Thursday, October 4, 2018

I love shoes!  But, the older I get the more I know I cannot be uncomfortable!  I have to buy better quality shoes. 

I don’t know about you, but I realized that I really only need black and brown shoes.  I used to buy whatever was on sale, only to be frustrated that I wasn’t wearing the other colors as much.  Exception:  I have learned the value of a good metallic and how it can work like a neutral.  Also, I have discovered a love of grey jeans and pants and find that a grey shoe works very well for my fall color palette, as well.  My fall color palette is black, tan, mustard, wine, olive, and navy, mainly. I urge you to develop a color palette as well, as I think it will make curating your wardrobe much easier.  

Let’s start with flats.  I tend to wear the Tory Burch when I’m not at school but when I want to look a little more chic. I wrote my opinion about TB flats here if you are interested.  I wear the Tieks to school and on the weekends.  Again, I think they elevate an outfit slightly and they are more comfortable than the TB flats.  The Tieks are all from my favorite consignment store – probably my best consignment score ever!  

I’m anxious to wear my boots!  I have the Sam Edelman Penny in brown and Clarks basic boots in black.  The Penny were my birthday gift last year and were a lot for me – $150 on Amazon.  The Clarks were on major sale at the end of last season – $60 I think.  I like a basic boot without much adornment so that I can wear with silver and gold.  I think the Penny boots look so nice.  They are a beautiful rich cognac color.  

The open toed booties are mainly for going out or for a shorter daytime stint.  I really don’t wear them much because I don’t go out much!  They are Hush Puppies from Amazon a few years ago.  I think everyone should have a brown and black bootie and these are my biggest workhorses when the weather turns too cold to wear flats.  

I wore the Sam Edelman cowboy boot mule from a consignment shop to school this week and I love them.  They look funky and cool to me.  The middle black clogs are Lotta from Amazon.  And, finally the metallic are Axiomm from a consignment store.  

Here are my consignment store funky going out clogs.  I have worn these with a wider leg jean. I may try to wear them to a party this weekend.  

Holes in my shoe wardrobe: 

I would love a brown clog with closed toe that is lower heeled and suitable for school.  I’m thinking a Mary Jane style.  

I think I could use a black going out type shoe. 

I also am thinking about a bow mule like my SIL has.  They are really cute and I missed the boat on getting the BP bow mules from Nordstrom that she has because they are out of stock now.  Honestly, I haven’t seen too many fall shoes that I’m crazy about.  

I wonder if I would like a grey bootie?  

I may do some weekend “research” and see what’s out there.  I don’t have an outfit picked out for a Saturday night party so that may be included in the research.  I said earlier this week that going out clothing was a deficit in my closet.  

Check out my other fashion related posts from the week:

Click here for yesterday’s What I Wore and Recent Purchases.

Click here for Tuesday’s Shrink Your Closet post.

Leave me any tips about shoes that you might have!  I need suggestions!  

Thanks for reading!

Amy 

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

O.k., I slacked on outfit pictures at work last week.  I feel like I’m bugging my sweet colleagues E and E who are my main photographers!  

Here is Thursday when I wore my trusty black Chico’s capris that I wear once a week and this top from last year.  Is criss cross still in?  I hope so because I have a few.  I feel that this top is too big, though.  I have trouble sometimes and either end up thinking some of my tops are too big or too small.  

I forgot to take a photo Friday, but I wore jeans, a black top, and my puffer vest with school logo – so nothing you would want to see.

Saturday was debate tournament day and I wore a different pair of jeans, my black Chico’s criss cross top, and a baby poop brown sweater that I’m not sure about.  It was consignment Old Navy.  I also wore consignment Tieks black flats.  

Monday it was going to be 90 degrees again!  I think this dress is too short and I felt self conscious all day.  I don’t know if it shrank or if it was always crossing the line.  I wore a kimono and a long necklace – rule of three pieces and my new Axiomm shoes that I bought in black and tan.  I thought they were the answer to my late summer/early fall teacher shoe problems, but they really aren’t that comfortable.  

And, finally this is Tuesday’s outfit.  I look mad, but I’m not.  Trusty Chico’s black pants, Soft Surroundings tank that I now think is too low for school, Steinmart sweater kimono in a small and it is still huge, consignment necklace and bracelet and consignment Tieks.  

So, these are outfits I’m not wild about.  There is something off in each of them.  I’m keeping it real here.  

I ordered this romper off of Amazon and it will be here today. It was a total impulse purchase! I don’t even know if I’m a romper person. Heather of My Glittery Heart sings its praises.

I stopped in my favorite consignment shop this weekend and these both fit my palette and I thought they would both be good fall additions.  They were $8 each.

Thanks for stopping by!

Amy 

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Did that title catch your eye?  I think most of us would have the instinct to expand our wardrobes, right?  I want to make a case for having a smaller selection of clothing from which to choose.  For some reason, when I have less, I feel like I have so many more options.  

So, this past weekend, I was tired of having summer and fall clothing all jumbled around in my closet.  It was too full and I couldn’t easily decide what to wear.  I put everything that wasn’t early fall in a closet in another room.  You may have to use under bed storage containers or another solution for your space.  

