Tag: Massachusetts

Making a House a Home…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Making a House a Home…

Good Morning- Happy Friday- and Happy First Day of Summer, everyone!

While I was in a full-Summer state of mind weeks ago when the temperatures first began soaring and I started wearing shorts outdoors on the weekends- I actually haven’t participated in any of the usual early Summer activities I’m typically diving into by now. There have been no beach trips, no lobster rolls, and no poolside hangouts- although there has admittedly been more than one ice cream cone in recent days.

A lot of my time, when not working- has been getting situated in my new apartment- where I’ve officially been for a month now! I’m still finding places for my things, still exploring my neighborhood and surrounding communities- and up until this this past Wednesday- I was still waiting on the last of my furniture to arrive. That’s not to say I didn’t make do without a bed frame. I’ve never been one to be too high maintenance to sleep on a mattress on the floor for an unknown length of time, after all- but this apartment never really felt like “home” until I had an actual bed and a couch in it. Now it feels more like “mine”- and I’m absolutely loving it.

There’s still a lot to do, of course. I need to get my TV mounted, actually decorate a little and organize my things- but I’m a lot more comfortable and cozy here and excited to see how my space develops over the next few weeks/months.

I digress, the point of this was also to say that now that it’s *officially* Summer and my life has a bit more stability in it- I can get started on catching up on that list of things I’m typically doing this time of year! The first thing is absolutely going to be eating a lobster roll, by the way.

Although prior to the arrival of my furniture on Wednesday-  I did have an opportunity to drive one town over to a little farm in the area where people could pick their own strawberries. I’d never done that before, but let me tell you- it was FUN– and I got some really, really good pickings!

So, so delicious!

This weekend I’ll be on indie617 from 12-4 (Saturday) and then I may catch a performance in Turner’s Falls Saturday night. Then on Sunday, with lobster roll in hand- I might venture out to explore MASS MoCA for the first time. Or, if it’s hot enough- take a dip in one of the local lakes or rivers around here!

Regardless of where I end up and what I end up doing- you can count on plenty of photos on my INSTAGRAM and here on the blog when I return on Monday morning!

Enjoy that Summer Solstice, everyone- and the weekend ahead! See you all next week!

xx

– Ashley –

OOTD: Daily Affirmations

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on OOTD: Daily Affirmations

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

It’s a “sleep in” kind of start to my day today, since I took it off from work- but a little later on this afternoon I’m having the last of my furniture delivered to my new apartment and before they arrive- I may venture into Northampton for some coffee and some strawberry picking if the rain can stay away long enough!

Regardless of how my plans (weather permitting) turn out, it’s definitely a lounge wear sort of day- and keeping up with both familiarizing myself with and supporting local brands/businesses and artists here in the Valley- I treated myself to a little present on Father’s Day with this comfy, soft cotton tee-shirt by Secret Holiday & Co. that I picked up while perusing the super cute goods at Grapefruit in NoHo.

The mauve “BE BRAVE” written on the front is needed right now- not because I’m living alone in a new part of New England and it can be a shock to my system at times or because I’m in any sort of turmoil- but because someone very near and dear to me is. I’ve been worrying myself sick about the emotional and psychological toll the stress of the past couple of weeks has taken on him.

When I get exhausted or frustrated with the whole situation and everything that is causing him unnecessary pain- “BE BRAVE” is a nice little reminder to keep moving forward and to never stop doing the right thing for someone in distress regardless of how insurmountable the odds seem. It’s nice to have it on a shirt to remind other people to keep pressing on, too.

I’m pairing this cozy shirt with something equally comfortable- my black lace shorts (no denim for me today!) which are just as lightweight and breathable- especially since it’s going to be pretty humid later on!

A little later on this week I’ll have some updated photos of my new place and some more glimpses into the neighborhood before we break for the weekend! June has been FLYING by, you guys- and I haven’t even gone to the beach yet! There’s going to be so much to cram into the next couple of weeks before we get to the Fourth of July!

I intend to have a fun and productive “Hump Day”- and I hope you all do, too! See you on Friday!

xx

– Ashley –

Father’s Day in Hampshire County…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Father’s Day in Hampshire County…

Good Morning and Happy Monday (yuck…) everyone!

While I had absolutely *grand* plans for this past weekend in anticipation of lots of sunshine and soaring temperatures- Mother Nature threw all of us here in the Valley a curveball and turned a beautiful and breezy Saturday afternoon/evening into a positively chilly and rain-filled Sunday. It wasn’t just an occasional shower or sprinkle, either- but big, fat cold droplets that seemed to last all day.

My scheduled strawberry picking at a local farm and an outdoor brunch unfortunately had to be rescheduled for a later date this week/month- but I did my best to make do with my afternoon after I finished some early morning errands.

Of course, yesterday was Father’s Day- which is always a rough day for me to get through ever since my dad passed away unexpectedly in the Summer of 2012. I’m usually able to distract myself or keep myself occupied so that I don’t feel too sad- and living in a new area where I’m still getting acclimated and familiarized is definitely a BIG distraction these days. I took the opportunity to drive a little further West than where I presently live to do some exploring and try to find a Father’s Day present for my mom.

To explain: After my dad died- my mother and I made a pact that for every Father’s Day and for what would have been her and my dad’s wedding anniversary- we’d celebrate it together. This could mean having dinner together, buying each other little gifts/cards, etc. We have a family dinner scheduled later on this week, of course- but I wanted to get her something special, too.

My mom loves anything Americana or kitschy, farm-related things- so my living in the Valley is a dream come true for her because I’m essentially surrounded by that stuff on all sides. As I was passing through Williamsburg yesterday- a charming little town Northwest of Florence- I spotted the Williamsburg General Store and knew I’d find something perfect for her there.

Sure enough- I came across this bumble bee watering can and immediately thought of my mom- who spends a lot of time outside tending to her yard and would probably use this for it’s intended purpose AND for decoration.

I’m excited to see her reaction when she opens it. I think it’s adorable- and don’t worry, she doesn’t go online much so unless someone shows this post to her before I visit her later on this week- my posting about it isn’t going to spoil the surprise!

I’ve actually got a short work-week this week, having taken Wednesday off to be present when the last of the furniture I ordered arrives and is finally delivered to my apartment. So, as much as I don’t want to be at work right now- at least I’m not technically here a full week.

But I’ve still got lots to do this morning- so this just about does it for me today!

Enjoy the start of your week, everyone. Let’s push through to Friday together!

xx

– Ashley –

Lights, Camera, Action!

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Lights, Camera, Action!

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Today at work is our impromptu Bruins celebration/pep rally in preparation for Game 7 tonight- so I’ve essentially been forced to wear the only black and gold ensemble I had stored in my closet. I don’t mind too much, since the weather is shaping up to be nice again today- but I’ve admittedly been pretty lax on keeping up with hockey this year so I feel a bit like a bandwagon fan right now!

I’m sure I’ll swing by the bar near my apartment tonight to grab a beer and tune in if it’s not too crowded, though!

This past weekend, hot and humid and filled with sunshine- was also filled with lots of work for PaintBox Theatre since our 16th season kicks off near the end of this month! I spent some of my afternoon(s) writing e-mails, putting together show advertisements for local publications- and designing social media content to get us through the next few days. It might sound pretty simple- but it’s a lot of work with a lot of different people and processes involved! Everything has to be *just* right.

The cast are cutting some radio ads this morning, and I am anxiously awaiting the behind-the-scenes photos to share- but before I do that- this recently edited video we launched across our platform can give a little hint of what PaintBox is all about and how much energy the crowd packs into every performance!

That is seriously one of the cutest things ever and I’m so thrilled with our audio/video team for capturing it!

If you live in or around the Pioneer Valley- I really hope you’ll come say hello and enjoy a show with us. All dates/times and ticketing information are available on the website linked above!

Apart from continued work with side projects, lots of iced coffee, and some bedroom ballet/stretching- this weekend was also spent lounging lazily with friends in the area and ordering takeout. Not a bad way to beat the heat- if I do say so myself.

A little later on this week (Friday) I’ve got a super quick and easy recipe to share that is perfect for your next Summer BBQ/Get-Together- before we once again reach the weekend and I get to do a little more exploring/photographing around the Valley. I’m super excited about the places I’m planning to visit!

Here’s to a quick and painless “Hump Day” . We just gotta’ get through the next couple of days, everyone!

xx

– Ashley –

Stop and Smell The Flowers…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Stop and Smell The Flowers…

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

While I prepare to launch myself into what will undoubtedly be another busy day at work and an evening of post-office plans- I wanted to look back on this past weekend- which was actually super relaxing, sunny, and warm!

I had mentioned last Friday when I was wrapping up the month of May and how it had been for me that my best friend Sean- who still presently resides just outside of Boston- was coming to spend the weekend with me so he could see my new place for the first time and be introduced to the Pioneer Valley with an impromptu tour. I had an idea of a couple of the places I wanted to take him while he was here (weather permitting)– but the rest was very much a spontaneous adventure!

I knew that after showing Sean my apartment and the surrounding neighborhood that I wanted to take him to Northampton- which is sort of the hub of the valley. We spent the entire evening walking around looking at all the shops, artwork, and scenery- and made sure to grab a bite to eat at Mama Iguanas and iced maple lattes at The Roost (we even had a special appearance from Troy who stopped by our table at dinner to say hello!)

Sean was blown away by just how much there was to do and see around pretty much every corner- and when our feet started to hurt from walking so much- we popped by the Tunnel Bar for a nightcap before it was time to return home.

On Sunday morning, we opted to stay a little closer to my neck of the woods and had brunch at the nearby Hope & Olive– where I had the best frittata and home fries of my life and met some of Troy’s theater friends- who he’d quested via text to find me and say hello since they were also having brunch in the same restaurant. It was a pleasant surprise and everyone was very, very kind.

Afterwards, with the sun shining bright and the temperatures (and humidity) rising- I took Sean to the two locations I had planned early on. One was the Montague Bookmill, which I had blogged about during my last visit there on a rainy day in April– and the second was the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls.

It’s been just about a year since I last visited the Bridge of Flowers- give or take- but what I love about it is that every time I come back- there’s something new and different to look at. The flowers are beautiful and the views of the Deerfield River are breathtaking. While we were there- I managed to snap some really great photos of the scenery and some of my favorite blossoms.

If you’d like to enlarge any of the photos below- just click on them!

By the time a couple of late afternoon thunderstorms began rolling through the area- Sean was already en route back to the city and I was back at my apartment doing laundry and cleaning. Perfect timing!

I’m hoping to visit a couple more destinations on my “to do” list now that I’m becoming more established in the area- and if the weather is as sunny and bright as the forecast is predicting- then this weekend is looking like a good time as any to check them out!

But before we get to this coming weekend- we have to finish up the actual weekdays, first. I’m off to get started at my office and have some much-needed caffeine- but here’s hoping you all enjoy your “Hump Day!”

See you again on Friday!

xx

– Ashley –