Take A Drive

A long drive through the country or to another town to spend the day has always been one of my favorite ways to spend a relaxing day off.

Thankfully Mr. Mickey enjoys this type of weekend also. On Saturday, we got into his little red convertible and headed for Blowing Rock for lunch and a bit of shopping.

Later in the day, we took a nice long drive on the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway.

This is the view from the front porch of the Moses Cone Manor.

I bought some new bling at B Dazzled in Blowing Rock. The link bracelet is the one you've seen many times before.

We also stopped into one of my other favorite stores, Finely House Couture. I found this great casual bag for fall. The straps can be adjusted to different lengths.

The shoes here are old by Vince Camuto.

We stopped for dinner at the Glass Onion in Weaverville before heading home.

I wore a red high low tunic from Chico's with white Kut from the Kloth jeans from Dillard's. These shoes are new, so I knew I wouldn't be wearing them all day shopping for the first time. I found them at Ross last week. They are by Steve Madden.

Sequins, Feathers And A Rolls Royce

We had a wonderful dinner on the Sunset Terrace at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville last evening.

The view from our table.

As we often do, we got into conversations with our neighboring diners.

These beautiful ladies (both in their fifties) were long-time friends in Asheville for a business trip from Minnesota.

This gorgeous fifty-something woman is Linda. She has a beautiful spirit and a vivacious personality. It was such a joy to visit with her and birthday boy Dave, her companion. They shared that huge piece of cake with us. Delish!

These beautiful fifty-something people were also celebrating a birthday.

The live music in the Great Hall Bar was nothing short of spectacular! We wanted to buy a CD, but they had sold out.

We saw this fabulous Rolls Royce as we were leaving. I hope Mr. Mickey buys another one. They are so much fun.

My look for this special evening included a gifted feather and sequined trimmed sweater from my dear sweet friend, Mitzi. The black crepe pants are from Chico's, the black evening sandals are from Dillard's, and the small clutch bag is from Stein Mart.

This fabulous sweater has inspired me to add more texture to my wardrobe. I will be looking for leather, lace, feathers, and fringe this fall. Remember to let the texture take center stage in your look. Keep all the other elements of your outfit smooth and sleek. Too many things going on in one outfit creates visual overload.

Minimalism Is In

Use discretion when adding jewelry and colors to your minimalist look.

I chose two colors and two pieces of jewelry. Normally my bag and shoes do not match, but they needed to for this minimalist evening look.

The jacket, tank, and pants are from Chico's.

Mr. Mickey took me out for dinner for our Wednesday date night.

The black satin evening shoes are my latest sale score. I visited Kohl's to buy underwear, but of course, I took a detour through the shoe department. These aren't even my size, but I love them, and they were the only pair in the store. I put two pairs of cushion pads in the toe box to make them work. They cost less than the underwear... $11.49!

I hope you find a treasure today!

Wear It Wednesday - Storage

Having a place for everything and everything in its place has always been part of my daily structure. Many of you asked to see my closet and storage system, so I'm sharing that with you today.

When you enter my closet, this built-in shelving unit is the first thing you see.  It's a great place to keep the handbags I carry most often and jewelry. I stuff handbags with tissue and keep them in dust bags when they come with one.

Clutches are on a lower shelf, and on the bottom shelf is a long basket that holds cuffs and bangles. The little strawflower can be pinned to a plain straw hat.

This jewelry box was a Christmas gift from Mr. Mickey a few years ago. It is full of vintage pins and other bits, as well as the basics I wear all the time.

Hats are in the boxes on the top shelves. Tanks and blouses are on the top bar to the left. Tees and casual jackets, as well as swimsuits and cover-ups, are on the bottom bar. (I keep the pillows I sleep on here during the day. Decorative pillows to match the comforter are on the bed.)

Pajamas, dresses, long sweaters, jackets, and tunics are in the next section.

Skirts, pants, and jeans fill the next section. 

Mr. Mickey keeps a few things at my house so that if he comes to pick me up for a date and what he has on clashes with what I have on, he can change. This was his idea!

Decorative square and rectangle shape boxes hold evening clutches.

Jackets are behind the door in the final section. Those odd bits on the lower right are the 'to go' section. They are on their way to a new home. I regularly edit my items to donate that which I no longer wear.

On the back of the door is a rack holding some of the black shoes I wear most often, and on the wall, there is a tie rack that neatly holds necklaces. 

The belt holder below also holds necklaces. The rolling rack it is hanging on has been a great tool. When I downsized to my current home, I was sad to see that the laundry room didn't have a hanging space at all. By keeping this rolling rack behind my walk-in closet door, I always have extra hanging space for empty hangers or whatever outfit combination I am working on at the moment. When it comes time to do the laundry, I just wheel it into the laundry room to hang clothes on as I take them out of the dryer. Later I can wheel them into the closet to put them where they belong.

The rolling rack, the tie rack, and belt holder, as well as all three shoe racks, came from Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Scarves are hung across felt hangers in half of the guest room closet. The other half has more shoes and casual boots.

This new third rack for shoes is in a finished storage room in the attic. I hung the shoes by their heels, which means the back of the rack is empty. If I ever need the space, I can turn it to the side instead of against the wall and use both sides to double the storage space.

I hope this post gives you some ideas for storing your collection.

From The Heart

What were your 30's and 40's like? 

Those were the saddest two decades of my life. I cried a river and spent most of that time working two jobs and was usually alone. Shortly before I turned fifty, my life changed dramatically. That's when I met Mr. Mickey at a neighborhood Christmas party. He is my best friend, strongest supporter, and the greatest adventure partner ever. I stopped coloring my hair and lost more than forty-five pounds after a lifetime of yo-yo dieting. (I've kept it off!)

Some may say that at almost 58, I should be wearing elastic waist pants and comfy shoes. I think not! This is the best time of my life, so I am going to dress for the occasion. While I love the current trends and street style looks the younger crowd wears, I will be making that look my own in a more polished and sophisticated way.

Our little pocket digital camera doesn't take the best pictures, but it is always handy when we need it. The not so great quality pictures have prompted some of you to ask if I use Photoshop. I don't, and these pictures prove it!

Since hair and makeup are also a part of the look, I thought I would let the camera come in close for a change. 

I like a clean blended natural look for makeup and hair. I don't want anything to look as if I tried too hard. The eye shadow colors are always the same, just a little more dramatic for the evening. The lip color will be redder if I am wearing a red top. Otherwise, the lip color will be very close to my natural lip color.

Makeup is all about enhancing your best features. Obviously, I have not had any work done. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it just isn't for me. 

When I wear a dramatic necklace, I wear small earrings. If I wear bold earrings, I skip the necklace. I wear sunglasses almost all the time when I am outside. (Blue eyes are sensitive to bright light.)

If you are going through a tough time right now, please believe me when I say there will be a better day. Keep your head up and move on to the next chapter. The best years of your life may be coming up.

The Farmer And The Chef

On Thursday evening, we attended The Farmer & The Chef to benefit the hungry.

We enjoyed a great evening out while helping feed the hungry in Northeast Tennessee during the Second Harvest Food Bank’s annual The Farmer & the Chef event. It's where local farmers and chefs come together to create a unique culinary experience using available seasonal products to prepare their signature dishes.

Proceeds from this major fundraiser for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee go directly to help feed the individuals and families in our region that will go hungry due to lack of food access. At the same time, this event helps establish sustainable relationships between local farmers and chefs, vital to our community's well-being.

Head Chef James Allen from our own Blackthorn Club is about to become a first time Dad today. Congratulations!

This is my beautiful friend Nita. It's always great to see her!

This is my stunning friend Victoria. I always get a little awestruck around her. She could so easily be a model. Hard to believe she is a grandmother!

This is my very stylish friend Kathy. She always brings a smile to my face each time I see her.

These fabulous legs and shoes belong to Danielle Hahne, account manager and photographer for VIP Seen Tri-Cities magazine. She always wears the most over top shoes of anyone I know.

I wore a cobalt blue jacket from Coldwater Creek with Peck & Peck white pants from Stein Mart. The white tank top and necklace are from Chico's. The shoes are from Belk, and the bag is from a consignment store.