Pre-Fall Foliage

Green Heart

Slippery Little Suckers

Divine Vine

Verdant Texture

Mamacat: Might You Want To Paint?

Bruised Heart

For some reason this year, more than ever before, I've been paying attention to the wonderful diversity and visual appeal green foliage has to offer. In New England the red, yellow, orange, and maroon leaves get all of the glory in Mid-October. And they are truly spectacular--but the next time you are taking a stroll, take a careful look at the green carpets, vines, hills, waves and seas of leafy bits. They deserve their own recognition and acclaim.

XO Terez

Kitty Roll

Oh! To be a kitty in a pool
of late summer sunshine.

Hrmph. I'm a bit hot so I'll start
to think about rolling over.

Oh bother, I think I might be stuck.

Er, ah, almost got it!

Ahhh. Sweet shade.

Rememberence 9-11-11

Peace: please

We Will Never Forget

Honoring Elders

Star Spangled Banners

Company 5: Brookline

Sunset Reflecting

Winnipesaukee Weekend

On the Road Again

Guard Dog

Beach Read

This Means You

Beach Bar

Shore Line

Everybody In

Heading Home

Did you know that Lake Winnipesaukee has:
Area of water surface = 72 square miles
Number of islands = 253
Distance around lake = 182 miles
Height above sea level = 504 feet

XO Terez

Parasol Pendant Lamp

Parasol Pendant Lamp

It's finally finished! Parasol Pendant Lamp. I saw the lamp on an Etsy post a few weeks ago and because I had all of the raw materials (100+ drink parasols, as Mamacat calls them), 10 glue sticks and paper globe lamp, I had to give it a try. (Also because it goes splendidly with the tropical colored walls in my apartment).

A few tips:
1. Be very careful when cutting the wooden picks out of the parasols. Do not do this around children, pets, or frankly, anyone else. The sticks are incredibly sharp and they ping right out of the scissor blades when you cut them. I also advise glasses or goggles--seriously these things are dangerous!

2. Do not hotglue 100+ parasols to a paper globe on a day when the temperature is above 85. Just don't.

3. It helps to glue the umbrellas if the lamp is hanging from the light fixture (not on or plugged in). It gives greater flexibility in turning the paper globe just so and you can place the colored parasols easier.

4. On the video on Etsy they glue just the centers of the parasols, but I found it more effective to do quick dots of glue between each of the spokes near the rim--and then gently press the colored paper on the lamp base. I think my parasols would have popped off, otherwise.

Now, the big decision: what room do I hang this lamp in? I've tried the kitchen, the living room and the bedroom and I can't decide. Until then I'll continue hanging it wherever I want a little mood lighting.

Go forth and craft!

XO Terez

Walk to Work Wednesday

Busy Bee

Which Way Did She Go?

Dinner Plate Bloom

Big Big Wheel

Prep Line

Hot Like Fire

Thermometer Still Life

What? Don't you keep your thermometer in an abandoned Lady Buxton jewelry box with random photos from your childhood, Wizard of Oz Dolls and antique licorice tins?

In case you didn't know, we're into the second full month of summer, and this is one of the two critical points during the year when it is miserable to live in Boston. The humidity is high, the mercury is higher and tempers are short. (The other time starts March 1st and goes straight through the Spring Equinox. The last three+ weeks of slush, sleet, ruined shoes, frozen fingers and pilly wools sweaters...ugh. But we're New Englanders. We're hardy people.)

In short, this is why I've been on crafting hiatus. It's just too hot. I can't go into the studio. It's 90 degrees in there, at night time.
 
Thankfully, I did add to my stained-glass curtain a few weeks ago to give my full-West facing kitchen window some additional protection from the direct rays of the setting sun:

Stained Glass Curtain 100% More Free!

I lined it with white felt and pinned it up--the shade and gentle colors it bestows on my kitchen space is very welcome indeed. Now it is so big I wonder if I shouldn't just back it, bind it and turn it into a quilt. Maybe in the fall when it's not too-darned-hot.

I do have another little crafty project I'm preparing, here's a hint:

China Fair Shade Sticks: $3.99 for 200

If you've been perusing the craft blogosphere you can probably guess their fate. I'm determined to work on them this weekend--but it will involve a hot glue gun, and it's supposed to hit close to 100 on Friday and Saturday, so crafting might have to wait.

Until then, stay hydrated.

XO Terez

Meditation Walk

Walking Meditation, DCR Nantasket Beach

Sometimes the light hits everything just so and you feel so lucky to be a part of it.

XO Terez

Summer Vacay in a Day: Rockport

Secret Water View

Hitchin' Post

Lawn Chair Conversation Pit

Local Legend

Dinner

Dessert

My Chariot

Well I'm on lobster number four for Summer 2011. Here's to future day trips as successful and delicious as this one was!

XO Terez

"I PR things, darling"

Setting the Swim Course, DCR Nantasket Beach

In my "real" life, I PR things. This weekend I had the privilege of returning to support the 18th annual Swim Across America events in Boston Harbor and DCR Nantasket Beach, both benefiting pediatric survivorship programs at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Here are a few snaps of what it was like to watch this amazing event behind the behind-the-scenes.  Learn more about the Swim Across America mission here.

View From Behind-Behind the Camera:
Olympic swim legends dive-in at Boston Harbor and huddle at
DCR Nantasket Beach, captured by the Boston Herald and WHDH.

Views from Boston Harbor Event:
Pace Boat viewed from the Press Boat;
"I've been up for hours and It's Only 1:20";
Commuting Old School Style;
Finishing Strong

Views from Nantasket Event:
Safety Check; Spectacular Spectating;
Bathhouse Birdie; Super High Tide

Sample of press clips here, here and here.