Silk scarf love

Last week, I found out that I was the lucky winner of a Monday Mingle giveaway, via Nicole @ MomTrends. The prize? Two silk scarves from Echo! I can confirm hand-clapping and in-house jumping when (a) I found out the news and (b) when I received the package a few days later. It was also quite fun to look online and guess which two would be coming my way.

And ta-da!

Such interesting patterns and colors! I like the purple animal print because it’s probably something I would have never picked out for myself, and I’m so glad to get some more animal print in my closet! And I like that it’s an abstract animal print mixed with bright colors.

And this vintage-inspired scarf is lovely, with its basket-weave print and more neutral color palette.

So, of course, I wore one of the scarves the first chance I got.

Details:  Shirtdress:  Florence Adams, c/o giveaway  /  Animal print scarf:  Echo, c/o giveaway  /  Wide belt:  Fall fashion swap  /  Tights:  American Apparel, last winter  /  Tall boots:  Nine West, old (probably one of the last days I’ll wear tall boots until next fall!)

I also wore my tan trench, which has an animal print lining! Such style synergy, eh?

After today, I am officially on Spring Break (woo-hoo!), but I will be posting throughout next week and participating in the “5 Days, 5 Ways” style challenge hosted by Franish and Whitney @ Along the Lines of Style.

Happy Friday, everyone!

Link ups:  Friday’s Five  /  Favorite Frock Fridays  /  Casual Fridays Link-up  /  My Style, Your Style  /  Watch What I’m Wearing  /  Sunday Style  /  Look What I Got  /  Monday Bloom

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Lace confessions and dark florals

Today’s look was inspired by two style challenges:  First up is Marionberry Style’s Trend of the Month Link-up, with this month’s challenge of lace. My first reaction? Uh, oh. I could not immediately picture anything lace in my closet, and I don’t buy things specifically for style challenges. The whole point to me is to use what you got, and have fun thinking of new ways to wear something.

But I diligently went through my closet and cried out in joy when I came across this top trimmed in black lace. (I also have a black version of this top, also trimmed in black lace, as seen here.) So, full confession, 6 thin strips of lace comprise the entire lace content of my closet — half of which is featured below.

The other inspiration for today’s look was the latest Style Imitating Art challenge:

Yellow Roses in a Vase, Gustave Caillebotte, 1882

For me, the black lace and floral pattern of my top seemed to reflect the tonal and textural juxtapositions of the painting, with its light flowers against the dark background, and soft flowers against the hard marble table. The cameo necklace of my grandmother’s also reminded me of days gone by, like in the painting. And the final touch? I didn’t even think about how perfect the floral backdrop of my quickie photo shoot was until I put this post together!

Details:  Top:  Bealls, old  /  Cardigan:  Target, summer  /  Trousers:  The Limited, 2011  /  Patent leather heels:  Payless, on sale this winter  /  Cameo necklace:  My grandmother’s

Link ups:  Trend of the Month Link-up  /  SIA  /  WIWW  /   Wardrobe Wednesday  /  Random Wednesday  /  Get Your Pretty On  /  Diaries of a Bargainista  /  Dress for the Day You Want  /  Whatever Works Wednesday  /  Copycat Linkup

Related articles

• Details I love: Lace (dariandecheleevents.com)
• Handmade lace – a dying tradition (examiner.com)
• Must-Have Monday: Black and White and Chic All Over (forevertwentysomethings.com)
• Trend of the month: Black and white (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Lace: Invisible Darts (sewwell.wordpress.com)

In the shade

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This morning, I decided to pair a couple of different shades of green, mint and a teal green, as well as a dark floral top to pull everything together.

Details:  Cardigan:  August Silk via Macy’s, on sale this winter  /  Floral top:  Fall fashion swap  /  Jeans:  Gap, curvy style, 2011  /  Flats:  K-mart, old  /  Mint skinny belt:  Target, this winter  /  Jade earrings and ring:  My grandmother’s mother’s

My mom reminded me of these jade earrings that she gave to me from my grandmother. So I gladly wore them again today to add to the mint accents.

