Monday, Shiny Monday

I'm having a very shiny Monday:

Between my "glitter grunge" sweatshirt and my velvet scarf, it's just shiny, shiny, shiny.

Not that I mind.  Being shiny on a Monday definitely cheers me more than being dull and drab.

Shirt: Gap, similar  Scarf: thrifted  Jeans:JCP   Boots: Born Crown, similar

And, I'm not just shiny, I'm pretty visible in this outfit, so I'm linking up with Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for Visible Monday.

How is your Monday, Reader Friends?

xoxo,

Gracey

Candy-Colored

It has been ridiculously cold here in Oregon this week.  I'm talking highs less than 35 degrees cold.  So I've been reaching for the warmest items in my closet.  Items like this candy-colored wool sweater:

You can tell I'm freezing when I clench my fists.  Well, I'm either freezing or prepared to defend myself against vicious squirrel attacks.  One or the other.


I paired the sweater with my flame-colored cords:

Gap sweater (similar), Target cords (similar on super sale!) & Born Crown boots (similar; also on sale!)

Not because there is any flame in the sweater (there really isn't) but because I find cords warmer than jeans.  And because I like yelling, "They don't have to match, dammit, they go!" at co-workers who still haven't quite grasped the concept.  And because, as I've said before, brights in the winter make me happy.

But mostly for the co-worker yelling.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

P.S. If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, today is the last day to enter.  And you can do so here.

Literary Stylings # 6

This outfit is based on the character of Caesar Flickerman from Catching Fire, by Suzanne Collins:

   

How so?  Well, he has blue hair and I�m wearing a blue hat.  And I�m pretty sure he loves shiny stuff so I�m wearing a shiny blue sweatshirt.  But, it�s my Caesar Flickerman Weekend Look so instead of pairing it with equally shiny blue pants that I don�t own but obviously need, I paired it with plaid:

Unfortunately, I think the resulting look is less �Caesar Flickerman On The Weekend,� and more �glitter grunge.�  Which is a thing I just accidentally invented but kind of love.  Seriously, folks, Glitter Grunge could totally be my new aesthetic as well as the name of my new all-female grunge band; we�ll cover Nirvana (because of course), Hole and Garbage.  It will be both dark and glittery.

Enough of that nonsense (though I suspect we�ll revisit it at some point), let�s get back to my look.  Caesar Flickerman is my favorite and I adore how Stanley Tucci plays him with those giant Chiclet teeth of his.  That�s not an insult; I love big teeth and big smiles.  And I love Caesar Flickerman and my Caesar Flickerman-inspired outfit:

Glitter Grunge, FTW!!

And now on to you, Reader Friends.  Did you read a book last month?  Are you wearing an outfit inspired by that book?  Well, then, please link up below:

Happy Tuesday, All! 

Gracey

How It Works

My sister looked at today�s outfit and said �I don�t get it�:

I said, �What is there to get?  They�re both plaid.�

She responded with, �I don�t think that�s how it works.�

I responded by laughing really loudly and saying �That�s exactly how it works.�

The thing is, I honestly do think this outfit makes perfect sense.  I�ve had the skirt for a while but the sweater vest is a recent thrifted acquisition.  But, when I tried the vest on, my immediate* thought was that I would wear it with this skirt.  

For me, a plaid with a plaid is nothing but good, especially when the other rules of pattern mixing are followed; these pieces have a similar scale and they share a predominant color.

Vest: thrifted vintage   Skirt: thrifted vintage  Tights: Spanx  Belt: Gap, similar  Shoes: Naya "Jada", similar

Okay, so I guess both pieces being plaid isn�t what makes these pieces work together, but I still maintain that they do work.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

*Okay, that�s not entirely true.  My actual immediate thought when trying this vest on was �holy side-boob!� as it�s open basically to the waist.  But, my second thought was to pair it with this skirt.  I swear.

Dress Like A Wasp's Nest

I feel like a cocoon today.  Or a wasp's nest, what with all my gray, lumpy layers:

Which isn't to say I don't like this outfit.  I actually really do.  It's cozy as hell and it's as comfortable as pajamas. And it's successful deployment of a maxi dress in cooler weather, which is something I've struggled with in the past.

