I have the nicest husband ever. I've always known that. Even before he was my husband when we were just a coupla kids in high school, I knew. I just never told anybody then so as not to ruin the rep.

He decided to meet me in Philadelphia after my meeting on Saturday so we could spend the weekend together. Just the two of us. I can't think of the last time we were able to do that.

Being across the country from both sides of our families ever since we married has never afforded us the ability for a couple get-a-way. We need that from time to time, you know?

So even though he had only dropped me off at the train station 8 hours before, my heart skipped a beat when I saw him standing in the hotel lobby, all dressed up and sporting a new fitted jacket. He was on his phone, calling me so I could direct him to where I was sitting in the large lobby. We turned to see each other and continued to talk on the phone as we walked to meet. I couldn't help but let a huge grin overtake my face. This was going to be a great weekend, I thought. And it was.

We walked all over downtown, shopped at a few favorite stores, visited the Reading Terminal Market, and sat at a romantic table tucked in the back of a nice restaurant.

We meant to get back home early the following day but we played hooky a little longer and didn't return until the evening. The kids texted us to let us know they were all right and hoped we were safe and having fun. It was role reversal. Even mom and dad break curfew every now and then.

Waiting to begin the conference.

Do you know how many lights are on the chandelier? I do. My mind kinda wandered at times.

Fabric workshop and museum. Cool, huh?

Night time

Back alleys


William Penn welcomes



Fun shops

Buying treats for the kiddos at the Reading Terminal Market



Brought home new measuring cups

The end.

Railroad song

Today I am on a train bound for the City of Brotherly Love. Is it bad that I am more excited to hit some shops after a work conference rather than being excited to learn something at that conference? I didn't think so.

Have a happy Saturday!

~Laura

Bowl me over - Friday finds

Pun totally intended. It's been a while for this segment because of the work schedule but I was finally able to make a stop to my favorite and best priced antique mall around. Ah, it was fun, even with a 3 year-old picking up everything. We have a rule. He stands with his arms behind his back when we go into a booth and if he sees something he wants to look at, he'll tell me and I'll hand it to him so we can look at it together. I usually have my hands under his just in case. But 5 kids and a million shops later, we've never broken anything. Charley did almost get her eyes scratched out by a cat at one shop which required a trip to the Dr. and a shot for her but that's another story...

It seems weird that I get excited about a bowl, I know. But when I find vintage Pyrex randomly placed at a thrift or antique shop and they're in good condition, I don't pass them up. Do you blame me? They are so cheerful. The newest acquisitions are front and center, the orange with wheat stalks and the beautiful blue. They were $2.00 each. I haven't paid more than $6.00 a piece for any of them, even the large ones to the left. After reading the article below, I think I've been getting a good deal. I have to start washing them by hand so the designs don't fade but no one around here minds that - less for them to load into the dishwasher.

House of Hepworths

Apron Thrift Girl

French Country Cottage

Every day randoms

- Taught a class for the Library again. Then while I was at the Library for work work, they asked me to teach a class next month. Time to start creating.

- Jon took Blair to a birthday party and she came home with a fun goody bag. Jon came back with a fun one too: fresh free-range eggs. Our friends who hosted the party gave them to him. Nice, huh?

- I don't like it when the kids put an empty carton of something back on the shelf. They're going to be bummed when they open the freezer and pull out the ice cream tomorrow. Paybacks.

-As I was dressing Trae today, he asked how old he was, meaning what number was on his shirt. I don't correct him on his speech. It's just too precious. It was number 72 so I told him and he went happily down the hall saying, "Yay, I'm 72 years old today!!" with karate chop sound effects. Three year-old boys are awesome.

- Adult drama is just juvenile drama starring old people.

- Snuck away with Jon to get some sushi one night and then snuck away to our favorite coffee shop another night. I love spontaneous, small outings like that.

- My nephew is leaving today on a church mission to Germany. I remember when he was born in Germany when I was in Japan. Time flies.

- We put the flooring down in the bathroom and it looks great. I keep walking around in there for no reason.

Thought for the day

"The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow."

~H.G. Wells

Certainly, there are some crises that are no joke. But I'm not talking about that type. This quote is to remember not to take yourself too seriously in other ways. It is tedious to be around a person who wants to make more of things than they really are. Don't be that way. Life's too short. Besides, laugh lines look so much better on you than a furrowed brow.

Zombie bathroom project

We only have the weekend to work on the bathroom but because the weekends can be just as busy as the weekday, we keep getting stalled. After looking over the space and assessing all that still needs to be done, I realized that my mud and taping drywall ability (or lack thereof) is not up to par. I couldn't get the seam right above the sink to come together smoothly and it was going to stare me in the face everyday. I painted the wall but no amount of paint was going to mask it.

I had a lipstick on a pig situation here.

I needed a solution quickly. Since we moved in we have wanted to do a high board and batten treatment (similar to picture on left) throughout the house like our friends did in their beach house 6 years ago. Since the bathroom is a small space, it's the perfect place to test my skills at installing a whole wall of moulding and cover the 2nd grade drywall job. We've installed chair rail before so this shouldn't be too much different.

So, off to the home improvement store Trae and I went and came back with nicely ripped 4" wide strips of exterior grade wood. Although I just extended the life of this project, which is why I call it the "zombie bathroom" because it just won't die already!, it'll be better for it. And it won't bug me anymore...

So until that is finished, I'll show some of the components on my board below that I am waiting to install.

Any zombie projects in your life?

Have a good day! ~Laura

Love notes

I was awakened to find 5 little love notes on my pillow.

They'll go with the rest of the stash from years past.

I look forward to reading them again in a few years

to see how the handwriting has changed but hope the sentiment hasn't.

Happy Valentine's Day!