Happy 4th!

We drove over to Asheville yesterday to shop and have lunch.

We have season passes to the Biltmore, so we had a late in the day lunch at the Bistro in Antler Hill Village.

I wore a red high/low tunic from Chico's Black Label and a pair of Platinum jeans from Chico's. The bag is by Cole Haan via T.J.Maxx. The shoes are old by Vince Camuto.

Dillard's is having a big sale right now! Their shoe department was one of our first stops.

Can you believe the enormity of these leaves?

Downtown Asheville is always a fun place to visit. On Friday evening, it is especially entertaining!

You never know what you might see around the next corner!

We literally drove through the clouds on our way home.

I hope you have a peaceful and restful 4th!

Model Off Duty

On Saturday, we visited the Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World in Bristol to learn what the fuss is about.

If you are a lover of outdoor activities, this is a truly amazing place to shop. It includes hand-painted murals, log cabin details, a huge fireplace, a restaurant, a bowling alley, a mountain stream water feature, and a huge aquarium surrounded by bears, deer, and a mountain lion. The taxidermy animals were so real looking it was almost like catching a glimpse of them in nature.

This post is lightheartedly titled "Model Off Duty" because I will be participating in informal modeling at my local Chico's store here in Johnson City on Sunday. They have special events in the store for Super Bowl Sunday. Mr. Mickey has graciously agreed to photograph and video the day's events for you.

I am wearing a black silky zip front top and ankle jeans from Chico's with a mink vest given to me by Mr. Mickey at Christmas when we first started dating. The cut-out booties are old from Nordstrom by Vince Camuto, Louise et Cie. The new sunglasses are by Michael Kors via T.J.Maxx.

Sunday Drive

The weather was beautiful on Sunday so we drove out to the country to view the changing leaves against a clear blue sky.

I wore a vintage St John Country white jacket which was a gift from my dear friend Mitzi. The long sleeve gray tee is from Kohl's. The straight leg jeans are from Chico's. The reptile and suede short boots are by Vince Camuto from Nordstrom.

The earrings are old from Stein Mart. The ring is one of my favorite gifts from Mr. Mickey. The pony hair belt is from T.J.Maxx.

White, orange, and green pumpkins in a huge field along the way.

A stream runs through the Laurel's Recreation area.

Wear It Wednesday - Jeans

Jeans are one of my all-time favorite items of clothing. That being said, they provide a lot of frustration for me as well.

The jeans I am wearing above are the least favorite pair in my closet. The trendy gray/brown "dirty" tint to the wash and the slouchy fit is not flattering.

Mr. Mickey and I were going out for bagels and coffee, so I thought I looked OK until I saw this picture. The jeans are now in the To-Go Bag!

Trends in jeans are not always a good idea for us ladies of a certain age. These Junya Watanabe jeans are $1,165!

While they might look cute on an eighteen-year-old, they certainly would not be right for this fifty-eight-year-old.

These Atlantic Sea dark wash jeans would be a much better choice for most of us.

The slim straight leg allows me to wear heels or flats with them—jeans by Chico's.

If you wear loafers or other flats or perhaps boots with your jeans, you might enjoy a boot cut pair of jeans. Note: I wear athletic shoes with jeans or yoga pants ONLY when running or walking for exercise in the neighborhood. 

These jeans are Levi's.

In most cases, jeans with a jacket or a nice sweater are perfectly acceptable in most situations. I would never wear jeans to a job interview, to a court date or a business meeting, to a gallery opening, or to the symphony. Nor would I wear them when giving a dinner party, to a wedding, or a funeral.

Some of my favorite jeans are Talbots, Chico's, Not Your Daughter's Jeans, Michael Kors, Kut from the Kloth, and Levi's. I look for straight legs, a dark wash, and no embellishments. When buying jeans that stretch, I buy a size smaller than I normally wear. After I have them on for an hour, I am so glad I did.

I usually add a third element, such as a jacket, a vest, or a cardigan, when I wear jeans. I feel more appropriate and also much more comfortable.

Not all my jeans are blue. I love black jeans most of all, but I do have lots of white and on occasion, I have worn brown or red. The tone on tone patterned jeans below was out of character for me, but I like them.

Speaking of white jeans or white jackets... I wear them all year long in dry weather. No white after Labor Day is an incredibly outdated fashion rule.

