Adding Color to Winter Outfits

A couple of weeks ago I featured a simple, monochromatic, mostly black outfit, see HERE.  This week I am adding some color back into the depths of these winter dark and cold days, especially where I live.  We had a fabulous run of weather over the Christmas break, yippee, but then we had a couple of weeks our harsh weather that made us all feel miserable, and now we are finally thawing but the sunshine hasn't returned just yet.  Oh well.    When days are short and we lack vitamin D, there is an innate response to dress in darker shades almost to blend in with the bleak conditions of the outdoors.  For us living here in Saskatchewan, winter is looooooong.  Long like, we won't be done with the cold/snow until May and sometimes well into May, so one has to add color to their life with FASHION!

This dress was gifted to me and I just never got around to featuring it here even though I took these photos in late fall.  Life.  This dress is super versatile and I've worn it multiple times since receiving it.  I've worn it with bare legs, pumps, flats, booties, leggings, and today, I've paired it up with a blanket scarf to add some laying and extra coziness to the look.  I just love how rust looks with my complexion and hair color.  Unfortunately Forever 21, where this dress came from,  is shutting its doors in Canada  but I am linking up a few very similar and inexpensive options options for you from  Old Navy  and Shein.  My coat is perfect for a mild winter day and it came from ThreadUp, a consignment online store, but here is a good wool option from Chickwish and it's on Sale!

Other ways to add some color to your winter outfits!!!!

1.  Bling, bling.  Add some jewelry and sparkle to your outfits, such as these Merlot H & B sparkle ball earrings that I am wearing, or this rose gold watch and  rose gold rhinestone hoop earrings from Guess.

2.  Scarfs, toques and mitts.  So many fun and inexpensive colors and patterns are available.  Check out this scarf  from Old Navy or this adorable leopard  toque from Belong Lifestyle.

3.  Cardigans & blazers.  Inexpensive and easy to style with dress pants, jeans, skirts or dresses. Check out this leopard print cardigan from Belong Lifestyle.

4.  Hair accessories.  Oh my goodness there are so many cute hair accessories out there currently that add a little pop of color to your outfits. Check out this pack of three headbands from Amazon.

5.  Shoes/booties.  This is something I love to see but I do feel that shoes are a pricier investment.  I have a few favorite colors of pumps and booties that I have added over the years such as burgundy, green, velvet blue, snakeskin and gold.  I love my snakeskin booties from The Bay.

What are your favorite ways to add color during the winter months?

Cozy Winter Outfit Formula: Leggings, Tee, Cardigan & Blanket Scarf

I am back!  I decided to take a much needed week off from all social media and enjoy time with the family.  We embraced the outdoors and focused on appreciating the winter season.  The kids had a week off from school and I have a blog post coming up on Wednesday, March 7th depicting what we were up to.  Onto the weekly style post.  Guess what?!?  I was in outdoor, mommy gear, cozy comfort, easy to pull on your ski-pants style over, all week long.  You bet!  No fancy shoes, make-up, hair styles.  No office wear, skirts, dresses, or stylish jewelry.  It was all about feeling good and being able to add or take off layers on depending on t he weather and activity we were engaging in.

Now generally I don't wear leggings as pants unless they are my running leggings which I wear for running.   I do however love how this outfit came together and was perfect for getting outdoors, running a couple of errands around the city, but also throwing on my winter gear quickly without any changes needed.  My cardigan is longer in the back so it covers my butt and pairing it up with a blanket scarf that hangs down also created a look of layers in the front.  I feel like blanket scarves just add just the right amount of  fun to an otherwise pretty basic/standard outfit, see examples here and here, plus the mixing of plaid and polka dots is super cute.  Such an easy style to pull together.   Leggings, basic tee, cardigan and a blanket scarf.  Who doesn't have these pieces in their closet?  When I hit the outdoors, I just loose the scarf, pull on my ski-pants and winter coat, and I am ready to play in the snow.    

What's your easy winter style outfit?

Shop This Look:

Blanket Scarf (similar)

Hue Leggings

Polka Dot Tee (similar)

Fashion Friday: Mini Skirts and Winter Boots

Hello friends!  Every once in a while Saskatchewan winter days are warm enough to enjoy without a jacket, even if only for a few minutes.  This past week has not been as described above but looking at these pictures reminds me that better days are ahead and the frigid cold, -30C to -40C too shall pass.  It's really okay since I had a nasty, nasty spill on the ice a week ago and have been more or less resting on my back or attempting to hobble around, either way not a pretty sight.  Sigh.

As I have been working my way through my closet, seriously so many options in there, I gave this skirt a go.  I absolutely love a good cord/suede skirt in a rich brown color and I own both.  I needed to decide which one was going to stay and which one is going to go.  Well as much as I adore the cord skirt, with the cute little button details, I let it go because I discovered as I walked the material kept bunching up in all the wrong places.  Yes, I tried static spay but nothing.  Bye, bye skirt.  

Regardless I love how this outfit and color combinations turned out and I have since worn this same outfit subbing in my suede skirt, same result, LOVE.  These black booties, linked below, are work horses in my closet, especially for the office.  They are cheap, cheap, cheap and so comfortable (but I will admit they have no grip and I was wearing them when I slipped and did a number on my hip 😓) What I really think makes this outfit pop is the bright hues of blue and red in the blanket scarf.  Below I am linking up great options to recreate this look.  

Shop This Post:

Expression Booties (this years version)
Corduroy Button-Up Skirt (similar)
Ruffle Cold Shoulder Sweater (Wishlist item);
Blanket Scarf: Option #1; Option #2

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.  I hope it's warm enough, wherever you are, that you can get outside to get some fresh air and vitamin D.

A Belted Blanket Scarf (and a Corn Maze)

 

 

Last weekend, also Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, our family hit the road to for our annual trip to the corn maze.  This has become a fall tradition for our little, not so little anymore, family.  It's a time to unwind and enjoy the fresh air, the open farm land, the outdoors, and the child within all of us.  It's so much more then just a corn maze, they have a petting zoo, a wall climb, a bouncy trampoline type of thing, a hay ride, you name it, they've thought of it.

 

Last year was the first time we successfully completed both corn mazes and we found all four of the hidden stamps.  This year we had a heck of a time but the girls were relentless and we spent a good hour and forty-five minutes in the two mazes searching for the stamps.  I was vetoed by my lovely husband and kids numerous times when I tried to persuade them to quit.  They were having none of it!!!!  

 

 

 

 

Success!  We found all four punches. 

 

 

Onto the outfit!

 

 

I layered up for the day as it's been quite chilly, and windy, around these parts.  Plaid shirt, gray cardigan, and then my blanket scarf!  I decided to switch  it up and use it as a poncho/cape rather than the traditional blanket scarf around the neck.  I belted it, belts are so in this fall,  and I love how it turned out, not to mention how warm it kept me.  Bonus!!!  

 

I'd love to hear what other ways you've styled your blanket scarves down in the comments. 

Shop This Look (top left to bottom right)

1.  Red & Green Plaid Scarf

2.  D & Y Fringe Scarf

3.  Patchwork Poncho/Cape Blanket

4.  Blanket Wrap

 

Have a great weekend!