26 before 26

 

today officially makes the day that I am a quarter century old, holy holy! while some people my age are off having their quarter life crisis (been there, done that), getting married (eep!), or having babies (double eep!), I'm prepping for my cross country move and spending time with my friends&family before I head west. 25 is usually a big number for most people (5's and 0's have always meant big birthdays in my eyes), but as someone who has been waiting to turn 26 since just about forever, this upcoming year will hopefully be an exciting one :) since the whole moving across the country things doesn't seem to be enough, I've decided to challenge myself just a bit more, and figure out 26 things I want to do before I reach that golden birthday.

1. learn to drive stick shift
2. get another tattoo
3. volunteer 26 times
4. get a puppy
5. create something
6. take a class in something (cooking, painting, dance...)
7. ride a bicycle along venice beach (with a basket, preferably in a pastel color. non-negotiable)
8. drink wine in nappa valley
9. go to disney land
10. go camping... or glamping ;)
11. hike a mountain (a small mountain)
12. try surfing (key word being try)
13. brush up on my spanish
14. try 26 different foods
15. learn to run a mile
16. travel somewhere outside the country (preferably someplace I've never been)
17. visit san francisco
18. go to 26 concerts/performances/shows
19. have my tarot cards done
20. start doing yoga
21. cut a guilty pleasure out of my diet
22. sing in public
23. continue blogging (consistently!)
24. skype/facetime with my family at least 4x a month
25. adopt meatless mondays
26. wear sunscreen everyday

what are some things that are on your bucket list/that you want to accomplish for yourself?

xx, marissa

let the countdown begin

well it's officially, official- one month from today I'll be hopping on a plane to begin my next adventure. a few months back when I visited california, I fell in love with LA, and knew I had to get my behind out there (sooner rather than later). the universe has aligned (fingers crossed that it stays aligned) and I'll be moving out there to live with my best friend from college, working for her company, and getting my foot in the door of the LA fashion scene. and while I'm sad to be leaving boston/new england/my family + friends, I'm ready for something new. seven, almost eight years, is a long time to spend in one place. I'll have all new areas/stores/restaurants/people to meet and see; and bellabellaboston will be coming right along with me ♥

this east coast girl is movin' west.

xx, marissa

bye bye la la land

getting back to LA after a four day bender in Vegas was amazing. it was great to unwind with nikki's family (since she had to head right back to work)- having lunch with her mom and her sister, sharing stories from our time together at college, getting to know them better, and taking my final stroll around Rodeo. we decided to spend the late afternoon/early evening before my flight just the two of us, and (of course) she knew the perfect spot.

I had been yammering on about how I wanted to visit the Beverly Hills Hotel, see the quintessential palm leaf wall paper, and have a drink at the Polo Lounge basically forever, but after hearing some appalling information about the owner of the hotel (the Sultan of Brunei- yes, seriously), it didn't seem to high up on my to-do list. instead we opted for the retro Avalon Hotel that is everything I could have ever dreamed of. the 60's have been one of my favorite decades for as long as I can remember, and it was like going back in time stepping into the Avalon. the decor was a mix of graphic prints, white and mint with gold accents and minimalist everything. the cabanas around the pool were perfect little bungalows, and since the hotel doesn't have a roof over the pool, we were able to soak up the last bit of Cali sunshine before my red-eye, munch on incredible pizza (which I was told is a good example of a "california pizza", as opposed to east coast pizza) and sip on pretty cocktails. it was beyond amazing to be able to spend a birthday with one of my best friends, finally be able to meet her family after hearing about them (and basically knowing them) for seven years, and have the perfect Beverly Hills/Vegas experience.

don't worry LA, i'll be back before you know it ;)

xx, marissa

california here we come

back from a bit of a blog hiatus, but traveling across the country and spending 4 days in one of the biggest party destinations will do that to ya! to say that California was amazing would be an understatement. even to say it was one of the best weeks of my life wouldn't quite do it, so lets just say I fell in love, and leave it at that.

what would a trip anywhere be without the standard cloud and wing pic? flying over all of the desert between boston and LA was amazing- I love deserts. but nothing compared to the palm trees that were waiting for me in La La land. everywhere I looked it was like a postcard. since it was a standard work week for nikki (I got there around noon on wednesday), i entertained myself for couple hours before we met up for lunch. my first stop in any city? cupcakes, of course. since sprinkles claims to be the original cupcake bakery, I knew the true cupcake connoisseur in me had to try them, and it was on my LA bucket list. tasted the chocolate marshmallow and the salted caramel, and let me tell you, HOLY YUM. the chocolate marshmallow was the best cupcake I have ever eaten, hands down. and isn't the cupcake ATM the cutest?! we spent the rest of the day exploring Beverly Hills, doing a bit of shopping for a much needed California accessory and enjoying the gorgeous sunshine before jet lag set in and I needed rest.

Beverly Hills was my playground for day two; window shopping on rodeo drive, popping into cute boutiques, and ducking into hotels and out of the sun for pretty drinks. as a self respecting julia roberts fan, I knew I had to make a stop at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and have my own Pretty Woman fan girl moment. the Blvd Lounge was the perfect place to rest my feet, sip on a pretty cocktail (the 20th Century Fox was my go-to), and people watch. after meeting up with nikki after work, we went to the Honor Bar for their amazing chicken sandwich, since we both have a chicken sandwich obsession.

that night we headed up the hills into Hollywood (which side note- those hills are HUGE!) to kick off the birthday celebration with margaritas and nachos with one of nikki's best friends from high school and ending up at Saddle Ranch. cotton candy at the bar (which we carved into faces as the night progressed), a scandalous bull to ride and Israeli men buying us roses- the perfect way to wrap up part one of LA. next stop, Vegas.

what's your must see spot whenever you're in LA?

xx, marissa

LA or bust

my love affair with Boston is strong, but there's something about the west coast that had always intrigued me. the laid-back vibe, incredible beaches, and gorgeous weather roughly 360 days a year might have something to do with it, but the fact that it happens to be the home to my college best friend is the kicker. since we graduated (eek- THREE years ago!), we've discussed west coast trips and something has always come up. but since she made the trek out for my birthday last october, it only seemed fair that she received the same treatment for her big 2-5 this summer. since tickets have officially been booked, i've officially given myself the green light to compile a list of all the places I've wanted to go, and will hopefully be seeing while i'm there. thanks to Emily and her fabulous LA must-see lists!

eat:

- Sprinkles Cupcakes (as a self proclaimed cupcake addict, how could I not)

- the Ivy (because it's the Ivy, duh. maybe a celeb spotting, or two!)

- Lemonade (flavored cutesy lemonade? sold.)

shop:

- VintageTShirt.com (the store for scoring the perfect vintage t)

- Rodeo Drive (because hello, every girl wants to have a Pretty Woman moment- "without the whole hooker thing")

- Melrose (to find cool one of a kind things that no one on the east coast will have)

- Venice Beach (cool sunglasses for cheap)

see:

- Urban Light at the LA County Museum of Art (been obsessed since before knew this was a real place!)

- Griffith Observatory (love space, stars, and incredible views)

- Celebrity Center International (because Scientology/cults fascinate me)

play:

- the Pacific Ocean (the beach is my favorite place in the world, I believe I'm part mermaid)

- Runyon Canyon (for cool views of the Hollywood sign)

- Vegas (not in LA, but there will be some playing while we're there)

- Disneyland (not sure we'll have time to visit the original happiest place on earth, but a girl can dream)

these are just a handful of things that I'd love to do while visiting Lala land, but if I know my tour guide, she'll have plenty of her own adventures planned. any other spots that I just have to hit while I'm there?

xx, marissa