The Wine Club

Mr. Mickey and I are charter members of a wine club. Last night we attended a tasting which included the Italian wines Baraolos and Brunellos.

I am wearing a long black, red, and cream sweater over a long-sleeve red tee with a bold Asian-inspired tassel necklace all from Chico's. The straight leg black pants are from Stein Mart a couple of years ago. The shoes are from Nordstrom. The bag is by Tahari via T.J.Maxx last year. 

Before the tasting, I studied that large map of Italy showing all the wine regions on the easel. Have you been to Italy? 

Finding Your Black

Is head to toe black your "easy to get dressed without thinking about it" look?

In the 1990s, all-black became the uniform for an easy dressing option for many women.

In the Polyvore fashion set I created above, I selected items in different shades of brown but varying shades of any color would give the same effect. 

Color is just one part of my decision-making process. As in all the tips I share with you, I will use myself for the example today.

I like very much to wear soft flowing lines in a longer jacket or sweater. A simple scoop, square, or V neck top works best with my round face and wavy hair. This neckline also gives my favorite necklaces a simple background. Another tip: When I wear a necklace, I wear small earrings. If I wear a larger pair of earrings, I skip the necklace. Too much going on around your face is not flattering, especially since most of us wear glasses now. Speaking of glasses, a squarish frame in a softer gray or brown tone is much more flattering to my coloring and face shape. 

Since the top half of my body is larger and longer than the lower half, I like to wear slim leg pants and shoes with a bit of a heel or wedge. This helps to balance the halves of my body.

This is an example of a look that is easy and comfortable for me.

I hope this post inspires you to think about details such as the lines, the drape, and the cut of the clothing you wear as well as the color. If you understand how all the elements come together to flatter you, getting dressed is so much easier. If the colors in your closet all truly flatter your own coloring, it is amazing how they also work together. This makes getting dressed in the dark almost possible.

The River Valley

On Sundays, we leave behind our schedules and hectic lives to do something very peaceful or nothing at all. On this Sunday, we took a drive down to the river valley. 

Our earlier plans of taking a drive up on the Blue Ridge Parkway yesterday were abandoned because of fog, which lasted until late in the morning. Instead, we drove down to the Nolichucky River Valley, as seen below from the Appalachian Trail.

(Photo from Wikipedia.)

This rich and verdant agricultural valley is where a lot of our local produce is grown. It is a summer tradition to drive down to the river to buy local fresh vegetables and fruit. 

On this day, we found lots of pumpkins at our favorite vegetable stand, along with tomatoes, plants, tree bark birdhouses, and other local crafts. 

I am wearing a Chico's jacket, necklace, tank, and khaki jeans. The Vince Camuto animal print flats are from Nordstrom. 

The Silk Kimono

Long jackets with flowing lines and minimal lapels have always been my favorite clothing articles, so of course, I adore kimono-style jackets. Recently I received this hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika.

The previous two weeks have been very hectic, filled with many long days as I helped Mr. Mickey move into his new home and help him decorate it. (His previous home sold after only five days on the market!) Our aching bodies were ready for a day of relaxing, so we went out for lunch and had a couple's massage at the Austin Springs Spa located in the beautiful Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City.

After a massage, my face and eyes always get puffy, so I had to pull out all my tricks to get ready for these photos. I keep a clean wet washcloth in a storage container in my refrigerator. After my shower, I hold the cold cloth on my eyes for a few minutes each morning to reduce the puffiness. (Always drink lots of water after a massage.) 

This week on Facebook, we have been discussing makeup techniques and eyebrows specifically. Have you noticed that when we are young, the brows are normally darker than the hair? As we start to color our hair or let it fade to gray as I have done, we tend to forget this and try to make the brows the same color as our hair, making us look older or more tired. It is important to rethink your makeup techniques after forty. What worked when we were in our youth will make us look dated and not our best current self. For example, when I learned to apply makeup, I wore a light color with a bit of shimmer under my eyebrows and a darker color in my lid's crease. If I did that today, my eyes would appear to recede. The color I use under my brown now is a muted matte pink color by Merle Norman called Pink Truffle. I use a pale cream shimmer color only at the inner corners of my eyes now. 

A couple of hours after the massages, we were on our way to our favorite restaurant in the mountains of North Carolina. The Artisanal in Banner Elk is truly a world-class dining experience. On this evening, we dined on the terrace overlooking a mountain stream at the edge of the woods. As dusk started to fall, a great owl took flight from one of the trees and glided along the stream on his way to look for his own dinner. I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of this magnificent bird of prey!

On this evening, there was no private party in the Artisanal wine cellar, so we took the opportunity to do this photoshoot there. 

We have been in the restaurant when a helicopter has landed on the lawn to deliver special guests for dinner. Those who prefer total privacy go down to the wine cellar for their dining experience. The wine cellar private dining provides the ultimate food and wine experience in an unforgettable setting. They can accommodate parties of up to thirty-two guests. The owners, Anita and Bill, will assist you in creating a memorable experience down to the finer details. Their guidance in planning every facet of your event to the menu selection, place cards, or floral arrangements to any other special occasion needs makes the tasks of planning a party feel effortless.

The wine collection is massive, including more than a thousand bottles of fine wines. (Note that the floor of the actual wine storage area is pea-gravel.) A long glass wall separates the diners from the wine vault, but it is enjoyable to view all those neatly stored bottles.

