Day 17: Mend It!

Top: Gap

Necklace: Fossil

Jeans: Gap

Wedges: Last Chance

I am so thankful for this prompt to mend something & wear it today. I've had this pair of white jeans for almost two years. And they were too long. Which didn't stop me from wearing them a few times with duct taped or safety pinned hems. And recently I have been trying really hard to hem them, but in the process my seldom-used sewing machine broke. And because of this prompt in the 21 Day Challenge, I searched all over online for the instruction manual for my machine, found it for free and downloaded it, fixed my machine in about five minutes, and hemmed those stinkin' jeans! Unfortunately I started all this at 11:30 last night, so I'm a little tired today, but I'm wearing my white jeans finally. I can't believe they still fit. (They are a little more snug.) Next on to the curtains that have been waiting for a year.

ps - have you all tried this tutorial for hemming jeans? i will be using this genius method from now on. so much easier than the regular way too.

Day 16: Menswear

Shirt: Old Navy

Tie: Rountree & York

Shorts: Gap

Loafers: Bass

The prompt for today was to take inspiration from menswear. I have seen women wearing mens' ties before and I really like the look. I mean, how much different is it than a scarf? So today I donned my husband's tie over a pink oxford. Shorts keep me a little cooler & I threw on my loafers, which are also menswear inspired. I have already received quite a few funny looks today for my tie, and one joke about how I didn't need to dress up, and it will be interesting to see the responses I get at my women's church meeting tonight. But I like it anyway. I think I'll revisit a tie when it's cooler and I can layer it under a sweater or vest.

Day 15: Copycat

I finally got to my copycat outfit today. I found some great images of seersucker outfits on Pinterest and was able to wear my new, clearance skirt from Land's End as well as fit in my remix white linen shirt for the 3rd time. Here's the overall look:

It's a little like  ♪ ♫ One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just isn't the same.  ♪ ♫  It's pretty clear which picture is me, but I like that it still feels consistent. Pink seersucker and white linen is always a great summer look, don't you think? Images found from Pinterest here, here, and here. My outfit (bottom left) is a top from J. Jill (my remix item for the 3rd time), pink seersucker skirt from Land's End, belt from Target, sandals from Gap, and vintage scarf as a bracelet. I'm really excited to check out everyone's copycat looks. They are linked up at Freckles in April.

Day 14: Copycat... OR... New Hairstyle

Today the prompt for the 21 Day Challenge is to recreate a favorite outfit from a magazine or blog. But since the prompts just came yesterday I haven't really had time to figure out what I want to do, so I'm switching it up a bit. The prompt for tomorrow is to try something new with your hair so I did that today instead.

Earlier this year I saw a few magazine ads for a fancy new bobby pin type deal from Goody. It's the Spin Pin and it has pretty much saved me during this hot, hot `summer. I have always admired pretty updo's and buns but since I have zero hairstyling ability I have never been able to do that myself. The Spin Pin corkscrews into your hairdo and does the work that ten regular bobby pins do. All of a sudden I can wear an elegant bun everyday! Or you know, my lopsided version of an elegant bun. I've done side buns, low buns, and high buns. But that's kind of the extent of my knowledge. But today I decided to try a french twist. So I worked on it for 30 minutes and came up with this:

It's not pretty and it's not what I imagined, but technically it is a french twist. And at least my Spin Pins held it in place for three hours of church. Now, I just need to get my sister to teach me how to do a french twist for real. And just in case my four readers might go into withdrawals if they don't see my outfit for today... here it is. And despite what it looks like I'm not pregnant. Just well-rounded. :)

Top: Gap

Skirt: Dillards

Heels: Last Chance

Earrings: Dillards

Day 13: Neutral with a Pop

Top: Gap

Trouser Jeans: Gap

Necklace: Made by me here

Belt: Old Navy

Wedges: Calypso St. Barths for Target

I decided to go with accessories for my neutral outfit with a pop of color. I have some bright pieces of clothing, but I didn't want to have too much color. If it was cooler I would have worn a bright top under a cardigan or blazer or something. But this week has been blazing! My kids haven't had recess for most of the week because there was a heat advisory. So accessories it was for me. I wish I had a skinny, orange, patent leather belt instead of my striped belt but whatcha gonna do.

Day 12: Fancy Jeans

Top: Kohl's

Jeans: J. Jill

Shoes: Easy Spirit

The fact that I don't have on anything from Gap is amazing to me. As much as I love that store I need to branch out in my shopping. I am happy to get back to jeans, as it's been a week or so. And per the prompt, I added a nicer blouse rather than a plain tee. I love that jeans can be dressed up or down and a dark wash, skinny pair certainly dresses up well - much more than I did today. But I am going to a baseball game tonight so I didn't want to go too fancy (or change). My arms look pretty bare though so I'm off to add a bracelet or two.

Day 11: Skirts or Dresses

Top: Gap

Skirt: J.C. Penney

Shoes: Easy Spirit

I'm sure everyone noticed that I didn't post my outfit yesterday. I did follow the prompt and pulled an oft-unworn item from my closet and built an outfit around it. But I wasn't very happy with my look & decided not to post it here; I just added it to the flickr group.

But on to today! The challenge was to wear a skirt or dress, which was so easy for me because I love to wear skirts all summer long. They are the coolest thing in sunny Arizona. I pulled on one of my favorites, added a girly top with ruffles and ties, some great heels and bright lipstick. I feel pretty today. And even taking pictures didn't ruin that. I already know I am well-rounded - but I can still feel pretty.

