Life is a Highway

 

You know me, I'm always using song lyrics as post titles.  These things just pop into my head when I'm thinking up what to call a particular post.

Yesterday, Mr. Tide and I headed up to Washington, D.C. for a doctor's appointment.  It was a beautiful sunny day and so we had the windows down, the radio on, and camera in hand...well my hand anyway since he was driving.

I realized two very important things yesterday.  One, that I am really lousy at taking photos from a moving vehicle, and two, that there is nothing quite like coming home after a long drive on a sunny spring day.  In our busy day to day lives we sometimes are rushing around so much that we forget to slow up the pace and really converse with one another.  So I love it when Mr. Tide, or my kids and I are held captive in a car for a few hours so that we can really talk and get caught up on life.

We saw this handsome statue in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia as we headed down the GW Parkway.  I love the green patina on the beautiful bronze.

Old Town Alexandria is an eclectic area, steeped in history but full of wonderful shops and restaurants that range from traditional to hip and funky.  To see much more of Old Town Alexandria's wonderful architecture and a whole series of great photos of D.C. and Old Town, head over to Punctuation Mark's wonderful blog!

My appointment was actually on the northwest side of D.C. so we skirted the city and had a few glimpses of the monuments as we passed by.  These shots were all taken while Mr. Tide navigated the traffic.  If you've never driven in D.C. at rush hour...well you really haven't lived, because it will get your adrenalin flowing!

I loved how these stones looked at one of the many overpasses you travel under on the GW Parkway.

You can see the Jefferson Memorial above, and the cherry blossoms which are just starting to show some color!

D.C. has some beautiful architecture including the Arlington Memorial Bridge which spans the Potomac River and connects D.C. and Virginia.  You can also see the Lincoln Memorial in the distance.

I sometimes forget that the same river the flows between the District and northern Virginia is what separates Maryland and Virginia down in my neck of the woods.  Up north, the river is a calm relatively narrow river where rocks provide a place for birds to sunbathe.  Down my way, the river is five miles wide from shore to shore and churns with the same strength as an ocean with waves and beautiful white caps depending on the weather and wind direction.

After spending the day "up town" as we like to call it, I was happy to leave the hustle and bustle of city life to come back downstream to the quiet of the country.

Although I could imagine myself owning a city apartment somewhere in the world where I could go for visits, I know that I'm a country girl at heart.

I need fresh air, wide open spaces, and plenty of crickets chirping.  So I'm happy that life is a highway and I get to experience the best of both worlds with only a few hours of travel.  Where has life's highway taken you lately?

I also want to thank the very talented Chania from Razmataz who recently gave me a wonderful Sunshine Award!  Thank you Chania, your blog is truly an inspiration and ray of sunshine in my life!

And for those of you who just love it when I mention a song as my post title, here ya go!...

License and Registration Please

Did the title make you think that maybe I was out popping wheelies and maybe going way too fast on my super cool bike you see above?  Ok, that's not really "my" bike, it belongs to my good friend Mogul in Germany.  Mogul isn't his real name of course but it's what I call him, but that's a story for a whole other post!

The reason my post has the title it does is because I decided to use something a little offbeat to decorate the walls in my family room/office.  By now, after seeing my bowling pins, the insulators, and all of the other wacky stuff I find cool and interesting, none of you will find my new decor all that surprising but even I have to admit that it isn't what everyone would choose to adorn the walls.

Before

Last year, when we removed the two stoves and mantles we had in the house I was at a complete loss for where to hang our Christmas stockings.  Crazy woman that I am, I found this very cool horse pull that I've shown you before, as my mantle substitute.

I loved it's rustic charm and the fact that someone added hooks to it just made me think that it would be the perfect place to hang 4 stockings until we add on and put in a fireplace and mantle.  It looked wonderful throughout the holidays with the beautiful hand knitted stockings Mr. Tide's grandmother made for each of us, but afterwards it just looked a little lonely.  

