The Progressive Dinner

The 38th annual Progressive Dinner was held in Jonesborough on Saturday evening. We have attended this event for several years and always enjoy seeing the unique old homes and having one course of our meal in each of them. We register at the Chester Inn Museum, where we are treated to warm cider.

The toast was presented by one of our favorite young men, Kelly Wolfe. He is the mayor of Jonesborough, and we just love him! He always makes us laugh.

There is live music at each location. Here at the Historic Eureka Inn, the music was provided by Eileen Collie. She is a student who will soon be leaving for college, where she will be studying engineering.

I am wearing a red turtleneck knit top with faux leather and Ponte pants from Chico's. The jacket is by French Connection via Saks Off 5th. The red leather gloves are from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I think I found the red scarf at Target. None of the items are new, but you can likely find something similar in your own closet or wherever you shop since most of my choices are fairly basic.

The music at the Panhorst/Floyd home was provided by Joseph Sobol.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in the state of Tennessee.

Students of the Harrington Music Studio provided the music for the main course at The McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School.

We enjoyed dessert at the Oak Hill School, which is a one-room schoolhouse with a pot-bellied stove. The schoolhouse was still in use as recently as the 1950s. Wonderful holiday music was provided by The Jonesborough Novelty Band.

Mr. Mickey is back to looking like the dapper gent that he is. He enjoys this sing-along with bells more than anyone.

Thank you so much for your kind comments this week. We love sharing our lives with you, and we hope to do so for many years to come.

For The Children

When you see the normally impeccably groomed Mr. Mickey sporting a fuller beard in the fall, you will know that he is preparing for one of his greatest roles.

Santa has arrived!

For a couple of hours, these precious children can feel safe in the arms of Santa as they share a laugh and tell him their secrets.

Taking a nap at the feet of Santa.

Our dear friend, Tony Seaton, started this project on his own several years ago because of his sincere love for children. It is now a labor of love for a small group of friends who contribute to buying a coat, shoes, an outfit for school, and a toy for each of these children.

There are tears, laughter, and full-on joy as the day unfolds. One little boy's family had just lost everything they own in a fire that destroyed their home this very morning.

"Here is a gift for you, Santa!"

I love to watch this man give his full undivided attention to the children as they come to sit on his lap and receive the gifts we have provided for them. He makes each child feel as if they are the most important person in the room.

The children's guardians or family members, if they have any, are treated to a full lunch and a day of celebration.

 

I feel so very blessed to be a part of this day and this man's life.

The jacket I am wearing is by Damee NYC from Shop My Fair Lady.

As evening approaches, Santa is also ready for a nap!

This extraordinary day begins early in the morning and continues well into the evening as Santa tries to visit all those near and dear to our hearts.

We ended this very long day at Gourmet and Company, where Santa gave a gift to every person working tonight in our favorite restaurant.

The best gift of all is love!

At My Warehouse

This is the busiest time of the year for my company. We are so grateful for all the designers and bead shops who buy their components from us.

A key member of my staff had to attend to a family emergency out of state this week, which left us very shorthanded. That means I needed to help fill orders in addition to all my other daily tasks. That's why you haven't heard much from me lately. There hasn't been a moment to spare.

 

Do you wear something special on busy days to cheer yourself along? I certainly do! The black jeans I am wearing are by French Dressing Jeans. The short black boots are by Franco Sarto via T.J.Maxx.

I also got these two fabulous bracelets from Jewels of the Vineyard this week. I love the modern look and comfortable fit of these bracelets. They never get in the way when I am working, and they don't make noise.

This is a tiny portion of the orders we packaged and shipped in one hour this week. All those priority boxes and much more will be out the door by the end of the day. My staff is really amazing!

I respect all of my employees so much. It is awe-inspiring to do the tedious work of pulling thousands of tiny items for orders every day and rarely making a mistake. Regina, my vice-president, has a mind like a computer! She sends thousands of packages to clients worldwide and yet remembers unique instructions from repeat clients. Amazingly that is just one small part of her responsibilities.

