colonial beach + a new addiction

A few months ago,  I signed up for my first (sprint) Triathlon. Jay signed up too, and it was his second. We've been training for each event and excited to see how we stacked up against others. We drove up to Colonial Beach on Friday evening and stayed with some great friends who were also planning on doing the race. Colonial Beach is on the Northern Neck, a small town and golf cart community with a whole lot of character.

It was a bright and early morning Saturday as we made our way to the event HQ to get ready for our early start times. It was such a learning experience for me about the transition areas, tri gear and the pre-race nerves. I read a ton of articles, but knew that going through the steps would be the biggest lesson.

I'll spare all the details, but it felt so great to run across that finish line. Having played sports through college, these days my work life is pretty sedentary Mon-Fri from 8-6pm. It's a necessary evil, which I'm sure some can relate to. With triathlons, I think I've found my newest addiction. Here's to many more swim/bike/runs! Plus, we can visit new towns and find some pretty cool things to do on our road trip. I didn't get many shots (all from the phone's camera because I can't seem to ever remember the actual camera) of Colonial Beach, but we had a few great stops along the way.

A lucky find: The Dog and Oyster Vineyard. Can't go wrong here – friendly dogs, delicious local oysters and tasty wine. It was the perfect pit stop for our Sunday drive home, and the owner/manager, Mark, really treated us well. We could have stayed here alllll day.

And of course a random antique store on the side of the country road. This one was an old two-story home with seven other buildings on the property, filled to the brim with antiques and architectural salvage. I left with an ice cream scoop.

::winter wonderland::

This is the first snow I've seen since we moved to Virginia. I was that girl who threw on a beanie and boots to go play in it. It fascinates me that this white stuff falls from the sky. That's what you get when you grow up in Florida.

::autumn air::

I must admit, with the cool evening breezes and must-be-outside kinda afternoons, it's hard not to fall in love with Virginia right now. The leaves aren't screaming yellow and red yet, but I guess what they say about SEASONS isn't so bad. Still, I'll always love hot, sticky Florida.

6 petals on instagram

::fourth::

It was a hot Independence Day (and sadly, I didn't have a bathing suit to jump in that water). Yorktown is very small with a cute downtown area of historic buildings, private residences and a couple local eateries. I love how it isn't filled with commercial shops and restaurants. Although there was a super long line for Ben & Jerry's. Our view from the rocks watching the fireworks was pretty spectacular. And now, it feels like Monday again.

::recap::

Last weekend I set up shop in Olde Towne for the monthly Antiques to Flea Market. A goal of mine this year is to do more shows and make connections with local shops to bring 6 petals offline as well. It was nice to meet other vendors who appreciate beautiful old things as much as I do. And, it was great to have a few of my friends come out and see what I do!

I left the show feeling completely satisfied. It's not easy loading, setting up, breaking down and unpacking, but it's so rewarding when people appreciate the display and collection. Another new addition is the ability to accept credit cards at my booth– this little guy is awesome.