thoughts for a tuesday.

Well, hello, Tuesday. I see you’re back around the block again. Tuesday is such a random day. It’s better than Monday, but not as good as Wednesday, which is nowhere near as good as Thursday. Anyways, here are some thoughts to keep it real:

1. Slowly, but surely, the artwork is going up in the apartment. Curtains are done, and projects are coming to a close. On Saturday I did a DIY paper pom-poms projects that came out pretty awesome. It’s cheap art, and I love it (picture below is pre-finished project). All we need to do now is put up the nice curtain rods. Then, I’m hoping to get out a mini-apartment tour for your viewing pleasure in the next week or two. Mostly though, I’m excited to sit back, relax, and enjoy it once it’s finished!

 

2. Last night I went to a book club meeting. It was just a catch-up meeting, so there was no book to discuss, but even if there was, we only ever talk book-talk for under 10 minutes every time (if that). We’re mostly in it for the wine, and the cupcakes Marilyn made last night weren’t too shabby either. Next up: The History of Love. I’m excited. I’ve been wanting to read it for awhile.

 

3. The dance party at school was {almost} a failure last week. Until I turned things around for the better. We invited the parents in to listen to the stories and dance along too. I could tell the kids liked having an audience for their storytelling, except NO kids would dance around the grown-ups. WHAT?! Well, the girls were shimmying and shaking a little, but the boys were glued to the floor. They would not budge an inch. After 2 songs, I said a nice thank you to the parents and we bid them farewell. I KNOW my kids were too shy to break it loose in front of so many parents, so once the door was closed, I turned up the music. It got pretty wild in the room, just as I suspected it would. SO I documented it and sent it to the parents, just for proof that they can and DO dance. The parents thought it was priceless, and it is. You can view the hilarious video HERE.

 

4. Last weekend I took a walk over the Longfellow Bridge to capture some fall pics of the Boston skyline. I loved walking in the cool air and the sunshine. I felt like such a Bostonian and feel so happy to live here. I’ve made it a point to document as many places around Boston as I can through instagram. You can follow me if you’d like at {nannerburns}. My sister once told me I spend more time taking pictures than actually living, but I beg to differ. I think I pay more attention to things now that I’m trying to photograph the everyday. This IS living. I notice things I would never have noticed before, and I capture images to remember days and moments. Memories fade, especially the simple ones like the walk downtown, or that random Saturday brunch in the South End. Pictures though, pictures can easily spark that memory again, and bring it back to you for years to come. Pictures are my favorite. Pictures are forever.

as the sun goes down.

I raced home today to catch this sunset.

I left work right around 4:15 feeling pretty crappy that the sun was on it’s way out. But the more I drove the more beautiful the light became, and it left me feeling humbled and happy that there is so much beauty on this earth. Even when the time changes against my will.

So in the end, I suppose I’m glad the sun was setting at 4:15.

Because I got to see it tonight.

And it was absolutely incredible.

things i saw, things i love

Well, friends, TGIF.

Here’s some of my favorites from this week… yeah, FRIDAY!

Are you kidding me? This is got to be the most phenomenal office I’ve ever seen. I love the bold print on the wall and the pop of color from the green desk. The inspiration board is pretty sweet too. I would be rockin’ out if I had a space like this. Rockin’ O-U-T. Crazy cool. Image from Veranda via Mimi+Meg.

Love this outfit. The the color, love the skirt, love the jacket, love the pop of hot pink. A-dore. Seen and LOVED here.

I saw this instagram on Pinterest last week and I just about jumped out of my seat sqealing like a child on Christmas. Last spring/summer I had a love affair with TOMS and they quickly became my favorite shoe of all time. I love the look and the comfort is unparalleled. Rumor has it that these TOMS ballet flats are coming out in 2012. Glee!

This print is great! You can buy it from Judy Kaufmann on Etsy. She’s got lots of fun original artwork to choose from and they’re all very unique. Check ’em out!

This display is so gorgeous. I love the blue/green tinted glass, the bright light, and beautiful wooden tables. Lovely, lovely. Spotted on Southern Living via Room Polish.

Oh, I love these. They are very similar to a pillow I purchased in Beacon Hill last weekend and I am just loving the chevron look. These pillows are really nice with the brown piping– different! Find these and more fancy things at the Etsy shop CCDeuxvie.

This is one of my favorite verses of all time. My parents have a slightly different version of this verse up in their bedroom and I can still remember exactly what it looks like. Theirs has the words stitched with needlepoint and  I remember lying in my parents’ bed as a child reading the words over and over again to myself. It has a warm place in my heart and I think this print of it is simple and beautiful.

Hope you enjoyed this edition… HAPPY WEEKEND all!! xo

dress shopping: bridesmaid style

This past weekend Ali and Hannah came to Boston! Hannah came down from Maine, which is really just a quick bus ride away, but Ali was here alllllllll the way from New Zealand! That’s far. Like a whole day away far. 16 hours on a plane far. Seriously, it’s far. Since she’s originally from the States, and she adores New England, this is where she’ll get married in the spring. The wedding will be in Manchester by the Sea, which is quintessential New England and I cannot wait. It’s sure to be a lovely time. Plus, her fiance is a Kiwi, and a really awesome one at that.

We spent Saturday afternoon on Newbury Street shopping for bridesmaid dresses for Ali’s upcoming nuptials.

It was chilly this weekend, and a snowstorm was in our future, but we braved the cold fairly well (with hot Starbucks in our grips) and hopped around to a few dress shops looking for something for us maids to wear on the big day. We saw a lot of dresses. Some got yes, and lots got NO. Now the choice is for Ali to make and to let us know which one is the winner, the one she loves the most for her day.

We stopped by the Public Garden in between appointments to snag a Boston picture to remember the weekend and afterwards we stopped at Stephanie’s on Newbury for lunch. A classic spot that has never failed me in all my years. Their french fries are thin and crunchy and their warm goat cheese salad is like a dream inside my mouth. SO delicious.

Ali, Hannah, and I met in college. We spent our senior year living in a brick house off campus with four other fabulous ladies, dancing, eating, and drinking beer. We played beruit, went to the bars, and did even more dancing in between. It was awesome. Yeah, college!

This is Ali, the bride-to-be:

Ali and Hannah went abroad senior year to New Zealand. To make a very long story short, Ali fell in love with her host brother, Shannon. True life, stuff like that really happens to people. She came back to the US for senior year of college, and then decided to pack her bags and move over to the land of the Kiwis. Yep, she moved across the world for love. It’s pretty romantic, don’t you think?

I do.

And so now, six years later, we’re getting ready for the wedding of the year. Thanks for hanging out this weekend, ladies! As always, it was wonderful. ♥