We snuck off to the beach over Memorial Day weekend to spend some time with John’s family (at their amazing beach house near Bethany Beach, Delaware) so we thought we’d share our house-related adventures. A while back a reader (thanks Ann!) recommended checking out The Old Screen Door in Lewes (about 30 mins from Bethany), so we took a drive out there and it was the cutest little town (which boasts that it was the first town in the first state). Here’s the front of the shop:
It’s not very big inside, but there’s a collection of really fun old stuff going on (mixed with some new stuff to keep things interesting).
And Clara loves bikes. Well she loves lots of things (birdies, duckies, doggies, kitties, cars, blocks, her stuffed giraffe that she affectionately named Gee, etc) so it was no surprise to us that she honed in on this cool metal tricycle as soon as she saw it.
So like typical parents with no willpower we bought it for our office (since it’s really not meant for riding, but it’s fun to look at and we’re all in there all the time). At thirty beans it wasn’t exactly free but we like to pick up one or two “house things” whenever we travel (that way they have a vacation memory attached to them, which seems to make them more special). Here are some better shots that we snapped of it back in Richmond yesterday:
We don’t have a specific spot for it in the office yet, but we figure once we add more storage and cabinetry it’ll look pretty sweet in there. Of course, no sooner had we put our purchase in the car did we look at each other and simultaneously realize that it kinda reminded us of the creepy tricycle from the Saw movies:
So even though it should give us the heebie-jeebies it somehow makes us laugh (and thereby love it a little bit more). Ah random quirkiness – gotta have some of that to make a house a home.
But back to our visit to The Old Screen Door. I was also head over heels in love with this tiny outdoor chair (it was the best weathered gray color) but at $65 (which isn’t bad, we’re just cheap) we decided to leave it there for the next baby to enjoy.
Then we drove over to downtown Lewes which is a gorgeous tree-lined street full of shops and goodies (like a store called Cake Bar). Clara had a ball in Kids Ketch (a toy store packed with fun stuff). Here she is perusing the monster collection that hung from a clothesline across the entryway:
She especially liked a small green doll called Groody. Let’s just say that Groody’s tag cracked us up (if you can’t read it, it says: Groody is a pretty relaxed, easy going, energetic, stressed out, moody broody mess! Aaaaaahhhhh! Did I just close that door? It was a ghost! Did I send that e-mail to the wrong person!!??? You get the picture. If you are willing to help him on his quest for inner peace he will help you on your quest for whatever dealio you got going. His first though).
Hilarious. Oh and remember snap bracelets? I wore one as a scrunchy in grade school. Oh yeah, I was that cool. Anyway, they had snap bracelet watches that brought me back.
But we left without Groody or the snap bracelet watch (sometimes it’s just fun to window shop and spend a few bucks on ice cream as you walk around). Oh and speaking of window shopping, I spied this cute little pig planter through the window of a flower store. Totally my idea of a good time. In the words of A.C. Slater, “oink, oink babe.” <– audio clip here
One of the most fun places that we popped into was this little alley marked “Antique Mall”:
Inside were some of the most amazing collections of cool stuff that I’ve seen in a while. Like these pretty oversized mercury glass finial-like accents and the fun antique bronze porthole mirror:
And this insane to the membrane (well, to mine at least) wood horse. He was $250 firm, so I hugged him and then moved on. Not without telling him I loved him first (see, he made me go crazy).
I also fell in love with this amazing print about Kalamari (at over $200 I had to pass it up, but I still daydream about it for at least twenty minutes a day):
And this tin whale thingie was, in the words of my girl Bethenny Frakel, amazeballs. It’s hard to explain but you could rock the whale back and forth and the mouth would open and close and the eye would move from left to right. In short, he was cooler than my snap bracelet scrunchy.
And then there were these baskets. I loved how tightly they were nested (the whole set was muy expensive, but they also sold them individually).
What did we get? Well, right as we were about to leave we noticed a little stand of iron birds and sea turtles for $6 a pop. And you might remember that I have a thing for sea turtles thanks to our moving-day experience and a certain necklace from Cougartown (more on that here). So we decided to take this little guy home with us.
