Yesterday was an exciting day!  It was the second annual Hope Street Block Party, the official opening of the Lippitt Park Farmer’s Market, our Beers for the Ballet beer garden, and (the eve of) Tegan’s 21st birthday!  I thoroughly enjoyed waking up late, strolling down to the Farmer’s Market (where the entire adorable young hipster family population of Providence and their dogs also flocked) and picking up some topsy-turvy poppies for the apartment.  After throwing them in some water, it was time to head over to the block party up the street.  You know what, sometimes I think Providence, and my neighborhood on the East Side/Hope Village to be exact, is the cutest little place in the world.  Strange, but cute.  There was a parade of dancing Big Nazo puppets and a slightly misfit marching band that I wish I could remember the name of working the crowd up and down Hope Street at all times.  All of the Hope Street merchants opened their doors to the block partiers with special sales, craft projects, cookie decorating and all that good stuff.  There were sidewalk games outside Seven Stars and a henna artist across the street, which Tegan and I took advantage of before heading over to the beer garden to work the ticket table.  What a strange experience, checking ids, slapping on wristbands and handing out “beer tickets” for $4 a pop.  It was such a nice treat to have local-band-turned-95.5-legends-of-Providence and Rock Hunt winners, The Ricecakes, playing a concert just a few feet away.  They even sang happy birthday to Tegan and gave us discounted band tees!  Score.