Banner Elk

We often drive up to Banner Elk to have dinner at our favorite restaurant, Artisanal.

Banner Elk is a lovely village on the way to the high country of North Carolina.

This crazy stone wall winds all up and down the hills leading to Eagles Nest. Driving through the countryside you will see many gated communities that feature luxury log homes and fabulous mountain retreats. 

This is the gatehouse of Eagles Nest and one of the smaller log homes in the background. As you approach the top of the mountain the homes become more and more fabulous, such as this one. 

One of my favorite college campuses can be found here in Banner Elk. Lees-McRae is located near the heart of the village. 

Stone buildings and beautiful gardens can be found throughout the campus. 

I am sure many black bears have wandered across this campus over the years.

I am sitting with a bronze of the founder of the college.

This is the front porch of the historic rock house.

The main street of the village is lined with flowers and punctuated with this bronze statue of a baying elk.

Mickey's entree was so pretty!

My after dinner Grand Marnier was quite lovely also.

I am wearing a blue Traveler tank and pants from Chico's. The deep fuchsia jacket is from Stein Mart.

The Nina evening shoes are several years old but I had not yet worn them. They have tiny light topaz color rhinestones on them.

Dinner by a Waterfall

Saturday was a wonderful day! We decided to take the convertible for a drive in the country to enjoy every moment of it.

We visited Damascus, Virginia, along the Virginia Creeper Trail and the Appalachian Trail, and several other trails.

We had a lovely early dinner outside by the waterfall at the Damascus Old Mill.

We were hoping to hear one of our friends, Lightnin' Charlie, perform live music this evening, but we misremembered the dates. His performance was the evening before.

Ducks came to rest by the water's edge as we were leaving.

Upstream, more ducks were teaching their young ones how to find food and not get too close to the edge.

I wore the beautiful bangle bracelet, which my friend Lois surprised me with earlier this week. 

Our next stop along our journey was the 'World's Shortest Tunnel' through Backbone Rock on Hwy 133 between Shady Valley, TN, and Damascus, VA.  It was constructed in 1901 for hauling timber from Tennessee to a nearby sawmill outside of Damascus.

My hair was cut this week, but after a day in a convertible, it looked better from the back than the front.

The turquoise knit top is from Belk. The white ankle pants are from Chico's. The Adrienne Vittadini sandals were from T.J.Maxx last year.

This visit brought back memories of a ten-mile hike alone on a sunny day several years ago. I hiked for several miles along the Appalachian Trail, stopping here in this park later in the day to hike over this rock formation and on to a nearby waterfall in the woods. I feel so blessed to now have Mr. Mickey to share my adventures with.

For more information about all the many wonderful places to visit near this area, go to Appalachiantreks. 

  

Black and White for Date Night

After a long very stressful day of work, there is nothing better than sitting down to share a meal and the comfort of your best friend. 

Mr. Mickey and I had a lovely dinner in our favorite restaurant and then moved outside to the patio to have a scotch and water and enjoy the perfect weather. A lovely twenty-something woman waved excitedly when she saw me from across the patio. I racked my brain for several minutes, trying to figure out who she was but decided she must have confused me for someone else. Mickey always makes me laugh. He said, "She must recognize you from Redbook."


This top is no less than five years old. I think I found it at T.J.Maxx. The pants were hand-me-downs from my sister. The shoes are a couple of years old from Kohl's.

The bracelet, earrings, and ring are all in silver tones. The small leather clutch bag is from T.J.Maxx. 

Family Time

Father's Day was spent with my family and Mr. Mickey, of course.

I wore a chambray Tencel tunic from Coldwater Creek last year, over a Chico's white tank and Chico's khaki side zip ankle pants.

The belt and charm bracelet are also from Chico's. I never like to wear belts at my natural waistline, but these hook belts from Chico's are great because they are worn low over the tummy, creating a longer, leaner look.

 

The suede cutout booties are by Nine West from last year.

Art in The Park

A favorite summertime trip for us is driving up into the mountains and spending the day in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. This was one of the Art in the Park event weekends.

I wore white ankle pants and a white tank top from Stein Mart. The shawl scarf is from Chico's last year. I received many compliments on it. 

These smartly dressed women from Winston-Salem stopped me in the park to ask me where I found the scarf. It was so much fun chatting with them! 

Later in the day Mr. Mickey and I stopped by the Shops on the Parkway so that I could visit the Chico's outlet. The ladies also came in while we were there. They were looking for a similar scarf so we got to visit again.

You will always find me checking out the jewelry at art events!

The event was even larger than in past years.

I just had to show you a picture of Mr. Mickey's snazzy new summer shoes. Aren't they the cat's meow?

 

Tip for warm weather event dressing: Wear light colors with a sheer blouse, scarf, or tunic for a bit of coverage and colorful style. Of course, sunglasses are a must. These are by Vera Wang from Kohl's. The bag is from Stein Mart and the shoes are by Adrienne Vittadini from T.J.Maxx last year.

Details Make The Look

Our Friday date nights are usually spent with a group of friends having dinner laughing and talking until late in the evening.

The look for this evening includes a fuchsia linen-like jacket from Stein Mart with a cotton knit tank in cream from Dillard's and tan side zip pants from Talbots. The sandals are by Kenneth Cole Reaction via T.J.Maxx. The clutch is also from T.J.Maxx last year.

This mixed metal statement necklace has served me well with many different looks. It is lightweight and versatile. I found this one at a gallery in Asheville, North Carolina but you can find similar ones in T.J.Maxx, Stein Mart, Kohl's, and other such department stores.

These bone and brass bangle bracelets relate to the natural shell buttons on the jacket. I found these at a shop in New York a few years ago.

The handbag and shoes are from T.J.Maxx. I always change to a smaller clutch bag for the evening.

Manicured hands and feet, as well as makeup in complementary colors such as the deep, rose-colored lip butter I am wearing all work together.

Many years ago one of my friends pointed out the reason I can pull off so many different looks is that I start at the hair and work it all the way to my toes. (I was in my thirties at that time.) I still think about how each piece relates to each other as well as to my size, shape, and coloring. For example, if I had worn fuchsia high heel sandals with this outfit it would have had a totally different and less polished effect. The jacket has a casual attitude that needs toned down accessories in a more neutral palette.

Have fun combining your own unique looks today. I hope you have a great weekend.

Thank you for reading!

The Grand Opening

Last evening we joined dear friends to celebrate the Grand Opening of their design and furniture gallery.

The Property Experts is a full-service interior design and remodeling company with a retail store called Home Store in downtown Johnson City, Tennessee. 

They are located at 207 N Boone St, Suite 2000.

We enjoyed heavy Hors d'oeuvres and wine as we visited with old friends and looked at all the fabulous furniture and decor. My mind was reeling with ideas! 

I was enthralled by this light sculpture, which I would name "Threads of Gold."

Afterward, Mr. Mickey and I visited our favorite restaurant's lounge area to share an artisan cheese plate and another glass of wine.

This evening's outfit includes straight-leg pants from Stein Mart last year with one of their black tank tops. The long sweater vest is from Chico's last year. The shoes are by Vince Camuto. The clutch bag is from T.J.Maxx.