Minimalism

The style shows for 2014 are showing a return to the minimalism of the nineties.

It's all part of the fashion cycle. We are draped in layers of jewelry, scarves, and lots of colors for a few years. Eventually, we get tired of it all and go back to navy, black, gray, and white with straightforward lines and minimal accessories. I have always embraced a certain amount of minimalism in my personal style.

  

I feel most comfortable in clean lines and solid colors with only one or maybe two bold accessories. It seems a lot of you also gravitate to minimalist looks. My Polyvore sets have been viewed more than four and a half million times!

I created this necklace as a special order this week and posted it on Facebook. The responses I received included offers to create for stores and hundreds of people asking how much. This is an effortless pendant necklace style on only one strand with two simple beads and caps as part of the strand. It is timeless and regal looking. I can imagine the President of a company wearing this with an elegant black suit as easily as a young woman would wear it with jeans and a tee and high heels. 

The point of this post is to encourage you to wear (and create if you are one of my clients) accessories that celebrate individuality and personality. One or two bold pieces are all you need. Matching necklaces, bracelets, and earrings are sure to make you look overdone and dated.

A bold, elegant necklace can be as simple as this large pendant piece with a simple bail and a bold silver chain. I've seen it offered as such a necklace for as much as $60.

Some may say that minimalism is bad for the economy. Still, during the nineties, I sold enough of my own jewelry designs to quit my retail manager job and almost double my salary the following year.

Opportunity is always there. Be flexible. Open your mind and your eyes to what is appealing at the time. Respect that trend and then do what suits you and your own style.

Another Adventure

Have you ever had to totally change your plans after you arrived at your destination?

We planned to go shopping in Abingdon, Virginia, for part of the day and then make early dinner reservations at a great restaurant we recently visited. Since this is not a busy time of year for them, I thought we would just call earlier in the day for the first seating. We found that the restaurant and many others in town were either closed for the whole month or operating with a minimal lounge menu.

This is the always inviting porch at the Martha, where the desk manager told us about a great new café around the corner.

So off we go on a new adventure.

Earlier, we stopped briefly at their small T.J.Maxx. I have been looking for a luggage or camel color bag to replace my Liz Claiborne bag. After being carried for several years, it was time to retire it because the zipper finally broke. I was thrilled when I found this Michael Kors one that I have been coveting for more than a year! None of the other stores I have visited still had one in stock, so I was thrilled to find this one at a much lower price than the ones I had been looking at online.

Instead of complaining about my lack of planning, the wonderful Mr. Mickey smiled and suggested we try the new place. It turned out to be great! We will revisit 128 Pecan.

The Virginia Creeper Trail starts a couple of blocks from downtown Abingdon.

An old railroad track was converted to a bike path that extends to the top of Whitetop Mountain. We have actually ridden our bikes from the top of the mountain into Damascus but not all the way back to Abingdon. Perhaps on another day, we will try that.

No Saturday adventure is ever complete until we have shared an afternoon dessert. On this day, we stopped at Anthony's Desserts for a coconut cream pie tart. 

Mickey found the old book on French Country style is one of the shops we visited. He knows how French my heart is.

We saw a large house on the hill off in the distance, so of course, I suggested we get a closer look. The road that passed by the house continued upon the ridge, so we drove to the end of it, where we saw this awe-inspiring panoramic view of mountains and rolling pastures on three sides.

Today's outfit includes a long sleeve white tee, a blue Ponte jacket, and black So Slimming jeans, all from Chico's. The short boots are Madden Girl from Belk a couple of years ago.

At Last!

The storm of the century made me stay home for a couple of weeks, but last night we were so happy to be back at our favorite restaurant for dinner.

I have posted in the past about wearing black and how it isn't always flattering for everyone. If you are like me and have invested in an abundance of black in the past, there are ways to make it work for you. Here I've added a bright aqua scarf and gemstone ring in the same color as accessories.

All of the pieces of this outfit are a couple of years old. The boiled wool jacket is about ten years old! I love that it has black embroidered details on the collar. The cuffs can be turned up, and it has one decorative button closure, so I wore it with a long sleeve black tee from Chico's. The black knit pants were a find at Ross a couple of years ago. They are by Tahari.

The scarf is a very soft gauze in color I know works well for me. The shoes are low heeled with tiny gold-trimmed bow detail. The bag is Kenneth Cole Reaction from T.J.Maxx. 

My wardrobe is made up of pieces I like to wear and that I feel comfortable in. I am motivated to buy new pieces if I believe they can be worn for several years with many other pieces in my closet. Classics changed with accessories has been my secret to dressing well for many years.

About three years ago, I lost more than forty-five pounds, so I had to give up almost all of my wardrobe. As I replaced those items, I once again looked for classics that could be worn in many combinations and several seasons.

Jeans and A Tee... At My Age?

If you were also in high school in the early seventies, you might be like me in that you find the ultimate comfort is that "uniform" you wore for much of that time.

Occasionally I still see one of my high school friends wearing the same look we loved at seventeen but a Harley tee and faded out jeans with shoe muffins (athletic shoes) will not work for me anymore. Comfort now has to do with more than just how it feels on my body. I want to celebrate that I have been on a tremendous journey for these past forty years. I have traveled the world, owned several businesses, lived in great cities, and learned volumes since I graduated from high school in 1974.

My Junior Class Picture 1973

I still wear jeans and a tee quite often, but my comfort zone now includes great fitting dark washed jeans, a slim-fitting tee with a scoop, or V-neck with a nice jacket or open cardigan sweater. Knowing my body shape is key to putting together comfortable outfits. There is a "sweet spot" between mid-hip and mid-thigh where I like my jackets to end. They should be neither too short, showing all of my flat bottom, nor too long, making my short legs appear shorter. 

