Try-it-out Tuesday: iris and gold

silk top, thrifted

cardigan, Gap Outlet

bead necklace, Haitian Bead Project

     I bought this beautiful bead necklace from Haitian Bead Project, and it inspired this outfit. I like purple with .... well, just about any color, really!

 
     One of my favorite things about this necklace is the beautiful variations of color. It includes "true" purple as well as more reddish shades and the small yellow beads really make it pop.
     Whew, it's been a while since I put together a Try-it-out Tuesday post, but what's different about this outfit is that I built it around the necklace, and experimented with a punchy color combo.

  
      Friday is the last day of school before winter break, and one of the fun things we'll be doing that day is "Bringing Books to Life." I'm allowing the kids to dress up as a favorite book character, and I've already gotten wind that I may have several versions of Katniss and Rick Riordan characters in the house. I did have to tell one Katniss that she'll have to leave the bow and arrows at home and figure out a creative way to help people figure out who she is. 
      I'm putting my own costume (based on a picture book) together, although a lot is riding on my Old Navy online purchase arriving in time and fitting correctly! I also have to craft a few simple components, such as a pair of ears. :)

February Freeze: flare jeans

     iris silk top, thrifted

navy cardigan and necklace, Forever 21

Carole disk and quartz necklace, Nordstrom Rack clearance

Dansko "Sakura" sandals, Nordstrom Rack

     These flare jeans are my next February Freeze item. I've only worn them a few times since buying them a year ago; I love the fit and different silhouette, I'm just not sure how to style them for different situations. I think I'd have an easier time styling them if they were a dark wash, too.

     This is really what I wanted to wear, but I decided to save the quirky color combination for the weekend vs. a day when I needed to pop in at work: 

  Julie's Closet burnout animal print cardigan, Ross

Try-it-out Tuesday: Dynastic

silk top, thrifted

skirt, Forever 21

 Volcom "Day Dreamers" linen-cotton shirt jacket, Macy's

bracelet as necklace, GroopDealz

     I have come to the conclusion that while I will never be "cool," I can at least dress like I am. ;)
     While I love this shirt jacket, the Mr. doesn't agree. He complains that it's too big for me. But a lot of times I like that it's lightweight and kind of slouchy. To me, the jacket is essential to this look. Without the jacket, the outfit feels a little "Dynasty" (purple silk! leopard print! blingy gold necklace!) to me. I'm not sure what exactly they wore on "Dynasty" - we were "Dallas" watchers in my family - but this seems like their brand of over-the-top.

     Groopdealz was offering this bracelet for free (if you paid a few bucks for shipping), and of course I didn't think about how huge the bracelet was going to be. I wore it once and it kept sliding off my wrist. So I linked it up with another bracelet and repurposed it as a necklace. That refashioning and my wearing this underused skirt qualify this outfit for Try-it-out Tuesday.
 

    I've realized that all the leopard prints I own are in nontraditional leopard-print colorways: a yellow and gray short-sleeved sweater and this skirt, which has hints of purple and green. Thus, I'm adding a conventional leopard-print top to my thrift wish list.
    Random news #1: My two-month shopping ban starts on Feb. 1, and the weird thing is, I've been having a lot of dreams about clothes-shopping ... obviously, my dream wallet is fatter than my real-life wallet.
    Random news #2: I'm chaperoning a field trip today! It's a walking field trip, and the weather has been rainy and wet for the past few days, so fingers crossed that it's sunny and dry today ... 

iris

   silk top, Goodwill

glass pendant, gift from EKM

     Dressing like one of my favorite flowers is kind of fun. One of my goals is to try purple and green, and purple and yellow is a step toward that.

     This is the trying time of the semester when I'm absolutely smashed with work - drafts to write, older drafts that need rewriting and revision, portfolios to assemble, and so on. One bright spot is listening to the audiobook version of Susan Cooper's "The Dark is Rising." This is seriously the best audiobook to listen to if you want to get into a Christmas mood. Listening to this book has let me vicariously enjoy tramping through a snowy night to sing carols to neighbors, watch snow falling, and lounge cozily on the hearth rug, watching the Yule log burn down. Now all I need is for the weather to cool down enough so that I can enjoy a cup of hot cocoa crammed with marshmallows ...
     Happy weekend, all! :)

Try-it-out Tuesday: purple and (just a little) green

       A few Fridays ago, the science experiment was: how quickly does silk dry?

silk top, thrifted, $4.99

petite pencil skirt, CK Outlet

       The school has a vermicomposting bin, and the librarian was training the fifth-graders to feed the worms once a week. I was obviously not dressed for feeding worms, particularly in a steady drizzle. While the kids were the ones who dumped in the broccoli and watermelon, all of us managed to get quite wet.

     I've wanted to pair purple and green for a while, and actually have an outfit that pairs the two colors, but I've chickened out on wearing it in public. So this was a subtle way to try out the color combination.

bracelets: Macy's (very old); jade beetles - gift from CL

square pearl and stones bubble necklace, InPink,

 purchased with gift card won in giveaway from Belle de Couture