May is one of my favorite months around Hampton Roads. The weather is finally consistently warm (usually) and the roses begin to bloom at Norfolk Botanical Garden. The sight of     acres of fragrant blossom in every color and variety all in flower at once in one place is amazing, awe-inspiring and overwhelming in the best way. Some other things to look...

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Anouk got a rock collection for her birthday and has been really interested in geology lately. I thought over spring break that maybe we would drive to Luray Caverns to check it out but after looking at a map decided it was too far. Much more reasonable for a day trip was the Lucky Lake Gem and Mineral Mine in McKenney, VA, just...

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You might not think an artist who focused a lot of his work on showgirls and courtesans would be the most kid-friendly, but the Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit going on at the Chrysler Museum now is one of the most enjoyable we've been to for a long time. Toulouse-Lautrec's world wasn't only dance halls, it was also a wonderful place where bears walked through the...

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For the past five years that we have lived in Hampton Roads, we have been sick or out of town for the cherry blossoms at Red Wing Park (home of the beautiful Miyazaki Japanese Garden). This year we managed to catch them.  The blossoms were a day or two past peak when we went, with little green leaves popping up but I almost like...

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Right after Gus was born Molly told me about a wonderful music class that meets at the Fred Heutte Center and I feel like I have been waiting for him to be old enough for it since then. Now at 18 months Gussie likes all things musical (AKA noisy) and loves to dance. So we were off to Little Rockstars, finally. Little Rockstars...

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This is a quick Easter craft that you can do with stuff you probably already have around the house! You will need: -embroidery thread, thin elastic, or dental floss -scissors -a tapestry needle (the kind with the big eye) -peeps, jelly beans, any other seasonal candy your heart desires Directions: Using the needle, thread (carefully) the candy on the floss/thread/elastic in whatever pattern...

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One of the signs of spring in the Coastal Virginia area is the annual Gloucester Daffodil Festival. Anouk loves daffodils (her birthday flowers) and begged to go, and so we made the hour and a half or so drive from Norfolk this past weekend. Worth it! Besides enough flowers to make a horticulturalist (or Anouk) happy, the daffodil festival features a parade, vendors,...

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During a recent trip to the nation's capital, we stopped by Dumbarton Oaks, a spot that is right in the middle of it all but often overlooked. When we lived in the district we walked by this walled mansion several times but never really noticed it was there! In the 1920s - 40s, Dumbarton Oaks was a family home (which is hard to...

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