Yet another scarf

top & skirt thrifted    scarf cotton/silk  gifted

This is a very simple outfit in which I played with colors and the perfect back drop for yet one of my scarves .I'm afraid you will be seeing a lot of them since a great love for scarves has taken over me.
I looked around and found some blogs of other scarf lovers and most of them seem to be into Hermes scarves. They are beyond my reach at the moment but they offer great inspiration for color combinations like this one I have on today.
Needless to say this sudden love for scarves has sent me straight to my closet and pushed me to create many new outfits to wear this week.
And it has made it all the more clear for me that all I need is to use my creativity to make full use of what I have which is one of the most important reasons I started this blog.
Which make me wonder what was the main reason you started yours?

Scarf it up

denim shirt berska     scarf berska      white pants thrifted & altered    shoes massimo dutti

This is how you would see me walking around the city today plus my headphones to enjoy the music while walking. I walk about 40 min each day to come and go to work which is in the city center. It's a valuable me time that I both exercise and clear my mind.
On to my outfit , now.This outfit evolves around my scarf. While I'm doing my collages I noticed that I've got all my basic colors covered and that I've got many scarves that I could use to introduce pattern and tie together my tops and bottoms.
Scarves are such a valuable accessory when it comes to adding some interest into basic outfits. It's also a cheap way to enrich a wardrobe unless of course you go for Hermes.
So , what's your relationship with scarves and how often do you wear them and how many have you got? I've got 26 and counting.

top &cardigan zara     skirt thrifted& tailored  pumps made in Greece , leather

You have to excuse me for this heavily photoshoped photo but it was too dark today when I took the photos. We are having an autumn sort of weather with a big drop of temperature and lots of rain.
I came up with this color combination after playing with my collages and I admit that putting together in an outfit two shades of beige or whatever this color is called has escaped me so far.
Note how the scarf has a few blue details that match the color of the skirt. If there was no danger to be considered as a crazy person I would wear this skirt every day for whole month. This skirt matches at least 25 of my tops as I discovered recently.
Another thing I discovered is that lately I've been shopping to fill the gaps in my wardrobe. I had been doing this without much thought but today I realised that the only reason I 'm justified to shop is to bridge the gaps.
I know it sounds a bit all over the place but I'm taking notes and write down what I miss and then I wait until things come my way.
And they do come like this pair of nude pumps . I needed a pair but waited until I found this pair which is leather ,made in Greece(I'm becoming a bit more conscious to shop local) and heavily discounted .They tick all boxes so they came home with me.
I wish everybody a great weekend and plenty of rest to be strong for the week to come.

Having fun

In case you are wondering this is my little toy to play with at the moment. I'm making collages with my clothes for 2 main reasons. The first one is to get to know what I own in a more graphic way since my closet is small and I don't get a chance to see everything I own , so many of my clothes don't get as much wear as they should.
The other reason is that I can have a first approach at how different combinations look like together so I can have an idea for a basic outfit and then play around with accessories.
I have to tell you that going through my clothes like this I have discovered many combinations that never crossed my mind.
An added bonus is that I can spot easier the gaps I need to fill ....like a white skirt and more colorfull cardigans  and a few more scarves.
All in all I'm both having fun and study my wardrobe so I can make full use of what I have.
How do you keep track of what you own? Do you have a clear idea of what you have in your closet?
How do you feel when you open your closet?

Ethnic scarf....and politics

white jeans thrifted &fitted   beige cotton sweater earth  scarf bianco  shoes converse.

This is my one look - two ways approach .The first look I wore later in the day in a more relaxed setting whereas the first look served me well during the day walking around the city.
The white beige combo is so basic that depending on the accessories/shoes I can get  as many styles as I want. This Azdec print on the scarf gives  an ethnic tone to my outfit and I happened to see similar scarves in the shops today (......just window shopping) so I can tell it's a trend. Ethnic details  can be worn by all ages and all ladies can look a bit exotic without crossing the line.
Is there an accessory you own that can be worn by you and your daughter  and still look appropriate and special for both of you? And since we are on questions territory which pair of shoes you think fits better with the look?
On the elections front there is a lot of terrorism and fear about what will happen on TV and in the hearts of the people  the coming down of the political system as we knew it the last 30 years .
I don't know which side is going to win , as the amount of scary things that are going to happen to Greece if the people vote left is growing and we still have 30 days to go. But there is also a creeping sense that we people might be going the right direction to have politicians  go crazy both in Greece and in the Eurozone.
The whole situation reminds me of young people that want to move out of the house but controlling parents terrorise them of how the cruel ugly world is going to tear them apart if they decide to go. And of course they will not be given a cent .

Going cheerfull

skirt thrifted and altered   yellow sweater zara   scarf  mambo   shoes boxer

Life is back to normal although it will be elections time again in the middle of June. I decided to minimise the amount of information from the media as it's going to be a lot of blackmale and terrorism and thus vote with a more clear mind .
On with my outfit today. I wear one of my  new thrifted and altered skirts and my yellow sweater. The outfit is a product of my collages and I admit that until I saw it in the collage I couldn't visualise this simple but interesting outfit.The scarf is old but fits nicely with the rest of the outfit.
I have to admit that I got many second looks today as this outfit was so bright under the morning light but I like the cheerfulness of the colors.

