Please Pass the Mustard!

 

Not my best selfies in today's post, but I wanted to show you a skirt I recently acquired from the sale rack at Fred Meyer.  It's a basic black skirt, with a pink waistband.  Black skirts are always classic choices, and this one is really light weight and I think it will be great for traveling.  It doesn't seem like it will wrinkle too bad.  I'll get to test it really soon, because my mom and I have a wonderful opportunity to take a business/pleasure trip to Europe!  Sooooooooo excited!  I'll bring back many, many pictures, I promise!

 

Anyway, for this outfit I paired the skirt with a striped shirt, mustard scarf, tights, boots and my denim jacket.  I made the scarf all by myself, but I think I need to get another skein of yarn and add a few more rows.  Chunky scarves are always fun.  And it's mustard yellow!  Believe it or not, it's the only mustard color item in my wardrobe.  :)

 

Niki

 

Skirt: Fred Meyer.  Shirt: Kohl's.  Tights: Marshall's.  Jacket and boots: thrifted.  Scarf: self-made.

The Long and Short of It...

Recognize this maxi skirt?  I've worn it for a few other outfit posts.  But this time, I did something different.  I made it shorter because I wanted to be able to wear my purple boots.  How, you ask?  I pulled it up under my arms as if I was going to wear it as a dress, and then wore a tighter-fitting tank top over the top of the whole thing.  Ta-dah!  A shorter skirt.  I was proud of myself, and shocked that it didn't even look bunchy and bulgy.  Of course, scarves cover a multitude of issues.  :)

Have you found any new and exciting outfit possibilities lately?

Niki

Skirt: refashion.  Tank: H&M.  Jacket: thrifted.  Boots: thrifted.  Scarf: my mom's.  Hat: craft bazaar.

A Little Bit 90s

 

 (Please ignore the very puffy hair.  I desperately need a haircut!)

 

I knew I wanted to wear this skirt to church on Sunday, because it's been sitting in my closet for a while without being worn.  It's a super fun reversible wrap skirt, but sometimes I can't figure out what to wear with it.  I decided black was a safe choice for shirt color, but it still needed something.  On a whim, I tried my denim vest over the top with a belt.  The result was a little unusual, but I liked it!  The oversized denim seems a little 90s, but hey, I am a 90's kid after all!  ;)

Niki

P.S. Sorry for the overdue post, but we've been having computer problems.  One of them being that I can't seem to find a time when my brother isn't using the computer!  Ha ha.

Skirt: a little shop in a little town whose name I can't recall.  Vest: refashion.  Black shirt: Old Navy.  Tights: Marshalls.  Shoes: Payless Shoes.  Belt: stolen from my grandma. :)  Hair: Winter frizziness.

The Swing of Things

So...maybe the whole blogging break thing wasn't the best thing for my posting habits.  I've been having a hard time posting consistently, mainly because I have a hard time thinking of things to post about.  Fortunately, I went thrifting yesterday, and got a couple things that will surface as a post soon.  I think perhaps I need to take a look at my "projects to be done" box and remind myself what is inside.  I need a creative project to get me going.  And to share with my loyal followers.  For now, this outfit will have to do.  Sorry I look really tired (or something) in these pictures.  It was the end of the day.

 

 

This outfit was pretty basic, but I liked the colors and felt cute and comfortable for work.  Yes, cute and comfortable can go together!  :)

 

How has your week been? 

 

Niki

 

Pants: Old Navy.  Striped tank: H&M.  Cardigan: thrifted (for $6 and it's cashmere!) Scarf: gift (but it's from Disneyland.)  Necklace: Claire's.

I have returned!

Hello friends!  December is over and life can resume again.  Yikes.  It was a crazy month, and I feel like it's finally my Christmas break, even though Christmas is over.  My work schedule is much less busy and I should be able to get back into sewing, crafting, blogging and thinking up cute outfits.  Yay! 

 

So, you've all probably seen posts where someone takes an outfit they've found on Pinterest or somewhere else, and tries to recreate it with their own clothes.  It's such fun!  And that's what I did when I came up with this outfit a couple weeks ago.  I saw this picture on Pinterest, (original source) and liked the idea of the denim vest over the comfy cozy sweater.  I didn't immediately recreate the look, but I remembered it, and tried it out a couple days later.  I think my version turned out pretty cute!  That's always a good feeling.

