Virginia – Page 21 – ToadMama.com

November 18, 2012November 23, 2012

Have I Told you Lately…

… how much I love living in Warrenton?

I love it a bunch. For many reasons. The other night while walking the dogs down Main Street, a guy in about his mid-40s walked past us headed in the opposite direction. He actually tipped his hat at me and said, “Good evening.” Really.

People are just so much nicer here. So much more relaxed. It’s a whole different vibe.

sherries_stuff_15 — The Shops at Fifth and Main

I so enjoy walking the dogs around town every evening. People often stop us to chat. They get a kick out of seeing the three dogs with their blinking lights, which they wear to make sure people see us. You know, so we don’t get run over as we stroll around in the dark.

I absolutely love Main Street with its myriad restaurants and shops. Not just Main Street, but some of the side streets, too. Fifth Street in particular is an up and coming place.

When we moved here in October, 2011, Great Harvest Bread Company, which I have mentioned here A LOT, was already here. So was Kelly Ann’s Quilting.

During the past year, the Red Thread Yarn Shop opened. So did a barber shop right next to the Red Thread. But the most recent, and to me the most exciting, addition is Sherrie’s Stuff.

Sherrie’s Stuff has actually been in business since around April (I think) of 2011. It was definitely here before we moved in. But Sherrie just opened a new, bigger, and better location at 19 N. Fifth Street.

I’m not sure how best to describe the place. It’s a country crafts store, but it’s not your typical store. Sherrie does carry a lot of items one would find in similar stores selling items that are often characterized as primitives. But she also has a whole line of stuff that she paints herself.

sherries_stuff_5 — Sherrie, on left, with her helpers.

I had to twist her arm a bit to agree to a picture, but I am glad she finally agreed. Sherrie is shown on the left in the above shot with her sister, Robyn (wearing red), and Sarah, who I suspected was Sherrie’s niece, but later learned that she’s “just” a worker. A hugely helpful worker, of course.

I first met Sherrie in October 2011, shortly after we moved here. It was during October’s First Friday. May to December of each year, on the First Friday night of each month, Main Street is closed to traffic while shops remain open late with open houses and specials. There’s usually music, artists, entertainment for the children and dinner specials at our award winning restaurants. Main Street will be bustling with shoppers, diners and fun. That’s another thing I love about living here. And we can walk to all of the events like that.

Anyway, back to Sherrie. That night was the first chance I’d had to visit her shop, which was at the bottom of the hill on S. Second Street. I was quite impressed with her shop and with Sherrie, who is a very welcoming, warm, and friendly lady. That’s when she told me that the Eva Walker Memorial Park that’s here in town is named for her mother, who died at an early age. It only came up because she was looking at a book about the town, Warrenton, Virginia: a Unique History of 200 Years, published by the Partnership for Warrenton.

I was very excited to learn that not only was Sherrie’s Stuff moving closer to us, but that it would be even bigger and better. I couldn’t wait for the place to open. And I am pretty sure I was the first customer at the new location.

I wanted to make sure I was there bright and early on Saturday to snag some pictures. And some snowmen, which I love.

The new shop is delightful as you will see in the images that follow…

Don’t let the unassuming facade fool you. The store is packed full of delightful treasures.

The Santa Bell sitting by the tree in the following image is one of the items hand-painted by Sherrie. I’m telling you, the woman has talent.

Remember, if you click on the image, you’ll get a better view.

One of the coolest things about the new shop is that it has space for Sherrie to work. The image below is a shelf full of snowmen in the making. Sherrie paints them herself. I think she said they are all waiting for scarves and cheeks.

In addition to frogs and toads, I also have a thing for snowmen.

I first learned that Sherrie was moving on Facebook. I was alarmed initially. But when I learned she was moving to Fifth Street, which is closer to me, I was excited.

How excited? That very night, when walking the dogs, I had to nose around to see where the shop would be. Sherrie was actually inside with her very handsome son, Evan. I hope I remembered his name correctly. I know the handsome part is absolutely correct.

Since Warrenton is a small town, I assumed the door would be unlocked. It was. So I poked my head in to say hi. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of construction, they invited us in to say hello. We chatted for a bit and she even got to meet the girls.

