Match Made In Seven: 7 Fashion Essentials Every Woman Should Own

7 Fashion Essentials Every Woman Should Own

Hello everyone!  It's that fun time of the month again when my international blogger's group, "Match Made in Seven," takes a fashion challenge and each of us "interprets" it as we see fit. We each take monthly turns with the challenge which could be a color, something about music, a particular style, etc. This month's theme, or challenge, was chosen by Darlene of aquamarinastyle.com and is "7 Fashion Essentials Every Woman Should Own." In truth, what I'm sharing today might be more in the line of "7 Fashion Items Many Women Enjoy Owning." Are they truly essential? You be the judge! And please be sure to visit each of these beautiful women after you read my post to see how they interpreted this month's challenge! Their links will be at the end of the post. 

So, I'll begin by listing the first two "essentials" which don't require a picture and those would be #1 Confidence and #2 Her Own Sense of Style. Each of these women who make up our group exude confidence in their lives and in their fashion. We live in different parts of the world, our daily lives are different and we are different ages. Yet, each of us are strong and confident women who bring all of our life experiences to how we look on a daily basis. I sometimes glance in the mirror at myself and bemoan a wrinkle or some gray hair showing through and then I think to myself; "You know what? I have earned each and every one of these wrinkles and gray hairs and I am darn proud of them!" Each of our group members also bring their own sense of style to these pages. I always love how we take a style challenge and show it so differently. That's our unique style showing through! And isn't that how it should be for all women? How sad our world would be if we were all clones that look the same walking around. God made us all unique in our looks and our styles and we can embrace that beautiful difference!

Now, on to more "essentials."  I'm modeling a version of "a little black dress" for essential #3. A black dress is such a staple item and I will show how it can be dressed up or dressed down depending on what style items are added to it. I have several versions of a LBD that I have shared before. This style features long sleeves which is nice for this time of year and it also has pockets which I love!  LBD's come in so many styles, lengths, sleeves or sleeveless that it is possible for every woman to find one that fits well and is comfortable. And, if black isn't your favorite color, you will see that you can add pops of your favorite colors quite easily. I'm keeping this look a bit more sedate in the pic with a pearl necklace, pearl earrings and heels. 

This particular LBD I ordered from Amazon and the brand is 24Seven Comfort Apparel.  Because the top of this dress is more fitted I was careful in choosing essential #4 which is a variety of undergarments for different styles. Now, I won't belabor this point as we all know what undergarments are. However, I will say that I have several choices available depending on what I'm wearing and where I'm going in the outfit. So, the undergarment may vary depending on whether I'm tooling around town running errands or going to a church function. I also consider undershirts (Jockey makes a good brand sold at Target) and thin polyester/spandex tops that don't add bulk for wearing under lower cut tops or a sweater, to be undergarments as well as the usual bras. Making a good choice about undergarments can add to or take away from an outfit's silhouette as well as a woman's comfort while wearing the garment. I cannot stand to feel like I am being squeezed or stuck with hooks or wires while wearing an undergarment anymore. I lived through that in my younger years and Debbie doesn't go there anymore!

So, this brings me to #5, #6 and #7 on my list of "essentials" for this woman, at least, to own. And they are; comfortable shoes in a variety of styles, accessories that "pop" on an outfit and pretty jewelry. In the above pic, I'm showing you my pearl earrings and pearl necklace that, in my opinion, add to the dressier style version of the little black dress. The heels I am wearing in previous pics I've shown you so far are quite comfortable and supportive, but also lend to the dressier style shown here. Now, I'm going to keep wearing the same LBD, but change the whole look with the addition of different shoes, accessories and jewelry. See what you think in these next pics!

Quite a difference, yes?  I enjoy finding new and different ways to wear my blue jean jacket and wearing it over my LBD certainly appeals to me and dresses down the style while still keeping the look crisp. A jacket is an accessory in my book. I traded the pearl necklace for a pretty blue infinity scarf and simply took off the pearl earrings. My hair covers my ears most of the time anyway so if I choose not to wear earrings it's fine. Some simple hoops or small posts would work well for this more casual look, also. 

