Author: Kimsmithdesigns
Documentary filmmaker, photographer, landscape designer, author, and illustrator. "Beauty on the Wing: Life Story of the Monarch Butterfly" currently airing on PBS. Current film projects include Piping Plovers, Gloucester's Feast of St. Joseph, and Saint Peter's Fiesta. Visit my websites for more information about film and design projects at kimsmithdesigns.com, monarchbutterflyfilm.com, and pipingploverproject.org. Author/illustrator "Oh Garden of Fresh Possibilities! Notes from a Gloucester Garden."
Ruth Foley for Second Sunday Open Mic ~ This Sunday at The Hive
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team Update
Looks like we have wrapped up the field work for this year”s batch of vernal pond certifications. I think we will end up with 20, or so, applications. This year’s swampers were Nick Taomina, Matt Burne and me, with assistance from Matt Natti, Sheila Wilson, Herb Stillman, Dan Wells and Nick Holland.
The big office move is scheduled for this month:
We (CAVPT and Kestrel) are moving our office from 15 Lexington Ave. in Magnolia to Main St. Gloucester in Brown’s Mall right across from the police station. The plan is to do this on Saturday, May 17th. We will need help with this. If you have a truck or a van, we could use that too.
Start gathering your donations for the Big Giant Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team/Kestrel Educational Adventures Yard Sale.
Saturday May 24, 2014, 9am-1pm. St. Peter’s Square, Gloucester
Bring your donations to St. Peter’s Square at 7am on the morning of the sale. No TVs or computers please. We will need some volunteers to work at the sale too.
Next show:
Sunday May 18, 2014 2-3pm
Snakes of New England and the World- one hour live animal presentation.
The barn at Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, Ipswich MA
Guess what?… We’ll need volunteers.
And… here’s something:
As a result of the recent article in the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, ‘Two Rick Roths Walk Into A Bar…’, Rick Roth and I have been invited to be on WGBH, Boston Public Radio on Friday May 16th from 1:35-2pm. Tune in and hear me make a fool out of myself in a new medium.
Later, Rick
we only have one earth, save it
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Cape Ann Trails Stewards Annual Meeting
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Reminder ~ The Open Door Empty Bowl Dinner is Thursday, May 8th, Tomorrow!
Herb Wennerberg reminds everyone that the Open Door Empty Bowl Dinner is Thursday, May 8th, from 4 to 8pm at Cruiseport.
Herb submits this funny video from last year’s event, with footage of uninvited guest Homie, who not only eats someone else’s soup, he makes a terrible mess, and tries to take the pretty bowl with him! My goodness Homie, such bad manners!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
WOW!!! Awesome New Signs at Good Harbor Beach from the Friends of Good Harbor Beach
Paul McGeary writes for GMG:
“The city’s cleanup of its beaches continued this week. The work included installation of new signs at Good Harbor Beach. The signs, designed by Kathe German and Collette Knowlton of the Friends of Good Harbor organization will be erected at the main gate as well as at the Witham Street and Nautilus Road entrances to the beach. ”
Pictured are the installation crew, from left, Ed Parks, John Frost, Phil Curcuru, Dick Kelley and Joe Silva, along with Denton Crews of the Friends of Good Harbor.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Gloucester Public Schools Arts Festival! ~ Saturday May 10th from 10am- 3pm
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Wellspring House 16th Annual Women Honoring Women Luncheon
Wellspring Supporters, left to right: Maggie Rosa, Dale Brown, Jan Bell (honoree), Frances Ferrante, and State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante
Kay O’Rourke Introducing Sara Hall
This year Jan Bell, Libby Hayes, and Sara Hall were recognized with the Wellspring Award for their legacies of service. Sara Hall was also the keynote speaker.
Patty Philbrick
There were 700 women attending the luncheon. After listening to the deeply inspiring stories of courage shared by four Wellspring participant speakers, I don’t think there was a dry eye there.
