Day: November 14, 2014

Live Blogging From The Famous “Mariposa Warehouse Sale”

Posted on by Sista Felicia

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The first Diehard Mariposa shoppers arrived at 3pm today!

#1 in line

Congratulations to Shannon & Lauren Butt, Nancy, Amanda & Erin McMorrow and Roberta Spence(Grammy) From Pelham NH and Belchertown Ma. These lucky ladies will be the first shoppers through the warehouse door at 8pm tomorrow morning!

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Tonight these ladies will keep warm in their car knowing their #1 spot in line is secured!

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My girlfriends Tanya Frost, Lori Simpson, and Alli Battle were the second group of shoppers who arrived at 3:20 this afternoon and secured the #7,#8 & #9 spots in line

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Several groups of women have already gathered in line, and a steady flow of cars continue to steam into the parking lot

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…Mariposa shoppers don’t mess around when it comes to tailgating on the Eve Of “Female Super Bowl”… they come prepared with heat lamps, cocktails, and wine!

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Ladies….Don’t forget to start your cars often.. to prevent draining your car battery!

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Shoppers from  Rye NH, Gloucester, Chelmsford, Brighton, Salem, Newburyport, Newton, Pelham, and Belchertown Ma. are currently camped out at The Blackburn Industrial Parking Lot waiting for the BIG SALE to begin!

 

 

Limoncello Making: Part Two

Posted on by Kimsmithdesigns

See Part One Here

Last night we strained and bottled (and sampled!) out-of-this-world-delicious limoncello. The first time I had ever tasted limoncello that I found to be enjoyable was while filming at the Groppo Family’s Feast of Saint Joseph celebration. Nina serves her icy cold homemade limoncello in the traditional tiny glasses and I think it is so much better tasting than commercially bottled preparations. The flavor of her limoncello is intensely lemony fresh, sweet, and tart all at the same time, without the alcohol burn on the way down.

limoncello making ©Kim Smith 2014

The limoncello doesn’t look that appetizing in the pre-bottled stage.

As part of the film’s sequence on Feast preparations, Nina and friends Cathy Gunn, Kathy Pratl, and Jane Beddus very graciously agreed to allow me to film during the different steps of limocello-making, along with inviting me to participate and make my own batch! Nina and her family and friends have been so wonderfully helpful and accommodating with Gloucester’s Feast of Saint Joseph Community Film Project and I will be eternally grateful. Making limoncello with these sweet ladies has been so much fun and a wonderful reminder of the delight and joy that comes from sharing a project with friends.

Cathy Gunn, Nina Groppo, Kathy Pratl, Jane Beddus ©Kim Smith 2014

Catherine Gunn, Nina Groppo, Janer Beddus, and Kathy Pratl

After bottling, we sampled each other’s batches, the reason being that they were all made in slightly different ways; several types of lemons were used, some had more vodka, and some had more simple syrup. Kathy pointed out that the because the recipe is so super simple, the only real error in making would be if you were to grate the lemons to close to the pith, which would make the beverage bitter.

Nina Groppo Kathy Pratl © Kim Smith 2014

Needless to say, we had a ball sampling all, as well as indulging in the beautiful array of cookies and treats prepared by Nina. To see more photos visit Jane Beddus’s FB page here.

The sieve we found to be the easiest and most effective for straining the pulp was a simple wooden flour sifter, used with cheese cloth, that Nina had purchased in Italy (see below in the Vine).

Chestnuts ©Kim Smith 2014Nina served hot, freshly roasted chestnuts. To remove the shell, simply give the chestnut a slight whack. The nut opens and the meat is easily removed by hand.

Harbor Goods Anniversary Sale

Posted on by Donna Ardizzoni

November 29, 2013 Black Friday shopping Life is Good

SATURDAY – 10th ANNIVERSARY SALE – 10am to 8pm. We began our adventure at 33 Main Street so for every $33 you spend on regular priced items, we’ll take off $10. Spend $33, save $10. Spend $66, save $20, etc. Stop by for refreshments and take part in a Main Street scavenger hunt for clues to win a free gift with purchase. Thanks to every one of our fans for your support. We’re still here because of YOU.

