Exploring Boston Common, the Public Garden, and the North End!

I had a whole day to explore Boston so I decided to take a trip down to Boston Common and the Public Garden.  They are two gardens right next to each other, but they were built two centuries apart.  The Boston Common as built in 1634 and is considered to be America's first public park. I absolutely loved the carousel and how the park was surrounded by the city. The Boston Public Garden was built in 1837 and my favorite park was the beautiful pond, home to lovely swans.

I got a little bit lost on my way to the North End, but I knew I was in the right place when I overheard many locals speaking Italian! The North End is probably my favorite part about Boston, with the gorgeous architecture and of course the cannoli from Mike's Pastry!

Boston Common

Boston Public Garden Pond

Boston Public Garden

Mike's Pastry 

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Harvard University: Fall 2014

 I had the amazing opportunity to explore Harvard during Fall 2014 Freshman move-in! I pretended I was an incoming freshman and signed up for a tour group.  I even got to see inside Memorial Hall, the Freshman-only dining hall that looks very similar to the Great Hall in Hogwarts Castle! I met my sister for lunch right outside of Harvard Yard at a farmers market and got to try Union Square Donuts (http://unionsquaredonuts.com/) seriously the best donuts in the world, and I am not even a big fan of donuts! 

Harvard Yard

Union Square Donuts

Memorial Hall

I fell in love with Harvard and felt so attached to the university after joining in on Freshman orientation that I bought a Harvard T-shirt as a souvenir.

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From LA to Boston

I am off to visit my sister in the Boston area! I have only ever visited Boston in the winter when I pretty much freeze two seconds after stepping outside. Boston is a beautiful city to walk around in so I am very excited about being able to actually walk around outside in lovely weather... no coat required!

Pretty much everything in Boston is historical. I am afraid to sneeze here because I will most likely sneeze on some famous building or corner where something very important happened in U.S. History!

There are so many beautiful and historical houses in Cambridge!

 

I am excited to document my Cambridge and Boston adventures! 

Summer Harvest

One of my favorite parts of summertime is the delicious fruit and vegetables! My parents have a beautiful garden in my childhood backyard that is always full of plump red tomatoes, basil, lettuce, strawberries, and a rainbow of flowers.  Farmers markets are also an amazing part of summer because they support local businesses and you go home with yummy fresh food for usually a very good deal!

Farmers markets are a great opportunity for photography because of all the vibrant colors of the fruits and vegetables.  They are also an amazing opportunity to people watch, discover new flavors, and enjoy a bright summer afternoon. 

 Happy Summer Time! 

Happy Independence Day!

Some of my favorite things about this holiday are watermelon and fireworks! But I also always reflect on the meaning and history of this holiday, back on July 4, 1776.  I take a moment to truly appreciate freedom and the individuals who fought, and still fight, for the gift of freedom.

Happy Independence Day!!!

Butterflies and Birthdays

I have always loved butterflies.  There is an aura around them of something so magical.  I think my version of Heaven would be a garden filled with butterflies, of all different sizes and colors.  For my birthday this year I had the opportunity to visit the Chicago Botanical Gardens and see the beautiful butterfly exhibit.

 It was inspiring to see the beauty, joy, and resilience in the butterflies with broken wings who were still fluttering from flower to flower. Sometimes life can make us feel like we are flying with a broken wing, but the ability to find joy in the face of adversity is truly a beautiful gift.

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Spring Has Sprung!

Spring represents hope and new beginnings.  For me, this Spring also means taking time to notice the little things, the beauty all around that I often just pass on by without a second glance, and the people who mean the most to me.  

Here are some photos I snapped from a recent adventure dwelling in the beauty of spring time.

Wishing you much love and hope this Spring! 

 ♥

Pretty Hurts

"Pretty hurts, we shine the light on whatever's worst
We try to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see."

I love the new Beyoncé song "Pretty Hurts" and I wanted to dissect some of the lyrics.   "Perfection is a disease of a nation" speaks so much truth about the culture of perfection that we grow up in.

"Blonder hair, flat chest
TV says, 'Bigger is better.'
South beach, sugar free
Vogue says, 'Thinner is better'."

The mixed messages about beauty that we constantly receive neglect to mention other aspects that make an individual beautiful like honesty, courage, intelligence, and compassion.

