OOTD: Pinspiration Challenge Day 1. Equestrian. 10/31/13

Happy Halloween all! I've no occasion to dress up in a costume today, but I am trying something new. Let me tell you all about it! As you may already know, I spend quite a bit of time reading fashion blogs and pinning items on Pinterest. While I might be inspired to buy a new piece that I particularly like, I've never based a whole outfit on a look I saw online. Obviously the point of Pinterest is to be inspired to recreate something for yourself irl, not just sit in front of the computer screen for hours. ;) So for the next couple weeks, I'm going to have my own personal "Pinspiration Challenge," where my ootd's will be based on looks from Pinterest or blogs, with my own personal twists on them, of course.

Today's look is inspired by Lindsey of the blog Thrift And Shout. (Not affil.) Fabulous new blog I discovered yesterday and have spent hours looking through her posts. 90% of her wardrobe is thrifted, and she looks absolutely incredible and chic, imo. This is one of her more rare casual looks, but she usually wears a lot of stylish name brand dresses and skirts. Do yourself a favor and take a look!

http://thriftandshout.blogspot.com/?m=1

This is her look: sorry if it's a bit pixelated.

And this is my take on a bright sweater with equestrian touches. I would normally never wear a silk scarf in this manner, for fear of looking overly western, but I'm kind of enjoying branching out.

Fuschia Sweater: Merona for Target thrifted

Silk Scarf: gift

Black Lace Cami: Walmart

Skinny Jeans: Old Navy

Riding Boots: Walmart

Bag: jane.com

Earrings: Cherokee Gift Shop

Bangles: vintage

I am really enjoying stretching my creativity by trying pieces I already have in new ways. Be prepaired for lots morw awesome looks to come!

OOTD 10/30/13

Had a stressful day running around Nevada for the DH's job, but I managed to stay warm, comfy, and chic by combining some of my wardrobe staples with some of my recent purchaces. Received several compliments on this oufit, and it made my day!

Striped Top: Faded Glory thrifted $3
Mustard Sparkly Scarf: George for Walmart $6.97
Burgundy Corderoy Skinny Pants: LEI Ashley for Walmart $19.97
Rose Gold Flats: H&M thrifted $3
Bag and earrings: jane.com $18 and $5.99
Black Cocktail Ring: prize machine :) .50¢

Utah = Shopping: 10/26/13-10/29/13

Whenever DH and I have to make a trip to the company's terminal, (truck service, meetings, etc.) we usually have a lot to cram into one day. Aside from work related matters, we usually have weeks worth of laundry piled up, and ab empty fridge to restock. But my favorite thing to do in SLC, is shop, of course. It has a Walmart that we can park our truck at, and across the street is a thrift store, and other retailers like Kohl's and Famous Footwear. So after several weeks on the road to devop boredom with my wardrobe and life in general, I go a bit crazy over the chance to get out, people watch, and breathe some newness into my style. These are the results of my latest expedition.

From Walmart:
Burgundy cable knit scarf $9.97 (not exact pic, but very similar). Been craving a burgundy scarf, and this one is very warm and soft.




Mustard Sparkly Scarf $7.97




LEI Ashley Skinny Burgundy Corduroy Pants $19.97




Faded Glory Charcol Corduroy Jeggings $6.97 (lighter color irl).




I also bought some impractical (for fall/winter) shoes at Desert Industries thrift store in SLC. But at $3 and $5, perfect fits and like new condition, I couldn't resist.
H&M Rose Gold Flats $3
Bamboo Floral Wedges $5




I figure I'll save the rose gold for special occasions. Considering how I could style the wedges for fall.

Very happy with my purchaces thus far, as evidenced by this OOTD.

Asymetrical Cardigan: thrifted
Top: vintage (flea market)
Black Leather Woven Belt: thrifted
Charcol Corduroy Skinnies: Walmart
Burgundy Cable Knit Scarf: Walmart
Black Riding Boots: Payless

Thanks for looking! :)

A Busy Week 10/20/13-10/25/13

Hola readers! It's been an eventful 5 days, most of it good. Dear Husband and  I have still been bouncing back and forth between Portland, OR and Stockton, CA, and it is very unusual for us to do so many similar loads in a row. But it has afforded us some nice opportunities, one being to set up a dinner with our families! Big deal when we usually only see them twice a year. We all ate at Olive Garden, and while I wish I had a photo of my Shrimp Mezzaluna and glorious Zuppa Tuscana soup, I was too busy laughing talking, and feasting on deliciousness to play camera woman. A good time was had by all.

