blue

i'm feeling a little blue right now.

i hope to bring you your spt july 2008 button in the next day or two. and i really do have a fun (i think) theme for august.

but, for today? i just need some quiet time. check back soon!

spt

the fifth element of summer: ice cream

i enjoy ice cream. if i get a craving for ice cream, i am usually just fine after a few bites, though. no waffle cones or double scoops for me. (don't worry, i make up for my amazing ice cream restraint with plenty of other vices!)

so i didn't at first think that i would be able to say anything remarkable about ice cream for this post. until i remembered some wonderful ice cream traditions:

* on friday nights in the town where i grew up, the community band would put on a concert in the bank parking lot. everyone would bring their folding chairs to enjoy the social evening. the local ice cream store was "razzles" and it was always busy during those concerts. my flavor of choice in those days was rainbow sherbet.

photo borrowed from "12th St David" on Flickr.

* there was a "magic fountain" where we would go after every single dance recital (four girls in one family = A LOT of dance recitals.) the ice cream was soft serve, and i always got the chocolate coating that hardened. (this texture cannot be recreated with "magic shell" topping. i know. i've tried!)



* carvel made the first ice cream cake i ever had, and none has ever compared! (there is something about the chocolate crumbs that makes them crunchier than other brands i've tried.) does anyone remember "cookie pus" or "fudgy the whale?" i was also a huge fan of the carvel flying saucer (chocolate was my favorite.)



* i was a camper, then a counselor, at Northeast Music Camp in massachusetts. as a camper, you only left camp for trips to Old Sturbridge Village or Tanglewood. but as a counselor, with a car, you had a little more freedom. after Taps, the counselors who were not on duty would make a run to the local Friendly's restaurant for sundae cups. i always got Reese's Pieces.

* matty has to work on sundays, and has for the past two years. jack and i have spent many a long sunday together. on one of these days, we were already at loggerheads about something. and it wasn't even lunch time yet! believe me, it can be hard to entertain each other sometimes, and on this day, there was a general crankiness in the air! i somehow managed to diffuse the situation by offering ice cream. in the middle of the morning!! it seems like a silly little thing now, but actually "ice cream for snack" sundays has turned into a wonderful tradition between the two of us. (and, for the record, my *grown up* flavor of choice is mint chocolate chip. the white kind.)

do you have any ice cream traditions? a favorite flavor??

okay, the five elements of summer have officially been documented! how is your chi? have you been able to find a sense of peace and renewed energy this month? come back later this week to retrieve your spt button!!

looking for a new challenge? tune in friday, when i reveal the theme for august!!

lowcountry wedding

saturday, matty and i headed down to charleston for the wedding of a friend/work associate. time and financial constraints dictated that this be a day trip for us, so true daytrippers we were! jack got to spend the day with granne and grampie, and matty and i got to spend the day together. for better or for worse.

charleston is a three hour drive from southport, so we decided we would wear "traveling clothes," then find a place to change once we got there. we had our favorite traveling snack (Funyons) [ i NEVER eat Funyons unless i'm on a road trip.] the drive was uneventful, and we rolled into town with about an hour to spare. time to get out of those "traveling clothes!"

and, i kid you not, we really changed our clothes in the Burger King restrooms!! we couldn't resist capturing a few of our *quick change artist* moments. here is matty learning an unfortunate lesson about self-portraits (i glanced over at him after he took this shot, and he was gently rubbing his neck. as in, "do i really have that many chins?!?"




the wedding itself took place in the Mt. Pleasant Presbyterian Church, which was built in 1835, i believe (?) it's a beautiful church, with narrow aisles and rows and rows of plantation shutters. Charleston is very "old money" and i was glad that i remembered to bring my good pearls! (i was thrilled to be able to wear my Marshall's dress to another wedding - the BEST $19.99 i've spend in a long time!)

the programs were fastened to charming fans made out of sweetgrass. (items made of sweetgrass have historically been a mainstay of the Gullah population in the lowcountry.) is anyone surprised that my first thought when seeing these programs was, "oooh, the bloggers will *love* this"?!?

after the ceremony, there was some confusion as to whether or not the bride and groom would be making a grand exit from the church. we didn't know another soul at the wedding, so this was the first of many moments throughout the afternoon when we had to entertain ourselves. here we are, perfecting the dual self-portrait (notice the neck stretching going on here?) don't you just love the spanish moss??


at the reception, there was a huge lowcountry boil. a lowcountry boil is similar to a cajun sefood boil, but a little less spicy. it features shrimp, potatoes, corn on the cob, onions, celery, and sausage, and is traditionally served with cornbread and coleslaw. the seasoning is very similar to Old Bay, and hot sauce is served on the side for those who like to kick it up.

spices at the ready. true foodies will understand that there IS a difference between Tabasco and Texas Pete!

gorgeous food.

after we ate, there was dancing and socializing... all of which can be challenging when you don't know a soul there. many, MANY photos were taken by us, mostly of the cool architecture and our lovely selves!!

here are those lovely buffets i featured in my take out photo challenge. do you think it's odd that we were taking pictures of our feet? matty felt a little self-conscious about it (especially after i made him take three separate photos) [ it was a bit like goldilocks... *this one* is too far away; *this one* is too close-up, *this one* is juuust riiight.]

we got ready to leave, and got very bold about changing back into our "traveling clothes." you thought Burger King was risque?!? i tell you, this time, we managed to change in. the. parking. lot. i don't know what was funnier - us changing in the parking lot, or all of the teenagers lurking about. (just what were they doing out there that they didn't want their parents to know?!?)

we entertained each other on the drive home by playing our favorite travel game - name that tune. we always play while listening to XM Big Tracks. and matty always wins - even though he lets me get the easy ones like pat benetar or the lame ones like firehouse.

ironically enough, the night before our trip featured one doozy of a *a-hem* argument. the highlight of the trip, what's not photographed here, was sitting in that church on a lazy summer afternoon, and being reminded of the "promises" of marriage. it was sighing together and talking about how sometimes "tough days" turn into "tough months," and even "tough years." it was chuckling together as the preacher said "y'all" seven times.

it was going all the way to charleston to be reminded that we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

take out photo challenge

i've been pondering this month's photo challenge for several weeks now, paying special attention to architectural details (thank's for the loose definition, marc!) i even took a few stabs at shots around town. but it wasn't until yesterday, on a quick trip to a wedding in charleston, that inspiration finally struck.

i couldn't really decide on one photo, so i give you three. i don't have photoshop, so there is only some minor editing done here. i'm fairly pleased with the results, and certainly intrigued enough to continue trying my hand at photographing the architectural details in my life!

i would have loved to spend a few hours much closer to the new beautiful bridge over the Cooper River, but had to settle for some faraway shots. i love the contrast of the element of water in the foreground, with the element of metal behind.

i eneded up with about 20 shots of these amazing buffets. i believe i could decorate my entire home with cherry and stainless steel! again, i'm drawn to the pairing of two elements: wood and metal.

a most amazing compass rose laid out in brick.

you've still got a few days to try your hand at this challenge! what are you waiting for?

a face only a mother could love

i couldn't resist capturing this image of the toothless wonder. it seems like every other day, when we pick him up from camp, he greets us with a tiny pearl clutched in his sweaty little palm. and every morning, he carefully counts up his tooth fairy money and adds it to his stash (he's saving up for the "Kung Fu Panda" game for PS2.)

i think he's got a good racket going on...

spt

the fourth element of summer: grass

i have fond memories of growing up with grass that was lush and luxurious... just perfect for rolling around, picnic-ing, backyard campouts. (of course, in my homeowner years, i have a whole new appreciation for what my parents had to do to maintain all of that grass!) in coastal north carolina, that type of grass eludes me. i give you exhibit A.



no, not a picture of grass at all. a picture of sneakers. but, look closely! do you see them?? (i count at least five...) tiny little buggers. i am speaking of the ubiquitous *sand spur,* the fruit of the Southern Sandspur plant. and, all i can say is, "YEOUCH!!" don't you dare walk barefoot in my yard!! and when these things get in the house (via shoes, pets, etc.) look out - stepping on a sandspur unawares ranks right up there with stepping on a lego or an action figure in the middle of the night.