What it's not, is figure-flattering.  I know as a blogger I'm supposed to be demonstrating how to dress in the most flattering way (Right?  Isn't that what I'm supposed to be doing here?), but I just can't do it.  You want to wear something that swallows your shape?  Go for it.  Dress like a wasp's nest, if you want.  I totally support that.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

The Faux Cowl Point

You see this mustard cowl?

It's not a cowl at all.  It's a faux cowl I created by draping this sweater vest around my neck:

Thrifted vintage wool sweater vest

Why?  Because I wanted a brightly colored, warm scarf to brighten up my otherwise neutral outfit.  Specifically, I wanted mustard, but, for some reason, I don't own a mustard scarf (I know, I'm surprised too). 

So, I did what anybody would do in my situation; I used my mustard vest as a scarf:

Jacket: Nordstrom (similar) Dress/Tunic: Target  Leggings: Target  Boots: Gap (similar)

And I'm glad I did.  I think the mustard brightens up this whole look and is the perfect focal point.  Or faux cowl point, if you will.  Yes, it's terrible and no, I can't stop.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Before the Rains Came

So, I'm not actually wearing this dress today:

Vintage RK Originals dress, Gap boots & Kate Spade New York earrings

Nor did I wear it yesterday as is usually the case.  No, I wore this before the rains came.  Over the weekend, Oregon remembered that it's Oregon and it has a responsibility to rain steadily from the first day of autumn through the last day of spring.  It's off to a great start.

But, enough about the weather.  Let's talk about the dress.  I think it's from the 60s and I think it's fabulous.

My favorite part is the studded trim:

Seriously, aren't those just the most ladylike little studs you've ever seen?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Day 5 & 6: Stripes on the Bottom, Stripes on the Top

For Day 5 of the Perfect 10 Challenge, I wore stripes on the bottom, pairing my Day 1 skirt with my Day 2 shirt:

In addition to the striped skirt (Vince Camuto via Nordstrom) and the navy tee (Gap, similar), I also wore my Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact), my braided belt (thrifted, similar) and studded cuffs (Nordstrom).  And I added a large scarf (LOFT, similar) for a little extra warmth on the morning bike ride.

 

And for Day 6, I wore stripes on the top, wearing my Day 1 tee for my jeans' first outing:

I know, I know, this is nothing groundbreaking, but it was just a weekend outfit for running errands and going to the movies.  In addition to the tee (Old Navy, similar) and jeans (Old Navy Mid-Rise Rock Star Skinnies), I added my Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact) and studded cuffs (Nordstrom).

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

 

Day 2: Black & Blue & Neon Too

For Day One of the Perfect 10 Remix Challenge, I wore stripes.  For Day Two, I wore solids:

And for Day Three, I�m planning on mixing stripes and a solid.  Just kidding, I have no plans for Day Three.  I prefer to go where the morning takes me.

And, on Day Two, the morning took me to this look:

This look being a navy blue sleeveless tee (Gap, similar) paired with a black, pleated skirt (thrifted, similar).  Yep, that�s right, black and blue.  But, with neon too, in the form of my neon yellow necklace (Target) and some neon blue studs that you can�t see because of my hair.  I finished the look with a multicolored belt (Target), some studded cuffs (Nordstrom) and my trusty Rieker shoes (thrifted, exact).

I have to say that I actually picked the rather staid, non-psychedelic items I chose for this challenge on purpose.  I like color.  A lot.  All over my body.  All the time.  Oddly enough, not everyone feels the same way, and, as a result, there is a school of thought that says you can have a small, neutral capsule wardrobe with maybe a couple of accent pieces but that otherwise depends on accessories to add color and interest.  I, of course, think this is a bunch of hooey.  

