Fall Wonderland

Today was one of those spellbinding fall days in Boston--the type of day that's too beautiful to waste holed up inside. Not to sound cliche, but it was the kind of day that makes you happy just to be alive. I took a good hour this afternoon taking it all in along Commonwealth Avenue, where the leaves appear to be peaking in color. If only every day could offer such refuge. God, I love fall.

I'm a little bummed that my SO is out of town for a conference. We've been meaning to take engagement photos and today would have been the perfect opportunity. I imagine the leaves will be gone when he gets back next week. What can you do?

 

Side note: Thank you for all of your comments on my last post. I hope I didn't come off as a complete bitch, 'cause I can assure you that I'm not :)

Happy Fall.

Matters of Opinion: Those Moments When You Think Blogging is Rubbish

Now that work has released its death grip from my neck, I'm ascending from the hellish depths of whatever life was these past two months and re-entering what I like to refer to as normal people world. In normal people world, the nighttime office cleaning folks are nameless and faceless guardians who magically replace the garbage can liners instead of greeting you every night, laundry doesn't build into mountains and Blackberries see less fondling than a pair of horny teenagers left alone in the basement after a first date. 

The good thing about the past couple of of months, aside from the pay, is that I've shut out the internet almost completely. Every minute counts when there are deadlines to meet, and that leaves little time for online shopping, Facebooking and blog reading.

I've been feeling a tad lukewarm about blogging the past couple months. Before I continue, this isn't one of those dramatic "I'm kissing blogging goodbye" nonsensical/rubbish posts. More or less, I want to pose the question: do you ever feel like blogging is all a bunch of baloney? 'Cause that's how I'm feeling. But the way I feel changes by varying degrees depending on the day and the amount of wine I've consumed.


Before I go running my mouth, let me say that the one aspect of blogging I really enjoy is the opportunity to meet people in real life. Blogger meet-and-greets are great. Boston, in particular, has a solid group of people worth meeting and jibing with outside of the internet. I'm all for real-life enrichment that one can pull from the web. It's probably the only legitimate reason I can come up with for maintaining this thing.

The rest? Not so much. After stressing for weeks on end about the turnout of one of my many work-related projects and the state of my employment, I've come to the conclusion that my life is just not all that interesting. Actually, I've known that for a long time. Blogging just makes it easier to carry on in some sort of charade and pretend I'm kick ass...and believe that things like acquiring the latest Chanel nail polish color are of real-life-non-internet-popularity importance. I could play the game and pretend and try harder at this whole blogging thing (but never ever EVER Twitter), but it all feels rather forced and hardly worth the trouble.

For anyone who is actually reading this, do you feel like maintaining a blog enriches your life? Or, after awhile, does it all start to feel a little comical in the grand scheme of things?

Really, all I want these days is more sleep and less pressure in the cooker.

Thoughts?

Fall Things

For the time being, my weekends can best be compared to running virus software on a computer. By the end of the work week I'm a jumbled miserable mess full of toxins and my weekend activities serve as the sort of software that gets in there and revives me and makes me all fresh and new again. I'll save resetting the BIOS for vacation (hah! whenever that happens) or, Lord forbid, when I make a more drastic move.

But let's talk happy things like pumpkins and apple-picking and bewitchingly good times in Salem.

I'm definitely work's bitch right now, but have managed to make time on the weekend to do all of my favorite fall things. I'm hoping my current work misery is as fleeting as the fall season.

Last weekend we went up to a local orchard to pick apples...and pose by tractors, eat apple cider donuts, look at cute farm animals and generally escape the corporate/academic hell(s) that currently control our existences. 

Come back! Me want more apples!

Yesterday we continued our annual tradition of heading up to Harvard to check out the Head of the Charles Regatta or, as I like to call it, the Blue Blood Carnival.

