Christmas Couture: Think Pink

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Christmas Cactus Barrette Brooch

Shoes: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Sweater: Sweater Project, Marshalls

Red-y for Christmas Necklace

Bag: Macy's; Skirt: Kohl's; Bangles: B Fabulous; Bracelet: Parade of Shoes; Ring: Charlotte Russe

Top: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Shoes: Betsey Johnson, DSW

Two Trees Barrette Brooch

Let There be Christmas Lights Necklace

Red Bow Wreath Barrette Brooch

When it comes to festive fits, red and green are go-to's.  But pink is pretty merry, too.  Which is why I used it to make this year's seasonal barrette brooches -- and then kept the Christmas party going with blush sequin separates and fuchsia accessories.  Talk about rosé all day -- or month!  

So thanks, December (and Kohl's and Hobby Lobby and DSW) for giving me yet another reason to be self-indulgently silly.     

It really is the gift that keeps on giving. 🎀🎁

A Big Bench and Some Not So Little House on the Prairie Dresses

Top: Self Esteem, Macy's; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Impo, DSW

Bag: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Ring: Making Waves, Ocean City; Barrettes: Goody, Target; Necklace: The Tote Trove; Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target; Embellished bangle: Now-defunct mall boutique, Blue bangle: So, Kohl's; Yellow and red bangles: B Fabulous; Pink bangle: Say What, Zulily

Socks (because everything else gets billing below!): St. John's Bay, JCPenney

Skirt: Modcloth

Top: Derek Heart, Macy's (now with blue and green tissue paper!)

Boots: JustFab; Bag: Nine West, Ross; Purple Potpourri Necklace; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Sunglasses: Target; Arm warmers: Gifted; Purple flower barrette: Claire's; Rings: Express; Blue flower barrette: Gifted

Dress: POPSUGAR, Kohl's

Bag: Apt. 9, Kohl's; Bangles: B Fabulous; Maple Mix Barrette Brooch; Saguaro Central Necklace; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Ring: Charlotte Russe

Top: Jessica Simpson Collection, Belk

Shoes: Jessica Simpson Collection, DSW

Boots: Apt. 9, Kohl's

Zigzag bangle: Strawbridge & Clothier, Mint bangle: Decree, JCPenney; Floral bangle: JCPenney; Yellow bangle: Silver Linings, Ocean City; Red bangle: XOXO, Ross; Rings: Mixit, JCPenney; Bag: Delia's

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

Llama Mama Necklace, Other necklaces: The Tote Trove; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon

Bag: Dolls Kill

Belts: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Yellow bangles: B Fabulous; Fuchsia bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Blue ring: Delia's

Fabulous Felt Cactus Barrette, Fabulous Felt Sweet Strawberries Barrette

Dress: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's

As you can see, I've finally, (insert groan-slash-drum-cymbal-sound), fallen for fall.  I started out in sandals and ended up in boots.  Just yesterday, I was getting dressed to go out to buy beads when I realized that the purple LC Lauren Conrad dress I'd planned to wear (and that'd been waiting in my closet all summer) would be little comfort against the cool air.  No matter; I just layered my trusty black and white pin dot turtleneck underneath it!  It too is from Kohl's, and I've had it for fifteen years.  I distinctly remember buying it along with two pairs of l.e.i. jeans (who else had those?), one red, one royal blue.  The jeans are long gone, but the turtleneck remains a true blue outfit saver.  

Anyway, autumn often means prairie skirts and dresses, and I had fun making the most of both.  It was also good to finally bust out two unworn Jessica Simpson pieces, namely a top I ordered from Belk's and shoes I got free from DSW.  Well, they were free in the sense that I used my Rakuten rewards to buy them.  Which isn't really free, since I had to spend to get the rewards in the first place.  Still, it was nice to slip on the patchwork-print peau de soie pumps with my green POPSUGAR dress knowing that they were a "gift" I got for shopping. 

And now that I've babbled on about my wardrobe ad nauseum, it's time to explain what I'm sitting on.  It's a bench -- complete with sliding doors for storage -- that the husband made for a customer!  He's since moved it from our office to its new home, and the customer was so impressed that she thought the husband bought it.  I was a little affronted by that and said I should've taken video of him slaving away at it so we could send it to her.  But the husband felt no need to provide such proof.  A calm soul through and through, he just took the compliment.    

I'm sure Pa Ingalls would've done the same. 

Reinventing the Rainbow

Top: Mossimo, Target; Skirt: LC Lauren Conrad, Kohl's; Shoes: Lucky Brand, Zulily; Bag: Amazon; Woven belts: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Skinny belt: Izod, Marshalls; Floral bangle: Decree, JCPenney; Yellow and striped bracelets: Amrita Singh, Zulily; Sunglasses: So, Kohl's; Chartreuse clip: Wild Fable, Target; Tulip clip: SHEIN

Rustic Rainbow Necklace

Most of my life, I've thought of rainbows as residing firmly in the realm of the sparkly.  I blame this on Lisa Frank and, to an extent, My Little Pony.  So, when more rustic rainbows with ragged cream "clouds" came on the scene, I was like, what?!  No princess would ever slide down that thing!  But, as with so many trends, those boho bands of color eventually wrapped themselves around my heart.  And before I knew it, I was purchasing my very own ragged rainbow pendant to use in an enormous necklace.  Two rows of fruit beads later, and the Rustic Rainbow Necklace was born (like I'd call it anything else!).  Its hint of hippie vibe says, "I'm fun -- but I also have a social conscience."

What more could I -- or Lisa Frank -- want?

Primarily Pink

Bag: Betsey Johnson, Macy's

Top: Candie's, Kohl's

Sunglasses: Wild Fable, Target; Headband: Gifted; Love bangle: Boscov's; Other bangle: Mixit, JCPenney

Skirt: Trixxi, Kohl's

Big Black Bow Necklace

Top: Hippie Rose, Macy's

Fabulous Felt Pink Piano Barrettes

Shoes: Madden Girl, Kohl's; Socks: Amazon

Sunglasses: Michaels; Charm bracelet: Mixit, JCPenney; Belt: Belt is Cool, Amazon; Bangle: Mixit, JCPenney; Other bracelet: Cloud Nine, Ocean City

Pink Lady Necklace

Legwarmers: Gifted

Once in a Pink Moon Necklace

Top: Delia's, Dolls Kill

Bag: Candie's, Kohl's; Choker: Ella & Elly, Zulily; Bangles: Mixit, JCPenney; Sunglasses: Target

Skirt: Tinseltown, Macy's

The primary colors are blue, yellow, and red.  But sometimes I think of them as blue, yellow, and pink.  The pretty primaries, if you will.  So I put together some pink outfits to go with my new pink necklaces and staged them with blue and yellow backdrops.  And it was a blast.  Even when the backdrops came tumbling down after I left them up overnight.  That'll teach me to try to sleep between photos.  

Anyway, there was also a pink surprise in store for me this week: these lovely trees, which I saw at the post office.  I especially like how they're forming a kind of arbor over the newspaper dispensers.  The pink really sets off the stark red and blue, a cartoonish commentary on how the natural world coexists with our manmade one.

Then again, if that were truly the case, then the dispensers would be choking the trees by the roots.    

Sorry, day after Earth Day.  I tried.