Several weeks ago, my friend, Dottie, and I rode our bikes out to Front Royal, Virginia for breakfast. (Here lately, I’ve decided if I don’t squeeze short rides in when I can, my poor bike will never get any exercise.)
We met at the Clevenger’s Corner Shell gas station about 10 minutes west of town. From there, Dottie led the way to the diner.
I generally tend to avoid Front Royal as traffic can get rather congested, but the diner is off of US-522, south and east of downtown.
Front Royal Diner
What, no railroad car look?
Brochure Station
A Light Breakfast… LOL
The food was good. We did NOT eat all of it, in case you were wondering.
As we ate, I told Dottie I’d spotted a cute little store on the way to the restaurant that I wanted to visit on our way home. She was game, so we stopped.
Cute Little Store
I’m a sucker for cute country stores.
It was hard to tell whether or not it was open, so we went ahead and parked. Judging by the hours listed on the door, I still don’t know.
The hours of operation were a bit vague.
I’ve thought about this place a lot since then. I still don’t know if it’s a hobby store (as in we sell stuff and are open when we feel like being open) or just REALLY cool yard art.
I mean, how fun would it be to have a little model store like this solely as decoration?
I think I’ll submit it to the RoadsideAmerica.com folks so they can check it out. I think it deserves a listing, don’t you?
Storefront
Oreo Pig!
They even have a Oreo Pig for photo ops. Although, really, the whole thing is sort of a photo op.
Blue Ridge Grocery
Dottie couldn’t resist posing with the pig. I’m teaching her to appreciate roadside weirdness.
Dottie with the Oreo Pig
Isn’t it just the cutest little place?
Blue Ridge Grocery
We didn’t have long to linger. Plus, it was getting hot. So off we went.
Dottie and some pretty blue wildflowers on Ben Venue Road.
I couldn’t resist stopping for that flower shot.
So what do you think? Is it an operational store or yard art? Either way, I’m glad we happened upon the place.
It’s funny how seeing stuff triggers the oldest and sometimes oddest memories. Things you thought you had and probably should have forgotten.
When I was 16, I worked in a sub shop in Baltimore. That’s a sandwich shop (for all you folks who prefer hoagie, grinder, hero, submarine or some other odd word).
On more than one occasion during the hot, steamy summer, I served women who paid me with money they’d stored in their bra. These were not fit women. They were large. Very large, actually. And they were all sweaty. It was gross.
What better way to jump-start/reinvigorate the blog than with a Year in Review post? I thought it would be a fun way to reflect back and remind myself what all happened in 2013.
In many ways, it was a big year. But lots of little stuff happened, too. Okay, maybe “happened” isn’t the right word. It’s fun looking back over the past year anyway.
Big Event #2 for the year was Amy’s University of Maryland graduation (May 11).
Amy and Family
It was actually Amy’s second graduation. This time, she earned a Master’s Degree.
Can you believe I left my camera home that day? Luckily we got some phone pics. Mike, his mom and I went to the ceremony. You’ll have to trust me on that, since we didn’t get pictures.
The third Big Event was my Dad’s move to Pennsylvania (June 22).
Last Picture of Dad Before Selling His House
And for Big Event #4… Amy and her family moved West (late-June/early July).
Hubby the Chaperone
Mike volunteered to fly along with the kids. Amy and TJ drove one of their vehicles across country together. TJ had driven his truck out in January.
Those were the big events. That’s a lot of change.
There are quite a few little things worth remembering, too.
I already mentioned April’s big event — Eric’s wedding. Since that is such a momentous occasion, it sort of consumed all of my attention during the month.
There was a lot of mental stress leading up to June’s big event, which was moving my Dad back to Pennsylvania. We managed to get him out of his Baltimore City row-house and into a mobile home situated very close to where he grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.
Of course, other stuff was happening in June, too. Life goes on, right?
And we were mentally preparing ourselves for Amy’s end-of-month move.
July
Although Amy and TJ left at the end of June, the kids didn’t leave until July. That’s when Hubby flew across country with the grand kids. And then back home the next day.
Mom’s friend, Jill, visited from Indiana with her husband in July, too. Another event I neglected to capture with pictures.
Closing out the month of July was the attack on Belle. It was a freak thing, and she recovered quickly, thank goodness. But it was scary.
All through May, June, and July, I should have been doing some serious vacation planning. But there were other things occupying my brain. I do work full-time. And we had to get Dad’s house listed and ready to sell. Plus, there were a few painting projects.
August
Dad needed a “new” table and chairs for the smaller kitchen in his new house. I had some old chairs that he’d given me, so I bought a table at a local thrift shop, and then painted the table and chairs to match. K and I delivered them to Dad the first weekend in August.
Mike made a cabinet, which I painted and then we hung in our bathroom.
