Making the Sauce

Let me start off by saying I am sorry.  I feel like such a terrible blogger, mostly because I am.  I have a hard time remembering to post when so much is going on.  I have been swimming (at championships I earned a medal), and volunteering at the hospital (I finished my 100 hours today with time to spare).  I have probably lost all of my readers so I guess it doesn't matter much but I will post anyways.

So, a few weekends ago my cousins came to visit.  My cousin Bill went out and bought a milk crate full of second string tomatoes for ten dollars with intentions of making pasta sauce.  The tomatoes were a colorful sight, they were red, yellow, even green.  We had such a great time and I hope to see them again soon!

Maine

From homemade ice cream to fresh corn and blueberries, our trip to Maine was wonderful through and through.  There was something for everyone, antique shops, lighthouses, beaches, exploring, and even some shopping.

My one request was to see a lighthouse, we even found an ice cream stand nearby ;)

We went to a great little truck with fresh fruits and veggies

There was an AMAZING candy store we visited. Claiming over 10,000 lbs. of candy on display, you can imagine how spectacular it was.

We all had a fantastic time, and there is talk of a train ride up to Rockport in the near future.

Ladybug Summers

Ah the alarm moves back forty-five minutes in the summertime.  No school, just swim team and volunteer work.  The mornings bring a spirited swim practice that is sure to wake me up.  It might be the cold water or the beach boys blasting out of the old boom box, whatever the case, swimming gets me ready for the day ahead.  I might be sitting at my computer (getting inspired by other blogs), or Hula Hooping outside, maybe taking pictures- practicing for photography. 

Which I guess brings me to my point,
I practiced my photography yesterday.  While I am still completely ignorant to all of the lighting rules, and exposure tactics, I have got to start somewhere. 

Here is my starting point.

H Mart, Not a Tacky Curtain Store

Attending a boarding school exposed me to many different cultures, Russian, Indian, Korean, Mexican, Japanese, etc.  During my visits in the dorm rooms, I would see many different snacks, mostly Japanese.  I always envied them, they had the soda I could only find at Epcot in Disney World.  Since I am not aware of the name, it has been difficult for me to find these snacks.  Not anymore.

Today while on the way to pick up a special order of fabric, I noticed a sign, it read, H Mart.   H Mart I wondered, thinking it was probably some tacky home furnishing store with ugly curtains.  I was wrong, H Mart is actually a wonderful place if you happen to love Asian snacks, sodas, and fruits.  H Mart is certainly a SUPER-market.  It has a multitude of everything from Korean face cream to my favorite Japanese soda.  We couldn't stay long, my mother had a hard time with the odor of the fish, I certainly enjoyed my time there.  I was so excited, frantically looking from aisle, picking up anything that I recognized or just looked good.  

They even have a food court.
You can find locations and shop online here

Brimfield- Less than a month away!

"Brimfield, a Massachusetts town of some 3,000 people, slumbers for eleven months of the year. Then, for a week in May, July, and September, Rip van Winkle awakes and the town explodes. The Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Shows, the largest outdoor market of its kind in the country, spring up on the fields along Route 20, the town’s main street. The faithful arrive early, often before dawn, waiting patiently for the gates to open. Sun, rain, cold, heat, and mud—nothing will deter them. (One couple actually got married at the gates at 5:45 a.m., before the shows opened, and spent their first day of married life inside.) There is something close to a stampede when they are finally let in. A photograph catches an image of a woman whose feet are literally off the ground, airborne, winging her way to what? Where do they come from? What are they looking for? And why Brimfield?
......
For all but three weeks of the year, the flat fields along each side of Route 20 in Brimfield lie fallow and vacant. Then, as spring eases into summer when the grass is thick and verdant and the trees heavy with leaf and blossom, the Brimfield Antique and Collectibles Shows perform their annual renaissance.

Long columns of trucks, vans, and cars rumble into the small town through the night. They fan out over the green acres and draw up at their designated sites. The ancient cycle of plowing, planting, reaping, and rearing cattle is forgotten as the largest alfresco antiques and collectibles market in the country begins to take shape. Tents are planted, signs sprout, and stalls take root. Doors are flung open. The dealers tumble out shouting greetings to each other as they set up their booths and unload their vehicles....."

Taken from Brimfield by Angelo Dounoucos and John de St. Jorre

It was only two years ago that I learned about the massive Brimfield flea market from Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining.  Upon reading about Brimfield, I was instantly intrigued and asked my dad if he could take me. It has become a tradition for us and we now look forward to it months in advance.  There are many treasures hidden among the 6,000 vendors at Brimfield.  It takes multiple days to comb through everything, but it is well worth it.  Some of last year's treasures included a few vintage Lilly Pulitzer items, a lovely pearl necklace, and a beautiful set of pens.  I have also acquired quite the collection of vintage Cosmopolitan magazines- my favorite one with Marilyn Monroe on the cover.  The thought that the Brimfield starts in less than a month (July 13) is very exciting and I can't wait to see what treasures I come across this year.

