Subtle Changes

Each spring, I put out new ferns and move all the orchids out to the screened porch. That process sets in motion other changes to lighten up my home decor for warm weather.

This year, the time was right to upgrade some of my "make do for now" furniture and art. The changes are subtle, but the upgrade in style and function make my daily life much more pleasant.

The foyer (below) remains the same.

My office is just inside the front door across from this foyer. I create the blog and conduct the daily business of my company in this room. I spend many hours each day here, so form and function are of the utmost importance.

This view is from in front of the window.

This angle is the view from the door.

A new desk to hold my computer was the most urgent change needed. The old mission style table had no drawers and snagged my clothes often with its rough edges. Another change that lightened this room was to remove a table from in front of the window.

I admit to having some difficulty with letting things flow like a river in my home decor. New additions were coming in, but not enough was flowing out.

The dining area remains much the same. However, I did remove several items to give the space a lighter feel. This view is turning from the dining area to the stair wall.

The link here shows the previous decor.

This shot from the balcony shows the sitting area changes. I removed several Italian trays, tables, and other items to give the space a lighter, more modern look. I replaced the Mediterranean terrace print with a more contemporary piece of art on a plain canvas.

The dark, heavy table that was previously under the oversize Hudson River style painting is now being used upstairs as my makeup table. I added the Art Deco style small mirrored chest to the back of the sofa.

Mirrored surfaces, straight legs, glass tables, and unframed canvases all serve to lighten up and modernize spaces. I studied hundreds of Architectural Digest articles before making these changes.

I moved the pedestal with the urn to the other side of the room and added a small metal and glass table to the area by the stairs. I had too many curved dark wood pieces of furniture, so I replaced the curvy coffee table with a more modern straight edge dark-dressed piece that relates nicely to the piano painting.

Fresh flowers and an urn full of seashells I gathered from beaches worldwide are now on the bar cart. When my favorite Stargazer and Casablanca lilies appear in flower shops, they will be placed in crystal vases throughout the main floor. I adore lilies and white orchids.

I added a new round pedestal table to the breakfast nook.

In the master bedroom, I replaced two old mismatched chests with a five drawer chest and a matching three drawer chest. Their style complements the bed and the bench.

My very talented father made the table in the corner by the air purifier. The bronze Victorian fairy figurine was a long-ago Christmas gift from Mr. M.

The walls are relatively blank for now in anticipation of adding original modern art. My eyes have finally adjusted to the look, so I am ready to embrace contemporary pieces mixed with old ones. Future purchases will include different light fixtures and blinds, modern glass objects, and original art on large canvases.

The upstairs sitting area outside the guest room also has a new lighter look. I removed some pieces of furniture and art here but did not add anything new. I shifted the location of several components to open up the area and make it appear larger.

The guest room is ready for your visit!

The table which was previously in front of the window in my office is now in the guestroom.

I enjoy the extra space for my makeup. That's a small fan on the floor under the table.

The Mediterranean terrace print looks so much better in the guestroom!

Below is my "store" shot in the finished room over the garage (FROG). Home accessories are like jewelry; you need not show everything you own at all times. I will keep these unique pieces to use in rotation with the seasons. 

My high heels collection also "lives" in this bonus room, along with a bookshelf and other items—more on this collection in a future post.

Dress For Your Personality

A lot has been published about what colors and styles to wear or not to wear. I believe that dressing in what makes you happy is the key to a successful style.

We met with friends over drinks and hors d'oeuvres to discuss a project a few days before I got my hair cut. I always try to dress appropriately for the weather, the event, and lastly, I bring my personality into the mix. I have been saving these photos to share with you when the post calls for it. 

It was a cool evening, and the professional nature of the event called for a more polished look than my usual combos.

Even though I am wearing old pieces from my wardrobe in the picture above, I do not usually put them together in this way. The more relaxed cut of the dress pants combined with low heeled shoes and the loose-fitting tank top with a neutral blush color jacket do not reflect my nature. The edgy straw clutch bag, along with the jazzy necklace, were my attempts to add "me" into the mix.

Yesterday we would visit my parents and then have a light dinner to end a great weekend. The lack of an "event" to dress for meant that I could just put on what felt right for the weather. 

You can see how much happier. I look wearing clothes that reflect my personality.

Not just because I am acting silly, but you can tell that being true to myself in the way I dress makes me feel more confident and happy.