Finally, today we trekked up to Salem for a decidedly different sort of carnival. Actually, Salem is a charming town even without all of the crazy Halloween shenanigans (don't get me wrong--I love the Halloween shenanigans!) Property up there is helluva lot cheaper in Salem than in Boston, so maybe we'll make a second home there some day. Hah...

I look at these next two images and all I see are work analogies...

And, finally, the strawberry and Nutella crepe we consumed before leaving:

Hope you all are having a festive and enjoyable fall :)

I'm crawling back into the depths of despair now.

Rendez-Vous New England (A Month After the Fact)

A month ago I attended the Saturday night mixer portion of Rendez-Vous New England, hosted by {long distance loving} and Cornflake Dreams. Why am I recapping now? Because life has been crazy and a task is better completed later than never, right?

My takeaway points:
1. The Boston/New England-area bloggers are a welcoming and friendly bunch. No divas here.
2. Meeting new people, socializing and enjoying a pretty cocktail in a swanky venue is a great way to spend a Saturday night. I rarely get out these days, so the event was a welcome change in pace.
3. The organizers did a fantastic job (thanks, ladies! :) )
4. I look forward to attending similar events in the future.

Man, that recap came out like a horrible "Intro to Creative Writing" assignment. When words fail, use photos:

Group Shot

Emily from So Anthro and her pretty cocktail

Mixing and mingling

I'm on a hiatus now. Will be back when work loosens its grip from around my neck--hopefully sooner than later. Can I wish myself Godspeed?

My Love Letter

With the turn life (aka: work) has taken over the past three weeks, I'm really afraid that I'm not going to have the time or energy to enjoy the month of October. I've been putting in 12+ hour days, which wouldn't be a huge issue during any other season, but who wants to slave away in a cubicle when there are apples to be picked, fall goodies to be baked and trips to Salem to be made?

I'm making a trip to Richmond, VA at the end of the month for the wedding of one of my best friends. More than occasionally do I feel homesick for Richmond. I only lived there for a little less than three years, but it's just as beautiful and charming as Boston.

I took these photos two years ago on a perfect October Sunday along Monument Avenue in Richmond. Strange as it my sound, the two hours I spent alone walking and snapping photos is one of my all-time favorite memories.

Alas, here are the photos (best to post today before October's work schedule eats me alive). I'm calling this post a love letter to Richmond and to the fall season.

Outfit of the Day: Rachel Zoe Ali Cape

Thank goodness fall is here. I don't think I would be able to simultaneously handle the heat from work and the heat outside. Enough already.

Bring on the fall clothes (capes! faux furs!) and the liquid courage/motivation/will to live, people.

I can't get enough of this Rachel Zoe cape. I'll be rocking it all through the colder months.

Cape: Rachel Zoe Ali Cape

Jeans: AG Jeggings

Shoes: Coach

Outfit of the Weekend: Sparkly Stilettos and a Rendez-vous

As I continue to drink from the fire hose and simultaneously juggle seven flaming torches at work, I'm doing my best to keep a positive attitude. One way to do so? Think about the fantastic rendez-vous: new england mixer this past weekend. I'll post more pictures and details as other attendees post pictures I can steal :)

Another way? Whip out the fierce shoes and wear them again. There's just something about wearing sparkly heels...

Dress: TART

Shoes: Miu Miu (better pictures of them here)

Mantra for the week? Deep breaths and happy thoughts.

Have a good one.

My Two Cents: The Perfect Black Ballet Flat

When it comes to classic black ballet flats, I play the field. There’s a lot of love ‘em and leave ‘em going on but, in true player defense, that’ll happen when you haven’t found “the one” (or when you’re sketchy and have commitment issues).

I’ve gone through a lot of black flats. Like clockwork, the moment my current pair finally gives out from being worn into the ground I’m off to find something better. I keep trying because I believe that the elusive perfect classic black ballet flat exists, kind of like the Pegasus, 100% flattering swimwear and the answer(s) to world peace.

It’s brain dump time.

Here are the ones I’ve loved (or disliked) in my quest for a pair that really works. Keep in mind that I avoid extremely pricey flats.

