Maeshowe Thrift

    Today's post features a long admired Anthropologie dress called the Maeshowe.  I have no idea why this dress is named after a Neolithic grassy burial mound in Scotland, but there you go.  I've been considering buying this silk tunic dress for seven years and when I saw it in my size for about $20, I decided it was time to buy.

    To be honest, I could have done without this in my life.  After waiting so long, it's somewhat disappointing to feel that it's just so-so.  The fit is ok, the length is ok, the material is ok.  It's Ok; it's not earth shattering.  As far as thrifted finds go, I don't regret purchasing, but I am glad I waited until it was so cheap.  I think I would have regretted paying more for this dress than $20.  Sorry for the harsh review, but ya can't win them all.

Outfit Info:  Thifted find--The MaeShow dress by Moulinette Soeurs from Anthropologie.

A Predictable Relapse

I splurged this week, and How!  I saw this cute little Bernie Dexter from ten years ago that is rare and the fabric also is rare since I only found one seller that had any and was asking $30/yard for it.  So, I started saving and just as I reached the amount I needed, both the sellers in possession of this particular dress went on vacation.  ARGH, the agony of waiting weeks and weeks for them to come back.  But, while I waited I kept on saving and finally one seller returned and I could bear it no longer.  Not only did I buy the Bernie dress, but I also blew through all my savings for the past month in a shopping splurge the likes of which I have not committed in.......well, I don't remember, but I think it's been at least a year.  The timeframe doesn't matter; I'm a little disappointed in myself.  Not because I splurged so much as because I didn't see it coming in time to stop it.

 

Truth be told, it wasn't the delayed gratification of waiting to buy the Bernie dress that triggered my relapse, it was the tremendous amount of stress I've been under for the past month.  Mr. Bleu is back in school so everything related to the house, kids, and pets I'm left to deal with alone.  Which used to be my whole job, I was a stay-at-home mom, and I did it very well---it was still super stressful though and I had a pretty big shopping addiction to deal with it back then too.  The main difference now is that I also work a job which oscillates between delightfully serene and intensely demanding.  Summer is my most stressful time at my job for all the events and projects I do then.  Add to that fact that I am usually covering for co-workers on vacation and it's a lot.  I should have seen this little relapse coming.

Looking back over the past month, I can see myself checking every box on the FASTER Scale for relapse.  

• Forgetting priorities (like exercising and prayer time) 
• Anxiety (I've had quite a few sleepless nights worrying about work and the whole world)
• Speeding Up (trying to outrun the anxiety and impending depression)
• Ticked Off (this is usually seen as trying to incite arguments to get a rush off the rage.  I don't think I've incited many arguments, but I live in a house with teens so someone's usually yelling at me about something and perhaps I've been engaging more than usual)
• Exhausted (my insomnia has been out of control and I am tired all the time.  Those long nights often lead to depression.)
• Relapse (and here we are, back at a place I don't want to be)
• https://www.cru.org/content/dam/cru/train-and-grow/life-and-relationships/flesh-series-the-faster-scale.pdf

Relapse--a return in any degree to the bad habit or addiction one is trying to escape--is something to be ever vigilant about because it is a constant possibility for years after dealing with an addiction and possibly for life.  I wasn't being vigilant; I let myself get too tired and too stressed.  It happens.  I'm not going to beat myself up about it.  The best thing to do is just to acknowledge it and get right back to keeping it in check.  There isn't much help out there for shopping addiction, but main thing that helped me stop my mindless shopping was to focus on one particular thing that I wanted and save up for just that.  At the moment I'm in between savings goals, but I suppose I could just set a goal to save some money.  After all, the holidays are just around the corner and Teuta Matoshi is rumored to have some good holiday sales.

As far as today's outfit goes, I've been looking for something a little different for my wear-to-work attire.  I've been doing vintage dresses for a long time and sometimes I want something a little less whimsical elf and a little more edgy.  I don't know if this fits the bill, but I like it.  I still love a mini dress with leggings and the booties are just the right touch because flats would be too tame and regular heels would be too goody-goody.  The top was thrifted and the heels and leggings are things I had on-hand.  Shopping addiction is a real thing and even though today's not the day, it's something I'd like to discuss more in-depth here on the blog in the coming months as I finally feel myself becoming more and more free from it.  

Shopping Info:  Free People Tunic, FemmeLuxe Trousers, BCBG Heels

Convertible Dress/Tunic Top with DressLily

As mentioned earlier this week, I am collaborating with the lovely people at Dresslily to showcase a few of their items. Dresslily's inexpensive women's fashion is something I've wanted to try for a while now and I'm so excited to share these posts with you.  You know me and my love of vintage style dresses, so of course I chose two dresses to showcase for you, but I also wanted to try out this Asymmetrical Cinched Heathered Convertible Dress.

