Saturday in The High Country

Monique Jutras Carr is a very talented artist whom we are lucky to count as a dear friend. Her work is being shown at Alta Vista Gallery, located in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On Saturday, we decided to take the beautiful drive to Valle Crucis on our way to dinner at Rowland's in Blowing Rock.

Our visit to this gallery was a joy from the moment we stepped onto the manicured grounds. Located in a stunning valley surrounded by verdant green mountains, even the drive to this location is a pleasure.

"Mystere"
Monique Carr
Oil on Canvas

We will not miss Monique's show in October. I have my eye on the piece above! Many pieces in this gallery caused me to take a long pause to enjoy the work's intricate beauty.

We look forward to revisiting the gallery and Valle Crucis. We are now planning to stay in one of several Bed and Breakfasts to relax and enjoy a full weekend there.

There are many unique properties in the surrounding area. Boone is only about eight miles away, so it is a very short drive to many excellent restaurants and shopping.

Dinner reservations were the only reason we cut our visit to Valle Crucis short.

We always look forward to our meals at Rowland's with great anticipation!

The restaurant is named after the owner's father.

A selection of salts from around the world is offered at your table.

Each course was paired with Gary's best wine selection, the very knowledgeable manager, and sommelier.

Divine heirloom tomato salad!

Superb mushroom bisque.

That's grilled wild salmon over roasted corn and lobster potato salad. Mr. Mickey couldn't wait to dig into his favorite entree!

We can't resist sharing a decadent dessert occasionally.

My jacket is by Damee NYC. The pants are the Jana style Lior Paris pants. Both are old from ShopMyFairLady.com. 

The white layered tank top is from White House|Black Market. The shoes are old by French Connection via Saks Off 5th.

Without rain, you can never see a rainbow. 

Five Years!

On July 16, 2011, I started a Facebook page to share what I wish I had always known about nutrition and style. I was so excited when I reached one hundred followers! Today there are more than twenty-eight thousand of you.

I was a lifetime yo-yo dieter whose weight might fluctuate by as much as fifty pounds in one year. There were times when even my extended family members didn't recognize me if they hadn't seen me for a while. Reading the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Furhman taught me what to eat and why. 

After my weight and health issues were under control, it was time to tackle my frumpy style. That is still a work in progress, but it is fun to share what I learn with you.

To celebrate my fifth blogging anniversary, Mr. Mickey took me out to dinner last evening. I wore a new tunic by I.C. Collection over old Mesmerize pants; both are from one of my favorite places to shop, ShopMyFairLady.com.

The bag is old from Saks Off 5th. The shoes are old by Nina New York. The necklace weighs about fifteen pounds (only a slight exaggeration!), and I bought it at S.M. Bradford at Harbour Town Yacht Club on Hilton Head Island last year. The nail color is OPI "Dutch Tulips."

Even though I have several red tunics, I wanted this one because it reminds me of a mullet hairstyle, all business up front, and a party in the back.

We visited Gourmet and Company, which is our favorite restaurant in Johnson City.

My dinner was the fabulous heirloom tomato salad with grilled peaches.

Mr. Mickey had the spring garden salad with benne brittle and grilled wild salmon.

Here is what happens when I see a tiny baby praying mantis on the wall during a photoshoot and totally forget what I am supposed to be doing.

Mr. Mickey says that he no longer kills bugs because of me. Great compliment!

Love Those Basics!

The temperatures dropped today, so I could return to my comfort zone (a jacket). This white linen biker jacket is a couple of years old. I found it on a sale rack at Stein Mart back when I tried to build up my basics.

The tank top is a couple of years old from Chico's. The caper color pants were sent to me by Fabrizio Gianni last year. The scarf is a few years old. I found it at Ross Dress For Less. The sandals are at least three years old from DSW. I bought the Alberta Di Canio bag last year on sale at T.J.Maxx.

I tell you where I get all the items I am wearing to show that you don't have to shop only in high-end stores. Just look for the best quality pieces you can afford. Always make sure they fit your body nicely, no matter what your shape. You might be able to use what you already have in your closet in a new way if you see it worn differently.

My day started at 3 AM today. I am just now getting the time to share a post with you, but I wanted to show you what I did to my hair!

I just couldn't take all that hair falling into my face all day while I was working. I am much too busy to schedule an appointment with my dear friend and stylist right now. SO... I did the unspeakable and cut my own hair in the front (not the back!).

Do you make vision boards? I am always tearing pages out of old magazines to keep something that inspires me. I saw this page recently in the InStyle magazine. Lauren Hutton is seventy-two now. I saw her walking down Broadway one evening in New York several years ago. She is stunning!

I believe you can find inspiration from people who have great style no matter what age they are. I admire some women in their twenties and thirties, and I may take a bit of what they do and make it part of my next look in an appropriate way. I hope that is what you do when you see my looks. Take what you need and use my tips however you wish. I offer it all for free and with love for my silver sisters everywhere.

Dress the body you have today. That doesn't mean you have given up on your fabulous future body. It just means you are going to look great along the way while you are reaching your goals.

From The Knees Down

Do you know what styles of pants look best on your frame? I once wore whatever was current, not giving it much thought. I know now why certain styles look better and feel more comfortable on my body. 

Since starting this blog five years ago, I have done lots of research and had thousands of pictures taken. All that has taught me many things, which allows me to share helpful tips and suggestions rather than just publishing pictures of my outfits.

The Anne Klein white jeans above and the BCBG bag are old from T.J.Maxx. The top is the Simple Comfort from Covered Perfectly. The flat sandals by Nine West are from last year. The belt is old from Chico's. 

These jeans continue down to the top of the shoes without bunching. I prefer to give an illusion of a waistline with a hook belt worn low since I have a high thick waistline. You can see from the picture below that I always need to wear a low-slung belt with a slim-fitting tunic.

If you are like me, you want to know why something works for you, not just what pieces to wear. I often see something cute on a model, but when I try it on, it looks nothing like that on me. The proper fit and proportions can help us look our best in the clothes we are wearing, which makes me feel more confident.

Many of you have commented that you can not wear heels anymore. If you wear flats with cropped pants and, like me, have short, thick calves, your legs will look much shorter, and you will look much wider. To counter this visual effect, I wear slim-fitting straight leg long pants with flat sandals. If I wear ankle pants or any other style that ends higher on the leg, I will wear a nude higher heel or wedge heel shoe, which visually lengthens my leg.

The tunic above is the Simple V from Covered Perfectly. The bag is by Calvin Klein, and the shoes are by Nine West, both from T.J.Maxx. I no longer have those jeans.

Think about continuing the color or tone in one unbroken line. Even though I got the one tone rule down, I did not get the fit right in the picture above. The boot cut pants were not a good combination because they bunched over the shoes. I need to wear this type of shoe with ankle pants that stop about an inch above the shoe's top.

You have likely seen many young women wearing the style of black shoes above with a dress. Unless your legs are very long and thin from the knees to the ankles, you run the risk of appearing to have short fat legs when you break up the line of your legs, as I did with the look above. 

I thought I had rolled up that skirt to show enough of my leg, but alas, I had not. To give my legs the right proportion with these shoes in a dress, I need to wear a mini skirt. (Not happening!) 

This would have been a much better look if I had stayed with my long, lean, slim leg black pants, which stop just above the top of my shoes.

Black and White Geo Print

If you find a print or pattern in my wardrobe, it will be a stripe, high contrast geo print (geometric pattern), or an abstract one in bold jewel colors.

My new favorite cascading vest from Covered Perfectly is the perfect print for me. This high contrast black and white with abstract spots is one of the new items introduced last month.

When I travel, I always take one of these vests with me. They take up no space in your luggage, and you can wear them in many ways to change the look of basics.

I am wearing the vest here over the white simple comfort top. If you wear tank tops, it wears beautifully over those on a hot day to give you a little coverage. I hate showing off my middle in clinging tops, but I don't mind showing my arms.

When I strolled out to greet Mr. Mickey wearing this, he said: "That is one of the best looks you've worn in a while." He loves this combo!

This video shows you how I wear the cascading vests and shares some tips for traveling light.

Classic Elegance

When I look at old photos, I try to figure out what stands the test of time. If the picture was taken in 1958, but you don't say "ugh!" when you look at it, it might be that the woman is wearing a simple, classic style that will always look appropriate.

I gravitate to clothes that don't represent a particular era or trend. The flowing tunic from Chico's is a couple of years old, and I have worn it on many hot summer days. I always feel elegant yet comfortable.

A striped shirt with white pants has been a great summer look for decades. My white skinny jeans paired with a long flowing blue and white striped top looks current, but Jackie Kennedy might have worn a similar look while on holiday at Hyannis Port many decades ago.

Elegance is defined as being graceful and attractive in appearance or behavior. To be described as an elegant woman is indeed a compliment.

The Alberta Di Canio bag was made in Italy; I bought it last year on sale at T.J.Maxx. It is a classic style of high quality, which means I can enjoy it for many years to come. The white skinny jeans are from Ann Taylor. The sandals are a couple of years old by Jessica Simpson, and they are so comfortable I wish I had bought two pairs! The cuff and crystal hoop earrings are old as well.  The sunglasses are by Balmain via Saks Off 5th. Classics stand the test of time.

