J.T. Farnham's Fried Clams and a Day at the Beach

Another year, another last-minute realization that the time when dogs are allowed at Crane Beach was coming to an end! Since we had such a great time the last two years, we schedule a trip and hoped that it wouldn't be TOO cold or windy. Somehow we lucked out with blue skies and temps in the 30's, which was practically a heat wave given the winter we've had!

Nick the dog whisperer

A week on Sebago Cove in Naples Maine

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Nick and I spent a week up in Maine enjoying some time away from the city with the pups.  Using VRBO we found a small cottage on Sebago Cove, which is on the north side of Sebago Lake in Naples Maine.  The house was pet friendly and right on the lake - just about our only requirements.  The week away was just perfect.  The time flew by and its hard to believe its already been a couple of weeks since we were there!  Here are some pictures from our time away...

A Trip to Crane Beach with Holly and Arthur (our new dog!)

Two weeks ago we expanded our family to include a new furry friend - Arthur!  We rescued Arthur through Lucky Lab Rescue and he has been a wonderful addition.  He is just over a year old and may be the sweetest boy around.  We decided to rescue a dog because we did not really want a puppy (although they are available through rescues as well) and there are so many wonderful dogs looking for their forever homes that we knew we would find the perfect fit.

Meet Arthur!

This past weekend we made it up to Crane Beach for the last doggie-friendly weekend (the season ends the last day of March).  After last year, we were looking forward to a day with a bit less wind and some warmer temps; luckily Saturday had both.  The beach had a bunch of people walking with their K9 companions - this was a perfect Easter weekend adventure.

Holly - the Patriots Fan!

I don't normally post things like this, but this photo just keeps cracking me up!  So in honor of the Patriots big win last night over the Texan's here is a Holly routing on her team!

Holly Cheering on the Pats!

It could be the Pats new good luck charm!

Woodman's and a Windy Day at Crane Beach

Being from the North Shore originally, and since my mom still is up there, Nick and I like to get out of the city on occasion and see the sights.  One of those is Crane Beach in Ipswich.  I spent many a summer getting very tan on those beaches and enjoying time on some friends' boats (I was a lucky girl!).  Since it had been such a mild winter, Nick and I thought it would fun to take Holly up to the beach for the day and enjoy the off-leash area and play fetch (her favorite obsession).  We picked a nice sunny day, but it ended up being SUPER windy out.  That weekend the news was reporting 50 mph wind gusts, but decided to push on.  Having learned my lesson from previous visits, I forced my mom and Nick to head into the wind first - a more trying trip out but a pleasant return trip.  What was great was that because of the wind, there were only a few others on the beach that day, so we had plenty of beach to ourselves.

Windy Day!

Wind is Not Stopping Holly

Family Photo :)

While Crane Beach does cost money to access ($8 in the winter off season) the money goes to the the Trustees of the Reservations, which works hard at preserving the Crane Estate area, which is beautiful, so it lessens the blow - that, and a car and trunk full of people to offset the cost!

Yappy Hour - Halloween Style

This summer, Nick and I took Holly to Yappy Hour at The Liberty Hotel and had a fantastic time.  Basically, the Liberty Hotel sets up a bar tables, chairs and plastic couches out in the Yard, behind Scampo, and allows pets and their owners go crazy.  Most of the dogs are running around off-leash, just having a ton of fun while the owners are hanging out with the dogs enjoying a few drinks.  For me, it is really nice to be able to head out with Holly after being away from her all day.  Yappy Hour is done every Wednesday through the summer, up until (as it turns out) Halloween.

Enjoying a drink with Holly!

The Liberty Hotel's cap to the Yappy Hour season was the Halloween Party!  I had seen an ad through Four Preppy Paws' twitter account and thought it would a fun way to spend the evening.  Even better, we got to torture Holly by dressing her up in a costume.  We were a bit late to the shopping, but were able to find a great bee costume at Fish and Bone on Newbury Street.  The costume was a little snug, so we said she was the bumble bee girl on the cover of the Blind Melon album, but doggy glasses are a little hard to come by ;).

