Friday, September 28, 2018

How To Style A Summer Skirt For Fall

Ah, early fall, that wonderful time of year when the morning and evenings are freezing and the days are summer hot blazing leaving us all to wonder "What Do We Wear?".  My usual formula is to wear fall colors in summer fabrics and lots of easy layers.

Today's look I wore to church and then out to lunch.  This is a summer skirt I bought last year from CJBanks.  The first time I wore it in THIS POST it was a hot summer day.  Now I styled it for a cooler, early autumn day by wearing it with a black tee shirt and black moto jacket.


Here are the two looks side by side:  same skirt, different tee.  The white tee combined with the white sun hat and striped bag created a lovely summer outfit.  I took the same skirt and combined it with a black tee and a black jacket, and now I have a fall look.  This is one reason I love skirts over dresses:  their versatility!  You can create so many more different looks with skirts than you can with dresses.


 My moto jacket is cropped, which is perfect to wear with a skirt for it accentuates the waistline.


Even though I saw so many gals wearing their tall boots at church already, I'm not ready to cover up my toes quite yet.  Once I pull those tall boots out, I know it will be months before I see my toes again, so I'm in no hurry.  But,  I did choose black open-toe wedges to go with my theme of summer clothes/fall colors.


This red skirt has the prettiest eyelet hem.


Because the dress is so "prim and proper", I wanted to make it a little edgy to create a counter-balance.  In addition to the moto jacket, I wore edgy a edgy silver necklace and bracelet.  I kept the black color theme going by carrying a black tote.



Everything I am wearing in this post.  My moto jacket especially is super old.  I picked it up on clearance at Forever 21 for only $15.00 in 2013.  I can't believe how much use out of it I have gotten and how long I've had it.  So much for "fast fashion"  haha!

Speaking of "Fast Fashion"  I have been reading a lot about "minimalism" lately.  Someday soon I'm going to do a blog post expressing my thoughts about it.  But for now lets just say, I never started fashion blogging to sell anyone anything.  I've rarely accepted sponsor posts even though my inbox is filled with requests daily.   I started fashion blogging because I so rarely see normal, older women like me in advertisements.  It's as if we are invisible and we don't wear or buy clothes.  I don't know about you, but I don't just want to see what young girls are wearing,  I want to see what older women are wearing too.  I want to inspire you to shop your own closets and if you do buy anything new, be a wise shopper and shop with discretion taking advantage of sales and coupons!  So I work hard to not just show newly purchased items in my fashion posts, but to also post older pieces re-worked into new outfits.  


So what about you?  Do you style your summer skirts for fall?  Which look is your favorite?  The red skirt with black or white?  I'd love to hear from you!

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Having Fun Locally: Alma, Wisconsin

Alma Wisconsin is a sleepy little river town with a lot of charm.  It's very popular in the fall, for everyone likes to go up to Buena Vista Park for it's scenic fall views.  On this day, in the heat of the summer, I took my daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter for a stroll along their beautiful main street and some fun at their beach.


The main street in Alma is filled with gift shops, restaurants, and beautiful old homes.





The entire town is built on a hillside over-looking the Mississippi River.  The main street is located right on the edge of the river banks.  There are roads and steps leading up the steep hillside.  I loved the flowers surrounding these steps.


We popped into the "Wings Over Alma" Nature and Art Center and enjoyed views of Alma's Lock and Dam off their back balcony.


Alma Lock and Dam


 I heard a lot about the Alma Bakery and have been wanting to visit for awhile.  But it seemed every time we were in the area, the bakery was closed.  It's only open during the tourist season, Thursday-Sunday, and only until they run out of bakery.  Three times we tried to go here, and finally, on the third try, they were open!


The bakery was worth the wait!  They make all the old fashioned favorites, and use only the purest, natural ingredients available.  They even had gluten-free cookies.  We ordered a little bit of everything, but one of my favorites was this old-fashioned elephant's ear!


My daughter loved their cinnamon rolls!


After shopping and treats, we were ready to relax at the Alma Beach.  I have lived in this area for twenty years and yet have never been to this beach before.   I heard about it, but for whatever reason, never got there.  After one visit with my children,  I regretted never coming here before.

Alma Beach is so gorgeous!  There are beautiful bluffs to the side and behind you.  River boats travel by frequently and are fun to watch.  And the scenic landscape and islands are stunning.  The water is very shallow for quite a ways out, and on the two days we were there was a warm as bath water.


Alethea loved splashing in the warm, shallow water.


Beautiful wildflowers grew along the river bank.


When you sit on the beach and look to your left, you see these majestic bluffs and the power plant in the distance.


The view to the center and right is of islands and more bluffs in the distance.






You have to walk quite a distance out in the water to get into deeper water.  As a non-swimmer,  I loved the shallow, warm water.


We enjoyed our time at Alma Beach so much, we went back a second time!  I think this will now be a yearly tradition when Alethea comes to Grandma's house every summer.

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Colorful Blessings Cards

I have a couple of cards to share with you that were created with my "Colorful Blessings" card fronts.     "Colorful Blessings" card fronts are pre-printed black and white images and sentiments on heavy card stock that you color in yourself.  The images are printed on heavy card stock.  After coloring, you just adhere them to a card front.  They are super fun and easy to use.  


