Willy Nilly Friday 5 Number 9 - Mill Mountain Star

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A rainy summer day at the Mill Mountain Star.

Now some random facts about the star:

1) The star was built in 1949 to kick off the Christmas season shopping.

2) Initially the star was illuminated in all white but would later change to red to indicate a traffic fatality for that day.

3) After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the star was kept in a red, white, and blue configuration for nearly six years, until April 2007.

4) On April 17, 2007, the star had to be turned off because one of the power lines had been heavily damaged by a tree. When the star was relit on April 22, 2007, officials changed the color configuration to all-white "as a symbol of hope" after the Virginia Tech massacre.

5) See the view from the Star Cam HERE

Now it's your turn! Post 5 random things, link up to Willy Nilly and visit other participants!! Have a great weekend :)

The Street Performer

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Downtown Roanoke.

I'm so sorry I've been such a terrible blogging buddy this week! It's been one of those weeks...hopefully next week will ease down a bit! I promise I'll get around to seeing you soon!!

ABC Wednesday - G is for Mini GRACELAND

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Created by Don Epperly back in the 80's as a gift to his wife....For more info and location CLICK HERE

Linking with ABC Wednesday!

**Come back Friday for Willy Nilly Friday 5. Linky opens Friday morning, 12 Eastern!**

Rubbish Tuesday - Wrapping Things Up @ The Greenbrier

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Well I thought that I had taken a bazillion photos from inside but I really didn't. Many were too dark and rushed as we sped through the hotel. Nick gets impatient with me when I take too many pictures and he zoomed through the place like it was on fire so you'll have to make do with most photos having my precious family in them from the backside lol...
As you can see there are many retail shops inside and you can read more about that HERE

The interior design was done by Dorothy Draper and you can read more about that HERE

I won a whopping 26 clams in the casino playing Keno!

I think the Cameo Ballroom is my favorite room there, featuring a 9-foot chandelier of Czechoslovakian crystal. The lighting fixtures all through the hotel are just incredible.

Well, I guess this will conclude your tour of The Greenbrier until I get back there again! Linking with Roan's Rubbish Tuesday which is a fun meme that is more about wonderful old things than it is about rubbish! Happy Tuesday :)

Don't forget to stop by on Friday for the Willy-Nilly Friday 5 link up. Linky opens Friday at 12 a.m. Eastern!

Dining @ The Greenbrier

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The entrance at Draper's: "Conceived as a bright and colorful tribute to Dorothy Draper, Draper's offers casual all-day dining with a menu that includes classic Dorothy Draper recipes as well as traditional Southern dishes. Enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner served in a cheerfully unique setting.

Dishes such as Pigs in a Blanket, Specialty Omelets and Benedicts, Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, Crab Louis, Draper’s Chicken Pot Pie and Kate’s Mountain Salad will become family traditions, along with visits to the ice cream and dessert bar for a scrumptious house-made treat. If you’re in the mood for delicious southern comfort food prepared with the finest local ingredients and served with genuine southern hospitality, this is the ultimate diner experience for you."

The Main Dining Room: "Experience the epitome of Grand Southern Resort dining in our elegant Main Dining Room - celebrating 100 years of service! Dazzling custom-made chandeliers, stately columns and magnificent arched windows bring the ambiance of a dignified Southern mansion to life."

Slammin' Sammy's: "The Greenbrier's rendition of a "sports bar," Slammin' Sammy's features big screen TVs, billiard tables, shuffleboard, foosball and other games. Every table is a "front-row seat" with incredible views of the golf courses Snead tamed."

For more on dining at The Greenbrier CLICK HERE

The boys have their first official football game today. The coaches' dress code for game day is dress clothes. Here's my 2 snazzy boys ready for their big day!

Go STARZ!!

Willy Nilly Friday Five # 8 @ The Greenbrier...still

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I hope you are ok with me still showing pictures from The Greenbrier...I have soooo many to show you. I'll wrap it up next week and move on. But seriously, around every corner is a different look! It's just the most amazing place!

