Tag: Travel

“A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others…”

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on “A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others…”

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

It’s a short work-week for me as I have Wednesday through Friday off- and for good reason! Troy and I will be venturing back to Boston on Wednesday to see Hozier perform at the Wang Theatre (and reuniting with my dear friend Steven, who is currently on tour with him-) and then the remainder of the week will be spent resting, recuperating, and more than likely redecorating my apartment for the holidays. Sadly, it’s time to put the Fall decor away and swap it out for some Christmas stuff, instead!

But, needless to say- having to be at work today and tomorrow instead of getting a jump on my mini-vacation has me going a little stir crazy.

I was filled with similar energy yesterday, as well- despite it being cold and gray outside- and I took the afternoon to locate something I had only recently discovered while scrolling through one of those “bizarre things to do in your area!” clickbait advertisements/articles (which actually ended up being pretty helpful!)

I had never known about the “Tin Man of Goshen” or the Three Sisters Sanctuary– but once I read about it- I knew I had to see it for myself. The land, over eight acres at this point- is an ever-evolving art installation filled with huge metal sculptures, intricate glass work and straw figurines.

I had started my adventure at the sanctuary on my own after finding it tucked away off the road side- but Troy surprised me by making an appearance shortly after my arrival, as well- and together we explored the winding installations. It was lovely- made even more so by the fact that we were the only two people there apart from some workers who were tending to the land.

As always, I took plenty of photos. You can click to enlarge any of the images below!

It was really, really neat- and unlike anything I expected.

A little later on this week I’ll have another Autumnal/Thanksgiving-inspired recipe to share before I head off to the city for a couple of days of wild, early-Winter fun- and the full recap of that adventure should be up by Friday if I’m not too exhausted!

As always, enjoy the start of your week, everybody! Stay warm and stay strong!

Friday will be here before we know it!

xx

– Ashley –

MASS MoCA’d…

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on MASS MoCA’d…

Good Morning and Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Amid all the Halloween-related fun last week and a busy workload at my office this week- I’d nearly forgotten to share some of my photos from a recent outing to MASS MoCA I had gone on when my dear friend Troy surprised me with day passes one rainy afternoon about a week or so ago.

The last time I’d been at MASS MoCA (The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art,) I’d gone to see Maggie Rogers perform at an outdoor space in the museum’s courtyard during the Summer. An unexpected and pretty wild thunderstorm forced the crowd inside for a while- so I got to see parts of the museum/exhibits while we waited for conditions to become safe enough to venture back outdoors and continue with the show as scheduled.

I had mentioned to Troy, who was also with me during that outing- that I had wanted to come back and see the museum in it’s entirety someday.

And what better day to do it than a chilly October afternoon when it was pouring outside?

We walked from room to room, wing to wing, for a few hours while the rain beat down on the roof above us. It was a beautiful, relaxing day. Some of the exhibits stood out to me than others- like James Turrell’s “Into The Light,” Rafa Esparza’s “staring at the sun,” and my girl Annie Lennox’s “Now I Let You Go”- but overall it was a really incredible experience.

And, naturally- I snapped photos! To enlarge any of the images below, simply click!

Afterwards, Troy and I wrapped up the evening with an early dinner at Freight Yard Pub (in North Adams)– which was superb- before it was time to head home, dry off and warm up from the rain.

Such a good day.

I’m off to work bright and early today as usual- but a little later on this week I’ll have a peek inside my Fall makeup collection and some links to where you can buy what I’m wearing before we break for the weekend.

Until then- enjoy your “Hump Day,” everybody!

xx

– Ashley –

Halloweekend!

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Halloweekend!

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

Daylight Savings Time has me all mixed up right now, and being back at work so bright and early this morning is just further scrambling my brain- but I’m going to push through, get as much done as I can today at the office- and go home to rest and relax once 5-o-clock rolls around!

I suspected I’d be wiped out this morning, as I usually am following Halloweekend every year. For those who may be unfamiliar with Halloweekend- it’s pretty self-explanatory. It’s the weekend immediately before or following Halloween (depending on what day it falls on) where people get in one final wear from their costumes, have one last party, or do all things spooky before focus shifts to the impending holidays- Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.

It’s a pretty big event for my friends and I every year, so we wanted to do something really special to commemorate the occasion for 2019 given that we’ve all sort of scattered with multiple moves/re-locations. Some of us haven’t seen each other in 5+ months- so this seemed like the perfect opportunity to reconnect!

And we went big- traveling to New Hampshire to visit Haunted Overload at the DeMeritt Hill Farm in Lee, New Hampshire- which has become one of our favorite attractions in recent years. This past weekend marked the final days of the season, and the company opted for a “Lights Out” event for visitors after dark- meaning all the lights were turned off and you had to walk the trail in total darkness.