Dream Closet

Don't you just love these! I can just imagine, perfectly organized J Crew cadigans and ample space for the Rain Boots and Jack Rogers.

Can't stay away

I know I gave an official goodbye and all but...

Please, It's summer! I have too much free time now, I have time to blog again. Unlike my previous attempts at blogging, I actually believe I might have some things to talk about rather than posting my English assignments for lack of a post. (Yes, it's on here, it's my first post ever)

This could go two ways:

1.) I keep blogging and I feel good about posts. I go back to commenting on blogs I like ☺
2.) I post for a little while and either I am blogging for nothing and give up, I run out of topics and give up, or I just give up in general.

Let's hope this isn't Nostalgia and I actually do want to blog again.

Happy Summer!

Official Goodbye

I have commitment issues.
Yes to writing.

I have tried many blogs (maybe ten under three different accounts). I put the most time into Fashionably Late and I will miss posting. Official goodbyes make me sad, but having a post from last year about Bastille Day is an even worse goodbye

I spent hours upon hours on the design, I tried so hard to comment on other blogs everyday. I wanted followers... really badly. I guess it's nice knowing someone appreciates your work.

How I have changed from when I started this blog:
-I decided I had a new dream school... I got accepted and will be attending this fall
-I have adopted a new style- Jack Rogers, Lilly, Vineyard Vines, and J Crew
-I love the following TV Shows:
- Glee
- Burn Notice
- Gossip Girl
- Cougar Town
- Modern Family
-I am taking my love of poetry and photography more seriously- I got a little apprenticeship at a local photographer's place (I might have posted about that)
- I found out my shoulder injury cannot be fixed by surgery
- I got a coveted spot volunteering at the hospital- the gift shop

Well, have an awesome summer, fall, winter, and spring!

I might post in the future you never really do know!

Sincerely,
D

Le jour heureux de Bastille!

So I was on Bing today, mindlessly looking around the internet, and it had a picture of the Louvre. I looked at the little captions, and I was reminded it is Bastille Day.

Read More Here

"Bastille Day, the French national holiday, commemorates the storming of the
Bastille, which took place on 14 July 1789 and marked the beginning of the
French Revolution. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute and
arbitrary power of Louis the 16th's Ancient Regime. By capturing this symbol,
the people signaled that the king's power was no longer absolute: power should
be based on the Nation and be limited by a separation of powers.
Although
the Bastille only held seven prisoners at the time of its capture, the storming
of the prison was a symbol of liberty and the fight against oppression for all
French citizens; like the Tricolore flag, it symbolized the Republic's three
ideals: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity for all French citizens. It marked the
end of absolute monarchy, the birth of the sovereign Nation, and, eventually,
the creation of the (First) Republic, in 1792.
Bastille Day was declared the
French national holiday on 6 July 1880, on Benjamin Raspail's recommendation,
when the new Republic was firmly entrenched. Bastille Day has such a strong
signification for the French because the holiday symbolizes the birth of the
Republic. As in the US, where the signing of the Declaration of Independence
signaled the start of the American Revolution, in France the storming of the
Bastille began the Great Revolution. In both countries, the national holiday
thus symbolizes the beginning of a new form of government."

My Newest book Purchase :]

It teaches you how to pick a good ringtone, how to get ready in five minutes, how to enjoy an art museum, and everything in between. I have been wanting this book ever since I saw it in Papyrus a couple of years ago.

In Other News:
-I went to a Red Sox game yesterday. I had a friend who was sitting in the front row, and for the ninth inning he let us sit in his seats. [the Sox lost five- nothing]
- Papyrus is having a $1 card sale, and a 70% off sale [link in above text]

Sincerely,
D

Happy Fourth of July!

My little cousin won the pie eating contest!!



Sincerely,
D

Rainy Day Blues

Okay so I'm not really THAT upset about swim practice being cancelled this morning, but it doesn't make me super- happy about the butt- load of rain Boston has been having. IT'S JULY!

Anyways,
So I had my first real swim meet of the season yesterday (yes in the cold rain, outdoors). I am very happy about how it went. I was on a relay, and swam the breaststroke, and the freestyle. I am also very happy to report I won all of my individual events, but came in last in the relay.

Today my cousin, his girlfriend, and his daughter (Pouty Lips Jr. for those of you who read Pouty Baby’s Nonsense) are coming over and I am super excited because I haven’t seen them in FOREVER.

In Other News:
- Boatmen Geller is having a Tent Sale Here
- I am in the 4th of July Parade! =] (ok that's not really new but it never gets old either)

Sincerely,
D

I'm Back

Okay,
So I took my break from blogging, I really missed it but I was unable to write. I recently went to my first funeral, for a really close family friend. She was the most vibrant person I knew. You know when you see those people that smile so much you think it is fake, she was like that but it was real. I am incredibly sad, and I can still hear her voice. The day we found out, I was just thinking about how I needed to call her that night and have her help me decorate my new room.

