Tulip Meets Daffodil

Presents, Birthdays, and Happy Days at Occoquan

I had a wonderful, happy, relaxing birthday weekend. My hubby was so sweet, and it's amazing that at my age - I am still showered with generous presents from family and friends. My husband noted that all of the presents I received were absolutely perfect... I think at this point in my life I've succeeded in surrounding myself with wonderful people who know me very, very well. A pasta making attachment for my KitchenAid (made my first ever homemade pasta the other night!), a cast iron skillet (I've always wanted one!), two (two!) crochet books from my auntie (the wonderful person who taught me to crochet - love her!), slippers (I rarely leave the house so - just perfect!). All in all a great, great weekend.

Sunday afternoon we visited Occoquan, Virginia. It's not very far from us (I had no idea it was there... what a shame I had never been there before...) It's a cute little historic town on the Occoquan River. We brought Patrick. It was a lovely, sunny day.

The town is full of cute little houses.

Definitely a little magical.

Patrick had a great time. We were walking past a wine and cheese shop and he jumped a four-foot high wall to try to get inside. (My sister said it must have smelled like home to him, ha!)

It was the perfect day and I love my hubby for planning it.

Here is a pic of a very, very tired (but happy) puppy:

♥

Happy Things and Thoughts

It's my birthday in a few weeks and I've been mulling the past few days over the events of the past year. I turned 40 last April and it's really turned out to be more of a pivotal year than I ever imagined. Lots of changes... both good and bad, but, being the pessimistic realistic person that I am, I keep dwelling on all of the bad things that have happened. I'm trying to change that pattern, though, and focus my thoughts on the all of the good, happy, and positive things in my life! (And there are a lot of those... I am quite lucky. :)

One good thing from the past year is that I started this blog... I've really enjoyed sharing things I make and see and am inspired by. Here are some shots I've taken recently of some bright, cheerful things in my life that have made me smile.

My new wine bottle candleabra:

I saw something similar at a party we went to a couple of months ago - the one I saw held taper candles and I thought it was such a neat idea. And a great way to save and re-use a nice wine bottle. I decided to get the tealight holder style, because I always have a ton of tealights in the house, and well, I just thought it was super-cute.

Ceramic bunny basket... candies... enough said.

We also still have a ton of these cute daffodils in the back yard. I was worried they wouldn't make it through the cold nights we've had lately but they seem quite hardy. They smell divine too.

~

Thanks for sharing some happy things with me. ♥

Cherry Blossoms at their peak, Washington DC

I'm happy to report that spring is in full swing here! Besides some itchy eyes, I've been enjoying every minute of it so far. Weather's been spectacular except...

...for the one day we decided to go into DC to see the cherry blossoms! That's OK though, as they were still gorgeous and at their peak. It was quite cloudy, so my pictures came out only so-so, but given that it was a weekday afternoon and not very sunny, the crowds were kept at bay (which I was very thankful for).

We crossed the Potomac...

...then walked along the Tidal Basin under an umbrella of cherry blossoms...

...to the Jefferson Memorial.

The cherry blossoms really are breathtaking.

They were a gift to the US from Japan in 1912.

One hundred of the original trees still line the Tidal Basin, including the original two planted in 1912 by first lady Helen Taft and the Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese Ambassador. (I believe the original two are by the Martin Luther King memorial... I would like to see them someday as well).

Beautiful sight... even with the cloudy sky.

Weekends, Puppy Birthdays, Virginia Weather, and Mini Granny Squares

The hubby and I had a wonderful, laid-back weekend. Saturday was Patrick's (9th!) birthday so we took him on a special walk to the pet store... it was his first time there (it's been open for about four months, but I guess we are bad parents since he hasn't been there yet and it IS within walking distance after all!)

He was in awe of all the smells, bones, and toys...

~ Sensory overload. ~

We also picked up a special Five Guys hamburger (and fries!) meal for him, and of course - a bunch of new toys.

He was pretty worn out by the end of the day... with a full tummy and tired feet.

And thankfully, spring has sprung here in Northern Virginia. There are so many beautiful flowering trees out this time of year.

And temps have been in the 60s and 70s. (I think we're supposed to have a record high temp today of 75 F... whew! Pretty great for mid-March!)

I also stayed busy this weekend freshening up the house a bit - catching up on laundry, dusting, vacuuming. Opening windows. I hate being too hot or too cold... so it's a rare treat for me to be able to open the windows and enjoy some fresh air, instead of blasting the heat or the AC.

