The Silk Kimono

Long jackets with flowing lines and minimal lapels have always been my favorite clothing articles, so of course, I adore kimono-style jackets. Recently I received this hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika.

The previous two weeks have been very hectic, filled with many long days as I helped Mr. Mickey move into his new home and help him decorate it. (His previous home sold after only five days on the market!) Our aching bodies were ready for a day of relaxing, so we went out for lunch and had a couple's massage at the Austin Springs Spa located in the beautiful Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City.

After a massage, my face and eyes always get puffy, so I had to pull out all my tricks to get ready for these photos. I keep a clean wet washcloth in a storage container in my refrigerator. After my shower, I hold the cold cloth on my eyes for a few minutes each morning to reduce the puffiness. (Always drink lots of water after a massage.) 

This week on Facebook, we have been discussing makeup techniques and eyebrows specifically. Have you noticed that when we are young, the brows are normally darker than the hair? As we start to color our hair or let it fade to gray as I have done, we tend to forget this and try to make the brows the same color as our hair, making us look older or more tired. It is important to rethink your makeup techniques after forty. What worked when we were in our youth will make us look dated and not our best current self. For example, when I learned to apply makeup, I wore a light color with a bit of shimmer under my eyebrows and a darker color in my lid's crease. If I did that today, my eyes would appear to recede. The color I use under my brown now is a muted matte pink color by Merle Norman called Pink Truffle. I use a pale cream shimmer color only at the inner corners of my eyes now. 

A couple of hours after the massages, we were on our way to our favorite restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina. The Artisanal in Banner Elk is truly a world-class dining experience. On this evening, we dined on the terrace overlooking a mountain stream at the edge of the woods. As dusk started to fall, a great owl took flight from one of the trees and glided along the stream on his way to look for his own dinner. I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird of prey!

On this evening, there was no private party in the Artisanal wine cellar, so we took the opportunity to do this photoshoot there. 

We have been in the restaurant when a helicopter has landed on the lawn to deliver special guests for dinner. Those who prefer total privacy go down to the wine cellar for their dining experience. The wine cellar private dining provides the ultimate food and wine experience in an unforgettable setting. They can accommodate parties of up to thirty-two guests. The owners, Anita and Bill, will assist you in creating a memorable experience down to the finer details. Their guidance in planning every facet of your event to the menu selection, place cards, or floral arrangements to any other special occasion needs makes the tasks of planning a party feel effortless.

The wine collection is massive, including more than a thousand bottles of fine wines. (Note that the floor of the actual wine storage area is pea-gravel.) A long glass wall separates the diners from the wine vault, but it is enjoyable to view all those neatly stored bottles.

The decor of the grounds and building are based on equestrian events, racehorses, and a barn.

This massive poster is on the far wall of the wine cellar.

With the fabulous hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika, I am wearing a tank and a long necklace from Chico's. The ankle pants are from Talbot's. The shoes are by Guess, and the copper beaded clutch is old.

I got a new haircut a couple of weeks ago. It is softly layered and a little longer on the sides so that I can tuck some of it behind my ears.

I love you this much for reading my blog!

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!

Another Sweater

A longer lightweight sweater over a tank and slim fitting pants is one of my favorite combinations for an outfit. Add an interesting long necklace and I'm ready for a dinner date with friends.

The pants, sweater, and necklace are from Chico's. The sweater is now on sale at Chico's. The tank is from Stein Mart but I love the way Chico's tanks fit and also how they look after you wash them a few times so I have become a loyal fan. You will see lots more tanks from Chico's here!  

The clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are old from Kohl's.

Summer Casual

Summer casual looks can be comfortable and still look nice.

What do you wear when running a quick errand in the heat, but you still want to look your best? Perhaps you will be spending the day outside, walking and standing for much of the day.

I have always used myself as an example to help you find fashion solutions, so this post is no exception. Getting dressed for a casual summer day has been a bit stressful for my entire adult life. Removing my jacket makes me feel very uncomfortable. My arms are OK, so it isn't going sleeveless that bothers me. I have always been busty with no defined waistline, so a jacket of some sort is my secret to looking better and feeling more confident. 

White pants are a summer staple for me. I will be wearing light khaki or white on any day that it isn't raining. The reason is that I am much smaller on the bottom half, and I like wearing colors near my face. My face is also quite round, so I like to wear a V-neck top whenever possible. Loose-fitting tops with detail above the bust or a wrap style concealing the waistline work well for me. 

