here comes the sun: photobooth friday

july 2, 2007
mama and gray at salisbury beach, MA- tailgating with tripoli's pizza, puppa and joey

this is my new favorite summahtime strip. my dad thinks that i look like alice from the brady bunch in the first square, and i can't disagree. i was trying to be all gangsta but my hands got cut out of the frama. the second square...i was trying for the profile shot but i decided to make a horsie mr. ed face. the third square features a creepy glowing finger that makes it look like gray is flipping the bird. and i'm giving her the bunny ears. the last shot- my fav. i was bouncing gray up and down on my knee, because i heard that photobooths capture the shot even if there's movement. if you look closely at my earrings, you can see that they are flying up in the air. it's my favorite photobooth detail to date. gray's face is priceless. i heart photobooths.
speaking of photobooths, isn't this postcard from andrea over at hulaseventy wonderous? she's also the mastermind behind photobooth fridays, might i add.

and seeing her hand-writing and sweet message just made me swoon.

lately, this is what we do to keep busy.

are you keeping busy in this hot, hot heat? xx

summahtime

there is just too much to write about, unfortunately. you can look at the flickr pics, which will give you a glimpse into the craziness that has been our summer (or summah, if you're a local) lives, running from place to place, and dipping in our feet in a whole bunch of waters. our vacation was dreamy, and filled with donuts and lobsters, herb walks and waterfalls. hidden treasures in trees and raspberries on the side of the road. the rest of our time has been spent foraging in the garden, weeding, picking blueberries and raspberries, dancing our booties off to live music, cutting wildflowers and stuffing them into old salsa jars. there have been lots of mangoes eaten. and those ice creamy treats called drumsticks. we've had our share of those, too. we've got it good, us gilberts. there's a crazy magic in the humid air, threatening to rain down on us. it's the magic of birth and redemption and cleansing. it's good music in the car even if your good music is neil diamond. it's receiving a mailbox full of postcards and the latest issues of your favorite magazines. it's hanging out with friends drinking wonderful drinks and eating delicious food that you grew with your hands. it's about breaking down and feeling so low only to come full circle and feel alive again.

wishmamas- cookin' up a book with children's author tabatha d'agata!

wishmamas- cookin' up a book with children's author tabatha d'agata!

come one, come all!

please join us at philips academy in andover, MA for an outside wordy recipe adventure with children's book author tabatha d'agata! you can read more about the wordy recipe program here, and find lots of information and pictures of tabatha and her books here.

when: friday, july 20th, 2007 at 10am-12pm. (raindate july 27th, 2007)

where: philips academy in andover, at the little field with the mini-stage. take your first left off of rt.28 at the lights when you see philips and follow the road as it curves around the field. you'll see us gathered- pull over and park anywhere.

what: (from tabatha's website)- Here's a recipe that’s sure to satisfy the hungriest appetite! Wearing her apron for this interactive and theatrical book presentation, Tabatha Jean D’Agata will discuss and demonstrate the critical parts of a story by using story-building elements from a book as her ingredients. She'll add those ingredients into a large stew pot, stir the final papery-mixture -- and then reach in to reveal a book in its entirety. The final recipe result? Sprinkle on some drama, and Tabatha to read and share!

at philips, you'll find a cozy outdoor ampitheater at the entrance to the bird sanctuary. we'll gather there to watch tabatha enthrall the beans with her words! after the program, feel free to picnic on the green grass or take a walk through the forest sanctuary, where there are seven letterboxes hidden! find the letterbox clues here. the kids also may enjoy dressing up on the ampitheater mini-stage and putting on a show, so pack up your props and costumes, too...if you have room in your bag :)

any questions, please contact me (email is on the sidebar) and i'll be sure to get back to you.

conversation at 5am

she likes the weeds, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

"gray, please don't touch my boobs."

"why? oh yeah...they're sensitive, right?

"yes."

(touches them again)

"gray! i said please don't touch my boobs!"

