In Which We Look Towards a New Year

sideways, originally uploaded by feathermar.

Things are stress-y here and crazy and everybody is tired. And things are snowy here, and nothing makes me more cranks than snow.
But here's to hoping 2011 will be a banner year! Here's to all the upcoming babies to be born, weddings to be dancing at, road trips to take and memories to make!

And maybe this year, I'll finally make a pair of pajama pants that have two legs!

In Which We Say Happy Birthday

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to you, Gail.
You live in a zoo.
You look like a monkey.
But you smell pretty okay, I guess.


I don't insult my preggie sister so close to her due date. She's slow, but she packs a bigger wallop. If you see her ask her to do her "big dog" impression. It's my faves!

Tis the Season to Be Cranky

Seriously, sometimes I like Christmas as much as the next person. I like gingerbread, and at the library people make us homemade peppermint bark and other treats, and I make a lot of really beautiful paper snowflakes.

But taking everything out and putting up the tree and scattering the decorations in an already full house only reminds me that I have to take it down again and put it away. And then there are the gifts and the baking and the food and the wrapping and the tiredness and then it is over. I'm sure that I would love to make presents for the whole world, but unfortunately, I have to go to work, so the fun stuff - the stuff that I LIKE to do - I'll never get to do until I retire and then I probably will hate making stuff because my hands will be a mess from all the carpel tunnel.

Bah humbug. We're mortal. And uncrafty. The end.

fa la la la la la la la la

In Which We Say "Congrats"

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to Sarah and John! They got married last year! They had a baby this year! Welcome to the world, Baby Burns! Good luck, Sarah and John! Babies are the bestest!

In Which I Attempt To Sell

Well, friends, these are my wares. Some hand knits, some baby hats, some onesies and button magnets. And maybe there weren't a lot of people at this second craft fair, but I sold a couple of everything, and met some nice Tupperware ladies, and had the experience.

It was Miss Sarah Meagher's (Mrs. Sarah Burn's) baby shower, and I missed it, and for that I am sad. But I'm happy she's having a baby! And that Tine got to play with James!

The other thing: While I was making a little elephant wall art for Sarah and John's baby boy, I realized I had some tiny canvases. And so I made this:

I know. It's adorable. I am selling it on Etsy, but I may make a billion more to gaze upon adoringly because it is just so. darn. cute.

In Which There is a Treat

heather 012, originally uploaded by feathermar.

My very favorite bagpiper, James William, on Halloween! I know. I know. It is so cute that you can barely, barely stand to look. He couldn't hold the pipes and the bucket together forever, but he sure did try!
Happy November!

In Which I Make a Find!

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What fell into my hot little hands this week? This coloring book, never used from the 1960s. It was only 10 cents at the time! And it's about going to the zoo. Awesome!

In Which We Pick Pumpkins!

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James and my Pop and Gail and Joe and I went out east on Monday and picked out pumpkins! We didn't cut them off the vine or anything, because that's just not our kind of fun (not that i'm judging those who go out to saw off their own gourds or trees or what-have-you). We took a little hay ride, pulled by a tractor, which James really enjoyed watching. We aquired some very teeny tiny pumpkins. It was a beautiful day out and super fun!

In Which Michelle and Ron Get Hitched!

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Picture this: You're in the wilderness of Lake Taghkanic State Park. You are surrounded by leaves and fall and the smell of awesome outdoor things! And then you get MARRIED!
Well, that wasn't you, that was Michelle and Ron! And me and Andy were there and it was awesome!
The weather was perfect!

The centerpieces were handmade (origami flowers)!

The red velvet cake with vanilla (colored) icing was made by Valerie!

The ceremony was outside, wiccan and very beautiful!
Michelle didn't stay in her dress for long, but looked beautiful and happy!


We had a wonderful time!

And, for a minute...well, a couple of minutes, I really liked being out in nature!

In Which I am a Bad Sister

IMG_2835, originally uploaded by feathermar.

Did you know it was Richie's Birthday? Well, it was! And I, being a bad sister, did not blogwish him a Happy Birthday!
We do birthdays BIG in my house - it is a cause for giant special celebration! This is much harder to do when everyone lives a gabillion miles away and I am knee deep in weddings and work and all of the craziness right now!
So, I am belated and humbly wishing Richie a VERY Happy Birthday that was last week and not quite the big numbered birthday that will be next year! But I have bought you a present, Richie! I am ready for your birthday celebration when I next see you!

This picture is of Richie, the terrible monster, who imprisoned a princess, and is defeated by the hugs of the Prince, Princess and Very Brave Knight.

Giant James!

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Here he is! The giant James! Still adorable! Still with the teen idol hair!

He can climb up on the couch himself and say my name. He is 17 months and very cool. And there's a new baby coming! I wonder what kind of big brother he will be. I think he'll be a great one!

Beanie's Birthday!

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Happy Birthday, Beaniegirl! I hope you have a year of excellence down there in North Carolina! Good reports, good work days and fun weekends!

You still look like a teenager to me! Happy happy!

In Which We Travel

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Down in NC for Johnny's birthday (old man!), we had many stay-at-home adventures, which I will tell you about later. But one super fun thing was playing Just Dance on the Wii.

Well, actually it was fun to watch everybody play, because they are doing the same dance moves and it's like watching one of those spontaneous dance numbers in musicals, but it's real life and with people you know. And you haven't lived until you've seen my brothers dance to Kylie Minogue.

In Which We Coin a NEW PHRASE!





A photo montage dedicated to my brother John. Introducing:





The Photo Johntage!

Piggy Banks!

heather 070, originally uploaded by feathermar.

