zippin' around town.

Do you zip around with zipcar? I do!! I'm in LOVE with zipcar. It's genius! Basically, zipcar is a car sharing service. It's a way for someone to have a car without actually owning one. For me, living in Boston, it's great! I don't have the $$ or really any serious need to for a car, so zipcar is a great way for me to get around when I need to. Like today for instance: zipped to Target (love!) to pick up some things for the apartment, then I zipped over to j.crew to return some dresses, and then I zipped to whole foods for some healthy eats! All in just a few hours!

So basically, here's how it works:

1. You go online and choose the time frame you need a car. (They also now have an app for iphone!)

2. You get a list of cars available in your area (there are usually cars right down the street... a 5 minute walk at most).

3. You walk to your zipcar, open the doors with your zipcard, and away you go!

4. You zip around town doing errands or other such things...

5. You return your zipcar to the same spot you got it. ON time.

6. You lock your zipcar, kiss it goodbye until next time, and walk home!

Easy peasy. You don't have to pay for gas or insurance or parking. WOW! All you pay is a yearly fee (around $50, depending on your city) and then an hourly fee for the time your using it ($7-$12, depending on the car). I love having zipcar for those times I just need to get somewhere that's not T accessible. It works for me, maybe you should try it too! Zipcar is available over 50 cities, and even some college campuses. See if it's in your city!

Try car sharing... it saves the environment too!

pretty project at 31 temple street.

Last week I helped my friend Andrea redecorate her bedroom. Although my heart lies in teaching, my second life passion is and always has been ("I love my room, I love my room...", anyone?) interior decorating. Andrea asked me to help her after she moved in so I guess she must like my style/trust my decorating skills (thank you, friend!). I've been excited about the project from the moment I saw her bedroom. It's a tiny one, but it has TONS of potential. She picked out her bedding from anthropologie (a.mazing) and her furniture is all vintage (tried and true). Here's the room, before and after. I arrived at 10 AM ready to whip this place into shape, and it only took us about 2 hours! It ended up looking so pretty, if I do say so myself. And it was fun too!

Before:

Not the prettiest room I've ever seen.... YET. So we worked on her room for about 2 hours, taking the bed apart and moving furniture around, and in the end we came up with this...

After:

Adorable, right?? I know the blinds are still busted, and we're still waiting for curtains, wall shelves, and some artwork. But after all that stuff is in then it will be complete! I'll post more pictures when the finishing touches are in!

sweet kicks from piperlime

Gotta love piperlime! Today is it's birthday so they're giving away $25 gift certificates if you make a purchase. OBVIously these type of promotions suck me in and of course, I bought some sneakers. I've been totally into sneakers lately. I think it's because I'm not working in a school right now and I can wear whatever I want. I got some sweet gray chuck taylors for my bday.... and I just bought a new white pair today. CLASSIC. (I know I use that word a lot, but these sneakers ARE the definition of classic.) I also recently bought my first pair of keens, which are the red sneaker down at the bottom. They're super comfy and totally cute. Can't wait til I get my $25.. OR if I'm lucky $100 (they're giving them out to every one hundredth buyer)!! I've never won anything in my life, but today could just be my lucky day.

Piperlime has thousands of shoes to choose from, so check it out!

And there's always free shipping too!!

Love: Hilary Swank

Hilary Swank was on Ellen this morning promoting her new movie: Amelia Earhart. SO EXCITING! LOVE Hilary Swank. She is most definitely my favorite actress. On Ellen I found out that she loves Halloween and her dogs. She rescued one of her dogs, Karoo, when she was filming in South Africa. He was full of worms and had a million flees and ticks, but she adopted him despite all that and brought him home. I really admire her for doing this because I personally don't think I would have done that. But then again, I've never been in South Africa and found a little pup, and have also never come across a sick dog. Anyways, love her in all the movies she's in. She is the 3rd youngest woman to win 2 Academy Awards. She's clearly amazing and fantastic.

