apple pickin'

Two Saturdays ago Momma, Daddy, Dynamo, and I went apple pickin' up near Charlottesville at Carter Mountain Orchard, which is my absolute favorite place to go!  But, before we went to the orchard, Dynamo wanted to take me to eat lunch at Crozet Pizza.



He had been there with Marioocheee after a mountain training ride and wanted me to taste how wonderful the pizza was. And...he was right! It was absolutely fantastic!!! It wasn't like any other pizza I'd ever had!



The flavor was so good and rich! Yummy!!! The pizza place was so busy that we placed our order to go and while Dynamo and Daddy waited Momma and I ventured over to Crozet Park to the Crozet Arts and Crafts Festival. Anytime there's a craft show...we're there!



Unlike many other craft shows we've been to, everything there was entirely handmade. There were so many lovely things from pottery and wreaths to chairs and glassware and food galore!



It was such a beautiful day to be shopping outside. The place was so full of activity and talented artists!



After we made our purchases we hopped into the truck and headed back up the road to the orchard! We weren't the only ones who thought it was a beautiful day to go apple pickin'...



The line getting into the orchard was miles long! It was worth the wait! The view from the top was spectacular!



There was a flurry of activity at the barn.



We hopped out of the truck and knew exactly what to do with the map they gave us! We got right to pickin'...



This was Momma and Daddy's first time actually pickin' apples! Of course Dynamo isn't afraid of anything. He climbed right up and started pickin'...



Momma and Daddy were so cute stuffing their bag with apples...



We picked and picked and wandered for a long while...



I was pickin' and didn't really pay much attention to the little girl until all of a sudden she said to me, "Hey!"...



Her name was Olivia and she was pickin' apples with her grandparents. She was so adorable and as friendly as she could be!

Dynamo is so funny. I looked up and he was walking down the row with an apple balanced on his head. Silly!





So, with our bags full we took some family pics!



Daddy and Me!



Dynamo and I!





Momma and Daddy!





While the guys went to pay for the apples, Momma and I were on a mission to get the fabulous apple cider donuts!



We waited in line for a while, but they were well worth the wait...



We sat and devoured them enjoying the view!!





Then, our tradition is to take our pic inside the worm hole of the giant wooden apple!



Inside the apple barn there were loads of jams and jellies to be bought...



Along with lots of apples! Their apples can be found in local grocery stores such as Kroger under Crown Orchard Company! Yum!



We had such a great time just enjoying the day as a family! The only one missing was Lexi! It would have been a little too much for the old girl! Daddy was constantly worried about her!

Check out this cool skeleton on top of the building...



The road out was filled with apples...



If you are ever in the area be sure to visit Carter Mountain Orchard!



Until next time...

mountain bike monday - the poco chicks

Everyone...meet Rachel! Yes, another Rachel! I know I've mentioned her and her husband Clay on here before, but I wanted to re-introduce you to her! She and I have decided to start a girls riding group. Even if it's only just her and I, we have decided to ride when we can...just us girls. So, yesterday afternoon we met at the park and hit the Lakeview Trails. It was her first time venturing to that side of the park. She did fantastic! We had so much fun just chatting and laughing the whole time. I don't think there was silence for 2 hours! We stopped at times and talked about the obstacles and how to tackle them. We were in no hurry...just enjoyed being together as the Poco Chicks!

It truly was a beautiful day! This time of year at the park is glorious!The leaves have already started changing color and falling. In places you couldn't even find the path.

Rachel's husband, Clay, came and so did MBM! The guys ventured off to Lakeview as well, but were quite a ways ahead of us! After the start we didn't see them until back at the car hours later. They said they thought they heard chatter at one point, but weren't sure what. Of course it was probably us!

It was Dynamo's first ride on his new bike! Yes, I know what you're thinking...another bike? Well, he did his research and decided that the Salsa El Mariachi would be a better fit for him. It's titanium too! So, he ordered the frame and our dining room was the "bike shop" for a couple of weeks while he put it together. So, Kermit was stripped of all of his parts and he is now naked and will likely be ready for sale soon!

Meet El Mariachi...



He/she (undecided) is quite sharp. Don't you love the orange grips and cable guides?



I am trying to come up with a name for this bike. I really like Sylvia, but it would be cool to come up with a Spanish name since the brand is Salsa!



Dynamo said that the Salsa rode well. He said it was a great fit for him. So, I think it will stay! I'm just glad that Dynamo knows how to work on his own bike and mine too! It certainly makes life easier!



So, I guess we're back to our riding. And, I'm super excited to have a girlfriend to ride with from time-to-time! If anyone out there wants to ride with us just let me know!

Hope your Monday is fantastic!

more wreaths and flower pins too!

I just love old sheet music! I have collected lots of it from my various thrifting and yard saling adventures. It's great to use in projects. Often, I use lots of it on my cards.



I think it looks great on a holiday wreath too! And...this green is a great green too! Not just any green will do!!



And...love this fantastic red!



These wreaths are all vintage! Old sheet music, ribbon, lightbulbs, Santa, candy canes, and birds! I love old stuff as you can tell!!

Santa looks so much better "old school style" don't you think? Ever looked at the old children's books and cards? They are fantastic happy/jolly colorful illustrations! Fabulous!

But, switching gears....



These cool felt flower pins turned out good I think! They can be a hairclip or a jacket pin! They really would add some color to your day huh?



And...check out these hairclips/pins made from old tee shirts!



They are a little wilder! I just love red!

Have a great weekend!

holiday wreaths

I thought I'd share with you a couple of wreaths that I just completed! I was so pleased with how they turned out! Hopefully my customers at the craft show will like them too!

For this one I used vintage Christmas items. Don't you just love Santa and the snowman?







And, for this wreath I used a mixture of ribbon flowers and burlap to give it great texture. This wreath is holiday without being too Christmasy (is that a word?)





I had to add some bling...