Red, White and Blue

Hello, and thanks for joining me today

For those of you in the US who celebrate,

 I hope you and your families

 have a very happy Independence Day holiday!🇺🇸

 It is especially nice this year,

 since the 4th falls on a Friday,

 and makes for a long holiday weekend

I'll jump right in with a patriotic outfit this week

 I am wearing a white vintage cap sleeve blouse

 and a white flared knee length eyelet skirt

Layering a royal blue lightweight embroidered blazer on top

Roger and I matching in red, white and blue

Do you like to dress in holiday colors?

Do you have a partner or kids who enjoy color coordinating 

with the family, especially on holidays?

We do!

 

This bag seems so right for summer holidays,

 with it's lunch sack shape

 I think I have carried it now,

 with outfits for all of the summer holidays:

 Memorial day, Independence Day and Labor Day

This was not my intention,

 or even on my mind when I purchased it

Almost all of my red bags, and I have a few ❤️,

since it is a favorite accessory color for me,

are very structured in shape

When I purchased this one,

  I was looking for one with a softer shape,

 and also a little more of a bright cherry red,

and I fell for this one

A few pieces of light jewelry

 on theme for the summer holiday

A silver tone knot bracelet, textured silver tone hoop earrings,

 and my beloved 1940s vintage Lucite tug boat brooch,

 which is a perfect nautical accessory

I went all out matching the color scheme with this outfit,

and am wearing a red, white and blue web belt, as well!

Cherry red Mary Jane sling backs

 to finish this festive look

Here is a close-up of Roger's tie

It is so adorable, printed with the Disney characters

 Mickey Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck 

They are riding dirt bikes along a red and white ribbon of road,

 with a starry blue sky in the background

So perfectly for Independence Day! 

Here is an photo from a post from last fall,

titled my Crayola Crayon Box Outfit,

   I am wearing the same royal blue embroidered blazer

   styled differently from today's look

The color and weight is very versatile

and the jacket can be worn

during the spring, summer and autumn

I will return next week with another summer outfit,

and the continuation of my series

 about items leaving my closet this season

I love fresh fruit from the farm market,

it is one of the best things about summer  

and a perfect holiday treat!

 

Hope everyone enjoys their week, and a great weekend

with family and friends!

Florals for Special Occasions

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog!

We are headed for the end of June already,

 and you know what that means-

it is wedding and graduation season!

 👰‍♀️🤵‍♂️    👨‍🎓👩‍🎓 

I love attending both of these special events,

and was a very proud aunt to see my nephew graduate

from high school earlier this month 

Where have all the years gone?

He is university bound in the fall!

 How about you,

 do you enjoy this season of special events?

There are a lot of possible occasions

 to get dressed up all year around,

but so few events anymore "require" fancy dress

The dress I am wearing today is navy blue chiffon,

with a print of delicate white flowers and green foliage

The fabric is shot through with shimmery,

 silver threads, (although they don't show up well in the photos)

 It has flutter sleeves,

 and an unusual asymmetrical hem with a deep flounce,

details that make it so special!

This dress is not new,

 and I did not buy it with a specific occasion in mind,

but it is perfect for an upcoming semi formal wedding

and the just past graduation

 I was shopping at the Nordstrom Rack 

brick and mortar store (for something else, completely🙄)

 back last fall, and saw this dress 

I loved it, and took it to the dressing room

 to try on, just for fun

I like it on, just as much as I liked it on the hanger,

 but paused because, did I need it?

It is not what I was shopping for,

 and a fancy dress was not even on my list, at the time

I rarely make an impulse purchase,  

but I did this time-completely out of season too,

 so it was on sale and a bargain price!

I rationalized that surely an occasion would turn up,

 and shopping for something for a special occasion 

 in a hurry takes the fun right out of it

 I'm not suggesting you run out and buy a party dress,

 with no idea how it could fit into your life,

but this one was not too far fetched, and worked out for me

It's good to have a few pieces already in your wardrobe

 as a sort of safety net for when

 a special occasion does come up  

I'm glad I bought this dress, even though I did not have the foresight to be thinking of wedding

 and graduation season at the time

I think it is not too fancy, and can be dressed down as well

The dress did not come with a belt,

and I added a chain belt with black satin bow

tied in the back, for the wedding 

This special little bag was a Christmas gift from Roger 

I just love the soft, casual bucket shape, on the dressy purse

  It is covered with silvery studs,

 and is such a fun contradiction

I have chosen it as both a special piece

for a daytime look,

and to carry for a more formal occasion

Wearing shiny silvery jewelry to accessorize this outfit

A rhinestone embellished hair band,

an open design cuff bracelet,

and large vintage silver tone flower shaped earrings,

with faux pearl centers

Ivory woven ankle strap sandals

to finish the outfit

Here is an impulse buy that didn't turn out so well,

and was consigned recently

I bought this dress in a bit of a hurry,

 for a special occasion two  summers ago, in July

It is featured on a post titled "Summer Special Occasions" 

The dress is quite a wash out on me

 It is meant to be a drop waist style,

but the wide elastic back waistband

 kept slipping up to my natural waist line

This makes the dress quite a bit shorter on me

Why, oh why didn't I noticed this in the dressing room

 when I tried it on? 

