So, I've had this fascination with Pantone ever since I saw my first swatch book. I was completely blown away by this very concise set of colors that could universally be identically reproduced by any printer, anywhere in the world, and how infinite the selection felt. This was during my first job out of college, and oh! I wanted to take the samples with me when… Continue reading

The last time I made a New Year's resolution was at least a decade ago, and I think I resolved myself against New Year's resolutions. Kind of like giving up Catholicism for Lent. Anyway, this year, inspired by unclutterer.com, nubbytwiglet.com, and my paid-off credit cards, and abetted by the Harvard semester leaving me class-free for a whole month, I'm embarking on a huge project to purge my… Continue reading

1. Keep Calm and Carry On poster. Typographically and visually stunning, these were designed by the British Ministry of Information in 1939, to be distributed in the event of a German invasion on English soil. Only 50 were printed, and they were never hung. I love the message, and believe everyone should live by it.
2. Jewish Rosaries by Carlen Altman. My Catholic and Jewish grandmothers would

I love my adopted city, and have often blogged about its changing character. Feel free to explore my Harvard Square. Continue reading

I've been a little bit off-the-grid over the past three weeks. My classes are insanely time-consuming, my sister will be a married woman exactly two weeks from now, and I've got some exciting new things in the pipeline.I've also got some exciting new things in my life: my boyfriend and I have been very acquisitive lately. It's cute; it's like we're nesting. Here are some of our new… Continue reading

When I was in high school, the American Taliban took over my town's school board. One of their first moves was to create a policy banning the school from "encouraging, or supporting homosexuality as a positive lifestyle alternative." Continue reading

So, with this being a recession and all, I suppose imaginary shopping is the best way to go when it comes to luxury goods. In which case I'd shell out the big nonexistent bucks for one of these conjunctive lovelies: A deluxe carrying case for an ampersand, designed by Marc Johns. Continue reading

Tis the time of year when people start making best of/my favorite things/holiday must-have lists. I've been plotting a post like this for a few years—or at least since I discovered Mindy Kaling's Things I Bought that I Love blog a while back (an idea that I'm jealous I didn't think of first). So, this list is of the top ten items that I literally could not survive without—setting… Continue reading

I'm struck by the fact that News Anchor Hair really hasn't changed at all in the past 25 years. Via mental_floss, "Five Dangerously Popular Holiday Toys." Continue reading

In any event, the same rules apply when buying gift certificates as when buying gifts: you have to know the person you're getting something for. Be observant and inquisitive. You need to discover their tastes, their likes, their needs and wants. Continue reading

The last time I went to Davis, I discovered a brand-new Boston Sports Club on top of a brand-new CVS and it felt apocalyptic. That's not my Davis Square.That said, I've had the Davis Square Midnight Madness event on my calendar for weeks.Besides fantastic sales at three of my favorite clothing stores in all of Boston (Cibeline's, Poor Little Rich Girl and Black and Blues), deals at Kickass Cupcakes… Continue reading

I love Harvard Square. I've worked here for over seven years, and lived in Cambridge proper for two of them. In that time, I've seen so much change. Just one shopfront in that time has transformed from PacSun to Abercrombie to a Citizen's Bank. And the banks—they are taking over. There are so many banks in the Square that soon there won't be any place to spend money.Just this year… Continue reading

Sunday afternoon, I found myself at one of my favorite intersections in Boston: Boylston and Newbury, right by Copley Square. The weather was all wrong for being there, but I had a long-overdue appointment to match my winter-bleh to my summer-golden haircolor, and my salon is directly across from the Public Library. Athena Salon, formerly Linea Aveda. Continue reading