Olive Utility Jacket & Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me Link Up

I am so honored to be co-hosting the Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me Link Up hosted by Rachel of Garay Treasures. I started following Rachel’s blog when I was still just in the contemplating stages of creating my own blog. I think what drew me to Rachel’s blog is her casual and affordable style which is perfectly suited to my stay-at-home-mom lifestyle. I also find Rachel very inspiring as she manages her household of four children along with writing her blog and remaining very active in her church community. I love that her husband is her photographer and style partner and he even makes frequent appearances on her blog showcasing some casual and fun men’s fashions. However, I think my favorite things about Rachel are that she is down-to-earth, she is kind, she is helpful, she is approachable, and she is very real. And if you follow my blog, you know real is where I like to keep things, too. So I want to take this opportunity to give a heartfelt thanks to Rachel for allowing me a little spot on her blog today and for being so very helpful to me in my blogging journey. She is definitely a blogger who has and continues to inspire me!

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-2

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-3

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-4

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-5

Rachel and I decided we would both style an olive utility jacket for this post. I love that she wore an all black outfit of leggings, a fringe top, and lace up flats. Sometimes keeping it simple ends up looking so chic. And her jacket makes a statement all on its own.

rachel-garay-olive-jacket

To view all of the details of Rachel’s outfit, please visit her post here.

I decided to style my little black eyelet dress from my Last Outfit of Summer with tights and boots to create a more fall appropriate look. I found these charcoal gray crochet lace tights buried in one of my many bins of socks and tights and was super excited! I don’t think I have worn them before and I have no recollection of where or when I acquired them. But aren’t they really stinking adorable?!

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-6

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-7

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-8

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-9

I wore my very old gray suede lug sole boots and topped off my dress with an olive utility jacket. I had no idea how much I would wear this jacket when I bought it last year. But it definitely has become a fall and spring staple in my wardrobe. Feeling a bit drab in black, gray, and olive, I grabbed my brightly color bird print infinity scarf.

I need to share this little quirk of mine with you…I despise birds. All of them. They are weird and creepy and scary and dirty and I get all Alfred Hitchcock terrorized when I see too many birds in one place. But for some very strange reason, I really, really love bird prints or motifs on just about anything. I guess as long as they remain images and not real life freaky creatures, I like them! (If you love bird prints, too, check out my Pinterest board All Things Aves.)

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-9

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-10

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-11

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-12

I am loving how this black eyelet dress made the transition from summer to fall.  I think it will also work perfectly in winter with heavier tights and a giant cozy blanket scarf! But for now, I am going to relish the beautiful fall weather. Here in upstate New York, winter comes fast and comes with a vengeance…so my time for fall fashion and outdoor photos is but fleeting!

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-13

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-14

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-15

And no photo shoot in Amy’s beautiful rustic haven is complete without a photo bomb from one or both dogs. This time it was handsome Brady making his appearance.

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-14

And if it’s not a dog, it’s a kid.  Or two kids.  And a dog.  Well, because this is real life!

black-eyelet-dress-olive-jacket-17

Outfit details:

*This post contains affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission if you click on these links and make purchases. It costs you nothing and supports my website. All opinions expressed are my own and are in no way influenced by any compensation that may be received. Thank you for your support.

Jacket: Old Navy (Similar here and here).
Dress: Old Navy (Similar here).
Boots: Target (Similar here).
Scarf: Cato Fashions (Similar scarves on Etsy here and here).
Tights: Origin Unknown (Similar here and here).
Necklace: Walmart (I cannot find a direct link to this necklace, but it is a recent purchase and it was only $5.)
Photo credits: Amy of 5 Memory Lane.

 

Keeping it real on the edge,

Shelbee

Now for Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me link up.

Rachel of Garay Treasures:

 

IMG_6568

Rachel is a former full time preschool special education teacher turned full time stay-at-home mom of four children with a passion for substitute teaching and blogging at Garay Treasures on the side.  Garay Treasures is a fashion and lifestyle blog with some added posts on faith and everyday treasures.  Rachel loves drinking several cups of coffee a day (hot or iced), blogging, and reading and playing with her children. You can follow Rachel on Bloglovin’, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook or Pinterest.

Meet your Co-host Shelbee of Shelbee on the Edge:

image

My name is Shelbee and I write the blog Shelbee on the Edge. I am so excited to join Rachel as co-host for her Bloggers Who Have Inspired Me Link Up! I have been following Garay Treasures for as long as I have been blogging and am always inspired by Rachel’s style, her parenting, and her fabulous attitude toward life!

I am an over 40 stay-at-home mother of two boys and two cats. I also am an Army wife. We currently are stationed at Fort Drum in the northern reaches of New York State where the summers are short and the winters are long, cold, and very snowy. I decided to start blogging during my husband’s deployment to Afghanistan as a means to reclaim some of the sanity I have lost trying to raise these boys in the midst of this extraordinary military lifestyle in this curious climate of the North Country!

My blog provides a welcoming forum for like-minded women and mothers to stop by to give and receive support and helpful insights into surviving this crazy, beautiful life. I discuss topics such as Army life, parenting, fashion and style, and mental health. In my little space, you are free to express yourself without judgments and showcase your own unique style without fear. Here’s hoping we can all find our own individual voices in each area of our lives. While I may teeter on the brink of sanity (and midlife), I still find ways to hang on and feel fabulous in the process! Please stop by for a bit and feel inspired!

You can follow Shelbee by Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Bloglovin’ & Facebook.

Now on to Rachel’s Featured 5 from last week:

dsc_4236-1-683x1024

 

Yvonne posted the benefits of wearing Electric Blue (also known as cobalt blue) this coming fall and winter and I couldn’t agree more. See why you should wear this color here.

mustard-lace3

Andrea shares one of the most popular colors of fall in her cute lacy top and some of her favorite (old or new) staples from her wardrobe. See post here.

img_6726

I love Amy’s voice of reason and honesty as she dives into the topic of why she shares her style on her blog. For a good read on forsaking trends and styling what you have and own, go here.

img_2866

Katherine styles a beautiful midi floral dress for her mother’s wedding in this post.

ivory-ivory-knit-dress-with-lace-details-perfect-transition-piece-for-fall-redreticule-a-style-and-fashion-blog-for-the-working-woman-5

Bogi looks amazing in this A-line dress that screams icing on the cake of sophistication. See post here.

Now it is your turn, please follow the rules below and enjoy!

1). Please link up recent posts and include the link up button or post this URL link back on your blog. The posts can be about fashion, DIY projects, recipes, inspiration, tips, etc. *If you link up other link ups or giveaways please be sure you share this link up on your link up post to share the blog love and I will be sure to link up to yours. Also please follow me in the below social medias and let me know how you are following and I will follow back. Thank you!

2). Please follow your host: Rachel of Garay Treasures either by Bloglovin, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or all. Comment below and let me know how you are following so I can follow back.

3). Stop by and check out the other bloggers who have linked up and be inspired.

4). Have fun! Comment below if you have any questions! Thanks for linking up!


To link up it would be great if you linked my button to your post that you link up. Get button code below:

Garay Treasures

 

Join the party and have fun linking!

Linking on the edge,

Shelbee

 

I also link up with These Fabulous Link Ups Where I Link Up.

I am a 40 something Army wife and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats named Dave and Frankie. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

49 Comments

Leave a Reply to Rachel Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shelbee on the Edge