plan B

 Remember the pom pom I made with my old tie dye shirt? And how I was going to make quite a few of them to sew onto my big puffy pillow? (click *HERE* if you need a refresher course) Well, I was still unconvinced that I liked how it turned out. So I went to Plan B.

 I got me some multi-colored yarn. ("THINK YA GOT ENOUGH DYNAMITE THERE BUTCH?") I had seen a simple tutorial on Pinterest where you wrapped the yarn around the tines of a fork to make little pom poms. How hard could that be, right? 

 Apparently, there are 2 kinds of people in the world. Ones who can make pom poms, and ones who can't. I would belong to the latter group. Because no matter what I did, they looked ridiculous. 

 I couldn't even get them in focus when I tried to take some photos! Pathetic. So I'm smart enough to know when to throw in the towel, and I think now would be the time. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve, but they do not involve pom poms. I'm a bit humiliated but I'll survive.

And then there's that :/

puzzled

 Ah, summer, summer, summer! No homework, sleeping in, hanging out with friends, going to the pool, watching movies and staying up late... YES! But around here the temperatures will soon reach the upper 90's and into the 100's and it's just not possible to stay outside all the time. That's where PUZZLES come in! I don't mind the kids watching TV or playing video games, but I like them to do a variety of things. Once you get started, puzzles are so much fun! I forget how much I love them. I ordered several new puzzles recently, and they will definitely keep us busy!

 This one is my personal favorite! I know it will give me the fits, but I am totally up to the challenge - I can't wait to do it! 

 This one will definitely be a challenge also! But hey, this was the kids' number 2 choice (death by chocolate being their 1st!) so I say knock yourselves out :D

I started this one last night - it's vintage travel ads/signs - and so far it's been really fun to do. If you want to have some fun with puzzles too, there are all kinds of sites you can order from, but *THIS* is the site I went with and they were great! Happy puzzling!

EP release performance, a girl, fame, and... Ziggy Stardust?

 Over the weekend Davy's band, A Basement Rendezvous, performed their EP release show at Rock Candy Music and More in Saugus. I know I've been yapping on and on about them lately, but seeing as though it's my blog, and that they are truly A-MAZ-ING, I'm allowed to do that. (for more EP information, see *THIS* recent post)They had an excellent turn out - standing room both inside AND outside - and oh, did they give a fabulous performance! They sold lots of CD's too!

 Hmmm... do you notice anything different? Kind of hard not to, heh :) They have a new band member - Erika - who sings harmonies with Davy on some of his songs. (yes, the same Erika who brought us those adorable eggs in *THIS* post) This was her first performance with the band, and she did a terrific job! I think she was really well received. PLUS, she's willing to put up with all these knuckleheads :/

These next 2 pics nearly made my heart explode right inside my chest... which I'm glad didn't happen. Friends and fans brought their CD's up to Davy to sign. It was just about the coolest thing EVER. Davy was very composed and courteous. I was completely flipping out.  

I was just so doggone proud of him. Red glitter on his hair and chest... guy liner... Muslim sisterhood coat I'm sure I desecrated by cutting it short... Davy is one unique individual. I just love that boy. What talent, what heart. To see him develop all this, and to witness the band growing into what it has become... has been an amazing thing to see :)

Hmmm... a bit of Ziggy Stardust going on here???

Henry on violin in the background, and Davy in the foreground, intensely in The Zone. Gotta love it :) 

Muchas gracias to all those who turned out! And thanks to those who showed their support to the band by purchasing a CD - at the performance, downloading from iTunes or CD Baby, or from me. And just a reminder that I will always have hard copies available to purchase for $5, or $6.50 to ship one to you. 

WAY TO GO GUYS!!!

P.S. The band will be performing at Amplifi in Hollywood on Sunday night (7/2/11). This is their fave place to perform, and if you'd like more info regarding Amplifi, go to *THIS* recent post!

good eggs

 Hi all! So... have you ever in your life seen such *cute* little eggs? And when I say little, I mean *teeny*... as in half the size of a "normal" egg from the grocery store. And the loveliest shade of tan too. Now, generally speaking, eggs wouldn't qualify for their own photo shoot around here. Especially against a backdrop of my all time favorite organic cotton fabric by the talented Jan DiCinto. But after all, these are organic eggs - from free range chickens that are actual pets. In a word, happy chickens laying adorable eggs :)

How was I so lucky to acquire these little gems? Because Davy has been blessed with best friends that are mighty good eggs themselves. His friend Erika is the owner of the chicks that, uh, manufactured these eggs. She brought us a bowl of them recently, and I thought it was just such a thoughtful gesture. Not to mention I fell in love with how darling they are. So of course they were immediately slated for their own 15 minutes of fame! Just another lesson in how the little things really are the BIG things. Which I love! So Erika, thank you for your generosity - and for being such a good egg yourself :)  

big news... like, really BIG news

YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!! We have been anxiously awaiting this moment for a long time! And it is HERE! It quietly arrived in an inconspicuous small brown box. Davy's band, A Basement Rendezvous, has just released their very first EP! As in 5 amazing original songs - plus a bonus track - on a real music CD!

 They opened it together one evening (we missed you Henry!) and it was just the best night ever. Better than kids on Christmas. Watching them hold it in their hands and marvel over it... the compilation and culmination of so much talent and hard work... I'll never forget the look on their faces - it was a moment in time I will always love.  

And it sounds freaking awesome! I don't get emotional too easily, but I admit that I got a big 'ol lump in my throat and a few happy tears trickled down my big, fat Mrs. Puff face. We all sat around listening to it with huge, goofy smiles. I wanted to freeze that moment. 

~ our dear friend Liam Moore, the artist that created all the genius artwork 

and typography for the EP while he was at art school in London ~

One of their most popular songs - "Crigog Ross" - includes the Mouse on banjo. 

The look on his face when he heard himself on the cd was priceless :D

Many of you have heard their songs before, whether I've posted their live performances here, or you're friends with A Basement Rendezvous on Facebook, or you're a local fan. So you know their sound is a bit hard to nail down since they don't exactly fit into a mainstream category... but "indie folk" probably comes closest. 

Jimmy finally arrives and gets his first look at the CD.....

..... and his first listen (and we get a rare smile from him, hehe)

The CD is titled "The Negro Spiritual EP" 

(ironic, because their actual negro spiritual/tribute to blues is not on this EP, heh) 

The EP is available for purchase from several different sources:

CD Baby (hard copies and MP3 download) $4.99 each

iTunes (download) $5.94

A Basement Rendezvous Facebook Page (hard copies) $5 + $1.50 shipping

Rock Candy Music in Saugus - local (hard copies)

Available for purchase wherever the band is performing $5

AND OF COURSE... HERE ON MY BLOG!!! (hard copies) $5 + $1.50 shipping

IS THAT SO DOGGONE EXCITING OR WHAT!!! ZAHHHHH!!!!!!!!

AND.....

their EP launch performance is THIS Saturday, June 25th 

at Rock Candy Music in Saugus!!! It's gonna be an electric evening!!!

All local friends & fans please come squeeze in for this special night!

I'm so proud of you guys :)

weekend shtuff

 Happy Monday peeps! I hope all of you had a wonderful Father's Day weekend! We did a few little things for John and had a really nice day. Hmmm... how can you tell he loves Reese's Pieces? :D

 Opening his turntable :) Now we have one in the front room that will actually play records at the right speed, hehe! I think the first album he chose to play was Crosby, Stills & Nash. Lots of good music all day - and UNO that got a bit wild, as usual.

 Luna lounging... does anyone notice anything, um, different about her? Mua-ha-haaaaa :D

In other weekend news, I had absolutely no idea that when I buzzed the Mouse's head and all his cute, long curls came off..... I would be trading my adorable boy in.....

..... for a handsome, grown-up young MAN! :/ Good grief - I was completely unprepared for that and found myself doing double takes of him the entire weekend! I couldn't even call him Mouse! :-0

Lots of posts coming this week so stay tuned :)

Happy Father's Day Dad! Remembering my dad with love... Hard to believe he's been gone 15 years. I miss you, Dad. But I still see you by the light of the silvery moon :) All My Love, Meggo... aka. Sally Slopcabbage

Happy Father's Day to John! Father of the 3 Knucklheads, resident musician extraordinaire, audio engineer, exasperated light monitor, tolerator of dogs, sci-fi/fantasy/action lover, constant mover of furniture, short-order cook, and all around great guy. We love you, John!

perception

~ SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT ~

Washington, DC Metro Station on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approx. 2 thousand people went through the station,

most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried to meet his schedule.

4 MINUTES LATER:

The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 MINUTES:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 MINUTES:

A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time.

