April Showers Bring April Fowers!!

As the Azaleas are Brian's favorite thing in spring today was the perfect day to go to the National Arboretum to see the azalea gardens. After going to the Alexandria Farmer's Market off we went to see what was blooming.
As it turns out lots of things were blooming. The Azaleas weren't in full bloom yet but enough to make you smile. We have seen it in previous years where the whole place in afire in color and you think that you have been transported into a magical land. I think in the next day or two it will be the peak.
The striped white and pink ones I think are my favorite as no two flowers are the same. I think it's because they look hand painted that they are may favorite.
Some of the colors are so intense that it's almost impossible to photograph them. You truely have to be there.

Wonderful Sunny Spring Day

Every Saturday morning from 5-10:30am is the Alexandria Farmer's Market which I had been wanting to go to now for a couple weeks ever since I discovered that it's year round unlke most farmer's markets. To my surprise Brian woke me up early to so that we could get ready and go. We parked a couple of blocks away and just walking through town on some of the old cobble streets with the perfect weather made for the perfect start to the day. People were out wido shopping and having a wonderful morning.
At the market we found everything from fresh flowers, fresh pasta and breads to arts and crafts. I was stopped by an artist who asked to take a picture of me and Beanie as I was carring her in her colorful baby sling. She took two pictures and said to look for a painting next time we were around as she thought it would make a wonderful painting!! I'm sure it was all of Beanie's charm but we've never been asked to be models before! It was just nice to get out into the community and chat with others. I can't wait to go back next week and just draw the people.

Cherry Blossoms and Kite Day!

That sounds like the title for an album doesn't it? Well March 31st was the first official day for the Cherry Blossom Festival and if I had to pick which day they were peak it would have been that day. The very next day the wind started to carry away some blossoms and the little green leaves started to peak through.
People were all around the capitol enjoying the beautiful blossoms and some were even picnicing under the trees. Everyone was smiling and no one seemed in a bad mood.

That day just happend to be Kite Day as well. Talk about an overwhelming feeling of the nation having a picnic together! As you walked out onto the Mall people everywhere were flying kites of all shapes, colors and sizes. Children weren't even required to fly a kite. There were so many that no picture I took could really capture the feeling of seeing and hearing it all. You did have to be careful though as not all kites were staying up in the air! Brian took the role of lookout while I had my eye to the camera. A Nemo fish kite nearly took our heads off at one point, but nothing an I'm sorry and a friendly chuckle couldn't fix.

As Brian loves ships he was excited to see several kites in the shape of ships. The seemed to have a little bit of a hard time getting up but once there it was like looking into a childs dream. All in all a storybook afternoon!!

Glad I could share it with you all.