Sailor Sam

Day 5 of the 21-Day Challenge was to put a belt on it, and so I belted one out:

And the jailer man and Sailor Sam were searching every one

                                                                                     — Paul McCartney Band on the Run

This song came out in 1973, when I was a sophomore in high school — I didn't realize it was that old. My how time flies when you're having fun. Anyway, this line kept popping into my head when I wore this outfit, so I figured why fight it?

shirt — Lizwear by Liz Claiborne (thrifted)

dress — Ralph by Ralph Lauren (Marshalls)

boots — Haley by Faded Glory (thrifted)

This jumper has been hanging in my closet for years and years — the tags were even still on it! It's a ribbed sweater knit (you can't really tell from the picture), so I was probably uncomfortable with how curve hugging it was. It also seems so simple now, but I may not have thought to wear a belt before, and it really changes the look of the outfit.

Black belt or Red belt?  

My black-and-white striped shirt inspired my ear worm (I hope it's not contagious though). In retrospect, however, my shirt was probably more like the costume of a traditional mime than prison stripes or the Breton stripes that Coco Chanel popularized after a visit to the French Riviera in the 1930s.

It's probably no surprise that Marcel Marceau, the legendary mime actor, wore the striped top along with the other items of the mime costume, but what may come as a surprise is that the man who became world famous for silent performances was fluent in three languages. Born as Marcel Mangel in 1923 in Strasbourg, France, Marcel, and his older brother, adopted the name "Marceau" during the Nazi occupation of France. The two brothers were members of the French resistance and helped many children escape to freedom into Switzerland. Marcel started miming as way of keeping children quiet, as they were escaping.

I'm really enjoying these challenges.
It's like playing dress up in my own clothes. 

In addition to the 21-Day Challenge, I'm also linking up to Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, because well — I thought that I was pretty visible in this outfit, especially with the red belt, and also because I have a bit of a silly pose.

Which color belt goes best?

A Wheel of Color

Day 4 of the 21-Day Challenge was color blocking — when an outfit combines two or more blocks of solid color, usually by placing them next to each other.

shirt — Como (thrifted)

silk jacket — Rafaella (thrifted)

skirt — Liz Claiborne (thrifted)

sandals — Madden Girl (thrifted)

Mixing separates of bright colors — turquoise, fuchsia, and __________ (I need my crayon box to figure out what color my jacket is) — is a fairly standard way to color block. You can also mix shades of the same color or use one item of clothing (a dress) that has been color blocked for you.

I've seen some people add a colorful purse, socks, and jewelery, and even paint their nails when color blocking. I wasn't quite so daring, but since the color of choice for my wardrobe has been pretty drab in the past, these colors were well outside my comfort zone, so I was kind of proud of it.

* We're talking dark colors here — browns, black, navy blue, dark green, and so on. 

I pretty much just grabbed some clothes in bright colors, and then mixed and matched until I came up with something that I thought looked pretty good together. But I don't always pair the best colors together, and I often stick with the tried and true instead of trying something new. Using the color wheel to do this approach to color blocking would help avoid those pitfalls. (Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton invented the color wheel in 1706?)

Image from Corporate Fashionista

The easiest way to pick harmonious colors when color blocking is to select colors that are either complementary or colors that are analogous colors. Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel (red and green, or shades of red and green to keep from looking like it's Christmas in August). Analogous colors, on the other hand, are next to each other on the color wheel.

Although the mix of colors in my outfit worked pretty well, I don't think the Mom jeans kind of look of my skirt worked so well. In fact, it was kind of depressing. What gives with that? My skirt doesn't have to be form fitting and hug every curve, but I do think that it should flatter my shape. And this particular skirt is not doing me any favors. A wide black belt might have helped avoid the Mom look a  little (at least in the front). What do you think?

What's your favorite color to wear?

Leopards, and Jaguars, and Cheetahs, Oh my!

Day 3 of the 21-Day Challenge was to (drum roll, please) guess what? Mix your patterns! woo hoo — I'm getting to be a pro at this, because I think I did good. 

 dress — (thrifted)

belt — (thrifted)

cardigan — Old Navy (Old Navy)

booties — Blowfish (DSW)

bracelets (thrifted) / necklaces (raided from the toy box)

I'm sure that there's going to be an animal print at some point during this 21-day challenge, so I'm hoping that I don't regret using this outfit for pattern mixing. This was another outfit that I wore before I got laid off (on May 12, to be exact). I never posted it, so I'm glad that I'm getting a chance to use it now.

It was also a good opportunity to be Catwoman, and go "Rawr!" By the way, did you know that rawr is dinosaur speak for I Love You? Rawr is also a program for exploring gear for different characters in the World of Warcraft — a role-playing game. 

What kind of a cat print am I wearing? Leopard? Jaguar? Cheetah? What's the difference?

I can definitely rule out my dress and my belt from being a cheetah print. The spots on a cheetah are solid and evenly distributed. Whether they're a leopard print or a jaguar print is harder to tell. Jaguars and leopards both have spots that look like flowers, called rosettes. The rosettes on a jaguar have a slightly different color inside, and the rosettes on a leopard are fainter and don't usually enclose spots.

