How the Midwest does Paris

This luxurious velvet skirt is by a Parisian designer - Mes Demoiselles - that I had not been acquainted with yet. When I saw it at Anthropologie, I predicted it would sell out fast (I was right). It was a splurge that I used my birthday discount and birthday money on. 

Is it a bit dressy and out of place for someone who lives in a small town in Michigan? Yes. Are the colors a bit garish? Yes. Then it's right up my alley! LOL!

With colors of mustard, hot pink, electric blue and deep green I was already putting ideas together in my head. Anytime I want to dress down a fancy piece, I think of a denim jacket, t-shirt, chambray shirt, etc.... I kept it pretty low key here with an olive shell that would match my olive booties. 

Mes Demoiselles Skirt : Anthropologie

Sonoma Shell and Booties : Kohl's (old)

Jean Jacket : TJ Maxx (old)

I love coming up with several ways to wear something, but realize it's too hard to photograph every instance I wear it and only change out one or two pieces. So I think I'll try to keep up with these flat lay options. I am a firm believer in having a good base of layering pieces - for instance these Sonoma shells I bought in every color a few years ago....... chenille cardigans and long dusters bought in multiple colors. It may seem like a lot, but I'm telling you your mix and match options are going to be endless. I know many people are into neutrals so they can always match, so I hope this proves you can love COLOR and have lots of options too! First up I'm going with a hot pink shell and then olive topper. The cropped jacket will give it very much the same silhouette as I am wearing above.

Same hot pink shell but a teal sweater.

Electric blue shell with mustard sweater (the blue is a much closer match to the skirt in person - hard to photograph).

Pumpkin Print

I'm not really one to gravitate toward a season or holiday specific piece of clothing, because I like to have the majority of my clothing be considered "year round". I have very few items that fall into hardcore categories, and if you've followed me for any amount of time you know I love the challenge of putting outfits together for all kinds of weather. But when I saw this cute pumpkin top (actually, they are more like small gourds) from Modcloth, I couldn't resist! The watercolor like print is so pretty, and as the stereotype goes for my gender/age, I LOVE Fall. So, I set out to come up with several ways to get the most out of this blouse over the next few weeks.

I've been trying to be more creative with my skirts, by way of graphic tees or pattern mixing. This ombre velvet skirt is from Modcloth too, and last year I played it safe with basic black. The colors are a perfect pairing for this top though and I am liking the addition of a belt to hide the elastic waist and make things look more put together.

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

Velvet Skirt : Modcloth

Sonoma Belt : Kohl's

Booties : Target

The top is a flowy style, which I love, and here I paired it with some dark wash straight leg jeans. In an effort to get away from my usual brown or black footwear, I pulled out these purple heels I've had for a while. With so many colors in the top, I had several sweater options for layering, but I choose a purple duster (which unfortunately looks more pink in the photos). We've been having those days where you need a layer in the morning but by afternoon it is gorgeous!

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

High Rise Power Straight Jeans : Old Navy

Sofft Heels : old

Bongo Duster : Sears (budget option to the LuLaRoe Sarah or Free People one)



As much as I love a flowy top, I often try belting as an option to create a peplum silhouette. I went with a lighter wash skinny jean here, and brown flats to match the belt.

Fancied Flair Cap Sleeve Blouse : Modcloth

High Rise Rockstar Jeans : Old Navy

Belt : Took off an old dress

Universal Thread "Wenda" Flats : Target (Free People dupe)

Here's a few more ideas...... it would go with either my burgundy (AE) or olive (Talbots) jeans. If I were to pair it with colored pants, I would then top it with a denim jacket.

 Besides the duster shown above, I think any of the chenille cardigans I posted about last year would top it off nicely! Chenille is so perfect for Fall!

 

Moods & Mojo

 Last week I was really frustrated with blogging/instagramming, because I had tried to photograph 3 different outfits on 3 different days and I did not like any of the pictures. There are so many factors, to me at least, that go into this whole process and as we enter the Fall/Winter season it gets even harder with weather and lighting conditions. It's down times like this when I think, "Why am I even doing this?" and "Who cares?". But then I think about the things that have fallen to the wayside as I am in this mid-life Mom-mode and I tell myself, "NO! I am not giving up one more thing that is just for me and my creative outlet!"

