Maybe you guys with kids are having some trouble relating to my pitch here. You guys can't exactly afford to feel like kids I guess. Or maybe not...maybe it's the same for you. Anyway, it's a funny feeling and often I feel like I'll be a kid forever.....But last Friday both me and Aar felt 100% the opposite of that. Man, we felt like ADULTS.
Let me illustrate....me and Aar work like crazy. All day, all night. When we're lucky, we get to take a late night walk. We never even get to watch movies. We have Netflix, and sometimes the same two unwatched dvd's sit on top of our dvd player for over two months straight. Aaron runs the errands...the grocery store, Home Depot, Michaels, A.C. Moore, the post office...and it takes up a lot of time, but at the same time, he feels like he'd go crazy without these brief forays into the civilized world. Anyway, you get the picture. All work and no play makes Jenny & Aaron a dull girl & boy.
So last week we saw a story in the newspaper about the latest craze in Japanese dining: Bubble Tea. It's this fantastic cold beverage made with tea, cream, various flavors, and floating around down at the bottom of the glass there are a whole bunch of marble sized tapioca beads. Bubble Tea isn't exactly new...we've seen it at places in NYC for quite a while...but it's new to New Jersey. And the restaurants that serve it are drawing in great business just because they've got Bubble Tea. So the newspaper article listed all the places that serve Bubble Tea in our area. One place was in the food court of a nearby mall. So that was it for us...Friday night, we shed our paint covered clothes and made a date for the mall food court. To make a long story less long, let me sum up the trip. We ate food from a Chinese food chain called Panda Express, it was great. We went to the pet store and looked at puppies. We walked around the mall and looked at all the teens and the crazy fashion they've got going on nowadays...they all look exactly the same! We walked around Borders books. And then we finished the night with some Bubble Tea. I got almond and Aaron got coconut. The stuff was fantastic! Drinking a liquid with solids in it took a little getting used to at first, they give you a jumbo straw to drink it with so that you can suck up those huge tapioca beads...it's just a fun drink...those tapioca beads are hilarious... and it's delicious. Anyway, here's the point of the whole story: for once, We Felt Old. We Felt like Adults. We were utterly exhausted at the end of the night and felt like we partied hard. Yet all we did was walk around a mall and eat some food at the food court. We drove home and we were cracking up at the idea of it. We felt like total grown ups! Total senior citizens!
Ok, so we got some time outta the house and it felt great. And the next morning we got out some more. This was a record for us. Two outings within the same weekend. Saturday morning was the Asbury Park City Wide Yard Sale. Asbury Park is the next town over from us and it's one of those city's that's on the rise. Way back in the day it was once a dazzling city on the shore. Then, it became not so nice. But as of late it's experiencing a cultural revolution. The big old houses that got all chopped up and turned into multi unit rentals, are now getting bought up by creative people with vision and getting converted back into the big old one family houses they were meant to be. Condos are going up down at the water front. Cool shops galore have opened...art galleries, night clubs, restaurants...it's really on the fast track to being the seaside jewel that it once was. So, the city wide yard sale was a must for us. The weather could not have been any better...a perfect Fall day! And part of the net proceeds of the yard sales went to charity. 10% of sales would go to Rescue Ridge animal shelter. A shelter that takes in cats and dogs that are deemed unadoptable. This place works tirelessly with these animals to rehabilitate them and place them in loving homes. Amazing! The whole city wide event was organized by a gal named Sonja. (see picture of the cute blonde gal in the Paul Frank shirt) And it just so happened that the 2nd yardsale we went to was at Sonja's house. We were shopping around, and she asked us how our shopping was going and then we found out that she was the gal who put the whole thing together. In case you're interested, here's a link to the Rescue Ridge website. Sonja did an amazing job. It was so very well planned. We had a print out listing every participating address. And every house on the list had a cool sign posted out front. Some houses were even hosting pet adoptions right there that day. So cool! We got some good stuff. One little piece of furniture that will one day go to the right of our computer set up. It's the perfect organizer for paperwork...invoices, "shipped", "to be shipped"...etc and you know we need it! It needs a lot of work though, but that's what we do. Our first job ever...right out of highschool was furniture restoration. We did it for over ten years. So I promise to do an online tutorial on it with great before and after photos. When me and Aar go Yard Sale-ing it's not even about the purchases. I mean, we like to find good stuff, but I think it's more about the experience. We did get some good stuff though. This super duper fantastic pink and creme serving set...it actually came with a lazy susan underneath! I could never bring my self to call it a chip and dip set. I'm not sure if I'm going to use it for edibles or craftables. Also got a sweet pink apron, a set of shelves that we're gonna paint...which I'll show before and after pictures of in the future. Maybe a couple other little things.Not a ton of stuff, but like I said, we're into just getting out and getting air.
