Daily Favorite

We all have our favorite looks to throw on and go out the door on a day to day basis. My first choice in colder weather is a blazer over a tank and jeans with short booties.

I added a black and white polka dot Ralph Lauren silk-like scarf from Stein Mart. One of my favorite ways to wear a scarf is draped around my neck with a jacket holding it in place. This allows me to add interest and pretty details to my look without adding any bulk to my bust or middle. This works great unless I am wearing a scarf for warmth. In which case, I try to make the tie low at the throat instead of over my bust.

The pop of red from the Tahari bag keeps the look from being too drab. I enjoy carrying a bag that is an accent color. The bag is old from T.J.Maxx.

The tank and jeans are from Chico's. The jacket is from Express. The short black high-heeled boots are a couple of years old by Nine West.

Little Luxuries

Coming home and closing the door on the world to relax in my own home is a luxury I never take for granted. Just a few short years ago, that was only a dream for me.

Being surrounded by the objects I have collected in my travels, along with living orchids and fresh-cut flowers, puts me at ease.

The search has been on for the right lamp with an oval shade for some time. I found the perfect one this week to light the way to my breakfast nook. I love to use lighting to create a focal point or to encourage visitors into a room.

A beautifully scented candle can make my whole home feel warm and welcoming.

Live plants and stacks of books give me a connection to nature and make me feel happy.

A freshly made bed with "baby's bottom" soft sheets and a new magazine to read makes for the perfect evening! I love to use rich dark colored sheets that make me feel warm and cozy in fall and winter even before I turn on the electric blanket. 

These sheets just arrived this week. They really are called "Baby's Bottom"! They are the softest, most generous fitting sheets I have found. Even if you have a pillow top mattress, these will fit properly. Arthritic hands really hurt when you have to struggle with a fitted sheet that barely exceeds the mattress. These are a delight! I got them from Perfect Linens. This color is called espresso, and I knew that the color would go perfectly with my comforter set as soon as I saw them.

This is a $35 discount code for readers of Fifty, not Frumpy!NotFrumpy35 

What special touches make your home feel luxurious to you?

Wearing A Dress!

I attended church with my family and Mr. Mickey on Sunday.

I wore a knit dress from Chico's last year and my favorite IC Collection faux suede trench from My Fair Lady. 

Dresses are outside my comfort zone, but I pair them with nude pointed toe heels to visually lengthen my legs when I do wear them. This is about the shortest I would ever go unless I am wearing a straight black skirt or dress with opaque black tights and black boots.

I am wearing the most fabulous pantyhose, a gift from a reader while she was visiting the Monoprix in Paris. (Thank you, Marty!) If you can find 5 or 7 denier ultra-sheer stockings, you will love them. They make your legs look like silk, but it feels like you aren't even wearing stockings!

The necklace is also old from Chico's. The bag was made in Italy, and I found it at T.J.Maxx last year. The nude pumps are by Steve Madden.

Featuring Janna Beatty, Co-Author Of Quintessential Style

Janna Beatty wrote one of my favorite style guides with Sharon White. I learned so much from this book that I thought I would introduce you to the author Janna Beatty. I am turning the blog over to her today to get to know her a little more.

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Janna Beatty in her studio.

      “Fifty Not Frumpy,” what a remarkable blog site. Wow, I was so excited to be invited to contribute to Susan’s blog.  I’ve been working with women for over 30 years, and we all need to be reminded that age doesn’t mean much—it’s all about attitude.

            
      I was recently a guest on a radio talk show, and the host made this comment after reading our book: “I have highlighted something on almost every page of Quintessential Style. I’m 47 years old, and I feel like I’m learning about my style all over again.” This comment has been repeated by hundreds of clients over the years. Mid-life seems to be a transitional time for most--empty-nesting, returning to the workforce, losing loved ones, divorce, and physical changes. Women regularly seek my services during some kind of “shift” in their lives.

Janna shows clients which patterns and prints are most complementary.

      
      When I read Susan’s blog, I could understand immediately why she has such an enormous following. Susan’s story of transformation during mid-life could be any of ours. She went from “now to WOW.”
           
      In the busyness of day-to-day living, we can lose our identities—especially women, who are natural caregivers and frequently don’t take time for themselves. More often than not, when I meet a client, I predominantly hear negative self-talk rather than positivity. “I’m fat, I’m getting jowls, I have wrinkles.”  Their confidence levels are sometimes at an all-time low.

Janna shows clients which colors look best on them.

      When I meet a client for the first time, I see none of that. My eyes focus only on their marvelous attributes: a beautiful smile, high cheekbones, amazing eye color, gorgeous hair.

      Most women engage in too much negative self-talk. And over the years, like our bodies, our hair, and our skin change, we no longer see the vibrancy in the mirror. Our tendency is to envision an older, less attractive version of ourselves. We may begin comparing ourselves to others or who we used to be. It is all very self-critical and detrimental.

      I went through this myself. And even though I am a professional image consultant and have been advising women for years, I had to figure out what to do when I no longer reflected the vibrant, energetic person I once was. After all, it was my job to be the expert.

      I went through what I term in the book as “My Falloff Point.” It means a point I had reached the point where even though I was putting more and more effort in, I couldn’t quite get myself looking as good as I once had.

      I began to learn what was causing my “fall off.” I started putting systems into place to combat the changes. I had to reevaluate my life and ask myself: “Who am I, TODAY?”  I focused on the present, not 20 or 30 years ago.

            

Janna and Sharon co-wrote the book.

      Thus became the inspiration for our book: Quintessential Style: Cultivate and Communicate Your Signature Look.  It was a 3-year project. My co-writer, Sharon White, researched book after book before we began writing. What we found was this: Every book on the market talks about how to dress. QStyle talks about how to dress YOU. It is meant to speak to each individual reader about her life’s journey, no matter the age.  What do you want to communicate? How can you do it? QStyle’s intention is to enable every woman to “see” her magnificence more clearly.

      Susan reevaluated her life at age 54 and made changes to support her wants and needs. Then she went even further to share her journey with the world. Brava Susan! Sharon and I hope we can help women at any age realize that change is inevitable, and you must flow with it. But if you need a little guidance, take the first step and figure out, “Who you are—TODAY?

Janna designs custom jewelry based on color types.

The link below is a special offer for Fifty, not Frumpy readers, to get $10 off the book.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/Makeovers4U?ref=l2-shopheader-name

Antelope Ankle Booties

This is such a beautiful time of year to go for a walk in east Tennesse.

My new Antelope ankle booties were the perfect choice for a Sunday afternoon walk. These booties are so comfortable!

They are made from supreme raw leather that was cut by hand! The remarkable craftsmanship shows in every detail on the inside and the outside.

This is my second pair of Antelope boots. I wore my great looking black pair on this blog post. My new khaki ankle booties are the perfect casual look with faded boyfriend jeans, a long sleeve tee, and a soft, comfortable jacket. 

Antelope ships free across the US and Canada!