Another animal print - fyi on difference in cheetah and leopard

Finally, my camera is charged and the pictures downloaded. Now I can participate in Tammy @ Silverstyle's Trending through the decades - animal prints. I got this shirt/jacket at TJMaxx on a clearance rack. I was so excited when I saw it and especially on clearance. I think it can be worn year round. In the fall and winter, I can wear a long sleeve tee underneath to make it more seasonal.  Right now I have a sleeveless tee underneath. I was determined to find a dark gold top to wear under it. I went to several stores trying to find one. I think I am going to have to learn to sew at least simple tops. I get an idea in my head and I don't want to let go and make do with something else. So, sewing my own seems to be the only way to go. Perhaps this winter I will take on that challenge.

Shirt/Jacket: Susan Bristol - TJMaxx
Tee: CJ Banks
JMS Jeggings Walmart
Tom's Shoes

Forever 21 Necklace

Bracelets from Left top: Forever 21, Necklace worn as bracelet Thrifted
Right top: Michele watch (under bracelet) Both bracelets: Forever 21

Forever 21 has some amazing jewelry. I am not sure how it will hold up over time, but it is certainly inexpensive and pretty.

I don't know if any of you have ever wondered about the difference in cheetah and leopard prints, but I was wondering so I looked it up. Cheetah spots are solid black and leopards are multi-colored rosettes. I think my jacket is kind of a fantasy cheetah as there are gold and dark brown solid spots.

I really, really appreciate the comments my readers leave each day. I have wanted to be able to comment back to many of you, but not everyone has an email attached to their name. Blogger doesn't have a good way to respond to comments, but I found a site that helped me do a hack so that I can respond to you. My comments will not appear directly below yours, but your name will show at the beginning of my comment so you can see to whom I am responding. You will have to subscribe to the comments for each post or just come back and visit again. Again, I really love comments, it lets me improve both the blog content and my outfits.

New trends & camera predicaments

Today, as we were taking photos, the camera went dead.  Then when I attempted to use a new tool to try to download from the memory card, it wouldn't work. Well, the computer has this slot for memory cards, so I tried to put the card in the slot. It obviously was not meant for the memory card I have as the card got stuck. I tried to get it out--took the computer apart, tried to use tweezers,  tried using a wire to get it out. No go. I finally tried putting a thin bladed knife in the slot and then turned the computer upside down. Yay, it fell out. Husband  put the battery for the camera in the charger--the wrong way! I just went to get it and discovered it did not charge. ARGH! No outfit photo today.

In the latest WhoWhatWear Accessory spotlight, white shoes are featured. My favorite was the Isabel Marant fringe boot. While I might love to have them, they are more than a bit out of my price range.


Source WhoWhatWear

I found a source for white 1960's style boots at Klassic Line, a vintage clothing store. Sorry I cannot post the picture as it is copyrighted, but the boots can be seen here.

As I was searching websites to try to find some less expensive alternatives which I could not find, I realized that some trends are not going to be mainstream for a while. I have seen a couple of the fringed white boots, but both are expensive and only available in the larger cities.

Recently, I wanted to participate in Tammy's Trending through the decades - Polka dots. I could not find polka dots anywhere. Sales clerks looked at me like I was nuts wanting it. Maybe next year we will have polka dots.

Living in the middle of the US, we do not have a lot of the high end department, trendy stores, or boutiques that the east and west coasts have. There's no store here that sells the high end designers like Isabel Marant, Chloe, or Chanel. The closest place for that is most likely Kansas City. No Urban Outfitters, Anthropology, JCrew, Zara, or H&M. We have Dillards, Kohl's, JC Penney, Chico's, Coldwater Creek, and Ann Taylor. Buying online is an alternative, but shipping gets expensive if the item doesn't fit. (I recently spent $26.00 to send back 2 packages.)

The only way we can participate in some of the trendy big city looks is to attempt to copy the look using locally available merchandise. Perhaps that is a better way because it encourages creativity.

For those of you who live in smaller cities, how do you cope when you want something like what you see in a magazine, only at an affordable price?

