Category Archives: illustrations

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Winter Window Season

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Winter window season is in full swing around these parts.  
Here are some of the Winter shenanigans going on in Somerville!

…over at Treeline:

And down at Petsi Pies:

And a quick Frosty at little Tayla’s house!

Off to paint more windows now.  Contact me if you’d like one of your own!
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It’s here! It’s here! It’s FLUFF FEST!!

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Today is Fluff Fest in Union Square and I am bursting at the seams with excitement!  If you have been anywhere near me for the last month or so I’ve probably already told you that I am the Official 2013 Fluff Festival Sign Painter!!  (A title I gave myself)  I’ve been working dilligantly for weeks now trying to get all 23 signs and 5 trophies done and I can’t wait to see them in action at the festival!

Fluff Fest was started in 2005 by Mimi Graney who is the Head Lady in Charge (also I title I created) over at Union Square Main Streets.  She is in charge of all things Union-Square from craft shows to farmer’s markets and everything in between.  This is the 8th year of the Fluff Fest and they are anticipated THOUSANDS of attendees!!

…Which means of course that THOUSANDS of people are going to see my signs!!!  I can’t wait.  It starts at 3pm and goes to 7:00 there are games and performances and a cooking contest and of course PRIZES!!

Maybe I’ll see you there.  I’ll be the one taking selfies with all of the signs. 🙂

Happy Fluff Fest!!!

You can see pictures of all of my little babies at my gallery page: mandeemade.shutterfly.com and you can learn more about Fluff Fest at the Union Square Main Streets website.

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2013 Boston Marathon window painting

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In honor of this upcoming Monday being Marathon Monday in Boston I painted a course map of the marathon route on the window in the EU.

At the beginning of the marathon in Hopkinton, MA we have some excited runners posing for a photo next to the now-famous ‘Welcome to Hopkinton’ sign.

From there it’s time to stretch and make your way to the starting line.

At the starting line you may recognize some familiar faces, father-and-son Rick & Dick Hoyt who to date have competed in over 1,000 races together.  You can read more about their inspirational story at their website.

The race then takes you through Natick, into the halfway point in Wellsley, MA and then up the dreaded Heartbreak Hill in Newton.

Over the hump and down the hill, the route now goes through Brookline where a Subway car with the name Rosie on it speeds past the other runners. Rosie Ruiz famously “won” the 1980 Boston Marathon only to be stripped of her title moments afterward when it was revealed that she took the T for most of the course and actually only ran the last mile of it.  Tsk!  Tsk!  Rosie!

The course goes through Coolidge Corner and towards a packed crowd at Fenway park which is the marker for the final mile of the race.

And on to the finish line on Boylston Street downtown where the whole of Boston is there to cheer you on!!  Congratulations!!  You did it!!


And, because one of our own is running the marathon this year, I obviously had to paint her a special message from some adoring fans and her cute dog, Bachi.

We’re proud of you Jackie!  You’re gonna do great!!

Happy Marathon Monday everybody!!  

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The Apple Pickin’-est Guys Around

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Apple picking is a sure sign of better things to come.  Things like sweaters and leggings and tights and boots and scarves!  I love dressing for fall ALMOST as much as I love punkin flavored beverages and punkin flavored foods.  Almost.

 I wish I could give Fall a big squeeze to show it how much I missed it.  Like this guy with his apple.

Happy Thursday and Happy Fall!!!
(nothing personal Summer but I’m so over you)

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Leapin’ Lizards!

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                                                                             dry erase board by mandee (C)2012
it’s leap day! our calendar’s only quadrennial holiday.  Leap Year was introduced by Roman emperor Julius Caesar and dates back to 46 B.C.- it is a corrective measure to keep our calendar matching the four seasons and the earth’s alignment with the sun.  i’d like to wish a very happy birthday to my childhood friend, Lindsay Wilson, a Leapling, aaaaaand also offer her an apology for teasing her releantlessly for being 2 when she was really turning 8.  she hated that.  sorry Lindsay.  
happy birthday to all the Leaplings out there!! 
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Fluffernutter, party of two.

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If you’ve never had a fluffernutter than this window painting might make no sense to you but I’ll take my chances because here in New England the very mention of Fluff -made right here in Everett, MA- sparks childhood memories that people can’t help but share…whether you like it or not. 
Being from the West Coast I had never heard of a Fluff, let alone a Fluffernutter, until I moved to Boston about 10 years ago.  You’d have thought I’d told people I had never heard of shoes the way they would look at me when I didn’t know what a “fluffernutter” was.  They were outraged at my Fluff-less childhood.

And now I know why!  Fluff and peanut butter were made to be together.  They’re the yin and yang of sandwich components.  And so versatile!  You can have a Fluffernutter for lunch, eat one as a snack or even have one for dessert.  Can balogna and cheese do that?
 

If you’ve never had a Fluffernutter go make one right now.  They’re delicious.  And if you can’t buy Fluff (not Kraft Marshmallow Cream, mind you, there’s a difference) in your ‘hood then use this handy Fluff-Finder feature to hunt down the closest seller.  And if that doesn’t work, you can get a case delivered right to your door.  May your children never have to go Fluffernutter-less.

For more Fluff related goodness, go to the Union Square Main Street website and check out pictures from their annual ‘What the Fluff?” festival.

Photo credit Jabulani Barber