The Mr. was shooting these pics for me (and did a fine job I might add!) but he forgot to get a full length pic of me that showed my shoes, so I added in a photo to show you that I was wearing my blue suede shoes (Aerosoles StitchNTurn) with the LBD and blue jean jacket. These shoes are quite comfortable and look great with a variety of dresses, skirts, pants and, as you see here, jeans. 

For me, I don't have to wear expensive accessories.  As I recall, I picked up this infinity scarf at The Dollar Store and I enjoy wearing it or Paparazzi jewelry as much as more expensive pieces. The same with shoes. If it's pretty and comfortable to wear,  I like it and enjoy finding ways to style these accessories, jewelry and shoes with different outfits. 

So, those are my 7 Fashion Essentials that I own and use everyday to create my own confident style. What are your essentials? Hope you'll leave a comment and let me know and please head on over, now, to see the other bloggers and how they styled this month's challenge!

Darlene of https://aquamarinastyle.com/

Sonja of https://www.yustsome.nl/

Bettye of https://fashionschlub.com/

Anna of https://www.muttonstyle.com/

Emma of http://www.style-splash.com/

Nancy of https://www.nancysfashionstyle.com

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Cassie Cat Chat: The Missing Pencil Mystery

Cassie Cat Chat: Cat Detectives Installment #1 The Missing Pencil Mystery

It was 10:00 a.m. on a Friday morning and my partner, Garden, and I were walking our beat. My name is Cassie; Detective Cassie Cat, #6 Feline Precinct. This is my third year on the job. I’m a Cat Detective and I’m good at my job if I do say so myself. 

Things were looking pretty calm on the hallway this morning although we were late starting our rounds. Garden had insisted on stopping at our favorite watering hole for another sip of water and crunch of kibble before starting our day. I felt somewhat frustrated by this but she’s a younger cat so I humor her. Being an early riser, I had already eaten my usual breakfast and done my step exercises, dashing up and down the steps as fast as I could go, stopping only to rub my head against the third rail. An invigorating exercise that my former cat chief taught me early on in my detective cat training. He had been a brawny Tom, a true Scottish Fold, who meowed with a deep brogue and favored the water dish a bit more than he should have. But, he was a good Cat Cop and we respected each other. “Aye Cassie, do this run up and down the staircase every mornin’ and you’ll be ready to catch five mice afore sunset.” I could still hear his meowing brogue advising me and I purred contentedly at the memory. 

We made a pass through Love and Softie’s bedroom and then on into the study. Garden yawned and looked bored. She had been regaling me with tales of her exploits the night before in the basement and how she climbed on the washer/dryer and then jumped into the window of the family room to watch foxes prowling at night outside. I shook my head in frustration. No wonder she was tired this morning and not in top feline form. No discipline, I thought to myself. She’ll never make Cat Captain at this rate. 

It was when we rounded the corner into the kitchen that I realized something was amiss. The fur stood up on the back of my neck as I crouched low to slink slowly forward around the dining table to investigate. Sniffing the rug tentatively I slowly reached out a paw and, claw extended, pulled back the edge of the rug. 

“I knew it!” I hissed.  “It was here yesterday and now it’s gone. We have a thief in our midst!” My head swiveled to check all around me in case the culprit was nearby but I saw only Garden who sat on her haunches, one leg extended, calmly taking a bath. 

“How can you take a tongue bath at a time like this?” I shrieked. “Yesterday there was a pencil buried under this rug and today it’s missing. We’ve got to find it!”

Realizing that I was close to having a full blown cat hissy-fit Garden snapped out of bathing mode and gave me her full cross-eyed attention. 