The decor of the grounds and building are based on equestrian events, racehorses, and a barn.

This massive poster is on the far wall of the wine cellar.

With the fabulous hand-painted silk kimono from Dalitika, I am wearing a tank and a long necklace from Chico's. The ankle pants are from Talbot's. The shoes are by Guess, and the copper beaded clutch is old.

I got a new haircut a couple of weeks ago. It is softly layered and a little longer on the sides so that I can tuck some of it behind my ears.

I love you this much for reading my blog!

Where are you?

Some of you have written to ask, "Where are you?" I have helped Mr. Mickey (my photographer and partner in life) move in and get settled in his new home. My old home is still on the market, so I am packing and doing a few projects at my new home. Recently our "date nights" have consisted of manual labor.

I am so excited to show you my new home, but I am a few weeks away from moving in. For now, I will share with you some of the things that provide inspiration for me.

This is Timothy Corrigan's LA home. He has always been one of my favorite interior designers. He has a new book just out, "An Invitation to Chateau du Grand-Luce." 

My copy is on its way! I look forward to curling up in front of the fire with this book and a glass of wine later this month to absorb every detail. 

I always study the classics to get inspiration and guidance for any project I undertake, whether it is dressing, designing jewelry, planning my gardens, or decorating my home. For example, I love the classic, timeless style of Jackie O and Audrey Hepburn. I also admire some popular young women who currently show their own strong sense of style. Olivia Palermo is one of those young women who constantly impresses me with the way she dresses.

Below is a selfie of my casual look for today. I am on my way to the dentist and will be running lots of errands afterward.

I am wearing a long sweater vest and a long sleeve tee with a long tassel necklace, all from Chico's last year. The jeans are Levis dark wash. The shoes are Vince Camuto.

Mr. Mickey and I are looking forward to a normal date night on Saturday, so perhaps on Sunday, I will have a fashion post to share with you. Thank you so much for reading my blog and for your kind comments. I truly enjoy interacting with you!

Oh So Slimming!

I wore a So Slimming ™ collection Ponte skirt from Chico's to dinner last night. 

This turquoise silk jacket I bought at Stein Mart earlier this year had never been worn. Now that cooler weather has arrived, I paired it with a black tank also from Chico's. 

The Ponte Collection™  dress from Chico's is great fitting and very comfortable. I tried it last week but didn't buy it because I felt it was too short for me. Now that I see these pictures, I realize that I could wear the shorter dress with opaque hose and a bright jacket and still look appropriate. 

Earlier this year, I promised myself not to buy anything else black, but as a base with a brighter color near the face, it can still work with my softer coloring. I love how comfortable all the pieces are in the Ponte Collection, so I will be at Chico's again later today.

Some of you have written to ask why I so rarely wear a skirt or dress. My calves and ankles are thick and too short compared to the rest of my body, so I am usually more comfortable in pants. I can never wear tall boots for that same reason. All my boots are the short version.

We all have our little tips and guidelines that we follow to look and feel our best. In sharing some of mine, I hope you will be inspired to try new combinations of the things already in your closet and perhaps make your next shopping trip less stressful. 

I found these T-Strap heels by BGBGeneration at T.J.Maxx last month. I am wearing nude Calvin Klein hosiery.

Since the rain was pouring down this evening, we shot these photos in my living room. That is not what I had planned, but sometimes you have to go with the flow (pun intended).

Chico's Fashion Show

It was so great to meet some of you at the show on Friday. Thank you very much for being there!

My sweet friends, Jeanie and Rose, were as inspired to shop as I was. We had such a fun day!

I love informal modeling in the boutique. It's great to see how things look and move on a person who is not a professional model and then buy what you liked afterward. Instant gratification at its best! All these models did such a great job.

My Birthday in a Castle

Mr. Mickey gave me a royal weekend away for my birthday.

We stayed at the fabulous Graylyn Manor House in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

This is a view of the fireplace in the great dining hall.

The back view of the estate in the setting sun.

A fountain held huge koi fish.

A winding staircase led to a lower courtyard beyond the indoor pool. There was a rehearsal going on for a wedding which was held on the grounds on Saturday evening.

The hand-carved imported mantel in the sun-room embellishes one of eighteen fireplaces in the 46,000 square foot mansion.

The chess set in the grand entrance hall had splendid details.

This is another winding staircase found at the front of the building. The thick stone steps were built into the outer stone wall so that there was no support needed on the inside.

Hand-painted tiles were used in this fountain in the sunroom.

On the evening of my birthday, we dined in a private dining room with wonderful service and ambiance. My tiramisu dessert came with a candle and a serenade. 

The Mews was once the stable for horses and chickens.

On Saturday, we visited the Reynolda House, which showcases one of the world's largest American art collections. This was the home of R.J. Reynolds.

Later in the day, on Saturday, we visited nearby Old Salem, a historic district settled by a Moravian community in 1766. We had a delightful lunch at the tavern.

We also visited the hat-makers shop. 

This wood fired kiln was in one of the back yards.

Pumpkins were everywhere! Can it really be fall already?

In the afternoon, we returned for a delightful guided tour of the mansion with our Butler, Terry.

I am standing at Nathalie's writing desk.

The hand-carved wood panels in the library were brought over from France. They were carved in the 1600s and were still in perfect condition.

On our last evening, we dined at a wonderful Italian restaurant nearby the estate.

We lived like a King and Queen for the weekend!