Subject: Rehoboth Houses

Melissa -

Hello and happy Friday! So today I am going to show you the pictures I took of my favorite houses in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Some of them reminded me of houses from a movie and I absolutely drooled at the thought of spending a weekend living in one. Or just a night - I'm not greedy. The details on the houses were great too - lots of stone mixed with wood siding and cedar shingles. And the yards were immaculate. I was very jealous of the climate up there. It was hot, yes, but not the kind of hot that just zaps flowers in the middle of the afternoon if you are not out there holding a garden hose to everything. Basically - not like here.

I don't even know if these pictures will do the houses justice, especially since I took these on the last day we were there when the sky was gray and cloudy (the best kind of weather to be leaving a beach vacation, in my opinion). But I hope you get the idea. Oh, and I saved the best for last!

I included a close-up of the yard on this next one because I thought it was so charming:

The house that went with this next yard wasn't all that memorable to me, but I loved this little stone wall and garden behind it:

This house seemed a little out-of-place among all the others, but I loved the red geraniums in the pot and the manicured box woods. Plus the American flag against the gray (with the red geraniums) is really nice, so I decided to include it:

And this one is called The Grey Goose and it was my favorite house of all. Can't you see why?

Don't you just die for that pink door? I don't know how well you can tell from the pictures, but the house was this amazing gray with white trim and a pale pink door. And the house is on Queen Street - how perfect is that? I also loved the little walkway on the roof - I can only imagine what the view is like from up there. Seriously, if they were selling tickets on the driveway, I would have bought one just to see what the interior was like!!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend and I will see you back here next week!

Subject: Rehoboth Beach - An Introduction

Melissa -

So our big 10-day trip included five days staying at my aunt-in-law's beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I had no idea what to expect, but Mr. Lass said that what the Hamptons are to NYC-ers, Rehoboth is to the DC set. Yes, please! I have never actually been to the Hamptons so I have no way to make a comparison, but the houses in Rehoboth were super-cute and the main street was within walking distance to where we were staying and had so many local shops and restaurants, you would need an entire summer to experience everything.

Here are some pictures I took along the main street:

Okay, so I only took two. So now I will talk about what is in the shops. Most of the shops were very boutique-y, meaning they were small and locally-owned and included merchandise that I had never seen before. It was so fun to look at everything - longingly, for the most part, since whatever I bought would have to jammed into an already-full suitcase or carried through security and on board an airplane, which is hard to do with a toddler in tow.

However, I did find this little gem and had to have it:

Isn't it gorgeous? I carried this on-board, which meant carting it around on a layover while pushing a stroller, but it's totally worth it to look at it everyday. It is really unique - the top is smooth glass, but the underneath is some kind of scrolled medal that is textured and has an amazing patina on the base. It's one of those things I will love forever. I asked the shop owner about it, hoping it would have some kind of cool story, but she said it was a reproduction and they had another one in a box in the storeroom. Oh well.

One thing about Rehoboth Beach that I found so interesting is that it is a very Northern beach town. Meaning the beach isn't that great (compared to the crystal clear water and powder sand we enjoy on the Gulf) - for one thing, the water is absolutely frigid. Of course, Suz didn't seem to notice - she squealed with delight every time a wave would come and water would cover her feet and legs. But one of the main draws is the boardwalk, which is right along the beach. It is really long and seems classically Northern. There are tons of places to buy what I call fair food - hot dogs, French fries, cotton candy, ice cream, pizza - you name it. And also a few arcade areas that had rides and classic games like Wack-a-Mole. The whole thing reminded me of Coney Island, which I have never been to, but I think is kind of the same set up. Did I take any pictures of this? Of course not...ahh! :( But here is a picture from the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk website:

Except add hundreds of people and tons of pelicans. Funland was just that - super fun. We did, however, leave our stomachs on the Sea Monster ride, but otherwise had tons of fun.

Okay, tomorrow I will show you my favorite houses in Rehoboth Beach. You will love them!!

Subject: One Year as a Mrs.

Were you curious what that picture was from yesterday??  When I first saw it, I thought it had to be in Europe.  However, the Grove Park Inn is about four hours north of us in Asheville, NC.  Here are a few pictures:

That last picture is part of the spa.  Pretty amazing, right??

Hubby has actually vacationed there with his family when he was younger, and thought it would be the perfect place for our first year anniversary trip.  We still have some time until Memorial Day weekend, but just looking at the pictures is getting me excited.  I need this vacation!!

I thought you would get a kick out of some of the history of the hotel.  It opened in 1913 and has hosted guests including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Harry Houdini, Will Rogers, George Gershwin, Thomas Edison, Eleanor Roosevelt and Henry Ford.  The list of presidents who have stayed at the Inn include William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard M. Nixon, George H. W. Bush, William J. Clinton and Barack H. Obama.

I also learned from my research that there is a ghost in the hotel, known as the Pink Lady.  In the 1920's a young girl in a pink chiffon dress was said to have fallen or been pushed from one of the balconies.  They claim she is friendly though!

I'll let you know once we are officially booked.  And I've already purchased Hubby's anniversary gift.  Something paper of course.  I like the idea of following tradition!!  Will share what I ended up with AFTER the anniversary. 

Have a wonderful weekend!!  I am going to the COOLEST place tomorrow.  Can't wait to tell you all about it.  Hopefully it is as cool as it's supposed to be otherwise this will just be an exaggeration!

Mel

Update:  The trip has been booked.  Grove Park Inn here we come.  (In May)

Re: Clutter!

Did you think I fell off the face of the earth?!  Despite the fact that I worked at least two hours each day of my vacation (The joys of being a business owner!) I have been SO behind on work this week.  It's like it would never stop!!

I finally feel like I can breathe, which means I can finally blog!!  Merry Belated Christmas to you and your gorgeous fam!  Your presents looked great, with each ribbon and bow perfectly in place, and I can't even imagine how much more fun this year was since little Suz was in the picture.  Someone I know who is a mommy, I can't remember who at this specific moment, but they mentioned that their child was more into wrapping paper than the actual presents.  Was that Suz's case?  

So, we are already seven days into the new year.  I, too, have so much that I want accomplish this year.  On the book front, I just want to read more!!  As an English minor, I took two classes in school where the assignments were pretty much read this great book and either write a paper on it or take a test.  All the books ranked among the classics.  And there is a reason that those books have that label.  Any there any that you are dying to read?  

A few weeks ago, Oprah announced that her book club selection was not one, but two great classics.  Charles Dickens, "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Great Expectations."  I'm interested in reading both.  I think I will add that to my to-do in 2011.

Besides more reading, I have my laundry list of home renovations of course and I'd like to grow and herb garden.  I also would LOVE to plan a great trip.  My dream would be to go to Italy.  (With a one or two day stop in Paris of course!)  

I think if I keep the list minimal I should be able to accomplish a lot!  I also look forward to seeing your 30 before 30 list.  I think I should work on mine sometime this year, too.  (Now that I'm an OLD 28 year old!) 

Well, that's all for now.  This weekend I will snap a few pictures around the house because Hubby and I, along with my wonderful parents, made a TON of home renovations!!  You'd be so proud!