living things

Adam very sweetly got me some flowers...

...which reminded me of my goal to bring more color into the home.  I haven't quite done that in a permanent way, but there is certainly a lot more greenery! For a few months we have had cuttings in the bedroom, which is otherwise still largely untouched project-wise.

And the window sill in the living room is now home to this season's basil.  Last year we bought a pot of basil from TJ's, but this time around I picked up one of the packages of fresh sprigs and just stuck it in some water.  I wasn't sure if anything would come of it but I had read that they would root and do quite well.  It seems that's true!


Lastly, remember how I was hoping to keep this orchid alive?

Well, after a few months it looked like this

Womp.  Advice: don't trust the people who say you can water your orchid with ice cubes.  The truth is you will freeze it's roots, its buds will fall off before they bloom, and it will slowly shed its leaves and die (or something like that).

BUT! if you stop treating it like a cocktail and water it normally, it juuuust might show signs of regrowth.

Happy.

From the above basil photo you may have noticed how beat up our window sills are looking.  I'm hoping to get on that this summer.

sitges & barcelona {photodiary}

I know I'm so late with this, but finally getting some warmer weather in Boston has me thinking of our trip to Sitges and Barcelona back in September.  I even wrote most of this back in September, just never got around to posting.  Well here it is:

One of the perks of having been a consultant is the travel.  Not the weekly boring stuff, but the global trainings in Europe. Work has sent me to Nice, Prague, and now Sitges for training, and I have taken full advantage by tacking on vacations following each - Cinque Terre and Rome after Nice, Venice after Prague, and most recently a few days in Barcelona.

Day 1 of vacation - Friday

Training finished around 4pm and after rounds of goodbyes it was officially vacation time!  Adam had flown out to join me, and after a day at the pool was showered and ready to party.  I smuggled some final snacks from training (leftovers) and we headed off into Sitges to explore the beach, the city, and find some good food!

april 16th

A day after the Marathon and all the events that came with it, both happy and tragic, I awoke unsure whether to go to work.  After seeing Adam off and receiving notice that my office would be open, I decided to avoid taking the T.  While I love to stroll home from the office when it's warm out, I had never before walked to work.  On any other April 16th it would have been extremely pleasant - warm enough to unbutton my coat, sun shining through the just-budding trees, a mail carrier feeding the birds, construction workers lifting wood into a 4th floor apartment for some apparent renovations.  But today, glancing towards Copley along the cross streets, I could see the area blocked off, filled with news cameras and flashing lights.  Nearing the Commons I waited at the crosswalk as a Special Ops truck pulled in front of me, turning onto Comm Ave followed by two buses full of what appeared to be military personnel.   SWAT trucks on the Commons, and all sorts of security and law enforcement officials at the street corners in the Financial District.  Amidst all of this, people seem to be going about their lives, walking dogs, getting coffee, going to work or taking a walk - a cautious 'business as usual'.  But sitting in my office I'm reminded of yesterday's events as helicopters circle the area and the occasional medevac helicopter flies by.  I still don't know how to feel about all of it.  I am saddened that so many innocent people were affected, confused not really knowing what happened, yet encouraged to hear stories of how Boston's people reached out to all the runners, bystanders, and visitors in the city.  While the overwhelming outreach is heartwarming to witness, I can only hope that Boston's people don't forget this compassion as the months and years pass.  All too often we react to the immediate presence of an event, and in the aftermath, continually relive both the sad and the uplifting moments thanks to various incarnations of the media.  I can't help but feel like this is a dramatization that we've all been pulled into.  What happens as we move on?

Never intending to stay beyond college, Boston has sneakily found a way into my heart and over the years has become my home.  I would like to see the 2013 Marathon remain present for all of us without drama or bravado.  I hope that the injured heal, families of the victims find peace, and that all of us can remember to cherish each moment and look out for one another as we go about our lives. 

sad day boston

Adam and I took the day off today to enjoy the Boston Marathon.  Although I have lived in the area for years and often cheered on runners and friends along Commonwealth Ave, I had never been to watch at the finish line.  I took this photo at Boylston & Exeter just before 1pm today, within a block of the two explosions.  We didn't stay for long, moving on to take a walk through the city.  On our way home we decided to avoid the crowds and stayed closer to the Charles.  We were crossing over Exeter when we heard the explosions.  It sounded as if a large dumpster had been dropped on the ground, but so much louder that we could feel it.  There were sirens, but we had been hearing them all day.  When we made it to Fairfield we were met with a flood of people running towards us and on towards the river in panic, crying and yelling to get out of the city.  It was surreal.  I felt as if we were in a movie, but the fear and confusion around us was very real.  We are safely at home.  Thanks to everyone who has checked in on us.  It's so shocking, scary, and sad how dramatically that scene at the finish line shifted from the positive energy we experienced at that very spot to complete fear just two hours later. 

paris {photodiary}

I was so good about getting the London photodiary up, but I have completely slacked on posting the end of the trip: Paris!

It's been a while (4 months) so I honestly don't remember all the details of what we did. I know we ate tons of yummy food (mostly sandwiches, pastries, and crepes), drank lots of delicious and inexpensive wine, and walked around a whole lot.  Exactly what I wanted!

oh, january

I had all these great intentions of writing a Happy New Year post full of positivity and good intentions for 2013, but that just didn't happen.  And then I thought I could turn it into a happy birthday to me or things to do before I'm 30 post, but I missed that too.  (We did have a lovely dinner at Deuxave though.)

