Cafe Chatelaine

It's February and you know what that means!

2012-02-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, February is the month of love. The month when I'll post anything and everything about love. Crazy love, romantic love, young love.

If you need your love fix before my next post, please read my February 2011 and 2010 posts. Check out the side bar to the right to access them.

About the kitty love photo, I do not know the actual photographer and I can't remember where I found it. So unfortunately, no photo credit.

Til next time, Chatelaine

Meet the Kits- Molly, Naughty or Nice?

2012-01-28T01:08:00.000-05:00

I know I always mention the kitties in my posts but I thought it might be fun for you to get to
know each one of them up close and personal. Today it's 10 year old Molly's turn.

Molly might look like an angel but that's an act. She can be a little devil at times too. Her vet says she has a beautiful feminine face and I agree she is a real beauty.

I adopted Molly from a Petsmart in Tyngsoboro, MA. She had been rescued from a trailer park in Hooksett, NH by an organization called Kitty Angels. Her name was Little Martha at the time and she was 6 months old.

Molly was my sole kitty for the first 7 years of her life. We lived in a one bedroom apartment

with a wonderful screened balcony. She spent lots of time outdoors on the balcony. It's the one thing I miss about that old fifth floor apartment.

Molly is quite the character. She does not make much noise and in fact she rarely makes a sound.
Well, she likes to rip up newspaper and paper bags. I think she likes the sound it makes.

Since "the boys" moved in to the condo, Molly has one eye open at all times.

She never knows when she will be under attack. As the boys age, this will be less of a problem. Molly and I are patiently waiting for the juveniles to grow up.

Molly does have a mischievous side. She is the first one to investigate anything new at the condo.
She is a curious cat.

Occasionally she will mix it up with Oscar. Percy tortures her and she does not want anything

to do with him.

After so much play and investigation, she is ready for her catnap. She takes several naps a day. Unfortunately, the boys have taken over the bed and she never gets a chance day or night to sleep there anymore. It is quite sad that she has lost her status as the alpha cat. She still seems happy most days but still I feel bad for her. After all, I am the one who brought the boys into the condo without asking her opinion.

I am still holding out hope that there will be peace in the household in the future.

Stream of Consciousness Blogging

2012-01-24T23:48:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I do not have enough thoughts or opinions on a particular subject to create a good blogpost so I don't blog. I've decided to write sort of stream of consciousness just so I can keep in touch with my readers and blog more frequently. So here goes:

Today I had a pleasant surprise when I went to a coffee shop I rarely frequent. The baristas make beautiful designs in their lattes! This is my mocha latte and it was as delicious as it was pretty.Oh yeah, the shop is aptly named Creations. They're located on Main Street in Wakefield if you are in the neighborhood.

I hate watching political debates. I usually like each candidate a little less after hearing them speak.

My love hate relationship continues with the hard wired smoke detectors in my condo.

I think I need to make my bed less comfortable as I am finding it extremely difficult to get up in the morning. Perhaps the cashmere flannel sheets will have to go. Sniff, sniff!

Most days I think I would rather work with animals instead of people.

I lost a follower, wondering who and why?

I hate to admit it but I watch The Bachelor. And this season's group of women are especially psycho.

I am ecstatic that the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl even though it was an ugly win.

Hope everyone has a great week!

Saturday snow

2012-01-21T21:49:00.000-05:00

I woke up this morning to a pretty scene outside my window. Snow was falling. Our second small snowstorm this week. This type of storm is perfect, more than a dusting but not too much. I love how the snow sticks to the branches of the trees. It's Winter poetry.

Oscar enjoyed the subtle light streaming through the window. Nothing too harsh for a Saturday morning.

Oh, he is just so cute! Those eyes get me everyone time. He has me wrapped around his little paw.

A lovely scene from my dining room window. When we have a gentle snowfall I like to take a walk around the neighborhood and photograph the snow covered old homes. I feel like I am in a Currier and Ives scene.

My attention was turned inside the condo as I spied Percy jumping on the couch and settling next to Oscar.

This usually means trouble. At least Molly was in the bathroom sleeping. She's no dummy, it is the warmest room in the condo!

And there he goes. He likes to wake Oscar up from peaceful sleep. Doesn't it look like great fun?

He's not giving him a little brotherly nuzzle. He likes to bite Oscar's neck. Percy thinks he is a vampire! Oscar had enough and jumped off the couch. This is exactly what Percy wants to happen because he wants to chase Oscar around the condo.

I'd had enough of the kitty shenanigans. So I went walking around the downtown area. I decided to photograph the church next to the Town Common.

The common always looks so pristine when it first snows. And this church just screams New England to me.

The lanterns and benches complete the bucolic scene. If it hadn't been so cold I would have spent more time on the common.

Instead, I took my last shot of the church and ducked into the local coffee shop for a hot chocolate. Yum!

At night, I went over to my Dad's to celebrate his birthday. We dined on Italian food. Dad had veal parmesan and my sister and I had broccoli and penne. We had tiramisu for dessert. Delish!

My present to my Dad? A Netflix membership for the year. He really enjoys watching movies. Since we got him a bigger screen TV for Christmas I think this is a great gift!

I have my clothes ready for tomorrow. You know I am going to be parked in front of the TV to watch the Patriots play the Ravens. And then of course I will watch to see the winner of the NFC Championship.
A full day I say!

Weekend R&R

2012-01-16T23:37:00.000-05:00

So this weekend was a long weekend and I had three days of R&R. Sweet!

I planned to stay home Saturday night and watch the Patriots- Broncos game by myself. Such a fan am I that I like to watch the game without distraction in the comfort of my own home. I guess I am a football snob. I was invited to a playoff party at my friends Deborah and Roger's home. I accepted the invite and so I went to the party with my friends Kim and John.

We had a wonderful time at this small gathering. Great food and great company. They made sure I got a front row seat and I was in heaven. I had a fireplace with a roaring fire on my left, sandwiches and snacks on the coffee table in front of me, and a large screen TV with the game playing right in front of me. Football viewing perfection!

I just had to take a picture of Nathan's Tshirt. He is the youngest son of Roger and Deborah, Nathan made an appearance as Santa at my Christmas Soiree. I think his picture is on that post.

Kim and I were admiring the sleigh in the living room and Deborah told us the story of how they acquired it. Roger and Nathan thought they should get a sleigh for the front yard for the holidays. They looked at a number of antique ones but this one is new and it can actually function as a real sleigh. The price was comparable to the antiques. It was made by the Amish and they only make 12 each year. It is magnificent!

On Sunday, still euphoric from the Patriots win, I decided to have a couple people over for coffee and dessert. I made an apple crisp and my sister made a lemon cheesecake out of lemon curd.

The four of us also had chocolate pizzelles and cornmeal ginger cookies. It was a nice

laid back evening.

I was excited to use my new lantern purchased after Christmas at Pier One. It gives off a nice warm glow.

I used the recipe from one of my Susan Branch cookbooks for the apple crisp. It is super easy and takes no time at all. I decided to rest it on my silver cakestand with the crystal drops. You can't go wrong with crystals and candlelight for simple elegance.

We drank tea and coffee out of little bird mugs. You can see them in the photos above. I love black and white toile. Each mug has a cover for keeping the beverage warm and a saucer to limit spillage. I don't have many of the mugs so I can't use them with large groups.

I had a nice relaxing weekend. How about you? What were your plans?

A gathering of friends

2012-01-07T20:04:00.000-05:00

Last night was great. I attended a mini high school reunion at a friend's home. My friends and I recently had a reunion with the entire class but of course you can't really catch up with everyone in a function hall atmosphere. So some of us vowed to get together after the holidays for a more intimate evening.

We had such fun. The dress was casual and we all gathered in a cozy living room to have drinks and appetizers. The conversation was easy as we caught up with each other's lives.

For hours, we talked about books, love, diets, aging parents, careers, our homes, hopes and dreams. We started out as one group with a single conversation and then broke into smaller groups as some of us went into the kitchen where side conversations emerged.

It was midnight before I noticed the clock. We had been talking for 4 1/2 hours! I paused for a moment and watched my high school friends engaged in conversation. I realized how lucky I am to be a part of this amazing group of intelligent, attractive, joyful women.

We vowed to meet again this year. We want to keep in touch after so many years apart.

A new coffee place

2012-01-03T22:28:00.000-05:00

Found a new coffee place this weekend thanks to my friend Kim. It's called The Biscuit and it is located in Somerville near the Cambridge line.

Actually the place is not new, just new to me. At The Biscuit, they make their bakery items on the premises. Such a selection of tarts both sweet and savory, breads, scones, cookies!

There was quite a selection of items to choose from. I opted for the tomato and feta tart. Glad I chose it. I had it warmed and it was delicious.

The decor is simple and the coffee is fantastic. I most confess I brought a few items home. I highly recommend the cornmeal ginger cookies!

2011 the year in review

2012-01-01T21:31:00.026-05:00

Hello blog readers! I hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and I wish you a
happy and healthy New Year.

As always, I take this time to assemble a year in review mosaic. I love looking back at my previous years in review. My blog serves as my memory as I get older!

You will notice a lot of the photos are of familiar faces and places and I seem to gravitate to the same favorite locations year after year. My friends will of course always be my friends, they are really more like family to me.

I visited Nubble Light in Maine and Rockport in Massachusetts again this year. I held a Christmas Soiree and a Harvest Dinner again. I reconnected with some high school classmates at my reunion this year and we are going to continue to keep in touch (a gathering is already scheduled). We had a lovely time this Summer at a wedding on the ocean. Nothing relaxes me like being at the ocean. I attended the Bedford Polecapping for the first time (my sister was a participant). Coffee continues to be my drug of choice and I love meeting my friends for a cup of joe and some good conversation. My sister and I put our hearts and souls into rescuing little Miss Marble, our hearts were in the right place yet it ended tragically. It still brings tears to my eyes to think about her but I do believe her best interests were always foremost in our thoughts. And I know she is playing and having a grand time in heaven. Percy grew up right before my eyes and he is settling in a little better with his brother and sister. In 2011, I thought the snow would never stop falling. Still, I love the sight of freshly fallen snow. When the weather turned nice, I attended my first Red Sox game in ages and an Octoberfest and had my first but hopefully not my last blogger meetup.

Phew, I guess it was a full year after all. So I am ready for 2012, my only resolution is to let it be and not sweat the small stuff. I stress entirely too much and I don't want to waste a single minute of my life on unnecessary worry. Most of it is out of my control anyway.

