Buzz Off

This past weekend  I went to Home Depot to pick up a few items that I needed to complete some of my "to do's". I felt like a traitor since my mom owns a small hardware store, but because Home Depot was closer and I knew had everything that I needed I decided to go there. As soon as I rounded the corner I knew I was doomed. The parking lot was packed, people were spinning their carriages from one isle to another, and little orange aprons bounced around like ping pong balls. 


I just needed a few things so I got out my list, got my game face on, and went for it. Since my little lovely was in tow I made sure that the importance of strategy was understood.....paint department first, that way they can make our color while we pick up our vegetables and plants for our garden. Knowing that the checkout line was jam packed I made sure that we had everything we needed so that we wouldn't have to get out of line. Have you ever been in the midst of huge chaos and just started grabbing for things? That's kind of how I was. I think it's a 

psychological thing. For instance make sure you have everything even if you might not need it because you definitely "do not" want to come back to this zoo anytime soon. So that's how it was. I grabbed a product that I wasn't quite sure I needed. OFF!® Clip-On^™ Mosquito Repellent. 

I live in a buggy area, especially this time of year so I figured worse case scenario if it doesn't work I'm out $10. I have nothing to gain by what I'm about to tell you, OFF!® Clip-On^™ Mosquito Repellent is not a sponsor of mine so this is only what I experienced, but the darn thing worked. One of my "to do's" was to paint the tree house. Tree + Mosquitoes = Missery. Nope!, not with this product, I simply clipped it to my pants and painted all afternoon. Not one mosquito bite. I kid you not! 


Now I will also say this, there are quite a few precautions on the product but I've tested it for you, and am still alive. Just don't lick it, rub it on your skin, or do anything totally crazy like that and I'm sure you'll be fine- or grow an extra pair of bug eyes :-)

Hang Ten Baby

It's a big day today, an extremely joyous day, and a day of reflection! Ten years ago today I became a mom. As I was designing my little lovely's birthjday card I decided to go with the theme of "hanging ten". I wondered where that phrase originated. Apparently hanging ten is considered one of the most impressive surfing stunts performed on a surfboard. Hanging ten is when the surfer positions the surfboard in such a way that the back of it is covered by the wave and the wave rider is free to walk to the front of the board and hang all ten toes over the nose of the board.  


Sounds complicated. Apparently these surfers thought so too because they wiped out before hanging any digets from the board's edge. Ouch!

Thank you for coming along with me on my journeys this week. 

Enjoy your weekend and any "Stops that you find yourself making Along The Way".

Happy Birthday Baby! Hang Ten! LOVE~

Where Do You Get Your Inspiration?

I love the beach, its sounds, smells, colors and treasures! It is my favorite place to be. For me, the beach is where I feel most connected to the universe, where I  pray, where I cry, where I laugh, where I walk, where I get my inspiration. Throughout the cold New England winters you can find me bundled up by the seashore. In the summer I'll be the one with the big sunglasses building a sandcastle with children draped around my neck. I love the beach, it makes me sing! 

This weekend while my family was in from out of town we made a stop at Wingaersheek Beach in Gloucester. We had a wonderful day chasing hermit crabs, making drip castles, and plunging into the cold ocean in search of sand dollars.  

I took a few photos that day. I was inspired to try a new App that I downloaded onto my Android phone. It's called FxCamera. It comes with three effects, a Polaroid, Fish Eye, and ToyCam. Although the quality of the Polaroid is grainy I really like it. It reminds me of a Polaroid that I'd find tucked away in an attic.       

Original Photo

FxCamera

This summer I hope you find yourself wiggling your toes by the water's edge. There are many beaches that will inspire you. Gloucester alone has seven beaches to choose from. Enjoy!

What's Your Gift?

Photo: Eric Schwartz Front of the MFA

We all have a gift, there are so many that I'd be hard pressed to list them all. An artist, a caregiver, a builder, a professional athlete, a leader, a writer, and the list goes on. What's your gift? Some people can answer that question quite simply. For me it's always been a question that's puzzles me. I can do a lot of things fairly well, but there is not one that I'd say was my "gift". I love it when I hear a story about someone who found their gift. They always seem so confident about their direction. If I only had one direction maybe it would be simpler to know what my gift was. Is it possible to have more than one gift? Now you see why I'm puzzled. 

