Island Update

Hello, dear readers! Thank you for bearing with me while I was away from the blog here and while I am still experiencing technical difficulties. I have not yet resolved my issue of not having any more blog space so as to be able to post photos. I will get on that. Soon, I promise. 

In the meantime, let’s review this past week’s happening happenings! 

We celebrated my blog’ third birthday last Saturday. Woo hoo! 

I worked at the Inn last Sunday with Elizabeth, front desk goddess. I love working with Elizabeth! We always have fun! Time flies by when I work with Elizabeth!

I also worked at the Inn on Monday. I crafted a list of amenities for our guests’ enjoyment while staying at the Inn.  Kelly, our Innkeeper, paid me a huge compliment in telling me that she liked the “voice” I used on the list. Perhaps I do have a bit of a knack for this writing thing after three years of practice here on my lovely blog!

Tuesday I went to Brunswick and spent a small fortune on an eye exam and a pair of high index, super duper, progressive bifocals with all the bells and whistles in some Kate Spade frames. A small fortune. As in, the optometrist should have offered payment options approximating a thirty year mortgage or something. Expensive! But, as it turns out, a girl has got to see. I have grown weary of walking around like Mr. Magoo all the time. Google that if you don’t get the reference. 

Wednesday I took Emma, my fur baby, to the veterinarian for her yearly checkup. She has an ear infection. She is such a trooper. Otherwise, she is healthy, thankfully. Day two of expensive appointments though! I don’t go ashore often, but when I do it involves spending money. This week, it was lots of money! 

Thursday I went ashore on fool’s errand, part deux. Several months ago, in an antique store on Route One in York, I had seen a bunch of small pieces of driftwood for sale. I did not buy any driftwood at the time. But I thought the little pieces would be perfect for my upcoming seashell golf cart project! 

So I went back to the store last Wednesday on the one day of the week the shop was closed, fool’s errand, part one. Thursday turned out to be fool’s errand, part deux because the shop owner did not have enough driftwood to sell me a volume buy. Darn it. 

Now I have to go find driftwood in NATURE! Of course, the driftwood will be free if I pick it up beachcombing, but I really liked the idea of buying it. Yes, I know, I know. I live on an island, surrounded by nature, with six nearby beaches to be combed. Yada yada yada. Darn it. I guess we know what my next project will be!

On Friday, I worked at the Inn again. Also, Mr. O’Leary came to visit. 

Today, island neighbors Jana and Scott celebrated their thirtieth wedding anniversary by renewing their wedding vows at the outdoor altar on the island! It was a lovely ceremony! Then they hosted a get together at their place afterwards. Mr. O’Leary and I made custard pies for the festivities. A great time was had by all! 

Tomorrow I am working the front desk with Goddess Elizabeth. I can’t wait! Fun awaits. 

On Monday, Susan, my oil painting instructor, is coming to visit! She has never been to Great Diamond Island so I am going to show her around. We are going to take photos and have lunch. It will be good to get caught up with Susan. I am so excited!

That is a wrap! Thanks for playing along!

Yours, Merryweather 

Happy 3rd Birthday, Blog!

Hello, dear readers! Happy Saturday to you! And Happy Third Birthday, Blog! Yes, this blog is now three years old! If you have been along for the entire ride, you might remember I started blogging to have a non-messy, creative outlet while I attempted to sell my cottage in Maryland. My furniture painting and sewing and other endeavors were too untidy for a house that was being shown by real estate agents on a semi regular basis. So I began blogging!

Now, three years later, we are relocated to our island off Portland, Maine and my blogging continues! I have thoroughly enjoyed sharing the journey with you! Whether the topic has been travel, real estate, relocation, creative undertakings or thrifting, I get a kick out of writing about the goings on! 

And I appreciate your readership! Truly I wouldn’t have much of a blog, without you, my dear readers! Some statistics; the blog is approaching six thousand visitors and thirteen thousand views in three years time! These are great numbers! I am eternally grateful to each of you who spend time sharing in my misadventures!

Speaking of misadventures, another milestone was achieved today! I pinned my 25,000th pin on Pinterest! 25,000 pins!!! That is quite a lot of pins! Also, I have 500 Pinterest followers! Woo-hoo! Check me out over at Pinterest, if you have a chance!