Usually I walk around a bit, sit down and bend over

when I try clothing on so little issues

 like these reveal themselves

I was rushed on this one and regret it,

 so I don't think it was a very good buy

 I consigned it at a good time though,

 when many people are looking for special occasion wear,

 so I hope someone who it suits better is rocking it now!

 

Some June blooms I picked from the garden,

roses and petunias

Next week I will be back with ideas for 

an Independence Day outfit,

and a continuation of my series on items leaving my closet

Hope you have a fun milestone event of your own,

or one on your calendar to attend this season 

Have a good week ahead!

Soft Pastels for the Summer Solstice

Hello, and thanks for stopping by my blog today!

In honor of the upcoming summer solstice,

 which is just around the corner on Friday,

 I chose an outfit of soft pastels

Pastel colors are so in keeping with

 the hues in nature during the summer,

so they seem just right to celebrate the season

☀️

Wearing an elbow length sleeve 

cotton and linen blouse in an abstract watercolor print

 This top really covers the pastel range,

with light pink, soft sage green and aqua blue in the print

It has lots of feminine frills,

with a ruffled bib front and more ruffles on the button placket,

but somehow manages to maintain a somewhat tailored look

I paired the blouse with a blush pink skirt

 that has been in my closet for a long time

 After I purchased the skirt, 

I got the sleeveless pleated tank top

that coordinates with it as a matching set

 I sometimes wear the blouse and skirt together,

 but usually with a topper of some sort,

  as the two matching pieces alone together

 are a complete washout on me

How about you, do you like to wear pastel colors?

What's your favorite, if you do?

This summer, even more than usual,

 pastels are so popular, 

 and there is a wide range to chose from 

 

Lots of pink and tiny ruffles!

Coordinating couple!

Roger is wearing an aqua oxford cloth shirt

 that matches the blue in my blouse,

and light gray trousers

Some silvery summery accessories include

a metallic silver belt, silver tone teardrop earrings

 and a silvertone link bracelet,

 with a pave rhinestone heart charm

Carrying a metallic silver clutch

The thing I like about this one is that it is distressed and tonal

It has been in my closet for a long time,

 and I am looking to replace it with something less structured 

There is a lot of metallic out there now,

 but everything seems to be super, super shiny!

 

Nude ankle tie kitten heels to finish the outfit

Here is the 2 piece coordinated set with a cream color blazer

back in spring 2021

I like this ok, and have worn these pieces several times

in a similar way, but

 sometimes it takes a photograph to see a better option

Today, I chose something brighter and clearer on top! 

I will be back next week with another summer outfit,

 and an item from my closet clean out to share

What's blooming in the garden, now?

The Day Lillies are starting to bloom,

so it is time to get out there with the hot pepper spray

to cover the buds before the deer

 notice and nibble every single one!

The deer population is slowly taking over the island

and wreaking havoc with with all of the

neighborhood gardens and flower beds

They sneak out of the marsh 

and graze away after sunset!

🌅🦌🦌🦌

 

   Hope everyone enjoys the first week of summer!

 

Black and White Tropical Print Skirt

Hello, welcome and thanks for stopping by my blog!

Today my challenge is styling a lively black and white

 tropical print faux wrap skirt

The skirt is an interesting mix of a print and it's reverse,

 with a bold diamond motif border 

The tropical print is obviously meant for spring and summer, 

but the bold black and white color scheme

 stumps me a little for the season

I decided to play up the white in the print

 with a short sleeve, safari inspired, lightweight jacket 

I have had this jacket/topper in my wardrobe for a long time

It's a classic and a keeper!

(Time will tell about the skirt)

Are you a fan of the safari inspired look? 

How about tropical prints?

 

The jacket has held up fantastically and still looks like new

 I wear it every summer, some seasons more often than others

 For instance, when puffed sleeves

 or a utilitarian or safari style is trending

 The white color is so much better for me

 than the typical warm neutrals that are most frequently used

 for utilitarian and safari motif styles

Wearing a bright pink sleeveless square neck top underneath for a pop of color

Today, I switched out the sash belt

 that came with the jacket, for a white belt of my own

For a bag, I chose this bright magenta chain strap,

 with a fold over front flap

Keeping it simple with my spring jewelry

Wearing a gold tone reticulated bar collar necklace,

 a crown motif black and gold enamel bracelet

 and irregular shaped pink stone stud earrings

  I wear these bright pink earrings a lot,

 and would like to find more brightly colored earrings

that work for me

 It will be a sad day when these favorites break or get lost-

must put a similar pair on my shopping list!

Shiny white patent leather Mary Jane sling backs to further spring and summer-ize this look

Here is a way back photo of me

 wearing the white safari jacket featured

 in today's post, in an outfit from six years ago, 

in 2019!

