Ruanas Are Great For Warm Weather

A ruana is a poncho-style outer garment or wrap. I found this sheer blue animal print one on sale at Chico's a couple of years ago.

I like the fact that this one is sheer and can be worn in a variety of ways as a bit of cover when you want to dress in cool sleeveless tops and white ankle pants or Capris. (Ruanas are also great for winter in fabrics such as wool and cashmere.)

As you can see there isn't much construction to a ruana but they are so versatile.

This is my favorite way to wear them in both winter and summer. I think they look so chic!

Saturday Afternoon

Readers often ask me what I wear on a casual day when I am just staying home or running out for errands.

On this windy, rainy day, I wore red slim leg pants with an animal print sheer tunic from Chico's and a nude foundation tank from Carlisle. Even though the tank is technically a foundation item, it is so pretty it can be seen peeking out from beneath a sheer blouse. The Kenneth Cole Reaction sandals in gold are from T.J.Maxx.

The old Post Office and Custom House in Bristol, Tennessee, is one of my favorite local buildings. It was constructed in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture and opened in 1901. It is now a private office belonging to friends Joe and Cindy Gregory, who began restoring it to its full glory in 1999.

Artisanal Opens For The Season

We love to take a long drive into the North Carolina mountains to have dinner at Artisanal in Banner Elk.

Do you redecorate your home for the summer season? I changed to a light color entry rug and changed art objects on the library table to include lighter colors, white orchids, and some of my collection of unusual seashells gathered from beaches on the far side of the world.

This is the first time I've worn this jacket from the Travelers Collection at Chico's. It is made from black and ivory satin and sheer black ribbons. I paired it with an ivory tank and sleek black side zip ankle pants, also from Chico's. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. The shoes are BCBGeneration via T.J.Maxx. 

I apologize for the blurry photo, but I really wanted you to see the first turn on the entrance to the property of the Artisanal. These life-size horse sculptures are made from pieces of found wood. There is another similar sculpture in the foyer. 

The flat area on the lawn near this building is the landing for helicopters bringing very special diners to the restaurant. Many well-known people such as Michael Jordan and Don Shula dine here often. They either have homes nearby or come to play golf at Diamond Creek adjacent to the restaurant.

This was our budding spring view of the creek and the woods beyond our table on the terrace.

Mickey's toast is often... "A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, and Thou" as we are about to begin another splendid meal. (From a translation of an Arabic derivation by Edward Fitzgerald's 5th edition, Quatrain XII.)

I hope you enjoyed sharing another lovely Friday date night with us. Have a wonderful weekend!

The Covered Perfectly Cascading Vest

You already know that wearing a long scarf makes you look taller and thinner but what to do in the summer?

The answer, wear a sheer cascading vest from Covered Perfectly!

The smooth back is perfect for camouflaging bra bulge.

They can also be worn as a scarf. Just thread the whole thing through an armhole and slip the loop over your head.

Tie them high on your hips to show off your bottom half.

I like mine tied with a low slung knot to give me a long V-neck that slims and elongates. I can also wear my long bold necklaces with them.

The Cascading Vest is going to be one of my favorites this summer! I love the versatility and sheer weight of these great vests. How will you wear yours!

Use this code to get a 20% discount... FNF20 at Covered Perfectly.

Wear It Wednesday Part II

The color of this silk soutache jacket led me to buy it at Stein Mart last year.

Perhaps because I had only tried it on with more formal black pants and a black tank, it seemed too boxy and matronly in the past. Wearing it with white jeans and a loose-fitting white tank from Chico's and cutout booties from Nine West via Ross seems more youthful and modern.

I still love the color, so I will keep this one for now.

Wear It Wednesday is the day I pull out the questionable, rarely worn pieces from my closet and try to make them work or else donate them to someone who will make use of them. Reducing clutter in my closet makes getting dressed much more pleasant. Too many questionable pieces can result in wearing the same thing all the time and the feeling that you need more choices when you already have too many.

Wear It Wednesday

We all make questionable choices in life. It still happens to me occasionally, like when I got carried away with the sale price of this top at Chico's and bought it even though I knew it wasn't "me."

I am rarely comfortable in prints, but I thought perhaps the subdued colors of this one might work on a casual day. I feel like an old hippie each time I try to wear it. From the splash of bling across the bust to the unfortunate placement of the patterns, it is wrong for my shape and my personality. It is on it's way to the famous to-go bag.

Look for Part II of Wear It Wednesday, as I will be posting another picture tomorrow morning of the questionable item I plan to wear for date night tonight.

68th Block House Steeplechase

We attended the 68th Block House Steeplechase in Tryon, North Carolina, during this first weekend of May.

My travel look included black and silver jewelry with a black long lightweight sweater over a malt colored Covered Perfectly top and almost matching mocha-colored ankle jeans from T.J.Maxx. The sweater is also from T.J.Maxx. The platform sandals are old from Vince Camuto.

As soon as we arrived, it was time to dress for dinner.

Mr. Mickey loves these heels, even if they do make me over six feet tall.

On the first night of our stay at the Oak Cottage at the Pinecrest Inn, we had dinner at a great Italian restaurant, Giardini Gardens.

The black knit dress is by Tahari from T.J.Maxx. The necklace and the black ruana are from Chico's.

Our hosts at the Inn are always so gracious and accommodating.

I know from experience that the early part of the day may be quite cool. On the day of the races, I wore a high-low black knit top and khaki ankle jeans from Chico's with a black sweater draped across my shoulders.

