we learned A LOT, and had plenty of time to experiment and create.  i’ve always loved letterpress, and after taking this class, i have a newfound respect for those who do it! now that we’ve learned the basics, we can head back and use the presses during open studio time.  unfortunately, we’re three hours away, so we can’t take advantage of that option too often, but we’ve already decided that we will definitely plan a day here and there to go back and print.

here are a few pictures from our day at the arm ::

shop dog, henry, is awesome, and spent his day greeting newcomers and sunbathing.

of note :: we had an amazing lunch at best pizza – plan to pick up a slice or two during break time!

for those of you who can’t get to the arm, or don’t have access to a press, check out this app from the itunes store.

from their website ::

omi international arts center is a not-for-profit arts organization with residency programs for international visual artists, writers, musicians, and dancers. the 300 acre campus is also the site for the fields sculpture park, a public exhibition space with nearly 80 contemporary sculptures; architecture omi, exploring the intersection of architecture, art and landscape; and arts education programs for children.

here are a few pictures from the blue sky day in the sculpture fields ::

this was an awesome place to snowshoe, with lots of unexpected surprises along the way (far more than i photographed or posted here).  in addition to people snowshoeing, we saw cross country skiers, hikers and dogs checking things out. i’d love to go back this summer for a relaxing day in the sun.  of note, there is a visitor’s center on the grounds with a small cafe and bathrooms, hours of operation can be found here.

happy birthday, amy! :)

• recycle your holiday cards and help kids with cancer!  actually, you can recycle much more than just holiday cards – full details are at the link.
• turn a quote into a masterpiece.
• very happy to say that 2012 brought me a job that allows me to experience every single item on this list - eight signs you’ve found your life’s work.
• listen to the band live at mountain stage, thanks to npr.
• pura vida bracelets help provide jobs for local artisans in costa rica.
• 101 creative resolutions.

green island fritters over rice and verde guacamole from the lunchbox brunch.
i’ve not yet made this, but it looks amazing.

red robin song guest house, a vegan b+b on the nys side of the berkshires.  going to book a room once winter rolls in and do some snowshoeing/relaxing/good eating here.

the menu is written on a role of paper that hangs from the top of the wall as you walk in (rolled out, ripped off and re-written daily).
black iced tea // ginger peach soda // roasted sunflower seeds
soup: black bean and sweet potato with cilantro pesto // lentil, spinach and feta hand pie
dip: roasted carrot and cumin with homemade pita // roasted peppers and parmesan quiche
blueberry crumb cake (should’ve bought the entire stock of these!)
lemon raisin cookies
all of this DELICIOUS, colorful and healthy food was under $30!

smuttynose brewery ::  very cool spot, laid back, the tour included lots of fun facts (including the story of the two older gentlemen on the IPA label), and lots of samples.  as a thank you for stopping by, you receive a coupon for a free pint at the portsmouth brewery — nice way to keep things going!  brewery tours are only offered a few days a week, so plan accordingly.

throwback brewery ::  according to the folks at smuttynose, a former employee started this small brewery that makes their beer using almost entirely local ingredients.  their beers are hand bottled and not filtered.

redhook brewery ::  the biggest brewery in portsmouth.  redhook originated in washington state, and in 1996, the east coast outpost was built in portsmouth.  tours are offered every day of the week.

portsmouth brewery ::  great spot to stop for lunch.  they make their own beers, and carry smuttynose and other craft beers, too.  we tried the spicy nut brittle off the snacks menu as an appetizer — different than anything i’ve ever had and definitely worth a try! there are several veg entree options, which i always appreciate!

the library ::  while the library only has one veg entree, what really drew us in was the ambiance and the history.  the restaurant is located in the rockingham house which was originally built in 1785.  the dining room is extremely ornate and full of bookshelves and books.  according to their website, the dining room ceiling was built by pullman car woodworkers in 1889, the paneling is hand carved spanish mahogany, the lighting fixtures are all original, and all the mirrors in the dining room were imported from france. several noteworthy historical figures have eaten and/or stayed in the building, including george washington, theodore roosevelt and john f. kennedy.  at the end of the meal, your bill is presented in a book!

