that's a lot of candles

it appears that lots of moms and dads were gettin' busy during the month of november in the 70s and 60s. because birthday girls are popping up all over...and ann and dabney have been more than happy to celebrate with all of them.

at tapeo and solas last saturday, for ms. becca, a.k.a. sweetness and light, who turned the big 3-oh. fyi - herbert hoover, angie harmon and rosanna arquette were also born on august 10th.



becca, lucy, and dabney (laughing despite the fact that solas' bartender wouldn't serve her, even though she stood at the bar for what felt like an hour, even after he acknowledged her existence twice, then went on to serve all of his friends, which consisted of half the bar)



last night at local haunt, the red fez, to toast ms. dot, a.k.a. hlb. dot shares a birthday with madonna, angela bassett, kathie lee gifford and her twin brother danny, of course.

jeannie and dot





a special long distance dedication goes out to michelle (debra messing, ben affleck), who doesn't look a day past one.


and to francesca and diego (alfred hitchcock, ben hogan).

craft manifesto, superette style

despite what their blog says, ann and dabney HAVE been making things when they are not drinking or playing poker. in addition to the never-ending kyoto sweater (will it ever ever be done?) they've been busily sewing their wares. hopefully, a whole new batch of their cell phone cleaners, a.k.a. the phone binkies, will soon be done.

ever since they started this little venture called superette, ann and dabney have tried to articulate to others what it is about craft and the DIY culture that appeals so much to them. which brings them to the following craft manifesto, courtesy of hobbyprincess. there is some interesting and smart discussion about the whole crafting phenomenon, mostly in response to the manifesto. in italics are ann and dabney's equally clever responses:

1. People get satisfaction for being able to create/craft things because they can see themselves in the objects they make. This is not possible in purchased products.

this is true. ann and dabney are nothing if not small, functional and japanese-inspired.

2. The things that people have made themselves have magic powers. They have hidden meanings that other people can’t see.

little do they know it, but these two young women will live long and happy lives because of their handmade superette purchases.


3. The things people make they usually want to keep and update. Crafting is not against consumption. It is against throwing things away.

the things ann and dabney make will apparently stay around until they die, because dabney has a hard time getting rid of anything. have you seen her workspace? this is it, clean.



4. People seek recognition for the things they have made. Primarily it comes from their friends and family. This manifests as an economy of gifts.

ann and dabney do nothing but seek recognition. that pretty much sums up superette and its shameless attempts to court attention for ann and dabney's activities, crafty or non. that pretty much sums up their blog readership too.

5. People who believe they are producing genuinely cool things seek broader exposure for their products. This creates opportunities for alternative publishing channels.

ann and dabney do genuinely believe they produce genuinely cool things. and those genuinely cool things can be found on etsy. please buy them. now.

6. Work inspires work. Seeing what other people have made generates new ideas and designs.

work mostly inspires ann and dabney to drink. when they do work based on others' designs, ann and dabney like it call it "creative modification" or "craft evolution."

7. Essential for crafting are tools, which are accessible, portable, and easy to learn.

essential for sewing is a decent sewing machine. ann and dabney are still mourning the loss of lucy's sewing machine, which got returned to its owner a week ago when she wanted to make some curtains. if anyone has thoughts on what they should get as a replacement, please comment. in the meantime, see here and here for some of their other tools.

8. Materials become important. Knowledge of what they are made of and where to get them becomes essential.

ann and dabney are material whores and buy fabric, zippers, and beads whenever and wherever they are for sale. they also try to justify their around-the-world trips by labeling them as opportunities to find new supplies. here's a photo of some of the materials they bought during their last excursion to manila.


9. Recipes become important. The ability to create and distribute interesting recipes becomes valuable.

ann and dabney still haven't mastered this one, unless the recipe calls for zucchini.

10. Learning techniques brings people together. This creates online and offline communities of practice.

ann and dabney always try to get friends to take classes with them. there is a beginners quilting class starting on november 10 and ending right before christmas that dabney has her eye on. it's through the boston center for adult education. no seriously, sign up.