One of my fashion highlights of the week was finally receiving my Old Navy order. I had them delivered to my mother-in-law's house, and she brought them to me. You may remember these beauties:

This is how my first OOTD's with these items turned out. Very happy with my purchaces. :)

Also picked up these earrings as I seem to have a thing for these types of pretties lately.

For your viewing pleasure, here's what Northern CA in the Mt. Shasta and Shasta lake area looks like.

Have a beautiful day!

More West Coast Fall 10/19/13

Dear Husband and I have been driving loads back and forth between CA, OR, and WA this week, which is not a bad thing. For one, the weather is mild for the most part, and the fall foliage is beautiful right now. Also the road systems here terrify me much less than those on the east coast. :) So barring a few minor disasters, this week has been pretty chill. Woodsmoke in the air, vibrant colors all around; I'm all about the comfy, cozy vibes of autumn right now, so my outfits and purchaces have been reflecting that.

First we started off our day with a traditional and hearty trucker breakfast. I'm not kidding; it's called "The Eighteen Wheeler." Not exactly the most nutritional thing in the world, but a yummy occasional indulgence none the less. It came with eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, phenominal bisquits and gravy, and for that extra special fall touch, pumpkin pancakes.

Today's outfit was comfy and warm, in seasonally appropriate shades of burgundy and grey.

I made a couple of fun purchaces as well. This cozy shearling fleece lined throw blanket and some handmade confections from Oregon. Mint fudge ice cream and dark chocolate covered almonds.

Thanks for looking!

Fails And Wins in CA 10/17/13

Fails of the day:

Went to Central CA to deliver a load about 60 miles from home. Didn't invite our family to come visit us because we were supposed to be picking up a preloaded trailer at a drop yard and leaving immediately.

Of course, that didn't happen, because the driver who was supposed to pick up that load in Southern CA and bring it to us had his truck in for repairs and neglected to tell anyone. Strike 1.

So we have some time, but basically have to go straight to bed in preparation to receive the trailer in the early morning hours. Still can't visit our families.

I wake up to the alarm at 3am and spend  40 min asking dispatch for an eta on the trailer, only to be told it won't be arriving til about 11am. I go back to bed. Strike 2.

Wake up again at 8 to shower and dress. The driver does arrive around 10:30, but as he's pulling into the driveway he manages to hit a pole at the gate with the trailer and take out the entire rim of one of the rear trailer tires. There goes another few hours waiting for someone to come and repair it. Strike 3 and I'm out. Done with life for the day. Nope, nope, nope.

Win of the day:

This Outfit!

If I had to spent my day being pissed off and disappointed, at least I got to look good while doing it.

Shirtdress: Mossimo thrifted $5

Belt: Khol's free w/another dress

Jeans: Walmart $19.87

Boots:Walmart $29.87

Earrings: truckstop $5.99

Secondary win of the day:

Jack In The Box. There is an appalling lack of Jack in the east or south, although there is an abundance of other fried food, none of it quite compares. Where else can you get a pita sandwich, egg rolls, a pumkin pie shake, and bacon cheddar potato wedges all in the same meal? You may note the lack of artsy food photograph. That is because it's general beigeness doesn't translate well into images, but trust me, it was superb.

Nighty Nite.

Oregon Fall 10/16/13

Spent the night in Aurora, OR and got to drive through a gorgeous section of Oregon and Northern California, straight towards our home turf,  Central CA. Eeek! I squeal with excitement to the proximity of my friends and loved ones, although it is not likely that we'll actually be able to visit while in the area. Still, the journey was beautiful, and for our trip, I needed chic traveling duds.

You've seen all of these pieces on me before, but not in this combination, which is a testament to how important it is to have items that coordinate well. Especially in during travel and other situations in which you'd have a limited clothing selection.

Cardigan: thrifted $4.

Striped Top: thrifted $3.

Jeans: Walmart $19.87

Scarf: Walmart $6.97

Flats: Payless

I also ended up with these spiffy Native American inspired earrings, only $5.99. They will make an appearance soon. :)

If you're from the northwest, you're probably familiar with the proliferation of cute little coffee huts that dot the landscape. I'm no stranger to their charms, and today I stopped at one and got piping hot chai tea and pumpkin bread. Mmmm, tastes like Fall!

You know what else reminded me of fall today? This radiant foliage of course!

Here's our truck happily taking it's break amongst the trees. :)

At this beautiful rest area near the border of OR and CA, I also had the opportunity to do some geocaching. If you have no idea what that is, please read about it here!

http://www.geocaching.com

This is what I found.

