Cozy at Home

Are you having a snow day this week too? 

Well, I don't know about you, but sometimes I just want to be cozy and comfortable when I'm at home, and this look accomplished both of those things.

This is me giving Pocket Watch a little talking to. As you can see, he 

is up to his old tricks.

(This is not me. Can ya tell?)

I actually got my style inspiration for this look from a Pinterest pin for the Jones Design Company, which showed this loose top paired with a simple cardigan. 

I wasn't sure it would work as well on me because my legs are not stick-thin like this lovely lady's, but I gave it a shot with this top and my cozy sweater, and I think it worked okay. I especially liked that I can now wear this short-sleeved top in winter as well as spring & summer. Hooray for multi-season fashion!

Wearing:

- White sweater, originally Charlotte Russe, but procured at Goodwill Outlet

- brown top, Goodwill Outlet

- khaki skinny chinos, Kohl's

- brown sweater boot slippers, Wal-Mart on clearance years ago

- dangly earrings

- pendant pocket watch necklace, Sammy Dress

See those brown belt-like things hanging off the bottom of the sweater? Well, don't get too attached to them because later on that day I used my scissors and snipped the seams and removed them. I could never actually use them to close the sweater, so I put them out of their misery. So fun to shop at the Goodwill Outlet because then you can take scissors to your clothes without batting an eye!

If I recall correctly, this look is on my face because I am telling one of my littles that if they run across the kitchen ONE MORE TIME they will be in some serious trouble.

What do you wear when you just want to be cozy at home?

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Something Very English About It

Okay, I know. When I wear my brown boots with my khaki pants I look like I'm about to go ride a horse across the English countryside.

I wish!

To be honest, I actually am an equestrian, which is probably why I do love my boots so much. And I really loved when boots came in fashion because I got to have a whole collection of them and now when I'm visiting my mom (she has horses) I can just jump on a horse without having to worry about changing into my riding gear. Well, in the fall and winter anyway. ;-)

Wearing:

- oatmeal-colored henley (Goodwill Outlet)

- brown v-neck sweater (Goodwill Outlet)

- pocket watch pendant necklace (Sammy Dress)

- skinny khaki chinos (Kohl's)

- brown leather belt

- brown boots

- earrings- pearls & mother-of-pearl-type stone things

With this outfit I decided to try something a little different and I paired this oatmeal-colored henley with this brown v-neck sweater. I really liked the way it looked- the layers were kind of cool. But I realized that the look was quite masculine, especially paired with the pocket-watch pendant necklace, so I thought I'd add a little more femininity with a really girly hairstyle.

This is me trying to find the back of my head with the camera. Clearly I don't actually have eyes in the back of my head. Darn.

There we go! Okay, this hairstyle looks complicated, but it takes less than five minutes, promise.

You just do two pigtails at the back of your head, close together, and rope braid each of them. Then you kind of wrap each rope braid to make a bun (2 buns- one for each rope braid) and then kind of cross them in the middle and pin the whole thing. And if I could find the pin on Pinterest that was my inspiration for this, I would share it. 

Cool, right? Hooray for quick, looks-like-they're-hard-to-do-but-really-aren't hairstyles.

Now let me introduce you to Magic Scarf. I have named this my Magic Scarf for a few reasons.

First, it was a Christmas gift from my stepmom, and it is not something I ever would have chosen for myself. The base color of the scarf is navy blue, and aside from my jeans, I just don't do navy blue.

But this scarf is magic because I have discovered that it goes with EVERYTHING.

Ooh! Are you excited? Trying out a new backdrop here- the light was reflecting off the snow outside and it made for a really cool picture spot in my living room. Thought I'd give you a better view of Magic Scarf.

Another angle so you can check out the hair...which looks messier from this angle...sigh.

And do you want to know a secret? That blasted necklace is ALWAYS trying to turn itself around like that. It drives. me. bonkers.

But that's okay, I'll just sit here and stare out the window at the beautiful snow, because I can use this picture as an author photo next time I need one. I look very scholarly with my pocket watch pendant and my layered henley and my Magic Scarf.