But, still, it�s an interesting concept, isn�t it?  So, I figured I�d use this 10 x 10 challenge to try a toned down palette, like black and white and navy, but with strong accent pieces, like neon.  So far, it hasn�t been terrible, but, it�s only Day Two.  By this weekend I may be sleeping in my printed dresses because I miss them so much.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Olive, Orange and Leopard

The weather has taken a turn for the worst here in Oregon.  Thunder and lightning, torrential rains and, gasp, layers.  Today's layers are olive, orange and leopard:

I'm not super excited about being forced into wearing layers, but I liked the mix of olive (thrifted jacket), orange (Old Navy top and Nine West flats) with leopard in this look.  I also added Gap Real Straight Skimmers and a Nordstrom studded bracelet. 

I think maybe my jacket is a bit boxy for my shape, but otherwise I liked this look.  I may try to thrift a more fitted one, but it's hard to find something that is both fitted and casual and I bought this jacket specifically to fill a casual niche.  Also, I'm kind of lazy so unless a more-fitted-but-still-casual olive jacket throws itself into my Goodwill cart, this one will just have to do.

So, to sum up, it rained, I wore layers and those layers included a somewhat ill-fitting but still mostly acceptable jacket.  And that makes me wonder, how important is fit to you, Dearest Reader Fans?  Do you purchase not-quite-right items to fill a gap or is fit paramount in your wardrobe?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Citron and Gray

Citron and gray is one of those color combinations I really love:

And of course, citron and gray with turquoise is even better:

Blouse: Old Navy (similar, plus available)  Skirt: Gap  Sandals: Ella Moss (similar)  Belt: Old Navy (similar)

In other news, I continue to be thrilled by the presence of pockets in my clothes:

Thrilled, y'all.

Happy Wednesday, Reader Friends!

Gracey

Pink Stripes, Floral Pin

I wear my pink striped dress a lot during the summers.  And I usually pair it with equally summery shoes and accessories.  Today, however, I went a slightly darker route:

Dress: thrifted vintage  Belt: Gap  Sandals: thrifted

All so I could wear my black, lacquered floral pin:

Vintage, handpainted black lacquer brooch

Because, sometimes, all a girl wants is to wear pink stripes and a floral pin.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

Cobalt Midi

I know for some, the inclination in summer is to wear as little clothing as possible.  And, as the temperatures climb into the 90s here in Oregon, I definitely understand.  And others swear that maxis are good, especially for air conditioning and I understand that too.

But, personally, I�ve found myself drawn to full, swooshy midi-skirts, like this cobalt one:

 

Skirt: Thrifted vintage   Tee: Gap   Sandals: White Mountain via Macys

 

I think it�s the swooshy-ness (shut up, Microsoft, it is too a word) of the skirt that makes it so lovely for summer:

 

Or, it could be the pockets:

 

Because pockets are a gosh darned delight all year long. 

Whether it�s the swooshy-ness or the pockets or something else, I don�t know.  What I do know is that I love a good midi-skirt for the summer months.

What about you, Reader Friends?  What length are your summer hemlines?

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Neon Peach Redux

Y'all, neon peach is my jam:

Gap dress (exact dress, different color), Ella Moss sandals via Piperlime & Target belt (similar)

It's really not surprising that I would love this color so much as it's also the name of the fictional all-girls 80s cover band with which I jam.  And, peach preserves are my favorite type of jam.  (Man, English is a weird language).

Today I wore my neon peach with turquoise and a bit of cobalt:

And, because neon peach is, unsurprisingly, I guess, a highly visible color, I'm linked up to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Embrace the Gray

Oregon, being Oregon, only has summery weather approximately every fourth or fifth day.  Saturday was gorgeous, Sunday it rained like hell, yesterday was overcast and today is more of the same.  With some more rain thrown in because Oregon is ridiculous.  I don't have the strength to fight it, so I've decided to embrace the gray:

Literally.  I hugged each and every one of these pieces before I put them on.  The pieces being a gray sweater skirt (Macy's) with a gray sweater (JC Penney) and dark gray boots (Gap).  Yep, just gray on gray on gray.  But, I think the print on the skirt keeps it from being too dull.

Also, this sweater looks like a crop top on me.  It think it's a combination of my giant size and the fact that I shrunk it in the wash:

Thank goodness this skirt can be hiked up to make up for the possibly disastrous lack of sweater.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey