Home Is Where The Collection Is

Each time we shoot outfits in my home, I get a ton of questions about decorating. So I am sharing a few photos of my collection of treasures that make my house a home.

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I got a divorce in the late nineties and started life over with very few possessions. All these items were acquired after that time.

Above is the foyer. The chest was purchased at a deep discount from an old furniture store in the New Orleans area that was going out of business. It weighs a ton! The stone pedestal was purchased at an estate auction. The figurine is one of two similar ones, which I bought on one of the weekend getaways with Mr. Mickey; more about that later.

This is the dining area. The 1940's table and chairs were listed for sale in the classifieds in my local newspaper.

The chest is from T.J.Maxx.

More treasures were found in junk stores during endless weekend travels. When I mention a junk store, I am referring to those stores that you find in every town that label themselves Antiques and Collectibles when in reality, only perhaps two things in the whole store might be antiques. Part of the fun was finding that one item out of hundreds that spoke to me.

These items came from an estate sale, an auction, a yard sale, or a salvage yard. The fancy urn on the pedestal to the right was a lamp. I joined a finial to the top from something else and put it on the pedestal. That pedestal was red, green, orange, and beige when I bought it. I painted the whole thing to make it blend with everything else in my home.

I have found some beautiful items, such as this carved table at Kimball M. Sterling, Inc., my favorite local family-owned auction house.

I won't bore you with all the details, but I didn't walk into fancy furniture or decorating stores and buy anything in my home. (Not because I didn't want to, I simply could not afford to for many years.) I have never worked with a decorator, but I have always studied what I like in decorating magazines to give me inspiration.

I'm sharing all this with you to inspire you, as I hope my other style suggestions do. You need not spend lots of money to have a lovely home or to dress well. Keep an eye out for classic and timeless things that fit with your sense of style. If you are the creative type, you can often make something that is otherwise ugly but has a good shape into something else you treasure.

This oversize Hudson River style oil painting is my most significant investment. I mulled over the decision to buy it for three years! It took a forklift to unload it from the truck when it arrived at the loading dock of my warehouse.

This finial was a hideous green and orange lamp before I worked on it.

Many of my items, such as this brass tea cart, were given to me by friends and family.

I found this chair at a salvage yard in New Orleans and covered it with a glue gun more than fifteen years ago. 

Mirror from a yard sale. 

The pedestal from T.J.Maxx. 

Plaster bust from a junk store.

My father made that table for me. I found the chair at a flea market. I painted it black and gold and also covered it using a glue gun.

Another yard sale chair covered with my trusty glue gun. The table was a gift from my parents.

The bench was bought at an estate auction.

The mirror had a damaged frame, so it was reduced quite a bit. That never bothers me. As an artist, I know how to hide or repair a lot of issues. The chest came from a flea market in New Orleans. The bronze fairy was a Christmas gift from Mr. Mickey.

This is the other of the pair of figurines I mentioned earlier. On one of our weekend getaways, we were in a town about a hundred miles away in a junk store. I saw the pair but didn't buy them because I was hesitant to spend that much money on something that wasn't absolutely necessary. I couldn't stop thinking about them for the whole next week, so I called the store and ask them to hold them for me until I could come back the following weekend. Mr. Mickey never complained once about having to drive all the way back over there so that I could buy the "Sing-Along Girls" as I have named them. 

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.

Bag Color Tip

My Tahari by Arthur S. Levine jacket was found at Dillard's during their end of season sale last summer. It has become one of my favorite dressy jackets.

I once read a style suggestion that went something like this. "Buy a handbag the color of your hair, and you will carry it more often than any other." I really do carry my gray bags most often! This one by Calvin Klein is one of my daytime favorites. I found it at T.J.Maxx last fall.

The slacks and the shoes are from Saks Off 5th, and I am wearing a long sleeve black tee from Chico's. In case the weather turns cooler, I have a black trench coat by Fabrizio Gianni thrown over my arm.

The Black Dress

If you only own one dress, it should probably be a dark color, such as black.

I found this mesh sleeve dress with ruching at the waistline at Chico's earlier this year. This might be my go-to party dress for awhile. I do not wear skimpy cocktail dresses to parties (or anywhere for that matter!), so the hint of skin showing through the mesh is just sexy enough for me.

STYLING TIPS: Balance the top and the bottom. If you are wearing a sleeveless dress, do not wear dark hose. When you do wear dark hose, always wear dark shoes. When I see someone wearing gold shoes with black hose, I always think of Minnie Mouse.

I wore the dress out to dinner on Saturday night for the first time. Mr. Mickey loved it!

I topped it off with a black faux leather-trimmed ruana from Carlisle Per Se and old silver and crystal necklaces. The suede heels are from Saks. The gray clutch is old by Kenneth Cole Reaction.

