Blue Nile Giveaway

This is my new vintage sweater dress:

I love it because I can pretend it's teal in certain lights, because it looks fantastic with orange tights and because... buttons: 

Buttons!

But, enough about the dress, let's talk giveaway.  

Although you can't see it, because my hair decided to eat it, I am actually wearing this Blue Nile sterling silver branch necklace:

Branch Necklace in Sterling Silver - image via Blue Nile

Isn't it lovely?  The fine folks at Blue Nile were kind enough to send me a necklace and sent another for one of my readers.  It's part of their "Get One, Give One" campaign for the holidays.

But, because I love my Readers, I've decided to give away m personal necklace as well, so everyone will have two chances to win.  You can either keep it for yourself or gift it to a friend or loved one; they make perfect stocking stuffers!

So, how do you win?  It's easy.  Just follow Fashion for Giants either with Google Friend Connect or Bloglovin' (see the buttons on the sidebar) and leave a comment below saying you've done so.  I will choose two winners on Friday evening so make sure you check back Saturday to see if you've won.

Happy Monday, All!  And good luck!

Gracey

Sweater Weather

After a few weeks of unseasonably warm weather, sweater weather has finally arrived in Oregon.  So, I dressed accordingly:

Actually, I overdressed, as I do.  This sweater (thrifted) is alpaca and it's ridiculously warm.  Almost too warm actually.  But, I've been waiting for months to wear it and the weather finally dropped below sixty so I decided now was the time.

Also, it's the perfect excuse to wear orange and burgundy together:

Cashmere scarf: Nordstrom, similar  Skirt: thrifted, similar  Tights: Target  Boots: Born "Mabel"

Not that I need an excuse.  But, I do think it makes my friends and family feel better when I can point out that there is both orange and burgundy in the sweater so therefore the scarf and the tights totally make sense. Sometimes people need things to make sense.

Personally, I just like to wear orange.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings # 4 - Obvious Orange

Quick confession.  This dress:

... has nothing to do with this book:

The author and her fellow inmates didn't wear orange, they wore khaki.  Most prisoners nowadays don't wear orange.  They wear head-to-toe khaki or denim and only wear orange when they're being transported.  Because the bright color makes the inmates easier to locate if they try to escape.

But, obviously there was no way I was going to pass up the opportunity to wear orange.  Especially in a fruit print:

Fruit also has nothing to do with this book.  Except, wait... yes, the author ate as much fresh fruits and vegetables as was available to her in an attempt to counteract all the starch our penal system feeds prisoners.

So, there we go.  My fruit dress represents the author's attempt to stay healthy during her prison stay!  Yay, me!

And now it's your turn; you can link up below:

Happy Tuesday, All! Gracey

Day 3: White Heat

So, here’s the deal.  Last week Oregon’s weather was sort of crummy.  I complained and now it’s mid-90s.  I’m not saying that Mother Nature’s trying to punish me, but 95 in September feels a little vindictive.  Anywho, it’s hot.  Stupid hot.  Too hot for clothes, but public nudity is frowned upon (What’s that?  It’s illegal?  Good to know.), so I wore this:

I just couldn’t possibly manage anything more than a simple white dress (Bar III via Macys) and sandals (Enzo Angolini, similar) in this heat.  Heck, I couldn’t even manage a necklace!  But, that doesn’t mean I didn’t accessorize.  No, I used some brooches (similar fruit, similar blue, exact bee) in a cluster at my waist and some studs on my wrist (Nordstrom) to add some interest and a little color.

Hopefully it will cool off some tomorrow because I only have one simple white dress in my Perfect 10 and public nudity will most likely still be illegal.

Happy Thursday, All!

Gracey

Olive, Orange and Leopard

The weather has taken a turn for the worst here in Oregon.  Thunder and lightning, torrential rains and, gasp, layers.  Today's layers are olive, orange and leopard:

I'm not super excited about being forced into wearing layers, but I liked the mix of olive (thrifted jacket), orange (Old Navy top and Nine West flats) with leopard in this look.  I also added Gap Real Straight Skimmers and a Nordstrom studded bracelet. 

I think maybe my jacket is a bit boxy for my shape, but otherwise I liked this look.  I may try to thrift a more fitted one, but it's hard to find something that is both fitted and casual and I bought this jacket specifically to fill a casual niche.  Also, I'm kind of lazy so unless a more-fitted-but-still-casual olive jacket throws itself into my Goodwill cart, this one will just have to do.