Inventory

jeans peacock   tip&cardigan zara     shoes boxer

Today's outfit is one of those that makes you wonder why you didn't put it together already. Us fashion bloggers often try to be creative and come up with unusual combinations but often forget to wear the most obvious ones.
What's easier than wearing two bright colors , a scarf that picks on them and a pair of jeans.
But I 've got to tell you I'm in the middle of making  an inventory of all the contents of my closet and then photograph and make collages of all possible combinations. We talk about a lot of work and hundreds of cotmbinations so many that I could dress myself for more than a year or maybe two.
Not all combinations are nice and some might look great on the collage but not on me. But still there are a lot of combinations sleeping in my closet that I could never put together unless I did the following

It's pretty basic cause I'm not a computer expert but you get an idea of what I do . Adding to these combinations accessories , scarves and outer wear or add a third piece and ...it blows my mind of how much lurks in my closet.
What do you thik of the new way I found to keep me sane and happy ? Have you made an inventory of some sort? Did that help?
PS I have to give credit to vivienne for inspiring me.

My almost cost nothing outfit

shirt &cardigan swapped     green pants thrifted & altered   bag diy    scarf &ring stradivarious

Although I didn't post every day this week I took photos of my outfits and I would post them if only my kids didn't delete them from the photo camera. I had already saved this one in my files so here it is my almost cost nothing outfit.
I made the bag out of fake leather and swapped or thrifted the rest. As it was a bit chilly this week I added the light scarf and the cotton cardigan.
After my rant about politics and financial situation in Greece it seems a bit stupid to just post an outfit but posting regularly has kept my spirits up during the difficult winter time.
It amazes me how simple ,superficial things can go hand in hand with deeper thoughts and a more profound way of life.
During my blogging time I have met many beautiful bloggers who do just the same. They post but also live meaningful lives. I've also come across bloggers who post outfits but give me a sense that this is all they do. maybe I'm wrong but these are the blogs Iskip. Have you ever felt this way?What's the amount of superficiality you can live with when visiting a blog?

We will fight them back

 Τhis the picture of the Greek Parliament back in the summer and how Greek people feel about it the last 2 years. Note that the open palm gesture is a gesture of serious disapprovement   and is highly offensive.The reason for this was that the greek goverment, who was elected in 2009with fake promises of soscialist governance in favor of the people, dragged Greece into IMF and signed humiliating treaties without the concent of Greek people.
There followed 2 years of blackmaιling via the TV and press and politicians and ubelievable austerity measures that cut our income by 40% . The unemployment rose from 9% to 21% and  extreme poverty and even hunger took over . Children fainted at schools across the country because their parents couldn't bring food to the table.

Big clouds of depression swept the nation as we watched our democracy  to fall apart and new loans to be imposed on us. On top of that all resources and all incoming money of the country via taxes are mortgage to the creditors( IMF and European Central Bank) for the next 40 years. A huge dept of 350.000.000.000 euros has been imposed on Greek people to pay and a sell out of the country has been designed.
In my family we suffered a 40%minus income and my husbaned couldn't start his own business as  we had planned. It was only food on the table and paying bills and taxes. It was depression time and a feeling that we don't live in a free country which was the worst and a totally unknown feeling for me. I've lived all my life with money to spend and there I was counting my cents ,feeling unsafe and helpless.
As many of you know blogging and been creative has been of great help and also studying the facts and doing recearch on the internet to help me understand what was really going on.



Anyway, a new day seems to be coming after the results of Sunday's elections as a left party came second in elections with almost 17% of the votes to express a new direction our society demands. The Greeks have made a choice that they absolutely don't want the sell out of their country as they gave the majority of votes to anti neoliberalism parties.
The first party which came first with only19% cannot make a goverment so there will be new elections a month later probably as negotiations still take place.
The situation is still uncertain and the problems many but for the first time after 2 years a bit of hope is on the rise.
PS I 'm not a journalist and I know a lot has been left out but this is how me and most of my fellow citizens feel about the situation.
PS2: For those wish to travel Greece is still a safe hospitable country.
What are the reviews you get in your country? What do real people think about the situation in Greece?

Tell me why

dress marks&spencer    floral top zara       cobalt blue belt berska    shoes converse

I don't want to bother you with details but I feel like I don't get much respond from my fellow bloggers. There I said it. I have of course a small group of royal followers that we exgange comments on a regular basis. I even pride myself that I get thoughtful ,caring comments and not the kind of throwing a few words and move to the next blog ones.
But as I stroll around bloggosphere I come across posts with very little input and lots of comments and I have no idea why this happens.
I know I'm not as good in writing posts or taking pictures but I've seen others do worse and get so many more comments. How they do it?
I also know that hiding my face for so long was a kind of cheat because I was hiding something from you and didn't share.
But now I will be really brave and ask for your opinion. Don't be afraid and give me your critique. If I don't get it from you I don't know where else to look for  it . Please spill the beans and tell me why do you stop by but don't comment ? What do you think I should be doing in a different way? Hey! I'm an adult , I didn't reach 44 and learned nothing so please be straight.
I'd love to thank you in advance.
This week's Visible Monday post hosted by Patti is dedicated to all those readers of my blog who don't become visible. I'd love to hear from you ,if that's o.k!

