Thursday, October 31, 2013

I See Dead People.

On this Halloween Day I thought I might share with you my experience with a Ghost.

Did you spit out your coffee? I'm being 100% serious. I met a ghost and her name was Helen. 

The original Helen story in Asheville is the one below. But we have heard others about a Helen on our mountain that is looking for the woman her husband left her for. I'm not sure if they are the same Helen or if there are two ghosts named Helen (seriously?!) but either way I met one of them.
Here is the well known story in Asheville about Helen's bridge near Beaucatcher Mountain.

One night Zealandia Castle caught fire, a woman named Helen lost her only child, a daughter. Helen was so distraught she hung herself from the small stone bridge near Zealandia Castle. Since that night it has been said if you go to the bridge late at night, turn off your car, and call Helen's name she will appear to you, a sad glowing figure. Helen is supposed to wander the mountain in a long gown, asking those she meets if they have seen her daughter. If you are "lucky" enough to see her you may as well settle in. Those who have seen Helen, find that their car won't start when they try to leave. 

There has been much paranormal activity associated with the bridge, apparitions, orbs, etc. Be warned, there is more present than the spirit of Helen. People have described seeing monstrous dark things coming out of the woods. They have described being slapped, hit, and scratched. If you do visit, be respectful, do not try to invoke or provoke anything up there. People have reported all kinds of other strange things going on around Helen’s Bridge. There were many Indian burials found in this area in the late 1940's and people say after the graves were disturbed the paranormal activity at the bridge and around it shot up. 


And here is mine:
We moved to Asheville in 1983 from New Orleans. My Grandparents had two small cottages on Mount Royal and that is where we stayed until we bought the house directly up the mountain path. I don't know what time of year it was but I came out of my bedroom and walked down the hallway to the bathroom and looked to my right out into the open two story Living Room. There was a lady there just floating in the room. 
To try to help you picture this it wasn't a bloody or creepy image, much like the image above but more human-like. She was there but not completely....apologies for being a nerd but she was similar to moaning myrtle in Harry Potter. 
I went upstairs to my parents' room and told them there was a "lady" downstairs. Since I was 3 they figured I was making things up and told me to go back to sleep.

A few nights later it happened again and I went back upstairs in the middle of the night and told my Dad "The rude lady is back downstairs and she won't leave". Dad got up and saw nothing and tucked me back in bed.

Several mornings later he was walking our dog Momus around the mountain and stopped to talk to a neighbor. He mentioned that I had seen a ghost and was being silly and the neighbor corrected him saying that in fact her name is Helen and she visits anyone that moves onto the mountain.

FOR REAL.

It gets creepier....
Supposedly the woman Helen's husband left her for had dark hair and was named Donna. We have two family friends that meet this description and BOTH OF THEM have had the same nightmare of a woman pressing down on their chest when staying in those cottages I spoke of earlier.

BOTH OF THEM. 

So....who wants to come visit?! The story is better if I've been boozing and I tell it to you AFTER you have spent the night with us. Right Elie??

Happy Halloween!!!!!!!!!

P.S. I see Dead People. 

Links about Helen's Bridge:



Monday, October 28, 2013

Weekend Recap

I cannot believe October is almost over. This is my absolute favorite time of the year and I have no idea how it went by so fast! November is filled with lots of travel and December is pretty much dedicated to Christmas and then its boring old January. Slow down time!!!!!

We ate at Block & Grinder for the first time this weekend to celebrate a friend's birthday and it was killer!
My Steak..GONE. 

I have one picture to recap my weekend. That's not entirely true..I have over 300 but one picture can sum up my behavior over the past few days....
Tipsy Sweater...pretty sure I need this.

Yep. Way too much fun on Saturday. If I drunk dialed you, drunk texted you, drunk Snapchatted you I apologize! Apparently M was on my side of the bed soI dumped water on him and came downstairs and started to go through my phone spreading the inebriation all over the US.

The hysterical (to M) part of this story is that I had to be at Church at 8:30 Sunday morning to volunteer in the Nursery. Yep. 8:30am, wicked hangover, F in tow..playing with 2 year olds. But I did it and I survived. (barely)


We all know the only way to cure a hangover is the hair of the dog or endless Mimosas at a Baby Shower followed by a bottle of rosé on the deck. I blew up my Instagram with pictures from yesterday afternoon but it was just so nice to be outside! We stayed out there from 1:30 until 8:30 and would have stayed longer but it got chilly. And there was no way we were going to finish Season 3 of the Walking Dead on the deck in the dark. 