Now some randoms:

1) Ashlyn left for JMU. I cried. You said I would. Ash said I would. And I did. A lot. Like a big, huge baby. We both cried in the driveway hanging on to each other. I couldn't sleep well that night. I kept waking up missing her so much that I felt like I was suffocating. She came back the next night because she forgot her parking pass...that's my girl lol...luckily JMU is only an hour and a half away!

2) Braden and Dalton had their first football game as middle schoolers. It was a scrimmage against Staunton River and they won, 35-0! First real game is Monday.
Here's my Dalton catching a pass:

3) This Video made me lol, for real.

4) Have you heard about the real life Purge? Ashlyn was telling me about it. I guess it's a hoax but scary none-the-less..read about it HERE

5) I've been noticing trees thinking it's fall out. Slow your roll, it's still summer!

Now it's your turn! Happy Willy Nilly Friday!

Signs, Signs & A Good Fence - Lewisburg WV and Saints

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Lewisburg was cool in 2011. 1 year of coolness? It was a pretty cool little town though. I think it should be cool in 2014 too.

You see these in small towns everywhere

That's kind of a fence right? Fence-ish? This little barricade protects us from the players getting too close to the fans. Or maybe the other way around...Do you see my 3 guys?

My view of the boys from the other side of the field. Nick and I were sitting in the bleachers so I zoomed in to see what they were up to. Texting or something. Always with the phone.

For more on Lewisburg, the coolest little town CLICK HERE
Linking with Signs, Signs & Good Fences

Come back tomorrow for Willy-Nilly Friday 5 and link up! Linky opens at midnight east. What's Willy Nilly? Click the Willy Nilly tab on the top of my blog! See ya then!

ABC Wednesday - F is for The Greenbrier's FAB FACADE & FOOTBALL

Today I'm going to show you around the outside:
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"The Greenbrier is an award-winning resort located in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. As a National Historic landmark, The Greenbrier's classic architecture, exquisite interior design, carefully sculpted landscape, impeccable service and outstanding amenities have hosted distinguished guests from around the world since 1778." For more on The Greenbrier CLICK HERE

And now some football:

New Orleans Saints Ben Watson, Mark Ingram & Lawrence Virgil ...Training Camp @ The Greenbrier

Linking with ABC Wednesday

Don't forget to come back on Friday and link up with Willy-Nilly Friday 5!
What is it you ask? Write a post with 5 random things, can be photographs, 5 things you did this week, this month, this year, 5 books you've read...just 5 random things, link up, link back and visit other Willy-Nilly bloggers!

Rubbish Tuesday - Mae West

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A real Mae West fan hangs in the restroom of The Greenbrier. You might remember we were there a couple of weeks ago to see the New Orleans Saints training camp. The Greenbrier is now my most favorite place. I'll show you around the rest of the week but here's one more now:

I don't normally take pictures of restrooms but when I do it's at The Greenbrier! Isn't that one grand loo? This is the restroom where Ms. West's fan hangs. More tomorrow...for now I'm linking with Rubbish Tuesday

Monday Murals @ The Greenbrier

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Not really a mural but a photo curtain? It caught my attention as we were walking through The Greenbrier. I tried to find out who the couple is. Probably should have read that plaque that is to the right. Oh well.

Linking with Monday Murals

Leave A Message At The Beep

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Hula Hoop crossing @ Blacksburg Steppin' Out Festival

Hey peeps, it's a hectic week over here with school starting and lots of other crazy stuff going on so ima take a week off of blogging duties! Behave yourselves and I'll check ya later!!

Willy Nilly Friday 5 Number 7 @ Smart View Picnic Area

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This is where we picnicked when we were at Smart View on Sunday. (See yesterday's post). We brought along a big old turkey sub sandwich, some chips and cookies. There is a picnic shelter with picnic tables. Every time I say picnic, I want to sound it out like pic-a-nick as in Yogi "Hey Boo-Boo, I see a pic-a-nick basket" :) ....anyhoo....now on to some random 5's!

