The 2013 Richmond Jazz Festival

I can add a new first to my list in the year 2013.  This year I attended my first Richmond Jazz Festival.  It wasn't the first jazz festival in Richmond, keep in mind, it was just MY first time going.  I certainly plan on it not being my last either. 

Held at Maymont and a couple local venues, this was the perfect place to see a part of Richmond that you wouldn't routinely see.  The price is not cheap, $65 for the Saturday or Sunday shows.  And yes I said Saturday OR Sunday.  $65 does not cover BOTH days.  But what you do get are two stages with dozens of performers, beautiful scenery and for me....a magic day with a best friend.  You can take your own cooler, picnic, chairs and blankets.  No alcohol (but they have a bar if you do want a frosty cold drink) and no umbrellas.  The day we went it rained...but we were prepared...with ponchos.  The storm came....guests were asked to go back to their cars to wait it out....we did NOT budge.  We were going for the rebel effect.  

And here comes the storm

Us....after the rain :0)

These tents are right next to the stage and are for rent through the festival website.

In case you don't want to tote in a cooler there are plenty of vendors on site.  But no seats to rent or borrow so bring your own.  We loved every minute of the Jazz Festival.  Rain and all.  I see this becoming an annual event my best girlfriend and myself :-)  

The Beach Tree

With all of the things going on around the house this summer I as afraid that the August or Beach Tree was just not going to happen this year.  But then I found some awesome plates at Marshalls and knew that even if I only had the beach decorations out for a week then it would be worth it. 

 

We recently had new flooring put down in our living room and dining room.  Before the floors went down we gave the room a little face lift with some new paint.  Between those two things I totally feel like I have an entire new room.  Of course that makes it even more fun to decorate.

Old shells we've collected along the way.

It feels like the colors we picked out for the room were made just for the beach theme.  Maybe I'm just dreaming of living at the beach :-) 

Monday Love

The weather here in Virginia has been crazy for August!  Down in the sixties at night and seventies during the day!  So it was the perfect weekend to take advantage of the cooler air and head outside.

Emma and I spent Saturday morning at a local park.  Apparently getting up and out of the house at the crack of dawn has it's advantages.  We were the ONLY ones at the park.  I was loving it....Emma being the social butterfly, was not as happy.  But she made due by playing we me.

Saturday night we loaded the bikes and headed to Richmond for the Anthem Moonlight Bike Ride.  This was a new-to-us event.  A couple friends joined us on the 17 mile ride and I think we are all in favor of doing it again next year.  No lie....walking and sitting afterward was a little tricky but it was worth it.

Sunday was a rainy day around here.  But no worries....even the Busy Bryants need a day to rest and recharge.  We made it an extra easy day by dragging out the crock pot, avoiding all the laundry that needed done and didn't even THINK about going to the gym!

So how did you spend your weekend?

North Bend Park Campground

A couple weekends back the Busy Bryants (along with some Holts and Fergusons) spent a weekend camping on Jonh H. Kerr Reservoir (a.k.a. Buggs Island Lake) in Boydton, VA.  We spent the weekend at the North Bend Park Campgrounds surrounded by water, trees and plenty of other campers.

This was a new park to us.  Both Mark and I had been to the lake at various times in our childhoods but couldn't recall being at this particular park.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operate the park with has over 200 electric/water hook ups site and primitive camp sites.  I think the total number is closer to 250 which is a lot but because it is so spread out you have plenty of room on each site and if you get there early Friday there are plenty to choose from.  Some sites are closer to the main road while some are right next to the water. 

The main attraction for us was the beach of course.  I really think I have a couple fish on my hands instead of kids.



No life guards on duty

 

Each site allowed up to 3 tents and 6 guests.  Next time we'll know that Tommy and Christy can have their own tents :-)



We don't TOTALLY rough it



My view out of the tent window



This trip the kids actually let me spend a little time reading and relaxing.  Tommy and my dad did a little fishing (you will need your state license if you want to so that).  My sister and her hubby did some biking.  I spied a small Italian restaurant really close by too so if you don't want to cook EVERY MEAL, you do have options!  It was a great mini vacation.  Just the get-a-way we needed! 

Monday Love

This weekend our adventure rested in the bottom of a paint can!  New floors are being installed in the house but before they are I wanted the walls painted.  I mean...my luck is the kind that we would put down the floors and I would drop a gallon of paint on them....OHHHH NOOOOO!  I want no parts of that.  So we spent the weekend taping and painting our living room and dining room. 

They actually are coming today to put in the floors.  I am so excited!!!  And the good news about us painting...I am in LOVE with the color.  And that is a darn hard thing for me.  It's NOT turquoise so for me to love it anyway is close to a miracle.  The even better news is that the room only took one coat, I bought enough for two coats.  Now I see visions of my bedroom in the exact same shade of gray!  Happy Monday peoples!  Hope the week is starting off right for you. 

Twin Lakes State Park

Near Farmville, Virginia, along U.S. 360, is Twin Lakes State Park.  I had been meaning to visit for some time but we never seemed to have a free day.  As luck would have it a couple weeks back we found ourselves with a day off and NO PLANS!  So of course I had to fix that!  Twin Lakes Park was just over an hour from our house so it was the perfect "get away" but still close enough to not spend all day in the car.

The park is close to 500 acres and has two lakes, Goodwin Lake and Prince Edward Lake.  Lake Goodwin has a beach, trails, picnic shelters, a playground and a camp store.  Prince Edward Lake has cabins, a conference center and more trails to scout out.  The beach on Goodwin ended up being our destination of the day.  There was paddle boating, water features for Emma and with the camp store near by even if I hadn't brought food we would have been set. 

Life guard ON DUTY!



The Camp Store

 

Ignore the pasty legs please!

There was a $3 cost to enter the park and then a $4 cost to actually go swimming from the beach.  Paddle boats cost maybe $6 for 30 mins which was fine since after 30 mins our legs (Mark's legs) were tired :-) While we were there we scoped out the cabins and I see us spending a weekend there in the very near future.  Another State Park marked off our LIST!!! 

This weekend I see paint brushes....and paint.  Monday we get new flooring so the walls to the living room and dining area must be painted....so no far off adventures for us.  How about you...what's the weekend looking like?