Beautiful Music

  Seriously, if you have not heard this yet listen to it right now. A group of Berklee College students flash mobbed the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and performed "O Holy Night" a few weeks ago. I can't remember the last time I heard something so beautiful. I think it's a great reminder of this season and the kind, gentle, and beautiful nature of the human spirit. What talented young men and women. 

The Sunday Currently, volume 9.

Currently...
Reading... Quiet by Susan Cain. Highly recommend it!
Writing...  goals for 2014. Anyone else excited for the new year and all the possibilities 2014 holds?
Listening... to some show about the devil's bible on National Geographic. Obviously Jay has the remote.
Thinking...  about next year and all the things I want to accomplish
Smelling...  Eucalyptus Mint Wallflower...my favorite! 
Wishing...  I was more patient sometimes! 
Hoping...  this week is a fun one.
Wearing... jeans and a striped sweater. 
Loving... my new Tory Burch heels Jay got me for Christmas. They are so perfect 
Feeling... so relaxed and content. 2013 has been a good year and I think 2014 is going to bring great changes and opportunities!
Clicking... around Birchbox. I'm in need of some new beauty products.
Hope you're all enjoying a great weekend! Can you believe 2014 is almost here? 

The Sunday Currently, volume 8.

Because who can resist a man with a puppy right?

Currently...
Reading... Quiet by Susan Cain. After hearing Susan speak at the MA Conference for Women I knew I had to read the book. Her research on the untapped power of introverts is awesome!
Writing...  budget plans for 2014. I'm officially declaring 2014 as the year of financial literacy and savings! 
Listening... to Home Alone. December wouldn't be complete without a viewing!
Thinking...  about all the last minute things I have to finish before Christmas on Wednesday!
Smelling...  freshly popped popcorn
Wishing...  I had a wrapping station like this one to wrap all my Christmas gifts! 
Hoping...  my Megan gets over her flu before the holiday! Being sick is the worst, especially during the holidays!
Wearing... Jay's sweatpants and a Bruins sweatshirt. Lazy Sunday night attire ftw. 
Loving... my new Kate Spade bag. Obsessed. 
Feeling... so ready for Tuesday to be here. Can't wait to see and spend time with friends and family. 
Clicking... around code.org Hope you've all had a great weekend! 

Birchbox

Yesterday I received my first Birchbox! Growing up I was never really into makeup but in the past year or two my interest has grown and I've gotten a little more adventurous in terms of the products I use or the techniques I'll try. But when you're still trying to figure out what to add to your growing beauty collection or what the best product is it can quickly get expensive and time consuming to search. That's where Birchbox comes in. It's is the perfect way to expand your beauty options without making a big commitment.

Here's what was in this month's box:

So far I've only tried the ChapStick but it's already a favorite! Does such a good  keeping your lips soft and hydrated, such a must this time of year. I'll share updates about the other products as I try them but for now I want to know: do subscribe to Birchbox? Are you happy with it? What are your favorite beauty products lately? 

Leave a comment below or tweet me!

Kate Spade Derby Street Grand Debut

Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend the grand debut of the new Kate Spade store at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham. It was a fun night and the staff at the store are so great! Here are some pictures from the night:

Outside the store

Handbags Galore!

Macarons and San Pellegrino

Love the stark white layout and the peonies!

I purchased some jewelry and a Beau Bag but ended up returning the Beau for this:

image via

I'm so happy with my new bag. So perfect!

#Xmas Jammies

 
If you haven't seen this Christmas video from the Holderness family yet click play now! A holiday spin on Will Smith's "Miami" #Xmas Jammies is so funny and adorable. Love this family for being such good sports and putting it all out there. If only some other families did this and we could put an end to annual year in review letters? 
Check out the greenroom here for more!

On Repeat

Anyone else as obsessed with this song as I am?



What are you listening to on repeat right now?

Divergent

image via

Last night, I started reading Divergent by Veronica Roth. Jay and I saw Catching Fire yesterday and one of the previews that showed was for the movie depiction of the book coming out in March 2014. I loved the look of the preview and I remembered hearing good things about the book so I decided to pick it up at the iBookstore (and the book was only $3.99! I'm a total sucker for a book deal).  Anyway, I started it and have been flying through! Literally had to put my iPad down and force myself to go to sleep last night. I love Roth's description of Dauntless training, the political tension between the Erudite and Abnegation factions, and the strange idea of a society like this. Add in the tension between Four and Tris and my curiosity about what the Dauntless are guarding and I'm totally hooked.  I'm just over halfway through the book and I can't wait to finish this part of Tris' adventure and start the next book! 

What about you? Have you read Divergent? Reading anything you can't put down? Have any good book recommendations? Leave a comment below! 

p.s. Watch the trailer for Divergent here!

The Sunday Currently, volume seven.

photo source: Restoration Hardware plates. Taken by me today at P.Place

Currently...
Reading... the December issue of Fast Company. Totally obsessed with this magazine!
Writing... Thanksgiving cards for my family. They'll all be in NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade so I want to remind them each of the little things that make me so grateful to call them mine all year long. 
Listening... to this song on repeat. Oh Avicii you know how to make my ears happy. 
Thinking... about how crazy this week is going to be at work. Short week + coworkers on vacation = no fun for Lauren   Smelling... Burberry perfume. Signature scent that I never tire of. 
Hoping... I decide what to wear to Thanksgiving asap. Love having those things out of the way ahead of time!
Wearing... sweatpants and a sweater + ugg slippers. So cozy.
Loving... that I got to see Catching Fire today! If you haven't seen it go now! And if you have already been to see it, how great did all the movies in the previews look?! I want to see them all!   Wanting... a cup of tea and an early bedtime. Just that type of night folks. 
Needing... to start carving out some dedicated "me time" each week. Now that Jay's working days it's hard to declare some time just for me and some time for this little blog! Hoping to try to find some balance soon. 
Feeling... a little sad I won't be spending Thanksgiving with my family this year. What are your Thanksgiving plans?
Clicking... around Sarah's Saturday Sessions to teach myself some tricks!
Hope you all had a great weekend!

The Sunday Currently, volume six.

Currently...
Reading... Hatching Twitter: A True Story of Money, Power, Friendship, and Betrayal by Nick Bilton. I'm not too far in but I've enjoyed it so far.
Writing... posts for the week, woohoo for being ahead of schedule!
Listening... to Jay watching "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Thinking... about how much fun I had babysitting the little guys across the street last night. They are so adorable and good natured! Almost makes me jealous of all you nannies out there!   Smelling... l'occitane lavender hand lotion. So relaxing and such a little luxury!
Hoping... the weather is perfect for walking around Boston tomorrow.
Wearing... sweatpants and an EY t-shirt courtesy of my sister.
Loving... the fact that it's a three day weekend! No work tomorrow!   Wanting... some Yogi Kava Kava tea. It's perfect for grey, chilly nights like tonight!
Needing... to really watch the first two Transformer movies, I'm so lost!
Feeling... oh so excited for the Bruins game tomorrow!
Clicking... around on the Fast Company website. Cannot get enough lately! I also highly recommend picking up their November issue and reading the cover article about 23andme, I found it absolutely fascinating. 
Hope you're having a great 3 day weekend! What are you up to?

Thankful Thursday, volume one

image via

Since November is traditionally associated with Thanksgiving, counting your blessings and being thankful for all the blessings in your life I decided to use every Thursday in the month of November as an opportunity to talk about some of the things in my life I'm so thankful for.
This week's Thankful Thursday List:
1) Jay: I say it all the time but I am so very lucky to have such a great boyfriend. Jay loves me at my very best and my very worst and I can always count on him to do his best to make my days just a little bit brighter. He is truly top of the "Thankfullness List" all the time.
2) Having a regular work schedule: After 5 years in retail I am so thankful for the regular work schedule banking has afforded me. Love knowing what days I have off each week and being able to plan things out! Which leads me to...
3) Having every Thursday off: In exchange for working a half day every Saturday I have every Thursday off from work. I love, love, love having a weekday off; I can schedule appointments, run errands, and have quiet time while everyone else is at work! Plus it means I can go to awesome events like Giada De Laurentiis' book signing! (more on that in tomorrow's post!)
That's all for this week's list, tune in next Thursday for my Thankful Thursday post!
What are you thankful for this week? Would you be interested in doing a post like this as a link up? Leave a comment below!

