Outfit Inspiration - Feliz Navidad

This final installment in my Christmas outfit series was supposed to end on Christmas day and what better song to end it with, than Jose Feliciano’s, Feliz Navidad? It simply means, Merry Christmas in Spanish. The song is upbeat and perfect for the joy of Christmas day. Jose Feliciano wrote and recorded the song in 1970, and it regularly remains one of the most downloaded and aired Christmas songs.

For a song with such an obvious party vibe, I wanted an outfit that was full of color. As you can see, I still kept the more traditional red and green Christmas colors intact, but went for an olive green rather than the true Christmas green. I also added my multi colored kimono and lots of colorful beads.

My kimono was a DSW clearance rack find and is a brand called Do Everything in Love. I styled this piece earlier this year in the Spring 2019 Pantone series. You can see that post here. It is such a fun, colorful piece and I am glad I added it to my wardrobe.

I love a soft turtleneck when the weather is cold, especially if my hair is up in a French braid or a bun. This thrifted one is a brand called Josephine Chaus and is a perfect Christmas red. It really shows off the array of colored beads quite well.

My green tiered skirt is an Old Navy thrift find. For some reason, I have always been drawn to the prairie skirt, or as you saw in my previous post, the prairie dress. The tiered skirt appeals to me as a somewhat casual skirt that offers comfort and ease of wear. I rather like the gypsy vibe of this tiered piece and the green color goes with many other things.

In keeping with the idea of Mexico and warm weather, I added my palm print clutch, which was also a DSW find.

While I wanted the outfit to represent a colorful, Mexican celebration of Christmas, I also wanted to keep it grounded to the reality of a mid-western winter where boots are a must, even if there isn’t snow. Boots are a great way to keep your legs and feet warm and when you are wearing a skirt, that is very important.

I found this pair of simple Sonoma rusty colored boots in the Kohl’s clearance area. Don’t be afraid to rifle through the clearance areas at your favorite stores. Between thrifting and clearance finds I rarely pay full price for any of my clothes. When you are on a budget as tight as ours and you like to shop, that is an absolute must.

I hope you don’t mind that I dragged out my holiday outfit posts. Working more, taking care of my grandson and Christmas gatherings used up most of the energy I had. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and will have a lovely New Year. I might try to post a Favorites from 2019 post some time this week, if I can.

I hope you are looking forward to a New Year. Happy celebrations and be safe!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Outfit Inspiration - It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and welcome to my holiday series! This year my fashion posts leading up to Christmas will be inspired by a few of my favorite Christmas songs. I love Christmas music and I am guilty of starting to listen to it, the week before Thanksgiving. In my opinion, the season goes by so fast and I want to enjoy all the music, lights and trimmings for as long as I can. In addition to the outfit photos, I will also provide a few tidbits on the history of the song, as well as sharing a few of my own Christmas traditions. I also hope to connect my faith posts on Wednesday or Fridays (depending on which day I can get them done), to the songs that epitomize the original reason for the season. I hope you enjoy the series.

The first song I chose is It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. This song was written by Meredith Wilson in 1951. Mr. Wilson was an American flautist, composer, conductor, playwright and author. He is probably best known for the book, music and lyrics for the Broadway musical Music Man. This Christmas song is probably best remembered by us older folks as being performed by Perry Como, or Bing Crosby, but was also performed by Johnny Mathis. More recently Michael Buble did a version which has gained popularity over the last eight years when it first appeared on his album, Christmas.

As you can see, this first outfit and the setting are, indeed, beginning to look like Christmas. We were fortunate (?), to have snow for this first outfit. All the rest of them will be typical Northwest Ohio, browns and grays. Ha, ha.

This mid thigh length red sweater vest is a great piece for Christmas, or anytime the weather is cold and you need an extra layer over your core. This was a recent thrift store find and is a brand called one A. The vest has a full button front, roomy square pockets and a belt. For this outfit, I chose to leave it open and tied the belt at the back, so you could see my Joy sweater.

I’ve styled this cute, thrifted, Old Navy sweater on the blog in my Christmas series last year. In that post, I wore it with my burgundy pleated skirt. I’ve also styled it with a purple moto jacket. Just click on the links to see those posts.

Christmas is a season that brings me joy and that is part of the reason, I chose this song and this sweater. When I was a child, Christmas wasn’t about how much money we had, but about the traditions that went with the holiday season. My family celebrated Jesus birth. That was the central focus of the holiday. We would go to church, sing Christmas hymns and carols and enjoy good food with family. There were several things that brought me joy. The first was when my mother would begin to get out the Christmas decorations. We had a trio of red bells that lit up and we would hang those in our front door so you could see them from the street. I loved seeing those bells as they flashed, announcing to all the passersby that it was Christ’s birthday.

One of the other things that brought me joy was the Christmas tree. When I was really little, my dad would get the tree and he and my mom would decorate it after we went to bed on Christmas eve. My brothers and I would wake up to a magical tree complete with pretty wrapped packages from Santa under its scented pine boughs. As we got older we would go with my dad to pick out a tree and helped to decorate it after he put it in the tree stand. We have wonderfully amusing memories of crazy shaped trees.

These distressed cognac colored jeans were from Meijer a few years ago. They are a brand called Stitch Star. I’ve styled these on the blog before too. In that post they were a featured Pantone Fall 2017 color. I wore them in that post with a red sweater. I just love the combination of those two colors. This type of distressing is my favorite. No skin shows and they have added pretty embroidered embellishment.

For my accessories I added a Christmas scarf as a head band and tied it in a bow. I also grabbed my patchwork tote bag from Walmart and my SO cognac booties from Kohl’.s. The booties got a little bit snow covered. Ha, ha

Do you like Christmas music? What is your favorite song? What do you think of this outfit? Do you have Christmas traditions that you remember from your childhood? What sort of Christmas traditions do you have with your family? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave me a comment or two.

This last picture will hopefully bring you joy, as it is a photo of me being silly.

Since there is a few weeks until Christmas and because you might be stumped on what to get people on your list for Christmas, I am including a few shopping links and a few Black Friday deals. Be sure to check them out. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving Day. I had to work, but we are going to have dinner this evening.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Here is a link to Michael Buble’s version of It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas. That is my favorite version of the song. I hope you like it as well.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Cranberry and Chicory Coffee

Hi everyone. The days are flying by and we are almost to Halloween. I haven’t even gotten out my decorations yet! That is how far behind I am. Maybe I should just skip Halloween and start decorating for Christmas. All the stores are doing it. Ha, ha . Well, I don’t think I’ll get that crazy, but this time of year does seem to go awfully fast. Do you get that feeling?

Today’s colors are what the Pantone Color Institute label a “vital red that adds a pungent punch to the palette,” and a “robust and tasteful” brown that, “introduces an element of heartiness.”

I was able to pull these pieces from my closet and decided to add the off white cardi that mimics Rutabaga from the London classic color palette.

This Cranberry cami was a recent thrift purchase. Most of my camis are pretty tight and I wear them as layering pieces under long sleeve tops and sweaters. I do not wear them to be seen, but it occurred to me that it would be nice to have something I could have more visible under an open sweater. It is Maurice’s brand. I am becoming a fan of Maurice’s. I see pieces every so often at thrift stores and recently I bought what has become one of my favorite pairs of jeans on the clearance rack. What really drew me to this cami was the pretty lace detailing.

These trousers are Worthington brand from JCPenney. Do you know how hard it is to find brown slacks? Now maybe that has changed. I have seen rust, and that more yellowy brown called cognac, but real brown is hard to find, especially a dark brown like this one.

The off white open front cardigan is Chaps brand and another clearance rack find from Kohl’s. Chaps has some nice pieces, but they do have a higher price point than I would normally pay, thus my reasoning for waiting for them to go on clearance. If I thought a particular piece is really worth paying full price for, I would buy it, but for the most part there isn’t anything that I absolutely have to have. I could shop my closet for months and come up with all sorts of new combinations, because I have so many clothes. Truth!

I kept the accessories minimal with my gold leopard print medallion necklace, a few gold bracelets, my snakeskin clutch, a brown belt, and brown boots. I thought this was a good outfit for complimenting with animal prints.

These are two colors that I can get behind. I love the combination and think these two work well together. What do you think? Do you have any of these colors in your closet? Do you wear camis a lot? Do you wear them more for layering or to be seen? I’d love to hear you thoughts, so leave me a comment or two in the comments section. I appreciate hearing from you and all your support.

I’m including a few shopping links for you to peruse. I hope that you find these helpful. Every click you do, gives me a few cents and I appreciate every one. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Have a great day.

Pantone - Autumn/Winter - 2019 - Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar

Today’s colors, in my opinion are the epitome of fall. The browns and oranges remind me of pumpkins and firewood stacked as it waits to be used. Red’s and yellows are other bright colors associated with this season and we will be seeing more of those in the London color palette, which will be coming up shortly. Let’s take a closer look at Sugar Almond and Dark Cheddar.

This thrifted, Sonoma, chevron print, dress caught my eye a few months ago and I knew it would be perfect for fall. Originally, I was going to used the waterfall cardi for the Sugar Almond color, but I actually think the colors in the dress are more suited to both of these Pantone colors.

Since I don’t normally wear dresses this short, I thought it would be fun to pair it with cropped pants. This pair of St. John’s Bay, creamy colored pants were another thrift store find. I almost didn’t get them, because I thought they were a little tight, but then, what isn’t on me right now. Ha, ha. However, I ‘m glad I put them in my cart. I think they make a cute addition to this dress. I want to try them with boots, when the weather gets colder. I might even try this dress with a chunky sweater, tights or leggings and boots. If I have success with that, I’ll post pictures either on Instagram, or I’ll do a post about it.

You can see in the above picture, the dress has a partial button front and an elastic waist. Wearing a belt with this would be another fashion forward idea, but I wanted an uninterrupted look from collar to hem, especially since I chose to wear this with cropped pants.

Let’s take just a moment to talk about the rule of thirds. The rule of thirds is a photography guideline that suggests mentally dividing your picture into thirds, horizontally and vertically. You then place the image you wish to photograph at the intersection of two lines. This can make for a more interesting picture, that draws the eye to the image.

Fashion also has a rule of thirds. The body is divided into thirds: head to waist, waist to knees and knees to feet. This is an approximation and as we all know, some people have longer necks, shorter torsos and longer legs, so each individual will be a little different. This rule is good to be aware of when putting together an outfit.

If you look at the above picture, the dress would be considered in the first two thirds of my body and the crop pants and shoes in the last third. Take a look at this article to learn more about the rule of thirds in fashion, and why it helps to keep it in mind when you dress. Dressing Your Best: Rule of Thirds.

This Pink Rose, waterfall cardi is another thrift find. I love the open weave, and as you can see, it also has the chevron pattern on it. I did not plan that. Ha, ha. I just thought the color went perfectly with the colors in the dress. This is a great piece for these fall days that are still warm.

For accessories, I went with a coppery bag and my thrifted Naturalizer shooties. I also added the pendant bead necklace as a way to bring out the cream in the dress and tie in the pants. Accessories are the best way to pull an entire outfit together and make it look finished.

What do you think of these colors? Do you wear orange? Orange is often an intimidating color to wear, but there are so many different shades and tones that there is probably one out there you could wear. Would you wear crop pants with a dress like this? Let me know your thoughts. I love to hear from you.

Be sure to check back Thursday for two more Pantone colors.

Photo and graphic credit Rebecca Trumbull.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to look at. These are affiliate links. Any time you click on a link, I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my links, I get a a small commission. I appreciate all your support and all opinions are my own.

Have a great week.

Wearing White - White Sleeveless Sweater

As I shopped my closet for white pieces to use in this series, I realized I have some pieces that get worn more frequently and this sweater tank is one of them. I will pull this out time and time again, when I want something that looks more classy to wear with nice pants or a skirt. With that in mind I paired this top with a multi print skirt that I have had for a long time.

This sweater tank is a thrifted piece and I have had it for a long time. What drew me to it was the beaded embellishment around the neckline, which you will be able to see better in a later picture.

I just love the motion in this picture. My daughter and I have been working to get a little more variety in our shoots. It isn’t anyone’s fault, other than life being very busy and just trying to fit photos in around both of our schedules. For this shoot we went to one of the metro parks in our area that is along the Maumee River, called Farnsworth Metropark. All of the parks along this stretch of river are just gorgeous and make a great back drop for pictures.

This skirt was thrifted from many years ago and I hang onto it, because I love the swing of this a-line piece. I also like the pattern. You can’t see the colors too well, but there are greenish blue stripes mixed in with the white ones. Seeing as it is a light weight skirt, I don’t wear it much in the winter, but it is the perfect weight for a transitional outfit from summer to fall.

