BSB on GMA ... Obviously, I Went

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The Backstreet Boys came to town, and although I vowed to not talk about the Backstreet Boys for an entire year (and already failed once), I just have to talk about them again.  See, their appearance on Good Morning America this morning was history in the making:  the first time Kevin has performed with the other four guys since 2006.  He's back, and he is one Hot Dad, folks.

Anyway, here's the scoop with attending a GMA Summer Concert in Central Park:  the gates open at 6:00 AM.  Which means I left my house at 5:00 AM.  Which means when Brittany and I got to the Park, it looked like this:

Then we got to the line, and it looked like this:

I was mildly to extremely panicked that we weren't going to be able to get in, but Brittany used her crowd assessing skills and assured me there couldn't be more than 1000 people in front of us, and we would be fine.  She was right!  (Sidenote:  if I got here at 6 AM, that means all 1000+ of those people got there before 6 AM.  I am nowhere near the crazy level of those other people).

We decided we didn't want to stand, so we parked it on some bleacher seats...

 ...and did some stalking through a tiny opening in between the trailers:

AJ!

The staffers passed out lots of #teamrobin signs, which was a very sweet gesture for Robin Roberts, due to her recent medical leave, and the death of her mother yesterday.  Hope you felt the love, Robin!

So, here's what happened:  sometime around 7:15 AM, all the Boys came out, greeted the crowd, and did some soundchecking.  They actually sang all four songs that they sang live at soundcheck as well - so we heard all four songs twice!  Double concert!

This is the time they all adorably gathered around the piano while Papa Kevin played:

Guys, please take notice of their amazing outfit coordination.  We've got a two-color scheme going on here, and no one is straying.

Then the real show started!  With an interview:

I know this is pretty weird that I even noticed this, but they are seated in those chairs in age order, youngest to oldest, from left to right. Proceed to make fun of me for knowing that.

Around this time was also when the sun started frying us all.  Like this:

It was honestly kinda miserable, but we powered through because things like this were happening:

Coordinated microphone dancing!

Dramatic pointing!

Back to back singing/guitar playing! 

And then they said good-bye:

But they didn't really leave.  At which point the GMA people learned a valuable lesson about Backstreet Boys fans:  you can tell us to leave, but we're not going anywhere until the Boys leave.  It just ain't happening.  See?

 

So Brittany and I walked up to the front and watched them have some good laughs with ol' Cameron Mathison (who I have met before, you may recall!)

Annnnnnd then we went to work.  As if it had all never happened.  Except that IT DID HAPPEN AND KEVIN WAS THERE AND THEIR OUTFITS MATCHED AND THEY WERE SO GREAT AND I WANT TO START MY MORNING LIKE THAT EVERY DAY FOREVER.

If you missed it on TV, and this did not fully satisfy your BSB cravings, the videos are up here!

I Crocheted

Last winter, I delved into the art of yarn work with mediocre (at best) results.  Now, I've decided to try it again!  But last time was knitting; this time I crocheted.  My sister, who is very good and fast at crocheting, taught me how and assured me it would be really easy.  Well...

Okay, so it was really easy, but it also took me about 16 hours to make.  16 hours.  For one scarf.  That still ended up being sort of crappy and also too short!  Knitters and crocheters of the world, I have so much respect for your patience and dedication!

On the plus side, though, I clearly improved my crocheting skills from beginning to end.  Check out my major improvement!

Thanks again, Sister, for teaching me!  Next, please teach me how to do it much, much faster.

Good Busy vs. Bad Busy

Does anyone else feel like they're busy all the time--checking off the to-do list, running errands, meeting obligations-- yet when they lay down to go to sleep at night (hours past their ideal bedtime), they can't really think of anything concrete that they accomplished?  Sort of like, you know you did stuff, because you never sat down and relaxed, but you aren't really sure if everything you spent your time doing was really all that important or necessary?  And then you wonder what it is that makes some things important and necessary to be done, and others not so much, and how do you decide the difference between the two whenever not getting everything done--menial tasks and important tasks the same--is not okay with you?  Because you want to get all of it finished plus even more plus also sit down and relax, but also it would be nice if doing it all would be magically simple and not time-consuming?

 

That's been my past couple of weeks.

Weekend Visitors: 90s Band {Part Trois}, Bridge Walk, Movie in the Park

Our couple friends Heidi and Marshall are back on the East Coast with us, and came to visit over the weekend! And, as expected, it was awesome.

Friday night, we made our third trip to see the 90s cover band, the Bayside Tigers.  It rocked, again.

If you are wondering what a 90s cover band plays, here's the setlist!  Guess which one is my favorite.

They threw beach balls out in the audience to toss around, but they eventually just kept hitting us in the head and then also hitting the band, so Heidi and I took charge and started hiding every one we could catch instead.  Under the stage.  Ha!

10 points if you can spot Kelly Kapowski.

The next day, we went on a walk over the bridge - my favorite!

This is Scott discussing a theory that when you look over the edge of something tall, you have a brief moment where you want to jump off it.  I don't think Heidi and Marshall agreed.

Our house is back there!

Tourist boat.

Saturday night we went to see Clerks at Central Park.  We packed a picnic and got there plenty early to secure a good spot.  We wondered why in the world they would play a movie like Clerks in a public place where children are present, but oh well!

Thank you, Mayor Bloomberg, for our "gourmet popcorn!"  Oreo popcorn on the left, cheese puff popcorn on the right.  If Oreos and cheese puffs are now considered "gourmet," sign me up.

We loved having you, Walkers! We're coming to Philly again soooooon!

Old School

There is absolutely no reason to post this picture - it's not an anniversary of any kind or anything like that - but it just so happens to be the first picture that ever existed of Scott and me.  And I re-found it yesterday.  And I love it. 

This is only 7 years ago, but we've come quite a long way since my J.Lo hoop earrings and his adorable braces!  We were just friends here, and didn't even start dating for another two and a years after this, but if someone had told me then that he was who I was going to end up with...

I would have been overjoyed.  Thank the good Lord that this is what was planned for us.

I Just Can't Stop...

...listening to these.  Over and over.  Alternating.  The weird thing is that neither one of them apply in any way to my life right now, I just love the melodies, the sounds, the driving emotions behind them, and Jason Mraz on a bouncy ball.  He's my favorite.  "Like...ever."

Dottie Adele: New in the Shop!

New in the shop:  A sweet little jersey peplum tank!  This top actually was born from a dress I had made previously, but I am so into the peplum trend right now, I knew that's what I wanted!  The floral print has a great palette of fall colors to take you right into autumn.  Go here to see more!

Weekend: Rock Show, Art, Empire State, Quilt

 

 

 

 

Scott's band, Bleeding on Probing, played another show on Friday.  It was their biggest show yet (7 songs!), and unfortunately, my camera's video capabilities are no longer, well, capable, so no video was captured, but I think you can feel the face melting coming through on these pictures, right?  All while the nice portrait of the former Dean looked down on them, and raised his glass.
We also went to the Guggenheim this weekend to check out some art.  My favorite piece was in the Dijkstra retrospective.  It was a video of a teenage girl lipsyncing a Backstreet Boys song.  High brow art!
We passed by the ol' Empire State Building.  Never fails to impress.
I also started on a very special project, sent home with me from my Granny's house a couple weeks ago.  Very excited to finish it.

More Sewing 101 + Giveaway Winner

I have two new posts up on Shrimp Salad Circus in the Sewing 101 Series!  Both are tutorials for beginner projects that are fairly quick and fun to do.  Learn how to sew a simple skirt here, or make a turban headband here!

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And now, to the winner of Dottie Adele's one-year anniversary giveaway!

I went old school to choose, and wrote everyone's names on a slip of paper, folded them up, tossedmthem all in a cup, and drew one out.  The winner is...

Abbey!

Abbey, please contact me at valerie.k.bryant[at]gmail[dot]com! Can't wait to make this skirt for you.

And don't forget, for the rest of the month, you can get 15% of in my Etsy shop with the code 1YEAR.

Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

Don't Forget...

Last chance!

If you would like to win a Heart-Shaped Waistband Skirt, made to your measurements and in any color you choose, don't forget to leave a comment here!  Giveaway closes at midnight tonight!

This giveaway of my most popular item to date from my Etsy shop is a big thank you for each and every click over to browse on Dottie Adele.  It's been a wonderful year :)

Mothers & Daughters

During my trip home the week before last, my mom gave my sister and I this necklace.  The colors are gorgeous and it's pretty, of course.  But it's also something more than that.  It's a family heirloom.  A brand new one.

See, those four gems are the birthstones of the last four generations of women in my family.  The last 100 years or so of mothers and daughters.  A great-grandmother, a grandmother, a mother, and a daughter.

 Not only were my great-grandmother and I born in the same month, but on the exact same day!

My sister's necklace has her birthstone instead of mine, of course, and Mom's and Grandma's have the both of us.

Mothers and daughters, mothers and daughters.

It's a necklace to be passed down and added to, I hope.

My mom has such a heart for family and history, and I'm so grateful that she does.  Thank you, Mom, for this very precious gift!