What?! I've Been in Boston for a Year?

WARNING: Photo-heavy.

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of my move to Boston. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say the year flew by, but time certainly carried on.

 

Me circa 2007 when I visited Boston for the first time as an adult. Strangely enough, you can almost see our current apartment in this picture!

I got to thinking about the things I've learned and/or observed about Boston since moving here. In honor of this trivial time-marker in my life, I thought I'd share:

1. Look both ways and wait at least 5 seconds after the pedestrian "walk" sign comes on before crossing the street. If you don't, there's a legitimate likelihood that you'll be hit. There's also a 90% chance that the car plowing you over will be a taxi.
2. The Central Square bus stop at 1 AM is something everyone should experience, if only to observe all walks of life in the city. Just be sure to have a buddy there with you.
3. In just about any other city you tell someone that you're working on your PhD at MIT or MBA at Harvard and people are intrigued. Tell that to somebody here and they'll nod and respond with the name of someone they know in the same program. 
4. Rainy weekday evenings are the best times to hit up Mike's Pastry or Modern Pastry for a treat. Forget it on pleasant weekend evenings. Oh, and it's best to make it a rule to only hit up these North End delights when company is in town. Cannolis do not make for slim thighs.
5. Having a roof top deck would be hella nice...
6. Living in a city that's extremely walkable is AMAZING. I feel fortunate to have the option of walking to work every day.
7. Boston is just a really, really pretty city. My evidence (all pictures I took):

 

 May 2011 - View from the Longfellow Bridge

 

May 2011 - MIT

January 2011 - View from the Harvard Bridge

January 2011 - View of Commonwealth Ave

October 2008 - Acorn Street in Beacon Hill

August 2009 - View of downtown from Christopher Columbus Park

Here's to another year (or ten, depending on what life throws at us) in the city!

Opting for an Aquamarine Engagement Ring

Researching and reading about products on blogs is one of the best ways, in my opinion, to steer a purchase. If I see a cute dress online, I look to blogs for ideas on how to style it. If I read about a killer deep conditioner on several blogs, I'm much more likely to purchase it than, say, from simply reading about it in a magazine. Blogs are awesome because it's easy to relate to everyday people going about their lives and being fabulous/funny/smart/interesting/whatever doing it.

It's with that idea in mind that I'm composing this post. As I was researching and shopping around for engagement rings, most of my information came from message boards and what few blogs I could come across with posts and pictures of non-traditional engagement rings. Seriously, non-stock ring imagery is very hard to come across and real photos are invaluable. I hope this post can be a resource to any ladies or gentlemen considering a non-traditional engagement ring stone--specifically an aquamarine.

But you probably want to at least see a picture first...

 

We opted for an oval cut pale aquamarine center stone flanked by two round diamonds. Honestly, I don't have the exact details on the stones because SO seems to have hidden the receipt and information somewhere.

Neither SO nor I are big diamond people, though he dislikes them to a greater extent. It's not so much the blood diamond issue that bothers us as much as the fact that the price isn't controlled by the market. And the more we read about the diamond's rise to fame (for lack of a better term), the more we felt like a puppets about to be attached to the strings of some persuasive marketing master. SO and I are so self-righteous and smug that the thought of climbing on that hamster wheel felt a bit degrading. 

But I'm not here to get on some political high-horse. I do happen to like the way diamonds look and admire the rings and jewelry I see on my friends and co-workers. Buy what you like, you know? For us, though, a diamond just wasn't going to work.

Then the question followed: "If not a diamond, then what?" 

I felt a little down and out after deciding against a diamond, because while I didn't want to go that route for the reasons stated above, I really do like diamond clarity and sparkle. We considered purchasing a lab-grown diamond from Gemesis or Apollo (because how cool, ethical and fairly-priced would that be?), but science still has a way to go before 1 carat colorless diamonds are lab-grown. The ring isn't everything, but it certainly is enough that you want to wear something you like. The only response I could give to other stones was an "Ehh..."

And then I found a picture of an aquamarine (which is actually a type of beryl). The pale blue varieties have a nice sparkle, and I really like that it's the sailor's lucky stone (according to tradition), as SO loves to sail. As soon as I saw the stone I made my choice.