"i'm not touching your boobs...i'm touching MY boobs."



we're headed off for vacation...lobster, cape breezes, homemade quilts, an old-time bandstand concert, birthday celebrations, some much needed catching up, letterboxing, and coffee on the porch. happy weekend! xx

crowns just because

crowns just because, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

today we wear crowns just because
and today we buy new craft supplies for vacation
just because
and we fill our hearts and our heads
with stickers and flowers
and books of wonderment
just because
and we have lollipops for breakfast
and listen to a new cd and shake our booties
and take naps with the fan on
just because
and work on some presents for our friends
and dream of sleeping on the cape tomorrow night
and sharing food and snacks and time at the beach
just because

wear your crown proudly today
cheers to you and your summer spirit. xx

this is how we roll on the 4th of july

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Share Photos - Free Video Hosting

i'd like to say that this scene was something special...something that we don't do often. this scene, however, plays itself out more than not at our house. we like to use the 4th of july as reason to justify our crazy family obsession with marching and dancing and our lp's of 'reader's digest god bless america- songs of pride and patriotism' from 1984. we love marching. we love yankee doodle dandy. we love the 4th and we love pissing off our neighbors at 5:30am with marching tunes. we aren't acting for the camera, peeps. this is just how we roll on the 4th of july.

happy anniversary to me

happy anniversary
happy anniversary
happy anniversary

haaaaaaappy anniversary


this is why i married john. because he pretends to be caught in giant rat traps to make me smile. and he sits on our porch and makes up songs about our life, and our family, and our anniversary. it's the best present i could have asked for. happy anniversary, happy 6 years, and many happy more.

xx

weekend wishes

my favorite flowers bloomed today, originally uploaded by Nina Marie Gilbert.

here's wishing you blooming lillies, tire swings, bbq, a big bowl of berries, some ice cream for good measure, and a whole lotta hugs (if you're into that sort of thing.) xx

my summer life in pictures

fun with screens on a hot, hot day

a whole lot of picnic lunches in puppa's backyard, poolside

chubby fingers grabbing at the pints of strawberries

naked gardening in puppa's garden

weeding and lovin' on our own garden at home, and a bit of early harvesting

cowboy hats courtesy of ms. libby

stops at the herb FARMacy, my new favorite place in the world

a whole bunch of shel silverstein, which never seems to get old

raw birthday cupcakes baked (or half-baked) inside ice cream cones

the world spinning round and round, gloriously.

fillin' up

enough lookin' at my double chin from the last post, already! basically i'm just peeking in here to update you on...well, not much. there's been so much going on- life is filled to the brim. but for some reason, i'm left speechless about it all. there's been fresh cut flowers and dinners on the deck. there's been sun tea and there's been days spent in the pool. there's been herbs and strawberry picking and birth talkin' and trips to the ocean and tidepools. there's been ice cream. and cake. and cupcakes inside ice cream cones. there's been summer reading and lots of crafting. there's been family and conversations and sleeping with the windows open. lots and lots of all the things that i love.

except mosquitoes. and mosquito bites. i could do without that, couldn't you?

hope your life is filled with the things that keep you full. xx

70 summery things

as part of hula seventy's postcard swap, i offer you my 70 things (all on my postcards which i sent out yesterday). haphaphappy first day of summer! get out there with your dress up clothes on and jump in the pool! you can also view some other postcard action here at the flickr group.

each one of my postcards included five things i heart about summer. here's the master list- each card is different, hence the 70-. some are sort of doubles, but i just heart them so much i couldn't help it.

here are 70 things that i heart about summer:

1. my neighbor's garden parties
2. fresh lettuce gifted to me
3. upcoming farmer's markets
4. antiquing
5. sandboxes
6. glasses of wine after the kids go to bed
7. bathing-suit wedgies on my girl
8. the sound of the ice cream truck
9. trimming the hedges
10. the smell of tomato plants on my fingers
11. the sounds of lawn mowers
12. fresh pesto and pasta
13. neighbors stopping by
14. growing wheatgrass outside
15. dipping my toes in the ocean
16. farmer's markets (oops! a repeat)
17. herb shopping in greenhouses
18. letting the kids run around nekkid
19. ice cream for dinner
20. iced coffee
21. looking at people in ill-fitting bathing suits
22. fresh mint in salads
23. big batches of homemade pesto
24. laughter on picnic blankets
25. daydreaming while watching the clouds
26. getting pizza at the beach
27. sun-tanned photobooth strips
28. fried clams and beer
29. sand on my feet
30. seagulls
31. dirty gardenish feet
32. white wine with ice
33. listening to the world with the windows open
34. the sound of motorcycles
35. taking pictures in the grass
36. fresh herbs
37. eating dinner on the deck
38. tank tops
39. teva flip flops
40. hearing the birds
41. my local greenhouse
42. listening to bob marley outside
43. watching my wees in the sand
44. quilts on the grass
45. identifying birds
46. jumping over waves at the beach
47. letterboxing!
48. freeze pops
49. flip flop tans
50. sun hats on the kids
51. drive-ins
52. listening to the sounds of my kids at the park
53. picnic lunches
54. long walks before dinner
55. wildflowers
56. romaine lettuce
57. balsamic vinegar reductions
58. walden pond
59. unexpected guests popping in
60. talking with friends outside instead of watching tv
61. barking dogs
62. summer reading
63. fresh baked bread and olive oil
64. vacation planning
65. pizza at the beach
66. reading on the deck
67. waking up to the birds at 4am
68. airplanes overhead
69. sprinklers
70. daydreaming

what's the one thing you heart the most about summertime summertime sum sum summertime?

family

"family"- this weekend at the beach

i've got a couple of seconds to myself right now because gray is next door at our neighbor's house. i'm going to assume that the bloody-murder screams that i'm hearing drift through the open window right now are screams of joy and just keep typing...

these past few days have been so fulfilling, and exactly what i needed. a recentered of sorts, aimed directly at my cold, cold heart. friday's wishmamas gathering was the perfect medicine- surrounded by other like-minded mamas, on the ocean, with the most beautiful of meadows and trolls bridges and waterfalls, with all the beans dressed as fairies, skipping about. colorful balloons tied onto dental floss, and team letterboxing. strawberry frosted cupcake smiles and accessible public restrooms. it was like out of a mama-dream, except better.

saturday and sunday were spent partying and being with family, and eating, and more eating. the beach with just our wees, and going swimming with sweatshirts on. watching my loves hold hands and jump over the waves. wiping sand out of tiny bum cracks. dried pizza sauce on faces and skin tasting like salt. backyard barbeques and salads big enough to feed 100. yard sales and cowboy hats and butterfly necklaces. organic markets and ginger candies. sam summer ale and the kids running free and happy.

how come every weekend can't be like this past one? xx

happy father's day

is anyone out there tired, too? these past couple of days have washed over me, finally, and i'm left feeling drained, but in a very good way. is it too early for bed- at 7:11pm? happy father's day to all my dad's out there- i leave you with my mustachioed boy. until tomorrow... xx

morning wake up

my day hasn't even really started yet, as it is only 6:47am, and it's already included these delicious things:

-early morning reading in bed with my girl. "the ropemaker" by peter dickinson. i didn't read it aloud because it's waaaay over her head, but it's a really freakin' good book, although i'm a bit hesitant to admit this out loud because it's young adult and it's science fiction. i'm a sucker for any book with a young girl as the heroine, though.

-my favorite coffee mug

- peacefully watering my garden outside, alone. even though someone ate my eggplant plants.

-sugar and extra cream, just because

-my favorite soap

-an inappropriate tank top, some weird capri mchammer pants, and a beautiful butterfly necklace that i scored at butterflyjoandlib's yard sale this weekend

how was your morning?

things i love thursday: the mind over matter edition

quiet today, reflecting on all that is good and summoning up the power to get through the day. it's one of those weeks...a "mind over matter" week. we all have those weeks, right? right? that's what i'm telling myself at least- it will get better, it will get easier.

on with things i love thursday:

:: the simple necklace that gray made for me, unprovoked. a black cord, and a vintage button (from la vie en rose). i've been wearing this necklace with pride- call it mama's love, but it just seems to go with everything.

:: grocery shopping early in the morning when there aren't a lot of people in the store. less people equals less cranky people. buying cinnamon buns and fresh peaches, going home, putting joey to bed, and sitting down to a delicious meal with my girl. it was her idea, and i thought, why the hell not? i wasn't afraid to have about four cinnamon buns, either.

