Sunday Breakfast with Friends

Meet our favorite friends in St. Augustine!

 Lara & Steve! We clicked instantly. They may be the only other people we know that can talk about food for hours...that and the only people in St. Augustine that were not around during World War One. Lara is a super talented Martha Stewart-ish (and you know how I adore Martha) event planner and boutique owner. Steve is a stay at home mom work at home sales rep. They moved to St. Augustine less than a year ago and are running the super successful Declarations Boutique http://declarationboutique.com/

 We invited our compadres over for Sunday morning breakfast with a little cupcake for dessert.

Where's Waldo?

I bet you have been wondering...where ARE the Atkins?

Maybe our heads are in the CLOUDS?

Or the SUGAR has gone straight to our heads?

Or maybe we are just busy PLAYING?

Who knows? But I will tell you the future's so BRIGHT I gotta where shades!

Just a Typical Day

A typical day starts off with a morning swim (and the "I'm in my swim-suit dance").

Followed by typical daily activities such as painting masterpieces,

swinging in the park,

horseback riding,

and making new friends.

It typically takes sixty minutes to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich but only three minutes to enjoy it.

Typically parents don't let their daughters go swimming in fountains (especially in pretty dresses).

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But we're no typical family.

Yo Ho, No No Pirates Life For Us

This week was a blast! Susan, my bff/boss/running budding/partner in crime/baking compadre/cookbook junkie/and lover of all things Abbie cooks and eats was in town this week for work and we managed to squeeze in some play time too. First we had to give Hazel the 4-1-1 on the proper way to eat sushi. Let's just say she mastered the art of sushi and now it's her dinner of choice.

Because Susan and I are a little ummm...baking obsessed shall we say, we meticulously planned our "dessert menu" for the week. Desserts included Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes, Salted Caramel Squares, Coffee Toffee Bars, Fennel Ice Cream, and Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache. So obviously lots of running was on the "menu" too. 13.2!

 After a long day of working off all those desserts we decided to clean up and join the Black Raven, a touring Pirate Ship. Susan wore her best pirate-dress and blended in quite nicley.

Hazel is trying out for the part of Rose in Titanic...who is also surprised to be surrounded by a load of quacks pirates.

 Face painting was the highlight of the trip, although Hazel kept referring to her turtle as a mermaid. Maybe the pirate/artist had a little too much...um...rum?

 Bye Bye Crazies Pirates! Kisses!

 After abandoning ship, we ended the day with a seafood feast! Raw oysters, local shrimp, crab legs and lots of laughs.

And off she rode into the living room sunset . Come back soon Susan!

 

Famous People and Places

Sometimes it takes a reallllll long time to get off the island...

But who wants to leave anyway?

Except when wine is involved. Then it's probably worth the wait.

According to historians, this area is the birthplace of American wine, dating back to 1562. Now that's some old wine. After a long morning spent waiting in line for Florida Drivers Licenses, we enjoyed a tour of San Sebastian Winery and are now schooled in the 5 "S"s of wine tasting. Real pros.

We love our wine, but we love food more and could not help but be lured by the world famous restaurant (and I mean the whole the world was there) O'Steen's.

We arrived for dinner promptly at the hour of 2:30 and were seated by 5:00. This whole in the wall restaurant was featured on the Food Network and people drive from out of state and out of their mind to wait for one of eight tables. They even bring lawn chairs and tailgate "southern style" in the parking lot.

By the time we got seated Matt joined those that were of their mind.

After our brush with famous food, we met a real celebrity (one that was worth the hype) on the beach this morning. He said "Go Matt, Go Abbie, Go Hazel" as we ran by.

Okay not really, but Steve Young did say "hi" to us. Yeah, we're friends.

Firsts & Friends

First we went here....

then we met some new friends.

And reunited with old friends! Hi Flipper! Hi Brooke! Hi Karen!

Brooke was in town last week visiting her parents, Karen and Steve, who live in Palm Coast about 30 miles from Anastasia Island. (Brooke wants you all to know that she is "with child" not "with burrito and too many cupcakes".) We met at Marineland, a dolphin conservation center where we got up close and personal (i.e. wet) playing with our new flippered friends.

Then we went search of the prettiest shell on the beach.

Hazel found it right away so Brooke threw her in the ocean! Jealousy...what it does to people...

Hazel and I tried to butter up the neighboors and our new friends by making them chocolate chip cookies.

Obviously she has learned early on how to handle the best part of making cookies.

Saturday was spent at the beach. Hazel made her first sand castle.

Let's just say it didn't last long enough to take a picture.

Sunday we went shopping and bought our first piece of local art.

 

But life's not always a beach and Monday Matt had to start work. He does look pretty though don't ya think?

It was an exciting week of firsts and friends but there is no better way to clear your mind then a nice evening drive in the Winnie the Pooh car.

 

But first we need to figure out where the gas goes...