62. December 20th, 2010 Picture.

Ratty's work always hosts an amazing Christmas, wait, holiday party for all their employees and guests every year, and I've been so fortunate to reap the benefits as his +1.  They really pull out all the stops, great food, decorations, flowers, open bar, live music, you name it, they have it.  Last year we even attended a pre-party, complete with wine, cheese and Rockband.  Seriously, this place knows how to throw a party.  

It started off in the lobby of the main building on campus, which was Ratty's old office building until he moved across the street.  I love the architecture of this place, it's so unique and mixes modern styles with classic architecture .  The school needed to expand, and make the building handicap accessible, so they built around the existing structure.  The newer part is all glass, which means you can still see the marble columns, brickwork and grand staircase from teh the street.  Standing in the lobby, you are directly facing the facade of the 'old' building, where the original entrance now acts as a balcony.  Isn't that so cool?!  I guess when they initially suggested these plans, it was met with a lot of resistance, people wanting to keep the original structure intact, yada yada yada.  They obviously moved on with plans regardless, and the expansion has gone on to win lots of architecture/design awards.  Not to mention it just looks awesome.  Pretty cool huh?

We mingled about the lobby, sipping wine and eating shrimp cocktail [this must be how the other half lives, all the time], before making our way into the ballroom for dinner and the chocolate fountain.  Seriously, everyone talked about the chocolate fountain as if it were cascading diamonds instead of chocolate.  There was a crazy line, wrapped through the room, that I admittedly waited in.  What?  Pound cake, marshmallows and pretzel rods dipped in chocolate are worth the wait.  I mean, so are diamonds, but unfortunately chocolate was my only option.

I really like Ratty's coworkers.  I've have the opportunity to spend a good amount of time with them, there is always a happy hour celebrating something.  I even attended his friend Kristin's wedding in Newport a few years ago, pre-blog days, was there such a time?!  Everyone was having a great time at the holiday party, telling stories, laughing, eating and drinking.  I mean, come on, is there anything better than that?  Not really, no.

The party started wrapping up, with people leaving to go and catch their respective trains.  Ratty and I stuck around a little longer, catching up with a few people who arrived late.  Per usual, the caterer was taking the linens off the tables, breaking down the set ups and practically shooing us out the door before we decided to call it a night.  

Here's me and Ratty walking back to my car.  It had just started snowing for the first time that season, so I felt the need to document the dusting and sheer joy I felt.  Fast forward to the middle of January and that excitement will be non-existent.  You'll see!  I lots of snow related posts waiting in the wings!

62. December 19th, 2010 Picture.

After being sick for 4 days, I was in desperate need for some human interaction.  I had gone to brunch earlier that day to Bill and Tara’s house, but couldn't totally enjoy myself since I found myself bouncing between overheating and severe chills.  I even commented at one point that I couldn't hear what anyone was talking about because the heartbeat in my ears was too loud.   I had prepped both Bill and Tara that I was totally under the weather, but they both insisted that I come anyway.  I was afraid of infecting cute lil Liam, but all fear was washed away when he was thrown into my arms so Tara could work on brunch.  Kid's gotta build up that immune system somehow, right?  What made it worse was that I had already infected Ratty with my illness and he stayed home, making this the second Dipilato event that Ratty has not attended due to being sick [the count is now up to 3].  It had been an ongoing joke that no matter when Bill and Tara invited us over, even if they gave us 3 months notice, Ratty would inevitably become sick, just in time to bow out of plans.  We've since started placing bets about what the next outbreak might be, with my money on Cholera.

Here is where I might have included a cute photo of the brunch, which was amazing, complete with mimosas [hey, champagne kills germs, right?], quiche, 3 types of pancakes, homemade lattes, waffles and bacon.  I could have also included an adorable photo of their son Liam, who always looks like a little business man, but I didn't take any.  I, Amy Deveau, didn't take any photos!  Obviously, I'm blaming the fever, because this is severely out of character.  You'll see what I mean, as the photo I DID end up taking probably is the worst photo ever.  Honestly.

After brunch, I decided to go over to Ratty’s apartment and watch the Patriots game.  I get depressed when I watch the game alone, but I didn’t have the energy to go out and watch it someplace.  Since we were both already sick, it might have been the most pathetic Pats viewing party ever, but I digress.  It was like the blind leading the blind, or in this case, the sick leading the sick.  We laid on separate couches, with pillows and blankets, drinking lots of fluids, none of which were beer.   I took this picture mainly because I had a momentary lapse in judgement due to my fever, but also because I think Ratty took ‘comfortable’ to a whole new level.  The long sleeved shirt he was wearing had a huge rip in the arms making it look as though he had been stabbed.  No seriously, it did.  I think it might be time to put that baby to rest.  No?

Again, I blame the fever.