Photo: Jeremy Schwartz - Close-up of Chihuly's 42'  Icicle Tree

One of my stops this weekend was to the MFA (Museum of Fine Arts) in Boston where I saw an exhibit by Dale Chihuly, an artist that knows what his gift is and is extremely gifted. I'm not sure if you've ever seen his work , but if you have I'm sure that like me, you were "blown" (no pun intended) away. 

Photo: Isabella Schwartz

Dale Chihuly is often considered the greatest artist working in American glass since Tiffany. He has the extraordinary gift of blowing glass into forms that resemble leaves, tendrils, blossoms, baskets,and sea forms. After a car accident left him blind in one eye, making it impossible for him to blow, Chihuly assembled a team of glassblowers from around the world. In his studio he creates masterpieces that use the same techniques used by master Venetian glass makers. He has permanent collections in over 200 museums. That's impressive. 

Photo: Blue Island Girl

Here are some pictures that we took during our visit. If you can make a stop to the MFA I would HIGHLY recommend it, because these photos do not do the real thing justice. His installation Through the Looking Glass runs through August 7th. 

Photo: Jeremy Schwartz

Photo: Eric Schwartz My favorite blue chandelier 

A Day Late A Dollar Short

Photo by EJS

Photo by EJS

It's Monday...no wait, it's Tuesday. I know all week I'll be off by a day. You know what they say, a day late a dollar short. I think this is my first long weekend blog post. Wow, that's cool. So just for the record, if it's a long weekend I will not write during that holiday you'll hear from me the next day. 


I hope you had an exciting long weekend. I did. Our family was in from out of town, so since Friday it's been one big party. In the days to come I'll share some stops that I made along the way but for today I wanted to share some Memorial Day facts just in case, like me, you didn't know:


History of Memorial Day
It began in 1868 (May 5), when members of the Grand Army of the Republic requested that their commander, Civil War General John A. Logan, decorate the graves of their fallen compatriots with flowers.


- On Memorial Day, the flag should be at half-staff until noon only, then raised to the top of the staff.


- The custom of wearing red poppies started in 1915 and was inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields" by Moina Michael. She came up with the idea of wearing red poppies and was the first to wear one. She sold them to her friends and co-workers. She used the money to help the servicemen in need.

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led,

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heros never dies.

- Memorial Day was first called “Decoration Day” because of the practice of decorating soldier’s graves with flowers.

- New York was the 1st state to officially recognize Memorial Day

- The south refused to honor the dead on Memorial Day until after World War I when the meaning of Memorial Day changed from honoring civil war dead to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

- Memorial Day was declared a federal holiday in 1971

Time Is Flying

Time is flying it's true, and no matter how much we want it to stop we can't.   Yesterday I was reminded how time is flying when I received a telephone call from my niece. She was calling to give me the details of her graduation ceremony. Graduation?!! What! When did that happen? It was just yesterday that I was listening to an adorable message that she left me after her 3rd birthday party. In her message she said-  "thank you for my dollie, I love you, bye bye". I saved that message for years until my computer melted and I lost the message in a puff of smoke.  As I think about this new chapter in her life my heart is overflowing with joy. I'm so proud of her accomplishments, I 'm so proud of the women that she has become, and I'm so proud to be her Tia. I'm blessed beyond words. Yes time is flying, but luckily I've flown with time.


Sorry, I just had to get that out. Phew now I feel better....and now for the funny.


Anyhow this whole time is flying thing reminded me of a stop that I made along the way. I discovered Irina Werning, a photographer that has made an art of taking old photos and recreating the same exact scene with same people in the same place with the same outfits. Isn't that genius?! Enjoy here work.

I think I may submit this one of me, my hubby, and my brother-in-law to see if she can recreate this scene.

FIONA IN 1978 & 2010, London

MATIAS IN 1977 & 2010, Uruguay 

FLO, MARIA & DOLORES IN 1979 & 201

PANCHO IN 1983 & 2010, Buenos Aires 

TOMMY IN 1977 & 2010, Buenos Aires

Thank you for coming along with me on my journeys this week. 

