Tiny Space Packing

When my partner in fun (Mr. Mickey) says, "We are going away for the weekend in the Roadster," the challenge begins.

The first order of business is to check the weather for Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and then choose the weekend colors. They must interchange and look great on their own for any occasion. Black and white, with silver-gray, always seem to work well for me.

For our first weekend trip of the year to Blowing Rock, I wore coated black jeans from Chico's, a surplice wrap style black and white top, and a white cropped moto-style jacket both from White House Black Market. I would only wear this cropped jacket layered over a long, lean top such as this one. The reason is that I have no backside (no "junk in my trunk" at all), and I do not wish to show off that fact.

Since there was no room in the car for more shoes, I wore these booties, which are old from Nine West via Saks Off 5th. The sunglasses are old by Michael Kors. The small bag is old from Express.

My all-time favorite place to shop in Blowing Rock is Finley House Couture.

They offer a fantastic collection of beautiful jewelry. The earrings shown below were my Easter gift from Mr. Mickey.

Finley House Couture is also known for its fabulous collection of handbags and totes.

Below, I am surrounded by bright summery prints from their collection of beautiful clothing.

If you enjoy shopping in elegant surroundings with the best of service, you will love Finley House Couture as much as I do.

Mr. Mickey and Mr. Mark always have so much fun visiting and laughing together.

On to the next shop!

I discovered a great new line of jeans/leggings called Jag Jeans at The Fig Leaf. They are styled just like a pair of jeans, but instead of that big button, zipper, loop combination that shows under every single top I wear, there is a smooth wide band. I nearly squealed with delight when I tried on these jeans!

Mr. Mickey is keeping watch over my stash as I shop for more treasures.

When we were exhausted from all of my shopping, we checked in to the luxurious Westglow Resort and Spa. The mansion was constructed in 1917 and was originally the summer home of famed artist and writer Elliott Daingerfield. 

Our view from the Portico Suite balcony.

Rose petals on the bed, along with a personal note from the manager.

The gorgeous light fixture in the suite above.

On the second day, my look to wear for dinner included a silver/gray sweater and pull on more dressy pants; both are old from Chico's. The Evan-Picone white trench coat is old from Stein Mart.

The living room of the mansion is enormous but so warm and welcoming.

The grand staircase, as seen from the entry.

The view of the sun setting from the Portico.

We shared a beautiful chocolate dessert after dinner.

I am sitting in front of the fire after a brief walk after dinner.

The view was very different on Sunday morning!

As we departed the next morning, the mountain wore a thick shroud of fog, and there was a light rain falling. The bellman loaded everything back into the snazzy car that looks like it is going fast even when parked.

Men will also suffer a little for fashion. This car looks great, but it is difficult to get in and out of, and there is no room for luggage. On the plus side, if the weather had been a little nicer, we would have put the top down to enjoy the warmth of the sun. We will look forward to that next time.

Special Occasions

What do you wear to a wedding, cocktail party, or gallery opening?

My all-time favorite pieces for evening or special occasion, come from a few select lines, all of which are available from ShopMyFairLady.

This fabulous silver and white IC Collection jacket and black Mesmerize ankle pants work together perfectly for almost any special event. The ankle pants I am wearing are from last year, the styles they have now appear to be longer. I am also wearing a black Clara Sunwoo tank under the jacket. All these items are made in the USA and available online at ShopMyFairLady.

IC Collection is famous for its decorative button closures. The fabrics and tailoring details are always elegant and flattering on this almost sixty-year-old body. You can rest assured; I will never show up for a special event in a strappy little cocktail dress. I must dress for my personality as well as the occasion and the weather. I would be too mortified to even walk across the room in a strappy cocktail dress. I much prefer more covered attire for special occasions, well actually any occasion.

My accessories for this evening included a simple matte silver box clutch from T.J.Maxx.

My jewelry included small rhinestone earrings, a chunky bright silver link bracelet, and a fun bling ring from Stein Mart. All jewelry is several years old.

The fringe trim suede sandals are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th.