62. December 18th, 2010 Picture.

Still being the sick little patient, I took a picture of my bed and nightstand because I had not moved from that spot in almost 4 days.  I had everything I needed, Gatorade, Ginger Ale, my computer, TV and countless magazines, but even with lots to entertain myself with, I still got bored.  There is literally nothing on TV on the weekends.  Collectively I must have watched 17 hours of HGTV, which is a lot for anyone to handle, plus I resorted to watching ‘Swimfan’.  I have to say that there is a definite difference between choosing to stay in on a Saturday night and being ‘forced’ to stay in due to illness.  I still felt horrible, but someone to talk to wouldn't have killed me.

62. December 17th, 2010 Picture.

Have I talked about how much I love my job?  I really really do.  I firmly believe that there was a reason I didn’t get another job before this one, no matter how frustrating that process was.  This is exactly what I was hoping for, and I know now that no matter what other job I might have gotten before, I would not have been this happy.  I get along great with everyone I work with, and truly feel like I fit right in with the group.  Everyone is intimidatingly funny, which I made sure to point out right when I started, but that just means that I spend a lot of time laughing hysterically. 

It is really amazing how a great job can affect your outlook on life.  You spend 40+ hours a week at your job, you SHOULD love it.  I see my co-workers more than anyone else, no seriously think about it, so I am really happy that I like them!  I’ve said this before, but I think that it took me having a horrible job to realize just how awesome a good one is.  If I hadn’t hated my last job, I wouldn't appreciate all the little things this one offers, I’d probably take it for granted.  I guess there are some upsides to being jaded!

Anyway, I made it to work on Friday, mainly because of a holiday party that afternoon [priorities people], and during a staff meeting the two directors gave out presents for everyone.  We all got a bottle of wine, but the rest of my gift was a little different since I was new.  I got a card signed by everyone, telling me how happy they were that I came to BCBS and how great I’m doing, PLUS I got 3 little Yankee Candles, Mistletoe, Red Apple Wreath and Christmas Cookie.  My director Janice knew how much I loved Yankee Candle, so she went out an bought me a little holiday sampling.  Isn't that the nicest thing ever?!

It is really amazing how much just a little appreciation can affect my outlook.  I never felt appreciated at my last job, even on my last day, there was no mention of it, no good bye party, not even a legit goodbye, I just took my bag and walked out, skipping all the way home of course.  When people show even the slightest appreciation, it makes you want to work harder and be a great little employee.  I want to make sure that I live up to their expectations and not let them regret hiring me [which is just me being irrational, because this totally wouldn’t happen in real life].  But in all seriousness, I really love my job and the fact that they know and support my Yankee Candle addiction is just icing on the cake!

62. December 16th, 2010 Picture.

So, this was about the time that I was really sick, like missed 2 days of work sick.  It was my first time calling in to my new job, and I was slightly nervous that it was almost 'too soon'.  I know there is nothing you can do when you're not feeling well, but I still didn't want anyone to think I was faking.  Just listening to my pathetic attempt at speaking would obviously prove otherwise.  Thankfully my boss was beyond concerned and asked if I had enough provisions to get me through the day.  It was totally sweet and unexpected [at my last job I just left a voicemail and never even heard from my boss again, I do naht miss that place] and I let her know that I was well stocked with soups, gatorades and magazines.  I hadn't been feeling well the night before and made sure to stop off at the grocery store on my way home to grab supplies.  I almost passed out near the produce, but I made it!  Here is a quick shot of my bedroom floor and all the things I need to feel better.  I was stockpiling supplies in my room because honestly, the idea of going downstairs when you're sick is incredibly daunting.  Not to mention dangerous.

62. December 15th, 2010 Picture.

I snapped a photo of money, mainly because I struggle with it.  I never feel like I have any!  Granted, I go out for fancy drinks, eat at nice restaurants, and take weekend jaunts with Ratty, but still, where does all my money go exactly?  Le sigh.  Such a tough life I lead.

I think I was feeling the pinch around Christmas, because of all the associated costs, buying gifts for everyone you love [knowing that these gifts need to be spectacular, which mine always are, obviously] plus attending numerous holiday parties and functions.  $20 here, $50 there, before you know it you're transferring money from your savings to your checking to cover your car payment, whipping out plastic to cover a chunk of presents, while also playing a little game called 'one for you, two for me'.  Or something like that.


I also really struggle to understand money, and how some people have so much of it.  There are LOTS of people who own million dollar homes in Boston, then have summer places on the Cape, Nantucket, Florida, etc and I think to myself, how?   You know, like how can they afford that?  How much do they make?  And how can I get some of that for myself?  I struggle to understand how much people make in relation to their jobs, I can't fathom how large some people's paychecks must be, but I CAN imagine what I could buy with said paychecks.  How much money do you need to make to have the mansion, summer house, ski house and all the extras?  What exactly do you do that pays you that much and, more importantly, are they hiring?  Am I the only one that doesn't get it?

