Focus

On a recent sunny Saturday, we had lunch in Jonesborough at the Cuban-inspired restaurant, The Dining Room.

The Dining Room is moving eight miles west to downtown Johnson City later this year. Planning for a November grand opening, the menu will remain the same as The Dining Room, but the restaurant's name will change to “Sabores,” which is “flavor” in Spanish.

I have often been asked how I keep my weight the same while eating out so often. I also get questions about what I order when we dine out. At this particular restaurant, I order the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with a side salad.

Most places will be happy to prepare a meatless dish for you. I always stress that I do not want potatoes, rice, or pasta. I often tell them no bread. Vegetarian does not mean pasta with oil, cheese, butter, and cream.

If I am dining with a group and everyone is ordering three or four courses, I won't hesitate to order three different small salads with dressing on the side. Many nicer restaurants offer more than one type of salad. I always order the ones without meat. I rarely finish everything on my plate.

We never eat at fast food places.

When I travel, I carry raw almonds or walnuts or some organic trail mix and a piece of fruit. I buy a bottle of water after I get through security. I never take the food and snacks offered on the plane.

This comfortable casual Saturday afternoon look includes a super lightweight white shirt with pockets by Focus via ShopMyFairLady.com. The shirt is almost sheer, so I am wearing a camisole under it to not show through the Jag Jeans. I bought the Jag Jeans from The Fig Leaf in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The platform shoes were by Rampage via Belk last year.

The fun clutch bag is from one of my other favorite shops, Carriage Trade Antiques and Blowing Rock. When I bought this bag, Mr. Mickey questioned my choice because he knows I rarely buy anything so memorable. After seeing it paired with many of the solid separates I love to wear, he gets it.

I saw the attractive lady shown below as she was going into a store and asked if I could take her picture for the blog. She had a great asymmetric hairstyle that was very short in the back.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. 

Jonesborough was established seventeen years before Tennessee was granted statehood in 1779.

I hope your weekend adventures take you to beautiful places with excellent food!

I always share where I get the items I am wearing if I can remember. The source is often ShopMyFairLady.com because they carry so many of the lines I find comfortable and fit with my style.

Tiny Space Packing

When my partner in fun (Mr. Mickey) says, "We are going away for the weekend in the Roadster," the challenge begins.

The first order of business is to check the weather for Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and then choose the weekend colors. They must interchange and look great on their own for any occasion. Black and white, with silver-gray, always seem to work well for me.

For our first weekend trip of the year to Blowing Rock, I wore coated black jeans from Chico's, a surplice wrap style black and white top, and a white cropped moto-style jacket both from White House Black Market. I would only wear this cropped jacket layered over a long, lean top such as this one. The reason is that I have no backside (no "junk in my trunk" at all), and I do not wish to show off that fact.

Since there was no room in the car for more shoes, I wore these booties, which are old from Nine West via Saks Off 5th. The sunglasses are old by Michael Kors. The small bag is old from Express.

My all-time favorite place to shop in Blowing Rock is Finley House Couture.

They offer a fantastic collection of beautiful jewelry. The earrings shown below were my Easter gift from Mr. Mickey.

Finley House Couture is also known for its fabulous collection of handbags and totes.

Below, I am surrounded by bright summery prints from their collection of beautiful clothing.

If you enjoy shopping in elegant surroundings with the best of service, you will love Finley House Couture as much as I do.

Mr. Mickey and Mr. Mark always have so much fun visiting and laughing together.

On to the next shop!

I discovered a great new line of jeans/leggings called Jag Jeans at The Fig Leaf. They are styled just like a pair of jeans, but instead of that big button, zipper, loop combination that shows under every single top I wear, there is a smooth wide band. I nearly squealed with delight when I tried on these jeans!

Mr. Mickey is keeping watch over my stash as I shop for more treasures.

When we were exhausted from all of my shopping, we checked in to the luxurious Westglow Resort and Spa. The mansion was constructed in 1917 and was originally the summer home of famed artist and writer Elliott Daingerfield. 

Our view from the Portico Suite balcony.

Rose petals on the bed, along with a personal note from the manager.

The gorgeous light fixture in the suite above.

On the second day, my look to wear for dinner included a silver/gray sweater and pull on more dressy pants; both are old from Chico's. The Evan-Picone white trench coat is old from Stein Mart.

The living room of the mansion is enormous but so warm and welcoming.

The grand staircase, as seen from the entry.

The view of the sun setting from the Portico.

We shared a beautiful chocolate dessert after dinner.

I am sitting in front of the fire after a brief walk after dinner.

The view was very different on Sunday morning!

As we departed the next morning, the mountain wore a thick shroud of fog, and there was a light rain falling. The bellman loaded everything back into the snazzy car that looks like it is going fast even when parked.

Men will also suffer a little for fashion. This car looks great, but it is difficult to get in and out of, and there is no room for luggage. On the plus side, if the weather had been a little nicer, we would have put the top down to enjoy the warmth of the sun. We will look forward to that next time.