Happy Bloomsday!

Happy Bloomsday, my friends! Today, the life of Irish writer James Joyce is celebrated and the events of his iconic novel (considered the most important novel of the 20th century), Ulysses, which take place on June 16, are relived in Dublin and celebrated around the world.

The portrait above of Joyce hangs in the Dublin Writers Museum. We visited the museum while on our honeymoon in Ireland and I fell in love with this painting. Oh, to be in Dublin today, throwing back a Guinness and taking in the festivities!

Cheers to Mr. Joyce. Thank you for your incredible contribution to the world of literature.

P.S. - Happy birthday to my brother! Hope you have a great day. :)
Portrait from the Dublin Writers Musuem

Summertime in the Neighborhood

Summer is here and we celebrated last evening with our neighborhood's annual block party. Fried chicken, cole slaw, fruit salad and many other goodies were served as kids frolicked and adults chatted. The kids' entertainment for the evening was The Bubble Truck.

There's my son in the plaid shorts, in the thick of things. The Bubble Truck emits bubbles from the entire vehicle and then Mr. Bubble Truck also brings out large buckets so the kids can dip giant bubble makers into the soapy solution. This kept the kids entertained FOREVER! So much better than inflatable jumpies, I think. And, Mr. Bubble Truck also makes balloon animals, which added even more to the festivities. (Until Little Man's popped and he had a complete meltdown over it. Sigh.)

It was fun meeting many of our neighbors and celebrating the start of summer.

Does your neighborhood or town have a get-together in the summer months?

Cinda B

I’m loving my latest accessory purchase – a purse from Cinda B.

I found my new bag in a great little shop on the Outer Banks called Urban Cottage. I saw the Cinda B line during a shopping excursion in the village of Duck and made my way back before the end of the trip to add to my accessory obsession collection. Check out Cinda B’s website for a full look at her product line. The photo above doesn't do the actual purse justice - it's very cute and lightweight, a big "must" for this short gal and her aching back.

Here's Ms. Cinda with some of her designs (yeah, of course, she's so stinking cute.) True, the quilted designs of her bags are similar to Vera Bradley, but there are differences that I like, which is why I purchased the hobo bag.

I also like this beach bag - very cute. (And, Cinda B is made in the USA, so another plus.)

I’m slowly making my way back to “real world mode.” Dropped Miss E. off at day camp and Little Man at daycare this morning. He was a bit bummed that he didn’t return yesterday to see his friends. “You told me when we moved back home I could see them!” he said. His four-year old mind is still trying to grasp the concept of a place you stay temporarily while on vacation versus your actual home. Believe me, kiddo, Mommy wishes she was still at the vacation home.

Have a terrific Tuesday, friends!
Images from Cinda B

No More Road Trips (For Now, At Least)

Clickety clack, clickety clack, I'm back.

Sigh.

So very hard to return to the real world after being on vacation. The Outer Banks were wonderful, as usual. Relaxing, lazy, sun-filled days. How I want to return. Although, I really missed flying this time. We did a road trip this year to save money, since the kids now require full-price plane tickets. We opted to drive and split the trip up into two days, spending the night in Lexington, Va. While I like stopping in Lexington - home to VMI and Washington & Lee - I am sooo not a fan of road trips. The kids had a few meltdowns along the way and it about sent me over the edge. I don't take stress very well, can't you tell? I know, I should go with the flow. But, that's just hard for me sometimes. Oh, well. I had plenty of days at the beach to make up for it.

So, on my last day of vacay, I'm at home getting ready for the week ahead. Going to try to squeeze as much out of the precious few hours I have left. Perhaps hit the library and the pool with the kids, then prep for tomorrow's activities: work, camp, daycare.

In the meantime, I need to catch up on all of your wonderful blogs, my friends. Happy Monday - hope you are well!

Vacation and Birthdays

Soaking in our last day at the beach. Also happens to be my birthday - if I have to turn another year older, I'd certainly rather celebrate it here. And, believe it or not, Hubby's birthday is today, too. Yep, we have the same b-day, although, I'm younger. Hee, hee. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, friends. I'll be back at it next week. Just trying to enjoy every precious minute of vacation, as I'm sure everyone can appreciate.

Cheers!

Gone Fishin'

  

Kids, I'm taking a break to unplug and unwind. I'll miss you lots, but will be back to chat soon!
Image from Google



Bourbon Under the Stars

In case you’re already planning ahead for late summer activities (yeah, I know, it’s hard to plan beyond tomorrow, isn’t it?) and if you happen to be close to Bluegrass country at that time, you may want to attend Bourbon Under the Stars.

Tickets to the event, as well as overnight accommodations at one of my favorite boutique hotels, the Gratz Park Inn, are now available on the Rue La La retail site for a limited time, at a discount.

The event includes (details courtesy of Rue La La):

• Two tickets to Bourbon Under the Stars on Saturday, September 10, 2011. The event, held at the L.V. Harkness rooftop garden in downtown Lexington, includes Bourbon cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and music. Alcohol will not be served to participants under the age of 21.

• Two nights in a room at the Gratz Park Inn. Offer is valid for two guests only, September 9 through September 11, 2011.

• A one-year subscription to The Bourbon Review. The magazine is dedicated to all things bourbon – from the perfect cocktail, to bourbon-influenced recipes, to finding the best of the best in Bourbon Country. Your subscription will be sent to the shipping address on your Rue La La account.

• A book signing by Jon Carloftis, award-winning author and Kentucky native, at the event.

• Two welcome gift baskets. Your gifts will be awaiting you at the event, and include local items such as mini bourbon samples, local food, and other special treats.

• Taxes are included.

This is a perfect function for lovers of gardening (Jon Carloftis is the king of landscaping and garden design), bourbon and luxury goods. L.V. Harkness has a gorgeous array of place settings, stemware, equine art and gifts, among many other bright, shiny things.

I’m dying to see their rooftop garden, designed by Jon Carloftis, where the event is taking place.

Seriously, ladies, who wouldn't want to sip bourbon and listen to this man talk about landscaping? I'm not sure if he plays for our team, but gosh darn it, he's pretty.

And, if you are a Bourbon connoisseur, be sure to check out The Bourbon Review, founded by four Kentucky boys. We subscribe and it’s a great publication.

And, friends, thank you for the wonderful ideas for books, music and other items to take on vacation. I can always count on you guys to recommend the best of the best!
Images from girlmeetsfood.com, vanblogspot, L.V. Harkness, Gratz Park Inn, hautemommastuff.com and Rue La La.