Dinner on the Terrace

Saturday was warm and sunny, making it a great time to have dinner on the Sunset Terrace at the Grove Park Inn.

Later in the evening, I needed that jacket I am holding. You've seen it before here.

This was my view at dinner.

This was Mr. Mickey's view.

The Legendary Grove Park Inn Golf Club

The Grove Park Inn celebrated their one-hundredth year in 2013. If you haven't been there recently, you will be amazed at all the updates and renovations underway. They have added new restaurants and lounges, and the great hall and the Sunset Terrace have all been renovated. We are looking forward to staying there again soon to take in all the new things to see and do. Their Spa is world-class.  

"Top 20 Resort Spas in the U.S."
-Condé Nast Traveler 2013 Readers Poll

I wore a navy knit wrap dress from Stein Mart, which you have seen before here. This time I paired it with studded sandals by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx and a longer silver link necklace. Since the necklace is quite bold, I am wearing simple diamond stud earrings. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great day!

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 Olde Farm

In celebration of Mickey's birthday, dear friends treated us to dinner at The Olde Farm last evening. 

Since we were going to be dining in the more casual venue at the Party Barn, my outfit is black pants from Chico's and a lightweight wrap style top from Coldwater Creek. The shoes and necklace are from Stein Mart and the clutch bag is from T.J. Maxx.

This is the Party Barn on the grounds of The Olde Farm. 

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great day.

Soft Surroundings

A few weeks ago, I received this luxurious bijou blue tunic from Soft Surroundings. Today was the first day it has been warm enough to wear it. I paired it with white ankle pants and a white tank. The tunic is as soft as butter!

The white tank top and ankle pants are by Peck and Peck from Stein Mart. The shoes are by Vince Camuto. The sunglasses are Vera Wang from Kohl's.

Mr. Mickey's birthday is tomorrow, so my staff had a little party for him at lunchtime today. Isn't this an awesome cake? He has a huge collection of Mickey Mouse antique toys. We never tire of that sweet smiling face. Happy Birthday Mr. Mickey!

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great evening.

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.

Drive Your British Car Night

One never knows what wonderful car you will get to see when you attend the show, "Drive Your British Car Night."

As I was quickly getting dressed for this evening, I tried on many outfits before running out of time and had to settle on the one I wore. Normally I would not wear pants with a cuff or a wider leg; however, the high heels seemed to balance things. We would be having dinner in the restaurant later in the evening, so I had to wear something appropriate for the show and dinner. 

The reason my hair looks really strange tonight... we arrived in Mickey's non-British convertible. 

My attire includes the champagne-colored swing coat you have seen before, worn with an off white tank top and off white pants, which were a gift from my sister last year. The shoes are by Vince Camuto, and the clutch bag was found at T.J. Maxx a few years ago. 

The Pergola

Our date nights became few and far between during May. The reason was that Mr. Mickey and his crew were building a new pergola by his pool.

Later this week, the pool will be open for the enjoyment of family and friends. Thankfully it is heated, so we won't have to wait for summer to actually arrive.

Soon those colorful vines will wrap around the columns and travel across the top of the pergola.

Among the many interests, Mr. Mickey and I share is a love of beautiful grounds and surprises in the garden.  There are several sculptures, a fountain, and benches tucked into the corners of his property.
 

There are also meditation gardens where you can sit on a bench and watch the birds and squirrels, soon forgetting that you are in the midst of a city neighborhood. 

My jacket is navy linen from Coldwater Creek. Cool spring days are the perfect time to wear a three-quarter sleeve jacket. The cream-colored tank and tan pants are from Talbots. The gold studded sandals are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx.

I hope the sun is shining where you are and that you have a lovely day.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

The calendar tells us this is the start of the summer season in the States, but it is still quite cold here in the evenings.

This Saturday evening, we are joining our dearest friends for dinner at our favorite restaurant in town. 

 

I wore a black and white houndstooth jacket with a red tank top, both from Stein Mart. The pants are from Talbots. The black and silver box bag is from T.J.Maxx. The black strappy wedge sandals are from JCPenny. The long silver and rhinestone link necklace is from Coldwater Creek, and the large face rhinestone trimmed watch is from Stein Mart.

 

The risotto with fresh vegetables and seafood proved to be irresistible for most of us.

One friend had a biopsy this week, so there was a show of solidarity between all the fellows, thus the band-aides on all their noses. 

  

  

Our friends' son's girlfriend was in town for the weekend, so she joined us too.

Garden Party

The month of June often means outdoor weddings and parties to attend. You need not panic when that invitation arrives!

If the party is held during the heat of the day in a garden or near a pool, you can look polished and appropriate in a sheer blouse over a near-matching tank and white pants of any style. Choose comfortable to walk and stand in nude shoes and an eye-catching clutch. You will be cool and confident. 

Another option would be to wear a hat with a tank dress and a sheer flowing tunic. A simple style hat with a brim no wider than your shoulders is always a good choice. Remember to keep all of your other accessories minimal when wearing a hat. A small clutch bag worn on your shoulder or arm leaves hands free for outdoor events where food is served.