Saturday, April 28, 2012

I Get Excited About the Darnedest Things

You guys, I got new socks!  This makes me very excited because I love socks.  I mean, honestly, is there anything better than a bright and beautiful pair of socks to put an extra bounce in your step?

Last week, I was snooping on Jeana Sohn and my heart flip-flopped for joy when she posted about her friend's sock company, Hansel from Basel.  Purchasing new socks has been on my to-do list since autumn but I was having trouble finding a company that makes high quality socks but also maintains that charm and unique perspective that makes special socks really special.  I wanted to find a designer that loves socks with a wide variety of colors and styles.  Hansel from Basel is just what I was looking for.  I love that they're based in L.A. and employ creative marketing tactics, like a sock of the month club, to connect with customers and reinforce loyalty.

When packing yesterday I took my bin of socks and threw almost all of them away and it felt so good!  I then replaced them with my lovely new socks, void of holes or yucky threadbare patches.  I am very very excited to wear my new socks and show them off- especially those polka-dot beauties! 

Have a great weekend, dear reader!  I'm going to DC to visit my bff Brent and will be back on Tuesday.  See you then!

Cards & Bars


It's been a long day of sorting through things, wondering why I still have them, throwing most of them away, and packing what little remains into boxes.  It's amazing how much stuff we accumulate in our lives, and how much of it is left unused and unloved.  It's also amazing how much totally useless stuff we hold onto- buttons, ripped hosiery, dried-up pens and cocktail napkins full of notes that long ago lost their meaning.  I'm doing my best to put aside my nostalgia and throw as much stuff as possible away, and so far I think I'm doing a mighty fine job. 

Moving forward, I'm dedicated to the idea of buying from artisans.  Whether it be a table or a t-shirt, I want to focus on buying goods that are made with love by someone who is passionate about their craft.  I also want to focus on buying local, which is something I try to always do already.  I like supporting local boutiques, restaurants, vendors at farmers markets, and artisans.  I'm passionate about helping unique small businesses succeed, and part of that is by using my purchasing power to make sure they do just that- succeed.  

After a long day of packing, my back is aching (I'm pathetic) and I'd like to settle into a comfortable pub for a couple rounds of drinks and cards.  In fact, I think that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Cheers! 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Birthday Bundt Cake


Many happy returns to our dear friend Tobi who celebrated his thirty-whatever birthday last night.  And many thanks to Hungry Mother for the carrot bundt cake.  We were all like who eats bundt cake anymore? and then it came out and we were like, ohhhh, we eat bundt cake.  Yum yum yum!


Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Jewels & Paper Dresses





Last night, I had the great pleasure of attending my friend Samantha House's jewelry party at Persona Jewelry in the Hotel Commonwealth.  My dear friends at Avanti Salon did the hair (great job, Rob, Jill & Alex!) and a local fashion designer named Jessica LePrevost made the most elaborate paper dresses and hats I've ever seen (she only suffered two paper cuts throughout the entire process- I asked).  That being said, I really haven't seen too many paper clothes in my day, but I can assure you that Jessica's creations made my heart skip a beat. 

Samantha, with her cotton-candy pink hair and easy laugh, is a spirited designer with a really unique perspective.  Her pieces catch the eye and make a statement, and in the very least will start a conversation about how badass and beautiful they are. I love her rough wire-work, her super-long earrings and am obsessed with the Carissa Necklace, which I would totally wear with barely-there tank tops in the summer and tight knit turtlenecks when the weather is cooler. 

It's so inspiring to see local designers putting on events like this, and I'm incredibly honored to have been a part of it!  Congratulations to Samantha on a super-successful party and a major shout-out to the models who were WERQing the 'ish out of those paper dresses!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

On Art and Balance


I've started designing an ad that will appear in the September issue of Vogue. The stakes are high but I'm really excited to create something that will have such a huge audience!  I'm also a little scared...

Speaking of Vogue, I've been really into The Fashion Fund lately.  I find it incredibly inspiring to watch these designers with so much fire in their bellies work toward achieving their dream.  Their world is one that is constantly balancing art and business, art and personal life, art and compromise, art and expectation.  I really recommend checking out the series if you're interested in fashion, but also if you're an artist who is trying to bring your craft to the next level. 

As a child, I fell in love with storytelling.  At first, I thought that meant that I wanted to be a writer.  After graduating from college with a literature degree, I thought writing was my only skill and resigned myself to the idea that I'd have to compromise my creativity and get a job writing things that I wasn't interested in to pay the bills.  It was a great day when I realized I could take my skills (of which I actually have many, silly me) and tell stories to strengthen brands.  One morning I remember driving by a billboard and realizing someone wrote the silly slogan on the sign and thought to myself, everything you read is written, and for the first time ever I felt like I could take over the world.

I still have a lot of growing, hard work, and balancing to do before the world is at my feet but I don't feel helpless as I once did so long ago*.  Like the designers in The Fashion Fund, I'm willing to take a leap of faith even though I don't always have every detail figured out and I'm excited to be building my career as a Brand Consultant even though I have yet to nail down my elevator pitch, my marketing materials, and my exact service packages.  I have enthusiasm and a fire in my belly and I know I'll figure it out as I go along.

No matter what your trade, one of my favorite weekly reads for artists who want to live by their craft is the blog Life as an Artistpreneur.  Becka Robinson isn't the final word on how to do it (who is?) but she is hard-working, genuine, and talks about a number of issues that arise when you're an artistpreneur and I really enjoy reading her blog.  Plus her infant son is super cute and you know it must be true because I don't even like kids... XOXO

*Not that long ago, really.  Unless you think a year and seven months is long. 

Monday, April 23, 2012

@ Coppa


It's been a rainy weekend in Boston and all I wanted yesterday was to snuggle under the covers and sleep.  Lo and behold, our tummies and cupboards were empty so David and I bundled up and went out for a late lunch at one of our favorite South End restaurants, Coppa.  Though neither of us were the least bit hung over, we still took the liberty of ordering the Hang Over 'Za (complete with bacon, sausage, prosciutto, potatoes and two farm fresh eggs... AMAZING) and followed it up with a Nutella Panino and espresso.  Coppa is a small-plate Italian restaurant.  It's a cozy and intimate space with a staff that makes you feel welcome and familiar.  If you ever go, I cannot recommend their pizzas, small anchovy plate, and oysters* with prosecco and rhubarb compote enough.  

Today is still cold and rainy and I'm taking the day to sort through books, clothing and stuff, deciding what to donate and what to ship to the UK.  I have a rule in my life where I purchase things only if I love them (I'm not a compulsive buyer, thank goodness) so parting with my possessions can be difficult because everything has been purchased with care.  Regardless, there are plenty of things I've had for years that I've grown ambivalent toward, and it's time that I let go and move forward.  What a scary and exciting time this is!  

*I'm not sure if this is always on the menu, but if it is and if you happen to like oysters, order it!  I think it makes a delicious dessert.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Liftoff


It's super official- David and I booked our tickets to London and we're leaving (moving!) May 9th.  I'm feeling giddy, angry, lethargic, inspired, and sleepy all at once. 

Tomorrow is my last day at work (well, kinda.  More on that in a later post...) and I'm v. upset about leaving a job I love at a moment when everything I've been working toward is about to come to fruition, without me.  Years of encouraging, organizing and planning have allowed me to have an enormous career advancement here in Boston, and I'm turning it down.  Right now this makes me angry and sad, but I'm confident that I'll find something equally- if not better- suited for me in London. 

If you feel like I'm being coy, you're right.  I have so many announcements to make and trust me, they're coming!  I can't wait to share them with you, but first I need some time... I'm sure you understand.

Happy weekend, one and all.  XOXO

Friday, April 20, 2012

Day Drinking @152 Dot Ave


A couple days ago, David and I stopped in at Franklin Southie for an afternoon aperitif.  The sun was coming through the windows just right, making the space look bright and new.  I especially loved the shadows we cast on the brick bar and the way my Aperol looked like embers in a dying fire. 

---------------

David and I sold all the furniture we put on Craigslist and are currently living in the worst kind of limbo.  Our dressers went to a skeevy guy who tried, but did not succeed in low-balling us, so our clothes are in piles on the floor.  A nice Spanish man took our kitchen chairs and we've since been enjoying all our meals in bed, and our books are stacked in tidy (and not-so-tidy) piles along the walls because our bookcases went to a sweet Australian woman.  Slum Castle is an absolute mess and I'm looking forward to the day when moving boxes arrive so we can start organizing our lives into nicely labeled cardboard homes. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

A More Beautiful Place


I was brought up in a house full of books.  When I was young, my parents had a plush, plaid armchair that easily fit a fully grown adult and a half-grown child.  I used to curl up in that chair with pillows stacked around me and read for hours.  My favorites where books by Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, and mysteries by Agatha Christie.  But one book from my young childhood that I always went back to (I can still remember the smell of the pages!) was Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney.  No matter how old I was or how old I get, that book will stay dear to my heart. 

