Dress For It!

My 60th birthday is coming up next month. I wouldn't take back 30 if it were available. This is the best part of my life, so I get dressed for it!

On a recent evening, Mr. Mickey and I joined friends in the courtyard of our favorite restaurant after work. I wore slate gray Lisette pants with a white sleeveless top from White House|Black Market and my off white Bowie Jacket from Saks Off 5th. The layered crystal beaded necklace is from Fabrizio Gianni. The shoes are by Vince Camuto. Even though the clothes I wear are often old, I mention the brand if you want to look for the item.

My favorite pieces are almost always classic styles in neutral colors, so you should be able to find something current in your price range that is similar.

The jacket is short in the back, so I always layer it over a high-low hemmed top since there is no junk in my trunk. 

A fashionable twenty-something told me I was "killin' it" with this look, which put a spring in my step for the rest of the day.

If you have followed me for even a short time, you know that Vince Camuto is one of my favorite shoe brands.

Rituals

Do you ever just do nothing for the whole day? Yesterday was one of those rare Sundays that included nothing more than reading the paper, taking a nap, then going to visit my parents.

My sister and I honor a long family tradition that includes taking the time to visit our parents on most Sunday afternoons. (As we did with my grandparents and great-grandparents as children.) We call them almost every day to ensure they are both well and don't need our help with anything.

Going for a long walk and then watering the shade garden typically happens at daybreak but not today. I also fill the birdfeeders and put fresh water in the birdbath before I start my usual workdays. I worked seven days a week for many years. Taking these little breaks for something less taxing helped to keep me sane.

Personal rituals and traditions give me balance and ground me. For example, giving thanks for all that I have and exercising always starts my day positively.

On hot summer days with nothing special planned, I always wear something breezy and comfortable.

The cool, soft, comfortable top is by Focus, and the khaki pants are the "Lize" style straight-leg pants by Lior Paris, both via ShopMyFairLady.com. They offer most of the clothing lines I enjoy wearing with always excellent service included, so I remain loyal to them. The sandals are old from Nine West.

Come What May

If my ferns get much bigger, the UPS driver won't be able to find my door!

We decided to drive over to Asheville, NC, for a late lunch/early dinner yesterday.

We shared a vegan Reuben and the hummus trio appetizer at The Laughing Seed. We love to eat there!

Mr. Mickey is always snapping photos.

As we walked out onto Wall Street, people were running by in white dresses. Lots of them! You never know what might be going on in the town of Asheville. We know to expect anything!

We learned from one of the runners that this was a wedding party beer scavenger hunt game. Running through downtown Asheville in ninety-degree heat in a white dress, searching for clues about where the beer is? This couple has some excellent friends!

For an afternoon in Asheville, I wore an old black Portofino blouse from Express a couple of summers ago. The white pants are from White House|Black Market. I learned years ago to buy my white pants very early in the season because they sell out fast. The bag is old by BCBG via T.J.Maxx. The Sam Edelman sandals are from earlier this year. The earrings are old from Chico's. The sunglasses are by Dolce & Gabbana.

We celebrate every little milestone of life, so happy ten years and five months of being my date, Mr. Mickey!

Into the Clouds

As my sister and I drove away from Johnson City, heading for Roan Mountain State Park yesterday, we had plans to wander around the trails and take some photos. It was a hot summer day with temperatures near ninety.

All that changed as we approached the mountain, which is only about a forty-minute drive from my house. Dark clouds gathered, and the rain began to fall.

Hoping for better weather after lunch, we traveled on to Fosco, North Carolina, where we enjoyed a delightful lunch at Eat Crow. Mr. Mickey and I had planned to eat here many times but had never been there yet. I highly recommend it!

The weather did indeed improve after lunch, so up the mountain, we drove.

As we neared the top of Roan Mountain, we were completely engulfed in clouds. As a child, I took great pleasure in reaching out and passing my hand through a cloud when we would visit the park on such days.

We continued our hike, and the clouds began to disperse.

I have always loved roaming this park alone with my thoughts. This craggy forest has remained mostly unchanged for millions of years. Some rare plant life is only found at more than 4,000 feet above sea level on rock outcrops.

A few years ago, I gave away all of my hiking and camping gear and boots since this is something I so rarely get to do now. On this day, I made do with what I usually wear to walk in my neighborhood. Knowing the temperatures would dip on the mountain, I took a jean jacket with me. It was indeed sixty-five degrees there.

My sweet sister is always well prepared for any outing.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the photos from our wonderful Sister Day in the mountains.

Beat The Heat!

Dressing in hot weather can be a challenge.

I don't care for knee-length sundresses because they show my legs and never flatter my shape. I am much more comfortable in a soft, breezy oversize top with slim white pants with a smooth wide waistband. Dressing for comfort has to include personality as well as the weather.

Let's face it; I will be hot no matter what I wear when it is ninety-eight degrees. My comfort level includes how covered I am, more so than the temperature. I would not be at all comfortable in a skimpy dress with tiny straps.

For me, a typical summer workday look includes a soft tunic by Clara Sunwoo from ShopMyFairLady.com. The fabric isn't clingy or hot, and it always drapes beautifully, so the Clara Sunwoo tops are a favorite summer look for me.

The white pants are by Renaud. The putty color sandals are old by Kenneth Cole Reaction.

If I wear a print, it is usually an abstract geo print in subtle colors such as this one. But, again, personality has to come into play as you get dressed. Ruffles and bling are also details that do not reflect my personality.