so this week, i tiptoed over to the bed at the foot of our driveway, where we have chosen to focus on ornamental grasses instead. these baby pampas grasses were offshoots that were transplanted from my parents house, and they do exceptionally well in our sand. (i can't even say "sandy soil." it's just sand, through and through.)



the wonderful thing about ornamental grass is that it is so pleasing to the eye, and PAIN-free!!

did you run your toes through the grass this week?



just a reminder... will you be able to claim your spt blog button next week??

so easy lelly could do it

yesterday, i was feeling a bit under the weather (and no, it didn't have anything to do with Tropical Storm Cristobal...) however, i did take advantage of the rainy afternoon to get matty's help with some projects that have been lingering about in my head.

the first was hanging a project that i started about five months ago. that's right, it's been lying around *almost* done since february. so long ago, that i can't seem to find the "before" photos that i just know i snapped. alas.

this was originally one of matty's *ground score* items. (if you don't know our lingo, a *ground score* is any object we find put out to the curb by some family that doesn't love it anymore.) this curio sort of cabinet needed a little touch-up paint, and then it was ready to pretty up.

if you look closely, you will see several gifts i have received from blogging friends, including patsy's famous *message in a bottle.*

not the greatest picture, i know, but i'm just thrilled to have it on my wall (and no longer on the floor in a prime toe-stubbing location!) matty's response when he first saw it was that it looked "good mail-y..." apparently, he has taken notice of the ribbon and labels and general cuteness that has entered this house over the past few years!

the next project was... Ta Da!... using another of our fabulous old windows. and this time, the inspiration came from patsy!! i followed her inspiration (and link) to Joys of Home (a new site for me, and i think i might be in trouble, now! TONS of fun tutorials and perfect inspiration for all of our *ground scores.*!!)

the flag is a little crooked, i know, but i love it's crooked charm!

what makes this project extra special for me is that the old flag i used has actually been sitting in our garage for a quite a while. it is sun-faded and had started to fray around the edges. i have been meaning to take it to the "flag retirement ceremony" during the past two 4th of July festivals, but for whatever reasons, it was still hanging around the garage. this old flag had since been replaced with a nylon, more weather resistant version. and now, we have a great family memory in a piece of artwork that is large enough to hang over our sofa.

i remembered to jot these words down on the back side. i know you can't see it when it's hanging on the wall, but it might be my favorite part of this project!

480

looking for a race to run on Labor Day Weekend? me, too.




i couldn't find one nearby, so guess what? i created one!!
don't you want to come?

goodnight, moon

my son has a sleeping disorder.

the disorder is that he is a seven year old who stays up too late!! i used to laugh it off when he was a baby, a toddler. my standard reasoning (at that time) was that my super social and highly inquisitive boy did not want to miss out on anything. that seemed like a much cuter line of reasoning when he was eighteen months old.

and now, he is seven, and he still fights sleep. when my friends casually mention that their children are asleep by eight, i wonder if they notice my eyes glazing over as i try to imagine how blissful that would be!

the other night, he asked me how i used to get him to fall asleep when he was a baby. i told him that i sang to him. i was prepared to sing to him that night. oh, could it be that easy?! then he asked me how matty used to get him to fall asleep, and i told him that daddy would rub the bridge of his nose.

he said he thought the nose rubbing would work.

and so, i rubbed his nose. and his back. and i covered him with his blanket. and i re-covered him. and he said, "i think the nose rubbing is working."

and 45 minutes later... sleep.

i'm sorry, people, but that was 45 minutes that i could have been blogging!

i've come to the point where i find myself stating "this is MY time" after 9 pm. and repeating this over. and over. this IS my time. this is the time of day i NEED to decompress, to feed my own soul. i figure i'm losing about 920 hours of ME time over the course of a year. that's over 6300 hours of ME time over the course of his little life, people!!

i just know you all want to help me with this. because, just think how much fun it would be if i had 6300 more hours to blog!!

spt

the third element of summer: shade

there's not a lot of shade here on the coast. near the beach, the sea winds do a great job of shearing the tops of the smallish scrubby trees that grow nearby. inland, the landscape is dotted with gazillions of Long Leaf Pines (the official state tree, i believe.) have you ever seen a long leaf pine? they are incredibly tall, with slim trunks, and few branches. the "long leaves" are actually "long pine needles." not so great for shade. (we have several in our backyard - i call them the charlie brown trees, because they really do look like the sad little Christmas tree that charlie brown picked out.)

but in the village of Southport, which is somewhat protected from the harshest ocean elements, the real shady showpieces are the Live Oaks. we're talking trees that have been standing for two, three, four hundred years. gorgeous specimens that reach their branches in fantastic arches over the streets. gnarly limbs that provide support for swings and climbing feet.

this particular tree is known as the Indian Trail Tree, as it is thought to have marked a trail hewn by the Cape Fear Indains (who lived in this area up until about 1720.) the story is that when they left the shore to go hunting inland, they bent a sapling over to mark the spot where they would return. over the years, the tree trunk grew again from the spot where it had been bent over, and created a very unique landmark.


can you see the small space that still remains where the trunk was bent? believe it or not, 60 to 100 years ago, children could still crawl through that space when they were playing in the park!

we have a wonderful concert series called *summer sundays*, and every weekend there is live music played under the Indian Trail Tree. families come and relax for a few hours, enjoying ice cream and sweet tea and wonderful company. no matter how great the musicians, though, it is the tree that steals the show!

485

things that i did not love about running tonight:

it was even more humid at 7 pm than it was at noon
i was having some mid-back pain (a strange new area for me)
bugs WILL stick to chapstick

things that i did love about running tonight:

i've shaved 45 seconds of my mile since i ran last monday
it was overcast, so was pretty much in the shade the entire way (even at 7 pm!)
i'm enjoying the rest of this evening so much more

despite a great first mile, i walked during two separate 5 minute running stretches (but fortunately for only about 15 - 20 seconds each time.) i ran the exact route i ran on saturday, and my final time was only 1 second faster. such is life.

total time 44:11

to all the girls i've spammed before...

isn't it sad when you expect your free email service to act more like your paid personal assistant? while i love the fact that my little yahoo pal ("liam") will automatically divert most junk into the trash, i still get frustrated that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme nor reason to the sorting. for instance, i consistently get emails that are labeled "confidencial" [NOT my spelling], or asking me to "confirm my won amount" [again.}

and somehow the good ones sometimes slip through to the dreaded underworld of SPAM. today i thought i might browse through the emails that didn't make the cut, and lo and behold, it turns out yahoo has been at it again!

i've been honored with an award... and i almost didn't know about it!!

arte y pico

thank you, courtney, for the pleasure of your kind favor (just kidding - i got that wording from one of those *other* emails!!) seriously, i am truly honored to be thought of as someone who has "creative ease."

according to the *official* website, arte y pico can be translated into a wonderful phrase in Mexico, “lo maximo.” (it will never find its counterpart in English, but if it HAD to, it would be something like, "Wow. The Best Art. Over the top.") [mostly not my words.] according to the tradition of passing along blog awards, here's the gist:


1. Pick 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contribute to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that presented her/him with the award.

4. The award winner and one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. Show these rules.

i feel a little on the spot to carry on the tradition of nominating 5 blogs, but here are 5 blogs that have inspired me over the past few years.

loobylu
the nesting place
chez moi
sweet funky vintage
happenstance

i hope you will find some inspiration there, as well. and, if you've sent me an email and i haven't responded, my apologies!! as soon as that $7.6 million is transferred into my account, i'm going to go right out and hire a new personal assistant!

487

because it is saturday, i was able to get up and run this morning. (why was i awake at 6:30 when i didn't need to be?!? probably becuase i fell into bed at 10 last night, and got a solid 8 for the first time in m.o.n.t.h.s!!)

oh, how i wish my schedule allowed for morning running all the time! i am such a morning person, anyway. it is so easier to get up and go for it first thing in the morning, rather than cajole myself into getting excited about it late in the day after work.

after my sluggish experience on thursday, i just decided to go with a walk 1/run 5 for the entire run, and it made a huge difference for me today. no, not time wise. certainly not time wise. it just seemed more... manageable. (in other words, i was still sluggish, but i didn't *feel* sluggish, if that makes sense??)

and, for just a brief moment, i think my body was really happy to be running again!

and i am set for the rest of the day!!

total time 44:12

photoless phriday

you know it's bad when you have to swing by your own blog to check your schedule...

the past week has been a whirl! wind! just a few of the things that have stood in the way between blogging and i recently:

1) time warner outage on tuesday morning, which left us without the www at home for most of the week (apparently, the outage only lasted a few hours. there was something wrong on our end after that. after countless unsuccessful/unanswered phone calls to the cable company, and even more fruitless efforts at booting and rebooting, it was jack who somehow managed to do the trick and get us back online.)