Visible Monday - Fall plaid colors & a bit more advice from 1963

It's Visible Monday #14 and I am joining Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style again this week. I really wanted to be a part of Tammy@Silverstyle's Trending through the decades - Polka dots group, but I discovered that Wichita is not a polka dot type of town.  Today I am featuring a fall plaid jacket that I love. It didn't photograph well since it is a very small lined plaid (you would think I would've learned my lesson from the stripe shirt fiasco) but I do love it so much!

My photographer said something that really tickled me. I couldn't stop laughing.
Jacket: Mossimo - Target
Top: Chico;s
Jeggings JMS (my favorite inexpensive jeans)
Shoes: Pencey Leopard Booties

I was laughing so hard that Harry decided he needed to check what was going on.

Necklace:
Chico's

In 1963, many women did not work outside the home. I know my Mother had a job just keeping up with the house. She took care of pretty much everything around the house including yard care and always had dinner on the table for us every day. The McCall's Sewing Book had this to say about the "Wardrobe Needs" of the Homemaker.

"A homemaker often makes the mistake of thinking she does not have to look her best when doing her daily chores. Actually, ill-fitting clothes lower her morale and make her less able to cope with every day trials. That doesn't mean she has to dress up, but it does mean she should look neat and trim. If you look well and feel comfortable in slacks or shorts, wear them when working in the home. But be sure you look well in them and that they fit properly. A simple shirtwaist dress or wrap-around with flared or pleated skirt will present a much more attractive appearance and be just as comfortable as pants.  For evenings at home a simple dress is always in good taste. But dress up a bit if you wish. It adds a touch of gaiety and elegance to a family gathering."

Whoa! Have times changed! For those of you old enough to remember the "Leave it to Beaver" show, June Cleaver was the epitome of the above quotation; always immaculate in a pretty dress and pearls. Our society has certainly become much more casual in the way we dress, at least in my part of the world.  I don't think that wearing a dress will automatically make you less able to cope with every day trials as suggested above. Unless of course, you are rich enough to afford help for the household chores like cleaning floors and toilets, in which case I guess a dress would work well. Do you wear nice clothing to clean your house?

Using a jacket or shirt to cover up areas you don't want people to notice

After reviewing today's photos, I decided that I wanted to show you one that is less than flattering to me. I want those of you who have areas of your bodies that you don't like to see how you can dress the body you have attractively. I have told you all that I am a pumpkin shape and believe me I am, especially since I am concave on the top of my chest. I think you can use a jacket or even a shirt that is opened over a layering piece to disguise a round middle. I hope this outfit post shows that just because you're less than perfect, it doesn't mean you cannot look nice.



Jacket and top: Dressbarn
(I love this leopard jacket!)
JMS Jeggings Walmart
Think Sandals



As you can see, I do have a round middle that I would rather others not notice too much.

 I have to admit that I do post the most flattering photos that we take. I would rather not have everyone see my large midsection sticking out for all the world to see. I think that most of us would prefer that others see our best looks, but I think it is really important for women who are less than perfect (in my case, much less) so see that they are not alone in facing issues with their bodies whether they are young or old.

Do you have any body areas you try to disguise? What tips do you have for others who may share that same issue?

Don't wear tiny vertical stripes or your pictures will look far out!

Today, I wore a white shirt with tiny vertical black stripes. Wow, the pictures came out crazy. Only one was even half way decent. The rest looked like I was wearing some sort of psychedelic moire fabric.
I didn't go anywhere today, so my outfit was very simply a shirt and jeggings.


Shirt: Dillards
Jeggings: JMS Walmart

 Yesterday, I tried on some Not Your Daughters Jeans. I was impressed with the fit, but not the price. They did look good and I haven't seen any dark brown jeans before that I liked. I want to think about it a couple of days before deciding about them. Have any of you ever worn any NYDJ's? What did you think of them.

Today's advice from the McCall's Sewing book is about what to wear to sporting events. Since this is football season, I thought it would be timely.