So our total spent for the day was around $40 (including our $30 bike, our $6 sea turtle, and some ice cream to enjoy while strolling around Lewes). It was a good day. Oh and there were such cute houses too. Like this one with not one but two giant concrete dogs out front (we were driving so I only caught one):
And this inviting little beach palace with crisp white trim and a picket fence:
And this guy complete with gargoyles guarding the hydrangeas:
Of course we also had our fair share of family time and beach hijinks. Here’s a little slice of that for all you Clara-loving folks (hi mom):
Oh and I read a lot of Bossypants aloud to John (he’s the driver for our road trips, so I’m in charge of entertainment while Clara and Burger are in charge of sleeping) and we both thought it was hilarious. So I guess I’ll fill in where Oprah’s Book Club left off and recommend it.
That’s all she wrote. What did you guys do for Memorial Day? Any other beach trips or window shopping excursions? Anyone else who wore repurposed a snap bracelet as a scrunchy?
Psst- Creepy saw tricycle image from here.
Psssst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Britt@knewlywifed. says
What an awesome little town! My husband and I are planning a trip up that way, and I’ll have to mark that spot on our ‘to-do list’!
Mary says
I bought that exact sea turtle last year when we were on vacation at Lewes.
YoungHouseLove says
Twin turtles! I love it.
xo,
s
myhonestanswer says
You find the best stuff! And the worst. Love the Clara pic!
Gerrie says
It looks like you guys had a great time! Love the turtle :) I’ve been meaning to ask you guys how you have such neat mortar in the crevices between your bricks. I noticed how neat they were in the picture with the bike in front (also cute). Reason being is that we have an apartment where EVERY surface is exposed brick and painting it is a nightmare and so I’m wondering what you used or do to get such neat grout lines (which would mean you could nap roller right over the top). Love your blog. I’m from Australia and check in a couple of times a day. Thanks so much!
YoungHouseLove says
I actually filled all the cracks with caulk before we painted. It sounds kind of crazy (and boy was it messy) but it didn’t take that long since I just squeezed out a blob and rubbed it into all the holes with my fingers. Then we just used a high nap roller and a brush to get into any small areas that it wouldn’t reach. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sara says
Nothing better than babies on the beach! We did the same thing just a couple miles south of Bethany in OCMD.
Christie says
First and foremost, Clara is a fashionista. I love her purple and olive green little number and that bathing suit and pink hat are too too fab. She is giving the baby girls of Richmond a run for their money in the fashion department. :-)
Second, you ruined my day with that picture of the creature from Saw. Those movies scare me. :-(
Third, I heart that little turtle.
Sounds like a fun and successful trip!
Amanda says
Where is Clara’s hat from? I love it!
YoungHouseLove says
That was $4 from The Children’s Place Outlet in Delaware.
xo,
s
Betsy Denning says
Going to Dewey beach later this month. I’ll have to check some of those places out! My Memorial Day was spent building my new shed. It was hot!
Gerrie says
Brilliant! Thanks for your reply about the chaulk. I’ll try that. Appreciate your help :)
Annette says
Loved this post! Especially since we are going to Bethany Beach in August with my husband’s family. I was wondering what there will be to do there, thanks for the ideas (and would love more)!
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
Um, I LOVE the Antique Mall! I just love the Rehoboth Beach area though. Glad you guys had a great trip. It was a wonderful weekend for the beach!
JMJE says
I love the tricyle and BossyPants. Clara really looks like Sherry in that last picture.
