The Little WHITE Dress

We all know the magic of owning the perfect little black dress, which can be worn for many occasions. Redbook magazine editors recently issued the challenge for me to wear a little white dress for summer. They are considering using this image in a blogger segment for their July issue.

Those of you who know me well know that I would never even look at a white dress. White is not good with my hair color and skin tone. Dresses are not normally on my shopping list, even in the correct colors. I don't like to show my legs, and the top half of me is much larger than the bottom half. This makes my dress choices very limited because they look like a tent on me.

For this blogger feature, I decided to put aside my preconceptions and give the task my best effort. My shopping time is minimal, so I headed over to my favorite store, which I can actually see from my breakfast nook. (I live on a hill, and they are on another hill across the valley.) Stein Mart has a nice selection of dresses most of the time, and on this day, I found two white dresses for consideration. This pearl ivory sheath with an asymmetric layered peplum was my choice. 

You may also know that I always look for a great price. I will never suggest that you buy a $300 pair of jeans. (Honestly! How do these young twenty-something bloggers afford a $1,500 handbag?) That's another reason I love Stein Mart! I found this dress by Premise Dresses with a suggested retail price of $128 for only $39.99. 

Since the dress was so form-fitting, I tried it in size 10 instead of an 8, and it worked great.  It came with a belt in the same fabric, but I omitted that since I wanted to up the glam for this shoot.

 
I paired the dress with nude pumps by BCBGeneration and an ivory trimmed straw bag from T.J. Maxx. 

The silver jewelry includes crystal trimmed large hoops, a large face crystal trimmed watch, and a large-scale link bracelet. The watch and crystal ring are from Stein Mart, and the other items have been in my collection so long I don't remember where I got them. 

It's official! My image will be in the July issue Redbook!

Go Natural!

The shell buttons on this fuchsia linen jacket inspired my choice of accessories for date night.

Three-quarter length sleeves are the perfect choice for this time of year. This fuchsia linen-like fabric is also great for the cool evenings of early spring. The jacket style is rather casual with pleated details and shell buttons, making it a good choice to pair with jeans and the tan pants I am wearing here.

I often take my cues for accessories from the details of a bag or jacket. For example, the buttons on this jacket are made from shells, so I chose accessories made from natural elements. The back of the jacket features the same gathered details with buttons.

The bone and brass bangles have been in my collection for years. The necklace is one that I bought from the clearance rack at Belk a couple of years ago. It was damaged and was much more "in your face" bright silver. Since I own a jewelry supply company, that was no problem for me. I replaced the missing chain and added a regal element to the pendant, and antiqued the silver to tone it down a bit. The pendant also includes a mother of pearl shell.

The tank top is from Coldwater Creek, and it is a softer white, not bright white. The pants are tan side zip pants from Talbots last fall.   

The jacket is by Peck & Peck from Stein Mart. It was on the 30% off rack last week. The Etienne Aigner shoes are several years old.

Motown in Tennessee!

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I had a wonderful world-class gourmet meal and saw a fabulous Las Vegas show right here in Tennessee!

The sun was shining all day, so warmer weather has finally arrived. Oh, joy!

My three-quarter length sleeve jacket is several years old. I paired it with a fuchsia tank from Chico's and a pair of dark gray pants from Stein Mart.

The faux leather clutch is from T.J. Maxx, and the ruffle trim black leather platform sandals are from Kohl's a couple of years ago. 

Mr. Mickey and I always plan what to wear so as not to clash with each other. When I arrived to pick him up, he looked so dashing in his black and white silk jacket and black sweater! 

The patterns in our jackets look strange in the photos, so I include close-ups of them.

Closeup of Mickey's silk jacket.

Closeup of Susan's black and white jacket.

Jacob and John are the chef and sous-chef at Gourmet & Company in Johnson City. Last evening they prepared a pasta dish that was absolutely one of the best meals either of us has ever enjoyed.

The ravioli was made with porcini mushrooms and stuffed with goat cheese and spinach. A roasted shrimp topped each, and a perfect orchid was placed in the center. Bravo gentlemen! 

The Johnson City Symphony Orchestra closed out their season with special guests. A spectrum is a group of four very talented gentlemen who performed in Las Vegas for several years. The evening's performance was a tribute to many of the wonderful Motown classics we grew up listening to. We were sitting in fourth-row center seats! I felt like a VIP all evening. 

Thank you for reading my blog and for all of your lovely comments.

I hope you have a great week!

A Suit ... or Not

Do you have suits that you never wear?

This vintage Chanel suit was found on 1stdibs.com for $1,500.

Treat the pieces as separates instead, and you may find yourself reaching for them often.

It has been a trend to wear Chanel inspired jackets with faded jeans and heels for the past few years. That has become too predictable now, so I like to pair a jacket with more tailored pieces instead.

Pair the skirt or pants with a cardigan and a tank and pointed toe flats.

Think outside the suit!

Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog. I enjoy hearing from you!

Closets Revealed!

Readers have asked to see my closets to learn about my organization strategy, so this post is a tour of my closets and storage.

The walk-in closet off the master bath holds my clothes, small clutch bags, hats, and most of my jewelry. That black object in front of the blanket basket is a stool.