So, to sum up, it rained, I wore layers and those layers included a somewhat ill-fitting but still mostly acceptable jacket.  And that makes me wonder, how important is fit to you, Dearest Reader Fans?  Do you purchase not-quite-right items to fill a gap or is fit paramount in your wardrobe?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Literary Stylings # 3: Valeria's Last Stand

As I mentioned before, one of the mere three books I read last month was a weird-and-not-in-the-good-way book called Valeria's Last Stand, by author Marc Fitten:

I guess it was supposed to be a comedy, but I don't see how making every single character in the town hateful was funny.  I don't know, maybe I missed the point.  Has anyone else read this book?  If you haven't, I don't recommend it, but if you have, can you explain it to me, using small words, please, in the comments?

Enough about the book though.  Well, maybe a bit more.  There is a lot of talk of produce in the book as the titular character, Valeria, grows the best produce in town and constantly reminds everyone of the fact (seriously, she is horrible).  There is also a lot of talk about color, the color of the fruits and vegetables, especially peppers and turnips, but also of the crockery made by the local potter.

Well, when I saw this dress in Goodwill a couple of weeks ago, the colors instantly reminded me of the colors in the book:

And the chaotic print reminded me of the muddy, chaotic prose of the book:

Happily for me, crazy, chaotic print on a dress makes me much happier that crazy, chaotic writing.  Seriously, that book made me feel like this:

Pretty sure that was the look on my face the entire time I was reading it.

But, it did inspire me to buy this awesome dress, which I paired with a braided belt (also via Goodwill) and ankle strap flats (Hive & Honey via Piperlime) and a chunky necklace:

I chose this particular necklace because the large beads are actually clay, you know, like a potter uses and there is a potter in the book.  Also, it's pepper-colored and peppers play a large role in the book so I wore it.

Because, even though the book was terrible, it really did inspire this entire look.

And now, it's your turn.  You can link your literature-inspired looks below: 

 

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

Fully On Board

I love pleats and I love peach and coral together so obviously I'm fully on board with this look:

I also love pairing my lace necklace with more lace.  So, once again, 100% on board:

And finally, I love remembering to link to up Visible Monday's over at Not Dead Yet Style.  Done and done.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

Pretty Dress, Awkward Photos

My dress is pretty.  My photos are awkward:

In my defense, it started to rain when we were taking these which made me sort of hunch-y, but damn, yeah, that's awkward.

The dress really is pretty though, see?

 

 I love a bold floral and the bits of orange in this one make me very happy indeed.

Also making me happy?  The fact that aside from the bracelet (Nordstrom), everything in this outfit was thrifted (dress, shoes, belt) or gifted (necklace).

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Rhyming With Orange

Ever wondered what rhymes with orange?

I answer that question and no others over at Animated Cardigan today. Come by and visit!

Gracey

Stripes and Oranges

I frickin' love this eShakti dress:

It's comfy, it's flattering and it goes with everything I love.  Like huaraches and orange brooches:

Seriously; anything that goes with my beloved huaraches (thrifted) and my orange brooch (thrifted) is A-OK in my book.  Also, stripes.  Stripes are so great.

And that's all I have to say about that.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

The Devolution of Style

So, June has been a rough month for me.  Work has been atrocious; I'm not sleeping well, I'm not blogging well and I haven't visited other blogs in ages.  Also, I've started dressing like this:

I know, I know, it's boring.  There is no raucous color, no vintage pieces and I practically match.  But, it's also easy and I really need easy right now.  Easy like jeans (Wit and Wisdom via Nordstrom) and a tee (Gap) with flats (Nine West via Piperlime) and a cardigan (Ann Taylor, thrifted).  Besides, this outfit isn't just easy, it makes me feel physically capable.  And I realized that when I feel more physically capable, I feel more mentally capable.

In this outfit I felt like I could not only run from zombies (although not the World War Z zombies; apparently their zombies are fast as hell.  Which, boo.) but I that could deliver a roundhouse kick straight to a spreadsheet's dome. 

I may not be battling zombies (yet; we all know it's coming) but I am battling some serious spreadsheets and dressing like this makes me feel like I have a better chance at winning.

Don't worry, I haven't completely given up.  I did add a lovely Megan Mae button flower because it looks great with leopard and doesn't detract from zombie/spreadsheet fighting:

And, in my mind, that's the mark of a truly great accessory; if you can still fight the undead while wearing it, it's a keeper.

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

SIA: Coral and Cobalt

I have been on a roll this month.  I participated for the first time in Two Birds’ Inspiration Monday earlier this month.  And now I’m participating in Style Imitating Art.  I’m rather proud of myself.  But, enough about me.  Let's talk about art and style.

Here is the art:

Image from David Weisner's "Flotsam"

And here is my style:

I love the combination of coral (salmon? carp?) with the bright blue so I paired my coral polka dot blouse (handmade vintage) with my cobalt midi skirt (vintage via Goodwill).  I also added some pops of black (I heard it's the latest trend) with my belt (via Goodwill), necklace (Old Navy) & ankle strap flats (Hive & Honey via Piperlime).  

Yep, you guessed it: POCKETS!!!!

