It's Greek to Me!

The town of Weaverville, North Carolina, is just a short pleasant drive across the mountains from Johnson City.

 

 

Mr. Mickey and I especially enjoy the Stoney Knob Cafe, one of several excellent restaurants there. They offer a menu of American, Greek, and European cuisine.

 

They serve the most awesome focaccia bread and olive oil dip before dinner. Supreme olive oil is poured over fresh herbs, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta. We could make a meal from just that and a glass of wine. It really is over the top good!

I haven't worn these Vince Camuto shoes very much this year, so I wanted to style an outfit around them for our Saturday date night before summer slips away from us.

 

Weaverville is a surprising little town with sidewalk cafes, art galleries, gift shops, excellent pottery galleries, and the Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe, where we stopped in to pick up a fresh-baked loaf of wheat bread.

We have already picked out the next restaurant we will visit in Weaverville. We have heard great things about The Glass Onion, and their menu looked really interesting.

Voted one of the top 200 Salons in America, Aabani Salon is also located here in Weaverville.

There was still plenty of time after our meal to take the ten-minute drive into downtown Asheville. We had an after-dinner Scotch and water at a sidewalk cafe where we sat for more than an hour watching all the people passing by. We also really enjoyed visiting with two lovely women sitting at the table next to us. We make new friends wherever we go!

The lightweight jacket and matching tank are both from Chico's. The side zip ankle pants are from Talbots. The clutch and Oscar de la Renta sunglasses are from Stein Mart. The awesome coral cuff was a gift from my sweet friend Lois.

A Week of Sweaters

Our evening temperatures are now dipping into the low sixties, so I am starting to see women wearing jackets and sweaters when I run early morning errands.

I love the look of lightweight layers whenever possible. Summer clearance racks are a great place to find those featherweight sweaters that can be worn almost all year round. Add cute shoes, a scarf or long pendant necklace, sunglasses, and a nice bag to look great for any errand, even if you start out with a tank top and jeans or khaki pants.

Sweater from Chico's

This week I had the last of my summer Doctor appointments. I get all the tests we should have done at this stage of life in July because I am too busy to sit still that long at any other time of the year. 

As I was waiting for my turn in each office, I kept looking up to see women studying me. I noticed that almost all the women I saw in the near sixty age group wore a "uniform" of Mom-jeans, a dull-colored tee shirt, and shoe muffins (tennis shoes). I was wearing the first outfit idea above yesterday. I will be turning 57 next month, but I refuse to wear the "uniform"!

Travelers Sweater from Chico's

One Button Knit Sweater from Ross

Chanel Inspired Cardigan from Dillard's

Knit Jacket from Coldwater Creek

Navy Cardigan from Target

Waterfall Cardigan from Ross

Waterfall Cardigan from Ross

New Shoes in Wine Country

I fell in love with these shoes the moment I saw them!

After trying on several outfit options from my closet I knew I didn't have the right pieces to wear with them on a July evening. Below is the outfit I almost settled on but I knew it could be better. Off to Chico's we go!

The shoes are edgy and modern so the red jacket is too conservative and subdued to wear with them.

When I saw this sweater and necklace I knew they were the right pieces. The gold cuff was just the icing on the cake.

When we arrive at our favorite restaurant there is always a valet attendant to open our doors. The service at Artisanal is superb!

We stopped at the Banner Elk Winery on our way home from dinner last night. Many people do not know that there are some really good wines coming from North Carolina.

This fire pit and pond beyond are in front of the tasting house and gift shop.

This is The Villa, a luxury Bed and Breakfast on a hill overlooking the winery.

The bag is from Stein Mart. The shoes are from Nordstrom. All other items are from Chico's.

Home and Garden Tour

The homes and gardens in Blowing Rock and Linville, North Carolina, are some of the most charming in all of the high country.

On Friday, we visited Blowing Rock for the St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church tour of homes and gardens. The event is one of our favorites, so we try to attend each year.

The first home on tour was abundantly English in both the gardens and the home.

This home is one of seven the family owns.

There were also French and Italian influences on the grounds, in the main house, and in the three guest houses.

The foggy side lawn view includes a glimpse of the Moses Cone Manor on a distant mountain. Grandfather Mountain can be seen on clear days from the front lawn, but it was obscured by fog today.

Later in the day, we took a short drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway to Linville. The buildings in this community are often covered with bark and bordered by thousands of beautiful flowers and trees.

 

The Eseeola Lodge is always a good place to stop for a refreshing beverage and dinner.

 Dahlias are among the most perfect flowers, and they seem to thrive in the climate of Linville.

Window and rail boxes overflowed with colorful flowers.

Even the parking lot is bordered by flowers.

My outfit for the day includes a Travelers Collection

sweater, white tank top, and white side zip ankle pants, all from Chico's. The handbag is from Stein Mart. The Adrienne Vittadini shoes were from T.J.Maxx last year. The sunglasses are Oscar de la Renta from Stein Mart. The lariat style necklace is one of my own designs in silver and rose quartz.

Navy on Sale!

One of the last colors to leave the rack in most of the stores I shop in is navy blue. I often hear women say, "I don't know what to wear with navy" or "I would rather wear black."

 

Last night Mr. Mickey took me to dinner at our favorite restaurant in town, Gourmet and Company. Chef Jacob is so very talented and an all-around great person. His family owns a farm, so in the summer, he brings in fresh produce growing in the fields that morning. Last night he came out to visit with us and sent us on our way with fresh blackberries and blueberries from his farm. Yummy! 

My jacket is from Chico's summer sale. The tank top is also from Chico's. The navy side zip Hollywood fit pants are from the summer sale at Talbots.

 

These are my new favorite sunglasses by Oscar de la Renta via Stein Mart. The shape and color fit my face shape, and the color is dark but not black. Perfect! The clutch bag, necklace, ring, and silver bangle bracelet are also from Stein Mart.

The blush color Bandolino shoes are so old I don't remember where I bought them. The ankle strap doesn't show here, but they do have an above the ankle small strap. When in doubt, always wear nude shoes. Navy blue also looks good with oxblood, cognac, bronze, or any neutral color shoe. Nude is considered the color closest to your skin color, so whenever I find a pale pair of shoes that fit well, I buy them, knowing I will wear them often.