Once again, when I think about transitioning to fall, I think about layers. For this outfit, I wanted to bring in a more muted fall tone, so chose this sweater I found on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx. A simple open front cardigan, I think it adds depth and warmth to this more crisp and cool look.

Trend Alert: One of the trends for fall is layering knits. I found this rather amusing, because I’ve been layering knits for years. Ha, ha. I was trendy and didn’t even know it. Layering knits just means wearing knit type fabrics with other knit type fabrics, so go ahead and layer your knit shells with your knit cardigans, or your knit turtlenecks with your knit v-neck pullover sweaters. Obviously, if you are in the throes of menopause you do not want to be layering anything, let alone, heavy knits, otherwise layer away.

I found this white lariat type necklace on clearance at JC Penney. I like that it is both a choker and a longer necklace all in one, and that it is not the typical metal or beaded chain. The white piece is cording and every little way along it are a cluster of beads with the whole piece ending in two large green beads at the bottom.

I thought a retro vibe would be appropriate with this skirt so chose my chunky heel shooties which are thrifted Naturalizers. These are easy on and off due to the elastic inset on each side. I have found that shoes with these elastic type insets are very comfortable. You can also tell a good quality shoe, as I have had these for a while and they shoe very little wear.

I chose this very simple cross body bag to match the shoes and keep things sleek, rather than going for a bulkier bag. I got this on clearance at Meijer.

Of course things wouldn’t be complete without a goofy photo. In this one, my daughter was trying to direct me to hold my arms closer to my sides and look cozy. I ended up looking a little bit more like deranged. Honestly, I don’t listen to directions very well. Bah, ha, ha.

Other, than showing my silly side, what do you think of this outfit? Is this something you would wear? How would you change it up to make it more your own? I’d love to hear your ideas. I learn from you, just like you learn from me. It’s all good.

I’m including a few shopping links. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. Have fun shopping.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull.

Wearing White - Ankle Pants

Hi everyone. Can you believe it is the middle of August already? It is still summer here in the mid west. I had a nice reprieve from the heat when I went to my mom’s which is near Buffalo. Sometimes being at the other end of Lake Erie can make a 10 to 15 degree difference. We had a few beautiful days to celebrate my mom’s birthday.

Growing up, my mom and I had a pretty good relationship. I think she was glad to have a girl after two boys. She used to sew us matching dresses and all through my growing up years she always made an effort to take an interest in what I was interested in, whether it was watching late night Sci-Fi Theater or prerecorded Alice Cooper concerts. We both love to read, watch birds and go for walks. My mom and I have seen plenty of sun sets and walked through blizzards just for the fun of it. At 93, she can’t walk as steadily anymore and has a harder time seeing print on a page, but we still watch the birds and television together.

My mom grew up in an era where wearing white was something you only did after Memorial Day at the onset of summer and only until Labor Day at the onset of fall. Usually that meant white shoes, white hand bags and an occasional white skirt or sweater. Obviously, fashion has come a long way since then and white is whenever and whatever you want it to be. Personally, I still like the lighter colors for spring and summer and the darker colors for fall and winter, but as I said, I am trying to get out of my own box.

Today’s white piece is a pair of ankle pants from Christopher and Banks that I have styled on the blog before. You can see these styled with a geometric print top, a gray studded tee, a neutral open front cardi, a bright floral top, and a chambray popover blouse.

Currently, I have two problems with these pants. First of all, I have gained weight and they have gotten tighter than they were. Second, when I stood up you could see all the wrinkles. I was a very warm day and everything was sticking to me, so I am sure that didn’t help either. Ha, ha.

My tee was a recent thrift store find. It is Disney brand and very silky and soft. I love the words and if you don’t remember, or have never seen Disney’s Cinderella, here is a refresher. There are times I wish I was a princess, or at least had the castle. I already have a lot of shoes.

To make the outfit transitional to fall, I added my Torrid olive military jacket. This was a Christmas gift a few years ago, from my younger daughter. I love the detailing on this piece from the cuff stripes to the double rows of buttons, to the pockets.

I opted to keep my accessories dark to go with the jacket and tee. These Clark peep toes shoes are a great transitional shoe with plenty of coverage for cooler weather, but still a peek of skin and toes.

My Rosetti leopard print bag is a new thrifted piece. Leopard print is always a winner and I didn’t have a bag with that print, so why not? I have a feeling I will be using it regularly in the cooler weather.

Since there was more going on in this outfit with the graphic tee, the added textures on the jacket and the print on the bag, I opted for a simple choker.

I hope you enjoyed seeing this outfit. Do you own a military jacket? I’m including a few shopping links for you to see. Every time you click on a shopping link, I get a few cents. Every little bit helps. Thanks for all your support.

Have a great Tuesday.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Tuesday linking up with Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb, and Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge.

Pantone Spring/Summer - 2019 - Living Coral & Terrarium Moss

I want to take a moment to apologize for my absence this past week. I went to visit my mom and ended up bringing her home with me for a couple of weeks. We came back on Monday, and between unpacking, work and getting ready for Easter weekend, I just didn’t have the time or energy to get my blog posts done. I promise, I did try a few times, in the evening to get them written, but always ended up getting bleary eyed and needing to go to bed. Ha, ha. However, I hope to get back to a normal schedule this week, if I can get my computer to upload my pictures accurately. It’s always something!

Every year the Pantone Color Institute puts together a palette of colors that are the basis for the fashion and interior design color choices. Since I started blogging three years ago, I decided to draw upon these palettes as a source of inspiration for putting outfits together. I do a series using these colors in both the spring and the fall, as these are the two palettes Pantone puts out each year. Pantone, also, chooses a color of the year. This year that color is Living Coral. I wanted to feature this pretty pinky orange color to kick off this spring’s Pantone series and decided to pair it with the darker green of Terrarium Moss.

For my Living Coral piece I chose a thrifted Liz Claiborne polka dot blouse. I actually have quite a bit of this color, so I was pleased that this was chosen as the color of the year. However, as lovely of a color as it is, it is not my favorite color, so I don’t reach for it with regularity. I’m not sure why, because it is a great color for spring and summer and it goes well with many other colors.

This fun paisley jacket was a recent clearance find at Chico’s. I don’t shop frequently at Chico’s as their prices are a bit higher than what I would normally pay for a single item of clothing. However, if you have a coupon and can use it on clearance, then you can find colorful and fun pieces like this at a significantly reduced rate.

My Sonoma pants were a clearance find from Kohl’s. They are a tad darker than the Terrarium Moss, but basically are an olive green. These are a nice weight for spring, not too heavy and not too light.

As I have done before, I wanted to incorporate one of the neutrals with each outfit. For this one I chose Sweet Corn. This is a light, airy color that reminds us of the lighter kernels of mouthwatering sweet corn. I used this canvas clutch and my thrifted Sonoma sneakers to represent this summery neutral.

What do you think of these two colors? I know many people who have Living Coral already in their closets. It is a good color for the warmer weather, as the sun begins to shine more regularly. It always makes me think of the seaside. Where as, Terrarium Moss makes me think of hiking under a canopy of trees in full leaf mode, in a place that is quiet and cool.

I’ve included a few shopping links for you to peruse featuring the colors Living Coral and Terrarium Moss. These are affiliate links, which means I get a few cents when you click on a link. I get a tiny bit more, when you make a purchase through my page. All opinions are my own.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

20 Days of Christmas - Plaid Pants

Every now and then I have to get outside my comfort box. I have never really liked wearing things that draw attention to my lower half. Especially tight fitting, brightly colored pieces. I prefer a-line dresses to body con styles. If you don’t know, body con is more of a form fitting dress. I prefer dark wash jeans to lighter washes and feel most comfortable in jeans rather than leggings. I don’t wear leggings as pants, or if I do, I have my bum covered. Anyway, when I saw these crazy, red, plaid pants at Target on the clearance rack, I immediately thought of my Christmas challenge.

Those of you who regularly follow me, know I have been doing a monthly column called Outside the Box. These have been posts that I have done to try to challenge myself to get out of my typical fashion mentality. Let’s face it, we all like to be comfortable. Some women are comfortable in heels and dresses. While I can do that, it is not what I turn to when I want to feel secure. My go to, as you know are jeans and cozy sweaters or flannel shirts. But I also know that part of getting older is the urge to get stuck in a rut and not be willing to learn or try new things, thus the idea of getting outside the box.

These plaid pants do not have any green in them, so they will be easily styled with other colors, but I thought they were perfect when paired with a newer Croft & Barrow v-neck cable knit sweater and a thrifted blazer.

This blazer is actually meant to have a double breasted look, but I am too big to button it in that manner. However, when I saw it, it was the buttons on each side that made me want to buy it, that and the color. I think wearing it open, using the buttons for a decoration, works just as well. Since it is more of a forest green, I felt that it keeps the outfit from being too over the top with color.

I decided on silver for my accessories and was excited to remember this large silver pendant necklace that closely resembles a snowflake. That and my SO silver flats and a small silver clutch complete the ensemble.

I think this outfit is festive and fun and would work well for a Christmas office party, or a lunch date with your girlfriends. Would you wear a pair of pants like this? How do you like to dress up for a Christmas party?

I’ve included a few shopping links for more fun plaid prints. These are affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Summer Maxi Dress for Fall

I’m sure many of you have heard about transitional dressing. This has to do with taking a clothing piece from one season and changing it up to make it wearable in the next season. With our seasons here in the mid west being so varied, it is essential to have pieces that can be worn for more than one season. Perhaps that is one of the reasons I love jeans. You can wear them any time of year. Ha, ha. However, this is not going to be a post about jeans. You already know how much I love those! This post focuses on a summer maxi dress that was a new purchase from late last spring.

Some of you who regularly follow me might remember this dress from my summer series on maxi dresses. You can see the whole dress and the original post here. This bohemian style maxi boldly stated it wanted to come home with me when I saw it on the rack at Nordstrom Rack this past May. I knew as soon as I tried it on that it would be a versatile piece and would easily take me from summer into fall.

In order to make the light weight dress fall ready I decided I needed layers. I knew I wanted to style it with knee high boots to add warmth on the lower level. While I didn’t wear tights for this photo shoot, I would add them if I was going to have the dress on for a longer period of time.

I do love wearing boots. They are a great way to change up an outfit and add warmth. With so many styles from ankle booties to over the knee types what is not to love. And now there are so many more colors!

Here are a few brown pairs, that I like at decent price points.

To add layers at the top I chose this thrifted sunflower yellow sweater cardigan. The brand name is Callaway. A simple cardigan adds a warm layer without a lot of bulk and they come in so many pretty prints and colors. Here are a few to look at. With Christmas coming, I am sure you need ideas for all those girls on your list. Ha, ha.

In addition to the sweater I also grabbed my thrifted brown moto jacket. I have styled this many times on the blog. It is one of my favorite thrift finds and most often I wear it as an extra layer in the winter time, rather than as an outerwear jacket. For this particular fall day this and the sweater were just the right amount of layers.

Here are a few shopping options.

My accessories are pretty simple. This layered necklace I found somewhere or other on the clearance rack. The nice thing about these types of necklaces is there is no work involved. Some days that is just exactly what I need.

My bag is a navy Vera Wang bag that is also thrifted.

One of the things that I like about fashion blogging is learning new ways to use my clothes. It used to be that we had our summer clothes and our winter clothes. I still go through the process of putting things away and pulling out different things each season, simply because I am a clothes horse and there is no way I could have all my clothes out at the same time. Also, I tend to reach for what is in my comfort zone. In the winter I like to be warm, so I like my heavy sweaters and added layers. In the summer I like less layers and lighter material. However, since I have started blogging I have learned that there are ways to extend the seasonal pieces and get more wear out of them. This outfit is the perfect example.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Leave me some love in the comments. I always like to hear your point of view.

This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a shopping link I get a few cents. If you make a purchase through a link I get a little commission. I appreciate all your clicks.

Have a great day.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Is it a Kimono or a Ruana? Week 1

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.

Outside the Box - All Over Pattern Mix

Since becoming a blogger I have learned about pattern mixing. I have done a little bit of it here and there, but usually with smaller pieces. I did a post about pattern mixing in March of last year. You can see that post here. Many of those outfits were examples of an all over pattern mix. While I have done it in the past, I thought it would be fun to revisit the all over pattern mix for a fun spring work outfit. 

I came up with the idea for this post when I did my Spring Trends post back in February. You can see that post here. When I lined up the skirt and top to show the plaid/check trend for spring I thought the combination would be perfect for a spring outfit. 

Everything in this outfit is thrifted except the shoes and bag. The skirt is a brand called Michelle. The black and white plaid is broken up in the lower left corner by two pretty embroidered flowers. 

This cute little clutch is actually a pencil pouch that I found at Barnes & Noble. It makes a great clutch and is perfect for spring. You can see how I styled an outfit around this bag in this post here. Since I was going for an all over pattern mix, I thought this bag was perfect for this outfit. 

