Everyone Loves a Boston Girl

Sometimes you learn the most important lessons at the most random times. I remember being a senior in college, standing in the gift shop I worked in and unpacking new greeting card shipments. I was especially excited because we had just started getting Quotable Cards and they all said fun stuff on them that helped pass my hours at work. The very first one I pulled out of the box said this:

“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one…. Happiness is a journey, not a destination. -Souza”

Honestly, I had never thought about life like that before, even though I was 22 years old. And I realized this is exactly what I had been doing. College seemed like just a brief period in my life. There’s so much pressure surrounding what you’re going to do after college, that college always felt like a simple thing I was meant to get through so I could get on with the rest of my life. Would I go to grad school? Where would I work? Would I get married and have kids? What would my life be like? Wait, what would it be like? It was happening right in front of my face. RIGHT NOW. What was I waiting for?

I still catch myself doing this from time to time and I often go back and re-read the quote to bring myself back to the moment. This quote popped into my mind this morning because I realized I was doing it again. I’ve been so busy with work lately that I often find myself saying things like, “As soon as I get through all this work…” But the problem is, I don’t ever get through all the work. And I probably won’t ever get through it all. This is my life. And I need to balance the work with the play, instead of just waiting to relax until after the work is done. Because the work is part of my life. Part of the present.

But I’m much better than I used to be. Maybe it’s because I’m through all the school and am working in a field I truly love. I’m pretty sure life will change; hopefully my career will grow into something even more and maybe some day I’ll even have a house instead an apartment. Maybe I’ll have a family. And maybe I won’t have debts in the form of grad school loans (please! please!). But you know what? It doesn’t really matter. Because I’m living life NOW. And instead of waiting to find my happiness, I’m happy now. And it feels so good.

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A few weeks ago, I was just sitting all innocently at my computer when an email popped up. A potentially life-changing email. OK, so not really life-changing, but still pretty awesome. It was from a company called Izola Shower. And they wanted to know if I’d like to have an MBTA shower curtain. Would I like to have an MBTA shower curtain?! Um, did they even have to ask?? Well, they probably did so they could have my shipping address. But other than that, they did not have to ask.

OK, let me be clear on a few things. I am not really a fan of the MBTA. Mainly because it’s dirty, I get nauseous every time I’m on it, and it stops too much with no explanation. However, I appreciate the MBTA because it generally gets me where I need to go, which is more than people in many other cities can say. Plus, it’s a pretty complex system that can even get me to my parents’ house with not too much effort. Oh and plus, it’s cheaper than a cab.

So, you can bet I hung this little bugger up (I actually hung it in my boyfriend’s bathroom since my roommate looks at my funny whenever I want to make a personal change to the apartment, but that’s whole other story) right when I got it. Because why wouldn’t I want the entire MBTA system map hanging in the bathroom?

Check. it. out.

My only disappointment is that you can’t view the map from the inside of the shower. Because I was actually really excited to figure out my daily plan of attack while IN the shower. But instead I have to stand outside of the shower to view all the MBTA routes. BUT, I can always look at it while I’m brushing my teeth so NBD. Also, if I reallyyy want to, I can just get another shower curtain and hang it on the inside of the shower too. Bam, problem solved.

And trust me, ALL the routes are there. Even for the commuter rail! Absolutely anything you want to know about any MBTA route is here. In the bathroom.

Izola has lots of other shower curtain maps too, like a Chicago transit map for all my Chicago buddies and an NYC MTA for all you NYCers. But they also have other fun shower curtains too for you know, if you don’t care to stare at your daily commute every time you’re in the bathroom.

But I do enjoy staring at my daily commute in the bathroom. Probably mostly because I don’t have a daily commute. Seriously though, I love my new MBTA shower curtain and think it’s definitely a necessity for every Boston girl. Now. Where should we go next?!?! I’ll map it out.

I’ve never been a fan of the leather jacket. Maybe because I’m the opposite of a “tough girl.” And leather makes me feel like I’m trying to look tough. Like, “hey you, I’m gonna mess your face up if you get near me!” Which is laughable really seeing as I’m 5′3 with long blond hair and penchant for pink and cupcakes. I ain’t beating no one up. Nor do I ever talk like that. What I’m trying to say is leather isn’t a good look on me.