gus + ruby’s letterpress ::  great stationery shop, named for the owners’ dogs.  bins of single cards to pour through (several of which made me laugh out loud), boxed cards, candles and lots more!

finally, we stayed at the ale house inn, a destination that had been bookmarked in my safari browser for two years.  finally made it! prior to the ratification of prohibition in 1917, the building that houses the inn was a warehouse for the portsmouth brewing company.  according to their website, “thousands of kegs once rested here as they underwent fermentation”.  when booking your room you can request that beer, champagne, cupcakes, etc. be waiting for you upon arrival.  they also offer the use of beach cruisers which provide a convenient way to check out the town outside of the main shopping district.  here are a few pictures ::
real room keys ::
cupcakes upon arrival (made at popovers on the square) ::on the bedside table, reading about reading, and music, and food ::

common area (you can’t see them in this photo, but there’s a stock of unlimited bags of chips in this room) ::
ALE ::

i would definitely recommend a trip to portsmouth.  there’s lots to see and do (and eat and drink!), but not so much that you’re running around trying to squeeze it all in. spend a weekend here — you’ll enjoy it.

cheers!  :)

the first question which the priest and the levite asked was:
“if i stop to help this man, what will happen to me?”
but then the good samaritan came by, and he reversed the question:
“if i do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

the picture above is of the martin luther king, jr. memorial at boston university’s marsh chapel.  a paperweight featuring a drawing of this monument (a graduation gift from my parents) sits on my desk as a reminder of my time at bu .  it thrills me to know that i attended the same university where martin luther king, jr. earned his doctorate in theology.

i remember meeting with classmates once in the mlk, jr. reading room on the third floor of the mugar memorial library.  as we sat at a table chatting about a project, personal correspondence and artifacts from mlk were on display all around us.  that was really kind of unbelievable to me; it still is as i sit here thinking back on it.

if you’re inspired by mlk, jr. as much as i am, stop by the library the next time you’re in boston.  it contains papers he donated to the university in 1964, the year he received the nobel peace prize.  here’s a link to information on the reading room, which is open to the public monday through friday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“Design it Together is a studio, store, and performance space that is the result of the ongoing creative collaboration of Taylor Gillis, BenKN, and their friends & partners.

Design it Together was born in 2010 when Ben and Taylor launched a design studio as an umbrella for their freelance work, and also to assist their friends’ record label, Do it Together Records (D.I.T.). Since that time, Design it Together has grown to include their own original line of apparel designs and poster prints, in addition to offering a host of design services.”

how i ended up there :: it was the birthday of a dear friend, and i had something in mind that i wanted to give her.  i had seen a print by design it together at last year’s larac festival that said, “now is the perfect time” — it immediately reminded me of my friend. admirably, she takes a lot of care and effort to be here now, so i wanted to give her this print as an acknowledgement of how awesome i think she is.

so, i called down to the shop to make sure they had the print in stock since it’s a 45 minute drive from my house.  the guy who answered said the print was actually out of stock, but that he could make me one right then and there.  this is the moment when design it together went from being a cool print shop that i wanted to check out, to a cool print shop that i will be seeking out and supporting for many years to come.  i’m a sucker for good customer service, and an even bigger sucker for a freshly made print, inked especially for me (or in this case, for my friend, the birthday girl).  i thought this was really awesome, and i appreciated it very much.

here’s the print, which was ready and waiting when i walked into the store:

there’s lots of creative and fun stuff to check out at design it together — cards, prints/posters, t-shirts and more.  here are a few shots of the shop:
i also stocked up on printed cards while i was there.  here are my favorites:

there are lots more awesome designs to check out, so stop by their website or the store (located at 291 river street in troy ).

now i need to check out the music side of design it together.  hopefully that’ll happen soon!

creative designs + awesome prints + music + good customer service = awesome!