:: the prospects of an amazing day tomorrow, with some of my favorite peoples in the world, at the fairies and trolls get-together in rockport, MA. aaah, the ocean, the forest, some fairies, some bridges, some snacks. pictures to come. my local peeps- check it out! (tab, if you're up for the drive, you are welcome to come, even though your beans will be at school!)

:: chewable acidophilus

:: tab's live radio show airing today...here's the info-
(Please join TAB at noon Thursday, June 14 @ 9am PST / 12pm EST -- LIVE via the Internet as SHE will be the guest author on Preschool Rock Moms Radio Show! The topic is "Raising a Reader" and not only will there be great discussions and helpful tips -- there will also be prize giveaways to callers. That's right, you can call in too and ask questions.

Here's the link that will take you right to the show: http://www.preschoolrockmoms.com)

:: joey is finally speaking and i just adore hearing what he has to say. mostly it's "doooooooog" or "caaaaaaaah". he's got a wicked massachusetts accent- car is definitely "cahhh". we're working on it.

:: they might be giants' here come the abc's movie. it never gets old, esp. "alphabet of nations".

:: impromptu dinner parties, with buffalo chicken and sprouts and wine. wine helps make the week go by better and faster. thank you boo, and thank you wine.

hope your thursdays are filled with vintage buttons, hugs from the ones you love, and sugar cones. xx

sowing the seeds of love

my life has been overflowing with hippie smells and seeds of love. here is a taste:

:: nag champa soap gifted to me from boo via california. the other day i was reading at bohemian mom, and read about her nag champa soap. i immediately left her a comment that was something to the effect of "what?!? where did you get such a delicious soap?" and then didn't think anything of it. unbeknownst to boo, who was in california purchasing me the same exact soap... and now i have my own nag champa soap, which boo had to nestle inside two plastic bags because it's so damn fragrant. aaah.

:: probiotics. i can't learn enough about this! thanks stephanie (from wish studio) for introducing me to the concept.

:: giving people their first-time massages

:: my brand-spankin'-new-to-me massage chair. for $15! yes, it's covered in hair and needs a cleansing, and no, it doesn't have a face-rest, but it still rocks. anyone want a massage on my deck?

:: the book plenty: one man, one woman, and a raucous year of eating locally by alisa smith and j.b. mackinnon. i devoured this book over the weekend (just read the final pages this morning at 4:30am, in fact) and couldn't get enough. i'm sad that it's over.

:: about to jump into slow food, by carlo petrini. can't wait for that either.

:: finally getting around to doing some continuing education massage credits, in massage for pregnant women and their infants and aromatherapy massage for mother and baby.

:: clover and 3 part salad mix sprouting seeds from this company.

:: mod podge and blank notebooks

:: bouquets of fresh thyme and mint in the bathroom

:: arugula flowers in a jar

:: sesame goddess salad dressing

:: wendy's pizza recipe, which we collectively revamped to fit what we had in the fridge. used whole wheat pizza dough and fresh rosemary, sage, basil, parsley, so much that the whole pizza was green. and my new obsession is balsamic vinegar reductions- i'm going to buy a gallon or two and reduce it down to drizzle over everything summery. or just drink it straight from the fridge.

what's new in your world?

photobooth friday and polobooth friday

this photobooth strip makes me think about one thing: butt massages. why butt massages you ask? well, i'm not quite sure. but here's what i have to say about this gem of a strip:

1. old friends t. and d. i'm pretty sure i loved this strip so much that i held it for ransom and would not give it back. and i'm also pretty sure that i bribed them to get into the booth together so i could keep the strip all to myself. i'm a strip whore. there was no way i was giving it back.

2. my friend t. makes me think about butt massages because, well, i used to give butt massages. especially to his older brother. it was this quirky thing that i did that sort of just turned into, well...what i did. they weren't sexual in nature (not for me, at least!) and they only involved boys. um...looking back, i guess that was a pretty strange thing to do. butt massages. butt massages. at least it's fun to say.

