A MAGICAL WHIMSY

A MAGICAL WHIMSY IS DEDICATED TO PROMOTING DOLL MAKING SITES, MIXED MEDIA SITES, AND CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR'S SITES. PLEASE VIEW MY SIDE BARS FOR VARIOUS LINKS TO CREATIVE ARTIST'S SITES.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

MIKE'S PASTRIES IN NORTH END BOSTON AND OTHER SITES...

NO, I DON'T LIVE IN BOSTON, NOR DO I LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS....BUT MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND AND LOVELY FAMILY LIVED IN THE TOWN OF PEPPERELL, MASS. FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS.  SO...THAT MEANS, I WAS ABLE TO VISIT BOSTON A COUPLE OF TIMES WHEN I WOULD FLY OUT FROM CALIFORNIA, DURING THE SUMMER TO VISIT MY SISTER.


YES, WE WALKED THE BOSTON COMMON, WHICH IS SUCH A LOVELY PARK.  ANYWHERE WE TURNED THERE WERE WEDDING COUPLES HAVING THEIR PHOTOS TAKEN. AND BOATS THAT LOOKED LIKE SWANS ON THE MAN-MADE POND.




Swan boats for your riding pleasure

ONE OF THE ENTRANCES TO THE UNDERGROUND PARKING IS ON CHARLES STREET


WE PARKED BENEATH THE COMMON, IN THE UNDERGROUND PARKING WHICH IS FOUR STORIES OF CARS PARKED, BENEATH THE  GROUND.  IT WAS ACTUALLY KIND OF CLAUSTROPHOBIC TO ME, AND I COULDN'T WAIT TO GET OUT INTO THE OPEN AIR.

And yes, there were all sorts there, seeing as it was Boston.  We even saw some 'real' witches and wizards, dressed very much live the ones in the Harry Potter movies.


Professor McGonegal? 


The Boston Common has a Halloween Costume Event

We saw the real Mother Goose's headstone in a graveyard, very near to where Benjamin Franklin was also buried.  The headstones were so intriguing to look at. We also saw Paul Revere's house, still standing, near the famous tree of the Sons of Liberty square.


Mother Goose's grave.  We all know her poetry which has followed us into the 21st century.  The motif of the skull and wings is still very popular to use in artwork today.

BUT BACK TO MIKE'S PASTRIES...


THIS IS MIKE'S PASTRIES ON A PRETTY NORMAL AFTERNOON...PACKED TO THE OUTSIDE WITH LINES OF PEOPLE.

It was a Saturday evening, after we had eaten Dim Sum in a Chinese restaurant, that we decided to go to the Italian District to Mike's Pastries.  Pastries of every imaginable description.



Rows and rows of pastries of all descriptions!

THE MOST DECADENT CAKES

The line was out the door, in fact it was actually, four lines out the door which led inside to the back of the store where the cash registers were.  BUT, you had to get in the door FIRST to decide what your purchases were, THEN, get back INTO the line, which I think we waited a half an hour to make our purchases.


CANNOLI'S OF EVERY DESCRIPTION AND MELT IN YOUR MOUTH CREAM PUFFS

I purchased a slice of to die for carrot cake, with walnuts, coconut, and pineapple (no raisins), also a cannoli, a wonderful confection of a pastry full of decadent custard type filling with whipped cream, which they have no end of varieties of cannoli.  Also, what they call a lobster tail (a pastry) also similar to the cannoli, but BIGGER!  And I believe a slice of the real thing New York Cheese Cake (no 'fake' graham cracker crust invented by the 1960's generation) no, it had the flaky pastry 'crust' which melts in your mouth and does not take away from the flavor of the cheese cake.  So, we took home our confections and had tiny pieces all around of each dessert.  It was divine!


They have ice cream too, and Italian Gelato.  This guy looks like he is saying 'Go get your own piece of cake! This is mine, all mine!'

We went into the Commonwealth Book Store five minutes before they were closing.  I could have spent hours in there...probably better that I didn't as I probably would have come out penniless!

Books, and books, and books, and a basement full of books too.

Anyway, this was my 'blast from the past' being there seven years ago, and my sister and family have since moved to Minnesota, far more fierce winters than Massachusetts, perhaps, with the exception of this years' winter on the east coast.

So, if you are ever in Boston , there is lots to see!

posted by Teresa




Monday, March 23, 2015

I DO LOVE BLOGGING!....

HELLO MY DEAR BLOGGERS FRIENDS...

Even though I may not blog as often as I would wish to, I do enjoy viewing other artists, writers, ning sites, doll making blogs and tutorial sites which there are so many 'out there' on the internet, you could spend hours learning new creative techniques until you turned 100!

