I generally try to steer clear of denim-on-denim looks.

Maybe it’s residual trauma from childhood “food co-op” play-dates with all of my home-schooled friends whose moms (as well as mine) apparently thought that jeans jumpers with matching denim button-ups underneath were the de rigueur wardrobe choice for serious-minded stay-at-home educators.

Believe-you-me, by the time I got done with school, I was jeans button-upped + jeans jumpered out. (Of course, I think I might have felt this way in the womb, despite what an unfortunate family photo from 1991 might seem to imply to contrary).

Or maybe it’s because I once saw a picture of Matt Damon dressed in baggy faded blue jeans and an identically faded jeans jacket with a snarky caption about “Canadian Tuxedos” underneath (no offense, lovely Canadian readers! I didn’t coin the term!) and picked up on the fact that, maybe, just possibly, this combo wasn’t considered the most fashion-savvy choice.

Either way, I recovered from both traumas well enough to ignore all better judgment and wear two denim items…together.

IMG_0450

Oh, the horror!

Actually, I kind of like it.

I think it’s mostly because the chambray shirt is several shades lighter with just enough distressing to offset the darker jeans, which are much more uniform in color, thus creating a welcome contrast, despite their shared denimness.

Or maybe it’s the scarf, which was a gift, I’m pretty sure (suddenly can’t remember where it came from!) and which I wasn’t wild about at first (sorry, if it was your gift…just keep reading) but have since fallen in love with!

IMG_0451

Isn’t it funny how you can feel ambivalent (or even hostile) toward an article of clothing until you see something similar worn a certain way, and suddenly, it clicks, and you think, “I can’t believe I ever thought Canadian Tuxedos and big grandma scarves might be a bad fashion choice! What a goofy-poof I am!”

Not that that’s what happened here. Oh no. This outfit was ENTIRELY my own creation.

*Ahem.*

IMG_0454

And just because I couldn’t get enough of my $1 Miley Cyrus Walmart steal of a denim shirt, I wore it again, only this time over a real yeeeeehaw of an outfit that is almost identical to the one I wore three years ago to my brother’s surprise 30th birthday party, which happened to be a square dance…

…which I happened to be the one calling, even though I’d never done it before…gulp! (Apparently, I did all right since a woman from one of the campuses of the church I attend called me up a few months ago offering to pay me to call a square dance for their 10th Anniversary Celebration and assured me that my reputation had preceded me! : )

Kind of made me sad to have to tell her, “Umm…I’ve only done that once for a party I planned. You probably want someone with more experience”).

IMG_0467

Still, even with the credentials that calling one square dance surely must afford, I am sooooo not a cowgirl—despite the fact that we live in the country…in very close proximity to cows and many other elements of cowgirl-dom that would make it seem like I should be.

IMG_0463

But regardless of my complete lack of cowgirlness, sometimes it’s just fun to put your hair in a braid and wear some boots and a big ol’ thrifted belt with a ginormous turquoise buckle.

IMG_0457-1

Of course, it’s especially fun when your dress is flowy and comfy as a nightgown. See that big smile on my face?

That’s a comfy-dress smile.

IMG_0464

And for a complete change of gears, let’s get rid of the $1 denim shirt and throw on our brand new jacket crush, shall we?

IMG_0469

I ordered this Tulle black and white Swiss dot jacket right before Christmas when they were still running their extra 50% off all sale jackets + free shipping deal.

$37.50 shipped, people! Woot!

The funniest thing? I stumbled across a blog on The Pleated Poppy, who I link up with every week (including today!), and the girl was wearing this jacket and had a link to it in her post, and I absolutely loved it on her, so I clicked through, and. after seeing the incredible price, bought one for me too!

Too bad she didn’t get a commission, right? (Or did she? I didn’t check.)

IMG_0471IMG_0472

And because, even though I’m not usually a fan of animal prints,I can still handle them in very small doses…here are what my nails look like at the moment:

IMG_0478

The base coat is: China Glaze’s Tinsel Town, and the pattern is: Revlon’s Black Lingerie 

To get your very own leopard print nails at home:

1) Paint nails with base coat,

2) Pour out a little puddle of the “dot color,”

3) Dip one end of a toothpick in your puddle, then dab  on little dots at random until you’re satisfied with the results,

I know, I know. With a process that complicated and precise, I really should have done a step-by-step picture tutorial. : )

And just in case you’re wondering what kind of woman with three kids under 6 could possibly have enough time to waste on something so frivolous…

I did it while we had friends over for dinner, and the kids were all running wild playing happily, the husbands were intensely discussing something super-technical like the gorks (geek/dorks…LOVE you, baby! : )) they both are, and Mandy and I were talking about preparation for Blissdom (squeal!).

Not a bad way to spend an evening, if I do say so myself (turtle cheesecake was also involved, so…not bad at all).

What about you guys? Do you try to be “productive” when you’re with your girls, or do you just chill?

