Farmville Part 2

Saturday morning we took a drive (#58) to Charlottesville to visit five wineries and a brewery. We were on a mission and nothing was stopping us!

We had a gourmet picnic (#76) lunch at Trump Wineries, thanks to Jenn & Landon. Whole grain everything ciabatta bread with marinaded portabella mushrooms, Havarti cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onion and mustard...yumm!

The view at Trump was probably my favorite, plus it was the only one I hadn't been to before. We had quite the animated sommelier, who taught us quite a bit about the wines and the Trump family in general.

Ryan at James River Brewery, located in Scottsville, Virginia. Ryan was the best host, who played the Designated Driver all day and lead the adventure in an 18-seater bus! The quaint brewing company offered a small bar and lounge room with just enough room to fit in a keyboard and a guitar player. But the beer was tasty and the small-town crowd was super pleasant (#70: Visit a Brewery, off the list).

Virginia Wineworks/Michael Shaps

Tom O'Grady, our tour leader for the day. Tom had owned and operated a winery on his property for more than 20 years. If we had any questions regarding wine - or anything - Tom had the answers.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating. 

Monday Musebles

Pleasant surprise from Emily. A thank you gift for her visit last month.
Can't wait to start a project (or find one in the trash) for these cuties.

Some weekends can be extremely productive. Others can be a disappointment in regards to the activities you may involve yourself in. Saturday, we made the wise choice of skipping the annual Wine Festival, but ended up at Smartmouth for Growler Power Hour ($10 off all growler fills). That still wouldn't have been a bad idea, however, we continued our shenenagins until the early hours of the morning. For as poorly as Sunday could have been, I actually remained moving - and crafting - the entire day. Managed to bake a cake AND make lunch for the entire week. I may not be 22 anymore, but it sure pays to be able to drink like one ;)

Smartmouth unveiled its Outta Your Gourd pumpkin ale. It's a must-try!

What a full day of crafting actually looks like, a big giant mess.

Spent Saturday morning with my favorite antique lady, Leigh Greer. You have to check out The Pilot's article on her beautiful shop!

Chili, in which every condiment in the fridge was used.

Spice Cake Box Mix + 1 Can Pumpkin + Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting = Bomb Diggity

Monday Muse

We made it to the Handsome biscuit and I promise it's well worth the 15-(or 30-) minute wait!

There's nothing like a weekend with my mom - especially when I have her all to myself. We shop, we talk, we cook together and laugh together, we journey to new stores and restaurants and veg out on the couch. She plays with my hair and in return I make her dinner and make her bed, haha. This weekend was no exception. We packed it full with food, drinks, activities and a first for both of us - a Color Me Rad 5k. 60 years old and she's still running and getting colored corn starch thrown in her face, can you say that about your Mom?

It's becoming a tradition to hit up Total Wine for a mix-and-match six pack. Shiner Boch has out it's Summertime "Ruby Redbird" and I think it's my new favorite!

My mom and I both tried the Hot Betty from the Handsome Biscuit. It was unique in that the greens tasted like they were sauteed in about 19 cloves of garlic and sesame oil. Hiding underneath the greens was a fried egg and loads of hot sauce, mashed between a sweet potato biscuit. My mouth is watering just thinking back on it. 

 

Next we ran out to EcoTrends in Virginia Beach for the grand re-opening. Lyman, the owner of EcoTrends is a merchant at the Town Fair (and all-around awesome gal), so we went to support the lovely shop. Plus, my mom got to meet John and see his Glass Gardens display.

Another first for (all of) us, Smartmouth Brewery! I've been talking about stopping here for weeks, and we finally made it. We each did a tasting, my favorite was the Double IPA. Hmmm, wouldn't it be cool to have this in your neighborhood?!

We could just stop at one brewery, so we headed over to O'Connor's on 25th Street. We weren't sure they would be open, but to our surprise we landed a picnic table spot right in front of the band. They have a great wide-open space with corn hole and lots of standing room, so we'll definitely be back this Summer.

Before

After

Sunday morning came with a harsh wind and brisk temps, but Melissa, my mom and I made our way to Virginia Beach to play in a bunch of colored corn starch. I'm so proud of my mom, she rocked that race like no one's business! And isn't she the cutest? Melissa, I'm also proud of you for your training dedication, will are definitely doing this next year - in a toga :)

Another wonderful weekend with my Momma, maybe one day the weekends won't end and you can come over every weekend!