So began the hunt for just the right thing to hang alongside my cool horse pull.  I thought about artwork, wooden signs, you name it, but nothing really struck my fancy.  Then one day a little light bulb went off inside my feeble brain.  License plates...that's the ticket, no pun intended!

But what kind of license plates, oh that part was easy, I knew just what I wanted.  The hard part would be finding just the right ones.  When you get a wild hair like I often do with these sorts of things, you just have to thank whoever thought up the internet and online auctions!  I went straight to Ebay and scored the first two after just a few months of looking.  My son wandered in and saw me bidding on old license plates and wondered what the heck I was doing.  I told him I was thinking about robbing banks and needed some spare plates for my getaway car.  He shrugged and went on his way, yeah he's grown up with me, so not much phases him!

The third one took a little more patience and searching but finally I had everything I wanted thanks to a great guy named Andrew Pang who has an appreciation for weird old stuff like I do, and who has an online store with license plates from everywhere and every year imaginable!! 

Having scored the trifecta of license plates I was ready to finish off that one lonely wall in our house and here are my plates and the finished project!

The first one I found on Ebay is for the year and state where my parents were married.  They were wed in November of 1953 in Maryland.  Ok, you might as well know that just finding a year and state match for their wedding was not good enough for someone as wacky as me.  It had to have a little something extra so see the numbers 265?  Well my mother's birthday was the 26th of the month, my father's the 25th of the same month, and our son Bugs is also born on the same day and month as my mother...so, this one was perfect!

Next, I had to find one for my in-laws who were married in Michigan in1958.  Although the numbers and letters aren't very relevant, the "water wonderland" is perfect since we live on the water...pretty cool eh?!

And the last one if for the year and state where Mr. Tide and I tied the knot.  We were married in Maryland in 1986, and see the numbers?  Well we were married in June of '86, and are you ready for my cuckoo for cocoa puffs brain, if you read the last two numbers backwards you get 6/86...the year and month we were married.  So if that doesn't make you think I'm nutty enough, the 9/87 bottom renewal sticker...well that's the month and year of our daughter, Angelfish's, birth!  You can call the guys with the white jackets for me now, but I'm lovin' these license plates!

After

So here they are, hanging in order with my parent's on the left, in-laws on the right, and ours at the very top.  Pretty darn cool, I think! 

I just love how they frame my little horse pull and provide just the oomph it needed.

As a junk and antique lovin' gal I just think these are the coolest things ever.  So what does the rest of my family think of my unique decorating style.  Well my son walked in after they were hung and said "Why are there license plates hanging on the wall?!"  I went in to my long explanation of the meaning behind each special license plate to which he simply replied, "Do you know how redneck it is to have our family tree represented in license plates hanging on the wall?!"  Yup honey, that's your family and you got half my genes!!

Do you have something meaningful hanging on your walls?  Do tell!

I'm linking to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Head over to Thrifty Decor Chick for a Before and After Party!

For more inspirations and transformations, head over to The Inspired Room!

It's Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home!

It's time for Transformation Thursday over at The Shabby Chic Cottage!

Signs of Spring

It seems that everywhere I look these days people are writing about, photographing, or talking about Spring, at least if you live in the Northern Hemisphere anyway.  Spring and Summer are my two favorite seasons.  I love being able to throw open the windows, catch lightning bugs, walk barefoot through the grass, or simply sit outside and enjoy the chirping of crickets or the croaking frogs.

Each year, while other people are enjoying winter sports such as ice skating and skiing, I'm surfing the net or the horizon for any sign of springtime and warm weather.  I've always been a warm weather kind of person, the hotter the better.  I don't mind humidity, hot pavement, or having my electric bill go sky high because of  the need to run the air conditioner full blast.

This past weekend was our first real taste of the warm weather to come.  It was nearly 75 degrees with clear sunny skies, and I was loving every minute of it.  I threw open windows in every room of the house, cranked open the sunroof on my car, and put on a short sleeve shirt.   This is my kind of weather, when everything that's been sleepy and hibernating are raring and ready to go again!

