Kathiey's World

 Every year in Asheville, NC , the National Gingerbread computation is held at the Grove Park Inn.  I was so excited that I was in the area this holiday season and could see some of the amazing gingerbread houses in person. This year marks the 31st Annual National Gingerbread House Competition at Grove Park Inn in Asheville, NC. It all began in 1992 as a community event to celebrate the holiday.  The tradition has blossomed into a very high level of competition.  Even though the fierce competition includes talented artists, they do not leave out the novices or children who are allowed to participate.   A Few Competiton Facts... Everything above the base must be composed of edible materials. The base of the entry must be a board base. 60% must be handcrafted. The entry is judged on appearance, originality and creativity, difficulty,  precision and consistency of the theme. There are four categories: adult, teen, youth, and child You can participate as a te...

 I am always looking for fun things to do in the area.  I thought I would take it a bit further and see what events are occurring in North Carolina in a specific month.  Let's take a look a just a few things happening in January 2024 in NC that you may enjoy. I live in the Raleigh/Durham area, so I looked for exciting events to attend in January that are easily within driving distance.  I would love to attend them all! The Links to Each Event... (Be sure and verify event times and locations before attending.   You may need a ticket depending on the event) Things to do in January 2024  in the Triangle Area Chinese Lantern Festival  November 17-January 14 in Cary, NC Galazycon January 5-7 in Raleigh, NC The Magic of Rodgers and Hammerstein/Concert January 19-20th in Raleigh, NC Shen Yon Performing Arts January 20-21 in Raleigh, NC Triangle Restaurant Week January 22-28 in The Triangle, NC A Few Things to do In NC that are not so local to the Triangle ...

 I pray you have a peaceful Christmas Day.  Regardless of the situations you find yourself in, take a deep breath.  Remember you are not alone, and remember that God loves you and you are precious to him. Always remember you are not alone because God promised he will never leave us or forsake us. God Bless You this Christmas Day! KathieyV

 Here we are in the middle of the Holiday Season. It is time to select an outfit to wear to a holiday dinner or party. I went on Amazon to find an outfit I thought I could wear.  (I am an Amazon Affiliate.  If you buy anything using my link, I get a tiny percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.  Thanks!:-) 1- Newshows Women's 2023 Fall Winter Long Sleeve Sweater Dress Crewneck Casual A-Line Ribbed Knit Belt Swing Skater Dresses 2- HOMEYEE Women's Chic V-Neck Lace Patchwork Flare Party Dress 3-   Moissanite Floating Diamond Cut Necklaces and 2ct Stud Earring for Women 4- Ross-Simons 2.75 ct. t.w. CZ Station Bracelet in Sterling Silver 5- Diamond Pendant Necklace 6- Womens High Heels Pointed Toe Pumps 7- Journee Collection Womens Round Toe High Heel Booties 8- Evening Handbag Crystal Embellished and Pleated Satin Clutch 9- Lauren Blakwell Ellory - Women's Low Cut Faux Leather Heeled Ankle Bootie Happy Holidays Everyone! KathieyV:-)

Divorce and Stress. The stress of divorce ranks second on many stress scales, just behind the death of a spouse.  I disagree with it being second because I see an unwanted divorce as "like a death but with intent."  Stress can have many adverse effects on your life and your health.  With this in mind, I will be doing a series on stress relief to see if we can at least diminish the stress and anxiety accompanying separation and divorce. There is something relaxing about taking a hike outside on a nice day.  Feeling the cool breeze and warm sun on your face as you surround yourself with the beauty of the countryside has a calming effect, at least on me. As I was looking for ways to relieve stress, I found that many believe that hiking is one way of doing just that.  Here are a few things I found as I was researching this topic. When you hike, you get the health benefits of exercise, such as increasing muscle mass, improving balance, and good heart health. P...

What is Champagne is the big question?  I knew it was in the wine family and I knew it had bubbles but that was the extent of my knowledge.  I came across an online zoom class all about champagne and I decided to take it. Here is a simplified definition I found in the Urban Dictionary. "Sparkling wine (achieved via means of a second fermintation) is produced from grapes grown in a legally defined area of France."  Here are a few wine tidbits that were shared in the zoom class. *The cork from a bottle of champagne travels at approx 25 MPH when opened. (I found on another site it could be up to 55 MPH) Yikes! *PSI is 70-90 pounds per square inch.   *On average 24 people die every year from a champagne cork. *The grapes the typically make up champagne are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Meunier.  *The bubbles you see when you put them in your glass are called "action".  The more narrow a glass, such as a flute, the more action you see. *Champagne can be served in a Co...

Here we are in the midst of the Holiday Season.  It is time for parties and all types of holiday festivities. Lately, my mind has been on holiday drinks.  The types of drinks you can prepare are endless.  When I think of holiday drinks, I think of Egg Nog , Fruity drinks, Peppermint drinks, Hot Chocolate and Champagne and the list goes on. With drinks in mind, I went over to Pinterest to see what drinks sparked my interest.  Here are a few I would love to try.   Drinks with Alcohol-My personal favorite🍹 Mudslide Crock Pot Hot Chocolate Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer Sugar Cookie Cocktail Christmas Mimosas Christmas Champagne Cocktail Snowflake Peppermint Cocktail White Christmas Cocktail Drinks Without Alcohol-For the Kids 🧒 Cranberry Mocktail with Pineapple Juice White Grape Punch with Cranberry Ice This is a pretty yummy holiday drink you can get at your local ABC store for under $20.00 Even Williams Egg Nog is so good! I would love to know your favorite ...

Probably the most heartfelt letter I have ever written was the letter I wrote my husband who was in the process of leaving me after a 37-year-long marriage. There was no warning, I found out about his plans through a third party. I was in shock and desperate to find a way to save our family. Below is the letter I wrote. My letter to my soon-to-be ex... I am really sorry you are so sad.  You say you have “never” been happy, but there has to have been sometime in 37 years that you have been happy.   Do you realize that you are not happy in anything?    In your job you are stressed, everybody lying to everyone, and people sneaking around and not being honest.  No trust.  Not a good situation.   The same thing is happening with your family.  Everyone is upset, people hiding things, and talking about each other behind each other's backs.  Not a good situation. I think if you could help your mom to focus on the positive, that it may make her ha...

 I found this quote online and connected with it right away.  It is very easy to run away from life when you are faced with something, not of your choosing.  It could be disease, death, or a million other things, but in my case, it was an unwanted, unnecessary divorce.  It is so easy to give up sometimes, we may feel it is our only choice.  I believe if we don't give up and keep living our lives, we can make something great happen.  We have to remember not to let fear guide us but to let God guide us. We can do this! KathieyV

I am back in Hillsborough, NC, this post visiting the lovely Ayr Mount. Let's take a look at what I found inside of this home. I will share the adventure with my photos. I will place little tidbits of information about the house between the photos. After having walked the Poet's Walk and explored the Outside of Ayr Moun t, it was time to take a step inside this lovely historic home.  Ayr Mount is a Federal-era plantation house built in 1815 in Hillsborough, North Carolina, by William Kirkland. Kirkland was from Ayr, Scotland. I have read that the ceilings are anywhere from 12-14 feet tall.   I remember asking about the photos of Indians that were found on the lower level of the house.  They said the photos were taken from a book and framed and put on display. A few other photos I found on the wall of this historic home. Ayr Mount was the first residence in the area built of brick. The furniture in the home was beautiful. I love this side table with the claw feet. Looking...