P.S. Today, I’m sharing my master closet makeover with Becky of Organizing Made Fun! Be sure to stop by for lots of inspiration and great organizational tips. Don’t forget to say, “Hi!” to Becky while you’re there. She is suuuuper-sweet and such an encourager!

 

 

0 Comments

  1. if done right, i think the canadian tuxedo (i’ve also heard it called a texas tuxedo) can be very cute. i think you’ve done it right and you look amazing! i also love the shirt with the skirt…it’s such a great silhouette on you! and also, i might need to do the same click throughs as you because i love that coat!!

  2. My brother and I were both home-schooled all the way through, but we both “flew the coop” early and started community college @ 14 and 14 respectively (him, me).

    We always say there’s a difference between home-schoolers and being home-schooled, and I think every single kid who *was home-schooled* was traumatized by jeans jumpers!

    Oh, and culottes! For the love of skirts, what were THOSE about?!

  3. I love the denim-on-denim look!! …on YOU, that is.

    I’m glad I’m not the only one who was traumatized by the denim-jumpered homeschool Moms surrounding me!!

    (By the way – I homeschooled all 12 years. You?)

  4. love love the polka dot coat!!!!!! and i love your denim on denim 🙂 until this past week, i’d not worn it since i overdid it during the early 90’s.

  5. Way to go!!! Yeah, none of my homeschooling friends wear the denim jumper uniform, thank the Lord!! But my brother and sister-in-law home school (they’re 12 years older than me) and they have friends that still hold true to the quintessential home school mom jean jumper. Yikes!

  6. love love your poka dot jacket! we would love for you to link up with us on sunday “sunday best”. we need some help with ideas on things to wear to church, so any skirts or dresses you would like to share with us would be great! hope to see you sunday!

    -chelz
    griffithsrated.blogspot.com

  7. Hopefully, it wasn’t TOO much of a diatribe! But, seriously, there is not a figure on the planet that the dreaded jeans jumper cannot instantly make misshapen and lumpy…including my own mother’s fabulous form.

    I don’t think it’s still a home-school thing among “modern” versions…they’re pretty mainstream as far as I can tell.

    P.S. Thank you, pretty lady! You’re too sweet!

    P.P.S. We will meet one day soon, I hope! I replied to your comment about stopping by the vintage market and my not being there, but there’s something in the back of my mind telling me it didn’t go through. I don’t remember why, but I have this vague recollection of thinking there had been a glitch and that I needed to make sure it posted, but then I got distracted (happens a LOT around here), and I don’t think I ever verified!

    ANYHOO, the long and the short is that I had a haircut appt. and then had to hustle to cover Mandy’s Body Pump class, so the timing was just atrocious, but I was really sad to have missed you! : (

  8. I know, right?!! Maybe I’m subconsciously carrying on the home-school denim-on-denim tradition…just in bit (hopefully) hipper fashion. I’ll be sure to conk you over the head with a white rubber-soled tennis shoes should I ever spot you attempting the “jumper girl” look…just so long as you promise to do the same! : )

  9. Oh how I love your comments about the “homeschool mom” thing… my sister, cousins and refer to the ones who wear denim jumpers with athletic shoes (definitely a fashion statement) as “jumper girls”!
    And now, *gasp*, I’m a homeschool mom! Just hit me over the head though if I ever appear in public wearing a denim jumper with tennis shoes! 🙂

    Love your denim on denim, BTW!

  10. honey, your denim is so NOT 1991!! LOVE!!! and that coat is so darn cute i just spent like 20 minutes browsing tulle. if they were still running an extra 50% off sale my credit card would be in flames, i tell you – FLAMES!

  11. I was hysterical over your aversion to denim on denim, I have to agree, but you rocked it! Thanks for the kind comments, I’m following you too!
    Emily
    domesticdeadline.blogspot.com

  12. OH MY GOSH!!!! You had me cracking up with the home school mom diatribe!! That was totally my mom – what in the world was with home school moms in the eighties and nineties????? IS this still an obsession now??

    PS – you’re gorgeous!

  13. Hey Abbie, I don’t how the heck I found your blog but I have been following along now for about two months and think your blog is great! You are hilarious! This post had me in stitches! ~Jaime

    ps. The denim jacket / urban-cowgirl look is so cute and much like my favorite store, Sundance. I too am not a cowgirl but have fun with the look now and then! Oh, and love the jacket!

  14. I have that same $1 denium shirt – – you’ve inspired me to pair it with some dark jeans!!

  15. I have to tell you, Matt Damon can wear denim on denim, a hot tux, or ladies lingerie, and he’ll still look smokin’. 🙂

    I think my favorite of the outfits you posted is the denim shirt + flowy skirt + chunky belt + boots. Its looked super comfy, sorta structured, and chic all at the same time. Now that’s a multi-tasking outfit! Enjoy reading your words, as always.

    New year, new start, new blessings to you!
    Karen

  16. Love the cute polka dot jacket with skinnys! Thanks for following! Three littles are a handful but so fun too!

I love hearing from you guys!