming back!

Originally I was going to pair the rusty orange called Autumn Maple with one of the blues, but after mulling it over,  thought what could be a better fall combination. mimicking nature, than orange and green; the very colors we see combined on the trees as they go through their metamorphosis. One of my favorite fall scenes is to see the dark green of pine surrounded by the bright oranges and reds of the changing leaf landscape. It is for that reason I combined Autumn Maple and Shaded Spruce in this rather bohemian outfit for today's post. 

You've seen several of the pieces in this outfit before. I wore the tiered skirt here and the black vest here and here. I also used the bag in this post here. i like to show you that you don't always have to go out and buy new clothes, even though that is way more fun! You can shop you closet and find new ways to reinvent a piece you already have. 

Though this skirt is not a solid color, orange is really what you see when you look at it. I thought it was the perfect companion piece for my Shaded Spruce Sonoma popover top. 

Here you can see some of the pretty perforated detailing on the top. I added a brown belt and lots of necklaces. The belt is velvet. I like a belt with this type of outfit as I feel it adds a touch of class to a more casual look. I tried my hand at the multiple necklace look. Did I pull it off, or do you think it looks to chaotic? I have mixed feelings. I also grabbed my berry fringe drawstring bag. I like this additional pop of color. What do you think?

I topped the whole outfit with the quilted black vest, and my black ankle boots. I think this pulled the outfit together and broke up the differing color scheme. 

I hope you enjoyed this series on the Pantone Fall 2017 colors. Next week, I'll have a recap of all the outfits from this series. 

Check back Thursday for another Fun Fall Look.

Below are a few shopping links in case you are looking for Shaded Spruce or Autumn Maple. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Fun Fall Look - Plaid Poncho

Plaid is all the rage this fall, so when I found this plaid poncho at Charming Charlie, I thought it would be a great addition to my wardrobe. Poncho's are a fun piece that add a layer of warm and an interesting look to many outfits. I have a crocheted poncho which I have styled on the blog before. You can see that post here. While that poncho is more for summer and warm wether, this piece I am styling for you today is perfect for fall and winter. 

Purple, being one of my favorite colors, I was thrilled to find this poncho. Not long after when I was thrifting with my older daughter, i found this purple pair of jeans. The jeans are really long and will look great with heels, but for this outfit, I rolled the pant legs up and wore my purple velvet kitten heels.

A poncho like this can be worn like a light weight jacket or when the weather gets colder it can be used like a blazer or sweater as an over piece for warmth and interest. I am wearing the poncho the traditional way with the point going down the front and back, but the poncho could be turned so that the points go toward the wrists for more of a rectangular appearance. I forgot to take a picture of it that way. 

For my outfit I am wearing the poncho as a layering piece over a light lavender cowl neck sweater.

Wearing the poncho as a layering piece means I have the extra warmth if I want it. I simply pull the necklace outside the poncho to make it look like a finished outfit. 

You can also see I added a few bracelets and a simple gray clutch.

Do you have a poncho? How do you like to wear yours? I've added a few shopping links if you are interested in getting one for yourself. There are a number of styles and colors. 

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

Thank you for stopping by the blog. Have a great weekend!

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Tawny Port and Golden Lime

This week's color combination is a blend of a dark maroon and a more subtle green. Tawny Port is described on the Pantone site as "Taking the red family to new depths..." I think of it as more of purple than a red, but then purple is made up of red and blue. Golden Lime takes on a more tropical hue, so I though pairing these two colors would make for an interesting outfit. 

These pictures were taken at Wildwood Metropark here in Toledo. This is an amazing park and so close to home. It used to be the estate of Champion Spark Plug magnate Robert Stranahan. The park boasts the original Manor house and outbuildings, as well as acres of trails, a covered bridge and boardwalk. It is used for everything from family picnics to all manner of photo opportunities. In December the Manor house will be decorated for Christmas and thousands of people will come to take a tour. 

For today's pics we just found a piece of trail to take pictures on.

I've had this skirt, which is Jones Wear Brand, for a while. Honestly, I don't even remember where I got it. Ha, ha. However, it is a fun skirt with it's whimsical pattern and colors. It is fully lined and would be considered either midi or tea length, depending on what chart you look at. 

This open waterfall cardi is ANA brand. It probably leans more towards purple than what Tawny Port actually is, but I think It works well. The Tawny Port splotches in the skirt actually are more red. It is amazing how you can pair something with a color that has both red and blue in it's undertones and it will lean toward the color of the piece you have on.