“Don’t get your neck fur in a ruffle,” she meowed  calmly. “The pencil has got to be here somewhere. It’s just been misplaced. Remember last week when you thought you had lost Mouse and then you found him under the living room chair?”

I bowed my head in embarrassment at the mention of Mouse. He was my favorite toy and I didn’t like Garden bringing him up. My losing Mouse briefly was a sensitive subject and Garden knew it. She liked to get me riled up sometimes. 

“Be that as it may this is different. A pencil is missing and as the resident Cat Detectives it’s our job to find it!” I reached for my paw pilot and flipped it open to take notes. “Now, let’s assess what we know at this point.”

“We know a pencil is missing and it’s almost lunchtime.”  Garden’s eyes were already focusing on the nearby food dishes or, as she liked to call it, “The Cat Cantina.” 

“Keep your mind on our work.” I growled back. “Pencils have been coming up missing all over our beat and I just don’t understand it. I find them laying on the floor, I bury them and then, poof, they’re gone when I check back. This case is really starting to get to me.” 

I walked over to look out the French Door and saw one of our snitches, “Sammy the Squirrel,” lurking around the back porch. 

“What about Sammy?” I meowed softly to Garden. “He might have seen something. He’s helped us out before.”

Garden snorted under her breath at my remark. “That squirrel’s only interested in nuts. He won’t tell us anything.”

I sighed and thoughtfully scratched my right ear. “Well, I’m out of ideas for now. Let’s head on over to the Cat Cantina and talk about our options while we eat.”

After crunching several mouthfuls of kibble I was feeling better and my thoughts began to flow again like cat sand through the sifter. Maybe I had been going about this whole thing the wrong way. I decided to test out my ideas on Garden.

“We need someone to be on lookout for us when we aren’t in the area. Another set of eyes. Another set of paws.”

“Who do you have in mind?” Garden said between mouthfuls.

“How about Pete the Pigeon?” I suggested. “He’s been a good stoolie when we needed him.”

“Nah, he flew North a week ago. Said a mean crow named Vinnie was after his tail feathers.”

“Hmm,”  I thought some more.  “Maybe Lenny the Lizard? Although I haven’t seen him around the porch in awhile.”

“Told me he was hiding out for awhile in some crack in a building. Didn’t want to be seen so he camouflaged himself for winter. He’s out of the picture, as it were, for awhile.”

Well, that did it.  All of my leads were turning up nothing, nada, zilch. My belly couldn’t get any lower to the floor.  When I got like this, there was only one thing left to do. 

“I’m taking a cat nap.” I announced as I turned to go down the hallway. “I’ve had enough of this case for now. Maybe a good sleep will help.” 

I padded slowly around the corner still thinking when a thought occurred to me. But, no, it couldn’t be. Or could it?  I turned slowly around and looked at Garden who looked up at me with questioning eyes.

“What?”

“You aren’t involved in this somehow are you?” I asked with hesitation. She was my partner and I didn’t want to say what I was thinking. But, she did have a history. 

“Who me?” She asked innocently. “How could you think such a thing?”

“Well, there was that incident with Mouse that time. You know…..ending up in the litter box?” 

I hesitated to bring this unhappy incident up again. But, there it was. I had looked everywhere for Mouse, couldn’t find him and then, there he was, face down in the sandbox. Garden had been effusive with apologies. Called it a “joke gone wrong.” I wanted to trust her. But….she had been on the streets for a long time before joining the Cat Detective force. Maybe old habits died hard.

“Hey, you talkin’ to me?  Your partner? My paws have been clean for over a year now. How could you think such a thing?!”  Garden appeared incensed at my suggestion and I felt half guilty for asking her. I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

“Sorry, sorry. This case is making me crazy. I've got to get in a few winks. I’ll see you later.”  My tail swished side to side as I made my way down the hall to Love and Softie’s bedroom. Soon, I was curled up on a blanket snoring softly. 

Later that night….

A soft thud was heard on the kitchen table.  Dark eyes glanced swiftly from side to side as a black and white furry paw furtively shoved the pencil to the edge and then downward, the pencil spiraling as it fell to the floor.  

Jumping silently to the floor the paw moved quickly, one claw delicately extended, as the rug was drawn back and the pencil shoved under with the other paw. The task done, the culprit gave a quick glance around for safety and then descended the stairs to the basement with the darkness swallowing the stealth pawed thief into the night. Only a soft meow could be heard in the darkness, “Heh, heh, heh…..”

The End

Written by: Debbie Ross

Hope you enjoyed!

Feel free to leave a comment.

Fashion for Hiking and Fun Evening Out

Sharing A Few Fun Outings

Hello everyone!  To be honest, today's post is less about fashion and more about a couple fun outings the Mr. and I have had recently. But, I'll include a little fashion along the way. We enjoyed a really nice hike at The NC Arboretum today before the rains returned. We did a side hike we had not done before which took us through what is called, "The Azalea Repository." In the pic above, I'm having a rest on a wooden bench next to a pretty stream.

We didn't see any azaleas yet. It's too early. But, there were a lot of lovely rhododendrons, unique trees, a beautiful stream and bridge crossings. I like to wear layers when I hike because I can add or remove a layer as needed. Today, I'm wearing a purple Columbia jacket over a cardigan sweater. I had a hat and gloves and my faithful Leki pole. I rely on my Leki pole when hiking for balance. And, I am so enjoying this colorful fanny pack that I bought before Christmas at Sanctuary of Stuff. I had never seen a fanny pack like this one. It's all cloth material in magnificent colors and it snaps and unsnaps around my waist so easily! I like wearing my fanny pack to the front so I can easily get into it. I'm sure it's a fashion faux pas to wear a cardigan that hangs down below the jacket like you see here. But, I really don't care. How's that for style?! Ha!

Look at this unique tree we saw along the trail! I wonder how old it is? The knobby texture is so different looking and pretty with the moss growing up the trunk. The Mr. and I took all of these pics with our Iphones which we enjoy using for photography. Which is interesting since both of us usually rely on regular cameras for photos but the convenience of just whipping out the phone is really great. 

Looks like the beavers ate around this tree and the Arboretum folks are trying to save it by fencing it off.  Several trees had fencing around the trunk.

The Mr. likes taking pictures much better than having his picture taken!

The Arboretum has trails that are what my husband refers to as, "Debbie approved trails."  That means they are mostly level and the hikes are not too strenuous. We laugh at the reference to "Debbie approved trails" but he's right. That is the type of hiking I prefer! We look for these type hikes to do together. He is an avid hiker and can do strenuous hiking for hours on end. But, that's not for me. 

Fanny pack hint: this one is quite roomy and holds lots of stuff! If you can find a cloth fanny pack you may find that you can fit more inside it because it bends and stretches with the objects you place inside. 

So now, it's time to leave the Arboretum and head downtown to a few pics from a night out we enjoyed a couple weeks ago. 

I Love The Nightlife....

Actually, neither the Mr. nor myself are big on nightlife. So, it was kind of a big deal when we went to a concert on a Friday evening downtown a few weekends ago and we went early enough to have dinner downtown. We snapped a few pics along the way as walked. 

It's been such a wet winter here and more chilly than cold. 

We ate downtown at a restaurant called, "Barley's."  It's a fun venue right in the heart of downtown and has delicious food. We have been coming here for years and years.

My outfit for the evening included a little pattern mixing mainly because I chose pieces for warmth. We were attending a trumpet/organ concert in an old church that I knew could be a little drafty. So I opted for these thicker pants and top and then added a scarf so I could stay warm.

I don't know about you, but sometimes my outfit choices just "happen" and I fall into a happy mix. I would definitely be willing to wear these pieces together again because I feel like the pattern mixing doesn't clash and the colors blend well enough together to look OK together. I added the black scarf not only for added warmth but for a little extra "oomph" for dressing up for an evening out. 

