Melrose Victorian Fair

Last Sunday the Victorian Fair was held in Melrose, Massachusetts. This is an annual event for the Melrose Chamber. It is held rain or shine. But we did have a tsunami date just in case. Luckily the weather cooperated.

We had a great turnout. I say we because I am a Board Member of the Chamber. My only duty this year was to be the roving photographer, a position I gladly accepted.



The Fair was a huge success and all of those who worked on the Fair should be proud. There is alot of preparation and organization involved in the Fair. Of course, the coordination rests mainly on the Chamber Director and her assistant who worked tirelessly to make sure everything ran smoothly. All the booth spaces must be marked off on Main St before the tent vendor sets up, the food vendors need electricity, the streets have to be blocked off so the police are involved, the fire department and ems personnel need to be on alert,
the kiddie rides need to be set up, well it goes on and on.



Marcy Holbrook was the Fair's emcee again this year and she made the job look easy. She always looks beautiful and dresses in keeping with the theme of the Fair.




A Victorian couple strolled up and down Main Street.




And they stopped at my bank's booth where my sister was doing some sketching. So she did a sketch of the couple.



They liked it!



The crowd got bigger and bigger.




And Main Street never looked so festive!



I am sure it was pure bliss to be in a stroller and take in all the sights!



Smiles, smiles and more smiles!




You could get a massage if you wanted one.




Or buy a Melrose ornament.



There were human statues. The sign stated This Ship Runs on Tips.




Here's a closer look.



These girls with the balloon hats are sisters.



The Melrose Symphony Orchestra had a booth.






Lots of people came with their best friends.



The Boy Scouts were there.



A parking lot was devoted to kiddie rides.



This sweet miss enjoyed her carousel ride.



And this cutie preferred a rocket.




There were plenty of dance schools represented.




They did live performances of tap and jazz.



And Irish step dancing.



Politicians love to attend the Fair.





And there were balloons a plenty.




And yes, a Sand Sculpture on Main Street.



It came out great!



And of course what is a Fair without food? Turner's sold their famous chowder and oh drat did I miss the fried onion strings?



Fried dough is a must.



Need a coffee? Bohemian Coffee House had a booth and sold flavored coffee and muffins.
And their shop is adorable too!



The Human Statues took a break. It is physically demanding to stand perfectly still.




Chipstix! This is a delicious treat. I tried one with sour cream salt on it. Very tasty!



The beautiful people were there.



And an abundance of cute kids.



Lots of souvenirs to be had. Look at that baby's face! Makes me laugh every time I look at this shot.



Dogs in strollers. Meet Joy and Sadie.




The cheerleaders were at the Fair. Red and white are the Melrose school colors.



My sister sketched both of these girls.



Here's one of the sketches.



The other girl liked hers too.




The Governor made an appearance and chatted with the Mayor.




My sister did a painting of the Fair in between her sketching duties.

All in all a very successful day for the Chamber and the City. As for me, I won one of the Big Ticket Raffle prizes. A Melrose restaurant gift basket, a $250 value. Hmm, who should I take to dinner?

Well, I hope you enjoyed your virtual trip to the Melrose Victorian Fair. Maybe next year you might join us?

In search of Vineyard Chic

Before I left for Martha's Vineyard I thought it might be fun to do a post on Vineyard chic. So as soon as I stepped off the ferry I started my search.

I couldn't exactly explain Vineyard chic but I would know it if I saw it. So here are some of the candidates.

The first photo was taken outside of Giordano's restaurant. We had just arrived on the Vineyard and we were starving. We had lobster rolls. I spied this woman outside the restaurant, a fellow shutterbug. I like the hat and the skirt and a crisp white tank is always in style on the Island.



A nice casual hairstyle, white shorts and black tee. Perfect! Casual but not sloppy.



Remember the little boy wth the cool hair in one of my prior posts? Well, this is his mom. Simple white cotton dress and straw hat. Lovely and practical for steamy summer days.



Here she is again. I just had to get a better look at the hat. She looked picture perfect sitting outside the Black Dog Tavern.




Here's a twist, winter hat with summer tank. Your ears just might get cold when the ocean breezes kick up.

So what's your opinion? Which one is the chicest?

A Souvenir from Maine

On Wednesday, we took a daytrip to Maine. We visited my friends at their two week cottage rental in Cape Neddick. It is literally across from Nubble Light.



They were painting on Wednesday.



The surf was starting to kick up. And these birds were watching.




The gang posed for the annual photo.




And then this little guy showed up. He immediately charmed all of us.
Actually my friends said he was sitting on the deck waiting for them when they pulled into the parking lot on Saturday.



Oh my gosh, just look at this face. This poor stray baby was out on his own.





He strutted around the deck and we all fell in love with him. My friends had already bonded with him.



He was ready for his closeup.



He checked out his reflection.



And lounged in the sun on the deck.



