Let’s Get Romantic & Your Own Twist Link Up #29
I am moving ahead into the second half of February, the month of romance and love, trying to stay sartorially inspired in the bitter cold with mountains of snow piled up outside. It is such a struggle these days to style actual real outfits that I would wear during regular life. But regular life seems to be a thing of the past. I am growing more and more trepidatious that regular life may never return and I will be condemned to wearing leggings and oversized tops for the rest of my days.
But I am stubborn and don’t give up easily, so every few days I manage to get my shit together and play dress up for some photos. If I wasn’t so darn cold all the time, I would likely stay in my real outfits for the entire day. But I find myself adding layer upon layer throughout the day in an effort to increase my body heat. Regular clothes don’t seem very suitable for all that. But enough of my complaining. Let’s get to the better stuff. In fact, let’s get romantic!
About Your Own Twist
Your Own Twist is a monthly link party hosted by Monica of Jersey Girl, Texan Heart and me on the third Thursday of every month with the goal of inspiring some of our friends to get creative with personal style.
The idea behind this collaboration is to take one common piece or theme and style it our own way with our own twist…Monica and I have both taken a lot of fashion inspiration from one another over the past few years even though we have totally different styles. It is always fun to see how we can interpret similar items in unique ways or what kind of twist we will each bring to the chosen theme.
We will let you know the themes well in advance in the event that you would like to use the theme for your own post and add it to the link party. However, any fashion posts are welcome regardless of whether you used the theme or not. Check out the graphic below which has some of our upcoming themes.
In honor of Valentine’s Day and the month of love, Monica and I chose Romance as our style prompt for February. Be sure to visit her post for details about her romantic style. I had visions of sexy lace dresses and elegant gowns with lots of sparkle and shine, but again, it’s just too darn cold. And all the icy surfaces outside are not conducive for the type of sky high heels that I pictured for a romantic outfit.
Instead, I opted for some fabulous royal blue pieces that were all purchased separately but seem to work magically together. There is something about the fabrics that I combined in this outfit that really scream romance to me…velvet, brocade, and faux fur. All dramatic, all luscious, all perfect representations of the level of intensity with which I love.
The lush velvet top with dramatic bell sleeves and the blue brocade trousers were both recently thrifted. The faux fur vest was a purchase from JustFab a few years ago. And my velvet booties are at least a few years old well.
Jeff recently gifted me his black trench coat which he only wore with his Army dress uniform. As we are counting down the days to his retirement, he has been sorting through all of his military gear to be turned in, discarded, donated, and kept. I am the lucky recipient of this classic black trench coat which has a full detachable wool lining. Somehow I did not own a black trench coat in my massive coat wardrobe. But now I do. Thanks to my retiring soldier!
In the interest of sticking with the romance theme, I want to talk a little bit about love languages. Joanne of Slices of Life recently shared a post called My Love Language which was such a fascinating read. I have long been familiar with this concept of love langages but haven’t really thought much about it until now.
According to Dr. Gary Chapman, a well known marriage counselor and author of the book The 5 Love Languages, different people with different personalities will express and receive love in different ways. Through years of counseling couples when the issue of love language came into play, Dr. Chapman also found that most people’s preferred expression of love fell into five categories with each person generally preferring one method way above the other four.
The five categories are Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. There are countless love language quizzes online that will help you determine your preferred love language if you do not already know what it is. Because we are not one dimensional creatures, most of us will lean heavily toward more than one love language. And different quizzes will give you different results.
I have taken a few different quizzes just to see and got varied results, but I already know that Words of Affirmation are my most preferred love language. Not surprising since I love words and language so very much. Feeling and showing love through beautiful verbiage is the way that my heart speaks with the most clarity. Of course, all five ways of speaking love are acceptable to me. I mean as long as we are communicating with love as the central goal and theme, I am all for it!
