Friday Date Night

This is one of my favorite and most comfortable ways to dress.

This is an example of column dressing.

Wear one dark color from head to toe. Add a sweater or jacket in the correct length for your height.

Add one bold accessory and a colorful bag that does not match your shoes.

Column dressing gives you a long, lean look, and it takes the eye away from the middle.

The sweater is from Chico's last year. The V neck long sleeve tee and the clutch are from T.J.Maxx. The pants are from Ross. The shoes are from Nordstrom. All these items are old, and the colors I used are black, red, and ecru. If black is too draining of a color for you to wear near your face, any dark color will serve the purpose.

Vegetarian Valentine's Day Dinner

A home-cooked meal is our Valentine's Day tradition.

We go out to eat at least once a week all year long, so when a big holiday such as Valentine's Day comes around, I prefer to prepare a lovely meal to leisurely enjoy at home.

We dress for dinner, I set the table in the formal dining room, we light candles, and have a special wine with classical music playing in the background.

Mr. Mickey had just arrived, so he was still wearing his scarf. Doesn't he look handsome?

The dinner menu included crudites as a starter. I cut up fresh baby heirloom tomatoes and served them with olives, garlic I roasted earlier in the day, and rosemary Asiago cheese slices. Sometimes the combination of fresh, delicious items presented simply on their own is the best choice.

I also added some of the roasted garlic and unsalted butter to Rudis Seeded organic bread before lightly toasting it in the oven.

The pasta dish includes Gluten Free Brown Rice Spaghetti from Hodgson Mill. The meatless sauce is the same recipe I told you about here. The leftover sauce will be served over another piece of the yummy Rudis bread as a sloppy Joe lunch with a kale salad on the following day. This sauce could be used in any dish requiring ground beef. (Even the meat lovers who tasted this the first time I made it could not tell there was no meat in it!)

Our wine was 14 Hands 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mr. Mickey brought freshly dipped chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert, cards, and flowers. He is a Prince!

I wore a rayon three-quarter sleeve black and tan blouse from Coldwater Creek from a couple of years ago. The black Traverlers pants from Chico's are about eight years old. I paired them with my Anne Klein black high heeled shoes.

Later in the evening, as we relaxed in front of the fire, I tried out some of my new reading glasses from Readers.com. Which statement style do you like best? I liked them all! When you need glasses only for reading, it's great to have a stylish pair like these near every chair and in every handbag.

This style is called The Ivy in the brown fade.

This style is The Dolly.

The Maryann comes in several colors, and each has its own matching case.

The Opera Coat

Season tickets to the Johnson City Symphony are one of the gifts I give Mr. Mickey each Christmas.

It is a long-standing tradition for us to have an early dinner at our favorite restaurant before attending the concert. This performance featured the beautiful guest artist Chee-Yun from Seoul. Her first public performance was at age 8! On this night, she played the Stradivarius "Ex-Strauss" (Cremona, 1708).

I wore items from Chico's, including a silver cardigan and tank with a long double strand crystal and silver necklace. The skirt is a straight black knit pencil style. The Assets hose/tights are from Target. The Anne Klein shoes are at least eight years old.

I bought this velvet and faux fur trimmed Erté inspired coat from one of my sales reps in 1990 when she also represented my jewelry line. I call it my opera coat because it has a rhinestone encrusted closure, and it has a theatrical shape and texture. On the rare occasions when I wear it, I feel like I have stepped out of the Art Nouveau-inspired 1920s.

Thank you for joining me on this fun journey through midlife and beyond.

Dinner At The Club

Since our usual Friday night dinner group of friends are traveling this month, Mr. Mickey and I had a quiet dinner at the Blackthorn Club.

There is no snow, and it wasn't that cold, so I was able to wear my suede cut out booties by Louise et Cie from Nordstrom. (She is the wife of Vince Camuto, who started Nine West.)

The long thin ribbed cardigan sweater is from T.J.Maxx.

The black and white jeweled sweater is from Chico's. 

The straight leg pants are from Stein Mart.

Mr. Mickey is famous for bringing me flowers. This night's occasion was that we have been dating for seven years and eleven months. He also brought a card and candy.

My coat is from Geiger of Austria.

As always, we enjoyed our evening sitting by the fire at the club, laughing and talking until they were ready to close. 

Saturday Was A Two Outfit Day!

Some days are so full of activities I need different looks.

During the early part of this beautiful warm day, I wore this great Covered Perfectly open collar tunic to brunch with a low slung Chico's belt and old side zip pants from Talbots.

We were thrilled to have temperatures above 65 degrees today!

In the afternoon, we visited Abingdon, Virginia, to have a late lunch and do some shopping.

I have a confession to make. I may have an addiction to Michael Kors bags! I bought another one just like this in black yesterday at T.J.Maxx.

The shoes are by DVF last year from Nordstrom.

In the evening, we attended the 50th-anniversary party for exceptional friends. I knew it would be much cooler later, so I wore this wool jacket from Talbots last year with a red Chico's tank underneath. The gold cuff is also from Chico's.

It was such great fun to visit with Susan (Easterly) Coleman and Tim Coleman of Easterly-Coleman on Court in Abingdon, Virginia. They are so friendly and helpful each time we enter their store. This is one of two stores they own in the region. They are a fabulous source for unique items, furniture, and design services.

Thank you for reading my blog and for joining me on this journey through mid-life and beyond.

Friday Wine Library Club

Last evening we tasted six lovely wines from the northern regions of Spain.

We tasted one white and five reds. My favorite was the very elegant white, Bodegas Avanthia Valdeorras Godello 2011.

Larry England says, let the tasting begin!

Bodegas Avanthia Valdeorras Godello 2011

Cune Rioja Crianza Tempranillo  2009

Bodegas Muga Rioja Reserva Tempranillo 2009

Bodegas Muga Rioja 'Prado Enea' Rioja Gran Reserva Tempranillo 2005

Bodegas Tinto Pesquera Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2009

Alavaro Palacios Priorat Grenache Blend 2011

Since Rick, our usual wine guru is in the islands for a couple of months, this discussion was led by Lee Corpening, Certified Specialist of Wine. If you would like to learn more about wine, this is an excellent web site to visit, The Educated Grape.

These events are always rather casual, so I wore gray slacks with a white long sleeve tee and a navy blazer. I folded a large square scarf into a triangle and draped it over my shoulders before putting on the blazer. The shoes with low block heels are a couple of years old, but that style will be trendy this summer. 

The huge antique gold pin is one that I created more than twenty years ago. When I wear a large statement piece such as this, I minimize any other jewelry. My inspiration for wearing the pin this way came from a Ralph Lauren blazer I saw with a large gold crest on the breast pocket.

The items I wore this evening are all several years old. That's the beauty of good quality classics. They will serve you well for many years and can be worn in many combinations.

Meatless Chili

Susan's healthy meatless chili or an awesome sauce for spaghetti.

Cook one and one-fourth cup of Lundberg Black Japonica rice in a one-quart container of Pacific Mushroom Broth. This takes about 50 minutes, so at the 30-minute mark, add a one-quart container of Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock, one cup of rinsed Red Quinoa, and one-half cup rinsed and sorted French lentils. Bring the pot back up to a boil and then cover and turn down to simmer for another 20 minutes. (If you are making chili or soup, you can also add a cup of diced carrots, celery, and potatoes, or other root veggies at this point. For the soup, you will need to add another container of the stock or broth.)

Next, add a can of rinsed and drained low salt black beans. Saute onion, mushrooms, garlic, peppers to add for a chili dish. I added a can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes and corn for the chili dish I served today. You can also add a bit of butter, olive oil, and aged balsamic vinegar according to your taste.

I just made up this dish today, but with spices such as cumin, curry, cloves, and or oregano, you could use it in place of meat for pasta dishes or in the chili I served with cheese and crackers today. Mr. Mickey asked me twice if there was meat in it.

Wishing you good health!

Friday Date Night

We bundled up and braved the cold to go out to dinner last evening. So did a lot of other people. The restaurant was crowded! Good for them!

Boiled wool jackets are the warmest items of clothing I own. This is an old one that you have seen many times before. I paired it with a fabulous necklace, a gift from Kathleen Mannix, one of my very talented clients. She incorporates old pieces of broken jewelry into new sculptural jewelry. You can see more of her work here.

I also wore a bright purple long sleeve tee and black travelers pants from Chico's with black heels.

For all of you who asked about the portrait behind me above. This is a close-up of the David Clapp portrait taken about three years ago.

The bag is old from Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx.

The Basics!

A wardrobe that includes items that can be mixed and matched will serve you well.

1. A good trench coat can go to the grocery store over jeans or to the opera over an evening gown. Just remember to tie that belt in front or back and push up the sleeves and scrunch the collar to keep it from appearing too stiff. Other colors might flatter your skin tone more than the common tan color. Consider gray, navy, or red for your go to coat. Avoid Polyester. 
2. Great fitting dark wash jeans are almost always appropriate. 
3. A low heeled comfortable boot in black or brown can take you through most of the fall and winter.

1. A black straight or A-line skirt that ends at or below the knee. 
2. A blazer in a color that you like to wear near your face. It can go over jeans, dresses, skirts, and slacks. Wear it belted with sleeves pushed up with a pair of jeans for a great casual look.
3. Tank tops can be worn as a first layer all year long. Slim fitting, not clingy, is a good investment. Chico's has really great ones. They don't cling, and they launder beautifully
4. A black pair of pumps. It doesn't matter what heel height or toe shape, but you will want to own at least one pair.
5. A clutch bag for the evening or any special event. A bulky shoulder bag ruins the lines of any outfit. 
6. A pair of earrings that make you feel special when you put them on.

There has been at least one little black dress (LBD) in my closet since I turned 18. 

Note the amount of coverage of the shoe relates to the amount of coverage of the dress. The coat, jacket, and sweaters shown can be worn with the dresses to totally change their look.

1. A straight leg (not skinny) pair of black jeans or tailored pants will serve you well on many occasions.

2. A simple white long sleeve tee that fits close to the body, not clingy, will work well under vests, jackets, and fine gauge cardigan sweaters.

3. Scarves in bright colors that flatter your complexion can make an otherwise dull look come to life and tie an outfit together.

4. Flat comfy brogues for those days when you know you will be walking and standing a lot.

5. A casual bag that isn't all one color and is made of durable fabrics such as canvas and leather.

6. Accessories add the finishing touch. Don't skip them even on a casual day!

I also find it is great to own light neutrals which can be worn with everything else. Nude pumps, a luggage color bag, tortoise sunglasses, khaki pants, and last but not least, a white blouse.

One last important note: There is never a time that a white bra will work. It will show through no matter what you wear it with. A nude bra (the color of your skin) is always a much better choice. Foundation garments are just that, the building blocks upon which everything else rests. If they aren't doing their job, you will never look as good as you could in your great new wardrobe. Get a professional bra fitting. You will be so glad you did!

Sapphire Blue

One of my favorite colors is sapphire blue.

Today we attended a memorial service, so I wore a black skirt from Chico's So Slimming Ponte collection from last fall with a thin black long sleeve V neck tee I found at TJMaxx last year. The blue boiled wool jacket is from the Chico's outlet in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The heels are by Nine West.

The beaded clutch is old. I found it at Stein Mart, and the mink scarf was a gift from Mr. Mickey a few years ago.

Winter Dressing Tips

Mr. Mickey picked me up to take me out to dinner just as it started to snow.

I apologize for the indoor pictures again. The lighting is dismal.

I wore a necklace I made using rose quartz and a chunky silver chain tied like a scarf. I like to wear it to give me a V neckline in winter with warm tops with a higher neck. Since I have a round face, I like to wear a V whenever possible to elongate it. 

My outfit's base includes a column of black in a Chico's tee with Talbots side zip pants from last year. If you cannot wear black near your face, try navy, dark brown, or dark gray, which also work as great bases. The boots are by Nine West. 

Now on to the jacket! I was thrilled to find this one on the sale rack at Chico's for about a fourth of its original price. Score! The knit material is almost like a burnout velvet in a deep sapphire blue and black. It has a swing style with a waterfall front that works so well over a simple slim base. When I tried it on in the store, the lady who helped me looked at it as if she had never seen it before. I read between the lines, "Why didn't I see that?" I love it when I try something on, and I know immediately that it is me. 

I am sure you have noticed a pattern in my cold-weather dressing. I start with a slim fitting solid color top and bottom, then add an interesting jacket, scarf, or another accessory to give it a little pizzazz. This base is slim-fitting or body-skimming because I never want to add bulk underneath the jacket, but a slim fitting first layer also helps keep me warm.

Wearing a top and bottom in the same color with a contrasting color or patterned jacket is known as column dressing. It helps you to look taller and thinner for several reasons. There is no horizontal break on your body. The vertical breaks from an open jacket show only a portion of your body, making you look longer and leaner.