I am fortunate to have joined a talented group of bloggers for the Global Writing Challenge. Each month, we write about a very broadly defined topic, and the responses are quite varied. We recently welcomed two new members to the group: Amy and Cat. The newly revised group includes Deb’s World, Marsha in the Middle, Suzy Turner, Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After Again, Cat's Wire [Cat], Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa [Amy], and me. This month, I selected the topic o

Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the dye sublimation on wood "Triumphant Salute" by contemporary artist Matt Beyrer. She wanted to pick an artwork to "honor our nation's fallen soldiers on this national day or mourning" and chose this artwork because it had an emotional impact for her, and she thought the colors were beautiful...which is absolutely true. source: https://shelbeeontheedge.com/ Since mag

Today I'm continuing with my summer closet edit (the first post saying goodbye to my grey tipped blazer is here). My second item is this navy short-sleeved jacket that I've had for 6 years...I actually bought it at the same time as the grey tipped blazer so maybe it's unsurprising to discover that this is another woven zero stretch topper is also a bit too tight and uncomfortable this summer. It's unfortunate that it's leaving my closet with a cost per wear over my $1 goal,

With the official start of summer right around the corner, I have been looking at some of my warm weather clothes to decide whether to keep them or remove them from my closet. I have started my evaluation with my dressier work items [I am currently on a break from working, as discussed here]...not because any of them are too "business-y" to wear outside the office, but because my priorities are different now. I also haven't worn some of them for a couple years, so it makes s

Marsha at Marsha in the Middle is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the painting "Promenade" by early 20th century German Expressionist painter August Macke. She chose this artwork because she had heard of Expressionism but didn't know anything about it, and her search turned up this painting that she found delightful. source: https://marshainthemiddle.com/ The bright greens of the trees appealed to me, so I pulled out my thrifted Eloq

I have been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks. Today's topic is my choice of Hemlines...I thought that the Necklines

Salazar at 14 Shades of Grey is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the painting "Allegory of Astronomy" by 18th century French artist Joseph Fratrel. She chose this artwork because she was in the mood for a more classical piece after our recent modern artworks, and her love of anything astronomical/celestial plus Star Wars Day on May 4 ("May the Fourth be with you") made it the perfect option. source: https://14shadesofgrey.wordpress.co

I have been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks. Today's topic is Belt It...and right away I was feeling the challenge

Salazar at 14 Shades of Grey is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the 1994 textile wall sculpture "Whirlpool Frog" by Australian artist Annemieke Mein. She chose this artwork because it's still March (celebrating International Women's Month), she loves textile art, and "had to pick it" due to the spring-like image. source: 14shadesofgrey.wordpress.com Weather this March in Minnesota has been especially crazy with temperatures under f

I have been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks. Today's topic is Necklines...and I immediately knew I wanted to exper

Shelbee at Shelbee on the Edge is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the 2020 illustration "Frida Kahlo and Her Pet Deer Granizo" from the book Pets and Their Famous Humans by New Zealand artist Katherine Quinn. She chose this artwork to continue Marsha's trend in celebrating International Women's Month, selecting a "female artist's depiction of another female artist." source: marshainthemiddle.com I picked out items for my base outfi

Today I am continuing my brown color combos series...which may surprise you if you think this color is only suited to fall and winter. But the Pantone spring/summer colors for 2026 include a dark, rich brown among its neutrals; coffee bean is "a deeply roasted bold brown with a smoky, chocolatey and nutty appearance." Pantone specifically calls out their neutral selections as "seasonless shades: a range of trans-seasonal neutrals [that] underpin the foundation." While 202

Today I am continuing my brown color combos for fall/winter outfits series with maroon, a rich dark red that makes a match made in heaven with earthy brown tones. I have 2 maroon + brown outfit examples to inspire you in ways to wear the season's trendiest color. This combination may strike you as fall forward rather than a choice for the current winter-becoming-spring season, but wearing non-traditional colors during a season feels modern and is a way to show your own perso

Marsha at Marsha in the Middle is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the 1895 painting "The Sense of Sight" by English artist Annie Louisa Swynnerton. She chose this painter to get a jump on Women's History Month for March, purposely picking a "not so famous female artist." She succeeded there for me because I had not heard of Swynnerton before! source: marshainthemiddle.com For my interpretation, I chose to focus on the clothing worn

I have been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks. Today's topic is Romance...perfect for mid-February as many of us cel

Salazar at 14 Shades of Grey is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the circa 1870s painting "The Garden of the Hesperides" by English Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. She chose this painter because she loves the Pre-Raphaelites, and she picked this particular artwork because of the " spring-like subject matter (the Hesperides are the nymphs who tend to Hera’s orchard, where the Apple of Discord that started the Trojan War cam

I have recently been welcomed into a wonderful group of fashion and lifestyle bloggers that focuses on styling preloved clothing and accessories in themed monthly posts (third Monday of the month). I hope that this showcase of secondhand items and outfits provides some shopping and style inspiration for anyone who is interested in creating great looks in a way that is sustainable for our planet and our pocketbooks. Today's topic is Faux Fur...and it was a really challenging

Today I am continuing my brown color combos for fall/winter outfits series with green and white tones that bring freshness to your cold weather outfits. I have 6 green + white + brown outfit examples to inspire you in ways to wear the season's trendiest color. In this post, I am featuring a thrifted green leopard print scarf from my collection that has been my go-to print piece for combining green and brown. It is lightweight enough that I can wear it year-round (in all but

Marsha at Marsha in the Middle is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the 1948 painting "Harlem at Night" by American artist Charles Alston. She chose this artwork, which she featured on a recent New Year's Eve "Night at Newfields " museum tour she conducted, because "it's full of so many different things...movement, color, Cubism " and because it seemed fitting to highlight an artist with such an "amazing resume" for Black History Mon

Salazar at 14 Shades of Grey is the curator for this round of Style Imitating Art (SIA), and she selected the painting "Winter on the Marsh" by contemporary British artist Dee Nickerson. She chose this artwork because of the winter scene and the primitivist style of the painting. The scene reminds me so strongly of a winter on the Norfolk marshes...which, let me be clear, I have never seen! But reading the 15 books in the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths, which is