Check out other Mosaic Monday posts here http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/mosaic-monday-2011-in-pictures.html

A trip to the Bedford Village Inn

2011-12-30T23:23:00.000-05:00

Every year after Christmas, my sister, me, and our friends Duane and Lori Lee visit the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH. We have dinner, exchange presents, and then we tour the inn and view all the beautiful holiday decorations.

We sat in a lovely room with a warm glow. I ordered the pork chop with pomegranate puree, polenta, and cauliflower. It was delicious. My sister had the halibut and Lori Lee and Duane had pasta fra diavolo.

For dessert, I had the chocolate bag, the Inn's signature dessert. It is a "bag" made of Belgian chocolate filled with sponge cake, chocolate mousse, assorted berries and whipped cream. I knew I was ordering this before I ever entered the inn!

After we ate, we went to the various rooms to see the decorations. There were snippets of Robert Frost poems on chalkboards throughout one of the rooms.

This chandelier had a frosty glow, so pretty! I should steal this idea!

All of the wreaths at the inn were gorgeous. The decorations are always unique.

This dining room looks so inviting. Maybe next time we will request this room. The inn is so old and many of the rooms are very small. It makes for an intimate dining experience.

I love the clock display on this wall. My sister thinks it looks like steam punk.

A fireplace graces another of the small dining rooms. Any room you choose to dine in is special. I have eaten in a few different rooms and each experience was enjoyable. The service is excellent as well.

A number of designers decorate the inn so each room has a totally different look.

If you get a chance to visit the Bedford Village Inn by all means go, you won't be disappointed!

Christmas Light Police

2011-12-28T23:32:00.000-05:00

Every year my Sister and I like to ride around our hometown and surrounding towns and critique some Christmas light displays. We didn't do it this year but there is still time!

I decided to visit a few houses myself and snap a photo or two to share with you. Mind you it is more fun to be critical. For example, anyone with inflatables on the lawn gets bonus points for bad taste. And if said inflatable is deflated that's even worse. The worst one we ever saw was an inflatable nativity scene. We found it in poor taste.

This is much nicer than an inflatable manger don't you think? Although there are lots of lights on this home I actually don't mind it. I tend to like a simpler approach.

This home in Wakefield caught my eye. Sometimes when a homeowner tries to outline their home with lights it looks just awful. I think these people got it right. Too bad I did not get it right in my photo, too blurry!

As I said I go for a simpler approach, I like a flood light on the door with some well placed or interesting decorations. My neighbors down the street get style points for this display.

They have some lovely architectural details over the door and the flood light does a great job of highlighting them. Cool snowshoes too!

Another neighbor's home. The home is accented with a deep purple and lavender so hence the Christmas light color scheme.

It is a profusion of purple and blue led lights. They were much more vibrant in person! Like it or not it makes a statement. Very creative people live here.

Still trying to get a good shot of this display. I had to give up. It was 28 degrees out and that was not the wind chill temperature. It was very windy out tonight!

Since I've been battling a nasty head cold I decided to go inside and warm up and turn my camera to my own decorations. The ski over the french doors is a new addition this year.

Here's a closer look, the writing was done by an artist friend of the owner of Nesting on Main in Concord.

I put my paper Christmas angel (purchased last year from Nesting) outside of a vintage frame.

The angel looked lonely hanging on the large wall over the sofa. My sister thought I should put something in a second frame on the wall. So I looked through my Christmas decoarations and came up with these two peace doves. My sister had to do some repair work on the frame and then she hung it for me too.

Here's the finished project. I like the color scheme and the two subjects seem to work well together.

Here's my feather tree. I decorated it with vintage clip earrings and pins. It looks unfinished to me. I may have to add some bird ornaments to it. The mirror underneath it is an antique.

Here's one of the clip earrings.

I love this crown tealight holder.

Here's a close up of the crown.

I have a pair of them on my bookcase. They make the prettiest shadows on the walls.

You can see it better in this shot. Nice glow and firelight shadows. I think I will keep this out after Christmas too!

I hope you enjoyed your little tour of my neighborhood and condo. The kitties and I were glad you could stop by.

Christmas in Georgetown

2011-12-19T00:16:00.014-05:00

Georgetown? Not THAT Georgetown, I'm talking about Georgetown, Massachusetts. Last night, my sister and I and my sister's friend attended a fabulous Christmas party in this lovely north of Boston town.

I have so much to tell about the party. I thought I threw a good party but this one was really fantastic.

First of all, I got invited to the party as a guest of my sister. My sister is friends with the home owner/party hostess. You can add a number of titles to home owner and party hostess such as gourmet cook, interior decorator, etc. Jolie is one talented woman and all of her guests benefited from her talents.

I'm sorry but many of the photos came out blurry. I guess the low light made for a beautiful ambiance but not for beautiful photographs. This shot of the dining room shows how charming this home really is. It is very old, built in the 1700's old and it has many wonderful details.

Our hostess made her own garlands. She is an artist by profession and her home decor is elegant with a touch of whimsy. Just the kind of style I admire.

Just look at that mantel. Fantastic architectural details. So elegant and Jolie of course made the wreath. Oh to have such talent!

Stockings complete the look of the fireplace. I think the fireplace actually works but it was not needed last night. There were so many attendees at the party there was enough body heat to go around!

There is a bar off the living room. Some of the guests relaxed in the pub atmosphere. I loved the green doors leading to the bar.

Jolie's sister played keyboard and my sister accompanied her on the violin. We even had a sing along. It put everyone in the Christmas spirit.

And then it was time to eat. Morgan, the English Mastiff was well behaved. He did not go after anyone's food. What a gentle giant! I have never seen a dog that big!

Did I mention that Jolie is also a gourmet cook? She and her daughter made all the food for the party. We had crab cake appetizers and they cooked a turkey, pork loin and a ham! The scalloped potatoes were my personal favorite and they went fast.

There were so many desserts and again they were works of art. A buche de noel.

Assorted cookies, swedish wafers, greek cookies, spritz, and so many more! Cheesecake and a tart. I could not possibly try everything. Jolie gave boxes for any one who wanted to bring some treats home.

These "mushroom men" were made from marzipan and look at their adorable faces! So cute.

I forget what this dessert is called. It's french and made with cream puffs and a spun sugar accent. It was tres magnifique!

Eating in the kitchen and eating in the dining room. No one was going to go hungry at this house!

I told you Morgan is a very large dog!

A beautiful tree at the back entrance.

The Christmas village took up an entire wall in one of the rooms. It was magical!

After all the eating, we had a Christmas concert. We relaxed and enjoyed our favorite Christmas tunes.

It was a most enjoyable evening.

Jolie created such a warm atmosphere in her home and I

am very grateful that I could enjoy the experience. Thank you Jolie for inviting me

and making me feel so welcome!

Wakefield Holiday Stroll

2011-12-16T00:52:00.000-05:00

The weekends have been so busy that sometimes I forget to post about an event I attended because I attended multiple events that day and night. Such was the case with the Wakefield Holiday Stroll. I had attended the Home for the Holidays in Melrose that morning and posted about it. That evening I attended the Wakefield Holiday Stroll.

I almost didn't attend the Stroll because I was tired from attending the Melrose event, an antiques fair in Malden, and a visit to my Mom's nursing home.

I am glad I did attend. There were bonfires.

And lots of freebies like free popcorn and mulled cider, hot chocolate, cookies, and coffee. The merchants decided what they would offer. The popcorn guy was outside of Century 21 Real Estate.

And the Carolers were inside of Christopher Barrett realtors and outside of The Savings Bank.

An ice sculptor worked his magic on Main Street. Actually he did a few ice sculptures in front of various businesses. Dancers performed on the impressive steps of the library.

A concert from Wakefield Music took place at East Boston Savings Bank's Wakefield branch. Such a talented group of children!

Some people dressed in their winter best. I loved this woman's ensemble especially the cool hat!

I love this shot of this little one anticipating a visit to Santa inside The Savings Bank.

This church looked so lovely with it's green doors and simple wreaths. Perfect!

The tree in the Square looked wonderful when illuminated. Wish I had a better shot of it.

So there you have it, the Wakefield Holiday Stroll. Something for everyone really, sort of a mini First Night with a small town twist to it. I hope you enjoyed strolling around with me.

Recap of the Christmas Soiree and my 400th post!

2011-12-11T23:39:00.134-05:00

Last night I held my 3rd annual Christmas Soiree. Luminarias once again lined

the walkway. I got the idea from Martha Stewart's blog.

I ordered all of the food from Zuzu's Cafe in Wakefield and I have to say everything was perfect! They delivered my food at exactly the time I asked them to. Everyone loved the appetizers and sandwiches.

We had caprese bites with balsamic dressing and mini phyllo cups filled with salmon salad with mango salsa, buffalo chicken salad and one with spinach and feta.

The caprese bites were delicous, Tomato, mozzarella, and basil on a skewer, yum!

I ordered two small baked bries, one with fig jam and one with cranberry orange relish. They were complemented with crackers and berries.

The finger sandwiches were also delicious. There were three kinds: roasted vegetables with goat cheese, roast beef with cheddar and horseradish,and chicken salad with cranberries and almonds.

My friend Diane works at Starbucks and I hired her to make lattes and espressos at the party. She had a lot of customers and some people wemt back for three or four drinks. I really enjoyed my gingerbread latte. If you are a long time reader of my blog, you will know that Diane is Oscar's foster mother. They had a wonderful reunion prior to the party. Diane's beau, Michael, also helped with the drinks.

Diane makes a perfect latte.

I used tea cups for the hot drinks.

My friends Roger and Deborah surprised me with a visit from Santa. Their son Nathan was making the rounds last night and he stopped by briefly.

And he posed for photos with the guests. I was totally surprised and when he walked in the door I wanted to say you've got the wrong house but I was polite. Then I thought is he going to rob me?

There was not much left of my White Christmas Punch by the time I took this photo.

Lots of conversation with friends. And the party lasted about 5 hours.

I ordered these little Marie Antoinette angels from Australia. They arrived in time for the party but I had thought they would have been perforated and I would just pop them out off the sheet. No, they had to be cut out. My sister cut all 16 of them out for me the night before the party.

This cake was the showstopper. Midnight Velvet cake made by my friend Mary. She also made

snowdrop cookies and shortbread and also gingerbread cookies and red velevet cupcakes.

Paul enjoyed many espressos.

I took a few shots the night before the party. My tabletop living room tree. I don't put up a large tree as Percy would climb it and destroy it.

