Reptile Heels on Date Night

Mr. Mickey is such a social butterfly; he would get dressed up and go out every evening if I were on board for it.

We visited our favorite restaurant, Gourmet and Company, to sit outside on the patio and have a Dewar's and water while enjoying the cooler weather.

  

The gemstone embellished silver cuff is from Chico's. The belt is from T.J.Maxx, as is the clutch. The ring is from B Dazzled in Blowing Rock, NC.

The black jeans and tank are from Chico's. The St. John jacket was another gift from my sweet friend Mitzi.

The suede and reptile heels are old from Belk.

A Night Out

Occasionally on date night, we have a progressive dinner, roaming from one restaurant to another.

For the first course, we may have a glass of wine and an appetizer in one restaurant.

At another restaurant, we may have a salad.

Our first course for this evening was enjoyed at Cafe' Lola. This is a great place to meet with friends for a cocktail after work and then come back later in the evening for an elegant date night.

Our next visit was to the bar at our old favorite, Wellington's, in the Carnegie Hotel.

Sometimes we sit by a fireplace or a window with a great view and have a glass of wine and a long conversation. Those conversations often draw in other people sitting around us. This evening, we met a delightful group of women celebrating one young woman's start of med school here at ETSU.

These two beautiful ladies are the mothers of the lovely young women below.

We visited with this delightful group for a long pleasant conversation. It was great to share in the celebration of the exciting life adventure that they are just beginning.

The last stop of the evening was on the patio at our favorite place to visit in town. Gourmet and Company are celebrating twenty-five years in business. So on the 25th of each month this year, there is a special dinner menu and living entertainment on the patio. Tonight's performance was by the great local band, This Mountain.

The festive evening ended with great friends and listening to superb live music.

The Cynthia Rowley shoes are from Belk, and the little black dress is by Ralph Lauren via T.J.Maxx. The asymmetric neckline and ruching at the waist are details that make it unique.  I am most definitely more comfortable in pants and a jacket, but there are occasions when one needs a dress. I am glad I found this one last week.

And now for a little Wear It Wednesday... Many of you hated my cool lace-up black shoes with this jacket and a pencil skirt in an earlier post, so I restyled it for you here as requested. I still love the shoes, but I will wear them with straight-leg pants in the future. The skirt is in the to-go bag.

White Linen Moto Jacket

Friday date night was a rainy one, which explains why we are inside, and my hair looks like I styled it into a bouffant. Big hair is what naturally happens in humid weather. 

I love the edgy look of sleek pieces worn with an attitude, but I am too soft and rounded to carry this look off with authority.

I wore the white linen moto jacket from Stein Mart over a black tank from Chico's and a black pencil skirt from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are from Nordstrom. The bag is from T.J.Maxx. The bracelet is an old favorite.

Cheers to Three Years!

Fifty, not Frumpy started three years ago today on Facebook!

Mr. Mickey and I celebrated with a lovely evening at Wellington's restaurant within the Carnegie Hotel.

My sandals are DV by Dolce Vita 'Safia' from Nordstrom.

The earrings and the top by Rose and Olive are from Stein Mart. The top isn't tucked in. The wrap front is closed at the hem and the back is long and straight.

The clutch is old from T.J.Maxx and the ankle pants are old from Chico's.

Mr. Mickey and I raise a glass to three wonderful years of sharing our lives and fun outings with all of you. We hope we have many more golden years together!

It was more than eight years ago that Mr. Mickey and I used to sit on this sofa at Gourmet and Company while we were getting to know each other when we were first dating. We still enjoy stopping by there at the end of the evening to visit with friends in addition to having lunch or dinner there at least once a week.

Ming Wang at the Symphony

Saturday date night included dinner at our favorite restaurant and a night at the Symphony. I wore a fabulous jacket from Ming Wang.

Founded in 1986, Ming Wang is named for the designer and co-founder, Ming Wang, who has been designing knitwear exclusively for over 30 years. She strives to create garments that flawlessly transition from day to night for many years to come. I am now a fan! This jacket was so comfortable to wear and beautifully made with individual square stones sewn on the edges.

Ming Wang pieces are crafted with a specialized yarn so that the entire collection is wrinkle-free, machine washable, fade-resistant, and travel friendly. Their signature product, structure knits, and dresses, pants, and other accessories, are available in hundreds of boutiques all over the US, as well as Dillards, Von Maur, and online at Nordstrom.

Dinner at Gourmet and Company included a dessert of apple bread pudding for Mr. Mickey and a Grand Marnier for me.

The Symphony performance was fabulous, as always, but I must confess, I was so tired after two weeks of moving and cleaning I may have taken a small nap during it.

Rain on Date Night

It was raining, and the restaurant was super crowded, but we forgot about all that as we visited with our dearest friends.

I am wearing shades of gray, topped with a sapphire boiled wool jacket from Chico's. Note that I wear black and white animal prints. The gold undertones of most brown animal prints do not complement my cool skin tone.

Dinner with Mr. Mickey

One of our couple traditions is to have a date night on Wednesday. It gives us a chance to unwind, get caught up on the busy first part of the week, and plan our weekend ahead.

For this date night, I wore soft, fully lined black crepe pants, a black tank, and a lightweight, almost sheer blue jacket, all from Chico's last year.

The shorter necklace is from Nouvique, also worn here, and the longer necklace is from Chico's. The black strappy sandals are old from JCPenny. The black ruffled evening bag is also old.

I don't work for Chico's, and I don't get free clothes from them, but you might think so. Clothes that last for more than one season and keep their shape after going through the laundry are worth the investment. In my area, there are only a couple of stores in which I shop for that reason.

Tomorrow is my fifty-seventh birthday. There are a few messages I would like to share with my teenage self if that were possible.

1. Happiness is an inside job.
2. Find out what you can accomplish on your own before you commit to a relationship or marry. 
3. Become a vegetarian now for the best lifelong health and weight control possible.
4.You would be wise to buy one timeless top quality black pair of pants that you can wear for many years, rather than to buy five pairs of cheap pants that will only be worn for one season at most.
5. Imagine an event that you might actually be attending. Go to your closet and put together an outfit for that event. Your wardrobe should allow you to participate in any activity without causing stress or emergency shopping when it comes time to get dressed. Plan your purchases accordingly throughout your life.

Blue and White

White with blue is such a happy combination of colors.

For my Friday night date with Mr. Mickey, I wore white side zip ankle pants by Peck and Peck from Stein Mart last year. The white tank top and blue jacket are both from Chico's.

The handbag, large face watch, and silver dome ring are also from Stein Mart. The large sapphire ring is vintage.

The neutral suede summer booties are by Nine West from last year.

On a totally unrelated note: I am so happy that my stargazer lilies bloomed this week. They smell wonderful!