Author: S.D. Kelly

A Bit of France on Cape Ann

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

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No need to trek across the Atlantic to find French-made soaps and linens – you can just pop over to Rockport, where you’ll find La Provence right at 4 Main Street.  La Provence is a Rockport institution, a store that has been a downtown fixture for many years now and a place where in-the-know locals go to find the most amazing tableware, linens and soaps on the East Coast.  The soaps at La Provence are triple-milled, all-natural and use only essential oils.  Such details matter because conventional soaps are full of harsh chemicals: bad for the environment and bad for you.   Dawn Noble, Cape Ann native and the owner of La Provence, works hard to source high-quality French goods that are both practical and beautiful, with some great gift packages ranging from $10 to $50, as well as other items in wide range of styles and prices.

Besides being a hard-working small business owner (and mother of an amazingly cute baby that hangs out at the shop with her), Dawn is also the entrepreneurial mastermind behind the upcoming event, “An Evening of Holiday Shopping“, bringing over 30 shops together to promote a little Rockport shopping after dark.  The sidewalks will be lined with luminaries and the shops will be offering in-store promotions for the event, taking place on Thursday, December 9th from 4pm to 8pm.  Stop by, breathe in the amazing smell of French lavender (which is supposed to have a calming effect – perfect for the holiday season), and say hello to Dawn at La Provence, open year-round.

La Provence . 4 Main Street in Rockport . 978-546-5868

Rockport After Dark

Posted on by S.D. Kelly
Over 30 shops will be participating

This time of year, it’s best to plan your holiday shopping with military precision.  One day you’ll plan to hit downtown Gloucester, another day you might plan to go to a school or church holiday fair, and so on (and on and on).  In all your planning, don’t forget to put Rockport’s “An Evening of Holiday Shopping” on your calendar.  It takes place on Thursday, December 9th from 4 to 8pm.  The town will be lined with luminaries, over 30 stores will be glowing with Christmas decorations, discounts and special events, and hot chocolate will be served in Dock Square.  It’s a great chance to shop local in a great setting, and of course it will be fun to see Rockport hopping until 8 pm – an hour that qualifies as midnight in Rockport time.  So don’t miss it!

Easy Holiday Greens

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The Finished Product

This is my idea of holiday decorating.  Hack off a few branches from a friendly evergreen tree, fill a nice container with dirt, stuff the branches (stem-first, ideally) into the dirt and voila! You have your holiday greens completed.  As long as your standards aren’t too high (count me in!), you can have fresh greens with very little hassle.  No special tools or skills necessary, saving time for more important holiday-related tasks, like baking – and eating – cookies.

The Arts Scene in Rockport

Posted on by S.D. Kelly

Yes, we do have an arts scene.  While we love our artistic heritage (William Lester Stevens, Aldro Hibbard…I could go on and on), many people don’t realize that a vibrant community of artists is based here still.  Now.  In the 21st century.  And to underscore the point that Rockport’s appeal for artists hasn’t waned, our village is playing host to one of Cape Ann’s best for the entire month of December: Eugene Quinn.  His paintings are both timeless and contemporary, featuring subject matter that doesn’t seem entirely locked in any place or time.  A few summers ago in Rocky Neck I bought one of his small studies of Back Beach in Rockport and I often myself taking a moment to stare at it as I go through the mundane tasks of the day (it hangs near our dining room table). Even without being a finished painting, it so completely captures the quality of the early morning light (the sun hitting the clock tower of the Old Sloop Church) that for a minute I am someplace else entirely, pulled away from feeding time and all the mess associated with giving pre-schoolers their breakfast.  This fact alone makes the Eugene Quinn painting I have very near and dear to my heart.  Better than a pharmaceutical.  Now if only artists were compensated as well as drug companies, the world would be a better place.

Detail of a Painting

Don’t miss Eugene Quinn’s “2010 Light and Sea Exhibit” for the month of December, located at the Thistle Fine Art Gallery at 8A Main Street in Rockport.  Open Monday – Saturday from 10 – 6, Sunday 12 – 5.  (Call 617-894-1552 to schedule an appointment or reserve a painting).  The artist himself is available for questions and conversation – always a plus – and he makes his process available as well by providing his studies for browsing (and purchasing) as well as his larger works.  An Exhibit Reception will be held on Saturday, December 11th, from 4-9pm.  Below are a few photos from the exhibit, with apologies for my inability to do the work justice:

Gallery View

Clouds Over Lake. (My favorite - not that this matters)

When the Phone Call Came…

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…I nearly passed out from excitement.  Joey C called to ask me to be an Official Contributor to the blog of all blogs: Good Morning Gloucester.

 

GMG's newest contributor, decked out for the holidays.

So what qualifications do I bring to the virtual table? I can hear you asking.  After all, I’m no expert on lobsters or fishing or boats (neither working boats nor waste-of-money boats) or much of anything at all.  I’m just a regular citizen doing my thing on Cape Ann.  Well, I may not know much but I do know this: we live in an amazing place that deserves to be celebrated every hour on the hour, in the spirit of Good Morning Gloucester. Since coming here, Cape Ann has pretty much become the center of the world for me, and while this may not make me a native of the place, it sure helps me think like one.  My particular obsession is Rockport.  I want to see all the great things about Rockport highlighted: our history with granite, the Scandinavian heritage (let’s hear it for Nisu and backyard saunas!), the working harbor, and Rockport’s arts scene – past, present and future.  I live in Rockport with my family and have a blog and an online store featuring vintage items.  I look forward to being a part of the GMG team, with an emphasis on Gloucester’s little sister to the north, the village of Rockport.

– Sarah Kelly a.k.a. The Roving Home