{the hubs sitting along the intercoastal)
I had a great time with the hubs last weekend. The weather was overcast and rainy, so we didn’t get any beach time in. But, it was perfect bike riding weather! On Saturday, we rode our beach cruisers for 20 + miles. The Island bike trail winds along the Intercoastal waterway, taking us by historic buildings, glamorous condos, and breath taking houses. Next time, I'll pack a picnic so that we can sit and enjoy the view!
the hubs came to visit this weekend. this is the first time he has been to florida since i moved into my quaint little one bedroom apartment on "the island". i had created a long list of things i wanted to do with him over the four days he would be here: including visit antique row, ride our bikes, lay on the beach, and further settle into my home away from home.
saturday morning, we set out to visit the antique shops. we saw lots of incredible artifacts and met a few fabulous people. we especially loved objects in the loft. amazing artwork and beautiful refurbished pieces- more like an art gallery than a vintage shop! we met one of the owners, wade, and enjoyed his kindness. the print above is one of our favorite sights of the day. it's a french cigarette ad from 1949, that says texas on it!
{ boat in water :: palm beach, florida }
i've been in jacksonville for the past few days... working mostly, but also got to see a little bit of that very big city (geographically speaking)! on my drive home from the airport last night, i decided to take the less traveled A1Ainstead of the busy fast paced highway. the A1A travels the atlantic ocean coast line and is the main road through most oceanfront towns, from the keys all the way up to georgia. it took me much longer to get home... but the experience was worth it. the sand, the water, the small beach towns, the condos- big and small, the homes with an ocean view, ah... what a commute!
{ haulover park marina :: bal harbour, florida }
"ideal conversation must be an exchange of thought, and not, as many of those who worry most about their shortcomings believe, and eloquent exhibition of wit or oratory. happily for most of us, it is not necessary to have any very special gift of cleverness to be a person with whom others are delighted to talk."
i had this quote written down and stashed away. if my memory serves me right- and there is a chance it does not- i believe these words are written in the vintage emily post 'etiquette' book that sits on a a little table in my new bedroom. i do love that book. it's from the 50's and so politely yummy!!
i have a very special friend who recently moved to miami with her family. i'm incredibly fortunate to have her so close by, i can get to her house in less than an hour!! last weekend, she had me over for dinner and some "ideal conversation". dinner was attended by myself, my friend's mom and mom-in-law, and her daughter. we had a delicious homemade meal... such amazing comfort food! at the table, we also had wine, bubbles, and milk in a sippy cup! the conversation happily bounced from one topic to another. there were questions asked, lessons learned, and lots of laughter from all. the exchange of thoughts from five wonderful women was the ideal conversation for the evening!
vacation: a time to rest, relax, regroup…
i just returned from a week of vacation at my family’s lake house in central virginia. we made daily trips to the pool, took fun filled boat rides -where we would stop the engine and jump in the water to swim, made napping an afternoon ritual, and ate a mostly even mix of healthy and not-so-healthy food. a week without work (ok… a week with very little work) spent with my most favorite people in the world, moved through time so quickly. i can hardly believe it’s over!
typically, vacation teaches me some sort of lesson. this year, what I take away from those coveted seven days away from “real life”: enjoy all the little moments. i thoroughly enjoyed sitting down to have breakfast with my nephew each day. watching him experience life and hanging on his every word. he is smart, witty, and has a wild sense of humor at the young age of two. oh, how he can light up the room with a simple observation. or melt my heart with his sweet smile. i adore that sweet baby and i’m missing him already!
my other epiphany… I need to take more pictures!!
part of the thrill of being in this new (and fabulous) place is getting to experience so much "newness". today i spent a few hours meandering through antique and thrift stores. i stopped in three or four places and was underwhelmed. the offerings were either too outdated and shabby, or way over priced. i intended to begin my journey home- back across the bridge to the island- when i got a little turned around. sidebar: my internal compass is non-existent, so getting a little lost happens more often than i would like to mention. i found myself in front of shi + erhard... my new favorite place!! there was so much yummy, eccentric, mid century, goodness... and, piles of it!! what i really loved about this place is that there was a nice mix of over the top and simple. from god-dy to sleek. art, tables, chairs, chandeliers, and figurines galore! the one challenge: nothing was priced. this tells me either 1.) owner bruce erhard wants to haggle or 2.) the prices are high. i can't wait to take the hubs, when he comes to visit in a few weeks. he is, however, much better at negotiating than me!
in one week, i will hit the dusty trail!! next sunday, the hubs and i will drive to florida... gulp! i am excited and nervous and hopeful and anxious all at the same time. oh, the opportunities that await me....
in an effort to stay connected to those i will be missing, i am going to recommit to this little blog. a space to share my comings + goings, my what's happenings, and my goodness!
this weekend, the hubby and i hosted a good ol' fashioned yard sale! we sold most of our "stuff" and donated what was left at the end of the day. we loved being able to sell the items that we no longer had a use for... but our yard sale ended up being much more than that! we had the opportunity to meet a handful of neighbors, including a sweet lady who has been in our neighborhood since she and her husband built their house in 1955!!!!! she was darling, and lovely, and warm. she chatted with us for a while, reminiscing about our little 50's neighborhood and the changes she has witnessed over the years. she shared with us that her husband passed away last year, after 60 years of marriage... oh how that just pulls at my heart strings. she is spry and looks much younger than her age, it appears as if life has been good to her. i'm hoping to spend more time with her to learn more about the journey she's been on. i'm always inspired by the way people show up in my little world, as if they have accepted a personal invitation. it is a wonderful life, isn't it?
in my opinion, one of the wonderful things about philanthropic giving is the passion you can develop for a cause. because our hearts are so big, there's room to fall in love with many different organizations, which allows us to have the opportunity to make a difference in multiple ways. monetary donations and time are probably the two most popular ways for any ol' jane to impact the world. there are, however, other options... we can affect positive change by sharing our stories,communicating our passions, and asking others to do the same.
a local organization that is very near and dear to my heart needs help! emancipet is facing a major challenge... the city of austin has proposed budget cuts that will have a huge impact on the organization's mission to stop euthanasia of animals in our city's shelters. please take a few minutes to visit their website and take four easy steps in order to make a differencece. if you feel that passion about saving the lives of our furry little friends, be a good dog and pass this message along!