62. December 14th, 2010 Picture.

One of the things that I bought on Nantucket this past trip was this A necklace.  I had another Townpool certificate to a boutique called Nalu and it was obviously burning a hole in my pocket the entire trip.  Townpool sometimes hosts contests on their Facebook page, and one time they had a picture of sign, outside a restaurant, store or business and people had to guess where it was.  The picture only had the word ‘the’ in it, to make it much harder to identify.  I actually knew right away that it was the sign at The Ropewalk, and left my answer in the comment section under the picture.  It turns out that I was the first correct answer, meaning I received a voucher for $40 to this cute little shop – for free!  I love contests, but most of all, I love WINNING contests!

Most of the items in the store were cute winter clothes, but I wanted something smaller.  I definitely don't think there would have been enough room in my suitcase to bring a down jacket home.  No, definitely not.  I finally opted for this necklace mainly because it was within my budget, but also because it was totally adorable.  I love necklaces that are on super short chains, falling right at the start of the collar bone.  I loved the double pendant, and also the fact that the A was in typewriter font, my absolute favorite font.  Yes, I have a favorite font, it’s typewriter, followed closely by Georgia.

62. December 13th, 2010 Picture.

So one of the random things left behind from the Christmas party is the Tonka Truck filled with candy.  Someone left it, we’re not totally sure who, but it had been in hidden away in my room for safe keeping.  So here it will sit, I guess, until someone claims it.  I will guarantee the truck will be safe, but I cannot say the same about the candy.

62. November 29th, 2010 Picture.

[Somehow this post ended up in my 'scheduled' posts section, and was going to be posted on May 5th!  I know I'm going out of order, and I honestly hate when that happens.  I'll leave it up for a little bit, then pop it back down to the right spot!  Sorry for any confusion!  Also, did anyone even notice it wasn't posted?!]


While on Nantucket, I snapped up a couple of bottles of Cisco Brewers' Santa's Beered for my brothers for Christmas.  Get it?  Beered?  Like beard, but using beer instead?  Cool.  They both love beer, hi don't we all, so when I saw bottles of this lined up, I knew they had to have it.  I never got a taste, even after lugging the bottles from the brewery, then bringing them on the ferry and driving them back from the cape.  I put a lot of attention into them, making sure they were safe and away from accident prone people.  They were packaged in a cardboard box that I let Ratty hold at one point, and he immediately slammed it against a table, at which point I freaked out and tried to snatch the box away.  He assured me that the beers were fine, that cardboard is nice and sturdy, to which I said 'oh yea, cardboard is so strong and durable, that's why they make houses out of it'.  He quickly handed me the box back and I was in charge of them from then on.

{There's a lot of 'favorite things' happening in this photo.  Cisco Brewers beer, a Storm Watch Candle, Nantucket Nectars, a shopping bag from the Nantucket boutique Nalu and the Sterling Silver starfish I bought at Belongings last year.  This totally wasn't planned or staged!}

62. December 12th, 2010 Picture.

I took a picture of my London shower curtain because I love it; no real other reason besides the fact that it's pretty and I like looking at it.  When I first moved into my apartment, I knew that my bathroom was black and white, so I debated how to decorate it.  My duvet, the awesome green damask one that pops up in the background in a lot of my pictures, had been from Urban Outfitters, so that was the first place I checked.  I like things that are a little bit different, so places like Urban and my fave, Anthropologie, are right up my alley.  I skimmed the shower curtains they carried, but none really struck my eye.  My brother and sister-in-law have a clear one that has lots of pockets on it, where they’ve displayed pictures, postcards, artwork and other random pictures, so I was looking for something like that.  While glancing at the sale items, I saw this one and KNEW I had to have it.  I love London, I’ve been there twice and it is one of the best cities I’ve ever been to, Boston included.  I think my obsession has waned a little over the years, maybe focusing more on Nantucket, which is readily more accessible and slightly [key word slightly] cheaper.  London still holds a very special place in my heart, and I definitely intend on going back.

As if a shower curtain weren't enough, I also have black and white print of Big Ben and Parliament hanging on the wall.  I love a good theme!

62. December 11th, 2010 Picture.

Saturday night was my roommate Jamie’s Annual Christmas Party, which I was really excited for.  Jamie used to live with Rachel in Dorchester, but when Rach decided to move in with her boyfriend, Jamie moved in with me.  I say that it’s Jamie’s Annual Christmas Party because she is the one who owns it; she spends weeks preparing and days cooking, and puts out the most phenomenal spread year after year.  This year I was super excited, there is something to be said about having parties at your apartment that you don’t have to do any work for.  This must be what it’s like for rich people, huh?

We’d invited a lot of our friends, and I do believe that this year had her best turnout to date.  The apartment was packed with people in festive holiday moods, sipping sparkling cocktails and munching on Jamie’s infamous crabby patties. 

{Just a small sampling of the spread!]

