Relaxing At Home

If you stop by to visit me on any cold-weather Sunday afternoon, you will find me reading by the fire.

Currently, I am reading four books, which means there are books, stacks of magazines, and readers to be found beside every comfortable chair.

"Thank Me" frame style is shown here.

Mr. Mickey asked me to go with him to pick out his new glasses last week. It has been several years since I have bought prescription glasses because readers are all I need to wear. I didn't realize how expensive prescription eyeglasses have gotten. Wow! I could have eleven pairs of stylish readers for that price.

Bob Frapples is this frame style.

Eye-bobs is an excellent line of stylish, high-quality readers. They are very comfortable, and they arrive in a nice protective case and with a glass cleaning cloth. They recently sent me these two styles to try, and I like them very much. They are lightweight and very comfortable to wear. I love the larger lenses! All the types offered on their website are very modern looking.

Bob Frapples is the name of the frame below, and I chose the navy front with blue denim trim. 

This is the Bob Frapples frame style.

Thank Me is the name of the style shown below. I chose the black front with matte gunmetal trim.

This is the Thank Me frame style.

I always look for glasses with a square shape to flatter my roundish face.

The question, "What do you wear at home when you aren't going somewhere special?" is one that I often get. When I have a few hours to myself during those rare times, I put on something soft and comfortable and curl up with a book. Since early childhood, I have been an avid reader. 

The old cashmere cardigan I am wearing here is my all-time favorite from J.Jill. 

The slip-on style shoes are old by Sperry.

These soft crepe pull-on pants and the relaxed tee are both by Fabrizio Gianni. If you love fabulous basics that can be worn dressed up or down and worn for almost any occasion, these pieces are well worth the investment. The Fabrizio Gianni items are all made in the USA.

You will see these black pants on me often! Made from a luxurious stretch crepe, these pants can easily be dressed up or down. (As you will see in another post coming soon.) Mr. Mickey snapped these photos as we were relaxing before a long drive across the mountains for a special dinner date.

For those of you who asked. My hair is still silver/gray. Some lighting makes it look otherwise.

I mostly read to learn more about something that interests me. These are the four books I am reading right now.

A Drive In The Country

After a hectic week, I look forward to long lazy Saturdays with no particular schedule.

On this beautiful day, we stopped in Jonesborough to walk through town and enjoy the sunshine before continuing our journey through the countryside to visit the Amish store. I like to go there a couple of times a year to buy most of my food in bulk. I stock up on dried beans, rolled and steel-cut oats, flax seeds, lentils, and various spices.

I was growing very weary of dressing for cold weather. Our morning started out with temperatures in the 30s, but as the afternoon progressed, I removed my short black trenchcoat and pushed up my J's sleeves. Jill cashmere tunic. It was pure bliss to sit in the sunshine for a moment and enjoy temperatures in the mid-60s!

J.Jill supplied this tunic. 

The opinions are my own.

Today I wore flat BCBG Leather Loafers and short soft crew socks from Ralph Lauren. The dark wash slightly boot-cut slim fit jeans from Loft are the right style for this type of flat shoe. 

When I wear flat shoes and socks, I chose a pair of pants that just touch the top of my foot and have a slight flare at the leg opening. The socks should match the pants. I like to keep the same tone to elongate the leg. For example, if I had worn tan loafers, my legs would have looked shorter. 

I am often asked how I decide which shoes to wear with each pant style. I will write more about pairing shoes with pant styles in tomorrow's blog post.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. It is always a treat to go for a walk there on warm sunny days.

Rolling meadows and the foothills of distant mountain ranges provide breathtaking views along our journey.

My early childhood spent on a farm in the western North Carolina mountains means that brief glimpses of farm life always bring me joy. These horses left the meadow at full gallop when they heard this farmer's truck arrive. They knew that dinner was about to be served.

The Nolichucky river winds lazily through the valley, creating prized fertile farmland.

I hope you have enjoyed sharing part of our peaceful day with us.

Running Errands

On this day, I had to go to the grocery store and run some other errands, so I wore jeans with a graphic sweater with open-toe booties and threw on a jacket. It wasn't freezing here, so this amount of layering was enough.

The ankle jeans are old from Chico's. The Nine West booties via Saks Off 5th are also from last year. The Zac Posen bag was recently purchased at Saks Off 5th.

The Geiger coat is several years old. I purchased it before I lost weight, so it is two sizes too large. The style is very versatile, and I had invested so much in it I decided to get the sleeves tailored so that the size wasn't so obvious. I was also wearing the coat three years ago here.

I often get comments about my heels and requests to style looks with flats. I have purchased a few flats and will be showing them as options on future blog posts. My posts are not created to show staged outfit ideas. I share what I actually wear with you, and I rarely wear flat shoes.

