Shelton Vineyard Visit

A Mercedes-Benz car show was held at Shelton Vineyard on Saturday. We made a whole weekend of it!

The vineyard is located in Dobson, North Carolina. We thoroughly enjoy our visits there. Dinner at the Harvest Grill is always a treat! The food and service are top-notch.

Mr. Mickey had salmon.

I had the pasta because I wasn't starving. Have you noticed that pasta seems to grow?

The color is black, but it appears navy in this lighting.

It's All About That Base!

An overwhelming number of selections in my closet is just that, overwhelming. A carefully edited version of my wardrobe serves me well. When I add something new to my collection now, it is only to replace something starting to look worn.

A simple tank top and straight-leg pants in crepe knit fabric fit in beautifully with my edited version of a wardrobe that works for every season and all my life events. They replace the two similar pieces I have been wearing for three years. 

I can never find the right thing when I go emergency shopping for a particular event. I prefer to have on hand the pieces I can mix and match to create the appropriate look.

Necessities for me include a great fitting pair of pants and a black tank top. That is often my starting point for any look, other than in the blazing heat of summer. 

It's All About That Base!

When you start out with a great base, you can add a scarf, a vest, a cardigan, or any jacket style. Even a jean jacket and flats can work with your base pieces. Black serves me well, but perhaps brown would be a better choice for your coloring. My point is that if you have great fitting base pieces made from high-quality fabric, you can wear them many times and in an endless variety of ways.

I knew these pants, and this tank was perfect for me the moment I slipped them on. Don't you just love that feeling when you put on an item of clothing, and you know without any doubt that it is right for you? My new rule is that I have to feel confident about something before it gets added to my wardrobe.

One of our favorite traditions includes joining friends for dinner, as we often do on Friday evenings. It is so good for the soul to enjoy a perfectly prepared meal and visit those we love.

For me, the evening is even better because I did not have to prepare the meal and clean up the kitchen or stress about what I was going to wear. That is why we so often entertain at Gourmet and Company.

My necklace and the box clutch are both old from S.M. Bradford. The string jacket is old from Chico's. The shoes are old by French Connection via Saks Off 5th. 

All Is Well

Severe storms passed through our region on Friday evening. Countless trees were torn apart or completely uprooted by high winds taking power sources with them, which means many thousands of people are still without power on Sunday morning.

For all those who wrote to ask, we are safe and well. We sustained very little damage in our neighborhood.

We had reservations for dinner on Saturday night, so we decided to keep our plans. We anticipated that it might take a lot longer to reach our destination because of all the roads' debris.

Teams were out in force before the break of dawn to start clearing the damage and trying to restore power as quickly as possible.

We were more than ready to have a day away from the stress of life after this somber and frightening week. As we drove through the mountains on our way to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, I could feel the release of tension.

Something calming about looking out over endless green mountain ranges fills me with a sense of peace and gratitude.

We forgot to take the camera with us when we parked the car earlier in the day, so we had to take a few minutes before dinner to snap some photos for you. We always try to shoot looks at the beginning of our day before I become too rumpled looking. Today you see me after a day of shopping, visiting with friends, sitting in the park watching people, and riding around in a convertible.

There are many things I like about owning a capsule wardrobe of basics. Most of all, I appreciate that when I don't have the energy to come up with a special look, I can just put on something and go without giving it too much thought.

It is always a lot cooler in the mountains, so I have learned to wear layers whenever we go that way. Today I wore a jacket by IC Collection via ShopMyFairLady.com. (It is on sale now!) The layered V-Neck tank could have been worn alone if I had gotten too warm during the day, but that did not happen. The tank is from White House|Black Market. The pants are the Sasha Style by Lior Paris via ShopMyFairLady.com.

My accessories included small silver wide hoop earrings with tiny crystals, sunglasses by Balmain via Saks Off 5th, and a stack of silver bracelets.

The shoes are old by Bar III via Macy's.

After seeing so much damage all day, I was relieved to see that this little flower garden spot behind a store in Banner Elk had survived unscathed.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

I always share where I got the items shown if I can remember. The source is often ShopMyFairLady.com because they carry many of the lines I find comfortable and reflect my personal style.

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! 

Easy Pieces

At the end of a twelve-hour workday, I just want to take a long bath and go to bed. On this particular evening, I had a date with my favorite gentleman, so getting dressed in five minutes was next on my busy agenda.

You rarely see me in full makeup and a well-planned look here on the blog (or in my daily life). This look is certainly no exception!

These days, I feel a strong urge to simplify and uncomplicate my life, so I have been clearing clutter from my home and closet this year. Do you do that too occasionally? It feels great to look around and see only the things that bring me joy or that I actually use.

The rings were gifts from Mr. Mickey. The earrings are from Target.

My white jacket and the belt are old from Chico's. The scoop neck black tee is from White House|Black Market. The Tribal pants were a gift from Copper Penny in Hilton Head. The bag is old from Express. The shoes are old from Vince Camuto.

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!

For The Fur Babies

Giving back to the community is imperative to me. That community includes the pets that become a part of our family and also those that get discarded.

Last evening we attended the Dogwood and Cattails Ball to benefit the Humane Society of Washington County.

It was great to see so many of our friends who also came out to help support the animal shelter. Our shelter is a no-kill organization. No matter how long it takes for an animal in our foster program to find a home, it will remain in our program until the best possible home can be found. Thanks to this program, 1300 healthy, happy animals have been adopted into loving family homes.

The Oustanding Animal of the year was awarded to a special dog named Arabela, who serves our country by disclosing improvised explosive devices (IEDs are simple bombs made and used by unofficial or unauthorized forces).

I fell in love with a sweet pitbull named Chloé!

Chloé was rescued from a very inhumane breeder situation and given a loving forever home. She showed her gratitude with kisses, snuggles, and a tail that wagged non-stop.

Rather than buy another ball gown that I will never wear again, I used old items I already had in my closet. This year's ball's theme was based upon the Great Gatsby, so I went with separate pieces that sort of reflected that theme. 

The simple knit tank dress with a side slit is a couple of years old. The tuxedo-style jacket is old from the Travelers Collection at Chico's. The little evening bag is many years old. The shoes are old by French Connection via Saks Off 5th.