Archives for March 2012

march happenings!

March 16, 2012

Just a few notes before I start my weekend! It’s been a busy week over here and I’m happy to report, a good one! Before I head out of the blogosphere for the weekend I just thought I’d jot down a few recent happenings. For the memory books, and all.

1. First, and most exciting! My best friend Bailey had her baby!!!!

Baby Luke was born March 14, 2012!!

I basically cried ginormous happy tears when I saw the pictures she sent of the little guy. The real killer for me was the one of her and him right after she had given birth.

My friend! A MOM!

It’s still pretty surreal to me. And the happiest of happys EVER.

 

2. Last night a few other Boston Bloggers and I had a blogger date at the museum.

LOOOOVED it. The company was the best part, and the museum was pretty good too. Interesting, and a little strange at times, but good. Although we were all in agreement that it’s best to go when it’s free. Thursday nights, people!

I have more pictures to share, but that’s coming next week.

 

3. WHY am I just finding out about Marcel the Shell with Shoes On just now?

This basically completes my life. It’s the funniest thing I have seen in a long time and I’d be lying if I said I watched it less than 10 times last night before I turned out the light. It was close to midnight and I should have been sleeping, but it’s just TOO GOOD.

If you know it, why did you keep it a secret from me for so long? (a THOUSAND thank yous for being the one to finally open my eyes to Marcel, Melanie. What a shell. I owe you the world.)

And if you don’t know about this yet, you’re in for a REAL treat. It’s GOLD!

(I’d highly recommend Part 2 also. Guess why I smile a lot? Uhh, cause it’s worth it.)

 

4. And lastly, St. Patrick’s DAY is here!

This weekend I will be pretending I’m in college again. Rooftop parties and Southie parades are in my future.

And those ladies above?

I swear they’re not as crazy as they look.

Actually, they might be. But that’s the reason we’re friends.

Those are my homies from college, two of the best people I know, and my favorite way to celebrate St. Patty’s Day.

Shenanigans, no doubt.

HAPPY WEEKEND, friends!

15 Comments · Filed Under: celebrations, friends, life ·

11 people I would invite to dinner: {fantasy favorites}

March 15, 2012

The final {and most awesome} round.

I made it eleven because there was no way I could narrow it down to five (I couldn’t even stick to ten!).

I had so much fun putting these together– I hope you enjoyed them too! I think this last dinner party would be the most interesting one by far. I mean, imagine! Having all of these people in one room! Sigh. If only it could be true. Here’s to dreaming.

And here. we. go…

{The Guest List}

1.

Severus Snape

“After all this time?”

“Always.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

2.

Becky, A Little Princess

The little servant girl who stole all our hearts.

“Sara… why don’t you tell your stories anymore? “

“They’re just make-believe. They don’t mean anything.”

“Oh, but they’ve always meant something to me. There were days I thought I would die, until I heard you talk about the magic.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

3.

MacGyver

The original Jack Bauer.

Me and my dad used to always watch this show together.

What a guy.

– – – – – – – – – – –

4.

Anne of Green Gables

UM. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with Anne Shirley??

“There’s such a lot of different Annes in me. I sometimes think that is why I’m such a troublesome person. If I was just the one Anne it would be ever so much more comfortable, but then it wouldn’t be half so interesting.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

5.

Carrie Bradshaw

Because, honestly, she’s like the coolest girl EVER.

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”

– – – – – – – – – – –

6.

Veda Sultanfuss

There she was just a walkin’ down the street singing Do Wa Diddy Diddy Dum Diddy Do.

“Get outta here! And don’t come back for five to seven days!”

– – – – – – – – – – –

7.

Sophia Petrillo

“Ma, can you eat quietly?”

“These are Fritos, what do you want me to do, swallow them whole?”

– – – – – – – – – – –

8.

Lady Violet Grantham

HILARIOUS.

And I think she and Sophia would be SUPER hilarious together.

“What is a week-END?”

9.

Cristina Yang

I love just about every sentence that comes out of this girl’s mouth.

She’s my favorite character on Grey’s Anatomy, hands down.

– – – – – – – – – – –

10.

Matilda

Precious. And smarter than a 5th grader for sure.

“You seemed so far away,” Miss Honey whispered, awestruck.

“Oh, I was. I was flying past the stars on silver wings,” Matilda said. “It was wonderful.” 

– – – – – – – – – – –

and last, but certainly not least:

11.

Napoleon Dynamite

“I caught you a delicious bass.”

But ONLY if he brings his dance moves to the party.

