A Luxury Resort

We took a lovely drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains to spend the day at Primland.

I wore a leather-trimmed black jacket by Helmut Lang via Saks Off 5th. The silver tank is by Erin London via the Marble Lion at the Inn at Biltmore. The pants are Travelers from Chico's. The black suede pumps and the reptile clutch are from Saks Off 5th.

We have been planning to visit this resort for a long while so we decided to drive there, have a late lunch, and take a tour.

The views from every angle include mountain ranges which seem to go on forever.

We saw no bears today but wouldn't that be a thrill to have to wait for one or two to cross the road?

The approach to the Lodge.

The two-story wine "cellar" is located in the main lobby.

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

Photo from the Primland Website

I am looking forward to spending some time in the observatory. Since the location is so remote there is no light pollution from towns, allowing for an unobstructed view of the night sky.

The views from the library are awe-inspiring! 

We enjoyed our visit immensely!

Leaving the resort, we saw this majestic fellow grazing beside the road. He didn't seem to mind that we stopped to take his photo.

Wild turkeys foraging for food and one of the many stone bridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

A wall of ice at twilight along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The perfect ending to a perfect day!

Polo Ralph Lauren Jacket

When something speaks to me as forcefully as this jacket did, I can not pass it by.

I was browsing through Ralph Lauren's offerings on the Dillard's website when I saw this classic military-inspired jacket. The burnished brass buttons and faded gold braids are in perfect harmony with the washed twill, slightly faded fabric. If the trim and buttons were bright gold, I would not have been drawn to it at all. Ralph Lauren has always been the master of details.

I will wear this jacket many times! It also looks great with white, black, caper green, or even khaki jeans. For the first time, I wore it out to lunch with Mr. Mickey on Friday with straight leg ankle jeans from Chico's last year.

The tee is the white Simple Comfort from Covered Perfectly.

The shoes are a couple of years old by BCBG via Ross. The brown leather Calvin Klein belt is old from T.J.Maxx.

The bag is by Zac Posen via Saks Off 5th.

Always A Leather Jacket

When in doubt. Wear a (faux) leather jacket.

I bought this glittery tank and leggings at my friend's boutique, The Charlemont. The leggings are not those thin little nothing leggings that are more like tights; these have good control, a wide waistband, and are made from a dense fabric that is not shiny or see-through.

The suede pumps are old from Saks Off 5th. The faux leather jacket is one that I got at Stein Mart last year. The clutch is from S.M. Bradford Co. Hilton Head Island. I wore crystal earrings and a couple of crystal rings to complete the look.

You need not spend a lot of money buying something for a special event you may never wear again. If you have a good selection of basics, you can get dressed for any event that comes your way.

Accessories and attitude make all the difference!

Happy New Year!

Ralph Lauren Jacket

I recently invested in three Ralph Lauren Jackets at Dillard's. I wore one of them on Wednesday for our date night.

The classic herringbone pattern nods to menswear. The silver sweater is from Chico's earlier this year. The Versace scarf is from Saks Off 5th. The Ralph Lauren bag is from T.J.Maxx.

The French Connection booties are from Saks Off 5th. (I hate socks!) The awesome black jeans are by French Dressing Jeans.

I visited my stylist on this day. It is wonderful to trust someone so much that I can sit down in her chair and relax with a glass of wine and say, "Do what needs to be done." I also shopped a bit while I was there. I will show you what I bought later. The Charlemont salon and boutique are located in a 100-year-old home in Kingsport, TN. Brilliant!

Do you play with pattern mixing? Keeping the colors similar and the patterns small helps to keep the look from being too jarring.

I was a tomboy growing up on a farm, so I have always been drawn to classic menswear blazers. That may be part of the appeal of Ralph Lauren pieces. He takes a menswear-influenced jacket and makes it feminine and timeless.

Mr. Mickey showed up in the perfect color-coordinated look. We did not plan this!

We wish you a safe and happy New Year's celebration!

Top Five Items 2015

Do you have items in your closet that you would happily wear every day?

My top five elements of style for 2015 include the pieces I wear most often and feel most comfortable.

The Perfect Tops

There are some tops that I do wear almost every day. The tops I get from Covered Perfectly are great to layer over or wear alone since they are long enough to wear with leggings. I love the face-flattering neckline of the Simple Comfort top. 

Wash, then hang to dry. (Never put in the dryer!) Buy a size larger if you would like a loose fit. They are perfect for travel since they take up no space. Just hang them up. The wrinkles will fall right out!

Covered Perfectly is a small, woman-owned company. All the products are made in the USA (even the fabric). All the models featured on the Covered Perfectly website are over 40 (in my case, way over 40!).

Fifty, not Frumpy followers can get a 20% discount on up to two items! Use the discount code FNF20 when you check out at Covered Perfectly. Only one discount can be applied per order. There are several 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!

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The Perfect Jeans

I reach for a pair of jeans almost every morning. They can be very casual or worn out to dinner with a nice jacket and heels. A great fitting pair of dark wash jeans that keep their great fit all day is golden for me. (Who likes pulling up your pants all day?)

These smooth fit ankle jeans from J.Jill have all the qualities I look for. There aren't many design details that make them memorable, and the length is perfect for me.

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Dressed for the Event

When I need to step away from the jeans to get dressed for a special evening, I know Clara Sunwoo tops will serve me well. I got this one, and these Mesmerize pants from ShopMyFairLady.com.

The confidence of knowing you look your best in something comfortable and easy to wear can not be underestimated.

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Double-Duty Items

Another of my all-time favorite items also came from ShopMyFairLady.com. This I.C. Collection shirt reminds me of a Ralph Lauren advertisement. I love the elegance of the brown faux suede. This rich neutral color goes with every pair of pants I own, and it also works well with my coloring. I love that it can be worn as a shirt alone or layered as a jacket. Any item that can be worn several ways gets extra points from me.

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The Third Piece

A jacket, cardigan, vest, ruana, poncho, or bold scarf can take a ho-hum, really boring look to fabulous.

White linen biker style jacket from Stein Mart.

Faux leather-trimmed jacket from Stein Mart.

Silk shawl by Tina Gleave at the Silk Squirrel. 

Ruana from Foxcroft.

Chico's vest over a Covered Perfectly Snow Leopard print top.

Faux leather jacket from Stein Mart.

Waterfall cardigan.

Cable knit poncho from Foxcroft.