 

The Pinterest version:

 

My version:

 

 

If you were looking closely, you might have noticed the little camera shutter trigger in my hand.  I finally got one, and I must say, it makes self portraits/outfit photos so much easier!  I don't have to keep running back and forth to the camera!  I haven't gotten the knack of hiding it in my hand yet, but that'll come.  ;)

 

Well, I look forward to rejoining the wonderful world of blogging.  See you again soon!

 

Niki

Sweater: thrifted.  Denim vest: refashioned.  Jeans: thrifted. Green tank: Old Navy.  Scarf and Necklace: Claire's.  Turban/headband: gift.  Boots: Nordstrom Rack.

Pattern Mixing like a Boss

This is what I wore to church and work today.  It was a fun new way to wear my plaid shirt.  I think the pattern mixing works because the dress is a neutral color that goes well with the plaid.  One of the girls at work told me that she really liked this outfit and that she didn't think many people could pull it off, but that I did.  That was nice to hear.  I was hoping the combo was a good kind of different.  :)

I think I'm getting better at this whole "pattern mixing" thing.  How about you?  Have you ever tried getting a little crazy with different patterns?

Niki

Dress: Old Navy.  Plaid shirt: thrifted.  Leggings: gift.  Silver flats (not shown): thrifted.

So, I went into Old Navy...

I have a quick outfit post for you today.   I bought this dress at Old Navy yesterday (in the clearance section!) and wanted to wear it right away.  It's super comfy, and it's striped, and you know I love stripes!  I love gray too.  Sometimes it's just fun to get something new.  It helps get you interested in your closet again.  I'm already thinking of ways to remix this dress into other outfits.

What's your latest closet addition?

Niki

Dress: $11.49 at Old Navy.  Belt: thrifted.  Leggings: gift.  Shoes: Thrifted.  Necklace: Claire's.

The Modernizing Effect

(I really like this picture for some reason.)

Are you tired of seeing this denim jacket yet?  I think it's been in almost all of my outfit pictures this fall.  It's just so versatile!  I feel like it modernizes outfits really well.  For example, this outfit would have been really boring and mediocre on it's own.  Just a t-shirt and knit skirt.  It was a combo I only would have worn around the house.  But once I added the denim jacket, flats and a cute hat, I actually really liked the way it looked!  I wore this outfit all day on Monday, even to work.  Moral of the story: if you don't own a denim jacket, think about getting one.  At least, if your style is anything like mine.

Well, that's about it for this post.  It's my day off, so I need to get off the computer and start working on some refashion projects that have been floating around in my head.  If nothing fails too drastically, you can expect some new refashion posts fairly soon. 

Hope your day is great!

Niki

Skirt: self-made/refashion.  Tshirt: handed down from a friend.  Jacket: thrifted.  Black cami: Old Navy.  Flats: thrifted.  Hat: self-made.

One Small Step

I just realized I look really tense in these pictures.  Clenched fists and all.  Hmm.  That was unintentional.  I think I was just too focused on telling my sister how to use my camera.  :P 

This is the outfit I wore to church today.  The dress is from this refashion post and the tights are from my post my dyeing misadventures.  I went outside my comfort zone with the pattern mixing today by wearing the floral patterned scarf with a floraly patterned dress.  Part of me was saying "Don't do it!" but another part of me thought it looked fine, so I decided to just do it.  It was a big step for me.  Kidding.  But it sorta was.  ;)

Do you have any tips for successful pattern mixing?

Niki

Dress: thrifted/refashion.  Jacket: thrifted.  Scarf: Claire's.  Tights: don't know.  Shoes: thrifted.

"You just get cuter and cuter!"

 

 

Oops.  It's been several days since my last post.  Honestly, I haven't even been on the computer in a few days.  Partially because the computer gets used a lot by other siblings, and partially because I haven't had anything to post about. 

I finally wore something outfit post worthy to church yesterday.  I recieved some very nice compliments from very nice people, which is always encouraging.  (See post title)  People also kept asking me why I was so dressed up.  I thought I was dressed fairly casually with the long cardigan and whatnot, but it doesn't matter.  It was comfortable and I felt pretty in it. 

Anyway, this outfit was a great way to get more wear out of a summery dress.  The long cardigan with a belt was a twist on the traditional dress and cardigan combo.   This look would be awesome with boots, but my only pair is wintery and furry and I thought that would look weird.  I need to get me some new boots...

How do you transition your dresses to fall?

Niki

Dress: Old Navy.  Cardigan: my mom's (Chadwicks)  Belt: thrifted.  Tights: my mom's.  Silver flats: thrifted.  Ring: my great-grandmother's.

Plaid and Polka Dots: Baby Steps to Pattern Mixing

Just a quick outfit post for ya.  I wore this a few days ago, and it was a really basic outfit.  But I liked the red polka dot shoes with the plaid shirt.  I'm not usually very confident when it comes to pattern mixing, but this was a baby step.  :)

Say, do any of you use Go Chic or Go Home?  It's a website that you allows you to upload pictures of your clothes, then you can drag and drop them to create outfits.  It's great for planning purposes and for finding new ways to remix your clothes.  I signed up this week and got carried away taking pictures of my clothes and uploading them.  I think I put most of my wardrobe up.  Ha ha.  But I've already spotted some outfit possibilities that I might not have thought of otherwise.  If you are already part of the site, let me know and maybe we can follow each other?  If you're not, check it out.  You may want to give it a try!  You do have to be invited, or request an invite, though.  If you want to give me an email address or something, though, I'd love to send you an invite!

I'm not affiliated with Go Chic or Go Home or anything, I just thought you might be interested in hearing about a good tool to help you discover new possibilities for your wardrobe.  It's great for thrifty gals like me who want to wear new outfits, without buying new clothes all the time.  :)

Niki

The Fall-Back Outfit

I think this will become an easy outfit to fall back on for me.  I threw it together at the last minute for church and I really like it.  It's simple, but I think it's cute, especially with the pops of red.  It was comfortable, too.  I've said before that this skirt feels like pajamas.  Except you can wear it out of the house.  How great is that?  :)

Niki

P.S. Sorry for the horrible, late-at-night, self-timer with flash pictures.  I haven't quite mastered the art of outfit pictures yet.  :)

Jacket: thrifted.  T-shirt: hand-me-down.  Skirt: thrifted/refashion.  Necklace: self-made.  Shoes: thrifted.  Hair: side braid with red flower clip from Claire's. (not shown)

Dressed up for Sunday Meetin'

I felt a little old-fashioned when I dressed for church today.  I don't know why.  Maybe because my skirt is long and floral.  Maybe because not many people actually dress up for church anymore.  Maybe it was the key, watch and cameo on my necklace(s).  Who knows?  But I'm okay with it.  I've always liked old-fashioned things anyway.  Sometimes, I wish everyone still dressed up on Sunday's, hats and all.  It would be fun to have more excuses to wear pretty dresses and skirts without wondering if you look too fancy.  Not that I think this outfit was too fancy.  I'm just rambling. :)

A close-up of the pattern on my skirt.  I like the mini dots amongst the flowers. 

Do you still dress up for church every week?  And by "dress up" I guess I mean wearing a skirt or dress, or just trying to look nicer in general.  :)

Niki

Skirt: refashion.  T-shirt: Old Navy.  Cardigan: Old Navy.  Flats: thrifted.  Necklaces from various sources.

Yesterday's Adventures

This is my outfit from yesterday.  In the morning I went to Fabric Depot to check out the Outdoor Sale before it ended.  Wow!  I hadn't been there in years and I forgot how huge it is!  I walked in the front door, and I think I gasped audibly.  So much fabric!  I felt like a kid in a candy store.  Fabric in every color and pattern you could think of.  For example, they saw a small section labeled "Food Prints."  Strawberry, banana, even onion ring fabric.  But I exercised self control and meandered towards the Outdoor Sale.  I found some knit fabric, lace and elastic that I'm sure will surface on the blog soon in one form or another.  :)

After dragging myself away from there, I decided to go to Goodwill to look for work shoes.  I got sidetracked (of course) and ended up walking away with these.

This sweater had a color of the day tag, so I got it for $4.  I'm honestly not sure if it's men's or women's.  But who cares.  :)  I know that big, comfy sweaters are "in" for fall, so I'm pretty sure I'll get some good wear out of it, especially on cold, lazy days.  I tried it on with a scarf just to invision myself wearing it as part of a complete outfit.