{Me, Butchie, Annie, Jamie, Char, Tom and Mark.  This might of been around the time I swore off winter and declared no more flash photos until I had a tan.}

{Mark and his totally adorable linebacker boyfriend Tom wearing matching Burberry ties.  Yes, they are posing in front of Israel flags that our friend Bill gave Jamie.  They make an appearance at her Christmas party ever year.  We don't discriminate.}

{All the girls!}

The highlight of the night was the Annual Yankee Swap.  Those who wanted to participate brought a $15 gift, and the prizes are famous for being a little over the top.  At the very first party, Jamie gave someone a ukulele, which has been regifted year after year.  Last year I had the pleasure of receiving said ukulele, and had to store it in my closet all year in order to get rid of it at the next Christmas Party.  I put it at the bottom of a gigantic gift bag, topped with a set of adult feetie pajamas – it was a HUGE hit.

{Even though I bought the feetie pajamas for the grab, I secretly wanted to take them back so I could have them.  They looked SO cozy!}

{A GIANT Tonka Truck filled with candy!  Best idea ever!  Butchie totally agrees.}

I got a bottle of wine, which mysteriously disappeared during the party, while one of our friends opted for a giant Tonka truck filled with Hershey’s Chocolates.  All the presents changed hands so many times, I have no idea who ended up with what.  Every gift is hilarious, so taking something from someone else rarely results in hurt feelings.   

{This is where the night gets hazy, and we started a random dance party in my hallway.}

{Which turned into peace sign kissy face posing.  See what I'm saying about the flash?  No flash 'til Memorial Day!  I should make t-shirts.}

{And a lovely picture of Mark and Ratty to close out the night.  Very tasteful.  Very classy.}

Now that some of our friends have moved out of the city, it is always great to have a reason to get together.  This is a long standing party that Jamie has been hosting for years, so it is always guaranteed to bring everyone together!

62. December 10th, 2010 Picture.

Friday night was Date Night with my Dearest Erin Rowe.  We hadn't seen each other since the Lady A concert in October, which came on the heels of her engagement.  We were due for a girls night complete with fancy cocktails in order to celebrate correctly.  


Erin had purchased a girls night out certificate to The Liberty Hotel off Rue La La, so we figured it was the perfect night to use it.  It included 2 martinis [one each], plus a bottle of wine for us to split.  We had our choice from a white, red or sparkling, and OBVIOUSLY we opted for the champagne.  I mean, what would a celebration be without a little bubbly?  Erin only works until 1pm on Fridays [yes EVERY Friday], so she met me at my apartment right after work, and we took the T to Alibi.  We wanted to make sure we were there on the early side, so we'd get a nice spot and wouldn't have to wait in line.  Waiting in line in December is the worst.  We zipped there in record time and got the only cocktail table in the place that wasn't reserved - so perfect!  We sat down and went to ordering some fancy schmancy martinis.  We knew we'd be sticking around for a couple of rounds, so we ordered different onces in hopes to sample as many different kinds as possible.

We had the best Date Night ever.  We sipped lots of yummy cocktails, like cosmos, cucumber martinis, margaritas [that's all Erin!], shared a bottle of bubbly, ordered yummy apps and flatbreads and chatted all about Erin's wedding plans.  Though most of her wedding was planned by us before the engagement even happened, it was so great to actually talk about it all 'officially'.  Heck, I'd known what bridesmaid dress I was going to be wearing and what flowers I'd be holding long before Butchie popped the question.  Both Erin and I almost ordered the dresses 4 months before they got engaged, mainly because the dresses were on sale, and I mean, we knew it was coming!  One morning at work I had to literally talk Erin out of opening an Ann Taylor card to get us free shipping.  Crazy planning aside, our date was long overdue and we gabbed for hours, I mean hours, before we even came up for air.  We decided to close our tab at Alibi, because even though we had a fab deal, we were still splurging on martinis and champagne cocktails, and well, when you're chatting, you can really lose track!  We ended up meeting a few friends at a bar down the street and continued our Date Night as a much more reasonably priced establishment.

62. December 9th, 2010 Picture.

December 9th was a Thursday night, and Ratty and I made plans to visit the Harvard Bookstore in Harvard Square to hear Joanne Chang, a local bakery owner, talk about her new cookbook.

Joanne Chang has pretty much cornered the Boston bakery market with her infamous sticky buns, which were featured on an episode of ‘Throwdown with Bobby Flay’ during season two, in which Joanne actually beat Bobby.  They’ve been featured on foodnetwork.com, in numerous newspaper and magazine articles and her shops are practically Boston institutions.  She started with one bakery in the South End [sigh isn’t the South End just awesome?], followed by a store in South Boston and then in Cambridge, which obviously means I am partial to all 3 locations.  She also opened a Chinese restaurant called Myers + Chang wither her husband, who is obviously the Myers of the pair, and I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews.  I’ve yet to sample it, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before I get over there.

She recently published a cookbook, in which she shares all her secrets for her delicious cookies, cupcakes and what she has dubbed ‘magical crispy frosting’.  She was speaking at the Harvard Bookstore about her new book, a background about her training, plus answering audience questions and signing copies of her book for anyone that bought it.  I love going to events like this, if only to hear a few interesting snippets about the authors life, so I immediately said yes when Ratty told me about it.  We met up after work and I drove into Harvard Square, battling meters for a parking spot before finally landing one down the street.  We popped into a restaurant along the way for a quick bite to eat before reaching our destination.  The event started at 7pm, and by the time we arrived there were no seats left.  The Harvard Bookstore is pretty small, so we were had assumed we’d be standing no matter what time we got there.  Joanne has such a following, I wouldn't be surprised it people camped out for this.  Okay, that might be embellishing a little bit, but she is uber popular.  


We got spots along the back wall and tuned in for a pretty interesting presentation.  Joanne talked about how she started out at Harvard, but never really wanted to work in Business, like her parents wanted her to, and how she started her first baking business in the dorms – she sold the cookies she’d bake to the dining halls.  After graduating from Harvard, she worked in Consulting, but ended up quitting her high profile job, to work as a pastry sous chef at a prestigious Boston restaurant.  She moved to NYC to work under the famous Francois Payard, a classically trained French pastry chef.  Here she told us the harrowing stories of working 20 hour days, 7 days a week, until she was completely burnt out she had to come home.  But in that short year, or really that long, tedious year, the way she described it, she learned an awful lot.

{Telling us all about baking!}

We listened to her stories about how she returned to Boston and worked up the ranks in varying establishments before breaking out on her own and opening Flour bakery in 2000.  While I know that Payard is apparently the end all and be all of pastry, I was most impressed that Joanne was the pastry chef at Rialto, a Cambridge restaurant owned by chef Jody Adams.  Chef Adams competed on the first season of Top Chef Masters, and Ratty and I actually attended the season premiere viewing party at Rialto, rubbing elbows with lots of local foodies and celebrities.  So yes, Jody Adams is incredibly impressive to me.


Joanne talked about how the process of trying to open her bakery almost broke her and that after a year she was ready to shut down shop and admit defeat.  She even stopped renting her apartment as a way to save money - she'd found that she was spending most nights sleeping in her shop anyway.  It's so interesting to learn her story and the history of the bakery, since by now it is a fledging success.  She answered audience questions, Ratty even jumped in and asked a few, while I'll just listened and admired.  The icing on the cake if you will [pun totally intended] was that she brought cookies from her bakery for the entire audience to sample.  They were obviously delicious.  We didn't buy her book, as I was in the throws of Christmas shopping and couldn't really splurge on any personal purchases, but I am sure that I'll be adding the book to my collection very soon! 

{Ratty poised to ask a question.  Maybe he'll comment and say what he asked, hint hint!}

62. December 8th, 2010 Picture.

I love Christmas shopping for my nieces and nephew.  I spend hours pouring over outfits, accessories and knick knacks, trying to put together the perfect present.  I end up always getting them things from Old Navy (one of my favorite places to shop), and this year I think I really outdid myself.  I love the little girls clothes, they are always so adorable, to the point where I wished they made them in my size.  I saw this awesome sparkly silver crinoline skirt and I knew that Abby needed to own it.  She is the epitome of girly and loves anything ‘fancy’.  So then I obviously began to build an awesome outfit around the skirt.  I found the adorable puppy shirt (which matched the silvery color perfectly, and who doesn’t LOVE puppies?!) and adorable red leggings with lace trim.  I was looking for sparkly red shoes, but they didn’t have any in her size, so the red leggings would have to do. 

Now, I am not the biggest fan of wrapping.  I am a big fan of gift bags, tissue paper and ribbons, and am always looking for different, unique ways to wrap gifts.  While at Old Navy I had seen some sweet Hello Kitty lunchboxes, and since Miss Abigail loves her some Hello Kitty, I thought that it would be the perfect thing to wrap her gift in.

62. December 7th, 2010 Picture.

My roommate Jamie is a huge Christmas fan, like, HUGE.  We joke that everyone in our group has claimed holidays, mine being St. Patricks Day and Jamie holding down Christmas with her annual party.  I came home on the night of December 7th to find the entire apartment decorated from top to bottom.  We had 2 trees, lights, garland, hollyberries, pinecones, tinsel, ornaments, you name it we had it.  All of this decorating was in preparation for her Christmas Party which was happening that weekend.  I loved coming home and finding the house so damn festive!  She had even lit a Balsam & Cedar Yankee Candle, so it even smelled like Christmas, it doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?!  

62. December 6th, 2010 Picture.

One day, out of the blue, facilities showed up and told me they were installing glass on my cube wall, to minimize noise from the printer and fax machine, both of which are directly next to my desk.  I hadn't asked for it, and no one I knew requested it, so while it was a mystery, I very happily accepted their offer.  Now this makes me feel less guilty when people are standing there printing, I always felt obligated to say hi, since I was staring right at them.