Canned heat, baby.

++

View: {living edition}

View: {dead edition}

11 Comments · Filed Under: books, children, famous people, movies ·

i went to the woods.

March 14, 2012

So I’ve discovered where I’ll be spending my afternoons on nice days until the school year is over.

It’s so beautiful, I can hardly stand it.

I went to Walden Pond for the first time ever Monday. I’ve heard of it, but hadn’t yet been until the weather was so gorgeous I couldn’t bear going to walk on a treadmill indoors. When the weather gets nice I need to be outside. Anything else is less than acceptable. You see, I love to walk. I’ve never been a runner (believe me, I’ve tried) but walking suits me just fine. When I first moved to Boston and lived in Back Bay I would walk an hour to and from Charlestown everyday. When I moved to Brookline and worked in Kenmore Square I would stroll up and down Beacon Street on my way to work, and on my way home. Then, I got a job 20 miles out of the city and walking to work was no longer possible, but I still managed to get some good walking in.  When I lived near Washington Square this was easy. I’d just head down to Cleavland Circle and walk around the reservoir with the sun on my face and the good feeling that if I walked fast enough I could be back to my apartment in an hour or so. There’s a gorgeous pond just steps away from my apartment now, but you can’t walk around it, which has been the biggest bummer to me. Until Monday, when I found Walden Pond directly on my route home from work– and it’s beyond perfect.

It’s the pond where Henry David Thoreau spent two years of his life living simply, living in a self-build hut in the woods on the land of his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. It was here in these woods where he wrote his book Walden; or, Life in the Woods.

It’s an incredible part of history and I can’t believe I have the ability to visit here every day. The prairie girl in me is just bursting at the seams.

This is the site where Thoreau’s hut used to be. There are now only a pile of rocks to mark where the cabin once was, but there is a museum in Concord that contains the actual bed, desk, and chairs from his dwelling in the woods. 

The trees are still fairly bare now, and though the scene is still breathtaking, imagine what it will be like in the spring, summer, and fall. Parking is $5 a day, but I went with the $35 yearly pass because I plan on seeing this place through the seasons. It’s glorious, I’m sure.

There is a path around the entire pond that is incredibly beautiful and it’s a little over 1.5 miles around. The past two days I’ve made two loops and it’s just about the perfect thing to do after a day of teaching. I’ve been bringing my class outside for our read-aloud every day, but besides that we’re mostly stuck indoors. This is a way for me to get that fresh air that I’m craving desperately around this time of year.

And now that the light shines into the evening this makes for one happy lady.

And lucky too, ever so lucky–

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment…

— there is no other life but this.”

13 Comments · Filed Under: boston, fitness, instagram, life ·

11 things.

March 13, 2012

Clair tagged me in her 11 things post last month, and I’m just getting around to sharing mine. I’ve been seeing these all over Blogland and I actually think these kinds of things are really fun– but this is coming from a girl that used to love those question/email chain dittys when she was 15. Remember those? Yeah, this is similar. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Here are the “rules”:

Write 11 random things about yourself.

Answer 11 questions.

Ask 11 questions.

Here we go…

11 random things about me:

1. My middle name is Elizabeth. I think it’s one of the prettiest names ever. I love how it’s old fashioned and simple and beautiful.

2. My favorite meal of the day is lunch. I think this is because I LOVE sandwiches. Any kind, really, but BLT and PB&J sandwiches are the bees knees in my eyes. I like breakfast second best, and dinner comes in last in my book.

3. I don’t think there is anything worse in the world than public speaking. Ever since elementary school any time I need to speak in front of a lot of people I get severe anxiety. Also, when I actually start speaking in public my face gets totally hot and red. I hate it more than anything. This does not happen to me with a classroom full of kids, though. With them I feel absolutely comfortable.

4. I NEVER swear. I just don’t. I don’t like the way it sounds coming out of my mouth. I’m not at all offended when other people do it, I just don’t like to do it myself.

5. When I was in middle school I was home sick from school for quite a long stretch of time. During that home-stay I watched the Parent Trap with Lindsay Lohan really close to a hundred times. I just kept watching it. Over and over and over and over. And to this day I can still recite every. single. word. Oh, Lindsay, why’d ya gotta go all wacky on me. I really liked you.

6. I have never dyed my hair. Not once. Not ever.

7. My family’s dog is a yellow lab named Tinsley. My sister got her my freshman year of college after our old dog had to be put to sleep. We named her Tinsley after Boyd Tinsley, the violinist/fiddle player from the Dave Matthews Band. I still think that the coolest name for a dog ever.

