After weeks of downsizing, moving, cleaning, storing, and non-stop activities in the home I sold, it was a delight to step away from all that for the afternoon. So Mr. Mickey and I drove to Banner Elk, NC, on Saturday to enjoy a leisurely lunch on the back deck of Bodegas.
We had plans to take many more pictures, but an unpredicted thunderstorm rolled in, so we cut our trip short and returned to Johnson City.
Most of my wardrobe is in storage now, so I’m working with a minimal selection. Thankfully, the climate-controlled storage unit is only a short drive away so I can change the inventory in my small closet occasionally.
The outfit for the day included white ankle jeans from Talbots, a black crepe top, a straw bag by BTB Los Angeles, Nine West two-tone mules, and various pieces of silver jewelry.
Beautiful in such a simple outfit. Class at its best. Wish you the best during this transition
So nice to have you back! Sometimes I get sidetracked with fashion with all the exposure on the internet and I need you and you style to bring me back down to earth . Thank you .
Enjoyed your post and sharing a bit of your life! Johnson City is such a lovely place to live.
You look rested, as if you had been on holiday, not sorting your personal belongings, purging, moving and cleaning. Beautiful view from Mr. Mickey’s home.
Good grief, you look sensational for being on the go with all the downsizing, packing, moving, and decisions you had to make, and all that you have been experiencing lately.
This outfit is one of my new favorites for sure. If we were passing each other, I’d take a second look to see why you looked so great. Simple, classy and put together.
I hope you can enjoy your new “freedom” from the stresses you put in and have some relaxing time now. You deserve it for sure.
Clara from Iowa
You look great!!!
Glad things are going well. I really enjoy your posts because you are never trying to push anything to buy. You just show us quality. I have always liked your style and this one is definitely another great look.
I agree you look beautiful. Using your choices and style has helped me immensely in my retirement. I do get a little confused though, and do not mean to be at all contrary. I just want to understand. A while back you wrote that black near your face was not complementary. And that you prefer shoulder seams at the shoulder and not dolman type. I know tastes and styles change. Could you help explain your decision with this top?
I bought the top because I needed something I could dress up or down for cool summer evenings or, in this case, an afternoon. I added bright crystal earrings and the silver and gray necklace to brighten up the area near my face. I also wore a brighter lip color. I prefer more fitted shoulder seams, but this top isn’t too long or blousy, so it served my needs.
Beautiful as always!
Can I ask where you purchased the top?
I purchased it earlier this year from the Banana Republic Factory site.
I am sure I speak for many when I say “I’ve missed you”. You really do look happy and rested (relieved perhaps?) and I too love your outfit. I think bringing various beige-ish neutrals really makes the black & white pop! I’m going to try that this week.
Thank you, Jacki.
Thank you !
Beautiful and stylish as always!! Always get great wardrobe advice from you. And I have to say all these moving activities seem to agree with you – you look so relaxed!!
I agree with all the others that you look beautiful and relaxed! And such a lovely view for your morning walk.
You look healthy and happy!
You certainly got things done quickly. It looks like ridding yourself of the burden of years of accumulated treasures is good for you. You look fantastic! Meanwhile I’m still sorting through my treasures. I appreciate you taking time to keep your readers in the loop. My best to you and Mr. Mickey as you navigate through this change. You inspire me to stay the course.
Would you mind sharing your strategy on how to price items to sell? That is my biggest dilemma right now.
You look great Susan! I usually look pretty haggard after a move LOL I’ve done it a number of times, but this next one will be different as I need to get rid of lots of stuff.
The pricing will be based on how much value the item has and how badly you want to get it out of your house. If you were going to buy the same thing in the same condition, how much would you be willing to spend? Thinking that way has helped me to set reasonable prices for my items.
Dear Susanne, it seems to me that you have lost weight. Is the reason for moving or more awareness in the meal?
I have been doing a lot of physical work for the past three weeks. I still weigh about the same (138 lbs), but I’ve certainly used more energy recently.
You look happy and rested.
You look so classy and chic!
Moving can be stressful but hope you find your new home in the right place for you.
So pleased to hear you have sold your house and now ready for the next adventure!
Best wishes from England
Kathy
I agree with everyone,you look wonderful.I wish you much happiness with the next chapter of your life.
Mr Mickey is a keeper!