Emma, my fur baby, and I have spent a relaxing (i. e. nap filled) day here at the island townhouse. I got an early start today and have been busy with a little of this and a little of that. I grabbed a scone from the General Store and a Starbucks latte from the Inn and went to Sea Glass Beach for a bit of breakfast, birdwatching, and sea glass foraging. I put photos on Instagram. 

I also spent some time in the basement today, tidying up a bit. I hung some art and whatnot on the walls down there! After a year of meaning to, I finally got it started. My diplomas are up on an “I love me” wall and I have started a gallery wall on the other wall. I will take photos once I finish. 

Ms. Emma is telling me she would like to go for her evening constitutional. I must go! 

Yours, Merryweather 

Technical Difficulties

Hello, dear blog readers! Apparently one can post too many photos in WordPress and thereby gobble up one’s free allotted space in the blogosphere. Which is what I have done. Drats! I used up nearly all my free blog space! In just under three years! 

My lovely blog turns three on this Saturday! But there is no more space to post photos at this point. So we are sans pictures until I can figure out how to expand my allotted space. I think it will involve getting my credit card out…in any case, well worth it! I love my blog! 

It is a shame I can’t post photos because I have some from yesterday’s Fourth of July golf cart parade. We had quite a bit of fun on the Fourth of July here at Diamond Cove! 

First, Mr. O’Leary and I visited with Elizabeth, front desk goddess from the Inn, and her beau, Jeff, at the Gate House in the early afternoon. Jeff is our tennis pro here at Diamond Cove. Elizabeth and Jeff are renting the Gate House for the summer! It is so great to have them here on the island! The Gate House is so utterly charming. Tres chic in a very French way! I love it!

After our visit, Mr. O’Leary and I went home to ready ourselves and the golf cart for the much anticipated parade. My golf cart, decorated with a heavy crocheted tablecloth, silk peony flowers, a string of battery operated light bulbs, and two American flags borrowed from Elizabeth, turned out to be a crowd favorite. One of the neighbors told me it looked like a Suffragette Float! I took that as a big compliment! Other folks said it looked like a wedding cart! Also, a compliment!

I wore the hat that Debbie from Maryland made me as a going away present last year. It is straw, with felted red strawberries, and an enormous “Maine Mosquito” on it! It was just the thing! Thanks Debbie!!! Mr. O’Leary rode shotgun with me for the festivities, while my neighbor, Jennifer, and her friend, Diana, perched themselves on the back seat of the cart and waved to the adoring crowds! 

The progressive style parade took us from the Diamond Cove gate, to the Sommers’ house where there was a zip line for the more daring among us, to the swimming pool where there were games set up on the parade ground, to the Art Gallery for a fun drinking game, to Derrick’s bunker house with a full bar and spectacular views, to the culmination at the barge landing for the viewing of the City of Portland’s fabulous fireworks display! There was food and beverage and merriment at each stop and along the way! 

It was a fun, well-organized affair! I met more of my neighbors, which was very nice. Mr. O’Leary took the tablecloth off the roof of the golf cart last night, but we left the other decorations on it. I love how the cart looks, all embellished!

Again, I apologize that I can’t post photos at this point. Fingers crossed I can figure out how to resolve this problem soon! Goodnight, dear readers!

Yours, Merryweather 

Happy Fourth of July!

A Merry Independence Day to you and yours! Mr. Timothy O’Leary is here on the island with Emma and I to celebrate the holiday! There will be island festivities this afternoon, but we are playing happy homemakers this morning. 

Mr. O’Leary is making sweet treats to bring to the party. We put the new slipcovers on the living room furniture! We have also begun decorating the golf cart for the Eighth Annual Golf Cart Parade here at Diamond Cove on Great Diamond Island! More on that later. 

First, an important message from the refrigerator:

Now, the slipcovers:

I purchased these slipcovers from IKEA in College Park, Maryland last week when I was visiting Jane and darling daughter. The sofa cost $29 and the loveseat was $19. A veritable bargain! The slipcovers I have now need desperately to be laundered. These are great for a change!  

Ok. We must get ready for the afternoon 4th of July activities!

Yours, Merryweather 

The Weekend that Was…

Work, work, work. I worked Thursday. I worked Friday. I worked Saturday from 3 to 11pm. I worked Sunday from 7am to 3pm. 

I got exactly five hours of sleep last night between my two shifts at the front desk of the Inn. Today a guest asked me if I went home last night! I did; just not for long enough. I am dangerously close to lapsing into crabbiness for lack of sleep. I am working tomorrow from 10am to 6pm. 

Yesterday was an especially long day given the provisioning run to Portland in the morning. While I was ashore, I bought a garden table and some potted flowers from Allen Sterling & Lothrop in Falmouth, Maine. These got freighted back to the island:

The picture above is typical island scenery from the ferry. The morning fog burned off leaving us with a beautiful day. 

Timothy O’Leary is here on the island. He just ran to the General Store to get a pizza for dinner. Too tired to cook tonight! It is great (i. e. convenient) to have the store here for times such as these. 

The island holiday festivities start Tuesday afternoon, including a golf cart parade. I hope to sleep in a bit on the fourth though! I will take lots of photos to post here. I hope you have some fun 4th of July plans brewing too!

Yours, Merryweather 

Saturday Provision Run

Foggy this morning on the dock:

I took the 845 ferry to Portland because I needed groceries and whatnot. I did my errands. Now I remember why I don’t typically do my provision runs on Saturdays. 

So. 

Many. 

People. 

Ugh. 

People. They are the worst. Am I right?

In any case, I did some more frutti di mar seashell trays the other day:

Here is the original:

These trays are like prototypes for the artwork I want to do on my golf cart. A fully embellished seashell golf cart! My dream!

I am waiting on the 115 ferry. I have to work at 3pm. I will write again soon! Promise!

Yours, Merryweather 

Loot

Here is the vintage, turquoise staple gun I found for $5 with Jane on Saturday morning at the flea market in Callaway, Maryland:

I have misplaced my staple gun. This one was built to last and came with four little boxes of staples, in different sizes. Pretty, isn’t she?

Speaking of pretty, Jane gave me this lovely pearl bracelet! I wore it to Mandy’s wedding in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland on Saturday:

The bracelet looked great with my dress. Thank you, Jane! I love pearls!

Speaking of pearls, I bought this necklace ($10) and bracelet ($5) at Apple Basket Antiques in Mechanicsville, Maryland on Monday:

Jane and I stopped at Apple Basket Antiques so she could buy some Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on our way to College Park, Maryland to visit IKEA. 

Speaking of IKEA, I bought this little clock for $0.99 there:

I forgot to buy batteries though. Next time I go ashore. I bought the little clock for the bathroom, so I can keep an eye on time in the loo. It is important to keep an eye on the time in the loo. 

I still have to break out the new IKEA slipcovers and wrestle them onto the living room furniture. That will be a project. Then I am going to wash the existing set, dousing them in OxiClean first. I will take before and after photos for you all. 

I worked yesterday. I am working through Monday, but I have the Fourth of July off! This is good news because there are quite a lot of activities on the island, including a golf cart parade, to celebrate the holiday! You know me: I am all about a parade! The celebration is a progressive sort of affair, with five different stops for fun and games en route to the City of Portland firework viewing at dusk. It sounds like a good time! 

That is all I have for now! Enjoy the holiday weekend!

Yours, Merryweather 

Home!

Emma and I are back on the island! Here she is on the 315 ferry:

I am unpacking and trying to integrate all my new acquisitions from my trip to Southern Maryland this past week into the homestead here on the island. Whenever I go ashore I always come back with more cosmic debris! I am a magnet for stuff! 

Speaking of magnets, my dad spray painted some more letters and even some numbers for the fridge! I found them at Joyful Things in Uxbridge, Massachusetts a couple weeks ago for $4. I am too tired tonight to try to make sense on the fridge. Here is some gibberish for you!

I have been trying for the last hour to upload photos of all the loot I accumulated during my recent travels. 

No joy! 

*shakes fist in air* 
I will try again tomorrow! Meanwhile, I have some more unpacking and some laundry to do! Some of this, some of that. 

Until tomorrow, dear readers!

Yours, Merryweather

Arrival in Massachusetts

Hello there! I have arrived safely at my parents’ house! I left Jane’s in Leonardtown, Maryland at about 7am. I went the scenic route and I made about a thousand stops on my trip for coffee, gas, food, thrifting, and even picture taking! 

I stopped at our former house in Solomons, Maryland this morning to show you the progress with the new owner’s renovations. It appears the house was taken down to the studs. It is a much needed renovation. 

Here is what she looked like last July, on the night I left:

That is our former car, Greta Jetta, in front of our former home. I sold both!

