Daytripping- Kennebunkport, Maine

The other day I looked at my attendance calendar at work and I realized I had only taken 3 of my 22 allotted vacation days this year.  If I don't use them by December 31st. I lose them.  So I decided to take one last Thursday.

I decided to go with a friend to Kennebunkport, Maine for the day.  We started out with a drive up to Stonewall Kitchens in York.  We did a little shopping and had coffee and enough breakfast to tide us over to until lunchtime.

Rain was predicted but not until the afternoon and we arrived before the rain hit.   We drove by the ocean as the sky got grayer and grayer.  I didn't mind.  I love a moody sky.

We drove along Ocean Ave, admiring all the beautiful seaside homes and wishing we knew the people who lived there.

Occasionally, we would get out of the car and explore the area.  This spot was lovely with it's wild  foliage and cool rocks.  You can see what the travel brochures mean by rocky coastline.

We enjoyed walking by and admiring all the oceanfront homes on Ocean Ave.

This one had a fantastic porch facing the ocean.

This spectacular home was directly on the water.

This one might have been my favorite.  Don't you love the architectural detail?

Here's a longer shot of the home. Just lovely!

So sweet, another beauty.

And no trip to Kennebunkport is complete without a trip to the Bush compund at Walker's Point. This is the view from Ocean Ave.  What spectacular views they must have from that house!
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As I was zooming in a bit, a woman who was standing on the rocks called our attention to the people who were standing on the front lawn.  She asked if I could see who it was, she suspected it was Barbara Bush.  I couldn't say for sure at the time.  But later upon closer inspection, it was indeed Barbara Bush and I am not sure about the man next to her.  So I was pretty excited to think that I got a photo of Barbara on her front lawn. ( You can click on the photo to enlarge it).

The waves were crashing against the rocks making that sound that I love.  It's actually very rhythmnic and soothing.  If you've ever slept by the ocean, you know it can lull you to sleep.

But no sleeping on this daytrip.  I have more to tell about this day which I will hold for another post. We had lunch at Pier 77 in Cape Porpoise and witnessed a fantastic lightning storm and prior to that we made a stop at Old House Parts to look at architectual salvage pieces.  I found something really amazing but that too is for another post.

Those of you on the East Coast, I wish you a safe weekend.  Let's hope the hurricane does not live up to the hype!

Gloucester with the Girls

Today I went for a day trip to Gloucester with two of my friends from high school, Kim and Joan. I see my friend Kim all the time because she lives a couple of streets away from me. Joan I see maybe once or twice a year.

Yesterday was Kim's birthday. We don't exchange presents but we usually get together for breakfast or coffee. Today we did both!

We started at Sugar Magnolia's for breakfast. This place is one of Kim's favorites.




I opted for the cinnamon raisin french toast with homemade maple syrup. Kim had hash and Joan had eggs and pineapple fritters. We all shared in a fruit bowl with granola. I am glad I got the short stack of french toast anything more would have been too filling.



Our timing was perfect because shortly after we arrived it started to get very busy.



An interesting mix of artwork was displayed on the wall. I really liked the decor and feel of the place.




Wow, that man to the left looks intense. She sure has his full attention!



A mural adorned one of the walls.



I just had to take a photo of this poster that was in the ladies room. Audrey with a cat, how perfect!



One more look back at Sugar Magnolia's before we turned down the street. I really love this place. It is exactly the type of breakfast spot I like to frequent.




We headed next door to Gabriel's Antiques and this teapot caught my eye. I didn't need another teapot so I passed on it.



We liked this outfit outside of the Dress Code. They had very cool clothes and we spent quite a bit of time there. Kim tried this coat on but it was too big and of course one of a kind.






Before heading home, we decided to stop for coffee/tea at the Pleasant Street Tea Company.



This spot had quite the selection of teas and coffees. There were lunch items as well but we were still stuffed from breakfast. I just had a dark chocolate mocha.



Well, maybe I could have a little nibble.



I had orders not to take any photos of Kim and Joan for the blog. I didn't realize that they made it into the right hand corner of this shot. Ha, Ha! I don't think they will mind.



For this shot, I was aiming for the steam coming off the tea against the dark wall. But I did actually get some of Kim in this shot. She said it was ok. We loved just sitting and chatting in this quiet corner of the tea company. There were couches and chairs you could just sink into and sit in all day. And we did spend a long time there.



As I sit blogging about my lovely day with the girls, my boys are at my feet enjoying a little brotherly love. Sweet!

Cape Cod Adventure

Wednesday was a picture perfect day. It really was one of the best days weatherwise in the year.

I had planned to have a play date with my friend Lori Lee and when my sister found out about it she wanted in too.

