BTW

I commissioned a watercolor from my brother for the invite.

The Little One turned 2!

We had a party at the house. Theme: red balloons, since balloons are one of her absolutely favorite things. Once again the weather held out. We had a morning party with bagels, cream cheese, and lox; granola, yogurt, and fruit; and of course, lollipops, cupcakes, red balloon cookies, and brownies! She played ball with her cousins. She wore a red party hat. She was pushed around on her new Radio Flyer tricycle. It was one of the best days of her life so far. Here's to many many more. 

New Acquisitions

The Little One and I have been going on mother-daughter trips to Marshalls lately. It's kind of the best. Any kind of mother-daughter recreational activity is something to be really cherished, and the retail therapy is a great bonus. Today we stopped at the bagel place in the same shopping center and had my little girl's favorite lunch -- a bagel with cream cheese and a side of lox. She gobbles up the lox like a penguin. We sat outside and she was delighted by her food, the people and pets passing by on their way to a pet store, the flags, everything. It was the perfect temperature. A perfect date.

Later we went to the beach -- our seventh time this summer! -- and stayed til after the lifeguards left. We practiced drawing pictures in the sand with our toes, building and decorating sand castles, chasing birds, and saying "blimp!"The three of us cuddled and counted to twenty and giggled until it was time to eat dinner. 

It was a perfect Sunday and I have some sweet new shoes to boot. It may seem excessive but I have had to throw two pairs of shoes three pairs of shoes (including the best black sandals ever made!) out in the past month because they literally fell apart. 

Summer Day Of Fun 2013

We riffed on Smitten Kitchen's hand pies with peaches instead of rhubarb, our crust instead of hers, and circles instead of squares, with America's #1 Next Door Neighbor. Verdict? Very delicious but very labor intensive. Next time we'll make them bigger.

We went antiquing in our own neck of the woods and found a limited number of gems, but the upside was seeing the antique stores packed with customers on a summer Sunday. 

Then we went to The Annex for oysters, shrimp, and wine. We examined our purchases (JFK cards for my brother's bday) and my dad joined us for more apps and stimulating conversation. He is preaching at his church this Sunday and we were sharing thoughts on his scripture.

... I love that I just wrote that. We grew up "with morals," not religion, but I enjoy everyone in my family on a journey to find their own path to inner peace as we grow.

We couldn't remember what we did last year. I think we may have taken the year off, unadvisedly, in retrospect. But for the record, 2011, 2010.

Breaking Our Record

The beach has never been my natural habitat. Despite growing up a mile from the ocean, I'm a fair-skinned freckled gal and could never be classified as a beach bum. But now my daughter loves the beach, which changes everything for me. It's the only place where time flies with a two year old. Once you give up the aversion to sand being everywhere, you can really relax and have fun. She loves digging in the sand, jumping in the waves, chasing the birds, cleaning off shells, pointing at the planes, and going in the ocean with mom and dad. It's truly the best.

We just tied our personal record for the summer of six visits (which doesn't sound like a lot!) and I know we'll be going back for more. 

Oh, and Little SP will be able to keep track with us... She's counting to 10!!!

Tomato City

Tomatoes are warming up the front stoop for pumpkins in the fall. We've taken to harvesting our crops early since we have soooo many and our tomato plants outgrew their stakes and cages leaving our garden a bit chaotic. 

Tomatoes make quite the festive summer touch!