weekend recap, march 10 edition

1. leaving our mark at our condo in the mountains | 2. pretty view | 3. trees down from the storm on the trip home | 4. - 5. craving non-alcoholic drinks and salad on our return | 6. new read | 7. - 8. Cal makes breakfast (protein heavy for baseball practice) | 9. Indian snacks | 10. icy cold gin and tonics | 11. curry | 12. dinner, Saturday night | 13. sunny yard | 14. team work | 15. backdrop painting | 16. studio time | 17. dinner, Sunday night | 18. still life

Looking at these photos, I'm astonished at how many of them feature food! What the monkey! We had a nice weekend. Re-entry, for the most part, feels good. Ask me that at the end of the day today, when we've survived the school/work day AND daylight savings, yo. Our drive down the mountain on Friday was stunning. The snow decreased as soon as we pulled out of the resort, but the valleys still had snow-laden fields. Once we hit the freeway, it was clear that the storm was more wind than snow, and there were trees toppled by the dozen, some with their uppermost branches brushing the roadside. I was craving salad, so Neel and I went out to grab a bite to eat while Callum stayed home Friday night. These guys were tired. As you can imagine.

Callum had baseball practice on Saturday. Mandatory practices for the end of the week if you were in town (and mandatory, no-excuse practices and a tournament for the varsity team), so we dropped him off at school and headed to the Indian grocery. Neel and I were in the mood for curry. I was really in the mood for palak paneer, but that takes forever to make from scratch so we got some frozen. Maybe next time. As far as the curry goes? The house still smells amazing.

Sunday was gorgeous here. Sunny and warm. Hard to believe that just a few days ago we were in 30 inches of snow! Neel got back in his yard and I got to work painting some backdrops for the studio. Something I've been meaning to do for ages. I knew I wanted to do a still life for my 365 photo yesterday, something to honor daylight savings and the longer, lighter days. A photographer's dream! So as I painted, I let my mind wander. By the time I got in the studio, I had plan. For once it worked out pretty much the way I imagined it, and that felt pretty good.

Slow-moving Sunday to start a fast moving week. Back at it today! I'll have a recap of our trip to the mountains tomorrow. I finally got a look at all the photos I took with the camera (not just the phone) yesterday, and I still can't believe ALL THAT SNOW!

I'm restless these days, so spring must be coming, right? Or is it the unexpected late night sun? Whatever the reason, I'm not sure I like it. How are you feeling these days, my lovelies? What does your week look like from where you're standing?

Five things, dream come true edition

1. I think I couldn't have asked for a better Spring Break. Really. As I'm typing this post, Neel and Callum are finally, FINALLY spending the day on the slopes, and the pups (2 out of 3) and I are tucked in cozily in front of the fire. The snow is piled high outside and the wind is still whipping. I couldn't be happier, really.

2. I think it'll be Tuesday before I tell you the story of our adventure. Is that okay? It's been an adventure, for sure! Most of my pictures during the storm (and all of the ones above) came from my phone, but I was able to get Big Daddy out for a bit. I can't wait to show you how beautiful it is here.

3. I think, if you're looking to rent a condo at Wintergreen for 2-4 people, you can NOT go wrong with the one we stayed in. Gorgeous views, convenient, affordable, and not just pet friendly, but pet welcoming. It was perfect. To top it off, the owners were absolutely AMAZING. Gracious and welcoming before we even left on our trip, they went above and beyond once it was clear we were snowed in. I can't recommend them highly enough, and if you do decide to try it out, let them know we sent you. We'll definitely be coming back. My boy loves to ski.

4. I think it's so interesting how vacations, even mini ones, can coalesce your thinking for you. I miss mountains. As you may know, I grew up in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and those rolling hills are part of my DNA. Driving up into the mountain on Tuesday afternoon felt like coming home. The view out the patio doors of this codo appeals to me more almost than any other, even the ocean, and that's a revelation. The Tidewater of Virginia has spectacular beauty, but it's pretty flat (wink). I'm also reminded of how much I love small-space living. I've said it again and again, much as I love our (little) gray house, and as perfect as it is for this time in our lives (raising our kid), I look forward to the day when we can open up the spaces and downsize. (Even Callum got it. Direct quote: "You know? I really like a small house like this. But I want to live in a mansion when I grow up.") One bedroom/One bath like the condo we stayed in? That's a bit small. But the truth is, we do the bulk of our living in such a small part of our current home. We don't need much more room than that in the long run. I have dreams, people.

5. So I think this little getaway was just what the doctor ordered for my family. We finally got in the skiing, and I got the snow I've been desperately craving. Add the adventure of a big storm to boot; who could ask for more? Our dogs did great, and it was so nice to cozy up with Miss Violet. We live at the beach, I think it only makes sense that we'd enjoy vacationing in the snow. Do you have a dream vacation spot? How about a dream weekend? Right now mine involves re-entry. Grabbing some groceries, getting Callum to baseball practice and gearing up to get back at it, only this time, we all feel better. Refreshed.

weekend recap, march 4 edition

1. Favorite stop of the week | 2. Stocking up | 3. River shot, week 6 | 4. Favorite lunch | 5. Visit with the Bread Lady | 6. Good practice | 7. New restaurant | 8. Nice cocktail | 9. Better burger | 10. Every weekend | 11. Stuff for me too! | 12. The new dog park? | 13. My granddad's drill bits | 14. Fence men | 16. Old/New game addiction | 17., 18. Spring will be here before we know it | 19. Cold, cold day | 20. Cubano bread and olives | 21. Pre-thank you Goodie Basket | 22. Dinner | 23. Patient doggies | 24. Pizza on the grill | 25. Why does it feel like we go here every weekend | 26. Little pick me up | 27. Favorite movie marathon

Shew-ee. Running late today. But, SPRING BREAK. We had a really nice weekend. I kicked off Friday at one of my favorite stops ever, indulging myself in a long chat with the fabulous ladies at Simply Selma's. I love it that they carry products from Santa Maria Novella and I can think about Annie and her love of them while I'm there. After that it was stocking up for our little getaway (hello, wine) and some shots for my 365 before picking Callum up from practice after school. My beaming boy made it past the first round of cuts for the school's baseball team, so that deserved a celebration dinner at a new local burger joint. We'd been wanting to try 80/20 Burger Bar for weeks now, but our last attempts were met with looooooong waits. We snuck in early and snagged a seat right away. Totally worth it. Yummy, upscale burgers, great cocktails and awesome atmosphere. We'll go back.

After a trip to the lumber store (surprise!) Neel and Callum worked on our back fence. Part of the reason Neel went with a DeWalt drill was to use the drill bits he inherited from my grandad and that makes me beyond happy. Seeing him and Callum working together on our yard made me happy too. Lucy, who couldn't go out while the fence was down, was less than happy! We're reinforcing our side fence, and we decided to paint it gray like the back fence. Neel has a great vision, and it's nice to see it coming together...even on cold winter days. We got Callum kitted out with new cleats and some new baseballs, and of course he had to try them out, despite the fact that it was 40º with a stiff wind (I sat in the car.). I will say this many times in the coming months, but I love baseball.

And after that it was grilling pizzas (yummy, but we're still working the kinks out), lunch Sunday at Callum's favorite restaurant (local wing joint...not a salad in sight) and a pick-me-up at the mall (where I snagged this in my quest for a facial refresher). We ended the evening with the second in our favorite movie series ever, Oceans 12. I swear Erin and I can quote these to each other ad nauseum, as can my family. God help us if we're ever all in a car together.

And now it's SPRING BREAK. Just in the nick of time. If I needed more proof that my kid was awesome (humblebrag), he suited up in blazer and tie this morning to spend the day shadowing a friend of ours who is a circuit court judge. And they made him leave his phone at the door. This is a travesty, given he just learned to play solitaire and reminded me how mind-numbingly addicting Free Cell can be. Harumph. Tomorrow we leave for a bit and SPL is going off line for the week. Thinks may look a bit wonky around here. Never fear. We'll be back up and running Friday with a full update.

