Move Over June Cleaver: Retro-Stage Collaboration

Back with another collaboration with Retro-Stage and wowza! is it ever fabulous!  I love that Retro-Stage sells sets and also separates like this blouse and top that I put together. They really have a very streamlined way of presenting their products.  Not only do I love the blue on blue, but this top and skirt are made of the same material and totally meant to be together but work just as well as separates.  

Take a look at this style and tell me that every woman on the planet wouldn't look amazing in this style!  When you have a certain silhouette like this one that flatters every body type, I have a hard time wrapping my head around the reasons why we aren't wearing this on a daily basis.  I truly do not understand why vintage has to live in the past when this style looks just as amazing today as it did 60 years ago.

As soon as I saw these two pieces they were a must-have for me.  I love the colors and the style, it's all just so lovely.  Everything fits true to size and I want to mention that the belt is included.  This fabric is very soft and a little shimmery.  I ran the steamer over it with a washcloth rubberbanded to the end to protect the fabric.  The packaging wrinkles steamed out very easily and this skirt and top set were ready to wear.

Gosh, I've said it before but I think it's time to say it again, with an outfit like this, Move over, June Cleaver.  There are more great pieces in my collaboration with Retro-Stage on the way, so join me right back here for the next post.  You do not want to miss the gorgeous dresses on the way.

Outfit Info:  Blue 1950s Solid Lapel Blouse-$20.99, Dark Blue 1950s Solid High Waist Pleated Skirt-$21.99 from Retro-Stage.

Mindfulism--Looking at Relapses

 "We are what we repeatedly do.  Therefore excellence is not an act but a habit."  Will Durant

Today, I really, really, really wanted to shop.  I'd been buzzing along for weeks, doing well, not even really missing it and then, BAM!  I should have seen it coming, but I didn't.  Suddenly I wanted to shop and it's all I wanted to do.  Nothing really changed, same old busy, stressful life, and yet out of the bleu I was craving a shopping binge so badly, I didn't think I could refuse.  There is a point in every attempt to change our habits or curb our addictions when will power runs out and we find ourselves staring down the barrel of a relapse.

So, what did I do to keep myself from relapsing?  Two things:  1.  I got up and got away from all my screens so I couldn't shop.  I went to an area that was rather cluttered and started cleaning it to remind me that I have enough stuff.  2.  In the same vein, when I did return to my computer a couple of hours later, I watched several videos about decluttering and minimalism to help keep me motivated and in the right frame of mind.   

I don't mean to trivialize the process of being aware of what you're thinking and feeling by saying, "oh, I just did these two things and then I didn't feel that way anymore."  To the contrary, this was really difficult to step back from and take action to head in a different direction than where my feelings were telling me to go.  I had to be pretty intentional about both of these things, and that meant being aware of how I was feeling, what I was thinking, and what I was doing (google had created a little icon for on my opening screen, so when I realized I had mindlessly clicked, I went back and deleted it from my shortcuts) so I could realize I was headed for a shopping splurge if I didn't change course.

Thankfully, it worked and I was able to keep from spending.  Although I did click on a shopping site that before I thought about it I was able to pause a moment and think and then take action so it wouldn't happen again.  It definitely wasn't easy, but I was able to work through the pressure I was feeling to shop and keep my focus so I could meet my goal.  This is the essential part of mindfulism--being mindful of what we spend and when we shouldn't.  Of what we need, and what we really don't.  Of how I am feeling and what I really need to support my emotions, which isn't spending money and getting stuff 99% of the time.

Let me just say this again, working through this was not easy.  It was really difficult to ride out this urge, but these pathways are pretty well formed in my brain, and it's going to take some time and consistent behavior to forge new paths.  I'm in it for the long haul though, I want to see some real change in my life, so I am willing to do the work because I want a different kind of life.

Relapses are a normal part of any attempt at change.  The important thing is to expect them, have a plan, and most importantly be gracious to yourself if you do miss the mark.  Don't say to yourself, "Oh well, I blew it, I may as well give up."  No, no, no.  Admit you made a mistake and then get right back to doing what you know is the best thing for you.

Mindfulism does not mean perfection.  It's not a highly regulated system with tons of rules to follow.  It's just paying attention to your life, your purchases, your thoughts, your needs and wants.  Keep trying, keep going, and you will be successful.

Outfit Info:  Yorkshire corset and pink skirt from Selkie.  Nila Anthony purse.  

Chelsea Crew Heels.

Wisteria Lane

As much as I had hoped to photograph this lovely Wisteria Skirt from my collaboration with ChicWish set against some actual wisteria, the wild wisteria didn't bloom this year.  I'm afraid Nature doesn't bother herself much with my plans.

Undeterred, there are still plenty of beautiful spots to choose from right not, so I found this quiet little path through the woods instead.

