By Stefanee Sherman • Rumble Contributor | Ava & Arden is a small, women-owned boutique on Main Street in Waynesville. The boutique's doors officially opened in September of 2021 and it has continued to grow over the years. Their collection of beautiful, elegant and unique items make for the perfect gift or addition to your own home! The merchandise ranges from affordable to high end, but is all the best quality. Their beautifully curated window is an eye catcher and one of my favorites to check out when I pass by. 

According to a recent U.S. News & World Report article, “The 15 Richest Counties in the U.S.,” five of these counties are next door neighbors to Washington, D.C. These are the bedroom communities for the capitol, the home of politicians, bureaucrats, lobbyists, and others who have their finger in the federal pie and tell the rest of us how to live.

I recently spent the day frolicking around Cashiers, N.C. alongside Ashlie Mitchell-Lanning, executive director of The Village Green, and Thomas Taulbee with the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce. The quaint atmosphere, friendly people and proximity to beautiful outdoor amenities makes it the perfect destination for a day trip, weekend getaway or lengthy vacation. 

After a bill allowing cities and counties to create their own social districts passed through the general assembly last September, towns across the state are exploring their options. Sylva is among the latest to do so in Western North Carolina. 

The holiday shopping season tends to be a stressful time for shoppers as well as retailers with large crowds, long lines, mounting tension and explosive tempers as everyone is in a rush to get everything on their list. 

Let’s face it, most people either can’t wait to begin their holiday shopping for loved ones or they just dread the whole spectacle. Put me in the camp of those who has found a way to enjoy it.

Developers are planning another new Ingles project that will include a complete upgrade to the Holly Springs Plaza off U.S. 441 in Franklin.

First steps are being taken on a major new residential development proposed for the site of a former grocery store and strip mall on Waynesville’s busy Russ Avenue. 

I’ve set my phone on vibrate so that I can watch the game while enjoying my holiday concoction of Chex Mix and mixed nuts without being disturbed, but when the phone buzzes on the night-table, I pause just a moment, then reach for it. I have developed an instinct for bad news, and it is best to hear bad news right away. I learned that watching The Godfather when I was in my teens.

I don’t like following crowds and have a naturally occurring cynicism of trends. That said, there’s one holiday promotional movement that strikes a real chord with me.

I’m talking about the “Small Business Saturday” or “Shop Small Saturday,” whatever name one chooses as a label. It’s this Saturday (Nov. 27), and the concept is to shop at the privately owned businesses in large and small towns across the nation as a way of supporting all they do to help their local communities.