On the other hand, my sister Missy is all about the purchases. She always comes home with a stockpile of stuff. (see Missy checking out one of her purchases - a handmade toy chest that looks like a train car. I wanted it too but I let her have it! wink!) She wasn't able to do the whole day with us because she had to go into work but when she left us she gave us a budget to spend on her if we were to see stuff she had to have. And we found stuff she had to have! Including, some amazing baked goods! A gal by the name Annie Feinstein had a table set up with her husband and adorable daughter selling deelish stuff! (the above mentioned pink & cream serving set came from Annie's yardsale.) We got ridiculously good cream puffs which we popped in our mouths on the way to the car, brownie-like chocolate cookies, some little apricot and raspberry filled cookies. Not your typical yard sale fare...then again, what the heck is typical yard sale fare? The last thing I expected when walking up to this house was a table set up with gourmet sweets. I said to Annie's husband: "oh, kill me now." It was great stuff. She's a professional baker for parties, events, whatever. If you're local and want to order some dazzling baked goods, get in touch with me for Annie's contact info.
Even though it was a city wide yard sale, me and Aar are quite fast and efficient. We were done with the yard sales and still had a ton of daylight left. It had been a loooong time since we had been to the Antique shops down in Point Pleasant so that's where we headed for old time's sake. Point Pleasant is a beach town with one of the best boardwalks in Jersey. We go there for 4th of July every year, and it's where we met up with Jennifer Hayslip over the summer. But we haven't done the antiquing part of Point Pleasant in years. We just never have the time, and I feel guilty saying it, but online shopping has greatly reduced my antique shop shopping...with the exception of my trips to Englishtown, which I've blogged about at length in the past. So we figured we were due for a trip down to Point Pleasant. Got some great pot holders in all my fave colors. I too am a part of the current crochet craze. I've always loved them, but right now it feels like I NEED them. I'd love to have a wall full of them. After the antique shops we headed for The Book Bin, one of Aaron's favorite used book stores. Sadly, it is now defunct. Maybe it's been for years...that's how little we get out. Then we spotted a little store named Summerhouse. We walked in and it took us a minute to gather our heads. When we shop locally, save for a couple amazing shops like Parcel up in Montclair, and Bodega Shoppe in Asbury Park, we usually plan on being underwhelmed. I don't mean this in a mean way...but you know how it is. Not too many shops get it. There is a whole bunch of middle-of-the-road stuff out there. I usually walk into a store and say "oh, cute. I'd buy that candle". Never do I say "WOW! I'll take one of everything!" I walked into Summerhouse and really, I was just not expecting it. My eyes first met a drop dead Halloween vignette with a mini typewriter under a cloche and these perfect little black birdcages with ravens and skulls and little black and amber bottles of poison. I said "wow!" and then I took in the whole shop. I was in the presence of a blogger...I just knew it. This shop was filled with all the stuff I love...All the stuff WE love! We, meaning me and you readers. The stuff that only us who are in the know, know about. How did this stuff end up in my neck o' the woods? And then I took out my camera and approached the proprietress behind the counter. I said, I need to take pics for my blog, can I? And she said "sure, what blog is that?" and before I could even finish the phrase Everyday is a Holiday, she said "I read your blog."... and then a few more questions back and forth and but of course, we were both speaking the same language. We knew all the same names, places, events, etc...A Blogland buddy opened up shop just a hop skip away from me! Joanna Madden & Kathe VanHarte have the most fantastic shop! They're a mother and daughter team and they are friends with a local blogland friend of mine, Kecia Deveney , who they drove out to the Country Living fest with! Small world! And it was one of those rare shops where I did want one of everything! (though I'm a girl of shallow pockets) I got some flash cards I've been coveting forever. A great little vintage inspired french notebook. And a handful of great vintage photos. We definitely are going to set something up with them. A trunk show or something. And maybe a little tour group trip during Art Opera.
Ok, I know you all want to kill me for these absurdly long blog entries but I've got one last thing to mention. Joli Paquet! We are thrilled to be a part of it this year. I'm a lover of Pretty Little Kits and I know you guys are too. Our Halloween kit is now for sale! Go to our Etsy shop to pick one up, and go to the Joli Paquet blog to see all the other great kits for sale. We've been wanting to make this kit for a long time...it's titled: Salem Academy for Witches & Warlocks. You'll have a ton of fun making it and it'll be a fab addition to your annual holiday decorating. And the fun doesn't stop there....join the Joli Paquet flickr group and post pics of your completed kits, holiday decor, etc...
Alright, I'm exhausted and I bet you are downright spent. Thanks so so much again for reading! Happy Fall! xoxo Jenny
