Too much?

Sometimes things aren't black & white, even when they are.

Take this cardi, for instance. I'm back and forth about it...floating somewhere in the gray between whether or not I like it. I think the print may be just a bit too large.

They say a print, like a handbag, should match a woman's stature. As a woman who used to be much larger, I'm used to immediately gravitating towards the biggest pattern I can find. Not so, now. I've found the same is true of many of my purses...what once looked totally proportioned, now looks like a giant sack. Not that I'm diminutive, but I'm smaller than I think; body dysmorphia strikes again.

So, is the cardigan too much?

I bought it because I love to pair black & white prints with color, as I've done with skirts in the past. But this large a print by my face might be overwhelming.

Anyway, the cardi, btw, is from JC Penney. The cable knit sweater with the peplum detail is from NY&Co. The jeans are Ralph Lauren, the boots Merona from Target. The necklace is from a dollar store.

Have a great, colorful day!

Teal & brown

The first time I took notice of this color combination it was back in December when the super fashionable Sheila from the wonderful blog Ephemera wore an outfit with a teal (or turquoise) paired with brown. Blues and browns were a relatively new combo for me and I had fallen in love...but particularly the pairing Sheila did really spoke to me.

When I recently got both this brown skirt & blouse from JC Penney, I knew immediately I was going to try wearing them with my teal cardigan from NY&Co.

Sure enough, I love this outfit :)

Thanks for the inspiration, Sheila -- as always!

We'll be celebrating DH's B-day today & tomorrow, so I will be back on Tuesday w/another outfit pic -- hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!

Coy Kay

Hmmm, ok, I'm not exactly sure what is up with my affected demure pose, lol, but it was the best one of the bunch so there I am :)

The blouse is Liz&Co and the cardigan Designers Originals (clearance rack), both from JC Penney. The brown slacks are BandolinoBlu from Macy's. The brown, faux suede short boots are Merona Kenna from Target.

The necklace is my own amalgamation of a blue earring hanging off a brown beaded necklace, both from a dollar store. I put it together pretty much just for the outfit -- simply took off the hook from the earring and slipped a large jump ring around it to hang on the necklace. Easy as pie and it fits the style & color scheme of the blouse, yes?

I am SO glad this week is over, it's been a major killer. Sick kids, DH's root canal, and other miscellany. But Monday is DH's 43rd B-day so we're going out alone together Sunday afternoon/evening for a nice dinner and movie to kick off the little celebration...really can't wait!

Have a great weekend everyone!!!

Oh deer!

No outfit photo, staying in and having a shlumpy day trying to catch up with a few things at home.

But to entertain you I thought I'd put up another wildlife pic from my yard. As some may remember, I once posted a picture of a barred owl that frequently hung out on a hemlock branch behind where I often take my daily photos.

Well, this young buck has come around quite often too. He also isn't camera shy, so perhaps he could stand in for me until tomorrow :)

Notice he wears his antlers particulalry well, don't you think? And that shade of brown looks lovely on him, yes?


Have a great day, see ya tomorrow with an outfit picture!

Make it snappy

This blue cardigan from Kohls was paired with the leopard blouse the other day, but since I didn't actually wear the ensemble out I decided to use the cardigan again sooner rather than later.

I'm also accessorizing it with one of the button brooches I made :)

My necklace & the beaded bracelet are both dollar store finds. The plain, black button-down shirt is from Macy's; boots are from Target.

The slight problem with the cardigan is that it actually snaps rather than buttons, meaning if it's left open you could see the "bare" half of the snap on the one side without the decorative button. Of course then said snap fell off anyway (figures, right?) I thought about just leaving it off, but you can sort of see in the photo when I wore it the other day that the fabric is a bit puckered there. I thought about sewing the extra button that came with it over the area, but then I couldn't ever close the sweater properly -- it would always have to either be pinned or totally open.

To solve the issue lickety split I just took that extra button and turned it into a sort of temporary button by gluing a pin back to it. Now I have options -- when I want to leave the cardigan open or use a brooch to close it as I did today, I can simply pin the extra button over the re-sewn bare snap and it looks like a double button detail meant to be a design feature of the garment. Otherwise I can just snap the thing closed as it was intended.

