Busy Weekend, Long Post

The End of a Long Week
Friday night, John and I headed to his brother’s house to help move a piece of furniture from the basement to the garage. The clan was getting ready for a community yard sale the next morning. We finally got to see their completed kitchen (Fabulous renovation! Great cabinets, new appliances and countertop.) Then we took our starving bellies to La Palapa Too, where we dined once before. I opted for the trout again. I’m not sure why I’ve been leaning towards fish at Mexican restaurants lately, but it was certainly delish!

After dinner, we headed to Macy’s. I had a “family and friends” coupon for 20% off and we purchased a set of Cuisinart cookware for Mike & Diane’s new kitchen. I registered (and received) this same set when John and I got married and it’s really awesome. It looks like All Clad (not as heavy) but is probably ¼ the price of All Clad. I really like the metal lids (instead of glass) because you can sear something on the stovetop and then finish it off in the oven without worrying about melting handles and knobs.

We stopped by the yard sale Saturday morning to see what was available and to drop off the kitchen gift. The “mystery box” (a wooden Ikea storage thing with 6 drawers) I contributed to the yard sale was one of the first items to sell. The drawers contained goofy little things like a small notepad, some stickers, two pairs of toe socks, wooden knobs and some candlesticks. If you bought the box, you had to take everything inside it. Diane said a lady who looked at the box thought it was a fun way to sell your stuff. For me, it was a good way to get rid of those little items you know may not sell on their own.

Sheep & Wool.... Sheep & Wool
Yup, it’s that time of year again. I’m glad John thinks it’s funny around this time of year when I start chanting “Sheep and Wool” giddily. He’d probably be rather annoyed otherwise. I give it another year or two before it is annoying and he refuses to go with me...

After the yard sale, we headed off to the 34th Annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. The line of cars to get into the fairgrounds was long (took us half an hour from traffic jam to gate) but it was a gorgeous, sunny, warm morning. We arrived around 10:00 AM.


I really only wanted to check out 4 booths in particular. The first was one run by “The Fold”, a fiber shop somewhere in Illinois, I believe. They sell Socks That Rock yarn. I didn’t get anywhere near the goods, as the line to see the yarn was about 20 deep and the line to pay for your purchase was at least 25 deep. I saw it from afar and didn’t get to touch it. Some people swear by this yarn for knitting socks. I may have to buy some online to see if it’s all that great.

Next up was Simpler Thyme to stock up on soap. Their selection seemed a lot smaller than in previous years and no Chocolate Soap. I was also looking for their grab bag of mixed odds & ends (each bar is about 1 ½ “ x 2 ½ “ in size). All they had were the sampler bags with slivers of soap. Those are 3” long x ¾ “ wide and about ¼ “ thick. I bought them the first year I went to the festival and they’re great for travel (you can leave them behind and not feel bad about it) but not so practical for daily use. So, I ended up picking up 4 different bars.

After walking around the main exhibition hall, we decided to grab some food. John got a hot sausage (with no greasy oil spillage all over his shirt this time) and I got a corn dog. I offered John a bite of my dog but he refused. He said he loves hot dogs and loves corn bread, but not together. Weird, huh?

I stood in line after our snack to get a t-shirt. All the ones I wanted were sold out or only came in a “junior” size (translation: only for 80 lb skinny girls). I ended up with a tank top -- great for summer sleeping. The Socks That Rock line was still very long, so I went to the Brooks Farm booth and found something off their clearance rack. Not sure what I’m going to make with it yet.

I recognized a few knit bloggers at the festival... VibeGrrl (a DJ on Hot 99.5), Michael delVecchio, a DC knitter and author, Knitgirl from Knit Happens in Alexandria, and Claudia and her sister, Sylvia. Bloggers weren’t as easily recognizable as last year, but then again, I wasn’t actively paying attention this time.

We were going to get some yummy Ribbon Chips before heading out but the line was really long. We should have gotten them at 10:00 (no line). There wasn’t much else I wanted to see, so we left around noon. The parking area was packed and people were still filing in!

On the way home, we stopped at Savage Mill to see if I could get my new glasses repaired somehow. One of the crystals came off the right arm. The guy at the shop replaced the arm with the store’s display model and I’m all blingy again!

Before we left Savage Mill, we purchased a new light for the house. The existing fixture was your typical construction-grade brass thing with four faux candles. The new one belongs in a fancy foyer (foy-yay) but is sadly in our little foyer (foy-yur). It’s a really pretty fixture we’ve been eyeing for about a year now. It dresses up the entry way. We just have to replace the construction-grade chandelier in the front sitting area (really meant to be a formal dining area) and the fixture down by the door to the garage and we’ll be done with the lighting.

Raymond’s 40th
After watching the Kentucky Derby at home, we headed to Ray & Lisa’s for a party in celebration of Ray’s 40th. Ray’s friend, Spence, a caterer, cooked up some fabulous dishes, including paella and a stuffed beef tenderloin. It was good to see friends we hadn’t seen in a while and catch up with William, Freddy and Mike on their day at Gold Cup. Apparently, the weather was cool and rainy in Virginia, unlike how it was for me at the S&W. We tried to hang in there to watch the DeLaHoya vs. Mayweather fight, but didn’t stay. We would have ended up looking like these folks.

Trapeze and an Anniversary
Sunday morning, we ran errands and got groceries. The afternoon was spent at home doing laundry and a little cleaning. We left out in the evening to pick up Mom B and head over to Trapeze for dinner with my family.

I made a reservation last week and was surprised to find they gave us our own private room! It was a wonderful meal in celebration of my parents’ 42rd anniversary and John’s birthday.

Check out what we ate here. Trapeze is definitely going on our list of options for special occasion dinners. Go check ‘em out if you’re in the Laurel/Columbia area. It’s right off Route 29 on 216 in Maple Lawn.

Well, that’s it for our busy weekend. Hope everyone had a good one! Linkfest OUT!