Wellspring’s President and Executive Director Kay O’Rourke writes in the program,”Together we find expression for our passions and talents in this great work we call Wellspring House. Together we bind up the wounded, mend the broken-hearted, house the homeless, and liberate minds through education.”
Corporate Sponsor Briar Forsythe, proprietor of Willowdale Estate (right) and Willowdale’s COO Melissa Thunberg
Jane Fonzo, Frances Ferrante, and Ann-Margaret Ferrante
Honoree Libby Hayes
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Home-Scale Ecological Design Workshop
Alex Sands, who is the husband of GMG super FOB Lidi Sands, is holding a two day workshop on permaculture and ecological design. For all the details, read more from Alex:
I would like to invite you to an upcoming event in which I think that you may be interested. I am co-hosting a two day workshop titled “Learn How to Transform Your Landscape into a Garden of Eden: Home-Scale Ecological Design” on May 24 and June 21.
Permaculture and ecological design are design systems which use principles which facilitate health and abundance in natural ecosystems to enhance human systems. This workshop will look at the principles of permaculture and walk through the steps of the ecological design process. Participants will learn to identify and articulate their goals, assess their site and create conceptual and master plans.
I am co-hosting this event with Kay Cafasso, an extraordinary permaculture educator from Western Massachusetts. The presentation will take place at the Lanesville Community Center on Saturdays, May 24 and June 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost for this two day workshop is $150.00. Please see our flyer below.
I hope to see you there!
Thank you,
Alex
—
Annisquam Landcare, Inc.
183 Main Street
Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 282-3323
AnnisquamLandcare.com
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Don’t Miss the Seaside Garden Club’s Plant Auction on Tuesday May 13th
Kate Wilwerth from the Seaside garden Club writes:
Hi Kim – our big auction is coming up on the 13th. Thanks so much for your ongoing support!
The Seaside Garden Club’s Plant Auction will take place on Tuesday, May 13th at the Manchester Community Center. Doors open for a preview at 6:00 pm and the Auction begins promptly at 7:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served. Don’t miss the chance to purchase the garden club’s prized perennials and beautiful one of a kind garden art. Donations from many local businesses will be auctioned off as well plants. Ryan & Wood Distilleries, Neptune’s Harvest, Utopia Farms, Wolf Hill, Marshall’s Farm Stand, Chapman’s Florist, and Sea Meadow Gifts are among the generous businesses that have donated their goods to the auction. Our members have been hard at work dividing their tried and true perennial plants and creating garden art. Support the Seaside Garden Club and come home with great plants and beautiful planters full of flowers that will grace your home with beauty!
Plant donations are welcome. Donations can be dropped off at the Community Center (please leave them outside at side entrance closest to the parking lot) any time on Monday the 12th or Tuesday the 13th. Please dig up generous clumps (the more exotic plant types the better!) you mark with plant name and care instructions. This is the Seaside Garden Club’s only fund raiser and 100% of the proceeds go to fund our terrific programs and community service projects throughout the year.
The Seaside Garden Club meets the second Tuesday of every month, September through June at the Manchester Community Center. Membership is open to all. We already have a great line up of programs for next year. The club will kick off our program next year with a 45 year anniversary celebration, followed by workshops, demonstrations and interesting speakers. Visit our blog at: Seaside Garden Club
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Red White and You Contest to Fund Our Fireworks
Melissa Cox shares a link to win a contest sponsored by Destination America to help fund our fireworks display. She writes, “Can you please share this link to a contest to support our wonderful Gloucester Fireworks show on the 3rd of July? You can vote once a day until May 16th.”
Red, White, and You People’s Choice
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Pajama Storytime at the Sawyer Free Library Tonight
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Our Most Heartfelt Congratulations to the 2014 Gloucester Citizenship Award Winners!!!
