Versatile Style by Tracey

These photos were taken the very first time I wore this jacket and on a much warmer day which explains the bare feet and slingback shoes…

I love the mix of new and thrifted items in this outfit.  The jacket is from Forever 21 and the brown jeans are Diane Gilman from HSN while the shoes and top are thrifted.  I get such a kick out of these shoes and have only worn them a few times when those unseasonably Spring Days came our way… I love them and will wear them a lot more as we move into warmer weather…

I feel like pinching myself when I think about scoring these darling shoes for just $4.  I am so happy to have rekindled my love of thrifting and am lucky to have a new friend who loves it as much as I do.  If you are not a thrifter, I challenge you to head to one and check it out and see if your preconceptions are altered.  I can promise you that most who accept the challenge will become highly addicted!  

I hope to go the the Goodwill Center that sells by the pound when I return from vacation.  I’ve never been but think it would be a fun adventure.  I keep finding great skirts at Goodwill in size 10’s and am thinking if I bought them by the pound for cheaper I can risk trying my hand at taking them in to fit me… I would only get ones that have zippers in the back, not the side… I wanted to try my hand at refashioning clothes before I started my blog and have accumulated all the necessary tools.  

Dear Readers, I hope you are having a great week and know I will be enjoying myself and hoping not to gain too much weight….Refashioning clothes is next on my wish list of things to try… Do you have anything special that you want to do creatively in your life?  Will you do it soon or are you waiting for some reason?   Creativity is good for the soul, so I hope every one either has something or is on there way to finding that something… It doesn’t have to be ongoing, even making one project from Pinterest board is a start!

Come back tomorrow to see this dress and skirt lover style this jacket with a dress!  

Gratitude:  I am grateful that I have things I want to do next to look forward to.  I am grateful for the support of a wonderful husband who didn’t blink when I bought a sewing machine and dress form….I am grateful for learning how to sew (just the basics) and the memories of my mother sewing things for me.  

Today’s look is one I really love!  I can’t say it enough dresses and skirts with boots really make me feel like my best Sassy Self!

This is my newest scarf made by a c0-worker and dear friend of my husband’s .  I love all of the colors in this and how much it brightens up all the darks in this outfit. 

My first instinct was to put my black boots with this outfit and I talked myself out of it immediately in favor of another opportunity to wear my favorite navy boots.  When I first started making over my wardrobe two years ago and purchased a few pairs of boots, I reached a real turning point when these navy ones made it into my wardrobe.  I felt special as it was the first time in my life that I owned boots that weren’t black or brown.  That’s not exactly true I did own a pair of short red ones at the time.  It was a key for me because I was returning to taking care of myself after years of not doing so… 

Here I removed the scarf to show more of the jacket,which I recently washed in hot water and dried on high to shrink and I think it turned out pretty well.  I don’t think it shows up well but there is black gross-grain ribbon down the front on either side of the zipper and across the top of the pockets.  

I have to end with my Sassy Pose which also happens to show the buckles on the side of my boots!  

Dear Readers, Is there any item that you added that put you over the top and that has a special meaning to you.  I think this might be a common phenomenon among those of us who are fashion obsessed.  Am I alone in this or can some of you relate?  If so please comment as I would love to hear from you!  This will be my last post before I leave for my vacation, but please follow me  to get alerts as I will be posting(or my son will be doing it for me) while I am away.  

Gratitude:  I am grateful that yesterday and this morning began with chaos, that sorted itself out by the afternoon.  I am grateful that my husband is secure in knowing who he is and hie own integrity despite it being questioned.  I am grateful that I have taken some time to myself and actually read a book this week.  I am grateful that I have finished the blog posts for next week.

Wednesday ended up being one of those days… One where I never got dressed or showered, but homeschooled and worked out really hard and talked to a dear friend on the phone.  Before I realized the day was gone and it was dark outside, so what to do about my blog post?

Excuse the headless photos, but like I said no shower, no makeup or styled hair…

This is what I intend to wear to the airport when I fly out in cold weather and arrive to temperatures in the eighties… I am so happy with this outfit as the top is one I purchased from Chadwicks two years ago while dreaming of my weight loss, so ordered it too small on purpose..  The pants are one I bought in December at Steinmart.  I found them on their red dot clearance for &9.95, but I had a coupon for an extra 50% off, so they were just $4.50.  My shoes are by Grasshopper that I purchased at Burlington Coat Factory  last Spring.  

Had to show a version without the sweater as this is how I will disembark once I reach my Caribbean destination.  Notice my tan here, as I have been going every other day for the past two weeks trying to get a base before the trip.  I am hoping to avoid a bad burn as this has happened in the past.  My husband and I are both very fair skinned and will of course continue our sunscreen vigil…  

This is a tunic I bought in the early fall when I knew this trip was a possibility and it was clearanced priced. I plan to wear it with capris for an evening look.  