So, that’s Sherrie’s Stuff. Don’t you just love it?

Even if that type of decor is not your cup of tea, you have to admire Sherrie’s artistic and entrepreneurial spirit.

If you would like to support Sherrie and other small business owners like her, be sure to SHOP SMALL. Saturday, November 24 is designated as Shop Small Saturday. If you are an American Express cardholder, and you hurry, you can get a $25 statement credit when you spend $25 or more at a qualifying small business.

How cool is that. But you have to register. And the number of registrations are limited. So you really do need to hurry.

If you visit Sherrie’s after reading this, be sure to tell her ToadMama (who she only knows as Kathy) sent you!

July 21, 2012

Warrenton Just Got Better

I know I tend to get a bit repetitive when talking about this cute little town in which we now reside. But I can’t help it. The place really is that awesome. And, amazingly enough, it just got better!

For what seems like months, but probably has only been weeks, I’ve seen a sign in one of the store windows on Main Street that said, “Coming Soon, The Empty Nest.”

The first time I saw it, I actually gasped. Because I know that particular retailer uses chalk paint. Chalk paint is special paint used to bring new life to old furniture and stuff. It’s something I’ve been interested in for a while. I first read about it on The Lettered Cottage blog. Then I saw it with my own eyes at On A Whim Boutique, which is just outside of Leesburg along US-15 in Lucketts, Virginia. I even bought some, which I plan to use on my dining room chairs. I just haven’t summoned up the nerve to try it.

Anyway… yesterday was FINALLY the grand opening of The Empty Nest. I had only discovered the blog when I started Googling to learn more about the place. But when I saw that the grand opening was scheduled, I thought it would be fun to go. It’s only a few blocks away. I figured I could step away from work for a few minutes to attend.

I’m so glad I did.

It was really cool to see so many people turn out to welcome Janet, the owner, and help her celebrate the grand opening of her store. Which, by the way, I predict will have a long a prosperous future.

The guy in the purple shirt, surrounded by ladies, is Pablo, the very nice man who owns the Great Harvest Bakery. The bakery is only a few doors down from The Empty Nest. Apparently Pablo is friends with Janet. I’m not sure if they met before she decided to open her store here or during the process, but she thanked Pablo for being such a big help.

Janet with Dennis Taylor, President of the Greater Warrenton Chamber of Commerce

There was definitely excitement in the air as we all milled about outside waiting for the store to open. Janet came out to greet folks, many of whom she seemed to know.

I don’t think I’ve ever been to a store grand opening. Certainly not a store like this… a small business in a small town. Stores like this are what breathe life into places like Warrenton. Stores and restaurants. And bakeries, of course. Warrenton’s Main Street has quite a few cute little specialty shops and restaurants. There are several art galleries, a couple of jewelry stores, some hair salons. Oh, and at least two awesome thrift shops. A couple of florists, too.

Our “downtown” is small, but vibrant. It’s what makes living in Old Town Warrenton so much fun.

The Empty Nest is a really cool store. Janet, the owner, sells so much more than just chalk paint and furniture treated with chalk paint. She also sews aprons using various bits of vintage fabric. That’s an apron in the center of the window, not a dress.

She’ll be having workshops at the store, too. And will be painting on the premises regularly. I think I’m going to have to become a regular visitor.

Here are some more shots I captured during the grand opening event…

When it was time to actually cut the ribbon, Dennis from the GWCC had some welcoming and encouraging words. Janet also had a few things to say. She began by thanking her sister-in-law, and then quickly changed that definition to sister, who had been such a huge help. It was quite touching. She also thanked her Husband, who had been traveling on business and missed the grand opening. And various other folks, like Pablo, that had been helpful and inspiring to her.

She seems like a very nice, real, genuine person. You can check out Janet’s blog if you’d like to learn more about her. I’m sure I’ll be seeing more of her in the very near future.

Yet another cool aspect of this town I’ll get to “show off” when folks visit.

Tracey, are you ready to come now? You will LOVE this place. 🙂

July 20, 2012

Small-town Life

Have I told you lately how much we like our “new” old town? No? Well, we do.