Update from my mom (via email):

Your grandmother had the earrings and ring made for me when they were still in Okinawa.

Thanks, Mom, for the update! ♥

Link ups:  My Style, Your Style Sunday Link-Up  /  Sunday Style  /  Watch What I’m Wearing  /  Monday Bloom

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• Mint Green (stylevocab.wordpress.com)
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• Emerald Isle Inspired Photo Shoot from Love by Serena (stylemepretty.com)
• Green colored sweets always a treat, no matter which shade you choose (courierpress.com)
• Makeup O’the Day & Nails O’the Day: Happy St. Patty’s Day! #NOTD #MOTD (yourbestfacefirst.com)

Inspiration Monday: Orange + white

This week’s “Inspiration Monday” challenge is from one of my faves, Olivia Palermo. I wore this look last Friday, but I can’t really count a dress-and-tights combo as a “casual Friday” look. But gingham always retains that certain “casual” air, right?

Inspiration:

Inspiration Monday — March 11, 2013 — Olivia Palermo

Interpretation:

My mother’s vintage dress got another outing this week, and even though I layered on a shirt and denim jacket, the top of the dress finally got a chance to prove that it is, indeed, a dress!

Details:  Vintage dress:  My mom’s from the ’60s  /  Gingham camp shirt:  Old Navy, gift-carded last spring  /  Denim jacket:  Old Navy, gift-carded this fall  /  Tights:  American Apparel, last winter  /  Flats:  Payless, last spring  /  Stone pendant:  Gift from my husband, bought on a trip to Turkey, 1998

Link ups:  Inspiration Monday  /  Monday Mingle   /  YOLOmondays  /  Monday Bloom Link-Up  /  Style Sessions  /  Real Girl Style  /  Copycat Linkup

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• Denim: A Riveting Debate (debenhams.com)
• The Formula: Denim Jacket’s (fashiongrail.com)
• Colorblocked inspiration (librarianforlifestyle.wordpress.com)
• Never too late to discover Gingham style (debenhams.com)

A sea and river of inspiration

It’s time for another SIA challenge! This time, the artistic inspiration drifts our way via a painting entitled “The Wanderer Above a Sea of Fog,” a moody piece that has inspired scores of movie posters and the stylistic composition of scenes in the British TV series Sherlock. 

Misty fog totally seems right up Portland’s alley, right? Except we have been experiencing a spate of sunny, gorgeous weather lately. (Not complaining, we’ll be back to rain and clouds soon enough!) And that made me think of that famous Carl Sandburg poem:

The fog comes / on little cat feet. / It sits looking / over harbor and city / on silent haunches / and then moves on.

So moving on ourselves, Sam and I headed over to Overlook Park for a variety of pictures that, ahem, overlook the Willamette River and the industrial side of north Portland. It’s a very well-named park. And a perfect locale for shots inspired by this painting:

Inspiration:

“The Wanderer Above A Sea Of Fog,” Caspar David Friedrich, 1818

Interpretation:

From the instant I saw this painting, I thought of my grey overcoat. (I’ve nicknamed this coat my “Vienna coat,” because I bought it for a Christmastime holiday to Vienna back in 2009.) I donned the coat only to take these photos, because the weather was so fantastic!

I kept things simple under that fabulous coat. The perfect light-sweater kind of weather!

Details:  Grey overcoat:  Mango, Abu Dhabi, 2009  /  Sweater:  Old Navy, gift-carded this fall  /  Skinny jeans:  Target, last winter  /  Flats:  Payless, summer

Sam and I enjoyed the sunshine while exploring the rest of the park. And I was able to capture Sam’s pattern-mixing ensemble, which also echoes the inspiration photo quite well!

And just like in the last challenge, I kept seeing SIA inspiration everywhere I looked. So I whipped another quick Polyvore inspiration board to capture the sea of inspiration:

Click image for individual item details & sources

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Link ups:  Style Imitating Art  / My Style, Your Style Sunday Link-Up  /  Sunday Style  /  Watch What I’m Wearing

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• Polka Dots and Stripes (bisous.typepad.com)