Archive for January 2016
- In: Gratitude | Green | Mom On the Go | Weight Loss | Winter Looks
- 4 Comments
I’ve been struggling to get this darn 15lb weight gain off…
I told DH Thursday night that I thought I might want to go back to Weight Watchers.
He immediately said , that I should.
Lo and Behold this morning, my friend I met at WW signed back up today!
I look at this photo and all I see is the “middle age spread”
With my daughter’s graduation with her Master’s Degree coming up in May,
I don’t want to look at photos and see this..
This graduation will be very emotional for me, as I told my daughter her entire life about how my mother went to college with me and went on to graduate Magna Cum Laude with a Master’s Degree.
This graduation is my mother’s legacy!
I type this with tears , wishing I could see the look in her eye and give her credit for this!
DH told me he loves this sweater today!
I think that’s because after spending 3 weeks in Ireland we will forever associate this color
to that wonderful time.
I however have always associated it with my father , as it was his favorite color and much like
when I wear purple, I feel his love and hugs!
When you lose those you love and especially like my father when I was just 13,
you hold on with tiny little threads and look for litle ways to tie yourself to their memory.
Last time I wore this swearer with a solid black top.
I think with a statement sweater like this a colum of color or non busy print works best.
I think for the next time I wear this I want to do a column of creme with a turtle neck and jeans.
Alas , I can’t point you in the direction of this lovely sweater as it is solf out…
Self Care
I mentioned one way I practiced self care today, which was making the decision to go back to WW.
I’d say the other way was with my lunch, something a little different for me…
Cucumbers with Lt Italian dressing , pumpkin seeds-
(these have 10 g protein and only 35mg sodium) and a cheese stick.
It’s a wonderful combination that isn’t quickly eatean , but required slow going and I liked that.
Gratitude
I am grateful for the upcomig graduation and knowing I will feel my mother’s prescence.
I am grateful for a great phone call from my daughter after she had gone quiet for a few days studying for her Comprehensive Exam which determines whether she graduates. She was relaxed and confident that it went well.
I am grateful that my daughter also has scored an interview with Boston College Phd program as it will be a great expereince and she really wants to stay and explore Boston more.
I am grateful that my dear friend asked my opinion on some fashion purchases and that I was of help.
I am grateful that a very dear friend and I are going to have dinner tomorrow night and hang out so I can see her house and catch up as she has been very busy lately and I’ve missed her terribly…
I Made a Styling Trick Video…
Posted on: January 28, 2016
- In: florals | Gratitude | Mom On the Go | Navy | Outfits with scarfs | Pattern Mixing | prints | shoes | Winter Looks | Yellow
- 1 Comment
A question came up today among my fashion friends on how to make a dress
that was below the knee look good with boots and jackets as it felt too dumpy…
I’d had that exact issue a few weeks ago when I wore my striped dress to
Parent’s Night Out and this is how I fixed it…
Today’s color for the challenge was Yellow…
I began this with my Old Navy Pixie Pants that I bought to got with my
Steelers gear. I’ve also worn it with non -gear beause they are versatilve…
Here is a way I styled them this past Summer…
I love a print pant because they really make a solid top more special…
I turned this into a Sporty Luxe look by adding my sneakers..
It was practical for my active laundry day!
It’ was colder today so the turtleneck and hat were great for my outside trash runs…
Dear Readers, Pairing these pants with Green and Blue or my Black & Gold Steelers tops are my first instincts…
Of course I named my blog Verstatile Style because I want a variety of ways to wear each piece…
Any thoughts on other colors I should try with these yelow print pants?
Self Care
Well today my husband was home so we decided to give the cottage cheese and fruit a try…
I have to say with just juice from the fruit I could taste the salt and didn’t like that. It was better
when I added a bit of Truvia to it and in fact reminded me of our favortie Peaches and Creme cheesecake.
I however am concerned about the amount of sodium and don’t think this will be a go to snack for me unless I check other
options to see if they are all that high. I did end up eating Pumpkin seeds and an apple instead for my lunch. I have to
the 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds were very satisfying and had only 35mg of sodium and packed a good 10 grams of protein.
Gratitude
I am grateful that I finally gave cottage cheese a try as it had been on my radar for quite awhile.
I am grateful for the fun time trying the new food was for us as our little family of 3.