Back row left to right: Martin Klugman, Joe Novello, Jim Flint, Terry Sands, Barry McKay, and John McElhenny
Front row left to right: Maggie Rosa, Linn Parisi, Donna Ardizonni, and Ann Straccia
To receive a Gloucester Citizenship Awards is a very special honor and it is truly only bestowed upon the most deserving. At the award ceremony last night the love and positive energy had by family and friends for these outstanding Gloucester citizens was palpable. 
Melissa Cox presenting Donna’s award, and sharing a funy story about removing dead seagulls from the beach.
Here at GMG we are very proud of all the recipients, but especially, especially proud that our own Donna Ardizonni was nominated for her good work with the One Hour at a Time Gang. 
We are very proud too of our GMG super FOB and friend John McElhenny for his stellar job in spearheading the Burnham’s Field improvements and in turning it into a gorgeous new community playground, garden, and park.
Mike English Honoring Terry Sands
On a personal note, I am also very proud that a very dear friend, Terry Sands, is one of this year’s honorees, for his extraordinary work directing (along with his co-director Mary Curtis) the fabulous Annisquam Village Players, for the past TWENTY- SEVEN YEARS!
Kay Ellis Honoring Linn Parisi for her work with Discover Gloucester
Each winner was honored by a friend or colleague and it was wonderful to learn about the roles they have played in making our beautiful community all the more beautiful. Gloucester is a very special place to call home and it is people like this year’s 2014 Citizenship Award recipients that make our city profoundly unique and, simply awesome! Our most heartfelt congratulations to the 2014 Citizenship Award winners!!!
Jim Flint for his work with the Lanesville Community Center
Marty Krugman for the Schooner Adventure
Joe Novello for the Saint Peter’s Fiesta
Barry McKay for the Rose Baker Senior Center
Maggie Rosa for City Hall Restoration and the Gloucester Educational Foundation
Anne Straccia’s Rescue Beagle Ellie
McElhenny Family
AVP Family
Sefatia Romeo Thekan and Ann Margaret Ferrante
Sefatia for Terry!
Donna and Rick and Family
Sefatia and Terry
McElhenny Family and AVP Family
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Gloucester Writer’s Center May Line-up, with Our Own Joey C Discussing Blogging at the Rocky Neck CulturalCenter
Sat., May 10 7:30pm
Cultural Center at Rocky Neck
6 Wonson Street
THOREAU ON ROCKY NECK
Suggested Donation $10
No one turned away for lack of funds
Join actor/educator Jay DiPrima, for this spirited and thought provoking reading of
Henry David’s Thoreau’s lecture on
Economy.
GLOUCESTER DIGGERS SERIES
David Rich
Wed., May 14 7:30
GWC 126 East Main Street
The Hiring and Dismissal of a
Black Teacher in 1950’s Gloucester
Come hear, speak and see
Joey Ciaramitaro, Steve Brettler, Greg Gibson, Martin Ray and Kathleen Valentine talk about
B L O G G I N G .
Tues. May 20th 7:30
Cultural Center at Rocky Neck
Robert Podgurski
Wandering On Course to a Gestalt Poetics
Thurs. May 29th 6:30pm Ravenswood Park
Space is limited so Email Annie to reserve a spot.
Donation at will
After the walk come to a reading by Bob at the GWC at 8:00pm
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Snapshots from belle + me at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center
Fun, French, and Flirty is belle + me’s tagline and their vibrant Spring/Summer collection was all that and more! Photos from Friday’s opening ~
EJ writes, “Created by Anne Malvaux and Lisa LeVasseur, belle + me is a French-inspired line of cool scarves and cooler jewelry. Their hand-made pendants are one of a kind and they use “repurposed” metal, beads, and fabric when possible. These pendants are designed to be worn on their unique line of scarves, in a multitude of colors and designs.”
Read EJ’s previous Artist Spotlight post about belle + me here
Anne and her family are so photogenic and it was lots of fun taking snapshots. Best of luck with belle + me Lisa and Anne!
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Pure Whimsy!