This action was repeated by several other children... Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly...

45 MINUTES:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 HOUR:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition. No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100. This is a true story.  Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

THE QUESTION RAISED:

*In a common place environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

*Do we stop to appreciate it?

*Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.....

HOW MANY OTHER THINGS ARE WE MISSING?

Please stop... to enjoy the beautiful flowers, hug your child, read a classic, feel the sun on your face, call a friend, play fetch with your dog, listen to music every day, sit down to dinner with family and friends, create something, visit a gallery, smell the grass, help someone, take a class, look at family photos, complete a special project, take a trip, watch the clouds drift...

You know how I always say the little things really are the big things? Life is full of little things that are too easily taken for granted, or not even noticed at all. Sometimes it's a good thing to remember that the destination isn't really the most important thing. It's the ride there that counts the most.

Have a lovely weekend - and Father's Day! 

gnomedge gnamed

~ gnomedge as Billy Gibbons from ZZTop ~

Come on, admit it - you've been on the edge of your seat for weeks waiting to find out what name I decided on for my gnew gnomedge. Could you believe the large list of gnames I shared at the end of THIS POST? And more were added after I had compiled that list: 

Gimley

Perth

Tam O'Shanter

Stratton

Paddy

Michaelmas

Lupine

Sherwood

Rapscallion

Edinburgh

Fizgig

I had no idea how hard it would be to choose! I didn't want to just pull a name out of a hat or anything like that, since I felt this needed to be a personal decision. MY GNOME, YOU GKNOW! I worked so hard on this dadgum gnome, and doggone it, I've become quite attached to him. I like the cheerful little dude. 

So to end your suspense, I'll tell you right now that GNONE of you won! Don't get me wrong, I loved ALL your gnome gnames! And I particularly loved that you'd take the time to think of a gname and make a comment! But none of them seemed, well, him. I even resorted to the online Gnome Gname Generator (yes, there really IS such a thing!) but still came up empty. I definitely had some favorites from your suggestions though, and I've chosen 3 to be my Honorable Mentions and still receive a prize!

Corky Mugwiggen from Theresa & Katie Jensen

Comfortably Gnome from Kevin Walker 

(the Pink Floyd reference nearly DID. ME. IN.)

Mardybum from Traci Moore

Each honorable mention will receive a box of my gnew gnome gnotecards :) 

 gnome gname: Rapscallion! 

Rapscallion is a word my father, who was Scottish, used to refer to us kids as mischievous ne'er-do-wells... and that we'd better behave or he'd "kick our teeth in" or "slap us silly". In turn, I used it as a term for my own mischievous boys when they were younger - though I don't recall ever threatening to kick their teeth in or slap them silly :/ Gnomes are mainly woodland creatures who love, watch over, and heal all animals - though they do have a tendency to be very mischievous at times! I gknew his gname had to be Rapscallion, and Rapscallion it is! Challenge me and I'll kick your teeth in. Or slap you silly.

Rapscallion... hehehehe :)

amplifying amplifi

 ~ A Basement Rendezvous performing at Amplifi in Hollywood ~

Good things going on for Davy's band, A Basement Rendezvous. A *BIG* announcement coming very soon(!!!) but for now I wanted to tell you about a place in Hollywood on Melrose called Amplifi. If you're local, you're gonna want to see their *SITE* too!

 To quote Amplifi's home page:
"AMPLYFi, right next door to Paramount Studios on Melrose Ave.in the heart of Hollywood, is the hot new secret for live music. One of the few no-alcohol, All Ages music venues in L.A., AMPLYFi has often been compared to the legendary 60's club "The Cavern" where the Beatles started because of its cool underground vibe:  small (60-70 capacity), hard to find (no sign, no address, the front door is literally in a back alley, which everyone really digs), great sound and atmosphere, and is owned by a 19-yr-old female singer/musician who knows what's going on."

 After having been there myself and experiencing the atmosphere and our own boys performing there, I just gotta say, this place DOES have it going on! The ambience is truly incredible!

 I think it's probably my all time favorite place they've played so far - and they've played a lot of cool places. They already have another booking there on July 3 - save that date!

And now for Davy & John & Jimmy & Henry - and the Mouse (yes, that's him on banjo in the first & last pics) - I just want to say, you guys were absolutely and completely ELECTRIC that night! It was perfection in every way. Totally superfly :)