Three on Tuesday

I know, I know, everyone else writes "Five on Friday" posts, but I'm already posting "Fantasy Friday" on that day of the week.

So why not Three on Tuesday?

So...Three Things That Caught My Attention Recently:

This DIY necklace project at the Pretty Life Anonymous. Simple. Beautiful. Wearable. Customizable.

This straight purple skirt at What I Wore. I love the way she paired purple with leopard print, and the skirt looks so versatile. I'd like to find a green skirt in that style.

This bag on sale at ninewest.com. It's casual with a hint of elegance.

What caught your attention online this week? Any beautiful clothing...accessories...sales...???

Denim Shirts!

I love denim shirts. They are such great neutrals when wearing bold accessories. An Amazon seller has a good deal right now on a pack of two sleeveless denim shirts. I think the sleeveless shirt season in the desert is longer than the sleeveless shirt season in the department stores, so I like to find online options.

It's a great day for a scarf!

Ok, maybe you don't want to wear one around your neck in August, but TextileMonster at Etsy is having a Free Shipping day. Remember, you can always put a scarf on your purse or around your head (which is a great way to hide the fact that you might need a haircut or a hair color refresh).

The scarves labelled "Neck Tissues" are a great length for head wraps. Necklace scarves are an "eternity scarf" shape and are wonderful if you like a very loose scarf effect. For most of the year in the desert, it is just too warm to have a scarf very close to one's neck, and these are a wonderful option. They are shown doubled in the photos, but they don't have to be worn that way.

Some of my favorites:

T-Shirts!

Graphic T-shirts haven't been a major part of my wardrobe since I was a teen. Last year, however, I saw some ideas (probably in InStyle magazine) for exactly what to do with a Graphic T-shirt. I thought they were just something to throw on when you're wearing jeans, but this article showed t-shirts under blazers and vests, and accompanied by brightly colored scarves. That sounded fun.

So I started looking for cool t-shirts. I found this one from OregonTuff:

I love the combination of Sacagawea and Rosie the Riveter. I like the image of a strong and capable woman. (Check out the OregonTuff website in the link above for more Northwest-theme shirts if you live there.) I wore the shirt under a denim vest.

And then I found these on Etsy:

Ahhh. Pirates. My husband was Captain Jack Sparrow for a our daughter's birthday party several years ago, and I've had a thing for pirates ever since. This shirt is made out of the softest fabric ever.

It's a British brolly! This shirt looks great with dark skinny jeans.

Today I discovered a site with homeschool t-shirts, and this one is calling my name:

I think it's on sale tomorrow.

Now here's a shirt that is very appropriate. The illustration is shown on a towel but is also available as a shirt:

And yes. Yes, I do randomly quote Jane Austen. I would love to find a shirt that showed Elizabeth Bennett is a sort of Wonder-Woman pose, or somehow represented in superhero fashion.

Of course I might need a coffee-themed shirt eventually:

And one last shirt on my wishlist:

How do you feel about t-shirts? Fun? Fashionable? Or something to wear when you're mopping the floor?

My fall wish list

Skinny jeans in misses sizes (Penney's misses jeans start at a size too big for me, and juniors sizes require a belt. I don't like belts.)

Green jeans in straight or skinny style

Boots--possibly riding boots--in brown, for less than $50

a tweed blazer in brown (I don't need this til winter, but I try to think ahead)

green ballet flats

a couple sleeveless blouses in basic colors

a couple feminine tank tops in basic colors

a denim pencil skirt

a ridiculously large colorful flowered ring
(I know where this is--it's at the Farmer's Market at Tivoli Village on Saturday mornings)

What's on your wish list?

Denim and Turquoise

Look at this: Denim and Turquoise. What a fun combination! It's a modern twist on western wear.

I've been browsing turquoise-colored accessories.

Emitations has this lovely bangle:

If you want some extra bursts of color, check Shopmamie:

HSN has some clearance options, including this:

TwystedCreations has a whimsical beaded necklace.

I love the handmade look of this turquoise chip necklace. Wouldn't it be great with black denim?

For a new twist on denim and pearls, this bracelet would be fun:

For a soft feminine style, this would be beautiful with an ivory shirt and jeans or a denim skirt:

How do you dress up denim?

Update your purse

I want a new bag. A big bag, to carry all my stuff to Bible study. This is not a need. I have several large bags. I'm just tired of them. I was trying to talk myself into carrying a very plain brown bag that I already have, when I noticed a great trend in InStyle. A whole page is devoted to photos of scarves tied on purses! I found a bunch of similar pictures at QVC.com.

Wow! I'll tie a green leopard print scarf on my blah brown bag! Or maybe a flowered orange scarf with sparkly gold threads running through it.

I want to try this on several different styles of purses, fitting the style of scarf to the purse: a fringed and flowered scarf on a hobo bag, a solid color scarf on an animal print bag, and a colorful paisley scarf on a more structured solid color purse. This will be a great way to use some smaller scarves that I never wear around my neck.

If you are in the market for a whole new purse, do check out this week's What to Wear Wednesdays.

