September 18, 2008

Rise and Fall

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Don't you hate is when that happens?  You put your nice, puffy loaves into the oven and the jostle of the closing door makes the tops deflate like an old balloon.  Ugh, completely my fault, I forgot to set the timer for the second rise and they totally over-rose.  The tops were huge, and the edges where jutting out over the sides!  Very impressive.  I tried to get them into the oven as gently as possible, but I knew what was coming.  One wrong move and they flattened like pancakes.  Oh well, the bread was still delicious, and no one's complaining.  I really like making bread with my Kitchen-Aid mixer, with the dough hook attachment.  Yes, it's sort of cheating because you don't have to knead it by hand, but it is so consistentwith the machine, you know?  I am trying to make most of our bread, and I find that this particular recipe yields two big loaves and one smaller extra bread-thing (foccacia, rolls, cinnamon bread, etc.)  This will last us just about one week, and I freeze one loaf because they go stale much faster than store-bought bread. The wild card extra-bread is usually devoured almost immediately.  In today's case, it was just plain rolls because I was lazy.

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I don't bake bread because I'm an overachiever or an anti-packaged food fanatic.  I just really, really, love how it tastes.  I was turned to the dark side by two very talented grandmothers who, in their different ways, both make amazing homemade bread, and spoil their Grandchildren with it as often as possible.  I blame them, they ruined me and now nothing will ever compare.  When I see Max, begging for the first slice off the loaf, still warm from the oven...I know that he's been tainted.  The look on his face, the exclamation, "It just smells so good, momma!" 

He's hooked.  A lifer, just like the rest of us.

September 08, 2008

Festivus Maximus

I love festivals.  I feel like I've won the festival lottery since moving to Asheville.  It didn't take long to realize that this area is practically swarming with festivals, fairs, bazaars, shows, gatherings, you-name-it.  There are so many things going on during the weekends, you actually have to refuse perfectly fine events because there simply isn't enough time to get to them all.  So far we have attended an apple festival, an organic festival, and an art festival, and we've only been here one week.  Browsing through the snap shots I've taken, I see a recurring theme.  It looks like I will have an obligatory "Max eating ice cream" picture for every festival we attend:

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Sherbert dip 'n' dots at the apple fest.  I personally think that dip 'n' dots in kinda gross, but we it's not something we come across often, so it's a rare luxury for Max.

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Organic, no sugar added Lemon-Black-Cherry Sorbet at the (duh) Organic Fest.  You know it's a winner when "sharing with mom" means me getting to lick a few drops from the empty cup.

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Soy Strawberry ice cream at the LAAF festival

I could also make a series of "Mike drinking a local beer" pictures, but I think one is enough:

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You get the idea. 


August 27, 2008

If you guessed the tree house in the woods....

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...you were right!  It seems that most of you knew already, (am I that transparent?)  We really love this house, and it has the absolute perfect layout for working from home. 

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The entire basement floor is one huge room with lots of storage.  We'll be able to have all the shop and craft junk down here with plenty of space to work.  The room gets lots of natural light and has two sets of sliding glass doors on the opposite side that open out to the driveway.  We will be able to load up packages into the car easily and head for the Post Office.  When we aren't working, we can just shut the door and stay upstairs.  I'm hoping this will help me separate my home life from my work life, something I'm sure anyone who works from home has struggled with. 

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Max thought the landscaping made a pretty sweet climbing wall. 

This is a truly beautiful home, and were were lucky to get a good deal on it.  It is completely different from any place we have ever lived, and we are excited to make such a big change.  Max loves the new house, and I'm glad that he is finally getting jazzed about moving and set up his new room.  Things are chugging along, we're packing the truck this Thursday, and hitting the road on Friday!  What a week, I'll be glad when it's over!

Tomorrow, pictures of our trip to the WNC Farmer's Market.  Get ready to drool....