My jacket is a brand called Madison and Max. I found this in a friend's closet. Shopping your friends' closets can be a great way to recycle and save money for all of you. 

The blouse is Jaclyn Smith brand and is a light green gingham. You can see the mixing better here.

You might feel this mix is over the top, but I really think the jacket pulls it all together and because it is a solid, keeps the mix from becoming too overwhelming. 

I decided on my black Cabela's flats. These are a great shoe for work, when I have to be on my feet. 

How are you at print mixing? Do you think this works or is it too much? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. 

I've included a few shopping links for some fun printed pieces for spring. This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on a shopping link I get a few pennies. If you purchase something through my site, I get a small commission. All opinions are my own. 

Have fun with your print mixing!

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. Make up Rachel Christensen.

Thursday linking up with Nicole of High Latitude Style and Jacqui at Mummabstylish. Friday linking up with Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge, Nancy of Nancy's Fashion Style, Jennie of A Pocketful of Polka Dots, and Jo-Lynne of Jo-Lynne Shane.

Old Becomes New (or Not)

Have you ever bought something only to hang it in your closet where it seems to disappear? Not that it really goes any where, but you just never reach for it. Or, if you are a clothes horse like me, things have a tendency to actually disappear in between other clothes, in a pile on a shelf or the floor. This is one of the problems with having too many clothes. However, this is not a post about how to declutter, though that may be a good idea for a future date. 

I wanted to start this monthly column to force myself to reach for those items that I've had for a while, but haven't really given much thought as to how to style them. I know many people are very organized. Their closets are pristine and when they go shopping they know exactly what they want to get and how they are going to style that piece with something else. I really wish I was more that way, but frankly, I am not. I love to shop and I love to have lots of choices. Believe me when I say, I am much better than I used to be. In fact I have been trying to cut back even more, so that I am able to put money towards other things we will need, like a new car.

I have a little four door Saturn, a company that does not exist any more, but one that manufactured reliable, simple cars. Mine is a 2002 and it still starts right up, even on the coldest days. I'm going to miss that little beast, but it rattles and shakes and makes lots of noise, so we know the day is coming that it will have to be replaced. 

I would also like to use this column to help me weed out my closet. I thought of styling a piece two or three different ways over the course of a couple months. If at the end of that time, I haven't felt the piece lived up to my original expectations I will get rid of it. 

This week, I looked at my many jackets, blazers and other such pieces and decided to build an outfit using this suit wear jacket. Longer than a regular blazer this light weight piece is rather dull. The reason I bought it at a thrift store is that I thought it would be a versatile piece. I have worn it once or twice to work, but other than that don't often reach for it. 

For this look, I decided to pair the jacket with white, off white and blush. The jacket is a brand called Braetan. This brand currently is known for their coats and outerwear. The one I'm wearing is more of a suit coat without a lining. It is very light weight, so a good choice for a transitional spring outfit. The jacket is plaid, though at a distance it is hard to see and depending on the lighting, it looks taupe, brown, gray or olive. 

I am wearing my Gloria Vanderbilt jeans. I love this pair of white jeans as they are a thicker material and not see through. Here is a pair at JC Penney.

This top, I bought a few years back at Kohl's. I love the cute Bambi print. Lauren Conrad did a whole line of Disney themed pieces, which were very cute and whimsical. While she doesn't have the Disney line at Kohl's anymore, here is another cute top. 

For my accessories, I chose this cute little pink clutch, a recent clearance find at Kohl's and my fun beaded necklace with blush and gray. I added my blush SO flats, but didn't take a picture, since you have seen them so many times before. Ha, ha .

My first impressions of this piece are not favorable. I feel that the jacket is too boxy. I am going to style this piece again next month in this Old Becomes New column and we'll see if it gets to remain in my closet, or gets the boot. 

What do you think so far? is this a piece you would wear? How would you style a jacket like this? Let me know in the comments. I love to hear from you. 

Here are a few Braetan brand coats from Kohl's that would be perfect for spring. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. 

Thoughts on Thrifting - Part 1 - The Stores

Since I am a bit behind and unorganized during the summer, at least this summer anyway, I am foregoing my Beautiful Blogger Best column this week. Believe it or not, watching a six year old every day does not leave me a lot of time for working on the blog. Usually, by the time he goes home in the evening, I do not have any brain cells left to put together dinner, let alone a blog post for the next day. In lieu of that, today I am writing a post on one of my favorite fashion activities, thrifting.