Regardless of whose spots I was wearing, all three of these are beautiful animals

Jaguar

Leopard (Image courtesy of Phillippe Rouzet)

Cheetah (Image courtesy of Tim Ellis)

Can you tell the difference between these cats?

Spanning the Globe

Day 2 of Kayla's 21-Day Challenge over at Freckles in April was to tuck it in.

"Tuck what?" you ask.

That was up to us -- you can tuck a shirt, a scarf, or even pants (into your boots, for example, or even into your socks if you're riding a bike). I decided to tuck a shirt, using an "inward full tuck." In other words, my inside shirt was completely tucked in.

tank -- Old Navy (Old Navy)

shirt -- Basic Editions (thrifted)

skirt -- Bongo (thrifted)

sandals -- Sbicca of California (freebie from a friend)

Points were lost for my tuck technique because I had to pull my shirt out of the tuck to disguise the paunch in the front. I did get full points for standing tall, however.

Before deciding on the skirt, I tried a pair of cut offs and Crocs, and it just didn't work (I was trying to look like Kayla here). An outward full tuck (outer shirt completely tucked in) was extremely uncomfortable (I could barely breathe because my shorts were too tight).

Not only that, but I also had a severe muffin top. I tried camouflaging the muffin top with an outward half tuck (one side of the outer shirt pulled out). This was somewhat better.

shorts -- cut-off jeans (thrifted and DIY)

shoes -- Crocs (thrifted)

But what do I do with this parachute of material that puffed out in the back? Is there a trick to cutting off jean shorts that I don't know about? Do the pants have to fit a certain way to avoid the parachute? Were they just too tight?

The skirt was a much better choice, don't you think?

Now for something completely different. When I hear the word "tuck," diving and gymnastics comes to mind. As a kid, I would be parked in front of the TV every Saturday afternoon, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (or was it 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.?), watching ABC's Wide World of Sports. I didn't always like the sports that were televised, but, c'mon, it was the WIDE WORLD of SPORTS, so I watched it anyway.

"Spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport...
the thrill of victory... and the agony of defeat...
the human drama of athletic competition...
This is ABC's Wide World of Sports!"

As I listened to Jim McKay, I'd imagine myself as a cliff diver in Acapulco, a gymnast doing a floor routine, a track star leaning across the finish line -- whatever sport happened to be featured that Saturday. I'd go down to the lake and practice diving. One time, I even pulled out my parents' record albums and tried to choreograph my somersaults and backbends to music to emulate a floor routine.

What did you imagine being as a kid?

Now head over to Freckles in April to see who tucked what. 

Since multiple items in this post were thrifted (skirt, shirt, shorts, Crocs), I'm also linking to Thursdays are for Thrifters Link Party 15, hosted by Meghan at Spunky Chateau. 

Stand Tall

Today is the start of a 21-Day Challenge, hosted by Kayla at Freckles in April. The challenge for day 1 was to pick one item to remix three times over the 21 days, and it couldn't be a pair of jeans.

tank -- Ralph Lauren (thrifted)

jeggings -- 17/21 Exclusive Denim (Marshalls)

shoes -- Blowfish (DSW)

When looking for something to remix, I completely wimped out and picked a white tank with black or blue (I can't tell) Breton stripes. The top will be really easy to use in a couple of different outfits, but said outfits will probably be as dull as dirt. So that is where my challenge will be -- trying to make my remaining two outfits with this top interesting and different from each other.

I didn't realize how much I blended into the garage door, until I looked at the pictures. I probably should have taken them in front of a tree -- or something with some color! So I'm going to challenge myself to take better pictures too.

Last but not least, I probably should have listened to my mom and stood up straight and sucked in my gut! My gut has expanded in size since I've been laid off, so I need to keep sucking it in! I'm really glad that fall is approaching and I can start running and biking -- I just don't have the wherewithal to exercise in the heat, especially this summer's heat. 

laid off = laying around

Never been this blue
Never knew the meaning of a heartache
But then again, I've never lost at love before

Somewhere down the road
Maybe all these years will find some meaning
I just can't think about it now, or live 'em out anymore

Stand Tall, don't you fall oh, don't go and do something foolish
you're feeling it like everyone, it's silly human pride
Stand Tall, don't you fall. Don't go do something you'll regret later
you're feeling it like everyone, it's silly human pride

Never lasted so long
Or through so much - or through so many
I just can't believe you could throw it all away

Sometimes late at night
when there's nothing here except my old piano
I'd almost give my hands to make you see my way

                                                                 -- Burton Cummings (1976)

I don't remember if it was my mom or my grandmother who was such a bug about posture and standing up straight, but I definitely remember walking around the house with a dictionary on my head. 

Did you get the stand-up straight lecture as a kid?
0r maybe the question should really be, "Did it sink in?"

 Visit Freckles in April for ideas on how to remix your clothes.

