Les Misérables

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended the gala premiere and fundraising event to benefit Theatre Bristol and the Paramount Center for the Arts.

Excellent French cuisine with champagne was provided by K.P. Duty.

Dining music was provided by NFusion.

There is a great display of antique movie house items in the lobby.

We had a perfectly wonderful evening. The performance was world-class and included almost sixty cast members. They received a four-minute standing ovation!

I wore a black mesh sleeve top from last year and black Black Label wide-leg pants, both from Chico's. The silver clutch is from T.J.Maxx. The Sam Edelman shoes are old from Nordstrom. The earrings are old from Stein Mart.

Covered Perfectly Vest and Tunic

You have been asking me about the Covered Perfectly tunics ever since I was in California to model for the line earlier this year.

Today I thought I would show you the two pieces I get the most questions about.

I am most often asked, "Can you see through the white tunics?". The medium I am wearing fits well, but the fabric is so densely woven, the black leggings I am wearing do not show underneath the white fabric even in natural daylight.

The second question I am often asked is, "What other ways can the cascading vest be worn?"

I forgot to bring a belt for this shoot, but you could wear the vest belted for a slimmer silhouette. I also like to wear it knotted low in front.

You can also wear it as a scarf. Hold one of the armholes in one hand but the rest of the garment around your neck, and thread it all through the armhole. Viola! You have a lovely scarf!

The tunic is so comfortable and lightweight you can wear it even on the hottest day.

The easy-care fabric can be machine washed and hung to dry.

Never Boring Basics

You have likely noticed that the foundation of my look is basic pieces with interesting accessories and toppers.

Basics can get boring if you never play with texture or color, so today, I am showing you how my super comfortable white jean style twill pants from Fabrizio Gianni and a white tank can be given a little edge with a dark wash denim jacket and a mint tote also from Fabrizio Gianni.

Living at a higher elevation with evening temperatures that dip into the sixties or lower means I never leave for the day without taking an extra layer. Since I was going out for a day of casual sightseeing activities, the tote and scarf were the perfect accessories. I can wear a scarf or use it to soften the texture of the tote. Tying a colorful scarf to your bag in warm weather is a great way to add a pop of color to your basic look without being too warm by wearing it during the day. The tote is also roomy enough to put the jacket into when I don't need it.

I always wear a tank with wide straps and a nice fit but not too tight. If I do need to remove my jacket, I can still be comfortable and appropriate.

This is my favorite summer tote! It is lightweight, and the mint color goes with all my basics beautifully while adding a pop of color. It is also roomy enough to hold all the things I need to take for a full day of activities.

I have numerous items from Fabrizio Gianni that I have enjoyed wearing many times. I appreciate that the items are made in the USA, and the quality is always very high. Their customer service is excellent!

Zacasha Tassel Necklaces

Many have asked about the statement necklaces I often wear.

The necklaces feature Swarovski crystals and freshwater pearls.

Visit the Fabrizio Gianni site to see all the beautiful colors of this necklace.

Casual Bohemian

When I was a teenager, this was very much my signature look. However, my jeans were low rise bell bottoms. (Don't laugh!)

This beautifully embroidered linen and rayon top was sent to me by J.Jill. It is so much cooler than a knit top!

The jeans are slim ankle jeans from Chico's. The shoes are old by Anne Klein Sport via T.J.Maxx. The bracelet was a gift from my friend Lois.

This was our late lunch on this casual lazy day. This sandwich includes Rudis organic ancient grain bread with some veganaise, sprinkled with garlic powder, organic lettuce, heirloom tomato, avocado slices, balsamic vinegar, and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. The wine is Apothic Red.

While I am showing you a look that was one I wore in my youth, I was not this slim when I was sixteen. When I was a Junior in high school, I weighed about twenty pounds more than I do today. My weight was never consistent until about five years ago, when I switched to a mostly plant-based diet. I read the book "Eat To Live" by Dr. Fuhrman, which taught me what to eat and why. My weight has remained about the same since I lost more than forty pounds at that time. This is a life-long record!