Weekend Wrap-up

The first weekend of Autumn came and went in the barest blink of an eye.  At least the calendar says it was the first weekend of fall.  Someone forgot to tell the weather, which apparently thought it was still August and gave us temperatures near 90.  Ugh!  Despite the toasty temps, it was a beautiful and fun weekend.

Friday night was all about homemade pizza and hanging out with the family. Nice and quiet and relaxing!

Saturday, the Man of the House and I ran some errands early in the afternoon, then headed to Biltmore for the evening.  We started with a wine tasting and picked up a couple of new bottles for the house. Then enjoyed a stroll through the barn areas.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner of roasted chicken, herbed potatoes, and blistered tomatoes at the Village Social (located in the hotel at Antler Hill Village)

I wish I had taken a picture of the seafood fondue we enjoyed as an appetizer, because it was YUM!!

Right now, on Fridy and Saturday evening there is live  music on the village green.  So, after dinner we settled into our camping chairs and enjoyed the sounds of "Flashback", the sunset, and each others company for the rest of the evening.

Sunday funday was amazingly lazy.  At least for me.  I did manage to package up two orders for the shop to ship out today.  And The Man of the House got in a round of golf in the morning.  Sunday afternoon was all about snacks and football.  (If you know us at all, you're thinking.. "of course").  Sadly, the Panthers lost.  Booooo... Hiss! Things just kind of fell apart in the second half.

A big pot of chili and the female offspring making gluten free cookie sandwiches made a nice finishing touch to the weekend.

I woke up today with a "Gettin' Things Done" attitude.  And a little sinus congestion, which is nothing new for me and my allergies.  Usually after being up for a little while the congestion improves.  Not today.  It continues to get worse, and is now accompanied by sneezing, stuffy feeling ears, a sinus headache, and a tickle in my throat.  Trying hard not to let that get me down and keep pecking away at my to do list.

Although I am going to attempt to convince the grandbaby that we should take a nap this afternoon.

How was your weekend?

Sunday Getaway

I have been hard at work on Etsy shop business the past couple of weeks with a custom order, a few standard orders, and a wholesale order.  So, it was a welcome break on Sunday when the Man of the House and I took a few hours to head over to the Biltmore Estate for a hike.

It was a perfect Spring day.  Clear blue skies.  Temperatures in the low 70s.  A bit of a breeze.  We couldn't have asked for better weather for our walk!

We parked down by the lagoon and followed the Deer Park Trail over to the Bass Pond.  This is a very hilly trail, taking you through large meadows and provides views of the estate and the home which most visitors never see.

After pausing at the Bass Pond to enjoy the view, we walked up through the gardens - where the azaleas and tulips were putting on their best colors.

Then it was back down through the deer park to the lagoon where we finished off our beautiful hike with a stroll and a relaxing picnic by the French Broad River.

And we even got to see some baby geese.  How cute is that?

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Mother - Daughter Time

Last weekend the female offspring and I had a girl's day out to the Biltmore Estate.  The original plan was for us to take my mom for her birthday.  But, she decided to go to visit my sister in Atlanta; and once I realized that my passes expired after this weekend, the female offspring and I decided to go ahead by ourselves and make a day of it.

We were especially excited to learn you can now take non-flash photography inside the home now with your phones and small cameras.  Previously this has been a BIG no-no.

The estate currently has a "Fashionable Romance" exhibit, with costumes from several movies on display throughout the house.

It was so much fun to see all the wedding dresses, gown, and outfits from the movies.

The house itself was also decorated for the event with gorgeous floral displays.

We spent our entire afternoon gawking at costumes from various historical eras, snapping photos, enjoying a wine tasting, and the gorgeous views around the property.

It was nice to spend a pleasant afternoon enjoying the company of my girl in such a beautiful setting!  I hope we get more mother/daughter time like this again soon.

My Favorite Finds Friday

It's Friday, y'all!  This week has been a total blur, and I think I may have lost a few days in the middle there.  I'm not even entirely sure how that happened,; because I really wasn't all that busy.  But no matter... with the exception of some grocery shopping tomorrow, my big plans for the weekend consist of sitting for too long, watching too much Netflix, lots of crochet, and painting my toe nails a bright Spring-ish color.