I decided to make hay while the sun was shining and went outside to take a few pictures.  Because I know that if there is one thing you can count on about Maryland weather, it's that those first few warms days will not last for long.  The cold winds and rain of springtime will come rushing back, just when you thought it was safe to pack up all of your sweaters and galoshes.  Today it poured down rain and we had thunder and lightning to go along with the wind and water.  So I'm glad I enjoyed the sunshine and took advantage of the picture taking opportunity when I could.

Where we live now the seasons aren't marked so much by the weather or what is in bloom, but more so by what wildlife is here on the property.  The arrival of Canada Geese marks the arrival of Fall each year, the swans mean that Winter is in full swing, and the return of the Osprey is a sure sign that springtime is upon us.

Each year when the osprey return I have mixed feelings.  On the one hand I'm happy to see any sign of spring, but on the other hand I know it means they will be staking their claim to the big dead tree in our backyard.  It's their nest that rests way up high in the branches of the huge old dead tree and so they quickly invite the eagles to find other perches to fish from until the osprey leave in October.  Although the eagles are much larger birds of prey, they are woefully outnumbered by the very pushy osprey and quickly move on to avoid the aggravation.  There have already been a few sparing matches the last few days between these two majestic species, but in the end numbers win out and the eagles move on.

I also saw these on the creek this weekend, another sure sign that warmer weather is on it's way!

While I was out enjoying the weather, I decided to try some of the settings on my camera.  Ever since I've been taking pictures for my blog, I have this strong desire to really play around with my camera and the myriad of settings you can use.  I'm sure to the trained professional's eye these are really bad photos, but even Ansel Adams had to start somewhere!

I may not know anything about shutter speeds or apertures but I do know that I see the world through different eyes now that I've started becoming more interested in photography.

Simple things like an old dead tree

With thousands of woodpecker holes

Or gnarled bark have become art for me.

And grass, sprouting through an old chunk of brick

Part of someone else's pier which has washed ashore

Or the old rusted hinge on a bird feeder have all become things of beauty in my eyes.

Maybe it's just that I'm aging, slowing down ever so gradually and taking the time to savor all that is around me and the changing seasons of my own life in relation to the changing seasons of nature.  Whatever the cause, I'm enjoying the affect.  If it means I can embrace all the beauty that surrounds me, even in the smallest and simplest of things, I like it.  Amidst the chaos of our lives, I hope each of you are able to stop, for just a moment wherever you are right now, to enjoy the simple beauty that surrounds you.

Don't forget, there is still time to enter my current Giveaway...click HERE to find out more! 

It's time for Outdoor Wednesday at A Southern Daydreamer.

Friendship, Finds, Food and Claw Feet

The title of this post pretty much sums up the amazing day I've had today!  You're heard me talk about Connie from Hartwood Roses.  I even did a post about her gorgeous heirloom roses recently.  But what you didn't know was that after I did my post on my dream bathroom a few weeks ago, I received an email from Connie telling me that she had a clawfoot tub that she wanted to give me.

She said that they had one in the bathroom she and her husband are currently remodeling (which you can read about by clicking HERE) and that they weren't planning on keeping the clawfoot tub.  She went on to say that she wanted it to go to a good home, and if I wanted it, it was mine for the taking!  Now, I had planned to visit Connie anyway to pick up some of her wonderful rose bushes to fill up the huge blank flower bed in front of our house, but the idea of picking up roses and a beautiful clawfoot tub...now that was an offer I couldn't refuse!

So the two of us started trying to figure out a time when I could head over and pick up the tub.  Then, as if giving me a gorgeous old clawfoot tub wasn't quite kind and generous enough, she asked me if I wanted her to bring it to me!!!  Ok, are you starting to see what kind of person Connie is folks?!  The kind of person who loves roses so much that she started a whole business around them.  A woman who drove to Ohio just a few weeks ago to help raise awareness and money for canine cancer research.  Someone who owns not one, but two greyhound rescue dogs...and the list goes on an on.

