Saturday - Part One

Saturday was a very full day. As we were going down to visit the Inn's restaurant for breakfast, we ran into some of Mr. Mickey's high school friends who asked us to join them. They were a delightful group!

During the early part of the day, I wore jeans with a white tank from Chico's. The black jacket is from Express. The animal print booties are from Nordstrom. The black belt is from T.J.Maxx. 

After a very relaxing couple's massage at the fabulous Martha SPA, we took a nap before getting dressed to see the play at the Barter Theatre, just across the street from the Inn.

The wind was blowing, and it was quite a bit cooler today, so I wore an asymmetrical red jersey jacket from Nordstrom over the white tank and off white jeans with animal print booties to see the play My Fair Lady.

The flowers along the way were delightful.

We have been to the Barter Theatre many times, but My Fair Lady's performance was the best yet. Holly Williams, as Eliza Doolittle, was outstanding!

We took a quick walk across the grounds of the Inn as a storm threatened to arrive before we made it to the porch.

Now I just have enough time to get dressed for cocktails before our dinner date.

I sometimes ask the chef for a vegetarian dish if there isn't anything on the menu that appeals to me. On rare occasions, I will order a pasta dish or something with fresh local fish.

Many restaurants here in the east offer lots of meat and potatoes in hearty portions but not many vegan dishes. Sometimes the best option is a baked sweet potato with a salad. I will always return to my regular eating habits on Monday, so these little weekend trips don't get a chance to do much damage. Drinking lots of water and eating a salad are my keys to maintaining when there isn't anything on the menu that I want to order.

The hearty breakfast I eat ensures that I have almost enough nutrition to carry me through the day. I rarely feel hungry until around two or three in the afternoon. A salad or a small plate of steamed vegetables is enough for an early dinner/late lunch. Many times when your body gives you a hungry signal, it is actually water that you need. I drink lots of water all day.

The Long Birthday Weekend

Saturday, September 13th, was my 58th birthday.

Mr. Mickey treated me to a long, pampered weekend in Abingdon, Virginia.

Along the way, we visited T.J.Maxx. At the beginning of the season, I shop there several times each week because I know the good stuff may only spend a few hours on the shelf.

I found these favorite Jessica Simpson shoes there in the spring. They are comfortable, and they go with just about everything. The gray Calvin Klein bag was a recent find for fall. I think it will become another favorite.

We have eaten lunch at 128 Pecan several times, and the food is always fabulous. Today I tried a black bean burger on a salad instead of a bun. It was the best veggie burger I ever tasted! I will have that when we go back.

Our server at 128 Pecan also works at another great restaurant in the next town. She told us all about the Harvest Table in Meadowview, so we decided to check out the town.

The tiny town has only a few buildings around the train depot, but it was a delightful trip back in time.

We made reservations to come back for brunch on Sunday at the award-winning Harvest Table restaurant.

Loaves of bread and pizzas are baked in this brick oven.  Fruits and vegetables are gathered from their garden to use in your entree. These odd-looking fruits are horned melons.

Below are jars of sun-dried tomatoes from their garden.

The Meadowview Farmers' Guild next door is an old-time general store that includes local works of art, wine, handmade soaps, and body scrubs. There were also local music CDs, locally milled grains, jams, honey, and jewelry.

The jeans and black top are from Chico's. The belt and Calvin Klein bag, as well as the shoes, are from T.J.Maxx.

The Sky Bar

Thank goodness for the weekend and a break from all the to-do lists!

Mr. Mickey and I enjoy Asheville, North Carolina, for the wide variety of events that are always happening, international dining adventures, shopping, art galleries, and the general festive atmosphere, which seems to prevail on summer weekends.

The red umbrellas above mark the Sky Bar. We will visit there later to watch the sun slip behind the distant mountain ranges.

In midsummer, the flowers in planters throughout the city are simply breathtaking!

This street performer absolutely defies gravity.

