Event: Hometown Comfort XOXO

Event: Hometown Comfort

Our neighborhood is forever changed by the tragedy of April 15.  Dorchester is a community of action and determination and despite our grief and shock we are compelled to act.  We can all make a difference on May 19, 2013 at Hometown Comfort, a day for our community to honor victims and first responders by collecting needed blood for the Red Cross, raising money for The One Fund-Boston, and supporting one another with the embrace of a hometown. All proceeds benefit onefundboston.org.

The host committee includes: Victoria Reggie Kennedy, Mike and Kitty Dukakis, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino,University of Massachusetts Chancellor J. Keith Motely, Boston Globe Publisher Christopher M. Mayer, New England Council President Jim Brett and Author Dennis Lehane.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening event is Tom Ashbrook host of  NPR’s “On Point”  from WBUR Boston.

The Red Cross will conduct a blood drive from noon to 6 p.m. inside the IBEW Hall at 256 Freeport Street in Dorchester. From noon to 4 p.m., in an outdoor event tent, there will be games, food, raffles, and other activities for adults and children. Admission is $25 per family. From 6-9 p.m., the tent will be converted for an evening of comfort food, live entertainment, and a live auction. At least 20 restaurants and caterers are expected to participate. Admission is $75 per person. Buy tickets HERE.

www.facebook.com/hometowncomfortdot

Dorchester Children’s Book: Jack & Olive

… by Bekki

“What a beautiful book.”

Dorchester Resident Abbie Wanamaker’s 2nd Book

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow artist, mother, educator and book arts enthusiast.  Abbie Wanamaker and I have a lot in common, and we were supposed to be discussing her current Kickstarter campaign for Jack & Olive, but I ended up being completely distracted by the sample of her 2nd children’s book.   An amazing combination of Dorchester photography, illustration and collage, it was a delightful and elegant work of art … and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it.

For those of you new to Kickstarter, the website is a platform for creative people like Abbie who have a project to fund.  In this case, Abbie is not looking for a profit, she simply loves the idea of people reading her book, which is a thoughtful commentary on the importance of friendship.  Sponsors — like you perhaps? — can log onto Kickstarter, pledge $25 (which is the cost of printing each book at Acme Bookbinding in Somerville), and then as rewards, receive a hardbound signed copy of her book, as well as an invitation to the Jack & Olive signing party.

Her campaign for the limited printing of  Jack & Olive ends at 3pm on April 3rd, and Abbie’s dream is 87% funded.  If you are a lover of children’s books, owls named Olive, boys named Jack, or a just fan of supporting a local Fields Corner artist, then make a pledge and get a book.  Speaking from experience, you won’t be able to take your eyes off of it!

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http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1664311268/bringing-jack-and-olive-to-life

abbie.wanamaker@gmail.com

also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AbbieWanamaker

Twenty Five

WHAT: Pure Holiday Joy

Trim up the tree with Christmas stuff … Trim every house in Whoville from the cellar to the roof.

WHERE: The front yard of 392 Adams Street, private home of Mr. Trong Nguyen

Trong Nguyen, a true Holiday Light Artisan, has lovingly cut, painted and constructed many of the illuminated beauties that fill his lawn.

HOW MUCH: Free to the public from 5pm-11pm

Welcome, Christmas, bring your cheer. Cheer to all Whos far and near.

FOR: Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small …

It came without ribbons.  It came without tags.  It came without packages, boxes or bags … Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.  What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.  — Dr. Seuss

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Healthy 2013,

Leslie, Meghann and Bekki 

Three

Do you know someone with a song in their heart?  Give them the gift of music at Boston School of Music Arts.

What: Music instruction in … voice, piano, guitar, bass, drums, sax, violin, trumpet, songwriting, performance, and more!

Where: Lower Mills * 2258A Dorchester Ave * 617.690.3391 * http://www.BostonMusicArts.com

For: They offer private and group instruction to beginners to pros, adults to children.

Urban Gardens: Growing Moss Art

… dotted by Bekki

“A rolling stone gathers no … ”

I’ve always thought moss was magical.  As a child I imagined it a perfectly plush bed for my dolls, and now as a dignified mature adult I use it as … well … beds for fairy houses I build with my daughter.  Perhaps that is why I am so entranced with the idea of the “growing” genre of eco-art, which has been known to employ my favorite mossy brand of nature’s carpeting.

Photo courtesy of SuperNaturale

I also have a fascination with urban gardening.  One of my favorite parts about Dorchester in the summer, is spying the innovative ways residents transform tiny plots, planters, roofs and concrete jungles, into plush green homages to mother nature.

An Urban Moss Chair

So, Dorchester green-thumbs young and old … why not add some moss to your repertoire?  It turns out there is no magical pixie dust required.  Using a few items from the fridge, one can conjure up a paintable potion and apply it to just about any outdoor surface.  The possibilities are endless!

Moss Art by Anna Garforth

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Ingredients for Moss Paint Recipe

• One or two clumps (about a small handful) of moss
• 2 cups of buttermilk
  • You can also substitute with yogurt (vegan yogurt can be used)
• 2 cups of water (or beer)
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• Corn syrup (optional)

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Dorchester super-star, Sierra Rothberg (of Planet GOGA fame), organized this sweet event on Saturday. Don’t forget to BYOP (Bring Your Own Picnic)!

The First of Many Lasts

… dotted by Meghann

It’s that time of year; when parents and grandparents, aunts and uncles all over Dorchester and the world at large will sit back, scratch their heads and think, “Where did the time go?”… so at least I know that I’m not alone in what I’m feeling.