I have also started to experiment with brightly colored prints worn with white pants. I have to be careful where those blocks of color are located on my body. I do not want to draw attention to my bust or my tummy.

When I leave my home, I wear three jewelry pieces even when I am dressed very casually. A small pair of earrings, a watch, and one ring are details that make me feel well dressed. I have cool coloring, so those pieces of jewelry are normally silver-toned. Sunglasses are with me wherever I go.

There is a nice summer bag in a chair in my breakfast nook. It is neutral and full of all the things I need so that it is ready to serve me at a moment's notice every day. When I take a smaller bag for the day, I can take what I need from the larger bag as I am leaving. 

I like sandals with low wedge heels, so I look for a comfortable style in a neutral color to slip on and go but still look nice. I would only wear flip flops by the pool. 

When you know what works well for your body type and personality, it's so much easier to get dressed for any type of day. I hope that these tips will help you feel more confident to go out and enjoy your day no matter how hot the weather.

Shopping Tips

If you have cool summer coloring, this is a great time to shop the sales.

Sweet Mr. Mickey took me down to Sevierville to shop in the huge Tangier Outlet Mall on Saturday. 

This is the palette of colors that look best with my own coloring. These colors are most often sold in the summer months, so that is when I do the bulk of my shopping for clothes. I dress in lightweight layers for most of the year, so this formula works for me.

Do you study your own coloring to guide you in finding what looks best on you? There are now several different programs that help you to identify your best colors, such as the original Color Me Beautiful system. Do a Google search for color analysis, and you will get several results. Knowing exactly what colors look best on you makes shopping and getting dressed so much easier.

Earlier last week, I found this Coach bag at the outlet in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. It was priced at $428, but after the sale and another discount they offered that day, I got it for $119.99! I like this bag because it is a smaller size and a neutral color. I also like it because the logo is so small. I do not care for items emblazoned with logos. 

The sandals are by Bjorndal from Rack Room Shoes. I found these on the same shopping trip.

   

 

The dress is by Dana Buchman from Khol's.

As the temperatures have started to climb into the 90's I am embracing low sandals with lightweight sleeveless dresses. I did take a navy blue shrug sweater and higher heeled neutral sandals to wear to dinner on Saturday, but it was never cool enough to require the shrug.

Transition into Spring Tips

A fitted or cinched waist jacket over wide-leg trousers can be a flattering look for our mid-life figures.

The white fitted tank top gives you a smooth line beneath the cinched jacket. The V-neckline of the jacket flatters the face and allows space to show off a statement necklace, which also draws the eyes up to your face. The pops of color from accessories allow the winter jacket and pants to transition into early spring. At this time of year, when you are longing for spring, but it is still snowing and twenty-seven degrees, you must get creative if you want to stay warm. 

The wide-leg pants can be worn with flats or low wedges to avoid getting high heels caught in the material as you walk. When wearing black and white or shades of gray, it is uplifting to add brighter colors in a tank top, which shows at the neckline and ties in with the accessories. 

Always balance a fitted top over a more flowing bottom or vice versa, a fitted bottom under a flowing top. If you show, cleavage don't also show legs. Balance sexy with sedate to avoid the dreaded Cougar Effect. A dignified woman never wants to appear that she is on the prowl.

Wearing a fitted jacket allows you to have a feminine silhouette while hiding the tummy. Avoid boxy jackets since they add volume and are dated looking. Rather than hiding your tummy, they make you look big all over.

Tomorrow is March 1, 2013, which means I will be announcing the blog's winning follower. One randomly chosen follower will receive the book "The Best of Everything After 50" by Barbara Grufferman, a long string of large glass pearls from Chico's and gold silky evening bag. 

Good luck!

     

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a great Thursday.

 

Lipstick and the Symphony

Each year I give Mr. Mickey season tickets to the Johnson City Symphony for Christmas. We normally go shopping in the afternoon and then have dinner before the performance.

This was taken earlier in the day at Mickey's home. After I saw this picture, I asked him to take me to Merle Norman to buy lipstick.

Elizabeth, the beautiful young woman who helped me, had so much patience as we looked through a sea of color and formula choices. I found three colors that I am thrilled with. I haven't worn lipstick in many years, but lately, I've been craving more intense color, so I'm giving it a try again.


After the shopping trip, we enjoyed dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gourmet and Company, where we shared a chocolate dessert afterward. 