1) Would you stay in THIS hotel? I love scary things but I wonder if I would be too chicken? Probably!

2) School starts for the kids on Tuesday...boo....some of you might know I work part time in the cafeteria, yes, I'm a "lunch lady" lol...so I've already put in 2 days this week. A few hours to get the kitchen ready, a couple hours for a safety meeting, then Monday I was volunteered to work 9th grade orientation and then it's back to school for real on Tuesday. Funny, I was a stay at home mom for so many years, up until Braden and Dalton started 1st grade, that's when I started working in the school. It's nice have a routine.

3) Ashlyn heads off to college in a little more than a week. It doesn't seem real. She's been local, going to community college here but now she'll be almost 2 hours away. I told her I won't cry. She said I will.

4) We watched Divergent this week. It was really good. I like Ashley Judd and you know something weird? A couple of weeks ago Nick and I watched Kiss The Girls on tv, with Ashley Judd. There was a guy trying to kill her. The guy who tried to kill her on Kiss The Girls plays her husband on Divergent! How strange right?!

5) Have you seen this:

Haha...Ash and I tried with Ozzy. I gave him a shower 2 days ago and this time Ash wanted to record him. He did much better the second time around. I think he actually liked it. I'll see if I can piece it together to share with you next week!

Have a great weekend!! Now it's your turn!

Signs, Signs & A Good Fence @ Smart View

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Smart View Recreation Area, Trail Cabin. Mile Post 154 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The 19th century cabin, built by the Trail family, represents the isolation of mountain residents.

Linking with Signs, Signs & Good Fences

**Don't forget to come back tomorrow and link up with Willy Nilly Random 5 Friday! Linky opens @ midnight Eastern!**

ABC Wednesday - D is for Drew Brees

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So remember when I told you we had to return to the Saints training camp so the boys could get Drew Brees's autograph? Welp we went back on Thursday and SCORE! They got it! In the above photo is Braden getting the sought after autograph...
Then Dalton:

That's Ashlyn's yellow phone getting a picture, if you look closely, very, very closely into her phone, you can see Drew! He signed her shirt but for some reason I missed the photo. Bad mom. When Drew signed Dalton's jersey he said "There's a couple of D. Breese's around here"...meaning Drew and Dalton. We told Drew he spells his last name wrong...actually we do. Nick's grandpa is the one who added the E on the end when he was a big time boxer back in the day. Thought it looked better with the E when he was written up in the newspapers. Funny huh?!

Christian had Drew sign his phone case. Now he's stealing a selfie:

Obviously Drew is a popular guy. People yelling questions at him left and right, handing stuff over for him to sign but he answered and signed away always being polite. That's a Brees(e) for ya ;) Honestly though, they were all so gracious!

And here's what the boys' jerseys look like now with all their autographs:

These are their pride and joy!

Linking with ABC Wednesday

Rubbish Tuesday - Alexander Black House

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The Alexander Black house in Blacksburg, built around 1897. We went in to take a tour but it was swarming with people so we didn't stick around. We'll save that for another day! For more info on Alexander Black CLICK HERE....linking with Roan's Rubbish Tuesday :)

**Stop back on Friday and link up with Willy Nilly Friday 5! Link opens at midnight eastern time. List 5 totally random things, link and visit!**

Monday Murals - Atoka Chase in Blacksburg

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On Saturday we went to Blacksburg's Steppin Out Festival and this group Atoka Chase was performing. They have a great sound, we really liked them.

Look, a suitcase drum, how cool!

I've shown you that mural before RIGHT HERE

Here's a snippet of them playing:


Linking with Monday Murals

For more on Atoka Chase CLICK HERE

Lots to catch you up on this week, including more New Orleans Saints training camp pictures, yippee!

**Don't forget to come back on Friday and link up with Willy-Nilly Friday 5**It's a par-tay!