What a treat to see Willowdale’s event tent decorated in Anthony D’Elia’s wonderfully fun and whimsical design for Thursday’s “Power of the Purse.” Upon arriving, I felt as though I had stepped into a Georges Lepape French fashion illustration from the early 1900s, when Orientalism was all the rage and summer garden fêtes were decorated in kind, and to the nines. 
The morning after the event, while the Willowdale crew and I were installing a new embroidered velvet curtain for the tent, I had the opportunity to meet Anthony as he and his staff were dismantling the decor. Anthony and his company, Revelation Productions, are responsible for many of the most stunning and beautifully produced special events held at Willowdale and venues throughout the North Shore and New England. Their creative and technical event services included imaginative décor, custom audio design, full spectrum video services, and gorgeous lighting. Visit their website for more information about Revelation Productions here.
The first two photos show how the parasols and lighting looked in daylight; below you can see how they appeared after sunset. I wasn’t the only one utterly captivated by the décor and Anthony received high praise from Briar, the Willowdale staff, and all attendees for his magical parasol and branch design.
Briar Forsythe, proprietor of Willowdale, donated the tent, her signature refreshments, and stellar staff to the “Power of the Purse,” as did Anthony donate his time and décor to the event. See previous posts about the Power of the Purse here.
* * *
Georges Lepape (1887-1971) was a French fashion designer and illustrator, engraver, poster artist, book illustrator, costume, and textile designer. He collaborated and designed many covers for leading magazines of the day including Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper’s Bazaar, Femina, and The Art Sheets. See several more Georges Lepape illustrations here: Continue reading “Pure Whimsy!”
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
CONGRATULATIONS to The Women’s Fund of Essex County for a Fabulously Successful “Power of the Purse”!!!
Lana Rudym, current President of the North Shore Women in Business and Sarah Boucher, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager, Willowdale Estate
Last night’s The Women’s Fund of Essex County’s “Power of the Purse” event, hosted by Willowdale Estate, was a smashing success. There were over 200 guests in attendance and you could feel the positive energy emanating from women helping women. Since 2003, The Women’s Fund of Essex County has awarded $825,000.00 in grants promoting and empowering women and girls. Read more about The Women’s Fund of Essex County here.
Briar Forsythe, proprietor of Willowdale Estate, generously donated the venue, Willowdale signature refreshments, and outstanding staff.
Anthony D’Elia, owner of Revelation Productions, donated the stunning lighting and parasol design decor for the event. More about Anthony in an upcoming Antennae for Design post.
Kim Smith “May Basket” design for the courtyard urns.
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
belle + me Spring Show at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center!
REMINDER- IT’S TOMORROW- FRIDAY MAY 2, 2014 from 6:00 to 9:00pm at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center!
What kind of new scarf will you discover at belle+me’s spring show at the Rocky Neck Cultural Center from 6:00 to 9:00pm.
Rich fabrics, vibrant colors, and subtle sophistication with a little touch of hipster describe our 2014 spring/summer collection to a tee. Or as we like to say; gypsy meets preppy. Imagine a combination of these two unique styles and you have the latest offerings from belle+me.
We can not wait to see you!
Anne Malvaux-Ouellette and Lisa LeVasseur
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Top Native Bee Friendly Plants
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Below is a list of some favorite nectar- and pollen-rich bee-friendly North American wildflowers for attracting native bees and honey bees to your gardens. They are listed in order of bloom time, from spring through late summer, to provide your foragers with nourishment all growing season long.
Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia rotundifolia)
Wild strawberry (Fragaria viginiana)
Wild Blue Lupine (Lupinus perennis)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Marsh Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Sunflower (Helianthus annus)
Obedient Plant (Physostegia virginiana)
Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
New York Ironweed (Veronia noveboracensis)
New England Aster (Aster novae-angliae)
Sailor Stan Sunflower (Helianthius annus)
Joe-pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum)
New York Ironweed (Veronia noveboracensis)
Spread The GMG Love By Sharing With These Buttons:
Bonsai and Lecture Demonstration at the Sawyer Free Library
Good Morning Gloucester 