With so many shades of purple in this skirt, I foresee many outfit possibilities, but I started today with this vintage lavender blouse and grape crop cardi from YeMak.

Midi Skirts are still and always will be a marvel and a must-have in your wardrobe.  Falling just a few inches below the knee they are the perfect length for all occasions from office wear to a special event.  And they fit at the narrowest part of your waist and flare out creating the perfect silhouette.

It's been a while since I've done a printed midi, but my love for them has never diminished and with this collaboration I think it's only grown.  I truly hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship with ChicWish because I have loved everything I've got from them over the years and truly recommend them for tasteful timeless clothes.

Shopping Info: ENCHANT ME WISTERIA FLARE MIDI SKIRT-$39.90 from Chicwish, Purple Crop Cardigan-$30 from YEmak

Glorious Sparkles Forever

I have a lot of clothes; please try to contain your shock and surprise.  I have a large amount of clothes even after I spent a year or two meticulously going through everything and getting rid of things I didn't love.  But because they have all been so carefully curated that I have trouble parting with anything because basically everything is my favorite.

With very few exceptions, I don't regret giving anything away, but I did nearly part with this beautiful skirt.  I am so glad I had second thoughts because I've gotten so much joy and wear out of this skirt, I'm glad I rethought my decision and kept it.  I've had this skirt since the height of the Printed Midi phase about seven years ago and I've made so many different outfits from it, I can't believe I ever nearly let it go.

 

Great pieces of clothing make us feel amazing no matter what age of size we are, bring us joy for many years, and have loads of possibilities for ways we can wear them.  Since the spring season is finally here and this is the time when people traditionally clean out their homes and their closet, I want to encourage you to go through you wardrobe and carefully consider each piece.  If you don't love them, let them go.  If you're on the fence at all, it's ok to take some time to think it over.  And when you have nothing but items you love in your closet, spend some time falling in love with them all over again as you create new ways to wear them. 

Jolly Holly Holiday

The holidays are here again and I am excited to have all my fall things packed away and all my lovely winter clothes brought out again.  Red is my favorite color for these cold months, it warms my heart just to see it, and of course I have all my warm MAK sweaters to style in new ways this year.

I put this little holly jolly outfit together to kick off the holiday season and I love it so well, I'm planning on wearing it to all my get togethers this month.  I've been pairing crop tops and midis for years now, (check out my very first post about it from 2015 and a follow up in 2016 to see how far we've come in this style over the years) in fact it's the only way I wear my crops.  

MAK is rolling out a new style of pullover, this cute little crop with long sleeves.  I knew the second I saw it that this top was made to be part of a holiday outfit, and since I'd just rolled out my winter wardrobe, I knew exactly which midi to wear with it.  Silver and gold are all well and good, but this year, it's ivory and gold with a little red in the mix that's really speaking to me.

I am obsessed with these fishnet tights from WeLoveColors.  They are the perfect accent for so many outfits year round because there is enough coverage to keep my legs warm but I can still breathe should the day turn warmer.  And with so many color options I can get a pair that goes with literally everything I own!  Since trying them last year, I've made it a goal to own one in every color.   

They bring so much panache to every outfit I've worn them with but especially with this Christmas outfit.  It would have been a little bland without them.  As far as red goes, it has to be the warmest hue this time of year, not burgundy, not pink, no, it has to be this Scarlet Red to really make the outfit pop. 

To all this, I added a little handmade felt holly brooch that I put together in about 15 minutes and plan to wear all season long.  Is it subtle?  No.  Is it perfect?  Maybe.  Do I love it?  Yeeeess!!  The holidays are here and I'm ready to spread some cheer, give some gifts, and once again gather with those I love to share in the magic of the season.

Shopping Info:  Crop Pullover from MAK, Fishnet Tights in Scarlet-$16 from WeLoveColors

I Love Colors

If you were to ever meet my parents one day and if my mother took a particular liking to you and decided to show you photos from my teens and early 20s, you would probably rub your eyes in disbelief, grab the photo from my mom's hands and insist that this couldn't be Leandra!  This drab creature wearing all black or occasionally very, very dark gray, must be a fey changeling, because, good gracious, where are all the colors?!  It's at this point that I would walk in and ask who you are and why you're at my parents' house.  After a some explanation as to your identity and my 180° spin-about on wearing colors followed by a hearty laugh we would walk away friends.

I adore colors (now) and mixing as many colors onto one outfit palette as possible is my jam, but it wasn't always so.  My reasons for avoiding color included a hefty dose of teenage angst, a fear of standing out, and a dash of ignorance about how to wear/mix colors in general.  If any of that sounds familiar to you, let me encourage you that the angst will fade with the teen years and once you learn a little about what looks good on you and what colors work well together, the fear of standing out will dissipate too.