So today, after having a very full weekend already, she drove 2 hours to bring me her wonderful clawfoot tub!  She braved driving her hubby's big 4 x 4 truck, a la tub, over a very tall, very narrow bridge that separates her home state of Virginia from my home state of Maryland, and arrived promptly at 10:00 a.m this morning.

She hopped out of the truck and knocked on the door and we were both pleasantly surprised that neither one of us was an axe murderer...hey it's the internet, you just never know!  Plus, as far out as I live, I'm sure by the time she finally got here, she was wondering if there really was any Earth left since we live at the end of it!

We chatted for a few moments, walked down to the water, and then we were off so that I could take her on a tour of my "hood"!  We left Mr. Tide and our son, Bugs, to figure out a way to get a big, heavy clawfoot tub out of a pick-up and into our very messy garage!

The first place we headed to was The Vintage Source.  Connie scored some bowling pins, an antique set of doorknobs, and this very cool railroad station made by a local artisan.  She plans to put it on top of her pie safe and I can't wait to see it!  Can I just say right now that I'm extremely jealous of the 9 1/2 foot tall ceilings in her beautiful historic home!!  Notice that this one of a kind art piece is all buckled up for the long drive home, safety first!

And here was my big score.  It's a beautiful slipcovered chair I bought from my friend Sheryl.  I'd been eyeing this piece for awhile and today I decided I was ready for the commitment.  I really love how it looks in my living room.

We hit up a few more shops and then headed over to Solomons Island for some lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, CD Cafe.  After a yummy lunch of curry chicken salad it was time to shop some more.  We stopped by a local Gallery and then we jumped back in the car and headed south to Historic St. Mary's City, Maryland.  Connie is giving a presentation to a rose society in the near future about old heirloom roses found in cemeteries and there is a very old cemetery at St. Mary's City that I thought might have some roses in it.

We made one more stop at a small glass shop and nursery before heading back to my house.  Connie picked up a beautiful white African Violet.  When the back of your car looks like mine did, we knew it was time to stop shopping and head home.

I know Connie must have been exhausted from all of the driving and other activities she had done all weekend, so she decided to hit the road.  We gave each other a big hug and I think we both knew that this would be the first of many visits for the two of us.  We had such a wonderful day, chatting about everything from flowers to family.  We have so much in common and she is such a beautiful person in every sense of the word!

After Connie left, and we brought the new wing chair in and got it settled, I ventured out to stare at my gorgeous new tub.  I think she needs a name, and somehow Rose seems quite fitting don't ya think?!

Photo:  Hartwood Roses

Above you can see how Miss Rose looked when she was at Connie's house.

And here's how she looks, all safe and sound inside my garage.  She laying on her tummy to help protect her insides and because Mr. Tide and Bugs were too tired to turn her right side up.

I love that Connie even brought me the original rubber drain plug, such a detail oriented gal that Connie!

And this is Rose's birth certificate.

And although I love this pretty little tub and know I will treasure Rose and share many wonderful bubbly moments with her, it was the friendship and generosity that made my heart swell today!  Thank you Connie!

Everything Old is New Again

I had such a wonderful day today!  One of those days filled with friends, fun, funkiness, and even a little food!  My day started out with a trip to Annie's house for a little chit chat, some tea and a yummy lemon poppy seed bundt cake from Panera.

Annie, who holds her master's degree in Art, is the brains behind Annie Wilcox Designs, a paint color consulting business she recently started.  She is also a new blogger, just like me, so we decided to get together and share a few trade secrets over breakfast today.  We talked about everything under the sun and her sweet 2 year old daughter even colored me a wonderful picture to take home!