Laura says
I “pinned” that first house picture that you showed…it is so freakin’ cute, I adore it! :)
Laura says
By the way, I also adore the close-up picture of Clara…but she looks like she’s about to eat the two people in the sun chairs! You did say she’s in the 95% for height, so I shouldn’t be too surprised.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, she’s also the hungriest baby around. Seriously, she can eat a whole chicken breast and a whole sweet potato and a cup of yogurt for lunch. And still be hungry enough to beg for an apple.
xo,
s
Aimee Lane says
i love that turtle, too. where your gray ruffled skirt is from!?!?
thanks, aimee
YoungHouseLove says
That’s a skirt I got about six years ago in NYC. The label says “Aqua” I think. Hops it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
We will have to check out the town of Lewes in August! We go to the DE beaches at least once a year, but only seem to shop at the outlets and in Ocean City. Clara’s bathing suit is gorgeous, do they have one in my size? Of course not.
I read Bossypants on a plane, who knows what the guy next to me thought of my outbursts of laughter? At least I wasn’t snorting.
Ashley says
You probably get this all the time…but I have to tell you Clara has to be one of the cutest babies I have ever seen! Those two little bottom teeth are just too much!
Jennifer says
Your new tricycle purchase reminded me of an episode of Pawn Stars that aired this week, where someone brought in a tricycle just like that one and claimed that they had found it in there grandmother’s attic or somewhere, and that it was from the 1800s… the guy she was trying to sell it to was like, this is decoration, it is not old. It was pretty funny since he had all these reasons to back up why it was fake. Weird that you bought the same tricycle the same week it aired, and even weirder that I watch Pawn Stars!
Love the blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha that’s too funny! Ours definitely doesn’t look old, just modeled to look old if that makes sence. Too funny that someone was trying to pull a tricycle scam!
xo,
s
Jenny says
Looks like a great trip… love the turtle. But REALLY love Clara’s bathing suit! Where on earth did you find that?!
YoungHouseLove says
Clara’s cousin Elsa gave it to her (gotta love hand me downs!) but I think it was originally from Gymboree.
xo,
s
Lauren says
Where on EARTH did you get Clara’s swim suit? I love it. Looks like a fun vaca!
YoungHouseLove says
That was a sweet hand me down from her cousin Elsa. I think it was from Gymboree though.
xo,
s
Kristen says
I grew up in Rehoboth (Lewes, actually). My very first job was at Kids Ketch when they first opened on 2nd street but in a smaller location across the street. I am an avid reader, but don’t comment often. But seeing these pictures made me nostalgic for home. Currently living in Fort Lauderdale, but I do miss Rehoboth and Lewes so much.
Kristen says
Loved that book! I think I read it in 2 nights and laughed out loud at least once a minute :)
ginai says
!!!John is always so sexy, and Little Clara is the CUTEST little baby girl eva!
Sherry, not leaving you out.. you KNOW ur gorgeous!!! and my golly, that rock on ur finger must weigh a ton!!((:
Cheryl says
So funny – my family has a beach house in Lewes so we go there every summer and I know all the spots you visited! Kids Ketch is very pricey but the kids love getting a treat compliments of Nana there every year! Our favorite – next time you visit – the puffins at the bakery downtown – they’re a muffin encased in puff pastry and they are the best thing ever. You have to get them in the morning before they sell out though. Hope to see you in town this summer!
Kayla H. says
This is a little off subject. I see above where you said that you used 7th Generation laundry detergent…didn’t you also say at one time that you used the same brand diapers on Clara? I’m expecting, and considering that brand. I can’t really find many people who have used them so I was just wondering how well you would recommend them?!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, whenever we travel we use Seventh Generation disposables and really like them. We definitely prefer cloth when we’re home, but they’re great when we don’t have access to a washer!
xo,
s
Ali says
What a fun weekend! I love that house with the gargoyles by the way. You really don’t see many of those anymore, but their statues looked pretty cool.
I really need to read Bossypants soon. Tina Fey is a riot.
Bethie says
Love the video of Clara yelling at the waves! Too cute!
(PS: There is a tiny typo in the toy description. You want “send” not “sent.”)
