Using what you got, T-shirt scraps into a skirt OOTD

I recently blogged about my Holiday craft project making a T-shirt quilt for my son and his friend who is living with us called the "quilt of possibilities" because I used all shirts from area colleges.

Once the project was finished I had several buckets of "scrap" t-shirt material and I didn't want to just throw it all out.  I am going to start using these scraps to make something and as the projects are finished I will post.

Today's project post is a straight skirt using the bottom sections of the T-shirts.  I have many rings of t-shirt material and came up with this large striped skirt.

I used the smallest of the T-shirt scraps for the top band and folded it over to have a thicker waist band then sewed the other bands to the waist.  The look is a bit too July 4th for me with the pops of red but I've tried the skirt on with just a white t-shirt blouse and no tights and neutral sandals and will be a perfect casual outfit once it warms up.  Today I had to layer on the sweater, tights and shoes because 1. the weather today is pretty cold and 2. No navy/matching shoes???  

This was so easy to sew together and took me only about 15 minutes to get it all together and sew.  My next project won't be until this weekend so won't post until next Monday for Sewing projects but should post at least another OOTD later this week. 

Have a wonderful day my beautiful friends!

Booties, Fleece leggings and Denim ~ what a combo

Today's weather was pretty iffy, expecting rain, black ice, snow later in the day and then back to rain.  What to wear on days like this?  To add to the mix of the day, I was going to be all over campus today for meetings, lunch etc and wanted to wear something comfortable but still professional and if it could also be a bit stylish ~ awesome.

I am wearing a denim shirt by Levi stolen from my husbands closet under a grey pull over vest from Jones New York.  My skirt is from Dress Barn and my tights are actually fleece lined leggings from Label shopper. peeking out of my booties you can see wool socks.  The scarf which is my favorite infinity scarf was a gift from my sister from Calvin Klein.

  

Pink, Pattern and flats OOTD

Today started "rough" and included me falling and ruining my intended outfit.  Because I had to rush and change quickly just threw together this outfit.

On my Toes, I am wearing a pair of blush pink flats with a rosette detail on the toe from Jessica Simpson, My black skinny dress pants are from Lane Bryant my turtle neck and shirt are both from Dress Barn

I topped it off with a mix of Lia Sophia Jewelry, heirloom and Wal-Mart and an off brand Black skinny belt.

Have you ever had a day that started off so bad that it could only improve?  The upside is I ended up with a really cute outfit and got loads of compliments all day about the pairing.  What do you do when you are in the midst of a fashion emergency?

Shopping your Closet, Restyle old favorites!

Today I used pieces already showcased on my blog to re-imagine a look. 

I used the Red turtle neck dress from last week and the floral print dress from last month and combined them for a bit more coverage.

 

I added a brown leather belt purchased in Mexico in my teen years, brown tights and brown suade shoes from Mudd, layered on the jewelry and called it good.

 

Baby, its cold outside so took the look to a new level by adding a smart looking suade Jacket in a yummy green shade that matches to thedress and an animal print scarf that goes with everything.

 

Lady with a Red Dress, Outfit of the Day

Todays outfit includes a red turtleneck dress from Landsend and Animal print cardigan from Allie & Rob .  I've added gray tights for warmth and my gray suade flats.

On my wrist I have stacked pearl bracelets from Lia Sophia with a silver charm bracelet

Around my neck I've added two necklaces, the longer moon necklace was a gift and the shorter chain necklace with pendant is from Lia Sophia

on my ears you will see the match to the necklace also from Lia Sophia

 

Believe it or not, I typically pull together my outfits Sundays for the week ahead based on the weather channels prediction as well as what is on my work schedule.  I also throw together a more professional look (just in case ) for a meeting that gets put on my schedule with say the president and another more casual outfit for Saturday/Sunday.  Many think that this is crazy or time consuming, but instead of spending 10-15 minutes each morning trying to figure out what to wear, I spend 2-3 hours on Sunday while doing my laundry.  I figure that I am already hanging the clothes up, might as well match them to other pieces and get myself a headstart on the week. 

 

What do you do to start your week off strong?

Purple Passion Outfit of the Day!

Today’s outfit consists of the most amazing pair of shoes I have in my winter wardrobe.  The color in the picture does not do it justice.  The suede pump is a lovely burgundy with leather purple piping.  The shoes are from Pink studio but you can find a similar pair here Similar .  My pants are Dress Barn stretch black skinny dress pantsDress Barn  My T-shirt is a cowl neck, purple top from fashion bug on clearance years ago but you can get a similar look at   LaneBryant and my jacket is from Merona by way of Label shopper which I found on-line for you here E-Bay  I accented the outfit with a pair of small drop pearl earrings and pearl bracelets from Lia Sophia collection.    

LikeTwice Review

I have been using a website to sell and purchase good quality gently worn clothing.  Liketwice.com    I have sold items to the site by requesting a free postage included bag which arrived within days of my request.  Once I had the bag in hand I reviewed the listed acceptable brands and checked against the items I had already gone through and decided not to keep in my closet.  I sent off about 8 items and within 7 business days I had an offer to purchase from them that included a store credit option as well as a check amount option.  I then used the store credit received along with a referral credit to purchase some items to update my closet.  Technically nothing came out of my pocket to receive the “new” items.  The clothes that I sold to them were in really good condition but were not in my current size and would have sat in my closet for years.  Because of my profession there is an expectation that I look business appropriate at all times.  When you move up and down in size like I do, this can be difficult to maintain a suitable wardrobe.  I use consignment shops and discount venues to keep my capsule wardrobe as up to date as possible.  I always stick to basics with very little “trendy” pieces in my work wardrobe.  I look at inexpensive accessories to add to my look that include scarfs and costume jewelry to update my look.  For casual options for the weekends or vacation I look for wardrobe builders in consignment stores and clearance sections for seasonal items to add flavor but do not invest in much money as the bulk of my wardrobe is specifically work related.       If you have used this site please comment on your experience below or In box me.

Leggings are not pants!

Leggings are not pants no matter how “thick” they are and no matter how you look in them.  Wearing skimpy tops with leggings should be against the law.  The only people who want to look at that are the people you don’t want looking at you, believe me.  Leggings are meant to be worn under long tops and dresses that come mid-thigh or lower for warmth, coverage or decency.  That being said, leggings are amazing layering pieces to keep you warm in the colder months and help keep things in place.  A great pair I have and use are by maidenform and you can pick them up in many places including Wal-Mart in the Lingerie section as well as many places on line.  

See it even says so on the package "perfect for layering"

Summer to Fall Fashion Transition OOTD

Okay Ladies, you wake up and its 36 degrees outside and the weather man says it’s going to warm up to 77 by early afternoon. You know fall is in the air but you don't want to let go of your summer favorites just yet. What is a lady to do? LAYER!

Layering up your summer dresses with shirts, boots, tights and jackets can extend your wardrobe and choices while transitioning into fall. Using these options also gives you opportunity to change up your look throughout the day as things heat up.

Here I have used my summer animal print tank dress and layered a cream blouse and belt over it to accentuate my waist. Tall chocolate brown boots add additional warmth and coverage while grounding the outfit.

 

To add additional warmth, throw on a scarf, chocolate colored Jacket or sweater and tights.

Dress was purchased at Dress barn $29.99, shirt was a find at Label shopper for $3.00! Belt was .99 cents at Salvation Army. Boots were purchased last year at Savers for only $9.00.