Make Way For Ducklings

I love Boston's public gardens.  One of the iconic sites in the gardens is the set of Make Way for Ducklings statues.  What I love most is that the ducklings are often decked out in cute garb to celebrate the season.  You may remember this duck from the winter and my post on sparkly things.  

Around the Super Bowl all the ducks were decked out in these tee-shirts that I didn't really understand at first.  Then Paloma told me that it was a reference to Patriots player Rob Gronkowski.  

Recently there was this incarnation in honor of Easter and the beginning of spring, which I think is the most adorable to date.

And then on Marathon Monday the ducks donned these capes and masks.  The capes spelled out 

M-A-K-E    W-A-Y-!

The fact that the costumes stay on the ducks for so long is testament to how much Boston residents respect and enjoy the ducks and I can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for me and the ducklings!

Stolen from Facebook/G-Chat

You know, sometimes being witty and creative is a lot of work.  So I'm being lazy and reposting things from the internet that other people have posted.  I love social media!

Awesome credit: Kristen Jones Campbell

Awesome credit: Meredith Burks

Awesome credit: Tom Macmillan

And now for a special selection of items from Anjali's Gchat status.  Because that woman really knows how to find awesome stuff on the internet

Awesome credit: Anjali Yakkundi

That's right, humans help raise a baby panda, in panda suits. 

Photo Credit: Reuters

Awesome Credit: Anjali Yakkundi

So that we may all mock, I mean mourn, the end of an epic love.

San Francisco's Beautiful Neighborhoods

I've already done a post on the Mission District, but San Francisco is full of so many beautiful neighborhoods I wanted to highlight a few more here.

The Castro, famous for it's gay culture -

Chinatown, home of handmade fortune cookies and delicious food -

Alamo Square, with the beautiful Victorian 'painted ladies' -

San Francisco Tourist Central

I couldn't leave San Fran without doing the whole tourist thing.  So we hit up the Ferry Building, Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square.

The Ferry Building is full of foodie stalls selling artisanal cheese, olive oil, chocolate - really anything you could ever want.  And on our way we found this cool fountain that you can walk around.

Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli were good places to find souvenirs and get a sweet treat.  The actual Ghirardelli factory is no longer here, but it's a destination nonetheless.

The lines were always too long to consider a cable car ride, but it was fun seeing this iconic mode of transport anyway.  

San Francisco's Great Outdoors

What is it about iconic bridges that is so fun?  I mean it's just a bridge - and yet...the Golden Gate Bridge is so beautiful and so San Francisco, like the Brooklyn Bridge it's a destination all its own.

And then just a few miles past the bridge is Muir Woods.  This beautiful nature preserve is full of massive, old trees.  It was a bit muddy when we went so I suggest some decent footwear, but this out of the way sight is a great place to take photographs and get away from the busy city for a while.

San Francisco's Mission District

One of our first stops was the Mission district.  Famous for it's Mexican/Latin heritage, this neighborhood is full of vibrant, beautiful and political murals.  Many are concentrated in Balmey and Clarion alleys, but they're scattered throughout the neighborhood as well.

Balmey alley's murals have a more traditional style and tend to pay homage to earlier struggles of indigenous people.

Whereas Clarion alley has a more modern, graffiti feel.  It's political messages are more overt and the designs are bold and urban.

Both places are really breathtaking and inspiring.  After working up an appetite walking through the neighborhood definitely enjoy one of the many taquerias that line the streets.

Sara Heads West

I had never been to the West Coast, until last week.  I got a great opportunity to go to a conference for work in San Francisco and extended it to see some old friends and experience a new city.  It was so fun and I thought, what a great way to kick start the blog again after my long hiatus!

Throughout the week I'll detail my travels here so keep checking back for more adventures in (sometimes) sunny California.

Planting a Seed

A couple weeks ago when it was really warm I decided I wanted to plant flowers on our balcony.  I bought dirt and seeds and planters.  Of course since then it's gotten cold again, but we're past the threat of frost now so today I muddied my hands and braved the chill to plant some seeds.  It felt like a fitting way to celebrate both Easter and spring.  

Here are the before photos.  I got these great hanging planters at Crate and Barrel.  Hopefully in a few weeks I'll be able to show you the after.  

I planted a variety of flowers and herbs.  One is supposed to attract monarch butterflies and another is supposed to drape over the planter.  

I'm so excited for warmer weather so I can enjoy sitting out on my balcony, hopefully surrounded by beautiful flowers!

Toffee Matzo

We didn't really do  much for Easter or Passover, but we did celebrate in our own little ways.  I made this delicious toffee matzo with walnuts and chocolate, recipe courtesy of my girl Martha.

Sugar burns easily so watch your toffee carefully.  Mine only needed about seven minutes in the oven, not the recommended thirty.  Enjoy!

Network Bowl-a-Thon Makes a Difference In Women's Lives

So you've heard me rant about politics and women's health a lot lately.  Because there's so much to rant about!  But really, this cartoon sums it up -

Humor helps.  But if you're feeling enraged about the dialog surrounding women's health lately (you know the one that equates pap smears and birth control with mani-pedis or the one that holds panels with absolutely no women) then I have a great antidote for you!

You can stand up for women and change women's lives, all through my Bowl-a-Thon page!  You don't have to wait for Obama to change his mind about Plan B, or hope the Bishops enter the 21st century; you don't even have to scream about (oh goodness the host of things I could list here) stupid comments about using aspirin as birth control - although sometimes that's fun and cathartic.  This isn't about what politicians are and aren't willing to stand up for - it's what YOU are willing to stand up for.  Supporting my Bowl-a-Thon team with a gift means real change in women's lives.  Thanks in advance for all your support!

The Opposite of Religious Freedom

You know, I'd rather talk about rights than freedoms.  Because freedom, well, sometimes I hate Freedom.  I hate Freedom with a capital F that is used in political rhetoric.  Freedom has been taken out of context to mean a whole lot of things I don't agree with.  In this country you are free to be poor and uneducated, free to be uninsured and unfed.  But in my mind, a good education, healthcare, food and shelter - those aren't freedoms, they're human rights.  They are inalienable.  Oh and it might seem I like I don't need to mention this part, but they belong to humans.  They don't belong to corporations and they can't be voted on.

I do believe that health care is a human right.  I think taking care of people to keep them healthy is better and cheaper for our country, but it's also the moral thing to do.  Even if they can't pay for it or don't have a job who pays for it for them.  And, as crazy as it might sound to some, women's health and by extension reproductive health, are also parts of health care.  We don't want mani-pedis and ponies, we just want health care for the parts we have that You (the big patriarchal You, yea the one that held a panel on birth control access that was ALL MEN) don't have.

In the recent birth control flap, it became clear that the Bishops didn't just want an exception to birth control coverage for Catholic institutions, they wanted an exception for anyone who wanted it - like the Catholic who owns a Taco Bell or runs a bank.  And then came Sen. Blunt saying we should let ANY employer deny you coverage for ANY health care for ANY moral/religious qualm you may have, which was properly dubbed the Blunt Measure.

But you the individual, the human, the employee have a right to health care.  And that includes, this needs to be repeated, women's health and reproductive health.  It is not freedom when your employer says, you cannot have this coverage because of my religious beliefs.  That is not religious freedom; it is the opposite of that.  It is allowing others to push their religious beliefs on people who may not agree and who are held captive by their economic relationship with their employer.  Freedom with a capital F is about Freedom from your government, not freedom from you employer so that we are Free from Uncle Sam, but a slave to capitalism.

Hei La Moon: Dim Sum in Boston

Jake and I wanted to go out for dim sum and I was very skeptical.  The first time he ever took me out for dim sum I was also skeptical.  That time it was because I'd never been and I didn't know if I'd like it; this time it was because I didn't have any confidence that Boston could give us something as delicious as we had in New York.  But, I was happily proven wrong.

Hei La Moon serves up great dim sum.  It's the Chinese version of tapas, and we love us some little plates.  In typical fashion, they have the rolling carts and the bamboo baskets filled with delights like steamed rice and pork, shrimp dumplings, and pork buns.  While the cost is a mystery until you're done (waitresses mark your receipt with stamps based on the number and size of the baskets they give you) you never really have to worry about it.  We feasted for $30.  There is no better deal.

Then we walked around China Town and had delicious fried pastries filled with red bean paste and covered in sesame seeds.  Yum! I can't wait to go back!

Grammy Shakedown

I was so happy to see my girl Adele sweep the major categories and win six Grammys!  I appreciate that the Grammys are more variety concert than awards show though.  And here are my opinions on the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good
I mean, Bonnie Rait and Alicia Keyes singing Etta James and then giving an award to Adele- what a one, two, three, four punch of amazing female voices!  Bruno Mars impressed with an old school number and showed he really has moves.  Interesting duets are always a staple of the Grammys (with none perhaps more  memorable than Eminem and Elton John) and this year Rihanna and Coldplay had another interesting mix.  If there was a category in this phrase for "great" it would be Adele's performance, and in particular those first few a cappella notes.  I literally got goosebumps.  She is so amazing and her emotion and grace during her standing ovation - nothing but classy.

The Bad
Taylor Swift singing in the middle of an Amish diorama grinning like a bumpkin who never realized she was famous - not cute and not buying it.  Katy Perry is generally awesome, but she should probably stick to shooting fireworks/whipped cream out of her boobs and singing catchy pop hits and leave the more intense pop/rock ballads to Pink.  The Grammys are also a great place to learn about new talent, like The Civil Wars, who rocked an awesome folk intro.  But then there's those bands, like Bon Iver, who actually never wanted you to know about them in the first place, and accept Grammys with phrases like, this is hard to accept because I really just wanted to write music for the intrinsic rewards.  Honey, please.

The Ugly
But then, really, Chris Brown, really?  His agent must be amazing because he performed twice!  Have we all forgotten that picture of Rihanna's face?  It seems the arts community is always eager to elevate the art over the artist - I mean remember Roman Polanski?  And Brown's song had the repeating lyrics "look at me now;" it was, and truly no pun intended, a slap in the face.  There's also no category for just plain weird, but if there was I think I would put the religious/dramatic performance by Nicki Minaj here.

NNAF Cupcakes

As you all know I love cupcakes (see here, here, here, and here) and I also love my lovely co-workers so I decided to combine those two things and have a cupcake decorating get-together at my apartment.

I've been starting to collect cute cupcake papers and these colorful ones really caught my eye at Target.  So we made matching frosting and I took out all the sprinkles I have and we went nuts!

Incidentally, purple and green (okay this is sort of teal) are NNAF's colors.  What could have been more perfect?

Little tip: if you're like me and don't own a piping set, you can just fill ziplock bags with the frosting and then snip off one of the corners of the bag and voila, makeshift piping bags with adjustable size tip!

My Favorite Super Bowl Commercials

Firstly, let me say that I didn't think the array of commercials was really that great.  Did they feature a lot of celebrities? Yes.  A lot of super heroes?  Also yes.  Did they hock a lot of beer?  Of course.  I still don't understand though why 95% of the commercials seem to target men, when women make up 46% of the viewing audience.  Every commercial seemed to be about beer, trucks, and action movies.  And then there are those awful Go Daddy commercials.  But, some gems prevailed with genuine humor over sleazy marketing, and these were my favorites:

M&Ms are sexy and they know it...

Matthew Broderick relives the glory days...

Chevy shows a sense of humor...

Madonna Rocks the Super Bowl Halftime Show

Lada Gaga, move over!  Madonna is unstoppable as the original wild child of pop music.  Katy Perry, Britney Spears, do you think any of them will be performing over 50?  Doubtful.  She manages to stay so current, but so iconic. 

The spectacle itself was of a similar magnitude to the Chinese Olympics opening ceremony.  She had an entire army of Roman soldiers, a cheerleading squad, and a full gospel choir.  She managed to do a montage of her greatest hits from decades ago and incorporate current artists like MIA, Nicki Minaj, LMFAO, and Cee Lo (in sequin preacher robes!) showing that Madonna still knows how to have a good time. 

And then to end the whole thing with no nip-slip and world peace?  Genius. 

Healthy Super Bowl Snacks

Aside from Thanksgiving, the Super Bowl may be the 'holiday' that revolves most around food: the chicken wings, the pizza, the guacamole, the chips.  And I didn't want to miss out on those things.  So I fiddled a little with a few classics - chili, Tex-Mex layer dip, and nachos - to make healthier versions. 

The dip was by far the tastiest.  It's just a layer of fat free cream cheese, a layer of re-fried beans, a layer of diced tomatoes with chopped green chilies, jalapenos, and red onion, a layer of fat free cheddar cheese, a layer of chopped artichokes, and a layer of guacamole.  I ate it with Special K crackers instead of tortilla chips, but anyone eating it with chips would never know that this was a healthy dish. 

For the nachos I had to use tortilla chips because otherwise it wouldn't be nachos!  But I topped them with two slices of reduced fat cheddar, a jalapeno slice, salsa, and a little dollop of fat free sour cream and fat free re-fried beans. 

 

As the main course, I made turkey and vegetable chili.  I just brown lean ground turkey and then add  two cans of red beans and every veggie I can imagine: onions, peppers, carrots, celery, zucchini, broccoli, diced tomatoes, corn, and mushrooms.  It ends up being mostly vegetables, but there's enough meat and spice to make it feel like a really hearty chili.  The best part is, I now have lunch for the rest of the week!

Komen v. Planned Parenthood - WE WIN!

We won! We won! We won!  Sometimes I feel like we never win, but when Susan G. Komen announced they were reversing their decision to de-fund Planned Parenthood I felt like doing a victory dance.  A lot of times it feels like conservative forces are way better at raising money, writing letters, and getting their voices heard.  They seem like a better organized, more homogeneous group and us liberals with our big tent just never seem to shout with the same voice (hello Occupy!).  But thank you social media, because boy did we SHOUT!  We took over the internet shouting!

We did it with humor like in this cartoon, or in this Colbert clip.  We did it with our electronic signatures when 250,000 signed the MoveOn.org petition.  We did it with our wallets when Planned Parenthood raised $400,000 in 24 hours following the announcement.  Have I mentioned, WE DID IT!

Despite the not intended to be factual statements you may have heard from Sen. Kyl, Planned Parenthood is a full-service, affordable, accessible reproductive health organization.  I was saddened by Komen's decision to be single minded and political in its ideological pursuit rather than putting women first.  (If you're having doubts about the motives of this move, check out this screen shot of what Komen VP Karen Handel re-tweeted during the debacle).  

Komen should be about women's health and about providing women with access to the best health care possible.  And for many women (1 out of every 5 women actually) that means using Planned Parenthood for health care.  To read some of these women's stories, visit this wonderful Tumblr.  And remember, sometimes the good guys do win.  

Sisterhood of the Traveling Hot Dog Casserole

Recently my friend Kristen sent me a recipe for a chili cheese dog casserole.  At first I thought it wouldn't fit in with my new healthier eating (22 pounds lost and counting!) but after looking at it I saw that I could make a few tweaks.  The original recipe was:

Ingredients:
1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
1 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 package (1 pound) hot dogs, halved lengthwise and cut into bite-size pieces
1 can (15 ounces) chili with beans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Prepare the corn bread as instructed on the box and spread half onto the bottom of a greased 8 inch casserole dish.  Soften onion, celery, and green pepper in a saute pan.  Add the hot dog pieces until browned.  Combine with chili and 3/4 cup of cheese and spoon over cornbread layer. Top with remaining cornbread and cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes.  

I substituted 97% fat free hot dogs, fat free cheddar cheese, and homemade turkey and vegetable chili and eliminated the sugar and oil.  And it was still delicious.  The soft sweetness of the cornbread with the salty, rich goodness of hot dogs and chili make for a comforting combination.  It's really more like a chili cheese corn dog casserole, and if there's one thing I love, it's corn dogs.  


I'm not the only one to make this recipe.  Kristen made a healthy version too using low-fat canned chili and turkey dogs, which makes sense given her blog on health issues.  And Pam (who also has a blog you can read here) made the regular version, which suits her love of hot dogs.  Shared by three friends, this casserole dish full of tasty Americana is worth a shot in your kitchen too.  

Boston's Thinking Cup

Today some of us took a quick trip to Thinking Cup in Boston.  This little coffee shop right on the Commons is adorable inside and boasts a great variety of coffees, teas, hot chocolate and foods.  Like L.A. Burdick, the hot chocolate they serve is of the delicious, melted chocolate variety and their lattes are always served with a gorgeous, milky design on top.

I salivated over the glass cases filled with sandwiches on french bread and tiny, sweet delights.  Especially these individual cheesecakes.  It was only by sheer power of will that I didn't gobble one right up.  Instead, I got a large rooibus tea that was a touch too floral tasting for me, but still good.  So if you're looking for a cup of something hot, or a bite of something tasty, stop by the Thinking Cup!

Discovering History in My Backyard

The other day, Anjali and I were exploring Harvard Square and we didn't really have a plan so we decided to just walk and end up somewhere.  We walked along Brattle Street and suddenly we were in a whole new world.  We saw the perfectly groomed campus of the Lesley Divinity School, huge churches, and gorgeous old homes.  We ogled all the houses, daydreaming about what it would be like to live in them or have even a fraction of the money to be able to consider living in them.

Then we came upon this beautiful, old estate.  Anjali and I poked around and found a pamphlet and we were shocked to learn that this home belonged to Henry Longfellow and his family.  And George Washington lived there when he was a general in the Revolutionary War!  We balked at the fact that we didn't know about this historic landmark in our own backyard.  

I guess it just goes to show that when you live in the birthplace of America you never know what you'll find.  

John Boehner Doesn't Applaud Equal Pay for Women

In last night's State of the Union speech Obama stressed economic equality.  Mostly it was about creating a fairer tax code and reviving the American Dream, but he did throw us ladies a bone when he said we should also be entitled to equal pay for equal work.  It's a pretty mainstream position to take.  I mean it's not federal funding for abortion (don't get me started) or even, apparently, over the counter Plan B, neither of which Obama has gotten on board with.  It's just equal pay for equal work, one of the oldest and most innocuous requests of the women's movement since the right to vote. 

And yet, my buddy Boehner did not applaud the President's desire to ease entrenched sexism in the marketplace.  And clapping is what the State of the Union is all about.  Those people cannot stop clapping.  If they even remotely like something, they will clap.  So apparently Boehner does not even remotely like the idea of women getting equal pay for equal work. 

To give him a break he seemed kind of confused last night.  The parties did not sit on opposite sides of the (in this case not metaphorical) aisle as the often do; so it wasn't entirely clear in any case whether it was the Republicans or the Democrats clapping.  Sometimes Boehner would be seen clapping and then would quickly stop, like he had made a mistake.  And other times he would join in the clapping a little late, like Oops! I think I am supposed to support that.  The only time everyone knew exactly what side they were supposed to be on was any time Obama said the word "troops." 

So why didn't Boehner clap?  There are probably a few reasons.  The first among them being that unless not supporting the President will get him demerits (see: "troops") he's probably going to err on the side of not supporting the President.  But also, I think there is a reluctance among Congressional Republicans, and especially the white male members (okay, so most of them), to recognize the continued legacy of racism and sexism and instead to rely on the irrational belief that we can all overcome all of our obstacles, pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and become part of the elite.  If you have to do that on 74 cents on the dollar, well then you'll just have to pull those bootstraps 26% harder. 

What Mitt Romney and Kim Kardashian Have in Common

You all know I'm a fan of Kardashian reality TV, but I understand that some people don't get it.  Why is she famous? they ask me.  I say something about a sex tape, but really we all know she benefited from that elusive and magical Hollywood equation, famous for being famous.  How one achieves that status is difficult to know, and yet stars with no discernible talent at all continue to abound. 

But Hollywood is not the only mythical land (the land of all people beautiful) with such magical powers.  Wall Street (the land of all people wealthy) has some tricks up its sleeve too.  While Hollywood creates people who are famous for being famous, Wall Street manufactures people who are rich for being rich.  Because we've all heard that old saying that you have to have money to make money.  But then what about all of us who aren't already famous, or don't already have money?  Well, we are doomed to be destitute and ugly forever. 

Mitt Romney, and his super-rich peers are rich for being rich.  Let's be clear, I am NOT saying that all rich people came from money or that no rich people worked hard for their money.  But once they had it, the money started doing some of the work for them.  And unlike Hollywood's hocus pocus we know exactly why that is.  It's because the tax code, determined by legislators, favors money made from money rather than money made from work. 

And I don't even need study upon study that shows such a preference doesn't in fact stimulate the economy, entrepreneurship, or job creation to know that that just. isn't. fair.

*Thank you to US Weekly for this fabulous photo since I don't myself have Photoshop

Rafiki Bistro Can't Match Its Neighbor

Recently, there was a Groupon for Rafiki Bistro, a small restaurant in Cambridge right next door to our new favorite haunt, West Side Lounge.  So I scooped it up and Jake and I went to test it out.  Long story short: it's just like West Side except not quite as good and a bit more expensive.

We had a very delicious crab and avocado crostini appetizer and I absolutely loved my cocktail of gin, grapefruit juice and that now ubiquitous St. Germain.  And I enjoyed my entree of crispy cod, although the sweet potato gratin lacked flavor.  But Jake's steak frites was served medium to medium-well when he ordered it rare.  And we kept shivering every time someone walked through the door.

We're still not sure how these two stay neighbors when Rafiki is clearly losing the game of keeping up with the Joneses, but you'll find us next door at West Side from here on out.

American Idol Season 11: Phillip Phillips is the new Casey

In line with mid-season reality television premiers, American Idol already has me hooked.  I don't like the awkward moments with people who can't sing, but I love the sappy moments, the salvation stories, and the real musicians.  Like Phillip Phillips, whose father (also named Phillip Phillips) is so proud of his son he can't contain himself.  And Phillip himself who loves his music so much he can barely contain himself either.

But let's be real - why do I really love Phillip Phillips?  For the same reason that I loved Casey last season.  He's an adorable white boy with soul, people.  Flip flops and soul.

Mid-season Reality Televsion

Just when you were getting bored of re-runs and wondering when in the world new episodes of New Girl were going to come back, Mother Television rewards our patience with a nice helping of mid-season premiers of fabulous reality shows.  

Face/Off

Wednesday 10:00 on SyFy

This is the second season of probably the only show that I'll ever watch on the SyFy channel.  It's a great competition show for dramatic movie makeup.  Seeing the make-ups come to life is really fun, and it's totally unlike any other competition show out there.  

Project Runway All Stars 

Thursdays 9:00 on Lifetime

Tim Gunn's absence is deeply felt, but it's great to see some old favorites back designing for the red carpet again.  I'm especially excited that fan-favorite Mondo and the fabulous Austin Scarlet are back.  

Kourtney and Kim Take New York

Sunday 10:00 on E!

This show has more diva power than all the fabulous gays from Project Runway combined.  But let's be honest, we're really tuning in to watch the slow motion train wreck that is Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries' 72 day marriage.  

West Side Lounge: Our New Neighborhood Restaurant

Thanks to a solid recommendation from Paloma, Jake and I recently checked out West Side Lounge.  It's a great neighborhood restaurant with good food, creative cocktails and a fun vibe.

They make their own house infused vodkas and one of my favorites is the ginger martini with candied ginger infused vodka.  There's also a French pear martini with St. Germain and a spicy tequila cocktail with cilantro.  

A couple weeks ago Jake and I went all out for dinner and had delicious truffle fries, fish tacos, and burnt sugar bread pudding, among other things.  Then this weekend we went and just sat at the bar and had cocktails and creamy deviled eggs.  Whether you're looking for a great way to end a night out or a great way to start one, this place is a really great choice.  

  

The Banana Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

I went into my freezer the other day and I came to a scary (but also hilarious) conclusion: I'm kind of a hoarder.  Not like a TLC special hoarder.  More like an "I hate waste, I think I'll need this as soon as I throw it away, I'm very nostalgic" kind of hoarder.  And let's just say I come by it honestly.  Anyone who has seen the basement or third floor of my childhood home knows that's true.  My parents aren't TLC hoarders either, they're the same type as I am, plus a little of the "this could be worth money some day, I could sell this on Ebay" kind.

So what was in my freezer?  Well (also like my dad) I don't like mushy bananas.  I like them best when they're still a little green.  And sometimes at the end of the week the last banana has gotten too spotty and brown for my liking.  I would never want to waste it, even though I wouldn't eat it, so I freeze them so I can make banana bread out of them later.

But it wasn't until I went to put another in there the other day that I realized I wasn't going to make banana bread, I was just crazy.  This is what I found -

Clay Painting in Boston

I love crafty things and I was so excited when all the NNAF ladies decided to go clay painting one day after work (thanks Lindsey!).

We went to the Clay Room, a great small studio with a nice selection and lots of perks.  Like free pizza on Tuesdays!  Wine and cheese nights on Wednesdays!  Flat studio fees and group discounts!  And BYOB every day!  That last one was my favorite.

After agonizing over what item to choose, the design came to me quickly and I turned it into my own unique Christmas present for Pam.

I can't wait to go back again with a couple girlfriends and a bottle of wine!

The Christmas of Unique Gifts

I have so many thoughtful, wonderful people in my life.  This year they bowled me over with unique Christmas gifts that I know I'll have for a lifetime.

Jake got me this beautiful stained glass window.  It's special to me for so many reasons.  It's a New York City skyline to remember the city we fell in love with and where we made our first home together.  He also commissioned it from my brother who made it by hand.

And Pam made me this amazing quilt out of all my old running shirts!  It reminds me of the off-track relay we ran together and came in last, the horrible race in the mud and rain in the Bronx, and our first ever invitational at Windham as freshmen mere days after 9/11.  She had to scheme with my mom to get all these shirts and then she turned them into this warm, sweatshirty quilt that I've had over my lap every day since I got back to Boston.

I love my gifts, and my boyfriend and best friend, dearly but now the pressure is on for each of their upcoming birthdays!

All that Glitters Isn't Gold

Sometimes it's black...

like this sequin dress I got from the J.Crew outlets

Sometimes it's silver...

like these glitter flats I got on Christmas Eve at Old Navy

And sometimes it's red...

like these adorable sequin scarves someone put on the ducks in the Boston Public Gardens

But it's always SPARKLY!