I was also feeling a bit crafty and started a quick crochet project.

How do you like my mini granny squares?

'Finished Project' pics to come soon I hope. :)

My Atlantic City Weekend...

I had a wonderful, special weekend with an old friend (friends since we were eight!). We met in Galloway, New Jersey - right outside of Atlantic City - at a very nice (and old!) hotel named the Seaview Resort. (Remember "The Shining"? Yep - that pretty much describes the experience... the beds were comfy and the staff was very nice though!)

 

We got in late Friday, had dinner at a local Italian place, then on Saturday headed into Atlantic City.

(Doesn't it look cold? It was.)

I had not been there since I was a kid... so it was neat to see now. It was a very, very windy day. We (quickly) walked along the boardwalk, trying to see all we could while we could still tolerate all of the sand blowing around - directly into our faces. We played some slots at the Borgata (I lost $30! Then stepped away... reluctantly.) And did some shopping too.

I definitely wanted to see Caesars... and my friend was very, very patient while we trekked around the city in the cold, biting wind while trying to find the entrance, (everything seemed larger than life and the whole place somehow felt like a labrynth).

(Why yes, I do have an affinity for anything even remotely related to ancient Rome.)

Saturday night we wanted to lay low... so we just headed downstairs for a couple of cocktails in the hotel bar.

Sadly, it all went very fast and today we're both back to the grind! Definitely a special weekend, though, and one that I'll remember forever.

Inspiration - or Lack Thereof...

I have to admit I've been feeling somewhat uninspired lately. Spring please come - quick!

I did bake some blueberry muffins last night... (oh how I love them). Besides that... nothing substantial going on in my kitchen lately I'm afraid.

It is in the 50s here today, so Patrick and I took a long walk this morning.

We might have snow this weekend though!

Happy Friday.

Spring Flowers and Winter Weekends...

Kind of a lazy weekend... very, very windy and cold, so we mostly stayed in with a fire going.

Beautiful winter sunset on Saturday...

I had one of my famously debilitating sinus headaches, so my sweet hubby brought me a Starbucks and some cut red tulips to try to make me feel better. Oh, and some meds too.

 

 

They all did help I think!

The tulips were tightly closed when he brought them inside... and within about 40 minutes they were wide, wide open. Pretty amazing to watch! I wished I had set up a time lapse camera.

We also have some gorgeous daffodils in the house at the moment.

 

 

 

Is it spring yet? :)

Work, Chocolate, and Fridays...

Truly one of the only things that's helping today:

 

(Well, it's not helping my waistline but you know what I mean...)

Don't you also just love this package design???

♥

Winter Walks...

After the stress and craziness of the holidays, I am back into a nice, daily rhythm and am much happier. I've been quite satisfied with work lately... (and for the most part) really enjoying what I do. I've been ending each day with a sense of contentment and satisfaction. Really, you can't ask for much more than that, can you?

I've also been very good at taking Patrick out for our walk every day, no matter what the temp. Usually we go first thing in the morning, or sometimes at the end of the day when I'm done working. Today, though, when I went out at lunch to get the mail, the sun was bright and it wasn't *too* cold. So I leashed up sweet Patrick and off we went.

See, I told you it was bright. :)

Evening Tea...

I've been quite busy with work lately... I really have to try to keep my stress level under control during the day. I tend to get overwhelmed, or something happens that just throws me off... and the rest of the day I'm in a tizzy. Not healthy, and not helpful. I'm lucky in that I work at home, and can take a break and crochet a bit, watch a little TV, or get outside for a walk. Sometimes I don't though (even when I should), and when I don't take care of myself... the day never gets better. It really doesn't. And my productivity (and mood) suffers.

Something to work on in 2012!

So I'm trying to find ways to wind down and relax in a healthy way. Tonight I finished up an afghan I've been working on (yay - great feeling!) and made myself a cup of tea.

I also have one of my sinus headaches. The tea helped a bit (not really) - I'm just hoping it doesn't last for days as they sometimes do.

Late Monday afternoon we had our first real snow of the season. Under an inch, and it only lasted about 18 hours before it all melted, but it's been the most snow we've had all season. (I know, I know... I just jinxed myself!) Although I don't mind the snow anymore as I really don't have to drive in it.

Another benefit to being a homebody!