Quintessential Rhode Island Summer

Stuffies and Dell's Lemonade - can't get more RI than that!

Quahogs...do you know what they are? As a Midwesterner, I didn't until I moved to Rhode Island. Quahogs are a shellfish much like clams and oysters. It isn't a town as depicted on the Family Guy. Quahogs are used in chowders, soups and the infamous "stuffie" (stuffed quahogs).

Yesterday, after dropping off M for guitar lessons, I had an hour to kill and decided to walk through the 24th Annual Quahog Festival in Warren, RI. I live in the adjoining town and have seen and heard about this festival for years, but have never gone. What a lovely surprise. I called the rest of the family to join me. Since C was on chief call [see "personal note" in previous post here] and couldn't stray too far from home, this was the perfect solution for family fun.

The festival featured seafood, and lots of it! Lobster, clam cakes, stuffies, shrimp, oysters, etc. There was great music in the band shell, plastic tables in the tents, arts & crafts vendors, and even pony rides. Set along the Narragansett Bay, this little festival was a picturesque RI event.








I love shellfish although I have had a love/hate relationship with lobsters.
Years ago, I watched a lobster go into a pot and became a vegetarian for quite some time after that. But, there is no denying that lobster and shellfish are ubiquitous on the East Coast.












Another local favorite - clam cakes. Yum! E thought that if he touched each morsel, he could stake claim to the whole batch. We are on to him, and his sticky little fingers bother us no more (although he has been known to lick his finger first which grosses us out).

I met local artist, Ed Randeau, a metal sculptor. He brings new life to found scraps of steel. He introduced me to The Steel Yard, in Providence, where he creates his wonderful art and co-mingles with other artists and students with similar artistic interest. The Steel Yard has various classes and events as well as artist studios. I can't wait to check it out.

This earring display by Jorge de Freitas, caught my eye. He took a metal trash can and placed it on top of a lamp base. It is a perfect solution for this type of display. It spins around and is quite funky in its 'lamp' like shape.


Our perfect day didn't end here. Later in the afternoon, we grabbed out folding chairs and hiked to our local beach. We sat and listened to the sounds of waves crashing while the kids swam. We took a long walk and simply enjoyed the beauty of the Narragansett Bay and our time together as a family. It is a shame that we live so close (less than a mile) and are often too busy to take an hour or two to appreciate this beautiful gift.

I would love to hear what you did this weekend. Hopefully, you were able to do something fun and relaxing!

Friday's Find - Pretty Penny Designs

I'm loving these necklaces by Pretty Penny Designs. Wearable pieces of silk and leather combined with vintage finds really make these bold pieces stand out! I can tell they'd be fun to wear!

Luxury Camping highlights in pics and tweets

Our camping weekend was lots of fun! I actually even survived my first rain storm in a tent. I mentioned how nice this campground is but did I tell you that the Travel Channel featured Normandy Farms as one of the premier campgrounds in the world. Yeah, I take my camping seriously.

This may not appeal to some...clean bathrooms, 3 outdoor pools/1 indoor pool and a jacuzzi, family casino night, organized events, a kiddie log cabin that is dropped off at your site, firewood delivery, and a full service "Kamper's Kitchen" with seafood and ice cream. For me, this is affordable paradise.

I'm sure this was as close as I'll ever get to "roughing" it. We were rained on and woke up with 2" of water on one end of the tent. It wasn't too bad and we stayed mostly dry. In the middle of the night, I was worried. The lightening seemed awfully close. But, I finally fell asleep and awoke to another beautiful day. And despite E having a pretty terrible cough, the boys really enjoyed themselves and want to go back. I may even take them by myself.

The best part of the weekend was no schedule, no deadlines, and no computer. We played cards, read books, and just enjoyed each other's company. It's amazing how little we do that on a daily basis. Since I was banned from using my laptop over the weekend (although there is internet connection throughout the campground), I found myself thinking about our experience in tweets (140 characters or less) and began jotting a few down:

DAY 1:

"Setting up camp sans husband, doable but not w/out a few curse words."

Night 1:

"Young neighbors having way too much fun into the wee hours. Shut it!"

"Queen size mattress deflates. Oh, well, sleep is overrated. Who needs it?!"

DAY 2:

"5 AM, finally asleep. 5:01, birds singing. 5:15 E wakes and forages for food like a bear."

"Coffee is my lifeblood!"

"Enjoying poolside relaxation! Especially nice when kids and hubby are at a different pool."

Night 2:

"New mattress...thank g'ness for Target."

"Is that lightening? One thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand..."

"Torrential rainfall. Tent seams are not waterproof. Raindrops are falling on my head."

Day 3:

"Sad to pack up but looking forward to the next time."

"Love that campground is within 45 minutes of home."

Hump Day Humor - Folgers coffee guerrilla marketing

NYC manholes covered with steaming cups of coffee. Tag line asks for the city that never sleeps to wake themselves up with Folgers. Brilliant!

DIY: How to make a drawstring halter top/dress

I scoured the internet to find a how-to tutorial that would show me easy instructions to make this top. I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, so I've made my own. As the queen of instant gratification, I avoid difficult sewing projects at all costs (I hate patterns and instructions). This project is incredibly easy and almost no sew. Believe me, I've never been one to wear a piece of clothing I've made and this is my new favorite wardrobe addition!

You can use old t-shirts or jersey knit fabric. If you sew (Peggy) then you can embellish, finish, and experiment with other fabrics. Honestly, if I can do this anyone can!

I would love to see the tops or dresses you make! Send me pictures!