Jamie Wyeth Exhibit Boston Museum of Fine Arts ends December 28

Posted on by paultmorrison

Son of Andrew, well worth the trip. Goya downstairs if the copious amounts of Jamie do not do the trick. If you like Jack Russell Terriers you have to check it out. And Seagulls, lots of seagulls, JFK, Andy Warhol and Nureyev’s large member.

Goya did a bunch of portraits which I had never seen. Compare the size of his head to body length then go over into the American Gallery and check out the portraits there. I always thought the early American portraits were botched a bit because they were not trained in getting the head size right.I thought you needed to shrink them on huge canvas but not too much. Now I am not so sure. Big canvas and sometimes the head goes too big. Check out John Singleton Copley over in the American Gallery as well as compare heads that Jamie Wyeth did.

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I did not actually touch this seagull’s butt. But I will use it for tomorrow’s meme on G+ #seagullbuttsaturday.
Pride
The Seven Deadly Sins as portrayed by Seagulls. This would be Pride.
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Jamie painted this circle on my face and then I took a Selfie. At first I was a bit put off but now I like it. Can I show you my tramp stamp?

 

Organ Recital at Gloucester’s UU Church Tommorow (SAT)

Posted on by Vickie & Peter

UUOrganRecital

The Meetinghouse 2014-15 Concert & Lecture Series continues tomorrow night, November 15th, with Robert Wech playing the 1893 Hutchings-Fisk pipe organ in organ works by Bach, Walond, Franck and Mendelssohn.  The concert starts at 7:30pm and will be followed by a reception.  General Admission is $15/$12 Seniors & Students.

You are invited to park in the church yard, entering between the stone pillars at the corner of Middle & Church Street.  The handicap accessible entrance is at the side entrance, 10 Church Street.  Doors open at 7:00pm.

The concert is sponsored by a gift from Judith A. Williams in memory of her husband Robert M. Williams.  All proceeds will go towards the ongoing restoration of the building, a centerpiece of the Harbortown Cultural District, Gloucester’s oldest (1806), largest and last remaining Meetinghouse.

The grand instrument played in this concert is one of the most distinguished pipe organs on Cape Ann, built for the Universalist Church in 1893 by George Hutchings, who was also the builder of the original pipe organ for Symphony Hall in Boston.  The organ was refurbished by C.B. Fisk, Inc., the world-renowned Gloucester pipe organ firm, in 1962.  Robert Wech is a graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, taught music in public schools for over 30 years, and is the newly appointed Music Director of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church.

REVIEW ABOUT THE ORGANIST:

“A seasoned and natural performer, Bob Wech demonstrates his great sensitivity to historic American pipe organs by carefully choosing repertoire and registrations that feel entirely at home.  His long experience as a teacher and music director, including the RC Cathedral in Scranton, PA and two Synagogues, is evident in the nuanced way he uses the key-action, winding, and unique sounds of the pipe organ to accurately bring the music to life.”

The Clock Is Officially Ticking…The Countdown to The Famous “Mariposa Warehouse Sale” Has Officially Begun!

Posted on by Sista Felicia

 

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m7**INPORTANT MARIPOSA WAREHOUSE SALE INFO**

Dear Sista Felicia,

The Warehouse Sale is this Saturday, November 15th. It begins at 8 a.m., but as you know, the line forms much earlier. Due to safety concerns from prior sales we are providing bags this year.  One bag per person will be handed out at the door. No outside bags will be brought into the sale. The bags are a good size, dimensions are as follows:

Depth: 13

Height: 11

Max. load: 55 lb

Volume: 20 gallon

I saw your live blog and pictures from last year. Looked like your group was having fun! We would be happy to have you cover the event for GMG and take some photos of the people waiting in line, prior to the sale

Best,

Laura

Laura Mackin Marketing Manager MARIPOSA

Cucudiata fig cookies (16)

 I believe everything taste better when served on Mariposa!

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The Famous Mariposa Warehouse Sale started on School Street in the church hall of Scared Heart Parish in Manchester By The Sea Massachusetts. Over the years as the popularity of “Mariposa” grew, so did its sale. What originated in a small church hall once per year, moved to Gloucester, for a biannual warehouse sale at the Elks Club. After quickly outgrowing the Elks Club, the Mariposa sale was moved to a Mariposa Warehouse located on Pond Road in Gloucester, and shortly after to it ‘s most recent and current sale location at the Mariposa Warehouse in Gloucester’s Blackburn Industrial Park.

