January 10, 2020
Time for another great bracelet! This is a special thought for all of you who love brown and all warm colors…
That little touch of the rust in the beads is lovely…
Just a Small Change of Habit…
She quit buying coffee during the day at work. There was never any good reason to go downstairs and wait for coffee, when there’s a perfectly decent coffee maker just down the hall. But SO many people used coffee as an excuse to be out of their office for 20 minutes, and it never occurred to her that it wasn’t a good idea…
‘Til she looked at her monthly expenditures! A couple of months of “office coffee” and she could take a long weekend someplace… warmer. Not necessarily beachy, but somewhere that was sandal-friendly during the day!
Tiger eye earrings – Alex and Ani; oatmeal cardigan – Leith; scarf – Madewell; watch – Fossil; crossbody bag – Matt & Nat; dark caramel tee – Lands’ End; loafers – Birdies; socks – Hansel from Basel; tote bag – Madewell; corduroy jeans – Lands’ End
Every time she looked at her bracelet, it reminded her that she was saving for something. Just a little bit of a mental nudge to keep her on track…
She’s not going to do anything amazing when she’s away – some sightseeing, sitting near the shore to read (lots of magazines that she’s been wanting to catch up on!) and walking around town. A few nice meals, of course!
sunglasses – Kate Spade New York; necklace – Hampden Clothing; square earrings – Colors of Diamonds; heart earrings – Kendra Scott; leather clutch – Hunting Season; sequin detail scarf – Faliero Sarti; adobe cardigan – L.L.Bean; floral silk blouse – Frame; bone tank – Eileen Fisher; bone ankle pants – Eileen Fisher; dress – Cuyana; sandbar capri pants – L.L.Bean; beige sandals – Patricia Green; copper sandals – Aerosoles
Her caramel-inspired wardrobe looks so comforting – coherent and uncomplicated!
She’s not really concerned about what she will wear when she’s there. If the weather is cool, she might have to wear her loafers a lot in the evenings. If the weather is warm, she might buy a pair of shorts. But overall, she has plenty of options for a 3-day weekend!
Back in the days when I worked in a “real” office (as opposed to sitting at my desk in our apartment!), I gave up going out for coffee. I saved enough money in a year to go to Paris! (and just THINK of all of the coffee cups that I kept out of landfills…)
What other small economies can generate big, fun benefits?
love,
Janice
p.s. 3 years ago, we built a conservative office wardrobe – 1 Piece at a Time – in navy, emerald and amethyst. If I ever have to go back to such a job, this wardrobe would suit me just fine!
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I hate coffee but I love this coffee inspired wardrobe! Also the coffee cup border gave me a giggle. I travel in May a fair bit and this is a great wardrobe for that time of year when it might be hot. Or cool. Or both in one day!
Ha! I love your personal coffee story at the end, Janice! I used to love coffee, but recently not as much. I realized I was drinking it more out of habit than for taste. So I stopped, except for Sunday mornings which are more leisurely and I can relish it. ?
Have a great weekend!!!
Janice,
Today is my birthday and you have come up with a post for us “ warmies ‘ — great timing , thank you ! It’s strange, but coffee is the one thing that my body rejects whenI am ill — that should tell me something , but apparently I am a slow learner because I am still drinking the stuff !
Happy Birthday style sister?
Pat
Happy Birthday (mine, too). And coffee in moderation is good for you, so just enjoy it. It’s just coffee.
Thank you, Pat !
Brenda,
Hope your birthday was wonderful as well ! I’m about to have my first mug of the day !
I drink an insane amount of coffee, so I can sympathize. And I don’t know WHY I was completely drawn to the idea of writing about coffee; yes, Alison’s name for this bracelet was pretty compelling, but that’s not always enough. It must be because IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!!
many and loving hugs,
Janice
Thank you, Janice ! A hot mug of coffee on a Winter’s day can be the perfect start , and the right colors for a wardrobe capsule too ! I echo adding coral, warm dark red, teal or aqua, depending upon the season, and even some denim and navy to balance out all of the warmth, dependent upon my given mood of the day ! It’s fun to have options once the core neutral(s) is established !
