eShakti Fall

If you follow me on Pinterest, you may have noticed that I spent part of last night Pinning the heck out of eShakti's new Fall line.  Because it is gorgeous.  Seriously, have you seen it?  I want everything!

But, as I don't have the money for everything, here's a few of my very favorite pieces.

Cowl Neck Sweater

The color of this sweater just slays me.


Gradient Houndstooth

This is dress combines a very cool, very modern gradient houndstooth print with a vintage style dress.  I love that.



Plaid Perfection

I told you I was mad for plaid and this skirt is plaid perfection.


More Houndstooth

Because you can never have enough.


Giraffes

Okay, this one isn't from their Fall line, but I think we can all agree that giraffes are great all year round.

If you're in the mood for some giraffes, or houndstooth, or plaid, head on over to eShakti.  This weekend you can get free shipping.  And, if you're a new customer, you can get a $30 new customer gift coupon by using the code GRACEY53PH.  That code is valid through November 30th.

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!

Gracey

**All images via eShakti.com**

Pretty Dress, Awkward Photos

My dress is pretty.  My photos are awkward:

In my defense, it started to rain when we were taking these which made me sort of hunch-y, but damn, yeah, that's awkward.

The dress really is pretty though, see?

 

 I love a bold floral and the bits of orange in this one make me very happy indeed.

Also making me happy?  The fact that aside from the bracelet (Nordstrom), everything in this outfit was thrifted (dress, shoes, belt) or gifted (necklace).

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

When Squirrels Attack: Part Deux

For some reason, squirrels hate me.  I don't know if they think I'm a tree and are trying to nest in my admittedly nest-able hair, or what.  But, today, this happened:

What caused such look of terror on my normally smiling face?

Well, I'll tell you.  What happened was I got attacked by this little, blood-thirsty killer:

Notice the straightened tail for maximum aerodynamic attack speed.

First he rushed me from the right, then tried to sneak back up on me from the left.  You can see in this next picture he tries to pretend he's minding his own business, but he is totally eye-ballin' me:

Sneaky little bastard.

But, enough about the killer squirrel.  Let's talk about the clothes.  This is what I wore:

 

Isn't that blouse fun?!!  I love it.  It's bright and colorful and I think the large-scale print is pretty cool.  To balance the delightful brightness of the blouse (thrifted) I decided to wear dark bottoms.  And to balance the wide-leg of the pants (Banana Republic) I decided to wear platform sandals (Franco Sarto via Nordstrom Rack).  I finished the look with black accessories.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!  Watch out for killer squirrels!

Gracey

I Blame Madonna

 

Okay, I realize that some of you make look at today's outfit and say "Sweet baby Jesus, Gracey, more blue?  If I wanted to see this much blue, I'd go stare at the ocean."  To which I say, firstly, that if you have an ocean in staring distance, go have yourself a good stare; it's good for you.

Secondly, I blame Madonna.  After I uploaded that video yesterday I had to watch it a couple of times because 80s Madonna is a national treasure.  And then, of course, the song was stuck in my head and as a result I couldn�t think past the color blue when getting dressed this morning. 

Still blue.  Still true (sure, why not?).  This time in the form of a thrifted silk blazer (via Salvation Army).  But, this time with a printed maxi dress (eight sixty via Nordstrom Rack) and some boots (Gap) to mix it up.  So, you see, this is nothing like what I wore yesterday.  Additionally, these aren't the droids you're looking for.

And that, folks, is how you pretend you didn�t accidentally repeat the same color palette two days in a row.   Smoke and mirrors and Jedi mind tricks.  Works every time.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Proper Deployment

Sometimes I covet things not because they are solidly in my style wheelhouse, but rather because I wish they were in my style wheelhouse because they look so cool and chic on everyone else and I'd like to grow up to be cool and chic someday too.  Things like anoraks. 

I love how they look on other women, adding just the right bit of casual chic to an outfit. But, the thing is, they don't work like that on me. I seem to have some sort of anti-cool anorak-disorder (AC/AD, not to be confused with AC/DC, whom I adore) that keeps me from being able to wear them properly. 

But, today, I think perhaps I've finally mastered proper deployment of the anorak:

I mean, it looks kind of cool and almost chic paired with my black and gray stripes (Target) and colorful skirt (Plato's Closet), right?  And it does work with the boots (thrifted via Goodwill) and bright scarf (gifted by the very chic and cool, Ana), doesn't it? 

Honestly, I think this is as close to proper anorak deployment as I'm ever going to get, so I'm going to go ahead and check it off.

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Tulips and Diamonds

The other day on You Look Fab, Angie posited that the popularity of prints and patterns was on the wane and asked if the �pattern party� were over for us.  I said that I thought so, that I was buying fewer prints lately.  But, I realized that I�m just buying fewer clothes in general (an unhappy side effect of my Nosh Opping Expedition) and that I still love prints as much as ever.