A lot of fun things prepared for next week so be sure to follow along!

Enjoy your weekend and any "Stops that you find yourself making Along The Way".

That's Fresh

Do you have a particular room in your house that drives you crazy? You know, the room that always feels unfinished? Are you tired of rearranging your furniture only to find that you didn't achieve the look that you were going for? If anyone knows me and has been to my house they know that I answered YES to all three questions. You see, I love my house, I truly do, it's small, cozy and just right for my family and I. Its open format makes it feel larger than it is, but it can also be a bit challenging too. The room that puzzles my creativity is my  living/dining room. It is open straight through therefore I am constantly moving things around trying to get the right look and feel. This has been going on for years, and everyone that has stepped through the door has been asked how they would redesign the room using the furniture that they see. They seem as puzzled as me, but inevitably we'd move the couch here, and television there, and viola' same result. A few months later same questions, different victim, same result. Apparently my sister had had enough listening to me complain about this room because today she brought in the big guns- Sam Avola, a professional designer. 

First I took Sam for a tour of each room so that he'd get a sense of our style. After the five minute tour we were back to "the room". He looked around , but unlike all of my other victims his eyes didn't glaze over or even look puzzled, they looked anxious to redesign. Was there hope? I guess there is a method to the maddness because he kept spewing out design stats 3" here, eye level there, we need height, negative space, and it started to make sense. About an hour later, without needing to purchase anything new we were able to transform the room. Just by having a fresh pair of eyes on the layout, furniture, rugs, artwork and accessories Sam was able to create a warm and inviting atmosphere that reflects our personality and lifestyle. 

If you have a "room" or a "house" that needs an extra set of design eyes, Sam's your man! Do yourself a favor, save your money, and re-use things that you already have. That's Fresh! 


Here's his contact:

Sam Avola

sam.avola@comcast.net

617-791-5953 

Cloud 9

There's a big ball of wonderfulness outside and I feel like I'm on Cloud 9. When I went out at lunch I wanted to twirl around like a little girl until I got dizzy and fell to the ground. Since I was in the parking lot I thought that wasn’t a good idea so I went for a brisk stroll. While I was walking I looked up at the clouds. They looked so striking against the beautiful blue sky. Do you ever take the time to look up? I do, I always do. I love to look at the sky, it's one of my favorite stops. 


While my head was in the clouds I was reminded of a gift that I received a few years back from my sister in law. Apparently she knew me pretty well because she got me this print by Brian Andreas / Proper Steps. It was made especially for me and she knew it. The print reads:

I only do this until I get dizzy and then I lay down on my back and watch the clouds she said...It sounds simple but you won't believe how many people forget the second part.  

 

Today I hope you take a minute to look up at the sky. I promise, regardless if its sunny or cloudy you will find something beautiful in it; a little hidden treasure wrapped perfectly for you. It'll make you spin, it'll make you dizzy, it'll make you happy! Promise! 

Hey Good Lookin' Whatcha Got Cookin'?

I am the envy of every mom right now, do you want to know why? Because my little lovely got a bee in her bonnet to cook the family a meal tonight. So while I'm clicking around on my computer I can hear a whole lot of chopping going on in the kitchen. Isn't that great?! What brought this on you're asking?, well let me tell you. This past weekend she was invited to a cooking party. At the event the children were taught how to make an appetizer, a main meal, and a dessert. When she got home she couldn't stop raving about this experience. She asked if she could recreate the meal for us. Of course!! 

Menu

Appetizer - Homemade Guacamole Dip

Main course - Beef stir fry with vegetables over a bed or rice

Dessert - Ice cream with a homemade chocolate sauce

She won't let me step into the kitchen so both hubby and I will be completely surprised. Isn't that awesome! And did I mention that she is 10. 

Ok...Dinner is being served, I'll be back to let you know how it was.

Ok...I'm back! I'm stuffed, and I'm thoroughly impressed. 

The entire eating experience was beyond fabulous. Everything was cooked to perfection, extremely tasty, and presented with style.....and the best part, the house didn't burn down. Here are some pictures!

