Brick by Brick

After a week of frigid temperatures, we had a beautiful and warm weekend.  Unfortunately for the first time ever, Fayetteville Public Schools decided to hold a make-up snow day on a Saturday.  So Alli went from a four day week (she was supposed to be off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday) to a six day week.  She was not too happy Saturday morning when we took her in, she said she was afraid we were going to do something fun without her.

I've got news for her - we did.  But fortunately for Alli it wasn't kid-fun, it was both of us getting our workouts on the elliptical done, playing on the floor with Riley, and enjoying coffee and grown-up talk.  So she didn't miss much.

I went to make the rounds at the Fayetteville antique stores that we love - 410 Vintage, Flying Dog, and Fayetteville Trading Post - before picking Alli up at 2PM.  Good news - she wasn't the only kid that went to school and she actually had a good time.  We went home to get Ryan and Riley, and then went dropped by our most favorite Fayetteville antique store In Retrospect.  We aren't looking for anything in  particular, but you just never know what you'll find.  I was in love with a fully restored ride-on pony called Jigger, but at "$3500 FIRM," Ryan said no way.

To make up for the horror of going to school on a Saturday, we got to take Alli to a new place called Brick by Brick.  We weren't too sure about the concept, but it was Lego-focused, so my two Lego-holics decided to give it a try.

Here's the deal - you walk in to a Lego-themed room (Lego characters on the walls, primary colors everywhere, posters of Legos, paintings of Legos…there were even Legos in the soap jars.  One wall is lined with boxes of Lego sets, which you can "check out" and put together.  There are also endless totes of random bricks, wheels, men, and plates.  On the other wall, there's a play kitchen and grocery store, a chalkboard, and a play area for the littles with Duplo blocks, coloring books, and plastic animals.

Things started a little slow.  Alli was quiet and not sure what to think, and Ryan was afraid of being "that dad" who got a kit and built it himself.  So they decided on a Lego City tractor trailer to start out.

They worked together for a little while, but once all of the policemen and the criminals were put together, Alli wandered off to do a little grocery shopping.  Ryan powered through alone.

He secretly liked it better that way so he could focus, methinks.  I played with Riley on the floor, and we got super close to crawling.

After Ryan got his police tractor trailer put together and Alli played with it, she grabbed some of the random Legos and put together this awesome intricate set of people doing a race.  She's so amazingly creative.

Brick by Brick was a super place.  We will definitely be going back - it was $15 for the four of us (Riley was free) to play for two hours.  They do drop offs and Parents Night Out, so you can even drop your kiddo off if you so desire.  The staff was extremely friendly, the decor was very creative, and Alli even made some new friends.

Now if I can just get them to do a Dad's Night In so that I can drop Ryan off to do the Ewok Village - all 1,500 pieces!  If you've got a Lego-crazy kid (or spouse), you really need to swing by Brick by Brick and try it out.  My Lego maniacs gave it four thumbs up.

Weekend Recap

I know I usually do an amazing job of taking pictures for the blog, but for some reason, this weekend I was so excited to spend time with my family, I didn't even take any!  So bad.  But I can give you a quick recap of the wonderful weekend we Lowes had.

Friday night Alli spent the night with the neighbors, and Ryan and I went for a quick dinner at Grub's.  Are you seeing a trend?  We get so addicted to the same restaurants!  All I've been in the mood for lately is a big juicy burger, and few do it better than Grub's.  After that, my mom, dad, brother, and grandmother arrived at our house.

The next day, we watched Ryan in his summer league ultimate frisbee final (they lost both games, sadly) and then went to do a little tailgate shopping.  It's almost that time, so we have to start stocking up.  New this year:  a triple crock pot and a new fan.  More to come, I'm sure.

We ate dinner that night at another restaurant off the Square that Ryan and I have been frequenting called Cafe Fresco.  It's locally owned and almost everything is made with fresh and organic ingredients.  I absolutely love the Center Street flatbread pizza.  We also grabbed some cupcakes from Bliss.  Overwhelmingly delicious!!

We spent that night playing Uno a lot - Alli happens to be very good (and very sassy) at it, so it's pretty fun unless you're on the side of her that falls victim to her skips, draw twos, and wild draw fours.  Later Ryan went that night with John to see The Dark Knight Rises, and Alli and I snuggled into bed.