"For Sports:
Sportswear in our modern sense covers both clothes for sporting events and casual clothes in general. Naturally, participating in special sports requires special costumes. What you need for golf is wrong for tennis. As a spectator at sports events, choose comfortable, sturdy-looking  clothes. Separates, simple dresses and classic suits are always appropriate."

Did women in the 60's really wear suits to football games? I remember that as a student, the only time we really dressed up for football games was for homecoming.  And what the heck are "sturdy looking" clothes?  From crowd photos I have seen lately, hardly anyone wears very nice clothes to sporting events.  Do you attend sporting events and if so, what sturdy-looking clothing do you wear?

Inspiration - Cameron Diaz and Some Fun advice from 1963

Today, I tried to put together a look reminiscent of one I saw on Cameron Diaz on InStyle.com.


Russian Look/ZUMAPRESS.com via

Instyle.com

Of course, her jacket was Chanel and mine was Chico's and I am fairly certain she is half my size, but I think it came out fairly well.  I know my whole outfit cost less than her jeggings.

Jacket: Chico's - it has silver threads woven in it which look really pretty in the sunlight
Top: Chico's
Jeans: Faded Glory Walmart
Shoes: Think Sandals



Cameron also didn't have two Airedales who wanted to help with the photos.



Harry on the left and Jada on the right. Both thought something smelled really good on me.
Probably smelled scents from TJ's Burger House where I ate a salad for lunch,
but no doubt some burger smells landed on my jeans.

After looking at these pictures, I realized that I have gotten used to seeing myself in jeggings which make my legs look much smaller. These wider leg jeans look quite different, but they were the only ones I had that were a similar color to Cameron's. 

 

Yesterday, I went to the Salvation Army Thrift Store and bought a "McCall's Sewing Book."  It was from 1963 and as I started reading it, I realized just how much things have changed since then. Perhaps not the basics in how to sew, but definitely on fashion in general.  I plan to write a few more posts about some of the information in it but today I would like to share a couple of things.

 

In the first part of the book, there is a section called "Building A New You."  The "Figure Check" section asks you to "First study the general effect you present to the world." As in whether you are tall, short, fat, thin, droopy shoulders, and general posture. The statements that made me laugh are: 

"Are you well proportioned, or do you bulge in all the wrong places? Are you tall enough for your width?" 

I don't recall ever hearing any advice like this before. How do you figure out if you are tall enough for your width? Is there some magic mathematical formula? They didn't share that, but I am guessing I need to be a couple of feet taller.

 

One bit of advice they had in analyzing your appearance was this:

Because it is difficult to see oneself as one really is, don't rely on a mirror. A snapshot or two ... will give you a better answer. Flaws never seem quite so realistic in a mirror as they do in a picture."

I am not sure that I would agree that you should look for flaws, but I do know that a number of bloggers have said that a picture gives a much different view of an outfit that does looking in a mirror.

 

There were several other funny bits of advice as well as some interesting sizing charts in the book that I will share in the coming days.

 

I am planning on updating my blog list soon. If I don't have your blog listed in my "Interesting Blog" list, please let me know and I will add the link to your blog.

 

On aging gracefully

I decided to post the outfit photos first. That way, if you do not want to read my ramblings, you don't have to!



Jacket: Chico's
Top: Chico's
Jeggings: JMS Walmart
Think Sandals
On the right, my $2.48 Stone Mountain Thrifted Purse

 


Picture 1 bracelets 2 made by me (closeup on right) 2 Yurman
Middle: Chico's necklace
Right: the 2 bracelets made by me

 Now for the rambling: Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style wrote a post, What Does It Mean To Embrace Our Age?, which made me ponder my own feelings on this subject.

Model Jane Birkin, muse to Yves St Laurent and inspiration for the famed Hermes Birkin, said "... you suddenly wake up to the fact that your outside doesn't correspond at all with the inside anymore."  I am so there, sister!

I think there is a moment for all of us when we suddenly realize that we are no longer the visible, young, pretty woman that evokes stares from the opposite sex. My moment came when I went into a store and the clerk asked if I qualified for the senior discount. Horrors! Me, a senior? When did that happen? For so many years I had people think that I was younger than I was and now someone thought I was a senior citizen? For a long time, no one has told me that I don't look my age. So, I am guessing that I look my age. Not that there is anything wrong with that!

