Friday Inspiration - 26 days 'til Christmas

This will be my first Christmas as an engaged lady.  I still remember the first tree we bought after we moved in together and how much it meant to me.  Jake carried the tree all the way up to our little apartment on the fifth floor and for me it represented everything about being a family and having a home together.  This board is about that feeling, that you can be "home" for the holidays in a new place all your own. So find your sweetie, give them a kiss under the mistletoe, and "like" my board!  Less than a month 'til Christmas!

new home for the holidays board by Sara. See more Minted.com

Clover Food Labs: Wherein I find (and enjoy) down to earth vegetarians and their food

Clover is the kind of place I should hate.  It should be one of those pretentious, overpriced, hipstery joints that make me feel badly about all my life choices as soon as I walk in.  It should be the kind of thing that gets lambasted on Portlandia.  Except I love it.  Trust me, no one was as surprised as me.

Clover is an all vegetarian restaurant that started off as a humble food truck.  A genuinely friendly person takes your order on a smartphone when you walk in.  The Harvard Square location has big windows, split level seating, and large planters.  You can cut your own piece of parchment paper to lay on your table to catch all your mess, and your doodles.  Every single thing is compostable.  The people milling about are the quintessential mix of Cambridge locals: old professory types, nerdy students, young families with small kids, someone in costume for no apparent reason, young professional/grad student couples.  The menu is small, but tasty and I highly recommend the falafel, or what clover calls "chickpea fritters."

Bundling Up in Boston

It's the first genuinely freezing work day here in Boston.  I bundled up in my warmest coat and scarf to brave the weather on my way to work today.  And I wasn't the only one!

The ducklings donned red fleece scarves

Ice hemmed ducks into a small swimming hole

DIY Champagne Bar

I love hosting parties and I love being the center of attention.  So I decided to throw myself a birthday party.  The theme was "cake and champagne." 



I bought several bottles of champagne and chilled them in a beverage tub.  I got plastic (one piece) champagne flutes on Amazon.  The bottoms always fall off the two piece versions.  Then you can set out your additions with little menu cards for your guests to choose from.  You may notice in my photos that my menu cards are in the wrong spots, but you get the idea.

I offered the following options because they were simple, but you can find a wealth of champagne cocktails online if you want to get even more creative

• Kir Royale: Creme de cassis and blackberries
• Classic Champagne Cocktail: a sugar cube and bitters
• Bellini:  peach puree

Top it all off with Georgetown Cupcakes, a cake from Finale, some sister made cupcake cones and a few hot pink balloons and it's a party! 

Friday Inspiration - 33 days 'til Christmas

It's a very vintage Christmas!  When I was younger I had the Molly American Girl Doll and I loved her stories of wartime Christmas celebrations. This is an ode to trimming the tree and looking forward to your loved ones coming home for the holidays!

Vintage Christmas board by Sara. See more holiday cards

Click the link above to help me win prizes.  Santa knows who's been a naughty or nice blog reader!

The Short Life of the Harvard Little Free Library

A few weeks ago a new addition popped up at Harvard - a little free library.  It had beautiful woodwork, windows, and held a few books on its two shelves.  I was excited about the idea so I contributed two books myself.  But as I walked by the little library on my way to work each day, the books seemed to disappear.  At one point the only book inside was a copy of Sarah Palin's autobiography.

I was familiar with the little free library concept from this much smaller version on Cambridge Street:

I've walked past this little library on several occasions, months apart, and there are always books.  Who can say what the difference is?  Perhaps less traffic past this library means fewer people borrowing books, or maybe someone on the block carefully stocks it. 

Now Harvard's version is gone.  I don't know if they removed it because of the lack of books or because its base was making unsightly marks on the infamous grass or because it was always meant to be temporary. 

In any case it was a beautiful, if brief, addition while it lasted.  Elsewhere it seems to be a more enduring community concept. 

How to Get a Free Cupcake at Georgetown Cupcake

So awhile back I wrote about how to skip the line at Georgetown Cupcake.  My witty response: you actually skip the line and go somewhere else.  Ah, I love having a blog where I can pretend to be witty. 

But now I take it all back.  Georgetown Cupcake has the best cupcakes around.  And now that they've opened up new locations (one conveniently around the corner from my office) I don't have to contend with long lines or wait for trips to D.C.

Better yet, Georgetown Cupcake happens to be in the habit of giving away 100 free cupcakes at each of their locations every day.  Thankfully for you, I've kicked my five cupcakes a week habit so I'm no longer feeling too greedy to keep this secret to myself. 

All you have to do is check their Facebook or Twitter for the morning announcement (usually around 9:45am) of the "super secret flavor."  Then go to Georgetown Cupcake and order this secret flavor by name and it will ring up $0. 


Pro tips

•  Don't wait too long to get your cupcake, there's only 100 at each location and once they're gone you can't get a free cupcake again until tomorrow
• If you happen to be especially motivated and get there right as the doors open, sometimes they won't have the secret flavor baked yet and they'll let you choose any flavor you want
• On cold or rainy days the free cupcake supply tend to last longer, because the weak are less inclined to brave the poor weather in search of a free treat
• You don't have to feel pressured to buy a second cupcake just because you got one for free.  Fight the man! (Okay it's owned by two sisters, but whatever)

Friday Inspiration - 40 days 'til Christmas

It's the second installment of your Friday Inspiration and today we're pretty in pink!

This board is full of so many things I love: antique ornaments, glittery anything, and a slightly less traditional spin on a Christmas poinsettia.

Clink the link below the image and "like" my board and I promise I'll love you forever.

Pink Poinsettia board by Sara. See more holiday photo cards

Friday Inspiration - 47 days 'til Christmas

Too early for holiday inspiration?  Never!

I'll be counting down the days in an advent calendar of pretty, so check back every Friday for the latest design!

First up, a snowy board in honor of the first time snow has showed up in the ten day forecast. 

Let it Snow board by Sara. See more holiday cards on Minted

Click the "Let it Snow" link above and "like" my board to help me win prizes!

Fall Follow Up

October went out with a bang!  I enjoyed the fall weather, cheered for my new city, and celebrated Halloween.  Here are a few of the updates:

 Fall foliage finally peaked in Boston...

 Beacon Hill did it up for Halloween.  And I won $200 in the Minted contest for my fall inspiration board posted right here on this blog.

 And oh yea, the Red Sox won the World Series!  People celebrated with cupcakes and statue sized costumes.