Cozy Holiday Fashion

In last weeks Monday's "Grandma & Me" post , I showed a beautiful red holiday dress to wear to church or a more formal Christmas gathering.  This week I'm sharing a more cozy, casual Christmas outfit.  It might be hard to see in some of the pictures, but the pants are actually holiday dress pants I purchased years ago from JCPenney.  They have a beautiful metallic gold thread woven through the pants and are very shimmery in real life.  

I accentuated the holiday look by adding a new fur jacket (also from JCPenney) and carrying a metallic gold purse.

My coat was a Black Friday deal.  I was Christmas shopping for my family and I saw this jacket at an unbelievable low price of $14.99 (originally $44.00) and I had to have it.  I liked that it was a thin jacket for a fur because it wouldn't add any extra bulk to my frame.  And even though it was thin, let me tell you, it was WARM.  I wore it to church on a 33 degree day, and I was sweltering.

I paired the jacket with a grey turtleneck and tall black slouchy boots.

I purchased my boots this past fall at Ross.  And if you look closely, you can see the gold metallic thread in the pants.  They are so pretty in real life!

For jewelry, I chose gold drop earrings (Stitch Fix) and a gold pendant necklace (old).

The fur coat is still available, and although it is on sale, it is not at the great Black Friday price I paid for it.  It comes in several different colors and you can find it HERE!

Holiday pants, old, similar HERE,  Turtleneck, old, similar HERE,  Black Slouchy Boots, Ross, similar HERE,  Metallic Gold Purse, old, similar HERE,  Gold Pendant Necklace, old, similar HERE,
and Gold Drop Earrings, Marlyn Schiff, HERE.

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Have You Tried A Packable Jacket?

I was in TJMaxx a month or two ago and I saw this cute Calvin Klein Jacket on the clearance rack for around $50.00.  I bought it because I wanted a THIN winter coat that I could wear hiking/exercising but also for running errands.  I love my long, down-filled parka but it is way too warm to wear shopping;  I get to hot inside stores.  Anyhow, when I got home I noticed there was this nylon bag inside the pockets.  "What the heck is this for?" I wondered.  I soon realized that this charming, stylish coat had a practical purpose as well.  It compresses down to fit into a tiny little bag so you can pack it a suitcase!  Yay!  Win, win for me!  With all the traveling I do, that will really come in handy.

Another reason I bought this coat was because I tried two other thin winter coats (one from Old Navy and one from CJBanks),  I loved the thinness of both of those coats, but after a little wear the stuffing inside the coat started protruding through the seams making me look like I was covered in lint!  I only paid $25.00 for each of those coats, so I thought it was due to the "cheapness" and I got rid of them.  I thought I would try ONE MORE TIME with a higher end brand and hopefully the stuffing won't come out.  So far so good!

I wore this look to a hair appointment and running errands.  Everything I'm wearing is old (other than the coat), but I will try to link to something similar at the end of the post.

The coat is labeled to keep you warm in as little as 7 degrees.  That is perfect for Wisconsin winters.  When it get below zero, I always pull out my long, down-filled parka anyway.

I wear my black combat boots in winter more than any other boots I own.  They are so practical in the snow and ice.

My only issue with these packable coats is that I wish they were a tad bit longer.  Most of my tops/sweaters hang lower than the coat.  However, it is the perfect length for hiking/exercising in cold weather.  Maybe I can find another one that is a little longer?

Calvin Klein Packable Down Puffer Coat,  check your TJMaxx stores otherwise Macy's has them HERE!  Black Floral Blouse, JCP, old, similar HERE!  Liz Claiborne Black Tote Bag HERE! Grey Skinny Jeans, Stitch Fix, old, similar HERE! Combat Boots, Charlotte Russe, old, similar HERE!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Our Utah Adventure: Day Three Part II: Bryce Canyon Rim Walk

This is a continuation of a travel series to Utah.  To start at the beginning, go  HERE.  The rest of the posts in chronological order are HERE,  HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE!

After our morning in Zion National Park featured in my last travel post two weeks ago, we said "goodbye" to our beautiful Zion and jumped in the car for our next adventure:  Bryce Canyon National Park.  It is only a two hour drive from Zion to Bryce, so after a quick lunch we jumped on the shuttle and went to Bryce for more hiking!

The first trail we took was the Bryce Canyon Rim Walk.  This is a half mile one way trail that gives the visitor a scenic view of the Bryce Canyon Amphitheater.

Stumbling upon the amphitheater feels like a third world experience.  The surrounding area leading to the trails is flat and forested.  One minute your walking through a typical forested park path, and then it suddenly opens up into THIS!

The Rim Walk Trail connects one way from Bryce Point to Fairyland Point.  The trail is paved between Sunrise and Sunset Points.  However, if you have small children, keep a close eye on them (or better yet, keep them in a stroller) as most of the rim has no guard rails.

To give you a better idea of the scale of this amphitheater, the next three photos have people in them.

The most interesting thing about Bryce Canyon are the strange, pointy rock formations which are called "Hoodoos".

According to Wikipedia  "a Hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin, or badlands. "( From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Jump to navigationJump to search

I absolutely LOVED looking at the panoramic view of the Hoodoos from above, but I was really itching to get down into them and explore!  There are many trails in Bryce Canyon and over the next few weeks I will cover four of them:  "Queen's Garden", " Navajo Loop",  "Wall Street" and "Peekaboo Loop".  Be sure to check back every Wednesday to check out these trails!  They were OUT OF THIS WORLD!

Have A Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!