looking back, looking ahead

I've been waiting to share some pictures of this fancy day bag I made a few weeks ago.  It was a gift, ordered by a considerate husband for his lucky wife.  I love being a part of gifts, even when they're not from me. 

But if I made it, it's a little bit from me, right? 

The day bag has been my most popular bag pattern, to date.  Not surprising, since I based the shape and size on one of my favorite (store-bought) bags. 

I love receiving pictures of the things I've made being used and loved!  What a reward, to see someone enjoying my work. 

In other news, it's Friday again.  I love Fridays.  Sometimes, the anticipation of the weekend is almost as much fun as the weekend itself. 

I'm wearing my new striped shorts and feeling like I should be at the beach. 

I'm prepping food for a big family celebration weekend.  We'll be celebrating my favorite brother, among other things.  Glancing at Steve's packing list this morning, I saw: "box cutter, badminton, cinnamon rolls, fabric scraps".  Clearly, this is going to be a great trip. 

Wishing you a weekend full of cinnamon rolls and badminton! (and box cutters, if you're into that)

strawberry fields

We're growing strawberries in the garden.  Many times, it seems like we're only growing them so the bunnies and squirrels will have something to snack on, but occasionally we get to eat a few. 

Last week's harvest: three berries. 

So we made our way to someone else's patch and picked some berries for real.  I have fond childhood memories of strawberry picking in May and was very happy to find this local patch. 

We tackled a row that nobody else was in- Steve checking one side, me checking the other.  I was amazed at how fast the berries piled up in our cartons and how hard it was to stop.  It's kind of addictive- searching for the spots of red in all that green, checking the berry over for any blemishes, and then the exciting pop! as you pull it off the stem. 

We had previously agreed that we wouldn't pick more than we could eat.  But once our cartons were mounded high with berries, I began daydreaming about all the things I would make: strawberry pie, jam, cupcakes with real strawberry icing. 

After we got home and started munching though, the pile seemed much smaller.  And I couldn't quite bring myself to do anything to alter those sweet red candies.  So we just ate them- with yogurt, on salads, in cereal, all by themselves.  We shared a few with friends.  Eventually the pile was diminished to a single layer, causing me to be a little sad and think to myself- "We need more berries."

I have a feeling we'll be going back. 

round here

There's something magical about having birds nest in the ferns on the porch.  Even though they tear out lots of fern fronds.  Even though they make it difficult to water.  Even though they act bossy and make a mess and generally take over the front porch for a month or so. 

It makes me feel chosen. 

They could have laid those precious little eggs anywhere, but they chose our house.

I don't blame them.

Things look pretty good around here in May. 

The peas are almost ready.  Although we opted for a mostly herb garden this year, Steve planted some leftover pea seeds and I love seeing them climbing up the trellis. 

Speaking of herbs, guess who came back after a long fall/winter of playing dead?   I know, I'm super excited too. 

Also back and better than ever- the Russian sage.  We planted this about three years ago and it just keeps getting bigger.  This year, it is up to my shoulders already and I don't even think it's done growing.  I love Russian sage because it has little purple buds that look like lavender and they dry nicely on the stem.  Sometimes I bring some inside and the dried blooms look lovely for months. 

This is one of last year's hydrangea cuttings.  I am thrilled that it's flowering on its first year and also thrilled that the flowers appear to be pink.  With hydrangeas, it's always a surprise, but pink is my favorite. 

We've been reading a neat book called 'Great Possessions: An Amish Farmer's Journal' and the author is an amazing bird watcher, among other things.  It has us both inspired to be able to identify more birds, both by sight and sound.  The family in the book keep a list of all the birds they see on their property each year.  I think we might start one.  Bluebird- check. 

And finally, I'm excited to show you the new party garland I'm working on later this week!  It's navy and white and super classy.  It reminds me of sailor suits and the fourth of July- perfect for summer!

Visit Asheville: what to do

Happy Friday, friends!  Today is the final installment in my "Visit Asheville" series and I'll be sharing what to do while you're there. 

Our hands down favorite thing to do in Asheville is visit the Biltmore Estate.  The estate is HUGE and you can't really see the whole thing properly in one day, so here's how we do it.  First of all, we purchase tickets online ahead of time, because it is cheaper.  Then, here's the trick- if you arrive after 3pm, your tickets are still good for the following day as well.  The front gate closes at 5pm, but most of the restaurants and attractions are open until 6 or 7 and the grounds are always open.  So we show up right at three and spend the afternoon and evening there.  Then we get to rest up and get a good night's sleep and show back up in the morning, ready to go again.  It's great to not have to cram all the fun into one day. 

