It's Friday!

We had a good time last night. Went to my parents house for a little cookout, and then got some ice cream from the Pink Palace. We got some boxes of sparklers and danced around the parking lot in front of the house. I'm sure the neighbors thought I was crazier than ever-- I was dancing around with 2-3 sparklers in my hands, but it was lots of fun. A was amazed by them and we kept telling her not to touch them, but she insisted, and had to hold ice in her hand over the burns. J and lil J got tired of the amazing sparklers and played some night soccer. This morning they finished camp with a World Cup tournament final game and an awards ceremony.


This evening we'll be watching Curious George and X-men (latest one) at the Drive-In. We're going to take a picnic dinner and play some games before the movies start. I doubt we'll be able to stay up late enough to watch both, as the first starts when the sun goes down.

Busy Bee

This week has just flown by. Pretty much everyday starts off the same way... wake up and realize that you have to get the kids and their stuff ready. Think about what they need for soccer camp: swimsuit, towel, outfits, clean socks, shoes, ball, sunscreen, etc. Realize that 1 or 2 of the necessary items are missing-- rush around to either find it or quickly wash/dry adequate replacement (towel or swimsuit, or clean, non-sweaty soccer socks). Try to brush A's hair but she really isn't happy about that. Remind her to finish eating. Remind her to finish eating. Remind her to finish eating. Her brother J has been such a help this week. My cousin's done a good job with these kids-- they're sweet and very well behaved, but A's definetely got a little DIVA in her!

The flooding's finally better. I know that in some parts of the Northeast it was much worse. The sun came out yesterday, so I decided it would be a perfect day to air out the house and paint something! So I chose to paint the bathroom downstairs. The color was called Water Hyacinth by Laura Ashley, and it looks blue-ish purple. I thought it woud look cool with blue things like those plates. The colors are a bit off in the photos, but I'm sure you get the idea. I also painted our coffee table white (it was old and needed a fresh coat).

We've been eating everynight with the camp counselors (since my bro's running the camp); that's been great because I don't have to cook. I'm excited about some stuff we're taking the kids to do... this afternoon we're going here and tommorow night, weather permitting, we'll be here! Yesterday we took the kids to play some baseball...


Well, I'm off to pick up A&J from camp!

Rain.

Today the rain has just been pouring! My brother's soccer camp started this morning with a monsoon-like downpour. Some of the parents looked very hesitant to leave their children, but in the end, I think all the kids had a great day. A and J, my cousin's kids, are staying with us this week while they attend camp... they came home very happy and in great spirits.

J and I ran some errands this morning and then checked out the river. It's flooded pretty bad...




This weekend was fine. My cousin B and her kids A and J arrived late into the evening Saturday, so Saturday morning/afternoon I got together with my friend Ash for some good old-fashioned pie baking! We really intended to make 4...

but we had so much fun we made 4 more! They were yummy. If you live in the area, please stop by for some pie and ice cream!

Today I finally got to meet Chef Messy! She met me here for some pottery painting. She seems just as sweet and crafty as on her blog. Can't wait to see how our creations turn out.

Finally, I think I'm really tired of my white walls. We stayed at a cottage last week where there wasn't a speck of white paint-- the place was loaded with color. My cousin has painted all her walls and that's inspiration to me. Plus, the new Cottage Living arrived just packed with adorable ideas. I think I need to paint something this week-- if the rain would just stop!


Well, we gotta feed these younguns', and do all the fun stuff like laundry!

(note: I can't get Blogger to post more than 3 or 4 photos. What's up with that? Any advice? I don't like using Hello or whatever it's called.)

Mail! For Me and You!

I was happy to have a package when I got home! I participated in Dacia's Tag Swap and the goods finally arrived. Check them all out here. These are the ones I made...

Today I'm sending my Candy Swap package. I won't reveal what I got together for her, but I hope she enjoys! I got it all in Pigeon Forge at the Old Mill Candy Factory.

Last, but not least, I have something I'd like to give away in the spirit of Fast Friday Giveaways... the first person who leaves me a comment will be the new owner of a fun red table linen set shown below(Red Checkered Round Cloth, Square Vintage Prints, 4 Napkins Vintage Print). Be sure to leave me your email address.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

We're home! We really enjoyed our trip... it was totally relaxing and refreshing and just what we needed. It was hard to leave, and the drive home from a vacation is never fun. Yesterday the drive home was awful. The weather was hot as the devil and we were pretty bummed about the US losing their game (no more World Cup for them). Oh, also I am just covered in bug bites all over, so it was so hard not to scratch them all!