I am grateful that my sinus equilibrium issue went away and allowed for my active day…
I am grateful for the inspiration to do the video as it was so much fun and for the eager willingness of my son to record it for me.. his support with my blog photos is amazing!
Tickled Pink
Posted on: January 27, 2016
- In: Boots | Burgundy | florals | Gratitude | Mom On the Go | Navy | pink | shoes | Winter Looks
- 2 Comments
Well, Today’s color is Pink !
I am wearing the color, but that is not why I entitled this post that way…
I am over the moon happy at my UPS Delivery of the Day!
UPS brought me these fabulous boots by Isaac Mizrahi Live, via QVC.
I bought them on a day when they were on air with special pricing .
I couldn’t help myself as I had been thinking I needed another pair of flat ankle boots.
I have several ankle boots but they are all with heels and my sciatica flares up once in awhile.
It wasn’t terribly sunny , so I took a picture without my sunglasses, lol
I put this outfit together by knowing I wanted to wear pink,
then grabbing the scarf, so navy ponte leggings was logical.
I originally paired this outfit with navy New Balance sneakers for a sporty vibe.
That lasted until the delivery of my boots, lol.
I absolutely love the boots and they are so comfortable..
My feet have been very happy all day…
Tomorrow’s color of the challenge is Yellow!
Self Care
Today in self care, I’d have to say taking it easy when I had a migraine today..
We didn’t go to homeschool bowling and I didn’t do much at all , resting up is important!
Gratitude
I am grateful that my headache improved by late afternoon.
I am grateful that when my husband came home for a break, that I was able to be there for him to vent over some silly minor work frustrations.
I am grateful that my boots were so much to my liking and super comfortable.
I am grateful for Hump day and being one day closer to the weekend as getting back into homeschooling with my son having a stomach virus is stressful on week 2 back after a month break….
Orange Crushin’
Posted on: January 26, 2016
Today’s Color Inspiration was Orange…
I originally had paired this with a navy sweater, but
as a Steelers Fan, it was too soon to wear anything near
Broncos, colors… Lol
I opted for a white cardigan and felt it certainly matched
our Spring like temps in the 60’s….
This Liz Lange tunic has this awesome waist detail that is actually
white mother of pearl, so the white sweater makes even more sense…
My hoop earrings are orange, and a gift from my daughter.
I don’t think I will ever be able to wear these fringe boots without thinking of
my husband calling them my “Clydesdale boots”
I am loving this color inspiration week and am surprised at how many
outfits I threw together and now have ready to wear it my closet…
Tomorrow’s Color is PINK… since it is one of Pantones color of the year, that’s perfect!
Self Care
Today in self care, I shared some ideas of better self care with my son on his poor diet and came up with a plan of better choices he could be making. It went well and in the process I convinced my husband to do a family event trying cottage cheese with fruit as it’s a great punch of protein and something we don’t typically eat… So, we have an Oberweiss delivery happening tomorrow with more Greek Yogurt (now that son has agreed to smoothies) and their cottage cheese for us all to give it a try… As I am typing this DS just asked me to go to the story to grab some mozzerella cheese sticks… Guess he really did listen! Off to the store, then back to write my gratitude for the day…
Gratitude
I am grateful to my Facebook friend who posted her after work out snack of cottage cheese, bannana and what looked like cinammon- that sparked my conversation with my guys who both were open to at least experimenting with it.
I am grateful for a fun walk to the store to pick up cheese sticks and canned fruit, I also got pumpkin seeds as I’ve been reading all kinds of benefits from them…
I am grateful for a nice day in the sixties before our temps drop and may bring snow by the end of the week.
I am grateful for plenty of sleep last night, can’t ever take that for granted!
I am grateful that my son had another day off school and that VCU is being cautious with so many commuter students.
- In: Boots | Dresses and Skirts | Mom On the Go | Outfits with scarfs | red | Winter Looks
- 2 Comments
This week, I am Getting Outfit Inspiration from a spin off,
Private group of my style challengers and today’s oufit called for
THE COLOR RED
I had this outfit hanging together in my closet as I often have a few,
so knew exactly what I was going to use for the Day of RED…
In my youth, I steered away from red, believing it wasn’t a good color for me…
My husband loves it and over the years I tried it and lo and behold , deeper reds work well for me!