And would you believe that I deleted the pic I took of the HUGE piece of lasagna I had for dinner that evening?  I didn't think I was going to use the pic and foolishly deleted it. Oh well, but the lasagna was delicious and we enjoyed our meals and then the concert afterward. 

So, as I bring this post to an end I just want to say a few words about sharing pictures of myself on this blog and sharing fashion posts in general. I'm trying more and more to incorporate whatever fashion posts I do share into a general post about what I'm doing in daily life, sharing a little bit of this and that about life in general. My fashion sense is pretty casual, laid back and, in my opinion, not over the top. It is not my intent to ever come across as a grand "fashionista" or a great "model" because I know I'm not. I'm just a normal woman who wants to look as good as possible while staying within a budget, shopping from my closet and enjoying what I already own. I'll also go out on a limb and say that there is a "big movement" right now for women to wear "whatever they want" no matter their age and while I agree to some degree with this, I also feel strongly that at age 61, I truly don't want to come off as trying to look like I'm 25 years old. I do believe that there are styles which can be age appropriate without looking old and dowdy. There is such a lot of emphasis on blogs right now to "shop until you drop" and "spend, spend, spend"  and I worry that I may contribute to that mentality even though I don't believe it is right and that has never been my intention with this blog. So, I just wanted to share my intentions on that score with you before I close out this post. 

Thanks for reading and I love reader comments so please feel free to share before you leave! 

Until Next Time,
Debbie

Saturday Serenity

New Beginnings

It takes courage to make change. And change is something that has never come easily to me. I resist change for as long as possible until a catalyst propels me forward. And even then I usually go kicking and screaming. 

But that is when wisdom comes into play. Change is scary. But wisdom is gentle and kind. 

Wisdom reminds me that I am strong and capable. Wisdom reminds me that I never walk alone into change. God is always by my side. Period and full stop. 

And that is how I discern the difference between what I can change and what I can't. Through faith.

Wisdom gives me the nudge that says, "Yes, you can." 

Wisdom reminds me of the words in Philippians 4:13

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

And serenity follows. 

 How do you find serenity in the midst of change?  I welcome your thoughtful comments. 

Peace,
Debbie

Valentine Casual OOTD, Valentine Snack Tray and Let's Get Organized

Keeping A Simple Valentine's Day

Hi Everyone!  If you are like me, you enjoy a low-key kind of Valentine's celebration. One that includes a casual laid back style like you see here. 

This outfit of the day (OOTD) is super casual and comfortable with tan corduroy pants, brown tee and a soft pink jacket. No glaring reds, just a little soft pink for good measure! The stars of this fashion show are my new comfy Clarks flats in brown. I have looked and looked for brown shoes that fit well and finally came across this pair. I've been wearing these all day and they feel great! Plus getting them on sale at J.C.Penneys was an extra sweet treat for Valentine's!  And speaking of treats....

Valentine Snack Tray

Rather than creating a tea tray as I have done in the past I decided to try something new and share a Valentine Snack Tray. I know lots of bloggers are into the tiered trays with fancy decorations but I'm keeping it simple. I took a favorite metal tray and adorned it with a red cloth napkin, my hearts drinking glass filled with my favorite diet cola, some pretty paper straws in a vintage milk bottle, and a favorite book for reading. Do you love Rosamunde Pilcher's writing like I do? Her short stories are so good and I read them on repeat from time to time. The cookies, by the way, are a new treat I discovered at the grocery store; Lotus Biscoff cookies that are crunchy and sweet. I think I had these once on an airline flight and loved them! So happy to have gotten reacquainted with how delicious they are! And do you know what else is delicious.....?