The great thing about shopping for a non-traditional engagement ring stone is that there's much less pressure. You don't have all of the stress of trying on a stone you cannot afford and knowing that you'll have to settle for something else (or get the one you want and go into debt!), nor do you have all of the lame "a diamond is forever" B.S. being shoved down your throat like bad-tasting stale wedding cake and traditions left over from the 1980's. 

But, yes, I did still end up with diamonds on my ring. The aquamarine on its own looked sad at best, and would have looked all kinds of crazy with any other stone pairing. We figured since the center stone was different, we could settle for the diamond accents.

 And you know what? I love the ring :)

So if you're soon-to-be-engaged and wanting to go the non-diamond route, there are PLENTY of other options out there.

And if you're a diamond gal, ain't nothing wrong with that!

Outfit of the Day: All of the Cool Kids are Color Blocking

The time has come for me to stop posting crappy photographs on my blog. Actually, I should rephrase that. They may turn out be crappy, but I'm going to make an effort and attempt to take better photographs instead of half-assing it and posting crappy ones.

I've been half-assing it for so long because I thought I had to purchase a fancy-schmancy SLR camera in order to turn out anything worth sharing, and it turns out I'm a schmuck. I can take quasi-decent photographs with my humble little Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS--all it takes is a little patience, practice and reading of the camera manual. In case you're wondering, I went to a state school. That's supposed to be a joke.

With today's weather being miserable and gray and November-like, I figured it was a good time to hole up inside and practice taking OOTD photos in a less tragic point-and-shoot-auto-mode-in-the-dirty-mirror-hanging-on-my-closet-door fashion. Given the depressing weather, it was also a good day to bust out the cheery brights and make myself feel a little less like jumping off of the John Hancock Tower.

Seriously, who else is digging the crazy color blocking trend going on right now? The bright separates out there right now are amazing. The best part of the trend is that it doesn't require tossing everything out when things die down--mix a bright top with a neutral next season and you're as good as new.

But on to the photos. I have the tendency to ramble.

Pink Top: Zara

Skirt: Tibi

Shoes: Christian Louboutin

So I'm really not a narcissist. I'm just practicing with my camera. I included the crappy mirror image simply because I'm still trying to find the best place to capture my complete ensemble when I'm standing up. Finding an area with a clean background and good lighting for photographs in our small one-bedroom apartment is a challenge. 

And just for the heck of it, here's one of the first images I took to play around with the natural lighting outside:

Not the best picture by any means, but these are MUCH better than what I'd been taking/posting before (minus the mirror shot).

Photography gurus, any tips you have are appreciated. 

Oh, and if you're looking to color block, run to Zara, like, now.

About That Engagement...

I knew it was coming.

We went to dinner in the North End on the Friday before I left for Omaha. Seeing as to how I'd informed him early that month that I was going to kill him if he didn't propose before I went home for my brother's graduation, I knew it had to be the night. I'm not big on romance--more like consequences.

We went to a great little restaurant called Pomodoro for dinner and then across the street to Mike's Pastry for a treat. After that we moseyed on down to Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park to inhale our pastries. Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park is one of my favorite areas in Boston, and SO is well aware. It's a bit tourist-y, but during my days of unemployment it was an area of the city far removed from any place I'd interviewed. When I hung out in that area of town, I almost forgot I was jobless and miserable and overexposed to episodes of Dr. Phil/rotten daytime television.

All aglow with my delectable pastry (pre-prosal)

We seated ourselves on the bench, took a few pictures with the pastry box (because we're weird) and had at our desserts. I was no further than halfway through my chocolate mousse filled cannoli when he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and asked me to marry him. 

And that's pretty much it. Honestly, it was nice and simple. At that point he could have proposed twenty feet away from a bum fight taking place on the rail road tracks we cross everyday walking to and from work (bum fights break out in that neck of the woods fairly regularly) and I would have been thrilled. It's just time to move to that next phase, you know?

Now we just need to set a date. I have NO intentions of turning this into a wedding blog, but I'll post things from time to time--it's only natural :)

Ballin' 1.5: The Good (and the Bad)

I love falling off the face of the earth for a few days. My brother graduated from college this past weekend and I flew back to Omaha to be there for the festivities. So I guess I really didn't fall off the face of the earth to those with whom I spent time in Nebraska, but to everyone everywhere else. I think I checked my email twice. Fantastic. Plus, spending time with my family is always a treat.