So my Dear Readers, What’s Your Shade of RED?
I added this red leather motto, late summer on clearance.
It’s actually a faux leather or I should say , Vegan Leather, as it sound better, lol
Its a Marc Bouwer via Qvc and sold out now…
Sweatshirt dress (F21), grey boots( Issaac Mizrahi,QVC) , handbag ( just Fab) and scarf (Kroger-my grocery store, lol)
are all pieces I’ve had previous seasons.
I got these red fleece lined leggings in a set of 6 colors last year and never
wore them, so thought why not for today on a day of being home, with maybe a quick walk to the grocery store.
I am not sure I’d wear them on a regular basis, but I don’t hate them, so who knows?
Self Care
I had a meditative morning with no electronics or noise, lit a fire in the fireplace and enjoyed the silence while sipping my morning smoothie. I treasure the quiet in the morning with my late sleeping husband and son….
Tomorrow’s color inspiration is Orange, if anyone wants to join me!
Gratitude
I am grateful for a beautiful sunny day, I kept making excuses to go out to take out trash in every room in the house , etc, just to bask in the sunlight.
I am grateful that my husband was able to change out the turtle tank before he left, it need it!
I am grateful that yesterday after existing on only 3 1/2 hours sleep that I went to bed at 7:00, woke up at 10:30 pm, went back to bed at 12:30 and slept another 7 hours! It was nice to feel well rested!
I am grateful that we got just a dusting of snow and had the romantic pleasure of snow , without the clean up.
For the Love of Wool…
Posted on: January 22, 2016
- In: Boots | Gratitude | Green | Mom On the Go | Outfits with scarfs | Pattern Mixing | prints | red | Winter Coats | Winter Looks
- 2 Comments
I showed a thrifted wool sweater in my last post.
Living where it hovers above freezing with occassional times of just below that,
doesn’t call for owning much wool clothing.
For days like this one, my Old Navy Wool Cocoon Coat found HERE was perfect!
It really is a chic piece, very surprisng from Old Navy.
I’ve worn it once before with all black underneath, this time the added striped turtleneck works just as well.
I think I could just sub out for my tan Ann Taylor jeans for another option.
Playing off the energy level of my delighted teen homeschooler for a snow day,
I matched his level of joy and threw my hands in the air and did a spin around….
He took pictures of my entire antics, lol!
I traded out my fringe boots for my thrifted Naotak boots and my Old Navy jacket, for my
Eddie Bauer for a quick walk to the store to extend our outdoor adventure, which my son appreciated.
We didn’t really get any accumulation, so that was about the extent of our fun, except for the snowball he made, photograhed and texted to his brother…
Here is my third wool piece, my Aran Poncho bought on last years Ireland trip.
I paired it with a Old Navy pants and loved how the this outfit pulled together with
pattern mixing from the scarf.
I love having these colder temperatures and getting to bring out some beloved winter pieces.
I will always love this poncho and the memories of my trip to Ireland !
My daughter ventured to the Primark store in Boston today , which we went to while in Ireland
and I was actually jealous when she told me that all the upper management was in from Ireland going
through the store making recommendations for improvements.
She loved hearing their irish accents and that was what caused my jealously, lol
Dear Readers, Do you have any coveted pieces you love to wear during the winter season?
If so please share, I adore reading your comments!
Self Care
Today in self care, I brought out the exercize trampoline that had been put away for the holidays
and had fun jumping on it followed by strength training.
Gratitude
I am grateful for the fun and delight my son had today with our little bit of snow.
I am grateful for the fun group texting we have going among my husband, myself and all our children.
I am grateful for the daily phone calls I’ve had this week with my daughter as she rides the bus home from her internship.
I am grateful for how snow always conjures up memories of my dear mother who would always sit at her desk on snow days when I was a child and write letters to family and friends ,as she was homesick for Pittsburgh.
Cozy Sweater for Our Cold Temps
Posted on: January 21, 2016
I am a Southern blooded woman, through and through!
I love living where it rarely reaches freezing temps , resulting in not alot of snow for winter.
Right now everyone around us is bracing for the weekend snow storm, while we are slated to get
less than two inches if anythng…
We actually had temperatures in the 20’s on Tuesday, so it was time
to break out my thrifted Talboots wool cardigan!