These fellows found a shady entry from which to serenade the passing tourists. As we walked past, they sang, "I like your shoes." We will never know if they meant mine or Mr. Mickey's.

Wall Street has many unique shops and restaurants. It remains one of our favorites.

You never know what you might find around the next corner, from a crochet covered tricycle to the famous Spoon Lady.

We were captivated by the haunting sound of this performer's electronic "violin." We listened for a long while and even bought a CD from him. His twin brother performs on the same type of instrument in Greenville, South Carolina. The handsome brothers are Stephen and Jeff Neil.

I have wanted to visit the Southern Highlands Craft Gallery in the old Biltmore Oteen Bank building for months. It was great to see all the works of art there. The building has been beautifully restored.

New to the Biltmore Village is the Well-Bred Bakery of Weaverville.

The weather was hot, but it was a beautiful day to be in the city.

Mr. Mickey is a happy man!

As the sun starts to slide down toward the horizon, we make our way to the Sky Bar.

We shared a table with the most delightful beautiful young couple. This is Drew and Blaine. We fell in love with them. It was instant best friends! I felt so sad when it was time for us to leave for our drive home.

Watching the sun slip behind the mountains marked the end of a perfect day.

My top is from Chico's. The white jeans are from Kut from the Kloth at Dillard's. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx. The bracelet is old from a gallery in Highlands, North Carolina.

Snapshots from Paris ... of the south.

Mr. Mickey's daughters gave him a weekend at the fabulous Windsor Boutique Hotel in Asheville for his birthday/father's day gift. Lucky me! I got to tag along.

The first stop along the way was the Johnson City Farmer's Market to pick up a special order from a local glass etching artist for Mr. Mickey's wine room.

I am always drawn to the flowers.

Our next stop was at the top of the mountain for a rest stop. The views along Interstate 26 are awe-inspiring. We never tire of this journey.

My look for the first part of the day includes a lightweight cardigan, tank, and cropped pants, all from Stein Mart's Peck and Peck collection. The shoes were found at T.J. Maxx. The necklace is from Chico's. 

We took a break from shopping and walking at the Grove Arcade to have some of our favorite spicy pimento cheese at Carmel's. It was great weather for visiting a sidewalk café!

At last... it was time to check into our room at the elegant Windsor Hotel. The two girly girls are reunited! With me is Laura Cousins, the Creative Art Director for the hotel.

A bottle of local wine was Mr. Mickey's birthday gift from the hotel management!

A beautiful Paris note pad from Laura was a gift for me!

The city of Asheville has many buildings that date from the 1800s.

We visited Art in the Park in the center of Asheville in Pack Square Park.

For our afternoon stroll through the city, I changed into a lightweight tie-front blouse from Chico's.

No surprise here! I am checking out the jewelry.

More street performers at Pack Square.

This is a new place we plan to try for dinner the next time we visit Asheville. Rhubarb has a sidewalk dining area and a newly decorated inside exquisite dining area. We had a glass of wine and a delicious cheese plate as we took another afternoon break from walking about and shopping.

Cheers!

These street performers were probably the best we've ever heard. They are the Carolina Catskins.

After a short rest, it was time to get ready for dinner at the fabulous Strada. 

I am wearing a long white tunic blouse and a silver and white long, lightweight cardigan with white ankle zip jeans from Chico's. The turquoise and silver necklace and silver cuff are also from Chico's.

Another landmark across from our hotel. Tressa's has been around for many years.

On Sunday, we had brunch at another favorite place, Posano Café.

I wore a black and white sheer, lightweight top and black jeans from Chico's for the trip home.

I love visiting with dogs on the street. It seems everyone has a dog or two. These were so cute!

Another great street performer. He made this hammer dulcimer himself.

One last treat for the afternoon. We have wanted to visit Old Europe for a long time. It did not disappoint!

I thought you would enjoy seeing Mr. Mickey's socks. Shows his sense of humor, don't you think?