Saturday, May 27, 2017

Embroidered Field Jacket

 I feel like all I have been talking about this Spring has been embellished jackets, but man, there are so many good ones! This is now my 5th olive jacket, but hear me out: each one I own has a different style/purpose. For instance, this one is sweatshirt material for chillier days. This one is a good basic that is lightweight and travels well. This one is cropped, so it is great over dresses. This one - well - I just couldn't resist - I love the big butterfly on the back. Same with my denim jackets, which I now own 5 as well!?!?! I'll probably do a round up soon of all the embellished jackets I collect own.
 There are a lot of embroidered field jackets out there, but I was really drawn to this one. I can't resist the feminine designs/colors against the drab green. To pull out the red, I wore it over one of my favorite finds from last summer (an Anthropologie look-a-like that I found at both Meijer and Kohl's featured in this post). High rise crop flare jeans - another favorite - and the sandals I seem to wear on an almost daily basis.
 Sonoma Floral Embroidered Jacket - Kohl's (also comes in Tan and plus sizes)
Sonoma Smocked Swing Tank - Kohl's
Sandals - Payless (a few years ago)
Tahari Sunglasses - TJ Maxx




Saturday, May 20, 2017

Marigold Mama

When I saw this dress, I was immediately in love. It is such a unique print and I love pink and green together! It technically is an "off the shoulder" dress, but I am happy to report that you do not have to wear it that way. I can usually get on board with just about any trend, but I really do not like the off the shoulder or cold shoulder trend! I am so ready for it to be over. Don't get me wrong, back in the 90's most all of my formal dresses were off the shoulder. But now, it is just not a practical daily look.
This dress is great alone, or with something thrown over it. I choose my green jacket for this first spin, but I know my light blue denim jacket will look great too. It came with a skinny tie in the same material, but I felt it really needed to be "broken up" with a brown belt. This one is selling out fast, but keep checking back as there are always returns.
Hei Hei Jacket - Anthropologie (buy/sell/trade board)
Sandals - Payless
Belt - Target
Tahari Sunglasses - TJ Maxx
Watermelon Tourmaline Necklace - made by me


Here's how it looks off the shoulder.......


Friday, May 19, 2017

Treat Yo Self!

There was a time when I went through a phase of really being into designer bags. It was when I was first married and had my first "big girl" job. I remember owning Coach, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Dior, Kate Spade, etc..... Around that same time, I went to China on two different occasions and was overwhelmed by the markets there and all the knockoffs they had! As time went on, I outgrew the desire for fancy bags and luckily, they held their value and I was able to sell them all. It just goes to show that I've been into buying/selling/trading fashion goods for quite some time.
Lately though, function in my daily handbag has been more important to me. Of course, it still has to be something that I like the looks of. But it also has to be comfy/practical to carry on my shoulder and roomy enough for kid gear. Something that is washable, wipeable, durable. I often feel like I am not a typical fashion blogger because I don't change my purse daily to match my outfit. In fact, quite the opposite, my bag almost never matches what I am wearing. I touched on this a few posts ago, about feeling like my hair and makeup isn't 100% ever when compared to others (I can't link to my nail polish of lipstick color because I'm usually not wearing any). But I love being 100% real on here!
So for this post, I tried my best to match my new bag. My new Kate Spade bag which I splurged on. Hey, I deserve it! When I saw all of the new peacock collection, I was in awe. There were pieces I would have loved but knew they were out of reach. This bag was treating myself enough. It fits my lifestyle perfectly! It is a great size and I will be able to wipe it clean. This will be an investment piece for years to come.
Apt 9 Sweater (gift from hubby) - Kohl's
a.n.a. High Rise Flare Jeans - JC Penney
Necklace & Boots - Target
Sunglasses - TJ Maxx





Thursday, May 18, 2017

Otomi Jacket

It was a little more than a year ago when I posted about my Otomi Pillow Project (links within for more Otomi posts). I figured I should try to come up with another project to use up the wonderful panels I found (one of my favorite thrift shop finds)! The biggest trend lately that I've been loving has been embellished jackets - whether embroidered or patched - denim or green cargo. Not that I need another jacket, but I had this great idea to sew one of the panels onto the back of a jean jacket.
After holding it up to see if it would fit, I set about planning the project. I am not a sewer and I do not own a sewing machine, so everything I do has to be by hand. When I did the pillows, I just stitched them on around the edge. For the jacket though, I wanted to keep the fabric in place so I bought an iron on bonding material to adhere the square to the jacket. Then I went around the edges with a hand stitch.
The front seemed a little plain, so I experimented with a few things to decorate it up. The only problem with these tests, was that I had to sacrifice cutting into a panel. At first, I cut actual shapes out (a flower and a bird) but somehow they didn't look right without the white background around them. So I decided to "fill in" areas between the seams of the jacket with the full pattern cut to size. I did the skinny area leading up to the pocket on one side, and then the pocket square on the other side. I used the same technique - ironing on these small pieces before stitching around them. 
I am very happy with how it turned out! So far, I'm planning to pair it with bright solid colors like this orange dress. But maybe I will get into some pattern mixing. I think wearing it with my Otomi dress will be too much! I didn't wear any necklaces because I didn't want to make it too busy.
Dress is from Old Navy. I got the jacket at Kohl's. Favorite sandals from Payless and sunglasses from TJ Maxx.



Linking up with Fashion Should Be Fun

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Running Around

In my last post, I talked up a painted denim jacket I got at TJ Maxx. I got these jeans during that same trip, so it must have been a good day to find embellished pieces!
This is a typical weekend "running errands" outfit for me. Is there ever a weekend when there aren't errands to be run? Doesn't seem like it for me. I stay 100% real here so I'm going to point out that I have no extra jewelry on and my unwashed hair is pinned up. One of the hardest things about blogging is feeling like you hair, makeup, nails, accessories all have to be on point. But that's not real life most days, at least not for me. Some days, I just want to get out the door as quickly as possible. 
I haven't really done the "half tuck" shirt thing, but it was necessary here so that I wouldn't cover up some of the embroidery. A few butterflies and a bird, some distressing, raw cropped hem and slits all come together in these jeans. I see these retailed for $89 at The Gap....... TJ Maxx price was a steal at $16.99!!!

Gap Best Girlfriend Embroidered Jeans - TJ Maxx
Everleigh Hi-Lo Empire Buttondown - Anthropologie (also seen here)
Sandals - Payless




Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Painted Jacket

 I am a complete sucker for embellished denim. And with everything from embroidery, to patches, to paint coming back within the last few years, I couldn't be happier! A few years ago, Anthropologie had a few painted pieces from their house denim brand - Pilcro. There were jeans and a jacket, similar to this one. I want to say I remember the jacket being $148. I filed the idea into my "to do" list, which, is always never ending.
 I few weeks ago I was at TJ Maxx when I spotted this jacket. Sure, I could have painted one myself but since I had not done it in all this time, the $29.99 complete price was too enticing! Especially when shopping with 2 little boys, you tend to have to make quick decisions! I see here it retails for $83.00!
 Pulling from the colors in the flowers, I paired it with olive cargo pants and a white blouse. Richard, Pua, and Mama Kitty made a cameo too!
 Glamorous Painted Jacket - TJ Maxx or here
High Rise Utility Pants - Target
Sandals - Payless
Linking up with The Pleated Poppy


Monday, May 1, 2017

Remembering Grandpa

This past Friday marked 2 years since my Grandpa passed. I knew I had wanted to make this necklace to remember him, but, you know, life gets in the way. This is a bullet shell from the salute for his Military Funeral Honors for serving in World War II. My original idea was to "etch" a design onto it, but I found it was really difficult to draw or stamp a design on something cylinder shaped that I was happy with. I do have another shell, so maybe I will try again in the future. Since I delayed so long already, I was eager to have something completed quickly.
 I ended up taking a piece of filigree and bending it to fit around the bullet. Then I had to drill a hole in the bottom so that I could feed wire through it to hold the "tassel" I made. The tassel is composed of mixed metals and rhinestone strands of various lengths. I also had to drill a few holes in the top so that I could wire a bail to for the chain to go through.
 It's a longer length necklace so it's easy to go over the head and wear with just about anything. I really love how it turned out.
 Grandpa, you are missed every day. My life would not have been the same without you. You were there for me in more ways than you will ever know. I cherish every memory. I know you are looking over me every day!