Eiffel Tower Graphic Top

I rarely wear prints, but I couldn't resist this Eiffel Tower graphic top. It's my way of saying, "I love you, Paris!"

This top is made from luxurious poly spandex knit that is very comfortable. There are subtly placed tiny rhinestones on the front. The design covers the front and the back. It has three-quarter length dolman sleeves, so I will be wearing it almost year-round.

I paired the top with a cashmere cardigan from J.Jill and slim-fitting dark wash jeans from Fabrizio Gianni. The boots are very old by Nine West. The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th.

Since we were going to a casual brunch at the Grove Park Inn, this was the perfect look for our full day of leisure.

 

I couldn't resist asking this beautiful grandmother if I could take her picture. She wore the perfect look for a day with her family, admiring the gingerbread houses and Christmas trees on display throughout the resort.

Sitting in front of one of the Great Hall's fireplaces at the Omni Grove Park Inn is such a pleasure when the weather turns cold.

The holidays are now in full swing! There are decorations everywhere you look.

Many of you have written to ask how I can eat out so often and not gain weight. Yesterday, I loaded my first plate with every salad and grilled vegetable that was offered. The next plate was a tiny taste of each item I wanted to try. Baked mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods ever! I tasted all the things I love, but I didn't stuff myself with a whole plate full of decadence. I didn't even gain an ounce from our weekend splurge. (I also didn't eat anything later in the day after our wonderful afternoon brunch.)

I use mindful eating and discipline rather than being deprived of the things I enjoy as techniques to control my weight. A great coach once said, "Your attitude is always the most important part of the game of life."

Combat Boots

I recently wore my black linen biker jacket from Express over a striped tee with three-quarter sleeves, gray jeans from Chico's, and new boots by French Connection from Saks Off 5th. (My Mom called them combat boots.)

Antelope Ankle Booties

This is such a beautiful time of year to go for a walk in east Tennesse.

My new Antelope ankle booties were the perfect choice for a Sunday afternoon walk. These booties are so comfortable!

They are made from supreme raw leather that was cut by hand! The remarkable craftsmanship shows in every detail on the inside and the outside.

This is my second pair of Antelope boots. I wore my great looking black pair on this blog post. My new khaki ankle booties are the perfect casual look with faded boyfriend jeans, a long sleeve tee, and a soft, comfortable jacket. 

Antelope ships free across the US and Canada!

A Day in the City

We spent the day in Asheville on Sunday.

We spent the day just hanging out, having lunch, watching people, and shopping in the Grove Arcade.

I enjoy the architecture of the Grove Arcade very much.

There is always some form of entertainment on the streets of Asheville.

Mr. Mickey is having fun with one of the various art installments in the city.

I find it very therapeutic to spend the day relaxing in the midst of a busy city. I remove myself from the rush and just sit on a bench in a park, relaxing and taking in my surroundings.

The LG Lena Gabrielle jacket I wore today was discovered on the sale rack at Stein Mart earlier this summer. It has faux leather trim and a black knit body.

The white tank, straight leg jeans, and necklace are from Chico's. The shoes are from Nordstrom. The quilted chain bag is from Express.

Let's Go For A Walk!

Do you go to the gym often?

I used to go to the gym almost every day, but these days, I find that a brisk three-mile walk around my neighborhood and a few stretching exercises work best for me and my currently very hectic schedule.

Have you have noticed that athletic attire has become very popular as streetwear these days? I see women wearing leggings and slip-on sneakers and tunics to do their shopping or to run errands all the time.

So today, I thought I would show you one of my favorite casual sporty looks. The boat neck tunic is old from Cali and York. The leggings are also old by RBX via T.J.Maxx.

These minimalist design slip on casual shoes are from Rockport. That means they are super comfortable. I love to walk in shoes that work with my movement to remain comfortable for the whole three miles. I have worn Rockport shoes in many styles over the years, and I have always found them comfortable and very well made. These are also the perfect stay at home shoes for me since I am not a fan of going barefoot.

Many of my favorite casual clothing items are from J.Jill. This black windbreaker is part of their new line for fall 2015. I love to wear it on my early morning walks and whenever I am just running out for errands. It looks sharp with jeans or leggings. Our temps are dropping a little more each morning.

A Break

I will be in Los Angeles for a while, so I will leave you with this casual look.

A lightweight chambray shirt with slim-fitting white jeans is a timeless look that works for me on almost any casual day.

I paired this Chico's chambray shirt with white J.Jill ankle jeans and Rampage tan platform sandals from Belk. The darker brown belt is from Calvin Klein. Large silver hoop earrings, a silver statement ring with a blue tourmaline stone, and a silver and gold coin charm bracelet complete the look.

Have a wonderful week!