I came in the front door looking like a drowned rat this afternoon--why did I put a mirror in the hallway? It wasn't pretty.
I had my typical "day off" dilemma this morning: "It's my day off! Time to get something done around here!" versus "It's my day off! Time to go do something fun!" I dithered around in my scraproom pushing papers back and forth, and then at 10 decided to give up and do some shopping.
I headed up to Williamsburg via the Colonial Parkway, which is a lovely little tourist road that runs along the York River and then heads into the woods and on up past Colonial Williamburg, on to Jamestown. It's a dismally cold and rainy day here, and the trees were a million shades of lush green, with wet black trunks. Driving that road is one of my favorite things about living here.
I stopped in at Stampin' Memories, which I swore I would never go back to last fall, after one too many trips during which I needed a bathroom and had to walk halfway down the plaza to T.J. Maxx because the store doesn't let customers use their bathroom. But while cleaning out a purse, I noticed I had an almost-full punch card, so I thought it would be worth running up there to finish it off. Besides, I needed some inspiration for the magazine calls that are pending this month.
I didn't do too badly: a couple sheets of new Scenic Route paper, a silver leafing pen (because I ADORE my gold leafing pens--they're from Krylon and they're fantastic), a Hero Arts "dead flower" stamp, some little odds and ends. I can't believe I can be sitting in my scraproom one moment, literally feeling the weight of all my scrap/stamp crap pressing in on me...and then the next minute, be off buying more of said crap. One of my charming little idiosyncracies.
On the way home, I drove through Yorktown in order to check out some of the new shops by the river. Yorktown has spent several months and a pile of money spiffing up its riverfront area, spurred on by some of the flooding and damage that took place during Hurricane Isabel in 2003, and it's all looking pretty charming. There never was much by the river: a small beach, a few restaurants, a motel...but now the beach has been enlarged, a pier/marina has been added, and a cute little brick parking garage with cute little brick shops and a visitor center along the water, in the shadow of the Coleman Bridge across the York River. The new shops are perfectly proportioned for the tiny waterfront area, and nothing competes with the massive bridge, which dominates the scene, as well it should.
I'm excited about the shops because my one spot for buying clever little gifts closed up shop a month or two ago, and I was badly in need of some new sources of fun little luxuries for gifting others as well as myself. I bought the neatest tote bag for my sister's birthday--it's vinyl orange gingham with teal trim, and it converts from a tote bag into a small handbag with the help of a bottom piece and some snaps on the bottom edge. I mean, this thing is CUTE. I guess they featured this line of bags in Country Home last month.
I bought myself some lip gloss...I think the last time I bought lip gloss was in 1986, so I was due. I spent a hell of a lot more this time around than I probably did in 1986, but then, thankfully I have more money now, which isn't hard since I was a broke teen in 1986. This is some nice gloss, vanilla cupcake-flavored, which should make me irresistable to my better half. That's the plan, anyway.
And the bridge was opened while I was down there, to let a ship through from the Cheatham Naval Annex upriver...I stood in the rain and drenched myself to get some pictures, because it's a really cool sight...got home, opened the camera, and--no memory card. These are the moments in life that will eventually drive me crazy, I just know it. Todd thinks he can retrieve the photos somehow, but I am dubious.
So the "day off dilemma" was solved in favor of Fun rather than Work, my shoes and purse are soaked, and I have new toys to try to find a place for. A successful day in my book, and I'm grateful for the luxury of it!
