Saturday Camping at the Lake

Yesterday I visited my parents at the campground they are staying at this summer. It was a relaxing day with them and the dog. And what is camping without s'mores? -A

To the Market

This morning we made our way to the popular downtown market.  We don't get there as often anymore as it is not as close to where we live, but is definitely worth the trip.  The variety of items offered makes it almost impossible to choose what to get.  Today was a mixture of oysters, salmon, watermelon, corn, tomatoes, Hungarian bread, and German pretzel rolls.  It is celebrating 100 years this year, which to me is amazing it has withstood our ever changing city.  I can't wait for dinner tonight. - P

A Scarf in July

Over the years I have admired, but not truly appreciated work put into beautifully crocheted items.  My great-grandmother's countless items, grandma's, mom's, and my sister's blankets and now pillow.  Most recently A's sister gave me two scarfs she made.  I received compliments on them all winter long.  A couple of weeks ago I was in a craft/fabric store looking for something completely different when the yarn below caught my eye.  The pretty colors have a summer feel to it.  Although it was a 90 degree day, all I could think of was how this yarn would look if made into a scarf.

Aside from the running, cycling, reading, and other interests, I have never created a handmade item I could actually wear.  Both my mom and sister spent a few nights showing me how to crochet more times than I would like to admit.  I think I have the hang of it  now and I am rather excited to see the progress I'm making.  I think I found something I can do while watching television or chatting with friends.  I think this will look great on the first cool evening this fall.  - P

Daisy

I thought I would brighten up my kitchen table with some fresh cut flowers.  While wandering around my yard I noticed the daisies were in full bloom.  With a glass of wine in hand I put together a bunch to enjoy for the rest of the week. It was quite a peaceful way to end the weekend.  - P

Summer Indoor Projects

Since the summer has been usually steamy and hot here in the Midwest,  we have decided to spend some time on indoor projects.  Normally that would be unheard of but the conditions outside have been unbearable these days.  We still manage to run, bike ride, and garden but have been very conscious of the time of day we choose to take part in these activities.  Taking advantage of the A.C. at home we have been painting and working on some furniture projects.  My parents have been kind as usual and are upholstering my newly refinished dining chairs.  It is exciting to have my new set come to life in my dining room.  I can't wait to choose a rug to go along with it.  -P

New York City

For a flight that is just over an hour long, I am actually surprised that I have never been to NYC before. I guess it just never came up or worked out. But, this past weekend I actually did make it for a short trip there with my friend K! I am very thankful that the weather was great the entire time because we did a lot of walking. The first thing we did was visit the 9/11 Memorial preview and then went to SoHo to explore and eat dinner. The main priority on my list of things to do was to rent bikes to ride through and around Central Park! I could’ve spent most of the day there exploring, but there was so much else to see. On the way to and from different places we saw even more. Some of my favorite parts in any city I visit is to see new, modern buildings right next to huge, older buildings and there were several instances of this I noticed. We saw 30 Rock, St. Patrick’s Cathedral (we arrived during mass so we didn’t see everything or stay long), Grand Central Station, the New York Public Library (we got kicked out before exploring entirely because of a private wedding). We also ventured to the top of the Empire State Building and saw Times Square, both at night. The city was definitely different at night, a little more majestic even. The crowds were a little uncomfortable in Times Square, but quite a cool experience. The last morning we took a ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. I even got to drive a little through the city on the way to the airport; the traffic there is definitely something I could never get used to, so I am thankful for a great public transportation system there. I know I am probably forgetting to mention something and while walking around I even started a list of things to do on my next trip! -A

Happy 2nd Birthday Blog

It is hard to believe it has been 2 years since we started this blog.  It has been a lot of fun to post about random subjects.  I feel it gives us more freedom to post about anything that may inspire us.  I like not being limited in what I write about.  In the past two years I noticed we post a lot about travel, food, running, biking, nature, and art.  Thanks for following and I hope we continue to be inspired by the big and little things in life.  - P