I used some twinkle lights to illuminate the bird cage and later I added a flameless candle.

Percy loves to watch the "fire" in the fireplace.

Here's another shot of the teenage Santa Claus. I think there's a seasonal career in the making!

Today, we were all exhausted and we lazed around a bit. The kitties loved my new Rachel Ashwell comforter.

The two boys looked so cute, I just had to take another photo of them.

As I mentioned in the title, this is my 400th post. Wow, it's amazing that I found 400 things to write about!

Hopefully, there will be many more.

I am linking to The Inspired Room's Christmas House Tour blog party. Click here to see more posts.

Prepping for the Christmas Soiree

2011-12-06T21:51:00.000-05:00

My annual Christmas Soiree is this Saturday. As usual, I feel like I am behind the eight ball. I barely have the condo decorated. I need to clean and shop for food.

If we don't have rain I will put out the luninarias again. They always make a statement at the entrance.

Hopefully, the TV will be wall mounted over the fireplace by Friday. I have a friend of a friend coming to do that on Thursday. He will also hang the new chandelier in my dining room.

I still do not have curtains on the windows so the living room will probably look like this. Actually I have a new tree. Last year's tabletop tree had to be tossed, the lights went out on it. So a new small tree for the living room. Also the lit garland has half of it's lights out so I think I will either put up some real greenery and a string of lights or scour my storage space in the basement to see if I have another prelit garland..

There will be another show stopper cake. Midnight Velvet, yum! This is the cake from Soiree #1. No one would cut the cake because it was too pretty. Finally my sister cut the chimney off and finally the guests began to eat it.

Last year for Christmas Soiree #2, I served this cake. A little less impressive so the guests ate it.

I may go back to the cake from Soiree #1. It really is impressive. We will also have red velvet cupcakes and assorted cookies.

ZuZu's Cafe is doing the appetizers and sandwiches for me. I can't wait to try the brioche sandwiches and mini phyllo cups.

And I am having a barista at the party. Yup, my friend (and Oscar's foster mom) is going to be serving gingerbread lattes and peppermint mochas.

So there's lots to do before Saturday I'd better get started..

Home for the Holidays

2011-12-03T23:22:00.000-05:00

Every year in the City of Melrose, Massachusetts, there is a downtown celebration called Home for the Holidays. The businesses in several sections of the city open their doors for some holiday cheer.

Each business decides what they will offer whether it is discounts on merchandise, free gifts, or food and drink. They usually cater to the kids so there are lots of activities for children like cookie decorating and story telling.

Carolers stroll the downtown streets and add some Victorian flair to this City noted for it's Victorian homes.

This window at Breads 'N Bits of Ireland reminds me of an old fashioned display.

Lots of smiles today. The weather was perfect., Not cold but just chilly enough to make it feel like Christmas time.

City Hall looked elegant as always.

My bank offered the children an ornament making activity. We also had cookies and Elaine's famous White Christmas Punch.

Reindeer rides at Cedar Park were a big hit.

Bohemian Coffeehouse had a raffle for a basket of baked goods.

Turner's Seafood sold cups and pints of clam chowder. I can attest it is delicious!

Santa arrived at the Cedar Park train station.

Coffee Tea & Me had lots of goodies to be enjoyed.

There were trolleys to transport the attendees from one neighborhood to another. I am so thankful the weather cooperated . One year it was bitter cold with a wind chill that made it even worse and no one rode the trolleys. Everyone drove their children to the events that year.

But today was perfect in every way. Thanks to the Melrose Chamber for pulling it all together. It was a great success!

Christmas Bucket List

2011-11-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

Are there things you simply must do for the holidays? Like visit a certain place or eat a certain food? Well here are my holiday must haves or my Christmas bucket list.

I like to see a live performance at the holidays. The Boston Pops, the Nutcracker Ballet, The Christmas Revels, it's always great to take in a Christmas show. This year I am hoping to see the Nutcracker at the local theatre. It's a musical. Should be interesting.

Next weekend, I will attend the Nutcracker Tea. This will be my second year attending the event.

My sister and I usually meet friends for dinner at the Bedford Village Inn in Bedford, NH. The inn is stunning. And the week after Christmas is the best time to visit. It is still decorated for Christmas but the atmosphere is more relaxed. We look forward to this special dinner.

I enjoy shopping in the small shops in surrounding towns such as Concord, Lexington, Winchester, and Melrose. I've already been to Nesting on Main. They do such an amazing job with their displays. If I have time I like to go to Boston and browse around Beacon Hill and Newbury Street. The window shopping is great!

I also take in church fairs and antique fairs. I find the best stuff there. In fact, I will show you some of my finds in another post.

A must do on my list is to visit Burdick's in Harvard Square. Their hot chocolate is too die for! The cafe is decorated tastefully for the holidays. After hot chocolate, I have the energy to brave the crowds and do some serious shopping. There is always lots to see in Harvard Square.

Here's a view of the twig chandelier in Burdick's. I had hoped to duplicate this for my Christmas Soiree but time is running short and there is still so much to do!

There you have it, my Christmas Bucket list. Do you have one? What's on your list?

Local shopping on Black Friday

2011-11-26T00:04:00.000-05:00

I almost never go shopping on Black Friday but after hearing that Nesting on Main closes the week
of Thanksgiving to decorate for Christmas, well I couldn't resist.

My sister and I made a plan. A few hours of shopping in the morning in Concord and then lunch in Melrose at Turner's Seafood. Not too exhausting and hopefully by shopping locally we would avoid the Black Friday crowds.

I am proud to say I try to do most of my Christmas shopping at smaller businesses. Usually I like the selection of items at local gift shops, flea markets, antique stores and craft fairs and the gifts are more unique. Plus the people at the mall, both the clerks and the shoppers drive me crazy!

So Nesting on Main did not disappoint. The above photos are from today. It was crowded and the space was small so I took just a few photos.

All of the white and silver decorations were so lovely I have decided to use this color scheme for my own holiday decorating. I plan to use lots of silver and crystal pieces to set the holiday mood.

They create such beautiful displays at Nesting. Everywhere you turn there is an interesting vignette to view. Talk about eye candy!

A mix of glitter and nature. So stunning. Where is my glitter glue anyway? My sister was inspired too. She will be able to recreate some of the items she saw today.

I have some silver leaves like this at home. I shall try my hand at creating a winter wonderland.

Let's hope the kitties aren't too interested in it.

More shots of Nesting. A silvery wreath has that nice frosty look for winter.

These would be cute on a tree or hanging from some garland. I am big on hanging ornaments from garland. I love the look.

After visiting Nesting, we stopped in at Jack and Toba, a new shop in Concord. I discovered Jack and Toba on a trip to Bedford last April, now they've moved to Concord. I enjoy looking at the displays.

They have an interesting mix of old and new merchandise. I am loving that black window at the bottom of this shot.

We had fried clam rolls at Turner's in Melrose and did some browsing downtown. The city was so pretty with all the Christmas wreaths on the Victorian lightposts that lined Main Street. The weather was mild and perfect for walking around.

I said goodbye to my sister and I headed up to Brissonte in North Reading. This little darling was waiting for his mom or dad to bring him home. He was so cute I couldn't resist taking his photo.

At Brissonte, I controlled myself and just picked up so small items. I got some small vintage strawberry crates. I will probably use them to display some of my vintage ornaments or I may put some pine cones and greenery in them. Or I could line them with doilies or pretty napkins and put some cookies in them. Anyway, they are very sweet.

As I was driving home, I noticed the sunset was absolutely gorgeous. I just had to take a photo so I pulled off the road into a golf course parking lot and snapped this. It's blurry because of the low light.I just loved all the various colors in the sky tonight, almost an Aurora Borealis effect. And one of these days I do hope to see the Northern Lights. It's on my bucket list anyway.

So far, I am having a great Thanskgiving weekend. Yesterday was fantastic. Great food, family, friends. It was quiet yet perfect. And I am off from work until Tuesday! My boss told me to relax and I plan to.

I forgot to mention the winner of my blog giveaway. I am pleased to announce that Sherry at Edie Marie's Attic won the Holiday Bliss Magazine and the white lights. You should receive the package soon Sherry and thanks for reading and commenting on my blog. I always enjoy what you have to say!

Autumn Vacation Day and a visit to Nesting on Main

2011-11-17T00:14:00.000-05:00

Well I have been chipping away at my 19 remaining vacation days. They are the kind that you use or lose if they are not taken by the end of the year. So since Veteran's Day on Friday was a bank holiday I took the Thursday before it and also Monday off.

Thursday I went to Cambridge with some friends. More about that later.

Monday I decided to go to Concord. My friend Beth works at one of my all time favorite shops in Concord, Nesting on Main so I headed there. She works Mondays and Tuesdays, the days I never get to go there so since I had Monday off I thought I would visit her. Of course, she had the day off. Figures!

Anway, I had a lovely time all by myself just browsing around the shop and talking to Melissa, one of the partners at Nesting. She let me take photos to my heart's content!

The ladies at Nesting have such taste and a knack for display and merchandising. The shop is such a visual delight. Isn't this box cool?

A lovely display of religious items. A very popular theme nowadays.

Stunning glassware. Ooh, that would look lovely in a holiday tablescape! They look nice and heavy too!

I thought this lampshade was so sweet! It had such a warm glow. Such a great item for Fall.

I have to say this display was my favorite. So shiny and just gorgeous. Love it all!

Grain sack tea towel. You know I bought one. Anything that says cafe and chocolat is a favorite of mine. I think I will hang mine near the tea cups over the new black chest in the kitchen.

A pretty Fall display.

And in close up.

For display, the ladies use some antiques and some reproductions along with natural elements. It all works.

If you are in the Concord area, you must visit Nesting on Main. Word has it their displays for Christmas are going to be spectacular! They close down the three days before Thanksgiving, just to decorate!

Harvest Dinner

2011-11-12T23:51:00.148-05:00

Tonight I had my annual Harvest Dinner. It was a great evening. Dinner for 8 which posed a small problem. Believe it on not I don't have 8 of anything. I only had 6 of my favorite dinner plates so I had to use ones I didn't really like. I hid them with a pretty plate on top.

I got the pretty plates and the green glasses from a shop called Brissonte. These items were from owner Colleen's own collection. When I bought the plates she told me had some nice green glasses to go with them. She brought them in and when I saw them I knew they would come home with me.

