wave backwards to massachusetts: a moving mix

i start the 22-hour drive down to my new life in orlando tomorrow morning, so i decided to make a mix to start me out on my journey. and why the heck shouldn't i share it with y'all? random comments on select tracks below. enjoy!

listen: HERE

1. the maine - don't stop now

makes me giddy like a schoolgirl. that riiiiiiff.

2. cobra starship - you make me feel

3. ja rule- always on time

believe me, the pimp game is VERY religious.

4. morningwood - best of me

if music ACTUALLY played during my life, this would be perfect for a "screw you" romantic or job-quitting scene.

5. hallelujah the hills - wave backwards to massachusetts

had to include this because it's SO apropos.

6. metric - combat baby

7. black kids - look at me when i rock wichoo

fun lil' ditty about a girl who won't give it up before marriage. hilar!

8. alien ant farm - glow

that "smooth criminal" cover totally ruined this band's street cred, but my friend totally changed my mind about them when she sent me this song in high school.

9. nappy roots - roun' the globe

really, really makes me want to have a glass of purple juice for breakfast.

10. arkells - pullin' punches

11. panic at the disco - that green gentleman

a total 180 from their debut stuff, i don't even think you'd recognize these former pop-punkers aside from brandon urie's kinda distinctive voice.

12. phantom planet - dropped

sooooo catchy.

13. rooney - stay away

sooooo summer.

14. ben kweller - penny on the train track

15. cheap girls - ft. lauderdale

16. eve 6 - rescue

from one of my all-time favorite albums (shut up, i'm serious), this song also has some of the best and subtly dirty lyrics ever: "i professed my love in an animalistic manner, like an endless foreign flick....my subtitles were sick." yah, brah.

17. the ordinary boys - week in week out

18. dj khaled f/ drake, rick ross & lil' wayne - i'm on one

i found out the other day, thanks to some kind twitter friends, that "i'm on one" means "i'm high" or "i'm on drugs". WHITE GIRL PROBLEMS!

19. the parlor mob - can't keep no good boy down

20. lucky boys confusion - hey driver

hey girl...an apple a day won't keep me away.

seriously, could ryan gosling be any more adorable/sexy/flawless etc.? this latest press tour for "crazy stupid love" has just sent me right over the top. the below video was from a lil' while back, but it introduced me to this HILARIOUS blog, fuck yeah! ryan gosling, which features him in hilarious and/or hot photos with ridiculous captions that start with "hey girl". the fact that he thinks this is hilarious makes me love him even more. le sigh.

seriously...IT'S LIKE HE'S PHOTOSHOPPED.

on moving

i’m starting to get used to this.

as i prepare for my 4th move in 5 years, i’m becoming accustomed to the routine: crave a change, find a new place, sell my already inexpensive IKEA furniture for less than i paid for it, start all over, repeat. at 25, while many of my peers are planning weddings and settling down in the suburbs, i feel anything but settled. but for me, i wouldn’t have it any other way.

i saw a segment on the today show recently about two best friends who were separated when one moved to new york city in her 20s. still back in california and attempting to entice her to return after she was heartbroken by a boy, her friend sent her a postcard that read in part, “life is a romantic adventure”. to me, there are few phrases that ring truer. change is scary, yes, but also invigorating. it shakes you up, forces you to dig deep down to begin anew and learn new things about yourself. some might mistake the desire for change as stemming from unhappiness, but nothing could be further from the truth in my experience. i’ll always have an incredible fondness for boston and the time i’ve had here. the people I’ve met, the amazing culture and history, the fantastic restaurants and gorgeous summer days spent strolling through the city. yet, i know that the time has come for me to explore new streets, find new go-to sushi and pizza places, and quite simply, experience another way of life.

sure, I’m trading in crisp new england air for sometimes stifling humidity, a historic victorian home with tons of character for a sleek modern apartment, and vibrant fall foliage for insects of all shapes, sizes, and colors. but, in my estimation, i’m also getting palm trees instead of sneeze-inducing pines, sun-drenched winter days that might have otherwise been spent shoveling snow up north, and dinners al fresco in the middle of the winter. who’s to say what’s better, really? it’s just different. and until i experience that difference for myself, i’ll be left not knowing which I prefer. as far as I’m concerned, that freedom to explore is the best part of being in my 20s.

i’m all about putting down roots...somewhere, someday. but for now, i’m quite content being a tumbleweed.

