A Sunday Lunch and Stroll

Hello fellow bloggers!
I've been exceedingly busy these last weeks and I've not been able to visit all the blogs and post comments as much as I would like to lately! I'm hoping that things slow down a hair for me soon, but we all know how it is sometimes!!!
Hubby Erik's band has so many shows booked in the next few weeks that it's unbelievable! As his personal super-fan, wardrobe consultant, roadie and drum tech (and sometimes light show operator!), I am as busy as he is when the band has lots of shows.
We are also dealing with medical issues with one of our cats, my sweet Tia, and it's been hard. We've been thinking of adopting a cat to add to our cat family for awhile now, since we lost our two oldest cats last year, and I think we may have found the perfect addition. I'll be sure to introduce her, if it all works out, of course.

But enough of that stuff......

Today we enjoyed some nice summer weather with lunch and a stroll, trying to decompress from a long and busy day yesterday. Erik's band had a show in a town about an hour away from where we live, which meant that after the show, which finished at 1:30am, we had to pack up the band and equipment and drive an hour back home, so it was about 3am when we got in.

We started out with lunch and coffee at the 'Sprizzo' cafe, which is in the historical downtown area, a few blocks from our house.  Although we have lived here for nearly 4 yrs, this was our first visit to Sprizzo. They have live music also on weekends.

This is our usual coffee and sandwich haunt, 'the Steaming Cup', which is located in the historic Nickell building. The Nickell family were one of the first pioneering families of this town to settle here in the 1840s and the following generations of the family were very prosperous. W.A. Nickell was a jeweler and watchmaker, and this was where his store was located. I believe the town post office was also originally in this building too for a short while.

On the opposite corner is the 'People's Park' bar and restaurant, and several potter's shops. There are a great deal of art galleries and such in this part of town. They often refer to this part of downtown as the 'artisan district'.

This photo I took about a month ago during Freeman Friday Live,(and outdoor free music event that takes place downtown) but this is pretty much how 'People's Park' always looks on evenings; it's very popular. Erik and I have dined there and met friends there several times ourselves. They have a wonderful tilapia sandwich and heavenly sweet potato fries!

The historic Almont Building is one of my favorites. It houses an art gallery now. They recently replaced the fabric awnings, but I'm not sure I like them as much as the old ones.

Following our lunch at Sprizzo, we sat on a bench across from the Almont Building and discussed what we don't like about the new awnings. Erik and I agree it's the red stripe that borders the darker brown stripe! (not really very visible in these photos).  We had also been admiring some of the art displayed at Sprizzo, and discussing what we like and don't like about art. Not surprisingly, Erik enjoys surrealism, while I prefer the 'old masters' more than anything. It was nice to relax and chat.

I love to sit in the dappled shade and watch the patterns change when the wind blows through the trees!

When we resumed our stroll and headed for the Fox River, I took pictures of other things that I love to look at; like ivy clambering up a stone wall, and the sun winking through the green trees.

Or a yellow painted bicylce turned into a garden planter which was outside Otto's, a artist's studio down the street.

Otto's also has this darling little patio behind it with a gorgeous fountain. A yellow rubber ducky floats in the middle urn.

The riverwalk is lined with green hydrangeas.

Banks of cheerful yellow rudbeckia................

Are complimented by tall, stately purple coneflowers.

Thanks for joining me!
I'll be linking up to these parties:

Summer Sunday with The Tablescaper
and
Outdoor Wednesday with A Southern Daydreamer

Breakfast Alfresco Redux

I thought I'd re-post this so I can link it up to a new blog party that I heard of from Style Sisters.
It's the Weekend Porch and Garden Party, hosted by First a Dream.
Check it out and join in the fun!

After a couple of weeks of very hot weather that was also drenchingly humid, the humidity finally broke yesterday and we were rewarded with a pleasantly warm summer day with a nice cooling breeze.

Although today seems a bit warmer and slightly more humid, the earlier part of the morning was still cool enough to tempt me to have my breakfast outside.

The term alfresco literally means 'in the fresh air' or 'outdoors'. Dining alfresco in the summer is a delightful change, whether at a charming cafe or restaurant that has outdoor seating, picnic, BBQ or just in your own yard.

One of the large projects that Erik and I hope to do for next summer is put in a patio and pergola in this area. Right now, all I have is this little seating area with my Adirondack chairs and table that my father made in his woodworking shop (it's his favorite hobby now that he's pretty much retired). Behind the chairs are three very HUGE weigela bushes. I prune them every fall and spring, but they continue to get bigger and bigger. Unfortunately, they will have to be removed when we do the patio.

I set my little table with a lacy white table runner, and used some of my blue transferware. I also took the faux flower arrangement that was on the kitchen table and brought it outside.

A lovely muffin, fresh-baked, in a white paper liner with a sweet ruffle on the top. I found these Wilton ruffled cupcake liners at Michael's awhile ago.

Coffee in a pretty cup and saucer that was a recent find. I've also used my good Godinger flatware, and a pretty blue tea napkin.

I always have a little cream in my coffee; today I'm using my hand-blown crackle glass creamer jug that I bought at the old Jamestown settlement near Colonial Williamsburg,VA.  I'm also having another favorite breakfast treat of mine; yogurt with fresh fruit (blackberries today) with some honey to sweeten.

It's the perfect breakfast setting to sit and read a new issue of Victoria magazine.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have an enjoyable start to your day!

I'll be joining these blog parties:

Summer Sundays with The Tablescaper

Tabletop Tuesday with Marty at A Stroll Through Life

Tablescape Thursday with Susan at Between Naps on the Porch

Summer Sunday: Summer Breezes

Early in July we enjoyed a week of really perfect summer weather; the kind we seldom get here, especially in July. The temperatures were at enjoyable high 70s and low 80s, with low humidity, and lovely cool breezes. I opened the windows every day so I could enjoy the summer breeze. I also decided to capture an image of the summer breeze playing with my lace curtains, which amused me for quite some time. I had just washed these curtains also, so I got the scent of freshly laundered linens wafting through the parlor as a bonus.

Sometimes just a small pleasant thing, like watching the breeze play with the window curtains, can make your day.  I also admit that when I see it, I always think of that Seals & Croft song, "Summer Breeze". :-)
"Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowing through the jasmine of my mind...."

Thanks for stopping by!
I'll be joining The Tablescaper for Summer Sunday today!

Food: Malted Banana Smoothie

One of the things I love best about hot summer days is relaxing with cold, delicious beverages. One of my favorite summer ( or any season) treats are yogurt smoothies. I have several recipes that I really like including a Malted Banana Smoothie. I tend to eat lighter in the summer and smoothies are a healthy and filling meal replacement if I need something quick. I will often have a smoothie for breakfast instead of my usual cereal or oatmeal.

This banana smoothie does not have yogurt in it, but ,surprisingly, the recipe said it only has about 320 calories.

I have a hard time getting my darling hubby to eat fruits and vegetables( yeah,he's not a veggie and fruit lover like me!), so a smoothie is a good way to sneak some fruits into his diet.

Malted Banana Smoothie:

 1 cup low fat milk (or vanilla soy milk can be used)

1 medium banana, peeled and sliced

1/4 c. malted-milk powder

1 tbl. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients together until smooth and frothy.

I'll be linking this with The Tablescaper for Summer Sunday

Thanks for stopping by!