I set up my counter as a fruit and cheese station. I envisioned using my collection of scales to hold

plates for appetizers or assorted cheeses. I liked the result. I served a delicious pumpkin cream cheese from Trader Joe's with wheat crackers and a monterey jack cheese with sesame crackers.

Here's another view of the tablescape. The table runner was a pumpkin color and it had little

LED lights running down the center of it. It gave the table a warm glow and the green glasses looked beautiful against it. I lit two simple white candles to give a bit more light to the table.

Every year I pull out my cranberry glass turkey dish to house the cranberry sauce. It was from the Martha Stewart Collection. I guess I should mention what was served for dinner. We had a Vermont Goat Cheese salad with greens, goat cheese, roasted red peppers and pecans, turkey, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, cream cheese mashed potatoes, butternut squash, hot spiced cider, coffee and tea.

Here's another view of the scale. I was lucky to find it at a flea market recently.

After the entree, we rested a bit and then we put out the desserts. Apple pie baked by Mary.

Ellie brought a chocolate ganache cake. So decadent and delicious.

I bought the shortbread cookies from Lakota's Bakery in Arlington. They made one of Obama's birthday cakes. And the macarons were from Macaron Sweeterie in Lexington. They were to die for as usual.

Debbi made pumpkin cookies, so yummy!

Mary's apple pie is always chock full of apples.

Yes it was definitely the pre-Thanksgiving pig out. The weather was perfect too. The day had been sunny and cool, exactly the kind of Fall day I enjoy the most.

I am always so thankful for my friends and family who join me each year for the Harvest Dinner.

A blog giveaway for the holidays

2011-11-07T22:36:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I had a blog giveaway so I thought this week would be the perfect time to announce one. So here's what you get: the Victoria Magazine Holiday Bliss issue and

a set of two battery operated LED Bethelehem Lights. I bought a Victoria magazine Holiday Bliss
for me and one for the lucky winner.

The lights look like this. You can place them anywhere, like on a bookcase, on a tree, on a banister or a wreath. There are endless possibilities.

I must tell you that you need to get your own batteries. I do not think the US Mail likes anything potentially hazardous mailed through their system.

Your led lights will be on a gold cord so you can use it for any holiday. Here are the particulars:
•Includes two light strands
•30 LED lights each
•Steady/phasing modes
•6-hour on/18-hour off timer
•For indoor use only
•Each requires 6 AA batteries

So here's what you need to do. Become a follower of my blog if you are not already one and leave a comment on this post and tell me how you will use your lights. Pretty easy, right?

Good luck to everyone, I will draw a winner on November 14th.

Cafe Piazza Dolce

2011-11-06T01:42:00.000-04:00

Friends had been telling me about Cafe Piazza Dolce and last night I finally tried it. It's a small cafe in Winchester. From the outside you can see some of the tables in what can best be described as a conservatory. This section of the cafe looked very romantic. Lots of twinkle lights added to the ambience.

I was with my friend Kim and we just wanted coffee so we went downstairs to a small area where they serve coffee and dessert. It was adorable and so was our server. He even gave us a few cookies to nibble on with our cappucinos. Of course, I will return to Cafe Piazza Dolce and next time it will be for dinner.

Quote of the Day

2011-11-03T22:35:00.000-04:00

Treat everyone with politeness, even those who are rude to you- not because they are nice,
but because you are. - Author unknown

And speaking of nice, congratulations to my parents, two of the nicest people I know, on the occasion of their 60th wedding anniversary. All of us, Mom, Dad, and my sister had a wonderful dinner this evening at the nursing home.

Wakefield Uncommon Antiques and ZuZu's Cafe

2011-10-30T23:07:00.000-04:00

I took another vacation day on Friday. I still have many left, yipee! Since snow was coming on Saturday I thought I should get out on Friday and get some foliage shots. With high winds predicted I figured all the leaves would be off the trees and on the ground soon.

This shot is of a tree in my yard. I love multi colors on a single leaf.

I took a quick trip up to the Canal Street Antiques and bought the chandelier I blogged about in an earlier post. Now I have to contact the electrician to hang it. Will post a photo when it is up.

Back to the foliage shots, it was actually a disappointing day. Foliage was not that great this year so I had to find other things of interest. Like this old cemetery in Reading.

Another disappointing foliage shot.

It was getting late and I was starving. I realized it was hours past lunchtime. So I headed to ZuZu's Cafe for a second visit to this little cafe. The food here is fantastic! I am thinking of using their catering for my Christmas Soiree!

I love their menu, so many choices! Shocking for such a little place. My goal is to try every item on the menu.

Last Summer, I came here for lunch and sat outside. They have more outside seating than indoor seating.

I opted fot the deep dish quiche. This quite possibly was the best quiche I ever had. Spinach, feta, red pepper, yum! It was mile high yet light.

And there was a lovely view from my table. Aw, there's some foliage!

And here are the tables used for outdoor dining. Friday was a blustery day. I don't know what the wind chill was but it felt like sub zero. I could tell it was going to snow soon.

The wrought iron chairs and tables were so cute! It is so pleasant to sit here in Summer.

Almost next door to ZuZu's is a cool little antique store called Wakefield Uncommon. I spoke with the owner and asked permission to take some shots. She was happy to oblige.

There are three small rooms in the building. A number of dealers share the space. Seemed everything I picked up belonged to vendor #99. Whoever she is she has excellent taste!

Loved the little beaded purse.

Displays were nicely arranged. Loved the lamps and the blue and white theme.

This lamp also caught my eye. Although honestly I have plenty of lamps. I always seem to be drawn to them. I don't know why.

A nice collection of evening bags. These would be pretty just for display in a bedroom.

What a lovely screen. I need one but this one is too pretty for my purposes. ( I need one to hide a cat litter box).

Another one of the rooms in the shop. Love the chair and the paint color!

I did pick up a few items at Wakefield Uncommon, a Victorian tray, a book and a cameo.

A very nice day off I would say. I will be back to Wakefield soon. It is easy access for me, about 10 minutes from where I live.

Thankfully last night's snowstorm and high winds did not do any damage to my condo. I did have to take several detours due to downed branches across roads today. Some people in the state still do not have power. I just heard on the news 640,000 people are still without heat and electricity. I hope the problem is resolved soon.

This snowstorm was just way too early!

Pumpkin Crazy

2011-10-25T23:35:00.000-04:00

Just some quickie photos of some of my Fall decor. Yes, I am pumpkin crazy this year! All of the pumpkins are fake. The bird cage is from a yard sale. The trophy from an antique store. This is the top of the bookcase in my hallway.

Yay, I just received the velvet pumpkins I ordered recently. I selected the set with non-traditional pumpkin colors. I think they are so adorable. I just hope no real pumpkins were harmed in the making of the velvet ones. Those are real pumpkin stems you know! I got this scale at Todd Farm (see prior post). This is on the kitchen counter at the caffeination station for now.

This pumpkin sits atop a mercury glass candleholder in my dining room.

I see a theme going on here. This scale is from Brissonte in North Reading.

                         Small candles atop candlesticks from Pier 1, living room.

The last of the pumpkins! This one and it's identical twin (not pictured here) flank the living room television. The TV will be wall mounted one of these days. I bought the runner from my friend Kim at our recent yard sale. I will post about that at another time.

Todd Farm Flea Market

2011-10-23T22:28:00.000-04:00

This morning was crisp and sunny. A perfect Fall morning and also perfect for a trip to the Todd Farm flea market. I got up earlier than usual and headed north to Rowley, Massachusetts. The market opens very early.

When I arrived the grass was still wet under foot. The vendors were set up in the fields and I was ready for some serious fleaing. I went by myself so I could breeze through at my own pace.

Such a variety of items! And some very cool stuff. I liked this bird cage with stand. And this man

is showing off his version of Todd Farm chic. More about Todd Farm chic later in this post.

Little iron furniture perhaps from some antique dollhouse? It was very detailed.

Some of the chicest people there were the vendors. This man sold handmade belts. They were well done!

He said the belt on the right was made from melted silver dollars. Nice handiwork but more than I could pay.

This birdhouse was quite the conversation piece. A true work of art. Steampunk birdhouses. They were really cool. I did buy something from him but not a Steampunk birdhouse. They were out of my price range.

Here's another birdhouse. If you buy one you must keep it on a covered porch. But obviously open porches are best if you want birds to use your birdhouse!

Can you tell I was smitten with the birdhouse? Ok enough already!

I vote this most creative use of a propane tank. I told you that had it all at Todd Farm!

This old sewing machine at a fabulous table with it. It was in great condition!

I bought something from the owner of this very creative space too! His name is Jamie and he was so sweet he let me leave some of my purchases in the back of his van until I finished shopping.

You can tell Jamie had a flair for display. His van had curtains on it! And all of his little vignettes were so eye catching.

I was speaking with a woman named Ann Marie who was a Jamie fan and she commented that no

one but Jamie would think to put a typewriter with china. But it looked good.

Another one of Jamie's displays. Nice china set and glasses but I didn't buy these either.

This was so pretty. A perfect tablescape for an Autumn morning.

This desk set was Jamie's too. He asked $25 for the set of two desks and chairs yet someone who wanted them thought it was too high of a price. Wish I had the room for them I thought the price was fair and the desks were in good condition. Just a little scratched.

Of course my eye was drawn to the teapots. That blue one was a real beauty!

Ok, about Todd Farm chic. My attire for the excursion consisted of a boiled wool jacket for warmth, a black long sleeve jersey, blue jeans, and my waterproof boat shoes. Green in color.

As I walked around and observed those in attendance, I noticed that people actually put thought into their attire. Whereas I thought more about comfort and the fact that I might get dirty looking at old things.

This woman said she was an artist and she also liked the steampunk birdhouses. I liked the color of her sweater, so perfect for this season. And those boots were fab!

This woman looked very artsy to me. Is this reminiscent of the Annie Hall look? That's what comes to my mind anyway. For now we shall call it Todd Farm chic. I guess the next time I go back there I will wear one of my nicer jackets and a scarf or hat so I can be Todd Farm chic as well.

Back to the shopping, nice silver pieces. I do love silver teapots but no I took home no silver.

Ah, yes, the architectural salvage guy. Very cool stuff. And that door knob in the front went home with me. I also got the plate that goes with it. It is from the 1800's.

Nice wicker pieces, I was wondering if I would see some. I would love to see some wicker on our porch at the condo. We have no furniture out there and it needs some attention.