I think the whole reason I got glass put on my cube was at the request of one of the Directors who sits down the hall from me.  He was grabbing something off the printer and said ‘Oh hi Amy, how are you?’.  So I mean, I did what any normal person does when they hear someone ask them a question, I said I was fine and asked him how he was.  He looked at me bewildered and goes ‘oh is your name Amy too?’  He apparently had been talking to someone walking by, not to me.  I was wondering how he knew my name in the first place, but I thought that he was just really really friendly!  I joked with my co-workers that he probably requested the glass be installed so that he could go to the printer without me harassing him.

62. December 5th, 2010 Picture.

After being borderline sloth-like all weekend, we decided to get up early on Sunday and head to Davis Square for brunch.  Gargoyles on The Square has an infamous disco brunch on Sundays, where every table is covered in glitzy table cloths and pink boas line the coffee station.  They blast the best of Gloria Gaynor and have a disco ball turning in the dining room.  I'd never experienced Gargoyles disco brunch before, but I'd heard they were featuring a wonderful little dish called RED VELVET PANCAKES and I knew I needed to go.  I'm saving the full recap and photos for a goal number 24 post [I have a few great ones that I'll be putting up shortly...hopefully!]  


After stuffing our faces at brunch, we walked around Davis, stopping to grab coffee at Diesel Cafe.  This place is your hipsterish, quirky coffee shop smack in the center of Davis, and no matter what time of day you pass by, it's always packed.  There are people sitting reading books, typing away on laptops, or just casually sipping coffee with a friend.  It was really cold outside, and the coffee bar at the restaurant didn't sufficiently caffeinate me, so a nice latte was definitely in order.  

What I really love about small coffee shops, and Diesel especially, is that each latte is made by hand, as oppose to by machine.  Starbucks, while awesome, has a machine that just spits out coffee, requiring minimal effort by the barista.  At Diesel, they actually grind, pack and press the coffee themselves, topping it off with pure, frothy artwork.  How perfect is this leaf pattern?  I could barely bring myself to drink it because it was so pretty, but once the photo was snapped though, all bets were off.  

I wonder if there are any classes that teach people how to pour the perfect latte.  I've seen them on TV, but am not sure if there are any in the Boston area for non-employed baristas, more geared towards recreational coffee enthusiasts.  It would definitely be a very cool class to take, and would count towards Number 77.  I am going to have to do some research.

62. December 4th, 2010 Picture.

I spent the entire day holed up in Ratty's apartment, lounging on the couch, eating leftovers and drinking wine.  Sometimes you just need a really great lazy day, and this was the epitome of that.  Though I didn't have anyone fanning me or feeding me bon bons, Ratty did run out multiple times to grab coffees and snacks, even bringing home cupcakes as a surprise.  We spent the evening watch movies, munching on red velvet and drinking the best blush Franzia had to offer.  Not a bad Saturday, if you ask me!

62. December 3rd, 2010 Picture.

Because the holidays are always an expensive time, not to mention the fact that we just got back from a 3 day stint on Nantucket, Ratty and I were in the mood to penny pitch.  Not as if we had a say in it really, it was more like our bank accounts were calling the shots.  The weekend following our trip we decided to lay low and try to spend as minimal money as possible.  I had a few great ideas for this, specifically stemming from my poor college student days.  My credit card once got declined for an $8 box of Franzia my senior year, that may have been my lowest point, but it makes for a great story now.

I told Ratty that I would make him dinner, which would give me the opportunity to show him how domestic I am.  I decided that I’d make chicken piccata mainly because it takes all of 5 ingredients and is a relative 1 pot meal, considering Ratty has 1 frying pan and no measuring cup.  I will never let him live that fact down, never. 

I got his apartment after work, put the groceries away and headed out to the store down the street to grab some wine.  Keeping in theme with cheap date nights, I told him we should get a box of wine.  For $15 (the same price as a decent small bottle), we could get 5 liters, which equals more than 2 magnums of wine.  That’s a lot of wine, that would last us all weekend and then some.  That is exactly what we needed at a price that was perfect.

Ratty had never really had Franzia before, well actually he’d had it but never probably chosen to buy it before.  There was only the blush kind left, which was better than sangria, so we picked it up and we were on our way.  The most hilarious part is that this particular store leaves a piece of paper at the register for customers to request things, special kinds of ice cream, new brands of cleaning supplies, bigger boxes of crackers, and right at the top of the list was more boxes of Chardonnay Franzia.  We were definitely not the only ones buying boxes of wine in the North End.  Apparently everyone was in the same cash-strapped boat.

We got back to the apartment, tapped our bag o’ wine, and settled in to do some cooking.  Well, I cooked, Ratty took pictures of the things I cooked.

Once dinner was made, we fired up On Demand and watched ‘National Treasure’.  I’d never seen it before, it was actually really entertaining and interesting, PLUS is featured a cameo by Christopher Plummer, scratching that one of my list!  

