Swan Boats & Lobsters & Postcards...Oh My!

I'm back home and I'm not that happy about it.
We sure packed a lot of fun into ten days. So much fun that the ephemera just mostly got stashed in the pages of my travel journal loosely....

But -- that's ok because I have already finished a lot of the glueing and pasting since getting home on Tuesday night. It is fun re-living my trip.

But, looking at everything is making me wish I could turn around and fly back...

Boston was really fun, even though it rained on me. Last time it snowed so rain is better...

I scored some vintage ephemera to stash inside my journal too. What would she think of all this?
I wonder.

I think Boston has some of the best postcards I've seen...I love the airmail envelope theme they've got going on...I wish all cities had such cool postcards.

In case you're wondering, the big newsstand in Harvard Square (Cambridge) had them all.

The Boston Tea Party?

Bring on the Tea Party stamps!

The rain stopped and we had a wonderful walk around the Boston Garden. I always say hello to George Washington when I am in town.
My husband refused to go on a swan boat ride with me though....

We spent the rainy day at the Gardner Museum -- a favorite. 

I recommend a visit if you visit Boston....it is near the Museum of Art so you can hit both of them on the same day. Especially if it's raining. Or, snowing. I've been there for both...

These are not San Francisco restaurants.
If you visit, I like Legal Seafoods and Atlantic Fish.

Lobster!!!!!!!
Enough said.

I wanted to cram everything in one post but it would be too long so stay tuned for for Richmond/Petersburg party of the trip next.
And, my travel journal is really rolling along so if you want to see that, raise a hand! Or, a lobster claw.

Real life. 
I prefer vacation.

What has everyone been doing while I've been gone?
SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Another Kind of Desktop

Budapest

I can work almost anywhere -- which is good since my studio is still all torn up. I have a plan for setting up my Gelli block in my kitchen in Saturday and letting those paints fly...or drip..or whatever.
Here are some desktops where I've worked during the last year or so....
I like the way they look.

Portland, OR

A cappuccino or coffee is always nice to have on hand. And paper ephemera. Lots of ephemera.

Prague

I actually don't pack up much to bring with me on my travels about town (or far away). I like to tear paper rather than cut and mostly I bring glue sticks and double stick tape....and madly pick up stuff as I move through the day....

Santa Barbara

St Petersburg, Russia

There wasn't as much paper around to pick up in Russia...but what I did find was super cool since I loved the way the Cyrillic writing looked.

Portland

Istanbul, Turkey

The Turkish writing is very cool too. And so was writing while listening to the Call to Prayer coming in through the open windows.....

Washington, DC

Los Angeles, CA

Palma, Italy
Sitting and writing by the fireplace in Parma was wonderful until the bug bit me!

Boston, MA

New York City

Seattle, WA

Pasadena, CA

Milan, Italy

You can always get coffee in Italy --  Grazia Dio!

Budapest, Hungary

I like taking it on the road. Packing my mail art kit is a lot more fun than packing clothes. And I love picking up every scrap of ephemera I find and tearing it up and pasting it in to my travel journals, collages and postcards.
I love the look of a happily messy desktop while on the road.

Am I alone on this?
How many of you cut and paste while traveling?
Keep a travel journal?
Make mail art?
Set up a work table in every hotel room?
Anybody taking a trip?

Tell me what your desktops look like!

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Postcards and the Snow

Postcards from Boston!
They sure do have some cool postcards in Boston -- I loved these.
Can you see some have vintage stamps and airmail stripes on them?
I also got Boston Baked Bean, Clam Chowder and Lobster postcards.
Beantown is a good postcard town. Sorry this photo is a little blurry but  I think I was shivering from the cold.

Ok--now here is my question--how many of you would leave a nice, warm hotel room to go out in this?

And step over this slush?

And almost get hit from flying crud from THIS?

Just to get to this?
I would.....In fact, the miserable weather gave us an excuse to spend hours at the wonderful
Boston Museum of Fine Arts
The museum has a wonderful new wing and the collection is huge. Three cafes to choose from
and the postcard show.

Vintage French Postcard from the show showing a postcard shop in Paris. What I wouldn't give to be able to go back in time and shop there. My idea of heaven.
Just look at all those beauties.

There is a catalog available to buy of the show but sadly many of my favorite postcards aren't in the book.
Still, it is worth buying or getting from the library.
Postcard Fest
Now that would have been fun to go to......

Kind of nasty, don't you think?

If you are anywhere near Boston I highly suggest you get yourself to this show. There are over 500 cards in the show. It is really wonderful. And the museum is lovely and huge and you can easily spend most of a day there.
Especially if it is snowing.

Boston Outgoing Postcards
I got myself back to the room and had fun tearing and pasting and collaging on the backs of the postcards I bought.
No, I really can't leave well enough alone. Besides, it's fun.

OUTGOING Collaged Card
Here's a close-up of one...

Do I have to go back out AGAIN??? To the post box?? On the icy sidewalk?
Just to mail the postcards?

A certain person enticed me with the promise of a lobster dinner so it was well worth the trek
in the cold and snow.
This is not something I get to have in San Francisco.

This is the dress I wore out to dinner. How do you like it? Rather fetching, I'd say.

Next stop washington, DC and the Postal Museum.