Getting Organized

The Mr. is working on sooooo many projects around our house right now and one of these projects is re-working a lot of our closet spaces with new shelving. I was finally able to separate out my spring/summer clothing from my fall/winter clothing and I have discovered what I actually own! It's wonderful to be able to actually see my clothing rather than having them all smushed together and I'm discovering new outfits and colors that will look good together because I can actually see what I have. I'm trying not to be too grumpy since the house is kind of in disarray as he works on several things at once, but, that's how he rolls and I know that when he is done we will be so much more organized. Hooray!

So, that's the news around our house. Do you have any house projects happening right now?  Are you keeping Valentine's Day casual like me or going all out?! Whatever, please leave a comment and have a happy, happy day! Be sure to enjoy the video below. 

Until Next Time,

Debbie

Cat Hearts, Random Thoughts and A Little Valentine Decor

This And That For February

Hello everyone! Today's post is a random assortment of "this and that" to share with you so I hope you enjoy. First up is my meager Valentine decor. I haven't done a lot with Valentine's Day this year but I like what I have done. Since I moved our large blue Blenko vases to the foyer table I haven't been putting seasonal decorations on that table and instead I'm putting little vignettes on the dining room corner shelf and the living room side table. Above you see my pretty pink heart that I have placed against the tobacco basket. I think the basket is a great backdrop for the heart wreath. 

And on the first shelf of the cabinet I placed my "with all my heart" wooden sign alongside snow bears, snowmen and a wooden snowman mitten. You can only see a bit of the stuffed snow lady but she is is wearing a red hat and a purple boa which I think is so cute!

I still have this flower arrangement on display on top of the dining room pantry. I love the color combo of these faux flowers against the whitewashed look of the box. The box planter, by the way, was purchased at A.C. Moore and is one of those boxes that are used at weddings to put cards in. I just removed the slotted top and am using it as a planter! I also won't be buying anything else at A.C. Moore as they are closing! I was dismayed to learn of their closing but this seems to be happening with so many stores these days. Will we eventually have no stores to actually shop in and everything will have to be purchased online? I am not a fan of that idea!!

And here is my little vignette in the living room. I kept out my favorite wooden snowmen and added a Valentine wreath around the flameless candle. I also still have the little round candle holder sitting on the table. At night it is so pretty to light both of these candles and see the glow of the winter scene shining through on the little round holder. 

And that's about it for my Valentine Decor. But, I did want to share this picture of our cat, Garden, with you. I was sitting at the kitchen counter this morning and looked down at Garden and realized, for the very first time, that her black splotches look like hearts! I quickly grabbed my camera and snapped a pic. Perhaps she is a Valentine cat? Maybe we should have named her "Cupid." (wink) Cassie says that is a stupid name for a cat and she, personally, doesn't see what all the big fuss is about! Garden says that Cassie is just jealous that HER picture didn't make it on the blog this time. Sigh.....cats!!

The snow we had here the other day has given way to torrential rains! It is so very dreary and there is flooding going on in nearby areas. We may have a couple of partly cloudy and/or sunny days coming up and then....more days of rain! I'm ready for some sunshine folks, how about you? It's hard to keep up one's spirits when it is so dark and dreary outside, but I am trying not to let it get me down. I heard that the groundhog did not see his shadow which means Spring will come early. To be honest, we haven't had much of a winter, but we have had a lot of rain. And so it continues....

On the reading front I am enjoying two good books right now. I'm back on a "Maisie Dobbs" kick and am finally reading all of, "A Dangerous Place."  I had started this book a long while ago and then put it away because it had some "sad" parts in the series. I actually read books in the series after this one and am just now coming back to read this book. Sometimes, you just have to be in the right frame of mind for particular books and I am enjoying reading this book now. 

I also found, "Our Endangered Values," written by former President Jimmy Carter at our local used bookstore and am enjoying it immensely. It was written in 2005 but has much to say that is relevant to today's world, in my opinion. I have always greatly admired Jimmy Carter for how he has lived his life beyond the presidency-teaching Sunday School, sharing his Christian faith with others and using his time to build housing for Habitat for Humanity. He lives a humble life and is a good man and I am so glad to be able to read this book. I hope that I can continue to find ways to use my retirement for good as he has. 

