March | 2012 | Beautiful Life and Style

March 26, 2012
by beautiful Life and Style 3 Comments

A Grownup Birthday

When I was a little kid, my mom would tuck me into bed, give me a hug and a kiss, and say “please don’t ever grow up!” and I would think to myself “yes! I would like that very much!! I don’t want to be any older OR bigger!!!” I absolutely tried my hardest, but needless to say, it didn’t work. Yesterday was my 26th Birthday. That’s right, I’ve officially entered into the “over 25 club”, and while I’ve been dreading this for a while, I have to say it was a pretty smooth transition and a fabulous Birthday!!

Here are a few snippets of what made my day so special:

I started the day off right with Brunch at Mooo…

Then Nick and I headed to the waterfront to visit the ICA for some fabulous art.

Their current main exhibit is all about colors and the emotions each one evokes. (Green with Envy, Red with Anger, Feeling Blue…) They also had a few of my favorites on view as part of the permanent collection. We weren’t allowed to take any pictures in the galleries, but these were a few of the ones that I found on the website:

Kathy Butterly

Sue Williams

This one was a group of particularly interesting paintings, at first glance it might seem like a print of flowers or something more beautiful and organic. But upon inspection, the viewer realizes that the painting is of guts and the grotesque, brightly colored body parts strewn together in a large scale composition. It made me kind of uncomfortable but Nick loved them:

Sue Williams

Anne Collier

This is one of my favorites that I seek out everytime I visit. It is the burnt wood left over from a fire- suspended on nearly invisible strings. While from far away it looks like none of the pieces are moving, when you look closely you see each one rotating in a mesmerizing illusion.

Cornelia Parker

And of course Nick and I always take the time to sit in the reflection room and watch the boats go by in Boston Harbor.

Next stop we were off to Flour Bakery where I indulged in the biggest and most delicious granola bars ever. Nick was pretty mad for breaking his diet on a giant Brownie- but I think it was probably worth it!

And to end the night we got all dressed up and headed to No. 9 Park for one of the most fabulous meals I have ever had (and that is certainly saying something!)

Dinner started with potato and ramp tortellini, with lobster and fava beans. It was seriously the most delicious pasta! Each bite was more heavenly than the last.

Next up was Branzini (a Mediterranean sea bass) with spring peas and speck cream. The sauce was possibly the best thing ever- smoky, sweet and sticky all at once- and the fish was cooked just perfectly. By the end of this I was so full, but I couldn’t bare to leave a bite on my plate- so I pressed on…

And then, there was dessert: warm, fresh beignets with rhubarb orange sauce and orange blossom foam.

I loved the orange blossom foam so much, that the waitress had the kitchen whip up some orange blossom marshmallows for me! These were served with salted chocolate cookies as we were finishing up.

If this indicates what the rest of 26 is going to be like, I guess being a “grownup” isn’t going to be so bad after all!

March 23, 2012
by beautiful Life and Style 2 Comments

A little more Spring for your Step

It was 80 degrees yesterday. Yes you read that right! eight – zero. Usually we Bostonians are only treated to this type of lovely weather of soak-up-the-sun-goodness from June through August. For the past few months (since our foot of snow in October) we have been cooped up inside, short days, dark and cold nights, and too little sunshine and fresh air. So its no surprise that now that even a glimmer of Spring is here we are just dyyyyying and itttchinggggg to get ourselves some vitamin D!

Here are a few things I’m doing to inject even a little more Spring into my life!

1. Bringing the outdoors in:

You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have beautiful flowers freshening up your home. In fact, whole foods this week had small bunches of daffodils for $3 and 2 dozen tulips for $12. There is nothing that puts a bigger smile on my face than the look and smell of a fresh bouquet in my home.

2. Seasonal boozing:

After a winter of heavy, strong drinks, it’s time to inject a little fun and freshness into our cocktails with fruit and veggies. I’m thinking Pimm’s cups with fresh cucumber, Patron with pomegranate and grapefruits, or a fresh white sangria made with green grapes and peaches.

3. Showing some skin:

It is finally WARM!! I am literally stripping off my scarves, sweaters, coats, hats and gloves and won’t touch them with a 10′ pole until at least September. Insert here: wedges, dresses, and t shirts!

4. Spring Salads:

After waiting for months, we are finally seeing some fresh local foods back at the supermarket and the reopening of farmer’s markets around town. Time to put those ingredients to good use in a fresh and healthy dish! When I think of Spring ingredients, my mind always wanders to Peter Rabbit stealing vegetables from Mr Mcgregor’s garden: carrots, peas, lettuce, radishes, and more. These dishes look especially delicious. (click for recipes)

How are you celebrating the season?

(all images via pinterest)

March 21, 2012
by beautiful Life and Style 6 Comments

Shamrock Green

Yes, St. Patrick’s day is over and today is what I would call full fledged Spring!(80 degrees and sunny? yes please!) But I just HAD to post about these pictures I saw of Kate Middleton from her St. Patrick’s day social appearance:

I mean, just LOOK at that COAT!! the color! the draping! the belt! It’s so gorgeous, you don’t even need to take it off- its like a dress all on its own.

You probably don’t know this about me but I have a serious coat weakness. I’m a firm believer in “a specific coat for every occasion” and my hallway closet is certainly a testament to that! But I am always searching for the next special one and I think a flowing emerald dress coat is just the ticket!

I’ve done a little research and it turns out the designer is Emilia Wickstead, a New Zealand native, who is now designing out of her store in London. Originally only offering made-to-measure couture, she now designs an additional ready to wear line. Let’s just say it is to DIE for. All the the polish and grace of English dressing, that I love, mixed with more wearable modern silhouettes of today. Next time I am in London, I’m saving up for a trip to her boutique!

March 16, 2012
by beautiful Life and Style 2 Comments

Clever! Stackable Bowls

How clever are these Chinese pottery inspired Stackable Bowls? Not only are they a beautiful decorative item, but they are each made up of 6-8 beautifully decorated bowls and plates. Designed by the french company iBride, each one is shaped like a Yuan or Ming Dynasty Vase and feature Chinese inspired imagery on the inside. My favorite is this black one with a blue-green waterlily pattern.

I think this would be an absolutely a perfect idea for a kitchen without a lot of cabinet space- I would happily display this dishware right out in the open! Another great idea would be to give them to a recent grad who doesn’t yet have a lot of decorative items OR serving ware in their home- thus serving a dual purpose. Actually, I can’t think of a scenario where these wouldn’t be a great gift!

My only wish is that they sealed together- how fun would it be to use them as a picnic “basket”?

March 15, 2012
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A Buzzworthy Trend

It seems that every spring, florals are undoubtedly a big trend in fashion. Not exactly unexpected, but oh so fresh and colorful, they are always welcome in my wardrobe!

However this year, I’ve noticed a complementary accessories trend emerge, bringing a fresh new look to the standard print- beautiful glittering insects! I’m absolutely loving these intricate colorful bugs, and really- what goes better with flowers than the pollinators themselves? So I’ve brought together this collection of pieces with prices all over the spectrum. Which one is your favorite?