June 2015: Beyond the Mask again, Blueberry picking, Maggianos etc....

Here are some various pictures from June....just some family things and such....

Some of the family went to see Beyond the Mask again when it came back into theater! We went on the cheap night ;) and our parents got to see it this time in its completion so it was fun! I must say I wish I didn't have such a good memory...I think I know the film off my heart now. ;( Oh well. 

Oh! Nikola's and my room was slightly decorated ''Beyond the Mask'' style in May/June! The doll is my beautiful Heidi Beth (Susan Wakeen Cinderella doll) and Nikola made the costume for her last year...for my birthday. :) Only a costume designer and seamstress extraordinaire can create things like Nikola does! She created this doll's costume from the costume designed by Marilyn Burns for the film. 

    As we all know, June is the month for weddings....Nikola and I worked every weekend at the lovely historic wedding venue we...uh....work at. As you might remember, we make
hor d'oeuvres for the guest. One wedding, Nikola made a rose out of the cheese ball...

 While we're on the topic of Nikola....

She illustrated another book for a friend....

Making spinach soup perhaps? 

But nay! 

Ever the artist, Nikola helped Jessie dye her (originally white) bridesmaid dress for her friend Meghan's wedding late in June. The desired color was an exact shade of green....and Nikola concocted that exact tone with a few different fabric dyes. After dyeing the dress they also altered it by cutting most of the skirt off, creating a petal-like skirt out of another outfit. Lastly thy added an underlay skirt I kindly and self-sacrificially and amazingly considering the years of memories it contained (although I did wear it to play catch the bacon at the Burns house that one time in 2010 when I smashed Nick's jaw out of place)  donated. You're welcome, Jessica. Only for you, only for you. But don't you forget it. 

Before (-ish...as is obvious we didn't take any before pics but you get the idea):

...and after!

Jessie in....you guessed it! the green dress. :)

 And late in June, our oldest sister Valerie left for a trip to Massachusetts for 3 weeks! She went as a nanny but also was able to enjoy the vacation-mode of the place. You can't help but be invigorated by the ocean when you're right by it for 3 weeks! :)
Before she left, we had a special outing as a family with some friends who have hosted Valerie overnight some nights after work...

Needless to say, we haven't been here in years! (seven to be precise for all you delightfully ''J''-ish people)

The best thing about it is the atmosphere. The music...the restaurant-ness of it...

It was fun to surprise Valerie this way!

no, in above picture Sam is not taking a selfie....we assume...we hope...

    One problem with going to restaurants once in a blue moon with your entire group of close relations is....

1. it takes 15 minutes to decide where you'll sit at the table....

1.5 not to mention it taking 30 minutes to choose your restaurant meal of the year (and have you ever tasted anything that fulfills such momentous expectations? I haven't.)

2. when one person decides to try to find the restroom the remainder of the children decide that's a Grand Idea and what follows looks oddly like a Great Expedition (while the parents back at the abandoned table try desperately to look as unrelated as possible to their offspring)  

3. and of course there's always the risk that you'll land in jail for making yourselves generally at home in such a public setting as a restaurant.

4. and there isn't a fee is there, for making good use of your money by eating the entire (and a half) bottle of parmesan cheese?....  (still waiting for bill to arrive in mail)

I just hope this gent doesn't sue me for taking his picture (you never know, nowadays...)

Gents eating alone are more liable to sue other cheerful surrounding people- did you know that? I did. 

the monster digs in

yes! yes! I love it :) The lighting, the smells...and especially the old music crooning over the entire restaurant....makes me happy. :) I wonder if people are allowed to go to restaurants just to sit and enjoy. And why don't people dress in evening wear any more?

Saw this amateur illustration on the wall upstairs...so thankful Nikola doesn't draw like this :) 

Nikola's roses :)

Triska longingly (as always) watching Katia snack on something yummy

Time to pick...blueberries! 

Such beautiful, plump berries they were this year, too! 

someone's got her hands full!

The only problem with picking organic blueberries is you have to sample some from every bush....I tasted so many tart berries my taste buds were distorted for days. 

 
Ready for an intensely disturbing picture?

She had nightmares for weeks after

despite the fact that she tried to shake it off. 

Laura-Lise and I relaxing....I was ridiculously and randomly exhausted! 

Our signature family expression, supposedly! :) 

And of course June means...pool time! We are making good use of this water-containing object!