So, that's about it for my random thoughts and goings on. What are your random thoughts? Hope you'll stay a moment and share them! And remember...

Keep your red hat and your purple boa ready because you never know when you might need them!

Until Next Time,

Debbie

What Do Colors Mean When We Wear or Use Them?

I'm linking to a very interesting post by my blog friend, Nancy Andres, who writes about COLOR and how it affects our lives. Very interesting article and she is sweet to feature a pic of me from a recent post! Enjoy!  How does color affect you?

(Link is below. Apologies to those of you who wrote to say the link was not showing. I tried to do the link a different way and, obviously, I don't know what I'm doing, LOL!!  Enjoy!



https://www.colors4health.com/2020/02/creative-ideas-to-help-us-open-our.html

DIY Heart Tee Shirt and Let's Talk About Wearing Gray

Gray Skies and Gray Clothes

Happy 1st of February!  So, we've weathered the days of January and are now entering the month of all things "love."  These days can be a bit drab and dreary. So, it may seem strange to be talking about wearing gray colors since gray skies are all around us! But, to me, gray is actually a pretty color and is a great basic color for adding other colors and also layering as I'll show you in a moment. First up today is a multi-patterned heart tee shirt that I "fashioned" using a pre-made gray tee shirt and pretty bandanas that I cut into heart shapes, layered on the tee shirt and glued into place with fabric glue. This is my first time attempting this type of craft and although I like the result there are a few things I've learned in the process. If anyone out there is a craft "newbie" like I consider myself you may want to consider a few things. First off, don't go heavy on the glue like I did. Although the reviews of the "Allene" fabric glue say it dries clear it still leaves a bit of residue that shows through. There is also a slight chemically smell. I washed the shirt hoping that the residue and smell would be eliminated. The washing helped the smell but the glue still shows through a bit and the edges of the heart are now frayed!!  This is my life with crafting....nothing ever turns out right and perfect. Sigh.....I decided to create the tee shirt because I thought I could do it for less than the heart tees I saw on Amazon. I did that, but now I need to solve the issues of fraying edges and glue still showing through. More on this later if I can solve these issues. If any of you crafty folks have tips or hints please share them!

And now on to a bit more gray. I decided to do some layering with gray today and wore these corduroy gray pants with a gray striped tunic, gray ankle booties and, as a final touch, a gray sweater with Southwestern designs. I'll say up front that I really like this outfit. Gray is a favorite color and keeping it monochromatic and adding the interesting sweater as a top layer seems to give the look a little oomph. I've shared all parts of this outfit on the blog before with the exception of the corduroy pants which are a recent purchase. They are an ankle length pant and I love the pants but find myself wishing they were a tad longer, but, oh well. They are very comfortable so I am going to wear them! The brand is, Alfred Dunner and I did buy these pants in petite which is what was available. I am at the "tall end" of petite so some petites work better for me than others. Just like today's sizing which can run the gamut as far as fitting or not fitting, the length of pants can run the gamut, as well. 

Here is the outfit without the sweater on top. I like this look, too.  The "tunic" is a shorter dress but I prefer to have my legs covered either with pants, leggings or tights when I wear it. The material is soft and warm. In fact this whole outfit is perfect for a chilly day! And speaking of chilly days, we finally got some winter weather yesterday. 

This was our front yard yesterday. I felt like we lived in a snow globe with the snow falling fast and furious outside our windows. It was so pretty. It didn't last long, though. By afternoon it warmed up and began raining and the rain washed all of the pretty snow away! And I hear that on Monday we will have temps close to 70 degrees! The weather is all over the place lately. 

Here's a short video of the snow falling yesterday. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you are doing any crafting and if you have some gray in your closet you enjoy wearing! I love comments from my readers. 

Until Next Time,
Debbie