"like peas and carrots"...

 
Lauren and Taylor got engaged tonight on the beach at Cape Cod...as Forest Gump said to Jenny..."we go together like peas and carrots."

My favorite nephew...

 

Today we all went to Chris' housewarming...his place is beautiful...great to see everyone and they were all happy to see Leah again...good times!

Here Comes the Sun...

 
What a glorious summer day...and this hand felted sunface matches my mood...saw it at the Norfolk Farmer's Market

Blowin' in the wind..

 
Is there any better feeling than coming home from the beach..hanging out your towels on the line...and crashing...ahhh summer..love it!

and the Emmy goes to....

 
...well, not me..but a girl can dream..this may be as close as I will ever get to actual Emmy statues. :)

What do ya do with Beach Shells?

 
Well...if you are two little boys you gather as many as you can possibly bring back from Cape Cod...then ask your favorite nanny to do an art project with them..no real plan but the kids liked them..especially when I suggested they add the goldfish crackers to the mix.

Masked feelings....

 
A sad sign of the times...Pia's beautiful gallery in Canton is closing shop....it was really a great place where Pia did a wonderful job of bringing local artists together....so sad to see the fun and creativity coming to an end :(

Kindness matters...

 
Today many friends and family gathered together to remember a sweet, gentle woman, Kelly Hahn. She will be dearly missed by her husband, children and sister. Many kind words echoed throughout the room filling it up with love...Kelly would have liked that.

The Red Popsicle Girl...

 
One of the hottest days of the summer and what better way to cool off than a popsicle...Leah, sitting on my father's sunporch this afternoon enjoying a red popsicle while we celebrated Grammie Marie and Aunt Laurie's summer birthdays.

The Price of Beauty...

 
...well for me, today it was only $6.49! Linda, Janet and I got in line for the Grand Opening of the new Ulta store in Avon...they gave out free gift cards and gift bags to the first 100 customers...worth getting up early for..(as long as we had our DD coffee in hand!)...scored some great buys for next to nothing...don't you just love a bargain!

Flower Power...

 
Chrissy DeSoppo's house in Avon is a local landmark because of the awesome flower gardens she grows each summer. Today I pulled over and took some shots of her front door...you should see the rest of her yard....never mind green thumbs...this woman has green HANDS!!

In the arms of an angel...

 
"You're in the arms of the angel....may you find some comfort here"...this is for my childhood friend, Kelly, who passed away at 53, this weekend. I can't stop thinking about her and the pain her family is going through. She was taken from them way too soon.

There must be an art project in this box...

 
The other day when we were leaving the Clark Museum I noticed that this box was full of tags from patrons as they left the event. Seems the Clark is in to recycling these little colorful gems. Now I am wondering what they do with them...and if I can get my hands on them for an art project....hmmmmm...doesn't hurt to ask.

Sisterhood..

 
"A sister is both your mirror...and your opposite."

Relaxing on the Patio...

 
After a very long day of museums/farmers markets/antiquing...it was nice to come home and sit outside on the patio drinking margaritas and catching up with old friends,sisters/daughters and cousin Susan....so good we stayed outside till almost midnight...but all good excursions must come to an end!

The final print....

 
Last day of art camp and we decided to do messy printing...maybe not the best idea..but the kids enjoyed it...me -not so much..brayers are a pain to clean up! But we are DONE!

Fly away home..

 
Our HeART in Hand Art Camp is coming to an end tomorrow...and the student's have done some fantastic work...but now it's time to pack up all their projects, including these wacky birds..and fly away home. (And it's time for me FINALLY to really begin my summer!!)

It starts with a pile of papers...

 
We made stacks of colored papers on the 1st day of art camp to incorporate into so many of our projects throughout the next 2 weeks...it's really been a great concept...the art is so vibrant ..check out the sunbursts done today!

Carnivale ready...

 
A group of students show of their Venetian Mask Projects from today's HeART in Hand Camp. They all really got into it and did such an awesome job.

A Fish of a Different Color...or Two

 
Week two of Art Camp started off with a very colorful project..recycled bottle fish. The kids did a terrific job and the results were so vibrant and funky...I think I need to do this project again, in the after school programs...today was just TOO MUCH FUN!!

...and she's climbing the stairway to heaven

 
So I drive through Burlington every day on my way to my summer job and I see these massive stairs..my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to pull over and climb to the top...half way up in 100 degree heat I think this is kind of a stupid idea, but keep going anyway. When I get to the top it is all worth it, beautiful Nepaug Reservoir....serene spot!

My Tacky Ring...

 
When Leah and I went shopping the other day, I saw this big flower ring. I wanted to buy it but Leah said..."What has happened to your taste while I was away in China, woman?"...so she shamed me into not buying it. But today, she surprised me by giving me a surprise gift of my "tacky" ring.....(I knew she loved me :)...maybe I will even let her borrow it sometime.

My Balloon Tree...

 
At the end of our art class today, one of my littlest students presented me with a picture she painted for me...it's her balloon tree, because balloons make her happy and so does art...ahhhh...she melted my heart!

It takes a Village...

 
So aside from my afternoon art camp for these two weeks, I am also designing the sets for the morning Jr. Theater's production of Cinderella. This morning I worked on painting signs for the village shops and stain glass windows...lots to do! Coffee...double shot..please!

HeART in Hand Art Happy Camper...

 
We had the kids hand stamp their hand prints on the 1st day of Camp for a collage we are working on...kids love nothing better than getting messy...fun stuff! (Not sure how parents will feel about their blue chilren)..oh well!