One Fish, Two Fish, Blue Fish, Blue Fish

 Ocean Potion Necklace

Dress: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney
Jacket: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney
Shoes: Betseyville, Macy's
Bag: Nordstrom
Belts: Izod, Marshalls

 Elephant Escapade Necklace

Blouse: Kohl's

Cardigan: Kohl's

Skirt: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney

Shoes: Alloy

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

 Beachy Keen Necklace

Blouse: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney

Cardigan: So, Kohl's

Skirt: H&M

Shoes: BCBG, Macy's

Bag: Xhilaration, Target

Belt: JCPenney

 Retro Remix Necklace

Blouse: Delia's

Skirt: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: Nine West, DSW

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Scarf: Marshalls

Jacket: XOXO, Macy's

Fabulous Felt Folksy Flowers Necklace

Dress: Marty's, Ocean City

Turtleneck: Gap

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Nordstrom

Yellow/white scarf: A.C. Moore

Red/white scarf: Wet Seal

Echoing the eccentric spirit of Seuss himself, this week's outfits capitalize on a fresh kind of crazy.  Skirts in subzero temperatures are just the tip of the iceberg.  We also have a healthy helping of hot weather motifs, as presented by the nautically nuanced cross section of Nanette Lepore's feted (if only by me) L'Amour line for JCPenney.  I had first seen the "fish suit" of the opening outfit (ideal for aquarium attendants and marine enthusiasts alike!) on a clearance rack well before Christmas.  But I waited to make my move until after the holidays, all the while fearing that when I finally got around to my just-for-me shopping spree the treasured garments would be lighting up some other clotheshorse's closet.  Yet, I need not have worried.  I was greeted by a whole rackful of the silky sapphire (not to mention even more deeply discounted) separates upon bustling into JCP one otherwise bleak afternoon.  (Apparently, no one had been as anxious as I was to don a deep blue sea something in the dead of winter.)  

So, am I actually going to wear the dress and jacket together?  The jury is still out on that one.  I realize that they're (probably - because one can never be sure when it comes to fashion) not supposed to be a set.  Although the L'Amour line is crammed with pieces so matchy-matchy that they rival Garanimals, I think its aesthetic is meant to be more about options than one-to-one correlations.  For example, I also have a pair of skinny jeans (posted here a few weeks ago) and a button-down mullet-style blouse in the same kaleidoscope gemstone print.  Upon opening them on Christmas morning, one of my loved ones commented that to wear them together was to enter Howard Wolowitz territory.  Oh, I don't know, I objected, maybe with the right belt . . .   But in the end, that was a catwalk I never traveled.  I wore the jeans with a solid yellow top and the top with solid yellow jeans, and that was that.      

And they say that canary's for cowards.

Dark Side Slide

 Verdant Venus Necklace

Top: L'Amore by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney

Camisole: Derek Lam for Target

Jeans: L'Amore by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney

Bag: Guess

Shoes: Payless

Scarf: Express

Dress: Candie's, Kohl's
Bag: Betsey Johnson, ROSS Dress for Less
Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy
Sunglasses: JCPenney

Primary Pendant Necklace

Dress: Xhilaration, Target

Shoes: Charles Albert, Alloy

Bag: Betsey Johnson, ROSS Dress for Less

Belt: Wet Seal

Jacket: Mossimo, Target

 Nesting Natasha Necklace

Top: Style & Co., Macy's

Skirt: Wet Seal

Bag: Express

Shoes: Candie's, Kohl's

Belt: Wet Seal

Pink necklace: B Fabulous

Top: Macy's

Skirt: Macy's

Shoes: Diba, Burlington Coat Factory

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's

Coat: Metaphor, Sears

Chock Full of Charms Necklace

Top: Free People

Camisole: So, Kohl's

Jeans: Vanilla Star, Target

Shoes: Alloy

Bag: Nine West, ROSS Dress for Less

Coat: XOXO, Macy's

Scarf: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Winter means darker colors and also, sometimes, the Olympics.  I made the Nesting Natasha Necklace featured in this post just in time for Sochi (a city, by the way, that I thought was Japanese before the husband set me straight.  Perhaps I was thinking of sushi).  This would probably be a good time to admit that I don't like the Olympics.  A little bit because I don't like sports.  Or competitions.  But mostly because it messes with my TV programming.  Nevertheless, I was forced to reevaluate my disdain after watching that Portlandia episode in which Fred and Carrie are forced to reevaluate their disdain on the grounds that the Olympics is not the elitist operation that they originally thought it to be, but rather a coming together of amateur misfits who are merely looking for their place in the world.  Realizing this humbled me.  I still won't watch it (the Olympics, that is, not Portlandia).  But I remain humbled.

