In my new (but inconsistent) obsession with saving money, I have learned to focus on accessories. (well, sorta) I am really working hard to make my whole wardrobe work, and I have seen so many great bags on the fashion pages. So I have started making a statement with my handbag. I did it in the last post with the mint tote, and here I did it with the yellow satchel. I particularly love this look, because I think it works with my body shape, and I really like the classic casual look.

For jewelry, I added a some bracelets for an arm party.

I’m wearing a Ralph Lauren top, Lee curvy jeans, and my grey booties. And I’ve paired it with a bright yellow satchel, an inexpensive knockoff but it works for me right now. I know people will criticize me because the bags won’t hold up very long. I do want to get my money’s worth, but I don’t need the bag to last forever.

Either way, I really like this look!

My regular photographer (my son ) got his tonsils and adenoids out a few days ago, so I am stuck taking pics of my self for a few days. I put together this whole outfit so I could carry my new mint bag. I think it turned out pretty well, with my vintage blouse, Jennifer Lopez gold jeans, pink necklace from Charlotte Russe, and these super popular shoes from Simply Vera Wang (jeans and shoes from Kohls).

I do have one question for the readers: How can I keep my gold jeans from wrinkling? I put them on, got in the car, and when I stood up to go into Sheets for coffee, they were already wrinkled! Any tips?

I got these vintage jeans at a thrift store last summer, and I am happy to be able to wear them. The black top came from Charlotte Russe on a really deep sale. I bought it because I love the sequin collar. You may remember seeing this collar with the magenta sweatshirt. I love that it is so versatile!

In my quest to establish my personal style, I am falling back on black as a good base. With this outfit, I was thrilled to pair the turquoise peplum sweater with my new floral scarf. I think the outfit turned out pretty well-for me at least!

I admit it, I have trouble putting outfits together. It’s a matter of confidence. I’m still new to fashion, still struggling to define my personal style. I’m not all one thing or another, not bold or trendsetting, but not ordinary or boring either. I love fashion and I want that to dress accordingly. I like to follow some of the trends but not be too flashy.
I am also mindful of dressing appropriately for my age. When I look at fashion magazines and on fashion blogs, I see many designs that are clearly intended for young women. If I wear the same outfit as a 20 year old, it might look good on me as well. Or, depending on the outfit, it might look like I am having a fashion-based midlife crisis.
Added to that is the unfortunate reality that I am teetering on the edge of plus sized. I’ve lost about ten pounds, so that makes me feel great! But now I am halfway between sizes, some of my clothes are too big, some fit me that didn’t fit me before, and some are either fitting or not fitting in weird ways. The waist may be too big, I may be between holes on the belt, or the whole jeans may look awful because they’re too big. Like I said, I am so so so happy to be losing weight!

But I have to make my old wardrobe fit my new body. It’s frustrating. Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I wonder why I started this whole fashion thing in the first place. I’m not quite ready to give up. But I wonder if I will ever start liking the way I look in my clothes, instead of just liking the way they look on a hanger?


Before and after losing 10 pounds. Does it show?

Sometimes a style comes as simply as adding a new color to your look. Magenta is a new color for me-I don’t think I’ve worn it since my twenties! Especially magenta like this, with a little bit of silvery sparkle. I found this sweatshirt, as well as several other pieces, on a recent trip to Richmond. We stopped at a JCPenney on the way home, and they were having a major clearance sale. I may have paid $7.00 for this-or maybe less! For this outfit, the magenta sweatshirt was the pop of color. I am defining my personal style, and I think I am falling into the conservative with a bit of flair category. So I let this sweatshirt be the focus, and grounded it with black leggings, a black mini, and a black shirt underneath. The shirt is a great sleeveless one, with a black sequin collar. I basically bought the shirt for the collar, for the same reason as the magenta sweatshirt. A bit of risk to my conservative backdrop. In this case it was subtle, and I let it stand in the place of jewelry. My personal style may be conservative with a twist. But that twist needs to be a bit fun, and I think in this case the sweatshirt does that.

Currently I am obsessed with saving money for our vacation. I’m doing ok, but still falling short. So I’m cutting my expenses. Of course I never stop wanting new clothes! But I’ve had to get creative, and in rethinking all my style choices, I have realized that I really do not need clothes that are expensive. Of course I want the best! But I don’t need it, and less expensive clothes are fine if you know how to shop.
A big part of style is being original, and originality truly is priceless. So I want a look that is different from what is normally seen in the smalltown where I live. The only clothing stores here are thrift stores and dollar stores-Family Dollar and Dollar General. Walmart is 20 minutes away, and of course most people buy their clothes there.
So to be different, to be original, I just need to build my wardrobe around pieces that are not likely to be seen here. Originality is priceless. Now that I’ve established that, I can move on to the next element of style. I wonder what that will be?

“Style is about confidence. That’s the real beauty.” –@Diane Von Furstenberg http://stylem.ag/10N42ZJ

I loved how this outfit turned out but my son hated taking pictures that day. So I wound up with bad pics of a  good outfit, very disappointing! When I put it on I could feel that I’ve lost weight, and that made me feel great! I’m really trying hard to  lose weight. I had set this outfit aside for a warm day, and yesterday was perfect. The best thing was feeling the belt around my waist, I felt so thin! I know the outfiyt isn’t the greatest. But I do like the mixed print, especially in my favorite shade of light blue.