05 November 2012

A Trip to Boston

Hello there! As I write this, we still have no electricity where I live, the blah result of Hurricane Sandy. But we have running water, gas for cooking, enough food to last us a few more days, a place nearby to charge our phones and connect to the internet. These are what I consider TADA! because I know many people are experiencing worse. I hope you guys who have been affected by Sandy are slowly getting your routine back to normal.

Today, I'd like to tell you about my recent trip to Boston.

The drive was beautiful -- Autumn's colors were on display.

But then, the bus broke down. We waited for a new bus to arrive, which took two hours. Instead of arriving Boston at 11:00 am, we got there at 3:00 pm.  

It was also raining hard which made exploring a little challenging.

But the blahs of the day were soon forgotten after yummy cocktails and a scrumptious dinner at Myers and Chang.

Plus a decadent cookie from Flour to end the night.

The next day, I ventured off to Fort Point, a waterfront community with many warehouses, the address of many artist studios.

The Fort Point Arts Community Inc. {FPAC} was having their 33rd Annual Open Studio Tour that weekend. The FPAC is one of the biggest and oldest arts community in New England, composed of over 300 artists like photographers, textile artists, sculptors, painters and performance artists.

It was a treat to see Boston's artistic side.

Getting to meet the artists and seeing their creative 
space was an added bonus.

Guests were also allowed to purchase the art!

I liked this interactive piece called the "Dance Spotby Elisa Hamilton, turning a blah sidewalk into a dance floor. It was a bit intimidating doing it by yourself {you need to scan the QR code on your smart phone for the music and dance instructions}...

...good thing the artist was there to teach the steps!


All year round, Made in Fort Point, the FPAC's 
store, is open. 

It exhibits and sells the works of its members at affordable rates.


Here's something that caught my eye. It's blah telephone wire hand knit into a TADA! wire dress sculpture by Jenifer Paulousky. There were many more works of art that I enjoyed which will require a separate post.

Aside from Made in Fort Point, here are two shops that are worth stopping for:


They carry delightful gifts, home decor and stationery.

Another adorable shop in the neighborhood is 
called Twelve Chairs.

They carry meticulously selected gifts and home furnishings, 
and offer interior design services.

More about my trip to Boston tomorrow!

In case you're interested, here are a few links and addresses:

Myers and Chang: 1145 Washington Street (South End) Boston, MA 02118
Flour Cafe and Bakery: 1595 Washington Street (South End), Boston, MA 02118
Fort Point Arts Community: 300 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210
Made in Fort Point: 30 Channel Street, Boston, MA 02210
Front/Bob's Your Uncle: 25 Channel Center Street, Unit 101, Boston, MA 02210
Twelve Chairs: 319 A Street, Boston, MA 02210

02 November 2012

Pumpkin Blah-to-Tada!

Hey, hooray, it's Friday!

It's the peak of autumn where I live and these are
the things I associate with this beautiful season: 

 Trees dressed in golden amber hues

Gourds in unique shapes and sizes 

Sweet and crisp apples 

And pumpkins waiting to be decorated.

Nifty push-ins like this makes the task easy.

But some hand-carving adds a level of difficulty.

And there are the ones that take your breath away!
They are all carved by hand, assembled together and 
illuminated from inside:

A hive with a swarm of bees

Gravestones and skeletons

Very tall cornstalks 

Seductive sunflowers

An extinct creature

And a T-Rex for good measure

A deadly dragon

Gigantic monsters

And a message of thanks

These were taken last year at The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze in New York's Hudson Valley. If you want to experience it yourself this year {and I recommend that you do}, you'll find the details here and here. They are, for sure, blah to TADA!

Wishing you an awesome weekend!

01 November 2012

The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze

Howdy Friends! I hope you had a super eventful Halloween.
Today, an Autumn/Halloween craft that is the
work of imagination:

blah: enormous pumpkins 

 TADA!: illuminated carvings all made by hand

This is what one can expect at The Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze in the Hudson Valley, New York. It's an outdoor walk-through display featuring many pumpkin carvings lit within, plus sound effects to add to the eerie atmosphere. 

It's an annual spectacle that I attended last year. If you want to experience it for yourself, it runs until the 2nd weekend of November this year. Dates and ticket details here.

Here are a few more pictures:
















More spooky pumpkin photos tomorrow!
Have a great day.