Casual Elegance

Casual items from J.Jill are among my favorite pieces because the styles are so classic and elegant.

This is the most comfortable tank I have ever worn, so I got the black one too. It is part of the Pure Jill Collection.

The drape front cardigan is also part of the Pure Jill Collection. It is the essential summer cardi for all those freezing cold air-conditioned spaces. It is lightweight and comfortable to carry or wear with anything all summer long.

The cardi comes in two other colors also.

The other items in my look are all several years old, but the clutch is recent from T.J.Maxx.

If you build a strong basic wardrobe that reflects your personal style beautifully, the pieces work together over the years.

When you buy higher-quality pieces, they look better, keep their shape, and last a lot longer.

Another great thing about J.Jill pieces is that I still enjoy wearing the pieces I bought years ago because the styles are classic, not trendy. Many of you have told me the same thing.

Fringe Sandals

You probably already know that I collect cool shoes, so you can imagine how excited I was when I found these fringe suede sandals.

They take me back to those days when I was in seventh grade and wanted so badly to be a hippie, but, of course, my mother would have none of that.

The denim jacket is by Chadwicks of Boston. The tank and the cropped pants are from Chico's. The bag is by BCBG from T.J.Maxx. The suede sandals are by Steve Madden from Macy's.

Cold Shoulder Top

I recently joined Mr. Mickey after the workday for a glass of wine in the courtyard of our favorite local restaurant, Gourmet & Company.

The cold shoulder tunic is part of the Knit Kit collection at Chico's.

The white ankle jeans are old from Chico's.

The shoes are by Bar III via Macy's.

Family Time

Sunday was Father's Day here in the US. My family gathered at the home of my sister in the afternoon to have a wonderful meal together with my Father.

For this casual time together with family, I wore a blue tunic from Chico's and Kut from the Kloth Katy Boyfriend jeans from Dillards. Both items are from last year. The sandals are by Sam Edelman. 

My sister and her husband live in a beautiful wooded neighborhood about twenty minutes away. I always get to see abundant plants and wildlife when I visit them. Today was special because we saw two deer along with a tiny baby fawn which might have been born only a couple of days ago. I could only get a picture of this one before they took great leaps and escaped out of sight into the woodlands. 

We were thrilled to see these mating Luna Moths above the front door of her home. Have you ever seen them? They were about the size of the palm of my hand and so very beautiful!

I hope you were able to spend time with your family this weekend.

Dinner With Great Friends

At the end of a very long Yard Sale day, we joined dear friends for a delicious meal at Gourmet & Company.

The wind was blowing another storm our way, so we had to hurry the photo session. 

This is me with four hours of sleep. Not a pretty sight. 

I receive some comments so often, I thought I would address them here today.

1. "I can't afford to buy that." 

The items I show you were often purchased from a sale rack at the end of the season. This is a great way to expand your basic wardrobe without breaking the bank. I show you general suggestions for what to wear to specific events and how to put together a look from items you may already have in your closet. If not, you can keep the ideas for the next trip to the store you do like to shop in.

2. "What if I am 68...72... whatever age?"

In my opinion, the looks I show you are timeless and can work for women of any age with a little tweaking to show your own style. 

3. "I can't wear heels."

This is an easy fix. Just wear a heel height that is comfortable for you in a similar style. 

4. "What do I wear to a summer wedding?"

 The look above is excellent for any warm-weather evening event. The jacket gives some coverage and style without making you feel too hot. Look for similar open weave designs, sheer mesh, or some other vented fabric that adds style and coverage but not weight. You can wear these toppers over tank dresses or tank tops with a skirt or pants to give your look a bit more polish.

I hope my tips are helpful to you. The items I am wearing today are all old from Chico's.

White Leggings

My warehouse has been a hub of activity this week!

My staff and all of Mr. Mickey's employees decided to have a huge multi-family yard sale on our adjoining properties in the Skyline Industrial Park this Saturday.

Between trips to bring items for sale, I had lunch with a friend on Thursday. I wore this long tunic shirt with white Zenergy leggings from Chico's.