11. Craft-oriented people seek opportunities to discover interesting things and meet their makers. This creates marketplaces.

the renegade craft fair in june was ann and dabney's "coming out" to the crafting community. they loved meeting crafty folks. next up on the superette itinerary are the handmade arcade and the bazaar bizarre.

12. At the bottom, crafting is a form of play.

enough said.

no contest

for those of you who haven't made the switch yet, it is indeed time. dump that clunker of a browser, better known as internet explorer or "ie" (i.e. the inferior product), and move on to firefox. it's more stable, more forgiving, cheap (that is, free) and you can't beat the tabbed browsing feature.

plus, superette looks a lot cooler on it.

there is just no contest. if it were a prizefight, it would be ali versus wacko jacko. if it were a beer, it would guiness versus pabst blue ribbon. if it were a golf tournament, it would be tiger versus captain hook. you get the drift...

the inevitable

if anyone needed further proof that ann is becoming her mother, tessie, here it is.

ann purchased these shoes for herself while visiting st. louis last month. later that day, dabney caught tessie trying them on by the back door to the garage.



then, this appeared in ann and dabney's house last week:



it's a yankee candle (ocean water scent) with its own individual warmer. yes, that's a replacement candle (lily of the valley) in the background, waiting in the wings for its chance to serve.

soon, ann will be wearing a skirted bathing suit, and this bonnet:

running with tunes

after years of sweaty earlobes and chafing, ann and dabney have finally come up with it... the runner's perfect musical gadgetry.

in the beginning it was a turquoise deck-of-card-sized rio mp3 player clipped onto dabney's shorts with a pair of regular foam-covered earphones. not only could the world hear her music as she ran by, the rio ate through batteries like tom cruise on vitamins.

then dawned the age of the ipod... the ability to run with their entire music collection - surely the answer to ann's prayers. but with the ever-popular gadget strapped around her waist in a special belt and a pair of sony headphones, ann found the belt's chafing unbearable and the occasional "spinning down" from the constant jostling of the ipod's hard drive too annoying. add to that, the headphones fell apart at the seams. it was back to the drawing board...

the arrival of the ipod shuffle was life-altering. as soon as it came on the market, ann and dabney hopped on-line faster than you could say "free katie." and for the most part, it did not disappoint.



as small as a pack of gum, and about as light, it is an exerciser's dream. there was just one hitch in the plan; with only a lanyard attachment, it bobbed around wildly while they ran. ann and dabney experimented with tucking them in their sportsbras and shorts, next to their sweaty bodies, which caused ann's shuffle to short out (thankfully apple swapped hers out asap for a new one). so warning, don't get 'em wet. otherwise, shuffles are splendidly simple. who cares about seeing the title of what you're listening to while jogging about the neighborhood or on the "dreadmill?" it's one-button technology that even ann's mom gets (note: she doesn't even touch tv remotes).

enter the imojo shuffle sweats. last month, as reported earlier, ann and dabney attended the macworld expo. they were hoping to find some new accessories for their apple lifestyle and the event did not disappoint. freebies, freebies everywhere! lo and behold, this man shows up, arms outstretched, with schwag in hand:



swinging lanyard, begone! the imojo is a sweatband worn around the wrist with a small piece of elastic that holds a ipod shuffle and a useful rubber “cleat” for winding excess earphone wires. it’s light, secure, and best of all, machine-washable. the imojo is indeed a runner's best friend.





to solve the earphone dilemma, the etymotic research 6i earbuds did the trick.

these little guys go deep into the ear canal, which seems more akin to earplugs rather than earphones. they take a little getting used to, but they don't budge and sound great. they do block ALL sounds though - handy while vacuuming, ignoring fellow passengers, or even blocking out offers for free scientology personality tests. but, runners, beware: look before you cross!