Older than Dirt

Confucius (or maybe Kari) says: If you keep things long enough, you will eventually need them and be forever happy that you hung onto them for time immemorial (and if you believe that, I have some really wet dry swamp land for sale). Ahem. Take the shirt I'm wearing here, for example.

shirt -- no idea (it's older than dirt)

too-tight pants -- Gap 1969

sneakers -- thrifted

This shirt is probably from the late '70s or early '80s -- give or take a few years on either side. Sheesh! Who knew that something this old would still be in vogue 30 years later?* They're everywhere these days. Even Karolina Kurkova, of all people (WHO?), was spotted wearing a plaid shirt, for heaven's sake. And now, I too, can emulate her fashion-forward style and also take part in this week's Inspiration Monday, hosted by Megan & Nora over at Two Birds -- all because I never got rid of my flannel shirts.

*Do flannel shirts ever really go out of style?

Karolina Kurkova

Darn! I forgot my blue bracelet!

It's hard work posing as a movie star*. I would set the timer on the camera, and then run (okay, a really, really slow walk was all that was needed), so I would be all posed with a smile plastered on my face before the camera took the picture. I had to decide if I should dangle my arm or put my hand on my hip. Should I look at the camera or should I look pensively off into the distance? Wear sunglasses? or go fresh faced? Decisions, decisions!

*movie star -- is that as old fashioned as it sounds? 

I save everything, and I mean everything. In fact, I still have a pair of shorts that I wore in high school, and yeah, I still wear them! (I'm proud that I can still wear them. If you're lucky, maybe I'll post a picture of me wearing them one day.) I tell people that I save things because I might need them on some future date, but honestly? It's just hard for me to cut the umbilical cord.

My kids knew that, and they took advantage of my weak will.

Me: "If you can't take care of your things -- it's going in the garbage."

My kids: Hahahahaha .... 

They'd roll their eyes, and laugh -- they'd fall on the floor holding their bellies. Okay, I'm exaggerating -- my kids were great eye-rollers, but they were much too kind to laugh at my weird way of doing things. They knew that I'd never ever follow through with my threat of throwing their treasures in the garbage.

And so, my wimpy-ness gave new meaning to the phrase, "The spirit was willing but the flesh was weak." And my flesh was so very, very weak.

My kids would make this half-hearted* attempt to clean, and then after they were in bed, I'd sneak into their room. I'd clean, and I'd resort everything and put their treasures and valuables in bags and I would box them up. And then I'd stack those boxes in the attic or the basement -- somewhere (out of sight, out of mind -- that is, until you're trying to downsize). And now, 15 and 20 years later, I have boxes and boxes stuffed full of nicely labeled pictures, clothes that were outgrown, toys that were loved and forgotten (until I pull them out of a box, that is) ... And now that I am trying to sell my house, I find myself faced with parting with all these things that have so many memories attached to them.

*They were probably as overwhelmed as I am now.

In addition to Inspiration Monday at Two Birds (see all the other Karolina look-alikes here), I'm also linking to Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style. I think my sneakers are pretty visible! Aren't they awesome?!

Do you save or do you throw away?

Polka Squares

Another day, another challenge, and I'm game. Can you guess by looking at me what the challenge was?

shirt -- Alfani (thrifted)

skirt -- axcess (thrifted)

belt -- (thrifted)

boots -- White Mt (thrifted)

I actually wore this outfit back in May -- May 2, to be exact (that was way back when the weather was a lot cooler, remember that?). I never got around to posting it, so I think it's still okay to use for this latest challenge hosted by the ladies over at Every Body Every Wear (EBEW). Need another hint of what the challenge was?

Michelle Obama could have posted this picture on the EBEW challenge wall with what she wore in this luncheon with Nancy Reagan, back in 2009.

Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton

Give up? It was pattern mixing. Even though this trend has been around for a couple of years, it's hasn't been one that I've been entirely comfortable with. So instead of going for bold and bright or bright and daring in my choice of patterns, I went with a more conservative and safe mix -- the pattern in both my skirt and my shirt were both squares* and the shirt and the skirt were both neutral colors (black and white).

*polka squares, and not polka dots

I'm actually kind of disappointed that I didn't spend more time playing around in my closet and having more fun with the challenge. I remember that I was worried about what people would think if I wore what would look like a mismatched outfit to work -- they'd think that I got dressed in the dark or something. (Yeah, I worry too much sometimes about what people think.) So I chickened out and didn't stretch as much as I could have. But now, it just looks too conservative for me. In my defense, though, I wasn't really a fan of this trend until just recently.

Definitely a  should have, could have, would have  moment ...

I used to think the matchy matchy look was somewhat elegant and sophisticated. But now I look at the picture below, and I just say, "Wow! That's an awful lot of blue."

Tara Palmer Tomkinson Photo: REUTERS

Funny how your tastes change over the years, and even over a couple of months.

Conservative issues aside, I think that something else in my outfit was a little off. I'm not sure what it is though. I don't think the style of the skirt (is this a flare skirt?) is doing me any favors, and the boots were also definitely wrong for this look. How could I have jazzed this up a bit more?

Now check out all the other mixed print daredevils over at Every Body Every Wear.