The obvious thing to do there is to tour the house.  I had very little interest in touring the house at first, but it is actually pretty cool.  Definitely worth doing once.  On busy weekends they do timed entry so that it doesn't get too crowded in there.  Warning: old house = no air conditioning, so be prepared for some heat in the summertime. 

The main attraction, for us, are the gardens.  There are acres of gardens.  They are lovely.  You can stroll around and feel like you're in a different world, it's so quiet and beautiful. 

It is especially nice to visit the gardens at dusk, when the heat and most of the people are gone. 

I love reading the names of all the roses.  And smelling them, of course.

There are lots of paths and secret places on the estate.  We found this cute little pond with a bench and some ducks. 

Touring the winery is also really fun, but I don't have any pictures of that because it's mostly underground.  They do free wine tastings and always have lots of great food samples out.  Try the key lime dip and then buy some to bring home.  Sometimes there are even cooking demonstrations. 

The estate has a farm with horses and sheep and chickens.  You can pet them and they even have a sink right there to wash your hands. 

I also love the kitchen garden, where they grow the food they use on the estate.  This is another great spot to visit if you are there after hours because it is always open. 

There is plenty to do in Asheville without visiting Biltmore Estate, though.  Downtown is the Grove Arcade, a fun indoor/outdoor mall with unique shops.  Be sure to check out the cheese store. 

Asheville has a great downtown for exploring, with lots of places you'll want to pop into.  There is also Pack Square park, that is a great place to rest after all your walking.   Pick up a map at the visitor's center on your way into town so that you don't miss anything. 

You may remember some of the fun we had downtown and at the Botanical Gardens last fall when we went for Steve's birthday. 

We also enjoy the farmer's market, which is a lot like ours at home.  The last time we were there, they had live music, which was fun. 

So now you're ready- armed with all the information you need for a great trip!  If you find any new favorite spots, I'd love to hear about them!

Anybody else excited about the Kentucky Derby this weekend?  My pick is Twice the Appeal.  Don't you love all the horses names? 

Happy racing- I'll meet you back here on Monday!

Visit Asheville: where to eat

One of our favorite things to do in Asheville is eat.  It's probably good that we never stay for more than a few days. 

If you visit the Biltmore Estate while you are there (which you totally should), all of the food on the estate is fabulous.  Most of it is grown right there on the grounds.  We haven't eaten at every single place, but we have tried many of them. 

The Arbor Grill is great and- hello!- it's under a beautiful arbor.  How could you go wrong?  They have odd hours though, so be sure to check on that before you get your heart set on eating there. 

There are several places to eat that are closer to the actual house, which is handy if you've just spent two hours touring the house and are starving.  I'm usually starving after I've spent two hours doing anything. 

The Stable Cafe is our favorite spot here.  It is actually a renovated 19th century stable, so the decor is very cool.  It's a great place for lunch and not too expensive.  Their chicken salad is fabulous. 

Also in this same area of the estate is the Bake Shop, which makes the best chocolate croissants I've ever eaten.  You will be sorry if you don't pick one (or four) up while you're there.  If I could have these shipped to our house, I would. 

Not to leave out all the great non-Biltmore dining, there are tons of fun places to eat in downtown Asheville.  Many of them have outdoor seating and you could spend an afternoon people watching and enjoying the mountain air. 

My recommendation for downtown dining is the Lexington Avenue Brewery.  They have a fun open-air patio, live music, and really unique, modern decor.  And they win the prize for coolest bathroom.  Try the free-range chicken sandwich or the fish tacos.  Apparently they also have good beer, so if you like beer, try that too. 

Also not to be missed downtown- the French Broad Chocolate Lounge.  You will find yourself wondering why you don't spend more time in chocolate lounges.  They serve up amazing truffles on silver platters and it is definitely worth your time to stop in for a bite. 

There is a super cute area of Asheville, right outside the entrance to the Biltmore Estate, called Biltmore Village.  It is full of shops and restaurants and cobblestone sidewalks and makes for a fun afternoon of strolling. 

For lunch, I recommend Chelsea's Village Tea Room.  The waitresses all wear long skirts and aprons and will call you "sweetie".  Personally, I love being called "sweetie" by older southern women.  There is a nice courtyard out front with tables and umbrellas and everything we've ever eaten there has been great.  Their quiche is always a hit. 