Cashmere

Last fall, I purchased my very first cashmere sweater from Ann Taylor.

I probably had a bad experience with itchy sweaters in my earlier days because I have never felt the need to own a cashmere sweater.

Now that I have worn this elegant fabric, I must have more! It is warm but not bulky and oh so soft. It isn't itchy at all. I will wear this one for three seasons, so it is well worth the investment.

The black jeggings are old from Chico's. Both the ombre scarf and the suede and reptile texture boots are by Vince Camuto.

Staying at Home

Many of you have asked what I wear when I am just staying at home.

Staying in my pajamas all day is not an option. I would not be as productive, nor would I have a very positive attitude. I look forward to getting dressed for the day and going to work... even though my office is in my home.

Even on the days, I don't have anything planned, I get dressed as usual.

On this day, I wore a red long sleeve tee from Chico's last year with wonderful jeans from the Loft (modern fit straight leg). The jacket is from Express. The black woven belt is by Michael Kors, but I removed the charms hanging from the buckle. The Franco Sarto boots are from T.J.Maxx.

I normally wear something similar with a cardigan or a jacket when the weather is cold. If I need to run an errand or if someone stops by, I am presentable.

Anita's Garden Club Luncheon

My friend Anita and I were neighbors, and she is also an employee, so when she asked me to speak to her Garden Club, I was happy to. 

The ladies gathered for lunch at Anita's beautiful home.

After lunch, I showed them how to make a pair of earrings.

Everyone had the chance to make their own pair of earrings to take with them.

It was such a fun day!

With my sweet friend Anita.

Options

Sunday was a great day to enjoy brunch at the club and then take an afternoon nap in front of the fire.

The necklace, straight leg black pants, and the gray bling sleeve cardigan are from Chico's. The black Portifino blouse is from Express.

The black pumps are old from BCBGeneration.

For those of you who only wear flats, I am showing you flat shoe options today. These flats are by Halogen from Nordstrom.

I rarely ever wear flat shoes. The few pairs that I own have a pointed toe and usually have details over the foot's top. I look for shoes that have slim lines that do not add bulk to the foot.

My later in the day look was just right for being lazy in front of the fire. This fabulously comfortable tunic is from Covered Perfectly.

If I wore this look for the whole day, I would add a black jacket or cardigan and these Franco Sarto boots from T.J.Maxx.

A Warm Day!

On winter Saturdays, we often go out to lunch and then run a few errands.

The early afternoon was enjoyable, with temperatures in the mid-sixties.

It was great to shed the coat and heavy clothes, if only for a few hours.

The long gray fringe cardigan is from Saks off 5th from their own label. The white tunic blouse is from Express. The coated ponte leggings only look like leather. They are from Saks 5th Avenue. The long gray and silver necklace is from Chico's. The gray Calvin Klein Saffiano leather bag is from T.J.Maxx.

I always pair leggings with a long tunic or jacket, which totally covers my bottom. If it comes to my knees... even better!

Antelope Booties

My family rescheduled our Christmas brunch because of our illnesses. This year we enjoyed a New Year's Day brunch at the beautiful lakeside home of my cousin.

Are you familiar with Antelope Shoes? The company recently sent me their 706 Ankle Booties to try, and I must tell you they are perfection!

For the first time today, I wore them with leggings, a red tunic blouse, and a black fringe edge jacket.

The booties were very comfortable, and I received lots of compliments. The heel height is just right. Even my Mom thought so!

The leather is soft, and the soles have a small lug detail, making them great for walking on icy sidewalks.

This is "cousin" Barkley. He loves to give kisses and rarely ever sits still for more than a minute.

This is "cousin" Dreamy resting on her throne. She loves attention from everyone except for Barkley.

The natural light during east Tennessee winters is often gray and not very flattering; thus, you have seen all the kitchen shots recently.

If you require high quality, comfortable, and timeless style shoes, I highly recommend that you give Antelope Shoes a visit.

Here's to a great 2015!

We are recovering nicely from the flu (me) and an emergency appendectomy along with pneumonia (Mr. Mickey). Glad to have all the bad stuff behind us to concentrate on having lots of new adventures in 2015!

We had a date on New Year's Eve for the first time in almost two weeks. I couldn't risk giving him the flu also!

We go out to eat and celebrate life so often during the year; it's actually a treat to stay home and have a small, simple meal and a glass of good wine and relax by the fire for all the busiest holidays.

I am wearing straight leg So Lifting jeans in a light wash from Chico's along with a long sleeve black tee from Kohl's by Croft & Barrow. The nail color is OPI red.

We wish you a happy, safe, successful, and healthy New Year!