Something funny happened this past Sunday. When I told Hubby, he laughed and said, “Only in a small town.” And he was right.

Our house is sort of weird in that our address is on a street where all you can see is the driveway. The front of the house sits on a different street. People often look confused when they arrive at the back of the house.

Anyway, Hubby installed a doorbell on the back gate. Since we have a doggie door now, people are hesitant to just walk into the yard and knock on the door.

This past Sunday, Hubby was in the basement when the doorbell rang. I was perplexed. He rings it periodically to desensitize the dogs to the noise. (When the doorbell rings, they barely bark.) I stepped out onto the back porch and saw an older man and lady at the gate. I had no idea who they were.

“Are you Kathy Kirkpatrick?” the lady asked.

“Yes,” I answered, wondering how the heck they knew my name. Had I done something bad I wasn’t aware of that brought these kind strangers to my ~~door~~ back gate?

The lady smiled and said, “Well, hello. I’m Kathy Kilpatrick. And I got your mail!”

Kathy Kilpatrick said, “I couldn’t imagine who would be sending me a little package from Maryland.”

Turns out, the Kilpatricks live a couple of streets away. They were going to take the parcel to the post office, but, as the man said, “We would have had to walk past here anyway, so we decided to deliver it ourselves.”

Address mix-ups happen all the time, right? Even in the big city. But this was no address mix-up. The post office had sorted the mail by name. Imagine that.

We chatted for a bit, chuckling over the mix-up. I thanked them for the special delivery and they went on their way.

And now, to completely change the subject…

Are you hungry? No?

Well, check out this picture from July 4th.

Hungry now?

That’s Great Harvest Bakery’s Red, White, and Blue Bread. It’s bread rolled around a mixture of cherries, white chocolate, and blueberries. And Oh. My. God. It’s good.

Their White Chocolate Cherry Bread is Hubby’s favorite. He can polish-off a whole loaf in no time. So when I saw they had this stuff, I took a sample home. He’s been dieting, so I didn’t want to buy a whole loaf. But then, after we both tasted it, and he promised to freeze at least half of it, I went back and got a loaf. It seriously was delicious.

Now, changing the subject again…

We had a crazy thunderstorm blow through on July 8th. How crazy? So crazy that this interesting phenomenon occurred.

Half a block away, it was raining like Hell.

In front of the house, the sidewalk was barely damp.

It really was the strangest thing. It was WINDY, too. The trees across the street were thrashing about so fiercely I even took a step backwards. And I was on our front porch! Luckily, we didn’t lose any trees or even any limbs in our yard. But, back on Main Street, they weren’t so lucky.

I was sad to see that this large tree had fallen on the lawn at Brentmoor: The Spilman-Mosby House.

At least it didn’t fall on the building.

Still, it’s always sad to lose big, old trees.

You can’t really tell in that picture just how big the root system was. Luckily, these other curious folks happened by and agreed to pose for me to give the image a sense of scale.

They removed the tree yesterday. Which is what made me think of the pics I’d taken.

And speaking of photos… I may be taking a picture or two later today.

There’s a new store opening in town and I am SO excited. How excited? I may even pop over for the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

It’s called The Empty Nest. They sell shabby-chic furniture that’s been re-done using chalk paint.

Here’s a gallery of images if you want to see more.

I’ve been wanting to experiment with chalk paint for a while. I even bought some, but it’s still sitting in the garage. I’m not quite sure how to start.

Which is another reason I am excited about the grand opening of The Empty Nest… they’ll be having workshops.

I really think that The Empty Nest will make a fabulous addition to the collection of shops on Main Street. It really is such a cute little town.

Have I told you lately how much we like our “new” old town?

We do. We really do.

July 16, 2012July 16, 2012

A Horse is a Horse

I know I have mentioned before that Warrenton, located in Fauquier County, Virginia, is in horse country. According to the Piedmont Sotheby’s International Realty web site…

…Fauquier County, with its wealth of…horse farms, is a paradise on earth. Virginia, generally speaking, is horse country, and Fauquier is in the heart of it all. The state is home to the fifth largest horse population in the nation and Fauquier is second only to neighboring Loudoun County when it comes to number of head.