I've see these Convertible Dresses for a few years and have wanted to try one to see if they are as comfortable as they look. This particular Heathered Dress is quite nice. I chose the size Medium, which is two sizes larger than I typically wear. It fits true to a size small-medium. The fabric is quite soft and the fit is comfortable.

It's a basic scoop neck slip on shirt and you'll notice that I'm wearing it more like a tunic today. The ruching at the side is adjustable. You can wear it fully extended or even shorter than I've styled it. Since I'm feeling quite casual-chic in this top, I decided to wear my snakeskin print leggings and some ankle booties. I also thought a long chunky charm necklace would suit this look quite nicely.

The only thing I am lacking from this outfit is a belt. Because I have a pear shape, I need some definition to my waist. Otherwise the overall effect is to draw more emphasis to the widest part of my body which is my hips and thighs. A belt and perhaps even a long slouchy vest would help to offset that for my shape.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the quality of this dress. I think next time I'll style it with ripped capri jeans and sneakers and the time after that will be black alligator skin leggings and heels.

Shopping Info: Asymmetrical Cinched  Heathered Convertible Dress from DressLily, Remember you get free shipping on orders over $45 and Use Code GBJKNO to save 22% off your purchase.

A Warm Jumper and a Cup of Coffee

Another quiet Sunday morning in this sleepy little town and I thought this old truck would make nice backdrop for some photos this morning. It has been cloudy for weeks and it seems like everywhere I go people are taking notice of dreary it's been lately. Personally I have been feeling a little nostalgic for the Pacific Northwest and that tiny little island in the frozen sea where we spent three years of perpetual winter and gloom. 

 I know that sort of description doesn't make it sound like the sort of place I should miss now that I'm not there, but in spite of all the cold and fog and rain, I have some wonderful memories of long walk with my little girls on rainy afternoons all huddled under the same umbrella or down to the icy ocean to look but not touch for fear of hypothermia. Good times.

So, while others are starting to getting a little case of the winter blues, I've been taking these cloudy days in stride, because they remind me of happy times and because I know that even though it seems like winter will never end, it always does. As winter stretches on just a little longer and the busyness of life shows no signs of slowing down, it is nice to have something warm and comfortable to wear around the house or out running errands. I decided to go out for coffee this morning to this wonderful local shop that roasts their own beans and has the friendliest service around. It's funny how no matter how chilly it is outside and hot cup of coffee and a nice cozy sweater like this Grey High Neck Bodycon Jumper Dress - Esmelia can warm your heart as well as your body.

It is FemmeLuxe week here on the blog and I'm so excited to share my outfits with you this month. For today's post, and since it is still quite chilly outside, let's focus on the warm and fuzzy world of sweater mini dresses. You may remember last month that I wore a couple of sweaters from FemmeLuxe. The topics for those posts covered chic casual wear and how to wear a mini dress as a tunic and vice versa. You can see those posts here and here. I was so pleased with how both of those sweaters looked that I wanted to try another sweater and leggings post.

FemmeLuxe's sweaters look so polished and chic and yet they feel so comfortable that I could not resist adding another one to February's collaboration with FemmeLuxe and I knew exactly which sweater I wanted to showcase. This Esmelia sweater dress is so soft, with a nice ribbed pattern, mock turtle neck and just the right amount of stretch, and the perfect length for wearing with leggings. Although the Esmelia jumper could be worn as a mini dress, and I think it will look quite stylish that way, especially with a nice wide belt and heels, today is all about comfort so I thought I'd wear it as a tunic instead.

Last month for my sweater posts when I wore my sweaters as tunics, I chose a bright comic print to go with the bright pink sweater and a snake print accompanied the black sweater, so this time I thought I would go for gingham. Gingham is an understated print, especially in black and white, that I think it goes perfectly with the pale gray of the Esmelia Dress. 

Gray is a neutral color so it goes with anything which means the outfit potential is limitless. In the future I would like to try pairing my Esmelia jumper with bright red leggings, maybe in a shiny PU leather like FemmeLuxe's Skylar Trousers, a wide black belt, and black heels for something a little more edgy. But today is all about relaxing in comfort, so I'll save that outfit for another day and for now, I'll just enjoy my walk, my hot cup of coffee, and my nice cozy sweater.

Shopping Info: Sweater from FemmeLuxe, Pants from Shein

The Difference Between Mini Dresses & Tunics

Today was another snow day.  Huzzah!  All this lovely snow creates the perfect backdrop for photos and what better way to break out some great winter styles than set against a winter wonderland.Today's post involves a fair question and one that virtually every savvy shopper and even the most devoted fashionista has had to ask at least once:  What exactly is the difference between a Mini Dress and a Tunic?

The reason we've all asked this question can be found in the answer itself--not much.

Mini dresses and tunics are so close to one another that it is easy to get confused.  Fortunately fashion is forgiving and experimentation is encouraged!  Tunics are typically thought of as very loose, long shirts while mini dresses can be either form fitting or swing skirt style.  But in modern fashion trends, we now find that there are plenty of tunics that are fitted, with some even having a built in waist or a peplum. and plenty of babydoll style mini dress.  (checkout my babydoll dress post from 2016) 

Since there is so little difference between mini dresses and tunics, I thought I'd kick off FemmeLuxe week with this Pink Knitted One Shoulder Mini Dress- Macie worn as both a mini dress and a tunic to demonstrate the subtle difference. FemmeLuxe isn't just my favorite shop for cute mini dresses, I also love their Mesh Sleeve Dresses and PU Leggings.  Every month I look forward to FemmeLuxe week as it presents me the opportunity to really focus on fashion topics and get a little experimental with current trends as well as revive some of those vintage styles I love so much.

So, let's say we've found something spectacular, can't-do-without-it, how do we style it?  The rules for this are pretty simple: Style a tunic with leggings or skinny jeans; style a mini dress with bare legs or tights.  Going based solely on length, my average tunic top is about 28-31"/77-78cm long.  A mini dress is generally defined as a dress that is falling no lower than four inches below the buttocks, which for my height (5'6"/167cm) is about 29-31"77-78cm.  Anything shorter than 4"/10cm below your bum is a top, so please, oh, please, do not wear tights or leggings with it; wear jeans or trousers.

I chose this Macie Mini Dress for this little demonstration for a couple of reasons.  First off, I love the color and the wonderful thick cable fabric.  It's perfect for this time of year, which as you can see, is quite chilly.  I woke up this morning to a fresh dusting of snow on the ground, so a sweater dress was the perfect pick.  Even though it was snowing while I took photos I stayed warm and hardly noticed the weather and that makes an outdoor winter photo shoot so much more enjoyable. 

I wanted to basically keep everything the same in this outfit except for the one main factor that separates a mini dress from a tunic and that is leg wear.  So, for outfit number one it's just the dress with a few little pieces added to finish the look.  I kept the color palette simple by only using black accents in the form of black ankle strap heels and accessories.  I chose a thick belt and wore it at the narrowest part of my waist.  It's important to use a thick belt with chunky knit fabric like this because a skinny belt would not create enough contrast to really show off the waist.  Instead it would be lost against the cable knit.  

So, with a chunky belt and a chunky knit, all that was needed to accessorize was some chunky jewelry.  One shoulder dresses make such a strong statement at the neckline on their own, there's no need to accessorize further with a necklace.  However, statement earrings pair quite nicely with this neckline which is why I chose these glossy black paisley earrings.

For outfit number two, the mini dress becomes a tunic with the addition of leggings.  Remember when you wear leggings, your top should be long enough to fully cover your bum, especially if the leggings are made of a thin fabric.  I chose these fun novelty print comic book leggings just for the demonstration, but you could easily wear solid color leggings or skinny jeans instead.  I just happened to be feeling a little whimsical today but, who knows, maybe next time I'll try some PU leggings.

Shopping Info:  Macie dress from FemmeLuxeFinery.co.uk, Leggings from: SHEIN, Belt from ModCloth

Tunic Weekends

I love each of the seasons in their own uniqueness, but I can't help but get a little excited at the changing of each into another.  It's that time when one season first begins to whisper its arrival that I have this fresh anticipation of all that is on the way :  the colorful leaves, the harvest festivals, the holidays and seeing distant family and old friends again.  But, I can't exactly wake up one day and turn in my summer wardrobe for fall.  Although August is the hottest month of the year here, it's also a transitional month.  Those first hints of autumn are just beginning to show, but it takes time for the season and the weather to fully change.   

This isn't just a time of the changing season, wardrobes must change too in order to accommodate the weather's indecision.  There's always that struggle in the days between summer and fall to find something that's cool and airy for those hot afternoons but still layers well for the newly crisp mornings.  Not to worry, there is a simple and stylish solution to keep you comfortable and cute no matter what kind of weather may come. 

My go-to for this time of year is a simple loose fitting tunic with a light, airy fabric and if I can find one in a timeless print like this RETRO POLKA DOTS ROUND NECK BLOUSE WITH BELT from my new collaboration partner Blooming Jelly is something that I know I'll be able to wear for many seasons to come.  One of my favorite things to do to make an outfit more colorful is to take a top like this one and then pair it with a colorful skinny jean. This rich burgundy color really compliments the navy blue of the tunic and some basic, breathable black flats creates a modern stylish look that also beats the heat.