The Sunday Currently, volume 5

Currently...
Reading...The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. Almost done and I highly recommend it, make sure to grab a box of tissues though, it's a tearjerker. 
Writing... notes for my meeting tomorrow. I hate leaving a meeting and thinking "oh darn how did I forget to bring that up/ask that question/get some clarification?!" hence the obsessive pre-meeting list/note making.
Listening... to the Patriots game...anyone else just not really feeling the Pats and football in general this year? #hockeyftw
Thinking... about tomorrow's meeting. Yuck.   Smelling... clean linen wallflower. Have I mentioned how much I love the Bath and Body Works Wallflowers? Loveeeee
Hoping... this week flies by! So many exciting and fun things planned for the long weekend. 

Wearing... Loft leggings and a cozy sweater, my ideal fall weekend ensemble

Loving... my new Warby Parker Sims glasses. They are perfect!  
Wanting... to find the perfect cream colored cable knit sweater. If you've seen any or have suggestions please leave a comment below!

Needing... a good night's sleep. Looking forward to snuggling up under my covers tonight. 

Feeling... so grateful for Jay, this week I know I've been extra difficult and he is so wonderful, making me feel loved and understood even when I'm at my orneriest 

Clicking... on this Instagram account. How cute is Carly's new toy poodle?!

Hope you're all enjoying the last few hours of this Sunday! 

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! While I'm not dressing up this year or doing anything special I did take the opportunity to whip up a fun Halloween dessert perfect for bringing to parties or serving up as an after dinner treat...boo cups!

These tasty treats are so super easy to whip up! Find the recipe here. Even better, you can personalize them however you'd like making them a crowd favorite!

Hope whatever your plans are tonight you have a happy, safe Halloween!

Halloween throwback with the cousins!

Miley Mumford Mashup

Can not get this song out of my head. Love this version infinity times more than the original. You're welcome. If it gets stuck in your head and you find yourself jamming out on all your car rides this week I'm sorry. 

NPR StoryCorps : Love

The Perasa's  image via

Driving to work yesterday I happened to catch the tail end of a segment on NPR about Danny and Annie Perasa, the Brooklyn couple who first recorded their StoryCorps segment in 2004. The response to their segment was so great that StoryCorps checked back in with them in 2006 just a week before Danny Perasa passed away. 
Here's the link to their segments. Give them a listen. There is something so simple, beautiful, and true about Danny and Annie's relationship that is so delightful to hear about. And Danny's letters to Annie? Precious. 
"When a guy is happily married, no matter what happens at work, no matter what happens in the rest of the day, there’s a shelter when you get home, there’s a knowledge, knowing that you can hug somebody without them throwing you down the stairs and saying get your hands off me. Being married is like having a color television set, you never want to go back to black and white." - Danny's thoughts on marriage
If you liked the audio check out the animated version of their tale here

Columbus Day

scene from my walk this morning

Hi All! Hope you're all enjoying the holiday today (and are lucky enough to have it off like me)! Just here to share some things around the web I'm loving lately:

- At this point I'm sure you're sick of hearing about the government shutdown but here's something you may not have heard: you can drunk dial Congress and let all that frustration out on them! 
- Can't believe the above link? Read this article from The Guardian - These classic sculptures dressed as hipsters are too funny. What a cool project!
- This soup recipe! Making it today and crossing my fingers that it's as delicious as it looks in her photos!
What are you loving across the web on this long weekend? Share in a comment below!

