Autumn Crafts

Wheeling my cart down the aisle at Joann's Sewing/Craft store, I was actually looking for a plastic tablecloth material when I came upon this printed burlap!  Wow, such are the happy surprises in a fabric store. So I thought..."hmmm maybe that would look cute wrapped around my trellis"...

It turned out to be an easy way to get a different look.  I just bought two yards and
wrapped it around the trellis.  In the back I cut small holes with scissors on either side of fabric and pulled ribbon through and tied together. 

I put a few staples along the top and sides just to hold it secure.

Here's a picture of the "trussed up" trellis.  

And tah dah.  Cute and easy way to make a seasonal change.
I just tucked any leftover fabric underneath and used some
boxes and mums as props which covered it up anyway.

My son helped me decorate last night, it all came together very quickly.  Just use what you have for your own front door. Whether or not you feel like gettin' crafty with the printed burlap, the bright mums and pumpkins will cheer up your entryway on their own.

It's the little things

Is it reverse OCD to just get excited about something very tiny that is an organizing tool? 
When the rest of the house has let out an exhaustive sigh after being left to fend for itself all summer?
When the "beach and pool towels" are still stacked high in the dining room, once used daily now waiting to be put away?
When there is still a tray with tequila, rum, wine and grenadine on the kitchen table left over from a girlfriends' party three weeks ago? 

I'm going to say it for you.  Yes.  It's a little wonky.  But when a little problem gets solved that you didn't know you had...when the nice, neat solution was presented, it just made me happy.  I found this at a craft fair in Maine and it actually was sold as an authentic bathroom cup holder!

So if you come over, pour yourself a drink and head to the bathroom and gaze upon my new dixie-cup holder.  He he.  I have shamed myself into putting the booze away today.  This is good therapy.

Lights! Camera! Action!

There is a little seaside town nearby called Salisbury and they filmed a Denzel Washington movie last Friday called "The Equalizer".  We had planned to go up anyway to hear some great music and breath some nice fresh beach air after a long week.

It was such a major treat to feel like we were smack dab in the middle of things!  When movies are filmed in Boston, it's hard to get close to the action, but we arrived a couple of hours before actual filming took place and really -- no one was around!

These are "props"...even the ferris wheel.

Here's Rich walking by equipment truck.  It was cleaner than my house!  Shiny brass, impeccable ramp.  Must be good money in the movie biz.

The arcade in the background is real...action is heating up with big vans delivering people.

Here's the real reason we went up.  The band called "Don't Call Me Shirley" playing at Surfside 5, this awesome beachfront bar.

Here are good friends standing deckside with a front row view of the action.

The band had to stay inside the club and could not use the huge deck, but we were welcome to go out on it and watch the action at the edge of the sand.  The big square light hung way above the filming, illuminating the scene.  They filmed it over and over again.  Crowd walking left, crowd walking right..

And this...I believe...is Denzel Washington!  I only got really close with my zoom lens and it was night time so a little hard to see.  A fun and quite unexpected way to spend a Friday night.  

Lift-Off, 7th Grade!

Ah, 7th Grade. 

He was in no mood to pose for me this morning but when he came home he said he had a good day and he really likes his homeroom teacher.  That's a big deal!  My memories of 7th grade are not so great.  I was always trying to please, laughing extra hard, a nervous wreck.  Worried minute by minute about how I looked, what I was wearing and what other kids thought about me.  It was exhausting.  I don't see a lot of that in my son.  He seems very confident and if (hopefully) he learned in growing up in this house, I am very grateful!

My annual back to school sign, now for only one boy to see, boo hoo!  Yes, he alone gets all of our attention, questions, fawning, rules and regulations.  But he also doesn't have to share the tv or chocolate chip cookies.

Two Days to Go - Museum

Ah this wonderful city of Boston has so much to offer.  We have loved having a membership to the Museum of Science and being able to go as often as we like.

Sometimes during the school year we will come right after school for an hour or two and be out by the time the rush hour traffic hits.

I am happy that this place keeps my son entertained.  That's a big bug!

He never gets bored here and with the membership is able to explore all corners at his leisure.

Bonus for the day: eating lunch with Dad who works near the Museum.

This is the elegant courtyard of the Cambridge Brewing Company in Kendall Square.  Who knew?  What an amazingly lovely place to sit and enjoy a meal. On the other side of the brick walls are offices.  I kept thinking, what a great view outside their windows! 

My Day at the Beauty Pageant

Ok, I wasn't "in" the beauty pageant, LOL, but I worked for one day at one.  Turns out they were short one judge and so they asked me to judge!  I quickly had to read all of the guidelines on "Beauty" "Theme" "Photogenic" "Talent" "Outfit of Choice", Natural vs.Glitz and where points should be deducted for not meeting criteria.

In other words, this mother of three boys was on a different planet.  The seats were all filled with moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, etc. all helping with costume changes, make-up, clip-on air and false eyelashes.  Miss Cinderella Teen was on hand to give out the awards.

There were 3 judges all together and we in the end had to pick the winners in five categories.  It was a daunting task.  If I am looking at it from a practical side, out of about 20 girls there were two or three that really stood out.  But it warmed my heart in ways that I did not expect to hear during their interviews what their personal stories were.  Since pageants are typically a Southern event, (in fact these organizers are from North Carolina and this was the farthest North they have come) there were girls there from all over.

One 12 year old girl was from upstate New York and her grandmother told her if she could find a pageant she would take her and she did.  It was her first one.  She wasn't the best dancer and her routine wasn't all that sophisticated, but she was very graceful and elegant.  And when it came time for the Judge's Choice Awards, we gave her the award for "Poise".  Another 16 year old girl just helped her mom through back surgery and has an 11 year old austitic brother.  She told us how she helps take care of him and the other day she was eating an apple and he said he wanted one and he grabbed an onion and started eating it.  She said "I help with that kind of stuff".  I got a little teary.  So she loves her pageants and only watches "Say Yes To The Dress" and all things on TLC channel...so there's no judgement from me.

That's the heartwarming stuff.  This was the back of  a mini-van STUFFED with wigs, costumes, props, etc. Oh yes, there was plenty of the questionable side, too.  Babies not two months old trussed up like dolls "competing" by having their mothers walk around with them on stage.  "Who am I judging?"...I kept thinking?

The five year old who has been groomed since she was an infant for this job.  During the interview process she's pointing at her palm saying "show me the money, judges, give me the best scores, I'll love you forever" and blowing us kisses and making heart gestures with her hands.  One three year old's parents made a motorcycle prop on wheels with a ring of fire that they pushed her through.  (It was a Carnival theme!).

So how far away from Honey Boo-Boo was this pageant on a Saturday in Massachusetts?  Not far at all.  I chalk it up to a new experience.  And for that I'd give it an 18.9 (with 20 being the highest score, ladies).

6 Days to go - Poolside

My brother and sister-in-law have this rockin' pool and are totally generous letting us use it.  It is divine and so completely relaxing.

Sometimes it is the twelve year old and me, which is kind of boring for him.  Luckily a friend was free today and they had a good game of Marco Polo.

They are into these "Magic" cards, trading and speaking in foreign tongues about character's names, moves, what is more collectible, etc.  I just kept my nose in my book, because I can't even pretend to be interested in that.