Firecracker's Blog

I've kept an eye out for a blush pink denim jacket, so when I came across this one from AllSaints, I had to give it a try. I love how it is a mixed pink and black wash.

I wasn't actively looking for it, so I would not have seen it, had I not stopped in the AllSaints store recently and bought a pair of blush pink jeans on sale (along with a matching pullover and a non-matching pullover!). I've already worn the jeans and pink pullover together and the striped pullover (in Finds) with other bottoms. When I got home from that shopping trip, I looked online to see what else AllSaints had on sale, and I saw the jacket, in my size, and ordered it. I debated keeping it, because it felt a little small in the shoulders. But I couldn't find the next size up anywhere, so I held on to the jacket with the tags on.

Today I removed the tags and wore the jacket. It is fine with a light layer underneath.

Photo 1 is how I wore it today, to go out to breakfast. I was inspired by Jaime's EXTRA style idea and wore the necklace! It's a piece I really like but rarely wear. It felt right today with this tee.

Hay Denim Jacket (AllSaints), boyfriend jeans (Citizens of Humanity Emerson), graphic tee in cream with black, green, and beige abstract design (Madewell), cream loafers (27 Edit), sage cross body bag (Madewell Transport Camera Bag), light olive belt (Fossil), necklace with brass irregular-shaped beads on black cord, hammered brass half-loop earrings (Marjorie Baer).

Photo 2 is a variation, with the new Cole Haan sneakers, which I haven't worn out of the house yet. Trying to make sure they will work. And a Pendleton stripe bag with white and blush faux-croc trim  (made by me).

Photos 3-4 show the matching jeans. I think as recently as last year, I wouldn't have worn these pieces together. But now I think I will.

I welcome your thoughts!

On my trip to return the sneakers I ordered from Madewell, I found a couple of things that followed me home. At Madewell, I tried on two pairs of jeans and a pair of shorts, and I bought the Perfect Vintage Wide-Legged Jean in tile white. (If anyone can create a Find, I'll add it.)

And I found a pair of sneakers at Nordstrom, the Cole Haan Topspin style in Roccia Pearly Snake. To my eye, the color has a little bit of mauve to it, so these fit the bill for sneakers with a blush pink element to them, for which I have been on the lookout. (I was interested in getting an update to my blush slip-on Mephisto sneakers that are getting kind of worn looking after several seasons.) Curiously I tried on this Cole Haan style in a different color a couple of years ago and the back edge bugged me. But they seem to work fine now. I'll wear them around the house for a while to be sure.

Pics below:

1) What I wore shopping. White Levis Icon jeans, navy and aqua print peplum-back blouse (made by me), gray waffle-weave cotton jacket (made by me), gray leopard print sneakers (Mephisto Yael), and metallic pewter crossbody bag (Kurt Geiger).

2) showing the new jeans and sneakers

3-5) new jeans and sneakers with a boxy asymmetric metallic top (made by me) to show more of the top of the jeans.

6) new sneakers with a mauve sporty A-line dress (Zella) that I bought at the end of the season last year and look forward to wearing this summer.

Any comments and suggestions are welcome!

A favorite pastime on YLF--eyeglass shopping! Or maybe I speak for myself. Anyway, my current ones are a couple of years old, and I love them and will continue to wear them. But I'm also in the mood for something new. I went shopping ahead of an eye exam next week, and these are the contenders.

1-2: current frames, blush rounded rectangle

3-4: option 1, neutral tortoise round

5-6: option 2, gray hexagon

7-8: option 3, pink round/cat

9-10: option 4, teal fade rounded rectangle

11-12: option 5, rectangular teal tortoise

13-14: option 6, art deco blue fade

15-16: option 7, rosy hexagon

I welcome your thoughts!

I happened to be wearing the loafer clogs I mentioned today on Angie's blog post. I'm not a big loafer- or clog-wearer, and yet I really like these. They are new this fall and I have been wearing them quite a bit, including on a plane trip, where they were comfy and convenient for the security line where I had to remove them.

Today's outfit, worn out to breakfast and at home: Navy wide-wale corduroy lantern pants (made by me); scroll pattern burnout t-shirt (made by me); navy bomber cardigan (Pendleton); olive loafer clogs (Dansko); dark olive anorak (Lauren Ralph Lauren); sage/olive crossbody bag (Madewell). Sorry for the dark photos; I edited to lighten them as much as possible, but the details are still not very visible.

I welcome your comments or thoughts.

I mentioned on Angie's post that I had just bought a sweater vest from Madewell. I really like it for its cozy, soft feel and the easy, boxy fit with extended shoulders. This is the second time I've worn it, in the past couple of weeks. It seems like the kind of knit that may pill, but I'll happily wear it until that time.

This outfit is a version of Angie's Classic formula, #3, though my shirt is a little twist on classic, with its cowl neck and uneven hem.

The outfit: Cowl-neck, high-low hem big shirt in coordinating box and dot prints (made by me, Sewing Workshop Icon Shirt pattern); dark wash boyfriend jeans (AG); navy sweater vest (Madewell); cream loafters (27 Edit). I added my blush lightweight jacket and blush cross-body bag to go out.

Questions and comments welcome, as always!

I ordered the AllSaints Lock mock neck sweater after mention of it somewhere here, and it arrived today. I was excited to try it on, so here are a few pictures.

I think I will return it, because the color is more yellow in person than I had hoped. More butter than chalk. It is soft, and I really like the style. It has my favorite neck style--a cozy cowl. This is my usual size, and it is quite roomy. I don't think I would size down, despite the oddness I'm seeing on the right sleeve in the back-view photo. I just think I need to hold out for a better shade of white, or I won't wear it. I do like it better with the lower-contrast pants and the narrower silhouette jeans.

