black and white images

procrastination always gets the best of me

Have a Tremendous Thursday...and check back soon!

Blue Mountain Brewery

The Beauty of Virginia. The Bounty of Nature. The Art of Brewing. 

Blue Mountain Brewery is located on Route 151 in Afton, Virginia. Just a short fifteen to twenty minute drive from Charlottesville.... located in the heart of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. The Brewery and Restaurant are open 7 days a week until 10 pm (9pm on Sundays) perfect for a day of beer tasting or that late night dinner.

 

All of the Blue Mountain Brewery beers and lagers are produced onsite in a 15x30 barell Premier Stainless brewing system. They usually craft 2,500 barrels per year! The water used at the brewery is sourced from a 300-foot well that is from the area. Blue Mountain Brewery is even part of the Virginia Green program, working in collaboration with other Virginians to help the local environment by using water efficiently, conserving energy, and reducing waste. 

Blue Mountain Brewery offers a wide selection of their homemade beers. I would have to say my favorite is the Kolsch 151 (a light German-style ale indigenous to Cologne) or second best the Full Nelson (local hop flavor, the flagship Virginia Pale Ale). The best way to decided what you are in the mood for is to do the beer tasting. Then you can choose after tasting a sampling of each beer in season. My friends and I have fun making one another guess which beer they are tasting after reading through the list and their personalized descriptions. Blue Mountain crafts about 20 seasonal draft-only offerings. Make sure to check their website to figure out what they are currently selling. On draft now: Classic Lager, Kolsch 151, Full Nelson, Afton Amber, Evil 8, and Dark Hollow #13.

Along with their beers, Blue Mountain Brewery offers a wide range of food items on their menu. From soft pretzels to gourmet pizzas, their menu is sure to have something that pleases your taste. One of their most popular dishes is the Bratwurst Pizza with apples and onions: Topped with bratwurst form the Double H Farm ( locally produced in Nelson County) with caramelized onions, apples, mozzarella, and fresh marinara and a balsamic reduction. Yum!

 

Have a Wonderful Wednesday...and check back soon!

Easter Weekend

To me... the pictures say it all!

colorful Easter Eggs for all

egg race

4th Easter together in a row!

           

                         spring flowers make for great pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

she is famous!

                      she is always funny!

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!

Easter Excitment

My friends have arrived to town and Easter weekend in upon us... honestly, what could be better! Enjoy these fun little images from around the web to get you extra excited for the weekend.

 

Have a Super Super Super Saturday.... and check back soon!

In the Spirit of Historical Garden Week

A few years ago my house was part of Historical Garden Tour! Of course I cannot take any credit for this... I have memories of my mom and dad frantically pulling weeds, cleaning carpets, and mowing every inch of grass in our yard. 

What I do remember is woman of all ages flooding my home that weekend. Walking around the outside and making their way inside for light refreshments and a house cleaner that I have ever seen since...

I would have to say that my favorite part of our house is our porch... light, breezy, and super comfy, I have spent a LOT of time lounging on that sofa in the Spring and Summer months. 

Tours were led around our home, inside and outside, and the historical stories behind the house were shared... it used to be an old family beach-house!

 

This week is Historical Garden Week all around the state of Virginia. Make sure to step outside and visit a garden or two... it's such a wonderful week to do so!

Have a Tremendous Thursday...and check back soon!

Fruit Cobbler

Tonight I am making a fun and easy dessert to go along with Lansing's steaks and surprise side-dishes! I have mastered a simple yet very delicious cobbler in the past few years...

I wish I had more time to blog today, but I have to get all of my work done so I can cook tonight!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday...and check back soon!

Historic Garden Week

It's upon us....April 16-23 is Historic Garden Week in Virginia!

Monticello

 This year is the 78th anniversary of Virginia's Historic Garden Week. More than 250 homes are open to the public this week for open house tours... these homes include private residences as well as historic Virginia landmarks. Through the dedication and work of the woman involved in the Garden Club of Virginia tours and talks will be given all throughout the state of VA this week! 