Elegant style includes knowing what is attractive to your body shape and what fits your lifestyle. I never pretend to be a style expert, but I freely share what works for me as an inspiration to discover what works well for you, your body shape, and your lifestyle.  There really isn't a one size fits all when it comes to style. Celebrate all the wonderful things that make you unique!

All Is Well

Severe storms passed through our region on Friday evening. Countless trees were torn apart or completely uprooted by high winds taking power sources with them, which means many thousands of people are still without power on Sunday morning.

For all those who wrote to ask, we are safe and well. We sustained very little damage in our neighborhood.

We had reservations for dinner on Saturday night, so we decided to keep our plans. We anticipated that it might take a lot longer to reach our destination because of all the roads' debris.

Teams were out in force before the break of dawn to start clearing the damage and trying to restore power as quickly as possible.

We were more than ready to have a day away from the stress of life after this somber and frightening week. As we drove through the mountains on our way to Blowing Rock, North Carolina, I could feel the release of tension.

Something calming about looking out over endless green mountain ranges fills me with a sense of peace and gratitude.

We forgot to take the camera with us when we parked the car earlier in the day, so we had to take a few minutes before dinner to snap some photos for you. We always try to shoot looks at the beginning of our day before I become too rumpled looking. Today you see me after a day of shopping, visiting with friends, sitting in the park watching people, and riding around in a convertible.

There are many things I like about owning a capsule wardrobe of basics. Most of all, I appreciate that when I don't have the energy to come up with a special look, I can just put on something and go without giving it too much thought.

It is always a lot cooler in the mountains, so I have learned to wear layers whenever we go that way. Today I wore a jacket by IC Collection via ShopMyFairLady.com. (It is on sale now!) The layered V-Neck tank could have been worn alone if I had gotten too warm during the day, but that did not happen. The tank is from White House|Black Market. The pants are the Sasha Style by Lior Paris via ShopMyFairLady.com.

My accessories included small silver wide hoop earrings with tiny crystals, sunglasses by Balmain via Saks Off 5th, and a stack of silver bracelets.

The shoes are old by Bar III via Macy's.

After seeing so much damage all day, I was relieved to see that this little flower garden spot behind a store in Banner Elk had survived unscathed.

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

I always share where I got the items shown if I can remember. The source is often ShopMyFairLady.com because they carry many of the lines I find comfortable and reflect my personal style.

Focus

On a recent sunny Saturday, we had lunch in Jonesborough at the Cuban-inspired restaurant, The Dining Room.

The Dining Room is moving eight miles west to downtown Johnson City later this year. Planning for a November grand opening, the menu will remain the same as The Dining Room, but the restaurant's name will change to “Sabores,” which is “flavor” in Spanish.

I have often been asked how I keep my weight the same while eating out so often. I also get questions about what I order when we dine out. At this particular restaurant, I order the grilled portobello mushroom sandwich with a side salad.

Most places will be happy to prepare a meatless dish for you. I always stress that I do not want potatoes, rice, or pasta. I often tell them no bread. Vegetarian does not mean pasta with oil, cheese, butter, and cream.

If I am dining with a group and everyone is ordering three or four courses, I won't hesitate to order three different small salads with dressing on the side. Many nicer restaurants offer more than one type of salad. I always order the ones without meat. I rarely finish everything on my plate.

We never eat at fast food places.

When I travel, I carry raw almonds or walnuts or some organic trail mix and a piece of fruit. I buy a bottle of water after I get through security. I never take the food and snacks offered on the plane.

This comfortable casual Saturday afternoon look includes a super lightweight white shirt with pockets by Focus via ShopMyFairLady.com. The shirt is almost sheer, so I am wearing a camisole under it to not show through the Jag Jeans. I bought the Jag Jeans from The Fig Leaf in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

The platform shoes were by Rampage via Belk last year.

The fun clutch bag is from one of my other favorite shops, Carriage Trade Antiques and Blowing Rock. When I bought this bag, Mr. Mickey questioned my choice because he knows I rarely buy anything so memorable. After seeing it paired with many of the solid separates I love to wear, he gets it.

I saw the attractive lady shown below as she was going into a store and asked if I could take her picture for the blog. She had a great asymmetric hairstyle that was very short in the back.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in Tennessee. 

Jonesborough was established seventeen years before Tennessee was granted statehood in 1779.

I hope your weekend adventures take you to beautiful places with excellent food!

I always share where I get the items I am wearing if I can remember. The source is often ShopMyFairLady.com because they carry so many of the lines I find comfortable and fit with my style.