The Perfect Weekend!

Early on Friday morning, Mr. Mickey and I left for our special weekend to celebrate ten perfect years of dating.

I wore an easy, comfortable look for the three-plus hour drive to our destination in the mountains of Virginia. This vintage St. John Sport jacket was a gift from my dear friend Mitzi. The black ankle jeans and the silver-gray tank are old from Chico's.

The faux reptile booties by Vince Camuto and the Zac Posen bag are old from Saks Off 5th.

A few well-chosen accessories can make an otherwise plain look stand out. I recently bought this pair of Balmain sunglasses from Saks Off 5th. These sunglasses are so comfortable! There is a big difference between glasses made in France and those made elsewhere.

I found the Michael Kors watch online at Nordstrom. The rings were gifts received from Mr. Mickey over the years.

We stopped in the small town of Floyd for the first time as we traveled through Virginia. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant called Oddf3llows. They offered a great variety of fresh entrees as well as gallery walls filled with local art.

We always enjoy seeing well maintained older homes. I have great admiration for unique architecture.

If you lose a tree to age or weather, you can always carve the trunk into a sculpture!

Have you ever seen a silo (or maybe this is a watchtower) made from handmade bricks? 

The mountains of Virginia offer some spectacular views!

I will tell you more about our wonderful weekend getaway tomorrow.

Long Over Lean

Some pieces can keep my attention for years.

I bought this sweater jacket with faux leather sleeves a couple of years ago, but I still enjoy wearing it very much. It is by Adrianna Papell from Saks Off 5th.

We were on our way out to dinner and to the season's final performance for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra on Saturday evening when Mr. Mickey snapped these photos.

The long sleeve simple comfort top from Covered Perfectly is another piece I wear again and again. I love that I can layer over it or wear it alone. It has a great simple neckline that is so flattering with or without jewelry.

The slim-fitting pants are by Lior Paris, and the boots are by French Connection via Saks Off 5th. The small reptile embossed box bag is from SM Bradford on Hilton Head Island. All three of these items are purchases I made last fall.

Some items call my name as soon as I see them. I know without any doubt that I will always enjoy wearing the pieces when I am instantly drawn to them in such a strong way.

My formula for dressing is to wear neutral long over lean solids with interesting jewelry. This allows for less memorable mixing and matching. I play around with different silhouettes and stripes or textures, but this is the formula that works best.

Casual Look with Flats

Spring is in the air!

When I bought this Ralph Lauren jacket, I admit that I had a moment of regret because I didn't realize how distressed it was from the picture on the Dillard's website. End of season sale items cannot be returned there. I have since made peace with the purchase because it works well paired with longer tunics and very structured pieces. On casual days when the mornings are chilly, it is the perfect layer. When the temperatures start to climb, I can throw it in the back seat and keep going.

The Alfani Step 'N Flex flats are several years old from Macy's. I rarely wear flat shoes, so they stay new looking for years. The bag was made in Italy (no name), and I found it at T.J.Maxx a couple of years ago. I change my bags almost daily and keep them in dust cover bags, so they look new for years also. I do not typically match my bags to my shoes. It seems more modern to mix it up, but I was already on my way when I realized how much these matched.

I don't orchestrate my posts or style my looks for this blog. Mr. Mickey just takes photos of what I am really wearing for the day. Sometimes the location is as unglamorous as this one beside the loading dock of my building in the industrial park. 

It has taken me a while (years) to embrace the look of wearing a shorter layer over a more extended layer. I would not wear my shorter jackets any other way now.

The sunglasses are by Michael Kors from Saks Off 5th last year.

The linen mixed-stripes tunic is from J.Jill's spring collection. It seems to be sold out at the moment, but they have many other tops that are perfect to wear with jeans or leggings. The stretch cotton pants are also from J.Jill. These are the ideal pants to wear for all my walks around the lakes in my neighborhood this summer!

I bought a new pair of exercise shoes at Kohl's yesterday. Pictured below is my first pair of Asics taken on my afternoon walk. I like them!

There aren't many fabrics that breathe and keep you cool like linen. It wrinkles, but you just have to go with it. Our temperatures soared almost to 80 yesterday!

J.Jill provided the tunic and pants.

Time to start packing for our get-away!

Transition to Spring

Our temperatures may start out in the morning at forty degrees, but it might be seventy-five by mid-afternoon. What to wear?

A trench coat can be the perfect topper during seasonal changes. I look ill in the typical tan trench coat, so I have a short black one and this white one for my cool coloring. I found this one on a sale rack at Stein Mart a couple of summers ago. It is by Evan Picone, and the black one is from Express.

This tank top by J.Jill was the perfect addition to wear with my gray cashmere sweater. Wearing classic simple tanks and sweaters in neutral colors layered with a pair of nice jeans is always a flattering and comfortable casual look for me. Both these items were supplied by J.Jill. I wore them with jeggings and a necklace from Chico's. The bag was by Ralph Lauren via T.J.Maxx last year.

I started out the day in my usual heels. These are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th. When I know I will be walking a lot, I take a cute pair of flats with me for later in the day just in case. These animal print flats with a patent leather toe cap are by Rockport.

When Mr. Mickey stopped by to snap these photos for me, he brought these beautiful white flowers and the perfect anniversary card. It is the same one I gave him! We have given each other the same card on the same day several times during the ten years we have been dating.

Like a River

If you enjoy shopping or hate to get rid of anything, you probably have many items in your wardrobe.

Your closet should be like a river. If things are flowing in, some things need to flow out. It becomes overwhelming when there are too many choices, so I end up wearing the same thing all the time.

