It has been rare lately that I’ve had a whole weekend just to relax.
For the past 6 or so weeks, I’ve been working my graveyard shift schedule, which necessitates that I get a bit of rest before I go in for my shift at midnight Monday morning (Sunday night for most of you!)
This past weekend was no exception and I needed to work late on Friday, but my husband and I still had it in our minds to make Saturday a wonderful day together and it was.
I started the day with some exercise, and after a bite of lunch we headed out west of DC to one of our favorite small towns, Leesburg. We wanted to walk a bit, and I was excited to get out to Finch to pick up a couple of presser feet I’d had on my list for some time. (Naturally I did a bit of fabric shopping too!)
One of our favorite things about Leesburg is that it’s right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it feels like a lifetime away from our quite urban suburb of D.C. The air feels fresher, the pace of life a bit slower.
We stopped and had a couple of beers at Crooked Run. I had a blackberry rattler type beer and Josh had an IPA. Ultimately decided to check out Monk’s BBQ in Purcellville. (Though we made a stop at Adroit Theory Brewing for Josh on the way. Their EBK triple IPA was delicious!)
The BBQ was outstanding – and Josh was kind enough to humor me by going here since he’s been eating vegetarian since the beginning of the year. He did not miss out on their incredible sides. He piled up on some collards, coleslaw, cornbread and mac & cheese. The mac and cheese is so creamy, smoky and slap your momma good. They make it with gouda, y’all. It is to DIE for. The collards were something else! The coleslaw isn’t that mayo-ridden stuff you avoid at picnics – it’s vinegar based so it’s got a good amount of crisp flavor. It’s the perfect compliment to a messy sandwich. And if you’re a cornbread fan (and let’s face it, who isn’t?) you must try their cornbread. There’s a little surprise tucked inside – CUSTARD. And don’t you dare turn your nose up, it is MAGNIFICENT.
We left feeling pleasantly full and content, and drove to my parents’ house to pick up my tub of summer clothes. A recent humidity wave prompted me to change over my closet. I’ve been bagging up clothes that no longer fit, and getting rid of lots of stuff I don’t wear. I won’t lie, it is a struggle! However, cleaning out my closet to only have stuff I will wear is something I think I will really appreciate.
By the time we got back to our apartment, I started one little sewing project on some fabric I bought at Finch:
It’s a large box bag for a knitting project. I used the tutorial from Truly Myrtle (I learned about this fabulous tutorial at Stitch.) Somehow, I always put my zipper tab in on the wrong side. This time I decided to go with it. The exterior fabric is from Emily Martin’s line for Birch. I am a sucker for anything with whales on it. The interior is just a Robert Kaufman solid.
I love these box bags. Again, they would make a perfect present. This size is pretty large – but would make a great travel storage bag. I was thinking about stuffing it full of some baby items for a dear friend. Also for anyone who is a sweater knitter, this would hold many skeins plus instructions of whatever you’re working on. I’d love to experiment with adding a grommet for knitting on the go!