This faux lace top from Croft and Barrow appears more green in person, but you get the idea. I like these types of tops as they give the appearance of lace, but you don't have to wear a cami underneath. This one is a silky, stretchy material, so very easy to wear and wash. 

You can also see I added a gold belt to bring out that color in the skirt as well, plus it adds a point of interest and texture as well as defining my shape. I chose this bluish purple agate necklace as the skirt has just a little bit of this color in it too. 

My bag is thrifted and you can see I've used it before in this post. This dark olive bag from Talbots has two handles. One allows you to use it as a top handle hobo bag and the other as a cross body bag. It is nice to have options. 

I was really stumped when it came to what shoes to wear. My casual side won out in the end and I went for the combat boots. These are thrifted and are Falls Creek brand. Falls Creek is a brand sold at Meijer. 

I thought this was a fun outfit for fall. It is comfy, cozy and for cooler weather could be made wearable by swapping out the short sleeve stretchy tee for a long sleeve top and adding heavier tights under the skirt. 

I hope you enjoyed this post. I've included a few shopping links for Tawny Port and Golden Lime. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Have a great week and don't forget to stop back on Thursday for another Fun Fall Look.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Monday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb. Tuesday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge and Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish. 

Fun Fall Look - Blanket Scarf

Until this last spring I had never owned a blanket scarf. Last fall and winter when I saw all sorts of my favorite bloggers showing off their warm, fuzzy scarves I kept thinking I need to get one of these. It wasn't until my hubby and I visited The British Tea Garden in Tecumseh, Michigan that I found the exact one I wanted. Our fun lunch date included delicious food and our choice of tea. They also had a cute little gift shop which I had to peruse while we were waiting to be seated. This is the blanket scarf I bought on clearance. 

What makes a blanket scarf different from other scarves. There are two main characteristics. The first is that the scarf is a large square. I believe this one is five feet by five feet. The second is that the material is heavier, but soft enough to wrap around our necks or shoulders. 

For this post I styled my blanket scarf for a casual look that could be worn on a date with my hubby or shopping with a friend. 

I've been seeing cropped pants everywhere, especially distressed denim with frayed hems. I guess I'm right on trend in that department. These Vera Wang pants are thrifted. I wasn't too keen on the whole distressed pants trend, but I have come over to the dark side. Ha, ha. Personally, this is as much distressing as I need. No holes revealing pasty flesh for this girl. Although small holes and a cute pair of tights would be okay. That's just me!

I thought it would be fun to pair the jeans with a dressier jacket/blazer that is also thrifted. I had been wondering how exactly to style this jacket, but when I saw the scarf next to it, I knew it would be the perfect pairing.

This jacket is not meant to be worn as outerwear as it is very light and unlined. It may have been part of a pant suit or went with a skirt. I like wearing jackets like this. They provide an added layer of warmth, especially when I work. Our office is chilly all year round. 

Under the jacket I wore one of my winter sweaters tunics. It has more of an open weave, so isn't too heavy. If I wore it alone, I would have added a cami or tank underneath. 

The following pictures show another way to style this scarf. 

For shoes I chose my black heeled ankle boots. 

I didn't go wild with my accessories as I wanted the scarf to be the focal point. A fun ring with fall colors and a gold bracelet were my only jewelry. 

I thought adding this red/berry colored bag would be a great pop of color against this otherwise subdued outfit. Another thrift store find, I love the color of this purse. It has the roominess of a tote, but also has organizational compartments for all the extras. Thrift stores are great places to find purses, even pricer name brands like Coach. Just be sure you know your brand before you buy. 

So that is a look at my blanket scarf outfit. I can't wait until it gets a little chillier so I can wear this cozy piece more often. Do you have a blanket scarf? How do you like to wear yours?

Here are a few shopping links for blanket scarves. If you purchase an item through my site I get a little bit of a kick back. While my blog is just a hobby right now, it would be awesome if it made a little bit of money too. Ha, ha. 

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

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! 

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Marina and Navy Peony

I wan't sure about pairing the two blues together that appear on the New York palette, but after mulling it over, I decided to give it a try. Navy Peony is the only color that appeared on both the Pantone London palette and the New York palette this fall. While many of the other colors came close to being similar such as Grenadine and Scarlet Flame or Butterum, Toast and Copper Tan, Navy Peony seemed to be embraced all over. I have heard it said that navy is the new black and is a go to for styling an outfit that is classic and slimming. 