August 26, 2008

Rental House Hunters

I watched way too much cable TV at the hotel last week.  I was semi-addicted to the House Hunters show (on TLC, I think?) and I'd thought it'd be fun to do a blog post in that style.  If you're not familiar with the program, basically someone looks at three different houses and you get to try and guess which one they end up buying.  Simple enough, except we're not buying, just renting, and I'm giving you four options instead of three.  If you already know which one it is (ahem, selected  friends and family), don't ruin the surprise.

Here are the contenders, in no particular order:

House Number One:

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Old, lovely and the epitome of *charming.*  This house was very much my aesthetic, with lots of nooks and crannies, wood floors, a smaller but updated kitchen, and nice decks.  The rooms were painted in pretty, soothing colors that I loved, making it feel less like a rental and more like a home.  The breakfast nook in the kitchen was the sweetest thing I'd ever seen.  The sun room was full of stained glass windows, and it was absolutely gorgeous.  The home was nestled in a lovely , historic neighborhood very close to downtown and all of the action.

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The down side?  Although the house was big, the rooms were small and there wasn't an ideal place to put my business/work stuff.  There was also no garage and very little yard, with close visible neighbors on all sides.  Despite my never-ending love for antique homes, after living in a hundred year old house for 7 years, we wondered if we could use a break from the *charm* of peeling paint, cracked plaster, and crooked floors.

House Number Two:

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Built in the 50's and very retro, but in a good way!  Pretty wood floors, nice sized rooms, and a full basement great for setting up shop.  The bathrooms were retro-looking, but extremely clean and well maintained.  Kitsch without the yuck!   There was a double car garage and lots of storage.  And, oh yes, the kitchen of my dreams:

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It's PINK!  With original PINK counters from the 50's in perfect condition!  Couldn't you just die?  Plus the whole space was ginormous, with room for a huge dinner table and china cabinet, too.  Although the wood floors were quite pretty, if it had black and white checkerboard tile flooring?  I would have died and gone to heaven.  The kitchen was almost enough to seal the deal for me, but there were some downsides we couldn't ignore:  The single pane windows were old and drafty, and the landlords mentioned that the heat bills were very high in winter.  There was a dizzyingly steep slope in the front of the yard that Max could easily roll off of and would probably inspire many nightmares.  The basement, although large, had a drop ceiling that made me feel a tiny bit claustrophobic.  The owners lived right next door, and who wants to live that close to their landlords?

House Number Three:

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A chalet in the woods, definitely different than anything we have ever lived in!  This home was very private, and located in a smaller town just outside of Asheville, but still very close.  There was no real yard to speak of, which would save us on yard maintenance, and the decks were big and perfect for hanging out and relaxing.  The best part was the huge, finished basement that was perfect for the home business.  The A-frame design made the place feel very mountain-y and rustic.

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The cons?  Even though town was a short 10 minute drive away, it was definitely the most rural home in the bunch.  The living and dining area had hardwood floors, but the basement and bedrooms were all carpeted.  I'm not a fan of carpet, but at least it was clean and neutral.  The kitchen could have been a bit bigger, and the upstairs bathroom had a huge soaking tub but no shower.  Not really a problem for us, but kind of odd.  Most importantly, where we ready for such a big change from our house in the burbs to a cabin in the mountains?

House Number Four:

Number4

A traditional and unassuming brick house on the outside, but every inch of he inside was completely maxed-out and redone.  The entire house had wood floor and tile (no carpet, yay!) and the large kitchen had all new stainless appliances and a gorgeous ceramic sink.  New, paint, new tile, new fixtures, and a three prong outlet in every room (all things that make Mike very happy.).  Plus a double car garage and tons of storage.  There were also a few kids that looked around Max's age living next door.

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But, there are always some downsides:  The large, finished basement where we would set up shop had been divided off into several, tiny rooms.  Pretty silly if you ask me, and a very inefficient use of space. The wood fireplace was also in the basement, and not in place where we would get to use and enjoy it.  Although it was in town, you had to drive down a strange, gravel road to get to the house, and our mini Honda-mobile could barely make it...what would happen in the winter?  The house was very posh inside, but pretty bland outside. No yard, no decks, no views. 

So, there they are!  Which house do you think we decided on?  They are all pretty great, and we were lucky to have so many great options to pick from.  I'll reveal the winning rental tomorrow!

Number1   Number2
Number3   Number4

August 25, 2008

Interlude

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We are back from the rental house-hunting trip to Ashevile!  Everything went well, we have a lovely house secured, and the city more than lived up to my expectations.  Now I'm getting genuinely excited to move, instead of just nervous-panic-excited.  We didn't have much time to spend sightseeing since the main objective was to find somewhere to live and find it fast.  We looked at over a dozen homes (and did probably a couple dozen drive-bys.)  We haven't rented in a long time, and although it is much less stressful than buying a house, it's still pretty nerve wrecking.  More on that later.

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Here is Mike and Max meandering the streets of Black Mountain, one of my favorite little towns just outside of Asheville.

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 He bought this bat puppet from the local toy shop as his "special treat" for the trip.  Mike and I thought it was an odd but sweet choice, especially from a boy who hardly ever plays with stuffed animals.  If we had known then that the bat would be flapping in our faces and making deafening, hi-pitched screeching noises for hours on end, we might not have been so enthusiastic about the whole thing.

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Max is definitely hesitant and worried about the move.  That kid has always been very verbal, and is never afraid to let you know how her really feels about something.  He doesn't hide any emotion, ever, and he also has a flair for the dramatics.  I'm not sure how to help him, I try to be the pillar of strength that a parent is supposed to be, but I'm really just as scared and worried as he is.  I have no doubt that he will be fine once we settle in and the "boring moving", as he calls it, is behind us.  It's still going to be a shock for him, though.  He is very close to our families and and has always spent tons of time with them.  We are now moving him a long, 7-hour drive away from everyone he knows, and I don't blame him for being a little pissed about it.  Anyone out there ever moved with young kids before?  Any advice on how to handle the ups and downs? 

(More on the house-hunting trip tomorrow!)

July 28, 2008

When life hands you lemons...

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...sell your house and move to Asheville!

So that's not really how the saying goes, I guess, but it's the only way I could think to break the news!  Yep, we are moving.  Our house is under contract, and if all goes well, we will be relocating from Virginia to North Carolina around the first of September.  Shocking, I know.  I don't really believe it myself.  There is obviously a lot more to this story, but I don't think I can get it all out right now, maybe another day.  I can say that this is a good thing and we are all very excited!  I've never even been to Asheville before, but Mike has spent a lot of time there, and the photos I've seen are beyond gorgeous.  Every time I mention to someone that we are moving to Asheville, I get the exact same reaction: "Really?  I'm so jealous!  You are going ot LOVE it there!"  This place better live up to all the hype!

I will try to post updates as often as I can until we are moved and settled.  The Emporium will be closing at midnight on August 1st, and will not reopen until sometime in October.  This week the whole shop is HALF OFF, so stock up on kitschy essentials while you can!

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This move is also going to mean huge and amazing changes for my on line shops, and I'm so excited about it I can hardly stand it!  But right now I really must focus on sorting and packing the almost seven years worth of stuff we have squirreled away in this house.  If you are a pack-rat, never marry another pack-rat.  That's all I'm saying. 

July 23, 2008

Some Days Are Diamonds, Some Days Are Rocks

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Oh, Tom.  You grew a beard just for me?  You didn't have to do that.  Really, it was so sweet of you my darling, you know how I love a good beard these days.  Mmm.  Mike is physically unable to grow substantial facial hair.  It's kinda funny, and I don't feel bad ribbing him about because there isn't much the man can'tdo.  Even my sister makes fun of him, it's like his Achilles heel.  Max told me a while ago that he was going to grow a big, thick beard when he grew up.  I chuckled down at him, "No.  No you won't, my love."  Spitting image of his daddy, that one.  Doesn't  look like he inherited a single cell of my Greek-hairiness.  The kid barely has discernible eyebrows.