We really are surrounded by gorgeous countryside. And horse-related events, such as point-to-point (steeplechase) races, horse shows, and fox hunting, are the norm, not the exception. Yet I know little about horses.

Which is amazing, really, when you consider all of the horse stories I read as a kid. The Black Stallion was my favorite. And Misty of Chincoteague.

But I thought that stuff was all fiction. I mean, I grew up in Baltimore City. I really had no clue.

I’m slowly learning. Little bits at a time. There was that point-to-point race in March. And horseback riding with Brianna back in April.

This past weekend, I took yet another tiny little step.

Hubby had plans to do some closet work this weekend. I’m sure I probably could have found something productive to do. I just haven’t been very motivated lately. I’d rather do something fun. Something that didn’t require a whole lot of effort or brain power. So on Sunday morning when I saw there was a horse show nearby, I decided to go.

It was a horse and pony show, really. See that picture above? That’s a pony, by the way. Not a horse.

A pony is not a small horse. A pony is a pony. And a horse is a horse, of course. Just ask Misted Ed!

The definition/distinction between ponies and horses is not simple or straightforward, so if you REALLY want details, start here. Otherwise, just keep reading and enjoying the pics.

The thing was billed as a hunter series event. I’m not sure exactly what that means. I think it’s a certain type of riding. Doing jumps and stuff in a smallish (when compared to steeplechase course), enclosed ring (that’s really an oval), as opposed to just racing. Both ponies and horses were competing. There were no critters being hunted.

I only stayed for about an hour as the riders on ponies did their thing. I had no idea what was happening.

I made my way around the ring, looking for the right camera angle. I was careful not to get too close to the riding area. For a couple of reasons. First was the mud. Ponies walking/cantering/trotting past do make splashes. Second, I know horses can be startled. I didn’t want to cause any mishaps. Third, I have no idea what the etiquette is for such events.

Most of the people there were with horses and/or ponies. And, because it was HOT, they were all far from the ring in what little shade there was to be found.

I thought about strolling over to the shaded areas where the folks were hanging out. But I wouldn’t have been able to see much. And there wasn’t much shade, which meant they were packed kind of close. With their equine companions.

Is it safe for a strange person to approach someone that’s hanging out with their horse? I didn’t want to find out. I mean, I can just see me starting a chain reaction stampede, wreaking complete havoc at the horse and pony show.

So I just perched atop a picnic table about ten feet or so from the rails. Roasting in the sun, watching, and taking pictures.

There was a girl of about 14 sitting at the opposite end of the table. She was holding her pony by a lead. I asked her how they score these events.

“What is it? Equitation?” she asked. When I told her I had no idea, she just mumbled something about rider positions and then commenced flirting with a boy who’d walked over during that very brief conversation.

There I sat with a bazillion questions and no one to ask. I could have found someone, I guess, had I been in a more-social mood. But I wasn’t. So I just continued watching, clueless as to what was happening.

Cute Little Girl (maybe 9?) on Small Pony

Now that little pony is what I think of when I hear the term “pony.” That and the wild ponies on Assateague Island.

Two big ponies and one little pony with their riders waiting for results.

Those larger, regal-looking creatures look more like horses to me.

Especially when they are doing stuff like that.

That little girl on her pony intrigued me. First, you don’t see many African American horse people. At least in my limited experience. The various stuff I’ve been reading and the various web sites and photos I’ve seen have not included many people of color.

Second, I thought she made a striking image sitting on that pony as she watched others in the ring.

Look how focused she is. She did a practice lap, which went off without a hitch. She was clearly in command of that pony.

Then, when she was riding her first real (as in judged/scored) lap, something scared her pony and he started bucking. Literally, bucking. He actually threw her over his head!

She landed on the ground, right in front of him. I gasped. Loudly.

I thought for sure she’d get trampled.

There were a few tense seconds before the announcer said she was fine. Smiling, even.

Remember that mud picture from earlier? That’s pretty much the sort of ground she landed on. Maybe not quite as wet, but muddy nonetheless.