This pic is from the movie Freedom Writers. It's one of my favorite Hilary Swank movies because she plays a young teacher trying to get her students, tough "city kids", to love writing. GREAT movie.

Here's a pic from the new movie, Amelia Earhart. She looks JUST like the real Amelia Earhart and from what she told Ellen (she worked for 8 weeks perfecting her accent and studying her) I bet she'll portray her perfectly. Can't wait to see it!

Burns' in Boston.

So on a regular basis the only Burns family member I see in Boston is my sister. I've been lucky this weekend though because I not only got to see one Burns cousin, but two! A rare and most excellent occasion.

We hit up the Boston Book Fest on Saturday afternoon to see Peggy and Tom who were in town working at their company's tent, Drawn and Quarterly, selling comics and the like. We hung around the book fest for a few minutes, before deciding anthropologie was slightly more fun. It was so great to see you guys, even if it wasn't for that long!

See you at Christmas!!

My cousin Virginia was also in town with my Uncle Dean

for the NFDA convention, which is here in Boston this year at the Expo Center. They are staying at our family friends house, also in Brookline, so we had everyone over for dinner tonight! Crockpot sloppy joe's and my special mustard dressing salad. Quite the enjoyable evening, I'd say.

Here's a pic of me, Meg, Ginia and Leigh from tonight:

Great to have everyone in town and glad they

could swing by for some eats!

a bushel and a peck.

Today was gorgeous! A perfect fall day... so we decided to head out to the country and pick some apples! We chose Honey Pot Hill Orchard in Stow, MA and it did not disappoint. Apples, apples, everywhere, oh so many apples. I have to stop here and admit that I don't even really like apples. HA. It's something about the skin and the cold on my teeth. Just turns me off... BUT I do like apples baked, like apple pie and apple crisp. YUM. And I like apple cider and especially apple cider doughnuts. With lots of sugar on top. So even though I'm not in love with eating apples straight from the tree, the day was spectacular and the adventure was totally worth my while.

We got 30 pounds of apples. Oh my, we have a lot of baking to do.

Remember that song?...

A bushel and a peck.

(and a hug around the neck).

Here's some pics from today. The colors were phenomenal.

Happy Birthday, MKB!!

Today is my little sister's birthday! HAPPY 24!

I still remember the days when we were poodle girls at Heids Hotdogs. Unforgettable.

Love you, Megs!

This is the gift I got Meg for her B-day... the Boyfriend Military Jacket from j.crew! It's awesome! I bought it on sale over a month ago and have been hiding it in my trunk at the end of my bed. I've been itching to give it to her, partly because I know she'll love it and partly, of course, because I want to wear it too! It's super fashionable and very different from anything else she has. It'll look so great with a belt too! YAY.

Sorellina

Went to Sorellina last night in Back Bay because my Friend, Mrs. Foss, was back in town!!! It was reeeeally great to see her (she moved down to the sunny state and I bet it's so sunny down there... like a perminent summer... jealous.) and I am kicking myself for not bringing my camera and taking some pictures. SO unlike me! Anyways, I had to find some sort of visual to add to my blog so I picked these delicious truffle fries (see below). UNREAL. The meal was SUPER savory, although a little on the expensive side. The interior is beautiful, very white and trendy. I'd say it was a special occasions type of place. And this was a special occasion. Plus, you only live once. Right?

I ordered:

App: TUNA* hand - cut raw, spicy mostarda aioli and chili vinegar

Main Dish: MACCHERONCELLI American kobe beef meatballs, barolo sauce and Parmigiano, side order of truffle fries

Dessert: SEMI FREDDO mocha meringue, caramel syrup

My Rating: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Basically, it was awesome.

Mmm.

"even small celebrations deserve a dance."

-quote from my dove promise wrapper.

(love those little peices of deliciousness.)

oh, hello friend.

