I have an addiction...

to office supplies.

I was sitting here at work staring at the huge stack of invoices sitting in front of me that needed my approval. I picked up my pen and immediately knew that this just wasn't happening. I needed a new pen.

I think it's the change in the air that makes me want to stock up on new pens and pencils.

I hopped in the car and headed over to Staples where there were tons of mothers and kids stocking up for the school year. Oh how I miss a fresh new notebook to write in.

Anyway, back to office supplies. I'm probably a pen snob, but I'm ok with that. When you sit at a desk all day it's the little things that make the time go by.

I've recently fallen in love with Pentel pens (specifically their EnerGel line). I have them in blue and purple and they are great pens.

Since I love them, I also got their silver and gold pens. They're ok, not as good as the EnerGel line. I was also intrigued by a Sharpie pencil. I love a good pencil and had high hopes for these. They disappointed. My only compliment is that they erase very, very well. If you're not a pencil snob, you may like them.

So now I'm back to work, ready to tackle this stack of invoies with my new silver Pentel pen in hand.

Burlington, Vermont

When I was in public accounting I had a few clients in Burlington and it was one of my favorite places to go to. I loved the atmosphere and thought it would be a great location to go back and visit when I wasn't working.

This summer has been very busy and Pat and I found ourselves in need of some time away. We debated about where to go and my friend Mary suggested going to Vermont. It was the perfect suggestion and just the right distance away.

So, we both took off a Friday from work and headed up. Burlington didn't disappoint. They were having their annual "Festival of Fools" that weekend so there were a lot of street performers downtown to entertain us. I really enjoyed them. I was also able to go back to my favorite restaurant, Sweet Tomatoes (a must if you're in Burlington). We ate outside on Church Street since it was such a gorgeous night and it couldn't have been more perfect.

The getaway was just what we needed to recharge and Burlington is a city we'll definitely be back to visit.

(Pictures to follow, someday)!

Project Farmer's Porch...complete

We couldn't be happier with the transformation!

A little side by side comparison. The changes were the new porch (obviously) and a new door and new double upstairs windows. I'm so glad we did all of this.

Here's a better picture of just the 'after':