Blue and Pink

I found this royal blue lightweight AVA sweater at T.J.Maxx last winter. I liked the style and weight so much I also purchased the black version.

I wore it on Sunday with a white tank and cropped pants from Chico's. The necklace is old from Chico's as well.

The BCBGeneration bag is from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are also by BCBGeneration. I found those at Ross.

We were on our way to visit my parents and then to Carrabba's Italian Grill to share a small dinner.

I hope that when you read my posts, you will notice a few things and come away with some inspiration.

1. Even when she isn't going to do something special, she still gets dressed in a way that makes her feel confident and attractive.
2. She doesn't spend a lot of money on her clothes, nor does she take a lot of time to put together an outfit for the day.
3. Accessories make the basics look more special and show her personality.
4. She wears heels often, but I can substitute nice flats similar to copy her look.
5. She was forty pounds heavier, but she lost weight by eating vegetables, fresh fruit, and drinking lots of water. Click on the tab above for "Live Well" to learn more about that.

Where are you?

Some of you have written to ask, "Where are you?" I have helped Mr. Mickey (my photographer and partner in life) move in and get settled in his new home. My old home is still on the market, so I am packing and doing a few projects at my new home. Recently our "date nights" have consisted of manual labor.

I am so excited to show you my new home, but I am a few weeks away from moving in. For now, I will share with you some of the things that provide inspiration for me.

This is Timothy Corrigan's LA home. He has always been one of my favorite interior designers. He has a new book just out, "An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luce." 

My copy is on its way! I look forward to curling up in front of the fire with this book and a glass of wine later this month to absorb every detail. 

I always study the classics to get inspiration and guidance for any project I undertake, whether it is dressing, designing jewelry, planning my gardens, or decorating my home. For example, I love the classic, timeless style of Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn. I also admire some popular young women who currently show their own strong sense of style. Olivia Palermo is one of those young women who constantly impresses me with the way she dresses.

Below is a selfie of my casual look for today. I am on my way to the dentist and will be running lots of errands afterward.

I am wearing a long sweater vest and a long sleeve tee with a long tassel necklace, all from Chico's last year. The jeans are Levis dark wash. The shoes are Vince Camuto.

Mr. Mickey and I are looking forward to a normal date night on Saturday, so perhaps on Sunday, I will have a fashion post to share with you. Thank you so much for reading my blog and for your kind comments. I truly enjoy interacting with you!

Make it Work

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I have started over with very little, more than once in my life. While I was living near New Orleans a few years ago, I started another new chapter in my life. 

When I began decorating my small cottage within sight of the Gulf of Mexico's beaches, I searched for objects to use in creating my vision of a lovely French-inspired home. I visited all the flea markets, junk stores, and yard sales within a fifty-mile radius.

This is the guest room in my home today. The chair was purchased at a yard sale at the end of the day as it was starting to rain. The lady I bought it from for $10 asked me in wonder, "What are you going to do with it?" It was covered with fake brown leather, and it was painted brown. I told her, "I'm going to give it an antique ivory distressed finish and then cover it with a tapestry fabric I have been saving for years." Two ladies standing behind me listening, excitedly asked, "Where is your shop?!" Maybe someday I will have that shop, but for now, this is the way I have always made do with what I could afford. 

The Monet print was a hand me down from my sister, which I had re-framed in light colors. The brass lamp was purchased for $3 at a church tag sale. The nightstand was found in a junk store for $25. I bought the iron bed on eBay.

This ancient-looking pedestal in the corner of my bedroom was on clearance at T.J. Maxx. I bought the concrete garden bust in a junk store in one of my travels. The Eastlake table was purchased at a yard sale. The oil painting was a clearance item in the resale shop. The other items were also purchased at similar shops. (My definition of a junk store is one that is presented as an antique store, but in reality, all of the stuff likely came from garage sales. One-piece out of three thousand might have the possibility of being reworked into something I would want to own.) The thrill comes in the hunt for that one object of my desire to complete the picture.

This display in my foyer is a salvage yard pedestal with a broken corner that was originally brown, orange, green, and red (really!). The urn is actually a lamp to which I added a final from something else after I removed all the electrical workings. I used burnt umber and cream paints to add a finish that pulled the whole thing together. I recently saw a similar display in a high-end decorator's showroom for more than $600!

Much of the decorating fun for me is looking for objects that I can rework to fit my vision. I really don't think it would give me nearly as much joy if I could walk into a fine antique store and point to the objects and say "I'll have that and that." Part of the joy for my creative spirit is to find something with possibilities that no one else wants and then recreating something special from those items.

I share these glimpses into my home and my private life for a reason. If you believe you can or you believe you cannot, you are correct. I hope to know a bit about my failures as well as my successes will inspire you to say, "I CAN!"