Mr. Mickey picked me up right on time for our Friday night date. After snapping a few photos for you, we were off to one of our favorite elegant bar areas located within Wellington's restaurant at the Carnegie Hotel here in Johnson City. We love to sit by the fireplace to relax and chat for a while.

We take every opportunity to get dressed up and enjoy an evening together. When the waiter brought our glasses of champagne, he asked what we were celebrating. We answered, "It's Friday!"

Black and White for Spring

A classic spring color combination is black and white.

It all started with the shoes I wanted to wear for the first time. My goal was to put together a look that worked with my body proportions and complemented their edgy style.

The Vince Camuto shoes had me at hello. The stud details are gold, so for this look, I wanted to complement that detail but not compete with it in my choices for other items. I decided on this old jacket with cream faux leather trim and fun gold zipper details. I found the jacket on the sale rack at Stein Mart last year. The pull-on slim-fitting dressy pants are old from Chico's, as is the tank.

The long tank with sheer details at the neckline and the hem allow the waistline to disappear beneath the jacket—the wide waistband pants with no other details allowed for a smooth foundation to build upon. The faux leather trim and zippers' placement and angles on the jacket are very feminine and figure-flattering.

I wore this look to dinner with friends on Wednesday date night. The evening temperatures are still a bit cool here, allowing me to wear a third piece. 

As the weather heats up during the summer, I will show you how I use sheer details in jackets and cardigans to add my much loved third piece without overheating.

I kept my accessories very minimal with sunglasses and two bold blingy rings. A bag didn't work with this, so Mr. Mickey was the lip color keeper for the evening.

I am often asked how I decide which accessories to add to the look. Accessories are like makeup; they should accentuate, not camouflage. With this in mind, I look at the outfit's style and accessories; they should all come from the same tribe. Think about a linen tunic over a pair of jeans with sandals. A bold, earthy necklace would work well to fill in the neckline, whereas a gold and pearl choker might not relate to the material or the attitude of the look nearly as well.

Warm Weather Game

As the temperatures climb into the eighties during most afternoons, I am wearing tunics often.

One of my all-time favorite looks for warm weather is a long, swingy lightweight tunic. By adding a long necklace, I am breaking up my middle's expanse with the deep V created by the necklace. This tunic's subtle print also moves the eye over that area without stopping on my trouble spots. When wearing a print, always be mindful of where the blocks of color and pattern land on your body. The wrong placement can actually draw the eye to a problem area.

I almost always wear a statement bracelet or watch and sometimes even layer on three different pieces on the same wrist with a three-quarter length sleeve. 

The ring is just a bit of fun, bling I picked up at some forgotten place in my travels. The clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The sunglasses are by Michael Kors. The shoes are old favorites by Calvin Klein.

I took my camera with me on one of my walks to share some of the beauty of springtime.

I hope you are enjoying the tummy hiding tips I share with you on the blog this week. There will be a few more tips tomorrow, but honestly, if you study my looks, you will notice that I always try to downplay that area of my body.

Blush Is The New Black!

Are you proud of showing off your rock hard abs? Me either! This week, I share some of the little tricks that I employ to play down my tummy area and other jiggly bits.

Wear black. OK, I know that isn't groundbreaking news, but here is how I use black to my advantage. Black soft flowing tunics, tees, and tanks are my most important building blocks.

For you, it might be black, navy blue, or even dark brown, but you need a dark base color that you can wear on your top half and then layer over it.

If you are interested in drawing attention away from a certain area of your body, this tip is golden. Light colors emphasize, and dark colors recede. Whether you are putting on makeup or getting dressed, you need to always keep this universal truth in mind.

So the magic, fool the eye tool I am using here is the black Covered Perfectly long sleeve top. The low scoop neckline lifts the eye up and cuts the area that is my middle. Black is the perfect neutral for me, so I can add any of my other favorite neutrals over it. This jacket in blush is from White House Black Market. It is also a great neutral that I can wear with any of the other items in my closet.

Another fool the eye technique is to keep the middle of your body very plain and then use an accessory to draw the eye up to a real showstopper. 

The old woven clutch and the watch by English Laundry are both from Saks Off 5th.

