photos from our weekend

one of my goals for the new year is to take more pictures. i really want to document our little life better, and i'd also really love to learn how to take prettier pictures. so, this weekend i snapped a few. here they are, if you'd like to see!

on friday we went to a bakery called hi-rise and had a maple pecan scone (and oatmeal).

simon and i also indulged in some drinks this weekend: pomegranate margaritas, lots o' wine (not pictured) and of course, coffee.


speaking of coffee, i got this amazing porcelain coffee cup from a dear friend for my birthday. i love it. (and i swear the placement of it by my vintage coffee tin flower pot was purely a coincidence. well, that is assuming you consider my addiction to all things coffee related a coincidence.)

we really need to stop eating so much. oops! pictured are petite desserts from whole foods and blueberry buttermilk pancakes courtesy of simon. we also made striped sea bass for dinner, and had red velvet cheesecake for lunch on saturday. nope, no wedding diet for me.


we also made a quick trip to pottery barn where i immediately busted out my camera and started taking pictures of all their cool stuff. inspiration everywhere!

and this is me with wet hair and my new hand-knit slippers (another sweet birthday gift), because if you're going to sit around with wet hair, you might as well have warm feet, right?

how was your weekend?

february theme week: favorite films part 5

last but not least, one of my favorite movies of all time is... office space!

i think it might be the funniest. movie. ever. and you might have already guessed it but my favorite line in the whole film is: "corporate accounts payable, nina speaking. just a moment."

the movie is so brilliant because it's so true. am i right? ahh, nothing like cubicle humor.

so, that, my friends, concludes my "favorite films" theme week. since i've shared my top five, i'm dying to know what yours are! do tell. (and it's pouring buckets here again, so simon and i might need some recommendations for a movie marathon tonight.)

lots of love, and have a wonderful weekend!

it's the perfect day for eating too much.

today i have the day off (ahhh) and simon and i just came home from going out for breakfast. we both had oatmeal topped with dried cherries, pecans and maple syrup. hello, full and happy tummy.

later today, i am excited to share my final film pick! thank you all so much for your enthusiasm for these little theme weeks. it's been so much fun. next month, i think i'm going to feature photos of our condo (orange walls and all).

and oh, a few more quick things:

• the blog of the week this week is fellow bostonian poppy & leo. check her out; i think you'll love her sweet design and refreshing posts.

• i recently set up a little formspring account, so you can now ask me questions whenever your little heart desires. (but if you ask me anything inappropriate, i'll make you answer it first. ha!)

• if you're new here, hi! so happy to e-meet you.
  

happy day!

february theme week: favorite films part 4

next up: lost in translation.

i own this movie, so i've probably seen it a hundred times. that being said, i can't put my finger on why i love it so much except to say that it's great storytelling and phenomenal acting.

i love the way sofia coppola presents foreign travel, jetlag, insomnia, and loneliness. i also fell in love with tokyo in the film. and let's face it, bill murray is hysterical.

have you all seen it, and did you love it or hate it? i know people tend to have mixed feelings about this film. i would love to hear your thoughts.

xo,

a little wedding update.

my dear friends,

our wedding day is seven months away tomorrow. woot! sometimes it feels like an eternity, but i also know it will be here before we know it.

i have to tell you, there have been a couple of things about being engaged and planning a wedding that have surprised me (all good). so, today i thought i would tell you more about that and simultaneously give you a little update on our plans. how does that sound?

1. first off, the most rewarding thing about planning the wedding so far has been meeting and working with our incredible vendors. actually, scratch that. i hate the word 'vendor'. it sounds so impersonal.

our favorite thing about wedding planning so far has been the inspiring and talented people with whom we've created relationships: meredith, jeff, amanda, ellie, owen & james, david, maria, and many many more.

i don't know why it never occurred to me that we'd be able to choose vendors based on how they run their business, who they are as people, and how they approach and serve the people they work with (and within a reasonable budget). they've all gone above and beyond and we're so lucky.

2. the amount of wedding blogs in this world is bananas. don't get me wrong, they're fun, and many of them are really well done, but my goodness. a bride will never go without inspiration ever again. which reminds me: it's almost like imagining a world without etsy. how did people manage before all that handmade goodness was at their finger tips?

3. if you're a creative person and enjoy design, fashion and crafts... well, it's like heaven. for the first time in a long time, i have an excuse to delve into fabric painting (check), making my own shoe clips (check), print design (check) and all kinds of vintage collecting (check) without feeling like i won't know what to do with my end results.

