My Holiday in Pictures

Boston is snowed in, but this isn't my first rodeo. I come from a place that MADE us go out to recess in this kind of weather, but Boston just isn't handling it like the pros of the Midwest. Single digit temperatures make you tough, so embrace it, Northeast! Since the city has decided to take a break and stay inside, I figured now would be a good time to share a few pictures from my trip home to Wisconsin. I miss it dearly, and being snowed in without a cuddly miniature schnauzer to keep me company isn't helping.

Usually, I stay with my family for Christmas and New Year's, but since I had to get back to work right after the holidays, I decided to spend New Year's with some of my favorite people.

That's Melyssa and Caitlin. I've known them for two years, but it really feels like longer. They're two of the weirdest people you'll meet, but also the funniest, and the best.

Our friendship can be completely summed up in two pictures:

We don't always get to see each other, but when we do, it feels like we're sisters.

Noticeably missing: My best friend, Emily. But you'll meet her soon enough.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Stay cool, wherever you are.

Saturdays Downtown

There are always perks to living in a city. This weekend, after five years of living in Boston, I finally made it to the Boston Public Library (BPL). Well, let me rephrase that: I finally got the chance to look around without being restricted to the rooms my professors mapped out for class trips.  While I think that I've been there at least three times before, this was a trip that I got to take just for me.

I have to say, it is getting CHILLY here on the East Coast! But I run with Midwestern blood in my veins, and a higher tolerance for cold weather. In fact, sometimes I actually get excited when I see the temperature, because it means that I get to wear my warm boots and coat. The other day, it was 39 degrees and I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. I don't know what's wrong with me. 

I didn't take my trip downtown alone. At Copley, I met up with my best friend Anna (this is her blog!), and we practically ran inside because the wind had picked up so much that I wondered why I even bothered combing my hair in the first place. 

And while the wind was blowing, and it had to have been close to 48 degrees, we braved the weather to visit the one part of the library that I've only seen from above: the courtyard. It's true what they say: the courtyard is the true jewel of this place. It's huge, it's peaceful, and if you visit at the right time of year, you can get little lunches from the cafe, and just lounge. It really is quite fantastic, and definitely worth a few minutes of shivering.

Though the BPL is huge and historic, and there are things to look at in every room, it is, after all, a library. So unless you're there to study, or check out books, your visit will be rather short-lived.  But it was no matter. Anna and I had tons of catching up to do (we hadn't seen each other in weeks!). It was time for some hot chocolate in a quiet cafe, but before we could make it, Anna suggested we visit a place that should never be refused:

How can you ever say "no" to visiting a chocolate shop? I'll be honest, the things I knew about Lindt before our visit were limited to the commercials I see during the holiday season; presumably their busiest. So to actually go inside a shop was pretty interesting...and delicious. WOW, there is a reason that people can't get over those chocolates! Within the first five minutes of our visit, a nice sales associate approached us and offered a sample of their seasonal chocolate: milk chocolate with white chocolate inside. Heavenly. Those are little balls of Heaven wrapped up in some shiny, blue foil. After that, I was hooked, and kind of sort of impulse-bought a number of chocolates that might be too embarrassing to admit. But it's FINE because I'm totally planning on taking them home and sharing with my family! You know, if they make it home without getting eaten.

Hanging out with Anna is always the most fun. In the six years that we've known each other, there has never been a point when we weren't laughing, or exploring, or even sitting around watching movies. True friendship is when you can do absolutely nothing, but still enjoy every minute of it. That's when you know you'll always be best friends. 

 The start of the holiday season is upon us! Tonight, I've got some speed-packing to do, and speed-collecting my recipes! THIS IS THE YEAR THAT I GET TO HELP COOK THANKSGIVING DINNER. I'm TOO pumped!! 

I want to hear all about what you've got planned for Thanksgiving!!

Happy Tuesday, and STAY WARM!

Writing to My Darlings

Call me old-fashioned (Or Sydney, either works fine), but there is nothing better than a good, handwritten letter. In this era of email, and instant communication, it's important to take a step back, and appreciate the hard work that goes into a physical letter, and the process that it takes to get from the hands of your loved one, all the way to you. A friend had a birthday recently, and I had waited until the very last minute. But I made a deal with another friend, who has also waited: you buy the gift, I'll get the card.

I work in Beacon Hill, which is this crazy beautiful neighborhood of Boston. It's very old, and very historic. There's brick everywhere, brick as far as the eye can see, and I love it. On the street over from the office, there are two card shops, almost right next door to each other. One is really popular, and sells cards, along with other novelty books and housewares. The other is more of an old-school, independent card shop. Since I'd been in the popular store several times, and decided that the prices might just be a little too high, and the selection a little too low for my liking, I decided on Shop Number Two. I was in the market for cards and cards only, after all. (Hallmark will get absolutely none of my money if I can help it.)

It's called Rugg Road Paper Company, and it is, after just one visit, my new go-to card shop! First of all, it's absolutely ADORABLE inside. It's got all the quirks and charms of being a small business, and creative displays with a touch of whimsy. There are Boston-themed post cards with traditional, and also non-traditional images for just $1.00 each, clever greeting cards with puns that have been printed on recycled paper, SUPER CUTE printed wrapping paper (who wouldn't want anchors on quality wrapping paper?), and the best element of them all:  a friendly and dedicated shop owner who cares about her customers. You can tell that she's put her special mark on each and every part of the store and it shows. The prices were excellent, the selection was unique, and I just can't get enough. Plus, it gives me something to do while I wait for my train!

My friends know me well: I am, and always will be a big supporter of small business. Greeting card season is upon us, so you better stock up!! (Another great place to try? Etsy.com!)

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got greeting cards to address and send. No one knows they're coming, and that's always half the fun!

Send someone special in your life a little snail mail. Trust me, it'll only make your bond stronger!

Let's Talk About Stitch Fix

About a month ago, an advertisement popped up on my newsfeed to try this new(ish) (new to ME, anyway) company called Stitch Fix. It's almost like having your own personal stylist, and you get to try on the pieces at home. If you're anything like me, the actual idea of going out to the shopping centers and waiting in long dressing room lines, just to find even the teensiest things wrong, and feeling all kinds of fat and gross in those not-so-magic mirrors they've got going on over there, is utterly terrifying. Of course we all do it, but who on earth would prefer all that, when you can get a box in the mail every month (if you'd like!) with surprise clothes hand-picked just for you? Exactly.

HOW IT WORKS:

You fill out this very extensive style profile highlighting your likes and dislikes in terms of style. You choose the adjectives that best describe the way you dress, you vote on which styles you like the best from sample pictures, and you give your body measurements and sizes. Then, you pay a $20 fee, cross your fingers, and wait for five hand-picked items to be delivered to you in the mail.  Once your package arrives, you've got three days to decide what you'd like to keep and what you'd like to return. If you keep any items in the box, your $20 fee goes towards the total price of the items kept. Ex. If you keep a necklace and a dress, add the original cost of each together, then subtract twenty. AND if you keep the entire box, you get 25% off the whole order! It's pretty great, and you cannot even imagine how jazzed I've been all week waiting for my box to come.

I tore into the box and, I've got to say, I really liked every piece except for one: the necklace.

Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, but I'm not big into jewelry. If I buy anything, it's got to be because that piece is completely unique, and unlike anything I've ever seen. This, I've seen.

WHAT I LIKED:

WHAT I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT

WHAT I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT

Even cooler, they send you a little card with pictures of each item in your box, and how to make different outfits with each. It's great to see an example of a piece being taken from day to night, with just a few clothing swaps.

So would I do it again? You bet.  But my advice is to not build it up too much. While I had a pretty great first experience, one of my friends wasn't as lucky. She lives in one of the hottest parts of California, and her stylist sent her a wool coat! Not great. But hey, I bet it was a pretty nice coat!

The surprise is half the fun, trust me.

Interested? You should try!

Have any of you done Stitch Fix before? I want to hear alllll about it!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

My Saturday Adventure

I really do love Boston.

Have you ever noticed that when you've lived in a place for a while, you start to forget about all the charms that it has to offer? Maybe you don't necessarily forget, but maybe you start to take for granted things that visitors travel thousands of miles everyday to see. I think that was happening to me. Four years I've been living in this wonderful city, and maybe for the first time in a while, I took the time to really get to know it. And while I know how to get anywhere from anywhere and back, knowing your way around doesn't always equate to knowing  the city that you belong to. (Or that kind of belongs to you. I guess it depends on who you're asking.)

Recently, a friend from many moves ago, one I never thought I would ever see again, moved to Boston. Because I've moved around so much, and left places that I can't really see myself visiting again unless it's for a very specific occasion, I always jump at the opportunity to meet up with people that I once knew, on new turf. Big cities are always common ground, aren't they? They see so many people come and go all the time, that they just remain neutral. It's not really like being in a small town where everyone knows everyone, and can detect visitors.  In Boston everyone belongs. But anyway, back to the story. While he's been here for a few months, he's been pretty busy getting settled into a new living space, and a new job. As you can imagine, that hasn't really left much time for exploration apart from immediate surroundings. And as soon as I heard that he hadn't had a proper introduction to the city, I immediately volunteered. (It should be noted that as soon as he agreed, I started making a list in my head of all my favorite parts of the city, all the quirky things I've never seen myself, and, of course, what snacks to make and bring along the way! Really, who would I be if I didn't mention food at least once?)

I settled on these:

Dark chocolate and oatmeal cookies with sea salt sprinkled on top. They were a hit Saturday, and they're a hit in my house still, today. (I've had three already. I must be stopped.)

ALSO, hi, we're going to take a short detour from the story to talk about my new best friend, Silpat. I have read enough food blogs, and cookbooks, to know all there is to know about these MAGICAL (only word that fits, guys. I'm not even being dramatic. Well, yeah, I am. But it's totally warranted.) baking mats. Gone are the days that I spray baking Pam on my cookie sheets, gone are the days of struggling to tear just enough parchment paper and completely failing, thus having to tear off some of it to make it fit, but then tearing off too much because I can't win, and gone are the days of awkward cookie sheet cleanup where in the process of rinsing the sheet off with the faucet hose, I end up drenching the entire counter behind it. Silpats are flexible, easy to use, and I have never seen more evenly cooked cookies in all my year(s) (I only got good a year ago, but HAVE been attempting to become a baker for years) of baking. Seriously, they were beautiful, and all I had to do was rinse off the mat when I was finished. They're expensive, but TRUST ME, Silpats are 100% well-worth the money.

P.S. Recipe coming soon for these bad boys. If you love extra oats, and LOTS of dark chocolate, you will love these cookies as much as I do.

ANYWAY, BACK TO BOSTON EXPLORATION.

If you are going to travel to Boston, there are at least two books that you need on hand to give yourself the proper, self-guided tour. Number one, of course, is a Michelin:

These books are traditional, and they're important. Michelin is a name you can trust for just about any tour book you purchase. You get recommendations for  anything from restaurant recommendations, to the best hotels, to shopping centers, etc. etc. You always get a very through and detailed explanation of major monuments and landmarks in the city. Very important to have on have.

But then, if you're like me, you want a book that isn't like all the other boring tour books. You want something different and unique. You want:

This book is seriously perfect. It's hilarious, it's informative, and most importantly, the authors aren't afraid to reveal some of the not-so-proper parts of Boston. I love it. When I saw it on the shelf, I knew I had to get it.

So I spent my Saturday with excellent company, going down side streets, visiting monuments I've been to dozens of times, but have only stopped to notice maybe once or twice, dodging the on again/off again rain, and reading from my guidebooks that have been throughly bookmarked and dog-eared. I also spent it eating one of the best sandwiches ever, and a cannoli from The North End. You never really realize what a great place you live in, until you see it with someone wearing a fresh pair of eyes.

I managed to snap a few pictures along the way:

So this weekend, I encourage you to pack your favorite snacks, pack your camera, pack your maps and guide books, grab a friend or significant other, wear comfortable shoes, and really take the time to see what makes your city so great. You won't regret it, I promise. Go ahead, be a tourist for the day.

Happy Monday,

I Dream of SOWA

I love flea markets.

Love them.

Love, love, love them.

But I've always been THAT person that goes to many, and never finds anything. Meanwhile, other people are finding all these rare treasures at insanely low prices, and doing it like it's the easiest thing in the world. I love flea markets, but sometimes they just don't love me.

And sometimes they do.

One of the things I love about living in Boston is the big vintage presence. There are tons of thrift stores and consignment shops  to go around. There are also, in the summer (and in some cases, all-year-round) open markets. This past Sunday, I took my second trip to arguably Boston's biggest and busiest open market, SOWA, located in the South End. (A friend told me yesterday that SOWA, stands for South Washington.)

This place has it all: food trucks, handmade craft kiosks, and an entire floor dedicated to vintage clothes, silverware, instruments, furniture, housewares...You name it, it's there. And in any other setting, I might find such a huge selection to be quite daunting and overwhelming, but not at SOWA. At SOWA, you embrace it, own it, and you say "excuse me" a LOT to the millions of people clogging up the aisles like they're the only ones there.

I'm moving into a new apartment soon, which means an entirely new decor that I've planned out. Bearing this in mind, I looked for things that would go well, and BOY DID I SCORE BIG THIS TIME!

Aren't they great? The picture really doesn't do the clock's color any justice. In person, it's this very brilliant turquoise color. The owner of the shop uses chalkboard paint exclusively on all of his vintage pieces, and adds a little shabby chic flair to each one. When I saw it, I looked at the price, put it down, and said that I would think about it. Then I saw another woman come in, pick it up, then put it down. So what did I do? Yep, that's right, I picked it up and immediately took it to the register. Shopping is a battle til the end, baby.

Also a sucker for scented candles, I bought this as a trial-run for some of the vendor's bigger sizes:

It smells heavenly, and I love it even more, because buying it means that I have supported a local business.

And I'm all about local business.

All in all, it was a REALLY good day for a lover of flea markets that's usually down on her luck.

And if you're looking for other great markets in the city, my personal favorite is located in Davis, and happens every Sunday from June through October!

HAPPY MARKETING!

Blizzard: In Pictures

TODAY WAS THE MOST FUN.

We were getting a little stir-crazy in the house, so we decided to head out. These are my friends, right before we started a very epic battle.

Everything was BURIED in snow. This was a car.

Public transportation is down until Monday. To put things in perspective: this is usually a train track, and those railings are usually very high.

Even though I haven't gone far from home for two days, the snow is beautiful, and we've had a BLAST.

I've run around outside more than I have in absolute ages.

Returning to the Real World on Monday is going to be tough. 

BLIZZARD!

I'm a New Englander for most of the year, and we are getting hit with a TON of snow! I know it should be terrible that we can't even look out of our windows because there's over a foot of snow already, but it's actually the best.

A few hours ago my roommates and I went outside to an empty street where everywhere you turned, there was a snowball fight waiting for you. (Needless to say, we were always ready, and usually the dominating team.)

After we were too wet and cold to continue, we came inside and had possibly the BEST hot chocolate in the world (Swiss Miss is underrated if you ask me), watched Something Borrowed/New on TLC, then attempted to have a movie marathon. We couldn't keep our eyes open, but there's always tomorrow.

The snow is still coming down, and I've got nowhere to go. And what does a baker do to pass the time? BAKE, of course! Tonight I made a second helping of my sweet potato pie and tomorrow I make Brown-Butter BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!

Snowball fight and muffin pictures to come tomorrow!