My sister, brother and me at his graduation party

Financially speaking, the past few weeks have been a mixture of success and failure.


Success: I paid off my Saks Fifth Avenue store card. Take that, $2880 balance!

Failure: I did too much shopping the past couple of weeks (including some charging). Yes, I may have surrendered all of my cards to my fiance (hah! I can say that now), but a couple of them ended up back in my possession due to reasons both legitimate and mildly sketchy. Whatever. I'm handing them back over and having him hide them somewhere new.

Now I'm on to tackling my Saks Mastercard. Originally I intended on paying my Nordstrom card off before it, but I like the idea of eliminating another card with a higher balance. The goal is to have both the Saks Mastercard and the Nordstrom card completely paid off by the middle of August.

I think I can, I think I can...

On a side note, I'll post some pictures and details about our engagement soon. It feels rad that my living situation/life is no longer a sham, but I'm pretty much the antithesis to most brides-to-be. Ideally, I'd like to forgo the whole dog and pony show for something MUCH smaller (court house wedding, anyone?), but I don't think that's how this will all shake out. Fortunately we have until summer and the winding down of his research until we begin making any decisions.

That's all I have for today. :)

He Likes It, So He (Finally) Put a Ring on It

A lot can happen in nine years. Apparently, timely decision making isn't one of them.

S.O. and me before Senior Prom

Together we've experienced both high school and college graduation, three trying years of being in a relationship long distance, relocation to the East Coast, S.O.'s continuing journey toward a Ph.D., my relocation to Boston (along with three horrible months of unemployment) and cohabitation for a year. And, of course, all of the trials and tribulations that come along with "coming into our own" as young adults. Happily, our growth as individuals only complimented our relationship even through all of the years we spent apart. Today our relationship is stronger than it's ever been.

Anyway, I'm happy to announce that as of last Friday, after nearly nine years of coupledom, we're officially engaged!

Now on to the next phase!

Review Week Continues: HANA air Professional Hair Dryer

In the past when I've been contacted to do reviews of products, I've been reluctant to agree. It feels a bit like selling out. However, I didn't have to think twice when John from Misikko contacted me to to review the HANA air Professional Hair Dryer, as I've legitimately been in the market for a new dryer for over a year now. I'm happy to try a new one out!

Just so you can see, the HANA dryer is on the left and the old thing I've been using is on the right...

In the picture alone you can see how long the cord on the HANA dryer is--awesome sauce (to borrow from NBC's "Parks and Recreation"). I could sit on my bed and dry my hair because of its length.

Aside from a generous cord, what this blow dryer really has going for it is its ability to dry hair quickly and thoroughly. I have very thick wavy hair that normally takes at least 10-15 minutes to dry completely (and that's after allowing it to air dry a bit at first). I've used the HANA dryer two times already and have had dry hair at least five minutes sooner both times. We all know how valuable extra time is on weekday mornings, so I'll gladly take that extra five minutes.

I have to be honest and admit what a troll/idiot I am--it took me awhile to figure out how to use the dryer. It has two separate switches: one for air flow speed (marked in blue) and another for heat setting (marked in red). It took me awhile to figure out that they had to be used in unison. At first I thought I had a faulty dryer that wouldn't blow hot air. Fortunately, I got my act together.

John was kind enough to send me several other goodies, including a bottle of Hana Shine Shield. Again, awesome sauce. Look at how shiny it made my hair:

I'm sold.

I'm a believer in the saying that you get what you pay for, especially when it comes to styling tools. Buying a nice flat iron was one of the wiser things I've ever done (moving to Boston to begin a new life with my beau is probably the wisest). That being said, the HANA air Professional Hair Dryer is 195 clams--probably more than most people have ever spent on a dryer. It comes with a two year warranty, though, and is a bit of a Godsend in terms of the time and energy it saves over using the average blow dryer.

You can read more about it here. You can also check out their other products at Misikko.com. And if you're looking for the best flat iron, they have a noteworthy selection. Seriously, good tools = good hair.