2) good news! i should be getting my work computer back sometime this week... with all photos intact!! (apparently, replacing the *mother board* isn't quite as scary as it sounds.)

3) our *surprise* bi-annual inspection at the hotel. (apparently, finding out about your *surprise* inspection four days in advance leads to - you guessed it - four nights of fitless sleep.) no worries - we scored our 9th Outstanding in a row!! woo hoo! (i have the greatest team in the business!)

4) we've just finished blocking the final scenes of "Seussical!" and will soon move into those crazy weeks of run-throughs. (apparently, the Cat has waaay more lines in Act II, and i am feeling totally unprepared to put down my script any time soon!)

5) while i haven't been blogging, i've been thinking up some really fantastic spt challenges for the fall and the holidays. (apparently, the arrival of the first Christmas catalog in the mail the other day really made an impression!)

what have you been up to?

489

it was only 86 degrees when i got home from work today. one would think that would have made a difference. oh, well...

i felt really sluggish, but persevered. i ran 1/9, 1/9 then it was 1/4, 1/4 all the way home. i need to get my mind & body working together again (it will help once my body realizes we are running again!!)

total time: 32:10

spt

the second element of summer:water

if you've been reading amuse-bouche for any amount of time, you've probably clued in to the fact that i live very close to the water. within the course of one day, my travels may take me near the Atlantic Ocean, the Intracoastal Waterway, the Cape Fear River and the Boiling Springs. this could very well turn into a post about bodies of water...

ferries are great places to experience the Cape Fear River

the Intracoastal Waterway divides the mainland and the beaches on the oceanfront

the area of southport where i live is called Boiling Spring Lakes, so named after a bubbling spring that produced over 50 lakes. some of the lakes are merely puddle sized, some are boating sized, and this one, across the street from our house, is swimming sized!

and, of course, you've read about my adventures with alligators in the pool! this could also be a post about that...

but this will not be a post about all of that water! instead, as i was searching around for spt inspiration last night, this is what i came up with:

the soothing relaxation water brings me during this time of year (sometimes twice a day!)


the strength that water gives me as i drain and refill this cup multiple times every evening

how about you?? did you get wet this week?!?

491

it was 89 degrees when i got home from work. after a stressful monday, i found myself literally curled up in my bed with a blanket pulled over my head!! what the?!#$

i just decided i needed to do something... i needed to run... so, i did.

i didn't have very high expectations, since i haven't run since (aHEM) May. thanks to hannah, i just sort of committed to the fact that i was going to be totally sweaty. totally and obnoxiously sweaty. i won't even dwell on that any more.

i was pretty amazed at how quickly my body responded to the walk 1/run 9 cycle. i arbitrarily picked that cycle out of the air. it seemed like 1/5 wouldn't push myself enough, and a 1/10 was too much math on the old stopwatch. so, 1/9 it was. it took me 16 minutes to run a mile, but i honestly felt SUPER about that mile.

and then it was mile 1.00001. and apparently my body realized we were out for a run! (thank goodness it was flat, because between the sweat and the vague aching in my thighs, i think the challenge of a tiny hill would have put me flat on the ground.) but i pushed through it!

total time 28:33, and i was able to eek out 1.75 miles. YAY, me!!

(oh, and as for that bad mood. well, YOU know the end of that story. i love you endorphins!!)

july 4th, 2008 (or, does the 4th of July Festival ever get old?)

the 4th of July Festival is a huge deal here. and we've been living through it for 8 summers now. granted, the festival was one of the things that sold us on this town when we visited during July 1999. (if you are ever shopping for a new town, i highly suggest visiting during a festival like this. everyone is in a GREAT mood, and it seems like every flag is snapping in the breeze for your own personal enjoyment.)

eight summers later, some of the grandeur feels a little tarnished. festival time is a popular time for visitors, and we've worn ourselves thin a few years, trying to make sure EVERYone sees EVERYthing over the course of EVERYday of this three (sometimes four) day festival. this year was different. quieter. thank goodness.