Sale!

I'm in bed today because of back pain, so I'm watching a little tv at a time of day I usually have other things to do. HSN has a clearance sale today. If you need new dressy sandals, do check hsn.com. There are beautiful wedges, flats, gladiators and flip flops in a range of prices.

Have you found any fabulous sales lately?

Vests and Dresses

I'm happy to see that the trend of vests and dresses continues this summer.

Look at these summer dresses worn by Leopard Flats and FFMyHeels at Chicisimo:

I love the shoes! And I like the way the vest adds another layer without weighing the outfit down and making it impractical for summer.

I love the contrast between the basic vest and the very feminine dress.

Of course vests go with more than dresses. Here's one with shorts. It dresses up the whole outfit:

(photo from LuckyMag)
I have a black vest kind of like this, with a fun design in brass studs, but it has disappeared in the depths of my closet. Fluff the cat explores my closet and I think she rearranges things.

I have a denim vest from Metrostyle that I like to wear over my flapper dress, with a scarf in fall colors. A vest can also really dress up a t-shirt. Vests are so practical in the desert; they are wearable in more seasons than a coat.

What sort of vests are in your closet? Do you wear them with dresses, jeans, skirts...?

My favorite dress

I bought this coral colored Calvin Klein dress last year and it's still my favorite dress. I lost weight a year ago and this was the first dress I bought in the size I wear now. I love the color and the retro flapper style and the fact that I bought it for quite a bit less than retail price.

The bracelet and one of the necklaces are from Premier Designs jewelry.
My friend hosted a party and these were on the clearance table. The bracelet has animal print beads and the necklace is glass beads in the same color tones. Because the bracelet has two layers, I wanted two layers in my necklace. So I added a wooden bead necklace. (This was my Grandmother's and it's from the Holy Land. I've had it since I was 16--I used to wear it with a Yellowstone National Park t-shirt.)

My shoes have a sort of snake-print pattern of brown and black. They are Aerosoles, so they are oh-so-comfortable, and they were at Ross for about $10.

Do you have a favorite article of clothing? Something that cheers you up and makes you feel fabulous every time you wear it?

Fantasy Friday: Boden

Yesterday the Boden catalog arrived. Boden carries expensive clothing for a lifestyle I do not live. Their clothes are suitable for a windy walk near the lighthouse,

hanging out in the pasture,

a stroll down cobbled streets

or a rest on a park bench on a misty day.

The catalog is full of brightly patterned cardigans (it will be too warm to wear anything like this in the desert until November) and tall boots (again, too warm, and far out of my budget).

So I use the catalog as a lovely bit of fantasy to glimpse a life on a different continent (Europe), a life in which I would probably be chilly, but "chilly" sounds delightful on a July day in Las Vegas.

Even fantasy is useful though, because I saw two things in the catalog that I put on my fall wardrobe plan. I'm going to watch for a dark denim skirt

and a tweed skirt.

And these two photos tell me I might want a pair of gray tights too.

As I visit Ross and Marshall's and Penney's, I'll keep these in mind. It helps to have a plan, because without a plan I buy very pretty things that don't go with each other or anything else in my wardrobe, and that gets expensive because then I need more clothes to go with the new clothes...you can see how important a plan is when you're on a budget.

Do you have a favorite catalog that you enjoy without ever placing an order?

More about Mixing Prints

The latest copy of Everyday with Rachael Ray arrived today, and it's not all about yummy food--there are a few style pages too!

One of the style articles was on the trend of mixing prints. Here's a page:

My personal opinion is that the leopard print shoes are a little too much, but I like the way the floral belt and the bracelet have colors in common, while the patterned shirt is completely different. The belt (or scarf worn as belt?) is not big enough to overpower the shirt; imagine a skirt in the belt pattern--that would just tooooo much.

I don't wear belts. They just don't work for my shape. If I had these pieces, I would wear the scarf as a scarf rather than a belt, and I'd choose earrings that matched it more obviously. I'd probably choose green as my main color (surprise!) for the skirt, bracelet, scarf and earrings. I like the way the blouse is a completely different, but neutral color.

A calmer option would be to carry a floral bag that went with the earrings and bracelet, and skip the scarf/belt.

The article, written by Gretta Monahan, says that floral prints in fall colors or navy will be popular this autumn, and suggests blending them with "microstripes." It also talks about zigzag prints, which I don't think I'm brave enough to pair with other patterns. Tribal patterns are in too (I've noticed this--I'm watching for just the right blouse at Ross), and the stylist advises us to wear one tribal-patterned article of clothing and one bold piece of tribal patterned jewelry, and keep everything else solid.

What do you think? Could you take pieces like this and blend them?

By the way, this issue of Everyday is full of fabulous recipes and a menu plan that looks a bit like Once a Month cooking. You'll want a copy of this.

Mixing prints

For months now, I've been reading about mixing prints. Instyle magazine posted this photo:

I really like the outfit on the right with the animal print and the green skirt. The outfit on the left is interesting too: variations on the same print.