Tomorrow is my 3-year-old son’s last day at the daycare he’s attended for the past two years. And while he’ll undoubtedly miss Miss Cynthia and her staff, he’ll be attending camp at the Hyde Park YMCA this summer and next fall he’ll start at Ashmont Nursery School; he’s über-excited about the prospect of both.

Me on the other hand? I want to sit down and cry big, fat, salty tears because I know that this is just the first in a long line of “lasts” on the long/(short) road to his adulthood …

We Fancy … Summertime Plans

… dotted by the DottieHotties

“… and the livin’ is easy.”

Songs about summertime are never in short supply.  With longer days, and higher temperatures, even the meekest songbird is prone to belt out a tune about jumpin’ fish, two bare feet on a dashboard, or sitting back to rewind.  With the glow of July and August before us, we share with you our “hottest” Dorchester plans …

Leslie fancies … shaking it.

… ordering the best summer take out meal when it’s too hot to cook: fresh tofu spring rolls and pineapple shakes from Pho Hoa.

… tuning up and outfitting my new bike at  Ashmont Cycles, then cruising the Neponset River Trail and the closed Chickatawbut Road on Sundays.

… shaking my tail-feather at the Dot YMCA during Monday night Zumba!

… and being determined to make it to the Ashmont Grill’s buttery-shellfish-fest, “The Lobstah Bake” on August 12th.

Meghann fancies … filling up.

… make it to A Sweet Place in Fields Corner for some sugary treats.

… check out the new PS Gourmet Coffee – a South Boston chain – in Adams Village and try one of their famous breakfast sandwiches.

… trying Karma Longtin’s yoga classes at The Stitch House.

… and stopping in at Repeat Boutique on Pope’s Hill to see if there are any bits and baubles to supplement my boring maternity wardrobe.

Bekki fancies … splashing on.

… treating the kiddos to a creamy treat from the Sugar Bowl – we’ve never been!

… becoming splash park experts; our standby is the Spray Deck at Neponset Landing II, while there is a wonderful buzz about the new park off Centre Street behind St. Marks.

… meeting my newest fantastic facebook friend, Katie Ryan, of Katherine Jane Photography, in real time.

… and joining fellow DottieHottie Leslie in signing up for our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and becoming a regular at the Peabody Square Farmers Market every Friday afternoon (3pm-7pm).

We fancy … Rainy Day Dot Spots

… by the DottieHotties

“Who told you you’re allowed to rain on my parade?”

Rain can ruin everything; it negates your day at the park, your ability to wear suede, and instead of reaching for a healthy salad, you are forced to eat warm chocolate chip cookies, with frosting, and perhaps a side of peanut butter.  A day of gloomy weather can quite literally rain on  your parade.  Before you start wishing that rain-rain to go away, however, the sunny DottieHotties are here to tell you what we fancy about rainy days in Dorchester.

A Dorchester Rainy Day

Bekki fancies … a book with some spice.  

Leave it to the teacher to get all literal, but libraries have always held a special kind of magic for me.  My dad used to let us check out 2 books every Saturday, and now I enjoy watching my own kiddos explore the stacks — especially when the playground is soggy.  Dorchester boasts six branches of the Boston Public Library, more than any other part of the city!  On the way home, we’ll to stop for a treat at one of the cozy Flat Black cafes.  I melt at the mention of spicy chai tea, and my mini-dots both fancy a cookie from “the kangaroo sign”.

Leslie fancies … being cheesy.

My rainy day pick would be grilled cheese and tomato soup at The Plate.  I’ve been anxiously watching the little shop come to life during its renovations.  Located within view of the Red Line’s Central Avenue Station, it is a fantastically scrumptious lunch spot.  Stay tuned for a full post all about their delicious handcrafted comfort food.  With tummies full of warm cooking, my family fancies watching the river run fast from fresh rainfall on the Lower Mills bridge.

Meghann fancies … monkey business.  

My 3-year-old and I love to head over to the Gorilla House at the Franklin Park Zoo. It’s usually pretty quiet there when the weather’s grey so we get a front-row seat to watch the gorillas. After checking out Little Joe (my son’s favorite), the baby (my favorite) and the rest of the group, we wander through the rest of the complex and visit the ant-eater, the pygmy hippo and all the birds flying around the enclosures. Then, when the hunger bug hits, we drive over to The Mud House for hot chocolate and sandwiches … yum yum!

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“And when it rains on your parade, look up rather than down. Without the rain, there would be no rainbow.”
Gilbert K. Chesterton

For The OFD In Your Life…Dorchester Blankets & Mapkins

…Dotted by Leslie

Each week when I receive New York Magazine in the mail, the first thing I do is flip to the back of the issue to read the Approval Matrix which the Editors describe as, “Our deliberately oversimplified guide to who falls where on our taste hierarchies.” The Matrix always makes me laugh and has led me to great books, music, art, cool new products and yes, sometimes hilarious YouTube videos.

New York Magazine’s Approval Matrix

It was a recent Matrix that  led  me to the Soft Cities website while checking out a really cool map company, Stamen Design.  I haven’t made a Soft Cities purchase yet, but I’m coveting the CandyMap Blanket  for my own pint-sized OFDs (Originally From Dorchester) and wouldn’t the Mapkins make a lovely Dot Mama’s Mother’s Day Gift?? (hint, hint)

How about an OTB (Over The Bridge) Savin Hill blanket? Or Jones Hill napkins?  The ideas are endless …

The folks at Soft Cities will take a map of your favorite neighborhood (you simply give them the street address) and turn it into a cozy fleece (recycled) blanket  or 100% Kona cotton table napkins. You can feel good about this purchase too since the  printing is completely green: no toxic chemicals in the printing process, nor do they produce waste water.

Blanket

Mapkins

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Prices range from $65 – $175

www.SoftCities.com