The Wine Club

Mr. Mickey and I are charter members of a wine club. Last night we attended a tasting which included the Italian wines Baraolos and Brunellos.

I am wearing a long black, red, and cream sweater over a long-sleeve red tee with a bold Asian-inspired tassel necklace all from Chico's. The straight leg black pants are from Stein Mart a couple of years ago. The shoes are from Nordstrom. The bag is by Tahari via T.J.Maxx last year. 

Before the tasting, I studied that large map of Italy showing all the wine regions on the easel. Have you been to Italy? 

Dinner and Fireworks!

Our dear friends live on a hill in a grand house. We often spend the evening of the 4th of July with them.

Each time I visit my friend D., I get a least one great idea. This evening it was that large cut glass flower vase behind my head on the mantle. Instead of flowers, she added a candle inside!

When I came home I immediately got out the biggest vase I have and added a Glade candle in cashmere wood scent.

 

This is my beautiful and extremely talented friend D. with me on one of the terraces overlooking her north gardens. It is very difficult to make grand double-height rooms feel warm and welcoming but D. accomplishes this task so very well. Each room in her home is an absolute delight to the senses.

This was a really delicious banana pudding made by one of the other guests. It is a fourth of July tradition here in the south!

I am wearing a beautiful navy blazer from Dalitika over a white tank top from Coldwater Creek. The multistrand blue-green necklace is from Stein Mart. The red pants are Nine West jeggings and the shoes are by Adrienne Vittadini both from T.J.Maxx.

This beautiful lightweight navy blazer with a sheen to the fabric was a gift from Dalitika. I got lots of compliments on it!  This jacket will be one of my favorites for years to come.

Fleetwood Mac!

On Monday evening, Mr. Mickey and I went with our closest friends to the Fleetwood Mac concert at the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.

We arrived a few hours early so that Mitzi and I could go shopping and have dinner before the concert. Since the arena is located in the financial district, the shopping choices were dismal, so we opted for a long walk and sightseeing instead. 

Charlotte has undergone a tremendous revitalization since my last visit. It is a beautiful, clean and safer city.

There were sculptures, waterfalls, fountains, art installations, green spaces, parks, and flowers in all the numerous plazas and on every street in the area we walked in. 

A storm was starting to blow in as we walked to dinner later in the evening before the concert.

The flowers in this plaza were amazing!

Did I mention it was windy?

This was one of our favorite bronzes.

Safe in our seats at last!

It was Mick Fleetwood's birthday!

Stevie Nicks at 65 still looks wonderful. Her haunting voice is so unique. Lindsey Buckingham sang, played an amazing solo or two, danced, and never left the stage for the whole concert, which lasted for almost three hours. He has incredible energy! John McVie was his usual subdued, extremely talented self.

The sets and additional screens that dropped down at times were fabulous. It was so amazing to watch Lindsey Buckingham's fingers playing that guitar.

The next day there was time for another quick walk around the area before breakfast.

Black and White for Date Night

After a long very stressful day of work, there is nothing better than sitting down to share a meal and the comfort of your best friend. 

Mr. Mickey and I had a lovely dinner in our favorite restaurant and then moved outside to the patio to have a scotch and water and enjoy the perfect weather. A lovely twenty-something woman waved excitedly when she saw me from across the patio. I racked my brain for several minutes, trying to figure out who she was but decided she must have confused me for someone else. Mickey always makes me laugh. He said, "She must recognize you from Redbook."


This top is no less than five years old. I think I found it at T.J.Maxx. The pants were hand-me-downs from my sister. The shoes are a couple of years old from Kohl's.

The bracelet, earrings, and ring are all in silver tones. The small leather clutch bag is from T.J.Maxx. 

Art in The Park

A favorite summertime trip for us is driving up into the mountains and spending the day in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This was one of the Art in the Park event weekends.

I wore white ankle pants and a white tank top from Stein Mart. The shawl scarf is from Chico's last year. I received many compliments on it. 

These smartly dressed women from Winston-Salem stopped me in the park to ask me where I found the scarf. It was so much fun chatting with them! 

Later in the day Mr. Mickey and I stopped by the Shops on the Parkway so that I could visit the Chico's outlet. The ladies also came in while we were there. They were looking for a similar scarf so we got to visit again.

You will always find me checking out the jewelry at art events!

The event was even larger than in past years.

I just had to show you a picture of Mr. Mickey's snazzy new summer shoes. Aren't they the cat's meow?