This was bought at the same time as the one above for the same purpose and is by Marc Bouwer via QVC.   I tried this on for my husband with my white capris and wedged slingbacks and he loved it!  

Sylvia at 40 Plus Style  has a great post on the Psychology of Color that I highly recommend.  

Dear Readers, the countdown is on and there are just 3 days until I dip my toes into the Caribbean waters!  I am preparing posts for while I am away and apologize for not doing any live ones, but know the reality that I will not have time or more like I don’t want to take time away from the fun…. I will be taking plenty of photos to post when I return.

Gratitude:  I am grateful that my hairstylist who has the flu will be back on Friday and able to do my hair (there was a scare and I had to schedule with another stylist, which after 7 years of this stylist just felt scary)   I am grateful that I had a lazy relaxing day on Wednesday.  I am grateful for wonderfully amazing friends and the anticipation of a lunch with friendships I have neglected these past two years of  homeschooling (something to look forward to once I return from my vacation).  I am grateful to my dear friend who checked a book I wanted to read out of the library and is letting me take it on my trip.  

I  may have lost my mind choosing this outfit on such a cold day!  We had temperatures in the 60’s then snow the next day!  It didn’t stick, but it left a cold windy Sunday!  

I was really glad to have sweater tights on, but nowhere near warm enough with the sun that disappeared behind clouds and the whipping winds….Next Photo really shows evidence of the wind!!!  This is an outfit I have had in my head for awhile, as I love black with the tobacco colored boots.  I tried this with my riding boots of this color, but they just looked like galoshes and not right with the volume of the dress.  I’ve seen lots of bloggers who can do that look successfully, but think it doesn’t work for my petite height and just makes me look shorter and wider.  No woman who has worked hard to lose weight wants that!  

We spent Sunday going tanning (to get ready for the Cayman trip)  and going through my husband’s choices of what to pack for the trip.  That took much longer than I anticipated and before we knew it, it was time for dinner!  So glad we were having leftovers and were able to have dinner at a normal time.   On Monday’s agenda is a morning haircut and that finishes up preparations for the trip, yeah!  Now I’ll have the remainder of the week to concentrate on blogging and home schooling.  I have already made lists for everyone of what to do, so can have a more relaxed week before the trip!  I hate doing things last minute and feeling unorganized!

My husband really wanted a back view and took several photos, so this one is for him!

Linking up with Visible Monday

Dear Readers, Sorry for such a non inspiring post, but my brain is so full of preparations to leave my three son’s home alone… This is a first!  I hope any of you who have this federal holiday off are having a wonderful day and enjoying the three day weekend! 

Gratitude:  I am grateful to have a 26 year old son willing to take on the responsibility of his siblings so I can enjoy this vacation!  I am grateful that the tanning salon has a special for February for free tanning the entire month(we’ve gone 3 times already).  I am grateful that my husband is packing his own bags for this trip, as I usually do everything due to his work schedule.  I am grateful for taking a break from all vacation plans, housecleaning , home schooling and blogging on Saturday to spend the day at the mall  with a friend looking at Spring fashions (we were at the mall for 5 hours!)   

 I am checking off my list of errands to get ready for the upcoming Cayman Islands trip… I knocked  an eye exam off the list as I needed new contacts….

My seventeen year old needed an exam and went with me.  It hit me as we were finishing up the paperwork that it would be the last time I would have to sign for him as he will be eighteen the next time around….I felt a little sentimental being at that office with Nicholas.  It is the one next to Sam’s Club and the doctor recently changed, but this was where Nicholas received his first eye exam and his first contacts at age eleven… 

That first time holds so much meaning to Nicholas as he was a football player and a great receiver and needed contacts to play.  Despite concerns the doctor agreed to give him contacts and Nicholas was forever changed by that decision.  It was at that age that he decided he wanted to become an eye doctor.   Over the years he has refined it to wanting to become an eye surgeon.  He has never changed it and is getting ready for his first college tour the first weekend in March.  

 Nicholas looking towards his upcoming senior year  and colleges combined with my daughter getting ready to graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree and waiting to hear from graduate schools,means  my cup runneth over!  

Dear Readers, what in your life gives you that feeling of “MY Cup Runneth Over?  I keep feeling like I should pinch myself lately!  It’s long over due as we had a long stretch of tough years…There is a lot of symbolism in my desire to go Para-sailing in the Caymans, as I feel like i am flying lately…Since I am never going to go sky diving this is the closest I will get to that!   Please chime in and comment i would love to hear what in your world make your spirit soar and feel like abundance of joy! 

Gratitude:  I don’t need to repeat it here , so will just say the success of my children!  I am grateful that my daughter had a homework assignment to ask a member of another generation about social changes in their lifetime and the amazing discussion that followed.  I am grateful for a wonderful Valentine’s Day and the week long treats that my husband showered upon me that were not extravagant, but that all say, “I know you , see you and value you”