The jeans should fit my body, neither too tight nor sagging in the back. Dark wash looks more appropriate and much better with most of my jackets, but I have one faded pair of classic Levis, which I wear with flats and a navy blazer on sunny fall days. The NYDJ cropped jeans I am wearing below remain one of my summer favorites also.

Autumn of 2013

I hope that sharing my inspiration sets from Polyvore and explaining why I make certain choices helps you put together great outfits that make you feel confident and comfortable. Here's to our next forty years!

New Flat Shoes

When I mentioned in an earlier post that I was starting to wear flat shoes more often for daytime, I was amused at the howls of protest from some of you. I have worn heels for most of my adult life, but now, two and a half years away from my sixtieth birthday, I am starting to invest in flats because my feet recently started letting me know it's time.

I found these Enzo Angiolini® Liberty Loafers at Appleseeds. They were one of the first pairs of flats I purchased. Not all flats are created equally. These looked like just the right style for me, but I will be wearing them around the house for quite some time to break them in. They are a bit narrow where they are stitched together at the ball of the foot.

These Hush Puppies Dalby Moc Flats are super comfortable. (I used my Christmas money from my parents to buy three pairs of shoes from Macy's. Thanks, Mom and Dad!)

I also bought these Alfani Women's Allegra Step N Flex Flats from Macy's. Love them!

These Aerosoles Clean Slate wedge heels in brown are also from Macy's. I haven't worn them yet, but they feel comfortable from just trying them on.

These are Vince Camuto animal print flats from Nordstrom.

A Family Gathering

For a very casual gathering of extended family, I wore jeans and a long-sleeve tee.

The tee, jeans, and necklace are all from Chico's. The boiled wool jacket is from Appleseed's. 

The Coach bag was purchased at their outlet store in Blowing Rock, North Carolina, last summer. The shoes are from Macy's, and they are worn with beige Hanes pantyhose from Target.

The gathering was hosted by my beautiful cousin Rhonda in her fabulous new home by the lake. My mother and I enjoyed watching the gulls and blue herons and geese from the huge windows that offer a panoramic view of the lake. 

Mickey and I had to stop on the road leading away from their home to wait for about forty whitetail deer of all ages and sizes to pass in front of and around us. I was thrilled to be part of that surreal scene.

I hope your new year is filled with happiness and great style.

Rain in Abingdon

That's Rain the restaurant, not the weather. Last evening we had dinner with my sister and her husband at a wonderful restaurant in Abingdon, Virginia. 

 We had temperatures in the seventies today!

I was captivated by this view along the way, so Mr. Mickey stopped so that I could snap a picture for you.

I wore a Ming Wang jacket with black crepe pants and a black tank from Chico's. The shoes and bag are old.

Santa Makes His Rounds

Santa Mickey completed all of his "performances" during the past few days.

Last evening we first visited the beautiful home of our dear friends and neighbors, Don and Millie.

Then on to our next stop...

Our favorite Sunday afternoon hangout is Carrabba's in Johnson City, so we stopped in for a quick visit with the very busy Proprietor, Colin Baker. 

These children will never forget the night Santa came to their table at Carrabba's. They were so thrilled!

Then back to Mr. Mickey's home for a few shots of my outfit for an evening as Mrs. Claus. I wore a red wool jacket and long sleeve tee from Talbots last year with old straight leg black pants from Stein Mart and old Madden Girl short boots from Belk.

The beautiful bracelet was a gift from my sweet friend, Millie.

Behind me is Mr. Mickey's study area. All those trophies and medals are from winning tennis tournaments and competing as an Army Sharpshooter.

Our last stop of several this evening was with our sweet friends at our favorite restaurant in town, Gourmet and Company. We are pictured with proud new Papa, Chef Jacob Berry.

Mr. Mickey and I hope that your Christmas is filled with joy.

Christmas Symphony

One of the highlights of the season for us is attending the Johnson City Symphony Christmas concert.

Having dinner at our favorite restaurant, Gourmet and Company, before the concert is also a tradition we enjoy. Mr. Mickey loves bread pudding above all other desserts. This one is apple cinnamon with blueberries and French vanilla bean ice cream.

The marble staircase at the Seeger Chapel is splendid. The Chapel was beautifully decorated with greenery, poinsettias, and tiny white lights. It was such fun to visit with friends and singing carols during the audience participation segment.

I am wearing a Chico's jeweled sweater with Chico's Travelers pants over black pantyhose with a mink vest that was a Christmas gift from Mr. Mickey a few years ago.

The black and white sweater has jet beads and stones. I chose a hematite colored metal to complement the beading. The color is repeated in the earrings, the buckles on the high heels, and the clutch bag's beading. Except for the sweater and hose, all of my outfit elements are several years old.

I hope your holiday season is filled with friends, family, and laughter.

Garden Club Luncheon

I was honored to be once again invited by my sweet friend, Rose Sorrell, to attend her annual Garden Club luncheon today.

The Hill and Dale Garden Club of Bristol TN/VA.

There were lots of garden-themed items up for auction.

Christmas Carols were played for our enjoyment.

The tree was beautifully trimmed. 

Colorful delightful centerpieces were at each table.

Yummy dessert!

Friends Rose Sorrell, Sandy McGlothlin, Susan Street, and Shirley Carrier saying goodbye at the end of a fun afternoon.

I hope all your gatherings are filled with joy this season.