Miss Rumphius is a sweet story of a head-strong woman who tries to make the world a more beautiful place and does so by planting lupines everywhere she goes.  I always admired the character Miss Rumphius, or the Lupine Lady, as the children refer to her in the book, because she seemed so thoughtful, went on adventures all across the globe (and she was from the mid 1900s when the hassle of international travel was much more complicated than having a five-hour layover in Amsterdam), and always remained a Miss.  Above all else, I admired her determination to make the world a more beautiful place, and the fact that she acted on this simple conviction.

I don't know much about flowers (though I can recognize a lupine thanks to Barbara Cooney!), but I too would like to contribute something to this world that allows it to be a more beautiful place.  In addition to a magnificent contribution (working on it...), I would like to make small offerings of beauty every day, simple things that bring light and happiness into someone's life.  As my life changes over these next couple weeks and months and I settle in my new routine in England, I want this blog to carry the idea of creating and working toward a more beautiful world in every post.  I don't want this space to be trivial or negative, I want it to be a positive space where I can share things that catch my eye, progressive movements that inspire me, and the things I do that make this world so amazing and special.  Above all else, I want this space to be mine, full of original content and blossoming ideas.  It may be spring outside, but it's spring in my soul, too, and I feel as if I'm suddenly beginning to blossom anew.  

Over the next couple weeks, things will be changing, weekly features will be decided, and this space will become more organized and polished (I have big big plans- look out London!) and I hope that you continue to share this journey with me. 

xox 

@ Sam's


The last few days have been downright beautiful here in Boston.  The air has been hot, the sun's been shining, and David and I have been enjoying lots of walks and open-air lunches. One of the challenges of a beautiful weekend in Boston is to find a delicious meal at a restaurant with a patio that isn't totally crowded, but lucky for us we know one of the best kept venues in the city, Sam's.  Located on the top floor of Louis, a small and beautifully curated local department store, Sam's has a roomy deck and one of the best views of the Boston skyline.  Contrary to what you may think about the fusion of high fashion and food, the portions at Sam's are always generous and the vibe is comfortable and casual.  It's always been one of my favorite lunch spots in town and it's the perfect place to watch the sun set whilst enjoying a crisp glass of champagne.

To avoid the chaos surrounding yesterday's marathon, David and I decided to keep to the outskirts of the city and spent a couple hours basking in the sunshine on Sam's deck.  My drink of choice was a perfectly proportioned Aperol Spritz which looked just as refreshing as it tasted and made my heart ache for Italy.  It was a perfect afternoon spent daydreaming in the sunshine with the man I love. 

Monday, April 16, 2012

Birthing Stories

One of my friends has the best story ever.  Like, a soap-worthy story that just doesn't happen to people in real life.  Here's the short version:
Two weeks ago, my friend's sister went into labor at 4:00 AM.  She woke up my friend, who we'll call Nancy (because that's her name) saying, "OHMYGODI'MGOINGINTOLABORANDNEEDYOUTODRIVEMETOTHEHOSPITALRIGHT NOW!" Nancy super quickly got out of bed, got light-headed and passed out.  After being shaken awake, she and her sister got into the car and drove to the hospital.
Along the way, her sister said "THISBABYISCOMINGRIGHTNOW,PULLOVER!" Nancy didn't believe her at first but before either of them could say Jiminy Cricket the baby was crowning and Nancy's sister was making scary labor noises.  Nancy pulled over, somehow maneuvered herself between her sister's legs, and helped deliver the child on the side of the road.  Not only did she play the starring role in one of the most bad-ass birthing stories of all time, she also sustained a super awesome black eye (which she unknowingly got when she passed out/face-planted onto her hardwood floor), and is still in the process of getting the baby juice out of her car's upholstery.  Nancy, you're the coolest!

The story, in its entirety, is amazing.  Last Saturday some of my lady friends got together and I took pictures of their reactions to this crazy/gross/awesome tale.  There's nothing like childbirth to get us squirming!  And yes, tequila shots were involved.

Candles, to set the tone. 
Tequila shots to lubricate the telling of the story.
Friends sitting at attention, ready to listen to all the gory details.
 The story-teller starts her tale...
And we start squirming! Baby juices are no joke, folks!  
Our beautiful hostess covers her mouth, unsure if she is going to laugh hysterically or projectile vomit. 
We hold ourselves (and our beers) tightly as the details ooze. 
Nancy tells us that she caught the baby like a football... all of us are terrified and suddenly feel as if we need to run to the nearest sink and wash our hands. 
Our pregnant friend doesn't know what to do... she pulls her shirt up and starts rubbing her belly for luck.  In her mind she prays to God that she delivers her babe in a normal place, ideally a hospital. 
Then the story is over and we all eat cupcakes, take our birth control pills, and drink more tequila.

