Augusta! Yarmouth! Freeport! Bath! And it all began with a coconut coffee and a cranberry orange muffin…(although the guy behind me at D&D ordered a cinammon coffee and a chocolate chip muffin, which sounded excellent as well!)

Mom, Debbie and I hit the road early and shopped and dreamed and gained inspiration at every turn. I picked up some vintage bottles at an antique store for a new art idea that I’m thoroughly excited about, and we also have some great new pillow ideas. Nothing like 3 creative heads bouncing ideas around together!

The weather was beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. And we pretty much wrapped up the day with a shop I’ve blogged about before, but the amazing Gayle of Ornament allowed us to snap pictures to our hearts content. THIS is what I want my house to look like…classy and casual, beachy and romantic, mix of old and new. *OH* how I long for a white couch to sink into. (Crazy thought with my 2 little boys running around, right? Especially since I wrote about that grand ol’ sandpit we have in the backyard!) Prepare to feast your eyes…

LOVE these plates. Bought the birdie salt and pepper shakers.

Aren’t these hats amazing?

Ok, I’m ready to go back. If you want to go, you can find it at 11 Centre Street in Bath (Maine of Course!)

Thank you for letting us run amok, Gayle!

Have a colorful weekend!

We All Scream For Ice Cream!

Happy Monday, ya’ll!  Enjoy a softserve today…you won’t regret it!

One of those fabulous days, that is.

Yesterday was super. The weather was better than we expected, so around 10:00 am we walked down the street to Reny’s and bought a bottle of Bubbles (aka bubble juice) for the boys. What joy 69 cents will bring! I finally broke out my camera to take some pictures-I’m so bad about not taking advantage of my camera. I took a plethora; here are a few:

Picnic!

Giving the tulips a “shower”, according to Ry. Check out how Jack is holding his watering can.

When the boys went down for their nap, I started making some pillow covers for my Etsy shop. I’ve wanted to do this forever, and I’m having SO MUCH FUN! I plan on completing a few today, then I’ll post pictures. Yay!

When Erick arrived home from school, we took the boys to Pizza Hut, then meandered along a back road to the soon-to-be Murray Residence. Let the kids wander around the yard, and E and I dreamed a bit. And guess what? I have a big, fat lilac bush in my front yard! Woohoo!

We then decided to drive around town a bit, and ended up at the Lakeside Restaurant, which was BURSTING with people. It was such a festive atmosphere! Most of the people were dining inside, but we decided to get some softserve and go to the playground. It’s behind the restaurant, and right on the lake…so peaceful. Jack chased the seagulls and Ryan went down the slide over and over again. I think we have a new family tradition! I wish I would have taken the camera…

The great thing? I have been particularly, in no uncertain terms, VERY much against moving to this town. I’ve never really cared for it, even though it was where Erick and I met and were married. I told God “No Way” would we ever move here. Haha! Now, you know, it’s really starting to grow on me. Funny how that happens.

Time to get to work! I can’t wait to share my new creations with you!

Finally. Can you hear the collective sigh throughout the state of Maine?  Temperatures to reach 60 degrees this week!  SIXTY!  Laugh all you want, those of you below the state line.  60 feels gooooood.

Last week I tried to seek out the little glimpses of spring.  Luckily things have greened up a bit in just a few short days, but here is what I captured on the Kodak, and what made me realize that winter will not last forever:

I really don’t care for yard art.  Or gnomes.  They kind of creep me out.  But this guy?  Swingin’ in the breeze in Camden?  He actually made me smile.

Shooting up from beneath a layer of…what IS that?  That lovely shade of gray, my friends, is a combination of dirt and salt.  The lawn will need some serious care this year.

Can it be? A little living thing?

It is!  And she’s not frozen!

I have to admit, I was glad to see a ladybug.  Living in Virginia, I came to DETEST ladybugs.  I will never forget the day that my mom-in-law and I drove to our apartment, walked in the door, through the hall, to the living room…and encountered a ladybug infestation.  Of which you have never seen the likes.  Floor, ceiling, walls…a literal crawling mass of the critters. After purchasing a new vacuum cleaner straight-away, (our old wouldn’t handle the enormous quantity), we spent a solid month sucking up bugs.  Every day! And they left this horrid smell, and these little yellow stains everywhere…Oh, the memories.

Since they didn’t seem to follow us back to Maine, I do believe I’m beginning to like them again!

Erick decided he would like a “boys day” with Ry and Jack today, so I took off with mom and dad to go furniture shopping (they are pretty serious, I’m still dreaming at this point!) We drove to Ellsworth and had a really fabulous day-it started out wet and drizzly but dried right up before we hit the streets. Spent a good portion of time downtown and discovered the Daily Grind. Wow! Art shop and coffee shop all in one. It was incredibly inspiring. I have some fave new artists and plenty of house decorating ideas! I also took a few pictures; I’m getting a little more interested in photography lately. I’d go back and change some angles, maybe do a little digital tweaking to them. But it’s a start.

Tomorrow, Erick and I are headed to Rockland, woohoo! He has a conference to attend and I’m going to tag along. There is no way I’d miss it…it’s at the Samoset Resort. We went last year but had Jack in tow. This year it’ll be the two of us because Nonnie and Papa are just so stinkin’ awesome; they’ve offered overnight babysitting services. I’m half thrilled and half sad; I’ve spent a couple of nights away from Ry, but this will be the first night away from Jack. And he is a major mama’s boy. Did I mention he spoke his first sentence last week? I don’t think I did! Erick and I skipped to town, and while we were away, he said “Mama gone gone, Daddy gone gone.” My baby is growing up.