{Virtual Coffee}

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Good morning.
Are you ready for coffee?


If we were really meeting for coffee today....
I would have to tell you all about our weekend away.
We had fun in Iowa.
 It was busy and kind of tiring and lots of driving but definitely fun.
Eric and I laughed this weekend wondering what our kids would ever do if they went to Disney World.
They were beyond excited about staying in a hotel and swimming and going antiquing.
Who needs Disney World when you have a hotel room with a tv and a coffee pot
 and a swimming pool and game room and an ice machine? hahaha.
I love that my kids don't need much to be happy.


So yes, we did go to Antique Archeology, the place from the tv show American Pickers.
All of the pictures above were taken there.
It was a cool place, not as big as I imagined, but cool.
They had some really neat original things there that you don't normally see while out junking/antiquing...or picking, I guess.
And no, Danielle and Mike and Frank were not there, none of them, they must have been out pickin'.
There were lots of people there taking pictures though, definitely a touristy spot.
This VW truck was sitting out front and I fell in love immediately.
One day I will own a Volkswagen, I will.






But it looks like if you are in the area you could meet them all in June though.
It was a really neat town with cute restaurants, shops and antique stores. 
It is right along the Mississippi River. It's a town I would go back to for sure and it was 
only about ten minutes from where Eric's brother lives in Bettendorf.

These pictures below were actually taken on our way to Iowa in Galesburg, Illinois.
Oh my. We went to the big three-story antique mall and it did not disappoint.
We ate lunch at the little restaurant next to it and the kids got to order Sprite.
Wow. 
Again, almost as exciting as Disney World since they only get to drink pop on special occasions.
Charlotte always thinks it is a bit "too spicy" anyway and just drinks a little of hers.




This little coffee shop below was in this old Soda Fountain and it was so cute.
I love that they kept the original Soda Fountain but made it into a coffee shop.
I often dream of buying an old-fashioned Soda Fountain and re-opening it, how fun would that be?




I was surprised to see how Wyatt took to swimming after he hadn't been in a pool since last summer.
He was diving right in and swimming under water. 
He was doing cannonballs, belly flops and diving in like he had just been swimming last week.
This picture of him is not too clear but I love his smile here.... with his two missing front teeth...
just too cute.


I have more pictures to share but since I have pretty much dominated the entire conversation
over coffee today, I think I will stop here for now.
Otherwise you might not want to meet me again for coffee next week.
How are you, anyway?
What's going on with you? Do tell.
Thanks for joining me here this morning...hope you have a great day!

*not sure why my link-up isn't staying there? grrrr. hope it does this time!






19 comments:

  1. OOh love your photos! Opening up an old soda fountain shop sounds like so much fun. And I love that Charlotte thinks sprite is "too spicy"! Too cute!

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  2. What a great weekend! I've always wanted an old VW truck too!
    p.s. there's no linky!

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  3. Im drooling over that pink VW van...adorable!

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  4. Looking at your love for antiques makes me think I was born in the wrong time. My perfect time would have been the Doris Day years (about ten years before my actual birth date) but then that would make me ten years older now! Yikes! Swimming under water, missing front teeth, Sprite and a lack of taste for soda pop - perfect!

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  5. Good Morning! LOved the photos!!!
    Where is Galesburg IL? I live in Plainfield IL! I want to go to that mall! ha ha!!!

    I am having coffee right now. I would tell you how I am going to do laundry and charge every single camera/video camera/nook and iphone battery because we are leaving for a vacation on thursday so all of this must be done. Along with packing and cleaning. and homeschooling my girls.
    so much to do and so little time.....
    oh and I must get out for a workout/walk today. I am on a mission to lose 23 more pounds, Lost 17 so far and it feels great!
    thanks for meeting up for coffee and have a wonderful day!
    tara

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  6. How fun!!! What a great weekend! I have never been to the antique mall in Galesburg, but have always wanted to go. Maybe our next Illinois trip...

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  7. oh i want a vw bus too!! with really cute curtains inside...awwww

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  8. What a great trip ;D Looks like a blast. All the guys in my house watch that Pickers show. I don't pay much attention usually, except when Mike laughs... it is so irritating ;D Anyway, glad you all had a blast. You sure did get some amazing pictures! As always.
    HUGS

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  9. awesome -- you were in iowa -- i knew it was brighter here :). you should totally open a fountain with vanilla cokes. what kind of starbucks do you get? i can't translate the last line ... i'm a peppermint mocha all year 'round!

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  10. When I read your blog & see your pictures, it gives me such a warm cozy feeling, like a throw back to childhood. I just love it! Your photography is amazing. I want a VW van too, I want to just drive around the country in it, camping out and living a hippy lifestyle...that's my dream!

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  11. Looks like you had a very nice weekend! Here on the east coast, we call "pop" soda. I don't think my kids have actually tried it yet (ages 8 and 4). I spent 7 months doing an internship in Baraboo, WI (an hour north of Madison) and I learned about the quad cities there. My roommate lived in Iowa near the Mississippi and we spent a weekend at her house. Her mom was into antique things and they had a dry sink and some other cool stuff. Don't really see that much around here. Also, around here, we call liquor store "packy's" (or package store) but I know you had a different name for them out there. Thanks for coffee and the photos!

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  12. Aah! I am a little jealous, I must admit. I love American Pickers! Glad you all had a great time! :)

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  13. Oh...I love American Pickers. I keep thinking we should go there sometime. Maybe this shindig in June will give us an excuse to go.

    I totally had to laugh when you said Charlotte says her pop is "too spicy" that's what E says too. He doesn't like the fizzy, which is good I guess, but funny too.

    Looks like you had a blast in Iowa. GO HAWKS! Thanks for visiting my neck of the woods :-)

    Have a GREAT WEEK!

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  14. hello lovely....

    i want to see this show American Pickers- sounds flipping fab!!!

    And I want ALL of those signs....my dad was a signwriter....a letter making of the old school- all by hand...

    Now computers have changed all that...they don't do it like he used to anymore...so I would looove all these...

    Great road trip along the Missisip...one day you'll do it in that VW !!!!

    Melissa xx

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  15. I love these photos! I think it's so cool that you got to go to the American Pickers shop. WOW! We love that show. We've been to Ottumwa, Iowa many times to visit family, now I have got to look up to see how far the pickers shop is from there. I love Iowa, I think it's so beautiful, peaceful.

    How fun!

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  16. What fun and what a great blog party! I hope to start participating in this one very soon! Love it!!

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  17. PS - added your Virtual Coffee button on my sidebar :-)

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  18. I think the same thing about my kids.

    See? There is something to be said about being less traveled.

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  19. I revived and linked up my own blog party from your inspiration here! :-)

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