Jan 10th, Three for Thursday

Hi friends! Sorry I skipped yesterday. I actually had a very early appointment with a specialist about my sciatica- and then spent the rest of the day in bed resting. ARGH!

Anyhoo… it’s Thursday, so time for another edition of Three for Thursday. For you new readers, this is where I show 1 item worn 3 ways. Pretty simple stuff!

As usual, my lighting in my bathroom is terrible, so you can’t really tell- but these are my purple skinny jeans. They look black in the pictures- but they are actually purple- I swear! To give you a true idea of what color they are, I included the picture (above right) from Pinterest.

In my first outfit I chose to keep it very casual and just added my blue and white striped shirt and my denim jacket. For shoes I chose my short boots.

For the next outfit, I also kept it really casual. This is a great weekend outfit- very simple, yet stylish. I chose my denim shirt and then added this cool infinity scarf and some fun bracelets. For shoes I chose my brown boots.

Denim shirt- J Crew, Scarf: Macy’s

My third look is more for a casual work outfit. Here I chose to wear a sweater (notice the cute ruffle detail around the neckline), and then I added a necklace and a stack of bracelets. For fun, I rolled the hems of the jeans and chose my leopard ballet flats.

Sweater: Loft, Shoes: Target, Necklace: Stella and Dot

Because I was inspired- I decided to try 2 more looks with these purple jeans. The first is a bit strange- and I’m not sure if I like it or not. Here, I chose a blush colored silky blouse and then added a cable knit dark grey cardigan. I like the contrast of the feminine blouse and the chunky sweater. It’s the shoes I’m not sure about. I love these slip on loafers- but the bare ankles paired with a big cardigan may be too much of a contrast.

For the last look I chose to show a date night look. Rather than just wear regular denim or black jeans, I decided to try a cute going out top with these purple jeans and added strappy black heels. Since the neckline of this top is so decorative, I skipped a necklace. Instead I added a fun chunky silver bracelet.

Which outfit would you wear? Any of them? Please comment, I love hearing from you!!

Dec 5th, Purple Passion

Unfortunately the lighting is so awful in my bathroom that you can’t even tell that I’m rocking my purple jeans- but trust me, I am! (As much as a 42 year old can rock anything! Not!)

This is a great outfit for those days when you are running around town and want to be comfy, casual and cute!

As mentioned, I chose my purple jeans, a white tank (notice the little ruffle detail around the neckline) and this cute beige open cardigan. To add some fun to the look, I wore my leopard flats and added a cute Stella and Dot necklace.

I’ve said this a million times- but it bears repeating:

I know I’m not  the most fashionable person out there. And yes, I’ll agree that this outfit is a little on the ‘safe side’.  I realize that for many people the idea that I am giving fashion advice is crazy… most of my friends are far more fashionable than I am!

But that being said, having this daily journal to document what I am wearing has inspired me to re-think my clothes, try new looks and get great advice from readers. Please remember that this blog is for us real ‘everyday’ moms who just want to look pulled together- not like we stepped off the runway (or are trying too hard to look young, hip and fabulous!). Enough said!

Oct 11th, Cozy Sweater

It finally feels like fall here in Seattle, so I decided it was time for my ultra cozy sweater. I bought this several years ago at Anthropologie, and absolutely love it because of all the detail in it- there is so much to look at!

I layered the cardigan over a plain black t shirt- then added a scarf to give the look an even more cozy feel to it. It’s such an improvement over the look on the right. Please note that I actually really love the sweater on the right- but paired with this high neck black shirt and Uggs- it’s too plain.

As for my bottoms- I need your opinion.

My first look is jeans rolled to look like boyfriend jeans (note- this is the exact same pair of jeans in both pictures). For my feet, I chose my short black cowboy boots. Looking at the photos, I honestly can’t decide if I like this look or not!

Next I decided to try the sweater paired with my purple jeans- see below!

What do you think? Purple jeans or blue jeans?

To make my jeans look like boyfriend jeans, I simply rolled the bottoms. So simple!

You may notice this sweater is starting to pill a bit… I have a trick for you! Using a razor, shave your sweater and the pills will disappear. It takes a little time, but so worth it to save a favorite piece! Just be very careful- if the sweater is thin, you could easily make a hole.

You might also notice that you can see my short sleeves from the t shirt bunching up under the sweater- I will swap out this shirt for a long sleeve shirt so that the sleeves don’t bunch.

Please take a minute to comment- blue jeans or purple jeans?!

Sweater: Anthropologie (similar), Scarf: Target (similar), Jeans: Target, Booties: DSW, Black Boots: Frye

Sept 13th, 10 Fall Trends for Everyday Moms

Hello Everyday Moms!

