Brookie's birthday celebration- Part V of my Boston trip

I left for Boston excited that I would be celebrating Brook's birthday with her. I've missed many of her celebrations since she moved away from home over ten years ago. We went to a restaurant called Greenland Cafe in Salem, very close to where Brook lives, to meet up with two of Bryn and Brook's friends for dinner.


Bryn and Brook's friends suggested something called buzz buttons before dinner. I guess they are suppose to make your tongue numb.


I could not be tempted, however, being a bit of a chicken myself.

Of course when Brook said it tasted like bad fish I knew I had made the right decision not to partake, L.O.L.

We closed the restaurant down laughing and partying on. For that part of the fun, I didn't need a buzz button to join in.




Dave and Courtney were so much fun. It was like having Saturday Night Live right at our table.
I still laugh when I think about them.

I'm so glad I was there.

Where Brook lives and works - Part IV

This is the door that greets you when you visit New Harmony Wellness Center in Beverly, Ma. This is where my daughter Brook lives and works. She is a shiatsu massage practitioner. Upstairs is where Brook lives and the clinic is on the main floor...very convenient when it's winter and snow is in abundant supply!

Here is a shot of the entire place. I love New England architecture, don't you?

When you enter the clinic you will find a bright, cheerful, Zen and spa like atmosphere to welcome you in.

Here is Brook, hard at work in her treatment room. I was lucky enough to score a two hour massage (maybe it was longer, I don't remember because I fell asleep). Ah....so spoiled!

Brook's housemate Bryn Clark is a master of acupuncture.

He gifted me an acupuncture session (actually, two sessions) and fixed me up with some Chinese herbs to enhance my health and well being. I truly feel like I've been pampered and loved!

Now continuing upstairs you will see the living room where the hardwood floors were being installed when I first arrived. Brook had asked my advise on incorporating the persimmon color you see on the ceiling. I had suggested the ceiling, because she would still get a punch of color without overpowering the room. I then suggested, if grey was her color of choice, to paint horizontal stripes using flat paint for every other stripe and then semi gloss on opposite stripes in the same grey, for a subtle feeling of texture. It turned out beautifully, wish my photos reflected how stunning it looks in person. Don't you love it when your kids take your advise?


Below you see the color of the walls Brook had the sitting room off her bedroom painted. She picked this electric blue that is so vibrant it makes you feel warm and cozy inside, especially because Brook paired it with the gold wood work that was painted over red and then had a crackle finish added to give real depth to the color. The floors are maple and the contrast of the light floors and the deep rich color is just fabulous!

I should have taken a close up photo of the wood work so that you could see the detail...so sorry!

Brook has artfully displayed things she has collected throughout the space. It has a definite eclectic style that makes me smile.


Here's my girl, letting me take a photo to remember my wonderful trip with her.

Do you recognize the West Elm sofa below? I had that shipped to Brook before she actually arrived in Boston this past September. It is cozy and comfortable. The little green velvet chair had belonged to her grandmother. The window treatment has the look and feel of burlap and is the perfect finishing touch.


The face mask of Brook above is amazing. I don't know how she did that, but I think it is really cool.
I love her sweet little bedroom, just big enough for her queen sized canopy bed. I love the green she chose and the painting that accents the room.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I can hardly wait til I can go to Boston again. More stories and photos of my trip will follow on future posts.

A play and a stroll through Boston Gardens - Part III

The morning after I arrived in Boston my darling daughter planned an excursion through Boston Garden across from Boston Common. We picked up headphones and I-pods to listen to a play presented by Arts Emerson, with mapped out stops throughout the garden as we walked. It was a play about the actors in a Mid Summer Night's Dream. It was not the actual Mid Summer Night's Dream play, but a rather dark tale about the actors. It was a gloriously beautiful day, so the darkness of the play was contrasted by the beauty of the garden and the day.

Above is a photo of Bryn, myself and Brook with map in hand for our tour.

Boats carried happy tourists on the water through the park.

I was thrilled to do anything Brook suggested because I was so happy to see her in her new environment.





There were statues and flowers and a mama duck and her ducklings to watch, and children enjoying the outdoors.

In the Garden - Part II

The long driveway into the Clark estate is a picture of the beauty to come. You are seemingly caressed by these lovely trees as they beckon you in.

Looking out to the front of the estate, this gorgeous picture perfect oasis welcomes your arrival.

The back of the house is no different. A basketful of colorful flowers awaits your presence by the entrance into a secret garden. What child, or adult for that matter, could resist such an invitation?

This iron gate at the entrance to the secret garden gives a special welcome to the mystery seeker. Through its doors your soul be will nourished and your load lightened by the sheer beauty inside.

An angel could not find a better place to bestow her mercies than this well tended garden.

Surely fairies reside in such a beautiful space. What better place to envision a joy filled life or comfort a weary soul?

This tree is home to a choir of melodic birds whose only desire must be to greet the day and please the heart of anyone who will listen.

This is the table where I had my first breakfast with the lovely host and hostess that made my stay so memorable.

Brook's housemate, Bryn, made this picnic table when he was a little boy and it has lasted many cold New England winters. Pretty sweet.

It takes passion and a lot of hard work to create such a special garden. Lucky me, it didn't take any work at all to enjoy it!

A place to remember - Part I

I know I have neglected my blog for a while, but I was sorely lacking inspiration and in terrible need of a long overdue vacation. So, off I flew to the east coast, just twenty minutes outside of Boston to visit my middle daughter who moved there last September.

Brook was looking forward to my visit and was trying to make everything beautiful for my stay with her. She and her housemate were having new hardwood floors installed before my arrival. As luck would have it the floor man -- who promised everything would be done before I arrived -- was unable to accomplish the task. Brook's housemate's parents very kindly agreed to host Brook and I at their beautiful estate in Hamilton just seven miles from Beverly. Beverly Hills has been said to be a copy of this gorgeous little community on the New England North Shore.

Bryn's parents, Peter and Gretel Clark, own this fabulous place. They were known as a somewhat Von Trapp-style family singing four part harmonies on road trips and raising four children in this magical place. After the children grew up and left home, Peter and Gretel ran their home as a bed and breakfast for twelve years. They hosted all kinds of interesting people and threw elaborate weddings, which left them with fabulous stories to tell now that they have retired from their bed and breakfast days. People came from all over the world just to see their beautiful gardens. I will save that for another post. These days you will find Gretel tending her bees and working in her garden maintaining its pristine beauty.

This is a view from the room I stayed in with its own fireplace and private bath. I enjoyed being hosted by this delightful family for the first five days of my visit while Bryn and Brook waited for their floors to be ready. I must say, I did not mind the change of plans at all.

I have many more photos to share with you and will do so in the days to follow. I hope you've enjoyed part one in my adventure east!