After I left Annie's place, it was time to head over to The Vintage Source, in Compton, Maryland for a little more yakking and a whole lotta picture taking!  You've heard me sing the praises of this store many times before, so I thought it was about time I took you inside for a little tour.  Unlike my "Shop Til You Drop" series, this little field trip is a bit different.  You see, The Vintage Source is only open one weekend a month.

The four wonderful women that own and run The Vintage Source spend the rest of their time scouring the countryside looking for cool pieces of furniture and other unusual, fun, and eclectic pieces to share with their customers on the 3rd weekend of every month.

The store was the brain child of Michelle who grew up not far from the building that now houses The Vintage Source.  It was once an old country store that sold everything from bait to beer!  So when the building became available 5 years ago, Michelle jumped at the chance to bring the old structure back to life.

A short time after opening her store, Michelle was approached by Cathe and Sheryl, who had space in another local shop.  The three women combined their talents and love for fixing vintage and neglected furniture.  A few years later, Joy joined in on the fun, and today all 4 women share not only retail space but also a wonderful friendship with one another.

Each of The Vintage Source girls brings their own unique style to the shop, yet they all blend perfectly with one another.  And Michelle has even gotten her family in on the act!  Her father created the awesome rolling cart pictured above.

Because the shop carries such unusual and funky furnishings and accessories, it has almost a cult following, with people traveling from hours away just to see what they'll find on the one weekend a month they are open.

There is always something interesting to look at and buy like these wonderful decorative houses and birdhouses built by a local artisan.

And they find the coolest one of a kind pieces, like this sweet vanity. 

Rarely do the pieces of furniture come ready to sell.  All of the girls spend lots of time restoring, refinishing, and painting items in the most wonderful colors in order to make them sellable.

Beautiful slipcovered and upholstered furniture is also something The Vintage Source is known for.

This upholstered bench with it's very cool orange and white fabric was definitely calling my name...now, where to put it?!

The other really neat thing you'll see are inspiration pictures torn out of decorating books and magazines, showing you just how to incorporate certain pieces into your own home.

There are always plenty of chippy white pieces, and you all know how much I love those!

And if you see something you like, you better grab it and go, because stuff flies out of here like hot cakes!

And remember those darling fabric flower pins I showed you last week?  Well you can go right to the Vintage Source and buy some from Sheryl!  If you see someone wandering around the shop this weekend sporting one of Sheryl's pretty green flower pins with a beautiful antique mother of pearl button, please say hello, because it will be me! 

The Vintage Source is open this Saturday and Sunday, and get there early, the doors open at 8:00 a.m., but people start lining up at 7:00 or 7:30!

But once you see all of the wonderful vintage items they carry, you won't mind getting up early to score some great finds!

Like these funky black chairs with zebra fabric!

Or this very cool kitschy chandelier, I love this one!

And there are always wonderful crystal and china pieces to choose from too!

And if tables and chairs are what you need, then you're sure to find just what you're looking for.  The Vintage Source always has plenty in different sizes, shapes, and price points!

I love this sweet blue desk, it would go perfectly in our daughter's bedroom!

Feeling a little blue?  Then why not pick up these bright blue stacking tables.  I love these for a little boy's bedroom or an ultra hip living room!

And check out these awesome retro barrel chairs (there are 4 of them) that Sheryl reupholstered in this fabulous shade of green!  Her husband did an amazing job of refinishing  the wood to make it look like new!

And if your yard is lacking style, never fear, The Vintage Source has you covered there as well!

With great vintage tables, chairs, and wonderful yard art!

So clear your calendar and hurry over to The Vintage Source this Saturday and Sunday to see what wonderful things you can find!  And why not make a day of it, and visit all of the wonderful stores I've been telling you about lately!  See you there!

And before you go, please don't forget to enter my latest Giveaway.

I was so busy running around today that I almost forgot to do the drawing for the Fabric Flower Pin Giveaway!  

The winner is #2, Sue (Someone's Mom).  Congratulations Sue!