But first... Here are a few of my favorite discoveries from the past week:

Fashionable Romance at Biltmore

This new exhibition at the Biltmore Estate appeals to me on so many levels by combining history, romance, costume design, and Biltmore.  Featuring wedding dresses and attire from popular films throughout the house as well as a special display with a recreation of Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil's wedding gown and the actual wedding veil worn by Jackie Kennedy and her cousin Mary Lee Ryan (Who married the grandson of George Vanderbilt).  The exhibition runs through July 4.

Photo credit:  Indulgy.com

Speaking of historical fashions: When I saw this exquisite Edwardian Era "bumblebee gown" on Pinterest, I became a teeny tiny bit obsessed.  Edwardian fashion AND bumblebees?  Yes, Please!!

And while we're sorta, kinda on the subject...  if you're wondering what to do with yourself now that Downton Abbey is over, I recommend the above series from the Smithsonian Channel to scratch your Anglophile itch.  I didn't exactly discover it this week, but it seems to fit pretty well with the theme I've got going here. It showcases some of the real life American heiresses married to land-rich,money-poor English aristocracy in the late 1800's  and early 1800's.  Aka - the inspiration for Downton's Lady Grantham.  I have been watching full episodes on the Smithsonian Channel website and quite enjoying it!

And while you're at it... You might as well read the book behind the show (because: the book is always better, right?)

To Marry An English Lord

And there you have it.  If you enjoy history, costume design, romance, Downton Abbey, Anglomania, uber-wealthy Americans, or reading - I've got you covered!  You're welcome.

Have a wonderful weekend.

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A Good Weekend Was Had By All

Weekends are almost always a good thing.  Especially if you and/or your loved ones have that time off to catch up on chores and errands, or to just relax.  Some weekends, however, just seem a little better than others.  This felt like one of those weekends.

Saturday started with the Man of the House and I running some errands.  There was recycling to be dropped off.  Groceries to be bought.  But all that had to wait until right after a little sleeping in that needed to be done!

During the afternoon we took advantage of our annual passes to the Biltmore Estate.  They are offering the audio guides to the house tour for free this month.  Which is something we had never done. We learned a few things about the house we didn't know before.

Sunday dawned with a light dusting of snow.  Our first of the season!

There were pancakes for breakfast.  I made a sale in my Etsy shop.  The Panthers beat the Seahawks.  I made a perfect roux for the creamy tomato soup we had for dinner.  And the Man of the House offered to make the grilled cheese sandwiches to go with the soup.

Yep, Sunday was one good day!  A perfect close to the weekend and a wonderful start to the new week.

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Good-bye, November

Just about a month ago I was looking forward to my birthday, anticipating celebrating another anniversary with the Man of the House, and Thanksgiving was still weeks and weeks away.

Now, here we are at the last day of the month.  Time. Does. Fly.

November was a good month.  Full of blessings and things to be grateful for as I pursued my November Gratitude Challenge.

My birthday celebration lasted a full weekend, with dinners and lunches and a trip to the River Arts District in Asheville for a couple of lovely locally produced pottery pieces.

Not to mention all the moist, rich red velvet cake I enjoyed!  My family made me feel very loved and special.

The Man and I got away for a couple of nights mid-month when he had a softball tournament out of town.  I've already shared on that HERE, so I won't make you shift through all the details again.  (If you missed it before, please take a moment to read and enjoy that post!)

The weekend before Thanksgiving, I had the joy of celebrating 23 years of marriage to the Man of the House.  Speaking of time flying!  23 years goes by much quicker than I could have ever imagined! What's the old saying?  Time flies when you're having fun?  Yep!

We treated ourselves to annual passes to the Biltmore Estate where we spent the day enjoying the estate all decked out for Christmas, a wine tasting and had a delicious dinner at Deer Park.

We spent the night at the lovely Grande Bohemian hotel in Biltmore Village.  (To everyone who made our anniversary weekend special - a HUGE thank you!!)

Thanksgiving was the usual hustle and bustle with a house full of family.  Along with all the good (and some not so good) times that is expected to involve.  The Man of the House smoked the turkey - which was completely wonderful!

We're still eating leftovers around here.  And so far no one is complaining.  Although I am sad that all the pumpkin pie is gone.

And that was November.  Which brings go us to...

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A Holiday Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.


If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

This Moment" is a ritual I found through Just My Thoughts . By way of Pamanner's Blog, via Life inspired by the Wee Man adopted from SouleMama. Check out their blogs, and if you are moved too, please leave a link to your Moment in the comment box below