MAN CLOTHES

Since Parisian closed, Belk is on my list of stores to check out occasionally, especially during end of the season sales. After perusing men's clothing, I noticed elegantly cut and tailored men's lined summer sport jackets, regularly priced at hundreds of dollars marked down 50-60% this month. Purchased four light weight coats and coordinated with silky tailored slacks. A light blue sports coat to wear with dressy jeans was mailed to our home from another Belk store because my husband's size was unavailable at this store. Paired with a tailored peach-colored srriped shirt, he looked dapper. The clothing choices were easy, but getting my husband to try clothes on for two hours was challenging.

FASHION FINDS

Catalogs stuff my mailbox. Most I discard; however, METROSTYLE has great buys on sleeveless hip-length flowing cardigans [strange label because these lightweight tops have a summery feel]. Wear these over sleeveless summer tops to cover up that mid-life middle. These classy tops elongate your look, especially if you pair them with like colors. Available in solids, animal prints, and southwestern print.

Accessories, shoes and bags are my favorite finds in this magazine. Bought these wedges in silver. They're a takeoff on a very expensive Marc Jacobs style.

Need some wedge tennis shoes? Check out the Sketchers on this site.

FASHION FINDS

Strolled into T J Maxx for a quick review of new merchandise. Thursdays are great days to do this. Voila! New arrival: a luxurious silver polyester-acrylic-spandex fully lined long-sleeved belted knee length VERTIGO lightweight spring coat marked down. Sleeve tabs have magnetic buttons. Original tag read $200, clearanced at $60. Very classy and conmfortable. Wore to Broadway show in NYC in June.

DINNER AND A MOVIE

My daughter and daughter-in-law took me to dinner and a movie last night-belated birthday present. We dined at the WORLD PEACE CAFE in Sandy Springs. The two story, airy restaurant is Buddhist themed in every way; paintings of Buddhist monks; soft chants in the background music, large circular paper balloons swirling between floor, and delicious organic food. Notices about meditation classes and volunteering grace this place. I wore a large PEACE pendant, a large PEACE ring, and large PEACE earrings. My daughter said I looked like a throwback to the sixties. Hul-lo! My dinner salad included a vegetarian burger surrounded by beet strings, carrots curls, cucumbers and chickpeas. I've never felt so healthy! The pleasant atmosphere makes you want to speak in hushed whispers. And your stress levels out. And you want to mediate.

Then . . .  we saw SEX AND THE CITY II. The shoes, the clothes, the accessories, the shopping. I was beside myself. Although I had never viewed any episode of SEX AND THE CITY, this movie appealed to my shallow nature.  Should I, like Carrie, wear stilettos, 24 hours a day? Is there enough drama in my life? Should I lunch out more often? Alas, Charlotte is a bit too simpery-dimpery, Miranda too driven. And Samantha will likely combust if her sex meter continues to climb.  Living in New York City sounds so glamorous--for Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda. I do love NYC, but after visits there, I, like Candide, long for the solitude of my garden.

An Abu Dhabi sheik,enamoured with Samantha's public relations expertise [no pun intended], invites the four women to stay in an exotic, glamorous $22,000 suite in his magnificent hotel. They fly on his private airline, and upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, learn that each has been assigned handsome male servants who dress like Princes of Persia. At that point, lounging around the pool, sitting around their fancy boudoir sipping cocktails, shopping at the bazaar, riding camels, or dining under a Ritz Carlton-like tent in the desert, they wear haute couture outfits: long flowing gowns, bodacious jewelery, and sexy summer strapless dresses. The palpable irony in this movie is obvious. Four sexy American women garbed in glam provide a stark contrast to the oppressed Muslim women draped from head to toe in Abayas.

Then, of course, Samantha's lacivious behavior changes the entire dynamic of the plot.

Throw out the gossipy talk, the girly interventions, the philosophizing about life, and feast your eyes on the fashion.

Thank you, Alicia and Sloane, for such a wonderful evening!

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

NEW YORK PALACE HOTEL

http//www.newyorkpalace.com/hotel-new-york

Allstate President's Conference, June 2010

Frugal is a word I cannot define; therefore, my husband prefers to let me think we are destitute. So when he won this Allstate recognition of the top ten percent of agents [1600] in the entire country in this unstable economy, I was pretty impressed.

Allstate recognitions over the years have been amazing. We've traveled all over the world. The company wanted to stay state-side this year because of the onerous tactics permeating big business over the past few years. Helping the economy here in the states was also a consideration.

The trip to New York was fantastic. Arriving at The New York Palace, our hotel, late afternoon on Monday, we were greeted with chocolates and wine in our room, which faced St. Patrick's Cathedral. We attended morning mass there.

Later that evening, Allstate hosted an early evening cocktail party near the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Roving servers enticed us with cocktails and hors d'oeurves. At 9:00 we walked to Times Square with another couple then back to the hotel

Tuesday after the hotel brunch, Allstate hosted a recognition ceremony and lunch at the new Yankee Stadium. Giant video screens scrolled names of agents from each of the regions. The CEO of Allstate addressed the crowd, and NYPD bagpipers and officers in full dress saluted us. During lunch, singers entertained. Quite a treat for Larry who loves baseball.

That evening we dined at a wonderful Italian Restaurant just off of Madison Avenue. The lamb in plum sauce was amazing. We then found a small restaurant bar with a sing along piano player who had been stationed in Augusta, GA in the forties.

Wednesday we toured China Town and had lunch, alfresco, at our favorite Italian restaurant then had cannoli's from Ferraro's Bakery in Little Italy. By then I had to have a power nap to prepare for the evening gala.

BUT FIRST, I had to bedazzle the tacky black Allstate badge that we had to wear to every event. I sent Larry into a high-end hootchie-mama store off Madison Avenue to purchase a rhinestone-covered tank top. At the hotel I cut it up and super-glued sequins on my name badge-front, back, and on the neck loop. I wore a silver sequined ensemble to the gala; now I felt totally accessorized!

Allstate took the entire group to Battery Park for cocktails, then we had to embark on ferries to get to Ellis Island for the evening event.  The red carpet was laid out to lead us to the dinner event. Beautiful tables were set outdoors on the lawn. Strolling servers brought us wine, appetizers, the main courses, and dessert. Keith Urban, our surprise guest, entertained the crowd.

Thursday evening we dined at Sardi's, then walked across the street to see MEMPHIS, a Broadway musical based on the story of a DJ who plays black rock and roll music on a Memphis radio station challenging the segregated music industry during the sixties in Memphis, Tennessee. Rousing music, hilarious but poignant script, and choreography that makes you want to dance.

Friday we strolled down Madison looking for a notary for papers Larry needs for new agency he is purchasing as a legacy for our children and grandchildren. He's hiring more staff so he can semi-retire, two words that frighten the dickens out of me. I have a perfectly happy unsupervised daily life schedule as of now. What if he asks me what I'm doing every five minutes?

Then we awaited our transportation to LaGuardia. Very nice trip. Next year; San Francisco and Hawaii.