The Blues

A mixture of blues with tan was my date night outfit for Wednesday.

The long sleeve navy blue tee and tan side zip pants are from Talbots. The teal blue topper jacket is by Geiger.

 

The shoes are by Guess via T.J. Maxx.

The clutch bag is from Stein Mart. I found the necklace in an artist's co-op gallery in Asheville, NC. The large oval stone ring and earrings were gifts from Mr. Mickey. When I wear a busy necklace such as this one, I choose earrings that are much smaller and more subdued. Large hoop earrings with this necklace would be too much going on in the same place.

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a great day.

The Arts

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended one of our favorite annual events. The Johnson City Arts Council 4x4 was held at the beautiful Carnegie Hotel.

We arrived early to do this photoshoot for you.

The Johnson City Arts Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to nurture the arts and inspire community arts involvement in our area. As a lifelong artist, this event and this organization are near and dear to my heart. Among the many programs and services they bring to our area is Arts Corps. This is a free after-school arts program for underserved youth in our community. These children might not otherwise have the opportunity to discover their abilities or learn to appreciate the joy that comes from creating something beautiful. Their alternative might easily be drugs, gangs, or teen pregnancy.
 

Each couple in attendance of the 4x4 event pulls a number out of the fishbowl when they arrive. That number corresponds to an original piece of art by a local well-known artist. Attendees willing to trade their artwork are given a tiny flashing light to add to their name tag. If you want to trade, you look for those flashing lights and talk to the person with another one to work out the trade. We were thrilled with our masterpiece by our dear friend Joy McGinnis. The event includes dinner and wine as well as live entertainment and a silent auction. It gives us the chance to visit with many friends as well as to meet new ones.
  

The hotel is one of the most elegant in our region. We always look forward to attending events here or having dinner at their wonderful restaurant, Wellington's. This photo was taken in front of their wine cellar on the lower level.

The Austin Springs SPA is located just to the right of the cellar. I am often a happy guest there!

I wore a silver and rhinestone necklace and a blue jacket from Coldwater Creek with black lined crepe evening pants from Chico's. The shoes and bag are from Stein Mart.

 

Thank goodness the downpours waited until after the event!

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a wonderful week.

Daffodils and Sunshine

On Saturday, we had a few hours of sunshine and temps above forty degrees for the first time in a long while.

Today I carried the faux alligator skin bag I told you about earlier. I really like it a lot! The size and shape are perfect for me. Sometimes you don't know how much you will like something until you take it for a "test drive." I will look for this size and shape when I invest in a higher quality bag in the future. The navy blazer is by Austin Reed, the red jeans are from Chico's, the boots are by Ralph Lauren via T.J. Maxx. The golf print scarf is from Ross.

Here you can see evidence of my one good day in the yard so far this year. I cut back all the monkey grass edging the front gardens, trimmed shrubs and irises back, and added mulch. In about another week, we should have nicer weather to go outside without shivering the whole time.

Working in my flower gardens has always given me serenity. I look forward to warmer weather when something new seems to pop up from the earth each day. So far, daffodils and few other early bulbs are the only things to bloom. The pink cherry trees should be in bloom next month. I'll be sure to share a picture of those with you.  

Below is one of my favorite little shade garden paths from last summer. 

 

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Thank you for visiting with me in my gardens.

Animal and Red

The combination of red with animal print is one of my favorites.

For our dinner date last night I wore a long sleeve red tee and a three quarter sleeve jacket with side zip pants, all from Talbots. The weather is still much too cold here not to dress in layers.

My jewelry included these small three-strand drop gold and topaz earrings which were a gift from Mr. Mickey. They are by Michal Golan, a very talented artist from Israel. I also wore a red bangle with gold embellishments. Gold isn't a good color for me but the gold tones of animal print and the gold tones of the pants called for gold jewelry. 

 

It was also the perfect time to wear my favorite DVF pony hair animal print pumps from last year. Everything I have ever owned from the Diane von Furstenberg line has been a pure delight to wear.

Thank you for reading! 

The Handbag Search

For several weeks I have been searching for a light neutral handbag for summer such as the style I carried in this outfit photo from Sunday.

I was coming to the conclusion that I might have to pay up to $150 to find a style I liked when my sister told me to check out the bags at Tuesday Morning. (Really?)

I found the one above by Nine West and another faux alligator skin shown below for about $20 EACH at Tuesday Morning. Thanks, Sis!

I also found a lovely woven texture and cream faux leather combination one earlier in the week for about $35 at Stein Mart.
 

The lighter colors and more delicate fabrications of summer bags mean they might not last for more than one season of use. When I know the item I am purchasing will not be a long-term addition to my wardrobe. I cannot justify spending a lot of money on it.

These clutch bags were purchased last year at T.J.Maxx. If I am going out to dinner or brunch, I don't carry a larger daytime bag. These clutches get less use, so they last for much longer than one season. Timeless styles that will still work for me in the future are always good choices in clutches.

I store handbags on shelves in a rarely used guest room closet stuffed with tissue and dust covers if the bags come with them. 

This is another Nine West bag I purchased last year. Each time I carry this bag, I use neutral shoe polish to clean and protect it. I like to wear this style of bag with platform sandals and Capri pants. That's an outfit I often wear in the heat of summer instead of shorts (never!). This is a youthful style that balances well with that look. It also can be carried in the crook of the arm or on the shoulder.

Your handbag can pull together your look and add that extra touch of elegance to serve a purpose. A handbag can also make you look silly or sloppy. 

Consider scale and balance when shopping for a bag. For example, if you are six feet tall and weigh a few pounds more than you would like, a small top handle bag will not be a good balance for your silhouette. Instead, look for a larger bag that you carry on your arm or shoulder if you prefer that type.

If money were no object, I might purchase this bag. (I don't think everything in my wardrobe added together would equal the price of this bag.) This is the Cognac RL Gold Spectator 40 Calfskin Tote by Ralph Lauren. It is $5,030!

You can see how the style, shape, and color influenced my choice of bags in the first three images. I often look at the high-end designer styles that appeal to me, and then I go searching for the version that matches my budget.

I hope that these tips help you to find the right summer bags for you. 

Have a wonderful week!