Brunch With A View

Sunday is a great day to visit the Omni Grove Park Inn.

We often take the beautiful drive along Highway 26 to Asheville just to have brunch at the Inn. 

I enjoy this meal so much because a whole room is devoted to vegetables and salads during their Sunday brunch. I load my plate there first. If I go back for anything else, it is just to have one small taste of less healthy options like potato casserole or baked mac and cheese. These are my secrets to keeping my weight about the same for the last five years. The foods I eat most often include fresh leafy greens and other colorful vegetables and fruits. I never eat until I feel stuffed. I usually eat only two small meals a day. I never eat beef or pork or commercially processed foods, but I may occasionally have a small piece of wild-caught fish.

My look for this day included a top by Clara Sunwoo and the Janet style pants by Lior Paris. Both these items are from ShopMyFairLady.com.

The original Grove Park Inn was built more than one hundred years ago!

The underground Spa was completed just a few years ago. We always enjoy spending the day there!

The view, the flowers, the service, and the ambiance at this resort are always a joy to experience.

There are two massive fireplaces in the Great Hall. One of them is wood burning, so this cart is used to bring wood during the colder months.

The view from our table by the window is always spectacular, no matter the weather.

My top matched the art on display near the Great Hall.

My necklace and Lilly Pulitzer clutch bag are both old from Finely House Couture in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The shoes are by Gianni Bini from Dillard's earlier this year.

One of my all-time favorite places to shop is Shop My Fair Lady on Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana, California. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was able to stop by for a quick visit one afternoon. My sweet friends Jon and Julie Rick are the owners. They offer lines that are both comfortable and flattering at any age and something appropriate for any occasion.

Julie is wearing an over-sized Art Print Blouse by Dilemma. I am wearing one of my favorite Clara Sunwoo tops with open shoulders. Jon looks handsome no matter what he wears!

Try Something Different

I have found a formula for getting dressed that works for me, but I have fun trying out new silhouettes.

Each time palazzo pants are in style, I am tempted to try them. I love the idea of wearing them in warm weather instead of a sundress. They are cool and comfortable and breezy like a sundress, but your arms and legs don't have to be on full display.

When you find the right top and shoes to wear with them, they are very flattering.

These pants work so well for me because they have a smooth wide waistband instead of a gathered small elastic one. The latter would add twenty pounds visually. The fabric is a very forgiving lightweight knit that skims the body but shows no jiggly bits. 

The black platform shoes are sturdy and easy to walk in. I do not wear high heels with palazzo pants because it is too easy to get the heels caught in them as you are walking.

Silver, blue and white is a classic warm-weather pairing for my cool skin tone.

We were on our way out to dinner this evening, so the little silver box clutch was appropriate. A small straw clutch and a wide brim straw hat with flat silver sandals would make this look more appropriate for the daytime. The hemline of the pants should almost touch the floor. 

I am wearing a size extra-small pants here, so if you buy these, go down a size. The top is a size medium.

The box clutch and sunglasses are old from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are by Kenneth Cole via Saks Off 5th.

The top and the palazzo pants are by Clara Sunwoo via my friends at ShopMyFairLady.com.

The High Country

Saturday was the perfect day to be in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

I was dressed up a bit because we were in Blowing Rock to enjoy dinner at Rowland's at the Westglow Resort and Spa later in the evening.

Blowing Rock is one of my favorite places in the world! The panoramic views of mountains always fill me with a sense of peace and wonder. When we explore neighborhoods there, we always find a house or a garden that takes my breath away.

The tank top is from White House | Black Market. The shoes are old by Gianni Bini from Dillard's. The wicker clutch bag is by JMcLaughlin. The Balmain sunglasses are from Saks Off 5th.

I was beyond thrilled to see this beautiful owl along our way down the mountain! 

Packing For A Summer Trip

When we travel, I take a few items that work together instead of pack outfits that may or may not be successful when we arrive at our destination. A few great accessories always help to create unique combinations.

