The plan for today’s post was to show a few summer dresses and how I will style them when the weather cooperates. Since cool air and rainy, overcast skies have returned, I’m instead sharing another casual look for running errands.
On Tuesday, I wore a striped shirt in lavender and white with dark wash ankle jeans and a tan bag with the Linea Paolo flats I found on sale at Nordstrom last year. The bamboo detail silver earrings were a long-ago gift from Mr. Mickey, and the watch and ring are old, so I’ll share links to similar current items.
Shirt – Jeans – Shoes – Bag – Watch – Earrings – Ring
The lip color is Orchid here.
Since I eat mostly fresh produce, I shop about every four days. The jar in front holds extraordinary St. Dalfour giant French prunes. They are a special treat. I sometimes have a square of dark chocolate after breakfast which is often a bowl of oatmeal made using almond milk. I include nuts, half a banana, and frozen blueberries. I mostly drink water but have two cups of black coffee each morning and sometimes have a cup of tea later in the day. I keep a bottle of Prosecco on hand in case we need to celebrate something.
I removed all the produce from the plastic wrapping as soon as I took this photo. Lemons, avocado, mushrooms, tomatoes, bananas, and onion go in the wire basket or a pretty bowl. The cucumber, romaine, carrots, and celery get washed and wrapped in paper towels, and placed in the fridge’s crisper drawers. I place nuts in Glasslock dishes with air-tight covers and keep them in the fridge.
Susan,
Your gift of making casual look sensational is such a wonder! Truly love the lavender with your coloring and pointed shoes always provide a wonderful and sophisticated finish. I’m sorry to hear overcast skies are in your area. Sunny skies are in Pawley’s Island today and the flowering azaleas are loving it. On a nutritional note, I’ve never ventured out with tempeh. Do you season it with anything prior to roasting? As always, thank you for inspirational post.
I usually just brown slices in a bit of butter in a non-stick pan. I like the flax seed tempeh here best.
Do you prefer long sleeve shirts with rolled up sleeves to 3/4 sleeve shirts?
Since I can wear long sleeves all year round, I tend to buy them most of the time.
That look is almost exactly what I wore to run errands today!
Susan, are you sleeping in a little now that you’re retired? I am in awe of anyone who can get up at 3:00 or 4:00 am.
I am sleeping a little better most of the time, but I have those nights when I wake up at 2:00.
Thank you for sharing another fabulous classic look, Susan! You look absolutely amazing. We were planning on heading to our Gatlinburg home this weekend but from what you’ve described it sounds as though I should consult the weather forecast. Charleston is sunny and in the 70’s, and I have been enjoying the longer, warmer days. Also, I’m so happy I saw your post just now. I was feeling snacky and was about to go off my newly established healthy regimen to indulge in something less than healthy. I saw your post and had some albacore tuna and celery instead. You’re truly helping me stay healthier and on track with your clean eating inspiration. I have now lost 3 pounds. Thank you again!
It’s in the 60s during the day, but 31 degrees is in the nighttime forecast on Thursday.
Great job on keeping your discipline.
2 meals a day. Do you ever get hungry? Do you crave treats?
After breaking the habit of eating processed foods, I don’t crave sugar or salt anymore. If I do feel hungry, I a carrot and drink a glass of water. Fiber helps me feel full longer. Sometimes we think we are hungry when all we really need is water.
Hi Susan,
I have a question about storing your lettuce, etc. Do you dry it before wrapping it in the paper towels? So is it sufficient to wrap in paper towels without a plastic bag? Thanks!
Plants need moisture and air, plastic not so much. If you make a big salad (without dressing), spin it dry and then put it in a big bowl and cover it with a damp paper towel, it will remain crisp for about three days.
Thank you!
Do you make your own hummus, or is there a particular brand you buy?
I sometimes make my own hummus, but the small containers by Sabra work better for me. I only eat about a tablespoon full per day.
Did you know you can freeze hummus? I do that when I make it sometimes, since it can be hard to get through all of it.
I haven’t tried that yet. Thank you for the tip.
While I enjoy all your posts, the ones that include both everyday fashion and everyday food (although I enjoy your restaurants posts also) are my favorites…because that’s more my current lifestyle. Thanks for sharing
I’m glad you find these posts helpful. It is also more my current lifestyle.
I especially love your casual look posts as I am retired and have no dressy places to go besides church which may soon be shut down again.
Thanks for sharing your meal posts. Love getting new ideas.
This is how I eat now too. Incredible how much better I feel- wish I could go back 30 years and talk to my processed-food loving self back then, but oh well! The lentils look delicious and I’ve never tried lentils with my salads for some reason. Do you have a recipe for these?
Thanks for posting about your meals- I always get good ideas from them!
I cooked the lentils with the farro. Soak the farro overnight, drain it, start with fresh water or stock. Rinse the lentils, make sure there are no stones or sticks, and then stir them in with the farro and cook for about twenty minutes. (Check the package instructions on the farro. Pearled farro will be done in about 15 minutes, while semi-pearled or whole processed farro will take 25 to 40 minutes.) Lentils are done in about twenty minutes. Don’t cook them until they turn mushy.
Thank you for sharing your tips to success in eating for health!!
Great look. I think that my weak link is shoes. I will have to take care of that since I am able to get out a little more. Your groceries look similar to mine. Mostly produce. I was wondering what is on your plate at about 10 or 11 o clock? I looks like tofu. Thanks for your posts I really appreciate you and your posts. You inspire me. Best wishes and good health always to you and Mr. Mickey.
That is tempeh at 10 o clock. Tempeh is a plant-based protein source that originated in Indonesia. It’s made from fermented soybeans that have been formed into a block, though store-bought tempeh often includes additional beans and grains. Though it’s known for its high protein content, it offers a host of different health benefits.
Hi Susan,
I am retired also, and like your casual inspiration post. Do you find Talbots shirts to fit without pulling across the bust in your normal size. Also, if you would share the longline bras link again? I ordered once and it wasn’t a good fit. So I hope to get it right this time. Thank you!
I buy button-up shirts in a size large to avoid that pulling across the bust. You can find the longline bras at (I wear the Ultimate Pretty) Shapeez.com.
There are quite a few “long” bras on that website. Which do you recommend, please? Thanks.
I like the Ultimate Pretty most of all.
Thank you Susan for showing what you buy & a typical meal. I need to get my eating under control & you are inspiring. I have to say I was surprised by the lavender striped shirt, yet it is very becoming. I need to expand my wardrobe (such as the striped shirt). How do you spend your day with being retired? Volunteer work? I am newly retired (the last couple of years) and have been thinking of doing some volunteer work. I just don’t know how it works but I believe I will look into it. Thank you again for your blog. I always enjoy reading it.
I’m glad what I share is helpful to you. I spend my days helping my parents and friends with little projects, planning my next trip to a warmer climate, and lots of reading. I have many interests that have been on hold for way too long while I worked two or three jobs for lots of years. It feels wonderful to do what I want to do now.
Thank you!
This was a very interesting post. I am going to try the tempeh and the lentils with farrow. Also, I had the Talbot’s shirt in my cart. After seeing you wearing it, I decided to order it. Casual is definitely the word of the day for me. Your look is perfect!
Susan: I have enjoyed your posts for a while. I find your style classic and elegant. I appreciate that you are retired and still share.
Retired means you can spend the day sitting in the sunshine on a bench listening to the birds and the sounds around you. As a poet from the sixties wrote, “Listen to the warm”.. Catch up on all the books you never had time for before. Plan special simple meals since cooking becomes a treat rather than a chore now. Get rid of all the things you have accumulated that no longer reflect your lifestyle and who you are. Bless someone else with them. IMHO
Love the lavender stripe shirt but the shoes are what caught my eye. Perfect!
Thank you for your posts about your casual look and food that you enjoy. I was told recently that I should only eat 1/2 banana rather than the whole one. What do you do with the other half? I used to make homemade smoothies with them but I don’t drink them anymore. Thank you in advance for your help.
I place it in the fridge to enjoy later. Cut it in half while still in the peel so that you can trim off the edge to have a fresh banana on the second half.
Love the classic casual look with these gorgeous shoes, the tan bag and the silver earrings.
I wonder how you can skip the evening meal.
I have been skipping the evening meal for many years of my adult life. Unless I am very active, I don’t need all those extra calories. If I feel hungry, I eat a raw vegetable or a piece of fruit and drink a glass of water.
Susan, do you take supplements? I ask because your diet doesn’t deem to include much calcium. I was an ovo lacto vegetarian in my younger years and mow have osteopenia, so I am curious, age 74.
I enjoy full-fat yogurt, sharp cheddar cheese, and a little unsalted butter in my cooking. I eat green leafy vegetables – such as curly kale, or spinach every day. Almond and coconut milks are often fortified with added calcium and vitamin D. I often eat fish where you eat the bones – such as sardines. Mackerel and salmon are also favorites, but I don’t eat fish every day. I get an annual test for vitamin deficiencies and a bone density test often.
I love this look. That lavender is lovely on you. Do you have a trick to keep your collar up? Every time I try, mine ends up folding down and looking messy. Thanks!
