blogging

live and let live (an adventure in OTTO pizza eating).

July 16, 2012

Last week I tweeted my blogger friend Melanie to see if she wanted to hit up OTTO’s pizza with me in Brookline.

1). I love Brookline.

2). I love Melanie.

3). I love a good slice of pie.

Melanie and I have been on a bit of a blogger food kick lately, if you will. Between pizza, crazy INSANELY amazing sweetest-treats-of-your-life brunch, and ice cream eating (post to come soon!), I’d say the two of us are reeeeeeally on top of our taste-testing game, and boy is it ever scrumptious.

Also, I had not yet been to the new posh pizza joint that is OTTO, but it was on my list of things to see and do since it recently came down to Boston from Portland, Maine. Anything from Maine has to be quality, it just has to be, and so, Thursday came around and Melanie, my sister Meg, and I all went out for pizza pie.

The great thing about being a blogger and having blogger friends who live close by (especially a food blogger friend) is that they will always agree to go places with you and they won’t care one bit if you are embarassingly taking pictures the whole time. My sister Meg, on the other hand, does care about that kind of stuff, which sometimes makes it hard to go on crazy blogger photographer mode when she’s with me having a meal out.

But the light in the place was just so glorious. And the atmosphere just screamed “BLOG ABOUT ME!” (as I was certain the food would, too) and so I did snap those pictures and I didn’t care what Meg or anyone else thought.

Live and let live.

And you know what happened while I was doing my thing? The house manager came by seemingly pleased about all my picture taking, asked if I was a blogger (in the know!), chatted it up with us about this and that (friendly service!) and then treated us to a free pizza (on the house!). Yup. BALLIN’!! I definitely don’t think Meg minded my picture taking frenzy after that perk. And I, of course, could not help but think to myself: Damn, it feels good to be a blogger, as I quite often do. It’s also just proof that it’s worth it to be yourself in this world and not care what other people think. Live and LET LIVE!

Aaaanyways. The pizza was DELICIOUS. Like, really crazy good delicious. And the location in Brookline is very welcoming, too, with a bar area and table service, as well as a really cool atmosphere with big beautiful windows and plenty of light and space. (There’s a location in Harvard Square, also, but that one’s a lot lot smaller, with only slices to-go.) As soon as we sat down with the menu we had to take few minute to decide what to order because the list was so extensive. So many pizzas! So much delicousness!! It wasn’t an easy decision, but we ultimately decided on two pizzas— the pulled pork and mango, and the butternut squash, ricotta, and cranberry. I loved them both with their unique and savory flavors and spot on toppings, but would have to say the pulled pork and mango came out on top. SO. so. tasty.

I have a feeling all of their pizzas are full of goodness. I just have a feeling. And I’m not a food critic or anything, but if I was one I would give this place 6 stars. 5 stars for the food and an extra one for the service.

Thanks for the pizza, OTTO! We can’t wait to come back!

18 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, boston, food ·

on helping out a favorite blogger.

July 13, 2012

I started following Elizabeth’s blog sometime last spring, over a year ago now. I clicked over to her blog from another blog, read one of her posts, and have never looked back since.

Hers is the blog I used to read first thing in the morning as soon as I got to school, and nowadays when she posts in the afternoon, I will sit in my car huddled over my phone just to read what she has to say.

I was pulled in that very first day by her story and by her writing.

Since then, I’ve been a loyal follower of E Tells Tales. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you. Zan knows it. Meg knows it. My real life friends know it. And my blog friends know it. Whenever there is blog talk happening, and someone goes and asks about my favorite blogs, Elizabeth’s is always the first I mention. She is an incredible writer, has a fascinating life story, and is the mom to one CUTIE PIE KID.

Since reading her blog, we’ve become friends, too. Not the kind that meet for coffee, but the kind that tweet to each other and have skype dates every now and again. She’s funny, she’s real, and she’s kind. And since reading her blog, she’s introduced me to other blog friends. Some directly, and some indirectly. A few even, who are closer in distance, that I have had coffee with. Elizabeth has created a community through her writing that I have yet to find anywhere else on the internet. And it’s a special thing.

Anyways, why am I telling you this?

Because this week and last she had a story on her blog that really touched me. It touched a lot of people, actually. And so I thought I’d take the time to share it here so that maybe it will touch you, too.

Elizabeth’s husband, Mike was the owner of a family-run store. A small-town grocer that put his life and soul into providing food and supplies for the people in his community. There was a story about that store on Elizabeth’s blog last week that I hope you will read.

Part 1

Part 2

The End.

There is sadness in those posts, and worry, but it’s important that you read them.

There is Good News, too, very good and hopeful news, so you’ll definitely want to read that.

Elizabeth is a teacher, so she is one of my own.

If you want to help you can adopt her classroom. She teaches high school English and needs help with supplies for her students and with purchasing books for growing her classroom library. As a teacher myself, and as a reading specialist, there is nothing more important than providing literature for students, this I believe with all my heart. It is the backbone of learning and it’s something that I feel incredibly strongly about.

You can help adopt Elizabeth’s classroom HERE.

You can help out her family specifically by visiting HERE.

