let’s go to harvard square.

October 31, 2012

Yesterday was our second day off because of Superstorm Sandy.

The first day I was bored out of my mind, and the second, which we spent in Harvard Square, was much MUCH better. I don’t know if you can tell this about me or not through this place that is the internets, but I am one of those people who cannot sit still. I am a mover and a shaker. So Monday, I almost didn’t make it through due to restlessness.

BUT I did. AND I’m here. And all is well.

In all seriousness, though, that storm was pretty terrible. PEOPLE OF NY! I’ve been thinking about you tons! And I love you all! Especially, ESPECIALLY you who are my friends. Thoughts and prayers, everyone. So many thoughts and prayers.

We were lucky through the storm and only had minor house shakes (due to wind) and only just the slightest flicker of power loss. Really, it was nothing much at all. We stayed inside all day Monday with our candles ready and our sugar supply high and by the end of the night the only thing dwindling was the mega bag of pumpkin reese’s I bought for the trick-or-treaters (whoops).

The pictures in this post are all from our Tuesday frolic in Harvard Square. Harvard Square is super close to where we live so we decided to head over there for the afternoon to spend a little time in Cambridge. We got burgers at Flat Patties, shopped at Black Ink and Anthropologie, treated ourselves to some Burdick’s, and even went (finally!) to the Harvard Museum of Natural History. It was incredibly impressive and is now added to my “Best of Boston” list (which I’ve never written down, but definitely carry around in my head). After our trip to the museum we ended up at… big surprise… Border Cafe. What can I say. Except it’s just OUR FAVORITE.

Were you affected at all by the storm? If so, I sincerely hope everything’s alright and that you’re safe. If you were in the path of Sandy did you have a “hurricane day”, too? How did you spend your days off?

(Fingers crossed you drank hot chocolate and ate Mexican.)

Also, what are your favorite spots in Harvard Square? Tell me your secrets!

Wishing you all well. Xo.

19 Comments · Filed Under: boston, boston photography, food, life ·

soaking up summer.

August 8, 2012

HI FRIENDS!

It’s been a week since I’ve been here!

A week of watching the Olympics, and remembering my amazing weekend in New York (more on that to come later), enjoying all things Boston before the summer is over, and devouring books like I haven’t done in years.

Things are pretty good around here, and VERY busy.

I kind of got overwhelmed last night with all the pictures I’ve taken and want to share, and all the things I’ve been wanting to post about but haven’t had the time. It’s safe to say this summer has been crazier than ever, but I also think it’s been my best yet.

Here are a few things I’ve been up to lately…

I visited New York City.

I hadn’t been in a few months, and was down in CT visiting with my parents and the rest of my family, so I decided to take the train into the city one day to do a little walking around and to have dinner with Molly and Colleen. It was so nice to get together with them and when we do get together I always wish we lived in the same city so we could do this all the time. LOVE these girls. They are my favorite.

+

We went back for another weekend at the Farmhouse.

Usually I only go once a summer (sometimes not even), but this year was meant for a double dose. We didn’t hike a mountain this time, and it rained quite a bit, but it was relaxing all the same. There was still porch sitting and still plenty of time for reading, and there was delicious food and company the whole weekend through.

+

I saw Ingrid Michaelson!

This one was on my bucket list:

25. See Ingrid Michaelson in concert.

DONE and DONE. I went with my sister and we dressed up all concert chic and had an awesome time. I only bought the tickets a few days before, but was able to score two front row seats which causes me to believe that it was all just meant to be (silent cheer!). Anyways, the concert was wonderful, Ingrid rocks, and being that close through the whole thing was an experience I’ll never forget.

+

I went with friends to see Shakespeare in the Park (and drank fine wine and ate cupcakes, too).

This goes on in the Common in Boston every summer, but in my 7 (!) years of living here I had not yet been until last week. I met up with some friends from my book club and we sat on the lawn with juice box wine, pizza, and cupcakes. We chatted and had a great time spending the evening outside. And in truth, we didn’t watch the play at all. Well, maybe a tiny bit of it, but mostly we just sat back and hung out together. And I loved it.

(And even though, I didn’t focus on the Shakespeare I couldn’t help but think how amazing it is that this happens for FREE every night for 3 weeks in the summer. To give people the chance to come out and see a performance that they might not have the opportunity to see otherwise? Pretty cool. Now, if only they could get some ballet to happen. That’s something I could reeeeally get behind.)

+

I visited the Boston Athenaeum.

Just yesterday! And that one was on my summer bucket list, too.

19. Visit the following list of Boston museums:

Isabella Stewart Gardiner Museum

Orchard House (Little Women!)

Boston Athenaeum

Harvard Museum of Natural History

My friend Rachael (blogger, book-lover, and serious appreciator of Boston), has a membership there, so we decided to get together so she could show me around. We had a great morning strolling through Beacon Hill with our iced coffee, talking about this and that, and eventually making it up to the Athenaeum. It’s absolutely gorgeous inside, and something that I didn’t even know was there until recently. For those of you that don’t know the Athenaeum is a private library and museum (you can walk through the museum part for free) that is truly a hidden gem in Boston. There are beautiful rooms to sit and read, thousands of books at your fingertips, and lovely outdoor terraces where you can relax and catch a glimpse of Boston from above.

Thanks for a great morning, Rachael and Lux! Another win for Boston!

+

And so, that’s a little bit of what I’ve been up to these last couple of weeks. I still have pictures to share of my week in CT (and some from NYC) and my weekend home in Syracuse. I’ve just spent my last week enjoying this summer in Boston and from here I am heading to Nantucket for a few days before finally spending my last week of summer in the Cape! SIGH. It’s coming to an end, but boy has it been a ride. I have loved getting to spend time with family this summer, and have also felt incredibly lucky to be able to see so many friends as well. Soaking it up, people. Soaking it all up.

I hope you are soaking it up, too!

Until next time, friends! XO!

 

11 Comments · Filed Under: blogging, boston, food, friends, life, music ·

i scream, you scream.

July 26, 2012

11. Make homemade ice cream.

I made these ice creams and I am guest posting about it today (with more pictures! and with the recipes!) over at my friend Melanie’s blog The Sweet Life.

You are probably going to want to check it out and then HOPEFULLY you will make some of your own.

(I PROMISE your taste buds will thank you.)

SO YUM.

11 Comments · Filed Under: food, guest post, summer ·

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 ·
« Previous Page
Next Page »