Sunflowers and Roses

Skirt: Celebrity Pink, Marshalls; Bag Nine West, Ross

Tights: Worthington, JCPenney

Top: Say What?, JCPenney

Shoes: Mix No. 6, DSW

Maple Mix Barrette Brooch

Top: SHEIN

Cardigan and tee: So, Kohl's; Shoes: Jessica Simpson, DSW

Necklace: The Tote Trove

Love bangle: Boscov's; Black bangle and flower ring: Mixit, JCPenney; Pink bracelet: Crown & Ivy, Belk

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Sunglasses: Target; Big necklace: INC, Macy's

Tights: HUE, Amazon

Top and skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Floral bangle: Zulily; Black bangle: Petite Sophisticate; Zigzag bangle: Bloomingsales Florist and Gift Shop; Other bangles: Mixit, JCPenney; Heart ring: Delia's; Bag: LC Lauren, Kohl's

Skirt: Wild Fable, Target; Top: Decree, JCPenney; Headband: INC, Macy's

Shoes: Jessica Simpson, Amazon

Blazer: The Limited

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Amazon

Lipstick: Revlon ColorStay Matte Crayon, Mile High, Walgreens 

Tights: HUE, Amazon

Leah Leaf Necklace

Kimono: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Scrunchie: So, Kohl's; Pink necklace: H&M; Other necklace: The Tote Trove

Bag: Ella & Elly, Zulily; Bangles: Mixit, JCPenney; Ring: Express 

Sweater: So, Kohl's; Jeans: Universal Threads, Target

Boots: UNIONBAY, Kohl's; Bag: Princess Vera, Kohl's

Necklaces: The Tote Trove.  Also, the best -- or worst -- in photobombing, courtesy of the husband.

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Bags: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Cream bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Coral bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Pink: Don't Ask, Zulily

Boots: LC Lauren Conrad

Sunflowers and roses aren't really for fall, even if these golds and fuchsias are.  But then again, by most people's standards, it's not even fall anymore anyway -- it's Christmas!  Leave it to me to go all in on autumn just as everyone else is hauling out holly.  

Speaking of the holidays, the great shopping ban of (a very small portion) of 2022 has ended!  Blame it on the biggest shopping season of the year or on my having willpower as weak as flat root beer, but I made it a whole three months until I caved and bought the above LC Lauren Conrad dress, boots, and bag to wear for Thanksgiving.  Still, brief as it was, the exercise gave me a chance to style what I had in new ways and also to be a more sensible splurger (the words "sensible" and "splurger" being, of course, relative).  But best of all, my new outfit inspired me to make this Big Pink Bow Barrette Brooch, a variation on the necklaces I used to churn out years ago:  

Big Pink Bow Barrette Brooch

While I was thinking pink, I decided to try a new lipstick too, namely this Revlon ColorStay Matte Lite Crayon in Mile High.  Although I was hesitant to sub out my usual (also Revlon) Super Lustrous Creme Cherries in the Snow, I have to admit that this Barbie shade's a nice alternative.  Also, bonus of bonuses, it tastes a tiny bit like birthday cake frosting.

So here's to celebrating summer flowers all fall.  And to pushing off the poinsettias -- at least until January.        

Limited Edition Magician

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Naughty Monkey, Zulily; Bag: T-Shirt & Jeans, Zulily 

Okay, so maybe I can't pull a rabbit out of a hat or guess that your card was the king of clubs as you drink your slot machine win in the form of your umpteenth martini.  But I can turn an old necklace into something at least half as interesting as a limitless row of rainbow scarves.  I recently went through an old box of costume jewelry that my sister gave me.  And one of the things in it was this super long, super '90s necklace of our mom's from The Limited.  Even back then, I thought the name of that store was pretentious.  Limited what, exactly?  Overpriced, pleat-front khakis?  Anyway, I remember this necklace very clearly -- as clearly, some may say, as the acrylic emeralds dangling so artistically from its industrial chain.  I'd always thought it was super glam, but looking at it all these years later turned out to be anticlimactic.  For instance, where was the color?  Had decades of outfit curating and crafting desensitized me to the wonders of a vintage, albeit earth-tone bauble from an iconic-yet-now-defunct chain store?  Had I finally become -- gasp -- too pretentious for The Limited? 

Maybe.  In that ironic, hipster way of thinking that my own craft supply stash was superior to a business that once turned a profit.  Nevertheless, it was to that very supply stash I turned.  And what I found was this neon pink satin-by-which-of-course-I-mean-polyester ribbon.  It was just the thing to set off the neutral bronze, smoke, and champagne of those honkin' faux emeralds.  Because ribbons, it seems, are the way to rev any kind of dying engine.  

Maybe someday my niece will sort through a box of my old stuff, fish out a necklace, and find it wanting.  Maybe she'll think it's too colorful and proceed to hack away miles of candy-colored ribbon.  The point is that she'll be jazzed to make it her own.  As well as be mortified that she's related to someone who says things like "jazzed."  And that's great because -- brace yourself for an inspirational poster moment -- the real magic of any style/art/scavenging enterprise is in the creating. 

Which is lucky because it beats sawing a lady in half.     

Supper Served Up Soft (and Also, Some Rainbows)

 Fabulous Felt Steak Supper Necklace

Dress: JCPenney

Shrug: The Limited, Marshalls

Shoes: Alloy

Bag: DSW

Belt: Apt. 9, Kohl's

 Fabulous Felt Ham it Up Necklace

Top: Bisou, Bisou, JCPenney

Skirt: Bar III, Macy's

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Marshalls

 Sedate Sparkler Necklace

Top: Candie's, Kohl's

Skirt: Marilyn Monroe, Macy's

Shoes: Betseyville

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

Belt: Izod

 Fabulous Felt Shooting Stars Barrette

Top: Victoria's Secret

Skirt: Modcloth

Shoes: Betseyville, Macy's

Bag: Kenneth Cole Reaction

Jacket: Vanilla Star, Kohl's

Fabulous Felt Shooting Stars Necklace

Dress: Macy's

Shoes: Worthington, JCPenney

Bag: Marshalls

Wallet: Betsey Johnson

Scarf: Boscov's

Sad is the day when all of your meat and potatoes merch disappears from your web site.  Oh, sure.  It's nice to know that someone out there is rocking your flavorful felt rendition of a 1950s-style square meal around her neck or in her side part.  But it's also a bummer to not be able to log on to your humble corner of Etsy and see said supper waiting to serve as some clotheshorse's main course.  So, for all those kooky carnivores out there (but mostly, as I said, for me), I crafted more crazy collars.  As the good people at Hillshire Farms would've said during their last ad campaign, "Go meat!"

Naturally, I made a daintier, bead-bedecked version of my erstwhile Fabulous Felt Steak Dinner Necklace. But I also made the Fabulous Felt Ham it Up Necklace.  I'm not ashamed to admit that this portrait of pork was inspired by none other than my healing hand wound.  Round and pink, it had a reddish, slightly off-center circle that made me think of a cartoon Christmas ham.  If that's not an example of art emerging from adversity, then I don't know what is.