Below is my personal list of 10 Fall Trends- and let me warn you- it may not be the most fashionable list around town- but it is a realistic and practical shopping list for anyone who wants to update their closet -as opposed to buying an entire new wardrobe with each new season- (yeah right?!).

First on the list:

1. Boots that can be worn with socks. My feet are cold all fall/ winter and while I love my ballet flats- a great pair of comfy boots can be an everyday staple.

2. Desert booties to alternate on the days when I’m not wearing the boots above!

Last year I bought 2 pairs- one from Khol’s, one from DSW. This year I am splurging and going for the J Crew ones!

3. A perfect chambray shirt- can be worn as a jacket, over a t shirt, under a sweater, thrown over a tank, layered under a cardigan… so many options and it goes with EVERYTHING!

4. Colored denim- last year I bought a gorgeous pair of plum skinny jeans at Anthropologie- then I chickened out and returned them. This year I am much braver (plus I found a pair at Target- so it wasn’t much of an investment). I can’t wait to wear them!

5. A scarf- that can be worn with anything! I love how a scarf adds so much personality to an outfit. It makes a plain boring shirt have some personality, plus it keeps me warm! Keep in mind- buy a scarf that has some bulk. Nothing is worse than an anemic scarf! I love floral patterns, but sometimes a nice neutral one is fun too!

6. A slouchy sweater- throw this on with some black leggings, a pair of boots and you are set for the weekend. I love the effortless, casual- yet stylish look!

Photo from Pinterest.

7. A striped shirt! Yes, big surprise, huh?! I am a serious stripe fanatic and can’t seem to get enough of them. That’s ok… stripes are a classic look and you can never have too many!

8. A cool leather jacket! Last year I bought one at Marshalls, and I think I made a mistake. I was so excited about the price, that I sacrificed fit-as seen here! Find one that fits like a glove- is comfy- and is real leather. Nothing worse than a pleather jacket!

9. A shirt dress- I love this look! Paired with tights, boots, maybe a scarf and a cool handbag and you can run errands, attend meetings, go to lunch and look cool the whole time!

Notice how she has a shirt under her dress… interesting?!
Photo from Pinterest.

10. A cable knit sweater- again, this one is a classic. It goes with anything- is comfy and warm- and will never go out of style.

In looking over this list- I realize I have really been quite boring- nothing to flashy, to trendy, to daring… oh well, let’s face it- my style is American Classic and I can’t change who I am! All I can say is: love it or leave it! If you love it- thanks~ please take a minute to write me a little comment! You have NO IDEA how much they mean to me! Seriously, every time I hear from a reader I am thrilled that someone has actually read my blog, liked what they saw and taken the time to write me! 🙂

If I forgot something- please let me know that too… I’ll happily update my list- or create another one in a few months!

Linking up to Pleated Poppy for What I wore Wednesday! Be sure to check out all the other cute sites!

Feb 27th, Red Jeans Again

I talked a bit the other day about my shopping/ wish list for spring.

One of my items was colored jeans. I resisted this trend for a while, worried that I was too old for it- but when I saw a cute pair (that actually fit me… more on that in a minute) at Marshalls I had to snap them up.

I have a real problem getting jeans to fit me- my hips are larger than my waist, and my butt is large- so I end up with a huge gap at the waist. I hate that!

These jeans actually work for my figure, and I like that the red is somewhat muted- although in these pictures they look really strange, it’s just bad lighting- I swear! To see their true color, click here.

In order to keep the outfit sophisticated and age appropriate, I’ve decided to stick to a neutral black top. On the right you can see that this plain black t shirt is not quite right. The high neckline is unflattering, and the plain style of the shirt adds nothing to the look.  The ugly black shoes aren’t helping at all. The whole look is too plain and simply boring.

On the left I’ve replaced the bad t shirt with this cool wrap shirt that I bought years ago on a girls trip with my sister to LA. As much as I love it, I rarely wear this shirt, partly because I never knew what to pair it with. I think it’s perfect with the red jeans.

I like the draping of the material, love the asymmetrical hemline and love how it covers my bum! To add a little rocker glam to my look I’ve added this cool chain style necklace. I’ve also replaced the ugly shoes with these patent black ballet flats- my black wedge heels would work as well (for the office).

Thanks to the advice of Musing of a Housewife– I now feel confident and stylish in my new red pants!

Also- it’s Monday, so time for Monday Mingle! This week it’s hosted by BonBon Rose Girls! Be sure to check them out for some other cute styles!

Play it safe and pair your red jeans with a neutral top.