 I also remind myself that these moods, or blogging mojo, are always up and down. And sure enough, this week has started out great and I am back to loving the results. I hope it keeps up for the rest of the week!

 This is that $368 Anthropologie dress that I found at Marshalls for $19.99. It is seriously ranking up there as one of the best finds of my lifetime and it finally felt like the right time to wear it. It felt natural to accessorize it with a brown belt and booties. It has pockets and was so light and comfy today!

 Essentiel Antwerp Dress : Anthropologie via Marshalls

Belt : Kohl's

dv "Jameson" Booties : Target

No In Between

What do we think of this pattern mixing? I love it when random pieces come together unplanned, which is how most of my pattern mixing tends to happen anyway. And I like it when I don't have to try too hard. This is the $12 skirt from TJ Maxx this Summer and a Loft blouse from a few years ago. 

Have you ever seen those memes where they compare two extreme things, and then state "there is no in between"? I totally feel like that describes my life perfectly, and here's why this outfit made me think of that theme. Here are my "no in betweens".............

1. I am either dressed up and accessorized with intention, or I am wearing cruddy leggings with a mismatched tee. This includes hair/makeup versus unwashed hair/no makeup.

 

2. I am a foodie who wants to try the most crazy combo at a new restaurant, or I want a burger with just ketchup.

 

3. I am in bed early reading, bitching about "what the kids these days are doing" (old and responsible), or else I am driving down the highway, eating an ice cream cone, singing along to Lizzo, with my gas light on (young and irresponsible).

 

There is no in between!!!



September Reads

 

I felt like I was in a reading slump for September. I only read 3 books and they were all sort of "meh" to me. A lot of my free time was also taken up by binge watching all 5 seasons of Schitt's Creek. OMG I am so in love with those people!!! That's usually me though..... I don't get into a show right away and then after hearing people rave about it I get caught up and see what all the fuss was about. BUT, let's get on to the books.

 

My Dark Vanessa by: Kate Elizabeth Russell

Thank you Harper Collins for this advance reader copy (January 28, 2020 release). When you see a quote from Stephen King on the cover of a book, you can't help be intrigued. Unfortunately, this fell flat for me. This is the story of 15 year old Vanessa who gets involved in a romantic relationship with her teacher. It affects her quality of life as she grows into her 20's and 30's. As formal allegations come out against this man, Vanessa has to also come to terms that she wasn't his only interest. She grapples with going back and forth between being a victim or willing participant.

 

Three Women by: Lisa Taddeo

This book received a lot of hype this Summer, so I picked it up at the library. After years of reporting, Lisa decides to tell the true stories of the sex lives of 3 women. Since our society is so focused on it being taboo for women to express what they want, I was interested to understand what this book was about. One woman was in a student/teacher relationship similar to the book I just read. One woman was married with kids and her husband no longer had interest in her so she looked up an old flame. One woman was in all the right social circles in an affluent area, but her husband wanted to bring other people into their relationship. I guess I expected this to be empowering to women, but it all just ended the way it is expected to end...... the teacher is never brought to justice for his crimes and the student is afflicted for life. The woman with the old flame has strong feelings for him which he does not return (however will participate in the physical portion). The affluent woman sort of enjoys the additional partners but truly seems to only be doing it to please her husband. I felt this book was hyped as the women being able to vocalize and get what they wanted but it ended up being all about conforming to the opposite sex yet again.

 

This Tender Land by: William Kent Krueger

This book was just released, but thank you Atria Books for sending me a copy. This book has been compared to "Where the Crawdads Sing" (which I loved) and similar to a recent read of mine "Before We Were Yours". Based on mistreated orphans during the Great Depression, Odie escapes the Lincoln School with his brother and two other friends in tow. They travel downriver in hopes of reaching St. Louis where Odie remembers an Aunt they might be able to live with. The trip is full of good and bad characters they meet along the way, all the while their previous captors in hot pursuit. The story was a bit slow for me at times, and then the end had a lot going on (some twists) and wrapped everything up pretty quickly. This was good, but just not as good as other books in this genre. But then again, I think I am just having an off month and I can't wait to break this slump in October! 

