Go Natural!

The shell buttons on this fuchsia linen jacket inspired my choice of accessories for date night.

Three-quarter length sleeves are the perfect choice for this time of year. This fuchsia linen-like fabric is also great for the cool evenings of early spring. The jacket style is rather casual with pleated details and shell buttons, making it a good choice to pair with jeans and the tan pants I am wearing here.

I often take my cues for accessories from the details of a bag or jacket. For example, the buttons on this jacket are made from shells, so I chose accessories made from natural elements. The back of the jacket features the same gathered details with buttons.

The bone and brass bangles have been in my collection for years. The necklace is one that I bought from the clearance rack at Belk a couple of years ago. It was damaged and was much more "in your face" bright silver. Since I own a jewelry supply company, that was no problem for me. I replaced the missing chain and added a regal element to the pendant, and antiqued the silver to tone it down a bit. The pendant also includes a mother of pearl shell.

The tank top is from Coldwater Creek, and it is a softer white, not bright white. The pants are tan side zip pants from Talbots last fall.   

The jacket is by Peck & Peck from Stein Mart. It was on the 30% off rack last week. The Etienne Aigner shoes are several years old.

Motown in Tennessee!

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I had a wonderful world-class gourmet meal and saw a fabulous Las Vegas show right here in Tennessee!

The sun was shining all day, so warmer weather has finally arrived. Oh, joy!

My three-quarter length sleeve jacket is several years old. I paired it with a fuchsia tank from Chico's and a pair of dark gray pants from Stein Mart.

The faux leather clutch is from T.J. Maxx, and the ruffle trim black leather platform sandals are from Kohl's a couple of years ago. 

Mr. Mickey and I always plan what to wear so as not to clash with each other. When I arrived to pick him up, he looked so dashing in his black and white silk jacket and black sweater! 

The patterns in our jackets look strange in the photos, so I include close-ups of them.

Closeup of Mickey's silk jacket.

Closeup of Susan's black and white jacket.

Jacob and John are the chef and sous-chef at Gourmet & Company in Johnson City. Last evening they prepared a pasta dish that was absolutely one of the best meals either of us has ever enjoyed.

The ravioli was made with porcini mushrooms and stuffed with goat cheese and spinach. A roasted shrimp topped each, and a perfect orchid was placed in the center. Bravo gentlemen! 

The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra closed out their season with special guests. A spectrum is a group of four very talented gentlemen who performed in Las Vegas for several years. The evening's performance was a tribute to many of the wonderful Motown classics we grew up listening to. We were sitting in fourth-row center seats! I felt like a VIP all evening. 

Thank you for reading my blog and for all of your lovely comments.

I hope you have a great week!

A Suit ... or Not

Do you have suits that you never wear?

This vintage Chanel suit was found on 1stdibs.com for $1,500.

Treat the pieces as separates instead, and you may find yourself reaching for them often.

It has been a trend to wear Chanel inspired jackets with faded jeans and heels for the past few years. That has become too predictable now, so I like to pair a jacket with more tailored pieces instead.

Pair the skirt or pants with a cardigan and a tank and pointed toe flats.

Think outside the suit!

Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. I enjoy hearing from you!

Easter Sunday

I hope you enjoyed Easter Sunday with family and friends.

It was cold and rainy here today, but my whole family all got together to attend church with my parents. My Mom was so proud when her minister told Mr. Mickey and me that we looked like we just stepped out of a magazine.

There was about an hour break in the rain so that we could snap these pictures.

 

The nude shoes by BCBGeneration and the umbrella are from T.J. Maxx. The gold jewelry has been in my collection for many years.

I own very few dresses since I wear a size 8 on the top half and a size 4 on the bottom half. Knit wrap style dresses are about the only ones I even consider because the cost of tailoring is usually more than I paid for the dress. That's also part of the reason you see me in so many separates. I bought this dress at Stein Mart last year and the handbag there this year. The champagne-colored jacket was purchased at the Fig Leaf boutique in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Dinner with Friends

On most Friday evenings, we join a group of friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gourmet & Co, here in Johnson City. 

Our weather continues to be unusually cold for this time of year, but I am craving color with those warm jackets, so I added a fuchsia long sleeve tee under this one you have seen many times before. The bright color really added a new interest to it. The lipstick is Merle Norman's 'Cranberry,' which looks great with fuchsia.   

This jacket was purchased from Coldwater Creek last year, and the gray side zip pants are my old favorites from Talbots. 

The matte silver chain necklace is from Stein Mart, as is the tee. The clutch is Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J. Maxx. The shoes are Ros Hommerson.

Storytelling

We visited Jonesborough in the year 1857 by way of a monologue in the Storytelling Hall last evening.

Historic Jonesborough is about seven miles from my home. It is the oldest town in Tennessee and home to the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. The International Storytelling Festival is held each year in October.

We still have snow on the surrounding mountains, so spring seems far away. I still wear layers to keep warm, so tonight, I wore a red long sleeve tee from Talbots under a red Geiger jacket with gray tweed pants from Ross. 

