Back in Black

The day after a birthday is always a let down. But even the rain and gray skies can't stop me from happily posing for a moody black and white photo. Might make a dandy record album cover were I to become the new Amy Winehouse. And as experienced Parisian boulevardier Henri advises, "Black is the new black."

This Day

Nuff said.

It's What They're Wearing

In preparation for my trip to the fashion capital of le monde, I tried on  various outfits. Striking a crunky pose, I modeled the latest Back to School looks for the teenaged set. Tough? Worldly? Patti la Douce? "It's what they're wearing," comments my Global Design Director.

Tomato Fest

This weekend begins the long-awaited tomato festival at Verrill Farms. With names like Black Prince and Paul Robeson, the heirloom tomato varieties on sale boggle the mind and delight the palate.

R e j u v e n a t e d !

Visited my dear old friend in the wilds of Marion, MA, for a restorative respite from the heat. Here she is, framed in a tropical garden of a charming restaurant, a subject fit for Gauguin. What can beat a light lunch in good company? Followed by a refreshing dip (after 1/2 hour for digestive safety, of course).

Round and Round

The appeal of the old vs. the new. I was reminded of Don Draper's unforgettable pitch for the Carousel slide projector to a room full of Kodak executives:

"Technology is a glittering lure, but there is the rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash. If they have a sentimental bond with the product. My first job I was in-house at a fur company. This old pro copy writer. A Greek named Teddy. And Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising is "new." It creates an itch. You simply put your product in there as a kind of calamine lotion. But he also talked about a deeper bond to a product. Nostalgia. It's delicate but potent. Switch it on."

Go Take a Hike

A stroll through the urban landscape resulted in a rich and full afternoon perusing the goods at a Somerville studio sale, topped off with an iced coffee and a ginger molasses cookie. On the way home, I experienced the sunniest sun shower I have ever seen, and lo and behold, there appeared a huge rainbow in the sky. All in all, a good hike.

Push or Pull

Is it time to add some flash to uttonbay.com? The free flash website tools at Wix.com would certainly make it easy. Of course first I'd have to do a marathon photo session featuring my boatnecks. And then I'd have to add a shopping cart and checkout. And then I'd have to make it all work together. Maybe I'm putting the cart before the horse?

Happy Camper

Off to spend an overnight at a friend's place in New Hampshire. Forget about Smokey The Bear, toasting marshmallows and singing camp songs around a crackling bonfire. We're talking three square meals a day, clean towels, and access to shopping.

Moon River

A knot of dancers gyrated in the artificial glare. Tango music boomed from speakers. I wondered if the moon would ever rise. I had stumbled onto Tango by Moonlight, a kind of dancing flash mob that gathers on fully-lunar summer nights at the Weeks Pedestrian Bridge over the Charles River. Couples circled and dipped. The river glimmered and burbled. And the moon eventually did rise, full and glowing.

Nothin' But Blue Skies

Perfect weather and some possible new venues for the boatnecks to be explored. And don't forget we're on the cusp of tomato season.

By the Numbers

1. My Global Design Director said "put up a photo of a boatneck," so I did.

2. Have you seen the new Utton Bay website? It's really only a web page right now, but stand by for action.

3. I have an eBay auction up as a test marketing case, let's see what happens.

4. No matter what your politics, the homecoming of two journalists from N. Korea is a marvel.

5 + 10 = Fun

Readers of my previous posting about the West Concord 5 & 10 may be wondering what the 'secret message' in the photo was. The answer is that a box marked "Utton Co., Avon, MA" was visible just below the "starlet" wig. We don't know how it got there, but we'll take it as a good omen. Just part of the fun to be had in the store's magical aisles.