Since this is such a cool outfit, I need a little something extra for those unpredictable chilly mornings, I've layered this outfit with this COZY UP OPEN-FRONT CABLE KNIT CARDIGAN from Blooming Jelly that is so incredibly soft!  The white color of the cardi helps those polka dots to really stand out.  I love the length of this cardigan too with those yummy pockets and buttons down the front (a tie front cardigan would have clashed with a tie front tunic) to give it a cozy feel just like the name says.  

Let's not forget about accessories!  For this outfit I did a little mixing of classic style elements like pearl earrings (white to match the dots and cardigan) and a black satin headband with a bow tie back (which ties in with the black flats) with a whimsical novelty tape cassette purse.

For Make-up, I keep it simple for summer and I love a fresh face for fall.  So, for this look, I did a five-minute face with those classic key elements: basic foundation, a little blush, neutral eye-shadow followed by mascara and a bright lipstick and nails.

And that, is quite simply an easy look to transition between the season while being comfortable and stylish all the while.

Shopping Info: RETRO POLKA DOTS ROUND NECK BLOUSE WITH BELT and COZY UP OPEN-FRONT CABLE KNIT CARDIGAN from Blooming Jelly, Bag from Shein

How to Wear Leggings

It's been a long, long while since I've talked about leggings.  Of all the fashion trends I've seen come and go over the years, leggings/jeggings seem to be one of the most difficult for people to wear correctly.  I have a pretty strict policy on them which is-- if you can't wear them properly just don't wear them.  I thought it was only fair that if I were to take such a firm stance to then write a post on how to wear them correctly.  Four years ago, I felt like I covered it all, but it's been a while and now I think it's time to revisit that topic.  So, what is the proper way to wear a legging?  Well, first and foremost, if it came from LulaRoe and/or has some tacky, god-awful (usually food or animal) print on it and it's too late to return it—just burn it.  Don't wear it and don't give it away, you will not be doing anyone a favor that way.  And then go for a better brand like FemmeLuxe.   

The second thing to note is that leggings are not trousers and jeggings are not jeans.  The thicker fabric of jeans and trousers leaves a little more to the imagination than leggings and jeggings do and wearing them means You Must wear a top that has your bummy and your tummy covered at all times.  Typically when wearing something form fitting on one half of your body, the other half should have something looser and more flowy to bring balance to the outfit.  I usually go for a tunic top or occasionally with a peplum top and a blazer if I need to dress things up a little. 

A few years ago the fashion trend was to wear jeggings with a wool pea coat and knee high leather boots.  Living in the land of perpetual winter and gloom, I wore it year round for three years and then seasonally for three more with tunics, sweaters and scarves.  It was adorable and I still like it, but for the most part, I think we've moved on from that look, I definitely have, and I've put my jeggings away and haven't worn them much in the last two years.  Lately I've been missing my jeggings and decided maybe it was time for an upgrade.  My jeggings just aren't comfortable for the work that I do, but leggings are far too casual to be office appropriate.  All this is to illustrate my next tip which is to consider not only your style but also the places to which you'll be wearing your leggings.  

If you're running errands and chasing children all day or schelping across campus from class to class, a breathable cotton spandex blend is your most practical bet.  If you need something more appropriate for the office or a nice weekend brunch I recommend a faux leather legging like the Wine Faux Leather Look Leggings I'm sporting from FemmeLuxe.  One of the great thing about these leggings is that they have all the comfort of the cotton/spandex variety, but with ever so much more sophistication.  Another thing to love is the burgundy color.  Burgundy is what's known as a “pseudo-neutral” meaning that like a neutral you can pair it with just about any other color and it totally works.  That kind of versatility is exactly what you want in a legging. 

The light sheen of these leggings adds just that extra hint of visual interest and in place of the pea coat from years ago, I now prefer the polish of a sleek jacket or blazer.  I also love the leg lengthening effect of flats with a little point to the toe.  I may ditch my boots for good over this style.  It has a more professional vibe to it in the office and an overall classic for weekends especially when you add a little jewelry and a clutch.  Remember to keep your accessories in proportion to your frame.  If you're petite go for a small clutch and delicate jewelry.  If your plus size, go for a large clutch and a cuff or bead necklace to bring balance to your style.  Sounds easy, right?  It is.  It's all just a matter of --who are you? and where do you want to go today?

Shopping info:FemmeLuxe Wine Faux Leather Look Leggings - Catriona, Stripe Tunic from Old Navy, Bomber jacket from H&M, Disaster Designs Clutch, Forever 21 flats.