Stocksnap - Matthew Henry

My husband is a detectorist. He owns a metal detector and loves to hunt for treasures buried beneath the ground. His favorite finds are rings, especially gold or silver, but he loves to find any type of ring, even a child's adjustable one. I guess you could call me a "thriftorist". Ha, ha. I made a new word. Just like my husband loves to find treasure, I love to hunt for treasure of the fashionable type in thrift stores.

In my town there are several thrift stores. Savers is the largest and the one I go to every few weeks. I have found they have a large selection of gently used items and their prices are fairly reasonable. They also have frequent sales and rewards programs that motivate a treasure shopper like me to stop in more often. We also have Goodwill, Salvation Army, and a number of others like Plato's Closet, Clothes Mentor and The American Cancer Society thrift shop. There are also a number that I haven't yet checked out. As far as treasure hunting goes, I have plenty to choose from.

When looking for the best stores to treasure hunt in you might want to consider a few thoughts. 

1. Location. Since thrift stores are dependent on their own finds and on donations, finding stores in high trafficked locations will usually yield better used goods. Most of the thrift stores that I shop in are nestled with other retail stores. That being said, you can occasionally find uniques treasures in second hand retailers in out of the way places. 

2. Size. I won't be so bold as to say that the bigger the thrift store the better, but the same reasoning I used for location holds true for size as well. Many of the larger thrift stores give you more options. Savers has everything from furniture and electronics to bedding and shoes. My grandson loves to peruse the toys when we go in there, knowing he will be able to find some little treasure that grandma will buy for him. Don't get me wrong, there are some amazing and unique small thrift stores. My Shop on Rugby Dr., is an example of a small boutique that features used upscale women's clothing and accessories here in Toledo.

3. Organization. This is a huge thing for me....not that I am so organized, but that I like my shopping environment to be. Clothing should be organized by type. For instance, groupings such as long sleeve blouses, skirts, and cardigans, are all helpful as I hunt for treasure. If the store is organized by a broader category, such as long sleeve tops, it will take longer to look through all the tops to find that one button up that I am searching for. It is also helpful when a store organizes their clothing by size, at least by small, medium, large, and so on. 

Another way various stores organize their racks of clothes is by color. I really like this, especially if I go in with a specific color item in mind. That way, I only shop those sections with the colors I am looking for, instead of combing through racks and racks of clothes. While it is true, you have to look for your size in the color you want, it does make shopping for the Pantone series that I do, much easier. 

4. Lighting. I don't know about you, but when I am shopping I like to have a bright environment. I want to be able to see the colors I am looking at, as well as be able to read the tags to check out sizing, materials and washing instructions. I also want to be able to check the item over for tears, stains or deformities. 

On a weekend trip earlier this summer my hubby and I checked out a few thrift stores in the area we went to. The one store was beautifully organized, but the lighting was very dim. While I did find a few things that I bought, I kept wanting to ask a staff person if they could turn on the lights. 

5. Cleanliness. While every thrift store has a bit of a second hand air to it, it doesn't have to look and feel like a dump. Floors should be fairly clean. I've been in thrift stores where I wanted to wash my shoes after I left. Changing rooms should be well attended, meaning the staff is removing clothing left behind and picking up things that were left on the floor. Believe me, people can be very rude when it comes to changing rooms...even at regular, full priced retailers!

Clothing should be clean. That doesn't mean it has been washed. Stores do not have the capacity to wash every item that comes in their donation doors. However, they can be particular about what gets put out on the floor. Find stores that take pride in the pieces of clothing they put out.

It is also helpful if the thrift store has a bathroom. I drink a ton of water and having a bathroom on site means they will get to keep my business. 

Thrifting is a great way to save money, find unique pieces that are just right for you and have fun. I love to thrift with my daughters and my best girlfriend back in New York. Of course it always involves lunch! You can find jewelry, purses, shoes and, of course, clothing for a fraction of the price you will pay at a regular retailer. 

Next week I'll be back with another post on thrifting where I'll talk about how to turn compulsive buying into shopping science. 

Did you like this post? Did you find it helpful? Are you a thrifter? I'd love to have your feedback in the comments section below. 

Have a great weekend!