Manual Labor

I actually did some manual labor on Saturday. I finally got around to buying a container for my lettuces and planted those along with some tomatoes. I felt quite accomplished. While I was at it I thought I would move a huge container herb garden, plant some more herbs and rake up some dead leaves that have been stuck under some bushes since Fall. I actually got a blister. Yes, a blister... this was some actual hard work for me :)

Saturday Fun

I had the best day Saturday... the Crabtree Farms plant sale, Four Bridges Art Festival and Greenlife Grocery.

Crabtree Farms has an annual plant sale and Mom and I decided to see what we could find for our gardens. I have a green thumb, I think. Well, at least what I plant seems to stay alive thankfully. I was hoping for some tomatoes and herbs at the plant sale and I was not disappointed. I also found some lettuces that I'm excited about planting in a container on my deck.

Next, the Four Bridges Art Festival. The art was amazing, but wow it was expensive. I was kind of hoping for something in my price range that I would love. I am going to have to keep looking forward to The Clothesline Art Show, which will be May 9-11. I bought a piece from the show last year that I recently had framed and I love it. I received another piece from last year's show as a gift. The artists are amazing and the work is within a price range that I can afford. Please check out their blog to read the artists' statements, etc.

Even though I was disappointed that I couldn't get any art at the show-I did get to enjoy some yummy food. My Mom and I had lamb gyros. Oh my goodness they were delicious.

Then we were on to Greenlife Grocery- I hadn't been to the new location yet. I LOVE this store! I bought some sushi for dinner and although it was not my fav (crunchy shrimp rolls) it was still good.

A couple weeks ago I visited one of my absolutey favorite stores-Sophie's. They were having a sale and I could not resist. I thankfully had to be in Chattanooga the second day of the sale so I was able to swing by and purchase some goodies. I love that when you buy something they put it in a lovely brown bag with bright tissue paper.

I did some really early Christmas shopping for my best girlfriends and also bought Tabletopics for myself. I have been wanting Tabletopics for awhile. I love to throw dinner parties and this looks like the perfect thing to spark some dinner convo.

Happy Birthday to C

C turned 30 on April 11. He's getting old!!!

Here he is enjoying a huge brownie sundae and getting a little ice cream on his face in the process.

You may know that I have an affinity for decorating. I look at an obscene amount of decorating magazines and wish that I had the money to do all of the things what I want to my house.

One of the mags that I love is domino. I love this room that is in their current issue...sorta modern with classic bones. Kinda like me.

My Addiction

I have an addiction...books. I never thought that I would say that I had an addiction to books, but recently I have realized that it has come to be true. I WANT books! I can spend extraordinary amounts of time in bookstores perusing the aisles and have a hard time coming away without at least one book in my bag and a long list of books that I want to buy later. It's really hard to come away without at least that one book.
I think it's funny that I now have this absolute love of books. When I was younger I despised trips to the bookstore or the library. I would pitch a fit when someone said, "Let's go to Waldenbooks." I guess I never saw the point of more books, as I grew up in a house full of books. I really mean that, "the walls are books" at my family home, as one child visitor so accurately said during one visit. However, I now love that I grew up with so many books and that I can now have so many books within my reach. Right now I have an apartment in Nashville and most of my books are still in the bookcases of the house I lived in back in Chattanooga. There are nights when I just miss having my books and want to see them and look back at what I read not long ago. I dream of putting in big bookcases in my apartment and filling them with books. You know a house really isn't a house without books :)

My Fav Purchase of the Week

The North Shore Spring Festival was a little chilly yesterday, but I did enjoy it. The little art sale nook was cool and I got my favorite purchase of the week... a great little blown glass hummingbird feeder for an early Mother's Day present. The guy that makes these "Kennedy Feeders" lives right here in Chattown. He and his wife make beautiful hand blown glass feeders
with silver or gold in them that are virtually indestructible, due to the Pyrex glass. I think that I know more about hummingbird feeders than I ever needed to know, as Mr. Kennedy certainly has a passion for them and spent quite awhile talking to us. He was very kind to share his knowledge and I recommend that you check out his site for a great gift http://www.kennedyglassstudio.com.

TGIF

I am so glad that it is Friday! It has been a rainy day and this is the view that I had all day while working- lovely, but gray.

Last night I spent time eating pizza and talking with my oldest and dearest friends M and H. I can always be sure that after an evening with them I will feel refreshed-- they really brighten my week. We are such different people, but when we come together we have great talks and great laughs. I hope they know how much I appreciate them and thank God for their presence in my life.
So, this weekend I am looking forward to the North Shore Spring Festival as long as the rain disappears.