3S Artspace

Here is the deal....if you live in Portsmouth or any surrounding area you need to get involved.  If you don't live in the area and want to support by donating money you can do that too.  This place is going to be beyond awesome.  Art, live music, farm-to-table restaurant.  I was lucky enough to do my part from afar when they were starting out and today I got to tour the building.  I can't wait until I can see the finished project.  I also got to see John who not only has been my friend forever, but he is also the Co-Founder of this incredible project.  Good stuff.  Check it out for yourself 3S Artspace.

mural on the front of the building.

I love love love this project.

John and his before I die...become a hipster and write clever things on a public art project.  Success!

hahahahahaha!

This is not a brag journal.

Hi guys!  It's crazy to think I've only been in New Hampshire for 2 weeks because it feels like it's been much longer.  Not because I'm not having fun, it just seems like it's been longer.  I am enjoying the slower pace.  I miss home and many things about the comforts of being home and at the same time I see the value in slowing down.  How often in the hustle and bustle of our lives do you have NOTHING to do?  I know it is pretty much never for me.  I love that I have a very full social life at home and I come up here and I have days off and I'm alone with zero plans.  I like that too.

no complaints here.

I've been staying in Portsmouth for the last couple days while I had off.  The hotel I was staying at was booked tonight, so I had to find somewhere else to stay.  I got to my new hotel and the door to my room wasn't shut all of the way so it wasn't locked.  I came in and looked around for murderers (not too many places to look because it's tiny) and under the bed.  Then I realized the window was unlocked and I'm on the ground floor.  This place gets 4 stars in the creepy category.  My parents are coming in exactly a week and in two weeks I'll be home for a visit.  *high fives all around

I'm going to checkout John's new project 3S Artspace.  They are doing some very cool stuff and I'm excited to finally see it in person.  

I love you all and miss you.  

Someone is still on a Neil Diamond high.  It was ahhhhhmazing!  Our two free tickets turned into four free tickets and there really isn't anything better then the ADT club seats at Bank Atlantic.  EVERYTHING is free.  He performed for over 2 hours.  I almost cried a few times, but held it together.  Whew!

$700 dollars worth of tickets for free!  High five!

Neil Diamond ice sculpture.  Random.

Life is all sorts of busy, crazy and awesome.  I'm going to Chicago next week for a family reunion.  Then I'll be getting ready to head to New Hampshire for the rest of the Summer.  Between now and then I am going to jam pack as much family-friends-fun-laughing-swimming-BBQing-Portlandia watching-bath house going-snugglefest-bike riding time in.  You've been warned.

Memorial Day Weekend

Sometimes long weekends throw me for a loop because mentally I'm all like Saturday, fake Saturday (AKA real Sunday), and Sunday (AKA real Monday).  Do any of you do that too?  Just humor me and say yes.  The weekend was filled with friends, BBQs and lots of swimming.  I give it a two thumbs up, fo sho.

(I call this extreme frisbee-football)

So, as if life wasn't kicking enough ass just being filled with awesome something else happened.....I'm going to Neil Diamond tomorrow night!  No, wait it gets better.....I have box seats and they were FREE!  I thought I was getting a good deal when I was planning on paying 60 bucks for tickets that were over a hundred.  Then I get a call that they didn't process the credit card in time and THEY ARE FREE!  I may have peed a little.  Tomorrow night can't get here soon enough.  

If you see me creeping up next to you to snap a profile shot, it's only because I want to make a silhouette.  That's not creepy at all, right?  I'm sort of in love.  After a decade (September it will be 10 years!) of being a nanny I am starting to run out of creative ideas for holidays.  I made silhouettes of my four favorite boys for their momma this Mother's Day.  Now I want to make more more more.  Ask Raena....she comes over for a lunch/art show date and I'm all like "can you stand against that white wall."  

This last month has also brought about another obsession.  The Russian & Turkish bath house in Miami.  If you've never been then you should definitely go.  If you go then you should definitely bring me.

This weekend I am going to Orlando with the best little sister in the world to see Screeching Weasel.  Everybody can get off their soapbox about it not really being Screeching Weasel.  I'm aware.  I'm ok with that and I'll be sure to throw ice at Ben Weasel.  It will be a fun show regardless.  

As much as I try to focus on the good in life I wouldn't be honest if I didn't acknowledge the bad too.  This month we lost a talented man unexpectedly and too soon.  He will live on forever through his music.

I also witnessed a homeless man take his own life.  I don't think as long as I live I will be able to shake what I saw.  Life is a scary, wild, bumpy ride.  Hold on and don't give up.  No matter how bad things get it will always get better.  It always does.

And because I refuse to end on a sad note I will turn this right around with the awesome arrival of JASPER!  Just when you thought The Burtons couldn't get any more adorable they add a little man to their crew.  Love!

Ummm yeah....about that March photo of the day thing....I got bored before the first week was finished.  My plan was to put the daily photo on Instagram and then do one post on here with all of them at the end of the month.  Not.gonna.happen.

It's about to get honest up in here.  I try my damnedest to stay positive about just about everything.  I'm not perfect.  My life is not perfect.  I just try to make the best out of what I have.  I mean really, what's the alternative?  No thanks.  I have always been pretty content living the single life.  I'm independent and I enjoy living alone blah blah blah.  That being said I have lately started not enjoying it so much.  I had someone by my side for a while and I miss having that.  I hope that doesn't make me sound needy or sad.  It's just that most of my friends are in relationships or married (note to self: jealousy is a stinky cologne).  I've found myself in a funk about it and then fine and then funky and then fine.  You know it comes and goes.  I'm so over that roller coaster.  I don't have a solution (lobotomy?), but what I do know is that I spent the weekend surrounded by good friends and LOTS of fun and I feel great.  

How to un-funktify your life...

First, take a Friday off and brace yourself for some fun.

Tara called as I was driving home Thursday and said she was in town and wanted to have dinner.  Yes please!

After dinner we went and saw Aggie at Propaganda and listened to some Reggae bands.  Tara decided to stay the night and Friday morning we got up and went paddle boarding.  Awesome start to my staycation.

That afternoon I met up with Corey & we rode our bikes to the tri-rail where we met Lee and we were off to Ft Lauderdale.  Julie had given me a nights stay at The Hyatt Pier 66.  Love.  After we rode our bikes to the hotel and had a quick cleanup we rode over to the Sheraton to see the mermaid show.  Guess what?  WE MISSED IT!  The show is pretty short and we missed it by like 5 minutes.  I will for sure be going back.  The Wreck Bar was awesome.  Even more awesome was that Raena met us there!  Eeeeeep!  

(it wouldn't be an adventure without a flat tire)

We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and rode our bikes back to the train station and choo-chooed our way back to Lake Worth for Reggae Fest at Bryant Park.  What started out to be a beautiful and very windy day ended in the skies opening.  We all ran for cover and then hunkered down at my house and ordered pizza.  When life hands you shitty weather you betta just order delivery.  After it had rained too much to bother going back to a muddy Reggae Fest I decided to go have a slumber party at Lori & Nick's house.  What a great decision because I got to have some fun Cleary time AND Nick and I went late night fishing.  That was a crazy adventure all in itself.

On Sunday there was a matinee Punk Rock Show/BBQ at The Snooze Theatre.  I'm pretty sure that it was a combination of the music and old friends that were in new bands, but man I felt 15 all over again.  And I hadn't been to The Snooze before then and of course it was awesome.  Anything attached to Jordan/Christine/Ebba has no other option then to be awesome.

Moral of the story?  Kelly, get your head out of your ass.  Life is good.

march photo a day challenge

Birthday Bonanza!

I had an incredible birthday weekend.  I have said it time and time again, but I am so grateful for the people in my life.  I posted all the pictures on Facebook, but here is an overview if you didn't see them.

I own tap shoes now!  eeeeeeeep!

Raena helped me all day the day of the party.  I could not have done it without her.

My birthday partner in crime.

Is there any better way to ring in being 33 then to dress up like a dancing bear??  I'll answer that for you. No.  No there isn't.  There were so many creative costumes, so you should look at the full album on FB.

The rest of the weekend was filled with the Lake Worth street painting festival and TWO mustache parties.  

Erin's mustache birthday brunch.  

Good times.

t-minus 7 days

T-minus 7 days until my Circus/Sideshow party!  You want advice on taking the sting out of getting older?  Plan a fun party and get over it.  We are all getting older weather we like it or not.  

Just.Have.Fun.

I don't mind that I'm turning 33 as much as I hate how fast time flies by.  Wasn't it just Christmas and now it's the middle of February?  How the hell?!  Also, I totally had a "just in case husband" for just in case we weren't married by time we were 35 and he got engaged.  How rude.  Good thing I love her.  I'm not above getting a mail order husband when I hit the big three five.  I'm kidding.  Or maybe I'm not.  We'll see when the time comes.  Where was I?  Circus/Sideshow Party.  Next Friday.  Everyone should come and dress up and have fun.  I'm pretty excited to see the costumes everyone comes up with.

Today the boys had off school.  Fun Friday!  Those kids are the raddest.  Even after Bailey (who is ten going on taking over the free world) is being sassy-pants he can turn it around by scream-singing Piano Man with me.  Good stuff.  I know I say it all the time, but I'm all sorts of lucky.

Here is some cute to tide you over through the weekend.  There is lots of fun stuff going on this weekend and I am determined to get the party decorations finished so I'm not stressing this week.  See y'all next Friday!!!!  xoxoxo

a huge operation game?  yes, please!

I know we all love dresses with pockets.  I had a brilliant idea of storing all of our tickets in the pocket of my dress until I realized that I looked like a crazy person.  Are those tickets in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

Everyone knows I'm a wuss about rides.  That giant rocking horse nearly made me toss my cookies.  Never.Again.

The Mancave

This weekend we celebrated Anthony's (Anferny if you will and I think you will) 30th birthday.  Friday we went to my sister and Anthony's house for a small get together.  Good friends, good times.

The seester, the birthday boy, puppy snuggles, Noel winning lcr, and a very funny attempt at reenacting our 8th grade dance picture.  Lori never thinks a picture of us is right unless we are in the same order as our 8th grade dance picture.  I love her for this.  My sentimental boogs.

Day 2 of milking the birthday.  I kid.  I am completely guilty of having a birthday weekend.

Saturday night Anthony wanted to go skate at The Mancave for his birthday.  I hadn't been there and was excited to see what all the talk was about.  I was blown away.  I knew Yonkers, Cory, Andrew and a few others had gotten a warehouse that they hung out and skated in.  I had no idea how HUGE it was.  I love when people follow through with their ideas and I'm so excited for them.

This was the old warehouse.  IN A MAGAZINE!  I'm a proud mama.  

I wanted to get better pictures, but also wanted to stay out of their way.  Next time they won't be so lucky.

the sister and the birthday boy.

Yonkers!

Happy 30 years Anferny!