I organize clothes according to color and dressy or casual. Jackets are on the top, and tees are on the bottom of the right side. Pajamas, dresses, tunics, winter pants, and jeans are in the center. (Summer pants are in an upstairs closet for now.) 

You can see the left side in the mirror reflection, which holds blouses and tank tops and casual jackets and sweaters.

The folding doors are fully mirrored, and there is a built-in chest to the left. I keep jewelry in the chest and in the mahogany jewelry box on top, which was a gift from Mr. Mickey. Clutch bags are in those colorful storage boxes, and hats are in the round hat boxes. If they aren't so large, they won't fit in them. (Never wear a hat wider than your shoulders.) The one hat that you see is almost there. I have never found a box to fit it.

The best silver cleaner ever is in the gray jar. It can be found at Target. Look for Connoisseurs® Silver Jewelry Cleaner.

Shallow trays for organizing an office drawer are great to keep jewelry from getting tangled. They can be stacked in deeper drawers. You can usually find them at Walmart or any office supply store.

I bought that mirror in an antique store for $5. It was matte purple! I took it apart and painted it to look like rococo Italian carved wood. 

I store my shoes and scarves in the closet of a small upstairs bedroom I've named my dressing room.

I found both of these shoe storage systems at Bed Bath and Beyond.

On the back of the door is more shoe storage. 

  
The guest bedroom has shelves along the sidewalls, perfect for storing larger daytime bags and tote bags.

I keep bags stuffed with tissue to hold their shape. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour. Have a great week! 

The Winner of the March Giveaway is...

The gift this month includes the book "Frumpy to Fabulous" by Natalie Jobity, a white no-iron shirt from Chico's, an animal print square scarf by Oscar de la Renta, a rhinestone trimmed black satin evening bag, and an original pair of pink glass opal pierced earrings created by Susan Street the editor of this blog.


Congratulations, Sharon Fess Theriault!

You are the winner!

To add your name in the hat for a chance to win the April gift, just make sure you are following the blog via any of the methods on the right side of this page.

Easter Sunday

I hope you enjoyed Easter Sunday with family and friends.

It was cold and rainy here today, but my whole family all got together to attend church with my parents. My Mom was so proud when her minister told Mr. Mickey and me that we looked like we just stepped out of a magazine.

There was about an hour break in the rain so that we could snap these pictures.

 

The nude shoes by BCBGeneration and the umbrella are from T.J. Maxx. The gold jewelry has been in my collection for many years.

I own very few dresses since I wear a size 8 on the top half and a size 4 on the bottom half. Knit wrap style dresses are about the only ones I even consider because the cost of tailoring is usually more than I paid for the dress. That's also part of the reason you see me in so many separates. I bought this dress at Stein Mart last year and the handbag there this year. The champagne-colored jacket was purchased at the Fig Leaf boutique in Blowing Rock, North Carolina.

Dinner with Friends

On most Friday evenings, we join a group of friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gourmet & Co, here in Johnson City. 

Our weather continues to be unusually cold for this time of year, but I am craving color with those warm jackets, so I added a fuchsia long sleeve tee under this one you have seen many times before. The bright color really added a new interest to it. The lipstick is Merle Norman's 'Cranberry,' which looks great with fuchsia.   

This jacket was purchased from Coldwater Creek last year, and the gray side zip pants are my old favorites from Talbots. 

The matte silver chain necklace is from Stein Mart, as is the tee. The clutch is Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J. Maxx. The shoes are Ros Hommerson.

The Final Sailing Trip

Many of you have written to ask how my gentleman friend is doing after the boating accident. He has recovered amazingly well! 

Mr. Mickey will be seventy-nine years old in June. Three years ago, he had a stroke, which left him in ICU for almost a week. He is also a diabetic with very high blood pressure and other health problems starting to slow him down. After the stroke, we both embarked upon a healthier eating journey. (Thanks to the book "Eat to Live.") 

I am telling you all of this to share with you that it's never too late to change the eating habits that might contribute to your poor health. 

We have both lost about forty pounds since changing our choices of food a couple of years ago. Mickey has almost reversed his diabetes, and his blood pressure is at the perfect level, corrected with only a fourth of the medication once required. The other health problems have vanished.   

A few weeks ago, after the boating accident, he very nearly drowned; he is back to wanting to go somewhere special every night and laughing and telling stories non-stop. 

This past week he completed the last of his follow-up visits with his physicians here in the states. In only a few weeks, his broken ribs and kneecap, along with numerous lacerations and deep bruises, have healed. His physicians were totally amazed by his speedy and complete recovery at an age when most men would have had a much longer and more difficult time after such severe trauma. They all agreed that his food choices have contributed greatly to his rapid recovery.

If you missed the first post sharing the misadventure, here it is again...

My beloved gentleman friend, Mr. Mickey, has had the same group of friends for most of his life. For more than thirty years, they have gotten together for lunch a couple of times every week. They have enjoyed countless ski vacations, tennis trips, and Caribbean sailing trips aboard a chartered catamaran Captained by a member of this group of lifelong friends.

