I Make Credit Cards Cry And Scarecrows Smile

Yes, the main objectives of this year's girls' weekend were to unplug, relax and recharge but Leather Peacock and I simply can't go anywhere without a huge shopping trip. After spending most of the day getting pampered at Lakeview at Fontana's spa, we headed to downtown Bryson City. The staff at the hotel had arranged an after hours shopping trip for us at a local boutique. And there was wine. They knew how to hook us.

Prior to our private shopping trip, we perused a few other stores, picked up some cute jewelry and even got a jump start on some Christmas shopping. Most of the stores were amping up for Halloween and had their take on scarecrows out front. I am one of those people who can't resist posing (usually in a ridiculous manner) with statues. Turns out scarecrows are no different for me. The more wine I consumed, the worse it got.

Around 7 p.m., we met the lovely and stylish Erin Smith at her store, Humanité. This woman has fabulous taste, as reflected by her store's selection. Fueled by a great selection of wine and Erin's keen eye for styling, we ran through her store like a pack of hyenas, snatching up all kinds of goodies.

Style is a enviable thing to have, but without substance, it really is just smoke and mirrors. This is where Erin and Humanité will always hold a special place in my heart. Inspired by a mission trip to Africa a few years ago, Erin hand-picks Fair Trade, organic and reclaimed items for her store AND commits 10% of her store's profit to charitable organizations. Check out her story here on the store's website. We enjoyed her hospitality and making our credit cards beg for mercy but knowing that we could help contribute, even in the smallest way, will last much longer than any trend.

Cardigan: Modcloth
T-shirt: Forever 21
Skirt: Forever 21
Tights: Target
Oxfords: Ruche
Purse: Modcloth

Still early but you can tell by my hand placement that I am already starting to get fresh with Mr. Scarecrow

My favorite: Scarlett O'Scara!!!

I am sure lap dancing a scarecrow was a good idea at the time

I couldn't even manage to put my wine glass down long enough to model my new ring and bracelets picked up at some random shop in Bryson City.

Erin Smith, owner of Humanité, fashionista and humanitarian. She also has great taste in wine!

Humanité is located at 130 Everett Street, Bryson City, NC

Girls Gone Mild

 

 

Leather Peacock and I have taken our fair share of girls' weekends in the fifteen years we have known each other. Our first trip together saw us taking advantage of Greyhound Bus' companion rides free promotion and riding overnight all the way from Louisville, KY to New Orleans, LA. We stayed in an awful youth hostel for $12 a night so we could save our money for more important things... like booze, swamp tours, booze, voodoo and crawfish.

 

In our 20s (and first few years of our 30s), we continued to act like sorority girls on Spring Break by vacationing at party spots like Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Washington DC and Memphis. We have danced on the bar at several Coyote Ugly joints. We both have gaping holes in our memories from the night in the piano bar in Savannah, cringe when we think about the time we licked Jell-O shots (served in a syringe, of all things!) off some random Marines in Myrtle Beach and have deleted way too many pictures from our cameras due to their incriminating nature.

 

A few months ago, Leather Peacock called me, stressed out from work, and commented that it had been a while since we had taken a trip. Fearing that I was going to get ridiculed for losing my mojo, I cautiously suggested that we do something more relaxing like a spa weekend. Luckily, Leather Peacock agreed that this was right up her alley too.

 

The Internet quest to find an ideal spot for this new style of girls' weekend begin. I hit jackpot with the Google search "girls spa weekend north carolina" when the Lakeview at Fontana in Bryson City, NC came back as the number one return. They have this spiffy Girls' Night In package for only $565 per person for three nights. This includes your room, yoga classes and three spa treatments of your choice. (And, no, I don't work for them or get any benefits from this). The icing on the cake for us was when there was an opening for a weekend in mid-October, right at the height of the leaf turning splendor.

 

During the seven hour car ride from my house, our decision began to be questioned but any anxiety was quickly erased upon our arrival (conveniently just ten minutes before their nightly Happy Hour!). Lakeview at Fontana is an old 1950s motor lodge that has been converted in to a resort that they tout as "Rustic Chic". I would put more emphasis on the chic. We were too spoiled and pampered for anything to be considered rustic.

The view at Happy Hour from their observation deck.

Jacket: Wilson's Leather

Shirt: Forever 21

Tank: Old Navy

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Old Navy

Relaxed smile: c/o Lakeview at Fontana

 

 

The Main Building

 

Awesome retro room key

Our cabin (right across from main building)

 

 Living room. No TV or Wi-Fi at the resort so we brought Trivial Pursuit.

 

The kitchen/dining room. Note all our bottles of wine.

Bedroom. We thrashed it within minutes of arrival with our eight suitcases for the three day trip.

 

Nightly Happy Hour offerings. I still dream of their feta-pesto spread.

 

 In room S'mores maker included in the package. Also popcorn and fashion magazines in the room. See how spoiled we were?

 

To commemorate our 15 years as friends, I decided on an updated version of the old Best Friend split heart necklaces. Behold our awesome matching whale necklaces with "Amies" etched in to them. P.S: We were a little hammered at the time of this self-portrait so pardon the wacky expressions.

Necklaces: Etsy shop IAdornU

Ocho Rios Or Bust!

Blogging from the airport. One year anniversary trip to Jamaica. Mon!