Howl at the Moon Boston

Dueling pianos, 86oz buckets of drinks, and singing along to your favorite songs all night pretty much sounds like the best excuse for a bar that I've ever heard of... ;) I spent my saturday night at Howl at the Moon.

The pianists played a lot of old classics, but they kept it current with a rendition of Lady GaGa's "Paparazzi" and of course... "Baby Got Back."

This is the kind of bar where it is perfectly acceptable to: a) get completely sloppy and b) wait in line for over an hour to get in, because "it's just worth it"!

Since we had a group of several fabulous Boston bloggers in tow, we got 3 free tables, conveniently positioned near the pianos and the dance floor, and no lines, no waiting! It was a blast mingling and hanging out with everyone.

I can't wait to go back, especially after witnessing a bar-goer doing Elvis impressions on the stage, and after seeing the wildest rendition of "Sweet Caroline" that I've ever been privy to. (It's kind of a Boston anthem).

Do you have a dueling piano bar in your city?

Toasting Nine Years

Nine years ago today, we were sitting in his parent's basement and he asked me to be his girlfriend.

I couldn't be more happy to have such a supportive, loyal, and sweet boyfriend to share life with! The adventure is only just beginning.

Tonight, we're staying in a modern boutique hotel and celebrating our anniversary with dinner, cocktails, and dessert! I'm so excited!

{photo credit via takemeimalive.tumblr.com}

Santa Cruz

Going to the beach in February is the ideal escape from the winter blues back home. When the sun finally broke through along the NorCal coast, Amber and I got out of the city and took a 2-hour road trip south to the lively little Santa Cruz boardwalk!

While places like this clearly become unbearably busy in the summer months, it struck a perfect chord between tranquil and bustling. And we didn't have to wait too long to go on any of the rides!

{An aerial view of the park.}

{Pink cotton candy - yum!}

{The swings have always been one of my favorite rides.}

{Amber on The Cliffhanger - you have to ride it on your stomach!}

{The pretty oceanfront.}

Being at the beach never fails to invoke a carefree, free-spirited feeling in me. I think if I ever lived by the water, owning a cute cruiser bicycle would be on my must-have list.

Wine at the MoMA

When it rains, it pours! Downtown San Francisco was a colorful mess of printed umbrellas and rain boots on Saturday. I am ashamed to say that I never felt a need for owning rain boots - until that very day. Flip flops weren't going to cut it, so I sadly had to endure the city in my slouchy suede boots, that completely soaked through(!).

The perfect rainy day activity was a trip to the Museum of Modern Art (or MoMA, as it's fondly referred to).

The highlight was a new exhibit on the 4th level featuring wine! This funky backdrop reminded me of a constellation map.

My favorite part was a room with dozens of wine bottles anchored to the wall and sorted by categories. The unique labels were fun to look at.

Then we got to smell the aromas of different kinds of wine.

Too bad there wasn't a wine tasting too!

My friends and I capped off our wine-filled day with beautiful sparkling drinks at CandyBar, our new favorite lounge spot in San Francisco. {From left to right, the Strawberry Kiss, and Mango Tango Bellini}.

Back to the Bay

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be bicoastal... or at least have a home on each coast. In my wildest dreams, I think it would be pretty fantastic! In the meantime, jetting back and forth between California this month has fulfilled that fantasy, if only temporarily.

Tonight I'm flying to San Francisco to visit my bff Amber. We've been friends for years, and for the past 6 months she's been living it up in the Bay Area!

Many of my close friends live in other states, but traveling to visit them certainly has its perks. I am so pumped for this weekend!

Pretty Prints

So spring hasn't exactly sprung here in New England, but it was "warm" enough to go outside for ten minutes and photograph one of my favorite printed dresses. I love this dress! The bold swirl of colors, the butterfly-like sleeves, the way it looks just as good with tights as it does without.

{Dress: Marshalls, Necklace: Target, Belt: Old Navy, Boots: Steve Madden}

At the IFB conference, a very knowing panelist uttered that, "behind every fashion blogger is a great boyfriend. [or fiance, or husband, etc!]" I have to admit that no truer words could be said. My outfit pictures always come out ten times better when someone else is photographing them.

For all of you who have outfit pictures on your blog, who takes the photos?

Shopbop Photo Booth & IFB

I think everyone has at least one (or several!) items in their closet with the tags still attached. Thus was the case with my sequin Vince dress. Marked down to $35 from $225, it was a sensational piece that had been unworn and forgotten about for months. I was thrilled to wear it to New York City last Thursday for the IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers) conference.

One of the event sponsors was Shopbop, who were on a mission to find the best dressed attendees. I don't think I had ever been in a room with so many trendsetters at once. Stunning platform shoes, vintage fur coats, cocktail rings galore, and Balenciaga purses. It was all there!

Although the day flew by far too quickly and I was back in Boston before I knew it, it was worthwhile to mingle with blog friends, learn from the panelists, and take part in an official New York Fashion Week event!

California Holiday

The best kinds of trips are the ones that leave you feeling re-energized and inspired. Ironically, some of the best parts of my trip to San Diego weren't photographed. Like when my boyfriend and I sat at a beachfront bar sipping on drinks as we watched the sun go down. Or the SuperBowl party we went to that had endless amounts of treats to satisfy us (like Muddy Buddies and mini cupcakes!). But I did manage to capture some fun moments from my ten day jaunt.

{Wearing an open-back top in Little Italy}

{The glistening Southern California coastline}

{Sampling a rosé wine at Toast in downtown}

{Perched high above the city at the Cabrillo Monument}

{Catching the sunset in Point Loma}

{Cocktails for 2 at the West Coast Tavern}

{Saturday afternoon at Dog Beach}

Tomorrow I'm waking up bright and early to go to NYC for the Independent Fashion Bloggers' Evolving Influence conference. I'm so excited to meet a bunch of new bloggers! If you're going to be there too, leave a comment and let me know!

Mission Beach

On my first day in San Diego, I took a drive down to Mission Beach to watch the sun set. The parking lot was scattered with just a handful of cars, and the boardwalk was quiet, aside from a few lone joggers and a family on rollerblades. A tranquil picture compared to the popular hub it becomes in the spring and summer months.

The sunset was beautiful.

Leaving here next week is going to be so hard!

Heart Over Head

I am so. excited.

to wear flip flops again. to walk around downtown. to visit my favorite beaches. to see my bestie Katie. to treat myself to happy hour cocktails. to finally get gelato in Little Italy. to see that glittering coastline.

hello San Diego...