100 things to do in 2011: month in review.

holy crap, i just realized it's almost july. as such, i need to keep track of what i did this month...not too shabby overall!

13. see 50 new movies - CONTINUED.

my lovely friend and bride-to-be took us future bridesmaids to see the movie of the same name, which was HILARIOUS. seriously, if you haven't seen it...get on that. i also watched the creepy but totally hot and engaging indie flick "daydream nation" which stars kat dennings as a bored teenager who seduces her classmate AND sexy teacher (played by sexy josh lucas). definitely worth a watch!

14. dine at 50 new restaurants - CONTINUED.

i'm not counting the 20+ restaurants i had food from at taste of cambridge because that would just be cheating (i just realized i gave new meaning to the phrase "eatin' ain't cheatin'"...ANYWAYS i digress). i had fun family brunch at the windmill diner in connecticut (best greasy spoon EVAH), consumed burgers and beer at deep ellum in allston, greasy pub food at the townie dockside in malden, and....i think that's it. if you've been keeping up with me this year, i've only been to 14 new places. i gotta speed it up if i wanna hit 50.

32. try one new recipe a month - CONTINUED.

i made "easy parmesan-garlic chicken" from the kraft website. which was aaactually super easy. who knew? yes, i've been slacking on this one and still need to make 10 other dishes to catch up, but i'm trying, guys.

42. learn the single ladies dance - STARTED.

i got frustrated after about 20 minutes but i'm slowly starting to get the hang of it. p.s. i'm using this tutorial which is effing fierce.

55. eat at pinkberry - COMPLETED.

GAHHH i love froyo with strawberries and granola.

61. make $1,000 in freelance - COMPLETED.

my $120 haul from this month brought me up to $1,005 total. cha-chiiing.

62. tone my stomach - STARTED.

i've been doing 100 crunches a day for about a month now. i'm feeling the burn, man.

70. go to a farmer's market - COMPLETED.

went to the aforementioned sowa open market a few weekends ago...and left with no produce and a painting. it's fine.

fewd, dewd

i've literally eaten the best food ever over the past couple of weeks and i obviously needed to talk about it with all of you.

• my pal james runs the roxy's gourmet grilled cheese truck here in boston, and they're going to be featured on the food network's great food truck race in august! i finally got to sample the delicious GC at the sowa open market in boston's south end. sandwiches include a wild mushroom confit-and-swiss creation and another with port salut cheese, candied walnuts and cherry compote...for real, for real. i went classic (and local) with "the green muenster", which included guacamole and applewood smoked bacon. ohhhhyeahhh. literally, best grilled cheese you'll have in yo' life.

• i also attended the phantom gourmet bbq beach party on sunday and delighted in rib, brisket, and pulled pork sandwiches from australia, texas, and virginia, respectively. the winner? texas thunder's brisket. still dreaming about it.

• em (my cupcake crawl partner in crime) and i went "taste of cambridge" last night, where over 50 restaurants set up shop in harvard square to feed us lil' piggies. it's all a blur, but among the things i ate were: deviled eggs with baby shrimp, rice krispie treats, bacon cotton candy(!!), pork bahn-mi, a pb&j cookie thing, 5-spice chicken satay, cod and lobster chowder, gazpacho/beef carpaccio/strawberry macaroon (pictured above), salad, vegan lime tart, crispy duck tacos, oreo ice cream, summer veggie maki, clam ceviche, meatloaf slider....are you puking yet? honestly don't know how i didn't. as emily said, "this is the best event of my life, aside from my wedding".

bottles & models: summer 2011 mix

in keeping with the trend of seasonal mixes, i got inspired by the beautiful weather we've finally been having in boston and decided to make a whimsical mix that's perfect for driving around during summer days and nights, too. also, it's sunday and i just had a fun day in the sun, so i'm not really in any mood to describe EACH AND EVERY track, but trust that it's killahhhh, kids. enjoy!

listen...HERE!

track listing:

1. washington social club - breaking the dawn

2. superchunk - here's where the strings come in

3. art brut - people in love

4. the young veins - young veins (die tonight)

5. the joy formidable - whirring

6. mazes - most days

7. nikka costa - everybody got their something

8. the cab - i'll run

9. phantom planet - leave yourself for somebody else

10. allen anthony - alright

11. the new pornographers - july jones

12. amerie - why don't we fall in love

13. two hours traffic - better sorry than safe

14. jagged edge f/ nelly - where the party at

15. the pack a.d. - deer

16. hanson - tearing it down

17. someone still loves you boris yeltsin - glue girls

18. the jesus & mary chain - stardust remedy

19. REM - supernatural superserious

20. damone - carwash romance

N-K-O-T-B-S-B...baby.

last night, i had the fortune of attending one of the most epic events of this year in boston, and one of the most epic events of all time to occur at famed fenway park. yes, folks, i'm talking about the union of boy bands new kids on the block and backstreet boys. in fact, it was fittingly ironic after i got this article published in thought catalog this past week about things i should stop doing now that i'm 25. but WHATEVER. plenty of awesome people-watching: cougars on the prowl, lots of north shore hairdressers, and one fine-ass nick carter. all in all, AMAZING.

highlights:

- all of the group members being introduced as a "starting lineup" and running out onto the field in red sox jerseys

-boston mayor tom "mumbles" menino declaring june 11 "NKOTBSB day" hahaha

- joey mcintyre crying during "please don't go girl"

- torrential downpours halfway through the show and no one caring (joey mac: "it's rainin' at fenway and we don't give a shiiiit!")

- nick carter almost biting it onstage because of the rain/looking amazing

- a finale of their hybrid song "don't turn all the lights down" while wearing bruins jerseys

- an encore of "hangin' tough" from the green monster while wearing celtics and orlando magic jerseys (i didn't catch these last two because my camera died...COOL).

THINGS I WILL MISS ABOUT NEW ENGLAND.

welp, the word is out!

i'm moving to the land of boy bands, mickey mouse and the magic at the end of july - sunny orlando, florida - to attend grad school.

while i'm wicked excited for getting down in o-town, there are some choice things i will miss about the NE. in no particular order...

matty in the morning

i LMAO just about every morning to this snarky, cynical man and his sidekicks, billy and lisa. my friends and talk about them as if we know them personally. matty completely crushes listeners' and billy's self-esteem on a regular basis and it's fantastic. i only hope i can stream that ish in FL.

liberty bell roast beef & seafood/roast beef roundup

while working in woburn (or "the woob", as we affectionately called it), my coworkers introduced me to the gem that is roast beef roundup, or "guns and beef" - a hole in the wall where ordering is meant to be slightly frightening and the decor is more shoot-em-up than stylish. best damn beef i've ever had in my life. but when our office moved north, i needed my fix without the drive. enter liberty bell. just about a mile from my house, and just as good as the ol' RBR.

i also got word that the roundup is closing in august, so i guess good things never last...siiiigh.

phantom gourmet

the andelman bros are some funny men. for y'all non-new englanders, they host and produce a weekly TV and radio show called phantom gourmet. the TV show highlights yummy new england eateries every weekend morning and is basically total food porn for a freak like me. they also host local food events, and at the food and wine phest last year, i went up to dan andelman and asked for a picture. as we're posing, he goes "this is my girl, @kimlw! i retweeted you this morning...no shit!" I. DIE.

downtown melrose, ma

before i saw my current apartment, i had never even heard of this town. but i've totally fallen in love with the damn place. the old victorian houses are stunning. it's hokey, but walking down main street quite literally feels like a storybook. i can walk from my adorable lil' place to dunkin' donuts, a bunch of great restaurants, starbucks, like 4 different independent bakeries, CVS, the grocery store, my hair salon, a relaxing pond, etc. etc. and, i'm only a 15-minute t ride from boston! i guess i'm a 'burbs girl after all. and while it's time for a new chapter in the sunshine state, i would come back to melrose someday in a heartbeat. in the summer, that is.

foliage

meh, i'll miss me some red and orange leaves. i guess.

newbury street

classic boston. i've had many a magazine-reading brunch at trident booksellers, summer night ice creams at JP licks, and window-shopping seshes at marc jacobs and fcuk. loves itttt.

100 things to do in 2011: month in review.

HAPPY JUNE, GUYS! i did some stuff last month (including turning 25, last weekend...EEK) and it was sweet.

13. see 50 new movies - CONTINUED.

cried like a baby at the katherine heigl rom-com "life as we know it" (josh duhamel, u so cute) and laughed my ass off at "the hangover 2". same jokes, but still funny.