The marbled olive top is really a super long asymetric hem tunic from Jane. com, but alas
it really was too long for my petitie height, no worries I like it better
by taking the two long points and tying them off the side.
Wearing a scarf, hat and gloves is must even just for the short time
of taking outside photos, I am not one for suffering for my blog, lol…
There truly is nothing better than a nice cozy warm wool sweater and
I was thrilled at how warm I actually was on this day.
I don’t own much in wool due to my area, but a few items are necessary for the occassional days below freezing.
My next outfit during this cold stage, should be my beloved Irish wool poncho from my Ireland trip!
Dear Readers, What is your favorite way to stay warm for winter?
Would love to hear from you, so please leave a comment to make my day!
Self Care
I treasure the early morning hours before my homeschooler awakens and began that time
by slowly peeling a clementine orange,taking in the smells and mindfully enjoying every piece.
When done right, it’s a meditative lovely experience…. Try it, it’s a great way to start the day!
Gratitude
I am grateful for fun texts with my son who went back to college, missing his presence so much!
I am grateful for bowling Wednesdays for a chance to get out and talk to adults!
I am grateful for a toasty warm house and a stack of wood ready for my fireplace to face this cold spell.
I am grateful that depsite crazy 4am awakenings, these past two days that I was able to go back to sleep and catch a few more hours.
Pinterest Inspiration
Posted on: January 18, 2016
I haven’t done a Pinterst Inspiration Look in Awhile,
Today presented an opportunity when a Facebook Group
decided to do this for today and I happened to have pinned this one and love it!
Of course I have the pieces to do this verbatim, but a funny thing about me
is that I definitely like to beat my own drum and create my own path.
I bought this Joan Rivers Leopard Jacket as my reaction to her passing.
It’s on clearance still, but only available in xxs and xs, I actually wear an xs in this line of jackets.
I am wearing my mothers pin as a necklace and a locket that was my grandmothers,
which holds pictures of her mother and brother (my great grandmother and great uncle)
I noticed that I didn’t have my full smile in any of the photos, I attribute that to the cold temperatures ,
as it was near freezing today and that is cold for my area.
Tonight promises to be even colder with temperatures in the teens and highs near 20 tomorrow!
That rarely happens in my area!
If you look closely at this photo you can see the nice button element in my turtleneck sweater.
I am not big on turtlenecks , but picked this one up one day in early Fall when grocery shopping at Bj’s.
I thought with turtlenecks trending that it would work well to wear with ponchos.
Dear Readers, What do you think ?
have you tried a look with burgundy, black and leopard yet?
If not, I highly recommend it!
Self Care
Today for self care I began adding MCT oil into my morning smoothie again, as I haven’t done so in awhile.
If you haven’t heard of this or are interested in why I chose to add this to my morning smoothies,
Here is a great article that explains it all in great detail!
Gratitude
I am grateful for a wonderful month off and family time together, but also happy to get back to homeschooling.
I am grateful that my son took it to heart when I began a writing program today, as his normal behavior is to stall and not do it at all.
I am grateful for a sense of humor in that young man , who didn’t use the writing prompt I suggested , but looked down the list and found one about writing something that bothered you and used it to write about me! I loved it and will take anything I can get to start fixing this writing issue created by his years in school.
I am grateful for my dearest friend and our texts today, we haven’t seen it other much lately and she actually called herself a lousy friend. I reminded her that our bond is secure and that there is no lousy freind in sight as she has been very busy with drama classes and plays for her daughter as well as moving! Hopefully with football season ending we can begin Sunday Lunches!
Weekend Wear
Posted on: January 18, 2016
- In: Boho Outfits | Gratitude | red | Winter Looks
- 4 Comments
For the Winter Style Challenge for GYPO,
one of the items on the list was a plaid shirt ,
which I opted out of getting as I am not much for button up shirts ,
and if I do wear them would prefer a gingham instead…..
As a Subsitution I bought this fun poncho from Jane.com
As I’ve mentioned before things only stay up for a short time before new items take their place.
They did get a similar version back, but it only has five hours left and I am posting this in the morning.
I did post the link on my Facebook page, so if you are not yet follwing that way perhaps now is the time!
That’s the best way for me to post items that I find there as quickly as possible…
We had a warmer day, and this poncho thrown over a long sleeve tshirt was perfect!
I am wearing my Diane Gilman Flared Jeans, bought for this season.
