Boston Strong, The Art Forger & The Gardner Museum

I grew up in a “non-spanking” house.  Not that my parents were necessarily anti-spanking (to my knowledge) but I think it was more that my brother & I were basically good kids and it grounding/taking away privileges just seemed easier to them then exerting the physical/emotional energy to spank.  So needless to say, I had my fair share of days/evenings without the privilege of watching television or talking with my pals on the telephone.

This along with my Mom’s frequently taking us to the local library definitely fostered a healthy appreciation for reading.  I used to love wandering the stacks to find just the perfect book(s) to help pass the many, many mundane hours spent in “time out” (well before there was such a thing as time out of course).

I still am one of those avid readers that reads 3 or 4 books at a time…not all the same genre at the same time though…that would be a little too jumbled for me.

So it only makes sense that one of my absolute favorite monthly social commitments is my book club.  I have the BEST book club!  This is my second attempt at a book club…the first one seemed to turn into a “mommy & me” sharing event.  For someone without children…not so much…

So a couple of years ago I was introduced to a group of lovely ladies by a mutual friend.  The twist of this newly formed book club was that they wanted to read (really read) & do field trips that were book related.  We've done some fun things…movies, mystery dinner cruise, etc. Fast forward a couple of years and a few member changes and we’re still at it.  We definitely read more than we field trip but this last weekend we made up for it by planning a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent
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Last month we read the Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro a fictionalized work taking off from the all too real life 1990 art heist at the Gardner Museum.   The consensus on the book was that we all really enjoyed the book.  A lot.

With all the tragedy happening in Boston last week it was tempting just to stay out of the city and meet up at a more local establishment but we all decided that it was more important to go in and not let the terrorists win and enjoy our day of art as originally planned.

Madame Gautreau Drinking a Toast by John Singer Sargent
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A New York Blizzard by Childe Hassam
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It was a good decision!  I had never been to the Gardner Museum but I had heard an awful lot about it and we had read quite a bit about Mrs Gardner and her relationship with John Singer Sargent in Strapless by Deborah Davis last year.  Isabella Stewart Gardner built this home with well-planned galleries to display her personal art collection and created a museum to share her art with the world.  It’s an absolutely uniquely AMAZING museum.

The Blue Room - that's bald man portrait is Henry James
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The Dutch Room - the empty frames just waiting for the stolen paintings to be returned to their rightful home.
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There is nothing staid and stiff about the Gardner.  The house was constructed with a masterfully landscaped courtyard in the center of the house and as you wander through the property you can’t help but just want to grab a cup of coffee & a book and sit in the courtyard and stay a while.

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Meandering through the museum the amount of art on the walls, tapestries, sculptures & architectural elements is just overwhelming.  I don’t think you can even remotely see it all in a day although the square footage of the building is definitely manageable.

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El Jaelo by John Singer Sargent
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If you’re in Boston I can’t recommend highly enough spending a block of time at the Gardner.  It’s not your traditional art museum, in any way but its eccentricities not only reflect its founder but are in my opinion part of what makes it so uniquely fabulous.

sharing this week on:
Between Naps on the Porch
The Dedicated House
Savvy Southern Style
Coastal Charm
Cozy Little House
The Cottage Market
The Charm of Home
French Country Cottage
Mod Vintage Life
Jennifer Rizzo
Artsy Chicks Rule
Elizabeth & Co
Our Home Away From Home

Smithsonian Inspiration - Kelly & Julia

I spent this past weekend in Washington DC extending my stay after a couple day business trip.  DC is a fairly familiar city for me...one of my Aunt's lived in the area for many years and I always loved visiting when I was young.  So much to do, so much fun!

There is always something new to see but I also have my faves that I always hit.  One of these is the Julia Child kitchen on exhibit at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.  I first caught this exhibit 9 or 10 years ago and I still see something new in it every time I visit.

Julia Child in her kitchen in Cambridge MA
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I find it so amazing that the Smithsonian went into the Child’s Cambridge MA house that they had lived in for many, many years , disassembled, inventoried, photographed, documented and moved the whole kitchen into the museum.  Reassembled in exact replica it's set up as it was when the Child's lived in their house and Julia shared her culinary genius with the world.

Julia Child's Kitchen as reassembled at the Smithsonian
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A funny happened as I was editing my photos from this visit though…

Actually it really started when I was looking at the cookbooks on Julia’s bookshelf…I spied Joy of Cooking.  Over the years I have had a ton of cookbooks but I find that Joy of Cooking is really all I need.  Really, it’s definitely my bible....when I cook I tend to look for a basic recipe and tweak to my taste so it’s perfect to give the basics for any possible thing.

A very important section of my cookbook shelf...the most used section

Anyhow….last year I shared my secret bible with one of my good friends for Christmas so when I spotted not 1 but 2 versions on Julia’s shelf I was so excited I immediately texted my pal to let her know what good company we were keeping.

Part of Julia's cookbook shelf...apparently her well used section too

And then as I was editing my photo’s there were other parallels that I began to notice between my kitchen and Julia’s.

Remember my pot/pan pegboard that I first told you about here?

My pot/pan storage solution

Well, Julia has one (or two) too…

Julia's pot/pan storage solution

Remember my old school clock  I bought at Circa in the Berkshires (see it here)?

My new (vintage) kitchen clock

Well, Julia has one too…

Love this old school clock
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I was really surprised to see her blue kitchen aid mixer…mine is white (you can see it in my pegboard pic above) but they are both the same model.

Ok, and this may be a bit of a stretch but Julia’s kitchen is green & blue…mine is green with a blue rug.  Who cares if hers is a totally different shade and she uses it on her cupboards and mine is on the walls…same color palate right?

I am loving these copper pans...this will be my inspiration
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Now if I could only cook like Julia and become a beloved American Icon….the possibilities are endless.