For dinner, you have to try The Corner Kitchen.  It is the cute little house with lights around it in the picture above.  We discovered this restaurant on our first trip to Asheville, five years ago, and would never dream of missing a chance to eat there.  My advice- go hungry and order something for every course, even if it means sharing.  They will bring a little "chef's surprise" out to your table for you to sample while you wait for your food.  It will always be delicious.  And don't skip dessert- as amazing as the food is, dessert is usually the highlight of the meal. 

Tomorrow I'll finish out the week with some ideas on what to do to work off all that food!

Visit Asheville: where to stay

I often find myself sounding like an Asheville tourist's guide because I think that everyone should vacation there.  Asheville, North Carolina is one of our favorite spots to visit and we usually go about once a year.  I thought I would put together a blog mini-series on visiting Asheville and share some of our favorite spots. 

So to begin: where to stay?  I'm sure that there are lots of great places to stay in Asheville.  Here are our two favorites and some money saving tips for each. 

We love the Corner Oak Manor.  This was the first place we ever stayed in Asheville and we have been back several times.  Here are some of the great things about staying there:

It is in a great location and you can get almost anywhere you want to go in 10 minutes or less. 

The owners, Karen and Andy, are so friendly and fun that you feel like you know them as soon as you meet. 

The rooms are all cozy and clean. 

The food is AMAZING.  You will find yourself thinking about the next morning's breakfast before you go to sleep at night. 

There are all sorts of fun extras, like a binder full of restaurant recommendations, tons of board games and books to enjoy, afternoon snacks, and a fridge filled with sodas and water and juice. 

The best part is that the prices are super reasonable and they even have last-minute specials, so if you are a last minute trip planner, you can get an even greater deal!  Plus, don't forget to factor in that amazing breakfast!

My other recommendation for a place to stay in Asheville is the Inn on Biltmore Estate.  I will be doing a separate post on visiting the Biltmore Estate, but just the Inn is worth a visit all by itself. 

It sits atop a hill overlooking the winery and some of the restaurants on the estate.  You can walk everywhere, but there is also a shuttle that will drive you around if you prefer. 

We chose to stay at the Inn because the forecast called for rain during our whole stay.  We decided that we wouldn't mind a bit of rain if we were staying in a nice hotel close to everything we wanted to do. 

Best. Decision. Ever.  Our room was large and gorgeous and there really wasn't much incentive to leave it.  We read and played games and took naps. 

You know how you never sleep as well when you're not in your own bed?  Not the case here.  The linens are amazing. 

The Inn has two restaurants in it and we thoroughly enjoyed both of them.  There is also a library with floor to ceiling bookshelves and windows with amazing views.  The lobby has a massive fireplace and we spent a whole afternoon reading in front of it on a big sofa. 

While it is normally pretty expensive to stay at the Inn, we found a special (that I think they run fairly often) where you pay for two nights and get a third night free.  When you throw in the fact that you have constant access to the whole estate (instead of paying around $50 each for daily tickets), it ended up being almost as cheap as our usual B&B. 

Stop by later this week and I'll tell you where we like to eat and what we like to do while we're in Asheville.  Then you can start planning your own trip!

we bring the party with us

We spent Saturday hanging out at the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens.  We packed a picnic lunch and our party garland. 

No surface was safe from decoration.  We must have draped every bench, tree, umbrella, trellis, and bush with that garland.  Once you see how cool it looks hanging outside, you just want to try it everywhere. 

I can hardly wait to tell you why we needed so many garland pictures. 

I'll give you a clue. 

There are more garlands in the near future.  And matching party accessories.  In various swanky color schemes, dreamed up by me and my handsome business partner during our latest business meeting. 

See?  Handsome.  And business-savvy.  He's quite the catch.

One of our favorite things about going to large gardens is all the pathways and nooks and crannies and secret spaces.  We discussed if this was something we could accomplish in our quarter acre yard.  Wouldn't it be magical if you could somehow get lost on a quarter of an acre? 

If you could skip through an opening in the hedge to discover what is hiding around the bend...

And find your very own foxgloves that you have been nursing along, from seed, for the past three years, finally in bloom? (For reals, those are our foxgloves, not the botanical garden's, although they had some nice ones as well)

Nothing like a trip to a garden to inspire us to do great things with our own little plot of land.  

Nothing like a party garland to inspire us to throw a party.  The Derby's this weekend.  All I need is a hat.