Q&A About Short Boots

Today's question: "I see young women wearing dresses with black short boots, and it looks so cute. Is that something I can wear after forty? My legs are not very long from the knee to the ankle, and I am only 5' 3" tall."

Dress by Karl Lagerfeld via Dillard's.

Wearing black ankle boots with a dress always makes the person appear shorter and wider. This trend is not very flattering for most women since it adds horizontal lines that visually shorten your body rather than lengthening it. Whereas if you wear shoes with a low-cut vamp that shows more of the leg and the top of the foot, it visually lengthens the leg.

Dress by Karl Lagerfeld via Dillard's.

The vamp is the portion of a shoe that cuts across the top of your foot at the front. A low vamp cuts across the toes' base, while a high vamp can come up the foot even up to the ankle. A heel height of only two inches lifts the body and makes clothes fall better, which gives a slimmer appearance.

Calvin Klein pumps.

If you want to make your legs look longer, seek out pumps or boots with slightly pointed toes and slender heels, as opposed to square-toes, chunky styles, or thick ankle straps, all of which can give the appearance of a shorter, stockier leg.

High Versus Low Contrast

Do you enjoy wearing black with pure white? Maybe that seems like way too much contrast for you.

Imagine a woman with high contrast in her own coloring, for example, a woman with pale porcelain skin and dark hair and eyes. She has a natural stark contrast within her own coloring, so she can easily carry off high contrast looks such as the combination of stark white with pure black.

Alternatively, the woman with soft gray hair, pale skin, and blue eyes might find various gray shades a better level of contrast for her color choices.

Each person will have their own set of color tones that are best for them. For example, your best red will be the same tone of red found on the inside of your bottom lip.

Look into the irises of your eyes. Do you see any gold there at all? If not, perhaps silver is your best metal color.

If you enjoy wearing black and white, your personal contrast level is likely high. If you are more comfortable in the gray and white combination, your personal contrast level is likely on the lower scale.

Learning what colors and intensity of colors work best for you is a large part of creating a successful wardrobe. There is no magic formula that works for everyone, and I don't claim to be a style expert, but I hope that what I share helps you think more about the details and identify what works best for you.

Eiffel Tower Graphic Top

I rarely wear prints, but I couldn't resist this Eiffel Tower graphic top. It's my way of saying, "I love you, Paris!"

This top is made from luxurious poly spandex knit that is very comfortable. There are subtly placed tiny rhinestones on the front. The design covers the front and the back. It has three-quarter length dolman sleeves, so I will be wearing it almost year-round.

I paired the top with a cashmere cardigan from J.Jill and slim-fitting dark wash jeans from Fabrizio Gianni. The boots are very old by Nine West. The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th.

Since we were going to a casual brunch at the Grove Park Inn, this was the perfect look for our full day of leisure.

 

I couldn't resist asking this beautiful grandmother if I could take her picture. She wore the perfect look for a day with her family, admiring the gingerbread houses and Christmas trees on display throughout the resort.

Sitting in front of one of the Great Hall's fireplaces at the Omni Grove Park Inn is such a pleasure when the weather turns cold.

The holidays are now in full swing! There are decorations everywhere you look.

Many of you have written to ask how I can eat out so often and not gain weight. Yesterday, I loaded my first plate with every salad and grilled vegetable that was offered. The next plate was a tiny taste of each item I wanted to try. Baked mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods ever! I tasted all the things I love, but I didn't stuff myself with a whole plate full of decadence. I didn't even gain an ounce from our weekend splurge. (I also didn't eat anything later in the day after our wonderful afternoon brunch.)

I use mindful eating and discipline rather than being deprived of the things I enjoy as techniques to control my weight. A great coach once said, "Your attitude is always the most important part of the game of life."