5 malts in an hour

one of the best things about st. louis is crown candy kitchen, a true-to-life old fashioned soda fountain experience nestled in the northern part of the city. sadly, this area of town is worse for wear with its dilapidated townhouses and neglected gardens, but through its ninety-two year history, crown has hung in there in its original location, authentic booths with individual coat hooks, genuine wurlitzer and all.





when ann was in high school her beloved french teacher, cindy, shared this gem of a place with her. she likes to think it was a reward for her outstanding linguistic prowess, but most likely, it was cindy's immediate ice cream craving. nonetheless, ann will be forever grateful.

as much as she loves crown's chocolate malts, ann has never dared to complete their malt challenge. the feat is to consume five 24 oz. malts in under an hour. the reward? a t-shirt and one's name on a sparse (and surely dusty) plaque in the restaurant. if there was only a gin & tonic contest....

funny address

zero backbone.

texas held 'em

lest you read ashbloem's account, and get the wrong idea: ann and dabney were at home, probably getting ready to watch something on pbs, call their parents, then make it an early night.

then ashbloem and carrrrrmen called them from a bar no less and asked them if a & d were up for some poker. and then they innocently asked if liquor stores were open at that time on a sunday. so ann and dabney HAD to bring the vodka. then ashbloem and carrrrrmen called them three times to ask if they were on their way (with the vodka).

also, lest you see carrrrmen and get the wrong idea from her tiny size-0 frame: she is really a pint-sized killer. don't let this picture of innocence fool you:


at some point between the last time they all played texas hold 'em, and last night, carrrrmen went out and read something that said the more aggressively you bet, the more chance that you will win. and whatever she read was right. that girl cleaned HOUSE last night. she had a stack of chips so tall by the end of the night she couldn't even see over them to make her next big bet. she had to leave.

love, rod stewart style

ann and dabney were on the metro in d.c. earlier this year. a woman standing inches away from them leaned over to her friend and said in a very loud stage whisper, "those two women have matching wedding rings on their fingers." her friend leaned over and said in response, "dear, maybe there's a reason for that."

and just last week at crazy bride's wedding shower in st. louis, a very tanned woman with racoon eyes let out an audible and bonafied "oh. ohhhhhhhh" when she realized who they were upon introduction. she told ann and dabney that she knew "ALL about them," having seen pictures of them before.

ann and dabney have had all sorts of responses - often hilarious - to their relationship. but when they got married in 2003 (for the first of three times) they were lucky to have all four of their parents there in full force. there is no sweeter thing than supportive moms and dads of gay kids who decide to get hitched.

so ann and dabney were tickled by the shower thrown for their friends nikki and averrill at club cafe last saturday. it was a southern theme, so everyone arrived in large floral hats and drank mint julips throughout the afternoon. nikki's mom stood square in front of the crowd and did a rod stewart solo no less. now, that's love.

a & d with one of the brides


mcdude & alicia


ashbloem & ann


boston tara


of course, ann couldn't resist trying on all the hats.

a brush with the devil (okay, just the suburbs)

aside from ann's hallucinations about re-locating to the midwest, superette had a great trip to st. louis. still, ann and dabney (and especially dabney) are very happy to be back in new england. they love their walkable city, with its distinct charm and lack of strip mall and SUV driving culture. besides, let's not forget they would cease to be married in missouri (gasp!). like clockwork, as soon as ann crossed the border to massachusetts, she slapped herself and asked, "what was i thinking?" it must of been st. louis' low cost of living, the central air-conditioning, or the acres of available parking that led to her temporary insanity. to dabney's fall-down-and-kiss-the-ground relief, they appear to have been fleeting feelings. this time anyway.

st. louis or bust

ann and dabney are driving to st. louis this week for crazy bride and golfin' groom's wedding shower. ann and dabney foolishly offered to cater the affair, because they didn't have enough fun doing the wedding invitations a couple of weeks ago.

here's an inventory of everything that needs to fit in their car- the junk in their trunk if you will:

