maine, maaaan

there's just something about portland, maine that gets me every time. i drove up yesterday, got back late this afternoon, and my stomach is still making unsettled and strange noises, so i must have done something right. as usual, the trip was mainly an excuse to eat and imbibe, though i did get to see some dear friends, which was cool too, i gueeeess.

FOOD:

j's oyster


the indulgence began with coronas and lobster rolls at j's, a no-frills spot in old port. my friend was excited because it was his first lobster roll of the summer. i was still excited even though it was my ::cough cough:: 7th-ish?

we strolled around a bit after lunch and explored some of my favorite vintage and vinyl stores, including strange maine (who took down their awesome sign for some reason, and i'm pissed).

we also went to the "flea for all," a huge indoor flea market, and i was extremely tempted by this $80 bart simpson cutout:

mt. desert island ice cream

GUYS, I HAD THE BEST ICE CREAM I'VE EVER HAD HERE AND OK FINE I'LL STOP TYPING IN CAPS. but the cinnamon cardamom? life-changing.


slab

despite the generic-sounding name, this place served up solid, super-doughy pizza and smelled phenomenal. they also played all of my alt-rock favorites, which is always the way to my heart.


local 188

two words: breakfast paella.

holy donut

i'd somehow never been here before, and it did not disappoint. i ordered the maine blueberry donut--because when in rome--and it was a revelation. my friend opted for the fresh lemon and wasn't as impressed. c'est la vie.

DRINK:

bard

this was a great place to refuel and recharge, PLUS they had iced vietnamese coffee, which is a rare and delightful treat.

liquid riot

pretty much just wanted to go here because i dug the name, but the patio views, strong cocktails (haute fashioned: HELLO), delicious fries, and quality time chatting with dope people made it a highlight of the day.

also found this little bunch o'daisies sitting in the middle of the sidewalk on the way there. what does it all mean?!



lincoln's

i knew it was going to be good when my friend had to show the people in front of us how to get inside. a speakeasy with pictures of honest abe errywhere, this place is cozy and cash-only. the perfect place to start our saturday night.


MAPS



my favorite thing about this place was the non-functioning jukebox:

also, that they had no food available except a massive chocolate cake. we were so bloated and full, but we just kept eyeing that cake on the bar...until an entire group of friends came in and each ordered a slice. it was fantastic. anyways, true to its name, this bar had a lot of maps. and cute little glasses with the outline of maine.

tandem

it's a gas station-turned-hipster coffee shop, and who doesn't love that? i'm also obsessed with the malt iced coffee.

some more assorted pictures because i'm suppressing my urge to spam instagram. thanks for indulging me!

 

5 things i love right now

1. this tv show, the bold type

we all need at least one silly, cheesy YA-ish show to devour every summer, and the bold type has become mine. the show (on freeform, obv) centers on three 20-something recent grads working at a women's magazine called scarlet (i know), and the unrealistic drama, scandal, and romance that ensues. it's just right for all of my cheesy tv needs.



2. podcasts!

just in general, because i couldn't narrow it down to one. now that spotify has a bunch of 'em, i've been binging on podcasts like it's my job. though, admittedly, it's extremely hard to come up with clever headlines about pants while simultaneously listening to tips on making your dreams come true, so i've reserved most of my listening for my commute. just a few of my favorites:

the tim ferriss show (the morning routine episode is really, really good)
girlboss radio (which is now defunct, but was probably my favorite)
missing richard simmons (because who doesn't wonder WTF happened to him?)
the school of greatness

3. kesha's comeback 

i've long said that if i could choose to be any pop star, it would probably be ke$ha. i still remember the first time i saw the video for "tik tok"--still one of the greatest pop songs of our time, IMO--and was instantly fascinated by her hot mess style and DGAF attitude.

more recently, our girl has "had a time," as they say, and stepped away from the game to handle some very public personal issues and recharge. but she's baaaack and better than ever. albeit without the dollar sign, but it makes total sense when you hear her new songs and see her new vibe. i love all of the tunes i've heard thus far, but "woman," which features the dap-kings horn section, is a modern day aretha-franklin-esque anthem of female empowerment. dig it.

4.  my butcher block kitchen island

because i'm kind of weird, i've always harbored a dream of having a little butcher block kitchen island. and this past weekend, that dream came true. as soon as i laid eyes on it in IKEA, it was game over. so cute, right?