At the end of August, Annelies and Yves arrived from Belgium to join us on that vacation I was supposed to have been planning.
September
I didn’t blog while on vacation. We were so busy having fun, I just didn’t feel up to blogging. It takes time, not to mention mental energy, which after an eventful year, I seemed to be seriously lacking. So I tried to play catch-up over the next couple of months.
Installment 1: In the Beginning (Friday, August 30 – Monday, Sept 2)
Rehoboth Beach weekend. There’s one I never even mentioned on my blog. I’ll have to do a make-up post on that one.
Me and Diana
I’ve know Diana since we were in second grade together. She invited me to go to Rehoboth Beach, DE with her for the weekend. She and her husband, Brian, own a house there and needed to winterize the place. We had so much fun reconnecting, we decided to make it an annual thing. I have lots of fun pics to share, too.
November
I never did finish the vacation re-cap. But I did do some other fun stuff.
I completed another painting project, a visitor’s stool for my kitchen. A place for visitors to sit while I prepare food.
I got to attend a fancy luncheon, prepared by Eric and his classmates during his last semester of culinary school.
My other big project during the month of November was painting some kitchen chairs for my Aunt Bertha (Dad’s sister).
December
Before I knew it, December had arrived. And you know what that means. Holiday preparations. Shopping, decorating, wrapping, event planning… it’s always a hectic month. But I did make time for the second annual Santa ride. But this time I had an elf.
I believe I can fly…
Meet my new friend, Dottie. She didn’t hesitate at all when I explained the Santa ride and said, “Wanna be my elf?”
It was a COLD day.
It was fun! But cold.
Something else that developed throughout the year was a unique coming-together of friends.
I’ve been establishing friendships gradually since moving to Warrenton, but 2013 was the year they all came together. We had a few gatherings, many of which involved the husbands. And, oddly enough, discovered that all of the men and women get along.
Cray-cray Pals
Pictured above, L-R, are Ashley (holding baby Oakley), Dottie (Ashley’s Mom), Me, Kelly Ann (she owns Kelly Ann’s Quilting), Tim (one of our crazy Facebook friends), and Janet (owner of The Empty Nest). Our menfolk are not pictured. There’s my hubby, Mike, of course, Andrew (Kelly Ann’s husband), Bill (Janet’s husband), and Jim (Dottie’s husband).
That picture was taken during a New Year’s Eve party at Dottie and Jim’s house. We closed out 2013 and welcome 2014 together. I foresee lot’s of fun together in 2014. We’ll have to make a point of photographing all of the couples at some point.
One of the hardest things about moving to a new place is establishing friendships. It’s hard living apart from your family and friends. Making new friends doesn’t mean replacing your old ones, of course. It just means adding to your circle, broadening your life. One person can never have too many friends, right?
I’m looking forward to 2014 and have high hopes of fun times with friends old and new.
There are some big events coming, too.
Mike and I are taking his Mom out to visit Amy and her family in February.
Eric just finished culinary school. And, although he won’t be participating in the actual ceremony, he’s my newest college graduate. He and his wife will be moving to Spain in June. Temporarily, we hope. Spain is a culinary hot-bed, so he’ll be furthering his education through some real-life work experience.
Mike and I will be traveling to Europe at some point in 2014. We’re not sure of the destination yet, or the timing. But the trip will involve motorcycles as well as meet-ups with our friends Annelies and Yves (who live in Belgium) plus Tammi and Martin (who live in Switzerland). We’ll see Eric and Kelsey, too. We just have to figure out how, where, and when to bring everyone together. Should be interesting…
Plus, I’m determined to get out on my bike more. My poor ride was neglected last year.
That’s it for the re-cap. Wow, it WAS an eventful year. And I’m sure I’ve left a few things out.
Yesterday, the weather here in Warrenton was absolutely gorgeous. Around noon, it was still in the lows 70s with low humidity and few clouds in the sky. It would’ve been a crime not to take advantage of it, so I decided to take a slightly longer lunch and have me a bit of an adventure.
If you’re thinking something like “I knew she doesn’t really work all day,” you’re wrong. I work hard. But my schedule is sometimes flexible. I knew I’d be working late yesterday, so the extended lunch was completely justified.
One of Mom’s friends, Jill from Indiana, is coming to visit next week. Since the guest room is full of stuff out of Mike’s office (that’s for another post), I had to recommend some local hotels. There are several near town, but the place I would stay, which is about 30 minutes away, is The Inn at Fairfield Farm, an historic bed & breakfast located near the center of the 4,200-acre Marriott Ranch. Yes, that Marriott. It’s the only B&B in the Marriott portfolio.
I love that area. You have to take two of my favorite motorcycle roads (Leeds Manor and Hume Roads) to get there. I hadn’t been up there for a while, so that’s where I headed.
