Mint Juleps In The Garden

Saturday was filled to the brim with a variety of activities.

A garden party brunch for the Symphony Guild was the first event of the day.

Don't you just love cucumber sandwiches?

Would you have imagined that this special secret garden existed in the back yard of this home?

Today I wore white pants and a tank from the Peck and Peck collection at Stein Mart. The very lightweight sweater and necklace are from Chico's last year. The shoes are from T.J.Maxx. The bag is also from Stein Mart.

80th Birthday Dinner

Last evening we joined our dearest friends to celebrate Mr. Mickey's 80th birthday at our favorite restaurant Artisanal in Banner Elk, NC.

I wore a Covered Perfectly draped front top in black with brocade black pants from Chico's last year. The sandals were purchased at the last big Dillard's sale. The bag and earrings are from Stein Mart.

Knowing that the evening temps would dip into the low sixties, I grabbed this royal blue jacket on the way out the door.

Best friends are the greatest gift of all. This is my dear friend Mitzi. Isn't she beautiful?

The restaurant owner surprised Mr. Mickey with a birthday dessert. We had such a lovely evening!

The face of Grandfather Mountain was visible in the clouds as we were leaving.

Wear It Wednesday... Color

Do you wear khaki pants?

I love the look of ankle-length pants with nice sandals. However the shrunken cropped length isn't as attractive.

The winter weight pants worn below have held up well. They are from Talbot's a couple of years ago.

No matter what material I buy khaki pants in, they almost always lose their shape and or shrink two sizes the first time I launder them. 

Why is it that we can put a man on the moon, but we can't make a decent pair of women's khaki pants?

The jeans below shrank two inches the first time I washed them according to the label!

Most of the pants above are long gone from my wardrobe because they shrank so much. The ones in the pictures below are also in a bag going to my sister, a smaller size. (She probably has thirty pairs of khaki pants now!)

On the day I try them on in the store, and the first time I wear them, they fit fine but rarely the next time. I only wash in cold water, take them out of the dryer way before they are dry, and hang them to finish air-drying. I have also tried taking them out of the washer and letting them completely air dry. I have tried taking them to the dry cleaner. Still, they are not the same fit that I bought them for.

I will buy the next pair in size too large and see what happens. If you see me walking down the street holding up my pants, you will know why. 

Wear It Wednesday is the day I pull out questionable pieces from my closet and try to make them work or else donate them to someone who will make use of them. Reducing clutter in my closet makes getting dressed much more pleasant. Too many questionable pieces can result in wearing the same thing all the time and the feeling that you need more choices when you already have too many.

Bloody Marys on the Terrace

How do you get women to join their men at a car show for four hours on a Saturday afternoon? The answer: Hold it at the country club so that the gals can sit on the terrace in the shade and drink Bloody Marys. 

Before the car show, we stopped by the Johnson City Farmer's Market, where you can find many local artists and farmers displaying their wares for sale. I am buying a hand-blown glass paperweight as a gift for my parents from James Lang, an extremely talented glass artist.

After the car show was over, we shopped for a while in the nearby town of Kingsport, where there are many antique stores and other small shops and restaurants.

My clothes and necklace are from Chico's. The shoes are from Rack Room Shoes. The hat was purchased in Louisville, Kentucky, several years ago.

Drive Your British Car Night

Mr. Mickey sold his last Rolls Royce three years ago but we still enjoy attending the Drive Your British Car event at our favorite local restaurant, Gourmet & Company. 

This is Ben. He is Mr. Mickey's dear life long friend. Literally, they were born while their parents lived across the street from each other and they have been the best of friends for their whole lives.

This beautiful lady is Heather. She is a very special part of the Gourmet & Company family. We love to see her sweet smile when we walk in.

We always look forward to this fun evening!

There are many beautiful cars on display and the owners are there to talk to along with vendors and lots of friends to visit with. Later we join the members of the British Car Club for dinner. 

I wore white jeans, a white tank top, and a lightweight silver cardigan from Chico's, and a bold silver necklace along with those shoes I found at T.J.Maxx yesterday.

Memorial Day

We drove over the mountain to visit one of our favorite towns today. We enjoy the village of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, very much.

I know from experience that it is normally about ten degrees cooler there, so I wore a Chico's sweater from last year over my Simple Comfort Covered Perfectly top and Chico's cropped pants. The shoes are from BBGenration via Ross. The necklace was a long-ago gift from Mr. Mickey.

On our way out of town, we stopped by the VA to say thank you. My emotions overwhelm me each time I stand on this hallowed ground. The tears are inevitable as I stand there surrounded by white stones and small flags as far as the eye can see.

Since childhood, the view of Grandfather Mountain has been one of my favorites.

At the foot of Grandfather is Tynecastle, a village of shops, a bank, and restaurants. We occasionally catch a glimpse of fabulous summer homes built from stone. The homes have a splendid view of the mountain. 

The village of Blowing Rock also has a few stone buildings.

Mr. Mickey loves to be the hero and buy jewelry for me. That bag holds a couple of new pairs of earrings, including these.

The photo below was snapped on Main Street in front of the park.

I tried on this gorgeous Iradj Moini necklace from Finely House Couture.

Now you know some of the many reasons why we love Blowing Rock so much. 

Along the drive home, we caught a glimpse of many waterfalls. I snapped this photo from the car because of all the rocks and moss with water dripping from it.

At first glance, you would think this boulder had fallen onto the road. However, it has always been here in this curve.

A testament to the strong will to survive is this rhododendron that appears to be growing straight from the rock. 

We also enjoy stopping by the Grill at the Eseeola Lodge at Linville Golf Club for a glass of wine while we take a break from the long drive home.

I love the buttery feel of Covered Perfectly tops. They are great for layering, and the necklines are always flattering. They are also made in the USA! Use the promo code FNF20 to receive a 20% discount when you shop with Covered Perfectly.