Here's another photo:

Imagine it without a coat, and it's just different patterns in soft gray. You could do this in browns or blacks. I'd like to try this in browns with an orange blouse under the vest. Or gray with a green blouse.

And a summery look:

I have only put this into practice in small ways, like wearing a green cheetah print scarf and carrying a zebra print bag. I would like to do an autumn-colored variation on this with this scarf:

and this bag:

My daughter mixes her prints in a far bolder fashion, and I think it works well for her:

What do you think? Is this trend just too wild or too tricky to do in real life?

Browse current fashions at Chicisimo

Have you discovered Chicisimo yet? This website's tagline is "Real Fashion on Real People" and that's exactly what it is. Women (and a few men) all over the world post photos of what they're wearing. These are not models--these are real people. It's interesting to see the different elements people put together. Some of them live in exotic locations and it's fun to see the backgrounds of the photos.

You can join Chicisimo and post your own outfits. Please do. They need a few more members with small budgets who shop at Penney's and Walmart and Ross!

If you join, you can vote for your favorite looks and leave comments on the looks you like.

Denim and Pearls

My friend Jenni at InnerBeauty Girlz mentioned pairing pearls with denim in a comment here yesterday. I thought that was a great idea!

So I took two very basic items--a cream colored shirt and a denim skirt--and spiced them up a little with pearl and coral beads and gold shoes.

I bought the sleeveless shirt during a clearance sale at Penney's last year. I purchased the skirt at Walmart eight years and two children ago. It spent a lot of that time in a box in my closet. There were several years when it seemed that only homeschool moms were wearing denim skirts. (I am a homeschool mom but I try not to wear the stereotypical wardrobe.) When denim skirts started showing up in the fashion magazines again I watched the shapes and styles to be sure that this skirt would work. I like the ruffle--it gives the skirt an interesting detail without being too Farmwifey. (Farmwifey style looks great on a farm, but I live in a stucco house in Las Vegas.)

I added necklaces.

My husband is a bargain shopper with excellent taste. He bought the coral necklace at Marshall's or Ross, and the pearl bead necklace at Cost Plus World Market. I love the summery combination of colors.

I'm seeing lots of stretchy bracelets in the fashion magazines this year, and they're always worn in multiples.

The smaller bead bracelets came with the bead necklace, and I bought the larger brown bracelet at a jewelry booth at Mt. Charleston Inn when I was speaking at a retreat there. I love jewelry that holds memories! The green bracelet is part of a set of three that I bought at RiteAid for $5 four years ago. This was a fabulous investment--I wear at least one of those bracelets every week. Green is my favorite color, and I try to wear a little bit of green every day. It's my signature style detail.

Earrings:

These are probably the most expensive item of my apparel today. I bought them on vacation a few weeks ago in St. George, Utah. I don't usually spend more than $15 on earrings and these were $25. But I knew that I would wear them constantly. Big earrings are such a great way to add a pop of style to a simple outfit. I love the almost-paisley shape of these, and the blend of silver and copper. I thought the copper shapes echoed the color and shape of the coral in my necklace and also the color of my hair.

Gold shoes! They seemed like a fun unexpected choice with denim. They're a Ross deal. Yes, my pedicure is imperfect.

And last of all my purse. This is something I learned from Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad: choose a purse that echoes your hair color.

I watched this purse at Penney's, waiting for it to move to the clearance shelf and waiting for a discount on clearance.

I mentioned that I wear a little green every day. Do you have a trademark style item?

The Best Wardrobe Assistance Ever

Last year I bought a new dress for Easter. I loved it. It had a big paisley pattern in peach and cream and black, an empire waist and a bit of an A-line skirt. We had family photos taken and when I saw the photos I gave the dress away. It was extremely unflattering!

A few months later I read Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad, by Shari Braendel. I learned about my body shape. And then I learned that big prints overwhelm me and straight skirts are more flattering than A-line. I also discovered that the belted tunic look is not my friend. I removed the belt from my favorite shirt and, according to the mirror, lost ten pounds.

Your body shape might be quite different from mine, and this book will give you all the information you need to figure that out. Maybe A-Line skirts and belted tunics are perfect for you! This will help you find your most flattering colors too!

The author is a Christian woman who encourages us to be modest (but not boring) and to be comfortable with our bodies the way God created them. She also includes tips for teaching our daughters about fashion from a Christian viewpoint. Focusing on inner beauty doesn't mean we have to be sloppy on the outside.

When I lost weight a year ago, I needed a whole new wardrobe. This book was so helpful as I chose colors and styles. It reminded me to buy basics--I am attracted to the bright colors and patterns and I forget that I need a white shirt or black slacks. This book saved me a lot of money because I was able to see what I really needed in my new wardrobe, and it also saved me time in the dressing room because I had a clear idea of what I needed.

Shari writes in an encouraging tone, and she includes Bible verses and her own testimony. I highly recommend this book for stay-at-home moms who don't want to look frumpy as well as career women who desire a polished wardrobe. If you've lost weight or gained weight and you're not sure what styles will work for you now, this book will help.