Marina is a lighter blue and reminded me of the beautiful fall sky on a sunny day. Going along with that idea, I decided to add white pants, keeping the outfit light and bright, but still filled with warm layers for a perfect fall transitional outfit. 

For my Navy Peony piece I chose an Isaac Mizrahi denim dress that I found at a thrift store. This dress was made for Target, but Mizrahi no longer has an affiliation with Target. I thought the dress, which comes with an attached belt would make a great jumper or, as in this case, the perfect cool weather longer length vest. It has a row of white buttons up the front and two roomy pockets at the sides. For this outfit I left it unbelted and open. Here is a navy longer length utility vest that would work. 

The Marina button up top is a thrifted Dana Buchman brand from Kohl's. I was looking for a few blouses that I could wear out or tucked in, but that didn't have a lot of bulk to them. This is a silky poly blend and layers well under the heavier vest. 

The pants I have styled before on the blog and are Gloria Vanderbilt boot cut jeans. I'll list a few other shopping links at the end for similar options.

We took these pictures at a local Toledo Metropark named Wildwood. We are very fortunate to have numerous beautiful parks throughout the Toledo area boasting great walking trails and historicbuildings such as this old school house which is still used for various events. 

To keep my outfit still connected to the changing colors of fall, I decided to add a few cognac or Butterum accessories. 

The boots are thrifted Aerosoles and the bag is thrifted New Directions. Here are a cute pair of similar colored boots from DSW. Here is a cute bag from Nordstrom Rack. This color is perfect for fall, not to too dark and not too light. It gives any outfit a warm, toasty feel. 

i also went for the browns in my simple bead necklace and hinged bead bracelet. 

What do you think of this color combination? Do you have many navy pieces in your closet? Be sure to take them out and start wearing them and you'll be right in style. I'd love to hear from you either in the comments section below or leave me a message on Facebook. You can also follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. I appreciate all your support.

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

Join me Thursday where I will be feature another Fun Fall Look. See you then.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Fun Fall Look - Floral Bomber Jacket

For the next few Thursdays, I thought it would be fun to show off some of my own fall fashion ideas, using some of the current trends. For each featured piece, I'll include a few shopping links for you to look at as well. That way if you are inspired by the looks I show you, you can find a similar piece for yourself. I try to keep the links connected to stores that offer clothing choices at a little lower price point and places, I feel, have trustworthy brands.

This week's look was one that I wore to my 35th high school reunion which was this past weekend. I graduated in 1982 from Alden High School in Alden, NY. I had never gone to any of my other reunions, as I was not all that popular in school and didn't think it was any big deal. This year, I decided to go and asked two of my closest high school buddies if they would go too. We had a great time and it was fun to give hugs and talk to people I had not thought about in a long time. Let's face it at this point in our lives we no longer care about the things that separated us when we were 16 or 17 years old. We are just glad to see each other and happy to have a similar connection in our history.

I opted to wear an outfit that wasn't real dressy. I was the girl in high school that always wore jeans and tees or flannel shirts.. I wanted to look put together and look my brand, without being fake. This is what I came up with.

I got this floral bomber from JC Penney. This is the exact one and it comes in a bunch of fun prints and colors and right now is on sale for $12.99. This is not lined and is not heavy. It really is a simple piece to throw over a tee or pullover sweater to add a trendy pop of color. The background is black and the flowers contain pink, green, blue and white. The cuff and waist are knit and it has a zip front closure. 

I chose my olive skinny cargo pants (Gloria Vanderbilt - Kohl's) and my Primrose Pink tee (Liz Claiborne - thrifted) as the basics with which to style the bomber. 

The only jewelry I wore was this layered beaded necklace in a shimmery dark navy.

For a bag, I decided on my medium blue, envelope clutch. I love the texture on this piece and while it doesn't exactly match the blue in the jacket, I think it complimented the outfit without being a distraction. 

And once again, my feet are wearing my SO flats. I bet you are getting sick of seeing these shoes, but I really can't say enough about their comfort and wearability for so many occasions and outfits. From casual to dressy to everything in between this little pair of shoes is a perfect choice. If you every are tempted to buy anything through my blog, this would be the item. 

I have a medium width foot, so if you are very narrow or have a wider foot, these may not work for you. The best thing is to go to Kohl's and try them on. 

