New Additions to my Closet- Blogger Clothing Swap

Love love love a good old fashioned clothing swap! Not only is it an opportunity to clean out my closet but it's also a chance to add something new (new to me anyway,) without having to pay for it! Anyway, here are a few of the items I scored...

I told myself that I really needed to get more pattern into my life and this adorable strapless dress will certainly do the trick. It's fitted through the waist and gets fuller on the bottom and I may have to hem it a few inches but other than that it's a perfect fit! Normally I would save a print like this for summer, but I'm dieing to wear it now. Being in Texas, you never know when that random 80 degree day will show up in November...

So, I probably don't need another small bag but this Loeffler Randall for Target clutch was so pretty! It was the first item I grabbed and the previous owner had never used it! I'm crazy for the woven texture and gold lining!

This is actually a romper...so cute! It had not been grabbed at the end of the swap and I was convinced by my friend Andrea, the swap host and the romper's last owner, that I should take it. This is again a bit out of my style range but I couldn't resist! I'm thinking of pairing it up with tights, a cardigan and maybe some cute flats to make it winter worthy.

I got a few more items but had to remind myself that I really didn't have room in my closet to replace all the items I'd gotten rid of!
J.

Mixing it up in my Closet-Television Inspiration

This morning I watched and became obsessed with the show, Man Shops Globe on the Sundance channel. It chronicles Keith Johnson as he hunts the world for incredible, one of a kind home decor...can you say dream job?!? Anyway, one episode follows him through Turkey where he finds a textile designer/seamstress who creates, by mixing and matching antique rugs and other textured fabrics, the most beautiful pillows for him...

(Photo from www.sundancechannel.com)
The results were incredible!!! It also had me wanting to do a little mixing and matching myself. So after a little digging, I unearthed 2 pieces I rarely wear out of my closet. The first was a dress with the most lovely sort of leafy Greek pattern in silver and black...

I actually love this dress but worn by itself, it really comes across as more of a party dress due to the shine of the fabric and slight bubble hem. The second item was a top that someone once had called a "popcorn" shirt because of the texture...

I have never worn this shirt! It too has a shiny sheen and I have never been successful in pairing it with anything. In fact, I have probably put it in and pulled it out of the Goodwill pile at least three times!

But with the dress (as a skirt,) it pulled off the textural, eclectic look that I had been going for. The suede of the boots toned down the shine and kept me warm. (It has finally been cool enough to pull them out.)

My look wasn't near as colorful as the amazing kilim rugs on the show, but the mix was certainly on par...minus the goat hair he was intent on using...although I did consider an ostrich feather necklace... (With an up do, it's still not out of the question.)
J.

In My Closet-New Boots and a Memorable Shirt

I love a bargain! Especially when it comes in the form of footwear like these boots...

Talk about being at the right place at the right time! I found these little darlings for $10 at a local shop that was going out of business and I happened to be there on the very last day they were open. (Not that I was happy to see a boutique close, but it was because the owner was retiring, not due to the economy.) Soft cognac suede and military detail, how could I go wrong?

Normally I pair them with denim and usually a tee, and they look great with my thrifted olive shirt dress, but I wanted to dress them up without going with the full on military trend.

So I pulled out a shirt that I rarely wear. It's way more pattern than I usually cover myself in, but I always get tons of compliments on it. Hmm...maybe I don't wear it often because it seems as though it's so "memorable." As in "Oh, she's wearing that shirt...again..."

Anyway, it is really pretty and has great beading on it as well...

(Close up of the beading.)
Not that I don't want to be "memorable." I mean, who doesn't?

But now that I think about it, who hasn't purchased that special dress for a friend's wedding and then a few months later contemplate wearing it to another friend's wedding (or other special occasion,) but don't because you don't want to be caught in the same dress...am I the only one who thinks this way?
All this being said, it's not as if it doesn't ever get worn again, especially if your boyfriend is like mine...I could add a belt to a shirt and jeans (or said dress) that I've worn a million times and he'll ask me where/when I got that new outfit...
Yup.
J.

Forgotten In My Closet

I swear my closet is a treasure trove of surprises! As I was cleaning it out and doing the mandatory summer to winter swap, I came across this top that I had purchased this past summer at a 50% off sale...

I got it for something like $22 - or was it $12? Either way it was a bargain. While the oversized style isn't something I usually go for, the not quite olive color, super soft fabric and details made me fall for it. I had only worn it once and then it disappeared into the depths of that all too small space of a wardrobe.

(Back view.) I love the rusching down the back, it sort of becomes skeletal. To top it all off, it's so comfortable which, after a few weeks of crazy allergies, is exactly what I've been needing.

So what amazing finds have you lost and refound in your closet?
J.

Halloween Preparations

Hooray! Autumn is here! And along with cooler weather comes preparations for that all time favorite holiday, Halloween. So a Saturday of crafts with the family it was...

Anything that can potentially create a fun mess was pulled from the art box, paint, glue, fabric, glitter, you name it, we had it. (And thankfully it was not at my house...)

Who says a pumpkin has to be orange?

We made plenty of ghosts to hang from the trees...

My nephew's idea of a scary pumpkin. You can never have too many google eyes!

What Halloween preparations are you making?
J.

Closet Double Debut

I let my inner child talk me into a strawberry waffle today...

(Gratuitous food shot.) Oh local Pancake House, you make me wonder why I ever skip breakfast!

Anyway, this is sort of a double debut. I purchased this dress in June and posted it then, but have since shortened it. (Now that I look at the pictures, I'm wondering if I need to shorten the sleeves as well.) Since the weather is finally cooling down, today was the perfect day to finally wear it. I picture it with tights but it's still a little to warm for them...

I love the length now and I predict it will be on heavy rotation this winter. (Notice different background finally!)

Also making their first showing are these boots from Urban Outfitters...

I purchased them online last month but they are too big and I've been debating about whether or not to return them. The problem is, I have a really small foot (I ordered the smallest size,) and I really like them! But after playing around with various sock thickness I decided that they work too well with my closet, are very comfortable and I'd be back to hunting for a new pair of boots. So they're staying.

I've been shopping for autumn since June and I love that I can finally wear the things I've stashed away...like a squirrel...hiding nuts...hmmm...
J.

Closet Color Obsession-Olive

Finally back. No excuses, except for being busy. Enough said.

Lately it seems I've been purchasing everything and anything in the shade of olive. Well, really for the past three months. Yes, it might be a problem. I've always really liked the hue. I can even remember a pair of pants that I wore non-stop my 6th grade summer...I still wish I had them! But I'm sure they wouldn't fit now and these trousers certainly fit the bill...

Although they do require a bit of starch and ironing, the cotton fabric has been perfect for the humid summer months.

During a season of skinny pants the loose, wide leg is very comfortable, and a little unexpected. I didn't hem these as I would normally do, but instead cuffed them to keep them a little more casual and work they surprisingly well with many of my shoes, from heels to a sandal.

(I look like a deer in headlights! And this picture makes me think about getting a hair cut...)
I dressed them up a little with this cream cropped cardigan and pearl bracelets. The cardigan looks like it has roses at the shoulders but they're more like epaulets, making it more modern than romantic.

There's more olive to come...a dress, cargo pants, jacket, a sweater...I can't stop myself! Do you ever find yourself color obsessed? What shade dominates your closet?

J.