Amy's Blog

This top, one of my treasures from the clothing swap, reminds me of a tiger.

It's still very chilly out here, so I'm trying to layer.

Suggestions for improvement would be most welcome!

This outfit was one of those that I felt good in until I saw the photograph. The proportions are bothering me. Oh well. I love the colors and am thrilled with the blouse I found at the swap!

I'm also wearing the Eliza J jacket I bought recently. I exchanged it for a small and it fits much better in the shoulders.

At work, I wore my white and grey snakeskin pumps which provided some nice bookending, but I forgot to bring them home with me.

I'm sure a hair cut would do my self-esteem wonders. I've had a hard time making it into the salon!

Yesterday's swap was one of the most fun things I've done recently! Thank you, Antje & Angie for doing all the hard work to make it possible.

So many people showed up that I didn't really get a chance to speak to them all, which was a shame. There were lots of new faces (at least to me), and it was enjoyable getting to know those ladies. It was also great catching up with some of the forum regulars.

There were quite a few clothes and shoes to look through as well as a table of accessories. I had a great time sorting through it all and trying on lots of things. I was actually quite surprised by how much I hauled home. Many thanks to those of you who contributed to my wardrobe refresher. I love all of these new-to-me items and expect them all to get quite a bit of wear.

Pictures 1&2 - What I wore to the swap, including my home-sewn dress and some earrings that received a few compliments.

#3 - I LOVE this dress. So fun!

Picture #4 - this top is on the snug side, but it's good for layering under things, like the vest in #5.

#6 - a nice basic in a great color.

#7 - This scarf is a gorgeous print and in some of my favorite colors!

#8-10 - I was happy to find some warmer weather items. I don't have many right now.

#11 is one of my absolute favorite things. Thanks Jenava!! It goes really well with this hat of my husbands, don't you think? (Picture 12) Just kidding ;) Jenava suggested that I shorten the collar, but right now, I like it as-is.

#13 - Super cute jacket! It doesn't look great with jeans here, but works very nicely with a skirt or dress. I love the stripes and the special buttons.

#14-15 - a couple of blouses

All the clothes and shoes were great, but Angie's cake, Kari's quiche and the mimosas were really tasty and well worth coming for all by themselves!

Turtles

I tried to mimic the warm tones in the photo.

In one of my recent outfits, some of you suggested I try wearing a belt over my sweater instead of under.

I tried.

Am I just not cut out for this way of styling items or am I just not doing something right?

Day 4: Misty River

I found this challenge the hardest of all. I don't have many clothes in soft colors like those in the photo. I'm usually drawn to items with high contrast.

I *really* wanted to wear something in soft shades of green and gray, preferably in chiffon...

However, I made do with what I had and dressed in shades of grey. Perhaps the dots on my homemade top could represent water bubbles. Stretching here...

I wore fishnets to add some texture, because there is a lot of textural interest in this photo.

Bella, thank you so much for organizing this! I'm having a GREAT time, am feeling inspired by everyone's efforts, and don't want it to end :)

Challenge Photo for Day 3: Stone Canyon Petrified Sand Dunes and Reflection, Paria Canyon - Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness, Arizona by Jack Dykinga

I had the worst luck trying to plan an outfit for this challenge. At first, I thought I'd wear a cute Ann Taylor blouse (not pictured) I had thrifted awhile back, but which needed repairs to the sleeve hems.

No problem, I said to myself, and then set to work. Unfortunately, as I was stitching away at the sleeves, I kept seeing spots. I guess it's a good thing that there wasn't something wrong with my eyesight, but I sure was disappointed to notice streaky stains all over the back of the blouse. How had I not noticed them before?

Attempt number two involved rummaging through my closet and digging out a striped dress my mother had given me a few years back. While the colors were perfect and the stripes reflected the striations in the rocks pictured in the photo, the dress was HUGE. It swallowed me up entirely.

Finally, I settled on a pleated front cardi I had sewn a couple of years ago. I paired it with my black skinnies, a purple turtleneck and ballet flats and a colorful beaded necklace.

While I like the outfit, it's a bit on the casual side for my office, but I threw caution to the wind...

The inspiration photograph for Day 2 of the Inspired by Nature Challenge is Water lilies (Nymphaea nouchali), Okavango Delta, Botswana by Frans Lanting.

Of all the challenge photos, this one has my favorite color palette. I wish I had more clothes in these rich shades!

My dress is teal, just in case it doesn't look that way on your screens. I added a lighter blue sweater for warmth, a velvet floral burnout scarf and frog earrings (made by me). I'm sure there are frogs hiding behind those lilies!

P.S. I hope these double posts aren't annoying, but I'd like to keep track of these on my YLF blog.

(For my YLF Blog)

I'm participating in the "Picture Perfect Challenge: Inspired by Nature." The first photo is African elephants at twilight, Chobe National Park, Botswana (see below).

My interpretation of this photo is rather straight forward, but I don't see how you could go wrong here, because there are so many wonderful elements in this photo.

Colors: Shades of pink, brown and silver

Figures: Elephant earrings!

Textures: Shoes and "pebbled" silver bag reminded me of elephant skin...in a completely romanticized way--but the photo is rather romantic in feeling, don't you think?

Light: Dark colors that absorb light (skirt and blouse) offset by a reflective surface (bag=moon)

"Haziness" provided by silk/mohair shawl I knit last year.