Circle of Red

Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women?

It is an honor to be in the Tri-Cities Circle of Red 2016. I am pictured below with some of the fabulous women I will be serving with during the coming year. Our mission is to educate and advocate for heart disease prevention.

Knowledge is power, and when you have all of the facts, you can become an activist, advocate, and educator to spread the word and inspire others to make heart health a priority. 

Two of my dear women friends have had heart attacks recently. Neither of them knew they had a problem. Please visit the Go Red For Women website to learn more about living a more healthy lifestyle.

As many of you know, I was not so healthy five years ago. I had several health issues but could reverse them all with a change of diet and increased exercise. Some of you also know that I was homeless about twenty years ago. I started over with almost nothing and worked my way out of that situation to become a homeowner and a successful business owner. I mention these things to inspire you to take care of yourself and believe in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to. 

When you arrive at your goals, I also believe that it is essential to reach back to lift up those who are still struggling. That is why I write this blog and participate in so many philanthropic organizations in my community. I want to use my voice and do my part to help others' lives better and happier.

The clothing and jewelry I wore to this meeting are all from Chico's. The shoes are from Macy's, which is also a great supporter of Go Red For Women.

The Cold Shoulder

The cold shoulder once meant ignoring someone. If you wear these cold shoulder tops from Covered Perfectly, you will not be ignored!

I feel uncomfortable wearing just a tank top in warm weather. The solution for me has been to wear these tops on hot days. They are as cool as a tank top without showing the whole arm.

This cold shoulder top in violet is from Covered Perfectly.

Below is the animal print version as I wore it last year. It is the perfect look for fall days when the temperature is still high.

Fifty not Frumpy followers can get a 20% discount on up to two items for a limited time! Use the discount code FNF20 when you check out at Covered Perfectly. There are several great styles to choose from, and the discount will apply on up to two items; after that, you can take advantage of the buy 2 get 1 FREE special!

Saturday Fun

As we often do on Saturdays in the summer, we drove over to Asheville to spend the day. 

I wore a light blue sequined front top and a long silver necklace, both from Chico's earlier this year. Those are my favorite white pants from Fabrizio Gianni. The sandals are by Rampage via Belk. The bag is by Cole Haan via T.J. Maxx.

We had fun window shopping and people watching at the Grove Arcade. Later in the day, we visited a museum exhibit and a couple of art galleries.

The dog watching is always fun too. This boxer was prancing around wearing sunglasses as if that were perfectly normal.

This flower garden on the street is always so lush and pretty!

We highly recommend the bread pudding at Chestnut!

Look who we ran into in Pack Square! My beautiful high school friend Susan and her handsome French husband C.A. were also in town for the day.

We took the long way home via the Blue Ridge Parkway, where we saw a black bear foraging for food near the roadway as well as this amazing sunset over the mountains.

An Elegant Dinner

My favorite evenings include getting dressed up to share an elegant dinner and fine wine with wonderful friends.

As yet another rainstorm was looming, we prepared to drive over to Banner Elk, North Carolina, to spend a lovely evening with our dearest friends at our favorite restaurant, Artisanal. 

I couldn't wait to show you this stunning asymmetrical front jacket from MyFairLady! It is by IC Collection, and it is perfect for summer. It also comes in white, so I had a difficult time deciding! I love the sculptural quality and texture of this mesh jacket.

The tank is also from MyFairLady, and it's reversible! You can wear it as a scoop neck or a V-Neck.

The Travelers pants are from Chico's. The bag is from Saks Off 5th. The suede shoes are by Sam Edelman via Nordstrom.

I will be in L.A. during the first week of September, so you know I will have Uber drop me off at MyFairLady as soon as possible. There are so many unique things there that I am excited to add to my basics.

Strictly Casual

If you stop by to visit me on my day off or join me on the walking path in my neighborhood, this is what you might find me wearing.

The hoodie is from J.Jill, and it is the perfect summer weight layer for those who are always too cold in air-conditioned spaces.

Add a tank top, cropped jeans, and slip-on canvas shoes, and you have my favorite look for lounging at home. This is also the type of look I wear while walking around the four lakes in my neighborhood during the early morning.

J.Jill has been my favorite source for comfortable casual clothing for several years. I have many tops and jackets from them in coral, red, raspberry, and similar colors. I gravitate to these colors because they go with every pair of pants I own, which equates to easy casual looks I never have to think about.

The Weekly Q&A Segment

This is the first of a new segment suggested by a reader named Shannon. She sent me a picture of animal print shoes asking for help on what to wear them with. 

Above is my first suggestion for her. She wears a lot of black and only pants and jeans, no dresses or skirts. She also wants to add more color to her wardrobe.

Later I learned she wears a size 14 and has a large bust, so she felt the fitted jacket might not be a good match with her figure. My next suggestion includes a little more dressy burgundy blouse with black pants and a tan bag.

Another option would be to wear them with softer toned neutrals. A long necklace creates a flattering V-Neckline.

Another option would be to wear a flirty royal blue jacket and a white loose flowing blouse with an orange handbag.

Perhaps my personal favorite way to wear animal print shoes is with worn jeans and a white shirt, an elegant bag, and chunky jewelry.

Animal print is considered neutral, so you can wear it (in small doses) with almost anything. I limit myself to one item per look.

A Beautiful Day!

When the weather is beautiful and the sky is crystal clear, I get an overwhelming desire to head for the mountains.

On Saturday afternoon, we drove on Blue Ridge Parkway, where we stopped at the Moses Cone Manor for some photos. It was 67 degrees there! 

This handsome fellow enjoyed his lunch so much he didn't care how close I got to him!

This red lightweight button front tunic worn as a jacket and a casual tank from J.Jill was just the right thing to wear for a ride through the mountains in a convertible.

Don't you just love well-placed pockets in tunics and jackets?

Sandals by Guess via Belk. Pants by Fabrizio Gianni. The necklace is old from Chico's.

Fashion Show for Monkee's Part II

It was an honor to be asked to model for the new Monkee's of Johnson City yesterday. The audience included beautiful ladies of all ages! I am happy to share these inspiring photos with you.

This colorful lunch was served as we modeled all the new fabulous styles.

I hope to see you at the Grand Opening of Monkee's In Johnson City!