Archives for November 2014

life in film // 02

November 15, 2014

FILM 02 // dearfriendblogFILM 02 // dearfriendblogFILM 02 // dearfriendblogFILM 02 // dearfriendblogFILM 02 // dearfriendblog

“Beach Days”
Good Harbor Beach
Gloucester, MA
August, 2014

PENTAX K1000
Fuji Film Superia X-TRA400

//

This post is coming to you live from the broken heat and shattered dreams of my frigid old house. I’m being so dramatic about it, but you understand. Brrrrr. I’ve got the space heater mere inches away from me blasting out as much heat as it dares to give + these photos are a good distraction to the cold.

Good Harbor Beach is our old stand-by. Unless we’re feeling up for something new {which we’re usually not!} we head up to Good Harbor, our favorite of all the beaches on the North Shore. Everyone around here has their favorite– Singing Beach, Wingaersheek, or even Crane’s Beach {if you can deal with the Black Heads! AHh!} and they are all completely gorgeous in their own special way, but Good Harbor Beach is where it’s at for us. Every single summer it wins.

We know where to park without having to pay and where we like to sit in the soft sand. I love being able to walk the length of the beach and when I’m up for it, taking the trek through the low waves on the sand bar out to Salt Island when it’s low tide. The views are also my favorite which is probably why I have hundreds and HUNDREDS of landscape photos from over the years. It’s the same each year, the same each visit and yet, I continue to jam-pack my iphone with photos of this place. It’s just so pretty.

This particular trip was a challenge for me because with the Pentax you cannot go wild with the click. If you do, you’ll run out of film and you’ll surely be sorry. On this day I had to take my time and think about each frame that I was capturing— the sea of people you see when you first get to the footbridge, the gorgeous old house up on the hill, my sister and our friend Jordan walking out to the water, and the way the sand looks like glass at low tide… each photo has a lot of thought that goes into it, at least I tried to put thought into each one, and still I only came out with a few that I really loved. But then again, that’s the beauty of photography, you know?

Even if I just get one good one it’s enough. I captured that moment. That moment is mine.

1 Comment · Filed Under: boston day trips, summer ·

buvette // nyc

November 12, 2014

new york city // buvettenew york city // buvettenew york city // buvettenew york city // buvette

One of the best places we experienced last summer while we were visiting New York was Buvette in the West Village.

I had pinned this little gem MONTHS before we even took our trip, but knew from the photos and the reviews that this was a place I had to find myself at. Absolutely a must in my to-do book. Fortunately for us, Buvette stood directly across the street from our AirBnB. A coincidence to you maybe, but to me? FATE.

The first gold star for Buvette is its location. Nestled right on Grove Street, it is surrounded by adorable brownstones, and steps from some of the best small shops in the city {see my last NYC post for details!}.

Next up is the ambiance. You are definitely in New York City {and you are L O V I N G  I T!} but you might as well be in Paris! Not that I’ve ever been to Paris, sigh, BUT! I can only imagine that this little place would fit right in there. {AND WAIT! I just visited their website to retrieve the link and la dee da they DO have another location. IN PARIS. I knew I was on to something!} The decor is perfect– from the tables and chairs, to the wall hangings, and even the menus– a letterpress work of art.

And while the location and ambience are important, it’s the food that really takes the cake. They have a small menu, but they really do have everything you could ever want. Something sweet? Get the Belgian Waffle topped with raspberries. Savory? Croque Monsieur! Or, you could really hit the jackpot with the waffle sandwich: a sunny side up egg with gueyere cheese and bacon sandwiched between two waffles and drizzled with maple syrup. SAVORY AND SWEET TOGETHER AT LONG LAST!

That last dish was what I got if you’re wondering. ;) And for the girl who is always debating between the pancakes or the eggs benedict, well you know, dreams really do come true.

//

Buvette

42 Grove St
New York, NY 10014
(212) 255-3590
8 Comments · Filed Under: food, travel ·

a short list.