We stayed in the most adorable cottage. It was an old Victorian cottage tucked way into the Tennessee woods, right near the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The owners have done such a nice job to make it feel so lovely inside and out. It was a truly peaceful place. In the guestbook, we found at least 3 couples who had married right there at the arch of the house. Inside, everything is antique or made-to-look antique, in yellow and blue. They even had old family photos up from the 20s and 30s. I was wondering if maybe since it was so decorated, we wouldn't feel comfortable, but we were. It definetely was our home away from home. Let me share a few more photos:

We ate lots and lots. For me, that's the best part of a vacation... trying all different kinds of foods. Since we were in Tennessee, we had to try some down home, Southern cooking. It was all so good, but so much food. Every place we went (the Old Mill and the Applewood Restaurant) serves homemade fritters (corn or apple) with dipping sauces, then homemade soup (corn chowder or veggie soup), then salad, then dinner (we tried Fried Chicken, Meatloaf, BBQ and Chix and Dumplins), THEN dessert ( which I could usually only eat a bite). It's more than I can eat at Thanksgiving. I love the Old Mill Corn Chowder... it's got a bit of a kick! I found some recipes from the restaurants to share. more recipes

I even made 2 packed lunches and ate leftovers! For me, that's saying a lot. I hate packing lunches, but everything is so expensive. Everytime we went to the Nat'l Park, I packed. And leftovers, we ate for dinner one night, because we didn't want to drive back to town (20-30 mins).

We decided not to go to Dollywood; it just would have been sooo crowded. We played putt-putt, did a little shopping (I'll do a post in a few days), a little walking around Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg can be a little crowded, so we walked in to the Ripley's Aquarium and it was WONDERFUL! I dare say I like it more than the Baltimore Aquarium. They have a really spectacular coral reef, and this cool tunnel you walk under. You look up to see the sharks, eels and fish.

The General Lee from Dukes of Hazzard @ Cooters in Gatlinburg.



Whistling Sailor

Jellyfish usually freak me out, but they were my favorite at the Aquarium. It was so beautiful watching them swim. Check out the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFp3myWb2Cw
Strange Jellyfish Photo

Also, look at this crab. It looks like it's a pretty large crab, but now look at it next to me! It's freaky what's at the bottom of the ocean!

We also did some hiking. I mixed some birdwatching in with it. We did a hike called Alum Cave Trail and very short walk called Sugarlands. I can't promise that I didn't whine a little; there were some really steep parts of the hike and I'm just not in great shape. I made it, though, without help, but my legs were sooooore. The view was worth it. The Smokies remind me of Virginia, but the mountains are just a tad higher. The waters look so much like what you see here.

Last but not least, I need to share the bug and animal situation. The house was way up in the woods. Right near a National Park. But. We were warned to keep the drains closed so that creatures wouldn't crawl up and out. I thought we did a pretty good job, but I guess not. I stepped on what felt like a piece of candy, so I went to scrape it off on the rug, only to discover it was something called a mountain scorpion!!!!!!! I freaked out and bugs don't usually scare me. This thing's tail was all curled up and everything. It didn't sting, but since I am also covered in bug bites, any time I feel any little thing on me, I get a little nervous that it's some kind of bug! Would this thing scare you???

It does curl it's tail!

Tennessee or Bust!

Tommorow night, we'll be in Tennessee. Check out the cute little house we got in the Smokey Mountains! Isn't it just darling??? I just want to move in! But alas, we can't.



So we'll be in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park, right next door to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. We went camping there last year and had such a great time. There really are too many tourists, but we had to go back. We'll hit Dollywood, some good food (what I look forward to the most), do some hiking, biking, relaxing, and whatever else is our fancy. There's white water rafting and horseback riding, plenty of shopping (not really my top banana) and shows (not really interested). There's just a whole lot to do and it's so much cheaper than other places. We got a great deal on our cabin, and I know you can find hotels for cheap. I think it's sort of the Honeymooner's Capital of the East... sort of thing.

Oh, and the mountains! They're so beautiful. Parts of the park were once like the Shenandoah Valley of Va. Inhabited by farmers and such, cleared of trees, etc. The government bought the land and slowly the inhabitants moved away or died. It's only been about 60 or so years that the humans have been gone, so it's almost all new forest. You'll be hiking and suddenly come upon someone's old homestead, evidenced by an old chimney in the middle of the forest! There are some sort of ghost towns that they've left intact so you can see how folks lived back then... gosh, I am just going on. I love to imagine places how they might have been, and the people that lived there.

Well, I leave you (all 5 people who read this) with best wishes for an Ab-So-Fabulous Week! I leave you with some flowers from the garden (Martha Stewart's garden!).

Happy Father's Day!

I don't think my dad has read my blog yet because he's most likely watching soccer right now-- can you believe the US/Italy game yesterday? Under the yucky circumstances, to plan a man down versus ITALY, and considering also their performance last week.... to tie! It was one of those games where your heart pounds to the very end, you're biting your nails, sweating, and you scream as your team scores (well, in this case, it was actually Italy who scored for us...) or scores but then the ridiculous ref who has already kicked off the 2 best players for the most unheard of reasons says it's a NO GOAL! whatever. USA played great, and Americans should be proud. No other team has pulled off such a feat.

