The Johnson City Country Club

Many of the special events of my life have been held at the Johnson City Country Club. The 100th year of our grand lady is being celebrated this year.

I attribute my love of classic architecture and French influences to my early visits when I was only a teenager.

  

The entry hall leading to the ballroom has always been so warm and welcoming.

The outfit for date night dinner with great friends includes a necklace, tank, ankle pants, and a lightweight cardigan from Chico's. The shoes are old from Nine West. The bag and sunglasses are from Stein Mart.

Jazz at Wellington's

Today we had the nicest weather of the summer!

Earlier in the day, we attended a Bristol Race Day brunch at our dear friends' lake home. It was great fun to see a few of my sweet girlfriends again and just be silly. Some of us are trying not to fall off the steps while Mr. Mickey is snapping pictures before we are ready.

The view from my back deck was stunning on this sunny day!

Before dinner, Mr. Mickey took me to Chico's since we had a few minutes to spare. Isn't he the best?!

Happy going in the door...

Even happier coming out the door!

With the sale, they were having and my birthday Passport discount added, it was like getting a tank top for free! Tank tops, or any other basics that you wear as often as I do mine, need to be updated at least once a year. The tanks at Chico's are top quality, and I love it that the necklines are not too low. I buy a size too large because I don't like them to cling to my middle so much.

Wellington's is a fine dining restaurant that is part of the Carnegie Hotel and Spa in Johnson City, TN.

We visit this restaurant often, but on this evening we had the best meal in years! The fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and orange marmalade appetizer was one of the best things I have ever eaten. They also had our all-time favorite wild mushroom soup. We are two happy people!

There was a splendid live Jazz performance in the lounge this evening, but we could hear the performance from our table as well. 

Local readers may recognize a special ETSU professor back there in the center. We enjoyed sitting in the lounge listening to them after dinner. Mr. Mickey snapped this photo as I walked away from the tip jar. He is my own personal Paparazzi!  

Both my outfits for this day are from Chico's. I have been asked to be a style ambassador for them. However, that would require additional trips to Asheville for shows or seminars. At this time, my plate is much too full to add anything else, so I will consider it again in the future. For now, I am just a pleased, loyal Chico's shopper! 

Nouvique Necklace on Date Night

Kathleen Mannix is one of many extremely talented designers who create amazing works of art using items from my company. She recently sent me one of her beautiful creations as a gift! I had so much fun styling an outfit for date night to showcase this gorgeous necklace.

The fabulous necklace is a one-of-a-kind sculptural piece that incorporates vintage items and components from my company, including the stunning Swarovski pendant. To see more of the work of this acclaimed artist, visit her website at Nouvique.

When I wear a glamorous statement necklace such as this one, I let it take the spotlight by keeping all the other elements of my look very sleek and neutral.

The tank, pants, and jacket are all Travelers from Chico's.

The clutch bag is from Stein Mart. The shoes are from Macy's.

The Glass Onion

Mr. Mickey and I often turn dinner reservations in a nearby town into a day trip full of other activities. Saturday was one of those days.

I dressed for a warm day in the city, followed by dinner at a restaurant we haven't visited before.

We spent part of the afternoon in Asheville sipping a beverage at a sidewalk cafe, watching the local characters. This is one of our favorite street performers. He plays, sings, and dances all at the same time.

Sister Bad Habit is always a fun one to see zipping about.

These performers made their own instruments to create their haunting melodies. We bought one of their CDs they were so good!

We shopped in the Grove Arcade, which has an amazing entrance. Gargoyles are a recurring theme throughout Asheville.

The flowers on many of the streets were amazing!

This is an apartment building across the street from The Grove Arcade.

As twilight approached, it was time to take Asheville's short drive back to Weaverville for our dinner reservations at the Glass Onion.

We tried several different items from the menu, and each was a great delight to the eyes and the palate. 

We shared a delightful dessert of a profiterole filled with lemon cream and topped with blueberry reduction. It was so excellent!

The husband and wife (this is Natalie with me) owners have always been head chefs at fine restaurants in New York until they decided to take the plunge and open their own restaurant here in the western North Carolina mountains. We are so fortunate that they did!

We loved the casual elegance, wonderful food, attentive service (but not too much), and visiting with the other diners around our table. It was a lovely and entertaining evening centered around exceptional food. We look forward to returning very soon to try some of the other entrees.

The white ankle pants are by Jones of New York. The tank, cardigan sweater, and necklace are from Chico's. The bag is from Stein Mart. The sandals are by Bjorndal from Rack Room Shoes.

Everyday Elegance

As our weather becomes cooler each morning, I often reach for a sweater and jeans on casual days.

This timeless combination can easily become frumpy if we aren't careful. I try to remember these tips whenever I wear or buy a sweater.

Color: The color should be flattering to your face, and it should look nice with jeans or khaki pants.

Fabrication: The knit should be so fine that you can ball it up in your hands. No big cable knits or ski sweaters unless you want to add bulk to your upper half. (Not I!) Many acrylics and other man-made fabrics pill and add too much bulk. Look for cotton, cashmere, or other fine gauge knits.

Buttons: I like a cardigan style sweater that has a V-neck. I only button a couple of buttons at the center, if at all. I also look for a style that falls straight rather than gathered or banded at the bottom, and I normally push the sleeves up. 

Crews and V necks in a pullover type sweater can also be a great addition to your wardrobe. You can wear them with a scarf, a vest or a jacket. I look for a neckline that falls below my collarbone in a fine gauge knit that does not add bulk, fits loosely, and ends at the top of my hip rather than below my bottom. If a longer sweater is worn with loose-fitting jeans, the look is too bulky (think frumpy). 

Layering: In warmer weather, I wear sweaters with a tank top and an interesting necklace or lightweight scarf. I layer them with a thin long sleeve tee and a long scarf for contrast and added warmth in cooler weather.

Storage: Fine knit sweaters can easily be stretched out of shape if you hang them on a hanger. It might be a good idea to invest in one of the storage solutions shown above, which can be purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond. These units can be added to the bar in a closet where there is room for them. A top shelf in your closet or a bookshelf nearby might be another storage solution. You can, of course, store sweaters in a deep drawer in your dresser.

Add sunglasses, a nice bag, and comfortable walking shoes along with a favorite pair of jeans, and I am ready to spend a Saturday looking through antique stores, having brunch at a sidewalk café, browsing through an old bookstore, or a stroll through the park checking out an art show.