November 11, 2014

November //

Things to be happy about in November:

// Leaves everywhere you turn like magic

// Turning on the heat

// Hot tea and a good TV show {we’re watching House of Cards!}

// hanging out with the Gilmore Girls before Zan gets home

// This fleece robe that’s a huge slice of heaven

// Perfect sunsets

// Days off and lunch with my sister

// Being in the middle of a good book

// The most comfortable sheets in the world {Microfiber! Insane!}

// Making time to blog

// Thanksgiving in 15 days

// A house that feels like a home

♥

5 Comments · Filed Under: life ·

home for the holidays // a boston blogger event

November 9, 2014

Boston Bloggers // home for the holidays

Yesterday I had the great experience of attending “Home for the Holidays”, a kick-off holiday event hosted by Boston Bloggers and Wayfair. I have been to many Boston Blogger events over the past several years, but this one was certainly one of my favorites. The morning started off with a gathering at the Wayfair offices in Copley Place, so I drove into the city early morning-style and with the sun shining so bright and beautiful, I knew it was going to be a good day. Also, these days, my fastest route to the city is that last stretch of the Mass Pike– I’m sure you all know it– the view of the city after that last toll? Looking a past the BU Bridge down the Charles and beyond? That view is SWEEEET.

There were lots of bloggers at this event– enough to fill an entire conference room, so we were together for most of the keynote speakers, but then were put into groups for break-out sessions. Here’s how the day went down for me:

Intro Keynote: A conversation with Christiane Lemieux and Heather Armstrong //

I loved this keynote, and getting to hear two incredibly successful woman speak about how they got started, how they stayed true to themselves, and how they essentially “made it” in this crazy blogging/design world. Both Christiane and Heather were incredibly graceful, but also both had some pizazz and boldness that made me enjoy them even more. A good start to the day and inspiring, for sure!

SEO Q&A Session //

Admittedly, I have never in my life though about SEO before yesterday, and admittedly I likely will not really think about it ever again, BUT! The session was actually really informative and now I at least know what that acronym means. Really for me, my blog is a platform for me to chronicle my life– I’m not writing a lot of reviews, or how-to’s {although I’ve definitely done a few when the inspiration strikes} so I’m not too focused on getting a ton of traffic here in that regard. And although gaining new readers is something appreciate and love, I’m not sure optimizing my search engine results is where it’s at for me in terms of priorities. But, to each their own, yes? And never say never— now that I know a little more, maybe I will take the time with some of my more relevant posts!

DIY Pennant Banner Making //

An instagram of the process and hopefully an instagram from home coming at you soon!

Lunch + Discussion with Alison Vinciguerra //

The key points of Ali’s really great discussion are all outlined here and as far as my opinion on quality over quantity? Y. E. S. I also love the question she reminded everyone it’s important to ask yourself: Why am I blogging in the first place?  {I am blogging to record, to foster my creativity, to write, to share my photography, to connect, to reflect, BECAUSE I LOVE IT.}

Tabletop Styling with Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty //

This was my favorite session, mainly because Abby is completely awesome and inspiring. She talked a lot about the beginnings of her brand, and also tips and hints for styling and photographing a holiday tabletop. Hint: always bring in some type of foliage and do something handmade! I loved this because I can connect with Abby’s personality, appreciation for beauty and style, and also, because I’m feeling inspired to design a killer table-scape for this year’s holiday season.

DIY Gift Tags //

Another session full of fun and crafts. Plus, Kate is hilarious and my favorite. I chose to make glitter gift tags using paint chips. Hoping to blog about it soon!

Closing Keynote, Menu Planning with Jeremy Sewall //

Jeremy is the chef/owner at Island Creek Oyster Bar and Row 34, so he came shucking oysters AND lobsters while the rest of us sat there passion eyed {at least I did} with visions of summer dancing in my head. So much for a holiday party! ;) He spoke about how to best plan your menu for Thanksgiving dinner {do a few things REALLY WELL, don’t try to do everything!} and how it’s okay, smart even, to prep a lot of the food ahead of time. He also talked about his experience being a chef, how he loves cooking in all seasons, but fall especially, and how he doesn’t like to follow food trends– it’s all in fresh, local, wholesome ingredients.

And the day ended with wine tasting at the cocktail party with holiday music to boot! GOT ME RIGHT BACK IN THE SPIRIT. We were also all given a gift to take home with us– a nice surprise ending to the day!

//

All in all, it was a fantastic time– Boston Bloggers is such a great community and I’m glad to be a part of it. And the biggest take-away of the experience, one that I heard multiple times throughout the day and one that always resonates with me: stay authentic, always.

Be yourself, do what you love— ALWAYS DO YOU. ♥

11 Comments · Filed Under: blogging ·
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