bubbledog blog

flea market finds

I got a late start heading out today, so I wasn't expecting to find much of anything at the flea market.  To my surprise, I found several little treasures and came home with a respectable haul.  For my home, I found two silver pine cone candle holders (really cool in person) as well as two old ornate picture frames which will be painted with a bright gloss color (not sure what color though -maybe turquoise or lime green).  On the collectibles front, there were many little trinkets from the 1980s to be found today and that is very unusual.  Some ET wind-ups, a Shirt Tales stamp, a wooden Care Bear figurine, a 1984 Sarajevo Olympics button, and an Empire Strikes Back glass were the items that I decided to buy.  I also found a set of White Castle promo pvc figurines and two wind-ups... I'm pretty sure these are fairly rare.  

happy 4th!

back home

Today was my first day back from Florida and it was nice to get to spend some time with my dogs and visit a little with my family.  Key West was a lot of fun... the weather was beautiful (once I got used to the heat and humidity) and it was just the perfect vacation.  I got to go to a lot of different restaurants and I have to say that they were all good, but some really stood out from the rest.  If you ever go to Key West on vacation, here are my recommendations for you:

Breakfast:  Go to Blue Heaven and order some of their pancakes.  They are out of this world good... light and fluffy and served with warm (real) Maple syrup.  It was so good that I went twice.  In the outdoor seating there are a lot of animals roaming around... so roosters, chickens, chicks, and cats will be passing around your table and under your feet.  It may sound weird, but it was really quite charming.

Lunch:  I was so excited that I already blogged about it from my cell phone, but go to El Siboney Restaurant for some amazing Cuban food.

Dinner:  Seven Fish prooved to be the best dinner of my stay.  By the last night of my stay, I was starting to try and eat more salads (I ate so much in those five days), so I got their three cheese caeser... yes, when I think light, I think three cheeses.  It was so good!

Beach Time:  Higgs Beach was really nice.  The beach and parking was free, but you have to rent everything else (chairs, umbrellas, etc).  There were a good amount of people at the beach when I went, but it was still pretty calm and quiet.

Hotel:  STAY AT THE OCEAN KEYS RESORT!  I absolutely love this hotel.  It has great rooms with great views.  The service is excellent on every level and it is very friendly and professional.  The other great thing is that the hotel is right in the heart of the busy part of the town, but it is secluded enough that you don't get affected by noise.  So, if you are an old fart like me and want to be near the action, but not participate in it... it's perfect :) 

endulging in some tasty cuban food

Just a quick cell phone blog from sunny Florida. I'm enjoying the warm weather, the clear blue water, and the tasty food. I can never resist a good Cuban sandwich... here is a delicious example from El Siboney Restaurant. It was amazing!

was everyone this happy?

During some down time this morning, I found myself searching through youtube for some nostalgic eighties gems.  I had to stop myself when it was getting near the twenty minute mark and I was watching one old commercial after another.  I remember these commercials so clearly, but I didn't remember how completely over-the-top happy the people were in them. 

This guy is REALLY excited to go get some Pizza Hut pizza.  When he returns his friend experiences a level of happiness that I have never felt before in my life.

"Fever for the flavor of a Pringle" or not, no one was this happy at any of my kid parties when I was younger.

Now  these people are really happy too, but who wouldn't be??? They have edible bowls... I mean, come on :)

june giveaway results

Once I tallied all of the various types of possibilities, there were a total of 48 entries for this giveaway.  Each entry was placed in a bowl and then I drew three names.  There was only supposed to be one winner, but I decided to give out two runners up prizes (which will be a set of three notecards).  I am emailing the winners privately and asking them to post a comment here to accept their prize. Here are the results:

Giveaway Winner:  Congratulations to Rachel H
(wins polar bear tote, polar bear magnet, and set of three polar bear notecards)

Runners Up:  Congratulations to Stacy E & Emilie S
(each win a set of three polar bear notecards)

Thanks to everyone for entering.  The July giveaway will begin in the next few weeks :)

 

martine's river house

 
I took my parents out for dinner tonight for a belated Father's Day celebration.  My father requested going to Martine's in New Hope, PA.  For anyone that hasn't been there, New Hope is a really quaint town that is part artist colony and part tourist mecca.  Over the years, it has grown in popularity and seems to attract more and more people.  Sitting right along the Delaware River, it is a nice scenic town to spend the day walking, shopping, and eating.

Martine's was really great... everyone was pleased with their meal (that's no small wonder).  My parents have lived in that area for 20 years and I can't believe I have never eaten there before.  They have a beautiful deck that sits on the river and it was the perfect place to be eating on the first nice night we have had in a couple of weeks!    What did we have, you ask...

I had the Pork Medallions (Hatfield Prime Reserve medallions marinated in ginger and sesame, topped with apricot glaze, served with sweet potato fries and wasabi aïoli), my father ordered Farfalle Pasta (Tossed with sun dried tomato flavored sausage and braised escarole in a white wine and tomato caper sauce with Pecorino-Romano), and my mother and grandmother both chose the Salmon (Pesto topped and slow roasted, served with a yellow pepper and shellfish sauce, rice pilaf and asparagus).

If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend it!

it's been a while...

I am excited to say that I just booked my first vacation in about three years!  Since buying my home, I haven't been able to do anything except stay here in it.  I won't be going anywhere crazy exotic this time around, but at least it will require an airplane trip and it won't be work related!  So, in a little over a week, I will be in Key West, sitting by the pool at the Ocean Keys Resort, and basking in the sun... ahhhh.  I can't wait because the weather in NJ has been amazingly horrible.  It's literally been raining for WEEKS.  I am considering starting construction of an ark as a "just in case" precaution. 

Here are some ocean creatures I made today while dreaming of my vacation...

 PS - don't forget, there are three more days to enter my blog giveaway!

bubbledog's june giveaway

This is the first of three free giveaways that I am planning for this summer - one each for June, July, and August.  The winner of June's giveaway will receive three items featuring my hugging polar bears design.  The winner will get one 2.25" magnet, one 12" lightweight tote, and three blank 4.25" x 5.5" note cards.  To read more about these items, check them out in my etsy shop. 

THE RULES:

• The winner of this giveaway will be chosen at random. 
• All entries must be made by midnight EST on Tuesday, June 23rd. 
• The winner will be announced Wednesday, June 24th.
• No purchase is necessary to be entered into the drawing. 
• This giveaway is open to US residents only.  
• Void where prohibited.

You can receive up to five entries for this giveaway:

1.  Receive one entry by leaving a comment on this post.  Just make sure you enter your email address correctly when leaving the comment (that's how I will notify you if you win).  If you read my blog in a reader or through email updates, you will have to go here to leave a comment.

2.  Receive one additional entry by leaving a comment on any other post in my blog.

3.  Receive one additional entry by posting this contest on your blog (just post a link in your comment so I know to check).

4.  You can also receive two additional entries by signing up to receive my blog updates by email using the form below.  You only need to subscribe once to get two entries... sorry if I was confusing :)

Enter your email address:

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Good luck :)

UPDATE:  THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.  NO MORE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.  CHECK BACK FOR MY JULY GIVEAWAY.

nothing better to do

Basically, it's been raining here in NJ for the last three weeks.  We may have had a break of sun now and again, but overall it's been pretty dreary.  As I woke up to yet another rainy and overcast day, I was happy to have received an email from my brother suggesting I check out awkwardfamilyphotos.com.  If you are having a lazy Sunday, or having trouble getting back into work mode on Monday, it is a perfect site to browse and waste some of your dreary day away.  Enjoy!