city faves: boston

after a long (and eventful/exhausting/heartbreaking/transforming/amazing) 7 years of calling boston my home, the time has come to close this chapter of my life. this city is amazing, and anyone who tells you otherwise has no idea what they're talking about (or they're from new york... so same thing). besides the fact that the entire city is walk-able (and as a car hater, one of my favorite aspects!), has some of the oldest places in the country, and has FALL- there are plenty of reasons to love good ole' beantown. whether you're a first time visitor, live in the city, or are from a surrounding town/city in massachusetts- I'm rounding up some of my favorite places/spaces/things to do in this glorious city.

catch a game at fenway: baseball has been my favorite sport since I was a kid (having an older brother who played on about 4 teams, my weekends and evenings were spent at fields & training camps, and my summers were filled with trips to cooperstown & ballparks). my love of the game has evolved over time, and it's one of my favorite ways to spend a summer night. if you love baseball/the sox, a trip to fenway is non-negoationable. but even if you're not super jazzed to watch a game, fenway itself is incredible. I get goosebumps every time I enter the stadium, and catch my first glimpse of the field or the green monster. there's no such thing as a bad seat at fenway, and even going the bleacher route is always a good time. (honorable mentions- a bruins game or a celtics game. as a city of champions, we have some mighty fine teams to pick from. patriots don't count, unless you want to schelp all the way to foxboro.)

spend some time in the garden: sucha tourist trap on a beautiful day/the weekend (but who am I kidding, where isn't?!), but so worth it. not only are the grounds beautiful (gorgeous well maintained flowers and plenty of benches to sit on), but the trees and lagoon are amazing, and the people watching is incredible. one saturday mid-summer there were 11 weddings/bridal party shoots/photo shoots- eleven! make sure and check out the make way for ducklings statues, and the bench from good will hunting.

visit the museums: there are many museums to check out within the city, whatever may tickle your fancy. my favorites are the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Fine Art- but there's also the Museum of Science, the Bostons Children's Museum, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and many, many more. I took a few classes at the ICA for my Art History minor in college, so it holds  special place in my heart, but as a huge fan of contemporary art, their collection is amazing. make sure to check out the harbor walk while you're over there, a gorgeous place to spend an afternoon outside. the MFA has a fantastic collection, and their exhibits are always changing and featuring something new. the close proximity to the Gardner museum is great, two museums in one afternoon (although the MFA is the type of museum that I like to do in chunks), and enjoy the Back Bay Fens while you're over there.

celebrate saint patrick's day (the right way): as a half blooded irish gal, saint patrick's day has always been my favorite day. as a kid it meant a giant party with my entire irish side of the family, enough corned beef and cabbage to feed a small army (bleck!), and generally good times and memories. as I got older, it meant a day to wear my second favorite color, celebrate my ancestors, and have a great day partying with friends. if you're looking to do st. patty's day right, there's no better place to celebrate than southie. get to the parade route early, grab a good spot, and make sure to hit the packie the night before (the lines are insane). you're in for a grand ole' day.

enjoy the water: since boston is a place with awful weather 8 or 9 months out of the year, once it starts to turn, you have to take every chance you can to be outside. the north end ends at the harbor, and beacon hill/back bay butt the charles- both beautiful areas to hang out around on a gorgeous spring/summer/early fall day. whether it's renting sailboats/paddle boats on the charles, hanging out on the docks, walking along the harbor walk, or enjoying a water taxi- boston is lucky enough not to be land locked. make the most of it!

via ilostmydog.com

visit the different neighborhoods: i've blogged about my love of many of the different areas of boston (n.end/s.end/beacon hill), and they are one of my favorite aspects of the city. I know that all cities have different areas (complete with names, characters, and specialties compared to others), but the fact that you can walk from one to the other, and do an entire tour of the city so easily here is amazing. start your day with breakfast and shopping on beacon hill, head to the south end for coffee while strolling the neighborhood before dinner and cocktails (even going through back bay/newbury street for more shopping), and finish your night with desert and a night cap in the north end.

