Saturday, April 17, 2010

what a wonderful trip to the cape!  being able to ride bikes with no summer traffic, exploring little paths and seeing behind hedges of some beautiful estates....stopping into some spectacular stores, eating at restaurants we wouldn't attempt to visit in the summer.
we stopped into mashpee commons...
http://www.mashpeecommons.com/ 
a charming little group of stores that we'd normally see in  a mall setting...except at mashpee commons, it feels more like a delightful little village with quaint little shops and fine quality stores.
vineyard vines had such lovely displays.  the colors, the stacks of clothing, the adorable prints, the flip flops, the belts, the bathing suits.....summer fun.  grace is having vineyard vines for her wedding! hopefully, she's just in the dream stage!  i haven't seen that many high school freshman who even have their driver's license, much less a marriage license....or a job.  
dream or not, i love grace's spirit and style!



how much can i go on about the joys of summer? everything about lilly is summer fun.

outstanding windows...and playful!
http://www.gap.com/browse/home.do?tid=gogobue8t&kwid=1&ap=7&sem=true&mkwid=225yPoD9&adid=tnc%3C.pbz&creative=5087238195

crucial coffee!
http://www.starbucks.com/



http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/

we stopped in the claire murray store....oh! i'm always so moved down to my soul....when i'm surrounded by such color, beauty and style created by a woman who started her own business....because of a passion for her craft....her art...her joy!

 

 


and the beautiful coffee table book has just come out!  these are the books that i love....all bout color and beauty and passion for what we love.
*****
Claire's New Coffee Table Book
LIMITED EDITION

For a limited timeSigned by Claire Murray
Gift the gift they'll cherish forever, Women and the Sea.
NOW ON SALEfor a limited time only
Each page is graced with breathtaking photography and illustrations. This is a gift that will remind them of you the whole year through. And now, for a limited time, it will be signed by Claire Murray.
Truly a classic gift
Flip through the pages
At right: from the chapter on Bev Sanders, founder of Las Olas Surf Safaris.


Women and the Sea, celebrates
the Passion of Bev Sanders,
founder of Las Olas Surf Safaris.



************************

http://www.clairemurray.com/
one of my favorite magazines ever...ever.....ever! only four issues a year...but so inspiring.  it's filled with fabulous stories of women artists, writers, collectors and "small business" women....not small or petite women in business!
http://www.clairemurray.com/Magazine.cfm

and we popped in to see williams-sonoma....wow! i love that store...if only to buy some great bottles of marinade.  the first time i bought one of their wonderful marinade....i made a delicious dinner and biff thought i had been slaving all day....i had to show him my magic bottle.


http://www.williams-sonoma.com/

really, i'm not such a fan of the big malls and the giant chain stores....but when i do stop in, i love to see the way they've displayed their colors, textures and new styles...even if it's a new pepper mill...i can dream about being a fine chef!





 as grace and i strolled through the stores....speed shopping stroll actually.....we enjoyed so many stores, the window displays, friendly salespeople.....it was dream like to be there in off season...with no tourists...fun for grace and i!


grace and i were merrily skipping through the stores and t.j. let out a howl...."you said you'd only be a minute or 2....it's been 13 minutes already!"  that's when biff directed him to the wi-fi at starbucks! 


biff loved having a quiet moment in the car!

here are some pics of my sweet pleasure ....grace too!





somehow, i just clicked a button on facebook....and i'm a mom with a.d.h.d.!
i thought this was just the group for me...so, i became a fan.

with just a click of a button, i became a member of a group where people would understand me!
i began to read about this group....that i was so happy to be a part of....other moms who have mixups and issues keeping organized....keeping life organized...keeping family organized!
oops!  the group is for moms of kids with a.d.h.d.  a group of wonderful caretakers of kids with some very difficult days integrating into the order and structure of their days....

it was not meant for me...in theory.  i was not meant for them...in theory.
just another mixup...or misunderstanding....or impulsive...impetuous.....hmmmmm?  

oh well...i guess i'll "remove my name from fans"!

