Kitchen Update

So with spring cleaning in full swing, I convinced Paul to make a few changes to our kitchen. We both love the size of our kitchen but find it a bit lacking in functional space. We both also simply hate the color and cabinetry, however, as renters, there isn't much we could do about that.

We took a drive down south to Ikea. It's a place we don't frequent as it's pretty far and it encourages useless spending. I did however have a clear vision of what I wanted and what I wanted to do with it. Paul and I had differences of opinion when it came to aesthetic appeal, but hey - we have different taste. He's modern... I'm traditional.

I hated how my counter peninsula constantly had stuff on it. I wanted a nice empty work space. So we decided to buy this shelving unit from ikea. It's a great unit because you can stand it upright or on it's side. You can put baskets in them or leave them bare. It's really versatile - we figure when we move it can go behind the couch, against a dining room wall or even in the bedroom.


We currently have our recycle bin sitting towards the left. A top is a wine rack, garlic canister, a plant and a few nic nacs. The cubes from left to right contain:

• Matte set & tea pot
• a few bowls of goodies/food
• placemats, napkins (cloth and paper), trivets
• cookbooks & cutting boards
• empty
• basket of dish towels
• dishwashing & laundry detergent & baking soda
• empty

Great right? Nice and organized yet still not ugly!

We also purchased a magnetic knife set and though it's not ideal in this spot, it works to clear up the counter.

Which leaves me this.... a nice empty counter and prep space to cook! LOVE IT!

Ducks, Lobster and Rockport

The State House

This past weekend, my Mother in Law was in town for a visit. It was her 1st time visiting us in Boston since we've moved here. She loved the apartment and we were grateful for her visit. She arrived Saturday and we quickly gained 5 lbs each. She brought Argentinian pastries from NYC... dangerous I tell you!

Yes that's a bar... in an old police department!

Soon after stuffing our faces, we drove to Copley to take the Duck Boat Tour. It was Paul's and Ana's 1st time. I think they thought it would be more fun than it actually was. Our guide wasn't as good as the one I had when Andy and my Father in Law were in town.... Also I don't think Ana cares much for the history of Boston... and well that's really all there is to see here... history.

After naps we ate some mediocre Cuban food and hit the hay.

Sunday we had breakfast and went to church (more on that later) and then headed ... back to the Duck Tour. I left the photos we bought at a bar we went to for drinks ... and they couldn't find it anywhere! Who takes someone else's pictures? I'm guessing a bus boy threw them in the trash. The people at the Duck Boat were nice enough to reprint our photos free of charge... THANK YOU!

We then drove the 45 minutes north to Rockport. Ana loved the small walking town. We must have went into every single shop. The weather was perfect and the view went on for miles. I love that town and I LOVE THEIR LOBSTER. We each had at least one (Paul had 2)! It was a cheat day after all.

I managed to find the cutest hand knit sweater from Mexico. I love it. I didn't think it would fit at first glace but it was the last one and I couldn't stop looking at it... so I tried it on and it fit! At 30% off I jumped at the chance and bought it! Paul gave me a thumbs up! I can't wait to rock it in the cooler weather... I LOVE colors!

I'm so so on the fringe... but I took a peak before purchasing and I can remove them without harming the sweater!

Remembering the pants I found at a store the last trip to Rockport... I went back into the same small store. They were 50% off! The pants I loved but wouldn't spend $25 were now only $12.50. I tried them on and Paul said they were cute... great summer lounge pants. So I bought those too... followed by the biggest ice cream cone EVER!

So yeah we had a pretty good weekend =)

Kayaking on the Charles

This past weekend was filled with lots of good and bad. On Saturday, Paul had an all day Marketing Conference. That left me home alone. With that time, I decided to organize some closets and make some pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. One of Paul's favorites.

Saturday night, our friend Nelson was working the sound for an Armenian Festival in Watertown, MA. I must say, it was great. The people and the culture were beautiful. Their passion is amazing. You could see this especially during the beautiful singing of their anthem. They've gained their independence less than 20 years ago. It's seriously a beautiful site to see. So many people so happy to be together celebrating their culture.

Sunday came and I knew I wanted to do something outside. Paul and I agreed to do the 1 way kayak trip on The Charles River with Charles River Canoe & Kayak. We rented our boat in Cambridge and did the 5 mile stretch to Allston. It was more than 5 miles for us though - because he had to double back ... twice.

We started off pretty shaky. We realize that our paddling techniques are both good... just not when we do them together. We had never ridden in a tandem kayak before. I decided I probably never will. I prefer a smaller boat, and one I feel closer to the water in. I also like paddling myself and not having to worry about what someone else is doing. I think Paul just decided he really does hate kayaking... regardless of on what kind of water or on what kind of boat.

