Seattle and a Garden Show

I spent a Saturday in Seattle recently, ostensibly to attend the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. After a largely rocky (off blog) year, a dear friend took me to Seattle, her treat, and we had a really good day. Seattle is one of my favorite places, and exploring it on foot, sans kids, makes everything a lot easier to enjoy. We enjoyed the show itself, then took in lunch at Lowell's in Pike Place Market, then really delved into girliness as my friend got herself a makeover and a new cosmetics bundle at Sephora. It was well overdue for both of us and I am grateful she planned that out-- even involving my husband, who himself gratefully kept the secret. I don't think she threatened him, but he had to have been happy I had someone ELSE with whom to go to a garden show-- he's been dragged to many a show with his wife.

The garden show itself was invigorating and inspiring-- even exciting if you're a garden nerd like me-- and I came home inflamed to at least get it all laid out. The display gardens were especially edifying because I actually did see some things I had never considered, like an outdoor chalkboard for an outdoor classroom. As nature-heavy as our life-learning is, it is surprising to me that I never even considered that! See the pictures of it here: Garden Fresh Living. I have a flexible vinyl chalkboard with grommets in it for hanging, and I think I will be mounting it somehow on the side of the treehouse we built last summer. We have a hammock my father gave me for my birthday last year and I am considering hanging it out there as well, for a reading nook. I hesitate, and may untimately scrap that plan because it is a Pawley's Island and the second someone turns it into a pirate ship, I think I'd come unglued.

It was great getting out and revelling in the positive and the uplifting. It was wonderful to laugh too loud and to be among throngs of people who were at least tangently interested in things that matter to our family. Further, I am grateful that I did not actually squish the guy I literally bumped into as we were exiting to the parking garage. I came short just soon enought to squeak, "Oh Hey Ciscoe!" as we dodged our near miss. Serves him right, not looking where he was going! :p