In this spot today, here is an item from my wardrobe

 that did not make the cut, in my big closet clean out,  

and was consigned this spring

 It is a classic menswear style shirt

 in a geometric pattern of repeating circles

 in multiple shades of blue and white

 I have worn this shirt quite frequently since I bought it,

 as it fits very well into my color palette

  I am a big fan of blue, especially bright royal!

 I have not worn it much lately though,

 as I have found that I am passing over

 most of my traditional collared shirts for more open necklines

This shirt could be worn in any season,

  I hope someone new will love it and take care of it

 as well as I have over the past seven years

Here is a past wear from spring, 2017

shortly after it entered my wardrobe

This outfit is a great example of why

 I generally hold onto things longer,

and purge more thoughtfully and less often, now

Both the jeans and peep toe platforms

have left my closet, the shoes only last year,

and sure enough, they have rotated back on trend!

Hope you all have a great week!

 

Where Did All the "Peach Fuzz" Go?

Hello and welcome!

Thanks for stopping by my blog,

I really appreciate you being here!

Today I am remixing pieces from an outfit

I wore on the blog last June, in a post aptly titled

 "Pantone's Color of the Year: Peach Fuzz"

Here is that outfit

I thought a spring look for today would be a good way

 to revisited this color. Peach Fuzz did not

 fit seamlessly into my wardrobe,

nor was it an overwhelming success

in clothing as last year's Color of the Year choice 

It did catch on quite well in interiors, though

 

Back in 2024, I thought I would try it 

in an inexpensive piece,

to see how well I could work it into my outfits

As it turned out, it was not an easy task!

I have worn the top a number of times,

and would say for sure, I got my money's worth 

The outfits I created with it didn't come easy though,

as it didn't mix and match all that well

with my existing wardrobe

 I wonder how many of you purchased pieces in this color, 

and how well they worked out for you

Any Peach Fuzz in your wardrobe today?

I have seen some variations of this color

cross over from last year, but not a lot

Today's outfit

  This current outfit is similar to the one

 I created last year for the blog,

 using the Peach Fuzz, high neck ribbed tank top 

that I purchased as a trial

 I paired the top both times with a white jacket

 that has a pink and coral vertical stripe pattern

Today, I am styling these two pieces

 with an inverted pleat white denim skirt,

 and different shoes and accessories 

Carrying a wicker and white top handle bag

 with a blue and violet floral print scarf tied to the handle

for a little added color

For jewelry, I chose a silver tone

 vintage scallop shell collar necklace,

 a vintage aqua double row graduated bead bracelet,

 and current aqua enamel flower shaped post earrings

Shiny white patent, fisherman style T-straps

to finish this outfit

 I guess I will keep the Peach Fuzz top 

in my wardrobe for a while longer,

 although I haven't reached for it very often

Nothing has entered my closet 

that screams "pull out that outlier peach top"

Here is a little aside, 

but still on the topic of Pantone's color choices

  I bought a pleated skirt in this year's color,

 "Mocha Mousse", and styled an outfit with it

earlier this spring, (Mocha Mousse, April 7th)

  I have struggled to work this item into outfits, as well

Fortunately, It's not all about the single color of the year

In case you are not fond of it,

or it doesn't really work well for you,

 Pantone picks an array of colors each year

to chose from, and of course

other colors are available, too

We just find an abundance of the chosen ones

for any given year

 Also, Pantone is not the only driver of what colors we see

 in the retail shops and online marketplaces

There is also the Worth Global Style Network and Coloro

These companies have picked a hue they call Luminous Blue

that looks like a beautiful bright royal-ish shade

for next year-I am all in for this one! 💙💙💙

 

     Since most of my wardrobe consists of cool colors,

with lots of bright shades, the last two Pantone choices

have been a stretch for me to incorporate

But it's been fun to give it a try,

I like the stretch and to try what's new especially in colors

Anyway, if you are interested, I am continuing to show

  what is leaving my closet this spring in this space

 Here is an item most of you will probably think

  is a very unlikely item to edit because it is a basic piece,

supposedly every woman needs in her closet

(I guess I am atypical 🙃)

 It is a quintessential classic white

 long sleeve button down shirt

 This one is from Vineyard Vines,

 with a blue and white gingham check

 button placket and sleeve cuffs

When I purchased it, I thought it was an essential,

 and a very sensible buy. I pictured it's possibilities,

 but it languished in my closet

The shirt is made from a very substantial cotton fabric,

 and the button-down collar is very stiff

 I do occasionally wear a button down,

 but generally chose a softer fabric

The stiffness, thickness and boxiness of this shirt

 just did not work well on my petite body 

Someone new is loving it already,

 because the day I brought it into the consignment shop

 it sold before I even left, so I know it has a happy home!

Me in the shirt in spring 2021,

shortly after I purchased it

Honestly, I have not worn it more than a handful of times since 

I know it will get more love in it's new home!

Hope you enjoyed this post and have a wonderful week!