For The Fur Babies

Giving back to the community is imperative to me. That community includes the pets that become a part of our family and also those that get discarded.

Last evening we attended the Dogwood and Cattails Ball to benefit the Humane Society of Washington County.

It was great to see so many of our friends who also came out to help support the animal shelter. Our shelter is a no-kill organization. No matter how long it takes for an animal in our foster program to find a home, it will remain in our program until the best possible home can be found. Thanks to this program, 1300 healthy, happy animals have been adopted into loving family homes.

The Oustanding Animal of the year was awarded to a special dog named Arabela, who serves our country by disclosing improvised explosive devices (IEDs are simple bombs made and used by unofficial or unauthorized forces).

I fell in love with a sweet pitbull named Chloé!

Chloé was rescued from a very inhumane breeder situation and given a loving forever home. She showed her gratitude with kisses, snuggles, and a tail that wagged non-stop.

Rather than buy another ball gown that I will never wear again, I used old items I already had in my closet. This year's ball's theme was based upon the Great Gatsby, so I went with separate pieces that sort of reflected that theme. 

The simple knit tank dress with a side slit is a couple of years old. The tuxedo-style jacket is old from the Travelers Collection at Chico's. The little evening bag is many years old. The shoes are old by French Connection via Saks Off 5th.

Bohemian

Do you play around with different styles?

We recently took Mr. Mickey's daughter out for her 50th birthday celebration dinner.

In honor of her very youthful urban fashion vibe, we decided to wear jeans and be more casual.

This burnout velvet cardigan has a distinct bohemian vibe. I found it on sale at Dillard's recently. The cuff and tank top were from Chico's. The jeans are by Jag Jeans via the Fig Leaf in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. The mesh and suede trim shoes are old by Sam Edelman. The reptile embossed box bag is from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island.

Circle of Red Luncheon

I am a proud member of the Circle of Red for the American Heart Association this year.

We held the Tri-Cities Go Red For Women Luncheon today, and all the members wore a red dress.

My red dress is from Macy's. 

Macy's is committed to raising women's awareness of heart disease and helping them live longer, healthier lives.

Thanks to its customers and associates' generosity, Macy's has contributed more than $55 million to Go Red for Women since 2004. 

It was great to see my young friend Jurnee Carr, Miss Tennessee International. We have shared the runway as models in the past.

Hannah Everhart is our beautiful Miss Johnson City. We have also walked for local fashion shows together.

Those are not my caged shoes, but aren't they awesome?

I am shown below with some of the other Circle of Red Members.

The more a woman knows about heart disease, the better chance she has of beating it. The first facts you need to know are severe: Heart disease and stroke cause 1 in 3 deaths among women each year – more than all cancers combined. Fortunately, we can change that because 80 percent of cardiac and stroke events may be prevented with education and action.

Go Red For Women inspires women to make lifestyle changes, mobilize communities, and shape policies to save lives. United, we are working to improve the health of all women.

Visit https://www.goredforwomen.org/ to learn more about how you can prevent heart disease and also how you can help bring awareness of it to others.

Take A Scarf

A couple of weekends ago, we stayed at the Inn at Biltmore Estate.

I took a few basic pieces to mix and match, as I always do when we travel. This packing formula serves me well, and I can fit everything into a small carry-on bag.

A scarf can make all the difference when you dress in solid basics. It adds texture, pattern, and colors to pull the whole look together.

The white Evan Picone trench coat is old from Stein Mart. I wore it over a large square silk scarf by Versace from Saks Off 5th last year. The scarf adds the punch of a pattern to tie the white tank and dark wash Klaveli ankle jeans together.

When we went down to breakfast on the second morning, I wore a black Clara Sunwoo mesh sleeve tunic over white pull-on pants by Tribal. I tied the scarf onto my BCBG bag (old) from T.J.Maxx. The shoes are by Vince Camuto from last year.

As we were having breakfast, I became too cold, as I often do in the air conditioning. The scarf served me well as an additional layer. Large square silk scarves are so versatile.

Formal Evening

Short, skimpy cocktail dresses and plunging backless gowns are never my choices for evening attire.

 "Elegance knows when to cover up." 

-Susan Street 2016

At almost sixty years old, bare knees and cleavage are never the aging bits I wish to reveal to the world. Candlelight does not improve the view! Trust me on this one.

We attended the 23rd Annual Laureate Induction Celebration of the Junior Achievement Tri-Cities TN/VA Business Hall of Fame held at the Meadowview Convention Center last evening.

Earlier in the day, I visited my dear friend Myra who is also my hairstylist. She gave me a shorter layered look for Spring.

We picked up our closest friends Bob and Mitzi so that we could enjoy the evening together. Mitzi and I did not plan to dress almost alike!

I am wearing a swing coat* by IC Collection over a tank by Clara Sunwoo; both are from last year. I purchased them from ShopMyFairLady. The dressy pants are a couple of years old from Chico's. The suede fringe trim sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.  The ribbon trimmed black clutch is several years old from T.J.Maxx.

(*Swing coats are fitted in the shoulders and then flare out from the bust line, creating a tent-like shape over the torso that swings as you walk. The hem of your swing coat can end anywhere from the waist down, and the sleeves may be full length or bracelet length.)

Here is a short video showing my warm-weather haircut.