Before we departed for Baltimore to visit my grandmother this weekend, I was struck down with a horrible stomach bug. The same thing that Mazen had a about two days prior (and his first time throwing up.) It was horrible – but thankfully short lived. But my appetite is still not back! So I have nothing to share from Friday or the first half of Saturday. I ate a popsicle from the city market (strawberries and coconut cream!) and then a hot dog at our neighbor’s cookout (and barely any of that salad). I haven’t had a hot dog in YEARS. It was yummy.
I spy!
Sunday morning we got up bright and early and headed up to Towson, Maryland to visit Gram!
Here we are with her friend, Dr. Muuss. She’s doing great and painting up a storm. I came home with 3 new gorgeous paintings for the house.
Gram is also an avid gardener. The house she and my grandfather once owned had incredible gardens with hidden pathways and all kinds of artistic decorations tucked about. At her condo building there isn’t a lot of space to garden, but she has won the container garden contest several times. She gave us a tour.
We had Sunday brunch together upon our arrival. Mazen always draws lots of attention in the dining room.
I ate All The Blackberries! And that deviled egg is topped with smoked salmon. Genius!
We took Mazen to the putting green to burn some energy before nap time
After we had all taken naps, we went to my aunt and uncle’s house for dinner. Mazen loved the vintage truck they brought out for him.
And he had a blast with my aunt’s bubble machine! Must buy one stat!
My aunt and uncle have a gorgeous yard. (Remember my cousin’s wedding was held there!) We enjoyed this lovely spread of appetizers and cheese in perfect weather on their patio.
Along with some incredible wines. I’m still sad my stomach wasn’t up for doing much drinking yet.
My aunt and uncle are great cooks, and we had a trio of meats (chicken, beef and pork) with delicious summery vegetable sides.
I was a little too busy getting Mazen set up with dinner to do this food photography justice. It was delish!
As was the dessert – tiny scoops of ice cream with home-canned peaches and fresh strawberries.
Despite how much he ran around all day long, Mazen stayed up waaaaaaaaay past his bedtime (which came back to haunt us in a big way the next day).
Monday morning we had brunch with Gram after a lovely walk around the Goucher College campus.
OJ, eggs, fruit, cheese and toast.
We said our farewells and headed back to Cville in time for dinner.
Here’s my new painting from Gram, Adam + Eve, hung above my DIY chest paint project! I used the Annie Sloan chalk paint to spruce up a drab Italian-y black chest my dad won for free many years ago and it sure is more fun now!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.
Holiday weekends with family are the absolute best! I bet Maze draws a crowd wherever he goes! What a happy guy. Running through the bubbles reminds me of when mom would set the sprinkler up with just a tiny bit of water splashing out and we’d run up to it and then it would get close and we’d giggle and run away. Apparently we could spend hours doing that and would wind up exhausted and sleep all afternoon. 🙂
Hope your stomach gets back to 100% ASAP!!
Love that ombré dresser, what a cute idea!
That’s so great that Gram loves to paint, it will be nice to have those in your your home to think of her for many years to come!
I love Maryland! It looks awesome!
Looks like a wonderful weekend and full of super yummy food! 🙂 Hope you are feeling better!
Looks like a wonderful weekend- how cute is he in those sunglasses!?
Your family know how to eat…gorgeous fresh food as always! Brunch and breakfasts look divine as does the trio of meats!!! Yummers!
The chest of drawers looks great!!! What a good idea and great color choices.
Was Mazen just crankier the next day? My 22 month old son has yet to stay up any later than ten/fifteen minutes past his bedtime, but this summer there are a few occasions where I’d like for him to be able to stay up a bit later! (4th of July etc). I know that fun memories can be more important than bedtime but at the same time it makes me nervous, lol.
Yeah super cranky and more agitated than usual. The same thing happened to us on Christmas. We flew on Christmas Eve and he was so tired the next day he was not a very happy baby to be around.
So glad you made the trip and had a good time. Love the pics!
what do you mean by italian-y dresser?
It had an old world feel to it.
Cute painting! Where did you end up hanging the other ones? Were they similar?
I haven’t decided where to put them yet. Photo on instagram!
Sorry to hear you got a stomach bug! I had that a few weeks ago and couldn’t get out of bed for 4 days or keep anything down for 2. It was miserable. I’m sorry Mazen had it too, poor little guy. Sounds like you still had a good weekend though!
Your aunt and uncle put out an amazing spread- yum! I think it’s funny you mention the last time you had a hot dog; I thought I’d read about hot dogs not that long ago on your blog, and I was right! https://www.katheats.com/lately-16 not even a year ago- I remember thinking I’d just seen grass-fed beef hot dogs in my local WF, and then saw them on your blog. Funny how some foods feel like it’s been ages when it’s not been that long at all; I’m that way with french fries.
Not sure I count that one because it wasn’t a classic like this one was : ) It has been ages since I had one in public with a white bun old school style.
Looks like you had a great weekend!!! I’m jealous 😉
How was the chalk paint to work with? Was it user friendly? We’re thinking of painting a table & chairs. Did you photograph the process for a post by chance??
It was awesome. I didn’t prepare a post, but I wish I had. Maybe I will for the next item I paint (because there will be more!) I ran out of paint quickly though, so I’d get more than you need.
Great to hear! I hope you do a post!! Thanks, Kath 🙂
Did you use the wax they recommend using with the chalk paint? I’m debating painting a table and had been doing some googling and heard the wax was hard to work with, so was debating using poly over top instead.
They were sold out when I went in! I need to get some though because it does need some kind of protector – esp because I used white.
He looks like the happiest kid! Like who gets that excited about eggs? His faced is thrilled, haha! So precious!
That chest looks awesome!
It looks like you had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! The food looks amazing! I went to the beach yesterday, and I was surprised how many toddlers there were. How old were your kids when you first took them to the beach?
I’m curious to know where you went to brunch when you were in Towson–I live in the area!
We ate at Gram’s dining room in her apartment building.
LOVE that dresser and the painting and most of all your Gram’s face. She just lights up and i am sure Mazen is a precious bright spot spot in her life! you are such a sweet granddaughter, Kath.
Love the pic of fruit and ice cream! yum.
love ya, girl!! 🙂
XOXO
hope you are feeling better and enjoying this start to summer with your boys. 🙂
Is jon your dad’s or your mom’s cousin’s son?
He’s my mom’s cousin
He’s your first-cousin-once-removed then :)I think that trips most people up! Funny how sometimes cousins look like siblings and other times there’s little resemblance. Jealous of your yummy fruit. Going into winter here and I’m already reduced to apples pears and bananas 🙁
I find it amazing when people can keep track of the whole 1st, 2nd, twice removed, once replaced, three-times-a-lady relationship identifiers. LOL I have eleventy billion cousins and they’re all just “cousins” to me. If someone introduced their relative to me that way all it would add to the convo is confusion.
I think it might depend on what part of the country you’re from. On the west coast I know that as a 2nd cousin. I’ve never heard anyone use the “removed” part in my personal life, only on movies and stuff
I don’t think the terms are a regional thing..just perhaps it is less common to understand the differences in your area. Second cousin had a different meaning – Jon’s child would be kath’s second cousin. The once removed part lets you know that it’s a different generation. I find the easiest way to think of it which of your grandparents are siblings- great, great great? Here’s a simple explanation http://www.genealogy.com/16_cousn.html. I think it’s important to know the difference is you’re going to use the term. Otherwise as Tonya says then just use ‘cousin’ for everyone. But yes it’s one of my personal bugbears. Much better than the number if people who use stepbrother and half brother interchangeably though!
Sorry to hear about the bug you caught! Looks like you had a fun-filled weekend! All the food looks amazing!
To be able to eat brunch in a semi-formal setting would be so much fun to me. Reminds me of an episode of Little House on the Prairie. Charles gave Caroline a set of china as a gift. She decided that it should be reserved for special people, and since her family was special they ate on them all the time. I think it makes the meal even more enjoyable when good food is presented on pretty plates.
Such fun festivities! A bubble machine is totally a kid’s best friend. Love those things when I was a nugget.
Glad to hear that the stomach bug didn’t last too long. Looks like you still had an awesome time with your family!
I just LOVE your grandmother’s paintings. She is extremely talented!
I also LOVE what you did with that dresser. Painting the drawers a lighter to darker shade. I would never have thought of that. Amazing!
Hi Kath, I’m a long time reader of you blog (6 years!) and just love it. Also, while I am currently going to college in Nashville I went to High School at Towson High and always enjoy seeing your pics there. Hope you had a great weekend (:
My mom went there too!
Awesome, Go Generals!!!!
You’re grandma’s a really cool lady!
You make traveling with an almost 2 year old (post GI bug) look too easy! He’s adorable and so is Great Grandma! I loved trying to catch bubbles on the porch with Ms C! Hope you are feeling better
I saw all the paintings that ur gram gave you on instagram! super cute
love the green-blue tones on the chest! nice job with that!
Did either your grandma or mother go to Goucher. I went there and it is really common for women from the area to have studied there because it used to be a women’s college. So jealous….I miss it everyday!
No they both went to Duke but it’s a lovely campus! I’ve been walking and running there for years.