The Silk Kimono

Long jackets with flowing lines and minimal lapels have always been my favorite clothing articles, so of course, I adore kimono-style jackets. Recently I received this hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika.

The previous two weeks have been very hectic, filled with many long days as I helped Mr. Mickey move into his new home and help him decorate it. (His previous home sold after only five days on the market!) Our aching bodies were ready for a day of relaxing, so we went out for lunch and had a couple's massage at the Austin Springs Spa located in the beautiful Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City.

After a massage, my face and eyes always get puffy, so I had to pull out all my tricks to get ready for these photos. I keep a clean wet washcloth in a storage container in my refrigerator. After my shower, I hold the cold cloth on my eyes for a few minutes each morning to reduce the puffiness. (Always drink lots of water after a massage.) 

This week on Facebook, we have been discussing makeup techniques and eyebrows specifically. Have you noticed that when we are young, the brows are normally darker than the hair? As we start to color our hair or let it fade to gray as I have done, we tend to forget this and try to make the brows the same color as our hair, making us look older or more tired. It is important to rethink your makeup techniques after forty. What worked when we were in our youth will make us look dated and not our best current self. For example, when I learned to apply makeup, I wore a light color with a bit of shimmer under my eyebrows and a darker color in my lid's crease. If I did that today, my eyes would appear to recede. The color I use under my brown now is a muted matte pink color by Merle Norman called Pink Truffle. I use a pale cream shimmer color only at the inner corners of my eyes now. 

A couple of hours after the massages, we were on our way to our favorite restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina. The Artisanal in Banner Elk is truly a world-class dining experience. On this evening, we dined on the terrace overlooking a mountain stream at the edge of the woods. As dusk started to fall, a great owl took flight from one of the trees and glided along the stream on his way to look for his own dinner. I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird of prey!

On this evening, there was no private party in the Artisanal wine cellar, so we took the opportunity to do this photoshoot there. 

We have been in the restaurant when a helicopter has landed on the lawn to deliver special guests for dinner. Those who prefer total privacy go down to the wine cellar for their dining experience. The wine cellar private dining provides the ultimate food and wine experience in an unforgettable setting. They can accommodate parties of up to thirty-two guests. The owners, Anita and Bill, will assist you in creating a memorable experience down to the finer details. Their guidance in planning every facet of your event to the menu selection, place cards, or floral arrangements to any other special occasion needs makes the tasks of planning a party feel effortless.

The wine collection is massive, including more than a thousand bottles of fine wines. (Note that the floor of the actual wine storage area is pea-gravel.) A long glass wall separates the diners from the wine vault, but it is enjoyable to view all those neatly stored bottles.

The decor of the grounds and building are based on equestrian events, racehorses, and a barn.

This massive poster is on the far wall of the wine cellar.

With the fabulous hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika, I am wearing a tank and a long necklace from Chico's. The ankle pants are from Talbot's. The shoes are by Guess, and the copper beaded clutch is old.

I got a new haircut a couple of weeks ago. It is softly layered and a little longer on the sides so that I can tuck some of it behind my ears.

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