Lazy Saturday

We don't always have a variety of activities and events planned for the day.

Occasionally I just want to rest and read on the weekend. So Mr. Mickey honors my need for quiet and lets the day unfold at my pace.

With nothing more than a trip to the grocery store planned, we had time to stop along the way at the Mountain Home VA to enjoy the beauty of the grounds this September day.

I have been fascinated with this beautiful rock formation under massive trees since childhood. Did water or wind form the patterns carved into their surfaces? My mind completes the picture with a prehistoric sea that raged across this land during a long-ago time when the earth was young.

This was the perfect day for Mr. Mickey to practice his photography skills. We both want very much to give you a glimpse of the beautiful area and the life we are so fortunate to share.

I wore old jeans and a white tank top from Chico's. The fabulous burnout white tunic is from Cali and York. The animal print platform shoes are by Vince Camuto from Nordstrom a couple of years ago.

I think we found where all the Canadian geese in the area meet for lunch!

Our day of leisure included a light dinner of the interesting things we found at Earth Fare and Fresh Market. We enjoy trying new foods and wines, so we chose two small loaves of bread, three different kinds of cheese, and the 2014 limited release Apothoic Dark wine for our adventurous meal today. The grapes are the variety "Cotton Candy." The cheeses included Beemster premium Dutch tangy, St. André triple cream French, and a spicy pepper gouda. One bread had garlic and olive oil with cheeses, the other included sundried tomatoes and cheeses. There were also oil-cured olives and regular black olives, and nuts with light sea salt. 

The wine glasses bring back memories of a trip to the Banner Elk winery a few summers ago.

For dessert, we shared a small piece of Black Forest Napoleon served on tiny antique saucers.

It feeds my soul to sit under a tree and enjoy the quiet of a beautiful late summer afternoon.

THE BROTHER BOYS

Yesterday's weather was a bit warmer during the day. 

My daytime outfit included a pair of khaki ankle jeans and an almond color tank from Chico's with a lightweight turquoise sweater from Dillard's a couple of years ago. The necklace is from Chico's last year. The sandals are from T.J.Maxx earlier this year. The handbag is from Stein Mart last year. 

For our evening out with friends, I switched to a warmer sweater and a different necklace both from Chico's. The bag is from Stein Mart a few years ago.

We joined two other couples at The Down Home to listen to the Brother Boys and Ed Snodderly.

The Down Home was founded in 1976 and has become a mecca for music lovers in Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. The primary emphasis is on quality music, and the performance atmosphere promotes listening rather than socializing. I was last there in 1977 so this was a fun revisit to one of my college time occasional hangouts. 

Ed Snodderly is a legend both here and abroad. He just returned from a tour of Europe to reunite with his friends the Brother Boys. 

Minimalism

The style shows for 2014 are showing a return to the minimalism of the nineties.

It's all part of the fashion cycle. We are draped in layers of jewelry, scarves, and lots of colors for a few years. Eventually, we get tired of it all and go back to navy, black, gray, and white with straightforward lines and minimal accessories. I have always embraced a certain amount of minimalism in my personal style.

  

I feel most comfortable in clean lines and solid colors with only one or maybe two bold accessories. It seems a lot of you also gravitate to minimalist looks. My Polyvore sets have been viewed more than four and a half million times!

I created this necklace as a special order this week and posted it on Facebook. The responses I received included offers to create for stores and hundreds of people asking how much. This is an effortless pendant necklace style on only one strand with two simple beads and caps as part of the strand. It is timeless and regal looking. I can imagine the President of a company wearing this with an elegant black suit as easily as a young woman would wear it with jeans and a tee and high heels. 

The point of this post is to encourage you to wear (and create if you are one of my clients) accessories that celebrate individuality and personality. One or two bold pieces are all you need. Matching necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are sure to make you look overdone and dated.

A bold, elegant necklace can be as simple as this large pendant piece with a simple bail and a bold silver chain. I've seen it offered as such a necklace for as much as $60.

Some may say that minimalism is bad for the economy. Still, during the nineties, I sold enough of my own jewelry designs to quit my retail manager job and almost double my salary the following year.

Opportunity is always there. Be flexible. Open your mind and your eyes to what is appealing at the time. Respect that trend and then do what suits you and your own style.