Finally, thank you again and again for your wonderful comments, tweets, texts and emails about my workshop at the end of the month. I'm terrible at shameless self-promotion, so this is all very shymaking, but it really is a dream come true for me. Now we just need enough people to sign up for the class to be a go! Have a great week, my dears! XO

Five things, march 1 edition

1. I think I'm beyond thrilled to announce a Food Photography Workshop that I'll be co-teaching with my beloved friend and and teacher Jackie at the end of the month. If you're local and have any interest in food photography, we'll be teaching a full-day workshop at MOCA (where I took my first photography classes) in Virginia Beach. Lunch is included, as is a ton of valuable information and FUN. It's a dream come true of mine, to be able to do this, and I'm so excited to share the news with all of you.

2. I think I'm ready for these meds to kick in any minute now. I'm still coughing like I belong in the sanitarium, and last night my friend Marianne called me and said "Hi...oh." when I answered. Voiceless, pretty much. That's me. Some of us, ahem, might not be complaining. Well, I'm complaining. I'm irritable and whiny and complainy. Ready to feel my way to full health again.

3. I think it's time to stop complaining. Baseball has started up again, and that fact alone brings such joy to our house. Callum has had tryouts all week at school, and they'll continue after next week. It's his first time playing on a school team, and he's thrilled. He comes home excited each night, and that makes me excited.

4. I think I have a pleasant day planned for today. A meeting with some of my favorite ladies this morning, some fun shopping and a visit to my favorite baker this afternoon. And, what's that? It's Friday? Yes. I'm ready. What pleasantness do you lovely people have in store for the weekend? We'll hit a big box hardware store for sure, and I think a sporting goods store too. Surely there should be some diamond shopping mixed in there somewhere, yes?

5. I think it's time we got away for a bit. Next week is Callum's spring break and we've managed to snag a couple of days at the mountain where he and Neel had his fateful ski trip a few weeks ago. We all decided it was for the best that I come along just in case someone else gets dinged, and we were lucky enough to find a condo available for a night or two right on the mountain. One that allows dogs no less! Miss Violet has a yen to feel the snow crunch between her toes. I'm ready for the break and a different view and to breathe some fresh mountain air. Doesn't even matter that I don't ski. I think posting will be light here next week, although I'll be here Monday and likely Friday too, but other than that I think I'll focus on some rest and renewal. We could all use some around this time of year, don't you think?

around here {life}

That first picture is rather ominous, isn't it? I finally caved and went to the doctor. Well, I tried to go on Tuesday, but he was out of the office, so I snuck in on Wednesday and got some serious meds for this upper respiratory and sinus infection that I've been dealing with. Three weeks is too long, yes? I was sick this same time last year, similar symptoms although not nearly as long. I think the stomach thing threw us. Mainly I'm still fighting the fatigue. When we went to that oyster roast last Saturday it felt so remarkable to be out among people! I felt like I almost forgot how to act among the masses.

We're in that funny time of winter that's not quite winter any more and yet not quite spring. Callum's spring break is next week, and it certainly doesn't feel early enough to be spring. My snow hopes have mostly faded, although my guys are going to try to get one last ski in (third time's a charm?), and yet, I can feel winter hanging on. I'm okay with that. I don't feel impatient yet. Soon enough.

It's been a lousy winter here, what with our terrible news about Miss Violet (thankfully she's still going strong), Callum's ski accident and this pervasive illness. One thing after another. You'd think I'd be glad to see it go. And yet, I pick up my camera every day, marking time, and I notice how the light changes and our routines change too. Callum's back at baseball practice this week, hoping not to get cut. Neel's garden is creeping back to life and the days get ever longer. Time marches on, I suppose. That's the one thing you can count on.