Taking My Own Advice....

In my last post, I urged everyone to get out of their own backyard to see what's in your neighborhood.  Lately I have been uninspired, blah, uncreative, brain-numb....pick your word.  I needed a good jump start, or a kick in the pants.  I decided to shed the toxic aspects of my life and get my brain in gear again...hence, quitting my day  job, going back to school and two local events that were all about glitz, glam and days gone by.  It's been a busy week!

For the past eleven years I have been designing homes AND doing the bookkeeping for small, local businesses.  My left and right brains are constantly in conflict!  My bookkeeping experience is in Quickbooks - which does most of the thinking for you.  I decided to go back to school to learn the theory behind the numbers.  Bookkeeping and Accounting 101 - here I come!  Piece of cake!!!  Until I started doing my homework.  Credits are not necessarily pluses and debits aren't minuses???  WHY???  Balance sheets, income statements, owner's equity....just want to crawl back into my safe Quickbooks program!  But, it's time for the old dog to learn some new tricks, so bring it on!

Thursday night I attended an event in Newburyport - Fabulous in Full Force North of Boston.  "Come celebrate your fabulous life and kick off the summer season!"  Sounded good to me! They promised a night of sampling the food, drink and products of local area businesses.  Upon entering the event tent, we are given a "swag bag" full of samples of thirst quenching libations, savory snacks, gift goodies and coupons to try out the vendors wares.  Walking around, we got to sample a deliciously light Chambord black raspberry cocktail, crisps and dips from Pretzel Crisps, and appetizers from Burton's Grill to name a few.

Those light cocktails from Chambord are perfect for a hot summer evening!

 My friends Linda Smith and Yvonne Blacker had a table showcasing Linda's design business and store, New England Fine Living newenglandfineliving.com and their joint venture, New England Finery online magazine http://www.newenglandfineliving.com/nefhomepage.html.  It's always a good time when Linda and Yvonne are around!

Linda Smith, left and Yvonne Blacker

The ladies from Interlocks Salon & Day Spa in Newburyport www.interlockssalon.com were busy giving make-overs to lucky attendees.

Liz White from Mason & Madison in Middleton www.masonandmadison.com was showcasing her beautiful "gifts with style".

These fabulous shoes from Bella Sera www.bellaserabride.com caught my eye!  They have a wonderful sparkle, as does their marketing director, Tara Antonucci!  My dream job in another life would be to work in a bridal salon!

The night was capped off with a fashion show hosted by Amy McLaughlin of Amy McLaughlin Lifestyle Design, Kiss 108's Lisa Donovan and Miss Massachusetts 2010 Lacey Wilson.  The adorable models, all legs and smiles, showcased fashions from beachwear to formals.

More sparkle!

Ruffled Elegance!

I had previously stopped by Amy McLauglin's display table and had a quick chat with her very proud mother who told me Amy specializes in wardrobe styling, image consultation, home decor and staging, and event production.  All that specializing can wear a girl out, but Amy does it with style, flair and looks fabulous to boot! You can learn more about her at www.amymclaughlinlifestyles.com


So much for the "glitz and glam"!  As for the "days gone by", I attended an outdoor antiques fair at the Elm Bank Reservation in Wellesley, MA, the home of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.  The day was cool and drizzly but Yvonne and I were determined that a little "frizz" wouldn't stand in our way!  Yvonne asked me to photograph the event for an article in the New England Finery online magazine, so I'm only going to give a sneak peek into the event. 

Copper and Brass accessories

 We spent the day shopping and speaking to vendors and many were so eager to talk about the history of their wares, their travels to get their items and sometimes an explanation as to what the item was!  We saw wonderful furniture, porcelain, pottery, artwork and.....TEACUPS!!!  I have a collection of unusual antique teacups in my home, whether it be the color, the mother of pearl interior, or the footed pedestal its sits on.  One particular set caught my eye.  The color of this one was bright, lipstick red!  That perfect red that is not too orange and not too blue! Just RED!!  The owner of the stall, Linda Grossman, of The Chair Man and The Tea Lady www.thechairmanandthetealady.com shouted across the tent that she knew that set would attract attention!  It did, I bought and we traded stories about our love of tea.

My new acquisition!

Yvonne with the Big Red Chair!

A stroll through the gardens offered up a few surprises!  Yvonne discovered this giant red chair....almost matches my teacup set!

A treehouse make of branches!

The Goddess Garden, Elm Bank Reservation

....and a garden fit for Goddesses!









What a week! I am officially running on empty!  I think it's time to relax with a warm cup of lemon berry tea in my beautiful "redder than red" teacup....until next time.....

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea." -  Bernard-Paul Heroux