Annapolis, Maryland

Woo Hoo - road trip!

What a fabulous day in Annapolis, Maryland!

Such a congenial downtown atmosphere! 

Authentic brick streets and sidewalks.

Snappy streetlamps.

Festive flags.

Pure charm!

Here's the historic Maryland Inn.

Dead ahead is Annapolis Pottery.

Click here for a stand-alone post on this terrific shop.

You know me and my "pottery love"!

The Governor Calvert House, another historic inn.

 Harry Browne's for a delicious lunch.

So many enticing shops! Here's Evergreen Antiques.

The folk art of Natalie Silitch.

Blue Crab Antiques.

We were beside ourselves in The Annapolis Bookstore!

(Check out my post here!)

Here's me, absolutely lovin' Annapolis!

In the background is the Maryland State House.

The pride of Annapolis is the United States Naval Academy.

The Flag House Inn Bed & Breakfast.

We enjoyed seeing the boats come in and out of the harbor.

A peaceful place to sit and people-watch too.

My husband and I had an all-around super day in Annapolis.

Check out this site to plan a visit of your own!

Woodblock Prints by Holly Meade

Dog Walk

After illustrating nearly 30 children's books, 

including a Caldecott Honor for Hush! A Thai Lullaby, 

Holly Meade found a new love: woodblock printing.

Diving Scoter

Old and Young

Prayer (blue)

Deering Oaks

Reading with Footwarmer

Crow Dreams

Stand Jackson

 Armadillos

See more of Holly Meade's work at her website,

Reach Road Gallery.

After contacting Holly about featuring her work,

I received a note from her daughter telling me that 

Holly had passed away from cancer in June of 2013.

Her talent and appreciation of the world around her 

are evident in her art; she has left quite a lovely legacy.

Images used with direct permission from Jenny Smick.

David Arms' Bird Paintings

I came across the art of David Arms and fell in love. 

I was first drawn in by his renderings of our fair-feathered friends, 

in fact, I featured one of them on my post The Art of...Turkeys. 

Beyond the birds, my heartstrings were tugged when I noticed his addition of Scripture.

As if that wasn't enough, I learned about his intriguing use of 

symbolism to illustrate Biblical principles, and became an avid fan!

Here are just a few of the ways that David incorporates symbols into his art:

Fruit is the fruit of the Spirit, as outlined in Galatians 5- 

love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Birds are used to represent "us/everyman". 

He chooses the hummingbird in particular, which exemplifies 

our busyness, our fast-paced lifestyles, and 

our inability to rest in order to put our trust in God. 

How often do we glimpse the fleeting hummingbird in anything other than 

its state of perpetual, invisible-winged motion? Just about never! 

The Bible verse brought to mind is "Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10.

Perches are portrayed as being suspended by strings leading out of the top of the picture, 

as though God Himself is holding them from the Heavens. 

In an image of trust, we allow Him to support and sustain us,

just as the bird trusts the perch to support its weight.

Notice the unusual items that David uses as perches,
which, as he explains, are representative of our faith. 
Although our circumstances very often make no sense to us, 
we must continue to trust and to have faith. 

We read in Hebrews 11:1, 
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

You can see much more of David's inspiring art at his website.


>>This post was written with love for my friend Donna,
as we continue to learn to trust the Lord in all things.<<



Images used with direct permission from David Arms. 

Chelsea Market NYC

On a recent trip to NYC, we had a splendid time exploring Bleecker Street!
You can see that post here.

The capstone of the day was our visit to the Chelsea Market,

a shopping mecca / foodie extravaganza.

Kooky, "punny" chalkboard specials at Num Pang's.
Cambodian for sandwich, one of 5 New York locations.

I was lured into Spices and Tease
by silver bowls overflowing with rich, earthy color!

Cardamom, saffron, tumeric...
I was definitely inspired to expand my repertoire
beyond parsley and oregano.

Here you'll find the go-to teas like oolong and chamomile,

but how about trying mango pineapple chili or spicy chocolate?

Once home to the National Biscuit Company, the building has an aged brick,
industrial architecture just shouting attitude and intrigue. 

In addition to delectable, freshly-made mini donuts, the Doughnuttery
supplied me with more blackboard love and very cool typography.

Oh, the succulents! I'm smitten.
(Do I sense a blog post coming on? Could be, could be.)

A culinary gadget-lover's dream!
We really took our time in this place.

And here's our big purchase: A Zyliss julienne peeler!

Beaucoup baskets and terrific gift ideas at Chelsea Market Baskets.

We browsed throughArtists & Fleas at Chelsea Market,

a "curated collection of independent designers, emerging artists, and vintage collectors."

Urban photography on bags & accessories by INSIDERS1.

Edgy art courtesy of Mike Lindwasser Photography.

Here's the Chelsea Market website.
It's located in the Meatpacking District of NYC,
just a stone's throw from the Hudson River.
Well worth a visit if, like me, you love to explore new places.
Be sure to allow a good chunk of time, and come hungry!

The Color Run

Have you heard about this absolutely fabulous fun run?

It's called "The Color Run", and is touted as

"The Happiest 5K on the Planet!"

It's not about competition.

This event is all about being active, healthy, and just having a blast!

It's perfect for beginners, in fact about 60% of participants say its their first 5K.

 You can either run or walk. Times aren't kept and everyone is a winner!

As the run begins, everyone is clothed in pristine white...so where does the color come in? 

Along the way, you're splashed vividly colored powder, creating a tie-dyed frenzy of color!

At the finish line, there's a big bash where everyone dances and gets to toss colors too!

"The Color Run was the most unique and fun 5K I've ever run! Super fun music as you run along the course with tons of other runners singing along, and about every half mile you are doused with a different bright color powder from dozens of Color Run volunteers! Green, blue, orange, pink...by the time you cross the finish line, you look like a rainbow from head to toe! Awesome!" ~Allyson

Watch this YouTube video to see The Color Run in action:

Here's their website if you'd like to find out more and get in on the fun!

With my thanks to Allyson :)

Veterans Day Salute

First, a small snippet, without an author or source, but so worth sharing.

I'm allowing this to sink in. 

I want to always remember those blank checks that were signed for my country.
For my freedoms. 

I want to honor and appreciate United States Veterans,
not just on Veterans Day, but every day.

Enjoy this memorable performance as the 

West Virginia University 2011 Marching Band salutes the U.S. Armed Forces. 

Let's raise our heads with pride and respectfully bow them
as we pay homage to our Veterans of the United States of America.

May God bless our United States Armed Forces.

May God bless America.