For several days, we will be traveling to attend a unique wedding. There will be lots of walking, sightseeing, shopping, exploring old downtown, and eating out. All of these events will be very casual.

One of my personal packing rules is always trying on everything I am taking to make sure it looks the way I think it will look. There is nothing worse than getting ready for that special event only to find that the shoes you brought to go with your pants are too low to bring the hem off the floor. Today I am sharing the looks I plan to create from the items shown above on the rolling rack.

Below, I am wearing the tunic with jeans and sandals, all from J.Jill. The satchel is from JMcLaughlin. The crinkle cotton tunic is so lightweight I could wear it even on a sweltering day.

My apologies for the odd colors in these photos. The camera takes on an agenda of its own when we have to shoot inside and use the flash.

The gala sand-washed tunic will work with all of the pants.

The white long sleeve tee is very lightweight, so I can wear it with the vest and the white jeans when we go out to dinner.

The pieces shown above can be worn in many combinations according to the weather and where we are going. I am just showing you a few of the ways I plan to wear them.

My look for the wedding will include the swing blouse by IC Collection over a tank by Clara Sunwoo and white pants by Lior Paris. All these items were a gift from ShopMyFairLady.com. The silver clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The silver sandals are old by BCBGeneration.

The life-changing Ultimate Back Smoothing Bra & Body Shaper is by Shapeez.com. I will be buying the black one and will be wearing these for the rest of my life. This is the first bra/shaper item I have ever worn that is so comfortable you forget you have it on, and it actually smooths your midsection and back without being hot. Epic!

Here is a video also!

Newberry

Last Sunday, we traveled to Hilton Head from Johnson City, so I wore soft, comfortable layers.

The denim jacket is lightweight and comfortable in air conditioning. It is from White House Black Market. The tank is by Peck and Peck via Stein Mart. The cute khaki pants are by Lior Paris, and this is the Lize style. ShopMyFairLady.com sent these to me. (I am so glad they started carrying these pants!)

I have written before about my frustration with finding a cute, comfortable pair of khaki pants for warm weather. I rejoiced when I tried these on! I tire of white pants every day in summer, so it is nice to find a khaki pair that will work with most of my casual tops. Be sure to wash these in cold water and hang the pants to dry. They will look great and wear well for several seasons if you take care of them. I have been wearing my black ones very often for the past year.

The faux bamboo handle bag was a summer favorite by BCBG from T.J.Maxx last year. The sandals are old by Jessica Simpson.

We love to stop in Newberry, South Carolina, when we are traveling to the deep South. It is a delightful town with a more than one-hundred-year-old Opera House and a great variety of antique shops. Carter & Holmes Orchids is also located in Newberry! We have only stopped in Newberry for brief visits, which always leaves me longing for more time to explore the town and all it has to offer.

On this Sunday morning visit, we thoroughly enjoyed a fabulous brunch at Figaro. We highly recommend it and can not wait to have dinner there. The food was superb, and the service was excellent!

I feel right at home in Newberry, so we are planning a long weekend there very soon.

Dinner At Red Fish

At the end of our first perfect full day on the island, we had a wonderful dinner with some of the Hilton Head Island members - Bluffton Chamber of Commerce at the Red Fish. It is one of the top-rated restaurants on the Island.

I wore a blue lace swing jacket by Damee NYC with Lior Paris Sasha pants, both provided by ShopMyFairLady. (I have to tell you that these are the most comfortable dress pants I have ever worn.) The layered V-neck tank is from White House Black Market. I carried a clutch bag from a few years ago and wore black suede fringe trim sandals by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.

The water on Hilton Head Island gives me the best hair of my life!

The view from our terrace at the Marriott Resort and Spa was spectacular!

I was on that beach walking as the sun came up as often as possible!

I hope you are enjoying seeing the photos from our mini-vacation on the beautiful Hilton Head Island. More tomorrow!