The Real World? Scary. Halloween? Not So Scary.

Truthfully, the real world is so scary right now, Halloween decorations seem quaint and comforting in comparison.

My spooky displays have been updated this year with a few new items, so my Halloween haven is slightly more elaborate. Let's get acQUAINTed with all things spooky...

The Parlor

The black crows are new, purchased from a popular discount department store.

 

Naturally, the arrangement of the crows
is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

One interesting fact I recently discovered about this movie:
There is no music soundtrack, just bird noises and dialog,
which just adds to the tension and creepiness.

The birds are made of lightweight paper, and attach to the wall with double-stick tape so you can arrange them in endless ways. There are three different silhouettes.

The jack-o-lantern bubble lights are new,
courtesy of an online New England catalog shop.

The bubble lights arrived in this cute box.
The bubble nightlight with black cat is also new.

Spooky corner: The new black taper candles are
courtesy of an online shop.

The vintage candelabra was a gift from a friend
from either earlier this year or last year.

 

 

 

 

The Bath

The new spooky bat shower curtain and bath mat are from an online home store.
I like the somewhat subtle silhouette design, and the black grass at the bottom is a nice detail.

Close-up of spooky bath mat.
I like its Gothic wallpaper-like pattern.

Hallway

WHO am I? A newly purchased 1970s owl lamp
perched on a stack of old books.

 

Who's a cutie? I was discovered on an online shop.
I have perforations on my back, too.

 

This is what I look like when I'm turned off.
I look pretty good for my age, don't you think?

My base twists off, and there's a white C-7 nightlight bulb in the center.
The bottom of my base says, CROWELL HOME.

The Office/Guest Room

New metal spider from a fun gift shop in CT.

Now that wasn't so scary, was it?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all, and to all a dark night.

Provincetown Summer 2020 | Art Still Matters, Masks & All

As 2020 continued to slide, crash and burn this summer, I managed to complete a short escape to Provincetown at the start of August. I had booked the getaway back in February, and fortunately I'm an in-state resident so I didn't have to deal with any quarantine issues. I expected the experience to be different and a bit depressing compared to the "normal" – and it was, masks and all.

But despite the underlying anxiety and uncertainty, it was rejuvenating to have a change of scenery, get a taste of the ocean, and rediscover the unique character of this sometimes edgy edge on the East coast of America. Best of all, the quirky artwork was intact with a few new discoveries at the local galleries.

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I'm no garden expert, but these pink hydrangeas are pink instead of blue because their soil is more alkaline (had to look this up). In any event, the Cape is filled with mostly blue hydrangeas (in more acidic soil) so I think the pink is delightfully less common, and just as beautiful.

Think Pink Hydrangeas

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Among the signs for social distancing and mask wearing, there were signs of hope...

These are a few custom-designed masks I brought with me along with some plain blue ones...

Other interesting mask sightings...

Masked Cat AtTIRE

So much for Pilgrim's Progress.

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Now for the art...

Though I had toured Bob Gasoi's hippie outdoor art museum before – P-Town visitors have been admiring his artwork originally on the outside of Shop Therapy for decades – I was able to take more detailed pictures because there weren't throngs of people to get through. 

The art alley entrance from inside looking out onto Commercial Street.
I dig its cosmic cartoon-like charm.

The Devil is in the details.

This sorcerer needs no apprentice.

All-Too Vivid Universal Mushroom says it all.

Unicorness in Moonlight will point you in the right direction.

Mona Oh-No-You-Didn't!

Beware of the Four-eyed Monster.

Heavy Metal Terri

These artworks were in the front window of one of the galleries...

Allegorical painting – what does it all mean? I'm guessing "The Death of Uncle Sam."

Dangerous play – these water balloons could really hurt someone.

Show us what you're really made of.

The Truth is Out There...and it's all made of expired candy.

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Naturally, no visit to P-Town is complete without a visit to the Shell Shop...

Watch out for those Shaaaak Teeth!

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Until next time, just follow the light...

SoBe It

Right before the gods cursed us with the current world pandemic chaos, I was fortunate enough to complete my escape to South Beach, Miami. (In fact, I just made it because they closed the beaches the day after I got back to Boston). I booked the vacation back in December without purchasing travel insurance, so I didn't want to lose out and let it go to waste. This was the sixth or seventh time I visited the tropical splendor of this unique southern city, and it did not disappoint.

Like NYC, Miami is one of the few large cities that looks just as exciting – if not more so – at night as it does during daylight hours. Take, for example, my hotel, the Albion. Its gleaming white facade with Art Deco curves and porthole windows greeted me with a pleasant glow set amidst a few well-placed palm trees.

 

Albion Hotel at the corner of James Avenue & Lincoln Rd.

The lobby featured an interesting blue and orange color scheme, with some of the original details intact (note the decorative plaster at the base of the pillars).

I thought the framed tribal art and modern light fixture were cool, too.

Most likely due to the smaller number of travelers, the hotel upgraded me to a room on the 6th floor with a King bed overlooking the pool. This was nice because I could look out my window to see if the pool was crowded – it never was during my stay. The room was clean, including the bathroom, which had a streamlined nautical look.

Preserve a life.

I'll save you, save you...

To take a break from poolside lounging in the 84-degree sunshine, I decided to get into tourist mode, and booked a Miami double-decker bus tour.

Directly outside the visitors building on Lincoln Road, I saw this warrior god wall sculpture, so I took a pic from the top level of the bus.

Don't look down...

Blue skies from now on...

Is Miami tall? Well, I gotta look up.

These "gills" make it look like it's breathing.

My only disappointment with this tour was that it didn't stop at Miami's famous Wynwood Walls. I specifically asked when I booked, and they said, "Yes." Liars. We did drive by some cool murals in the Design District, including these...

The tour did include a stop in Little Havana, another area of Miami I had never visited before. No surprise, it was very colorful with plenty of quirky architecture, restaurants, shops, and interesting locals (and locos).

Estas aquí, Havana Pequeña.

Big Cock in Little Havana.

Dos chicas en Calle Ocho.

Naturally, we stopped into an authentic Cuban cigar shop...

With donuts and good beer across the street...

Even the dentists' office looked kind of quaint, if a tad sketchy...

Adios, Havana Pequeña!

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Within walking distance of my hotel, Lincoln Road beckoned with its wide sidewalks, restaurants and shops. Over the years, it has lost some of its unique character, and now features mostly mall shops you can find in any other American city. The only shop I really like there is "Books & Books," which also has a pretty decent al fresco restaurant, where I savored shrimp tacos for dinner one night. In any case, the Art Deco and mid-century-style architecture were still prominent – really my favorite features of this still-fabulous city.

Art Deco splendor characterized by stepped geometrics, likely from 1930s.
The end panels are referred to as "frozen waterfall" designs.

Check out the cutout outer frame on this building. It definitely has a mid-century modern look...

I also cruised Collins Avenue one night...

Walgreens in cool mid-century modern building.
Aliens landed a flying saucer atop the right hand part.

Cool nifty 1950s car in cherry red with wide whitewall tires.

BACON BITCH, a new concept in beach nightlife.

Because you can never be too thirsty.

 And no visit to Miami would be complete without a stroll up and down Ocean Drive...

Pride at 12th Street.

Dinner at the Pink Taco.
I had a yummy barbacoa burrito & 2 sangrias rojas.

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If there's one thing I will always remember about Miami...