5. this hipster grocery store, city feed and supply 

 
i've already been a pretty frequent visitor to this gourmet grocery/deli/coffee shop in my 'hood, mainly for their sandwiches, but i just strolled down there tonight for their "first thursdays" event. basically, a bunch of reps give you samples of delicious stuff fo' free. it's like a mini bougie costco up in there! i had sauv blanc, rose, cava, and then some nitro cold brew and jerky for good measure. love it.

there be dragons

oh, hi! forgot about this thing for a minute. it's been a whirlwind few weeks--new job, new apartment, new errything--but i've finally settled down enough to catch my breath and share a few photos. 

most of y'all have seen some photos of my place, but if not, here they are again (plus a few more). my bedroom is still art-less and no one cares about bathrooms, so here's the living room:

and the kitchen:

 

 

oh, and this my current view. decks and decks and centre street in between. i've got the windows open and it smells like i'm about to crash one of my neighbors' cookouts.

 

speaking of, i've only been in jamaica plain ("jp" for short) a week and i feel like i probably should have been here all along. it's kinda hipster, kinda hippie, extremely diverse, everyone's really friendly and has adorable dogs, the houses are out-of-a-storybook-af (more on that below), there are so many great restaurants and cafes and stores within walking distance (namely grass fed, fomu, ten tables, and obviously the original jp licks). plus, i made it to copley square on the t this morning in 13 MINUTES. all about all of it. oh, and the DILF factor is off the charts. today, while waiting for a sandwich at city feed, i observed a bearded hipster with two little ones in tow, wearing a t-shirt that depicted the cast of sesame street crossing abbey road. peeeeak JP dad.

anywho, i took a little walk yesterday to explore the area:

apparently i'm living in an actual fairy tale

they looove their murals

little free library #1

house. goals.

little free library #2

mural #2

jamaica pond!

so in love with this porch

GIMME

aforementioned storybook house.

 cute indie bookstore

my apartment building isn't as cute as this one, but it's across the street so it still counts

kryptonite

 

last night, i strolled over to this little art exhibit/block party thing at the sam adams brewery, which was cute. they had free beer and the jp honk band played and they projected art on the outside of the brewery and such.

 
then, a few blocks away, i just HAD to catch a glimpse of the start of the annual world naked bike ride. it did not disappoint.

that's all i got for now, but so far, moving across the river might just be one of the best decisions i've ever made.

an exhaustive list of stuff i'll miss about arlington

i'm moving in just about three weeks, and i've been getting strangely emotional about it. granted, i'm only moving across the river -- from arlington to jamaica plain for you boston locals -- but it might as well be another universe. i've long joked that "there be dragons" in JP and have only spent approximately a few hours in the area ever, so naturally it was time for me to end up there. anyways, i realized that i've been in my current apartment 4 years, which is the longest i've lived in any place with the exception of my childhood homes. i've laughed here, cried here, entertained friends here, passed out from an edible here, hosted suitors of various levels of quality here, and danced around my living room frequently here. i'm excited to explore my new 'hood, but there's definitely quite a bit i'm going to miss about the old one (mostly food-related). so, for posterity ...

- lucas at the dunkin' donuts next door who starts making my coffee as soon as i walk in/always puts my iced coffee in one of the hot cups so it doesn't sweat
- the dunkin' donuts next door in general
- my off-street parking spot
- getting pizza from andrina's/just walking by andrina's and inhaling pizza parlor smell
- the revolutionary war puns at my trader joe's:

 
- the hippie man with long white hair that has a beautiful white husky that he always lets me pet when they're walking down mass ave
- turkey subs from d'agostino's deli
- the cute old middle eastern man who works at the citgo and smiles/yells hello to me every time i pass by
- this gorgeous red victorian house on the street behind me:

- the leg lamp at the bar at common ground
- saturday mornings at kickstand cafe
- the view of the boston skyline from robbins farm park:

 
- fish tacos from la victoria taqueria
- walking through a sketchy underpass to get my scorpion maki from sono
- the 77 bus to harvard square (specifically, the fact that the bus stop is a two-minute walk from my apartment)
- the dude with epic blonde dreadlocks that lived next door when i first moved in, who i creeped on constantly
- buying shellacked decorative gourds and apple cider donuts from wilson farm in the fall
- the cross-breeze in my apartment
- my weird, dirty, inexplicable crush on the white trash guy who works at blue ribbon barbeque
- leisurely strolls on the minuteman path
- paul revere road, solely because of its name
- the now-defunct brigham's ice cream shop which probably hadn't been updated since the '60s
- related: ice cream sundae delivery from the scoop and scootery  
- saying/thinking "i see old people" every time i pass by jimmy's steer house
- the all-caps, music-themed graffiti on the sidewalk (i.e. "LED ZEP" and "ABBEY ROAD")
- getting a massive moussaka plate from the greek festival at the church around the corner every year

what are the neighborhood quirks you'd miss if you moved away?