Wear It Wednesday Part II

The color of this silk soutache jacket led me to buy it at Stein Mart last year.

Perhaps because I had only tried it on with more formal black pants and a black tank, it seemed too boxy and matronly in the past. Wearing it with white jeans and a loose-fitting white tank from Chico's and cutout booties from Nine West via Ross seems more youthful and modern.

I still love the color, so I will keep this one for now.

Wear It Wednesday is the day I pull out the questionable, rarely worn pieces from my closet and try to make them work or else donate them to someone who will make use of them. Reducing clutter in my closet makes getting dressed much more pleasant. Too many questionable pieces can result in wearing the same thing all the time and the feeling that you need more choices when you already have too many.

Wear It Wednesday

We all make questionable choices in life. It still happens to me occasionally, like when I got carried away with the sale price of this top at Chico's and bought it even though I knew it wasn't "me."

I am rarely comfortable in prints, but I thought perhaps the subdued colors of this one might work on a casual day. I feel like an old hippie each time I try to wear it. From the splash of bling across the bust to the unfortunate placement of the patterns, it is wrong for my shape and my personality. It is on it's way to the famous to-go bag.

Look for Part II of Wear It Wednesday, as I will be posting another picture tomorrow morning of the questionable item I plan to wear for date night tonight.

68th Block House Steeplechase

We attended the 68th Block House Steeplechase in Tryon, North Carolina, during this first weekend of May.

My travel look included black and silver jewelry with a black long lightweight sweater over a malt colored Covered Perfectly top and almost matching mocha-colored ankle jeans from T.J.Maxx. The sweater is also from T.J.Maxx. The platform sandals are old from Vince Camuto.

As soon as we arrived, it was time to dress for dinner.

Mr. Mickey loves these heels, even if they do make me over six feet tall.

On the first night of our stay at the Oak Cottage at the Pinecrest Inn, we had dinner at a great Italian restaurant, Giardini Gardens.

The black knit dress is by Tahari from T.J.Maxx. The necklace and the black ruana are from Chico's.

Our hosts at the Inn are always so gracious and accommodating.

I know from experience that the early part of the day may be quite cool. On the day of the races, I wore a high-low black knit top and khaki ankle jeans from Chico's with a black sweater draped across my shoulders.

Add a wide brim hat, and we are ready for the races! Mr. Mickey bought the hat for me in Lexington, Kentucky, several years ago.

It was great to visit again with our usual neighboring group from South Carolina. 

One of my favorite parts of the event is the white doves' release after the singing of the national anthem. They always find their way home!

Crowds of up to 20,000 people park as far away as two miles and walk to the track carrying all the items they need for the day-long party. Lucky us! We just had to walk to the front of the car.

Heading into the home stretch!

The races are soon over, and it's time to return to the Pinecrest Inn to dress for another dinner.

For our dinner date this evening, I wore black stretch city jeans and a black tank with a purple open weave Travelers sweater, all from Chico's. The sandals are by Jessica Simpson from T.J.Maxx.

I wore white jeans with a black and white striped knit boat neck top on the drive home, all from Chico's. The sandals were from Born last year.

Wear It Wednesday

Each Wednesday, I go through my wardrobe and try again to make something work for me that is rarely, if ever, worn.

If I can't make the item work for me... out it goes. I have a shopping bag in my closet to which I add those things that never seem quite right. The shopping bag goes to the local Women's Shelter this time. (I rotate donations to a different charity each time.) If you decide to follow my example in paring down your closet to only what you really wear, please remember that underwear, shoes, and jewelry, as well as bags, can make a world of difference to a woman who is starting over after an abusive relationship. She needs clothes for interviews and work, so white blouses and dark slacks or skirts are always needed.

Let's start with this white blouse. I bought it at the big Dillard's haul earlier this spring. I have never worn it because it has a ruffle with a facing that never stays where it should. It was such a low clearance price I couldn't resist, but buying something you never wear is not a good deal.

Then there are those navy slacks I bought at Talbot's a couple of years ago. One leg is a bit tighter than the other in the calf, so I always feel lopsided when I wear them. Someone with normal calves would never notice this, but my calves are ample. 

These slingback shoes have rarely seen the light of day, but they worked with this look today. 

I will keep the blouse for now, but the shoes and the pants are on their way out.

Day Into Evening

It was a beautiful spring day, so we drove down to the Nolichucky River farming community to visit the Mennonite store. 

The Farmer's Daughter restaurant is next door. We have never eaten there, but there is always a line out the door and along the front porch with an overflowing parking lot each time we have visited the area.

A food truck outside the store offered these huge donuts made right there by this beautiful young woman. There was also a line out into the parking lot for these. 

We resisted the mouth-watering smell even though it was so very tempting.

You may never meet a man who loves bread more than Mr. Mickey! Here he is contemplating which loaf to buy. Believe me when I say, if I did not limit him to one, he would have bought them all!

The drive down to Greeneville along the scenic route is awe-inspiring, with rolling green meadows and mountains rising to frame the deep blue horizon. 

We also stopped along the way to visit some of the stores that have recently opened in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town.

My daytime outfit included white zipper ankle pants and a tank top along with a beaded tassel necklace from Chico's. The navy linen-like jacket is from Appleseed's last year. The Anne Klein Sport sandals and the red Tahari bag are both from T.J.Maxx. 

Later in the day, we only had time for me to change shoes, sweaters, and necklaces to meet our dearest friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant. The sweater is old from Dillard's. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. Note that I always wear small stud earrings with statement necklaces allowing that one piece to take center stage. The Jessica Simpson sandals are from T.J.Maxx. 

The Gourmet and Company restaurant staff have become almost like family as we have celebrated many special occasions with them and cheered them on in their own life events. This is our dear friend Kenn who has been our server during many of our special celebrations. He and Mr. Mickey actually created one of their most popular dishes on the menu! It is named 'The Jilton Vegetarian' after Mr. Mickey. 

I often wear one color from head to toe with a contrasting color jacket or open cardigan. This helps me to look taller and thinner. It is also a great way to create several different looks with a limited number of pieces in your wardrobe. I always try to buy a tank top to match each pair of pants I buy. Contrasting jackets, cardigans, and large scarves give you totally different looks while keeping a lean silhouette. Leaving the jacket open gives an uninterrupted long, lean line.