It was a beautiful 9/11 day and I wanted to honor all those lost, all those brave, and all those heroes by showing them what they've given us... a life of beauty and freedom. So we set out - and on our way were stopped by a member of The Tactical Force Team... woops, apparently that part of the river is closed ... because of a 9/11 memorial service. Needless to say security was tight. We clearly looked innocent because after making fun of our lovely paddling skills, he let us turn back without arresting us. Which he did warn us... was the actual course of action usually used in this situation.

This is MIT displaying their patriotism on 9/11's 10 year anniversary.

The rest of the 5 miles were uneventful, save for a few arguments of who was paddling us in circles and whether or not the speeding motor boat was going to kill us.


After jumping out in Allston, we took our wet butts over to Harvard square... which left my toes a little blistery. Note to self, walking in wet watershoes on a hot day on pavement = blisters!

In the end we had a great day and it was a chance to really enjoy the beauty that is the USA!

We ended the day with some beers and some football.... J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS (I wont lie though... I fell asleep on the couch sometime in the 3rd quarter).

A view of Boston from the Charles

Sewing Room?

So I designated the den my sewing room, but Paul also dedicated it the Xbox room... and it is also kind of our office. But it works. We fit everything we needed to into the space. Nah, it's not exactly a cohesive decor plan, and no, it's not always 100% functional.... but it's the best we can do with the space that we have.



This is my sewing corner. We put our old dining table there for now. It's not really great for sewing being round and all, but it's fine for now. The shelves above hold a bunch of my little nicknacks and notions.
You can see up top on the left is my yarn swift. I love that thing. Next is a puzzle of me snowboarding from a good friend. That zebra print bag is filled with an abandoned project I may make into something else. The frame holds a poem about boys from Paul's Mom & a personalized box of dominoes. The second shelf holds various baskets of fabric, tarn, and books. Then the 3rd holds my yarn baller, a few pigs, more baskets of supplies, a yellow flower put I've filled with ribbon & a figurine of Che. The last shelf holds a jar of my hooks & needles, a mushroom needle holder from my sister, a flower pot of scissors and other supplies, and that last basket is where Paul hides all of our electric chargers.

Here is a little sneak at some of the books I've been using lately to create some fun knit and crochet goods. I highly recommend The Happy Hooker. It has a lot more young and modern options.


And all throughout those shelves are photos of people I love. More photos will definitely be added to this room, but they have yet to be printed. For now there is a photo of Paul and I from our early dating years, my sister and I at her graduation, and a photo of my grandpa... one of his last before he past.



Centering the room is a futon that I draped my sister's baby blanket on. It has a little hole and is definitely a bit faded but can you believe this blanket rested on our cribs, floors, couches, and cars for us to be cozy since 1983? I love it! My family is filled with talented hookers & knitters & I'm just glad that it hasn't been lost on my generation. Goodness knows I wanted nothing to do with needlecrafts as a child. Directly accross from this futon is a small computer stand with a screen and the Xbox/Kinects consoles.



At the very entrance of the room, we have the computer desk, a book case, and a closet. I'm glad we finally have a normal sized desk. What a pleasure to sit at. (The old tiny desk was purchased for our tiny Manhattan apartment years ago. It is now the xbox stand.)



See a desk... with a real chair. You can even peep my notes and resume for my session with the recruiter late this afternoon.


And in the book case, aside from books you'll find little pieces of love... like marble, crystal and jade pigs and frogs... as well as small pieces of inspiration. The other day I was thinking of great quotes, and Dr. Suess has some of the best. I printed out one of my favorites. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE to read... so I printed it out. Then busted out the crayons and made it a rainbow. I found myself doodling the other week and I kind of linked how it turned out. I took a note from this and cut my doodle out in the shape of a sparrow. I like it sitting perched up there. Maybe one day I'll get sick of it and take it out... but for now... I dig it.



And finally, in the closet, I have purchased a over the door shoe rack. I have filled the pockets with various skeins of yarn. Inside the closet needs some work. I'm thinking of moving around some storage boxes to make those paper supplies a little more accessible. On the shelf up top are some various crafting supplies (like glue guns, hole punches, paper stock, etc...)

And here you can see some of my prized possessions, yarn! Unfortunately, these are mostly scraps that were either given to me or left over from another project... or found on clearance somewhere... so I don't know many of their colors or even dye lots. I have a few winter accessory ideas for some but others, I have no clue. If you need some scrap yarn (especially acrylics) let me know!

Picnick @ Mystic River Reservation

I had enough of sulking in my living room, laptop on lap, TV on, sweating, not enjoying my life. So I decided that each day (weather permitting), I'm going to explore something new in my new home town of Medford, MA... AKA, just outside of Boston.

Today I grabbed some fruit, an iced tea, bought a little something something (more substantial in the food department, packed my camera and kindle and headed off to Mystic River Reservation which is far larger than I thought. Yes, you are right, I wrote that I stopped there yesterday, but I was in an entirely different part of it... and they really are different despite being only a little bit apart.

Let me break it down for you:


I was a little hesitant about checking this place out. I mean yelp reviews suggested creepy people hiding in the weeds stalking others but I actually found it to be quite peaceful and a perfect spot to take a walk, read a book, eat a snack, go for a jog, etc...