I did make a few quick stops along the way for some photos. It was SUCH a pretty day.
Dilapidated Orlean Barn
My first stop was the parking lot of the Providence Baptist Church at 7111 Leeds Manor Road in Orlean. I knew it was a great spot for a barn capture. Love that barn…
The Barn
Apparently, a lot of people like the barn. A nice gentleman leaving the church said to me, “You won’t believe how many people photograph that barn.”
Orlean Market
It was the kind of day only a fool could not love, so I decided a picnic was in order and stopped at the Orlean Market for provisions.
View from the market. One day, I’ll capture a sunset from this spot.
I didn’t have much time for dilly-dallying, so off I went.
Hume Road
There weren’t many cows out. And those I saw weren’t close enough for good pics. But I do love those Marriott barns with the mountains in the background.
Pasture
Inn at Fairfield Farm
There was a big shade tree on the lawn of the inn with a little outdoor sofa beneath. Looked like a good picnic spot to me. That shot above was taken close to there.
Lunch
Now, it make look like I was MILES from home, but the ranch is only 25-30 minutes from OTW. I ate quickly, took one more pic (below) and then headed home.
View from the front of the inn.
This next shot was captured at one of my favorite spots along Leeds Manor Road… Wickland Farm. One of these days, I’ll actually have to stop there for a visit. And a closer look at the critters, of course.
Wickland Farm
Continuing south on Leeds Manor, I passed the Orlean Market again and then made a last-minute decision to stop at The Village Green, a cool, larger-than-it-looks gift/antiques/flower/painted furniture shop.
I’m so glad I did. It’s an awesome little place. Not little literally. I was surprised at how big it is on the inside.
As it happens, Sandy also owns the Orlean Market. I laughed when she told me that, then explained that I’d gotten my picnic lunch there. I think she said her son runs the market.
The Village Green in Orlean, VA
That’s where I met Sandy Gilliam (two syllables, pronounced like GILL UM), one of the owners. She was super-sweet, said I could take pictures, and even showed me around a bit. I told her I was rushed and would have to come back sometime.
Long, painted bench.
Bookcase? (probably not the right term)
Shaggy Dog
Birdhouse
Silly (as in FUN!) Pigs
Sandy has quite a few very nice pieces there. She carries both painted furniture and what she called “brown wood” (unpainted antiques). There are an awful lot of people who prefer stained wood over painted wood.
In addition to furniture, there’s lots of other stuff. I’ll do a better, more-detailed post after my next visit.
The folks behind Middleburg Photo captured a nice set of Orlean shots, which you can see HERE.
I really had to boogie, but I did capture one last pic, which makes me smile.
Yard Art
The second I saw a shelf full of concrete rats with a couple mice sprinkled in, I knew I had to have some. They remind me of one of my all-time favorite books, “Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH.” They look quite cute snuggled in my trunk for the journey home, don’t they?
The concrete critters and birdhouse are just a few of the items, made by local artisans, that Sandy carries.
I thoroughly enjoyed my impromptu lunch-time escape. I hope you liked the virtual tagalong.
The other dayI told you about my pre-lunch stroll around Old Town Warrenton. If you didn’t see that post, you may want to take a peek to see my pretty flower pics.
I did have an ultimate destination in mind when I left the house. I just took my time getting there, capturing flower shots along the way. I was headed for Jimmie’s Market.
Jimmie’s Market
I’ve taken quite a few photos of the market’s storefront, but only ventured in a couple of weeks ago. I have no idea what took me so long. It’s even more charming on the inside than it is on the outside. And that says a lot.
Jimmie’s was first established in 1939. The current owner, Susan Feeley, bought it in 1975. Then, in 2009, “updated the format” of the place. It’s a coffee shop, cafe, and tea room all rolled into one. Visit their web site to get the full story.
Not being a tea person, I’ll probably never experience the afternoon tea that they serve. I may have to try a scone, though. Scones are one of my favorite things. Authentic scones, the dry kind. I love me some dry, crumbly pastries. I did have lunch there a couple of times, though.
On the day these pics were taken, my lunch consisted of a large serving of Mascarpone Caramel Pistachio Gelato with a side helping of Quarisimale cookies. Think almond biscotti. According to The Cookie Factory web site…
Quaresima is the Italian word for Lent, the 6 week period that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Sunday. Quaresimali are a specialty of the Lenten season because they are supposed to be so hard they are a penance to eat!
Eating those crunchy little delights was no penance. Seriously, I adore dry, crumbly pastries.
But back to Jimmie’s. It has the feel of an old mercantile. See for yourself.
The places oozes old-time charm. There are antiques scattered about for perusal and/or purchase. Lots of culinary delicacies, yummy home-made drinks, a rotating gelato selection, sandwiches, and even adult beverages.