The tips and tricks I share with you are intended to help you evaluate your wardrobe and determine if the pieces work for you and with each other. The secret to success is found in how you put the items together and then accessorize them. It does not matter what color they are (certain colors and tones will indeed look better on you than others), how much they cost, or where you bought them. If the elements in your collection can be combined to show your unique personality and make you feel confident, that is what matters.

This way of dressing does not require that you have a huge wardrobe. It is all about knowing what is right for you and your lifestyle. What I wear, including my heels, might not be right for you at all. My budget may be entirely different than yours. The colors that comprise my core wardrobe may not be right for you. The points I make here show you how I use these elements to put together looks that work for the event, the weather, and my personality. I am just using myself as an example to help you use these basic guidelines to figure out what works best.

For The Fur Babies

Giving back to the community is imperative to me. That community includes the pets that become a part of our family and also those that get discarded.

Last evening we attended the Dogwood and Cattails Ball to benefit the Humane Society of Washington County.

It was great to see so many of our friends who also came out to help support the animal shelter. Our shelter is a no-kill organization. No matter how long it takes for an animal in our foster program to find a home, it will remain in our program until the best possible home can be found. Thanks to this program, 1300 healthy, happy animals have been adopted into loving family homes.

The Oustanding Animal of the year was awarded to a special dog named Arabela, who serves our country by disclosing improvised explosive devices (IEDs are simple bombs made and used by unofficial or unauthorized forces).

I fell in love with a sweet pitbull named Chloé!

Chloé was rescued from a very inhumane breeder situation and given a loving forever home. She showed her gratitude with kisses, snuggles, and a tail that wagged non-stop.

Rather than buy another ball gown that I will never wear again, I used old items I already had in my closet. This year's ball's theme was based upon the Great Gatsby, so I went with separate pieces that sort of reflected that theme. 

The simple knit tank dress with a side slit is a couple of years old. The tuxedo-style jacket is old from the Travelers Collection at Chico's. The little evening bag is many years old. The shoes are old by French Connection via Saks Off 5th.

Bohemian

Do you play around with different styles?

We recently took Mr. Mickey's daughter out for her 50th birthday celebration dinner.

In honor of her very youthful urban fashion vibe, we decided to wear jeans and be more casual.

This burnout velvet cardigan has a distinct bohemian vibe. I found it on sale at Dillard's recently. The cuff and tank top were from Chico's. The jeans are by Jag Jeans via the Fig Leaf in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The mesh and suede trim shoes are old by Sam Edelman. The reptile embossed box bag is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island.

Circle of Red Luncheon

I am a proud member of the Circle of Red for the American Heart Association this year.

We held the Tri-Cities Go Red For Women Luncheon today, and all the members wore a red dress.

My red dress is from Macy's. 

Macy's is committed to raising women's awareness of heart disease and helping them live longer, healthier lives.

Thanks to its customers and associates' generosity, Macy's has contributed more than $55 million to Go Red for Women since 2004. 

It was great to see my young friend Jurnee Carr, Miss Tennessee International. We have shared the runway as models in the past.

Hannah Everhart is our beautiful Miss Johnson City. We have also walked for local fashion shows together.

Those are not my caged shoes, but aren't they awesome?

I am shown below with some of the other Circle of Red Members.

The more a woman knows about heart disease, the better chance she has of beating it. The first facts you need to know are severe: Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. Fortunately, we can change that because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

Go Red For Women inspires women to make lifestyle changes, mobilize communities, and shape policies to save lives. United, we are working to improve the health of all women.

Visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn more about how you can prevent heart disease and also how you can help bring awareness of it to others.

Take A Scarf

A couple of weekends ago, we stayed at the Inn at Biltmore Estate.

I took a few basic pieces to mix and match, as I always do when we travel. This packing formula serves me well, and I can fit everything into a small carry-on bag.

A scarf can make all the difference when you dress in solid basics. It adds texture, pattern, and colors to pull the whole look together.

The white Evan Picone trench coat is old from Stein Mart. I wore it over a large square silk scarf by Versace from Saks Off 5th last year. The scarf adds the punch of a pattern to tie the white tank and dark wash Klaveli ankle jeans together.

When we went down to breakfast on the second morning, I wore a black Clara Sunwoo mesh sleeve tunic over white pull-on pants by Tribal. I tied the scarf onto my BCBG bag (old) from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are by Vince Camuto from last year.

As we were having breakfast, I became too cold, as I often do in the air conditioning. The scarf served me well as an additional layer. Large square silk scarves are so versatile.