Today was an unusually good day. :)

Versatile Pieces OOTD: 10/15/13

One way to get the most bang for your buck from a clothing item is to reimagine it in a different way? Ever used a maxi skirt as a strappless dress? How about layering a top or sweater over a dress to make it a skirt/top combo? Here is an example (although it's better to use a dress that is less voluminous in the torso for layering purposes.) It may be too cold for this sundress right now, but the print is amazing, and wearing it with a sweater, riding boots, and boot socks cozies it right up. Plus, as I have a definite lack of skirts in my wardrobe, layering provides many more styling options. Voilà!

Sweater: Merona thrifted $4

Dress: Old Navy $22.99

Scarf: truck stop $12.99

Boot Socks: Payless $4

Boots: Walmart $29.87

Oh, and we've been in Washington and Oregon the last two days. Oh hai, Portland. :)

OOTD 10/14/13

The following skirt will be proof that regular people really can win giveaways and contests! I won this gorgeous maxi skirt from the fabulous blog DIY Divas back in July. I wore it a few times throughout the summer, but unfortunately I don't have photos of those outfits. :( I believe pieces can be reimagined in a lot of ways for different seasons, so here is the skirt paired with a comfy cardigan and flats for fall.

Don't you just love that gorgeous print?!

Teal Cardigan: Rue 21 thrifted $8

Lace Top: Walmart $9.88

Dreamcatcher Necklace: handmade

Skirt: Zip Chic Boutique won $39.99

Ballet Flats: H&M thrifted $3

Studded Flap Bag: groopdealz.com $18 

Must have the skirt? It's still available here from Zip Chic Boutique:

http://www.zipchicboutique.com/collections/dresses-skirts/products/the-fave-skirt

Tip of the day: Enter all contests and giveaways you can find! Fashion bloggers give away amazing products often on their sites, and fashion magazines are another source of excellent freebies! This is not the first time I've won something, and I'm sure it won't be the last. Persistence pays off!

OOTD 10/12/13

Was without internet in the vast remoteness of Wyoming, so nearly forgot to post this outfit.

Cardigan: Walmart $12.88

Aztec Print Top: Fashion Bug thrifted $4

Belt: thrifted $2

Jeans: Walmart

Boots: Payless

OOTD 10/13/13

Feeling cold and tired of driving at night. Grumble, grumble. So sometimes I need a cozy outfit in bright colors to cheer me up. I think this fits the bill.

Long Sleeved Lace Top; Walmart $9.97

Pink Tee: Old Navy thrifted $2

Scarf: truck stop $12.99

Jeggings: Walmart $5.88

Boots: Walmart $29.87

Also, one of the straps on my trusty black bag just broke, so I am currently cramming too many items into this little number, which I was saving for special occasions. On the bright side, is a new purse in my near future? I think so...

Anniversary OOTD: 10/11/13

DH and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary today, yay! By celebrated I mean we basically did the same thing we do every day and drove around in this truck, but hey, it's the togetherness that counts. Regardless of what we did or didn't do, I still wanted to look nice, so I wore this:

Gray Leopard Print Cardigan: George, Walmart $14.97

H&M Basics Tshirt Dress: Thrifted $3

Belt: George, Walmart $4

Tights: Ross $5.99

Boots: Payless

We happened to be in Dodge City, KS today, which always reminds me of the Tombstone movies; those old westerns with Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday that I used to watch with my Dad. I was glad when it was time to "get out of Dodge" and drive off into the sunset. Thanks for stoppin' by, y'all!

Country Dwelling: 10/9/13

I was feeling a little bit country today, folks. The DH and I were driving through many cold, windswept, and barren areas of Wyoming and Nebraska today, and a I needed an outfit that would be both comfortable and stylish. I chose a plaid shirtdress that is a little bit outside of my style norm, and decided to see what I could come up with.

Here are the bare bones of the outfit: the shirtdress and my olive leggings and brown riding boots.

After some deliberation, I added these items to complete the outfit. Quite often it's the accessories and the way they work together with the garments that makes an outfit look special.

Teal Cardigan: Rue 21 thrifted $8

Plaid Shirtdress: Sonoma thriftec $4

Olive Leggings: Walmart $7.97

Riding Boots: Walmart $29.87

Belt: Kohl's (free w/another dress)

Feather Earrings: The Cherokee Gift Shop $12.99

In keeping with the idea of trying new things, and the country theme, I had myself a tasty breakfast for dinner at Denny's. It was their new Ultimate Skillet: sliced sausage with red skinned potatoes, grilled peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, grape tomatoes, cheese, and eggs. So hearty and filling for this cold fall night.

As we drove off into the sunset, literally, this is what we saw.

While you are warm in your beds, we will be helping to stock your grocery stores. You're welcome. :)