Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
mogo at the pyramid atlantic arts center
we'd like to welcome pyramid atlantic arts center to the mogo family of retailers...
located in the heart of silver spring, maryland, pyramid atlantic has wonderful facilities for area artists, offers classes to the community, and regularly hosts exhibits open to the public. recently, they opened a retail store that showcases the work of local painters, ceramicists, jewelers and as well as other artists and crafters. profits from sales at the store benefit local artists and the arts programs at the center.
located in the heart of silver spring, maryland, pyramid atlantic has wonderful facilities for area artists, offers classes to the community, and regularly hosts exhibits open to the public. recently, they opened a retail store that showcases the work of local painters, ceramicists, jewelers and as well as other artists and crafters. profits from sales at the store benefit local artists and the arts programs at the center.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
library book sales
it seems that july is the month for book sales here in vermont. in the last few weeks, we've managed to run into three different library book sales in nearby towns.
we can't seem to figure out what formula is used to determine which books make the cut. out-of-date? condition? popularity?
interestingly enough, we've run into a few books more than once at these types of sales:
microwave cookbooks, circa 1982
travel guidebooks (pre-1995)
gennifer flowers' autobiography, passion and betrayal
however, we HAVE discovered that, if you hit library sales in their last hour, books are dramatically reduced in price to... $1 PER BAG!
many treasures can be found in the children's section of such sales.
some highlights:
draw 50 airplanes and spacecrafts
draw 50 buildings and structures
chinese kites
balloon animals
the first book of weather
rosebud
the last one was written by ed emberley, well-known children's book illustrator and the inspiration for many a kid to pick up a pencil and start drawing with the help of his famous series of how-to books.
i have to admit - even i have learned a thing or two from the first book of weather.
for example, how barometric pressure works...
... and that a beaufort scale measures the strength of wind.
(tomoko, looks like you encountered a "fresh gale" this past weekend. fyi.)
we can't seem to figure out what formula is used to determine which books make the cut. out-of-date? condition? popularity?
interestingly enough, we've run into a few books more than once at these types of sales:
microwave cookbooks, circa 1982
travel guidebooks (pre-1995)
gennifer flowers' autobiography, passion and betrayal
however, we HAVE discovered that, if you hit library sales in their last hour, books are dramatically reduced in price to... $1 PER BAG!
many treasures can be found in the children's section of such sales.
some highlights:
draw 50 airplanes and spacecrafts
draw 50 buildings and structures
chinese kites
balloon animals
the first book of weather
rosebud
the last one was written by ed emberley, well-known children's book illustrator and the inspiration for many a kid to pick up a pencil and start drawing with the help of his famous series of how-to books.
i have to admit - even i have learned a thing or two from the first book of weather.
for example, how barometric pressure works...
... and that a beaufort scale measures the strength of wind.
(tomoko, looks like you encountered a "fresh gale" this past weekend. fyi.)
Friday, July 11, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
4th of july fireworks
it was another fourth of july extravaganza this past weekend. friends from all corners of the country gathered at the famous standish family bridgewater hilton for our annual eat-a-thon/drink-a-thon/game-a-thon.
dominos, croquet, golf, and cheese-tasting took up most of the weekend. the croquet competition was the most heated. but philip, from team germany, took the gold... and the laurel (also known as the beyond-dead christmas wreath that we found still hanging).
however, my favorite activity is definitely our nightly campfires.
i should add here that the previously mentioned laurel made for great (and also terrifying) fireworks display when added.
however, nothing heals third-degree campfire burns from old christmas wreaths like tubing in the nearby white river.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
7-7 and then nothing
did anyone see the wimbledon men's singles final between federer and nadal? amazing.
we must admit - we watched in tivo time and it took everything in us to avoid hearing the result for 10 hours. for good measure dabney tacked on a couple of hours to the DVR to make sure we got it all. seven hours to be exact. wouldn't you think that would have been enough to cover a tennis match? of course not when dealing with multiple rain delays. fifth set tied 7-7 and then NOTHING!! we had google the result.
so sad we missed nadal's winning moment.
we must admit - we watched in tivo time and it took everything in us to avoid hearing the result for 10 hours. for good measure dabney tacked on a couple of hours to the DVR to make sure we got it all. seven hours to be exact. wouldn't you think that would have been enough to cover a tennis match? of course not when dealing with multiple rain delays. fifth set tied 7-7 and then NOTHING!! we had google the result.
so sad we missed nadal's winning moment.