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much! Off to fix it!
xo,
s
Krysta @ Domestic for Dummies says
It looks like you all had a great time. You always seem to find the cutest stores. And of course Clara is the cutest thing EVER! Since you asked, this is what I did this weekend:
http://domesticfordummies.com/2011/05/long-weekend-recap.html
YoungHouseLove says
I die for the cheeseburger cake! Looks like you had lots of fun.
xo,
s
Emily T says
I read “Bossypants” over the long weekend, too! I loved it. While Tina Fey’s description of motherhood was hilarious, I really appreciated her words of wisdom which never seemed preachy. The whole “I don’t like the word ‘nanny'” and overall messages of “be kind to one another” and “think before you speak” made me really happy.
Stephanie says
Aww, my family used to vacation in Bethany Beach every summer. I haven’t been there in forever, but now I want to go back so I can check out that antiques mall, it looks amazing!
Amanda @ Our Humble A{Bowe}d says
Oh, the trike is adorable! Love the cute homes you found, too!! And, I loved snap bracelets! I had several and did occasionally wear one around my pony tail. Of course, I completed the look with stirrup pants, a baggy floral sweatshirt one of those buckles you tucked your shirt into. Pure awesomeness, right?
YoungHouseLove says
Totally. We had it going on.
xo,
s
Lindsay says
Oh my gosh! I totally forgot all about having stirrup pants! hahahaha
Janet says
I lived for those plastic shirt buckles! I had them in tons of colors and shapes, and most were covered in rhinestones. I wonder if anyone still makes them?
Desiree says
Memorial Day and the beach…it doesn’t get much better! Love Clara’s hair:)! My Hannah is about the same age and has just about as much hair. Love it, because people think she’s much younger than she is and love it because it’s just so darn cute! I’m a proud Momma of the hair she does have though – always quick to correct those who say she doesn’t have any hair – it’s there…and much more than there used to be:)(I add the last bit, because I have a feeling you might get the same comments on Clara:))
YoungHouseLove says
It’s true! She used to look like her head was shaved. Now it’s covered in peach fuzz. I’ll take it!
xo,
s
Jenny B says
I was noticing her peach fuzz, too. So sweet. My almost-two-year-old, Hank, had the exact same hair. He was 16 months before I had to trim it–he had a little mullet going on at first. But in the last 6 to 8 months it’s really taken off! I love it but I still swoon at pictures of his little bald head.
Teresa says
I’m so glad I read this post! We are going to Ocean City, MD for a week in June. I’ve been through Lewes after going on the ferry, but not to the downtown. Now I know what I will be checking out (besides the outlets in Rehoboth).
Rebecca @This Nest is Best says
Oh, I am SO jealous of your antique-ing! I don’t know that I would have been able to restrict myself as much as you did :) We did a road trip over Memorial Day, too!
http://thisnestisbest.com/2011/05/30/happy-memorial-day/
YoungHouseLove says
Love a good road trip!
xo,
s
Anita says
Wahoowa on the UVA hat! The pic of the Saw puppet freaked me out but Clara’s adorable antics made up for it :-)
Sara says
and I was going to comment that he needed a Hokie hat instead. Hokie Hi!
Stephanie says
Sounds like you guys had a wonderful weekend! We’re headed to my parents house in Bethany next week love that place :)
Shannon says
I’m just about finished with Bossypants too. Tina Fey rocks my world.
Lori and Ethne at wom-mom.com says
I want to read bossypants! And also Rob Lowe’s new tell-all! It looks facinating!
Love the snap watch! It does bring back memories!
Lori
http://www.wom-mom.com
Hannah says
We visited family in Richmond and drove right through Bon Air. Beautiful town. Great place for a kid to grow up. Enjoy!
YoungHouseLove says
Aw thanks! We love our little neighborhood.
xo,
s
Bethany says
My family has a beach house in Bethany but I wasn’t named after Bethany Beach (I get that all the time). We love outlet shopping and doing all the fun beachy activities. I am definitely going to venture up to Lewes the next time we are there which will be on my birthday, June 17! Love your blog!
Robin @ our semi organic life says
“I cannot emphasize to you how well this went… because I don’t know how to do “double underline” on my computer.” also my fav “Couldn’t you just do it while I was out?!” okay funny I’ll stop and leave the rest for people who havent’ read Bossypants. The audio book is a little extra piece of awesomness btdubs.