Enough about the World Cup! Today I'll have my parents over to BBQ. My dad loves ribs and grilled corn, so that's part of the menu. J's parents are in Tokyo right now, on a mission, so we won't be seeing them for some time, but we'll definetely think of him today! I hope all you fathers, uncles, grandfathers and brothers have a great Father's Day!

I want to share with you some of my favorite photos of my dad...

From top to bottom: 1- born in Nurnburg, Germany; 2- later grew up in Philadelphia; 3-with me at 7mos.; 4- at Indian Pool in Goshen Pass; 5-In Ocean City, NJ; 6-at our old house in Lexington with Michael making the face he used to make when he just woke up!

I Love What You Do For Me!

So, we went. We saw a truck. We bought a truck. A Toyota Tacoma to be exact. I am surprised by my reaction to the whole thing. I admit I am the impulse buyer between us, but J. was all about having that truck TODAY! Suddenly, I am processing all the purchases which I maybe now ought to avoid (hello and goodbye Etsy, Ebay, Amazon, old buddies) and thinking maybe I should start waitressing again or maybe start making things to sell or .... Gosh, I really have myself all stressed about this. We have set aside money for a while and prepared for this, but I was unprepared for the stress that would hit me. He's just a happy guy-- he's got a truck.

Alright, for fun, when you get a new car, you have got to take pictures! And what better brand than Toyota? I'm sure most of us remember the old "I love what you do for me-- Toyota!!!" ads. Before I show you the final most excellent photo, let me show you the outtakes. They make me laugh! We had a great time trying to do this! Please note: J is a very good jumper. It is me who is the bad photographer who just couldn't get her timing right. My man CAN jump, folks.

Fiddle Friday

The last day of Color Week! So soon? Today's color is.... red! I had a hard time finding anything red in our house. These are some of the vintage hankies that will go on the quilt I'm making for my friend. I love all the hankies, but the reds are very cool.

Well, it's the end of the first week of summer vacation. I have gotten so much done! Cleaned the house, cleaned the car, nearly ready for Saturday's yard sale, truck shopped.... Ready for vacation! Today my uncle and his girlfriend will arrive from Philly. We're all headed to the Fiddler's Convention in Buena Vista. He's my favorite uncle-- never a dull moment! He's got excellent taste in music, always has. I remember my parents playing John Denver and Gloria Estefan; he introduced me to the likes of Neil Young, Grateful Dead, Eric Clapton. Which is why I am always surprised that he likes to come down our way to go to the Fiddler's Convention. We'll definetely have a great time!

Truck Hunting, Day 2 or Blue Thursday

Today we head to Staunton to do more huntin'.... for trucks. I find it weird the trucks on the market right now. They're either HUGE, ridiculously HUGE or teeny tiny. Why can't they just offer a nice medium size truck now that doesn't guzzle gas every mile or require a ladder to get inside? He's looking at IMPORTS (please don't tell my father) and I'm trying to convince him to buy FORD but with little luck. He sees a Tacoma and he's head over heels. Well, wish me luck-- I hope I survive! :)

For the 4th day of Color Week, we need to post photos in Blue. First up, a quilt that my cousin made me for Christmas with some beautiful French-ish blues. It's just beautiful and the photo doesn't really show off all the right colors. Isn't she talented? I am currently making a quilt for my friend, but because I don't know how to use a sewing machine, I am going for the old hand-pieced look because there is no way things will match up quite as perfectly as, say, this quilt! She picked the perfect colors for us, too! (Thanks, B! I'm sorry I can't be there to help you with your big move and crazy projects! Can't wait to see you next week!)

Second, the mailorder project this month. A beautiful shade of blue! It was simple to put together, & it's adorable. I put it in my sewing box and cannot wait to use it! I heart mailorder! :)

Happy Wednesday!

Today was officially my last day of work unti l August. This is really the first time in my life I have no side job or committment. It's been wonderful. I helped at school all day, and then came home and cleaned house. Ok, call me crazy, but I love to clean the house. I just love to have it done-- dont' have to deal with it. We even had enough time tonight to do a project. J had a Lowe's gift card, so it was burning a hole in our pockets (alright- mine more than his). He got some tools and I got supplies to make a ribbon holder.

Here's What You Need to Build Your Own Ribbon Holder:

Messy Pile of Ribbons +

Swiss Army Knife +

Strong Man Arms + Ruler

=The Perfect Ribbon Holder!

(Well, I guess I should also say that you need a curtain rod, too. That' s just not as important as the above mentioned! :) )

And for Wednesday Color Week's picture:


This is a pencil drawing from a very old muslin piece I did yesterday. I tried to do the same pattern on a ceramics piece, but I didn't really like the finished product. I do so love the original design!