A Special Evening

As the sun was going down, the top-level of a parking garage was a great place to shoot photos on this beautiful evening.

We visited Wellington's at the Carnegie Hotel for dinner last evening.

My go-to look for eveningwear is a black tank over black pants with some sort of interesting jacket. As mentioned in the post from yesterday, the pants' cut and style dictate the cut and style of the jacket I pair with the pants. Opposites are more attractive.

All clothing is from Chico's. The jacket is from last year.

The satin evening sandals are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via Dillard's last year. I wish all shoes were this comfortable!

The bold statement necklace is from Chico's earlier this year, and the small hoop earrings were from Target last year.

The ring is old from Stein Mart, and the bag is so old I don't remember where I found it.

My tips for getting dressed for a special evening include not wearing too many colors or accessories. If black isn't your color, wear one color that flatters your complexion with a jacket or wrap in a color that contrasts but complements the base color. 

I hope my suggestions help you to easily get dressed for the special events of your life. Mr. Mickey and I never wait for a special day to celebrate. Our reason to get dressed up and celebrate this evening? It was a beautiful fall Wednesday evening, and we are alive and well.

Lessons Learned

We enjoyed a wonderful Friday evening with great friends at Gourmet and Company, our favorite restaurant in Johnson City.

There's nothing better than spending three hours engaged in lively conversation while having excellent food and superb service.

The bag is by Nine West from Ross. The Steve Madden heels are from Nordstrom.

This vintage St. John knit jacket was another gift from my dear friend Mitzi. I am wearing it over a black tank and black pieced faux leather front leggings, both from Chico's.

Below is the daytime look for Friday.

The jeans I wore during the day yesterday and the leggings I wore to dinner last evening taught me a lesson. I used to wait for sales to shop, but now I know if I want great fitting basic pieces that I will enjoy wearing for years to come, I need to shop often but selectively at the beginning of the season to get my size. The jeans in my size from the day look and the leggings from the evening look are now completely sold out in all sizes (company-wide!). The second lesson is to buy jeans with a bit of stretch in size smaller. In two hours you will be so glad you did.

Saturday Part Two

We celebrate any occasion with a get dressed up and go out to dinner date.

We visited Figaredo's Bistro for my birthday dinner, which is just down the street from the Martha. We ordered different seafood/pasta dishes and a salad. Both were excellent. We are already looking forward to our next visit!

  

These photos were taken at the Inn. The restaurant was bustling, and it's quite a small space. I didn't want to intrude on the other diner's experiences with our picture taking.

For our dinner date, I wore a black jacket and a white Portofino shirt from Express. The waxed denim jeggings are from Chico's.

The Calvin Klein belt and old Kenneth Cole Reaction clutch are from T.J.Maxx. The Nine West heels are several years old. The earrings are from Chico's, and the ring was a gift from Mr. Mickey a few years ago.

Mr. Mickey snapped this photo of a church steeple close to the bistro.

Celebrate!

At long last, I close on the sale of my other house today! To celebrate last evening, Mr. Mickey took me to our favorite restaurant, Artisanal, in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

We had some time to spare, so we stopped in Elizabethton, Tennessee, along the way.

Elizabethton is home to one of the few remaining wooden covered bridges in the region.

The covered bridge is now used only for foot traffic. The white bridge behind me is used to drive across the river.

Along the river, many beautiful old homes are dating back to the late 1800s.

Owning one of these homes is a labor of love since constant upkeep and repairs are almost always necessary.

The Veterans Monument is an Elizabethton landmark.

Another Elizabethton landmark is the old pink jail beside the courthouse. Supposedly if you had to be locked up in a pink jail in the middle of town, it would deter you from committing a crime. The plan obviously wasn't very successful since they had to build a much larger new jail nearby.

Adding more texture to my wardrobe has been my goal for fall. The animal print lace overlay top is a new item at Chico's. The silver and crystal necklace and the travelers black pants are old and also from Chico's. The bag and BCBGeneration heels are old as well.

High School Friends

I met my dear friend Susan when we were about thirteen years old.

I had just enrolled in a new school, and she was one of the first people I met. Her kindness to the new girl was never forgotten. We remained close friends throughout high school, but I moved away a few years after graduating, and we lost touch. 

Thanks to Facebook, we caught up with each other again a few years ago. On Saturday night, Mr. Mickey and I joined Susan and her handsome French husband, C.A., for dinner on Gourmet & Company's patio.

We all chose something healthy and colorful from the menu. Chef Jacob's family was also dining on the patio at the table next to us. Mr. Mickey snapped this precious photo of him as he was holding his daughter. 

I wore white jeans from Dillard's by Kut from the Kloth with a white tank top and a duster length sweater from Chico's. The turquoise color necklace is also from Chico's. The shoes are by Jessica Simpson from T.J. Maxx.

An Evening in the Kitchen at Gourmet & Company

Have you ever been the guest of the chef in the kitchen at a fine dining restaurant? Until this night, neither had we. It was the treat of a lifetime!

 

"Wear something cool. It gets sweltering in the kitchen", they told us.

I chose a high low black top and slim leg black pants from Chico's with earrings from Stein Mart, very old beaded copper evening shoes, and a bag from T.J.Maxx.

Gourmet & Company is celebrating 25 years in business.

This evening they opened their kitchen to us for the evening. A special table was set up in an area where we could watch Chef Jacob and his team create the magic on our plates.

Below is Todd, the most awesome bar manager ever! We have been visiting with him for more than eight years, and he is always charming and professional. His ability to pair the best wine with your food is always spot on.

Below is Chef Jacob. He is an amazingly talented chef, but he also has a keen eye for business and has taught his staff to "be" him. It was like watching a dance performance as they quickly prepared seventy-five fabulous meals on this evening.

Chef Jacob prepared each of our seven courses, and Todd paired each with the perfect wine to complement the flavors.

This pasta dish was one of the best ever!

The Sockeye Salmon was also perfect.

The sweet corn pudding was a delightful dessert course.

The team in action at the busiest time.

Jason, Jacob, Mr. Mickey and I, John and Chance

Our splendid menu for the evening.

Thank you, Chef Jacob and Gourmet & Company, for an evening we will never forget.