THE END

p.s. Nancy's sister had a beautiful, healthy baby and Nancy's black eye is almost completely healed.

Friday, April 13, 2012

It's Official


My UPS delivery person doesn't know how to ring my doorbell.  As a result, my Slum Castle mailbox is often plastered with 'We Missed You' notifications and today was one of those special days.  Because I didn't want to risk having the delivery person miss me ad infinitum, I decided to take matters into my own hands and pick-up my package from the UPS delivery center.  Dear reader, never ever ever attempt to do this if you can avoid it.  It took me a solid hour in a line of mouth-breathers to get the package in my hands.  But in the end it was worth it and I'm proud to announce that this passport now holds a visa which will allow me permanent entry into the UK. 

You guys, it's really happening!  I am moving to England.  Eeeeeeeeeeek!

And sometime in the next month, I promise to write a little guide about the visa application process.  It's not difficult, per ce, but it certainly is frustrating and I have some tips to help you efficiently and quickly get your application finished and on its way to the NYC approval center. 

Cheerio!  (ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!)

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

@ Posto


On nights when David and I are tired and want a simple bite to eat and a glass of wine but don't want to prepare anything ourselves, we head to Posto.  The food is delicious (and fast) and the atmosphere is relaxed without being too comfortable (you'll probably never see someone hanging out at the bar  for hours, getting wasted).  Posto is a place we love to bring friends for a quiet meal, a place to slip in-and-out of on a week night, and the place where David and I got engaged (I think the date was November 14th..?).  To us, it's much more than a fabulous pizzeria with a good wine selection, it's the bosom we want to snuggle into after a long, difficult day and the arms we want to hold us as it whispers in our ear, everything is going to be okay.  

 P.S. Their chili oil is ahhhhhmazing.  Not as ahhhhhhhhhmazing as mine, but pretty damn close.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Goodbye Worldly Possessions


I'm selling stuff on Craigslist for the first time ever and even though I blew my mom off on the phone when she told me to be careful with the people I deal with, I'm still convinced that the next buyer is actually going to be a Craigslist killer.  This is exacerbated by the fact that everyone who has contacted me has a totally ludicrous email address, fails to grasp any understanding of email composition or grammar, and doesn't seem to have a name.  Like, who are these people trolling CL for old guitars and filing cabinets anyway?  But don't worry, mom, I'm making David answer the door.

Anyone have any awesome or weird Craigslist stories?  I think it's fascinating that people want to buy my old stuff... fascinating, but also really awesome. 




Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter, Passover, Anime


Happy Easter Weekend, one and all!  Remember that this weekend isn't just about drinking mimosas and wearing pastels, it's also about Jesus.  And, if you're into anime, it's about the Anime Convention, too- don't say you weren't warned, Boston..

And happy Passover to all my Jewish friends!  xoxo

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

This Counts as my Tuesday Post

  1. David's sons usually take pictures that are far more interesting than mine. 
  2.  When David is away on business, as he is currently, I often spend my time at home watching movies that we've put off watching.  Tonight, I watched The Fighter.  You guys, that movie is exactly why I feel okay about  moving out of Massachusetts.  That and the fact that I can never spell Massachusetts right on the first try (or the second).
  3. The Redcoat returns tomorrow.  I can't even tell you how tired I am of snuggling with Le Chat.  


Monday, April 2, 2012

Urban Survival


I'm currently playing a game of Urban Survival* and was forced to create this adorable toast torte with local honey and fresh blueberries for breakfast yesterday (I know, woe is me).  I usually eat a banana with oats and almond milk, but David bought whack-a-doodle things at the grocery store this week and I'm having to actually cook to feed myself most meals.   It's amazing how much deliciousness you can whip up in a kitchen when you push yourself to try things outside your normal food routine (for me that means turning on the stove).  So here I am, being domestic and making lots of delicious things, but none as beautiful as my toast torte. 

*Urban Survival is a game I invented in college when I got snowed-in right before I was supposed to fly home for Christmas.  If you remember back to college, you will probably recall the painstaking process of getting rid of all your perishable food before you and your roommates went away for winter vacation.  Our apartment's refrigerator was essentially bare and I spent three days living off whatever bizarre food was laying around my little Beacon Hill kitchen.   I drank a lot of gin in those three days and ate an astounding number of expired Pop Tarts and stale Halloween candy.  But I survived, and that's what's important.