Packing Tips

When we travel, I take a core wardrobe of pieces in three colors. I can take a few pieces but have several possible combinations, from casual to dressy as needed.

The color choices for this trip were black, white, and gray. I wore this combination to breakfast on Saturday morning during our recent stay at Primland. J.Jill provided the gray cashmere sweater. The white tank is from Peck and Peck via Stein Mart. The pants are by Lior Paris. The shoes are by Vince Camuto via Saks Off 5th. The watch is by Michael Kors via Nordstrom. The rings were long ago gifts from Mr. Mickey.

I regularly get numerous comments about wearing heels. I am not encouraging you to wear heels. I find that shoes such as these, which have many straps, support the whole foot and the ankles, and are so much more comfortable than ballet flats or (horrors!) flip flops, which often give the foot no support. Mr. Mickey can attest that I can even run in these shoes when I need to.

The view from our table by the window at breakfast was nothing less than spectacular!

That is the observatory tower behind me. We spent the afternoon enjoying being pampered in the Spa at the resort. They thought of everything! There is a theater, library, and workout room as well.

I took two white jackets, one dressy one casual. I also took an ornate black jacket, gray sweater, one white tank, one silver tank, and a black one. The three pairs of black pants were of different fabrics and styles. I took two pairs of shoes in addition to these, which I wore for travel.

In addition to all the other amenities at the resort, there were many original art installations throughout the property.

Our Stay at Primland

We spent our weekend getaway at a luxury resort high in the mountains of Virginia. If you get a chance to visit Primland, by all means, do. It is fabulous in every way!

Photo from the Primland Facebook page.

The lobby is grand but cozy at the same time—photo from the Primland Facebook page.

We were unsure when we would arrive, so we did not make dinner reservations for Friday. We did go down to the 19th Pub for a salad and a mushroom pasta to share.

I love seeing the bear crossing signs in the area. Hopefully, when we return in summer, we will see a bear!

We did see other wildlife on the property.

The views on the approach to the lodge are breathtaking!

Our suite of rooms included sliding panels and heavy drapes that could be drawn for privacy in each of the four areas.

I enjoyed a long soak in that fabulous tub!

A private sitting area with another TV and a desk was in the last section of the suite. Our view from the sitting area is shown below. Pardon the screen, but you can open the windows to take in the refreshing mountain air if you wish.

The sleeping area of our suite of rooms was spacious, and the linens were luxurious. Each room in the lodge is different, and each has an over the top fabulous bathroom.

There is a sitting area outside the elevator on the second floor overlooking the lobby and mountains.

When we went down to the Pub, I wore a silver layered top, old from Chico's. The black pants are by Lior Paris. The shoes are by French Connection from Saks Off 5th. The silver clutch is old from T.J.Maxx.

The jacket is from White House Black Market. I have also ordered a size ten since the size twelve I am wearing here is too large. Because of my wide back and ample bust, ordering a jacket in a size that fits can be challenging. Sometimes a size eight works; other times, I need a size twelve. One of the perils of ordering online is getting the size wrong at times.

The Perfect Weekend!

Early on Friday morning, Mr. Mickey and I left for our special weekend to celebrate ten perfect years of dating.

I wore an easy, comfortable look for the three-plus hour drive to our destination in the mountains of Virginia. This vintage St. John Sport jacket was a gift from my dear friend Mitzi. The black ankle jeans and the silver-gray tank are old from Chico's.

The faux reptile booties by Vince Camuto and the Zac Posen bag are old from Saks Off 5th.

A few well-chosen accessories can make an otherwise plain look stand out. I recently bought this pair of Balmain sunglasses from Saks Off 5th. These sunglasses are so comfortable! There is a big difference between glasses made in France and those made elsewhere.

I found the Michael Kors watch online at Nordstrom. The rings were gifts received from Mr. Mickey over the years.

We stopped in the small town of Floyd for the first time as we traveled through Virginia. We had lunch at an excellent restaurant called Oddf3llows. They offered a great variety of fresh entrees as well as gallery walls filled with local art.

We always enjoy seeing well maintained older homes. I have great admiration for unique architecture.

If you lose a tree to age or weather, you can always carve the trunk into a sculpture!

Have you ever seen a silo (or maybe this is a watchtower) made from handmade bricks? 

The mountains of Virginia offer some spectacular views!

I will tell you more about our wonderful weekend getaway tomorrow.

Long Over Lean

Some pieces can keep my attention for years.

I bought this sweater jacket with faux leather sleeves a couple of years ago, but I still enjoy wearing it very much. It is by Adrianna Papell from Saks Off 5th.

We were on our way out to dinner and to the season's final performance for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra on Saturday evening when Mr. Mickey snapped these photos.

The long sleeve simple comfort top from Covered Perfectly is another piece I wear again and again. I love that I can layer over it or wear it alone. It has a great simple neckline that is so flattering with or without jewelry.

