Frayed and Striped and Green

Guess what's frayed and striped and green all over?  That's right, this outfit:

Cardigan: thrifted vintage  Tank: LOFT   Skirt: thrifted & DIY   Boots: Born "Mabel"

This outfit is full of a bunch things I don't usually do.  Well, not a bunch.  Two.  This outfit contains two things I don't usually do.


The first thing I don't usually do is denim skirts:

I tend to avoid them because they make me look like a denim box.  Does this skirt make me look like a denim box?  Yes, but not as badly as most skirts do.  This is sort of Cute Denim Box as opposed to Boxy Denim Box from Boxy Hell.


The second thing I don't usually do is green:

I don't have a valid reason for avoiding green like I do for avoiding denim skirts, I just tend to gravitate more towards blue.  But, this is such a pretty, emerald green that I couldn't resist it.  I plan on wearing it a lot.  Or, at least until something blue catches my eye!


Happy Friday, All!

Gracey


P.S. I was going to link to some frayed denim skirts, but it's probably just cheaper (and more fun!) to run to Goodwill, find a skirt that fits your waist and cut it to the length you want.  That's what I did!

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

80s + Plaid = Love

This sweater is one of those fabled plaid pieces I thrifted this summer in anticipation of cooler weather:

Sweater: vintage, similar   Scarf: DIY   Jeans: Banana Republic   Boots: Nine West "Darsy"

 Well, cooler weather has arrived, and I finally (finally!) got to wear my beloved plaid cardigan.  And it was a delight.

Except that the super-low-v neckline gave me a bit of trouble.  It's not as though the girls popped out and waved at folks, but I could feel them thinking about it.  I tried to mitigate their overwhelming friendliness with a scarf, and I think that worked, but I was awfully warm all day.

I tell you, Friends, it's a rough day when a gal has to choose between sweating and flashing people.

Happy Wednesday, All!

Gracey

DIY: Put a Tassel on It

I loved the “global chic” trend this summer and especially loved all the tasseled sandals on the market as the result of the trend.  I did not, however, want to buy a new pair of sandals that I knew I wouldn’t get much use out of.  As much as I love “global chic” it’s not exactly my daily aesthetic and I didn’t think the cost-per-wear would be low enough to justify new sandals.  Instead, I decided to put a tassel on some sandals I already own… leading to my very first DIY!

 

I’m going to show you how to turn these:

 

 

Into these:

First, you need some sandals.  I chose my Jeffery Campbell pair because they already have a sort of casual/boho feel to them.  And the t-strap is the perfect place to put some tassels:

 

For tassels, I purchased some faux-leather ones on Etsy at Bohemian Findings for less than $5.00.  I was able to message the vendor requesting two of each color and specifying the colors I wanted.  In addition to tassels, you will also need small (3/4” or 7/8”) gold-tone safety pins:

 

 You will need three tassels and four safety pins per shoe.
 

Step 1 – Put one safety pin on each tassel.

 

 

Step 2 – Attach the first tassel to the sandal.

Step 3 – Attach the rest of the tassels to the shoe.


As you can see, instead of attaching my tassels to a buckle, I attached them to a cross-strap so they’d hang where I wanted them.  But, you can certainly attach them to a buckle or other hardware.

 

Step 4 – Repeat on the other shoe.

 

Step 5 (Optional) – Once all three tassels are on, attach the fourth pin crosswise, so they’re grouped together.

 

 

Step 6 – You’re done.  Wear your newly tasseled shoes as you see fit.

I wore mine with all-white for yesterday's Two Birds' Inspiration Monday.

 

Note: I chose to put my tassels on the front of my shoes, but they’d look equally cute hanging from the ankle.

 

And there you have it, my very first DIY.  As you can see, it’s both cheap and easy! 

 

Happy Tuesday, All!

 

Gracey

Limp and Wrinkled

I swear this outfit was cute until I rode to work in the rain:

By the time I got here, it was all limp and wrinkled:

Which makes me sad because I otherwise really liked this outfit.  I like the combination of the lace sweatshirt (Style & Co via Macys) with the red skirt (vintage via Goodwill).  And I like the addition of the Swiss dot tights (Hue via Macys), the riding boots (Born Crown “Sosie” via Nordstrom) and the plaid infinity scarf (DIY).  It’s just too bad that in addition to having buttons, my skirt also has wrinkles and in addition to being plaid, my scarf is also limp.

I will say, though, that the limp scarf and the wrinkled skirt are totally worth being able to ride my bike again.  I couldn’t ride for seven weeks and it was horrible, but as I said on Twitter yesterday, I’m now back to menacing school children and slow-moving squirrels.  And I couldn’t be happier, rain or no.

Oh, in case you’re curious, I followed this tutorial for making my scarf (it’s the same tutorial I used for this scarf). 

Also, if plaid is your thing, Adrienne and Jill have a plaid post up at Adrienne’s blog, The Rich Life (on a Budget).  My plaid skirt from last week is there along with several other lovely bloggers showing off their plaid, so go take a peek.