These heating grates were at the architectural salvage guy's booth. I saw a pot rack made from a grate like this. What a great idea! I have a grate that I could use as a pot rack but my space in the kitchen is limited so it probably won't happen.

Here's the last of the photos. This caught my eye, looking so pretty on an Autumn morning. I will definitely show you my purchases in another post this week.

Hope you all had some fun this weekend too.

The Trouble with Cats

2011-10-18T22:04:00.003-04:00

Poor Oscar! It seems he has lost his identity as the alpha cat in the household. His tail is in a twist!

Here's the new alpha cat or so he thinks! Percy likes to throw his weight around, stir up trouble and
destroy things.

Molly is having none of that alpha cat stuff. She hates him and she openly defies him. Makes for

some mighty tense moments in the household.

My newish dining room chairs? I bought them almost 3 years ago when I bought the condo. Percy
had at them and...

he thought they might look better with fringe. I disagree. He also bit the nailheads out of the sides of the chairs. I could not tolerate having a choking hazard in the condo so I brought the chairs downstairs to my office. The kitties do not set foot in my office.

Oh great! Let's have another altercation. Percy can hold his own now. He weighs more than Molly and more than Oscar too!

According to my vet, I am living with three social groups. She says they're trying to figure it out. She offered some suggestions. Let's hope they figure it out soon!

Cool antique find

2011-10-13T23:52:00.002-04:00

I spotted this antique chest at Canal St Antiques about two weeks ago. I liked it because it was black and it had glass knobs. It looked small but I thought it might be the perfect size for a corner in my kitchen that was badly in need of a little sprucing up.

I had one of those butcher block carts that can double as an island in the kitchen corner. It was too big and too tall for the area so I was looking for something smaller. I also wanted drawers so I could store dishtowels and maybe some small dishes in it.

So after measuring the kitchen space and the chest, I took the plunge and bought the chest. After a major struggle transporting it out of the car and up some stairs to the condo, I placed it in the corner of the kitchen. Wow, I am out of shape! Note to self, ask for help next time!

It fit nicely in the corner with room to spare. As you can see, there is a heating grate on the floor so I had to make sure that the chest did not cover it completely. It is the perfect display spot for my collection of Anthropologie teacups. That's a chalkboard platter from Pottery Barn. This may not be a permanent display, I am always moving things around.

You can see that I have some wall art over the chest so I had to make sure the chest was not too high.

That's my bedroom door to the left in the photo. Yes, I put a number on the door. I wanted it to
look like a hotel room door. The curtain to the right is made of a black and ecru toile fabric.

The chest does have some flaws and scratches. After all, it is from the 1800's. I don't mind, it just adds to it's character.

I bought a reproduction of a French dryer rack from Brissonte in North Reading. I think it suits my Anthro teacup collection.

I love these teacups and the colors are perfect for my kitchen.

Here's the wall art I mentioned earlier. My little ode to France. The Steinlein print is one of my faves. I actually saw this print at my vet's office and thought it was so me that I googled the artist's name. I then found a print on Ebay and the rest is history.

I often write messages on the chalkboard platter but not today. I'd like to find a nice quote to write on it. Nothing too long, I'm a lefty so I smudge my words. I usually have to write from right to left on a chalkboard.

This is the adjoining wall with the Harney Tea wire rack and a little clock.

Surprise, the interior of the drawer is red! Again, this is a nice accent color in the kitchen.

I'm still playing with the display on top of the chest. If you look closely you can see that the box is a tea box. The samovar is Russian and needs to be rewired for American use. I think it is pretty but not sure that all of that looks good on the chest. I will probably stick with just the platter and teacup stand.

I hope you enjoyed your mini tour of my kitchen. I have tomorrow off so I will post about my weekend activities soon. So far I am planning to attend a craft fair and then have lunch with friends.

And then of course there will be football! Hope you all have a great weekend. I am linking up with Cindy of My Romantic Home for Show and Tell Friday. Check out her post here and then check out other particpant's posts through her blog.

Canal Street Antiques

2011-10-12T00:37:00.000-04:00

About a week ago, I discovered a new spot for antiquing. It's located in Lawrence, Massachusetts at 181 Canal Street.

At first it might seem overwhelming. After all, there are 50 dealer spaces to investigate in this old mill building.

I really want this for my dining room. I've been looking for a chandelier for about 3 years now. I would love to replace the ceiling fan in the dining room with a chandelier but I never found one I really liked. I think this one is it!

Wouldn't this be quite the conversation piece? It would be perfect in a home office. Don't you think?

There is so much to see here. I went twice in 2 weeks and I am sure I still missed some items.

I love trunks. They are great for storage and decorating.

I have one just like this. I got it for free, found it by the side of the road!

This piece is fabulous. I don't need it but it would be a nice addition to a bathroom. It was sold.

I spotted this for a friend. She is looking for a vintage coffee urn and this one is lovely!

Lately, I'm into marble. I have a new table with a marble top. I'll share later. This piece caught my eye. I need a bureau for my bedroom so I came here looking for one.

And here is the object of my desire. An Eastlake Victorian bureau circa 1885 with a marble top. The dimensions are perfect too. I am thinking seriously thinking about it.

I really like this lamp, however, I don't need a lamp.

And this one reminds me of one I already have. I bought from a woman who was selling her Victorian home. Mine is blue, this one is more reddish. Mine is from the 50's and this one is from 1967.

I liked this lamp with the small green shade. Even the bottom of the stand was decorative.

I love the way some of the dealers merchandised their booths. They knew how to showcase their items.

Another cool lamp.

You know I gravitate to teacups!

I love these drawers from a sewing machine table. I bought two of them. I already have one at home that I use to house my CDs.

Don't this just scream Autumn to you? I can see these on a Thanksgiving table.

The fabric is a little funky but I love this chair!

Hmm, this china cabinet looks familar! It looks like my grandmother's china cabinet that now resides in my dining room.

                                            They also have auctions at 181 Canal Street. I highly recommend Canal Street Antiques.  I did buy a great piece and I will share it in my next post!

Oktoberfest

2011-10-10T02:53:00.012-04:00

On Saturday, I attended an Oktoberfest at a friend's house. They went all out for the party.

There was a big tent in the yard.

                                     And they hired an oompah band.

The band was really great!

They played throughout dinner.

There was a photo opportunity.

And they wore lederhosen.

Some pretty frauleins.

The pretzels were delicious.

A fruit plate complete with German cheese.

A sweet snack of chex mix and melted white chocolate.

                                         The oompah band assembled us at the beginning of the driveway and
                                         had us parade into the backyard. Evidently Oktoberfest starts with a
                                         band leading a parade.

I was behind Duane during the parade. He was dressed appropriately.

Our hosts Roger and Deborah officially opened Oktoberfest.

Lots of authentic foood.

                                        Don't ask me to name it all but it was really good. I loved the
                                        noodle thing.

Duane was very happy with the food too! Or was it the beer?

                                    This couple was outfitted by the man's mother who makes costumes
                                    for a theatre group.  His shirt is from Transylvania, a gift from a Romanian
                                    exchange student.



                                           More frauleins!

Here's an overview of the "beer hall".

Black forest cake, of course!

Apple streudel, yum!!

Vanilla sauce for the streudel.

Roger contemplates his beer.

Our host's daughter carved this pumpkin.

They have a gorgeous home with two decks. One on the left
and one on the right side of the house.

It looked so beautiful with all the lights.

The left deck.

This section connected the left and right decks.

And here's the right deck.

Our host's son entertained us with the cello. And yes, he is available for

weddings and parties. He has an impressive resume.

We all had a great time at Oktoberfest. The weather could not have been better for an

outdoor party. It was unseasonably warm! When the sun went down it was nicely cool.

We were told this is going to be an annual party. What a fun tradition!

You are entering the twilight zone

2011-10-04T23:50:00.000-04:00

Picture this: a woman, asleep in her bed, is awakened by a shrill noise. Startled and barely awake, she struggles to reach the cell phone on her nightstand. Surely, the noise must be the alarm she set on the phone for her 8:30 wake up.

Horrified, she discovers it is not the phone alarm but something much more sinister and it is coming from inside her condo!

The offending party? The hallway smoke detector. It's sound so deafening that it woke all occupants inside the condo unit. The fully awake woman investigates for fire. No smell of smoke and earlier in the night, there were no signs of a malfunction or low battery on the device.

She grabs a battery and pulls a chair under the smoke detector. She climbs the chair but she is not tall enough to reach the detector. At this point, a second detector goes off. The first alarm set off a chain reaction.

The decibel level is unbearable and the woman's three cats run crazily around the condo.

All is not calm or bright.

The woman calls the fire department. She could not chance the alarm continuing and waking up the other unit owners. It was now 4:45 in the morning. She corrals the cats into the bedroom so they will not bolt out the front door when the firemen arrive.

She grabs sweatpants and a jacket meant for outdoor wear and gets dressed. The firemen arrive and determine there is no fire. One of the firemen stands on the chair and replaces the battery which powers the battery backup. One alarm is silenced. The firemen start to leave when the woman asks if they can silence the second alarm by also changing that battery.

One of the firemen snaps at the woman,"We are not a battery changing service!" But the younger firemen takes pity on the woman and he climbs the chair and changes the battery.

The silence is a welcome sound. The firemen's footsteps are the only sound remaining in the building. The woman closes the door when they leave and lets the cats out of the bedroom. She makes one trip to the bathroom before retiring to bed. A quick check in the mirror reveals bedhead. The woman is too exhausted to be embarrassed about the firemen seeing her with bedhead!

She retreats to her bed and finally falls asleep after the adrenaline rush wears off. She awakens the next morning, feeling tired and jet lagged.

She wonders was it all a dream or did she enter the twilight zone?

Macaron Sweeterie, worth a visit

2011-09-27T22:29:00.000-04:00

I drove by this shop many times on my way to Wilson Farms and I always thought it might make a cute tearoom. It was vacant for a bit but now it has a tenant.

The sign outside made me investigate. I love macarons!

Nice decor, clean, all of their offerings listed on a menu. So far so good.

The owner ( I assume she was the owner) smiled and asked if she could help me.

I looked at the menu and then I spied these little pieces of heaven. So colorful and delightfully diplayed. I contemplated all of the flavors. While I was thinking, a woman and two young boys entered the shop. "This is the best place ever!" exclaimed one of the boys.

Ok, after hearing that proclaimation I went for the six pack of macarons. I stayed with the safe flavors. I am not very adventurous but I don't care. Dark chocolate, espresso, lemon, caramel du sel, and 2 vanillas.