Looks like such a fun time! Such a cute babe!
Jason says
I love these posts when you are here in Delaware!! Lewes is the best town, our beach house(which my Mom sold and I was mad and she regrets it now – I’m always right) was right around the corner from the house you show with the gargoyles! That house used to be a dump and only half as big. Then new owners bought it and built on the back 2x the size with the same recreated and matched textured blocks! It’s so nice now – did you happen to see the big sculpture fountain out back and the 2 story patio/porch? It’s pretty cool, but we had just a little 2 bedroom cottage nothing like that and yet it was the best!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man that’s so cool! We’ll have to look at the back if we’re back there someday!
xo,
s
Jason says
Well if you go there again there is a restaurant right near there called Striper Bites – I’d recommend it highly!
YoungHouseLove says
Good to know!
xo,
s
Andrea @ DwellRepurposed says
Clara is just precious! I have a 15 month old and he does the same thing! I love it when I see other babies doing the same things as my little man!
Love that porthole mirror! And I thought I was the only person that said insane in the membrane(hubbs always looks at me crazy when I say it).
Gina @ Runningtothekitchen says
That bathing suit on Clara is THE cutest thing I have ever seen. Why are babies at the beach so darn adorable!?
Laura says
Sounds like fun. Love the horse! Every time I see one, I get a pain in my stomach though.
I had the coolest Folk art horse that I bought at an antique shop years ago. It was handmade and was awesome.
During one of our last moves, somebody mixed up the box it was in with the pile that was to go to Goodwill and I never saw it again. :(
Someone got a killer deal that day! Oh well, the hunt continues for another…
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man I feel your pain! Maybe you’ll find him at Goodwill or at a garage sale someday!
xo,
s
Hannah says
I totally loved that little romper outfit that Clara was rocking (where’d you get it btw?) and the bathing suit, how cute is that? And I can’t for the life of me get my little one to keep a hat on.
You guys have inspired me to go to the beach soon and check out some small shops in the area (we live in Florida so its no hardship taking the day to go to the beach :). We’ve been redoing our place and could use some new decor items. Who knows what you can find right? :)
YoungHouseLove says
That little romper was from Old Navy (they had a 30% off sale and I couldn’t resist). They should still have it I think (we only got it about two weeks ago).
xo,
s
Jessie says
That bike is awesome, and only slightly creepy. And is it just me, or does Clara look JUST like Sherry in the third Clara photo?
YoungHouseLove says
That makes me so happy! Everyone says she looks like John (even my family). Haha.
xo,
s
Joe D says
Awesome that you guys went to Lewes. My fiancée and I are down in Rehoboth a few times a summer and always make a trip out to Lewes.
If you have a chance, try Agave Restaurant in Lewes. The steak tacos, guacamole and Margaritas are amazing.
Jessi says
I love Tina Fey’s ‘Prayer for My Daughter,’ so funny!
We usually grab audiobooks for the road. I used to read out loud, then I realized that 1. it made me carsick and 2. I lost my voice doing it one too many times. Guess those trips were a bit long for me reading out loud!
Looks like you had a great time on your trip!
Georgia Rowe says
Sneaky weekend break! love it.
Looks like a nice quaint town, love being at the seaside.
Love the turtle, where will it reside in your house?
And OMG you totally creaped me out with the saw puppet… *shudder*
YoungHouseLove says
Not sure where Mr. Turtle will land. Maybe on our desk as a paperweight?
xo,
s
Amy says
We were DIYing and doing yard work all weekend. We want to get stuff done so we can spend quality time with our 18-month-old son this summer. One of the things we worked on was his very own toddler-sized Adirondack chair! I’m on the painting phase right now. It’s going to be awesome!
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh post photos on Facebook! We’d love to see how it turns out!
xo,
s
Suzanne says
oh yeah, John’s got to build her one of those! she’ll use it for years. so cute.