Companies are capitalizing on our desperate need to be beautiful and feel accepted by convincing us we need the new diet, new miracle product, the latest plastic surgery. I believe beauty starts on the inside and moves outward.

I especially love the line "it's the soul that needs the surgery". We hold ourselves to unreasonable standards of beauty, never happy with what we have, and always comparing ourselves to others. Either we have trouble accepting compliments because of our self-shaming tendencies or we are so desperate for compliments and attention that we compromise our values and dignity to get it.

"When you're alone all by yourself
And you're lying in your bed
Reflection stares right into you
Are you happy with yourself?"

The next time you look in the mirror, I challenge you to look within and see the beautiful things that make you unique and the gifts that you have to share with the world.

 ❤ 

  

Beautiful Weekend in Clearwater Beach, Florida

I was recently very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit Clearwater Beach, FL.  I absolutely love traveling to new places and going on adventures! Clearwater Beach was the perfect place to relax and take a few moments to just enjoy life.  The stunning white beaches looked so picturesque with the cute white and yellow umbrellas. And one morning I looked out of the balcony window to see that someone had written "Will you marry me?" in the sand.  How cute is that! 

I love to take photos of my travels so that when my trip is over I can look back at the pictures and remember to enjoy everyday and that the little things and the people I love make my life beautiful. 

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Happy Valentine's Day!

Whether you are one who wholeheartedly embraces Valentine's Day, throws an anti-Valentine's Day party, or declares that this is nothing more than a "Hallmark Holiday"... I wish you a happy Valentine's day!  I have always liked Valentine's day because it  makes me think extra about how grateful I am for my loved ones.  I also try to make a point of giving an extra bit of love to myself on this day by being appreciative of the work I do, the gifts I have, and the dreams I am chasing. 

This little pink lucky cat sits on my desk wishing me good luck in love!

Inspired By Elsa

Inspired By Elsa by la-petite-artist featuring Reed Krakoff

Glamorous black high low dress, $52 / Milly green top, $275 / Black flare skirt, $16 / Jimmy Choo black heel boots / Giuseppe Zanotti leather platform shoes / Diamond necklace pendant / Nadri jewelry, $41 / Chain jewelry / Reed Krakoff scarve / Fringe scarve / RoomMates 5 in. x 19 in. Frozen Elsa Peel and Stick Giant Wall Decals

Easy Valentine's Day Treat: Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels are an easy and fun treat to make for Valentine's Day!  

The ingredients you will need are:

• Pretzels
• Chocolate Melts, I went with dark chocolate. Yum! 
• And the most important part...Sprinkles!

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl (careful not to burn the chocolate!), dip the pretzels in the chocolate or use a spoon to drizzle the chocolate over the pretzels, and then cover in festive sprinkles!

 These are perfect to bring to work or a friend's house for a Valentine's Day party!

 

Happy Baking and Happy Valentine's Day! ◠‿◠

Wonderful World of Weird Words

Today I thought I would post a vocabulary lesson of some of my favorite unique and obscure words!

Absquatulate- verb. To leave in a hurry, suddenly, or in secret.  To abscond.
Example: The thief absquatulated with the gold and precious jewels in hand.

Panshard- noun. A passion, a rage.
Example: You have no need to get into a panshard!

Clinomania- noun. Excessive desire to stay in bed.
Example: As spring semester begins, more graduate students are reporting cases of clinomania, especially on rainy and snowy days. 

Ramjollock- verb. To shuffle cards.
Example: Before beginning the game, the dealer must ramjollock the cards. 

Cepaceous- adjective. Like an onion, as in odor.
Example: Unfortunately the air in the room had a distinct cepaceous quality to it. 

Animadvert- verb. To make a strong, critical comment
Example: He was never one to sugar coat things, but always animadverts when he handed his employees back their reports.

Photo by: http://blindmanphoto.deviantart.com/

A Beautiful Painting Every Night

Beauty is all around us, if we only take a moment in our busy lives to stop and notice.   After quickly finishing some errands after work, I was getting into my car to rush home when, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a beautiful painting that took my breath away.  I am so glad I stopped to take a few moments and appreciate the beautiful sunset, free art available to us all.