{SWOON!}

62. December 2nd, 2010 Picture.

Townpool is a Groupon type website that offers lots of local deals for Nantucket.  Before our most recent trip, Ratty and I paid close attention to the daily emails (though they have waned in the winter months), looking for great deals we could scoop up.  One of my favorite stores on Nantucket is called ‘Belongings’ and it is a home décor/interior design shop.  It's filled with the most beautiful, eclectic nautical things, which are obviously right up my alley.  The fact that it's on Nantucket means that I would need to take out a mortgage size loan and/or sell my first born to be able to afford all the things I'd like, but that doesn't stop me from looking.  And dreaming.  Each trip to Nantucket, I come home with a little, teeny something from the store, and boy I mean teeny.  I've bought all the varying sizes of pewter starfish, plus little serving spoons for sugar bowls, etc.  I think I've bought every metal cast accessory they sell, so I'm good on pewter for a while. 

I had a Townpool certificate for $50 to Belongings, which I only paid $25 for.   I skimmed all the shelves, looking at all the little goodies she had on display, but nothing jumped out at me.  We even went back the next day, with fresh eyes, hoping to find the perfect trinket to add to my Nantucket Belongings Collection. 

Finally, after much to Ratty’s delight, I settled on this black and white picture of a starfish.  I love stars, so it seemed only right that I buy it.  Granted, I have no free wall space anywhere, but that doesn’t mean I won’t have free wall space someday, am I right?  I am just planning a head, just like 401k’s or investing.  This is an investment.

62. December 1st, 2010 Picture.

Ratty and I had plans to meet up with his old co-worker Natalie for a few beers at The Squealing Pig, which is right across the street from Ratty's office.  Natalie worked as a graphic designer for the college before taking an unpaid photography internship in NYC.  She had always wanted to become a photographer and live in New York, so she took a leap of faith and just decided to go for it.  Pretty impressive if you ask me!  She was in town for about a week, and had plans to visit with lots of friends while she was here, including us.


I went to meet Ratty at his office, and sat for a little while he finished up some work.  Now that I work so close and get out at 4:30pm, I am always at his office before he is ready to go.  He ran down the hall for something and I sat down at his desk and started to flip through his roledex.  Yes, the man has a roledex.  A real one, with real paper.  I skimmed some cards, flipping through the names, before stumbling on my old business card from when I worked at BU - 2 jobs ago.  I assume this is from when I first met him, 5 years ago.

I must have made QUITE the impression, huh?

62. November 30th, 2010 Picture.

Ratty really loves movies and usually sees all the great award contenders, with or without me.  He is always on top of giveaways and is constantly getting free passes to new movies a few days before they come out.  I definitely like going to the movies, but I have to say I wouldn't go nearly as often if it weren't for him.  This time around he got passes to a screening for 'The Fighter', which was totally fabulous.  We were planning on seeing the movie regardless, but getting to see an awesome movie for FREE is like the cherry on top of a sundae.  I don't even like cherries, but you know what I'm talking about.  Better yet, the screening was in the movie theater in my office building, so we didn't even have to stress about getting downtown in time.  Totes perfect.


We met up at Panera for a quick bite before the movie, and then headed to the theater to get in line.  There is always a line, even for screenings of horrible movies, so you can imagine how busy it gets when they're actually previewing a good one.  They always give out more passes than seats available, meaning that if you show up late, you most likely won't get in.  We got in line about an hour early, and surprisingly, we were not the first people there.  I always stress a little bit, it's hard to gauge how big the crowd is versus the size of the theater, but we've never been turned away, knock on wood!

I have to say that I didn't know much about Micky Ward before the movie.  I knew the name, knew he was from the Boston area, but I knew nothing about his relationship with his family, his drug addict brother or the outcome of some of his most famous fights.  This meant I spent most of the movie on the edge of my seat and/or on the verge of tears.  Would he win?  Would he finally get out from the hellhole that was his home life?  Would his brother DIE?  I should have known the answer to that last one because both Micky and his brother Dicky Eklund were all over the news stations leading up to the premiere, I should have pieced it all together, but I was sucked into the movie and no stream of rational thought could get through.

I thought the movie was VERY good, and I'm not just saying that because I'm partial to Boston based movies.  The acting was phenomenal, I mean, sweet little fairytale Amy Adams literally punches a girl in the face and man, she looked tough.  It was a far cry from her playing a princess in 'Enchanted'.  Christian Bale literally looked like he was strung out on drugs, for the entire movie.  His face was sallow, he rambled and did crazy things with his hands, and was completely unpredictable.  He definitely deserved that Oscar.  I'll admit, they also totally nailed how trashy some people are, like, so incredibly perfectly, down to their furniture in their houses.  I could literally smell the cigarette smoke from just looking at one of the couches. 

 And while I love this recent surge in interest for Boston, I feel like some movies paint us in an unflattering light.  And by unflattering I mean like straight up trash.  In the 'Departed' we're ALL either in the Irish Mob, working for them, or lying for them, in 'Gone Baby Gone' we're conniving kidnappers, in 'The Town' EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, is a bank robber and in 'The Fighter' we are all uneducated, chain-smoking drug addicts.  I doubt that they'll make a movie anytime soon called 'Newbury Street' where you watch rich people shop all day, I understand that the gritty Bostonian history has lended itself to this recent string of Oscar contenders, but when you look at the movies and characters in a row, we don't look that nice.   Both physically, emotionally and socially.  End rant.