Bright Walls

Bright Walls 2019!!! I am so glad the city of Jackson has held this festival 2 years in a row now. You can see all of the murals from 2018 in this post. Last year I didn't go to see the art until it was complete, but this year I was so happy to make it to some of the festivities and see the artists in action! I do believe the event has grown this year, so there is so much more to see and do - food trucks, performers, kid activities, etc.... 

The new murals in this post are not complete, so I want to go back and see/photograph them again. And, because I couldn't get too close to the new murals most all of my outfit pictures here are against the existing ones. I truly hadn't planned to "theme" dress this day, but this outfit came together at the last minute as I was wanting to try the trend of graphic tee with an equally graphic skirt. 

LuLaRoe Peacock Tee - seen previously here

Anthropologie Gemstone Skirt - seen previously here



Hope you enjoy all of this eye candy! I feel that murals have really become popular these past few years. It's a great way to beautify towns, promote artists, and I know/follow so many people who seek out cool photo ops with them. 

TJ Maxx / Marshalls Finds

I LOVE shopping at stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls because you never know what you are going to find. And as you can see from my selection above, I am all about a variety of prints and colors - which makes shopping at these stores a bit easier I would say. I've had some GREAT luck this Summer so I thought I would do a recap here, along with some tips.

My most exciting find about a month ago was this Essentiel Antwerp dress that was sold at Anthropologie in 2017 for $368....... I got it for $19.99!!! It was the only one there, so who knows where it has been lost for the past two years. I remember loving this dress, and even trying it on, on the sale rack at Anthro in Chicago. Even at sale price it was still expensive. It is a long sleeved dress with the most vibrant floral print - perfect for Fall - and I can't wait to wear it and post it here soon!

This Tahari maxi dress (posted here) ranks up there as one of my favorite purchases. It was $29.99.

I just did some pattern mixing (posting soon) with this statement tie dye maxi skirt. A great piece at $12!

I found this pretty peacock tunic the same night as the Essentiel Antwerp find. It was $19.99.

 

Okay, so here's my tips:

 

1. Don't get stuck on sizes! The sizing world is messed up as it is, but especially so at stores like this. Many times, clothing will be at TJ Maxx/Marshalls because something is "off" about it and it was unable to be sold elsewhere. For reference, I am usually a Large or 12/14. So check out the sizes I actually bought in these items: Tahari maxi dress - small - due to it's stretchy jersey knit and empire style, it is more than forgiving. Tie Dye skirt - Large - the waist is elastic and I tried on all 3 sizes (S, M, L), which all fit, but took the Large because I liked how the fabric laid the best. Peacock tunic - 1X - I found this blouse in the plus section, but because I love a good flowy top I was not afraid of what the tag said. Essentiel Antwerp dress - 8 - I remember this dress being generous from trying it on years ago (I think I tried a 6 then). With there only being one dress, I had no choice but to give it a go. I still have lots of room in this, but it's amazing. So, the lesson is always try stuff on!!!

 

2. Go often and stay positive. Sometimes I will have a run of "bad luck" where I will not find a single thing when shopping at these stores for months. And then other times (like this Summer) I will have the best of luck. They are always getting new items in, so go often because quantities and sizing might be limited. Also, try multiple locations! Because of the randomness of the selection, one store might have something the other doesn't. This can be frustrating if you found something you love and you need a different size and none of the other stores around you have it (i.e. it's not like a typical department store where you can try a different store or order it online). TJ Maxx does have an online store (Marshalls doesn't) but I've found the selection to be very different than the store and you can't search by brand. But that doesn't mean there aren't some gems to find online. Anyway, back to my original point = the TJ Maxx in Jackson is pretty typical but the one in Ann Arbor has the "Runway" department so they carry higher end items.

 

3. Don't go with a specific item in mind. If you have an item, or list of items, you are looking for chances are you'd be better off at department store. You might find it at TJ Maxx/Marshalls, but I don't think I've ever had luck like that. Go to TJ Maxx/Marshalls for the unexpected surprises! That is what is fun about it and what I love!