For me, more than age my body is my nemesis. I was lucky when I was young to have a great figure. Now remember, this was the 60's and 70's before sexual harassment was  frowned upon. Back then, when I would walk through the factory at work, I would have men hanging out the aircraft whistling and hollering at me. At the time, it embarrassed me to no end as I was too visible.  

Now being older and invisible to most everyone, my body is foreign to me. First, developing asthma resulted in my tiny 24.5 inch waist changing into a round, apple shape and then breast cancer taking my breasts, changed my body to one that looked more like a pumpkin with legs rather than the hourglass it once was. I am exercising and watching what I eat but the weight seems to be permanently attached to me. I hope I am aging gracefully. I can't afford plastic surgery, so I yam what I yam (to quote Popeye.)

For a while, I dressed my body as blandly as possible to disappear. then I made the decision to dress the body I have (shout out to Stacey and Clinton.)  I was lucky enough to be working at the time I made this decision, so I had the money to buy new clothes. Now, I am spending more time in thrift stores and I have to say it is like a treasure hunt. When you find something good, you feel like you have found treasure!  I will say that when you are a plus size it is harder to find treasures. If you are a size 8 or 10, you will find lots of great things.

On aging gracefully, a WebMD article, "Experts say the keys to successful aging include accepting changes and finding meaningful activities." I think that blogging is a meaningful activity for me. I am sharing a bit of me with everyone who might read my blog and I hope that I provide some inspiration for others who may be feeling like there is no one else out there who shares their body and age issues.

What meaningful activities do you have that assist in your graceful aging?

Visible Monday - I love Zebra print!

It's Visible Monday (via Not Dead Yet Style) again! I love this outfit. I know I just wore the jacket a few days ago, but when I get something I really love, I do like to wear it often. I did change up the accessories so it feels a bit different. It certainly makes me feel very visible. I love the necklace it is a statement necklace for sure.


Jacket: Chico's
Tee Top: Chico's
Jeans: Dressbarn
Booties: Nine West



Necklace: Chico's
Bracelets from left: Zipper Bracelet - Jewelmint
3 Interlocking bracelets: Chico's
Kohl's

I love this necklace! The zebra has crystals on it.

Do you ever wear something new more than once in a few days? Only my husband saw me in this twice, so I think that makes it okay.  Oh and all the people who read this blog! I still love it.

Sorry I haven't posted - Migraines

I have been having my migraines again in the afternoons. Friday's was awful to say the least. I had taken a shower, gotten dressed, and was on my way to the post office when I got the "strange feeling" that I know means a really bad headache is on the way. I immediately turned around and came home. I was feeling so ill and cold that I just climbed into bed and stayed there the rest of the afternoon.

If you have never had a migraine, here is a bit of information about them from WebMD.

"A migraine headache is a form of vascular headache. Migraine headache is caused by vasodilatation (enlargement of blood vessels) that causes the release of chemicals from nerve fibers that coil around the large arteries of the brain. Enlargement of these blood vessels stretches the nerves that coil around them and causes the nerves to release chemicals. The chemicals cause inflammation, pain, and further enlargement of the artery. The increasing enlargement of the arteries magnifies the pain."

From Medicinenet.com

"Experts believe migraines may be related to mutations in genes that affect certain areas of the brain. Migraine is also more common among people who have epilepsy, depression, asthma, anxiety, stroke, and some other neurologic and hereditary disorders."

I am not sure why I seem to get these headaches for some periods of time and then have none for quite a while. Migraines are something that I would not wish on my worst enemy.

I have been feeling better today, so we went out and took some pictures. As I was trying to upload them, the battery died in the camera. I need to get a USB tool that allows me to use the memory card to connect. I hope to be back tomorrow with an outfit posting.

What do I blog about anyway?

