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.

Brunch With A View

Sunday is a great day to visit the Omni Grove Park Inn.

We often take the beautiful drive along Highway 26 to Asheville just to have brunch at the Inn. 

I enjoy this meal so much because a whole room is devoted to vegetables and salads during their Sunday brunch. I load my plate there first. If I go back for anything else, it is just to have one small taste of less healthy options like potato casserole or baked mac and cheese. These are my secrets to keeping my weight about the same for the last five years. The foods I eat most often include fresh leafy greens and other colorful vegetables and fruits. I never eat until I feel stuffed. I usually eat only two small meals a day. I never eat beef or pork or commercially processed foods, but I may occasionally have a small piece of wild-caught fish.

My look for this day included a top by Clara Sunwoo and the Janet style pants by Lior Paris. Both these items are from ShopMyFairLady.com.

The original Grove Park Inn was built more than one hundred years ago!

The underground Spa was completed just a few years ago. We always enjoy spending the day there!

The view, the flowers, the service, and the ambiance at this resort are always a joy to experience.

There are two massive fireplaces in the Great Hall. One of them is wood burning, so this cart is used to bring wood during the colder months.

The view from our table by the window is always spectacular, no matter the weather.

My top matched the art on display near the Great Hall.

My necklace and Lilly Pulitzer clutch bag are both old from Finely House Couture in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The shoes are by Gianni Bini from Dillard's earlier this year.

One of my all-time favorite places to shop is Shop My Fair Lady on Reseda Boulevard in Tarzana, California. On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I was able to stop by for a quick visit one afternoon. My sweet friends Jon and Julie Rick are the owners. They offer lines that are both comfortable and flattering at any age and something appropriate for any occasion.

Julie is wearing an over-sized Art Print Blouse by Dilemma. I am wearing one of my favorite Clara Sunwoo tops with open shoulders. Jon looks handsome no matter what he wears!

Covered Perfectly on the 4th of July!

One of my favorite new tops from the Covered Perfectly line is the Allyson.

With keyhole details at the neckline and a very forgiving fit and flare silhouette, it is a great top to wear with jeans.

I wore this on the 4th of July. I cannot decorate or wear holiday sweaters, but I will wear red on festive occasions.

Each time I go out to Los Angeles for a Covered Perfectly photoshoot, I can't wait to see all the new styles.

As soon as I slipped this top on at the shoot, everyone around me said: "Oh, you have to get that one!"

I always take advantage of the Buy Two Get One Free offer when I shop at Covered Perfectly. I'll show you the other two choices later. Stay tuned!

The princess seaming and the slightly belled sleeves make this top very comfortable and figure-flattering. I received many compliments!

I wore the new Allyson top from Covered Perfectly with old Anne Klein white jeans from T.J.Maxx with a colorful clutch bag from Finely House Couture in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The sandals are a couple of years old by Jessica Simpson.

Try Something Different

I have found a formula for getting dressed that works for me, but I have fun trying out new silhouettes.

Each time palazzo pants are in style, I am tempted to try them. I love the idea of wearing them in warm weather instead of a sundress. They are cool and comfortable and breezy like a sundress, but your arms and legs don't have to be on full display.

When you find the right top and shoes to wear with them, they are very flattering.

These pants work so well for me because they have a smooth wide waistband instead of a gathered small elastic one. The latter would add twenty pounds visually. The fabric is a very forgiving lightweight knit that skims the body but shows no jiggly bits. 

The black platform shoes are sturdy and easy to walk in. I do not wear high heels with palazzo pants because it is too easy to get the heels caught in them as you are walking.

Silver, blue and white is a classic warm-weather pairing for my cool skin tone.

We were on our way out to dinner this evening, so the little silver box clutch was appropriate. A small straw clutch and a wide brim straw hat with flat silver sandals would make this look more appropriate for the daytime. The hemline of the pants should almost touch the floor. 

I am wearing a size extra-small pants here, so if you buy these, go down a size. The top is a size medium.

The box clutch and sunglasses are old from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are by Kenneth Cole via Saks Off 5th.

The top and the palazzo pants are by Clara Sunwoo via my friends at ShopMyFairLady.com.

One Color Dressing

I decide what to wear based on the weather first and then what is appropriate for the event. Finally, to complete the look, I added my personality with accessories.

The day after returning from Los Angeles, we went out to dinner. I was still in a Southern California state of mind, so my makeup was minimal, and I wore cool shades of soft gray and white with sandals. 

When the weather is hot and humid, I wear minimal makeup because I know it will become smudged little rivers running down my face within a few minutes. So instead of my usual liquid foundation, I blot on a bit of loose Lancôme powder down the middle of my face and on my cheeks near my nose (not in the eye area!). My eye makeup is also minimal in warmer weather.

The best place to match your foundation is on your upper chest (décolleté area). If it blends and becomes invisible there, you have the right color. Don't you just hate it when your foundation makes your face look like it belongs to another body?

This effortless, breezy style includes a high-low hem tank top from White House|Black Market. The long, almost sheer silver-gray cardigan is old from Chico's. The white light-weight jeans-style pants are old by Fabrizio Gianni.

Accessories include sunglasses by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx, an oversized face silver watch from Michael Kors, with a small silver link bracelet, which was a gift from Mr. M.

The bag is old from Express. The shoes are old by Calvin Klein.

When I shop, it usually replaces something that is starting to look too worn, not because I want the newest trend. Instead, I look for classic pieces that look good on my frame, in colors that flatter my complexion and can be mixed and matched with what I already have. Those are my secrets for a successful and carefully edited wardrobe that works all year round.

A Date Night Look

The photo below shows one side of my tiny shade garden.

When I owned my previous home, I spent many hours working in my huge flower gardens every day during the growing season. It soon became way too much for me to take care of alone, so I had to hire help to maintain it properly.

I am enjoying a downsized version of homeownership very much!

This tiny garden still allows me to enjoy watching things that I have planted grow. That primal urge to dig in the dirt comes to me every spring without fail.

On a recent Wednesday date night, I wore a top that is a couple of years old from Chico's. The pants by Fabrizio Gianni are from last year. The shoes are by Sam Edelman from last year. The necklace is an estate piece from Finely House Couture in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The sunglasses are by Michael Kors.

Blue has always been my favorite color, so mixing blues with white pants for summer still feels like a natural combination for me. I often look to nature for color combinations. Think of a vivid summer sky, white fluffy clouds, and the clear water of a lagoon surrounded by white sand and palms.

We had dinner on the terrace at the Blackthorn Club.

The flowers around the patio of our club are always majestic!

July 16, 2016, marks five years of Fifty, not Frumpy fun! I have enjoyed discovering what works for me and my lifestyle and sharing it all with you. I hope I have inspired you to only purchase what you truly love and to enjoy wearing it in many ways for years to come. These days I find that I am buying fewer items, giving me more time and money to enjoy fantastic adventures!

The small straw clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. I use accessories to change the look of my basics. Handbags, shoes, scarves, and jewelry are elements that can give your look personality. They can make my combinations of traditional things I have owned for years look more up to date.