Real Life :: A Sunny Weekend & The Flea


I don’t know about you, but I am enjoying summer, friends. I have to say I’m having a hard time getting on a schedule and getting things done—I feel like I’m making more of a mess than cleaning up—but it’s really been great having more time with Wolfie and Greg and being able to actually be home for dinner every night! We had a really super weekend….FINALLY the weather has gotten sunny (although as I write this, grey rain clouds have just begun to loom above). Here’s a little of what happened in our neck of the woods this weekend!

WHO’S BAAAAAD?
When we first moved to our house, our next door neighbors were a super sweet elderly couple named Norman and Evelyn. They were both in their late 80s. Norman was a dynamo, but Evelyn was beginning to get a little bit spacey. She once told us how she was taking a “cruise to Colorado” and she always thought I was two different women, but she had a big heart and loved her garden. One day when she was puttering in the front yard she shouted over to me, “The goats are coming soon!” I smiled and nodded and secretly thought, “Oh poor Evelyn…” Well. Shut mah mouth because the next day as I was walking to the kitchen to refill my cup of coffee, this is what I saw outside:

I called up Greg and said, “Holy smokes, Evelyn was right! There are hundreds of goats in the field!!”

We’ve lived here nearly 10 years and every year we look forward to our annual visit from THE GOATS. The Bay Area can get reeeeeally dry in the summer and the grassy fields are a big fire hazard. Rather than hire guys with big ol lawn mowers and weed wackers, the city contracts out these local farmers who come with their posse of goats and within 2 days flat they eat the entire field. It’s AWESOME. I love that we do this….green livin’ and it’s so much for the kids (and us) to see these crazy goats.

GOOOOOOAL!!!

Wolfie has never been a super sporty little lad. He does love watching baseball with Greg (Go Giants!) and just started Little League this year. This spring my dad took him out with a soccer ball and they kicked it around and suddenly, Wolfie was obsessed with playing ball. He loves kickball and running around. So we thought, “I guess we could try soccer?” I don’t want him to be one of those kids that is overscheduled, but Little Leagued had just ended so we decided to try this little soccer club (it’s more of a workshop, and not a team). OH. MY. GOD. He LOVES it!! He wants to get there early to play before class, and then afterwards he wants to stay and kick the ball around. He looks so stinkin’ cute in his soccer uniform too—with his wild curls he looks like a crazy European soccer star, haha. GO WOLFIE!

After we manage to pry him away from the field, we go out for a little lunchie. This weekend we ate at one of our favorite places—Cactus Cafe in Rockridge. The crispy chicken tacos are to die for!

Up the street is a great little independent books store. The book store is one of my favorite places to go with Wolfie. I love the smell of books! (Also you may remember our Top 5 Picture Books too!) I love sitting with him and reading stories. This time I discovered the cutest book by Lauren Child, who is most known for the brilliant Charlie and Lola series (we love the DVDs, especially this one). Lauren has collaborated on one of the most charming picture books I’ve seen in a while. The Princess and the Pea is the classic fairy tale, but the illustrations are what I love. They built miniature sets and then incorporated Lauren’s sweet drawings. It’s part paper doll, part doll house. SO COOL! You can get The Princess and the Pea here.

I also thought this Counting Birds book was really cute and had really excellent illustrations:

You can pick one up Counting Birds here.

Flea Market!
Wolfie had a birthday party on Sunday so Greg and I had 4 hours of free time, so we hit the Treasure Island Flea Market. The Alameda Flea is the one I sold at a few weeks ago, but this was a new flea market. I wanted to check it out to see if it might be a possibility for me to sell at when I can’t make the Alameda Flea. The weather was picture perfect!

