Pink Elephants on Parade

Collin's sister Meggan posted this photo on my facebook page today and I had to share it. I made this custom necklace for her as a Christmas gift and I'm thrilled she is smitten with it. I never took the time (had the time/made the time/was so busy I cried) to photograph it before I sent it off to her but it was definitely one of my favorite animal necklaces I've made.

The inspiration came from the pink elephants of the Disney classic Dumbo. The mix of stripes and dots were really fun to put together, and making custom items for someone who can't find what they're looking for anywhere else is so satisfying.
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Big Changes

Wednesday morning Collin had a first interview for a position at UF.
Last night we signed our last papers and picked up the keys to our new place.
Tonight we'll get started with the painting.
Tomorrow I'll finish up our packing.
And Collin will have his second interview.
Saturday is MOVING DAY!
And Sunday is the start of a new year.

source

I know that the start of the new year in January makes sense numerically and all. I get the whole, winter will be over soon/spring renewal/warming of the earth thing.
But for me?
The new year has always been in August. Maybe it's because my birthday is in August and it's always literally been the 'new year' in my life. Maybe it's because school traditionally starts in August in The South. I know living in rental houses whose leases all have started in August has the most to do with it.
For the past 7 years August meant a fresh start, a new budget, maybe a new neighborhood.
This August means all that and more. Maybe a new job for Collin, new work challenges for myself, and whatever else life can throw at us right now. Bring it on, it all seems to come to good. This next week in my life will be crazy and stressful, but I think we're looking ahead into a bright blue sky.
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Southern Summer 2010: RVA

Collin and I are back from our summer vacation and time off celebrating the 4th of July. I wish sleeping in could last forever.
I really do, even if I am a morning person.

Richmond was beautiful despite the 103 degree heat and we had an awesome time with our tour guides Meggan and Ben. We had a rocky start (getting sick on an airplane is really embarrassing as an adult) and a rocky departure (mixed up flight days and severe cramps) but the in between was sweet.

Our first night in town we went to see friends from Gainesville play a show at Emilio's. Hot Graves and Battlemaster. Metal is the way to start a Richmond vacation. At one point I looked around and was the only girl wearing color. Until Meggan came back in from the bathroom that is.

Friday daytime had us walking through downtown browsing the shops and people watching. Meggan and I hit up cute thrift/vintage clothing stores while Ben and Collin had a beer and watched some World Cup. We met up to visit Plan 9 and pick through their stacks and stacks of records. The downstairs was dedicated fully to $1 records. Collin found some Avail, we grabbed a Steve Martin stand-up recording and I threw in an original cast recording of My Fair Lady along with the score to Disney's Fantasia.
By then we fully felt the 100+ degree heat and went to have lunch. Then we went home to just hang out.


The next morning we were off to the James River to swim. Belle Isle actually. To get there, you walk a suspension bridge hung from below US 301. How fitting - the highway that runs through Sarasota and Gainesville both.

We swam, tubed down the small rapids, tried not to trip and sunbathed on great big rocks. Eventually we found a little nook for ourselves where we could break out our PBR's out of sight.

Check it out - somehow I'm also allergic to Virginia freshwater too. Looks like I won't have to debate whether or not to get a kayak for the next time we go down the springs here in Gainesville. Too bad, but at least it's not that terrible. Just a little uncomfortable and a little ugly.

We finally took off after the boys hit 301 and went home for lunch and a sad watching of the US-Ghana game that we had recorded earlier in the day while we were out. I also have a photo of Collin on the floor after the game-winning goal, but I won't do that to him.

I took most of our photos that day. During the rest of our trip we also went to have a picnic at the botanical gardens that would have been gorgeous if not for the scorching sun. We spend some time at Ben's family home while his sister and her family were also in town, playing croquet with the little one Ava. We ate late night pizza at Bottom's Up, under the trains and highways. I hate a slice of the 'Chesapeake' that had blue crab and old bay and parmesan and omg. Washed down with Magic Hat Wacko on tap and served to us by a cute waitress who happened to be at the show Thursday night and didn't mind chatting with us made it even better. We took an afternoon to see the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. I could have spent all day there and I only wish we'd gone earlier in the morning. There was a special exhibit of Tiffany glass and entire wings dedicated to Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Fabrige Eggs and British fine silver serving sets. Guhhhhh I don't know how I didn't have my camera that day,
Oh wait, yes I do. I gave it to Collin to take some pictures at Ben's uncle's workshop where he hand crafts guitars. Then he didn't take any photos and left it on the coffee table when we left for the museum. Boo. We also just spent time driving around. We might have walked to see the sights had it not been so blazingly hot outside. The confederate memorial and museum, The Fan downtown, immaculate examples of Southern architecture and Hollywood cemetery housing among others, James Madison's tomb.

I loved Richmond, but I do wish we had been able to make time to visit in March or so when the trees and flowers are putting on their full show.
And when it doesn't get hotter traveling farther north in The South.
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Happy Merry

A week spent in the mountains makes my heart happy and my life slow down.
Cheers to a fabulously relaxing vacation where I left the house 3 times in a week to go to antique shops and the grocery store. The drive home may not have been to wonderful but an extra 3 hours in the car is a small price to pay for such snowy bliss this xmas.


This was the scene under our tree before I packed up all the shiny gifts and managed to fit them in 3 boxes - one that we were taking over to Meggan and Ben's so it could go to Sarasota in our absence.

The early drive

EG in the car

Obligatory road trip car photo

The first snow we saw in South Carolina

Finally in Tennessee. Early, meet your cousin Bethany.

Hates the beach, loves the snow.

Every morning on the breakfast table, at least three kinds of home made jam.

gramps

The last morning of free roaming

Hi Florida, after three extra hours on the road we're home.

I love a vacation that is full of food and naps and movies. We spent a lot of time just relaxing with my brother and Kathryn - drinking the xmas gin and playing apples to apples.

side note: My brother and I are now so similar that we both gave our dogs red hoodies for the cold, gifted each other the same bottle of gin (Hendrick's), bought woodland animal dog toys for the girls, brought Apples to Apples to play together, and then Kathryn picked out the exact blush I already love and use for us both. We win.

So many sweets and snacks and really, I wish I could stay for weeks at a time. The peanut butter chocolate pretzel sandwich things were the biggest hit of my treats. Oh, and my dad couldn't get enough of the rocky road brownies. I'm glad I didn't make chocolate popcorn as Erin and Craig sent up a great big bag along with other goodies from Deb's chocolate shop. Things like dark chocolate berry bark and gingerbread toffee. My mom outdid herself too with 7-layer bars, 4 kinds of oatmeal cookies, chocolate chip cookies and a lot more.

Let's just say I'm making a cake to bring to work for tomorrow and I won't be eating any of it. My teeth are choco-ed out.
I can't wait to ring in the new year - now to see what's going on around town!

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