Pattern Mixing - Gingham and Florals

"Stone nuts!"

Pigtails said as she pointed to something on the table.

Camouflage and I looked at each other, "what?"

"She wants those stones,"

Princess Sparkles said as she pointed to the scones sitting on the table.

Good thing someone (sorta) speaks "Pigtails."

GINGHAM SHIRT - Old Navy
NAVY NURSING TANK - Motherhood Maternity
FLORAL SKIRT - H&M (swapped)
PINK WEDGE HEELS - Seychelles

Monday's Inspiration - Emma Watson

This is the outfit I wore last week.  I was excited to wear something "springy."  Then it rained.  And I ended up changing into jeans and a sweatshirt (ssshhhh).  After seeing my blog friend Gracey mix patterns, I was inspired to wear gingham with floral.  The shirt is from last year's Old Navy clearance, and the skirt is something I got from my friend, Gingham, during a clothing swap!  I added the pink shoes because I love the color with navy.

Pigtails and Princess Sparkles eat "stone nuts."

Pattern mixing is like speaking a foreign language.  Sometimes it feels a little unnatural.  If only I had a "fashion translator" to guide me!

Gingham Shirt and White Jeans - Thrifty Thursday



GINGHAM SHIRT - Lauren by Ralph Lauren (Thrifted)
BLACK SWEATER - Motherhood Maternity
WHITE JEANS - James Jeans
EARRINGS - Amrita Singh
BLACK STUDDED CLOGS - Forever 21

Princess Sparkles is very excited because next month she will get to be the flower girl in my cousin's wedding.  I asked her what she will be doing at the wedding and she told me "dance."  You see, since Princess Sparkles has been able to walk she's been dancing at weddings.  She can go all night and she really loves dancing with the bride and groom!

Sparkles in her flower girl dress

Today is a very Thrifty Thursday since it's "Thursdays are for Thrifters" over at Spunky Chateau and "Thrift" day for Everybody, Everywear.  They're making it easier for me since they have the same theme and I don't have to worry about combining challenges.

I decided to wear my thrifted Ralph Lauren gingham shirt with white jeans and a sweater.  I was so excited when I found this shirt because I love gingham and the bright blue color is perfect for year-round wearing.  And it's petite which means the sleeves actually are the right length!

Anyway, I love thrifting.  There's no bigger high than finding a treasure for a really great deal.  And for a shopaholic like myself, thrifting is a budget friendly way to do what I enjoy and not go broke!  Even Princess Sparkles likes thrifting, though probably not quite as much as dancing at weddings!

Madras Skirt, T-shirt, and Gingham Wedges - Inspiration Monday

MADRAS SKIRT - CAbi
GRAY T-SHIRT - California Vintage
RED BELT - Thrifted
WHITE BRACELET - Cara
WHITE WATCH - Sprout
GINGHAM WEDGES - Payless

Monday's Inspiration:
America Ferrera

We're back!  We actually made it to and from Rhode Island!  I did have a small breakdown in the airport when United Airlines told me they couldn't change my seats (we all were assigned middle seats, including my 3-year old, and myself with the lap infant).  But at the last moment, they arranged it so we could sit together.  Phew!  Please just make sure to follow up with the airlines, because even if Orbitz says you can "pick your seats," it does not mean you actually have them.

My girls were good though, and by some miracle, they both fell asleep on the plane and it was actually a pleasant trip.  I even got in a quick nap and was able to read my book!  We had such a nice trip, and it was a gorgeous wedding.  I'll definitely do a post with some pictures of Newport and the fun activities we experienced!

Today is "Inspiration Monday" from the ladies at Two Birds.  I really liked todays pick, it's America Ferrera and she's wearing a cute A-line skirt with a t-shirt.  How fun!  I chose to wear my madras skirt and a gray t-shirt I got at Nordstrom Rack quite a few years ago.  And because I love to mix patterns, I decided to go with the red and white gingham wedges!

Anyway, I love having inspiration for outfits.  It makes getting dressed fun and easy, unlike sitting on a plane with a squirmy infant and a 3-year old who needs to pee and there's a huge line of people!

HEART NECKLACE - Jaclyn1423
(this necklace would go perfectly with my outfit!!!)


***Last day to join my giveaway!  Thanks to everyone who participated!  I'll be announcing the winner on Wednesday!  And don't forget your discount if you shop Jaclyn1423... 14spinningthreads23!

