barrett: 16 months old

Yep, I missed a month.  First time ever.  Honestly, I did remember yesterday that it was Barrett's monthly birthday;  it's just that I remembered while I was putting him to bed.  And a small part of me was thinking, "I'll just run down and print out his sign, and grab the camera, and...."  Nope.  That boy was tired and would not have put up with such shenanigans!  So I'm pretending like today is September 7th and that I didn't flake out on yesterday's date.

Barrett is such a delight.  I know I say it, and say it often, but he really is keeping up that streak of just being a happy baby.  He loves to walk, teetering down the backyard slope to the driveway, with a little smile and glance back up at us.  Then he finds his Cozy Coupe and we're off to the races.  Ride in it?  Naw, this guy loves to push it up and down and up and down and up and down the street.  And when it's not the Cozy Coupe, it's Britton's old doll stroller.  Then he knocks it over and rolls the tires until they are spinning quickly.  He just loves things that roll.

He's talking more too now, and has added to his vocabulary with "no" (would love to lose that word!), "uh oh," "ba ba" (sheep), "PawPaw," and he calls Memaw "nana" and we're not quite sure why.  Barrett has been known to just walk up to the hubs, grip his legs, and give him a big bear hug, for no reason.  He loves to cuddle, and his teachers report that if they sit down, Barrett shows up instantly, trying to plop down in their laps!

Likes:  throwing his dinner to the floor for Sadie (Sadie is also a big fan of this.  The hubs and I?  Not so much), going on walks, his new bucket swing, playing with Britton

Dislikes:  when the cabinets are locked (and he can't get in them),  being hungry, not getting to play with any electronic

saxonburg festival of the arts

Memaw and PawPaw came to visit this weekend, and we all went out to the Saxonburg Festival of the Arts.  Truth be told, I had no idea that either (1) Saxonburg existed or (2) it had an arts festival.  But the hubs and I had driven around last weekend and saw signs for a quilt show, so when I looked it up, I discovered the arts festival.  Only about 25 minutes away, and it advertised some great segments - antique tractors, woodworking, food trucks, Civil War reenactment (because you know that's how we roll), and ikebana.  And if you have to google "ikebana" to figure out what it is, I'll save you the trouble (since I had to google it too).  It's the Japanese art of living flower arrangement.  Yeah, we didn't seek it out.

I've never been to the town of Saxonburg, and this place blew me away!  I loved all the old buildings, and all the businesses were open, so we got to see antique shops and such.  

This is a hotel and restaurant on the main road.

Britton hunted down some face painting, and went with a blue-haired unicorn.  

Pumpkin funnel cake and fresh-squeezed lemonade!  When we lived in Texas, I fell in love with food trucks.  There was so much competition there that the food trucks had to be incredible to stay in business.  And it was a great way to try out new foods.  Saxonburg?  Um, it was funnel cakes, chicken on a stick, and walking tacos (Frito pie, for anyone who doesn't live in Pennsylvania and is going "What the heck is a walking taco?").  

And while the hubs and PawPaw scored some good chili, Barrett fell in love with Memaw's kettle corn.  Memaw timed it exactly right and got the fresh batch coming straight out of the kettle.  It was heavenly!

I could have spent hours picking through all the awesome antiques.  The prices were fantastic, and it was like Etsy was just spread out garage-sale-style in front of me.  But I really wanted to see the quilt show.  

Britton and I loved "the swan quilt."  The note says that the quilter hand-quilted this 100" x 100" quilt while she was recovering from knee surgery.  HAND QUILTED.  Tiny tiny stitches.  

Some of the pretty quilts...

I read in the pamphlet that this quilter is 91 years old now, and this "southern belle" quilt was the last quilt she made.  The appliqué was flawless.

Next to the food trucks were some booths, with handmade hair bows, slate signs, autumn decorations, wreaths, and the top-seller - American Girl doll clothes.  I spotted this cowgirl-style dress, with pinafore and under roos, and when I saw it was only $12 I snatched it up quick!  The quality was impressive, and I really wish I had bought some more dresses, because there were a ton of cute options.

Memaw treated Britton to the headband (which she is still wearing, sound asleep in bed).  Can't wait to go back next year!  But this time, I'll bring a trailer for the antiques, and more cash for American Girl doll clothes!

it's crafty: quiltspiration

More and more, I find my quilt inspiration in random findings that aren't out of a quilt pattern book or found on a quilting blog.  Sometimes it seems that the quilters o'the internet are all making the same pattern, or using the same "newest must-have" fabric line, and all the photos and text blur into one big sameness.  So I'll peek through when I get a chance, but so far not much has been getting me excited about a new quilt.  Other than the one I'm currently working on now!

This is a shopping bag at Marshalls.  Multi-colored Union Jacks!  I love the colors (I do tend to gravitate towards rainbow quilts), but man oh man, that piecing would be a bear!

A co-worker's lunch bag.  I'm big into solids right now, and I think you could use the Drunkard's Path pattern (yes, it's a real pattern!) to achieve this look, just by mixing up the placement a bit.

Sometimes I will spot a quilt on television and have to rewind, pause, and snap a photo.  I watch "How I Met Your Mother" reruns while I sew - I don't have to pay close attention and I find the show funny and entertaining.  And while watching one night, this ad (I think it's an Overstock or Wayfair commercial) came on.  What a great scrap quilt!

And last, this isn't quilt-related, but it is crafty.  At Cammy's, I wasn't ready to leave the beach behind.  So we collected some sand, shells, and ocean water, and I made my own little beach to take home with me.  Just superglue the lid on so it doesn't leak!  I want to make one for each new beach vacation I take.

britton's first day of kindergarten!

Today is Britton's first day of kindergarten!  As ya'll know, she stayed on at her daycare for their kindergarten program.  So while there were no huge changes to her daily ins and outs, it was still a big change for us.  Britton is officially a school-aged kid, and wow, that just knocks the wind out of me.  

Britton picked out her own backpack - with a picture of two Boston Terriers, this one was her absolute first choice.  And we hunted down a glittery pink pencil case, and the hubs gleefully picked up markers and crayons and erasers and pencils (he loves that stuff, but then again, who doesn't love fresh new school supplies?).  

I started a school binder for Britton (printables found here) and may or may not have taken 100 photographs of her this morning!  The binder also has a questionnaire for each grade level, so I got to quiz Britton on her favorite color, television show, activity, you get the gist.  I think she'll get such a kick out of looking at it when she's grown, and seeing how much has changed along the way.  Especially when she sees that in kindergarten she wanted to be an artist and soccer player when she grows up!

And Memaw and PawPaw surprised her (and us!) with an Edible Arrangement to celebrate Britton's first day of kindergarden!  One lone pineapple flower is all that remains, because dang it that fruit is good!

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."  ~ William Butler Yeats

61 months old

Not only did Britton start Kindergarten today, she also turned 61 months old (5 years, 1 month).  I have no idea how long I will continue to take her monthly picture, but I imagine I'm not going to stop until she refuses to do it.  And I'm not ready for ornery until at least middle school, so if she's sitting for her "144 months old" picture, then I'll consider it a success.

Britton is so sweet, quiet when she's full of thought, more and more outgoing every day, the kind of girl that still hides behind my legs, but then waves at strangers on the beach.  She's polite, except when she sometimes isn't, and that flare of sassiness rears up, just to remind me that she is in fact her mother's daughter.  Britton loves learning but gets frustrated when things don't come easily, when things aren't "perfect," and I remember what that was like, and know that it is my job to entice her to try new things, even when they are difficult.  The perfectionist trait is inherited. 

Our little princess on a John Deere tractor, that girl.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Likes:  Kindergarten, the beach, Butters the Cat (Cammy's, via Aunt Jessica), visiting family, writing in her notebook and journal, copying words off of boxes and containers, riding her bike, exploring the neighborhood nature trails with me

Dislikes:  ending a fun vacation, noodles (this week - it'll be something else next week!)

B and me, in VB

Britton and I spent Labor Day weekend in Virginia Beach, visiting Cammy!  I've never taken Britton to Virginia Beach because we either visited Cammy at Jessica's house or Cammy came to us.  So we decided it was time to get Britton to the beach for the long weekend.  

Upon getting back to Cammy's house from the airport, Britton was instantly in the pool.  This girl loves the water, and having a pool all to herself was her heaven.

Then Cammy went to Taste Unlimited for sandwiches for lunch.  I love Taste Unlimited, specifically the turkey and provolone on french bread, and when I think of the perfect sandwich, this is it.  Jessica and I are Taste Unlimited junkies, and now Britton has experienced it as well!