This past Monday, I had to return some books to the library so I stopped in for lunch. The grilled Havarti and Bacon sandwich on sourdough bread was as tasty as I’d heard it would be. It was accompanied by one Quarisamale and a glass of homemade limeade. Delightful.
I’m so glad I finally stopped in.
Back to the day these photos were taken…
After lunch, I decided to drop in on Janet at The Empty Nest. On July 20th, Janet will be celebrating her shop’s one-year anniversary. In that short time, her store has become an institution. I stop in often to say hello, always mindful that she has a business to run. That day, I had time to share a Quarisamale with her, but then several customers came into the store and cut our visit short.
I was sad to have our chat cut short, but glad I got to nose around to see what new delights had arrived and/or been transformed since my last visit.
I’d seen this darling little hutch previously, but had never photographed it. I think she said she aquired this late-1800s piece at auction. It won’t be painted, since it’s such a delightful piece.
Tea Cozy
She’d recently gotten a shipment of tea cosies from her Aussie friend, Claire aka Sweet Birdy Love. Seeing Claire’s work in pictures is nice, but actually feeling the wonderful textures and seeing the quality of the artwork up close and in person is an opportunity I hate to miss. Claire is a genius with needle and felted wool.
I just love visiting Janet’s shop. Not only is she a super-sweet lady, she gets the coolest stuff. Every visit is a feast for the eyes.
She paints AND sews. The woman is very talented.
Farmer’s Market Tote, hand-made by Janet
Americana
Sorry if I seem to be gushing, but it’s all true.
Oh, and one more thing.
Janet loves vintage linens and often acquires them for her shop. I didn’t plan on buying anything that day, but when I saw this vintage doily, I HAD to have it.
I’d been needing something for under the centerpiece on my dining room table. And this doily was absolutely perfect.
Vintage Butterfly Doily
My Mom loved butterflies. The purple butterfly pick you see in that arrangement actually came from one of Mom’s funeral bouquets. The doily fits, right?
Coincidentally, that chair you see in the background was transformed by me after Janet taught me how to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
This last shot was captured on my stroll home.
So ends another stroll around Old Town Warrenton, a place I am proud to now call “home.”
I’m a bit behind, but I’d still love to tell you about a fun event that happened in Old Town Warrenton on June 29. Billed as the “Daisy Days of Summer Shop Hop & Wine Tasting,” it was hosted by The Shops at Fifth & Main.
The Shops at Fifth & Main is a project of The Fifth St. Coalition, an eclectic group of merchants who are convinced that by supporting and collaborating with one another, we create a dramatic opportunity for mutual success and a vibrantly local shopping experience for our customer community.
I have befriended many of the coalition merchants since moving here to OTW. They’re lovely people. I firmly believe that small businesses are what “makes” towns like ours so special, so I do what I can to support them. Whether it’s visiting their stores, making purchases, attending events, etc., I feel like they need all the support they can get. Plus, they are very cool places.
The Fifth Street Coalition was featured in the February 2013 issue (page 18) of Warrenton Lifestyle magazine. According to that article, which does make for an interesting read, one of their goals is to make OTW a destination spot for guests as well as a regular hangout for locals.
The Daisy Days of Summer event accomplished both. There were tons of visitors in town and locals like me had lots of fun.
I started off at Kelly Ann’s Quilting.
The theme for the Shop Hop was Daisies and the Roaring Twenties. Participating stores included The Red Thread, Great Harvest Bread Co., Latitudes Fair Trade, Kelly Ann’s Quilting, Tagaloo, Sherrie’s Stuff, The Empty Nest, and Ciao Bella Photography. Each store had one visiting winery, including Barrel Oak Winery, Capitol Vineyards, Notaviva Vineyards, Mediterranean Cellars, The Vineyards and Winery at Lost Creek, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Desert Rose Ranch and Winery, and Cobbler Mountain Cellars.
It was perfect for me as all shops are within easy walking distance of my house. It really was a good time. I was amazed by the great turnout, too. I didn’t realize it had been widely advertised.
Since I stopped taking photos about halfway through (I think the wine distracted me), I didn’t want to post a bunch of individual shop pics and have anyone feeling left out. So I shared that montage (above) instead.
I had to share two shots, though. The first is a very cute patriotic quilt, which is on display at KAQ.
Patriotic quilt at Kelly Ann’s Quilting.
The next one is a shot of the interior hallway at Tagaloo. The web site describes Tagaloo as “Warrenton’s premier social, interactive and unique destination for creative minds.”
Tagaloo
I’d never been inside before, and was delighted to see the charming space.
I am SO looking forward to the next Coalition event. I’ve heard rumors that it may be a Beer and Bacon Festival. How cool would that be? I’ll be sure to let you know once details are announced.