 

Tip for warm weather event dressing: Wear light colors with a sheer blouse, scarf, or tunic for a bit of coverage and colorful style. Of course, sunglasses are a must. These are by Vera Wang from Kohl's. The bag is from Stein Mart and the shoes are by Adrienne Vittadini from T.J.Maxx last year.

The Grand Opening

Last evening we joined dear friends to celebrate the Grand Opening of their design and furniture gallery.

The Property Experts is a full-service interior design and remodeling company with a retail store called Home Store in downtown Johnson City, Tennessee. 

They are located at 207 N Boone St, Suite 2000.

We enjoyed heavy Hors d'oeuvres and wine as we visited with old friends and looked at all the fabulous furniture and decor. My mind was reeling with ideas! 

I was enthralled by this light sculpture, which I would name "Threads of Gold."

Afterward, Mr. Mickey and I visited our favorite restaurant's lounge area to share an artisan cheese plate and another glass of wine.

This evening's outfit includes straight-leg pants from Stein Mart last year with one of their black tank tops. The long sweater vest is from Chico's last year. The shoes are by Vince Camuto. The clutch bag is from T.J.Maxx. 

The Albemarle

A three day weekend away is as close as we ever get to an actual vacation.

 

During this getaway for Mr. Mickey's birthday, we stayed at the fabulous Albemarle Inn located in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

The one-hundred-year-old house and the grounds were so amazing!

The staircase was fantastic... this shows only half of it.

We had breakfast on the sun-porch each morning.

The gardens were a delight to the senses.

The Corinthian columns spoke to my Scarlett O'Hara soul.

The dress is by Dana Buchman from Khol's. The shoes are BOC last year from Stein Mart. 

Thanks for reading! 

This is the first of several posts I will share this week. There is too much to share in just one.

The High Country

North Carolina's High Country is only about an hour and a half drive away from my home. Yesterday we took a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway to the town of Blowing Rock and stopped for dinner at one of our all-time favorite restaurants.

The weather was perfect, with clear blue skies and warm sunshine. It allowed me to wear one of the dresses I found this week. This navy and white wrap effect dress is by Dana Buchman via Kohl's. The Vera Wang sunglasses are also from Kohl's. The handbag is from Stein Mart. The sandals are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J. Maxx.

The churches in the village of Blowing Rock have the most beautiful shade gardens!

We love to dine on the terrace at The Artisanal in Banner Elk. The amazing view of the manicured grounds, including the woods beyond, is so peaceful and serene.

This is the view from our table. 

You can almost see the creek just on the other side of those steps.

This evening we both had the wonderful Alaskan halibut with wasabi foam.

The diners at the next table were a wonderful Italian family. This is the grandmother with their adorable grandson. Note that he is also abiding by the rule that gentlemen must wear a jacket. As the family raised a toast, he also raised and clinked his sippy cup with them. He was so well behaved. Obviously, he was well accustomed to fine dining even at the ripe old age of two and a half.

This is the hostess who always greets us with a hug. 

She is so beautiful! My rosy cheeks are a result of too many glasses of Chardonnay. The Italians kindly sent me another glass when I had already had enough, but I graciously drank it as well.

Note the sculpture of the horse behind us. The artist created it with twigs and branches of trees. The theme throughout the building and grounds is one of a barn on a farm. There are two other life-size horse sculptures on the grounds as you enter. A spot set aside for helicopters to land for special arrivals by diners who normally reserve the wine seller for dining in complete privacy is also a spot set aside for helicopters.

The restaurant was built by the Diamond Creek Golf Club owner, a private gated community nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains on over a thousand acres. 

As we leave the restaurant and approach the main road, we see the Sugar Top Resort. It is perched at 5,000 feet above sea level on Sugar Mountain. This structure brought about the Mountain Ridge Protection Act of 1983, which prevents a building, structure, or unit from protruding more than 35 feet from the crest of a ridge.

I also asked Mr. Mickey to take me to the top of Beech Mountain to show me the chalet he built there in the early eighties.

Thankfully I remembered to bring a light cable knit navy cotton sweater with three-quarter sleeves. The temperature at my home today was 88, and the temperature on Beech Mountain was 59 when this picture was snapped.

Daylight has still not faded even at 9 PM on the top of Beech Mountain.

 

I slipped on these nude heels by Impo and my navy cable knit sweater to have dinner.