The BCBGeneration shoes are from DSW.

The distressed (but never torn) boyfriend jeans are old from Chico's. The sloppy turned up cuff is a youthful hipster trendy styling trick. Sometimes I do play around with one fun trend per look. Too many trends on me can look silly. I can't say that I will ever wear the distressing trend to the point of torn jeans or release hem items, but I do like the look of faded jeans sometimes.

Here is a little video to show you how I quickly changed a plain tunic into a fool the eye top. The top I am wearing in the video is the Simple Comfort V-neck from Covered Perfectly.

More Tummy Slimming Tricks

Many styling tricks are known and used by the most fashionable women. It isn't that they have perfect bodies. They just know how to guide your gaze to their best features.

Women over fifty often complain about the sudden thickening of the waistline. Welcome to my world! I weighed nine pounds and eleven ounces at birth; my thick waistline has been my nemesis ever since. This means I have been using tummy hiding tricks for a very long time.

One such trick is to half-tuck your shirt. When you leave a shirt with a straight hem entirely tucked or untucked, you create a straight, bold horizontal line, usually at the widest portion of your body. This line guides the eye to look there at your middle in all its glory.

I created this collage to demonstrate this point. All of the pants and tops are the same size. In the center, I replaced the crew neck tee with an open jacket. (Imagine a low scoop neck shorter black tank under the jacket in the middle.)

Do you see how varying the hem length of your top or layers of tops create the illusion of being more slender?

A bold horizontal line or break at or near the waistline makes you look shorter and wider because it visually cuts your body in half. That is why I am a fan of wearing or creating the illusion of asymmetric or broken up hemlines in my tops. The diagonal line is so much more flattering than a single straight horizontal one. A jacket, cardigan, or vest is worn open over a shorter or longer tank is a look you see me often wear for this reason.

To get this effect, just tuck a little of the hem of the shirt into your waistband and let it fall softly back in place. This styling trick makes your legs look longer and removes the focus from your waistline. I also love a V-neckline for its ability to lengthen. 

The three-quarter length sleeves are the next slimming trick. Showing your forearms further breaks up the straight line created across your middle by your clothing. When your sleeves and your hemline end simultaneously, it creates a solid, horizontal line.

Even my hair is cut in a diagonal line, as you can see from the photo below. Hairstyles should be considered in a full-length mirror because balance is imperative for your overall look. A good stylist understands this and will give you a cut that creates balance and harmony from head to toe. (Imagine a petite woman with long full bushy hair that visually seems too heavy for her small body to carry.)

I hope that these tips help you to get dressed with more confidence every day.

The top was provided by Covered Perfectly. The jacket and jeggings are old from Chico's. The Ralph Lauren bag was from 6pm.com last year. The Vince Camuto sandals are several years old from Nordstrom.

A Different Look

Having a style formula for dressing can make life easier each morning, but I also like taking risks and trying something entirely different.

I rarely wear a print, wider leg pants, or flats, but here I am combining all three!

Throughout this week, I will be sharing the styling tricks I use to draw attention away from my thick waistline.

The cold shoulder top is by Clara Sunwoo. The pants are by Mesmerize. ShopMyFairLady provided both items to me.

The cold shoulder style is going to be very popular this year. These Clara Sunwoo tops are made from a comfortable and forgiving fabric that works well with many body shapes.

If I wear a print, it is almost always geometric or animal print. This one is a playful combination of the two.

These pants are the longer style of Mesmerize pants. I love that they have a simple waist with a very discrete zipper and no loops. This is a style I always look for. Not having a bulky zipper and loops or pockets instantly slims my waistline.

This shoe is named "Susan" (not named for me personally!). These are by Marc Fisher, and I found them at Saks Off 5th. The small gunmetal colored clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The sunglasses are old by Michael Kors. I don't recall where I found those, but most likely it was Saks Off 5th.

ShopMyFairLady offers many of my favorite brands all on the same site, and they are so helpful. Each time I go there, I buy so much I have to ask them to ship it. 

The store is located in 

"The Alley In The Valley"

6000 Reseda Blvd. Tarzana, CA 91356