[fashion] Outfits 9-14

Time for another weekly update with our #shopyourclosetremix with Caitlin at Greater than Rubies!

This week was full of fails and random pairings... but, like Caitlin says, TRY IT ON before you judge. Well, now I'm judging, Ha! But there were some cute combos too. Onward!

Day 9: red pant + chambray (we were challenged to wear a belt this day... not sure how I feel about it!)

Day 10: chambray + crochet top + crop jeans. We had to re-wear an item from the day before! I thought the red pants would be a bit obvious, so I opted for the chambray. What a random pairing... definitely not a fan!

Day 11: crop jeans + black floral. I definitely liked this outfit from the week! I'm all about sheer and flowy tops, but I have learned to add a "completer" piece to outfits... since it was 70+ degrees this day (thanks Texas!), I used a lightweight black scarf.

Day 12: black pant + white tee + denim jacket. Another fan favorite! Simple. Neutral. Classic.

Day 13: plaid shirt + black cardigan + jeans. I'm indifferent to this outfit. The plaid is cute, but I think the cardigan paired with it looks a bit funny. Also, I should have #putacuffonit (my jeans).

Day 14: Happy Valentine's Day! And no, no red or pink from me. We were encouraged to copy a look from Pinterest, so I paired crop jeans + white tee and added a gray scarf. I liked this look and got lots of compliments on my scarf (it's from S. Korea)

How do you use completer pieces (scarf, cardigan, jacket, belt)? Again, not a fashion blogger or pro photographer by any means, but my girls and I are still having a blast with this challenge!

 

[fashion] Shop Your Closet Looks 1-8

[for more info as to what the heck "Shop Your Closet" is, refer to my last post here]

One week down, gals! My girlfriends and I have had a blast shopping our closets for unique outfits that we normally would not have paired together. We are using prompts from Caitlin at Greater than Rubies to come up with these new pairings (you don't HAVE to use the prompts, they are just an extra challenge). Want to see what I mean? Keep reading!

Day one: Wear a pattern and color. I paired a chevron flowy blouse (pattern) with black pants (color). I liked this look: it wasn't too hard to pair together and it was comfortable (sorry for the awkward angle)!

Day two: Cuff it. This refers to cuffing your pant leg or sleeve. It was FREEZING this day, so I left my sleeve down, but it could've been cuffed! Denim jeans and black sweater.

Day three: Copy a celebrity. I scoured Pinterest for my celebrity fashion inspiration... Katie Holmes, Kate Beckinsale, Princess Kate, and Rachel Bilson (all brunettes: like me!). In the end, I settled for this Rachel look. Black/white striped sweater and black leggings. I wore flats for the picture but changed into boots because it was freezing again! It's casual, but it works. My hair is a bit rough (my hair is a little too think for those kinds of pigtails!) and it was really early in the morning when this photo was taken #keepingitreal

Day four: Mix color families. I combined neutrals (black pant, beige tee) with a hot pink scarf (bright) and wore my denim jacket as a completer piece. See how I tied my scarf? Check that out here.

Day five: Add a scarf. This was a casual, run errands kind of day for me. I kept it simple with denim jeans, a white tee, black cardigan, my fake "Toms" from Wal-Mart, and a light pink/black/white patterned scarf that I got at a scarf exchange at Christmas. I also paired my "Southern Girl" trucker hat because a)it was a casual day, and b)my hair was rougghhh.

Day six: My favorite from the week! This prompt challenged us to combine color, texture, pattern, and shine in an outfit. WHEW. My color/pattern/texture came from my red and black knit scarf. The material it is made out of is super stretchy and moldable (?), so it looked great paired with a simple black tunic. I wore my red pants and nude flats, and used my jewelry as the "shine" aspect.

Day seven: Define the waist. I wasn't too sure about this prompt, but I read via Caitlin (@GTR) to use a completer piece (jacket) or belt, so I used both. Not my favorite, but at least I can say I did it.

Day 8: Add sparkle and shine to a daytime outfit. I used a statement necklace to achieve this requirement, and they are so fun to dress up/down! I paired the necklace with a grey tunic and black leggings. It was 70 degrees yesterday, so we soaked up the sunshine at a local meadery after church ("mead" is like wine but made with honey). 

So did any of you participate? It's been a challenge, but the girls and I think it has made our getting ready in the morning process a little bit quicker and easier. The prompts are definitely pushing us out of our comfort zone as well! New outfits never hurt nobody ;) Leave a comment and let me know which look/prompt is your favorite! Is there a prompt you could try out this week?

Have a great week!

Linking up with Caitlin (Greater than Rubies) and Lindsey (The Pleated Poppy)

[travel] Visit the Bahamas and Key West #27

27. Take a cruise to the Bahamas and Key West (and visit our honeymoon spots!)
January 4th-11th, 2015

This cruise itinerary has been a dream of mine for a while. First off, I have never been to the Bahamas. Secondly, it stopped at Key West: our honeymoon location! So when my family got together to book our annual cruise, this one was the choice. YAY!

My parents, Nate, and I woke up Sunday morning to drive to Galveston. We were aboard the Carnival Magic: a new-to-us ship! 

Immediately after the muster station drill, you BETCHA I got me a fun drink. It was pretty chilly outside since it was January, but we all sat on the top deck to watch the Cowboys game on the big screen. #gocowboys

On the 2nd and 6th nights of a 7-day cruise, there are formal nights. Doesn't Nate look dapper in his bowtie?

