Casual Look With Flats

Proportion is always important. I am five feet six inches tall, but I would look much shorter and wider if I wore this sweater with fuller leg pants and flat loafers.

The slim-fitting denim jeggings from Chico's balance out the loose-fitting Foxcroft tunic sweater. These very comfortable flat shoes are by Rockport.

Wearing a cuff on top of your sweater sleeve is a fun way to add an unexpected touch.

This was a casual day of working at home, so I dressed for comfort and ease.

Welcome Home!

Never having children of my own has meant that I "adopt" my close friends and cousins' children. Watching these young people grow into adults gives me great pride as I celebrate their milestones in life and cheer them on in their achievements.

Mr. Mickey and I recently joined our dearest friends to welcome home their firstborn son, Spencer. He spent the last four years studying and working in Europe and Brazil. His expertise is landscape architecture and urbanism. It is fascinating to see the global projects he has worked on.

It was a beautiful warm sunny day, so I wore an old mixed media cardigan via Dillard's. It has a faux leather-trimmed front combined with a knit sweater back and sleeves. The gray tank and ankle-length jeans are both from Chico's last year. The Coptic cross necklace is from Monkee's of Johnson City. The suede and faux reptile trim short boots are by Vince Camuto via Nordstrom a couple of years ago.

 

Investing in pieces that are classic and timeless means you can walk into your closet and put on almost any comfortable for the weather combination of solid colors and be out the door in three minutes. This is a wardrobe necessity for busy women like us.

I always get teary-eyed at airport homecomings. This was certainly no exception!

Spencer, we wish you great success as you begin your new adventure in life and use some of the many things you have learned these past few years.

Basic Makeup Techniques

Have you changed your makeup technique over the years? The correct placement of light and dark colors and shimmer or matte finishes can make you look vibrant, healthy, and youthful.

However, the incorrect placement of shimmer can make you look less than your best. I remember putting shimmer on the brow bone under my eyebrows in 1974. I am careful never to do that now because it emphasizes the puffy upper part of my eyelid. If you have a hooded eyelid, you will certainly want to avoid shimmer on the hood because it will make it look more prominent.

Always remember this while you are putting on makeup, light advances, and dark recedes.

You can see more closely in the photos above where I apply shimmer and dark shadow near the outer corner of my eyes for an evening makeup look. I wear a much more natural look for daytime, so it wouldn't even show up that much in a photo.

Notice that I do not add any color or mascara underneath my eyes. That always makes me look harsh, so I skip all that.

I do all the eye makeup first so that it doesn't flake on my foundation.

The video below includes my tips for making up the whole face from start to finish for a light-handed, easy-to-do daytime look.

The Progressive Dinner

The 38th annual Progressive Dinner was held in Jonesborough on Saturday evening. We have attended this event for several years and always enjoy seeing the unique old homes and having one course of our meal in each of them. We register at the Chester Inn Museum, where we are treated to warm cider.

The toast was presented by one of our favorite young men, Kelly Wolfe. He is the mayor of Jonesborough, and we just love him! He always makes us laugh.

There is live music at each location. Here at the Historic Eureka Inn, the music was provided by Eileen Collie. She is a student who will soon be leaving for college, where she will be studying engineering.

I am wearing a red turtleneck knit top with faux leather and Ponte pants from Chico's. The jacket is by French Connection via Saks Off 5th. The red leather gloves are from S.M. Bradford Co. on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. I think I found the red scarf at Target. None of the items are new, but you can likely find something similar in your own closet or wherever you shop since most of my choices are fairly basic.

The music at the Panhorst/Floyd home was provided by Joseph Sobol.

Jonesborough is the oldest town in the state of Tennessee.

Students of the Harrington Music Studio provided the music for the main course at The McKinney Center at Booker T. Washington School.

We enjoyed dessert at the Oak Hill School, which is a one-room schoolhouse with a pot-bellied stove. The schoolhouse was still in use as recently as the 1950s. Wonderful holiday music was provided by The Jonesborough Novelty Band.

Mr. Mickey is back to looking like the dapper gent that he is. He enjoys this sing-along with bells more than anyone.

Thank you so much for your kind comments this week. We love sharing our lives with you, and we hope to do so for many years to come.

For The Children

When you see the normally impeccably groomed Mr. Mickey sporting a fuller beard in the fall, you will know that he is preparing for one of his greatest roles.

Santa has arrived!

For a couple of hours, these precious children can feel safe in the arms of Santa as they share a laugh and tell him their secrets.

Taking a nap at the feet of Santa.

Our dear friend, Tony Seaton, started this project on his own several years ago because of his sincere love for children. It is now a labor of love for a small group of friends who contribute to buying a coat, shoes, an outfit for school, and a toy for each of these children.

There are tears, laughter, and full-on joy as the day unfolds. One little boy's family had just lost everything they own in a fire that destroyed their home this very morning.

"Here is a gift for you, Santa!"

I love to watch this man give his full undivided attention to the children as they come to sit on his lap and receive the gifts we have provided for them. He makes each child feel as if they are the most important person in the room.

The children's guardians or family members, if they have any, are treated to a full lunch and a day of celebration.

 

I feel so very blessed to be a part of this day and this man's life.

The jacket I am wearing is by Damee NYC from Shop My Fair Lady.

As evening approaches, Santa is also ready for a nap!

This extraordinary day begins early in the morning and continues well into the evening as Santa tries to visit all those near and dear to our hearts.

We ended this very long day at Gourmet and Company, where Santa gave a gift to every person working tonight in our favorite restaurant.

The best gift of all is love!

At My Warehouse

This is the busiest time of the year for my company. We are so grateful for all the designers and bead shops who buy their components from us.

A key member of my staff had to attend to a family emergency out of state this week, which left us very shorthanded. That means I needed to help fill orders in addition to all my other daily tasks. That's why you haven't heard much from me lately. There hasn't been a moment to spare.

 

Do you wear something special on busy days to cheer yourself along? I certainly do! The black jeans I am wearing are by French Dressing Jeans. The short black boots are by Franco Sarto via T.J.Maxx.

I also got these two fabulous bracelets from Jewels of the Vineyard this week. I love the modern look and comfortable fit of these bracelets. They never get in the way when I am working, and they don't make noise.

This is a tiny portion of the orders we packaged and shipped in one hour this week. All those priority boxes and much more will be out the door by the end of the day. My staff is really amazing!

I respect all of my employees so much. It is awe-inspiring to do the tedious work of pulling thousands of tiny items for orders every day and rarely making a mistake. Regina, my vice-president, has a mind like a computer! She sends thousands of packages to clients worldwide and yet remembers unique instructions from repeat clients. Amazingly that is just one small part of her responsibilities.