Here is the house now:

I believe that is a new roof, which was badly needed. The front porch was restored; it was previously enclosed. There is an addition on the side in what used to be the driveway. There is also a small addition on the back of the house. The windows have been replaced, too. 

She is a great house; she deserves to be properly renovated. I am very happy for her. I can’t wait to see her finished!

Next, I stopped at the Starbucks in Lusby, Maryland for a hot, caffeinated product. The barista, JR, recognized me! That made my day. 

I stopped at the Goodwill in Parole, Maryland this morning. I didn’t buy anything! I also stopped at the Salvation Army in Linwood, Massachusetts this afternoon. Again, I didn’t buy anything! Two thrift stores and no purchases! I can’t say that has ever happened before!

Jane sent a beautiful gift with me for my mom. Did I ever mention that mom is a chicken person? Well, she is! The kitchen is coated with the cluckers. This is Jane’s gift to mom:

A chicken and a rooster on a gorgeous, ginormous tapestry! Dad is going to install the tapestry in the kitchen. Mom and Dad love it! 

Meanwhile, in Maryland, Jane and darling daughter assembled the Ektorp chair she bought from IKEA yesterday. Now she has a pair of Ektorp chairs! Here is Jane’s living room, with the new chair and the $15 table we found on Saturday at St. Andrew’s Church Thrift Shop:

 I think Jane’s living room looks great! 

Well, I am going to wrap this up for now. In the morning, I am headed to my brother’s in Braintree, Massachusetts. I need to return my rental car and pick up my fur baby, Emma! I can’t wait to see her!

Yours, Merryweather 

First IKEA Visit

Tags

ikea, TJ Maxx

Hello dear readers! Today is the last day of my visit to Southern Maryland. Time flew by! Darling daughter and I are staying with Jane in her beautiful house on the Potomac. This morning we all lounged around home. This afternoon Jane and I went to IKEA in College Park, Maryland! Darling daughter stayed behind to work on a special project. 

This was my first visit ever to IKEA! Jane had a return to make. I wanted to buy new slipcovers for my sofa and loveseat. Mission accomplished! Jane is a professional IKEA shopper. She showed me the ropes. 

First, we covered the showrooms on the second floor. We browsed through seemingly endless living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and bathrooms. I thought I had a small kitchen at home until I saw this:

Now that is a small kitchen!

After touring the showrooms, we headed downstairs to the marketplace. That is where the shopping began in earnest. My objective was slipcovers for my furniture at home. Here is the loveseat:

$19.00 for a slipcover!?! Sign me up! The slipcover for the matching sofa cost me just $29.00. So for a Ulysses S. Grant, I got a set of fresh slipcovers for the living room! My plan is to take the other set, which are a grungy off white, off the furniture, scrub them down with Oxyclean, and launder them. 

I also bought this tray for $8.99:

I bought some other little whatnots and thingabobs, but it is late and they are in the car. I will take photos once I get back to Maine on Wednesday. I can’t wait to get these new slipcovers on the furniture!

Jane and I checked out with our purchases:

We loaded the car up (Jane even bought an Ektorp chair!) and then went back inside to have dinner! Jane had stuffed chicken breast; I had Swedish meatballs:

Driving home, we had another TJ Maxx attack in Prince Frederick. Difficult to believe, I know. I bought four little jars of caviar for $3.29 each! In all my years shopping at TJ Maxx, I have never seen caviar on the shelf before! So I had to buy it all. All four jars. I am going to save it for when Jane and her sister, Carol, visit me in Maine next month. We will have cocktails and caviar one evening. 

I am leaving Maryland in the morning, headed to my parents’ house in Massachusetts tomorrow. Darling daughter is going to spend the next couple days here with Jane. They are working on a special project together, which hopefully will be the subject of a future blog post. On Wednesday I will drive to my brother’s, return my rental car, and pick up Emma, my fur baby, before going back to the island. 

I have had the most wonderful time in Maryland with Jane and darling daughter! Mandy’s wedding was beautiful. It was great seeing Barbara, Charlene, and Debbie at lunch the other day.  I even got to visit with Jane’s very busy sister, Carol. The weather has been perfect and the shopping opportunities, divine. Seriously, three TJ Maxx attacks and my maiden voyage to IKEA! This has been an epic trip!

Yours, Merryweather