So now the post title makes a little more sense, huh? I know, it seems like alot to go thru for a silly cardigan, lol -- but it took way more time to explain the process than to actually do it...besides, it's always worth a little effort to be a snappy dresser (get it, snappy dresser!)

Ugh, yeah, I know -- sorry ;)


PS: I know I've received a couple awards (thank you!!!) and that I've been remiss in stopping by some of your wonderful blogs to say hi as usual -- sooooo sorry, I've just been overwhelmed lately with a few minor projects & motherhood (2yo has a cold, rest of us are fighting it) -- ANYWAY, I just wanted to mention that I've not forgotten you, miss you and will be 'round asap :D

Have a great, healthy day!

Michelle Obama Challenge

The super adorable Cat from the cleverly stylish blog, Thrifty Muse, put forth a unique challenge: create an outfit inspired by our new First Lady, Michelle Obama. I love challenges, so immediately said, "I'm in!"

Now, when it comes to Michelle Obama I'm totally an admirer, although I'm probably more interested in how she might redefine the role of "First Lady". I'm also not much of a label devotee; I'm fairly clueless regarding which particular designers are in the forefront of high fashion at a given moment. I do know what I like, so I just sort of go from there :)

Yet like so many women I can't help but find myself utterly fascinated by Ms. Obama's sense of style and continue to find her particularly striking and totally relatable. Specifically, Michelle Obama has what I perceive to be a restrained flourish with accessories, strong attention to detail, and keen eye for the marriage of simple lines, textures & vibrant colors. The bottom line is this is a smart, savvy, down to earth woman in a lofty place, seemingly keeping true to herself and what she likes, what she feels is appropriate. She has her own style and seems at ease with it all. I say more power to her :)

But back to the challenge -- could I put together an outfit that looked anything remotely like what she wears? I mean, I admire her style, and yes, share a love of brooches, but I don't think our tastes are really that similar over all. Certainly our lifestyles aren't at the moment, lol. This was harder than I thought

After looking thru some pix of her I found a REALLY simple outfit that I thought I could imitate at least somewhat. Of course, I've no idea what she wore on the bottom half so that made it even easier, lol, I admit. But for what it's worth, here is my version along side the actual photo of Ms. Obama...and then how I changed the details of the ensemble to fit my own, personal "real life" style.

My cardigan is Daisy Fuentes from Kohls, the satin blouse is from NY&Co and the brooch was an Etsy find. In the full length photo on the left you can see the black, wide-leg BandolinoBlu trousers from Macy's, the black Merona short boots from Target and a necklace gifted from my mother (I've also moved the pin down to close the cardi, my preference).

This was absolutely fun & a total blast. It made me think about what defines style and what interest I have in others' interpretations of fashion trends. Thanks so much to Cat for coming up with this truly exceptional challenge -- great idea!

Seafoam & snow

More snow came & went, with still another dose on the way. While we haven't gotten any huge storms that buried us deep this winter, there's been repeated snowfalls that have kept my area blanketed in white for a long time now. I was hoping for a total meltdown, however it's not happened yet.

But I was thinking spring and trying on some lighter-weight stuff for when the thaw does finally come. This seafoam colored cardigan is from JC Penney and I've paired it with a simple teal T-shirt. The jeans are my usual Ralph Laurens, the black Merona boots from Target.

The beautiful necklace was a holiday gift from my mom.

Speaking of stuff like warmer weather & seafoam, I've also been trying on (GULP!) bathing suits. It's been over 25 years since I have worn one and to even consider donning a bathing suit in public is HUGE albeit a little bit anxiety provoking, I must admit.

But we have alot of lakes around here and some lovely little beaches -- I want to go swimming with my kids. Not to mention a New England seaside vacation in the latter part of the summer/early fall.

So, any advice for choosing a suit? I've narrowed it down to tankini styles so far, but I'm willing to take any tips ya got!

Have a great Monday tomorrow everyone, see ya Tuesday :D