Calm Before the Storm

The nonprofit I work for told all nonessential employees to stay home until noon Tuesday,  so I am enjoying a lovely, lazy hurrication. As I sit in my apartment on Monday night listening to the winds of Sandy/ Frankenstorm howl outside, I can't help but feel thankful that I am warm, dry and still have power. I know many others on the eastern seaboard are not as lucky this evening. Stay safe y'all!

I keep thinking about how beautiful and calm the weather was on the days leading up to this storm. Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. I spent the day having some Halloween fun in Salem with my friend Kelly and two of her friends. Although the whole town is pretty cute, the Derby Wharf is my favorite part of Salem. I love this little walk on the waterfront.

Kelly and I took a ton of pictures by this cute little light house.

It was my third trip to Salem. I had a decent time people watching and walking around, but I learned that I enjoy the city better without the Halloween weekend crowds. I think if I decide to visit in the fall next year, I'll visit earlier in October.

Outfit: Shirt and Jeans- Old Navy; Cardigan- Target; Boots- Rampage via Marshalls; Bag- H&M

For this Marylander no trip to Salem is complete without a trip to the only Ritas in Massachusetts. 

Foliage and Shopping

The foliage is absolutely beautiful in New England right now! In my walk to the train or bus in the morning, I just want to stop, sip my coffee outside, and take it all in. This past weekend was mostly sunny, so I made sure to enjoy the many parks in my neighborhood and take in the foliage. 

What better for a walk in the park than a comfy pair of jeans, a tshirt, an over-sized cardigan, and some loafers I've had since high-school?

I took these pictures during my weekly scramble to find shopping something to do to get me out of the house while Mike watches every football game ever on Sunday.

Outfit: Jeans- F21+; TShirt- Old Navy; Cardigan- Vintage Men's, thrifted; Loafers- Naturalizer circa 2004

This Sunday? I went to not one, but two Marshalls. After trying on every pair of booties in my size between the two stores, I bought some nail polish, a pepper grinder and some gummy dinosaurs. Success?

Date Night- A Little bit Country

Mike and I have fallen into a routine of going out for dinner at least once a week. I think it's important to spend time together outside of our apartment, and it's nice to let someone else do the cooking. Friday we stayed in and enjoyed a game night of sorts (I agreed to play Wii with Mike in exchange for him playing cards with me). We also had yummy pork roast and beer.

Saturday Mike had a ton of homework to do, but we went out for dinner anyways. Since I had plenty of time to get ready, I decided to do something I almost never do- curl my hair.

We headed to Brookline Village with the intention of getting some Japanese or Latin food. Due to long lines and restaurants that didn't look like what expected from the Yelp reviews, we ended up at Village Smokehouse, a Texas style barbecue restaurant.

Outfit: Dress- Dorothy Perkins; Jacket- JCrew (thrifted); Boots- Madden Girl

I loved it. The food was delicious, and it felt like Texas. The whole date just felt a little bit country, in a good way! I don't know if it was the curls, or the combination of boots, an A-line dress and a denim jacket. Maybe it was the fact that I had watched the first episode of Nashville earlier that day, or maybe it was just the country music and barbecue.