I vividly remember attended my first sales in the church hall with my mother, and Aunt Karen. After thinking about my found memories of waiting in line for hours, in all kinds of weather, chatting it up with women about past sales and the newest collectable pieces we all hopped to be lucky enough to get out hands on to purchase year after year, I realized that the sale its self has truly become a celebrated tradition for women on Cape Ann.  

For years, this Mariposa Warehouse Event has brought droves of women together from near and far, to do what they commonly love to do; Shop, Socialize, and Score awesome bargains. By the time warehouse sales had moved from the Elks Club to the warehouse locations, several of my girlfriend’s had caught the Mariposa Fever and were regularly attending the sales with me each year. The Sale quickly became a special BFF thing we call our “Female Super Bowl!”  

Just as our husbands plan their Super Bowl Parties, we “women” begin planning our “Female Super Bowl” gatherings complete with an overnight Tailgating Pre-Sale Celebration, as soon as the sale date is announced by the company!

 My girlfriends and I have spent many nights standing out in the cold waiting in line huddled together, wrapped in blankets sitting on beach chairs, surrounded by laundry baskets and duffel bags sipping warm beverages and an occasional glass of wine or two, having lengthily conversations about strategizing to get your hands on that one most desirable Mariposa piece needed to complete your collection!

The Mariposa Company definitely holds the record for the fastest sales of inventory in America. Within minutes, (….and I mean minutes), of the warehouse doors opening, the prized Mariposa inventory is wiped out and spoken for by diehard Mariposa shoppers/Fans !  See you at the sale tomorrow!

 

Photos above from Cape Ann Magazine 2012 & 2013

Clink below to see their beautiful collection’s.

http://www.mariposa-gift.com/

Kent Circle Christmas Tree photos from Joe Novello

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey
Ringo Tarr and Joe Novello traveled to Nova Scotia to pick up the
Christmas  tree for Kent Circle. these are the photos Joe and Ringo

      Best Anthony Marks

Strange Magic

Posted on by Nichole S.

Someone commented “Bah Humbug! Get in the spirit!” to a post that I wrote the other day about the fact that Santa has already taken up residency at the North Shore Shopping Center.  To the contrary….I’m well on my way towards making sure that this holiday season is as magical for my boys as possible. Although, I sincerely did appreciate the kick in the butt…as sometimes I do need it.

While I have totally begun my holiday planning, I try to keep the holidays a bit under wraps for the boys until Thanksgiving.  We’ve made a Thanksgiving night tradition out of making popcorn and hot cocoa, spreading out sleeping bags, and watching The Polar Express for the past several years.  For us…that is the true beginning of the holiday season. That also happens to be the evening that jolly, little “Jingle the Elf” sneaks back into the house to oversee the boys’ behavior and keep the big S privy to the going ons of the dynamic Schrafft duo.  And then, the day after Thanksgiving, we go out and tag and decorate our Christmas Tree at the tree farm (and then let it sit and simmer prior to going back to chop it down)…..another favorite day of ours for sure!  In my humble opinion, 7 or 8 weeks of holiday excitement kind of detracts from the specialness of the season. Too much of a good thing, and all.  For pete’s sake, that is 1/6 of the entire year! For us, the four weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas is perfect!  And…we do those 4 weeks BIG.

For starters, an overnight trip to NYC to skate at Rockefeller Center and to see the tree, lights, and decorations is already booked (thanks to a pretty sweet Groupon)….as is a trip to ride on the Polar Express up in New Hampshire. A really special thing for little ones to do. My iCal on my Mac is all loaded with no fewer than a dozen important holiday festivities and I’ve already lamented the fact that we can’t see Santa on the Beauport Princess while simultaneously watching him arrive by lobster boat in Rockport Harbor.  The two appearances overlap by just enough time to make doing both impossible.  Never mind the lies that would have to be told to explain how Santa actually did both.  Magic….I know.

I won’t share more of those events/activities with you yet…as they are bound to reveal themselves in some upcoming “Picks of the Weekend” posts over the course of the next several Thursdays.