And have a happy Tuesday!

Gracey

Mocha, Charcoal and Plaid

One of the looks I knew for certain I’d try this fall and winter was black with brown.  And then, the other day, my charcoal sweater ended up next to my brown skirt and I realized that I also needed to try gray with brown.  So, I did:

Specifically what I did was to pair that charcoal sweater (Tulle) with a mocha-colored midi-skirt (vintage, thrifted).  I added gray and black herringbone tights (HUE), black shooties (BC Shoes) and my plaid infinity scarf (DIY’d).

And I’m glad I tried it, because I liked it.  I think the look would have worked just as well with a black sweater, but I think the charcoal with the mocha is a little bit more unexpected.  And I think the plaid scarf was a little unexpected as well.  Well, maybe not on me as I wear this thing constantly, but in general terms of clothing combinations, I’m totally cutting edge.

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Gracey

From Swans to Stripes

On Saturday night, I attended the Pacific Northwest Bloggers Holiday Party in Portland.  I was nervous and had no idea what to wear.  I ended up in this:

Franco Sarto "Leticia" - image via Nordstrom

Why?  Well, I figured nothing says “holiday” like swans (except, you know, maybe Santa, holly, elves or whatever) and nothing says “blogger” like a blazer with pushed up sleeves, so I wore a black blazer (Gap), with the sleeves pushed up, over my swan print dress (eShakti ).  I then remembered that bloggers also enjoy pattern mixing, so I added sheer polka dot tights (Spanx via Nordstrom) to the look and finished it up with Mary Jane pumps (Franco Sarto “Leticia” via Nordstrom).

And I think the look was well-received.  There were so many bloggers there that I didn’t actually even meet them all, but I believe my swans put those I did talk to at ease, because we chatted like old friends.  The lesson here?  Never under estimate the power of a swan dress, folks.

For today, I’ve gone from swans to stripes:

But, I kept the pattern mixing because I like to maintain my blogger street cred, even while at my day job.

Today’s mix comes from the striped ¾-sleeve tee (Target) and plaid scarf (DIY’d).  I also wore a red, button-front skirt (vintage, Goodwill) and gray, suede boots (Circa Joan & David via Piperlime).  I thought I’d give suede a shot as it wasn’t supposed to rain today; it started to rain as I took my pictures.  I love Oregon weather.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Floral and Tights

I’m aware that this isn’t the most spring-like outfit in the world:

But, I had to wear tights; it was very cold and very rainy on my ride in today which means that I had to wear something that kept me warm and dried quickly.  As I mentioned before, that’s usually tights.  Today the tights (Spanx) are layered under a sleeveless floral dress (thrifted and hemmed) and a cardigan (Old Navy).  I added a skinny belt (Steve Madden via Ross), booties (BC Footwear via Piperlime) and pink drop earrings (gifted; thanks, Nan!). 

And yes, I was mostly warm enough and I dried quickly.

Hopefully the weather will be better for Memorial Day Weekend, but if not, it’s still a four-day weekend for me and that’s fabulous news, rain or shine.

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

Gracey

Put a Stick Pin in It

This dress is too big.  It always has been but I usually belt it.  Today, though, I decided to put a stick pin in it:

Which was surprisingly really very easy.  I just gathered the excess fabric to the left and worked a stick pin through the folds.  I did have to try it a couple of times to get it where I wanted it, but I’m really pleased with how it turned out.  Here is a close up (please to ignore the lint):

I layered the dress over a striped tee (J. Crew), added cuffed boots (Gap), polka dot socks (Target), a tassel necklace (Old Navy), Nikki Jacoby earrings and a cuff (thrifted). 

Also, last time I wore these boots, a side-view was requested, so here that is:  

And I think that’s it for me.  I have a pretty busy weekend planned, including a Stone in Love concert.  Stone in Love is a very good local Journey cover band and they are so much fun to watch.  We are watching them at the Star Theater in Portland and here is a video from last year's show at the Aladdin:

Happy Friday, Everyone!  Have a wonderful weekend!!

Gracey

Kitschy Print #17

This dress is just further evidence that I love myself a kitschy print:

I feel justified with this one because I swear more than one fashion magazine said tropical prints were in.  So, I’m totally fashion-forward with this.  Not buying it?  Fine, I just like kitschy prints.  Today’s was thrifted and hemmed by yours truly.  Before I hemmed it, the dress was that awkward length between a midi and a maxi and it was a lot of kitsch, even for me.  Now, it’s just the perfect amount.

I paired the dress with a coral belt (Steven Madden via Ross) because I’ve decided to wear this belt with everything this summer.  And I added pewter sandals (Lovely People via Ideeli) instead of heels to keep the beach-y feel of the dress and because my tootsies still hurt from my night of wild 80s dancing on Friday.

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend and a happy Monday!

Gracey