Summer Dreaming and A Giveaway!

This beautiful scarf is from the clothing collection by artist Telise Rodelv.

Telise is a very talented artist who also creates garments from her colorful and abstract paintings. All the pieces are made in America. You can see the full collection of beautiful work as well as the clothing here.

I am happy to show you this fabulous scarf and all the ways I plan to wear it.

Now for the best news! Telise sent an extra scarf as a giveaway. Just make sure you are a follower via one of the ways shown in the column to the right. The winner will be chosen at random on Friday morning, March 6, 2015.

This beautiful scarf measures sixty-four by ten and a half inches, including the black fringe. You can see more from her collection of art and clothing here. This post is sponsored by Telise Rodelv.

Susan's Picks

I tried something new on the blog this week. From the emails I received, you enjoyed Susan's Picks very much. I am so glad! Even when the weather is bad, or we don't do anything more interesting than helping someone move, I can still share something with you.

I was very casual yesterday because we did indeed help Mr. Mickey's daughter, Regina, move. Congratulations Regina! We hope you will spend many happy years in your new home.

Into The Snow Storm

We committed to attending a fundraiser on Wednesday evening, so even though the snow was coming down hard, we bundled up and attended the event.

I wore my warmest boiled wool vest with faux leather trim from Chico's. The black long sleeve tee is from Kohl's. The knit pants are by Tahari from Ross. The Franco Sarto low heeled boots worked nicely with the pants' shape and served me well while walking on snow and ice.

I added a black belt with pewter details near the buckle, large silver hoops, and a big silver and gold dome ring as accessories. The black trench coat over my arm is from Fabrizio Gianni. 

Checks For Spring

Many of the fashion trend reports for spring are showing checks. Ah, spring... will it ever arrive?

We still have several inches of snow, with more on the way, so we are showing you these lovely blouses from the comfort of my kitchen.

These beautiful blouses were sent to me by Foxcroft.

This elegant black and white check blouse is so light and airy it will be comfortable to wear all summer long.

Tabs keep the sleeves in place when you turn them up. I love this feature!

Belted

For many years, I didn't own even one belt.

In the past year, I purchased several different widths and styles, and I have started to enjoy wearing them often.

I have three boiled wool coats that are a bit too large for me, but I have discovered that they can still be worn if I belt them.

I found this cobalt blue jacket at the Chico's Outlet a couple of years ago.

The animal print belt and the black jeggings are also from Chico's. The black long sleeve tee is from Kohl's. The black boots are old from Madden Girl.

Closet Tour

Several have asked to see my closet and storage systems again. Since I am stuck here in the "Siberian" part of Tennessee, where it is barely above minus one, I thought it would be a good day to give you a tour.

This video shows the master suite closet, which is located just beyond my bathroom.

I keep most of my shoes on racks in the finished room over the garage. I found both these shoe racks at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I plan to turn this room into an actual closet designed to fit my needs. In the future, For now, it is used to store shoes and some extra items for the home that I am not using at the moment. 

There is always room for more shoes! My mother and all of the women who work with me in my company also wear my shoe size. They love getting the ones that don't work out for me.

I hope this blog post gives you some tips for organizing your own closet and storage systems.

Hopefully, the frigid weather will leave us soon, and we can return to date nights and fun-filled weekends.

Another Snow Day

These photos don't show just how much snow is coming down, but in the last five minutes, the paperboy's footprints have almost totally vanished.

I stood on my back deck to take these photos. This is the closest I have been to the outside in three days. We do occasionally get snow, but the sub-zero temperatures are making driving very dangerous. Most of us are not accustomed to driving on icy roads here in East Tennessee.

The snow and frigid temperatures mean I am going to be staying home for a few more days, but that does not mean I stay in my PJ's all day. I take a shower, get dressed, and put on makeup every day. I feel more productive and prepared for the day when I follow my usual routine even when it isn't likely I am going to leave the house.

My look for today includes my favorite cardigan from Ronen Chen with a cream tank and ankle zip jeans from Chico's. The cardigan was also worn here.

 

The shoes are old Alfani Allegra Step N Flex flats from Macy's.

... and the snow is still falling.

Pop of Red

We had to run a few errands on this cold and windy Valentine's Day, so I added a red scarf to celebrate.

The black Geiger coat looks great belted with a wide braided black leather Michael Kors belt. It was so much warmer worn this way with a slimmer silhouette.

I bought the felted wool hat in cream color from the artist who made it while shopping in Asheville a few years ago. I love that the brim can easily be formed into various shapes, and it can be folded to pack.

The boots are old by Vince Camuto via Nordstrom.

The boyfriend jeans and a red long sleeve tee underneath the coat are from Chico's.

Be My Valentine!

Staying in on this cold winter holiday weekend was our first thought. However, when our best friends returned from a month in Arizona, we wanted to have dinner together and get caught up.

Mr. Mickey showed up with chocolate-covered strawberries, flowers with a teddy bear, and a card. Isn't this the perfect card for me?

Wearing the warmest items of clothing I own resulted in another all-black look. The necklace and handbag give the black background points of interest.

The straight leg black pants and turtleneck top are from Chico's. The jacket is by French Connection from Saks Off 5th. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. The bag is from Ross. The suede and reptile texture boots are by Vince Camuto from Nordstrom. The trench coat is from Fabrizio Gianni.

Into The Wind

Our temperatures have been very pleasant lately but oh, that wind.

When I saw this little frayed edge white denim jacket at Chico's, I just had to have it.

It will be a summer basic since it can be worn over almost anything when we are in over-air-conditioned spaces such as restaurants.

Some of you have asked for more pictures showing my hairstyle. This is the back after using Wen hair care products for only a couple of days.

This video shows you how my hair is cut.

Old With New

Few items in my wardrobe have survived my various closet purges after weight gains and losses over the years.

About twelve years ago, I lost a lot of weight and bought this tea-length chiffon fully lined skirt at T.J.Maxx. A couple of years later, I gained the weight back, but I kept the skirt because it has an elastic waist, so I thought it might still work when I needed to dress for an evening event.

I have worn the skirt several times, but this sequined pullover from Saks Off 5th is my favorite. The pullover is from their private label Saks Fifth Avenue RED.

This Gieger of Austria black coat is another oldie but a goody. I bought this when I was heaviest, so I had the sleeves altered and will hold on to it for a few more years. When I invest so much in a piece, I have difficulty letting go of it. Thankfully I have kept the weight off for several years by eating primarily fruits and vegetables.

These earrings arrived in the mail just minutes before I started getting ready for date night.

They are indeed works of art! One of my highly talented clients, Victoria Timm, created the earrings. She makes the most fantastic jewelry! You can see more of her work here at her Etsy store.

We saw this well-dressed, beautiful lady as we entered our favorite restaurant, Gourmet & Company. She graciously allowed us to take her photo. 

We always skip the big going out to dinner nights such as Valentine's Day. This was a special going out night for us instead. After a fantastic dinner, we attended the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra performance. Dr. Chih-Long Hu performed with the Orchestra and received three standing ovations for encore solo performances.

Mr. Mickey loves these shoes, so he kept saying, "One more." He was afraid he didn't get a good shot of the shoes. (He is so dedicated to creating an exciting blog for you.) The shoes are suede from Saks Off 5th. I am wearing Hanes hosiery.