Just a weather note — we had a low of 13 degrees this week, and today the highs are in the 60’s here in PA. Our 4 inch snow has become just a quick memory ! Right now I need to keep both Winter and Spring in the closet !
Hugs right back !
Happy birthday to you, my style (muted colors low-medium contrast) twin ?!
beeebeee,
Thank you, my “ sister in style “ ! Hahaha !
Oh my! So perfect! I don’t wear much gold, and it’s hard to find accessories with warm browns and my preferred silver. AND the cream in the bracelet is warm but not yellow. SO, I bought it.
Thank you so much for this post. I’m totally excited about the little treat coming in the mail.
After a tough six months recovering from an injury and the weight gain that came with it, my New Year’s resolution was to nail down my chosen colors for the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, and then to put it into practice. I need a very small and reliable wardrobe So: a range of warm browns and dark greys and alll the bright aqua/teals and corals. Makes me happy as I sit here drinking my coffee and dreaming about it.
BTW—It’s a good thing that dress wasn’t available in my size! I might have been tempted to splurge. The back detail is just beautiful.
This wardrobe sings to me. I’m going to take it to Egypt. Can’t wait to start playing with my closet and putting things together. I’ve got a russet brown cardigan and LS t that will be good on the airplane. I’ve held onto a SS brown linen dress that can now get some action. Metallic sandals waiting their turn. Thanks for this inspiration!
Beautiful once again! That Faliero scarf and Frame silk blouse are my favourites, but i would have to give up more than coffee to save for those! Great inspiration. I think i like where this woman is going…
Love this wardrobe, but how I wish the bracelets offered goldtone as a bead option instead of silver! I am a warm girl through and through, and although I’ve tried just don’t care for the look of silver on me.
Send a note to Alison – I have a hunch she might be able to find something that would work. Maybe brass – gold would either be “gold-toned” or some other less precious metal.
She’s a lovely woman, and always happy to accommodate special requests!
hugs,
Janice
Thanks, I will!
Haha! Saved enough money on fluffy coffees to buy…an espresso machine! More coffee!
Is it wrong of me to want that beautiful caramel color, even though it is all wrong for my cool complexion? And yet it worked so well when my hair was that color. Maybe with a scarf.
This bracelet and wardrobe are absolutely gorgeous. I used to wear those colours, but can’t now with my grey hair, sigh. However, that’s my economy. The first year I stopped getting my hair dyed, I saved enough for a Mexican vacation in the winter.
I’ve hardly ever drank coffee. Caffeine and I don’t agree. I love your story and the whole aesthetic of this post. Thank you.
I’m raising a mug for tea drinkers – if I have coffee at work, it becomes a talking point!
I wish that I could wear these colours but my colouring is all wrong, so I have to admire these colours when my daughter wears them instead.
However, by following your principles, Janice, I could review the options in the colours that do suit me. I love multi-tonal bracelets and floral blouses. I do need a versatile coatigan in my wardrobe for spring.
As a fellow tea lover, your comment made me think of how cool a tea-themed wardrobe could be!
Janice, your takes on Alyson’s bracelet are always precious, and I love the coffee dividers :) This wardrobe feels wonderfully warm and soothing, I kind of wish I’d look good in light pants.
I love coffee, and I loved your post. First time to comment, but a long time follower. Cheers!!!
Hmmm… saving money on take out. I took my lunch to work for years and drank free office coffee. I figured out I saved enough for a Lovely vacation each year!
This is lovely, even if I can’t actually wear any of it (although I do love some caramel/cognac jeans). I have found that eating in rather than automatically eating out saves a bunch of $$ even if it does take some planning/effort. – nancyo