A whopping 4 stocking stuffers have been purchased….along with three teacher gifts.  I have a “sticky” on my desktop all organized with a T and an F and a B (for both) to be uber organized about which gifts have been ordered…and for whom (with the boys being exactly 2 years apart…they get some gifts that are actually meant for them to share…hence the B column).  I have items in virtual shopping bags locked and loaded at Under Armour, Nike, and Dick’s Sporting Goods.  Likewise, my eBay “watch” list is growing with NWT (new with tag) items to be bid on.  I’ve also started to DVR Christmas movies as they begin to get listed.  Game On, peeps.

Christmas is indeed starting to take shape….and commercials like this one are starting to give me the warm fuzzies.

Phyllis A relaunch and quick haul

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

Hi Joey,

We had an exciting and a bit tense time at GMR on Tuesday.  The Phyllis A, who had been up on the rails for 3 months, was relaunched, quickly moved over to the next bay (guys on ropes moving her) and hauled out on the travel lift.   She had not been re-caulked before the relaunch as we anticipate taking many of the planks off pretty quickly. We expected a bit of leakage, and were not disappointed.  Doug Parsons figured she took on about 4000 gallons before she got positioned on the travel lift.  Doug had 3 pumps running to try to keep up.   Joe Maletti lifted her up slowly to let the water drain to reduce her weight before the final haul out.   We all crossed our fingers hoping she would stay together on the lift.   She made it through with flying colors.  Richie Arnold, the Phyllis A’s last captain was on hand for the excitement.

The Phyllis A was moved over behind  the Gloucester Marine Railway office building on Wednesday.   She’ll be there as we complete the next phases of reconstruction.   Saturday, Doug and I will be aboard photographing the fo’c’sle so we have photo documentation of her layout before de-construction.   We plan to use those photos later to aid in accurate re-constsruction.  We encourage everyone to come by and visit the Phyllis A as she has her face-lift.   Please visit the Phyllis A website at www.phyllis-a.org if you are interested in learning more about the Phyllis A , upcoming events, or volunteering in her restoration.  We also  have 2 FaceBook pages, the Phyllis A Marine Association and Friends of the Phyllis A Marine Association.  I’ll be doing regular photo posting on FaceBook as the restoration continues.

The Phyllis A Marine Association is also excited to welcome Beth Welin as our Education Director.  Beth’s high energy and creative ideaswill be a wonderful fit for our mission to promote the history and importance gillnetting in Gloucester.

Mary Barker

Friday November 14th , 2014 Cape Ann Weather…

Posted on by Peter J Lovasco

Marine Forecast :

Tonight SW winds 5 to 10 kt…becoming NW after midnight. Seas 2 to 4 ft. A chance of rain this evening… Then rain and snow after midnight with vsby 1 to 3 nm.
Fri NW winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt. Seas 2 to 4 ft. A chance of rain.

Pod Cast Weather :
http://www.spreaker.com:80/episode/5207243

Hourly Forecast :

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Friends of Seacoast Holiday Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 9AM-1PM

Posted on by Joey Ciaramitaro

SEACOAST NEWS November 2014

Thank you to the Friends of Seacoast!

The Friends of Seacoast have recently provided our facility with a special Halloween Variety Show with exceptional entertainment provided by the Big Smile Entertainment Company, Dinner Theater and weekly concerts.

We are looking forward to many upcoming events with the support of the Friends of Seacoast including A Veteran’s Day Celebration, Baby Farm Animal visits, Dinner Theater with entertainment and special foods, outings, weekly concerts and more……

The Friends of Seacoast Holiday Bazaar is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 9AM-1PM. This special event will Feature a Cookie Walk,, Raffles, White Elephants, Many professional vendors and Santa visits. All Donations to white elephant table will be accepted.
Community Welcome Snow or Shine!

The Friends of Seacoast enhance the resident’s lives at the Seacoast Nursing and Rehabilitation Center with hours of enjoyment by providing the finances needed for the special entertainment, supplies and community outings.

Any and all donations to “The Friends of Seacoast” are gratefully accepted.
The Friends of Seacoast are grateful for the gifts received in honor of loved ones.

The next Friends of Seacoast Meeting will be held on Tuesday, November 11th at 6:00PM.

The Cape Ann Museum artistic expression projects have included
museum tours and art demonstations within the Seacoast facility.
The CAM Connections next scheduled visit to Seacoast and art project will be November 6th at 2:00PM.

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