The guidelines below are used to help me determine when it is time to let go of something. I try to wear all the clothes in my closet in regular rotation. If they do not pass the test below, they get put into a to-go bag.

1. Is it a good quality item and not showing any wear?

2. Does it fit well and reflect the woman I am now?

3. Do I feel really great when I wear this?

4. Is it a style that flatters my shape?

5. Does it work with other items in my wardrobe?

Using these guidelines to purge as I dress daily means I do not ever have to spend a whole weekend purging my closet. It is a maintenance step that saves time and keeps my wardrobe from overflowing with items I put on and then take off never to wear.

This white stretch cotton crew-neck tee was supplied to me by J.Jill. I love the feel of this tee on my skin. It can comfortably be worn with or without the jacket. It is a great basic!

The jacket is several years old and starting to show its age, so it is on the way to Goodwill today. The little animal print bag is one that I found at Ross a few years ago. That, too, will be in the to-go bag.

The shoes are by BCBGeneration from Saks Off 5th. The jeans are by NYDJ, but I recently found them at T.J.Maxx for just $29.99! I only shop T.J.Maxx at the beginning of the seasons for the best selection.

I hope your weather is also becoming more spring-like each day!

White Topper

We joined our dearest friends for dinner on a recent cold rainy Friday night.

I wore a winter white jacket from Chico's last year over a Covered Perfectly long sleeve simple comfort top and reptile textured faux leather leggings labeled simply, Jack.

The faux leather-trimmed ruana is old from Carlisle Per SE. The gunmetal box bag is old from T.J.Maxx. The boots are by French Connection via Saks Off 5th.

When you dissect many of my favorite looks, you will find that the individual elements are basic pieces. That allows a statement pair of shoes, a jacket, or a bold piece of jewelry to pull the look together and make it more current. The most cherished pieces of my wardrobe on their own are not memorable.

Second Love

We recently spent the weekend at the Inn on Biltmore Estate.

On our last evening there we had a lovely meal in The Dining Room.

Earlier in the day, I shopped in the Marble Lion, a boutique located inside the Inn, where I found this intricately embossed faux leather jacket at half off! If shoes are my first fashion love, then certainly jackets are my second.

I am wearing a surplice wrap top from White House Black Market with Travelers Pants from Chico's. The suede Sam Edelman shoes are a couple of years old. The handbag is from Saks Off 5th. 

This textured faux leather jacket is by Erin London. I almost didn't even try one on because the medium size had already sold. I was delighted that the small fit perfectly. It pays to ignore the tag and just try on what appeals to you.

Occasionally we have a small piece of grilled wild-caught salmon for dinner. 

This was a special evening, so we also shared this beautiful crème-filled flaky phyllo dough and tart cherry dessert.

These flowers were on the front desk. Turning to face the lobby in all its grandeur.

Frumpy to Fabulous

I recently spent almost twenty-four straight hours in an airport or on a plane. Watching people is my favorite thing to do when I am in such public spaces. I find myself guessing things about the journeys and the lives of the people I see there.

I believe that how you present yourself to the world and how you carry yourself tells a story. My heart went out to all those women I saw who wore something very similar to the sad look below.

It showed on their faces that it had been many years since they had made themselves a priority. I recognized these women so quickly because I was one of them a few years ago. 

It was customary for me to get up and put on anything to get me through the day. If I could zip the pants, they were good enough, and if the shirt (sometimes a man's tee shirt from K-Mart) covered my tummy, that would do. If it was cold outside, I put on a jacket but didn't think about it if it went with anything else I was wearing. I was too tired and sad to care about what I looked like anymore.

Something unexpected happened when I changed my diet to correct health problems. I started to lose weight and feel a lot better, physically and emotionally. I began to care about my clothes again. I began to enjoy putting together outfits and looking for just the right jacket. My outlook on life improved, and my spirits lifted. I felt like going for a walk and working in my flower gardens again. I smiled more and slept better because I was happier and much healthier emotionally and physically. More importantly, I could now do more things to help others because of my improved health and attitude.

Below is a typical, very casual look for me now. I might be staying at home because it is snowing and cold, but I still get dressed. I am now acutely aware of how it lifts my spirits to get dressed and take some time for myself. These days I never spend the day in a man's tee-shirt over sweatpants. That would be very depressing!

The red turtleneck top was supplied to me by Fabrizio Gianni. The Allison Daley vest from Dillard's is several years old, and the ankle-length jeans are from Chico's. The boots are a couple of years old by Ralph Lauren via T.J.Maxx. 

Breakfast At The Inn

We recently spent the weekend at the Inn on Biltmore Estate.

There is a lovely breakfast buffet in The Dining Room each morning. 

Our table by the window provided a beautiful view of the majestic mountain ranges. There is always a fresh red rose on your table and, in our case, champagne. 

Cheers!

I wore coated jeans and a silver-gray tank from Chico's with a Ralph Lauren polka dot silk scarf from Stein Mart and a Ralph Lauren jacket from Dillard's.

Vital, Vivacious, and Visible after 50

Andrea Pflaumer, the host of the video series Vital, Vivacious, and Visible after 50, recently interviewed me for the series.

Andrea Pflaumer is a former dancer and dance writer and, as a freelance journalist in the San Francisco Bay area, has written extensively about shopping and fashion. 

She is the author of two books: Shopping for the Real You: 10 Essential Steps to a Better Wardrobe for Every Woman – Fashionistas, Fashion-Phobes, and the over 50, and She’s Got Good Jeans, including how to shop for, where to find, and how to style the perfect jeans for your body. You can buy her books here on Amazon. She blogs here and posts regularly to her style and color archetype Pinterest pages here.