A word of advice:  if your kid never sleeps with you, don't think it's a good idea for one night.  I got terrible sleep Saturday night, and I don't think I ever recovered on Sunday.  Mom, Nini, Lindsey and I got up early and headed to Common Grounds for breakfast, then we all did a little more tailgate shopping (the boys are obsessed...).

After that, the family hit the road, and we Lowes cleaned up around the house and headed to the barn for our first riding lessons in over a month.  Alli and Sprinkles went first and had a great lesson back.  Susan (our instructor) kept commenting how big Alli had gotten and how much better she sat on Sprinkles.  Then it was my turn - I felt a little sloppy and like I was having trouble with my distances, but Susan said Freedom and I looked good.  I hope next week is a little better for me, but any time at the barn is time well spent in my book!!

I'm going to try to catch up a little more on the sleep Alli stole from me by sleeping sideways in my bed.  Good night!!  

Keeping Fayetteville Funky

I've not made much of a secret of the fact that I absolutely love Fayetteville.  But with a busy week commuting to Lowell, raising an elementary schooler (sniff sniff), cooking, cleaning, exercising, grocery shopping, and just plain living, Ryan and I don't always take the time we should to truly see our city.  There are so many stores that we haven't even been to yet that we've heard about for years.

On this hot but wonderful Saturday with nothing to do but whatever we wanted, we decided to spend our day keeping Fayetteville funky - that's the name of the city office's campaign to get people to shop and eat locally, so I'm borrowing it.

First, we headed to the renowned Fayetteville Farmers Market.  Alli met some Razorback cheerleaders, which is always exciting even if you do get to hang out with them all football season long!

Then she and Ryan got popsicles from the PedalPops guy (they were really delicious and fresh with real fruit!).

We even stopped by the Fayetteville Town Center so she could push on the giant ball that's there.  She really enjoyed that.

After we perused the Farmers Market and bought some peaches, okra, soap, and flowers - we can't ever pass up good homemade soap and a gorgeous bouquet when we are there - we headed in to Riffraff, which is a cute little boutique on the Square with home items, gifts, and clothes.  After eyeing these tees for a few years, I finally bought one - love!

We also hit up the Mustache Store for Ryan, because I knew he'd love the offbeat general store feel and really appreciate the quirky stuff that's in there.  Once we wrapped up downtown, we ventured down College Avenue and popped in Vintage Violet and Maude.  Vintage Violet is an antique place with mostly clothes and some furniture, and Maude is the clothing store in front of it.  Then we headed to a new pet store in town to check it out.  We're such animal lovers, we can't pass up a pet store, especially when it advertises holistic, grain-free, very high end food (maybe one day I'll write about my obsession with animal nutrition...).

I picked the woman's brain about good alternative foods for Landry, who currently has some pretty weepy eyes and hot spots popping up all the time.  We got some samples and I have a feeling we'll be back in there to buy some Fromms Game Bird for him.  I just love dog food shopping.  Then we went to another new place for us, Walker Brothers.  I had long admired my co-worker's Curly Tail brand clothes (often red or white with a pig logo on them), and Ryan started mentioning it as well, so we headed in there.  Oh wow, did we have fun!!  Ryan scooped up a new polo and got the. perfect. tailgate. pants.  You'll just have to wait until football season to see them, but trust me.  Wow.  We also grabbed some great new collars for the dogs (spoiled).

Right next to Walker Brothers is Party House, which I've been in several times, and Tesori, which is a really precious store opened by one of my sorority sisters that I hadn't visited yet.  I had a great time browsing both - so many cute things!!

After that, we grabbed lunch at one of our favorite non-Hugo's burger places, Grub's.  When we walked in, guess what was on TV...

Dressage!!  Be still my heart!!

I have a confession:  this is the second time in my life (the first being last Friday) I've had a burger that I cut it in half and boxed that portion up for later.  Who am I?  I have to admit to you, you still get full on half a serving, and you're not stuffed and miserable.  It's actually nice.  I'm still ashamed.

Then we ran over to Target, our only non-local stop of the day, to grab some Scotch Guard for the dog collars, new welcome mats (I love replacing those regularly) and a new laundry basket for the laundry room.  My family can rejoice, we no longer have the falling apart wicker baskets from Big Lots - the new one is plastic, big, and teal.  After that stop, we went to a roadside antique place I'd been admiring in Springdale on our way to the pool all summer long.  Ryan's never actually been to an antique store, but he absolutely loves piles of junk so he really ended up having a great time.

