Bohemia

Friday night, Shonn and I went to the Old Brown Shoe Factory in Sullivan for an event sponsored by the Sullivan Area Arts Council called Bohemia. It was amazing. There was art by Timmy Valentine, Karl Jendry, and Doug Wilson (of Trading Spaces fame - he lives here now and is so nice! more on that later). The furniture and reclaimed wood pieces by John McDevitt were amazing.


There was also some furniture by my friend Jim Standerfer. Jim is multi-talented guy: He writes, sings, plays guitar, and makes stuff. He had some art and cool bowls made from old records, and a book he wrote about a cross-country motorcycle adventure was also available. (His 10-year old daughter even did a painting, which Shonn and I bought.)

The Arts Council did such a good job putting the event on, with wine, beer, hors d'oeuvres, and tons of people. The ambiance of the old factory building was especially cool.

Here are some of the works of art from the night. Shonn still thinks we should have bought Doug Wilson's piece (it was on silent auction) and even Doug was trying to convince us to bid. It was such a fun night, and I hope we do it again.

Doug Wilson's piece:


One of Karl Jendry's pieces:


Stuff by Timmy Valentine:

Just wondering...

...if this is the cutest thing you've ever seen. Because I'm pretty sure it is. Just saying.

Another Hair-Do

At the 8th Grade Regional Championships, one of the teams' players had art on the back of their heads. All the boys had their numbers and this flaming ball design shaved into their hair. I asked this little guy to pause from warm-ups and pose. Pretty sure his coach didn't appreciate it. Oh well - I love it!

Hair-do!

Everytime I go to the salon, it's with the intention of transforming myself into something like...Gisele. (I somehow ignore my stylist Corinne's sign with the disclaimer: "I'm a hairdresser, not a miracle worker," and the fact that she's only applying only hair color.) This time, I have been contemplating going darker, but, although gorgeous on many converts, it's just not me. I'm too blond at heart. Soooo, again tonight, she did her magic and I loved every self-indulgent moment of girly-chat, trashy magazine/celeb-gossip, shampoo and blow-out. Corinne did a great job, and this picture simply does not do her work justice. You might think I look exactly the same, but in real life, I look like Gisele. :)

New Tie & Necklace!

I wish this video showcased improved skills on Charlie & Lexi's command responses, but not so. However, I am incredibly proud at how well they wear their new accessories, crafted by one of my favorite etsy artists, Suzanne, owner of Crazy for Collars. Lexi's necklace and Charlie's tie came last week. Love them!

Basketball Advice...

Last week, Shonn's team dominated Newton, another local team, in the first round of Regionals. The best part was that Shonn coached with class, pulling off his press early and making sure to get every boy into the game with substantial playing time. They still won 46 to 3.



But as of Monday, it was official: Shonn's basketball season is over.



He has the curse of the good coach...he starts with a team that needs a lot of direction, he gives it, and they improve. Drastically. This year, his team started 2-7 and finished 11-2. They even won the consolation bracket of their conference tourney.



So why is this a curse? The beginning of the year is so stressful - long days and the burdens of crushing NBA-hopeful-dreams by picking only 5 starters for the first competitive season of these kids' lives. (I don't know that much about basketball, but I do know that there can only be 5 starters. Not all parents know this.)

So it goes - lots of stress, early morning practices (like alarm at 4AM early) and late nights, and all along, he really teaches them. So, they improve and start winning. Shonn's a very competitive guy, so when they win, it's a good night. When they don't... well... It's frustrating. But with so many wins at the end of the year, he forgets about the so many frustrations early on.

I think he's a great coach, and so do many other observers. So, should he keep coaching, or use the time for something else? He's thinking it through right now and trying to decide. I just want him to be happy!

Meanwhile, it's nice not be cursed with the 4AM alarm.

Snow Day for Charlie & Lexi

Kids love snow days! Teachers love snow days! Annnd, apparently, so do our dogs!

As you'll see, we're still working on very basic commands with Lexi. She somewhat understands "Sit," and she only vaguely grasps, "Inside," but I'm proud to report she fully knows "TREAT!" (She might not be the brightest, but she sure is cute and cuddly.) Charlie, on the other hand, fully understands "Sit," "Outside," "Come here," and "Treat," along with other things, but...he doesn't like people. I guess you can't have it all.

This is pretty low-key for them (not barking at ear-splitting decibels), and not the most exciting video (except the high-tech wind sound effects), but I was hoping there was more snow in the backyard for them to run around in. (I just got home and didn't have time to check before our movie shoot, because while everyone else loves them, Principals don't get snow days.)