Our Yellow House

West Coast...Oh yeah!

I have been far away. I just returned from a solo trip to Seattle! I have seen so much. Travelling is really such an amazing learning experience and it has been many years since having a trip like this one. My flight over there I spent mezmerized by the terrain which looked of another world to me. I couldn't believe what I was looking at.

This was the longest I have ever been away from Matt and the girls, five days. I had never seen the west coast. This trip came together so quickly and perfectly. My dear friend, Kate, has lived out there for years and recently had a baby. There is no better excuse than a baby! I would have gone anywhere but, it turns out, I got to also see this incredibly rad city. My time was perfectly balanced between chatting with a nursing mama in her living room and chatting with a nursing mama at great restaurants and parks.

Kate was a fantastic tour guide who took me to some of the more popular tourist attractions and places the locals hang out.

I think what struck me the most is the art. It is everywhere! There are mosiacs in the sidewalks, a gigantic troll under a bridge, murals, blown glass in wrought iron handrails, sculpture parks, and so much more. And gardens galore!

Even in the drainpipes.

Every day there I learned something or saw something new. We toured the Theo Chocolate Factory and learned things about chocolate that surprised me, visited the zoo and discoved a tapir is a lot bigger than I imagined, and dipped my toes into Puget Sound.

This trip was truly magical. Getting to spend hours talking with an incredible woman who I have known for so many years. We realized we hadn't spent time like this together since high school. It felt just the same too. So comfortable and so relaxed. And to boot, we ate incredible food along the way and I met up with a college buddy who is now married and a dad!

I feel rejuvinated and inspired in so many ways. It is hard to believe the summer is really coming to a close. We have two weeks to prepare for the upcoming school year and eek out as much of August as we can.

Here goes!

 

The First Leg of the Trip

I promise, after today, I will not go on and on about how awesome our two week vacation was. This was by far the longest trip we have ever taken and that first week was jam packed. After our friend's memorial we headed south to Freeport and camped at Recompence Shore Campground. If you are looking for a beautiful place to camp in Maine, I highly recommend this one. It is attached to a farm and is on the water. What more could you ask for? Unfortunately, my camera battery died almost immediatly so the images are forever in our minds. Those few days were great though. We explored the coast, ate a lot of seafood, got to hang out with Aprill and her girls, and went to Portland for pizza and yarn.

After all of that we went to Boston for our first ever time all together in a hotel and exploring a big city. We hit the Northside, Quincy Market, the public gardens (for the Swan Boats), and the aquarium.Total tourists!

I have been wanting to go to the aquarium for years. Well worth the wait I would say.

 

I could have photographed the jellyfish and the pink anemones all day long.

Hurrah for vacation Summer 2011!

Adirondacks :: 6

Adirondacks :: 5

Adirondacks :: 4

Unintentional but hilarious. Check it.

Adirondacks :: 3

 

 

Adirondacks :: 2

I thought it might be fun to do a little (phone) photo project this week during our time in the Adirondacks. I will post one photo a day.

 

 
 

Adirondacks :: 1

I thought it might be fun to do a little (phone) photo project this week during our time in the Adirondacks. I will post one photo a day.

 

Enthralled

We have just stopped home long enough to drop off the camping gear and pick up the hula hoops and Matt's bicycle. We have spent the week exploring first the coast of Maine and then the city of Boston. The girls have been incredible travelling companions, and were completely enthralled with the subway (see above). Our next stop is the Adirondacks, to spend the week at the lake.

Have a wonderful week!

Rhinebeck 2010

So I think I may have mentioned once or twice that I was planning to make the trek to the Rhinebeck Sheep and Wool Festival this past weekend. Well...I did! Abi and I drove down on Friday night so we could get an early start on Saturday morning. We arrived with the early birds before the masses but, oh, they certainly came soon after we did. We were surrounded by incredible knits and yarn and beautiful crafts and wooly animals of all varieties. Crazy thing is, we both decided we didn't want to lug around the big ol' cameras so neither of us has much to show. But...it was a wonderful day spent with a friend.

I came home with a bag of yarn from Wild Apple Hill Farm and a handful of secret goodies to be given as gifts for Christmas (some of them for me!). I will be making myself a cardigan with this Oatmeal yarn. I was pleasantly surprised at its price--this sweater only cost $35. There were plenty of other yarns that I would have loved to have purchased but I am very excited about this almost locally (just south of here in Hudson) grown and produced yarn to make me a warm and very useful winter sweater. You may remember how chilly this house is in the winter. It is already quite cold in here, no heat yet.

I was very excited to see this sweater walking around on its designer. I favorited it just last week and seeing it in person has me convinced that I need it. That will be my next next project.

What are you working on?