Valentine's Day

I wanted to post quite a few things today as the whole family was out and about. I have become very adept at posting from the iPhone, but we made quite a few quick stops, so I was resigned to waiting until I got home. I apologize in advance as this will be a busy post because it should probably me more than one.

We exchanged some nice candy and gifts in bed this morning before getting up to have some great breakfast with eggs and some of the bread from Yahala chased by a nice french press coffee. We lounged about with some recorded shows on travel and got ready to run some errands. Ana needed some more Speedball screen printing paint for the swim meets ahead and we found Art Systems (http://www.artsystemsfl.com) on the internet. Not far from the house, in Winter Park, Art Systems is a great local art supply store. As we so often do in any store, we found lots of things that we wanted to try. Shannon and I were inspired to start a sketchbook journal. We got a couple pencils and erasers to get us started. Ana had her paint and we were off.

With a quick, unexpected detour at Starbucks, all four of us had room to get into the comfy furniture and relax. We sat for just a few minutes and enjoyed our drinks while discussing various topics. If you do not have a Starbucks Rewards card that is registered, the you are just letting the best things in life pass you by.

We decided to add a stop at Barnes & Noble in order to get a Moleskine sketchbook rather than settle for another. We quickly found them in stock, but decided to look at other art books and see what we might find. After exploring the racks, we found some interesting books on an end cap. "Wreck This Journal" by Keri Smith (http://www.kerismith.com) was more than what we were looking for and exactly what we needed. At her website, she has an insightful blog and a lot of inspiring and thought provoking content. Shannon decided to give this book a try and see where the exercise takes her.

Final stop, we decided on running into Cavallari to grab some burgers and salad. If you have not been to Cavallari yet, do not eat another meal without visiting them. They are a staple in our grocery shopping and have terrific meals and ingredients. The people there are awesome, too, and very helpful as you plan a special meal or just an afternoon cookout.

Home to cook, eat and watch the Olympics. Ana and the kids do not have school tomorrow, so we can stay up late and cheer on the athletes. Happy Valentine's Day!