The group spends the week sailing from one harbor to another, creating great memories to share again and again.

Along the craggy shores of the British Virgin Islands, there are vacation homes and villas for those who prefer to enjoy the view from the land.

A smaller dingy boat is used to deliver the men ashore

where there is no dock in a shallow harbor.

The men occasionally stop for a sip of something cold late in the afternoon.

As the sun starts to descend into the horizon, it's time to make their way into a harbor for dining in one of the many nice restaurants dotting the shores along most of the larger islands.

Casual attire is perfectly acceptable for fine dining in the islands since the sailors often arrive cold and wet from their ride aboard a dingy from their sailboats and catamarans.

As the tides shift and in certain harbors, much larger waves suddenly start rolling in with little notice. A calm and peaceful shore can become a dangerous and even deadly place to be in a few seconds.

The evening quickly changed from sharing a wonderful meal and joking with friends to clinging to life.

The group boarded the dinghy to make their way back to their temporary home aboard the catamaran. Suddenly a much larger wave rose up from the darkness flipping the small boat end over end violently dumping all five men into the sea. Mickey and one other man remained trapped beneath the upturned dinghy. The other man was able to free himself and make his way to shore. One of Mickey's arms had become entangled in the towing line so he could make no such escape. The tides washed the small boat back and forth on the rocky beach dragging him trapped underneath. His strength was gone, and the pocket of air trapped beneath the boat was vanishing quickly. A final desperate gulp of air, seawater, and sand allowed him to yell for help one last time. The other men finally realized he was still trapped beneath the boat and were at last able to establish a footing in the raging surf to pull him to safety.

Trembling with shock from their injuries and the trauma of what had just happened, the group knew right away that Mickey needed immediate medical help.

After a day spent in an island hospital getting wounds bandaged and x-rays of broken ribs, it was time to make the long journey home alone for further medical attention from his own physicians and specialists here in the states.

Mickey's daughter and I picked him up at the airport at midnight on the following day. She told him through her tears, "You are grounded!"

The fellows will be telling this story for years to come, but I think perhaps Mickey will choose to stay home when they embark on their next adventure.

Storytelling

We visited Jonesborough in the year 1857 by way of a monologue in the Storytelling Hall last evening.

Historic Jonesborough is about seven miles from my home. It is the oldest town in Tennessee and home to the Mary B. Martin Storytelling Hall. The International Storytelling Festival is held each year in October.

We still have snow on the surrounding mountains, so spring seems far away. I still wear layers to keep warm, so tonight, I wore a red long sleeve tee from Talbots under a red Geiger jacket with gray tweed pants from Ross. 

 

The boots are by Nine West via Belk. The necklace is from Chico's. The sterling silver ring and the black faux leather clutch are from T.J. Maxx. The earrings were purchased at a boutique during our travels. Even if the items I am wearing are a couple of years old, I share the source with you to get ideas for your next shopping trip. 

The Blues

A mixture of blues with tan was my date night outfit for Wednesday.

The long sleeve navy blue tee and tan side zip pants are from Talbots. The teal blue topper jacket is by Geiger.

 

The shoes are by Guess via T.J. Maxx.

The clutch bag is from Stein Mart. I found the necklace in an artist's co-op gallery in Asheville, NC. The large oval stone ring and earrings were gifts from Mr. Mickey. When I wear a busy necklace such as this one, I choose earrings that are much smaller and more subdued. Large hoop earrings with this necklace would be too much going on in the same place.

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a great day.

The Arts

Last evening Mr. Mickey and I attended one of our favorite annual events. The Johnson City Arts Council 4x4 was held at the beautiful Carnegie Hotel.

We arrived early to do this photoshoot for you.

The Johnson City Arts Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to nurture the arts and inspire community arts involvement in our area. As a lifelong artist, this event and this organization are near and dear to my heart. Among the many programs and services they bring to our area is Arts Corps. This is a free after-school arts program for underserved youth in our community. These children might not otherwise have the opportunity to discover their abilities or learn to appreciate the joy that comes from creating something beautiful. Their alternative might easily be drugs, gangs, or teen pregnancy.
 

Each couple in attendance of the 4x4 event pulls a number out of the fishbowl when they arrive. That number corresponds to an original piece of art by a local well-known artist. Attendees willing to trade their artwork are given a tiny flashing light to add to their name tag. If you want to trade, you look for those flashing lights and talk to the person with another one to work out the trade. We were thrilled with our masterpiece by our dear friend Joy McGinnis. The event includes dinner and wine as well as live entertainment and a silent auction. It gives us the chance to visit with many friends as well as to meet new ones.
  

The hotel is one of the most elegant in our region. We always look forward to attending events here or having dinner at their wonderful restaurant, Wellington's. This photo was taken in front of their wine cellar on the lower level.

The Austin Springs SPA is located just to the right of the cellar. I am often a happy guest there!

I wore a silver and rhinestone necklace and a blue jacket from Coldwater Creek with black lined crepe evening pants from Chico's. The shoes and bag are from Stein Mart.

 

Thank goodness the downpours waited until after the event!

Thanks for reading! 

I hope you have a wonderful week.