Mine are no longer available, but she does have 6 other flared options, found HERE
I like that I have navy boots (bought in Ireland) that help to extend my leg line,
a great trick for petite like myself.
I don’t think I could ever tire of wearing ponchos in any form….
I do like the addition of bootcuts and flares along with my skinnys.
I mentioned yesterday that my Madi Claire bag was getting lots of use, lol!
Here’s my Game time oufit, which I am now in mourning as my team’s season is over.
And here’s my amped up version with my santa hat and a second scarf ,
which is how I actually watched the game, lol!
Self Care
I think today’s self care had to be doing my weight training in the morning.
I made the colossal mistake of skipping it for a few days while I was doing lots of errands and
spending quality time with my son before he headed back to college. The reason I described it as colossal was it had reached that achy state , which kept me from falling asleep and being too tired to go grab Ibuprofen for relief , made for an uncomfortable night….
Gratitude
I am grateful the support of my son when my team lost, albeit throught texting…
I am grateful for these close quality time moments with our youngest.
I am grateful laughter and playfulmess we have as a family.
I am grateful for the fun we had Saturday night making a fun dessert that some Asian customers served my husband this week…If anyone knows the legitimate name that would be helpful. It is very simply, egg roll shell wrapped around 1/4 bannana and brown sugar. They fried them, but luck me as I have my air fryer which worked perfectly! They were yummy and brought the three of us together on our first night without my other son who had left that morning.
A Trio Of Outfits
Posted on: January 15, 2016
A few days got away from me and I didn’t get a chance to post .
I guess that’s to be expected on the last few days spent with my son,
before he heads back to college tomorrow.
I love shades of orange and blue together, but was wondering all day,
if colored jeans were still in style as I am not ready to retire these quite yet.
My Madi Claire croco embossed leather bag has been gettin a lot of use lately and is still available , HERE
The sweater is called navy, but definitely isn’t a deep version of the color.
It was a Christmas present and can be found here…
Since it is from Evine Live it comes in sizes xs to 3x.
I love this sweater and have it in black as well and bought my daughter
one in burgundy and one in teal.
This outfit my two sons literally laughed at me about…
I was feeling very off because I am just not a t-shirt and jeans kinda girl…
I am sure being so daring and showing my Star Wars love didn’t help the reaction from my boys.
DH wasn’t around so I never got to here his opinion…
I showed pictures at my Parent’s Night Out and I don’t think they thought it was as bad as my boys,
but one didn’t agreethat it just didn’t look as much like my style…
I see nothing but my weight gain here, and am glad that I am back on track and losing,
or this would have been much harder to bear.
I am going to be brave and put this up on a style forum with women who will give me honest feedback…
Funny thing is these boot leg jeans have been in my closet for years and I don’t think I’ve ever worn them,
but for some reason held onto them, something very unusual for me, lol
This was my choice for the Parent’s Night Out dinner.
It was really fun to find a scarf that had the oranges , greens and teal in the dress.
My Orange faux leather jacket with zip of sleeves can be found HERE
I love wearing this dress as it reminds me of my gift to myself last year for my birthday…
Self Care
Since my sprained finger has healed I got back into the swing of weight training… between my concussion , the holidays and my sprained finger, it’s been six weeks of no strength training and boy have I missed it. I love the feeling of my muscles burning and knowing that results are on their way!
I’d also like to add in the once a month Parents Night Out , which is a great night with “the girls” as it truly lifts all our spirits and is something we all look forward to. I highly recommend all women do this once a month for good self care!
Gratitude
I am grateful that I was able to buy my daughter her flight to come home for Valentine’s Day weekend , an extra trip home in addition to Spring Break coming in March.
I am grateful for a wonderful conversation with my daughter regarding her internship and how much she has embraced working with these kids in the Charter school with a lot on the Autism spectrum and how proud she is that she is helping to give them tools to help in the classroom.
I am grateful for this entire month with my son, who heads back to college tomorrow. I am grateful for his excitement to get all his new kitchenware set up and to start using his crockpot that he received for Christmas.
I am grateful to get back to just me and my youngest and homeschooling.
I am grateful for all my husband’s hard work that allows me to arrange my daughter’s flight home and to get my son stocked up with groceries from BJ’s .
Versatile Style by Tracey 