Heading to Yappy Hour

On our way down the street, Nick asked if I was sure it was truly the costume night because he did not want Holly to be the only pup dressed up.  He knew how uncomfortable he would have been to be the ONLY one dressed up.  Even though all the dogs were dressed up, at the entrance we saw a french bulldog dressed in the exact same costume!  Oh the horror!  Turns out bumble bees were big this year.

Look of panic

The first time we were at Yappy Hour, Holly was definitely the shy girl, and this night was no different.  We found ourselves a nice little couch area, and Holly made herself right at home looking down at the other dogs - from all angles.

Asking "what is going on?!"

There was a doggy costume contest going on throughout the night, so while there were repeats, there were some real original ones as well.

Great Dane as a horse - owner was a jockey

Hooters Girl

There was also a dog dressed Hugh Hefner, complete with a captain's hat, and the owner had a bunny costume on.  Meanwhile, Holly still was hanging out on the couch with the humans.

Eventually, she decided to seek refuge on Nick's lap.

A close up on her sitting position was needed because she was literally sitting like a person would on a bench.  But she was a happy camper.

The winner of the evening!  & Holly's twin...

 

Blackhawk - the lit couch was killing my photo!

Finally, when we were ready to leave and I got up to pay the tab, Holly jumped down from her perch and and ran around a bit.  While it was only to see other people - not dogs - I was proud nonetheless.  Next year maybe she will branch out more.

Yappy Hour is such a fun time and a great way to have some apres-work cocktails.  If you have a dog or just like dogs, I highly recommend heading over to the Yard on Wednesday evenings next summer.

Homemade Oreo's- so worth it

For the Fourth of July this year I knew I wanted to bake something, I just wasn't sure what. After a little thought I realized that this would be the perfect occasion to attempt the homemade Oreo's in Joanne Chang's cookbook (I have been on a bit of a kick, obviously!)

After some issues with not fully reviewing the Coconut Cream Pie recipe all the way through, I made sure to look this one over very carefully! So, I knew that the first step did require some refrigeration, but also there was a helpful overnight hint from Joanne to take advantage of.

Yappy Hour at the Liberty Hotel

Yes you read that right - Yappy Hour.  Every Wednesday night during the summer months, for at least a year now, The Liberty Hotel graciously opens "The Yard" to both four-legged friends and their owners for cocktail hour, and Four Preppy Paws provides some dog friendly items.  For those who don't know, The Yard is the patio area next to the outdoor seating at Scampo, between the hotel tower and the orignal Charles Street Jail building.

Yappy Hour is something I have been wanting to take Holly to for awhile now, but it never seemed to work out.  For some reason, this week I decided we needed to go.  Nick was NOT sold on the idea, but with a little convincing (they do serve alcohol) he was in.  Yappy Hour technically runs from 5:30pm - 8:00pm, so we arrived at about 6:15pm not having a clue of what we were getting ourselves into.

Hanging with Holly having a beer

Holiday Blizzard 2010!

Unlike most, I was super excited for the Nor'easter to come and dump lots of snow in Town.  I had already planned a personal day on Monday and was looking forward to being able to hang out and watch the snow fall on Beacon Hill.  My family had all gotten to where they needed to go my Sunday evening so I thought "Bring It On!"

The results were a fun Monday of playing with my new camera and Flip video!  I only braved the winter weather three times - the wind was killer!  In the morning, Holly and I got all dressed up to walk Nick to the T.  I had on my winter snow boots, hat, mittens, scarf AND hooded down jacket.  Holly had on her pink jacket that match her pink sneakers from Little Lily.  The sneakers not only look pretty amazing, but protect her feet from the rock salt covering all the streets and sidewalks.  It was amazing how quiet Charles Street was.  We walked the entire way in the middle of the street - I think only three cars passed us.  There were only a few people out and about, and they were either taking their four-legged friends out (like me), clearing the sidewalks, or attempting to shovel out their cars.

View down Chestnut St.