 

The boots are by Nine West via Belk. The necklace is from Chico's. The sterling silver ring and the black faux leather clutch are from T.J. Maxx. The earrings were purchased at a boutique during our travels. Even if the items I am wearing are a couple of years old, I share the source with you to get ideas for your next shopping trip. 

The Blues

A mixture of blues with tan was my date night outfit for Wednesday.

The long sleeve navy blue tee and tan side zip pants are from Talbots. The teal blue topper jacket is by Geiger.

 

The shoes are by Guess via T.J. Maxx.

The clutch bag is from Stein Mart. I found the necklace in an artist's co-op gallery in Asheville, NC. The large oval stone ring and earrings were gifts from Mr. Mickey. When I wear a busy necklace such as this one, I choose earrings that are much smaller and more subdued. Large hoop earrings with this necklace would be too much going on in the same place.

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a great day.

The Arts

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended one of our favorite annual events. The Johnson City Arts Council 4x4 was held at the beautiful Carnegie Hotel.

We arrived early to do this photoshoot for you.

The Johnson City Arts Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to nurture the arts and inspire community arts involvement in our area. As a lifelong artist, this event and this organization are near and dear to my heart. Among the many programs and services they bring to our area is Arts Corps. This is a free after-school arts program for underserved youth in our community. These children might not otherwise have the opportunity to discover their abilities or learn to appreciate the joy that comes from creating something beautiful. Their alternative might easily be drugs, gangs, or teen pregnancy.
 

Each couple in attendance of the 4x4 event pulls a number out of the fishbowl when they arrive. That number corresponds to an original piece of art by a local well-known artist. Attendees willing to trade their artwork are given a tiny flashing light to add to their name tag. If you want to trade, you look for those flashing lights and talk to the person with another one to work out the trade. We were thrilled with our masterpiece by our dear friend Joy McGinnis. The event includes dinner and wine as well as live entertainment and a silent auction. It gives us the chance to visit with many friends as well as to meet new ones.
  

The hotel is one of the most elegant in our region. We always look forward to attending events here or having dinner at their wonderful restaurant, Wellington's. This photo was taken in front of their wine cellar on the lower level.

The Austin Springs SPA is located just to the right of the cellar. I am often a happy guest there!

I wore a silver and rhinestone necklace and a blue jacket from Coldwater Creek with black lined crepe evening pants from Chico's. The shoes and bag are from Stein Mart.

 

Thank goodness the downpours waited until after the event!

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Daffodils and Sunshine

On Saturday, we had a few hours of sunshine and temps above forty degrees for the first time in a long while.

Today I carried the faux alligator skin bag I told you about earlier. I really like it a lot! The size and shape are perfect for me. Sometimes you don't know how much you will like something until you take it for a "test drive." I will look for this size and shape when I invest in a higher quality bag in the future. The navy blazer is by Austin Reed, the red jeans are from Chico's, the boots are by Ralph Lauren via T.J. Maxx. The golf print scarf is from Ross.

Here you can see evidence of my one good day in the yard so far this year. I cut back all the monkey grass edging the front gardens, trimmed shrubs and irises back, and added mulch. In about another week, we should have nicer weather to go outside without shivering the whole time.

Working in my flower gardens has always given me serenity. I look forward to warmer weather when something new seems to pop up from the earth each day. So far, daffodils and few other early bulbs are the only things to bloom. The pink cherry trees should be in bloom next month. I'll be sure to share a picture of those with you.  

Below is one of my favorite little shade garden paths from last summer. 

 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Thank you for visiting with me in my gardens.

Animal and Red

The combination of red with animal print is one of my favorites.

For our dinner date last night I wore a long sleeve red tee and a three quarter sleeve jacket with side zip pants, all from Talbots. The weather is still much too cold here not to dress in layers.

My jewelry included these small three-strand drop gold and topaz earrings which were a gift from Mr. Mickey. They are by Michal Golan, a very talented artist from Israel. I also wore a red bangle with gold embellishments. Gold isn't a good color for me but the gold tones of animal print and the gold tones of the pants called for gold jewelry. 

 

It was also the perfect time to wear my favorite DVF pony hair animal print pumps from last year. Everything I have ever owned from the Diane von Furstenberg line has been a pure delight to wear.

Thank you for reading! 

What's the Difference?

We all know someone who spends a great deal of money on their clothes but rarely looks polished. Why is it that some women can pull things from the 50% off the rack and look like a million dollars in them? 

My theory is that when you know what looks good on you and you wear those items in pleasing combinations, you will look amazing while you spend most of your time enjoying your life. (Not shopping for more clothes or working to pay for those clothes.)

In our society, it isn't acceptable to ask, "How much did you pay for that?" but many of you have written to say, "I could never afford to dress like you." I want you to know that you can shop at Goodwill and still look fabulous!

The picture above was snapped in my office on an average day during the week. Let's put taboos aside and talk about prices for a moment.

The sweater was about $21 at Stein Mart. I picked up the tank top there too. I think it was about $10. The pants are a tweed-like material by Anne Klein. I found those for about $24 at Ross Dress for Less.

This navy blazer is possibly the most expensive thing ever in my closet. It's by Austin Reed (sadly, the company has gone out of business now). The color, the fit, and the classic lines made it a great choice to wear with slim-fitting slacks, especially jeans. It was an investment, but I've been wearing it for more than seven years, so it has earned its keep. 

When you find the perfect garment, and you know you will be wearing it for the rest of your life, spend the money to get the best you can find. All of the other items were found at T.J. Maxx or Talbots at the end of the season. I rarely ever buy anything at full price. Having grown up in retail, I know to wait for a few weeks. It will be on sale, or it just wasn't meant to be mine.

This blouse was about $25 on the final end of the season clearance rack at Chico's, and the pants were found on a sale rack at Stein Mart for about $19 last year.

This jacket was purchased from a sale rack at Stein Mart. I also had a coupon that took 50% more off of the sale price. It cost me about $19! The tank top was from the same shopping day, and it was about $3.50. The pants are from the end of season sale at Talbots. The Tahari handbag is from T.J. Maxx.

This is another jacket purchased from the Stein Mart haul mentioned above. The jacket and tank top were from the Red Dot Clearance rack. With my coupon, the jacket was $17.49, and the tank top was $3.47! The black knit pencil skirt is old from T.J. Maxx ($16.99).


How do you know what to buy? 
Several considerations come into play when I walk up to a sale rack. The first thing that gets my attention is color.

Cool summer colors work best with my coloring. Solid colors can be worn more often and in more combinations than prints, which can be quite memorable. After I find a color I like, the next thing to consider is the fabric. How does it flow across my hand? Is it soft and supple? If the item is made of acrylic or acetate, I will leave it on the rack. Those man-made fabrics are often stiff and scratchy. Worn looking pills and sagging seams occur almost on the first wearing. Some polyester and rayon can be very elegant with beautiful movement and drape. Those and any natural fabrics always get my attention. 

Timeless details and simple lines are high on my list of requirements. The way the garment fits my body type is more important than the number on the size label.

The purpose of this blog is to show you how to look your best no matter what your budget is. I will continue to share style tips and best practices for certain body types. I hope to inspire you to look your best every day to have more confidence while you spend your time doing whatever it is that you love to do.

Have a fabulous weekend! 
Thank you for reading my blog. 

Fitting Pretty

A reader asked for tips for dressing well with petite proportions and an ample figure. Petite means shorter than five feet four inches tall. Some people assume that it means tiny, but the term applies only to height.

Solid tops in soft fabrics that hold their shape have a V neck, and sleeves that can be turned up will flatter you more than a floral shirt with long sleeves and a collar, for example.  Never tuck in your shirt and wear a belt if you are self-conscious of your waistline. A better choice will be a top that can be worn over the waistband. The hem of your jacket or blouse should stop at or near the top of your hip bone. Allow as much leg length to show as possible.

Pants that are tapered and more tailored will look better on you than wide-leg pants, skinny jeans, or flared Capris. Many stores now have a petite section where you can shop for classic pieces worn with several other items in your wardrobe.

Avoid horizontal lines or breaks in your look. Each horizontal hem or color break visually shortens you. For example, a shorter blouse under a jacket that is a bit longer will make you look taller and neater than when both items stop at the same area or the blouse extends beyond the jacket's hem, creating another horizontal line.

Carry smaller bags and look for shoes with a pointed toe. High heels tend not to be a good choice for most petite women. A better choice would be wedges or square heels that have a longer, more pointed toe area. This type of shoe always elongates the leg and makes you look a little taller.

Smaller watches or other jewelry such as buttons or small drop earrings will look best on you. Stay away from chandelier earrings, stacks of bracelets, and statement necklaces. Bold jewelry and colorful patterns in clothing will almost always overwhelm you. Scarves should be small and worn in a very sleek, simple tie or wrap if you choose to wear them. Avoid bulky sweaters and jackets.

Your key pieces should be solid colors that flatter your skin tone and work well together. Find a good tailor and spend the extra money to get pieces tailored to fit perfectly. You will always be glad you did.

I hope these tips prove to be helpful to you. Thank you for reading!

Day Trip

Do you love to take a day trip to a different city?

We enjoy going over to Asheville, North Carolina, when the weather is nice. It's an eclectic city with lots of different restaurants, specialty stores, and art galleries. There are many sidewalk cafés and other al fresco dining opportunities. Musicians and all types of street performers can be found on many corners. This fellow played an instrument and sang beautifully.

Everything but the kitchen sink was used to decorate the entrance to this sidewalk café.

There is still a chill in the air, and the wind was blowing for most of the day, so I was glad I wore a lined hounds-tooth jacket with black pants and a red tank top. It felt great to dress for a spring-like day at last. 

 

 

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a great week!