Back in the Pottery Studio

Last night, I finally made it back to the pottery studio for the first time in over a month. I've either had work commitments or the kiddos had something going at school. I've missed it.

Last night, though, I was exhausted by dinner. I also knew I was teetering on the edge of burn out. I knew I needed the outlet, but the thought of the drive down that gravel road was more than I could handle. Enter Brad.

He drove me last night. The dear, sweet man drove me and sat in the car to work and read while I played in the studio. I broke a bowl when I tried to trim it. I trimmed another bowl that may be the most regular bowl I've ever made. And...I threw a gravy boat. I was trying to make a tea cup, but I think it's going to be a decent little gravy boat!

I felt so much better as I was leaving. There is something about center clay that centers me. Even when I make a flop or break a piece, I leave feeling more whole, and I'm so grateful to have a husband that makes that possible.

Such a Fun Weekend with My Girl

I had such a fun weekend with my girl!

Friday and Saturday, we had a dance competition in Greensboro. Her team killed it this weekend:

We had two not insignificant injuries (not Issa), but these girls never missed a beat. They supported each other, cheered their teammates on, and came home with a lot of trophies and pride.

My plan for Sunday was to basically collapse, but Issa asked if I would help her reorganize her bathroom. We really haven't done a thing in there ever, so it was past time, as the before pictures prove:

I told her I would give her $75 to invest in organization/storage and anything else she needed to make the space a place she wanted to be in and wanted to keep tidy. She spent $74.89, including some sparkling water that matched the new color scheme for us to enjoy while we worked:

The first step was just to take everything out. She threw away or donated a ton of stuff she just didn't need anymore. We had some old accessories that matched the old shower curtain that found their way out, which cleared up a lot of space under the sink. She also got rid of all the headbands and bows she hasn't work in years. The empty space:

Then we started working. She and I assembled a shelving unit, and she was so impressed with us! She scavenged some things from her room to improve organization, and we found some baskets to contain all the bottles. We organized small things in pretty containers, and made the space look more like a teenager:

She is thrilled with the finished project, and she loved getting ready for bed in her new space. Now here's hoping it stays this clean...

When you have a ten year old boy...

We have a message board on the outside of the half-bath door, which is off of our kitchen. Usually, I put something seasonal up there. Until yesterday, it had a cute Valentine's Day message. Then Evan found the letters:

He thinks he's hysterical, and I have to admit I did laugh pretty hard.

All of the Arts!

We girls had a very fun weekend!

This whole week is Spirit Week at the studio as we prepare for our first whole company competition this weekend. Saturday happened to be Sparkle Saturday, and we were on it! We had tickets to Mean Girls at DPAC, and we decided to add a little extra sparkle:

 Issa actually wore my sophomore year homecoming dress:

 And little brother wanted a selfie before we left:

 He and Dad stayed home for wings and stranger things; everyone thinks they got the better end of this deal.

Mean Girls  was solidly fine, although Issa loved it. Sunday, however, we went to the ballet:

This presentation was actually four ballets, and they were all amazing. My favorite, though, was a hauntingly beautiful piece set to Adagio for Strings.

We came home and made dinner together, which we followed with a Whitt's run. Everyone settled in for an early night, which I think makes it an absolutely perfect weekend!

Best Valentine!

Brad and I had our first date on Valentine's Day 22 years ago. That day, he brought me 11 red roses because he had sent the 12th to school the day before. He has always been an amazing gift giver.

This year, though, he outdid himself:

Allow me to introduce Inkspots Loveletters, also known as Inks. She is actually quite small weighing in at just over six pounds, and we are guessing she is about nine months old.

I had a calico growing up that I adored, and Nuzzle, our first cat that became truly my cat, wasn't a calico but had the personality of one. It's been two years, and just before Christmas I told Brad I was ready for another cat--and I really wanted a calico.

My sweet husband has been stalking shelters and rescues since then, hoping that someone would arrive to be a Valentine. Wednesday, he called me at work and asked if I could slip out a little early to come meet this sweet face; she came home with us that day.

She was a stray, and we are quite sure she had never been in a house before ours. She is the sweetest little snuggler, and she is the first cat I have ever had that plays hide and seek. She will snuggle her little self somewhere, and when I walk in the room and call her name, she will just start purring until I find her. Thank goodness she has a very loud purr box.

22 years ago, we ended up at Taco Bell because the other restaurant lost Brad's reservation. Tonight, we plan to go to Moe's because we both love it and hate the whole fancier restaurant on Valentine's vibe. We will come home and snuggle in with Inks, and I can't think of a better way to spend the holiday.

Girls' Weekend!

I have so very many things to post, but this week has been a blur! I think I will start with last weekend...

