Adventures in Picture Taking: Warrenton

Yesterday was Thursday, which is always a good one around this house. Shaun is off (usually) on Thursdays so we get to spend the day together either lounging around and cleaning the house, putting together furniture or occasionally taking little adventures and doing some countryside exploring.

Yesterday we opted for waking up to a nice big breakfast and listening to country music. I cleaned the kitchen while Shaun put together the rack for his new free weights. We actually ended up putting together that monstrosity of a bowflex last night and let me tell you something, it's worth it to buy preowned workout equipment if for nothing else other than the fact that PUTTING TOGETHER WORKOUT EQUIPMENT IS THE MOST HORRIBLE THING EVER!

No, I mean it. If you think that some furniture assembly instructions are hard never ever buy a home gym. There are literally NO instructions, a bunch of parts that are either mislabeled or not labeled AT ALL and then just a big picture of the assembled monster that allows you to figure out for yourself how the heck it goes together.

Oh also, there are a lot of moments when you start assembling only to realize that one larger piece needs to go through a smaller pulley and therefore you have to unbolt everything you just bolted and start again. Yep. Has anyone else ever had this experience? Before I went downstairs to help, I thought Shaun just wasn't getting it. But after a few hours of cursing and exasperating sighs it was finally done and I vowed to call that customer service number and make someones life just as horrible as mine was for those past few hours.

Now that that little PSA is out of the way, I'd like to explain how we spent the better part of our day.

Shaun grew up in a little town about 20 minutes away from where we just moved. A little bustling country town called Warrenton, VA.

Shaun and I had driven down there once while we were living in Fairfax but only at night and only to drive through and look at houses on the way.

Yesterday we left early and headed west, to the mountains.

The funny thing about yesterday is that it was officially the 2nd day of spring. However, the temperature never broke 35. It was frigid. I absolutely loved walking down Main St and checking out little cafes and thrift stores but the cold just proved to be too intense.

I learned that taking your groveling boyfriend into a tea room is a really bad idea.

I also learned that Shaun hates nothing more in the world than tea rooms.

How can one hate something that is so delicate and beautiful and fun? I'll never know, but as soon as we stepped foot in there to grab a cappuccino (it's a cafe/tea room/antique shop) Shaun instantly went from complacent to just down right angsty and miserable. It was like I had a teenager in tow.

But we got through it and on the way back home we stopped at this amazing farm store which is like a giant Country grocery store. Equipped with blaring country music, pickaxes and farm tools nailed to the wall and big woven baskets full of classic candy at the front. I was seriously smitten.  Unfortunately Shaun forbade me to bring my camera inside so I'll have to snap a few pics next time I go in by myself.

All in all the day was pretty magical and I spent a lot of time squealing in excitement over the rolling hills scattered with cows, horse farms and tiny shops and a bank ATM turned into a cheesecake place.

 No really it was glorious but Shaun was still bitter about the tea room I guess, or maybe the fact that I played the song "Downtown" by Lady Antebellum and sang along with it about 4-5 times so we didn't stop and try the amazing cheesecake ATM.

Anyhow, here are the pictures of our day yesterday! I'm so happy to get to relive the pure joy that was most likely our last Thursday to spend together before I start my new job next week. Hopefully we can turn this back into a Sunday ritual!