The slim-fitting pants are by Lior Paris, and the boots are by French Connection via Saks Off 5th. The small reptile embossed box bag is from SM Bradford on Hilton Head Island. All three of these items are purchases I made last fall.

Some items call my name as soon as I see them. I know without any doubt that I will always enjoy wearing the pieces when I am instantly drawn to them in such a strong way.

My formula for dressing is to wear neutral long over lean solids with interesting jewelry. This allows for less memorable mixing and matching. I play around with different silhouettes and stripes or textures, but this is the formula that works best.

Casual Look with Flats

Spring is in the air!

When I bought this Ralph Lauren jacket, I admit that I had a moment of regret because I didn't realize how distressed it was from the picture on the Dillard's website. End of season sale items cannot be returned there. I have since made peace with the purchase because it works well paired with longer tunics and very structured pieces. On casual days when the mornings are chilly, it is the perfect layer. When the temperatures start to climb, I can throw it in the back seat and keep going.

The Alfani Step 'N Flex flats are several years old from Macy's. I rarely wear flat shoes, so they stay new looking for years. The bag was made in Italy (no name), and I found it at T.J.Maxx a couple of years ago. I change my bags almost daily and keep them in dust cover bags, so they look new for years also. I do not typically match my bags to my shoes. It seems more modern to mix it up, but I was already on my way when I realized how much these matched.

I don't orchestrate my posts or style my looks for this blog. Mr. Mickey just takes photos of what I am really wearing for the day. Sometimes the location is as unglamorous as this one beside the loading dock of my building in the industrial park. 

It has taken me a while (years) to embrace the look of wearing a shorter layer over a more extended layer. I would not wear my shorter jackets any other way now.

The sunglasses are by Michael Kors from Saks Off 5th last year.

The linen mixed-stripes tunic is from J.Jill's spring collection. It seems to be sold out at the moment, but they have many other tops that are perfect to wear with jeans or leggings. The stretch cotton pants are also from J.Jill. These are the ideal pants to wear for all my walks around the lakes in my neighborhood this summer!

I bought a new pair of exercise shoes at Kohl's yesterday. Pictured below is my first pair of Asics taken on my afternoon walk. I like them!

There aren't many fabrics that breathe and keep you cool like linen. It wrinkles, but you just have to go with it. Our temperatures soared almost to 80 yesterday!

J.Jill provided the tunic and pants.

Time to start packing for our get-away!

Transition to Spring

Our temperatures may start out in the morning at forty degrees, but it might be seventy-five by mid-afternoon. What to wear?

A trench coat can be the perfect topper during seasonal changes. I look ill in the typical tan trench coat, so I have a short black one and this white one for my cool coloring. I found this one on a sale rack at Stein Mart a couple of summers ago. It is by Evan Picone, and the black one is from Express.

This tank top by J.Jill was the perfect addition to wear with my gray cashmere sweater. Wearing classic simple tanks and sweaters in neutral colors layered with a pair of nice jeans is always a flattering and comfortable casual look for me. Both these items were supplied by J.Jill. I wore them with jeggings and a necklace from Chico's. The bag was by Ralph Lauren via T.J.Maxx last year.

I started out the day in my usual heels. These are by BCBGeneration via Saks Off 5th. When I know I will be walking a lot, I take a cute pair of flats with me for later in the day just in case. These animal print flats with a patent leather toe cap are by Rockport.

When Mr. Mickey stopped by to snap these photos for me, he brought these beautiful white flowers and the perfect anniversary card. It is the same one I gave him! We have given each other the same card on the same day several times during the ten years we have been dating.

Like a River

If you enjoy shopping or hate to get rid of anything, you probably have many items in your wardrobe.

Your closet should be like a river. If things are flowing in, some things need to flow out. It becomes overwhelming when there are too many choices, so I end up wearing the same thing all the time.

The guidelines below are used to help me determine when it is time to let go of something. I try to wear all the clothes in my closet in regular rotation. If they do not pass the test below, they get put into a to-go bag.

1. Is it a good quality item and not showing any wear?

2. Does it fit well and reflect the woman I am now?

3. Do I feel really great when I wear this?

4. Is it a style that flatters my shape?

5. Does it work with other items in my wardrobe?

Using these guidelines to purge as I dress daily means I do not ever have to spend a whole weekend purging my closet. It is a maintenance step that saves time and keeps my wardrobe from overflowing with items I put on and then take off never to wear.

This white stretch cotton crew-neck tee was supplied to me by J.Jill. I love the feel of this tee on my skin. It can comfortably be worn with or without the jacket. It is a great basic!

The jacket is several years old and starting to show its age, so it is on the way to Goodwill today. The little animal print bag is one that I found at Ross a few years ago. That, too, will be in the to-go bag.

The shoes are by BCBGeneration from Saks Off 5th. The jeans are by NYDJ, but I recently found them at T.J.Maxx for just $29.99! I only shop T.J.Maxx at the beginning of the seasons for the best selection.

I hope your weather is also becoming more spring-like each day!