8. When I was 12 I went to Disney World. Since then I have been back only one other time and I cannot WAIT until the day that I go again. That place is full of real, true magic, I tell ya. This I believe with all my heart.

9. I used to figure skate when I was little, before I decided on to focus solely on ballet. I used to do shows and competitions with fancy costumes with sparkles and sequins and everything. They were really fun times and a huge part of my childhood memories. “TOE PIIIICK.”

10. I’m not at all a competitive person. I think this is why I was never really into playing sports and why I don’t love playing board games. I do love Cranium though. That game is such a blast. Do you know it? FUN times.

11. I hate cats. HATE. I really don’t understand why anyone would want to own one. And when my best friend Hannah got a cat a few years ago I could not understand for the life of me why she would do that to me. WHY? I have to add here that I am HIGHLY allergic, which is most likely the reason I feel this way. When I am at a house that has cats I can hardly breathe. Not kidding. It’s awful, and so I will forever believe that cats are the WORST.

(I know a lot of my readers out there looooove cats so I hope this doesn’t taint your image of me, but cats ARE the worst and I will never change my mind about it.)

– – – – – – – – – – –

Clair’s 11 questions for me…

1. What’s your favorite way to take advantage of a sunny day?

This is tough, because there are so many possibilities! But I think the best way, in any situation, any season, is to wake up early, grab your sunglasses, and GET OUTSIDE. Take a walk, take a drive to the beach, take the time to bask in the sun. I never let a sunny day slip away from me– even when I’m teaching I take those kids outside!

2. Do you have a reliable “wing it” meal that you depend on?

Chicken Picatta.  SO easy and SO good. Cook some chicken breast in a sauce pan with a little olive oil (I cut it up before I throw it in the pan so it cooks quicker), then once it’s been over the heat for awhile I put in lemon juice (squeezed from 1 lemon) and capers. Then I just throw it over pasta and eat it. Lemony and delicious. YUM.

3. How do you take your coffee?

Warm milk and a little bit of sugar.

4. What is your absolute favorite book from your childhood?

Henry’s Awful Mistake. I remember my dad reading it to me and I remember me loving it. It’s not a literary work of art, but it’s a pretty fun book. Even today I laugh when I read it. (Oh, and I still have the copy that we used to read. It’s worn and loved and sitting on my bookshelf.)

5. When do you feel most at peace?

Saturday mornings, with the whole weekend ahead of me. And in summer. Bliss.

6. Flats or heels?

Flats. Forever.

7. What’s one habit you wish you had?

I wish I liked to empty the dishwasher. But man, is that a chore if I ever knew one.

8. Do you hold on to a lot of guilt? Is there anything that is guaranteed to make you feel guilty?

Hmm. Good question. I really don’t think I do hold onto a lot of guilt. I don’t like talking badly about people behind their backs, though. That always makes me feel crappy.

9. If you had the opportunity to be a professional blogger, would you take it?

Yes, I think I just might. How awesome would that be?

10. Best way to turn around a bad day?

Country music, a trip to the gym, a date with ELLEN, and a HOT shower.

11. What’s the last time you can remember laughing so hard you cried?

My friends from high school really know how to do this well. Laughing to the point of tears is one of our strong points. My friend Danielle especially makes me tear up from cracking up. She is without a doubt the most hilarious person I know and she’s one of those people that doesn’t even try. I think my friends and I must have cried laughing the morning after our high school reunion. It was just one of those recaps that merits a LOT of funny stories.

– – – – – – – – – – –

 And my 11 my questions:

1. What was your favorite childhood TV show?

2. When is your birthday, how old are you, and how do you feel about it?

3. What’s the best vacation you’ve ever taken?

4. Where did you go to college? Did you have as much fun as I did those 4 years?

5. If you could choose only one candy bar at the checkout line in the grocery store, which one would you choose?

6. Have you ever met someone famous?

7. Do you prefer dresses or pants?

8. Do you have any siblings? Older/younger? Are you close?

9. If you could go back to your younger years and relive one experience, what would you do again?

10. What are your TOP 3 MOST FAVORITE blogs??? (besides mine. JUST KIDDING.)

11. Why do you blog? And if you don’t blog, why the heck not?

– – – – – – – – – – –

AWESOME. Wasn’t that fun. Also, I’m tagging everyone who reads this post. DO IT. You can answer my questions in the comments section, or write your own post! You’ll have a good time, I promise! (Just be sure to let me know if you join in the party!)

14 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, life ·
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