This late spring/early summer season in Minnesota has its ups and downs, starting with the weather, which is...well, let's call it changeable. So far this month we've had heat waves, cold spells, extreme sun, wet gloom, thunderstorms with tornado warnings, and most bizarrely of all, a sudden hail storm that came out of nowhere.
Out of nowhere as in: rain didn't show up on the radar until the hail had already started falling. I heard this loud racket outside and even thought "could that be hail?" but dismissed it because it had been sunny just a little while earlier and the forecast had been clear. My husband and I rushed out onto our balcony and watched the little squall for about 5 minutes as it soaked all humans and dogs on the walking path, then it was over as quickly as it began. One completed drenched man from the building next door picked up a piece of hail larger than a quarter off the sidewalk.
See that green stuff growing out of the ground in that photo? Yeah, things are blooming now, which is fantastic except for how much pollen and other seasonal allergens are in the air right now. I have allergy problems year-round, so I kind of forget that when "green spring" finally arrives in late April/early May, my allergies get even worse. It's like, "Wait, what? There is yet another level of allergy misery I experience? Oh yeah, I guess that's right." And since the temperatures are not warm enough to run the air-conditioner all day (we only run the A/C when the outdoor temp is 60F or higher), we have open windows much of the time (otherwise our extremely well-insulated apartment gets too warm). It's lovely, but man, I do pay a price.
But if we're going to have weather too cool for the A/C, I can at least take advantage of it by enjoying some late spring scarf outfits, right? (Oooh, smooth segue, no?)
April showers bring May flowers, they say, but here it's more like May showers bring June flowers. I enjoyed pulling out this mint umbrella print 3/4 sleeve T for the first time this year, pairing it with soft indigo pants, navy loafers, and a navy/blue/grey ombré scarf secured with a white scarf ring for a Friday WFH outfit. And look Ma, no topper layer! That does happen sometimes.
Even I don't have a custom DIY bracelet set for everything I wear, so this stack was built from a trio of DIY aloe/mint stone bead bracelets, a DIY grey glass pearl bracelet, a navy/silver bead bracelet from CJ Banks, and a DIY mint/grey bicone paper bead bracelet. I did make the paper bead bracelet to accompany the aloe/mint stone bracelets (and I have a tube paper bead bracelet under construction to finish the set).
Saturday's outfit followed the same basic formula in a different colorway: knit 3/4 sleeve top, pants, loafers, and ombré scarf with scarf ring...this time in shades of teal. This top + pants + shoes combination is one I have worn several times because the colors and silhouettes just work well together. But this is the first time I have worn this top with the bright teal/white ombré scarf, and I wasn't sure what I would think of the dusky teal and bright teal together. But I really like how it looks! The scarf definitely brightened up the outfit and gave it a lighter, springier look. And the white in the scarf and scarf ring pick up the white stripe in the plaid pants, which I am not unhappy about.
My bracelet stack du jour is an "ain't broke, don't fix it" option...the DIY teal and black paper bead bracelets and DIY teal glass bracelets are often worn with this top + pants, sometimes with this silver-tone bracelet from an Amazon set and sometimes with DIY black bracelets.
Sunday's outfit is an exuberant 4 way print mix including pink/white stripes, multi-colored stripes, fish print, and cheetah print. I like to wear this linen jacket and silk scarf together because the color palettes are so compatible, but I was eager to try another simple print in place of a solid top. I am pleased with this combination! It might be too much for some people, but for me it's right on. The bigger stretch for me in this outfit is wearing navy and black together! The fish scarf and cheetah Oxfords have black in the print, the jacket has a light navy stripe, and the pants I'm wearing are navy. I would normally wear jeans with an outfit like this, but I decided to try the navy pants to push myself just a little bit. (Yeah, I know how strange that sounds when looking at this outfit...so it's the pants that give her pause...interesting...)
For my bracelet stack, I started with the two DIY paper bead bracelets, DIY pink glass bead bracelet, and DIY blue/clear glass bead bracelet in the Fish Scarf Brights Set that I shared on the blog last month in my Design a DIY Bracelet Set series. I just added that ubiquitous silver-tone Amazon bracelet and I was ready to go!
What is May weather like where you are? Do you have pants-compatible weather in May? Do you wear pants throughout the summer or do you shift toward cropped/capri pants, shorts, and/or skirts/dresses when it gets warm? Do you have a preference for air-conditioning vs. open windows?
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I feel for you and the allergy situation. I went through desensitization shots twice.
These are all great outfits, but I totally adore the last one. The print mixing is fabulous! And I love all the color.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
We used to get hail in Denver quite a bit. It's always such a shocker.
And I just love that colorful outfit with all of the prints!! XOOX Jodie
www.jtouchofstyle.com