A Long Sunday Drive

Early on Sunday morning, we left Dobson, North Carolina, to travel north on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Knowing that I would be in and out of blasting air conditioning all day, I dressed for the temperature changes. I wore black crepe pants with a wrap front sleeveless top from White House|Black Market and kept my trusty white linen moto jacket close.

Our first brief stop along our journey north was at the historic Mabry Mill.

Our next destination is one we have planned for years. (We have a long bucket list of places we want to visit and things we want to do.) On Sunday, we checked off the Chateau Morrisette Winery and Restaurant located in Floyd, Virginia. It is just off the Blue Ridge Parkway, located at mile marker 171 1/2. Turn onto Black Ridge Road and then immediately turn left onto Winery Road. GPS will take you on a long roundabout way through the middle of nowhere to get there.

The shoes are old by Calvin Klein. The fabulous green bag is from UnoAllaVolta.com.

The view from the window at our table was spectacular. (Photo from the restaurant's Facebook page.) The restaurant has once again earned a place on OpenTable's Most Scenic Restaurants in America!

We shared an excellent four-course brunch in the original part of the grand old building.

Mr. Mickey was amused to see this companion piece to a stained glass lamp in his wine room.

We tasted several of their wines, and they were all excellent! 

Janean Williams is the delightful Front of the House Manager. Luke was our most excellent server.

All of the staff made us feel like regulars!

We purchased a couple of bottles of wine to enjoy later, as well as glasses with the etched emblem of the winery to remember our long-awaited first but certainly not our last visit.

We are already looking forward to our next visit to the restaurant and winery. They offer music, art, romance, mystery, seasonal festivities, refined rustic dining, and delectable wines throughout the year. 

Thanks for joining us on our little weekend getaway!

Mamma Mia!

We visit Abingdon, Virginia, a couple of times every year.

My travel day look included a navy whisper-light cardigan by Focus over an old tank by Peck & Peck via Stein Mart. The olive color pants are old from Fabrizio Gianni.

The bag is old by BCBG via T.J.Maxx. The shoes are old by Gianni Bini from Dillard's.

Abingdon is only a short drive from Johnson City but far enough to feel like we got away from it all for a few days.

The Martha is always our home away from home in Abingdon. It is an elegant place to relax on the porch and watch the world go by, get a massage, or have dinner.

On Friday evening, we had an excellent meal at the Tavern, a short distance from the Martha.

The clutch is from Cloth, the boutique at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina. The French Connection shoes are old from Saks Off 5th.

We occasionally enjoy a piece of wild-caught salmon for dinner.

The moss-covered building which houses the Tavern dates to 1779!

On Saturday morning, we enjoyed a Continental breakfast in Sister's American Grill, the restaurant at The Martha.

After breakfast, we took a stroll around the grounds before going down to the Spa for our massages.

I wore my Last Tango cold shoulder top from Purple Poppy over white Lior Paris Janet style pants during the early part of the day.

I had so much fun exploring the grounds of the Martha after a gentle summer afternoon rain with my camera in hand.

One of Mr. Mickey's favorite things ever is deviled eggs. Sister's American Grill makes some of the best ones ever! So that's where we had a lovely evening meal on Saturday.

I wore the white pants again with the white tank top from day one with an old blue cardigan from Saks Off 5th. It has a sheer panel at the lower back.

When we travel for a short distance and stay for one or two nights, I take only a few pieces that can be mixed and matched. I will only be dressed in the elements for a couple of hours, so they can be switched about easily, wearing the pieces in rotation on different days at different times.

On Sunday, we had an excellent brunch at the Harvest Table in Meadowview, Virginia, before attending the afternoon showing of "Mamma Mia!" at the Barter Theatre. 

We thoroughly enjoyed the play! If you get the opportunity to see this musical, do. You will not be disappointed.

Later in the afternoon on Sunday, we also walked through the craft show booths at the Highlands Festival. My favorite booth was the Dreamland Alpaca Farm Store, where I got to pet an Alpaca for the first time. They have the sweetest temperaments!

Packing For A Summer Trip

When we travel, I take a few items that work together instead of pack outfits that may or may not be successful when we arrive at our destination. A few great accessories always help to create unique combinations.

For several days, we will be traveling to attend a unique wedding. There will be lots of walking, sightseeing, shopping, exploring old downtown, and eating out. All of these events will be very casual.

One of my personal packing rules is always trying on everything I am taking to make sure it looks the way I think it will look. There is nothing worse than getting ready for that special event only to find that the shoes you brought to go with your pants are too low to bring the hem off the floor. Today I am sharing the looks I plan to create from the items shown above on the rolling rack.

Below, I am wearing the tunic with jeans and sandals, all from J.Jill. The satchel is from JMcLaughlin. The crinkle cotton tunic is so lightweight I could wear it even on a sweltering day.

My apologies for the odd colors in these photos. The camera takes on an agenda of its own when we have to shoot inside and use the flash.

The gala sand-washed tunic will work with all of the pants.

The white long sleeve tee is very lightweight, so I can wear it with the vest and the white jeans when we go out to dinner.

The pieces shown above can be worn in many combinations according to the weather and where we are going. I am just showing you a few of the ways I plan to wear them.

My look for the wedding will include the swing blouse by IC Collection over a tank by Clara Sunwoo and white pants by Lior Paris. All these items were a gift from ShopMyFairLady.com. The silver clutch is old from T.J.Maxx. The silver sandals are old by BCBGeneration.

The life-changing Ultimate Back Smoothing Bra & Body Shaper is by Shapeez.com. I will be buying the black one and will be wearing these for the rest of my life. This is the first bra/shaper item I have ever worn that is so comfortable you forget you have it on, and it actually smooths your midsection and back without being hot. Epic!

Here is a video also!