the start of our beach vacation

the start of our beach vacation
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

wild horses on the beach

We are going to the beach for a week, so I got these plant nannies to water my window boxes while we are gone. I put so much work into these plants only to leave them to the elements soon after. This year they shouldn't get thirsty. I like how they use old soda and water bottles.

I will be off the grid and blogging and twittering only by phone.

At the top of Kodak tower.

At the top of Kodak tower.
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

I got to go to the top of Kodak tower to watch the baby falcons be put back in their nest... you can see Mariah, the falcon mom swooping the bird handlers.

Memorial Day weekend we started our basement improvement project. We are starting with replacing the basement windows with glass block windows.

We only got two replaced but hey, they look great!

I was watching a preview of the upcoming Sex in the City movie when I spotted a pug in the "red paint fur coat Samantha" scene.

(I took a picture of the tv screen with my camera and was amazed at how clear it came out. We just got a new flat screen HD tv and this is an unexpected benefit.)

He looks so disdainful. Pug in the City. Not as big a deal as Beverly Hills Chihuahua though.

The biggest thing we accomplished Memorial Day weekend was planting our garden. It doesn't look like it bu there are veggies nestled in there. We also planted our window boxes and other flowers.

Aaron also installed a fancy shmancy irrigation system with automatic timer for when we go on vacation. It drips instead of spraying which is much more green as the water does not evaporate into the air. I need to get off my duff and order a rain barrel to hook it up to.

Here is my new old school watering system. I love this watering can! It looks so nice and it works really well.

picnic breakfast
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

We had a picnic breakfast in the back yard this morning. Aaron made a dutch baby.

Window boxes

Window boxes
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Window boxes are planted. Gotta remember to water them everyday.

Herbs and strawberries.

Herbs and strawberries.
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Oscar is waiting for the strawberry crop.

veggie garden

veggie garden
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Garden is planted. Now we wait.

Lemonade
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Making fresh squeezed lemonade.

At the public market.
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Getting flowers to plant in our window boxes. This year... marigolds and some hanging vines.

Williams Sonoma has outdone themselves in terms of cuteness.

Animal cracker cookie cutters, organic animal cracker mix and a cookie jar shaped like a circus box car. Get - out - of - here.

Stewie: "Is he out there?"

"He's right there isn't he?"

"Ach, what does he want?"

"Quit it. I am not coming out... go away."

I have been very good about remembering my reusable shopping bags lately and plastic bags hardly ever make their way into our house. I was still collecting the occasonal plastic produce bag though, so I ordered these reusable produce bags from ecobags.

They are super light so they don't affect the total weight of your produce. I used to only have to remember my shopping list when I went to the grocery store. I am accumilating more and more things I have take with me!

This weekend Aaron took me to Olindo's Italian Import Food and set me loose. They have lots of pasta and olive oil, but what I was smitten with were the LavAzza coffee cups. They were only $2 each!

They remind me of the cups we drank cappucino from at the Italian bakeries in Boston. Aaron doesn't like the little handles 'cause his finger doesn't fit in it.

I also got a bottle of Lurisia spring water and some LavAzza coffee. I have a little corner of Italy set up on my kitchen counter.

I love cheese so when it comes to stay with me I want to give it the very best. I ordered these sheets of Formaticum cheese papers. Proper storage and handling can help cheese live longer. This cheese paper is specially designed to help.

Only the best for my cheese.

I also got a cheese journal so I can chronicle each kind of cheese that I encounter.

Rainy Sunday - Oscar and Stewie at the back door.
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Oscar and Stewie are crying to go outside but I know they would come right back in when they realize it's raining.

Morning at the George Eastman House

Upstairs downstairs tour
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

We spent the morning at the George Eastman House. First we went to the plant sale and then we did the upstairs/downstairs tour. We got to see the attic and basement of the house. Very cool. Except when we almost got lost in the basement. Yes, lost. There are a series of tunnels underground. We started out under the house and came out under the potting shed!

When my sister graduated last weekend it was quite the event. That's me snapping one of hundreds of pictures of her from the day. To celebrate, I made her some congratulation balloon tags.

I blogged about them on 1000Words today and they are also a project on the Tips and Projects Center. On the project page you can download the greeting tags too.

You can also use this idea for Birthdays. Yes, I made myself a birthday balloon. Is that cheeky?

Ok, I realize that this is a lot of packaging for blueberries. But when I spotted these Fresh Blueberry Blasters made by Nature's Partner at Wegman's I could not resist. I tell myself I can reuse them.

There are holes in the packaging so you can flip open the lid and run water through to wash them.

Why am I such a sucker for this kind of thing? Next I will be buying individually wrapped blueberries.

Electric scooters

Electric scooters
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

NYPD on scooters. How cool!

LJC in NYC

LJC in NYC
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Found the method pop up store in soho.

Method shop closed.

Method shop closed.
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

That's okay. It was all liquids I couldn't carry on the plane anyhow.

Heading back to Rochester.

Oooh Oooh Happy Birthday to me

Mum me and Emily

Mum me and Emily
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

Happy Mother's Day!

Graduation

Graduation
Originally uploaded by ljc@flickr

My sister Emily graduated from college today. Congratulations lil' monster!

As sort of a birthday present to myself, I got a hot pink streak dyed in my hair. It's in the back and hard to see... pretty subtle. But I like it and I can see wanting more!

Like Ultimate Chocolate Cake and Ultimate Carrot Cake, Wegmans now makes Ultimate Brownies! And they come in single servings! I think they are so cute!

And they are really tasty warmed up in the microwave. So much so, i felt the need to warn people off at the office.

I have been able to break out spring shoes that I bought over the winter.

These are the shoes I got when I was wandering around San Francisco sick as a dog. They are Naturalizers and they are super comfy.

I love the straps and buckles on these slip ons.

Aaron got me these kitty Converse Chuck Taylors. Check out the cat inside.

I just found these mini bottles of honey. Barry's Busy Bee Honey from the Bee Movie. Just the right size for taking to work for my tea. And so cute.

Too bad DO NOT MIRCOWAVE is right across Barry's chin.

I have developed a serious addiction to Vitamin Water. Luckily I can get my fix a iittle more affordably now that Wegmans is making aqua-V. I am not going to comment on how amazingly similiar their packaging and labels are to Vitamin Water. Or the fact that they have three of my favorite Vitamin Water flavors, acai-blueberry-pomegranate, rasberry-apple and fruit punch. They are all really good. I have to have one at work everyday.

When I was in San Francisco a restaurant gave me biodegradable cutlery. I read that most are supposed to break down in about 100 days, so I am running a little experiment. I dated each piece and put them in a pot of dirt. I will let you know when they are decomposed.

I spent the day at Imagine RIT Innovation and Creativity Festival. There were so many robots and other geeky delights I was overwhelmed. Best of all I got to try out a Segway. You can read more about a few of the things I saw on 1000 Words.