The collars on my no-iron shirts stand up much better than those made from soft materials such as silk or washed cotton.
You have inspired me to try to eat less meat and more fresh fruits and vegetables. Thank you!
You and I eat quite alike. I am also mostly WFPB and would love your recipe for the tempeh and your grain dish. I am always looking for new ways to eat the things I love. My new favorites: Steamed Kale with a small amount of “Slap Yo Mama” seasoning. It does have salt, but I use very sparingly because it is spicy. My other favorite is Hibiscus tea. Very mild, no caffeine, and oh, so tasty. I add a small amount of erythritol for sweetness. This tea is delicious hot or iced. Dr. Michael Gregor adds ground mint leaves with his tea and says it tastes like punch. Next on my list to try. If you don’t know him…read his books, I think you’d enjoy him.
Suzanne
I rarely use a recipe for anything I cook. Brown the tempeh in a little butter or coconut oil. Cook the grain according to the package instructions. Sautee chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic, and add the spices you like. You can combine this with the grain or with lentils or beans.
If you skip dinner meal what do you have for snacks between breakfast & lunch and after lunch? Do you eat anything between lunch and 7pm?
I don’t snack at all, and I rarely eat any food in the evenings. When I eat nutritious foods (not factory-produced processed foods), I don’t feel hungry between my meal times. Intermittent fasting is good for your body. Processing food uses a lot of energy, so I feel much more energetic, and I sleep much better when I eat less but higher quality food.
Good Morning
Love your shirt, looks so springing ( if that’s a word).
Thank you so much for sharing your journey with healthy eating! I bought the live to eat book and cookbook. My husband has lost 29 pounds so far and I am down 11…. have my up and down days but goal is to eat more and more food like you are showing. No meat on your counter, You look so healthy!
Love your earrings!
Have an incredible weekend!
Kind Regards,
Gayle
Even though you’re not really dressed up…I bet you’re still the best dressed shopper at the grocery store. The shoes look fabulous!
I also really like your philosophy of keeping cooking and meal times simple. I’m going to try this approach for my working days, saving the recipes and fancy cooking for days when I am off.
Thank you for the lovely posts.
Hope you have a great weekend Susan, and please say kind regards to Mr. Mickey too!
Your lunch looks delicious! Could you please share how you prepare your grains dish (the lentils, beans, mushrooms and onions)? I would love to try it.
It’s fun reading your blog and getting ideas about clothes to wear. Thank you for keeping us older women a little more up-to-date.
Best regards,
Mary
Cook the grain and lentils according to the package instructions and set them aside. Sautee chopped onion, mushrooms, garlic, and add the spices you like, combine with the grain, lentils, and or beans. I use canned beans from Eden Organics with no salt added.
I need shoes with straps as in the shoes you are wearing or around the ankle. Are those shoes comfortable for all day wear? Are they a soft sole so they will bend when you walk?
Thanks, Sue
Yes, the shoes bend, and they are comfortable, but I have never worn them for the whole day.
Susan – the last I remember you commenting on your diet was that you shopped only once every two weeks and you emphasized frozen vegges, etc. It seems like you mentioned that too much fresh produce had gone bad if I remember correctly.
Are the fresh foods in addition?
Blessings and have a lovely weekend,
Belinda Stevens
That routine was for my time in winter quarantine. Now that it is spring and I feel safer shopping a little more often, my emphasis is on fresh vegetables. I do keep canned beans and frozen mixed vegetables for soup or to mix with rice and beans.
Love the look and thank you for your pointers about food. It has inspired me to eat healthy.
I am trying your skin regimen and like the beauty counter products. How do you use these items when traveling. It seems these bottles are too heavy and breakable to travel with me. Any ideas
I put some of the product into smaller plastic jars and bottles for travel. You can find them among the travel-size items at Walgreens or Target stores.
Susan, I thoroughly enjoy your posts and get lots of tips on putting outfits together and ideas for healthier eating.
Thank you so much! I am 72 and about 5’ 3”. Losing weight and eating healthy are a priority right now . Would you please tell me about the grains dish with lentils, beans, mushrooms and onions? It looks so delicious!
Thank you for all that you do.
Sharon McD.
Thank you for the kind words, Sharon. I prepare grains according to the package instructions. Sautee onion, mushrooms, garlic, and add a can of your favorite Eden Organic beans near the end of the cooking time to warm them. You can sometimes cook lentils along with the grains if the cooking times are the same. I add a variety of vegetables or grains to this side dish. Sometimes I chop up celery, carrots, or whatever I have to add to my grain bowls.