I felt confident and comfortable in this outfit for my reunion. Some people were dressed up and some wore jeans, the point is to be yourself and wear an outfit that looks neat, clean and put together. 

How about you? Have you gone to your high school reunion? What did you wear? 

Have a great weekend!

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

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Ballet Slipper and Neutral Gray

This week's color combo is a blend of soft shades of pink and gray. When I first saw the Pantone Fall 2017 color line up for both London and New York, I was surprised to see light pink featured on both palettes. Looking back I now realize that blush, which is all the rage right now, really is a very light version of pink. Light pink seems to be another neutral that can be paired with just about any color. For this look I chose to pair Ballet Slipper with Neutral Gray.

I really am in love with this neutral combination. There are so many shades of gray out there, think names like oxford, charcoal, heather and steel. The beauty of this gray is in its ability to go with any other color. It really is a neutral. I personally don't wear oxford gray very often. I feel it is too light. Steel gray is sometimes too blue and charcoal can be too dark for some people. Neutral gray seems like a perfect go-to choice when looking for a gray to pair with any color.

I put this outfit together thinking it would be a prefect choice for a work day. The Neutral Gray crop pants from New York & Co. are fairly light weight and work well for these still warm days that we are having here in the mid-west. I've styled these before here and here. 

To capture the Ballet Slipper pink I found this Neiman Marcus silk sweater set at a thrift store a few months ago. This is one reason I shop thrift stores so often. I would have never shopped Neiman Marcus as they are way above my pay grade, however I was able to find this beautiful set in a trending color for only a few dollars and it is in great shape. I have never had a sweater set before, For some reason they never appealed to me, or maybe I thought they weren't my style. However, when I saw this and then felt its smooth softness, I knew it would be the perfect addition to my wardrobe. 

To give the outfit more of a fall feel, I decided to add a bag and necklaces that herald a coppery orange color. 

Once again, I chose my SO ballet flats. For work I almost always wear a flat shoe. Heels just aren't as practical for moving heavy textbooks. Here is the same style and it comes in a variety of colors at Kohl's.

What do you think of these colors? Do you think they are too summery or do you feel they work well for a transitional outfit?

While we tend to move toward darker colors for fall, I think it is important to remain open to new ways of looking at our wardrobes and the colors we are used to wearing for each season. Either one of these colors would pair well with the rusty oranges, deep wines or dark pines that we are used to seeing in the fall. Be creative and try pairing your pink top with those burgundy skinny jeans. Or pull out that chunky neutral gray sweater and wear it over a dark green pair of leggings. You'll suddenly find you have even more outfits than you thought. 

I always appreciate your comments. Be sure to leave me some love below. Also check out my Instagram and Pinterest pages too. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

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

Pantone Fall 2017 - The New York Palette - Grenadine and Butterum

I want to continue my look at the Pantone 2017 Fall color palette this week, but now we are venturing into the New York colors. Whereas for the London palette, I paired the two colors together that were directly parallel to one another, for the New York palette I decided to pick the color pairings that appealed to me. 

Grenadine is named after the bright red syrup that is used to make drinks. It traditionally is derived from the pomegranate. Obviously, when the Pantone gurus chose to name this color they hit the mark with this bright red. Butterum has many similarities to the London color Toast. I felt that these two colors made a fun pairing and enjoyed putting this outfit together.

My top is a simple button up cardigan that I have had for some time. It is Merona which is a Target brand. Here is a similar one from Macy's.  Instead of a necklace I added a silky fringe scarf.

My pants edge more towards a cognac color than the Butterum, but you get the idea. I purchased these pants recently from Meijer and they are a brand called Stitch Star.  I love that they have patches. It creates additional texture and interest to the outfit. Here is a blue jean pair from Kohls.

I kept my accessories minimal. My boots, which are Aerosoles, are a close enough match to the pants that it gives me that longer line. Matching your pants with your shoes can elongate your legs making you look leaner, and taller. 

Here is a similar color boot from Aerosole. Here is a fun pair from DSW. There are so many fun ankle boots out right now in every color and heel height.

My only other accessory is my snakeskin clutch. I thought this connected with the outfit well because of the color combination. I like this clutch because it has a short chain, so I can also put it over my shoulder if I need both hands free. 

Here are a few other fun bags. 

What do you think of this color combination? Red is trending this fall and whether it be Grenadine or Flame Scarlet or something in between, you will be stylin' if you are the lady in red. 

I've listed a few shopping options below. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thanks for stopping by the blog!