If you'd like your little one to cook it up I highly recommend Kate Jamieson of Cook-It-Up-Parties. Although I wasn't present at the party I'm told that Ms. Kate was super nice,an excellent teacher, and not only armed the girls with the tools to cooking a great meal but also the knowledge about healthy foods. Fun was had by all. Thanks to the hostess with the mostess- SV, and teacher extraordinaire Kate.
 

If you'd like to inspire your little lovely here's Kate's information.

Kate Jamieson

Cook It Up Parties

508-843-7770

Meet Bruce, Living - Simply!

Last year when I was building my lovely's tree house, I was really fortunate to find an old barn that was being taken down. The owner was thrilled to let me take as much lumber as I wanted for two reasons; the first was because her father had built the barn for her pony when she was a child. She felt his legacy would live on high up in my trees. Second because the more I took, the less they had to haul away. For me this was a very fortunate stop because I was able to learn so much about the history of the barn, and because it saved me some "cha ching". 


As I was nearing the end of the construction I needed to address the topic of windows. Since so much of the tree house was made out of recycled materials I knew that new windows wouldn't do. I immediately remembered a property that I pass on occasion that appeared to be a recycled/junk yard, so I made a stop along my way to inquire about some windows. 

Bruce & his homemade pickup truck

Bruce, the owner came out to greet me, well actually to see what the heck I was doing on his property. We talked for quite some time, and I was fascinated by our conversation. Apparently this was not a recycled/junk yard at all, this was Bruce's home. Sitting on three acres of land, tucked in the woods, and hardly visible off the main road, his property is laden with bike wheels, bricks, wood, metals, doors, windows,and so much more. His collection is neatly organized and available at any given moment for a project of his choice. 

One of the many sheds

Some of his collectables

As I looked around I could see that everything he collected was for the purpose of reuse. His home, various outdoor sheds, and his car were all built by these harvested goods. Amazing. You see, when he bought the property years ago for a song and a dance he decided that he would live a simple, practical life. When homes were being taken down, he was there to pick up the pieces. When businesses were throwing away old machinery he was there to give them new life. It didn't take me long to know that Bruce was not only a very ingenious fellow, but a very knowledgeable one too. I must admit, although I was reluctant to ask I had this burning curiosity to know what his days consisted of, what type of technology he uses, and what he thought people thought about his living style. I didn't want to offend him with my curiosity but I just had to ask. After all, let's be honest, if you walked onto this property wouldn't you want to ask the same questions?  

The Home

Luckily Bruce took no offense to the questioning. His days are spent repairing the old, and making the old new again. In the evening he lives at his handmade abode with only the necessities. He prides himself on being up to date with World War 2 technology (i.e.: a rotary phone). I can assure you that American Idol is not his Wednesday pass time. On the contrary, he incessantly reads current and historical publications which adds to the wealth of information that he has on both subjects. I'm not sure what people think about his lifestyle, for me it is clear that he is an extremely practical person that is clearly living simply. 


As for the windows that I needed; he was able to part with two, in exchange for a frosted yellow/chocolate cake. 

Rain Rain Go Away

It's raining, it's pouring
The old man is snoring
He went to bed and he bumped his head
And couldn't get up in the morning

It's raining you know. It has for two weeks now. What's so funny about that you ask? Well I'm not really sure. I haven't been laughing at all during this wet season; in fact I haven't been able to sleep very well either because at times the rain is so heavy that it wakes me out of a dead sleep. That's scary not funny. Did you know that too much rain can make people cranky? If you didn't perhaps our paths haven't crossed in a couple of weeks because I'm super cranky. It can also make people unmotivated - couch potato - turtleneck wearing - humans.   


Today I thought the rain was kind of funny because as you know today is funny Friday and I actually thought today was Thursday. If you read my post yesterday I know you were patiently waiting to find out who the mystery person is that I spoke about, but guess what? On Friday I post funny things not serious things so I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll have to check back on Monday for the conclusion to that story. 


