Ladies who lunch

Today was a fantastic day...
I went with my mom and her friend to lunch at The Blueberry Patch, a cafe-ish style restaurant. They also have a fantastic gift shop where I bought personalized Christmas ornaments(yes, in JULY) for me and my roomate.

After that we took a stroll through the LOVELY Kingwood Center. The estate was home to Mr. Charles Kelly King (who made his fortune at Ohio Brass). The gardens were opened to the public in 1953, so the rest of us can enjoy the Kings' handiwork. If you'd like, you can learn more about the Kingwood Center here.

ANYHOW, the real point of this post is PICTURES! Enjoy :)

--Your run-of-the mill cottage


--A handsome gent I befriended


--An interesting way to grow the forbidden fruit


--A sassy fellow I met during my stroll


--"Who's been painting my roses red?"

Alas, all of the romantic gardens and stonework have made me nostalgic for The Illusionist.

Oh, Ed Norton, you slay me.
Cheers, Jill

Pictures :)

So here are some various pictures of today's activities:

--The desserts from the tea party

--More desserts:)

--After the storm

--A gorgeous sunset to end a wonderful day
Cheers, Jill

Rainy day, please don't ever go away.

So as I'm writing this, it's currently banging around outside like an angry giant rearranging his furniture.

And I absolutely love it.

Besides...rainy days are the perfect excuse for a piping hot cup of tea, right?
Although it wasn't raining earlier today, I had a cup of tea anyhow. Along with my fair share of tea sandwiches and desserts. My little piano student, Sarah(who is going into 4th grade and can't really be called little anymore) had her last summer lesson today, so we decided to celebrate in the most proper of manners: we had a tea party befitting a queen. It was the perfect way to cap off our (formal) lessons.

I also realized today how much I love kids. Not only is it amazing to see what they can accomplish(from plucking one note on the piano--to performing an entire piece!), but they're an absolute joy to be around. Days like today make me feel like becoming a piano teacher is a step in the right direction.

Anyhow, August 20(the day I move-in for college) is approaching soon, and the to-do list keeps piling up. But for now, the aforementioned storm is quickly approaching, and I think I hear another cup of tea calling my name.
Cheers, Jill

Mundane Activities Make the World Go 'Round

Cleaning, purging, organizing.

These are the most disgusting words in my vocabulary. Some people utter these words with a sense of reverence. To them, such words evoke images of sparkling appliances, shining mirrors, and dustless rooms.

For me, I can only picture scrub brushes, profanities, and wasted time. I've never really realized how much I loathe cleaning until I started cleaning out my room in preparation for college.

No matter how hard I try, cleaning always ends in shouting or tears.

We just don't get along, cleaning and I.

On the fun side of life, I think I'm going to make crystallized ginger scones tomorrow morning. Here's where to find the recipe, if you'd like to give it a go:http://sloeginfizz.blogspot.com/2010/03/lemon-ginger-scones.html

This was a fantastically dull first post, but more cleaning beckons me.

Cheers, Jill