Striped Blazer, White Denim Capris and Red Gingham Wedges

STRIPED BLAZER - Loft
WHITE DENIM CAPRIS - Express
NAVY TANK TOP - Old Navy
RED BELT - Thrifted (Thanks, Mom!)
GINGHAM WEDGES - Payless
SUNGLASSES - Fierce left them in my car :)

Today I went shopping with my best friend, Plaid, to celebrate her birthday.  I always find it amusing how we get along so well yet are so completely different.  We're in a store and Plaid is looking at neutral colored cardigans, flannels, and white tank tops, while I'm pulling out tribal print shorts, feather earrings and lacy dresses!  But regardless, we always have a fun time, and the good thing is we never have to worry about showing up somewhere in the same outfit.

I decided to wear my striped blazer because, well, I haven't worn it in a while and it was overcast.  I originally paired it with light blue rolled up jeans, but later decided it looked better with white capri ones.  I also decided to mix prints by pairing the stripes with my new gingham wedges from Payless.  Payless was having a BOGO 1/2 off sale so I couldn't help myself and had to buy 2 pairs of wedges.  These were the 1/2 off ones and ended up being only $7.50!!!

Obviously I have a shoe obsession.  Or addiction.  Whatever.  There are probably worse things, right? (just nod your head)  And while I'm at it I'll leave you with one more pair of shoes I've been scoping out (in case Camouflage wants to give me an "I love you" gift).  They're on sale and they look almost identical to the Jeffrey Campbell ones which are almost $100 more!  And if you end up buying them too?  Let's just try not to wear them at the same place at the same time, deal? 

FLORAL WEDGES - $22.50


 

3 Ways to Wear Red Jeans

RED SKINNY JEANS - Little Big
WHITE TANK - Loveappella
YELLOW CARDIGAN - Gap Outlet
DAISY STUD HEELED CLOGS - Forever 21

NAVY/WHITE GINGHAM SHIRT - Old Navy
NAVY/RED/PINK HEELS - Charlotte Russe

OLIVE JACKET - Old Navy
BLACK STRAPPY WEDGES - Colin Stuart

Today is a rainy day.  In fact, it made me NOT want to get out of bed but just snuggle with the girls and watch TV.  I actually think Princess Sparkles would've gone for that (though we would've had to watch her cartoons), but Pigtails would've wanted to run around so that probably wouldn't have worked anyway.   

Obviously these pictures were not taken today.  I took them over the weekend in preparation for my "3 Ways to Wear" post.  I love my skinny red jeans, but I will say I was intimidated by them.  What do you wear with them?  Surprisingly I found that they're actually quite versatile.  Here are some things I tried...

BRIGHT COLORS

- you can wear a bright cardigan like this sunny yellow one.  Or I'm thinking even aqua or purple might pair nicely with it.  If that's too intimidating, you can always just use an accent piece like a purse or statement necklace (turquoise would be lovely!).

PATTERNS

- I wore a blue and white gingham shirt from Old Navy.  But in the past I also paired a black and white polka dot shirt, a navy/white striped shirt and a striped tan and black shirt with some red pants (check those out here and here).

NEUTRALS

- obviously white, black and tan are fabulous with red.  In fact, I kept gravitating toward my white shirt.  I decided to try olive, and despite my fear that it might be slightly "Christmas-y," I just went for it.

Anyway, red jeans are fun and I think everyone should at least try them!  Plus you can wear them in spring or fall, or rainy days in spring that seem like fall!

Gingham Shirt, Olive Tuxedo Shorts and Magic Heels

NAVY/WHITE GINGHAM SHIRT - Old Navy
OLIVE TUXEDO SHORTS - Lux Lux (Thanks, Fierce!)
THIN RED BELT - Forever 21
NAVY/RED/ROSE HEELS - Charlotte Russe

Princess Sparkles has really been into magic lately.  She loves to wave her wand around and say "exsta" or "magic azeda."  I'm not sure what that means exactly, but I'm assuming it's her version of "bibbidi bobbidi boo!"  She pretends to hide things and make them reappear.  Just wish she'd magically clean up her toys! 

Because I've been wearing dresses practically every week to church I decided I'd change it up a bit and wear shorts.  I got this Old Navy shirt last week for $7 in the clearance section.  I'd been wanting a gingham shirt and I liked how thin this one was.  I paired it with these tuxedo shorts and the sky high heels I got for my birthday from Fierce, Fedora and Fancy.

I gotta say, I love wearing heels.  There's something about them that make me feel confident.  Maybe it's the extra 4-5 inches, or how my legs look more toned in them.  These ones are surprisingly comfortable and match more than you'd think.  The only thing is they can be challenging when I'm carrying Pigtails down the slight incline, walking on the balls of my feet to not make too much noise as we sneak into church late.  It's a miracle I don't trip.  Or maybe it's just magic.