February Freeze, vol. 2: stalking pays off

     I love silk, especially silk with colorful pretty prints, but I love a bargain more.

  Trina Turk top (Nordstrom Rack)

      Red cardigan (JJ Basics, previously loved)

      Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings (HauteLook)

      6-strand red lucite bead necklace (eBay)

      Tweed jacket, FCUK for Sears (gifted)

Cheesy dating/flirting books (gifted - thanks, Sis!)

     Therefore, I stalked this shirt at Nordstrom Rack, waiting patiently for the price to drop and keeping my fingers crossed that no one would snap it up in my size. At last, the price tag sprouted a 65% off sticker, and I ended up paying a grand total of $17.
     (Cue upbeat romantic music, as Carrie and her silk shirt dance out of the store).
     One of my favorite kinds of love stories. :)

     I love silk, but at the same time I don't wear my silk shirts enough. I think they're a little too fancy, but then it's heartbreaking that they just hang in the closet while the T-shirts get to have all the fun.
     From the topic of stalking, it's a short hop to thoughts of Valentine's Day (or is that just me?) -- which is what inspired me to add a red cardigan for some pink and red fun.

    

    

February Freeze, vol. 1: embellished purple shirt

   I picked an easy piece for my first February Freeze outfit post. Layer a cami underneath, jeans, red earrings and gold jewelry ... done and off to class.

 
     Then my instructor showed up wearing a fabulous cream swing jacket. And I realized how much fun it might be to wear this top with a cream blazer. White and cream are not usually colors I gravitate to, out of practical fears of getting them irreparably dirty, but one of these days I need to get out of my black/navy/denim comfort zone.

 Top: India, gifted
Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings, HauteLook
gold and amethyst ring, wholesaler
gold-plated hammered ring, craft fair

Try-it-out Tuesday: walking in rainbows

     I find that some clothes make me smile when I look at them. This boys' buttondown is one of those items. I always think of it as my "painter's shirt," probably because of the multi-colored stripes.

Old Navy sweater

Kenneth Cole Reaction boys' buttondown (Ross, old)

Banana Republic Factory store petite trousers

 
     I decided to increase the color fun and wear my new sweater. I love the cheery green hue and that it is made up of different stitches. The one thing I'm a little iffy about is the fit -- I'm considering introducing it to my dryer for a little shrinkage. I feel the torso is a bit baggy, and the sleeves a little too long.
    I've been on a green and red kick lately (despite the strange look I got the last time I wore the combination), so I added red jewelry to top off the look.

Amrita Singh "Marion" earrings (HauteLook)

        While I've always enjoyed color, I usually don't pile it on -- so this was wonderful fun. I felt a little like a mad scientist in the color lab!! I do think the striped shirt pulled the look together. Although it doesn't have green stripes, it includes red, and I think that made this outfit look a bit more cohesive.
        Do you agree with my rationale? What rules do you follow when you play with color?

it's in the mail

I had enough Hautelook credit to cover my purchase of the Marion earrings from Amrita Singh. The ruby color is pretty, and I'm looking forward to adding some color to my earring collection. These earrings are listed for $75 on the company's Web site, but I scored them for $19. I haven't had much luck with purchasing clothing on Hautelook (nothing beats trying things on for yourself), but they offer some great deals on jewelry.