4. our family and friends are the best people on this earth. period. (and okay, this wasn't a surprise, but it's definitely worth saying.)

last but not least, in case it seems as though i am missing the whole point of getting married, which is obviously the relationship and the love... well, let me just say this: there will never be enough words to describe that part and what it feels like. all i can say is that i still pinch myself sometimes. okay... almost every day.

what surprised you about wedding planning?

xo,

(photo credit: adalie plain)

february theme week: favorite films part 3

amélie. oh, amélie.

isn't she just one of the most charming and whimsical characters ever created? i think what i love most about this film is that it makes me appreciate all of the tiny, nutty, and endearing personality quirks we all have. it also reminds me to be an active participant in my own life, and of course, pay attention to the tiniest of joys, like cracking the top layer of a crème brûlée.

add in the fact that the film takes place in paris (where amélie works as a waitress in a cafe), the wild and slightly mischievous love story between her and nino, the beautiful portrayal of the human condition, the gnome (!), the idea of do-gooding, and the incredible cinematography and well... it's pretty close to genius.

have you seen it? what did you think?

xo,

twenty nine years old.

today is my birthday. :) i'm going to celebrate with a delicious soy latte (check), a lunch date with my girls, a spa appointment this afternoon and a brownie for dinner. sounds pretty amazing right? the funny thing is it's pouring buckets here today, but i don't care. :) i love an excuse to run in puddles.

simon and i are going to celebrate more this weekend, so i'll be sure to post pictures. in the meantime, here's a beautiful song for your wednesday morning.

xo,

(photo credit: megan mcisaac)

february theme week: favorite films part 2

call me nerdy, but i love documentaries. that being said, when i first heard of the film born into brothels, i was worried that it would be one of those stories that would completely break my heart.

it turned out to be one of the most beautiful, uplifting and magical movies i've ever seen. have any of you seen it?

basically, it's a story about children who live in the red light district of calcutta, india, that meet an american woman who teaches them photography. it's a must-see if you believe in the healing power of art. and seriously, this movie will make you laugh, cry and smile. it's just so beautiful.

let me know if you've seen it, or if you see it because of this review. i'd love to hear your thoughts.

xo,

the naturally nina berry smoothie.

ladies, i can't get enough of this smoothie. it's got so much yummy stuff in it but it's not too sweet. try it if you're in the mood for a bright pink healthy treat!

ingredients:
handful of fresh or frozen organic raspberries
handful of fresh or frozen organic blueberries
half a banana
1 small container of plain greek yogurt
1 cup of ice
1 cup of soy milk or regular milk
splash of pomegranate juice

directions:
mix together in a blender and then slurp slurp slurp from a reusable straw.

so, tell me, what's in your favorite smoothie?
xo,

february theme week: favorite films.

it's hard to believe, but it's time for another theme week. yay!

as you know, last month i shared five books that changed my life. this month i'd like to share five of my all-time favorite films. i have to say, narrowing it down to five was really hard, but in the end i love my selection because i think they represent what i love most about watching movies: the perfect blend of humor, reality, learning, and love.

i'll kick it off today with an obvious one: when harry met sally.

i'm sure you've all seen it, so i won't wax poetically about why it's wonderful. :) but, i will share what i believe might be one of the most romantic monologues ever:

"i love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. i love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. i love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like i'm nuts. i love that after i spend the day with you, i can still smell your perfume on my clothes. and i love that you are the last person i want to talk to before i go to sleep at night. and it's not because i'm lonely, and it's not because it's new year's eve. i came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

ahhh! is it just me, or is it one of your favorites too?

xo,

my guide to boston {the intangibles}

the other day, my friend tanya really got me thinking about how much i love boston.

i've lived here for four years, and despite all of my other posts about the city, i have yet to share some of the more elusive reasons why i love this town.

i can safely say, boston is one of my favorite cities in the world. i've lived in stavanger (norway), new york city, london, munich, and paris; and yet... i think boston is uniquely accessible, progressive, historically rich, and charming.

here are some more reasons why i love it so:

• boston is, for all intents and purposes, a walking city. i spent the first three years in boston without a car and fared beautifully. it doesn't hurt that the public transportation system (the first in the country, mind you) is great too. i've actually heard it said that the strong walking culture can be partly attributed to boston's famous, historic walking tour i.e. the freedom trail.

• boston is an educational hub. even if you are not in school or working for a university, the vibe is undeniably academic and youthful. for this reason, i've often told people that boston is the perfect blend of history and innovation.

• it's in new england, which means it's oh-so charming (especially in the fall, sigh). it's also extremely accessible to so many other beautiful places in the northeast: new hampshire, vermont, maine, rhode island and so on. i would also second melina, who has said that western massachusetts (especially the berkshires) are ridiculously gorgeous.

• the red sox. enough said.

• and finally, (a few personal reasons)... i love boston because of its liberal politics, progressive social policies, awareness of sustainable living, and legalized gay marriage.

do you live in boston, or have you visited? i'm curious... what would you add?

xo,

(photo credit: parker fitzgerald)

have a happy weekend!

what are you guys doing this glorious weekend?

simon and i are heading up to maine! we're looking forward to spending lots of quality time with his family, playing with the dogs, and listening to a new mixed tape in the car. (okay, it isn't really a mixed tape. it's a cd. but tape sounds so much better, doesn't it?)

we're also going for an initial wedding cake tasting. i am hungry just thinking about it.

have a restful and fun weekend, all.

love,

(photo credit: bonnie cakes)

life lesson # 6

someone remarked to me recently that it seems like nothing ever bothers me. what?! i immediately started laughing and set them straight:

"all kinds of things bother me. i'm human, and actually an incredibly sensitive one at that. there are people that irritate me, behaviors that hurt me, drivers that infuriate me, and of course, days where it feels like someone has smacked me upside the head.

but... i've made a conscious decision to not spend my life complaining."

the truth is, i still do complain sometimes. of course. (and poor simon is usually the one who has to listen.) but i try to make a point to keep most of my complaints to myself.

why is this so important? well, two reasons.

1. personally i think that frequent complaining is one of the most unbecoming qualities. i just don't like to be around people who constantly gripe about someone or something. do you?

and 2. complaining doesn't help. if something is really so bad... then do something about it. it's really that simple.

so tell me, do you agree? do you complain a lot or almost never? i'd love to hear your thoughts.

xo,

things i am loving right now.

(from left to right, top to bottom)

1. my new tretorn sneakers

2. reversible aprons (how genius is that?!)

3. gorgeous lace bags.

4. beautiful lace collars. (yes, there is a theme.)

5. a great book i am reading at the moment: a homemade life.

6. pom pom slippers to keep my little toes warm.

7. embroidered cloth napkins for my future dinner parties.

8. headstand (i'm finally learning how to balance without a wall.)

9. and last but not least... avocados (because they are good on everything and so healthy).

what are you loving right now?

xo,

(credits: tretorn sneakers from jcrew, reversible aprons from hometoroost, gorgeous bag from tortilla girl, lace collars from jess james jake, slippers from the crocodile rock, embroidered napkins from eager hands, headstand image from gaiam, and avocados, unknown)

my nightstand.

hello friends,

you may have seen some talk about nightstands around the web recently, and it's because the goodie life blog is doing an awesome feature called "what's on your nightstand?". it was recently picked up by apartment therapy too.

i was so flattered she asked me to participate. here it is, if you'd like to see.

xo,

nineteen seventy four.

lately, i have been flipping through my parents' wedding album a lot. i know i'm biased... but i think they were pretty stinkin' adorable.

it's amazing to me how everything was so much more low-key back then. i can't help but smile at how hilariously dated the photos are too. ha! seriously... who thought a white suit with black trim was a good idea?

this last photo is my favorite. in fact, i'm considering making the exact same sign for our wedding day. now, if only i could also find a rust-colored chrysler station wagon too... :)

so, tell me... do you guys ever look at your parents' wedding photos?
xo,

adventure in providence...

yesterday i hopped on a train to providence to spend the day with fellow blogger, freelance writer and crafter extraordinaire christine. it was so much fun.

we had a tasty lunch, wandered around some cute shops, met her husband for coffee (he happens to know simon, too, which is hilarious) and chatted all day long about love, life, writing, blogging, crafting and of course... india.

in case you don't already know christine and her blog, you must go say hello. her creative projects have been featured all over the web, and her home was recently featured on apartment therapy. (psst. i got to see it in person and the pictures don't even do it justice. crazy beautiful.)

she's also just such a warm, fun, and graceful person; i feel so fortunate to now be able to call her my friend. hurray for blog friends!

xo,

(all photos by christine chitnis)

sleepy and snowy.

this morning is a triple espresso kind of morning.

i didn't sleep very well last night (because my silly brain decided that it was the perfect time to process everything that's crossed my mind in the last few weeks), but it was all made better when i woke up to a beautiful snowy mess outside. don't you love mornings like that?

i was even able to snap the pictures above before my first cup of coffee. imagine how much prettier they would be if i had been awake!

xo,

p.s. and ooooh, yesterday i went on an incredibly fun adventure to providence, ri, and i can't wait to tell you more about it later today. stay tuned.