14. dine at 50 new restaurants - CONTINUED.

had yummy italian food and ogled a yummy waiter with my former roommate at bellino in wakefield, chowed down on bbq sliders and sweet potato fries during my birthday dinner at the new scorpion bar at foxwoods, and cured the hangover blues with eggs, homefries, toast and bacony grease the next morning at the equinox diner in mystic.

29. take a dance class - COMPLETED.

zumba, baby! though i was barely sweating at the end. and i never exercise, so somethin' was wrong with that.

61. make $1,000 in freelance - CONTINUED.

think i'm up to $885 now. almost there!

67. get a mani/pedi - DID ONE.

i got a french manicure for my birthday and i pretty much want my nails to stay like this foreva-eva.

97. win money at a slot machine - COMPLETED.

i won money at foxwoods...then promptly lost it a few minutes later. i'm still counting it, dammit.

also, it should be noted that a couple weeks ago i crossed off a long-time bucket list item, "be a movie extra". i shot an audience scene during a 9-hour day with a bunch of other people at the tsongas arena in lowell for the upcoming kevin james/salma hayek comedy, "here comes the boom". i don't even really care to see the movie actually, except for this scene to see if i can spot myself. ha! the scene was a UFC fight in vegas at the mgm grand, and it was a much different experience than i was expecting. for one, neither kevin james nor any of the other movie stars were there, and we weren't ACTUALLY reacting to anything. the director gave us cues ("someone just got hit! wince!") that we followed in a sequence. then we moved to the next section, and did it all again. all. around. the. arena. twice. i could never be an actor. but it was a fun, once-in-a-lifetime experience! see how happy i am?

imma miss you, oprah.

aside from a brief stint in college during which my roommate brainwashed me into hating oprah (it was a dark, dark time), oprah has constantly been one of my top inspirations for as long as i can remember. the farewell episodes this week are a liiiiittle much, but i was legit bawling yesterday ...AND today, when stedman came out (omg! he does exist!)

anyways, who else can do it like oprah? NO ONE. i'll sit down to watch an episode, and have my mouth hanging open, then i'll cry, then i'll yell at the tv, then i'll gasp...all in the span of half of an episode.

she's epic...flawless...amazing, etc. and rich as haaaaale. anytime you wanna hang out, oprah, girl...just call me, k? i know you're gonna have a lot of downtime now that the show's over. and gayle is totally using you.

weird shit that tells us that judgement day is coming.

the more i think about it, the more all of this "judgement day" and "rapture" mumbo-jumbo starts to make sense. let's think about it:

1. the daughter of the dude that sang one-hit wonder "achey-breaky heart" is one of the most popular pop stars in the world.

2. one of the other most popular pop stars in the world wears meat and hangs out in eggs.

3. donald trump and his hair were REALISTICALLY considering running for the u.s. presidency.

4. two of the biggest boy bands in history are touring. together. as a supergroup.

5. oprah is ending.

others?

stuff i love: sally hansen's nail effects

ahhhh!!! even just looking at that picture makes me gleeful.

i HATE doing my nails, so when i came across these lil' miracles in the CVS beauty section, i nearly fainted. i don't care if the patterns are tween-ish, i'm in love. the best part? they're not fake nails, but basically just decals you place on your nails and shape with a file to fit. when you're sick of 'em, you take them off with nail polish remover. amazing.

so far, i've tried the fishnet pattern in the top row and the leopard one in the second, and i was thinking the reviews i read that said "ohh i've gotten so many compliments!" were exaggerating. but seriously everywhere i go, random people compliment and/or ask me about them. great conversation starter!

at $8-10, these babies aren't cheap, but they're oh-so-worth it.

100 things to do in 2011: month in review.

i was a little lax in april on completing new list items, but i had to stay true to my promise of keeping y'all updated. y'know? so take it or leave it!

13. see 50 new movies: CONTINUED.

in one ambitious weekend, i watched black swan (most messed up movie EVER) and then jackass 3d to take the edge off. love those dudes.

28. go hiking: COMPLETED.

on a gorgeous sunday morning, i randomly decided to check out breakheart reservation in saugus, a gorgeous park with tons of walking trails. so peaceful & awesome.

32. try one new recipe a month: CONTINUED.

ok, so i'm STILL behind by two recipes, but i made chicken piccata which was effin' delicious. in fact, it might even be my choice to complete #21, "perfect a dish".

61. make $1,000 in freelance: CONTINUED.

another $270 brought in from homerun. hello, $660!