Holly's and my boots drying

The second time I ventured out was a solo mission through the Public Garden to the gym and then to Savenor's to get supplies for dinner.  Again, most of the city was a ghost town.  Although there was tons of snow everywhere, there was none on the Commonwealth Ave mall right by Arlington St!  It had all blown away and the grass was showing - That is how bad the wind was right there!  Here are some scenes from that mid-day adventure:

Snow covered decorations on Charles St.

Public Gardens entrance

Blizzard views in Public Gardens

Ducklings swimming in the snow!

Snow covered George Washington

Welcoming holiday wreath at the entrance to the Public Gardens

My third and final adventure yesterday involved taking Holly to the Boston Common for a little romp on the parade grounds.  This time I only put on her jacket as I was afraid we might lose a shoe in the snow.  Since the rock salt would still be a problem, if not worse, I slathered Musher's Secret on her paws.  This stuff really is amazing!  Much easier than dealing with booties, and is extremely effective at protecting dog's paws.  Another great thing is it does not track all over the house like olive oil or Vaseline does.  In Boston, I have seen Musher's Secret at Four Preppy Paws on Charles Street and at Polka Dog in the South End.  If you see it, I highly recommend buying it because it really works and it sells out quickly!

Here are some pictures of Holly frolicking in the snow...

She finally stopped long enough to get a nice head on shot!

Right after a face plant or some sniffing around in the snow.  I am not sure which it was!

Almost smiling

The frolicking continues

If it were not already evident by the pictures, Holly really had some fun.  The snow was deep enough that she has to jump up an over to get around.  After only a few runs around the parade ground she was pretty tuckered out!  I was happy because the wind was picking up and there were little snow tornadoes all around us.  So we headed back inside and I warmed up and she had a snooze.

All in all, the adventures outside in the snow were lots of fun and I got to put my new camera to good use and pretend to be a professional photographer!  The camera definitely helped my photos a lot, as the conditions were less than ideal.  Also, it was really easy to use.  I am excited to put it to more good use.  For the Flip Video, I need a little practice holding it steady before I post any here!

Christmas Party Time

Or should I say Holiday Party Time!  It started this past Saturday night, Nick and I went to his boss's Christmas party in Sudbury, we had to rent a zipcar to even get there!  It my my first time meeting his boss so I was a bit nervous, but thought I put together a pretty good outfit and decided to show of my new shoes...

REALLY Cute Shoes

Come to find out when we arrive at the party though, they are a shoeless house hold due to their soft pine floors!  I was so sad I could not show off my shoes!  Instead, they sat in a shelf in the foyer, very sad...

On Tuesday, I had a Junior League meeting that covered fund raising and the Junior League Ball, but turned into a fun holiday get together.  Some of our committee members stayed and were enjoying wine and treats, just chatting the evening away! 

February 12, 2011 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza, all are welcome and it should be lots of fun...See the Junior League website for more information

Originally, I thought I would definitely be home early as the meeting started right after work, but instead I did not leave until almost 9, and was a little tipsy after only having some cookies and cheese and crackers, but was somehow able to continue to refill my wine glass:) 

Last night my neighbors, as in we share a wall neighbors, had their holiday party.  They always go above and beyond with the preparations enough food and drink for 3 times the number of guests.  She is from NOLA and just is the embodiment of the warm southern personality that will go above and beyond for everyone.  Their apartment has the same high ceilings we do, but they know how to show them off!  We hung up a wreath in the window and it just gets lost...Once again, the party was filled with lots of chatting, making time for the sips of wine and not so much food, I did not get any of my holiday tasks accomplished that evening!  But, it is always fun to talk to new people and connect with those you haven't seen in awhile, as in over a year.

Tonight is Nick's work's Christmas party, which is just held in their offices in the Seaport district...which will be nice to see where he goes each day and meet some colleagues, but afterward we are going to Sportello, which I am SUPER excited about.  Firstly because I have not had any dinner in the past two days, but also, I have never been there before and have heard all sorts of amazing things.  I mean, it is Barbara Lynch, how can you go wrong.  Also, because we are in her domain while over there...we may have to go grab a concoction from the bartenders at Drink.  Who knows what they will come up with...but it will be good and hopefully help me brave the cold over there!