My other find I'm not completely sold on.  I'm contemplating returning it.  I found it in the men's section, even though it is actually a women's shirt.

 

I've been wanting a plaid shirt, but the sleeves are at the point where they're almost too small length-wise.  I haven't made up my mind about it yet.  It's American Eagle, and in good condition... What do you guys think?  Should I hold out for one that I love more?  And I really would like your opinions.  :)

Niki

The Bunny, The Bunny, Woah, We Made The Bunny

 If you didn't get the title of this post, you haven't watched enough Veggie Tales in your life.  ;)  Anyway, this is the bunny that I helped my sister make.  I've been teaching her to sew the past week, because she's constantly asking me to make things for her.  I figured if I could teach her to sew, then she could make things whenever she wants!  We started with a circle skirt, but she's already gone on to make a knit maxi skirt for herself, 2 doll skirts and this bunny.  I think she's a natural.  :D

We got the idea from Elena at Randomly Happy, but added some details of our own, like the fuzzy yard pom-pom tail.   Oh, and we added an embroidered nose after I took the pictures.  We used a scrap of fleece I had in my fabric box, and cotton fabric for the inside of the ears.  It's a gift for our little sister, who happens to love pink.  Go figure.  ;)  I think it's cute, and it would be a great thing to make for a baby.

I'm also making a sock monkey for the same sister out of some old socks that no one liked to wear.  I know it only has 1 arm right now, but it's in progress.  I'm gonna go work on it some more now.  We'll see how it turns out.  I kinda love sock monkeys.  :)

 

And just so we don't end with a creepy, half-done monkey picture, here's a picture of what I wore today.  I've had this skirt for years, way before polka dots were cool.  It finally fits me again.  *happy dance*  And this denim jacket seriously goes with everything.  I'm gonna wear it constantly this fall.  One of the best $3 of my life. 

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!

 

Niki

 

Skirt: thrifted from Goodwill.  Ruffled Shirt: Old Navy.  Jacket: thrifted.  Shoes (not seen): thrifted.

Maxi Style

Yep, I'm finally wearing the maxi dress I made a while back.  I hadn't worn it yet, because I couldn't figure out how to style it.  But now that I have my awesome new denim jacket, that problem is solved!  And yes, the last picture is my "how awesome is this jacket?" picture.  ;)  The blue accents and denim jacket were just what this dress needed to make it more casual.  It was a super comfy outfit for church and watching "Born to be Wild" at OMSI. (that's the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, for you non-Portlanders.)

 

And yes, my necklace does match my nails perfectly.  This was unintentional!  But actually, they are exactly the same, because the necklace is painted with the nail polish.  It was just a gray/black stone in the middle before.  It was a hand-me-down from my great grandma, but I never ever wore it.  It was kinda ugly.  So I decided to give it a few coats of nail polish to turn it into a trendier statement necklace.  And now I like it.  :)

 

Hope you all had a wonderful Sunday!  Mine got better just now because I devoured a deliciously fresh, juicy apple while reading "Mattimeo" by Brian Jacques.  Small pleasures.  :)

 

Niki

 

P.S. "Born to be Wild" was a pretty cute movie, especially if you're into animals.  I'm not that much of an animal person, but I do love elephants, so I thought it was kinda adorable for that reason.  I want a baby elephant now.

 

Dress: self-made.  Jacket: thrifted.  Necklace: refashioned.  Belt: borrowed from my grandma, then refashioned.  Ring: bought it in Austria. 

Red and White a.k.a. No Creative Title

I recently saved this sheer blouse from my mom's "get rid of" pile.  It had a few stains, but I managed to partially bleach them out so they're not as noticable.  Then I realized it would be good to wear with my new skirt.  The denim of the skirt keeps the blouse from feeling too fancy.  And I finally know what to wear my red polka dot flats with. 

 

I really like this outfit!  Like, really, really like it!  Sometimes you just find an outfit that you love, and, not gonna lie, it feels good.  :)

 

Niki

 

Shirt: my mom's (originally from Chadwicks.)  Skirt: refashion.  Shoes: thrifted.  Belt: thrifted.  Bag: thrifted.