I tried it on with

1-2: off-white boyfriend jeans I had on today (you can see how it is more yellow than the jeans)

3-4: black and white pinstripe flannel wool pants (OSKA) and black booties

5: neutral shades glen plaid wool wide-legged cropped pants (OSKA) and black booties

6-7: dark wash jeans and graphite booties

As part of my "wear the clothes" campaign, I brought out a silk tee I made a while back but have only worn once that I can remember. Of course I needed a topper, because it was in the 60s for the first half of this summer day, inside as well as outside. I tried a few options and landed on this jacket, a recent sewing project, which honestly I wasn't sure I would wear, once i finished it. But it feels good on, and I like it with this outfit, so it may have a purpose after all!

The outfit (worn for a day at home):

Off-white boyfriend jeans (Citizens of Humanity, Emerson); silk watercolor floral tee (Coram Top pattern by Allie Olson, made by me); navy textured-cotton jacket with miniature peplum (Sterling Jacket pattern from The Sewing Workshop, made by me); off-white loafers (27 Edit); olive belt (Fossil); sage crossbody bag (Madewell).

April's quest for silvery lavender tops was timely for me. I had the color on my mind as one to keep an eye out for. Specifically I wanted it to go with a jacket I made a few years ago, which I have trouble wearing, even though it should go with a lot of my clothes.

I went to Aritzia to see if I could try any of the tops Inge found for April. I came home with this one. It's very oversized. This is a size down from my usual, and it is still big. But I like the look and feel of it. I think it brings a little attitude to the jacket. I also tried it with my new blazer bought at NAS (which has a thin line of purple running through the checks), and with a knit vest that I also like to pair with an oversized blouse.

One thing I'm bummed about: I paid full price, and when I looked it up online to make the Find, I see it's on sale. If I had paid the sale price, though, I wouldn't be able to return it. So if I decide to keep it, I'll see if I can get a price adjustment (or return it to the store and order it online).

photos:

1) The shirt on its own. I buttoned the cuffs two ways. The sleeves are a little long, but when I button the cuffs on the second button, they sit fine, and I don't feel the sleeves look or feel too-too long. I buttoned the other cuff after turning it back, creating a faux cufflink effect, a trick I like to use sometimes.

2) With the jacket that could use a companion.

3) With my new blazer (1.State).

4) With a slate gray and off-white marled knit vest (OSKA).

5) What I wore shopping. Boyfriend jeans (Citizens of Humanity, Emerson); dusty teal t-shirt (Madewell); hemp knit off-white jacket (OSKA); off-white loafers (Open Edit); sage cross-body camera bag (Madewell).

I'm thinking I'll probably keep it, but am open to your thoughts.

P.S. They have the same shirt in cotton and in linen. I got the cotton one; didn't see the linen in store, but I'd prefer the cotton anyway, for year-round wear.

Here are some pics from the dressing rooms at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

I tried on a few blazers, looking for just the right boyfriend look that can be worn casually but not too oversized. I found one that I love--the 1.State, which I hadn't picked in my online persual. I bought two pullover sweaters, undies and bras. The unintended purchases that somehow followed me home are pajamas and two pairs of jeans. I really don't need more jeans, but I'm thinking I can retire some that I'm not wearing. I might only keep one of these.

1: What I wore shopping. Peacock blue pants and swirl-pattern t-shirt (made by me); white denim jacket (Banana Republic), white metallic sneakers (Paul Green); blush crossbody bag (Nordstrom).

2-5: The winning blazer (1.State)

3-4: Two other blazers I tried (Nordstrom and Open Edit). The Open Edit is a different color than what's shown online, a really pretty mauve shade.

8-10: Pullovers. I bought the Nordstrom Signature cashmere in purple dawn and the Vince funnel neck wool blend in silverstone. I passed on the Nordstrom Signature in gray heather (I tried it in one size too large, but I liked the Vince better anyway).

11-13: Mother Tomcat cropped straight leg jeans.

14-15: Rag and Bone Rosa ankle boyfriend jeans. I might not keep these.

It was fun to shop at the flagship Nordstrom. I browsed bags and shoes but didn't see anything I couldn't pass up. I also didn't get to see the Zella track suit in person, and the jacket is sold out. I won't lose sleep over it. 

I ordered the Kiehl's body lotion, Caviar shampoo and conditioner, Olukai flip-flops, and a Zella tee online. I feel I kinda went crazy! But not too crazy.

I welcome your thoughts and questions, if I can be of help in your shopping decisions.

Edited to add: I also tried on the Vince and Theory blazers in Finds. The Vince is a beautiful dark olive, but the fit was off for me. The Theory was pretty, but I couldn't try it in my size, and I liked the 1.State better on me anyway.

After buying a cozy boucle pullover from Eileen Fisher last week and wearing it right away, I hit upon the idea of copying it with a piece of fabric I had been puzzling over how to make up. I knew I wanted a pullover, but wasn't sure what pattern to use. I made a simple boxy long-sleeved crew-neck pullover much like the Eileen Fisher. I finished it yesterday and wore it today.

photo 1: Today's outfit (for hanging around home): Teal boucle pullover (made by me), black lantern jeans (OSKA), black triple-buckle moto booties (Blondo), Czech glass earrings with tones of blue and green, teal and blue framed eyeglasses.

photo 2: Another outfit I might wear tomorrow: the pullover again, with dark olive slouchy pants (ISCHIKO), olive suede booties (LaCanadienne).

photo 3: a closeup, trying to show the earrings

Any thoughts appreciated!