Johnny Cougar

June 26, 2017

This weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy a mini-vacation in St. Augustine with the intention of seeing a concert at the Amphitheater. When it comes to attending concerts, LB and I have spent the last few years making up for lost time. Our first concert experience together was Toby Keith in 2011. Since then we have attended more concerts than you can imagine. Some may think we are crazy, but we always have a fun time.

Since parking has become ridiculous, we decided to walk to the venue from our hotel.

According to google, it was 1.3 miles. Luckily there was a nice breeze.My FitBit logged 20,188 steps that day.

The subject of our concert quest was a long time entertainer and a remarkably talented singer/song writer. At age 66 the man still has GREAT hair and a lot of spirit.

(source)

There he was… a 1980’s teenage dream… John Mellencamp… live on stage.

You may remember him as John Cougar Mellencamp. He was dubbed Johnny Cougar by his manager in 1976 for fear that nobody would buy a record from someone named Mellencamp.

The 80’s brought a change for him after the release of his fifth album in 1982 “American Fool” as the albums that followed were released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp.

Saturday night we had the opportunity to hear him sing some of his greatest hits such as “Jack & Diane,” “Pink Houses,” “Small Town,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,”

and

“The Authority Song”

Another great weekend and memorable experience with LB!

Shops in St. Augustine

June 25, 2017

St. Augustine is a place that we travel to often. Although it is nearby, it is far enough away to make it seem like a mini-vacation. There are so many places to explore. This weekend we found three new shops and one restaurant that I thought were interesting and wanted to share.

Located on Anastasia Blvd. near the Bridge of Lions, is “St. Augustine’s Iconic Fashion Boutique”

Rochelle’s

Featuring clothing by Free People, Ella Moss, Velvet by Graham & Spencer, and Bailey44, this trendy boutique offers high end items. Although there was a $29 Sale rack at the front of the store, overall this is a name brand boutiquePrice Tag Pic

Toward the back of the shop are some sale items, a fitting room, a sitting area, and some VERY interesting artwork

If you are not familiar with the name brands, you may not appreciate the items that you find at Rochelle’s. There are some bargains to be found and the shop itself is worth the visit. When in the area, you need to check it out for yourself.

Abbey Road

Featuring clothing styles for young and the young at heart, swim suits, jewelry, accessories, and even bike rentals. Abbey Road is located on A1A and is adjacent to an ice cream shop (great idea)

This was My favorite item and I think my youngest daughter (Amanda) would likely fight me for itNotice the Cold Shoulder application. Love it

She would like this too

Vintage Warehouse

There is lovely furniture here that my Mama would love, and could paint to look equally as lovely.I LOVE this lingerie chest and would have LOVED nothing more than to take it home with me today…

along with this…LOVE!

If you happen to be in St. Augustine driving down Anastasia Blvd. and you seeI highly recommend a walk thru. You will likely find something that you want to take home with you!

Gypsy Cab Co

Last but not least is the Gypsy Cab Co. because Sunday Brunch has to happen when you are away from home for the weekend I enjoyed the California Benedict with grits and fruit

LB enjoyed the East L.A. Burrito with cheesy grits and fruitDon’t you love watermelon?

In the end, LB ate half of my order and took half of his home for leftovers this week. It was SO GOOD! I HIGHLY recommend Brunch at Gypsy Cab.

They open at 10:30.

You can do it, and You will be glad You did!

Friday Favorites

June 23, 2017

Friday is my favorite day of the week, therefore it is a perfect day to mention my weekly favorites.

Every Friday, I will go to the office and do the same job that I do on Monday through Thursday, but for some reason, it is easier to manage. This is an enigma.

Nevertheless…

Here are my Five Friday Favorites:

Favorite # ONE

Gingham I mentioned this blouse on my Target post and I think it is adorable. Gingham is a classic and also a trend. Here are some other gingham items that I think are cute:

Favorite # TWO

This HatA box from Amazon made its way to my doorstep last Tuesday. Certain that it was for LB, I alerted him that he had a package at the front door. After he retrieved it and brought it inside, he announced, it is addressed to Kim Starling. Well, I thought, when did I order something from Amazon? I must be losing my mind. It must be something I ordered. It is JUST like something I Would order. I can’t remember ordering anything. Maybe it is a back order item from Shein. How is that possible? It is from Amazon, not Shein.