EXPLORE  EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR OWN JOURNEY


Ah...but we don't have that much free time to use in everyday life.  So, we take snatches of this here, and snatches of that over there, using Youtube, and ning sites, also going to Etsy to buy beautifully created items the world over.


DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

I love Pinterest with its unlimited source of photos of every kind of blissful day dreams.  There are dolls of every sort, vintage, handmade, steampunk, ball joint dolls, and I drool over reams and reams of fairy tale dreams wishing I could someday be as creative as the most professional doll maker, or jeweler, or potter, or painter, the day dreams are never ending.



AND THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS

So, I began collecting dolls from many talented doll makers, which has made part of my dream come true.


BLACK-EYED SUSIE DOLL ON LEFT, AND TWO DOLLS CREATED BY KAREN MILSTEIN


DOLL IN THE MIDDLE BY FILIGREE, LEMONADE FAIRY


MORE SWEET DOLLS IN MY COLLECTION. I HAVE SOLD QUITE A FEW OF THESE DOLL BUT I HAVE SWEET MEMORIES AND LOVELY PHOTOS.


AS YOU CAN TELL THE DOLLS ARE AS UNIQUE AS THE INDIVIDUAL ARTIST.  MY OWN FRENCH STYLE MARIONETTE DOLL IN THE MIDDLE WITH HER TURQUOISE BODICE.  VALENTINA BY JANICE PETTY ON FAR RIGHT IN THE STYLE OF A QUEEN ANNE DOLL.  ELOISE, A FAIRY TALE DOLL ON THE FAR RIGHT BY JASMOON BUTTERFLY IN ENGLAND.


AN ALICE OR TWO, A CHESHIRE CAT (MADE BY ME) A PIG (FROM THE SCENE IN THE DUTCHESS AND THE COOK IN ALICE IN WONDERLAND) AND A RABBIT.

A PEAK INTO MY DOLL CHINA CABINET


A VINTAGE RED RIDING HOOD MY HUSBAND GAVE TO ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY LAST YEAR.  SHE IS SO CHARMING!
THIS IS NOT THE DOLL I HAVE, BUT I PURCHASED ONE VERY SIMILAR TO HER BY BAGGARAGGS.  MINE IS CALLED 'BOTANICA FEY' AND A STORY COMES WITH THE DOLL.  ON MY LEFT SIDEBAR IS THE LINK TO BAGGARAGGS DOLLS BY ROBIN RIDENER.  WHAT A TALENTED GAL SHE IS!

I DO ENJOY CREATING MIXED MEDIA ART, SO WHEN MY DAUGHTER HAD OUR FIRST GRANDDAUGHTER, I FOUND ONE OF MY DAUGHTER'S VINTAGE 'LITTLE MERMAID' PUZZLES AND I GLUED IT ON TO A CANVAS I HAD PAINTED AND ADDED SEA SHELLS AND YARN WHICH LOOKED LIKE SEA WEED, AS MY GRANDDAUGHTER'S ROOM IS DECORATED IN THE  'LITTLE MERMAID MOTIF.

I have a friend who said, she admires things in stores, and if she bought and brought home everything she has a delight in, she would never have room for all of it.  So, with that in mind, I get my 'fill' of day dreams and I go to Yahoo and type in a search word such as 'handmade doll images' and Wallah! There before my very eyes are photos and photos of mouthwatering confections, which is marvelous as many of those dolls are available on Etsy.


I DO ENJOY COLLECTING VINTAGE LINENS AND I COULDN'T RESIST THIS ONE I FOUND IN AN ANTIQUE COLLECTIBLE STORE.  IT IS DEFINITELY MARIE ANTOINETTE IN STYLE

And there are the new creators who post their new work on Etsy or on Ebay, who join in the throng of entrepreneurs vying for the buyers of Wonderland to become spellbound by their delicate wares.  


MORE OF MY VINTAGE LACE FINDS

It is the comradeship of kindred spirits which drew me to create my own blog just for the purpose of encouraging other creative souls. And I have enjoyed every minute of it!  And I hope to continue to do so, as it is such a wonderful vision to awaken the creative genius which resides in every one of us.

PLEASE BE SURE TO VIEW MY SIDE BARS ON EITHER SIDE AS THERE IS A WORLD OF CREATIVITY LINKS TO EXPLORE, NING SITES TO JOIN, ETSY ARTISTS TO VIEW, AND OTHER BLOGGERS WHOM I HAVE COME TO DEEPLY ENJOY AS FRIENDS!


I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS POST.  IT'S JUST A PEAK INTO MY WORLD OF CREATIVITY AND JOY!

BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL!

POSTED BY Teresa
March 23, 2015