If I had written either of those posts, I would have made some sort of commitment to writing more often.  I'm glad that I wrote nearly twice as much in 2012 as in 2011, and I'd like to continue that trend.  Without writing nonsense, of course.  I know some of you are still checking in (I see the pageviews!) so I will continue to write.  I appreciate your stopping in, I do!

So let's make that some sort of a not-quite-new-year's resolution.  Here are some more / my 2013 to do list:

1. Write more.  Make it good.
2. Take better photos.
3. Try at least one new dinner recipe each month.  (We made chickpea soup last night - already accomplished for January!)
4. Bring a guest contributor on board.  (Shhh it's a surprise!  More details to come)
5. Keep that orchid alive.*
6. Finally actually post about Barcelona and Paris.  
7. Try rearranging the bedroom sometime this year.
8. Bring more color into our home.
9. Spend more time with family. 

I know a lot of that is ambiguous and relative, but I'm ok with that.

Good news: I already have a leg up on #7 - trip next month to Calgary / Banff to visit my sister!   Wee!


*This lovely orchid was a surprise from Adam in early December.  It's doing well so far but I think I was watering it too often.  If you're super perceptive maybe you noticed the print in the background on the left actually moved up to the entry.  The print on the right took its place.  A less-official #10 (or spin on #8): Hang more art!

a christmas time of year

I gave in.  We have a real tree this year.

I will admit it looks nicer than last year's, although the headache factor of getting it all set up was much higher (needles everywhere, sawing off sappy branches, automatic water-er leaking on the floor, etc.)

But we had a lot of fun with DIY ornaments!  Pulling inspiration from Sherry at YHL, we grabbed some plain glass ornaments from Michael's plus glitter, feathers, paint, and ribbon.  I also made some origami stars.  Check it out!





We also grabbed some furry friends from Crate & Barrel to join in the fun:

life lessons from gordon dean

1. Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.
2. Never lose your capacity for indignation.
3. Never judge people. Don’t type them too quickly. But in a pinch, never first assume that a man is bad; first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is in the gray area between bad and good.
4. Never be impressed by wealth alone or thrown by poverty.
5. If you can’t be generous when it’s hard to be, you won’t be when it’s easy.
6. The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something - almost anything - well.
7. When confidence comes, then strive for humility; you aren’t as good as all that.
8. The way to become truly useful is to seek the best that other brains have to offer. Use them to supplement your own, and be prepared to give credit to them when they have helped.
9. The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem from misunderstandings. So communicate!

originally read here

happy

Happy weekend everyone!  

Someone got me sunflowers & rigorously cleaned the apartment.

I'm going to Spain on Monday.

My jaw is un-broken!
Tivo (Glee!)

Unicorns.

Celebrating with a martini and sushi date night.  

Happy.

happy valentine's day!

... from me, (and from google - so cute!)



Wishing you all little bits of happiness today. May you all have someone to jumprope with.

And special happy wishes to my wifey on her birthday - Love you, Liz!

actually there {28}

My actual birthday has come and gone and I must say I don't feel a bit older (just a bit tired, which is perhaps an indication of age..) After the weekend festivities I thought it would be a rather uneventful day, but there were a few surprises. I was ambushed at work with an assortment of cupcakes, cookies, and pastries (red velvet! yumm thanks guys), and the night was finished off with champagne and chocolate-covered fruit! Dark chocolate-covered pineapple is surprisingly more delicious than expected.

Once again I didn't document any of this, so instead here's me on my 2nd birthday:


ps. the "Korean" soup was good!

nearly there {28}

This year, my birthday - or rather, pre-birthday weekend - has been all about food! On Saturday, cocktails and cake at Sel de la Terre with great company (cake skills provided by Sarah). Sunday morning it was brunch at home comprised of bagels with cream cheese, lox, and capers + grapefruit + my typical tea.. super yum! (and even better because I didn't have to do anything but eat!)


And then Sunday night an amaaaaaazing dinner at L'Espalier. It didn't feel appropriate to take photos of all 6 courses (the Winter 2012 Degustation), so I snapped no food at all. It was amazing though, and great to finally see the new location after many, many visits to the old spot - primarily for Wine Mondays which they still have!

I am now attempting to make some kind of Korean beef stew but I really have no clue what I am doing, and in usual form am following no sort of recipe. I hope it's good, and at least remotely Asian-tasting...

not so small anymore

Happy birthday to my baby brother!

(and hooray for the Ravens!!!)

vermeer's sofia

Gorgeous (and super cute!) photo taken by my cousin's husband, Dario, of their daughter. Dubbed "Vermeer's Sofia". Love

more laughtons

Baby brother got married last weekend. I only took 3 pictures the whole trip (not good!), but this one is so happy. More to come from the photographers. Welcome to the family, Jess!

wedding season

As I prepare for Liz's wedding this weekend, this post takes on special meaning. No, her wedding is not going to be at home, and will actually have a drastically different feel. But the story conveys the importance of having loved ones around - a good reminder that all the craziness is just stuff, while the relevant part is celebrating love.

This reminds me I still haven't posted about my sister's wedding. There are SO many photos to go through. As a snapshot, here's the "post show report" she put together:

venezia photodiary {finally}

Cooped up at home selling furniture and waiting for Irene to pass (if the storm ever really hits), I finally feel I have the time to post about Venice!

We went right after Prague for a quick whirlwind of a weekend trip. I hadn't really done any research, just knew to expect to walk a lot and get lost most of the time.

We found a great B&B, Barababao, which is a family-operated spot with just a few rental rooms and an amazing restaurant on the first floor. We had dinner there twice.. the most memorable being spaghetti with clams and huge grafts of house wine. Yum!

DAY 1:





















DAY 2:











DAY 3: