Life is in the Details

Completed fused glass bowls from The Glass Palette

We loved how our bowls from The Glass Palette in Charlottesville, VA came out and would do this again in a heartbeat. Above is Ryan's finished bowl; below is Jessica's.

Here's another view so you can see the shape of the bottoms.

Here's how mine turned out:

I didn't realize the big orangy-white swirled pieces would turn brown in the kiln or else I would have chose other pieces of glass but I still love it evade I made it!!

Here's what it looked like before it went through two rounds in the kiln for those of you, like me, that like before and after visuals.

Mike snapped a photo of me while I was in action. :D

 

Yesterday I....

It's a bullet list day all the way. Lots to do. Thinking about too many things. Need a brain dump.

Yesterday I...

• Started listening to Coffee Break French (switched from Spanish based on Summer 2013 summer possibilities)
• Grouted my mosaic with buttercream (sand grout, not frosting)
  

• Had a nice date lunch with my hubby
• Took the kids to library so they could sign up for the summer reading program
  

• Made yummy fried rice... I prepped and J cooked. :D Cooking with her in the kitchen makes me so happy.

 

• Got moving (Step Moves)
• Got real. This included erasing some due dates on some art business tasks that I'd like to do them but I'm not really ready to do. Seeing the tasks pop up as due every so often and having to move the date back over and over and over was discouraging. I need to spend time focusing and thinking about this some more before adding due dates and taking next steps. I'm still not sure this is a cop-out/procrastination or a step forward but I'm going with it for now. I feel like I just need some quiet to figure things out.
• Caught up on some email (feels like I will never truly be caught up... How Mike manages inbox zero is beyond me)
• Researched possible craft projects with Jessi for her upcoming birthday party (Found a good possibility. It involves duck tape. We're going to do prototypes this week and see how it goes.)
• Talked with family afar (my mom, my mother-in-law, and my aunt)
• Read this on my porch: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil

• Finished reading aloud chapter 11 in the second Harry Potter book to the kids

 

Today is for art (working on starting week 1 in Your Living Canvas, though the class is wrapping up the final week - week 6!!!) and food (it's meal planning day) and fitness (STS disc #3 - Legs). Oh, and more French. Up first, fitness! STS, here I come.

 

Morning sketching

Sitting on the porch doing some drawing this morning.

Now to get moving. I'm starting STS Mesocycle 1, workout #1 today. I'm only planning on doing the first Mesocycle which lasts 4 weeks, rather than the whole 3 1/2 month program... I save that for the winter but I found myself missing these fun, varied endurance weight workouts.

The wine racks are restocked

Home sweet home. It's so good to be back home!

Our wine racks are restocked and although some people would go through these in a weekend or two this will likely last us 6-12 months.

Our fridge looks bare even though I went for groceries yesterday when we got home.

The garden needs tending. Thank you universe for providing a welcoming garden to return home to. New echinacea and sunflowers greeted us upon our return. My interest in creating a cottage garden sanctuary at home has been rekindled. Out into the sunshine to weed and hopefully pick some tomatoes (oh please please please) I go!

Weekend fun

This weekend the kids and I made the best lemonade and strawberry lemonade ever.

While Mike was attending a beer festival with our friend, Rob, I took the kids to see Beauty and the Beast at the National Theatre in DC. The show was wonderful!! The costumes. The sets. The singing. The orchestra. All so mesmerizing. What. Great way to spend the afternoon!

The actress that played Belle was even outside signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

 

I love these cutie pies

Taken in the lobby of our hotel by Mike right before heading out for our last night at Splendora's, the best gelato in the world.

 

Positively 4th Street, Charlottesville, VA

I loved the name of this restaurant because I'm a Dylan fan but the name is the only thing reminiscent of Dylan. There were no other references within.

I had veggie-withdrawal the day we visited and I had really hoped that their one vegetarian option (a pasta dish made with local whole-wheat pasta from Mona Lisa's) would deliver, but it completely missed the mark with barely one whole cauliflower floret in the entire dish. Fail. I wouldn't go back here again. Mike did enjoy the steak part of his steak frites. His fries ended up being soggy because the steak and its sauce was placed on top of the bed of fries causing the fries to sort of steam and get sauced and soft. The arugula on the side, dressed in a sweet vinaigrette, was yummy.

The black-eyed pea hummus appetizer, however, was awesome!! Even Mike, not a bean lover, ate a bunch of this and loved it. This stuff was something special.

From the menu displayed in the window, this restaurant doesn't seem family-friendly, but what you don't see is that they have Kraft mac-and-cheese available upon request. That made Ryan's decision easy.

Back to watching more of the Heat game. Let's go HEAT!!

 

Crepes at The Flat, Charlottesville, VA

I loved this creperie place that we visited yesterday... They take cash only and there's only limited outdoor seating and no indoor seating, so perhaps visit when it's not over 105 degrees, unlike us. I adore their artful, chalk-drawn menu items (that change daily). I ordered the Tofull with local tofu, peppers, onions, avocado, and spinach. The kids ordered Temptation of Adam with apples and Brie. I would eat here every week if I lived here. I love crepes! My only regret is that we didn't go back for the Choco Delights (nutella and fruit) or Mama's Apple Pie (vanilla, butter, apples, cinnamon, sugar). We'll have to make these at home with the crepes we made and froze a little while back.

 

My favorite from yesterday

My favorite part of yesterday was that we went to a glass studio (!!) in Charlottesville and the kids and I each made a fused-glass project. The Glass Palette is a wonderful, family-owned, family-run studio that has classes and also welcomes walk-ins (I'm posting from my phone so I'll add a link to the studio when I get home). Maria co-owns the studio with her daughter and is a natural teacher who knows just how to talk to kids and show them how to create glass art. The kids and I LOVED it and I already have glass tools on order. I started looking at kilns too but they are expensive and after reading about choosing one I realize that this may be more than I'm ready for (re: more than Mike's ready for, as it appears that you need to get a separate electrical setup so you don't blow the fuse for the entire house. Mike is understandably worried that I'll blow up the house - because as of now, I clearly wouldn't know what I'm doing. Research will have to continue on this and I'll need to talk to some real live glass-fusers rather than just the FAQ over at Dick Blick).

Here's what my 12"x12" glass looks like before it's two firings. We get to pick up our finished projects on Thursday.

Fathers Day: Mike's Choice

Great day at the ballpark. The Yankees swept, the kids were really into the game, I got a text from one of my NY cousins during the game telling me he just saw us on tv, J & I found and shared some healthy vegetarian ballpark food (hummus w/pita and fruit cup - yay!!), and the kids got to run the bases after the game was over. Cool!

Dinner was at Bullfeathers, a place that Mike loves near the Capitol. Here are photos from dinner. Appetizers were onion rings with their Dijon mustard (Mike) and red and yellow pepper dip (this was meant for me and J and I thought I was getting something healthy but it turns out it was a hot cheese dip with a tiny pieces of what might be peppers.) Dinner was a portobello sandwich (me), a crab cake sandwich (Mike), and mac and cheese (the kids).

Ballpark photos to come.

Happy Father's Day!!!