Another view of the showcase. At Macaron Sweeterie, you can also get gelato and cappucinos, mochas,etc. They even have a macalato which is a macaron shell filled with gelato, your choice.

I opted to save the box of macarons for later and I ordered a mocha. Not quite a European drinking chocolate but almost as rich and much lighter. Oh my, I will need to go back for one of those again.

It really was the best I ever had. The little boy was right! This is the best place ever!

Over the weekend, I enjoyed my macarons and I loved them so much I did not share. Not a single one!

If you find yourself on Massachusetts Ave in Lexington, you need to stop in. You will not be disappointed.

Tonight's Dessert

2011-09-25T20:59:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite desserts is apple pie. Now that Fall is here and apples are in season, I was craving a good pie.

So I called my friend Mary, the best pie baker I know, and she made this beauty for me. It tasted as delicious as it looked. And with only three people at dinner, there are leftovers! Fantastic!

Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall

2011-09-23T18:09:00.003-04:00

Every season I try to make a photo mosaic. Then I can look back and see what I did and where I've been.

So here's my Summer 2011 recap:

Top row from left to right- an evening at Fenway Park, daytrip to Rockport, spending time at the Winchester Farmer's Market, al fresco dining and a delicious gelato

Middle row from left to right:- discovered a new shop Brissonte in North Reading, chilling out with an ice coffee and one of my favorite reads, a second daytrip to Rockport, Miss Marble the kitty we fed most of the summer

Bottom row from left to right- daytrip to Kennebunkport, daytrip to Nubble Light, Melrose Victorian Fair, Percy admiring himself

I didn't take a Summer vacation this year but I have 18 vacation days to take by the end of the year. I see lots of daytrips or long weekends this Fall!

Random acts of kindness- flowers

2011-09-20T23:02:00.000-04:00

On Saturday, I was driving on Main Street in Reading and I passed by a house with this sign out front. Help yourself to the flowers, what a nice invitation!

What a glorious shrub,well, I guess it was a tree really. So lush and filled with the most gorgeous
hydrangea blossoms.

And such beautiful colors on the blossoms. The overexposed photo does not do it justice. There were pinks and greens and peaches woven oh so subtly into each flower.

The house was adorable too! And I can only imagine really nice people live here. I drove home and got my flower cutting tools and returned to take some of the blooms off the back of the tree.

And here are the results! They look so pretty in the common area of the condo. I placed some on the bistro set .

They brighten up a little corner by the back door . All of my condo mates can see them when they are leaving for work in the morning or coming home at night.

And a second vase full of flowers for the other table in the foyer. I have since taken the runner off this table. It was competing with the flowers and we can't have that, can we?

So, a simple random act of kindness can really make someone's day. I plan to drop a note or card in the homeowner's mailbox to thank them.

Trolling Estate and Yard Sales

2011-09-17T19:58:00.000-04:00

A forecast of Fall-like temperatures and a rare Saturday off made me decide this morning was a perfect time to go yard saling. I checked online and set my GPS. I added a few estate sales in the mix and I was off to one estate sale and three yard sales in Wakefield and one estate sale and one yard sale in Melrose.

I set up a still life in my side yard to display my finds for you. The hydrangeas have a little story but that's for another post.

The estate sale in Wakefield was pretty good. It started at 9AM and I arrived after 10. So I think a lot of the really good stuff was gone. I got the small teapot, tea cup and 2 saucers there. I like to shop estate sales because you can often get a real bargain but they also bother me. I am conflicted.

I was conversing with a woman at the estate sale and I said although I love to go to estate sales I find them unsettling. Think about it, the occupants of the house have died and throngs of people are walking through their home.Today at the estate sale, people were rifling through drawers and cabinets. I saw a young man sifting through a woman's closet. I find it kind of creepy. The woman I was speaking to said she thinks of it as giving a second life to the deceased's possessions. I shall try to view it this way.

Here's a closeup of the teacup and one of the saucers. They don't match but I don't care.

In Melrose, I went to an estate sale, nothing there of interest to me. And I felt so bad because the granddaughter was there and she was crying.

I then went to a few yard sales in Melrose. At one yard sale, I got three fur pieces. The first one was a small collar. The inside was satin and it was in excellent condition.

The second piece was a hat. It's on the small side bur it will fit Vivienne, my dress form perfectly.

Here's the teapot from the estate sale in closeup.

The third piece from the same yard sale. A fur muff. If I ever go ice skating again I can use this!

Here's the cool satin lining on the fur collar. This collar is so elegant. I think I can probably tack it on to one of my cardigans.

The teacup and saucer don't match as you can see but they look good together.

This saucer is from the estate sale. The old keys are from an antique yard sale in Wakefield.

I guess I pretty much covered these chairs with my finds I got them in Melrose at another yard sale. They were a steal. Made by Burrowes, they are in almost pristine condition! They will serve as extra seating and I can also use them as props in photo shoots. So cute!

Here's a closeup of the seat of the chair. I absolutely love the color of the wood.

I worked up an appetite after all that rummaging. So I gave my friend Debbi a call and she and one of her friends met me for breakfast at Aroma Cafe in Reading.

A nice day all around. How about you? Any interesting weekend plans?

Melrose Victorian Fair 2011

2011-09-13T00:01:00.029-04:00

Sunday, the Melrose Chamber of Commerce held it's annual Victorian Fair.

The City of Melrose looks forward to this event every September. This year the fair coincided

with September 11th. Red and blue canopies lined Main Street. More than 10,000

people attended the Fair.

Marcy Holbrook was the emcee for this joyful but also somber event.

The Mayor opened the fair and dedicated it to Ray Rocha, a Melrose

resident who died on 9/11. Ray was working at Cantor Fitzgeraldat the World Trade Center that fateful morning. He was a member of the Melrose High School football team and a 1990 graduate.

A scholarship was created in his name and his parents attended the dedication on Sunday.

Many of the Melrose Dance Schools took center stage during the day.

These Irish step dancers werec wonderful as were all the groups.

A Victorian couple strolled Main Street.

Artisan Marketplace was a special area just for jewelers, photographers,

painters and crafters.

The street became more and more crowded as afternoon approached.

We could not have ordered a more beautiful day. It was sunny with

mild temperatures.

All the standard fare could be found. Fried dough, popcorn and cotton candy were plentiful.

My bank sponsored some vintage dancers and while they waited to perform, they had a picnic.

If the dancers had not brought their own refreshments, they could have had a mini lobster roll and cup of chowder from Turner's.

More ladies in Victorian garb. They made the bonnet the young girl was wearing.

A ballet dancer gets a last minute touchup!

A living statue stopped people in their tracks! How can she stand so still?

I think this is my favorite photo of the day. Someone had donated a vintage child's fire truck.

The bell did work, I tested it!

And this little angel was part of a group dance.

The police chief found a new friend.

The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers did two 20 minute sets and they were wonderful. Their
costumes were simple but perfect for a Victorian Fair.

A tasteful celebration on a somber day. A day of remembrance where the community came together once again.. This time we celebrated all that is good in our American way of life..

Daytrip- York, Maine

2011-09-06T00:41:00.007-04:00

On Sunday, my sister and I drove north to York, Maine to visit some friends. Our friends always rent a cottage across from Nubble Light the last week of August and first week of September.

It was a beautiful day and we spent many hours outside just watching the waves and taking photos.

We of course had our annual group shot taken in front of Nubble Lighthouse.

Don took video and photos. We were happy as long as he didn't turn the cameras on us!

I did a lot of people watching. This woman had a cool umbrella with daisies all over it.

There were lots of dogs there.

Lovers enjoyed the view.

More dogs walking on the rocks. I am sure they would rather be on the beach.

A lot of people were into hats too.

Could this be the makings of a Christmas Card?

Someone was feeding the gulls so they were hovering all afternoon.

Here's the cottage. I love that deck. This is the deck where Percy was sitting when my friends arrived at the cottage last year.

And the back of the cottage. You can see how close it is to the ocean. Fabulous!

And you can also see how close it is to the lighthouse!

This year we were pleasantly surprised by the renovation of the kitchen.

The cottage looks so much more spacious!

Ooh, I love open shelving. Everything looked so fresh and clean.

Don't you love the starfish hardware?

The day was ending and I used Don's tripod for this night shot.

I was waiting for the sky to change so I could photograph what I call

Nubble purple The sky had a bit of pink in it but no Nubble purple.

So disappointing!

I consoled myself with a hot fudge sundae with peppermint stick ice cream from Brown's. The end to a perfect day!

Percy, has it really been a year?

2011-09-01T23:26:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it's been a year since Percy wandered into our lives. I say our lives because it was a team effort to get him to where he is today.

He was just a little tyke when I first met him at my friend's rental cottage by Nubble Light in Maine. I remember it was exactly one year ago today. My friends had already met him and he captured their hearts. They were looking out for him, leaving food and water for him. My friend Mary accidently dropped a meatball out on the deck of the cottage and Percy gobbled it up and he was nicknamed Meatball for the duration of his stay by Nubble Light.

A hurricane named Earl was predicted to bring high winds and torrential rains to the coast of Maine and none of us were going to let this little kitten stay outside in that kind of weather. So he was transported to Massachusetts to stay with me for a while.

After only two weeks, he was mixing it up with Oscar. Oscar liked having a new playmate and so did I. I grew very attached and so I ended up giving hima permanent home with me and Oscar and Molly.

It certainly didn't take him long to make himself at home. His mousey was his constant friend. He would bathe it in his water bowl and try to get me to play fetch with it.

Percy may be cute but he frustrated me plenty in those first few months. He became a one man wrecking crew. He ruined 2 of my dining room chairs, broke countless dishes and a few teacups, tore holes in my shades.

There's Mousey with Oscar and Percy. While Oscar sleeps, Percy plots his next attack. He wants to play just about 24/7.

At Christmas, Percy got his very own stocking with his name embroidered on it. He really enjoyed his first Christmas.

Percy loved to watch the snow fall and we had a lot of it last Winter!

Now Summer is almost over and Percy is just about full grown or at least I hope he is!

I hope that Percy eventually gets along as well with his sister Molly as he does with his brother Oscar.

Only time will tell!

Kennebunkport continued

2011-08-30T01:09:00.063-04:00

Two years ago, I vacationed in the Kennebunkport area. I tried to have dinner at a restaurant called Pier 77 on a friend's recommendation but they were booked solid. Last Thursday, I tried to eat there again. This time I was successful.