5 random facts about me

top thrifted &altered     skirt local company gift by mom   belt berska

Since I decided to go full face on my blog I got very sweet comments and felt like a new period for my blog has began. So I think I owe it to my readers to reveal 5 random facts about me.
1. When I met my husband 15 years ago , it was love at first sight . We run off together after just 3 days and one year later we expected our first son.
2.When I was in my early 20s I travelled through India for a total of 12 months. A mind opening experiece which made me a better person.
3.I walk a total of 60 min every day part because I love walking and part because I hate driving.
4.Unless I hear my alarm clock ring I wake up on the wrong side. There is something about the sound of the alarm that puts me in the right mood to face each new day.
5.Quess which was my favorite game when I was a child. To dress paper dolls which is something I do in this blog but the adult way.
On to the outfit now. A bit of 50s vibe due to the shape of my skirt and many pops of color for the trendy bit.

How to wear red skirt 3 ways

red skirt thrifted   vintage top mum's sewn by aunt   belt berska shoes stefania

Because I didn't post for a while ,it doesn't mean I wasn't getting dressed. On the contrary , since I scored this red skirt (finally!) this Wednesdey ,while thrifting ,I put together 3 outfits that I totally love.
Take for example this first one. Vintage top from the 80s hand sewn by my aunt. I've worn it a couple of times as a young girl in my 20s but not with as much attitude as I do today ( getting older has its good points).It so happens that the color is so hot at the moment.

red skirt thrifted   top berska

This skirt has become' the mother' of 3 of my orphan tops that collected dust in my closet. Like this wonderfully patterned top. I never really figured with what to wear it although I bought it 5 years ago for my son's birthday. I've only worn it with jeans and black bottoms but they didn't do it justice.

red skirt thrifted  top benetton  cardigan marks&spencer   belt fullah sugar

And last but not least my preppy teacher looks with a twist see color and animal print. And did I mention the skirt cost me just one euro and didn't need any altering ?It fits like a glove.
Enough raving ,tomorrow is elections day in Greece and I pray for a goverment in favor of the people.

Wish outfit

Wish outfit by kellyroy68 featuring cross shoulder bags

Since I rediscovered polyvore it has become a regular feature in my blog once every 10 days to post things I wish I had but mostly things that inspire me and help me shape my style.
What this outfit says about my style? It says that I have a secret love for polka dots and a not so secret love for color. I esp believe that strong colored accessories like shoes and bags can add tons of value to an outfit.
Show me color and I will show you a stylish lady!
What are your thoughts about Polyvor and strong color accessories?

Flirting with pattern

skirt C&A    purple top hema    blaser thrifted    belt massimo dutti

I used to think that patterned skirts are so difficult to match and always avoided buying them. After excercising my eyes through lots of magazines ,blogs and after doing the necessary reading now I 'm finally ready to reveal the secret. I just pick two of the colors in the print and use them to find similarly colored tops and accessories. The nails' color counts,too.
To tell the truth I used to be a total monochromatic lady and patterns were so elusive for me and still are to a great extend. I started to introduce  pattern with scarves and I noticed how much more eye pleasant my outfits had become and after a while I introduced the classics that is strippes , polka dots and animal print and checks. When my level of comfort with the above was high only then did I add other kinds of pattern  mainly thrifted bacause I wasn't sure if I could make them part of what I already had. It's a work in progress but I hope that someday I will be able to mix pattern on pattern without looking like a clown that is.
So , spill the beans what's your flirt story with pattern? Do you have a natural flair for it or you strive to wear it?

Multiples yes or no

white jeans thrifted & fitted   cardigan & top zara shoes stefania

Since I found these white pants I've been able to ground many outfits. Today I played with strong colors again namely orange and navy blue a combination which I find very classy. White seems to be an excellent background for strong colors. I'm happy I could put this blue navy top in use because I have it in my closet for more than two years now but never worn it as much.
It was part of a big purchase of tops in many basic colors.All in all I had bought 8 tops in all different colors and I had made a huge injection of style in my wardrobe. I have done the same with cardigans and never regreted it. Do you buy multiples and if yes under which conditions?

Red makes me happy

red top zara     white shirt gifted    pale blue skirt  thrifted&altered     shoes stefania

No wonder I'm so happy today .I'm wearing red paired with white and pale blue.A great combination that I wouldn't have thought of a while ago. I have to admit that I'm in love with the pale blue skirt I altered and I could wear it everyday.This pale blue color adds sophistication to any outfit and could pass as a basic easily. It's interesting how this summer both strong and pale colors are trendy. So there is a choice and I think that although I go more on the pale side , I love to experiment and have both sides on my outfits. Which side are you?