Do you know your love language? Do you know your partner’s love language or the love language of your children or friends? We all give and receive love differently and each relationship dynamic will be vastly different as well requiring us to become fluent in more than one love language.
It is a fascinating concept in my opinion and if we can adequately and clearly express our preferences, wants, and needs, we are more likely to receive all of it. When we receive love in the best ways possible, our cup overflows leaving us with so much more love to give to others. And that is the most beautiful language of all, don’t you think?
I recommend expressing your love to the special people in your life by giving them a simple but memorable gift. Give them a handwritten letter, personalized items, customized trophy, certificate of appreciation, and some other unique gifts. Never miss an opportunity of showing your loving gesture every day!
Keeping it romantic on the edge,
Shelbee
Linking up with these Fabulous Link Parties.
Shop my look…
Outfit Details: Coat-Handed down from my husband / Vest-JustFab / Top and Pants-Thrifted / Belt-Old / Boots-Kenneth Cole / Socks-DSW / Gloves-Isotoner / Necklace and Earrings-c/o Happiness Boutique
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.
44 Comments
Jacqui Berry
Thanks for sharing your lovely look today a great copy. xx Jacqui
Do join #chicandstylish #linkup today. x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jacqui! I’ll be linking up soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Tamar A Strauss-Benjamin
Love your mono-tone looks!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Tamar!
xoxo
Shelbee
Nancy
Never heard of love language, but we are totally not romantic at all!! Lol.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Nancy, you crack me up! We are not very romantic at all either. I find most romantic things to be rather silly! But I do appreciate words of affirmation.
xoxo
Shelbee
Mica
I love the colour and texture of all these pieces together – you layer so well against the cold! 🙂
Thank you for the link up 🙂
Hope your week is going well 🙂
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mica! I really had fun with combining all these textures. I was so happy with this outfit! But I don’t know that I could make the layers that I really need to keep warm look good! I generally just look like a giant blob of clothing. Haha. What can I say, I am always freezing!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kellyann Rohr
That blouse is beautiful – I love the sleeves and your gifted trench coat is such an act of love from your husband – it’s like he’s wrapped around you!
My love language is quality time but I know that more than the results from the quizzes – I agree you’ll get different results each time you take a quiz. But it is a good way to get couples to realize that we all have different needs. As a therapist it’s a great conversation starter!
xo,
Kellyann
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kellyann! This top was only $3! Can you believe that? I see lots of opportunities for it! I may wear it for Jeff’s retirement ceremony next week. I think it is the perfect shade of blue for his big day! As for the quizzes, I like to take different ones just to see how different the results will come out! But I agree that it is a great conversation starter especially for couples who have trouble communicating. And my new-old trench coat is like a warm hug from my husband! I wore it again today.
xoxo
Shelbee
Jennifer
The colour of your top is gorgeous and I love the sleeves. And I’m like you, I hardly where the outfits I shoot because it’s just been so cold.
Jennifer
Curated By Jennifer
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jennifer! I love this shade of blue, too, and even more when it’s velvet! I just went out today to shoot an outfit for Style Imitating Art and quickly changed into my cozies again! It is really stinking cold out.
xoxo
Shelbee
Ellie
Great look on you, Shelbee! I’m really loving that beautiful blue bell sleeve top! My husband still has his army trench coat from almost 25 years ago. He never wears it, wish it would fit me but he’s a head taller than me and it would swallow me up.
Ellie
Ellibelle’s Corner
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Ellie! I was so excited when I spotted this top in the thrift shop and even more excited when it was only $3! I imagine you would disappear inside your husband’s trench coat! I thought Jeff’s might be way too big on me until he told me he bought when he first joined the Army at 18. He was a bit smaller than, making the coat perfect for me!
xoxo
Shelbee
Barbara
I had wanted to order that very same top last year on Amazon after reading some raving reviews. Love your blue take on the theme. Do you have to own a blog in order to participate in these challenges?
