Those Last Days of Summer

Those last precious days of summer.

In reality, our schedule doesn't really change all that much between the seasons, but there's something about the marker of Labor Day weekend that kicks us into gear to finally get to our favorite beach soda fountain and make the trip to the Drive-In movies. Because even if our schedule doesn't change, those things pretty much shut down come September. So we got our ice cream cones and popcorn and wore our glow bracelets and sunscreen for one last summer fling. 

And it was fabulous.


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The Penultimate Weekend of Summer

Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park Beach
Ocean Park
Ocean Park
Ocean Park
Ocean Park
Ocean Park
Ice Cream
SUP
Sand Angel
Ocean Park Beach
Makin S'mores
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Little Bear
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
Maine Wildlife Park
New Bone

How it is already September? The local schools start back up this week and when I dropped Little Miss Cleaver off at daycare they had changed all the decorations to leaves and pumpkins. Don't get me wrong, I adore Autumn, it's my favorite season, but summer seems to go so darn fast! It doesn't help that it doesn't start feeling like summer until July, but still. 

I have kept to my goal of taking more time off this summer and we seem to manage two weekends worth of activity in every one (having a kid that gets up at 5 AM helps there). I took a half-day Thursday and all day Friday off, so we could do this penultimate weekend of summer right. 

We took LMC to our favorite beach, which she adored. Splashing in the water, playing in the sand, screaming and running from imaginary lobsters. Mr. Cleaver and I aren't huge beach people, being easily burned, but her joy at it, makes the multiple sunscreen applications and big hats worth it. We lost a sand shovel in the tide and the tide gave it back. We took a beach break for shuffleboard and burgers and ice cream and then returned for more surf and sand angels. The weather was perfect and it was a glorious day.

Sunday, we grabbed a discount pass from our local library (Libraries are awesome!) , LMC picked out her fancy new kitty-cat party dress and we went to the Maine Wildlife Park. We saw all sorts of critters, but if you ask her about it, LMC will tell you all about the turkey that she tried to feed popcorn and that bit her finger and that she told it no more biting. (She's fine, didn't break skin, just scared her.) Both mornings ended with an insta-crash in the car seat and an epic nap at home.

Good summer living if you ask me.

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Miss Cleaver's First Beach Day

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This Friday I took the day off of work and we took little Miss Cleaver out for her first beach day. We went to my favorite beach, Ocean Park, where I first dipped my toes into the Atlantic nearly 8 years ago to the day. Miss Cleaver found the toe-dipping experience a bit chilly for her tastes.

Being a trio of pale-skinned red-heads we didn't spend too much time on the beach itself, but all in all it was a perfect day with shaded strolls, ice cream with sprinkles (for me), shuffle-board nap time (for her) and a good time had by all. Just in time too, as my little 5-month-has nearly outgrown that bonnet already!

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Introducing: SandDune

For a while now, I've been dreaming about starting my own little knitting pattern company, a today that little dream just got a little more real.

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This is SandDune, my first Ms. Cleaver Creation.

Inspired by my favorite Maine beach, SandDune is a lacy self-storing bag, perfect for gathering together your favorite items for those days by the shore that are fast approaching. Though it's cool and rainy in Portland today, I know before too long, it'll be time to head out to the ocean.

SandDune

Knit from a about 200 yards of Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in Sunflower #14, the bag is both study and airy.  The hemp gives the bag a beautiful earthy look. Knit in the round, the bag is a quick and satisfying knit.

SandDune Hanging

The pattern can be purchased in PDF form for $5.00 USD via my Ravelry store or the store:

I'm very proud of this pattern and am happy to say this is the first of many designs on my pipeline and there'll be more surprises in the weeks and months and years to come!

SandDune Bottom
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A Day at the Beach and a Walk in the Park

This is the time of year when I'm going to try and make everyone jealous that I live in Maine. For reasons, see the following evidence:

Exhibit A: (Sunday - Ocean Park Beach)

Ocean Park Beach

Little surfer girl

Toes in the Water

Ah the open ocean

Shuffleboard

Winner!

Exhibit B: (Monday - Evergreen Cemetary (half a mile from my apartment)

Heron

Mushrooms

What you lookin' at?

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