The card fronts come in a little box.  I got mine from Amazon.


Here's a sample of what the cards look like before they're colored.  


Many of the designs are very intricate.  I usually color with Copic Markers but found I needed something with a finer tip to get inside these intricate designs.  I purchased some new gel pens from Hobby Lobby and found they worked best.  I colored in the background with gel highlighters.





 My next card front had bigger images on it so I was able to use my Copic Markers for the larger images but still used gel pens for the smaller ones, like the leaves.  I colored the background in with the gel highlighters again.




I matted my card fronts on white and colored mats before adhering them to a card base.


Now I want to show you what gel pens I used.  These are Kaiser Gel Pens from Hobby Lobby.  They cost $20.00 for the set, but I bought them on sale at 50% off (you can also use a coupon on them if they are not on sale).   I can not say enough about these gel pens.  They are hands down the best gel pens I ever used in my life.  So many other brands I've tried clogged a few minutes after using them.  These have done that.  And they go on so smooth....just like butter!  They are a dream to color with.


You get 24 pens in a set, 12 are pastel and 12 are glitter.  The colors are so pretty!


 My next product are these gel highlighters by Creative Devotion.  If you love the water colored backgrounds, but you don't like to water color, you will love these!  You can easily color in a background to create a water color look with these highlighters.


Just like the gel pens, these highlighters go on smooth like butter!  They are a dream to color with and there is no mess or crinkled pages like there is with water colors.


If you'd like to see more cards I made with Colorful Blessings Card Fronts, check out this Valentine Post HERE.

Have a Great Day!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

Monday, September 24, 2018

Stitch Fix #20: Suede Jacket, Off-The-Shoulder Top, Olive Jeans, and Eggplant Suede Cross Body Bag

I'm so excited to reveal the rest of my Stitch Fix Box #20 today!  Last Friday I shared one of the pieces in the box, a comfortable maxi dress, and today I'm back to share the rest of the items in that box.

In my twentieth box I received a maxi dress, a faux suede coat, an off-the-shoulder top, olive green jeans, and a eggplant cross body bag.  I'm wearing all of the pieces at once in the photo below.   First up:

Pixley Kendari Faux Suede Jacket:  
Status:  Kept!


I was so excited to see this faux suede jacket in my box.  I have a lot of fall/spring coats, but nothing in this color or this fabric.  It is so soft and comfortable;  y'all know how much comfort is important to me, especially with a coat.  I find so many coats uncomfortable to wear:  they always tend to be tight in the upper back or upper arms.  This one feels great!


It is a very lightweight jacket, so I can wear it  indoors like a blazer and not just use it for outerwear.


I really like the contemporary moto style of the jacket.  All the silver zippers and the main off center zipper add a lot of nice detail.


For jewelry, I skipped a necklace, and chose these white statement earrings that I picked up the Younker's Going-Out-Of-Business sale.   I also wore a multi-colored metal bracelet.


Skies Are Blue
Eden Off The Shoulder Blouse
Status:  Kept!


I must admit when I saw there was another off-the-shoulder top in my box, I wasn't thrilled as I own several already.  However, the colors, print, and sleeves sold me on this top.  Did you know you don't have to wear off-the-shoulder tops off-the-shoulder?  That's right!  They work well as a regular blouse too.  So when the weather cools, that is how I will wear this one.  The colors are perfect for fall, don't you think?

I love the bell sleeves in this top.  There is elastic right above the gathering.  The blouse is also lined; it has a solid mustard lining underneath.


Moda Luxe Riva Genuine Suede Cross Body Bag
Status:  Kept!

I'm a sucker for bags, I have quite a large collection.  I love to change my bags for every outfit and occasion, so I was thrilled to see a bag in my Fix.  This bag is both cute and practical.  The color and fabric are perfect for fall, and it's the perfect size for most activities.  It also has plenty of pockets, including a large side pocket.


Lila Ryan Louise Skinny Jean
Status:  Kept

The last item in my Fix was this pair of olive green skinny jeans.  I already own a pair of cropped twill olive pants, plus a pair of olive linen pants, so I debated whether or not I should keep these.  My ultimate decision was that these were more appropriate for winter weather than the other two pair of olive green pants I own.  Plus, I liked the fit better.  My old twill pants are very low rise and have always been uncomfortable to wear because of that.  I even tore and sewed up the belt straps multiple times from constantly tugging the pants up:  so, it was time for a new pair of olive green pants, and a better fitting pair!


I've received a lot of pants from Stitch Fix over the years, and I've always been pleased with the feel and fit with all but one pair.  These are no exception.  They look and feel great, and the fabric seems somewhat coated, giving it a nice, soft sheen.


Olive green is such a great color for fall, and a great alternative to blue or black jeans.  I'm sure I will get a lot of use out of them.


So, I finally had a really great box from Stitch Fix.  I kept everything in my box and received a 25% discount, which ends up always being huge because it's like you got one item for free!

If you'd like to try Stitch Fix, here is my referral number where you can receive $25 off your first Fix!

So what do you think?  Do you think this was a great box?  What were your favorite pieces?  I'd love to hear from you!

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!