It was absolute murder on my nerves and vocal chords from screaming so much- but I really did have the best time!

Of course, no trip to the farm is complete without hot apple cider and apple cider doughnuts. Post-trail, our group indulged in both before we all headed back to Boston to turn the clocks back an hour and close out the night with some horror movies and scary video games- which is always the best time.

And now, with Halloweekend over and November in full-swing- it’s time to switch gears and get ready for the impending festive frenzy!

A little later on this week, I’ll have a peek at my Fall 2019 makeup collection, and a visit to some more unique and unusual attractions in the Pioneer Valley before it starts getting too cold to go outdoors!

But before that- I’ve got to get some work done at the office!

Enjoy the start of your week, everyone! Be strong and be brave. We’re going to get through this together!

xx

– Ashley –

October 2019: In a Nutshell

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on October 2019: In a Nutshell

Good Morning, Happy Thursday- and Happy Halloween, everyone!

Today is looking like it’s going to be a cold, rainy and windy one outside- but that hasn’t stopped me from reaching peak spooky spirit for tonight’s festivities! My apartment is decorated, I’ve got my bowl of candy prepared to put out for my neighbors- I’m dressed in something bone-chilling (but in actuality is quite warm for the weather!) and I’m ready to watch scary movies, eat pizza, and pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters with family and friends later on- as is tradition!

With tomorrow being the first day of November, and- sadly- it marking the beginning of the end of this most lovely of Fall seasons as Winter and the holidays draw closer and closer- I wanted to take some time to show my appreciation for my favorite month out of the year! October has always been one of the busier, more action-packed times of the year for me- and 2019 was no exception to that!

To keep things at peak-creepy when I wasn’t working- I made it a point to visit/photograph plenty of unusual (and potentially haunted) locations in New England/Massachusetts throughout October. Like this one, or this one, and this one, too– but I made sure to leave the poltergeists where I found them when it came time to share new recipe posts or peeks into some of my favorite mid-Fall finds in the depths of my closet.

I enjoyed capturing the New England foliage at it’s peak, spending a couple of days in Boston with someone beloved to see Bon Iver together– and hanging out with friends from work to marvel at thousands (literally) of jack-o-lanterns! And, of course- I enjoyed movies, meals and quality time with the people I care about when I could.

So, what’s in store for November? After the Halloween-related events wind down this weekend- it’s all bout preparing for Thanksgiving, Winter and beginning the process of reflecting on 2019 and my hopes for 2020 as the holidays are right around the corner!

I’ve got some more Autumn-inspired recipes to share, more cold weather outfits to pose in, and a little more local travel planned within the coming weeks (with some more live shows in my future!)– and I’m so excited to share it all here!

But for now, I’m going to get some work done from home- make sure I’ve got my backup candy on hand- and get ready for tonight! I’ll be back next week on my normal blogging schedule (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)– so be sure to check in!

Have a fun, safe, and thrilling Halloween, everybody! Go get that candy!

xx

– Ashley –

2 Spooky 4 U

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on 2 Spooky 4 U

Good Morning and Happy Friday, everyone!

After battling a 24 hour stomach bug for most of yesterday (I still managed to get a lot done despite feeling pretty awful at random intervals throughout the day,) I’m looking forward to getting some work done at my office today, retreating to my family’s home for a quiet night in with my mom and my dog- and heading to bed early! I need to get my strength up for Halloween next week, after all!

This past Wednesday night- some friends and I from work decided to get into the spooky season spirit with a beloved New England tradition- and we stopped by Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, Rhode Island for their annual Jack-O-Lantern Display Spectacular.

The trail, which winds through a waterfront section of the zoo- features thousands of intricately carved and painted pumpkins, Every year also has a different theme (decades, pop culture, historical moments, etc.) that artists base their designs around. This year it was the different seasons- as well as side themes of notable conservationists and a nod to Stan Lee & Marvel.

You can see some of the photos I snapped below. Click to enlarge any of them for a better view!

I had an absolute blast, and the weather held up nicely so it was great to take some extra time to really look at everything without freezing.

Before leaving, we made sure to grab some hot apple cider and kettle corn popcorn for the road- and then it was all the way back to the Valley for me!

Next week, the posting schedule will be a short one given that Halloween falls on Thursday- but I’ll have some of my favorite things from this past month up to share with you all on Tuesday- and a look back on this most wild and fun of Octobers as a whole with my “In a Nutshell” post!

But until then, enjoy your weekend ahead! I’m off to get some work done!

xx

– Ashley –