Our weather is still all over the place here in Kentucky.  We had fall like temps last week and now we are back to high 80s.  Here are the shirts that I can wear over the next month or two.  Notice there really aren’t that many.  And, notice they are not really organized by sleeve length but somewhat by color.  

Here are my “third pieces”.  These are kimonos, cardigans, and vests.  I like to use the rule of 3.  

Here are my pants and leggings.

Here are my skirts and dresses.  

The items I’m showing here work for mainly my work clothes, but I can wear many things on the weekends or out at night.  It’s not super organized, but I have space to see things and it just made me happier getting dressed on Monday morning.

Holes in my closet:  

I really need to add to my weekend wear.  I don’t have much that fits the athleisure category or the going out category.  I wore jeans for the first time since spring both Friday and Saturday and it was so nice.  My go to night out outfit is jeans, a black top with some detail, and higher heeled open toe booties. 

Also, a word about color:  My fall clothes are orange, wine, mustard, olive green, black, white, tan, brown, grey, and a bit of light blue.  When you chose a fairly limited color palette, you will feel that you have more to mix and match, in my opinion.  

My other clothes are easily accessible if I find I need something.  

What are your thoughts on less is more?  Do you still have summer clothes out?  Do you store off season clothing?  Got any tips for me?  

Thanks for reading!

Amy 

Monday, October 1, 2018

It feels wrong to use an exclamation point, doesn’t it? This weekend went by too quickly. Can you believe it’s the first day of October?  I always forget how quickly
September goes by and how busy I am!  Whew!  I’m hoping to slow things down a bit.

The last two weeks I have ordered my groceries online for pick up on Friday morning.  I cannot tell you what a nice feeling it is to pick up my groceries at 2:45, come home and unload and be fully stocked for the weekend.  Where was this when my kids were little?  Now, I do love going to the grocery and looking around, but in this busy season of life, this is working for me!  Do you do online shopping yet?  

My boys walked home from their extra curricular and my friend called to chat.  I asked what she was doing and she was picking from the tailor and cobbler near me (all she needed was the candlestick maker, am I right?)  I asked if she wanted to come to my patio and she did!  She’s such a good friend that I didn’t even clean the table, but I did light my candle and make us bourbon, lemon, Ale 8 cocktails.  If we had planned this it wouldn’t have worked, but we seem to be doing well with spontaneity lately!

I also did my nails on the patio.  I think shorter nails look better on me and especially with bold colors.  Still loving Essie’s For the Twill of It.  

She left after one drink and I had a seltzer because I wasn’t driving.  I read my book and then my hub came home.  At 7, we walked to the high school football game with one son but only stayed for a bit.  I was in bed pretty early after some tv with hub.  

Saturday was the first debate tourney of the year and one son and I headed out bright and early at 7 a.m.  The other son and my hub had plans to go to a play.  I stayed at the debate tourney for 11 hours, not that I counted or anything.  I love debate and love that my son loves it, but these tournaments are painfully long.  I had to judge which is very hard.  Between each round, there is a lot of waiting around.  My hub picked up Mexican takeout for dinner so that was nice.  I got home around 6:30 and I was in bed at 8:30.  

Sunday was my day to rest.  I did breakfast prep for the week – mushrooms, zucchini, low carb egg casserole.  It is so nice to have this on hand during the week.  

I fixed myself a plate of this for breakfast and added about a third of a baked potato that I had fried up.  This is my favorite breakfast.  During the week, I add turkey sausage crumbles.  

I also got out my fall plastic plates from last year at Target.  I love these simple plates.  I realized I needed to start using them because it is definitely fall!

I made myself a pumpkin coffee and fancied it up with some whip cream and pumpkin pie spice.  Better than dropping $5 on a Starbuck’s PSL, am I right?  

Netflix sent me an email Friday and said I should watch this.  It’s like Real Housewives of Mexico City!  I’m loving it!  I know this won’t appeal to all because they speak Spanish (with English subtitles), but I am finding it so fascinating!  These are the hip crowd of Mexico City and they tell some of the history of how their families came to be in Mexico.  One family is Lebanese/Mexican.  I just find this stuff very interesting.  I also love hearing their Spanish.  They pepper many English words into their speech which I also find interesting.  Mexicans have a very clear accent, in my opinion, so if you want to brush up on your Spanish, this would be good!  

One boy had movie plans and the other went to a friend’s house so my husband and had a late lunch at a new to us place. I had Benedictine and the cutest little ginger snap cookie for dessert.

Later that afternoon, I concocted my first fall apple sangria. 

I did one shot fireball, one shot or a little less of normal bourbon, about a 1/2 cup of good apple cider and mixed that up well.  I poured over ice and apple chunks and topped with a little bit of ginger ale or Ale 8 One as Kentucky people would not want me calling it ginger ale.  It was very good!  I do several variations based on what I have, so I will let you know what I mix in next time.  It just tastes like fall, though.  I know you will love it!

I hope you have a great week! 

Amy