maybe there's a group for kids with moms who are so super organized, they take their children to their first day of pre-school a day early!

or take them to montessori a day early for school....thinking the end of vacation date meant the first day back to school....not the last day of vacation!

or taking a child to the orthodontist appointment on the date and time of the dentist appointment!

or calling out the name of another child in a lacrosse game...a friend who was on another team....or shouting out the wrong play at the wrong time.
if you hear of the group for my ever embarrassed children, let me know.



i have all of the signs! i know that keep it simple is a good way to go through life.  i know it works.  

why am i selling some of the signs i've purchased for some whimsy in the house?

funny...i have this one just to remind me to cook!  that may seem a bit odd but i'll take any reminder i can get!  
o.k., how could i leave this in the store?  it was perfect for grace's sweet room with all of her beautiful beach colors!  it still is perfect....but, since my sweet little girl has posters of her favorite teen idols on her walls....yes, i did give in to that!  yikes....from all of the beautiful little girl decor to teen wild and crazy has been a whirlwind of scotch tape for posters, photos...not in frames and favorite photos taped on the wall! well, the room has as much personality as my grace!
hence, the retirement of this adorable wall hanging!
not really...i just saw this in a store and thought it was a cute idea....not for me ....for the dogs!  thankfully, i did NOT buy it...the photo was enough!  the dogs are just fine without it!
a fun anniversary moment...biff and i know we love each other so we really can do without robert browning's sentiment! it's now on sale.  actually, we never did hang it up!
it's true.  we mean it. always know you're welcome at our house.  we just figure if we let this sign go, you may not have to trip over it on your way in!
basically, the creativity seems to get in teh way of keeping it simple.  ahhh, the irony!





how about spring? it's been fun listing some new lilly pulitzer on e-bay.....my new little store in the cyber world!
http://stores.ebay.com/littlemarymixup?_rdc=1
 it feels great to put on some fun summer merchandise!  while we were away, we had some cape cod moments.....real summer moments!  we may not have had summer weather, but we sure saw signs of summer in the works!  boats on blocks being worked on and painted....


at the sailing club, all of the boats were out and it's time for the season sign ups.....

the ice cream store opened....

and the stores were getting new arrivals to stock the stores........the stores taking applications!  it's great to see a summer place prepare for the season......like our trees, waiting to burst with new leaves!  ahhhh, that's life!  gotta love it!

i love getting ready for spring and summer on e-bay too! it's been tricky keeping on top of the sales while we were away!  thankfully, i am able to keep in touch with my customers by e-mail....that's my most valuable tool...customer service!  i can mail from anywhere to anywhere....but, i need to have that customer connection.  it's one of those old saks fifth avenue
 http://www.brooksbrothers.com/

and brooks brothers
http://www.brooksbrothers.com/ 
traditions that i've continued throughout my career.....in sales or in buying.....whether clothing or mortgage sales! i just have to make sure we don't get our wires crossed!
that's what matters to me.  i was not the greatest e-bay buyer but i know if i were to buy today on e-bay, i would definitely need to feel that the seller was on top of things!

biff's and the kids are much more e-bay 
http://stores.ebay.com/littlemarymixup?_rdc=1 
shopping savvy than i have been in the past.  they've really helped me to think like a buyer!  doesn't that sound ridiculous?  me, needing help to think like a buyer? NEVER!  i think of myself as a professional shopper....a polite term for shopaholic!
how on earth could i ever have so much to sell?  we have a wide variety of shopping issues in the family.  e-bay has come to my rescue!   i love knowing that so many of my shopping finds and antique hunting joys can move on to others! 

 i love to donate too!  i've always had the idea, that in the big scheme of things in life.....what you put out there, you'll get back!
"what goes around, comes around!"  just the idea of giving to others....when we are so blessed....makes me enjoy the giving!

although, i'm a little concerned about why we had the"#%*@" in the basement...and the flood....i hope i haven't given that out!
if i have, i'm sorry.....if i've truly given and have recieved what we got in return, i'm definitely going to h-e-double toothpicks!