I don't think Britton has taken a nap in months.  But all the swimming and running after the dog and cats got her tuckered out quickly!  She woke up just before the entire family came over for dinner. Cammy made all my seafood favorites - crab dip, crab cakes, broiled scallops and shrimp, ahhhhhhhhhh, I'm drooling remembering it!

Britton hadn't gotten to see my cousin Stephanie's kids since she was a baby, so it was a real treat to hang out with Alexandria and Gavin.

And I got to see Stephanie and her husband Kevin!  These two are fantastic, and Kevin and the hubs get along splendidly too.  Unfortunately, the hubs and Barrett stayed home for this visit, but next time we will all get to hang out.

My cousin Kristen.  She just graduated from ODU and started her new job this week.  I saw Kristen grow up, so it was a little jarring to realize that she's a full-fledged adult now.  Or maybe it just made me feel old!

Cammy's sister, my aunt Jill, and Gavin.  I was so excited they could all make it over, especially since it was a Thursday night and everyone had to work the next day.  It's great when you get together with family, because you just pick up where you left off the last time you saw each other.

On Friday morning, Stephanie dropped of Alexandria so she could hang out with us.  And our first stop was the beach!  Chick's Beach, the bay, and Britton was in love at first sight.

It was windy, making the water a little choppy, but these girls braved the cold waves and got in.

The recent stormy weather had washed up a ton of horseshoe crabs on the beach, and Alexandria had no fear - she picked up each one to check and see if it was still alive.  None were, and we were all disappointed we couldn't toss them back to their homes.  Then we discovered some "moon jellies" (as Britton called them).  

After going back home to get cleaned up and eat some BLTs (with Cammy's yummy tomatoes), we headed out to the Marine Science Museum.  The Museum has gotten huge since I was last there, as they've added on so many new exhibits.  The Museum was Britton's favorite activity, and she enjoyed every minute of it.

I believe my instruction here was, "Pretend we're in a shark's mouth!"

While I was drooling over the completely-surrounding fish aquarium, Alexandria and Britton were seeking out the sting rays.  Alexandria nabbed a fantastic location, which the exhibit hostess told me is where they stand to feed the rays.  So the rays came right over to Alexandria!

Britton wasn't feeling as brave, and decided she didn't want to touch a sting ray.  She was content to watch Cammy do it.

Then we found the horseshoe crabs (alive! finally!) and both girls loved touching them.

After a quick stop by the gift shop, Britton was the proud owner of a stuffed seal (named "Pokey-Dot") and Alexandria picked up a stuffed hedgehog (named "Hazel Turquoise").  Britton wanted to show the real seals outside her new stuffed animal.

And of course Pokey-Dot got some cuddling at bedtime.  See those 101 Dalmation sheets?  Yep, you guessed it - they were mine as a kid!

We treated ourselves to Krispy Kreme donuts Saturday morning (Britton's first!), then back to the beach.  The clouds were pretending to go stormy, and they must have scared off the beach-goers because the beach was practically empty.

I spied some sailboats down the beach, and went to get a closer look. Britton made friends with a girl, and they went swimming and building sandcastles.  I found some amazing shells on my walk.

I had promised the hubs I would get him some new shirts, so after lunch we went down to the oceanfront to go to 17th Street Surf Shop.  We went past this hardware store, and I had to get a photo of this line of beach cruisers.  A beautiful rainbow!

For dinner, we went out with Jill to Dockside.  I've never been there before, so I followed Jill's lead and got the she crab soup and crab cake sandwich.  Both were incredibly delicious, and if you're thinking I may have overdone the seafood, the truth is I could eat seafood for every meal.  I just love fresh seafood.  We sat outside, and the view was amazing, mostly because I grew up on this river.  It really was like coming home again.  And it more than made up for the perspiring mess I became out there in that sun!

Britton got some new sunglasses at 17th Street.  The crab pinchers flip up!

After dinner, we sat on the deck to digest and enjoy the boats coming in.  

A couple began singing in the bar area, and Britton was intrigued.  She wandered over and watched them, and they even asked her what song she wanted.  They asked her if she likes The Beatles and she said yes (not that she's ever heard The Beatles - she probably thought they meant the bug!) and they sang "If I Fell" to her.  

We got back home this afternoon, and Britton is all out of sorts.  She misses her Cammy, the pool, the beach, and Butters the cat.  In fact, she's asked the hubs about 52 times by now if she can get a cat!