The Birthday Dinner

Having dinner in the Dining Room at the Inn on Biltmore Estate is a special pleasure for us. The service is impeccable, and the food is always perfection.

Dressing for dinner is part of the fun! On this special evening to celebrate my birthday, I wore a jacket from IC Collection and a black tank from Clara Sunwoon, both via My Fair Lady. The palazzo pants are from the Black Label collection at Chico's. The sandals are old via Dillard's. The silver mesh bag is old from T.J.Maxx.

The orchids in the lobby are always breathtaking. Every detail has been meticulously addressed by the staff.

My personalized dessert was chocolate ganache with house-made mint ice cream. Divine!

We enjoyed a stunning mountain view from our table by a bank of windows.

Mr. Mickey looked dapper in his black and white silk jacket. His engraved gold handle walking stick is more than 100 years old.

As always, Mr. Mickey made me feel like a Queen during my special weekend.

By The Fire Pit

What could be more romantic than dinner with a glass of good wine and great conversation with your best friend?

On our last evening at the Martha, I wore a blue Travelers jacket with a deep blue tank and white pants, all from Chico's. The jacket has a unique design. The back is short, and the front sides are long.

The shoes are old by Jessica Simpson via T.J.Maxx.

The large link necklace and smooth silver cuff are also from Chico's.

This charming couple struck up a conversation and then joined us on the porch for a nice visit before dinner.

At the end of our lovely evening, we made our way down to the pool and out to the fire pit to sit and chat as the sun was going down.

Dressed For Dinner

Do you find that you take too much with you when you travel?

In warm weather, I normally pack black pants, white pants, and a pair of jeans along with a few tops and a jacket that can each be worn with any of the pants. I take no more than three pairs of shoes.

All the pieces in my look are from last year. The pants and the necklace are from Chico's. The tank is by Adea. The split-back shirt is by BCBGeneration. The shoes are by Guess.

We stayed at The Martha this past weekend. We had most of our meals there so that we wouldn't have to send for the car. It's the perfect way to relax for us. We love to stay at a hotel with a couple of restaurants, a nice Spa, a great view, and live entertainment or a library.

My stylist tells me that if you are going to let your hair go gray, you must always have a crisp style and great cut; otherwise, you will look unkempt. It's time for a trim!

Before dinner, we took a stroll through the angel garden.

We shared Mr. Mickey's favorite butter pecan bread pudding for dessert.

After dinner, we sat on one of the Inn's huge porches to watch the sun go down.

Date Night

We had a lovely dinner date night with our best friends on Friday evening.

I wore those excellent SlimSation pants I told you about earlier this week. My friend and I were discussing them at dinner. She purchased every color they had at the ladies' shop down the street from the restaurant, and she also said she loved the way they fit, wear, and wash.

The silver-gray long sleeve tee is old from Chico's. The studded knit and the faux leather trim jacket from Dillard's last year. The shoes are old by Steve Madden. The quilted gray chain bag is from Express.

We had a great discussion about the price of clothing on Facebook this week. I quoted Helen Mirren, who said: "You can spend a dollar on a jacket in a thrift store. And you can spend a thousand dollars on a jacket in a shop. And if you saw those two jackets walking down the street, you probably wouldn't know which was which."

I hope that the outfit ideas I share inspire you in many ways, even if we don't shop in the same stores. You should be able to find something similar in thrift shops, consignment shops, and even tag sales. Don't get too hung up on brands. I make an effort to look my best every day regardless of my budget. My whole wardrobe costs less than just the jacket some of the stylish women I admire might be wearing.

Weekend Fun

Mr. Mickey and I spent this past weekend at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, for their 27th annual comedy classic weekend.

The final event was held on Saturday evening. I wore a black cocoon style jacket from the Travelers Collection with a black tank and black pants, all from Chico's.

The shoes are by Sam Edelman from Nordstrom last year.

It was great to meet Julie Scoggins. She is a super nice person as well as being hilarious. She was one of my favorite performers for the whole weekend.

Dinner, Symphony, and Ballet

It was a perfect holiday evening for us. We had a long leisurely dinner while visiting with friends at our favorite restaurant, Gourmet and Company.

The tree was set up right behind our favorite table, so this was how Mr. Mickey saw me this evening.

Mr. Mickey was looking dapper as usual! His 1940s Hickok cuff links are part of his vast collection of Mickey Mouse antiques and collectibles, of which there are more than 3,000 rare pieces. In his previous home, he had a museum to showcase some of the collection. This lifetime collection is being offered for sale in its entirety.

 

Each time I see this friend of a friend, we talk about shoes. This time we were wearing a very similar style.

Mr. Mickey was a happy man when he heard that this bread pudding made from croissants was on the dessert menu. Bliss!

The Johnson City Symphony has been performing for forty-five years. Their Christmas performance is one of the most popular. The words to many favorite Christmas carols are projected upon the giant screen above the stage so that the audience can sing along. During intermission, the poinsettias are removed so that young ballerinas can dance for us and the final performances.

The stained glass windows in Mary B. Martin Auditorium, Seeger Chapel, were decorated with wreaths and candles.

Retired Judge John L. Kiener was appointed to the judgeship years ago by Mr. Mickey's efforts while active in East Tennessee politics.

That's my sweet friend, his wife, Belinda Kiener.

My look for this evening includes a double-breasted wool jacket from Talbot's a few years ago. Tailored slacks and clutch via Saks Off 5th. The shoes are by DVF from a few years ago. The statement necklace is from Chico's last year.

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.

Dinner With Mr. Mickey

After a wonderful day of exploring and traveling, it was nice to take a shower and get dressed for a special dinner with Mr. Mickey.

Breathtaking antiques and art can be found in every corner of the Martha.

The gardens and grounds are equally charming.

We took a walk by the water feature stream near the pool and Spa before dinner.

Bread pudding dessert came with a candle and a special message.

After dinner, we went for another stroll before taking our after-dinner drinks onto the front porch to enjoy the weather. It will be much cooler tomorrow.

The coated black denim jeggings, which appear to be leather, are from Chico's. The sequined sheer overlay blue top is also from Chico's earlier this year. The black heels and gray evening bag are years old.