The easiest place to start is with a print that you love.  Starting with a print is the easiest because all the color mixing is already done for you.  All you have to do is choose 1-3 colors from the print that you want to wear with your print.  For this lights skirt that I bring out each year around the holidays,(see previous outfits here and here) I have lots of options on colors and try to do something different with it every year.  In the past I've done oragne, red, and blue.  This year I chose a bronze crop pullover from MAK and some Hunter green tights from WeLoveColors and I absolutely love the look.

If you're not ready for something quite this colorful, start with a basic plaid or floral print and then just add one to two colors from the print itself.  Accessorizing with one or two colors from the print will have different outcomes your outfit and you should be able to get lots of unique looks. 

After you start feeling comfortable working with colors (and also getting compliments on how great you look!)  branch out to more bold prints and adding more colors to your wardrobe.  Tights and tops are a great way to accessorize and play with colors too, that's why I love WeLoveColors for all their amazing colorful tights and YeMAK has pullovers and cardis in every hue.  Life's too short to wear black all the time.  Live life in color!

Shopping Info:  Chicwish skirt is old, Bronze Pullover from MAK, Nylon Tights in Hunter Green-$17.50 from WeLoveColors

Updating and Getting Back to Basics

A few weeks ago I got a couple of emails telling me that I have too many broken links on my blog.  I really didn't think that was something I needed to worry about--blogs being pretty notorious for having old information  and links left untouched like dusty artifacts from the dawn of blogging--but apparently it is and I do.  Now normally I love nothing better than a good reprimand from a robot of a big corporation that demonetized my blog and is demanding I do tons of work for no hope of compensation and is Liam Neeson style threatening to take my blog if I don't, and all by email, but this one seemed like such a stupid grind, I didn't approach it with quite the relish it deserved.  Maybe because I'm super busy living a life or just don't want to, we may never have answers here. 

It's possible these emails were a scam, but I didn't want to take a chance...I also didn't want to pay anyone to do the work of updating my free, demonetized blog. Left with no choice, I decided to get to work fixing or delinking links.  So, I've been spending a considerable amount of time going through all my old blog posts and removing links that no longer work.  This is a fashion blog and fashion is ever-changing, so it was pretty much all my links that were over a year old.  Spoiler alert:  I'm not finished yet.  So, if you find one somewhere, don't worry about pointing it out; I'll get to it eventually.  

During this little trip down memory lane, I realized a couple of things.  1.  Having to comb through hundreds of posts looking for faulty links really really really sucks and this is why people pay someone to do website maintenance for them.  2.  I have been way too focused on Selkie for way too long.

 

I realized that I haven't been doing many if any plain old outfit posts and keeping up with trends or trying new brands.  Like a lovestruck teen I've had starlit eyes and Selkie on the brain for the past year or so.  All my energy has been spent on this one brand with whom I truly have a love/hate relationship.  Maybe relationship is a poor word choice; it's more like an addiction.  I keep saying I'll leave, but I keep staying.  I'm working on it.

In the meantime, I thought I'd take a sec to post this little outfit which I put together months ago and have already worn to work and outside work twice.  It's a sort of combination of a few of my favorite styles-namely ballerina/princess/ nautical.  I know that's a lot for a style mash-up, but I think it works and more importantly, when I wear it, I feel right at home, like it perfectly suits me.

As much as I haven't missed getting up at the crack of dawn and driving into the city on a Sunday morning to take these photos, I do miss having photos like this for the blog and I'm hoping to find more time for work like this.  It's fun and satisfying and, I've noticed as I get older that there really aren't that many women whose style I can relate to.  I'm only a few years away from the age my mother was when she became a grandmother, but I'm not really ready to dress like a grandmother yet.  So, I'll try to press on for a little while longer and lay off the Selkie as I do.

Shopping Info:  Tulle Skirt, J Crew Top from Thred Up, Nila Anthony Purse, City Classified Heels.

Collaboration with Harriseve Flats Outfit 2

Black ballet flats have been a standby and a staple of my wardrobe for over a decade now.  I think it's finally time to change things up a bit.  When the lovely people at Leiyuting-Shop reached out about a collaboration with their Harriseve Flats, I was thrilled to work with them, but I promised myself, whatever I chose, I would not get black flats.   If you've been stuck in a rut with plain shoes, maybe it's time for you to branch out too. 

There are more neutrals in the world than just black and beige.  Navy blue is an excellent neutral shade that goes with practically everything.  While I don't mean to diminish black flats, there is something about Navy that just looks like you put in a little more effort even though it was grab and go.

These Harriseve flats are lightweight and breathable, they fit true-to-size and they're so comfortable to wear indoors or outdoors, and with my promo code you can save an extra 10% off your purchase.  So, why not mix it up and treat your feet.

Shopping Info: Harriseve Women's Casual Fashion Shallow Mouth Pointed Toe Flat Shoe - Breathable Mesh Ballet Flats Use Code 4E292K39 to get 10% off at checkout