Make it Work

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you know that I have started over with very little, more than once in my life. While I was living near New Orleans a few years ago, I started another new chapter in my life. 

When I began decorating my small cottage within sight of the Gulf of Mexico's beaches, I searched for objects to use in creating my vision of a lovely French-inspired home. I visited all the flea markets, junk stores, and yard sales within a fifty-mile radius.

This is the guest room in my home today. The chair was purchased at a yard sale at the end of the day as it was starting to rain. The lady I bought it from for $10 asked me in wonder, "What are you going to do with it?" It was covered with fake brown leather, and it was painted brown. I told her, "I'm going to give it an antique ivory distressed finish and then cover it with a tapestry fabric I have been saving for years." Two ladies standing behind me listening, excitedly asked, "Where is your shop?!" Maybe someday I will have that shop, but for now, this is the way I have always made do with what I could afford. 

The Monet print was a hand me down from my sister, which I had re-framed in light colors. The brass lamp was purchased for $3 at a church tag sale. The nightstand was found in a junk store for $25. I bought the iron bed on eBay.

This ancient-looking pedestal in the corner of my bedroom was on clearance at T.J. Maxx. I bought the concrete garden bust in a junk store in one of my travels. The Eastlake table was purchased at a yard sale. The oil painting was a clearance item in the resale shop. The other items were also purchased at similar shops. (My definition of a junk store is one that is presented as an antique store, but in reality, all of the stuff likely came from garage sales. One-piece out of three thousand might have the possibility of being reworked into something I would want to own.) The thrill comes in the hunt for that one object of my desire to complete the picture.

This display in my foyer is a salvage yard pedestal with a broken corner that was originally brown, orange, green, and red (really!). The urn is actually a lamp to which I added a final from something else after I removed all the electrical workings. I used burnt umber and cream paints to add a finish that pulled the whole thing together. I recently saw a similar display in a high-end decorator's showroom for more than $600!

Much of the decorating fun for me is looking for objects that I can rework to fit my vision. I really don't think it would give me nearly as much joy if I could walk into a fine antique store and point to the objects and say "I'll have that and that." Part of the joy for my creative spirit is to find something with possibilities that no one else wants and then recreating something special from those items.

I share these glimpses into my home and my private life for a reason. If you believe you can or you believe you cannot, you are correct. I hope to know a bit about my failures as well as my successes will inspire you to say, "I CAN!"

The Great Gatsby

Mr. Mickey took me to see the movie "The Great Gatsby" last evening.

We awoke to frost in our area on Tuesday morning, but we are looking forward to temps in the 80's today for the first time this year. I am hopeful that this will be the last of my transition looks for chilly spring weather.

Knowing that movie theaters are often downright cold, I wore my navy Austin Reed jacket with a white tee and side zip tan pants from Talbots. The slingbacks are several years old by Unisa. The large square silk-like golf-themed scarf is from Ross.  I folded it into a triangle, draped the ends across my shoulders, and then put on the jacket, which kept it in place without tying it.

The handbag is a recent purchase from Stein Mart.

We enjoyed the movie very much! I loved the elaborate cars and estates' grandeur, the gardens, and the wild party scenes. Leonardo DiCaprio is even more handsome than he was in his younger days. He is such a great actor! I had hoped for more glimpses of fabulous jewelry from this my favorite era.

Thank you for reading!

Dinner with Dear Friends

The rain was falling for much of the day but by the evening it had stopped. Everything is so green now! 

For this dinner date with very special friends, I wore a deep pink double-breasted knit jacket from Stein Mart with a black tank and black side zip pants from Talbots. The box bag is from T.J. Maxx as are the shoes which are a couple of years old.

Thank you for reading my blog. Today is a bit of a celebratory post since this is my 100th! It has been great fun sharing with you.

Chilly Date Night

Spring continues to tease us. The temperatures dipped into the forties last evening, and the wind was fierce, which means I looked for something warm for Friday date night with friends.

Because of the high winds, we moved the photo session into my foyer this evening.

All the elements are repeats, but I'll recap them for you. The wool double-breasted jacket with three-quarter sleeves is from Talbots last fall. The three quarter sleeve jacket is a great choice for cooler spring weather. This time I paired it with black wider leg pants and Ros Hommerson low heeled pumps. I was sad to get an email from Ros Hommerson announcing that they are going out of business. All of their inventory is half price now. 

When I wear wider leg pants, I always wear them with a lower-heeled shoe for safety reasons and the fact that it seems to be a much better balance.

Under the jacket is a black tank top from Stein Mart, and I carried a black leather clutch with gold trim. My earrings are gold and black, and the bangle is the same red as the jacket with gold trim. I rarely wear gold jewelry because of my skin tone and gray hair. 

 

The odd little "room" to the right of this image is the entryway to the downstairs.

Navy and Nude

On this Wednesday date night, I wore a navy knit dress and nude shoes.

Spring has finally arrived here in East Tennessee!

Nude shoes are often the most logical choice to wear with a dress, but they look especially fresh and modern with navy.  These BCBGeneration nude pumps were found at  T.J.Maxx.

The copper, silver, and gold woven clutch is many years old. The pearl, silver, and gold earrings are also several years old. The silver and gold necklace is a recent purchase from Stein Mart. I am also wearing my favorite pantyhose by Hanes. 

The navy knit dress was recently found on a sale rack at Stein Mart.

Classic Casual

Kelly green with navy and white is a classic spring combination.

A lightweight three-quarter length sleeve cardigan in Kelly green looks great with a white tank and dark wash jeans. The Kelly flats are perfect to wear with jeans. Add a natural color tote to keep your look fresh and modern. If you add a necklace, remember to wear only small earrings or none at all.

Tomorrow I will announce the monthly give away to one lucky subscriber to the blog. Good luck!

How I lost more than forty pounds and healed my body.

Taken at a Victorian Bed and Breakfast in North Carolina.

At the age of fifty-four, I was frumpy, fat, and very unhealthy.

The pictures above were taken about three years ago before I started eating natural, unprocessed foods.

The picture below was taken last month.

I have maintained this weight for over two years. Hundreds of people have asked me how I lost weight and reversed my health problems. The simple answer is that I changed my choice of foods. My health and stamina returned to the levels of my early thirties in just a few months. I will turn fifty-seven this September.

My gentleman friend and I are very active socially, which means we go out to eat and attend lots of parties and functions. As you know, special food is always a part of these social situations. Most of the food served in restaurants and sold in grocery stores in America is highly processed, heavily salted, with lots of added sugar and butter or other fats. This is also why many of my friends started to gain a lot of weight as soon as they came to America.  

After reading the book "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, I realized that nothing in my daily diet was high in nutrition or provided a sufficient energy source. That's why I was always hungry two hours after I ate!  

I started eating the breakfast described in the post here and at the top of this page under Recipes. Breakfast for me is at about six in the morning. I am often just starting to feel hungry at about one in the afternoon. I have a large leafy green salad with lots of steamed, roasted, or sauteed vegetables at about two in the afternoon.  I use unsalted vegetable broth for cooking instead of butter or oil. My salad dressing is an aged balsamic vinegar. There is no oil, croutons, bread, or cheese served on or with this salad. That's normally my last meal of the day, and I never feel hungry at night. I drink hot tea, water, and occasionally a glass of wine.

This is my diet 95% of the time. I still eat whatever I want when we go out to dinner during the weekends. (I do not eat red meat or pork.) 

It is a simply healthy way of eating, and I never feel that I am missing anything. I don't count calories or go to the gym. The fact that I feel so much better and have so much more energy serves as my motivation to continue to eat like this for the rest of my life.

I hope that by sharing my story, I have given you the motivation to learn more about food and how it can make you feel great or miserable.

The Steeplechase

One of our favorite spring traditions is to attend the Block House Steeplechase running in Tryon, North Carolina.

This event ushers in spring with picnics, sundresses, elegant hats, and tailgating as we view the thoroughbreds thundering past striving for a win. The day started out quite cool, so I am wearing a sweater poncho here. As the afternoon progressed, the sun warmed us enough to shed the layers. Our parking space partners were the most charming people! We loved visiting with them and hope to continue our new friendships for many years.

At the beginning of the festivities, there is a hat contest to award a prize to the most appropriate hat, the funniest hat, and the best kid's hat. 

Here I am in the hat parade wearing the white dress I told you about earlier. (I did not win, but it certainly was fun!)

  

Here are some of the other contestants in their lovely hats.

The Block House is the longest-running steeplechase in the state of North Carolina, occurring continuously since 1947. Crowds of 18,000 to 20,000 attend the Block House Races annually. 

This 1949 Bentley was in the space in front of us. The owner is the fellow standing behind the car. He told us that his father bought the car new and that his grandchildren are the fifth generation to ride in the car. He drives it regularly.

We always stay at the 1906 Pinecrest Inn. This is later in the day at the gazebo in the lower gardens on the Inn's property. We are on our way to cocktails on the terrace, so I have switched to a more subdued animal print ribbon trimmed straw hat for the afternoon. When wearing a hat, I wear few other accessories. The effect can be quite matronly if you add large earrings, a necklace, and glasses. The soft white knit dress is from Stein Mart.

Later in the evening, I wore another red knit dress from Stein Mart to dinner. This is a record for me... bare legs with a dress twice in one day! Normally I would not be so daring, but it is my vacation after all.

The next morning, I wore this wonderful fuchsia blouse, which was a gift from Foxcroft. I paired it with khaki Capri pants from Talbots and Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals via T.J. Maxx. This Foxcroft blouse will be one of my spring favorites! You will see it often. It is the softest non-iron fabric I have ever worn. Normally no iron blouses are too stiff to be comfortable. This one flows across the body in a perfect drape.

Shopping in the Biltmore Village

Mr. Mickey and I spent a lazy Saturday afternoon shopping in Asheville, NC.

The historic Biltmore Village is centered around All Souls Cathedral and the homes built for the people who worked for many years to build the Biltmore House. Those houses are now unique shops and restaurants. All of the buildings that have been added over the years must comply with the original buildings' style, so even a nearby McDonald's has the same interesting rooflines and details.

An old clawfoot bathtub was used in the landscaping in front of this linen shop.

We also spent time downtown visiting galleries, shopping, watching people, and our usual restaurant crawl.

The flying nun of Asheville (Sister Bad Habit) is one of our favorite characters. He has a very theatrical English accent, and he wears horn-rim glasses with a couple of days of dark beard growth. He rides this extended bicycle through downtown with the biggest smile on his face. Everyone cheers when they see him pass, and they stop to take his picture. This is actually his job! He helps to promote LaZoom tours of Asheville. 

I wore khaki jeans by French Dressing with a cream tank top from Coldwater Creek. The purple linen three-quarter sleeve jacket is old from Coldwater Creek. My sandals are from Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J. Maxx. The faux alligator bag is from Tuesday Morning. The bone and gemstone bangle bracelet has been part of my collection for many years. I love to wear wide bangle bracelets with warm weather clothes.

Thanks so much for all your nice comments on my last post!

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!