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.

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.