I was perplexed about this for at least 12 hours. Finally, I decided, I must figure out when I ordered this hat, so I went back to the box. Inside the box I found this:What a Happy Surprise! Thank you for the belated birthday gift from my sweet Daughter-in-law Emily, my wonderful son Richard, and my Perfect Glam-daughter Lydia! I am tickled! (that’s a Southern term)

Favorite # THREE

Hall & Oates tickets… this week LB discovered that one of my favorite 80’s Duos will be performing at the Jacksonville Veteran’s Memorial Arena in September. So he bought tickets! The last time Daryl Hall and John Oates were in Florida, I had bronchitis, and was not able to completely enjoy the Hall and Oates experience. Now I get another chance and I’m SO EXCITED!

Favorite # FOUR

A FaceBook post from my Daddy’s cousin (and mine) Robbie Darden. It is SO HOT and HUMID right now. If we weren’t able to come inside for comfort and cool air, what would become of us????

Favorite # FIVE

This Video clip:

https://prettyis.me/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/FullSizeRender-14.jpg

This is a MUST SEE… My sweet Mama spending a rainy day with my sweet Glam-daughter Lydia in search of muddy puddles (thank you Peppa Pig). When asked, “where’s the muddy puddle?” Lydia replies, “where’d it go?”

So Adorable.

Target

June 19, 2017

For my birthday, my girls presented me with gifts that were purchased from a favorite retail establishment…

Target!

I loved my birthday gifts, but alas… they did not fit. This is not a problem. I’m accustomed to receiving apparel that isn’t quite right as I order things that have to be returned all the time. Far from being a problem, this is an opportunity to SHOP!

We set out for Target.

With some help from LB and a Target employee, I found what I came for and tried them on for size.This Floral Print Cold Shoulder Dress with Tie Straps was hand picked by Stephanie. The cold shoulder is a trend I have invested in considerably, but this dress has a new take on the cold shoulder with tassel ties. One of the cutest shift dresses I have seen this spring that incorporates the tassel trend into the cold shoulder itself. Stephanie has great taste.

This Front Button-Down Gingham Blouse is intended to be worn off the shoulder. I love the off the shoulder trend and have several off the shoulder tops that I wear on weekends. It occurred to me that I should probably exchange this top for something I could wear to work, but I wanted to keep this one that Amanda picked out just for me.

So I decided to make it work for workdays as well! and I wore it today.

Instead of an off the shoulder top, it becomes a boat neck top; instead of having long sleeves it becomes a 3/4 sleeve top. I’m loving the versatility!

Perfect Fit! Thank you Stephanie and Amanda!

the photo session was also fun!

Happy Together

June 12, 2017

A typical Sunday night for me involves last minute shopping and dinner out at a familiar favorite place like LaNopalera. Tonight LB surprised me with an event he TEASED me with last year. The “Happy Together” Tour.

With dinner first on the agenda, we left the house at around 6PM and headed downtown…

We checked into the Burrito Gallery. The Burrito Gallery is located at 21 East Adams Street in downtown Jacksonville. Although it is new to me, it has been around since 2005. There are also locations on Riverside Avenue and Beach Boulevard. LB and I enjoyed a tray of toasted tortilla chips with a hearty sampling of salsa, guacamole, and Queso (listed as Trio on the menu under Starters).

Right up my alley. I could LIVE solely on tortilla chips dipped.

Then we walked about a block to the Florida Theatre for the Happy Together Tour 2017 concert. The Florida Theater is a beautiful building, the architectural details are amazing.The concert began with Ron Dante, one of the voices of the Archies who sang Sugar Sugar and a few other songs and commercial jingles like this one that he helped to make popular. After Ron, the Cowsills took the stage. The Cowsills are a family of singers that were the inspiration for the Partridge Family. I was not familiar with the name Cowsills, but definitely familiar with some of their songs. As a matter of fact, one of my favorites last night was “I Love the Flower Girl“. Even today I keep singing ‘I knew I knew I knew I knew’ in my head. Although I had not been familiar with most of the artists, I fully enjoyed the concert and every song that was performed.

And last but not least, Flo and Eddie of the Turtles began their set with “She’d Rather Be with Me” and wrapped up the event with the 1967 hit “Happy Together” with all of the artists coming to the stage to join in the song. Every song that was performed tonight made me feel happy!

This event takes place every June and I recommend it if you’re looking for a happy together time!

Sanibel Outlet

June 8, 2017

On the final day of our Captiva Island Vacation, LB brought me to the Sanibel Outlet Mall. The place caught my eye as we were heading out of town, on our way home. It was the bright blue roof shouting for my attention, and yes, I am frequently motivated by the superficial.
We parked at the end of the complex and walked to the first retail establishment. LB was much more excited about G.H. Bass & Co. Factory Outlet than I, but I did enjoy his enthusiasm, and, of course, his company. A shout out to the store manager who was engaging and charismatic and the employees were all very friendly and helpful.
LB enjoyed trying on jackets, vests…

and SEVERAL pairs of shoes I enjoyed taking his picture

I found one pair of cognac wedge sandals that I especially like and ended up purchasing And LB took the opportunity to snap several shots of me trying them on for size. I kinda like the red ones too.