Next it will be onto planning our own Holiday party...

While this is not Holly, it sure looked close enough!

The Holiday Stroll...A Beacon Hill tradition

One of the things I most like about Boston is how it seems like a series of small towns.  I will give you that the downtown/financial areas do have their large buildings, but really most of Boston has that small town vibe.  Beacon Hill and Charles St., in particular, really exemplify that feeling.  When you walk along Charles St. you really could be on any traditional main street anywhere in the US.  You know your neighbors as well as meet and know the owners and staff at the shops, to the point where some of them actually become your friends.  I find it difficult to walk into some shops and NOT have a conversation with the person assisting me.  They know Holly (my dog) and of course want to say hello to her, and once that is over (as she is the priority) they will ask after me.  I think that is one of the best things about Beacon Hill and Boston in general, because I am sure the same thing happens over in the North End, South End and Back Bay.  They are such close knit communities within the big city.

Last night, this small town ideal was in full effect.  The Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll was upon us...somehow the people in charge of the Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll are able, year after year, to select a date that happens to be the same night where the winter weather really settles in...and this year was no exception.  During last nights 25 degree weather, people from Beacon Hill were out and about in their winter finest (and hopefully warmest) strolling along Charles St. enjoying the holiday party.

During the evening of the stroll, Charles St. closes to cars and the shops stay open to 9 and offer the strollers treats and drinks.  Some stores even have sales (thanks Crush!).  The shops along Charles St. always have a lot to offer, regardless of the season, however, they are a bit small.  So the only downfall of the Stroll, is that you really have to work to shop.  On the night of the stroll I generally prefer to go in and browse but really just enjoy the treats they are offering...plans worked pretty well so far!

In Crush but dressed ready to take on the cold!

During the Stroll there was some big Charles St. news...for ages we have been waiting for Curly Cakes to come to open.  They have been teasing us for almost a year now with a sign in the window saying coming soon, but it came to the point where we thought they would never come!  The bakery is inspired/the brain child of Todd English's daughter Isabelle...who happens to have curly hair.  Last night though, the doors were open and they were handing out free samples!!!  Not one to ever turn down a free sample, we went in and sure enough, there was Todd English handing out the cupcakes with his daughter!!!  The place was packed so it was difficult to move about...but Todd himself made eye contact with me and held up a tray so I could take a sample...I must have looked the most hungry!  Verdict is the cupcakes are tasty and he really is a handsome man...

The other part of the stroll and really the reason for the street closing is the strollers and others join in for the Christmas Tree lighting at the corner of Charles and Mt. Vernon.  The tree is pretty tall...hard to see in this picture, but it does reach the top of the building!

Beacon Hill Christmas Tree

Also, throughout the Stroll there are carolers dressed up in Victorian era costumes singing...no matter how cold it was or how are the wind blew. 

Carolers singing under the tree

Also along the street there were horse and carriage rides and people selling carnival type trinkets to play with.  The atmosphere is just a lot of fun and just another reason to love Beacon Hill.  With the Holiday Stroll now passed, it really does feel like the Christmas season is here!

The Esplanade

I only recently realized how lucky I am to live right by the Esplanade in Boston...I quick walk and I am standing right along the Charles.  This weekend I went for a run, pretending I was just like all those other crazy people I have been seeing over the years.  I dread going for runs, for me they are one of they worst 30 to 40 minutes periods, but the feeling afterwards really does make it all worth it.

The Esplanade however, makes the process so much easier, the views are amazing (both Boston and Cambridge), plenty of good people watching, crossing the bridges provides just enough of a "hill" to push you that much more, and the breeze (or gusts this weekend) coming off the water cools you off so nicely!

View from the Longfellow Bridge

Holly has been taking advantage of my "new" find as well...she can be let off the leash without worry that a park ranger is going to end all the fun.  While I am sure some other dogs would be going straight for the water, Holly is (luckily) still a bit unsure.  She just investigates a bit...the waves this weekend were a bit to big even for that!

Holly thinking park benches are for her...

Time may be running short this season for more Esplanade fun, but I am looking forward to taking full advantage next spring!