Connecticut!

I just couldn't wait to share my Connecticut photos with you.On Saturday night, June 30th, Billy and I and the kids went to Connecticut for a graduation party. My cousin Joanne and her husband live in Brookfield Center and their only daughter Emma graduated high school. They were having a graduation party at the beautiful Inn at Newtown. Connecticut is only 1.5 hours from Long Island so it's a pretty short trip for us; we used to go every month when my grandparents were alive. I have always loved Connecticut and it is one of the states I would consider relocating to IF EVER--Connecticut, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. My cousin had asked us to stay over after the party, but we couldn't as my husband had a business appointment Sunday morning.....Anyway, the Inn at Newtown was lovely! A historic building that was very large! Newtown is the quintessential New England town. I had been there before but not in a bout 5 years. It was such a nice party, and it was so great to see my cousins. The next morning after my husband's meeting, we took  a nice Sunday drive......back to Connecticut! My husband wanted to ride around Newtown, New Milford, and other towns we always liked. We love our road trips! I photographed some of my favorite houses! Hope you like them too!
We went to Candlewood Lake which was so pretty and filled with boats and beachgoers. I had played in that lake as a small child when we visited my grandparents! It was very serene even though there were many people. How nice it would be to have a house along that lake. Years ago you could purchase those homes for a song...as I said "years ago".......My husband would love to put his waverunners in there and have some fun!

A Prim Beauty

We drove around some more, going through Danbury,  and I passed my grandparents' home and of course photographed it. It hasn't changed too much :)  However the metal milk bottle box was no longer on the front porch waiting for the milkman :(       Wish I had it. for my porch... I remember sitting on it in the Summer in my shorts waiting for my cousin Joanne to walk down the road to play and the box stinging my bare legs with Summer heat! My kids were excited to see Great Grandma and Grandpa's house. They lived on a  ridge and it was fun to walk and play up there! They both passed away in the 1980's.  I showed them the spot on the ridge that as kids we referred to as "Spooky Valley" and they were intrigued ;)  Good times were spent in Connecticut.
We continued to drive around New Milford and came upon a cool shop! THE RUSTIC COUNTRY BARN! They specialized in building furniture from old barn wood! It was beautiful but EXPENSIVE. Gorgeous dining room sets and farm tables. The store was decorated with everything I love :) but I did behave myself and only bought one thing---a wooden sign that I hung over my front door (outside) that says "WELCOME TO THIS OLD HOUSE"...now I know my house isn't old...Billy built it in 2008....but we built it to LOOK OLD! so shhhhh! No one has to know she really isn't old!
Back to the shop, I wanted to smuggle out this old stove (and everything on it too) but that wouldn't be nice :)  I loved it sooooo much and was thinking where I could I put it????? until I saw the price tag and said "maybe another time :(     and Billy said maybe in the future...WAY WAY into the future at that price .....I know you can still pick up the old stoves in salvage yards...heck, my sister-in-law Kathy has 3 that she picked up in Pennsylvania over the past few years. I think I'll get the hints out to her.....Christmas is coming, Kathy...I would like that under my tree PLEASE---- and thank you!
 The whole shop was nice and we loved looking through it. My son loved this pillow with those lovely words and I photographed it so I would remember them and I could restitch it myself onto a pillow or a picture.
After New Milford, we went to Stew Leonards. Stew Leonards is a big food store that is very unique. It is sooo fun to go there, and we try to go every time we go to Connecticut. You can eat there (The Hoedown) and you can food shop. You can also buy plants and flowers! What is so fun about Stew's is that it is so animated! You are entertained while you shop and they also have little sample tables set up so you can taste the products! I LOVE THAT! I had a hard time prying my husband away fromthe cheese table. He kept disappearing to get more. Then Caitlin found the baby back ribs booth,  and she was in heaven. My baby girl loves her ribs! My son was loving the banana smoothies! The bananas sing to you and do the Chiquita banana mombo dance, the chicken trio cluck to you a lively song about the barnyard, the butter sticks are thrilled you've come to shop there--they say so  ( and I believe them) ---and there is a whole Dairy band made of butter sticks, smiling milk cartons and eggs. I LOVE SHOPPING HERE! Caitlin made friends with the roaming cow. What a fun place to visit.
Caitlin was a little freaked out when we went passed the salad bar area and she saw the sign that said "bunny salad"......the look of horror on her face was priceless until she read the rest of the sign and saw there were no actual bunnies used to make the salad~~just the veggies they to eat in your garden!

Stew Leonards is just a lot of fun. We had lunch there and saw the animals at the petting zoo and did some shopping!

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July. We went to my sister's annual 4th of July bbq and had a relaxing fun day with wonderful friends and relatives. My sister has a great pool with the best diving board, and Caitlin learned to jump off for the first time. Everyone was cheering for her. My son and daughter are real pool lovers! I can't swim at all :(   We all had a great time and just lounged in the yard watching the pool fun, eating and playing with the various puppies that are both in residence at my sister's house and those that were visiting! After we got home that night, we just  enjoed the fireworks in the sky!

My stove--I wish

so sweet

Candlewood Lake

singing bananas

UH OH!  Bunny Salad!

My Big Girl!

Time for me to get rolling here...I have to change our reservations for our trip as my husband is too busy to leave for the days we were going to PA...that's fine; I'm used to doing that! Thankful he's busy and in demand! Today it's house cleaning and some food shopping!  Have a terrific day!