Make {or break}

Honestly, I didn't really get going today until almost 1 o'clock...just one of those piddly days around the house. We did take Booker for a walk in the woods around 5. And I did take a shower, put on a little makeup and dried my hair after that so when Ryan got home from work I didn't look like I hadn't done a thing all day but lounge in my pajamas (pretty much it). There are still several little organizational projects I wanted to do this summer that haven't happened, but yesterday I wrapped this cute birthday gift for a friend of mine, and I made risotto (my new favorite food) from scratch. I am not gifted in the kitchen, a place my creativity just never shines through, but this one was a small success.

The recipe is from grouprecipes.com and is classified as "easy." I could have used a few more explanatory details in the step-by-step (I had to look up how to "crush" garlic on the internet), but I managed... http://www.grouprecipes.com/4108/bacon-mushroom-risotto.html

I also managed to scrapbook a little today. Not my best work, but I did 5 layouts and weeded out some pictures I don't think I want to work on.

Ryan worked really late and called to say he'd had a really stressful day, so I decided to make a cheesecake (this one from a box). In my cleanup, I bumped the edge of our favorite mixing bowl on the edge of the counter as I was putting it in the dishwasher and totally cracked it beyond repair. I'm so bummed because this bowl belonged to Ryan's grandmother Jinx, who passed away a year or so before I met Ryan and was a huge part of his life. I am told she was extremely glamorous and spoiled her grandkids rotten. Ryan's Pop let me take a few things from their house several years ago, and we've thought of Jinx every time we've used this handy bowl since. I felt terrible telling Ryan I'd broken it. All for a silly cheesecake from a box...

Second supply

We're enjoying our last real week of summer vacation, doing a little of this and that and mostly nothing. I start work next Wednesday and Macauley will stay with my parents then be back in time for the first day of school on Tuesday, 24 August. We went Sunday evening to buy school supplies only to find that everything was already totally picked over. And I thought we were right on schedule if not early! I resisted all the great 25 cent deals on things I could use in my own classroom for the last month or so thinking purchasing school supplies would force me to face going back to work and now there's nothing left. Oh well. We couldn't find much of anything we needed at Target so we braved Walmart, along with lots of other families with the same idea. We ended up with everything on the list except the elusive Magic Rub Erasers, which we even tried to track down at Staples...guess we'll try Office Depot or maybe IPA.

We're hoping Macauley gets selected for KUBS (Kids Using the Buddy System), a combined 2nd and 3rd grade class that provides lots of hands-on learning while still upholding fairly rigorous academic expectations. I have no idea how the kids are selected for the program, and we won't know until the class lists are posted on Friday the 20th, but we went ahead and shopped for the KUBS list, which varied only slightly from the regular 2nd grade list. We can make some swaps later if necessary, and we've already decided if he doesn't get into KUBS, it's not a big deal.

1 bottle of white glue, 4 oz.

4 invisible tapes with dispenser

4 dozen #2 pencils

1 set of colored pencils

2 containers of antibacterial wipes

2 folders

1 spiral notebook, 70 ct.

1 scissor, 5" pointed tip

1 box of Kleenex

1 box of 48 crayons

4 Magic Rub erasers

2 glue sticks

He also picked out a new backpack and a lunchbox, even though he usually eats school lunch. We'll both be in for a rude awakening, literally, when we have to start getting up so much earlier in just a couple of weeks...we've so enjoyed the lazy pace of summer. But 2nd grade (and my 7th year of teaching high school!) here we come...

Booth move

I got the chance last week to move into a new booth closer to the front at the flea market, so Macauley and I took advantage of one slightly cooler day on Thursday to make some changes to the new space, which is just a smidge bigger than my old booth. We had to fuel up at our new favorite, Which Wich--I am addicted to their egg salad sandwich this summer.

We cleaned and painted the wall and floor that first day, and I put up some burlap. The space already had one wall of plain beadboard. Macauley was insistent on taping off the booth while we left to let the paint dry.

We went back the next morning and loaded the new space, with mostly new things I had gathered, but some of the stuff from the old booth, too. I'm already feeling like when school starts next week I won't have the energy to keep everything fresh, but for now, I'm happy with what's there and glad for the fresh start. I keep the booth mostly as a hobby and use the profits for extra shopping money rather than my livelihood. I really enjoy it and always wonder what it would be like to buy/sell junk for my real job.

The booth is still #222 (I made a new sign), but is now located just inside the entrance of STD Central, the second booth on the left. There's no AC at the flea market, so you've got to really want to junk to wander through the aisles right now. My booth is next to a window/door opening, so that helps, but it's a sweaty business right now. Still lots of good junk to be found!

House/bunkhouse love

I was so delighted to find the inside of both the mainhouse and the bunkhouse at Chaney's B & B filled with lots of the vintage items so many of us love. Some of the rooms had darker furniture and a more "serious" look, but there was lots of vintage whimsy in the accessories throughout.

I saw at least 3 of these great screen doors in the house. This set upstairs led out to a great porch that stretched across the front of the house with a pretty view of the front yard.

They call the cottage out back the "bunkhouse" and it looks like this is the main place guests stay, but I'm not sure. You walk right into a bright and welcoming sleeping porch, then into a big living room open to the kitchen, with a big bathroom and bedroom in the back.

So many sweet vintage details...and I saw some promising antique shops on the road back to town. We'll have to go back and stay, I think...