there's no place like gnome.

… when I talk incessantly about the joys of confirmation. This year will be no exception. These kids are rock stars.

#weekendestatesale #newvintagepyrex #comeoverandIwillmakeyouacasserole

Because that’s what I really need, right? It won’t be started anytime soon and it will have a huge learning curve … but it’s there when I’m ready.

This:

I’m going to reupholster a chair.

I’ve dreamed of this moment for the last couple years. I’d always been on the lookout for a chair in need of a makeover … but even if I found one, I never had any way to haul it. Enter a boyfriend with a trailer.

We were in Rochester yesterday with the trailer, Dave needing to pick up a piece of furniture himself. We stopped at the Goodwill just in case there might be a chair for me … and by golly gee, the chair was there. Calling to me. It said, “Pay $30 for me. Now is your chance. Make me pretty.”

I hope I won’t let you down, chair. Like I mentioned, it’s going to be challenging. New skills, new tools, NEW POLKA DOT FABRIC. At least that’s what I’m thinking right now. Polka dots.

Polka dots are always the answer.

I came back from vacation with one new book and a hankering to get my hands on a second.

First, an adult coloring book. I bought it in Frenchtown, this little town on the Delaware River in New Jersey. James and I explored, popped into a few shops, and I found The Secret Garden. An adult coloring book. Seriously.

It’s beautiful and intricate and therapeutic. It sucks you in and won’t let you go. I spent hours coloring at the airport and on the plane ride home. I didn’t really care who was judging the 30 year old with crayons. They were probably jealous and wanted the same book on their lap.

Second, Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. My friend James has experimented with this method of bread making home and I was intrigued. We talked a lot about it while I stayed with him in PA. I came home, checked out the book from the library and have been cooking fresh loaves of wheat bread from my dough bowl in last week. It really is pretty fun and easy. Will I do it ALL the time? Probably not. But come colder weather and soup, it will be perfection. Here is one loaf resting on my counter. In about an hour, it will be thrown into a steamy oven and emerge in a delicious state.

National sewing machine day, of course.

After our first night of confirmation, I spent some quality time with my baby.

I have two weeks to finish two baby quilts and while it might be a bit of a push, I’m happy it’s ‘forced’ me to get back on the (sewing machine) pedal.

First up? Scrappy binding for quilt #2. Next? Quilt sandwiching and quilting.

I will have to tell you about the close of my vacation sometime soon. I also have tales of coloring with new crayons and building a fort out of couch cushions but that’s for another time too. (Okay, so sometimes Dave and I like to pretend that we are five years old.) For now, this:

There was an art festival in Austin a few weekends ago. We saw glass blowers and kids painting an old school VW bug. There were lots of artists and exhibits to meander. I made one purchase – the print above. It’s by Brian Andreas of StoryPeople which is based in Decorah. (Oh, beloved Decorah.) Today it was framed and hung on the wall.

And, oh my. How it fits my current life. Life it pretty good, but not necessarily in the way I ever really expected. Everything does seem to be falling into place perfectly, as long as my expectations of perfect and place aren’t set in stone. It pretty much goes for anything in life, right? Attitude and expectations and adjusting for life’s twists and turns. Allowing for life’s surprises.

Leave it to StoryPeople to perfectly explain one of life’s great truths once again. (There are many more stories told with awesome illustrations. Look them up!)

James and I went to the Crayola Experience. Little did we know that we would be the only people there not with small children in tow. It wasn’t awkward at all. (She says only lying a tiny bit.)

We participated along with the children – naming our own crayons, watercolor painting, and making art with melted crayons. We watched as crayons Scarlet and Turq, along with a human crayonologist, showed us how crayons are made. Loved it. (PS Crayonologist? How do I sign up for that job?)

Then we went to the gift shop. Where my arms literally became overcome with goosebumps at the WALL OF CRAYONS sorted by color. Both James and I filled a collectors tin with our choice of colors before leaving for lunch and an adventure to Frenchtown.

Tomorrow: Philadelphia and all things independence.

The first part of my Pennsylvania vacation is complete.

I spent the last two nights at a resort in the Poconos just outside of Stroudsburg, PA. It was lovely. The Poconos – where there are miles and miles of road that look like this:

Can you imagine this place in the fall? Wowza.

Dave and I flew into Newark, rented a car, and made it to the resort just in time for the ceremony rehearsal. Dave was a groomsman in his younger brother’s wedding and it was a lot of fun for both of us. Dave got to connect with family; I got to meet said family. We enjoyed rehearsal dinner at an Irish pub in town, danced bunches at the reception, and ate lots of delicious food.

And did I mention the venue for the wedding was this?

Um, yeah. What more must one say?

We left the resort this morning and headed to Bethlehem. Dave used to live here and so he gave me the tour. After going for a walk and eating lunch out, Dave dropped me off with my seminary friend, James, while he headed back to New Jersey to catch his flight home. I’m staying in Bethlehem through Wednesday to explore with James.

So far, I have purchased unique Peep flavors from this, the hometown of the company who makes those disgusting-yet-somehow-good marshmallow birds. I saw the church James serves and he cooked up a delicious supper of buffalo steak burritos. We played a dorky game and now have both settled in for the night.

Tomorrow? Crayola. Maybe I’ll draw you a picture.

It was the sixth annual doggy dip at the Austin community pool on Friday. Apparently, when the regular people-swimming season is over, they open the pool up to four-legged friends and their humans. Mabel and I decided to check it out. Whether we go next year again is up for debate. Here’s why –

At first, things were going great. We went to the shallow kiddie pool and Mabel splashed around and stole other dogs’ balls. Then a dog pooped in the pool. Not completely unexpected. Then Mabel pooped in the pool. Oy.

I pulled her out of the pool and she then followed another canine friend to the other pool. The deep pool. I’m pretty sure Mabel thought it would be just like the kiddie pool because she got ahead of me and decided to jump into the deep end with no hesitation. Pretty sure she freaked out when it suddenly was NOT as shallow as the kiddie pool and she couldn’t touch the bottom! Thank goodness she is a Labrador who knows how to swim. She however, had no idea how to get out. Solution? Lindsay walked around the perimeter of the pool, shouting her name, and she swam to follow me along the edge of the pool.

Finally, after much debacle and trying to jump up the wall, Mabel figured out how to walk the ramp out of the pool and we left. Promptly. Enough of that. I mean, she had fun. She was exhausted and had a blast. But it was maybe just a little too crazy for this human.