First sunny day: helllooooo Florida! We didn't get to port until 10am, so we had the morning to enjoy the top deck and sunshine. 

WaterWorks featured on the Carnival Magic

Hello, beautiful Key West! It was a party cloudy day but the humidity was definitely present!

We visited The Oldest House in Key West

After touring the house and walking down Duvall Street, we stopped to eat at Blue Heaven (which was a recommendation from a family friend).

 Nate had the Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Eggs Benedict. He, like our family friend, claims it to be one of, if not THE, best meal he's ever had.

I'm not a seafood person, so I opted for the "brunch-style" homemade banana bread (SO GOOD) and fruit bowl (Key West has some of the best pineapple ever).

We hit some of our honeymoon spots too, like this buoy behind us, which is The Southernmost Point in the USA. There was a huge line waiting to take pictures with it, and since we already have one from our honeymoon, we cheated and took this picture instead.

This is where we stayed for our honeymoon: Dewey House Bed & Breakfast. It was so quaint and quiet, classy yet simple. Totally our style!

Back aboard the ship: Carnival Magic has some great features and we would definitely travel aboard again! And we had such a blast traveling with my parents. Great memories!

Next stop: Freeport, Bahamas! Y'all. THIS WATER. I can't even. Unfortunately, as you can see by the menacing clouds behind us, it rained a bit this day. So we shopped some, strolled the beach, and then returned to the ship. I can't wait to (hopefully) visit again and enjoy the beach on a sunny day!

At the Freeport cruise port.

Next: Nassau, Bahamas! Yes, you can see the legendary Atlantis resort behind us. No, we did not visit for the day. A bit TOO costly for our pockets. But it would've been fun to visit! Maybe next time.

In Nassau, we opted for a local beach (Junkanoo): about a 15 minute walk in town from the cruise port. We like exploring the town life in the various countries we visit. This water/scenery did not disappoint either! Gorgeous. However, it was BEYOND windy this day... which in January calls for some cooler temperatures. I tried SO hard to lay out and work on a tan, but I got too chilly!

Nate sampled the local fare: Ginger Beer. He said it was pretty good (non-alcoholic).

And then back on the ship for the last two days! Mini golf and a ropes course were available on the top decks.

There you have it! Cruising is BY FAR our favorite way to travel. Your food, transportation, and activities are all planned. You can do AS MUCH or AS LITTLE as you want. It's so relaxing and stress-free! I would highly recommend a cruise vacation to anyone. Let me know if you have any cruising questions: this was my 8th cruise!

[fashion] Shop Your Closet: The Pieces

[She emerges! I know. I promise to blog more!]

If you have been following me on Instagram (@chrissydj), you will have noticed my new #shopyourclosetremix for the next 30 days. Basically I borrowed this idea from Caitlin @Greater Than Rubies (seriously, go check out her blog and links: it has been my reading material for the past two weeks)!

Basically, Nathan and I have felt in a rut (not relationship-wise: don't worry) with all of the STUFF we have accumulated over the 5.5 years we have been married. There are TWO of us... how do we have so much crap?!

This is where Caitlin's blog came in...

I was perusing Pinterest, as all of us do on a daily basis, and I came across an outfit post of hers. I continued to read her website and how she was a former shopaholic who BROKE UP with shopping for a year. A YEAR. No shopping whatsoever. You can find all of this on her website, but the main point of the story is this: I need to learn how to REMIX my wardrobe to have all sorts of fun, new outfits vs. going out and buying the "latest and greatest". I have a bajillion clothing articles. Let's make some fun, new outfits!

So, the #shopyourclosetremix works likes this: NO SHOPPING. Pick pieces you already own and learn to create, mix, and match 30 new outfits. I have the girls from my small group at church joining with me, and we all have chosen 20 articles of clothing as a part of our remix. From here, you fashion 30 outfits. Seems simple, right? Wellllll you have to get creative! Shoes, jewelry, scarves, belts, etc. are unlimited. This is where you can really have fun with the variety of outfits you create.

So as to not bother my FB peeps, I have been posting daily pictures of myself and the gals with our remix outfits for each day (we are using prompts as a guideline from Caitlin, but that's not required)... and this is the part I like the least. I'm sure it's annoying seeing daily "fashion" posts from me! But I know if I don't hold myself accountable to... well, no one really, so I suppose my Instagram, I know I'll quit halfway! So, onto the photos (please remember I'm not a fashion blogger nor a fancy photographer... #keepingitreal)!

Here are my twenty items...

black and white chevron/white crochet/grey tunic/
black sweater/beige tee/black tunic
white casual tee with rope collar/black and white striped sweater/black floral blouse

red sweater/denim jacket/black cardigan
chambray button up/red plaid/black lace dress

black zip up leggings/denim skinnies
denim crop/black pants
(not pictured: red pants)

Now if you'd like to join me on the quest to SHOP YOUR CLOSET, please do! Use the hashtag #shopyourclosetremix and we can all look at each others outfit formulas! PLUS Caitlin (@GTR) is posting her outfits, along with prize opportunities, through her blog in February. Link up and join!

If anything, through this process I hope to clear out some clothes that I'm too attached to and create a solid, structural capsule of clothing for each season, only having to replace ruined or worn pieces. Here's hoping!

Link up with Caitlin here: Shop Your Closet Winter Remix

What has been your fashion challenge for 2015? Do tell!