Lori Lee and I wanted to visit the Cape Cod Lavender Farm in Harwich and visit Horsefeather Antiques and the Dunbar Tea Shop in Sandwich. My sister loved the idea.

First we went to Horsefeathers. Lori Lee said we should call first to make sure Jean, the owner, was in the shop when we arrived. So when we were about an hour away, Sheila gave the shop a call. She called the number and said, "Hello, Horsefeathers?". The person said no. Evidently I had written down the wrong number. Luckily, Lori Lee had printed the number from online and Sheila called it and made contact. They were open all day. We laughed every time we thought of Sheila calling a person "Horsefeathers".

After two hours on the road, we arrived in Sandwich and then headed to Horsefeathers. The photo of the birdbath with roses was taken in the garden at Horsefeathers. Jean, the owner, had gorgeous electric blue hydrangeas. My photo of the flower is so embarrassingly bad I can not even post it! But believe me those hydrangeas were electric blue or as Sheila said, neon!



The sun was so bright it washed out most of my photos of the day. This photo does not do the beautiful garden justice.

Lori Lee and I both made purchases at Horsefeathers Antiques. I will post later about my goodies. Of course, it involved some lovely china. Jean had an amazing inventory of fabulous items. I wanted to take photos of the shop but Jean had a bad experience with someone who had taken photos and then came back with friends to shoplift. I respected her wishes and only took the photos outside.

Jean had the shop decorated with lanterns from her personal collection. They were all very old and there was one with a Japanese looking ship printed on it. It was spectacular. I wish it had been for sale. She also had a tablecloth which was embroidered with lanterns. I wanted to take it home but I already committed to the dishes. So I resisted. Now I am kicking myself!



Next stop, the Dunbar Tea Shop in Sandwich Center.I'd been there before but not since they renovated. We sat in a breezy, sun drenched room, a perfect setting for a cuppa.



I had the Earl Grey in a pot all to myself!



We all got the afternoon tea. Yum!



Now take a closeup look of the sandwiches.



And the desserts! Decadent.



Do I spy buttercream frosting?




We waddled out of the tea room and into the gift shop. I am kidding, we actually had leftovers. Lori Lee smartly brought a big cooler packed with ice.

Where was this teapot last week when I joined the Mad Hatter Tea party? It would have been perfect!




Here's the outside of the gift shop. Quintessential Cape Cod!



A copper teapot weathervane.



A dreamy hammock.




Oops, it's private behind there.




Entrance to the tea shop parking lot.




Across the street from the tearoom. A pretty scene.

We also visited Chatham and Orleans on Wednesday. I will post more photos in a few days.

Happy Fourth!

Exeter- Art & Tiques

I took last Friday off from work. I took a little daytrip to North Hampton and Exeter, New Hampshire. I made a number of stops that day which I will share in
future posts. Today, I will post about the coolest shop in Exeter, New Hampshire.
It's called Art & Tiques.



I saw this display from across the street and it piqued my interest. I expected an artsy funky type of shop. It was so much more.



I entered the shop and there was Charlie. Isn't he adorable? He resides with shop owner Linda Anason. She told me Charlie was a rescue dog from the ASPCA. He has the sweetest personality and the most soulful eyes. He captivated me from the moment I saw him. I am glad he lives with Linda, she clearly loves him.

Linda was so nice to let me loose, camera in hand, in her shop. I took tons of photos!



I loved this teapot but it did not come home with me.




Baskets anyone? There were lots of them.




I liked this red birdcage too and the lantern above it.



All kinds of canes.



Are these your initials?



Where else can you get a fencing mask?



This guy was interesting.



Old baseballs for Red Sox nation.



I walked around with this purse in my hand but I didn't end up buying it.



Interesting items throughout the shop.



Don't you love old boxes? They are great for storage or decorating.



These would make wonderful accent items.



A mish mash of items in the shop. I love to rummage through things.




Pretty bottles on display.



Playing cards serve as price tags.



Paper people? I don't really know what they are.



I liked this lamp too.



Pretty glassware.



All kinds of silverware in baskets.




This clock was really neat. It almost glowed in the sunlight.

And what did I buy? Well, two items. One was an old trophy and the other was a vintage Polaroid camera. When I went to the register, the owner asked me if I was a dealer. I said, "no". She said, "You should be, you picked the hottest items." I was flattered by the compliment.



Rain boots, so cheery. I could have used these last month when we had heavy rain and flooding.

But Friday was absolutely gorgeous and I had so much fun scouring through all the items at Art & Tiques and playing with Charlie. The owner's business card even mentions Charlie.

If you live in the area, you simply must visit Art&Tiques, 130 Water St, Exeter. You won't be disappointed and if you do stop by, give Charlie a hug for me.