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.

Formal Evening

Short, skimpy cocktail dresses and plunging backless gowns are never my choices for evening attire.

 "Elegance knows when to cover up." 

-Susan Street 2016

At almost sixty years old, bare knees and cleavage are never the aging bits I wish to reveal to the world. Candlelight does not improve the view! Trust me on this one.

We attended the 23rd Annual Laureate Induction Celebration of the Junior Achievement Tri-Cities TN/VA Business Hall of Fame held at the Meadowview Convention Center last evening.

Earlier in the day, I visited my dear friend Myra who is also my hairstylist. She gave me a shorter layered look for Spring.

We picked up our closest friends Bob and Mitzi so that we could enjoy the evening together. Mitzi and I did not plan to dress almost alike!

I am wearing a swing coat* by IC Collection over a tank by Clara Sunwoo; both are from last year. I purchased them from ShopMyFairLady. The dressy pants are a couple of years old from Chico's. The suede fringe trim sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.  The ribbon trimmed black clutch is several years old from T.J.Maxx.

(*Swing coats are fitted in the shoulders and then flare out from the bust line, creating a tent-like shape over the torso that swings as you walk. The hem of your swing coat can end anywhere from the waist down, and the sleeves may be full length or bracelet length.)

Here is a short video showing my warm-weather haircut.

Spirits of the Season

The kickoff for the holiday season here in Johnson City is the "Spirits of the Season," an American Cancer Society event generously presented by One Stop Wines and Spirits. 

This year the special event was held at the beautiful Johnson City Country Club.

I wore a black sequined and feather-adorned sweater, a gift from my dearest friend, Mitzi. The pants are from the Travelers Collection at Chico's. The suede heels are from Saks Off 5th.

This is a wonderful social event with fine spirits, food, and friends!

My dear friend Maribeth, on the right, wore Christian Louboutin shoes. She was impressed that Mr. Mickey knew the brand and asked to photograph them.

I celebrated the evening with two of my favorite cancer survivors, Jennie above and Mr. Mickey below.

The purpose of this event is to help raise awareness and funds for the American Cancer Society.

Les Misérables

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended the gala premiere and fundraising event to benefit Theatre Bristol and the Paramount Center for the Arts.

Excellent French cuisine with champagne was provided by K.P. Duty.

Dining music was provided by NFusion.

There is a great display of antique movie house items in the lobby.

We had a perfectly wonderful evening. The performance was world-class and included almost sixty cast members. They received a four-minute standing ovation!

I wore a black mesh sleeve top from last year and black Black Label wide-leg pants, both from Chico's. The silver clutch is from T.J.Maxx. The Sam Edelman shoes are old from Nordstrom. The earrings are old from Stein Mart.

Old With New

Few items in my wardrobe have survived my various closet purges after weight gains and losses over the years.

About twelve years ago, I lost a lot of weight and bought this tea-length chiffon fully lined skirt at T.J.Maxx. A couple of years later, I gained the weight back, but I kept the skirt because it has an elastic waist, so I thought it might still work when I needed to dress for an evening event.

I have worn the skirt several times, but this sequined pullover from Saks Off 5th is my favorite. The pullover is from their private label Saks Fifth Avenue RED.

This Gieger of Austria black coat is another oldie but a goody. I bought this when I was heaviest, so I had the sleeves altered and will hold on to it for a few more years. When I invest so much in a piece, I have difficulty letting go of it. Thankfully I have kept the weight off for several years by eating primarily fruits and vegetables.

These earrings arrived in the mail just minutes before I started getting ready for date night.

They are indeed works of art! One of my highly talented clients, Victoria Timm, created the earrings. She makes the most fantastic jewelry! You can see more of her work here at her Etsy store.

We saw this well-dressed, beautiful lady as we entered our favorite restaurant, Gourmet & Company. She graciously allowed us to take her photo. 

We always skip the big going out to dinner nights such as Valentine's Day. This was a special going out night for us instead. After a fantastic dinner, we attended the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra performance. Dr. Chih-Long Hu performed with the Orchestra and received three standing ovations for encore solo performances.

Mr. Mickey loves these shoes, so he kept saying, "One more." He was afraid he didn't get a good shot of the shoes. (He is so dedicated to creating an exciting blog for you.) The shoes are suede from Saks Off 5th. I am wearing Hanes hosiery.