philadelphia freedom

today, we're off to philly for the annual art star craft bazaar. this is our second appearance in philly, and it's one show we look forward to.

in the meantime, dabney and i discovered we were featured on the etsy blog. check out the video below (thanks, pica, for pointing this out!):

greenward

last night, we attended the grand opening of "greenward," a new store in cambridge owned by our friends and soon-to-be tennis rivals, scott and simone. as its name suggests, greenward is boutique specializing in eco-friendly modern goods.

sadly, the picture above and the picture below are the only ones we managed to snap before dabney and i got shop-happy once we stepped inside. did we get a picture of its bright cheerful interior? no. the handcrafted store displays made from sustainable woods? no. the shelves stocked full of recycled, handmade, organic, and thoughtfully-designed merchandise? no. how about a pic of the lovely owners who have managed to blend passion and purpose with entrepreneurial zeal? of course, not.



what we did manage to walk away with was an armload of greenward purchases: a plethora of mrs. meyer's cleaning products, a chic reusable grocery bag with pockets big enough for bottles, and tiny matchstick gardens (just place each matchstick in soil and PRESTO! instant herbs or flowers).

there were so many cute things that tempted us that we've sworn to do most if not all our holiday shopping there. so no surprises, FOAs and FODs, it'll be a christmas of reusuable bags, and compact fluorescents.

greenward is open tuesday through saturday 11-6pm and sundays 12-5pm.

the return of crazy bride and golfin' groom

no sooner had we unpacked our own suitcases did we get a visit from my sister and brother-in-law (formerly known as crazy bride and golfin' groom). their last visit was in 2003, and it was nothing less than our own nuptials to get them to travel to new england from st. louis. accustomed to the midwest's big giant suvs, big giant houses with big giant garages, we're convinced they get a case of urban claustrophobia, which is why they never come. dabney and i have to do our best to distract them with tasty seafood, delicious pastries, plentiful wine and a lot of karaoke.

maker faire report

part science fair, part craft fair, part exhibition, and all carnival, the maker faire was a total trip.

while sales were far from record-breaking, we have to admit it was the best people-watching we have ever done at a craft fair EVER.

there were custom bikes.



custom cars... here's the mercedes pens.


there was a george w. bush robotic chariot.


... a nose-picking machine powered by a human hamster wheel.


... motorized muffins.


during a break from the show, ann got a chance to meet diana (of project runway fame) and her design partner, emily, who have developed a genius spy cam of sorts called "blogging in motion." housed in a stylish bag, the camera shoots pictures every 20 seconds and sends them instantly to your online photoblog.



click to here see ann's adventures.

we left our hearts in san francisco

just when we thought we were over our jet lag, we now have a case of minor west coast jet lag.

we had a fantastic trip to san francisco, so many thanks need to go out:


first of all, ashbloem, who heralded our departure with a couple glasses of wine and her karaoke rendition of "staying alive..."


my "aunt" and "uncle" who were our hosts for the san mateo portion of our trip and who greeted us with open arms and chinese food...


the maker faire shoppers who, amongst the clamor of many a no-man robot band, made purchases of geek-friendly mogo cord organizers cases and cell phone cleaners...


nora and her roomie dean who hosted a splendid soiree at which annie overserved herself with too much pinot noir...

the hotel des arts which sadly reminded us of boston's dearth of funky cheap places to stay...


the village-like lifestyle of san francisco that led to an accidental meeting with our crafty friend devon on the street, which led to drinks with devon and her husband peter, which led to dinner and more drinks with devon and peter. which led to another night of drinks and shuffleboard with devon.


san francisco's japantown which allowed us to once again indulge in our japanese zakka and craftbook fetish. someone stop us, please. arigato!

san mateo treat

with all the traveling we have been doing lately, it's no wonder that we are currently living in an apartment that looks like the inside of a poorly packed suitcase.

tomorrow, we head to san francisco/san mateo for the sf bazaar bizarre at the maker faire. it is mogo's california debut and we couldn't be more thrilled. ordinarily, dabney and i split up when it comes to shows that require airfare. however, since the bay area is one of our favorite places in the country, there was no easy way to decide who would be the lucky participant. hence, we both are packing up once again.

wanna know more about the maker faire? see the video below. (we hope to steal a moment away from our booth to check out the "puppy mover monorail" in action.)

Click To Play

our beloved bartender

three cheers go out to our good friend boston tara who made this year's improper bostonian beloved bartender list. we can vouch for her delicious, and often lethal, concoctions.

boston tara is always willing to come to our rescue by playing spontaneous bartender chez superette and we love her for it. a good friend to mogo, she also happens to be a walking billboard in dorchester for our handmade goods. we won't mention her unforgettable and undeniably charming accent - hence the nickname.

click to embiggen:


she and her indefatigable partner-in-crime, andrew, can be found behind the bar tuesdays through saturdays at the ashmont grill in dorchester.

baltimore revisited

thanks to all of you who stopped by our booth at this weekend's squidfire spring art mart. it was a beautiful spring day, perfect for strolling around a craft fair. the organizers did a great job, even in the face of residents who neglected to move their cars from the street until mid-way through the day.



it's always great when we can mix business with pleasure. on our way down to baltimore, we stopped in on my cousin, his partner, and their adorable pup in nearby newark. little did they know, we were in desperate need of some puppy lovin'. dexter was happy to oblige.



sometimes a day of hawking wares can be long and exhausting, but lucky for us we had "brana" to entertain us for the day.



later we all bonded over dinner - complete with the absolute worst service ever. while the food came in a timely manner, silverware took four separate requests and the manpower of two to retrieve. we won't speak of what it took to get wine, bread, and the eventual check. be warned if you ever consider having dinner here.

sleepy crafters

even though we're still reeling from the effects of jet lag, and just now edging toward a more normal bedtime of 9pm (ok, fine. normal for 6 year olds perhaps), mogo begins its summer show season on saturday with the squidfire spring craft and art fair.

this summer, we unveil two new baby tee designs:


because we love all things japanese, the plum blossom!


the ufo!

these will be up on mogogoods lickety split.

what i bought on our trip

in planning our trip to singapore i was very excited about all the lovely japanese goodness we hoped to find there. its close proximity to japan makes the city/state a natural place for export. some quick research revealed several places ann and i first loved from tokyo, like takashimaya, muji, and kinokuniya. i was also super-duper happy that we'd finally make it to daiso, the japanese outlet store. on our last day, with a few last singapore dollars in our pockets, we headed there to stock up on all things cute and unnecessary.

while ann unpacked her new best friend the other day, i snapped a pic of my purchases from the two weeks we were gone. you can see notes on most items here.

i am in love with all the painted wooden toys found not just in singapore, but also, unexpectedly, in manila. i'll just say that ann raised a definite eyebrow over that wooden tree down there on the right.

we don't call our place the betty ford center for performing arts for nothing.

here, i must give thanks to good buddies ashbloem and carrrrrrrrrmen who helped me uncover my secret love.

i came back from manila this year with perhaps the best souvenir i've ever purchased. so precious, in fact, i hand-carried it from manila through tokyo and back to america.

i am now the proud owner of a karaoke machine. it arrives over the loud protests from dabney whose only two fears in this world are barracuda and karaoke. i am convinced that this little investment will rid her of the latter. not to mention, provide our frequent dinner guests with entertainment over dessert.

this is not just any karaoke machine, mind you, it's a "WOW magic sing!" this all-in-one handheld mic contains everything one needs to belt out your favorite of over 2000 songs, whether your taste runs to madonna, led zeppelin, mariah carey, tim mcgraw, or even radiohead. while you sing, a montage of pretty filipino landscapes fills the background.

if you don't believe me, take it from asia's own songbird, regine velasquez, the founder and spokesperson of "magic sing" technology.

quick! post some pictures.

part of the joy in traveling is coming home - of course, minus the unpacking, the jet lag, and the required dealing with phone messages and mail.

yes, we're back safe and sound and just had a chance to post some pictures from our trip to the philippines and singapore. here are a few to view while we recuperate from the long flight home.


this is ann's new second cousin - two weeks old and replete with new baby smell.


here are two of her cousins amusing themselves while we shop for filipino brand sporting gear. for the same quality at a quarter of the price, we find it all hard to resist. as a result, we each own multiple teva-like sandals and several dry bags for our jacque cousteau lifestyle.


a boatman balanced on the side of a long boat that hauled us to one of our destinations, boracay beach.


after a few days in manila, we snuck off to visit friends in singpore where it was surprisingly hotter and more humid. luckily, ann survived thanks to entensive underground walkways and plentiful aircon. the cold chardonnay offered by our hosts each night helped too.


while in singapore, we shopped for saris. this summer, we're attending our first indian wedding and are super-excited. dabney unknowingly purchased a blue cotton number that we later realized might have a billowing effect. it's the hoop skirt of saris we fear, and not so much harkening bollywood, but more scarlett from "gone with the wind."


singapore's arab quarter. like the rest of singapore, it was as neat as a pin and with an extremely diverse group of people walking about.


with its very warm temperatures and its inordinate amount of rain, singapore is home to an impressive botanical garden and within it the most incredible orchid garden.


we just loved the singapore's ubiquitous little red mailboxes that would often add just a perfect punch of color.

hiatus

superette will be on hiatus over the next two weeks while we head off to manila on our annual pilgrimage to spend some time with extended family, eat too much, and see some sites.

this year, we're adding a short side trip to pay a visit to a dear friend and her adorable family in singapore. we're so excited; a new country to conquer!

if we're lucky, we'll post some pics from the road.

see you all soon!

mogo makes its baltimore debut!

if you're in the baltimore area, come check out the squidfire spring art mart on saturday, may 12th. click the ad below for details.

too cool for school

what's a new season without new products? it's a tougher question than you might think. we spend a lot of time tossing ideas back and forth.

here, we share a spin on one of our classics...

a special limited-edition cell phone cleaner made to look like notebook paper with an added apple to charm the teacher. to get your own, check out www.mogogoods.com.

thanks everybody!

thank you all for the consoling comments, thoughtful emails, kind blog posts, and sweet gifts. your friendship has been comforting and helpful. we send a virtual hug back to all of you.

feidler (1992-2007)

people that only knew feidler late in life would never guess that he was a holy terror as a young dog, and a big pain in the ass. beware anything in his path. he constantly lunged at me for attention, or whined to go outside. i once caught him by the pond with a whole frog in his mouth, two long green legs dangling from his lips. another afternoon, i spent a full hour chasing him while he pranced, proudly, around the yard with an entire deer leg in his mouth. where he got that raw, bloody leg I have no idea. his crowning glory (probably the happiest day of his life) was chasing 28 turkeys to death – literally, to death – at a neighboring farm. i have spent at least $4,000 on surgeries alone to remove rocks, water chestnuts and other foreign objects from his stomach.

i won’t lie and say i wasn’t relieved when he mellowed out and stopped yanking me down the sidewalks on our walks. he became an overwhelmingly sweet and peaceful dog. a 65-pound lap dog with no business being on your lap. he’s a leaner. he loves anything that squeaks. he would spend entire life in the water if he could. he has never, to my knowledge, fetched a ball. as he aged, he became a bonafied old man, passing gas with any effort, and clicking his teeth like dentures. i have a thousand nicknames for him including mr. pooper, poops, rump roast, mud flap, bug, and - when he’s really pissy - commander dickweed. he has lots of people who love him.



when i drove to bradford, vermont almost fifteen years ago, i wasn't expecting to come home with a puppy that evening. but something about the way he nibbled on my socked feet, and his little peaked head, sold me on 15 years with him, even before I had the slightest inkling that it would mean 15 years with him, with poop and pee and, apparently, a lot of dead animals and their parts.



today is the day i have been dreading for a long time. feidler, who has long been an old dog, is now a decidedly sick dog. we've done our best to make him comfortable and happy. in the past four months, this has meant giving him sub-cutaneous fluids twice a week, waking up multiple times throughout the night to let him out, and constantly weighing quality of life for an arthritic dog with kidney failure that can no longer tell you what he wants or needs. now though, he's all but quit eating, which was, for me, always the deal breaker. it also twists my heart in improbable ways when my little dog no longer knows me, or his annie. so, i know, it's time.



i have experienced sudden death in my family, but not the experience of anticipating death. so i am incredibly grateful to have these weeks with feidler. to have ann photograph me giving him what I knew was his last bath, and to be able to write this while he stumbles past me like a drunken sailor on his way home from the bar. to have the benefit of a vet telling me what to expect, and how it will go, feels like a luxury. it gives me a small but significant fingerhold in this process, instead of a quick snap and sudden call to cope.

when my brother died in 1996, i couldn’t compartmentalize his absence, like the well-defined hole you read about or are somehow taught to expect. it brought my relationship with him, my parents, their relationship- what felt like my entire life at the time- into question. i was a depressed 24-year-old, just out of college, whose sense of herself was as infirm as pudding, and whose relationships were even more so. so i was ill-equipped to reevaluate everything than came with such a comprehensive loss.



admittedly, feidler walks in smaller circles, touching fewer lives in less complicated ways. and i am happier and more stable than ever. what i do know, at this moment in my life, having had him for almost half my life, is that he’s the closest i come to being a mom. i say that even as someone who was never sure that she wanted to be a mom. i never get tired of looking at his face and at his monstrously large paws. i know every inch of his little body. i can say unequivocally that caring for him has made me a better person, and i am equally sure that i needed to be a better person. i know i have done well. he’s probably the best thing that i’ve ever done. and to experience a life, through him, without regret, is one of the most simple and solid feelings I now know.



last night we gave feidler a buffet of dog cookies, beef jerky, and tendons and then spent the night with him on the floor. he got a massage and, all things considered, had a pretty good night.

superette will be dark this week, but we'll post lots of photos.

drumroll, please...

today, we unveil the new mogo website.

complete with navigation buttons, a new homepage... sure, mogogoods.com got an updated look but the real changes are "under the hood." it's an overdue and much needed change that will make it easier for us to add products as we whip them up. it's bound to make ann's life in particular much, much, much, much easier.



take a look and let us know what you think. and this is the time to alert us of any problems that you see, from typos to missing links...

spinning wheels

remember this?



i just rediscovered the joy of spinning wheels and loop de loops, a.k.a. hypotrochoids and epitrochoids for you math heads out there. here is my first attempt:



next up: i have to get my hands on a set of fashion plates, one of my favorite toys as a kid.