Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Empowerment





What item of clothing or outfit makes you feel good? What makes you feel most confident? It’s important to know and find that go to outfit.  For me it’s a pencil skirt and heels. You might think from most of my posts that it would be a power suit of pants and a blazer, but if pants were not a better choice for my daily activities, I’d most likely wear a pencil skirt to the office every day. I also wear them outside of the office.  You can dress them up or down. A pencil skirt is generally universally flattering to everyone. A great fitting pencil skirt creates a great silhouette. You don’t have to tug or pull at them or worry about them blowing up in the wind outside.  A piece that I can wear worry and fuss free and look good in gives me confidence. I’m short in stature so a comfortable pair of heels gives me a little height and helps elongate and shape my legs too.

Shop similar pieces ( Disclaimer)

 

I’ve had some key women in my life along the way that helped shape who I am. I doubt that without their contributions, no item of clothing alone would make me feel good. Success and confidence starts on the inside. For me, the first person who really inspired me to go after goals and dreams was one of my former teachers and cheerleading coach, Mrs. Stephens. She sought me out and sent word to me through another coach while I was in the eighth grade that she wanted me to try out for her high school cheerleading team.  Me? A cheerleader? I was a gawky, unattractive, shy, socially awkward teenager. I was a high academic achiever, but not good at sports and not confident to do anything outside the academic arena.  I had no idea who this lady was, but after some discussion with Coach Johnson, I decided to go ahead and try out for the cheerleading team. After all, Mrs. Stephens asked for me. Me? Really?  (I made the team and was captain during my junior and senior years.)  Mrs. Stephens also taught English, journalism, and an “I Can” class that was all about self-confidence.  Through her mentoring and encouragement during her classes, I became a more confident and more well-rounded person.  All she really gave was a little of her time, but that went a long way.
Today I’m teaming up with Shopstyle and Dress for Success to talk about empowerment and to give back. It’s the perfect time of the year for giving back.  Dress for Success helps empower women to achieve financial independence and does so by providing in both ways I’ve spoken about above.  They provide outfits for interviews and training to build skills, thereby building confidence in women.  Today and tomorrow, I’m donating 10% of all my sales and earnings through my affiliate links to Dress for Success. Shopstyle is matching that contribution by 100%. See more details about how this works and the disclaimer here. So get busy shopping my post, knowing that we are contributing to a worthy cause.  Thanks for your support!

Linking up here:





 


 

Monday, December 7, 2015

Buffalo plaid - three ways




 
Vest- JCrew factory  similar  option
shirt- Old Navy  similar  option  option  option
jeans- Loft
worn- Nov. 22, 2015
 
I wore this to our church's Thanksgiving supper last month. One of the girls in our college age Sunday School class said she had on a similar outfit and her brother told her she looked like a lumberjack. I laughed, lovingly smacked him on the shoulder and told them both he knows nothing about fashion. Lumberjack or not, I love this combination of buffalo plaid and herringbone. This combination is all over pinterest so I certainly can't take credit for coming up with. I'm just doing what everyone else is doing.
 
Here are two more ways I've worn this shirt:
 
 
 
This shirt would also look great layered under a sweater or sweatshirt as I did here and here with a similar plaid shirt.
 
Linking up here:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Saturday shopping- gifts for the jettsetter or traveler

jettsetter gift guide

 
 
 
Do you know someone who loves to travel? Or maybe they don't love it, but it's a necessity for work. Here are 10 things they'd love to have. These are sure to make any trip more enjoyable.
 
 
Happy Shopping! Don't forget to sign up and shop through Ebates for cash back on all these purchases! 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday, December 4, 2015

Plaid and suede- pinspired

 
 
 




Shirt- JCrew Factory  option    option   option
vest- Ralph Lauren- thrifted  option   option  option
jeans- Levis midrise skinny  option  option  option
boots- JCP   option
earrings- JCPenney   option  option
necklace- JCP  option
bracelets- JCP/Forever 21  option/  option
worn Nov. 21, 2015
 
Thank goodness it's Friday! It seems like it hasn't slowed down since the weekend before Thanksgiving.
 
Get prepared for an overload of plaid for the next few posts. I've had several casual events lately and plaid is my fall/winter go to. When it's not all that cold, this shirt is a go to because it's a nice cotton vs a flannel. I paired it with this vest that I thrifted a couple of years ago. I know I sound like a broken record, but I love vests, I just struggle to style them. I used a little pinterest inspiration for this. Plaid and suede shouldn't require inspiration. It works so well it ought to be an instant go to, but I overlook the obvious. Here's a pin to reality shot:
 
 
Have a great weekend!
 
Linking here:
 
 
 
 
 

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Blush and grey




Sweater- JCPenney  option  option  option
blouse- Maurices  option   option   option
pants- Belks (old)  option  option
shoes- Target  option   option
necklace- Loft   option   option
worn Nov. 20, 2015
 
For most of this week, I've gone with titles that reflect the color combinations I'm wearing, so here we go again- blush and grey. I'm not a clever writer, so I just go with what works. And this color combination works not just for a title but for a great soft hued outfit. I was inspired again by a Bridgette Raes post to pair these colors, particularly to pair the shoes with this. These marsala colored shoes are one of my go to pairs for fall and winter.
 

Linking up here: