some of my literary loves...

Here are some blogs I love:

NonSociety.com

The Wife

Smart Pretty and Awkward

Shucked

These Vagabond Shoes

The Chicktionary

Beyond Boston Chic

Green Is Sexy

Create Girl

Design Sponge

These are the main core that I read on a regular basis…my computer is bookmarked full of others though that I’ll get around to checking out someday.

no plans. zero. zip. nada. fabulouso.

Something shocking happened tonight. I don’t even remember the last time this occurred. It’s breathtaking, awe-inspiring.

I had no plans after work.

At first, I instinctively attempted to make plans. Text messages went out this morning, inquiring people to meet up for a drink. I said “maybe” to offers from friends to go out later on. And then it hit me. I crave for nights like this. When I’m busy, or just have plans to go to the gym, I long for a night of nothing-ness. And so I made no further plans. I just came home.

And despite a minor freak out/sob fest when I discovered a dead mouse in a trap and shoveled it up in a bag to deposit outside, tonight has been just great.

I cooked a delicious comfort food style meal for myself: whole wheat pasta with asparagus, onion, shrimp and some spoonfuls of veggie-rich tomato sauce…topped with lots of parmesan cheese (a personal obsession of mine; it can seriously go on anything).

I feel full and content. I’ve read some of my favorite sites and blogs, I’ve lit a candle, and I’m watching the Olympics. The Celtics are winning (I continue to check on espn.com) and tomorrow is Friday.

So despite a long week and feeling quite tired, annoyed (for some reason today, everything put me on edge) and the horrid non-stop rain outside, I’m ok tonight.

It’s time to bring on a fabulous Friday.

One week down, 5.5 to go

It’s only been 1 week of Lent and I’ve already experienced intense chocolate cravings. Cravings for sweets really in general, but 90% of the time, that means something that contains chocolate.

So I treated myself to a pint of Hershey’s Sugar-Free Vanilla ice cream, and this evening (after my zumba class-yes, I realize the hypocritical-ness of this), scooped out 3 helpings and topped it with frozen raspberries and blueberries that I had let defrost a bit.

It was delicious. Hit the spot. Fulfilling. Smooth. Sweet. Mmmm.

The only thing better would be if there had been chocolate shavings on top of it all.

Dear Anthropologie Gods, I'd Really Love:

these beautiful ensembles are from the one and only anthropologie and the last dress was discovered by my mother while browsing the store last week. what i’d do for any of these….

Bring back the calling cards!

Check out these favorite designs I’ve stumbled upon recently. Absolutely adorable…just have to decide what design and what I’d even put on them! But I want a set so bad!

Paperwink has lots of chic, cutesy designs for stationary, invites, labels and more.

An order soon is a must ; )

An actual good brunch in Boston!?

Update: Mom and I went to Brunch on Sunday (not Mass…we sat in our PJs, drank coffee and talked all morning instead) and I feel pleased to admit that I finally found a decent, even good, brunch place in my city.

I’ve long been jealous of NYC for their fabulous little breakfast joints (Barking Dog & Good Enough to Eat from personal experience). Boston overall just doesn’t compare.

But on Sunday, Mom and I went to Grafton Street, and while they didn’t boast any strawberry butter and biscuits, I was quite satisfied and will definitely be returning.

I devoured their veggie benedict, with grilled avocado and a current obsession of mine, the delicious hollandaise sauce (most learn to make), and Mom dug into her buttermilk pancakes coated with honey-vanilla butter and real maple syrup. Even the orange juice was lovely.

And I was correct; a solid brunch also led to fantastic conversation with Mom. I vented and expressed my worries, which are many; wonderment’s if I’m doing the right thing, with my job, living situation, relationships and more. Worries for the future, near and far. Dynamics among family and friends. And we didn’t solve all of these worries, if you can even really solve them at all. But we talked, and we ate, and we talked and ate some more. And I felt better. Sometimes you don’t need solutions, you just need to talk it out.

If only we could do this more often. Every week would be perfect.

I love a good love story

As I read one of my favorite blogs today (NonSociety), I learned about an amazing proposal. Yes, I admit, I got teary-eyed while reading this and re-read it again when I got home from work. Stories like this make me love love, make me believe in love. It’s inspiring, exciting, and just plain wonderful fun

Thank you Jordan for sharing this; it made my day : )

Mom & I invade Shreve, Crump & Low

Walking down Boylston Street on Friday afternoon, Mom and I entered Shreve, Crump & Lowand didn’t leave for quite some time. We perused the cabinets full of gorgeous china, dishes, and gifts, and of course, beautiful, amazing jewelry. And while we were star-struck with the diamonds and pearls, I fell most in love with these unique vases…in the shape of fish! We joked about using them at a wedding, laughing at the absurdity…but then, at second glance, I pictured them at a seaside wedding reception, at every table. Miniature ones being used as favors. And now, I’m obsessed. I love them. They come in every color, and the white, blues and pinks are especially suited for a unique decor that I could envision for a wedding by the ocean.

Flowers make everything better

gorgeous flowers courtesy of brattle square florist

Tasty Treats with Mom

Yummy treats from Sweet with Mom. She tasted/fell in love with their Coconut feast and (a personal favorite) their Carrot Cake decadence. Since I’ve given up chocolate for 40 days of Lent, I sampled their Snickerdoodle. Simply scrumptious.
And of course, we went to Crema. No meat on Fridays led to quiche for Mom (me too if there hadn’t been mushrooms in it) and some tomato bisque for myself…and my favorite latte at this delicious Harvard Square hot spot; the Golden Crema, a honey and cinnamon latte.

It’s one of the quietest Saturday nights I’ve had in awhile. Hanging out with Mom, painting my nails a nice, “Siberian Nights” OPI deep purple, watching the Olympics. A quiet night indeed, but please, I’m not complaining.

It’s been a nice visit with Mom, having her in town. We traveled over the bridge to Beacon Hill today and had a hilarious and yummy lunch at Cafe Vanille, where I throughly enjoyed a mini-quiche and some soup, followed by a scrumptous Apricot Tart split with Mother Dearest. So much for eating light this weekend.

We poked around some of my favorite boutiques, Holiday, Moxie, the Flat of the Hill. I picked up some new perfume, from a brand I’ve been meaning to try.

And this evening we had dinner with the boy and a buddy, at Johnny D’s Uptown. The night ended with a blue band taking the stage at the restaurant, with the singer jumping up and down as he belted out “Sugar Coated Loving” or something along those lines (decked out in patent leather white loafers of course). The music was more exciting than the food to say the least; my turkey burger was decent but far from the best I’ve ever had.

And now tomorrow Mom heads back to Syracuse and I shed some tears. I’m looking forward to a Lenten mass and brunch in the morning as a nice wrap up to the weekend and a nice way to start the new week. I vow to start this week prepped, organized and most importantly, relaxed. While I’ve loved loved loved having my Mom visit, I let myself get too stressed and anxious about making sure everything goes smoothly, people are enjoying themselves and plans are going well. It’s caused me to get upset and tense and not enjoy the real purpose of my Mom’s visit. Tomorrow I won’t let that be the case. I think a yummy, relaxing mother-daughter brunch is the perfect cure.

It's spring in Boston...sort of...

It’s amazing out. Sunny. 40 degrees or so. This is a nasty tease.

What to do with Mom today?? South End? Harvard again? hmmm

Momma's in town

My mom flew in last night and enjoyed dinner with the boy and I. While she played it safe with a simple, but delicious margarita flatbread pizza, the boy and I tried some new flavors at the little hole in the wall down my street, The Garden at the Cellar.

It was so so good. We shared a duck & fig with goat cheese flatbread (fig=sweet=addictive), toasted pistachio encrusted chicken wings, and a lamb chop dipped in tomato & squash puree.

And the whole table snacked on rosemary infused french fries.

Absolutely enjoyable.

And now it’s Friday and I’m not at work which is great in itself. Mom and I are getting ready for the day and then heading to Harvard Square where I will introduce her to my love Crema Cafe (I hope they still have the Golden Crema Latte!) and hopefully some of the lovely ladies at Passport.

And then maybe some venturing downtown…Anthropologie!?

Either way, hanging out with Mom is great, whether we shop and eat to our hearts desire, or sit on the couch and drink some coffee. It’s much needed time no matter what.

One of the main reasons I want to live in Stowe: Harvest Market, an adorable, so-very-much-me local food mart. I picked out some coffee and a spinach & feta croissant this morning and loved exploring the tiny-yet-brimming-with-goodies fabulous find.

Just check out these jugs full of various milk varieties to accompany your hot drink at their coffee bar. So much better than the metal containers at your local Starbucks. Too cute.

All the flavors at Ben & Jerrys! Our sample of the day: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough!
Stowe Mountain: breath-taking.
I loved hiking to see Bingham Falls
I may hate the movie, but it was neat to see the Von Trapp family lodge
The Rusty Nail!! I tried a Switchback!!
Cheese-tasting at Cabot…the Colby Jack was delish!

I want to move to a mountain town

I’m on the couch, stuffed from delicious frozen yogurt the roommate and I ordered in (diet starts tomorrow, per usual.) I’m catching up on some TV and getting organized for the week ahead. A nice short work week it may be, with Mom arriving Thursday. It feels great to cross things off the to-do list either way though.

But I can’t go without saying, I had a wonderful weekend in Stowe, VT. I’ve fallen in love this Valentine’s weekend…with adorable and cozy mountain ski towns. I seriously want to live there for a year. The boy and I ate and drank our way through the weekend, sampling wine, Vermont beers, Cabot cheese, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, and more.

It was great to get away and spend time together and see everything that the boy loves about Stowe. And on Valentine’s weekend…even better ; )

Between all the food and drink indulgences, we ventured into the woods and checked out a frozen Bingham Falls (beautiful) and I fully enjoyed a herbal wrap and massage at the Stoweflake Spa…what an amazing treat…but of course, I wasn’t able to really fully relax til the end of the massage! If only I could make them more of a routine!

Icing on the cake to a fun weekend? The boy taking me to see Valentine’s Day, the movie, which without a doubt, was incredibly cliche and corny, and yet, made me smile and draw a loving tear on my favorite holiday.

And so, I return home, longing for the coziness of a ski village with the gorgeous ski slopes, the friendliness of a local pub with some new favorite VT beers (the cherry infused one from the Alchemist was my personal pick) and few worries.

My first time at Stowe was a success…it’d definitely not be my last.

once again, a weekly recap...

This excuse is getting old, but the truth once again as well. I’ve been incredibly busy, too busy:

- a good friend’s birthday led to a classic night out at Grand Canal. Drinks and dancing with the girls on Saturday night at the Harp had similar results and joy. Lots of fun.

- helped the boy move into his new apartment with some of his fine friends. Trip to Costco introduced me to a new wonderland of goodies. If I had a car, I’d be at that fabulous find way too much.

- Superbowl fun Sunday night. I made some homemade guac (lots of lemon juice, onions, salt and pepper..could have used some cilantro) to rave reviews and then proceeded to eat way too much of it. Along with some chicken wings, chips and when the boy cooked up some delicious mussels au gratin after the game, I dove in.

… and what I learned this weekend:

exhaustion + little sleep + too much drinks/chips/mussels/butter/cheese = getting sick and not making it to work on Monday. I felt terrible in every sense, most especially mentally and emotionally.

Oh and I was with the boy sitting at the walk-in ER clinic 8 am Monday after he sliced his finger tip open Sunday night chopping those onions for the au gratin.

What a way to start the week…and it got worse.

More mice sightings Tuesday…dead mouse Wednesday.

Stupid mistakes at work. Frustration.

Big upset at work. Tears in the office.

Zumba cancelled for supposed snow (which didn’t even come).

More exhaustion. Leads to everything seeming worse. Which leads to more tears. Over-whelmed by everything.

I released some of my pent up energy and baked heart shaped fruit pies last night. I’m quite proud. Pictures to be posted soon. Why do I always plan on baking when I end up being insanely busy and have to squeeze in my baking time late at night!? I dream of being caught up with all my errands and “to-do” list that I can just come home any night and leisurely enjoy cooking and baking!

But I think I see a light at the end of this shitty week tunnel. Tonight I had a delicious, lovely dinner with the wedding planner I work with and my roommate, 2 engaged ladies sharing stories as I listened and gained knowledge, and I thoroughly enjoyed their company…and yummy grilled pizza with piles of onions and tomato at Cambridge 1 in Harvard Square.

I have so much respect for the wedding planner I work with and she is truly inspiring, as a professional woman, and on a personal level, who’s done so well for herself and her wedding and event planning experience is phenomenal.

And as my roommate and I started the trek home, we jumped into Sweet and indulged in some of their Valentine Day flavors. While my chocolate strawberry treat wasn’t as good as Crumbs cupcake of the same flavor, it was still delectable (disclaimer: Sweet has won as favorite cupcake with all other flavors compared to Crumbs in the past. Chocolate strawberry is a rare exception.)

And so it’s Thursday. Just finished giving myself a mani/pedi, and I’m watching tv…and finally starting to relax after a stressful span. Tomorrow the Olympics commence and Saturday I’m off to Stowe with the boy, with a spa appointment on Sunday (VALENTINE’S DAY!!).

Things are looking up : )

MARCH'S COVERGIRLS!

I legitimately look forward to the first glimpse of the magazine cover girls every month (especially with my all-time favorite, Glamour). I’m always curious on who it’ll be, what the theme for various photo shoots are, how the star’s are shot. And so far, it looks like March is going to be a good month…

Glamour has the hot and fabulous Victoria Beckham. I adore her; she’s brutally, shamelessly honest. And her style is impeccable. Toss in a puppy & I’m waiting with every breath for this to arrive in my mailbox.

And thanks to NonSociety, I was informed the other day of the annual Vanity Fair that I look forward to & pick up every year since I was in high school…their Young Hollywood Issue, with ethereal young women gracing the extended cover.

But I can’t jump ahead too much; February delivered pretty well too. Heidi sparkled fantastically on InStyle’s cover:

And I can’t believe I’m admitting this, as I never before saw myself as a domestic, Martha Stewart-type female, but yes, it’s true, I’ve become an addict. I’m falling in love, and I’m falling fast. And this cover took my breath away.

Classic Lost

I was frustrated. I was obsessed. I was intrigued. I was absorbed. I was confused. I was lost.

A classic LOST episode last night to kick off their 6th & last season. My love/hate/confused relationship resumed. I have a new weekly date Tuesday nights…with my favorite mysterious time-traveling islanders: Jack, Kate, Desmond, & Sawyer.

It’s great.

Jack, Kate & Sawyer

T-1 hour til the hottest islanders ever return

Mary Ann!?

As she just taught me how to peel a potato, I decided to look up a bit about Dawn Wells of Gilligan’s Island fame…

this might explain her quirky love of potatoes and the puppet she plays with at the end of her cooking lesson…

This made me want to cook some potatoes!

My mother forwarded me an email today, and I clicked on it expecting just another corny chain email, with pathetic jokes or adorable pictures of puppies and children, but instead got a very useful surprise!

Check this out-don’t you want to make potato salad right now!?

I love unique, little secret tips for the kitchen and home and with the commentary by none-other than Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island, this just about made my night!