Her name is Morgan. I’m guessing she’s 12 or 13.

Morgan got cleaned up, climbed back onto the pony, and hurried back into the ring for some more competition.

You go, girl!

I just love the intensity on her face in that shot. Think I should hunt down her Mom so I can send her that picture? Or is it just so-so? You know, not worth the effort.

That may “just” be a pony. And most ponies are smaller than horses. But that’s a big animal. That takes guts.

Maybe that sort of things happens all the time. Who knows. Certainly not me, seeing as how that was my first hunter series event and all.

Now, there’s a girl obviously at ease on a pony.

She made it look easy. I think her name was Taylor.

That lost shot is my favorite one of her. She and her pony are flying. How cool is that?

I could have watched for hours. I probably would have stayed a bit long had I not been sitting in the sun on a very humid 93-degree day.

Oh, and did I mention that I’d ridden my motorcycle? That was a hot, sweaty ride home…

July 4, 2012

Happy 4th of July

Today feels like Saturday. Which is awesome. Because it’s only Wednesday. And the real Saturday will happen in just a couple of days.

Mid-week holidays may not be ideal — no long weekend? — but I could get used to this work for two days, off for one day, work for two days, off for two days routine!

Now, if only it weren’t so hot…

I admit it, I’m a sissy when it comes to heat. I’d much rather sit inside an air-conditioned house than go outside and sweat.

Call me a whiner if you must. I don’t care. I hate to sweat. Period.

By that I mean, sweating for no reason. You know, you stand there with a hose, watering flowers, dripping sweat. Not from exertion, just from the high humidity. Ugh.

There’s a SLIM chance I’ll decide to brave the forecast 96-degree temps to go for a motorcycle ride. But it’s not like I don’t have other things to do.

Like prepare that “guess what we did in Philly” blog post. Or make patriotic outfits for the girls so I can participate in the 4th of July parade. Or sweep up all the doggie tumbleweeds floating around the house.

I finally realized that this heat has made the dogs shed a bit more than usual, which is why we currently seem to have an overabundance of hairballs. That and the fact that today, which is a holiday, is the day our cleaning crew was supposed to be here.

Anyway…

I never did post our storm damage update. You know, from the DERECHO that passed through our area on Friday. It makes me crazy that everybody and their brother seem to have latched on to that word — derecho — and are using it over, and over, and over. Ad nauseum (still one of my favorite Latin sayings).

We were very lucky. Both houses untouched. Damage here in Warrenton was minimal, especially when compared to the destruction in DC, MD, and other parts of Virginia, which are not that far away from us.

Maybe that’s why, despite hearing all about the damage on the news, it never dawned on Hubby, Mom, or I that there may be traffic issues during the Saturday morning drive to Baltimore. Hubby had to take his Mom back home after her brief visit.

He called me from the road to ask me to look at the traffic situation and, if necessary, suggest an alternate route. Around here, we refer to that service as MOMstar Navigation.

post-storm_traffic — Storm-induced Gridlock

Thanks to the traffic layer on Google Maps, I’ve been able to get Hubby out of jams more than once. Usually, I’m able to tell him which side street to exit onto in order to circumvent the highway traffic jam. If you’ve never used Google Maps traffic layer, it works like this… green roads have traffic moving at a normal pace. Yellow roads are experiencing slow traffic. Traffic on red roads is crawling or stopped.

When Hubby called, he was on the inner loop of the Capital Beltway at the blue star. Notice that all of the side streets around his location were yellow and red? That’s because of all the downed trees, branches, and other storm debris littering the roadways.

I told him he was pretty much screwed and that he should stay on 495. I don’t think I have ever said that before. There’s always a better alternative. Which is why I took a screen shot of that map (above) to show him later.

To put it bluntly, his entire drive sucked. He said even the roads I’d reported as green were moving really slowly.

I told you we got lucky. Here are a few shots from around Warrenton after the storm.

Looking Down South 6th Street from Near Main Street

Downed Branch (a common sight around town)

I told you we were lucky.

Now, to totally change the subject, look at this cute little house.

So, how are you spending your holiday? I think I’d better work on that other Philly blog post…