Baby it's cold outside...

Now that I work upstairs from a mall I often find myself wandering through stores during my lunch breaks. This has proven to be a real test of my self control because J. Crew and Free People are my kryptonite.

On one of my most recent wanderings a sales woman (who was EXCELLENT at her job) almost talked me into a $400 Barbour coat. 

I've been eyeing that Barbour pretty on a couple of my favorite bloggers recently and her "it's so warm" pitch nearly had me pulling out the ole credit card. Sadly I have no business spending that much on a coat no matter how much I love it and I left empty handed. (Till next time J. Crew sales lady! I'll be the girl shopping the sales section.) 

I've been jones-ing for a new coat ever since though SO what's a girl to do but spend what some might call too much time researching some more affordable alternatives.  

While none are the perfect Barbour, I'm quickly falling in love with these too. If it's going to insist on being so cold out, I might as well look cute while shivering - ya know?

Get This: 1. Curator Coat from Madewell 2. Field Parka from Madewell

3. Factory Skirted Dress Coat from J.Crew Factory 4. Parka with Hood from Zara

5. Factory Tipped Peacoat from J.Crew Factory

Other: Factory Button Glittens from J.Crew Factory ^. Factory Pom-Pom Hat from J.Crew Factory  

^. Factory Furry Earmuffs from J.Crew Factory  ^.

It's art.

Several months ago we bought a Groupon for Paint Nite and then promptly forgot about it. Thankfully KRo is the responsible one and got us all organized and booked our artistic adventure just before the expiration date.

Three cheers for KRo!

Without her we would've never recognized our true calling...artists.

And if you think these aren't being proudly displayed at Club Belmont you are sadly mistaken. They may be too big for the fridge but I'm certain we can find some barren wall space begging for our masterpieces.

I highly recommend this to all my lady friends out there looking for a good activity night. Painting + adult beverages = artistic genius.

Desk Decor

My new work environment is much more upbeat. And now that my desk isn't drowning in a sea of papers I thought it'd be the perfect chance to make it an organized, peaceful space. If I'm going to be spending 9+ hours a day there it might as well be filled with things I love.

To the internet machine!

A couple of these have already found a home in my cube but I'm taking the slow and steady approach to sprucing up my space.

Get This: 1. Pinwheel Push Pins from Anthropologie 2. Framed Corkboard from Urban Outfitters 

3. Banderole Pencil Set from Anthropologie 4. Fashion Flap Journal from Urban Outfitters 

5. Marbled Dot Votive from Anthropologie

How do you decorate your workspace?

Friday Funny

I'm now in my third year of residence at Club Belmont and I really love my apartment.

We have an awesome location, a killer place, and all six of us get along freakishly well...all the makings of a perfect living environment. That is, until our new upstairs neighbors moved in in September and made us want to wage a full on, passive aggressive war against them.

These hood rats throw parties all weekend, every weekend. I can appreciate a good party but when it sounds like you may just be rolling your refrigerator around upstairs because you've been enjoying adult beverages since 8 in the morning we have problems. 

Not wanting to call in a noise complaint yet we (KRo and I) decided the next logical option was to leave them this:

I think it says "you're the worst" in a fun, artistic sort of way. Because I'm about two parties away from being elderly and knocking a broom handle against our ceiling.

Psh, kids...

Life Lately

I've been saying it in the past couple of posts but life's been really crazy lately. But it's the good kind of crazy. 

The kind of crazy where I'm swamped at work but finally happy with what I'm doing. 

The kind where I'm getting a lot of dates with friends full of laughter and good talks. 

The kind where birthday parties don't question party hats and all attendees wear them with complete seriousness. 

And the kind where family dinners involve home made apple pie and a fire with Mumsy and Papa Dukes.

Work outing - I could get used to this new gig 

I don't hate the view from my new office

Birthday drinks are best enjoyed from mustached glasses

If you don't try and fit all the candles on the cupcake you're not doing it right

Ladies night at my new fave spot - Beat Hotel

We're almost to the weekend...I hope you all are having equally good kinds of crazy!

Stranger Danger

My walks home from work are usually uneventful and filled with phone calls to my parents or singing along a little to loudly with my earbuds. But tonight the world decided to throw me a curve ball and thank me for all the crime dramas I marathon.

Because tonight I avoided a possible abduction! Orrrr a man was just creepily yelling at me from his van.

Either way, here's how it went down: a man in a black paneled van pulled up...

Paneled vans are always a warning sign

And started yelling "Hey! You don't have to walk if you don't want to! I'll drive you!"

To which I responded with my usual nervous laughter and continued walking.

"Come on! I'm rich!"

Nope. Noooo thank you sir. All signs are pointing to that being a bold faced lie and I just want to get to my couch.

And to my couch I ran and immediately started typing up this harrowing tale.

At the end of it all was there ever any real danger of an abduction? Probably not.  But was it super creepy and something I'm going to tell everyone I come into contact with? Abso-freaking-lutely. 

Most importantly, it validated my fascination with crime dramas because I've seen this episode of Criminal Minds my friend and I know how to ward you off. 

And that's my "I-haven't-blogged-in-awhile-cus-my-new-job's-intense" story. 

Happy Humpday!

Blogshopped

Two days, one leafy crown, and a label maker later and I'm officially a Blogshop graduate! 

I feel like I learned more in one weekend from Bri and Angela than I ever did in the semester long Photoshop class I took in college. Spending a weekend with them and all the other creative ladies who dragged their Macbooks to Williamsburg was beyond inspirational. I found myself geeking out every 10 minutes when more and more Photoshop capabilities were revealed with a lot of "THAT'S how you do that?!?" moments.

I have pages and pages of notes and all I want to do now is practice my new skills all.day.long. (sadly the man insists I work a 9-5) so let's just say changes to this little blog o' mine are coming!

Instagram steal

Head of the Charles

Cambridge and Somerville are a font of weekend activities and this past weekend was no exception.

Head of the Charles celebrated it's 49th annual regatta Saturday and Sunday which meant road closures and food tents for everyone!

We got down to the event a little later than the website recommended but we still saw a good number of boats, I got a soft pretzel, and we could sit right up front because the crowds had since dispersed. That's an all star Cambridge Saturday.

The Harvard University Marching Band was suddenly parading through the middle of Harvard Square

Because why wouldn't a Mini Cooper be driving down the Charles?

As an added bonus to being late to the festivities and needing a place to warm up we stumbled across the new Beat Hotel (owned by the same fine folk who operate The Beehive). And it might have been my favorite part of the weekend.

This place has live jazz every day, a great menu, and a killer cocktail list. I'd highly recommend adding this place to your "activities list" frands (oh, am I the only one with one of those?).

Mmm shadow-y snacks

Till next time Beat Hotel...

First Day

The first day at a new job is very reminiscent of the first day of school to me.

Worries about where I'm going to sit, if I will succeed in my new role, and what I should wear always run through my head. A lot of the common "first day" fears are things that are out of your control but luckily what to wear is not.

To calm some of my nerves I've, of course, made an inspiration board of different outfits based on office culture. I'm not too certain about my new place yet but I'm thinking I'm going to follow the "it's better to be over dressed" rule.

Happy Monday frands! Wish me luck!

 •  H&M Blouse with Beaded Collar • Express Ankle Zip Legging • J.Crew Factory Scalloped Lace Top •  Banana Republic Sloan Fit Ankle Pant •  Gap Bow Neck Top •  H&M Stretch Pencil Skirt •  BCBG Paris Jaze d'Orsay Pump • H&M Imitation Leather Handbag •