My friend Lori Lee and I arrived there just as the sky opened up and torrential rain fell.

So no photos of a beautiful sunshiny day.

Nice decor and what a fireplace! I imagine it must be so cozy by that fireplace in the Fall.

Here's a closer look. What beautiful inlaid tile in that mantel!

Oh right, we ate there too! After all that was the point. We both chose to go with the special of the day, fried scallops.

And the scallops were huge! They were lightly fried, not too heavy and they were so tender and delicious.

I tried again to get a good ocean shot but the rain persisted. In fact, right after we sat down there was a loud clap of thunder followed by a spectacular lightning bolt. If only I could have captured it with my camera, it was all silvery with lots of tendrils. My friend Lori Lee mentioned that she had never seen silver lightning like that! Either had I.

We finished eating and it was still so gray and wet out.

Just a really dreary afternoon. Boo hoo! I wanted to walk down by the water.

I guess I will just have to take my shots through the windows.

This the bathroom at Pier 77. After having just visited the architectural salvage place, Old House Parts in Kennebunk, I made special note of the mirror. Cute idea!

This is a little sitting area at the top of the stairs and just outside the bathrooms. I was loving that table and lamp. So unique! It would look fantastic in my home and I'll take the chair too!

A separate room for larger groups. I think my tea group would enjoy this.

I really liked the decor at Pier 77.

And another view of that fabulous lamp and table.

One more shot of the restaurant, lunch time is over.

And one last shot of the water before we leave. Still no sunshine but at least the torrential rain stopped. I will definitely be back, perhaps in the Fall to sit by that cozy fireplace!

Daytripping- Kennebunkport, Maine

2011-08-27T02:26:00.002-04:00

The other day I looked at my attendance calendar at work and I realized I had only taken 3 of my 22 allotted vacation days this year. If I don't use them by December 31st. I lose them. So I decided to take one last Thursday.

I decided to go with a friend to Kennebunkport, Maine for the day. We started out with a drive up to Stonewall Kitchens in York. We did a little shopping and had coffee and enough breakfast to tide us over to until lunchtime.

Rain was predicted but not until the afternoon and we arrived before the rain hit. We drove by the ocean as the sky got grayer and grayer. I didn't mind. I love a moody sky.

We drove along Ocean Ave, admiring all the beautiful seaside homes and wishing we knew the people who lived there.

Occasionally, we would get out of the car and explore the area. This spot was lovely with it's wild foliage and cool rocks. You can see what the travel brochures mean by rocky coastline.

We enjoyed walking by and admiring all the oceanfront homes on Ocean Ave.

This one had a fantastic porch facing the ocean.

This spectacular home was directly on the water.

This one might have been my favorite. Don't you love the architectural detail?

Here's a longer shot of the home. Just lovely!

So sweet, another beauty.

And no trip to Kennebunkport is complete without a trip to the Bush compund at Walker's Point. This is the view from Ocean Ave. What spectacular views they must have from that house!
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As I was zooming in a bit, a woman who was standing on the rocks called our attention to the people who were standing on the front lawn. She asked if I could see who it was, she suspected it was Barbara Bush. I couldn't say for sure at the time. But later upon closer inspection, it was indeed Barbara Bush and I am not sure about the man next to her. So I was pretty excited to think that I got a photo of Barbara on her front lawn. ( You can click on the photo to enlarge it).

The waves were crashing against the rocks making that sound that I love. It's actually very rhythmnic and soothing. If you've ever slept by the ocean, you know it can lull you to sleep.

But no sleeping on this daytrip. I have more to tell about this day which I will hold for another post. We had lunch at Pier 77 in Cape Porpoise and witnessed a fantastic lightning storm and prior to that we made a stop at Old House Parts to look at architectual salvage pieces. I found something really amazing but that too is for another post.

Those of you on the East Coast, I wish you a safe weekend. Let's hope the hurricane does not live up to the hype!

How to spend a perfect Summer's Day

2011-08-24T00:45:00.008-04:00

Summer is the time to kick back, chill out and enjoy the nice weather. It doesn't last long does it?

My favorite ways to spend a summer day? Dining in the open air, oceanside.

Relaxing on a porch swing with a good summer read or a magazine sipping ice tea or lemonade.

This gives new meaning to the words Sleeping Porch. It's all about being lazy.

How about a nap under some crisp summer linens?

I do love a little cottage in the woods complete with screen porch for those cool summer evenings.

How would you spend a perfect Summer's day?

Want to read more about the joys of Summer? Visit Sarah at Modern Country Style and join her blog party. Just click on the button.

Mercury Retrograde

2011-08-22T00:59:00.006-04:00

I had so many miscommunications and disappointments this weekend that I figured the planet Mercury had gone retrograde. I looked it up and sure enough, Mercury is retrograde from August 3rd until August 26th.

What does Mercury retrograde mean? Well, I looked at Astrology.com and it states: Mercury retrograde gives rise to personal misunderstandings; flawed, disrupted, or delayed communications, negotiations and trade; glitches and breakdowns with phones, computers, cars, buses, and trains. And all of these problems usually arise because some crucial piece of information, or component, has gone astray or awry.

So that it explains it. It started on Saturday morning. I had my morning all planned out. I had to do a number of errands before going to visit my mom at the nursing home in the afternoon. I was hosting a small birthday party for my Sister in the evening.

I mapped out my route for maximum efficiency, a quick stop at Pondview Florist in Winchester to place an order for flowers, a stop at Cake in Lexington to select a cake, and then on to Bedford for a stop at the tea shop Tea's Studio and Jack and Toba for a gift for my sister.

Things went well at the florist shop, then I went to Cake and picked out a cake and paid for it. I told them I would be back in about two hours and they were going to write Happy Birthday on the cake. I drove off to Bedford to the tea shop, walked up to the door and it was locked!

Guess I won't be serving my favorite tea blends with the cake! Then I drove the length of the town and never found Jack and Toba. The owner had mentioned she wanted to move locations. I guess she did!

So I went back to Cake to pick up my cake. You know the cake I had already paid for. When I got there I told the clerk I was picking up my cake and she said, "We don't have any cakes." I told her to check out back because I already paid for this cake. She did but still no cake. They had sold my cake! Luckily, a cake had just come out of the oven so I had to wait for them to decorate it but it would be mine. They told me 7 minutes, it took longer. While I was waiting, the man who took my order and my money walked in the door. I said to the clerk, "he's the one who took my order!" He said he didn't remember me until I reminded him with more details. So I waited for the cake and I was not offered a discount of any kind or even a free cupcake while I waited. Poor customer service, Cake! I will say the cake was delicious. It was hot out so I went home with the cake and then headed back to the florist's to pick up my arrangement.

They are so sweet at Pondview Florist. The flowers looked wonderful. They always do a great job and they are not expensive and no attitudes there. They are professional and very accomodating.

Anway, despite my troubles prior to the party. It all went well. Here's a few photos from the party.

Of course, I had to take a close up of the fruit and cheese tray.

Remember the lavender table runner I used at Easter, it had lights running down it's center? Well I bought more colors of the same style runner. This one was green.

I used my crystal glasses with paper plates and napkins. I call it casual elegance.

Shortbread cookies made to look like cameos served as favors.

The cake was beautiful and delicious.

Although, it was a little warped. Probably because they decorated it while it

was still warm!

Percy waited for his cake but he never did get any.

And there you can see the warp of the cake again.

Did I say it was yummy?

photos from a first communion

2011-08-14T01:22:00.002-04:00

Last May, I photographed a first communion. I didn't post too many of the photos since I wanted permission from the mother before I posted the photos of her daughter. I just received her approval.

The church was lovely, modern but not too modern. It still looks like a church not auditorium like.

Sara was so pretty and a joy to photograph. She put up with me stalking her for about 3 hours.

The children were waiting in the church basement before the procession to the upper church. It seemed to take an eternity!

Some of the children were restless but not Sara. She was the picture of patience.

She smiled throughout the Mass. Her mother was pleased as Sara is a very serious young lady. The little boy next to her was very expressive.

The man at the camera store gave me a tip for photographing first communions. "Use sports mode", he said. You can shoot more shots per second and you won't miss anything.

He was right!

Sara was happy to be outside. She was beaming.

The wind chill must have been around freezing. I felt sorry for the little girls in their lightweight dresses. It was abnormally cold for May.

A family shot. Yay, no one moved or even blinked. What a great group!

Sara wanted a photo with her bestie. I was happy to oblige. We went back into the church as most people had left and we could get near the altar.

Sara decided to ham it up and pretend she was a model. Maybe she will be one day!

More friends and family joined in the photo shoot.

Finally, time to let off some steam. Sara watched her cousin twirl.

She and her sister just had to join in the fun!

I made the family a photobook using My Publisher software. It was easy to do but time consuming because I shot over 200 photos. It was hard to narrow down the shots.

I ordered myself a copy too and it will serve as a portfolio for future photo assignments. Sara's mother has already said she wants me to do her younger daughter's communion in two years.

PS- Thanks to all of you who commented on my last post. I appreciate it and I will share your comments with my sister. We are heartbroken over Miss Marble but we find comfort in knowing she will never suffer again.

This was supposed to be a success story

2011-08-09T23:29:00.000-04:00

"This was supposed to be a success story" said my sister in an email to me on Monday. That's what makes this story so heartbreaking.

Those of you who have been reading my blog know that my sister and I had been feeding a stray cat who had 5 kittens under the porch at my sister's art studio. We know 3 of her kittens survived and were rescued. But 2 of them are missing. Maybe someone took them in or maybe they did not survive. That's Miss Marble in the photo above.

We rescued Miss Marble a week ago Sunday night. She was spayed that next Monday and Tuesday she was returned to us. We were hopeful she would bond with us so she could find a forever home. My sister would have taken her to her home but my father who lives with my sister does not want pets in the home.

I could not take in a 4th cat. But I would have let her stay in my office in the basement if we didn't find a home for her by Winter. The office has central air and heat and two windows. It would have been adequate temporary housing for her. Not the most ideal but adequate.

My sister's landlord at the studio was captivated by Miss Marble. He thought perhaps he would like to give her a home but we thought he was not suitable because he travels a lot for business. Anyway, he allowed us to use the second commercial space in the building for housing for Miss Marble. Rent free. The tenant had moved out on July 31st so the space was vacant and the timing was perfect!

