Legends of Music: Halloween at the Duke Mansion

For those of you who aren't familiar with the Duke Mansion here in Charlotte, it is a gorgeous 1915 mansion that is now a bed and breakfast. The historic mansion hosts lots of special events, from summertime cocktail hours in their sprawling gardens to Easter egg hunts, holiday parties, and more. Clint and I recently joined the Preservation Society, a group dedicated to helping sustain this special landmark. The first event we were invited to as members was the annual Halloween party at the mansion; this year's theme was Legends of Music.

After giving it some thought, we settled on a couples' costume that we thought was right for the occasion: what better legends to be for an evening that Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton? We found a Western blazer for Clint, I bedazzled a lovely fringed dress, and with wigs, plenty of jewelry, and one stick-on beard, we were ready to go.

A good rule of thumb for dressing as Dolly: the more sparkle, the better.

The entrance to the mansion, ready to rock.

I have to say I've never seen the Duke Mansion look quite like this.

When we arrived, we were excited to see the front of the house all lit up, with two giant guitars flanking the front door. We love ourselves a theme, and this really set the scene for a great party. The invitation said to come dressed as your favorite music legend, or in cocktail attire. As we made our way up the stairs, an older couple behind us was dressed very simply in a dark suit for him and a conservative dress for her. We glanced at our (glitzy) selves and both wondered: are we about to be the only costumed characters here? This could go very wrong.

Luckily, as soon as we entered the foyer, we were greeted by a pretty spectacular Elton John and we knew we were right in line with the spirit of the evening. Whew!

Our costumes for the occasion: Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers.

Our flamboyant greeter, Elton John.

We made our way through the silent auction tables, making a few bids that I'm sad to say did not win (if you happened to win the Old Edwards Inn or Diamonds Direct auctions and don't want your prize, we love travel and my birthstone is a diamond, just FYI). One of the rooms had been transformed into the Rat Pack Lounge, complete with a karaoke system. We surveyed the scene and were pleased to see we weren't the only ones who had gone all out with our costumes--there were so many creative costumes and the attendees were all dressed to impress.

The Blues Brothers

Britney Spears, Axl Rose, Madonna, and Prince.

This KISS couple scores major points for their makeup efforts alone.

Waiters were passing themed hors d'ouvres throughout the night, with names like Hokey Poké Bowls, Funky Chicken Pot Pies, Mini Cheeseburgers in Paradise, and Tartlettes with Raspberry Beret Puree. The buffet tables had food that was also decorated for the occasion, like these mannequin heads with fruit skewers for effect:

I'm getting a-head of myself, but the buffet was fantastic.

The table decorations (the candle holder is made of old cassette tapes).

The largest ballroom was set up with a DJ, and plenty of great people watching on the dance floor. We thought we were being original with our costume choice, so I was surprised to count four other Dolly Partons among us!

With one of the other Dollys at the party.

Kenny and Dolly, with Dolly and Kenny. Great minds think alike.

Vanilla Ice was there, and he got his moment in the spotlight with a solo dance
to "Ice, Ice, Baby" on the dance floor.

Pop star and "Chandelier" singer Sia.

The Village People hitting the dance floor. I'll bet you can guess their song.

Run DMC (she sang karaoke later that night and had a voice like an angel).

We saw costumes ranging from Johnny and June Carter Cash to Weird Al Yankovic, with plenty of generic rock stars (and of course, sexy rockers...always). Everyone was dressed to the nines, the mansion was decorated from floor to ceiling, and a good time was had by all. I'm not sure how Dolly manages to stay so sweet and perky all the time, because after a few hours in my wig, lashes, and heels, I couldn't wait to get home to my pajamas and Ugg bedroom shoes. We were sad to leave, and both agreed it was one of the best parties we have been to in ages. Let's just go ahead and say it: the Legends of Music party ROCKED!

Observation from Clint, "Women really notice eyelashes, don't they?"

Just a couple of Islands in the Stream.

I hope your Halloween ROCKS!

What's Really Scary

October is spooky month, and I am a lover of scary movies and "The Monster Mash" and the spirit of all things Halloween. Give me all the thrills and chills (just do not touch me when we are going through a haunted house, or else). However, I don't believe in ghosts and the boogeyman hasn't kept me awake in quite some time, so I started thinking about what the real scary phenomenons are in our lives right now, and I think this little list might just get your adrenaline pumping. Read on, if you dare.

First things first: my cell phone died and I was forced, against my will, to the Apple store this week. This was after I made a visit to the AT&T store, hoping in vain that they would be able to assist me, since they were the folks who sold me the phone less than 24 hours before the touch screen locked and refused to work. I consider the AT&T store one of the seven levels of hell, so it's saying something that I went there with any degree of hope or enthusiasm. I was turned away and told that I would need the help of the "genius bar," located at our ever-crowded Apple store in the nearby mall.

Someone will be right with you. Sooner or later.

As I found out, one does not simply go into Apple and conduct business. Oh, no. You must first put your name on the wait list and get yourself an appointment with one of these alleged geniuses. I was scheduled to come back in a mere four hours for assistance, which means I got to visit this technology emporium not once, but twice, in the span of an afternoon.

When I returned for my appointment and waded my way through the huddled, phone-crazed masses, I was told to have a "seat" at one of the long communal tables to wait for my technician. I use the term seat loosely here because, as I overheard one gentleman say (and I'm paraphrasing to keep it PG-rated), "Holy crap, you don't even have chairs in here. Just these little stools and whatever those wooden cubes are on the floor?" What kind of overcrowded, moneymaking dynasty would offer a paying customer a chair, after all? Sit on this 8 inch by 8 inch varnished square of slippery wood and we will be glad to assist you; your number is 1,895,741,213. And we are currently helping customer number 9.

Maybe the scariest part of the Apple store is when you realize what walking, phone ogling zombies we have all become. It was like a modern version of Night of the Living Dead, watching everyone mindlessly shuffling, hunched over their various sized screens, oblivious to anything else. I finally got my phone fixed just over an hour after my appointment time, and then hurried out of there in case the condition was contagious. That one will haunt me for a while.

The second scary we must discuss isn't pretty, and I mean that literally. It's October, which in the South, means we have reached a balmy cooler temperature of 75-degrees. I'm not a believer in flip flops for fall, but to each their own. I do insist that, if you must flop, you also keep your feet in viewable condition. If you can't keep your tootsies tidy, we are going to have to demand that you stop scaring the children and don a pair of socks and shoes instead. The choice is up to you, but when in doubt, pedicure.

If your feet look like you've been using them to push the car, they are not flip flop worthy.

I hate to talk about feet and food in the same breath, but as long as our subject is things that instill dread and terror, I must bring up store bought potato salad. Eek! I mean, really: have you ever had pre-made potato salad that actually tasted good? I don't mean simply edible, or that it didn't make you physically ill to consume, I mean tasty potato salad from a plastic container? If you don't believe me, have you ever in your life heard someone say, "I've got to get more of that Walmart potato salad! I simply must have their recipe!" I think not. Potato salad is laborious to make; store bought potato salad is a chore to eat. Bland, crunchy, mushy, gloppy...it's a nightmare.

If we don't make eye contact with it, it can't hurt us. 

Sadly, sometimes the most unnerving thing in the world can be the sound of your own name. Not from the mouth of some monster or ghoulish creature, but from the lips of someone who has recognized you when you are not at your beautiful best. I have a neighbor who seems to only spot me when I try to make a quick trip to my mailbox unseen; I'm quite certain that this woman has only seen me after I've been cleaning house or working out, and neither of those are good looks for me. I always insist, after she's caught me, that I typically do brush my hair and apply makeup, and it is my sincere hope that she knows that the yoga pants with the hole in the inner thigh are not my regular uniform. It's an unfortunate and frightening set of circumstances to be caught in, believe you me. I either need to up my standards for stepping outside or look into putting in a mail slot.

There are a few other things that fill me with fear: instant grits, when you order a Coke and the waitress brings you a Pepsi without telling you (no sane, responsible person should ever assume that these beverages are interchangeable), facing the scale on a Monday morning, noon kickoff times for college football games (giving new meaning to Dawn of the Dead), and that unmistakable sound the dog makes in the middle of the night when he's getting ready to vomit (no alarm clock ever created can wake you faster than that sound), to name a few. Slashers, mummies, and ghouls have got nothing on the real life scaries that strike terror in our real life hearts.

I wish you a Halloween full of great candy and good scares--thrills and chills scarier than a broken strand of pearls or dark meat in the chicken salad, more spine-tingling than an adult in white patent leather shoes or an unexpectedly empty bottle of hairspray. The best news I have for you is that, in my opinion anyway, if it makes your heart race, it counts as cardio. Boo, y'all!

Dollywood LumiNights and Mom's Birthday Month Kickoff

Have I mentioned that I love this time of year? It's no wonder, since my mom's birthday is October 20; I was raised that good things happen in the fall, from her birthday to Halloween, and then rolling right on through to Thanksgiving and the holiday season. My parents went to Dollywood last fall for the first Great Pumpkin LumiNights experience, and loved it. The park is full of thousands of carved pumpkins aglow in all kinds of displays, and we thought going back again this year would a great way to kick off Mom's birthday month, so we did just that.

We brought the whole family along. Yes, we are crazy dog people.

We rented a mountain cabin just a few minutes off the Parkway in Pigeon Forge; close enough to be convenient to all the attractions but in just the right spot for peaceful, beautiful views.

Doo, doo, doo, lookin' out my back door (no really).

It seems like someone else liked it, too. 

I put up a few birthday decorations to make it more festive, and we brought cupcakes and gifts. Your birthday only comes once a year, am I right?

I didn't get a picture before we dug into our dozen cupcakes,
but here are a few that managed to survive.

Man cannot live on cupcakes alone, so after enjoying the afternoon walking around downtown Gatlinburg and relaxing at the cabin, we headed to the Applewood Farmhouse Restaurant for dinner. The restaurant sits on a large property that also contains an apple orchard, creamery, Applewood Grill, and a cider mill. In other words, apples, apples, everywhere! 'Tis the season, after all.

How about some apple fritters, apple butter, and apple juleps to start?

I'm so glad that calories don't count on the weekends, because we enjoyed everything from turkey and dressing to macaroni and cheese, fried okra, chicken and dumplings, and banana pudding for dessert. It was so delicious that we may or may not have gone back again on Sunday for brunch!

We spent Saturday in the Dollywood theme park, riding roller coasters and rides and enjoying all the Harvest Festival and decorations. If you have never been to Dollywood, believe me when I tell you it is the cleanest, nicest, amusement park you will find. And when it comes to this time of year, they really go all out; there were scores of pumpkins and fall decorations every single place we looked. 

Oh my gourd, the decorations!

Clint, showing off his lumberjack skills. 

The shirt says fab-boo-lous. And it was. 

We took a much needed break and retreated to our cabin to watch a little college football, soak our tired feet in the hot tub, enjoy the porch and the views at the cabin, and then headed back out for dinner at another favorite of our family's Huck Finn's in Pigeon Forge. We got more than our fill of seafood, hush puppies, coleslaw, and white beans with ham. In case you didn't notice, going hungry is not something that our family does. After our yummy meal, it was nearly dark and time to head back to Dollywood for the main event: Great Pumpkin LumiNites! The event doubled in size since last year, and it was an amazing sight to see.

Ready, set, glow!

Dollywood's logo is the butterfly (Dolly Parton's favorite animal).
This one is made entirely of gourds.

How about a pumpkin-filled guitar, that lights up and plays music?

She's normally not a fan of spiders, but this one was pretty impressive.

Mom taught me everything I know about choosing the right accessories.

How about this guy, just lounging around?

This 40-foot pumpkin tree was the centerpiece of the event. It was amazing!

This huge scarecrow was perched on the roof of a building.

A pond full of pumpkin frogs, with glowing eyes and "ribbit" sound effects.

How cute are these guys?

Thriller dance, anyone?

This pumpkin couple is cutting a rug...look at her necklace swinging!

We oohed and aahed our way through all of the amazing displays, and the only disappointing part was that eventually, it was over and time to leave the park. On our way out, we decided to cap off our night with a seasonal pumpkin spice funnel cake. It was the perfect way to end our evening.

The cake batter was pumpkin pie filling, and it was sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar and topped with a maple pecan syrup. It tasted even better than it sounds.

We definitely made the most of our mountain weekend, and it is safe to say that a good time was had by all. Our family gives the Great Pumpkin LumiNights a "glowing" review!

Happy Birthday Month, Mom! Off to a pretty fantastic start!

Tales From the Tailgate

As the classic carol says, "It's the most wonderful time of the year...." I realize the song is talking about Christmas, which believe me, I love right up there with the best of them. However, fall through Christmas is my most favorite time of year. And this most favorite time definitely includes college football season, which means trips to Clemson, seeing friends we only get to see this time of year, and tailgating!

We decided after last year that our tailgate situation needed a change. The lot we had always parked in had turned into something akin to Panama City Beach during the spring break season, and our crowd had dwindled to nonexistent numbers. We made the leap and found some friends kind enough to let us join their group, and y'all: I think this new state of affairs is going to work out (and by work out, I mean be awesome).

First things first, though. We arrived in Clemson, also known as God's Country, Friday afternoon just in time to do a little shopping downtown on College Avenue. Yes, we own plenty of orange, Tiger paw covered goods, but you just never know when you might need to add to your arsenal. Clint found a very sensible basic--isn't an orange belt a menswear necessity?--so it was a good thing we made time to browse.

Later that night, our sweet friends Doug and Felicia had invited us to dinner. They recently finished building their dream house just a few miles from campus and we got to get our first look at the place. We feasted on baked ziti, garlic bread, salads with Clemson blue cheese dressing (my favorite), and the good company of old friends. Oh, and these gorgeous sunset views, right from the windows in their kitchen!

The view from our friends' beautiful home! A gorgeous start to our Clemson weekend.

Saturday's game was a noon kickoff, which means we had to get up raring to go at zero dark thirty (actually, our alarm clock went off at 6:00 a.m. which I firmly believe should be illegal on a Saturday, but I digress). We headed to our new tailgate spot and got busy helping set up. First things first: the Bloody Mary bar. It's basically a vegetable smoothie, am I right?

Go ahead and give me all the garnishes. You know, for the nutritional value.

I knew we had found the right crew when the food came out: this group puts on a spread, and as you may know, Clint and I make it a mission to never miss a meal. We had biscuits and gravy, creamy cheese grits, baked ham and Swiss sliders, mimosa, apple fritter bread, and the most novel of them all: an omelet bar.

Omelet fixings: bacon, ham, mushrooms, peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cheese. 

I would have never thought of this, but you simply take a sandwich bag, crack two eggs inside and add all your delicious toppings, then seal the bag and write your name on it. Drop the bag into a pot of boiling water and cook until it's set. It was one of the fluffiest, best omelets I have ever had. 

I thought this idea was genius. Mind. Blown.

That's a good looking tailgate plate right there. 

This guy seems pretty happy with his omelet, too.

It didn't stop with breakfast, either. There was boiled peanuts, chicken wings, bratwurst, deviled eggs...let me just stop there and say there was no shortage of good food. 

Finish it off with a bacon bourbon chocolate chip cookie?

Beginning to set it all up. If you don't have three tents, two generators, and a TV,
are you even tailgating?

Scenes from the tailgate.

Lot 21 tailgaters in action.

The dress, the purple sparkly shoes, the helmet: I want her game day look. 

Getting ready to head to the stadium!

Despite the fact that it is allegedly fall, we made our way to the stadium with the sun hot overhead to watch a nailbiter of a game. Let's just say Clemson fans were sweating it out in Death Valley on Saturday in more ways than one.

Just me and 80,000+ of my friends, on our way to see the Tigers play.

After the game, we headed to see a few more friends at neighboring tailgates and catch up.

With Deena and Melissa, who are wives of former Clemson players. Let me just say their tailgate wins the award for Most Entertaining Performances of the day, courtesy of Deena's husband, Vance.

We always make a stop to see the Breazels.
Ellen and I are college friends and sorority sisters,
since 1996 (don't do the math, it will make us feel old).

Happily for us, the Breazel's tailgate is very near to the famous Esso Club, which is one of our game day favorites. We stopped in to grab a cold beverage, listen to the band, and also to see my personalized brick out on the patio.

If you've never been to the Esso on a game day, GO. It's a must.

Pointing out my commemorative brick. I'm part of the Esso now!

In case you didn't know, mine is Susie Turner Stancil.
Go pay me a visit sometime.

We meandered back to our tailgate spot to pack things up for the day, and got a fun surprise. Our friend Bill has been heroically working with the National Guard cleaning up the state after Hurricane Florence caused catastrophic damage. We were all sad that he wasn't going to make it on Saturday....

I'm so glad we got to see this guy.
Lieutenant Colonel Bill Matheny, thank you for your service!

After a day in the heat and lots of steps walked, we were ready for some rest and relaxation. We got ourselves a pizza to go and got showered, changed, and finished off our day with some more football on TV before calling the end of the game day. Believe me when I say we covered plenty of ground, literally and figuratively!

The last stop before we made our way back to Charlotte on Sunday was at Pot Belly Deli. Pot Belly has been a sandwich institution in Clemson since my days as a student and I love that, in a town that keeps growing and changing, Pot Belly manages to pretty much stay the same: delicious.

This one's called the Sloppy Joe: ham, turkey, Provolone, coleslaw, 1000 Island dressing,
lettuce and tomato. It will make you swoon.

This was our first game of the season, but we are already looking forward to being back for the rest of the home games--the next of which will be homecoming in a few weeks. I'd say we are off to a pretty good start.

Old friends, new friends, and a Tiger win. It doesn't get much better than that!