Monday, July 07, 2008
catch-up
it has been so long since i last blogged that i can barely remember where i left off.
the weekend before last, we drove down to d.c. and visited some dear friends and their adorable kiddos.
the crafty bastards summer show was the perfect excuse to come down south and spend some quality time with friends. however, as expected, the location of the show was very, very hot and humid. undaunted by the extreme weather, silver springs residents came out in droves and helped us have a successful day. however, my only saving grace from the heat and humidity was the nearby shaved ice cart. here's evidence of one of the many strawberry lemon shaved icees i devoured.
the surprise of the day was the appearance of these two fine women. they absolutely made our day and later, our evening by keeping us company over a few foamy post-show guinnesses. we loved seeing you and hope it's not too far before we see you again.
sick of the northeast corridor route between boston and d.c., we decided to take an entirely new path back home to vermont by going though upstate new york.
dabney and i have always wanted to visit fdr and eleanor's digs in hyde park and there it was. so what we hoped would be a brief stop ended up being a 5+ hour detour.
we had been having problems with dying hemlocks in vermont. so when we visited fdr and eleanor's gravesites, we couldn't help but notice how much neater their hemlocks looked.
inspired by their choice in cleaning up the lower portion of the hedges, we decided we could do it, too. a day later, we rented a chainsaw. i donned a face mask and chaps.
hemlocks (before)
hemlocks (after)
the weekend before last, we drove down to d.c. and visited some dear friends and their adorable kiddos.
the crafty bastards summer show was the perfect excuse to come down south and spend some quality time with friends. however, as expected, the location of the show was very, very hot and humid. undaunted by the extreme weather, silver springs residents came out in droves and helped us have a successful day. however, my only saving grace from the heat and humidity was the nearby shaved ice cart. here's evidence of one of the many strawberry lemon shaved icees i devoured.
the surprise of the day was the appearance of these two fine women. they absolutely made our day and later, our evening by keeping us company over a few foamy post-show guinnesses. we loved seeing you and hope it's not too far before we see you again.
sick of the northeast corridor route between boston and d.c., we decided to take an entirely new path back home to vermont by going though upstate new york.
dabney and i have always wanted to visit fdr and eleanor's digs in hyde park and there it was. so what we hoped would be a brief stop ended up being a 5+ hour detour.
we had been having problems with dying hemlocks in vermont. so when we visited fdr and eleanor's gravesites, we couldn't help but notice how much neater their hemlocks looked.
inspired by their choice in cleaning up the lower portion of the hedges, we decided we could do it, too. a day later, we rented a chainsaw. i donned a face mask and chaps.
hemlocks (before)
hemlocks (after)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
another mogo big kid's tee in action
one of annie's favorite people knows how dress her girls in style - even while hiking. (that's even one our of kimono tees buried behind the baby bjorn.)
aren't they the cutest?
we'll see them in person this weekend when we're down in d.c. for the crafty bastards summer show. this year in silver spring, md. click here for more details.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
drive-in
this is my first post from our local general store. miracle of miracles - the general store has wi-fi! it's not the speediest connection (which somehow seems apropos) but at least it has allowed me to finally upload some pictures that have been sitting on our camera for some time.
the other night, we went to the drive-in in fairlee, nh. it was good wholesome fun - we packed sandwiches and beer (though the beer had to be snuck in) and reclined in the front seats of our station wagon for a double-feature. it's hard to tell in the photo above but each row of the drive-in had little humps for cars to park on, so that the front of each vehicle would slant up toward the screen. genius, if you ask me.
indiana jones and iron man were featured. the first movie was terrible and i can't fairly report on iron man - i fell asleep halfway through. that's the problem with drive-in double-features: movies don't start until 9 pm when it's good and dark. that means movie #2 doesn't end until 1:30 am - waaaaay past my bedtime.
but i did see enough of the movie to know that this would make dabney laugh the next morning...
i am IRON ANN.
the other night, we went to the drive-in in fairlee, nh. it was good wholesome fun - we packed sandwiches and beer (though the beer had to be snuck in) and reclined in the front seats of our station wagon for a double-feature. it's hard to tell in the photo above but each row of the drive-in had little humps for cars to park on, so that the front of each vehicle would slant up toward the screen. genius, if you ask me.
indiana jones and iron man were featured. the first movie was terrible and i can't fairly report on iron man - i fell asleep halfway through. that's the problem with drive-in double-features: movies don't start until 9 pm when it's good and dark. that means movie #2 doesn't end until 1:30 am - waaaaay past my bedtime.
but i did see enough of the movie to know that this would make dabney laugh the next morning...
i am IRON ANN.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
before and after
before:
after:
i know it's probably difficult to see the differences aside from color in the photos above. but a lot of damage has been repaired - crumbling lintels above and below each window, crazy cracks, and a sagging soffit. but the piéce de resistance is that copper roof and gutter.
shutters go back up today and then, finished! (wish i was there to see it in person.)
after:
i know it's probably difficult to see the differences aside from color in the photos above. but a lot of damage has been repaired - crumbling lintels above and below each window, crazy cracks, and a sagging soffit. but the piéce de resistance is that copper roof and gutter.
shutters go back up today and then, finished! (wish i was there to see it in person.)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
congratulations to the graduate
sporting his mogo big kid's tee no less...
he stands out in the crowd with his style.
and this picture just kills us!
thanks for sharing, lillet!
he stands out in the crowd with his style.
and this picture just kills us!
thanks for sharing, lillet!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
how much are your baby tees?
despite the weather, we had a splendid time in brooklyn. we always love this show because the caliber of the work around us makes for great shopping and the general atmosphere brings us together with friends and colleagues.
however, the weather...
saturday started off with oppressive heat that evolved into torrential downpours for the last two hours of the day. the rain water slowly rose in the pool and some vendors found themselves amidst calf-high floodwaters.
in times of crisis, crafters pull together. julie, a talented artist and screenprinter from pittsburgh, lost her tent amid the chaos. between the weight of the rain and strength of the wind, her tent collapsed and blew away. while she ran off to prevent it from impaling someone, a neighbor (previously a stranger to julie but now a friend for life) threw her body over her works on paper to prevent it all from getting wet.
the real fun began when the lightening started. there we all were standing in giant puddles, surrounded by metal tents in the bottom a no-longer-empty pool. i was later reminded of the fact that this could have been a potentially dangerous situation by our friend justin who imagined the possible headline "300 hipsters struck by lightening."
the funniest part was in the thick of the storm, wind kicking up and thunder roaring, one very determined poncho-clad customer ran up to me while i was hanging on to our tent for dear life and asked... "how much are your baby tees?"
however, the weather...
saturday started off with oppressive heat that evolved into torrential downpours for the last two hours of the day. the rain water slowly rose in the pool and some vendors found themselves amidst calf-high floodwaters.
in times of crisis, crafters pull together. julie, a talented artist and screenprinter from pittsburgh, lost her tent amid the chaos. between the weight of the rain and strength of the wind, her tent collapsed and blew away. while she ran off to prevent it from impaling someone, a neighbor (previously a stranger to julie but now a friend for life) threw her body over her works on paper to prevent it all from getting wet.
the real fun began when the lightening started. there we all were standing in giant puddles, surrounded by metal tents in the bottom a no-longer-empty pool. i was later reminded of the fact that this could have been a potentially dangerous situation by our friend justin who imagined the possible headline "300 hipsters struck by lightening."
the funniest part was in the thick of the storm, wind kicking up and thunder roaring, one very determined poncho-clad customer ran up to me while i was hanging on to our tent for dear life and asked... "how much are your baby tees?"
Friday, June 13, 2008
MA governor's daughter comes out
massachusetts governor deval patrick's daughter (and future smithie), katherine, comes out publicly. read her sweet story here.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
mogo heads to brooklyn
it's that time of year again, folks...
RENEGADE BROOKLYN is upon us! click image below for more details.
RENEGADE BROOKLYN is upon us! click image below for more details.
Monday, June 09, 2008
best pick-up line ever
a last minute surprise at ashbloem and davey's wedding reception last week was the appearance of this very naked man whom everyone in dallas, texas seems to know.
"uncle bruce" serenaded the blushing bride with an unrecognizable tune. (does the title really matter in such circumstances?) all i could make out was some lyric about "balls to the wall."
upon a recommendation from the groom (whether he can recall such a suggestion is questionable), i said hello to uncle bruce after his performance/exhibition.
me: hello, uncle bruce. you were great.
uncle bruce: honey, if i was thirty years younger...
ten times richer...
and five inches longer...
i'd take you home with me!
i am happy to report that uncle bruce was clothed at this point in the evening.
"uncle bruce" serenaded the blushing bride with an unrecognizable tune. (does the title really matter in such circumstances?) all i could make out was some lyric about "balls to the wall."
upon a recommendation from the groom (whether he can recall such a suggestion is questionable), i said hello to uncle bruce after his performance/exhibition.
me: hello, uncle bruce. you were great.
uncle bruce: honey, if i was thirty years younger...
ten times richer...
and five inches longer...
i'd take you home with me!
i am happy to report that uncle bruce was clothed at this point in the evening.
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Friday, June 06, 2008
Thursday, June 05, 2008
settling in boonies
within a span of a week, we've gone from our urban existence to a bucolic setting here in vermont. the bars, restaurants, and yuppie boutiques that surrounded us have turned into trees, a lake, and one, single, solitary general store.
sigh...
ain't nothing wrong with that! HOORAY! SUMMER IS HERE! (i am doing a happy dance as i type.)
sigh...
ain't nothing wrong with that! HOORAY! SUMMER IS HERE! (i am doing a happy dance as i type.)
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
congratulations, mr. & mrs. mcbennelland
it was a wonderful weekend in dallas. we couldn't be happier for our dear ashbloem and our favorite hunter hero.
but we've literally just dropped our bags here in vermont...
and we're too tired to blog.
luckily, girlladyfriend has come to our rescue.
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