Tea for Two

What a grand weekend I had with my Mom! She arrived in the early evening on Friday and we went straight to Wegmans- a most beautiful grocery store where the bakery section makes me joyful with its selection! We bought some items for the various weekend meals and headed back to my apartment. We didn't stay up too late, but went to bed to rest for the fun weekend ahead. Saturday morning we got up and headed out to Leesburg for our first day of adventures. Wow, the weather was hot! But we trekked along anyways, stopping at various thrift shops and antique stores. We had lunch at the Leesburg Restaurant- yummy and refreshing lemonade!- and then headed to Four Shabby Chicks, which is a store Mom had read about and wanted to visit. She didn't come home with any prizes, but I got these really awesome glasses that I absolutely love. The flowers are great and I love the colors! We then headed back to Fairfax to visit the Quilt Patch, where we got some pretty- though some of them slightly unusual when put together- fabrics and then moved on to Yesterdays Rose- the thrift shop I make regular trips to. We both found some items at the thrift store and then headed back to the apartment, first stopping for a few items for dinner. We had some Boursin on French baguettes for a starter, and while Mom made fresh amaretto sours, I chopped up veggies for buffalo chicken salads. The whole meal was delicious and I can't wait to make amaretto sours like that again! Very yummy!
On Sunday morning, we spent some time looking at photo albums and then finally decided to go out. We ended up at Target- not as unique a stop as the ones on Saturday, but we both got some new shoes and I got a great new dress. Afterwards we came back to the apartment for afternoon tea. I had been planning this since I found out Mom was coming and it turned out beautifully! I had picked out tea cups and saucers, as well as plates and a beautiful tea pot, and they all came together wonderfully with some new placemats I also purchased for the occasion. It was a beautiful set up, and I'm quite proud to say that all of the items I mentioned, except the tea pot, were bought at Yesterdays Rose- such a bargain for such a beautiful table! We graced the plates with cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches, scones with double devon cream and strawberry jam, and in the tea cups, delicious English breakfast tea. We had a similar afternoon tea on UK Mothers Day at an actual tea room, but it was lots of fun to set up the table ourselves and enjoy it in the comfort of my apartment. I hope that we can do it again, though next time it may not just be tea for two!

Adventures with Mum!

"There's a fabulous world out there just waiting to be explored."

This is one of the tidbits of inspiration I received this morning from Sarah BanBreathnach in my daily reading of her book Simple Abundance . It stuck out to me from the rest of the reading because Mum is coming to visit for the weekend and we are going to go exploring! We are both in such different times in our life, but we still enjoy so many of the same things. One of our objectives for the weekend is to find some fabric so that she can make me a new bag (my other daily use bag was ruined by my kitty the beginning of this week- very sad, but also an opportunity for something new!). Last week, Mom sent me a website (freespiritfabric.com) with some really awesome fabrics and I've been looking there for ideas and inspiration. To the left are some of the designs I really like and have taken as ideas for potential bag fabrics... and also as color and pattern inspiration for life in general. We'll just have to see if we can find some similar ones on our adventures to various quilting stores!

I've also been looking for bag design and shape ideas. I carry lots of things to and from work each day- my day planner, the book I'm currently reading, my journal, a box of various pens, my cell phone and wallet, and other things depending on the day. I'd also like a new bag for carrying things when I begin my excursions to the city (and wherever else my wandering takes me)- things like drawing books and pencils, my camera, a reading book, my journaling things.... I suppose I could use the same bag, but if she'll make two, I won't complain! :) At right is one that I like by Amy Butler Designs. It's a little small for what I'm looking for, but it's the same concept as what I'd like- I also like the fabric! With these ideas and inspirations in mind, I'm excited for adventures with the Mum!

Summertime Blues

Alan Jackson is right, there ain't no cure for the summertime blues. Today it was hot and sticky and I would have much rather have been lounging at (or in) the pool- or even better, at the river back in VT!- than sitting in a stifling office being bored and doing small, uninteresting tasks. Such is my life each day! My current job is not at all exciting, or even in my field of interest, and I am currently in search of something a little more brain stimulating. I'm in the process of filling out an intense personal history report for an admin. job in the local police department's criminal division- which is kind of scary, but also exciting at the same time! It is scary because it is a leap into the field in which I'm supposed to be knowledgeable about, the one I got my education in, but have not yet been involved in- proven myself in- professionally. Although it is scary, I'm ready for the change, ready to do something that interests me. Yay for growing up!

This picture is a print by Alphonse Mucha. I LOVE his work. This one is called "Summer" and I thought it was fitting. She looks relaxed, but almost bored- and a little sensual, of course. I'm not exactly relaxed, as I am fidgety about where my life is right now, but I'm bored with my job and with being my same old dull, unauthentic, self. As I take steps towards an actual career, rather than an employment pit stop, I'm also taking steps that are helping me blossom into a better version of myself. Hmm, this could be represented by the vibrant, passionate, red flowers adorning the woman's head in the picture. I have passion and desire to be a different, more true-to-my-heart-and-soul me, but my head doesn't always transition those desires into actions. So here is to beautiful paintings that represent a moment or an experience, to growing up, and to taking advantage of opportunities in life- no matter how scary!

Dolphins At Sunrise

This blog is named after a most memorable experience I had in the summer of 2005. My best friend and I were staying at a beach house in Rehoboth Beach, DE. We decided that we were going to get up in the wee hours of the morning to see the sunrise. To our extreme delight, we saw more than that. We knew there was the possibility of seeing dolphins, but we never imagined there would be so many, or that it would be so beautiful against the amazingly still, sunrise-colored water. The picture at the top of my blog is one I took that morning. It is an example of the beauty God provides for us, the things that really inspire you and knock you aside the head with a feeling of awe. I have created this blog in order to save and share more things that inspire me. I look forward to an exciting journey spilling my experiences, inspirational finds, and in essense, my life onto these pages.

(These pictures are of us curled up in blankets on the beach waiting for the sun to begin its ascent over the water)