Old patio furniture - I die

So now we're exhausted, home, and watching Olympic hand ball (Thanks, Ryan).  Here's hoping we get some beach volleyball or men's basketball (true life - I love Kobe Bryant, but don't tell anyone).  Happy weekend, friends!!

Catching Up - Part Tre: Mellow Weekend

After Aerosmith, we had yet another event - Alli's annual dance recital.  My mom was still in Nashville with Pawpaw, but my dad came up for the recital.  He drove up Saturday afternoon, meaning we Lowes had a Saturday morning to spend.  Because it was sunny and cool, we decided to hit the Fayetteville Farmers Market.  Alli had her very first taste of a peach, which she loved.  We also bought some flowers, a candle, and some soap.

We followed up with brunch at Emelia's and driving around downtown - one of our favorite activities.  Or mine anyway.  I just have a patient husband and a daughter who is easily entertained with an iPad.

Later that afternoon, Daddy came in and it was time for the dance recital.  This year Alli took a cheerleading class, so her recital outfit was even cuter than usual.

We had a great evening - both of Alli's routines were wonderful, and we followed up with dinner at US Pizza.

Sunday morning, Daddy headed out early and we decided to hit up our favorite pool around - the Springdale Aquatic Center.  Alli actually jumped off the high dive and did all of the slides.  It was amazing!! 

We do so love the summertime.  

Ode to Fayetteville

You'll have to forgive me today, blog readers.  I feel compelled to let my home city know how I feel about it.  It's a little goofy, a little tongue in cheek, but I do mean it.  You'll be wanting to move here after I'm done, but please don't.  I don't want my little town to grow too much more.

Oh, Fayetteville.  How do I love thee?  Let me count the ways.

I thought our relationship would be short-lived.  I thought we'd share four magical years together, and then I'd move back to where I belong.  I thought you were merely a college town, a short stop on the road that is life.  A place study, a place to party, and a place to outgrow.

I spent our first several months together overlooking you.  I longed for Little Rock, my family and friends there.  You were fine, Fayetteville, but you were a means to an end.  Sure, your campus was pretty.  Your Hogs were wonderful.  But you were small.  You were old.  You didn't have the stores I liked and you didn't have the restaurants I liked.  You weren't fast-paced enough, you weren't big enough.  You were fine, but you weren't my town.

Via

Then you started to grow on me, Fayetteville.  With your annual Christmas displays on the square.  With your reverence for all things Razorback.  With the show you put on every fall.  With your homey, small town feel.

As graduation loomed, I wasn't sure I wanted to leave you, Fayetteville.  I felt like we had business to finish.  I felt like we weren't quite done with each other.  I wanted to move back to Little Rock to be with my family.  My husband's departure for his second tour of duty in Iraq was imminent.  I had a three year old to raise alone for 18 months.  I knew that would all go so much easier if I were close to my parents and my in-laws.  But something about you made me stay, Fayetteville.  I didn't appreciate you then like I do now, but I was starting to.

As if to validate that our relationship was to be long term, I bought a house here, Fayetteville.  It's nowhere near where I want to live now, but I didn't know you as well then.  I just knew I wanted to be here.  I wasn't sure why I did it at the time, but now I know.  I couldn't leave.

You haven't always made this easy, Fayetteville.  With your epic ice storms, your 18 inches of snow, your crazy spring weather, and your constant wind.  Oh, the wind.  I don't even notice it now, but it never stops blowing.  You're never still, Fayetteville.  Maybe that's why we get along so well.

And you're weird, Fayetteville.  Funky, the city offices call you.  I agree.  You are home to top level corporate executives, a bike rally, a major university, an annual gay pride parade, a Farmers Market that puts others to shame, a nationally recognized library, numerous trails, and the absolute best fall foliage hands down.

Via

But I love you, Fayetteville.  I love you now more than I ever have.  I love that you're a good place to raise Alli.  I love that your schools are excellent.  I love that you have a young vibe.  I love that while you are a college town, Fayetteville, you are also a family town.  I love that you love the Razorbacks more than I do.  I love that you have artists painting your gutters.  I love that you have this weird hippie mountain town vibe going all the while.

I can't wait to be even closer to the heart of you, Fayetteville.  I can't wait to live in the middle of the action.  I love your old houses, your downtown flavor.  I can't wait to have a piece of that to call my own, a long term place to raise my family.  I cannot predict where my life will take me, Fayetteville, but I know it will never take me far from you.

Via

Pure as the dawn, on the brow of thy beauty.  Watches thy soul from the mountains of God.