3. this strip also makes me think of my beach cottage. the beach cottage that i had with a bunch of friends. and to make some extra cash to spend on the beach strip (you know, for like getting my nose pierced) i gave massages. mostly foot massages. and i changed boys that came over, and put my money in a jar. as evidenced by this completely frightening picture, i also sometimes put their feet in my mouth:



my poor parents. i must have given them heart attacks. (not to mention my poor boyfriend at the time...no wonder why he was so un-understanding and not-cool! i was putting other people's feet in my mouth!!)

other friday lovelies here.

kuberist and peuwist

grace has her own language. i know i've written about it before, somewhere. but frankly, it's out of control. her gray language is taking over her regular-voice talking, and i find myself constantly redirecting. "big girls voice!" i perkily say, over and over, trying not to scar her too badly for the rest of her life. i'm pretty sure i went through the same thing growing up, because i vividly remember my parents telling me to close my mouth because they had had enough! on one of our drives to the beach. maybe it's having a little brother, maybe it's regression, but the "kuberist and peuwist earlobbie" language has got.to.go. at some point. soon.

on a happier note, how could i not laugh my ass off when i picked gray up from school yesterday (using her excited kuberist and peuist voice) and her and her teacher hand me this (joey promptly gnawed one of the beaver-eyes off as soon as we got home):


gray, what a beautiful beaver you have! seriously, these teachers are smoking crack (in a good way, of course).

luckily the kuberring has not taken over in school-land, because the teacher says she's just great and uses her big girl voice all the time. maybe it's the power of my earlobes that causes her to speak in tongues. here's my girl's report card, just to prove she's a good little beaver:


on a final note, i've found my new key to happiness: coffee at 3pm. call me crazy, but it really gets me through those afternoon blues- and hasn't (yet) started to effect my going to bed at 9pm. or 7pm. it snaps me right out of those doldrums and "how am i going to get to 6pm bedtime?"s. coffee at 5am, coffee at 8:30am, and coffee at 3p. addicted, you think?

hope your day is filled with ferns, little freaky trolls, and glue schmeared all over your hands.

the beauty of touch

as a massage therapist, it's no secret that i'm a big fan of positive touch. as a mama of two little beans, i'm also a touch-advocate. and a doula-in-training...yup, there's that touch again. touch touch touch. it seems that in these scary times of abuse and neglect and the misuse of touch, the subject of touch and children has become somewhat taboo. lots of people that i know take a "better safe than sorry" approach to touch and children, and just don't broach the subject at all.

most children thrive on positive touch, especially massage from their mamas. not only does it generate a feeling of safety and well-being, it supports children's growth and development. to generalize, children that experience positive touch are happy children. the best part is that you don't have to be a massage therapist to integrate more touch into the lives of your children! with permission, introduce massage of the feet, hands, and back into your daily routine. infants thrive on positive touch- massaging of the belly can ease cramping, and overall massage can alieviate stress.

i would go around wearing a t-shirt that reads "touch is good!", but people might think i'm creepy. so i'll say it here, go ahead. touch your babies. they need it. they need you.

i collect good people

call me crazy, but lately my new mantra has been "i collect good people". instead of "i see dead people," the little creepy voice inside my head likes to remind me how blessed i am to be surrounded on a daily basis by such inspirational individuals who push me to grow more and aim big. these past few days have epitomized all these feelings of blessedness- being at the wish studio's opening last night and trunk show today, meeting in-the-flesh (which i always think sounds dirty, don't you?) mindy, melba, and angela from lovegreendog (and her kick-ass friend kelly, btw). and some other amazing peeps, one of which was named stephanie, and if you're out there stephanie, holla! i got to see some art, schmooze a bit, drink some fancy wine, and rock out with my cleavage out. and take some goofy pictures. and hug bright and excited children. basically, i collect good people, and my collection keeps growin' and growin'. see for yourself:


angela and i (evidently i took my happy pills)


my happy feet on the happy red brick building floors



double dose of the happy pills- melba and i- i love her glowy closed eyes in this shot.



the resident photographer, little miss gray, enjoyed taking pictures of "my anus". she's completely obsessed and is likely to get kicked out of preschool if she keeps this up.


angela and i again- she doesn't really stink, i was just playin'.


and as an aside, can we just talk about this lunch? my brother made me this lunch yesterday, just because. lunch, people! those asparagus, let me tell you...i want my casket filled with those mo-fo's. and that salmon was to die for. literally.

i really do collect some freakin' good people.

xx