I even tried retail therapy, it didn't work as well as I hoped, but I do not regret my purchases:

I also got a Cara NY anchor headband that I love, but I couldn't find a picture.

-Deborah

I'm sorry I haven't been posting lately. I have been pretty depressed, and am going through a rough time. I hope to be blogging again soon, but please bear with me while I take a small break.

Sincerely,
D

My Sports Adventures

Imagine an idiot in a Run/ Walk... in flip flops. Not only is that bad enough, the person decides to run the last 5 or so blocks, doesn't go so well with the flip- flops. So, they decide to take off their shoes and run, barefoot.

So [once again] I have decided to get in better shape and participate in more active events and such. Swim team starts tomorrow, and I did a Run/ Walk today [yes I was a walker, but I was the first walker to finish]

Boston Magazine: "The Prep Gets the Last Laugh"

So I was looking under the press section of the Vineyard Vines Website and I noticed The Boston Magazine, so obviously I had to take a look at that. I'm not going to lie, I was expecting a typical article about the origin of Vineyard Vines [a great story if you do not know it]. Instead I was pleased to find an article that digs deep beneath the stereotype of a "prep".

You can find the article here.

Sincerely,

Deborah

Finally, summer.

Ok,

So Yesterday it was my birthday. I celebrated by eating a bunch of vanilla icing, reading, playing guitar hero, and jogging. My ideal day? Going shopping in Boston :D, and probably taking a visit down to the cape. But hey, I'm not complaining, I got to wear my Lilly Pulitzer crown =].

My Birthday presents included:

- An LG Dare [with pink case]

- Checks

- A Corum Admiral's Cup watch [I could not find a picture of it]

- A Gossip Girl Poster =]

- The Book One Fifth Avenue

And Now:

My [ambitious] Plans for summer:

-Study for the SSATs using my giant- very daunting study guide

-Reorganize and redecorate my room

-Grow out my nails

-Blog [almost] every day

~Deborah

Tagged with no Time

I was tagged by Pouty Baby to post six random things that make me happy. Easy. I have notebooks dedicated to just that and quite frankly if I had the time I think it would be fun to post them all, but with finals and everything, that's probably not going to work.




1.) Boston.
The beautiful foliage in the fall, the AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING RED SOX (I love you Jacoby Ellsbury), the Patriots, Celtics, Bruins, Revolution. What's not to love? Not to mention Newbury Street, Beacon Hill, and the Prudential Center. Boston just has this spirit about it that makes be smile.







2.) Ray Bans. The Beatles. Green Grass. Sunshine
Okay, I know it's more than one thing but these all fit together for me, they just go. I love picturing a vintage radio playing the Beatles, red Ray Bans, and the sun shining on freshly- cut green grass. (PS I know this is Katy Perry and there is no green grass but it does illustrate the image for the most part)

3.) Headbands.
I love headbands, especially Blair's. They are fun, and beautiful. Enough said.

4.) Shopping Bags.
I hope to have a collection so big one day, I can make shopping bags my wallpaper in a room. Some of my favorites- Jack Wills, Rugby, Lilly Pulitzer, Bloomingdales, and Pink bags.






5.) Palm Beach.
Lilly, Worth Avenue, palm trees, pink and green, The Breakers Hotel. I love Palm Beach I really don't know how to put it into words, but Palm Beach makes me feel happy and sunny. Happy and sunny is a good combo.






6.) Earmuffs.
Cashmere earmuffs are my big indulgence. When I was younger I used to think earmuffs were really ugly and sort of annoying. When I was younger I didn't see cashmere earmuffs, all I saw were the really puffy, furry, purple ones. I love earmuffs, my ears get cold easy so I slip these on, they are super- warm, comfy, and they are super- cute.

Leighton Meester Song

"I was standing in the corner with my five best friends"

Cobra Starship+ Leighton Meester = Great Song.

Within the first ten days of release, the song "[I make] Good Girls Go Bad" has made it to number 33 in the top 100 on iTunes. And who doesn't want to hear Leighton Meester sing [and finally be able to download it on iTunes]

I would write more but i just came back from my school's version of junior prom sooo yeah i'm really tired.

I'm thinking about getting a giant vineyard vines whale wall sticker for my room.

OH AND SOME GIRL THOUGHT IT WOULD BE OKAY TO WHACK ME IN THE SHOULDER WITH HER LACROSSE STICK SO NOW I AM DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL

Wow what a week!

TTFN,
Deborah

Samson Better than the Original? I can't decide

This girl has an amazing voice, not to mention it helps that she chose an amazing song ;].




Original:


What do you think?