Life lately…
Oh, I don’t know about other bloggers, but WordPress and Bluehost are giving me all the feels. And, they are not good ones! But, life has taken a turn for the better, I’m hoping. We met with a different surgeon today (Wednesday). He could see the problem with Nigel’s legs immediately. Of course, me being me, I teared up at the thought of life becoming somewhat normal again. I’ll spare you for now, but if everything goes as planned, I’ll have a lot more to write in the near future. Today, though, is the third Thursday of the month which means it’s time for another Ageless Style challenge. This month, we are styling “Outerwear.” Last month, Mireille selected “Tweed.” In the past we have worn “Tweed,” “Vests,” “Favorite Skirts” and many other ideas. If you’re curious, you can find some of my looks here, here, here, and here. Next month’s prompt is “Spring Trends!” if you’d like to join us! Please do visit the other hostesses of the link party (oh, yes, there’s a link party) at their various sites!
Four seasons…
There’s a saying in Indiana that if you don’t like the weather, just wait a bit, and it will change. Honest to goodness, we have had weeks and even days lately when we’ve had all four seasons in one! Just last week, we had snow covering the lawn. We had a huge pile of snow on both sides of the driveway. Today, it was 67 (19,4C)! That means no outerwear at all for this girl. I did have on a heavy cotton sweater, though.
Technically…
Technically, wouldn’t anything you wore on top of your nekkid body be outerwear? I’m just joking. or am I? As you can see from the photos, I’m definitely wearing something underneath all of the pieces of outerwear I am showing. We don’t have a big coat closet, and goodness knows the closet in Jack’s room is stuffed. It’s my craft closet as well as overflow closet for both Nigel and me.
On the hunt…
Gail of Is This Mutton and Penny from Conversations with an Older Woman always have fabulous winter outerwear. I have always gone for the boring greys and blacks for winter coats because I didn’t think they much mattered. Both Gail and Penny would argue your winter outerwear is just as important as the sweater/jumper you are wearing. Gradually, they convinced me. The problem has always been finding colorful winter coats I liked that fit my vertically challenged body.
Over the years…
My favorite winter coat is from 1989. That was the year Nigel bought me a London Fog winter coat. It’s a beautiful plum/mauve coat with navy lining. It has a zip-out lining, too, though I’ve only taken that out to wash the coat. I love it because it was a graduation present (from college), and it is the perfect long trench. Of course, I didn’t photograph that one! When we moved to the “Burg, I invested in the obligatory North Face puffer coat. It’s just a plain down filled puffer. Again, no photos of it this time, but you’ve seen it in my posts about Winterlights. It may not be the most attractive thing in the world, but it is warm. This winter, when the windchills were far below zero, it kept me warm.
One spring…
One spring, we were in San Antonio, Texas, of all places when a cold front came through. I had a light jacket, but I knew I wouldn’t enjoy any more of our time in San Antonio if I was cold. Luckily, there was a Macy’s on the River Walk. I slipped in there and looked for a fairly inexpensive coat with a hood. That’s when I discovered 32 degrees. They make the best down filled jackets that are packable. I bought a silvery/mauve shade. I just looked, and my jacket is on sale for $19.99. I think I paid about $50 for mine at Macy’s many years ago.
If one is good…
After Gail and Penny convinced me I needed more color in my winter coat collection, I returned to Macy’s to find another. I discovered they didn’t carry the line anymore. But, I discovered it online, and the prices were amazing. Seriously, if you need a lightweight, but warm down filled packable jacket, this is the one to buy! My original one came with its own pouch, but now you have to pay $0.99 for one. Last year (or the year before), I ordered a short jacket like the one I had in hunter green. The only difference between it and my original jacket was the lack of a hood. I like a hood in the winter because it keeps your neck warm. I also ordered a 3/4 length one in deep claret red. I noticed this year’s short version has a hood again. Guess what? I’m ordering another in both the long and the short.
Just looking…
I was in Talbots several weeks ago, returning something. I always do a quick zoom around to see what’s new, what’s not, and what’s catching my eye. This gem of a wool/something blend coat caught my eye. I really didn’t have a nice woolen coat so I waited for one of their super duper sales, and I grabbed this one for 75% off! It’s called the Sugarplum Tweed coat, and I love it! Unfortunately, I didn’t wear it this winter. I don’t wear winter coats in the car, but there is always one in there. I always try to park in the parking garage at the art museum so I don’t have the bother of a winter coat. And, we haven’t been going anywhere much lately, but that’s going to change…I just know it! Now, I need to knit or crochet a really cool scarf and hat for this coat.
For spring…
I bought this trench coat at Macy’s years ago, hung it in an upstairs closet at the old house, and promptly forgot about it! I have a Tommy Hilfiger black with small white polka dots trench that always garners compliments. But, it’s showing its age so I’m pretty sure it’s time for this lavender beauty to shine! And, the way our weather is going, that may be soon. Of course, the way the weather is, it may only be for one or two days, unfortunately.
The Outfit…
I freaking love these Mid-Rise UltraSoft Easy Horseshoe Jeans from Gap. I have them in a plain denim color, too. Those were a petite size and seem a little short. They’ll be great this summer with cute sandals. I ordered the floral ones in the regular length, and I just love how long they are. The one thing I’ve noticed is they aren’t good on cold days. The wind blows right up those big old legs! This is a Haven Well Within sweater. It’s called the Organic Cotton Cable Mockneck sweater. Both Loft and Talbots carry this line. There might even be a separate website for Haven Well Within. I find the quality to be a little bit better than Talbots, but that is also reflected in the price. It appears Talbots’ Red Door Sale is over so the really good sale prices are gone. It’s always been irritating that some retailers, Talbots included, play this game of raising and lowering prices. Once a price is lowered, I think it should stay there. If you like the sweater, I’ll tell you this brand tends to run very large. Also, Talbots seems to run extra percentages off on Sundays for some reason.
The Lewk!
I wore these adidas München Sneakers in the silver/off white/silver combination last month. This month it’s time for the blue/off white/silver combination. I love these sneakers and would buy them in the other combinations if they had my size! I added two of my Christmas presents from Nigel. They’re both from Brighton. I haven’t bought any Brighton in decades and sold most of it on Poshmark years ago. But, I slipped into the store a few months ago and fell in love with the Meridian collection. This is the Meridian Aurora Necklace in silver/aqua. The earrings are the Meridian Aurora Leverback earrings. Nigel asked for a Christmas list, and I just wrote down all these different things, expecting him to pick out a couple. Brighton is not cheap, my friends. But, the man bought everything on the list! I did exchange a couple of things.
Wrap it up, Marsha!
I am blaming all these purchases on Gail and Penny! Actually, I have been so tired of the grey, black, or herringbone winter coats I have. It was so good to discover 32 Degrees as well as this beautiful winter coat. I also love the lavender trench and can’t wait to wear it. So, can we talk? Do you have a large outerwear collection? Or, are you a one and done kind of person? How do you feel about puffer coats? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, subscribing or emailing! It truly means so much to me! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
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Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World. I also link up with I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop (Esme’s Salon) and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month and the Global Writing Challenge on the second Thursday of each month. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, and Sue. I also host 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month. I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Amy ~ Amy’s Creative Pursuits
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
Bo ~ Bo’s Bodacious Blog
Blog / Instagram /Pinterest / Bloglovin’
Joanne ~ My Slice of Life
Jodie ~ Jodie’s Touch of Style
Marsha~ Marsha in the Middle
Mireille ~ Chez Mireille Fashion Travel Mom
Blog | Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook |
And, now, it’s your turn!
Please link up your favorite posts about denim, DIY, baking, gardening, fashion…you name it…as long as it’s family friendly! Here are links to all of the lovely ladies in the Ageless Style collaboration. Please do visit them on their various media. Link up with us, visit a couple of others, and leave a comment or two! No worries if you don’t have a blog, just look around! You may find a new blog just waiting for you!