Thank you for behaving yourself for once, Pocket Watch.

And our bonus Keeping It Real moment for the day: I am actually falling over in the photo below. Milliseconds after this photo was taken I slammed into the closet door.

Do you see Paper Bag laughing at me from around the corner? He can be so cruel.


Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Today I'm linking up to...

Lady In Red...and why I need an instruction manual to get dressed

Wearing:

- red boucle cowl neck tunic sweater from Victoria’s Secret

- dark wash skinny jeans

- black suede boots from Urbanog

- silver hoop earrings

It was a cold, snowy day people. This is me wanting to be nothing but WARM! 

(Okay, I wanted to be cute too, but that was just a happy side effect of the warm.) 

Okay, now it’s confession time. It is not easy figuring out a cowl neck sweater. When I first got it I kept searching the box to find an instruction page for how the heck to wear the thing. Do I roll it down? Fold it somehow? Scrunch it? They make it look soooo easy in the catalogs. They lure you in and then you get your box in the mail, you excitedly take out your sweater and pull it on and then...

Well, obviously I did figure it out eventually. And FYI, if you take your kids for a walk around the neighborhood wearing your cowl neck sweater like this, you’re gonna get a lot of strange looks. 

Just so you know.

Have you ever owned an article of clothing that had you stumped as to how to wear it?

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Optical Illusions and Renaissance Romance Meets Casual Chic

Let me first just say that this may be one of my favorite photos of myself ever. Do you see how tiny my hips and waist look? Hel-lo! Hooray for flattering angles, that’s all I have to say. And for once I’m rocking all that hair of mine.

Okay, leaving Narcissisia now...

Wearing:

- top from Old Navy, bought years ago for $4. Scooore.

- Arizona jeans from the Goodwill Outlet, which means they cost less than a dollar.

- vintage pendant necklace from Etsy

- brown leather belt I’ve had since college

- black ballet flats from Payless last year- less than $20

- bracelet from a jewelry party hosted years ago by a friend, but I cannot remember the name of the company.

- bronzey earrings

Let us all take a moment to welcome back our friend, Paper Bag, shall we?

And then let’s take a moment to wonder why, for the love of fashion, I keep forgetting to take closeups of my accessories and then, in all my lazy glory, crop my photos into these truly horrific, blurry renderings that make Van Gogh paintings look lifelike? Hmm...points to ponder...

Okay, back to my miraculously skinny waist. Which, when you check out the toe contemplation photo below, you might discover really was just an optical illusion. *sigh* It was fun while it lasted.

I wore this outfit on a day in January when it miraculously got over 50 degrees. This top is fantastic for that temperature, because the sleeves can go long or short, and the wide neckline and jersey knit cotton keep it cool. 

I love wearing a belt with a loose-fitting top because the belt defines your hips and the buckle and looseness of the fabric do a great job disguising any tummy pooch/muffin top issues.

And today’s Keeping It Real Moment is brought to you by my 8-year-old daughter, whose photo bomb is the result, I believe, of her trying to use a play mop toy to get down a mylar helium balloon that had become separated from its ribbon and made a break for the freedom of the open ceiling.

A valiant attempt, my dear. A valiant attempt.

Even Paper Bag looks impressed.

Do you have any clever fashion optical illusions that you use to hide your less-than-attractive parts?

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Around the world in five kitchen tiles

No Attack of the Evil Closet today, but check out that awesome brown bag making an appearance there in the corner. Woohoo, glamorous stuff right there.

Wearing:

- gauzy white utility (safari? I don’t know, the kind with the pockets and roll-up-sleeve tab thingies) top over a white long sleeve tee (in case you haven’t noticed, I use white long-sleeve tees to transition all my spring & summer tops into winter & fall). Got this awesome top from Marshall’s last year for FOUR DOLLARS. Fo’ real. Sweet.

- dark wash skinny jeans

- gray Fergie boots 

- globe necklace from Sammy Dress

- gold (more like bronze-ish) and silver bangle bracelets from Sammy Dress

I think this contemplating-the-floor pose really works here. I like.

I was getting ready to actually GO OUT to lunch with my stepmom, which is a rare and wonderful thing. I had to take two littles with me, but I didn’t care. I was GOING OUT TO LUNCH, people!

Then my oldest woke up with severe leg pain.

No lunch.

Boo.

But I still got to wear one of my favorite necklaces and walk around the house looking cute all day, which is a win in my book.

The globe really spins. Really. My 4-year-old can’t get enough of it. (And I also discovered that when the earth gets yanked off the necklace and goes flying off under the kitchen table you can pop it right back in again. True story.)

See the hair? This is one of my favorite styles- I tease my “bangs” (well, what would be my bangs if I had bangs anymore but I don’t- just the top front section of my hair) and pull them back, then do the messy bun in the back. There’s just something very casual chic about it, which was the look I was going for here. And it takes about 3 minutes to do, which is definitely a plus.

Wow, bad angle for my neck in this one. Yikes.

So do you cheat and use layers to wear your off-season stuff in the fall and winter too? And do your kids ever do you the favor of testing your jewelry resilience?

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Hat Tricks

Wearing: 

- Boatneck boucle sweater from Victoria’s Secret (which, incidentally, has an actual zipper running all along the opening at the top, so theoretically I could pull it up over my head and zip myself in and then run around waving my arms at people like a headless zombie...I should totally get a picture of that.)

- skinny jeans

- Black suede boots from Urbanog

- silver hoop earrings

- gray/blue/black plaid newsboy cap from TJMaxx...several years ago...

This is my “it’s-cold-outside-and-I-just-want-to-be-warm-from-head-to-toe” look. Comfy. Cozy. Cute. Check, check, check.

And this is where I contemplate my own toes. Why? Because I’ve seen photos of people doing that on style blogs so I just assumed that’s what a style blogger does.

And then I go to reset my camera and see this...and of course I must take the photo. Gah! She’s so stinkin’ cute.

One more pose for good measure? In this one my arm is positioned perfectly to hide the pooch. And by the way, I know why Victoria’s Secret doesn’t make these sweaters anymore- they’re like Velcro. They pick up EVERYTHING. I had to get rid of a white boucle turtleneck because every time I wore it I felt like the hedgehog in the apple story- I just collected stuff. Fortunately, it doesn’t show up so much on the black. And it is SO warm & comfy.

Good, but wait...the lighting has changed and I just got photo bombed by a Doc McStuffins backpack. Curse you, Doc McStuffins! Note to self: no more photos after preschool pickup.

I have defeated the backpack, but my closet will not go down without a fight...that piece of blue grocery bag is making its escape from the closet. Curses! Foiled again!

Until we meet again, closet door....

What do you wear when you just want to be warm and comfy?

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...

Happy Birthday! (or maybe not)

Welcome to my style blog and my first post, in which I show you photos where the lighting is all wrong but at least the outfit’s cute. 

Wearing:

- long-sleeve fitted white tee under a flowing off-white top from Sammy Dress

- clock pendant necklace (also from Sammy Dress)

- dark wash skinny jeans

- gray Fergie boots, which you can’t see all that well thanks to the fab lighting I used. But don’t worry, they’ll show up again, promise.

I decided to go “princess style” for my daughter’s birthday, since I was going to have lunch with her at school. And then when I got there she was in the clinic with a fever, so I ended up just bringing her home. *sigh*

Why am I standing in front of the phone? Am I waiting for it to ring? Who will it be? Am I the only person in America who still has a phone with a cord attached to a wall?

And what is that white thing on the floor under the phone? Why don’t I check these things before taking photographs of myself in my house?

Style blogging: it’s a learning process.

Just so you know, I have since figured out much better lighting for my photos. And I’m getting better at my placement- just took a few dozen times of running to the spot after pushing the button on my camera perched atop a stack of styrofoam cups.

No, really. Styrofoam cups. They’re my photographer.

Have you noticed that [Wearing My] Art on My Sleeve is not like other style blogs out there? Click here to find out how it was born and why it's so weird...