A Special Evening

As the sun was going down, the top-level of a parking garage was a great place to shoot photos on this beautiful evening.

We visited Wellington's at the Carnegie Hotel for dinner last evening.

My go-to look for eveningwear is a black tank over black pants with some sort of interesting jacket. As mentioned in the post from yesterday, the pants' cut and style dictate the cut and style of the jacket I pair with the pants. Opposites are more attractive.

All clothing is from Chico's. The jacket is from last year.

The satin evening sandals are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via Dillard's last year. I wish all shoes were this comfortable!

The bold statement necklace is from Chico's earlier this year, and the small hoop earrings were from Target last year.

The ring is old from Stein Mart, and the bag is so old I don't remember where I found it.

My tips for getting dressed for a special evening include not wearing too many colors or accessories. If black isn't your color, wear one color that flatters your complexion with a jacket or wrap in a color that contrasts but complements the base color. 

I hope my suggestions help you to easily get dressed for the special events of your life. Mr. Mickey and I never wait for a special day to celebrate. Our reason to get dressed up and celebrate this evening? It was a beautiful fall Wednesday evening, and we are alive and well.

Covered Perfectly V Neck

There is a new style of top from Covered Perfectly. Have you seen it?

It has a V-neck and three-quarter length sleeves and the longer hem length we all love.

This one comes in four colors. You can buy this top here.

The material is as soft as butter and drapes across the body beautifully.

Into The Clouds

We took a drive to Mount Mitchell State Park on Saturday because it was a beautiful fall day, and the leaves are just starting to turn.

I am literally standing by a cloud! We watched them float across the parking lot in front of us as we walked.

Mount Mitchell is the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains and the highest peak in the United States east of the Mississippi River.

I wore a long silver cardigan over a long-sleeve lightweight silver tee with a low slung gold and silver belt and black jeans from Chico's last year. The shoes are DV by Dolce Vita 'Safia' Sandal from Nordstrom. You might still be able to find the shoes here.

Later in the day, we drove into Asheville to have dinner at Rhubarb. I hope you had a wonderful Saturday as well.

Lessons Learned

We enjoyed a wonderful Friday evening with great friends at Gourmet and Company, our favorite restaurant in Johnson City.

There's nothing better than spending three hours engaged in lively conversation while having excellent food and superb service.

The bag is by Nine West from Ross. The Steve Madden heels are from Nordstrom.

This vintage St. John knit jacket was another gift from my dear friend Mitzi. I am wearing it over a black tank and black pieced faux leather front leggings, both from Chico's.

Below is the daytime look for Friday.

The jeans I wore during the day yesterday and the leggings I wore to dinner last evening taught me a lesson. I used to wait for sales to shop, but now I know if I want great fitting basic pieces that I will enjoy wearing for years to come, I need to shop often but selectively at the beginning of the season to get my size. The jeans in my size from the day look and the leggings from the evening look are now completely sold out in all sizes (company-wide!). The second lesson is to buy jeans with a bit of stretch in size smaller. In two hours you will be so glad you did.

After Work Gathering

On Thursday evening, some of our friends gathered for drinks at the Johnson City Country Club.

I wore black jeans, a three-quarter sleeve white tee, and a wide silver cuff from Chico's. The white jacket is from Express. The animal print shoes are from Nordstrom. The woven leather belt is by Michael Kors from T.J.Maxx. The necklace is one of my own designs.

My shoes are by Louise et Cie. An idea for a flat style is below.

Wear It Wednesday - Casual

The first thing an image consultant will ask you to do is make a graph showing your wardrobe needs for your lead's lifestyle.

I am often asked what I wear for casual days, but it is a rare day that isn't filled with appointments or social functions. 

Today I will share some casual looks and my thoughts on why they work well or maybe not so much.

On a recent Sunday, I did take the day off to rest and read. With nothing more on the agenda than going to pick up a pizza, I am barely even wearing any makeup.

If I wear capris or cropped pants, I wear a platform or wedge shoe. This style of pants is very unattractive on most people, and flip flops or other flat shoes will make the legs look really short and thick.

Do you believe that a long tunic covers everything?  Unless you have a tiny flat behind, this is a flawed theory. The back of the tunic actually shows the bottom you are trying to hide even more.

A much better option is a long jacket or waterfall cardigan with movement and an open front. The layers are much more flattering because your body is no longer cut into distinct blocks. The eye is moving over the whole look rather than focusing on the one thing you are trying to conceal.

If the jacket or top ends about two-thirds of the way down the bottom, it is much more flattering. The legs look longer, and the behind looks smaller.

An Evening of Wine & Roses

We attended the 2014 American Cancer Society Hope Gala last evening. An Evening of Wine & Roses.

While we were in downtown Johnson City, we took a short detour before the gala to visit The Lady of The Fountain.

The event was held at Orchard Place, the fabulous home of our friend, Valda Jones. 

Photo credits for images above and below: Kingsport Times-News

Our beautiful friends Valda Jones and Caroline Scharfstein chaired the 2014 American Cancer Society Hope Gala of the Tri-Cities, "An Evening of Wine and Roses," in Tim and Ben's memory.

It's always a treat for me to meet followers of Fifty, not Frumpy. This beautiful lady is Diane Hollifield Cupp.

The evening included live entertainment from "Kids Our Age" and a buffet dinner catered by Main Street Café & Catering.

One of the best things about attending fundraisers is getting to visit with friends we may not often see. We dined with our dear friends Natalie Bailey and Von Bailey.

I had dessert with sweet friend Lori Caudell Fatherree.

The outdoor fireplace is a lovely new addition to the property.

The pool is blue. However, the dim lighting makes it appear green.

Another fire feature on the property was this one by the pool. That's glass!

Mr. Mickey was the most dapper gent there!

A wine display at the entrance.