NO house guests. just the three of us. on our own time, doing only the things we wanted to do. we slept in, i tinkered with my $3 tee shirt (i can't stand how men's tee shirts fit, but who could beat the price?!?), had a leisurely breakfast. when my sister called at 10:05, she was a little surprised we hadn't left for the parade yet. just where were we planning to park, anyway?

(note to self, the man with the long arms really should hold the camera for family self-portraits...)

we cruised into town, passing by a gazillion people parking way too far away. we pulled right into the little lot we stumbled upon last year, giving each other a little high five as we leisurely strolled to the parade route. (and since i know there are local people who read this blog [and since you won't tell me who you are], i will NOT reveal the site of our bonus parking spot.) {so there.}

jack was on duty to sell hotdogs with the men's club at our church, which overlooks the early part of the parade route. we had a nice breeze, some shade, and restrooms. really, there's no better way to watch a parade in july.



after the parade, we scarfed down some requisite *festival food* and made our way through the arts & crafts fair. for the third year in a row, i passed on buying a very cool, hand carved mermaid for our living room. (there was really no way i could buy it after jack said: what's more important? decorations? or money that we can use to buy food for our survival?!?) (some days, i want to elect a 7 year old President...)


we toured the *old jail* which is maintained by the local historical society. i really could not resist taking a photo of this little sign...


we walked around town and found inspiration among the picket fences.




we headed home for naps (me) before heading back to town to have dinner at my parents' house. we missed you max and allison!


after strategically pre-parking our cars for a fast getaway following the fireworks show, we were happy to enjoy the breezes on the riverfront. i show you this photo, despite the fact that i am covered in a days worth of sweat, bug spray, gritty sand and salty ocean breezes. i show this to you, even though i can't stand how i look with my sweaty, salty hair pulled up in a pony tail. no, i show this to you because i know you will just love how i capped sleeves on my $3 tee shirt!!



happy 4th of July, 2008!!

so easy, lelly can do it...

do you know beth? if you don't, you should! she is a Southern girl (which i am NOT. well, i've been posing as one for the past 17 years. and, i've even learned to love grits. but, i digress...)

beth is the inspiration for the latest project in my house which brings me absurd amounts of giddiness...

this photo, sadly, doesn't do it justice...

i have had this collection of old windows hanging around in my garage (in great peril, i might add, since my husband and my son are like the ubiquitous bulls in a china shop.) i've really wanted to turn them into something, but there they have sat, for over a year.

i saw a very cool idea on beth's blog, where she mounted photos in an old window. i loved the look! and she was kind enough to share her secret with me (clear photo corner mounts, people. did you know they even existed?)

one window up, several more to go. i'm open to suggestions. just remember my crafting motto: so easy, you know, lelly could do it!!

spt

the first element of summer: sun

i am really no fan of the sun. i have fair skin, and even in my younger (unwiser) years, my best attempts at *tanning* resulted in too much pink, prickly skin. i get bored "laying out" in the sun (a popular beachtime activity), so even with a huge umbrella to block out the rays, i still get antsy.

i live near a beach that is southern facing, so we get strong sunlight all. day. long. (if you look at a map of the U.S. East Coast, put your finger on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and slide down to where the coast takes a sharp turn Westward, you will see where i am!) i am forever warning the tourist guests at the hotel to "wear your sunscreen!!" if you follow the old adage that the sun is at it's fiercest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., you will learn a very tough lesson here on our southern facing beach. it is fierce all day long.

so, contrary to all of my complaining to my friend scott about having an oceanfront wedding at 11 a.m. in june, i was quite comfortable. there was a lovely breeze coming from the water, and the ceremony was blessedly short. walking barefoot was pretty much essential, and i love this shot that i grabbed on the way back to the car.




of course, despite my best efforts, i still managed to come away with pink cheeks. (sorry for the flash in this photo, but i really couldn't resist trying to capture my windblown hair when we got home.)

did you post your first spt challenge for july??