there is art...

...and it is everywhere. Saturday evening is the opening night of the second annual Art | Everywhere. If you live locally, you should definitely go. And if you live elsewhere, it's not too late to book a flight – you can crash on our sofa.

I took a walk downtown this afternoon to capture a preview and I wasn't disappointed.



My pals Marissa and Ella have collaborated on an awesome installation (left photo). I was blown away.



And the flying silver turd is proudly waving its freak flag (upper left corner of right photo). There's also a plush landscape (left photo) where my rocket would probably feel more at home.



Though it's not an official destination in the Art|Everywhere route, I included the photo on the right to show the mural my husband, along with his pals, worked on over 15 years ago is still up. And that's pretty awesome.

we are royalty



The royal wedding has us all excited.



We are drinking tea and wearing fabulous impromptu headpieces constructed from Christmas ornaments.



And Avery IS the prince, but we already know that, don't we?

little bits of awesome: a lesson in color theory

sell this house: (un)progress report



Blame it on the holiday. Our list has actually grown larger since the last report, but since we didn't even attempt to tackle any of the former tasks, I'm not going to bother listing everything.

Since the plumbing is exposed, our washing machine has also been disconnected for some reason. We lugged huge garbage bags full of laundry like college students to Bobby's parents' house over Easter. I didn't realize how quickly laundry can pile up until this happened. So, this is yet another task.

Another – I pulled down our attic stairs to retrieve Ave's easter basket and I was nearly knocked out with falling roof debris. Didn't know this was going to happen, though when I told Bobby, he said we were supposed to cover all the contents in our attic with tarps (now he tells me). EVERYTHING in our attic is now blanketed in sawdust and roofing nails. It's awesome.

Sigh.

the new tradition...

...has been established. On Saturday night, Ave and I prepared a small plate of baby carrots and lettuce, which we then placed in his empty basket on our front porch. The idea being we were luring the Easter Bunny to our house and he might fill the basket with treats as a thank you. We sat on the porch steps in our pajamas, cuddling in the dark for what seemed like forever, waiting to see if we could spot any bunnies. One of us would gasp "I see one" and point. And right as the other would turn to look, say "aww - I think it's gone."

Ave burst out of bed (figuratively, as he's still using his crib) in the morning and raced to the front door. I cracked it open for a peek and he noticed the basket had disappeared and the plate of carrots had been eaten.



You can see Ave's confusion regarding the whereabouts of his basket. The Bunny left a trail of eggs into the yard, starting with the one on his plate.



He collected the eggs, leading him into the azaleas, where he was beyond excitement when discovering his basket.

In case you were wondering, the contents included a Mr. Potato Head (in bunny costume), a few chocolates, and a Folkmanis bunny puppet (I'm a huge fan of Folkmanis puppets, but that's a whole different topic).

We then ate breakfast, consisting of freshly dyed hard boiled eggs, and put on our spiffy duds and headed to church in time for the annual Easter egg hunt.



Avery was determined to collect as many eggs as he could.

We attend a historic church built in the 17th century, so the courtyard is also their cemetery. The eggs were hidden amongst the tombstones, which I find especially touching being that Easter is about discovering new life from death.



Afterward, we went to my parents' house and feasted on barbecued chicken and pineapple.



And ate my little brownie bunny treats for dessert. The brownie and mint ice cream are the perfect pair.



The weather was perfect, so we lounged in the backyard until the sun went down.



Hope you guys had a relaxing weekend, too.

ba-na-na

Avery is a master baker of banana bread.

Who knew mashing bananas could be so much fun?

Adding chocolate makes everything taste better.

Simply measure out the ingredients and stir.

Pop them in the oven...

...and wait patiently.

And here's the final prod...HEY – WAIT!

No, seriously – I came home yesterday to find my mother and Ave making banana bread from a recipe found in the back of one of his Highlights magazine. And of course, they were baked in the bunny mold pan because EVERYTHING is shaped like a bunny for at least the next few days.

I finished and installed my flying silver turd yesterday, so I can relax this weekend and enjoy the festivities.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

very pinteresting...

If I've talked to you in the last week, you're probably tired of hearing me blab on about how much I love pinterest!



It is the best way to organize all my favorite links and images in one area. No more sticking ratty post-its in the CA annuals or creating a long list of bookmarks in my browser! Plus, it's a really great place to discover new ideas and pin them for later use.

See what I'm talking about here. You have to request an invite and it took about a week to receive. It's truly addictive – I've been pinning away ever since!

let's get this story straight...

Pico: soft like a bunny, mean as a snake (R.I.P. - sniff)

So, now that Ave is 2 1/2 years old, he is able to grasp the concept of holidays – well, not the ACTUAL meaning – but the fun fairy tales we grown ups like create to make the day more exciting. Which brings me to the easter bunny...what's his deal again?

How does he get in your house? Does he leave the child a basket or fill one up left out for him, much like a stocking? Does he just leave eggs hidden in the yard and the child fills an otherwise empty basket?

The easter bunny who visited me was a very crafty rabbit. He left little notes out containing clues, each leading to another note and clue. He led me out to the mailbox and under the floor mats in the car. The final clue, of course, led me to the hidden easter basket.

A few other years he used string. It wound all through the house – under the sofa and over steep ledges. Along the string journey were little chocolate eggs to collect.

I never questioned it. We only children are more naive and gullible than the rest, you see. It wasn't until I caught my parents, via the rearview mirror, loading a large chocolate bunny in the trunk of our car that I ever questioned the existence of a generous oversized rabbit. Oh, and I still believed in Santa until the fifth grade.

Anyhow, so I'm fine tuning my easter bunny story for Ave this year. I told him we need to find a basket to leave out for the bunny, so we've been scavenging through the many baskets at my parents' house to find the perfect one. So far, Ave has settled on a petite square storage basket with no handle. Hey, it's not traditional, but it'll work.

I plan on putting his main gift and a couple treats in the basket and letting him hunt for the rest, but I haven't decided whether we're going to do it outdoors or not. Regardless, I do plan on having him prepare and leave out a plate of carrots on the front porch to attract the bunny to our house.

So, what do you guys do? Am I overthinking this tradition?

little bits of awesome: a picnic for robots

The weather jumped from the 50s to the mid 70s in one week. Perfect temperature for a picnic. Avery invited all of his rabbit friends.

And then the robot showed up.

Avery chose to make the robot feel more comfortable by wearing a helmet, too.

And then he switched it out for another. That's toddler style for ya.

And then he conquered the robot and wore the trophy proudly on his head.

That's my guy.

promise not to laugh

Here in Norfolk, we have an awesome event called Art Everywhere, where artists transform our downtown storefront windows into art installations. The Seven Cities Crafters Group is assigned a window again this year and the participating crafters will be building and assembling a quaint town scape. Most of the participants are crafting sweet houses, trees, and farm scenes.

I was asked to make something for the sky, preferably some birds as I've made in the past. But after a certain episode aired and being constantly teased for "putting a bird on it," I decided to make something else. Dammit, I did birds before birds were did. Anyhow, I've also been dying to use metallic fabric, so I came up with the brilliant idea of making a....BLIMP!



Brilliant until I actually tried to make it.

At first attempt it resembled a misshapen Moroccan pouf. So, I cut it down and sewed it up again. And then it became...



...a MISSILE. A really wonky one at that.

Uh, oh. The missile hovers ominously over the tranquil town scene. A subversive political statement in a military town? Or just really bad craftsmanship.

So, I need you guys to help me to decide - do I use the two remaining days (really, it's a possible two hours for me and no extra fabric left) to fix the blimp or do I let it crash hindenburg style beforehand? Do I take the risk of embarrassing the other crafters OR do I quit?

I should have just made a bird, dammit.

sell this house: progress report

Look what we have here. This people, is the look of progress.



Minutes before I left for work yesterday, men began frantically removing our old roof. It was loud, but music to my ears.

See that guy on the roof? He gave me the stink eye for taking his picture. He may or may not have been the reason I waited until 9 pm to return home with Avery...just saying.



So, here's our before. Ugly, old roof you are!



And our after - aaahhhh! Mind you, these were taken at completely different times of day, so the contrast is greater than just the roof. Use your imagination and cut me some slack.



Isn't she purty? We spent extra for architectural roofing shingles and I think it's worth it.



As for the mudroom bathroom....umm, yeah. Here's how it went:

Bobby ripped down all the walls exposing pipes behind the wall and water damage. There is now a gaping hole leading to the crawl space under our house. It's scary.

Also, Bobby mentioned Sunday morning about cutting his finger the night before. Later in the day, Ave and I walked through the mudroom and stopped before a large red splotch on the floor.

"Bobby, is this blood?"
"Yeah, I told you I cut my finger...badly."
"Oh."

Later in the night, I caught a glimpse of his finger after he removed his band-aid. Stitches.

"You got stitches?"
"Yeah, I told you I cut my finger. With a saw."
"Well yeah, but how did you get those?"
"I went across the street to the ER while you were sleeping. I didn't want you to worry."

He's a silly man. Doesn't this situation sound familiar?

Progress report:

1. replace roof - COMPLETE - WAHOO!
   
2. remove wood stove and have chimney professionally sweeped. waiting to strip paint...
   
3. renovate mudroom and adjoining 1/2 bathroom. This includes removing and replacing the bathroom wall and flooring. Good Lord, help us.
   
4. organize garage -someday...
5. edit our household objects to make it more "normal" -in time
6. work on curb appeal. Prettied the porch up a bit and moving on to the yard. Spent the majority of the weekend in front of the computer toiling away on a work project, so lost valuable time.
   

a day at the museum



As I mentioned on Friday, a couple of my girlfriends and I drove up to Richmond to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art to check out the Picasso exhibit, which is apparently a big deal since it's the only stop on the East Coast for its seven city tour. Richmond and not New York or DC...can you believe it?



We woke up early on Saturday so we could arrive at the museum when the doors opened. Apparently, we weren't the only ones with this idea, as a steady crowd filled the lobby, many of them carrying easter baskets. When purchasing the tickets, we were given a time slot to view the Picasso exhibit, which allows the museum to manage the crowds to some extent. We perused the permanent collections, which alone is reason enough to visit, and popped our heads into the Family Fun Day area (hence the easter baskets) while waiting for our time slot to open.



This is embarrassing to admit, but I hadn't visited the museum since my sixth grade field trip. The architecture is breathtaking, complete with little glass overhangs for interesting views.

The 21st century collection is small, but very strong. Loved loved loved the painting below, but like the terrible reporter I am, forgot to write down the name. The photo below makes Rachel look like she shoots lasers from her eyes.

Actually, I can't credit any of the pieces except the colorful sculpture above by Sol Lewitt, the Sailfishe by James Prosek, and the enormous head by Ravinder Reddy. So, that's reason enough for you guys to see them in person.



So, how was the Picasso exhibit, you ask? Crowded. Full of people holding up listening devices and museum guards encouraging you to "keep moving." Seeing Picasso's work in chronological order was helpful in understanding his artistic progression and some of his most famous pieces were featured, but it lacked the intimacy I desire when viewing art.



There was an awesome Dan Zanes-style kids band (I'll update once I find out the name) singing songs about Picasso, and an Easter bunny who could seriously get down. I was really wishing Avery could have seen them. He would have freaked!

**UPDATE** The band was Hope Harris & the Cousins Jamboree. And I just found out they're going to open for Dan Zanes in September. We're so going!! With or without Avery.

Speaking of Ave, after he feeds treats to our cat Mila, he'll always smile and say "she's happy." Such a simple way to evaluate a situation and exactly the same way I felt all day.

Art, good friendship, thai food, and museum gift shops = Cassie happy.

many thanks

It's been a great week! We were so tickled to find out Ave's party and invitation were featured on two of our favorite blogs yesterday: Bake It Pretty and Ohdeedoh. Many thanks to Amber and Sarah for writing such kind words.

Amanda at Bake It Pretty sells the cutest baking and party supplies period. She is, in my humble opinion, a great example of the modern success story. She went from selling supplies through Etsy out of her home in Norfolk a few years ago to now running a booming online business, plus a darling brick & mortar shop in Asheville, NC.

And if you don't read Ohdeedoh, then you don't know what you're missing. It's a great resource for nursery design and birthday party ideas. We entered Ave's nursery into the colors contest a couple years ago and won a stylish table/chairs set we use everyday, so we're obviously big fans of the site.

So, any fun plans for the weekend? My girlfriends and I are heading up to Richmond to check out the Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris. So excited!

project curb appeal: the next step

Don't you wish there was an additional tool in Photoshop titled "execute," that would actually apply your design to the physical world? Oh - I wish it were that easy.



Pretty planters can only go so far when trying to spruce up our front porch, which is blanketed with a thick layer of pollen. I love a good patina, but sometimes it's best to clean up with a fresh coat of paint. This has been added to the bottom of our to-do list, since our bathroom is missing a wall and our wood stove has a huge spot of stripped paint, but don't you think painting our porch gray and adding framing around the door would do wonders? I mean, you gotta get the folks in the door before you can show them our renovated mudroom/bathroom, right?



This reminds me of the show "Hidden Potential" on HGTV - the one where the couple views three homes under their budget and a designer whips out his laptop and shows them rendering of what they could do (in theory). The couple then chooses which home they're going to purchase, based on the design, but the viewer never sees a follow-up visit. Let's hope this project gets completed.

cheap thrills



I have a weakness for Easter colors and stocked up on some little buckets from Target to use as storage containers for Ave's room.



And the dollar aisle in Target had some cute Where The Wild Things Are dinnerware and other novelty items. These melamine cups are thick, sturdy, and a great way to fully transition Ave into using "big boy" cups while at home. And hence the name of the aisle, they were only a buck! They would be fun to use at a Wild Things party and would make great party favors for the kids, don't ya think?

little bits of awesome

Finding mysterious photos in your camera. I'm not going to ask...

brown bunny

I had a hankering for something sweet this weekend, so I broke out a box of brownie mix and baked up these babies. I wanted to make something faaancy for the book club meeting, so I punched my bunny cookie cutter all over that big burnt slab of brownie and dusted them with powdered sugar. So deliciously fancy!



They were as chewy as starburst candies and were crusty around the edges. Every bunny tasted like a corner piece - perfect!

Then I got to thinking - wouldn't they make the cutest Easter dessert? Dish out little bowls of mint ice cream, stand them upright, and sprinkle a couple malt candy eggs around the base - super cute! You can thank me later after you amaze your in-laws.