Boston Then & Now

Beacon Hill

A few weeks ago Jack and I visited Boston for a quick birthday getaway.  In my last post I wrote about the interesting things we saw and did.  Now I’d like to finish the re-cap of our trip with a post dedicated to my mother. Judith grew up in Massachusetts and spent much of her young adulthood in Boston. Since I find it interesting to see the homes that my relatives lived in, I asked my mother to write down her list of past residences for us to visit.  With that list, Jack and I then took a tour back in time to when Beacon Hill and Commonwealth Ave were not the inaccessibly expensive places to live in this city.

For several years my mother lived on Beacon Hill in a pre-war apartment on Revere Street with her first husband, Bob.  Bob Venturi was a talented photographer who documented the city, and his wife. His photographs are beautiful and some of the best I’ve seen of my mother. You can tell they were taken through the lens of a loved one.

Beacon Hill by Bob Venturi

Beacon Hill by Bob Venturi

Judith by: Bob Venturi

During my visit I photographed parts of Beacon Hill as well, making a point to stop on Revere street to snap a shot of her old home.  Looking at the photos she says not much has changed, accept that the paint has been stripped from the front door back to it’s original wood paneling.

Take a trip to Boston

The Rubbish Bin

This weekend we headed to Boston for a short birthday trip.  Since my birthday was on January 2nd and most of the museums were still closed from the holidays, we decided to wait until this weekend to celebrate.  I booked a room at the Ames Hotel, which is a luxury boutique hotel that opened in 2009 after renovating the historic Ames skyscraper.  Usually, we wouldn’t be able to afford such a room, but thanks to Living Social we stayed in the Deluxe One Bedroom Suite (room #303).

Upon entering the room you are presented with a light filled open space.  The arched windows are floor-to-ceiling, and the decor of the room is crisp, chic and grand.  I especially loved the juxtaposition of the 19th century architectural details with the modern furnishings.  Even though I typically am drawn to more traditional spaces, this design of this space provided an opportunity for me to really feel like I was on a vacation.  The hotel room in itself would have been a terrific birthday gift in itself. But to make our trip worth while, we took to the streets to visit museums, soak up some history and window shop.

The Living Space

The Bedroom and Bathroom – Loved that Tub!

A guide on what to wear in NYC: The Winter Addition

1. Funnel Scarf – Uniqlo 2. Coat- Zara 3. Knit – Uniqlo 4. Dark Skinny Jeans – Uniqlo 5. Lace-up Boots – Nine West 6. Leather Satchel – Zara 7. Driving Gloves – Madewell – Fashionable Looks – Uniqlo

I know I’m a bit late for the height of NYC’s tourist season since Christmas and New Years just passed. The famous tree at Rockerfeller Center will soon be coming down along with the beautiful window displays on Fifth Avenue.  Even so, I felt it necessary to write this post because I’ve been seeing a lot of tourists that look either un-chicly comfortable or trying to be chic and very uncomfortable. This post is for anyone who wants to visit the city and feel a little less like an outsider, because whenever I travel I always try to ‘dress like the locals’ or as the saying goes . .  ”Do as the Roman’s do.”

For starters the greatest NYC tourist fashion faux pas in my opinion are:

  • Under dressed girls/women- ie. short shorts, short skirts too thin leggings (no one wants to see through to your underpants)
  • Crocs even in winter, the worst is when they’re paired with socks!
  • Lots and lots of fleece
  • Extremely over sized accessories that included backpacks, camera bags and umbrellas
  • Ugg boots

*Please note: if anyone is offended by that list, you probably do not have the same fashion taste as me, so don’t keep reading.

DIY: Feathered Fedora Hat

fedora with leather bow

If anyone loves hats as much as I do, they’ll get the same amount of joy as I did from my latest creation.  This project is super quick and easy, something to do while you’re sitting in front of the television!

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of lovely hats around the city.  My friend from work Eunice had an especially nice one that she had embellished and I felt quite compelled to do the same myself – so for the record, this wasn’t totally my idea.

On my way home from work one evening I stopped into Daffy’s discount store (I was looking for gloves, FYI they have a great selection for really low prices) and I stumbled upon a hat that at first glance looked pretty cheap. I could see though that it had a great shape and could easily be dressed up.

The next day I went to M&J Trimming to purchase some feathers and ribbons for about $10. Anyone who lives in the city must go to M&J and the trimming district at least once. Within a few blocks radius there is a number of stores that specialize in materials from buttons and beads to trims and textiles.  With a little bit of thread, I stitched the ribbon and the feathers on and voila! A chic and fashionable hat!

It’s a must try!

The Inspiration & The Finished Result

Want more details on the How to? Keep reading.