Issa, Mom, and I headed west Saturday morning to go to Biltmore. They are hosting the Downton exhibit, and we girls were very anxious to see it!

We arrived in time for a small bite of lunch, and every Biltmore weekends must start with bubbles:

After some charcuterie and hummus, we headed to the big Inn for high tea. None of us had ever been there, and it certainly didn't disappoint. The first course was scones, and we were so enthralled we forgot to take pictures. The second course was the tea sandwiches:

 Smoked salmon mouse on black shortbread, a beet and yogurt gelee, a traditional cucumber sandwich, chicken salad on a croissant crustini, and an asparagus and herb cheese tart. Issa was not a fan of the mouse or beet options, but we thoroughly enjoyed the course.

The third course was the most creative cheese course I have ever experienced:

 They called it "A Wish for Summer," and it looked like an upside down ice cream cone. The goat cheese was lovely and placed on a red wine reduction with pink pepper corns. The cone was dipped in cocoa nibs, and it was perfect once we figured out how to eat it. We had been advised to just break the cone and use it to scoop the cheese. For the record, that is much more difficult than it seems.

The final course was the dessert, and they did not disappoint:

 A fig tart, raspberry petit four, shortbread cookie, lemon pannacotta on a violet shortbread, and chocolate cheese cake.

Our sweet hostess spent most of tea gushing over our three generations ans snapped this picture:

 After tea, we went to part one of the Downton exhibit. The whole first part was an interactive display about the show and it's relationship with real history. We spent an hour opening drawers to see the artifacts and reading. It was so fun to see many of the letters that are referenced in the show written out, and we learned so much about the time period.

The second half were some of the actual sets from the show. Mr. Carson's butler's pantry was so fun:

 And Issa went nuts in the kitchen:

 But we all lost our minds over the servants' dining room, complete with the call bells:

 The final room was the family dining room, and we learned so much about the etiquette of the time:

 We ended our day at the Bistro for dinner. Just as we were finishing eating the fire alarm went off, which was hysterical. Nothing seemed to be amiss, and we were back at our table in about five minutes, but it will be a memory!

Sunday morning, we got up early to go see the house:

 We were one of the first people in, and the new audio guide features members of the family talking about how they unearthed the house's history and curators talking about how the maintain the collection. We actually got to see them refinishing some floors and restenciling a wall!

After lunch at Cedric's, we went to see the second half of the Downton exhibit, which was all costumes. The plaques talked not only about the show but also about the fashion of the times. We actually went through the exhibit twice!

Issa was so thrilled that Sybil's pantsuit was there:

 And we all loved seeing so many of the gowns up close:

 After some final shopping we headed home. It was a whirlwind trip, but I am so grateful for the time. We laughed so hard, and it was lovely to travel with Issa when she could really hang with the grown-ups.

Elementary School is Killing Me

Full disclosure: we are over elementary school at our house. Evan is ready for the freedom and increased independence of middle school, and I am pretty much over all of the homework signing and what have you. 

Then this came home yesterday:

                                

Be still my heart. I have to admit, my first thought was "thank goodness he finally cut his hair." After that, I couldn't help but marvel at how he has grown in these six years from that tiny reluctant reader into my big kid who loves books. He is still just as ornery and sweet and every bit our Evan. I can't wait to see what the next six years bring.

Weirdos

We openly admit our dogs are weirdos. Yesterday, I finally captured some of their weirdness in a photo:

It's a little hard to tell, but they are playing tug of war with a stick. They do this often. They run together with sticks, each holding one end. They play keep-away with sticks, pretending they are going to let the other grab an end and then run away. Occassionally, Buddy eats sticks.

They are weirdos, but I can't imagine our lives without them.

First Competition in the Books!

Our first competition and convention of the season is in the books, and it was a huge one! We traveled to Reston, Virginia for West Coast. West Coast is absolutely my favorite weekend of the season because it really is completely focused on improving as a dancer.

For the first time, Issa competed her solo there. She had quite the look traveling from our hotel room to the competition room in her costume, spirit jersey, and sneakers:

 She was a bit nervous, and we had a rocky start. I might have accidentally glued her eye shut trying to get her lashes on. Oops. But...she slowly settled, and I loved seeing her smile in the dressing room.

 She did an amazing job onstage, and we are so grateful to Mrs. Lauren A. for this beautiful solo:

But I'm even more grateful for how well she loves our girl:

This was a new weekend for us. Issa is old enough now I don't go to the classes with her. I spent my days in the hotel room fixing food, getting costumes ready, and working. I loved being with her for the competition, though, and I love how much she is settling into herself. She knows what she needs, and she was so incredibly grateful for everything I did. I finally had to tell her to stop saying thank you.

We made it home before nine last night, and although we are both tired, I wouldn't have traded one second of this weekend for anything.