There was a hill with a great view of the water. It had just been mowed (actually the lawn mower was still going a bit down the hill) and it smelled divine. Freshly cut grass may be one of my favorite smells. I took out my blanket, a book and my lunch and enjoyed some relaxing time outside.


After a bit my tushy was getting sore so I rolled over and I had this beautiful site behind me. The American flag, flapping in the breeze, the smell of fresh water and cut grass in my nose, and my book by my side.


The clouds and wind started to come in and it was getting a bit chilly so I got up and decided I'd take a walk and explore. I headed strait toward the water and had to capture this gorgeous weeping willow. This photo does it NO justice.


Then I found myself looking at the river seeing the Prudential Center in the background. I little urban beauty sticking out right there.

The reservation is home to a wildlife habitation which is kinda cool. These signs were everywhere letting visitors know where they needed to keep out.

The only wildlife I saw was this bunny who sat happily allowing me to take a picture while he chomped on whatever it was he was chomping on.

And an abundance of honeybees on all the different flowers still in bloom... or blooming.

And this blurry dragon fly who swooped in while I was taking a photo.


The flowers were everywhere... I love flowers.

Glouchester

So with friends in town and the desire to go whale watching... I tried my hardest to convince everyone to walk up early to go Whale Watching. No one bought it. No one was down... except me. So we didn't go and I missed out =(. Oh well. We still drive up to Glouchester to check it out and it was way worth it.

Driving on Rt 128 we saw signs for a waterfront festival so we figured we'd exit and check it out. It was great, there were tons of local artists, foods, and just friendly people. We checked out the sites and the booths at the park there and it was a lot of fun.

The festival signs lead us to Stage Fort Park. It has a beautiful quaint beach with few waves, picnic areas with amazing views & tons of other fun things to see. It's most prominent feature is a giant rock. It was used as an ancient ritual stone by Native Americans. Glouchester is where the 1st colonial settlers landed. It is kinda cool.

When we got there we found parking and walked directly to the ocean.... we all craved it.


We followed a walking path to a large hill which overlooked the ocean.



Overlooking the ocean were cannon's facing almost all directions. When you are climbing back inland from a large overlook this is what you stare at... it's kind of disconcerting.

From the overlook you can see lighthouses in the distance.


You also get a great view of the actual town of Glouchester. It's a working town and you see tons of fishing vessels.


Here is Paul & me a top one of the overlooks. It was all fun and games till...


Your husband tries to throw you over a cliff


Richi and his girlfriend actually looked pretty sweet and innocent


And then Maria decided it was time to push Richi off. That is real fear on his face. He was not expecting it at all!


While walking on one of the paths I stopped to take this photo. Paul asked, "did you just take a picture of a tree?". I said no, I was taking a picture to capture the view. He glanced at the LCD and replied, "I like how you say no, then I look and it's a picture of a tree." haha

We saw pirate ships... I mean come on... that's so cool!

He's my pretty pretty princess. This was actually when we 1st parked the car. I think it's adorable though.


Here is a view of the beach... it's in that little cove. So sweet.

Once our tummies began rumbling we took the short drive up to Rockport which is more of a pedestrian tourist town. It's completely adorable and I'm glad we left Glouchester to check it out. Unfortunately the weather was being a little unpredictable so I don't have pictures. Our 1st stop was the Ray Moore Lobster Shack. It was a true shack serving up fresh lobsters. You were welcome to find a bench out back to enjoy your feast. I had a lobster and a chowder. Paul had a lobster roll, smoked salmon, and a 1 1/2 lb lobster... true fat kid day! Richi and Maria also partook in the feast having a lobster, shrimp cocktail and smoked salmon. We had a lot of fun! Then we just walked around and explored. And of course I couldn't leave without having some homemade ice cream!!!

Mystic River Views

Today, I loaded my backpack with my kindle, my camera, and my phone and headed to wholefoods to buy some tomatoes, peaches and coffee. On the way home I stopped at a park along the Mystic River and sat on a nice bench to get some sun, read my book, eat a local peach and finish my iced coffee. The views, the quiet, and my increasing feeling of God in my life made me realize that I live in a beautiful place with the man of my dreams. I may not think Boston is as beautiful as NYC but that's because my family is not in it. Home is where your heart is... and my heart is with my family... but ... it's getting better. It's hard not to when you know your also with your husband and God... well God's everywhere... but you get me ;)

There were black eyed susans everywhere... these are easily one of my favorite wild flowers!


The river was home to a canoe, kayak & pontoon boat today. The kayak and canoe was a grandfather grandson duo I believe. It was nice... and beautiful to see.

The local peach was delicious. Peaches should always taste like this... not a bitter rock!

Buy local people!

And the book I'm reading... not pictured is Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy's Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven & Back by Todd Brupo & Lynn Vincent. It's a great book and I highly recommend it. It is centered around Christianity... just a heads up.