Dinner For My Staff

It has become one of our holiday traditions that I treat my staff and their spouses to dinner at our favorite restaurant in town, Gourmet and Company.

Almost everyone made it this year. Posing for the paparazzi (also known as husbands) with me are from left to right Julie and Anita and Regina in front. These hard-working women make my life so much easier. I am eternally grateful to them!

I wore a beaded black tank top with a long waterfall cardigan and faux leather leggings with heels. The reptile texture evening clutch is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island. All the other items are old.

Wishing you joy and peace!

At My Warehouse

This is the busiest time of the year for my company. We are so grateful for all the designers and bead shops who buy their components from us.

A key member of my staff had to attend to a family emergency out of state this week, which left us very shorthanded. That means I needed to help fill orders in addition to all my other daily tasks. That's why you haven't heard much from me lately. There hasn't been a moment to spare.

 

Do you wear something special on busy days to cheer yourself along? I certainly do! The black jeans I am wearing are by French Dressing Jeans. The short black boots are by Franco Sarto via T.J.Maxx.

I also got these two fabulous bracelets from Jewels of the Vineyard this week. I love the modern look and comfortable fit of these bracelets. They never get in the way when I am working, and they don't make noise.

This is a tiny portion of the orders we packaged and shipped in one hour this week. All those priority boxes and much more will be out the door by the end of the day. My staff is really amazing!

I respect all of my employees so much. It is awe-inspiring to do the tedious work of pulling thousands of tiny items for orders every day and rarely making a mistake. Regina, my vice-president, has a mind like a computer! She sends thousands of packages to clients worldwide and yet remembers unique instructions from repeat clients. Amazingly that is just one small part of her responsibilities.

The Junior League Fashion Show

The Junior League of Johnson City collaborated with Belk to raise money for their charitable endeavor to support children's services and encourage literacy. During the past two years, they have raised more than $35,000 to better the community.

Amy Lynn, whom you met when I modeled for Chico's on her TV show a few months ago, was the MC for the evening.

I modeled a Jones of New York jacket over white jeggings with Michael Kors shoes and a Michael Kors bag.

Mr. Mickey was the biggest hit of the evening! He modeled a look from Tommy Bahama.

Walking in the finale. 

Posing with some of the models after the show for the many photographers. That's Miss Johnson City to my right and Miss Historic Jonesborough to my left. All of the ladies were such a pleasure to work with.

A big thank you goes out to Mr. Mickey's daughter Regina, our photographer, for the evening.

Susan's Picks

I tried something new on the blog this week. From the emails I received, you enjoyed Susan's Picks very much. I am so glad! Even when the weather is bad, or we don't do anything more interesting than helping someone move, I can still share something with you.

I was very casual yesterday because we did indeed help Mr. Mickey's daughter, Regina, move. Congratulations Regina! We hope you will spend many happy years in your new home.

Airport Style

Flying is one of my least favorite things, so I am using Mr. Mickey's beautiful daughter, Robin, as an example for today's post.

Robin, who is 51, lives in New York but was here for a funeral earlier this week. She is on her way to the airport in this photo.

Robin has a really great style of dressing all the time, but her airport style makes so much sense to me. She layers on very thin items that add no bulk but keep her warm/cool as she passes through different climates. Lightweight layers allow her to remove items as she needs to, but her look remains very modern, and she looks well dressed at all times. Her small carry-on bag held everything she needed for her short stay.

The long black coat from Ronen Chen has lots of details around the hem, but it did not add bulk to her look. The pieces she wears always include interesting details such as asymmetric hems or necklines so that something else underneath with different lines or a different color might be peeking out. She is very trim and in great shape, so this style of dressing suits Robin very well. She always looks stylish and sporty. Never overly fussy or like she put a lot of effort into her look. I love that!

As you know, I am a big fan of effortless dressing. I much prefer a look that takes four minutes to put together so that you can get on with your life. A well planned and edited wardrobe can allow just that. Robin has mastered the art of owning pieces that flatter her shape, work with many other items in her wardrobe, and fit her lifestyle. That is the key to effortless dressing.

Previous posts have included Mr. Mickey and also his beautiful daughter Regina.

Layers For A Cold Morning

When the temperatures drop into the 20's it is officially cold here in East Tennessee.

Mr. Mickey and I attended a surprise birthday lunch for one of his long time friends today.

I am wearing a long sleeve tee in silver gray with a low slung belt over denim jeggings from Chico's. The long light gray sweater is from T.J.Maxx. The red, black, and gray tartan ruana sweater is from Foxcroft. The over the knee boots are by Vince Camuto via Belk. The fur-trimmed gloves were a long-ago gift from Mr. Mickey's wonderful daughter, Regina.

Mr. Mickey's Birthday Celebration

The celebration was held on Sunday, June 8th, at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City.

 

More than one hundred of our closest friends and family members joined us to celebrate Mr. Mickey's 80th birthday on June 6th.

Susan, Mickey's daughter Regina and Mr. Mickey

The party is this way!

There were lots of funny cards to read. We have some very creative friends!

Very dear long time friends!

Mr. Mickey was the guest of honor, but he was also a big part of the entertainment. He kept everyone laughing throughout the whole party.

Regina and I started out cutting and serving the cakes, but the hotel staff quickly felt sorry for us and took over. This was a job for the professionals!

Everyone enjoyed being together, visiting with old friends, and making new ones.

Life long friends Ben and Natalie with Mr. Mickey

With dear friends, Jerry and Rose Sorrell.

There were three different invitations sent out. Mr. Mickey even had a postage stamp made with his picture on it!

I wore all black items from Chico's, including a lace front waterfall Travelers cardigan, tank, and black jeans. The necklace is also from Chico's, and the turquoise stone earrings are from Stein Mart. The BCBGeneration shoes are from Ross.

Rocker Regina

We had a long discussion on Facebook this week about skinny jeans, age, and size-appropriate attire. Today I want to show you Mr. Mickey's beautiful daughter Regina. She completely slays the myth that women of a certain age or size should not be trendy or dress in black.

Regina is true to her self-image in that she always wears what fits her unique rocker/goth/vintage-cool vibe. She can easily wear looks that would make me feel completely silly no matter how hard I try. 

At forty-seven, she projects the image of confident and well aware of trends and makes them work well for her size sixteen frame. 

As I often do on Fridays, I took my staff out to lunch. While we were in the restaurant, I watched people of all ages and life situations interact with Regina. She is so much like her father that she has a timeless, ageless personality and style that anyone can easily approach and talk with. Those conversations always seem to end with laughter.

Thank you, Regina, for allowing me to show your unique style to the followers of Fifty, not Frumpy!

She is the new owner of VintageJewelrySupplies.com.