But for today let's have a laugh, build an arc, gather some animals, and talk about the end of the world as we know it. Oh, I'm sorry you didn't hear about that? Well apparently there are some people that think the world will end on Saturday. I'm not really sure what it's based on, but I think it's pretty funny because it reminds me of Y2K. I remember that year really well because IT companies around the world spent billions of dollars marketing their "fix it" technology, while others revised their entire application source code to look for the Y2K bug and to fix it. When the clock ticked Jan 1, 2000, no major problems were reported. The world went on with its normal life. My mother on the other hand was convinced that something big would happen so she ran out and got lanterns, batteries, food, and who knows what else. The funny thing is that I saw the lanterns yesterday when I was at her house. They made me really laugh. 


I'm not sure if Saturday will be the end or if today will be the end, but I hope that the rain would end!

Thank you for coming along with me on my journeys this week. 

Enjoy your weekend and any "Stops that you find yourself making Along The Way". 

Simply Living Deliberately

Walden Pond

After yesterday's post about living a simple life it got me thinking of people that have deliberately simplified their life. I immediately thought of two people. The first Henry David Thoreau. Thoreau said, "Our lives are frittered away in details...simplify, simplify. He wrote "As you simplify your life the laws of the universe will be simpler, solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness." 

Thoreau decided to move from Concord, MA to Walden Pond by himself where he would not be bothered by "civilization". His cabin in the woods was very simple and there were no extra material goods. He lived off as little money as he could, whenever he needed money he would work an odd job. He bathed in Walden Pond and spent most of his time writing in his journal and watching nature. He was not burdened with debt or so many material possessions that needed care. He dressed simply and ate food that could be prepared rather easily. He truly lived a simple life.

Henry David Thoreau's Cabin

So if Thoreau was the first person I thought about; who was the second? The second is someone that I met on one of my stops last summer while I was picking up items for my tree house project.....but you'll have to wait until tomorrow when I'll share who I met along my way. I guarantee it'll be worth the wait.

Are You Living Simply?

The other day I was driving to one of my various stops when I noticed the bumper sticker on the car in front of me. It said Live Simply. It made me wonder about my own life, was I living simply? I've always thought of myself as a rather simple gal. I don't keep many piles laying around the house, and only buy things that I need; well actually I take that back I have been known to indulge in an extra pair of shoes or a rare antique object, but overall I think I'm pretty simple. This weekend when I helped my little lovely clean her room I wasn't convinced that we were living the simple life. Piles of books, gently loved stuffed animals, clothes just a tad too tight, and knick knacks galore, the cleanup took hours. There was nothing simple about it. It was simply exhausting, and frustrating too! 

It got me thinking about how I can change the way that we live. What do we really NEED? Simply put all we need is Food,shelter,clothes, and transportation (debatable) am I missing anything? It sounds so easy so why do we choose to clutter our lives and not live with less? Is it unrealistic to think that it can be done? Don't worry, I'm not going off the deep end and moving into the tree house, but I must admit, a small space makes you very selective about what you bring into it. 


In the above video Marta lives with her family in a 47 sq. meter apartment and Kirsten has a really cool Lego style 24 sq. meter space. 


What about you? How are you living? Simply? 

"Five Star" (well actually a zillion stars) Hotel

Last summer my brother in law and I built a tree house for my little lovely and her pals to enjoy. Since we only worked on it one day a week, it took the better part of the summer to complete it, and we were only able to get one sleep over in it. Ever since the snow melted we've been eager to book a second nights stay at the "Four Seasons" Hotel. 

This past weekend it was chilly, but not unbearable so we decided to brave the elements, and have a "no sleep" over in the tree fort. It was a really fun night, and a really early morning. When we came out I stopped dead in my tracks. I could hardly believe the amazing sight that was waiting for us, a Pileated Woodpecker. I know it sounds really impressive that I actually know the name of this bird, but don't be impressed. I had to Google several basic words i.e.: big, black, crow, red, long beak to finally narrow it down to the actual bird name. 

Pileated Woodpeckers are nearly the size of a crow, in fact when I first saw them sitting on my lawn I thought they were crows. They are the largest of the common woodpeckers found in most of North America. They have zebra-striped heads and necks, long bills, and dynamic  red crests. They love to eat carpenter ants and beetle larvae by digging large, rectangular holes in trees. These holes can be so large that they weaken smaller trees or even cause them to break in half. 

It's a good thing that we found them in the grass and not pecking away at the tree that supports our "Five Star" (well actually a zillion stars) Hotel.