Fill in the Blank

shirt -- Covington (thrifted)

pants -- Ann Taylor Loft (thrifted)

sandals -- Camille No Boundaries (thrifted)

It's too hot to _____________! Fill in the blank. For me, it's too hot to wear long pants or really to do anything that entails movement. Seriously, don't I look positively wretched in the picture below? I don't have air conditioning at home,* so I am just positively sweltering (and I ask you this -- why am I not losing weight? It's not like I have much of an appetite in this heat! That is just adding insult to injury.). I know that I could probably go somewhere -- to the mall, to the library --anywhere would be cooler than my house at this point. But I don't have money to spend (at the mall or at a coffee shop), and besides I really need to keep chipping away at all the clutter in this house, so that I can hopefully put it on the market come fall. Besides, a brief respite from the heat is not going to cut it right now -- they are saying that no relief is in sight.

*I do have a/c in my bedroom. I am able to work up until about 3 pm in the house, and then I just have to escape to my room. I can't do anything more in the house at that point. It is just too hot, and the temperature keeps climbing all day inside.

Anyway, you must be wondering why on earth am I wearing long pants?Well, this outfit was donned for Day 4 of Megan Mae and Keely's Summer Trends Fashion Challenge (last week -- yeah, I know I'm really late. I move really really slow in the heat). Day 4 was Eclectic Print Day, and this shirt fit the bill perfectly.

The pants were just way too perfect of a match to not go for it. You would have done the same thing, wouldn't you?

I had actually been regretting the impulse to buy this shirt. I thought that the print was just a bit TOO eclectic for me to be able to wear it. But I like this, and I'd definitely wear it again! Once again, thanks Keely and Megan for thinking up challenges that really made me stretch. Head on over to the Fashion Challenge to see how you can have fun with wearing eclectic prints.

A Wack-a-Doodle Day

shorts -- Fabulosity (J. C. Penny)

shirt -- Adrianna Papéll (freebie from Freecycle -- yes, I am a scavenger)

shoes -- Chuck Taylor All Star (Zappos)

So, I warned you that my Day 3 of the Summer Trends Fashion Challenge was bad. And now here's the proof -- the proof is in the pictures (but not in the pudding). This is bad -- I mean, really, really bad. I both look and feel completely and utterly ridiculous. I can't think of anywhere that I would actually wear this outfit, except for maybe to a Halloween Party, and even then I don't know what I would tell people what I was dressed up as. 

In case you don't remember (or can't tell by my wack-a-doodle outfit), Day 3 of the challenge was Sparkle for Day. The top half of me was sparkles and my bottom half was day. Let's break this disaster down, shall we? (Don't I sound like Gracey over at Fashion For Giants? You need to stop by her blog and say Hello if you haven't already.) Anyway, my top half and my bottom half are each fine on their own, but together? No ifs, ands, or buts -- it is a disaster. I may have been able to wear the sequined top as a day look, but it probably should have been paired with a pretty flowy summer skirt. My shorts (capris, or as Doreen at Northeast Chic calls them -- weird pant-like things) and Chucks were also fine ON THEIR OWN, but again, maybe I should have paired them with a much looser top.(On a side note, these shorts are really comfortable, but I haven't quite figured out how to wear them so that they look good on me. I bought them last year when I decided that I needed to have more color in my wardrobe. I don't regret that decision, but I'd love to figure out how to make them work.)

One trick that I did in this outfit, which I would definitely use again, was to use a bandeau (growing up, I always called these things tube tops) underneath my sequined top to make it a little longer. My shorts were a little low, so when I just had the top on -- it exposed way too much of my belly fat for me to be comfortable. Being 53 years old, I am well beyond the belly-baring age! I tried to wear a camisole, but it was just too bulky (for the top and for the heat), and I didn't like having three sets of straps on my shoulders to worry about. So, I just slid the bandeau down around my waist, and voilà!

The top is really quite pretty. The woman who gave it to me said she got it for a New Year's Eve party, but then felt it was too low cut to wear. Score!

One last note -- I wore sparkles to work one day over the winter. And I don't know why, but I also wore my Chucks on that day too. I don't know what it is about sparkles and Chucks, but for whatever reason I seem to like the way they go together. I don't think that I succeeded all that well on that day either, but what the heck ... that's one of the reasons why I'm doing this blog. You can see more of those pictures here.

 

Once again, I want to thank Megan and Keely for sponsoring the Summer Trends Fashion Challenge. It's definitely been a great way to get out of my rut of wearing boxer shorts and t-shirts. Head on over to Megan Mae Daily and find out who else was crazy brave enough to wear sparkles for day.

Double Dose

  

top -- H & M (borrowed)

shorts -- Mossimo Supply Co. (thrifted)

shoes -- Crocs (Dick's Sporting Goods, and yes, I bought them brand spanking new)

First off, let me apologize right away for giving you a double dose of me. I am so far behind that I sort of have to double post to get caught up. Day 2 in Megan and Keely's Summer Trends Fashion Challenge was to pair a military style item with a more feminine piece. I originally was looking for something kind of lacy and ruffly, but after hunting through my closet and rifling through my daughter's closet, I opted for this top from my daughter's closet. I think she should let me keep it, don't you?

I was late in hopping on to the military style train, but I have to say these shorts (from the men's wear department) have fast become a favorite pair of mine. They are so comfortable (and can you ever fit the crapola in the pockets -- you don't even need to carry a purse)! And even though they're camouflage patterned, which I abhorred when I was younger, I like them. A. LOT. I'm not sure that I would have liked them as much in a solid color. I could even see wearing a pair of these as long pants (the same style). 

 

Once again, I am indebted to Megan and Keely for coming up with this idea for the summer fashion challenge. I've worn these shorts a lot this summer, but I always paired them with a plain black tank top. This was a lot more fun and a lot more interesting.

Day 3 of the challenge, which I will post tomorrow (but wore yesterday), is Sparkles for Day, and I'll warn you -- that one was a doozy. Just you wait.