Come to think of it, I also have a recurring flashback of that time in 4th grade I got a rollerblading Barbie for my birthday. Her rollerblades were awesome and little sparks shot out of them for real. She was also wearing a white leather outfit. I made the mistake of bringing her on the school bus and the 5th graders (all sitting in the very back seats, obvi) made fun of me relentlessly. “Oooh white leather is SO cool” they laughed sarcastically. No, leather has never been my friend.

Thanks, Barb:

But anyway. I think, at age 27, I’m finally getting over my fear of leather. Why? Because of gray leather. I can’t say I’ve quite become a fan of black leather jackets (and will probably stay away from white leather for life), but gray leather? Now that’s a whole different ball game.

Exhibit A)

This is seriously cute. From the off-center zipper to the over-sized collar to the super cute ribbed cuffs, I could totally rock this. From Nordstrom.

Exhibit B)

If I stumble upon $852, I might have to splurge on this Mike & Chris Isys Gray jacket from Shopbop.com. After all, we all know what a sucker for a hoodie I am.

Exhibit C)

At a much easier to swallow price of $152.97, this ASOS gray hooded leather jacket is super reasonable. And super cute. I love the ribbed cuffs. But I don’t love that the shop appears to be in the UK. OK wait, shipping is only $5.85 to the Americas? This might have to be a jacket I consider. Now, what the heck is my UK size? No wonder, they referred to it as “grey,” which is also my personal preference.

Are you a fan of leather jackets? If you can’t handle the black, isn’t gray a little easier to handle?

I have about 100 posts I’ve started and then never finished. OK, maybe not 100 but way, way too many. I could tell you I’ve been ridiculous busy (I have been), but that’s the lamest excuse in the world, so I’ll just say I was kidnapped or something. By evil blog-haters. But now I’m starting a new (and quick!) post. Mostly to tell you to go to my other blog (I’m SO interesting) because Chels and I had our 2-year blog-iversary party and it was pretty amazing.

I liked the cake a whole lot:

And the swag bags:

The food from Chef Brian Poe at the Rattlesnake was to die for (GO there now and order 15 orders of the cornbread. You’ll eat them all):

The people were my favorite part, so go check out We are not Martha for about a billion photos (NOT an exaggeration):

And 2010 has officially kicked off to be the best year ever. I MEAN it. It’s also the year of the re-birth of Everyone Loves a Boston Girl, so get ready for lots of bloggy goodness. Whoop!

Oh hello, Boston Winter. I hear you will be arriving next week. Though you’re not quite here yet, you’ve already brought us some frigid temperatures and even a bit of snow. Somehow we’ve avoided slush thus far. But I KNOW there’s a lot more of all of that coming. Dread. Dread. Dread. And there’s absolutely nothing I can do. But pick up and move to Hawaii (which will work until my sister moves home mid-January, which is the worst time for winter in Boston) or hide out in my apartment all winter (which is actually quite feasible. but I unfortunately can’t avoid all commitments all season long).

I’m a long-time lover of Uggs, no matter what the haters say. And I still love them mainly because I believe they’re the most comfortable things you could ever put on your feet that aren’t slippers (Ugg slippers?! The world implodes). However, I took WAY too many spills last winter (flat out had bruises from falling on the ice). Not to mention, Uggs are all warm and cozy until you step in a traditional Boston slush puddle and your feet get soaking and freezing. So I’m on the search for something a little bit more waterproof.

Yes, my friends, I want to be able to trudge through a blizzard, come up to my ankles in puddles, and jump in a snow bank and come away with completely dry and warm feet. And I also want to be semi-cute. Sound like too much to ask? I don’t care. I want it.

But the big dilemma is that I just don’t know which ones I like the best and which ones will do the job best. So I created a collage because a lot of times when I want to buy something, I sit and obsess over it until I don’t even want it anymore. By the time I make this decision, I will either a) hate all boots in existence or b) be sitting on a beach because it’s now summer.

But I’m cold. And I still want some boots. And here are my top picks for winter boots this year.

Winter Boots by susieand featuring Sorel boots