He contemplated jumping off the deck. Thankfully he didn't. He did try to take on some seagulls though.




This one's my favorite. He's smiling right? Such a joyful little boy.




He certainly captured my heart! As you know we were expecting a hurricane or at the very least a tropical storm on Friday. So on Thursday night, I called my friends to discuss rescuing the little guy. No one wanted to see the baby out in the rain and wind of a tropical storm.

While I was on the phone with my friends, a woman appeared at their door with the kitten wrapped up in a towel. She wanted to rescue him but she couldn't take him home, too many pets already. My friends could not take him inside the cottage as there is a strict no pets rule.

So I offered my downstairs office as a sanctuary from the storm. My friends drove an hour to bring the kitten to me. He has been staying with me ever since. We still have to work out details regarding his forever home. On Wednesday he has a vet appointment. In the meantime he is safe from the dangers of being outside.

And I am getting very attached!

Oak Bluffs Inn, Martha's Vineyard

This was our home base during our stay on the Vineyard. It was my third stay at the Oak Bluffs Inn and my Sister's second.



Pretty flowers at the entrance. A welcome sight after we walked from the ferry.



We sat on this porch morning and night. Every night there was a pitcher of lemonade with mint awaiting us. And a plate of chocolate chip cookies.




I walked around the Inn and took some shots.



We stayed in the suite with the balcony in 2003.




Aren't the colors pretty?



The Inn has some great architectural elements.



Let's go upstairs to my room.



My room was #6 and my sister was in #4. I had a private bath across the hall from my room.
This is my sister's bathroom.




Here's my room. Love the armoire. Thank God for a/c. It was really hot the first two days of the trip.



My bed was extremely comfortable. I slept like a baby every night!



A delicious breakfast was laid out every morning. Cereal, bagels, croissants, fruit,
yogurt, granola, and usually a warm coffeecake plus juice, coffee and tea.

I want that chandelier!



We met the other Inn guests at breakfast and they were the sweetest people!



And this cool clock would look fantastic in my living room! Too hard to bring home on the Ferry though. Nah, I wouldn't do that, I like the innkeepers too much. Eric and Rhonda were really fun and interesting and they made sure our stay was perfect.





A nice comfortable sitting area. I really like the cafe curtains on half of the window.




Here's the breakfast area by night. Lemonade and cookies for all! I really enjoyed the addition of mint to the lemonade. I shall try this at home.




A shot of the living room. Sunflowers really add a nice cheery touch. Another great clock.




I love these bathing beauties. I saw some last year in Ogunquit, Maine. I should have bought one because I can't find them this year.

The location of the Inn is perfect for those attending Illumination Night. You can walk to the campground where the event takes place. No worries about traffic!

I hope you enjoyed your tour. I am sure we will return to the Oak Bluffs Inn.

The Vineyard and the Obamas

The Obamas arrived on the Vineyard during our vacation. So the Obama watch was on!

The media was out in force.



We caught this reporter filing a story from Oak Bluffs, our home base.



Of course, NECN was there.



The Coast Guard patrolled the waters looking for any threats. We were there just to look for a pretty sunset.

We were not present when the cars along the shore were checked for car bombs.
Robots acted as mini all terrain vehicles. They slid under each car checking for
explosives. One of the guests at our inn showed us a photo of the robot. She'd had a conversation with a Secret Service agent and he had told her a bit about them.



Sharky's Cantina served up Obamarita's.



And this inn proclaimed support of the President.




The owner of a T Shirt shop played it smart and carried shirts for both political parties.




And he was interviewed by the media.



Last year the ladies of the Laughing Bear put some clothes aside for Michelle Obama. They picked out some things they thought she would like and they placed a hold for Michelle sign on them. Cute idea!



The cameraman took a shot of the Hold for Michelle sign.




I took a shot of it too. We thought it should have been on an actual dress in the window to create more of a buzz.

Last year, Michelle did not shop at the Laughing Bear. She should have. They have fabulous clothes!



Here's the Laughing Bear's welcome sign for the Obamas.




And this is the Sweet Life Restaurant in Oak Bluffs. It is directly across from the Oak Bluffs Inn which was where we were staying. The Obama's ate at Sweet Life last year and again this year. We had already left the Vineyard by the time the Obama's had made their way to our neck of the woods in Oak Bluffs.

We weren't sure exactly when they would arrive. We heard it was going to be between one and five o'clock on Thursday. Sure enough, when we were in Zephrus, a restaurant in Vineyard Haven, we spied some men we suspected were Secret Service. Their cell phones were beeping and buzzing and my sister heard one say Marine One has arrived. Later on the news I heard that the President had arrived by Marine One which is helicopter.

The Presidential visit made for some good stories. Our innkeeper had some Secret Service agents staying at the inn and he had some tales to tell.

And of course it made for an interesting blogpost!