Now we just need to figure out how to permanently rig a TV/fireplace combo out there. Here are some pretty amazing outdoor spaces for watching sports.....








xoxo

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Business Trip to San Francisco!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE. 

Okay, I know yesterday I said I work from home and wear yoga pants and acne around the house but I am going on my first work trip in 10 days!!!!!!!!!!!

TO SAN FRANCISCO!!!!!!!!!!
I have been to California once in my entire life. Where you ask? I spent the night in Los Angeles  at a Holiday Inn Express by the airport on my way to Outward Bound in Mexico.  Dreamy right???

I fly in on a Tuesday and have meetings Wednesday/Thursday and then the hubs and I are heading up to Wine Country on Friday! But that's for another post. (And my anxiety/guilt of leaving my 2.5 year old for 6 days is already working OVERTIME)

And where may you ask are we staying? The Fairmont! Thanks work!!!!




My huge problem now is WHAT IN THE HECK DO I WEAR?!!!!!!!!!

Gal Meets Glam is one of the most well known San Francisco style bloggers...



 and Extra petite always puts together great work attire. 



The catch is I have to do this on a Banana Republic Factory price point. And do I have to wear heels???

Suggestions?!
WHATWOULDREESEDO?


xoxo

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Home Office Progress

I am very very lucky to have the ability to work from home. People always say, Oh that must be so nice to have your son home. WHAT?! No, he still goes to daycare...I wouldn't be able to hit send on an email if he was here. But it is a luxury that I do not take for granted. Especially when I do have to go Uptown for a week straight. To "get ready" (shower, blow-dry, make-up, not put on yoga pants) for 5 days is pure torture for me. I realize you are all like wah wah wah cry me a river you bitch but again...I count working from home as a privilege and a blessing. Plus...I despise wearing high heels and barely own any professional work clothes.
There I said it. I love to get dressed up and the way it makes me feel but after a few hours I'm DONE. Just call me Frumpy McFrumperson.
The issue with the fact that I work from home is so does Mr. Southern Bourbon Mountains. Yep, we are under the same roof all day. But I'm online by 7am as the chipper obnoxious morning person, and he is a night owl..so it kind of works out. What really helped is I kicked him out of the Formal-Living-Room-turned-office and he is in the Utility room.

So we have gone from this...


to this...

But this room still needs lots of help.

The nice thing is if I hide my personal laptop you don't see the computers when you walk in the front door. But you do see the huge empty space, a few half-assed hidden piles of junk and unbalanced furniture. And a ton of Bourbon.

Bourbon, empty space, and bad tablecloth


 I would love to skirt the desk. Its just the cheapo Ikea desk but I have fabric the same color as the wall I could do a gathered removable skirt?? Velcro on the bottom?

Yep, luxury. That Ikea chair houses my ass for 10 hours a day. It hurts. I need something else but something pretty enough to be in this room. I also want a type of aesthetically pleasing corkboard for notes?

See that big empty area on the right? I have a small chaise at my parents I could put there. Cover in a buffalo check?

These chairs are too big to be on each side of the TV Cabinet. And they are too short. Taller slipper chairs would look good or a type of ladder back with cushion? I need to hang art on each side also. The problem is if I move the chairs to the middle of the room again they are uneven. The windows aren't centered in the room. FAIL. So the just feel like two huge boobs hanging out. Will probably leave by the TV for now. Leaning Mirrors would also look good on each side but I already have a huge mirror in the room.

Here are some inspiration pics..

I could do the skirted desk and just detach the front?

I love this chair. I think its Pottery Barn Teen?

If this was our forever house we would definitely add doors. 

Another skirted desk...love bookshelves but built-ins are $$$$$

Random but how much do you love this? We have boxes of Max's Dad's recipes from when he was a professional chef. Dining Room?

Still too kiddy looking

Pretty but do the shelves ruin the room?

I love this but is it too College?

Favorite. I think we can make this board right? Just must keep it clean. And have fresh flowers. And perfectly sharpened #2 pencils. And lumbar support.

What do you think? What else do I need? I am stealing an area rug out of my parents' attic....

xoxo