I’d like to thank Jess of Animated Cardigan for hosting; you can see the other participants on her site. 

And I’d like to give a shout out to my boobs for distorting some of the dots into goldfish-like shapes; I appreciate your help with this challenge, Ladies.

Happy Tuesday, All!

Gracey

P.S. This is an illustration from the book, Flotsam, by David Wiesner.  His books are amazing and if you haven’t read them, I strongly suggest you do, even if you think you might be too old for picture books.

Trends to Try: Neon

Like many fashion trends that have been here before, neon has come back around.  It first cropped back up a year or so ago and is still going strong today.

So, how do you try this trend without looking as though you're starring in a Wham! video?  Well, for one, avoid wearing it with feathered hair and short shorts.  Agreed?  Good, now here are some other tips that might help you try this trend.

1. A little goes a long way.  Try this trend in small doses such as jewelry, belts, small handbags and shoes.  I think you'll find that a even the smallest pop, such as studs, or nail polish, is still fun.
2. Wear it with mid-tones.  Especially if you're not sure about this trend, you may find that pairing neon with too strong of a color might be too much look.  Try pairing your neon with mid-tones such as gray, khaki, navy and olive to keep your look modern.
3. Stick to neon in colors you love.  I wear a lot of pink and orange so I naturally gravitated to neon pink, neon orange and, my personal favorite, neon peach.  If you wear neon in shades you like, you'll be more comfortable trying this trend.
4. If you choose to wear more substantial neon pieces, like skirts, dresses or sweaters, make sure you wear them in a modern shape and/or with equally modern pieces.
5. Wear it with denim.  In the form of a belt, shoes, sweater or clutch, neon anything looks good with denim everything.

Looks to Try:

 

Neon by fashionforgiants on polyvore.com

Looks not to try, a.k.a the aforementioned Wham! video:

What about you, Reader Friends?  Have you (re-) tried neon yet?

Happy Monday, All!

Gracey

What Really Goes On

Most of my readers are used to seeing me look like this in photos:

I’m usually smiling, because I like smiling, but also because I think blogging is fun.  I’m usually front to camera because I like to clearly show the outfit I’m wearing.  And I usually have my arms at my sides or have a hand on a hip because I can’t ever figure out what else to do with my hands.  (Moment of clarity: I bet that’s why bloggers carry clutches.  Now I get it.) 

But, I think I owe it to you, Dearest Reader Friends, to show you what the other 40 pictures that I don’tpost look like.  To show you what really goes on.  Which, more often than not, is stuff like this:

I am pretty much always talking and often gesticulating.  In the above photo I’m demonstrating how it was so cold this morning that I had to break the ice on my horse’s trough.  I don’t have a horse.

And this:

And, in that photo I am expressing confusion over my friend, Ferge’s, confusion about today’s color combination. 

I think flame cords (Target) and a lavender button-down (Gap via Goodwill) make perfect sense.  Ferge does not.  At least she didn’t criticize the houndstooth shoes (Old Navy via Goodwill) though.  But, really, who would criticize houndstooth shoes?  They so very clearly go with everything.

ETA: Although I don't consider my pants confusing, I'll admit that they're bright, so I've linked up to Visible Monday over at Not Dead Yet Style, hosted, as always, by the lovely Patti.

Happy Monday, Everyone!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Exact Target cords

Similar lavender shirt

Similar houndstooth flats (now on sale)  

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for the writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.

Lacy Gracey

True story, I was almost named Lacey.  My mom wanted to name me Lacey but my dad wanted to name me Grace after his Aunt Grace.  So, they compromised and called me Gracey.

Today though, I am also lacy (this one’s for you, Mom):

Last time I wore this necklace (Old Navy), I wore it with oxblood and there wasn’t enough contrast between the two so the necklace sort of got hidden.  Today though, I wore it with a lace sweatshirt (Macy’s) and you can finally see the detail.

In addition to the lace-on-lace, I also wore flame cords (Target), houndstooth shoes (Old Navy, thrifted via Goodwill) and added a little turquoise with earrings, bracelets and a belt (Target).

I love this belt:

And I love that today is Friday. 

Also, did you all know the Super Bowl is Sunday?  Somehow I missed that.  I don’t really watch NFL though (I tend to watch more college football (mostly for the helmets)) so, I don’t think I’ll be watching the game.  How about you, Reader Friends?  Any big plans for Super Bowl Sunday?

Happy Friday, All!

Gracey

Shop the Look:

Exact Target cords

Similar houndstooth shoes

Similar lace sweatshirt

Lace necklace

Exact Mossimo belt (Note: the belt is on clearance in stores for less than $4.00)

** Disclosure: Actions taken from the hyperlinks in this blog post may yield commission/compensation for the writer. Please see the Disclosure tab for more details.