Back to Tom.  I was lucky enough to see Mr. Petty and his Heartbreakers recently at a show in Raleigh.  What a treat, let me tell you.  As Amber so squarely put it, "Your really have a thing for that creepy old man, don't you?"  Yes.  I do.   And considering the dizzying cost of concert tickets these days, the whole outing was completely made possible and sponsored by my Dad, to whom I'm very thankful.  He, my sister, and I had quite a memorable time.  Dad has always had a big heart, so big in fact, that it's suddenly giving him a little trouble these days.  More trouble than a young, lean and handsome man would have expected to deal with.  Those are the breaks, I guess.  If you want to send him a few good vibes, I'm sure that he would be grateful, and so would I.  I don't like to get all gushy on the blog, but you know, it's my Dad...and I'm kinda attached to him.  So forgive me this small indulgence, k? 

June 23, 2008

50 and Fabulous

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My Momma turned fifty last Saturday, and there was a party.  A very, pink party.

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With pretty pink poufs hanging in the air,

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and tables topped with little, pink flowers.

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Everyone wore pink,

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..I mean everyone.

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There was even a pink cotton candy machine, and my sister wore a pink vintage dress and vintage silver shoes while she (expertly) made cotton candy for everyone.

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And it was magical,

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..and delicious,

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and memorable.

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But mostly, it was really, really, really pink.

Happy Birthday, Mom! 

May 13, 2008

Chow Chow

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I was thinking that my blog is kinda drab these days. Stale.  Boring.  While pondering the ways I could drum up some action over here, I couldn't help noticing that other bloggers seem to really respond favorably to photos and posts about family pets.  (People like adorable animals, go figure?)  Since we don't really have a live-in pet a the moment (Sydney is still on loan to my brother,) Charlie is the closest living pet relative we have.  We adopted him 10-ish years ago, when we lived in Idaho.  He lived in California also, before settling here on the East Coast, staying briefly with Mike and I in our first apartment and finally settling in with my mom.   I guess their isn't much to say about him really, except that he's awesome.  And I saved him from the terrible fate of being named "Peanut Butter" by my little sister.  It took a while, but once I had everyone calling him "Charlie," she eventually gave up.  Now we sometimes call him Chow Chow, or even just "Chow."  Not sure why.  Anyway, feast your eyes on the preciously adorable kittyness.

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Ahh.  Now to sit back and watch my blog stats skyrocket...

April 16, 2008

It's a Zoo Around Here

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Even the meercat was looking at me like, "What are you doing here?  Don't you have a craft show this Sunday?!?"  Seriously though, it was a lovely afternoon at the zoo today.  I made a promise/mission statement this year that I would not let my work+business stuff dominate my life, even when it's 'crunch time', like the week before a craft show, and add to that a surprising flurry of business at both my vintage and supply shop these last few day, too.  I am always grateful (and often even amazed) that I sell anything at all, but keeping perspective can be hard.  My instinct is to pack every order immediately, list more items, research for new products, make new handmade things, etc.  But, as the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. And it is very true.  Finding that elusive balance that everyone talks about seems like a pipe dream most of the time, but I have to keep trying, right?

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We thought it very strange that the peacock was just hanging out in rafters of the barn area like that, but I guess they are allowed to just roam about the zoo on their own, because later we saw this same bird wandering into the Men's Room next to the reptile gallery.

If you haven't guessed already, this is turning into the obligatory - I'm too busy to blog this week so here I am blogging about how I'm too busy to be blogging - blog post. I'll be back soon though, I promise.  This Friday's Hero post will be replaced with a Friend-of-the-Blog coupon for the Bada-Bing in Richmond this Sunday.  So if you're local, planning on going to the show, and you like free stuff, you may want to check back here Friday!

Bye for now.

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Happiness

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