Oldies But Goodies

Mother nature continues to taunt us with a warm spring day followed by a very cool cloudy day. 

I hope to convey several messages with this blog. One of which is you don't have to have a lot of money to look nice. I constantly shop in stores such as T.J.Maxx, Ross, and on the site Dalitka.

I get so many compliments on this hand-painted handmade silk kimono each time I wear it. 

Mr. Mickey loves vintage too! His favorite car will be twenty years old very soon. If you take care of your treasures and choose classic styles they will serve you well for many years whether it be a car or a lovely classic style of spring coat.

Philanthropy

I am very proud to be a Leadership member of The Women's Fund of East Tennessee, which serves as a catalyst to transform the lives of low-income women and girls in East Tennessee. This week we held our luncheon celebration at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN, to award grants to the programs we earlier voted to support in our communities.

When you invest in a woman, you invest in a family, a community, and ultimately a region. By helping women and girls, we create stronger communities for all of us. I encourage you to join a Women's Fund near you to make a difference for your community.

It was quite cool during the early morning hours, so I wore this fabulous spring coat, which was a gift from Dalitika.

As the weather began to warm up, I removed the spring coat. The blue travelers style tank and pants and the jacket and necklace are all from Chico's last year.

The shoes are from T.J.Maxx earlier this season. The bag is from Coach.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was spending time with my dear friend Carol Transou and her delightful husband Bedford. They were so gracious to invite me to ride down to Knoxville with them. The event also allowed me the opportunity to visit with Bonnie Sampson, another very special lady who is also a founder of our group. 

After the luncheon, we drove through the neighborhood to enjoy looking at the spring flowers and lovely old homes. 

Jeans and A Tee... At My Age?

If you were also in high school in the early seventies, you might be like me in that you find the ultimate comfort is that "uniform" you wore for much of that time.

Occasionally I still see one of my high school friends wearing the same look we loved at seventeen but a Harley tee and faded out jeans with shoe muffins (athletic shoes) will not work for me anymore. Comfort now has to do with more than just how it feels on my body. I want to celebrate that I have been on a tremendous journey for these past forty years. I have traveled the world, owned several businesses, lived in great cities, and learned volumes since I graduated from high school in 1974.

My Junior Class Picture 1973

I still wear jeans and a tee quite often, but my comfort zone now includes great fitting dark washed jeans, a slim-fitting tee with a scoop, or V-neck with a nice jacket or open cardigan sweater. Knowing my body shape is key to putting together comfortable outfits. There is a "sweet spot" between mid-hip and mid-thigh where I like my jackets to end. They should be neither too short, showing all of my flat bottom, nor too long, making my short legs appear shorter. 

The jeans should fit my body, neither too tight nor sagging in the back. Dark wash looks more appropriate and much better with most of my jackets, but I have one faded pair of classic Levis, which I wear with flats and a navy blazer on sunny fall days. The NYDJ cropped jeans I am wearing below remain one of my summer favorites also.

Autumn of 2013

I hope that sharing my inspiration sets from Polyvore and explaining why I make certain choices helps you put together great outfits that make you feel confident and comfortable. Here's to our next forty years!