amazing restaurants, universities, parks, shopping, cafes, streets, bars, nightclubs, concert venues- to me, boston has it all. but, as much as I love this city, the time has come for a new adventure.

what are some of your favorite things to do in boston?

xx, marissa

this weekend: trunk show with designer Page Sargisson

one of my favorite parts of my job is putting together events to bring the designers that we carry & love, into the store. this weekend new york designer page sargisson will be stopping by with her collection, for an afternoon filled with jewels and cocktails. her pieces are the perfect present for any new mamas (hello push present), newlyweds (day of gift), or anyone special in your life (birthday, christmas, just because). her constellation charms are my favorite- tiny diamonds set in gold to display your (or your little ones) astrological sign. I dream of one on a long gold chain to wear layered with other shorter pieces. her calendar charms are the perfect way to remember any special date in your life (birthdate, anniversary, or wedding date). as an added bonus, all page pieces purchased that day will receive 20% off. I know it's a bit early to be talking christmas/the holidays, but scoring a perfect present and 20% off- how could you go wrong? join us october 25th at M. Flynn in Boston's South End (46 Waltham Street).

will you be in the city this weekend? stop by and check out page and her jewels!

xx, marissa

love it/hate it: blo south end

a couple weeks back I was the bridesmaid in one of my good friend's weddings. she was the most laid back bride (which hallelujah! bridezillas are the worst) and really wanted us to be comfortable and happy with all of the day of details (dress, shoes, hair, etc). while the other girls opted to have up-dos done the day of the wedding, I have way too much hair to ever be happy with an up-do. more often than not I end up with a giant mass of hair on the top of my head, which isn't a good look for anyone. I decided to get a blowout the day before and save myself a headache. I've made my rounds to the different blow dry bars (the dry bar, hairo, and be styled to name few), and love the premise. no matter how hard I try, how many tutorials I watch, products I buy, brushes I try, I cannot master the va-va-voom look of a professional blow out. my bosses are always raving about blo blow dry bar in the south end, so I figured this was a perfect opportunity to try this place out. my stylist was amazing- super down to earth, funny as hell (I was laugh/crying the entire time that I was there), and knew what she was doing. they have a menu of different styles to choose from; the red carpet (classic blow out), the executive sweet (super straight), the holly would (full bouncy curls), and the pillow talk (tousled bed head), but I ended up describing the style that I was going for (lots of volume, sleek, with curled ends that would last a lá the kardashians). she took into consideration the fact that I have thick, super heavy hair (and a lot of it!) so she blew it out and set the curls to make sure that they would last. while I lost quite a bit of the curl between that night and the next afternoon, the end result was exactly what I wanted. the location was super cute, hot pink everywhere, with white accents and blown up pictures of screen sirens with serious hair, and all of the girls working had amazing hair (sidenote- if you're at a new salon and trying to decide who you want to do your hair, I always choose the girl with the best/closest to my own hair). I was a bit bummed that they didn't provide drinks (I could have totally gone for a class of champagne... or prosecco... or rosé) like they do at dry bar- but it wasn't make or break. I wish I had pictures to include of what my hair ended up looking like (I do not do selfies so a pre-sleeping on shot doesn't exist), but I was all about my bridesmaid duties and didn't snap a single picture. hopefully I'll see some of the professional shots soon and update this post with one, or two.

bottom line- if you're looking for a place for a great blowout (birthday, anniversary, presentation, bachelorette, girl's night, just because), they do an amazing job. also! if you go on monday or tuesday in the morning/early afternoon they offer a discounted rate.

have you ever tried blo? are you a fan of the blow dry salon concept?

xx, marissa

this weekend: south end open studios

one of my favorite things about Boston is the amount of things to do on any given weekend. with so many different areas of the city, there is such a variety of activities whether you're heading out by yourself, looking for something to do with your hunny, out of town guests, or the kiddos. this weekend is South End Open Studios, a great excuse to poke around the artists lofts/studios, talk to the creator, get inspired, and maybe even pick up a piece (or two) for yourself. everything from photographers, painters, sculptures, installation artists, jewelers, and so much more. the event happens every year, and the studios are open to the public Saturday and Sunday. if you happen to head over on Sunday, the SOWA Market is also open (great food trucks, vendors, and artists on display there as well), and may be a better option if you have little ones in tow (more space to walk stretch out/not having to be worried about them breaking something in a studio space). in addition to the normal Open Studios activities and fun, Union Bar and Grille will be catering lunch in the Courtyard of 46 Waltham. feel free to stop by, grab lunch, and chat with the artists of the building all while enjoying lunch in the (hopefully!) beautiful weather.

have you ever been to South End Open Studios? scooped up anything pretty for yourself?

xx, marissa

neighborhood faves: south end

working in the south end for the past year and a bit has given me a new appreciation for the neighborhood that I fell in love with during college. there are so many unique and interesting boutiques/studio spaces and some of the most amazing restaurants in the city, that it's easy to stick to the same places you know and love. based on recommendations from my bosses/their friends (some of who have lived in the neighborhood for 30+ years and seen the sub-par places come and go), I've branched out and tried new places/popped into boutiques that I may have missed. here is a round up of some of my faves:

DINE:

Myers + Chang- my hands down, favorite restaurant in the South End. whenever we're ordering in lunch for a birthday/celebration/just because at work, this is always my pick. it's fresh, real ingredient Asian cuisine, that will make it almost impossible to eat your standard Americanized Chinese food. the blackened udon noodles are my favorite, but their spring rolls, thai ginger chicken, and pork dumplings are all equally amazing.

The Beehive- is a restaurant that my roommate and I tried during last years Restaurant Week and instantly fell in love! during the warmer months the outdoor seating is the best- twinkle lights, small bistro tables, and perfect people watching. but inside and downstairs is what makes this restaurant truly amazing. the vibe is an old speak easy with a stage for jazz performers (every night!), small intimate tables, dark lighting, and thick drapes. there's also a great bar area that's perfect for grabbing drinks with girlfriends- the queen bee is my favorite (I'm a sucker for anything with champagne and elderflower). there isn't anything about this restaurant that isn't just the coolest. one of my favorite spots for bringing people who are new to the neighborhood.

Cinquecento- amazing Italian that defines it's style at "Roman Trattoria", whatever. gorgeous ambiance, perfect spot for a date night or girl's night out, or for after-work cocktails. my favorite dish is definitely the pollo al mattone, but the kale salad is a pretty close second (trust me, order it).

SHOP:

M. Flynn Studio- I may be a bit partial to this store for one reason or another, but if you're looking for a boutique that carries amazing designers (including their own in-house brand), unique & classic pieces, and great gifts at any price point, you've found your perfect place. everything from custom engagement rings/wedding bands to fun statement necklaces, gorgeous clutches, and vintage costume jewelry. or well known designers (like Alexis Bittar, Erickson Beamon, and Clare Vivier) and newer designers like (Les Nereides, Wevly Wilson, Doloris Petunia).

FLOCK- this store is a perfect mix of Anthropologie + Urban Outfitters = a cool indie boutique. the owner stocks her shelves with cool hippie inspired pieces, awesome jewelry, and cool trinkets that you can't help but scoop up. a lot of fresh and young pieces that are different from many of the boutiques in the area/Newbury Street.

PATCH NYC- the coolest place for unique housewares, candles and things that you never knew you needed to have, but totally do. this designer duo has had collaborations with just about everyone (Target, Anthropologie, and West Elm), and also have a studio/gallery space for their art work. the boutique feels like the perfectly curated home of your eclectic aunt/uncle or a worldly professor.

what are some of your favorite spots in the South End?

xx, marissa