August 2012 – Page 2 – Little Shop of Colors

06
Aug
2012

The Painted Ladies of Remmington, Virginia

Just one block over from Main Street in Remmington, Virginia there is a small collection of lovingly restored Victorian homes–or painted ladies as they’re affectionately known. How fabulous is this color scheme? This homeowner has absolutely no fear of color. I like him or her already.

Here’s a side view of the same house. If this were my house, I’d prune the trees and bushes for a more “in-your-face” view of the home. I’d want everybody to notice the fabulous colors without having to discover it in bits and pieces.

A view of the side porch. It has two doors, for those who require variety 🙂

And look at the lovely fretwork on this porch and the white picket fence. What’s not to like?

This one is not a painted lady, but I thought it had old-fashioned charm nonetheless.

Talk about a color lover’s dream home. Check out the rainbow colored shingles on the eaves. I love the green and purple paint scheme. The whole block is shouting “no beize zone.”

How about a rainbow arbor to go along with those rainbow shingles? Brilliant!

A close up view of the porch.

Check out that gargoyle. I hope it has been properly secured up there.

The house next door is also being restored. The restoration work is beautiful, but apparently the owners didn’t read the “no beige zone” sign. Hopefully, they will turn this beauty into another grand painted lady. These homes were never meant for folks who are color shy. Come on, guys, get with the program! Pick a color, any color–except beige.

06
Aug
2012

A Tour of Main Street in Remmington, Virginia

categories: Lifestyle

And speaking of Remmington, Virginia, I thought I’d give you a brief tour of Main Street, which consists of a one-block area. So this will truly be a brief tour!

I’ll start the tour with the Remmington Variety store. As the sign says, they sell “absolute beta products,” whatever they are–LOL. Business was brisk during our tour.

And this is Groves Hardware Store. It almost looks like a painting instead of a real brick-and-mortar store. I think it’s post-card worthy.

The train station and railway crossing.

The Embry-Maupin building built in 1903, which is currently vacant. Look at those architectural details. It’s such a lovely building; I hope to see it in use again soon.

Military presence in Remmington. I don’t know why that amused me so, but it did.

The Remmington Laundry Mat and Remmington Drug Company. I haven’t seen a working laundry mat in years.

We stopped by the Remmington Pharmacy to pick up a prescription–for my dog. It’s a compounding pharmacy and fills canine prescriptions, too.

We were greeted at the door by Peanut, the pharmacy dog.

I wish I could bring my dogs to work with me.

And they even have a working soda fountain. A working soda fountain AND a pharmacy dog? All I can say is “yowza,” I want to work there. And that ends our brief tour of Main Street.

06
Aug
2012

The Farmer’s Wife Shop in Remmington, Virginia

categories: Lifestyle

The next stop on our Saturday morning shopping outing was the Farmer’s Wife–a small Amish market in Remmington, Virginia. I love living in a rural area where the next town is, oh, about a minute down the road.

This shop offers lots of old-fashioned goodies, farm-fresh dairy products and fruits and vegetables, home-made breads and pies, a variety of interesting canned goods, and unique bulk items.

Mom browsing the aisles.

Fresh butter from local dairy farmers and Amish roll butter.

Fresh tomatoes.

And locally grown corn on the cob.

A peek inside my mom’s shopping basket. Even the shopping baskets are quaint.

A variety of jams and jellies.

Including old-fashioned F-R-O-G jam. I haven’t tried that yet, but I’m sure my curiosity will get the best of me.

And mini peach pies. One of those went into my basket. I should have bought two; boy was that good.

You can also order lunch at the deli counter and enjoy it at one of these brightly colored tables.

Another view of the dining area. Isn’t it delightful?

And when you’re done shopping, they ring you up at the front counter. How charming. The next time you have some grocery shopping to do, why not check out the small mom and pop shops in your area? They sure beat the big box stores and they turn the weekly chore of grocery shopping into delightfully fun outings.

06
Aug
2012

Going Hog Wild at the Farmer’s Market

categories: Lifestyle

One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is to visit the Honey Hog Barbeque stand at my local farmer’s market to load up on barbequed chicken, Italian sausages with onions and peppers, pulled pork, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, and home-made desserts to serve for quick and delicious lunches or dinners during the week. What a time saver for me. Farmer’s markets are not only good places to pick up delicious meals and healthy fruits and vegetables for my family, they also offer an opportunity to learn about what’s happening in my community, socialize, and make new friends.

The Honey Hog Barbeque stand is owned and operated by Theresa and Jerry from Andralyn Farm in Bealeton, Virginia. I can’t get enough of Theresa’s homemade treats. Her honey pound cake and mini pineapple upside down cakes are particular favorites of mine. And not only is Jerry a master chef, but he’s also a beekeeper as well–hence the name Honey Hog and the inclusion of honey in nearly everything they make. For more information on the Bealeton Farmer’s Market, Honey Hog Barbeque, or beekeeping, visit Theresa and Jerry’s website.

Honey and bee pollen fresh from Andralyn Farm.

Theresa ringing up my order.

Miss Theresa. Isn’t she lovely?

If you look really hard, you can see my friend, Jerry, there in the window.

This guy found himself a good seat on a cooler and chowed down on his Honey Hog lunch. Hot eats and a cool seat–LOL!

And here’s a picture of the Willow Farm of Midland, Virginia fruit and vegetable stand. My mom and I buy fresh fruits and vegetables here every Saturday. Tomatoes are my mom’s favorite summer time treat. She even eats them for breakfast!

And here’s my mom squeezing “maters.” Isn’t she beautiful? Note the big bandage on the end of her nose–LOL! Sorry, mom, I just couldn’t resist pointing that out….

We always have a great time at the farmer’s market. If you’ve never visited a farmer’s market in your area, what are you waiting for? Get out there and grab some good eats before summer is over.

03
Aug
2012

Progress Report: Parrot Tulips

categories: Watercolor

I worked on this painting for several hours today but had to put it aside to go to a dentist’s appointment–I hate it when that happens! For this painting I used a base coat of cadmium lemon on every item except the blue background and vase, then glazed additional colors on top, mixing them directly on the paper instead of on my palette.

My palette consisted of cadmium lemon, cadmium yellow pale, cadmium yellow deep, permanent rose, cobalt turquoise light, winsor blue (green shade), and indigo. My daughter said my palette always ends up looking like a rainbow, and she’s right. Here’s a photo of my palette: