Twinkle, Twinkle

I couldn't take my eyes off of this little girl in the bagel shop having breakfast with her father. The light coming through the windows perfectly illuminated her pink tulle skirt and twinkly purple ballet shoes. I wish I could have moved the chair in the foreground a little to the right, but didn't want to make a big fuss about taking the picture.

I also love the colors against the black and white floor...reminds me of the Dutch painters and how they used the light.

Cut and Paste

Remember making "collages" as a teenager? Getting a big piece of construction paper and cutting out all the magazines making something that perfectly described you? Over the years I find I still do that. I also started to find it wasteful not to use these pretty images in the magazines. Not subscribing to them...well I can't go that far yet. Recycle? Yes. Cancel subscription? No.

So for this labor-intensive exercise I thought I'd make some individualized Valentine's for friends. It was great fun and very relaxing in the way that knitting or painting can be. It just relaxes my brain. It also takes hours. Trade off.

To any of my friends reading this who did not yet receive a Valentine from me, it is not because you were not on my awesome-rockin-can't-live-without-'em friends' list, it is not because I chose one over the other...but simply I ran out of steam and needed my kitchen island back! You are on the top of the list for next year : ) Promise.

On Valentine's Day

Valentine's for the classroom. Check. Valentine's for my kids. Check. Valentine's with friends - double check! We sought refuge from the cold on this day of pink and red and exchanged cards, chocolate and flowers. We caught up, supported good news, talked about kids in college and kids in elementary school. We talked about jobs and clothes and The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Girlfriends, ROCK.

It was a happy day spending time together.

We moved from cafe to cafe drinking and snacking as we went. In Abraham's bagels in Newburyport, this little valentine appeared with her dad.

Our children were in first grade together. They are now freshmen in college and we are still great friends. When I moved to a different town 30 minutes away 7 years ago, I cried and cried and cried. Although the decision was well-thought out and I was even moving BACK to the town I grew up in...I have never felt so homesick in all my life. I think I kept taking the "north" exit on the highway for a year. Blessedly, though, they did not abandoned me and we have stayed important in each other's lives.

And I popped in here to find a Valentine's Day gift for Ronan. Another little growing pain happened when I realized that this store that he loved so much, that he would beg me to go into...he has now outgrown. There were little things here and there that he would have found cute but for the most part he has moved on. I think it would make him sad, too. Although I will keep that part to myself.

A little farther up the street I came upon a shop that sells all things British - including pink and red wellies! What a happy window display.

And for the son who has thoughts of attending college in the UK, a Union Jack Valentine this year.

My Little Man

We run by him. We run around him. He says he's hungry and we figure something out. His news comes after the "other" news about colleges and work schedules and dog walks. He was born 7 years after my middle son - who I thought would be the baby of the family until God had other plans and sent me this joy. The funny, sweet, unexpected joy.

So while I am not paying as much attention to him as I should while I watch my trashy tv shows and he is doing his homework, he is doing great work as a 5th grader. His penmanship could use a little (lot) of work but this morning I pulled this little gem from the recycling pile where he put it, either not wanting to show it off or not thinking anyone would read it. Stake in heart. Ok, I'm listening, I get it, time to pay more attention to the kid!

"The Japanese Paper house was designed to be flexible and convenient for everyday life. Since it is made of paper, if there was an earthquake it could be rebuilt easily. It is convenient because, with sliding partitions, it can be rearranged for many activities easily. Also the raised floor helps mud stay off the house.

Walls made of special strong paper mounted on a wooden frame provided privacy while still letting light in. The sections of the wall could slide easily to either side to allow a view of the garden. This design was especially convenient during the hot Japanese summer, when the house could be completely opened up to catch passing breezes.

The Japanese paper house can be convenient while still being elegant."

and now I want to go to Japan and live in a paper house with the sides rolled up to let the cool breezes in. Nice.

Wing Ding

So the Superbowl has come and gone and the New England Patriots did not win. It still smarts this morning. Ouchee. I thought it was a shoe-in. We were invited to my brother's MAN ZONE for a rousing party.

He designed this room with it's two flat screen tv's, super comfy leather couch and two official Red Sox seats that he mounted on a rolling platform for ease of movement! One wall is blue for Patriots, one wall is red for the Red Sox, one wall is yellow for the Bruins and one wall is green for the Celtics. Each wall has it's own memorabilia, tickets, signed balls, photos and jerseys. It is REALLY something. Oh and don't let me forget the speaker system and the private bathroom and the dorm sized refrigerator.

You could go down there to hibernate all winter and never come up for air.

This year "Gronkowski" t-shirts ruled! We shall lick our wounds and still be proud of the home team featuring our hunky leader, Tom Brady and take a few extra minutes on our dog walk to work off the chicken wings, brownies, beer and chili.

pretty trashy roses

I was cleaning up and these roses never bloomed (from my mother's brunch last weekend) so I just tossed them in the trash. As I was making my second pass by the trash can I noticed them lying there daring me not to see the beauty even after they had been discarded!

So the moral of the story? Roses are just damn pretty no matter where they land.