CUTEST products I found on etsy! The seller is oh, hello friend, which has to be the most adorable seller name on the planet. All her items just make me happy. They're all so delicate and vintage. Just love, that's all.

Wave.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book! It's a wordless picture book all about a little girl's day at the beach. The art is incredible, with gray and white pictures and the brilliant blue of the ocean. After seeing this book in a children's bookstore, I just had to have it. This book needs no words because the pictures 100% speak for themselves. The little girl arrives at the beach with her mom, unsure of what the ocean will bring. First she is shy, then bold, then soaked! All before discovering hundreds of seashells that have washed ashore. This is a book all people can relate to because everyone has experienced the delight of going to the beach. Wave is a book that will bring back all your memories, placing you right back to that perfect summer day.

It's so real I can taste it.

Wave by Suzy Lee
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (April 16, 2008)
ISBN-10: 081185924X
ISBN-13: 978-0811859240
Source of book: Review copy from publisher

ELLEN.

Don't you love Ellen? I do. I just recently discovered the Ellen Degeneres show because as a full-time student and a part-time nanny I don't work most days until after 11:30. SO, while I should be doing homework and reading, I instead watch Ellen. Before I became a devoted Ellen fan, I used to watch Regis and Kelly. This is only because I am a HUGE Today Show fan, on NBC- channel 7 (LOVE the whole gang), and Reg and Kelly are also on channel 7. I can't even believe I was wasting my time with that mumbo jumbo when Ellen was on channel 5! I feel so lucky to have hit the wrong channel one morning. Changed my life! The Ellen Show is an excellent way to start your morning. She makes me laugh like no one else and I just love her dancing. CLASSIC. Pair Ellen with a cup of coffee and some greek yogurt and raspberries and you're gonna have a GREAT day. Guaranteed.

Here's a clip from a couple of days ago. Love this one:

Smoothies.

This Trader Joe's Smoothie is delicious!!!!!!!!!! I'm not really one for smoothies either, but I decided to buy this today and was very pleasantly surprised to find out how smooth (hence the name, I guess) and yummy it was. I also bought the Very Berry flavor and it was also tres bien. I poured myself a small glass when I got home. Then I poured myself another small glass a couple hours later. THEN I poured myself another small glass after my class, finally finishing off the bottle. I wanted to make it last forever except it was obviously impossible. But alas, I can always just head down the street and pick up another one (or three) tomorrow. :-D

Pam and Jim get hitched!!

YAY for The Office wedding!! I was just doing a little catch-up on missed TV and watched the hour long Office episode where Jim and Pam finally tie the knot. EXCELLENT!!! Everybody loves these two and I do too. Of course they were supposed to be together from episode one. I still remember the days of flirting by the receptionist desk. Pam oblivious (in mind, not heart of course) and Jim just soaking up every second he could. And finally, it happened! They are as cute as ever together in this episode. Just love. And I cannnot even describe how hard I was laughing at both Andy's pre-wedding dance party and the Dunder-Mifflin dance-off down the aisle. I was choking I was laughing so hard. Erin?! Oscar?! STANLEY?!!!! HILARIOUS!!! This is for sure an episode I will watch again and again. One for the books. Priceless.

new bag!

Purchased this bag today while walking around nantucket town! I saw it and absolutely could not help myself. I love all the colors and it will go with so many outfits. I'm just going to take it with me everywhere. I figured it must have been a sign when I saw it today in the store window because I was dreaming about it all last night. Clearly, we were meant to be together.

Orla Kiely.

Don't you just aDORE Orla Kiely? I DO. It's so retro fabulous, I just love it all. So far my only Orla Kiely item is the wallet I got for my birthday last year. It's the best. I just love looking online at her adorable bags. I hope to get one soon. Also, I heard they have Orla Kiely kitckenware at Target, but everytime I go I don't seem to see any. AND it's not on their website either. BOO. I think the mugs are great. Maybe I should just order some online. They would totally go with my pseudo vintage anthropologie kitchen. Not like I need anymore mugs or anything. But all the same, I want them. I've posted some of my favorite items below. Everything is just so adorable I can hardly stand it. JOY!

nantucket.

So I'm in Nantucket for the weekend with the family that I babysit for. The house is right on the ocean so I can't really complain! It would be much nicer to be here with some friends and family though. Just saying. I love the main part of town. It's so adorable with it's cobblestone streets and little shops. Summer has clearly come and gone (*sigh), but it's still nice to be by the beach and smell the sweet salty air. We got here yesterday on the fast ferry and made it in to town today for some lunch at the White Elephant Hotel. They have a restaurant there called the Brant Point Grill and it sure was something to blog about. We ordered calamari for the table that was REALLY good. My serloin burger was just super, the best part being the FRIED PICKLES. They came on top of my cheeseburger. OMG amazing. Had some lemonade and terrific sweet potato fries...and other than that it was just a very pleasant meal with a very pleasant view. Great lunch!!! Now I am relaxing in my room overlooking the ocean. DREAM!

TJ's: Chicken Tikka Masala

You must try this DELICIOUS dinner. It is restaurant quality, I tell you. It tastes JUST like the chicken tikka masala from Kashmir on Newbury Street (which is soooooo yummy). I had this for the first time late night last week after a night out for my friends birthday. It was so delicious I went out the next day and bought 4 more boxes. One box is basically one meal, so if you have more than one person eating, you'll need to get several boxes. Buy some TJ's tandoori naan to go with it and you've got the perfect Indian dish for dinner. 5 stars. SO GOOD.

Trader Joe's!!

I love Trader Joe's. I've never met someone who doesn't! I have to admit right off they bat that it's no Wegmans, but seriously, what is? Nothing can beat the big W. However, Trader Joe's does a fine job at being my neighborhood grocery store. I love stopping by here for a quick shop around. They always have a great flower selection and also always have samples. MMmm good. I love their creative tag lines and cheap prices too. Since there are so many items I love in TJ's I've decided to start blogging about certain products from time to time. Hopefully you're lucky enough to have a TJ's near you, especially if you don't have a Wegmans either. I don't know what I'd do without it. As much as I love Whole Foods (oh so much)- it breaks the bank! So Trader Joe's is where it's AT. Check back to the blog for delicious foods that you can try too!

South End Buttery

I am still drooling over the thought of my breakfast sandwich this morning and it's 10:oo at night! I had a little extra time this morning so I headed over to the South End Buttery. It's a real melt-in-your-mouth kinda place. I'm seriously salivating just thinking about it. I'm not even joking. I went here last week and ordered the Peanut Buttery: homemade peanut butter and Nutella on toasted croissant. It was so savory that I made a point to eat it super slow, as to make the flavors last as long as possible. I highly recommend this item on the menu. You can also get it with bananas or homemade preserves, which I will have to try sometime if I'm in the mood. Sounds scrumptious. Today I went with a real hearty breakfast item... the Buttery Country Biscuit: scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and aged cheddar on buttermilk biscuit. I want to eat this breakfast sandwich again tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. I want to eat this breakfast sandwich every day for the rest of my life. The biscuit is out of this world buttery and delicous, the eggs were great, the cheese- aged perfectly, and the bacon? SO juicy, bring it on.

The Buttery has one awards for the past 3 years for their coffee AND cupcakes. YES! They have cupcakes!! And I bet they are insanely delicious. AND BUTTERY!

Don't you already love this place? Even if you haven't even been to it yet? How can you not? It's name is The Buttery. Anything with the word buttery in it has to be a winner. And clearly, it is.

South End Buttery

314 Shawmut Avenue

Boston, MA 02118

Café Hours

6:30 AM - 8:00 PM daily

Brunch Table Service

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Saturdays and Sundays