Hello! Where will you be moving to? I’m fairly familiar with J C. I loved there for 6 years.
I am in the Hunters Lake neighborhood.
That is a fabulous photo. I am pleased everything is working out for you. Paula
What a classic looking outfit, and you are are so serene considering what a busy few months you have had. All best wishes from Gail, New Zealand.
You get an A+ today . So pretty!
As always, thank you for taking us along!
Gorgeous!!
You are amazing.. With moving, storage, selling a house, it looks like a well deserved break! Beautiful scenery. Thank you for sharing, and creating such classic styles. I am learning what works best for my 5’1″ size.. My dream of being 5’8″ never has happened so it’s time to dress my height. I am a retired kindergarten teacher with 40 years in the classroom.. and my style was determined by the theme of learning and activities. Thank you for sharing.
Congrats on your move! Can’t believe how quickly you were out of your house. So glad the sale was a success. Look forward to more of your adventures. Good luck with house hunting!
Susan,
I am older than you and still live in the same house I raised my children in for close to 40 years. While I KNOW I need to purge my belongings I have no desire to move to a smaller space. I hope you will be happy in your new environment as having one’s wardrobe in storage could be an issue. From your photograph above it looks like Mr Mickey still lives in a house and I was surprised to read that he is actually charging you rent at all. Will this be your permanent home? No disrespect meant. You are brave!!
He isn’t charging me rent; I insisted upon paying him and doing my part in maintaining his home. So this will be the long-term living arrangement for now. Mickey is very kind and extremely generous. It would be far too easy to take advantage of him, but that is not my style.
Love that look. I wish you continued health and happiness. Thank you for your posts. I see them and think “that’s how I would like to dress” !
You look elegant and beautiful as usual. You are a breath of fresh air with your blog which is the first one I followed. There are no video pop ups or lists of things to buy. You and Mr. Mickey are such great examples of gracious living and things of value without all the hoopla!
My favourite combination; white pants and a black top. You look truly fabulous in this outfit, you are glowing. I downsized a few years ago from a 4 bed/2 bath house with a huge garden in the suburbs to a two bed apartment with a balcony very close to the Melbourne CBD. It was difficult letting stuff go as I’m a quilter and I had 2 rooms to sew in and store my fabrics, books and equipment as well as lots of clothes and household goods but I can honestly say that we love our new lifestyle. We hardly use the car as we can walk or take public transport to the city for the theatre, shopping, bars, restaurants etc. We can lock up and leave for travel, our maintenance is absolutely minimal as are our expenses. I hope you have a similar happy transition, Susan. All the best.
Thanks so much for the update! I’m glad to see things are moving along for you.
I saw you in a Candypeom.com FB promotion for bras for older women – is this right, do you use them. I found Shapeez through you – thank you.
I did not authorize that company to use my image or endorse the products.
Susan,
You look wonderful! I’m so happy that you are settled in your new home and have such a peaceful lovely lake enjoy.
Sending my best wishes to you and Mr. Mickey.
Love your page. Are there some plans besides renting a room from Mr. Mickey?
I’m staying in this area to help my sister care for our parents. Perhaps someday, I can find a cottage or condo closer to the beach, but for now, I am where I need to be.
Hi Susan! So very glad to have you back blogging. You look beautiful as usual after what you have been through. I’m happy you will be safe with Mr. Mickey until you transition near the beach.
Thank you for keeping us in the loop during your downsizing and selling of your home. You are such a brave woman to attempt all of that single-handedly.
Hello to Mr. Mickey and hope you can enjoy some relaxation and fun times again!
I’m glad it’s over for you and you’re settled in! What a pretty view from your new place for now!
You look stunning! Relaxed, glowing, happy in your skin.
Looking fabulous and of course so happy. Gosh sounds like a perfect arrangement to share with Mr Mickey, who is a thorough gentleman. Wishing the best and hope your parents are okay.
love this look, it suits you perfectly!
Where are you going now?
I am staying here in the same neighborhood for now. I will remain in the area to help my sister care for our parents.
What a stunning view on your early morning walk Susan , Mr Mickey is very kind to you to let you stay till you find the place you want to be
I am sure you would do the same for him, you are such a lovely couple.
Chic casual outfit Susan you are beautiful.
Good wishes,
Pamela from Wales UK x
I am so impressed and inspired by how put together and chic you look during this transition. And Mr. Mickey is for sure your hero to be putting a lovely roof over your head. Best, best wishes.
Nice to hve you back ,I.m sure it feels good to have the packing done ! You are always so positive on your post ,they make me feel content, thanks.
I’ve been following you for about ten years now. It’s strange to be writing to someone that I feel I know in some way, and yet you know nothing of me. We are the same age and it’s been wonderful to see someone who dresses stylishly and yet appropriately for our age, without looking frumpy or lazy. Some of your favorites are now my favorites, like Shapeez. Quite a few of my friends are also now Shapeez converts. I’ve also tried some of your other favorites and have liked them too. I ordered the 3/4 sleeve polo just this morning.
It’s also been interesting to see how our lives are so similar. I retired at age 59 and three years later we decided to downsize from our six bedroom home to our three bedroom vacation home in a very rural tiny town on the Utah/Wyoming border. We literally got rid of 85% of our stuff before selling our home and moving to a fully furnished home. Even so, we brought too much stuff, so I’m downsizing again. I’m having our photos digitized and I’m sharing them on Google drive with our children and grandchildren. Next will come the video and movies. Yes, this is a considerable investment, but the value will last well beyond our lifetimes. Even better, I found a business only three hours away (almost local) that offers great service at terrific prices, so the expense will be somewhat less onerous than using one of the over-marketed photo digitizers advertising on the internet.
I loved your perspective on homes and other stuff. I am not attached to houses, even though we lived in the last one for 30 years. No house will take care of me when I’m too old to care for myself. I’m attached to people and independence. One of the women I admired most died last summer at 94. After her husband died, about ten years ago, she sold their mansion and moved into a very nice condo. Then she moved into a lovely assisted living center. Every home was furnished with lovely and tasteful things that she loved, but not over filled. She died with dignity, grace, style, and on her own terms. Your comments about making your own decisions were absolutely relevant. Too many older people put off thinking about their exit plans until they are no longer capable of making decisions. Good for you for being an example!
I finally decided to write to you today because I loved your downsizing articles, but also because, once again, you are giving me fashion inspiration. When we moved, I got rid of 80% of my professional wardrobe. When the roads are gravel, there are no sidewalks, one tiny store and 1.5 restaurants (one is open part-time), and our leisure activities consist of riding ATVs, hiking in the mountains, fishing, and swimming in the lake, there is no place for heels, dressy clothes or even much jewelry. Add in the incessant gale force winds from Wyoming, and even the hair style has to be simple and almost glued in place. So, my wardrobe became very casual from necessity. But, earlier this year I was appointed as the county judge. And now I’m finding that my very casual style needs to be upped a notch – to somewhat casual. Thank you for your wonderful posts and links to similar items! I’m fairly sure that by adding just a few new pieces I’ll be able to find just the right niche.
From one of your faithful fans, Jeri Allphin
Thank you for the lovely message, Jeri. I’m grateful that what I’ve shared has been helpful to you.
A nice Susan surprise today! You look gorgeous and happy. Congratulations on a successful move. Enjoy your days with loved ones! I still enjoy every blog post.
Susan, you are glowing! You look so happy in this photo and look thinner, healthy, and years younger. Not that you were the opposite of any of those things. It’s just that you look more so of all of it. Just lovely. And, yes, I’ve missed you too. So glad to get an update. Keep doing whatever you are doing!
I am trying to downsize. It is so hard to get rid of stuff I wanted for a long time, finally acquired, now dispose of. Harder than I expected. I envy you for doing it.
Hi Susan. I’ve wanted to ask you…what color are your eyeglass frames? Blue or teal?
The frames are muted shades of teal and purple.
I love your style, sexy and sporty at the same time…just like me. I’m sixty nine but truly and thankfully feel like forty nine. You’re ideas for outfits are helpful indeed, keep on posting. thank you, yes my name is Susan too
You look lovely, as always! Your outfits are such an inspiration – classy, stylish and chic. That silver necklace is a knockout – could you please share brand, where purchased, or any other details? Thank you!
That is an old French Kande necklace. I don’t think they still make that style, but they have several similar ones.
Your fashionista just gives me such uplifts every time I click onto your FABULOUSO site!
LOVE your “reminds”. Too✝️