Day 9: Monochromatic

Tee: Gap

Cropped Skinny Cargo Pants: Gap

Earrings: Jewel Mint

Belt: too old to remember

Shoes: Easy Spirit

I like monochromatic outfits, but generally good ones involve more than a top and a bottom. I would have loved to top off this outfit with a military vest so that it was totally clear that I meant to wear all one color today. Maybe this one from Old Navy.

 But I'm okay with what I have on. I love these pants and they always make me feel a little skinnier... until I see pictures of myself. But really it's my top half that needs to lose some bulk. I suck in my middle so much for these pictures! That's one good thing to come of this 21 Day Challenge: I have more motivation to get exercising again.

Day 8: Fancy or Not

Top: silk blouse (ok, polyester), Mossimo by Target

Pin: Forever 21

Cargo Pants: Old Navy

Shoes: grey Keds with neon yellow laces

I love the idea of mixing fancy and casual. And I had a lot of ideas for an outfit, but unfortunately all my ideas involved items of clothing that I don't own. So I ended up with this instead. And I don't really like it, and my husband will probably be embarrassed, but whatever. I like the pieces individually, so I'm gonna go with it. In my head I'm wearing a gorgeous blouse with cut off jean shorts, or a bright sequined skirt with a plain tee. Check out pics of more succesful mixers on flickr.

Day 7: Layer Accessories

Top: J. Jill (remix item)

Belt: Target
Dress: J.C. Penney

Sandals: Gap

Loads of bracelets: everywhere

I threw my remix white linen camp shirt over a dress, added a belt and called it good for church in the mountains today. For my layering accessories prompt I decided to go with wristfuls of bracelets. I always feel crazy with so much jewelry, but when other people do it I think it looks good. So I'm trying to get over my reservations. I had a few more planned, but it turns out I've, ah... outgrown some of my old ones & couldn't get them on anymore. One more reason to take the stairs.

Day 6: The Unexpected

Polo: Old Navy

Jeans & Sandals: Gap

Scarf: Target

Here we are, up in the gorgeous pines for the weekend. In my hurried packing yesterday I was a bit hard pressed to come up with an unexpected way to wear something so I went for the tried and true scarf as a belt. Not super creative, I know, but it's not something I do... ever. So it's new for me. See some more creative people here.

Day 5: Belted In

Top & Skirt: Gap

Belt: Old Navy

Shoes: Last Chance

I love the look of belts but have a hard time with them for myself because while they can certainly make my waist look smaller, they also make my chest look bigger. And I just don't need that. This is my go-to belt - it's a neutral color and works better than most for me. I have a couple skinny belts and would like to pick up some more. I love the low-slung hip belt, but it doesn't really look good on me. I picked up a really cool one yesterday and meant to wear it for today's challenge but it just wasn't flattering. My husband vetoed it too, so it's going back. We're going out of town today so I'm planning ahead a few outfits and will hopefully have somewhere much prettier to take pictures.

Day 4: Color Blocking

I like the idea of color blocking since I have so many solids, but my normal black skirt and colored tee doesn't count I'm pretty sure. So I pulled out the brights today, mixing a top from Gap Outlet with shorts from Old Navy. Then I added my favorite wedges, Calypso St. Barth for Target. I love feeling taller! Check out more color blocked outfits in the 21 Day Challenge on flickr or at Freckles in April.

Day 3: Mixing Patterns

Day 3 of the 21 Day Challenge: Mix Patterns

I always like the look of mixing patterns, but have a hard time doing it for two reasons. 1- I'm a little scared. 2- I don't have many patterned pieces of clothing. I lean strongly toward solids, although that's a habit I'm trying to break. Today I'm mixing a maxi skirt from Forever 21 with a white tee and a blue striped, lace-edged overshirt/cardigan thing from Gap. It's not super gutsy mixing, but it's a start. Yesterday's outfit mixed a blue/white stripe with a floral pattern too. Hopefully I can come up with a bolder mix before these 3 weeks are up.

Day 2: The Tuck

Once I started taking pictures I remembered why I don't tuck my shirts in generally - it's my tummy that I'm always trying to hide. But I do like the look of the half tuck, with a belt peeking through, and it's good for me to mix it up. Sometimes I like to tuck in my shirt when I wear a high waisted skirt. In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm taking on Kayla's 21 Day Challenge.

Day 1: 21 Day Challenge

I am going to try the 21 Day Challenge at Freckles in April. With the start of school & a little more free time to myself I want to try to actually get dressed & put together every day. Hopefully this challenge will give me some motivation. There are little prompts for each day, remixing is encouraged, and Kayla is a fellow Arizona girl - so hopefully I'll get some inspiration on how to wear more than a skirt and tee without melting into a puddle. I know I'm no fashion model, but I do love to shop, read fashion mags, and lately a bunch of fashion blogs & websites. I will try not to be embarrased and hopefully I can cover my well-rounded shape with some decent outfits.

Day 1: Remix (choose 1 item that will get thrown in at least three times in 21 days)

These jeans & white linen shirt are the J.Jill ones I blogged about in my last post. The white shirt is so versatile & you'll be seeing more of it in the next 3 weeks. I found the Bass loafers at Savers for $5 and they will get a lot of wear this fall & winter.