Extra 40% Off J.Crew Final Sale

Have you heard? J.Crew is offering an extra 40% off all final clearance items! Just use the code extra40 at checkout.
Here are some things I'm planning on picking up:

This tank is perfect for under sweaters and cardigans.

Pink Minnie pants? Yes please!

Can't go wrong with these pjs. And you can monogram them ? Sign me up!

The Sunday Currently

Currently...
Reading... The Defining Decade by Meg Jay. Watch her Ted talk here!
Writing... coding notes. Anyone else trying to teach themselves HTML5 and CSS?
Listening... to this song on repeat. Oh Lana. 
Thinking... about all the new recipes I'm going to try this week. 
Smelling... Macintosh Apple Wallflower. Ahhh Fall how I adore your signature scents. 
Wishing...  the weather wasn't so crummy and we could have gone apple picking today!
Hoping... this week flies by and the three day weekend is here before I know it.
Wearing... new jeans, riding boots, and a shep shirt. Total fall uniform. 
Loving...  the Bruins so far this season! They played great last night.
Wanting...  some chocolate.  
Needing...  a nap
Feeling... addicted to Candy Crush! Anyone else? #thisneedstostop
Clicking... all over the Tory Burch Friends and Fans sale. Score 25% off your purchase plus free express shipping with the code friends. Thinking I need these:

image via

Hope you're all having a relaxing, laid back Sunday!

A Day of Relaxation: Maha Yoga Center

A few weeks ago the company I work for sponsored a "Day of Relaxation" at Maha Yoga Center in Bridgewater. 13 other women and I attended and I think I speak for us all when I say it was exactly what we needed! The staff at Maha were so friendly and welcoming, not to mention so knowledgeable! Our day included an 1 1/2 yoga class, a massage, meditation session and of course some fun discussion over biscotti and herbal tea. My yoga class was with Diane, she was such a great instructor! Plus you can tell from talking with her or taking a class with her that she's so centered, I just love that in an instructor. 
 If you're in the area or live near Bridgewater you should definitely think about dropping by Maha Yoga Center for a class or massage, you won't regret it!
And don't forget to check them out on Facebook :)

Bruins

Tonight is the Bruins home opener of the 2013-2014 season. They're playing the Tampa Bay Lightning and I'm predicting a win to start the season for my Bruins.  All I can say is thank goodness hockey is back! Apologizing in advance for the amount of hockey related tweets I'll be flooding your newsfeeds with!

image via

ps. Has anyone seen the QR codes NESN has been putting up that you can scan to learn more about certain players? What do you think of it?

No Eat Out October

As part of my 101 in 1001  list I wanted to try meal planning. I like the idea of having all my dinners for the week planned ahead of time and hopefully making my crazy weeknights a little easier/more streamlined. Also, since Jay and I are trying to proactively save for our first house I wanted to see how much money we'd save by cutting wayyy back on how much we eat out or grab takeout. So I've decided to declare October "no eat out october" and rule out dinners out, grabbing takeout on the way home from work or when we're too lazy on the weekends, and even the occasional 3x per week Starbucks trips. I'm a little nervous but mostly excited to get back into my cooking groove and try some new recipes this month! I'll keep you posted on how this experiment turns out :)
Here are some recipes I'm looking forward to trying this month: 

This minestrone soup recipe from Eat Yourself Skinny looks so good! 

And these Brussels Sprouts look so delicious! Can't wait to try them!

Please leave any recipe suggestions in the comment section below!

Local Levo Boston Meetup!

The Boston Local Levo group is hosting a meetup! If you live in the Boston area stop by The Met Back Bay on Dartmouth St. tomorrow night from 6pm - 730 pm. It's sure to be a great time, hope to see some of you there! 

Have You Heard?

T.J. Maxx now has an e-commerce site! Here are some things I'm loving:

This studded clutch is perfect for a night out!

I love these skinny jeans! And at $29.99 they're a steal. 

I love this simple v-neck top! 

While the website is no replacement for going in and searching through your  local TJ's it's still fun to browse! Hopefully overtime their online selection expands. Have you checked out the website yet? What do you think?