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cruise night

When I was in college, every Friday night the local folks cruised down Main St. They’d drive super slow, loop around when they came to the end, and then do it all over again. (The Internet is so awesome. I found this pic on flickr and it looks just like I remember it!)

main street newark de

photo via petdocvmd1 on flickr

Last Friday we went to cruise night at our local Sonic. Folks out here cruise a little differently. They park, polish the windshield, pop the hood and just sort of show their car. I expected that there would be some nice cars, but I wasn’t expecting a Ferrari!

Both Bella and Mason love their cars, and I was surprised that I couldn’t convince them to stop digging in the dirt for a photo op. So, I had to do the next best thing. I lured them over to a patch of dirt that had the Ferarri in my line of sight and snapped a long distance pic.

bella ferrari

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new on julie-k: recycled crafts at the farmers’ market

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curly ponytail

Bella hates to have things in her hair. She’s always ripping out her barrettes and rarely lets me put in a ponytail. I did this while she was watching Word Girl. Captain Huggy Face kept her occupied while I sneaked in a hair tie. It lasted about an hour. That’s a record for her!

curly ponytail

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new on julie-k: 10 garage sale tips for crafters

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loving the open road

drive to hastings nebraska

I love driving in the Midwest. It started with a trip T and I took across country while we were dating. Our country is so beautiful. There is so much to discover here and driving is the best way to find it. I especially love how each state has its own beauty: rocky and hilly, lush green grasses, golden fields. The latter really helps you understand the line “amber waves of grain.” Watching the wind blow through them is really wonderful.

When we headed out to Hastings last week, I got that same giddy feeling. The drive was less than two hours, but it filled me such happiness. I could feel the stress of daily life just melt away. The sky out here is so big and blue. You can see so far! I know there are places that have bigger skies and longer horizons, but this was enough for me. I feel so lucky that this is practically in my backyard. I also feel lucky to have the peace and quiet to soak it in. Road trips during nap time are especially nice.

bella napping

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new on julie-k: coffee sleeve of the month giveaway: spring flowers

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weekend at the track

I found this picture while scrolling through my camera this morning and it really sums up our weekend in Hastings at the track.

at the track

The kids had a blast. They really play well together. If you ask Bella if she had a nice weekend, she’ll tell you, “I had fun playing with Mason!”

The weather was chilly, windy and drizzly. We stayed in a condo on the track with Mason’s parents and another couple. Our days were spent sitting on the couch watching Daddy’s car go by. There was no cable or internet. The kids watched a lot of Curious George dvds and we did a lot of reading, chatting, snacking and knitting. (I’ve got Wanda hooked, but can’t convince Lori to cast on.)

It was a really nice chance to get away. Close and affordable. Relaxing for me, lots of fun for Bella. Oh, and T had a great time, too.

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things i am looking forward to this weekend

— Time spent with good friends.
— Watching my husband enjoy himself at the track.
— Watching Bella play with Mason.
— Two new yarn stores to visit (I hope!)
— Knitting.
— Sketching instead of making.
— Spending time outside.
— Unplugging from the computer.

Have a great weekend everyone!

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new on julie-k: coffee sleeve of the month: oops!

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on our own

T used to come home for lunch most days. His office used to be around the corner. (Literally, around the corner!) In February, his office moved up north. It’s not far; just not close enough for him to come home for lunch any more.

I got used to having him around in the afternoons, even if it was only for 15 minutes to make a sandwich and head right back out. Bella liked it, too. We used to coordinate our day with when he’d be home. We’d be bummed if we missed him.

Now, we can do whatever, whenever. It’s kind of weird. This morning we went over Christy’s house. It was the first time I didn’t look at my watch. Eva and Bella just played until they were both too dirty to play any longer. Usually, I would have gone home afterward, but I brought a snack with us and decided to run some errands (after I did my best to dust her off).

It was a sunny, warm day and I kind of wanted just to stay out — maybe go somewhere to eat outside. Unfortunately, the little eyes in the back seat started to get droopy so we came home for lunch instead.

After two months, it was the first day I felt used to being on our own for the whole day. Kind of weird, huh?

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new on julie-k: pinquitos change purse

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clothes

I’ve been thinking about this post for almost 24 hours; right after I left the clothing store. I don’t want it to sound like a rant or whine, but I can’t get these thoughts out of my head. So, here goes.

I recently did a clean sweep in my closet. I got rid of all of the old clothes that didn’t fit or look good post-pregnancy. It was hard. There were some things that I really loved, but couldn’t alter because they were too small. I avoided my spring and summer pants, though. I wasn’t ready to face them.

The temps are going to be in the 80s this week and yesterday I decided to see what fit. Yeah, it wasn’t good. Nursing my daughter on a no-dairy diet made me a very skinny woman. Very skinny. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I could use losing a few pounds, but there was no way I was going to fit into some of my post-pregnancy capris. So I decided to take my gift card (thanks, Mom and Dad!) and buy a few staples before I started my Wardrobe Refashion pledge. And here comes my shocking revelation:

I can’t believe how much clothes cost!

Maybe I’ve been spending too much time in thrift stores. Maybe I spend too much time in the fabric store. Let me also be clear: I don’t have a problem paying top dollar for quality items made out of good fabric that are built to last. No problem at all. But the clothes I tried on yesterday were not of that quality. I think maybe they will last two seasons if I am good to them. Everything that I purchased was on sale and I was still shocked when I got my total at the register. And here’s the kicker. I was at Kohl’s. Not the Gap or Banana Republic or Talbots, but Kohl’s! $40 for Kohl’s brand capri’s? $36 for a cotton t-shirt? Really? No wonder the whole store was 40% off.

I seriously need to learn how to sew my own pants.

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new on julie-k: bean bags