1. 250 ivory-colored capiz boxes purchased in and shipped back from the philippines, to become crazy bride's wedding favors
2. 20 rattan boxes, 40 tea cups, and 20 spoons, to become hotel room gifts for out-of-town guests
3. one 65 lb. springer spaniel
4. one round dog bed for said springer spaniel
5. one set of golf clubs
6. two tennis racquets, three cans of balls, and two pairs of tennis shoes
7. three cookbooks (for reading in the car to figure out what to cook for 45 people on saturday)
8. ten trays (to serve the food once they figure out what it will be)
9. one imac and accompanying cords, to be sent to ann's family in the philippines
10.enough clothes for a week for ann and dabney

they'll try to post periodically throughout the week, but tonight they'll be in some red roof inn somewhere in ohio without web access. to give you an idea, here's a photo from the last time they made the long haul to the "show me state."

cape coddah

ann and dabney headed to southie on sunday to visit boston tara at her family's pub, the black thorn. the pub was sold recently, so this was ann and dabney's last chance to soak up tara in all her glory behind the bar, and they jumped at the chance. they had a very pleasant afternoon hanging out with tara and her peeps, drinking guinness and black & tans.

if you happen to run into boston tara, be sure to ask her about the time that chronicle came to get footage of her bartending class a couple of years ago for a story they were doing. tara planned to make drinks she could say that wouldn't reveal her boston accent. things like gin & tonic. tom collins. manhattan. cosmopolitan. she just forgot one drink.

the cape coddah.

for weeks after the program aired, she couldn't escape people yelling "cape coddah!" at her. on the other end of the phone. across the softball field. at work.

so, a toast to boston tara and her irish clan. that the tap may be open when it rusts!

happy birthday to you...

ann and dabney returned to the scene of the crime (a.k.a. their wedding) when they headed to mass moca and the porches inn for ann's birthday late last week. both ann and dabney love north adams, and the trip allowed them to relive their much-adored wedding weekend. except, much to the porches' delight, this time ann kept her clothes on while drunk in the hot tub in the middle of the night.



it was a tough surprise for dabney to pull off. ann knew something was up when dabney arose at 6:45 am and was an immediate whirlwind of activity - all highly unusual. usually it takes her until noon to just open both eyes, let alone make breakfast, secretly pack the car, and take feidler to the dogsitter's. when ann got out of bed, the dog's absence was a quick tip off that something was up. after giving ann the runaround for a couple of minutes, "feidler is out front. no? he must be in the backyard," dabney 'fessed up.

it would turn out to be a museum-themed birthday. after a delicious lunch at oishi (sea urchin! salmon roe! sweet potato!), they revisited the quilts of gee's bend at the mfa, via an audio tour featuring the voices of the quilters telling stories and singing their favorite hymns. once in the berkshires, they also went to mass moca. here's a montage of the exhibits they saw:

cai guo-qiang: inopportune


the knitting machine


becoming animal: contemporary art in the animal kingdom

Shhhh....

today is ann's birthday and as a surprise dabney is taking her away to the berkshires for the night. superette will return on monday.

just don't tell ann...

DO NOT BUY THIS HOUSE!

if you are driving around the suburbs of boston, and happen to see this cute little grey number, DRIVE ON BY. if you happen to go to the open house, do not walk through the french doors to the sunlit porch. do not admire the stainless steel appliances in the newly renovated kitchen. do not pause to ooh and ahh at the two (strike that, three!) bedrooms, office, mudroom, or dining room.

because if you do, you are facilitating the move to vermont of two of the kindest, sweetest people that ann and dabney know.



and you do not want that on your shoulders, do you? because as ann and dabney know, vermont is a lawless place - filled with crime, pollution, ugly vistas, and horrible schools. worse yet, it is a four hour drive from boston.

and whatever you do, whatever else you do - do not stop to admire its new paint job. ann and dabney did not spend saturday painting the garage (yes, there is a cute little garage to match the cute little house. so what?) for you to compliment it, tell them what a good job they did, and how they are the best painters in the entire universe.

so just don't even think about it.