The guest artist for this symphony performance was Bella Hristova on violin. The concert was at the Mary B. Martin Auditorium at Seeger Chapel, Milligan. This program was Beethoven and Bella. Bella gave an amazing standing ovation performance.

I wore a black jacket with white stitching and long sleeve red tee with a red scarf. All the pieces are old, and you may have seen them combined differently in earlier posts. It was twenty-seven degrees when we left the concert, so I was thankful that I brought along a coat and wore layers.

Thank you for reading. 

Have a wonderful week!

Wine and Roses

My Gentleman Friend (Mickey) and I go out for dinner a couple of times per week all year long, so Valentine's Day and other such holidays often find us sharing a special quiet dinner at his home or mine. This year for Valentine's Day, I invited him to have dinner with me at my house.

We normally follow an almost vegan diet, but there are certain meals we look forward to having a couple of times per year for a special occasion. For this meal, I decided to make one of his favorites. I created a dish including fresh fettuccine with Alfredo sauce and lump crab meat for the first time. We also had focaccia bread with sun-dried tomatoes and our favorite wine. He arrived with roses, chocolates, a card, and his wonderfully positive attitude, which I just love.

Sometimes the most special times are the ones we share over an informal, quiet dinner at home.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a lovely weekend.

Saturday In Abingdon

Located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Highlands, Abingdon, Virginia is home to historical attractions, many musical events, fine lodging, and dining. Here you will find the Barter Theater, the Martha Washington Hotel and Spa, the Heartwood Artisan Gallery and so much more.

For our day in Abingdon, I wore gray side zip pants from Talbots, a twill fuchsia jacket, a white tank top, and a chiffon animal print scarf all from Stein Mart. The bag is by Tignanello.
 

The Heartwood Gallery showcases the work of the finest regional artisans including furniture makers, potters, jewelry designers, fiber artists, and many more.

When we have plans for dinner in a neighboring town I usually dress for the daytime activities but take with me other shoes, jewelry, a jacket or wrap, and an evening clutch to switch to for dinner.

 For daytime, I wore low wedge comfortable black Alex Marie shoes from Dillard's last year. I had my hair cut again on Friday but I haven't had time to "customize" it yet. Do you do your own texturizing around your face? I invested in a pair of texturizing shears years ago. They are more forgiving if you just can resist trimming the front of your own hair when you are past due for a cut. 

Barter Theatre was founded during the Depression by an enterprising young actor named Robert Porterfield. He and his fellow actors found themselves out of work and hungry in New York City. Porterfield contrasted that to the abundance of food, but lack of live theater, around his home region in Southwest Virginia. He returned to Washington County with an extraordinary proposition: bartering produce from the farms and gardens of the area to gain admission to see a play. These days they are happy to accept cash or credit cards instead of a pound of potatoes for entrance.

The Martha Washington Hotel and Spa across the street is one of our favorite retreats and places to enjoy fine dining. 

There is a grand piano in the main floor ballroom of The Martha Washington Hotel. I read music but I can not play by ear or memory.  I am in awe of those who can.

I've switched to a different fuchsia double-breasted jacket, Ros Hommerson shoes, blingy jewelry, and a small leather clutch for dinner. This jacket is also from Stein Mart. 

Relaxing in front of the fire in the library at the Martha.

More bling and a small leather clutch for the evening.

The Spa is world-class... so is their fine dining restaurant "Sisters at The Martha". 

 

 The first course... lobster fritters and a lovely Sauvignon blanc.

A Sunny Sunday

Mickey and I often take a drive over the mountains to Asheville, North Carolina. It's only about an hour from my house but there's much to see and do there.

 

We walked around that corner behind me and into the artist-owned Mystic Masala Gallery where I found a great necklace.

 

Many of the buildings in Asheville have an Art Deco design. This is the Flatiron Building and in front of it is this sculpture of an iron...

 

  

I'm wearing the new necklace here. The pants are Peck & Peck from Stein Mart. The denim blazer is old from Dillard's. The red long sleeve tee is from Talbots. The red bag is by Tahari and the booties are by Madden Girl.

  

On almost every corner there is a street performer.

This lady sounded so much like Tracy Chapman. 

They were all really good!

The Early Girl Eatery on Wall Street was made famous when Rachel Ray did a segment of one of her shows here. We also had a great meal there today!

Your table is ready! (Mickey's piano keys scarf was the hit of the day. He got lots of compliments!)

We can never be this close to The Chocolate Fetish without stopping in for dessert.

 

 Awesome truffles to share!