Roadside Rescues, White Edition

This past week, my roadside rescues have all been shades of white or silver-gray. First, I found these stackable shelves set out on the curb of a busy street. I think they're made by Bed, Bath, & Beyond.

They were a little dusty but perfectly good. And just a week before, I was wishing I had a little more storage in my closet.

Funny, how the Universe delivers! Attached to one of the shelves was this really big, industrial-looking clip (cell phone shows relative size):

I think I'm going to keep it for something in The Boy's room. He has a few industrial-type accents in his decor, and this would fit in nicely:

The next thing I found was sticking up out of a huge recycling bin. It's a plaster pedestal, some three feet tall:

It has a chunk out of one corner, but that doesn't detract from its Shabby Chic look, for me.

I'm going to work it into my garden decor eventually. For right now, it's just holding up a pot of chives:

Swanky chives shot:

And last, I found this decorative wooden column set next to the plaster column. I love its shape and chippy, textured paint:

I like pairing rough and crusty things next to items with smooth, glossy surfaces, like glass, lacquer, or highly polished furniture.

Can't wait to see what pops up for me next!

A Bit of Boston

When The Hubby and I went to Cape Cod recently, we also visited Boston.

Specifically, Cambridge.

Meaning, Harvard University.

Mostly to see the School of Divinity.

Because that's where Lovely Daughter #2 will be studying for her Master's, in a few short weeks.

I'm trying not to be sad that she's moving so far away.

It's a dream come true for her to be going to Harvard.

We are all very excited for her.

And--I have to admit--Boston looks like a fantastic city.

And Harvard? Like something out of a story book...

...actually, it looks a lot like Cambridge, England, where LD#2 spent a semester abroad.

While at Cambridge, we wandered into a ginormous street fair taking place all over several city blocks.

People were selling everything from cupcakes to keychains to schwarma.

Of course, I was interested in all the cute dogs. Boston--at least Cambridge--seems to have lots and lots of dogs.

Lovely Daughter #2 will like that.

This cutie was wearing a very preppy, very East Coast halter and leash.

See? Little lobsters!

Cambridge has Dunkin' Donuts everywhere. Like the way Los Angeles has Starbucks? Cambridge has Dunkin' Donuts.

And lots and lots of churches.

All sorts of churches.

Including churches that used to be churches but aren't churches any more.

But they're still around.

Being stuff like, oh, I dunno...the Harvard Graduate School of Design's auditorium.

Or something like that.

The Hubby and I saw the sublet that Lovely Daughter #2 will be staying in for the summer.

And we saw the place she'll be sharing with two other School of Divinity students, come this fall.

I'm not showing those exact buildings; something to do with privacy for our daughter, I suppose.

Or maybe the fact that the pictures I took of them turned out kinda...funky. So here's a picture of two shades of lilac, instead. Lilac was in bloom all over the city.

The houses where Lovely Daughter #2 will be living are in good neighborhoods. The summer sublet is in a more urban area. Walk out the front door, and a street filled with cafes, bodegas, shops, and teeny specialty stores greets you.

The fall rental is in a more suburban area. Walk out the front door and down the private little alley, and there are lots of single-family homes. Mixed in with two-and three-story apartment buildings. An elementary school is right down the block. A few minutes away by foot, all sorts of cafes and shops await.

Not to mention the sidewalk artist or two.

So, I'm working on not being sad that LD#2 is going off to grad school.

I'm going to concentrate on how I now have a great reason to visit a beautiful city!

That just happens to have a lot of tasty doughnuts.

Roadside Rescue, Little Tykes Division

This is what I found by a neighbor's trash can when I walked the dogs this morning. A super-cute, almost-new little BBQ for the toddler set.:

 I love how, when the "oven door" is down, it looks like it's making a bug-eyed "Blearghhh!" face:

If you push one of the little buttons on the front, the two burners below the white grill light up and flicker, and there's a mechanical noise that approximates the sound of a gas flame a-sizzling:

And just like a grown-up BBQ, the grill could use a little cleanup:

Sometimes that happens, when you're busy cooking plastic burger patties and plush-toy buns.