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Barbara! I found this top at my local thrift shop for just $3! I was so excited about it. For this particular style challenge and link up, you do need a photo that has a url attached so you can add it to the link party at the bottom. But you can share a photo even from Facebook or Instagram using that url. For the Good Buy/Good-Bye Book challenge, you do not need any of that or a blog to participate. You just have to email the photos to me with a short description and it will be featured on either my blog or Nancy’s blog. The Style Imitating Art challenges that I also participate with are hosted by other bloggers but you absolutely do not need a blog to play along. Just email your photo to the host for that week. You can find the details for that series here. I would love for to join us for any of these challenges! We do love to see non-bloggers playing along!
xoxo
Shelbee
Patrick Weseman
Looking very nice. I don’t know any of the love languages. LOL. Guess I am a typical male.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Patrick! And I am certain you know them better than you think!
xoxo
Shelbee
mireille
Oh the blue velvet blouse is gorgeous! All of the blue work so well together and your husband coat now yours is the perfect topper. I really can’t imagine it being cold for long here.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Mireille! I was so excited when I spotted this top hanging on the end of a rack in the thrift shop. I paid $3 for it and it is money well spent! I wore husband’s trench coat again today!
xoxo
Shelbee
Joanne
I love all those shades of blue together! I have been layering my clothes a lot too even inside the house just to try and keep warm.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Joanne! I am always so cold that in the house that I have to wear at least 4 layers! It is so ridiculous. I need spring to arrive soon!
xoxo
Shelbee
Kathrine Eldridge
So in love with the mix of faux fur and velvet in this look! I love this color blue on you too. My love languages are words of affirmation and gifts. Who would of thought? Lol!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Kathrine! For some reason, I thought of you when I put this outfit together. I guess it reminded me of something you would style to perfection! And those are two perfect love languages for you as well! I can totally see it.
xoxo
Shelbee
Julia Foy
I love this outfit! The blues are gorgeous. Also…I think i was just watching Monica on YouTube. That is too funny.
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Julia! That is so awesome that you watch Monica’s YouTube channel! Was she reporting to you live from a highway or was it anti-MLM video? She has definitely got a lot of sass, doesn’t she?!
xoxo
Shelbee
Julia Foy
She was reporting to me live from a highway about her experience as a BeachBody coach…so…both! Between you, me, and your comments section, I enjoy anti-MLM YouTube. It’s strangely fascinating.
Side note, you’ve inspired me to pick up fashion illustration. I’m having lots of fun!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh that is so funny, Julia! I actually have never listened to one of Monica’s anti-MLM videos (I am just not big into watching Youtube) but I have talked with her enough about it to know how passionate she is on the anti-MLM front. It is strangely fascinating, I agree! I really enjoy reading the insane stories about the whole Lularoe business debacle, too. I don’t know why, but it really is super interesting.
How great that started fashion illustration! I love that! Do you have the illustrations on your website? I would love to see them!
xoxo
Shelbee
Julia Foy
Oh my goodness, Lularoe is quite a situation! It makes me feel terrible for some of the reps, who pay so much to start the business and have so little control over quality.
I finally added more fashion stuff to my website after I saw your comment. I’ve started to get lazy…I just embedded Insta posts…
-Julia
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
I know! I have always felt bed for the Lula reps, too. Such weird stories that have surfaced from that specific MLM company! I will go browsing your website to see some more fashion stuff shortly! I was looking through your work the other day. You have so many beautiful pieces in your collection!
xoxo
Shelbee
Jeanne
Great outfit, and the snow is a great reflector making the photos look great. The necklace is awesome, btw, perfect sparkle to go with the snow, and the trench coat is totally an in style for the cold!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Jeanne! As much as I love the stark white snowy backgrounds for photos, I am so over this snow! I want to see the green grass again. But I do like the way these blues pop against the snow!