What made me come to that realization?  This outfit:

I think that if I were over prints, I�d have just paired a plain black blazer with this tulip print dress (handmade, thrifted via Better Bargains aka The Sticky Thrift Store).  But, instead, I paired my tulips with a vintage, diamond print blazer (Anne Klein via Salvation Army) because, given the option, I�m almost always going to choose to mix prints over pairing a print and a solid.  I did add some solid tights (Spanx via Nordstrom) and booties (Nine West �Darsy) though.  And I added my Eye of Sauron belt (vintage via Goodwill) because, well, what else would one wear with tulips and diamonds?  

So, yes, it appears that I am still firmly Team Prints and Patterns.  But, what about you, Reader Friends?  Are you over prints or still on board?  Or, were you never on board?

Happy Tuesday, All!

Oh, yeah, even though today is Tuesday, I wore this yesterday and felt quite visible so I�m linking up to Patti�s Visible Mondayover at Not Dead Yet Style.  Better late than never, right?

Gracey

Textural Interest

One of the more difficult things for me is working different textures into an outfit.  As with most things, the textures that appeal most to me are not subtle.  I don�t just want texture, I want TEXTURE.  I want big, chunky sweaters and fur and the odd feather or seven.

Unfortunately, when you get into the bolder textures, they can add bulk to an outfit.  This can be problematic for everyone, but we larger women, especially, are told to stick to sleek knits for their slimming effect.  God forbid we look bigger than we are, or even our actual size; the oft preached goal is to appear smaller. 

Well, as I often do, I�ve thrown that rule aside.  This time in favor of some texture:

But, I�m not a complete fashion heathen, so I�ve tried to compromise.  My delightfully fuzzy vest (Design History) has a fairly slim cut and so adds texture without adding too much bulk.  The sheer blouse (Liberty Loves via Nordstrom Rack) under the vest and the slim cut of the skirt (vintage via Goodwill) also add texture without bulk.  I added a bit of leather with the boots (Born Crown �Sosie� via Nordstrom) and metal with the cuff (thrifted via Goodwill), all of which combine to create textural interest. 

 

At least that�s what I�m going with.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!  And Happy Valentine�s Day!

Gracey

Deepest, Darkest Jungle

I love the black background on this tropical print jacket.  It reminds me of the deepest, darkest jungle:

And it�s more �appropriate� for winter than a brighter tropical print might be. 

I also love the Karina dress (Marisa, c/o Karina Dresses) that I paired it with.  This dress has been a closet workhorse since I received it a couple of years ago.  It�s held its shape beautifully and is so easy to layer so it can be worn year round.  In addition to the jacket (vintage, gifted) and the dress, I also wore tights (Spanx via Nordstrom) and boots (Gap).  I also added coral statement necklace (via Piperlime) to complement the colors on the jacket. 

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Similar jacket (And by similar I mean, vintage tropical print with a black background)

Similar Karina dress (It doesn�t look like the Marisa is currently available, but I strongly recommend the Audrey for its similar cut).

Similar boots

Similar necklace

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for the writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.

Why Not Try: Printed Pants

Like colored pants (or pants of color, if you prefer), printed pants can be a bit daunting, especially if you have bossy thighs.  For example, I�ve always liked the look, but my thighs were against it; they kept threatening to secede if I put them in a print.  But, finally, last summer we reached an agreement (The Printed Pants Accord of 2012?  Perhaps you�ve heard of it?  No?  Well, it�s totally a thing) and I started wearing printed pants.  And even my thighs had to admit they�re kind of fun. 

Happily, it looks like printed pants are going to continue to be on-trend for 2013 so I�m here to encourage you to try printed pants as well.  I think you�ll find that they�re easier to wear (even with mutinous thighs) than you thought.  

And, they�re pretty versatile.  They can be worn loose or tight.  They can be worn long or cropped.  You can choose a bold print or a more subdued print.  And they can be worn with neutrals, brights and, of course, other prints.

Here are some ways I�ve worn my printed pants:

Left: Tiny polka dots with paisley & leopard.          Right: Dark animal print with printed shirt.

Left: Vintage, checked pants with butterfly tunic.          Right: Floral pastel Ralph Lauren & gray.

And here are some of my favorite looks from Pinterest:

Left: This Time Tomorrow via Pinterest.           Right: Seersucker and Saddles via Pinterest

Left: Kayley Hyde via Pinterest               Right: Fashionablee Me via Pinterest

Love printed pants, but not sure where to find them?  Great news; they�re practically everywhere!  Because they are on-trend, many retailers are offering printed pant options, including in Tall and Plus sizes.  And, they�re also pretty easy to thrift; about half of my pairs are thrifted.

If thrifting isn�t your thing, here are some reasonably priced options that I�m currently loving:

Wit & Wisdom Indigo Floral Skinny - via Nordstrom

The Diva Skinny Ankle Pant - via Old Navy

Slim Cropped Print Pant - via Gap

Jessica Simpson "Kiss Me" Print Zip Ankle Pant - via Nordstrom

As you can see, there are many, many ways to wear a printed pant.  And many, many printed pants to choose from.  So, what do you say?  Will you be giving printed pants a try?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for the writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.