This afternoon, I went to my hairdresser, Brenda at her salon Wild Hair, and she asked me what I blog about. I was kind of stumped on how to answer the question. I'll have to think about how to describe my blog so that the next time someone asks me what I write I about I will have a great answer. It seems rather trite to say I write about what I wear everyday and post pictures of my outfits. I feel like I am still finding my way and voice on my blog. How do you describe your blog when someone asks what do you write about?

This is the outfit I wore out to lunch with my friend, and then to get my hair cut and colored. (I noticed how bad my roots looked in one of the pictures my husband Bart took and decided I needed a color immediately. When your husband tells you he notices your roots, you had better get it fixed asap.)

Jacket: Chico's (I am loving animal prints this year!)
Top: Chico's
Necklace: Chico's
Jeans: JMS Walmart
Think! Sandals

A bit more about the Missoni for Target. This morning on the Today show there was a segment about the frenzy over the collection. I was a bit shocked that it was so crazy since it there wasn't a line or anything at the Super Target I went to. As I said yesterday, I had to ask for it as they did not even have it out. Also, the Target here did not have a lot of the items that were shown online.  I went out to ebay today and was shocked a second time. It seems that there were a lot of people who purchased as much of it as they could to resell at exorbitant prices. There were over 23,000 items for sale. I found the scarf I purchased for $24.99 for sale on ebay starting at $49.99.  The $29.99 shoes were priced over $100.00. I am for everyone making a living, but gosh darn it, this is ridiculous! In my opinion, Target should limit the number of items that can be purchased by one person. I think a lot of people will be very unhappy when they find out that the huge price that they paid on ebay for the items wasn't such a great deal.

Tomorrow I'll try to post a picture of the scarf I bought. I bought it because I knew it would look great with my camel colored winter coat, which it does. The scarf is very subtle and not the usual bright Missoni print. 

After listening to all the hoopla over Missoni for Target, I had the realization that I have way more fun and get more excited about my thrifting finds.

Tuesday - Missoni for Target release day

I was really excited having seen all the pictures of the Missoni for Target items. I went to the store early today to see the new items. What a disappointment. They did not even have the merchandise on the floor; I had to ask for it. The lady brought it right out, which was nice of her. They had very few items and only one XL in each item.  The sweaters were very thin and one had a pull in it and they were $49.99. One of the black and white dresses was pretty, but again all small sizes. The shoes were not comfortable. I was highly disappointed. The only thing I bought was an infinity scarf. It is pretty, but it was $24.99, which compared to other scarves Target has, was a bit pricey.



Jacket: Coldwater Creek
Top: Nygard - Dillards (it has tiny flowers layered on the bodice)
Jeggings: JMS Walmart
Scarf: Maurices
Shoes: Vince Camuto - Dillards



With the scarf down rather than wrapped

I tried to go to the Target site to grab a picture of the scarf, but evidently the site has been overwhelmed with activity and it wasn't up.  Maybe I am too picky about what I purchase and there may be a lot of others who love it. Did anyone else visit Target today for Missoni? What did you think?

Visible Monday - the last days of summer

Visible Monday #12, created by Patti@NotDeadYetStyle , started out to be a way for women who have felt invisible to share outfits that make them feel great. It has been a wonderful way to get to know a number of very fashionable ladies who are not at all invisible. I cannot believe it that this is the 12th time we have done this!

I didn't go anywhere today, but I wanted to wear this outfit before I put it away for the winter and it does make me feel visible. I would love to have a closet big enough to not have to switch the summer and winter clothes, but I don't so I spent time switching things around. It is always fun to revisit clothes I haven't seen for months and think about how I will wear them this fall and winter.

Jacket & Top: Dillards
Jeans: Dressbarn

Bottom 2 bracelets: Kate Spade Rick Rack
Others: Antique Mall

Antique Mall purchase

The brass pieces are of elephants. Ros Hommerson - ebay

 In looking at this outfit, I think I should've worn longer jeans as these just look too short with these shoes. I have been used to wearing sandals all summer and I did not even think about the proportions of the jeans with the shoes.

Big bold gold accessories are on trend for fall and winter. For some reason, I haven't had much in the way of yellow gold jewelry. Fortunately, in the 70's big bold gold was popular so it has been fairly easy to pick up some pieces for not much money.  What new trend are you planning on rocking this fall and winter?

Animal print outfit and rain, rain, beautiful rain

On Thursday and Friday mornings I have a yoga class that I love. My teachers are very challenging. Today was a challenge as we worked on opening our hip area. The instructor said that this will help as we grow older to keep us from getting all stooped over. I definitely don't want to be stooped over a walker and shuffling along. My Mother walks so slowly and with difficulty. I want to do everything I can to make myself stronger as I age. When you are younger, you take physical health for granted and old age is so far in the future that it is not thought about.


Today's outfit is a simple one, but it looks nice enough for running a few errands.  My bit of good news for today is that the coat that I purchased at the Salvation Army came back from the cleaners in perfect shape. The bad news is that it cost almost as much to have it cleaned as it did to purchase it. It is still a fairly inexpensive coat that is beautiful.

Jacket: Chico's
Top: Catherines
Twill leggings: JMS Walmart
Sandals: Think! Julia



Necklace: Chico's

Bracelet on Left Chico's
On Right: Michele Watch at top all others Chico's

I went to an estate sale today and purchased 3 old patterns. 2 were for poncho/capes and one for aprons. I also got a couple of books on sewing. I hope to do a bit of sewing this winter and the patterns looked to be easy ones. I also got a whole bag of ties for $2. I now have to figure out some things to do with them. I have some ideas, so sometime in the future you may see the results.

The really great news is that we finally got a little bit of rain. It was so nice to see rain again as it has been so very dry here. I know Texas and Oklahoma also need rain badly.  It's been a long, hot, dry summer. I am certainly looking forward to fall this year.  Ah! I just heard some thunder. Hopefully that means more rain and not a bad storm. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Thursday is for Thrifters - Necklaces worn as bracelets

Thursdays are for Thrifters with Spunky Chateau.
Sacramento @ Mis Papelicos always wants to see us in dresses. She looks great in her dresses and skirts. I rarely if ever wear a dress. I'm just not that comfortable in them and I have a very hard time finding one that fits me well. This dress is one I purchased from Kmart. It fits about as well as any dress I have, but I still fuss with it when I wear it.  I also bought a jacket to go with it, but it didn't lay right and I need to do some tweaking on it, so it will show up later.  I think I could wear this dress later in the fall with tights and boots, which I haven't done since high school.



Dress: Kmart
Jacket: Chico's
Belt: ?
Shoes: Think! Julia

 My necklace is a Chico's 25th Anniversary special edition. I absolutely love it. I don't wear it often because it really is a statement piece. There is a frog, lizard, ladybug, and assorted flowers. I thought it went well with the muted floral print in the dress.

I have noticed in a lot of the fashion magazines, necklaces are shown as wrapped bracelets. I thrifted two of the necklaces that I am wearing as bracelets last week. Necklaces that are 16 inches are just a bit too small for me to wear without adding an extender. However, they make perfect wrap bracelets.  I am sorry the photo is not better. We ran out of space on the card right when we were going to take the bracelet photo.


Bracelets: Top to Bottom
Necklace as Bracelet Thrifted
Necklace as bracelet: Thrifted
Wrap Bracelet: Forever 21
Michele Watch
Bracelet: Chico's



Wednesday - Moto-Safari

Do you ever look at a word and think, 'that is a weird word'? As I started to write today's post, the word Wednesday just looked so weird to me. I started doubting that I was spelling it correctly. That caused me to do some research and I found out that 'the experts' call this orthographic incredulity. So, there is a name for words looking weird.


My outfit for today was really casual, but comfortable. The jacket is one I got at Kmart for $7.50. I would describe it as moto-khaki. I had kind of a moto-safari look going. The necklace with elephants is one I got at the consignment shop I visited last week and I paired it with my leopard shoes. Cause leopards and elephants go together right? I also wore some leopard bangles, which was probably overload, but they were small!

This is all carved wood, with one strand of carved elephants.

My dear photographer wanted to take pictures of the leopard shoes. I told him you had already seen them, but he insisted you needed to see them again. So, here they are.

They are really pretty!

I went to the Salvation Army  store because I wanted to get some ties. They usually have an overload, but someone must have needed ties, because a lot of them were gone. I want to try to make an obi like Megan Mae made. While I was there, I looked at a coat that I have been interested in. It is a vintage black coat with a mink collar. It had some funky looking stains on the bottom of the coat. It kind of looks like mildew or something. They had a price of $89.99 on it. It has been there for a while (that is way too much for it) so I thought I would ask if they would reduce the price due to the stains. I had to wait a while for the right person, but I ended up getting it for 23.00! Now, I hope the stains will come out with dry cleaning. I sure hope so, it is a pretty coat. If they don't, I guess it was a risk.


Have you ever purchased something at thrift that you weren't sure would work out?

Red Rose of Kansas

This jacket is one of my favorites. I love, love, love embroidery. A while back Coldwater Creek had a  special line of clothing that was a step above the rest of their clothing. I got this on sale and have never regretted getting it. I probably should have worn this on Visible Monday as it was very visible! I wore it with my new cowboy boots. It was embroidery overload and I was so happy wearing it. I kept my jewelry to a minimum today. The cross is one from a company, Morgan Dane, that attempted to compete with Silpada. I like the large bail because it can be used on a wide variety of necklaces. Unfortunately, Morgan Dane went out of business this year. I really liked a lot of their jewelry more than Silpada. The necklace is one I got at Fashion Bug.


Jacket: Coldwater Creek
Top: Dillards
Jeans: Dressbarn
Boots: Old Gringo



Silver Cross: Morgan Dane
Necklace: Fashion Bug

Patti @ Not Dead Yet Style asked if you could wear boots like these in Florida. I say yes, it's an attitude and if you have it, no matter where you live, you can carry it off. I think Patti would look fab in them! I see a lot of women here in the winter wearing oversize sweaters, leggings, and cowboy boots (although taller than the ones I have.) When I first got them I told my husband that I felt like a kid again with their first pair of cowboy boots.  When you are a kid, you just don't want to take them off, even to go to bed. It's wonderful to feel like a kid again. Do you have something that makes you that happy?

Visible Monday - Cowboy chic

Visible Monday, created by Patti @ NotDeadYetStyle, falls on Labor Day this week. To all of you who are working, I hope you had a lovely day away from your labors.

Sorry I have been away from the blog for a few days. I have been suffering from headaches. Every now and then I get headaches for days on end.  Consequently, I haven't gotten much done in between headaches. I did want to participate in Visible Monday so I asked my husband to take a few quick photos. I also wanted to show a couple of things I found at a consignment shop. I have been wanting to go into this shop for a long time. It is called The Working Woman's Shop and is only a mile or so from my house. I could kick myself for not having gone in there before now. It is probably the nicest of the shops I have been in. I found several things that I wanted. I will definitely be going back more often.

Jacket made into a vest: Chico's
Blouse: Coldwater Creek
Jeans: Dressbarn
Boots: Old Gringo from Zappos
Necklaces: Consignment Shop & Fashion Bug



I've had this jacket for several years and rarely wore it. It was heavy and just not real comfortable After seeing several bloggers cut the sleeves off their jean jackets, I thought I would give it a try. I love it. Removing the sleeves took away just enough weight to make it more comfortable. It has a pattern on the back made up of different size studs. (That is partly why it is so heavy.)

As every good cowgirl in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas knows, cowboy boots are not just for utility, they are for stylin'. (With or without horse or ranch) I have always wanted some really pretty, embroidered boots. I finally found some that I fell in love with. I would rather have had them be a bit taller, but these will do. They are Old Gringo and I hope to feature them a lot in the future. I purchased these from Zappos. If you have never purchased from them, they are great to deal with. Free shipping both ways and fast too!

Old Gringo Boots - and they are supposed to look a bit used. It's a cowgirl thing.

Now for a couple of my consignment store finds. The jacket is an Austin Reed. I have seen them before at Dillards and they were expensive. I did pay $25.00 for it, but that's not much for such a nice jacket. I have a love for tweed jackets and have several for fall and winter. The colors in the jacket are so pretty. I can hardly wait for the weather to cool down enough to wear it. The necklace hanging on the hanger is one I purchased at the same shop. I am not a big fan of oriental items, but this is just so cool that I had to have it.



Closeup Austin Reed Jacket
Necklace Maker unknown

 Please stop by and see the other nice ladies who wish to be Visible this Monday. If you haven't participated, please consider joining us.

Fun with new catalogs

I love getting a new catalog in the mail especially when it is one I don't get often. Saturday I received a Pendleton clothing catalog. One of the reasons I enjoy them so much is that I can get great ideas from them. I would love to be able to purchase several things from this catalog, but it is a bit pricey for me now that I am retired. The quality is excellent on Pendleton items whether it is clothing or blankets. I have some Pendleton curtains in my living room that I absolutely love.

I thought I would share some of my favorites from the catalog with all of you. All photos are from the Pendleton website, click on the link below the picture to go to the website.

This jacket is an animal print that is a bit different. I love the cap sleeves and the large buttons. Notice that Pendleton mixed patterns here. If there was one piece I could get from this catalog, it would be this one.


Cap Sleeve Panther Jacket

The next item is a plaid jacket. While it is pretty, the thing I like best about this picture is the pin that was placed on the pocket. I love special details. I know that I have a pin in my stash that I can use to create this same look on one of my own jackets.

Cardiff Jacket

What I like about the next vest is the way that the front is cut with an open upside down V at the bottom and the buttons on the lapels. One of the things that bug me about lapels is that they often do not stay down as they should. Buttons on the lapels is a detail I can recreate on one of my vests or maybe a jacket.

Hunt club vest

This jacket has a neat detail at the neck of the jacket. It appears to be a tuck right below the collar. I like unusual details that make something different than everything else.

Margaret Jacket

What I like about the next dress is the idea that if I had a sleeveless dress I could layer it and wear it in the fall with boots and tights.

Fintage Fit Roundabout Shirt Dress

My final inspiration piece is a belt that has a western flavor to it. I would love to have this belt to wear with jeans and a leather jacket. I probably would not find anything even close to it here at a price I could afford, but I can start watching!

Beaded Fringe Belt

Do you experience a bit of excitement when you get a new catalog in the mail? What is your favorite catalog?

My first Thursday's are for Thrifters

Meagan at Spunky Chateau sponsors Thursdays are for Thrifters Party. This week is one of the first where I had something to show. Unfortunately, the closeup picture did not turn out. Must be something in the air as Patti at Not Dead Yet Style had camera problems today too. Anyway, my thrift find, as I reported yesterday is a pair of Bass loafers. I was thrilled to finally find good shoes at a thrift store.  It was another hot, hot day here. Hopefully, this is the end of the heat for our record breaking 51st day of over 100 degree heat.



Shirt: Dillards
Scarf: Chico's
Jeggings: JMS Walmart
Shoes: Bass Loafers - thrifted

 I went for a plainer look today. I know some people don't like white socks with loafers, but since I grew up wearing them that way, it just seems right to me. One thing I'd forgotten about loafers is that until they break in to your foot they rub and can leave a blister. That brought back a memory of a pair of shoes that I got for school when I was in Junior High. They hurt my feet and I got some horrid blisters. When I complained about it, my Mother told me that I picked them out and I had to wear them. I had no choice as they were they only shoes I had, so band-aids became my friend. For these shoes, Band-aids will once again be my friend. Fortunately, they are not my only shoes as my Jr High loafers were.

My favorite pair of shoes from when I was young were a pair of "Mondrian Beatle Boots." All my Mother would get for me were a plain white pair. I did a DIY with electrical tape and paint on my white boots to make my own. I thought I was so cool!


Source  These are the real thing.

 Do any of you have a memory of a favorite pair of shoes you had when you were young?