Red, White and Blue Outfit and A Lake Retreat

 Styling and Retreating!

Hey there, everyone!  It's Friday of Memorial Day Weekend and the official start of Summer. So, what better time is there to share some red, white and blue style with you along with a beautiful lake retreat I attended recently? 

I wore this outfit to a Memorial Day service held at the local Veteran's Village here in Asheville. It was a meaningful service and The Mr. was invited to play "Taps" on his trumpet. My heart was remembering those who have served and who have given their all in the military. I was also remembering family members who have served in the military over many years dating back to World War I, World War II, Vietnam and more.

 The newest addition to this red, white and blue outfit is the white blouse covered in strawberries that I discovered recently at Hamrick's, a local clothing store. This is one of those pieces of clothing that just "calls" to you when you see it. I saw this blouse and instantly thought of warm, sunny, summer days and the sweetness of summer strawberries! And it pairs so beautifully with blue jeans and a sweater. I know that I will get lots of wear from this blouse. I don't own a lot of clothing that is specifically "themed" for a particular season so it was kind of fun to add this strawberry piece to my wardrobe.

And speaking of "fun" I went on a fun retreat last weekend with several other women to beautiful Lake Junaluska, NC. 

This group of women has been gathering together and going on annual retreats together for 19 years! We offer Christian support, prayer and sisterhood to one another and these women are precious to me. This is the house at Lake Junaluska that we stayed at this past weekend. What a lovely house and such a peaceful setting, as well. 

This covered front porch with the swing, might have been my favorite spot of the weekend! I enjoyed morning tea on the swing while soaking in the views of the lake and the surrounding mountains. I find swinging to be therapeutic and relaxing. Maybe I need to put a bug in The Mr.'s ear about setting up a front porch swing at our house?! 

It was just a short walk to the lake from the house and I enjoyed passing by some beautiful flower gardens like this one along the way. 

And I was really excited to see some old fashioned "Sweet Pea" flowers that I remember from my childhood. My Mom had planted Sweet Peas in our front yard and they grew all around and over a large rock on the hillside. When I was little I loved to pick these flowers and take them to my Mom as a "gift." Not sure I was supposed to pick her flowers but she always seemed happy when I brought them to her, lol! She had this special little clear glass vase, probably four inches tall, that had pretty purple flowers painted on the front that she would place the Sweet Peas in with some water and then would set the vase in the kitchen window. I always thought that the vase filled with the Sweet Peas made the kitchen window look so pretty! Isn't it interesting the memories from childhood that stay with us? And how simply walking by some gardens can bring these memories flooding back? Such sweet memories. My Mom has been in my thoughts frequently recently. If you missed the Mother's Day tribute to her you can catch up by clicking on the link. At any rate, the weekend retreat was a special time of spiritual growth, prayer and deep reflection. I'm so grateful to these women who journey through life with me!

Above you see our SOS group standing on the front porch of our retreat house and standing/sitting at the foot of the cross at Lake Junaluska. Such a precious group!

So tell me....have you been doing any styling or retreating lately? Hope you will share about your life in the comments. Take care and have a good Memorial Day Weekend!

Until Next Time,

Debbie, This and That

Preaching at Pleasant Gap UMC