old town alexandria reminds me of the shopping boulevard in red bank, nj or maybe even the palmer square area of princeton. what i liked about alexandria was the character of the old buildings mixed with the modern shops. it made for a great day of shopping and eating.
one of the stores we went into was a paper/stationary store. my sister and i could spend hours in there just browsing. i don't know what's so interesting about paper and cardstock and fabric, but i'm just drawn to it. i have boxes full of untouched scrapbooking material with the intent to use it someday (when? who knows).
we had to leave the store, though, because my parents were set on taking us to the torpedo factory art center, a gallery where you could meet the artists and watch them in action. i followed my mom into weaving stores, as she seems to admire textiles. my dad took me to the second floor to view these amazing watercooler paintings from one of the local artists. he was so excited to share these works with my husband and me, and seeing him this way finally made it click in my mind: my parents' appreciation of art played a vital role in shaping me.
my sisters and i have always been inclined to art, whether it's creating or appreciating it. my parents both have an apt for drawing, and my love for museums probably comes from all the times we visited them as kids. i didn't know it then, but my parents were instilling art expression as an important aspect in our lives by showing us how to enjoy it.
we lost track of my sister in the gallery today for a bit. she was probably overwhelmed by all the beauty.
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