relax


Have a relaxing Labor Day weekend! We might actually go to the beach this weekend (I haven't stuck my toe in VA Beach sand in years, even though it's only half an hour away). Though in reality, it'll probably be another packed weekend of gardening, housework, and craft/arts projects.

sunset on the eastern shore


Seems to have a warmer glow than other areas, much like Venice. Maybe it's all the fields of corn.

around the world


Thanks to Thom & Beth, Timmie took a trip around the world (thank you also for the photos, guys!).

Check out more pics here and here.

Timmie is courtesy of M. Patrizio.

making tortillas



If you have never tried homemade tortillas, you should. They taste nothing like the kind you find in stores or even restaurants, as they're thicker and remind me more of Indian naan bread. Unfortunately, I was so busy taking pictures, I didn't pay attention to the ingredients. So it goes.



She asked me to shape the three last tortillas. It's harder than it looks – that's why mine resembles a large guitar pick.

the griswolds' beach vacation


And...we're back!

off to the beach

And of course I haven't packed. Tomorrow we're heading up to Chincoteague for some much needed relaxation along with all my in-laws. This would be someone else's worst nightmare, but not mine, thankfully. These guys are tons of fun and we're looking forward to the quality time.



We're staying in my grandparents' house (they have since passed) and for some reason, I find it very touching - my husband's grandparents staying in my grandparents' old room. His grandmother has always reminded me of my dear maternal grandmother, who passed away so long ago...her kindness and radiant smile...perhaps I'm being overly sentimental.

Yeah, that's my family above. My mom is the ragamuffin in the bikini and my grandparents are in the foreground.

So anyhow, I'll be bringing my laptop with me and posting pictures as I take them. Hooray for vacation!

ribbon cutting


I saw some familiar faces at the grand opening of a popular chain bookstore in our downtown mall. Remember these guys? I'm a proud mom.




*One note - I didn't know the tree leaves and limbs would have hatching. Oh well.

lord help us


I joined the civic league and my husband delights in the making of amish friendship bread.

8 am


Enough to make me pause during my frantic morning routine.

demolition, part two


As of last Friday - a continuation of this post. Get rid of the old to make way for the new – seems to be the trend in downtown Norfolk these days.

anniversary


This was taken a few weeks after we started dating. Propped the camera on a car hood and hustled to beat the timer. I was 24 and still getting to know the guy seated beside me.

Two year wedding anniversary flew by before the camera snapped.

cabin fever

Okay, not really. The intolerable humidity in the Hampton Roads area kept me indoors most of the weekend, which in retrospect, was rather enjoyable.


Worked on this guy at the Craft Mafia meet-up last night. Charmaine looked at it and said, "no, that's not a bunny. It's a deer." Hmm...alright. I may want to consider altering the pattern, since it does sorta resemble a dog more than a rabbit. Hand-embroidered eyes and nose.


I also was contacted by a friend and former coworker. He has started a blog documenting his daily paintings/exercises - still lifes mostly - as motivation to start painting again. An amazing painter and illustrator, his work is mostly in the tradition of the old masters. Just don't bid on the radishes.

Working as book designers, Dan and I used to give each a hard time about not painting anymore. So the timing of the contact was strange, as I too had spent the weekend painting. Just a petite landscape in oil on paper (approx. 7x5 in.), but something about the process was very satisfying (though I can't say much for the outcome). Painting isn't like riding a bike and it's going to take some time before I feel comfortable tackling a larger canvas. But, like Dan, I hope these small paintings will be what I need to take the plunge again.

and...I'm back.

More late nights at work and skipped lunch breaks = no updates. Here's a few mundane things accomplished in the last week:

bye bye, tree.


We had two humongous pines, threatening to slice our little house in half, taken down before we hit hurricane season. Who knew they would lift the tree pieces over our house?! I'm so glad I was at work.


Finished the spice cabinet. Hit Ikea on the way home from DC the other week and found cute little spice jars to fill it up. Nothing is labeled, so I'm going to rely on scent alone.



And finally, the raccoon face. When I was young, I was obsessed with dead animals. Whether it was escorting family members one-by-one to view the flattened snake in the campground or counting dead frogs along nature trails, I was completely intrigued. But, my interest has since waned, so why do animal corpses keep popping up on my property?

It's the third one we've found since moving into our house two years ago. I reported it to animal control whose worker was less than thrilled when she didn't discover a ritualistic sacrifice on our lawn. There's a wild animal shredding others in our yard and nothing I can do about it. Eh.