xoxo
Shelbee
Lucy Bertoldi
Wow this is the best faux fur vest I’ve seen in this gorgeous blue shade!! You look sensational!!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Lucy! I haven’t been wearing my furry vests nearly enough this winter! I have 4 or 5 of them!
xoxo
Shelbee
Angie
Hi, Shelbee – I really enjoy how you crack me up so often! Today it was “I am growing more and more trepidatious that regular life may never return and I will be condemned to wearing leggings and oversized tops for the rest of my days.” Lol! Never fear, we will emerge from this pandemic with a great outburst of celebration and new artistic creation, including fashion. Who knows? We may experience a whole new way of dressing when the shackles are thrown off and we are free! I’m thinking this way because of history when the Spanish Flu of 1918 was over and the Roaring 20’s emerged with new music, dances, bob hairdos and short flapper skirts. The light at the end of the tunnel is coming! So for now, let’s just see how creative we can be with our comfy clothes. 😉 XOXO – Angie, http://www.yourtrueselfblog.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Oh my goodness, Angie, now you just cracked me up! I do feel like I have been shackled to my house for a year! And when you quote my words back to me, then I really crack up laughing because I write in such a stream of consciousness way that I never even realize what words I really put out there! I can be so dramatic sometimes, can’t I? Haha. Thank you for shifting my perspective a bit. I have been losing hope that the end of this is near and little reminders are always good to keep me in check. This is not the end of the world even though it sometimes feels that way. And we are built to adapt and adjust. You are so right, we will emerge from this dark time better than we have ever been before! Thank you for shining your positive light into the world and helping me keep a proper perspective!
xoxo
Shelbee
Michelle
What a beautiful outfit! That velvet top with the flared sleeves is gorgeous. Very cool faux fur vest. The brocade slacks are lovely. And the trench coat is a great score from Jeff!
As for love languages, mine are physical touch and quality time, but I’m not immune to the others. We pretty much utilize all of them except for gift giving. I’m not saying that we never buy anything for one another, but it’s the least used in our relationship.
Michelle
https://mybijoulifeonline.com
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Michelle! I really enjoyed combining all these different textures into one outfit for a romantic richness or something like that. As for the love languages, we definitely use all 5 as well with gift giving being the very least implemented! We usually just buy the stuff we want and need when we want and need it!
xoxo
Shelbee
Shauna
I’m in LOVE with this top! The bell sleeves are so fabulous! Such a fun fashion find! xo
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, Shauna! I love the drama of the velvet and the bell sleeves, too! I saw it hanging all by itself on the end of a rack in a local thrift shop and I might have squealed a little when I saw that it was my size! And it was only $3. I felt like I was winning all day long. Haha. I hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
xoxo
Shelbee
JC
Lovely blue outfit! I’ve read Chapman’s book, very interesting indeed and has been helpful in navigating my relationships x
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Thanks so much, JC! I have never read his book but I am sure it has a lot of wonderful relationship information. I may need to look into it myself. I hope you have a wonderful week ahead!
xoxo
Shelbee
Sheila (of Ephemera)
Ooh, I love all this royal blue on you, Shelbee! That top is amazing, and I love the brocade trousers. The languages of love is an interesting concept – apparently, I am all about the quality time but 0% on touch – not surprising, as I was raised almost without a physical side. Really! My family doesn’t hug or touch, so it feels weird to me. As my husband is a VERY touchy guy, it’s been hard to express my lack of touching, but we’ve managed to find a balance.
Thank you so much for the link-up! I’m happy to join the party!
shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com
Sheila, thanks so much, my friend! Jeff and I were talking about love languages the other day and we realized that we actually use all 5 with gift giving be the least of them and physical touch and words of affirmation are our strongest ways to communicate love. Our nightly routine involves me plopping my butt down on the couch with my feet in Jeff’s lap and the foot massages go on until I fall asleep! It makes me feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world. I am glad that you and your husband have found balance in your love languages!
xoxo
Shelbee