5 things i love right now

1.  this beacon hill townhouse

looking at houses i can't afford is my therapy, okay? and this lil' loft--for a cool 2 and a half mil--just soothes the soul. there's also a fireplace in a bedroom. a. fireplace. in. a. bedroom. i can't even wrap my head around it.


2.  the haunted lore of the mount washington hotel

last week, i spent a few much-needed days with my family at this bougie resort up in the white mountains that was basically like the setting of a hallmark movie IRL, minus the hot love interest (though my zip lining guide was basically the crunchy bearded hippie of my dreams and i gladly let him handle my hooks, heyooo). there was a big fireplace with a moose head above it in the lobby, an arcade, speakeasy, and coffee shop in the basement, a spa, fire pits, indoor/outdoor pools and hot tubs, like 3 restaurants, and amazing floor-to-ceiling windows with beautiful views of the mountains.

unfortunately, on the second day, it poured, so i made the best of it by reading by the fire and getting my nails done. my manicurist, um, tipped me off to a daily hotel tour that gave an overview of the hotel's history, so i was all about it. long story short, this 20-something woman named carolyn stickney married some rich dude and inherited the hotel and then the dude died, so she became the HBIC. she did all sorts of wacky shit, like watch the female guests arriving to dinner parties from her private balcony and changing her outfit if they were dressed better than her, having an assistant draw the curtains on the pool and kick everyone out if she wanted to go for a swim, etc. etc. you can read more here.

creepy-ass rendering of carolyn

she's rumored to haunt the hotel to this day, and room 314 in particular, where she spent most of her time. during my visit to the speakeasy, the bartender verified that "a lot of weird shit" has happened in the 4 years he's worked there, including a chair inexplicably moving across the room when he was closing up by himself after midnight, and a female guest (staying in 314) freaking out at the front desk one night because the covers were ripped right off the bed while her and her husband were sleeping. do you love it? i love it. also, unrelated, but this clock with the moon phases was just really cool.

3. this stripped-down version of greta van fleet's "black smoke rising"



yes, i'm still riding the GVF train, man. i pray these kiddos never get into hard drugs because they're so wholesome and wonderful and full of raw talent. i've gotten into this song in particular lately, and it sounds even better acoustic, IMO.

4. rediscovering zumiez

sooo i think i'm regressing, but i don't really care. back in my college days, my friends and i were regulars at the zumiez in the poughkeepsie galleria--both for the sk8r clothes and the fact that most of our local musician acquaintances worked there, or worked elsewhere in the mall and just shopped there. either way, it was a scene, as they say. and while looking for some snowboarder-chic clothing for my aforementioned trip, i popped in there last weekend and bought like 12 things (including this "not today" hoodie which i'm wearing right now). somehow, i dig their selection even more than i did when i was 19. it's fine.

5. this adorable "how i met my husband" story

i was tooling around last weekend looking at blogs, and came across this post from last year about how this woman met her husband. i'm always a sucker for a good meet-cute story, so i was immediately drawn in, not even realizing until i got to the end that it was written by eva martino, susan sarandon's daughter. honestly didn't even know she had a blog. but it was really uplifting and adorable and sweet and gosh darn it, we need more of that in our lives!

around town: allium market & cafe

coolidge corner in brookline has long been my favorite boston neighborhood. it has it all: a great indie theater, a great indie bookstore, a handful of great places to eat and drink, and a boatload of quaint charm. now that i only live about a 10-minute drive away, i find myself here pretty often, so i'd eagerly been awaiting allium, a new gourmet market and cafe. it opened just a couple of weeks ago, and my apartment's heat is like, not working at all during this deep freeze, so this 3-degree morning seemed like the perfect time to escape my frigid home and drown myself in hot coffee.

from the moment i walked in to the sounds of "reptilia" by the strokes (which was later followed by supergrass' "allright"), i was feelin' good about this place. it was smaller than i expected; from the description, i'd been envisioning some kind of emporium, but it was cute and cozy. the cafe had a variety of pastries/muffins/donuts and coffee drinks available. i just went with a large coffee and the allium scone (which tasted more like a biscuit and had cheddar cheese, chives, and other assorted deliciousness), and set up shop at one of the tables. one thing i really liked is that despite its small size, there are quite a few places to sit, plug in, and work--always a plus for me.

i stole that second photo from someone on yelp, but the place was poppin', so i was happy i got there fairly early. also, note the fun greenery on the ceiling. doooope! after working for a while, i took a little stroll around the rest of the shop.

the shelves were stocked with all sorts of gourmet treats, from olives and honey to chocolate and caviar. in other words, stuff i have absolutely no practical use for, but that would be perfect for a classy dinner party. and let's not forget the most important thing: the glorious CHEESE COUNTER. all of the gouda, blue, manchego, etc. etc. your little heart desires. i'm seriously considering becoming a cheesemonger.

also, allium will host a variety of classes dedicated to tea, cheese (obvs) and other fun stuff. overall, it's a lovely new addition to the neighborhood, and i highly encourage you to pay a visit if you find yourself in coolidge corner.