We checked out and continued our excursion

Van Heusen is another store that I was not familiar with until this visit. As we were making our way to the store, a small group was leaving, each with stuffed shopping bags under each arm. That piqued our interest. Just inside the doors were racks with sale signs that read $15 each and $9 each. The $15 rack was loaded with white pants and capris. The Superstretch capri and crop pant. For $15, I couldn’t resist. You can look at them in black and gray here, but you can’t touch (shop) until you “find a store”.

There was a quick run through Banana Republic, GAP, Famous Footwear, Rack Room and Samsonite, but no purchases.
A visit to these websites will reveal savings on purchases. Currently Banana Republic has 35% off and free shipping on orders over $50. GAP offers 40% off and Free shipping on all orders with the code: WARMER. Famous Footwear offers up to 40% off sandals and free shipping on orders of $75 or more. Rackroom offers BOGO 50% off 2nd pair.
The last stop was LOFT.

No purchases during this visit, but plenty to dream about. If you visit this site today, you will be able to enjoy the 50% off FLASH sale OR $25 off your entire order.

Summer Vacation 2017

June 5, 2017

Vacation is such an anticipated time in my life! This year summer vacation 2017 began on May 31st and continued through June 4th. The event itself starting in St. Augustine with the concert at the St. John’s County Pier (which I posted about here) and culminating in Captiva, Florida on Florida’s beautiful west coast. LB and I left our hotel in St. Augustine on Thursday morning and headed south. We arrived at Captiva Island late Thursday afternoon, checked in to Tween Waters Inn Island Resort and Spa, and headed directly to the beach.

Toes in the water…

Beautiful ocean… shells… sunsets… a tropical paradise

Life is good today!

The suite was beautiful

Some of the furniture reminded me of a collection that I became very familiar with during my time at Liberty Furniture. I was so sure it was the same collection that I did some investigating. Sure enough… it was the Thomasville Bridges Collection. I searched it online, but it appears to have been discontinued. I’m not able to find any pictures from my Liberty files which is not surprising. It wasn’t one of my favorites. But seeing the collection in our suite brought back memories of furniture days gone by.

Later that evening, LB took me to enjoy my most favorite cuisine for first dinner on the island. Cantina Captiva served us the best carnitas (pulled pork) fajitas I have ever had in my life!

There are dollar bills stapled to the ceiling and walls which is quite interesting to say the least, and the food is delish! Adiós and Vaya con Dios

It may sound like we ate constantly, but on occasion we split breakfast, skipped lunch every day, and split dinner every night. Gotta watch those calories! Speaking of calories…

Day Two

started with breakfast at the Captiva House.

LB’s breakfast sandwich

Kim’s Greek Omelet

and COFFEE!

and then we continued with a tour of the grounds

We spent the day on the beach. I love to collect shells and LB is kind enough to keep them in his pockets. We didn’t take any pictures (since LB had shells in his pockets and no room for his phone) during our 2 mile walk on the beach to Andy Rosse Lane. There are shops and restaurants on this little street. One restaurant in particular is the Mucky Duck which is at the end of Andy Rosse Lane, on the beach. There is typically live music in the evenings and LB and I were intent on checking this out. After doing so, it was decided that we would have dinner at the Mucky Duck that evening, which we did… and enjoyed a seafood platter… which we split. It is worth checking out if you are ever on the island. If you do, hopefully it won’t rain so the live music isn’t cancelled.

(source)

Dinner was good

And just like that… it was the end of day two of our summer vacation 2017

Vacation Day Three

began with a trip to the ER.

Yep.

All I am going to say about this is I had an episode unlike any I have ever experienced. This event cost us at least eight hours of vacation time and probable medical bills. I’m sorry to say that I can’t post the pic of me on the hospital gurney with medical apparatus around me and wires/tubes attached.

I’m just too vain.

The good news is, I am still here to tell about it and my heart is in good shape.

When I was finally released, I was more exhausted than when I checked in. And (believe it or not) we hadn’t eaten anything in almost 24 hours. It was time to get back to the resort, take a nap, take a shower, and (you guessed it) find something for dinner.

We enjoyed dinner at the Crow’s Nest Beach Bar and Grille

and a new dress (that I didn’t get a picture of (due to extreme discombobulation).

Vacation Day Four

The trip home involved a stop at the Sanibel Outlet which is documented here.