Upon the Mountain

Today we took a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to one of our favorite villages, Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Our visits to Blowing Rock almost always end with Mr. Mickey and I enjoying a scoop of Kilwin's ice cream while sitting on a bench in the park across the street. Today I shared a bench with a scarecrow!

This is the door of a stone church in the village.

For some people, Sunday afternoon is a time to watch football. Shopping is a sport, isn't it? Unfortunately, all of my shopping lately has been at Lowe's. 

Here's a peek at my new home. We stopped there on our way out of town.

I will be moving my furniture in soon, but for now, there is still more work to be done.

Today I am wearing a dark purple sweater from Chico's with a lighter violet tunic from Covered Perfectly. This is my version of a sweater set. I don't care for those short clingy ones that you often find in stores. The necklace and brown ponte pants are also from Chico's. I now have my favorite Louise et Cie shoes in brown leather, black suede, and animal print. They are so comfortable! You will find them only at Nordstrom. The bag is old.

Instant Winter!

Our temperatures suddenly dropped to 26 degrees this week.

The rapidly changing weather had me reaching for layers.

For a Friday date night dinner with friends, I wore shades of teal with gray tweed pants. The first layer is a long sleeve tee from Talbots, next is a knit sweater from Dillard's, topped by a car coat from Geiger. The gray tweed pants are from Ross. The necklace is silver and teal from Chico's. The black short boots and black and silver bag are from TJ Maxx.  

These items are all old, and you have likely seen them before, but I have been trying to combine the pieces I have to create different looks. For example, I have been wearing the long sleeve tee with jeans and a long sweater vest for a very casual look. Pairing it with a similar color shorter knit sweater and necklace with tweed pants made it more appropriate for wearing out to dinner. 

I am also more mindful of the combinations and hues of color I wear now. I am exhausted from a week of packing and moving and cleaning both houses as I go, so I could not have carried off the high contrast combination of sapphire and black, for example. I would have "disappeared" behind the stark contrast of those colors.

Covered Perfectly

A great looking tunic is always the number one item on my wish list every season. 

These fabulous tops layer well or stand-alone for year-round wear.

I have been wearing my Covered Perfectly tops often. They are buttery soft, and the fit is indeed perfect. 

The neckline is perfect to layer with jackets or vests!

Uncork The Fun

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended a fun Gatsby event hosted by The Johnson City Area Arts Council (JCAAC). Our regional arts council is dedicated to preserving and nurturing the traditional arts and cultural communities of Johnson City and the surrounding five-county area.

I try to dress age-appropriate, even in costume. Here I am in shades of gray and black again!

Doesn't Mr. Mickey look handsome as a gangster?

Arriving in this car would have been fun, but it was just parked outside the venue for the event.

The Rick Simerly Group entertained us for the evening.

Our friends Tom and Joy McGinnis. Joy is a famous artist from right here in Johnson City.

I don't think this gentleman sat down for the whole evening. It was such fun to watch him dance with all the ladies. Here he is doing the Charleston. 

Thank you for reading about our fun evening for a good cause. I hope you have a lovely Sunday!

The Wine Club

Mr. Mickey and I are charter members of a wine club. Last night we attended a tasting which included the Italian wines Baraolos and Brunellos.

I am wearing a long black, red, and cream sweater over a long-sleeve red tee with a bold Asian-inspired tassel necklace all from Chico's. The straight leg black pants are from Stein Mart a couple of years ago. The shoes are from Nordstrom. The bag is by Tahari via T.J.Maxx last year. 

Before the tasting, I studied that large map of Italy showing all the wine regions on the easel. Have you been to Italy?