The Women's Fund of East Tennessee Luncheon

Yesterday I joined some extraordinary women at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville for our 5th annual luncheon for the Women's Fund of East Tennessee.

The Women's Fund is a catalyst to transform the lives of low-income women and girls in East Tennessee. I am very proud to be in the Leadership Society. 

As an organization, we learn about the needs of women and girls in our region and determine focused funding areas with the greatest long-term impact. We explore and recommend grant recipients based on area organizations' proven success and their ability to create positive, transformative change.

Together we analyze the outcomes of our investments to ensure accountability and success.

Mr. Mickey snapped these photos for you at the World's Fair Park, where we went for an early morning stroll. The Sunsphere can be seen in the background. It is a hexagonal steel truss structure, topped with a gold-colored glass sphere that served as the symbol of the 1982 World's Fair.

Later in the morning, we visited one of my favorite establishments in Knoxville, The Paris Apartment. It is a delightful place to shop for clothing, accessories, gifts, and fabulous items for your home. You can also enjoy lunch with friends in the French style bistro and tea room.

I wore a navy blue set by IC Collection, sent to me by ShopMyFairLady.com.

The crystal hand-beaded tassel necklace was also sent to me by ShopMyFairLady.com.

We always look forward to attending events at the elegant Cherokee Country Club overlooking the Tennessee River.

It was such a delight to visit some of the other women from Johnson City who attended the luncheon.

Our collective efforts significantly contribute to accomplishing great things for women and girls in our region.

With my dear friend, Carol Transou, above. She introduced me to The Women's Fund several years ago.

If you are in Knoxville during the springtime, don't miss the chance to drive through some of the beautiful neighborhoods where stately older homes stand sentinel over the river surrounded by breathtaking azaleas in full bloom. Too soon, it was time to begin our long drive back to Johnson City.

The look I wore today would be perfect for any special event such as attending a wedding or any more formal gathering. It is very comfortable and yet elegant at the same time. This set is available in black as well as the navy I am wearing. The top has side pockets! The photo below was taken in poor lighting, so the navy shows as black. 

Bonus shot!

Considering the sheer mesh details on the pants' legs, I chose to wear minimalist nude sandals by Sam Edelman via Nordstrom last year. For the same reason, I did not wear bracelets or a watch, which would have only served as clutter. 

The Women's Fund Luncheon

The Women's Fund of East Tennessee recently held our 4th annual luncheon at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN.

The Women's Fund's mission is to be a catalyst to transform the lives of low-income women and girls in the East Tennessee Foundation's 25-county service area.

Through the grantmaking process, the Women's Fund seeks to fund exemplary programs that address skill attainment in two focus areas: 

Life Skills and Education, and Work-Related Skills

Congratulations to the grant recipients for 2015.

The Women's Fund award was created by world-renowned glass artist Tommie Rush.

Michelle Witten and guest speaker, Jason Witten, Brenda Wood, and Coach Phillip Fulmer.

Some of my beautiful friends are Mary Powell, Ann Reel, Kay Clayton, and Carol Transou.

Sweet gentleman friends, Doug Sizemore and Rab Summers.

This year I wore cobalt blue with black with silver jewelry, all from Chico's.

Philanthropy

I am very proud to be a Leadership member of The Women's Fund of East Tennessee, which serves as a catalyst to transform the lives of low-income women and girls in East Tennessee. This week we held our luncheon celebration at the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, TN, to award grants to the programs we earlier voted to support in our communities.

When you invest in a woman, you invest in a family, a community, and ultimately a region. By helping women and girls, we create stronger communities for all of us. I encourage you to join a Women's Fund near you to make a difference for your community.

It was quite cool during the early morning hours, so I wore this fabulous spring coat, which was a gift from Dalitika.

As the weather began to warm up, I removed the spring coat. The blue travelers style tank and pants and the jacket and necklace are all from Chico's last year.

The shoes are from T.J.Maxx earlier this season. The bag is from Coach.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the day was spending time with my dear friend Carol Transou and her delightful husband Bedford. They were so gracious to invite me to ride down to Knoxville with them. The event also allowed me the opportunity to visit with Bonnie Sampson, another very special lady who is also a founder of our group. 

After the luncheon, we drove through the neighborhood to enjoy looking at the spring flowers and lovely old homes.