{Someone on Instagram made the comment, “you have the best flea markets in your area!” We have some great stuff for sure, but also know that I’m just showin’ ya the best stuff!!}

When I was at Alameda, my booth mate was this really awesome woman named Michelle of Freckle Face Vintage. She had tons of cool things, very in line with what I love (aka colorful 60s and 70s goodies). Anyway, I was hoping she would be selling that day so I could say HI….I never found her booth, but as I was browsing some vintage shoes she suddenly came up to me! She was with her super adorable friend and we had a great chat. (Ladies if you’re reading, let’s get together!) I love making new pals.

After a leisurely walk around, it was time to head back.

I tried not to buy too much (hey, I’m trying to streamline over here, right?) but I couldn’t resist these robin’s egg blue babies!!!! Whoo hoo! GOOOOOOOAL!!!!!! I also got one other pair of brown mod oxford type shoes that are really grand. And only ten smackers!

So that was our weekend. What did you guys get into? Are you enjoying your summer? Is it hot has heck where you are? Send some of that sunshine our way!


What’s that? You want to see my new shoes again? Oh OK, if you insist….

PS

Don’t forget to enter our $50 Paper Flavor Goodie Bag Giveaway!! Enter it here.

11 thoughts on “Real Life :: A Sunny Weekend & The Flea

  1. ok. first of all, you wear like a size 7 or 8 shoe don’t you? i would NEVER find those in my size!
    second, where do you live? the swiss alps?!! amazing!
    third, i looooove those books. i’m not familiar with charlie and lola and have to get immediately.
    fourth, there is no fourth, but wow, looks like an awesome weekend!

    xox

    1. hahaha…..the swiss alps. hee. you are funny. we do have lots of pretty greenery in the Bay Area! there is one area that my parents always say reminds them of the swiss alps too!

      charlie and lola is really cute. it’s a series of books AND then was turned into an animated series. it’s really really cute. the art direction is awesome but the VO is my fave. they have actual british school children doing the voices and LOLA is just the cutest thing ever!

  2. How did you pack so much awesome into two short days!

    That is so funny about the Treasure Island Flea Market–I just heard about it. How does it compare to the Alameda Flea?

  3. haha, welll i can’t take credit for the goats. They were just fab and interesting on their own. The flea was decent…not as big as Alameda (they’re just starting out) and some random “modern” sellers….but I scored two awesome pairs of shoes and a mod/tiki pants suit (that my fat ass probably can’t wear but was cute and only $10!).

  4. Love love love Lauren Child. We have a Charlie and Lola box set which is our go to DVD for rainy days. There’s also a Pippi Longstocking book she did the illustrations for, my friend got it for me when Ingrid was born. It’s amazing.

    I am so jealous of your flea markets, even if you do only show the best stuff. We have this enormous one nearby that is SO trashy. Nothing good at all…

    I like your real life posts, you gals look like fun 🙂

  5. So jeal.

    And loving your book rec’s but i found the princess and pea a bit dark for one of her books. The illustrations were a tad scary? Maybe just me and my 4 year old!!! I could just be surprised because her other stuff is so refreshing and usually that fairytale story on it’s own is pretty non offensive too. Or maybe it’s put out there so more boys are interested in it?

    1. Tracey that’s a great point! You know its funny I def see things through children’s eyes so much more now. Wolfie is older, so he isn’t as phased by these things but when he was a little guy he def got scared easily. We saw Rattatouille ( however the heck you spell that) and while all the grown ups I know LOVED it, he was very uncertain. It was dark and weird to his little 4 year old eyes!!

  6. Wow! Sounds like a lovely weekend! This is Andrea, michelle’s friend. It was so nice chatting with you at treasure island! We will definitely have to get together. P.s. Major score on those robin’s egg blue shoes!!! Congrats! 🙂

  7. Hi there Alix-thanks so much for the shout out!!! I was so excited to see you also, tried to play it cool though, how’d I do? 🙂 Are you selling on Sunday at Alameda?? I will be there peddling my treasures , wish we could request to be side by side, I really think Miles would adore Wolfie…..just from what I’ve read on here, they have loads in common. When are we meeting up? You had me at Mimosas. 🙂

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