Pinterest Addiction

My name is Maria. I am addicted to Pinterest. The last time I was on Pinterest was 10 minutes ago.

Seriously, they should have PA meetings. I don't know which is worse, the Facebook or Pinterest addiction. I totally rationalize it with Andrew, who of course, thinks I am addicted. In fact he told me this months ago.

Here is my rationalization for Pinterest....

One - I'm not buying anything. I am merely browsing and coming up with great ideas of things I could buy or make myself. I am actually curbing my retail therapy itch by putting things in my basket ("board") and my bank account is not suffering! Yay!!

Truth of the matter: Lets be honest, I would never be able to make any of those diy things myself and would end up buying them in the end.  Or I pick out things I love and put them on my boards and THEN go buy them later. So really, I'm just prolonging my retail therapy itch.

Two - It's less judgemental and stalkerish than Facebook. All I'm doing is looking at ideas for my house, parties, food to cook and clothes to wear. I'm not looking at anyone's picture of what they did last week, where they vacationed or what they had for dinner last night (seriously people, NO ONE cares when you make posts like that!!).

Truth of the matter: People are still judging you, me included. They are liking and disliking your "pins" - thinking to themselves, wow, that is one ugly front door, I hope she isn't going to do that one!! My favorite is learning that someone is thinking about having a baby. You can totally tell...all they pin are baby things and ideas for how to raise a child.

Three - Its a productive time waster. I think it's productive because I am gathering ideas and organizing my thoughts for different rooms of my house, parties to host and food to try and not ruin for dinner.  To me its an organization tool. I find what I like and don't like.

Truth of the matter: All electronic devices are time wasters, ESPECIALLY websites like Facebook and Pinterest.  Once upon a time we had books that wasted time...but that was actually a good thing...at least you learn something from most books.

But here's the thing...I don't care about my rationalizations or the real truth of Pinterest because...

I still love it and am allowed one time waster in my life:)

Wednesday's Nostalgia

I am having that moment. The moment of nostalgia.  I can picture my family rolling their eyes at this very moment.  They have known it would come for weeks now. It always happens to me towards the end of anything and especially towards the end of summer.  That feeling where I know summer is about to end and I start to reminisce about the past weeks and the short time ahead that fades like the daylight. I think it stems from all those summers sailing and laying low, then boom, school starts again.  Such a let down. Then it was after every summer at Sail Caribbean that I had this total and complete meltdown about the end of the summer and season!  We call it the adjourning stage at SC. And let me tell you, I adjourn HARD.

The annual photo at Madaket Harbor - 3 summers and counting

I mean, its embarrassing really, but for some reason its in my nature.

I haven't even really enjoyed this summer and still I am nostalgic.  Let me back up a quick second.  I'm not saying that my summer has been bad by any means, but I have been working 7 days a week, 10-15 hours a day.  Its hard to enjoy it when you know that now is the time to make your living.  Last weekend I took off some time for Nantucket Race Week and Opera House Cup and on Monday night I regretted it.  I hate that.  I should be able to take a few days/nights off and ENJOY my favorite month of the summer!  But its a tricky balance that I haven't quite mastered.

But then today one of my little sailors told me he was leaving Monday to go back home for the season. That made my sad and got me to thinking about the end in sight.  I should be relieved that its almost over...that Andrew and I will go back to normalcy and no longer do this long distance thing...that we can finally get working on our house in Tiverton and start to spend time with our friends again...that we will spend time with family and look forward to my sister's wedding etc etc etc. But I get sad because I have grown accustomed to this lifestyle, workaholic summer, people and place.  Even though Nantucket annoys Andrew with its rich and mostly demanding people and places, I love this island. I love that I found the man of my dreams here and that I became more of a New England girl.  I love the incredible beauty of the island, breakfast at the Downy Flake, sailing every day, window shopping in town, and boats that come in and out of the harbor week by week.  It is a magical little place and with a third summer here, it is becoming a piece of home.

And so I am nostalgic about one more change, one more island and one more summer that will soon be in the past.

The Way Life Should Be

How many places can I go in 7 days?! Readyyyyyy, GO!

That has been the challenge for the week. I left Nantucket at 9pm last Wednesday night and made a mad dash for HOME! That's right, another 24 hour trip back home to Tiverton, Rhode Island, this time to help my friend Maaike photograph a wedding at the beautiful Ocean Cliff in Newport. I managed to squeeze in a quick lunch with my lovely friend Mary Ann, clean the house, use the new washer and dryer, photograph 3 hours of a wedding, and catch a quick glimpse and dinner with my parents who are staying at our house for the week!!

The next morning I woke up at 3am and drove to Camden, Maine to watch Andrew and Spartan in the Eggemogin Reach Regatta.  As I crossed the border into Maine, I couldn't help but notice their logo..."The Way Life Should Be".  I've been to Maine a number of times and never really noticed that bold statement.  It's funny how each state claims to be the best at this and that.  No offense Maine, but I only think of one thing that I can associate you with...COLLLLD.  And lobster and antiques.  And the phantom moose.  In reality though, Maine's waters, landscapes and wooden boats are truly stunning.

Spartan in the fog

At the top of the rig

I had the pleasure of spending the weekend racing with Spartan in the Eggemogin Reach Regatta.  The regatta consists of 2 feeder races (Castine to Camden and Camden to Brooklin) and then the actual Eggemogin Reach Race. Andrew has raved about this regatta ever since I met him 3 summers ago.  I kept wondering why it was so special, but of all years, this was the year to support Andrew in his last season and Spartan in her 100th year!  So I spent the weekend photographing such a humbling scene of wooden classic yachts sailing on the pristine Maine waters with islands and clouds scattered like polka dots.  Despite the first day of rain, the weekend was beautiful and the experience unforgettable.

Eggemogin Reach

Got to see these two cuties in Castine, Maine

So then I drove Monday morning at 6am to Nobleboro, Maine. I took a quick shower at our friend's house, put on fresh clothes, and drove over to Portland Maine. I spent 4 days photographing the New England Opti Championship hosted by Sail Maine.  With 310 sailors at the regatta, I kept VERY busy taking pictures!! I managed to squeeze in a short hour of sightseeing in downtown Portland, a lobster roll at the Portland Lobster Co. with an old friend from Richmond who just happened to marry the brother of the girl who hosted me (this small crazy world is always getting smaller), and a quick look at the LL Bean giant bean boot.

Amazing! 

Beautiful week for sailing

Thursday afternoon, exactly 7 days from when I started the journey to Maine, I made my way back to Nantucket - 6 hours in the car, 1 stop at the New Hampshire Liquor Outlet and a 2 hour ferry ride. Wheww.....

Why doesn't every state have a liquor outlet?!

This is embarrassing...all I left at home was the kitchen sink

It is the remoteness, down to earth people and pure beauty that make Maine the "way life should be"...for one month a year...August:)