Summertime....

{Ellery...the other Ellie in my life}

{The walk to the Tressle}

{Sandy River swimming at Sunset}

{Homemade Pirogies}

{River rocks}

{The summit of Little Jackson}

{What an outfit...}

{Fireworks...one of the few times I saw Emily this summer!}

{Class Trip}

{Eliza knows what's up...staying hydrated}

{Cherokee has definite personal style...down to the beads dreaded into her hair}

{I miss you already!}

{Abby at peace in her kayak}

{Possibly the best raspberry/rhubarb pie ever made}

{Addie is beautiful}

{The Kane sisters: extremely cheerful, kind, adorable fiddlers from Ireland}

{I love summer}

{We love music...and the ocean}

{Two Ellies, shakin it out}

Lake George

My family has a camp in upstate New York on Lake George, a 32 mile long lake in the Adirondack Mountains. It is my favorite place in the world. Without a doubt.

I've spent so much time there during the summers, creating chaos with my siblings and cousins, and playing music with my extended family (Dad's side). It's an incredibly special place to me. I only got there twice this year, but I have to resign myself to the fact that as I grow up, essentially I'll have less and less time in the summer to spend there.

{My little sister Erin keeping it real}

{Dad, also keeping it real...}

{My brother Kyle, badass as usual}

{Erin's friend Becky, wearing my hat I  got back in middleschool for hiking in the Grand Canyon}

{Lounging...the only way to do it}

{I love the look of black polish on my toes}

{Swims at dusk are the best}

{Becky, Dad and I hiked Black Mtn, the talllest mnt on the Lake}

{5.5 total miles very much worth the view}

{Wakeboarding at Sunset}

{I'm so glad I got to know this girl}

{What a way to live}

It's Crazy....

...how much my Dad and my brother look alike.

This is a family portrait of my Dad and his siblings sometime during the 60's. Dad is top left.

We're goin' to the chapel...

Silas, Seth, my Father and I played a contra dance for a wedding earlier in the summer. It was just the most lovely thing. The wedding took place on a big farm, with the ceremony on the lawn, dinner/dancing to Big Band Jazz under a towering white tent in the middle of a field, and then a contra dance in the newly renovated barn. . . If I'm being honest it was practically my dream wedding. 


I didn't get any photos of the bridal party but everyone please just envision a beautifully cut, cream colored gown, simple pale grey/purple bridesmaid dresses, and groomsmen in classic black suits looking quite dashing all the way down to their Converse sneakers.

Cute little Flowergirls

 The Dance floor!

 Maple Cotton Candy...what more could you ask for?

 My Band Brothas!!!

 Contra dancin'

This little man was ROCKIN his suspenders/shorts/short sleeve combo. 

Please oh please hold on to your sense of style buddy!

 The Best-man lookin' fly, dancing with his date :)
  

Blurry photo, but I was especially proud of myself for successfully (I think) pairing stripes and dots.

 

We didn't have a band name (the four of us have been doing a lot of gigs and contras lately) but at this wedding the groom came up with "The Band by The Bar in The Barn". But sadly, it was a one-night-only kind of name. We're now really called "Hot to Trot". . .because we love playing for dances!

Hello Again!

  I'm back from having an absolutely fantastic time being in the summer mode of music, general festivities, sun and...not blogging. I'm about to head off to school in Boston (ahhh!) on September 2nd, but before I do there is so much from summer that I have neglected to share! 

    To get back into the swing of it, I'm taking an idea from a blog that I admire (cupcakes and cashmere) and posting 5 photos of what I've been thinking about, what's been inspiring me, essentially ANYTHING that I like right now.

 {Lake George in upstate NY, where my family has a summer house}

 {My Mum's garden has been looking superb this summer}

 {Music!}

  {I've been thinking a lot about tattoos lately}

{Sunsets, Rivers and Friends...}

A night with Ray and Brandi.

I went to see Ray LaMontagne at the Bangor Waterfront at the end of May. A bazillion other people from Farmington went as well, but only a few of our friends had seats together. But I had great luck since Peter was an island completely surrounded by empty seats so a bunch of us moved to sit with him in the front section. Sitting between people that I love so much, being "in it" together, immersed in music we love...what a sublime feeling.

 When Brandi Carlile opened, she blew me away with her lovely, sultry, awe-inspiring voice. She performs in a way that keeps your attention, and if anyone wasn't in love with her and the way she sings by the end of her set, they obviously weren't paying attention. To me her music is so powerful because you can hear in her voice that she truly feels what she sings.

 And Ray LaMontange, his voice, his lyrics...ahhhh. He created such a musical connection with the audience just by playing. He sings with such emotion! The music he makes has soul and life, which to me is the reason it's so beautiful, the reason it's so real, and the reason we can all feel something while listening to his songs.

A beautiful night of getting lost, sushi, lovely friends, 5 o'clock dusty sunlight turning to a constant mist of rain, and incredible music.