Les Misérables

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended the gala premiere and fundraising event to benefit Theatre Bristol and the Paramount Center for the Arts.

Excellent French cuisine with champagne was provided by K.P. Duty.

Dining music was provided by NFusion.

There is a great display of antique movie house items in the lobby.

We had a perfectly wonderful evening. The performance was world-class and included almost sixty cast members. They received a four-minute standing ovation!

I wore a black mesh sleeve top from last year and black Black Label wide-leg pants, both from Chico's. The silver clutch is from T.J.Maxx. The Sam Edelman shoes are old from Nordstrom. The earrings are old from Stein Mart.

Covered Perfectly Vest and Tunic

You have been asking me about the Covered Perfectly tunics ever since I was in California to model for the line earlier this year.

Today I thought I would show you the two pieces I get the most questions about.

I am most often asked, "Can you see through the white tunics?". The medium I am wearing fits well, but the fabric is so densely woven, the black leggings I am wearing do not show underneath the white fabric even in natural daylight.

The second question I am often asked is, "What other ways can the cascading vest be worn?"

I forgot to bring a belt for this shoot, but you could wear the vest belted for a slimmer silhouette. I also like to wear it knotted low in front.

You can also wear it as a scarf. Hold one of the armholes in one hand but the rest of the garment around your neck, and thread it all through the armhole. Viola! You have a lovely scarf!

The tunic is so comfortable and lightweight you can wear it even on the hottest day.

The easy-care fabric can be machine washed and hung to dry.

Never Boring Basics

You have likely noticed that the foundation of my look is basic pieces with interesting accessories and toppers.

Basics can get boring if you never play with texture or color, so today, I am showing you how my super comfortable white jean style twill pants from Fabrizio Gianni and a white tank can be given a little edge with a dark wash denim jacket and a mint tote also from Fabrizio Gianni.

Living at a higher elevation with evening temperatures that dip into the sixties or lower means I never leave for the day without taking an extra layer. Since I was going out for a day of casual sightseeing activities, the tote and scarf were the perfect accessories. I can wear a scarf or use it to soften the texture of the tote. Tying a colorful scarf to your bag in warm weather is a great way to add a pop of color to your basic look without being too warm by wearing it during the day. The tote is also roomy enough to put the jacket into when I don't need it.

I always wear a tank with wide straps and a nice fit but not too tight. If I do need to remove my jacket, I can still be comfortable and appropriate.

This is my favorite summer tote! It is lightweight, and the mint color goes with all my basics beautifully while adding a pop of color. It is also roomy enough to hold all the things I need to take for a full day of activities.

I have numerous items from Fabrizio Gianni that I have enjoyed wearing many times. I appreciate that the items are made in the USA, and the quality is always very high. Their customer service is excellent!

Zacasha Tassel Necklaces

Many have asked about the statement necklaces I often wear.

The necklaces feature Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.

Visit the Fabrizio Gianni site to see all the beautiful colors of this necklace.

Casual Bohemian

When I was a teenager, this was very much my signature look. However, my jeans were low rise bell bottoms. (Don't laugh!)

This beautifully embroidered linen and rayon top was sent to me by J.Jill. It is so much cooler than a knit top!

The jeans are slim ankle jeans from Chico's. The shoes are old by Anne Klein Sport via T.J.Maxx. The bracelet was a gift from my friend Lois.

This was our late lunch on this casual lazy day. This sandwich includes Rudis organic ancient grain bread with some veganaise, sprinkled with garlic powder, organic lettuce, heirloom tomato, avocado slices, balsamic vinegar, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. The wine is Apothic Red.

While I am showing you a look that was one I wore in my youth, I was not this slim when I was sixteen. When I was a Junior in high school, I weighed about twenty pounds more than I do today. My weight was never consistent until about five years ago, when I switched to a mostly plant-based diet. I read the book "Eat To Live" by Dr. Fuhrman, which taught me what to eat and why. My weight has remained about the same since I lost more than forty pounds at that time. This is a life-long record!