All things considered, the movie is really great, whether you know a lot about Micky Ward or not.  It covered a lot of information, but it kept the viewer engaged and interested, or at least it kept me engaged and interested.  And if this still doesn't make you want to see it, just think about Mark Walberg being shirtless an awful lot.

62. November 28th, 2010 Picture.

Sunday was our last day on Nantucket, and I was already sad to be leaving.  4 days hardly seemed like enough time this past summer, so 3 days seemed like a cruel, cruel joke.  I mean, this is coming from the girl who looks at people leaving the island as our ferry pulls in and I need to address how sad they must be.  I watch people arrive as I'm leaving and go 'they're JUST getting here!  I'm so jealous.'  My mind works in mysterious ways, don't even try and rationalize it.

We woke up and decided to go out to breakfast.  We'd been frequenting the same spots all weekend, and we were in the mood to check out some place new.  For such a small island, there are TONS of places we've yet to sample, so finding a good brunch spot was uber easy.  We found the Center Street Bistro, which was in the back of a small building that also housed our favorite coffee shop, The Bean.  It was a teensy place, maybe 10 tables tops, with lots of sunlight and local art lining the walls.  We nabbed one of the last open tables and settled in for a nice, relaxing brunch.

All of the items on the Center Street Bistro menu were made with local organic ingredients, guaranteeing that the quality and freshness would be unparalleled.  I ordered the Huevos Rancheros while Ratty got the French Toast - both plates were completely overloaded with awesome brunch goodness.  I have to say, Huevos Rancheros is quickly becoming my new favorite brunch food.  I used to be ever loyal to Eggs Benedict, and while I still love it, I love the different variations that exist of Huevos Rancheros.  All of them being delicious and spectacular, of course.

Every table was taken and there were people constantly popping their heads in, checking to see if a table was free yet.  We never felt rushed and just enjoyed inhaling our breakfast.  The atmosphere was so relaxed and cozy - I don't know why it took us so long to find this place, but I am SURE we'll be back!

This is what the waitress wrote on the header of our bill.  Granted, Ratty ordered coffee and I got Ginger Ale, but those these two words still sum us up perfectly.  At first I thought the waitress wrote this because I brought my own coffee into the restaurant and because Ratty is a redhead, as if she wrote her description of us on the top of the bill as to not confuse it with anyone else.  It wasn't until about 5 minutes of me being utterly confused that Ratty explained it to me.  Vacations aren't meant for thinking, right?

After absolutely stuffing our faces to the point where we needed to be rolled out of the restaurant, we needed to get some fresh air and walk around.  We ended up at the docks, overlooking the boat basin, once again contemplating how we could pick up and move to Nantucket semi-permanently.

Ratty sat crouched in this position for no less than 20 minutes, attempting to get the perfectly artistic shot of the boats and the ducks.  He was so engrossed in the picture taking that he didn't even see me walk away.  He likes to joke about how his father sends him pictures of the foxes and birds in their backyard, but something tells me that Ratty and his dad have more in common than he's letting himself believe.

This stretch is typically bustling during the summer, with shops lining up and down the path, offering everything from furniture, clothing, jewelry to bait and tackle.  It's almost scary to look around and see things so desolate.  Although, like I've mentioned, having things be quiet and relaxing is a great change of pace.  

Ahhh Slip 14.  We had some crazyyy nights with you this past summer, Cougarita's anyone? It's hard to imagine you're closed.  See you this summer!

After walking around and checking out of our hotel, we popped into Nantucket Bookworks, the local bookstore on the island.  We thumbed through books, perused knick knacks and gifts, and even spotted an error in the infamous Fodors Almanac.  Anything seem strange about the labeling of the islands in this picture?  Oh I don't know, say they labeled them wrong or something?  No seriously, the have Nantucket labeled as Martha's Vineyard and vice versa.  Also, when did the abbreviation for Connecticut become CN?  Fodors should hire me as a proof reader and send me to all these awesome places for free.  What does that have to do with proof reading, you ask?  Absolutely nothing, but it's still a great idea!

A trip to Nantucket wouldn't be complete with a photo of a cap acquired while on the island.  

We ducked into Brotherhood for a few last drinks and a bite to eat before catching the ferry.  It was the complete opposite of last year, which consisted of us spending the entire day at the Cisco Brewery and pushing our ferry back, arriving back in Boston around 2am.  This time we lackadaisically walked around town, taking our time and enjoying every last second on the island, surprisingly sober.  As much as I wanted to stretch this mini vacation a few more hours, the last ferry during the off season leaves at 5:30pm.  We made the short trek down to the docks and said goodbye to Nantucket once again.  Time to start planning our next trip, I guess!