Too Much Fun

10 days in Baton Rouge is a lot.  And boy did I have a lot of fun!  So much so, that I ended up mailing 3 boxes back. Two to myself and one to Tyler (he got a new summer wardrobe, courtesy of the Carter’s Outlet).  Plus, my suitcase was so full I could barely zip it.

But today, I wanted to show ya’ll (see, too much time in the South!) a few random pictures.

There was a fantastic shop at The Riverwalk that had these oil paintings of The Big Lebowski.  They were extremely well done and awesome.  (The same shop also had great t-shirts and an entire display of Yellow Submarine swag from The Beatles.)

Also at The Riverwalk, in one of the kitchen stores, was this great apron.  (Apologies for the sideways photo, but it was taken by my cell phone).  Do you see the cleverness?  On one side there is a pocket and on the other, a button that holds a dishtowel with a loop.  The brilliance is so simple, yet so awesome.  I think this might be a feature on the next apron I make.

Paula wanted to get this alligator head slingshot for Tyler.  My sister said he could only have it if it lived at my house.  I’m no dummy.  We left the slingshot there.

And finally, a random picture of cuteness.  She was sleeping and blowing spit bubbles.  Too freakin’ adorable if you ask me.

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Crawfish Boil

Yesterday, after a harrowing trip, I finally made it home.  Instead of being angry and ranting about how awful airlines are, I’m going to tell you about the Crawfish Boil.

On Sunday, we went to a Crawfish Boil.  Now, being a northern girl, I’d never been to one of these.  But it was a lot of fun!  Think “giant BBQ with shellfish instead of burgers” and that’s pretty much it.  This particular Boil was in celebration of a wedding (and man was the bride hungover…).  They boiled up 200lbs of crawfish in about 4 batches.  This is the first batch, waiting to meet their delicious end.

Quicker than you might think, those clawing little lobsters became bright red piles of deliciousness.

After getting trained on how to properly eat a crawfish (suck the head, peel the tail), I decimated a pile of these bad boys.  But I saved Fred for last.

He was delicious.

Pro Tip: Wash your hands before going to the bathroom because these little guys are spicy and you don’t want your bits to burn.  So glad Paula warned me first…

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Oh, Baby!

I’m in Louisiana visiting my best friend and their new baby, Alyce. Since words can’t really describe how cute she is, I give you this instead.

I might be a little distracted for the next week or so. Just a warning that more baby pictures might follow. I know you’re all very disappointed by that… ;D

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Packing

I’m preparing to visit my best friend and her new baby in Louisiana, which means flying (and ridiculous rules on liquids and baggage sizes as well as invasive searches). Thankfully, I’m staying with said friend and she has a washing machine. That means, a carry on and a purse is all I need (yay for not spending $50 to check a bag!). So, lo and behold while shopping for a few trip essentials (travel sized tissue, anyone?), I should find this!

I couldn’t help myself, I had to buy it. (Bonus, it was on sale!) I think I’ll be able to find my case. What do you think?

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Rainy Stitches

I cannot believe how much it has rained since we got to California.  What happened to the sunshine state?  Well, at least we’re indoors working at Stitches West!  As usual, I’m at the Oregon Woodworker’s booth selling fabulous swifts.  I’ve already spotted a few famous bloggers wandering about.  Jenny and Nichole from Stash & Burn wandered past the booth.  And then I saw IrishGirlie with an adorable little girl.  (Of course I was busy working and could only smile.)

There are fantastic things to see at the market.  My goal this year is to find great crocheted items to bring back to the yarn shop.  So far I’ve been really impressed with the crochet (and knit) designs from Kira K.  I picked up a pattern from Green Mountain Spinnery called Kristy.  StitchDiva also has some great crocheted hats that are calling to me.  Plus I picked up some great stitch markers with an adorable case from Miss Purl.  I still haven’t gotten a chance to see the entire show, but I’m working on it…

Tomorrow, I’ll be at booth #904.  So if you’re at the show, come say hi!

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Labor Day Beach Party

Sunday, we decided to do a last minute Labor Day weekend beach trip.  Mom and Dad, my sis and her hubby and the nephew and I all packed up and drove to Crescent City (Sam had to work.. Harumph!).  We drove through the redwoods on a winding road that makes you feel a bit queasy.

(Tyler took this picture.  His photo skills are wildly awesome for a four year old.)

We took Ty to Ocean World where he got to pet a shark!

That was followed by a trip to the beach for kite flying with Papa.

And a romp in the waves.

We had a great day and it was definitely worth the drive.  It was so much fun to be with my family on such a perfect summer’s day.  I leave you with one last photo… My favorite of the trip.

You can see all the photos from the trip here.

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Meeting the Locals

Not many pictures were taken yesterday.  But I wanted to share this one of Tyler in Chinatown meeting a “local”.

There was this beautiful kitty sitting outside a store.  It sat very still and let Tyler pet it.  A very neat little experience for sure.

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Pier 39

Today we did Pier 39 and the Aquarium of the Bay.  We ended with a stop for ice cream on the walk back.  Very windy and cold on the Pier, but a fun day nonetheless.

Tyler & the octopus

Schooling fish

Stinging nettles

Fish in an anemone

Tyler petting sting rays and sharks

Sea Lions

Ice cream concentration

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California Academy of Sciences

Yesterday we adventured at the California Academy of Sciences.  There is a fantastic rain forest exhibit that winds you up and up into the canopy and then you take the elevator down into an amazing aquarium.  From there you can go to the planetarium and the still exhibits.  We spent nearly six hours wandering around and around and around.  While a rather expensive day out, this is definitely worth a visit.  (Be prepared though, the parking is *outrageous*.) Below are a few of my favorite photos from the trip.  You can view more in the San Francisco Trip set on Flickr.

Macaws

Little red frog

Bird and butterfly

Fish overhead

Stinging Nettle

Schooling Fish

Turtles

Living Roof

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Around Petaluma

A few cell phone pics snapped during the past two days in Petaluma.  Enjoy.

Vintage Bank Antiques

Tyler in a silly hat at Jungle Vibes

Inside the Seed Bank

In Lala’s Creamery

Butter Pecan ice cream

Shea with a spoon on her nose

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