Add a wide brim hat, and we are ready for the races! Mr. Mickey bought the hat for me in Lexington, Kentucky, several years ago.

It was great to visit again with our usual neighboring group from South Carolina. 

One of my favorite parts of the event is the white doves' release after the singing of the national anthem. They always find their way home!

Crowds of up to 20,000 people park as far away as two miles and walk to the track carrying all the items they need for the day-long party. Lucky us! We just had to walk to the front of the car.

Heading into the home stretch!

The races are soon over, and it's time to return to the Pinecrest Inn to dress for another dinner.

For our dinner date this evening, I wore black stretch city jeans and a black tank with a purple open weave Travelers sweater, all from Chico's. The sandals are by Jessica Simpson from T.J.Maxx.

I wore white jeans with a black and white striped knit boat neck top on the drive home, all from Chico's. The sandals were from Born last year.

Wear It Wednesday

Each Wednesday, I go through my wardrobe and try again to make something work for me that is rarely, if ever, worn.

If I can't make the item work for me... out it goes. I have a shopping bag in my closet to which I add those things that never seem quite right. The shopping bag goes to the local Women's Shelter this time. (I rotate donations to a different charity each time.) If you decide to follow my example in paring down your closet to only what you really wear, please remember that underwear, shoes, and jewelry, as well as bags, can make a world of difference to a woman who is starting over after an abusive relationship. She needs clothes for interviews and work, so white blouses and dark slacks or skirts are always needed.

Let's start with this white blouse. I bought it at the big Dillard's haul earlier this spring. I have never worn it because it has a ruffle with a facing that never stays where it should. It was such a low clearance price I couldn't resist, but buying something you never wear is not a good deal.

Then there are those navy slacks I bought at Talbot's a couple of years ago. One leg is a bit tighter than the other in the calf, so I always feel lopsided when I wear them. Someone with normal calves would never notice this, but my calves are ample. 

These slingback shoes have rarely seen the light of day, but they worked with this look today. 

I will keep the blouse for now, but the shoes and the pants are on their way out.

Day Into Evening

It was a beautiful spring day, so we drove down to the Nolichucky River farming community to visit the Mennonite store. 

The Farmer's Daughter restaurant is next door. We have never eaten there, but there is always a line out the door and along the front porch with an overflowing parking lot each time we have visited the area.

A food truck outside the store offered these huge donuts made right there by this beautiful young woman. There was also a line out into the parking lot for these. 

We resisted the mouth-watering smell even though it was so very tempting.

You may never meet a man who loves bread more than Mr. Mickey! Here he is contemplating which loaf to buy. Believe me when I say, if I did not limit him to one, he would have bought them all!

The drive down to Greeneville along the scenic route is awe-inspiring, with rolling green meadows and mountains rising to frame the deep blue horizon. 

We also stopped along the way to visit some of the stores that have recently opened in Jonesborough, Tennessee's oldest town.

My daytime outfit included white zipper ankle pants and a tank top along with a beaded tassel necklace from Chico's. The navy linen-like jacket is from Appleseed's last year. The Anne Klein Sport sandals and the red Tahari bag are both from T.J.Maxx. 

Later in the day, we only had time for me to change shoes, sweaters, and necklaces to meet our dearest friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant. The sweater is old from Dillard's. The necklace was a gift from Mr. Mickey. Note that I always wear small stud earrings with statement necklaces allowing that one piece to take center stage. The Jessica Simpson sandals are from T.J.Maxx. 

The Gourmet and Company restaurant staff have become almost like family as we have celebrated many special occasions with them and cheered them on in their own life events. This is our dear friend Kenn who has been our server during many of our special celebrations. He and Mr. Mickey actually created one of their most popular dishes on the menu! It is named 'The Jilton Vegetarian' after Mr. Mickey. 

I often wear one color from head to toe with a contrasting color jacket or open cardigan. This helps me to look taller and thinner. It is also a great way to create several different looks with a limited number of pieces in your wardrobe. I always try to buy a tank top to match each pair of pants I buy. Contrasting jackets, cardigans, and large scarves give you totally different looks while keeping a lean silhouette. Leaving the jacket open gives an uninterrupted long, lean line.

The Magic of Nude Shoes

Nude shoes are great in any season, but they are nearly perfect in warm weather.

Whenever I create a Polyvore set such as the one above, I look for basic pieces found in most stores, including thrift stores. I look for pieces that cost less than $50 and that can work with many other elements. (That's the way I shop in real life too!)

 Upon entering a shoe department, the first color I look for is nude. I wear that tone more than any other.

Nude shoes elongate the leg and complement almost any outfit. Nude means the color closest to the color of your skin.

I employ other tips wearing one solid color or similar tones on my body with other colors. This helps to make me look taller and slimmer. Every horizontal break of color or pattern on your body makes you look shorter and wider. 

I look for handbags with simple details and minimal hardware. A red handbag is almost always a good idea. I favor neutral solid colors in subtle combinations, so the red handbag is a great pop of color.

One or two simple, bold accessories serve me well. This is especially true when wearing a hat. Everything else in your look should be minimal when you wear a hat. Think of the woman who wears sunglasses, large earrings, a hat, a necklace, and a scarf all at the same time. That's just too much going on in one place. Clutter in your outfit is never a good look.

When I first started blogging, I often strayed from these rules, and the look became too much like a costume. As I get closer to sixty, I want to look polished and comfortable. This is not the time in life to be a fashion victim.