Tuckahoe Plantation

Discussions will be held and stories will be told revolving around these beautiful Virginian gardens. Local events are scheduled to span from the early 17th century through the early 21st century, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Allegheny Mountains. There will be formal gardens, walled gardens, cottage gardens, herb gardens, water gardens, and secret gardens! The Historic Garden Week is the oldest and largest statewide house and garden tour in the nation according to the Virginia Garden Week website.

A fun little connection: this week the Tuckahoe Plantation will be open for Garden Week...and in about two weeks time Easton Events will be holding a wedding at this same location, how fun is that!? Tuckahoe Plantation was the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson and has beautiful gardens as well as an old white plantation home. When we went to visit last weekend we met just the sweetest dog....

Along with open homes and tours this week, stores around the C'ville area are extending their hours and having special little treats. This past Sunday and Monday, AND George  (located down Ivy) had tea and scones in honor of the special week ahead... sorry about the late memo!

The Barn Swallow is extending their hours and has stocked up on new goodies for the Easter weekend ahead. Be sure to visit their garden this week to see the blooming tulips, hellobores, and galanthus!

The Barn Swallow

We are SO very lucky to live in C'ville and have this opportunity at our finger tips! Today, April 19th, there are lectures and tours at Monticello and at The University of Virginia Pavilion Gardens... check out the schedule! 

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!

A New York Minute

I just came back to C'ville after a wonderful weekend spent in New York City! From early Friday to late Sunday I spent time in the city with a family of 4. We took a trip to the Museum of Natural History, baked 'dino' cookies, watched Ice Age, and made our way through the Bronx Zoo. 

I had never stayed in a real apartment in the city.... only hotels and college dorm rooms. It was so fun to recognize the doorman, take the elevator up to the apartment, and play trains in a playroom that had a view of NYC down below. 

Saturday afternoon was pretty stormy. After walking around rooms of dinosaur skeletons we headed back to the apartment to watch Ice Age.... there was a bit of a theme going on! During the boys rest time I had the chance to step out and walk around the city. It was such fun to walk by my old dorm, say hello to the bagel men I became close to this summer, and even grab a little treat at Dylan's Candy Bar. I even surprised Lansing with a bag of candy!

We woke up to sun and warm weather on Sunday and thought it was the perfect day to go to the Bronx Zoo! I was so excited because I had never been before and had heard wonderful, wonderful things. We hopped in their car (how fun not taking taxis, but a REAL, personal car) and headed to the Bronx. 

Once we parked we headed straight to the Children's Zoo. It was so manageable and had great exhibits.... how fun is the tunnel that leads right to the prairie dogs!

The boys loved the petting zoo. With a few quarters the children can buy animal food and stay entertained feeding the goats, lamas, and other petting zoo animals. 

 We all made a new friend....

Have a Marvelous Monday...and check back soon!

Skylight Studio

Tuesday night my friends and I bundled up in our raincoats and headed Downtown to Skylight Studios for a night of painting and wine! The founders, Kate and Erin, opened "Lush" with the concept of offering woman (and men too!) a fun night out on the town with an artistic twist!

With no previous painting experience necessary, Lush is the perfect way to get your feet wet and express your creative side. Groups are welcome to bring their own snacks and drinks to the studio as well! My friends and I set up the table with all kinds of goodies. From hummus to a wonderful cheese platter (thank you Kate!) we snacked on yummy snacks and drank wine while painting.

Together Kate and Erin formed Lush for the Charlottesville community...and aren't we lucky! Kate came to C'ville in 2006 from South Carolina. Soon after her move she opened Skylight Studios, an art gallery and shared studio space! Kate wished to open a studio that would "promote art and creative living".  Erin grew up in North Georgia and moved to Charlottesville last Fall. She loves being creative and having a fun while doing so.

Lush takes place on Tuesday and Thursday nights and must be planned in advance. Each group must have a minimum of six people and a max of ten and Kate and Erin can travel to you or groups can come to the studio space. I really enjoyed painting in the studio because the space was light and perfect for painting!

Each painter gets a 16 x 20 canvas and lots of colorful paint! Together the group decides on what they want to paint and Kate takes charge and leads the way! Step by step we followed her lead and eventually we all created similar versions of the same 'masterpiece'! My friends and I decided to go with the fun and youthful peacock...with a variety of blues, greens, and yellows they actually turned out pretty well. We were all so surprised how great they looked!

Our session was held from 7-10 and in three hours not only had we finished our paintings, but we had all had a fun night out together... eating, drinking, and most importantly spending time together in a unique and different setting. Lush would be such a fun idea for bridal parties, birthday parties, church outings, and mother/daughter nights out!

We just had the best time and are already planning our second night out at Skylight Studios.... we need artwork for our new apartments next year, but more importantly we want to spend another night together painting! Check out Skylight Studios and reserve your spot for a Lush night out. Kate and Erin were such a pleasure to work with and we all upped our creative ability a smidge. 

Have a Fantastic Friday...and check back soon! 

Congratulations Jay!

My younger brother was accepted into Virginia Tech yesterday morning! I am so proud of him and his hard work... you really earned this Jay! You are going to have the best three years, I am so envious that you are not about to graduate.

VT vs UVA... BRING IT ON!

marshmallow guns!

This weekend Lansing and I found homemade marshmallow guns at the Farmers Market...how fun! One of the vendors was selling the shooters in a big bucket with a simple little sign that indicated their purpose along with a bag of mini marshmallows... just in case you wanted to try them out. 

What a exciting and unique gift idea... and they are only $7. The marshmallows flew far and would make for a fun game or competition! 

Have a Terrific Tuesday...and check back soon!  

wedding fun

What a wonderful night last night for an Easton wedding. While the weather was not particularly beautiful, King Family Vineyard looked amazing. From the outside ceremony with a fog filled skyline to a simplistic yet vintage vibe the wedding was a hit. I want to share some images from the night... sorry for the lousy IPhone quality! 

The ceremony could not have been more beautiful, despite the soft misty rain, the view was incredible and we could not have planned it any better... 5 minutes into the Sermon a gathering of horses began to graze around in the neighboring lawn! 

 

The escort table was so very fun! I loved the use of an old window frame.... the board was constructed by stringing pieces of rope across the frame and clipping the escort cards to the rope. The bride's grandmother constructed the cards. Each one had a colorful button and a little bow, growing up the bride collected buttons so her grandmother thought it would be a sweet little touch.

The florals were done by Hedge! I loved the use of two antique doors to frame the ceremony area which was located on the grass of King Family. Each door was adorned with a floral wreath... the yellow really popped within a green filled background! The mist.... how incredible.

The bridal bouquet and centerpieces were simple yet had a variety of color as well as a wide range of florals used in each bouquet. I liked the use of a tiny chalk board to identify each table number... this really added to the simple and rustic feel of the wedding reception. 

The reception was held indoors at King Family Vineyards. The dining room was filled with circular tables with the exception of one rectangular table for the bride, groom, and their family. I love the display of wine barrels within this space! Wasn't her dress wonderful?

An extra special addition to the wedding was Carpe Dounut! With their apple cider donuts and locally roasted organic coffee they were a HUGE hit. Matt and Matt (brother in laws) travel around with their donut stand to events and festivals within the C'ville area. After arriving around 7:30 they were open for buisness by 8:45...luring guests to their stand with that amazing cinnamon sugar smell. 

After loading in the stand is so cozy and fun feeling... whenever I could slip away I would go and talk to the Matt's about their business around Charlottesville.  What a great addition to the wedding reception!

The wedding was a total hit! Everyone danced the night away... and not one single guest opted for the early shuttle. The bride and groom finished the night off with "Shout" followed by a sparkler departure and a get-away sedan! 

Have a Marvelous Monday... and check back soon!