{dear friend}

south end lovin’.

May 10, 2012

This rainy week is just about distroying me, so I’m posting pictures today of sunshine.

Oh, sweet glorious sunshine. Come back to me…

The South End in Boston is one of those places that you don’t really hear too much about if you’re not from the city. Frequently confused with Southie (think: The Departed), the South End is located between Back Bay and South Boston. No train lines run there (except the Prudential stop off the E line) so it’s not a place that’s often visited by tourists.

Newbury Street in Back Bay? Everyone knows that.

Beautiful Beacon Hill? Historic and very often visited, and rightfully so.

The North End? I’ll take an Italian pastry please. With chocolate ricotta cream.

Charlestown has the Bunker Hill Monument and Kenmore is home to Fenway Park.

But the South End? It’s a hidden beauty and one of my favorite places to be.

They have beautiful brownstones and lots of parks, and they have a good amount of little independent shops that are always fun to pop into, too. There’s the SOWA Open Market to hit up on Sundays— an amazing indoor/outdoor flea market that’s one of the largest and best in the city of Boston. Oh, also, if a friend is visiting, I usually take them to either breakfast or lunch or dinner in the South End (or all of the above) because, in my humble opinion, there is no better food anywhere than the food you can find there.

Daaah! I am craving a Buttery Biscuit even as I type this.

SO. AMAZING.

Want to take a walk? Let’s go…

So beautiful, right?

Yeah, all that sunshine and pretty made me feel better, too.

And seriously I think the real live sun is supposed to come out this weekend, so I’m thinking of hitting up the SOWA Open Market this coming Sunday. Who wants to come with?!

10 Comments · Filed Under: boston, boston photography ·

a little lady in white.

May 9, 2012

Little (or should we say big?) Isabel made her 1st Communion this past weekend.

I’m serious, every time I get to spend time with those kids I wonder why I don’t do it more often.

They are the SWEEEETest.

The church service was at St. Leonards in the North End and I was happy to get to spend a little time over there because I seriously LOVE the North End. I need to get back to that area again soon with my fancy cam. The sights and sounds were just speaking to me the whole time.

Are any of you guys Catholic? I was raised Catholic so this whole day just brought back so many memories of pretty white dresses, spring flowers, and the excitement of tasting that little piece of cardboard-y foam.

I kid, I kid.

(But really, though, I think that’s what it’s made out of.)

We sang hymns and took pictures and all around just celebrated that little cutie in the white gown. I’m so glad they invited me to join, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss it. After the service we all went back to Charlestown for some hor dourves and dinner. There is something about that small part of Boston that just gets my nostalgia rolling. Since I spent the better part of my 1st years in the Bean working over there I just get this happiness every time I visit.

Yet another place on my list of Boston neighborhoods to photograph– the streets around the monument are gorgeous!

Here’s a few pics from the day courtesy of my iPhone…

And that kid with the bow tie??

I CAN’T EVEN.

8 Comments · Filed Under: celebrations, children, nostalia ·

on keeping up appearances (or not).

May 7, 2012

Do you ever feel like people who have blogs have got it all together?

Because I do.

All. The. Time.

And it’s funny, but ever since I’ve started this blog a good many people have told me they think I’ve got it all together.

Ha! I always think that’s a hoot.

With blogging it’s all about what you choose to share.

I like to call it keeping up appearances.

We all do it in some form or another (or most of us at least). I see it on Facebook and in blogland nearly everyday. And I do it too. We almost always show the good, because we want people to know the good.

Some people choose the lovely.

Others choose the funny.

And some very brave souls even choose the everything: The good, the bad, and the in-between. And do I ever salute you if you are one of those people.

It’s no secret I choose to write about the happy on this space, because that’s what blogging is about for me: A place to reflect on the good stuff. This blog is a scrapbook, a place for the memories, the fun times, the celebrations. Because I want to always remember that awesome trip to NYC, and the time my best friend got married, and that glorious lobster risotto sittin’ pretty atop that adorable plate from anthropologie.

But really, I’m nothing fancy. I get sad, and mad, and stressed, too. So if I ever appear to have it all together, be assured that I don’t.

Last week was one of those crazy busy weeks that you just want to end. You know those? Well, I woke up Friday morning, so completely thankful for the almost weekend, I barely even noticed the state of the place as I walked out the door. But notice it, I did, and it’s too good (or bad?) not to share.

Because life happens, and it’s not perfect, and gosh darnit, we all get a little messy sometimes.

Or maybe, maybe! It’s just me.

There you have it, people.

Just keepin’ it real.

19 Comments · Filed Under: life ·

a bad case of stripes.

May 2, 2012

A Bad Case of Stripes

Being a teacher I get to read all sorts of stories to my class. Some are heartwarming, some are filled with interesting facts, and a lot are just plain silly. David Shannon’s, A Bad Case of Stripes, is a super fun children’s book and one I can completely relate do nowadays. While the main character Camilla is struggling with eating veggies and caring too much about what other people think, I’m struggling more in the literal sense.

Case in point: