Today I traveled to Washington D.C. to spend the day at the museums. I had been wanting to make the solo trip for over a year, and finally created time in my busy schedule to go. Plus, I figured it would be good practice for Ireland...


Although the day got off to a rocky start regarding the metro and public transportation, I decided not to let it ruin my day, (although I was this close to turning my car around and heading home) and now I'm so glad I stuck it out! The day was beautiful and clear, I got to relax, and take advantage of living within an hour of our nations capital.
One of the museums I spent lot of time in was the National Gallery of Art. Surprisingly I found myself most enjoying the Dutch painting, primarily the still-life's (still-lives?). For as long as I can remember I have been an impressionist girl, but things are a-changing! No matter the style of painting, the National Gallery houses a beautiful collection of art.

While playing online this weekend you simply MUST stop by moms new website- KathyBarrick.com.

It is simply stunning! A friend of mine, Chelsea, designed it for her and did a fabulous job. Mom has been debuting all of her latest pieces over the last few days, and they are TDF = to die for!!! She is so talented, and finds the best treasures. Congratulations kbd, it looks amazing!

Kathy and I off to the Baltimore Antique show today. Im hoping to find lots of treasures for all you crafters out there, and maybe some home decor goodies. Particularly wood type blocks and signage both large and small.

And, did you realize there are less than four months until Christmas. WOAH!

I have a deep love for quotes, especially the poignant ones that seem to pop up at just the right time, and apply to your life perfectly.  You'll find my favorite quotes scribbled on my blackboards, scraps of paper, magnets, cards, and notebooks. I thought I'd share them with you as I stumble upon new ones. Surely I'm not the only quote lover out there :) 

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams; live the life you 've imagined...


Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.   -Ehrmann



Only one more day in the week! Hope your all looking forward to a long weekend like I am. Be sure to check back for an Ireland update. Less than a month until I leave!

P.S-
You learn something new everyday. Im guilty of using words without knowing the official definition. Luckily, I think I was pretty accurate with this world.  Do you do that too??

poign·ant

   [poin-yuhnt, poi-nuhnt]  –adjective

Hope your week is off to a fabulous start!


Sunday morning, at the beach, mom and I both woke up before the sun has risen. (Super shocking if you know me!) We had pulled the curtains back to watch the moon on that water the night before, and had fallen asleep with them wide open.  Not five minutes after we had started to stir mom said to me, "you should get your camera, the sun is about to come up". So I did, and this is what I captured...




We headed down to the water not long after the sun was up and enjoyed having the beach almost all to ourselves. Apparently we weren't the earliest risers! 

Im just getting home from a weekend at the eastern shore, which included stops in St. Michaels Maryland, and a night in Rehoboth Beach Delaware. 


St. Michaels is a charming little town that sits on the bay and has a main street lined with magnolia trees and cute shops. No chain stores here, only cute little boutiques run with hard work and love. Exactly the kind of store I would love to own one day!


After some lunch, and a little retail therapy we started making our way towards Rehoboth Beach.  Luckly, this beach town hasn't been over-run with teenagers and Sunsations yet, making the perfect location for us to spend the night. 




While walking along the beach I couldn't help but to think about how lucky I am to be able to stand on the very edge of the country and to be looking out into the beyond. There is so much out there in the world to see,  and I want to see it all!  






Our hotel room looked out over the boardwalk and ocean, so I was able to get some amazing photographs of the moon from our balcony.




And now its back to reality and time to get ready for another crazy week. Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Im headed to the eastern shore this weekend with my mom. We're leaving B-more early tomorrow, and slowly making our way to the shore while stopping at all the antique shops that along the way.  Im looking forward to spending time with my mom, seeing the ocean, and hunting for treasures!

This adventure is going to bring me way outside my comfort zone, but thats one of the things Im so excited about! I think I'm in the middle of a quarter life (plus a couple years) crisis :) But the funny thing is that this trip, the sudden-ness of it, the excitement, the experience for me and me alone feels like the exact thing Im supposed to be doing in my life right now.  What a wonderful feeling...

I stumbled across a large collection of vintage egg print pages at a recent antique show. 




The vendor informed me that the pages originally came from a library book that was so valuable a librarian had to stamp each page with the library seal before anyone could check the book out. Apparently egg prints are hot commodity!




Personally, I think the Brooklyn Public Library stamp adds quite a bit of character and charm to the pages. Not only the vintage look of the stamp, but the NY location fascinates me.
Many of these prints can now be found in my etsy vintage shop.

Currently loving my new- but old- printers block letters.  I dug through quite a large pile of letters trying to form these two words using just the right fonts. It was fun, and I could have spent lots more time trying to form words, but time is valuable when your at a big antique show with lots of vendors to see!

While we were in Paris I had an entire list of sights we "HAD" to see, and things we "HAD" to do. I couldn't possibly leave without taking another double-decker bus tour of the city for the third time, could I? 


While a few of the things we did and saw obviously could have have been omitted, I knew a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, or Tour Eiffel, was not one of them.To spite my best planning end effort, nothing could have prepared us for the bitter cold, and three hour wait in line to buy tickets and get a ride to the top. (advice to travelers visiting the city of light- buy your tickets online, and in advance!)
Although we bought tickets to go all the way to the top (the Eiffel tower has three levels on which to stop and look around), we decided that we only needed to ride up to the second. Plus we heard that the view from the second was the best, and the top was TOO far up! Once we made it to the second floor, this was our view.






Heading back down the Tour Eiffel, we choose to take the stairs. BIG MISTAKE!  This option as it left our legs feeling like jello and super sore for the next few days- who would have though...





Dont you love all the muted grey and white shades of the city. The pictures, the view, and the experience, made long wait and jello legs all worth it. One day these will be my own vintage postcards from Paris!

Anyone who knows me, knows I have a deep love for Paris and most things Paris related. I also happen to be a vintage postcard-aholic. Although I couldn't possibly need one more postcard or old photo, I frequently find myself leaving an antique store or flea market with a little brown bag full of new ones. The small price of postcards -at least the ones I purchase- make them a perfect thing for me to collect :) Sometimes I'm lucky enough to find vintage French postcards, and I'm always sure to snatch those guys up!

Here are a few of my favorites that include views of the city. One day I KNOW I'll do something fabulous with them! One day....

I am totally loving my new blog layout and look! Hope you guys like it too! If anyone else out there needs a branding makeover like I did, then I know just the girl for you! Thanks Chelsea- you rock!!

The awesome old grocers boxes I used in the seed pack project are now available in my etsy shop, so you can make you own art boxes :)  They were found in a small shop in PA, and I knew they couldn't be passed up!!

I can see them with an old sampler piece on top, a paper collage, assembled art, and any number of cool things done to the inside..

I've listed all four boxes I have left, so be sure to get them while they are still available. Happy Crafting :)