Blue and Pink

I found this royal blue lightweight AVA sweater at T.J.Maxx last winter. I liked the style and weight so much I also purchased the black version.

I wore it on Sunday with a white tank and cropped pants from Chico's. The necklace is old from Chico's as well.

The BCBGeneration bag is from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are also by BCBGeneration. I found those at Ross.

We were on our way to visit my parents and then to Carrabba's Italian Grill to share a small dinner.

I hope that when you read my posts, you will notice a few things and come away with some inspiration.

1. Even when she isn't going to do something special, she still gets dressed in a way that makes her feel confident and attractive.
2. She doesn't spend a lot of money on her clothes, nor does she take a lot of time to put together an outfit for the day.
3. Accessories make the basics look more special and show her personality.
4. She wears heels often, but I can substitute nice flats similar to copy her look.
5. She was forty pounds heavier, but she lost weight by eating vegetables, fresh fruit, and drinking lots of water. Click on the tab above for "Live Well" to learn more about that.

Best In Show!

When the wind blows, we give up shooting a photo, which is where we were when Mr. Mickey snapped this one last photo before going inside. I didn't know he was still shooting when I turned around while holding my hair out of my face. Totally candid shots sometimes work best.

I am at a bit of a loss when we must dress very casually for a summer event. I never wear a tank top and shorts with flip flops, which I see most often at such events. That just isn't my personality. I would not be comfortable at all.

We attended a National Car Show for the Ford Fairlane held at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center in Kingsport, TN.

This lightweight crepe blouse is very cool and comfortable, so I wore it half-tucked with ankle-length jeans, both from Chico's. The sandals are old from Vince Camuto. The woven natural material (some sort of large grass) clutch is from T.J.Maxx.  The brown and gold embossed croc belt is by Ralph Lauren.

Mr. Mickey's best friend, Bob, had one of his many antique cars on display, and it was the highest-scoring car in the show! We have been asked if we are brother and sister in the past. What do you think?

It was a fun trip down memory lane to look at all the old cars and visit friends.

Great Dinner with Great Friends

You may have noticed that black and white is one of my favorite color combinations.

When building a capsule wardrobe, it is essential to start with three colors that work together. I have always enjoyed wearing white, black, red, royal blue, or turquoise. Fortunately, all these colors work together to build many looks from the individual pieces I own in any of those colors.

The jewelry and wardrobe pieces are all from Chico's. The statement necklace has many textural elements, which meant the cuff needed to be smooth and sleek in contrast. I also skipped the earrings tonight because of the minimal design of the jacket.

The shoes, which are black tone on tone pattern, are by Nine West. The bag is from T.J.Maxx.

Street flowers in downtown Banner Elk.

We took our friends Sandy and Rick to dinner at Artisanal, our favorite restaurant in the world, last evening.

Mr. Mickey had the pimento cheese beignets appetizer.

I had the squash blossom appetizer and the halibut entree. You eat first with your eyes.

Doesn't Sandy have the sweetest smile?

She and Rick make such a lovely couple!

Rick is our Wine Club leader, so naturally, we had to take them down to tour the extensive collection in Artisanal's wine room.

We enjoyed a wonderful evening of great conversation, fine food, and wine in a beautiful environment. We tried a Spätlese for the first time tonight. Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest") is a German wine term for a wine from fully ripe grapes, the lightest of the late harvest wines. I highly recommend it!

Your chariot awaits.

Casual Elegance

Casual items from J.Jill are among my favorite pieces because the styles are so classic and elegant.

This is the most comfortable tank I have ever worn, so I got the black one too. It is part of the Pure Jill Collection.

The drape front cardigan is also part of the Pure Jill Collection. It is the essential summer cardi for all those freezing cold air-conditioned spaces. It is lightweight and comfortable to carry or wear with anything all summer long.

The cardi comes in two other colors also.

The other items in my look are all several years old, but the clutch is recent from T.J.Maxx.

If you build a strong basic wardrobe that reflects your personal style beautifully, the pieces work together over the years.

When you buy higher-quality pieces, they look better, keep their shape, and last a lot longer.

Another great thing about J.Jill pieces is that I still enjoy wearing the pieces I bought years ago because the styles are classic, not trendy. Many of you have told me the same thing.

Fringe Sandals

You probably already know that I collect cool shoes, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found these fringe suede sandals.

They take me back to those days when I was in seventh grade and wanted so badly to be a hippie, but, of course, my mother would have none of that.

The denim jacket is by Chadwicks of Boston. The tank and the cropped pants are from Chico's. The bag is by BCBG from T.J.Maxx. The suede sandals are by Steve Madden from Macy's.

Cold Shoulder Top

I recently joined Mr. Mickey after the workday for a glass of wine in the courtyard of our favorite local restaurant, Gourmet & Company.

The cold shoulder tunic is part of the Knit Kit collection at Chico's.

The white ankle jeans are old from Chico's.

The shoes are by Bar III via Macy's.

Family Time

Sunday was Father's Day here in the US. My family gathered at the home of my sister in the afternoon to have a wonderful meal together with my Father.

For this casual time together with family, I wore a blue tunic from Chico's and Kut from the Kloth Katy Boyfriend jeans from Dillards. Both items are from last year. The sandals are by Sam Edelman. 

My sister and her husband live in a beautiful wooded neighborhood about twenty minutes away. I always get to see abundant plants and wildlife when I visit them. Today was special because we saw two deer along with a tiny baby fawn which might have been born only a couple of days ago. I could only get a picture of this one before they took great leaps and escaped out of sight into the woodlands. 

We were thrilled to see these mating Luna Moths above the front door of her home. Have you ever seen them? They were about the size of the palm of my hand and so very beautiful!

I hope you were able to spend time with your family this weekend.

Dinner With Great Friends

At the end of a very long Yard Sale day, we joined dear friends for a delicious meal at Gourmet & Company.

The wind was blowing another storm our way, so we had to hurry the photo session. 

This is me with four hours of sleep. Not a pretty sight. 

I receive some comments so often, I thought I would address them here today.

1. "I can't afford to buy that." 

The items I show you were often purchased from a sale rack at the end of the season. This is a great way to expand your basic wardrobe without breaking the bank. I show you general suggestions for what to wear to specific events and how to put together a look from items you may already have in your closet. If not, you can keep the ideas for the next trip to the store you do like to shop in.

2. "What if I am 68...72... whatever age?"

In my opinion, the looks I show you are timeless and can work for women of any age with a little tweaking to show your own style. 

3. "I can't wear heels."

This is an easy fix. Just wear a heel height that is comfortable for you in a similar style. 

4. "What do I wear to a summer wedding?"

 The look above is excellent for any warm-weather evening event. The jacket gives some coverage and style without making you feel too hot. Look for similar open weave designs, sheer mesh, or some other vented fabric that adds style and coverage but not weight. You can wear these toppers over tank dresses or tank tops with a skirt or pants to give your look a bit more polish.

I hope my tips are helpful to you. The items I am wearing today are all old from Chico's.

White Leggings

My warehouse has been a hub of activity this week!

My staff and all of Mr. Mickey's employees decided to have a huge multi-family yard sale on our adjoining properties in the Skyline Industrial Park this Saturday.

Between trips to bring items for sale, I had lunch with a friend on Thursday. I wore this long tunic shirt with white Zenergy leggings from Chico's.