Banana Republic Black Flats

I dig Banana’s ballet flats. They look great against fall foliage, dontcha think? I haven’t owned a pair in about two years because my size always seems to be out of stock, but the ones I’ve long since tossed were well made and lasted a long time. Be careful with sizing. I never had any issues with my shoes (always purchased TTS), but I’ve heard that sizing is inconsistent these days.

__________

J Crew Ballet Flats

At over $100 a pop, these were not worth the money. The break in period seemed to last forever, and the support just isn’t there. If you like a dainty ballet flat, these could work. Just don’t do too much walking in them or you’ll have back pains. On a positive note, they’re attractive on your feet.

____________

Cole Haan Maria Sharapova Ballet Flat

If I hadn’t been the Village Idiot who purchased these a half size too small, we could have a winner. They’re an attractive shoe for one thing (the corset detailing on the back is different in a good way), and the supportive cushioned sole is super comfortable. I might give in and buy another pair in the correct size. These seem like they’d hold up for a more than a year even with continuous wear.

_____________

Bp. Frankie Flat (Nordstrom)

Ah, the economical flat. If you’re on a budget, this is a good pair to consider. I wore mine through the bitter months of unemployment (see picture above). They last forever (forever = one year in ballet flat time), and they’re sturdy. Eh, possibly too sturdy. The stiffness takes some time to get used to and they never really mold to your feet. At around $50, you can afford wear them into the ground without taking great care.

_____________

Tory Burch Reva

I love the cut of the Reva—the shoe simply looks attractive on the foot. I find mine to be comfortable, though I’ve heard less favorable opinions about how the shoes fit and feel. As I slowly evolve and shed bits of logo-whoredness, I’m not too keen on the Revas. They’re kind of like sunglasses with flashy designer logos…not really my thing. They hold up, for sure, but so do flats at half the cost. 

______________

 

Frye Carlson Flat

I. Love. This. Shoe.
I may have found “the one.” They’re real leather, and the quality of craftsmanship shows. I broke into these quickly, and they’re comfortable for extensive walking. I’ll probably continue replacing these shoes for the next couple of years. I'll post a real life photo of them soon.


What flats are you wearing these days? Any other recommendations?

Completely Random: Who Wants Bread?

If anything good came from Hurricane Irene, it's the loaves of banana bread I baked to keep from going stir crazy.

Back story: I'm weird about the ripeness level of the bananas I eat. I prefer them bright yellow. Forget it if they're really brown and soft--those suckers go to the freezer for future baked goods.

Well, that's all fine and good if someone (me) didn't completely overestimated my weekly banana consumption each week at the grocery store. Bananas were ripening faster than I could consume them, which resulted in this:

That's 27 accumulated bananas over the past few months, folks. A little insane if you ask me.

Yesterday was as good of a time as any to clear some of these things out of the freezer. Instead of bananas, I now have ample loaves of bread:

Good thing co-workers and office mates love free baked goods. I need to get this out of my house.

Yeah, I know, really random post, but it's a funny and light story for a Monday morning.

Have a great week, everyone :)

Outfit of the Day: Rockin' the Zara Blazer

There are certain unfortunate situations we should just come to expect in life: breaking an all day healthy eating streak when (surprise!) someone brings in brownies, coming down with a cold right before vacation, and being held up in an impromptu end-of-the-day meeting when there's somewhere you need to be the minute the clock strikes five.

Today it was the impromptu meeting. I was scheduled to preview ASOS's Fall and Holiday 2011 collections in downtown Boston right after work, but life had other plans. I ended up getting caught in a meeting and missed my appointment. I feel like a turd for missing it, but it is what it is. I just hate being unreliable.

Anyway. this is what I wore today. I'm loving the Zara blazer. It's my souvenir from Spain :)

Dress: Tinley Road (from Piperlime)

Blazer: Zara

Shoes: DV by Dolce Vita