And lastly, you can make a strong effort to buy local and support small businesses in your community. You can help other family’s like Elizabeth’s by buying from local stores in your town and supporting local shops and markets, otherwise all the little stores will soon be gone.

I hope you’ll give some of your time to reading Elizabeth’s story today. It was important to me that I share it and maybe you’ll want to share it after reading it, too.

Have a lovely weekend, friends. ♥

18 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, friends ·

6 things you should know about on a Friday in June.

June 1, 2012

Happy Friday!!

There is one word and one word only running through my head right now:

Weeeeeeeeeeeekeeeeeeeeeeeend.

A few things have been introduced to me over the past few weeks and I thought I’d share them with you today. 6 things for the sixth month of the year. JUNE is here, can you believe it?

I CAN believe it and I WILL BELIEVE IT.

9 more days of school, people!

Boom. Boom. BOOM.

SO here you go…

6 things you should know about (if you don’t already):

1) This NPR Tiny Desk Concert:

The Tiny Desk Concerts put on by NPR are amazing. And this one by K’Naan is especially SO good. But seriously, so sooo good. My friend Rebecca showed me this when I was in Brooklyn. Listen to it all and listen to it many, many times. I can’t stop because I don’t want to stop. Ever. Go ahead, give a listen.

2) These Trader Joe’s cookies:

{Image source and cookie review}

I’d beg to differ that they are actually cookies because they’re really more like cookie dough in my opinion, but you get the idea. I’m more partial to the latter anyways.

You better be running to your closest Trader Joe’s because these cookies are IIIIIINsane. So chewy! So delicious! Every night after dinner I have two of these bad boys with a glass of milk. Heaven, I say. Heaven.

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3. The maxi dress:

Now I know it’s all the rage, but honestly, do you own one yet? When I’m wearing a maxi dress I feel as if I’m walking around in the coziest blanket of all time. Kind of like I’m in my pajamas, but better. Especially the cotton dresses. I think they’re flattering on all body types too, which is hard to come by with some trends. So really, if you do not have a maxi dress yet, go buy a maxi dress. This weekend!

(You can thank me later.)

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4) The Honest Toddler Blog

I just discovered this and it is HILARious. I’m not even a parent and I think this is too good. Honest Toddler has me laughing out loud and shaking my head yesyesyes. I LOVE when things are ridiculously funny and this blog is it. You can follow Honest Toddler on twitter too! Funny things all the live long day.

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5. The Opposite of Lonliness

You must read this piece, The Opposite of Loneliness, written by Marina Keegan, a Yale 2012 graduate who died tragically in a car crash last Saturday. It’s a horribly sad story about her death, but her writing is so insightful, and above all things makes me realize how unknown this life is and how important it is we keep our connections alive by keeping in touch with those that we love and care about. Make phone calls, go to reunions, visit friends. I feel lucky enough to still feel the opposite of lonliness and I only wish this young girl could have had the opportunity to grow older and experience it too. Life does go on after college, very much so, and I’m hopeful it will keep on the up and up. Life’s not fair sometimes and I get confused and disheartened when there aren’t any answers to these sorts of tragedies. But I do know this: I am humbled by Marina’s writing, saddened for what will never be, and incredibly thoughtful for what I can make of this one precious life.

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6. Caine’s Arcade

And to end on a more uplifting note, watch this video of Caine’s Arcade that I’ve seen around the blog and facebook world the past few weeks. Oh, it will make you smile and cry. The good kind of cry that makes your heart sing.

I remember a childhood filled with imagination and creation and I rejoice in the possibility of it still happening for children out there in this world today. Let’s foster it, okay? As teachers and mentors we have the ability to keep the imagination alive. And keep it alive we must.

Happy weekend, friends.

Happy June!

16 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, children, music, nostalia ·

blogger meet-ups and must-do-in-life-lists

May 18, 2012

There is so much to see and do in life sometimes it blows my mind.

In Boston alone, which I consider to be a pretty small city, there are still things I am discovering all the time.

Do you ever think, how on earth will I ever see it all?

I do. But Lord knows I’m willing to try.

This weekend, for instance, this very minute actually, I am waking up in New York City getting ready to stroll the streets of Brooklyn. I’m checking things off on my must-do-in-life-list as we speak! (This list? I haven’t actually written anything down yet, per say, just merely making it up as I go.) This weekend I’m letting the good times roll with my high school girlfriends at The Great Googa Mooga Festival in Prospect Park. I don’t know much about it yet except that it’s going to be AWESOME.

Speaking of awesome, let’s talk Blogger meet-ups.

I love ’em, guys. Seriously, I do.

But I think you already know that about me at this point.

Last weekend Natalie, Melissa, Smita, Elizabeth and I planned to meet up Sunday for a little blogger get-together. This time around we did breakfast and then spent the morning browsing the goods at the SOWA Open Market in the South End.

And interestingly enough this all came together after I posted about my love affair with the South End last Friday. Love it when things work out perfectly like that.

We started off at The Buttery (a personal favorite) and then worked our way over to SOWA, the cutest little market you ever did see. If you’re ever in Boston on a Sunday you should seriously consider checking this place out. It’s vintage market, craft fair, farmer’s market and food truck heaven all rolled into one.

Yes, PLEASE!