Not unlike the Olympics, winter has somewhat charmed me, making me appreciate its richer color palette. So, instead of pining for hot-temperature hues, I've embraced the challenge of making necklaces for (ever so slightly) more serious ensembles.  I was fortunate to stumble upon an entire rack of value-priced Haskell earrings at Boscov's that were so outrageously big they all but begged to be repurposed into pedants.  (I've yet to work with the beaded pair, although that's just as well, as they're far too summery for this polar-proud post.)  I also cannabilized some of my own castoff accessories, rescuing the rosy-cheeked Natasha and a bevy of other baubles to make the remaining two trinkets.    

That having been said, winter -- like all such unpleasant things -- is easier to take when you know that it's on the wane.  Indeed, since the winter solstice, it's been slowly yet steadily growing lighter each day.

I've Got to Hand it to Tammy . . .

 Dessert Dreams Necklace

Sweater: Eric and Lani, Macy's

Skirt: Eric and Lani, Macy's

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

 I Heart Desserts Brooch

Sweater: Marshalls

Camisole: So, Kohl's

Skirt: Forever 21

Shoes: Payless

Bag: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

Scarf: Gifted

Sweets Table Tribute Necklace

Sweater: Eric and Lani, Macy's

Tee: City Streets, JCPenney

Skirt: Decree, JCPenney

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Bisou Bisou, JCPenney

. . . because she doesn't have any.  Hands, that is.  I realized how lucky I was to have mine last week when I had something (innocuous) removed from my left palm.  One of the side effects was the formation of a huge, snow globe-like blister.  Although perfectly harmless (according to my nearest and dearest and health care professionals), it made everyday tasks such as getting dressed, opening doors, and typing darned inconvenient.  Crafting, of course, was out of the question. (I made the stuff in this post the week before.)  I avoided using my left hand, so as not to burst my bulbous pink bubble, marveling at my hand-le (ha ha ha) on adversity with all of the self importance of a chick lit heroine broadcasting her triumph over a paper cut.  

All dramatics aside, the incident made me think about how much worse off I'd be if it'd been my right hand, or if I didn't have two hands at all.  I'm going to remember that the next time I'm wire-wrapping or cutting a smorgasbord out of felt.  Also, I'm going to be extra nice to Tammy.     

The Candid Sweet Potato . . .

 Terrific Teardrop Necklace

Blouse: Kohl's
Cardigan: So, Kohl's
Jeans: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney
Shoes: Madden Girl, Marshalls
Bag: Betseyville, JCPenney

Pattern Play Necklace

Tee: Express

Cardigan: Nordstrom Rack

Jeans: L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney

Shoes: Ami Clubwear

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Belt: Wet Seal

 Frilly Filly Necklace

Top: Wet Seal

Skirt: (a dress!) Kohl's

Cardigan: Merona, Target

Shoes: Payless

Lunchbox: Amazon

. . . would be a funny stage name for a plain-speaking, lumpy lady with a weakness for sugar.  Or at least that's what I thought until I remembered Jill Conner Browne's Sweet Potato Queen book series, and the phrase "copyright infringement" popped into my head.  That having been said, I'll bypass the spuds and move on to the sparklies.

The Terrific Teardrop Necklace (and its made-for-me fraternal twin) was a boon born of a pair of clearanced Haskell earrings from Macy's.  I had to fight to get them, as on December 26 the Macy's 75% off racks are about as combat-ridden as the Serengeti.  Thankfully, the only casualties were those who suffered from shopper's arm or a trampled pinky toe.           

The Pattern Play Necklace is made up of crazy-cool cabochons I bought from Etsy's Two of a Kind Supplies and some tie dye-print felt I've had forever.  But I wasn't inspired to make it until I unwrapped my L'Amour by Nanette Lepore for JCPenney jeans on Christmas morning.  Straddling the strange middle ground between an old hippie's tee shirt and an out-of-this-world space-scape, they represent the only good thing, er brand, to come out of the JCP reboot.    

Finally, the Frilly Filly Necklace is a shameless near-copy of the Beautiful Blue Lady Necklace minus the heart beads and plus a pastel bow.  I got the Payless shoes accompanying it for just $10.  I could tell that someone had returned them because they had one of those weird, hand-written tags.  Also, they smelled ever so slightly like a smoker's hotel room.  But I made my peace with that, which was the way to go as they've already begun to be absorbed by the Calgon cloud that envelops my bedroom.  

Maybe someday I'll make something that looks like a potato.