I have a thing about piggy banks.
Well, to be honest, I have a thing about piggy banks and mugs and pitchers and tiny little odd one-offs and salt shakers without a pepper and shiny brooches and...well, I digress.

But this beauty is mine! Well, for a little while. I bought some piggy banks. They were so sad in the sun at a garage sale. But I saved her with her jaunty hat and her gold paint. She's a good girl. She saves her money! I can't walk past a face like that and not buy it. If she's not for me,she's for someone else. But I like her.

And...I bought another one while I was out. OH, piggy.

In Which We Create Our Moveable Photo Booth

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Cost: 12 bucks!
One awesome photo frame and everybody gets a picture! Montage to follow!

Happy Birthday to me...

In which I celebrate my birthday

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without actually telling you about my birthday!
Because look at all of these AMAZING SPRAY PAINT colors! Yellow! Gray! Green! Pink! Two different Blues!
Andy got me a gift card so I could pick out all my own! You know I love to spray those altoid tins! Sweet Geez Louise. I couldn't wait to try out each and every one. Then I put button magnets in 'em to sell on my Etsy! Awesome.

In Which I am Reminded About the Greatest Tea in The Whole World


In May, Burns and Nat and I traversed down the coast to Chincoteague, where we met a lot of local people and saw the wild horses and made gluten free pancakes. This you knew. This I talked about.
But...what I didn't detail...what you don't know... is that we went to a real afternoon English Tea With Tiny Sandwiches and Awesome Scones.


It was at the Channel Bass Inn, and Barbara (the English innkeeper) was awesome. She made little cream cheese sandwiches, and really delicious ginger scones and told us stories of her Friesian exhubs, whose name was "Fokker" and you can imagine how hilarity insued.
Then we met David, her husband, who is a CHIMNEY SWEEP! No, for real!
And we shook his hand, because Burns said it's good luck!

(um, his tshirt says "Your Chimney Sweep Loves You" - awesome.)


And we may have danced around the living room a little.



And we took a tour of her gardens, which ranged from English to Japanese and everything in between. Barbara's gardens were rivaled only by her extensive collection of outdoor cats (!).


So, to sum up, if you're in the area - go hang with Barbara and David - you're in for a treat. Just don't eat breakfast - it's a three course tea!

Blast from the Past

IMG_9490, originally uploaded by feathermar.

Carter, 3 years ago. Now, she has no more baby face and all little girl face.

When the Bear was very tiny

Baby Sean with Grandpa's fingers, originally uploaded by feathermar.

When Seaniebear was first born, John and Bean lived here in New York. When Seaniebear was first born, Lochlain was a year and a half old. When Seaniebear was first born, I only had a FILM camera.
A lot has changed since then.
But now he is four. Happy Birthday, Seaniebear! I love you!

And I am late in blogging it.
(But I won't apologize because his dad hasn't written about anything since THANKSGIVING!)

In which Z is for Zeppelin



While in Maine, perusing the shops, I did see this awesome set of blocks with a Z is for Zep wooden block. I think that's weird and awesome.

In Which We Recap Some Excitement!

Katie and Gail and I went to Maine! To see the puffins, round two! We traded Colleen for Gail this year. I wanted to have them both, but the Stones keep telling me I can't always get what I want.


There it is. The great puffin. We learned that it is called "the clown of the sea." Gail was laughing while she recited that fact, but after she saw one she said, "Hey, it really is the clown of the sea!" True story.

On the boat, you stop sort of by this island with a lighthouse and a regular house on it. Then, you see the puffins far far away. Scientists reintroduced the puffins to Maine. They borrowed some from Canada, and then brought them here to mate. Next, they waited for the babies to come. Then all the puffins left, because that's what they do. But they come back to where they've mated or where they were born. Then the scientists left some kind of dummy puffins (fake, not stupid). And when the puffins came back, they thought it was safe, because the dummy puffins were there and having a safe time!

After you see the puffins, you leave to look for whales.
And guess what? We saw a mama and a baby whale and they were HUGE!

We saw them for a long time. Then we went back to shore.

Of course we wore some funny headgear...because why would you go on vacation without funny headgear?

and we ate at cool Bar Harbor places! (BA - Hah -Ba)

And saw Iron Man 2 at the Criterion!

And I got this awesome vintage Florn clock!

And this very cool orange tea tin!
Katie got some Gone With The Wind stuff. I also scored some birthday presents, which is always super awesome.
After we got home, I met Luke Healy!

Who was very suspect of me the whole time. I must say that he has a very nice round head.

Then it was July 3rd and Gail and Joe's Big Bash for Birthdays and Anniversarys and Of Course Our Nation's Independence. It's a long title for a party, for sure.

Our chocolate faced friend!

And we had a great time!

And Gail and Joe danced!

And Ed brought an island! (RIP the swan)
And I'll put together a cute kid montage for the next post! But I'm running out of daylight! And gas in my brain tank!

In Which I get a New Nickname


Went to Fire Island with Cat and Shannon and Alicia and Missy on Memorial Day weekend. Was fun and hot and beverage-filled. Note: If someone offers you Sam Adams Blackberry Witbier, take it! Take it and drink it and be thank me later.
I also walked around the beach with my spray on sunscreen approaching fellow pale-ys with the superhero words of "Are you wearing enough sunscreen? You are burning! Let me spray you!" I was like the Pope Of Sunscreen - "Close Your Mouth. Let Us (S)Pray."


The next day, Andy and me went to visit some of his friends and then went to visit some of my friends.

In Far Rockaway

In East Rockaway

With this guy

And this guy

And Miss Christine!
And then it was Ed's 40th surprise party...which I missed the surprise of!

But it happened and it was fun and I'll tell you more about it when I have time...but I'll leave you with this exciting new portrait: