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.

Happy Independence Day!

On this Independence Day, Mickey and I were asked to ride in a parade in the neighboring town of Elizabethton, TN.

 

We were told that we would be driving for one of Duck Dynasty stars, but it was "Elvis" who rode with us through town because the fellow portraying a member of the show "Duck Dynasty" said a pickup truck would be more his style.

This is truly one of the nicest young men and best fathers I have ever met. His son is in the picture below. What a great family! It was an honor to meet them and spend part of the day with them.

Our new friends walked behind the pickup truck, gave out candy to all the children, and posed for pictures with the Duck Dynasty fans.

Mr. Mickey said, you need to see my Mickey Mouse watch. He has one of the largest collections of antique Mickey Mouse toys in the world. Did you know he was named after Mickey Mouse?

We needed to dress in red, white, and blue for the parade, so this is my patriotic look for today.

I am wearing a Tencel chambray tunic from last year over a white tank top from Coldwater Creek. The red pants are Nine West jeggings, and the shoes are by Adrienne Vittadini, both from T.J.Maxx. The hook belt is by Chico's.

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.

Dinner by a Waterfall

Saturday was a wonderful day! We decided to take the convertible for a drive in the country to enjoy every moment of it.

We visited Damascus, Virginia, along the Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail, and several other trails.

We had a lovely early dinner outside by the waterfall at the Damascus Old Mill.

We were hoping to hear one of our friends, Lightnin' Charlie, perform live music this evening, but we misremembered the dates. His performance was the evening before.

Ducks came to rest by the water's edge as we were leaving.

Upstream, more ducks were teaching their young ones how to find food and not get too close to the edge.

I wore the beautiful bangle bracelet, which my friend Lois surprised me with earlier this week. 

Our next stop along our journey was the 'World's Shortest Tunnel' through Backbone Rock on Hwy 133 between Shady Valley, TN, and Damascus, VA.  It was constructed in 1901 for hauling timber from Tennessee to a nearby sawmill outside of Damascus.

My hair was cut this week, but after a day in a convertible, it looked better from the back than the front.

The turquoise knit top is from Belk. The white ankle pants are from Chico's. The Adrienne Vittadini sandals were from T.J.Maxx last year.

This visit brought back memories of a ten-mile hike alone on a sunny day several years ago. I hiked for several miles along the Appalachian Trail, stopping here in this park later in the day to hike over this rock formation and on to a nearby waterfall in the woods. I feel so blessed to now have Mr. Mickey to share my adventures with.

For more information about all the many wonderful places to visit near this area, go to Appalachiantreks. 

  

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.