Saturday Exploring

If we don't have a special get-away planned for the weekend, we often go over to Asheville or the surrounding area to explore.

We've learned it's wise to stop in downtown Asheville to share an appetizer before heading out on our journey to unknown places. There may not be a restaurant around for miles when we find ourselves hungry on the top of one of the many surrounding mountains.

Laughing Seed Café is one of our favorite places to visit. We often share the hummus trio. During this visit, we also tried an apple, carrot, and ginger smoothie. My favorite thing to have with hummus is cucumber slices, so I always ask for a side order of those.

That's a spicy black bean hummus, vegetable pâté, and chickpea hummus. The pita bread is made in house.

Three things are constant with me when I travel, even if only for a day-trip. 

Always take a sweater, jacket, or wrap because, at some point during the trip, I know I am going to be cold. 

Visit every restroom. You never know when you will see another one. 

Always drink lots of water. Staying hydrated is so important for the digestive tract, eyes, skin, and muscles. Leg cramps in the middle of the night are never fun!

Wall Street in Asheville, North Carolina, is home to many interesting shops and restaurants. It's also fun to people watch, and there are usually several entertaining street performers.

Just strolling down the street and stopping to pet a dog or visit a shop along the way is great fun. Many dogs live with their owners in swanky lofts and condos in downtown Asheville, so most shops have water dishes out front. Well behaved dogs are often seen at sidewalk cafés waiting patiently for their humans to dine.

Around Wall Street's corner is the Chocolate Fetish, which is home to some of the best gourmet chocolates ever. My favorite indulgence is dark chocolate covered coconut mound or one of the fabulous truffles. Just one is enough to satisfy my sweet tooth for the day.

Many of the mountains in our area rise to five thousand feet or more above sea level.

The temperature in the valley below was 90 degrees. The temperature at the summit was only 70 degrees.

If our exploring gets more off-road than this, Mr. Mickey may have to put brush guards on his sedan!

Much later in the day, after a long drive on numerous mountain roads and through quaint small towns, we returned to Asheville to have dinner at the Lobster Trap. Their lobster roll is the best I have ever found outside of Maine. The roll is made in a local bakery, and the lobster is perfectly prepared. It is indeed delicious, but I can never finish all of it.

We drove through a brief summer storm along the way home. Rain is becoming a rare thing here in East Tennessee, so it was wonderful to hear it on the rooftop. I love the sound of rain falling on a tin roof!

I wore one of those Portofino blouses from Express. It is one of the only button-front shirt styles I have found that works with my top-heavy figure. I have it in several colors, and I buy a size larger than I usually wear.

The pants are old from Fabrizio Gianni. The sandals are old by Jessica Simpson. The bag is several years old.

Easy breezy classic separates always seem to work well for me.

Rituals

Do you ever just do nothing for the whole day? Yesterday was one of those rare Sundays that included nothing more than reading the paper, taking a nap, then going to visit my parents.

My sister and I honor a long family tradition that includes taking the time to visit our parents on most Sunday afternoons. (As we did with my grandparents and great-grandparents as children.) We call them almost every day to ensure they are both well and don't need our help with anything.

Going for a long walk and then watering the shade garden typically happens at daybreak but not today. I also fill the birdfeeders and put fresh water in the birdbath before I start my usual workdays. I worked seven days a week for many years. Taking these little breaks for something less taxing helped to keep me sane.

Personal rituals and traditions give me balance and ground me. For example, giving thanks for all that I have and exercising always starts my day positively.

On hot summer days with nothing special planned, I always wear something breezy and comfortable.

The cool, soft, comfortable top is by Focus, and the khaki pants are the "Lize" style straight-leg pants by Lior Paris, both via ShopMyFairLady.com. They offer most of the clothing lines I enjoy wearing with always excellent service included, so I remain loyal to them. The sandals are old from Nine West.

White Jacket on Black Friday

Do you go shopping on Black Friday? Wild horses could not drag me to a store on this day! I am not a fan of crowds or shopping, so I stayed home, cleaned my house, and went for a walk because it was a warm sunny day in east Tennessee.

I did ride along with Mr. Mickey at the end of the day as he ran a few errands, such as going by the Mercedes dealership.

After completing my chores, I slipped into an average daily look for me. That is an old jacket from Express, the V-neck tee is from T.J. Maxx last year, worn with old boyfriend jeans from Chico's. The fringe suede shoes are by Steve Madden via Macy's. The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th.

I do wear white pants, jackets, and blouses all year long on sunny days. That old no white after Labor Day rule has been laid to rest.

My hair looks a lot more controlled here because I used a new product by Moroccanoil. It smooths and conditions as it defines your curls. I haven't gotten used to using it yet. I forgot to fluff my hair after it dried, so this look is too controlled for me. I do like a bit more of a messy look. I will get the hang of it.

I will share my top ones with those who have asked me for tips on posing for photos. I don't always have these in my mind while we are shooting, but they make me look my best when I follow them.

1. Stand up straight and tall.

2. Don't shoot in the full sun. Move both the photographer and you to a shady spot. To avoid the fisheye effect, have the photographer stand a few feet away from you. Mr. Mickey was almost too close in the first photos, making my legs look shorter.

3. Turn your body away from the camera while you turn your face toward the camera and place your feet at different angles.

4. Lift your chin and smile an easy small relaxed smile. A big fake smile always looks like a big fake smile.

5. Look into the lens or slightly away from the camera.

6. Relax your hands and tilt your shoulders back slightly.

7. Practice looking confident and comfortable in front of the camera. It will always show in your pictures. Confidence is the greatest accessory!