We thought Miss Marble was recovering nicely and she was looking good and eating well after her surgery. My sister and I were taking turns feeding her and keeping her company. And when we weren't there we had the radio on for her. It's funny, the first time my sister turned on the radio the song was Don't Stand So Close To Me by the Police. And the first song I heard when I saw Miss Marble after her surgery was I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends by The Beatles.

Last weekend, on Saturday morning Miss Marble didn't look so good. And she wasn't eating or using her litterbox. My sister was concerned. Saturday night she had not eaten her morning food. Sunday morning the food was untouched. And by Sunday night still no food was eaten.

I told my sister we needed to take her to the vet. I thought I heard her wheezing. She was lethargic. We put her in the car and drove to the animal hospital for emergencies. I sat in the back seat with her, reassuring her that it was all ok.

Evidently, she was petrified. At the hospital, she bit the animal tech and escaped from the staff's reach. She ran the length of the hospital before she was caught. The animal tech was going to be put on workmen's compensation.

After examination, it was determined she was quite sick. She might have pneumonia and her pupils were not the same size at all indicating a neurological problem. It was possibly FIP, a fatal brain disease for cats. The vet expressed concern for our well being and did not think we would be able to administer antibiotics to Miss Marble twice a day for 14 days. A positive confirmation for FIP would mean an MRI which cost minimally $3,000.

The vet suggested euthanasia as an option. We did not want to consider this. We wanted to get her well but it was not looking good. We were blown away by this diagnosis. I thought she had the sniffles. The vet said she wasn't eating because cats are driven by a sense of smell and Miss Marble was congested and with upper respiratory problems she probably couldn't smell anything.

While at the vet's office my sister placed a call to the Cat Society lady who had helped us rescue Miss Marble. She said if FIP was mentioned Miss Marble could suffer. After that we made the painful decision to end her life.

I think she must be in heaven. Perhaps with her two kittens. She was a sweet cat, a kitten really. We noticed about two weeks a look on her face that told us she wanted to be rescued. Perhaps she knew she was sick and she knew we could help end her suffering. If we had known she was sick, we would never have put her through the surgery. I feel terrible that she went through an unnecessary surgery.
At least she must have felt safe and loved after her rescue. She actually let me stroke her ear the other day. It was the first time I touched her.

But she touched us right from the start when we first met her nearly two months ago. And we will miss her terribly.

My sister said she was wishing for a forever home for Miss Marble but she did not think her forever home would be heaven. She thinks we should be careful what we wish for.

Rest in Peace Miss Marble.

Cool antique store find

2011-08-05T00:19:00.014-04:00

You might remember I visited the city of Gloucester last week. Well after my friend Lori Lee and I had breakfast we checked out a few antique stores.

I found a wonderful old photo album that I just had to have. Here it is on display in my hallway.

Here's a closer look. I liked the color of the album and noticed it had some of the colors of the lamp.

The album is hand painted and the paint is chipping. But I don't mind. It adds character.

Here's an extreme closeup. It's so cheery. I just love it!

It must have locked at one time. The fact that it won't lock now doesn't bother me. My life is an open book, right?

And speaking of open books, when I opened the album I was pleasantly surprised by the condition of the interior. Also, the book was filled with pristine vintage photographs.

Don't you love the painting around the photos? So gorgeous!

This page is my favorite. Love the little girl and the embellishment around the photo. It is just so charming.

Here's a closer view.

And an even closer view of the artwork. Magnificent!

I love this little boy's outfit. I am not sure what era this is from but I sure am curious. Their names are Fred and Ethel!

For a second, I thought I had an original Abe Lincoln photo and I thought I might be able to retire early. But it turns out this is Gramp Hill, a Lincoln lookalike. I guess I will have to keep my day job! So perhaps this is a Civil War war album? That would be so cool!

This photo was made of a different material. Lori Lee thinks it's silver gelatin. Really?

And another stylish toddler. When I brought this to the shop owner I asked if the price was firm and he discounted it quite a bit. Then he when he opened the album he asked if I would like to sell the photos back to him. I said no way. They're part of it's charm!

I'm joining Cindy from My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday. Click here to see more posts.

2011-08-02T00:21:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that Miss Marble was rescued last night. We started feeding her in the carrier /trap a few days ago and she took right to it.

The rescue was scheduled for yesterday morning with the help of two ladies from the cat society. Little did we know that the landlord of the building had scheduled lawn mowing and cleanup for the morning. There was so much noise that our little feral did not show up. The rescue was postponed until last night.

My sister was there. I couldn't bear to watch. She reported that Miss Marble did not freak out too much after being trapped. We had noticed that lately she seemed to want to be caught.

She had lived a hard life. Living outside near a busy street, becoming a mother of 5 kittens, foraging for food, all that at such a young age.

Today she had her surgery. She came through it fine and will be released tomorrow. My sister and I will work together to care for her as she recuperates. Just as we worked as a team when we took turns feeding her.

My sister's landlord at her art studio has offered an empty retail space for Miss Marble. Seems Miss Marble has won his heart too. She has a lot of people pulling for her as she transitions from stray semi-feral kitty to indoor kitty and house pet.

We have a few leads for a forever home for her. My hope is that someone will take her in and love and care for her and spend time with her so she will learn how to trust and show affection. She is safe from all outdoor dangers now and that is a reward in itself.

A daytrip to Cape Ann

2011-07-30T23:52:00.000-04:00

Thursday I took the day off from work. The weather was just perfect, not too hot or cold with a nice breeze. My friend Lori Lee came down from New Hampshire.

We decided to go for breakfast first. I suggested Sugar Magnolias in Gloucester. Sugar Mags was on the way to Rockport, our final destination.

Lori Lee had not been to this restaurant. She loved the menu and decided to go with the decadent Georgia French Toast. That's marshmallow and chocolate chips atop the toast.

The Motif No 1 was looking good. The harbor was quiet. Just a few pleasure craft.

The water color was such a gorgeous blue.

And yes, of course, we went to Helmut's Strudel shop. This is the view from the deck.

And another view from the deck. How fun would it be to take out a sailboat on a day like this?

Our table was right here, behind the railing. We had coffee and studel. So good, we each got a box to go home.

Everyone who sits on this deck does not want to leave. It is possibly the best spot to view the goings on in the harbor.

Mini sailboats on the water. We watched as sailing school went by us.

We found some interesting shops in Rockport. In Gloucester, we hit two antique stores and a consignment shop. I'll post about my finds in a few days.

Hope you're having a great weekend.

My cat is gifted

2011-07-27T23:48:00.000-04:00

Which cat you may ask? Well Oscar of course! I always knew he was smart but he's smarter than smart. He's gifted!

Right now, Oscar has a small vocabulary. He can say why, no, and Mum. But lately he's been talking in complete sentences. It's just a matter of time before he speaks fluent English.

And then could talk shows be far behind? I can see him on Letterman, maybe Regis and Kelly, definitely Animal Planet. We'll do the talk show circuit. Maybe some commercials, by the way, he eats Wellness Cat Food.

Of course, we''ll need him to drop his Boston accent. I'll have to teach him to say his R's.

Don't worry, his brother and sister will keep him grounded. As I write this post, Percy is biting Oscar's neck and then I am sure they will chase each other around the condo.

We have to make sure he stays as sweet and loving as he is today.

Weekend Wedding

2011-07-24T22:35:00.000-04:00

This weekend I attended a wedding of my friend Deborah's daughter. Heidi looked lovely in her dress. Here's the closeup of the gorgeous back of the dress.

The beading was on the bottom of the dress as well.

The reception was on the Spirit of Boston. It was a 3 1/2 hour sunset cruise.

I love cobalt blue! In fact I was looking for dress the very same color. I never found it. I ended up wearing white linen pants and a navy blue top with a glitzy necklace and bracelet.

Here are the wedding cakes. Yes, I did say cakes! There were six of them! I can't remember all the flavors but there was a red velvet cake, a mocha, a dark chocolate, and a white cake with strawberries.

Red velvet cake was by far the most popular although I had to go with the mocha.
The bride's aunt decorated the cakes. Don't you love the butterflies?

And real monarch butterflies were released at the wedding ceremony earlier in the day. One of the butterflies landed on the bride's father's shoulder.

The Minuteman cake, an ode to the region the bride's family lives. Surely, you've heard of historic Lexington and Concord.

My friend Deborah looked gorgeous in her blue gown.

Her son Landon was one of the ushers.

Heidi and Luis were introduced.

And they were ready for the spotlight that would shine on them all night.

Heidi and her father danced to a beautiful country song. Not sure what it was called

but maybe it was I saw her first. I probably should have researched this for you. Anyway, it made everyone misty, it was so beautiful.

Roger, her father, hangs on tight for his last dance with his daughter.

And then granddaughter Olivia joined in.

The couple's first dance with bridesmaids looking on.

The cruise took us past Boston's Zakim Bridge.

We had a wonderful buffet.

And then it was up on the deck to watch the sunset. It had been another 90 plus degree day so it was nice to feel the ocean breeze.

The clouds and colors of the sky were everchanging.

To the right in the photo is the Logan Airport tower.

Here are the girls from the tea group. The bride's mother is our tea group friend.

More pink clouds as the sun sets over the Harbor.

The wake from the boat made interesting ripples in the water.

Must be great to sail on Summer nights like this.

Heather was content to stay out on the deck all night. Me too!

From orange to pink, such an interesting sky.

Have I bored you yet with my sunset shots?

As I said earlier, I went for the mocha cake. I didn't regret it.

The going away dance for Heidi and Luis. Not sure where they are honeymooning.

And one last look at the Boston skyline. It was a magical night.

Man, it's a hot one...

2011-07-23T00:13:00.000-04:00

Man it's a hot one, like seven inches from the midday sun ....

I listened to the lyrics from the Carlos Santana song, Smooth, which was on my car radio today. It was 102 degrees outside according to my phone.

When I first got in the car, I nearly burned my hand on the steering wheel! I was hating the heat but then I remembered these scenes from not that long ago.

I remember listening to snowplows working hour after hour during the night and me worrying about the morning commute.

I remember having to clear my car off abour a million times a day to keep up with the accumulation of snow and ice. And one of my least favorite sounds in the world is the sound of an ice scraper on the windshield of a car. It sends chills up my spine. It's like nails on chalkboard!

I remember having to keep my distance from all the cars on the road in case I skidded or worse yet, someone who does not know how to drive in snow slid into me.

And I remember having to shovel a path just to get to the car and then still having to shovel off the car.

Ok, I am not going to hate these triple digit temps. I think I can make peace with the heat.

How are you staying cool?